A while ago my lunchbox went missing, and I decided to let you know about the resulting upheaval. Sometimes I'll be clever, witty and insightful, or I'll discuss the mundane and fail to use a semicolon. Sometimes I'll discuss the state of the world, or reference John Mayer lyrics. This is my blog; you game?
"What the hell quarterback, what are you doing? Throw. The. Ball! Oh, now look what happened? You get sacked. Idiot!"
"Why didn't you catch that, it was right to you?"
"Hey, you're at the goal line, try running around that dog pile of 250lbs brutes instead of trying to run through the middle of them."
Indeed, I spout these and many other play calls (or some choice expletives) while watching my sport du jour--football. I'll admit it though, sometimes, I forget just what these men are doing out there on the field. But then, pictures like this remind me of their athletic prowess:
How Auburn running back Kenny Irons manages to gallop full steam ahead, while having little more than an iota of his big toe on the ground, amazes me. That, and his body is almost a geometrical dream of the diagonal line, literally defying the law of gravity by way of Newton's First Law.
Troop deaths from March 2003-December 25, 2006: 2,977.
War is brutal, and cruel, and unapologetic. This one seems nauseatingly quixotic.
I could go on a tirade about these troop deaths. I could go on a similar tirade about where the war has and has not gotten us, but you so already know what I'm going to say anyways.
So, I'll just say, "blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." That, and I shall always support our troops.
I apologize that I have been unable to post lately, but life has been busy.
How busy? Well, life has involved lots of boxes, a Budget rental truck, the lifting of heavy and cumbersome objects, and some sore legs/arms/feet.
However—lest you think that all my busyness has been arduous—I also spent significant time (booty) dancing with future men and women of the cloth, watching some excellent football, and attending a reception for a great American, hosted by the president of Duke.
So, I’m here to say to my avid Missing Lunchboxers, “have no fear, a proper post is forthcoming."
(Nick and Angel, I hope you both know that this post was to preempt any haranguing over my lack of posting. Guess I’m just too quick for you.)
...that the 24-year long drought of male affection in my life has drawn to a close.
In other words, there’s a boy in my life.
I’ll wait ‘till you stop jumping up and down in glee...
...Done? Good.
So I imagine that you want details. Okay, long story short, we met at a mutual friend’s Halloween party: I dressed as an Afro Ninja, he as a Congressional Page (thus, the first thing I learned about him was that he has a great [political] sense-of-humor). The Halloween party was followed by a couple of dates, excellent conversations, his birthday party (which caused me to drive all over tarnation to find an adorable, yet appropriate, birthday gift), some sweet affection between the two of us, and some general hanging out.
His name is Jonathan; he’s from New Mexico; he’s a Duke University alum; and he’s quite a cutey if I may say so.
We’re not boyfriends, but rather are being very “chill” about the whole matter—just taking it easy and seeing where things go.
Now I will warn you that it’s very doubtful that I’ll discuss this relationship much on the blog; that kinda stuff is just a little too personal.
I usually hate to kick a man when he’s down, but when the man is the newly ousted Pennsylvania simpleton...opps, I mean "Senator"...Rick Santorum, I'll get over it.
As you can see, the erstwhile Senator recently surrounded himself with some of the oddest-looking people I’ve ever seen.
I know they're upset, but come on now, it looks like a meeting of "the stoic, wound-too-tight, stick-up-the-ass club." And why the hell is that girl wearing the same dress as her doll? And why does the kid next to her look like a Republican Eddie Munster?
And does the sun not shine in Pennsylvania? Geez people, it's called a "tan."
As expected, I went on a run yesterday instead of voting. And as expected, Democratic incumbent Rep. David Price handedly defeated challenger Steve Acuff (65% to 35%) thereby holding his U.S. House seat.
Also, Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong won re-election.
And, some justices and judges were elected, although I still don’t care (even though some African-American group mailed me a pamphlet that listed which justices were interviewed, vetted, and approved by said group. Yeah, that was just strange).
The arrogance, the intransigence, the self-imposed wide-reaching power of the Executive, the dismantling of checks-and-balances, the obstruction of civil liberies, the utter demonization of anyone who disagreed or opposed the President, and the administration's Iraq War rose-colored glasses--all of it has been rebuked by the America people. That, and necks have already begun to hit the chopping block (see ‘ya Rummy). But I wonder: how much significant (inter) national change will come as a result of the Democrats having power again?
Since 1776, my countrymen have fought and died so that I may live in the bastion of freedom and liberty. Plus, since Reconstruction, the African-American community has been engaged in the struggle for equal voting rights, which was won only in the past few decades. I’m sure there are probably several other good reasons why I should vote on Tuesday, but nevertheless, I won't be voting.
I know you’re shocked. Warren, the guy who keeps up with national politics and routinely expresses his socially liberal viewpoint, isn’t going to vote on Election Day? How can this be?
Well, for one reason, in my district’s U.S. House race, incumbent David Price is all but assured to hold his seat against Republican challenger Steve Acuff. This is because (according to the News & Observer ) my district “leans heavily to the left…[where] registered Democrats make up 47 percent of the electorate, outnumbering Republicans at 31 percent.” The fact of the matter is, the North Carolina 4th District is just not in play; the Democrats aren’t going to lose it, and the Republicans haven’t fought to gain it.
I suppose I could vote for—or against—current District Attorney Mike Nifong (of Duke Lacrosse infamy)…but, eh. I mean, I know the people of Durham don’t like him because of the way he handled the scandal, but due to my general ennui about that mess, I don’t know why people don’t like him. Furthermore, Nifong’s official challenger, Lewis Cheek, says he won’t serve if elected (at which time, the governor will just pick someone to be the District Attorney until 2008), while the other challenger, Steve Monks, is the write-in candidate. So, my choices are: the guy who no one likes, the guy who won’t serve if he wins, and the guy who was too slack-ass to get his name on the ballot in time. Great.
Besides the aforementioned U.S. House and the District Attorney elections, every other race here is a single Democrat running unopposed, a race where no one is running at all, or a race for justices/judges. What the hell? I can’t even vote for a gay marriage amendment, school bond referendum, or even to change the state flower?
I suppose I could muster an opinion on the court races, but that would mean that I'd need to examine every candidate's stance on whaterver issues justices and judges stand for (which is probably just "justice" anyway). Yeah, sign me up.
In the end, I guess I should be happy that I reside in a “left-leaning” community, no matter how aberrant it is in the “red-state” of North Carolina. But, unless any of you can come up with a good reason why I should wake up early and stand in a line to vote, I’ll probably go for a run instead.
But you betta believe I’ll be watching CNN and MSNBC on Tuesday night!
Yeah, Neil Patrick Harris (who currently plays the smooth-talking, womanizing playa’ on CBS’ hit show How I Met Your Mother) just came out. I am so happy to see yet another celebrity not afraid to be honest about his sexuality.
It remains to be seen whether acknowledging he is gay will affect how the public perceives his role as the womanizing Barney, but it’s hard not to think that the American public must be growing accustomed to learning such news. Indeed, with the recent revelation that former Congressman Mark Foley is gay, and the apparent outing of Evangelical leader Reverend Ted Haggard, it seems every day brings news of someone else coming out. Fortunately, Harris, a happy and content gay man, provides a positive counterbalance to those less positive images.
Indeed, this is how progress is made.
And lest you think I haven’t noticed, yeah, the blog has been kinda gay lately; I'll try to post something not-gay soon. Oh, how about this; I really like the new Justin Timberlake cd.
If you blinked, you probably missed it, but President George W. Bush just suspended habeas corpus.
On Tuesday, he signed the Military Commissions Act of 2006. This bill authorizes “harsh interrogations of terror suspects” (e.g. waterboarding); while “no court, justice, or judge shall have jurisdiction to hear or consider an application for a writ of habeas corpus [for] an alien detained by the United States.” Thus, the detainee can not protest his imprisonment; nor can he look at or dispute the evidence that got him imprisoned in the first place.
In sum, if the US says that you’re an enemy combatant—or thinks that you might be—it can imprison you, torture you, ignore the Geneva Convention, and prevent you from pleading your innocence in a court of law. Oh, and let’s not forget that before all that happens, the US can also wiretap your phone without telling anyone. (you forgot, didn’t you?)
Now, it is true that this act was written and signed with current Guantanamo Bay detainees in mind; and it is also true that the MCA of 2006 suspends habeas corpus for “aliens.” So Mr. Joe American has nothing to worry about, right? Ha, yeah right. The government just suspended habeas corpus; if they say you’re an enemy, would they really care that you have a Social Security card? We certainly didn’t care about detaining Japanese-American citizens during WWII.
In the end, The Military Commissions Act sets a frightful precedent of suspending or ignoring longstanding rights and laws in the name of protecting the homeland.
Which law is next?
What also concerns me is that “the Supreme Court ruled in June that trying detainees in military tribunals violated U.S. and international law, so Bush urged Congress to change the law…” Just think about that: the Supreme Court said he couldn’t break the rules, so he had the rules changed.
I get the administration's stance: there is evil in the world that will go to any length to harm and kill Americans, and we must protect and defend ourselves. I agree with that statement; but while we’re trying to protect ourselves, let’s not ignore and trample on American laws and freedoms. If we do, what America are we protecting? George Orwell warned us of an all-powerful government that watches you, kidnaps you, imprisons you, and tells no one about it—that’s an America I’m sure no one wants. Yet, the administration seems to be constantly taking baby-steps in that direction.
Then again, I suppose if the terrorists hate us for our freedoms, and we give up those freedoms, they won’t hate us anymore, right?
Boy, my Duke University Divinity School friends are weird! I mean, they study obscure Biblical passages, have a more than a pedestrian understanding of Christian dogma (according to some, the Holy Spirit is a person…yeah, I don’t know either), make jokes about Martin Luther and Methodism, and have rants about the state the Christian Church.
However, the weirdest (and coolest) thing about having Divinity school friends is that they give sermons. Yeah, seeing the guy you hung out with on Saturday night stand at the pulpit on Sunday morning and led an entire congregation in worship is kinda mind-blowing.
So, a couple of Sundays ago, I went to a Sunday service at the church where my friend Chris works. And as expected, Chris stood at the pulpit, read from “the word of the Lord,” helped prepare the bread and wine for the Eucharist, and did other associate-pastoral duties.
However, what was more interesting than my buddy Chris being all pastoral-like was the congregation of the church. It was small.
Really small. I’m talking 12-16 people in the church, including me, the pastor, Chris, and his girlfriend Kelly.
Thus, during the announcements and prayer requests, I saw the hidden magic of a small congregation—it was less like a collection of worshippers and more like tight-knit community. When referring to church members who were not present, the congregation simply used first names; and there was no need to fully explain the members’ situation, everyone already knew what was going on. There was even a touching moment when the congregation expressed joy that one of the member’s health had improved to the point that he could attend service again. Members would also talk out of turn, sometimes interrupting the pastor mid-sentence—but no one cared, not even the pastor.
The congregation reminded me of what the early Church must have been like—or was supposed to be like.
This church (North Chapel Hill Baptist Church), was more than the current monolithic impersonal mega-churches, more than the hip new church with the snazzy commercial and rock concert-ish service, more to than the church going through a schism because the church elders don’t like tambourines, and more than any “Christian” church that rejects and rebukes potential members based on the most superficial and skin-deep criteria (Catholic Church and your stance on homosexuality, I’m looking at you); North Chapel Hill Baptist Church gets it.
So why didn’t I sign up? Why am I not a member of NCHBC? It’s so sad to say, but I need people my own age at a church. At this particular service, NCHBC had 3 kids of high school age, me and my two mid-20s friends, then a sudden jump to the 50’s and on up. And we’re talking up.
But at least I’ve seen what a church is supposed to be like, what a church can be like, and what I’ll be looking for in the future.
Normally, when I work out in the morning, I’m by myself in the apartment complex’s gym, so I get to put the TV on whatever I want; and I want my ESPN. Why? Well, because it's a good partner in my pursuit of buff-ness, it increases the general testosterone level in the place, and because Sportscenter is awesome.
Yet, tragedy struck yesterday morning when I walked into the gym to find that some other guy already had the TV on MTV.
Now, usually, it’s safe to assume that any member of the male species would never object to watching Sportscenter; but since he didn’t indicate if it was ok to change the channel, I didn’t bring the issue up. I just got on the elliptical machine (or the “EFX” as us Furman kids called it), turned on my MP3 player, and, um, "ellipticaled."
Please note that besides a spattering of semi, quasi, sneakily-edited, “reality” shows, I have no reason to watch MTV. Well, boy did I get a glimpse into what the ‘M’ in MTV is like these days…TRL was on, and HOORAY, it was “Spankin’ Free Music Week”!
Oh, sorry, that “hooray” was supposed to read “yawn.” I mean, we still pay the cable bill that gives us MTV, so when is the music ever “free"?
Anyway, seeing as the TV is right in front of the elliptical machine, I was pretty much forced to watch MTV for 30 minutes (luckily, my MP3 player meant I didn't have to listen). So, seeing as it's been a while since I've seen TRL, here’s what I noticed:
1. John Norris believes if he's botoxed and mystic-tanned enough, we'll forget he's 80. Seriously, this man is still working for MTV News? I’m pretty sure he was there when I was in middle school. Since then, MTV personalities like Bill Bellamy, Tabitha Soren, Kennedy, Carson Daly, Ananda Lewis, Alison Stewart, Chris Connelly, and Matt Pinfield, have come and gone.
Oh John Norris, you’re so sad. And what’s sadder is that I can safely assume that Kurt Loder is still with the network. Guys; leave; no one thinks of MTV as being a worthwhile news source. And if you are going to stay, try not to pretend that you’re still young and hip. Really now, even Anderson Cooper let the grey grow out.
2. It seems that being on a quasi-reality show qualifies Stephen from Laguna Beach to be a VJ. I beg to differ; all he’s qualified to do is smoke pot, say “that’s weak,” and…hmm, yeah, that’s about it.
3. There are more skanky-dressed girls singing really bad music than ever before. From Danity Kane to Rihanna, I’m not impressed. And, I mean, "Cassie," who the hell is that?
Where's Jill Scott? Where's Sheryl Crow? Hell, I'd even settle for Toni Braxton right about now.
4. Sean Combs still thinks he's cool.
5. The Game seems to think that if he throws around the "West Side" hand symbol, and walks around an LA neighborhood shirt-less and tattoo-ed up, we will think he's Tupac.
6. Nelly Furtado's songs are now a study in the art of dissonance. Why must the verse’s melody be so utterly incongruent with the chorus’ melody? Plus, the beat does a periodic yet sudden 180 degree turn, making the songs impossible to dance to. Even Justin Timberlake's Sexyback engages in this musical mystery. I just don’t get it, but I blame Justin's and Nelly's musical producer, Timbaland (you know he hasn't been the same since baby girl died).
7. TRL is still incapable, or unwilling, to show a music video in its entirety. Idiots. (But at least they got rid of interrupting the videos with the classic, "This is Joe from Atlanta, and I want to say hi to my dog Buster. Oh, and I really like Ashanti, WOOOOOOOOOO!!")
Now, don’t even get me starting on VH1; do they even know what a music video is anymore? Well, at least Best Week Ever is funny.
So, around the beginning of the summer, my car’s brakes started to squeak. Not all the time mind you, just the first few times I would apply the breaks after starting the car. This was especially true in the morning, after the car had been parked all night.
Now, I wasn’t too worried about this because: 1) the brakes didn’t squeak all the time 2) the car is less than three years old, there’s no way the brake pads are gone by now.
But finally I got so annoyed by the “squeaky squeak squuuueeak” (and figured that I should ensure that, indeed, my brake pads still existed), that I took the good ol’ Ford Focus to the mechanic.
The minute I started to explain my situation to the guy behind the counter, he began to proactively predict what I was going to say next. Behind-the-counter-guy then looked over at his co-worker (I’ll call him Bob), and said, “Hey Bob, go see if it’s the typical problem with the Focus, or something different.”
It was then that they explained the situation: apparently, in an effort to help the brakes last longer (thereby saving the thrifty Focus purchasers money) Ford removed the asbestos from the Ford Focus’ brake pads.
Did anyone know that asbestos was in brakes pads? I sure didn’t. All I knew about asbestos was that it was some chemical that was used in the ceilings of buildings built in the 1970s, and had to be removed in the 1990s because we realized that it was poisonous. That, and sometimes the local news will entice you to watch the 11pm broadcast with the classic teaser: “Asbestos outbreak at local middle school, could it be yours?!? Protect yourself! Go buy bottled water! Run! Now! But be back by 11, ‘cuz we’ll also have a story about the cute dog show.”
Anyway, Bob and I got out to the car, and he confirms that my “squeaky squeak squuuueeak” problem is the typical Ford-Focus-sans-the-asbestos, dilemma. He also says that he wouldn’t feel right about replacing my brake pads, because this problem would just resurface later on down the line.
While I appreciate Ford trying to save me money, who the hell wants long-lasting squeaky brakes?!
So, there I sat, powerless in my squeaky car. You should know that I’m not worried that my brake pads may wear down to nothing without me knowing it, because each oil change/tire rotation at a Ford dealership comes with a free multi-point inspection. Nor I am worried that this mechanic was giving me mis-information, because if they wanted to swindle me, they wouldn’t have let me drive off with all my money.
Now, I haven’t been able to find anything on the internet to officially corroborate the mechanics asbestos claim (except maybe this), which sort of makes me want a second opinion. But, nevertheless, the squeakiness is really starting to grate my nerves. Every time I come to stop, I tense up in preparation, I worry about how loud the squeak will be, and I’m cognizant of people around me who will turn to see who just scratched nails on a chalkboard.
Plus, a squeaky Ford Focus communicates one of two things: either I don’t know how to take care of my car, or my car is cheaply made. I’m not a fan of either image.
So, this whole mess also makes me think of doing something kinda crazy, but possibly awesome—get the car I wanted in the first place:
The Toyota Matrix.
As you can tell, I like hatchbacks. But, considering the transitory nature of 20-somethings, I really like the matrix because it can do this:
Drool.
Of course, it’s not the sexiest hatchback ever. That’d be the Mazda 3. But I digress.
So, I’m currently contemplating if I should trade-in the squeaky car (that I was relegated to own per credit approval, mind you) and get the Toyota Matrix, and maybe be happier with my means of conveyance. On the other hand, perhaps I should be happy that I have a car at all and just make sure to take really good car of it, squeaks and all.
There’s also the issue that I have no idea how to go about selling a car, getting a good price, and turning around and buying a car from a separate car company. But, with Ford going down the tubes, and fast, I’m thinking about my options more and more.
Recently, the New York Times asked reporters, bloggers, columnist, politicos, and other worldly people to write on “If 9/11 never happened.” That got me thinking: ...
Michael Moore would be little more than an answer on Trivial Pursuit.
24, a television show about a man working for the fictional “Counter Terrorist Unit,” may not have been as popular.
We would not have spent so much time wondering if Rudy Giuliani will run for president.
The opening credits of Sex and the City and Law and Order: Criminal Intent would not have been re-edited to remove all shots of the Twin Towers.
$2.99 plastic American flags that attach to your car would not have been so annoyingly ubiquitous. (Really, I never got the point of that. Is the terrorist on the other side of the globe going to get nervous because the guy in the F-150 and soccer mom in the 4Runner love America and aren’t afraid to show it?)
The search for Chandra Levy, the suspicion of Rep. Gary Condit’s possible involvement, and the media’s fascination with the story would have continued to transfix America's attention…at least for a little while longer.
Most Americans would still be woefully unaware of who Osama Bin Laden is.
“Let’s roll,” “Slam dunk” and “quagmire” would be less meaningful.
Joseph C. Wilson would have never refuted the Administration’s reasoning for the Iraq war. In a reaction to Wilson’s argument, columnist Robert Novak would not have revealed Wilson’s wife, Valerie Plame, as an undercover C.I.A. As such, there would have been no investigation to identify Novak’s source; and Scooter Libby would still be the Vice-president’s Chief of Staff.
Joe Lieberman, one of the Democrats biggest and more vocal supporters for the Iraq war, probably would not have lost his recent re-election campaign.
Colin Powell’s national and international reputation as a trust-worthy and reliable man would remain untarnished.
Canada and Australia would not have recently elected more conservative leaders than the leaders that preceded them.
"The Dubai Port deal"—with its proposed control of US ports by an Arab nation—would have been approved with nary a whisper of opposition from Capital Hill.
The term “Axis of Evil” would not have been born.
There would be no Department of Homeland Security, Patriot Act, NSA wiretapping program, or color-coded scale of the terror threat.
Halliburton (without the contracts to rebuild Iraq) would not be as widely known, and its connection to the Vice President would be trivial.
Saddam would still be in power.
Iraq would not have a democratically elected government.
Iraq would not be besieged by insurgents, Al Qaeda, daily road bombs, beheadings, and mosque bombings.
The Taliban would still control Afghanistan.
Afghanistan (sans Kabul) would not currently be overrun by Taliban sympathizers, murderers, rampant opium growers and other persons hell-bent on disrupting order and change.
Without the restriciton of further military action placed on the US military due to Iraq and Afghanistan, either Iran or North Korea may have been dealt with via military force (and whichever one of those nations who wasn’t dealt with, would run back to its non-nuclear yesteryear with its tail between its legs).
The Bush presidency would have been remembered for No Child Left Behind, the Medicare overhaul, not signing the Kyoto Protocol, and would be a case study in how to win without the majority…until Hurricane Katrina.
Katrina would have been the defining moment of the Bush’s presidency. That would have provided the image of George W. Bush standing atop rubble saying “we shall overcome, we shall rebuild, we are Americans.”
George W. Bush may not have won a second term. Pre-9/11, President Bush was the whipping boy for a media intent on making him seem bewildered by his surroundings. Every picture of him seemed to convey a deer caught in headlights; seemed to communicate a man way over his head. There were many Americans who agreed with that view. But after 9/11, Bush became a “war-on-two-fronts” president; he was a president seeped in the atmosphere of 9/11, he had the entire nation behind him—he really was “the uniter, not the divider.” Yet, in the 2004 election, he got 51% of the vote. If 49% of the nation wanted to “change horses” in a post-9/11 America, how many would have been content to “change horses” without the terrorist attacks?
Excluding the 19 hijackers, 2,973 people would not have collectively and simultaneously lost their lives on September 11th (fyi, the above numbers, and ones I’m going to list below, are from Wikipedia.com; however, I’ve made a conscience decision to not hyperlink anywhere in this post).
Due to the Afghanistan war: 475 coalition forces, ~200 Northern Alliance forces, ~950 Pakistan military officers, ~1,100 Afghan security forces, and 3,485 Afghani civilians would not be dead. 6,273 Afghani civilians and 894 American military would not have been injured or wounded.
Due to the Iraq war: 2,885 coalition forces, 3,313 civilian citizens of coalition nations (included 428 contractors), 6,167 (Post-Saddam) Iraqi Security forces, and more than 50,000 Iraqi civilians would not be dead. 24,086 coalition forces would not have been wounded in action.
In sum, around 71,548 people would not have lost their lives from a direct, or indirect, result of the September 11th attacks (that number excludes the deaths of Taliban personal, Saddam forces, 9/11 hijackers, Iraqi insurgents, and other coconspirators).
The average American, even in the face of terrorist attacks in other Westernized nations (e.g. Britain, Spain, Jordan, etc), would be more-or-less unconcerned with Islamic extremist and their hatred towards the Western world. This lack of concern would last until a terrorist act as covertly planned, being executed with similar sufficiency, and having just as much shock-value and death toll as 9/11, would have been carried out on American soil. If, without a 9/11, America didn’t sit up and take notice of the going-ons of Arab world, some other act of terrorism (perhaps causing greater horror than 9/11) would have snapped us out of our reverie.
And finally, if September 11th never happen, the lyrics to Don Henley’s (of The Eagles) 1989 song “New York Minute” would not be so poignant:
Lying here in the darkness I hear the sirens wail Somebody going to emergency Somebody’s going to jail If you find somebody to love in this world You better hand on tooth and nail The wolf is always at the door
In a New York minute Everything can change In a New York minute Things can get a little strange In a New York minute Everything can change In a New York minute
And in these days When darkness falls early And people rush home To the ones they love You better take a fool’s advice And take care of your own One day they’re here; Next day they’re gone.
And even while I feel it's a little out of place in the rectangular, utilitarian NY skyline…
...I’ll get over it.
What a powerful statement in the form of glass and metal: 20th century citadels are standing guard while four phoenixes rise from the ashes of unspeakable horror to illuminate the 21st century with hope, progress, and humanity's newest attempt to be who we are trying to be.
First off, apologies to any readers who do not have a predilection for the male form, but HOT DAMN; the man is the embodiment of "bringing sexy back." And he knows a thing or two about sexy.
I was just in the presence of an intellectual discussion that ranged from: “trickle-down economics,” the true meaning of the word “politics,” does voting equal “big P” politics, a Christian’s role in the current political and social world, the need (or lack thereof) for welfare…
Well, you get the point; there was a myriad of topics being discussed. And why did I say that I was “in the presence of” and not “participating in” this rousing discussion? Because, while I had a fairly good grasp on almost everything that was being discussed, my familiarity with the intricacies of the aforementioned topics was rough, not to mention I was hampered by the sluggish speed at which I was able to contemplate or formulate my opinions.
Thus, I’ve determined that I have spent too much time outside institutions of learning; too much time not learning or thinking critically.
So, what to do? Well, I either need to get my butt back in school, or read more. Sadly, neither of those looks like it’s going to happen anytime soon. I’m damned by my too-good-to-be-true yet 40-hour-a-week job, coupled with my perpetual laziness in even starting to study for the GRE again.
(Seriously, I’ve been reading The Good Earth for two months now; who does that?)
note: a "cox" is the guy/gal yelling "row, row faster" at the front of a competitive row boat. Angel: Did [you] know that Stephen Hawking used to be a cox for Oxford?! Me: um, was his talking wheelchair water-proof?
Angel thought it was funny, but it can be seen as a mighty offensive comment against the handicapped. But, I mean, seriously, the man is an talking wheelchair, and his monotone computer voice couldn't galvanize anyone. How the hell was he a cox?
And Nick, if you make one comment about me talking about "cox," I will internationally smack the back of your head.
Yeah, so Pluto is a planet no more. I'm pretty indifferent to this change, except that because of the decision, NASA give us one of the most awesome things I've ever seen:
So cool.
And check out that tiny-ness we call Earth. I mean, Jupiter makes us look like a pebble. (if you want to see a bigger version of the picture, here's the link to NASA.)
You left me mystified by—yet hooked on watching—the Laguna style of going on a date, which amounts to little more than talking on one’s cell phone while your date pretends not to notice, sipping your water through a black straw, then suddenly saying, ‘’want to leave?’’ MTV, you had me wondering who in the world always goes to a restaurant, café, coffee shop, or friend’s kitchen to talk about the days’ events, yet I loved every time the kids got together to talk about the day’s events.
I was engrossed in spring breaks in Cabo, ski trips to wherever the hell the kids went, proms with overpriced giant-hole-over-the-midriff dresses , girls wearing jean skirts to special events, and model queens who moved to Laguna just to be on the show. Why, I even cared about the sidekicks; you know, like Alex H. or "Stephen's friend" Dieter.
I loved how your camaras were quickly on someone as they got a phone call. You wanted me to think that the cameraman was filming Lo as she sunbathed, and luckily caught the moment that LC called about the par-tay. Please, I know you filmed that scene 5 times, but I didn't care. And speaking of parties, I always laughed a little when the kids would take drinks from red dixie cups...what, did you really want me to think they were drinking water? Yeah, Alex M. and Jessica had thier blow-out verbal tougne-lashing fight because they were drunk off of the H2O.
And despite knowing all of it's faults, despite knowing that I really shouldn’t care about this mind-numbing drivel you created, dammit, I did care. And I really have no idea why I cared. I guess you just have that magic MTV.
But after you get me hooked, you give me the sugar-laced crack otherwise known as season 3. Season 3 is horrid; it’s the same formula, only with a pinch of pure torture. The girls are just plain mean, plus being over-mascaraed and over-taned. Plus, the guys are clueless and the boring protagonist has a voice that makes my eardrums bleed. And I want to smack the kids' parents for naming thier offspring "Kyndra", "Cami", and "Raquel".
The addiction may be over. Why did you do this? You're pure evil, MTV; evil.
With much hatred,
Warren not “G”
(oh, and readers, if you even think of chastising me for posting about “Laguna Beach,” save it; I’m quite aware of my dork status.)
Transcript from the Presidential press conference, August 21, 2006: QUESTION: What did Iraq have to do with it? BUSH: What did Iraq have to do with what? QUESTION: The attack on the World Trade Center. BUSH: Nothing. Except it’s part of — and nobody has suggested in this administration that Saddam Hussein ordered the attack. Iraq was a — Iraq — the lesson of September 11th is take threats before they fully materialize, Ken. Nobody’s ever suggested that the attacks of September the 11th were ordered by Iraq.
Presidential Letter to the House and Senate, March 18, 2003: Consistent with section 3(b) of the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 (Public Law 107-243), and based on information available to me, including that in the enclosed document, I determine that: … (2) acting pursuant to the Constitution and Public Law 107-243 is consistent with the United States and other countries continuing to take the necessary actions against international terrorists and terrorist organizations, including those nations, organizations, or persons who planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001. Sincerely, GEORGE W. BUSH
Anyone else’s head about to implode from trying to understand this 180 degree reversal that amounts to a bold-faced Presidential self-contradiction? Well, when 61% of Americans now oppose the war, I doubt I’m the only one just a little bit confused.
1. Furman is in Traveler's Rest, SC; the fact that we achieve any form of superior education in a state as backwards (yet lovable) as that is an achievement all by itself.
2. Washington and Lee is 39, Vassar is 42, Colby is 49, Davidson is 57 (really?), St. Lawrence is 102.
3. Seriously, who has heard of 90% of the schools below #100? I'm not going to lie, I'm damn proud of that 37. Keep it up Furman, you may continue to make my diploma even more valuable, I don't mind.
The recent legislation to increase the minimum wage has died. Why? Because the Senate Republicans attached it to a decrease in their oh-so-precious estate tax, and Senate Democrats were petty enough to kill the bill just to prevent the Republicans from having a victory right before the November elections.
And what about the minimum wage worker who couldn’t care less, one way or the other, if the rich folks are paying less taxes for their estates? Apparently, no one cares.
Stupid politics. Looks like my hopes that the Congressional Democrats may actually do something significant (you know, besides whine, complain, and forget to actually serve the American people) were premature—if not misplaced.
Their being kidnapping sparked this melee, but has Israel demanded for the soldiers’ safe return? Has Hezbollah even admitted to having the soldiers in their custody in the first place?
Have the soldiers been killed, or are they alive?
Has the Israeli government told the soliders' families that their son/husband/father was one of the ones who was kidnapped? If so, why have no relatives entered onto the world stage to plead for the soldiers’ lives and safe return?
Are the Israeli attacks endangering the lives of the soldiers being held in Hezbollah territory?
What are the soldiers’ names?
Hmm, guess people are too busy bombing to ask. That, or something is rotten in the state of Israel....
While there have been a number of blog postings here at Missing Lunchbox in the recent past, I realize that there has been a dearth of posts about my personal life. I could just say that in light of the current world events, discussing my personal trials and tribulations would seem inappropriate. But nah, really it’s just that life has been going pretty smoothly. In the near future I may post about my “trials and tribulations” with finding a new church—once I find a new church.
But, let me tell you about this: We had a “health fair” today at work. You know, one of those things where you get all your vitals checked so you can see just how amazing it is that you’re still breathing, while having ungodly fit people tell you to stop eating cookies and go with cauliflower. Well, my blood pressure, glucose level, cholesterol, and skin health were all excellent (go me!). However, according to one of those lovely little BMI machines, I’m overweight.
OVERWEIGHT? Are you kidding me, please, look at me:
Yeah, total lard ass right there. Geez, how do I fit through my door in the morning?
To her credit, the girl at the BMI station did warn me to take the results “with a grain of salt” as they are not always accurate. Um, ya think?
(By the way, who else is glad that Americans no longer have to pay the State Dept. $3000 to be evacuated from Lebanon?
And who else is mystified as to why we're going to wait a week to send Condoleezza to the region for some diplomacy? Looks like we’re going to wait for Israel to decimate Lebanon, kill untold number of civilians, ignore international condemnations, fracture itself from the rest of civilized world, and royally piss off the Arab community, all in the name of toppling Hezbollah, BEFORE we intervene. Sounds like a great idea, huh?)
1.Iran is spitting in the face of geopolitical pressure by continuing it’s progression towards nuclear power. While they report to having only the purest of intentions (i.e. nuclear power plants for energy), the more likely objective of possessing WMD is as transparent as it is scary.
2.North Korea is firing rockets like it is freaking New Year’s Eve, except this event is less celebratory and more self-aggrandizing. And while these rockets spend more time falling haphazardly from the sky than they do actually working, they are certainly much better rockets than the ones North Korea didn’t have six years ago. While there is no way North Korea will be able to strike the US mainland any time soon, I’d be quite nervous if I were in South Korea or Japan right now.
3.And, good ol' Israel seems to want to bomb Lebanon into extinction. Don’t get me wrong, when two of its soldiers are kidnapped by Hezbollah, Israel has every right to respond forcefully; but Israel’s response is completely disproportionate to the crime. To put into perspective, the bombing of Beirut is reminiscent of the U.S. attack against Afghanistan, but that was in response to the September 11th attacks—that response was proportionate.
This over-the-top response is clearly not just about the two Israel soldiers; it is also about Israel not sitting idly by while its neighbors call for the death of Israel. This is about a people who believe that God chose this land for his people to settle and live, and the Israelis are not about to disobey God’s wishes. This is about a people who escaped slavery, wandered the desert, saw their temple burned (twice), spent about 1800 years in diaspora, were vilified for causing the death of Jesus, and then were systemically tortured, killed, and almost eradicated by the Nazis. I think that in the end, the bombing of Lebanon is Israel declaring that they “ain’t taking shit from anyone anymore”.
The problem is that a good chunk of the Arab world still wants to give them shit. These particular Arabs sees the presence of Israel, and all western influence in the Middle East, as an affront to Muslim sovereignty and dominion over the Middle East. But, the problem is even more basic than that: Israel is bombing Lebanon, with whom Syria and Iran are aligned. Hell, the entire region will be aligned with Lebanon if this bombing campaign continues much longer. And so here goes Israel and Hezbollah, about to plunge the Middle East into chaos unimaginable.
Can we call this a powderkeg? Sure. The perfect strom? Maybe. World War III? Well, that’d require at least two world powers facing each other from opposing sides (and I fear that an Iranian/North Korean alliance equates to one world power).
Now, can the current volatile state of the world be blamed solely on George W. Bush? Certainly not; the roots of this problem stretch back…well, centuries if you want to get technical. However, it still remains that U.S. military attention and force is bogged down in a quagmire caused by a misguided attempt to find WMD that we had no proof existed before the war, and found did not exist once we got there, while getting the added bonus of toppling a dictator whose strength and influence barely existed outside his nation’s border. The fact that we are "bogged down" presents the question: if diplomacy doesn’t work, does the U.S. have the ability to have a viable or realistic method to bring these three abovementioned situations under control?
In addition, as we all know, there a number of world issues that could benefit from the attention of the most powerful and richest nation in the world: the ozone layer is gradually become little more than an ozone screen, the US gulf coast seems to be just as unprepared for this hurricane season as it was for the last one; the starving and genocide in the Sudan continues unabated; and the might of the US military may soon be needed to bring two rouge nation-states in line while at the same time extinguishing the volatile Israeli/Lebanonese situation. However, the United States has no choice but to continue to commit itself to being the buttress holding up the wobbly Iraqi government—for an undetermined length of time I might add.
And somehow, despite the fact that the world is flirting with coming completely unhinged, I remain strangely optimistic that humanity will make it through. Perhaps this is because, from WWI to WWII, from Hiroshima to the Cuban Missile Crisis, from the Cold War to India/Pakistan, it still hasn’t happen.
I met a guy through a friend over the weekend. This guy, who is gay, and I had fun hanging out with our mutual friend Jon, but I didn't think much of it...until this IM conversation:
[his IM name]: fyi i thought you were damn cute [his IM name]: *blush*
Hey, it's progress, I'll take it. And although he lives in Winston-Salem NC, there was the exchanging of cell numbers, so we'll see...
The Democratic Party has been all but neutered since...um...John Kerry's run for president? The Republican "Contract with America"? Jimmy Carter? Lyndon B. Johnson's lack of a second-term? Yeah, that one.
But, in the past two days, two separate events have rocked this liberal's socks off:
1) (First, a little background) The Federal minimum wage has remained at $5.15 since 1998. In contrast, the US Congress has raised its salary from $136,700 to $162,100 between 1998 and 2005. That's an increase of $25,400 over seven years (or an increase of about $3,628 each year)
So, the minimum wage worker hasn't seen a pay increase in almost a decade, but the Congressperson has seen a substantial pay increase during the same time period. Now the Democrats deserve some blame for the anemic minimum wage, but who has been in control of Congress for all that time period--and the White House for most of it--the Republicans of course.
That is why I'm so proud to see that Senate Democrats want to raise the minimum wage to $7.25, while simultaneously blocking a Congressional salary increase. Is it possible that the Democratic Party, who stills holds just a minority in Congress, may actually stand up and do something substantial and worthwhile for the nation? Oh God, please say it's so.
(I’ll refrain from debating which is better: giving tax-breaks to rich and expecting the benefits to “trickle-down” to the lower-income individuals, or giving more money to the lower-income individuals, who will in turn pump money into the US retail economy. If you want to have that discussion, email me)
2) You may remember that back in March, Senator Russ Feingold introduced a resolution to censure President Bush, based on the President's controversial wiretapping program that some consider to be circumventing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. I must say, the concept of any politician speaking his mind by proposing legislation that will probably go nowhere, simply because that politician wholeheartedly believes that the said legislation needs to be proposed, is politically incredible. The concept of that politician being one of the current incarnations of Congressional Democrats is all but astonishing.
Well, Senator Feingold continued to be a politically rarity when, on this past Sunday NBC's "Meet the Press," he once again spoke his mind. He discussed, with veracity, honesty, intelligence, and eloquence on subjects such as the Iraq war, potential troop withdrawals, whether the war has made America safer, and defending himself against Vice-President Cheney's perennial charge that anti-Iraq sentiment boils down to "cut-and-run" and other hot-button issues.
I'll let the man speak for himself:
Russ Feingold on MTP June 25, 2006
russ feingold
While I don't agree with every word Senator Feingold said, it is clear that he's not regurgitating some pre-approved Democratic talking points; he's talking from the hip. If the Senator Feingold keeps saying what he means, and meaning what he says, I may just weep for joy.
Supporting a minimum wage increase AND Democrats speaking their mind; Democratic Party, are you revived?
Congrats to Nicole Kidman for marrying the (non-psycho, non-couch-jumping, non-homosexual, non-closet-case, non-Scientology drone) country crooner Keith Urban. Congrats to Keith Urban for being about the luckest man on the planet.
With that being said, forget Nancy Pelosi, Nicole Kidman's over-botoxed dad scares the ever-loving beJesus outta me. Ahhhh.
Please, they look like rejects from the rap group Bone-Thugs-n-Harmony. And they asked for boots, uniforms, machine guns, radios, vehicles, bulletproof vests and $50,000 in cash from al Qaeda to wage their proposed jihad against the U.S.That's not a very good jihad-waging list; but wow, they would have been the most strapped guys on the block. And $50,000 can buy lots of pot, which it appears that these fellows enjoy.
Oh, and the guy they were requesting their supplies from wasn't from al Qaeda; he was from the FBI.
Terrorism should never be funny, but damn this is just hilarious. Idiots.
As a democrat, it is so sad that Democratic Party may take a majority of Congress in November, not due to the party's strength and vision, but rather due the public's dissaifiaction with The Grand Ol' Party and the President.
Plus, I'm pretty scared of the current House Minority Leader, Nancy Pelosi, becoming the Majority Leader. No; seriously, her face scares me, and I don't want to see it more than I have to.
Ronald Reagan - divorced the mother of two of his children to marry Nancy Reagan, who bore him a daughter only 7 months after the marriage.
Bob Dole - divorced the mother of his child, who had nursed him through the long recovery from his war wounds.
Newt Gingrich - divorced his wife who was dying of cancer.
Dick Armey - House Majority Leader - divorced
Sen. Phil Gramm of Texas - divorced
Gov. John Engler of Michigan - divorced
Gov. Pete Wilson of California - divorced
George Will - divorced
Sen. Lauch Faircloth - divorced
Rush Limbaugh - Rush and his current wife Marta have six marriages and four divorces between them.
Rep. Bob Barr of Georgia - Barr, not yet 50 years old, has been married three times. Barr had the audacity to author and push the "Defense of Marriage Act." The current joke making the rounds on Capitol Hill is "Bob Barr...WHICH marriage are you defending?!?
Sen. Alfonse D'Amato of New York - divorced
Sen. John Warner of Virginia - divorced (once married to Liz Taylor.)
Gov. George Allen of Virginia - divorced
Henry Kissinger - divorced
Rep. Helen Chenoweth of Idaho - divorced
Sen. John McCain of Arizonia - divorced
Rep. John Kasich of Ohio - divorced
Rep. Susan Molinari of New York - Republican National Convention Keynote Speaker - divorced
While I do not have the time to confirm the validity of all those statements, I have no reason to believe they are false; especially since I already knew about some of them. Also, I know that two of the greatest Americans to ever live—Franklin D. Roosevelt and Martin Luther King Jr.—both had affairs; if these two great Americans could stumble in their fidelity, what would prevent Bob Barr from making a career out of getting divorced?
So, it seems that the abovementioned Republicans have done a pretty good job at “threatening the sanctity of marriage” without any homosexuals involved.
I'm not quite sure what meaning or message this imagery is supposed to convey. Perhaps that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi either performed or oversaw a number of ruthless beheadings and other forms of violence, and the above is his Danté's Inferno -style eternal punishment. Perhaps it is some form of Islamic imagery to which I am unfamiliar. Whatever the message, it does convey that the bastard is nowhere near those 40 virgins, and that is enough for me.
And while I wish that his death translated into a decrease--or discontinuation--of the insurgency-inspired violence in Iraq, I doubt it...
Yesterday, my new friend Ben was waxing poetic about his home state of Arkansas. Now, I’m not going lie, I didn’t think there was much to be proud of in Arkansas unless you supported Bill Clinton—or lived in Little Rock. Nevertheless, Ben taught me to appreciate the Ozarks, Razorbacksathletics, and Arkansas’ strong Southern culture.
Excuse me, Southern culture? Arkansas?
Now, I know you may find it strange that a gay black man loves the South (and trust me, I find it just as strange), but I never considered Arkansas to be part of my Dixie. But after my personal—and I’ll admit haphazard—test of Southern-ness (prevalence of Rebel Flags, sweet tea, Confederacy membership, unbearable humidity) I decided to concede and recognize Arkansas as the South. Upon retrospect, I should have also inquired about the local pervasiveness of kudzu and use of the phrase “y’all,” but we all know that hindsight is 20/20.
So, for your edification, my South now constitutes: Southern Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas.
And now, to explain the notable exclusions: 1. Northern Virginia (or NOVA, as the locals call it) cuddles right up to the sprawling metropolitan area of D.C. As a result, NOVA’s attempt at an identity is lost in the shadow of a capital known for its progressiveness and intermingling of diverse national and international cultures, both of which constitute an antithesis to the South. 2. Kentucky is on the fringe of being the South, so I’ll consider the state if someone convinces me to care about it. 3. Texas can't be the South because everyone from there seems to wants Texas to be its own nation anyway. 4. Florida, much like California, is such an American oddity that marches to the beat of its own Red Bull fueled manic drummer, that sometimes I wonder if it’s still considered part of the nation, let alone the South.
In other news, Pennsylvania is a Mid-Atlantic state, maybe even the Mid-West, but not New England (if you were wondering).
Ahhh, life is returning to something that resembles normalcy. I’m four weeks into the six week training at the new job, I have received the first paycheck, and the new apartment is no longer buried under a clutter of boxes. I suppose you could say that “the flux” has subsided.
Oh, and the wedding of Lindley and Mark was wonderful, as was the carpool down to Greenville (thanks for the company Linda and Phil).
But something has been troubling me since Greenville. The night before the wedding I was talking with my friend Kat who was also down for the holy matrimony. Kat randomly wanted to confirm her hypothesis that a certain Furman graduate and I did not get along, because, as she put it, “your similar personalities might clash.” Indeed, this Furman grad (let’s call him “Sturgeon”) and I aren’t exactly friends; but we’re not enemies either—at best, we’re acquaintances.
Well, as the conversation with Kat continued, she half-way said that both “Sturgeon” and I tend to dominate conversations. Um, wow.
So, now I wonder, “do I dominate conversations?” Certainly, as an only child whose parents divorced, I was the focal point of my mother’s attention. Perhaps I crave that same attention in other venues in my life—with friends, social situations, facebook, this blog, etc
Could it be that my sociability verges on being domineering?
Maybe I need to tone it down in social situations: stop focusing on myself and my stories as much, while simultaneously lessening the expression of my humor, verbal quips and one-liners (which would directly contradict this blog's existence, I know).
Or maybe I don’t over-dominate conversations. Maybe my ability to excel in social situations is not due to me browbeating other people into social submission, but rather due to me just excelling in social situations.
Yeah, we're getting a little closer to "Big Brother" here.
(Although, I gotta say, I’ve never put much stock in the idea that terrorists want to kill Americans because we have freedom of speech, press, to bear arms, religion, or judged by a jury of our peers. This is because I think someone on the other side of world who’s just trying to make it day by day couldn’t care less about what political concepts make Americans’ lives more free.
I mean, do they want to kill us because they’re jealous that we can peacefully assemble?
No, they want to kill us because our government has a long history of getting involved in, and manipulating, foreign nations’ political and social climates, including—but not limited to—surreptitiously supporting coups. That, and our presence and influence in the Arab world (not to mention our support of Israel) are seen as an affront to Islam and to Arabs controlling their own part of the world. Not saying that any of that warrants terrorist activity, just saying that's why terrorist hate us, not our freedoms.
As I've gotten older, I've noticed some new interest have entered my world.
I now care about 401(k)s and IRAs. Getting good medical coverage rocks my world. I watch CNN like it's my religion, and I see MTV as a stinking pile of crap that destroys your mind and sense of what is good and evil.
I realize that by renting an apartment instead of living in a townhouse, I'm essentially throwing my money away every month. I have become inquisitive about where to purchase the best furniture for the best price (which has lead me to bemoan that's there's no IKEA closer than four hours away, and forced me to accept that Target may not actually be the best place in world).
Furthermore, everyday I'm more and more upset about how much the state and federal government waste my tax money. (WHY am I still paying for Social Security?)
Well, today, I realized that I have achieved another rite of passage into adulthood. Twice today, I found myself looking at an attractive male's ring finger to see if he is married. TWICE. I knew people did such things, but geez. Is it possible that guys my age are more likely to be married than gay? (um, yeah, rhetorical question, I know the answer.)
Is it possible? Am I getting old?
What's next? Will I be impatient to receive AARP benefits? Will I start watching C-Span? Will I call the 16 year old speeding by in his Mustang a "young whipper-snapper?" Will I go on a harangue about when I had to walk to school, up hill, both ways, in the snow? Will I wax nostalgic for the days when gas cost less than a dollar a gallon?
I officially declared early May, “Life in Flux;” when life will be turned upside-down, shaken, tossed around, and then wait around for me to put it upright. There are three reasons for the life in flux: 1. THE NEW JOB: Yes, once again I have a new job. The mentoring thing didn’t work, mainly because the money was inconsistent (I only got paid for when I physically interacted with a client), so I did the job search once again and hit pay dirt. I will be working for Biogen Idec, doing over the phone customer support for clients taking Biogen’s Multiple Sclerosis medication.
Trust me, the job is awesome: not only do I get to help people with a debilitating disease (something I love), but I also get medical, dental, vision, 401(k), stock options, and an unreal salary—this a real person job.
The new job also means that right now I’m one week into a six-week training for the new job, and that I won’t get a paycheck until the 19th, which may mean that I’ll have to pull out the credit card that hasn’t been used since college, just to make it until the 19th.
2. LINDLEY'S WEDDING: This upcoming Friday I’ll be driving down to Greenville, SC for a friend’s wedding. I like weddings, and I like Lindley and Mark together, so this event would not be stressful if it weren’t for the wedding being on Saturday, me driving back to Chapel Hill on Sunday, and on Monday moving into…
3. THE NEW APARTMENT: Indeed, the Monday after Lindley’s wedding, I’m moving into a new apartment with the current roomie Diana. In addition, I have to be completely out of the current apartment by Tuesday.
So, in the span of four days, I’m going to be in Greenville at a wedding, driving back to Chapel Hill, moving out of one apartment, and cleaning and vacating the current apartment. I’m tired just writing that.
Plus, I’m not looking forward to that transition where you have to get all the utilities switched over to a new residence—I may be without cable or the internet for a while (shudder).
My life should be back to normal by the 21st, expect more blogging around then.
I have a hunger to know what’s going on in the world, the intelligence to establish an opinion, the understanding that others may and will disagree with me, and the maturity to realize that sometimes the others will be right. But, I have the drive to figure it all out.
