Bring Back Old Nick

Minge recently had a post about the 1980's and asked his readers what they remembered. Japanesewhispers mentioned The Mysterious Cities of Gold. I got a little excited because I remembered that cartoon from my childhood too. But I immediately thought of Spartakus and the Sun Beneath the Sea which ran back to back with Cities of Gold on Nickelodeon.

Basically it is about this civilization that exists at the center of the Earth. Their artificial sun is dying so they create Arkana to travel to the surface and find help. She picks up two children and a man named Spartakus and together they have to travel back through the various worlds to get back to the center of the Earth.

The show is French being called, Les Mondes Engloutis. I really wish that I could get my hand on the English copies. Unfortunately only the French made videos for sale.





I always thought that Arkana reminded me of my mother.

The Sunday Trap

Here a couple of pics of the church that I belong to-St. Paul's Lutheran. The congregation belongs to the Michigan district of the Missouri Synod.

Up until my confirmation, our services were pretty conservative and deviated little as the church seasons came and went. Divine Worship II every single week it seemed like. Shortly after my confirmation the pastor transfered. No one talked about it. When I asked my parents about it, all they said was that there was some kind of issue between the pastor and the Board of Elders. Rumor had it that Pastor K. had been caught by an elder buying lottery tickets. Because gambling is a no-no in the church, he got flak for it I guess.
We had transition pastor for a while. Then an orthodox pastor stayed for a while before he accepted a call out west. The current pastor is alright even if he is a bit of a ham.

St. Paul's used to have a number of vicars coming through for training. Our last one caused quite the commotion. After the 9-11 attacks, I believe it was the synod president who participated in an inter-faith prayer service. That caused an uproar with the more conservative members of the church who do not believe in joint services with other heterodox churches. Our vicar was one of these and he left to form his own church. Two prominent families left with him. We haven't had another vicar since.

I genuinely like this church and have a hard time considering leaving it. While the church itself seems to be conservative, the members themselves are very nice and friends. Granted, it takes a while for a newcomer to be accepted but it doesn't take long if there is some effort. The pastor is extremely friendly and very outgoing. I hear he drives motorcycles.

Take away their benefits too.

From WLNS:

A new poll says Michigan voters may support the idea of a part-time state legislature. The poll was recently conducted by the Detroit News and WXYZ TV. 51% of voters surveyed said they support the idea of having a part-time legislative government while only 33% opposed it. Another 16% was undecided.

I could get behind that. As for Congress, while I think it may not be a good thing put them on part time, but I would like them to shorten their session down to four months. The rest of the time, they should be be working in their districts working for their constituents.

C'mon Rain!

It's raining like crazy in the plains but we're dying of thirst here in the Great Lakes region. We need some rain soon. Here are some pics from my back yard.

Muggy Beach

^Almost clear skies but very hazy.
It feels like the Philippines around here. Time to hit the beach.

Books

This is the Chamber of Commerce but used to be the old Library. I think, though, that the city keeps its records in this location.


This is the "new" library which is located about two blocks north by City Hall.

Movies

This was the Niles movie theater, also known as, "the Ready." It's name was the Ready 4 (for) because it only had four screens. The building used to be a traditional theater house. On the upper level you can see the balcony and the stage. Two screens occupied what was the lower level of the theater. And the last is where the backstage was. It had a lot of character and I was upset that they decided to close up and relocate to the Wonderland retail store building. The new theater has new amenities and more screens but I still miss the old theater. Wonderland may not be the most attractive building, but when you can see current movies for $2.50 or $3.50, you wind up not caring.

Niles City Hall

Whatever happened to the Queer Golden Rule?

Wow, Tyler Whitney is popping up all over the gay blogging circuit but the rest of America doesn’t care. Mr. Whitney is an 18 year old staffer for a Republican candidate for President. He was outed. This has caused a little firestorm amongst the gay bloggies with many calling this guy a bigot, an a-hole, and even worse. The way some people have responded to this, Mr. Whitney is fit to be tied to the stake and burned for not being a good little gay.

I do not deny that Mr. Whitney has done some pretty offensive stuff. Carrying anti-gay placards that aren’t even fit to be called “homophobic” certainly strikes points against him. However, as I read more about him the more I genuinely feel the need to reach out and hug him. Because I know that he has got to be feeling pretty alone. He’s getting grief from two communities who are openly hostile to which he belongs -conservatives and gays.

I have to ask though, is he really deserving of such scorn? Look, his “crime” is working for an anti-gay Republican politician. Again, I say Republican since anti-gay Democrats and their staff are not targeted. Anyways, you can make a fair argument to say that politicians and actors have given up their rights to privacy. Thus any action they take that is contrary to their own behaviors is fair game. I don’t agree with that but I concede that it’s a fair point. What I don’t agree with is that same view can be extended to their employees. While Mr. Whitney has worked to undermine they gay community, I haven’t seen any evidence that he still supports anti-gay views since he has come out. (Supposedly, those anti-gay demonstrations took place before he came out.) In view of his working for Rep. Tancredo, I can cut him some slack for having to work on projects that are not in line with his own views. But c'mon, Tancredo? He even gives the Bush family the creeps. I have had to explain a representative’s position on Proposal 2 (Michigan’s Same Sex Marriage Amendment) to gays and their family members. It sucks but you do your job.

There are grounds to be angry at this kid. I’m not happy with what he has done (or yet, continues to do—I don’t know) but I have to be the person that I want others to be. When I started the coming out process, it scared me to death that not only wouldn’t I be accepted by conservative friends and family but I would be rejected by fellow gays for simply being me which is a gay conservative. Reading some of what has been said about him, I wouldn’t be surprised one bit if he never wants to approach us. We eat our own and that’s sad. So I am going to hold out hope for him and give him the space and respect to make his own choices. I know that a person can reconcile two positions that seem so opposed to each other and whatever things I may hear about him in the future, I hope it’s good.

h/t The Malcontent, North Dallas Thirty, Queer Conservative, who were talking about this (read the comments, I dare ya).




*I got this poster from a Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) meeting which were giving away free material from the Young America’s Foundation which is a related organization. It’s the same YAF chapter that recently got listed as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. I went to the one meeting and never went back because the members (even at that time) were pretty vile with their rhetoric. And if Kyle Bristow is anything like he is portrayed, it sounds like the chapter has become even worse. Really, I could definitely tell the difference between them and the College Republicans.

Beautiful Brick

Downtown Niles hasn't always looked this. To be frank, it used to be pretty damned ugly. Up until a few years ago, most of the buildings were covered up in aluminum in a pitiful attempt to make the buildings look more modern. Then the town got a grant from the state government for a historic renovation of downtown. Most of the aluminum siding came down and building faces restored. (I remember the four buildings where the Main Street Antique Mall is now, used to be a huge gray slab.) Some buildings such as these have retained them. In addition, the sidewalks were bricked and shrubbery planted. Also, the street lamps were removed and replaced with period replicas. The town now has an ordinance that requires any new buildings to have a certain historic appearance. There was talk about putting in a roundabout at the north end of Main Street by city hall. Instead a bank was built.


The Newman Building (Niles Corner or First Source Bank)is one of my favorites. Can you see how covering this up with metal would be a crime?





In the back alley, these buildings' primary colors reminds me of Sweden. I don't know why.

Show your roots.

This area of Michigan has a large contingent of families of German decent. For instance, I am 37.5% German. My grandparents who were the first born here in America were not introduced very much to their own culture. My great-grandparents came over on the ships and their language and many of their customs died with them. World War II certainly didn’t help things. However, some families around here have held on to their past and some are still able to speak German. I can see a little bit of the German side in my dad and Grandma. Both can speak a few words and phrases. Dad will occasionally cook up German cuisine. Saurkraut? Practically a family dish.

I haven’t been to a family reunion in over seven years despite the fact that our family reunions take place every year and are always within the county. (The B__s* don’t travel far from home.) The last one I’ve attended was the Heritz family reunion. The experience was a little odd for me since I don’t consider myself part of that family. Then there was the Krieger family who I didn’t even know existed until I went. Now we’ve been invited to the Grant family reunion. Who are these people? I have trouble keeping track of my first cousins!

According to family legend, we have royal ties to Scandinavia. At first, I heard that this was through Great-grandpa B. Now, I’m told that it was actually through Great-grandma Grant whose family fled to the UK when the royal court was overthrown. I’d be interested in seeing some proof.

On my mother’s side, I may not be completely Malay. According to my Aunt Lolita, our family may be mestizo. That is, I descend from a Spanish colonizer. During the occupation, the Spanish forced locals to adopt Spanish surnames. (From a Madrid directory if I remember correctly.) So the Guerrero name could have come from that. However, my Grandma Guerrero’s family used to be large land holdings that were confiscated by the Japanese. Her family, aside from herself and her sister were killed.

*I’m trying to avoid coming up on Google searches.

Bear Arms [.]

Considering Minge’s comment yesterday on my dad’s rifle, I thought that I would post about gun rights and a little bit about gun culture in the United States. Today’s picture is of a gun shop that is in Niles about five streets down from where I used to live. Even when I was young I looked at it with mild amusement. It was near the worse neighborhoods in Niles. In fact, the last street riot was one or two blocks over. So it seems to me that it is perfectly situated.

Growing up, I was always around guns. Rather, I was always around people who used guns. While on a military base, men could be walking around with assault rifles and I wouldn’t give it a second thought. What I really would have liked to have seen were the laser guns that the military supposedly was supposed to be developing. Now that would have been cool. When Dad retired, I lived with my grandparents for some time. Grandpa was a hunter so I was exposed to that. I’ve even seen him use a pistol on the farm to kill captured rodents. But I was raised to never touch a gun without an adult around. Besides, the opportunity to even come in contact with such a weapon was very rare. The closest that I’ve ever really gotten into such things was when my Uncle Art let me use an air rifle that shot pellets but I quickly lost interest.

Hunting and the firearms that went with it largely died with my grandfather. Although my uncles have been on hunts with Grandpa, none of them hunt. My dad expresses no desire to go out in the wilderness to bag a beast and neither do I. But, as you have seen, he does own a rifle. He never uses it but it’s there. I’ll have to ask why he never got a side arm from the Air Force. Although he received training, I don’t think he was ever issued one since he wasn’t in combat role nor ever likely to be in one. Still, it has to be possible that he could have gotten one. I mean, if he’s got a SAM (spent, of course) lying around, why not a pistol?

The possibility of me owning a firearm is not out of the question but it’s very low on my to-do list. I’d like to take it up, but I fear that I don’t have the time or patience to properly deal with such a tool. The training, costs, and hassles (like cleaning), isn’t really worth appeasing my curiosity. In short, I don’t care for guns but I support any responsible person if they want to have one. Of course that position is simplistic.

The Second of Amendment in the Bill of Rights says, “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” Both sides of the gun debate have dissected this amendment to death. Gun supporters say that this amendment gives people the right to own firearms. Some claim to the point that it allows a person to own any type of firearm without governmental interference. Gun opponents on the other end of the spectrum claim that the amendment was meant to arm a militia, and since militias are now obsolete, so is the amendment. Some claim to the point that the government has the ability and even duty to ban guns completely.

Going back to the Revolutionary War, we must remember that the uprising against the British was largely dependent on militias from the various colonies to rise up for rebellion. To raise militias and later, the continental army, the revolutionary leaders needed ordinary men to leave their homes and take with them their own arms. Even the philosophical argument to the Second Amendment comes from the belief that all governments are not to be trusted and that there is a “cycle of tyranny.” A safeguard against a tyrannical government is an armed public.

Personally, I believe that the Second Amendment does afford the people the right to arm themselves. However, unlike the more radical supporters, I think that governmental regulations on this point are appropriate and needed. The volumes of various laws that could be written on this are too much to even dream about but I suppose it would be good to highlight some of my own personal opinions:

Do I think that a reasonable person should be able to own firearms? Yes.
Do I believe that people should be licensed to own a firearm? Yes.
Do I believe that people should be restricted to what kinds of arms they buy? Yes. There is no reason why a person should be able to buy armor piercing bullets, high grade explosives, RPGs, and tanks. Nor should they expect to be able to turn in thousands of Pepsi bottle caps in exchange for a fighter jet.
Do I think that weapons bans in public are unreasonable? Certainly not.

Anyone want to throw me a question?

Incidentally, the Second Amendment has not been applied to the states*. In other words, your state may decide to ban firearms.




*Neither has the right to indictment by a grand jury (5), jury trial in civil cases (7), or against excessive fines and bail (8). Check your local state constitution for more information.

My World

As always, clicking on the picture will link to a larger copy.

Everyone likes pictures so I thought that I would start posting more of them. For the next week or so, I’m going to start putting up pictures of places that are around where I live. No matter where you live, there’s always something to see or do. If nothing else, it should give you a glimpse into my world.

While I claim that I am from Niles, I actually live in Galien. Well, technically I live in Weesaw Township. The Village of Galien has a population of about 500 people. The picture you see here is of “downtown.” While the village boasts of significant businesses, the three worth noting is the Bungalow bar, The gas station (also known as The Pro), and Eats N Sweets. Recently, our grocery store and Chemical Bank closed. Oh and the high school that I graduated from, closed but reopened as an alternative education center. When the post office goes, the village will probably be declared dead.

This is downtown Niles. Niles has a few other shopping districts, but this is old town built on a hill overlooking the St. Joseph River. Niles is called the City of Four Flags because this area was controlled, at one time or another, by four countries. France, Great Britain, Spain, and then the United States. In a future post I will get around to some more of Niles and the buildings there.

That's a wasted vote.

As I was watching the evening news, one of BBC News' leading stories was about the Republicans blocking a vote of no confidence in the Senate over Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. I lost my patience. Since when did Congress become a parliament? A vote of no confidence does jack shit around here. If the Senate has got something on this man, then start the impeachment proceedings. Otherwise, stop wasting Congressional Record space on this political shit and get to the real work.

[mutters] You trade in one group of dumbasses for another...

And Service Resumes

I'm back!

...Hello?

Hmm...

I've just got back from the exam and I've got quite a bit that I want to blog about. Sadly my brain has turned to clay. But I'll give it a shot.

Days Ago:
A couple of job leads had me hoping about the area. I'll be calling back tomorrow for a marketing position. I keep it as a positive point against the wall of rejection letters that is being filled. I even attended a job fair at the new casino that is being built in New Buffalo where they didn't even bother to interview me. But, that may because they didn't have a booth for the position that I applied for. On top of all that, I crammed like mad for the LSAT which I don't think helped me as my score kept on going down with each practice test I took.

Sunday Family Visit:
I took Sunday completely off from worrying about the LSAT and the job hunt. I figured that I needed a break and since my family was here it was a good as time as any.

To my surprise, my cousins Jason and Eric came. I wasn't expecting them to show up. Aunt Julie and her kids couldn't make it because of the flu. So if I was going to be subject to an ambush Grandma was going to have to do it all by herself. And she tried.

She had asked Jason and Eric if they were dating anyone. Of course the family all turn to hear the answer. I was sitting on the other end waiting for the same question to be directed toward me. It didn't. Ha! I dodged the bullet. Oh, but Grandma wasn't done yet. She had to know if Jason and Eric were going to church. Girlfriend? Check. Going to church? Eh, check-minus (They go to non-Lutheran churches.) But then I saw her head turn to me. I swear I saw it occur in slow motion.

"Okay, David, I've got to ask you something. It'll probably embarrass you," she begins.

Oh fuck! Here it comes. I freeze and take a gulp. Fight or Flight.

"No." "This isn't the place for it." Some others in the group stop her. And while I'm thanking my lucky stars for the shut down, I have to wonder why they did it. Were they anticipating the same line of questioning I was?

Later on when everyone was going home, Jason asked me for my blog address. He said that his bookmarks had been deleted. I didn't give it to him. I said that I would send him the link by email. To tell you the truth, I've been wrestling over whether I should or not. I think I will. I have to hope for the best.

LSAT:
I'm not supposed to talk about the test until LSAC releases it. Honestly, I thought it was one of the worse ones I've taken. At first it didn't seem so bad but it turned ugly. I'll talk more on it when I get my score back. I did seriously think about canceling it. I figured though, it would give me a score to work from. If I do badly on it, I'll know for certain and I can use that as a jumping off point for another attempt. Because if I fail, I'm going to pick myself up and go at it again. I'm going to do this. It may take me awhile, but I am determined to move on.

The Notre Dame campus is one of the most beautiful I have ever visited. For the money their students throw at it, I guess it had better be. Who else covers their buildings with real gold?

I need a fast week here.

Normal posting doesn’t resume for about another week but I needed to get this post in here. I swear if I make it to Tuesday without a complete melt-down…

Uncle Jeff is coming up from South Carolina soon. Dad is going to be holding a mini-reunion for him along with the rest of their siblings (Uncle Kenny, Uncle Art, and Aunt Julie). Of course the family matriarch would not miss seeing all her children in one place, so Grandma is going to be there as well. I may duck out.

My sister has given me warning that I’m probably going to be ambushed. Aunt Julie has been probing for gossip on my love life. Grandma has been asking my dad. In fact, Grandma even cornered me at last year’s Christmas party. Thankfully, Aunt Jessica (Uncle Art’s wife) deflected some of the attention for me. During Uncle Jeff’s last visit a couple years ago, he was talking about his son and how he was worried that he didn’t seem to have a girlfriend. (His son is younger than me by over a year.) I think that I might avoid their questions if I lock myself in my room. Leaving won’t be an option, believe me.

As I have mentioned on Peering, if I am asked about my orientation, I will tell them. I just prefer to avoid the question at all costs. That position has got me terrified for another reason though. Say Grandma and Aunt Julie corners me and starts the inquisition, I may just out myself to the entire family. Oh, what a mess that will be. On one hand, my dad might not flip out in front of the family. On the other, it robs everyone of a more civilized coming-out experience with the exception of my sister who will probably be in a corner with the camera. In any event, I’m moving the rifle from its location and hiding it.

Please Come Again

Lechon anyone?

Now that's a pig!

h/t Drudge Report

Genetically Gay

There is an interesting article in the June 2007 special edition of the magazine, Discover. The title is “Born Gay?” by Michael Abrams if you are interested in looking it up, which I would recommend because I won’t do it justice here. But it begins to answer one of the biggest questions that I have: Why am I gay?

At first, I refused to even think that I was gay. I thought that I had normal adolescent feelings and that everyone goes through it. I tried to convince myself that it wasn’t anything more than admiration of guys that I wanted to be like.

Progressing in my religious studies, I understood homosexuality to be a sin. Since everyone is born with original sin, there is a burden that everyone has to overcome. Homosexuality was my burden and I thought it was a burden that every person probably had. I was just weaker at suppressing my sinful desires.

Finally, when I finally admitted it to myself that I was gay, I clung to the belief that God made me this way. The problem is that it doesn’t cut it anymore. That doesn’t tell me why I am the way I am. Even though God and I have a direct relationship (a jab at my Protestantism), we don’t have conversations. So the answer to my question is going to have to be answered somewhere else.

Many people’s beliefs on how homosexuality comes about fall into one of two categories: nature or nurture. Many of the religious and social conservatives tend to go with nurture. They would argue that homosexuality is a choice or is at least caused by something in a person’s experience. Then there are others that believe that there is something genetic about homosexuality and that it can’t be helped.

Discover’s article is fascinating in that it brings up various studies that may be pointing us to the answer. By now, many gays are probably familiar with news articles that have tried to indicate that homosexuality it genetic. Some probably legitimate, but most are probably trash. The ones I’m familiar with off the top of my head are:

Nature Abhors a Crowd: Gays—One more way nature likes to control the population.

The Helpful Uncle Theory: Nature likes to make gay people so that they will increase the chances of survival of their family.

The Ring Finger Test: If your ring finger is bigger than your index, you have a higher chance of being gay due to the hormones present during fetal development.

Gay Brains Smaller: Comparisons between gay men and straight men show that gay brains are smaller in a certain area. (In the article, it mentions this to be the INAH-3 brain region of the anterior hypothalamus.)

Sibling Placement: The more older male siblings a guy has, the greater his chances of being gay.

*Sniff*: A development quirk causes homos to like the scent of people of the same sex rather then the opposite.

Anyways, this article comes up with something new and, which sounds to me, more promising. Researches believe that while there may not be a gay gene per se, there is something on the X chromosome. This solves the problem of, “If gays are less likely to reproduce then eventually their genetics would die out.” Since the X chromosome is passed on by the female, the gay genetics can keep getting passed down.

Again, there isn’t a gay gene. Otherwise, we would see identical twins with the same sexual orientation but we don’t. It is suspected that what causes homosexuality is the switching on or off of certain sections of genetic code, a process called methylation. What causes these switches is largely unknown but it could be something as simple as diet or even a reaction to medication.

I have wondered how news of genetically caused homosexuality would be taken. Mostly by the right and left wingers that have an entrenched positions on the issue. Why am I gay? I fear an answer would bring up tons of follow-ups. How would religious conservatives react? Would they drop the “gay is a choice” bullshit? Would secular progressives allow the abortion of fetuses shown to be gay? Would genetic modification be an option to parents who don’t want gay children?


This post probably would have made it to Peering but I thought that since it wasn't really about a personal experience of mine, I might as well post it here.

To K-zoo and WMU

Yesterday, wanting to get out of the house and avoid the job search and LSAT prep for one day, I tagged along with my sister up to Kalamazoo. She had to go back to campus for a meeting. While she was off doing that, I spent time in the library with an internet connection so fast I wanted to cry. Then I set off to do some site seeing of the campus. I didn’t get far before my sister called me. Her meeting was done rather quickly. After finding each other, I had her walk me around the campus. Here are some pictures that I took.

The Seal of Western Michigan University. I don’t know if they have a superstition about this—I suspect they do—but you’d probably do yourself a world of hurt if you step on this seal.

The tower of the insane asylum.

The Rocks. At least I assume that’s what the Broncos call them. MSU has something similar which we call The Rock. MSU’s rock is about four feet or taller by now and is rumored to have started off as the size of a tombstone. Not that hard to believe when the dang things gets painted practically every night during school.

I thought that this was cool. Oddly placed but cool.

Ah, our Dad does not like this statue. So much so, that he gets a physical reaction in the form of shiver. Turns out that he doesn’t like having a man’s face in the crotch of another man.

“Questions, concerns, comments?”

Uh, call me.

My sister, Kris, got a wireless contract with Alltel the other day. She’s got a nice little phone and a service she’s agreed to keep for two years unless she wants to hand over $200 to break it. When I made the leap from prepay to contract, I was spending about $35 a month in phone cards. I figured that with another $10 a month, I might as well go with a contract. I did and I largely don’t regret it except that I now pay $52/month now. Damn those taxes, fees, and other fine print.

Yesterday, when I went to the Y, I forgot to bring my cell phone with me. Honestly, I get freaked when my phone is not on me or is in a place that I can’t get to it. I mean, what would I do if when my car breaks down? I’d have to go searching for a pay phone. (More than likely, though, someone would probably let me use their cell.) So I walk into the place and scan for the public phone. There isn’t one. I’m stunned. This place needed a public pay phone, I think to myself. Where could I find one? You know, if I need one.

There are only three places in the entire town I know where there are pay phones. 1.) The train station, 2.) The Speedway gas station, and 3.) Wal-mart. Back in the day, when only rich people in the cities could afford those brick type phones, there used to be public pay phones all over the place. I remember using them a couple of times downtown when I was actually living in Niles. When the grant was put to use, they tore them all out. Thinking back on it, it seems like all of them are gone.

Using those phones used to cost 25¢. The last time I used one was at the Niles train station and it cost me $1.75. Luckily, I still had laundry change. Now that everyone and their sister has a cell, I suppose there really isn’t much use for the public pay phone anymore. That’s too bad, because the next time I forget my cell and I get in trouble, I’d rather throw some money in the slot than ask someone if I could use their cell phone. I’m weird like that.

I made it back home from they Y a-okay and so did my car.

I can’t tie them in a bow, but...

WARNING: If you don’t like looking at ears, do not proceed.
This means you, JADE.

Pretty much everyone has issues with something on their body. I have more than a couple but recently, I got to noticing people that I really respect and how they are different from me in the ear department. Odd, I know. But I remember back to high school where we were talking about ear lobes and how it had to do with intelligence. Someone said that the more a person’s lobes were attached to their heads, the more intelligent they were. Josh didn’t hesitate to say, “Then [David] must be retarded.”

I have humongous ear lobes. It has bothered me for the longest time and it still does. So much so that I wonder if I should bother, someday, with plastic surgery. You know, lobe reduction surgery. I know, while I’m at it, I can get my nose done too!

Going through my picture collection, I was surprised to find out that there weren’t that many close up shots of my head that could illustrate how far my lobes jut out. Actually, I found a couple, but those were far more unacceptable to show you than this one. I’m still embarrassed to show it, but it’s from my last semester of college.

Here’s a more recent shot. I need a hair cut, I know.

Take a look at your ear. Are you intelligent, or are you getting close to Ferengi ears like I am?

What can come from dreams?

The other night I had an interesting dream. I dreamt that my neighbors from across the street were moving out of their home in the middle of the night and that when they were done, they held a goodbye party on the deck of my house even though in real life, I don’t have a deck.

Many years ago when I was in high school, one of my classmates was killed in a car crash. It was soon after school had started the new school year. On the way back into town three of my classmates and one from the year ahead of mine were traveling by car. The driver, K., was driving under the influence and she crashed killing two, including my classmate and the one that I said was in the year ahead.

K. was sent to jail but it wasn’t long before she was released and joined us at school. She sat at my table during art class. My friends talked to her and sometimes it seemed like they got on like nothing had happened. I held my tongue but I felt that she got off with barely a slap on the wrist. I may not have been good friends with my classmate that died, but I missed her anyways.

K. moved into that house across the street from mine where she lives with another guy and kids. I’ve never spoken to her or even acknowledged her presence. The fact that we are rarely out of our houses at the same time helps matters, but still, I act as if she were a stranger.

It has taken me a long time, but I’ve let go of my resentment of her a while ago. From what I can tell, she now lives a normal and honorable life. I see her playing with the kids and she goes off to what I presume is a job. One day, I thought that even though she was responsible for the deaths of two other people, her life would also be a waste if she was to remain behind bars like I had wanted her to. I’d like to think that Heather and Jamie wouldn’t have wanted her to waste her own life.

The next time I see her, I think I will wave.

That Fungus Must Taste Great.

The TV is on in the background and some British chef is cooking up a turkey. He put in a truffle--just one truffle at a cost of £50. He said, "It's a bit expensive but well worth it." Like hell it is. If' I'm going to have a $100+ meal, it better damn well feel like an orgasm in my mouth. Wait... that did not come out right. Anyways, call me a cheapskate but there's no way in hell that I'm spending that much on my food unless it was an extraordinary occasion.

Public Ivy Schools Growing Higher

I was driving by the University of Notre Dame the other day and I got to thinking about how accessible it used to be during its early years. I wondered how hard it was to get in then as compared to how difficult it is now.

Michigan’s top two schools, the University of Michigan and Michigan State University, have upped their admissions standards. A GPA of 3.5 got you into State, 3.7 got you into Michigan. Now, applicants with those numbers are finding themselves wait listed and even rejected. I feel fortunate that I got into State when I did because it doesn’t look like I’d be accepted now.

I suppose that it is something to be proud of. Who doesn’t want their alma mater to be more prestigious? I want people to look at Michigan State and think, “Now that’s a great school.” I want high school juniors and seniors to look at my school and want to go there. Yet, at the same time, it makes me sad that people who are in a similar situation that I was in won’t be able to experience that fine school. I feel like I’m part of a school that is willing to leave great people behind.

I love my school but when I visit fifty years from now, will I recognize the students there? Would a MAC or MSC student recognize me now?


*Picture is of the Hannah Administrative Building on MSU's campus

Yes, Falwell is dead. Move on people.

I intended to make a blog post about Jerry Falwell soon after I first heard of the news reports about his death. Pure laziness is there reason why I didn’t. I have had a chance to read many other blogs and their take on news. I won’t make this long. Just enough to throw in my two cents.

I noticed was the willingness to celebrate his death. I didn’t like Falwell when he was alive and I certainly did not like what he preached. If he had is way, I and a whole host of others should be “eradicated.” But even with his toxic mouth and wide reach, I can not bring myself to piss on his grave. I have no desire to see this man “burn in hell.” While I may be willing to entertain some sort of cosmic justice for him, I would not damn him for his beliefs. I am content to let God be the judge of him and his imperfections.


h/t to Mr. Bugg which got me going on this particular post. BTW, congrats to him and Calvin for getting hitched. I love hearing about news like that.


UPDATE 17 May 2007:
I read that Fred Phelps and his followers are going to protest Falwell's funeral. What is it with Phelps? I'm thinking that he really needs a good poking.

Who makes you think?

Minge just tagged me (sort of) for this: Pick and tag five bloggers that make you think. Simple, right?

Rules of Engagement:

1. If, and only if, you get chosen, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think.
2. Link to this post so that people can easily find th exact origin of the meme.
3. Optional: Proudly display the Thinking Blogger Award logo.

Of my picks, only Robert and maybe Byron actually comes to my blog every so often, but here are my picks:

• little voice
• The Malcontent
• Inside Stephen
• Byron J. Flitsch
• Duane Moody

This is not to say that everyone else's blog doesn't make me think. I enjoy every one that I visit. These make me think about political/social issues from different perspectives (Malcontent, Duane), subjects I don't know much about (little voice), or just things going on in my own head and that I'm not aware of until someone mentions something (Stephen, Byron). But you know I love you all.

Most Dominant College Mascot on Earth

Doug's blog alerted me to a tournament of college mascots.

Currently, the Michigan State Spartans are up against Wyoming's Cowboys. I'm asking every one of my readers to go and vote for the Spartans. Click here. Go on. Right now. Sparty won the National Mascot Championship again. Help him win this tournament and prove that the Spartans dominate.

In case you missed it, vote here.

I'm Undeniable.

Hey, does anyone have a copy of Mat Kearney's Undeniable? I'd like to borrow it.

Mothers Eat For Free

Happy Mother's Day! Not sure there's any mothers reading this blog but just in case...

Dad took us out to Pizza Hut for lunch after church today. They were having a buffet special where moms eat for free. Actually, a free lunch with the purchase of another adult lunch. Although my mom got her lunch free, I teased my sister by saying that maybe we could pad her belly. Then we could get hers free as well. When we got the check from Giggles (yes, that is her name), we found out that my sister did get her lunch for free too. And we didn't have to pad her belly.

I don't believe in tarot cards. I don't believe...

After seeing the fourth blogger with this "meme," I thought I had to join in on it too.

You are the Hanged Man

Self-sacrifice, Sacrifice, Devotion, Bound.

With the Hanged man there is often a sense of fatalism, waiting for something to happen. Or a fear of
loss from a situation, rather than gain.

The Hanged Man is perhaps the most fascinating card in the deck. It reflects the story of Odin who offered himself as a sacrifice in order to gain knowledge. Hanging from the world tree, wounded by a spear, given no bread or mead, he hung for nine days. On the last day, he saw on the ground runes that had fallen from the tree, understood their meaning, and, coming down, scooped them up for his own. All knowledge is to be found in these runes.

The Hanged Man, in similar fashion, is a card about suspension, not life or death. It signifies selflessness, sacrifice and prophecy. You make yourself vulnerable and in doing so, gain illumination. You see the world differently, with almost mystical insights.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Huh? Is this correct? Sounds kinda grim. I want a retest.

Selfish David

I've been working on a 100 Things list for the past couple days. I've been adding a few things every now and then to the list. A few of the points got me to thinking about on one of the moments in my life that I am ashamed of.

I was living in Key West in the late 80's where I attended kindergarten and first grade. In kindergarten good students would get slips of paper that had a bee on it (Sigsbee was the name of the school). These slips of paper were the size of a 1/4 sheet of paper. If one was really good, you could get the 1/2 sheet. My bottom dresser drawer were full of these bee certificates and I was very proud of it.

One of my classmates was an asshole. I'll call him "Robert." I wouldn't say he was a bully, but he was definitely a trouble maker. I remember getting into a few "fights" with him but I remember us generally getting along. He never got those bee certificates.

Back in the day, no one thought anything of letting six year olds walk home. We lived on naval housing and there wasn't much traffic, we all lived near the school, and security was not a big issue. At then end of the day, Robert and I were outside. My mom was there to pick me up. I excitedly showed her my 1/2 sheet bee certificate. I noticed that Robert didn't look very happy. It was like he was sad. I thought that maybe he would like my certificate so that he could show his mom. I saw his eyes light up. It was like I was giving him this great present that he would cherish forever. Then I thought about how my drawer would have one less certificate than it should and I promptly withdrew my offer. I didn't give him my certificate and I watched his face fall. My mom said that I was not nice but she didn't make me give my certificate up. So Robert went home with nothing to show. I went home and added a piece of paper to a pile of papers.

It was a little thing but it remains something that I feel extremely horrible about. That certificate meant nothing to me. It was just another in a long line. But for Robert, it could have meant so much more and I am so sorry that I robbed him of that.

Everything Is Green Including the Lawnmower

Today I got a shot at riding the new lawnmower that dad got. When I say new, I mean used. When I say that dad got it, I mean that he borrowed it. Still, it looked pretty slick and I was a little eager to try it out. Let’s be honest, I don’t volunteer for yard work often. Old Blue (shown below) quit on us the other week. I’m hoping that the repair shop will call back saying that Old Blue will never roll again. ‘Cause I’m liking the Deere. Even if Uncle Art does want his mower back, maybe Dad will want to get a like model.

Still Cool Here

The other day it was hot as hell in Niles. Actually, it wasn’t that hot but it was warm enough that when I got in my car, I used the air conditioning. That day, I had to print off my resumes and cover letters for some court positions that opened up. The Niles library has a laser printer which is better than using the ink jet one at home. The district, circuit, and probate courts each needed to clerk so I am hoping that I’ll get one of them. Applications needed to be handed into the personnel department at the admin building. Since the county seat in Saint Joseph, I had to make the drive up there. When I left Niles, it was warm but when I opened my door up in Saint Joseph, the outside air was cooler than the air inside my car. That’s how much of a temperature drop there was moving towards Lake Michigan. Before heading back inland, I went to the beach to enjoy nature’s free air conditioning. If your beach plans did not include getting into the water, then that day was a great day to go.

It will still be a while before the Lake is warm enough to swim in. But I’ll be in there as soon as I can. I couldn’t spend enough time there last summer. Given the gas prices, I probably won’t be going there as often unless I can get some people to chip in. Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to find someone.

Fairs are supposed to be fun.

My mom and I went to a job fair yesterday. It wasn't like the job fairs that I'm familiar with where employers come to one area and you interview with them. We went there and there were three women interviewing us. They worked for the temp agency whose building we were in. I interviewed with this nice lady named Holly. Then there were skills tests and then a butt load of paperwork. It took us three hours to get out of there. Ugh. If I was interviewing with potential employers, I think I'd feel better about it. One of the girls that was waiting with us said that her friend went to one of these and got a job soon afterwards. I hope that she's the rule rather than the exception.

On Our Sister Republic

Although I am interested in international relations and politics, I rarely give a strong opinion when it comes to another country's internal policies or their politicians. That is especially true during an election. So I haven't been talking much about the French elections. If I had any French readers, I definitely wouldn't be telling them to vote for Nicolas Sarkozy even if I really wanted them to. As an American citizen, it's not my place to make such a request. Now that the elections in France is over and M. Sarkozy is the President Elect, I think I am free to say a couple things.

The newscasts in America are, unsurprisingly, not focusing much on this election. I'd estimate that the US's 2008 presidential election coverage still has France beat 10 to 1. However, what little is being covered covers two points: 1.) Sarkozy, a conservative, has won the election over a socialist. 2.) This may mean that relations between France and the US may improve.

My reaction to point number one is, "Is he really? Well, that's nice."

My reaction to point number two is a little more skeptical. Despite M. Sarkozy's apparent broad support for the United States, I just don't know what that means. He's on record as being against the Iraq war and is pressing for America to be more involved in combating global warming climate change. Those are the dominating issues between the US and France and we are still on opposing sides. Could this mean a less snippy relationship? Now that, I can believe. As for holding hands and skipping off into the sunset, I don't see it.

I saw that there have been some violence already with demonstrators clashing with police. I don't have any patience for people who resort to violence when they don't get their way in a legitimate election. Act your age, get over it, and work to win the next one.

I must give kudos to the French people. A voter turnout of 85% leaves me breathless. I wish the American electorate would vote in those kinds numbers. I really do.

Top 20 Movies for me

I’ve been tagged by Minge to make a post about my Top 20 movies. I won’t attempt to do them in any particular order though.

Bend It Like Beckham
I had heard of this movie when it came out but I didn’t give it much attention until I was in the Philippines and John wanted to see it. So we went through the markets looking for a pirated copy. Hell, when we went to Manila I even looked for a legitimate copy. I never did find one and I never did see the movie until it came on MSU’s campus movie station. I then wrote to John and told him that he should see it.

This movie is one of my favorites because it touches on family issues that are very close to me. Familial expectations and pressures. A mother that seems insufferable. A sister who is another social circle. Racial and sexuality issues. It’s all there.

Bridget Jones’s Diary
Oh this plays to my fears of winding up as a spinster who will eventually be eaten by wild dogs. Take out the smoking the drinking, and I’m practically her.

Contact
Many people complained about this movie being too long and boring. I think it was a character on South Park that said something to the effect of having to sit through two hours only to find out that the alien was her dead father. Personally, I take this movie to provide a look at my own faith. That is, having it isn’t necessarily at odds with the universe. I don’t have the answers and neither does anyone else. I also love the “waste of space” line and I often use it whenever a conversation about life in outer space comes up.

E.T. the Extra Terrestrial
E.T. was probably the movie that got me interested in Sci-fi. It is also the only movie that I ever cried to. I used to wish that I could have my own alien just like Eliot. I’m glad to have the original version of the movie. I didn’t care for the enhanced version.

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Ferris Bueller is my hero. This is arguably my favorite movie. What’s more cool than cutting school and enjoying life?

Finding Nemo
A lot of little things came together to make this one of my favorites. The music, Marlin’s behavior, Ellen Degeneres’s performance, the accents, and excellent environments for comedy.

Flight of the Navigator
I was living in Florida when this came out so I felt like this was happening in my own back yard. If I was David (well, the David in the movie), I would have convinced Max to go on some adventures. I’d be flying all over the world with that spaceship as well as visiting some of the planets in the solar system before going back home. Also, toying with the various governments with my flights would be an added bonus.

Gattaca
I find the human eugenics to be fascinating. When is it permissible? When does it become unethical? Also the theme of overcoming perceived limitations is inspiring.

Gladiator
Ancient Rome fascinates me so I will try and give any movie that deals with the period a chance. I almost didn’t watch this one because I had heard so many bad reviews but I’m glad I did. It had the right amounts of story and violence. It was also the first period film that made me feel like the sets were real.

Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings
The trilogy by itself, is superb but I think that the first movie in the way it was presented and paced was superior than the other two.

The Muppet Christmas Carol
Any Christmas would be incomplete without watching the Muppets and their version of A Christmas Carol. In fact, I place this movie version above all others much to my dad’s confusion.

Office Space
I wish I had the ability to not give a shit. I never truly appreciated working for such a bad company and such a bad person since taking the job at the candy store. But even before then, I liked it because I could feel the frustration that most people have with their jobs and liked that someone was reacting to it in a way I wish I could.

Rudy
Oh, this movie is so good that it hurts. I can barely watch as Rudy gets beaten down yet he keeps going back for more. “He’s so little!”

Saving Private Ryan
I’m a military nut so while I expect this movie to have its fair share of duty, honor, loyalty and such, brining the idea of saving one person makes this movie go beyond that. Is one man’s life worth the sacrifice?

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
Kudos to II and IV, but I think that this movie is the best out of the entire line. The commentary on the end of the Cold War, and what I think is a more realistic tone, is what sets this movie apart. The crew farewell was excellent as well.

Star Wars The Return of the Jedi
Like the LOTR trilogy, I like all three original Star Wars movies but I think The Return of the Jedi was the superior film. It tied up the story nicely. The thing that put it over A New Hope was that I felt the characters had matured and possessed more depth.

The Hunt for Red October
This fits in well with my love for political science. Politics, power play, ideology, game theory, prisoner’s dilemma. Excellent stuff.

The Sound of Music
I don’t know, I like the music. It’s something that I remember from my childhood and I just enjoy it.

To Kill a Mockingbird
It appeals to my sense of justice and morality but it also reminds me to keep a very realist perspective because despite how idealistic I can be, the world does not have the same interests as mine.


Honorable Mention: Beauty and the Beast, Hannibal, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, The Parent Trap, and An American Tail.

Welcome to the Republic

The Queen of Canada is in the United States on a six day trip. According to the news, she is here to mark the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown (located in the Commonwealth of Virginia), the first permanent English settlement. Towards the end of the trip, she'll also make a trip to The District where she'll meet with the President.

Although I'm no fan of monarchies (I am a republican, small-r) I think that this is one positive story. Considering the cooling relations between us and practically all of our inner allies, it's nice to at least pretend that we still like each other, right?

A Heart for Two Worlds

It has been warm these past few days with temperatures flirting with the upper 80’s (around 30-31C). With the humidity factored in along with that post I did a couple days ago, I found myself yearning to return to the Philippines. Truthfully, I haven’t spent that much of my life there. Totaled up, my time would probably be a little over a year and a half. Still, I consider that place my second home. Don’t get me wrong, Michiana will always be home to me no matter where I go. But another part of me exists on the other side of the globe. Every time I see the setting sun set, I also see it as a rising sun. I wonder what the new day will be like for my distant relatives. Then I wish that I could be there to see for myself.

Since Nanay’s death, there hasn’t been a real reason for me to go back. At least that’s what I told myself. What’s left of my mother’s family seems so removed from my life that they might as well be strangers. Still, there’s some kind of blood bond and I think that as long as my aunts and uncles still live, I have a connection. But even if that wasn’t true, I have fallen in love with that area. I miss the people and the crowds. I miss taking the jeepney because there’s no way in hell that I’d drive myself. I want to eat some of that roasted corn and try that nasty looking drink. I want my ice cream in a hamburger bun. I want to pretend that I am disappointed that I can’t find shoes in my size or that my Australian steak isn’t as good as Iowa’s. I want to buy movies in the supermarket before they’re even released in American theaters and to swim in the South China Sea, risking an encounter with the seaweed I am allergic to. I miss traveling around with a backpack containing a roll of toilet paper and a small can of Lysol because I don’t know how to use the water bucket and ladle, and sometimes my ability to hover fails. I relish being hated because I’m an American not because I’m a Republican. I get kick when most Filipinos know that I’m an American yet the Mormon missionaries think I’m a Filipino. And I want to embarrass myself as I try to communicate in Tagalog, always finding a way to mess it up. I miss it all and I want to do it all again.

There are only two places outside the United States that are on my to-visit list. When the time is right, the first place I am going to visit will be the Philippines. London is on plan for 2012 but I suppose that might be scrapped depending on how further the dollar is going to slide. When I go back to the Philippines, though, I also plan on doing the things that I wished I had done the last time I was there. It involves a lot of hiking and a lot of swimming. I plan to still be young enough to get through it okay. Until then, I will have to settle for what the United States has to offer and that’s quite enough to keep me busy.