Hell week commences

Remember when I posted that blog about how being a bartender isn't all fun and games? Well, as with all the other major fun holidays, this week is officially hell week. The Super Bowl is being held here this year in Arizona, and it coinsides along with the FBR open being played on the greens in north Scottsdale, and the Fat Tuesday weekend all rolling into one big ball of shit. So, while all the rest of y'all are busy planning and braggin on how fun its going to be to party all weekend, keep in mind that some of us are busy bustin our asses off. Myself, I'll be cramming 70+ hours of work into 5 days. And I'm one of the lucky ones. Others will be putting in 80-90+ hours this week. I have a few back to back double shifts, and others have back to back to back to back doubles.

If this week doesn't pay off financially, then I am going to be glad to be going away for a while at the end of Feb. It has started off reasonably well and smooth the past two days, but the real tests start tonight as most of the tourists, players and party goers will have arrived in town today. I'm going to need a lot o vitamin B, red bull and sleep this week. Sorry if I disappear for a week, I'll be a little busy.

On the plus side, I will have Mon, Tue and Wednesday day off and may decide to take a deserved outing to de-stress.

See you at the street party!

I shouldn't have eaten those leftover potstickers

This is a day later, but still vivid. On Monday night I had some wickedly strange dreams. The kind of dreams that happen in succession, but had no bearing on eachother, but were so awkward that I remembered them all.

The first part came wherein I was talking to some woman in a bathroom. She was wearing some form of evening dress and was getting ready to go out, or do something. She was a brunette. Then, this woman started laughing uncontrollably, turned to me and instantly transformed into a blond haired lady who was some type of sorceress. Pointing at me and then continuing to laugh, I found myself being covered and consumed by this constricting and breath taking blue goo- kinda like those cans of Nickelodeon slime you had as a kid. It eventually enveloped me enough that I couldn't breathe, and then I woke up briefly.

After returning to my slumber, I dreamed that I was in a Las Vegas hotel room with my girlfriend and like 3 other random dudes just hanging out. Both of us were somewhat confused, and then a fire alarm started going off. Immediately everyone started to evacuate the hotel. We grabbed what we could and were then somehow ushered onto a plane headed for Mexico. After a few minutes in the air, we made a very sharp turn, followed by a drastic descent. The pilot announced that we were going to need to make an emergency landing. We weren't going to make it to the airport however, and needed to land on the Las Vegas strip. My viewpoint changed to the cockpit window view, and as we landed on the roadway, I saw people running and jumping out of the way, and then we started hitting all the lightposts, trees and powerpoles. Then our wings got ripped off. Somehow we stopped, and we all exited the plane into a hallway. They said that the plane was fine and that the wings were designed like that to come off in such an event. All the maintenance personnel had to do was to snap the wings back on and we could depart again. We refused to take the flight.

The next part of the dream, I was in a open field surrounded by dikes, streams and swollen river deltas. It was my idea to grab a pickaxe and a shovel and start to break down the dyke I was standing on. As I did, water started to inundate the fields and roads until I only had one final option for escape before being swept away by the increasingly speeding up water. I ditched my tools and scrambled to the last remaining intact road. Upon looking back, the entire valley was flooded and destroyed by my actions. I continued down the road, looking for a ride, passing by farms, animals, houses, and finally got a ride from a trucker that happened to pass by. I got in, and he and I just started to talk about random stuff. We rode and talked for a while. He was a typical trucker, big and burly, scruffy on the face, crude in his talk and actions, but generally alright to talk to and be around. After talking some more, we entered a tunnel, and I decided to have him let me out. I did, and upon my exit, I turned to see him above me in the truck cab, COMPLETELY naked. That was disturbing. I left, and walked down the tunnel, which turned into a highly futuristic tunnel system. All stainless steel, electronic panels, and those cool spaceship airlock doors. I got into this one gigantic room that was responsible for transferring and storing food products dropped off by truckers (including the naked guy). There was a black guy running the controls of the room. We chatted for a bit, I saw how the controls worked, and then decided to try to leave through the tunnels again. I woke up without finding an exit.

If I were pesident

Its a long one, grab a snickers bar.

Lets say that the upcoming election were based solely on what personal politics the running candidate had to offer, and not what the public wants to hear, what minority groups want to have happen or what the media can spin off on?

Here is the platform I would run on.

1). A universal health care system. Individual companies would still exist, if one could find a cheaper premium for insurance, but for the average joe, a government subsidised system would be an option. It may be limited in certain aspects, but none the less, for the individual or families that have no health care options, or as such that have too high of a premium to pay, this would be an option. It would also encompass regulating costs for mandatory visits and or prescriptions and limit the costs on optional items of maintaining health care.

2) Abortion- Legal in certain aspects. Rape obviously, or within common sense. Within the first trimester if financial obligations could not be met without proving sustaining a child outside of that. Otherwise, illegal and if the child is unwanted, then adoption would be an option if financial responsibility is unsustainable. No government help is available to sustain it. In other words, if you can make a child, you are obviously capable of knowing what the act of making a child can result in.

3) Citizenship. If you are born here legally, by legal US citizens, then you are entitled to EVERY benefit. By entering into this country illegally and failing to establish residency through proper and legal channels, you are NOT eligible for ANY benefits aside from the basic human rights of sustainable food, shelter and BASIC medical rights. Through proper protocol and channels, if one obtains citizenship, then your children shall be recognized as US citizens and have all attainable rights. The current deportation system will remain intact unless one of the following is met.

1a)if immigrated illegally 3 times, not only will you be temporarily incarcerated, but charged a financial penalty paid be either yourself of the closest of kin or relation at their or your cost, regardless of country of citizenship. After release to your home country, the following incidences will be repeated at a cost of double every time said person is prosecuted.

2a) If said persons are incriminated and convicted in a court and jury of their peers in a violent crime of murder 2, any capital offense, any aggravated rape, exorbitant drug charges (drug trafficking in excess of 1000 kilos per month or any trafficking with conjunction with other said offences) or any sexual child abuse cases, said individual will face a death penalty or mandatory exile/imprisonment for 40 years dependant on is this is a individual of repeat offence or if said person is a first time offender-individual will face the latter first in regards to aggravated rape and lesser and then the former upon a second conviction.

3a) Any individual encountered and under the attempt of being apprehended while entering the United Stated illegally, and causing undue harm and life threatening injuries to local and or federal law enforcement or private citizens will forgo any responsibility onto said parties in their own defence of their livelihood. Ergo- if an illegal immigrant is crossing into the United States without proper documentation and threatens a legal law enforcement official or private citizen that may put said person's life in jeopardy, then said person may implore lethal force to defend themselves.

4)Military services

1a)Current and full benefits will be provided to currently serving military personnel. In addition, a revision and upgrade of benefits will be undergone to said personnel. Veterans will receive better and expansive medical and retirement benefits not only to themselves, but to their immediate families. In basic terminology, if you served the United States military and received an honorable discharge or death during service, you will be entitled to full benefits, increased pensions, or other government assistance.

2a)Current military forces will be withdrawn, within reason, in accordance with the E.U. and NATO, to maintain foreign posts in order to assist in foreign affairs outside of outright US military involvement outside of foreign wars and attacks on US soil or territories unless direct threat to the United States in general, or to warrant such involvement wherein if the United States does not engage in foreign affairs that it may jeopardize the internal security of the country.

For example- If hypothetically, the country of Argos (an imaginary nation) is invaded or threatened by another nation that is not only putting it's own nation's interests at risk by a blatant action that has a direct involvement with the United States, we are therefore obligated to defend such a nation either financially or militarily to prevent the corruption of said nation or to the U.S.

3a)Unjustified research into useless or unjustified U.S. military fund or projects will be eliminated.

Continuity of U.S. nuclear de-arming will be amplified to the point of acquiring enough weapons that would substantially defend our nation from attacks on multiple fronts.

4a)Current equipment will be either upgraded to current or turned to scrap, recycled or sold to outside parties to diminish the surplus of stock.

5a) During 4a, all current military shall be upgraded and brought up to current specifications and training.

5) Education

All legal and financially qualifying citizens shall be provided equal education, whether it be for themselves or their children. Children of legal U.S. citizens shall be qualified for some type, dependant on financial status, all shall be qualified for some type of financial assistance.

1a) Elematary school children of those who qualify for welfare, WIC status, or some other equivalent type shall be fully compensated for the education of their children unless said children do not maintain an average GPA of 3.o .

2a) Students of high school status shall maintain a average GPA of 4.0 or forgo said benefits.

3a) Upon approval, U.S. citizens of legal status born into an governmental assisted environment up until the age of 5 shall receive a $2000 government trust fund into a government and parental approved educational trust fund via a government or private bank, compounded, and tax free and that shall be accessed by said trustee or trusted individual from the ages of 17yrs to 25yrs for the sole purpose of attaining a college education wherein said individual MUST maintain a average GPA for the first 2 years of 3.5 after accessing said funds for college or be responsible for debts and payments accrued from use of funds or in fact forfeit said funds. Funds forfeited will be forfeited into the current federal governmental educational fund and will result in the individual being no longer ineligible for assistance.

6) Foreign Policy

At least 80% of current foreign debts and collections shall be paid off. All foreign assistance, outside of private organizations and companies, outside of basic human necessities will be cut off until current domestic issues are resolved to a full enough outcome wherein the U.S. surplus outweighs the demand.

1a)Outsourcing U.S. based companies and products shall be heavily taxed, thus forcing the U.S. workforce and homeland companies to find internal workforce help. Importing taxes should not be increased if it can be helped. Exporting taxes and fees should be lowered to assist the outsource of U.S produced products. Financial breaks and benefits should be given to those companies that decide to either relocate to the U.S. or to those that decide to cut back on outsourcing or exporting resources.

2a) Embargoes on all outside countries, barring those who pose a viable and tangible threat to U.S. interests should be lifted, and trade and assistance between said nations should commence.

7) Internal welfare

1a) Individual banking shall not be applicable to federal buyouts or assistance if said banking does not conduct itself within practices that govern its own self preservation.

2a) A U.S. first policy should be in order. We should NOT take other foreign issues ahead of our own internal ones unless said external issues supersede or directly effect our own interests.

3a) Our social security administration should not be put in jeopardy. It should be provided for the people of our country, not be a hindrance. A guaranteed monthly subsidised livable stipend will be provided, along with a applicable government approved and assisted, affordable medicare program will be provided.

4a) There will be NO minority, religious, ethnically or social government based groups, assistance, funds, programs, or associations outside of the private sector. The U.S. was based upon the concept that all are created equal, and thus should be followed. No rights based upon solely ethnic, culturally, sexually or gender should be excluded as being an individual exclusion.

Militarily, a female,minority of any race or a homosexual has the right to serve and fight as any other. If a certain race has a holiday, then there should be a holiday for all races.

There should be NO race card. Groups that cater towards playing the race card should be abolished. Major effort should be made to equalize all within social status.

5a) Definition of marriage. As the U.S. was settled upon the religious belief of marriage being the union of a man and a woman, on the federal level, it should be as such with no exceptions. On the state level, each state should be allowed to designate what is their definition of marriage or unions between two or more parties. On the federal level, a union between a man and a man, woman and woman, or other combinations including and beyond one person and another should be accepted, but without governmental assistance or benefits. State levels may provide acceptances and allowances. Upon adoption or acquisition of children outside of said circumstances on the federal level would make the benefits for said children limited, but provided for.

after 5 hours of writing..this is the end of part 1 guys of "if I were president"

My girl thought I was high

Okay, seeing that I never have Mondays off, I guess I didn't know what to think of myself and or what to do. After spending the day getting a well needed haircut, walking the dog, bitching to Dad about how the Tax man is royally screwing me without lube this year, laundry and making dinner, I proceeded to have in me a whole pot o coffee on an empty stomach.

Pot of coffee+ Light meal + a bottle and a half of wine and sheer boredom = crazy Marc.

Well, after dinner, I decided that it would be a great idea to make sugar cookies. Yes, from mix, but partially pseudo scratch. They came out delicioso. But alas, while I am in the midst of being Betty freggin Crocker, I think that rice crispy treats are a viable option. Problemo- no rice crispies. Enter 8 month old stale honey nut cheerios. Just as tasty, yet definitely not manageable. It ended up being a honey nut cheerio mass instead of squares. No matter, after cooling, I simply pulled them apart into somewhat ball shaped squares and tucked them away for consumption.

Bored with being a wannabe chef for the night, I jammed out to tunes and repeatedly ticked and wantonly molested my unsuspecting girlfriend, who as of tonight, thinks me to either be on methanphedamines, or to have completely lost the few remaining marbles rolling around in my skull.

Pulling a plug

After redesigning the current webpage format and shuffling some content around, I've decided to disconnect the service that lets you know when a new post is blogged on my sites. Some of you (probably all of you) are cheering this fact and will relish in not having me bombard into your inbox with the same old rigmarole. I figured that those who really were in tune with me and the site will have already had me in their favorites list and check it frequently- on that note, have you know that those of you out there who I know have a site, I do check your stuff on a daily basis, even though some of y'all haven't posted anything in months, that's how loyal I be.

And if ya don't care, well then good for you.

On that note, there WILL be some life altering events happening in the next few months I think, so stay tuned. Meantime, as Smitty says, "I'm pullin the plug, and I'm out."

old money

As some who know me know, I collect old money. It's a good habit to have that I picked up from my boss. Money needs to be at least 14 years old though, or I won't consider it.

Last night I cashed out a 1981 $10 bill. I began to think about it. I was 6 in 1981, and just starting to venture out into the world. By the age of 7, Dirty Ryan and I were pushing the limits of our neighborhood and the B&W Market was in the outer boondocks of our world (5 blocks away). What toys and treats could a $10 bill give us during those years?.......

.

1000 pieces of .01 cent gum from the gumball machine.

500 pieces of tootsie roll candy at .02 cents each

200 jolly rancher stick bars, or blow pops at .05 each

100 mini boxes of nerds candy

40 candy bars at .25-.30 cents each

40 games of pac-man at the pizza parlor

25 Eskimo bars,fudgicles or bomb pops from the ice cream truck.

20 packs of baseball cards (with the gum in them!)

20 bottles (glass) of coke, and then get a .03 cent deposit back on bottles

About 12 gallons of milk

10 big macs

1 case (48 ) of beers

1 Atari video game cartridge

1 full tank of gas, with change, in the full service line.

And about now?

3 gallons of self serve gas

a video game rental for 5 days

a six pack of cheap beer

3 big macs

3 gallons of milk

10 cans of coke

8 packs of baseball cards

5 ice creams-and you're lucky if you can find a ice cream truck

reduce the amounts of candy you can buy to about 1/3 to 1/4 the previous amounts.

Now I fell sorry for today's kids. Then again, they're busy buying iPods and cell phones.

I'm an ass at times, and I like it.

Yep, I am an ass at times. If you have a problem with that, you can dag-gum leave. I can come off as an ass to most people at times. I don't discriminate. Whether it be a friend or girlfriend, family or customers and coworkers it's all the same. I honestly don't care too much about it at the time. I have my moments that tend to overbalance it. Why do I do it?

Hormone imbalance, lack of chocolate intake, bad night's sleep, tampon in too far, Emo's, Arizona drivers, or no reason at all. It happens. It's who I am and who I'll always will be (barring prescription mental drugs and psychotherapy for my past issues). That's why I generally am not an ass to those really close to me that have been around for most of my life, for they know what's going on with those marbles rolling around in my gourd.

What I get tired of the most is people telling me to fucking smile because I always look upset. When people say that, I'm not upset. It's my "normal" face. If I was upset, you'd see a distinct difference. My "normal" face just happens to appear agitated. Yours may look peaceful, happy, neutral or whatever. In fact, when people tell me to smile, it irks me. I already have to try and slap on a plastic smile at work and that's tough enough.

It's like me telling you to "be skinny" or "don't be stupid" or " don't be ______(insert trait here)". It can't happen instantaneously.

There, now I ranted and feel better. I'm still in a ornery mood today, but at least I can head into work tonite with a real smile.

Sponges, Uncle Sam, and other things that soak up money

Ah, my weekly rant. This week I rant on the unfortunately ubiquitous "sponge". That person who hangs around you or a person in general for the sole purpose of sponging off said person.

The kind of person who doesn't lift a finger to assist with a dinner check, or to chip in for gas, or a bar tab, sodas out of your fridge, whatever...Of course one doesn't wish to confront them for the fear of looking like a cheap ass prick, or to back the sponge into a corner and force it to try and defend itself to the teeth in all its spongy ways.

I see it all the time at work, mostly through random first timers that come in a group, and especially in a girl/guy pair. Please you spongy gold digger wearing knock off coach and fendi gear that you picked up at the Apache Junction swap mart, don't try to play yourself off like Paris Hilton when you are hanging with a guy wearing a hand me down hoodie that he found in the lost and found from his $5.75/hr Target job. If your succubus self wishes to sponge all the life out of HIS wallet, it won't take much, about two drinks, so I hope you feel good about yourself.

Even Kanye West would call you a Golddigger, and he usually tries not to.

There's a word every sponge should look up- Contributing.

And not the obligatory once a month donation just to squeak by and claim to help out. For J.C.'s sake, at least ask to help out and hope that your host is numbed enough to say that they'll take care of it.

It goes all the way to the government, and Uncle Sam is the biggest dirtiest sponge of them all.

It's bad enough that I have to pay taxes now on a regular basis, but its worse this year when I try to set up IRA accounts and transfer funds from my mutual funds to other accounts within the same firm. Apparently sales of funds are equal to exchanges and must be taxed as sales of shares. So, even though I already pay capital gains tax on the accounts, to transfer the money to myself, I sell and buy my own shares to myself and pay taxes on both ends on top of the capital gains.

Did I give you a headache? You should feel mine. It would be comforting to know if my b.s. tax dollars went to something cool like a guided missile, body armor or time travel research. Instead it will probably go to some pork belly representative's $500 toilet seat.

Keep in mind everyone(and especially you sponges out there), that just like your old kitchen dish sponges, they eventually get so old,dirty and contaminating that we have to throw them out.

13 years ago...virgin eyes turn away

I once thought that being older meant that you talked about elementary school hi jinx, then remembering high school, but man, when I am starting to recount college experiences 13 years ago, you know its bad.

Pretty much 13 years ago this week I hopped on a plane from San Jose California to start my life out in the desert at ASU.

I was young,fit, ready for a new experience. I got off the plane and gathered up my two giant boxes of personal belongings and got in a cab to head off to the dorms. By the way, the new route to Tempe was the recently opened 202 loop. It was pretty much just our cab on the road. Smell the irony now? That ride took 5 minutes and $11. Nowdays its a 20 minute ride that costs $4 in gas. My cabbie found it surprising that a California boy didn't look like a surfer. Instead he thought I was from NY. Must have been the leather jacket.

I got dropped off and entered into a 5 month trial by fire in the freshman dorm. In those 5 months I was subjected to a plethora of not only debauchery and scenery to fall upon my naive eyes, but hygienic problems, cultural differences, MTV and financial woes, all interlaced with occasional comforting touches from home and new experiences and friends.

My instant new friend was top ramen bricks ( 10 for a buck at the old IGA market on University). I relished care packs from home, and God bless Mom, she found a way to ship birthday cakes and other pastries intact.

It took all of 5 minutes to start hating my roommate on my arrival...and he wasn't even there yet for another week. I opened the door to my shared room, dropped down my bags and looked around at my surroundings. I immediately noticed a certain odor leaking from somewhere. No dirty laundry around, trash cans were empty, bathroom was "clean" enough. I couldn't place it. Then it hit me. His fridge...it was unplugged for the winter break. I dared to open it. Once I did, I was sorry i made that mistake...

The torrid odor that followed was virtually indescribable. It smelled like death...death that hadn't showered in a month. The fridge itself was empty except for a pop can. It was the freezer section that sealed in the culprit. Inside, sealed in a green and grey cocoon of mold and some outworldly lifeform was the remnants of 2 lbs of ground beef. To this day, I swear it moved once I allowed outside light to touch it.

I spent the rest of the day hauling it down the hallway (which was now flooded with the stench and alarming the other dormrooms) and out of the fire escape stairwell to attempt to clean it.

Like your coroner will tell you, sometimes you just can't clean out the smell of death. Every cleaner went in there to no avail. It had infused into the fiberglass. I just let it sit out there for 4 days until my roommate came back. Upon arrival of the frat boy "perma-stoner" and assorted greetings, he asked where his fridge was. I directed him to the fire escape. He trashed the fridge 2 days later.

The floor named him Denver Dave due to his birthplace. I nicknamed him Spanky. Spanky because I heard him spanking it across the room a few times while I slept during the early morning hours. Thankfully, due to his frat boy antics, he failed his classes and was expelled and pulled out of school by his dad halfway through the semester.

It was nice to have a whole dormroom to myself for 2 months. This lead to a lot of imaginative ways to pass time outside of studying for class. In less than one semester I spent almost my entire savings of $3000 on music CDs, groceries and take out food.

I was (and still am) a Cluck U whore. I ordered that deadly fried chicken a few times a week. Dominos also delivered.

I went, almost religiously on a certain night of the week with my buddy Josh, to the on campus Taco Bell to eat and watch Beavis and Butthead. New episodes were a reason to celebrate.

I never drank as a freshman, not once. Ironic now right?

Back then, especially late at night, i didn't have access to entertainment luxuries now. I had no computer, and for the most part, no TV. I could rent a TV/VCR combo (circa 1984) at the dorm front desk for a few hours, but they were always taken or broken. I didn't know what a cell phone was and my Ipod was a Walkman with actual mix tapes.

I had my stereo, my sketchbook and my imagination. On lonely boring nights, I'd sing along to music, read, draw, run in circles naked in the room. I'd stare out of my big room window, 8 stories below and watch people walk and drive by.

I'd go downstairs and watch TV, or to our floor's study area in the middle of the floor that overlooked the stadiums and the path between the frats and sororities at 2am to watch girls walk the walk of shame back to their rooms from their one night stands. I'd find reasons to go visit the trash chute and dump something down it, or to just ride the elevator up and down to random floors.

I had watched the Oklahoma City bombing in April over a breakfast of runny & salty scrambled eggs and pancakes in the cafeteria. I wasn't concerned about the bombing, but anxious about the foodworkers wheeling in boxes of food saying "grade D, Fit For Human Consumption" on it. If I didn't eat with Josh or his roommate Luke, I always ate alone.

A Carrot Top promoted 1-800-COLLECT was my access to the outside world. It was a collect call that gave me the experience of hearing my father cry because he missed his son. I still haven't SEEN him cry yet.

I let my hair grow and became the owner of a pony tail and a goatee for the first time.

I became aware of what sorts of trouble my friends could get into with their impromptu STD and drinking stories and had to perform exploratory surgery on myself with an exacto blade and tweezers after getting a case of trenchfoot. More than likely because of my tendencies to walk everywhere barefoot-from vomit stained hallways, dirt and trash covered elevators and cigarette covered sidewalks only to step into a shower that we cleaned, I think, once.

I ended my first semester of college with a flu illness so bad that I was having the shakes and chills in 99 degree May weather, having to take a final in a sociology class that, due to my delusional sickness, I showed up to the classroom on the wrong day with a different class being taught. I went back and passed out only to test the following morning.

It was a 5 month slap in the face called leaving the nest. Now, in addition to still looking for similar new stimuli, I also wish to have a return to the nest to visit.

Bear with me

Bear with me because I am truly offended. Tonight, as I was playing around and posting on the net, I came across a Myspace persona called "Fuck the soldiers". At best, a publicity stunt, at worst, a blatant attack upon our service members past and present.

First, let me present you with a non-descript, unheard of urban legend that, as you see above, from personal experience, may be true.

I've been to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, numerous times to visit and pay my respects.

Above is a picture of the main mast copper bell from the USS Arizona, salvaged from the ship after the Dec 7th, 1941 attack. As per my personal, first hand knowledge, any picture taken of this bell is somewhat out of focus. I have various photos taken, from both this past year's visit, and from years before of this bell. None of which are fully in focus. The legend is that you cannot take a perfectly focused picture of this bell due to the fact that because of the severe destructive and deadly nature of that's day's attack, that the spirit of the ship and it's lost souls forbid any recording of this bell. In effect, its so traumatic of an event, that the bell itself is tainted by death.

I was 10 feet from the bell in this picture and focusing on the bell. The lady in the background was 30 feet away.

Why this point?

Try to at least attempt some general respect.

Some concepts and ideals, may be questioned at best, but should not be chastised or condemned, in my opinion.

I have numerous family members that served in wars from WWII to present day.

"Fuck the soldiers" is around to isolate and degrade those who are not only currently serving, but those who have served, and died for our country. The soldiers who have served and died for not only our freedoms, but for those who have no ties to our own country except for humanity in general.

Shame on them.

We are based on the principle that those who started that webpage have the inherent right to post their views, whether right or wrong, popular or not, due to the general freedom fighters past and present. If it were not for those souls, that person/persons would not be able to post such a degrading point of view. Apparently they have lost such hindsight in their hatred.

I am a military supporter, regardless if the war being waged is righteous or not. The current soldiers may or may not wish to fight and serve, but they do their job regardless, which is honorable and justified of recognition at the least and not deserving of condemnation.

People have their opinions of mainstream politics. I know that mine are totally different than say the person next to me. I at least have the respect to understand and hear the differences with an open mind, regardless of my personal beliefs.

That's what makes this nation great. Whether it be that you and I differ on if you like Twinkies vs zingers, Cowboys vs Colts, Ford vs Toyota, Republican or Democrat.

It becomes wrong when someone spews out blatant, ignorant, and asinine gibberish without said respect for common sense.

I respect your opinions, but sometimes, for some people out there, I feel regret for the inadequacies and ignorance of others.

To our boys and girls in harm's way- Godspeed, always the wind be at ye back, the sun shine upon ye face and the grass rise to meet ye feet.

A good day

I forgot what a definition of dusk meant until today. I had my closest of friends over today to hang out, and throughout the afternoon, which was an unseasonal one- 72 degrees in January; my boy Chris and I threw around a football or tossed a baseball.

It was around 5pm, that I had a nostalgic moment. One that brought me back to being 12 years old.

When I was in little league, we had practice in the late spring and summer around 4-6. The sun was low, if not gone, but still gave light. It was warm, but the chill would arrive as soon as the first evening stars popped out. Regardless, we still tossed around the ball. There was no real concept of time. The only time restraint that we had, and hated, was one that was of that there was no light to play anymore.

The feeling was one of long ago where you were playing, right before you heard the ice cream truck's hypnotic jingle roll by to make you run inside to beg your mom for a dollar for a bomb pop.The faint residual smell of lighter fluid and backyard burgers lingered. There seemed to be a distant, and barely audible sound of childhood laughter echoing from neighboring rooftops. That bomb pop, which I always seemed to chomp down in 30 seconds, should have been invested into buying father time into letting me have one extra minute of daylight.

Resetting the clock to zero

On the eve of one of the more important NFL games ever this year ( unfortunately my Colts lost), I sparked a question that negated any other form of logic and or importance of any other item or issue.

I asked of my best friend Chris- " Are you, like I am, jealous of Jenny (my dog) wherein everyday, you know that when she wakes up, her life gets reset to zero?"

Dogs, like children, have no responsibility. No commitments. No set plans.

My dog, which I would die for, wakes up on a daily basis, knowing, upon waking, that the only things important to her at the time, are food and companionship. Yes, she worries about going to the bathroom, and where her toy is at times, but for the most part, it's waking up...and here's my life started anew on a daily basis.

No worries about if I have a job, or to please someone, or if I can afford to do or buy something.

She's happy to be alive and awake and to give love to those that she holds close to her heart, if not anyone above and beyond that-except for Jehovah's witnesses. That is all.

She could care less in the daily pursuit of physical goods or money. She has no bills. She has no job. She has no responsibility except to love her father (me) and her amigos, which comes on a daily basis with no question. In effect, she starts her day, every day, resetting to zero.

The struggle comes in questioning this, and the inevitable answer wherein, as much as we try, and may come close;we had this quality, as children, but will never get it again. We can remember around the time when we lost it, and how nice life was when we had it, but we will never be there ever again. All we are left with is a bittersweet memory of how pure and innocent we once were. We are then left with a personal, continual and purely futile effort to try and reset our lives to zero, at least for one pure day.

80's coke revival part 2

To summarize yesterday's post, I believe that coke usage is back on the rise again. Last night I had confirmation of this. One of my regulars is a crisis intervention and behavioral addiction specialist at an undisclosed Arizona hospital. I asked him flat out, since it was his area of expertise, if coke use was on the rise. His answer was unequivocally yes. He explained that there was a difference in the habit this time around though. Back in 80's, coke was in all by itself. Now however, it has two deadly partners in crime.

Backtrack 5 years ago. Half a decade ago, and still prevalent now, methamphetamine (ice, meth, etc..) use in Arizona was leading the nation. It was cheap and easy to make, gave a long lasting high and was readily available almost to the point of equalling heading own to the corner store for some milk.

He said that the concept of meth encompassed all forms of use. It can be snorted, injected, smoked, and in desperate cases, eaten. The abuser wishes to maintain the highest dopamine levels possible ( feeling the high) without losing control, getting too high or crashing too hard.

Eventually meth use reaches a critical mass so to speak, and the users need an additional "bump" to maintain the high, or a different combo high to get the job done.

Enter the coke revival.

Users now are combining meth, coke and alcohol use to get a solid high of managed dopamine.

The initial high off meth to start the high, and then an orchestrated use of coke (a stimulant) and alcohol ( a depressant) to manage the ride. Hence, aside from the general coke usage mixed with booze for the average user, the hardcore users are riding the meth train, with coke as the stoker for the engine.

So...now we have a main reason for the increase of use, but how is it becoming more prevalent?

My idea stems from the current societal and political state of the state and country.

Our country is still at war overseas on two fronts, and a third ( Iran) is possibly looming. So the current administration is hogtied with maintaining a war on terror, not a war on drugs.

In addition, the current internal security is also centered on terror, but also on illegal immigration. It would make sense that centering on illegal immigration would round up drug traffickers, but honestly...when was the last time you heard of a huge drug bust on the news?

We hear now about how many marines were killed today, or what illegal legislation protests are marching, but the drug lords are under the radar.

Don't be surprised to see even more instances of hardcore drug use as they become more readily available. When that happens, once again, expect the 80's to come full circle, and we have another Reagan era drug war to quell. Followed by a 90's and 2000's return of terrorist activity...unless somebody actually decides to do a job right and take care of everything.

80's revival and its dark side

There are two things that I love about being a kid of the 80's.

It's music, and Ronald Reagan. Unfortunately, we can't bring back Ronnie, but the 80's music has already made a comeback.

Unfortunately, along with it, I've noticed another comeback of something that I generally hate. I've been seeing a rapid increase in the sightings of cocaine at work and around town.

Now, as I've been working in this industry for over 10 years now, I've seen a lot of vice. Ranging from the usual alcohol abuse, to minor drug presence, prostitution, blackmail and other illicit acts. I always knew it was around me, but since I am never directly involved with it, it doesn't apply to me.

Obviously, coke use was huge in the 80's. Big business, yuppies, 30k millis, all involved the lifestyle. It's all come around again. In the past month, I've seen a massive increase in the prevalence of the drug.

Honestly, I hate coke heads. Ironically I can withstand alcoholics and potheads, but I hate the coke habit. It's so addictive and self destructive, and chances are, leads to many other avenues to more hardcore vices and lifestyles that are, well, generally undesirable.

I actually told off a said cokehead on Weds nite. This dude came in with 3 friends, already all 8balled up, and ordered 3 shots and a water, and some coke. Coke as in the snorting kind.

I told him one, that we are a cop bar and its a generally bad idea to ask around in here, two that there isn't anyone in here that COULD help you, and three, that I hate that fucking habit and don't like anyone who does that shit.

Apparently I caught him off guard, for he was under the impression that bartenders are the general go-to guys when it comes to this stuff.

I have given out advice to customers as per what strip club to visit, who to ask for a free cover charge and generally where to go for a good time, but as for that stuff, I'm glad to say I am not involved.

Anyways, he tried to make good by saying sorry and he thought that I would know. Needless to say, he and his group avoided me the rest of the evening. I just wished that we had a off duty cop in the bar like we usually do so we could have messed with him a bit.

Hopefully I'll be out of this industry soon, or at the very least that this habit won't make a comeback.

Dirty

33 years ago a baby started a journey, a long dirty journey to and through the bowels of various stages of the definition of "dirty". Physically, sanitary, hygienically, sexually, comically, monetarily, emotionally and generally dirty.

From the cradles and childhood staircase fart wars from his birth home in San Mateo, through Redwood City and the formation of the Trizan and it's dirty adventures, surviving through

San Diego's roach infested barrios, Los Angeles' seedy underbelly, Murfreesboro Tennessee's backwards redneck outhouse of a college, 115 degrees of dirty summertime hell in Tempe AZ, San Francisco's bodegas surrounding twin peaks, touching down in places such as Del Mar and Spring Valley, and eventually moving overseas to fully encompass the debauchery that is Asia, "Dirty" has been his adopted forename. Chances are that you name it, Dirty has done it. Feel like munching down on canned horsecock or some unidentifiable pork innards? Yum. Fully experienced Tijuana on a intimate level, and lived to tell about it without jail time...yep.

For no apparent reason on his front porch on a lovely summer day, punched you in the nuts...yep, that's Dirty.

For some reason, does your bottle of shampoo look fuller and your hair feels a lot softer and protein enriched...Dirty was there.

Unexpectedly received a mysterious package from Japan containing nothing but a used and odd looking washcloth? Merry Christmas from Dirty Ryan.

A gullet full of Tequila, scarfing down the entire (former) .69 cent menu from taco bell caveman style screaming about freggin dinosaurs at two in the morning in the middle of the street...you have just met Dirty.

Dirty Ryan turns 33 today, Jan. 12th. A year older, wiser, married and surprisingly not too dirty any longer. I wouldn't be surprised however if he still has it in him to pin his loved one down and bust ass gas on his helpless victim.

Happy Birthday dirty boy...I hope that you never become fully clean...

fun factoid

Which one are you? Apparently in this country, 50% of people ball up their tissue and 50% fold up their tissue to wipe their asses.

Myself, I'm a baller, I figure that the crumpled up nooks and crannies can scrape up more surface area for one, and for two...you're wiping your ass, not buffing a BMW with a pair of white gloves...

My dad is a folder, which is funny, because I never figured him to be one....

So, what are you? Choose wisely..

34 cent anal retention

So, this is yet another reason to believe that the fanny pack mafia and HOA associations are in cahoots and must be wiped off the face of the earth.

I was off today, Thursday, and after cleaning house a bit this morning, I decided to head out to the Goodwill first to drop off a bunch of donations, and then decided to try out my new metal detector that Doug got me for Christmas. I wanted to try it out on a few of the neighborhood sand pits and common areas in my surrounding housing developments. I hit up one small playground and got 34 cents and a action figure, score for a first outing.

I left that area and drove up the street to a sand volleyball court that I usually walk Jenny by in a development called Silverwawk, a two block jaunt south of my house.

After scouring the sand court with nothing to show, I decided to walk through the greenbelt aside of it to a flood control drainage ditch 100 yards away. Along the way I had a good hit and started digging a small hole with my knife to find what may be underground. It was a small hole, about 2 inches by 3 inches by 2 inches. As I got down, turns out I was uncovering a buried can.

Just when I realize that, I hear someone yelling at me from back at the sandpit.

"Hey! Excuse me! Excuse me! Do you live here!"

There was this old guy wearing sweatpants and a sweatshirt, a black fannypack and a cell phone belt case, wearing old school blue blocker sunglasses.

"I'm up about 1 1/2 bocks north in Stonehenge." I say.

"What's your address!"

"Excuse me?"

"WHAT is your address??"

"Why would you want to know that?"

"Because you can't be here, let alone digging on our property! You're trespassing!"

I didn't say another word while I got up, neatly repacked the dirt back in the hole and walked back to my truck under the careful eye of said neighborhood Nazi watchdog.

I get to my truck to find him parked behind me, religiously writing down all my pertinent information...truck make, plate number, description of me, all the gun stickers on my truck, realizing that I could have squashed his ass in a second for being a wannabe step below rent-a-cop no talent assclown.

As I got to my truck, one of the female neighbors was in front of her house and cheerfully and warmly asked if I had found any goodies.

I smiled and said " I only found a quarter today, but SOMEBODY doesn't like me walking around in your neighborhood, so I gotta leave" , as I turn and say loud enough directed to his car.

" Yeah, I think you parked in front of his house."

Good to know, I always like to know where the enemy lives, what gold colored Hyundai he drives, what he looks like and what little black and white yapper dog he has in his backyard.

I guess I was in the wrong in digging up and removing a piece of garbage from his HOA greenbelt. My Bad.

I was seriously shocked. As if I'm doing something so wrong by exploring harmlessly. I just find it amusing that a HOA representative, if even that, takes it so seriously. I hear there is a shortage of neighborhood rent-a-cops, good to know that he is the best in the biz...which is just about the equivalent to saying that you are the smartest kid with Down Syndrome...