TomFlanders.com






The Harrier Jet is a weird little plane. (6/25/2009)
It can take off and land straight up and down. Then flies like a regular jet.

The interesting part is that the science of flying is well mastered, and the take off and landing parts are actually quite simple. The problem is the transition between the two modes. For several moments between the modes all is chaos and danger.

Life is like that. The scariest parts are the transitions. You're going along in a relatively safe mode, but you yern for another mode. A mode that promises so much. A mode that you know you can thrive in. But how to get there? There is no easy transition. There is no intersection. There is no common ground. At some point you have to flick the switch that will pitch your life in the new direction. No turning back. No room for hesitation. Chuck it all. Risk it all. Win it all or lose it all. The price of ambition.

Word of the Week (6/24/2009)
Mooting - noun: A meeting with no detectable value.
Words to leave by (6/16/2009)
When the voices in your head start humming Nina Hagen tunes it's time to reassess your meds.
Three quotes (6/10/2009)
"Hold me closer Tona Danza!"
"Nolo Episcapari"
"Kids of TV land you're being duped!"
Thought in summary (6/5/2009)
It's been a long week. Days of grubbing through log files. Nights of dreaming of being a writer. Not writing. Watching Harry Potter #5 over and over again. Ah bliss.
GoKartRacer League Prize Day 7 (5/31/2009)
A bumper car race on the Super track
GoKartRacer League Prize Day 6 (5/30/2009)
A pair of races. Won them both.
GoKartRacer League Prize Day 5 (5/29/2009)
Fun on the Monza track
GoKartRacer League Prize Day 4 (5/28/2009)
86 laps in a single race
The Happy Trucker (5/26/2009)
I found out yesterday that former NASCAR truck racer Aaron Fike used to race under the influence of heroin. Either he's some kind of superman or that was some really weak junk.
GoKartRacer League Prize Day 1 (5/25/2009)
For finishing 3rd in the Spring League I won a week of free racing. I started cashing that in today.
The Movie Break (5/24/2009)
Sometimes you need to just drop everything you are doing and watch a movie that you like very mutch. Not necessarily a great movie, but a movie that you like very much. That way it's not an exercise in film, but just watching a movie. It's good for the soul. Cleasnsing. I guess this is my version of stopping and smelling the roses.
Wrong Again (5/24/2009)
I was wrong. I do believe in my day dreams.
Day Dream Believer (5/23/2009)
I may not believe in my day dreams but I believe in day dreaming.
Anti-procrastination declaration (5/20/2009)
I finally got around to rewriting my bio. It wasn't easy to get started. I am not my favorite subject. I finally tricked myself into doing it by performing an experiment. I usually fuss over every word and use only what is absolutely necessary. What I did was to skip the pre-editing and just write down everything that came to mind. Of course the result was much too long for general consumption, but from it I was able to cull a nice representative paragraph.
Writing: (5/19/2009)
As I sit down to write what may be the pivotal piece of my fledgling writing career my mind wanders every way but the way I need. New Harry Potter movie in a couple weeks. The ex-pope just had a stroke in the book I'm reading. The dogs need walking. William Borroughs is talking. Should I shave my beard? Should I have a beer? My desk needs cleaning. The fence needs mending. But no. Now is the time to write what I don't want to write. But I do. Cause and effect. The mouse and cheese, which in my experience does no good. The mouse and the peanutbutter and bacon. That's what I want, a peanutbutter and bacon sandwich. I'll go make one. Then I'll write. It's a plan!
Racing:
check out my assault on the GoKartRacer amateur league!.