Coffee with Jesus #57

I can't even pretend to understand the budget battle going on in Washington right now. All I know is that there's a whole lot of talk and not a lot of action. Which reminds me of an Elvis remix.

The 70s - When Laziness Really Got Going

Our house was built in 1979. Apparently in those days, a "must-have" feature in a house in this neighborhood was an intercom system. This is the last one, out on the patio, that I have yet to remove. All four bedrooms had one that I've pulled from the wall, leaving giant boxy holes. They're not repaired yet, just covered with framed pictures, and I suppose they could make great wall safes someday. The "master unit" of this system was in the kitchen, where you could make all the rooms listen to a radio station if you chose. All the units could speak to each other and answer a caller at the door. Now mind you, the house is not that large, which makes the need to talk to someone in the next room via an intercom seem a little ridiculous.

"Dinner's ready!" the mother of this house in 1979 would intone quietly from the kitchen intercom to her children in the far, far reaches of the 2,200 square foot space, then she'd let the Top 40 station continue playing into their rooms. Dad out at the pool on Saturday would hear the doorbell chime. Then he'd grab a towel and instead of just peeking in the patio door through the living room and into the foyer to see the caller at the door, he'd push the "talk" button on the intercom and say, "Yes? Hello?" After no response, Dad would say into the intercom, "You have to push the talk button to talk, then release it to listen." Then they'd talk over each other a little and finally Dad, frustrated, would go answer the door. It was probably the Jehovah's Witnesses. And late at night when the parents were asleep, younger brother could call his older brother in the next room and whisper, "I know you have marijuana. I'm gonna tell if you don't give me some."

I was looking at this stupid contraption on the patio with detached bemusement, disdaining anyone who ever used it, wondering what sort of idiots ever put it to use more than once, just to see the novelty of it. Then I remembered that I've been guilty of calling my own children to the table by texting "dinner" to their phones. And now I'm thinking I might not remove this one. It's sort of a museum piece to me at this point, a relic from another era, a reminder that as we grow more advanced, finding new ways to make life easier, we sacrifice a little something, usually some human interaction, with each forward step.

Crossposted to Where's My Jetpack?

Closed Doors

Coffee with Jesus #55: The Final Battle

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And FYI, I've revived the old blog, Where's My Jetpack?

Unemployment - July, 2011

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Been to Space

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Zodiac

Coffee with Jesus - #52

As it says on the home of Coffee with Jesus, 

There are some faith groups that will cut off your head if you draw cartoons of their founders and prophets. We like to think that the founder of Christianity might have a sense of humor.

We're ready for syndication. Somebody get on that.

Coffee With Jesus - J-Lo and Marc Anthony

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Saturated Street Scene: The Cotswolds

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More specifically, "Cows of The Cotswolds, on B4066, south of King's Stanley, England." And if this was America, the rancher owning these cows would be sued and/or prosecuted for allowing his animals to wander across the road, which could result in potential damage and/or death to cars and/or motorists that hit them. To say nothing of the nasty cow pies left in the road requiring cleanup by a county crew. As well, the cow pies endanger motorists who swerve to avoid them. In America, we would require the rancher build a bridge or a tunnel for these cows so that they might safely graze on the other side of the road behind a secure fence. This way the rancher might not lose his business and entire fortune to an ambulance chasing jackass lawyer.

And isn't it true, Farmer Jones, that you knowingly and willfully allowed your cows to wander into the traffic on road B4066, fully aware that the area your farm is located in is a highly trafficked tourist route for those seeking solace away from the confines of London, that they might just enjoy a little countryside weekend drive - and YOU, Farmer Jones, in your petty covetousness and jealousy of your precious Cotswolds, sought to do these Londoners damage? That YOU, Farmer Jones, maliciously and with extreme prejudice, sought to harm my client - who suffered not only a bruised forearm in the accident, but to this day is cripplingly frightened at the very site of not only cows, but hamburgers, steak and beef in general, to say nothing of milk, cream and butter! and is thus deprived of the simple joys that made his life worth living? 

I have no further questions, your honour.

See the rest of the Saturated Street Scenes here. 

And "Like" Radio Free Babylon here.

Babylon on Steroids

I searched the country trying to find a nice image to represent the 4th of July. I looked at fireworks stands and barns with American flags painted on them, but if you've done any trolling on Street Views, you know how hazy and blurry much of the imagery was in the early stages of Google's project. Ultimately I went with the lion from the MGM Grand overlooking the New York New York Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Nothing says "America" quite like a faux New York City skyline in the heart of Sin City. The lion was the icing on the cake. The sky I added to make it more ominous. (Click for the big.)

Polishing the Bishop's Limo

The latest in my series "Saturated Street Scenes." Outside the Anglican Diocese of Toronto on Adelaide ST E, a chauffeur polishes a limo. (Windex, rag and RUSH license plate sold separately.) The full series is here. Click it. Click it good.

A Hot Evening in Mexico

Empalme, Sonora, México. 
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Mucho mas Saturated Street Scene pictures are aqui.

Google +

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