Travisland

Am I a dork because I enjoy looking up different forms of government and trying to find all the subtle differences that make one more democratic than another? So far I have a few obvious favorites, but I have some major faults with them as well. Is it possible for a country to truly become as democratic as it could ever be? I feel like (despite the direct representation/100% true democracy obvious one) that a system that is as democratic as possible can be achieved--in relative terms.

Is that gibberish? I haven't designed my perfect government yet, so don't ask. I will tell you it is certainly not presidential. Nor is it much like the United States at all. I will tell you a few things that are absolutely essential to a perfect government:

Small size - a country with smaller borders has a smaller population, allowing for much more representation in the government with fewer representatives.

Bicameral legislature - this does not mean that one house of the legislature must be more powerful than the other, simply that each one checks the others power. No concentration of power into a single parliament or congress like in England and Sweden.

Flexibility - a country's constitution can easily change how quickly the country can change directions. it can easily become too rigid, and some flex should be included in the government. This can help lead to the next fundamental requirement.

Multi-party system - multi-party does not mean 2 dominant parties for long periods of time. Multiple parties means that enough parties are present to prevent any one from obtaining a majority.

50% Proportional Representation/50% Plurality in Single Member Districts - individually, each of these can bypass democracy easily. together, however, they work incredibly well. There are many countries that only use one or the other that are quite democratic, but I would still argue my point. 

Judicial Branch - a judicial branch is key, although it does not always require a great deal of power. The only real power that the judicial branch must have without a doubt is the ability to review laws constitutionality. However, this power can result in a great variety of different roles for the judicial branch.

In my book, these things are absolute requirements for a "perfect" government. Sorry for the dorky post, it's just been on my mind lately.

stuff

I'm horrible at blogging these days... Oh well.

I only have a few quick things that I would really like to say:

1. I am officially a Geoduck. I was accepted at Evergreen on November 5th, 2008 and begin attending class on September 28, 2009. Intense, no?

2. I am procuring a Volcano tomorrow. Fun, fun, fun.

3. Possible Blakes show on Christmas. Quite unlikely though. Either way, our ep SHOULD and WILL be done by then. So if we do play=CD release party.

Sad Panda

I don't think that there is anything worse than watching the person you love be unhappy while you can't do anything about it. It is both extremely frustrating, because you are unable to make them happy and it is usually not your fault, as well as fairly depressing, because they're unhappy. I'd say that so far in my entire life, having an unhappy girlfriend is the worst thing there is. Some might argue with this, but I believe I am right for two reasons:

1. This statement can be stretched to fit anything, from not being able to hang out to losing a limb in a car accident. Unhappy lover=unhappy other lover. I think this is a sign of a good relationship, though. 

2. The only possible thing that could be more important to you than the person you love, is probably your child. Seeing as I don't have a child...

All you can do is just wait and hope they feel better tomorrow, because you know that you have been in the exact opposite situation and it is difficult to be in. I am going to focus all of my positive energy on Corey and hope that her night isn't as shitty as it was when I left. Hopefully my good energy will help out. Also, hopefully she won't read this and get sadder... That would make me feel like a pretty lame person.

In conjunction with these thoughts, I'd like to announce that The Mattresses' ep, The Moon Trench, will be complete and available on Dec. 12. It will be a darker album, to coincide with our lovely weather.

Perfectionism

If I could let everyone on the planet know one thing, it would be that recording is the most difficult process that has ever been known to man.

Thanks, 

Travis

The Transit of Earth

So I feel bad about not posting as much as I used to, but there are two main reasons for this:

1. School has begun and takes up the majority of my time, despite being rather easy this year.

2. I have felt somewhat shitty for the last few months and finishing a post has become rather difficult. I've started quite a few posts that are now saved in my drafts somewhere, waiting to be finished.

Particularly number 2 this last week or so. I've started two or three posts that have dwindled away into nothingness somewhere in my brain. Maybe it's been my mindset that has created this inability to follow through. I don't know... I'd say that the best I felt in the last week was last night. I was vaporizing by myself in my car (via a power adaptor) and some dj on KALX played The Transit of Earth by Arthur C. Clarke (that's a sci-fi story, for you uneducated) with Clarke reading it. I wasn't happy, but I wasn't sad either. I felt no connection to the world, but rather to the astronaut of the story who was stranded on Mars, recording Earth's alignment with the sun, Mars, and the moon. The character had only a few days of oxygen and was forced to come to terms with his death. The strangest part of the story was that, despite writing it, Clarke read the story with no emotion. That is probably what struck me most. I felt at ease, peaceful. That is what his voice did to me. The character was not afraid of dying, and neither was I.

The Mattresses ep is now fully planned, and partially executed. To be completed within the next two months. Title will be announced (here for the masses) as it nears completion. It is approximately half the length of the album, which was scrapped after too much time in limbo. I needed something to plan and get excited about, and of course it worked. Now all I can think about are the transitions.

Maybe I like being alone. I'm talking to Adrian, and that's what he suggested. I think I might agree, not sure...

Sorry for the downer. If you can't handle it, then you should pass on the ep, which is also on the darker side. Music is different than whining though... so maybe you could reconsider. It is free, after all. (Except for copies with artwork.)

Thom+Jonny/George+John=me in my head

I'd say that this little tiny ep that probably won't even be pressed is my White Album. In terms of Radiohead, you could say it is either my Kid A or my In Rainbows. Probably closer to Kid A.

Ending in Sight - Mission Green Status

I'm usually not very pissed at my cat, because I'm usually very happy to see him... but right now I am very angry and I am going to vent here. He bit through the chord of a rater nice pair of sony headphones that I own and now they are fucking useless. this upsets me because they were a present from my mom that I appreciated cause it was when I first got into music that I got them, and they also looked like the headphones that my favorite actor wears in this french movie that I like a lot. I have the poster of it up on my wall... That's how much I like it.

Anyway, to look on the bright side it will be easier to use the headphones and ear protection during band practice. That is, if we ever start practicing again. At the moment we're recording our continuously morphing ep/album (now an ep), but plan to finish it in the near future. Within the next 2 months is the concrete goal.

I'm up too late. I'm not in the best of moods really. I don't really want to talk about it though. Let's just say that the album has transformed from a psychedelic pop bliss treat into a dark, quasi-circus, Radiohead-ish sound. Hopefully, since I wrote all the songs and have designed the album with simple, yet lush psychedelic-ness in mind, it will sound like The Mattresses. I think it will.