gabeanderson.com: life: May 27, 2003

Happy Birthday, Golden Gate Bridge (san francisco)

Sixty-six years ago today -- May 27, 1937 -- the Golden Gate Bridge opened to foot traffic. One year and one day later -- May 28, 1938 -- the bridge opened to vehicular traffic. Back in 1987, when the bridge celebrated its 50th anniversary, my Dad was on hand to cover it (he was then a columnist for the Marin IJ).

To this day, people come from around the world to awe at this engineering masterpiece stretching beautifully and majestically across the Bay. I'm fortunate enough to drive across the breathtaking national landmark twice per day as part of my daily commute.

Happy Birthday, Golden Gate Bridge.

Photo from American Hurrah

Touched by an Angel? (anecdotes)

Early this morning before waking up -- probably around 6 or 6:30 -- I was dreaming that I was at Nana's house. What exactly I was doing there I'm not sure. I don't believe she was actually in the dream, but I was definitely at her house. Outside my dream, Stella was sleeping on the bed, toward Jen's side, since Jen is still in New York. Jen and I each have a touch lamp on either side of our bed.

Still in a sleepy haze, I rolled over toward Jen's side of the bed to find her touch lamp turned on -- in the middle of three settings. This means it had to have been touched twice to end up in this state. I know I didn't have it on last night before going to bed.

I also know I didn't inadvertently turn on the light in my sleep -- I was clear across the other side of the bed and facing the other way. Remember, too, that I would've had to bump the metal base or shade of the lamp not once but twice. And unless Stella has taken up early-morning reading, I doubt there's any way she could have done it.

Call me crazy or call me a believer, but I think, just maybe, that the light's being on this morning was a small reminder from Nana that she's still with me in spirit -- in a very real way.

This is not the first time that something like this has happened. Shortly after Nana passed away and we were all staying in her house, we would wake up in the morning to find the heater cranked really high -- and no one in the house had turned it up. Nana knew that my Mom often got cold at night.

These types of happenings always bring a smile to my face.

Old Grey Squirrel Test (comedy)

I love it: Jammin' squirrels. I want this band to play for my next party. Or I want to be the group's manager. Squirrels rule.

(Thanks, Shrey, for the link.)

Bush Matrix (the world)

Reloading to fight the Bush Matrix is a great piece comparing the Bush regime to the images and ideas conveyed in the Matrix Reloaded. Here's a snippet:

The Matrix Media Mind Manipulator, from Limbaugh to Clear Channel To Fox, now wants us to believe that even though GOPutrid Agent/Senator Rick Santorum says homosexuality is the moral equivalent of bestiality, the newly "with-it" GOP will no longer refer to gays as "sodomites." What a breakthrough! A major hip-hop forward for media imaging and millennial mind control.

Every network, every cable channel, every newspaper streams the contaminated code of Bushwellian patriotism, conformity and non-thought. Homeland Security? The Bush Matrix wants to arrest all those Ravers at the Zion sex dance early in the film. Its draft-dodging Top Gun has the clonable face and poisonous smirk of every agent the Matrix sends to kill off dissenters.

Hmm... coincidence? Or are are the Wachowski Brothers bigger geniuses than anyone realizes?

There is even a scene in Reloaded that shows a televised image of W. on a television screen in the background. The Architect, just as the image appears in the background, makes an allusion to evil in the world. (Anyone remember the exact quote at that moment?)