Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in belochka88's LiveJournal:

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Thursday, January 7th, 2010
1:57 am	On The Run. I've started the two month marathon. I'm currently at my family home in NJ. It is really good to be back, though it is quite hectic here. Hopefully I'll get to relax some before hitting Seattle.Thanks to everyone who called and left messages, wishing me well on my trip. Apologies for not returning calls...I left a lot of things to the last minute and so I was scrambling to get everything done before I left. And of course, despite packing a zillion+ things, I forget one or two vital items. Stuff I can't buy. Ugh! I'll just have to get my roommate to mail it to me.I'm going to be checking email and my cellphone sporadically, so I may very well be out of the loop on personal stuff for the next couple of months. LJ will be checked even less, especially when I get to Seattle. So if there is something that needs my attention, please call me on the cell--it'll be the mode of communication of choice.It'll be great to see friends in the NY/Penn area. If there are others who want to meet up(beyond those I'm already planning to see), just drop me a line via email. The same goes for those in the Seattle area.Yay! I'm on my way! (Comment on this)
Wednesday, January 6th, 2010
1:29 am	Dear Pillow Reminder! Reminder!Bryan Poyser's(poyboy) film, Dear Pillow", film will be screening tonight at the Angelika at 7 PM. Tickets are 8 dollars. "Dear Pillow" has screened at Slamdance, SXSW, L.A., New York, etc. It recently won Best Feature at the Boston Underground Film Festival. I've seen it and it is a most excellent film. More information on the screening is available here.Bryan will be at the film and I believe hell be doing a Q&A session afterwards for anyone interested in asking him about the film.This will probably be the last time Im out and about in the DFW area for two months! I leave in a few days on my trip. So I hope to get a chance to see a lot of you. It looks like well be doing some sort of post-film-screening outingthere are a lot of bars and the like in the area and there should be a goodly number of us, so join us for the film, then come out and party with us afterwards! (Comment on this)
Monday, January 4th, 2010
9:32 pm	A Wrinkle In Time. Loved this interview with Madeleine L'Engle. She has a rare wit and I adored "A Wrinkle In Time". It brings back fond childhood memories. (Comment on this)
Sunday, January 3rd, 2010
6:15 pm	Public Service Announcement: Van Helsing Do not walk, do not jog, but run, run like the wind *away* from all theaters playing "Van Helsing".Someone call Amnesty International; my human rights were horribly violated by this film. (Comment on this)
Saturday, January 2nd, 2010
5:04 pm	Movie Review: One Day In September. Like many of you, I knew about the terrorist attack on the 1972 Munich Olympics games, but the details were hazy at best. So I decided to pick up the 1999 documentary, "One Day In September", via Netflix. What I got was a stunningly enlightening piece that showed the gross incompetence of the German government in handling the entire affair as well as the cowardly complicity of the German government in freeing the surviving three terrorists after the tragedy had unfolded. This is one of those DVDs that should be watched by all; I fear that such horrors will be forgotten and conveniently swept under the rug otherwise. (Comment on this)
Friday, January 1st, 2010
3:03 pm	Question? For some reason, I'm under the impression that someone told me this weekend that there was something going on at the end of May that they'd like me to attend. If this is the case, please let me know now. I'm trying to figure out my schedule, which includes buying various plane tickets, for the summer ASAP.The Clarion West 2004 Class is pretty diverse. So far, the ages range from 21 to early 40s. Of the 17 of us, at least two are foreign students(one from Canada, one from France), with educational backgrounds ranging from various higher education degrees to those without a college degree whatsoever. Several members of the class have been previously published, while others have never submitted a single item for print. The gender split is roughly equal.I've received the package of information today from them and the content is daunting. Time is going to be a precious commodity. On the plus side, there is apparently a weekly party at CW to blow off steam and to do some networking, with the author-instructors as well as local authors and former CW graduates. If Octavia Butler(who lives in Seattle) happens to be at one of those parties, I'll go crazy with joy and turn into a quivering mass of jello from fanboyitis.Correspondence via Yahoo Groups continues to be fun. The coordinator for CW also helped organize the Nebulas this year and she related to us an amusing bit from this year's award ceremony: "Harlan Ellison was a one-man show at the awards. He hired (on the sly) a trio of blondes in short skirts to sing "Unforgettable" to Bob Silverberg before he received the Grand master Award. It was touching and hilarious. Harlan was in rare form this weekend." I thought Harlan Ellison and Robert Silverberg fans would find that amusing.*****This weekend was fun and intense and great for seeing old friends and/or people I hadn't expected to see again. There was some oddness and some tension, but my worries about said oddness have been alleviated with discussion and support with/of friends. I don't feel like rehashing the weekend, since so many others have given their own version of updates. With this weekend over, I'm going to be at least a bit less out-and-about social. I need to stop fucking around and get back to writing. (Comment on this)
Saturday, January 31st, 2009
1:54 pm	The George Foundation. The family foundation, the one I work for, finally has an option that allows for donations via U.S. credit cards(thank God! I'd been urging this for *years*). I've listed The George Foundation in my (Comment on this)
1:53 am	Circles of Friends. Today, I got a call from three friends I hadn't talked to in quite awhile. Aaron gave me a buzz and actually caught me on the phone. We talked for an hour. It was good, really good to catch up with him. Then Nick called me on the cell. Unfortunately I was out jogging when he called, but I'm sure we'll catch one another in a day or so. But the most surprising call today was from Nancy.I hadn't talked to Nancy in over ten months, I think. She was part of the Indie Music Crowd, as I have dubbed them. I tend to have different circles of crowds and they're usually associated with some sort of interest, activity or location(like my New York friends). Some friends cross the circles and end up not being in any particular circle. But Nancy is definitely part of the Indie Music Crowd. I met that group sometime last July or August and hungout with them pretty solidly until my burnout and subsequent hermitage from All Known Life.The Indie Music Crowd earned their nickname by being, unsurprisingly, rather into Indie music. Most of them are in bands or have boyfriends or girlfriends in bands. They follow the Indie music scene closely, especially the Dallas Indie music scene. I hungout with a core group of the Indie Music Crowd quite a bit, but there were dozens of people in the scene. The four I hungout with were Nancy, Cindy, Andy and Mahsa. Nancy was a half-Japanese, half-American wild child keyboardist for a band whose name now escapes me. Cindy was in the scene mostly because of her boyfriend, Andy, who is the drummer for Lift To Experience. And Mahsa was an Iranian(I think) girl who owned the Brickhouse coffee shop and often had musical showcase nights at her place. Added to that group were Erica, Martha and a ton more people whose names I simply cannot remember.These people partied and they partied hard. Nearly every night was a night at the bar, with an encore drinking performance at someone's home(often Mahsa's). For a few months, I kept up with them, but towards the end it was simply too much. While I think some of the group were my venerable age(28) or older, a lot of them ended up in the 21 to 25 category. I must have lost something in the extra couple of years, because going out nearly every night drinking for months on end really began to take a toll on me. I was worn out by the time I hit human-contact-burnout.I did enjoy their company; I wouldn't have gone out as much as I did with them if I didn't. And they definitely seemed to dig on me, which was great. I could always count on a phone call from one of them; I'd never have a boring night if I didn't want to. Part of it was definitely the flirtations, too. They were a flirty bunch and there was a decent amount of sexual tension at times. However, the conversations could get somewhat stale. While one on one, I could have a good conversation with most anyone from the group, in larger gatherings the conversation almost invariably turned to...Indie Music. And this didn't really interest me much. I'd rather talk about books. Or philosophy. Or politics. Or movies. But the music scene...eh. I either like a band or a song or I don't. Not a whole lot for me to discuss there.Also, it was reasonably difficult to break them from their routine. While Nancy or Erica were up for dancing on occasion(which I much preferred to drinking at bars night after night), most of them weren't into dancing or clubs. For me, if I'm going to listen to music outside my car or home, I'd rather be interactive with it. Which is to say, I'd rather dance to the music. Hell, if I'm alone at home, I'm more than happy to bounce around to some d&b. I do like live concerts, but just not as much as I like dancing.Anyway, I figured Nancy had forgotten all about me. I mean, it's been ten months or so since I'd last talked to her or seen her. Like many of my friends, she'd left voice mail, text messages and emails after I went into seclusion; she'd been pretty persistent about it for the first month or two. But she'd given up after that period of time. I mean, I'd only known her for a handful of months before I disappeared off of the face of the Earth. I really didn't expect to hear from her now, out of the blue.And yet she'd left a voice mail on my cellphone today. It was kind of cute, because of how tentative, how unsure she sounded on the phone. She said she'd missed hanging out with me and had an excuse to call me now -- there was some big party in Dallas she wanted me to come with her to. And then she rambled on a bit, much as I tend to do in voice mails. It was nice to hear her voice and nicer still to be remembered. I'd thought I was done with the Indie Music Crowd, but it's made me reconsider.I can't hangout with them like I used. I just can't. Beyond not being able to keep up with their break-neck pace, I also don't get jack or shit done when I'm with them. Before I'd been pulled into that crowd, I had been writing *a lot* for myself. Every night, I'd hit the computer after I'd finished Foundation work and pound away at some short story or the other. Or some wanna-be op-ed piece on some current affair issue. But it was good. I was writing. Fiction and non-fiction for myself as opposed to doing it for the Foundation. The Indie Music Crowd ended that for quite awhile and now with my renewed vigor for writing, I don't want to get too distracted.Still, I think I'll give Nancy a call in the not-too-distant future. I'll owe her a slew of apologies, not the least being one for not calling her back today. But hopefully I can repair the damage with those guys and still find a balance between going out and having some private time to read and to write.Random nonsequitur: I *looooooooove* the new Haagen Daz Blueberry Cheesecake Icecream! Its only out for a limited time, though. Its sooo yummy. Everyone must go out and try it. It is delish, baby, simply delish! And forget all those silly political petitions! We must petition Haagen Daz to make the Blueberry Cheesecake a permanent flavor! (Comment on this)
Thursday, January 29th, 2009
10:09 pm	Katharine Hepburn Dies. At age 96, Katharine Hepburn has died. Perhaps the best actress of all time, she won a record 4 Academy Awards and was nominated 12 times(which itself was a record until Meryl Streep surpassed her record in nominations in 2003).I'm not one to go goo-goo gaa-gaa over performers or entertainers most of the time. There are, however, some exceptions. Katherine Hepburn is one of them.I was first introduced to her work at age 20 by a girl I was involved with at the time. The first(and still my favorite) movie I saw of hers was The Lion In Winter. The Lion In Winter is about the struggles of the royal family of the time; Hepburn played the iron-willed, Machiavellian Eleanor of Aquitaine, pitted against Henry the II, Richard the Lion-Hearted and his two lesser brothers, Geoffrey and John. A barrel-chested Peter O'Toole was her co-star, along with Anthony Hopkins(one of his very first movies) and a very young Timothy Dalton(it was his first movie). The less impressive Nigel Terry also made his film debut in The Lion In Winter; his second film was Excalibur as King Arthur. One has to wonder how anyone watching The Lion In Winter could decide that the sniveling John would make a good stately King Arthur(Arthur in Excalibur was almost as whiny, wimpy and snively as John in The Lion In Winter and I suspect it's a weakness of the actor).The Lion In Winter remains as one of my favorite films of all time. It has perhaps the wittiest, most clevel dialogue I've ever seen in a film. The fire, the intensity of both Peter O'Toole and Katharine Hepburn light up the screen and for the viewer who can appreciate a film that has no special effects nor gorgeous, lithe, scantily-clad 20-somethings to fall back upon, this is a sure win. That film signaled the beginning of my crush on Katharine Hepburn. After watching a number of her films, and the films of her contemporaries, I always felt she never quite got the credit(by the public) that she deserved. She was always a step behind the bombshells, the "beauties" of her time. Katherine Hepburn's beauty isn't necessarily one that is immediately appreciated by the eye. Still, maybe if you closed your eyes and just heard her speak, listened to her words and the way she spoke them, you might see the strength in the way she delivered her dialogue. Of course, watching her with your eyes open is a plus; she is a marvel to watch on the screen, with her own brand of charisma. Her facial expressions, her amused smiles, her bright, lively eyes...yes, I definitely had a crush on her.She's got a number of excellent films under her belt. I'd also recommend The Philadelphia Story(co-starring Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart) which was another of my favorites of her work. For those Bogart fans out there, she played across from him in the African Queen. While it was a popular flick, and a decent one, it wasn't one of my favorites.Anyway, if you're tired of a lot of the modern garbage coming out of Hollywood, pay a visit to your local rental store and pick up some of Hepburn's work. It's worth it. Well worth it. Her death is a loss to the acting profession, but she lived a long, interesting and productive life. I don't think anyone could ask for more.P.S.: Here is a decent article that gives a very brief summary of Hepburn and her life: http://www.msnbc.com/news/932769.asp (Comment on this)
Wednesday, January 28th, 2009
7:47 pm	No More Telemarketers. Don't want anymore of those annoying telemarketing calls? Me neither. So I clicked here: http://donotcall.govYay!Be warned, the site has been swamped since the FCC instituted this new system. So it might take a bit of effort to get to them. But go for it. It'll definitely be worth it. (Comment on this)
Monday, January 26th, 2009
2:27 pm	Indians and The Guinness World Record. What is with Indians? I was watching CNN today and heard this bit that apparently Indians either hold nearly 25 percent of all Guinness World records or they have applied for about one-quarter of all Guinness World Records(why CNN was spending a good five to ten minutes on this nonsense is yet another question).The records are mostly idiotic records. For instance, one Indian guy has applied 300 times to be recognized by the Guinness World Record and has been accepted three times, including one for the longest pizza delivery(Bombay to San Fransisco -- who the fuck ordered it?!). Another example was the "strongest mustache" and another is the longest ear-hair.This shit is just idiotic. I don't get what is with my ethnic homeland. I think there are bigger issues that could be faced, better ways to focus their energy on in India than this bullshit. It just irritates me.The guy who got the record for longest pizza delivery now has a business where he consults for others who want to break/make the Guinness World Record. Ugh! I'll give him a Guinness World Record -- most idiotic person I've seen on tv in the last several weeks! (Comment on this)
Sunday, January 25th, 2009
12:38 pm	David Blaine Is The MAN! I don't remember when I first saw David Blaine on tv, but when I saw his first show, I knew there was something special about him. Oh, sure, like others, I thought David Copperfield was pretty cool. But it was a lot of stage magic. A lot of over the top performances. Tricks of mirrors, angles, cameras, whatever. I mean, it was cool...but I wasn't really super impressed.Then I saw David Blaine and I was blown away. This man is the master of the slight of hand. The fact that he just walks around and does performances for average people on the sidewalk is neat, but it's the type of tricks that he does that takes the cake. It's hard to put a word to describe his tricks; they seem so normal, except they're just out of this world. I think it's his laid back manner, his average every-day man kind of attitude, as he performs mind boggling tricks effortlessly that is so fun to watch.I think it's also the fact that his tricks are so unique. Stuff you just haven't seen before(or at least I haven't.) I strongly recommend trying to see a rerun of one of his shows on tv. It's well worth it. (Comment on this)
Saturday, January 24th, 2009
8:42 am	Speaking of Spirituality... ...or at least my version of it, this stuff is just so cool!http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/ny-hsrhic0618,0,6373246.story?coll=ny-homepage-right-areaI don't know...I'm just blown away by this. The fact that we are possibly on the verge of creating the plasma, the matter that existed a few millionths of a second after the birth of the universe. It'd almost feel like, to me at least, touching the very fabric of the universe itself. The matter that is all of reality. Maybe I'm over-romanticizing it, but it just seems like an incredible accomplishment if they've truly done it.http://www.msnbc.com/news/928855.aspAnd then we move forward a billion years. And still it's utterly fascinating. They're able to see the development of galaxies, the formation of the universe in it's "baby stage". It just seems like there's a wealth of knowledge out there, ready to be uncovered.A little slice of happiness. (Comment on this)
Friday, January 23rd, 2009
6:37 am	Happiness: It's In The Genes. This article discusses how certain human beings are more genetically predisposed to happiness than others: http://content.health.msn.com/content/article/61/71452.htmI suppose this comes as no surprise. Various mental illnesses are linked to genes as are other types of human behavior. Still, in a way, it is discouraging that the rational mind has less control over something as integral as our state of happiness. As the article says, it isn't all in the hardwiring, but I'm still mildly bothered by this revelation. I'm even more bothered by the article's implication that we have a genetic limitation on how happy we can be. So does that mean, no matter what we do in our lives, we can only be *so* happy? That others can be a lot happier than us? Hrm.The article goes on to list four traits that can influence one's state of happiness,. I imagine that it isn't limited to those four, that happiness can be achieved through other methods as well. But the four are: Relationships, Aerobic Activity, Spirituality and "Acting Happy".Out of the four, I fail entirely with one: Spirituality. Its been so long since I've had any sense of spirituality. I think I left my religious inclinations at the wayside in my early teen years, despite the best efforts of the various Catholic schools I've attended.Hmm. Maybe I don't fail entirely with spirituality. For me, science is the closest thing I have to spirituality and I have to say, I'm entirely engrossed and completely in awe with most new scientific relevations or discoveries. It doesn't matter what facet of science is being discussed; I'm usually drawn in and listen/watch/read with an enthusiasm that might rival the joy a deeply spiritual individual gets when partaking of something important to their faith.Still, I think spirituality gives something to the believer/partaker that I probably don't get from science. Maybe a sense of connection to the world and to other human beings. Maybe a belief in an afterlife(for those whose spirituality/faith ties into an afterlife) that helps them through tough times. Probably a whole slew of things, actually, when I think about it.Relationships are a tricky thing for me. In the context of the article, it includes friendships and family. I'm not going to go into too much detail on this point right now; it's worthy of a lengthy entry of it's own. Still, I often feel alienated from others, apart from those around me and so I think I get only varied levels of "happiness" from this category. I do know for a fact that I'm scared to death of being in a long-term, serious relationship(read: marriage) and being unhappy with my partner. It's a powerfully influential factor in my actions in relationships.Aerobic Activity: I have to say, possibly one of the few times I know I'm definitely happy is when I'm dancing. I don't think I've ever been dancing and not enjoyed myself in some way or the other. Some nights are better than others, some nights I feel off...but I can't say I ever *dislike* dancing. Obviously, human interaction while dancing plays a part in this and while I have a love/hate relationship with human interaction, if the crowd is *good*, if I feel in tune with my surroundings, dancing is one of the things I enjoy most in life. I also know I'm not happy when I'm not physically active at all, when I'm a couch potato. But this might be just as much an issue of feeling out of shape, of feeling badly about my self-image than it might be about the actual act of physical activity. On the other hand, I think I read somewhere that physical activity causes the brain to release endorphins which in turns creates a "natural high" of sorts. Acting Happy: This one is a tricky one. Am I an introverted-extrovert? An extroverted-introvert? I am prone to surrounding myself with people and basking in their companionship and I'm just as prone to holing myself up and avoiding everyone. There is no doubt that I often feeling "happier" when I'm around people, especially when I'm engaged in a stimulating conversation. When I feel I've made a "connection"(though this may be linked to the above issue of "relationships).What I've also found interesting is that if I smile or grin, even if I'm down or bluesy, I still feel better. Just the physical act of doing either causes a shift in mood, even if I've got to force that smile or grin. Of course, it's a passing change in mood, but it's an interesting observation.I'll add to this list one of my own: Intellectual stimulation. This is one of my favorites. I'm often happy when I'm thinking, pondering over something. Whether it be reading, watching a thought-provoking movie, or having an engrossing conversation. Mmm. Or maybe I'm not always *happy* when I'm intellectually stimulated, but I'm often *passionate* when I'm intellectually stimulated. I suppose there is a difference.So what's this happiness deal? How many people are happy? It's not possible to be happy all the time. How about the majority of the time? I know I'm not happy most of the time, and I can't think or point to a time in my life that I have been. Then again, I'm usually not unhappy, either. I'm mostly just...mildly content or mildly discontent. So then is happiness an extreme in emotion, difficult to maintain for long periods of time? I'm not entirely sure. I've known old couples who have had amazing relationships with one another who often, as far as I can remember, seem happy. Is it a combined product of a long and fulfilling relationship as well as peace and understanding with the world and environment around them? Perhaps added to that is a sense of accomplishment through one's life?I can point to things that make me happy -- reading, dancing, kissing, eating a delicious meal...I can point to events in my life when I've been happy -- whenever I'm traveling overseas(sure, not the entire length of the trip, but a lot of the trip and the overall experience), winning competitions in school, my parents telling me they were proud of me...But overall? I think I'm often, at least in the last few years, left with the sense I'm missing something. A sense of yearning that has possibly interfered with having longer periods of unbroken happiness. Or maybe everyone's always got a sense of yearning for something more. Maybe that's part of what makes us human, which pushes us forward.Happiness is definitely not bought, I can say that much. Coming from a family of wealth, I know that. It does relieve stress though, so money certainly helps contribute to happiness. Not having to worry about whether financial obligations can be met is a stress reliever. On the other hand, I think wealth can bring its own set of unhappiness.Lack of money, I think, can bring unhappiness. It creates stress, for one thing. But beyond this, I also think it can cause envy. Looking to what others have that is out of your own range, but seems so enticing, can be a negative influence on happiness. Still, I don't think lack of money assures lack of happiness. In fact, I've known several people who have been through tough times financially who tackled the world with a sense of vigor that spoke of at least frequent periods of happiness in their life.At the end of the day, how much of a role does happiness play in our lives? Do we strive towards it? Is it something we try to achieve, want to have? Probably not as an "object" so to speak, but we probably take actions that we subconsciously think will make us happy.I've rambled enough. Not sure if this entry had a point to it, except a lot of musings. Maybe I'm just trying to figure out if I'll have more and longer periods of happiness in the future, and if so, what steps I need to take to insure that. (Comment on this)
Thursday, January 22nd, 2009
2:33 am	Wow! Just Wow! This is probably going to be a highly disjointed, rambling entry, because I'm still going off the high of an intense and amazing conversation I had with my neighbor.My neighbor's name is Lou. I don't know his last name, but we end up having these chats by the pool patio of my apartment complex. The chats are invariably long(stretching out for hours), because there is just *sooo* much to talk about. I could be addicted to talking to this guy; his life experiences are mind-blowing. Truthfully, they are less two-way conversations than they are me asking him a lot of questions and him explaining things to me.Lou is a retired triple-tab, if I've got the term properly. This means he was in the airborne, the rangers and the Navy Seals. He was also in the special forces(he'd trained with them before his Navy Seal training, but after he'd finished Ranger school). Apparently having successfully passed all three training programs is exceedingly rare and during his time in the service, there weren't more than a dozen or so people with that honor. He was also part of the MAC(military advisory council) and while I'm still somewhat sketchy as to what it does/did, I think it basically is/was an effort to get the various branches of the military working together.He served for neary 23 years in the military, retiring a few years back, if I recall properly. When he retired, he retired as an E-9. Command Sergeant Major, which is I think the highest rank for the non-coms. In his time in the service, he had traveled to most of the countries on this planet. The stories he has to tell are vivid, rich and engrossing. At first, I admit I was a little skeptical. I mean, he almost sounds like a movie stereotype/hero. Yet, before meeting Lou, I met one of his army buddies and his army buddy, just in passing, had mentioned to me how he'd served under Lou's command in Gautemala(I didn't ask what they were doing there). Later I saw them together it was obvious Lou's buddy(whose name I don't recall), had tremendous respect for Lou. It was interesting watching their dynamic. Talking with Lou dispelled any lingering doubts. His knowledge of countries, including India(he'd been to Bombay/Mumbai once on his way to an op in Malaysia, I believe) was so extensive, so detailed that it could not be feigned. Nor could his attitude; the forcefulness of how he talked, the vivid detail of the experiences was something only someone who has lived through such events could portray.Lou doesn't look like your movie stereotype. In fact, I feel ashamed to say I thought he was just some redneck hick when I first saw him. He's got a mullet, a beer-belly and just doesn't look like what you'd envision an ex-special forces operator to look like. A closer look, however, revealed some very interesting tattoos. His right arm bore two tattoos. One was the Navy Seal Team 1 tattoo(apparently, each Seal Team ends up doing their own variation of the SF tattoo). The other was a rose in flames tattoo; it signified the death of his best friend, who'd died in Somalia during the sametime/event portrayed in the movie Black Hawk Down(Lou was one of several military advisors for the movie).He also speaks a lot of childhood memories. His grandmother had been a Jew in Germany during WWII. She'd survived by hiding her identity, by paying for papers that claimed she was a Catholic. He related to me some of his grandmother's experiences and they were just as engrossing as his own stories.I'm so tempted to try and tape-record our conversations, but I don't think he'd like that. He rarely gives me specific dates or places when he talks about his experiences and I'm guessing he's not supposed to discuss a lot of things. Apparently, the DOD(Department of Defense) still consults with him on certain issues and he eluded to having some ties in the intelligence community. However, he speaks emphatically about how he is done with that portion of his life, that he'd rather they not bother him anymore. Still, I just want to be a sponge, to soak up all he knows, all he's lived through. It's history, in the flesh. You don't get chances to meet people like that often.Our conversations also often run to politics and I feel...vindicated? Glad? Refreshed? Pleased? I don't know... just very satisfied, I guess, that his views and mine run so similar on so many topics. Oh, we're not exactly on the same page on everything. He's a lot more hardcore(you can just feel his military background creeping in when he gets hardcore) on some issues than I am. But I guess I enjoy our conversations, because he's very intelligent and knowledgeable when he speaks about politics and because he *knows* what he's talking about. He didn't sit in a classroom and have a professor explain to him what was going on in Somalia, a professor who has never been there and has next to no personal experiences on the topic(I speak with wrath on this for all the times I've heard professors miscommunicate many key social issues about India, having never been there themselves). He's been there. He's lived it. He's dealt with the local population, the military, and the politicians of those areas. He's got a wealth, a lifetime of experiences to draw from when making his conclusions and it *shows* in the way he speaks, the way he explains his position. Sure, he's rough around the edges, he's no great public speaker, but I prefer that. I'll take depth and quality any day over eloquence.Anyway, I've rambled on this for long enough. He's promised to let me borrow a couple of DOD Navy Seal training tapes sometime in the next month or so; he's getting them from a friend of his in the DOD, I believe. I think they want him to review it and give his input on the tapes. I've been sworn to keep the tapes to myself. I'm sure they're not top secret or anything, but they probably don't want the tapes sold off to some media outlet.I still can't believe this guy is my neighbor. Then again, Navy Seals need to live somewhere too, right? (Comment on this)
Wednesday, January 21st, 2009
12:35 am	How Much Is Enough? Okay, for now, I'm not going to bash the Harry Potter phenomenon, though I have words to speak about it at another point. Instead, I'm going to bash Rowling for this insanity:http://www.msnbc.com/news/927941.aspWhen is enough? How much is enough? Rowling is worth something like 400+ million dollars. She's richer than both Madonna and the Queen of England. After writing...4 books. Now, I'm all happy and shit that a writer, for a change, is making the big bucks. After artists, I think writers usually tend to be the worst paid entertainers. Musicians and actors make the real money, generally.Rowling went from starving single mother to one of the richest women in the world. And I'm happy for her success. But this is overboard. You'd think she'd written the secret of life, the blueprints of a cold fusion generator or *the real story* of the Kennedy assassination. Maybe there are some CIA files hidden away in the Order of the Phoenix.I mean, let's be real. This isn't about "spoiling it for the kids" or anyone else. Don't want to know anything about the book? Do what everyone else does that doesn't want to be spoiled for upcoming movies -- don't read the reviews. This is about money. Plain and simple. And while I'm all for making money, there is a point where I go: This is just silly.Oh well, Rowling. Maybe the secrets let out by Daily News will mean a million or two less in your bank account this time around. Or who knows, you could win the court case and be another 100 million dollars richer! Or maybe you won't need it...the hype from this shit will probably boost sales even more.Blah.Edited: Rowling is estimated to be actually worth 500 million. This is before the release of the Order of the Phoenix. To put it in perspective, Stephen King, taking into account his entire career, is worth about 100 million. Madonna and her entire career, including side businesses, is worth about 300 million. And as stated above, Rowling eclipses the Queen of England. Reading is great and all, but excessive is excessive regardless of the medium. (Comment on this)
Monday, January 19th, 2009
9:55 pm	Another Political Response. Yet another response from a thread with my favorite Snoopy. The original thread can be seen here: http://www.livejournal.com/users/spenceraloysius/93576.html?thread=171400#t171400You know Kay, when you make broad-sweeping statements, I've got to challenge them.On the first topic of the debt, the real danger of national debt is lowering the price of bonds and increasing interest rates. This obviously effects things such as home ownership and general economic activity as both the government(and corporations forced to meet the changing rates of the government) issue bonds at lower rates/higher interest.In the current environment, there is not much danger of that. Corporations are not borrowing large amounts of money by issuing new bonds as they are not spending money on capital equipment and other items during a weak economy. Hence, overall quantity of new debt issues (bonds) is not much greater. Interest rates are in fact going down.As for the second issue of putting money into government programs that would help the economy, you as before, are being extremely vague. I could make an equal case that giving the money back to people will allow them to make the right choices in how they spend their own money; that they will indeed invest the money and thereby stimulate the economy. This has been shown time and again by entrepreneurial pushes that have created major growth in the nation.On the other hand, government is notoriously bad about mismanaging funds. This is actually not a failing of government alone, but many large(and small) NGOs. There is so much wasteful spending in the government. Obviously the government needs taxes to keep functioning, however with lower taxes, the government is forced to reduce wasteful spending because its budget is lower. Therefore people are actually getting more for their dollar with the government with lowered taxes. And in turn, they spend their money instead due to the lower taxes, creating demand for products manufactured by private companies.As for domestic-policy vs foreign-policy presidents, I don't believe we should have one or the other. What I think we need is a president capable of both short-term and long-term thinking. My feeling is Bush has actually been a long-term thinker in terms of foreign-policy. In an increasingly global environment, I think it is impossible(and downright negligent) to be just a domestic-president. On the domestic front, I'd like to hear your reasons for calling him "wimpy". He's certainly no more so than Clinton, who I felt could be predicted to do what the daily polls favored. I do not want a president who sways with the mob; mob rule is *not* good for the country.By implication, youre also putting blame on Bush for the poor economy. Yet, he has been in office for about two and a half years and many of the current problems of the economy are a direct result of events that were either out of his hands or originated in the prior eight years. As for Bush being a poor public speaker, I think we discussed this one before. Many of our presidents, even our greatest presidents, have been terrible public speakers. Truthfully, if we had television during their era, they probably would not have been elected at all. Bush, to me, comes off as very uncomfortable giving public speeches. This does not equate him to being an imbecile.Once more, I do not see how Bush is anymore a hypocrite than any prior president. If anything, he's stuck to his guns in many an unpopular decision. You've resorted to a lot of name calling towards Bush(sleazy, wimpy, hypocrite, stupid, etc) but without a lot of solid facts to back up your position. I know you're a logical individual, so I don't see why you're doing this beyond going on gut emotional response. You're doing what you've accused Bush and his Administration of doing(the name-calling bit) and it's undercutting your arguments. Honestly, it sounds like you're buying into the hype of what his detractors are saying about him. (Comment on this)
Sunday, January 18th, 2009
6:39 pm	New Posts. Well, its been an ages and a half since I've last made an entry in here, but after some prompting from Astra, I may begin to post once more. Chances are it'll be political views, since that's what she's been encouraging me to write about. I think she's tired of hearing me rant about the various issues and wants me to broadcast my thoughts to a "wider audience".I'm ambivalent about the idea of a wider audience. Not too many check my page, I'm sure. However, if they do, I'm semi-fearful that my views will be unpopular with them.Unlike a lot of people I talk to these days, I'm generally supportive of the Bush Administration and the war in Iraq. No, I'm not just supportive of the U.S. troops in Iraq; I'm supportive of the war and the administration. In a time where it has become fashionable(at least among the under 30 crowd and college professors) to be anti-Bush and semi-anti-American, I have strong beliefs and support for various foreign policy decisions and for our administration.Maybe in the coming days, I'll add more thoughts and the reasons why I feel the way I do. Or maybe I'll just get lazy and go back to not posting. It seems hard(if not impossible) to convince people to change their political views(or most views in general) so I think Astra's desire to try and spread my views to the masses is a mostly hopeless one. (Comment on this)
Saturday, January 17th, 2009
3:23 pm	Kind Words. This will be a short entry, at least for me...I've been too busy and too stressed out to write anything in the last couple of days. I owe Sarah an email, I owe people returned calls, but right now, I'm just pulling my hair out with work.Grumpy, aggravated, and generally bluesy, as I've been for the last couple of days, someone said something kind to me and it meant all the world for those few seconds.I went to buy some incense for my apartment. The scents calm me, soothe me and I associate the smell of incense with good times -- other times I've enjoyed, when I've smelled incense. Anyway, the girl at the counter had a very cheerful disposition and when I bought the incense, she stared at me for a few seconds and said: "I wish I had your hair." My hair has been dishelved today; I haven't done a thing with it. It looks like a train wreck. And still she said those words. And then she said: "You've been coming here for awhile, haven't you? I haven't worked here in several months, but I remember you from when I used to work here." Yes, it is true. I've been going there for awhile now. But I didn't remember her. And yet she remembered me. And for some odd reason, it touched me. Along with her kind words about my hair.All silly stuff, I know. But it cheered me up. Her sunny disposition, her sweet words, the fact that she remembered me...I think I'll try and smile more. And say kinder things. Maybe it'll mean nothing to most people, but maybe someone else will be cheered up like I've been by the effort.Going dancing tonight. That'll be good. I need it. (Comment on this)
Thursday, January 15th, 2009
8:15 am	A Disclaimer. I've heard about LiveJournal for awhile now. I once had an account given to me by a friend. I never ended up writing anything in it for one reason or the other. Perhaps I didn't see a point in writing in it then, when others could read my thoughts. Is it really a journal then or just an excuse to flaunt your writings and talk about yourself?I'm still a little wary about writing in it now, but I've decided I'm going to do it. But I figure I owe anyone who chances on my journal a warning -- I'm writing for myself. I'm going to write as if this was a private journal, accessible only by me. Sure, I'll probably end up censoring myself. We all censor ourselves, even when alone. The brutal truth, if there is a singular truth, is sometimes too hard to handle. But beyond the censorship I may impose on myself, I'll be writing from the hip. I hope. My courage may waver at times; it may be too much truth for even me.Still, I think I can do this, because only two friends will openly know the journal exists: Astra and Sarah. Astra has been my friend for 7 odd years now and by this point, probably knows me better than most people alive. I don't think she's easily offended or spooked, either, even if I write about her. I doubt there is anything I'll write in here about her that I haven't said to her face already. Good, bad and ugly.The same can be said for Sarah, in a way. I've known Sarah for oh, what 4 or 5 years? I certainly don't know her anywhere as near as well as I know Astra, nor does she know me anywhere as near as well as Astra knows me. Yet, I can say I trust her, at least with my thoughts. And that implies a high level of trust, doesn't it? For what is more important to a person than their innermost thoughts? Mmm...A good question. I suppose I'm selling other aspects of life short...there are many things more important than thoughts. But for me, at least at times, my thoughts are my most prized possession. And I don't think she'll be offended or angered by my thoughts, even when they're about her.And for the random individual who might accidentally, or purposefully, happen upon this journal -- you may or may not like what you read here. I'm not writing for posterity. I'm not writing with any particular skill, style or wit. I'm going to be as honest as I dare. About myself. My thoughts. My life. And people in it. I'm doing it to motivate myself to write. I'm doing it, because I want to get my thoughts out on paper; perhaps they willl be useful to me later on.If you happen to be someone who knows me...well, you may or may not like what I have to say. But if you're a friend, a real friend, you already know I care about you. You should be able to handle both the good and the bad I may have to write about you. (Comment on this)