Status...

So much for trying to keep up with my blog. You can follow me on twitter at www.twitter.com/joliva1180 . I will try to keep this up to date, as I can do it through my phone while I am in Mississippi/Texas for the next 2 months for training. Make sure to follow me on twitter and you can even get it sent to your mobile device.

Uh Oh.....

Low-density lipoprotein levels were higher then they were supposed to be on my blood tests. Didnt fast the 12-14 hours I was supposed to because I did not have advanced warning. Getting retested today. Not sure what happens if they come back high again.....

When Things Get Crazy....

It is good to know who is truly there for you. It has been a pretty emotional week. Some negative, but believe it or not...A LOT of positive...

I Don't Know Where I'm Going, But I Sure Know Where I've Been...

So many emotions and thoughts in my head right now. Good , bad and other. Thank you for all of you that have been so supportive so far. I've had to do a lot in a little bit of time and if it wasn't for my family and true friends, I wouldn't be able to do it. 7 more days until I head out to Ft. Bliss, Texas (Ft. Bliss my ass lol). There til sep 26, home for about a week then out til july/august of next year. I'm taking a big ass vacation when I get back!

So Much To Do, Such Little Time...

I have so much to do before I leave!!!!

My Mission In Iraq...

This is what I will be doing overseas:


"Internal and External detention Security operations at a theater Internment facility. Will have direct contact with detainees to provide care, custody and security."

My Big News....

So today consisted of getting my blood drawn for 6 different tests. Getting my dental x rays, setting up my eye exam for monday morning and receiving shots for Hep B, Typhoid, and Anthrax.....yes Anthrax.....


Anyone guess what the news I was talking about yesterday was? I'm getting deployed overseas....

I MAY HAVE SOME REALLY BIG NEWS COMING SOON....

STAY TUNED. I DON'T TYPE IN CAPS, SO THIS IS BIG....

Happy Hump Day...

Well its Wednesday. Fell asleep around 1:30, woke up at 5:30. It's 6:40am and Im about to head out the door. Hopefully today isn't too bad and I get off early. Happy Hump Day!

Did You Know...

It is illegal to dance publicly in Iowa's largest city (Iowa City) between the times of 2am and 6am on Monday through Saturday, and until 8am on Sunday? Interesting city ordinance that dates back to 1942. Wonder if the city will catch up with the times and change their law. Read more about it here.

Congrats Prince Fielder...

Prince showed glimpses of his dad (Cecil Fielder) as he won the Home Run Derby. Congratulations Prince.

Prince Fielder Vs. Nelson Cruz....

Been watching the Major League Baseball Home Run Derby. I put my money on Prince Fielder from the beginning and hopefully he comes through. Started off with 8 players and he is in the top 2. They just started the final round. It's him and Nelson Cruz in the finals. Cruz is just starting to bat. Go Prince!

Post Mohawk...

Farewell Mowhawk...

About to head out to get my haircut. I've had a mohawk for 17 days and today marks it's final appearance. It's actually pretty symbolic lol It declares the official end of my vacation. Might post a before and after pic when I get back. It was fun while it lasted.

I Got A Feeling...

Feels like I want to smile, feels like I want to cry, feels like I want to run, feels like I want to sleep, feels like I want to sing, feels like I want to fight, feels like I want to drink, feels like I want to eat, feels like I want to swim, feels like I want to scream, feels like I need a hug, feels like I need a call, feels like I need to compete, feels like I need to speak, feels like I need to stop worrying, feels like I need to laugh, feels like I need to scratch, feels like I need to drive, I don't really know what I feel...

Whats Your Name...

Sad to say I'm only in town for the night,
I got like 8 hours left before my flight,
I'm really trying to stay respectful and polite,
Now you can tell me go to hell, if you like,
Because I'm not a guy that wants to trip ,
Get mad cause your not interested, and start yellin fuck you bitch
Now don't get it twisted, I'm going to look when you pass
But I'm not the one to pull on your arm or grab your ass
And I'm not the one thats going to be playin about what we do,
Before its over your gonna say, "shit, I should pay you"
Please believe it

Such A Great Song...

Back From NOLA

Got back last night from New Orleans. Had a lot of time during my flight there last week, and my flight back yesterday to think of many topics I want to write about. I jotted most of the ideas down on the notebook I took along on my trip. So this is a warning of the upcoming surge of posts that will probably begin to pop up in the next couple of days or weeks. It should be a barrage of ideas that will get me back on pace to my goal of averaging 1 post a day for the whole year, especially because I am a significant number behind my goal as of right now. Anyway, great trip to New Orleans (I'll write about it) and happy to be back in CA also though. Today I am spending the day with my son so I can't wait to go pick him up, I'm leaving in 5 minutes. As far as the large number of posts I plan on posting on here soon, you have been warned.

Sarah Palin Resigns As Alaska Governor...

Sarah Palin announced today that she will be stepping down as Alaskan Governor on July 26. This raises the question of her doing this to spend time planning a possible run at the White House in 2012. Great to know she was elected as Governor in 2006 and spent about a year in office before she took almost the whole year off to run as John McCain's running mate, and then leaves office a year and a half before her term ends. She does the people of Alaska proud. Her explanation at her news conference today was that since she decided she would not run for re-election next year, she did not want to be seen as a "lame duck" Governor and decided to step down. If she truly makes a run at the White House in 2012, I welcome it. Makes it even easier for the Democrats to win again. This person is not a qualified candidate and that was well documented during her Vice Presidential run/debates/media interviews. Nice to know when things get tough, you can just quit your job and run for another one.

Be Safe On 4th Of July...

I hope everyone has a good holiday weekend. Everyone should enjoy themselves but make sure things don't get too out of hand. If you are going to be drinking, make sure you have a designated driver or if your going to be in the Orange County area and think you will have some drinks but won't have a designated driver you can use this great service! It's Scooter Patrol, and it's free. Check out the site and if you think you will need a driver,take advantage of this public service. Call in before 5pm and let them know where you will be and someone from the service will come to meet you and drive your own car home for you. They have been featured in many articles in the OC register and Los Angeles Times and Toyota of Huntington Beach has even donated an additional car to the organization. Better safe then sorry, make sure you make your reservation. If you don't feel comfortable with that concept you can always call a cab; Yellow Cab has the largest fleet in Orange County and you can check out their website here, or call them at 1-800-4-My-Taxi (1-800-469-8294, write it down before you head out).

Those services and options are for my West Coast friends. For my people in the dirty dirty (New Orleans baby!) you can access Zingo Designated Drivers for the same concept as the above Scooter Patrol Service, but it does have some small fees here, but still a good option. If not, the taxi service with the biggest fleet in the New Orleans metro area is United Cab Company, although there are many other taxis roaming throughout the city you can pick up. You can check out their website here, or contact them at 504-522-9771 (Again, write this down if you want to have it handy). Everyone have fun this weekend!! And if you live in an area where fireworks are legal, enjoy and be safe. Happy 4th of July.

Getting Ready And Feeling Good...

So I'm in the middle of finishing my last load of laundry I am doing before I head out to New Orleans for 8 days. Dusted my room, put away all my clothes, vacuumed, and organized my desk. I am going to start to pack tonight and finish up tomorrow. It's a good feeling to get all this done before I go on trips, because it is a great feeling coming home to a nice clean room and no pending household issues when I get back from my trip. I think I have everything I need and luckily I am going on a trip, where if I forget anything, I should be ok because I will be with family and not in a hotel like my usual business trips. I'll be rotating where I will be spending the nights while I am in New Orleans between my Dad's place, my Mom's place and my little brother's place. My brother is conveniently located between both my mom and dad's respective houses so I will prob spend the majority of the nights there. So my itinerary is going to pretty much consist of hitting up Bourbon Street, several restaurants, a Zephyrs game (minor league baseball!), possibly going to a water park (blue bayou in Baton Rouge), going bowling, seeing family, seeing friends and who knows what else. It has been 8 months since I last went back (November for my father's wedding) and feels like way too long. So apart from the weight loss contest we had with friends that I wrote about in previous posts, I have lost a total of 16.4 lbs in 8 1/2 weeks. Which means I can spoil myself a little on how I eat while I am out there. I am very proud of my success with the weight loss and am motivated to having my ideal weight in sight. I need to lose about another 8lbs and I will be at my ideal weight.

Happy Canada Day...

If you don't know what Canada Day is, look it up here

I'll Go See It This Week Or Next...

What Ever Happend To...

Paperboy? Never heard from again...



Paperboy? Never heard from again...

181 Down, 184 More To Go...

Well it is the last day of the 6th month of the year. 6 more months to go. Halfway through the calendar year; Although technically not exactly halfway through the year, that would be this coming Thursday at noon. This year has been racing by, and doesn't seem like the rest of the year will be slowing down. Still have a lot to get accomplished and a lot of things to get a handle on in the remaining months. I have been enjoying time off from work the last 5 days and still have another 13 days off left. This weekend I leave for New Orleans to visit family and friends for a week. After that, it is full speed ahead with work, and everything in general. Before I know it it will be another New Years Eve and 2010 will begin to be a blur.

Coleman Concedes To Franken...

Well there you go; I blog about it and it happens (The Saints are winning the Superbowl!!!) lol. Former Senator Norm Coleman has conceded to Senator-Elect Al Franken in the Minnesota Senate race that has been in contention since the November election. Coleman called Franken to congratulate Franken hours after the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that Franken was the winner. This means that Coleman will not move forward with trying to go through the federal courts for appeals. President Obama put out a statement after the announcement stating "I look forward to working with Senator-Elect Franken to build a new foundation for growth and prosperity by lowering health care costs and investing in the kind of clean energy jobs and industries that will help America lead in the 21st century". Congratulations Al Fraken!

Minnesota Supreme Court Makes Ruling...

The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled today that Al Franken has officially won the Senate race that has been ongoing since the election in November. The court dismissed former Senator Norm Coleman's challenge of the state's November election results. Coleman has been filing appeals since a recount declared Franken the winner in January. Franken is well known from his Saturday Night Live acting/writing days from 1975 to 1980 and again from 1985-1995, his 5 New York Times bestselling books, or from his liberal radio talk show on Air America from 2004-2007.

If Franken is declared the winner he would be the 60th Democratic Senator in the Senate, which is the number of votes needed to have a filibuster-proof majority. It would signal a huge victory for Democrats if any measures that could possibly have heavy Republican opposition come up for vote. Coleman had said that he may appeal and take it to federal courts to resolve the issue and continue to prolong it. The positive news is that Minnesota Governor , Tim Pawlenty-R, had stated that if the Minnesota Supreme Court declared Al Franken the winner that he would sign Franken's election certificate. Former Senator Coleman needs to concede and not extend these ridiculous appeals to the point it is reaching. In the long run all he is doing is preventing the people of the State of Minnesota from having their voice heard in the Senate.

Dodgers Win...

Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Colorado Rockies 4-2. Went to the game with some friends and my cousin. It was a big win for the Dodgers. They ended up winning with a walk-off homerun from Andre Ethier in the bottom of the 13th inning. Great way to win it. Either just hit 3 homeruns this past Friday against the Seattle Mariners, so he is having a good hitting streak. The Dodgers have 2 more games against the Rockies in this series. Hopefully they take the remaining games.

Baseball Game Tonight...

Going to the Colorado Rockies vs. Los Angeles Dodgers game tonight. Going to go with some friends and my cousin and her friends as well. Sounds like a good Monday night to me! I grew up a HUGE Dodgers fan (I was obsessed with Steve Sax) and they remain a huge fan but as of late having spent a significant amount of time in the Orange County area have grown to be a big Angels fan as well. Luckily they are in separate leagues (American and National) so unless they play each other, which happens rarely, there is no conflict of interest. The last game I went to was an Angels game and they got beat 11-1 and was also against the Rockies. So hopefully the Dodgers take care of business tonight and take care of the Rockies. Go Blue!

USA Loses 3-2 Against Brazil...

The United States lost to Brazil 3-2 in the finals of this years Confederation Cup. They were the big underdog going into this game so this result is not as disappointing as it may appear. The route they traveled to get to that game has been great. They upset Spain in a huge upset (As I blogged about previously). The only hard part to swallow was that the United States actually took a 2-0 lead in the first half today against Brazil. They went into halftime still winning 2-0 and then in the second half the team started to collapse. Brazil scored 3 goals and ended up with the win. Either way, great effort by team USA and hopefully they are motivated with the outcome overall of the tournament and how far they advanced.

They Don't Really Care About Us/Iran Protests

Michael Jackson's song "They Don't Really Care About Us" coupled with video of the Iran protests going on because of the recent election.

HUGE Soccer Game Tomorrow...

VS

The United States can for the first time, win a major FIFA sanctioned tournament for the first time in history if they are able to upset Brazil tomorrow at the finals of the Confederations Cup. The game is tomorrow at 2:30pm/est. Luckily I do not have anything planned and will be able to watch the game in it's entirety from the comfort of home. This game ranks as possibly the most important US National Team game in history. The big story was the United States beating Spain earlier this week to advance to the finals. Spain had been on an incredible winning streak and the US knocked them out of the tournament by beating them 2-0. Hopefully they can ride the momentum and take care of Brazil tomorrow. Lets do it USA!

My Vacation Hairdo...

Did something similar last year in August when I went to Mexico on vacation. Something different. It's actually a little liberating. This was today at the beach.

Beach Day....

Great day today! Took my son to the beach today and we met up with my cousin and her daughter, my other cousins daughter, and my cousins friend and husband, and their child! lol The kids all had a blast at the beach today and the weather was great. It is a great resource living so close to the ocean and I need to take more advantage of it. I'm sure David will ask me several more times this summer to bring him there.

80's Freestyle Concert Last Night...

Wen't to this concert last night at Staples Center in Los Angeles. Went with my cousin and some of her friends. It actually ended up being pretty cool lol. Here are just some of the preformers that were there. 3 of the songs I was actually happy to hear:

RUMORS - Club Nouveau



Taylor Dayne - Tell It To My Heart
Uploaded by Sunshinemusikbox. - See the latest featured music videos.



Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock - It takes two
Uploaded by rakim69150 - Watch more music videos, in HD!

Another Great One...

Ok. So this was done in the 90's so it is not precise in some of the names or current changes. Either way, it was great.

Not Even A Joke When I Say This Is Why I Am Good At Geography...

The show "Anamaniacs" ran from 1993-1998

Michael Jackson - Beat It
Uploaded by sofresh305. - Watch more music videos, in HD!

3 Celebrities, 2 days...

Wow. Ed McMahon yesterday, and today Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson die. RIP to all 3 of them. TMZ (of course) is the only one reporting that Jackson has been pronoucned dead right now. No other news outlet is confirming this. TMZ usually has people in the know everywhere, so I'm sure it is a matter of time before the other news outlets confirm. He suffered cardiac arrest today at his home and was rushed to UCLA hospital.

Hottest Day Ever In New Orleans...

Well it's official, its hot as hell in New Orleans. I'm heading out there in just over a week and today it hit 104 degrees, 102 in the area I'll be staying in. The 104 temperature in New Orleans broke the single day record for temperature. With the humidity, the heat index can get to deadly levels of 108-111. I mean don't get me wrong, growing up there it was extremely hot during summertime especially when the humidity is added and you get the actual heat index. But 104?? damn. I'm def in for a treat while I'm out there. I'm packing nothing but shorts and tee shirts, lots of socks, sunblock, and deodorant lol. It is normally around 90-95 this time of year so its a good amount above that. Hoping to hit a water park with my younger brother while I'm out there. Maybe even head out to Mississippi or Florida for a day at the beach, but not sure.

LSU TIgers...

Congratulations to the Louisiana State University Tigers. They are the 2009 College Baseball Champions. They defeated the Texas Longhorns in the best of 3 series. This marks the 6th college baseball championship for Louisiana State. Hopefully this is a sign of what Louisiana sports will be this year. Hoping the Hornets go deep into the NBA playoffs this year, and that the Saints head to the Superbowl (ok maybe a little too optimistic, but at least be in contention), and that LSU football does as well as the baseball team. It's a good way to start the year off regardless.

Lots Of Words For The Same Meaning...

Seems interesting in the English language that there are so many words that are for the same meaning. A good example are words to describe someone who tells falsehoods:

liar, cheat, con artist, deceiver, deluder, dissimulator, equivocator, fabler, fabricator, fabulist, false witness, falsifier, fibber, maligner, misleader, perjurer, phony, prevaricator, promoter, storyteller, trickster

The Woman They Call Neda...

The young woman that was killed at an anti-government rally in Iran this week during the protests that have been ongoing since that country's presidential election. Not a lot is known about her and it may have even been that she was not actively participating in the rally herself but it shows how bad human rights are in Iran and what type of regime change is needed there.

LSU Loses Tonight...

which means they third and final game of the series will be played tomorrow for the College Baseball Championship. Way too close for my comfort.

Tigers On Their Way To Sixth National Championship...

The LSU Tigers are trailing the Texas Longhorns 5-1 in the 3rd inning right now in the second game of the best of 3 College World Series Finals. LSU, having already won last night's game 1, needs to just win today to become College Baseball Champions. If they go on the lose today they will play again in a winner take all game tomorrow night with the series tied 1-1. So hopefully they take care of business tonight and finish off the night champions.

Clarification And Enlightenment...

It's not karma because that has to do with something happening because of past actions. I'm not exactly sure what it's called, but when you happen to be speaking of something and it happens. It's about the previous blog I just wrote. It's like when your talking to someone about an old song, something totally random you haven't heard in maybe like years and you happen to hear it playing later that same day.

Well whatever it is...it happened today. So I finish writing the previous blog about the sad situation with my friend and it's like 11:15pm when I do. It's a weekday and even though I have work early in the morning and I should go to bed I end up watching the Tonight Show with Conan O'Brian and it ends around 12:35am and then I watch Craig Ferguson which ends at 1:35am. Instead of going to sleep, some things happen and all of a sudden I find out what the whole situation was with my friend and why they are upset. The reason I bring up the example of a random song playing and then hearing it is because I have been dwelling on this confusion for weeks; yet the one day I finally blog about it, and say I give up, I find out! It's a load off my mind finally knowing. I think that is what really was killing me; thinking I had done something to really hurt my friend, and now I know what the reason is for being ostracised by them.

I can see where if they truly believed what they perceive as reality were true it could be upsetting. I don't see getting ignored for weeks as the appropriate response, but to each his own. I'm not even saying they are wrong for doing it. The good thing is I finally can sleep better knowing what the reason is, yet still upset of the overall outcome and that we weren't able to rectify the situation which could have been done, and I'm not exaggerating, in about 10 minutes, maybe 20 so that everyone had a thorough understanding.

Although a great weight has been taken off my shoulders, I am still ever melancholic about the situation as a whole. Well it's 1:45am now, and I get up at 6:00am today for work, so I should be getting to bed, although I could write on forever right now. ay que ver si alguin puede entender esto: Porque nopo puepedepes aprendeper quepe epellepa nopo epes tu amigapa y nunca vapa seper. Good night.

A Sad Moment...

well I came to the realization that someone I thought was a really good friend apparently didn't feel the same way I did. I was friends with someone for a long period of time and for a reason I am still unaware of they are no longer speaking to me. I went out with my friend one weekend about 3 or 4 weeks ago like any other night and I thought the night went well. After that night though, it seems as if something was wrong with them. I travel frequently for work and that first week and the following I was out of town, so I thought nothing of not being able to see this person whom I had spent a significant period of time with every week for a long time whenever I was local. Then after I came home from the week of travel and I was home on the weekend and called them to hang out I got ignored and it seemed weird. I wasn't sure why, but figured they were busy or upset about something. So thinking something was wrong I text them and asked them if something was wrong and I got a response saying they had just been really busy and had a rough week. I could definitely relate with that! It's been rough on everyone lately....work, finances, stress, family, etc.. So no big deal..they had just been busy.

Then comes another week of being ignored and another week of being concerned if it was being directed specifically at me for some reason that again, I am still unaware of at this moment. So again, I ask several times that week what the problem is and then I get my first hint that I am correct in assuming it is something specific to me, they tell me that even if they tell me it won't make a difference. So now I'm really curious, because whether it makes a difference or not, at least I'll know what the reason is that the person I talked to and confided in so frequently has completely turned their back to me. They tell me that I should know what the issue is or that they are pretty sure I know, yet at this point I've already asked on at least 5 different occasions what the specific issue is.

I have seen this person like 2 times since I started realizing that they were holding a grudge against me for whatever reasoning they have for not speaking to me. It was a little awkward because I didn't know how to act because I DONT KNOW WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON. Anytime I have text or asked what was wrong I get the run around or ignored. I get empty promises of phone calls or late texts saying that things are better off discussed "tomorrow" though I never receive an explanation. Now this person does mean a lot to me and I hate the fact that we aren't as close as I thought we were, but I am also an adult and not going to harass someone for not wanting to talk/hang out with me. I am not going to beg when I don't even know what the reason we are in this situation is to begin with. I have tried to extend my hand to someone I thought was my friend and they keep turning me down, and will not give me an explanation or justification for getting treated the way I have been treated.

I hope that one day we can be friends again, obviously they don't want to be friends to the extent that I want to and I can respect that. And if that isn't even an option they want, then it would at least be nice to one day find out what the culprit was in this awkward, depressing, confusing, surreal, stomach aching, head hurting, stressful,.....sad moment.

Rockies vs. Angels...

So I went to the Angels game with a friend tonight and they got spanked! They lost to the Colorado Rockies 11-1. I left in the 9th inning when it was 9-1. Hopefully they pick it up in the series. All-Star break is right around the corner!

Zoo Was Great Today...

Couldn't have asked for a better day today. Got to spend it all day with David and we went to the Los Angeles Zoo. It was a beautiful 80 degree day in Southern California and the crowds were reasonable. Actually it was about a 10 minute wait to get tickets and no problem with crowds once we were inside the zoo because it is spread out over a large area and the viewing areas are also wide. We go to see lions, bears, all kids of birds, all kinds of monkeys, zebras, komodo dragons (David actually liked these a lot because he had never seen them), sea lions, gazelles, tigers, elephants and several other critters. He had a blast and so did I. I'll even sleep really well tonight as tired as I am because the zoo is located on a series of hills, so we did a lot of walking. Everyone should hit up the zoo when they get a chance, it's a fun experience. I need to check out the San Diego Zoo, since I hear it's the best.

Happy Fathers Day...

to all the fathers out there. Our kids look up to us for guidance and support and we need to be there as a positive role model for them as best we can. Today I am going to spend the day at the zoo with my son and I will give my pops a call a little bit later on seeing as how he is in New Orleans. The good thing is I will be seeing him in about 2 weeks when I go visit. So I hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday and a great Fathers Day.

Watch Your Mouth Joe Budden....

You talk mess about one of them (Joe has been talking a lot about Method Man) and you get the whole Clan. Watch yourself lol....

Headed To The Zoo Tomorrow...

So I am taking my son David to the Los Angeles Zoo tomorrow to spend father's day there with him. I am really excited to go; I have not been to a zoo in a long time and haven't taken David since he was very little. He has been telling me all week he can't wait to go and keeps asking what different types of animal we will see. The weather the last couple of days here in southern California has been comfortable, a little humid during the week, but nice and it should continue tomorrow, making it a great day to be outside. After our trip I'll write about how it went and about any cool animal sightings.

Texas vs. LSU In The College World Series Finals...

Good luck to the Louisiana State University Tigers in the finals of the College World Series this coming week. LSU has been dominant during the entire tournament thus far, they were undefeated during double elimination play, hopefully they are peaking at the right time and sweep the Texas Longhorns. The championship series is going to be best of three beginning with the first game on Monday June 22 @ 7:00pm/est on ESPN. So make sure to tune in and show LSU some support. Go Tigers.

No Idea How Big The Ghetto Boys Were Where I Grew Up...

They were from Houston but they always showed New Orleans love...

The Glade Sense And Spray...

So I bought this Glade Sense And Spray. For those of you who don't know what it is, it is an automatic battery operated air freshening spray. It uses 2 AA batteries and you can set the timer on it to spray a light mist every 9, 18, or 36 minutes. I have mine set on 36 minutes, which according to the packaging will make the spray work for roughly 60 days before it needs another refill. I got the idea because a friend of mine has this at her house and I would hear it spray occasionally, so when I went to the store last week I saw it and remembered it. With my schedule the way it is, traveling for a majority of the week, it is a great product that keeps my room smelling fresh and clean while I am away. I just bought it last week, so it was nice when last Friday after I came back from last week's business trip and walked in the door, the room smelled amazing. It cost approx. $13 or so, and I definitely think it was worth the investment and am happy with the purchase. So if you are at your local grocery/drug/convenience store, pick one up if you need this type of product. I know I'm glad I did.

El Pollo Loco Punks KFC's Grilled Chicken...

So El Pollo Loco (fast food chicken for those of you not living out on the west coast) recently let the Los Angeles Times know some interesting facts about the new grilled chicken that Kentucky Fried Chicken has been pimping out and marketing like crazy; it contains beef power and rendered beef fat, nice lol. Here is a story explaining the article in the LA Times. Just to recap, these are the ingredients in the KFC Grilled Chicken straight from their website:


Fresh Chicken Marinated with: Salt, Sodium Phosphate, and Monosodium Glutamate. Seasoned with: Maltodextrin, Salt, Bleached Wheat Flour, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean and Cottonseed Oil, Monosodium Glutamate, Secret Kentucky Grilled Chicken Spices, Palm Oil, Natural Flavor, Garlic Powder, Soy Sauce (Soybean, Wheat, Salt), Chicken Fat, Chicken Broth, Autolyzed Yeast, Beef Powder, Rendered Beef Fat, Extractives of Turmeric, Dehydrated Carrot, Onion Powder, and Not More Than 2% Each of Calcium Silicate and Silicon Dioxide Added as Anticaking Agents. Contains Wheat and Soy

MMMMMMMMMmmmmm Yummy healthy grilled chicken

My Blog Goal...

I think I'm going to try and get a minimum of 365 posts this year. Not necessarily doing one a day but enough were that is what it averages out to. I have noticed that the last several posts I get some other ideas and end up posting 2 or 3. All of last year (I started in September) I had 50 posts. I am already up to 96 posts , 97 including this one. This still puts me behind the curve but I think I have more then enough time to get back on track. Just a personal goal for right now. I'll try to not have to many posts like this that don't have much substance, but then again if I am going to accomplish my goal I'm sure several of my posts will not have much substance to anyone other then me.

My Company Kicks Ass...

So got a newsletter from work because it's the time of year for open enrollment for health/vision/dental benefits. This year the company I work for officially allows benefits for domestic partners, regardless of gender. I won't name the company I work for by name, but if you know me you will already know, but I am very impressed that they have extended these benefits to domestic partners. There are many private companies that are starting to do the same and hopefully this goes across the board and is a norm for all companies/business' in the future. Just wanted to bring that up, I'm very proud about it.

Official Vacation Announcement...

I will be on vacation from June 26 to July 13. I worked it out where I am off for a total of 18 days while only using 7 vacation days, utilizing my "office" days and weekends off in conjunction with the vacation days. I will be local from June 26 to July 3 (8 days) probably catch up on some time at the beach and hang out with friends locally. After that I will be in New Orleans July 4-11 (8 days) visiting family and friends over there. I am extremely excited and can't wait to get this week and Mon-Thurs of next week over with! I will fill in my actual itinerary as my time off nears.

S#%t Is Going Down In Iran...

After the "official" election results of Iran's recent election, thousands have taken to the streets of Tehran and other Iranian cities to dispute the results. Over 40 million votes were cast and Iran does not use counting machines meaning all votes have to be hand counted; with that many votes turned in, and the fact that incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared the winner before the polls even closed, it makes for a very very sceptical election. No international monitors were used for the election, which adds even more to the doubts of this being a legit election. International media is being tossed out of the country and being barred from covering the protests, while Iranian State Media only covers President Ahmadinejad's victory speeches. Meanwhile they have the contender, Mir-Hossein Mousavi, losing the election 66% to 33%, including losing in his hometown. Supporters of Mir-Hossein Mousavi are asking the Supreme Leader Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to annul the election and have an official recount. I'll follow up more on this later.

Congratulations Jamie....

So our weight loss challenge ended yesterday. As a refresher, 5 of my friends and myself put in $50 to see who could lose the most weight (percentage wise) in 6 weeks. I came in second out of the 6 total participants so I am happy with the results. My total weight loss was 11.2 pounds. I am very glad I shed that additional weight that had just been clinging on because of my bad eating habits. I will use this as a jumpstart to get down to my ideal weight (155-160) So pretty much I want to lose about 5-10 more pounds (preferably 10). This is something I know I can achieve. It's beach time here in sunny California so I will enjoy having lost those extra pounds in time to enjoy the beaches this summer lol. Also with vacation coming up (going to new orleans) I will appreciate the weight loss even more. Contratulations to everyone involved for losing whatever respective weight they lost, and congratulations Jamie for being the cream (lite of course lol) of the crop!

My Junior Year In High School It Was "Our Song" With My Girlfriend lol

Lucky Girl Gets A Very Cool Note From President Obama...

Kid Cudi - Day And Night

Day N Nite - KiD CuDi

Headed To New Orleans...

So its almost 99% sure that I will head out to New Orleans for a couple days vacation in june/july. Still trying to work out the details (damn black out days on my free flight) I will post the itinerary when everything is confirmed.

Stephen Colbert Has A Message...

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Exclusive - Where and When Is Stephen Going to the Persian Gulf - Iraq Announcement
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Bravo Stephen Colbert...

Tonight highlights the first of a week long of showings of The Colbert Report (both pronounced with a silent "t") live from Baghdad. The show airs all week at its regular scheduled time, 11:30pm pst here on the west coast, on Comedy Central. For those of you unfamiliar with the show, it is a spin off of The Daily Show, a popular "fake" news show on Comedy Central, hosted by Jon Stewart. The host, Stephen Colbert, was initially a correspondent on The Daily Show from 1997-2005. Colbert has long stated his complete support for the troops and says that too much talk about the economy has been clouding the news, and taking away focus and attention on the troops still serving overseas.

There have been small excerpts and pictures that have already leaked for tonight's show (filmed, cut and edited earlier today) and it seems like it will be a good show. Pictures have surfaced of Colbert wearing a business suit and tie matching the Army camouflage uniform, and receiving a military style hair cut during the middle of the show. It's the little things like this that raise moral for the troops, signs of solidarity with them. Several of his monologue jokes that leaked were also moral lifting, although to some civilians it may not seem so, with Colbert stating ""It must be nice here, because I understand some of you keep coming back again and again and again" receiving a wave of laughter from the troops. Most people don't realize the "darker" humor that soldiers use to cope by finding things funny that the rest of the world likely wouldn't. Nothing vulgar or obscene, but things such as the previous joke, which was in regards to the stressful and sometimes multiple deployments that the military has had to deal with since war began in 2003.

I'm excited to watch all week and commend Stephen Colbert for his patriotism. Tonight's show will feature guest Gen. Ray Odierno , as well as pre-recorded messages from President Obama and Sen John McCain. Stay tuned...

Feeling Down...

I really need to get out of this funk. I have many things (people, events, etc) on my mind. I need to figure some things out...

9 More Days Until Our Weight Loss Challenge Ends...

So 6 of us, 5 of my friends and myself, put in $50 and gave ourselves a 6 week challenge. Who ever lost the most weight, percentage wise, would win the $250 in the prize pool. I'm not sure how everyone else is doing, but I am feeling OK about my progress. I could have been a lot more disciplined about it, but I can't help it, I love food. Regardless of who wins, I want to continue to eat healthier then I have in the past, as well as continue to be more active then I have been in the recent past. I have felt good jogging and biking and need to keep it up even after our challenge. I tend to fluctuate a lot in weight and I need to keep it under control as much as I can. Nothing drastic, just eating healthier and being more active. Good luck to all.

Wow 65 Years Ago...

American troops and other Allied troops hit Normandy Beach in France, The operation was the largest single day amphibious invasion of all time, it is also known as D-Day. 160,000 troops landed on the beach on June 6, 1944 (exactly 65 years ago). 195,700 Allied naval and merchant navy personnel in over 5,000 ships were involved. This does not even take into account the air assault attacks the American troops were also involved in that same morning. Because of D-Day, the Allied troops were able to eventually advance into Germany and defeat the Nazis. The WWII veterans are dwindling because of rising age and we must never forget the sacrifices they made to mold the world into what it has become. The world would be a very different place if they had not been successful on D-Day. I watched some nice memorials and tributes today as well as hearing some very endearing words from President Obama (who was on Omaha Beach in France today) and French President Nicholas Sarkozy.

I Don't Know Where I'm Going, But I Know Where I've Been...

Mid life crisis at 28? lol I hope not. Just been reminiscing about past experiences, and the places I grew up. I can't really complain about any of those issues. All those experiences and places have made me who I am today. I'm not sure what else is in store, but I'm sure things will continue to get better...

Greetings From San Francisco...

Fly back home tomorrow. Can't wait for the weekend!

Excited To See This...

Uncle Mario...

I heard my uncle Mario might be coming in town from New Orleans this week. My uncle Mario is my dad's older brother and the sibling to which he is the closest. My uncle Mario is the also the father of my closest cousin Anna (follow her blog here). It's no surprise that he also happens to be my favorite and closest uncle. My uncle moved with my parents and I to New Orleans when I was still in elementary school and continues to live there to this day. Since he was so near by us when I was growing up I have a lot of good memories of him. This is the uncle that I could open up to and would be there for me if I needed advice on typical "guy" stuff if my dad was not around. Although he has led an interesting and sometimes rough life (as have about 95% of my dysfunctional family) he has always been there to support me even when long amounts of time go by between our meetings. He has a big heart and loves his daughters and grand kids who live here in California. He shows the same love and support he showed me to my little brother and my niece, and goes out of his way to hang out with me when I go back home to Louisiana to visit family. Hopefully I get to spend some time with him if he ends up coming down this week. So just wanted to briefly talk about that. If I were to write about all the stories I have that include my uncle, I would never stop writing lol so in closing.... you are the man Tio Mario.

Hurricane Season Starts Today...

Here is to hoping it is a good year and nothing major happens where lives are lost.

Feeling Uneasy...

So I'm flying to the San Francisco area tomorrow for work and coming back Friday. Today a flight went down that was en route to Paris from Rio De Janeiro. I hate hearing about stuff like that right before I fly, it makes me anxious. I don't want to sound insensitive and I feel for the family and friends of the missing passengers of that flight (still has not been found, thought to have crashed in the Atlantic Ocean), but I keep thinking about my flight tomorrow and need to tell myself it will be fine. I fly fairly often for work and I know flying is supposed to be safer then driving, statistically, but it is still something I think about when I fly. Just wanted to get that off my chest. I know tomorrow and Friday's flights will be fine.

1st Of The Month...

Well it's the first of the month (June 1, 2009). Government workers get paid, Military gets paid, rent is due for most, child support is due, and people get their welfare checks. It's already June, Wow. Today is going to be a good day...

2009 MTV Movie Awards Suck...

So I had kind of a long weekend so I just bummed out today (Sunday) and stayed home. As I was watching TV, just flipping through the channels, I saw a commercial advertising the 2009 MTV Movie Awards, and realized they were on today. I haven't seen this award show in a couple of years, but because of the commercial I figured why not just watch? So I wait for it to start and when they are announcing the presenters and performers I get a little hyped up because it actually includes some actors/musicians/etc that I actually like. So the host is Andy Sandberg, a featured player on Saturday Night Live. He is most known for his famous viral videos like "Dick in a Box" with Justin Timberlake and the hilarious spoof of Beyonce's "Single Ladies" video (also with Timberlake). So with that premise, I figured, it should be good show. It wasn't.

From the beginning it just seemed awkward. Presenters were messing up lines left and right making for repeated lines or uncertain celebrities on stage looking around for direction. There was a part when Sasha Baron Cohen (also known as Borat) came down on stage as his latest character Bruno (gay fashion designer, movie coming soon) and we ended up with his ass in rapper Eminem's face. I know Sasha Baron Cohen likes real reaction so I'm not sure if it was set up of if Em was in on it. Eminem seemed genuinely pissed off and his entourage manhandled Cohen enough to make it seem real. The whole scene was to award Zac Efron some award, I'm not even sure which one it was. The camera pans to Efron and you can clearly see him asking people around him if he is supposed to go on stage or what is going on. He goes on and accepts the award and even states "this is the weirdest way I have come up for an award". All of it just wasn't funny. And its not that the guests there aren't talented or relevant, the show just sucks. Although I'm sick and tired of seeing Millie Cyrus, Zac Efron and the rest of the other annoying teenie boppers at events like this. Anyway, I can see that I haven't missed anything worthwhile from not watching the last several years.

Wow, These Kids Are A-M-A-Z-I-N-G...

Was watching the 2009 National Spelling Bee Championship Finals tonight (I know, I'm a nerd) and it was amazing. It's crazy how smart these kids are in figuring out how to spell so many different types of words. Just wanted to say congratulations to thirteen year old Kavya Shivashankar of Olathe, Kansas. She is the 2009 National Spelling Bee Champion. Along with this great achievement she also went home with a $40, 000 prize. I'm sure her parents are very proud.

Excited About Monday...

Conan O'Brian takes over the Tonight Show starting Monday. Now that he is in L.A. I'm going to try and catch a show. He is pretty funny. I caught a Tonight Show taping last year with Jay Leno and it was great. Good Luck Conan!

Countries I Have Been Lucky Enough To Visit...

Belize
China
El Salvador
Guatemala
Honduras
Mexico
Philippines

States I Have Been Lucky Enough To Visit...

Alabama
Arizona
California
Colorado
Florida
Georgia
Idaho
Louisiana
Mississippi
Nevada
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Texas
Virgina
Washington

Washington D.C (District of Columbia)

Lots Of Important Things Happening...

So today the California Supreme Court upheld Proposition 8 (ban against gay marriage). This is a terrible discrimination and takes away the civil rights of Americans. I know there will be appeals so I will continue to follow the developments. Several states such as Maine, Iowa, and Massachusetts to name a few have passed laws allowing gay marriage. California needs to get on the ball and do the same. The only positive thing that the Court did today was to allow the more then 18,000 gay couples that got married when it was legal prior to the passing of Prop 8 to remain valid.

Also today, President Obama announced his nominee for Supreme Court Justice to replace retiring Justice David Souter, and it is Sonia Sotomayor. I need to look into her credentials and background a bit more before I make a solid judgement. From what I heard today it is a good nomination and she would bring more judicial experience with her then any other Supreme Court Justice has at the beginning of their terms in the last 70 years. I will post more about this when I get more knowledgeable about her. These are exciting times, there are lots of important things happening...

Have To Get Up For Work In 4 Hours And 40 Minutes...

I Need To Go Back To School...

So I gathered up my transcripts and looked over them most of the weekend. I have a total of 44 college units and a 3.74GPA. I really do need to get motivated again and get back to school. I applied today to take a class this summer (classes start in 4 weeks) so hopefully I can get the application back in time and be able to register for the class I want to take. For sure in the fall I will be back at Orange Coast College and I already have what classes I want to take and it looks like they are offered at times I will be able to attend. I only need about 16 more units to transfer. I am definitely leaning towards Cal State University, Long Beach or Cal State University, Fullerton. They are both good schools and because of location they also make sense. I am eligible for the new Post 9/11 GI bill that got passed and that goes into effect in August. Because of this, I think I will also apply to University of California, Irvine. Again, location makes sense, and there is a certain pride that comes from graduating from a UC as opposed to a Cal State, not to take anything away from the Cal State system. I will be happy either way as long as I graduate. I still have a long road ahead of me for this but I need to get motivated again and get it done. When I went back to school in 2006 I told myself that I wanted to graduate before I was 30. Seeing as I will be 29 this November that is no longer going to happen. Even though I travel for my full time job, spend my weekends with my son or doing my military service, I need to get motivated and put in the work and get these classes done. I will continue to write about my progress with school in the future...

Happy Memorial Day...

Night Of The Museum: Battle Of The Smithsonian

I went and saw this movie with my son this past weekend. I recommend it for anyone with children. It was entertaining and my son loved it. They have some funny scenes and lines thrown in there for the adults as well. I think it was funnier then the first one. So check it out if you get a chance.

Hello Mom....

Hello ma, how you doing, it's your son now.
And I picked up the pen and put the drugs down.
Now I'm tryin to do some things that'll make you proud
Not like before where everytime I called it was to bail me out
Oh why didn't I listen to things you used to tell me
Knowin that everything that you said would never fail me
But I wasn't listening or even paying attention
I was just trying to get mine
Takin advantage, you would worked two jobs at the same time
I was ungrateful, complaining about Nike and Polo signs
But you always come through, and what do I do?
I wrecked both your cars, stole money from my job
Sold drugs out of the yard, stayed into it with the law
Now I'm just tryin to pay you back for all the stress that I caused.....


-This is from an old song, with lyrics changed to make it customized to my mom. I can't take full credit for it all but it helps get my message across.

I Love You Mom

I Love This Video...

More Reason To Be Pissed Off And Broke In Cali...

So this is something I have been thinking about for awhile but haven't written about yet. I was getting a coffee at Starbucks a couple of weeks ago, when I was asked if I wanted my coffee "for here, or to go?". I froze up for a second and the wheels in my head started slowly turning, because the question really did throw me off a bit. Come to find out that California has a dine in tax. Can you believe that?? If I were to get a tall coffee (dumb ass way to say small coffee at Starbucks) and got it "for here" it would be $.12 more then if I were to ask for it "to go". No different ingredients, no difference in brew, same size, and same type of cup.

I commented to the cashier that I didn't remember ever being asked that before, and she let me know that the company had sent out instruction to start asking and to charge the tax if the items were purchased "for here". Up until recently the company payed the tax on "for here" orders, and recently, and I'm only assuming because of economic problems, the company had started charging the customers for the tax. Most companies are starting to do this here in California. I'm not sure exactly how it works, but I have been looking into it and will try to get some more answers. It has something to do with all restaurant meals having sales tax and groceries not having sales tax in California. If its taken to go it may fall under the category of groceries. Not 100% sure but that is the type of explanation I got at Starbucks. I'll try and research it and get the correct answer. Still a ploy by the man to squeeze every last cent out of you. Damn the man.

Governator Has Us Truly Facing Judgement Day...

Well California is in complete financial shambles. Yesterday we had a special election that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was trying to use to help fix some of the huge budget issues that the state has been facing. The measures that were voted on yesterday included raising taxes, spending reforms and changes in borrowing and funding. 5 of the 6 did not pass and the state continues to grow a bigger deficit. Analysts have estimated that the budget deficit could balloon from $15 billion to $21 billion, forcing the state to take some desperate measures. This could include shortening the school year by a week and a half, cutting tens of thousands of education jobs, eliminating health insurance for 250,000 needy children, laying off 1,700 firefighters, withholding $2 billion from local governments — which could mean cuts in police forces and other services — and freeing almost 40,000 inmates from San Quentin prison. This has others asking how bad it would be if California goes bankrupt.

Gov. Schwarzenegger has run this state into the ground since taking office. Many friends, family and former co-workers of mine are being effected not just in these layoffs but also the inability to find another job once they are unemployed. If anyone is interested in seeing the results of the voting and the propositions in more detail they can click here. It pisses me off to the point that when I go see Terminator Salvation this week (it looks amazing lol) even though he is not in this one, it feels like I'm giving something to him for going to watch a movie of a franchise he help build lol. Anyway, I'm not sure how the state will fare in the coming weeks and months but I really hope that the politicians in Sacramento do something soon before it gets even worse (which is hard to imagine).

New Orleans Gets 2013 Superbowl....

NFL owners voted today and declared the City of New Orleans as the host of the 2013 Superbowl. This is a great accomplishment for the City of New Orleans and the State of Louisiana in general. It is estimated that when a city hosts a Superbowl it averages about $300 million in additional tourism revenue from the event. This will be the 1oth time the city hosts the Superbowl, which puts it tied with South Florida as the city that has hosted the event the most. $85 million has been allocated to renovations to the Superdome (this was approved before the Superbowl vote), all of which will be complete before the 2013 game. This means the dome will be in tip top shape and have state of the art equipment in place, as well as renovated concessions, seats, and concourses.

Now the Saints just need to get to the big game that year. No city hosting the Superbowl has ever had their home team also playing in the game in the same year. Hopefully New Orleans makes it a first. Before that, they need to win it this year regardless! Go Saints.