Wicked Cool

"Human beings are the only creatures on earth that allow their children to come back home." - Bill Cosby

I'm going to start with my good news. I purchased tickets to see the play Wicked in Austin on August 28th at 8pm. I am very excited about this and went back and forth about buying these tickets since I want to make an effort to be responsible. I've been wanting to watch this play since I first heard about the story from tb. I found myself talking about it a lot and after talking to friends about it decided just to do it. It is a long time from now though, so I'll have to not think about it for a bit. Maybe this will start a whole new phase in my life where I attend more events such as this.

Speaking of shows at the Bass Music Hall, Bill Maher went on Hardball yesterday to talk about his tour and to plug Real Time on HBO. Bill Maher Defends Sanford: "At Least Sanford Was Truly In Love" And Not Having "Sleazy" Sex With The "Easiest Roadkill" He Could Find (VIDEO) He discussed a wide range of issues, from Maher's trip through the South, to the Sotomayor nomination hearings, to the recent spate of politicians being caught having extramarital affairs. He even made some jokes from his show. I can't wait for Real Time this week.

Today the Harry Potter 6 movie came out. I had many friends go and watch the midnight showing. I'm pretty jealous. I'm a huge fan and thoroughly enjoyed all the books, but a midnight showing on a Wednesday was just not going to happen. I'm going to see it soon, but I just don't know when or with who. It is coming to the IMAX in Austin I think, but in a few weeks, and there is no way I'm waiting that long. I'll be back with my review.

I'm excited that my nephew is going to be a freshman at UTPA this fall. Everything has fallen into place. His orientation is coming up at the end of this month. I hope he sees what a big deal it is that he is going to college. Not just for him, but for his family. I'm very proud of him and his mother for making this happen. I can't wait for four years from now when he walks out with his degree.

This is probably the part where I would talk about work and how that is going, but that is a topic that I never get into detail about. It is hard because so much of my day is consumed with being at work and hence a lot of what is on my mind is work related. I guess the important things are that I enjoy my job and what I am doing. The more you learn the more confident you get I think. I'll be working late on Thursday, which is what is on my mind right now.

Working out shouldn't be on my mind in the sense that it should just be part of my daily life and not a phase I'm going through. Unfortunately, that is usually how it comes and goes in my life. So right now I'm doing well with getting into the gym regularly on weekdays. I'm getting healthier, but it is never fast enough I think. I begin all my workouts with a 2 mile run, pull ups and then about an hour of lifting. I usually throw in a day of boxing once a week. I have been pretty consistent thus far over the last couple of months, but it is a wagon that is not hard to fall off of. I'll be proud of myself for now. I have a clear goal in mind, but it is going to take real dedication. Thanks to the heatwave and the setup I have in my garage/gym, I have really been sweating out any excess water. Luckily I keep well hydrated during the day. Too hydrated? Maybe, but I don't think that the science is completely in on that.

I don't know why they are saying that this is a new study when I have known this for a very long time, but Living Together Before Tying The Knot Can Spoil Marriage . A new study suggests that couples who shack up before tying the knot are more likely to get divorced than their counterparts who don't move in together until marriage. It sounds simple, but even though it might not be the best idea statistically, it always seems to feel like the right one. People must agree because upwards of 70 percent of U.S. couples are cohabiting these days before marrying. I've done it before, and am not married, but I don't regret it either. You have to think it depends on the people and their mindset going on. This isn't a truism, but instead just a warning I think. I can't believe that you can take a happy functioning couple and doom them because they choose to life together.

Now here is a topic that touches close to home. Cats 'exploit' humans by purring . Researchers at the University of Sussex have discovered that cats use a "soliciting purr" to overpower their owners and garner attention and food. My cats are great negotiators I think and often get what they want. It is the least I can do I think since they have given up the stimulation of the outdoors to be my pets. Previous research has shown similarities between cat cries and human infant cries. My cats sound like I haven't fed them in days when they meow for food and it could of just been an hour since their last feeding. Mia is so fat that there is no way she is being under fed. Koki is in better shape, but she really loves her treats. Evolution made me a big pushover.

I was talking to my brother the other day about kids now a days (on our rockers in front of our house right) and how they seem to be much more narcissistic than the rest of us older narcissists. Have you ever visited MySpace? Check it out. I think the endless cellphone self-pics is the epitome of the problem. They have so many pictures of themselves and always seem to send out updates asking for people to comment. Now I know everyone is self loving to an extent and of course people love feedback, but it just seems to hit a whole new level when you get to kids. Every generation does it though right, complains the next is so much more spoiled and babied. But I really do think kids now a days grew up with relationships with their parents and not with the authority figures we had. Parents who care too much about their kids liking them and being happy and giving them everything they want. Now I didn't have those 1950's parents that were strict and cold, but taught you to be a strong silent man...but my parents also didn't think my every emotional whim was something they had to cater too as well. I can't imagine my parents wondering if I loved them enough or if buying me a pair of Ed Hardy jeans would make me happy. It ironically seems to not get parents what they want because the needy parents of today seem get less respect and admiration than the adult parents of yesterday. Now all this is said with the caveat that I know nothing about parenting since I don't have kids, and is framed in generalizations that don't apply to everyone. I also know I won't be even close to the perfect parent. It doesn't mean I can't point out the obvious though. I know you are a good parent who goes through so much trouble to avoid the pitfalls so many parents seem to be falling into. For that I congratulate you. But you can't say you don't see this problem around you.

Speaking of kids, I just read that Fat Kids are Also Dumb [Science] . Students who score higher on physical fitness tests also reliably score higher on math and reading tests, disproving the fat kid's standard "dumb jocks are dumb" defense. This obesity epidemic is not helping with our crisis in the education system. I guess chicken nuggets are not brain food. I remember a lot of smart fat kids growing up, so I don't know if I agree with this. It could be despite their weight they were smart, instead of because of it.

So the other day I'm going though my online news and I find out that the Valley Morning Star, South Texas Newspaper, To Begin Charging For Access . I was impressed that this made the national news. A lot of news outlets have talked about doing this since newspaper revenues have been drying up while people's reading of news has gone up. I don't know if it will work, I mean I don't see myself paying for it, but it is nice to see the Valley leading the way.

this is the only cure for the pain of Fermina