Travel

“Your intellect may be confused, but your emotions will never lie to you.” - Roger Ebert

My Thanksgiving 2008 pictures of my family visiting are up. I apologize for pictures taken at a diamond angle, I just collected everyone's photos (my camera is broken) and my nieces' idea of taking pictures at creative angles may not have worked out too great. I need to get a digital camera soon. I wish there was a way updating my flickr account would also update my myspace and facebook pictures as well.

I finally went to get an oil change on my new car. I had been putting it off for a long time, and guess what, when I got there I found out I didn't need one. For some reason my car only needs one once a year. That was a waste of my lunch break. A good lesson learned. The BMW dealership was pretty far from my work.

I don't have much to say about the Oscar de la Hoya fight (if you can call it that). I wonder if he knew he would perform that badly. MMA is much more exciting and this helped remind me why. I would really like to learn to fight and I don't worry much about the damage to my brain, but moreso about what happens to your ears. I guess it is watching for me.

I'm not going to complain about the BCS because I think that Texas should of beat Tech. I think we should have a playoff, even if it is a weak, top four teams play and the winners play an extra game. It is just one more game. Obama can you get on that after you fix the economy, war, immigration, healthcare and education. Thanks.

Tivo now has this cool feature were I can watch my instant view Netflix movies on my TV. I don't know how much I will use it, but the idea is pretty awesome. I really do hope they expand their selection.

Video: This is a really touching video. I bet my dog would be that awesome. They say the other dog survived, but I don't really believe that.


I'm trying to get back to reading again. I'm starting with the audiobook The Audacity of Hope. Each day I listen to it, everything that is happening seems to make more sense. I didn't think I could become a bigger fan of the president elect, but I am. Though I do wish he would pick more progressive members for his cabinet. I also planning to read "Flowers for Algernon" which Erika recommended. That one I'm going to read read and not just listen to.

Here is an interesting post by my friends out at The Martian Cat Problem: Last Word on Expelled: My favorite part:
One intelligent commenter on Ebert's review put it more eloquently than I can:

As a devout Mormon with a PhD in genetics, I am always amazed at the anger that evolution evokes in some people or why they think that learning evolution is so dangerous to faith. Personally I think that religion that cannot handle truth gained from looking at the world around us is denying the most important works of God. The Bible is a short and incomplete book that does not attempt to explain orchids or dinosaurs or many other things.

I've rented Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial to watch again. I have yet to see Expelled and I should watch it to hear the "world is flat" side so I'll get that too.

Who says boys are not influenced by their big brothers. Here is a picture of one making what I think is a ridiculous pose just to be like his older brother. It makes you wonder how their other decisions affect the younger ones as well and other ways they try to act like them other than silly poses. I should know what that hand signal means, but I I never put in the effort to find out.

On a final note.
Jessica Alba Airbrushed Thinner for Campari

Humm...and we wonder why people have body image issues. She is not on my list of the most attractive actresses, but she did look great without the airbrushing.

thoughts lie, a lot

Thanksgiving in Austin

"The most important thing to remember is this: To be ready at any moment to give up what you are for what you might become." - W.E.B. Du Bois

This was a good Thanksgiving. Abram and I had the whole family up here in Austin to visit. My Dad, Mom, my sister Ana, Michael, Sarah, my sister Eliza, her husband Gil, Tori and Celeste and Bekkah and Jamie. They all stayed at our house which made for a really packed house. They got in on Wednesday night we all gathered around the TV and watched a video of my college graduation. In our own way it was a way for Vero to be there with us too. There was a lot of bonding time over the weekend.

Thanksgiving morning Ana woke up at 5am and started the turkey. I had been feeling sick so I slept in. My mom made breakfast, but I tried to save room since I knew a big meal was coming. By the time we were all ready to eat we had a large turkey, a ham and all the usual sides. The meal was good, but I wish I saved some room for pie.


I got my father an early Christmas gift, a digital camera. He has been taking lots of pictures on his picture phone and I figured this way he could save and print out the ones he wanted. He liked the camera very much. I actually need a new digital camera, but I'm waiting to pick the right one.

After the game Ana and her kids headed out to the UT v. A&M football game tailgate. The kids were really excited about their first college football game. I stayed at home and visited for a while longer. Abram and I then took Bekkah and Jamie to the tailgate party so they they can get a feel for what a college game is like. They seemed to like it, we even gave them a tour of the area including walking all the way up to the stadium, one which we, unlike Ana, did not have tickets for. Once we got back to the tailgate Ana had great news, she got an extra ticket to the game. Bekkah took it and headed off with them while Abram, Jamie and I went home. They had an amazing time at the game as Texas beat on A&M. We watched it in high def nice and warm at home. We also played a lot of darts on the dart board we finally got up.

Friday my family had planned to go to Dallas, but decided to stay another day. We had another good breakfast, I could get really get used to having breakfast when I wake up. I've always been very pro-college so I thought it would be nice to take the kids to Texas State or UT to see the campus. We compromised and took them down to the drag to do some shopping. So much UT stuff, so very much. The kids even got some stuffed Bevos. After we ordered pizza and wings and watched movies at home.

Saturday everyone cleaned up and took off for home. I spent my time sleeping and trying to suck the last few moments of rest out of my vacation which went by way too fast. Sunday night Abram put together a live music night at his bar and I went by to support and enjoy the music. The acts were good and they got a decent crowd for a Sunday.

This week I have a trial, something I'm excited about. I think it will go well. Welcome December. My favorite month of the year.

I've been worried a lot about thie economic crisis, but it can't be all bad news: Tough Times Could Lead to Sex Boom.

Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story : I watched this Frontine documentary on PBS and found it so interesting. “This finely crafted political biography dissects and explains the nastiness of US politics during the past three decades like nothing I have read or viewed. It nails down every claim it makes…it will make you seethe. Don’t miss this documentary.” – David Zurawik, Baltimore Sun YouTube Trailer.



I've had a lot of thoughts on my mind. Sometimes it is hard not to take things personal., but I usually take things personal. I know not everything is about me, but there has to be something to say for how people treat you or what they are willing to do for you. Let's go way back. So in high school there was no option to stay home as to not to leave my current girlfriend to go to college, even if I did, there was no doubt should would be leaving in a years time. There was nothing to take personal there, but at the time it seemed like a hard decision. Then in college when I was dating a girl who lived in San Antonio, she considered transferring to a school in NY to be closer to me. It is easy to promise something rather than actually do it and that proved to be the case. It wasn't the best thing for her. After graduating from college, my girlfriend at the time was willing to move wherever I moved and I the same. That really meant a lot. Ironically we decided on DC because I had a job offer there. She found a job so that we could be there together. When my offer fell through, now I was the one moving to DC without a job because she was already going to work there originally for me. At the end of the relationship I was moving to Miami for law school and she told me she wanted to move there too, but she had been at her job for so many years and was starting to work her way up. There was no way she could abandon her job now. She just couldn't and I understood. Ironically, the deal breaker was a year later when I was living in Miami and we were apart. I asked her to move to Miami now, knowing full well that I would be moving to DC, but just to see if I was worth moving for, to see how serious she was. This time it was that she had a new job (less than a year after not being able to leave the old one for me)and there was no way she could quit the new job and pick up and move. That really was the deal breaker, I just wasn't worth it and it was over for good. (It was more complex, but this was the part about being willing to move.) I moved up to DC after like I had planned, but she was now in my past. Then in DC there was a girl I dated who I would ask to move to Texas with me once I graduated. She rejected that idea, probably because she had an aversion to Texas, but once again it was clear that I was not worth moving with. There was no way she could leave her job and other excuses I forget now. There were other deal breakers in that one, but I never forgot that, even later when I found out she moved out of the country for someone else it became more clear. I wanted to be in Texas and made plans to move to the Valley in my next relationship since I thought it would reflect what I thought she meant to me. I had it all planned out, even everything I owned made it home. She was worth it. That sacrifice wasn't enough I guess and while in Austin for the summer we parted ways after waiting for so long for me to finally make it home and give it a real shot. Here I tried to show someone they were worth it, but it blew up in my face, luckily before I made the move. So, the moral of the story is whether I need to stop valuing or judging a person's feelings by what they are willing to sacrifice or do for the relationship (here in the context of being willing to move). Also, does not giving up something to be with someone truly reflect on how much you care? There are a lot of cases where it is best for both of you to do what you need to pursue your own dreams. I don't know why this all came back, but it did. The past doesn't predict the future, but it does have lessons.

hate it when I make people upset

Home Videos

Now you'll never see
What you've done to me
You can take back your memories
They're no good to me
And here's all your lies
You can look me in the eyes
With the sad, sad look
That you wear so well
- All American Rejects - Gives You Hell

I should get back to writing more regularly now that it is post election. I've had to significantly decrease my news watching/reading. Baby steps. I'll start off with a few articles I've found interesting and have been collecting. Don't forget my shared articles on the left hand column either.

Why Are Women Always Colder Than Men?: I'm like a furnace.

1-Cent Debt Paid In Full, Threat Of Lien Dropped: ATTLEBORO, Mass. — A 74-year-old blind woman's 1 cent debt to a Massachusetts city has been settled.

Man's Best Friend Is Now A Cat: Mr. Fulrath is one of a growing number of single -- and yes, heterosexual -- men who seem to be unabashedly embracing their feline side. Indeed, it seems that man's best friend is no longer a golden retriever, but a cuddly cat named Fluffy. I'm just always ahead of my time. Koki and Mia do make it easy. But don't forget about Max, if he were an indoor dog, he might be a better pet.

Going Solo in the USA: Here are some great stats:
Top Ten "Solo Cities:"
3. NYC -- 39.8% single
6. LA -- 37.7%
8. Miami -- 36.9%

Top Ten "Least Single Cities"
1. McAllen, Texas -- 23% single
7. El Paso, Texas -- 28.4% single


I thought this was hilarious: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/11/19/83752/177/912/663183
Results: Testing the "Lieberman Effect"
Yesterday I got stopped for speeding. I told the cop he was a terrorist sympathizer who wants America to fail. He let me off with a warning. I complained. He took back the warning and let me go after giving me his handcuffs as a gift.
Yesterday my neighbor loaned me his leafblower. When I was done with it he asked for it back. I told him to go screw himself. He said I could keep the leafblower forever and apologized for bothering me.

Vice President Cheney and former Attorney General Gonzales indicted in Texas.: A South Texas grand jury has returned multi-count indictments against Vice President Dick Cheney and former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on charges related to the alleged abuse of prisoners in Willacy County’s federal detention centers. They should be indicted for many reasons, but I had no clue about this one.

I won't try to catch up on everything because that would be too cumbersome. Right now all I can think about is Thanksgiving. My family is coming up to Austin and we are going to celebrate it at my house. Abram has hosted a thanksgiving before, but I haven't. There will be turkey, the Cowboy game and UT game. It should be a good time. I'd be headed home for Christmas this year.

I picked up a new series to my already ridiciously long tv show watching list. Erika had been telling me to watch Brothers and Sisters, but I was so far behind that I never did. Finally I decided to give it a shot. I acquired the first 3 seasons (season 3 is in progress) and over a period of two weeks I watched so many episodes back to back. The last time I did that was for Sopranos and then for Firefly. This week I finally became current on season 3 and am all caught up. I like the series and am glad she urged me to check it out. I also have plans to see Twilight this weekend, so we will see how that recommendation goes.

Right now I'm drowning in student loan debt. I worked really hard to get back on track and not default on any of my student loans. So here is how it breaks down, I have one for $650 one for $530 and one for $225 oh and another for $50. That is a grand total of $1455 give or take a month. The new one of $530 just showed up. Maybe if I hadn't defaulted for a year and kept better track on who I owe for what it wouldn't have been such a big surprise. I also think I'm just paying interest right now. I have consolidated in the past. That is quite a chunk of change each month. One day I hope to not stress about it, but right now it really limits my options. I just had to complain out loud because I think it sucks.

Abram found a video of my college graduation party at Cornell. It was filmed the night before I graduated. We had a few families at my house, including Juan's family and Herbert's family. Jorge wasn't there. There was BBQ and dancing and Abram even took a video tour of the surrounding area. It felt surreal to be watching it. It was one of the last times my entire family was together. Veronica wasn't a main focus in the video, but just seeing her and seeing smile and laugh brought back so many memories. It was hard to watch, but also very cathartic. At one point Herbert, Juan and I talked about what we learned from each other. From Juan I learned that no matter what you set your mind to, if you work hard you can achieve it. It is one thing to believe that, but quite another to see it in action. From Herbert I learned that you don't always need a plan. As long as you have a large goal in mind and work towards it, you just have to have faith that it is going to work out. We also talked about our friendship being stronger than distance, that no matter how many years past, we would still be great friends and pick up right where we left off. That has seemed to be the case. One thing we were wrong about was attending the FIFA World Cup in 2006. By this time we imagined we would all be millionaires and could just take a month off to visit Europe. Maybe FIFA 2010.

day by day

Yes We Can!

"You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime -- two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century." - President-elect Barack Obama on November 4, 2008

He did it! We did it! Obama has been elected the 44th president of the United States. You will not believe how amazing I feel. There is so much that could be said and so much that has been said. I won't repeat all those historic things today, I just needed to quickly document this moment for myself. As I was watching the results in my makeshift Alaniz Election Center (two TVs and beer) I was ecstatic to find out the news. Things will not be easy, but to know that our leaders motives are honorable and that gives me such encouragement.

About 8 years ago I went into the 2000 election thinking I was maybe a republican, having never really put much thought into it. It wasn't more than a few months before the 2000 election that I started to look into it and found out that republicans did not stand for me. I still had pent up irrational dislike of democrats and didn't think I could vote for Al Gore, a man who I deeply admire today. I abstained from voting in a sense and voted Nader (which I don't regret since I voted in NY). That night I turned on CNN on my 13in TV in my dorm room and watched the results come in. It was now Wednesday morning and there was still no winner and I was still in front the TV. This went on for weeks. As the recount went on and ultimately went to the Supreme Court, I became more democratic by the moment. By the end of that decision, I was now a liberal Democrat choosing to be informed on the issues and not just buy the standard Republican talking points. It was just the way the Republicans went about that entire process that really sealed it for me. Each day as Bush ran our government and country into the ground my passion grew and I developed a strong interest in what was going on in Washington. In 2004 things were dire, we were now in war based on lies and ignoring the real threats to our nation. We needed a change, and even voting in Miami Dade County wasn't enough to help Kerry stop the nose dive Bush's administration had put us in. The next four years I followed even more closely all the decisions being made and as the primaries approached, looked at all the candidates who were vying to be president. I wanted to have hope again, and not that gilded hope I had as a child under Reagan, but one for a country that cared about the working class and the poor as much as its corporations. I may have voted in Texas this time, but I'm proud to be part of Obama's popular vote count and so happy that he is going to be the next president of the United States. If my progressive ideology is wrong, well let me be proven wrong over the next four years because I have already seen the conservative ideology not only be proven wrong, but hurt America.

I have a million thoughts about this election, how it was run on both sides and this new "center-right" conservative propaganda trying to be sold to the American public (as opposed to the clear mandate for progressive change). I'm sure they will come up as things go on, but for right now, I'm emotionally drained from this political addiction and just want to relax, enjoy my own life and remember that more information doesn't given me any greater control.

hope there is something I can do to help