reality of life....

Life is not alway fair.

Life is filled with many unjust, racist, and egotistical individuals.

Sometimes making a point does not solve or make better the present situation.

Every person has the power to be righteous, they however, are sometimes just to ignorant, self-centered, or angry to realize it.

Institutions at every level are flawed.

Education and awareness are our only weapons for the ignorance and atrocities our institutions and cultural, social, and religious paradigms wants us to believe.

True love has no conditionals but respect and acceptance.

leave out all the rest

random update:

They Can't Beat US

Americans are said to have donated a record breaking $295.02 billion in the year 2006 alone. What is more impressive is 75% of those who donated are regular citizens. Moreover, contributors are not strictly extremely high income households as 65% of households make less than $100,000. A majority of the donations are given to religious organizations ($96.82 billion), followed by educational institutions ($40.98 billion). With such high numbers I’m would not argue with Gaudiani, a professor at NYU, who converts "philanthropic giving as a percentage of gross domestic product," which according to her would have "the U.S. ranked first at 1.7 percent. No. 2 Britain gave 0.73 percent, while France, with a 0.14 percent rate, trailed such countries as South Africa, Singapore, Turkey and Germany." I understand that the figures and numbers may be questionable but considering it is ABC news I feel very confident that it is credible. The important thing to take out of this is that donations and contributions of any form will play an impact is someone's life. Moreover, we all have the power to make a difference.


~linkin park

wow, can i get sexual too

random update:

Poor Poor Wal-Mart

Often criticized and never revered, Wal-Mart is the world’s largest retailer and second largest corporation behind ExxonMobile. It is also the largest private employer in the America Studies have even gone as far as comparing Wal-Mart’s annual revenue to countries gross domestic product and not surprisingly would rank twenty-fifth, ahead of countries like Poland, Indonesia, South Africa, and Saudi Arabia (Anderson). There is a duality in the how Wal-Mart is portrayed in our media. Often media portrays Wal-Mart in a negative tone, criticizing the company for its low wages, “terrible” benefits, and tactics they use to conduct business with their suppliers. The critics often forget to mention how beneficial Wal-Mart is for America: bringing forth affordable goods, providing a variety of products in one consolidated area and supplying many jobs for American workers. and the largest grocery distributor (Wal-Mart Quick Facts).
There is no doubt Wal-Mart statement “always low prices” holds true at least in a general sense of the term. Though they might not always provide the cheapest prices they do provide inexpensive goods at competitive prices. Often directly or indirectly resulting in competition between similar products to produce a lower cost alternative for the consumer and on a macro-level eventually should also provide competition from retailer stores. I recently went to Wal-Mart in search for my two favorite cereals (Cocoa Puffs and Frosted Flakes) both bargain priced at $2.50 a box. Unfortunately, they ran out of Cocoa Puffs, so I decided to go to “Food 4 Less,” a grocery retailer, a block away. I was shocked to see the price disparities between them, while Wal-Mart charged $2.50 flat. “Food 4 Less” charged $4.95 for the same brand and size (almost 100% more). The affordable prices and the variety of brands and models only help reinforce the type of conveniences Wal-Mart offers.
A foreigner must marvel at the grandeur scale of a Wal-Mart “Supercenter,” encompassing an average of 197,000 square feet (Wal-Mart 2006 Annual Report). It provides a variety of services, including but not limited to meat, produce, pet supplies, a pharmacy, electronic goods, garden and house supplies. The thought of going to this store brings forth an “all-in-one” feeling. I can hypothetically go to Wal-Mart and do “everything.” I would first start off getting my oil change and tires replaced, than drop off digital film to be processed, buy medical supplies, house necessities, food supplies, withdraw money and buy a little something for baby Handy (pronounced An Deee) Dan Dean. I would quickly pick up the processed photographs, eat a little at the McDonalds (located near the vicinity) and lastly pick up my car that has been tuned up. All of which was done in a couple of hours and all in one location. With a few modifications this schedule sounds very familiar to many of the people I know. It is hard void the conveniences Wal-Mart provides, yet I am still shocked at how many customers they receive each week – an estimated 100,000 million, a third of the American population (Zimmerman 1). Another benefit this company provides to America is the amount of jobs it creates in local communities.
The company currently employs roughly one million workers in the America and has established over 3,340 stores across the country (Wal-Mart). It is recognized as the largest employer in 25 states (Wal-Mart Quick Facts). Though Wal-Mart can’t escape its past, particularly gender discrimination and numerous class-action law suits related to that, they have managed to improve working conditions. They have raised equal opportunities for women and according to Human Rights Campaign are improving working conditions for gay and lesbian employees.
When it comes down to statistical data and the sheer enormity (annual revenue larger than many countries) of the company, it is not surprising to see Wal-Mart as an easy scapegoat. They are generally blamed for giving low wages and “measly” benefits, criticized on running out local businesses and/or knocked for outsourcing jobs. My argument is not about the tactics Wal-Mart may have used (or currently using) or that many companies take part is similar business ploys. It is however that Wal-Mart is “good” for America because it provides affordable prices for consumers in one close area, and the supplies many jobs for more than a million Americans. Wal-Mart has many faults as do other companies but due to their large size it receives a large portion of criticism – poor poor Wal-Mart.

~say anything

stellar

current events:
These articles really bothered me. To summarize a Georgia man boarded a flight to Europe on May 12 after doctors advised him not to fly. He was diagnosed with tuberculosis a highly contagious respiratory infection (when active) earlier this May. He went to Greece for his wedding. He than took a flight back on May 24 and went to Montreal, Canada after "fear" of the CDC and from there managed to cross the American border. Logically he justified his wedding arrangements were more important than the general public. Moreover the fact he knowingly tested positive for TB should have canceled his flight. He is now in federal quarantine. Here is what "T-man" has to say to about his situation:

"I'm a very well-educated, successful, intelligent person. This is insane to me that I have an armed guard outside my door when I've cooperated with everything other than the whole solitary-confinement-in-Italy thing."

This man should be shot, that simple.


~incubus

make damn sure

random update:
Today marks the 39th month anniversary of b[ullet]a.p.s.&a[ngela]m.r.a.

The image above is titled "Evolution" and there is no better image to depict my relationship with Angela. I love her "like a fat kid loves cake".

=)


~taking back sunday

runaway

random update:
My favorite shirt company has their seasonal sale till June 3rd (Sunday). Click the link below to support them and me.

Threadless Sale!!!

=)


~something corporate

the adventure

random update:
A future hobby/skill I want to develop is photography. I want to capture important life experiences (birthdays, weddings, vacations, daily activities, and everything else). I know it will probably take me years to feel comfortable taking quality shots consistently but I willing to take on that challenge.

Here is a list of my dream "budget dslr set-up equipment" which I plan to acquire this year (crossing fingers). Moreover, here are a few links that justify why i want to buy particular parts.

.canon xti - entry-level dslr
.50mm f1.8 - prime lens for portraits
.17-85mm f4-5.6 with circular polarizer - good walk-around lens
.70-200mm f4L or 70-300mm f4-5.6IS - good telephoto lens
.430ex with sto-fen diffuser - good flash

~angels and airwaves

finding home

current events:
Here is a brief summarization of the controversial and sensitive issue of immigration (i will work on this periodically as it is very complex).

Immigration and the complex struggle to understand it all

-Definitions to know - citizen, alien, immigration, legal immigration, illegal immigration, visas, repatriation, discrimination, smugglers, border patrol, minute men, viva la raza, stash houses, gayoti, drug cartels, corruption,

-Evolution of immigration - late 19th century/early 20th century, post-world war II, post-civil rights movement, and early 21st century.

-Who immigrates -

-reasons why people immigrate

-the results of immigration - make it, don't make it (and try again), or die trying to make it (starvation, heat exhaustion, homicides. mention facts numbers, unmarked graves).

-negative impacts of illegal immigration - locally, socially, financially, politically, familial, though are relative

-positive impacts - same as above

-politics and policies (past and present) that encourage or denounce immigration reform

-organizations that address this issue: their goals, objectives, and purposes of each

-underlying respect for the human

Links:
FAQ - Immigration and Law - pro-immigration slant
Article - Illegal Aliens and American Medicine - health reprocussions
Debate - Alberto Gonzalez's grandparents - public concerns (unscholarly)
Resource - CIS - independent, non-partisan, and nonprofit organaization
Article - Japanese Immigration - history of Japanese Immigrants
Essay - Schuck's Evolving Civil Rights Movement - comparison to 1965 movement with modern views


~saosin

waiting on the world to change

random update:

Political Correctness - an ambiguous American wordplay

The concept of "political correctness" in theory sounds simple but in reality the whole notion is multifaceted and sequentially constraining. I remember hearing the idea of being “politically correct” growing up and thought to myself wow, what a wonderful idea, since it takes into account specific group’s cultural and/or sexual preference and how conscious citizens should respect and be sensitive to all concerned. In that interpretation it is hard to disagree or refute the methodologies it tries to achieve. I later found out through numerous discussions, articles, and essays the cumulative results of being “politically correct” will eventually lead to the creation of laws and regulations whether state, local, public, or private. This in turn will ultimately have direct or indirect social, political, and/or cultural ramifications as it restricts certain view points. Moreover, such laws (written or practiced) will most likely be biased and thus partial for a particular group, usually the majority specific to the location. Not surprisingly more people today are labeled "racist," "sexist," "gay-bashers," "hypocritical immigrant haters," and "sexual predators." I believe people sometimes forget or fail to take into account cultural, familial, religious and/or regional upbringings, instead choosing to ostracize the individual for speaking their beliefs. In all honesty I respect the arguments supporting "political correctness" but I believe strongly that as it tries to be "equal and fair to all concerned," it destroys the diversity of culture and impedes individual freedoms.

current events update:
here are a few interesting links on globalization -
.youtube - globalization on a lighter note
.stokes - globalization and americanization
.chanda .1. & .2. - essay and slideshows of globalization
.friedman - summarization of his book about globalization


~john mayer

currents

family update:
.Angela Allen graduated last Monday (20070514) with her Bachelors of Arts in Psychology!! I am very proud of her as it is a very prestigious and demanding accomplishment to attain. Moreover, I genuinely believe through all her struggles and positivity she has become a better and more beautiful woman. You need only a few minutes minutes in her company to understand the complexities of her allure.

.My father and grandmother are back from the Philippines.

.My condolences to the Park family and friends.

.My brother should be back in a few weeks.


~dashboard confessional

young folks

random update:
today the whether in glendale is beautiful (though some my repulse the high 80s, i find it tolerable especially when paired up with a gentle breeze). what is kind of weird is as i am typing ashes are falling on my laptop (due to the griffith park fire being a just a few miles away from GCC).

yesterday i watched this interesting documentary titled "Wetback: The Undocumented Documentary" and later today i will be watching "Border War - The Battle Over Illegal Immigration." on one of my future post i'll try to summarize the whole immigration issue (because i'm bored and i feel it will help me understand the issue much better - damn it, lol).

i am getting this dslr setup by the end of the year (i hope).

~peter bjorn and john

the razor

current events:
with so many events going on in the world it is hard to keep track of everything that is really important (very relative, lol). here are a few (not all, sorry) current events i think we need to be aware of...

.bush (the link, lol) quickly vetoes iraqi spending bill and gives his reasons in doing so - this bill would given our soldiers $124 billion budget for the war, while also imposing a deadline for troop withdrawal.

.lapd in hot soup again - on tuesday's may day march the lapd was video taped shooting foam rounds on non-aggressive reporters and marchers (people protesting immigration reform) .

.japanese prime minister shinzo abe's constitutional review - abe is planning to amend the japanese constitution that restricts japan from maintaining a military force for warfare.

.prince harry to be deployed in iraq - "it is the riskiest military deployment by a member of the royal family since his uncle, prince andrew."

.2008 presidential candidates and their __________ (fill in) view points (lol) - here are some of the canidates and their websites: hillary clinton (d), barack obama (d), john edwards (d), rudy giuliani (r), john mccain (r), and mitt romney (r).


~head automatica

perfect situation

random update:
here are some interesting sites that i find worth taking a look at:

.this site is self explanatory and really cool if you have time to spare - howstuffworks

.tries to condense the "latest web-buzz" (i think it's trying to hard) - popurls

.millennium project's 2006 summary (read this!) - acuna

.here are some strange articles (not sure if they're real, lol) - damninteresting

.this site gives various methods in hopes to finding a "cure [for] writer's block" - languageisavrius

this site is so fun it's packed with free random games (need flash player) - addictinggames

family update:
.may 6th - my father and lola are set to come home from their three week ordeal in the philippines

.may 26th - my older brother has extended his trip a few weeks and hopefully will come home by the end of this month

.may 14th - angela is graduating from mount saint mary's college along with kris, nicole, holly, anna, lauren, max, john, nick, and peter

.may 5th - vince is graduating from woodbury university

.may 18th - jeanna is graduating from university of san francisco


~weezer

all at once

current events:
being raised in los angeles has made me very familiar with the very popular purple and gold, the los angeles lakers. vivid memories of floppy divac (i don't think he flopped as much before), quick van exel (i have a hunch they based the hunchback of notre dame after him), always complaining elden campbell, and my favorite player at the time eddie jones will forever be apart of my childhood history. i can honestly admit that my interest with the lakers has not always been consistent and like my taste in music would vary with periods of fanaticism and utter denial.

yesterday they played against the phoenix suns and not surprisingly were eliminated, losing the best out of seven - four games to one. i can honestly say that suns deserve to win and believe they have a high chance to win the nba championship if they are able to be the san antonio spurs next round.

when i look back at the lakers 2006-2007 season one word best describes them: inconsistent (both defensibly and offensively). the inconsistency of players to produce day in day out made watching the lakers upsetting and disheartening to say the least. thus i won't be surprised if they trade key players (with the exception of odom and bryant) for a big time player (hoping for jason kid).

i believe it is the responsibility of the lakers organization to surround kobe bryant (easily the best and most complete player of his time) with great players so that they may one again achieve another "three-peat," winning three nba champions in a row. i know it is extremely unlikely with so many great teams - please let me dream....(lol)



~the fray

yellow

current events:
i find it very annoying that as americans we consume soooooooooooo much, from food to gas, the majority are just natural glutens. it is not surprising to learn that 66% of american population are overweight and 25% are obese (cdc). moreover, our dependency on oil and its suppliers are not only hurting our wallets, it is dramatically harming our environment.

as i read current events i notices growing similar topics of increased oil prices. as we speak oil prices stand at around $66 per barrel (msnbc) and by the end of the year is expected to reach $80 dollars a barrel.

here is a research paper i did about americas petroleum addiction. i'm not claiming to be a scholarly writer but if you look pass all the grammatical errors you'll find it very interesting. note this was written july 2006. work citied available.

Petroleum Addiction

Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. I slowly wait for my gas tank to be filled. I patiently watch to see the price gradually increase, twenty dollars, thirty dollars, then forty dollars, and finally the pump stops at fifty-two dollars and thirteen cents for sixteen gallons of gas. “Damn,” I utter to myself. Gas prices are ridiculous. I start to reminisce when the price to fill up a tank was thirty dollars and wondered if prices would ever be below two dollars for regular unleaded gasoline. What the hell happened? Like president George Bush stated during his State of the Union earlier this year, “America is addicted to oil.” Americans are almost appalled and alarmed as they assemble to acknowledge an amplified addiction with our ally and adversary: oil. Global warming, politics, environmental disasters, and finite resources are the main factors that increase the never-ending price of petroleum.

The word “petroleum” is derived from the word “petra”, meaning rock, and “elaion”, meaning oil. Petroleum is commonly known as crude oil and its by-products include gasoline, diesel fuel and heating oil. Petroleum is formed when prehistoric organic materials, such as animals and plants, are fossilized (EIA). The organic matter then undergoes two phases. Organic material is transformed by pressure and heat into organic kerogen and overtime catagenesis occurs, transforming the kerogen to hydrocarbons, fossil fuel (Catagenesis 1). For every barrel of crude oil we are able to extract forty-four gallons of petroleum products: twenty gallons of gasoline, seven gallons of diesel fuel, three gallons of heating oil, four gallons of jet fuel, and other products like “ink, crayons, bubble gum, dishwashing liquids, deodorant, eyeglasses, records, tires, ammonia, and heart valves” (EIA, Petroleum 1).

The United States accounts for less then five percent of the world’s population (US Census Bureau), yet amazingly it accounts for almost twenty-five percent of the world’s total barrel consumption, 20,565,000 barrels of crude oil a day (EIA). The United States primary use of petroleum is in the transportation sector. Oil is also used to produce electricity, heat many homes and offices, and almost all industries are dependent on oil. According to the Department of Energy up until the 1950s the United States produced more petroleum then it consumed, ever since however we have been dependent on oil from other countries. Canada is our main single country supplier of petroleum contributing more the fifteen percent of our imports. However the members of Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), which include Algeria, Indonesia, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Venezuela, when combined are in charge of importing just over forty percent of petroleum to the United States. It’s hard to believe that in the late 1990’s cost of one barrel of oil was twelve dollars and four years ago, 2002, the cost rose only six dollars to a meager eighteen dollars a barrel (DOE). The reality however is oil as of July 2006 is just above seventy-five dollars a barrel and climbing.

Global warming raises another issue regarding how oil should be produced. Gaseous atmosphere that helps shield us from the sun’s thermal radiation surrounds our Earth. Greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, which accounts for up to twenty-five percent of the greenhouse gases, gradually depletes our atmosphere, resulting in increased temperature patterns. The main concern is the change in our climate’s environment: melting of glaciers, rising in sea levels, and increase or decrease in the population of certain animals and plants.

Many countries such as United States, Norway, Canada, and Australia are using methods to trap carbon dioxide from power plants and factories by entombing “it safely in porous rocks deep below ground” (Doyle 1). This is a great idea since it will slow down global warming. However, there are many instances where carbon dioxide leaks occurred. The worst incident occurred twenty years ago in 1986 when “1.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide” (Doyle 2), almost equivalent to how much the United States emits per year (Pennel 2). It killed 1,700 people in Lake Nyos, Cameroon. Nevertheless, storages of carbon dioxide are cautiously chosen, monitored for centuries, and “posses far lesser risk than many accepted hazards” that “are already stored underground” (Doyle 3).

Many economists and scientists would point out external influence to the confounding increase of oil prices. For one, they would argue the instability of the Persian Gulf nations influence petroleum prices. Iran, according to the Energy Information Agency, is the third largest oil distributor. The possible threats to oil production coinciding with America’s disagreement with their nuclear ambitions seem frighteningly imminent. Around forty percent of petroleum shipments pass through the Strait of Hormuz at the tip of Iran. If Iran maliciously decides to tactically close off the channel, traders should expect price per barrel to soar to at least twenty dollars (Assessment 7). Our involvement with the liberation of Iraqi government in March 2003 plays a part with their oil production, being down thirty percent compared to “pre-War levels” (Assessment 6). Economists would then argue that once there are peaceful resolutions in the Middle East price per barrel would decrease.

Oil being used as political power is another factor. Gazprom, Russia’s leading oil supplier, severed off oil supply to Ukraine earlier this year (Pratley 1). This is important because eighty percent of Russian oil is distributed to European countries through Ukraine and Belarus pipelines (Champion 1). Their actions caused fear to many countries in the European Union. Gazprom’s motive, however, was to force Ukraine to replace their antique public furnaces, which “guzzle more than twice as much energy as their modern replacements” (Champion 1). Russian’s motives were not of malice but emphasize excess energy consumption as punishment.

Furthermore, natural disasters can deeply cripple oil supply and raise prices exponentially. Oil production stopped dramatically in certain areas after a series of powerful hurricanes devastated the Gulf of Mexico. In some cases, “oil rigs were lifted off their anchors and moved dozens and dozens of miles” (Spear 1). Fixing these problems lasted many months and caused increased demand and price, as supply became scarce. America was not the only country plagued with natural disasters that effected petroleum productions. Countries like Russia and Kazakhstan faced extreme weather in the months of January and February, while Australia wrestled with cyclones. Once these countries oil refineries are fixed and are at total operational capacity, then the price for petroleum will drop since environmental issues are short-term factors (Assessment 7).

Petroleum is a finite resource we all can agree about. There are two categories in determining how much petroleum supply we have on Earth. The first method measures reserves: “oil is known to be producible, within a known time, with known techniques, at known costs, and known fields” (Ivanhoe 2). Reserves can be classified as active and inactive reserves. Active reserves can be produced with proven methods in less then twenty years. Inactive reserves are known to exist but are “inaccessible or producible” within the first twenty years. The other category are resources: “opinions of all undiscovered oil theoretically person in an area” (Ivanhoe 2), which is less concrete compared to inactive reserve. “The 1,311 known major and giant oil fields contain ninety-four percent of the world’s known oil” (Ivanhoe 2).

Peak-oil theory is when petroleum starts to dwindle the price of petroleum will increase; if the trends continue the economy of many nations will crumple (Peak-Oil Theory 3). Nobody really knows when we will reach our “peak.” Some theorists are very optimistic with technological advancements and believe we can prolong peak by finding new methods of gathering oil, such as “oil sands” (Peak-Oil Theory 6). In the past, methods of extracting oil from Canada’s oil sands seemed unrealistic due to cost and length needed for extraction. However Canada as of today is recognized as one of the largest active petroleum reserves of the world with a potential of two billion barrels of oil (Peak-Oil Theory 6). The recent and dramatic escalation of price per barrel has literally fueled an increase of methods used to extract oil. Proponents argue about environmental concerns, which include global warming and woodland overhauling. Suncor Energy, second largest Canadian energy company devoted to extracting oil sands, and three of Canada’s largest logging companies agreed to conserve by effectively controlling only one-sixth of Canadian forest. Canada’s legislative branch is amidst designing a carbon tax that will help reduce greenhouse gases (Kesselman 1). Their theory is by increasing taxes Canadian citizens will be less inclined to use excess amounts of energy. This intern will satisfy both ecologists and economists.

The best way for Americans to decrease it’s dependency on petroleum is to find alternatives to petroleum. As the population starts to increase, the need for a viable source of energy will also increase. Our ability to supplement transportation, heating, and electricity with other viable sources are needed so that a single source cannot be overly inflated. Global warming issues, political gains, environmental disasters are all short-term factors that will delay the peak-oil consumption and will increase petroleum prices. More important is the understanding of petroleum as a finite resource that should not be taken for granted. Petroleum will continue to power our cars, businesses, and homes, powering us psychologically and physically, till we beat our addiction.

~coldplay

spotlight

random update:
have you ever had those nights where it feels like it is almost impossible to sleep and no matter how many damn sheep you count or how long you close your eyes nothing seems to work... i've fallen victim once again.

countless research and scientific studies finds sleep is best optimized at around eight hours of sleep, at which time adequate amounts of non rapid eye movement is achieved, allowing the body to rest and recover body tissue, bones, muscle, and also replenishing the immune system.

hell i feel sleeping too much isn't really practical and if anything i believe it is a waste of time that can be spent doing somethings more productive. i believe in certain developmental stages it is vital for humans to sleep, starting at infancy and gradually declining in hours through age.

furthermore, i see humans as creatures of habit. through societal norms we have adapted to sleeping a specified amount of time. i feel that as humans we can train our sleeping habits to accommodate our life styles. the prime example i have was given by a medical doctor, dr. el-bialy, who during his internship was given the formidable task of delivering thirty-six hour shift routinely with eight hours in between the shifts to rest. he admits it was tough at first but overall it has alloted him the ability to provide more time for his patients since he was trained not the average eight hours. another good example is my grandma who since i've known her has relatively terrible sleeping habits, sleeping really late waking up really early. i honestly don't remember a single day where she has slept more than eight hours. she continues to function normally, doesn't get sick (if ever), and is able to accomplish so many things in one day.

the only hard part of changing tendencies is finding adequate time to train oneself (must be done consistently for numerous weeks if not months). moreover with no immediate positive incentives decreases the likelihood of commitment.

enough of my rambling....


~nural

picture frames

current events:
united states of america - the home of the free and the land of the brave, so we like to think we are...

no doubt the united states provides its citizens with many freedoms and rights that few countries would [if ever] provide - freedom of speech, general equality (race/gender), and the right to vote for public officials. damn we are very fortunate. damn we should not take this for granted. damn i feel that we often do.

so much so that we are so involved and so drawn to superficial pointless bull shit: fashion, popular media, and expensive luxuries. i am not saying to throw out every material possession or to neglect certain trends and entertainment (movies, basketball, and etcetera). moreover, i am just tired of seeing people so misinformed about actual important issues - not who dannielynn's, daughter of anna nicole smith, real father is and what the crazed britney spears is up to.

one issue that really bothers me is the iraq pullout plan which president bush vows to veto if passed through by congress. just recently, both democrats and republicans came up with a compromise to have troop withdrawl no later than october 1, 2008. i swear it really fires me up if bush decides to veto this bill. i mean come on genius can't you see that the majority of the nation does not want to stay in iraq. please we beg you put your damn pride aside and actually represent the majority of americans, the people who you are suppose to represent. i guess we just have to wait and see what our fearlessly ignorant president will decide to do.

update 5/2/07: bush vetoed the iraqi spending bill - democracy now.


~normal like you

bulletproof...i wish i was

work update:
.after 2 years of working at providence holy cross i'm proud to say that i have established the reputation of being a diligent, efficient, and compassionate professional in my department.

.i have continued to stay grounded as a reshuffling and addition of workers have kept me on my toes.

.my impression of work wasn't always positive. in fact, it was really negative as it was hard for me to understand and adapt with so many individuals: misunderstandings, assumptions, and back talking was apparent initially, however, over time slowly tapered down.

.with that said i believe as professionals in a work environment it is important to be responsible, to have good work ethics, and above all general respect with co-workers.

.yesterday was an exciting day at work with so many procedures going on simultaneously.

.today was contrastingly more difficult as a majority of the work load was distributed to two individuals instead of the usual four.

.to summarize it in a five words: work today kicked my ass.

.i don't know how i could have managed to stay sane without the jovial james bierman, thanks bro.


~radiohead

take it from here

random update:

here are some of my favorite website i like to visit. feel free to inform me of interesting sites by commenting

.bensbargains - deals and steals
.dealnews - deals and steals
.woot - deals and steals
.pcapex - deals and steals

.gearlog - technology news
.engadget - technology news
.lifehacker - technology news
.wii.qj - technology news
.i4u - technology news

.livescience - science news
.democracynow - political news
.thebigproject - international news
.medline - health news

.dpreview - camera news
.dcresource - camera news
.bobatkins - camera news
.photonotes - dslr lens guide
.photo - canon dslr overview
.fredmiranda - lens review
.photozone - lens review

.photocritic - cool projects
.photojojo - cool projects
.popphoto - cool projects
.instructables - cool projects

.threadless - clothing site
.funkyurbantraveler - clothing site
.karmaloop - clothing site
.etsy - clothing site

.blik - home decor
.popcling - home decor
.perpetualkid - home decor
.thisnext - home decor

.isketch - internet games

.grouphug - random confessions
.postsecret - random confessions

.zabbasearch - no privacy
.googleearth - no privacy

.interfacelift - cool desktop wallpaper
.thecoolhunter - cool random things
.ifrogz - cool ipod cases
.gelaskin - ipod and laptop skins
.schtickers - ipod and laptop skins
.decalgirl - cool game console skins
.barrysfarm - cool laptop sleeves
.tinymeat - cool wallets
.pocketo - cool wallets
.toybreaker - cool ties

.teees - t shirt blog
.wrist dreams - watch blog

~justin timberlake

save room

family update:
.timothy, my second cousin, from canada spent his spring break here in california. while he was here he was fortunate to experience knotts's berry farm, universal studios, china town, balboa park, and melrose (will post pictures later). he enjoyed his stay so much decided to extend his flight till today.

.alann, my brother the traveler, is in nepal at the moment. he will be visiting neighboring countries during his one month venture.

.on a more gloomy note, obet, my father's younger brother, was found murdered yesterday. my grandmother and father are now on a plane headed to bulacan, philippines. may you please keep the salvador family in your prayers.


~john legend

geek in the pink

.welcome to my blog of randomness

.with no specific goal in mind but to inform you about events and thoughts that interest me

.from family, friends, news, school, and life

.i'll type whatever i damn want because i can

.whether you love it or hate it

.this is me


~jason mraz