doin' some laundry...always have a ton of whites. i probably should've done it earlier in the day...but (i'll admit) i prefer using the dryer. maybe there's a little guilt there...when it's warm outside, it's probably better to save the energy and hang out the clothes for that 'fresh' clean smell...BUT i'm too damn lazy to do all the hanging and the collecting...so in the dryer it is ;)
so what was i going to rant about...
two things...articles in the paper yesterday.
to the protesters in Montreal, Canada who are breaking the windows of Gap stores in protest to the mini-summit meeting of the World Trade Organization...get a grip! these people are attacking any U.S. symbol that they deem to be evil.
granted, i am certainly no rabid flag-waving American who = arrogant + dumbass...but these pseudo(neo?)-terrorists are just punks. sure, the USA has done and will always do some things for the sake of capitalism, believing that a country can be 'saved' by trying to emulate our business beliefs or 'civilized' ways...and we're rarely right. and the Gap is guilty of charging exorbitant prices for things that they paid quite little to the people who made the garments...in 'more humane' sweatshops around the world, but bashing in the windows of a Gap or going in and throwing paint on clothing does NOTHING!
if these people really want to make a difference, they should go out and get an education and join the Peace Corps. get involved and take donations to these foreign countries that you want so badly to receive more aid. if yer country ain't doin' it...chip in, dammit. or try making a difference in your own community circle.
and yes, there are some scary corporations that infiltrate other countries and implement their tourism industry upon the natives. one good example is any beach resort in Mexico. these companies don't discriminate against location...pacific or caribbean...as long as there is sand.
unfortunately, pristine locales are becoming more scarce everywhere, not just in mexico either. colorado has grown at an alarming rate in the last 15 years as well. too many people have discovered what a cool state we have. as americans, we want WAY too many toys. last i checked, the average family had: mom and (occasionally) dad...two computers...2.5 SUVs...one child...a boat that they only use a handful of times a year...a FUCKIN' loud harley that they use to annoy the hell out of everyone when they pass ('loud pipes save lives'...bullshit, just be a responsible rider, you prick!)...and a house that is WAY too damn big for even their egos!
i'm not advocating that we go to communal living or flock to the third world countries to 'help out,' but we need to step back and take another look. people who have money and go to the resorts in third world country are not always contributing what they think. by having all of the best resort conveniences at our disposal, why do we even bother to go on vacation? you have all that shit at home! do these people even tip their maids? what's 50-cents or a buck to you...nothing? well, the majority of people in third world countries earn less than $10 a day for 12 hours of work! drop a little money on yer pillow when you leave! and bargaining IS expected when you buy souvenirs, but stop being such a cheap ass! you think we would even sell if they bargained as hard as we? NO, we'd laugh in their faces and tell them to get lost!
i agree that it's nice to be pampered...but if you just go and stay in the AI (all-inclusive)...tan...party till you puke...and never take in the culture or the sights, you should be shot. we are the some of the most hedonistic bastards on the earth. Dionysus and Nero would be strait-laced geeks compared to some of us.
there are also the 'nature' do-gooders who go to mexico and stay there, exploiting the cheap prices in the indigenous areas, and staying until their money runs out. some of them just want to find cheap weed...never bathe...and become one of the 'natives.' they make me mad because they think that they'll learn the culture and language by just staying there for six months. true...but why don't you do a little homework on the culture, language, and history before you go? that way, you'll greatly lessen yer chances of committing a major cultural faux pas...and why should anyone speak english to you when you're not even trying to speak spanish? we are so english only in some states (excluding CO) that it's sickening...you think that we ever give anyone foreign (or darker skinned) in the US a break?
and the pseudo-terrorists who think they are sending SUCH a message...
you destroy a GAP store...fine...their clothes...and they way they were manufactured...prices too...are plain eeeeeevil. but tell me, did you make those clothes and shoes that you are wearing? until you are self-sufficient with what you eat, wear, and use, you can't say shit about big business because you have bought into that 'lie' too.
you wanna make a difference? go volunteer at a shelter...there are needy people in the US too. go visit a home for the elderly and hang out with them...the generations before us made it possible for you to be so 'worldly' and 'open-minded'. walk, bicycle, or take public transportation more...your vehicle, unless it's a hybrid, ain't doin' nothing if it can't pass emissions or guzzles gas. need more clothes or books? go buy secondhand and recycle what you've finished using. you've saved enough money to travel to a poorer country? take school supplies to their rural schools...take all old clothes and leave them behind when you come back to your american utopia. damn, there are much more constructive things than breaking windows and burning posh hotels that are being built...you could even start out by being nice to more people...and how 'bout dropping your 'ish' from your 'self'?
yeah, i know...i could be nice in this rant too...but i haven't gone out and kicked anyone's teeth in yet, have i? you're just lucky we're not face-to-face...you would have drowned in all the spittle that would have flown ;)
i know that i said i would comment on two articles...but the second will have to come later...my laundry is done!
hasta pronto
Wednesday, July 30, 2003
Tuesday, July 29, 2003
arrrggghhh...
did you know that dial-up sucks ass? i was in the middle of a long blog and i got disconnected. i am so freakin' pissed...
anyway...
the blog topic was 'brush with fame'
yesterday, when i arrived at my dad's hospital room, the TV was tuned to AMC and Bruce Lee's Enter the Dragon was being shown. during the movie, there were small tidbits of info that were displayed at the bottom of the screen. you know, trivial facts that make the movie a bit more interesting.
well, one of the tidbits that was revealed regarded the dozens of extras that were used for the training and melée scenes. i guess the majority of the extras were thrilled just to be on the same set as the great Bruce Lee. they probably would have done the scenes for free as long as they were able to witness him directing, choreographing fights, and acting in this 1973 classic.
it made me think about how these people, even 30 years later, will always have a story about how they were extras in a Bruce Lee movie. for some, it probably was a major highlight in their lives...
i'm sure everyone has a story about a brief brush with a famous person or just a local celebrity. working in restaurants afforded me an occasional encounter with celebrities, no one major though. you know, a few Denver Broncos...Nuggets... i remember when Larry Walker had lunch at the Harvest about six years ago. there were some national heavy metal acts that played at Bangles, a couple blocks away. i met bandmembers from Badlands, Quiet Riot, and Lynch Mob. at one point in the late 80's and early 90's, these bands were actually famous around the world. mullets and teased out hair were the fashion, after all. just ask Laura... they all kept the hairspray industry rolling along.
i remember talking to local political celebrities such as Rep. Pat Schroeder and seeing then-guvn'r Roy Romer sneak to the back section for a breakfast meeting (romantic rendezvous) with his mistress, who i think was a secretary or assistant. i guess Bea Romer never thought much of the long affair because they're still married...weird...it was public knowledge; not like she didn't know.
anyway, the 'biggest' celebrity that i ever encountered was John Ritter. i remember waiting on him about five or six years ago. he was really quiet and polite. he came in at the end of brunch with his agent(?) or maybe she was a personal assistant. tipped well and left with no fanfare. i didn't even ask for an autograph. i shoulda said, "where's suzanne somers? i wanna wrap the Thighmaster i bought around her neck. i can't get my thighs to stop from flaring out...that bitch! i'll give her something to snort about."
lois has a pretty cool brush with fame...and hers was much longer than my brief encounter with the 'great' Jack Tripper. i don't remember how it came about, but seven years ago, Lois volunteered to be the chauffeur for a the VIP of the Peace Jam, which was taking place on the campus of Regis College (now University). in fact, this VIP was a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. turns out it was Rigoberta Menchú Tum, the famous Quiché Maya human rights activist and 1992 Nobel Peace Prize winner.
lois drove a huge Ford Crown Victoria, shuttling Rigoberta and her small entourage around town. they even all sat down and had dinner at the Imperial Chinese Restaurant. a good thing because all the chinese food that i've tried in guatemala and the majority of Latin America has not been very edible and very expensive ;)
okay...one last fame story. always save the best for last, eh?
the friend that we took out to dinner last week, Cindy, is an actress. she received her degree from Wright State University (in Dayton, Ohio), and has acted on and off in colorado productions for the last 20 years. she's had numerous brushes with famous people...so it's almost old hat for her. but there is one incident that was pretty wild.
when cindy was a senior in college, a small troupe of actors visited their campus. well, many drama students were paired with the actors to tour the campus for a day. cindy got this skinny, long haired actor who didn't bathe enough...but shared some really good marijuana with them...so all was forgiven ;)
anyway, they walked the school grounds, talking about their hopes and dreams. cindy was thinking of taking an internship in Houston and her stinky guest was talking about moving to one of the coasts. nothing really memorable.
well, a couple years later, while cindy was at her mom's house watching TV, a sit-com came on and cindy shouted to her mom, "THAT'S the guy that I took on campus! Wow, looks like he's made it..." thing is, cindy could never dream how BIG this guy would really make it.
the show that she saw at her mother's was 'Bosom Buddies.' and the stinky guy (with the good pot) whom she gave a tour of Wright State was none other than two-time Oscar winner, TOM HANKS. cool huh?
anyway...
the blog topic was 'brush with fame'
yesterday, when i arrived at my dad's hospital room, the TV was tuned to AMC and Bruce Lee's Enter the Dragon was being shown. during the movie, there were small tidbits of info that were displayed at the bottom of the screen. you know, trivial facts that make the movie a bit more interesting.
well, one of the tidbits that was revealed regarded the dozens of extras that were used for the training and melée scenes. i guess the majority of the extras were thrilled just to be on the same set as the great Bruce Lee. they probably would have done the scenes for free as long as they were able to witness him directing, choreographing fights, and acting in this 1973 classic.
it made me think about how these people, even 30 years later, will always have a story about how they were extras in a Bruce Lee movie. for some, it probably was a major highlight in their lives...
i'm sure everyone has a story about a brief brush with a famous person or just a local celebrity. working in restaurants afforded me an occasional encounter with celebrities, no one major though. you know, a few Denver Broncos...Nuggets... i remember when Larry Walker had lunch at the Harvest about six years ago. there were some national heavy metal acts that played at Bangles, a couple blocks away. i met bandmembers from Badlands, Quiet Riot, and Lynch Mob. at one point in the late 80's and early 90's, these bands were actually famous around the world. mullets and teased out hair were the fashion, after all. just ask Laura... they all kept the hairspray industry rolling along.
i remember talking to local political celebrities such as Rep. Pat Schroeder and seeing then-guvn'r Roy Romer sneak to the back section for a breakfast meeting (romantic rendezvous) with his mistress, who i think was a secretary or assistant. i guess Bea Romer never thought much of the long affair because they're still married...weird...it was public knowledge; not like she didn't know.
anyway, the 'biggest' celebrity that i ever encountered was John Ritter. i remember waiting on him about five or six years ago. he was really quiet and polite. he came in at the end of brunch with his agent(?) or maybe she was a personal assistant. tipped well and left with no fanfare. i didn't even ask for an autograph. i shoulda said, "where's suzanne somers? i wanna wrap the Thighmaster i bought around her neck. i can't get my thighs to stop from flaring out...that bitch! i'll give her something to snort about."
lois has a pretty cool brush with fame...and hers was much longer than my brief encounter with the 'great' Jack Tripper. i don't remember how it came about, but seven years ago, Lois volunteered to be the chauffeur for a the VIP of the Peace Jam, which was taking place on the campus of Regis College (now University). in fact, this VIP was a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. turns out it was Rigoberta Menchú Tum, the famous Quiché Maya human rights activist and 1992 Nobel Peace Prize winner.
lois drove a huge Ford Crown Victoria, shuttling Rigoberta and her small entourage around town. they even all sat down and had dinner at the Imperial Chinese Restaurant. a good thing because all the chinese food that i've tried in guatemala and the majority of Latin America has not been very edible and very expensive ;)
okay...one last fame story. always save the best for last, eh?
the friend that we took out to dinner last week, Cindy, is an actress. she received her degree from Wright State University (in Dayton, Ohio), and has acted on and off in colorado productions for the last 20 years. she's had numerous brushes with famous people...so it's almost old hat for her. but there is one incident that was pretty wild.
when cindy was a senior in college, a small troupe of actors visited their campus. well, many drama students were paired with the actors to tour the campus for a day. cindy got this skinny, long haired actor who didn't bathe enough...but shared some really good marijuana with them...so all was forgiven ;)
anyway, they walked the school grounds, talking about their hopes and dreams. cindy was thinking of taking an internship in Houston and her stinky guest was talking about moving to one of the coasts. nothing really memorable.
well, a couple years later, while cindy was at her mom's house watching TV, a sit-com came on and cindy shouted to her mom, "THAT'S the guy that I took on campus! Wow, looks like he's made it..." thing is, cindy could never dream how BIG this guy would really make it.
the show that she saw at her mother's was 'Bosom Buddies.' and the stinky guy (with the good pot) whom she gave a tour of Wright State was none other than two-time Oscar winner, TOM HANKS. cool huh?
Monday, July 28, 2003
yapyapyap
pretty short day...had lunch at Souper Salad in U-Hills and got some groceries at the King Soopers next door.
i had never been to Souper Salad...it was good, but not great. i guess susie and lois go there occasionally for lunch. i like Sweet Tomatoes better for their selection and seasoning of soup. for me, one of the gauges for a restaurant's food is if they know how to season soup. anyone can slop some things together and make a pretty looking soup...but how does it taste? usually, if they know how to season soup correctly, the rest of the food is good as well. i'm just picky because i grew up on phenomenal Chinese and American soups that my parents made - it's in our blood. give me a bowl of oxtail...tofu and spinach...or some other typical southern Chinese soup and a bowl of rice...and i am one happy camper! i hope to one day replicate my mother's soup cooking technique. and my dad? any 'normal' soup that you see in cans at the store, he can make from scratch and way better :) he learned to cook American soup in the 30's and 40's, when most people still could cook from scratch...unlike today and our society of convenience. i'm guilty too though...i cook well, but i will occasionally buy Campbell's Cream of Mushroom, Tomato, and Beef Barley. who knew i could put so many people to sleep by writing the endless soup paragraph...zzzzzzz.
enough of the watery stuff...bloody noses...diarrhea...soup. what will be our next topic o' the day? don't worry. i have some stories up my sleeve...i just don't want to drop all the good ones and have to blog about mundane things. i know you're all dying to know how often i have to yank the solitary white nose hair that invades my right nostril. pullin' that baby is such an accomplishment if you survive the tear-inducing aftermath...hurts like a MF!!!
oh yeah. don't go to that (Colo. Blvd. and Yale) King Soopers EVER! we liked to go there for a few months after it had opened, but now only go when we're desperate. it sucks. the lines are horrendous...sometimes they're short on baggers...and half the checkers are completely useless!
our checker was real nice, but REAL slow too. he was ill prepared to work on a Sunday...or any daytime shift...he needs to work graveyard. it was kinda sad because even the snot-nosed teenage bagger knew more vegetable codes than he. we were wondering if the man had been laid off in his field and had to get a checker job to help support his family. still, i know that it's not so instantaneous to get a checker job. most often, you have to pay yer dues by starting out as a courtesy clerk or customer service, right?
maybe it's just us though. wherever lois and i go, there are two infallible signs that follow us. the first is instant business for a sandwich shop or other fast food venue...we'll be the only ones in line...and ten people will walk in right behind us. it never fails. we've even thought of trading our timing for food ;)
the other odd thing that we always seem to do is get in the slowest line at the store. no matter how short the line is, if we're in it and someone is ahead of us...you're screwed. it's like some Lois and Spencer Law of Checkout Lines... i'm serious. we think we scored by finding the short line or the checker with fast hands, but NOOOO...something always goes awry. whether it's a price check...someone who didn't bring enough money...the guy who forgot his lice shampoo coupon in the car...the lady who was going to write a check but didn't EVEN bring out the checkbook until the final total was tallied. you know, that eye rolling, teeth gritting, fist clenching scenario...wishing that the daggers that come out of your evil look would plunge into his carotid...causing it to blow like the Yellowstone of hemoglobin geysers. it's a good thing you came in for a bottle of bleach...you can take a swig if you're at the end of the dumbass line.
that's the one sure thing though. if you see us in line, go to another...even if there are five more carts! we'll get in line at 5:30 and get out at oh, 10:15. it's that bad... "Yeah, went to the store for a gallon of skim...came out with a gallon of buttermilk...wasn't Bush Sr. President when we got in line? our dogs? well, they starved to death by the time we got through...oh, can i get another dozen eggs...these hatched. you know, i could have sworn this steak wasn't green when i picked it up."
all i can say is: If you came to the store to buy a card for a newborn (and end up behind us), you better have gotten the kid a high school graduation card too.
i had never been to Souper Salad...it was good, but not great. i guess susie and lois go there occasionally for lunch. i like Sweet Tomatoes better for their selection and seasoning of soup. for me, one of the gauges for a restaurant's food is if they know how to season soup. anyone can slop some things together and make a pretty looking soup...but how does it taste? usually, if they know how to season soup correctly, the rest of the food is good as well. i'm just picky because i grew up on phenomenal Chinese and American soups that my parents made - it's in our blood. give me a bowl of oxtail...tofu and spinach...or some other typical southern Chinese soup and a bowl of rice...and i am one happy camper! i hope to one day replicate my mother's soup cooking technique. and my dad? any 'normal' soup that you see in cans at the store, he can make from scratch and way better :) he learned to cook American soup in the 30's and 40's, when most people still could cook from scratch...unlike today and our society of convenience. i'm guilty too though...i cook well, but i will occasionally buy Campbell's Cream of Mushroom, Tomato, and Beef Barley. who knew i could put so many people to sleep by writing the endless soup paragraph...zzzzzzz.
enough of the watery stuff...bloody noses...diarrhea...soup. what will be our next topic o' the day? don't worry. i have some stories up my sleeve...i just don't want to drop all the good ones and have to blog about mundane things. i know you're all dying to know how often i have to yank the solitary white nose hair that invades my right nostril. pullin' that baby is such an accomplishment if you survive the tear-inducing aftermath...hurts like a MF!!!
oh yeah. don't go to that (Colo. Blvd. and Yale) King Soopers EVER! we liked to go there for a few months after it had opened, but now only go when we're desperate. it sucks. the lines are horrendous...sometimes they're short on baggers...and half the checkers are completely useless!
our checker was real nice, but REAL slow too. he was ill prepared to work on a Sunday...or any daytime shift...he needs to work graveyard. it was kinda sad because even the snot-nosed teenage bagger knew more vegetable codes than he. we were wondering if the man had been laid off in his field and had to get a checker job to help support his family. still, i know that it's not so instantaneous to get a checker job. most often, you have to pay yer dues by starting out as a courtesy clerk or customer service, right?
maybe it's just us though. wherever lois and i go, there are two infallible signs that follow us. the first is instant business for a sandwich shop or other fast food venue...we'll be the only ones in line...and ten people will walk in right behind us. it never fails. we've even thought of trading our timing for food ;)
the other odd thing that we always seem to do is get in the slowest line at the store. no matter how short the line is, if we're in it and someone is ahead of us...you're screwed. it's like some Lois and Spencer Law of Checkout Lines... i'm serious. we think we scored by finding the short line or the checker with fast hands, but NOOOO...something always goes awry. whether it's a price check...someone who didn't bring enough money...the guy who forgot his lice shampoo coupon in the car...the lady who was going to write a check but didn't EVEN bring out the checkbook until the final total was tallied. you know, that eye rolling, teeth gritting, fist clenching scenario...wishing that the daggers that come out of your evil look would plunge into his carotid...causing it to blow like the Yellowstone of hemoglobin geysers. it's a good thing you came in for a bottle of bleach...you can take a swig if you're at the end of the dumbass line.
that's the one sure thing though. if you see us in line, go to another...even if there are five more carts! we'll get in line at 5:30 and get out at oh, 10:15. it's that bad... "Yeah, went to the store for a gallon of skim...came out with a gallon of buttermilk...wasn't Bush Sr. President when we got in line? our dogs? well, they starved to death by the time we got through...oh, can i get another dozen eggs...these hatched. you know, i could have sworn this steak wasn't green when i picked it up."
all i can say is: If you came to the store to buy a card for a newborn (and end up behind us), you better have gotten the kid a high school graduation card too.
Sunday, July 27, 2003
i so need to go to sleep...
one more thing, BeerMary is nearing the end of her 24-hour blogathon effort. i think she raised almost $1300 for Denver Dumb Friends League...yay! you may want to go to the blog and read a few of the stories. in fact, i just submitted a zany story (look for the title: "Broom Handle of DEATH") that occurred last month. however, i'm not sure if she'll use it...as many people already sent theirs much earlier than i (about ten minutes ago). if she doesn't use it, i'll post it here.
see ya!
see ya!
not much of a blog...
spent about four hours at the hospital yesterday. depending on what the cardiologist says, my dad will probably undergo catheterization procedure on Tuesday. it's inevitable that he will suffer another heart attack in the future, it's just a matter of when; we would like to him to get the catheter as a preventative measure.
it seems so surreal to make these decisions with your siblings. you never want it to come down to living wills and medical care, but most people have to face the reality of aging...whether it's your parents' or your own. it would be quite interesting to have some sort of extra longevity (not immortality though)...but i'm sure you would eventually get tired of all the shit and just want check out.
that's about it for now. if you want some extra reading material, i have posted a rudimentary version of my personal 50 Things...go look! ooh, more creepy stuff about Spencer ;) there's even an old pic of me sitting at a screen in Pellejo Chico Alto (in Peru). see the shirt i'm wearin'? that is very similar to the blue shirt in the bus barf extravaganza, this one is just green. and don't ask about the pink hat...that was borrowed...truly!
it seems so surreal to make these decisions with your siblings. you never want it to come down to living wills and medical care, but most people have to face the reality of aging...whether it's your parents' or your own. it would be quite interesting to have some sort of extra longevity (not immortality though)...but i'm sure you would eventually get tired of all the shit and just want check out.
that's about it for now. if you want some extra reading material, i have posted a rudimentary version of my personal 50 Things...go look! ooh, more creepy stuff about Spencer ;) there's even an old pic of me sitting at a screen in Pellejo Chico Alto (in Peru). see the shirt i'm wearin'? that is very similar to the blue shirt in the bus barf extravaganza, this one is just green. and don't ask about the pink hat...that was borrowed...truly!
Friday, July 25, 2003
as if it isn't evident...
after three weeks of reading my daily blogs...well, those of you crazy enough to follow...you have probably figured out the majority of my passions:
travel...food...culture...history
human connection is strengthened through these four topics. by traveling even outside of your neighborhood (house, even) you encounter different foods, culture and histories of people or places. it really does make you a better human being.
when i travel, i like to think that i can relate to some individuals in faraway places. sometimes the neighbor's house may be as faraway as you can get from reality, that's cool. as long as you interact on a humble and human level, everyone can relate.
unfortunately, this isn't always the case. stereotypes and prejudices are much more pervasive than we think; everyone is raised with them, making it inescapable or unavoidable at times. i will be the first to admit that Asians are some of the most racist and judgmental people on the earth (Koreans and Vietnamese are the worst...see what i mean ;), but that is rooted in each respective culture. for nations to remain strong, this is an integral part of nationalistic pride; some countries aren't open-minded enough to understand interracial relationships...and our country lives and dies by the flag...what's the difference? mostly, it's any widely held dogma to which everyone adheres. whatever makes you the sleeping giant that no one should fuck with...more power to ya.
so all of you will have to bear with me when i blog about travel and past incidences. as Margaret Cho once said, "I am some sort of a shit magnet. Wherever I go, I just attract it." i guess with every Anthropology degree that is handed out, you get a can of Teflon. i just spray it on and the shit slides off...
therefore, the person who i am today has definitely been shaped and molded by the trips i have taken...even if i may come out of it smelling like poo :) now, if that makes me a freak, then at least i can be the most comfortable freak to be around...and hopefully funny as hell because Laura can tell you i am way more amusing in person. maybe it's the pained facial expressions...
it's been a great three weeks...i've brought two of the rings to the blog and am appreciative of the readers who complement this verbal circus with a third! let the smack talkin' begin!
oh...and to everyone who is going on vacation...YOU SUCK!
travel...food...culture...history
human connection is strengthened through these four topics. by traveling even outside of your neighborhood (house, even) you encounter different foods, culture and histories of people or places. it really does make you a better human being.
when i travel, i like to think that i can relate to some individuals in faraway places. sometimes the neighbor's house may be as faraway as you can get from reality, that's cool. as long as you interact on a humble and human level, everyone can relate.
unfortunately, this isn't always the case. stereotypes and prejudices are much more pervasive than we think; everyone is raised with them, making it inescapable or unavoidable at times. i will be the first to admit that Asians are some of the most racist and judgmental people on the earth (Koreans and Vietnamese are the worst...see what i mean ;), but that is rooted in each respective culture. for nations to remain strong, this is an integral part of nationalistic pride; some countries aren't open-minded enough to understand interracial relationships...and our country lives and dies by the flag...what's the difference? mostly, it's any widely held dogma to which everyone adheres. whatever makes you the sleeping giant that no one should fuck with...more power to ya.
so all of you will have to bear with me when i blog about travel and past incidences. as Margaret Cho once said, "I am some sort of a shit magnet. Wherever I go, I just attract it." i guess with every Anthropology degree that is handed out, you get a can of Teflon. i just spray it on and the shit slides off...
therefore, the person who i am today has definitely been shaped and molded by the trips i have taken...even if i may come out of it smelling like poo :) now, if that makes me a freak, then at least i can be the most comfortable freak to be around...and hopefully funny as hell because Laura can tell you i am way more amusing in person. maybe it's the pained facial expressions...
it's been a great three weeks...i've brought two of the rings to the blog and am appreciative of the readers who complement this verbal circus with a third! let the smack talkin' begin!
oh...and to everyone who is going on vacation...YOU SUCK!
blame it on Derbs...
since the topic of menstruation seems not to be off-topic on some blogs, i have decided to blog, at the urging of Derbs ;), about a personal incident involving bodily fluids. it doesn't exactly fit the title, "Diarrhea from Hades" (somehow that doesn't sound right Nelle...), but it'll do.
my two scariest bouts with the 'Hershey squirts' occurred seven months apart in 1995. the funniest one occurred at the end of a dig in Bella Union (about seven hours south of Lima), Peru. ever have one of those incidents where you think you have reached rock bottom and someone has to come along and kick you just for good measure? you know the feelin'...
we had just finished a phenomenal seafood meal of mussels and fish at our compound before we were to head south on a bus trip to Arequipa, one of Peru's most beautiful cities. it's called the 'white city' because much of the city is constructed with sillar, a white volcanic stone. El Misti is a beautiful 19,154 foot dormant volcano that lies just outside of town..along with two other volcanoes, Chachani and Pichu Pichu.
during the whole dig, i was one of the lucky ones. much of our crew, even the principal investigator, had gotten some stomach ailment at one point; the north side of the house had been designated as our 'barf patch' :P however, through some miraculous intervention, i somehow had avoided the pukey syndrome...
well, as we were doing our last minute things before the bus arrival, i got a small case of diarrhea. no problem...just get it over with before a 10 hour bus ride, eh?
got on the bus with no fanfare. we waved to everyone and even shed a few tears.
second stop was in Chala, which is considered to be the armpit of coastal Peru. of course, after 90 minutes, i needed to go; the bumps were getting hard to handle. and gee, only 8.5 hours until Arequipa...unnhhh.
the bus driver had announced that we had 15 minutes to grab a drink, smoke a cig, etc. i headed for the nearest bathroom in this restaurant. i walk in and find grimy walls and two stalls...open the doors and find that there is no commode. they do it egyptian style in chala! you just brace your arms against the walls and hope you have good aim. the cold sweats were sure sapping my strength...i was slipping and sliding all over that stall. peee-eeewww! i don't think i splashed my pants and boots...
got my business done and even bought a bottle of orange soda before getting back on. i was feeling okay...talked to the gal next to me for a bit. she had joined us a bit late on the dig and was tagging along with us before she headed to Bolivia. she was really cool. she knew that i wasn't feeling very good and (bless her soul) let me even rest my head on her lap for a nap.
i had slept for almost two hours when i woke up and felt strangely better...like a whole lot better. refreshed, i sat up...and felt something immediately come on. it wasn't from that end though...i got pukey syndrome instead. some consolation prize!!!
i was in total panic. we had already thrown away our lunch bags and there was no time to force a window open (since i had the aisle seat) or run to the front of the bus. i had the option of hurling on the lady's hair in front of me (since it probably would have caught it all) or start a barf-a-thon by depositing it on the aisle.
no. i did the diplomatic thing to do...i caught it in my hands and let the warmth cascade down my arms. the gal next to me said i was so quiet...there was no retching. she said that she woke up and the moonlight that had shone down on me made me look like a human fountain of vomit, glistening in the light...gee, thanks. that makes me feel a whole lot better!
well, the bus stopped...everyone got to stare as i got off and rummaged through my bag for a change of clothes. quickly, i grabbed three things...a t-shirt, long underwear and a heavy wool poncho. still, i nearly froze my nuts off on that bus.
the diarrhea was gone. i ruled out food poisoning because that was it...no more barfin' either. later, i figured that it probably was the mummy toddler that i had collected two weeks before. hoping to keep the body intact, i placed him on my clipboard and wrapped it in the long sleeved shirt that i was wearing before placing him in a plastic bag. in preparation for transporting the body to the Catholic University Museum in Arequipa, i took my shirt back and washed it...TWICE...before we left! of course, i should have realized that the mummy had probably waited 700 years for my blue twill shirt...why didn't i just leave it as an offering?!?
so if you're ever on yer way from Nazca to Arequipa and are visiting the necropolis in Nazca, leave a clothing item near one of the mummies...they're cold. and if your horrorscope outlook is promising, your bus may even skip the scheduled stop in Chala...
my two scariest bouts with the 'Hershey squirts' occurred seven months apart in 1995. the funniest one occurred at the end of a dig in Bella Union (about seven hours south of Lima), Peru. ever have one of those incidents where you think you have reached rock bottom and someone has to come along and kick you just for good measure? you know the feelin'...
we had just finished a phenomenal seafood meal of mussels and fish at our compound before we were to head south on a bus trip to Arequipa, one of Peru's most beautiful cities. it's called the 'white city' because much of the city is constructed with sillar, a white volcanic stone. El Misti is a beautiful 19,154 foot dormant volcano that lies just outside of town..along with two other volcanoes, Chachani and Pichu Pichu.
during the whole dig, i was one of the lucky ones. much of our crew, even the principal investigator, had gotten some stomach ailment at one point; the north side of the house had been designated as our 'barf patch' :P however, through some miraculous intervention, i somehow had avoided the pukey syndrome...
well, as we were doing our last minute things before the bus arrival, i got a small case of diarrhea. no problem...just get it over with before a 10 hour bus ride, eh?
got on the bus with no fanfare. we waved to everyone and even shed a few tears.
second stop was in Chala, which is considered to be the armpit of coastal Peru. of course, after 90 minutes, i needed to go; the bumps were getting hard to handle. and gee, only 8.5 hours until Arequipa...unnhhh.
the bus driver had announced that we had 15 minutes to grab a drink, smoke a cig, etc. i headed for the nearest bathroom in this restaurant. i walk in and find grimy walls and two stalls...open the doors and find that there is no commode. they do it egyptian style in chala! you just brace your arms against the walls and hope you have good aim. the cold sweats were sure sapping my strength...i was slipping and sliding all over that stall. peee-eeewww! i don't think i splashed my pants and boots...
got my business done and even bought a bottle of orange soda before getting back on. i was feeling okay...talked to the gal next to me for a bit. she had joined us a bit late on the dig and was tagging along with us before she headed to Bolivia. she was really cool. she knew that i wasn't feeling very good and (bless her soul) let me even rest my head on her lap for a nap.
i had slept for almost two hours when i woke up and felt strangely better...like a whole lot better. refreshed, i sat up...and felt something immediately come on. it wasn't from that end though...i got pukey syndrome instead. some consolation prize!!!
i was in total panic. we had already thrown away our lunch bags and there was no time to force a window open (since i had the aisle seat) or run to the front of the bus. i had the option of hurling on the lady's hair in front of me (since it probably would have caught it all) or start a barf-a-thon by depositing it on the aisle.
no. i did the diplomatic thing to do...i caught it in my hands and let the warmth cascade down my arms. the gal next to me said i was so quiet...there was no retching. she said that she woke up and the moonlight that had shone down on me made me look like a human fountain of vomit, glistening in the light...gee, thanks. that makes me feel a whole lot better!
well, the bus stopped...everyone got to stare as i got off and rummaged through my bag for a change of clothes. quickly, i grabbed three things...a t-shirt, long underwear and a heavy wool poncho. still, i nearly froze my nuts off on that bus.
the diarrhea was gone. i ruled out food poisoning because that was it...no more barfin' either. later, i figured that it probably was the mummy toddler that i had collected two weeks before. hoping to keep the body intact, i placed him on my clipboard and wrapped it in the long sleeved shirt that i was wearing before placing him in a plastic bag. in preparation for transporting the body to the Catholic University Museum in Arequipa, i took my shirt back and washed it...TWICE...before we left! of course, i should have realized that the mummy had probably waited 700 years for my blue twill shirt...why didn't i just leave it as an offering?!?
so if you're ever on yer way from Nazca to Arequipa and are visiting the necropolis in Nazca, leave a clothing item near one of the mummies...they're cold. and if your horrorscope outlook is promising, your bus may even skip the scheduled stop in Chala...
Thursday, July 24, 2003
the lives of other people...
it's going to be a weird blog...i can't seem to think straight. my sister called me a couple hours ago to tell me that our father was at St. Joe's and probably would be there overnight for observation. it may not be anything major, but it still worries me.
i know that i couldn't have been there since it happened while i was out. i guess some guilt hangs over me because the last time my dad went to the hospital for stroke-like symptoms was when i was in Bolivia...about 21 months ago. it really stunned me when i got back and susie told me what had happened. i was kinda peeved that i didn't know anything about it...but it may not have mattered because when it happened, i was nowhere near electricity for a week anyway. things like that make you feel so helpless... you just want things to be quiet and even utopian for a long while.
he's going to be okay though. i'll probably have to go pick him up tomorrow and will get more details...
and now that i've shaken a little gloom off...
it's time for the 2AM blog circle update...
...Denny is running on fumes by now, but happy as hell that school will be out this friday.
...Laura is sending out some energy that makes other men want to tell her about their strained sex lives...velly inte-res-ting. what show is that from? and who played that character?
...Diana is going to receive a tape in the mail from me...it will contain a constant loop of "You Are My Sunshine"...sung by Roseanne and Celine Dion ;) feel the pain! you will LONG for your mother's version!
...Danelle is taking surreptitious pics of baby birds waiting desperately for their momma...and turning her attention to Colorado sunsets.
...Katie is spraying her bed with pincherbug-be-gone. must be all that Tokyo Joe's that she's eatin'.
...Rachel is packing for some RnR in Baton Rouge. send me a postcard! Spencer Wong, 436 S. Ivy St. Denver, CO 80224! even if i don't go anywhere soon, i have lots of postcards from Denver, San Francisco, Wash DC, Mexico, Guatemala, and Peru (i may have a couple from Belize too) with which i could reciprocate :)
...Derbs is wisely putting off work by inundating her blog with assorted quizzes. something i missed and sorely need to check out. btw, how is the rotten egg stuff? i can empathize...i've got two crazy funny stories about that. if you want me to relate them, email me: chinobalam@aol.com i was thinking about putting them on my blog, but i run such a clean shift here ;) besides, i can't afford to lose the ten readers i have built up for this already garrulous daily blog...heh
...Mary is busily gearing up for her blogathon on the 26th. can any of you spare $5 for her cause? proceeds go towards the Denver Dumb Friends League. Moose is one cute hunka-slurpin' love...way nicer than the psycho dogs that live next door to Laura & Denny.
...Cindi is looking for the cheapest accomodations in New Haven, CT. have you looked at the EconoLodge in West Haven? for that weekend, rates are as follows:
$49.50/night for a king sized bed...$54.00/night for 2 queens ($50 if you use your gov't ID)...and $63.00/night for a king with a whirlpool tub. note that this motel is 10 miles away from the Tweed/New Haven Airport and 5 miles from New Haven proper...are you renting a car? geez, i just checked and the car rates are horrifyingly high! good luck!
guess that wraps it up...until another sleepless night!
i know that i couldn't have been there since it happened while i was out. i guess some guilt hangs over me because the last time my dad went to the hospital for stroke-like symptoms was when i was in Bolivia...about 21 months ago. it really stunned me when i got back and susie told me what had happened. i was kinda peeved that i didn't know anything about it...but it may not have mattered because when it happened, i was nowhere near electricity for a week anyway. things like that make you feel so helpless... you just want things to be quiet and even utopian for a long while.
he's going to be okay though. i'll probably have to go pick him up tomorrow and will get more details...
and now that i've shaken a little gloom off...
it's time for the 2AM blog circle update...
...Denny is running on fumes by now, but happy as hell that school will be out this friday.
...Laura is sending out some energy that makes other men want to tell her about their strained sex lives...velly inte-res-ting. what show is that from? and who played that character?
...Diana is going to receive a tape in the mail from me...it will contain a constant loop of "You Are My Sunshine"...sung by Roseanne and Celine Dion ;) feel the pain! you will LONG for your mother's version!
...Danelle is taking surreptitious pics of baby birds waiting desperately for their momma...and turning her attention to Colorado sunsets.
...Katie is spraying her bed with pincherbug-be-gone. must be all that Tokyo Joe's that she's eatin'.
...Rachel is packing for some RnR in Baton Rouge. send me a postcard! Spencer Wong, 436 S. Ivy St. Denver, CO 80224! even if i don't go anywhere soon, i have lots of postcards from Denver, San Francisco, Wash DC, Mexico, Guatemala, and Peru (i may have a couple from Belize too) with which i could reciprocate :)
...Derbs is wisely putting off work by inundating her blog with assorted quizzes. something i missed and sorely need to check out. btw, how is the rotten egg stuff? i can empathize...i've got two crazy funny stories about that. if you want me to relate them, email me: chinobalam@aol.com i was thinking about putting them on my blog, but i run such a clean shift here ;) besides, i can't afford to lose the ten readers i have built up for this already garrulous daily blog...heh
...Mary is busily gearing up for her blogathon on the 26th. can any of you spare $5 for her cause? proceeds go towards the Denver Dumb Friends League. Moose is one cute hunka-slurpin' love...way nicer than the psycho dogs that live next door to Laura & Denny.
...Cindi is looking for the cheapest accomodations in New Haven, CT. have you looked at the EconoLodge in West Haven? for that weekend, rates are as follows:
$49.50/night for a king sized bed...$54.00/night for 2 queens ($50 if you use your gov't ID)...and $63.00/night for a king with a whirlpool tub. note that this motel is 10 miles away from the Tweed/New Haven Airport and 5 miles from New Haven proper...are you renting a car? geez, i just checked and the car rates are horrifyingly high! good luck!
guess that wraps it up...until another sleepless night!
Wednesday, July 23, 2003
will someone help me roll over?
got back from dinner with the friend who bailed on us last week. we were supposed to go to one of the two Brazilian restaurants in town - Cafe Brazil. the other is a fancy pants French-Brazilian restaurant in Cherry Creek, Aquarela, which is supposed to be outrageously expensive and kinda lame.
anyway, we went and had a blast. she (Cindy) had a stew of vegetables and black beans topped with green onion and cilantro, served with rice, fried bananas, farofa, collard greens, orange slices and aji of campana. lois had the same exact thing, but with some grilled chicken. and i ordered a sea scallop dish prepared with a sauce of garlic, shallots, coconut milk and kaffir lime leaves, served over rice and vegetables. exquisite!
afterwards, we went to Gelato D'Italia for their phenomenal ice cream. lois had a scoop of cappuccino chip...i had mini scoops of white peach champagne and raspberry...and Cindy opted for mango and mixed berry. sigh...so good! we need to go there more often since it's less than a ten minute walk from the house. 'course, that may be a dangerous proposition; i'd probably gain ten pounds of gelato weight...probably way worse than water weight.
all this talk about food...well, i can blame Katie for bringing out the glutton in me ;) any blog or site that even mentions food or travel will get me started!
Katie is at an age where the metabolism is set to one speed - TURBO. until i was 23, i could eat everything and complain about never being able to put on weight. it's just bad when your metabolism slows down and you realize that it will take some effort to fit in those pants again. lessee here, i can either lose the weight and fit those clothes again OR i can buy a whole new wardrobe! the name is Visa...big debt Visa.
her blog title, I Can't Believe I Ate That, is priceless. i have had my share of "I can't believe..." happenings in my life. of course, the majority of the 'different' foods were consumed in Latin American countries. i remember getting some tamales on the street in Panajachel (Guatemala) and hurrying back to the hotel to down them. they were steamin' hot...the masa was good...but the meat filling had bones...and the meat didn't taste like chicken, pork, or beef. in fact, all the time i was eating, i was thinking that the bones sure resembled those of alley cats that we had dissected in Physiology once. so that cured me of buying street food under lamp posts without working bulbs...think that was a sign?
have you ever sat there and eaten something mediocre just because you had paid for it and, by golly, you weren't going to leave more than half of it uneaten? this only applies with barely edible food, not spoiled. well, i once paid five pesos for a duck sandwich in Cholula (yeah, like the hot sauce) Mexico. when it came, i realized that the item that i ordered was not duck ('pato' in Spanish), but a pig's foot ('pata') sandwich. it was cold, purple, and ug-lee. still, i was determined to eat some of it. after all, five pesos was about $1.66 then...about half of the cost of a mexican lunch special (aka, 'comida corrida'). i lasted about two or three bites...got some fries and a queso fundido instead.
after traveling in some countries as well as seeing strange Chinese edibles while growing up, i think i'm a pretty open minded eater. i've eaten giant game rodent ('tepescuintle') in Guatemala...Peruvian guinea pig ('cuy')...Vietnamese duck eggs (strange because there is no yolk...the taste of the embryonic fluid is harsh and you have to choke down some partially developed beak). nevertheless, i usually draw the line at ingesting insects. i know you can eat ant eggs and grasshoppers in Mexico...mealworms in Malaysia...and even fried tarantula in Cambodia. nope. i don't care if there is virtually no fat or that they have the highest protein ratio. unless i'm lost in the jungle and delirious from starvation, there are some lines that just shouldn't be crossed!
so Katie, i applaud you and your gastronomic prowess...more power to ya because people would KILL to be so on-the-go and skinny as you. i just hope you're getting enough protein in yer diet. fear not though, if you need to supplement your protein intake, might i suggest...
anyway, we went and had a blast. she (Cindy) had a stew of vegetables and black beans topped with green onion and cilantro, served with rice, fried bananas, farofa, collard greens, orange slices and aji of campana. lois had the same exact thing, but with some grilled chicken. and i ordered a sea scallop dish prepared with a sauce of garlic, shallots, coconut milk and kaffir lime leaves, served over rice and vegetables. exquisite!
afterwards, we went to Gelato D'Italia for their phenomenal ice cream. lois had a scoop of cappuccino chip...i had mini scoops of white peach champagne and raspberry...and Cindy opted for mango and mixed berry. sigh...so good! we need to go there more often since it's less than a ten minute walk from the house. 'course, that may be a dangerous proposition; i'd probably gain ten pounds of gelato weight...probably way worse than water weight.
all this talk about food...well, i can blame Katie for bringing out the glutton in me ;) any blog or site that even mentions food or travel will get me started!
Katie is at an age where the metabolism is set to one speed - TURBO. until i was 23, i could eat everything and complain about never being able to put on weight. it's just bad when your metabolism slows down and you realize that it will take some effort to fit in those pants again. lessee here, i can either lose the weight and fit those clothes again OR i can buy a whole new wardrobe! the name is Visa...big debt Visa.
her blog title, I Can't Believe I Ate That, is priceless. i have had my share of "I can't believe..." happenings in my life. of course, the majority of the 'different' foods were consumed in Latin American countries. i remember getting some tamales on the street in Panajachel (Guatemala) and hurrying back to the hotel to down them. they were steamin' hot...the masa was good...but the meat filling had bones...and the meat didn't taste like chicken, pork, or beef. in fact, all the time i was eating, i was thinking that the bones sure resembled those of alley cats that we had dissected in Physiology once. so that cured me of buying street food under lamp posts without working bulbs...think that was a sign?
have you ever sat there and eaten something mediocre just because you had paid for it and, by golly, you weren't going to leave more than half of it uneaten? this only applies with barely edible food, not spoiled. well, i once paid five pesos for a duck sandwich in Cholula (yeah, like the hot sauce) Mexico. when it came, i realized that the item that i ordered was not duck ('pato' in Spanish), but a pig's foot ('pata') sandwich. it was cold, purple, and ug-lee. still, i was determined to eat some of it. after all, five pesos was about $1.66 then...about half of the cost of a mexican lunch special (aka, 'comida corrida'). i lasted about two or three bites...got some fries and a queso fundido instead.
after traveling in some countries as well as seeing strange Chinese edibles while growing up, i think i'm a pretty open minded eater. i've eaten giant game rodent ('tepescuintle') in Guatemala...Peruvian guinea pig ('cuy')...Vietnamese duck eggs (strange because there is no yolk...the taste of the embryonic fluid is harsh and you have to choke down some partially developed beak). nevertheless, i usually draw the line at ingesting insects. i know you can eat ant eggs and grasshoppers in Mexico...mealworms in Malaysia...and even fried tarantula in Cambodia. nope. i don't care if there is virtually no fat or that they have the highest protein ratio. unless i'm lost in the jungle and delirious from starvation, there are some lines that just shouldn't be crossed!
so Katie, i applaud you and your gastronomic prowess...more power to ya because people would KILL to be so on-the-go and skinny as you. i just hope you're getting enough protein in yer diet. fear not though, if you need to supplement your protein intake, might i suggest...
Tuesday, July 22, 2003
lookee...
couldn't think of anything to say during this blog session, so i decided to play with the template and add a few things. more blogs and some links. so lookee...
funny, as i was saying that in my head, it made me think of how that sounds like 'lohk-yee', which means 'police' in Cantonese and the dialect that i grew up hearing (but not speaking much), Toi San.
i consider myself to be fluent in 2.5 languages - English, Spanish, and Toi San. of course, the half language is the chinese part. i can understand 70-80% of what the friends of my parents will say to me...the bad thing is that i have a hard time replying in chinese. and they give me funny looks if i answer them in Spanish.
chinese, regardless of dialect, is one of the most difficult languages in the world to master. many people learn to speak Mandarin and Cantonese somewhat well. however, since these two main dialects of China are tonal, it can be quite a task if you are tone deaf; most people who cannot pick up the tones in Chinese, often do well in Japanese, which can be learned with a tone deaf ear. that's not all that easy either since there are three scripts: Hirigani, Katakana, and Kanji.
my lack of retaining the speaking part of the language is due to the general little use of it. our mother always wanted us to remember our native tongue. and i think, of the seven children in our family, the youngest two, my sister and myself, probably have the best Chinese language skills. however, our mom was never strict enough to force us to answer her in Chinese. really, the only people that speak to us in Toi San are some friends of our parents and our mother; even our father has spoken to us in English most of our lives.
not wanting to learn the language was never an issue either. my sister and i were subject to seven years of Chinese school as kids...and i even took one year of Mandarin in college. it's just the circles you hang in...we had few opportunities outside the home to use Toi San....especially since it is more of a village dialect; there are WAY more speakers of Cantonese (of which Toi San resembles)...and Mandarin is the most widely spoken language on the planet - one billion +.
for me, it was much more logical to take Spanish in school. i took five years before college and later graduated with a minor. i was only five classes away from a degree in Spanish, but i was so burnt out with school. luckily, my proficiency improved by working with Spanish speakers at a restaurant job and by digging in both Mexico and Peru.
so...the friends of my parents were always puzzled why i could understand them, but had a tough time answering. like i was some mute savant.
perhaps we both consider ourselves lucky. in a way, i wish i grew up speaking the language...while non-English speakers feel very much the same. what is ironic is that most English speakers i know consider Chinese to be the hardest language to learn and Chinese speakers believe the same regarding English. did i just repeat myself? ¿Acabo de repetirme?
back to the point...chinese languages are tonal. basically, you can say one thing and easily mean another. for example, 'gee' (like gee-whiz) in Toi San can mean paper...pig...pearl...or to cook; the differences are quite subtle and recognizing them requires a very good ear. there are four tones in Mandarin and nine(!) in Cantonese...imagine the faux pas combinations.
as i said earlier, chinese is perhaps the hardest language to master. this is evident with the written language. speakers of romance languages such as English or Spanish only have to contend with 26 or 28 letters. Chinese is all about learning the characters, which are combinations of phonics....you have (a) vocal and complement components. to read a newspaper in the U.S., a person only needs a sixth grade reading level proficiency and some successful combinations of the 26 letters. to read a basic chinese newspaper, you must know at least FIVE THOUSAND characters! if i remember correctly, there are at least 40,000 characters in the written chinese language. and we wonder why some kids in china commit suicide if they fail college entry exams... hell, half of them are blind from studying! my chinese name alone consists of three characters and 29 brushstrokes.
English is not so easy though. most non-native speakers struggle with the ambiguity of its spelling and meanings. at least in Spanish and Chinese you have the subject, verb, and object...the essential ingredients of a sentence...there are no homophones or homonyms. and not to be punny, but we all know that ignorant americans snicker if they hear the prefix 'homo'. people from other countries say their respective native languages have simple rules and are always applied. in English, you have language rules...never cut-and-dried though.
so be careful if you're diligently trying to learn chinese. you never want to ask a chinese mom to cook rice and end up calling the her a horse who would rather sleep with pigs. please do everyone a favor and ask her in English. the spanish speaking chinese guy thanks you...
funny, as i was saying that in my head, it made me think of how that sounds like 'lohk-yee', which means 'police' in Cantonese and the dialect that i grew up hearing (but not speaking much), Toi San.
i consider myself to be fluent in 2.5 languages - English, Spanish, and Toi San. of course, the half language is the chinese part. i can understand 70-80% of what the friends of my parents will say to me...the bad thing is that i have a hard time replying in chinese. and they give me funny looks if i answer them in Spanish.
chinese, regardless of dialect, is one of the most difficult languages in the world to master. many people learn to speak Mandarin and Cantonese somewhat well. however, since these two main dialects of China are tonal, it can be quite a task if you are tone deaf; most people who cannot pick up the tones in Chinese, often do well in Japanese, which can be learned with a tone deaf ear. that's not all that easy either since there are three scripts: Hirigani, Katakana, and Kanji.
my lack of retaining the speaking part of the language is due to the general little use of it. our mother always wanted us to remember our native tongue. and i think, of the seven children in our family, the youngest two, my sister and myself, probably have the best Chinese language skills. however, our mom was never strict enough to force us to answer her in Chinese. really, the only people that speak to us in Toi San are some friends of our parents and our mother; even our father has spoken to us in English most of our lives.
not wanting to learn the language was never an issue either. my sister and i were subject to seven years of Chinese school as kids...and i even took one year of Mandarin in college. it's just the circles you hang in...we had few opportunities outside the home to use Toi San....especially since it is more of a village dialect; there are WAY more speakers of Cantonese (of which Toi San resembles)...and Mandarin is the most widely spoken language on the planet - one billion +.
for me, it was much more logical to take Spanish in school. i took five years before college and later graduated with a minor. i was only five classes away from a degree in Spanish, but i was so burnt out with school. luckily, my proficiency improved by working with Spanish speakers at a restaurant job and by digging in both Mexico and Peru.
so...the friends of my parents were always puzzled why i could understand them, but had a tough time answering. like i was some mute savant.
perhaps we both consider ourselves lucky. in a way, i wish i grew up speaking the language...while non-English speakers feel very much the same. what is ironic is that most English speakers i know consider Chinese to be the hardest language to learn and Chinese speakers believe the same regarding English. did i just repeat myself? ¿Acabo de repetirme?
back to the point...chinese languages are tonal. basically, you can say one thing and easily mean another. for example, 'gee' (like gee-whiz) in Toi San can mean paper...pig...pearl...or to cook; the differences are quite subtle and recognizing them requires a very good ear. there are four tones in Mandarin and nine(!) in Cantonese...imagine the faux pas combinations.
as i said earlier, chinese is perhaps the hardest language to master. this is evident with the written language. speakers of romance languages such as English or Spanish only have to contend with 26 or 28 letters. Chinese is all about learning the characters, which are combinations of phonics....you have (a) vocal and complement components. to read a newspaper in the U.S., a person only needs a sixth grade reading level proficiency and some successful combinations of the 26 letters. to read a basic chinese newspaper, you must know at least FIVE THOUSAND characters! if i remember correctly, there are at least 40,000 characters in the written chinese language. and we wonder why some kids in china commit suicide if they fail college entry exams... hell, half of them are blind from studying! my chinese name alone consists of three characters and 29 brushstrokes.
English is not so easy though. most non-native speakers struggle with the ambiguity of its spelling and meanings. at least in Spanish and Chinese you have the subject, verb, and object...the essential ingredients of a sentence...there are no homophones or homonyms. and not to be punny, but we all know that ignorant americans snicker if they hear the prefix 'homo'. people from other countries say their respective native languages have simple rules and are always applied. in English, you have language rules...never cut-and-dried though.
so be careful if you're diligently trying to learn chinese. you never want to ask a chinese mom to cook rice and end up calling the her a horse who would rather sleep with pigs. please do everyone a favor and ask her in English. the spanish speaking chinese guy thanks you...
Monday, July 21, 2003
did i mention...
that blogger runs on bar time? i just posted and it says 'posted at 3:12 PM' instead of 3:02 PM. what gives? so when is last blog? and you better blog fast meester...we'll be coming by to pick up keyboards and turning up your volume and contrast. we open at 11:00...so you can come back then for another blog.
preferences...
recently, on Dy's page, she mentioned the Irrawaddy River, which is a main waterway in the country of Burma (now Myanmar). most people find trivial information like this either fascinating or downright insipid. you can count me in with the former; ever since i was eight, i've liked perusing through Guinness Book of World Records. i've bought a world almanac every year since 1982 (and look for older editions at garage sales/thrift stores). and of course, i do like trivia games. although i am not a rabid Trivia Face-Off or NTN Trivia player...anymore ;)
i do prefer non-fiction and pure reference books though. nowadays, there is too much apathy toward details; we are drowning in a pool of vagueness. dates are important in history because of implications that may later have arisen due to that historical occurrence. 9/11/2001 will always be our recent day of infamy...we will remember that date for some time to come.
still, what about other dates? for example, 7/4/1776...12/7/1941...or maybe 6/15/1970. sadly, some of our youth (and even adults) may not know the importance of these dates. perhaps it's the anthropologist in me. dates aren't quite as important as events, but how can you place something if you don't know WHEN it happened? ever forget a birthday or anniversary? then you know what i be talkin' about...
i guess the same goes for geography. now, i'm not expecting everyone to join me on a Geography team and win the bee, but when a large number of American people can't even point to the USA (or North America) on a map...geez!
maybe it's generational...maybe it's the lackadaisical attitudes we have toward public schooling...taxing to fund em'...or even the lack of interest we have in our own children's education. our public school teachers are often given the too-large task of raising some of their students. parents want the 'best' for their child, yet will never okay more taxes for schools or libraries. moreover, they want their child to have the most positive experience at school...and will never ask 'how is school?' or 'what are you doing in school?' did i mention that public school teachers are woefully underpaid while we pay some professional athletes millions of dollars a year as a reward for getting someone else to take tests for them in college? the direction of our priorities can simply be baffling...
before i stray off the subject of preferences any more...
Preferences (i know these get old...but you'll know me a leetle better afterwards)
What...
movies do you prefer? comedy, foreign, or documentary
magazines do you subscribe (to)? Consumer Reports, Volleyball, Frommer's Budget Travel, and Men's Journal
magazines would you like to subscribe, if it cost weren't involved? Wine Spectator
types of games? most word games (Boggle, Scrabble, Crossword, Perquackey)
soft drink? Dr. Pepper...Coke...7-Up (in that order)
beer? i prefer pale ales and extra special bitters (ESB)...but i'm not too picky
wine? red...but i can drink almost any wine
water (tap or bottled)? unless the tap is just foul tasting...
would you settle for in a restaurant, great service and lousy food...or lousy service but great food? lousy (but not dismal) service but great food
regular keyboard or ergonomic? doesn't matter...i can adjust
dogs or cats? dogs, even though i'm slightly allergic
spiders or roaches? spiders...even though i still kill 'em (look for my spider story, 7/4)
season do you prefer? wabbit season ;) summer and fall
sausage or meatballs? sausage! and no phallic jokes...DENNY!
sandals or barefoot? sandals, unless i'm on a beach
jalapeños or habaneros? habaneros...bring on the pain!
rice or potatoes? you're asking a Chinese guy this?!?
Cancún or Vegas? Cancún (even though i would take off for another city in Mexico)
sauna or jacuzzi? jacuzzi...saunas are okay for less than 10 minutes...that's all!
digital or analog watches? digital...although i have more analog (3 to 1)
man, i think i'm going to make these lists smaller...20 random things may be ten too many!
now that you know me a little better, tell me which 60's group performed 'Like To Get To Know You'. the winner will receive one less annoying blog from me ;) hurry, or you may be stuck with another, "What a lame post, Spencer!" and to think that this is a daily ramble...
i do prefer non-fiction and pure reference books though. nowadays, there is too much apathy toward details; we are drowning in a pool of vagueness. dates are important in history because of implications that may later have arisen due to that historical occurrence. 9/11/2001 will always be our recent day of infamy...we will remember that date for some time to come.
still, what about other dates? for example, 7/4/1776...12/7/1941...or maybe 6/15/1970. sadly, some of our youth (and even adults) may not know the importance of these dates. perhaps it's the anthropologist in me. dates aren't quite as important as events, but how can you place something if you don't know WHEN it happened? ever forget a birthday or anniversary? then you know what i be talkin' about...
i guess the same goes for geography. now, i'm not expecting everyone to join me on a Geography team and win the bee, but when a large number of American people can't even point to the USA (or North America) on a map...geez!
maybe it's generational...maybe it's the lackadaisical attitudes we have toward public schooling...taxing to fund em'...or even the lack of interest we have in our own children's education. our public school teachers are often given the too-large task of raising some of their students. parents want the 'best' for their child, yet will never okay more taxes for schools or libraries. moreover, they want their child to have the most positive experience at school...and will never ask 'how is school?' or 'what are you doing in school?' did i mention that public school teachers are woefully underpaid while we pay some professional athletes millions of dollars a year as a reward for getting someone else to take tests for them in college? the direction of our priorities can simply be baffling...
before i stray off the subject of preferences any more...
Preferences (i know these get old...but you'll know me a leetle better afterwards)
What...
movies do you prefer? comedy, foreign, or documentary
magazines do you subscribe (to)? Consumer Reports, Volleyball, Frommer's Budget Travel, and Men's Journal
magazines would you like to subscribe, if it cost weren't involved? Wine Spectator
types of games? most word games (Boggle, Scrabble, Crossword, Perquackey)
soft drink? Dr. Pepper...Coke...7-Up (in that order)
beer? i prefer pale ales and extra special bitters (ESB)...but i'm not too picky
wine? red...but i can drink almost any wine
water (tap or bottled)? unless the tap is just foul tasting...
would you settle for in a restaurant, great service and lousy food...or lousy service but great food? lousy (but not dismal) service but great food
regular keyboard or ergonomic? doesn't matter...i can adjust
dogs or cats? dogs, even though i'm slightly allergic
spiders or roaches? spiders...even though i still kill 'em (look for my spider story, 7/4)
season do you prefer? wabbit season ;) summer and fall
sausage or meatballs? sausage! and no phallic jokes...DENNY!
sandals or barefoot? sandals, unless i'm on a beach
jalapeños or habaneros? habaneros...bring on the pain!
rice or potatoes? you're asking a Chinese guy this?!?
Cancún or Vegas? Cancún (even though i would take off for another city in Mexico)
sauna or jacuzzi? jacuzzi...saunas are okay for less than 10 minutes...that's all!
digital or analog watches? digital...although i have more analog (3 to 1)
man, i think i'm going to make these lists smaller...20 random things may be ten too many!
now that you know me a little better, tell me which 60's group performed 'Like To Get To Know You'. the winner will receive one less annoying blog from me ;) hurry, or you may be stuck with another, "What a lame post, Spencer!" and to think that this is a daily ramble...
Sunday, July 20, 2003
don't wanna...
getting a little late start today. i need to shower and eat before i go play v-ball at the park. my friends said they'd be there around one o'clock. looks like i've got 35 minutes...and since i need to make a carefully crafted blog, it looks like i'll be late. still, i must blog...it'll make my day better. yeah
glad that the weather has cooled some and we got some needed rain. however, a weather change is also signaled in my body. i have a weather barometer in my shoulder and knee joints...they came along free with 12 years of soccer...16 years of volleyball...ten years of kneeling and carrying buckets in field...and 19 years of waiting tables. so whenever the weather is about to change, especially the humidity, my joints will tell me a day before because it feels like someone has taken a probe ('bout the size of a pencil) and is jabbing it in my joints. i'm sure that many of you can relate to having body parts that are twice as old as your age :P
before i go, i wanted to pimp a charity walk and run that will be happening August 24th. it's called Race 4 Research. the proceeds go to the University of Colorado Cancer Center. this is the seventh year of the event. it was started while a young mother, Michele Plachy-Rubin, was battling brain cancer in 1997. woefully, she succumbed to the cancer in May 1998, leaving behind her husband, Mark, and an adorable son, Max.
i'm pimping the site because i went to high school with both Michele and her husband. in fact, i even attended elementary with her husband. i'm just asking that you go to the site and check it out. you don't have to sponsor, donate, or even walk/run. i just think it's a worthy cause; promoting things is all about educating the masses. just ask the infomercials...
well, i've got 25 minutes now...maybe i should avoid those UV rays and just sit here...reading blogs and harassing the crap out of people. something else to ponder...
glad that the weather has cooled some and we got some needed rain. however, a weather change is also signaled in my body. i have a weather barometer in my shoulder and knee joints...they came along free with 12 years of soccer...16 years of volleyball...ten years of kneeling and carrying buckets in field...and 19 years of waiting tables. so whenever the weather is about to change, especially the humidity, my joints will tell me a day before because it feels like someone has taken a probe ('bout the size of a pencil) and is jabbing it in my joints. i'm sure that many of you can relate to having body parts that are twice as old as your age :P
before i go, i wanted to pimp a charity walk and run that will be happening August 24th. it's called Race 4 Research. the proceeds go to the University of Colorado Cancer Center. this is the seventh year of the event. it was started while a young mother, Michele Plachy-Rubin, was battling brain cancer in 1997. woefully, she succumbed to the cancer in May 1998, leaving behind her husband, Mark, and an adorable son, Max.
i'm pimping the site because i went to high school with both Michele and her husband. in fact, i even attended elementary with her husband. i'm just asking that you go to the site and check it out. you don't have to sponsor, donate, or even walk/run. i just think it's a worthy cause; promoting things is all about educating the masses. just ask the infomercials...
well, i've got 25 minutes now...maybe i should avoid those UV rays and just sit here...reading blogs and harassing the crap out of people. something else to ponder...
Saturday, July 19, 2003
paint fumes...
sore...loopy...tired.
nothing like painting teeny tiny wood parts on old windows. can't have nice, modern windows...no, that would be too simple. these windows are almost 80 years old...came with the house. each window is divided into five partitions, three on top...two long rectangles on the bottom. i was in trim (doors & baseboard too) hell for five hours!
originally thought about taping each window for easier cleanup...right...before i realized that chopping my right hand off would be less painful. that's what razors are for (not the chopping, but paint scraping). however, i may save one for the wrists if they need to be painted again in my lifetime...
nice to have the rain though...some hail too. it sure was brewing at sundown. cooled us off almost instantaneously. had the fan in the window well (w/o the screen). was totally picturing the fan falling out...me reaching for it while it exploded into a million pieces...losing an eye...decapitating the neighbor's cat...transforming one of the dogs into a pegleg. so, i left it in the window and promised myself not to reach for it if it fell...easy huh ;)
humid and 64 degrees right now. theys some good sleeping weather. hope we get our occasional rain now. the woe is us w/o air conditioning have not been sleeping until late because of the heat. lately, Laura has chatted with me in the wee hours because neither of us could sleep... denny must be so tired that he sleeps like a log.
some really bad streamofconsciousness blogging right now, sorry. nothing really witty to say...
hey, what do you all think of that old guy plowing through that market in CA? geez, the chaos and terror that must have filled their minds. we need more stringent renewals for the elderly. unfortunately, some may not pass the retest...but it may save lives. the issue is such a double edged sword because there are many people over 65 that are still very good and vigilant drivers. my mom, for example, is 74 and gets out during the day. luckily, she knows that her night vision is not what it once was; sometimes my sis or i will get them to a night function. however, my dad stopped driving about ten years ago, when he was 74. i'm glad he was humble enough to leave the driving to mom.
it really is scary though. i know a guy who was on a two lane highway when an elderly man (going opposite direction) turned right in front of him. luckily, they were going only about 40, but the crash was still tremendous. my friend suffered some massive bruises and cuts to his face and chest. the impact even bent the steering wheel into the shape of one of the Great Lakes.
it was really sad because the relatives of the old man had only hidden his keys. man, if you KNOW that someone shouldn't be driving, you need to sell the car! that will buy a lot of bus fare, taxi rides, lunch with friends who will pick you up, etc. unfortunately, it becomes somewhat of a hassle, but that person is no longer endangering himself or others.
anyone remember the story about the old lady who went to DMV to renew her license? this happened a few years ago... anyway, as she was pulling up to the handicapped spot, she hit the gas instead of the brakes...which conveniently propelled her into the lobby. luckily, it was a slow time and no one was hurt. think she got herself a renewal?
nothing like painting teeny tiny wood parts on old windows. can't have nice, modern windows...no, that would be too simple. these windows are almost 80 years old...came with the house. each window is divided into five partitions, three on top...two long rectangles on the bottom. i was in trim (doors & baseboard too) hell for five hours!
originally thought about taping each window for easier cleanup...right...before i realized that chopping my right hand off would be less painful. that's what razors are for (not the chopping, but paint scraping). however, i may save one for the wrists if they need to be painted again in my lifetime...
nice to have the rain though...some hail too. it sure was brewing at sundown. cooled us off almost instantaneously. had the fan in the window well (w/o the screen). was totally picturing the fan falling out...me reaching for it while it exploded into a million pieces...losing an eye...decapitating the neighbor's cat...transforming one of the dogs into a pegleg. so, i left it in the window and promised myself not to reach for it if it fell...easy huh ;)
humid and 64 degrees right now. theys some good sleeping weather. hope we get our occasional rain now. the woe is us w/o air conditioning have not been sleeping until late because of the heat. lately, Laura has chatted with me in the wee hours because neither of us could sleep... denny must be so tired that he sleeps like a log.
some really bad streamofconsciousness blogging right now, sorry. nothing really witty to say...
hey, what do you all think of that old guy plowing through that market in CA? geez, the chaos and terror that must have filled their minds. we need more stringent renewals for the elderly. unfortunately, some may not pass the retest...but it may save lives. the issue is such a double edged sword because there are many people over 65 that are still very good and vigilant drivers. my mom, for example, is 74 and gets out during the day. luckily, she knows that her night vision is not what it once was; sometimes my sis or i will get them to a night function. however, my dad stopped driving about ten years ago, when he was 74. i'm glad he was humble enough to leave the driving to mom.
it really is scary though. i know a guy who was on a two lane highway when an elderly man (going opposite direction) turned right in front of him. luckily, they were going only about 40, but the crash was still tremendous. my friend suffered some massive bruises and cuts to his face and chest. the impact even bent the steering wheel into the shape of one of the Great Lakes.
it was really sad because the relatives of the old man had only hidden his keys. man, if you KNOW that someone shouldn't be driving, you need to sell the car! that will buy a lot of bus fare, taxi rides, lunch with friends who will pick you up, etc. unfortunately, it becomes somewhat of a hassle, but that person is no longer endangering himself or others.
anyone remember the story about the old lady who went to DMV to renew her license? this happened a few years ago... anyway, as she was pulling up to the handicapped spot, she hit the gas instead of the brakes...which conveniently propelled her into the lobby. luckily, it was a slow time and no one was hurt. think she got herself a renewal?
Thursday, July 17, 2003
i'm melting...
so freakin' hot outside. i'm not sure if it's going to reach triple digits, but 97 degrees is plenty hot for me. how late is the monsoonal flow? the jet stream is supposed to change by the middle of July...argh
been grilling lately. like we want to turn on the oven... anyway, we've been using the smoker's pan with charcoal. nice stuff, but the smoky smell totally permeated the back room...which is in the middle of being painted...and the office, which has two budgies and two finches...who are just about cooked! i wonder if they're bothered by the smoke? i know that canaries and love birds have died from heavy exposure to deodorizers and cleaning solutions.
i'm still a little annoyed by the scrolling problems. so far, it only seems to have affected the browsers of Laura, Danelle, and Mary. this is not good because they're the aggressive, pro bloggers whom i want to emulate :) and since i probably only have six readers...50% unhappy will get me into trouble with the blogger god, OGM. i know he/she would banish me to blogger purgatory, but if half of people can't scroll, what's the difference?
btw, Dy...i know you want to get some Indian food before you go back to the Valley, but take out? unless there's a great place in Alamosa, i KNOW i couldn't survive four hours in the car with the smell of Indian food. leftover indian totally reeks up my car after 15-30 minutes in the TRUNK! Emma would get out of the car and walk back before you even got to Morrison! no, no. foods such as Indian, Vietnamese, and especially, Korean, are NOT meant to sit in the car. they double as mustard gas after awhile...ACK!
regarding the heat, i shouldn't complain because we still have it way better than other places. after all, when it's hot here, the humidity is rarely above 20%. i went to college in Missouri, with summers that were ultra hot and sticky...ick. i've worked in eastern Nevada, with temps between 115-120...small fits of delirium because you start seeing things like big white towers in the distance, or mountain ranges that don't exist. or Dallol, Ethiopia...from October 1960 to December 1966, the mean temperature was 94 degrees! for six years?!? 'course, some Ethiopians may tweak at the sight of snow or if the temps were to ever drop below 60 degrees. i know my dad had to adjust some when he moved to Colorado; he was used to hot and sultry southern China...he thought the sky was falling the first time he saw snow.
i think some banks and businesses should alter their hours in the summer. wouldn't it be cool to do yer banking or get your cleaning at midnight? i'm not saying all of the businesses, just a couple to accomodate night owls and heat escapers... wouldn't it be better on your car as well?
been grilling lately. like we want to turn on the oven... anyway, we've been using the smoker's pan with charcoal. nice stuff, but the smoky smell totally permeated the back room...which is in the middle of being painted...and the office, which has two budgies and two finches...who are just about cooked! i wonder if they're bothered by the smoke? i know that canaries and love birds have died from heavy exposure to deodorizers and cleaning solutions.
i'm still a little annoyed by the scrolling problems. so far, it only seems to have affected the browsers of Laura, Danelle, and Mary. this is not good because they're the aggressive, pro bloggers whom i want to emulate :) and since i probably only have six readers...50% unhappy will get me into trouble with the blogger god, OGM. i know he/she would banish me to blogger purgatory, but if half of people can't scroll, what's the difference?
btw, Dy...i know you want to get some Indian food before you go back to the Valley, but take out? unless there's a great place in Alamosa, i KNOW i couldn't survive four hours in the car with the smell of Indian food. leftover indian totally reeks up my car after 15-30 minutes in the TRUNK! Emma would get out of the car and walk back before you even got to Morrison! no, no. foods such as Indian, Vietnamese, and especially, Korean, are NOT meant to sit in the car. they double as mustard gas after awhile...ACK!
regarding the heat, i shouldn't complain because we still have it way better than other places. after all, when it's hot here, the humidity is rarely above 20%. i went to college in Missouri, with summers that were ultra hot and sticky...ick. i've worked in eastern Nevada, with temps between 115-120...small fits of delirium because you start seeing things like big white towers in the distance, or mountain ranges that don't exist. or Dallol, Ethiopia...from October 1960 to December 1966, the mean temperature was 94 degrees! for six years?!? 'course, some Ethiopians may tweak at the sight of snow or if the temps were to ever drop below 60 degrees. i know my dad had to adjust some when he moved to Colorado; he was used to hot and sultry southern China...he thought the sky was falling the first time he saw snow.
i think some banks and businesses should alter their hours in the summer. wouldn't it be cool to do yer banking or get your cleaning at midnight? i'm not saying all of the businesses, just a couple to accomodate night owls and heat escapers... wouldn't it be better on your car as well?
Wednesday, July 16, 2003
of course...
the dinner plans for my friend fell through. apparently she went to Boulder w/ an out-of-town friend and was super crazed from the traffic and the day in general when she called me to cancel. so the Brazilian food will have to wait until next tuesday...sigh.
i told her that we were going to sell her gift off to the highest bidder. i should check to see how much garnets are going for on eBay... or mebbe we should just grind it up and sprinkle it on her food ;)
if it isn't already evident, two of my favorite things, food and travel, will often find a place in my blogs. i love to eat different things (no nasty thoughts now) and see new places (or old, familiar ones).
ethnic foods are high on my list. for me, i rarely get tired of Thai food. i like Indian and Middle Eastern (ooh, Syrian food at Damascus Rest.), but not as often as Thai. Ethiopian is good too...but you can only eat so much Doro Wat and Injera ;) I LOVE Afghani food, but the only Afghani restaurant in town, Kabul Kabob, is not very good and the service sux. Japanese is always good, whether it's silky sashimi, ramen, or gyoza, or just a 'beef bowl'. Cuban food is becoming the 'in' thing to do; if you're seen at a Cuban restaurant, with mojito in hand, you reek with 'cool'. i never got into French cuisine much (but there's some very highly touted restaurants out there)...and i'm picky with Chinese (duh!) and Mexican.
one new restaurant that is really good is located in Aurora, on Colfax and Chambers (15355 E. Colfax Ave). sure, most people don't even go to that side of town...it's gloomy...non-descript...in a strip mall...in Aurora...you get the point. this restaurant though, El Trapiche, is awesome! it's run by two Colombian couples who do all the serving and cooking. the food, mainly Colombian and Venezuelan, is out of this world! the food is nothing fancy-schmancy [like they're trying to do with haute Mexican (Lola or Tamayo) or psuedo-South American (Pisco's)], but just fresh tasting, simple cooking that you would find if you ate at hole-in-the-wall places in these countries.
and buffets? well, there's a WHOLE 'nuther blog for that ;) you remember...
i told her that we were going to sell her gift off to the highest bidder. i should check to see how much garnets are going for on eBay... or mebbe we should just grind it up and sprinkle it on her food ;)
if it isn't already evident, two of my favorite things, food and travel, will often find a place in my blogs. i love to eat different things (no nasty thoughts now) and see new places (or old, familiar ones).
ethnic foods are high on my list. for me, i rarely get tired of Thai food. i like Indian and Middle Eastern (ooh, Syrian food at Damascus Rest.), but not as often as Thai. Ethiopian is good too...but you can only eat so much Doro Wat and Injera ;) I LOVE Afghani food, but the only Afghani restaurant in town, Kabul Kabob, is not very good and the service sux. Japanese is always good, whether it's silky sashimi, ramen, or gyoza, or just a 'beef bowl'. Cuban food is becoming the 'in' thing to do; if you're seen at a Cuban restaurant, with mojito in hand, you reek with 'cool'. i never got into French cuisine much (but there's some very highly touted restaurants out there)...and i'm picky with Chinese (duh!) and Mexican.
one new restaurant that is really good is located in Aurora, on Colfax and Chambers (15355 E. Colfax Ave). sure, most people don't even go to that side of town...it's gloomy...non-descript...in a strip mall...in Aurora...you get the point. this restaurant though, El Trapiche, is awesome! it's run by two Colombian couples who do all the serving and cooking. the food, mainly Colombian and Venezuelan, is out of this world! the food is nothing fancy-schmancy [like they're trying to do with haute Mexican (Lola or Tamayo) or psuedo-South American (Pisco's)], but just fresh tasting, simple cooking that you would find if you ate at hole-in-the-wall places in these countries.
and buffets? well, there's a WHOLE 'nuther blog for that ;) you remember...
Tuesday, July 15, 2003
a quickie...
blog, that is.
updates! not a bloody nose in sight for a few days. got a slight one yesterday, but i think i'm finally out of the woods. too bad i can't say that 'bout the spiders!
cannibalized my other computer for its power supply while i'm waiting for a replacement. hopefully, the new one (although not identical, but an upgrade) will be in flawless working order. it's funny how you panic a little when you can't play on the computer...
today, we're taking my friend out for her 50th b-day. unless things fall through, we're going to Cafe Brazil - awesome food! it's a tiny restaurant in northwest Denver. they've been around for about a dozen years and have some really special food...check out that menu! got her a garnet in a sterling silver pendant from Mexico City this past March...it's beautiful! and a steal too - $30! there's a great jeweler, Arturo, who runs a shop in the San Juan Market. his merchandise is very high quality and his prices more than reasonable.
other than that, not much else...
i do have a cute story regarding some siblings that i saw at McD's yesterday. there were these four little guys leaving the restaurant, following their dad to the company car (yellow taxi van). they were probably between four and ten, all happily drinking their cokes or slurping soft serve cones.
about a minute after they exited, two of the older boys bolted through the front door, exclaiming, "There it is!" apparently, they had left a toy on the counter. the older boy snatched it from the counter and headed back to the door, under the bellowing of his little brother..."it's mine! give it to me! MINE!" it was both amusing and eye-rolling to say the least! how can such a little guy have such a huge voice? they say that the smaller they are, the louder they can be...
anyway, as they chugged out back to the car, the older boy had to pull his brother back from crossing in front of an oncoming car. it was good to see that, even though he was being pursued over a puny toy, the older one still had the sense to look both ways. it coulda been a mess had they just run out into the parking lot...
updates! not a bloody nose in sight for a few days. got a slight one yesterday, but i think i'm finally out of the woods. too bad i can't say that 'bout the spiders!
cannibalized my other computer for its power supply while i'm waiting for a replacement. hopefully, the new one (although not identical, but an upgrade) will be in flawless working order. it's funny how you panic a little when you can't play on the computer...
today, we're taking my friend out for her 50th b-day. unless things fall through, we're going to Cafe Brazil - awesome food! it's a tiny restaurant in northwest Denver. they've been around for about a dozen years and have some really special food...check out that menu! got her a garnet in a sterling silver pendant from Mexico City this past March...it's beautiful! and a steal too - $30! there's a great jeweler, Arturo, who runs a shop in the San Juan Market. his merchandise is very high quality and his prices more than reasonable.
other than that, not much else...
i do have a cute story regarding some siblings that i saw at McD's yesterday. there were these four little guys leaving the restaurant, following their dad to the company car (yellow taxi van). they were probably between four and ten, all happily drinking their cokes or slurping soft serve cones.
about a minute after they exited, two of the older boys bolted through the front door, exclaiming, "There it is!" apparently, they had left a toy on the counter. the older boy snatched it from the counter and headed back to the door, under the bellowing of his little brother..."it's mine! give it to me! MINE!" it was both amusing and eye-rolling to say the least! how can such a little guy have such a huge voice? they say that the smaller they are, the louder they can be...
anyway, as they chugged out back to the car, the older boy had to pull his brother back from crossing in front of an oncoming car. it was good to see that, even though he was being pursued over a puny toy, the older one still had the sense to look both ways. it coulda been a mess had they just run out into the parking lot...
Monday, July 14, 2003
those bulls...
well, the Spanish festival, the Running of the Bulls, is coming to an end this tuesday. after a long week of brazen morons running wildly through the streets with 1500 lb. bulls, the town of Pamplona will have to look elsewhere for brainless entertainment. what will they do...and how should they go about it?
may i suggest:
peeing on an electric fence...such a good ol' pastime!
playing baseball IN THE NUDE...with mandatory sliding into all bases...tape 'those' body parts down!
and my favorite...riding a bucking chainsaw...two rounds to the final...hope you make the cut!
you know, i understand the longstanding tradition and the religious slant of this event...but what are you setting out to prove? that you can fall with the best of em' while you're getting stomped by something that outweighs you by more than a thousand pounds? or that your flesh is as fork (horn) tender than the confused bulls? you surely jest! i wonder if there are some that even drink to get their courage up...that's brilliant! watch me stumble...watch me fall...watch it gore me into a meatball!
one of these days, i would love to travel to Spain to experience this event, but only as a spectator. and if i had an extra two months after that (or at least six weeks), i'd very much like to partake in another Spanish tradition, La Tomatina...now THAT sounds cool!
may i suggest:
peeing on an electric fence...such a good ol' pastime!
playing baseball IN THE NUDE...with mandatory sliding into all bases...tape 'those' body parts down!
and my favorite...riding a bucking chainsaw...two rounds to the final...hope you make the cut!
you know, i understand the longstanding tradition and the religious slant of this event...but what are you setting out to prove? that you can fall with the best of em' while you're getting stomped by something that outweighs you by more than a thousand pounds? or that your flesh is as fork (horn) tender than the confused bulls? you surely jest! i wonder if there are some that even drink to get their courage up...that's brilliant! watch me stumble...watch me fall...watch it gore me into a meatball!
one of these days, i would love to travel to Spain to experience this event, but only as a spectator. and if i had an extra two months after that (or at least six weeks), i'd very much like to partake in another Spanish tradition, La Tomatina...now THAT sounds cool!
yikes...
some of you have been mentioning that the majority of my blog has not been viewable when you try to scroll. i don't know what to do...other than ask blogger.com if you still have problems, please let me know...chinobalam@aol.com thanks!
btw, i was tinkering around with the archiving stuff a couple days ago, so i just changed my settings back. who knows. after all, the moon has finally waxed full. i just hope we won't have to wait until the next time Mercury is in retrograde...
btw, i was tinkering around with the archiving stuff a couple days ago, so i just changed my settings back. who knows. after all, the moon has finally waxed full. i just hope we won't have to wait until the next time Mercury is in retrograde...
Sunday, July 13, 2003
Blogger Mantra
to keep the masses happy...
you must blog at least once a day and make it readable; spelling is of little importance, unlike material. on occasion, it must be funny or even insightful. do not post repeatedly until you get it right...that will only anger the blog god, Oh Great Mouth (OGM). no, you must become a student of the blog...to the point where you too, will become one with the blog.
through this great journey, you will see what others have done before you. try not to blatantly plagiarize, but strive to improve the blog on a daily basis. do not become the boring blogger...no one cares if you showered or not today. if you have become the boring blogger, try to reflect on how you may once again post masterpieces of enlightenment. however, if you begin to stagnate and cannot stop the downward spiral, please put your fellow bloggers out of their misery by discontinuing your blog. OGM will be merciful to those who no longer interest readers by letting them live their blogless lives vicariously through assorted blogs and tag boards.
the enlightened blogger must follow these three rules:
1. Blog often and blog funny.
2. Blog unto others as you would have them blog unto you.
3. Do not believe a word of this blogger because he has been known to be FULL of shit.
you may go now...OMMMMMM...hare krisna, hare krisna
you must blog at least once a day and make it readable; spelling is of little importance, unlike material. on occasion, it must be funny or even insightful. do not post repeatedly until you get it right...that will only anger the blog god, Oh Great Mouth (OGM). no, you must become a student of the blog...to the point where you too, will become one with the blog.
through this great journey, you will see what others have done before you. try not to blatantly plagiarize, but strive to improve the blog on a daily basis. do not become the boring blogger...no one cares if you showered or not today. if you have become the boring blogger, try to reflect on how you may once again post masterpieces of enlightenment. however, if you begin to stagnate and cannot stop the downward spiral, please put your fellow bloggers out of their misery by discontinuing your blog. OGM will be merciful to those who no longer interest readers by letting them live their blogless lives vicariously through assorted blogs and tag boards.
the enlightened blogger must follow these three rules:
1. Blog often and blog funny.
2. Blog unto others as you would have them blog unto you.
3. Do not believe a word of this blogger because he has been known to be FULL of shit.
you may go now...OMMMMMM...hare krisna, hare krisna
Saturday, July 12, 2003
good news...but a little late
if you're gonna read this post...you'd better have something to drink...cause it's John Holmes long
this headline is a couple days old...but it still might interest some. the story is basically about how Argentina is considering the extradition of war criminals; in their case, those who were responsible for thousands of deaths during their "Guerra Sucia" or Dirty War, which stemmed from a military overthrow of the Perón gov't in the early 70's.
although the war (unofficially) lasted nine years (1974-1983), it was the period between '76-'81 that witnessed some of the most heinous crimes against their people. this is the period when the term, 'desaparecido', or 'disappeared' gained worldwide notoriety. depending on which text you read, at least 30,000 people were abducted, tortured and killed. often, the abductees were subjected to excruciating shock treatment (on 'sensitive' parts of the body), endless cigarette burns, horrifying beatings, or lethal injections...and then dumped. of course, many of the abducted were students, lawyers, activists, etc. who wanted to voice their opinion against the military regime.
about 20 years ago, the human rights org., CONADEP (National Committee on the Disappeared), was formed after the the first democratic election in Argentina in many years. they released numbers that are unnerving... of the 30,000+ abductees, the whereabouts of almost 11,000 was still unknown. sorry, i don't have any current figures...guess i should get crackin' eh?
??? why would the actions of a country even concern me? i'll admit that i prefer history or non-fiction when i read... had i not liked anthropology and archaeology so much, i would have liked to have entered the field of human rights (risk of getting shot is high) or volcanism (risk of getting flattened during scientific research didn't appeal to me). i have always been fascinated by the power of natural disasters (earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, cyclones, et al). and i have always wondered what goes on in the mind of genocidal maniacs who somehow ascend to power. i'm not a necrophile or some other type of obsessive weirdo (although i'm certainly not normal), but maybe just an emotional person who loves life.
about 15 years ago, when i was a freshman in college, i was profoundly affected after viewing an episode of P.O.V. in a Spanish class. the episode was on the Madres de Plaza Mayo (sorry, it's in Spanish...i can translate for you if you're really interested) in Buenos Aires. up 'til then, i had never even been remotely interested in the history/gov't of Argentina. this episode of POV really opened my eyes and made me rethink my life and where i was heading.
the Mothers of the May Plaza is a group of women who are mothers/grandmothers of the abducted. they have been protesting in the May Plaza in downtown Buenos Aires since 1977. they basically started out marching to hopefully find any information regarding their loved ones. they've been demonstrating every Thursday at 3:30 PM, dressed in black and marching around the statue of liberty, in front of the presidential palace. they tied white handkerchiefs, with the names of disappeared sons and daughters, around their heads (a lá Little Red Riding Hood), and carried signs with the photographs....demanding to know the fate of these desaparecidos.
it just really touched me that even these little old ladies weren't afraid of their gov't and its terrible actions. i thought of my parents and how hard it was for them to raise us, ensuring that we had enough of everything to get through school and become self-sufficient adults. i know my mom would have sacrificed probably everything so that i and my four brothers and two sisters would be happy human beings and well-adjusted in society. if i were a desaparecido, i KNOW my mom would be the little chinese lady...dressed in black...with a white hanky and huge placard, demanding to know what the fuck happened to her baby son.
yeah, sure, i could have written this for Mother's Day...but it's July and Laura didn't get me off my butt to start blogging until eight days ago. so blame her ;) but really, i can only thank Laura for this page...even though i try to be mean.
it saddens me that there are millions of women out there who would do anything to have a child, but it was never in the stars; most of them adopt or settle for raising animals. and the women (lucky enough to bear children) out there who have striven to do the best for their children, even if it meant compromising their health, taking multiple jobs, or putting up w/ domestic violence, should be applauded. i can never relate, even when i become a father, because of what it takes to bring that child to term. plus, i am too much of a wimp (as most men) to even fathom the stuff a woman has to go through in those 9-10 months, let alone endure pregnancy and birth(s). i hope that the mothers (past or present) out there can take pride in what they have accomplished and what the Madres de Plaza Mayo are taking a stand on because stuff like this affects ALL of us (mother or not) - regardless of where we live.
i'll get off my soapbox now...goodnight.
this headline is a couple days old...but it still might interest some. the story is basically about how Argentina is considering the extradition of war criminals; in their case, those who were responsible for thousands of deaths during their "Guerra Sucia" or Dirty War, which stemmed from a military overthrow of the Perón gov't in the early 70's.
although the war (unofficially) lasted nine years (1974-1983), it was the period between '76-'81 that witnessed some of the most heinous crimes against their people. this is the period when the term, 'desaparecido', or 'disappeared' gained worldwide notoriety. depending on which text you read, at least 30,000 people were abducted, tortured and killed. often, the abductees were subjected to excruciating shock treatment (on 'sensitive' parts of the body), endless cigarette burns, horrifying beatings, or lethal injections...and then dumped. of course, many of the abducted were students, lawyers, activists, etc. who wanted to voice their opinion against the military regime.
about 20 years ago, the human rights org., CONADEP (National Committee on the Disappeared), was formed after the the first democratic election in Argentina in many years. they released numbers that are unnerving... of the 30,000+ abductees, the whereabouts of almost 11,000 was still unknown. sorry, i don't have any current figures...guess i should get crackin' eh?
??? why would the actions of a country even concern me? i'll admit that i prefer history or non-fiction when i read... had i not liked anthropology and archaeology so much, i would have liked to have entered the field of human rights (risk of getting shot is high) or volcanism (risk of getting flattened during scientific research didn't appeal to me). i have always been fascinated by the power of natural disasters (earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, cyclones, et al). and i have always wondered what goes on in the mind of genocidal maniacs who somehow ascend to power. i'm not a necrophile or some other type of obsessive weirdo (although i'm certainly not normal), but maybe just an emotional person who loves life.
about 15 years ago, when i was a freshman in college, i was profoundly affected after viewing an episode of P.O.V. in a Spanish class. the episode was on the Madres de Plaza Mayo (sorry, it's in Spanish...i can translate for you if you're really interested) in Buenos Aires. up 'til then, i had never even been remotely interested in the history/gov't of Argentina. this episode of POV really opened my eyes and made me rethink my life and where i was heading.
the Mothers of the May Plaza is a group of women who are mothers/grandmothers of the abducted. they have been protesting in the May Plaza in downtown Buenos Aires since 1977. they basically started out marching to hopefully find any information regarding their loved ones. they've been demonstrating every Thursday at 3:30 PM, dressed in black and marching around the statue of liberty, in front of the presidential palace. they tied white handkerchiefs, with the names of disappeared sons and daughters, around their heads (a lá Little Red Riding Hood), and carried signs with the photographs....demanding to know the fate of these desaparecidos.
it just really touched me that even these little old ladies weren't afraid of their gov't and its terrible actions. i thought of my parents and how hard it was for them to raise us, ensuring that we had enough of everything to get through school and become self-sufficient adults. i know my mom would have sacrificed probably everything so that i and my four brothers and two sisters would be happy human beings and well-adjusted in society. if i were a desaparecido, i KNOW my mom would be the little chinese lady...dressed in black...with a white hanky and huge placard, demanding to know what the fuck happened to her baby son.
yeah, sure, i could have written this for Mother's Day...but it's July and Laura didn't get me off my butt to start blogging until eight days ago. so blame her ;) but really, i can only thank Laura for this page...even though i try to be mean.
it saddens me that there are millions of women out there who would do anything to have a child, but it was never in the stars; most of them adopt or settle for raising animals. and the women (lucky enough to bear children) out there who have striven to do the best for their children, even if it meant compromising their health, taking multiple jobs, or putting up w/ domestic violence, should be applauded. i can never relate, even when i become a father, because of what it takes to bring that child to term. plus, i am too much of a wimp (as most men) to even fathom the stuff a woman has to go through in those 9-10 months, let alone endure pregnancy and birth(s). i hope that the mothers (past or present) out there can take pride in what they have accomplished and what the Madres de Plaza Mayo are taking a stand on because stuff like this affects ALL of us (mother or not) - regardless of where we live.
i'll get off my soapbox now...goodnight.
Friday, July 11, 2003
new paranoia
been havin' bloody noses of late. five times since sunday. right nostril. thinking, "must be allergies." then again, it's been a few years since i've had a bloody nose. hmmm. is it something worse? get on the web...look up frequent bloody nose. most hits are for sites that talk about super mold in houses...yikes. just call me 'spen-i-cillin.' sounds like a bad rapper name...
uhhh. there it goes again. damn, what is it? am i takin' too much of a supplement? should i change my diet? but if i cut down, Ronald McDonald will no longer send me xmas cards... and who will the extra biscuit go to at the Colonel's? it's gonna be mighty lonely, sitting there...waiting for some greasy hand to slather on the no-refrigeration-needed, mystery butter and drizzle that sweet, sticky honey. poor thing. the diet stays.
so what is it? i know what you're thinking...look at the booger post, spence! hah! i KNOW the bloody nose is not from that BECAUSE it was my left nostril AND it came out in one piece (all yell...never mind...you guys just have too vivid of an imagination:). just be grateful that i don't have a webcam...yet.
HEEHEE...enough dumb humor to make you bang your head against a wall...but watch the schnozz...
uhhh. there it goes again. damn, what is it? am i takin' too much of a supplement? should i change my diet? but if i cut down, Ronald McDonald will no longer send me xmas cards... and who will the extra biscuit go to at the Colonel's? it's gonna be mighty lonely, sitting there...waiting for some greasy hand to slather on the no-refrigeration-needed, mystery butter and drizzle that sweet, sticky honey. poor thing. the diet stays.
so what is it? i know what you're thinking...look at the booger post, spence! hah! i KNOW the bloody nose is not from that BECAUSE it was my left nostril AND it came out in one piece (all yell...never mind...you guys just have too vivid of an imagination:). just be grateful that i don't have a webcam...yet.
HEEHEE...enough dumb humor to make you bang your head against a wall...but watch the schnozz...
great....
my computer is starting to freak out a bit. re-booting only got it to the same place (about where you sign in to get on your 'puter)...but that was as far as i got. so...i tried to get the settings back to default. NOPE. aaand, i even got out the recovery CD, to do a light reformat and get it back to 'factory fresh'. well, that goofed up too, saying there were errors. grrrr. so it looks like i'm gonna have to reformat the entire hard disk and reload the software...sigh
unfortunately, it has been a while since i last made back ups. if worst comes to worst, i have an identical 'puter with a bad power supply. i guess i can always cannibalize the goofy one for that part and transplant eh?
in the meantime, i can always work on Lois' machines. she's got two computers at home that i can blog to my heart's delight. yay!
ah well. i still have my blogpage and one reader - me. things could be WAY worse...but things could be a whole lot better too. is Powerball going to break $300 million this saturday? not like i ever play, but all it takes is ONE ticket...and 120 million to 1 odds. crap
unfortunately, it has been a while since i last made back ups. if worst comes to worst, i have an identical 'puter with a bad power supply. i guess i can always cannibalize the goofy one for that part and transplant eh?
in the meantime, i can always work on Lois' machines. she's got two computers at home that i can blog to my heart's delight. yay!
ah well. i still have my blogpage and one reader - me. things could be WAY worse...but things could be a whole lot better too. is Powerball going to break $300 million this saturday? not like i ever play, but all it takes is ONE ticket...and 120 million to 1 odds. crap
Thursday, July 10, 2003
errr...
since getting the site meter, i'm a bit obsessed to see how many visits i'm racking up. maybe it's good that the audience, although a tough one, is still relatively small. that way, i can get their eye-rolls over with...
i wonder how the more popular blogs deal with some of the traffic. what do you do with the insurgents? you know the type, trolls who have no lives. granted, it's yer site, but do you plain tell them to fuck off? or should it be done in a 'civil' manner? like, "Please get lost...DUMBSHIT."
it's times like that when i wish i had magical powers. yeah, i'm a spiteful person. however, i never (or rarely) wish physical harm on people...i just wanna inject enough venom to feel better ;)
for example, those who would waste my time and be plain belligerent... i would blink my eyes and 'ZAP' their computer would turn into a hunk of cheese - limburger - and all of a sudden, your fingers get stuck to the keyboard. oh, you're being an idiot from work? 'POOF!' your clothes disappear as you go to lunch with your 'buddies.' and yer eyes? i moved 'em...to your ASS!
i'm bringing this up because someone i know posted about a somewhat controversial topic on her blogpage. there were some heated arguments...and a couple people were banned. so is it the content? should i just stick to innocuous (even downright insipid) topics? yeah. the weather...my lunch...the massive booger that is itching my nose to no end...
always throw in bodily functions/fluids...most people will act shocked, but will still laugh. come on, like you guys don't come down with a bit of booger-itis. puh-leeze. i don't want to get anyone riled up. i'm not here to pick a fight though; i've got better things to pick right now...
i wonder how the more popular blogs deal with some of the traffic. what do you do with the insurgents? you know the type, trolls who have no lives. granted, it's yer site, but do you plain tell them to fuck off? or should it be done in a 'civil' manner? like, "Please get lost...DUMBSHIT."
it's times like that when i wish i had magical powers. yeah, i'm a spiteful person. however, i never (or rarely) wish physical harm on people...i just wanna inject enough venom to feel better ;)
for example, those who would waste my time and be plain belligerent... i would blink my eyes and 'ZAP' their computer would turn into a hunk of cheese - limburger - and all of a sudden, your fingers get stuck to the keyboard. oh, you're being an idiot from work? 'POOF!' your clothes disappear as you go to lunch with your 'buddies.' and yer eyes? i moved 'em...to your ASS!
i'm bringing this up because someone i know posted about a somewhat controversial topic on her blogpage. there were some heated arguments...and a couple people were banned. so is it the content? should i just stick to innocuous (even downright insipid) topics? yeah. the weather...my lunch...the massive booger that is itching my nose to no end...
always throw in bodily functions/fluids...most people will act shocked, but will still laugh. come on, like you guys don't come down with a bit of booger-itis. puh-leeze. i don't want to get anyone riled up. i'm not here to pick a fight though; i've got better things to pick right now...
Wednesday, July 09, 2003
Headlines...
just saw this on Yahoo...
Britney Spears Says She's Not A Virgin oh REAALLYY! what else is she going to admit...that she can't sing!
i admire her for putting up with the pressure of teen stardom; that's gotta be hard. however, it's torture when you turn on the tube and Britney, Christina, Ricky Martin, et al, are all doing the choreographed thing - in a freakin' commercial! it's like you tuned in to the 24/7 Fame marathon. ugh, Lori Singer and her contrived playing of the cello BAARF! damn that Debbie Allen ;) she and Paula Abdul started that 'throw yer butt back' and 'toss the hair' craze. where's the Michael Jackson spin?
ahh,
society of the 70's...slave to the dance
society of the 80's...slave to the fashion
society of the 90's...slave to the 401K
and today?..............slave to the blog!
so are we progressing? or just plain plummeting? tough words from a guy bloggin' at 5 AM
blame it on Laura, she FORCED me to chat a couple hours ago...pure evil, she is. can't you hear Yoda saying that...
Britney Spears Says She's Not A Virgin oh REAALLYY! what else is she going to admit...that she can't sing!
i admire her for putting up with the pressure of teen stardom; that's gotta be hard. however, it's torture when you turn on the tube and Britney, Christina, Ricky Martin, et al, are all doing the choreographed thing - in a freakin' commercial! it's like you tuned in to the 24/7 Fame marathon. ugh, Lori Singer and her contrived playing of the cello BAARF! damn that Debbie Allen ;) she and Paula Abdul started that 'throw yer butt back' and 'toss the hair' craze. where's the Michael Jackson spin?
ahh,
society of the 70's...slave to the dance
society of the 80's...slave to the fashion
society of the 90's...slave to the 401K
and today?..............slave to the blog!
so are we progressing? or just plain plummeting? tough words from a guy bloggin' at 5 AM
blame it on Laura, she FORCED me to chat a couple hours ago...pure evil, she is. can't you hear Yoda saying that...
mooovies
just rented 'Catch Me If You Can'...fu-unnnee. quite well done. it's hard to believe that the guy was able to fleece so many people for so long. odd that brilliant minds turn to a life of crime sometimes. i guess they're too bored by routine and want something altogether different. it's all how you view rules and rise up to challenges...
Christopher Walken was great! He's such a unique actor...his little part in Pulp Fiction is priceless! i truly don't know how he could keep a straight face with those lines!
Christopher Walken was great! He's such a unique actor...his little part in Pulp Fiction is priceless! i truly don't know how he could keep a straight face with those lines!
okay already!
ya happy?!? you blog pros sure want instant gratification... i got the tag board. now you all can happily sniper post and really give me shit ;)
YOU TALKIN' TO ME?
WANNA TALK SMACK?!?
BRING IT ON...'CAUSE YOU GOIN' DOWN! heh
YOU TALKIN' TO ME?
WANNA TALK SMACK?!?
BRING IT ON...'CAUSE YOU GOIN' DOWN! heh
Tuesday, July 08, 2003
Memory Lane
a list of firsts (and in some cases, hopefully last):
1st...
time you broke a bone: never
grade teacher: Kathy Adams
best friend: John Lunceford
enemy: Cornelius + his two punk ass henchmen
car: 1990 Honda Accord EX
trip out of your home state: train to Oakland, CA when I was five
trip out of the country: Belize and Guatemala when I was 20
girlfriend/boyfriend: Aurelie (sorry, never had a boyfriend ;)
class you ever failed: 11th grade English Literature
movie theater visit: The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (I think I was four)
time you received stitches: a couple on my thumb when I was 28
visit to the hospital (after birth): kidney problems at 18 mos. old
concert: Motley Crue (1985)
album: Cruisin' 1968...songs weren't even done by original artists :(
CD: Get In Touch With Yourself by Swing Out Sister
computer: Packard Bell Pentium 75
time driving a car: 12 years old, a 1966 Mercedes
roller coaster ride: Manhattan Express at New York, New York (Las Vegas)
job: packing to go orders at my parents' restaurant when I was five
pet: Betta fish
well, that's 20 things i can think of...
1st...
time you broke a bone: never
grade teacher: Kathy Adams
best friend: John Lunceford
enemy: Cornelius + his two punk ass henchmen
car: 1990 Honda Accord EX
trip out of your home state: train to Oakland, CA when I was five
trip out of the country: Belize and Guatemala when I was 20
girlfriend/boyfriend: Aurelie (sorry, never had a boyfriend ;)
class you ever failed: 11th grade English Literature
movie theater visit: The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (I think I was four)
time you received stitches: a couple on my thumb when I was 28
visit to the hospital (after birth): kidney problems at 18 mos. old
concert: Motley Crue (1985)
album: Cruisin' 1968...songs weren't even done by original artists :(
CD: Get In Touch With Yourself by Swing Out Sister
computer: Packard Bell Pentium 75
time driving a car: 12 years old, a 1966 Mercedes
roller coaster ride: Manhattan Express at New York, New York (Las Vegas)
job: packing to go orders at my parents' restaurant when I was five
pet: Betta fish
well, that's 20 things i can think of...
Monday, July 07, 2003
my toof...
good news! went to the dentist today and found out that my recent pain was a result of an old filling that had chipped. got it refilled and i was on my way...
one thing though...he sure gave me enough novocaine! my lower jaw was numb for about four hours! it was enough to prevent me from going and visiting one of my friends that i haven't seen in awhile. i didn't want to subject her to the drool and temporary speech impediment; i already look foolish without those factors.
one thing though...he sure gave me enough novocaine! my lower jaw was numb for about four hours! it was enough to prevent me from going and visiting one of my friends that i haven't seen in awhile. i didn't want to subject her to the drool and temporary speech impediment; i already look foolish without those factors.
busy season...
wow! there has been a rash of celebrity deaths of late, eh? of note...
Katharine Hepburn
Buddy Hackett
Barry White
and most recently, Buddy Ebsen. i wonder if there's gonna be a 'Beverly Hillbillies' marathon on TV Land...yikes! then again, that would probably get more viewers than an all-you-can Barnaby Jones ;)
Katharine Hepburn
Buddy Hackett
Barry White
and most recently, Buddy Ebsen. i wonder if there's gonna be a 'Beverly Hillbillies' marathon on TV Land...yikes! then again, that would probably get more viewers than an all-you-can Barnaby Jones ;)
Sunday, July 06, 2003
...and new ones
i'm also going to shamelessly plug a blog page of a new friend. her name is Mary (Beer Mary) and her blog page is Rant-O-Rama. the blogs take a no-shit stance and therefore, are very refreshing. another reason to visit her blog is to support her during Blogathon 2003. on July 26th, she's going to blog twice an hour for 24 hours straight...in order to raise money for Denver Dumb Friends, in light of all these STUPID cat mutilations. i'm thinking we should adopt Babylonian Law (aka Code of Hammurabi), which is basically an eye for an eye. or even some Confucian thought comes to mind: "Do unto others..." she's trying to raise $1000 - she's halfway there already. so if you have a couple bucks to spare, please try to sponsor her. and if you're lacking the funds, try to give her a little moral support on the 26th...thanks!
there's something about Mary...check it out!
there's something about Mary...check it out!
speaking of old friends...
one of my pals, J Erwine, is the editor of a couple small e-zines. if you're into indy published sci-fi, you may want to check out The Fifth Di and Martian Wave . although i really have never been a big fan of sci-fi, there's some great stuff. if you end up liking the material, check out (and possibly purchase) the novels and anthologies. i'm sure that J and the authors would really be appreciative!
aloha
i just spent a few minutes chatting w/ one of my good friends, Shana Martin Hall. she lives in Hawai'i. we've been friends ever since we were kids...her grandfather is the late, Lefty Martin. he was an ex-baseball player who became one of the early gurus of appliances here in Denver. she now has two kids and works for Aloha Airlines. geez, it's been fifteen years since i saw her last... time for some Hawaiian hospitality and rays eh??
craving...
so distracted right now... should probably go to sleep, but i have a sudden urge to go for some evil drive-thru food. the 24-hr. Taco Hell is less than a ten minute drive and there's even a 24-hr. Burger King within five minutes of my house. lessee, i could also go to 7-11 for some frozen chimichangas OR the Denny's about a block further for the Moons Over My Hammy sandwich.
of course, i know that this is all so bad...especially late at night and not long before bedtime. yaaaah! and why the craving?!? i have tons of food in the fridge and oodles of cans, but they're so tame. it would take a lot of real food to do the damage of one Double Whopper w/ Cheese. remember when you could get the Ultimate Cheesburger at Jack in the Box? it was 1300 calories and 57 grams of heart rendering fat...mmmm.
i long for the days when i would go to Taco Smell w/ my college roommate, Scott, and we would see how much we could eat in one sitting for $10 (11 items was my limit)...when my friend, Duc, and I would go to Pizza Hut for their $2.99 lunch buffet and down 10 slices and 2 salads...visits to Crack In the Box for fried tacos (2 for $1), Jumbo Jacks w/ cheese, and a fudgy brownie...going to Piccolo's on Monday nights for their all-you-can-eat Spaghetti nights (i think it's $5.99 now) w/ Antonio and Jeff and getting four plates each...or going to buffets and eating for 90 minutes straight...ahhh, getting a dozen tacos al pastor, two horchatas, and a bowl of consomé de borrego (goat soup) at El Rincón Brujo (Warlock Corner) in Villahermosa, Mexico.
so what happened? no, i did not have a major coronary in the middle of my third chili dog w/ cheese... lessee here: i graduated from college...there are few Pizza Hut (sit-down) restaurants anymore...Crack In The Box went out of business in CO and NM...Antonio and Duc moved away...Jeff did a modified Atkins, lost 70 lbs., and eats better now (PUNK!)...my girlfriend is a sane eater...haven't been back to that part of Mexico in a few years...and i got older and a little less active (but i'm 6'0" and still 180 lbs).
truth hurts, don't it? i guess i'll just go upstairs, drink a gallon of water, and wet the bed. nah, my car keys and wallet are right here...seeya! btw, did you want anything while i'm out ;)
of course, i know that this is all so bad...especially late at night and not long before bedtime. yaaaah! and why the craving?!? i have tons of food in the fridge and oodles of cans, but they're so tame. it would take a lot of real food to do the damage of one Double Whopper w/ Cheese. remember when you could get the Ultimate Cheesburger at Jack in the Box? it was 1300 calories and 57 grams of heart rendering fat...mmmm.
i long for the days when i would go to Taco Smell w/ my college roommate, Scott, and we would see how much we could eat in one sitting for $10 (11 items was my limit)...when my friend, Duc, and I would go to Pizza Hut for their $2.99 lunch buffet and down 10 slices and 2 salads...visits to Crack In the Box for fried tacos (2 for $1), Jumbo Jacks w/ cheese, and a fudgy brownie...going to Piccolo's on Monday nights for their all-you-can-eat Spaghetti nights (i think it's $5.99 now) w/ Antonio and Jeff and getting four plates each...or going to buffets and eating for 90 minutes straight...ahhh, getting a dozen tacos al pastor, two horchatas, and a bowl of consomé de borrego (goat soup) at El Rincón Brujo (Warlock Corner) in Villahermosa, Mexico.
so what happened? no, i did not have a major coronary in the middle of my third chili dog w/ cheese... lessee here: i graduated from college...there are few Pizza Hut (sit-down) restaurants anymore...Crack In The Box went out of business in CO and NM...Antonio and Duc moved away...Jeff did a modified Atkins, lost 70 lbs., and eats better now (PUNK!)...my girlfriend is a sane eater...haven't been back to that part of Mexico in a few years...and i got older and a little less active (but i'm 6'0" and still 180 lbs).
truth hurts, don't it? i guess i'll just go upstairs, drink a gallon of water, and wet the bed. nah, my car keys and wallet are right here...seeya! btw, did you want anything while i'm out ;)
Saturday, July 05, 2003
argh!
it's hot outside. i should be happy that summer has finally kicked in, but i never liked temps more than 85 degrees; working a summer in 110-120 degree heat cured me of that ;) the freaky optical illusions of the desert were cool though!
can't complain though. hot temps are still way better than shoveling three feet of snow or sharing the roads with reckless drivers who have NO idea how to handle winter conditions - assholes.
another reason for the argh is because of a mean tooth. a few months ago, i blew $1500 on dental work for a root canal, crown, a redone filling, and cleaning. now, i think i'm needing to have another filling redone behind the tooth that cost me so much. it sucks because i know people who totally neglect their teeth and they have few problems. sometimes, it's just stronger acids in your mouth (genetic), or you're a mouth-breather, or you're a tooth gnasher; my dentist makes fun of me, asking if i've been chewing rocks again...bastard. maybe i should punch him in the nuts as a reflex action. nah, he's actually a really cool dentist...and more affordable than most because he does all the work himself. he has no assistant nor receptionist, which keeps the prices down some.
gawd, time to find a job with insurance! i would be totally abusing those benefits! my dentist, chiropractor, and acupuncturist would be so tired of seeing me... it just sux being miserable because (sometimes) you simply can't afford it. regardless, i've got an appointment on monday. with dental stuff, it's better to bite the bullet and go early before it costs an arm and a leg. the lesson is usually learned with your first abcessed tooth...who the HELL would want to replicate that pain again?!? makes me think of the movie 'Pi'. anyone ever see it? in one scene, the protagonist ends up drilling a hole in his right temple because he is simply going crazy - like that's gonna help :P it isn't that graphic, but just the sheer thought of doing it...brrrr!
can't complain though. hot temps are still way better than shoveling three feet of snow or sharing the roads with reckless drivers who have NO idea how to handle winter conditions - assholes.
another reason for the argh is because of a mean tooth. a few months ago, i blew $1500 on dental work for a root canal, crown, a redone filling, and cleaning. now, i think i'm needing to have another filling redone behind the tooth that cost me so much. it sucks because i know people who totally neglect their teeth and they have few problems. sometimes, it's just stronger acids in your mouth (genetic), or you're a mouth-breather, or you're a tooth gnasher; my dentist makes fun of me, asking if i've been chewing rocks again...bastard. maybe i should punch him in the nuts as a reflex action. nah, he's actually a really cool dentist...and more affordable than most because he does all the work himself. he has no assistant nor receptionist, which keeps the prices down some.
gawd, time to find a job with insurance! i would be totally abusing those benefits! my dentist, chiropractor, and acupuncturist would be so tired of seeing me... it just sux being miserable because (sometimes) you simply can't afford it. regardless, i've got an appointment on monday. with dental stuff, it's better to bite the bullet and go early before it costs an arm and a leg. the lesson is usually learned with your first abcessed tooth...who the HELL would want to replicate that pain again?!? makes me think of the movie 'Pi'. anyone ever see it? in one scene, the protagonist ends up drilling a hole in his right temple because he is simply going crazy - like that's gonna help :P it isn't that graphic, but just the sheer thought of doing it...brrrr!
getting a tagboard
looks like two people have been bored enough to read this slop...and they recommended that i upgrade. hopefully, i can get my crap in order so i can get the swell tagboard...image hosting...and other assorted cool features.
god knows i like bells and whistles
can this blog get any more cliché-ish?
god knows i like bells and whistles
can this blog get any more cliché-ish?
Friday, July 04, 2003
some cool (but crazy) news
didja hear? the defending world champion hot dog eater, Takeru 'Tsunami' Kobayashi, triumphed again at Coney Island (in NYC). granted, i was a big eater when i was in my 20's, but it's unimaginable how many dogs this guy can put away! even on a gluttonous day, i couldn't stomach more than four hot dogs in a sitting. this guy can pound 40-50 in less than 12 minutes!!! buns included! that's too terrifying! if anything, they won't need to embalm him when he dies. of course, if he's Buddhist, he'll be cremated. i pity the people who will choke over the Oscar Meyer-like smell...or will the ashes smell like ketchup and relish? this is such a pressing question...can anyone answer it? anybody? i must know!!!
Happy 4th
just another excuse to go out and see the pretty colors...oooh! in Denver, the best fireworks shows are put on by the Colorado Rapids and Colorado Rockies. tonight, there will be a show immediately following the Rapids game at Invesco Field.
another great show is put on by the city of Glendale. for such a small city, they get a lot of tax money from their two strip clubs, Shotgun Willie's and PT's Gold Club, to support a spectacular 4th of July extravaganza. although the date of the show varies, this year it will be on the 5th, around dusk. best viewing is at the Super Target (which hasn't reopened from renovations) near Colo. Blvd. and Virginia - right behind Shotgun Willie's and Applebee's. if you catch a meal at Applebee's, you can get a perfect view from the tables nearest the SE side of the restaurant.
any other plans for the day? right now, i'm just hanging out and watching the taped Wimbledon semifinals. other than certain sports events (e.g., Summer Olympics, tennis, volleyball, gymnastics, track & field), i don't watch that much TV. occasionally, i'll see which Britcoms are on PBS...catch Globetrekker...or watch the news. i do find it amusing to watch dumb dating shows like 5th Wheel or Blind Date once in a while. i guess i never got a penchant for following reality series. even though they are supposed to be spontaneous and unrehearsed, they still seem too melodramatic and contrived for my tastes...
maybe a movie or some thrift shoppin' today...
another great show is put on by the city of Glendale. for such a small city, they get a lot of tax money from their two strip clubs, Shotgun Willie's and PT's Gold Club, to support a spectacular 4th of July extravaganza. although the date of the show varies, this year it will be on the 5th, around dusk. best viewing is at the Super Target (which hasn't reopened from renovations) near Colo. Blvd. and Virginia - right behind Shotgun Willie's and Applebee's. if you catch a meal at Applebee's, you can get a perfect view from the tables nearest the SE side of the restaurant.
any other plans for the day? right now, i'm just hanging out and watching the taped Wimbledon semifinals. other than certain sports events (e.g., Summer Olympics, tennis, volleyball, gymnastics, track & field), i don't watch that much TV. occasionally, i'll see which Britcoms are on PBS...catch Globetrekker...or watch the news. i do find it amusing to watch dumb dating shows like 5th Wheel or Blind Date once in a while. i guess i never got a penchant for following reality series. even though they are supposed to be spontaneous and unrehearsed, they still seem too melodramatic and contrived for my tastes...
maybe a movie or some thrift shoppin' today...
Be vewy vewy quiet...
i'm huntin' spiders. in my basement, it is always spider season. tonight, i have whacked a total of five spiders. yeah, i know they're quite useful in keeping other insect populations down, but i grew up killing them.
granted, i won't go on a rampage and seek every single one of them out (with a loony glint in my eye), but if they're within a few feet of me...*SMACK*...see ya!
i guess the bad thing is that i believe in reincarnation. with my luck, i will not come back as a well-treated dog, but as a fly or a male black widow - great.
any spider stories out there? recently, Laura got a weird insect bite and someone mentioned Brown Recluse horror stories. i do have a story, but it didn't involve any lethal arachnids.
ten years ago, i spent a summer working in San Andrés Cholula, Mexico. i was sharing a house with a dozen other archaeologists; we were excavating two sites, one pre-classic (around 2000 years old) and the collapsed wing of a convent that was being transformed into a five star hotel .
anyway, there were numerous daddy longlegs and some assorted spiders that were about the size of a pencil eraser which shared our room. i don't even recall killing one single spider that summer...hmmm. daddy longlegs never hurt anyone and the teeny ones that lived in the dust next to my bed never bothered me.
well, about a month into excavations, i received two small mosquito-like bites on the joint of my right thumb. no biggie. i did find it a little strange since it was a bit cool that summer and the elevation we were at (7000') really didn't get many skeeters. i was okay for about six hours after getting up. sometime after noon, i came down with a horrendous fever and an EVIL case of diarrhea. i still remember hoofing it up to that damn 3rd floor bathroom every fifteen minutes.
somehow, i did survive the workday and even trudged on over to the Mac's (a local mexican version of Denny's...although the official Mexican version of Denny's is called VIPs) for dinner. two of my best pals on the dig, Antonio and Mechele, kept ribbing me about the look the waitress gave me upon seeing the shape i was in. i know i looked like death warmed over, but bring me my order you bitch! it didn't help that my 'pals' were making crude jokes about a syphilitic dishwasher in the back, giddily wiping off the spots on the glasses with one of his sores...some friends!
luckily, the fever and diarrhea passed (no pun intended) within the next 24 hours. however, the spider venom wasn't finished with this dumb chink. i later developed a rash that shot through my body in different places for the next six weeks. after the rash disappeared, i started getting bumps on my elbows...which would also go away...and come back for two years. in between the bouts with the bumps, my elbows would peel. this peeling lasted exactly six or seven years on my left elbow, while the right elbow is finally dissipating, TEN years later!
all this shit because i didn't kill those tiny dust spiders...
granted, i won't go on a rampage and seek every single one of them out (with a loony glint in my eye), but if they're within a few feet of me...*SMACK*...see ya!
i guess the bad thing is that i believe in reincarnation. with my luck, i will not come back as a well-treated dog, but as a fly or a male black widow - great.
any spider stories out there? recently, Laura got a weird insect bite and someone mentioned Brown Recluse horror stories. i do have a story, but it didn't involve any lethal arachnids.
ten years ago, i spent a summer working in San Andrés Cholula, Mexico. i was sharing a house with a dozen other archaeologists; we were excavating two sites, one pre-classic (around 2000 years old) and the collapsed wing of a convent that was being transformed into a five star hotel .
anyway, there were numerous daddy longlegs and some assorted spiders that were about the size of a pencil eraser which shared our room. i don't even recall killing one single spider that summer...hmmm. daddy longlegs never hurt anyone and the teeny ones that lived in the dust next to my bed never bothered me.
well, about a month into excavations, i received two small mosquito-like bites on the joint of my right thumb. no biggie. i did find it a little strange since it was a bit cool that summer and the elevation we were at (7000') really didn't get many skeeters. i was okay for about six hours after getting up. sometime after noon, i came down with a horrendous fever and an EVIL case of diarrhea. i still remember hoofing it up to that damn 3rd floor bathroom every fifteen minutes.
somehow, i did survive the workday and even trudged on over to the Mac's (a local mexican version of Denny's...although the official Mexican version of Denny's is called VIPs) for dinner. two of my best pals on the dig, Antonio and Mechele, kept ribbing me about the look the waitress gave me upon seeing the shape i was in. i know i looked like death warmed over, but bring me my order you bitch! it didn't help that my 'pals' were making crude jokes about a syphilitic dishwasher in the back, giddily wiping off the spots on the glasses with one of his sores...some friends!
luckily, the fever and diarrhea passed (no pun intended) within the next 24 hours. however, the spider venom wasn't finished with this dumb chink. i later developed a rash that shot through my body in different places for the next six weeks. after the rash disappeared, i started getting bumps on my elbows...which would also go away...and come back for two years. in between the bouts with the bumps, my elbows would peel. this peeling lasted exactly six or seven years on my left elbow, while the right elbow is finally dissipating, TEN years later!
all this shit because i didn't kill those tiny dust spiders...
and how did all this boring mayhem (is that a new oxymoron?) get started? as you can tell from the title of my page, Laura Murphy made me do it. she and her husband, Denny Wallace, have been friends of mine for about ten or eleven years. it was sad when they moved from Denver to Loveland to Monte Vista, which they now gleefully terrorize.
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