I ended up going to the movies last night. It was a deal because I had a free ticket so I bought nachos with the money I saved. We agreed that we were going to see "Norbit" because Ami and I both like Eddie Murphy but for some reason, I left thinking that it was not all that great as it was hyped up to be. For me, the movie played on a guy's fears of marrying an obese person and after a while, it got old. I will say though, "Norbit" was a lot better than "Borat" but of all of these comedies that I have seen lately, I have to give props to Jack Black for "Nacho Libre." He kept his jokes pretty clean and I am not a big fan of him either. Whatever happened to classics like Bill Cosby?
This morning, before I left for work, I was calculating how big my carbon footprint must be. I was counting the number of those spiral fluorescent lightbulbs we have as opposed to the regular lightbulbs. At first, when these bulbs came out, I was amazed by how much brighter they were than the regular bulb so, being a person who likes a lot of light for less electrical consumption, I had most of the filament bulbs changed in the house. The spirals consume 1/4th less electricity than the regular filament bulbs and yet, the filament ones are so much more easier to buy when it comes to price. I found that a little bit bothersome. Why do we pay more for things that can help the environment when we are in a crisis or approaching a crisis? Are our lawmakers that unscrupulous? Nevermind, I think my question is rhetorical. We carpool to save gas, we recycle, we take the bus, Nan and I are peeved by littering and people who do (I think this pisses me off more than cigarette smoking!), I take the bus if the distance is less than 10 miles from my house and our cars give very good mileage. Furthermore, we don't always use the A/C when the fan will work. And I think my footprint is still big. What will we say about the morons who buy Hummers and those huge F-350 looking trucks to drive on Florida roads? Keep in mind, Florida is as flat as flat gets! I do not understand that. There is nothing cool to me about driving a ridiculously expensive vehicle that does not refuel itself. The only statement that the driver of those vehicles are saying to me is that they have absolutely no consideration for the environment and they think that fossil fuels will last forever.....which just makes the stupidity more conspicuous!
Now, this morning on the Sun-Sentinel, I saw two pictures that drove in the point. Keep in mind, this is an El Nino year and hence, we have been spared the cold weather for the most part here in S. Florida. However, in some parts of the country, the temperatures are in the negative. This is disturbing. The temperatures shouldn't vary that much but they are varied. I spoke with a customer who told me that he believed that all the climate hype was just to get the public scared. I saw a politician on TV say that it was just a gig for the Weather Channel to get ratings. I feel sorry for the Earth especially when people like these are put in a position to do something really effective and they are publicly showing how uneducated and ignorant they are when it comes to a simple thing like 5th grade Science. One guy told me that the new report is just going to give Hollywood filmmakers material for movies. I guess this is how serious global warming is being taken. Hopefully, the ones who care enough will find a way to stop it before the ones who do not care finish up things. And it is lamentable that the ones who do not care often times are in the position to make the difference. I can only think of GW and how one of the first things he did in office was to do away with emission testing....sigh!
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Americone Dream
Nation, this is why you gotta love Colbert! I am loving this! he actually managed to get Ben and Jerrys to name an icecream flavor after him! I have copied and pasted the article from this morning's yahoo news headlines. This is so cool and it sounds totally delicious!
Wed Feb 14, 2:05 PM ET
NEW YORK -
Stephen Colbert may have no taste for the truth, but he does have a sweet tooth. Ben & Jerry's has named a new ice cream in honor of the comedian: "Stephen Colbert's Americone Dream."
ADVERTISEMENT
It's vanilla ice cream with fudge-covered waffle cone pieces and caramel.
Announcing the new flavor Wednesday, Ben & Jerry's called it: "The sweet taste of liberty in your mouth."
The Vermont-based ice-cream maker is known for naming its flavors after people such as Jerry Garcia, Wavy Gravy and the band Phish — which Colbert sees as a political bias.
"I'm not afraid to say it. Dessert has a well-known liberal agenda," Colbert said in a statement. "What I hope to do with this ice cream is bring some balance back to the freezer case."
Colbert, who spoofs flag-waving conservative pundits on his Comedy Central show, "The Colbert Report," is donating his proceeds to charity through the new Stephen Colbert Americone Dream Fund, which will distribute the money to various causes.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Valentine's Day
To all my fellow bloggers, Happy Valentine's Day!
Ami brought flowers for me and a balloon that sings, "how sweet it is to be loved by you." They were adorable but the best part of the whole present was the chocolate. He got me truffles and as soon as I saw the chocolate, I temporarily forgot that there was a balloon singing to me. It was a nice surprise and I even started to blush...that reminded me of something.
In 2003, it Valentine's Day was a Friday. I used to work on Friday mornings and we were not dating yet. Ami brought me flowers that morning and I remember a very red-faced me felt like a celebrity when everyone in the store started clapping. Well the flowers haven't stopped coming and even after four years, Ami still brings me flowers every month. I guess I am spoilt to some extent but Ami does something that many other guys don't do, he celebrates monthliversaries as opposed to anniversaries. That is a very good thing for me!
Ami brought flowers for me and a balloon that sings, "how sweet it is to be loved by you." They were adorable but the best part of the whole present was the chocolate. He got me truffles and as soon as I saw the chocolate, I temporarily forgot that there was a balloon singing to me. It was a nice surprise and I even started to blush...that reminded me of something.
In 2003, it Valentine's Day was a Friday. I used to work on Friday mornings and we were not dating yet. Ami brought me flowers that morning and I remember a very red-faced me felt like a celebrity when everyone in the store started clapping. Well the flowers haven't stopped coming and even after four years, Ami still brings me flowers every month. I guess I am spoilt to some extent but Ami does something that many other guys don't do, he celebrates monthliversaries as opposed to anniversaries. That is a very good thing for me!
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Terrified
Sometime ago in November, I blogged about my primary school teacher and his cruelties. Guess what? A few days ago, at work, I met his daughter quite accidentally. I was even at her wedding some 15 years ago! She was a customer and I asked where in Trinidad she was from just out of curiosity...you know, one Trini meets another Trini. Small talk. Turns out that she was from the same place I lived in Trinidad and she added that she lived in Five Rivers. I told her I went to Primary School there. She told me her father taught at the school. By the time the conversation had reached to that point, I was beginning to get this sinking feeling in my stomach. I knew before she said the name who her father was. Yes. Mathura, the primary school torturer. She is planning on bringing him to see me at work and I really am not too excited. In fact, I am very apprehensive.
Seeing Mathura will bring back all the memories of a time I would really like to forget. I remember all the times I wished that I was older and a little more insolent so that I could hit him back just as hard as he used to hit us. I even thought of hiding somewhere when he comes. Then I thought of confronting him. I decided that maybe seeing him will bring some kind of closure. I have no clue. I am not one to dislike people but Mathura is one of the very few people who I really really dislike as a person. Not only because of how he was to me but to all my other classmates as well. He was horrible and I am not expecting anything from seeing him. In fact, after all these years, it will not make up for all the students who failed the exams because he did not prepare them as he should have. His wrongs were against children and maybe, maybe he was registered in the book of time. Who knows?
Seeing Mathura will bring back all the memories of a time I would really like to forget. I remember all the times I wished that I was older and a little more insolent so that I could hit him back just as hard as he used to hit us. I even thought of hiding somewhere when he comes. Then I thought of confronting him. I decided that maybe seeing him will bring some kind of closure. I have no clue. I am not one to dislike people but Mathura is one of the very few people who I really really dislike as a person. Not only because of how he was to me but to all my other classmates as well. He was horrible and I am not expecting anything from seeing him. In fact, after all these years, it will not make up for all the students who failed the exams because he did not prepare them as he should have. His wrongs were against children and maybe, maybe he was registered in the book of time. Who knows?
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Raising a child
Two days ago, I was on my way to work. So there was this girl about my age on the bus with a child. The child was about three years old. I guess the ride must have been long for them because both mother and child were getting restless. The mom picked up her cell phone and she dialed the number for the other phone she was holding in her other hand. She handed one phone to the child and they had a conversation. I could not hear what the mom was saying but the child answered the phone: "Bitch, what you callin' my phone for? Bitch!" The mom and her friend thought it was funny. They were laughing and the child, taking it as approval, started to say it louder and louder until everyone in the bus turned to look. A little while after when they were done with the conversation the child hung up saying, "Don't call me again hoe!"
For me, it was a voice far too young and "innocent" to be using language like that.
I sat thinking to myself about the kind of future this kid would have when she got older and I hoped that she would be a little smarter than her mother. I felt as if I cared more for the kid than her mother did and that was sad. I have a low tolerance for behavior like this but it was not the child's fault that she was talking like that. It was what she was used to hearing and she was merely repeating it. Maybe it is just me but I saw something warped there. The thing that was warped was the mother's approval of the whole scene.
Really, my view on kids is just simple: If you don't think you are responsible enough, then please, don't have kids....you will only end up raising a functional delinquent.
For me, it was a voice far too young and "innocent" to be using language like that.
I sat thinking to myself about the kind of future this kid would have when she got older and I hoped that she would be a little smarter than her mother. I felt as if I cared more for the kid than her mother did and that was sad. I have a low tolerance for behavior like this but it was not the child's fault that she was talking like that. It was what she was used to hearing and she was merely repeating it. Maybe it is just me but I saw something warped there. The thing that was warped was the mother's approval of the whole scene.
Really, my view on kids is just simple: If you don't think you are responsible enough, then please, don't have kids....you will only end up raising a functional delinquent.
Monday, February 05, 2007
Superbowl XLI
Crash course in Roman Numerals:
I=1
II=1
III=3
IV=4
V=5
IX=9
X=10
IXX=19
XX=20
L=50
C=100
M=1000, etc etc.
MMVII=current year
In order to watch the superbowl, I found out that one does not need to know how to count in roman. One simply watches it. I saw the ball being kicked a total of two times. I must say thought that I got home in time to see a rather "what the f*%k!" performance by none other than Prince (I did a double take for that one!). At first I thought that my eyes were playing tricks but no, it was him...Of all the people in Miami, and all the good dance moves, you bring Prince to perform!!!
When I got home, my mom was watching the half time show. Colts were leading the Bears by two points. Conversation.
Me: "Ma, how come you watching that?" I know that my mom does not understand the game but she watches a lot of the American games and she loves "American Idol."
my mom: "me ent know what the hell this fella doing." She was referring to Prince. A little while ago, my boss was telling me that he didn't know if Prince was more man than woman or woman than man.
Me: "Da is Prince."
My mom: "this so boring eh."
After a whole almost excruciating 1/2 hour, Prince gets off the stage and the game resumes.
My mom: "how come dis is football?"
My dad: "dem ent even kick the ball yet!"
My mom: "wha kinda game is dis, they just running and pushin down each other."
Me: "Ma, dey ha to run to the other side of the field to get a touchdown." (Like I really know!)
A little while later, my mom leaves.
My dad: "dis ting too boring, change the channel and leh we see wha on the other channels dey."
Me: "I still watching it." Five minutes later, my dad gets up and leaves only to reemerge in the living room when the game is over.
Noticed one thing....I can watch any sport. I guess I get hyped up too. I watched a sport that I knew nothing about and I was able to make sense of it. It was so cool! I found that the coolest thing about the Superbowl is that it happens every year....It passes the time in between when i wait for the La Copa Mundial (the football--the one where you kick the ball--- world cup).
By the way, it's not that I knew anything about the players, about the game or the coaches but I wanted the Colts to win and they did. They played a better game and I found a new sport to look at. I am still working on baseball.
Oh talking about baseball...Remember my little friend, J-, with the letter to Santa? Well J- will be 7 in March and he just got enrolled in baseball practice. J- gets to the field and Ami asks, "J- when you getting done."
J-: "when all the people leave Uncle Ami." You gotta love kids; they give the best answers.
I=1
II=1
III=3
IV=4
V=5
IX=9
X=10
IXX=19
XX=20
L=50
C=100
M=1000, etc etc.
MMVII=current year
In order to watch the superbowl, I found out that one does not need to know how to count in roman. One simply watches it. I saw the ball being kicked a total of two times. I must say thought that I got home in time to see a rather "what the f*%k!" performance by none other than Prince (I did a double take for that one!). At first I thought that my eyes were playing tricks but no, it was him...Of all the people in Miami, and all the good dance moves, you bring Prince to perform!!!
When I got home, my mom was watching the half time show. Colts were leading the Bears by two points. Conversation.
Me: "Ma, how come you watching that?" I know that my mom does not understand the game but she watches a lot of the American games and she loves "American Idol."
my mom: "me ent know what the hell this fella doing." She was referring to Prince. A little while ago, my boss was telling me that he didn't know if Prince was more man than woman or woman than man.
Me: "Da is Prince."
My mom: "this so boring eh."
After a whole almost excruciating 1/2 hour, Prince gets off the stage and the game resumes.
My mom: "how come dis is football?"
My dad: "dem ent even kick the ball yet!"
My mom: "wha kinda game is dis, they just running and pushin down each other."
Me: "Ma, dey ha to run to the other side of the field to get a touchdown." (Like I really know!)
A little while later, my mom leaves.
My dad: "dis ting too boring, change the channel and leh we see wha on the other channels dey."
Me: "I still watching it." Five minutes later, my dad gets up and leaves only to reemerge in the living room when the game is over.
Noticed one thing....I can watch any sport. I guess I get hyped up too. I watched a sport that I knew nothing about and I was able to make sense of it. It was so cool! I found that the coolest thing about the Superbowl is that it happens every year....It passes the time in between when i wait for the La Copa Mundial (the football--the one where you kick the ball--- world cup).
By the way, it's not that I knew anything about the players, about the game or the coaches but I wanted the Colts to win and they did. They played a better game and I found a new sport to look at. I am still working on baseball.
Oh talking about baseball...Remember my little friend, J-, with the letter to Santa? Well J- will be 7 in March and he just got enrolled in baseball practice. J- gets to the field and Ami asks, "J- when you getting done."
J-: "when all the people leave Uncle Ami." You gotta love kids; they give the best answers.
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