Endorphin Rich Puppy Legacy

Back a long time ago, when I was a mere 16 years old, I suffered from acne. I know that's a big shocker to most people. Imagine that, a teenager with zits.

Anyway, after whining and complaining to my Mom, that my all-important social life was in grave danger, and that I needed to do something about my acne, she took me to the doctor. He prescribed a mild dose of Accutane, which cleared my skin right up.

Sometime after that, I went in for another completely unrelated check up, and was told that I had unusually high blood pressure. Although, somewhat alarming, I didn't really worry about it, because I was such a young buck.

I'm not saying that Accutane was the cause of this blood pressure. In fact, it's probably pretty unlikely. What's more likely, is that I just got dealt a bad hand (genetically), and that its all hereditary. Either way, I just remember the first time ever hearing about my bad blood pressure, right after I'd finished using Accutane.

Well, recently, I had a persistent ear-ache, and went to the doctor about it. He took one look at my blood pressure, and went ape-shit on me. We spent about 5 minutes talking about my ear-ache and about 45 minutes talking about the silent killer, aka. Hypertension.

*Sigh, somethings gotta kill us, right?*

Talk about a wake-up call. So, as you can imagine, I've been going out of my way to eat better, keep the sodium intake low, and I even started my exercise regimen today. Which is the point of this post.

I have a puppy that is nearly 9 months old. She's a total riot. Really funny little pup. When I first got her, I really tried hard to keep her walked, and exercised in general. Boy, have I failed.

I went running today, for the first time in YEARS, and I totally kicked that dogs ass! She was wussing out before we'd even gotten to the end of my block. Granted it was a hot bitch out today, but still.

The run was fantastic, despite my lazy dog. Really got the endorphin's flowing. I got home, and was feeling great. Super motivated, and ready for more.

It's crazy how quickly our schedules can become hectic, and suddenly we don't have time to take our dogs for a walk. I was looking through some of the older posts on this 'ole blog. It's hilarious to read about how I had nothing to do, or I was bored, or how I couldn't imagine what I'd be doing after I was done with school. It sure would be nice to have those types of problems nowadays. I can't imagine waking up, and not having something to do that day. That'd be awesome.

I find that lately I have allowed myself to have more pause. The world seems to continue about it's business, and we have all begun to spend less time appreciating life. It's eerie, in a way, taking a moment, and trying to look at things with the same wonder and appreciation that was so easy to have as a young kid.

When you're young, things are simple, beautiful, and new. In reality, there should be no reason that we, as adults don't live the same way. The world, as a whole doesn't change. We, just find ways of changing our perspective of it. Its as if we don't think that the world is good enough, and struggle to find ways to bend it and "improve it" to our standards.

It's more than just the world though. It's the entire concept of life. Its so raw, so simple, and uncomplicated. I guess I just had a moment of self reflection, and a realization that a part of the reason we exist is to consider that existence. Why is it necessary that we understand, and explain everything? What's wrong with just living, and enjoying the trip?

I often dream / daydream about myself in really lonely, secluded situations. As an example, I believe there's probably a post somewhere in this blog about a field of wheat.

Recently, I imagined myself laying on a grassy hill, staring at the small section of the world around me. It was very calm and refreshing, just the sound of wind, and life around me. It's so simple. It really made me contemplate my life, and what I've done for the last 30 years or so. Despite all I've done, when I'm gone, that little patch of the world near that grassy hill will still be there. The wind will still blow, and the life will continue to breathe.

It's actually pretty humbling to realize how little your impact on the world as a whole is.

Which leads me to wonder... is that what we're all after? Do we spend the 70 or 80 years we have, trying make an impact on the world? Does that just come back to us trying to "live longer?" Perhaps not physically, but via our legacy? Which in turn makes me think, "why bother?"

When we're dead, do we really need to be buried with a gravestone marking our existence, or a legacy that will allow us to "live" after we're dead? Why bother? Our run is over, and with any luck, you enjoyed your life. The goal should be to experience your "turn" to live. Experience joy, happiness, and even pain and sorrow.

How quickly the world's waves sweep over our marks in the sand, and wipes them away.

...mmmmhmmm...

*V*

The Most Important Footnote in History

I came across an interesting piece of news today. Apparently, a gentleman named Ed Roberts died on April 1, 2010. He was 68 years old and died from complications related to pneumonia.

To most of us, including myself, this is a sad, but rather insignificant occurrence. I know it sounds a bit harsh to say that his death was "insignificant." What I'm trying to point out, is that people die everyday and it's hard to mourn for those we don't know. It's especially hard to mourn for people like Ed Roberts, who didn't impact in our lives.

Oh, but that is where you would be wrong. I submit that Ed Roberts has not only impacted your life, but he has changed the lives of more people on this planet then nearly anyone in history.

That's a pretty bold statement, eh? Ok, ok... maybe that's an exaggeration (Read my disclaimer if that bothers you). Are you dying from anticipation yet? Back in 1975, Ed Roberts invented the very first commercially successful personal computer. It's a simple, uncomplicated sentence, and no doubt some of you are saying, "So?"

Perhaps, you need to sit back and think this through. He's known as the "Father of the Personal Computer." What a deceivingly simple title. This guy started it all. How many computers do you interact with on a day to day basis? How dependent are you on your PC? Computers exist in your car, cellphone, microwave and mixer.

Yes, I realize that these small computers aren't "Personal Computers," and that someone else should probably receive credit for thinking of adding a computer to the wrist watch and your shaver. However, Ed Roberts was the first person to prove that there was a market for computers in the private sector. This guy looked for a market for personal computers and didn't find one. Despite that, he built and released the first PC out into the world, and it was a huge success.

Yah, yah... I know... he didn't invent everything, and perhaps his direct influence on modern-day personal computers is minor. Also, I'm not saying that if he hadn't done it, no one else would have.

I guess what I'm saying is, that it's sort of sad that someone could make such a HUGE impact on the world (In my opinion), and die an unknown footnote in a minor Wikipedia article.

Check this guy out... and maybe tip your hat at him. After all, you might not be reading this if it wasn't for him.

*V*

Loosely Secure

Money is short these days. In addition to that, more and more business is being done via the Internet. With the economy as nasty as it is right now, people are willing to go greater lengths to make a few bucks. Potentially criminal lengths.

Below is a link to an article about passwords. Specifically the 10 most commonly used passwords on the Internet.

http://www.mozila.pl/blog/most-commonly-used-passwords-online/

If you find that one of your passwords is on this list... or similar (A spouses name vs. your own name) or maybe its been a long since you've changed, maybe it's time for a new password.

A good rule of thumb for choosing your password is to pick a random word that is 8 or more letters long. Then replace at least one character with a number, and one character with a punctuation mark. For example, the word "Original"

You could replace the "O" with a zero, or the "L" with a number one. Then add in a punctuation mark. Maybe the "i" would be an "!" (it's an upside-down "i") or just slap a "?" on the end.

Here are some examples:

Word: Original
Password1: 0rig!nal (First character is a zero)
Password2: Origina1?
Password3: 0rigin@l (First character is a zero)
Password4: !Or1ginal
Password5: Or1gin@l

I like to pick works that are easy to type, and are easy to remember. Even though it's a pain, you should think about changing your main password once a year. Just to be safe.

*V*

G&L&C - Icey Jets!

I guess as I get older, I find that I'm becoming more and more sensitive to other peoples behavior. I guess this leads to a more consistent interest in the world around me and various issues that exist these days.

Recently, a proposition was passed in California called Prop 8. A similar Proposition was voted on, and passed in Florida, and Arizona. Fortunately, I don't live in any of these locations, so I was able to sit back and watch the chaos unfold from afar.

What is even more interesting, is that this simple issue became so heated, and is STILL a hot topic, even after it's been decided.

I have a few thoughts about this. Read my disclaimer if you don't like them. I couldn't care less if you don't like what I have to say, so don't bother flaming me. If you do, I'll likely laugh at your ignorance, and lack of appreciation that everyone is entitled to their own opinion... then delete your comment. So, save your embarrassment and your time.

Although I've tried to look at this issue with a very open mind, it's only fair to say that I was raised in a family that has a belief in God.

I think that Gay and Lesbian people have the right to be together. I believe that if they are in love with someone of the same gender, and want to pursue that relationship, then no one should get in their way. That's the wonderful thing about America. We can essentially do whatever we want, within reason.

At the same time, I believe that Marriage is NOT an institution that is defined by the State. Come'on people... if you're going to argue with me on this one... you've already lost.

Sure, Marriage is recognized by the State, and sure they have some specifics written down, to ensure they're not paying tax benefits out to people that trying to beat the system. The reality is, that marriage is an institution that has been organized and created by God.

So what's the big argument? Is the Gay and Lesbian community so desperate to have to approval of the rest of the world, that they REALLY, REALLY want to have the little paper that says that they're MARRIED? Or are they looking for equal tax breaks, and other State-issued privileges?

I sincerely hope that all this bullshit I see on TV isn't because the G&L Community is pissed that they don't get to have the paper with the "M" word on it. Is it REALLY that important?

I'm HOPING, that they're making a huge deal out of receiving the same benefits from the State, as a married couple does. That is a legitimate argument.

So, the churchy people don't want you to get married? Is that because they "HATE" you? That is the dumbest thing in the world. Yah, yah,... I'm sure that there are hateful people on BOTH sides. But, lets not generalize. Churchy people simply want to keep something that the vast majority of the world considers to be sacred, and religious oriented the same as its been for thousands of years.

If you're looking for something that awards the same State benefits as a traditional marriage, then shoot for that. Don't redefine something that is already in place and is entrenched in Society, that it hasn't significantly changed for centuries.

So, G&L want to be treated equally? Churchy people want to keep their religious traditions unchanged. Is it really that hard to find a solution to this problem?

What surprises me even more, is how incredible the out-lashing of G&L was after the Proposition was passed. This may have been a tight race, sure... but it's been voted on in CA twice. Both times is passed. Then it was passed in two other States. If you don't like the results... tough. Welcome to democracy. The majority 52% or something voted to pass it. Math isn't hard... that's more then half of the population of California (that Voted).

Lastly, this whole, "Lets attack the Mormons" thing, is unbelievable. Sure, the Mormon Church is against same-sex marriages. So is nearly all other Christian based religions. So, from what I understood, the church says, "Hey, you know what teachings we teach, so go vote."

Now, since the church's members donated shloads of money to the Yes side, everyone is freakin' on the church?

Oh, and these little demonstrations in front of their buildings? Yah, those are peaceful and respectful protests. You wanna talk about "hate?" Are you kidding me?

First off... why aren't you protesting in front of all the other religions that told their members, "Hey, you know what teachings we teach, so go vote." ?? Pretty sure there is another 50% of California residents that you should be whining to. I don't know how many people are in the LDS church, but seriously... do think that they accounted for the majority of California twice, and the majority in AZ and FL? So, their members donated... maybe thier beliefs were so important to them, that they donated more then everyone else? The "No" on Prop. 8 could have generated just as much money. In fact... maybe they did? I should look into that.

I PROMISE you... that if the proposition hadn't passed, you would NOT see this same reaction from the churchy people. They wouldn't be picketing anywhere and being as blatently rude and hurtful. At the very LEAST, not to the same degree.

Ya, I know all the "No on Prop 8" people reading this are probably foaming at the mouth. Hey... chill out. What G&L do with their lives is none of my business. I'm not saying what they're doing is wrong... I'm just saying... they should stop freaking out cause they couldn't change something that the MAJORITY of people didn't want changed.

Focus on getting the same rights as everyone else. My hell, try calling is something different. But, it's a bit ambitious to try and change the definition of something like Marriage, in a country that is still mostly religious.

Lastly, I have to say. I'm trying to be open minded with this. I really am. I can appreciate what the Gay and Lesbian community is trying to accomplish. They love each other, and just want to be accepted. They want to have the same recognition as other couples, and that's great.

I'm sure there are religious people out there that are hateful about this whole thing. Whether you believe what they're doing is a sin is irreverent. It is totally inappropriate to insult and be hateful to someone that doesn't share your beliefs.

At the same time, the Gay and Lesbian Community does NOT help their cause by spewing lies and hate about religious sects. Mormons and anyone else. Not only do you sound intolerant and uninformed, but it makes it hard to take you seriously.

Lately, I've heard of people actively going out, and attacking (verbally) another person because they didn't have the same belief. I saw a blog, that had NOTHING to do with Prop. 8, but was obviously a more conservative blog, totally flamed concerning Prop. 8. It was so random, I was shocked. I scrolled through previous posts... looking for the "Anti-Gay&Lesbian" post, that prompted this brutal attack. Weird... there wasn't anything. The flamer (no pun intended) stated on his/her blog, that they were simply venting. Bullshit.

They attacked this blogs comment page with profanity, insults, and then tried to rationalize their arguments with an extensive education (Apparently, that means they're opinion is better). They initiated this attack on a comment page to a post about some cool clothing the blogger had recently bought. WTF?

Nothing more convincing to your cause then, lighting up a blog full of children's pictures, and posts about how happy their family is, with profanity and unbelievably rude comments.

Ya, ya... I'm sure it happens on both sides. So, cool your jets.

Anyway... that's what I think about this whole mess.

Don't comment, with a bunch of facts and statistics, that prove me "wrong." Remember... I don't care that you think I'm wrong. This is my blog. I'm allowed to be "wrong" on it.

Anyway... peace out my Gay&Lesbian AND Churchy people. Maybe someday we'll all stop whining about stupid crap, and start investing that energy into world hunger or something else that matters.

*V*

Affirmative Potato

I'm not normally a political person. I'm not sure if that has to do with plain and simple ignorance, or if it is because I just never spent the time to pay attention to the issues, and where each canidate stood. Either way, this year was different.

Obama is President, and I voted for the other guy. To be honest, I didn't have a lot of confidence that either candidate was a stupendous choice for our nation, but really it was just a matter of choosing the lesser of two evils.

In a sense, I'm glad Obama won, despite my vote. I think that it's exciting that a black guy is president. I think that it shows that although our nation isn't rid of racism towards African Americans, we've made a powerful step in that direction.

* * *

Speaking of racism...

I was sitting in a bookstore the other day, flipping through some magazines, when some fat lady made herself at home at the table adjacent to me. No big deal right?

At the same time... behind me there were some ladies, obviously originating from the Middle East. They were wearing the shawl-like things that are customary to their culture. They were chatting amongst each other excitedly, almost as if they were getting together and catching up.

To be perfectly honest, they were being a little loud. This WAS a bookstore and although its not an official rule, one would expect the environment to be similar to that of a library. They weren't by any means out of control, but slightly above the norm.

So, let me set this up. This chick... is probably in her early 30s and very obese. She's wearing edgy / narrow glasses and has her hair ratted to the point that it was ridiculous. She has massive amounts of nasty, thick makeup and she was wearing super tight black jeans... that were NOT flattering in any sense of the word.

So, she CHOSE to sit down, next to me and these other chicks... with her latte, and massive cookie. Immediately I could tell she was irritated with these girls behind me. She started acting irritated, and flustered... like the occasional giggle is preventing her from reading her "Cosmo" and sipping her latte. She keeps shifting around and making loud sighs, etc. Her huffy-puffy fit was actually more distracting then the girls behind me.

Finally, she leaned in and whispered to me... "I wish they would just shut up." I stared at her right in the face and didn't say anything. I just stared cause I didn't know what to say. I didn't want to agree with her, cause I didn't care. They weren't bothering me. But I didn't dare disagree, for fear that she would start a scene. I just couldn't understand why she would assume I shared her opinion.

So, I go back to reading, and ignoring all of them... and finally the lady stood up, and said to the girls, "You are being REALLY rude, you need to SHUT UP!! People are trying to read!"

Immediately, I could feel the thick awkwardness in the room. No one was expecting her exclamation, because frankly, no one else seemed bothered. So, the girls kind of snickered but lowered their voices. Finally the lady started to gather up all her shit, and as she lumbered away, she said, "Go back to where you come from!"

My jaw hit the ground. It was one thing for this dipshit to make a scene, especially when it wasn't a big deal. But, to pull THAT kind of comment out of no where? She is the PRIME example of the type of Americans that give the nation a bad name.

People look at us as this prideful, conceded and totally ignorant nation, full of fat lazy citizens that eat our potato chips and watch TV. As she was walking away, I wanted to say something in defense to these girls. But, it would have escalated the problem, and frankly there was no way that woman was going to listen to reason. The fact that she had THAT much hate for immigrants, and felt it necessary to express it over something so stupid, showed me all that I needed to see.

* * *

I love the USA. I think it's a great and powerful nation. I feel that a lot of our strength comes from our origins. Our foundation is built on the fact that we are a melting pot of many different cultures, and diverse people. Ironically, that has become our weakness in recent decades.

I believe that we've made a lot of race oriented mistakes. I also think, that by trying to "pay" for our mistakes... we've turned around and inadvertently been racist to other races. It's this big circle of finger pointing. What a mess.

Obama's past associations scare me. The lack of information about what he did in college is a little mysterious. He's policies on gun control, the war, and oil drilling all bother me. I believe that a lot of the votes that put him into office were lemmings, just following what the cool, edgy, and "modern" people were doing. The media has been shockingly bias towards him. Lastly, I think that a lot of the votes, made by black Americans were totally based on his race, and not anything they'd spent the time to research.

(Come'ON, people... don't flame me... you're retarded if you don't think this last part is true.)

Despite that, props to him. He overcame some pretty daunting racism and discrimination and proved to the world that there are some Americans out there that aren't ruled by their childish anxiety towards someone that is different than them. (ie. The idiot in the bookstore)

On the other hand, McCain was a weirdo too. Don't think for a second that I was jumping for joy at the prospect of him being President. I just felt a little more confident that he knew what he was doing. He had the experience. Everyone loves to talk about Palin's lack of experience. Um... are you joking me? Since when did Obama exude experience?

Oh well, Obama won. Woot for him, and I hope that he has a successful presidency (Whatever that means), and our nation prospers. I hope that the nation will get over all this petty arguing about who owes who what, because of this and that, etc, etc. It's getting a little old.

Reguardless, I'd still shit my pants and be outrageously honored to meet the President of the USA, whether or not I voted for him.

---

So, ya... this is a hot topic post. If you don't like what I wrote, fine. Before you start to flame me, make sure you read my "Disclaimer" up top. I didn't make this post because I was interested in why you think I'm wrong.

Bottom line? If you don't like my opinions...

Suck it.

*V*

25 Stiches, 28 Years, 26 June

Life is a crazy thing.

I always get a little reflective when my birthday approaches. At the end of this month, I'll be 28 years old. I'm actually a little surprised at how indifferent I am about this birthday.

Last year, when I turned 27, I was so depressed. That's a big deal, people. I'm NEVER depressed. Despite all the bitching and complaining that I do on this blog... in all honesty... I'm rarely depressed.

This year, I'm excited that it's my birthday. I don't really have anything specific planned. No parties, or trips or anything like that. But, I'm sure something will happen.

Maybe I've just gotten to the point where I realize that there's nothing that I can do about getting older. Its inevitable... no one can escape it, so you might as well embrace it.

On top of that, this has been a good year. I've made a lot of new friends, and branched out of my comfort zone on a lot of things. I bought an old beater car, and found myself in a nice comfortable routine.

I think I'm going to head home to California in early July. I haven't been home for awhile.

For those of you that know me... I'm NOT going home for my H.S. Reunion. LOL! It's actually been hilarious. Now that the reunion is coming up... all my old high school friends have been crawling outta the wood work. Like, seriously... I haven't heard from any of these people in 10 years, and now suddenly they're all VERY concerned with whether or not I'm going to go. Hell no, I'm not going to go. In addition to the fact that it's a thousand miles away, and it costs $90 a pop... I'm pretty sure I can count the number of people that I'd even wanna see... on like 3 fingers. ;o)


A month or two ago, a partially demo'd fence knocked a "skill-saw" into my Dad. He said he saw it coming towards his torso, but managed to deflect it with his arm. It all happened in a matter of seconds, so I'm pretty sure he didn't have much of a chance to dive outta the way. According to my Mom, it was a brand spankin' new blade. This, in retrospect is probably a good thing. A dull blade would have probably been messier.

Anyway, Mom wrapped his arm up in a dish towel and duct tape. (Ouch... Dad has hairy arms) When they got to the hospital and the wound was cleaned... she snapped off a picture with her cellphone. Check this monster out.



It's horrible, huh? He ended up getting 25 stitches! I was talking to my brother the other day, and we both decided that our Dad doesn't get hurt very often... but damn... when he does... he gets hurt pretty bad.

Other then that, not a whole lot to report. Work is busy, and barely rewarding. My previous boss left for another job in Texas. Since he left, I've been technically given a new boss. He's not very "IT minded" however, so that leaves me a lot of freedom to do things the way I want to do them.

I'm excited, and anxious to see what adventures this next year will bring.

*V*

Don't Deny Your Problem with Denial

"The worst lies are the lies we tell ourselves. We live in denial of what we do, even what we think. We do this because we're afraid."


-Richard Bach