it's all about the politics baby !

Future Illinois senate Obama representing at the Democratic Convention :)

With the Democratic Convention this past week, it was hard to miss Obama's legendary keynote speech that seemed to ignite a flame throughout the nation. If you didn't see it on tv, you undoubtedly heard about it on the news or around the water cooler at work. Hailing from humble beginnings, with mixed parents, and representing Chicago, you know I have to show him love. Not only did I vote for this man in the Illinois Primaries a few months back, I absolutely adore him. I know deep in my heart there are great things in store for this man so look out world!!!

COOL POLITICAL SITES OF INTEREST...check them out!!

League of Pissed Off Voters

The Young Voter Alliance

Fuck the Vote : Because Liberals are Hotter via Girls are Weird

HIP HOP CONVENTION 2004 Hip Hop turns political

Last but not least...Register to vote peeps!!

Peace & love.

odd fact of the day...

I know I type this at risk of sounding like a complete crazy person, but today while making myself french toast for breakfast I realized that I like to talk to my food while I cook. This is especially true when I bake. I love to ohh and ahh over my creations of cakes, roasted chicken, or chuletas. I talk them up, ensuring that they will reach and exceed perfection - or at least exude the arua of loving care I put into making them. Just this morning while flipping the very first french toast, I told it how beautiful it was and how delicious it was going to be. I also happened to be on the phone with my man, who- when realizing I was talking to my breakfast, was highly amused for a good ten minutes.

Now, I never knew how strange an occurance my talking to my food really was til that moment. But I know that I am not alone. I know there is millions of other people out there that like to bond with their food as it cooks. Am I right ? Am I right ? Or am I really a freak ?

pizza n beer

There is NOTHING like greasy pizza and beer to celebrate the last week on the job...ohh...yummm

Also, via Girls are weird:

37.5 %

My weblog owns 37.5 % of me.
Does your weblog own you?

Can you tell I really missed blogging the last few days and now am just posting anything that comes to mind? hee hee.

my tongue speaks thankfulness

Today is FRIDAY and the word and mood of the day is definitely that of thankfulness. Within the last month or so I have found more and more reasons to be thankful for my existence. Everything is truly going my way and I am currently basking in the glow of it all like I just got the best sex ever imaginable. Wait, scratch that...its better than sex. Within a week, I will close on my new house and have a new job (i.e. starting a career that I have always dreamed of). Plus, I have a wondrous support system of friends & family to help me out along the way. Even though they can't always be there for me (I mean who can?), they always knows what to say and when to say it. I am on cloud nine, ya'll and I hope and pray that you all are having as great a month as I am. I am sending positive energy out to everyone !

In other news, my love life has been fantastic. :) Just yesterday, my man left a single rose on my windshield as a pleasant reminder of him on my way to work (talk about puting on the charms huh?). Plus, we just celebrated our 2 year anniversary this past Saturday. It's been 2 kick ass years since I asked him to be mine. It's a long story on how and why 'we' happened after being friends for so long, as me & him have a past that spans almost 10 years. I mean, he was my chemistry partner in high school (go figure we had a little chemistry going on outside class as well). Needless to say, our story has many twists and turns full of jealous exes, drama, and bittersweet kisses that undoubtedly could become a book if I ever decided to write it all down. But, again, I digress. That’s another story set for another time and you probably would have to buy me a few drinks to get the whole scoop on that. hee hee.

Well, I must get back to work. I have to interview a few people for my position later and still have to get lunch before it all. Peace & love to everyone.

damn the fact i wasn't born a beauty queen

Since I simply haven't had the money to get my hair beautifully colored and highlighted at Mario Tricoci the last year or so, I have taken on the task of dying my own hair. Let it be known..I suck at it so bad (thankfully I still have my day job)!

Anyway, no matter what hair color I choose (whether it be light brown, auburn or some crazy off color), my hair always has the same results! No lie. It always turns out a dark brown color with red highlights in it. Blah! My dreams of caramel colored tresses just in time for my new gig are just that...dreams.

It could be worse I guess..at least it's not green.

whirlwinds of work in times of change

Life changes sooo fast sometimes, and at others, its like you are standing in quicksand or floating in limbo. Its one of those times where life has just completely done a 360 change on me.

Since I have put in my 2 week resignation I have been sooo busy trying to coordinate everything at my current job that I haven't even been able to take lunch breaks. I have been so busy, in fact, that if I had been this busy every day, I would have absolutely no reason to leave this company. Needless to say, I'm going to miss it alot. I truly love my boss and it was oh sooo heart wrenching to tell him the news when I know he depends on me soo much for everything around here. In the midst of a office move, and recruiting people for my position and a help desk position before I leave, my job is going to be a daunting task to say the least. I have devoted 3 1/2 years here at my company and have grown accustomed to being here (even though it gets so boring sometimes I just want to shoot myself in the head just to end the misery). Sigh.

Don't get me wrong: I know that leaving and taking my new position is the best thing for me to do right now. I really am excited about everything and know I have been blessed with an awesome opportunity to expand my horizons. BUT, life has been a series of 180 degree twists and turns lately. Everything is happening soo fast. Between getting a new house, a new job; a new life in essence, I am a bit scared shitless... I hope I can handle it all with some kind of finesse. Within a month, I have gone from making meager salary and living with the parents to earning a somewhat better salary and managing a 3 unit building and living all by my self. It's so hard to absorb it all & I think I am still in shock. Everything is just so new, unstable, and akward still.

What I wouldn't give just for a hint of the stability my old life has given me right about now...even if just for a few minutes. Even my man, who was going to help me through every step of the process, especially in fixing up my new house with his gifted hands during his free time, is going to be MIA for at least the next few months. He got a 2nd job in his field - doing laboratory work for a company that makes cancer drugs (yay for my baby!). In essence, he will be working 2 full time jobs AND be going to school. So much for having crazy wild sex on the living room floor (and the kitchen table, and in the shower...and..) hee hee.

What can I say? LIFE IS JUST CRAZY. While I am scared shitless and stressed out, for a change its a positive type of stress and fear. I know that that this is the beginning of a new era for me in so many ways. I just hope I can handle it all with finesse and not fall on my ass like Wyle E. Coyote when he's chasing the road runner

so you think you know everything ?

below is a cool email I received from one of my chat buddies that really did offer some cool tid bits I enjoyed so much that I had to post them.

SO YOU THINK YOU KNOW EVERYTHING? HERES PROOF THAT YOU DON'T

A dime has 118 ridges around the edge.

A cat has 32 muscles in each ear.

A crocodile cannot stick out its tongue.

A dragonfly has a life span of 24 hours. (OMG...with the pen name dragonflypurity this kinda hit me hard. only 24 hours ? DAYUM!)

A goldfish has a memory span of three seconds.

A "jiffy" is an actual unit of time for 1/100th of a second.

A shark is the only fish that can blink with both eyes.

A snail can sleep for three years.

Al Capone's busines! s card said he was a used furniture dealer.

All 50 states are listed across the top of the Lincoln Memorial on the back of the $5 bill.

Almonds are a member of the peach family.

An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.

Babies are born without kneecaps. They don't appear until the child reaches 2 to 6 years of age.

Butterflies taste with their feet.

Cats have over one hundred vocal sounds. Dogs only have about 10.

"Dreamt" is the only English word that ends in the letters "mt".

February 1865 is the only month in recorded history not to have a full moon.

In the last 4,000 years, no new animals have been domesticated.

If the population of China walked past you, in single file, the line would never end because of the rate of reproduction.

If you are an average American, in your whole life, you will spend an average of 6 months waiting at red lights.

It's impossible to sneeze with your eyes open.

Leonardo Da Vinci invented the scissors.

Maine is the only state whose name is just one syllable.

No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver, or purple.

On a Canadian two dollar bill, the flag flying over the Parliament building is an American flag.

**** Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing.

Peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite.

Rubber bands last longer when refrigerated.

"Stewardesses" is the longest word typed with only the left hand and "lollipop" with your right.

The average person's left hand does 56% of the typing.

The cruise liner, QE2, moves only six inches for each gallon of diesel that it burns.

The microwave was invented after a researcher walked by a radar tube and a chocolate bar melted in his pocket.

**** The sentence: "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" uses every letter of the alphabet.

The winter of 1932 was so cold that Niagara Falls froze completely solid.

The words 'racecar,' 'kayak' and 'level' are the same whether they are read left to right or right to left (palindromes).

There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar.

There are more chickens than people in the world.

There are only four words in the English language which end in "dous": tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous

There are two words in the English language that have all five vowels in order: "abstemious" and "facetious."

There's no Betty Rubble in the Flintstones Chewables Vitamins.

Tigers have striped skin, not just striped fur.

TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be made using the letters only on one row of the keyboard.

Winston Churchill was born in a ladies' room during a dance.

Women blink nearly twice as much as men.

Your stomach has to produce a new layer of mucus every two weeks; otherwise it will digest itself.

The liquid inside young coconuts can be used as a substitute for blood plasma.

No piece of paper can be folded in half more than seven (7) times.

Donkeys kill more people annually than plane crashes.

You burn more calories sleeping than you do watching television. (yet another reason to NAP)

Oak trees do not produce acorns until they are fifty (50) years of age or older

. . . Now you know everything
I think.....

OHH SHIT...

Oh SHIT! I just got an offer on that position I interviewed yesterday for. Within 24 hours, I have interviewed for and was offered the position. I can't believe it! Not only will I be making $5,000 more a year than I'm making now (with instantaneous benefits), they offer parking or public transportation reimbursement, a few bonuses a year, AND I will be working at a company that actually makes a difference in the community. YEY!

Here's the details. The company is called Platform Learning and as of August 2 I will be their Operations Analyst in the Chicago region. I will help manage up to 20 tutoring facilities in the Chicago land area, with special emphasis on children in substandard schools… in essence, its my dream job. I have been yearning to get a job that actually pays decent AND has a great cause. I can't believe I have finally found it. Life has a funny way of working out, doesn’t it?

Truthfully, I didn't think I had the position when I walked out of their office yesterday afternoon. Though the interview went smoothly and I got along with all 3 of the people I met with, we didn't really discuss salary expectations, benefits, and start dates (even though they made me fill out a 5 page application containing all those elements). In either case, I am so fucken excited. I truly feel blessed.

Now, the hard part is telling my wonderful boss I am leaving him. Especially with the office move in place, it will definitely be a sticky situation to get everything in order before I leave. Wish me luck, I'm going in to break the bad news.

the little changes transform the whole picture

Its funny how almost daily, little things change in your life that really don’t equate to much on their own; but as time goes by, and the changes compile, they draw a completely different picture of your existence and preferences in life. For instance, I am not the same person I was a few years ago. Come to think of it, I am not even the same person I was just a mere 3 months back. Every day, unbeknown by myself, I am changing in little ways. This realization came to me yesterday as I sat in a crowded bar with a few too many coronas under my belt contemplating the meaning of life as I breezily observed everyone and everything around me.

Case in point: As a youngster, I craved attention everywhere I went, from relationships, friendships, at bars, home; pretty much anywhere and in any situation. Like a pro, I jumped from conversation to conversation, smoozing my way along any situation. Now, I am content just sitting somewhere comfy and thinking, observing, and listening to everything around me. Conversations of the past were not dripping of politics, poetry, and book readings as they are now. Even my favorite color is changing! What was my deep passion for everything blue is now turning into a fascination for brown. I have one too many brown pairs of shoes, three too many brown shirts, and about 10 too many brown nail polishes and lipsticks to even choose from. Plus, I’m totally digging my bronzer nowadays when before just the thought of putting some make up on my face would break me out for weeks to come. So many things that would have totally turned me off in my youth has suddenly become integral pieces of my psyche. For example: I found out that instead of fancy brand name perfumes, I prefer a $5 flask of musk oil. I prefer a pair of $15 jeans from Discovery or the thrift store rather than pay a whopping $40 for them at NY&Co or Express. It's truly like I have look in the mirror and ask "who is this person I have evolved into?" and "when the FUCK did that happen?". The young version of myself would have thought I was such a freak. HA!

Anyhow, I digress. Its’ funny how all these things are small instances in life that really don’t equate to too much individually, but drawn together I realize how much I have evolved over time without even consciously being aware of it. So much, that I cant help but wonder what changes await for me tomorrow.

funny story

God knows how many blogs I surfed to find it, but somehow I stumbled across this livejournal recalling a very entertaining story about George Dubya Bush giving this protestor the middle finger. Man, I wish I could have seen it in person. Nonetheless, it made great entertainment for me this morning.

back to your regularly scheduled blog

I know I haven't been blogging with my usual frequency and passion, but life lately has been a series of obstacles and fucked up situations. Needless to say, I have been in a funk professionally, in my personal life, and financially. While a majority of the time, I'm happy...It's funny how depression cripples me so much. When I am depressed or angry, all my loved ones know to give me some space. I can be like venom, infecting everyone I come into contact with. HOWEVER, last night I really focused on releasing all this negativity; I meditated with a vengeance and partaked in a long relaxing slumber. Thankfully, it worked cuz this morning I woke up with a smile and a bounce in my step.

Rather than bore you with the details of the last few FUCKED UP days, I shall bask in the small things that have made me smile, made me thankful, and restored my equilibrium the last few days.

1) The new Roots CD is simply timeless. It has been in my cd player on steady rotation for a week and I can't seem to get enough of it. While some people may argue that The Roots are selling out and using more mainstream beats, I argue that they don't know anything about them at all. The Roots are all about constant evolution & experimentation; this cd is just further proof that they can take any type of beat and sound and make it their own. Anyway, my favorite tracks are "Star" (the very first track - which never fails to put a smile on my face), "Stay Cool" (with a sample of an old beat from de la soul) , and "somebody's got to do it" (with Jean Grae - one of my favorite female mcs of all time). Big ups to the roots for making me bump when my life was really in a funk...ha...ok that was cheesy, so lets just move on...

2) In times of need, you can easily find your true friends and realize the other 20 some people on your speed dial just are acquaintances. When I was all alone, saturated with depression and nowhere to turn after making 20 some phone calls to friends I hoped would hear me out...only one true blue friend was there for me. To that friend I send much love and positivity. Thanks for lending an ear in my time of need. You know who you are...BFL! BFL! FOR LIFE

3) Due to depression and a little PMS, this past weekend I have indulged in lots of food. More importantly: My moms home cooking....My mom can turn a frown upside down with just one whiff of her home made finger lickin’ ribs, or bistek con arroz y gandules. Its just simply fantabulous. Thanks mom: You rock.

4) Watching bootleg copies of new releases not only makes me feel like a militant, but also helps keep my wallet full (ok well not full, but at least I have gas money). Due to kind friends, I have seen Spiderman 2, Fahrenheit 9/11, and White Chicks all in one weekend without even leaving my boyfriends couch. Yeah to bootlegs!

5) While I am on the subject of movies, I won another set of free movie passes to see the Bourne Supremacy tonight at Pipers Alley. I can't wait & hope its just as good as the first.

6) While men are big pains in the asses at times, don't they look so damn cute in hats and boxers? Well, not at the same time of course, that looks a little strange. But truly, I am a big sucker for a man in a hat...adidas, nike, sports team, whatever, as long as its not PINK). Boxers are also damn sexy while briefs just look a little...too…well confining and girly for me. Damn what you heard, real men wear boxers dammit!

7) While this job is slowly making me insane, I have been sending massive quantities of my resume out. Anyway, I finally got a call back and have an interview on Thursday. I'm not going to jinx it in any way, but this job would totally rock. Not only would I be making more money, I would be helping inner city children get a better education. More details to come later. Just wish me luck!

8) The office move is currently underway in full throttle. We are just waiting for our new phone system to arrive and we will be out of this shithole of an office. I am dreaming of an office with a view and a lock on the door so I can dance to the sound of my own drummer.

9) Ok. I can go on & on today about positive thoughts and things to be thankful for. So I will end with an ode to meditation. If in 24 hrs: it can take me, venomous and PMSing, and make me cheery and gleeful, it truly is a great and wondrous thing. ahhhh....

it figures...

Just this morning, I was thinking what a fool I have been throughout my life to actually trust people whom I love. I seem to always end up forgotten and undeniablly betrayed. Today, I take this quiz "what Tarot Card Are YOU?". Lo and behold!!! It figures...I'm the fool! HA!

While it states the fool card is not necessarily a bad card, I don't agree with it at all. Often times I find myself jumping off that proverbial cliff in life, only to feel like Wyle E. Coyote...falling falling falling til I splat on the ground.


You are the Fool card. The Fool fearlessly begins the journey into the unknown. To do this, he does not regard the world he knows as firm and fixed. He has a seemingly reckless disregard for obstacles. In the Ryder-Waite deck, he is seen stepping off a cliff with his gaze on the sky, and a rainbow is there to catch him. In order to explore and expand, one must disregard convention and conformity. Those in the throes of convention look at the unconventional, non-conformist personality and think What a fool. They lack the point of view to understand The Fool's actions. But The Fool has roots in tradition as one who is closest to the spirit world. In many tribal cultures, those born with strange and unusual character traits were held in awe. Shamans were people who could see visions and go on journeys that we now label hallucinations and schizophrenia. Those with physical differences had experience and knowledge that the average person could not understand. The Fool is God. The number of the card is zero, which when drawn is a perfect circle. This circle represents both emptiness and infinity. The Fool is not shackled by mountains and valleys or by his physical body. He does not accept the appearance of cliff and air as being distinct or real. Image from: Mary DeLave http://www.marydelave.com/


Which Tarot Card Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

thoughts floating like clouds above my head

The whole mortgage process is like sadomasochism. The end of the road is in sight, but til then, I'm being slowly tortured in a sick and demeaning way. I thought the whole mortgage process was over with, but it seems to be the only part of the new home equation that has yet to resolve itself, mostly because my mortgage broker is a complete idiot. There is no way in hell that I am closing tomorrow and my attorney & realtor are breathing down my throat to get it all finalized. I have been trying to get in contact with my broker, but he has yet to return my calls. Can you believe that shit ? I'm trying not to let the Puerto Rican come out, but DAYUM...this brotha is pushing it to the limit.

Yay! The attempt at making gay marriage illegal was unsuccessful, but I know that its just a small victory in the grand scheme of this country. They will undoubtedly try again and again. I dunno about you, but I'm tired of seeing these republican dick wads talk about marriage being this sacred thing between man & woman, when you know in reality a majority of them are probably cheating on their wives. I SMELL BULLSHIT !!!

I am dreaming of swimming in crisp cool water. It's sad but true: It's been forever since I actually went to the beach or to a pool to cool off and unwind. To make it worse, it's been humid as all hell in Chicago lately. You literally walk out of your house and start sweating instantaneously. Thank god for air conditioning here at work.

Last but not least, today was payday! Even though literally every cent is gone already, I splurged on buying the new Roots cd that I have been wanting. I also peeped KRS-One's new cd too, but that will have to wait til next pay period at least. SORRY CHRIS!

pablo neruda...

Earlier this week would have been Pablo Nerudas 100th birthday. Being the poetess I am, I busted out and dusted out my Pablo Neruda poetry book and delved deep inside his words to find myself highly inspired this morning. Here's one of my favorite poems he wrote. Enjoy.

"The Word" - Taken from: ‘Plenos poderes’

It was born
in blood, the word
grew in the dark body, beating
and flew through the lips and the mouth.

Further, and nearer
still, still it came
from dead fathers, nomadic races,
from lands made of stone,
that were tired of their wretched tribes,
because when pain set out on the way
the villages walked and arrived
and new earth and water joined again
to sow their words anew.
And so this is the legacy:
this is the air which connects us
to the dead man and the dawn
of new beings not yet woken.

The atmosphere still trembles
with the first word
formed
in panic and moans.
It rose
from the shadows
and even now no thunder
yet thunders with the clang
of that word
the first
word spoken:
perhaps it was only a sigh, a drop,
and yet its cascade falls and falls.

Then sense fills the word.
The word was made pregnant and filled with lives.
It was all births and cries:
affirmation, clarity, force,
negation, destruction, death:
the verb assumed all those powers
and merged existence and essence
in the electricity of her beauty.

Word, human, syllabic, pelvis
of wide light and solid silver,
hereditary cup that receives
the communication of blood:
here is where silence was fused
in the total human word
and not to speak is to be dying among beings:
language springs from the roots of the hair,
the mouth talks without the lips moving:
the eyes of a sudden are words.

I take the word and traverse it
as if it were solely human form,
its lineaments delight me and I fly
through each resonance of language:
I pronounce and I am and I reach without speech
the silence at the end of words.

I drink to the word, lifting
a word or a glass of crystal,
in it I drink
the wine of language
or the interminable waters
maternal fount of words,
and glass and water and wine
originate my song
because the verb is the origin
and the living channel: it is blood
the blood that speaks its substance
and so is ready to flow:
giving crystal to crystal, blood to blood
and giving life to life, the words.

what can i say? i'm a libra & all about equality

Tomorrow on Capital hill there will be a constitutional vote concerning the Federal Marriage Amendment Act which threatens to deny marriage equality to same-sex couples. These people, while living 'unconventional lifestyles', have found the true love we all yearn for. Who in their right mind would try to ban such unions, in essence attempting to make these people criminals?

This amendment makes gay people out to be 'religious and soicial abominations'...while in fact they are not. These are our friends, brothers, sisters, uncles, co workers & they need all our help to defeat this evil attack on their existence. So please help to ensure the freedom and equality of all our brothers and sisters nationwide by signing an online petition via the Moveon organization. It only takes a minute, I promise...and it will fill you with a warm happy sensation inside that only takes palce when you know you have done something undeniably and irrefutably right.

While this amendment doesn't directly affect me (a heterosexual woman), I feel very deeply about it, as in my opinion: LOVE IS LOVE. Whether it’s between a man and a woman, a man and a man, a dog and a goat (sorry about the poor use of words, but my point is made). I don't care who it is, if they are in love and wish to be married, no one has the right to tell them they cannot.

The way I figure it is: If we don't fight for the rights of ALL the American people, we are only allowing these conservative assholes to further limit our own rights. Slowly but surely, they are tightening the ropes and attempting to reverse the last few decades of foward movement in civil rights for all Americans. I refuse to contribute to that rope tightening...so I'm spreading the love for same sex marriage. How about you ?

if you're happy and you know it...shake your ass

Man... today is a wonderful day. For the first time in over 6 weeks, my shoulder feels somewhat normal. I can dance, frolic, stretch, and just plain chill without feeling that familiar twang of pain that I have become accustomed to lately. Halleluiah!

Also, The Roots new cd, dubbed The Tipping Point, is coming out tomorrow. The Roots have to be one of the most talented, diverse and blazing hip hop groups of all time and, needless to say, I have put every one of their cd’s in steady rotation countless of times. I really, REALLY, REALLY want it, but unfortunately I might have to wait until I close on the house on Friday and get my financial situation in order. I know it's only $10, but I will be pretty much BROKE for the remainder of the month, if not for the next few months and have to watch EVERY PENNY.

But on another positive note...I won free passes to see I, Robot tomorrow night. I have seen the previews and the movie doesn't look half bad (even though my friend says it will be the equivalent of a third 'Men in Black'). Anyway...supposedly, the movie takes place in a futuristic Chicago (2035 AD to be exact). Being a Chicago native, you know I have to represent even if just a little bit. The premise of the movie is that in this futuristic world, humans have become increasingly dependent on robots, which all of a sudden have decided to start killing everyone. How did this happen? And more importantly, how are they stopped? I guess I will find out tomorrow! So, look forward to a review in the near future.

Well...I have to bother my mortgage broker now to make sure everything is in order for closing on Friday; Til later, peace & love to everyone.

Random rants..turned politcal

~ Sometimes I feel I have the body & health of an elderly woman. Almost 2 months have gone by & my shoulder and neck still hurt dammit ! I am going to have to go back to the doctor before amputation may be necessary...

~ Heres a cool video clip of spiderman made entirely of Legos.

~ I ran across this website which has a running calculator of the Cost of the Iraqi War. While all the numbers are disturbing, I found the immunization and AIDS numbers the hardest to bear. For the same amount the government has spent on the war, it could have immunized the world’s population of children for 40 years and fully funded the worldwide AIDS program for 12 years. I mean, we could have ensured that 4 generations of children worldwide wouldn't die of preventable illnesses, and instead we chose death.

~ OH NO!!! Terrorists MIGHT attack us before or during the election process, but they have no real information on how or when. Plus, they haven't raised the terror alert from yellow to orange. In essence (and in my opinion) they don't know crap about any planned terrorist attacks and are instead playing political games attempting to propagate fear for votes. They have gotten quite good at it too...it was all over the news.

~ While we are on the subject of the war, 650 brave US soldiers paid the ultimate price for Bush's war. And mysteriously, Bush's questionable military records were destroyed. Hmmm...

~ While I do not support the war, my heart and soul goes out to our troops more than words can ever say. Therefore, I am posting this message in hopes that someone else passes on the love to them. If anybody has any extra gmail accounts, I urge you to consider offering them to soldiers in IRAQ. They could use bigger accounts which allow them to receive pictures, family video, and other large files from home. I just offered the last 3 of mine this morning (the last three which I have been hording for no particular reason at all). I am glad I am able to help them out, even if it is in a small insignificant way as hooking a soldier up with a big email account.

Sorry about all the political talk as of late. While I am political, I don’t let my political opinions dictate all facets of my life and thoughts. But as I said in an earlier post, once I start talking politics, it just all spews out. Enough said.

Oh yeah…happy Friday!!!

i'm scared shitless

I know it's old news, but the closing date on my new house is 'closing in' on me. In just over a week, I will be a home owner. OH SHIT! Someone catch me as I fall.

the joy of reading..lost?

I don't know about you, but I LOVE to read ! I can read for hours at a time and on more than a handful of occasions I have burned the midnight oil just to satiate my desire of a book. This being the case, I am ashamed. WHY? Because I know I don't read as often as I should. I, like a majority of Americans, am guilty of putting other everyday occurrences priority over transporting myself into a story, poem, or kick ass book.

This morning, while reading an article in USA Today, I realized America is in a reading crisis. We just don't read anymore and the numbers are simply astounding. Heres the numbers in a nutshell: Supposedly, the number of NON-reading adults in America has increased by more than 17 million between 1992 and 2002. In 2002, only 47% of Americans were reading any kind of literature. Furthermore, a whopping 89.9 million folks did not read one book in 2002. How crazy is that ? 89.9 million people pretty much choose not to read; only doing so if the words are on the television, a memo at work, or on the internet.

And we are all doing it. We are overwhelmed by busy schedules and instead of reaching for a book to get lost in, most of us are sucked into the internet, tv, and non stop talking on our new and nifty cell phones for escape. Drops in reading were shown in both men & women, black and white, young and old, educated and uneducated. The hardest hit were adult men, with a percentage of 38%, and Latinos, with a percentage of 26.5%.

In essence, we have forgotten the joy of reading and it’s sickening. So I urge you all to pick up a book, read a freaking poem, and get off your asses. If we don't engage our brains and expand our minds, our kids will do the same; reaching for the remote instead of a book. And like the popular phrase goes, if you don't use it, you lose it.

As for me, this article was in a sense eye popping and mind numbing. AS I type, I am making a pact to really work on finishing the books I have been putting off. Matter of fact, for lunch, I shall read while I eat (instead of blog surfing of chatting with my yahoo buddies). In addition, I will try to become an active member of a book club, which may prove to be a hard feat. Over the past year alone I have joined 3 book clubs just for that extra motivation. BUT, each one has failed tragically due to poor attendance, beef among book club members, and poor book choices. However, there is talk of one of them getting back together and I am in the process of forming another one, specifically for minority readers. I am making a conscious choice to expand my horizons via reading. How about you?

COME ON PEOPLE!! GET LOST IN A BOOK and stop the horrible trend that has become widespread in the USA. Go to the library, join a book club, or just stop by Barnes and Noble and just browse through the aisles til something sparks your interest. There are billions of interesting books out there just yearning to be read and teach you something. Say it with me now: "BOOKS ROCK!!!"

I'm a SECF

I'm a sucker for cool quizzes, so when I saw this personality quiz on BEATS and RANTS 2.2 I had to try it for myself. Here's my results:

I'm a peace lovin' hippie, ,just don't piss me off !

Wackiness: 50/100
Rationality: 52/100
Constructiveness: 54/100
Leadership: 34/100

You are an SECF--Sober Emotional Constructive Follower. This makes you a hippie. You are passionate about your causes and steadfast in your commitments. Once you've made up your mind, no one can convince you otherwise. Your politics are left-leaning, and your lifestyle choices decidedly temperate and chaste.

You do tremendous work when focused, but usually you operate somewhat distracted. You blow hot and cold, and while you normally endeavor on the side of goodness and truth, you have a massive mean streak which is not to be taken lightly. You don't get mad, you get even. Please don't get even with this web site.

HA! I'm a hippie with an attitude problem. Go figure!

King Arthur

tell me this girl doesn't kick ass?

My honey & I went to see the sneak preview of King Arthur last night, and as I suspected: the movie was marginal at best, lacking substance and energy. BUT it wasn't all bad; I thought Guinevere's character (played by Keira Knightly from 'Bend it Like Beckham') totally rocked. In my opinion, she was a kick ass woman and Ms. Knightly played the character well. There were a few fighting scenes, and while the last one was very characteristic of epic movies (i.e. boring and predictable), there was a more creative fighting sequence that took place over an ice pond. Overall though, the best part of the whole premiere were the knights rented from Medieval Times which were roaming around the theatre muttering funny phrases such as "HERE YE, HERE YE" and "Greetings, good gentles and ladies".

What can I say? I am easily amused.

too bad all weekends can't be this long

This was one hell of a weekend for me. Since I called in sick on Friday, I had a whopping 4 days of relaxation. Within the last few days, I have kept myself busy: I saw Spiderman 2 at the drive in, slept in every morning, have been to 3 barbeques, went to a block party, made it a blockbuster night, drank massive quantities of alcohol, had a picnic at the lake, and hung out with my honey pretty much non stop. It's been wonderful, but unfortunately, all great things must come to an end. My weekend is winding down as I sit in front of my television watching Pirates of the Caribbean with my mother. Dayum, even all pirated up Johnny Depp is HOT !!

SIGH: My left shoulder is still hurting me like all hell. I smell like an old woman, using ben gay like products as if they were water. I have been taking $50 prescription medicine for meds I just found out were glorified ibuproferin . How messed up is that ? If I would have known that my prescription was just strong Advil, I would have saved my money, taken Aleve and brought something new for my house instead. I mean $50 for some Tylenol ? C'mon now !!! I was talking to my parents, and between them, they pay a whopping $200 a month on prescription meds nowadays (and that's with their shitty insurance). That fact alone make me even ponder if our govt. is even the tad bit concerned about the health of it's citizens. If it goes up any more, too many people won't be able to afford the meds that they so desperately need. It's just lucrative. I remember the days when prescriptions were no more than $25! Damn Bush and his health plan kick backs. It's just so sad. My heart goes out to all the individuals on fixed incomes; it really does.

Anyway, I hope everyone had a wonderful independence day weekend and hopefully, you were able to relax just a tad bit before returning to the regular hum drum that is life.