Jeff Trattner's Blog

Joined HOA Board of Directors as Secretary

2010-09-24T00:20:00.000-07:00

I have been asked to join my HOA's Board of Directors as the Secretary after the previous Secretary resigned. So far its been very interesting. We had a board meeting earlier this week. I created a bunch of email forwards, a website, and built a forum using iPage. The public part is at Sherman Oaks Villas Website.

What's Wrong With This Picture?

2010-09-17T21:41:00.001-07:00

This is an outline of my Congressional District (CA-27th). Does it seem a little Gerrymandered to you at all?

Key To Escape

2010-09-17T21:15:00.001-07:00

Water flows, into wells,
We are falling in space
Watch and learn, endless burn
You’re the key to escape

Darkness falls, save us all,
Darkened volumes of space
Hit the wall, hear them call,
"You are destined to be great!"

Wind it blows, fast and slow
Flow into the atmosphere of space
Feel the cold, all alone
You bring warmth to this place

Earth and sun, into one
Solar flares into space
That's the goal, to make you whole,
Don't let life go to waste

Rebirth

2010-09-16T22:47:00.001-07:00

I was right, now I'm wrong
Always meek, never strong,
There are too many maybe's round here

I was flesh, now I'm bone
Sirens screaming, in the storm
There are too many shipwrecks round here

I was sea, now I'm earth,
Always death turned rebirth
There are too many warriors round here

Too Many Doors

2010-09-11T16:54:00.001-07:00

There are too many walls,
And too many safes,
There are too many doors,
And halls in this place

There are too many panic rooms,
And too many gates,
There are too many wounds,
And not enough ways

There are too many stairs,
And not enough space,
There are too many cobblestones
And too slow a pace

There are too many sounds,
And too many graves,
There are too many loves,
And too many hates

Sunlight

2010-08-16T01:01:00.000-07:00

© 2010, Jeffrey Trattner

I walk through the valley on the sequence of sunlight,
I walk through the desert on the brightest of days
Here's to the hope of a future of prospects,
Here's the blood of the solders erased

I walk through the darkness on pillars of moonbeams
I walk through the silence all but alone
Here's to the noose that they fit around your neck
Here's to the prisoner that is counting his days

I walk through the remander of distance and defects
I walk through the fog that you all call the day
Here's to the heros that we've long forgotten
Here's to the terror that we never have to face

Riddles

2010-07-29T21:40:00.000-07:00

© 2010, Jeffrey Trattner

Let's talk about pieces,
And early graves,
Follow roads to nowhere,
And get enslaved,
To the keeper,
A thirst you quench,
These riddles goes deeper
Deeply entrenched

A thousand echoes,
A single word,
An endless staircase,
The riddles heard
I dreamed of escaping,
Ideas to brim,
I am overtaken
I am underpinned

Understand these riddles,
These heavy words,
Undermine the structure
Of the absurd
I may be weakened,
But these are facts,
Its birth without freedom,
This too shall pass

Abby Died (June 9, 2010)

2010-06-26T15:19:00.000-07:00

On June 9th the pet Yorkie we got when I was in 6th grade died. She was just short of turning 18. This is a video I made with her last picture.

iPhone 4

2010-06-26T15:12:00.000-07:00

On June 23 I recieved my iPhone 4. I upgraded from 3G, and overall it is an amazing experience. The first thing you will notice is the display is incredible. It's hard to imagine using the 3G after just a few minutes on the 4. The second major thing is that it is really fast. I am sure 3GS users won't see as much as a difference but 3G users are in for a treat.

The cameras are nice but not as great as I was hoping. The back camera is pretty nice but the front one is notiably lacking.

The battery is great. I love the compass since it shows you the direction you are facing on the map. Make sure you calibrate it though. Otherwise it could point totally the wrong way. The voice quality is great.

Now I did experience 2 issues. First in just 2 days I got a nasty scratch on the back apple logo. Second, in weak cell areas I do see the bars drop like so many people have reported. I got a clearish white Belkin case which seems to alleviate both issues. I kinda feel apple may have know about the antenna issue and should have included a free bumper to prevent it.

All in all I love the new phone. I just wish apple handled the pre order better, included the bumper, and made the glass harder to scratch.

We Hold These Truths

2010-06-04T23:25:00.001-07:00

You'll never know what happened here,
You'll never know what we've learned to fear,
What have you learned, in your time here?
What have you learned, what have you learned?

We hold these truths, we hold these truths
We hold these truths, we hold these truths
We hold these truths, to be self evident, oh-oh
To be self evident, oh-oh, to be self evident

We're broken men, with bloodstained hands,
We're all alone, inside our heads,
Where are you from, is this your land?
Where are your from, where are you from?

We hold these truths, we hold these truths
We hold these truths, we hold these truths
We hold these truths, to be self evident, oh-oh
To be self evident, oh-oh, to be self evident

When in the course of human events,
We take on kings, and governments,
Who rules you now, we don't need rules,
Who rules you now, don't be fooled

We hold these truths, we hold these truths
We hold these truths, we hold these truths
We hold these truths, to be self evident, oh-oh
To be self evident, oh-oh, to be self evident

We break our bread, they temper steel,
They steal our crops, how does it feel?
How do you live, you must be mad,
How do you live, how do you live?

We hold these truths, we hold these truths
We hold these truths, we hold these truths
We hold these truths, to be self evident, oh-oh
To be self evident, oh-oh, to be self evident

They call him Despot, they call him King,
When armies fall bells will ring,
Why are you here, don't live in fear,
Why are you here, why are you here?

We hold these truths, we hold these truths
We hold these truths, we hold these truths
We hold these truths, to be self evident, oh-oh
To be self evident, oh-oh, to be self evident

Forgiven

2010-06-04T23:23:00.001-07:00

I am sharp and I am sad,
I am the best you've ever had
I am here, and looking for forgiveness

I am wondrous and glad
To lose all that I've ever had
For just another night of your wisdom

I am running short on time,
I am going out of my mind
With worry and the sadness of precision

I am deaf, and visions blurred
I cannot see a single word
I would kill them all for your religion

I know not what I say
I want to love another day
I am in the throws of your passion

You hope that heaven held your head
Less you wind up quite as dead
You are running through the the cavern of the echos

Troubled Night

2010-06-04T23:21:00.001-07:00

I am the words, I am the same
The sacred verse, the walls of flame,
Hold me here, unto the tide,
Drowning in the troubled night

I am the secret wish you keep
Bundled in the ministry
Almost clear, and almost right
"Almost" is so far tonight

If you surfed the peeled back tides
If you found belief tonight
Would you stand up and be free
Or would you follow behind me

I am the curse, I am the sea
The sacred words, the halls of thee,
Hold me here, unto the night,
Breathing in the air of light

I am the secret, you are weak
I am the burning tapestry
Almost there, and almost right
"Almost" is so far tonight