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Tuesday, August 31, 2004it's the ghit.
anybody need a gmail invite? i have a bunch just collecting dust...
Monday, August 30, 2004
Ack
So much to write about, but work has quite suddenly gotten extrememly busy, so it'll have to wait. Past/Present/Future summary recap.
Past
Julie was in town last week and we had a great time. It's a amazing how much more "on" I am when I'm with her. Of course my body broke down after a week of hanging out on the speedboat, playing Texas Hold-em' into the wee hours of the night multiple times, drinking into the wee hours of the night while playing Texas Hold-em' into the wee hours of the night, and going to see the Lonestar Rollergils (yes Virignia, there is another women's roller derby league in Austin) in a sauna that doubled as their arena, that doubled as a sketchy warehouse.
Present
Work has picked up, and I'm suddenly super busy. There hasn't been a plan created yet for the end of my "transitional" period, but hopefully I'll find out soon. I saw Garden State last night and it has put me in a weird "place". Consider yourself warned. My apologies for those for which this is after the fact. not really...
Future
I turn 26 on Saturday. Need to plan something...
Sunday, August 29, 2004
Woah, doggie.
Saturday, August 28, 2004
hungover, hungover, hungover.
quality, quality, quality.
Thursday, August 26, 2004
Arrogance
W. is so unbelievably arrogant it's ridiculous.
I just wrote this post, and then accidentally deleted it, so I'm gonna make this one extra angry.
For those who haven't heard, Bush has been running a new ad that essentially takes credit for two new countries (Afghanistan and Iraq) competing in this year's Olympics. At first glance, not a huge deal—especially compared to the other commercial hijinks. So what's the big deal?First problem. Iraqi Olympians have publically said that they don't want to be used by Bush for political gain, and want him to pull the ads. Quite understandably, they "find it offensive that Bush is using their team for his own gain when they do not support his administration's actions in Iraq."
Second problem? The USOC doesn't want Bush running the ads because they own the rights to the Olympics in the US, and they have asked him to pull the ads, because "[o]nly the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC), or its sponsors and partners, are allowed to use the symbols in [advertisements], under American copyright law."
And the third problem? Hm... We should top this all off with a really good one. Hm, let's see... I know! our own Congress says it's illegal! In 1999 Congress enacted the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act that granted the rights to the Olympics to the USOC and stated that it "shall be nonpolitical and may not promote the candidacy of an individual seeking public office."
But I guess none of this applies to our "president".
To steal from Janeane Garafolo, at this point, wanting to vote for Bush is simply a character flaw.
Monday, August 23, 2004
And The Fans Think You're An Idiot Too...
I'd feel bad if it wasn't for all the stupid things he has said over the past few days—he brought this upon himself. Gotsta give him props for managing to focus and get a silver though.
Hamm perseveres for boo-tiful silver
Paul Hamm Is A Big Fat Idiot
Well, he's actually much more like a tiny, extremely lean, gymnast.
The opportunity this guy has is unbelievable. For those of you who don't know, Hamm won the all-around gold in Men's Gymnastics last week. It was pretty amazing in that he fell on the vault, fell to 12th place, and clawed his way back to "win".
The fireworks began when International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) ruled that Yang Tae-young from North Korea, the second place finisher, was unfairly docked a tenth of a point. And not the like rigged Salt Lake City skating scandal in '02, but on a simple clerical error. If the judges didn't make the mistake? Hamm would get the silver, and Tae-young would get the gold.
Now I have no clue what it's like to be an Olympian. Yes, I could make a good living shaking my booty, but I'm a couple bpms short of being world-class. I don't know what it's like to be the very, very best of the very, very best—but that won't stop me from talking about it.
When the news broke that Hamm didn't deserve to win, he had a very small window of opportunity to give it up. The way I see it, there are two major rewards for an Olympian:
- A: Accomplishment — You've worked your entire life, you don't drink, you don't smoke, you've been doing push-ups since you were a fetus, and now you've done it. You've proved to everyone that you are the best in the world.
- B: Money — It may sound callous, but it's true. How much TV can you watch without seeing a commerical for Michael Phelps? Trust me, that 19-year-old isn't driving an Escalade because his town had a bake sale.
Can you imagine the superstar status Hamm would have been elevated to, if he had simply given up the medal on the podium? He'd be a PR firm's wet dream. He'd be a national hero, he'd be invited to the White House, he'd be on every single late night talk show as, "That stand-up guy who gave up his Gold because it was the right thing to do," and he'd get so many sponsorship deals, he'd never have to work another day in his life.
Instead? Hamm is now upset that the FIG is even reviewing what went wrong, his mother releases an idiotic statement about how many times her boys have gotten bad breaks, and that this is no different, and the South Koreans are going ape.
Hamm didn't just have a window of oppurtunity, but a red carpet, flashing neon signs pointing the way, an usher to help him through, Lindsay Lohan waiting for him at the other side (heh), and a serious opportunity to regain some international favor for the US, but his mouth and his hubris slammed that window shut.
Friday, August 20, 2004
A Web of Connections
I swear, I don't know what I will do if we let this man get elected again.
Report exposes Bush connections to Swift Boat vets
The group's ads accuse the Democratic presidential nominee of exaggerating his war record to win war medals and say he is unfit to be president.
"A series of interviews and a review of documents show a web of connections to the Bush family, high-profile Texas political figures and President Bush's chief political aide, Karl Rove," the Times reported. "Several of those now declaring Mr. Kerry 'unfit' had lavished praise on him, some as recently as last year.
Thursday, August 19, 2004
Check Check...
Gate #2 has been opened. Boo-yah.
'86? That's not that bad...
Red-eyes always seem like such a great idea. Much like flying on a plane with individual TV screens. I'll be so efficient! I was going to watch TV today anyway. Now I can do it while I'm hurtling through the air at 600 mph! Red-eyes are the same argument, but on paper should be better, right? I can just sleep through the whole thing! It'll be like futuristic travel! It'll seem like it took an instant if I sleep through it! <sigh> I really have got to stop listening to myself.
There is always something that messes up a good red-eye. Whether it's your body not thinking it's time to go to bed yet, a bumpy flight, or the always fun screaming baby. But last night (or I guess I should say this morning...), I was attacked by the last thing I expected: Lindsay Lohan.
My god people, that girl is hot. I feel dirty saying that, but seriously—I would do naughty things to that girl. As I cruised past 4a Central Time, I didn't find myself sleeping, but struggling to keep from laughing out loud at the surprisingly good Mean Girls, the movie on the LCD screen, depriving me from sleep. The flick was actually much better (and much longer) than I expected. Definitely check it out when it hits video.
Tuesday, August 17, 2004
Blog of the Week - Chairman Lau
He's back people. He had to lay low for a bit, but he's back from his tour of duty. So with no further ado, let me welcome back, 2-time winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, 3-time Pimp of the Year award, the inventor of Velcro, the first native Hawaiian ever to pilot an airplane, and the all-time NBA leader in 3pt shooting percentage, he's your friend and mine: The Chairman.
Movie of the (Last) Week - The Manchurian Candidate
Yeah, I know this is late, but I can't leave Den-Den (Denzel Washington, to those of you who aren't as tight with him as I am...) hanging. Went to see it with Bre and Melissa weekend before last, and embarassingly found myself actually talking at the screen I got so worked up. Yes, I actually said "Run!", as if Den-Den might look out onto the audience and say, "Good lookin' out Mark. I'm gone, suckas!"
So go see it. It's really good. One down, about a billion more movies I gotta see...
Sunday, August 15, 2004
Noooooooo!
That's the noise I made when I woke up this morning. 40 minutes after my flight to Seattle left. Crap. Not a good way to start a trip. Me and the new phone are so in a fight.
Saturday, August 14, 2004
Check...
Gate #1 of Mark Phillip's master plan has been opened. Hopefully you know what that means. I'll hopefully find out about Gate #2 next week. Boo-ya.
Friday, August 13, 2004
Here It Comes...
Cue the religious right...
N.J. GOP to McGreevey: Resign now
Thursday, August 12, 2004
Great.
N.J. governor, saying he’s gay, resigns office
Okay, this news is just breaking, but from the way I'm reading this:
- The governor of New Jersey is married to a woman.
- He has been having an extramarital affair with a man.
- He is about to be charged with the sexual harassment of another man.
- Therefore, he is resigning.
Unfortunately, on the same day that same-sex marraiges are struck down in California, I think it's going to be spun by the Religious Right like this:
- He is a homosexual.
- Therefore, he is resigning.
I have a feeling this story is going to get way more coverage than it should.
Not So Fast...
Lame. I understand the argument, but still lame.
S.F. same-sex marriages voided
Tuesday, August 10, 2004
Show Me The Money!
No, that's not right. Help Me Help You! Yeah. That's the ticket.
So here's the deal people. The days of ridiculous giveaways on the internet are trying to come back. Leading the charge? freeipods.com (and its cousin freeflatscreens.com). Real simple. If you sign up, and then get five other people to sign up, you get a free iPod.
So what's the catch? You (and the five people) have to sign up for one of their offers—the money they get from referral fees is how they make money. The offers are companies like AOL, BMG, or Columbia House. The good news is that if you can sign up for an offer like RealRhapsody (its like iTunes), wait a couple days, cancel before your 14 day trial ends and owe nothing, but still qualify for the deal.
Simple, right? Right. So go out and get an iPod. and get me one too...
http://www.FreeFlatScreens.com/default.aspx?referer=7889402
http://www.freeiPods.com/default.aspx?referer=7880637
Buzz
I got my snazzy Kerry/Edwards bumper sticker yesterday and promptly put it on my bumper sticker free car. Made me feel pretty big kid. Politics has become much more important in my life. 9/11 and W's track record obviously contributed the most to the increase in importance, but I'm sure part of it is simply because I am older. My friend are older, and therefore generally more apt to care about and be involved in politics. BUT, I have never heard genuine buzz about someone's speech at a National Convention. Everyone was talking about Barak Obama the next day. Critics on the news, and co-workers at the water cooler were all talking about this new star that absolutely nailed his speech, has a limitless future, and even in the age of the Terminator as the Governor of California, he intimidated Mike Ditka (Mike Ditka!) into not running against him.
What are we gonna do? Our GOP candidate that was going to run against Obama dropped out. We have to find a replacement. But who? We need someone strong, and decisive. Someone who represents us well and can give Obama a run for his money. Hmmm... I know! Alan Keyes!
<sigh> That's right. The Alan Keyes you know and love. The doormat of presidential elections. The man who owes $524,169 from his two wildly campaigns for president, and even owes $7,481 in state income tax. State Income Tax!
But to be honest, none of that came into my mind when I heard he was running. My first thought?
Crap. He's black.
Yes, I know this will be the first time that there are two black candidates running against each other for a Senate seat, but let's not start patting each other on the back just yet. Race wasn't an issue until Keyes joined the race.The Republicans have no chance in this election. Keyes or not, Obama is going to run away with it. So their choice to replace Ryan? Let's bring in someone who is ultraconservative, who criticized Hillary Clinton for carpetbagging in New York, but is running in a state he doesn't live in, and can take away as much momentum from this rock star of a politician as possible by slinging mud. Running against Ryan, Obama was just an up and coming politician, that no one really knew about. Him being black was an afterthough. Now, running against Keyes, the story is about the first two black candidates running against each other for a Senate seat.
What are we gonna do? Our GOP candidate that was going to run against Obama just got blown up by a sex scandal. We have to find a replacement. But who? We need someone weak, and divisive, cause if we're going to lose, we might as well make it messy. If he owes back taxes, that would be a bonus. Hmmm... I know! Alan Keyes!
But then I try and catch myself. Not even the GOP can be that evil can they? I'm overreacting. I'm sure with the lead that Obama has so far, that they'll be forced to run a tight ship and a clean election just to have a chance, right? They won't try and make this a messy mud-slinging affair, or make this a race issue would they? Would they?
CHICAGO (Talon News) -- Wasting no time, newly-announced U.S. Senate candidate for Illinois Alan Keyes went after his Democratic opponent Barack Obama on Monday, saying Obama's views on abortion deny an unborn child equal rights and are "the slaveholder's position."
"I would still be picking cotton if the country's moral principles had not been shaped by the Declaration of Independence," Keyes said.
This is gonna be fun.
Monday, August 9, 2004
Conflicted
I've been wanting to blog this story all day, but I can't figure out what the heck I want to write about it. Read for yourself. Tell me what you think. True Love? Tragic? Completely Stupid?
Boyfriend of hospitalized judo champion throws self from same balcony
dum dee dum dee dum...
Saturday, August 7, 2004
Computer?
Anyone looking to buy a computer? There is a great deal from Dell right now. It's a very fast computer that comes with a big hard drive, a monitor, and a CD-burner. If you're interested, don't wait long—it won't last.
Dimension 2400 2.8GHz System w/ 17" CRT, $349 after $100 Rebate
Thursday, August 5, 2004
Grill Me Baby
That's right, this is the third grill post in as many days. I seasoned some chicken, tossed it on the grill last night, and it turned out sooooo good. I cannot believe that I didn't get one earlier. All of 20 minutes start to finish, and nothing to clean! For carniphiles like me, there really aren't many inventions better than the gas grill. I'm giddy just thinking about leftovers for lunch.
Wednesday, August 4, 2004
And It Was Good
Let there be light! Or more specifically, fire! I loosened the purse strings and shelled out $30 for a used propane grill on craigslist this weekend. It took a little while, but I was finally able to put it back together (yes, finally there was something that the Golf couldn't handle), and got the fire going this morning. I'm gonna give it trial run tonight. Now if we can just get the heat index back down to double digits, I could have a bbq...
editor's note: please excuse the sappiness of last night's
post—i was about 3 glasses of red wine in...
Tuesday, August 3, 2004
Big Island
I got an email from Expedia tonight about a special on hotels in Hawaii, and I just laughed. Cross your fingers for me people. I'm waiting for two big things to fall into place. If they do, I can start fighting back against the crappiest year and a half of my life...
Bring it, Cosine!
I spent most of my life thinking that I was going to grow up and be a math teacher. I could think of nothing better than that—it would be heaven.
I am now in Math Hell.
Work has unceremoniously tossed me into the ring, and I now find myself embroiled in a steel-cage death match. But it's not mano a mano. Nay, it's a free for all with me in one corner, the Pythagorean Theorem in the corner opposite, Quadratic Bezier Curves clinging to the walls, and the formulas for sine, cosine and tangent, all dangling from the ceiling, heckling me. Please. Someone save me.
Monday, August 2, 2004
"my friend signs off all of his emails:
'siempre, luciando
paz y revolucion'
as if the two were possible,
peace and revolution.
as if bloodless wars didn't still tear psyches apart.
change hurts.
living it is hard.
we've got to be ready
if we decide to stand up."
kelly tsai
"mao"
And Another Thing...
I finally got a grill this weekend! Spent a whopping $30 on a grill and full propane tank on craigslist. I think I was a wee bit overzealous while cleaning it, but hopefully putting it back together won't be too bad. Also, I have two Gmail accounts just sitting around collecting dust. If you want one, let me know.
Scattered
Very timid, yet scattered weekend. Not too much going on. In homage to the weekend, here's a very timid, yet scattered post...with not much going on.
- The new phone is very sexy, but complicated. I'm already missing the old one.
- I had my first dream about Mom last night.
- Paris and Nick Carter broke up—please, a moment of silence.
- I rode on a Dillo with a racially insensitive bus driver Friday night.
- Looking at Lau's pictures really makes me want to take time off and travel.
- The Amazing Race is my new TV obsession. It should be yours too.
- I've had the same lifeplan for about 3 days straight—this one might be a keeper.