Turn Signals

Please, please please learn how to use your turn siganls. This is one of the most aggravating aspects of modern living, the way people drive. As the roads get more and more crowded, the lack of driving skills and driving courtesy are magnified exponentially. I DO NOT advocate any kind of violence, however, I begin to understand what drives some commuters to the breaking point.

Of course, I had a bad experience today, which is what prompted this rant. But really, how often would YOUR life be easier if some other driver's intentions had been clearly expressed via the turn signal. Most drivers these days are pretty quick top give the finger. With this tendency towards expression, you'd think signals of ANY kind would come naturally to the modern motorist. Not so, says I! I'm the kind of obsessive freak who signals even in parking lots... EVEN when there is no one else around. But, I must be one in a million on California roads.

So, I'm behind Driver-X today (gender and ethnicity are really irrelevant, bad driving knows no boarders). Driver-X performed a series of manuvers in mildly congested city traffic today, the likes of which belong in the Motorist Hall of Fame. There was total disregard of Man and Machine as Driver-X weaved through traffic in some sort of pattern based on Native American basketry. No less than 5 lane changes within the mile and a quarter that I was behind Driver-X with nary a signal to be had. And as I saw 5 of them, these gestures obviosly did little to advance Driver-X's position in the great migration of work-a-day joes. It's hard to imagine any motive except malice in Driver-X's behavior.

I've had an epiphany!!!! This is the very reason for the push toward gas guzzling "monster trucks" being used as commuter vehicles. It is not vanity or pagentry that motiviates these drivers. They must simply be aquiring the closest thing to a TANK that they can procure to defend themselves from the onslaught of the nefarious California Driver-X! Get out the check book honey, I finally found a justification and a raison d'etre for that Escalade.
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And that's enough for now.

Brian Norwood

Platypi Design

Georgia on my mind.

With another high profile death dominating the news last week, I felt that one celebrity didn't get his due. Being a musician I, of course, take musical performance very seriously. Consequently, I have a handful of musical experiences that I consider... landmark, for lack of a better word. One of those was seeing B.B. King play, one was seeing Edward Van Halen, one was George Harrison and Paul Simon's set of duets on Saturday Night Live... you get the idea. One of them, was one that I wish I could have memorized note for note forever. Several duets on TV, featuring Stevie Wonder and Mr. Ray Charles. Jaw dropping stuff, in my eyes anyway. Ray Charles was... a national treasure.

Not a classicly gifted singer, but still his voice was without flaw. He tackled blues, jazz, gospel, and R&B with equal virtuosity. And as a piano player, well I already used the term jaw dropping. The fact that he was a blind pianist didn't impress me so much. Good players do tend to learn their way around the instrument without looking at it. But the fact that that he did not let his blindness hamper his value as an entertainer is paramount. His website has several real audio samples, as well as a Flash presentation built around his performance of "America The Beautiful". It saddens me that he's not around anymore. He made the world a happier place to be in. At least for me.
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And that's enough for now.

Brian Norwood

Platypi Design

Activism Revival

You know, there's about a million things in the world that I care about enogh to get at least mildly involved.I wish I could do nothing but tutor poor children. I wish I could have a full time job feeding the homeless. I'd love to lobby politicians for the good of the people.I'd go to every war protest that I could get to. I'd love to activly cultivate the local art scene. I'd love to be activly involved in promoting independent and local music. I'd love to bring world music to the masses. I want to find a cure for migranes(My wife gets them). I'd love to be a champion for Endangered Animal protection and animal rights. If I could, advocate debt forgiveness for the poorest nations, promote the preserving and delopment of the worlds surf spots, fight whaling globally, fight against over fishing, educate people on the dangers of geneticly modified food, ..... get the idea?

Man, I just can't do everything. Here's what I do. I am a local/indie music advovate. I'm a local homeless advocate. I and my wife belong to the Los Angeles and San Diego Zoological Societies, I've given time cleaning beaches. As soon as we can afford it the wife and I are getting a Prius. We buy cage free chicken eggs and locally grown or organic veggies.(Not to perfection, but more than "frequently") I support U2 singer Bono's efforts in 3rd world debt relief. I'm not champion. It's a couple hundred bucks and a few hours a year. It's the least I can do, and I mean that because I'm pretty cheap and lazy.

So, I've noticed a few people are reading this stuff. How about a hand? Or if you help out, a word of encouragement, of edification. Let me know someone out there is covering the rest of my list. Don't just givce a homeless guy a buck. See that he's fed! No, not every time, but as often as you can spare. Yeah, I get pissed at the beggars sometimes too, especially around bill time. But we ARE better off than they are. Nearly all of them, anyway. I don't know if I believe the urban legends of six figure pan handling. Be a cheerful giver. Why? because we are all human beings. We are fearfully and wonderfully made and unique on this earth. We have a voice to raise and the power of change.The Animals, The Earth, the down trodden, they cannot stand for themselves. And I hope we are made of better stuff than to let them suffer needlessly. None of us can change the world all by ourselves. We can, however, put a drop in the bucket. And enough drops eventually becomes a river.

Here's some links to get you started

Tolerance.org

The National Coalition For The Homeless

Earth Island Institute

Not In Our Name

The California Peace Action Organization

Amnesty International

The Axis of Justice

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And that's enough for now.

Brian Norwood

Platypi Design