SO I was just watching the SOTU and I get a text, "Are you up?" Now I had taken a nap earlier toay since I started to come down with a cold earlier today at work. Then right after FW finished his speech I get a phone call from my friend T*. She's crying and tells me that her cousin that just been shipped over to Iraq about a week ago was shot dead. Apparently he was a translater and when we left a crowd of people after asking a few questions he was shot in the back as he turned away to leave.
The irony of me getting that call right after the end of the speech just is scary.
I hate being able to know how she is feeling right now. Since he was 24 they basically grew up together. There is nothing worse that realizing that your family has been mutilated by the actions of some piece of shit.
On another note the Democratic Response by Jim Webb D-Virginia was most likely the best counter speech that I have seen in a very long time. The brilliance of bringing out a military guy that obviously isn't a socialist wacko, was a great move. He is the poster child of the whole recapture of congress.
I watched MSNBC for the post part and feel great that Keith Olberman has finally eclipsed his best work from back in the day on Sportscenter.
Vincent's Journal
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01/23/2007 23:36 #37843
State of the UnionCategory: iraq
01/23/2007 11:12 #37832
Just a thought and Reality TVCategory: florida
With the return of winter I'm a bit jealous of my parents being down in Florida while I'm stuck up here working and going to school. My parents have more of a life than I do. I work a miserable job surrounded by degenerates of all kinds fellow employees and patrons. They are in Florida Dad on business/pleasure and Mom on a mental health sebatical.
I just wish I had those years back in which I was a bum and went down there all the time. The winter of 00/01 was the best I spent about 2 months down there spread out from December to April basically every college break and long weekend I could get. I suppose it was (e:imk2) and her desire for 8 weeks vacation that triggered the nostolgia.
I guess if I had the rescourses and had a job where I could get away without needing the paid time off I would live that kind of lilfestyle once again. Now I think it woudl entail heading out west every month or so instead of Florida. I just don't have any desire to go down there anymore except to enjoy the sunshine.
What reminded me of the area where my Mom is was the show "Underage and Engaged" last night on MTV. I think the young couple was from along the gulf coast since the bride's brother was late coming in from Sarasota. It was another one of thsoe "trainwreck" MTV reality shows but again I just felt compelled to watch it. i'm going to stick with the Florida thing as being the "hook."
Basically the best line from the show was the brides brother who is in the military mind you and said to her, "When I tell people that my sister is getting married no one says congradulations; they look at me in shock and say WHY she's so young!"
But although it did make me feel a bit old at the same time when you're a married couple and you live in a shed located in your parents back yard, you have nothing on me. Shit at least I had an apartment back in my married time frame of my life, it sucked but it was still better than being married AND living at home.
That chick had to be chasing some kind of father figure since it was her brother and not her estranged Dad that walked her down the isle.
I just wish I had those years back in which I was a bum and went down there all the time. The winter of 00/01 was the best I spent about 2 months down there spread out from December to April basically every college break and long weekend I could get. I suppose it was (e:imk2) and her desire for 8 weeks vacation that triggered the nostolgia.
I guess if I had the rescourses and had a job where I could get away without needing the paid time off I would live that kind of lilfestyle once again. Now I think it woudl entail heading out west every month or so instead of Florida. I just don't have any desire to go down there anymore except to enjoy the sunshine.
What reminded me of the area where my Mom is was the show "Underage and Engaged" last night on MTV. I think the young couple was from along the gulf coast since the bride's brother was late coming in from Sarasota. It was another one of thsoe "trainwreck" MTV reality shows but again I just felt compelled to watch it. i'm going to stick with the Florida thing as being the "hook."
Basically the best line from the show was the brides brother who is in the military mind you and said to her, "When I tell people that my sister is getting married no one says congradulations; they look at me in shock and say WHY she's so young!"
But although it did make me feel a bit old at the same time when you're a married couple and you live in a shed located in your parents back yard, you have nothing on me. Shit at least I had an apartment back in my married time frame of my life, it sucked but it was still better than being married AND living at home.
That chick had to be chasing some kind of father figure since it was her brother and not her estranged Dad that walked her down the isle.
01/22/2007 09:07 #37812
What to do?Category: general
There are just a few things floating through my mind right now.
What desktop system to get for my Dad and myself [Although it has to be a PC since it will split between us]
What kind of new phone to get?
Should I quit my job in the relative future to focus on going back to school full time and study for the CPA?
Should I get serious with someone?
Those are just a few questions that are floating through my head and have been for a considerable amount of time.
On top of the party and my class that got out early (thanks to the professor being a die hard purple eagles fan and a game going on at the same time as our class so he coudl sneak out) I ended up seeing two excellent movies.
The first one was Children of Men. It was scary in the sense that it was pretty much a commentary of current events. It had quite a bit of symbolism and subtle ideas going for it. What I really enjoyed was the sense that I'm pretty sure it appeared that it was shot entirely in the U.K. It reminded me on the movie Nineteen Eighty-Four in some aspects. It is just great to see a movie that is pretty much British or at least plays it self as such. The Prestige came pretty close, but then again it just may be that Sir Michael Caine is in every movie that I have seen in the past 6 months.
Last night I ended up seeing Running with Scissors with T* was Running with Scissors. I have to give her credit for point us to check it out at that scary movie theater behind Wal-Mart on Walden on the grounds of the former Thruway Mall. For $10 2 movie admissions 2 small popcorn and 2 diet pepsi's you just can't beat the price. I haven't seen Borat yet but when it does show up there I'm going back for sure. Even with the Gas I'll still be ahead.
I just loved it. Then again I am a sucker for the 1970's and find the the fashion, decor and the drug use fascinating. For some reason I just kept on thinking The Royal Tenenbaums but again I think Gwyneth Paltrow may have done that in shifting my perception of association. For some reason I think she has reached the point in her career where she just can't full off being the daughter/child now in her career. She just looked a bit too old and unbelievable, it's time to play the Mom not a Daughter. Although Evan Rachel Wood was just amazing, OMG! Then again I think I may have a soft spot for women from North Carolina.
You know it's a great movie when you have people walking out in the first half hour. It is eirther they are offended or just don't get it.
What desktop system to get for my Dad and myself [Although it has to be a PC since it will split between us]
What kind of new phone to get?
Should I quit my job in the relative future to focus on going back to school full time and study for the CPA?
Should I get serious with someone?
Those are just a few questions that are floating through my head and have been for a considerable amount of time.
On top of the party and my class that got out early (thanks to the professor being a die hard purple eagles fan and a game going on at the same time as our class so he coudl sneak out) I ended up seeing two excellent movies.
The first one was Children of Men. It was scary in the sense that it was pretty much a commentary of current events. It had quite a bit of symbolism and subtle ideas going for it. What I really enjoyed was the sense that I'm pretty sure it appeared that it was shot entirely in the U.K. It reminded me on the movie Nineteen Eighty-Four in some aspects. It is just great to see a movie that is pretty much British or at least plays it self as such. The Prestige came pretty close, but then again it just may be that Sir Michael Caine is in every movie that I have seen in the past 6 months.
Last night I ended up seeing Running with Scissors with T* was Running with Scissors. I have to give her credit for point us to check it out at that scary movie theater behind Wal-Mart on Walden on the grounds of the former Thruway Mall. For $10 2 movie admissions 2 small popcorn and 2 diet pepsi's you just can't beat the price. I haven't seen Borat yet but when it does show up there I'm going back for sure. Even with the Gas I'll still be ahead.
I just loved it. Then again I am a sucker for the 1970's and find the the fashion, decor and the drug use fascinating. For some reason I just kept on thinking The Royal Tenenbaums but again I think Gwyneth Paltrow may have done that in shifting my perception of association. For some reason I think she has reached the point in her career where she just can't full off being the daughter/child now in her career. She just looked a bit too old and unbelievable, it's time to play the Mom not a Daughter. Although Evan Rachel Wood was just amazing, OMG! Then again I think I may have a soft spot for women from North Carolina.
You know it's a great movie when you have people walking out in the first half hour. It is eirther they are offended or just don't get it.
01/16/2007 23:12 #37730
Feeling VERY GuiltyCategory: realizations
I was just looking over on LJ when I came across a journal that I haven't read in over a year. This author was once on my friends list a long while back and took her self off for whatever reason. To be honest I'm not quite sure but from my guess it must seem weird to have a single guy on your friends list when you're with a guy for over 1.5 years and all of the rainbows and puppies are floating around your head. I guess at some level I was jealous and wished my life was so young and innocent, ect.
Well I cam across her blog today. Basically it stated on a early Jan entry that 2006 was a miserable year, she got engagged and it fell apart and her life was karmically bad last year.
For some reason I got some satisfaction out of reading about her troubles. Then I realized that I don't know anyone who is happy that gets joy out of someone elses misery.
Yea, I felt like a total asshole.
In the grand scheme of things I donb't think it would have mattered much, except for the fact that she was one of the first journals I stumbled across on LJ about 4 years ago.
It's insane how you can measure someone's life from their blog if they keep it up consistently.
I have come to terms with my bad initial reaction and now have some empathy...
But Damn, Where did that nasty inital reaction come from?
I hope I'm not really an asshat deep down inside :-/
Well I cam across her blog today. Basically it stated on a early Jan entry that 2006 was a miserable year, she got engagged and it fell apart and her life was karmically bad last year.
For some reason I got some satisfaction out of reading about her troubles. Then I realized that I don't know anyone who is happy that gets joy out of someone elses misery.
Yea, I felt like a total asshole.
In the grand scheme of things I donb't think it would have mattered much, except for the fact that she was one of the first journals I stumbled across on LJ about 4 years ago.
It's insane how you can measure someone's life from their blog if they keep it up consistently.
I have come to terms with my bad initial reaction and now have some empathy...
But Damn, Where did that nasty inital reaction come from?
I hope I'm not really an asshat deep down inside :-/
paul - 01/16/07 23:28
I often take pleasure in other people misfortune and I am a generally happy guy. The Germans have mastered it to the point that they have a term for it: Shadenfreude - You can read all about it on wikipedia :::link::: Apparently, there is no english single-word equivalent.
I often take pleasure in other people misfortune and I am a generally happy guy. The Germans have mastered it to the point that they have a term for it: Shadenfreude - You can read all about it on wikipedia :::link::: Apparently, there is no english single-word equivalent.
theecarey - 01/16/07 23:23
finding heightened amusment in someone elses misery should be a starting point at looking at your own level of life satisfaction. You are not the only one to do this, we have all been there at some point. but what do i know? ;)
btw, I have known you long enough to be able to say with confidence that you do not have deep seeded asshat tendencies.
finding heightened amusment in someone elses misery should be a starting point at looking at your own level of life satisfaction. You are not the only one to do this, we have all been there at some point. but what do i know? ;)
btw, I have known you long enough to be able to say with confidence that you do not have deep seeded asshat tendencies.
01/12/2007 09:20 #37657
falling and drowningCategory: dreams
It was a interesting game last night. I ended up going with my Allentown friend last night and had a descent time. The Leafs pulled out a moral victory over a tired Sabres team that just hit E on the gas tank. All I can say is I love the seats that I do get get from time to time. There's nothing like people watching in the 200 level and watching the Lexus Shootout live.
So after droping off my friend and stopping by spot to grab a decaf tea for the ride home I find myself awake at 4am this morning. I had a really bad nightmare.
It started out in my friend Tom's '94 Dodge Caravan and I think we had another friend of ours in the backseat. We were someplace warm and the windows were open. I noticed a car of three women about 19 or so in a Honda Civic next to us on a gravel parking strip. They were singing to the top of their lungs some really braindead pop song about love & relationships in the bubble gum drama type of way. I turned to Tom and said, "They actually take that shit seriously!" As I said that an beefy in an athletic way Italian woman cop comes out of a convience store across the street and says something along of the lines of "You boys better watch it!" We speed out of there, make a right and a left and come to a dead end street with what looked like a washed out road. We hit the brakes and skid on this white sea shell Florida beach type of roadway.
Our momentum keeps going as we skid and then teeter on the ledge of the end of this sudden dead end street. Then we fall over rear over front and fall into this small beach and then the water. As we are falling I am just thinkg, "This is what I get for not driving myself and leaving it up to someone else." Then after I brace myself for the impact I felt my head bump the ceiling. As I then feel the water rush into the van I can't find the seatbelt to get out and I just think to myself, "So this is how it ends? My parents are really going to love getting this call of their other kid dying in the passenger seat."
I obviously woke up at that moment and in a blury daze checked my email on my phone to read (e:carolinian) and his comment that he left me on my previous journal.
So all I can take from this dream is just my subconscious is telling me to take charge in some way. The falling and drowning I'll have to look up I suppose. But Yea, I pretty disturbing dream sequence I never had or remember a falling and drowning dream before.
So after droping off my friend and stopping by spot to grab a decaf tea for the ride home I find myself awake at 4am this morning. I had a really bad nightmare.
It started out in my friend Tom's '94 Dodge Caravan and I think we had another friend of ours in the backseat. We were someplace warm and the windows were open. I noticed a car of three women about 19 or so in a Honda Civic next to us on a gravel parking strip. They were singing to the top of their lungs some really braindead pop song about love & relationships in the bubble gum drama type of way. I turned to Tom and said, "They actually take that shit seriously!" As I said that an beefy in an athletic way Italian woman cop comes out of a convience store across the street and says something along of the lines of "You boys better watch it!" We speed out of there, make a right and a left and come to a dead end street with what looked like a washed out road. We hit the brakes and skid on this white sea shell Florida beach type of roadway.
Our momentum keeps going as we skid and then teeter on the ledge of the end of this sudden dead end street. Then we fall over rear over front and fall into this small beach and then the water. As we are falling I am just thinkg, "This is what I get for not driving myself and leaving it up to someone else." Then after I brace myself for the impact I felt my head bump the ceiling. As I then feel the water rush into the van I can't find the seatbelt to get out and I just think to myself, "So this is how it ends? My parents are really going to love getting this call of their other kid dying in the passenger seat."
I obviously woke up at that moment and in a blury daze checked my email on my phone to read (e:carolinian) and his comment that he left me on my previous journal.
So all I can take from this dream is just my subconscious is telling me to take charge in some way. The falling and drowning I'll have to look up I suppose. But Yea, I pretty disturbing dream sequence I never had or remember a falling and drowning dream before.
metalpeter - 01/13/07 12:34
Crazzy dreams, can't say that I have had them any time recently at all, it been many many years. In terms of the sabres I went to one game and sat in the 200 club level seats they call them preaty amazing. I ate with some people from work at what ever the place is called on the 200 level it was a lot of fun. Even though the sabres lost hope you had a great time.
Crazzy dreams, can't say that I have had them any time recently at all, it been many many years. In terms of the sabres I went to one game and sat in the 200 club level seats they call them preaty amazing. I ate with some people from work at what ever the place is called on the 200 level it was a lot of fun. Even though the sabres lost hope you had a great time.
ladycroft - 01/12/07 12:40
interesting. i had a dream about YOU last night. you called me, but you had this really strange accent. you were asking me about the beach. hmmmmmm. i wonder if you made a cell phone call from your underwater subconcious (sp?). but why call me? i love dreams.
interesting. i had a dream about YOU last night. you called me, but you had this really strange accent. you were asking me about the beach. hmmmmmm. i wonder if you made a cell phone call from your underwater subconcious (sp?). but why call me? i love dreams.
Make 2007 the year to manifest the lifestyle of your dreams!