Memorial Day

Over sea or at home they be,
keeping lit the candle to be free,
ever selfless in their acts,
knowing they may not come back.
Let us not forget,
Let us pray for those still in harms way,
until all are safely home one day.
Thank you all for your sacrifices and thank those people today who served your country and keep you free. Today isn't about having a day off work, seeing the premier movies,or getting drunk all day or all about "you". This day is a respectful and thankful day for all of our armed forces, a memorial day, a day to remember those special people who do or did a job that we could never muster the courage to do.
At ease troops, this day is for you.
Thank you!

Floaters

I had yesterday off, thank God. The master plan was that since Token (Smitty) was in town for the weekend for his birthday, that we were going to take him out on Sunday to do something. Well Token disappeared as usual, and never got back in touch with us. Well, whatever, it wasn't gonna stop us from having fun. A few other people dropped out, one came down with strep throat, and all the others had to work, so that left Chris and I and a cooler full of beer to head out to the river.
Now, if memory serves me right, last time I was out there at the Salt, it was about 5 years ago with Doug and Dirty Ryan. Doug dropped the cooler at the onset and broke it open and we lost everything but 2 beers and the money and keys. We got burned to a crisp, but it was a fun time.
We were better prepared this time, with an unbreakable cooler, more beer, sunscreen and a good attitude. Water was fast and not too cold. PLENTY of people out yesterday, and plenty of beautiful people at that!
We're floatin along, making friends, just chillin. We get past the first set of rapids and I hear something funny. I tell Chris that I think his fat ass made his tube spring a leak. He couldn't find it. After 5 minutes of searching, it was determined that my ass was leaking. Great...
4 hours later of holding my finger on the hole and my tube was a 1/4 of its original size. Not good. I switched out the cooler tube for mine and continued on floatin.
24 beers and 4 hours later, we finished, hopped the shuttle bus back to the jeep and tallied home. Chris got crispy, thank God I used sunblock, so I didn't burn, just got a little darker.
After a disco nap, we went to a friends pool and chilled there til midnight and then came come to crash out. Havin fun wears your ass out I tell ya. Sorry, no pictures, as I'm not about to bring a $300 dollar camera to get lost in the river.
We may go again next Sunday, or I tuned up my fishing rod today, so going to the lake may be on the agenda as well.

Kaliphornyaw

I finalized the hotel rooms guys! Our trip to Hermosa Beach next month is officially "on!". The AVP tour will be in town that weekend, which is nothing but fun and ESPN coverage! We'll play a game called Where's Papi??! on the TV.
So far, we are staying at the Quality Inn Suites, just off of PCH (Pacific Coast Highway). Stumbling distance from the Strand/ Pier area. We be walking everywhere (unless we're too wasted to walk, then we are cabbing it 1/2 mile.)
We got a total so far of 6 heads going, a chance of 2 more meeting us there, and whoever else who may wanna go. At this point in time though, if anyone else wants to party, you are on your own for rooms, less you wanna sleep on the floor or in the car.
More than likely we will be driving, in a 2-3 car caravan to L.A.
We'll keep y'all posted! Get ready, iz partytime mang!

Love and Hate

My lovely hate filled emotional tampon got caught, my trap worked. I'm sure that the site still exists even after being in contact with the site administrator. For all of my true family and friends that guessed who it was, even before I could EVEN guess and then stood fast with their gut after I tried to reason that they weren't the kind of person to do this to me, congratulations, you were right. You were all right in your descriptions of them. It's amazing that people could act that way. Bless them though, they shall need it. I won't return to their sites anymore. I have no need, I am past it now. Let them spew their hate in vain.
What I do ask of all of you, please, don't tell me about anything new on the sites pertaining to me or anything. I don't care anymore, it would be a waste of your time to do so as those people are nothing more than ghosts in my past now, and there is no sense in raising the dead.
Thank you all for being there for me, your kind words (and the very not-so-kind words, directed elsewhere), your investigating, offers to fly from out of state to here, even your hacking skills, did well for me.
You all are my true companions. Gratzi.

“He abused me, he struck me, he overcame me, he robbed me’ -- in those who harbor such thoughts hatred will never cease.”
“He abused me, he struck me, he overcame me, he robbed me’ -- in those who do NOT harbor such thoughts hatred will cease.” (Dhammapada 1.3-4; trans. w:Radhakrishnan)

Mind Boggling

A few days ago I saw a really poor example of bad parenting (at least in my view). Doug and I had set a date to head to the park on Saturday morning to attempt to play some tennis (which is a whole other blog topic). The courts were full at 1030 in the morning, so we held tight and shot the shit for a bit til someone left. After a few, we got a court next to two sets of people on both our sides. One side was a man giving lessons to a teenager and the other side was a father giving lessons to his daughter. The two dudes playing were cool, patient and considerate of our occasional balls rolling into their court. The father though was another story.
Now what do you think of when you think of a 6 yr old girl? 1st grade, playing with dolls, dressing cute, carefree and having fun right? Being a kid. This father was so relentless in his coaching that it boggled my mind. This kid is 6, no older than 7. The tennis racquet (and I'm not exaggerating) was as big as her. He is just drilling her! She can barely lift the thing, so she misses or shanks the ball a lot and he yells and reprimands her when she fails...loudly, in public.
"Why? WHY?! Why do you keep on doing that??! In a match you just lost the set!"
Oh wait, it gets worse. His drills get harder and she's getting tired. So he steps up the punishment.
Opon her not listening to his "tennis pro" for 6 yr olds instructions, he makes her drop and give him PUSH UPS??! WTF!!?
This repeated for a while. After a bit, she got so frustrated and he got so agitated that she finally broke down and started bawling on the court. I see him smile and start giggling.
We left because we were getting pissed. It wasn't our place to tell someone how to raise their kids though.
Seriously, come the fuck on...let the kid be a kid! If I was a parent, and my kids were involved in some sports for the sole purpose of having fun after like 5 years (8-13) and THEY expressed that they wanted to get more serious, then I'd be more strictly involved. Until then, man, let them have fun!
Otherwise, that kid is gonna grow up repressed and burned out. Next thing you know, she's drunk and smoking and giving head at 14 for joints, sneaking into your wallet, out all night and dropping out of school by 16. It'll come back to haunt you. Yes, DO things with your kids, TEACH them skills, BE their mentors, but make it FUN for them instead of being a NAZI dad!

Bitching and Moaning

I have a few gripes on issues that I have to let loose before I go insane by letting them fester for too long.
1). All those whining crybaby illegal immigrants screaming about their rights in the U.S. Now listen to me very, VERY carefully here...I have no problems with immigrants what-so-ever. Being a first generation American in my family, I can understand and respect all of the benefits that immigrants bring here.
Immigrants, and Latino immigrants especially are a crucial part of our infrastructure and culture. We could do the jobs that they do, but, face it, Americans are lazy and complacent. My problem is with "Illegal" immigrants. That said...for all them protesters waving the Mexican flag in OUR streets...SHUT UP and FUCK OFF!!! You have NO "rights" as Americans. Yes, you have rights as human beings, I will help you with food, water, clothing and shelter. But man, when our own citizens have trouble getting health care, jobs, educations, tax breaks, social services, child care and all the illegals can get that stuff for FREE???!! FUCK THAT! You have no benefits. Nada, zip, zero, zilch! Stop your whining! If you follow the right channels, work your way through the system and get here legally, I will embrace you in my country. What's worse is that Vincente Fox, the Mexican president allows instructions to be given out as to "how to come across the border", so he's just as guilty. What I won't do is grant Rosa amnesty when she is 8 months preggo hopping across the border to have a kid illegally so the child will be born an American on my tax dollars. Wall the border, land mine the hell out of it, and stick some snipers in some trees and stay the hell out of my country. And yes, I won't mind the cost of a head of lettuce going up to $3.00 a head, I can do my own landscaping, wash my own car, and cook my own carne asada.....NEXT!
2) While we are on the subject of our Latin neighbors, Cinco de Mayo was yesterday, or as most people call it, Cinco de Drinko. A day where all of white America finds due cause to become Mexican and celebrate um...what was it we are celebrating? Mexican Independence day? The birth of corona? 99% of Americans will say they are celebrating Mexican independence day. Wrong! Why would we celebrate that day? Mexico doesn't celebrate the 4th of July. Everyone is celebrating for the wrong reasons...The 5th of May is not Mexican Independence Day, Mexico declared its independence from Spain on the 15th of September, 1810.
So, why Cinco de Mayo? And why should Americans savor this day as well? Because 4,000 Mexican soldiers smashed the French and traitor Mexican army of 8,000 at Puebla, Mexico, 100 miles east of Mexico City on the morning of May 5, 1862.
The French had landed in Mexico (along with Spanish and English troops) five months earlier on the pretext of collecting Mexican debts from the newly elected government of democratic President Benito Juarez. The English and Spanish quickly made deals and left. The French, however, had different ideas. The Americans were sided against Spain and France at the time. Mexico itself doesn't even celebrate the holiday except in the town of Puebla itself. Americans have made it an adopted national holiday, A party that celebrates an excuse to drink lots of Tecate, tequila and have a good time...
3) Stop blaming W. for the gas prices. He's actually considering taking away the gas taxes for the summer (which would drop the price of a gallon of gas to like, oh, $1.50 a gallon...go G.W.!), passed anti-gouging laws, and is investigating the oil companies profits. Blame the oil companies, congress and lobbyists for this one folks. Last year the oil companies recorded the highest profits ever. This year they will surpass even that. Yes, I hate filling my gas tank for $50 a shot, but we gotta do what we gotta do, bitching aint gonna do anything. Consider other options to promote. Brazil has basically said "the hell with you" to oil for a while now. They run on ethanol, a grain based fuel. Grow some corn, process it, dirty it up a little to run on and BAM! GAS! Our country would never do it though unless we got really desperate.
4) You think I'm crazy, but the Cardinals should have a good year this year. Denny Green is a good coach, we still have all our best wide receivers with Boldin and Fitzgerald back, veteran QB Warner and rookie Leinart from USC throwing. A stronger O line and a kick ass secondary along with the league's best kicker...oh, yeah, and a new stadium (even though its out in BFE). I don't care, I'm still rootin for them.
That's my bitches, I'm out!

Ready to go

"Glub,glub,glub..." Scuba Steve sez.... that the Hawaii pictures are finally, laboriously processed and all my 250 are put on Shutterfly.com . Laura still has some her digital and underwater cam to develop, so we can expect a whole lot more in about a week I hope. Hope you enjoy them, you get to see us all fairly wasted.