Wrigley to the Art Institute...

Now, I swear I'm not following Ferris Bueller around... it'd have been kind of hard did all the famous stuff in Chicago without following around Ferris... So today we went to Wrigley Field. We didn't get to watch a game, considering the season doesn't start until the Spring, but after getting into a conversation about how f-n lousy the Cubs were with some dude with a cane, we stared at the stadium from the outside.



To get there and to get back, we took the Chicago metro system - MUCH more effecient that LA's...



Then we got back and the ONLY other thing I really wanted to do in Chi-Town was go to the Art Institute of Chicago... yes, Ferris went there too... remember this painting?



And then Cameron focused on this:



But this was my dad's favorite painting of the musuem...



And this was mine (it's actually to the side... turn your head to the right:



But my brother looked like this the whole time in the museum...



... yes, those are boogers... he also was told to leave an exhibit and then got yelled at for reaching across the rope... he's turned into a regular delinquent... He even had me take this pic of my dad leaving the bathroom:



But overall, it was a good day... tiring, but good.

Question of the day: A Tough One

Is Chicago Mike strangely more attractive than Los Angeles Mike?

~kp

Wake up, Ferris and $$$$

Day 2 - the morning...

So I sleep on a pull-out couch in the suite's living room... I was too lazy to pull it out. Instead, I was asleep at 8:45 p.m. last night. But I woke up early - 6 a.m. - and prepared for my first full day in the Windy City.

I was the first one up, went to workout... woke up my dad and my bro... came back and showered...



When we went outside it was cold - 34 degrees fahrenheit... quick story. It was 34 degrees when we arrived in Chicago and some Canadian dude asked, "Do you guys do your temperature in fahrenheit or celsius." The ladies he was talking to said we use fahrenheit in the U.S. He said, "That's like 150 celsisus, huh?" I was like, "No, it's like 2 degrees celsius..."

Anyway, it was cold. Here are my dad and my bro... cold:



Well, one of two things my dad wanted to do on this trip was to visit the Sears Tower, aka the "Tallest Building in America." But the building is probably better known for its role in the movie 'Ferris Bueler's Day Off.' That's why my dad wanted to go...

Well, we got there and my dad and I did our best imitation of the movie:

This is us looking up at the building...


This is us looking down from the 103rd floor... "I think I can see my dad."


The Sears Tower was cool though... It was a little foggy... But whether it was worth $12 per person is debateable...

After the Sears Tower, Matt wanted to go to the Chicago Federal Reserve. We found Thomas "Del Muro" Jefferson there:


Matt thought it'd be a good idea to try and steal a $1 million cube of $1 bills... So yeah, he wasn't too successful:


After that we walked around, went to Millenium Park, which was pretty cool. They had an outdoor ice skating rink and it was kind of funny to watch the people fall down. There was one dude, who you could tell was trying to impress a girl, and his ankles were completely bent to the side... poor guy. But I bet it impressed his girl...

Anyway, we say pretty views of the city... yes, I said, "Pretty." Look:


So yeah, we walked around a bit, got tired and ate. Now I'm back at the hotel thinking about what we're going to do tomorrow... the cleaning lady just knocked and handed us a card that said that there is a chance of showers tomorrow - SNOW showers! Yay... But tomorrow's agenda includes Wrigley Field, The Art Institute of Chicago and SHOPPING. I wanna shop and buy my friends some gifts and send out some postcards!

Home to the Hotel

Check it, I'm in Chicago... I have never been in the midwest, which is what Chicago is, right? Well, I can see what people mean by a real city... There is actually things to do here...

So check it out.

This morning...


So yeah, I was going on no hours of sleep... but that's me before I shaved my chin beard...

This is at the dad's house... the three amigos:


If you know me well, you know I may forget what my car looks like after four days, so I took this picture of it:


Sometimes we don't understand what my brother is doing. Right here, my dad is like, "Dude, did you just cut some cheese?"


The flight itself was OK. There were some good moments, like this one. I looked down and realized that everyone below probably voted for Bush in the last election:


My dad's look here showed exactly how I felt while flying over this Bush-land...


But Matt decided, "You know what, guys, this flight is stressing me out. I need some chocolate."


Then we got to Chicago. We got in a cab with some Russian. I was going to ask him if he was a Commie and I was going to be like, "Me too!" And then I was going to say just kidding. And then I was going to say not really.

We checked in and went on up to our room. "Room 2232."

"Floor 20," my dad said. He isn't the best hearer... So we're on floor 20, Matt is looking for the room. Matt can't find it.

"Looks like we're going to have a lot of walking to do," Matt says after seeing room 20--.

"Well, what room are we in?" I ask.

"2232."

I can't stop laughing. My eyes start watering. "2232," I say. "We're on the wrong floor. That is a whole lot of walking."

I started to cry I laugh so hard...

We get to the room. Matt turns on the TV - Disney Channel - before looking at the view outside...

Matt after turning on Disney Channel:


View outside:


And finally, just because we're in Chicago, it doesn't mean we can't bring a little California love that way:


... that's all for now... off to eat. Will give a review of the food later!

Question of the Day: Can god and sinners reconcile?

This is a brain child of our fearless host. He left this on my voice mail one day and I think it's a great one. Think about the question..post an answer..or maybe Mike will post one for us.

~kp

2006: Los Angeles Returns to Dominance

Here are my fearless sports predictions for 2006:

- USC Trojans football win third consecutive national championship. Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart are taken No. 1 (Bush to Texans) and No. 2 (Leinart to Jets/Raiders after a trade) in the NFL Draft.

- Kobe Bryant wins his first NBA MVP award. Phil Jackson wins coach of the year.

- The No. 3 seeded Los Angeles Lakers push the San Antonio Spurs to a 7-game conference final series. Kobe passes to Sasha who hits a three on final play of the game to win the series. (Who knows if the Lakers win the NBA Finals, the Pistons are darn good...)

- The Los Angeles Dodgers win the NL West behind the resurgent bats of Nomar Garciaparra and JD Drew. Brad Penny wins NL Cy Young. Gagne has 65 saves. The Dodgers advance to the NL World Series after outdueling the Cardinals. After an earthquake disrupts the freeway series, the Dodgers beat the Los Angeles Angeles of Anaheim in a 7-game series.

- Both USC and UCLA basketball teams make it to the Sweet 16 in the big dance. USC, surprising everyone, loses to Duke on a last second shot. UCLA reaches the Final Four before losing to Illinois.

- Los Angeles Kings stay healthy all year and win the NHL Stanley Cup. Pavol Demitra wins playoffs MVP.

- USC football wins first 10 games of 2006 season before losing to Notre Dame. Finishes the season off with another wallopping of UCLA. After 2,000+ yards and 35 touchdowns, Lendale White (if he stays) becomes 3rd consecutive Trojan to win the Heisma

Some random thoughts

* LA needs more left-turn lanes and left-turn signals.

* Do only women overthink things? If so, am I a woman?

* Does McDonalds put a addictive chemical in its average tasting food to keep people coming back?

* Why do men have nipples?

* Why is hot food more fulfilling than cold food?

* Is "fulfilling" spelled with one l or two ll's?

* Is -8 degrees with wind chill really that cold?

* Is it OK for rappers to sample a Michael Jackson song? On another note, it'd kind of suck to see Michael Jackson moving back home with his parents.

* What's happier? Disneyland (the happiest place on Earth) or Christmas (the happiest time of the year). Does the happiness cancel out if you're at Disneyland during Christmastime?

* A bathroom stall?

* There are two Ls in fulfilling. I was right.

Holiday v Christmas

People keep asking me, "Mike, what do you think of the whole let's call a Christmas tree a 'holiday' tree?" Actually, they don't. But I ask me, so here's my answer: IT'S STUPID. It's not called a "holiday menorah," is it? NO. So, for good or for bad, call something what it should be called.

But this whole debate over "Holiday v Christmas" is overshadowing the debate that should be of greater concern. Is Christmas the celebration of Christ's birth, or is it a celebration of ourselves?

I was at Mass the other day and the priest asked us why if it's a celebration of Christ's birth do we buy things for each other? Even more so, why, during what should be a celebration of thanksgiving for Christians, is it a celebration of "have to." Don't know what I mean? During this time of year we always say, "I have to buy my niece something." "I have to wake up at the butt-crack of dawn so I can stand in line for three hours so I can save about 20 percent, or 10 dollars on my Christmas shopping." Or, "I have to go to church."

Recently, I read an article about a few churches in Sacramento that are cancelling Sunday services so that the attendants could spend more time with their families.

This isn't what Christmas is about. It's not about pushing each other to be first inside Best Buy to pick out a video game that probably celebrates violence and sex. It's not even about families, well our respective families at least.

If people want to make this time of year about those things, please call it the "holidays." Or call it Xmas. The mass that celebrates "fill in the blank."

Just wrong...

You know, if you infect someone with an STD at least have the courtesy to call... don't send them one of these:

Read the whole article here.

Funniest e-mail I've received

Most of you know I spend hours per week at Starbucks, usually talking it up, but sometimes actually working. Well, one of my friends from there sent me an e-mail about the time I spend there and I thought it was worth sharing.

HELLO MR"CHEERS"....NOW I UNDERSTAND WHY U COME TO STARBUCKS SOOOOO MUCH...AND HONEY, I KNOW ITS NOT TO STUDY.....ITS BECAUSE SOMETIMES YOU WANNA GO WHERE EV'RYBODY KNOWS YOUR NAAAME...AND THEY'RE ALWAYS GLAD YOU CAAAAME....LOL...I JUST REALIZED YOU ARE SUCH AN ATTENTION FREAK... i bet ur dream is to walk in one day and run accross starbucks with your arm out giving everybody high fives... while they cheer u on ...and they play a theme song for you and hold up signs that say GO MIKE!!!... oh my gosh you would so be perfect for those silly starbucks commercials.....ok then i gotta get back to studying.....bye hardcore starbucks fan!!!!

By the way, I'm not an attention freak...

Defeating Traffic

No, I don't have any secret routes or anything like that. I just realized that I can't control traffic. All I can do is submit to its clutches and enjoy my time in my car. My solution? Good music - my U2 compilation this morning - and a good cup of coffee - I recommend a triple grande nonfat caramel macchiatto from Starbucks, unless there is a Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf where you are at. If that's the case, get a regular Caramel Latte. Anyway, just bump the radio as loud as your ears can handle, submit to the clutches of traffic, drink your coffee and sing as loud as possible and feel every word that comes out of your mouth. Traffic will seem less annoying and more of an hour-long vacation before having to go back to work.

Does Mike really have bad luck?

Our hero just called me and told me that he was on the freeway stuck on the side of the road with a flat tire, with a full bladder and tons of things to take care of tonight. It really bothers me that Mike believes that he has the worst luck. I don't think he has the worst luck.

Given all the tickets, the car accidents, the flat tires, being hit by moving vehicles, his horrible taste in girls..does Mike have bad luck?

I am sure he's going to recap the mis-adventure of being stuck on the 605, with a flat, needing to pee, fearing impending death waiting for a tow truck.

~kp

Fear of failure

I kept wondering why I wasn't enjoying school this semester. I kept asking myself why I was ditching class, procrastinating on my essays (AND MY STORIES!). Alas, I realized what the problem was. I didn't want to major in communications management. So I decided to drop that major. Once I did, I felt this huge wave of relief. I'm still majoring in what I really love, writing. I should be getting my master's degree in professional writing by Fall '06. Or it should at least be mostly done.

Why did I major in communications management in the first place? Fear. I fear failure. Honestly, what are the chances of me becoming a successful (meaning money-making) writer? Slim, right? That's what I thought. So I said, hm, I can probably get a good job in communications if I earned my MA in it. It was to be backup.

But why work so hard in something I didn't really want to do? So I thought and prayed and thought some more. "I need to drop this major." And I did. I informed them Monday morning that I won't be returning next semester.

If I fail at being a writer, I fail. But I won't EVER be happy working in the communications field, unless I'm a writer. So that's it. That's my story. Peace.

Public blogging

One of my good friends recently asked me why I post personal stuff on a public blog. I had to think about this for a few minutes, but couldn't come up with a good answer. Well, my co-worker gave me one. She said that writing is the medium I'm comfortable with. That makes sense. And then I read this article today about families' letters to their soldiers who died in combat.

I liked this quote:

"But there's something about the Net that allows people to say intimate things in new and deeper ways," Suman said. "You can just pour things out of yourself, put it on the screen and hit a button, and it's gone. People are less guarded."

The Internet provides a safe outlet for me. But I'm coming to think that it's not the best outlet. Nothing beats human contact.

The Vatican and evolution

After that whole Galileo dibacle a few centuries ago, the Vatican knows it's probably not a very good idea to argue with scientific fact. Yesterday at the Vatican a cardinal said that the "faithful" need to follow science and that evolution is more than just a theory. But Cardinal Paul Poupard (love that name) also urged that science not discount religious beliefs.

"We know where scientific reason can end up by itself: the atomic bomb and the possibility of cloning human beings are fruit of a reason that wants to free itself from every ethical or religious link," he said.

"But we also know the dangers of a religion that severs its links with reason and becomes prey to fundamentalism," he said.

"The faithful have the obligation to listen to that which secular modern science has to offer, just as we ask that knowledge of the faith be taken in consideration as an expert voice in humanity."

In other news...

George Bush keeps breaking records! His ratings are at the lowest ever. Good job, W, 39 percent of Americans still like (or tolerate you).

The Senate thought more about the American people in its decision to cut their Federal benefits while allowing for more oil drilling in the Alaskan wilderness. Yay!

I found out why I was stuck in traffic while driving home from USC last night. Congrats to Juanes and Laura Pausini.

It's me!

Hey, look!
It's me!

A religious experience

If you're not religious, go ahead and skip over this blog. Actually, maybe it'll help you become religious?

Like I've been writing, I've had all these stress/anxiety/depression issues going on. Don't know why I've been writing them on here, but anyway. Well, I kept feeling the nudge to go to Mass today at lunch (the Cathedral of OLA is a few miles from here). I went with the nudge and went to Mass.

Today happened to be the Feast Day of St. Martin de Porres. He's known as the patron saint of brooms. That's right, brooms. The reason being that he didn't care how menial his job was, he was happy to do it in the name of God. Then during the homily the priest said that we should honor Martin by sweeping all the things that lead us away from Christ out of our lives. What are the things that are leading me away from Christ? My anxiety, depression, fear. So I thought about this. Then I got a warm sense of peace. I heard a voice and it said, "Lay all of your troubles at my feet." After that I was cheerful and ready to have a great rest of the day.

I'm going to do my best to not worry and complain about the things I'm stressed out about. I'm going to do as everyone has been telling me and to trust in God. So hopefully this will be the last you hear about my issues. I'm out.

Do you have ADD?

I'm not saying this as a joke. I'm serious. ADD seems to be a serious, undiagnosed problem among adults - I tried to find an article about this, but couldn't. I took a couple of tests to see if I maybe have ADD.

The results said that it "may be possible" that I have ADD, but that it is probable that I have "cingulate system hyperativity" or "limbic system hyperactivity."

Cingulate system hyperativity refers to the fact that I focus to much on a single issue at times. If you know me, you know that this is definitely the case.

People with cingulate hyperactivity tend to get locked into things and they have trouble shifting their attention from thought to thought. This brain pattern shows increased blood flow in the top, middle portion of the frontal lobes (cingulate area of the brain). This is the part of the brain that allows you to shift your attention from thing to thing. When this part of the brain is working too hard, people have trouble shifting their attention and end up "stuck" on thoughts or behaviors.

Limbic system hyperactivity refers to the fact that my limbic system may be hyperactive.

Mood problems often occur when the limbic system of the brain is overactive. Clinical depression, manic-depressive disorder and severe PMS are more severe problems than the garden variety most people experience in the form of bad moods.

Now, I'm not writing this to gain sympathy, rather I'm just trying to help others out there who might have some of these issues.

Anyway, take the tests. They should help. There is also a test on anxiety, which is also useful.

Return of the 20-minute stories

So I took a long break from writing these. I used this blog as mostly a site to post stories that I worked on for a while. But the 20minutestories site is back!

Remember, these are free-flowing, unedited stories. So if there are typos, oh well. Point them out in the comments, but don't let it affect your judgment of the story. ;)

My first one is called "When I'm a..." You may get a bit disturbed, but hey, it's funny. Kind of. OK, maybe funny in a disturbing sort of way. Enjoy.

My personal soundtrack

OK, the great thing about iPods is that you can adjust playlists to suit what you want to hear that specific day. (The bad thing is you have to do the adjusting from a computer, not on the fly on an iPod.)

So here's my soundtrack I'll be listening to today:
1. John Mayer - "Why Georgia?"
2. U2 - "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of"
3. Ben Harper - "When She Believes"
4. U2 - "One Step Closer"
5. Dave Matthews Band - "Angel"
6. Coldplay - "Swallowed by the Sea"
7. Dave Matthews - "Stay or Leave"
8. U2 - "Original of the Species"
9. Dave Matthews Band - "Ants Marching"
10. Jimi Hendrix - "Angel"
11. John Legend - "Ordinary People"
12. John Mayer - "Love Song for No One (Live)"
13. Coldplay - "Miss You"
14. Depeche Mode - "Somebody"
15. Coldplay - "Fix You"
16. John Mayer - "Quiet"

--- Damn it, as I'm typing this I'm like, "Dude, that's all depressing stuff." And that made me laugh. Now I'm starting to cheer up. Maybe that's because it's lunchtime. Anyway, I'll finish the list.

17. U2 - "Sometimes You Can't Make it on Your Own"
18. Jack Johnson - "Sitting, Waiting, Wishing"
19. U2 - "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"
20. John Mayer - "Why Georgia? (Live)"

That's it... Lunchtime. Be back in a bit.

I think I'm bipolar

Honestly, my mood swings are terrible! I came into work in a good mood. Did my work quickly. And now I'm sad and mad. I want to go home. I took a stupid bi-polar quiz, thought it was going to give me the definitive answer. It didn't. It said, "If you check many of these answers, call your physician!" I don't wanna call a physician. That's why I went to this site, dummy.

We have this counseling thing at work, but I'm not going to use it. I'd rather think something is wrong with me than know something is or isn't. Know what I mean?

Eh, I'll be fine in a few minutes. But first I need to make my day's soundtrack and put it on my iPod. Be back in a bit.

The U2 concert

Bono seemed a little on Edge last night (see the humor in that? On Edge - Edge is the guitarist! But Bono also seemed a little angry. Hahaha.) The show was much more political than the U2 concert I went to in April. He kept pushing for peace. Bono said, "You must not become a monster to defeat the monster" when talking about this U.S.'s war on terrorism. But finished one of his rants with a story about The Edge. Said that The Edge was actually an alien from the future. When asked about the future, Bono said, The Edge said "it's different." When asked how is it different, Bono said The Edge replied, "It's better."

It's such an amazing experience to see the band perform. They are all showmen. Bono the biggest of them all.

They performed a new song called "Fast Cars" - can't wait for the next CD!! That's all for now.

U2 Concert

So, yeah, I haven't blogged all day. I sort of feel like a slacker. But hey, it happens right? I mean, I have all these plans for today. I already went to Mass for All Saints' Day. Dinner. U2! Freakin U2! ;)

So in honor of U2, I suggest you go to Rolling Stone and download the podcast of the Bono interview that is this month's cover story.

It should be a great night!

Wow... it's a nice day

It's kind of cool what a good weekend, good coffee, good music, good weather, a good night's sleep and Batman can do for you. Well, let me tell you what it did for me. I had a "drama free" weekend. I slept well Saturday night to Sunday and Sunday night to Monday. Woke up today, listened to John Mayer on my way to work. "Why Georgia?" is the song I listened to twice:

"I rent a room and I fill the spaces with
Wood in places to make it feel like home
But all I feel's alone
It might be a quarter life crisis
Or just the stirring in my soul

Either way I wonder sometimes
About the outcome
Of a still verdictless life"

Well, I guess I realized that all the drama I've been facing is sort of my own doing. I'm stressed out in school because I've been procrastinating with the things that need to get done. I'm stressed out at home because I haven't really made the effort to find a place. I'm stressed out at work because I'm used to thinking of my job as a "career" (which makes me sad) instead of just a job. But the truth is, I'm a writer and I haven't been writing. That's what makes me happy.

The reason I haven't been writing, looking for a place to live or been procrastinating is fear. Yep, fear. With my writing, I'm scared to fail and get rejected - which I will. With school I've been procrastinating because I fear that the things I'm studying aren't that important. And with the living situation I am scared to find a place and then realize that I made a mistake by moving there...

I watched "Batman Begins" this weekend and one of the characters told Bruce Wayne, "You need to embrace your fears." It's true. I will get rejected. I will struggle, even with two master's degrees. And I probably will have bad neighbors, a crappy landlord or a small place no matter where I move to. So the moral of the story is to not fear. Be like Batman. Embrace those fears. Try, even though you might fail.

Conspiracy!?

A few days ago I wrote about the conspiracy theory going around the office that G.W. nominated this unqualified psycho-lady only to have her fail and so he'd be able to nominate an arch-conservative.

Well, she withdrew her nomination and Bush chose a conservative to replace Sandra Day O'Connor on the nation's top court.

Odd's begin at 2-1 that Samuel Alito is confirmed, and odds are even that the term "Nuclear option" will be heard nightly for the next month or so.

Blown away

I miss the days when things would amaze me. I was at Tower Records today looking for a CD that would blow my mind. I looked at Ben Harper's CDs, but knew they'd come with some baggage. I looked for Spanish CDs, but didn't know what was good. So I bought a CD called "Chavez Ravine." It's OK. It didn't blow my mind. But yeah, that's all for tonight.

Bad luck

Some people are born with good luck. But for the rest of us, there is mostly bad luck. (Maybe it's mostly bad luck because that's when we notice that there is luck at all?) I was parked at a meter for 10 minutes maybe before I realized I didn't put change in it. I ran downstairs and BAM there was another ticket - my second one this week.

What I'm saying is, basically ignore the previous post. I'm sad again. Speaking of sad, I had been listening to the radio and heard that only "Scooter" Libby was indicted today in connection with leaking a CIA agent's name to the media. No Dick Cheney. No Karl Rove. And Libby wasn't even indicted for leaking the agent's name! He was indicted for obstruction of justice and perjury.

When the hell are these people going to get caught?!?!?! The one ray of light is that the investigation of Rove continues. Here's to hoping.

My quarterlife crisis (update 2)

I've been in a better mood the past few days. Maybe I'm getting into the Halloween spirit? Or, maybe not. Basically I think it has to do with the fact that I'm writing a lot more. Yes, maybe writing about my crisis is actually healing me. But then again, it could just be the fact that I'm creating things again. I wrote that story about getting hit by a car and received praise from friends, family and classmates for it. That made me feel good. So I dunno. Maybe I really need to make a lot more effort at working on my writing that way I can be much more satisfied in all aspects of my life.

Kind of funny

Welcome to Schwarzenegger Street. With voting officially underway, it's time for all the funny political cartoons! Yay!! Check this one out about Arnie.

Watch out for O'Reilly the Grouch's special appearance!

Oh... I almost forgot

The Chicago White Sox won the World Series.

But honestly, does anyone care? I found myself more interested today in the fact that Harriet Miers withdrew her nomination for the U.S. Supreme Court. If Bush is smart... that's a big IF... he'll nominate Alberto Gonzales to replace Sandra Day O'Connor. People around the office are saying that like the 1919 Chichgo White Sox (Black Sox for some), Bush threw the game. He nominated a really bad choice that way he could nominate someone more moderate, like Gonzales, and get him or her easily approved. Gonzales would be the first Mexican-American elected to the court. But he has that little problem of his support torture.

Humans, chimps and God

There's all this debate about "intelligent design" and evolution. But for the past century the Catholic Church has taught that what distinguishes humans from other living creatures is the presence of a "soul," which is created by God.

Don't believe me? Read this:

Concerning human evolution, the Church has a more definite teaching. It allows for the possibility that man’s body developed from previous biological forms, under God’s guidance, but it insists on the special creation of his soul. Pope Pius XII declared that "the teaching authority of the Church does not forbid that, in conformity with the present state of human sciences and sacred theology, research and discussions . . . take place with regard to the doctrine of evolution, in as far as it inquires into the origin of the human body as coming from pre-existent and living matter—[but] the Catholic faith obliges us to hold that souls are immediately created by God" (Pius XII, Humani Generis 36). So whether the human body was specially created or developed, we are required to hold as a matter of Catholic faith that the human soul is specially created; it did not evolve, and it is not inherited from our parents, as our bodies are.

-- Talken from Catholic.com

Why am I bringing this up? A new study suggested that humans' closest genetic relatives lack sympathy for their fellow species. Chimpanzees are full of empathy. What does this mean? It means that even with 99 percent of the genetic information the same, the soul, or whatever people might call it, is unique among humans.

My Story

Many of you know, basically because I tell everyone, that I got hit by a truck while walking at USC about 9 months ago. But if you didn't, here's my story. Enjoy.

Bombing the Smurfs

Not sure if this is supposed to be serious or funny, but check out this video of Smurfs getting bombed.

The end of the Rove?

Now, I try not to get all happy about the demise of a person... yes, I know it's not very Christ-like, but Karl Rove has it coming. Rove deserves to go to prison and pay for his outing of a freakin' CIA agent to the media as political payback.

For those who don't know who Rove is, he's the evil genius behind the George Bush presidency. When Bush was getting killed during the 2000 Republican primaries, Rove conducted a "push poll" to defame John McCain. He even conducted a push poll to try and convince voters that McCain had an illegitimate black child (McCain adopted a Vietnamese child who happens to be dark).

Before this there was the rumor spread by Karl Rove that then-Texas Gov. Ann Richards was a lesbian. This is from a PBS "Frontline" piece about Rove:

Karl Rove understood that and strategically, as part of his memos and his arrangements and his campaign strategy, tried to win support [for Bush] from East Texans on conservative values that they felt were important. At the same time that the campaign was very publicly involved in trying to woo these historically Democrat voters from traditionally conservative East Texas, there emerged a whisper campaign, a virulent and obviously orchestrated whisper campaign in East Texas. I would go from place to place in East Texas, I would go from business to business, and I can remember talking to people about the race, Ann Richards, George Bush, and invariably someone would say: "But what about the lesbians? What about the lesbians?"

It was a message that swept East Texas, a message that many people in that community, a largely Baptist community, felt that Ann Richards had embraced lesbians and homosexuals in a way that they did not accept; that she had appointed them to boards and commissions, as she had, in the governor's office; that she had, in fact, had them around on her campaign staff, and the intimation was that she herself, even though she was a divorced woman with four children, might be a lesbian. Very effective campaign.

These are two examples of many (that's not including his role in Bush's victories over Al Gore and John Kerry). That's it for now. Will update as the story moves forward.

Melancholy - Oyster Boy

I've been using the word "melancholy" a lot. So I thought I'd do a Google search of the word - just for the hell of it, ya know? Well I found this little poem by Tim Burton. Hope you enjoy it!!

While you are there, you should check out his other poems, especially "Stick Boy and Match Girl Fall in Love."

My quarterlife crisis (update)

So, I've told about a dozen people about my isses. They all say the same thing. "It'll be OK." "There are people going through worse things." "Trust in God's plan."

See, I'd like to believe that, but you know what? I don't see the light. I see myself stuck where I am. I don't have experience for any of the jobs I want. Nor do I have a way to get that experience. With my living situation, I'm looking for a place to RENT. But how temporary is that? With my love life? Shoot. Let's not talk about that.

There's this site, but how useful is it? Really. I tried to read this article, but I couldn't focus.

The only thing that is keeping me happy today is this. But oh well. I'm still melancholy.

When NOT to Wear Belly Button Rings

Yeah. Just because you have a belly button ring DOESN'T mean you have to show it off. Especially if people can barely see the ring thanks to the rolls that are covering it. I'm not a big fan of showing off stomachs (makes me think bad thoughts) and I'm not a fan of belly button rings (ouch), but if you feel absolutely compelled to wear one, make sure you aren't grossing people out along the way.

My day ... so far

4:45 a.m. - Wakes up. Looks at my phone. No missed calls. No text messages. Goes back to bed.
5:15 a.m. - Alarm goes off. I hit snooze.
5:30 a.m. - Cell phone alarm goes off. I hit snooze.
5:45 a.m. - Cell phone and regular alarms go off. I wake up. Shower.
6:30 a.m. - Am ready to go to catch the 6:47 a.m. train. Can't find my keys.
6:40 a.m. - Panicking because I can't find my keys.
6:41 a.m. - Rita calls. Almost in tears because I can tell it's going to be a bad day.
6:46 a.m. - Finds keys (behind a box). Misses train.
6:50 a.m. - Goes to Starbucks. Orders my triple caramel macchiatto.
6:59 a.m. - Gets to train station. Ready to catch the 7:07 a.m. train. The money machine won't take my $5 bill. Decides to drive (doesn't want a parking ticket.)
7:07 a.m. - Hears the train while filling up w/ gas. Goes to Burger King despite my promise to avoid fast food.
7:15 a.m. - Begins to sit in traffic while listening to Harry Potter.
7:40 a.m. - Stops listening to Harry Potter to listen to Coldplay. "Fix You" really worked well this morning.
8:15 a.m. - Gets to work. Parks behind paramedics. They are playing HackeySack. I figure, "Hey, it's OK to park here."
10:15 a.m. - Goes to put more money in the meter. Finds out it was street cleaning day. $45 ticket.
10:30 a.m. - Realizes the day can't get worse. Settles in a fine melancholy mood. Ready to move on.

My quarterlife crisis

It's not as though I'm a loser or anything... or am I? My job sucks. I don't have a girl. I am tired of school (after three semesters of grad school). I have no prospects (or very slim prospects) for getting either a good job or a good girl.

What the hell is wrong with me? Should I just quit, go work at McDonalds (or Starbucks) and just live paycheck to paycheck forgetting all my dreams?

Actually, I guess there is nothing really wrong with me. They call it the "quarterlife crisis."

I read this on ABCnews.com:

Once past the honeymoon period with their first real job, their minds often begin to wander. With the excuse of being a "recent graduate" no longer viable, the search for a more permanent career, relationship and place to live begins. Many are stuck in front of a computer screen for hours, often posting online to pass the time.

"What the hell do I do? Is there anyone else who can relate? What is my passion? Will I ever meet the One" are among the refrains on www.quarterlifecrisis.com. With 10,000 registered users and 1 million hits per month, it's a place to meet, gripe and help each other out.

"The transition to adulthood today is a much more complex, prolonged process than it was for our parents," said Abby Wilner, who runs the site and has a career advice manual coming out called "The Quarterlifer's Companion." "According to the many 20-somethings who visit my Web site, they want nothing more than to figure everything out, move up in the world and eventually settle down, but external circumstances do not allow that to happen, and they are not properly equipped with the skills and resources to make that happen."

It's something I had heard of before. But I was like, "nah, it won't happen to me. I'm too strong. Plus I got too much faith in God."

Well, damn, I'm sitting here thinking of all the things I wanted to accomplish in my life, I'm not even a tenth of the way there. What do I have? A useless bachelor's degree in a field I won't ever work in again? That's it.

I'm trying to get out of this rut I'm in. But I can't unless I start accomplishing the things I want to accomplish. And nothing I'm doing now is helping me reach that goal. So what do I do?