Random Ramblings of Ryan

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2010-04-25T09:18:00.001-05:00

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Big Wheels Keep On Turning

2010-04-16T01:17:00.004-05:00

PhotoFriday this week has the theme Wheels. This is timely, as a couple days ago, my beloved 1989 Toyota Camry passed the 200,000 mile marker. That is around 8 trips around this planet we travel, or .8 of the distance to the moon.

Another Brick In The Wall

2010-02-12T18:47:00.004-06:00

Olympic fever is catching on. In a matter of minutes the official torch will be lit. I'm a little upset I didn't make some plans to head to Vancouver for these events. I am a bigger fan of the Winter Olympics, plus I have a good number of friends up there that I would love to hang out with again.

And while I will not be physically be there to watch the events, my face will be looking down over Vancouver during the games. How is that you ask? Have I developed that top secret satellite I have been working on? No, not yet. But my face is one of over 13,000 on the Molson 2010 Mural. A wall of faces that help celebrate the spirit of the Olympics.

My face has coordinates 50,8 on the big wall, if you want to look it up.
While it is not as cool as being on a wall at the Elsinore brewery, it is still an honor to be one of the many.

Dolphins Make Me Cry

2010-02-05T00:34:00.005-06:00

Surfaces is the theme this week at PhotoFriday. While most probably will go with surfaces as a noun, I have decided to use it as a verb. This is yet another photo from my freighter trip. As we approached the California coast, the sea life came out, and put on a show. I watched as the dolphins played in the wake of the Hanjin Phoenix. A few even chose to race ahead of the ship in a game called bow riding. Here is some of my video of bow riding in action.

You can click on the photo to be taken to a larger image.

We Spotted The Ocean

2010-01-29T00:10:00.003-06:00

PhotoFriday's theme this week is distant. Here is another shot from my freighter adventure. Nothing like being half way across the Pacific Ocean to make you realize how small you are.

Rock And Roll McDonalds

2010-01-22T00:16:00.003-06:00

This week's theme over at PhotoFriday is Damaged.

This photo was taken last March near Galveston, Texas, seven months after Hurricane Ike struck. A few days before I took this photo, a good friend in Kansas called me up. He asked me one of my favorite questions, "You want to go on a road trip?" I would guess ninety percent of the time those words are uttered, I respond in the affirmative. The only reasons that would stop me is work schedules or the person has proven to be a horrible road companion in the past. This time it was a no-brainer. The only question I had was when and where? Well, he needed to make a trip down to Galveston to check out 1 Mission:Galveston and the possibility of taking his church's youth group down to help. Having some time on my hands, I told him I'd pack up the car and head west. A couple days we were on the road to the coast. I was shocked at the damage that remained when we arrived in the area. We lost count of the McDonald's sings that had been blown out. And while we joked about the damage to the golden arches, the destruction to homes was heartbreaking. At the same time, we met some amazing people who both were long time residents, as well as recent arrivals, who made it their mission to help rebuild the area around them.

It is amazing the good that mankind can do, when faced with adversity. It is something that we have seen on the news this past week. Sadly, it often takes disasters to really bring out the best in man. Sometimes, I wonder why we can't put our egos, selfishness, and attitudes away and help the less fortunate around us more often?

Now You Know How To Be Dumb

2010-01-17T14:19:00.002-06:00

I have a love/hate relationship with Facebook. Sure it is a great way to keep in touch with friends, especially when you have friends scattered all over the globe. At the same time, it is a little annoying being kept up to date with friends, especially when you have friends scattered all over the world. Some say there is a fine line between posting useless and useful information. I would say that line is that that narrow. Posting about big news like job promotions, major relationship status changes, interesting tales from an interesting life is cool. Posting the daily color of your child's poop, your weekly gripe with your ex, or your latest Farmville/Mafia War/Bejewled Blitz score is not cool.

I basically have a couple rules about my facebook viewing. I have hidden all major games and quizes. Also, I give most acquaintances two opportunities before they are hidden or droped altogether. If they start cluttering up my feed with stupidity, BOOM - the hide button. It is there, might as well use it for the good of humanity. Oh, and closer friends get a couple extra chances.

So to my friends on the Facebook, let this be your lesson. Before you copy and paste some status, think twice. The reason you might not be getting many comments could be that you have been blocked or hidden from most people's view.

Oh, and here is my favorite stupid comment of the week. It is almost like a self-fulfilling prophecy. Or at least an "I'm with Stupid" t-shirt with the arrow pointing straight up.

Take The Long Way Home

2010-01-15T07:31:00.002-06:00

Slowly is the theme at PhotoFriday this week.

After years of crossing both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans by airplanes, I decided to do something different on my final trip from Korea to America. After some online searching, I found a company where I could book passage on a freighter. Talk about slowing the trip down. What usually took me thirteen hours would take about thirteen days. To top it off, that only landed me on the coast. I then decided to take a train to make the final portion of the journey.

Would I do it again? In a heartbeat. Those days were some of the most relaxing days I have. I also enjoyed getting to know the crew and a little bit of their lives. Plus, I was able to drive the boat. Sure, it was only for a minute or so, but how many of you have had their hands on the steering wheel of a freighter? Didn't think so.

I've Wandered Much Further Today

2010-01-08T07:26:00.002-06:00

The theme of PhotoFriday this week is Bed Time.

Three summers ago I had the opportunity to travel the rails from Beijing to Moscow. Our first stop was Ulan Bator, Mongolia. Having a few days to explore, we ended up heading out to the countryside to stay with some nomads. While we were there, we were able to ride camels, experience some of the local sports and music, as well as sample the traditional dishes. Oh, and we were able to participate in the milking of the mares. In fact it was the first milking of the year, so we even celebrated with Vodka and fermented mare's milk afterwards. Every night we were with them, we were able to sleep in a ger. Interestingly enough, even though we were hundred of miles from civilization among these nomads, they did provide us with Winnie The Pooh sheets and blankets on our bed. I'd say it made me feel like I was home, but I don't have a cool matching bed set with cartoon characters there.

Hip To Be Square

2010-01-01T00:47:00.003-06:00

This week the theme at PhotoFriday is Square. I did a quick scan of my photos and couldn't find any good ones of the rectangle with equal sides. I did how ever find one of the most famous square, Red Square in Moscow. I took this photo several years ago. Myself and two friends had taken the train from Beijing to Moscow during our summer break. After a couple days in the Russian capital, it was time to go our separate ways. One headed to Domodedovo International Airport for his flight and the other Sheremetyevo International Airport to wait for his flight. I rode the subway with them until they had to head off to different lines. Having another full night before my flight, I decided to wander down to Red Square for one final visit. We had been there a couple times during the previous days, but never in the evening. I was amazed at how beautiful it was at night. Even thought it appears to be early evening, this photo was taken right around midnight.

So This Is Christmas

2009-12-14T18:41:00.004-06:00

It has been a while since I have posted. Mostly because my life has gone from one of world travel or wandering through the woods to one of a working every day for the man. And while I have a few interesting stories from between the punching of the time card, I do not think I can share too much, due to contractual obligations and privacy standards. You can read that as, "I'd tell you, but I would then have to kill you."

I'm hoping to toss stuff here a little more often than just the weekly photo, but I am not going to make any promises. In the world of Facebook status, Twitter overload, and the latest news on Tiger Woods, I wondered if my posts were just some more noise out there. But heck, it is my noise, and hopefully someone is reading and enjoying it. So the show must go on. Or at least stumble around now and then.

Today I give you this little gem I discovered on a cassette tape in my basement. It is the Christmas greetings from the radio station I could be heard on fifteen years ago. It made me laugh for many reasons when I discovered it. Some of my readers, if they are still coming back, might actually hear their own voices on the clip. And you might even recognize a few others, that is if you were into Christian contemporary music circa 1994. So, unless I post again in the next couple days, consider this my Christmas greeting to you all. In the words of Styper, "He is the reason for the season, He is the reason for today."

Here In My Car

2009-11-20T00:09:00.005-06:00

Vehicle is the theme at PhotoFriday this week. A couple years my friends laughed at me when I told them another friend was giving me his car. Not just any car, but a 1989 Toyota Camry. A car old enough, I could have been driving it when I got my license. Some were even betting that I would not make it across the state of California, let alone all the way back to Illinois. Well, over two years later, and many many miles down the road it still keeps on cruising. I recently had to replace the front tires after one blew, but such is life. While many would recommend never buying a car from a friend or relative, I would highly encourage accepting free cars. At least it has worked out well for me.

If I Win Some Races

2009-11-13T00:21:00.004-06:00

The theme at PhotoFriday this week is Three. In my quest to attend a game at all the major league ball parks, I was able to cross off National Park off the list this year. Sadly, I think the fans were cheering more for the presidents race than the Nationals the night I was there. Oh well, at least someone they rooted for won that night.

Morning Has Broken

2009-10-09T00:07:00.004-05:00

PhotoFriday's theme this week is Dawn. Yet another photo taken in the woods of the Upper Peninsula. When I was younger I would often spend a lot of time on this little island. There is an old ice shack where they used to store ice blocks for the ice boxes from days of old. Even though the island is smaller than a school bus, it was fun to explore around. I felt like it was my very own place. Even now there is something about it that draws me near. It is amazing how many photos I have taken of it. This one just happened to be taken in the early morning as the fog was lifting from the lake.

A Whole Meal for A Nickel

2009-10-02T08:31:00.003-05:00

The theme is Fast Food over at PhotoFriday this week. I took this near the Basel SBB train station. I had never seen a vending machine targeting pets before, and actually haven't seen another one like this.

The Thousand Things You've Got To See

2009-09-30T23:28:00.004-05:00

Last week I had the opportunity to spend a couple days in Washington D.C. My main reason for going was a job interview, but that didn't go so well. At least I got the chance to take in a baseball game, see some sights, and hang out with some former students. Plus I learned a few things along the way.

These include:
1. You can listen to Car Talk recordings at the Smithsonian.
2. I love public transit. Not only did I ride the metro more than I actually needed, but I found myself sitting on the replica of Chicago's "L" at the Smithsonian.
3. Someone had a really bad idea of putting the National Zoo on a hill.
4. Of all the records (those things before CDs for you young folk. And CDs are those things before MP3s for you really young folk.) that they could display in the American History museum they chose one by Elvis and one by Cheech and Chong.
5. Turning the light on when you enter the room at 1 am will make you the most hated person in the hostel. I seriously thought about fighting that dude.
6. If you are really lazy, you could take a tour of the Smithsonian museums by watching Night At The Museum 2 at the IMAX at the Air and Space museum.
7. The Nationals really do stink. Plus their fans really hate Manny Ramirez.
8. Inbreeding is not just a human problem. I guess locking grasshoppers up in a case can also cause some problems with their offspring down the line.

Not a total waste of a few days, even if I did not get a job offer.

Pictures Of Lily

2009-09-18T00:11:00.003-05:00

The theme this week at PhotoFriday is plants. This photo was taken on a lake in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I have often thought about changing my residence to there, even have debated telling people that is where I am from. Nothing against my hometown, but there is just something amazing in my book about the UP. You have to experience it to understand.

The Weight Of The Cart

2009-09-11T00:23:00.003-05:00

This week's theme at PhotoFriday is Fear.

I took this photo in the Hong Kong airport. I never saw electric carts as a threat, but now I fear them. You should too.

Video Killed The Radio Star

2009-09-09T23:53:00.003-05:00

A few years ago, I had the chance to see Fool's Garden play an acoustic show at an Irish pub in Freiburg, Germany. Sadly, most of you who read this post have probably never heard of the band. Others might only know them for their hit song, Lemon Tree. You are all missing out. It was a great show, and only made me appreciate their music more.

Well, they have a greatest hits album coming out in a few weeks. They have also recently released a new song, complete with a video to boot. The cool thing is that they have made it fan friendly, allowing their fans to be a part of the video.

Take a look at the video, and see what I mean. Although, you might hope that some technology comes along and helps kill the video star (at least one of them) in the future.

If you want, you can even upload your own photo into the video.

A Watch On Our Shadows

2009-07-24T00:27:00.005-05:00

This week's theme at PhotoFriday is "In Shadows." I took this earlier this week from the viewing deck of the Sunsphere in Knoxville, Tennessee. Twenty-seven years ago my family headed down for the World's Fair. I don't remember being able to go up to the top of the Sunsphere at the time due to long lines, but I am guessing it would have been shorter than took twenty-seven years.

As I looked down over Knoxville, I thought it might have been that trip almost three decades ago that started my crazy wandering around the globe. There on the streets of Knoxville, a young and impressionable boy was bumping shoulders with people from all over the world. I was witness to many countries showing off their best and brightest. I think those experiences might be some of the catalyst that prompted me to wander to over thirty-five countries to see first hand what each country has to offer. And for this, I am thankful.

I Can Be Your Hero

2009-07-21T14:31:00.003-05:00

On my long drive home, I decided to take a break in Metropolis, Illinois. Metropolis bills itself as the hometown of Superman, and have built a giant statue of him in the town square. At two hundred feet tall, it actually is an impressive piece of Americana. I spent a little time taking photos of the statue, and some of the other Superman related items in the area, before heading back out to the highway. Before I got there, I was sidelined by a historical marker pointing towards Fort Massac State Park. Not too excited about the next five hours of driving, I decided to do some wandering around.

As I entered the fort, I encountered four youth throwing rocks at the wall of the fort. I advised them that they might not want to be doing that, which they told me they were trying to knock a wasp nest down. Because of that information, I stressed even more the importance of not throwing rocks in that area. I then continued on wandering around the park and taking photos.

Upon walking back through the fort, my spidey-senses were set off. I noticed several of the glass windows had been shattered. I then recalled that one of the kids appeared to be using his shirt to carry a bunch of rocks. They were in one of the rooms of the fort and didn't hear me, as I passed by. I quickly looked in a couple of the other rooms, and noticed that there was glass on the floor near the broken windows, showing that they had been recently shattered.

Not having my phone, I approached a few adults in the area. I informed them that there might be some youth up to no good in the fort. I explained what I saw, and suggested that they might want to contact the local authorities. Before I could finish explaining, one of the adults got up and headed over to take care of business. I was informed that he was part of the local authorities, and would be able to handle it.

As I headed back to my car, I laughed a little, as I knew that I had helped stop some vandalism in Metropolis. Sure, Superman could have done it, but he was too busy posing for photos downtown. I guess some heroes wear their underwear under their pants. I drove off into the sunset feeling a bit like Reno Raines. Who knows where me and my crime fighting ways will end up next?

Almost Heaven

2009-07-18T10:23:00.002-05:00

I love the open road. Heck, I guess I enjoy just about any form of travel to be honest, but today the open road is what I'm loving. A couple days ago, I hopped in my 1989 Toyota Camry wagon and headed south. My destination was Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where two of my friends will be wed later today. So this gave me a excuse to load up the iPod, toss a bag of sunflower seeds in the seat next to me, and head out.

When I travel alone, I control the speed, where and when I stop for food, and most importantly the tunes. For the most part I keep the iPod on shuffle, and just skip the songs I don't feel like. Plus an episode of Car Talk is usually required for the longer trips. Occasionally, as song or artist is required for certain spots on the road. Yesterday, for example, as I entered West Virginia, I felt it was necessary to play John Denver's Take Me Home, Country Roads. As I had been behind the wheel for six hours, I thought it would also be a good idea to put the three versions of the song I had on a loop. For over thirty miles, it was a Country Road Sing-a-long in my car. When I hit the Hurricane, I decided it was time for a change. On a side note, who names a town Hurricane, especially when it is near enough for one to be of threat? It isn't like there is Tornado, Illinois, Wild Fire, Washington, or Epicenter, California.

As I had a specific destination and time of arrival, I didn't get to wander too far off the road too much. I did see Larry Bird's Bust in French Lick, Indiana. I was hoping to see the grave of Chang and Eng Bunker, but completely missed the exit. But I am hoping to do some wandering on the way back. Because a really good road trip, like life, is not about the destination, but the journey.

Will Things Ever Be The Same Again?

2009-07-11T00:21:00.003-05:00

Tonight I was wandering around Toys R Us. Before you alert the local authorities, I was there with my nephew, who is almost a year. But as I was saying, I was wandering up and down the aisles checking out all the cool toys. I think it has been at least ten years since I last was in a Toys R Us, so some things have changed for sure. As I wandered past the toy pianos something caught my eye. There it was, the Little Tikes PopTunes Melody Beads Piano. Forget the toy pianos that play annoying kid's songs all the time. This my friends, is targeted towards people my age who have reproduced or obtained a child from someone who has. This piano plays three pop songs over and over. And when I say pop songs, I mean Wide Open Spaces by the Dixie Chicks, Message In A Bottle by the Police, and my favorite, The Final Countdown by Europe.

Sure these songs might get just as annoying to parents, but this is a step in a new direction. And I am not sure a song about a girl needing to go off on her own, a song about loneliness, and a song inspired by space travel might not be the best songs for a child's first songs. At least it is not another toy cranking out the Farmer and the Dell. Heck, if there were more toys like this, I might consider getting a kid of my own so I can play with these toys. Until that happens, I will just have to keep hanging out with my nephew.

She's Got Bette Davis Eyes

2009-07-10T00:14:00.003-05:00

The theme of PhotoFriday is Eyes this week. This tarsier was located in Bohol, Philippines. I took this shot a few years back while there helping with Habitat For Humanity. There is also a video of the little creature eating over on my YouTube pages.

Get Rid Of The Slight Debris

2009-06-26T00:21:00.002-05:00

This week the theme at PhotoFriday is debris. I took this photo in Daejeon, South Korea. I was walking back from the HomePlus and found this trio of randomly discarded items caught my eye. I've occasionally wondered what they story that landed this trio together.