Missing Lunchbox

Obama vs. Hillary. In a word: "BURN" (or maybe "pwned")

2007-12-14T18:32:00.001-05:00

Barack speaks

2007-11-12T02:49:00.000-05:00

It's 3am--and I haven't blogged in ages--but I feel you need to read Barack Obama's latest speech in Iowa:

A little less than one year from today you will go into the voting booth and you will select the next President of the United States. Here’s the good news. The name G.W. Bush will not be on the ballot. The name of my cousin Dick Cheney will not be on the ballot. We’ve been trying to hide that for a long time. Everybody has a black sheep in the family. [laughter]

The era of Scooter Libby justice and Brownie incompetence and Karl Rove politics will finally be over. But the question you’re gonna have to ask yourself when you caucus in January and you vote in November is what’s next for America. We are at a defining moment in our history…The promise that so many generations fought for seems like it’s slipping away…we’ve lost faith that our leaders can or will do anything about it.

It is because of those failures that America is listening…we not only have a moment of great challenge, but a moment of great opportunity. We have a chance to bring the American people together, in a new majority…

That’s why telling the American people what we think they want to hear instead of telling the American people what they need to hear just won’t do. Triangulating and poll-driven positions because we’re worried about what Mitt or Rudy might say about us just won’t do…

If we are really serious about winning this election Democrats, then we can’t be afraid of losing. The party of Jefferson and Jackson and Roosevelt and Kennedy has always made the biggest difference in the lives of the American people…when we summoned the entire nation to a common purpose, a higher purpose.

A party that doesn’t just focus on how to win, but why we should. A party that doesn’t just offer change as a slogan but real, meaningful change, change that America can believe in. That’s why I’m in this race, that’s why I’m running for the Presidency of the United States, to offer change that we can believe in!…I am in this race because I want to stop talking about the outrage of 47 million Americans without healthcare and start actually doing something about it. I expanded healthcare in Illinois by bringing Democrats and Republicans together, by taking on the insurance industry and that is how I will make certain that ever American in this country has healthcare…and I will do by the end of my first term of the President of the United States of America.

…I am running for President because I am sick and tired of Democrats thinking that the only way to look tough on national security is by acting and voting like George Bush Republicans.

…When I am this party’s nominee, my opponent will not be able to say that I voted for the war in Iraq…And he will not be able to say that I waivered on something as fundamental as whether it is okay for America to torture because it is never okay. That’s why I’m in it!

…I will lead the world to combat the common threats of the 21st century…and I will send once more a message to those yearning faces beyond our shores that says you matter to us, your future is our future, and our moment is now. America, our moment is now.

Our moment is now!

I don’t want to spend the next year or the next four years refighting the same fights that we had in the 1990s. I don’t want to pit red America against blue America. I want to be the President of the United States of America.

And if those Republicans come at me with the same fear-mongering and swift-boating that they usually do, then I will take them head-on. Because I believe the American people are tired of fear, and tired of distractions…we can make this election not about fear, but about the future, and that will not be just a Democratic victory, that will be an American victory, a victory that America needs right now!

I am not in this race to fulfill some longheld ambitions or because I believe it’s somehow owed to me. I never expected to be here. I always knew this journey was improbable. I am running in this race because of of what Dr. King called “the fierce urgency of now.” Because I believe that there’s such a thing as being too late, and that hour is almost upon us.

…I’m in this race for the same reason that I found for jobs for jobless and hope for the hopeless on the streets of Chicago, for the same reason that I fought for justice and equality as a civil rights lawyer…I will never forget that the only reason that I’m standing here today is because someone had the courage to stand up!

…That’s why I’m running, Democrats. To keep the American dream alive..in this election, in this moment, let us reach for what we know is possible. A nation healed and world repaired. An America that believes again.

Wow, music to my ears.

Don't get me wrong, I've criticized Mr. Obama for making my "brain flutter with highbrow political & social commentary" without giving me any actual substance. But after the last few years, I guess I need a politician to talk about making America live up to its ideals and be the nation it's supposed to be. And after the recent Presidents, I need a Commander-in-Chief that the country, and the world, can respect and admire.

I should mention that no matter who the Democratic nominee is, I'll vote for them (because the GOP has lost my vote for the foreseeable future; Pat Robertson's endorsement for Rudy saw to that). But nevertheless... Mr. Obama, you're giving me hope. God speed.

M.C. Escher in LEGO form

2007-09-07T10:35:00.000-04:00

You know, some people see LEGOs as just some semi-sophisticated children's toys...slightly-evolved Lincoln Logs, if you will. But for others, a LEGO is an artistic tool--a handy medium for personal expression.

People in this second group may use LEGOs to depict the Bible. Others may make a LEGO version of Michael Jackson's Thriller. And then some people--people with a lot of vision (and spare time)--remake M.C. Escher's Relativity:

Can you say "wow." How about "ow, my head just hurts looking at that."

On their website, the LEGO artist go into great detail about how they constructed their masterpieces. From hidden scaffolds, to sawing LEGOs in half, these guys went through a lot of trouble to pull off the visual-trickery and physics-defying world of M.C. Escher.

You know, with such trails and tribulations being needed to recreate Escher's fantasies in the real world, some may say that it proves that Escher was a visual genius of the highest order. But others may say that the guy was just wacked outta his freakin' skull.

Me? I can't help but think about that scene in The Labyrinth.

Adios, Alberto Gonzales

2007-08-28T10:00:00.000-04:00

So, back in March I predicted that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales would soon lose his job (yeah, I really went out on a limb there, didn't I?). Well, it took longer than I thought it would, but finally Mr. Gonzales has resigned.

Part of me was smiling...then laughing...when I read the news of Mr. Gonzales' resignation. Alberto Gonzales has never seemed quite up to the job of Attorney General, and he kept making a fool of himself each time he appeared before Congress. From claiming that it was perfectly fine for a medically-sedated John Ashcroft to sign legal documents, to asserting that the American people are NOT granted the writ of habeas corpus, the Attorney General has made a mockery of his position, America's legal system, and himself. I have to say, I was pretty relieved to see him leave office.

But I was saddened by the reasons why Mr. Gonzales had to resign, for they were reasons he brought upon himself. The country has had a feckless and incompetent Attorney General for some time now. The country's Attorney General has lost most (if not all) respect in the eyes of his peers and Congress. The country's Attorney General has dragged the Justice Department through the mud. And with the American people currently questioning the readiness of FEMA, and the military competence of Department of Defense, the last thing the country needs is another part of the federal government to lose faith in. You see, while I may not agree with the political ideology of the current administration, I want those within the administration to be competent and truthful--Alberto Gonzales was neither.

I was further saddened when I realized that, with only 15 months left in the current administration, anyone President Bush nominates for AG will have little time to clean-up the tarnished name of the DOJ. Let me put it another way: President Bush will need to nominate someone to fill Gonzales' chair, that person will have to be approved by Congress, appointed and sworn in as Attorney General, and then spend probably the first month just learning the staffs' names. Only after all of that can the new AG actually start doing their job.

And I'm not sure how many people, who have the talent and experience necessary to be Attorney General, would want to take a job that will only last about a year. My hope is that serving at the pleasure of the President--and the pleasure of the American people--will be enough of a draw for any qualified candidates.

But no matter what happens, in the end I'm glad to see Mr. Gonzales go...the country is better off.

Threadless.com gets my money again

2007-08-21T00:20:00.000-04:00

You can never have enough unique t-shirts...

Road-trip Ruminations

2007-08-20T14:21:00.000-04:00

This past weekend, I spent 8 hours driving in the car by myself. I'm sure anyone who has done this can testify that a solo driving experience is a double-edged sword: you have the solitude to let your mind wander and think up great conversation starters, but there is no one around to talk to.

So, since none of you were there to enjoy my random thoughts--and see the random sights--I thought I'd share:

Why is there a "China Grove, North Carolina"? Is it like China Town in NYC, where Chinese immigrants can have a bit of the home country right here in America? Is there a "China Grove Inn;" and if so, is it a motel or Chinese restaurant?

Heaven better have a never-ending supply of Bojangles sweet tea and Chick-fil-a lemonade.

Right after crossing the North Carolina-South Carolina border, there's a sudden spike in Clemson paraphernalia. There's also a spike in overweight rednecks wearing overalls. Those two facts are probably related. (In other words: Go Gamecocks!!)

Due to recent events in Minneapolis, I am now consciously aware of each and every bridge I have to cross. And I have a feeling that I'm not the only one.

Rihanna's hit "Umbrella" is far less impressive when not thumping out of some club's speakers. And I will pay someone to steal T-Pain's damn voice -modulator. Seriously, without the thing he'll fall off the face of the Earth, and we will all be better off.

Big Pete brought this up back in the day, and it still holds true: why is there always that one lone shoe on the side of the highway? Where's the other shoe? And why are people going around losing shoes in the first place?

Why did I never get into watching The Cosby Show? It seems that everyone else can rattle off the names of all the Huxtable kids, who the kids married, and in what episode kid X did insanely stupid stunt Y, resulting in the weekly Cliff Huxtable truism and/or punishment. But not me...nope, I can't even tell you where the heck Raven-Symoné's character came from. Seriously, there were like 28 kids running around in that house--how does anyone keep them straight? (But I do remember the episode where the men were pregnant, and gave birth to footballs and subway sandwiches...that was funny stuff.)

How many tractor-trailer companies do we need? Seriously, you've got: J.B. Hunt, Old Dominion, Swift, Knight, Roadway, Maersk, Covenant Transport, Schneider and Celadon just to name a few. Don't they all do basically the same thing? Sure, maybe some of them specialize in hauling...I dunno...cold stuff versus not-cold stuff...but they all haul stuff. Do we really need all of them?

Why I just bought my first Harry Potter book

2007-07-30T10:05:00.000-04:00

Yes, it is true...two weeks ago I bought Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

No, I didn't stand in line for 8 hours at a Barnes & Noble to snatch up a copy of Deathly Hallows the moment it was released. Nor did I dress up like Dumbledore. And never fear, I did not pre-order book 7 to be FedEx-ed to my door the morning of the release. But the fact remains: I bought the book.

So how did I go from never reading a Harry Potter book (and only watching the movies), to owning and obsessing over Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows?

reason #1. Without saying too much about Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the latest movie left me wanting more. As I said before, I have seen all the previous Harry Potter movies, and each one felt like a chapter from Harry's life. But the latest movie felt more like a snippet...a slice...a mere placeholder for the better movies to come. I left the movie theater entertained, but wholly unfulfilled--I wanted more.

reason #2. I knew book 7 was coming out soon. And with book 7 would come the end of the series.

reason #3. I knew that with the way the internet and news media work these days, the public would know the end of book 7--and thus the conclusion of the Harry Potter series--within weeks.

reason #4. It will be four years until Deathly Hallows will be released as a movie. I predicted that by that time, my interest in the lives of Harry, Ron, and Hermione may have waned.

So, to avoid this anti-climatic end to Harry Potter, I decided to avoid all media stories about book 7, buy a copy of the book, read it cover-to-cover, and enjoy all the plot twists, magical spells, untimely deaths, mystical creatures, and whatever else J.K. Rowling had in store. I wanted to approach the end of the Harry Potter series the way it was supposed to be approached.

Well, almost the way it was supposed to be approached. I must face facts: I have committed a cardinal sin in the world of Harry Potter. I have not read book 1-6. Worse yet, instead of reading book 6, I just went to Half-Blooded Prince's Wikipedia page to get the quick synopsis.

You see, by buying book 7, I jumped to the end of the series and used the movies as a pale and inadequate facsimile of the actual books. But you have to understand something: while I consider Harry Potter to be good storytelling steeped in an intricate world of rich and dynamic characters, the books aren't a part of my life--they're not what I grew up on.

Nevertheless, despite not reading books 1-6 (and thus facing reading book 7 with far less gusto than other Harry Potter fans), two Saturdays ago I went to buy Deathly Hallows. As I said before, I did not stand in a line for 8 hours to get the book. I just went to Best Buy at 10am. Why Best Buy? Well, I wanted to avoid a large Harry Potter crowd, and I figured no one would think to go to the "computer/tv/music store" to buy a book. Not only that, but a relative gave me a $20 gift card to Best Buy. In other words: "Two birds, one stone."

Now, for some reason I assumed that my local Best Buy opened at 9am. Well, when I strolled in at 10:05am, I realized that the store actually opens at 10am on Saturdays. "Great" I thought, "I'm here five minutes after they opened to buy Harry Potter, I look real cool right about now." As I walked through the doors, and exchanged "good morning" pleasantries with the security guard, I turned straight ahead and saw a very prominent Harry Potter display. We're talking a big, yellow display with a cardboard Harry Potter standing next to it.

"What to do," I thought. "If I just waltz up to this advertising monstrosity, grab a copy of book 7, and walk over to the cashier, people may think that I'm about 30 seconds away from breaking down in a hysterical, tears-of-joy, Deathly Hallows conniption." I had to make this shopping trip as nonchalant as possible.

So, what would be "nonchalant"? Oh, randomly meandering throughout the store, that's what.

Yeah, I somehow found myself looking over Best Buy's vacuum cleaner selection, and comparing their washer & dryers. About 30 seconds later I was in the computer section. After that, headphones were staring me in the face.

So, after about 2 minutes of bouncing aimlessly throughout the store, I had to face the truth--I had nothing to do in this store except buy the damn book. Well, at least I avoided the whole "run up to the book, snatch the closest copy, high tail it to the cashier, and scurry off to read the book in one sitting" scenario.

Well, once I decided just go buy the book, I knew the awkwardness would be over. Or so I thought. I got my copy of the book, walked to the cashier, and placed the book on the counter. The cashier, who had probably been on the job for about 7 minutes by this point, said "oh, Harry Potter" with equal parts "oh yeah, this came out today" and "oooohhh, you're one of them." Now, as you can tell, I wanted to avoid all perception that I was a crazy, obsessed, un-balanced fanatic (petty, I know), so I quickly responded "oh, I'm not one of those people." And the cashier's response to my rebuttal? "Uhuhh, sure you're not."

*Grrrr*

I flirted with the idea of explaining my reasoning for buying book 7...thought about stating that this was my first Harry Potter book purchase...thought about saying anything that would disapprove his assumption that I had a life-sized cutout of Albus Dumbledore at home.

But, to avoid a "methinks the lady doth protest too much" situation, I just shut up and let him scan the book. And then, it was time to pay. And it was here when I remembered how I was buying this book--my gift card.

Great! Suddenly, without warning, I became an apparent self-hating Harry Potter fan-in-denial, using a gift card that my grandma probably bought me, buying the latest Harry Potter book as soon as the store opened. You know my mission to buy this book as nonchalantly as possible? Yeah, consider that mission a failure.

But you wanna know something? As I got back in my car, and drove off, I realized that I had the last book of the Harry Potter series in MY CAR. Right there, about two feet from me, was how it all ends. I felt like I had Texas gold; I couldn't wait to start reading.

Two weeks--and 759 pages later--I have finished the book. I won't go into too much detail, but I will say that book 7 was a superb read that delivered everything I expected and more. Yes, it's true that I did not stand in a line for 8 hours, or read each and every Harry Potter book cover-to-cover, but that doesn't really matter. I threw myself head-first into Deathly Hallows: I dedicated myself to the book, and I soaked in every word along the way. So now count me amongst the legion of fans who shoot evil-death-eyes at anyone who has disparaging remarks about the book, the plot, the author, or anything else having to do with Potter.

And if anyone can get me a Cloak of Invisibility, that would be great.

Dream-y

2007-07-23T12:01:00.000-04:00

(warning: heterosexual males [and lesbians] may not find this post very interesting)

Oh Matt Damon...so down-to-earth, so not corrupted by Hollywood, so guy-next-door, so into football, so adorable.

In other words: *drool*

Another awesome shirt

2007-07-16T23:53:00.000-04:00

If you were wondering, yes I did end up buying that shirt, but I doubt I'll be buying this one:

Yeah, no question that the shirt is awesome. So why am I not buying? Well, I figure people will spend 5 minutes reading my chest, and will either end up loving shirt, or will be confused by some of the references. That, or people will be pissed off that I just "ruined" The Usual Suspects for them (because I know that the shirt "ruined" Dumbledore's killer for me).

Any thoughts? Opinions?

Theories as to why that guy is making that face?

Who is our largest enemy in Iraq?

2007-07-16T16:09:00.000-04:00

The L.A. Times has an answer:

Although Bush administration officials have frequently lashed out at Syria and Iran, accusing it of helping insurgents and militias here, the largest number of foreign fighters and suicide bombers in Iraq come from a third neighbor, Saudi Arabia, according to a senior U.S. military officer and Iraqi lawmakers.

About 45% of all foreign militants targeting U.S. troops and Iraqi civilians and security forces are from Saudi Arabia; 15% are from Syria and Lebanon; and 10% are from North Africa, according to official U.S. military figures made available to The Times by the senior officer. Nearly half of the 135 foreigners in U.S. detention facilities in Iraq are Saudis, he said.

Fighters from Saudi Arabia are thought to have carried out more suicide bombings than those of any other nationality, said the senior U.S. officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the subject's sensitivity.

Well, seeing that 15 of the 19 September 11th hijackers were from Saudi Arabia, I guess this supports the President's ascertation that "the same folks that are bombing innocent people in Iraq are the ones who attacked us on Sept. 11." Of course, President Bush was talking about Al Qaeda in Iraq, and not Saudis, but even I can admit when the President inadvertently gets it half-right.

Now, I'd be a lax blogger if I didn't make two follow-up points:

1. Who is one of our allies in the War on Terrorism? Saudi Arabia.

2. Which Middle Eastern royal family has good and friendly relationship with the Bush family? Saudi Arabia's royal family.

Don't get me wrong, I don't believe--nor am I saying--that all Saudis are against us. But based on the above paragraph, it seems pretty clear why we haven't heard much about the Saudi Arabia/Iraq insurgency connection...

Finally, someone figured out those damn Pearl Jam lyrics!

2007-07-15T20:21:00.001-04:00

what a relief, it's all so clear now!

Leahy lays a smackdown

2007-07-12T01:20:00.001-04:00

Hot damn. Or, as Andrew Sullivan notes, "here's what's been wrong with the Bush administration from Day One."

Pick the new SC licence plate

2007-07-01T14:07:00.000-04:00

Do you live in South Carolina? Are you originally from South Carolina? Did you go to a school in South Carolina? Do you ever drive through South Carolina? Well then, you'd probably prefer it if South Carolina's next license plate is not boring as hell (Michigan), does not resemble a Saturday morning cartoon (Kentucky), literally be "gay" (Hawaii), look like someone spent about 3 seconds designing it (Missouri), or have an outline of the state so people know they're not in Kansas anymore (Nebraska).

Well, you're in luck, because the Palmetto State wants your help in picking the next license plate. The three choices are below:

I know what you're thinking: "Wow, I really like that one, but those other two are ugly as sin, and I would hate to see them darken the fair Palmetto State. I better make sure the one I like wins." Good, I like the way you think! And because you have a favorite choice, you should go here, vote, and ensure that for years to come, all South Carolinians will be proud to look at the backside of the car in front of them.

I took the GRE.

2007-06-25T16:52:00.000-04:00

Yep, it's done.

Well, I didn't do as well as I would have liked, but strangely, I'm ok with that. I've always been a very optimistic, "look on the bright side" kinda guy, and as such, after I got my verbal and math scores, I simply thought, "ok, guess I'm taking it again." No big meltdown, no waving my fist at God, no disparaging remarks about the test or the test-makes, none of that. Nope, just simple realization that I have more work to do if I want to enter a good graduate school.

I also know that there's no shame in having to take the test twice. My friend Judy had to take the GRE two times, and now she's at a PhD program at Florida. And today, while waiting to take the test, another girl commented on how this was her second time taking the GRE. So I figure if nothing else, taking the test twice just means I get to refine my standardized test-taking skills. That, and I'll actually get to use the GRE Powerprep that ETS (the makers of the GRE) just sent me. Apparently, the Powerprep CD-ROM has two sample tests, its own math review, test tutorials, et cetera and so on. You know, a lot of good stuff that would have come in handy if I hadn't received the CD-ROM a mere five days before my test...

But, back to me "looking on the bright side": I also noticed that I actually can sit at a desk for multiple hours and focus on the subject at hand. With no caffeine in my system I was able to jump from essay writing to perimeters of triangle with grace and ease. Oh, and about the essays: I can crank out some kick-ass stuff on the fly! I guess blogging is good for something afterall.

After the test, part of me actually considered taking one of those GRE prep classes; but the other 99.9% of me decided that those classes cost too much money and I ain't Mr. Moneybags over here. So what are my next steps? Well, I'm taking about two weeks off from studying to recharge my batteries; then I'm jumping back in to the studying fray. Also, I'm going to look at the local part-time grad programs to see how my GRE scores stack up against the programs' requirements. But most of all, my most immediate plan is to use hardly any of my higher brain functions until I go back to work on Wednesday.

But, nevertheless, thanks for well-wishes AK and Nick and everyone else; you can keep 'em coming over the next few months.

I'm taking the GRE...

2007-06-23T12:06:00.000-04:00

...in T-minus 48 hours.

Yep, after what seems like years of studying, I'm finally taking this dreaded test on Monday at 1pm. I'm pretty sure my brain will be mush by Monday at 5pm. Luckily, due to my foresight to request the day off of work, my ass (and the rest of me) will be laying on my couch Tuesday, starting whenever the hell I get outta bed. Pretty much I plan to be a study in the art of laziness.

But before I can get to Tuesday, I've gotta get through last-minute studying and actually taking the test.

Wish me luck. Prayers are welcome.

...and that's what loving is all about.

2007-06-18T09:18:00.000-04:00

Let me tell you a little story: in 1958 Mildred Jeter, a black woman, had married Richard Perry Loving, a white man. Soon after, the state of Virginia arrested them both for marrying outside their race. Why? Because the "Almighty God created the races white, black, yellow, Malay and red, and he placed them on separate continents" which "shows that he did not intend for the races to mix."

However, in 1967, after years of legal battles, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Virginia decision (and logic). The highest court in the land decreed that "marriage is one of the 'basic civil rights of man'" and "the freedom to marry, or not marry, a person of another race resides with the individual and cannot be infringed by the State."

Today, 40 years after Loving vs. Virginia, Mrs. Loving released a statement. In it, she relates her love for her late husband, as well as the legal and moral fight that ensued after the Lovings got married. Mrs. Loving also speaks to where we were as a nation in 1967 in regards to who could and could not get married, and where we are today.

If you know me even a little, you've probably figured out where I'm going with this. And if you haven't figured it out, I feel you'll catch on.

Below is Mrs. Loving's statement, in its entirety. Read and reflect:

Loving for All
By Mildred Loving*

Prepared for Delivery on June 12, 2007,
The 40th Anniversary of the Loving vs. Virginia Announcement

When my late husband, Richard, and I got married in Washington, DC in 1958, it wasn’t to make a political statement or start a fight. We were in love, and we wanted to be married.

We didn’t get married in Washington because we wanted to marry there. We did it there because the government wouldn’t allow us to marry back home in Virginia where we grew up, where we met, where we fell in love, and where we wanted to be together and build our family. You see, I am a woman of color and Richard was white, and at that time people believed it was okay to keep us from marrying because of their ideas of who should marry whom.

When Richard and I came back to our home in Virginia, happily married, we had no intention of battling over the law. We made a commitment to each other in our love and lives, and now had the legal commitment, called marriage, to match. Isn’t that what marriage is?

Not long after our wedding, we were awakened in the middle of the night in our own bedroom by deputy sheriffs and actually arrested for the “crime” of marrying the wrong kind of person. Our marriage certificate was hanging on the wall above the bed. The state prosecuted Richard and me, and after we were found guilty, the judge declared: “Almighty God created the races white, black, yellow, malay and red, and he placed them on separate continents. And but for the interference with his arrangement there would be no cause for such marriages. The fact that he separated the races shows that he did not intend for the races to mix.” He sentenced us to a year in prison, but offered to suspend the sentence if we left our home in Virginia for 25 years exile.

We left, and got a lawyer. Richard and I had to fight, but still were not fighting for a cause. We were fighting for our love.

Though it turned out we had to fight, happily Richard and I didn’t have to fight alone. Thanks to groups like the ACLU and the NAACP Legal Defense & Education Fund, and so many good people around the country willing to speak up, we took our case for the freedom to marry all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. And on June 12, 1967, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that, “The freedom to marry has long been recognized as one of the vital personal rights essential to the orderly pursuit of happiness by free men,” a “basic civil right.”

My generation was bitterly divided over something that should have been so clear and right. The majority believed that what the judge said, that it was God’s plan to keep people apart, and that government should discriminate against people in love. But I have lived long enough now to see big changes. The older generation’s fears and prejudices have given way, and today’s young people realize that if someone loves someone they have a right to marry.

Surrounded as I am now by wonderful children and grandchildren, not a day goes by that I don’t think of Richard and our love, our right to marry, and how much it meant to me to have that freedom to marry the person precious to me, even if others thought he was the “wrong kind of person” for me to marry. I believe all Americans, no matter their race, no matter their sex, no matter their sexual orientation, should have that same freedom to marry. Government has no business imposing some people’s religious beliefs over others. Especially if it denies people’s civil rights.
I am still not a political person, but I am proud that Richard’s and my name is on a court case that can help reinforce the love, the commitment, the fairness, and the family that so many people, black or white, young or old, gay or straight seek in life. I support the freedom to marry for all. That’s what Loving, and loving, are all about.

Remebering how the other-half lives

2007-06-12T21:31:00.001-04:00

The above is a map of the U.S., with each state renamed for a country with a similar gross domestic product. Now, I knew California was a rich state, but it has the same GDP as France? My word. And Texas matching Canada ain't nothing to scoff at either. But, in the end, what this map really tells me is that America is insanely rich, and most of its citizens (including me) have no idea of how the rest of the world lives.

Case in point, my friend Graham took this picture of two South African day laborers as they awaited--and hoped--for work in Cape Town:

Sometimes I have to wonder why I am so lucky to be financial comfortable, while others live on the other end of the spectrum, just struggling to survive day to day.

There's a swamp in my home, or: How my washing machine betrayed me.

2007-06-04T21:14:00.000-04:00

Is it a dead opossum?
Maybe rotten eggs?
How about a swamp?
Yep, that's it, it smells like a swamp in my apartment.

And you ask, what is causing such a foul odor in my home? Well, my washing machine of course; because it has decided to stop draining water.

(Hmm, "getting rid of the dirty water," kind of a crucial step in the clothes-washing process, wouldn't you say?)

Now, despite my attempts to make the drain hose as straight as possible (never mind that it wasn't kinked in the first place), shaking the machine with all my fury and might, and promising the machine that I will always use "the good stuff" (i.e. Tide, not Purex), my washing machine still refuses to drain the water. I'm still wondering if there's a Catholic patron saint for victims of modern technology; and if so, how a Protestant like myself can get in that saint's good graces.

At this point, you're probably wondering why I said my washing machine smelled like a swamp. Well, (as you may recall from school) "standing water" harbors bacteria, and the bacteria in my washing machine's tub are--in a word--rank. No lie, open up my washer and the pleasant aroma of roadkill on a hot summer day fills your nostrils.

So, with a blitzkrieg being waged against my sense of smell anytime I am near the washer, the machine needs to be fixed post-haste...with the quickness...asap...quick, fast, and in a hurry. And so today, the repairman was to come out and operate on my ailing home appliance--and his estimated time of arrival was the incredibly helpful "sometime between 8am and 6pm."

Now, even though I had to stay indoors all day and wait on the repairman, I was able to use the day productively: I signed on to facebook about 18 times, caught up on the Voltron episodes stored on my DVR, watched The West Wing on DVD, cleaned my bathroom; you know, the uber-important stuff.

Well, as the afternoon turned into nighttime, and the repairman had yet to arrive, I called my appliance company. "Don't worry," they said, "he's at your apartment complex right now."

Thirty minutes later, with the repairman still M.I.A., I got the "we'll have the dispatcher call him and see where he is, and the dispatcher will call you back."

An hour later, with the repairman still a no-show, no call from a dispatcher, and water still in my washer, I called the company again, and got this response: "um, my system shows that the repair job has been completed."

[dear reader, please insert your favorite expletive here]

Suddenly, righteous indignation and I became fast friends, and I was a wellspring of rage, disparaging remarks, and sarcasm. I also think I may have made ample use of the words "incompetent" and "ridiculous," but I'm not positive.

And why am I not sure of my choice of words at that point? Well, after the customer service rep gave me the cliché and perfunctory, "I understand you're frustrated," my memory of events gets a little fuzzy. However, I do recall a lot of me waving my finger around in the air.

I have to call later today to see how soon they can get a repairman out to actually fix my washer; meanwhile, I've realized that customer service in America continues to get worse.

That, and my washing machine still smells like the elephant cage at the zoo.

This gave me pause

2007-05-26T11:47:00.000-04:00

From Andrew Sullivan's blog:

Bush said today that we should expect an escalation of violence in Iraq because the enemy know that September is a key date for political opinion. So, let me get this straight: if there is less violence, it obviously means the surge is working, and if there is more violence it means the enemy is desperate to get us out and the surge is working.

Sigh. Looks like we're "staying the course," no matter what happens.

Or are we?

How to become a winner at Rock-Paper-Scissors!

2007-05-20T11:08:00.000-04:00

Ever want to destroy your friends and family in a game of Rock-Paper-Scissors? Ever want to ensure that you get shotgun in a crowded car, get the last beer, or get to flirt with the attractive honey while your competition has to take the ugly friend? Well, once again, the internet has come to the rescue!

Actually, I've looked over the tips, and I think they'd be a little hard to implement in real life--the tips require a lot of forethought and continuous calculation of how someone's last move will affect their next move. Nevertheless, as a public service to all of you who make minor life decisions based on scissors cutting paper, I present to you this holy grail of cheating at Rock-Paper-Scissors.

I am Jerry Falwell's worst nightmare

2007-05-19T11:10:00.000-04:00

In regards to September 11th:

"I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People For the American Way -- all of them who have tried to secularize America -- I point the finger in their face and say, 'You helped this happen.'"

--Jerry Falwell (1933-2007)

My friends, it is a quote like this that does a great disservice to Christianity, for it prevents many non-Christian from even considering coming to the Faith. Why would you join something that already hates you before it knows you? But wait, the Reverend has a response to that:

"I don't hate you. I just think that you're being a pervert. ... God is angry with your kind of moral behavior."

*sigh* I am thankful that I became a Christian before I came out. I am thankful that Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, and their ilk did not prevent me from knowing my Lord and Savior. But mostly, I am thankful (and humbled) that I can be a shining light of Christ's love...

Sorry

2007-05-07T20:35:00.000-04:00

I know I've been lax in the blogging posting. I'm sorry.

It's just that I am now officially registered to take the GRE (!), which means I'm putting my studying into overdrive. I've made flashcards for some new vocab words, am sending a "word of the day" email to co-workers to both expand their vocabulary and review mine, and have purchased a new GRE math book in hopes that it will strengthen my already-improving math skills (I even think I finally understand square roots).

If that weren't enough, I also seem to be able to sit and study for at least an hour and a half without caffeine; and considering that the actual test is 4 hours long, that's exciting.

The test is June 25, so wish me luck. But, don't worry, the test won't cause me to ignore my blogging duties.

But, on a current affairs note, can someone pronounce Nicolas Sarkozy's name for me? I haven't seen a TV report on the election; I've only read his name in the paper. Nevertheless, I feel that "Sarkozy" is a name that begs to be pronounced pretentiously: I'm imagining something like "Sar-cooooo-z."

Do you get it?

2007-04-26T10:15:00.000-04:00

And if you do, you probably think this is either obscene, or the greatest shirt ever.

I'm leaning towards the latter...

Getting my humanity back

2007-04-16T20:44:00.000-04:00

22. That was the death toll around 12 noon yesterday morning, when a co-worker mentioned the tragedy at Virginia Tech. I, in a knee-jerk reaction, went straight to CNN.com to get the news. And how macabre it was; students, going about their Monday morning, were senselessly gunned down.

But what disgusted me more than the event itself was my immediate reaction: acknowledgment of the event, but no acknowledgment of the emotional weight.

In retrospect, I surmise that after seeing the death tolls of September 11th, reading about the ongoing carnage in Iraq; hell, watching a fictional nuclear bomb detonate near Los Angeles in "24", that the deaths of 22 people just didn't have the deep emotional impact on me.

At that point, the closest I got to "emotional impact" was when I began to think of my friend in Blacksburg, whom I knew was safe since he's a Tech alum (and thus, wouldn't have been in a classroom or dorm). However, I began to think, "what about everyone else? People are dead and I'm happy that my friend--who was never in harm's way in the first place--is ok?"

Why?

My answer (which is not an excuse, mind you, but rather is the closest I've come to an explanation) is that somewhere along the way, I became desensitized to the violence of this world.

And that's when I gave myself a long over-due, but much needed, punch in gut. I had to get my senses back, had to come down to Earth, had to realize that whether it's 33 people in Blacksburg, or three people in a Nor'easter, whether its 7 in Iraq, or ~90,000 in Hiroshima, that each and every human life lost needs to be mourned.

Somewhere along the way, I became desensitized to the violence of this world. Somewhere along the way, deaths just stop meaning as much to me; but this emotional disconnect ends now. I've gotten part of my humanity back.

Sometimes, I just don't understand J.Crew

2007-04-08T09:03:00.000-04:00

Yes, those are "classic Polynesian boats" printed on "sturdy cotton canvas."

They are also fugly ugly.

Hey NIT, get your mind outta the gutter

2007-04-01T18:52:00.000-04:00

What a great NIT Championship shirt!

Of course the tournament for the runner-ups would misspell "Virginia," but really now, that shirt is just all kinds of wrong. What the hell; was someone thinking about Lindsay Lohan while they were proof-reading?

You can find me in the club

2007-03-29T09:31:00.000-04:00

I love to dance; and if you've ever seen me dance, you're unlikely to forget it. But, for those who haven't seen me dance, then let's just say that the lower half of my body moves. A lot.

And because of my love of the dance, I've been frequenting a "club" in Chapel Hill a lot lately. Well, it's actually a martini bar most days of the week, but on Sunday nights, it becomes "Stir": the closest thing to a "gay club" that Chapel Hill has to offer. So yes, on the Lord's day (or the Lord's night, I suppose) I go gallivanting to Stir, hang with my a few of my gayer friends, and have a grand ol' time.

Now, despite Sunday being "gay night" at the Martini Bar (some call it "Gaytini"), there are relatively few gay patrons. However,when considering there are relatively few gay people in Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill in the first place, Stir probably gets a representative sample of the gay-to-straight ratio in Chapel Hill.

Nevertheless, somehow every Sunday, really really straight people invade the club: we're talking thuggish hoodlums, football-playing no-necks, or some other form of guys who would not be cool with "Gaytini" night. Once this uber-straight element enters the club, any guy-on-guy dancing, flirting, or simple less-than-straight acting activity comes to a screeching halt. That is, until the unwelcomed element perceives that "Martini Bar isn't quite the same tonight," and then beats a hasty retreat.

Don't get me wrong, straight people are certainly welcomed--we don't have some moratorium on heterosexuality at "Gaytini." We just want to enjoy the night without worrying about 50 Cent over there having a less-than-civil reaction to the gay going-ons.

Now, despite what you may think, the music at Stir is not all Madonna and George Michael. You've got that "Ridin Dirty" song, that "Kick it like Tai-bo" song, and other examples of the dismal state of pop music (read: anything by Fergie). But sooner or later, the music pulls itself up from the doldrums of utter crap, and starts playing some Beyoncé, Ludacris, and etc.

But last Sunday, crouched between Ciara talking about her "1,2 Step" and Kelis being "Bossy", was probably the worst club song I've ever heard. It's not a bad song per se--it definitely gets a chuckle from me every time it's played--but it's impossible to dance to.

So, while there's no moratorium on straight people at "Gaytini" night, I decree a moratorium on "Dick in a Box."

That's right, the dj played "Dick in a Box"! Why? I have no idea, but I definitely wasn't dancing to it. But never fear, Montell Jordan's "This Is How We Do It" was played soon after.

So, dear readers, when will you be heading down to Chapel Hill to experience "Gaytini" for yourselves? I'll save you a barstool, I swear.

True that

2007-03-22T10:11:00.000-04:00

Warning: if President Bush ever says he "supports you," has "full confidence in you," or that you're "doing a great job," run for your life. Or just go ahead and resign, because you'll be losing your job in a fortnight anyway.

(On a side note, I wonder just how far this scandal will go. With Congress getting itself in a subpoena-hungry tizzy because they can't come up with anything to do with Iraq, and the White House digging its heels in for a battle it could easily avoid, there's no end in sight for this melodrama.

It's pretty pathetic, but great political comedy.)

What happened to the "Straight-talk Express"?

2007-03-19T20:44:00.000-04:00

Once upon a time, there was a maverick who shook the political world, threatened the status quo, slayed the dragon, saved damsels in distress, and overshadowed the village idiot.

It seemed that, because of this maverick, everyone was going to live happily ever after. Except that the maverick lost the election, and he spent the next 6 years quietly waiting for his time to take the throne.

Well, apparently during those 6 years, he also learned how to double-talk, pander to the right, and generally become a feckless shadow of his former self.

I present to you, dear readers, the erstwhile "maverick," John McCain:

Reporter: “Should U.S. taxpayer money go to places like Africa to fund contraception to prevent AIDS?”

Mr. McCain: “Well I think it’s a combination. The guy I really respect on this is Dr. Coburn. He believes – and I was just reading the thing he wrote– that you should do what you can to encourage abstinence where there is going to be sexual activity. Where that doesn’t succeed, than he thinks that we should employ contraceptives as well. But I agree with him that the first priority is on abstinence. I look to people like Dr. Coburn. I’m not very wise on it.”

(Mr. McCain turns to take a question on Iraq, but a moment later looks back to the reporter who asked him about AIDS.)

Mr. McCain: “I haven’t thought about it. Before I give you an answer, let me think about. Let me think about it a little bit because I never got a question about it before. I don’t know if I would use taxpayers’ money for it.”

Q: “What about grants for sex education in the United States? Should they include instructions about using contraceptives? Or should it be Bush’s policy, which is just abstinence?”

Mr. McCain: (Long pause) “Ahhh. I think I support the president’s policy.”

Q: “So no contraception, no counseling on contraception. Just abstinence. Do you think contraceptives help stop the spread of HIV?”

Mr. McCain: (Long pause) “You’ve stumped me.”

Q: “I mean, I think you’d probably agree it probably does help stop it?”

Mr. McCain: (Laughs) “Are we on the Straight Talk express? I’m not informed enough on it. Let me find out. You know, I’m sure I’ve taken a position on it on the past. I have to find out what my position was. Brian, would you find out what my position is on contraception – I’m sure I’m opposed to government spending on it, I’m sure I support the president’s policies on it.”

Q: “But you would agree that condoms do stop the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. Would you say: ‘No, we’re not going to distribute them,’ knowing that?”

Mr. McCain: (Twelve-second pause) “Get me Coburn’s thing, ask Weaver to get me Coburn’s paper that he just gave me in the last couple of days. I’ve never gotten into these issues before.”

Um, what? "I look to people like Dr. Coburn. I’m not very wise on it," "I think I support the president’s policy," "I’m sure I’ve taken a position on it on the past. I have to find out what my position was."

WHAT. THE. HELL? McCain, what happen to you? You shouldn't have to find out what your position is, you should just inherently know it. Geez.

Who body-snatched John McCain, because I definitely voted for a different man back in 2000?

And so it begins...

2007-03-12T08:30:00.000-04:00

Praise be to God.

BREAKING NEWS

2007-03-10T10:31:00.000-05:00

The Associated Press has some of the MOST shocking news ever:

"The FBI improperly and, in some cases, illegally used the USA Patriot Act to secretly obtain personal information about people in the United States."

Wow, really? No one would have ever expected that!

Excuse me while I rant

2007-03-04T11:47:00.000-05:00

If you say that you want to hang out, and I call you on the pre-arranged day, leave you a voice message, and later call you again, there's a certain next step that you must take. RETURN THE PHONE CALL! Get it? Follow-through with our plans; don't fall off the face of the Earth.

If you claim that I am one of the most important people in your life, yet you haven't responded to a voice mail or a text message in five months because your ''life is too busy'', I've gotta believe that you just don't care enough. If you can't take 10 minuets out of your oh-so-busy life of working at a freakin' Verizon store, why the hell do I still try to maintain our friendship?

People, I thought there was an unwritten rulebook of phone etiquette, but apparently not. However, what is apparent is that I am the only one left with manners in this world.

Maybe I should stop. Maybe I should no longer be the person who tries to get in contact--and stay in contact--with people when they're not pulling their own weight. Maybe, if they don't have time for me, then I won't have time for them. Maybe I should just cut them out of my life and be done with it.

But why must it come to that? All that I'm asking for is reciprocation; reciprocation of a freaking phone call!

RECIPROCATION! Is that too much to ask?

Maybe I'm just too good for this world...

How can you beat a lovely, 60 degrees, bright-blue-sky day in Feburary?

2007-02-27T20:42:00.000-05:00

Grand Rapids, Michigan is trying hard.

Eh. Sure, it looks pretty, and it may be fun to play in, but I'm sorry, it's no contest: snow can not beat getting to drive down the highway with your arm out the window...

Getting closer to the Dream

2007-02-19T20:12:00.000-05:00

There's not a black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America; there's the United States of America.--Senator Barack Obama (D-Il)

Dear readers, let my tell you a story; a story of how far America has come in resolving the sins of the past.

Recently, I grabbed lunch off-site of my job's campus. Not an unusual occurrence, mind you, but on that day I decided to grab lunch at a place I had only been to once before. It's doubtful that many of you will be familiar with Andy's Cheesesteaks & Cheeseburgers, but trust me, it's good eating. Beyond the delicious menu options, all of Andy's locales are done in the style of a 1950's malt shop. You know, the kind of place where Joe Quarterback and Cindy Cheerleader shared a strawberry milkshake right before they headed over to the Sadie Hawkins Dance?

Well, as you may know, an actual 1950's malt shop was also the kind of place where a black man would have been refused service at the counter, the kind of place where a black man would be required to drink from a "blacks only" water fountain--that is, if a black man was even allowed in the establishment in the first place. For all the lovely nostalgia recreated by a1950's malt shop replica, it also reminds me of how unjust America once was.

And it is here, in this malt shop replica, that I realized just how far America has come from those dark, unjust days.

You see, because of the odd time at which I eat lunch, I was the lone patron in the restaurant, and was being waited on by a white girl who was nary 17. Her constant desire to call me "hun" was Southern Hospitality at its best, and I was treated with nothing but respect by her and the white cooking staff. And then I left. And that was it. Nothing else happened.

I, a black man, walked into a white-run restaurant, in North Carolina, by myself, and proceeded to order food. I, a black man, was served food and treated with respect by white employees who worked in a restaurant, similar in decor to the kinds of restaurants few black people would have considered entering 50 years ago. I, a black man, left this restaurant without incident. And I, a black man, can't help but note that the absence of anything significant happening during this event, in fact, made the event significant.

It reminded me of another "non-event" a couple of summers ago, when I went swimming at my local gym's pool. The only other people in the pool that day were an elderly white couple, but neither they, nor gym staff, felt that I should not swim at the same time as white people. Nor did anyone propose that the pool needed to scrubbed and washed clean after I defiled it with my dark skin. No one thought anything about a black person in the same pool as a white person--it was a non-issue.

In both incidences--the malt shop, and the pool--it was the lack of a negative response that confirms that, slowly but surely, racial progress has been made in America.

Now, don't get me wrong, does racism still exist in America? Yes.

But, are we making progress, generation by generation, to erase and eradicate racism from America's heart and mind? Yes.

Are we getting closer to the dream of Dr. King, where "all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands"? Yes.

Want confirmation that there as been progress? Take note that the current presidential hopefuls range from a woman, to an African-American; from a Mormon, to a man who will be 72 years old by Election Day 2008. And note that all of these candidates have a legitimate chance of being their party's nominee, if not the next President of the United States.

No doubt, America has still got work to do; but my God, we've come a long way.

Sometimes, I just don't understand Americans

2007-02-10T13:07:00.000-05:00

Why are Americans so fascinated by the most trivial things, why are we transfixed by the inconsequential?

From people morning the death of a race horse (A HORSE!!), to Bostonians running scared from giant light brights (and Boston's subsequent legal action over the "scary" moonmen), Americans needlessly get themselves in a tizzy over nothing.

Oh, and I don't care that Anna Nicole Smith died. Sure, her death was weird and random, but Anna Nicole was weird and random. We've established that she died as she lived, can we move on?

And let's not forget Congress' outrage that Nancy Pelosi asked for an expensive military plane to provide her with non-stop, California-to-D.C., flights (despite the fact that Pelosi didn't request the plane, but rather it was requested by the House sergeant at arms). It seems that even American politicians focus on things that don't matter, even when those politicians should be governing.

I also don't understand the news media. Never mind that the U.S. Senate couldn't get its act together to debate Iraq, the Gulf Coast is still a cluster fuck, killing in Sudan continues, and Indonesia just had massive flooding. Nope, none of that beats the chance to report about the bat-shit crazy, diaper-wearing astronaut.

I love this country, but seriously, what is wrong with us?

I think I'm sick........IN THE HEAD

2007-02-08T12:39:00.000-05:00

I realized it last night, as I watched the Carolina-Duke game.

And you see, in that simple statement, lies the symptom of my recent insanity. Did you catch it?

“Carolina”? “CAROLINA”?

Egads, I’ve actually begun to, voluntarily, willingly, and purposely refer to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as “Carolina.” As a South Carolina native, and a Gamecock fan, this is blasphemy.

Anyone know of a cure for this horrible disorder? I’ll pay any price…

For A.J.

2007-01-31T10:04:00.000-05:00

Remember when Mr. Consonery mentioned "that tourist trap on I-95", and then I stated amusement at the statement, "You never sausage a place"?

And remember how you and Tara were confused? And remember how Nick and I tried to explain the aforementioned tourist trap to you? And remember how you probably don't care anymore, but I still wanted to show you the billboard?

Yeah, those were good times.

The Blink-off '07

2007-01-27T01:17:00.000-05:00

Dick Cheney vs. Nancy Pelosi

Either Nancy Pelosi is actually a robot who engages in excessive blinking when she hears stuff she doesn't like, or Dick Cheney is a robot whose blinking protocols are malfunctioning. Both are possible, actually.

Did the President just kill Habeas Corpus?: an update

2007-01-20T12:13:00.000-05:00

Remember when I told you that the Bush Administration suspended habeas corpus? Well, the Attorney General just gave the rationale for that "suspension," and according to him, the American people never really had habeas corpus to begin with.

You see, in response to questioning from Senator Arlen Specter during the recent Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, U.S. Attorney General, Alberto Gonzales, filled us on in on the writ of habeas corpus:

Gonzales: "There is no expressed grant of habeas in the Constitution; there’s a prohibition against taking it away..."

Specter: "Wait a minute, the Constitution says you can’t take it away except in case of rebellion or invasion. Doesn’t that mean you have the right of habeas corpus unless there’s a rebellion or invasion?

Gonzales: "The Constitution doesn’t say every individual in the United States or citizen is hereby granted or assured the right of habeas corpus. It doesn’t say that. It simply says 'the right shall not be suspended' except in cases of rebellion or invasion."

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you our top federal lawyer, a man who says that if the Constitution doesn't explicitly state that a right does exist, then that right doesn't really exist in the first place. As Consortiumnews.com notes, "applying Gonzales’s reasoning, one could argue that the First Amendment doesn’t explicitly say Americans have the right to worship as they choose, speak as they wish or assemble peacefully. The amendment simply bars the government, i.e. Congress, from passing laws that would impinge on these rights."

While no one is saying that the administration is currently planning on restricting freedom of speech, religion, peacefully assemble, etc, the suspension of habeas corpus sets a scary precedent. Don't get me wrong, I'm certainly in support of protecting America from those who want to harm it, but the methods and logic used by the administration to protect us gives me pause--and a little concern for our future.

Gaia tries to get our attention

2007-01-18T20:52:00.000-05:00

The above is an aerial shot of (as Towleroad has put it) "roads and cleared land caused by loggers and their trucks and machinery in southern Sweden. The pattern they've caused in the destruction has come to illustrate the very thing they have destroyed."

I must say, it's quite an eerie coincidence. It's almost as if the Earth itself is trying to tell us something. Hmmm.

(Plus, not only is it eerie, but it's a pretty cool coincidence as well. And, it's far more intriguing than those people who see the Virgin Mary in their applesauce.)

The Simpsons: Anime style

2007-01-10T20:52:00.000-05:00

(click on the picture to make it larger)

I love this: the characters you know and love, all distorted and quasi-demonic.

Anime's gravity-defying hair styles have always intrigued me, thus I love that Lisa's hair looks like it could kill if you get too close. Krusty re-awakens anyone's clown paranoia. Mr. Flanders looks gayer than Smithers (which makes sense, kinda), Marge looks oddly ditsy (which makes kinda no sense at all), and Mr. Burns looks older than Methuselah (which really makes sense).

Meanwhile, Otto is a bit vampire-ish, and Sherri & Terri (the purple-haired twins) look downright creppy (kinda "The Ring" meets that stupid Sarah-Michelle Geller movie I never saw).

Big props to TVgasm for leading me to this, and much accolades to the artist for her gorgeous work. If you're interested, here's the original picture and the characters of Futurama in a similar anime style.

(why do I feel like this post is breaking some copyright law somewhere? Ha.)

Sometimes, I forget

2006-12-30T14:32:00.000-05:00

"What the hell quarterback, what are you doing? Throw. The. Ball! Oh, now look what happened? You get sacked. Idiot!"

"Why didn't you catch that, it was right to you?"

"Hey, you're at the goal line, try running around that dog pile of 250lbs brutes instead of trying to run through the middle of them."

Indeed, I spout these and many other play calls (or some choice expletives) while watching my sport du jour--football. I'll admit it though, sometimes, I forget just what these men are doing out there on the field. But then, pictures like this remind me of their athletic prowess:

How Auburn running back Kenny Irons manages to gallop full steam ahead, while having little more than an iota of his big toe on the ground, amazes me. That, and his body is almost a geometrical dream of the diagonal line, literally defying the law of gravity by way of Newton's First Law.

Simply spectacular.

And that look on his face? War Eagle indeed.

The number of American troops killed in Iraq now exceeds September 11th deaths.

2006-12-26T20:49:00.000-05:00

September 11th deaths: 2,973

Troop deaths from March 2003-December 25, 2006: 2,977.

War is brutal, and cruel, and unapologetic. This one seems nauseatingly quixotic.

I could go on a tirade about these troop deaths. I could go on a similar tirade about where the war has and has not gotten us, but you so already know what I'm going to say anyways.

So, I'll just say, "blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." That, and I shall always support our troops.

Well done Danziger, well done...

2006-12-16T09:52:00.000-05:00

Ha, it's a good thing I don't like Taco Bell in the first place. Give me some good ol' Moe's or Cosmic anytime.

I swear, a "real" post is coming soon...

2006-12-12T10:06:00.000-05:00

...but until then, enjoy this gem from high school chemistry class.

I still don't understand why that kid just stares at him. Freaky!

I'm still here

2006-12-04T00:27:00.000-05:00

I apologize that I have been unable to post lately, but life has been busy.

How busy? Well, life has involved lots of boxes, a Budget rental truck, the lifting of heavy and cumbersome objects, and some sore legs/arms/feet.

However—lest you think that all my busyness has been arduous—I also spent significant time (booty) dancing with future men and women of the cloth, watching some excellent football, and attending a reception for a great American, hosted by the president of Duke.

So, I’m here to say to my avid Missing Lunchboxers, “have no fear, a proper post is forthcoming."

(Nick and Angel, I hope you both know that this post was to preempt any haranguing over my lack of posting. Guess I’m just too quick for you.)

You'd probably like to know...

2006-11-19T23:10:00.000-05:00

...that the 24-year long drought of male affection in my life has drawn to a close.

In other words, there’s a boy in my life.

I’ll wait ‘till you stop jumping up and down in glee...

...Done? Good.

So I imagine that you want details. Okay, long story short, we met at a mutual friend’s Halloween party: I dressed as an Afro Ninja, he as a Congressional Page (thus, the first thing I learned about him was that he has a great [political] sense-of-humor). The Halloween party was followed by a couple of dates, excellent conversations, his birthday party (which caused me to drive all over tarnation to find an adorable, yet appropriate, birthday gift), some sweet affection between the two of us, and some general hanging out.

His name is Jonathan; he’s from New Mexico; he’s a Duke University alum; and he’s quite a cutey if I may say so.

We’re not boyfriends, but rather are being very “chill” about the whole matter—just taking it easy and seeing where things go.

Now I will warn you that it’s very doubtful that I’ll discuss this relationship much on the blog; that kinda stuff is just a little too personal.

Nevertheless, be happy for me; I am.

The Republican Addams Family?

2006-11-09T21:01:00.000-05:00

I usually hate to kick a man when he’s down, but when the man is the newly ousted Pennsylvania simpleton...opps, I mean "Senator"...Rick Santorum, I'll get over it.

As you can see, the erstwhile Senator recently surrounded himself with some of the oddest-looking people I’ve ever seen.

I know they're upset, but come on now, it looks like a meeting of "the stoic, wound-too-tight, stick-up-the-ass club." And why the hell is that girl wearing the same dress as her doll? And why does the kid next to her look like a Republican Eddie Munster?

And does the sun not shine in Pennsylvania? Geez people, it's called a "tan."

Yeah, I'm going to hell.

An update to "Why I won't be voting" ... or "How I regained faith in the Amerian people."

2006-11-08T22:46:00.000-05:00

As expected, I went on a run yesterday instead of voting. And as expected, Democratic incumbent Rep. David Price handedly defeated challenger Steve Acuff (65% to 35%) thereby holding his U.S. House seat.

Also, Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong won re-election.

And, some justices and judges were elected, although I still don’t care (even though some African-American group mailed me a pamphlet that listed which justices were interviewed, vetted, and approved by said group. Yeah, that was just strange).

Oh yeah, and I think I heard someone say that the Democrats took control of Congress. Um, excuse me while I clear my throat...

HALLELUJAH!

The arrogance, the intransigence, the self-imposed wide-reaching power of the Executive, the dismantling of checks-and-balances, the obstruction of civil liberies, the utter demonization of anyone who disagreed or opposed the President, and the administration's Iraq War rose-colored glasses--all of it has been rebuked by the America people. That, and necks have already begun to hit the chopping block (see ‘ya Rummy). But I wonder: how much significant (inter) national change will come as a result of the Democrats having power again?

We shall see.

Why I won't be voting

2006-11-06T00:12:00.000-05:00

Since 1776, my countrymen have fought and died so that I may live in the bastion of freedom and liberty. Plus, since Reconstruction, the African-American community has been engaged in the struggle for equal voting rights, which was won only in the past few decades.

I’m sure there are probably several other good reasons why I should vote on Tuesday, but nevertheless, I won't be voting.

I know you’re shocked. Warren, the guy who keeps up with national politics and routinely expresses his socially liberal viewpoint, isn’t going to vote on Election Day? How can this be?

Well, for one reason, in my district’s U.S. House race, incumbent David Price is all but assured to hold his seat against Republican challenger Steve Acuff. This is because (according to the News & Observer ) my district “leans heavily to the left…[where] registered Democrats make up 47 percent of the electorate, outnumbering Republicans at 31 percent.” The fact of the matter is, the North Carolina 4th District is just not in play; the Democrats aren’t going to lose it, and the Republicans haven’t fought to gain it.

I suppose I could vote for—or against—current District Attorney Mike Nifong (of Duke Lacrosse infamy)…but, eh. I mean, I know the people of Durham don’t like him because of the way he handled the scandal, but due to my general ennui about that mess, I don’t know why people don’t like him. Furthermore, Nifong’s official challenger, Lewis Cheek, says he won’t serve if elected (at which time, the governor will just pick someone to be the District Attorney until 2008), while the other challenger, Steve Monks, is the write-in candidate. So, my choices are: the guy who no one likes, the guy who won’t serve if he wins, and the guy who was too slack-ass to get his name on the ballot in time. Great.

Besides the aforementioned U.S. House and the District Attorney elections, every other race here is a single Democrat running unopposed, a race where no one is running at all, or a race for justices/judges. What the hell? I can’t even vote for a gay marriage amendment, school bond referendum, or even to change the state flower?

I suppose I could muster an opinion on the court races, but that would mean that I'd need to examine every candidate's stance on whaterver issues justices and judges stand for (which is probably just "justice" anyway). Yeah, sign me up.

In the end, I guess I should be happy that I reside in a “left-leaning” community, no matter how aberrant it is in the “red-state” of North Carolina. But, unless any of you can come up with a good reason why I should wake up early and stand in a line to vote, I’ll probably go for a run instead.

But you betta believe I’ll be watching CNN and MSNBC on Tuesday night!

Cograts, Neil Patrick Harris.

2006-11-04T23:14:00.000-05:00

Geez, it’s like a trifecta of gayness, a coming-out trinity, a word that means "three" juxtaposed with words with homosexual connotations.

First, it was Lance Bass, then T.R. Knight, and now "Doogie Howser"?

Yeah, Neil Patrick Harris (who currently plays the smooth-talking, womanizing playa’ on CBS’ hit show How I Met Your Mother) just came out. I am so happy to see yet another celebrity not afraid to be honest about his sexuality.

Afterelton.com put it this way:

It remains to be seen whether acknowledging he is gay will affect how the public perceives his role as the womanizing Barney, but it’s hard not to think that the American public must be growing accustomed to learning such news. Indeed, with the recent revelation that former Congressman Mark Foley is gay, and the apparent outing of Evangelical leader Reverend Ted Haggard, it seems every day brings news of someone else coming out.
Fortunately, Harris, a happy and content gay man, provides a positive counterbalance to those less positive images.

Indeed, this is how progress is made.

And lest you think I haven’t noticed, yeah, the blog has been kinda gay lately; I'll try to post something not-gay soon. Oh, how about this; I really like the new Justin Timberlake cd.

Um, yeah, nevermind, that's kinda gay too...

way to go T.R. Knight!

2006-10-19T18:32:00.000-04:00

On this blog a few months ago, I commented on Lance Bass coming out of the closet. As such, I suppose I should mention that T.R. Knight of Grey’s Anatomy fame just did the same.

I like two things about his revelation:

1. He doesn’t seem to want to make a big deal of it.

2. Maybe, just maybe, it’ll get the fans of Grey’s Anatomy thinking, “hey, maybe those gay people are kinda normal”.

Oh yeah, plus I have a new reason to think that T.R.’s character, “George” is adorable as all get out.

*gush*

Did the President just kill Habeas Corpus?

2006-10-19T10:16:00.000-04:00

If you blinked, you probably missed it, but President George W. Bush just suspended habeas corpus.

On Tuesday, he signed the Military Commissions Act of 2006. This bill authorizes “harsh interrogations of terror suspects” (e.g. waterboarding); while “no court, justice, or judge shall have jurisdiction to hear or consider an application for a writ of habeas corpus [for] an alien detained by the United States.” Thus, the detainee can not protest his imprisonment; nor can he look at or dispute the evidence that got him imprisoned in the first place.

In sum, if the US says that you’re an enemy combatant—or thinks that you might be—it can imprison you, torture you, ignore the Geneva Convention, and prevent you from pleading your innocence in a court of law. Oh, and let’s not forget that before all that happens, the US can also wiretap your phone without telling anyone. (you forgot, didn’t you?)

Now, it is true that this act was written and signed with current Guantanamo Bay detainees in mind; and it is also true that the MCA of 2006 suspends habeas corpus for “aliens.” So Mr. Joe American has nothing to worry about, right? Ha, yeah right. The government just suspended habeas corpus; if they say you’re an enemy, would they really care that you have a Social Security card? We certainly didn’t care about detaining Japanese-American citizens during WWII.

In the end, The Military Commissions Act sets a frightful precedent of suspending or ignoring longstanding rights and laws in the name of protecting the homeland.

Which law is next?

What also concerns me is that “the Supreme Court ruled in June that trying detainees in military tribunals violated U.S. and international law, so Bush urged Congress to change the law…” Just think about that: the Supreme Court said he couldn’t break the rules, so he had the rules changed.

I get the administration's stance: there is evil in the world that will go to any length to harm and kill Americans, and we must protect and defend ourselves. I agree with that statement; but while we’re trying to protect ourselves, let’s not ignore and trample on American laws and freedoms. If we do, what America are we protecting? George Orwell warned us of an all-powerful government that watches you, kidnaps you, imprisons you, and tells no one about it—that’s an America I’m sure no one wants. Yet, the administration seems to be constantly taking baby-steps in that direction.

Then again, I suppose if the terrorists hate us for our freedoms, and we give up those freedoms, they won’t hate us anymore, right?

trailer for "300"

2006-10-15T16:09:00.000-04:00

Adapted from the graphic novel by Frank Miller

Wow.

If the movie is as good as it looks, we may have a 180-minute dose of theatrical LSD on our hands.

Church

2006-10-13T10:17:00.000-04:00

Boy, my Duke University Divinity School friends are weird! I mean, they study obscure Biblical passages, have a more than a pedestrian understanding of Christian dogma (according to some, the Holy Spirit is a person…yeah, I don’t know either), make jokes about Martin Luther and Methodism, and have rants about the state the Christian Church.

However, the weirdest (and coolest) thing about having Divinity school friends is that they give sermons. Yeah, seeing the guy you hung out with on Saturday night stand at the pulpit on Sunday morning and led an entire congregation in worship is kinda mind-blowing.

So, a couple of Sundays ago, I went to a Sunday service at the church where my friend Chris works. And as expected, Chris stood at the pulpit, read from “the word of the Lord,” helped prepare the bread and wine for the Eucharist, and did other associate-pastoral duties.

However, what was more interesting than my buddy Chris being all pastoral-like was the congregation of the church. It was small.

Really small. I’m talking 12-16 people in the church, including me, the pastor, Chris, and his girlfriend Kelly.

Thus, during the announcements and prayer requests, I saw the hidden magic of a small congregation—it was less like a collection of worshippers and more like tight-knit community. When referring to church members who were not present, the congregation simply used first names; and there was no need to fully explain the members’ situation, everyone already knew what was going on. There was even a touching moment when the congregation expressed joy that one of the member’s health had improved to the point that he could attend service again. Members would also talk out of turn, sometimes interrupting the pastor mid-sentence—but no one cared, not even the pastor.

The congregation reminded me of what the early Church must have been like—or was supposed to be like.

This church (North Chapel Hill Baptist Church), was more than the current monolithic impersonal mega-churches, more than the hip new church with the snazzy commercial and rock concert-ish service, more to than the church going through a schism because the church elders don’t like tambourines, and more than any “Christian” church that rejects and rebukes potential members based on the most superficial and skin-deep criteria (Catholic Church and your stance on homosexuality, I’m looking at you); North Chapel Hill Baptist Church gets it.

So why didn’t I sign up? Why am I not a member of NCHBC? It’s so sad to say, but I need people my own age at a church. At this particular service, NCHBC had 3 kids of high school age, me and my two mid-20s friends, then a sudden jump to the 50’s and on up. And we’re talking up.

But at least I’ve seen what a church is supposed to be like, what a church can be like, and what I’ll be looking for in the future.

Sometimes, political cartoons just say it better than I can.

2006-10-11T08:17:00.000-04:00

Former Rep. Mark Foley's name being removed from his former plaque outside his former office

2006-10-03T07:47:00.000-04:00

word.

(and if you have no idea who Mark Foley is, shame on you. Go here.)

Nevermind, I don't want my MTV

2006-09-26T21:30:00.000-04:00

Normally, when I work out in the morning, I’m by myself in the apartment complex’s gym, so I get to put the TV on whatever I want; and I want my ESPN. Why? Well, because it's a good partner in my pursuit of buff-ness, it increases the general testosterone level in the place, and because Sportscenter is awesome.

Yet, tragedy struck yesterday morning when I walked into the gym to find that some other guy already had the TV on MTV.

Now, usually, it’s safe to assume that any member of the male species would never object to watching Sportscenter; but since he didn’t indicate if it was ok to change the channel, I didn’t bring the issue up. I just got on the elliptical machine (or the “EFX” as us Furman kids called it), turned on my MP3 player, and, um, "ellipticaled."

Please note that besides a spattering of semi, quasi, sneakily-edited, “reality” shows, I have no reason to watch MTV. Well, boy did I get a glimpse into what the ‘M’ in MTV is like these days…TRL was on, and HOORAY, it was “Spankin’ Free Music Week”!

Oh, sorry, that “hooray” was supposed to read “yawn.” I mean, we still pay the cable bill that gives us MTV, so when is the music ever “free"?

Anyway, seeing as the TV is right in front of the elliptical machine, I was pretty much forced to watch MTV for 30 minutes (luckily, my MP3 player meant I didn't have to listen). So, seeing as it's been a while since I've seen TRL, here’s what I noticed:

1. John Norris believes if he's botoxed and mystic-tanned enough, we'll forget he's 80. Seriously, this man is still working for MTV News? I’m pretty sure he was there when I was in middle school. Since then, MTV personalities like Bill Bellamy, Tabitha Soren, Kennedy, Carson Daly, Ananda Lewis, Alison Stewart, Chris Connelly, and Matt Pinfield, have come and gone.

Oh John Norris, you’re so sad. And what’s sadder is that I can safely assume that Kurt Loder is still with the network. Guys; leave; no one thinks of MTV as being a worthwhile news source. And if you are going to stay, try not to pretend that you’re still young and hip. Really now, even Anderson Cooper let the grey grow out.

2. It seems that being on a quasi-reality show qualifies Stephen from Laguna Beach to be a VJ. I beg to differ; all he’s qualified to do is smoke pot, say “that’s weak,” and…hmm, yeah, that’s about it.

3. There are more skanky-dressed girls singing really bad music than ever before. From Danity Kane to Rihanna, I’m not impressed. And, I mean, "Cassie," who the hell is that?

Where's Jill Scott? Where's Sheryl Crow? Hell, I'd even settle for Toni Braxton right about now.

4. Sean Combs still thinks he's cool.

5. The Game seems to think that if he throws around the "West Side" hand symbol, and walks around an LA neighborhood shirt-less and tattoo-ed up, we will think he's Tupac.

6. Nelly Furtado's songs are now a study in the art of dissonance. Why must the verse’s melody be so utterly incongruent with the chorus’ melody? Plus, the beat does a periodic yet sudden 180 degree turn, making the songs impossible to dance to. Even Justin Timberlake's Sexyback engages in this musical mystery. I just don’t get it, but I blame Justin's and Nelly's musical producer, Timbaland (you know he hasn't been the same since baby girl died).

7. TRL is still incapable, or unwilling, to show a music video in its entirety. Idiots. (But at least they got rid of interrupting the videos with the classic, "This is Joe from Atlanta, and I want to say hi to my dog Buster. Oh, and I really like Ashanti, WOOOOOOOOOO!!")

Now, don’t even get me starting on VH1; do they even know what a music video is anymore? Well, at least Best Week Ever is funny.

(Untitled)

2006-09-20T10:27:00.000-04:00

Squeak!!!

2006-09-16T16:28:00.000-04:00

So, around the beginning of the summer, my car’s brakes started to squeak. Not all the time mind you, just the first few times I would apply the breaks after starting the car. This was especially true in the morning, after the car had been parked all night.

Now, I wasn’t too worried about this because:
1) the brakes didn’t squeak all the time
2) the car is less than three years old, there’s no way the brake pads are gone by now.

But finally I got so annoyed by the “squeaky squeak squuuueeak” (and figured that I should ensure that, indeed, my brake pads still existed), that I took the good ol’ Ford Focus to the mechanic.

The minute I started to explain my situation to the guy behind the counter, he began to proactively predict what I was going to say next. Behind-the-counter-guy then looked over at his co-worker (I’ll call him Bob), and said, “Hey Bob, go see if it’s the typical problem with the Focus, or something different.”

It was then that they explained the situation: apparently, in an effort to help the brakes last longer (thereby saving the thrifty Focus purchasers money) Ford removed the asbestos from the Ford Focus’ brake pads.

Did anyone know that asbestos was in brakes pads? I sure didn’t. All I knew about asbestos was that it was some chemical that was used in the ceilings of buildings built in the 1970s, and had to be removed in the 1990s because we realized that it was poisonous. That, and sometimes the local news will entice you to watch the 11pm broadcast with the classic teaser: “Asbestos outbreak at local middle school, could it be yours?!? Protect yourself! Go buy bottled water! Run! Now! But be back by 11, ‘cuz we’ll also have a story about the cute dog show.”

Anyway, Bob and I got out to the car, and he confirms that my “squeaky squeak squuuueeak” problem is the typical Ford-Focus-sans-the-asbestos, dilemma. He also says that he wouldn’t feel right about replacing my brake pads, because this problem would just resurface later on down the line.

While I appreciate Ford trying to save me money, who the hell wants long-lasting squeaky brakes?!

So, there I sat, powerless in my squeaky car. You should know that I’m not worried that my brake pads may wear down to nothing without me knowing it, because each oil change/tire rotation at a Ford dealership comes with a free multi-point inspection. Nor I am worried that this mechanic was giving me mis-information, because if they wanted to swindle me, they wouldn’t have let me drive off with all my money.

Now, I haven’t been able to find anything on the internet to officially corroborate the mechanics asbestos claim (except maybe this), which sort of makes me want a second opinion. But, nevertheless, the squeakiness is really starting to grate my nerves. Every time I come to stop, I tense up in preparation, I worry about how loud the squeak will be, and I’m cognizant of people around me who will turn to see who just scratched nails on a chalkboard.

Plus, a squeaky Ford Focus communicates one of two things: either I don’t know how to take care of my car, or my car is cheaply made. I’m not a fan of either image.

So, this whole mess also makes me think of doing something kinda crazy, but possibly awesome—get the car I wanted in the first place:

The Toyota Matrix.

As you can tell, I like hatchbacks. But, considering the transitory nature of 20-somethings, I really like the matrix because it can do this:

Drool.

Of course, it’s not the sexiest hatchback ever. That’d be the Mazda 3. But I digress.

So, I’m currently contemplating if I should trade-in the squeaky car (that I was relegated to own per credit approval, mind you) and get the Toyota Matrix, and maybe be happier with my means of conveyance. On the other hand, perhaps I should be happy that I have a car at all and just make sure to take really good car of it, squeaks and all.

There’s also the issue that I have no idea how to go about selling a car, getting a good price, and turning around and buying a car from a separate car company. But, with Ford going down the tubes, and fast, I’m thinking about my options more and more.

What if September 11th never happen?

2006-09-11T01:08:00.000-04:00

Recently, the New York Times asked reporters, bloggers, columnist, politicos, and other worldly people to write on “If 9/11 never happened.” That got me thinking:
...

Michael Moore would be little more than an answer on Trivial Pursuit.

24, a television show about a man working for the fictional “Counter Terrorist Unit,” may not have been as popular.

We would not have spent so much time wondering if Rudy Giuliani will run for president.

The opening credits of Sex and the City and Law and Order: Criminal Intent would not have been re-edited to remove all shots of the Twin Towers.

$2.99 plastic American flags that attach to your car would not have been so annoyingly ubiquitous. (Really, I never got the point of that. Is the terrorist on the other side of the globe going to get nervous because the guy in the F-150 and soccer mom in the 4Runner love America and aren’t afraid to show it?)

The search for Chandra Levy, the suspicion of Rep. Gary Condit’s possible involvement, and the media’s fascination with the story would have continued to transfix America's attention…at least for a little while longer.

Most Americans would still be woefully unaware of who Osama Bin Laden is.

“Let’s roll,” “Slam dunk” and “quagmire” would be less meaningful.

Joseph C. Wilson would have never refuted the Administration’s reasoning for the Iraq war. In a reaction to Wilson’s argument, columnist Robert Novak would not have revealed Wilson’s wife, Valerie Plame, as an undercover C.I.A. As such, there would have been no investigation to identify Novak’s source; and Scooter Libby would still be the Vice-president’s Chief of Staff.

Joe Lieberman, one of the Democrats biggest and more vocal supporters for the Iraq war, probably would not have lost his recent re-election campaign.

Colin Powell’s national and international reputation as a trust-worthy and reliable man would remain untarnished.

Canada and Australia would not have recently elected more conservative leaders than the leaders that preceded them.

"The Dubai Port deal"—with its proposed control of US ports by an Arab nation—would have been approved with nary a whisper of opposition from Capital Hill.

The term “Axis of Evil” would not have been born.

There would be no Department of Homeland Security, Patriot Act, NSA wiretapping program, or color-coded scale of the terror threat.

Halliburton (without the contracts to rebuild Iraq) would not be as widely known, and its connection to the Vice President would be trivial.

Saddam would still be in power.

Iraq would not have a democratically elected government.

Iraq would not be besieged by insurgents, Al Qaeda, daily road bombs, beheadings, and mosque bombings.

The Taliban would still control Afghanistan.

Afghanistan (sans Kabul) would not currently be overrun by Taliban sympathizers, murderers, rampant opium growers and other persons hell-bent on disrupting order and change.

Without the restriciton of further military action placed on the US military due to Iraq and Afghanistan, either Iran or North Korea may have been dealt with via military force (and whichever one of those nations who wasn’t dealt with, would run back to its non-nuclear yesteryear with its tail between its legs).

The Bush presidency would have been remembered for No Child Left Behind, the Medicare overhaul, not signing the Kyoto Protocol, and would be a case study in how to win without the majority…until Hurricane Katrina.

Katrina would have been the defining moment of the Bush’s presidency. That would have provided the image of George W. Bush standing atop rubble saying “we shall overcome, we shall rebuild, we are Americans.”

George W. Bush may not have won a second term. Pre-9/11, President Bush was the whipping boy for a media intent on making him seem bewildered by his surroundings. Every picture of him seemed to convey a deer caught in headlights; seemed to communicate a man way over his head. There were many Americans who agreed with that view. But after 9/11, Bush became a “war-on-two-fronts” president; he was a president seeped in the atmosphere of 9/11, he had the entire nation behind him—he really was “the uniter, not the divider.” Yet, in the 2004 election, he got 51% of the vote. If 49% of the nation wanted to “change horses” in a post-9/11 America, how many would have been content to “change horses” without the terrorist attacks?

Excluding the 19 hijackers, 2,973 people would not have collectively and simultaneously lost their lives on September 11th (fyi, the above numbers, and ones I’m going to list below, are from Wikipedia.com; however, I’ve made a conscience decision to not hyperlink anywhere in this post).

Due to the Afghanistan war: 475 coalition forces, ~200 Northern Alliance forces, ~950 Pakistan military officers, ~1,100 Afghan security forces, and 3,485 Afghani civilians would not be dead. 6,273 Afghani civilians and 894 American military would not have been injured or wounded.

Due to the Iraq war: 2,885 coalition forces, 3,313 civilian citizens of coalition nations (included 428 contractors), 6,167 (Post-Saddam) Iraqi Security forces, and more than 50,000 Iraqi civilians would not be dead. 24,086 coalition forces would not have been wounded in action.

In sum, around 71,548 people would not have lost their lives from a direct, or indirect, result of the September 11th attacks (that number excludes the deaths of Taliban personal, Saddam forces, 9/11 hijackers, Iraqi insurgents, and other coconspirators).

The average American, even in the face of terrorist attacks in other Westernized nations (e.g. Britain, Spain, Jordan, etc), would be more-or-less unconcerned with Islamic extremist and their hatred towards the Western world. This lack of concern would last until a terrorist act as covertly planned, being executed with similar sufficiency, and having just as much shock-value and death toll as 9/11, would have been carried out on American soil. If, without a 9/11, America didn’t sit up and take notice of the going-ons of Arab world, some other act of terrorism (perhaps causing greater horror than 9/11) would have snapped us out of our reverie.

And finally, if September 11th never happen, the lyrics to Don Henley’s (of The Eagles) 1989 song “New York Minute” would not be so poignant:

Lying here in the darkness
I hear the sirens wail
Somebody going to emergency
Somebody’s going to jail
If you find somebody to love in this world
You better hand on tooth and nail
The wolf is always at the door

In a New York minute
Everything can change
In a New York minute
Things can get a little strange
In a New York minute
Everything can change
In a New York minute

And in these days
When darkness falls early
And people rush home
To the ones they love
You better take a fool’s advice
And take care of your own
One day they’re here;
Next day they’re gone.

Freedom Tower gets some company

2006-09-07T21:18:00.000-04:00

We already knew of the Freedom Tower, but today we got a fuller idea of what will take residence at Ground Zero:

How gorgeous; how awe-inspiring.

And even while I feel it's a little out of place in the rectangular, utilitarian NY skyline…

...I’ll get over it.

What a powerful statement in the form of glass and metal: 20th century citadels are standing guard while four phoenixes rise from the ashes of unspeakable horror to illuminate the 21st century with hope, progress, and humanity's newest attempt to be who we are trying to be.

I approve.

bringing sexy back

2006-09-05T21:27:00.000-04:00

Oh my.

First off, apologies to any readers who do not have a predilection for the male form, but HOT DAMN; the man is the embodiment of "bringing sexy back." And he knows a thing or two about sexy.

The Dumbing-down of Warren

2006-09-04T01:18:00.000-04:00

I was just in the presence of an intellectual discussion that ranged from: “trickle-down economics,” the true meaning of the word “politics,” does voting equal “big P” politics, a Christian’s role in the current political and social world, the need (or lack thereof) for welfare…

Well, you get the point; there was a myriad of topics being discussed. And why did I say that I was “in the presence of” and not “participating in” this rousing discussion? Because, while I had a fairly good grasp on almost everything that was being discussed, my familiarity with the intricacies of the aforementioned topics was rough, not to mention I was hampered by the sluggish speed at which I was able to contemplate or formulate my opinions.

Thus, I’ve determined that I have spent too much time outside institutions of learning; too much time not learning or thinking critically.

So, what to do? Well, I either need to get my butt back in school, or read more. Sadly, neither of those looks like it’s going to happen anytime soon. I’m damned by my too-good-to-be-true yet 40-hour-a-week job, coupled with my perpetual laziness in even starting to study for the GRE again.

(Seriously, I’ve been reading The Good Earth for two months now; who does that?)

Funny, or offensive?

2006-08-31T23:14:00.000-04:00

note: a "cox" is the guy/gal yelling "row, row faster" at the front of a competitive row boat.

Angel: Did [you] know that Stephen Hawking used to be a cox for Oxford?!
Me: um, was his talking wheelchair water-proof?

Angel thought it was funny, but it can be seen as a mighty offensive comment against the handicapped. But, I mean, seriously, the man is an talking wheelchair, and his monotone computer voice couldn't galvanize anyone. How the hell was he a cox?

And Nick, if you make one comment about me talking about "cox," I will internationally smack the back of your head.

Pluto is so weak

2006-08-24T23:05:00.000-04:00

Yeah, so Pluto is a planet no more. I'm pretty indifferent to this change, except that because of the decision, NASA give us one of the most awesome things I've ever seen:

So cool.

And check out that tiny-ness we call Earth. I mean, Jupiter makes us look like a pebble.

(if you want to see a bigger version of the picture, here's the link to NASA.)

Laguna Beach, what happen?

2006-08-24T00:36:00.000-04:00

Dear MTV,

I hate you. You get me addicted to watching an assortment of spoiled rich kids frolic, gossip, backstab, cheat, and otherwise meander through life, all while muttering the words “drama,” "dunzo," and “random” under the California sun.

You left me mystified by—yet hooked on watching—the Laguna style of going on a date, which amounts to little more than talking on one’s cell phone while your date pretends not to notice, sipping your water through a black straw, then suddenly saying, ‘’want to leave?’’ MTV, you had me wondering who in the world always goes to a restaurant, café, coffee shop, or friend’s kitchen to talk about the days’ events, yet I loved every time the kids got together to talk about the day’s events.

I was engrossed in spring breaks in Cabo, ski trips to wherever the hell the kids went, proms with overpriced giant-hole-over-the-midriff dresses , girls wearing jean skirts to special events, and model queens who moved to Laguna just to be on the show. Why, I even cared about the sidekicks; you know, like Alex H. or "Stephen's friend" Dieter.

I loved how your camaras were quickly on someone as they got a phone call. You wanted me to think that the cameraman was filming Lo as she sunbathed, and luckily caught the moment that LC called about the par-tay. Please, I know you filmed that scene 5 times, but I didn't care. And speaking of parties, I always laughed a little when the kids would take drinks from red dixie cups...what, did you really want me to think they were drinking water? Yeah, Alex M. and Jessica had thier blow-out verbal tougne-lashing fight because they were drunk off of the H2O.

And despite knowing all of it's faults, despite knowing that I really shouldn’t care about this mind-numbing drivel you created, dammit, I did care. And I really have no idea why I cared. I guess you just have that magic MTV.

But after you get me hooked, you give me the sugar-laced crack otherwise known as season 3. Season 3 is horrid; it’s the same formula, only with a pinch of pure torture. The girls are just plain mean, plus being over-mascaraed and over-taned. Plus, the guys are clueless and the boring protagonist has a voice that makes my eardrums bleed. And I want to smack the kids' parents for naming thier offspring "Kyndra", "Cami", and "Raquel".

The addiction may be over. Why did you do this? You're pure evil, MTV; evil.

With much hatred,

Warren not “G”

(oh, and readers, if you even think of chastising me for posting about “Laguna Beach,” save it; I’m quite aware of my dork status.)

President say what?

2006-08-22T00:22:00.000-04:00

Transcript from the Presidential press conference, August 21, 2006:
QUESTION: What did Iraq have to do with it?
BUSH: What did Iraq have to do with what?
QUESTION: The attack on the World Trade Center.
BUSH: Nothing. Except it’s part of — and nobody has suggested in this administration that Saddam Hussein ordered the attack. Iraq was a — Iraq — the lesson of September 11th is take threats before they fully materialize, Ken. Nobody’s ever suggested that the attacks of September the 11th were ordered by Iraq.

Presidential Letter to the House and Senate, March 18, 2003:
Consistent with section 3(b) of the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 (Public Law 107-243), and based on information available to me, including that in the enclosed document, I determine that:
…
(2) acting pursuant to the Constitution and Public Law 107-243 is consistent with the United States and other countries continuing to take the necessary actions against international terrorists and terrorist organizations, including those nations, organizations, or persons who planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001.
Sincerely,
GEORGE W. BUSH

Anyone else’s head about to implode from trying to understand this 180 degree reversal that amounts to a bold-faced Presidential self-contradiction? Well, when 61% of Americans now oppose the war, I doubt I’m the only one just a little bit confused.

Of course, with the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina fast approaching, George W. should get in the habit of explaining missteps, mistakes, and unfulfilled promises.

Geez, sometimes he makes it too easy to be a Democrat.

Breaking News

2006-08-15T21:32:00.000-04:00

The progress has progressed: Warren got smooches, some making out, some hot lip (and tongue) boy action. Finally.

This concludes our news break; you may now return to your regularly scheduled program, already in progress.

#37

2006-08-13T11:22:00.000-04:00

Who, prey tell, is 37th highest ranked liberal arts school in the nation, according to the Washington Monthly? Oh, that's right, Furman! And I know, 37 isn't that high, but let's consider:

1. Furman is in Traveler's Rest, SC; the fact that we achieve any form of superior education in a state as backwards (yet lovable) as that is an achievement all by itself.

2. Washington and Lee is 39, Vassar is 42, Colby is 49, Davidson is 57 (really?), St. Lawrence is 102.

3. Seriously, who has heard of 90% of the schools below #100?

I'm not going to lie, I'm damn proud of that 37. Keep it up Furman, you may continue to make my diploma even more valuable, I don't mind.

Thanks to Aaron for giving me the heads up.

Stupid Politics

2006-08-04T06:40:00.000-04:00

The recent legislation to increase the minimum wage has died. Why? Because the Senate Republicans attached it to a decrease in their oh-so-precious estate tax, and Senate Democrats were petty enough to kill the bill just to prevent the Republicans from having a victory right before the November elections.

And what about the minimum wage worker who couldn’t care less, one way or the other, if the rich folks are paying less taxes for their estates? Apparently, no one cares.

Stupid politics. Looks like my hopes that the Congressional Democrats may actually do something significant (you know, besides whine, complain, and forget to actually serve the American people) were premature—if not misplaced.

20 questions

2006-08-02T20:00:00.000-04:00

So, that Mel Gibson cartoon got me thinking:

Whatever happened to the two Israeli soldiers?

Their being kidnapping sparked this melee, but has Israel demanded for the soldiers’ safe return? Has Hezbollah even admitted to having the soldiers in their custody in the first place?

Have the soldiers been killed, or are they alive?

Has the Israeli government told the soliders' families that their son/husband/father was one of the ones who was kidnapped? If so, why have no relatives entered onto the world stage to plead for the soldiers’ lives and safe return?

Are the Israeli attacks endangering the lives of the soldiers being held in Hezbollah territory?

What are the soldiers’ names?

Hmm, guess people are too busy bombing to ask. That, or something is rotten in the state of Israel....

I like editorial cartoons

2006-08-02T09:57:00.000-04:00

this one is humorous, yet sad

um, ditto

For your viewing pleasure, I give you "Apocalypse Pony"

2006-07-29T18:09:00.000-04:00

Ahhh, jokes that rely on one's birth being sometime after 1981, and one's familiarity with the story of the Endtimes, are hilarious.

I'm fat? And Lance is gay.

2006-07-26T22:31:00.000-04:00

While there have been a number of blog postings here at Missing Lunchbox in the recent past, I realize that there has been a dearth of posts about my personal life. I could just say that in light of the current world events, discussing my personal trials and tribulations would seem inappropriate. But nah, really it’s just that life has been going pretty smoothly. In the near future I may post about my “trials and tribulations” with finding a new church—once I find a new church.

But, let me tell you about this: We had a “health fair” today at work. You know, one of those things where you get all your vitals checked so you can see just how amazing it is that you’re still breathing, while having ungodly fit people tell you to stop eating cookies and go with cauliflower. Well, my blood pressure, glucose level, cholesterol, and skin health were all excellent (go me!). However, according to one of those lovely little BMI machines, I’m overweight.

OVERWEIGHT? Are you kidding me, please, look at me:

Yeah, total lard ass right there.
Geez, how do I fit through my door in the morning?

To her credit, the girl at the BMI station did warn me to take the results “with a grain of salt” as they are not always accurate. Um, ya think?

Oh, and in completely non-Warren news, Lance Bass of N*Sync fame came out of the closet today.

Congrats, Lance, on being added to the out and proud list…and for having a freaking hot boyfriend (and we're talking hott).

Funny, yet true...

2006-07-20T10:14:00.000-04:00

HAHA

(By the way, who else is glad that Americans no longer have to pay the State Dept. $3000 to be evacuated from Lebanon?

And who else is mystified as to why we're going to wait a week to send Condoleezza to the region for some diplomacy? Looks like we’re going to wait for Israel to decimate Lebanon, kill untold number of civilians, ignore international condemnations, fracture itself from the rest of civilized world, and royally piss off the Arab community, all in the name of toppling Hezbollah, BEFORE we intervene. Sounds like a great idea, huh?)

Let's take a break with Beyoncé...

2006-07-19T00:30:00.000-04:00

Beyonce "DeJa Vu"

Right now seems like a pretty good time to forget about the world’s troubles, sit back and enjoy the R&B siren du jour’s newest summer hit...

World Unhinged?

2006-07-18T10:33:00.000-04:00

So, let’s review:

1.Iran is spitting in the face of geopolitical pressure by continuing it’s progression towards nuclear power. While they report to having only the purest of intentions (i.e. nuclear power plants for energy), the more likely objective of possessing WMD is as transparent as it is scary.

2.North Korea is firing rockets like it is freaking New Year’s Eve, except this event is less celebratory and more self-aggrandizing. And while these rockets spend more time falling haphazardly from the sky than they do actually working, they are certainly much better rockets than the ones North Korea didn’t have six years ago. While there is no way North Korea will be able to strike the US mainland any time soon, I’d be quite nervous if I were in South Korea or Japan right now.

3.And, good ol' Israel seems to want to bomb Lebanon into extinction. Don’t get me wrong, when two of its soldiers are kidnapped by Hezbollah, Israel has every right to respond forcefully; but Israel’s response is completely disproportionate to the crime. To put into perspective, the bombing of Beirut is reminiscent of the U.S. attack against Afghanistan, but that was in response to the September 11th attacks—that response was proportionate.

This over-the-top response is clearly not just about the two Israel soldiers; it is also about Israel not sitting idly by while its neighbors call for the death of Israel. This is about a people who believe that God chose this land for his people to settle and live, and the Israelis are not about to disobey God’s wishes. This is about a people who escaped slavery, wandered the desert, saw their temple burned (twice), spent about 1800 years in diaspora, were vilified for causing the death of Jesus, and then were systemically tortured, killed, and almost eradicated by the Nazis. I think that in the end, the bombing of Lebanon is Israel declaring that they “ain’t taking shit from anyone anymore”.

The problem is that a good chunk of the Arab world still wants to give them shit. These particular Arabs sees the presence of Israel, and all western influence in the Middle East, as an affront to Muslim sovereignty and dominion over the Middle East. But, the problem is even more basic than that: Israel is bombing Lebanon, with whom Syria and Iran are aligned. Hell, the entire region will be aligned with Lebanon if this bombing campaign continues much longer. And so here goes Israel and Hezbollah, about to plunge the Middle East into chaos unimaginable.

Can we call this a powderkeg? Sure. The perfect strom? Maybe. World War III? Well, that’d require at least two world powers facing each other from opposing sides (and I fear that an Iranian/North Korean alliance equates to one world power).

Now, can the current volatile state of the world be blamed solely on George W. Bush? Certainly not; the roots of this problem stretch back…well, centuries if you want to get technical. However, it still remains that U.S. military attention and force is bogged down in a quagmire caused by a misguided attempt to find WMD that we had no proof existed before the war, and found did not exist once we got there, while getting the added bonus of toppling a dictator whose strength and influence barely existed outside his nation’s border. The fact that we are "bogged down" presents the question: if diplomacy doesn’t work, does the U.S. have the ability to have a viable or realistic method to bring these three abovementioned situations under control?

In addition, as we all know, there a number of world issues that could benefit from the attention of the most powerful and richest nation in the world: the ozone layer is gradually become little more than an ozone screen, the US gulf coast seems to be just as unprepared for this hurricane season as it was for the last one; the starving and genocide in the Sudan continues unabated; and the might of the US military may soon be needed to bring two rouge nation-states in line while at the same time extinguishing the volatile Israeli/Lebanonese situation. However, the United States has no choice but to continue to commit itself to being the buttress holding up the wobbly Iraqi government—for an undetermined length of time I might add.

And somehow, despite the fact that the world is flirting with coming completely unhinged, I remain strangely optimistic that humanity will make it through. Perhaps this is because, from WWI to WWII, from Hiroshima to the Cuban Missile Crisis, from the Cold War to India/Pakistan, it still hasn’t happen.

Here’s hoping that our luck doesn’t run out.

In remembrance

2006-07-13T00:54:00.000-04:00

Because I fear that we're beginning to forget...

progress

2006-07-05T00:01:00.000-04:00

I met a guy through a friend over the weekend. This guy, who is gay, and I had fun hanging out with our mutual friend Jon, but I didn't think much of it...until this IM conversation:

[his IM name]: fyi i thought you were damn cute
[his IM name]: *blush*

Hey, it's progress, I'll take it. And although he lives in Winston-Salem NC, there was the exchanging of cell numbers, so we'll see...

When did the Democrats get a backbone?

2006-06-27T22:41:00.000-04:00

The Democratic Party has been all but neutered since...um...John Kerry's run for president? The Republican "Contract with America"? Jimmy Carter? Lyndon B. Johnson's lack of a second-term? Yeah, that one.

But, in the past two days, two separate events have rocked this liberal's socks off:

1) (First, a little background) The Federal minimum wage has remained at $5.15 since 1998. In contrast, the US Congress has raised its salary from $136,700 to $162,100 between 1998 and 2005. That's an increase of $25,400 over seven years (or an increase of about $3,628 each year)

So, the minimum wage worker hasn't seen a pay increase in almost a decade, but the Congressperson has seen a substantial pay increase during the same time period. Now the Democrats deserve some blame for the anemic minimum wage, but who has been in control of Congress for all that time period--and the White House for most of it--the Republicans of course.

That is why I'm so proud to see that Senate Democrats want to raise the minimum wage to $7.25, while simultaneously blocking a Congressional salary increase. Is it possible that the Democratic Party, who stills holds just a minority in Congress, may actually stand up and do something substantial and worthwhile for the nation? Oh God, please say it's so.

(I’ll refrain from debating which is better: giving tax-breaks to rich and expecting the benefits to “trickle-down” to the lower-income individuals, or giving more money to the lower-income individuals, who will in turn pump money into the US retail economy. If you want to have that discussion, email me)

2) You may remember that back in March, Senator Russ Feingold introduced a resolution to censure President Bush, based on the President's controversial wiretapping program that some consider to be circumventing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. I must say, the concept of any politician speaking his mind by proposing legislation that will probably go nowhere, simply because that politician wholeheartedly believes that the said legislation needs to be proposed, is politically incredible. The concept of that politician being one of the current incarnations of Congressional Democrats is all but astonishing.

Well, Senator Feingold continued to be a politically rarity when, on this past Sunday NBC's "Meet the Press," he once again spoke his mind. He discussed, with veracity, honesty, intelligence, and eloquence on subjects such as the Iraq war, potential troop withdrawals, whether the war has made America safer, and defending himself against Vice-President Cheney's perennial charge that anti-Iraq sentiment boils down to "cut-and-run" and other hot-button issues.

I'll let the man speak for himself:

Russ Feingold on MTP June 25, 2006

russ feingold

While I don't agree with every word Senator Feingold said, it is clear that he's not regurgitating some pre-approved Democratic talking points; he's talking from the hip. If the Senator Feingold keeps saying what he means, and meaning what he says, I may just weep for joy.

Supporting a minimum wage increase AND Democrats speaking their mind; Democratic Party, are you revived?

Ahhh! Real Monsters!

2006-06-27T10:10:00.000-04:00

Congrats to Nicole Kidman for marrying the (non-psycho, non-couch-jumping, non-homosexual, non-closet-case, non-Scientology drone) country crooner Keith Urban. Congrats to Keith Urban for being about the luckest man on the planet.

With that being said, forget Nancy Pelosi, Nicole Kidman's over-botoxed dad scares the ever-loving beJesus outta me. Ahhhh.

click at your own peril.

(He reminds me of that guy in "Hannibal" who was in the wheel chair and got eaten by the warthogs. Freaky.)

Yeah, right

2006-06-24T14:37:00.000-04:00

These guys were plotting a terriorist attack against the Sears Tower?

Please, they look like rejects from the rap group Bone-Thugs-n-Harmony. And they asked for boots, uniforms, machine guns, radios, vehicles, bulletproof vests and $50,000 in cash from al Qaeda to wage their proposed jihad against the U.S. That's not a very good jihad-waging list; but wow, they would have been the most strapped guys on the block. And $50,000 can buy lots of pot, which it appears that these fellows enjoy.

Oh, and the guy they were requesting their supplies from wasn't from al Qaeda; he was from the FBI.

Terrorism should never be funny, but damn this is just hilarious. Idiots.

Nothing could be finer than to be in CAROLINA in the morning

2006-06-19T23:00:00.000-04:00

Carolina Hurricanes: Stanley Cup Champs, 2006.
Hells Yeah!!

Fair and Balanced

2006-06-17T12:51:00.000-04:00

In the interest of "fair and balanced" criticism:

As a democrat, it is so sad that Democratic Party may take a majority of Congress in November, not due to the party's strength and vision, but rather due the public's dissaifiaction with The Grand Ol' Party and the President.

Plus, I'm pretty scared of the current House Minority Leader, Nancy Pelosi, becoming the Majority Leader. No; seriously, her face scares me, and I don't want to see it more than I have to.

Republican Hypocrisy

2006-06-10T16:06:00.000-04:00

From a friend’s “bulletin” on myspace:

Ronald Reagan - divorced the mother of two of his children to marry Nancy Reagan, who bore him a daughter only 7 months after the marriage.

Bob Dole - divorced the mother of his child, who had nursed him through the long recovery from his war wounds.

Newt Gingrich - divorced his wife who was dying of cancer.

Dick Armey - House Majority Leader - divorced

Sen. Phil Gramm of Texas - divorced

Gov. John Engler of Michigan - divorced

Gov. Pete Wilson of California - divorced

George Will - divorced

Sen. Lauch Faircloth - divorced

Rush Limbaugh - Rush and his current wife Marta have six marriages and four divorces between them.

Rep. Bob Barr of Georgia - Barr, not yet 50 years old, has been married three times. Barr had the audacity to author and push the "Defense of Marriage Act." The current joke making the rounds on Capitol Hill is "Bob Barr...WHICH marriage are you defending?!?

Sen. Alfonse D'Amato of New York - divorced

Sen. John Warner of Virginia - divorced (once married to Liz Taylor.)

Gov. George Allen of Virginia - divorced

Henry Kissinger - divorced

Rep. Helen Chenoweth of Idaho - divorced

Sen. John McCain of Arizonia - divorced

Rep. John Kasich of Ohio - divorced

Rep. Susan Molinari of New York - Republican National Convention Keynote Speaker - divorced

While I do not have the time to confirm the validity of all those statements, I have no reason to believe they are false; especially since I already knew about some of them. Also, I know that two of the greatest Americans to ever live—Franklin D. Roosevelt and Martin Luther King Jr.—both had affairs; if these two great Americans could stumble in their fidelity, what would prevent Bob Barr from making a career out of getting divorced?

So, it seems that the abovementioned Republicans have done a pretty good job at “threatening the sanctity of marriage” without any homosexuals involved.

Ahhhh, Republican hypocrisy never gets boring.

No 40 virgins

2006-06-09T06:58:00.000-04:00

I'm not quite sure what meaning or message this imagery is supposed to convey. Perhaps that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi either performed or oversaw a number of ruthless beheadings and other forms of violence, and the above is his Danté's Inferno -style eternal punishment. Perhaps it is some form of Islamic imagery to which I am unfamiliar. Whatever the message, it does convey that the bastard is nowhere near those 40 virgins, and that is enough for me.

And while I wish that his death translated into a decrease--or discontinuation--of the insurgency-inspired violence in Iraq, I doubt it...

Watch out!

2006-06-06T06:49:00.000-04:00

HA!

("Compassionate Conservative" my ass.)

What constitutes The South?

2006-05-29T18:39:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, my new friend Ben was waxing poetic about his home state of Arkansas. Now, I’m not going lie, I didn’t think there was much to be proud of in Arkansas unless you supported Bill Clinton—or lived in Little Rock. Nevertheless, Ben taught me to appreciate the Ozarks, Razorbacks athletics, and Arkansas’ strong Southern culture.

Excuse me, Southern culture? Arkansas?

Now, I know you may find it strange that a gay black man loves the South (and trust me, I find it just as strange), but I never considered Arkansas to be part of my Dixie. But after my personal—and I’ll admit haphazard—test of Southern-ness (prevalence of Rebel Flags, sweet tea, Confederacy membership, unbearable humidity) I decided to concede and recognize Arkansas as the South. Upon retrospect, I should have also inquired about the local pervasiveness of kudzu and use of the phrase “y’all,” but we all know that hindsight is 20/20.

So, for your edification, my South now constitutes: Southern Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas.

And now, to explain the notable exclusions:
1. Northern Virginia (or NOVA, as the locals call it) cuddles right up to the sprawling metropolitan area of D.C. As a result, NOVA’s attempt at an identity is lost in the shadow of a capital known for its progressiveness and intermingling of diverse national and international cultures, both of which constitute an antithesis to the South.
2. Kentucky is on the fringe of being the South, so I’ll consider the state if someone convinces me to care about it.
3. Texas can't be the South because everyone from there seems to wants Texas to be its own nation anyway.
4. Florida, much like California, is such an American oddity that marches to the beat of its own Red Bull fueled manic drummer, that sometimes I wonder if it’s still considered part of the nation, let alone the South.

In other news, Pennsylvania is a Mid-Atlantic state, maybe even the Mid-West, but not New England (if you were wondering).

Do I crave the center of attention?

2006-05-25T22:33:00.000-04:00

Ahhh, life is returning to something that resembles normalcy. I’m four weeks into the six week training at the new job, I have received the first paycheck, and the new apartment is no longer buried under a clutter of boxes. I suppose you could say that “the flux” has subsided.

Oh, and the wedding of Lindley and Mark was wonderful, as was the carpool down to Greenville (thanks for the company Linda and Phil).

But something has been troubling me since Greenville. The night before the wedding I was talking with my friend Kat who was also down for the holy matrimony. Kat randomly wanted to confirm her hypothesis that a certain Furman graduate and I did not get along, because, as she put it, “your similar personalities might clash.” Indeed, this Furman grad (let’s call him “Sturgeon”) and I aren’t exactly friends; but we’re not enemies either—at best, we’re acquaintances.

Well, as the conversation with Kat continued, she half-way said that both “Sturgeon” and I tend to dominate conversations. Um, wow.

So, now I wonder, “do I dominate conversations?” Certainly, as an only child whose parents divorced, I was the focal point of my mother’s attention. Perhaps I crave that same attention in other venues in my life—with friends, social situations, facebook, this blog, etc

Could it be that my sociability verges on being domineering?

Maybe I need to tone it down in social situations: stop focusing on myself and my stories as much, while simultaneously lessening the expression of my humor, verbal quips and one-liners (which would directly contradict this blog's existence, I know).

Or maybe I don’t over-dominate conversations. Maybe my ability to excel in social situations is not due to me browbeating other people into social submission, but rather due to me just excelling in social situations.

I haven’t really figured it all out yet.

What was that clicking on the phone?

2006-05-19T07:18:00.000-04:00

Yeah, we're getting a little closer to "Big Brother" here.

(Although, I gotta say, I’ve never put much stock in the idea that terrorists want to kill Americans because we have freedom of speech, press, to bear arms, religion, or judged by a jury of our peers. This is because I think someone on the other side of world who’s just trying to make it day by day couldn’t care less about what political concepts make Americans’ lives more free.

I mean, do they want to kill us because they’re jealous that we can peacefully assemble?

No, they want to kill us because our government has a long history of getting involved in, and manipulating, foreign nations’ political and social climates, including—but not limited to—surreptitiously supporting coups. That, and our presence and influence in the Arab world (not to mention our support of Israel) are seen as an affront to Islam and to Arabs controlling their own part of the world. Not saying that any of that warrants terrorist activity, just saying that's why terrorist hate us, not our freedoms.

Wow, didn't expect to go on that tirade...)

Ring Finger

2006-05-08T20:45:00.000-04:00

As I've gotten older, I've noticed some new interest have entered my world.

I now care about 401(k)s and IRAs. Getting good medical coverage rocks my world. I watch CNN like it's my religion, and I see MTV as a stinking pile of crap that destroys your mind and sense of what is good and evil.

I realize that by renting an apartment instead of living in a townhouse, I'm essentially throwing my money away every month. I have become inquisitive about where to purchase the best furniture for the best price (which has lead me to bemoan that's there's no IKEA closer than four hours away, and forced me to accept that Target may not actually be the best place in world).

Furthermore, everyday I'm more and more upset about how much the state and federal government waste my tax money. (WHY am I still paying for Social Security?)

Well, today, I realized that I have achieved another rite of passage into adulthood. Twice today, I found myself looking at an attractive male's ring finger to see if he is married. TWICE. I knew people did such things, but geez. Is it possible that guys my age are more likely to be married than gay? (um, yeah, rhetorical question, I know the answer.)

Is it possible? Am I getting old?

What's next? Will I be impatient to receive AARP benefits? Will I start watching C-Span? Will I call the 16 year old speeding by in his Mustang a "young whipper-snapper?" Will I go on a harangue about when I had to walk to school, up hill, both ways, in the snow? Will I wax nostalgic for the days when gas cost less than a dollar a gallon?

Oh wait, I already do the last one…crap.

Life in Flux

2006-05-07T15:59:00.000-04:00

I officially declared early May, “Life in Flux;” when life will be turned upside-down, shaken, tossed around, and then wait around for me to put it upright. There are three reasons for the life in flux:

1. THE NEW JOB:
Yes, once again I have a new job. The mentoring thing didn’t work, mainly because the money was inconsistent (I only got paid for when I physically interacted with a client), so I did the job search once again and hit pay dirt. I will be working for Biogen Idec, doing over the phone customer support for clients taking Biogen’s Multiple Sclerosis medication.

Trust me, the job is awesome: not only do I get to help people with a debilitating disease (something I love), but I also get medical, dental, vision, 401(k), stock options, and an unreal salary—this a real person job.

The new job also means that right now I’m one week into a six-week training for the new job, and that I won’t get a paycheck until the 19th, which may mean that I’ll have to pull out the credit card that hasn’t been used since college, just to make it until the 19th.

2. LINDLEY'S WEDDING:
This upcoming Friday I’ll be driving down to Greenville, SC for a friend’s wedding. I like weddings, and I like Lindley and Mark together, so this event would not be stressful if it weren’t for the wedding being on Saturday, me driving back to Chapel Hill on Sunday, and on Monday moving into…

3. THE NEW APARTMENT:
Indeed, the Monday after Lindley’s wedding, I’m moving into a new apartment with the current roomie Diana. In addition, I have to be completely out of the current apartment by Tuesday.

So, in the span of four days, I’m going to be in Greenville at a wedding, driving back to Chapel Hill, moving out of one apartment, and cleaning and vacating the current apartment. I’m tired just writing that.

Plus, I’m not looking forward to that transition where you have to get all the utilities switched over to a new residence—I may be without cable or the internet for a while (shudder).

My life should be back to normal by the 21st, expect more blogging around then.

Hooters Hokey Pokey

2006-04-30T13:33:00.000-04:00

Since it was my last week at the coding job (blog post on the new job coming soon), last Thursday my co-workers decided to take me out to lunch. Awwww.

Now, apparently there have been questions in the office about my sexuality, partly due to the fact that I only came out to a select few co-workers, and partly due to the fact that I’m apparently not the most straight-acting gay man on the planet. So, in an attempt to determine my sexuality, my co-workers decided to take me to the restaurant that no gay man finds intriguing (or stimulating).

Hooters.

I suppose they thought that I would be against eating at such an establishment, citing the objectification of the women’s body or some such, and thus confirm my homosexuality. Instead, I was thinking, “mmm, greasy food, bring it on!”

Our waitress was nice, the table conversations were lively, the food was…um…mediocre, but the big moment came when our waitress pulled me from our table to go do the Hooters Hokey Pokey. She had been informed that this lunch was in my honor, and saw it fit to help me celebrate...or rather have me do something embarrassing in a room full of strangers.

And so, with Hokey Pokey music playing, and rather timid, uninterested onlookers forced to observe this display in Hooters culture, I was made to put my “right wing in” (elbow), then my arms, legs, and “whole chicken.” As usual, this dance was punctuated by shaking of aforementioned appendages, tuning myself around, clapping, and proclaiming that “that’s what it’s all about.” Hilarious.

My co-workers were impressed with my “being a good sport.” I’m impressed that I’ve now been to Hooters.

sidenote: The employees actually called the dance the "Hooters Pokey" to fit into the flow of the song. I refrained from refering to it as such, because poking a hooter just sounds wrong. ha ha.

$2.89 a gallon

2006-04-26T15:29:00.000-04:00

The jump in gas prices has hurt, but it could be worse.

Everyone with a fuel-efficient car, please stand up.

White House shake up

2006-04-22T09:39:00.000-04:00

Ha ha.

Indeed, when the guy who was in charge of the budget is now in charge of the White House staff, and the guy who handled policy and politics dropped the policy, are you really getting a refreshed staff who will help pull you up from a 33% approval?

How do you?

2006-04-18T20:05:00.000-04:00

How do you tell a friend that he’s drinking too much? No, scratch that; how do you tell a friend that he’s getting drunk too much?

How do you tell him that his recent over-indulgence in alcohol and marijuana is unhealthy? How do you tell him that he is using substances to escape the uncertainties in his life?

How do you tell him that, as a man who wants to become a pastor, as a man through which the Christian and non-Christian world views Jesus Christ and the Lord God, he is doing the religion a disservice?

How do you tell a “brother in Christ” that he is stumbling?

And what do you do to help?

I suppose I’ll find out soon. Sigh.

God Be in My Head

2006-04-16T19:53:00.000-04:00

I attended Easter service at the Duke University Chapel, and the choir sang such gorgeous choral blessing. The paean was so soft; it verged on being a lullaby, but its words were so powerful and touching, that I wanted to share the blessing with you all:

God be in my head and in my understanding. God be in mine eyes and in my looking. God be in my mouth and in my speaking. God be in my heart and in my thinking. God be at my end and in my departing.

by John Rutter

llegal Immigration

2006-04-11T22:01:00.000-04:00

(Note: I use the term “illegal immigrant(s)’’ to refer to any person from any another county who enters the United States via clandestine and non-legal means with intention to reside here long-term.)

Monday was “National day of action for immigration justice,’’ a massive, nation-wide demonstration which advocated the rights of—and pushed for amnesty for—illegal immigrants. The issue of illegal immigration has been in the news for weeks now, and during this time, I have attempted to wrap my head around this complex issue and determine where I stand.

And where do I stand?

On one hand, there is the argument that illegal immigrants do not pay taxes and do not possess necessary documentation to make use of services afforded to American citizens, thereby causing a drain on American resources. You may think that illegal immigration can not cause that much of a drain on resources, but there are an estimated 11-12 million illegal immigrants in the nation. Many, if not most, of these immigrants have children who attend public schools; but these families do not contribute tax dollars for school upkeep and improvement—legal immigrants and American citizens are paying for illegal immigrants to go to school and use school resources.

Furthermore, hospitals are required to assist whoever comes through their doors, even if the patient has no health insurance or a personal means by which to pay for services (illegal immigrants rarely have either). With no way to seek compensation for services rendered, the hospital has to eat the cost of the services, which in turn causes them to raise fees and costs, which causes health insurance companies to raises prices to compensate for higher hospital bills. Yeah, classic snowball effect.

During this illegal immigration debate, I have been very disturbed and confused by the notion that illegal immigrates have some form of “rights’’ that the American government is trying to ignore or circumvent. This notion is perpetuated when people avoid using the term “illegal’’ when discussing “illegal immigration.’’ You may call them “illegal,’’ you may call them “undocumented,’’ but in the end, these are people who gained entry into this nation surreptitiously. They purposely and knowingly avoided the proper channels and process by which to enter the nation, and as such, are not citizens of this nation. So, while illegal immigrants certainly have human rights, they have no rights under the U.S. Constitution. The American government can not circumvent the rights of people who have no (Constitutional) rights.

I have also been baffled by protesters proudly waving non-American flags during pro-illegal immigration rallies and demonstrations. I do not understand what place another nation's flag has at a demonstration that tries to encourage change in the American government. Having pride for your native country is fine, but such pride does not, and will not, persuade the American government, or people, to support your cause. Thankfully, the protest organizers have disseminated the idea that the American flag should be used to persuade the American government to action. Yet, the fact that this idea had to be disseminated demonstrates the protesters’ lack of appreciation and understanding of the nuance of this complex issue. Do they really understand how to get what they want in the confines of American society, history tradition, and culture?

Furthermore, do the protesters understand that for most Americans upholding the law is paramount? If the protesters do understand this, how can they advocate for better treatment for law-breakers? As I mentioned before, illegal immigrants are called such because they broke the law. The idea that we should forgive law-breakers and help them better themselves baffles me.

Imagine, if you will, that you take a vacation for a month. Now during your vacation, a homeless man breaks into your home, eats your food, and wears your clothes to go on a job interview. You then return home to find your house occupied by the homeless man’s family. You order him to leave, but he refuses, citing that he has found a job, that his kids are in school, and to make him leave now would be inhumane. However, he suggests that you should make room for him and his family in your home because he deserves to be treated fairly. This allegory reflects the (unsound) logic used by supporters of illegal immigrants—the supporters would let the homeless man stay.

Supporters of immigrants also claim that illegal immigrants “do the jobs that Americans won’t do.’’ The jobs that are supposedly too demeaning for Americans are: construction, housekeeping, large-scale yard work & landscaping, low-level restaurant staff, etc. But I argue that there are Americans who will do these jobs. I once met a man who lays concrete during the warmer months. He does a job that is not easy, prestigious, or high-paying, but it is a job that he can do. However, every winter he is out of work when it gets too cold to lay concrete. With a lack of job openings in his field, he spends the winter months at home, jobless. Here is a man who takes a job during the summer that most Americans would avoid, but he can’t find work during the winter. Supposedly, illegal immigrants are doing jobs that he wouldn’t, but I think that he would take these jobs if he could. And what of the homeless population with their “will work for food’’ signs? Yes, some of them are mentally unfit to hold down a job, but these men and women desire employment to lift them up out of poverty. In all, where American politicians and illegal immigrant supporters see Americans who won’t take low-paying jobs, I see an untapped workforce.

In light of the above tirade, you’d think my opinion on illegal immigration would be cut and dry. But, in the end, illegal immigrants are trying to better themselves and their families. I know that if I lived in a developing nation and saw a way to gain entry into one of the richest nations on Earth, I’d do whatever it takes to get there. And the fact remains that illegal immigrants want to work hard, make a decent wage, and achieve the American Dream—a universal goal for most Americans, legal and illegal.

Furthermore, as an American, I remember the words emblazoned on the Statue of Liberty,

Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!

Also, as a Christian, I KNOW that God and Jesus Christ see no distinction between “legal’’ and “illegal’’ Americans—that kind of love is unrestricted. In my lifelong journey to be more Christ-like, shouldn’t I try to emulate such loving-kindness?

Alongside my American and Christian status, another facet of the illegal immigration debate complicates my opinion of the issue. There can be no easy, uncomplicated, inexpensive, and/or universally agreed-upon method by which to remove all illegal immigrants from this nation. Illegal immigrants are here, they have burrowed deep into the underbelly of the American workforce; they are a buttress that numerous American businesses rely on. In essence, any federal dragnet meant to remove illegal immigrants would be too porous to get the job done, and too immediately destructive to American business and the economy.

So what are the options? Cut and dry amnesty for those who knowingly broke the law, and continue to do so every second they spend in this country, repulses me.

As mentioned above, forcibly sending every illegal immigrant back to their nation of origin would be complicated and improbable, if not impossible.

Granting illegal immigrants some form of less-than-full-citizen status would clearly create second-class citizens, which is not a viable option.

So, it seems that a guest-worker program is our best choice; but I fear that such a program will come nowhere near resolving the issue.

I suppose that all I can do is hope that our elected officials can make sense of this complex, emotionally-volatile, core-defining issue and devise a workable solution.

I’m not holding my breath…

Katie Couric

2006-04-06T09:34:00.000-04:00

I don’t know about Katie Couric’s move to CBS. I mean, the ''whole first female solo anchor'' thing is all well and good, but as the above cartoon insinuates, Katie may not be the best choice as an evening news anchor.

Sure, she reported the news on the Today Show, but she also moderated cooking segments and showed us the new-spring fashions. She’s like that nice neighbor lady who would bake you cookies, show you her new milkshake maker, discuss the protest in France, tell you what Salma Hayek is like, and ask how your first year at college went.

In other words, she’s trustworthy, intelligent, and resolute; but she’s also sweet, personable, and non-threatening. I’m not sure those last qualities are what are needed behind the anchor’s desk of a hard hitting, news driven program.

Of course, the other problem for CBS—and in general, the concept of the evening news cast—is that by 6:30 pm, people have already gotten the day’s news via their cable stations. I know, personally, by 6:30 pm I’ve already watched an hour of The Situation Room with Wolf Blizter (CNN), an hour of Hardball with Chris Mattews (MSNBC), and 30 minutes of Lou Dobbs Tonight (CNN). That’s quite a force for CBS, ABC, and NBC to compete with, and I don't think that Katie Couric is the solution.