Category: Online Diary

The term online diary has always fascinated me. If it’s published, can it be a real diary? I’d say … yes and no :) You are encouraged to read my thoughts along this journey of understanding. I hope you’ll share your reactions in the comments.

Keeping my Eyes Open

February 27, 2010 – 11:58 pm
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From Stephen Crane’s The Open Boat, a correspondent reports the scene of a shipwreck:

In the wan light, the faces of the men must have been gray. Their eyes must have glinted in strange ways as they gazed steadily astern. Viewed from a balcony, the whole thing would doubtlessly have been weirdly picturesque. But the men in the boat had no time to see it, and if they had had leisure there were other things to occupy their minds.

In June of 1987, I was repelling with a group of campers in the the Forest Falls mountains. There were times it was pretty scary for me. I’ve never been good with heights and we were definitely jumping off some big cliffs. I think when we are afraid, we are tempted to close our eyes. I remember closing my eyes a lot that week. A few times my friends coerced me into looking out into the majestic meadows I was hanging over but mostly I must admit I shielded my central nervous system with my eyelids.

Now, over 20 years later, I still have fears that tempt me to close my eyes. I don’t hang off cliffs anymore but with three kids, a mortgage, and a demanding job in teaching, I certainly have a tendency to feel overwhelmed sometimes. There are many ways we as adults “close our eyes” to our troubles. It could be as serious as drug use or as harmless as simply changing the subject. With the whole country in a recession, I know there is a lot of fear out there and a lot of people are probably thinking they’d rather be numb than feel the pain going on in their lives. To those I say this:

When I look back at those days on the cliff, I wish I would have looked more when I was scared. Perhaps I could have conquered that fear of heights I have to this day. The times when I was worried if I’d pass a class, I wish I would have shaken off the fear and just tried harder. These days I find myself in wonderful places all the time that could be scary or they could be amazing. I guess the only way I will know is to keep my eyes open.

By Damien Riley | Also posted in Self Improvement | Comments (4)

Dream of a High Desert Acoustic Music Venue

February 20, 2010 – 1:52 pm
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Last night my co-worker Sue invited me and a few of our friends to hang out after work at Tio Pepe’s. This is a Mexican food restaurant with a bar on one side. As far as I know they do not feature live music, which is a drawback to me. I have a hope I will one day discover a high desert acoustic music scene. My wife and I decided, after the stressful week our family had, we could sure use a few drinks. It was a great meal my wife and I shared of 2 cheese enchiladas, rice and beans with a side of flour tortillas. We each also had 3 drinks (this is a world record for us in the past 8 years). I usually get out to play guitar somewhere for a small audience but just going out “for me” is something I don’t do much anymore. The last night I went out it was at a small venue for folk acoustic music. I loved it.

Having said that, I will tell you a few places I have played up here were great because “all eyes were on me” as I played my tunes. It is a chance for us all to be on the same wavelength and when the next musician got up there is was the same vibe with their show. Bars are different. They’re good but they’re different and while there are many restaurants and quite a few bars up here, there aren’t many live music venues.

I could barely hear the conversations of my friends last night. If I met anyone I couldn’t tell you their names. Not because I was drunk (I wasn’t) but just because it was so very loud in there. I think the High Desert needs a happy medium place to go. A bar to drink at, a restaurant to eat at, and a stage to host music at. The stage should be sound-proofed in its own room and the people in there will be there to share and enjoy music. We don’t have to call these music bars because they’ll have it all.

Everyone is always asking that question like when you sign up for a new emai of Facebook of something like that: “What would you do if you won the lottery.” I am pretty sure I would open a place like this. The High Desert needs a happy medium place to hang out. How about where you live? Any examples for me to start thinking about? Maybe I’ll buy a ticket today and start dreaming of rock bars up here in the high desert.

By Damien Riley | Tagged acoustic music scene, folk acoustic music, live music, live music venues, music bars, rock bars | Comments (0)

Getting It

February 17, 2010 – 9:04 pm
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Since Starbucks rolled into town, coffee has become the most sought-after beverage on the planet (it seems). Some days I make mine at home before work. Other times, they make it at work and I get it there. The latter means is becoming more and more impossible since people aren’t contributing to the source there. I actually don’t mind this all that much because the coffee they make there is very watered down. As I have shared here many times before, I prefer my coffee to be more like mud in anti aging face cream than a regular hot drink.

So … what’s a teacher to do in the morning when he’s in a hurry? I would say, if he has the money, Starbucks is the best bet! After that I would recommend making your own at home the way you like it. I take mine black and very rich. I use either one of my favorite home mugs or Dixie disposables with lids. I can’t say enough good about them. So …

How are you getting it?

By Damien Riley | Comments (0)

Inside the Blogger’s Studio

February 17, 2010 – 8:44 pm
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My wife did a cool meme and tagged me so here I am furthering it …

Sarah says:

I am a sucker for fun Meme’s so I have decided to start my own. I also happen to love Bravo’s Inside the Actors Studio, I figure it will be interesting to see how others would respond to James Lipton’s 10 question interview usually given to celebrities. It should be fun to see how far around the web I can get this to reach. Here we go.

The rules:
1. Copy and Paste the rules of the game at the beginning.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post, the player then tags five people and posts
their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment,
letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read the
player’s blog.
4. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

Note: Please keep this link in your rules so the original poster can see how far the Meme goes.

  • What is your favorite word?

aesthetic: it means “feeling” among other things relating to art and reaction. I also think it is cool how an-aesthetic means the opposite of feeling … being numb.

  • What is your least favorite word?

Random: When used as a synonym for “wierd, unexpected.” How did this ever get so popular with the kids? It is way overused.

  • What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?

Selflessness: When I see someone genuinely interested in others for no benefit of their own.

  • What turns you off?

Self consciousness

  • What is your favorite curse word?

Shite (this spelling and pronunciation “rhymes with kite” is used in England primarily)

  • What sound or noise do you love?

Hammond B3 Organ – here is an amazing talent I saw at NAMM 2 years ago.

  • What sound or noise do you hate?

A slow cranking car battery

  • What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?

Psychology

  • What profession would you not like to do?

Cop: I  admire what these men and women do but definitely not my thing.

  • If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?

I’d like to hear God say: “Good job sharing the inspiration I gave you.”

People I am tagging:

blogging behavioral

Chat is not for Dummies

Personal Blog of Justin Germino

It’s All a Matter of Perspective

JaypeeOnline

By Damien Riley | Comments (0)

5 Inner Monologue Statements About Valentines Day

February 11, 2010 – 10:55 pm
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  • Sees candy is the best brand but expensive and you share a bank account.
  • You better do SOMEthing.
  • “Give it back.”
  • Kids often kill romantic moments.
  • Should I be going to the dentist and optometrist on Valentines day?

sigh

By Damien Riley | Tagged humor, marriage, romance, romantic | Comments (0)

Time Machine

February 9, 2010 – 7:55 pm
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My thought on this post was to go every 10 years in my life talking about highights.  As you will see, I end up getting sidetracked on certain important dates and end up somewhere in time . . .  Forgive my ramblings . . . this one is a diary entry in the truest sense of the word!

I was born in 1969. People called it the summer of love. The Beatles had or were about to be broken up and Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. Ten years later Star Wars has blown away box office records for two years running. It was a lifestyle for 10 year olds like me. I had every “series” of Stars Wars card extant. I can still taste the gum that came in the wax paper wrapping. Atari held the place of the wii. Jimmy Carter was president around that time and he had problem with hostages in Iran. He tried a rescue and the helicopter crashed and the rescuers died. It was a global humiliation for his Presidency, but I like him still. Ten years after that in 1989 I was 2 years out of high school: “young and red” as the South is wont to say. I used to listen to REM CD’s in a jaded Pizza Hut delivery unit where I started learning Spanish from the cooks and drivers. I was what they call a “Shift Manager.” I made $9.25/hour, worked 40 hours a week and lived with my parents. I started going to church to get a girlfriend and I ended up finding God. I went forward at a Harvest Crusade in 1992. The wife was still on hold. Ten years later in 2002 I’d been a teacher for 3 years and a full Restaurant manager for 2. I made 70k as a Pizza Hut manager and 30 as a teacher. the difference was, as a Pizza Hut manager I never had a day off. I was starting to go looney after the open/close shifts and insane turnover of lazy employees. I decided to throw my hat back in the ring as a teacher . . . I missed being called “Mr. Riley.” I was hired in August of 2002 by a High Desert school district as a 5th grade teacher. I relocated from the san Clemente beach area I grew up in to this small dusty cowboy town where that Roy Rogers museum was on the way to Las Vegas. I met my wife through Yahoo! Personals and now we go to church with our whole family (1 boy, 2 girls).

What will the future hold?

Ten years from 2002 will be 2012. I imagine my computer then will do things we haven’t even imagined yet. I imagine my school will be scoring close to 100% proficient on the California Standards Test. Terrorism will be ameliorated. I’ll be teaching college classes at night to budding new teachers. My wife will be teaching too and our income will benefit!

Ten years from 2012 will be 2022, I’ll be 52. Computers will be controlled by our eyebrows . . . no more keyboards. I’ll be looking back on these days when I was 38 with reverie, seeing myself as “so young then.” I’ll be investing and focused on retirement. I’ll be planning for my kids’ college and having those serious talks with them . . . many as they may or may not be.

Ten years from then will be 2032, I’ll be 62. Retirement will be on my mind often. I’ll probably be criticizing young and green teachers coming through the gate loaded for bear with no experience (like the oldies did with me!) I imagine my health will be moderate.

Ten years from then I’ll be 72, 2042. I hope I’m the hugging type of grandpa that reads stories to his grandkids in a big comfy chair! My eyes and hands may not be able to use the computer anymore. I’m not sure about my eyebrows! If I make it to this point, I am sure computers will do more than is even possible to comprehend right now. I wonder if there’ll still be blogs?

I don’t think my natural life will extend much further than 2045 or so. If it does, I’ll be thanking God every day! Otherwise, I’m gonna use this gift of life I’ve been given to “do my thing.” Thank God I found my thing . . . thank God for these short years on Earth, I know what it is!

By Damien Riley | Comments (0)

Men’s Issues in Friendship

February 9, 2010 – 7:25 pm
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Most women will tell you that men aren’t as social as they are. Depending on the women you are talking about, that may be true. We are hunters and gatherers so-to-speak. Perhaps that accounts for some negative men health issues. Any book or product on men’s issues will cater to our hunter, loner mentality. It can make finding and keeping friends difficult. We find satisfaction in bringing home a paycheck and giving vacations like the finest hotels new orleans has to offer. When we get to be in a family event like a wedding, as husbands we scope out the closest tux place and expect our wives to get their dress etc. together even if it involves them going, on their own, to several stores in town. There may be some variations but for the most part, based on my experience and the men I have known in my life, these stereotypical images are well founded. One of the most difficult parts of being a man is the art and science of interacting with male friends. Our gifts, or curses depending on how you look at them, often make it very hard to find friendship.

Now as I write in this topic, let me preface that I am not talking about gay relationships. I am not qualified to write about those. On the other hand, I am talking about making and keeping platonic friends from age 25 and up. This is very tricky and tough to do. I have valued friendships since then and have had minimal luck keeping strong ones alive. You get married, you get preoccupied with your job, your hobbies etc. It is very hard to juggle friendships with guys you know. This is a real shame because we really need these friendships. While I value and love my time with my wife, I sometimes want to just chat with a guy friend about guitar, or blogging, or money management. It is invaluable to have a friend you can tell about stuff like this.

I have my suspicions about why it is harder for men to interact as friends than it is for women. What do you think on this topic?

By Damien Riley | Also posted in Psychology | Tagged men's issues, mens issue, Psychology | Comments (0)

This is Now my Only Blog – Damien at the Speed of Life

February 8, 2010 – 10:37 pm
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I supposed an explanation and/or official announcement was in order so here goes. After over two years of running multiple blogs I have made the informed decision to combine them all in one. My guess is it will save me many hours a week from running blog to blog trying to maintain all those “personas” as-it-were. I don’t yet know if it will cost me significantly. I will say that the adsense numbers have dropped a lot but they may rise again.

If you were a reader of Postcards from the Funny Farm – Bless you! Please continue to read this blog. I will be featuring the same sort of psychology and self imporvement articles here at least once a week in the Psychology category.

If you read Dynamite Lesson Plan, I have redirected the old posts here and imported those posts here as well so eventually this will be their “Google” archived home. I am committed to writing a “teaching” category post once a week.

I appreciate your support. I will continue to write the same categories on this blog I used to from online diary to Blogging A to Z and updates of my music. Thanks for following my work.

By Damien Riley | Also posted in Announcements, Blogging A to Z | Tagged Blogging A to Z | Comments (6)

A Little Comic Relief from Theme Building

February 5, 2010 – 1:30 am
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This is a really funny scene I had forgotten about until my son reminded me of it tonight. Nice comic relief from all the work I am doing on my new blog theme. I think as I do this I am learning about how through pain and “annoyance” we grow. I wish sometimes we could have endured a little more when we were shopping for home insurance quotes. As we did our taxes last night, I realized we pay too much.

By Damien Riley | Comments (0)

Save Money by Changing Insurance

February 3, 2010 – 9:26 pm
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Some of the best ways to save money in your family is by changing insurance and other “choice” type options you make for your household. Most companies will compete for your business so you have the uppor hand. Getting a better tv carrier, insurance (it just takes a few minuutes to get an insurance quote), and phone provider and any other choice option you can change it definitely to your benefit during these difficult economic times. We saved quite a bit by changing our optional services such as these. How are you pinching pennies these days? I would love to start a dialog.

By Damien Riley | Comments (0)

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