I don't understand the rationale of people who send money to aid overseas disasters like the Myanmar cyclone.

I've known about the Junta for years; they're no good. So when I read this morning that they're pretty much stealing the foreign aid, I basked in my own rightness.

People feel compelled to throw money at causes that have absolutely no mutual benefit. I find this especially true amongst Catholics because the philosophy is 'it's the Catholic thing to do'.

Being raised Catholic, I've seen this first hand, and every time the collection plate was handed out, it was known that the money was most likely going to a mission in El Salvador or some place like that. Even as a young boy with no concept of the value of a dollar, I simply couldn't understand how something that was not mutually beneficial to both giver and receiver was a reasonable thing to do with money.

If one is going to give money, give in your own community! You get good Karma, a tax write-off, and your own area improves!

Seriously how much money did we funnel to Indonesia only to have a disaster of our own happen. All of that money could have been used HERE.

Stop sending money overseas!

You're all a Bunch of Suckers!

Precious Roy, Precious Roy, Makin' lots o' suckers outta girls and boys!

It’s that time of year again; time for dinner with my folks.

I’ve got this sort of pants splitting malaise going into this thing. My godparents are going because everyone insists on inviting them, which isn’t a bad thing, but they’re both devout Catholics (my god father is actually a deacon.). They’re oh so totally John McCain, G.W. Bush, Arnold Schwarzenegger fans and Fox News junkies. It really makes me bananas to be that horribly outnumbered in the realm of reality, especially when I can’t orally retaliate to their ridiculousness because I, believe it or not, care about their feelings.

At the same time, it’s a little quaint. My brother is 13, so I feel I should say to him “get a good look at this, kid. They’re a dying breed”, which is true, so we should tolerate their antics at the expense of our stomach acid whittling away our collective esophagus every time the quote O’Reilly or talk about Iran.

But yet, I’m wrong! How many people are supporting McCain right now! It’s partially Hillary’s fault for being such an icy shrew. Doesn’t she know she’s the republican punch line? No one likes her, and the repubs know she’d be easy to beat.

McCain wants to boot Russia out of the G-8 Summit! Can you believe that? Douchetard! The way the G-8 is set up, Russia would have to submit approval of their own ousting (even if, by some unthinkable Bizzarro-World scenario, the other 6 countries agreed with the U.S.). Doesn’t John McCain do ANY fact finding before he says shit?

I’d love to use that factoid for ammo at the dinner table, but these are the types that can’t be swayed.

Refried beans, strong margaritas, and a table packing a 70% conservative majority. Sounds like a hell of a birthday party, Ma. I can’t wait to discuss how great my trip to Red China was.

I was a super big baby about not getting my black belt. I mean, I had valid arguments that I still stand by, but nevertheless, I didn’t need to be such a bitch about it.

This too shall pass. When I made reference to America being an infantile nation, I meant that we are too hooked on instant gratification and over-stimulation.

I began to think about this when I was at the Hubei Provincial Museum and glanced at a 350,000 year old cranium. Just looking at that chunk of bone should be enough evidence against creationism and ‘intelligent design’ to the folks back home. Alas, there are still people who believe the earth was created a mere 6000 years ago. Sigh.

What is our education system back home? Ancient history is danced around, sidestepped and avoided like the plague. Social studies time is more directly devoted to sugar coated propaganda about Indians and pilgrims sharing a delicious bounty of poultry and corn; never quite bridging the gap between that and the Trail of Tears. Public education sucks, so I can’t really complain about the creationists without throwing in a footnote.

Back to the topic at hand, I too fall victim to the on demand lifestyle here. Some things need to be earned and appreciated. I advanced four belts in one year where people at best increase two.

I decided to stick it out. I’m starting combat Taiji next week, which looks really fucking cool, and will cultivate my Yin J

On Yahoo! News the question was posed "Did the war cause economic downturn?"

It's amazing how badly Americans can be duped as soon as the media or a politician or a big fat recovering alcholic/sex fiend/prescription drug addict points their finger in a direction, or how forgetful they are of facts and statistics.

OF COURSE the war caused the economic downturn! The war costs how much per minute? Print more money-- drive the dollar down. Borrow even more money through foreign securities-- drive the dollar down. Who wants to invest in us? No one, and big companies outsource to retain profits, and the laid off worker is effed.

If that doesn't work for you, you can look at the fact that we invaded the number two producer of crude oil, completely bumble-fucked the entire operation, destroyed the infrastructure, and made it 20000 zillion times harder to get that oil revenue generating again...the result? $3.50 a gallon for gas, and approx the same for heating oil.

Jeez Louise.

I don't have a great sweeping barometer that measures the thoughts, feelings, and attitudes of the entire country...I only have what I see.

When I saw what I saw...everyone turning around with that 'WTF?' look, and my own "typical". I felt bad to feel that way...it's so ingrained in my thoughts from..not so much how...but where I was raised. I pictured what I could hear people I know say. "Now that we have a black president, they're gonna be running wild" or something equally ignorant. Not to mention the socio-economic imaginations like "oh now THEY'RE going to get all the jobs!"

I don't think we're ready for Barack Obama's America. People with thoughts and feelings and rationale are, but no one else is, and that's why I'm beginning to think Hillary Clinton would have been a good stepping stone to get us headed in some kind of a general direction that didn't involve down.

The latest political 'gaff' by Obama, is he claims small town America is bitter, and it makes them cling to their religion and their guns. Is that such an outrageous statement? Is it? I could point to anyone walking down the street of this town, and they would have at least two of those three symptoms. He should have said that small town America is a bunch of naive and sensistive pricks who are two stupid to realize the media is exploiting THEM, and hang on their every word. DUPED! How many times did you vote for Bush? Twice? I don't feel bad.

And the Rev. Wright thing, cuz you know I was gonna bring it up...what was it really that he said that made people mad? Because, I can say that I've uttered a few of those things over the past few years...People are afraid of black men with opinions, that's just the way this country still is. Consider Bill O'Reilly making the exact same comments.

I wish people got equally bent out of shape over Dick Cheney's "so?"

Did you actually watch Obama's speech on race? That was inspirational for fucking ANYONE to listen to, and they killed it within a few days.

Anytime someone says something bad about the country, we light torches and sharpen pitch forks, but patriotism is so temporary now. Think about September 12th 2001...I bet by October you were back to flipping people off in traffic, and if that didn't put a nail in the coffin, the Pat Tillman fiasco did. So don't pretend to be something you're not. You're not a patriot. They are so rare and few.

The familiar gut punch of regret hit me today as I was grabbing a straw from the self-straw-service at Dunkin Donuts.

I regret having voted for Barack Obama. It has nothing to do with the Rev. Wright controversy or anything like that, nor do I think Hillary Clinton is better..etc.

It was a black girl storming through the doors of that Dunkin Donuts, dancing and singing loudly as to draw attention to herself.

I saw it all in a split second blip in my head...

I can't possibly explain what I saw, just that I don't feel good about it.


(I realize what this *sounds* like, but it extends beyond race)

I can’t seem to focus in one direction anymore…my mind races indiscriminately; too many thoughts, too many ideas, too many miseries.

I’ve complained too much about school already, and I’m tired of hearing myself talk about it. I’m done this Saturday, but it would be nice to have another weekend to decompress before China.

China…CHINA! WTF was I thinking? I’ve got close to $3000 wrapped up in this trip. Sure I’ll probably love it or whatever, but I have travel anxieties…particularly that of homesickness. On the third day will I see the remainder of the trip as a long haul? Or will it go by in the blink of an eye? Tsing-Tao is served at every meal and restaurants, and I’ll be drinking lots of that.

All this talk has made me want General Tso’s and crab rangoons..

Old friends, old problems; new friends, new problems. Scenery changes, but the stories are always the same.

Boring flatulence of adulthood. You’re not the first people on Earth to have kids you know. I’m not particularly interested in having any of my own right now…my dog puts out enough offensive odors. Then again, there’s that thin line between non-conformity and douchebaggery. Weddings should be more like Roman Gladiator events. Then again, they kind of are. You’re thrown into a pit and every eye is on you, and you know that someone probably has money riding on your success or failure. I bet the food is better. Thanks for coming out. I really didn’t want to invite you, but we needed the stuff on the registry.

I’d still prefer to spend my weekends leaning on fenders and sucking down good old American beer and be surrounded by intelligent people who make sense more often than not. I’ve seen that disappear from people right in front of my eyes. Scary shit.

Spring is finally here.

I'm skipping class tonight...AND skipping a group meeting.

My class on thursday is horrible. The guy usually teaches the condensed Saturday version, and totally hasn't been able to readjust to a semester long class. We pretty much end up going over the reading that we were supposed to do the previous week, but the guy seriously reads the entire chapter out loud...so obviously I don't read for homework anymore. And every report I hand in is shittier than the one before, but I get a higher grade each time. Amazing.

Now on to my group. They're going fucking bananas over the homework like doing and re-doing all the balance sheets and what-not. I tried to tell them to fucking relax because it's only 10% of our grade (and I got an A- and an A respectively on both exams) so I'm not freaking out over it. But they went ahead and re-did all the shit I submitted to them on the last assignment and got a C fucking PLUS!

I mean come on. I suck hardcore at math and all that, so if I'm getting by this easy, my name is synonymous with 'awesome'

Anyways...they wanted to meet tonight and "finalize". After reviewing the assignment...we're way more than fucking done.

But anyways, I showed up for school, got within a block, and thought " there's gotta be a Dunkin Donuts nearby".

I drove and drove and passed many-a-Starbucks...nothin. Got to the highway, passed my exit and said fuckit.

I hope the fuckers kick me out of the group.