Postcards from the Funny Farm

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Listen what I have on the TIVO tonight:

House M.D.
The Spelling Bee
Dateline
20/20
On the Lot
Greek (Wife likes that one, NOT me: I play guitar while she watches that college brat crap.)

Anyway . . . am I stoked or what on the list? That is a lot of TV ether before bedtime!!!

I found this pic from a couple years ago when we went to Hard Rock Cafe at Universal City Walk, Hollywood. I have some awesome pictures of Paul McCartney’s bass and some other cool junk. Maybe someday I’ll post them. I like that people use Flickr, it makes a great collection for the public. As for what I use? Ever since I went with Gallery2 on my webhost, I haven’t missed Flickr a bit. If you go over 200 photos on Flicker it takes the overage set hostage and gives you an annoying warning every time to log in and upgrade your account.

I found a couple cool new blog feeds tonight. I’m going to read them for a bit before I recommend them here though. Marcia commented on my “death to digg” post this morning, but other than that I’ve had scant feedback through email. I came on pretty strong, I wonder what kind of backlash I’ll get, if any.

Well, wifal unit is going to state line (between Nevada and California) tomorrow morning with 6 of her girl friends. It’s about 3 hours North of us. I’ll be here with the girls since Brandon is still at Summer Camp. Every day they post pics on the camp blog up there so we’ve been seeing him getting tanner and laughing with new people. What a thrill for a 9 year old. I didn’t go to camp until I was 13.

Thursday I’m getting my preliminary physical for the vasectomy. Better love these babies I have now. Once they grow up, that’s it for the Damester! Trust me, it’s OKAY!!!

So what are my plans until I go back to work on the 8th? Well, for starters TIVO duhhhhhhhhhhh! he he. No seriously, also, I want to wash my Jeep and get the oil changed, and get all my clothes hung up and pressed for the work on the 8th. My wife and I are hoping one night before we pick up sonny boy on Saturday we can leave the girls with her mom and go out! My idea is one of those Italian places where the waitress pours oil and vinegar on a plate and you sop it up with bread.

We drank for the first time in like 2 years the other night, it was fun. The headache in the morning sucked though! Anyway, maybe we’ll have a bottle of wine at the Italian place. It’s been a GREAT summer break post summer school and I feel rejuvenated to teach a new class of fourth graders in just over a week. Ok, gotta go . . . I warned ya this was a journal entry! Expect those in and out of here from now on. Thanks to all who’ve read my hyper-occurring posts this Summer! Now, must make way for some microwave nachos and soda, and . . . the shows! (Can you hear the 20th Century Fox theme playing???)

Through time, trial, and error, I have come to the realization that social networking/media/bookmarking is a mixed bag and probably a fad. In my opinion, it’s not useful.

I don’t “submit” posts I read to digg like I used to and I don’t put ghastly kitsch chicklets, for example, on my site advertising showing who visited last and how many readers have submitted my posts. I’ve seen the light.

It’s a freeing thing for me to be rid of all that stuff on my blog. But hey, to each his own and please note I judge no one. I simply weigh the pros and cons of things like social media and report what I find. I agree that, in and of themselves, they are neutral. But even as neutral tools, they are lacking.

It has been said on a couple posts I’ve visited lately, that social networking is not just digg and de.licio.us and the like. They claim it is also the act of commenting on posts, connecting with new bloggers and getting your blog read by new audiences. But the inference here still seems to be that I somehow need digg.com and other companies to network or I will miss out.

With all due respect to folks who think social networking media is crucial: I do not need it. And truth be told, neither do you. [quote]When it comes to companies like digg.com, de.licio.us, and the like, one can do for oneself what they so braggardly advertise as the genius innovation of Web 2.0.[/quote] (Although Stumbleupon is an innovation above them all and I have written a complimentary post about it and do use it regularly). We think Web 2.0 social networking is about smart people recommending links and us getting better articles. What it is in reality is mostly uneducated people submitting their own business related stuff along with their friends’ and more or less virally spreading lousy content. Bloggers don’t need social networking media. Let me give you 3 simple ways I function as my OWN social network BETTER than digg.com and any of the others I’ve tried:

Method#1
Use Google Blog Search to find blogs on topics you are interested in. (Hint, use your categories as search parameters)
Use good seo titles and vocabulary in your articles so you show up in these types of searches where you want to be. There is a plethora of free info out there on how to seo your posts and your blog for Google.

Method#2
Use Stumbleupon’s “Weblog” randomizer on the Stumbleupon toolbar to randomly discover “stumbled” blogs. (We hope these are usually good, but they have just as much of a chance as being good as other user-submitted blogs on social media services.)

Method#3
From time to time, write articles related to blog posts you have read by blogs you respect and TRACKBACK (when it applies ONLY! To do this every time at the expense of content is the equivalent of SPAMMING). This is a humble, honest, effective, and genuine method of networking.

In doing just these three things, you are doing more to network with quality blogs than you are by using social network media extant. If you try these 3 methods and you still feel forlorn for the social network media services, by all means head over there. I’m not blackballing them. But if you are like me, you’ll have a better time innovating your own experience than clicking on one of their icons, widgets, buttons, banners or chicklets.

One of the hardest parts of being a dad is putting my baby girl to bed. She’s 2.5 and very active at night and when bedtime rolls around, she wants no part of it. She has this quirky fear of sitting on her bottom in the bath. She either likes to stand and play or get on her knees. Maybe she’s afraid she’ll drown? I dunno. Anyway, I was trying to get her to sit tonight and she would not do it. When it was time to get out, I held up the towel and said: “Okay, it’s almost night night.” She yelled “no” and FINALLY SAT, as if you say: “I’ll do anything, please - no night night.” After I got her out of the bath and got her all cozy in her PJ’s, she started running away from me when I uttered “night night.”

When I finally caught her and held her in my arms like a little princess, I saw her mama’s spunky spirit in her face and I saw my own iron will and I just felt SO bad for her that she had to go to bed. Part of me wanted to let her stay up with us, but I knew that she was exhausted so I had to follow through. She was screaming noooooo. I sang her a song and caressed her little head and then closed the door. Her crying instantly ceased.

She obviously needed a boundary. I know that is my job as a parent, and it may not come with warm fuzzy feelings all the time.

My kids don’t have even a fraction of the experiences I have as an adult. That’s why I have to draw the line many times on any given day. This I know in my head, but some days, it’s hard on my “heart.”

This test I stumbled on gives you your “REAL” age based on a series of questions as well as your life expectancy age. Here were my results:

• I am 38
  The machine says my actual age is 35.7 (woo hoo)

• The average life expectancy for male Caucasians is 75
  The machine says my life expectancy is 77.3 (woo hoo again!)

The cool thing is that I was totally honest in the test!  The questions are great and you learn what factors take off the most years! I recommend taking this test if you have a minute or if you have several because you’re bored like I was.

poodwaddle.com/realage.htm

In my series Amazing Things, I presented the success stories of 4 amazing human beings: Walt Disney, Ray Kroc, Rod Serling, and Jack Black. Each of them had odds to overcome, and each of them had low times. The lows were mental, financial, and I imagine spiritual. Nonetheless, all used their wits and drive to see the light through the darkness. When they did, they found the times in the dark that made their work more meaningful. In fact, they were all thankful for the dark once the light shone through.

J.K. Rowling, the author of Harry Potter, talked on Dateline last night about how she was on public assistance and going through a divorce before writing the first Harry Potter book. She was “lower than low” in her words and yet found inspiration in that desolate time to see a boy named Harry Potter and a plot. Her first book was purchased for $100,000, a far cry from pubic assistance. I’m inspired when people are in a dark or low time, choose to seek inspiration. Like the light coming through the clouds in the picture, hope and sustenance does eventually come. [quote]My words shouldn’t reveal if I am in the valley or not because I write looking at the mountaintop.[/quote] If I look at the mountaintop long enough, I know I will be there.

During a dark or low period, my first rote step is to make a list of what I am thankful for and practice feeling joyful about that list. It get your focus off the thing that’s bringing me down. I try to nurture a constant “attitude of gratitude.” but I’ll admit, it’s easy, and I am not always successful. It’s what I do and what we do in my house when things get down. So far, based on the track record of our lives, it has kept us happy until the sun shines through.

Although I am not the biggest J.K. Rowling fan, I really see truth in her story about how when she was at her lowest, some perseverance brought her best work out of her. The variable that is squeezing you could amazingly be your friend in that it forces you to find the goodness, the personal growth potential, in a situation.

With about a week left until I go back to start the new school year, I can feel that twinge of sorrow that my break is over. Less time rolling on the floor all day with my kids, less time to blog, less time play guitar, my list goes on . . . But I think the new school year is the clouds for me right now. I need to KNOW the light is coming through. In low times I need to say “STOP” to my feelings, because I don’t let them control of my life. Through thankfulness, I can say hello to the light I know will be coming through the clouds. . . as Ronnie Milsap sang: Any Day Now!

OK! This blog is one of the most rockin’ things in my life right now next to my family, so I’m gonna gush and sponsor my own mock awards ceremony and thank some top-shelf people!

I am excited that I am calling my blog a journal now and the journey to that has been much more complex than you might imagine. I don’t know if many people will understand how, but that’s okay. Anyway . . . It’s a blog too, but more a journal. Feel free to be a voyeur . . . I am on most of yours. This is my imaginary world where I express myself and you BUY IT!! GOD BLESS YOU FOR THAT CHARITY!!! After nearly 9 months I have a few folks I’d like to mention because they rock the house in this endeavor (this is an arrival dammit!):

• All Rileyed Up: My sister in law rocks the house
  
• Bakaitis.com: Haven’t heard much from him lately, but I stole his Tarski idea of rotating headers.
  
• Confessions of a Sophisticated Writer: Just great. Very cool writer. A lot of cool memes flow through her. I like her!
  
• Courting Destiny: Thoughtful blogger. I think she needs a bestselling book before we see the peak of her blog, but it’s far above most for now.
  
• Derek Semmler dot com: THE DUDE. Derek has an awe...
• DUWARD DISCUSSION: Very down home personal blog.
  
• Future Cave Paintings: Unbelievable artist. PLEASE add him to your blogroll.
  
• Home @ Blogcritics.org: I just started writing for this racket. We’ll see what’s up. My first post got 4 comments.
  
• Hot Coffee Girl: I hope to meet and hang out with ...
• Life is RANTastic!: Jessica rules.
• Linguistic Mystic: A dedicated blogger focused on language, my #2 favorite blog topic!
  
• Lorelle on WordPress: Right now? THE blogging goddess in my book! Check out her beez kneez.
  
• Mother Tongue Annoyances: I don’t know what this guy thinks of me, but as far as I am concerned, his blog is the bomb.
  
• Taking Your Camera on the Road: Lorelle, remember the goddess? her photo blog that I haven’t checked out as much as I should.
  
• the art of getting by: A very cool girl with a very cool blog.
  
• The Digerati Life: A Finance blog that is run by a...
• This Eclectic Life: Very cool lady with a storytelling blog.
  
• Tumbled Words: marcia’s my bud. She’s a darn good blogger too.
  
• Weblog Tools Collection: Amazing updates of themes and plugins . . . almost daily. Need I say more?
  

There are many. many more I should be thanking but these are the first ones to thank on my blogroll. Please let me know if you feel you’ve been left out. My blog is exactly where I want it to be and these people (directly or their works/indirectly) have helped me get to this place. At one year, I hope to throw a huge party and invite you all out here to Southern California!!! THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN! Okay, gotta go watch SNL we TIVO’d from last night . . . the kids are sleeping and Brandon is at camp WOO HOO! To all my readers, let me say this: “There is MUCH MUCH more to come! Thanks for reading. I really appreciate it.” But alas, for now, to quote my Governor, “Hasta la vista . . . BABY!”

A beneficent blog I respect and have learned from for a while now is [COSW]. She was kind enough to award me a “Power of Schmooze” award saying this about me in her post:

Damien: Another fellow blogger and writer who talks about everything on his blog, and and calls me “The Queen of Memes” :D

Since I’ve thrown off all tares of social bookmarking and analytics this past month, it’s GREAT to find out this way that someone is reading my blog out there! I’m truly blind to who is reading and who is not unless I get comments. I do mean to do right by my contribution, so THANK YOU YOUR MEME MAJESTY!!! ; D

Here’s a blurb about the “Power of Schmooze” award:

“As it goes, schmoozing is the natural ability “to converse casually, especially in order to gain an advantage or make a social connection.” Good schmoozers effortlessly weave their way in and out of the blogosphere, leaving friendly trails and smiles, happily making new friends along the way. They don’t limit their visits to only the rich and successful, but spend some time to say hello to new blogs as well. They are the ones who engage others in meaningful conversations, refusing to let it end at a mere hello - all the while fostering a sense of closeness and friendship.”

And now I’d like to grant the award to some blogs:

These people have been kind enough to be the top commenters on Riley Central. These people have also been virtual friends of mine through comments and email, been extraordinarily positive to me about Riley Central (in a not-always-positive blogosphere), shown a real ability to write and affect me with their words, and have proven themselves generally excellent in my native category of “personal blogs.”

1. [Tumbled Words]: Marcia and I work through the maze of WordPress together. She has several blogs, but this one is her “baby” as far as WordPress is concerned. It’s an honor when we chat and I can show her something. From her I learn humility too in that I don’t know the answer half the time. She’s still nice to me about it ;) I really enjoy reading her blog(s) and our online friendship.
2. [This Eclectic Life]: Shelly discovered my “Que?” story a couple of months back I think. Since then she has been an undying source of encouragement to my content. When I think about cosmetic changes to my site, I think Wordpress.org. When I think about sitting down to really write a good, content filled post, I think of Shelly. You’re the best girl!
3. [COSW]: I covered this one up top!
4. [Life is RANTastic!]: Jessica the Rock Chick is too nice for words. She has an aspiration with her blog and I know she will achieve it. Her posts are always thoughtful, entertaining and that makes her very readable blog exciting to have on my reader. Jessica, you really are the rock chick!

I love going to Mexico for the food! And for especially the tacos! I’ve lived in Southern California all my life and taken trips to Tijuana, Rosarito, and even Guadalajara since I was 15 years old. There is a lot to say about Mexico, and I probably will say a lot more on Riley Central in the future. After all, I spent 3 months living there in college learning Spanish conversation at uag.mx I guess, there’s so much to say, I’m waiting until I can say it right! If it’s not obvious, I’m not Hispanic. My 3 siblings and I are of Irish and German descent. I simply have an affinity for the Mexican culture and the more I learn the more enamored I become!

But for now, I want to tell you about a piece of heaven you can only find in Mexico: the Mexican taco stand!

I found an amazing site that described the allure and mystique of the thing. I almost decided the web didn’t need another post. It was that good, there’s also an awesome picture . . . check it out here. But I have such a passion for that food! If you know the feel of 2 warm handmade corn tortillas in your hand with just-chopped meat, salt, cilantro and onion and a refilled glass bottle of Coke (that you are asked to return) then you know the drill!

If you have 2 dollars you can get full. If you have 5 you can feed your whole family. There are no health codes for taco stands in Mexico, but there is a bright side to that: good old hometown family cooking.

Just remember to not eat hot dogs wrapped in bacon. One night years ago, walking to the motel, after the bar . . . it looked sooo good. I’ll spare you the details.

Anywayz, we have a Baja Fresh by our house. I went there tonight with my son and we got Mexican style tacos. It approaches authentic, but unfortunately, it just isn’t the same. We’re planning a cruise to Mexico in the next year . . . I long for those mystic taco stands . . . I gotta get my fix before I lose my mojo!

Jessica the Rock Chick over at [Life is RANTastic!] is hosting a blog-a-thon where periodically throughout the day she features a new post related to music and education. I am a guest blogger over there and I wrote a post about a subject I feel truly passiona.... It’s about how music education serves as a lens for kids in life, and why it shouldn’t be dismissed as irrelevant to public education. Anyway, to support the cause I’m asking you to head over to read it. She’s got some top shelf corporate sponsors including VH1.

I’ll have this notice up as a sticky post for most of the day, so scroll down for newer posts should they exist (you know how I am when I’m on break . . . every hour on the hour sometimes ;) Back here on the homefront watch today or this week sometime for an exciting post I’ve been working on called “The Mexican Taco Stand.” Yum!

How successful is the author of this blog? Well, it all depends on who you compare me to. My wife and I live modestly by some standards. We have 2 vehicles, a minivan and a Jeep. We rent a 4 bedroom house in the gorgeous High Desert of California with Satellite and high speed wireless internet. That alone is the Baliey’s to my way of thinking. I’m a public school teacher and have been blessed with 3 amazing kids aged 2 months, 2 1/2, and 9 years. Oh yeah, And I’ve been writing this blog for cool readers for about 200 days. Would you call that a success yet? Maybe not. It all depends. Everything is relative.

My wife and I have grand plans to see better days financially in the years to come. Like the typical suburban couple, We aren’t 100% satisfied until we have more. Still, we know how to be thankful in all circumstances. Somebody has aways got it worse (and better!).

In 1997 at 27 I made about 18,000 dollars a year. I was finishing my Master’s in Language and already had a hefty student loan debt hanging over my head. I worked in a coffee house and subbed elementary school part time. I was single and as lonely as it gets! I could barely make my bills every month. As I recall I had about $1500 dollars each month to live on and my rent alone was $1000. TOUGH DAYS. It was that year that I was offered a job as a teacher on an “emergency credential” in a local school district in Orange County. The pay was 29k. Of course, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. 29K? You mean . . . no more payday loans to pay my car insurance???

Fast forward to 2002 at age 32 with a teaching credential under my belt (and more debt). I had been teaching since 1997 and had a lot of experience. I accepted an exciting job in a small desert town called Victorville (The place I often brag about here). I was like one of the 3 little pigs leaving my home of Orange County to seek my fortune. I met my wife, we started our family and now we live the life of the first paragraph!

When it gets tough, and we are at the end of our paycheck, I remember those days when I would live my bachelor life off $1 whoppers, generic mac and cheese, and bolied potatoes. I’d drink coffee all night to cram for lit exams, and call my parents quite frequently when I needed help (sorry to say, but it’s true!) People I know make 200-300k a year in real estate, one friend made millions off writing one song, and some fellow teachers have moved up into Principal positions making a lot more than me. My wife and I have found that on my teacher’s salary of 9 years seniority (over twice as much as what I started at), I still cannot qualify for a local home loan. It apparently will require 2 teacher incomes which we one day hope to have in our house when the kids are older and her college is through. Nonetheless, success is just a matter of who you compare yourself to. To a high roller, I live quite modestly, but to somebody starting out in life as I was at 27, I’m a damn-prime-time Oprah interview candidate I tell you!