Help me out here...

...'cause I'm not getting it.

American in custody kills himself
Article here.

Cambodian police said an American police officer accused of sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl killed himself Tuesday while in custody in the capital. Local and U.S. authorities said the death was under investigation.

Donald Rene Ramirez of San Francisco “committed suicide by firing two bullets into his mouth,” said Keo Thea, chief of antihuman trafficking police in Phnom Penh.

Committed suicide by firing two bullets into his mouth.
WTF? I'd like to know more.

It is..., It is..., It is purple.

Can cauliflower get any more unappetizing? Yes. Yes, it can.

Time to break out the sunglasses.

Halloween TONIGHT

*Distracting myself from the MSU/IU game*

Galien is holding Trick or Treat this evening so my Aunt is bringing the little sprogs over in about an hour. I haven't seen them in a while so I volunteered to go walking with them. I think that they will be a little more animated this year. Now that they are able to walk and--good grief--run, I might have to exert some energy to keep up with them.

After that and consuming my fee, I will head on over to Carrie and Justin's party. It sounds like it is going to be a huge blast. I'm going as an M&M. Partly because I want to make fun of myself for working in a candy store and partly because, the costume was free and available. Pictures? I doubt it. But you never know...

UPDATE 30 October:

They make me feel slimy.

The emails are coming in with the elections only days away. My poor yahoo account. It is swamped with political messages from governors and politicians that I have never heard of. A new one came into my box today from the RNC. They want me to provide my cell phone number in order to join GOP Mobile. "GOP Mobile means you can stay informed and be an activist whether you're waiting in line at the store or out and about on your lunch break." [sarcasm]That sounds so awesome![/sarcasm] The thought of getting spamned on my cell makes me want to vomit. They're already bombarding me with crap on the TV, radio, internet, email, snail mail, and phone. Screw them if they think I am going to let them have access to the one communication device left between me and the people I actually want to talk with.

Itching To Get Away

I don't suppose anyone would want to plan a trip with me to Yosemite?

<--I really want to climb that.

I'm serious. Anyone?

Looking Forward to the Vote

Apparently yesterday was the last day to register to vote. And here I thought I had procrastinated too long. Even though I have been back to my home town for almost two years, as far as the state was concerned, I was still back in East Lansing. So over a month ago, I went down to the Secretary of State office to correct my residency. The office led me to believe that the wait for a voter ID would only be a couple weeks. I got mine a few days ago—a few weeks late.

I take my right to vote very seriously. I am proud to say that I have not missed a vote since I became eligible in time for the 2000 presidential election. However, the 2006 midterm election will be the first election where I will be able to vote for representatives in the districts I call home. The reason is because when I lived up at MSU, Michigan law required compelled me to register as a resident of those districts. So I am actually excited for this year’s.

I am providing an edited list of what my ballot is going to contain and who I am voting for (in bold). I’m not one of those people who won’t tell you who they voted for. Oh, this is going to come back to bite me in the ass, I just know it. I have also included this year’s proposals. Michigan allows her citizens to vote on constitutional amendments. Of special interest is Proposals 2, 4, and 5.

Proposal 2, or the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative (MCRI), would ban all affirmative action programs used by public institutions. This amendment is actually targeted towards universities such as Michigan State University and the University of Michigan who use race as a factor in their admission evaluations. It was actually a court case (Gratz v. Bollinger?) that involved the University of Michigan that touched this off.

Proposal 4 strengthens Michigan's current eminent domain clause. A few years ago, a local government authority somewhere in or around New England took over private residencies using their eminent domain powers. They intended to turn these private properties over to another private entity so that they could be developed for economic reasons (better tax revenue). The residents went to the United States Supreme Court arguing that they could not do this because eminent domain only allowed the government to seize property for public use which this did not. The Supreme Court disagreed. This touched off a lot of anger in the general public. Here in Michigan, we will decide if we want to strengthen our eminent domain clause to prevent something similar.

Proposal 5 sounds good but it also sounds bad. It would require additional spending on education and require that funding raises match the rate of inflation. That sounds nice and all but what happens when there are huge deficits in the state budget? This amendment would require that money be taken out of the general fund. That, to me, doesn’t strike me as smart if this state can’t be flexible in its spending priorities.

MY BALLOT

Governor
Dick DeVos (R)
Jennifer Granholm (D) incumbent

United States Senator
Michael Bouchard (R)
Debbie Stabenow (D) incumbent

State Senator, District 21
Ron Jelinek (R) incumbent
Valerie Janowski (D)

State Representative, District 78
Neal Nitz (R) incumbent
Judy Truesdale (D)

Michigan State University Board of Trustees (vote 2)
Dave Porteous (R) incumbent
Of the current list of the remaining candidates, I haven’t decided on the second trustee but it will probably be Dee Cook (R).

Proposal 1:
“A proposed constitutional amendment to require that money held in conservation and recreation funds can only be used for intended purposes.”
NO.

Proposal 2 Michigan Civil Rights Initiative (MCRI):
“A proposal to amend the state constitution to ban affirmative action programs that give preferential treatment to groups or individuals based on their race, gender, color, or national origin for public employment, education, or contracting purposes.”
NO.

Proposal 3:
“A referendum on Public Act 160 of 2004—An act to allow the establishment of a hunting season for mourning doves.”
YES.

Proposal 4:
“A proposed constitutional amendment to prohibit government from taking private property by eminent domain for certain purposes.”

The proposed constitutional amendment would:
• Prohibit government from taking private property for transfer to another private individual or business for purposes of economic development or increasing tax revenue.
• Provide that if an individuals principal residence is taken by government for public use, the individual must be paid at least 125% of the property’s fair market value.
• Require the government that takes a private property to demonstrate that the taking is for public use, if taken to eliminate blight, require a higher standard of proof to demonstrate that the taking of private property is for a public use.
• Preserve the existing rights of property owners.

Should this proposal be adopted?
An emphatic HELL YES.

Proposal 5 Educational Funding Guarantee:
“A legislative initiative to establish mandatory school funding levels.”
Undecided.


*Ballot information taken from the fine folks at publius.org who provide non-partisan information for Michigan voters.

It's a Boy

Early in the morning this past Wednesday my friend, Sara, gave birth to a boy. His name is Ethan.

Got the time?

From looking at RED’s pic, I have to ask, does anyone wear a watch anymore?

For most of the year my skin is maputí but once I get out into the sun, I go dark fast. So I hated wearing a watch. Eventually a white band of flesh would form on the forearm. Since getting a cell phone during college and always keeping it with me, I’ve never worn a watch again. It seems to be the case with a lot of people. How about you?

Boss, we need to have a talk.

A girl walks into the store while Tracee and I were working on a project. I greeted her and asked if I could help her find anything. She said no. I left it at that. Eventually the girl bought something and left.

“You’re as bad as Scott!” Scott is a guy known to us who doesn’t hide his leering at women—particularly when they are petite brunettes.

Surprised at the apparent insult, I asked, “What?”

“You were so checking her out.”

Sputtering, “I was not.”

“Oh please…”

The girl was beautiful yes, but I was not over her like Scott would have been. Had it been the Centennial guy… that would have been a different matter. I wouldn’t have been able to speak. I would have drooled all over myself.

I hope she's not a college student.

“A year is, like, three hundred and seventy-four days.”

Like, for sure.

Apple Cider

This is one of the reasons why fall is my favorite season. The cider is flowing!

Wait until it's on cable.

I expected so much from Dane Cook. If you haven't already, don't bother spending your money at a theater to see "Employee of the Month." It's really not worth it. It has its moments, but not enough to make the $3.50 ticket worth it.

This is why I'm not in control.

The United Nations has adopted a resolution to impose sanction on North Korea. Watching Fox News and CNN, you would think that the U.S. scored some major victory or something. Hardly the case. The resolution simply calls for a ban on military hardware such as, "tanks, warships, combat aircraft and missiles." How does that hurt North Korea or make it more willing to give up its nuclear ambitions? It doesn't. North Korea doesn't need to import tanks, warships, aircraft, and missiles. In short, this resolution is as impotent as the organization that passed it.

I had an IM conversation with Lee the other night. Lee is a friend that I knew from MSU and during my time at UPLB. He's from South Korea (but don't ever refer to him as a South Korean) and I would think that he would have a great view of the situation. He says that things are pretty tense there but that the people are trying to get on like they always have. He described the stock market there as having collapsed. I found that funny since our markets have been running well since the news of the "test" broke.

Back when were in the Philippines, we had a couple conversations about North and South Korea and reunification. Many South Koreans would prefer not to change the status quo. To do so would be disastrous for them. If reunification was to take place, the South Koreans would have to spend their time and resources trying to rehabilitate the North Koreans. Such a situation would be vastly more difficult in comparison to the German reunification. The disparity between the two nations is too great and they don't want to deal with it. So that explains why South Korea, China, and Russia are reluctant to do anything to upset the North Koreans. They don't want to deal with the potential mess.

I've come up with a half-baked solution. The international community should tell China that it would be free and welcomed to take over North Korea. Let the Chinese come in and they can set up North Korea as a Special Administrative Region--or whatever they want to call it. The Red Army would still be able to oppress control the North Koreans while they try to liberalize (relatively) the economy and society.

• North Korea would finally realize that United States is not going to attack them. Instead, the U.S. would be seen as willing to let other people go after the regime which is a far more unsettling thought
  
• South Korea might find the idea of China on the doorstep to Seoul so revolting they might actually get off their asses and do something to try and save their northern brethren.
• Russia can still sit on their hands and let the Chinese tackle their border issues.
• Despite their problems with the Chinese, the Japanese government, I'm sure would much rather see a stable North Korea in Chinese hands than an unstable one on the loose.
• The Americans can finally tell the world to, "shove it. If you don't like the way we do things than you do it." 'Cause we all really want to but are too proud to let it happen.
  

I didn't realize you updated

There's something wrong with my browser or maybe it's blogger but sometimes people's sites don't show up as current. A few months ago I noticed it with Minge's site. Every time I would type in his URL or clicked on his link, I would get to his page. For a while, it looked like he hadn't updated. I kept arriving at the same date. Then one day, after checking his site out again, I find out that he has been updating for three weeks!

I found three more blogs that have been doing this. This weekend, I will be putting blogs on RSS feeds. It slows down my browser, but at least I can be sure that the blogs I'm looking at are current.

A New Season in Television

I was going to post this tomorrow but Brian is prodding me to say something on the Battlestar Galactica season. I’m going to go a little further than that however. As I have mentioned in a previous post, I wasn’t too excited about this fall’s new lineup. I still hold to that opinion but there are a few shows that I want to talk about. I won’t be watching as much television this year but that’s a good thing. It leaves me more time to be doing things I should have been doing all along like studying for the LSAT’s and looking for a better job.

I haven’t really decided whether or not I like these new Doctor Who episodes. Doctors 1-7 seem totally different to 9 & 10. It’s almost like I’m watching a parallel universe. It’s not only watching events of a different Earth, but also the style in which the series is portrayed. I’m not saying it’s bad but I am nostalgic for the old Doctors.

I’ve only watched the first two episodes of this season. So far the new Doctor seems to be a likeable guy. I expect my Doctor to be a little grumpy which may explain my affinity for the seventh Doctor. But this last Doctor, played by Eccleston, made his grumpiness exasperating. Maybe it was because he was the last time lord and it brought a negative edge to his abrasive personality. Sometimes, he just seemed mean. So I’m glad to see a change.

Although my dad didn’t really care for it, I’ve liked the way they portrayed the first two episodes. They brought back two characters that were featured in the previous season. To the viewer, one was a hero, the other a villain. Then they turn those views around. The hero acts like a coward and the villain becomes an object of sympathy. It shows more gray in a series that has always been black and white.

This show continues to impress me. It remains the only program that I look forward to watching ever week. It has pulled me in and I can’t look away. Everything about it is appealing: the characters, the mythos, the hazy storyline and direction, and social commentary. It’s all fascinating.

If are lucky and have a high speed internet connection, you can go to the SciFi website and see some webisodes that were released prior to the season premier. It’s by no means necessary to watch them in order to understand what is happening with the regular episodes but it is nice to have some more back ground information.

Last season ended with newly elected President Baltar ordering the settlement of New Caprica believing it was safe from the cylons. Turns out it wasn’t. A year after settlement, the cylons find them and begin an occupation. Admiral Adama has the remaining fleet jump away vowing to return.

This season opens up a few months (four?) into the cylon occupation. Colonel Tigh has started a resistance (wrongly referred to sometimes as an insurgency.) They begin targeting higher profile targets with morally questionable tactics. Meanwhile back out in space, Admiral Adama begins his plans to liberate the New Capricans.

I won’t lie. I was not happy with the direction Ron Moore took with finale. But you know what? This guy took a franchise and tooled it to what he wanted it to be. In the beginning, people vowed that they wouldn’t watch it. It was a bitch fest. I loved it. With all the changes, I loved it. Even during seasons one and two there were plenty of times where I didn’t like something but I have always gotten over it--usually by Thursday. For all I know, this season is going to be even better than the last. I’m trying really hard not to like or dislike something based on my own expectations. Seriously, I’m already beginning to think this show is better than Trek.


Desperate Housewives
What happened to this show? It was so great in the first year. It was okay in the second. Now, I don’t even know why I watch it. (Well, other than to see what happens to Andrew.) I’m sure there are other critics who can articulate this better than I, but there is something missing from this show. I can’t put my finger on it. I’m still watching but now I think it’s only out of hope that it will come back to its former glory.

Brothers & Sisters
I like this show! I saw the series premier because I felt lazy after watching Desperate Housewives. At first it seems boring as hell but I think it is great. Too bad I think that the show is going to be cancelled and fairly soon.

I like the whole conservative/liberal tension between Kitty (Calista Flockhart) and Nora (Sally Field). Sometimes, I don’t think people appreciate another person’s point of view. Sometimes, we don’t appreciate how our views affect other people. It tears at my heart when I see mother and daughter act so nasty to each other but then again, I know that they love each other. This tension has a lot to do with Justin (Dave Annable) who fought in Iraq and it adds a level of heartbreak.

South Park
I didn’t realize that the new season has started, but the other night’s episode was a riot. 9-11 conspiracies—gotta love ‘em.

That Cold White Stuff

And so it begins...

Grandma said that winter would be coming early this year. If the snows actually stay on the ground this year, I may have to try out skiing again.

The Food Category

I'm a little paranoid about eating hard foods right now. My mouth has stopped bleeding and I don't want to reopen the wound. Yesterday, I was eating only soup. Soup is good. I like soup. But I like soup once in a while not three times a day. I told my mom she was cruel when she cooked up some great smelling Chinese food for Dad and herself while I got stuck with beef and vegetable soup. I've learned that there are some downsides to this whole teeth removal. I'm getting around it though. In one case, I'm actually glad I don't have to eat some things.


Voortman's windmill cookies are my favorite manufactured cookie. When I was little and living in Key West, FL, I used to call them sandal cookies. If my mom or dad came in with a bag of Voortman's I would always beg them to get more sandal cookies. Why did I call them sandal cookies and not windmill? Well, I didn't know what a windmill was at the time and the only thing that my mind could attach to the cookie were sandals. They looked like the soles of my sandals to me. Missing my wisdom teeth won't keep me from eating these delicious things. Just dunk them in some milk and you're all set to go.


My dad likes licorice. My dad likes real licorice is the stuff that is shown above. Pay attention John P., this post is for you. This is Kookaburra licorice and it is imported from Australia. It is the most vile imported candy that we sell at my store in my opinion. However, the old people like it and buy a lot of it. And when they willingly pay $6.99/lb, it's not like we are going to stop providing it. I think we should though. The stuff reminds me of congealed industrial sludge. Every now and then, my dad will "encourage" me to try some of the crappy foods he likes. He's given up on the licorice, but he did try to get me to taste his pepper jelly. Blech. At least I have an excuse not to try his suggestions. "It might get lodged in the gums and cause an infection." Total BS.

Pass me the Vicodin

<<--See also: Sean's post, "To Quote M*A*S*H: 'Best care anywhere'"

About a week ago I started to get a pain whenever I would bite down. Have you ever chewed on aluminium before? Stupid thing to do I know, but I've done it before and the pain was like that. In my left molar region it felt like electricity was sparking between my upper and lower molars. I gave it a couple days to go away but it wouldn't. So I set up an appointment with the Doc.

Now I am proud of my teeth. It has given me few problems. The last time I had a cavity, I was in sixth or seventh grade. Every visit since then has only involved general cleaning and check-ups. I haven't been to the dentist in a few years since I was dropped from my mother's insurance. I figured, I could go without. By the time I'd have problems, I was sure that I would have landed a job with a dental plan.

My self diagnosis was that I had a cavity in my lower molar which has been erupting and impacting since high school. Every now and then it would get inflamed but it would always calm back down. It was recommended that I get it removed but I nixed it since it wasn't giving me problems and I hear that having a wisdom tooth pulled sucks donkey balls. It does.

Today was my first time at Dr. B's new office complex. It was impressive and high tech. When I went in this morning for my diagnostic, the lady there let me view the examination using a camera. Turns out I was right. The bottom molar had a cavity. I couldn't really tell, but she could. An x-ray was taken and Dr. B wanted a better look so a panoramic x-ray was done and the results were not good.

The bottom tooth was bad enough but it turns out that the top was even worse off. It had extensive decay and the beginnings of an infection! A flash of horror must've crossed my face as I recalled Sean's ordeal in Iraq. I didn't care about the cost anymore. I wanted those sons of bitches out.

The extractions were not as unpleasant as I thought they would be. I was numbed up pretty well. I was handling everything well especially when they went in with the power tools. I only started to get worried when he was pulling out the teeth and I felt like bone was breaking inside my mouth. Odd sensation.

It's been a number of hours and I'm resting with the pain pills at my side. Called in for work since I didn't think that it would be a good idea that I work using pills that would make me drowsy. So far, I've been bleeding and it's difficult resisting the urge to spit. Apparently keeping blood in your mouth promotes healing by forming a blood clot. I look like frakin' vampire. Ugh.

I did manage to get little fun out of it. While I was at Wal-mart getting my prescription filled out, I made out like I couldn't talk. So I tried communicating with a pad and paper and tried out some of my limited knowledge of American Sign Language.

In a week, my mouth should be back to normal--I hope.

Where do you call home?

Have you heard of the expression, “home is where you hang your hat?” Do you think that is true? If I was offered a job in Barrow, Alaska, would I go? At this point, I’d probably say, “yes.” It would be an adventure. How many Americans get to say they’ve been there? But you can be assured that at the first chance I got, I’d be out of there on the first dog sled available. I’m very discriminating when it comes to places I would consider settling down and making a home.

A few days ago, NPR had two gentlemen discussing the rise of China. During the program, they talked about their study abroad experiences. Both lived there and speak the language fluently. One still lives there in Hong Kong. I can not imagine living in a place like China for long—much less want to. I spent five months in the Philippines a few years ago and I nearly cried when I dropped beneath the cloud cover to see—of all places—Detroit. And if I could get misty eyed over that hell hole, you know that I was ready to kiss the ground when I finally landed.

When I think about living abroad, there really are only two countries that I would actually consider living in—Australia and England. Even then, it would have to be in Canberra, Sydney, and London. I don’t count Canada as living abroad. It’s practically like living in the U.S. *ducks flying vegetables*. But as with Australia and England, I’d only find lower Ontario and lower British Columbia as acceptable.

I’m very discriminating when it comes to the States as well. Take a look at this map. If you think about it, there’s not much about my home country I find acceptable either. But, I will go wherever life takes me. If I’m willing to take on Barrow, AK, surely I can find a way to make some place like Salt Lake City a home.


Midwest: Of all the places I’ve lived, this is where I feel most at home. Friendly folks, conservative lifestyles (for the most part), cheap products, and some of the best natural resources the world has to offer: arable land and plenty of fresh water. But notice the area in northeastern Indiana and western Ohio. I swear that place is one huge farm with towns sprinkled in.

The Eastern Seaboard: I like the East Coast. I’ve never been farther north than Philly but I’d say with the exception of NYC, I could live anywhere there and still feel comfortable.

Stepping Back

Warning: This post is a sob post. Don’t read on if you don’t like this sort of crap.

In a way, if you read what I write, you get to see my more emotional side—more than what my friends see. The way I present myself in real life, I am guarded and come off as cold and somewhat pessimistic. Not a real nice person if you meet me right off the back. Well, I’m not that bad. I’m cordial and polite, but I rarely have a warm smile or exhibit an inviting personality. I like to think, though, that people I do let in, they get to see or at least understand that there is something deeper. I’m sure if I paid a psychologist, he’d say that it was because I try to keep people at a distance because I fear them knowing my true self.

Despite my hardened exterior, I am so emotional that I wonder how I even control it. I’ve even entertained the idea that I might be bipolar. I’m not. I’m actually on the level most of the time. There are times, though, seemingly out of the blue, where I am really high or extremely low. What throws me, however, is that I don’t know what throws me into these fits. Beginning on Friday, I knew that I was entering a funk. Yesterday, I stared at this blog wondering if I should delete it. I might wish that I took back some of the things that I have written, but I didn’t want to loose everything. This blog has been going on for almost three years and I felt like I would be deleting some history. I did have one plan of action. Sitting in draft mode, is a post where I say that I will be taking a break from blogging.

I know why I’m in a depressed mood. I’m lonely. It’s not the typical loneliness where I am longing for that special someone. No, this is a paranoid no one-likes-me loneliness. And it goes back to the idea that no one likes a downer. Do I come off as a person who doesn’t seem to be nice to be around? Am I mean? An ass? Too geeky? Too depressing?

Lately, it seems like everyone I know is moving on. They are pairing up or finding new relationships. Of my friends here that live nearby and hang with, I am now the only single person. Other friends, have gone off and are doing there own things. The situation even extends into the blogosphere. I try to tell myself that this is a great thing. People should go out there and find people that make them happy. It’s terribly selfish on my part to expect them to stick around with me. For example, a relationship with Erin would never have worked out. I told her that it wouldn’t be fair for her because I can’t give her what she wants and deserves. And there it is, if people are moving away from me—it must be because I’m not enough.

This isn’t a cry for attention. Well, it sorta is because I’m writing about it. But that’s not the real motivation. Look, I really do love and appreciate my friends. When times, like these happen I have to think of the better times like last Saturday. You all who visit and comment (or not comment), you are precious to me as well. Don’t worry, I’m not going to take a break from the blog. I’m going to trudge through. Just wait for me on the other side.

*

A Poke At Population

If it hasn’t already, the U.S. is about to welcome its three hundred millionth resident. While the United States is the third most populous nation in the world, it is far behind China and India which boasts over a billion people each.

Remember a few years back when overpopulation and unsustainability seemed to be some big scary monster that would destroy our way of life? It kinda went hand in hand with global warming. When the world population hit six billion, I remember this old guy on the television saying that the world can’t accommodate much more people. I’m no longer hearing that anymore. In fact, I’m hearing about the perils of societies not having enough children?

Decreasing fertility rates are most noticeable in the European countries where the average number of kids a woman produces has fallen below two which is the minimum needed for a sustained population. Basically, the population of Europe is aging and not enough children are being born to replace the adults. Countries such as Germany and France have to bring in guest workers.

Now we are bringing an ethnic element into this mess. Nations that bring in immigrants are beginning to worry not only for their aging citizens, but also about the foreigners and what affect these newcomers may have on their societies. Whether it is the Algerians in France, the Turks in Germany, or the Mexicans in the United States, no one can deny that the population demographics are changing towards something different.

As America’s 300,000,00th person is born, or steps off a boat, plane, or shipping crate, I want to address some of the xenophobic sentiments that I see. Any attempt to preserve the American culture as it exists right now is futile. (The Europeans readers are probably wondering, “What culture?”—Whatever bitches.) We are not a stagnant society. Each wave of immigration does change or at least nudges us on to something new. If it didn’t we’d probably be eating Quaker’s Oats everyday! :-P Who knows, maybe those Algerians can embolden the French and perhaps teach them some manners at the same time.

Those doomsday predictions have morphed into a warning that there are going to be consequences for not being productive enough. So to those generations coming after me: Have more kids. I want to see some of that Social Security money I paid in.

<<---See Also: Unwind

Mandie took three pics of Karl and me and she chooses what has to be the worst of the three!

Disgraceful.

I’ve been avoiding writing a post on this. It’s ugly and well, frankly, I don’t need to give any more ammunition to those who sit across the political isle. I’m talking about former Congressman Mark Foley. Quite rightly, I think it was right of him to resign and I really hope that the FBI goes after him. A political pundit observed that if Congressman Foley had ditched the internet and just had sex with a page, he probably wouldn’t be facing charges since the age of consent in D.C. is 16. I might have to look into the actual statute. I’m led to believe that if this had happened in Michigan, Congressman Foley would have been guilty of statutory rape. But now I’m moving one hypothetical into another.

Should Congressman Foley have been booted? Most definitely. I would be interested in the context of the situation in which the other members of Congress supposedly knew about Congressman Foley’s behavior. There are calls for House Speaker Hastert’s resignation as well. I think that at this point, that is overstepping the bounds. But I am willing to entertain an investigation’s report into the matter. For if it is shown that other members of the Congress were somehow covering up for Foley, then they need to be brought up on something as well.

I have no tolerance for politicians who get themselves into these messes. It doesn’t matter whether they are Republican or Democrat. They are held to a higher standard of conduct and ethics. When they start loosing their integrity, they need to be removed. And I will claim that Foley needed to resign for the same reason why President Clinton should have.

It looks like it’s going to be ugly for the Republicans in November. And although I was thinking that I was going to cast my own vote of no confidence so to speak, I think I will be voting in my incumbents. My state rep and congressman are really good guys and I will not put them on the chopping block because of my own frustrations with the party and administration as a whole. Republican candidate for governor, Dick DeVos can kiss my ass.

In Three...

Been tagged by Minge.

3 smells I love:

• A cake baking
• BBQ
• New electronics

3 smells I hate:

• Burning leaves
• Newly opened gummi candies
• My father’s farts

3 jobs that I have had in my life:

• Retail associate
• Intern for an elected representative
• Food service

3 movies that I could watch over and over:

• Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
• The Hunt for Red October
• And yes… Finding Nemo

3 days of fond memories:

• The day that I got to experience a hurricane and left the house to look up into the eye
• Touring D.C., Andrews AFB, and the Pentagon with my AFROTC friends
• Prom, Junior year

3 jobs I would love to have:

• Intel Officer, United States Air Force
• Documentary Crew for travel shows
• Sniper

3 places that I have lived:

• Las Vegas, NV
• Wiesbaden, Germany
• Key West, Florida

3 things I like to do:

• Drive/explore/travel
• Hike
• Surf…the net

3 of my favorite foods:

• Lumpia
• Pizza
• Potato and Sausage soup

3 places I would like to be right now:

• Yosemite
• The Grand Canyon
• Hmm, maybe Australia since they’re going into spring and of all the places in the southern hemisphere, it’s the only place I’d want to set foot on.

3 websites that I visit daily:

• Blogger
• The Drudge Report
• MSNBC

3 things that make me cry: (I’m changing this to things that made me cry)

• Watching the Twin Towers come down
• John walking away for the last time
• Bambi’s mom getting shot

3 friends that I am tagging:
Sorry, not going to name names but if you’ve read this please feel free to do it.

What's Next

Justin and Carrie invited me to their Halloween party on the 28th. It’s going to be costume. Well, people can show up without a costume, but it’ll cost ‘em $10. $5 for those who do show up in costume. The reason why is they want to recoup some money. Apparently it is going to be big. Great! It’ll be like college all over again. Again, I’ll be working that night but I don’t think that it will be a big deal. Parking may be, however. Tracee’s got a Blue M&M costume that I can use for the party. Cool. The Candy Man going in as candy. (Kraig has me down in his cell phone as The Candy Man. Ass.)

Erin doesn’t seem to be on the ball, but I am looking forward to some time in November where we will go bar hopping in Grand Rapids. I am saving for that night.

Unwind

With the new and outstanding loans, I haven’t been doing much in the way of recreation since most of the money that I’m making is for paying down the debt. But a person can’t stay cooped up in the house and at work for so long. Last Saturday night was my night that I was going to do something fun.

I still had to work a shift on Saturday so I was going to arrive at Erin’s party a little late. That night, I was also training a new hire. Not to be mean but this new girl can not count. For example, she had to give back 47 cents in change to a customer. I watched her pull out two dimes, a nickel, and two pennies. If you think that is bad enough, watching her fill out the closing sheet (where you count everything) is like having your teeth pulled. Eventually, she got it squared away and we were able to leave. I would have gone straight to the party but I needed to get some gas ($2.04/gal!) and stop by the ATM. Then I would have to hope that I didn’t get jacked as I made my way through the Niles ghetto.

Erin’s place actually isn’t too bad. It sits by the high school, across from a residential gas station, across from a parking lot, and two buildings away from a bar. So it’s really easy for her to have guests and keep them entertained. At first, there didn’t appear to be many people there but they were in the basement playing beer pong. But in the upstairs living room, I saw Amanda (Erin’s sister) and her friend Karl. Karl! I hadn’t expected to see him. Of course, a picture needed to be taken of Amanda’s “homo friends.” Amanda’s boyfriend was there and I was introduced to him. He seems like a very good guy. He’s a Michigan fan, but I won’t hold it against him.

Downstairs, a bunch of people were getting done playing beer pong. As they were setting up the next round, I talked with Justin, Carrie’s husband. He’s looking for some pharm techs at his place and said that if I was interested, I should check it out. Well, if it pays more than my current job—hell yes! Bonus if it’s full time with health benefits. Sign me up. Around this time Kraig and Stacey showed up. Always good to see them. Thankfully they showed up to take the next round of beer pong. I didn’t want to play. The game actually grosses me out.

Instead, I went for the 4 Kings table. There was a large group so we used two decks. I had no clue how to play. I just went along with it. Drank when I was told which was pretty much every time someone picked up a card. Fucking waterfall. God, I hated that card – especially if I had to drink after Bobby and Kevin.

Sporting a little buzz, I went with a few of what was left of the crew to the bar. Mainly to kill off the buzz before I drove home. The place was small but it was packed in a bit. There wasn’t room for us so we made our way to a back room where we found dip and chips. Food! Glorious food! It was dark so I took a little bit of every dip they offered. Holy cow, there was this one that was so freaking good. It looked like French onion and even tasted a little like it but it wasn’t. It was probably spinach. (How long is E. Coli incubation?)

While we were there, Kraig and Stacey, whom I haven’t seen since their wedding, complimented me on my dress at their wedding. (Umm, don’t read the previous sentence the wrong way.) Seriously, they also noticed that their wedding guests—particularly from Kraig’s side-were dressed down. Stacey looked genuinely pleased that I looked great. Even Kraig said that I had a cool shirt. Well… you know… I aim to please. :-)

Erin hasn’t told me, but I think she’s dating this Reggie guy. I think his name is Reggie, at least. I like him. Definitely, I like him more than that Will guy she was seeing earlier.

I made my home around 2:30 that night. I wasn’t 100% sure if I should drive but most of my drinking was done at midnight. It probably wasn’t my smartest decision ever but I did drive home. What a great way to end the month. I just wish I could have at least made it to the Apple Festival this year. Oh well, there’s always next…

Be Back Soon

I'm still around! I've either been working, reading, or doing something fun (read: stupid), but I will be back to posting like normal in a bit.

But before I go back to work, I want to yell,

HOW THE HELL DID MSU LOOSE TO ILLINOIS!?!

Oh, and I will need suggestions for a costume but stay tuned for a posting on that and more later.