Saturday, April 30, 2005

Shitty Bank

I have a credit card from (Citibank) shitty bank. I never use it. Once a week I get a call from them or one of their partners trying to sell me something or another. “Hello this is Linda from Citibank with an offer....” Click. My other credit card does not bother me like this.
I hate shitty bank.

Thursday, April 28, 2005

Work ethos-

Some people live and die by the sword. I think I will hangout by the coffee pot and watch the action.

Sharing a good meal with friends-


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Originally uploaded by mquest foto.
Sometimes monster trucks need a good meal. On the menu today is Cottage Cheese.

Wednesday, April 27, 2005

If it walks like a duck

His waist must be a 32 and his chest a 62
He has crafted his body into a muscular work of art.
And now he waddles like a duck.

Like a duck on steroids.

Well used-


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Originally uploaded by mquest foto.
My green onions are battle scared and well used. This is my second year with this plant. It just keeps giving flavor to great meals.

Water World


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Originally uploaded by mquest foto.
Mquest Jr is watering the peppers. I hope he did not drown them. I bought this plant last weekend at the local arboretum.

Kangaroo Paw


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Originally uploaded by mquest foto.
I have always loved the form and function of the €œKangaroo Paw€. Here is a lovely example I found while out and about.

Now a word from our future sponsors


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Originally uploaded by mquest foto.
Like father, Like son. We are addicted to dried Mangoes. Do you think we could get an endorsement deal with a Mango company?

Monday, April 25, 2005

RIP Goofy


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Originally uploaded by mquest foto.
Goofy takes a dive.
Was he pushed. An accident? Did he slip? Suicide?

Accidental drowning


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Originally uploaded by mquest foto.
A good Samaritan makes sure Goofy does not come up for air.

The Bitter End


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Originally uploaded by mquest foto.
Goofy floats into oblivion. He has stepped off this mortal coil.

Post Haste


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Originally uploaded by mquest foto.
Leaving the scene of the crime before the media roaches show up.
Playtime is over. Time to dry off and move to the next fun activity.

Sunday, April 24, 2005

April showers--

Today the weather stayed damp enough for the snails to travel across the yard. In the morning we will see what damage they did to my nice plants.

Spring Shower

The sounds of rain are always punctuated by screeching tires with an occasional thump thrown in for a bonus.

Friday, April 22, 2005

So Royal


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Originally uploaded by mquest foto.
She reeks of charisma. I bet she has something important to say.

Reach for the stars.


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Originally uploaded by mquest foto.
The plant on the bottom right caught my eye from a great distance. My best guess is that this succulent wants to broadcast its seeds a great distance by putting the seed pods so high in the air.

Thursday, April 21, 2005

Cool Cool Waters


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Originally uploaded by mquest foto.
The local arboretum has such great opportunity's for taking pictures. This picture really shows the tranquility that can be found there.

Contemplation on colors


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Originally uploaded by mquest foto.
Just out of the frame of this picture is a handful of children chasing butterfly's with large butterfly nets. Mquest Jr. was fascinated by them. Lots of opportunities to point at colors and get Mquest Jr. to work on his color identification.

The sun was out with no cloud cover. Not ideal conditions for taking pictures. We found this nice shady location and snapped a few pictures. Mquest Jr was on a mission and we did not stay at this location long. It is hard to keep a child down when all the world is an adventure.

The secret garden-


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Originally uploaded by mquest foto.
This was a great photo opportunity. I hope to go back on a cloudy day and use this spot again.

Wednesday, April 20, 2005

Reading

Phil Lesh's book Searching for the Sound (my life with the Grateful Dead) arrived at my doorstep the other day. I am enjoying it greatly. It is fairly obvious how it will end , but I am fascinated by his version of all that happened.
All other reading has been put on hold until it is finished.

Top Court to Hear Appeal on Hallucinogenic Tea

I am not making the headline up. The court is going to get high on tea and listen to an appeal. Oh wait I guess thats not what the headline means.
The high court agreed to review a U.S. appeals court ruling that said the government could not prohibit the sacramental use of the tea because of a 1993 religious freedom law.

In related news Green Tea May Curb Prostate Cancer in Men at Risk. It looks like tea is finally getting more good media coverage.

Utah Snubs No Child Left Behind Law

the Utah Legislature on Tuesday passed a measure giving state education standards priority over federal ones imposed by the No Child Left Behind Act.
Education Secretary Margaret Spellings has said the state bill could cost Utah $76 million in federal funding. But Utah officials bristle at the federal act's requirements, arguing they amount to unfunded mandates.
The bill is seen by many as the strongest objection to the federal law among 15 states considering anti-No Child Left Behind legislation this year.

HA HA-- This law has really screwed up education. I am happy that the states are starting to stand up to this bad underfunded idea. I think George wants to screw the education system so he can go back to his other bad plan -- the voucher idea.

Un-metered Sonnet

The circle jerk is over.
A blast of white smoke.
They elected a new Pope

Monday, April 18, 2005

Clap-Clap-Clap-., Thunk

She is small and petite. I would bet that she could move with cat like silence. As she walks away I wonder why she chose to wear shoes that make so much noise.

Sunday, April 17, 2005

Corduroy Pants

It is hard to tell why corduroy pants fell out of fashion.
As the rather heavy lady walks by I can hear the corduroy around her thighs rub together.
Zip Zip Zip Zip Zip
I wonder if she can hear it over the slurping sounds of her soda.
Zip Zip Zip Zip

honk honk beep beep


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Originally uploaded by mquest foto.
This is what Mquest Jr. refers to as the "€œhonk honk beep beep"€ I call it the Barney Mobile or the Crazy Coupe. I think the manufacture would like me to call it the Cozy Coupe. The "€œhonk honk beep beep."€ car has been a great friend. I think we have logged thousands of miles on it. We do have a tricycle, but he has shown no desire to learn how to use it.

go


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Originally uploaded by mquest foto.

Saturday, April 16, 2005

Anaheim pepper


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Originally uploaded by mquest foto.
This is one of the two Anaheim peppers that I have planted this year. I find that the Anaheim is the pepper that I use the most often. Anaheim peppers are always a big part of my garden. This plant has tripled in size over the last 2 weeks.

Peppers week 1


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Originally uploaded by mquest foto.
A few of the peppers I started this week.

Bucket head-


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Originally uploaded by mquest foto.
I am sure getting a bucket stuck around your head is no fun. I just had to to take this picture.

Thursday, April 14, 2005

Damned By God

Basset Hounds are rejects from the beagle factory.

Anheuser-Busch Threatens Mo. Rice Boycott

WASHINGTON - Anheuser-Busch Cos., the nation's No. 1 buyer of rice as well as its largest brewer, says it won't buy rice from Missouri if genetically modified, drug-making crops are allowed to be grown in the state. The St. Louis-based beer giant, which says it is concerned about possible contamination, is the latest company to express concern over plans by Ventria Biosciences to grow 200 acres of rice engineered to produce human proteins that can make drugs.

Wednesday, April 13, 2005

Pizza


IMG_0244
Originally uploaded by mquest foto.
I roasted the bell peppers before putting them on the pizza. I think it gave them a good flavor. It also allowed me to cook off some of the moisture in the peppers and create a less soggy pizza. There is also a healthy dose of fresh Basil and Oregano buried under the cheese.

Pizza


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Originally uploaded by mquest foto.

Pizza


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Originally uploaded by mquest foto.
Roasted bell peppers under the cheese. I tried to hide them from Mquest Jr. He found them anyway and liberated them from his slice. There is also a healthy dose of fresh Basil and Oregano buried under the cheese.

Tabasco


IMG_0271
Originally uploaded by mquest foto.
This Tabasco plant was my only pepper plant that made it through the winter. At this size I think it will produce a early and prolific crop.

I do have a Anaheim pepper plant that may spring to life. The Anaheim is almost five years old and I think it is time to rip him out. But, I do see some green peeking through the old hardwood I will continue to water it and see what happens.

Anheuser-Busch Threatens Mo. Rice Boycott

WASHINGTON - Anheuser-Busch Cos., the nation's No. 1 buyer of rice as well as its largest brewer, says it won't buy rice from Missouri if genetically modified, drug-making crops are allowed to be grown in the state. The St. Louis-based beer giant, which says it is concerned about possible contamination, is the latest company to express concern over plans by Ventria Biosciences to grow 200 acres of rice engineered to produce human proteins that can make drugs.

More bloodshed-

Perhaps I misunderstood the meaning of “mission accomplished.”

What do you do with a dangerous flu strain?

Scientists around the world were scrambling to prevent the possibility of a pandemic after a nearly 50-year-old killer influenza virus was sent to thousands of labs, a decision that one researcher described as "unwise."

Nearly 5,000 labs in 18 countries, mostly in the United States, were urged by the World Health Organization to destroy samples of the dangerous virus because of the slight risk it could trigger a global outbreak. The labs received the virus from a U.S. company that supplies kits used for quality control tests

Her counterpart at WHO, Klaus Stohr, agreed but said, "If someone does get infected, the risk of severe illness is high, and this virus has shown to be fully transmissible."
The germ, the 1957 H2N2 "Asian flu" strain, killed between 1 million and 4 million people. It has not been included in flu vaccines since 1968, and anyone born after that date has little or no immunity to it.


5,000 labs? Which one will be the weak link?

Tuesday, April 12, 2005

Identity Crisis

How famous do I have to become before I can start talking about my self in the third person.

Monday, April 11, 2005

Under the California Sun:

I have shown my son the joy of picking the yellow “flowers” out of the lawn. Now all I need is a glass of lemonade while I watch.

Swords into plowshares


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Originally uploaded by mquest foto.

At the Mquest household we have been spending a lot of time in the garden.

Billions of Butterflies Descend on California

A few weeks back I watched thousands and thousands fly by. It was truly amazing.

Outlaw Laid Low by Short Fuse

TIRANA (Reuters) - Albania's most wanted man fought off special police and eluded capture for years only to blow himself up while fishing with dynamite, police and newspapers said Friday.
Dubbed the "Last Cowboy" in northern Albania because of his gunfights with the law, Riza Malaj, 34, failed to accurately gauge the length of the fuse as he tried to blow up trout.
Doctors at the Bajram Curri hospital said he had lost both hands, badly hurt his eyes and suffered serious wounds all over his body. His family rejected offers to have him flown to a Tirana hospital where he would have been arrested immediately.


Wow. Always go with a large fuse.

Sunday, April 10, 2005

Walking Meditation

the hour is late as I walk my dog down the dark alley. Behind I have left a track of barking dogs. My work is done.

Saturday, April 09, 2005

Pink

Today I saw a pink car. It was not the standard pink Cadillac color or the Mary Kay cosmetic pink car. It was more like someone put a white car in the washing machine with a red towel.
I hope they got a good deal on their pink car.

Friday, April 08, 2005

Eyes of the World

Over the last few days we have seen a massive pilgrimage of people that wished to view and take part in the spectacle of the Popes passage. People have covered great distances on a moments notice to take part in an event that they feel is important. Borders have been crossed and cultures are mingling in positive ways. By most accounts the host countries have been rather gracious to the weary traveler.

On a social stand point this is a thing of beauty.

All week this Grateful Deal lyric has been running through my head:

Eyes of the World

Right outside this lazy summer home
You ain’t got time to call your soul a critic no.
Right outside the lazy gate of winter’s summer home,
Wond’rin’ where the nut-thatch winters,
Wings a mile long just carried the bird away.

Wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world,
The heart has it’s beaches, it’s homeland and thoughts of it’s own.
Wake now, discover that you are the song that the mornin’ brings,
But the heart has it’s seasons, it’s evenin’s and songs of it’s own.

There comes a redeemer, and he slowly too fades away,
And there follows his wagon behind him that’s loaded with clay.
And the seeds that were silent all burst into bloom, and decay,
And night comes so quiet, it’s close on the heels of the day.

Wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world,
The heart has it’s beaches, it’s homeland and thoughts of it’s own.
Wake now, discover that you are the song that the mornin’ brings,
But the heart has it’s seasons, it’s evenin’s and songs of it’s own.

Sometimes we live no particular way but our own,
And sometimes we visit your country and live in your home,
Sometimes we ride on your horses, sometimes we walk alone,
Sometimes the songs that we hear are just songs of our own.

Wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world,
The heart has it’s beaches, it’s homeland and thoughts of it’s own.
Wake now, discover that you are the song that the mornin’ brings,
But the heart has it’s seasons, it’s evenin’s and songs of it’s own.

Thursday, April 07, 2005

Vulture

In the days before progress it used to be that vultures circled the dead and dying. One could look up into the sky and see them circling and waiting for their prey to become weak and die.
In the name of progress the wild life is now gone. The vulture has been replaced by the news helicopters.
Always circling and laying in wait for pain and suffering. Circling like vultures.
If for some reason the network driven mechanical vultures miss something the ground based scavengers will sniff out the blood.
One can always count on the news vans to surround the scent of blood.

Lemon Head


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Originally uploaded by mquest foto.
When all else fails make lemonade.

Dog


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Originally uploaded by mquest foto.
Always willing to go outside and play with Mquest Jr.

Dog


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Originally uploaded by mquest foto.

Wednesday, April 06, 2005

Photo uploads-

Hello gang-- Trying out Flickr. I might be the only one to say this but Hello/Pacisa has never caused me any problems. Flickr has some great functions but it takes a few extra clicks to post a photo.

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Originally uploaded by mquest foto.
free at last

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Originally uploaded by mquest foto.
I wanna grow up and look for the lost arc with Indiana Jones.

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Originally uploaded by mquest foto.
Welcome to the jungle We've got fun 'n games--

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Originally uploaded by mquest foto.
Mquest Jr. world traveler and adventure. Has anyone seen Laura Croft pass this way?

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Originally uploaded by mquest foto.
Sometimes one must make time to stop and enjoy the flowers. We can all learn something from our children.

Star Wars Fans in Line... at the Wrong Theater

They should buy their tickets on-line rather than waiting in line. Stupid people.
(Link) (Link)

Writer Saul Bellow died yesterday at age 89

Pope-

Everyone is talking about all the things the Pope did in his life. I would like to add that the now dead Pope was the one ultimately responsible for aiding and abetting child molesters. He leadership on this issue failed at every step.

The Other Pope

As I am sure all of you know the pope died. But, did you know that the other Pope also died? (Link)

Tuesday, April 05, 2005

Dark/Light On/OFF

Mquest Jr. can now officially reach and use the light switches. My head hurts.

Monday, April 04, 2005

Future

The children are out in mass. They are searching for donations. Today it will be for band equipment. Next week it will be something else. Mr Bush does not want to leave the children behind, but he should at least attempt to fund their education.

Sunday, April 03, 2005

Tussled Hair

Her hair hangs down on her shoulder in a rather disheveled way. Her hair is nicely cut, Styled and streaked. But it is always disheveled. I refer to her as Mrs disheveled and occasionally Mrs Colombo.
What is her fashion point?
What is she trying to say?
Is she trying to form some agreement with the guys that says this is what I will look like in the morning?

Saturday, April 02, 2005


Working on the railroad.
 Posted by Hello

trains  Posted by Hello

I have no idea what it is about children and trains. These are the same trains I played with as a child.
 Posted by Hello

Sometimes you have to bring the trains to lunch just to keep Mquest Jr occupied and in his seat.
 Posted by Hello

Friday, April 01, 2005

Pacific Drift

Downtown is gone. They tore it down years ago to open high end shops and restaurants. The street has lost its appeal. The few drunks that used to sit in the bars and drink cheap liquor have been replaced by large groups of drunken beach goers. Progress comes in many forms and failures.

Valis

The dry Santa Ana winds are blowing. The palm trees are bending in wind. A haze of dust obscures the snow capped mountains. Dust fills my eyes and ears. Humidity approaches zero. My skin is rapidly drying out.

Nature is reminding us that Southern California is nothing more than a well irrigated desert.