Saturday, September 20, 2014
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Just another sign of corporations having too much power…
So, I was out on my morning jog this morning when I passed
by a local concrete foundry pumping out tons of toxic smoke. The smoke was so
bad, I had to stop jogging because I was coughing so hard. I was coughing so
hard, I nearly threw up!
The smell was pretty bad where I lived, a couple of miles
away, too.
Vicky suggested I call the AQMD (the Air Quality Management
District) to register a complaint, which I did. What I didn’t expect, though,
was the lesson I received in just how powerful corporations are in relation to
how much they can pollute.
Here’s what I found out.
In order for the AQMD to even speak with the foundry and ask
them to please cut down on their smog, they need to have six different homes on
the same block all register complaints within the same hour. Then, they have to
remain at their home for an AQMD representative to come to their home and
verify the smell. This AQMD could take as much as three hours to get there, by
which time the wind could shift and the smell could move on.
Can you imagine how difficult that would be to pull off? Six
residents from six different homes all have to call at about the same time.
Then, they can’t leave their home. They have to wait there – not go to work –
and hope everyone else stays put as well. They have to wait for hours, all in
the hopes that the wind doesn’t shift!
And this won’t even get them definite action. The foundry
could ignore the request. When I asked the AQMD rep what the requirements were
for them to take definite action, such as a fine or a court order or anything,
she just shook her head and said, “Well, let’s try to get this first. This is
hard enough.”
Meanwhile, the foundry owners sit back and laugh at us
little people. They’ve made us powerless.
And the sad truth is, so many of us defend our corporate
overlords despite all that. And, in the grand scheme of things, this is
nothing.
Monday, September 15, 2014
Saturday, September 13, 2014
Monday, September 08, 2014
Tuesday, September 02, 2014
I give you the Breakfast Shake!...
I was out driving around this morning and came to the
realization that plenty of fast food restaurants give you a breakfast menu but
none of them – not a single one (that I know of, at least) offers a Breakfast
Shake!
Why is that?
It’s not like they have to resort to something as disgusting
or nutritious as putting eggs or sausage in their shake. They don’t even have
to resort to putting a frittata in your shake.
Listen: I’ve actually had a Cap’n Crunch Shake at a Carl’s
Jr., many moons ago. They have the template. Now, they just need to take it to
its next, logical step. Hell, make me a Franken-Berry Shake or a Boo-Berry
Shake. Make me a Waffle Shake with real waffle bits and syrup. Make me a
Pancake Breakfast Shake with bits of pancake and bacon! It can be done!
It can be done!
It must be done!!!!
… then again, maybe I’m just really in the mood for a shake…
Monday, August 25, 2014
Friday, August 22, 2014
Monday, August 18, 2014
Friday, August 15, 2014
Friday, August 08, 2014
We bomb at midnight... or whenever...
This morning's headlines keep reading - or, at least, I do - that we're bombing Iraq again to help save lives.
Now, you might find this cynical but look at the bright side. We're one of the few nations in history ever to save lives with high explosives, and we're certainly in the minority as far as thinking we can.
You can't solve every problem by throwing money at it, the Republicans have told us all these years but as it turns out you can solve them by throwing bombs... or dropping them. I say, let's solve more of our problems. Bad transmission? Drop a bomb on it! Melting glaciers? Drop a bomb! Heck, I think we should fix Congress right about now. Don't you?
(This rant brought to you by the Peoples Who Ain't Been Bombed Yet For the Bombing of the People not there anymore because we have...)
Now, you might find this cynical but look at the bright side. We're one of the few nations in history ever to save lives with high explosives, and we're certainly in the minority as far as thinking we can.
You can't solve every problem by throwing money at it, the Republicans have told us all these years but as it turns out you can solve them by throwing bombs... or dropping them. I say, let's solve more of our problems. Bad transmission? Drop a bomb on it! Melting glaciers? Drop a bomb! Heck, I think we should fix Congress right about now. Don't you?
(This rant brought to you by the Peoples Who Ain't Been Bombed Yet For the Bombing of the People not there anymore because we have...)
Saturday, August 02, 2014
Busy at home at work at home together apart together…
I’m sitting at my desk on a muggy, summer afternoon, thinking about my marriage and what a strange place we’re in.
And I thought, What the hell! Let’s write about it!
We have so many friends and people in our families who live “traditional” lives… you know, the marriage, the house, the kids, the crap… I know Vicky likes it because she gets to enjoy it on a “visitor” basis but it’s downright annoying to me. I don’t know why but I’m not that keen on the traditional setup.
Vicky and I don’t have kids and I have grown comfortable like that. Not only is it okay, it’s just fine by me. I don’t think Vicky will ever be completely comfortable and that makes me sad but that’s not how things have worked out and I, personally, am happier going with the flow, accepting what is rather than wishing for what isn’t.
In a way…
You see, as much as many of those we know have gone the traditional route, Vicky and I have surprisingly… not.
We don’t have kids. We’re not really big joiners. We aren’t especially attracted to material objects.
The two of us found what we love long ago and recently – in the past year, at least – things have really begun to take off with what we love. In case I’m being too vague, I’m talking about our jobs.
Yep.
Vicky and I are workaholics.
We both love what we do. Vicky loves running her company’s paralegal team and teaching college courses, etc. etc. etc. I love writing books and recording audiobooks and creating new videos and hosting my podcasts, etc. etc. etc.
I don’t think either of us have ever been so fulfilled in what we do.
… and yet, I’m sitting here at my desk on a muggy, summer afternoon… and I’m considering all of these things… and what does not escape me is the fact that Vicky is about 10-15 miles across town right now, doing her thing.
This strikes me as so weird because there’s no one I love being with more than Vicky. I love taking adventures with her. I love laying in on a weekend morning with her and watching a race. I love going to Target with her to buy Q-tips. I don’t know why this is. I’m just smitten.
And, all the same, we’re spending our days apart. We spend many of our days apart. Because we love what we do.
And we love each other.
I suppose it’s not “traditional.” It may not even be healthy.
But I’m proud of her and she’s proud of me and though I hate when she’s away I love when she comes back. It may sound strange to say we love our lives spent working most of the time without kids and without each other that much… but we do.
And I probably wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Monday, July 21, 2014
Friday, July 18, 2014
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Thursday, July 10, 2014
Saturday, July 05, 2014
We're halfway through the year!
This is shaping up to be a crazy year, as you’ll see, and be
sure to check out my website, my Facebook page, or just
drop me a line for updates as they occur!
For now, here’s this…
A slew of new releases! It’s going to be a big year for book
releases and here are just a few from this quarter:
Cookies: Sluts of the
Snack World (Book1 in the “Fun To Grow On” series) (Fiction/humorous)
(Look for it in paperback coming soon!)
Last Ditch
(Fiction/thriller)
(Look for the paperback coming soon!)
Dreaming With Open
Eyes (Non-fiction/motivation)
But that’s not all! Have you caught my new podcast: The Monday Morning Show? Each week, I
talk about the news of the day and the news in my head for 10-15 minutes. It’s
provocative, entertaining, and I also respect your intelligence. Imagine!
You can download
The Monday Morning Show from PodcastMachine at present and look for it soon
on iTunes!
As most of you know, July is the month I put aside for the
sole purpose of claiming that I’m taking a vacation… (I’m working on it!)
I’m also working on a new series on my YouTube channel,
which I call “So, you want to be a writer.” Join me each week as I take on tech
writing, copy writing, playwriting, and novel writing… And I can assure you,
each episode is assembled without a hint of sarcasm…
You can also look forward to a few new titles in the next
few months. Such as:
Indian Paintbrush
(Fiction/literary)
To a Dreamer
(Non-fiction/motivation)
And, Puppies: Best in
Stew (Book 2 in the “Fun To Grow On” series)
Each book will be available for ebooks, in paperback, and in
audiobook formats.
But that’s not all…
Look for The Wrong
Magic (Fiction/fantasy) coming from WiDo Publishing around Christmastime. I’ve
also signed a contract with Vagabondage Press to release my zombie horror
novel, Wormfood Island, in 2015.
The fun has just begun.
Stay tuned!
Until next time, I wish you nothing but the best.
Ken La Salle
Follow my writing career at www.kenlasalle.com
And, on YouTube
Wednesday, July 02, 2014
It's a choice...
Just a few happy statistics. These are conservative estimates...
The seas will be dead within 30 years.
We will have killed all the coral reefs in 20 years.
We are living in the time of peak oil.
Global warming is now.
... This was all man-made. Our responsibility is to ameliorate the devastating consequences. Or, we can keep making things worse for your children...
It's a choice.
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