Shaken Not Stirred

Saturday, April 30, 2005

Is There A Difference In Differences?

I was searching for different stories to read, different news stories other than sensational court cases involving mega-stars, stories about war ridden countries or passionately committed crimes. Under the most recommended news stories in Yahoo, I found a peculiar one. At first it seemed like a book burning issue (one that interests me because to me, reading is fundamental). A man was apparently arrested because of his discomfort with the subject of a book contained in the school's library. The book did not feature cuss words, hatred, or illicitly written sexual content. The book's controversial topic is social diversity.

The book titled, "Who's In the Family", depicts the different types of families that make up today's community. The man was concerned because the book showed a family made up of two fathers. Shocking? I think not. Let's see, we laughed at "Full House"--which contained three dads. We also liked (or somebody liked, I've only seen reruns) a house with two moms--Kate and Allie. Movie blockbusters and still sometimes seen on late night cable--"Three Men and a Baby". So why is it so bad that the featured family is the pit of the hype? Because they are a gay family.

I personally feel that if children learn about these differences earlier in life, they are better apt to deal with them. Children are a lot more observant than we give them credit for. And they can also be a little more cruel about differences among their peers. The very color of another child's mittens or sneakers can cause mocking outbursts and sing-song teasing. But if we can show them that having two dads in the same household is common-place (more common than some would like to believe), then they wouldn't use this to tease one another. Every child has a different household, the most important aspect of that household should be love--and with that comes respect and support. The child will grow up more secure about themself and less apt to notice the differences, whether in themself or another child.

I can sympathize somewhat with the father. He didn't want his child to learn about something some controversial at such an early age. But having two dads wouldn't be so controversial if we didn't make it that way. Acceptance of changes and differences will lessen a person's uneasiness. Last night, Whoopi Goldberg said in a stand-up routine that we can either accept change on our knees or else do it standing-up. She's completely correct. Why should we stay on our knees, if we do, we might get trampled by the herd running toward the change. If we stand-up, at least we can see what's really going on. And we don't have to look at or smell anyone's asses in that position. (okay I don't really know if that statement made any sense, but I had pictured in my head someone who resisted change by staying on their knees being surrounded by a bunch of asses). I'm going to stop, before my point gets lost in a sea of nonsense.

Have a good weekend.

Tuesday, April 26, 2005

The Focus is Chocolate

I went to visit Hershey Gardens this weekend. A beautiful site, with all the different plants and flowers. Luckily the rain held off until my crew was done wandering through the colorful array of flowers. We got some good pictures, that if I knew how to post here I would.

After the garden, we went to Chocolate World, a section of Hersey, with souvenir shops and a small food court. After riding the tram which took us on an animated tour of the factory (very cool by the way). The kids I was with loved the end of this little mini-tour cause they got a piece of chocolate. Very fascinating how chocolate candy is made. It made me feel like I was Charlie in Willy Wonka's factory.

The one thing I wasn't impressed with, was the food court. Not very much to choose from, but I guess since it was a chocolate factory, they should be focused on sugar and cocoa. I got this sandwich from the Hershey Cafe (at least I think that is what it was called). It was a tuna wrap, only the tuna was missing. Well there was a little bit of tuna, but it was such a thin spread, I mistook it for part of the flour wrap!! Okay i know, get over it, and I do get it, the focus is chocolate!! However, when you pay almost 6 dollars for a sandwich that claims to have tuna, you expect some sort of fin in there, and not just fish scales.

Anyway, I want to say congrats to my niece Erika Estalilla who married Chad Cooper. Congrat you guys and good luck with medical school!

Wednesday, April 20, 2005

Watch Some Disney

Since I've got young nephews and nieces, the DVDs that are mostly watched are the Disney ones. And as simple as these shows may be--although they've come a long way (A Bugs Life or Toy Story) they do incorporate age old lessons in them.

Since the release of Bambi on DVD, we've watched this show several times. I don't think that my nephews quite grasps the ending, but he likes the color and the helium based voices of the characters. One of my favorite characters is Thumper, an outspoken bunny. He tends to blurt out what's on his mind and then gets gently reminded by his mother a lesson that I think we all must remember. She makes him say several times, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all". Easier said than done for many, who have taken pessimistic views, or for those so wrapped up in themselves and their own woes that they fail to acknowledge the struggles of those around them.

Sometimes comments made without sensitivity can cut deeper than the speaker thinks. Although they may have felt that it was casual banter, the implications may be lasting and may have made a break in the bridge that first connected the two. But with this last sentence, I must also further go into human etiquette and say sometimes we have to forgive small trespasses in order to get on with our day as well. So it goes both ways--one Zips it and the other looks the other way.

The moral of today's blog? Enjoy a DVD with a friend--watch something simple. Simple gifts are the best ones.

Monday, April 18, 2005

A light goes on upstairs

Every now and then I get this notion that I've come up with a profound topic. The other day while I was talking to one of my friends, I realized that we dramatically recreate our lives to seem more interesting than they really are. We add a certain flair to the events that occur so that it can grasp the attention of the listener. In fact most of the dramas in our lives are rather mind-made conflicts, rather than created by a perpetrator and victim.

I know, it's not so profound, but it has been lurking in the back of my mind since that lightbulb went on. And it's probably something that we all already know. I know that I'm guilty of it. I've added a few ten dollar phrases to my description of everyday life in oder to color it a little bit. Things seem so much better when there are dramatics and what we see as catastrophic events sprinkling our lives. It may help most people get thru the day.

It's the reason that we tune into shows like "Desperate Housewives" or why there are certain scenes which are edited out of those reality shows that I'm so addicted to. If we keep the humdrum in, then the shows would not be that popular.

Saturday, April 16, 2005

Hay Fever

I'm highly allergic to pollen as is now evident because of my aching sinuses, dripping nasal area and the endless sneezing when the front door is open. I made the mistake of mowing the lawn. The guy who usually does it quit, so to avoid my front yard looking like tropical rainforest, minus the palm trees and monkey screeches, I broke out the mower and chopped away. This sent millions of dust and pollen into the air, which I breathed in and my body reacted to.

I don't know why they call this allergy hay fever. There is no fever involved. Just aching pain in the area where the bridge of my nose meets my forehead. It's a dull aching pain so annoying that I want to ask Mike Tyson to take his best shot to put my face out of it's misery. I've taken so many sudafed that you would think it was an addictive drug. It dried up the mucus, but did nothing to alleviate the misery. I'm not sure if they claimed they could, but it did make the snot go away.

Anyway, I'm going to get going. Maybe I can find a sharp dull object to jam up my nostrils.

Thursday, April 14, 2005

No Laughing Matter

I heard on the radio this morning the clips from a 911 call that caused some controversy. Apparently a woman called distressed about her daughters fighting out of control. The dispatcher responded with something like "do you want us to shoot her". I have no idea what possessed him to say something like that. He continued on, after he had realized that he made a HUGE blunder with "it was a joke". Emergencies are not a joke buddy! If you want to make jokes, work for Comedy Central. I know that it may not have seemed like an emergency to him (two daughters fighting, one of them age 12). But you can't assess a situation from just the phone call. They should have sent out someone to do that. I hope that this dispatcher has learned something from this and that 911 srutinizes their hiring process a little better next time. They need to make a strict rule of "no comedians need apply".

Other news also made me cringe. The lattest about the abortion clinic bomber. His reasoning doesn't make sense. His actions just don't fit someone who is trying to save lives. He kills innocent people to make a stand? That is so cowardly and such crap. You cannot do harm in order to do good. Why would you harm others in order to get a point across? You will further alienate those you are trying to save.

Anyways, I would like to say Happy Birthday to Dr. Saritha Korunkonda! She turns an age today (I know she wouldn't like her age posted). Happy Birthday!

Friday, April 08, 2005

Down Home Cooking

Yesterday, my buddies and I went to Bob Evans to get a meal. They have the best breakfast in all the world. Anyway, I wanted to get breakfast food cause I'm restarting the Atkins diet. It's the only diet that works for me. And I'm tired of working out and still gaining weight. So I ordered the Protein Lover's Plus plate. The cook decided to give me some free hashbrowns and so put them on my plate. While moving the hashbrowns to another plate so that someone else could eat them, I discovered a screw in it. I'm sure it was a big mistake, overlooked or whatever. Anyway, I informed the waiter, who then sent over a manager. The manager apologized and I explained that it was no big deal cause the hashbrowns were free anyway and that I was going to eat them. He said that the grills were serviced and that was the only reason he could think of for the screw being mixed in with the hashbrowns. I didn't mean to cause such a fuss. The manager gave me my meal for free, despite the fact that I insisted that I didn't order the hashbrowns and that it was no big deal. Now that is what I call customer service. I hope no one got in trouble over this and even if they hadn't made such a big deal out of it, I would have continued to eat there. Try the Wildfired Salad too---tasty!!!
So my blog message for today is: everyone eat at Bob Evans. They have the best breakfast EVER! Plus the friendliest staff!!!! Remember eat at Bob Evans!!!
P.S. Eat at Bob Evans!!!

Wednesday, April 06, 2005

A Smile is Worth a Thousand Words

One of the more profiled news stories is the moving of the Mona Lisa to a newly refurbished part of the museum. Today on Fox and Friends, one of the anchors, I think it was Brian (the dude with the brown hair) said that he just didn't get the whole fascination with her smile. He said that he stared at it and just wondered if the whole fascination was because of peer pressure.
I thought about it too, I know that because of it's fame, I'm familiar with the painting. But I'm thinking about it now, I don't think that her smile is all that. In fact it's not really a smile, so much as a smirk. It certainly couldn't be used to advertise Crest Whitening Strips (which do work by the way. I'm proof of that--it took years off my teeth and wiped away most of the grime left behind by cigarettes and coffee). And I just don't feel like she is really smiling.

You know who I do think has a beautiful smile--Julia Roberts. Not only her smile, but the laugh that goes with it. Someone should do a painting of her and hang it in a museum. Now that is a smile.

Now for something weird. I discussed this with my friend before I wrote about it. She laughed so I figured it might not be as offensive as I thought. While working out yesterday, I noticed that the instructor was sweating/wet in an odd place. I thought to myself, why is that body orifice sweating, or even wet. To make matters worse, she was wearing black, so the wet spot was intensified--almost calling out to everyone in the room. I wonder if anyone else notices things like this, or is it just me.

Okay, in case I don't have a topic to write about, I want to say Happy Birthday to my niece Isabella Cinco. She'll turn one on Saturday. I wish I knew how to publish pictures on this thing so you could see how cute she is! Happy birthday sweetie!

A Smile is Worth a Thousand Words

One of the more profiled news stories is the moving of the Mona Lisa to a newly refurbished part of the museum. Today on Fox and Friends, one of the anchors, I think it was Brian (the dude with the brown hair) said that he just didn't get the whole fascination with her smile. He said that he stared at it and just wondered if the whole fascination was because of peer pressure.
I thought about it too, I know that because of it's fame, I'm familiar with the painting. But I'm thinking about it now, I don't think that her smile is all that. In fact it's not really a smile, so much as a smirk. It certainly couldn't be used to advertise Crest Whitening Strips (which do work by the way. I'm proof of that--it took years off my teeth and wiped away most of the grime left behind by cigarettes and coffee). And I just don't feel like she is really smiling.

You know who I do think has a beautiful smile--Julia Roberts. Not only her smile, but the laugh that goes with it. Someone should do a painting of her and hang it in a museum. Now that is a smile.

Now for something weird. I discussed this with my friend before I wrote about it. She laughed so I figured it might not be as offensive as I thought. While working out yesterday, I noticed that the instructor was sweating/wet in an odd place. I thought to myself, why is that body orifice sweating, or even wet. To make matters worse, she was wearing black, so the wet spot was intensified--almost calling out to everyone in the room. I wonder if anyone else notices things like this, or is it just me.

Okay, in case I don't have a topic to write about, I want to say Happy Birthday to my niece Isabella Cinco. She'll turn one on Saturday. I wish I knew how to publish pictures on this thing so you could see how cute she is! Happy birthday sweetie!

Tuesday, April 05, 2005

Happily Ever After

I've been working on a novel since about 1990. It's a book about the friendship between several guys who met in college and so on and so forth, not so dramatic, sappy or not too "Spike" t.v. either. And little by little I add different things and situation as I either imagine them to happen or as an idea sprouts in my head (usually happens as I get ready to study).

When I first started writing it, the characters were in undergrad as I was and then I just kept adding more depth to the characters as I gained or experienced some event. By the time I graduated, I had basically written these character's undergrad years and the first few years post-grad. And I continually add to it as days go by.

Along the way, I started to write other novels too--some I know I'm not going to finish and some that I can't finish, because the start doesn't have an ending that is possible or believable. So they are hanging out on a floppy disk in my room, the characters suspended in time.

I still want to write a screenplay, and that hasn't been started yet because I need to pass the USMLE!!! Then I can start that (with the help of one of my friends--who is also studying, so we can't brainstorm just yet).

I guess endings come when new beginnings start. I'm going to wait for a new beginning in order to put an ending to that very first novel I started.

Monday, April 04, 2005

A Vacation From What

Last week I travelled to Florida with my family. My parents, my brother's family and my sister's family all decided that Easter should be spent somewhere warm and sunny. So it was decided that we would escape some of the winter blues by hanging out in Florida.

A few years ago, my parents bought a vacation home (eventually to become their retirement home) in Ellonton, Florida. So that was where we were going. Other families and cousins bought homes down in the same area as well. My father always jokes that his Saint Barnabas training commarades were all in the area and that it's medical internship all over again.

My parents and brother flew down. My sister's family, being a little more adventurous decided to drive down. I decided I would go down with them, see the country side and take my time. The trip down was awesome. We stopped in Savannah, Georgia to see the WVU game (which they won!!!!!).

The ride back was horrifying. It seemed at that point that some evacuation signal was put up and all of the tourist in Florida were trying to leave all at once. The traffic was unbearable and contributed to the normally 13 hour trip becoming 20. Horrific! Plus my nephew and niece became restless and were extremely agitated by the fact that they were strapped in. Then when we got into West Virginia, there was a snowstorm, so crawling at a pace of 10 miles an hour, we made it home at 4 a.m. instead of 9 p.m.

I've come to realize that vacations just contribute to the stress that one was feeling before taking it. I think that most people fool themselves into thinking that going someplace else would eradicate the humdrum of their everyday lives. In the end it's the same crap, just in a different locale.

Happy Birthday to my friend Lesley Cameron!!!