2008 :: So Far, Not So Much

Spent the weekend sicker than I've been in a loooong time. Of course, last Friday morning during my work out, my trainer asks me "So, you didn't get sick over the holiday?" to which I (somewhat puzzled by the question) said proudly "Dude, I haven't been sick in a loooong time. Like forever. Well at least since I moved to LA."
(Hubris, you're one bitch of a bedfellow. Haha, my new screen name, Hugh Bris)

So, Friday night, felt a little weird, headachey, sad.. Figured back-to-work-blues and all.
Saturday morning - puking like a sorority girl, felt like a truck had literally ridden over my body, and um..the lower GI was...seemingly passed out unconscious (?).
So yeah, got to spend the weekend prone, shivering, delirious, hurling, moaning, slowly dehydrating. Lost seriously like 6 pounds.

But I should be so negative. I did *gain a cold sore on my lip* today at work! - sweet. Gimme kiss.

All I really need at this point is conjunctivitis and perhaps a fractured wrist to complete this whole..scene.

[Note to powers that "be": I'm kidding. Don't feel obligated to deliver.]

Eh.
2008 you've actively disappointed me. Work on that shit, yo.

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Can Someone Please Explain This to Me?

Crowd swipes dying man's groceries
MESA, Ariz., Oct. 3 (UPI)

Cause..yeah. I really do not understand this. At all.

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I Couldn't Have Said It Better

alternate title: "WTF?!"

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The WTC Follows Me Wherever I Go It Seems

Yeah, that's "save" that's chalked onto the beam.

Currently, a public installation/memorial is being installed in my town for 9-11. The piece contains 2 large rusted, crunked girders from the World Trade Center in New York. When I first walked by it during the day and slowly realized what I was looking at I got completely freaked out. As I walked away from it, though I started to smile.

"Good to see you again," I thought to myself. "Funny you should retire to this seaside town with a view of the ocean, too."

I used to walk past the exact same structural supports down in Battery Park when I went to visit my friend who lived across the street. She's since died.

There's a scheduled unveiling whatever this Tuesday in the morning. I think I will make a point of walking down and checking it out. Fuck you terrorists and you too Mister President.

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On a lighter note:

Me: Knock, knock.
You: Who's there?
Me: 9-11.
You: 9-11 who?




Me: YOU SAID YOU'D NEVER FORGET!

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This Should Go Without Saying

Besides the obvious reasons, do yourself a favor and do not shop at TJ Maxx.
Not because of the obscene use of the double "xx". Not because the wares are sub-ghetto.

Because they mess with your credit/debit card after you make lame purchases of shitty socks and underware.

I'm just sayin'.

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Proof Positive the Government Lies & Gets Off on Instilling Fear

TSA knew 'dry run' terror alerts were bogus [via Raw Story]

The Transportation Security Agency's national security bulletin issued was based on bogus examples that were combined to give the impression of ominous terrorist plotting, CNN reports.

"That bulletin for law enforcement eyes only told of suspicious items recently found in passenger's bags at airport checkpoints, warned that they may signify dry runs for terrorist attacks," CNN's Brian Todd reported Friday afternoon. "Well it turns out none of that is true."

So let's see -- American's denied/delayed/unreasonably searched/forced to travel without adequate moisturizer: check. False terror alerts issued through major media outlets: check.

Thanks government! You're doing a hell of a job fighting the terrorists! We're really kicking ass in this War on Terrorism®.

Update: Haha, I couldn't even get through my morning coffee without bumping into another example of how fucked up the government has gotten with regard to paranoia, travel & "terrorism":

The Bush Administration recently demanded that air carriers collect broad personal information, including a traveler's sexual orientation, by threatening to turn planes away from Europe, and the European Union caved in.

... If you think I'm being alarmist, ask yourself why the government would be collecting information about someone's sexual orientation if they had no intention of ever using it.

Good times, I tell you.. Good times.

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Open Letter to the Person Who Took My Watch Just Now at the Gym

Dear Scumbag,

Thanks for appropriating that nice silver Tag Heur men's sportswatch that you found on elliptical machine #1, you complete and utter piece of shit. Not only was that watch a dear gift to me from a loved one, it was also the last "nice" thing I owned. I removed it upon commencing my warm-up, and absentmindedly forgot to grab it when my trainer interrupted me to start working out. As soon as I realized I left it there -- about 25 minutes later -- it was gone.

I go to that particular gym at least 3x a week and have become friendly with many of the staff and regulars. It makes me sick to think that from now on I'll be exercising in the same space as some skanky, sneaky, shitty thief who sees an (obviously) nice item that does not belong to them and feels compelled to take it.

I hope you get a skin infection from my watch and your fucking hand rots off. And I hope the negative karma you've incurred for taking my watch which was a gift comes back in the form of an early death. GET IT? YOU'LL RUN OUT OF TIME PREMATURELY. HAHAHAHA, bitch!

And while I'm cursing you, I hope I find out who you are cause you're going to be the first person I assault in my lifetime.

RIP, watch. I'll miss you. We had a lot of good times together.
And to the ugly, out-of-shape wannabe THIEF who knicked it, fuck yourself.

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Untitled

Through a circuitous set of circumstances (a sole Google return), I came to suspect that an old friend and ex may have died last year. She was my girlfriend throughout High School and someone I kept in high regard despite not having had contact since then. It literally took the wind out of me when I saw the Social Security death entry. To be honest, I suspect that the kickback from this revelation will slowly register and manifest itself. I do hope I am wrong in my sleuthing. If this all reads as somewhat clinical or robotic, it's cause I'm actually..freaked out.

On a lighter note, here's the track by Swan Island that I've abused. Enjoy. And again, don't say that Daddy never gave you nothing.




And play nice together out there kids. Let's not take each other for granted.

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Oops

I think i totally messed things up with this blog. Thanks google.
You annoy me.

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At the Intersection of Hypocrite Way & Illogical Avenue

Bush Calls for 'Culture of Life' [MyWay]

Hm. "Culture of life"? Hang on a minute, let my try to understand that apparently redundant (and dumb) phrase. [thinks for approximately 1 second]

I guess it's the opposite of a culture that fosters like...death, right? But wait a minute, the definition of life inherently holds the implication of the phenomenon of death, so it..doesn't..really make sense. Oh nevermind, heh heh.. there I go again, applying those critical thinking skills to things that don't really require them.

Okay, I'll just take it at it's (stupid) face value. "Culture of Life"! I guess that means like a culture that's Up with Life! and Down with Death!

Oh no? You mean it's a culture where stem cell research is prohibited? Oh..Um, I guess I could see how you'd arrive at that. [Lying to be polite]

I know! A "culture of life" would be one where they had a law that punished people for like crucifying a kid on a fence (literally) because he was gay! That would like foster a culture of life -- cause like it would be saying "it's bad to kill people", right?

No? Huh.

Okay well at least it's got the 'no war' thing in it, right? I'd imagine any culture of life's first action-item would be avoiding the death of large numbers of persons -- many of them innocent civilians and children. Er..Hm.

Keep dishing it out, pres

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Black Dogs

A couple things:

• I've started using Scroogle (Google scraper - ads and IP address tracking removed). I recommend it. I even added it to the little search bar in the upper right of my browser - if you use Firefox you can add it here. We're going to look back at this time in history and balk that one company had so much access (stored and realtime) to so many aspects of our lives. And check this out. [Business Week]
  

• I'm interested in this dude Anthony Storr after learning of his book, "Churchill's Black Dog and Other Phenomena of the Human Mind". He sounds like an interesting individual.

• I'm actively trying to get executed from Gawker's comments. So far I haven't been successful. I will have to try harder to be an asshole I guess (although, upon reflection, perhaps being LESS of an asshole will guarantee a swift beheading...)

• I'm watching Oprah Winfrey as a guest on Ellen right now. Very weird. Becoming a 'phenomenon' in the media and the megalomania (not to mention the ca$h) that accompanies it must be such a weird, unreal thing. Must remember to write about that when it happens to me...

• I'm going on a (big) trip tomorrow morning. I'm not really particularly excited about it yet.
  

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Ya Think?

This doesn't surprise me in the least.

On an unrelated note, I'm feeling pretty down lately (again). I am growing more and more weary of these cycles of excitement or optimism followed by days of pure boredom, directionlessness (that's a sad word), frustration & gnawing anxiety.

I'm leaving town (and country) on Friday for a big trip that's been in the works for months now.
I'm already not looking forward to the huge letdown/crash that will mark my return.
Upon my return from said trip, I will truly have nothing to use as an excuse for my lack of direction.

Don't cry for me.

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