So far this weekend I've watched a Star Wars movie, done laundry but only folded half of it, and worked 4 hours of overtime.
Tomorrow, it's Carnaval! And then relaxation because Monday is a (unpaid) holiday.
I know everyone out there is quite jealous at the superstar lifestyle I lead, but rest assured: it's not all it's cracked up to be. If I were less poor, I'd be in Florida this weekend with friends. If I were less tired, I'd be going out tonight despite my 8 a.m. wake-up time.
But overall, despite my shakey financial state and my constant employment-induced exhaustion, I'm good. Really good, considering. So no worries when I don't post, because it's okay. I'm just busy doing this whole life thing.
May 27, 2006
May 23, 2006
C-O-N...spiracy
The roomie and I watched a surprisingly not insane speech last night discussing the terrorist attacks on 9/11. Without going into all the nitty-gritty detail, I was semi-convinced that the official story of the attack is not exactly what happened.
Now, before you call me nuts, let me clarify. I'm not sure what the truth actually happens to be. All I've become aware of is the flimsiness (if that's a word) of the actual explanation, as given by the government.
I'm not really into big conspiracies. I generally feel that the government is far too bureaucratic to manage large-scale cover-ups, simply because too many people will tell. I still believe this.
But there's just a lot of weird crap associated with 9/11 and the government response. And what's possibly more shocking is how many people have outright forgotten some of the key facts. For instance, who out there remembers that three WTC buildings fell? Yes, WTC 1 and 2, but then seven hours later, WTC 7, which had not been attacked. And it fell like as clean a demolition as has ever been--right into itself. Official explanation is that a fire, and the toppling of the first two, lead to WTC 7's fall. But no building in modern history has ever collapsed because of fire--except the three that fell on 9/11.
And that includes some real firestorms, buildings that lost 10 to 20 stories to fire, not the handful of floors that burned at the World Trade Center.
I won't get into it all, because there's a lot. Impossibly hot fires, hastily exported debris, missing hijackers (did you know that a good number of the "19 hijackers" aren't dead--they're complete misidentifications by the government), and so on. The only reason I buy into any of this is because for once, I saw an almost completely scientific and non-partisan approach to the issue. You can read about it your self at www.st911.org.
Obviously, there's a lot of crap out there that makes "9/11 conspiracy" sound completely asinine. But just because some idiotic theories are out there doesn't mean that there aren't some that have a kernel (or more) of truth.
Now, before you call me nuts, let me clarify. I'm not sure what the truth actually happens to be. All I've become aware of is the flimsiness (if that's a word) of the actual explanation, as given by the government.
I'm not really into big conspiracies. I generally feel that the government is far too bureaucratic to manage large-scale cover-ups, simply because too many people will tell. I still believe this.
But there's just a lot of weird crap associated with 9/11 and the government response. And what's possibly more shocking is how many people have outright forgotten some of the key facts. For instance, who out there remembers that three WTC buildings fell? Yes, WTC 1 and 2, but then seven hours later, WTC 7, which had not been attacked. And it fell like as clean a demolition as has ever been--right into itself. Official explanation is that a fire, and the toppling of the first two, lead to WTC 7's fall. But no building in modern history has ever collapsed because of fire--except the three that fell on 9/11.
And that includes some real firestorms, buildings that lost 10 to 20 stories to fire, not the handful of floors that burned at the World Trade Center.
I won't get into it all, because there's a lot. Impossibly hot fires, hastily exported debris, missing hijackers (did you know that a good number of the "19 hijackers" aren't dead--they're complete misidentifications by the government), and so on. The only reason I buy into any of this is because for once, I saw an almost completely scientific and non-partisan approach to the issue. You can read about it your self at www.st911.org.
Obviously, there's a lot of crap out there that makes "9/11 conspiracy" sound completely asinine. But just because some idiotic theories are out there doesn't mean that there aren't some that have a kernel (or more) of truth.
May 17, 2006
Alphabetical Fun
I saw this wandering the Internet, and you know how I love to avoid a substantive post. It's me from A to Z!
Accent: People say I talk too fast to be a local (Californian, more so when SoCal), but I'm pretty sure when I toss out a y'all or two that I sound a bit Virginia.
Booze: Beers or something like a 7 and 7. You know, where you can't taste the alcohol.
Chore I Hate: That would be all chores, Alex. Laundry especially.
Dogs/Cats: I'll get a dog before getting a cat, that's for sure. But I don't mind felines.
Essential Electronics: Los Computeros y player de la dvds.
Favorite Perfume/Cologne: I don't really know the names of any of the ones I like.
Gold/Silver: Silver. We're talking car colors, right?
Hometown: Fairfax, VA.
Insomnia: Sometimes. Have yet to figure out the cause.
Job Title: Attorney. Well, technically, temp. Sad but true.
Kids: Someday. Unless you mean baby goats. And then: someday.
Living Arrangements: Apartment with excellent roommate in the Sunset district of SF.
Most Admired Trait: Admired by who? I'd say crazy movie knowledge, but then I'd be confusing "trait" with "mental disorder".
Number of Sexual Partners: Hah! You wish. Bigger than a breadbox.
Overnight Hospital Stays: A big fat none.
Phobia: I hate needles. And camel crickets. That's about it though.
Quote: So many to choose from. "The only people with nothing to fear are those with nothing to lose."
Religion: Lapsed Catholic.
Siblings: Two sisters. Both college graduates as of 3 days ago.
Time I usually wake up: 7:30...ish.
Unusual Talent: I can crack my shoulders.
Vegetable I refuse to eat: Cabbage. Blech.
Worst Habit: Biting my nails. I could win a medal if it ever becomes an eligible sport.
X-Rays: Only on my teeth. I've never broken a bone.
Yummy Foods I Make: I can't actually create any foods that a living creature would willingly ingest. But I pour a mean bag of M&Ms.
Zodiac Sign: Capricorn One.
More later! Including a post on my triumphant return to Blacksburg after lo this many (five) years. Sneak preview: there are still a lot of hicks.
Accent: People say I talk too fast to be a local (Californian, more so when SoCal), but I'm pretty sure when I toss out a y'all or two that I sound a bit Virginia.
Booze: Beers or something like a 7 and 7. You know, where you can't taste the alcohol.
Chore I Hate: That would be all chores, Alex. Laundry especially.
Dogs/Cats: I'll get a dog before getting a cat, that's for sure. But I don't mind felines.
Essential Electronics: Los Computeros y player de la dvds.
Favorite Perfume/Cologne: I don't really know the names of any of the ones I like.
Gold/Silver: Silver. We're talking car colors, right?
Hometown: Fairfax, VA.
Insomnia: Sometimes. Have yet to figure out the cause.
Job Title: Attorney. Well, technically, temp. Sad but true.
Kids: Someday. Unless you mean baby goats. And then: someday.
Living Arrangements: Apartment with excellent roommate in the Sunset district of SF.
Most Admired Trait: Admired by who? I'd say crazy movie knowledge, but then I'd be confusing "trait" with "mental disorder".
Number of Sexual Partners: Hah! You wish. Bigger than a breadbox.
Overnight Hospital Stays: A big fat none.
Phobia: I hate needles. And camel crickets. That's about it though.
Quote: So many to choose from. "The only people with nothing to fear are those with nothing to lose."
Religion: Lapsed Catholic.
Siblings: Two sisters. Both college graduates as of 3 days ago.
Time I usually wake up: 7:30...ish.
Unusual Talent: I can crack my shoulders.
Vegetable I refuse to eat: Cabbage. Blech.
Worst Habit: Biting my nails. I could win a medal if it ever becomes an eligible sport.
X-Rays: Only on my teeth. I've never broken a bone.
Yummy Foods I Make: I can't actually create any foods that a living creature would willingly ingest. But I pour a mean bag of M&Ms.
Zodiac Sign: Capricorn One.
More later! Including a post on my triumphant return to Blacksburg after lo this many (five) years. Sneak preview: there are still a lot of hicks.
May 11, 2006
Firsts
Because I'm bored, and because it's a not-so-subtle way of showing how well-read and urbane I am, so that people out there reading this automatically think, "My, isn't he well-read and urbane, I think I should like to have sex with an individual like that," I now present you with the first line of every book I'm currently in the middle of reading. This does not include prologues, introductions, or other non-chapter 1 equivalents.
"A suitable starting point from which to compare historical developments on the different continents is around 11,000 B.C."
"I once joked that there are three things you can't do in life."*
"Imagine for a moment that you are the manager of a day-care center."
"The madness of an autumn prairie cold front coming through."
"Asking whether there is a liberal or conservative bias to the mainstream media is a little like asking whether al Qaeda uses too much oil in their hummus."
"I come from Des Moines."
"Calling it a cover-up would be far too dramatic."
Not sure what that accomplished, but it was fun to write. Strange that there's only one fiction book in the lot of that, right now.
"A suitable starting point from which to compare historical developments on the different continents is around 11,000 B.C."
"I once joked that there are three things you can't do in life."*
"Imagine for a moment that you are the manager of a day-care center."
"The madness of an autumn prairie cold front coming through."
"Asking whether there is a liberal or conservative bias to the mainstream media is a little like asking whether al Qaeda uses too much oil in their hummus."
"I come from Des Moines."
"Calling it a cover-up would be far too dramatic."
Not sure what that accomplished, but it was fun to write. Strange that there's only one fiction book in the lot of that, right now.
May 10, 2006
Fore! Things
Tagged by the mouse, and always eager for content:
Four Things I Know
1. How to make almost any consumer electronics device work properly.
2. The birthdays of at least 30 or 40 people, including those I haven't seen in years.
3. The identity of that guy in that one movie about the car, and the dogs chase them, and it's really pretty stupid but do you know the movie? Yes I do.
4. Myself, to a certain degree.
Four Things I Used to Know:
1. The ancient art of Karate, at least up to a green belt level.
2. The cheat codes for every first-person shooter out there ("iddqd" anyone?).
3. More than just some random vocabulary words in French. Je suis tres stupide.
4. How to row a mean starboard-side position in crew. It's possible I still know this, but I haven't had the opportunity to find out in years.
Four Things I Want to Know:
1. How to perform routine car maintenance.
2. Italian.
3. More, about everything.
4. What will happen next.
Four Things I Don't Know and Don't Care About
1. Your car's horsepower, engine size, or rims.
2. College basketball, for the most part. College anything, for that matter.
3. Most contemporary non-independent pop music.
4. How to make decorative centerpieces.
Since I don't really tag people, consider yourselves free to do as you wish.
Four Things I Know
1. How to make almost any consumer electronics device work properly.
2. The birthdays of at least 30 or 40 people, including those I haven't seen in years.
3. The identity of that guy in that one movie about the car, and the dogs chase them, and it's really pretty stupid but do you know the movie? Yes I do.
4. Myself, to a certain degree.
Four Things I Used to Know:
1. The ancient art of Karate, at least up to a green belt level.
2. The cheat codes for every first-person shooter out there ("iddqd" anyone?).
3. More than just some random vocabulary words in French. Je suis tres stupide.
4. How to row a mean starboard-side position in crew. It's possible I still know this, but I haven't had the opportunity to find out in years.
Four Things I Want to Know:
1. How to perform routine car maintenance.
2. Italian.
3. More, about everything.
4. What will happen next.
Four Things I Don't Know and Don't Care About
1. Your car's horsepower, engine size, or rims.
2. College basketball, for the most part. College anything, for that matter.
3. Most contemporary non-independent pop music.
4. How to make decorative centerpieces.
Since I don't really tag people, consider yourselves free to do as you wish.
May 9, 2006
Mistaken Movie Identity
When I was a younger man, perhaps even what you would call a preteen (the memory is fuzzy), I recall one experience with late-night cable watching that has stuck with me for years.
A friend was sleeping over, and we saw in the cable guide that "Red Heat" with none other than the current governor of Caleeforneeuh and John Belushi's brother as east-meets-west buddy cops. It's definitely a staple of the 80's Arnold movie, and is perfect for two 12-year-old boys to watch late at night.
But then everything went to a very strange and uncomfortable place. Red Heat started, and though both of us had thought we had seen the movie before, the initial plot and scenes confused us. This was, in fact, before my encyclopaedic knowledge of all things cinematic had sprung forth, and so I did not immediately realize that this was not the "Russian cop awkwardly adjusts to American lifestyle" action movie we were expecting. It was instead Red Heat, "American woman caught up in East German prison" movie, a strikingly effective propoganda piece (to me, at 12) on the perils of travelling to the eastern bloc at the time.
In our naivete, we watched the entire movie, only giving up on an appearance by The Terminator after about 45 minutes. By then, we wanted to see whether Linda Blair would make it out. But in hindsight, this was not the late night women-in-prison cable movie that most 12-year-old boys would love to see. I suspect it was this early case of mistaken identity that, to this day, keeps me from being able to enjoy such movies on the same level as most other guys enjoy them.
Next time on "Why Nuture Beats the Hell out of Nature" theater: the little piece of my soul that died when I watched the movie Fortress, and how it gave me nightmares (and daymares!) for months afterwards. And please note--I am not the only one who got freaked the hell out by this movie. (Interesting trivia: this movie also has a doppleganger, which I have never seen because to even watch a movie called Fortress, even if laughably bad and starring Christopher Lambert, breaks me out in a cold sweat.)
A friend was sleeping over, and we saw in the cable guide that "Red Heat" with none other than the current governor of Caleeforneeuh and John Belushi's brother as east-meets-west buddy cops. It's definitely a staple of the 80's Arnold movie, and is perfect for two 12-year-old boys to watch late at night.
But then everything went to a very strange and uncomfortable place. Red Heat started, and though both of us had thought we had seen the movie before, the initial plot and scenes confused us. This was, in fact, before my encyclopaedic knowledge of all things cinematic had sprung forth, and so I did not immediately realize that this was not the "Russian cop awkwardly adjusts to American lifestyle" action movie we were expecting. It was instead Red Heat, "American woman caught up in East German prison" movie, a strikingly effective propoganda piece (to me, at 12) on the perils of travelling to the eastern bloc at the time.
In our naivete, we watched the entire movie, only giving up on an appearance by The Terminator after about 45 minutes. By then, we wanted to see whether Linda Blair would make it out. But in hindsight, this was not the late night women-in-prison cable movie that most 12-year-old boys would love to see. I suspect it was this early case of mistaken identity that, to this day, keeps me from being able to enjoy such movies on the same level as most other guys enjoy them.
Next time on "Why Nuture Beats the Hell out of Nature" theater: the little piece of my soul that died when I watched the movie Fortress, and how it gave me nightmares (and daymares!) for months afterwards. And please note--I am not the only one who got freaked the hell out by this movie. (Interesting trivia: this movie also has a doppleganger, which I have never seen because to even watch a movie called Fortress, even if laughably bad and starring Christopher Lambert, breaks me out in a cold sweat.)
May 7, 2006
Bush at His Best
I think he and I are actually in agreement about this one. It really is the best thing our Commander in Chief has managed in the last 6 years.
Hip hip hooray.
Hip hip hooray.
May 1, 2006
Reading is Fun-damental
There's an article on Slate that talks about a plan to win the hearts and minds of those who despise us in the Middle East, but not through the usual methods (you know, bombs and land mines and secret torture prisons).
Books! Translated books! And although I can't cite a specific post (even on the old blog) I actually had this idea a few years back. See, it occurs to me that what makes America great isn't McDonalds or Playboy or other things that fly directly in the face of most Muslim teachings, but rather its the free exchange of ideas. Translating the works of Thomas Paine and Thomas Jefferson, of the Constitution and the great speeches of our founding fathers, could be a way to reach those who fear and detest us. After all, it's not our current way of thinking--in fact, I'm fairly sure that most of the drafters of our Constitution would be aghast at the current state of our Union--so it provides some immunity to criticism of the current Administration.
I'm rambling a bit, and I really wanted to put together a more coherent post on this, but I'm a wee bit sick (Just a wee bit! I'm still unbreakable! It's just stress!) so this is what you get.
Tomorrow, if less fuzzyheaded, I'll argue with Sebastian Mallaby via my Internet soapbox.
Books! Translated books! And although I can't cite a specific post (even on the old blog) I actually had this idea a few years back. See, it occurs to me that what makes America great isn't McDonalds or Playboy or other things that fly directly in the face of most Muslim teachings, but rather its the free exchange of ideas. Translating the works of Thomas Paine and Thomas Jefferson, of the Constitution and the great speeches of our founding fathers, could be a way to reach those who fear and detest us. After all, it's not our current way of thinking--in fact, I'm fairly sure that most of the drafters of our Constitution would be aghast at the current state of our Union--so it provides some immunity to criticism of the current Administration.
I'm rambling a bit, and I really wanted to put together a more coherent post on this, but I'm a wee bit sick (Just a wee bit! I'm still unbreakable! It's just stress!) so this is what you get.
Tomorrow, if less fuzzyheaded, I'll argue with Sebastian Mallaby via my Internet soapbox.
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