Words and Dreams and a Million Screams

i moved

2010-04-20T19:28:00.000-07:00

here, temporarily

appliances have gone berserk

2010-04-06T16:13:00.001-07:00

Lately, I've been feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders and within my chest. Not for any particular reason, but I seem to be gravitating towards angst-driven, pessimistic worldviews. An excerpt from a friend's blog, Expensive Waste:

On Nirvana's Bleach album, Kurt Cobain sings of school sans recess. "Won't you believe it, it's just my luck," Kurt recites in repetition (reoccurring, but rejecting redundancy), conveying the message of being fucked over by circumstances outside of his own control. A constant process of so-called learning devoid of any breaks. Enter the father of existentialism, Søren Kierkegaard.

Kierkegaard (1813-1855) posits that we are constantly and consistently in the condition of angst, which is that nagging feeling that makes you feel like shit due to your responsibilities in relation to your own principles and the expectations of others. Angst is more than something superficially conveyed through My Chemical Romance tunes. It's something that affects our beings and choices whether or not we're aware of it. We have x amount of time to do y amount of z, and then we die. As it was with old video games like Ms. Pac-Man or Space Invaders, the object of the game is to get as high a score as is attainable until the inevitable GAME OVER. Furthermore, you're out of quarters. Yes, Dear Reader, the end is indeed imminent. Why are you wasting this irreplaceable time reading this paragraph when you could be wasting this irreplaceable time looking at pornography? You're already online; you should fucking do it. Better yet, why not spend time with those who mean more than two shits to you?

To be honest, I've never read Kierkegaard, but this idea does resonate with how I've been feeling. Attempting to maximally enjoy each and every day can only combat the overwhelming and inescapable loss of youth. This may come as common sense to most people, but personally, I feel it a bit more difficult with the nagging reminder of inevitable fate. "Meaning of life" style question were not the intended purpose of my blog post today, so I will move away from it, but it might set a proper tone prior to reading the following discourse.

Along the theme of feeling overwhelmed and incapacitated, the flood of information that stacks itself upon my inbox, RSS feeds, Twitter flow, Facebook friend feed, and websites is staggering. Aside from not even having an ideal way to store and organize all the information, its all too much. Up to this point in my life, I've lived under the premise of acquiring all that I can, of always being connected. I regularly spend several minutes each day before the day begins attempting to not get behind on what has been published since I went to sleep or was away from a computer. Again, I know I'm not a pioneer on this subject, but this is a reflection of my own personal feelings. None of my computing devices purported to make my life simpler or get more done have really achieved that, in one sense, they have, because it is true that I'm much more capable of always being connected, but on the other, and much truer hand, the advances that these devices enable only create new opportunities for distraction from information that may not always be relevant to associate with on a 24 hour timetable.

My recent trip to San Francisco further influenced these thoughts. I think the sole determining factor was McSweeney's issue #33, in which they decided to make this quarterly edition in the form of a newspaper. To briefly summarize their intentions of why this published in this format, it was to investigate the good aspects of large-format paper printing. With all the closures of newspapers on a national scale, they thought it would be interesting to create a newspaper that reminded individuals of why newspapers were originally the world's key source of new information, before the advent of the Internet. The final product McSweeney's published is beautiful and staggering, I entirely wish this medium were available for purchase on a daily basis.

One of the flaws with reading the newspaper on the internet is that it feels like reading a typical web page, whereas reading it on paper, in large-format, enables the reader to take in all the descriptors, explanations, and photographs at the same time. Up to this point, newspapers have only relegated the stories to the Internet without really capturing the full potential of publishing on the web. I think one of the key aspects of reading a newspaper with quality journalism, is that your interest is captivated while you hold the newspaper, and move from story to story seamlessly; although the interest may not have been something that your attention immediately, you can't help but read because you are already sitting with the paper in front of you, and perhaps something else interests you about the article. On the web, you're given one story to read per page, with links to other articles, along with a slew of ads and graphics that encroach on the area meant for reading. Furthermore, I'm much less likely to click a link to read a story I'm unfamiliar with in the minuscule span of time that headline has to draw my attention. All in all, reading newspapers online is great for a story that grabs my interest initially, but the enjoyment factor is severely mitigated by an entirely non-conventional, impersonal format.

The monumental release of the iPad stirred more questions within. Although I was hardly convinced of it as an essential device, the technology is interesting and caused more questions to rise up. As a person who enjoys reading, will the iPad (or Kindle, etc.) make reading more enjoyable and accessible? Is this another device that will really revolutionize the way I intake information, or will it lead to similar feelings of being overwhelmed? Practicality is one of the key issues, and I would sincerely like to read in a way that is efficient and enjoyable. I'm not sure the iPad is capable of being the end-all answer to reading. There is something to be said about reading in all formats, and certain advantages and disadvantages of all formats. The iPad was sometimes lauded as an end-all, be-all device of multimedia synthesis, and while it might be for some, I doubt it will be for all. Of course, being able to peruse articles while watching videos and pictures in an integrated way is exciting, but I'll remain skeptic until I can test the technology on my own at my own pace. For now, I think its best to stick to the strength of what the various outlets offer: web pages for articles and video, newspapers for journalism, and books for reading.

Another piece of insight was recently expunged from the “Shift Age” episode of Berkeley Groks, the science podcast I subscribe to. David Houle was the guest on the show, who is a strategist and futurist, and author of the website evolutionshift.com. During the episode he talked about three factors that are contributing to a shift in the way humanity is going about its business, and these factors combine to create a new way of looking at the world is the present day and the direction it is heading. The three factors Mr. Houle mentions are:
1. The shift from nation-states to a global scale.
2. The flow to the individual, the amount of connectedness and mobility an individual is able to ascertain.
3. Accelerating electronic connectedness.

These forces have all been acting for the past few decades, but he believes the technology is culminating and coming to a head that will serve to connect the smallest unit of population, an individual, with the world on a global scale to an extent that has yet to be tested. It’s interesting to listen to the rest of the podcast, because he goes on to talk about the ramifications for society (like future energy issues), and what individuals can do to anticipate and shift their perspectives for the impending changes to be brought about by the future.

Although this post is disjointed without the focus of a truly unified theme, I feel the ideas are at least somewhat loosely connected. Personally, these tidal waves of information perpetuate the system of keeping up with the Jones’, and just when you think you’ve developed a system that works, along comes another invention that will supposedly enhance and ease your life like never before. There is no doubt this gimmick has been perpetuated throughout our society, but I’m slowly and surely becoming more aware of it; and hopefully more resistant to it.

I also started reading “You Are Not A Gadget,” by Jaron Lanier, and hope to learn more about why the Web was created as it is, while gaining insight to the future.

I love ripping off artist's song titles and lyrics and catering them to my own specific need.

2009-12-16T21:42:00.000-08:00

Divided!

2009-07-31T18:46:00.002-07:00

Definitely a simple but unavoidable observation. Before, under the Bush presidency, there would be certain individuals from my news feed who would make posts declaring the errors of the policy making. Now, it seems with Obama, there is another, completely new group of individuals exclaiming the errors with policy. Personally, I'm more politically declined and apathetic, so I prefer to take a hands-off approach and observe from the outside; although I wouldn't mind sharing ideas over a pint or two, but I can't think of a more boring place to do it than at the solitary confinement of my desk. Note: this is in no way intended to be an insult to individuals who enjoy writing about political thoughts and issues, because the majority of the time I enjoy reading these ideas, particularly of people I know and associate with. What makes these posts interesting is when an idea is brought up and explained, with rationales for agreement or derision. So often, "half-ideas" I feel get posted that lack direction and it really doesn't serve to bring up any new or interesting viewpoints but rather only serve to advance one's ideological close-mindedness.

80s Cartoon

2009-07-24T18:07:00.001-07:00

YouTube is featuring 80s cartoons right now, and I watched a bit of He-Man. Not only is that best name for a hero, but I also love his Aryan-esque appearance, with the long blond hair and iron-cross emblazoned chest. And Skeletor is probably one of the coolest looking bad guys I've ever seen.

Stella!

2009-07-16T17:44:00.000-07:00

I downloaded the Hulu Desktop for Mac application and now I can watch shows whenever the hell I want, even though you could do the same thing before, just as easily. After watching the series premier of "Michael and Michael Have Issues" last night, I'm motivated to watch the entire series of Stella, which is on Hulu. Hopefully this show doesn't get cancelled after a season or two which always seems to happen with good shows.

Chef BoyorTom

2009-07-16T02:49:00.000-07:00

Hey! I love cooking. It's like a science lab experiment every time you do it. Tonight I made coq au vin and it turned out pretty OK. Actually I wasn't too disappointed. That could be due to the fact that my expectations were extremely low, but considering everything came out on nearly on time, the chicken wasn't undercooked, and I went the extra mile to make asparagus and bacon as a topping to the chicken, I'm pretty content with the result. The only complaint Greg had was that his dad wouldn't have overcooked the chicken. That brings up two points: a) I'm not a dad yet (at least to my knowledge), and therefore I should not be expected to cook chicken as a dad would, and b) That the chicken wasn't too overcooked in my opinion, although a little dry, I'm much more satisfied knowing I'm eating tender chicken rather than contracting Salmonella. Without a doubt that is a blatant cop out and excuse, but cooking is something I hope to get better at with time, so suck it.

Office 2010

2009-07-14T16:24:00.000-07:00

To compete with Google, Microsoft is releasing their Office software on the web. Do I care? Not really, but in the future probably most software will be accessed via online servers it seems. Anyway, I only made this post because I wanted to share this advertisement for it. Apparantly it was made by some creative individual with a large budget. Needless to say, a vast improvement over the "Don't buy a Mac because they're too cool" ads.

NYC!

2009-07-14T00:14:00.000-07:00

I wanted to say a big belated thank you to my homies Matt J, Anthony C, and Alex M for letting me come sleep on their couch (and floor) while I kicked it in the city for awhile. They were tremendous hosts and really showed me the side of the city from a dweller's perspective!

Moleskin or Blogger

2009-07-13T21:20:00.000-07:00

I like writing in my moleskin, I think it's a worthwhile endeavor to keep track of one's thoughts, interests, and observations over time. This is not an observation that has come about as the result of any private versus public journal debate, but rather as a compromise between my innate desire of privacy and curiosity for discussing issues that pertain to me and those I interact with. Jotting down ideas in my journal allows me the opportunity to be perfectly candid without the perhaps arrogant and self-important concerns of thinking my problems are different from anyone else's; though they are different, they're problems nonetheless, and would much rather talk about them with a cold pint in front of me rather than on the faceless internet which might distract from interaction rather than foster and encourage it. Either way, I do like blogging and journaling, but I think more often than not, I choose to spend time writing in the moleskin simply due to the fact that there is also something unique and valuable in having a record of one's thoughts that are completely original and not shared with anyone but the creator. I'd go even a step further and say that it's entirely possible that having the confidence of knowing the thoughts are not going to be shared perhaps make them a bit more authentic than if they were written in a medium that was destined to be shared with others. Hmm I just had another thought: I was going to end this with some sort of conclusion, but then I realized another great point of a journal is being able to rant at random without having to follow typical guidelines of formal writing, thus making a conclusion non-essential. And yet I seem to have found a suitable conclusion for an obscure topic written in the midst of opacity.

roadtrip

2009-01-30T23:52:00.001-08:00

i really would like to get outta town on a road trip. i don't really care where i go. just some place i've never seen before. like montana or des moines or kentucky.

employment

2008-08-03T20:26:00.000-07:00

Shabooyah

2008-07-21T17:24:00.000-07:00

Netflix on xbox 360 in the fall...i was going to increase my movie subscriptions, now i guess i don't have to.

my aquarium kicks so much ass

2008-07-18T20:32:00.001-07:00

It took awhile for the symbiotic bacteria to colonize, but it appears as though the nitrification cycle is underway and no longer will high ammonia levels cause physiologic stress to my fishes. I lost three red platy in the process of getting this tank underway: Poquito, Pequeno, and Picante; RIP. Mad propz to all my roomates for putting up with the putrid scent and opaque, cloudy, feces-filled water. If this continues to be a successful venture maybe I can start a larger salt water aquarium and get some real badasses to swim around.

*You can't tell, but currently in the aquarium are two small algae eater fish, and one small shark kinda like this guy.

The Pearl

2008-07-17T09:42:00.000-07:00

Just finished this novella by Steinbeck. A great quick read, there is a substantial amount of story packed into so few pages. What shall I read next? B Hurst I'm looking your direction: hopefully you'll see this before your foray into the tropical/arid pandemonium that is Kenya. If not I'll look at iRead on Facebook. The Brothers Karamazov has been sitting unread on my bookshelf for epochs, although it'd be a massive undertaking, maybe I should give it a go.

Not been drinking

2008-07-17T01:42:00.001-07:00

Ok so the last post was mildly spurred by alcohol, but I'm not
changing anything, including the resultant grammatical errors that are
innately predisposed by anyone attempting to type on an iPhone. Now
I'm watching my little shark in my aquarium do loop d loops at 130 on
the morning for no other reason than to contract my muscles of
mastication, forcing a recalcitrant smile to creep upon my lips
despite my brow's best efforts to rectify any emotion but indolent
pain birthed from a night of shameless intoxication. I'm making
spaghetti o''s and maybe watching baseball tonight. I hope to see
anyone who reads this blog sooner than later.

It ain't so bad

2008-07-17T01:15:00.001-07:00

Love stinks. But it wouldn't be so bad to have it. Whatever I'm not
complaining I just listen to lush depressive lovesick rock. I wonder how
Much a liver can tolerate? I've heard it said from
Some very educated scientists and/or health professions that if you
could kiss any organ before you went to sleep at night that your liver
should probably be considered first.

Internet Radio

2008-07-16T15:26:00.000-07:00

iphone + pandora music app + stereo aux input = free internet radio. Why am I so addicted to the trance station? Maybe the trance station has me hypnotized and I'm therefore compelled to listen to it more frequently.

Success!

2008-07-15T21:10:00.001-07:00

It did! Now how do I add pics from the phone? Maybe i have to upload
them directly from the website. Blogger needs their own iPhone
application.
Sent from my iPhone

Test

2008-07-15T21:05:00.001-07:00

Did it work???

Sent from my iPhone

Radiohead

2008-04-09T13:35:00.000-07:00

I've been in a pretty big phase as of late, listening to "Pablo Honey" repeatedly. This morning I found out about the pre-sale tickets going on sale this Friday. I really hope I'm able to get tickets, they're one of the few bands I really care about going to see. Last time I saw them at the Hollywood Bowl right after Hail to the Thief was released (2003- seems much longer ago), and it was an amazing set. Not to mention this time they're performing with Liars, which is going to doubly awesome.

Work

2008-04-08T20:54:00.000-07:00

Work is hard, retirement sounds good. It's unfortunate that you just can't do whatever you feel like doing in this life. Who decided that? Since I can't do whatever I want whenever I feel like it, nursing is pretty cool as a career. There is so much to learn in the process of doing things and the way operations work at the hospital; it's hard, constant work for 12 hours/day, but the time flies by, and most of the people I work with are aight and fun to talk with.

A Resurgence?

2008-04-07T22:00:00.000-07:00

I just finished the book, "The Kite Runner" today. Despite it's name, it's less about kites that you might think. Actually, the story takes place from pre-Russian invasion Afghanistan to the near-present, and revolves around the story of a boy, his father, their servants, their response to the calamity following the Afghanistan revolution/Russian invasion. Plot twists abound, and there are a lot of interesting themes about morals and parental acceptance. It was really an amazing story throughout, and I can't recommend it highly enough. Hurry up and read it so we can chit-chat.

McSkillet Burrito

2007-12-27T13:43:00.000-08:00

I love McDonald's, but I don't love the McSkillet Burrito. The sauce was weird, the "meat" was weird, the eggs were slippery and slithery, but the cheese was ok. I'll stick with the McGriddle until my heart explodes.

Graduated

2007-12-24T21:21:00.000-08:00

My friend Justin and I at our Nursing Pinning Ceremony

I finally graduated from Cal State Long Beach with my Bachelor's of Science in Nursing. The only thing that stands between dedicating the rest of my life to ridiculous pursuits and hobbies is our state board exam, the NCLEX, which I will take in a few weeks.

Here's a group photo of our class

Sigur Ros Vista Theater

2007-11-03T11:44:00.000-07:00

Lucky me, before Sigur Ros' movie premier at the Vista Theater in LA last Thursday, they came out and played a three-song acoustic set (Ágætis Byrjun, a new song, and Untitled #4). It was really cool to see them in that setting, cause there were only like 200 other people in the theater, and it sounded really good.
The gist of the movie was that following their 2006 tour, they returned back to Iceland to play free shows all around Iceland for people to come out and see. They'd play outdoors, in abandoned houses, an old industrial fishing warehouse, and a final show that culminated in a huge festival-type setting. The film was beautiful enough to be used as an advertising tool for the Iceland bureau of tourism, but the music just left me longing to hear the band live, especially because I was aware of their presence at the venue.
Afterwards, Jonsi was outside, and it looked like people were standing around him to talk to him, but nobody was really talking, they were just kinda standing there. It was a bummer cause I wanted to take a picture, but he was just surrounded by hipsters. Anyway, here are some pictures that somebody else took, and at the bottom is an mp3 of Ágætis Byrjun from the event:

Freeways I Drove On Yesterday

2007-10-31T11:32:00.000-07:00

22W
405S
22W
57N
91E
91W
710W
405S
710E
405N
110E
10E (by accident)
10W
110E
101N
101S
5S
710W

I went to Anaheim for work and Amoeba to get free Sigur Ros tickets for Thursday night with Karisa.

Acapulco Gold, Aunt Mary, Broccoli, Dope, Grass, Grunt, Hay, Hemp, Herb, J, Joint, Joy Stick, Killer Weed, Maryjane, Pot, Ragweed, Reefer, Smoke, Weed

2007-10-25T23:20:00.000-07:00

Are all the synonyms my psychiatric nursing textbook "Principles and Practice of Psychiatric Nursing" lists for marijuana. Because I might be acquainted with somebody that has tried marijuana (mj) before (maybe), I thought I'd present some information about the substance from a medical perspective. Much of this information may be common knowledge, but I'll go through a general overview and see where I go from there.

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the active ingredient in mj that produces mild physiologic effects including: an altered state of awareness, relaxation, mild euphoria, reduced inhibition, increased appetite, red eyes, dry mouth, increased pulse, decreased reflexes, and panic reactions. Mj is a difficult to classify drug. It is sometimes classified as a hallucinogen, although it rarely produces hallucinogenic effects; it does cause sedation, but it is not primarily a CNS depressant.

A cluster of symptoms known as "amotivational syndrome" has been described in some people with prolonged mj use. These symptoms include: apathy, lack of energy, loss of desire to work or be productive, diminished concentration, poor personal hygiene, and preoccupation with mj. Not all studies have not empirically proved this correlation, though many studies show strong associations between prolonged mj use and amotivational syndrome. Throughout mj use, tolerance can develop in heavy users, meaning higher doses are needed to reproduce a desired result. There are no physiologic withdrawal patterns of abstaining from mj, but there psychological symptoms such as cravings, difficulty sleeping, and weight loss.

So, does mj cause lung cancer? Here's a selection from a systematic review done on attempting to define a link between lung cancer and smoking (i've added definitions in brackets to some of the terminology):

...There were more cytomorphologic [cell shape] changes, in particularmetaplasia [transformation of one type of tissue into another type that is not normal for that tissue-occurs with tumors that do no resemble the tissue from which they are derived], alveolar macrophage tumoricidal dysfunction [dysfunctional white blood cells in the lungs designed to destroy cancerous cells before they start massive replication], enhancedoxidative stress [more injuries to tissues], and histopathologic/molecular alterationsassociated with marijuana smoking compared with controls orthose who smoked tobacco [changes in the resemblence of cells]. These findings offer biological evidencethat marijuana smoking could be associated with the developmentof lung cancer in humans, as has been suggested by animal studiesand cell line experiments. Specifically, metaplastic cellularchanges may lead to malignant transformation. Abnormal macrophagetumoricidal function may result in unchecked cellular proliferation,and enhanced oxidative stress has been described as a mechanisticlink in carcinogenesis presumably via mutagenic oxidative DNAdamage....Despite thesefindings, the small number of observational studies fail todemonstrate a clear association between marijuana smoking anddiagnoses of lung cancer. Therefore, we must conclude that noconvincing evidence exists for an association between marijuanasmoking and lung cancer based on existing data (Mehra, R., Moore, B., Crothers, K., Tetrault, J., Fiellin, D., 2006).

Basically, what the author is saying is that everything points to the likelihood of mj causing lung cancer, but based on the current studies that have been conducted, they cannot make the definite claim that there is a link. However, the author does go on to write that this could be attributed to less than ideal measurement techniques: inability to measure dosages for mj smokers, selection bias, and small sample size. So, there is a plethora of evidence that points to the likelihood of the association, but the "smoking gun" of the link has yet to be discovered. To me, it is no different than firefighters who develop lung cancer from inhaling contaminants during a fire, the high prevalence of Chinese women who develop it from frying food with certain ingredients, tobacco smoking, and coal miners from inhaling coal over a long period of time.

That's it for this one I think; let me know what you think. I like to look up topics that might be applicable to some of my acquaintances. These kind of feel like assignments, so if you have an idea you think is interesting, post it and I'll look it up.

References:

Stuart, G., and Laraia, M. (2005). Principles and practice of psychiatric nursing. St. Louis: MO, Mosby.

Mehra, R., Moore, B., Crothers, K., Tetrault, J., and Fiellin, D. (2006). The association between marijuana smoking and lung Cancer: a systematic review. Archives of Internal Medicine, 166, 1359-1367.

Hitting The Jackpot At The Record Shop

2007-10-24T18:34:00.000-07:00

All on vinyl for $20.

Google Reader

2007-09-23T01:53:00.001-07:00

I've become addicted to Google Reader, and I changed the color scheme of my blog to reflect my enthusiasm, because it reminds me of it. All you have to do is type in the websites that you normally visit, and whenever they're updated, it uses the RSS feed to automatically notify you in google reader. And if you want to make things super easy, you can use iGoogle to make a google homepage, and then you get to have gmail, google reader, google notebook, and a whole bunch of other things all in one window. Chicks love it, guys are envious of it. It's revolutionizing my existence, and perhaps one day I will read so much that I'll eventually be able to predict all the things that will be written.

On a more dreary note, my ipod's battery finally died (after a good 2.5 years), so I took it apart and looked at the inside, which was pretty cool. If anybody has an extra 4th generation ipod they don't use anymore, can I have the battery? I am pumped though to be able to go get an 80 gigabyte ipod with video, maybe after one more paycheck.
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Now playing: The Knife - Listen Now
via FoxyTunes

Wes Anderson's AT&T Commercials

2007-09-17T21:59:00.000-07:00

So good

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Now playing: A Tribe Called Quest - Oh My God
via FoxyTunes

Cyanide and Happiness

2007-09-14T16:03:00.000-07:00

A pretty funny cartoon.

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Now playing: Elliott Smith - All Cleaned Out
via FoxyTunes

Health Promotion

2007-09-12T21:19:00.002-07:00

So, awhile ago I was noticing how nearly all of my blogging friends use blogger to upload their masterpieces. I kinda thought blogging was cool, so I wanted to have one, but I was struck with a dilemma: Why would anyone want to read my blog? I posted anyway, and people read (likely due to boredom), but I was still left with an underlying feeling that my blog was pretty pointless.

Over the summer, during my Public Health Nursing class, I realized this blog might be a good avenue to offer miniature pearls of wisdom and snippets of information that I come across in order to help people live healthier and dispel many of the health rumors that become ingrained in our society through the media. My plan is to post small, interesting, health-related information that I come across, and I can also answer questions or look into researching that topic.

DISCLAIMER: It is also important to mention that I'm not a physician, so I cannot diagnose or answer people's quirky questions. If anything ever seems different or not right, it is essential that you make an appointment with your doctor or go to the hospital. There are a lot of legal issues involved in distributing health information electronically, so I want to stay out of that by limiting my posts to more general health concepts rather than try to solve individual's specific questions.

Ok, so my first post is going to be mostly for the ladies, but all the guys that read my blog should know it too so you can tell girls about it. Folic Acid (or folate) is an essential vitamin in the diet to produce red blood cells. Generally, people don't have a deficiency of folic acid in the diet in the U.S., but the important consideration is for sexually-active females. In the early development of the fetus, folic acid is essential to build the neural tube (which eventually becomes the spinal cord and brain), and not having enough folic acid may cause the fetus to have defects such as spina bifida or anencephaly (latin: without head). 400 mcg (micrograms) is the recommendation set for all women of child-bearing age, which happens to be around the usual amount in a multivitamin; otherwise you might find folic acid in leafy vegetables, orange juice, peanuts, and whole grain bread and cereals.

So, that's about what you can expect for the future. There are many important considerations and minerals, like iron, during pregnancy, so always be sure to schedule the prenatal visits with your doctor. I'm thinking my next post is going to address smoking.

And Now For Something Completely Different

2007-08-20T22:55:00.000-07:00

This is the sort of stuff I look forward to reading about on the internet.

Sicko

2007-08-16T14:16:00.000-07:00

This is a little write-up I had to for my "Healthcare Delivery Systems" class. I didn't take much time on it, so don't expect it to be too eloquent. Also, I highly recommend that you see the movie "Sicko," it's a Michael Moore film, so you have to take it with a grain of salt. It does, however, do a good job at illustrating the disparity of healthcare in the US compared to other countries. One more thing: I definitely did not address all of the factors associated with the healthcare dilemma, but there are a few important points in there.

In the film, Michael Moore elucidated many shortcomings within our present healthcare delivery system. There is definitely a method to the way Moore presents the material, a predictable formula of heart-wrenching stories, shortcomings of the US government, a comparison to other industrialized nations, and finally a return the feasibility of instituting changes within the system for the benefit of the masses.
The stories Moore found to portray the awful state of conditions in the US were terrible, despicable consequences of a capitalist society without checks on quality. One example I remembered from the film was when Cigna Healthcare approved a 9-month-old child going deaf for a hearing aid in one ear, but not the other ear. Understandably, this angered the father so much that when he became aware that Moore was collecting stories for his film, the father submitted a letter to Cigna management detailing this, and within a few days, miraculously, the child was approved for a hearing aid in both ears. There is no question this absolutely deplorable, and illustrates exactly the point Moore was attempting to shape by producing the film: that our current system of for-profit healthcare is a fundamentally inept program, because the incentive for healthcare organizations is to provide care, but also concurrently minimize costs to maximize profits. Therefore, it is impossible for a healthcare organization to try to convey a message of caring and extending care to as many people as possible, because by doing so, they lose a substantial amount of money.
Another innerving point the movie made was the footage of Nixon in the White House, discussing healthcare. The decision to use the Kaiser Permanente model for healthcare was the origin of a system structured to meet the needs of masses while remaining for-profit. Given the fact that England developed their national health service following World War II, it’s amazing that US would not have followed suit and developed a similar program. The only rationale that could be provided is that the current system really benefits the upper class and government. And then, when Hilary Clinton really spearheaded the campaign to institute a national health care system, she was amazingly close, if it weren’t for the system’s overwhelming complexity and intense opposition that did a very effective job of convincing the general public that would inevitably lead to a socialist society where the people had no say in the government. This idea is strongly refuted in the depictions of England, France, and Canada, because while all three of these countries have accommodated universal healthcare, they are still are very much a free society.
In summary, healthcare in the US is the best in the world, for those who can afford it. However, due to the increasing cost of healthcare, more and more people are unable to afford it. By moving to a national system, additional taxes would be taken out of individual’s earnings, but at the same time, those individuals would be paying less in premiums. Its time that the our society stopped focusing on an each individual for themselves mentality, because doing slows contributes to a less and less healthy society, which undoubtedly holds considerations for economic implications in the future.

Chris Pronger Suspension

2007-06-03T15:35:00.000-07:00

Compare these two hits:

I can't believe Pronger is being suspended for this hit. It might have deserved a minor penalty, but the punishment of an entire game suspension is not equal to the act. It has to be mostly because of Pronger's previous cheap shots that the league is punishing him that much more seriously.

Chronic Tacos

2007-05-26T12:47:00.000-07:00

Last Tuesday I had to go to Target to pick up some crap. On my way out, I noticed that the "Chronic Tacos" location they were building had been finished and they were now doing the grand opening. Before they had finished, I vowed to myself that was the lamest thing ever and I wouldn't go there to buy tacos. As I was passing by, my innate curiosity got the best of me and I was drawn inside like the millennium falcon into the death star. Similar to my curiosity regarding the "Pepsi Summer Mix," I had to see just how far these people went into an ambiguous Mexican food for-white-people-that-smoke weed or know-someone-who-does motif. Again, I was not left disappointed with my findings. Trucker hats, nautical stars, that logo with the two naked girls sitting down and facing each other, and Cadillac emblems abounded in all their glory, and that was just on the drink cups. It was also funny to me all the equipment they were using, presses to warm the tortillas, a specified quesidilla press, and the taco-making assembly-line concept that was obviously "borrowed" from chipotle.

Actually though, for white person tacos, they were actually really good. Oh yeah, and on Taco Tuesdays, they have "fatty" tacos.

Pickled Eggs

2007-05-18T11:52:00.000-07:00

I made a batch of pickled eggs and they turned out much better than I anticipated. There are only twenty left so you'd better hurry up and get 'em.

The Office

2007-05-17T21:26:00.001-07:00

Anybody who already watches The Office knows how good it is. But I just have to say, after the season finale tonight, damn, to me, that show is amazing at how much it gets you to care about what happens to the characters. For that reason, it's probably the only reason why its the only show I watch. I know there are tons of people that love and watch other shows, like Lost, 24, Pokemon, and Grey's Anatomy, but to me, those shows all take themselves much too seriously and the over-dramatization of it all is what sets me back.

Anyways, I cannot wait to find out out things pan out in the next season. This last season had like 23 episodes in it, and I have to admit, it really became a part of my regular regimen. Only what, 5 more months til it starts up again?

I found this blog that corresponds to the level of my introspection and enthusiasm for discussing all the nuances of the show.

Que Sera

2007-05-12T02:20:00.000-07:00

Ok, I have no idea what "que sera" means in spanish, so when i looked it up on google translate, it came back "that sera."

anyways, theres this like dance place/bar a few blocks from my house that i had heard about from my friends annie and tristan. the name of it is que sera, and apparantly, they play funk and r+b music every second friday of the month or something. i was skeptical, at first, and missed the first few opportunities due to school and such. tonight was the first night i was able to go, and it was pretty sweet. highly recommended. its a totally cool atmosphere and it doesn't matter if you suck at dancing. all the people there seemed relatively down to earth, and it wasn't all loud with hoochies and playas everywhere. also, as the night progressed, i slowly but surely worked my way over to the apple of my eye for the night. i found out her name was amber, and she was a large black girl. some of you in the audience may know about my particular propensity for overweight people in general, and when they also possess minority status, that really lights the fire in my oven. i was sooo dissapointed that her name was amber though, i really, really wanted it to be imani or kiki. regardless, this place is highly recommended and we gotta go next time.

Pepsi Summer Mix

2007-05-07T21:57:00.000-07:00

I knew I should have know better. I knew about my assured impending dissapointment. There was only one nagging curiosity that I couldn't let pass me by- it has happened far too many times in my life already. The dillema I wanted to settle was the degree of how awful the soda would taste. Sure enough, once I got home and eagerly poured the gentle carbonated corn syrup over a few ice cubes, my suspicions of dissapointment were fully actualized, putting me into a content and dissastisfied state. As an alternative to buying Pepsi Summer Mix, another way to simulate it's taste would be to grind up some tropical Skittles and blend them thourougly with regular Pepsi.

On another note, something else that made me give into my temptation for trying this Pepsi was the "limited edition" note on the side of the bottle. Some might say I'm the fool for knowlingly handing over my money for a product that I knew I was going to be displeased with, but I think I was more warranted due to both my non-existent expectations and overwhelming curiosity. If anything, Pepsico and I are both winners in this interaction.

A Bad Feeling At The Bottom Of My Stomach

2007-05-07T19:51:00.000-07:00

A funny yet accurate 32 second summary of republican debate. I didn't watch the debate, but I probably didn't need to.

Volta

2007-05-06T21:45:00.000-07:00

I can't wait til Tuesday. I'm still pissed I couldn't go to Coachella because of my class; they're really stringent about missing any days at all for our clinical/hospital time, and I was completely unable to get out of it unless I fabricated an enormous fallacy. Although there's a good chance it might have been worth it based on what I heard about the show.

On The Road

2007-05-03T22:25:00.000-07:00

This book is full of memorable quotes, but to me, the last paragraph stands out the most. To think about the weight it carries with regard to the entire novel that precedes it still astounds me, and I can re-read it from time to time without ever growing tired.

So in American when the sun goes down and I sit on the old broken-down river pier watching the long, long skies over New Jersey and sense all that raw land that rolls in one unbelievable huge bulge over to the West Coast, and all that road going, all the people dreaming in the immensity of it, and in Iowa I know by now the children must be crying in the land where they let the children cry, and tonight the stars'll be out, and don't you know that God is Pooh Bear? the evening star must be drooping and shedding her sprinkler dims on the prarie, which is just before the coming of complete night that blesses the earth, darkens all rivers, cups the peaks and folds the final shore in, and nobody, nobody knows what's going to happen to anybody besides the forlorn rags of growing old, I think of Dean Moriarty, I even think of Old Dean Moriarty the father we never found, I think of Dean Moriarty.

I read this book awhile ago over the last winter break, but it has always stuck with me. Although it might not be the densest read, I remember being completely absorbed by the writing (though I think I heard somewhere that it was written in something like 3 weeks on a massive cocaine binge) and narration. If nothing else, its incredible that this story was pretty much based on actual events, and these people did repeatedly hitchhike across the country making a huge adventure out of whatever developed or whatever they felt like doing.

New Color Sheme!

2007-04-29T23:29:00.000-07:00

Alright, for the two of you that look at this blog occasionally, you may have noticed I changed some of the colors and fonts to make it more aesthetically pleasing. The inspiration for this was found at Anthony Carillo's recent graduation party, which took place at his grandma's house in Cerritos. Not only was it an architectually sweet 1950's home with little changed, but in the bathroom, there were three hand towels that were blue, orange, and bright candy-colored pink. Sort of like one of those spiral candy things you can get at Disneyland. It looked almost planned to have those three towels on the rack right next to each other because each one complemented the other so well.

I'm not sure what spurred my decision to alter my blog based on that, but Matt Jensen inspired me to write a blog about it.

Holy Shit

2007-04-29T22:14:00.000-07:00

Jonny goes pretty crazy on guitar at the end of this one, check it out.

Quote Of The Day

2007-04-18T23:38:00.000-07:00

I enjoy insightful quotes from observant people. Here's the one I noticed today:

I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.
- Thomas Jefferson

/:

2007-04-17T22:18:00.000-07:00

I meant to post this link earlier but it seems I forgot. It's disparaging to read this guy's short plays and to think no interventions were undertaken to help him psychologically, because they're an obvious plea for help. I haven't kept up entirely with the details of the case, but these are a couple of the short plays he turned in for a creative writing class.

Things Koala Bears Would Say

2007-04-17T22:14:00.000-07:00

Lists on McSweeney's are hilarious if you haven't checked them out. One of my favorites:

Things Koala Bears Would Say.

BY TIM WEINMANN

- - - -

Yay!

Love me!

Climbing trees is fun!

Let's volunteer at a soup kitchen this Christmas.

My tongue is funny!

Eating leaves is fun!

Will you help me think of something nice we can do for Grandma?

Look, a pouch!

Let's prevent a forest fire!

No, you're the cutest ever.

Camus is boring. I find Karl Jaspers's philosophy much more enlightening.

Wheeee!

Let's make cider!

I bet I'll live forever!

Recycled Songs

2007-04-14T12:27:00.000-07:00

Here's an awesome comparison of two Nickelback songs. Listen, and you can hear that they released two singles that are nearly identical. Pretty funny.

The Magic Bullet

2007-04-10T14:40:00.000-07:00

My roomate Sunny bought this blender and holy crap this is amazing, this is one of those "As seen on TV" products that you'd wonder who would buy it. Apparantly South Korean immigrants are incredibly perceptive at recognizing the value of a quality product, becuase this blows my mind. It's sweet because it gives you all these different sizes for cups, and they even call the normal-sized cups "party cups."

The magic bullet features two blades (flat and cross) that can be used for:

Pureeing!
Mixing!
Mincing!
Chopping!
Grinding!
Crumbling!
Refining!

Just like any other smoothie maker you throw the stuff in and it blends it all up. I just threw some of the stuff that we had in refridgerator in: orange juice, ice cubes, strawberries, and a banana and it was amazing. Eating fruits sucks, but drinking smoothies is awesome. In addition, it came with this sweet recipe book to make "adult party drinks," coffee drinks, baby food, and appetizers, like marinara sauce and salsa and other delicious edibles. Ahh man, once the summer hits its going to be cranking out margaritas and stawberry daquiries like no other. One of the adult party drinks in the book is called "A Bullet To The Head," and it looks pretty staggering. Tomorrow morning, instead of stirring up my scrambled eggs in a bowl like some fool, I'll be bulleting them straight to my heart.

Easter!!!

2007-04-08T20:52:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter! I hope everyone that was able got to spend some good time kicking it with family. For me, this was the first year without baskets, an easter egg hunt, and dyeing eggs. So, a bit depressing in that regard, but I still got some sweet $$$ and a hollow chocolate easter bunny. Half-price peeps tomorrow, anyone?

Hayao Miyazaki

2007-04-06T16:23:00.000-07:00

I've recently watched three of Hayao Miyazaki's films: Spirited Away, Castle In The Sky, and Princess Mononoke. Every one amazes me at its degree of gradiosity, you can't help but feel engrossed in the entire story. I can see a definite hinderance for some people to not get involved if they're are unable to get passed the jovial nature of the story; however, once you do (it doesn't take much convincing on my part), you get to see and hear dynamic characters and really amazing orchestral arrangments. Really, watching these movies takes you back to being a kid again and remembering why you loved all the classic Disney animations, whereas nowadays it seems those movies are just an hour and a half of cheap laughs drawn amid computer drawn illustrations.