divided highway

This track is so so good

2010-10-15T21:40:00.000-07:00

Read full review of Night Air (Ramadanman Mix) - Jamie Woon / Ramadanman on Boomkat.com ©

Cosmic Collidescope Needs Help!!!

2010-08-11T19:36:00.000-07:00

As stated above, if you can afford to make a donation to allow us to finish a few final projects before the burn, we will be indebted to you for eternity. Thank you so much!

Half decked!

2010-04-14T19:53:00.000-07:00

Thanks, again, to Joe at Centennial Wood here in Denver, I found just what I was looking for for the next step in my project - 6/4 pine tongue and groove decking. The stuff is light too, just 278 pounds or 126 kilos for the entire deck! Matt and I got half of it installed and the rest will go on in the morning! Below are some pics! In one, you can see the fiberglass batting in the joists under the flooring. After talking to a friend in the shop that has lot's of experience with pine flooring in log cabins, I decided to install the floors upside down which exposes the v-tongue which is more commonly face down. Apparently, the flat edges are never flush on pine flooring and even if you sand them flat, the edges become misaligned as the wood contracts. The V's make minor height differences between planks negligible. The only drawback to this orientation? The grooves are going to get filled with playa dust but nothing a vacuum and some elbow grease can't fix.

I am very pleased with the floor space I'm going to have. Though, as I look at the proportions, I will be constructing exterior storage compartments underneath the decking, outside the frame rails in front of and behind the wheel wells. Not only will they be ultra utilitarian but they'll help drop the profile of the trailer.

Also, Jeffrey and I brainstormed a design change today. He has been consistently pushing the idea of a lower bunk below the top bunk. Until now, I've had that space reserved for clothes drawers. It dawned on me, why not both? The width of the raised bed will be approximately 5' and slightly more than 8' long, due to the increased width at the midpoint of the bow-shaped shell. The space under the raised bed will be 8' x 5' at the floor, increasing slightly as it goes up (obviously). I only really need 2' of depth for clothes drawers, so I'll be constructing the drawers 2 feet deep and and 5 feet wide flush with the front of the raised bed section. This will leave a space 3' x 8' wide behind the chest of drawers and a 3' opening to the right of the drawers. It will be a super cool cubby to crawl into! Hard to envision; I'll draft it when I get a chance.

Gotta go!

Sub-floor Done!

2010-04-04T15:39:00.000-07:00

Early yesterday I went to Lowes and got the redwood and hardware for the sub-floor. I started by laying out the 16 footers that run the length of the trailer. I also bought five 8 footers that were to run the width of the trailer underneath the steel chassis. It was how I planned to accomplish the width I wanted for the sub-floor out past the side rails of the trailer. While I was hard at work, my dad and younger brother were working on re-building an ATV motor. Out of curiosity, my dad came poking about my project. I could tell he was impressed and started getting excited about the project. As I started running through the design, layout and build sequence my dad, a builder of 40 years, came up with a whole host of suggestions.

Firstly, I wasn't going to need the horizontal redwood planks to achieve the width I wanted. So long as I use an 1 1/2" tongue and groove (which is rated structural) on the floors, I can cantilever them out over my last joist to achieve my width. Together we sketched a design detail on how to cap the end of the t&g. This suggestion alone saved me the weight of five 8' 2x4's, the labor to install them, 3.5" of ground clearance, a hell of a lot of sealing (all of these 2x4's in the undercarriage would have needed a durable, water-proof finish) and $60 in materials.

Secondly, I intended to run strips of 1/4" plywood between the joists to lay my fiberglass on. These would have needed to be sealed from underneath and the bottoms of the 16 foot 2x4's would have needed sealing as well. Furthermore, being as there was a 5/8" different in height between the tops of the 4" C-Channel and the 3" cross-members, I intended to cut mortises (by hand) in the bottom of the 2x4's wherever they crossed 4" channel, that way they all sat flat against the frame and level.

My dad suggested that instead of notching the 2x4's, I should just run spacers wherever the 2x4's rest on low-spots in the chassis rails. We measured the difference - 5/8". Low and behold my dad had a sheet of 5/8" OSB in the shop, so I through the width gauge on the circ. saw and ripped a bunch of 1.5" wide furring strips, and adhered them to the frame.

Furthermore, instead of using a thin plywood that would need sealing and leaving the bottoms of my joists exposed to the road, he suggested I apply a thin, heavy-duty, water-proof material to the trailer before placing the joists. We crawled under the fifth wheel travel trailer (which you can see in the background of the pic below) and sure enough, it was dried in with felt tar paper, like used for roofing. So I ran to Home Desperate and got a roll of tar paper for $17. This suggestion saved me a boatload of money, better sealed the bottom of my chassis and weighs considerably less than the plywood would have.

In the pic above you can see half of the tar paper in place and the OSB furring strips underneath the 2x4's in the right of the photo.

In the above pic, we have all of the tar paper rolled out and the 2x4 joists in place. We then drilled a bunch of holes, first 1" openings about an 1" deep to countersink the lag bolts then 3/8" holes the rest of the way through the joists, furring strips and into the frame channel below. Jeffrey then crawled around under the trailer, affixing the nuts and washers and wrenching them while I ratcheted them tight from above. Below is an above shot of the countersunk holes with hardware in place.

With the tar paper and joists in place, I crawled under the trailer and fastened furring strips to the bottoms of the joists between the frame rails to help hold the tar paper up. Below is a picture from under the trailer. All of these furring strips will need to be sealed. I'll probably use a roll on chassis liner, which will also add durability to the tar paper.

Up next, I need to roll fiberglass batting into the floor joists for insulation and run my t&g flooring over top. Because I have some leftover tar paper, I'll probably use another layer of it over the glass before the floors go down.

My dad also gave me some good suggestions for my interior walls and a plan of attack for leaving my mahogany t&g exposed on the sides of the vardo but I'll cover those when I get to them.

It's coming right along!

Trailer Paint Done!

2010-04-02T10:44:00.000-07:00

There's the trailer with a shiny new coat of chassis saver. Heading to Home Desperate to pick up some redwood for the sub-floor and track down an oil-based neutral paint base!

I forgot to mention, I also cut off the fender steps to allow clearance for the new sub floor I designed which will give me an extra 20" width at the floor where I need it. The new design should allow me to incorporate a small shower enclosure without changing the exterior aesthetics at all. Exciting stuff!

Trailer Mods Done

2010-03-31T21:19:00.000-07:00

Well, I got the trailer modifications done today. The next time I have a project that involves cutting a lot of heavy steel, I'm going to buy a heavy duty chop saw. I only needed to make 12 or so cuts but doing it with a portable band-saw, pneumatic cut-off wheel and grinder was time-consuming! I saved the toughest part for last, the widened section at the front of the trailer which involved several miter cuts and some crucial welding as the bunk will sit above this section.

It turned out great! All of the welding is done and paint will go on the chassis this week which means I can start framing the sub-floor as early as this weekend! I also found an RV salvage yard in Westminster; I'm going to try to get over there this week and look for a small shower enclosure, commode, holding tanking, plumbing, sink and other amenities. I'll keep you posted!

Metalworking Carpenter

2010-03-30T22:46:00.000-07:00

I stopped by K & K Surplus, a metal salvage yard my friend Tom suggested, this morning. I found the 3" & 4" steel channel (new) I needed for the trailer modifications and also scored twelve used 8' pieces of 1" conduit that will be used for the strut ends of our bamboo geodesic dome.

After tracking down higher density blades for the portable band-saw and a heavy duty wire wheel for the angle grinder, we set to work. I was lucky to have the help of my younger brother, Jeff. He, like me, can't wait to get the chassis done so we can move on to the carpentry work.

We got three of the four cross-members cut, fitted and welded in place. We also cut out the rear most v-shaped cross-member but chose to leave the one at the front as it has heavy duty angle braces that strengthen the whole front end of the trailer. Also, the lower sitting rail may come in handy when it comes time to mount fresh, grey and black water storage tanks. By the way, I've decided to frame in a small lavatory and install an RV style commode.

Tomorrow, we hope to install the last cross-member, cut out the remaining v-shaped rail and frame up the widened section at the front. I've also been considering a redesign of the sub-floor framing that will lower the overall profile of the caravan and and snug the wheel well in as well. Hard to explain, I'll post drafts when I get them.

Also, I've got all of the stiles and rails for the four section panel doors cut out but I forgot to take pics. I also picked up a bunch of African Mahogany for the tongue and groove walls and eave sections. It really is going to be beautiful. I keep picturing the gas and candle light from Sarah-Leith's beautiful lanterns dancing on the oil-finished mahogany paneling.

Going to bed. Updates soon.

Weather Delay

2010-03-25T08:50:00.000-07:00

Well today may be my only chance to work on the vardo for a while but this happened on Tuesday -

The forecast says it will be 51 degrees or 11 Fahrenheit today which means it'd be nice enough to work but uber wet from the melt. I need a place indoors to work on my large scale projects.

Adam and I were at the Habitat for Humanity Outlet on Monday, donating a massive conference table I hauled out of the basement I'm finishing and Adam stumbled on this old, decorative iron fence in the yard.

There are four of these iron designs loose and in good shape. I'm going to pick them up today. The plan is to paint them and use them somewhere on the project, they're perfect for the aesthetic we're trying to achieve. They remind me of the intricacy of the drays old vardos are built on.

Sarah-Leith came up with another appointment for the interior. She'd like to incorporate a couple of antique, silver-gilded and tarnished glass mirror panels. Not only would they be beautiful, they be handy in sorting out playa "looks." I tried to find an example but google returned mostly distributors of faux tarnished mirrors. Some of them look really nice, different than the crap with gold marble-like veins that was mad popular in 70's swank hotels. I stumbled on a couple of instructables on producing your own antiqued mirrors. I may give it a shot, see how it turns out. Otherwise, I may order a few panels from one of the distributors and integrate them into the panel door to the closet, giving us a full length mirror. Plus, a modern glass will better withstand the rigours of highway travel.

Below is a picture of clear-finished African mahogany. Two inch tongue & groove panels of this stuff will make up the panels of the door, the front and back wall and porch eaves.

'Twill be luxurious! Also, I forgot to take pics but I started four-squaring the white oak and cutting out the individual stiles and rails for the doors. I've yet to post a pic of my specific door, I'll try to do that soon. There's a picture of a very similar door a couple posts back. That one's a three part door, mine is four. The resident door guru, Neil, wasn't in the shop last night but I talked with Todd who makes his living as a pipe organ restorer and has lots of prior experience in doors. He gave me TONS of good ideas. He showed me joinery for panel doors that can all be cut on the table saw, which will save tons of time and he passed on a design he's used on stable doors in the past that essentially "stacks" the four doors and will allow me to lock the whole setup with one bolt.

So, the left and right doors meet in the middle, naturally. Likewise, the top two doors and bottom doors meet at about waist level. Where the doors meet, some will overlap the others in the above configuration. The left doors will close over the right doors and the top doors over the bottom doors, which means a single bolt in the top left door will bolt the whole thing closed. When shut, the doors will all look precisely the same size and the 3/4" stop-plate built into the edge of the "under-lapping" doors will make for a great spot to install proper weather-stripping. So the whole door will be air (and dust) tight.

The only problem with Todd's advice? I bought my lumber before talking with him and didn't account for half of my stiles and rails being 3/4" wider. The material I bought would have allowed me to cut the pieces out two-wide but now I'll need to get some more white oak.

That's all for now, more to come!

A quick update

2010-03-23T15:29:00.000-07:00

So, I got some work done on the trailer today, removing all the old, boat-specific hardware and TERRIBLE wiring.
I'm giving mobile blogger a shot, so the layout of this post might be less than ideal.
In the 1st pic you'll see the whole trailer sans the boat crapola. I estimate I removed 40 pounds or so, which is half the weight of the redwood sub-floor i'll be installing. Awesome.
The 2nd pic is a shot of the back of the trailer from the side. You can see that the rail is bent back a couple of inches. This is common with boat trailers. When retrieving a boat, they're backed down a ramp empty into the water and the Boat is pulled on to it. When the trailer is pulled forward, the added weight of the boat lowers the clearance of the trailer and can cause the chassis to drag on rocks. Not to worry! All of the v-shaped frame rails will be cut out and replaced with straight and shiny new c-channel steel!
The 3rd is a shot of the tongue. You can see that the passenger side rail is bent toward the center. I don't know that it matters but while I'm at it I plan to straighten it out. Also, I'm going to have to plasma cut or bandsaw the boat winch off of the frame as its been welded in place. Lastly, to clean up the tongue, I'm going to install a new jack and wheel.
In the 4th, you can see where I cut off the tubular steel hull bumper supports and taillight risers. These will be ground flat to the frame and the back of the fender will be straightened. I plan to find a more inconspicuous spot for the lights. In the 5th shot you can see where I've started to grind stuff flat.
The last photo is of the pile of crap I cut, ground and pried off the frame. I'm hoping to get the welding started this week but I don't know if the weather will cooperate; we're expecting 12" of snow overnight.
I've decided on a paint for the frame though I'm certain the designer and artist in resident won't approve. It's called Chassis Saver, made by Magnetic Paints and it comes in all shades of true black. I used this stuff in the underside of my truck bed and it's BULLET-PROOF so function might win out over form on this one.
I also went to Centennial Wood today and picked up the white oak for the door and decided on African Mahogany for the inside panels of the door as I can get rips of it super cheap, it's amazing for exterior use and will look incredible against the white oak. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to ditch Beetle kill as the exterior panelling, its just terrible for exterior use. I will most likely use the same mahogany which means the exterior will be dark and rich as Sarah-leith first envisioned it. I will, however, still use beetle kill for the interior tongue and groove flooring and the cabinetry.
Well gotta go, more updates soon!

Mobile test

2010-03-23T14:30:00.001-07:00

Trying out mobile blogger feature.

Trailer modification

2010-03-19T15:45:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note on the trailer modifications. I need to add width to support the caravan at the front of the trailer. It's either that or make the whole caravan shorter which I'm totally not into. The section behind the tongue, at the front of the trailer will house the back of the caravan where the bunk bed will be. I want to make sure that this section is well supported so I'm going to weld in 4"x1.5" C-Channel like the rest of the trailer is constructed of. I'll also need to add a horizontal rail at the front of the wheel wells. In addition to all that, the existing horizontal rails are not currently flat like in the picture below, they are v-shaped, dropping to a point about 8" down in the centre. I will need to cut these off of the trailer, cut them in half, remove the miters, weld them back together and weld them back into the trailer flat. As soon as I get good weather and don't have to work on a weekend, I'll get this done. From there, I'll remove all soft parts and wiring, sand-blast the entire frame, prime and paint. I need to consult the designer on a colour for the trailer.

Vardo Art & Design

2010-03-15T10:59:00.000-07:00

I'm going to post some pics of design themes and elements we plan to implement in our design. Below is the link to a pdf of Sarah-Leith's original mood board for the project. She has already begun collecting candle lanterns and antique milk bottles for exterior lighting.

Mood Board

Below is an image of a door that is very similar to the one I am currently designing.

Here is a porch detail and finish aesthetic I like very much. I think with the right colours it could compliment, quite nicely, the blue stain beetle-kill pine I intend to use for the exterior.

I'm considering incorporating a theme similar to the one below into my door. The one below is obviously quite crude but I really like the idea, I just might take it and improve it.

Below is a pic of the interior fabric Sarah-Leith found for the ceiling. It's called "The Lovers Knot" and it is made, I might add, in the US of A.

Here's a pic of a bow-top with a bay window at the front. I intend to install a bay window as well, though I don't envision mine as radial is this one.

Below is a pic of the trailer the vardo will be built on. I just picked it up from Casper, Wyoming yesterday. First on the bill is to adapt the trailer which has, up to this point, lived its life as a boat hauler into one that I can use for the project. Should be simple enough and I'll try to do it by adding as little weight as possible. Once that's done, I'll sandblast the whole thing and give it new paint. From there I can begin constructing the sub-floor of the vardo.

Now that I have the trailer and have taken detailed measurements, I can begin rendering the vardo in SketchUp. From there I can start ordering materials and once the chassis is set-up, can begin constructing the shell.

More to come...

There is something in October sets the gypsy blood astir, We must rise and follow her; When from every hill of flame she calls and calls each vagabond

2010-03-15T09:45:00.000-07:00

This blog, which has never been well maintained, has been given a new purpose. I've begun a project that, at the risk of sounding dramatic, may develop into a theme that defines the next chapter in my life. Anyone that sees me routinely, has heard me go on about "the vardo." The vardo is freedom and imagination and romance and storytelling and escape and love; more than all things it is love.

A vardo is a traditional horse-drawn wagon used by English Romani People or 'Gypsies.'

More examples of vardos:

The latter two photos are good examples of "bow-top" style vardos, the third photo being that of an "open-lot" vardo which, in the place of a sealed entrance, has an opening and heavy drapes that can be drawn closed. The bow-top is constructed of steam-bent ash strips and straight ash cross-members. The "skeleton" of the wagon is covered with decorative fabric which can be seen from the interior, wool insulation then water-proof canvass on the exterior. Our vardo will be a bow-top of this type though not an open-lot. We will have a sealed entrance as this will be our living quarters on the playa this year and perhaps for years to come.

Our only departures from tradition regard the canvass top and the chassis. Ours will, of course, not be horse-drawn, it will be constructed on a steel, tow-behind, modern trailer chassis which should prove to be much more highway friendly. Regarding the canvass, all traditional vardos seem to be appointed with teal canvass coverings. Neither Sarah-Leith nor I are particularly fond of the colour and because we've found no historical significance for it, we're going to choose one that better suits our tastes.

This blog, in its beginning, will serve as a journal of the design and construction of the vardo. Expect lots of progress pics and technical jargon and the occasional venting of inevitable headaches and speed-bumps. Upon completion, the blog will serve as a travel journal. The latest date set for the vardos maiden voyage is August 20th of this year, when we push off for Black Rock City in advance of the event to set up camp, though I'm hoping to have the raw construction of it done before that. After Burning Man, we are heading to San Francisco to visit friends. We are in need of a place to park the thing for a few days. If you know of anyone in the bay area with a warehouse or yard and wouldn't mind gypsy guests, put me in touch with them.

After San Francisco, tentative plans are to take the coastal highway up to Red Woods National Forest to park the vardo among the oldest trees on earth. After that, is unknown. There are daydreams of staying on the road for a while, travelling from town to town finding carpentry work here and there. I will have all of my tools in the back of the truck after burning man anyhow. So long as I have Sarah-Leith and Lola by my side, I suppose I could travel indefinitely. That is, now, just a daydream but like the vardo itself, daydreams can sometimes become reality.

I dedicate the construction of this vessel to it's queen, my gypsy, my love, Sarah-Leith, whom I love with all of the atoms buzzing inside me. She willed its creation and my love for her will go into each stroke of my saw and pare of my chisel. In its pine and canvass walls I will feel next to her no matter where she is in the world.

I suppose now would be the time to mention that this blog may be a bit sappy at times. Anyone that knows me should have expected that. I hope you enjoy the blog as much as I'm sure to enjoy the build.

With Regards,
Josh

Bjorn Melhus on Playa?

2009-10-27T19:00:00.000-07:00

Bjorn Melhus was an artist featured in an installation called "the fusebox" on the fourth floor of the Denver Art Museum's north building. Melhus, a Norwegian-German (??), among many things, makes quirky short films with voiceover samples from classic american tv and cinema and he often plays most of the characters himself. On display at the fusebox was "deadly storms," a parody of broadcast news and a series of sci-fi shorts that included samples from the original Star Trek series. The films were a total riot and a bit creepy. Neither are on display now as the space has been given to the upcoming temporary exhibit "Embrace." Why am I telling you this now? Because I'm a terrible blogger, that's why. Nonetheless, while browsing his website I came across a short film that appears to have been filmed, in part, in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada. For those unfamaliar in the region, it's the site of the annual Burning Man festival. Fellow participants, tell me what you think.

www.melhus.de

click on "work," then "film & video," then "auto center drive" and watch clip 3/3

sorry no direct link, the site is all flash and I wasn't able to embed the video here.

I kissed a beautiful woman tonight

2009-03-01T03:11:00.000-08:00

Luckily, I have no readers, which means I need not apologize for having not posted in months. Really, like any other blog worth it's slag (which truly ain't worth shit), I write for myself and if someone else likes what I write then I send them a flag lapel pin or at least an HJ (out of solidarity).

Because I've whistled the warmth of a bit too much whiskey, naturally, I feel inclined (also naturally) to wax philosophic for the masses

ONE:

Go fuck yourself. You're doing both you and your handmaid a favor.

TWO:

Never underestimate the potency of Kentucky Bourbon

THREE:

Women are (or can be) primal, excessively-conscious, scared & magnificent creatures that sometimes make it awkward to enjoy a cup of joe over teevee while they're "hanging out" with your roommate at 4 in the morning.

OOH UH, UH HUH, O YEAH - FOUR:

If you meet people of worth at bars, you're probably worthless

OUCH - FIVE:

Cocks and their respective blocks come in many shapes and sizes.

SIX:

Kissing a beautiful woman is it.

SEVEN:

Loving a beautiful woman is it x 22.

EIGHT:

Your typical romantic might feel that 'times 22' pales in comparison to terms like 'a million' or "infinity' but that romantic hasn't thought it through. Imagine earning twice what you earn now. Okay, now do that eleven times. 'Times 22' is a fuck load.

NINE:

Lies can be powerful motivators.

TEN:

You are what you wear. Seriously. Wear different shit and you'll see.

The Chapel

2008-04-06T16:50:00.000-07:00

As per the below excerpt from Herman Melville's Moby Dick or The Whale, look for my use of the term 'Methinks' in future posts. I was pleasantly surprised to see the Windows dictionary recognized it outright.

Shaking off the sleet from my ice-glazed hat and jacket, I seated myself near the door, and turning sideways was surprised to see Queequeg near me. Affected by the solemnity of the scene, there was a wondering gaze of incredulous curiosity in his countenance. This savage was the only person present who seemed to notice my entrance; because he was the only one who could not read, and, therefore, was not reading those frigid inscriptions on the wall.Whether any of the relatives of the seamen whose names appeared there were now among the congregation, I knew not; but so many are the unrecorded accidents in the fishery, and so plainly did several women present wear the countenance if not the trappings of some unceasing grief, that I feel sure that here before me were assembled those, in whose unhealing hearts the sight of those bleak tablets sympathetically caused the old wounds to bleed afresh.

Oh! ye whose dead lie buried beneath the green grass; who standing among flowers can say--here, here lies my beloved; ye know not the desolation that broods in bosoms like these. What bitter blanks in those black-bordered marbles which cover no ashes! What despair in those immovable inscriptions! What deadly voids and unbidden infidelities in the lines that seem to gnaw upon all Faith, and refuse resurrections to the beings who have placelessly perished without a grave. As well might those tablets stand in the cave of Elephanta as here.

In what census of living creatures the dead of mankind are included; why it is that a universal proverb says of them, that they tell no tales, though containing more secrets than the Goodwin Sands! how it is that to his name who yesterday departed for the other world, we prefix so significant and infidel a word, and yet do not thus entitle him, if he but embarks for the remotest Indies of this living earth; why the Life Insurance Companies pay death-forfeitures upon immortals; in what eternal, unstirring paralysis, and deadly, hopeless trance, yet lies antique Adam who died sixty round centuries ago; how it is that we still refuse to be comforted for those who we nevertheless maintain are dwelling in unspeakable bliss; why all the living so strive to hush all the dead; wherefore but the rumor of a knocking in a tomb will terrify a whole city. All these things are not without their meanings.

But Faith, like a jackal feeds among the tombs, and even from these dead doubts she gathers her most vital hope.

It needs scarcely to be told, with what feelings, on the eve of a Nantucket voyage, I regarded those marble tablets, and by the murky light of that darkened, doleful day read the fate of the whalemen who had gone before me. Yes, Ishmael, the same fate may be thine. But somehow I grew merry again. Delightful inducements to embark, fine chance for promotion, it seems--aye, a stove boat will make me an immortal by brevet. Yes, there is death in this business of whaling--a speechlessly quick chaotic bundling of a man into Eternity. But what then? Methinks we have hugely mistaken this matter of Life and Death. Methinks that what they call my shadow here on earth is my true substance. Methinks that in looking at things spiritual, we are too much like oysters observing the sun through the water, and thinking that thick water the thinnest of air. Methinks my body is but the lees of my better being. In fact take my body who will, take it I say, it is not me. And therefore three cheers for Nantucket; and come a stove boat and stove body when they will, for stave my soul, Jove himself cannot.

Things that needed saying

2008-03-18T09:51:00.000-07:00

Those naively convinced our country has moved past long-trodden racial divides need only look at the Democratic primary race and the tone it's taken in recent weeks. The comments of surrogates have successfully shifted the discussion from issues universal to us all to issues hinged on the colors of our skin. Those comments made by Dina Ferraro and Jeremiah right are not indicative of the beliefs held by Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, respectively. Nonetheless, they have been the fascination of mainstream media. The picture painted by the talking heads is an inextricable fusion between the ill-advised words of campaign surrogates and the convictions of their candidates. Such isn't so. Such is the act of lazy logic, lazy logic that clouds the records our fine candidates' and operates in spite of honest, open discussion.

While in Wyoming, campaigning for Barack Obama, Ryan and I attended a Unitarian/Universalist church service, the first I'd ever been too. The congregation was a nuclear group of progressive thinkers in a deep-rooted conservative region, a group I hope will someday serve as a bellwether for their state. Throughout the service I was taken aback by the notion that we all share universal commonalities, blind to religious allegiances, the race or ethnicity of our parents and the political codes we abide by. Open, honest discussion as the crux, politics are discussed without spurs being flung from any side. Those participating formulate and/or adjust their opinions based on the subjective understandings of others. Without an outright endorsement of the Unitarian Church, I will say that this brand of dialog is what our nation needs. Such should be the brand of discussion at the water tank. Such should be the brand of discussion to which the Talking Heads prescribe.

Such IS the brand of discussion Senator Barack Obama adopted long ago and has offered as his defining attribute as a public figure. Below is a video of Barack Obama's speech on race and politics in America. It runs 40 some minutes and speaks to universal truths that mustn't be ignored within the discussion surrounding the nomination and election of the next American President. The Clinton campaign is aptly mute in response to the speech and it very well may be a final turning point in the tone of the election when it comes to race.

Not since Dr. Martin Luther King, has someone with Senator Obama's influence spoken so candidly on the State of the Union's Racial Divide--and this groundbreaking speech may someday serve as a turning point on racial issues for our generation. Once again I am made proud of my service for this man. I will hope, with the utmost optimism, that this speech casts a shadow long enough to eclipse the dirty, rotten racial baiting of yesteryear and that Senator Obama maintains the highroad he's become accustomed to traveling.

Shenique Smith, Japanese Calligraphy & Street Taught Graffiti

2008-03-17T19:25:00.000-07:00

This installation caught my eye. Currently showing at the Proposition in New York.

Wright & Wrong

2008-03-15T21:48:00.000-07:00

Well said, although I wish it weren't tele-prompted. He's gotten good, you can hardly tell these days. We'll hope evidence doesn't surface that he's sat in on sermons like the one in question. At least I will.

Post Op - Failure's a Bitch

2008-03-14T13:07:00.000-07:00

The recent tone of the Clinton Campaign in the Democratic primary race turned death match reminds me of a quote from Keith Foulke, an MLB pitcher that plays for the Oakland A's --

“I'll never be equipped to handle failure. I'll come in kicking, screaming, throwing stuff, cussing and breaking stuff. I don't handle failure well at all."

Initially I welcomed the vetting of the fresh, young Senator from Illinois but after several weeks of bloodshed, some alarming trends have emerged. What was good political fun quickly became the "silly season of politics" and has hit rock bottom as a knock down, drag out fight leaving the presumptive nominee bloodied. When the Clinton campaign announced that they intended to throw "The kitchen sink, table and chairs" at Barack Obama prior to the March 4th primaries in Texas, Ohio, Vermont and Rhode Island, they should have at least introspectively considered that it was (as brought to my attention by a clever commenter over at HuffPo) from "the deck of the Titanic." The delegate and popular vote math is more than daunting for Senator Clinton and has been since Wisconsin. None of her recent wins have put a dent in the numbers that painted Obama a winner more than a month ago.

Recent smears including the 3am ad, commander-in-chief readiness, NAFTA-gate, Samantha Power & Jeremiah Wright were intended to strengthen Senator Clinton's chances to win the Democratic nomination. Pollster's National Democratic polls and trending shows that these attacks have helped little to none. She has made slight gains among the electorate while Obama's numbers have grown steadily.

Despite lackluster gains in the primary race, her recent attacks have had a dramatic effect on the national electorate in theoretical general election match-ups against John McCain.

Senator Obama's support against McCain in the general election has weakened while Senator Clinton's has grown sharply in recent weeks. What can be ruled out is that public opinion has shifted to consider Mrs. Clinton the better opponent to John McCain. If that were the case, we'd see weakening support for Senator Obama in the primary polls, a hint that Democratic voters would prefer her to run against John McCain. What Senator Clinton has successfully done is weaken support for Mr. Obama among voters that aren't already part of his core constituency, voters that will play a decisive roll in November's election -- most likely independents and crossovers. So, instead of increasing her chances of winning the nomination, she has weakened Senator Obama's chances of winning the general election.

I know, you know and anyone that spends five minutes pecking away at the Slate Delegate Calculator knows that Senator Clinton has no chance in hell of closing the gap among pledged delegates. She would need to win 65-70% of the remaining pledged delegates to do so. So why has she been allowed to remain in the race given her actions and the damage she's caused to the Democratic Party's chances in November? Some would argue that she has a better chance of catching Senator Obama in the popular vote thus staging the argument of what's more important -- the delegate count or the popular vote. Given the 2000 Supreme Court fiasco, such an argument would gain traction among most American voters. Unfortunately, with 77% of the electorate having already cast their votes and Obama's popular vote lead of 700,000+ (courtesy of realclearpolitics.com; don't get your tally from hillaryclinton.com, her campaign excludes caucus votes), Mrs. Clinton would need to soak up 58.2% of the remaining votes to match his number.

So if she can't catch Senator Obama in pledged delegates or the popular vote, why are we still grinding this ax? The only elephant left in the room is the looming chance of re-votes in Florida and Michigan. Including those voters and delegates decreases Mrs. Clinton's needed margin among pledged delegates by roughly 5% and by 2% of the popular vote. Bottom line -- even with re-votes in FL and MI, Senator Clinton would need to secure 56% of the popular vote in remaining states to have one leg of an argument to stand on. Given all this, why hasn't Al Gore, Nancy Pelosi and Howard Dean stepped in to stop the bloodshed and offer the Democratic party a chance at victory in November? Because they and the DNC would be buried up to their necks in civil litigation until the next election cycle, ensuring a Democratic defeat if this contest is shut down while one iota of a chance remains that Hillary Clinton can make a miraculous comeback. So unless someone at the DNC grows some balls, calls her on her bluff and endorses Senator Obama, we're stuck fighting this fight until the convention. Our only hope is that he can rebound in the 5 months between the final primary contest and the general election.

If a closed-door threat to sue all involved parties over a 'prematurely' terminated primary race did indeed occur, I will give Howard Dean, the DNC and remaining un-pledged super delegates the benefit of the doubt, as she may not be bluffing. Given her actions throughout this campaign that wouldn't surprise me one bit. It seems Hillary Clinton hates failure as much as Keith Foulke. If, by some act of god, she is successful in all this, she very well may be the next President of the United States. I'll have to bite my tongue and vote for her. If she isn't, she will have destroyed the Clinton name and would be lucky to win re-election for her senate seat in New York. If she loses the nomination and Senator Obama isn't able to rebound in national polls and ultimately loses the presidency, a strong case can be made to blame her for the foil. If that happens, god forbid, a concerted grassroots effort should be made to sue her to the gates of hell. I'd love to see Slick Willy's dubious Dubai millions go to child health care. Wouldn't that be poetic justice?

Post Op - D Day On the Horizon

2008-03-03T08:19:00.000-08:00

In approximately 34 hours, polls will close in Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island and Vermont. We'll make our knee-jerk reactions to the good-for-nothing early results. As "1% Reporting" becomes 14, 23, 57 and 100%, trends will form and winners will emerge. Between now and those closing moments, I'll wonder if I've done enough.

When Senator Obama's announced he would run for president, I took a position on the fence that I'd maintain for the next 6 months. I'd seen his speech at the 2004 Democratic Convention and was excited by the prospect of khis candidacy. Up until that point, I considered Hillary Clinton the inevitable Democratic candidate and still felt Obama's candidacy was a long shot, albeit an exciting one. Since her successful run at the New York Senate seat in 2000, I cuddled up to the notion of electing the first female POTUS and that that woman would be Hillary Clinton. I watched her closely. Despite conservative opposition, her work on the Budget, Public Works, and Health & Education Committees impressed me. After all, I couldn't, at the time, fault her for her Iraq vote -- I was in support of a preemptive strike -- I took the administration's bait hook, line and sinker. After all, 29 other Democratic senators supported the motion, including John Edwards and Tom Daschle.

In the time since the invasion of Iraq, I've learned a hard lesson learned about taking things at face value, especially when considering monumental national security and foreign relations decisions. When no WMD's were found, no links between Saddam Hussein and Al Qaeda surfaced and subsequent Bush/Cheney/Rove gerrymandering became public, I rested blame on the shoulders of the administration for beating the war drum and not on those that erroneously voted to support it. Senator Clinton's culpability, and that of her like minded colleagues, lay in their present view of those erroneous votes. The democrats in congress were given a five year opportunity to make up for the mistake. Some, like John Edwards, apologized emphatically for their votes. For Senator Clinton that opportunity came and went. She instead chose to claim that she was unaware that her vote was to authorize a preemptive strike against Iraq and has refused to repudiate her support of the war since. Her political triangulation was faceted by two points -- there was no wrongdoing to apologize for and that the American people would be stupid enough to believe her.

Unfortunately for her, there was wrongdoing and the American public wasn't stupid enough to believe it. If there's anything the Bush/Cheney regime has given the American people it's increased subjectivity and heightened skepticism. Believe it or not, Senator Clinton's spin of her Iraq vote wasn't enough for me to write off her candidacy but it was strike one.

As the three major Democratic campaigns barnstormed Iowa in the lead up to the primary season, I popped some corn and made myself comfortable on the fence. "Ooh, John Edwards has an ass-kicking populist message! Aah, I knew Hillary was nice but I never knew she was 'Iowa nice!' Wow, Obama is one optimistic guy!" When the dust settled, the Hope Monger came out on top, the working man's populist in second and the inevitable in third. I love horse races.

It's too bad John Edwards came across as a bullshitter, I liked his message more than that of the other "top tier" candidates. If I had thought he wasn't full of shit, I would have campaigned for him from "Day One." There was of course his voting record and his 20,000 square foot mansion that put a dull layer over his populist shine. Barack Obama was relatively untested and Senator Clinton lied about her Iraq vote. What's a proud voter to do?

John Edwards became less viable after a heavy loss in New Hampshire and a defeat in his home state of South Carolina. The SC race also highlighted the Clinton campaign's use of blatant race-baiting. Strike Two, thanks to Slick Willy. Had Bill lost all political tact? His comments were made in the wake of several off-color (no pun intended) comments by Clinton surrogates and the senator herself. Despite apologies, the damage was done. It's a strange coincidence that the Clinton campaign would later tow the line that "words don't put food on the table" after how damaging words were to her campaign early in the race. Mark Penn should have completed that line with "...but they can help you lose an un-losable nomination." With questions of John Edwards' electability and Clinton race-baiting, I woke up the next day leaning toward Senator Obama.

By this time, I began looking past policy, the crux of my decision-making, likening both senators' policy packages to a pot and a kettle. It was at this time that I started to watch Senator Obama's speeches online and paid close attention to anything new he had to say. He was simply electrifying and I waited for a reason to throw my hat in his ring. On January 16th, Senator Clinton got her third strike. I was listening to NPR and an interview between Robert Siegel and Hillary Clinton. She dodged a question on Social Security Tax caps no less than three times and was defiantly rude to Siegel who sought a simple answer to a policy question. At the end of the interview, I called the Denver Obama volunteer headquarters and scheduled a visit.

After my first 200 calls that night, I went on to being a Precinct Captain and then to managing precincts in my district that didn't have captains. I threw a Pre-Caucus bash, stapling hundreds of fliers about the neighborhood and inviting anyone with a pulse. I called the 700 Democrats in my precinct at least three times and as many Democrats from neighboring precincts as I could. Each time I'd sit down to make 200-300 calls it was out of guilt that maybe I hadn't done enough to ensure an Obama victory. On caucus night, my precinct voted 75-25 for Obama and the district-wide vote was 70% to 30% for Obama. I'd done enough...here.

I look northward to my cowboy brothers in Wyoming. As a caucus state, their 12 delegates should nearly all fall under Obama's column but only if the necessary groundwork was done. The national campaign did it's part by installing four offices statewide and I did my part by making calls from home and slapping on my cowboy boots for weekend trips to Cheyenne. This past weekend, I opted for video games over a trip to Texas or Wyoming. I went to my Family's home in Franktown and left my laptop and the blogosphere in Denver. I ignored the horse race in the crucial weekend leading up to the Texas and Ohio primaries and now I question whether I did enough to ensure an Obama victory. Well, the chips are down and at 8pm tomorrow night, I'll have my answer. In the meantime, I'm going to keep my eyes glued to the blogosphere.

Post Op - Tuesday's Week in Review

2008-02-19T14:23:00.000-08:00

All in all this is shaping up to be a fantastic week. My best friend and I kicked the week off with a Unitarian Church service and some politicking in Wyoming, it's 57 degrees outside amidst a dreadful Colorado winter, Sen. Obama continues to drive nails into his opponent's coffin and I finally got to see Lindsey Lohan's breasts.

Ryan Kulp intends to blog on our Wyoming journey, so I'll withhold my tale and insert a link here when it's up.

Here's a look at Colorado's beautiful weather -

Once again, Senator Barack Obama proves his superior intellect and uncanny analysis of complex foreign relations issues -
CIA Operation Similar To Tactic Obama Advocated, Criticized by Bush

And that concludes a Tuesday's Week in Review.

Inauguration

2008-02-19T13:24:00.000-08:00

Kind of feels like the first day of school. I've had a long summer to numb my senses and dumb down my skills but the time has come to put fingers to keys. As a natural-born exhibitionist, I've always liked the concept of blogging and intend to treat my blog as a personal diary open to the world. You won't have to sneak into my room while I'm at cheer practice and tepidly rummage through my pink dresser drawers to find my dirty little secrets.

Before I forget, I'd like to address the title of my blog, Divided Highway, and give credit where due. The name is blatant plagiarism. My good (best(bff)) friend Ryan Kulp coined the term years ago as what could have been the best band name to emerge from the Seventies and never did. Ryan is a writer and this chirp is one of thousands he has and will continue to generate on a daily basis so I'm going to steal it. (Ry, we can work out a royalty deal if you want a percentage of my adsense revenue)

I intend to use this blog both for commentary and reporting and most whole-heartedly intend to differentiate the two. All commentary will carry the tag "Post Op" because it's my blog and I think Op Ed sounds stoopid. All news reporting will be tagged as "Hot Off the Ether" because I'm quite fond of "Ether" as a buzz word for the means of information transfer. Feel free to offer up criticism if my commentary or reporting is lazy but don't comment unless you agree with me. Only stoopid people don't agree with me and stoopid people aren't allowed to post on Divided Highway.