Diet

One appreciates heaven more once one has seen hell. One appreciates proper nutritional eating more once taught or has seen the bad side effects of improper bodily functioning through over eating processed or synthetic foods. -Andrew Szeto

When I was younger, I improperly defined the meaning of the word: Diet.  The reason is because I would hear this word used by individuals overweight trying to lose weight describing what they eat as eating less food or eating healthier (less fattening or junk food).  Thus I thought the word diet only meant consuming less food or only foods that has no fat or healthy.  It was until I got older that I heard the term diet used to incorporate consumption of fatty and unhealthy foods also.  Yes, eating less and healthier is a form of diet and could be defined as such but there are other forms of diets; thus the meaning of diet can have multiple types or forms.  What does the word diet mean?  In actuality a diet includes everything a person consumes: (including the quantity) the unhealthy, innutritious and fattening foods as well as the healthy, nutritious and fatty.  Before young people are introduced to one meaning of the word diet: the need to eat less unhealthy foods because they are overweight or having health issues they should learn the meaning of diet is everything and how much of it they consume is part of their diet.  A diet effects health and performance.  Parents should learn first, advocate and discipline the need for a more nutritious diet.  But then again most normal young people have a properly functioning body system and metabolism than as we get older.

My diet has always had an intent of being low fat and nutritional full.  In my younger years I have fell short of intent.  My diet as a teenager has always been based on the meals I get at school which I assumed followed the pyramid dietary structure and then it was whatever my parents cooked or bought me after school.  I remember being feed white rice, meats, seafood and Chinese type greens with most meals.  In my twenties I began being able to be free of the school meals and free of parent cooking.  That's when I admit that my diet was at it's poorest.  The reason is because my body structure was built already, I am already raised and healthy; in my twenties begins the plight of drinking, pizza, burgers, fried foods and the such, leaning away from fruits, vegetables and proper protein packed foods.  In my twenties healthy meant a salad and that's it.  The main aspect that kept me well was probably because I was an active person and exercised often.  It wasn't until 26 that I learned the need for the full array of foods in order to maintain good health and yet I still ate pizza, burgers and fried foods.  I still do but much less.  As one gets older, the body doesn't maintain it's healthy structure as one younger including less energy, less testosterone, less bone mass from less time to exercise or eating the proper nutrition that comes from an array of foods.  Sometimes, people just cannot afford healthy foods because of their income, especially college students.  Organic or natural foods are just more expensive or not around their environment.  I am now 31 and have only recently changed my diet to include more whole grain, fiber, vegetables (more greens like broccoli and kale), fruits and healthy protein (been cutting back on red meats).

Ever since I was fifteen I drank soda, many kids do and so do adults (hence the "sugar water" companies being a billion dollar industry full of research and marketing), the worst of it was when I would drink more than a liter a day of Sunkist or Coca-Cola.  My body loved this sugar high and handled it well.  When you're healthy your body should produce enough insulin to convert the high fructose corn syrup into energy your cells use and to aide in muscle building.  If you keep absorbing all that sugar because your body still demands or craves the intake but your body either no longer produces insulin or the body cells no longer respond to the insulin converting the sugar, it's called diabetes.  The recommended daily intake of sodium is recommended at about one teaspoon of salt a day, you need less to function.  Obviously, if you eat commercial foods or foods prepared by others you cannot control what goes in and can easily go over the daily recommended amount, it's called cardiovascular problems, hypertension and can cause muscle cramps.  I had my blood examined in 2004 where everything was normal, my body fat was at 20%.  When I had it checked in 2009, everything was a bit high, so I vowed to eat healthy and I did.  Last month I had my blood and urine taken to the lab and everything about me including my triglyceride levels are fine and my body fat is at 15-18%.  The bad news is test showed my heart rate is a bit lower than it should be and sugar level higher than normal.  I will be going on a lower salt and and lower sugar diet. And I have kept that promise.  For the past three months, I have cut back drastically from red meats and soda, or anything with high sugar content, with only maybe a sip here and there.  I have also cut back on many processed or pre-cooked foods I think may include over kill on salt or chemicals (Nitrates or Synthetics).  I cook much of my own foods now that include greens: Broccoli, Kale, Spinach, Mustard/Turnip/Collard Greens with one dash of salt from from the shaker.  I look at almost every nutritional fact list before I bite into it.  Kids that's the meaning of the word diet: consume less sugar and salt to maintain each at a balanced state.

In addition to the above I was looking at men who have always kept their body physique in excellent condition and the number one person that came to mind is Sylvester Stallone.  Sylvester Stallone is now sixty five and still very well built but in addition to the fact that he's well built, his diet and exercise regimen is what contributes to his appearance and health at sixty five.  I was reading his Nutrition and Regimen (part Two of Health and Fitness) and will incorporate some of his hints into my diet and daily fitness.

Sylvester Stallone's Nutrition and Regimen

I have not thus far elaborated on the array of foods that I mentioned earlier.  If you research the different plants we call veggies including fruits, herbs, beans, meats, eggs, fish and the different types of sugars (glucose, fructose, sucrose, galactose, lactose... etc) you will find that each item mentioned provides a different vitamin or component to them that on the molecular level is part of chemistry.  I am no where near a chemist, I did well in the subject but I don't want to digress further.  Each of these vitamins or chemical components interact with our biology and effects our system.  Along with exercise and toxins in our environment, it makes our health and bodily functions.  There are many sites out there illustrating eating healthier.  Without elaborating any further, here are some interesting reads:

---Natural Vs. Synthetic Vitamins - I highly recommend reading because like many, I use to look for foods in the market that had vitamin supplements or the chemical vitamin equivalent instead of eating natural whole foods.

---whfoods.com - Spinach
---whfoods.com - Kale
---whfoods.com - Collard Greens
---whfoods.com - Vitamin D 
---whfoods.com - Brown Rice

---Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays

---That's it for now

Sweet November

There is no tomorrow, unless it's reserved for the next generation, for tomorrow changes; there is only now.  Tomorrow is the hopes of the present, then past or accomplished, though interlinked.  Because hope and memories coincide; life is not concrete and no matter the reinforcement it decays.  Never let another define good and bad for you. Experience is about your personal life and reality, not through decisions or views of others, though sometimes because of them.  Sometimes, we have to choose the "lesser of two evils" because good is not always there.  Sometimes, we have to embrace and accept evil to understand good.  An antihero can believe in a creed, do good and save a life but at least he is living a truth in his reality of indulgences: smoking, drinking, without manner and creating carnage. -Andrew Szeto

November is my favorite month.  I write Sweet November every November because it's the month of my birthday and I really liked the movie (2001).  The summary of the movie is of a woman dying and her reality changes, thus she sets on a cause to change the lives and views of others.  Since January 2011 until November 2011, I have had only two days of paid time off, one of them mandatory because of Hurricane Irene.  I took two weeks off this month because by January 2012 my Paid Time Off for 2011 gets voided.

---One of the in flight movies was Kingdom of Heaven (2005).  Though unrealistic and inaccurate reproduction of history, it had very good points.  The following are just two that was illustrated most in my mind.  Re-watching the movie brought back a few lines that started me on blogging, my ideology at that time:

(Scene 1)

Godfrey: "So how find you Jerusalem?"

Balian: "God does not speak to me. Not even on the hill where Christ died. I am outside God's grace"

Godfrey: "I have not heard that"

Balian: "At any rate, it seems I have lost my religion"

Godfrey: "I put no stock in religion. By the word religion I've seen the lunacy of fanatics of every demonitation be called the will of God. I've seen too much religion in the eyes of too many murderers. 

Holiness is in right action and courage on behalf of those who cannot defend themselves. And goodness, what God desires (He points to Balian's head)

and here (He points to Balian's heart)"

And by what you decide to do every day, you will be a good man, or not

Come"

(Scene 2)

King Baldwin IV: "Come forward. I am glad to meet Godfried's son. He was one of my greatest teachers. He was there when, playing with the other boys, my arm was cut. And it was he, not my father's physicians, who noticed that I felt no pain. He wept when he gave my father the news... that I am a leper. The Saracens say that this disease is God's vengeance against the vanity of our kingdom. As wretched as I am, these Arabs believe that the chastisement that awaits me in hell is far more severe and lasting. If that's true, I call it unfair. Come. Sit.

Do you play?"

(They both sit opposite a chess board)

Balian: "No"

King Baldwin IV: "The whole world is in chess. Any move can be the death of you. Do anything but remain where you started and you can't be sure of your end. Were you sure of your end once?"

Balian: "I was"

King Baldwin IV: "What was it?"

Balian: "To be buried a hundred yards from where I was born."

King Baldwin IV: "And now?"

Balian: "Now I sit in Jerusalem and look upon a king."

King Baldwin IV: "When I was sixteen I won a great victory. I felt in that moment that I would live to be a hundred. Now I know I shall not see thirty. None of us know our end really or what hand will guide us there. A king may move a man. A father may claim a son. That man can also move himself. And only then does that man truly begin his own game. Remember howsoever you are played or by whom, your soul is in your keeping alone, even though those who presume to play you be kings or men of power. When you stand before God, you cannot say "But I was told by others to do thus" or that virtue was not convenient at the time. This will not suffice. Remember that."

Balian: "I will."


---Happy Thanksgiving, I wish all who are reading a warm, safe and great time with family and friends. If you are alone, be strong, I share that strength with you, not the alone part.


---That's it for now

Amsterdam Again

---McDonalds and Albert Heijn are companies that show a small example of how organizations put forth even minuscule effort to reduce waste or gain capital.  McDonalds charges a 50 Euro Cent to use the restroom in every location.  McDonalds in Amsterdam also charges a 50 Euro Cent for a pack of ketchup, fortunate to have those little red packs free here.  While the Big Mac and french fries are the same, the coffee cup sizes are smaller, yet more expensive.  I only wonder if the potatoes, beans and beef are grown in the Netherlands or imported from the United States.  When you go shopping, in most places like the Albert Heijn supermarket, a grocery bag is not included, they charge 25 Euro Cent for the extra plastic bag, you're suppose to bring your own bag.  Again like my first blog on Amsterdam, the city is full of bicycles, once you exit Central Station there is a huge parking garage full of bicycles on the adjacent side.  I love bicycling.  If every car was replaced by a bicycle for local commuting, think of the pollution and need for fossil energy we would conserve.

---Oh! I did not know that the Cannibus Cup 2011 event was being held on the dates of my stay or I would have bought preregistration tickets.  I only fount out through a conversation with visitors who were also rooming in my hotel.  It's okay, I'm not a grower or a pothead.  I simply enjoyed a little Hash, Super Skunk and Amnesia while there.  Pre-rolled, meaning the shop rolls it for you is a bit more expensive than buying it by the gram in bags and you roll it yourself but enjoying it rolled "professionally" is in my opinion as "consumed" better.

Strain: "Amnesia"

---I still hate flying.  Eight hours in flight to and from Amsterdam cramped up in limited body positioning and limited resources in food or nutrition is not something I like.  My last two trips served an on board meal, no matter how small is a nice treat to keep bodily levels up, but this trip did not.  Even my domestic flights like on Jetblue serves a small meal.  I guess it depends on the flight and the airline.  Though the tension, comfort and feel of the people and airline was much better than the atmosphere on Delta and Aeroflot.  It's good to bring a little snack aboard.

The train system is very unorganized.  Each station have no big signs labelling which station you are at.  If you choose to use the Metro instead of a Tram or Taxi, my advise is to get there at least one hour before the anticipated departure because you should not expect to board the very first scheduled train.  For example, if the train expected to board is scheduled to arrive at 12:35, be prepared to board the one at 1:05 because for reasons like being full, complications or missing the station of intent.


---When my train arrived on the Metro station: Central Station from Schiphol Airport, the very first thing I had was a slice at a New York Pizza - The Original, a small pizza chain.  The pizza was pretty good compared to other "pizza" places in Amsterdam and EVEN in New York City.  I went to my hotel and slept a few hours before venturing out.

Naked and Jamba Juice are on my plus list or in the Netherlands: Innocent and Juicy Details are nice little treats for those like me that like my fruit or vegetables in one serving as a variety.  Instead of buying or eating a bag of oranges, green apples, carrots, mangoes individually and finding a way to incorporating ginger and beets in a recipe, I like the prior-like mentioned ways to get my fruit and vegetable portion of the pyramid.  Juicy Detail: 4.50 Euros for a small or a large 5.50 Euros my choice from the Balance menu was a energy and great tasting Mango Mania: lemon, apples, mangoes, and ginger.

This is not a food blog so I won't mention every food related item in Amsterdam.  Dam square was one of the few places I could get a 2.50 small hot dog or higher priced similar Euro priced American/German resembling home/comfort food.  I liked that the carts offered a variety of toppings (like a pickled mix or fried potatoes and whole chili peppers) new to me, including a curry sauce along side the mustard and ketchup.


---Occupy!  Oh My God!  This Occupy idiocy has reach the Netherlands as well, in Dam square there were hundreds of them.  Instead of "Occupy Wall Street", why don't you "ninety nine percent" of the population get dress shirts and ties then organize an event where potential employers might actually consider yourself useful or aim driven. Before doing that, bathe and shave first.


---Everything in Amsterdam is still expensive!


---The only reason there are photos here is because someone asked me to take pictures or I wouldn't have even brought the camera along (which was out for only one day).  I went for personal reasons not as a tourist.  There's more but...


---That's it for now

How can you tell time in space?

That was the simple question asked to me by a colleague.  Occasionally, trivia questions or the sort will be past around my office, I guess to muse or redirect focus from the mundane business of work.  My answer was "time is abstract, it's based on the culture and it's people."  In the back of my mind, I wanted to say time is also relative, but I was already being overly technical.  I didn't want to go overboard and define it by Albert Einstein's theory of relativity.  If you don't look at the clock, your mind doesn't know what time it is because your brain doesn't keep track of counting upwards of one second, every time a second passes.  If you were out in space or out in the jungle without a timing mechanism and your brain lost track of counting, you'd lose the exact time it is.  And determining time by day then night with the sun or moon's positioning like a good mountain man is only an approximation.

Counting is a very basic function a normal brain does.  The first person who applied counting to time, I guess you could consider the first philosopher to develop the calendar. Whether you're in a Roman or Lunar culture of calendar, the calendar started with seconds.  Duh! you say to this basic concept: seconds leads into minutes and minutes leads into hours and hours leads into days, then weeks and years and so forth.  But it started with applying counting in the concept of time.

Back to the original topic: my colleague said "you can't tell can you?"  So basically what he is asking is how can you tell the Roman counting system applied to time passing in space?  Without a counting mechanism or your mind having perfect counting and tracking it, the answer is no.  Time is a system created and exist only in our minds based on a system.  Time is based on a point of reference.  They say dinosaurs existed thousands of years B.C. (Before Christ).  Time is changed based on the region you are in.  The United States has four time zones.  It's 8:00am Eastern Time Zone as I am writing this right now, but in Dubai it's 4:00pm.  Time can also be changed based on the season, Daylight Savings Time is coming to an end in a week.

Space can be established as another realm and depending how far out in space, in it one can detach from the system of time set in earth.  Technically, without a timing mechanism (like a clock) or your brain tracking every second, you would not be able to tell what time it is.  The only way would be to find a new method of counting upwards by one in seconds from that time you left earth to maintain the Roman time system.  In that aspect, yes there is away to find out what time it is in space: only if you develop a new system to keep the region of time you are from in earth.  The answer to the question: "How can you tell time in space?", is that you cannot if you don't have either a clock that still functions from earth, superior counting in your head or someone transmitting that time to you in space from earth.  The yes to that question is if you develop a new system of timing away from earth's timing system.  Hypothetically, if a new born wanted to find what time it was and he didn't have one of the above mentioned, he would not be able to find time on earth but he would be able to create his own timing system and even change the cycle of time, say counting up by two equals a minute.  In the same concept, someone who is secluded in the jungle from civilization and decided to ignore societies time structure would have time totally eradicated.  Say in the morning the volcano he sleeps under, because it's warmer there, vibrates at what our culture deems as 8:00am one morning and 8:30am the next morning, the outcast would still consider it 8:00am every morning as the volcano vibrates because he is ignoring societies time structure.  The outcast could deem sleeping right when the sun sets, but sometimes during the season the sun sets at 6:00pm and others at 9:00pm, he would still deem sunset everyday at 6:00pm because he is ignoring the Roman time system.  Not only is the answer to my colleague's question yes and no, but he asked a question not so simple to just answer yes or no because time is abstract and relative. Time in space does exist, it is just abstract like in any region in comparison and relative depending on the type of system you compare it to.

---I am employed, for now, so my timing system is relative to the time I leave work and counting upwards by one until my ass has to be at work the next morning deemed when my company says I have to be in.  If I were unemployed work time wouldn't apply to my system of waking up because I wouldn't have that requirement to be at work at a certain time.  My relativity to waking up in counting up by one in seconds would increase if I were unemployed.  Einstein states it another way...

---"When you sit with a nice girl for two hours, you think it's only a minute. But when you sit on a hot stove for a minute, you think it's two hours. That's relativity." -Albert Einstein

---If you were in space a foot from the sun, based on how most time systems are set by the position of the sun, every second would be daylight and you could say every second is 6:00am.  Every life span would be a second also because you'd be burnt up.

---Time is a very important system to epoch events in our culture, time determines change and how something can last, even in space.  He asked a very valid question.

Incident Report

So, I missed September's post but it's October 1st, close enough.  I'm going to update on an incident that occurred on September 4th, 2011.  It was a quiet Sunday, no one around, when I walked outside from my house to my car. There was a scent in the air, the scent of marijuana. Whether it was coming from me is besides the point and will not be pointed out here due to refusing to self incriminate myself.  It could not have been more than five minutes from lingering on my porch to getting in my car and sitting there for a minute.  During that five minutes, I lit up on my porch and sat there a few minutes and finished it in my car, I think it was a cigarette, I think. It could have been a Bidi.  I sat in my car for a minute, by the time I started my engine I see flashing lights behind me, guess who it is.  Within thirty seconds I have one police officer on my left and another officer telling me to lower my back window on my right passenger side.  I guess someone was around because the driver's side officer tells me someone reported it.

The police officer on my driver's side window on my left does not ask me for my license or registration, he just tells me to turn off the engine and to exit the car.  He then ask me for my license when I am out of the car.  I did not know at the time, but I am reading different statements that I have the right to not leave my car.  But I am also reading that if an officer has suspicion of an illegal activity he does have that right to ask to exit the vehicle, that is if the officer sees an illegal item in your car out in the open, but the scent of marijuana?  But who's to say it's from my car?  None the less, I exited the vehicle and they pat me down.  We are now standing on the back of my car and in front of the police car.  While I am being asked questions by the officer on my driver's side door, the officer that was on my passenger side who asked me to lower my back window is now searching my car, which she leaves a mess.  I was not prepared for any of this, this incident was the first time of this occurrence, but I was not nervous or scared, I just hoped they didn't arrest me.  I answer the questions that the officer asks me.  I know I have the right not to answer, "the right to remain silent".  He asks me questions like do I live alone or do I have any outstanding warrants against me. I answer his questions and she's done searching my car.  They go to the computer in their car, do a little search on my records and let me go.  The final comment from the officer on my driver's side who was questioning me said: "Go home and do it on your own time".  I drove off and got some food.  After the incident: The question that come into mind is the search legal?

www.Legalzoom.com points out that yes, even though I read from other sources that it should not be, it was a legal search.  I did notate the Precinct, Plate Numbers and Name of the officers stopping me.  It is warranted as a legal search because the car does not require a search warrant.  If the officer has a suspicion of illegal activity, they can.  I guess even the scent of an illegal substance.

In Sturgis, South Dakota there is an annual event where thousands, and I don't mean one or two thousand, of motorcycle enthusiast and fanatics come to gather.  It's a big event that bring all types.  The other day they were showing a television show of how police officers handle and keep the peace during this huge event, they needed to recruit additional police personnel from outside departments.  At random check points, a handful of these officers were questioning this driver at random.  It showed that there was no smell, no open narcotics in plain sight, they just decided to pull him over and do a search.  They do find marijuana in the car and they arrest him.  Is this legal?  It was depicted on television.

On September 23rd, 2011, an article by the news network NY1, written by Tetiana Anderson writes:

In response to strong criticism, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly issued an internal order Friday reiterating NYPD policy that an arrest shouldn't be executed if a person has a small amount of marijuana out of public view. NY1’s Tetiana Anderson filed the following report."

Amid complaints about improper arrests, the New York City Police Department is getting a fresh reminder on an old directive. Commissioner Ray Kelly told the city's nearly 35,000 officers that reading people their rights for possessing small amounts of marijuana is a no-no.

"Eight people out of ten probably have weed in their pockets, but it doesn't mean they're criminals. Newports, they're legal, but it's still a drug," says one New Yorker.

"Since 1994, NYPD has enacted stop and frisk practices,” said Cassandra Frederique of the Drug Policy Alliance. “One of the collateral consequences of that have been these marijuana arrests. Last year, there were over 50,000 arrests and most of them were, 84 percent were black and Latino. Seventy percent were under the age of 30."

Kelly reiterated existing department policy, saying officers should actually be issuing tickets for holding small amounts of marijuana that is not in public view.

The move comes after growing criticism of the NYPD from civil liberties and drug policy watchdog groups.

"We at the Drug Policy Alliance are really happy with the commissioner taking this step and asking his police force to follow the original intent of the law,” said Frederique.

And if they do, critics of the NYPD say it could result in tens of thousands fewer marijuana arrests annually, saving the city millions.

In a statement, City Councilman Peter Vallone Jr., the chairman of the city's council on public safety committee said, "Commissioner Kelly's order strikes the proper balance between enforcing the law as passed by the legislature and allowing proper discretion."

Not everyone believes the directive will work.

"That's good, but they're still going to arrest people, ‘cause that's cops. They're gonna do what they do,” said one New Yorker.

The law says possessing 25 grams or less of pot is a non-criminal violation punishable by a fine, but smoking the drug in public or having it visible remains a crime."

Know the law, especially if you tread on it.

-Most important lesson: If there is the scent of marijuana in the air, don't smoke anything, like a cigarette or a bidi in your car or outside.  If you have any or over 25 grams in your house and plan to smoke it, don't smoke it in your house, any scent coming from your house and the neighbors report it can lead to a search.  Over 25 grams will get you jail time.

-Home searches require a search warrant but based on any police suspicion car searches do not require a search warrant.  If you're walking and the police suspect you, based on appearance, your look, or fishy activity it's enough for them to "suspect" and stop, then give you a pat down, which the court determines as not a search. A non-violation of the 4th Amendment which safe guards against unreasonable search and seizure, which is very court defined but when there is a uniform with a gun aggressively by active or verbal force demanding or insisting you to do something, you can plead law but a gun or abuse is in your face is another story.

What about those innocent or the low level marijuana users who use it for recreational purposes. What about the people that use it just to relax or use it to relieve pain.  I was not arrested but I could have been if the officers stopping me had fount even a little bit of marijuana.  I am not a criminal.  I am not drug dealer.  I don't steal.  I have family.  I work my 40 hours a week.  I pay my taxes to feed your police salary.

Fuck off my Freedom.

Virgin Mobile - LG Rumor Touch

The clam shell like phone, model Vx3400, was my very first cell phone on the Verizon network. Before that I had a pager aka beeper.  Later on when I lost that I upgraded to the Vx6000.  I dropped the Vx6000 at a Dave and Buster's and when I came back for it, it looked as if someone stepped on it.  They were decent basic phones with basic applications and good speaker phones.  The last phones on the Verizon network were the Palm Treo 650 and 750.  I have then switched to Cingular-AT&T and T-Mobile.  I've been through more than one iPhone and version 3, Blackberry 7230, Blackberry 8130 Pearls, World and Curves, used the Razr for a month and sold it, tinkered with the HTCs and Motorola Dash with Windows OS. There's so many others I laid hands on and used, hoping to grasp the PlayStation Portable (PSP) type media and data merger, while able to access the internet and make phone calls.  When I finally quit my geek hunt for the most media all in one device in a cell phone, I decided to just go basic with a cheap Metro PCS phone, for two years unlimited calling had served me well until I lost my phone and didn't care to stay with Metro PCS any more because yes their data and calling usage plan are unlimited, but if the phone doesn't support it then what's the point, for the ones that did support data access you had to shell out approximately $300 for a crappy Metro PCS phone with a crappy browser or interface.  At last the smartphones explosion...

I love the latest iPhones and the HTCs where you can do video conferencing.  I love watching the great HD clarity of the World Series on the HD screen.  I love the applications like the Angry Birds game, find the closest bar when you're on Amsterdam Avenue and 96th Street, tip calculator (because I am bad at it) and even the Budweiser ad where when the host of the party runs out of Budweiser, he loads his Budweiser app. and start pouring beer from his smartphone.  This is like the beginning of the Star Trek replicator aboard the Enterprise, "There's an app. for that", "If you build it, he will come".

I switched to Virgin Mobile a year and a half ago and this is my second LG Rumor Touch because I either lost or someone stole it when I was in Europe, in which it does not work because Europe is mostly GSM and Sprint is a CDMA network.  I got this phone when it was like two hundred something dollars, then after a few months they dropped the price to $149ish.  This Dumbphone, non-Android, is a very versatile phone.  I am reviewing it for anyone else going conservative, thinking about buying the LG Rumor Touch on the Sprint Virgin Mobile network.

As you can see, it slides to a nice keypad which allows me to text and type much faster. You can use it in it's closed position by touching the screen.  I set my main screen list with the Main Menu as the first option which opens to another set of useful tools.  The Contacts list is second in line then my Opera Mini browser and the Google Maps.  Within Main Menu are your basic apps. like Notepad, Calculator, Stopwatch, Alarm, Facebook/Twitter login apps., Camera/Camcorder, Media Player, an app to find how many minutes are left and some other minor apps.  You don't have access to an extensive apps library, they only give you some cheap entertainment or music selections.  If you want a smartphone, go with one of their Android phones.  This phone has the following:

--Mini USB Slot on the bottom
--MicroSD Slot
--Headphone Jack
--Quick Volume Up and Down on side 
--Quick Camera button

--Charge time is short and it can last close to two days with minimum use

--The price is right: $25 Plus Tax at the end of each month for $27ish for 300 minutes and unlimited data is nice.  If you run out of minutes, you just add more.  You can change to an upgraded plan at the end of every month.

--Unlimited Data: So far I've been able to text, email, YouTube music, surf the web, check my email on a daily basis with very minimum connection issues.  The Opera Mini browser is very clear and very good.  I get pictures fine and people can email mynumber@virginserver.com and I'll get the email to my phone.  I can update this blog with limited words on the phone. 

--The volume and clarity in talking over the phone is good, no what or what did you say?  No speaker phone. It includes Bluetooth for hands free.

--The Google Maps works great, I have a GPS device but sometimes I don't bring it with me.  This app. helps when I get lost in Long Island and New Jersey.  This Google Maps application you can download free dots where I am and points an arrow to the direction as I am moving street by street.  It also traces a pink line for the best From Address to the To address.  The zoom in and zoom out takes a while to load but which GPS device doesn't?  One night I was in Paramus, NJ and was stuck on the highway for 20 minutes waiting for the map to load, some Data Error, scared me because without a map I was stuck, it's good to have this but a separate GPS unit or a map as backup keeps you moving in the right direction.

--Each contact has a field for extra info like address or memo and you can add a picture for that contact or set a specific ring tone for that Contact.

--The Camcorder is okay but if someone is robbing a bank and you're filming it, it won't help the Police very much.  If you're trying to take a picture of a license plate from more than a feet away, you better take out a pen and paper also.

Photo of myself in the office.

Problems: The only problem I have with the phone is sometimes it will freeze, like as I use Mini Opera and a text comes in, sometimes it will freeze and I have to reboot to read the text then go back and reload Mini Opera.  Other times I will close the open keypad and it will just reboot by itself.  Those are two minor problems that I have had that delays me a minute but it doesn't affect data or information, no biggie.

Atypical

This is the term I often give myself because that is a fact in behavior, not so much intentional, just built that way. I mostly had a normal upbringing; I was never abused or anything like that.

There are people that blend into society and are against anything out of the norm.  There are those that try so hard to fit into society and fit into the mold that if perfection isn't there, they freak out or ask why and how.  Oh, why me, is God doing this or maybe I should find a four leaf clover. The question is why can't people accept diversity?

People don't get married and that's fine, that's their choice.  People get tattoos and quarters pierced into their tongues and that's fine, it's their choice.  The government allows same sex marriages and that's fine.

My belief is that my beliefs are my beliefs.  I am also open to the beliefs of others and listen even if their beliefs may dawn slightly on the opposition of my beliefs.  I'm going to give examples.  A very controversial topic is homosexuality.  My initial reaction to seeing two men together in a sexual or romantic activity is: no that should not be happening, it's just not right in I'm going to look away.  It's just something the inate reaction built into my head.  It's my right to have this opinion.  However, I don't dislike or criticize gay men.  They have the very right to be who they are.  I would never bash or insult anyone gay.  I have no problem with the activist of their preference advocating for their rights.  The government allowing same sex marriages impose on me in no way, two gay married people is fine by me.  The problem would occur if I mandatory had to change my view in that two men together is against my innate or upbringing sexual beliefs.  I can accept your freedom to be who you are, so my freedom to believe what I believe should also stand even if it's against your beliefs.  Just like the KKK, my belief is that they have the right to hate African Americans.  The KKK have the right to hate me for all they want for being Chinese.  I believe that's their given right to assemble and have their ideas because it's freedom to do so.  I don't believe in racism, but if racism means freedom, then I am fine with it as long as it's not physically imposed on others.  What I mean is that the Ku Klux Klan members can parade around in their hoods and stir racial tension that's fine but anything physical imposed act is breaching on beliefs and freedom.  It's like a homosexual person came up to me and said I had to be gay or I have to think their way and find it to my liking.

Intentionally or unintentionally, people tend to cause a rip on the normal map.  There are those that go against rules or life's guidelines.  It's great that the activist of their kind take bold measures to spread the word so it's not such a shock where diversity isn't accepted or open.

Game of Thrones

Been busy with ventures outside the job, so with timing and many focuses on my metaphoric plate I have not had the time to blog.  Though deterred by, writer's block, I mean blogging block, I still sign in to try to update once a month.  Like a good US Marine Corp soldier who believes in loyalty and honor, when the chips are down and valor is dead, you still finish the mission and bring the troops home.  That is what loyalty means, when the chips are down and no longer favorable, or in this case deterred, you are still dedicated.  The meaning of honor is that you still uphold the principle(s).  Entertainment and relaxation comes third on my agenda, after a year and a half on waiting for HD televisions to become better and cheaper, I now have a Samsung HD LED LCD 3D and after watching shows like Game of Thrones in HD, I can't go back to regular television.  Game of Thrones first aired in April and I watched the first episode and I think it's very good.  I haven't watched every episode but the ones I have watched, I've liked. It involves conflicts internally and between kingdoms.  Keeping the summary short, because I think when I was posting about the television show skins, I over described in detail.  History already themed that the kingdoms were already in conflict and the Targaryen are now allied with the Dothraki.  I watched up to where Khal Drogo had fallen and burned with the witch and as Daenery walked into the flames to only come unharmed with the three dragon eggs that were put on Khal Drago's side, life for a life was the magic spell.  The Targaryen's enemy is the Kingdom of Winterfell.  The Kingdom of Winterfell have their own problems besides the simplicity of going to war against an external enemy, they are conflicts within.  It would seem betrayal or deserting this Kingdom has a penalty with your head being chopped off, no matter who it is.  Good reminder to stay loyal.

Hindsight

The definition of the word Hindsight from several sources describe it as realizing the significance of an event that just occurred.  Including "possibilities or requirements of a situation, event, decision etc., after its occurrence."

Sometimes when something happens to us, we are inexperienced, unprepared or unequipped to handle the situation.  Sometimes you cannot adapt in time to respond to the occurrence. An example is a near death or catastrophic event that happened abruptly.  Another example is if we make a decision that was wrong and it caused something bad to happen.  Or it could be just a student who has just performed or acted on something and wonders after the performance or the action if they did well.  Hindsight, the worst enemy of an insecure teen or worrywart.  We'll think back to that decision or event and we will question or reflect on it.  The question is will we plan or prepare ourselves for the next time it happens?  One of my closest friends told me: "to fix a problem you have to have the right tools, right?".  We forget things sometimes also, but if the impact of that event is so strong or important enough to be addressed, we normally will be prepared next time.

Some people are stuck on not evolving, like they will address an issue with aggression.  They will address an issue with the same straight forward way of thinking.  They won't address the problem with a strategy, even when it has occurred many times before, not thinking outside the box.  I admit I think this way sometimes and it's probably the reason I am writing about it.

I read a book a few years ago.  I forget the title or author and the precise way he described the subject "thinking in the now".  In the book, one of the topics describes how people are not really focused on the world that goes on around them in the immediate present.  The immediate present will have sporadic changes in one's life.  If you're not focused on those changes and focused on the basic routine of life, you will be unequipped to handle the unknown possibilities, causing unknown decisions that will cause hindsight depending the level it impacts you.  You drive your car to work 261 days, minus holidays and time off, a year and it's the same routine.  Nothing major ever happens in five years.  The only changes might be today there is less traffic than yesterday and you're behind a blue Ford Pickup instead of a Black Prius.  You're following the same routine day in and day out until one day a plank of wood slams into your front windshield from a transport truck in front of you.  What changes could have you made to have not have that happen, maybe you should have changed lanes when you saw that huge vehicle in front of you?  Your decision to slam on the brakes, at 55 Miles Per Hour, causes the driver behind you to end up in the Emergency Room in critical condition.  A week passes and the man is still in the Emergency Room. 

Being overly focused on routine and the abrupt change in routine caused an impulsive decision, why not swerve to your left or right instead?  The other two scenarios are our focuses are too much on the future and past.  People focus to much on the future, get things done, get to our destination, or get to our goal, time is not taken to deal with the changes that take place during the destination.  People strive so hard to make their plans work out that they don't adapt to the current changes in the plan.  The other scenario is that someone will be so fixated on what has occurred in the past that maybe in a post traumatic way they react and think that an event that is happening now will turn out the same as it did back then, distracting them from the fact that they can do things differently.  It's logical that we learn from your mistakes and plan today for our future but that's not thinking in the immediate present, being adaptive, that's planning.  Sometimes decisions or actions you need to make comes without plans, you have to react on impulse and hopefully your brain is fast enough to respond properly on the spot.  It's great to plan but changes in the plan need quick responses to prevent looking back on bad decisions or wonder if you made the right act.  You can only plan so much for an event sometimes.  I guess being attentive, having a quick and logical response is a very important thing in preventing hindsight.

Time definitely plays a role in the outcome of a response that will cause looking back on.  How much time do you have to react and make the quick decision for things to turn out right or react properly to the malfunction in the plan.  Can you make the decision or react in a split second when you have a superheroes decision to save a baby or one hundred people that are handicapped?

If you could look back and change one bad event in your life, which would it be?  You can't, so don't think about it too much, you grow from it.  Learn to improve on it the next time it happens or try to adapt faster to events that have yet to teach you a lesson, "think on your toes" when you have no experience in dealing with the issue.

Pain

Urgayle: "Pain is your friend, your ally, it will tell you when you are seriously injured, it will keep you awake and angry, and remind you to finish the job and get the hell home. But you know the best thing about pain?

It let's you know you're not dead"

G.I. Jane (1997)

I saw that movie years ago, loved it, and again a few months ago.  That analogy on pain stuck on my memory, which is something I feel less and less sensitive to everyday. I've dealt with nothing but pain from physical to psychological, yet fight it everyday.  My analogy on pain, is that if you view it as a non-bad thing, it builds character on reacting to initial emotional responses, hence makes a person less sensitive.  Changing your perspective on pain sustains and fortifies you. Like the quote above, unless you're bleeding heavily or have a limb mangled up, then that's not good pain, because then you are physically injured. It tells you to stop, rest, get aide!  Your body tells you the level you can handle.  But the pain that doesn't do that and you can recover from does make you stronger.  Psychologically, it will take you away from being humanly normal, how far it takes you and how far it will take you to come back is another question.  I always like to forgive but believe forgetting is stupid.

You can respect another person more when you not only can see yourself in their position but nothing like going through their ordeal to show empathy or understanding.  The other day, I went paintballing again and it hurt but not from getting hit with paintballs.  What hurt was running around for a few hours with all that gear carrying a gun with a tank and accessories weighing around ten to twelve pounds.  Yes I got some good kills in but also got shot up when I notice my muscles aren't as flexible as they used to be.  This little teenager was moving fast and without agile restraint.  I guess that's why the military recruit from High School.  When they say show love for the troops, I can definitely understand that because I felt a tiny experience of the roughness they go through.  As I was entering the field ready for paint flying at about 260 feet per second combat, I was imagining what it felt like to be a soldier in the military.  They have to wear all that gear, the mask blocks vision and clear focus but they need to wear it because it protects them.  Those soldiers have to aim properly, be fit and make sure they evade those bullets, because it's not paint hitting them, it's a one time end game hitting them.  It's not easy hiding behind something because even hiding behind something the opposite team advances, repositions themselves or can outflank your team.  I must have gotten shot in the head again this game, taste that bitter paint and have a few brown marks to show in the leg and ribs.  At least it wasn't as bad as last time.  Boot camp and staying tough is important to a soldier, hence why drill sergeants aren't lenient, soldiers have to be use to the pain, otherwise they will lose composure under extreme or hostile circumstances, painful circumstances.

Felon (2008)

John Smith: "When your life is defined by a single action, it changes the concept of time."

John Smith: "Love is the most subtle force on earth."

Wade Porter: "Yes, prison desensitizes you. But it also forces you to see what's most important. Family. And loyalty. Because a con like you knows neither exist in this place. So don't run from who you've become, felon. Embrace it. Grow from it. And you'll never lose sight of what truly matters. That's my final piece of advice, Wade Porter. You protect your family at all costs. Even if you're forced to kill again. Because if I had to, I'd wipe out the whole planet to get mine back. So long, friend."

(Backtrack)

Wade Porter: "They never broke him."


There are differences between a "Bad Guy" (someone who faces a problematic situation and too weak to stand strong against wrongful actions) and a "Tough Guy" (someone who faces problematic situations and have become stronger by them).  Both don't yield to a peaceful society too much.  Both will stab a person but the "Tough Guy" will resist stabbing someone unless he is faced with a self preservation conflict.  Nor will he do so with an evil intent.  Circumstances bring us to how we value life, our own and others.  It's those subtle experiences that can make you tougher or break you. -Andrew Szeto

skins - 10th - Eura; Everyone

Michelle and Stanley are by a waterfront eating ice cream.  Abbud is enjoying himself with his new fount love, Daisy, but I think it's more about sex since he's playing with a bunch of condoms.  Chris is still living in the tree house and cleaning himself off in the morning with some wet naps, instead of a normal shower.

Eura, Tony's sister, comes downstairs to find parents are talking about Tony.  Her father says "He just lies up there all weekend. No noise. No getting up in my face. No undermining my authority. I'm, telling you, Renee, it's creeping me out."  It seems he's taking rejection and being ostracized from all his friends badly by hiding.  Eura strips down to her underwear and takes some kind of cream from the fridge and just pours it over her head.  That scene was just crazily hilarious.  Her parents just ignore her.  It's like they are so focused or oblivious, they don't even have peripheral vision.

Cadie is telling false stories again, her psychologist or therapist negotiates for her to tell a real story, original around 70%, she's says something like 40% and it was negotiated to 50%.  This episode elaborates why she is telling these fairy tale stories.  It may be the reason she is seeing all these shrinks.  She asks Dr. Rich if he likes her.  Dr. Rich responds "what's not to like", she is simply happy with that.  Eura is up next, but Dr. Rich says he'll be doing reports until Eura is ready to talk.  In a later scene after she kisses Stanley outside the house, she goes back to the therapist.  The therapist is ready for the 50% real story now and asks what her issue is.  She's not ready to tell her truth story.  She responds "I don't want to know what's true. I don't know if I can take it."  Stanley is the issue. Their relationship is only a story.

Back to Michelle and Stanley at the waterfront.  They say it's peaceful without Tony but a bit boring.  Michelle asks about Stanley and Cadie.  He explains he's growing out of humiliation.  He leaves to meet Daisy for help with a creativity project.  Michelle would really like to see Stanley's creative side.  After Stanley leaves, Eura shows up.  Michelle tells her it's not nice to follow people around.  Seeing that her brother is suffering being ostracized, Eura gives Michelle a letter that reads:

"I've never been here before so I'm not sure what I'm suppose to say or do. Trying to think of what I can say to you. Don't run away from this. Unless we try, it's going to be something we look back on, like when we soul danced in your club that night and you wanted me right there. Don't say you didn't want me."

Michelle looks at the back of the letter and there is a drawing of Tea.  Michelle says "You should look a little closer kid. This isn't me. You must love the little bastard."  Michelle tears the paper that is already ripped and a piece floats in the water.  Eura runs off.  She enters Tony's bedroom, Tony's laying there in the dark.  He tells her that Michelle sent him a text message and told him what she did.  He tells Eura she should not have done that. He also says "No, I don't want to talk about it."  She sits in her room as if contemplating this situation.  The lyrics "I believe you don't deserve my love" plays.  Eura leaves the house at night.

In the creativity project, Stanley is playing the guitar with a song he made up.  As he sings to Daisy, he explains that if he doesn't get an "A", he will fail the semester and if he fails the semester, her will fail the year.  If her fails the year, his mom will keep doing the trainer or some guy at the gym and his dad will go into an introspective state and hang himself.  Daisy asks about Cadie and tells him he needs to send signals to her.  Daisy shows Stanley the look.  The look is this wanting sex trance but in like outer space, not being in reality.  The mesmerized look of being in love.  Physically her eyes are moving in rapid directions.  Stanley with a frozen look on his face replies "Um... Wow. That's pretty good, actually."  Daisy replies "Self-expression, man"

Come back from commercial and a Realtor is showing Abbud's father's house to a potential buyer that climbs the tree house to find Chris, who is living there, naked.  The buyer falls from the tree house.  Tina is away, later Chris and Abbud break into Tina's apartment so Chris has a place to stay.  We find that Abbud's father may have lost the potential buyer because of Chris.  We also find that Abbud is Muslim and from Bangladesh.

Tea is following Betty because I think Tea still likes her.  Betty is still upset and ask her did she clear her "clap", the Chlamydia.  Betty also states she has an appointment to fix her broken ankle.  In another scene Tea enters Betty's room in the hospital.  Betty goes "Look who it is, Ms Clitoris... They gave me a shitload of drugs."  Betty comments that she still hates Tea because Tea is a bitch who screws boys and just doesn't give a shit.  But Betty is drugged out.  Tea responds "You're wrong, Bets. I try."  Betty says "Screw it. Screw everything. I want you in here. I always want you in here."

Stanley is watching old videos of him and Michelle playing prince and princess.  He gets an instant message from Cadie and she is outside.  But so is Michelle standing in the near distance, Michelle is holding a six pack and what looks like a bag of snacks.  Stanley greets Cadie asking where Warren is; Cadie then responds "Warren went... Wyoming... because it's warm."  Cadie wants Stanley to make real decisions about their relationship, she kisses him, while Michelle is watching.  Michelle leaves, but then so does Cadie and Stanley goes back in the house.

Tony is speaking to Tea on the phone when Tea is apologizing for making Tony love her.  Tony does, he says he loves her.  Right after they disconnect, he gets a text message from an Unknown Number showing "took ur lil sister... she's a fighter hahahahahahahaha"  He goes to the bedroom and she's not there.  (A poster hangs there that shows Lolita.)

Tony goes to Stanley's house and asks for help to find his sister.  They eventually all end up at Tina's place even though there is still hostility amongst them due to their social issues, as Tina is still gone.  Chris has broken in earlier and is now residing there.  They are being informed Eura is missing.  Michelle states "call the National Guard" out of sarcasm.  Stanley shows Michelle the text "Cum get her ass. Dare u"  The text message says don't bring the cops and they discuss the police will not be involved.  The last text message comes in with a symbol on it, it's identified by Chris as a Techno club.  They all go.

Tony gets into a fight and is bleeding from the head.  After the fight Michelle finds Tony and Tea holding hands, when discovered they quickly let go.  Her shirt reads "I'LL SLEEP WHEN I'M DEAD", written in with a marker.  Stanley just entered VIP, as he searches, he finds Eura.  Eura is on the screen and Tony calls their dad, who both freak out.  Stanley says to Eura "That's pretty mean... What are you doing here?"  Eura finally speaks.  And she is just as potty mouth as the rest of them.  The first words you hear from her mouth are "Is he here?"  Stanley responds Tony is there and so is everyone else.  She asks Stanley "What's he doing".  Stanley replies that Tony is going crazy.  She comments "Good. Got out of bed."  Stanley says to her that she is the only person in the world Tony really really loves.  Eura tells Stanley that he never understands anything.  Stanley confirms "No, I don't"  She calls Stanley a stupid dildo and says "He looks up to you... It's you he loves"  She explains "Tony came to you for help didn't he?"  He asks what happens now.  She says "Tell him I'll see him back home"  Stanley asks her where she stayed last night.  Eura points to Cadie, just standing there.  Cadie tells Stanley to go crazy and see what happens (to express himself).  Stanley picks Eura up and gets on stage to tell Tony.  Only security takes Eura away leaving Stanley on stage in front of the crowd.  Stanley grabs the microphone and starts to repeat "Shout, shout, let it all out, these are the things I can do without, come on, I'm talking to you, come on"  The drummer gives him a beat to his rock lyrics.  Cadie comes in after his solo: "In violent times... You shouldn't have to sell your soul. In black and white... They really, really ought to know"  Duet: "Come on... These are the things I can do without... I'm talking to you... Those one track minds... They took you for a working boy... Kiss them goodbye... You shouldn't have to jump for joy."  The crowd loves them and so does the rest of the skins crew.  They did it as good as Tears for Fears.

Abbud says to Daisy the opposite of what he means.  He tells her that he doesn't love her because of the previous agreement on mindless sex.  But he does and asks her how can  she expect anyone to feel mindless over her.  He's in love and when you are in love you find qualities about your mate no one else sees.  She gives him the signal look.

Tony and Eura are driven home.  As they are grounded, Eura finally says "Good night, mom".  Her mom is shocked.... "She spoke"

Tea lays next to Betty in the hospital, the lyrics "will you stand by me and just be friends" play.

Stanley and Chris are walking back to Stanley's house, since Stanley's dad is away, Chris will be staying in his room.  Chris vomits and while he does that, Stanley sees Michelle sitting on the stoops.  She asks him "Truth? You'd do anything for your friends... no matter what he's done... is it the same for me... do it now Stanley."  They kiss.  The lyrics "I look in her eyes and what do I see... She smells like flowers and taste like butter" plays.  After a few minutes Chris comes along and shouts "Porn stars!... quit boring me... let's party."

(Flash scenes of all the characters from parts of the show and their real names)

Tony - James Newman
Tea - Sofia Black-D'Elia
Chris - Jesse Carere
Cadie - Britne Oldford
Stanley - Daniel Flaherty
Abbud - Ron Mustafaa
Michelle - Rachel Thevenard
Daisy - Camille Cresencia-Mills
Tina - Anastasia Phillips
Eura - Eleanor Zichy

---This was a really good episode for the finale of skins - Season One - American (US) version.  The expressions on the actors were pretty good.  Like I said in another post, kill the critics' bad reviews.  The show is entertaining and fun to watch.  Season one introduced all the characters and their interaction with one another.  Though Stanley was introduced as a stoner who never cared.  This episode shows that his friends made him the man that even Tony looks up to.  Michelle is no longer with the jerk Tony, and is now with Stanley.  It shows why Cadie is seeing therapists, she's looking for love, real love but not willing to deal with it's real pains.  So she tells stories, could be the reason she is on all those meds and seeing all those therapists.  Tea commits a little to Betty.  Tony is still in love with Tea.  Eura finally speaks.  Abbud got Daisy.  Chris is still the party man.  Tina is away after the Chris incident.  They left out, "Cool Teacher", Dave.  They should have at least fit him in this episode for his fifteen minutes.

Light Up

Cigarettes made of gum was a neat little enticement for kids that saw real smokers and wondered what smoking was all about or to imitate smoking.  You would blow on one of the gum cigarettes and a puff of fake smoke would come out and that was it.  The fake smoke was probably a powder of starch, flour or sugar.  Then you would unwrap the paper and put the gum in your mouth and chew gum.  Those boxes of gum cigarettes resembled the the real thing so much.  I bought those once or twice as a kid for like a dollar or two at my local candy store.

Hypocritically, when I see a girl smoking, I can tolerate it, but think it's a disgusting and dirty view on how she approaches her health concerns.  I bought my first pack of Newports in 1998.  Since 1998, I've switched to Marlboro Menthols.  I have always considered myself a light smoker.  It use to be that a pack would last me a few days to a week.  In between that time, I've cut down even more so because of the knowledge that cigarettes affect the health and especially the lungs in bad ways.  I would experience minor periods of coughing.  I noticed as I exercised or even went jogging it had effected my breathing when I use to smoke more frequently.  Since my smoking reduction, my breathing has improved dramatically.  I never even did what others say as two packs a day or even a week.  When I feel the urge, I'll grab a pack and it will last a month or two or I'll try to find a "loosey" when I don't feel like spending the $9.00 and up on a pack.

By 2005, I stopped smoking completely and wouldn't pick up on it until recently.  Back in 2004, when a bunch of friends went for Korean buffet in New Jersey, I was anticipating a new eating experience because I had never been to a Korean buffet before.  The experience was really good.  It was the first time I smelt like meat after leaving a place, disgustingly good.  A friend of mine lit up a cigarette in the restaurant and my reaction was "what is this guy doing?"  It would be that in New York City the smoking ban had been in full effect since 2003.  Restaurants, bars and in any other public indoor establishment, in New York City, no longer allowed smoking.  New Jerseyans did not have that ban yet.  It would seem residents of New Jersey would not have felt that ban until 2006.  Starting May of 2011, smoking will be banned in beaches, parks or other public outdoor areas.  You cannot smoke within 25 feet from any federal building.  You can still smoke on private property be it the owner allows it.  But even that ban has come into question if it can be allowed in private apartment buildings.  If the board votes or owner bans smoking in the lease, a smoker would not be allowed to smoke even in his or her private apartment.  And that is the simple outline without going into detail of which property, which tenants and will it involve lawyers (or how much the fine will be imposed).

I believe smokers have the right to experience the sensation of taking a whiff of death.

I was watching Cigarette Wars on CNBC the other day and the image of cigarette farming zoomed right into my television set.  I always knew that, yes, part of what goes into cigarettes are just leaves of "tobacco" with other fillers.  For the first time, CNBC brought a up close and detailed view on the foundation of the industry, ten months with the farmers came with seeding, harvesting, and curing until it was time to sell.  On Cigarette Wars it said that some of the top Kentucky growers have lost 25% of their harvest.  One reason is that top tobacco companies like Altria (the parent company of Philip Morris - Marlboro), Lorillard (Newport) and R.J. Reynolds (Camel, Kool and Winston) are buying from the farmers less due to slumping sales.  Why are sales slumping for major tobacco sellers?  In addition to all these bans, there are ads from www.thetruth.com showing the negative side of the smoking industry.  Michael Bloomberg who appeared on Cigarette Wars states that his reason for the bans and increase on sales tax: health cost.  In history class I learned that in war an embargo is a good way to defeat the enemy.  Bloomberg's and other cities government war on rising medical cost in part due to smoking is being fought with this embargo.  The anti smoking campaigns are helping also.  You can spread information, but there's nothing better than having power act on it.  A billion dollar industry versus it's health concerns.

I could have put the sequence of topics from the documentary in order as how it was broadcasted but this isn't describing Cigarette Wars, though I'll take a few interesting topics from the show and use it as a source.  The documentary illustrates the tough times of trying to raise and sell the  tobacco crop of the Furnish family.  They grow a type of tobacco called Burley which roughly can sell for approximately .60cents to 1.30dollars a pound.  An acre of land of soy or corn can profit $300 but tobacco four to five times that much.  Though like farming any other product, mother nature comes into play, employment depends on profit margins and of course demand.  One point noticed from the documentary was that on interviewing one of the tobacco farmers was that he was asked how he felt about planting a crop of death?  He answers that he separates that idea from feeding his family.  Bloomberg's response on that, is that they should be farming something else.  Thus part of the documentary showed that the family legacy of eating off the crop of death is that they had to diversify their farm.  The furnish family is not only diversifying but going international because in European countries smoking is not only a way of life but that market is good.  American grown tobacco is safer and better but not as cheap.  The 25% on average left over unsold at about 30 to 40 thousand pounds being auctioned for At .60cents to a dollar a pound won't bring in much profit margin to cover expense and labor.

---By 1970 there was already a ban on advertising cigarettes on television or radio.  Movies and print still gleamed it as an appealing thing to do.

---Smoking cigarettes is a good starting point leading into other things like cigars, chewing snuff, bidis, hookahs and once you tap into a drug like marijuana then what else is there?  Cigarettes do not have to necessarily have to be purchased already in boxes for you.  This girl I knew showed me that bags of tobacco can be bought without additives or flavors (more natural) then go get some cigarette paper and roll your own.

---In psychological perspective, smoking was a recreational or ceremonial activity that lead it to being more of a chewing gum or watching baseball past-time.  Just something to do, like during war or the image of being cool in the 1960s when the cool or bad boy image was in style, along with the sleek hair and flashy cars.  The physiological side is that cigarettes contain much more than just tobacco.  The additives to cigarettes cause other health risks.  Smoking thins your blood vessels (as well as arteries) and damages your lungs.  I've heard of people that smoke to relax and it calms them, why, I don't know because smoking makes your heart work faster and reduces the oxygen in the blood.  But in the long run thinning the tubes that move your blood can cause a heart attack and stroke, not to mention possible risk of inhaling carcinogens that can cause cancer.  Is the risk of leisure and image worth the effects, I think choice to do so is worth the risk.

This photo is the first image on my blog self taken that I did not Google.
It's four packs of unused matches from my collection.

skins - 9th - Tina

Terrible!

I am referring to this episode.  I am also referring to the events and topics that took place.  The view is from the alley way in between two houses.  A garbage truck drives pass; a few seconds later a little girl in a pink outfit on a pink bicycle rides by.  The camera zooms into a tree house.  Tina is being humped.  Tina and Chris are having sex when she bumps her head against a shelf, they stop.  She mentions that it's her birthday and she is twenty three years old.  (For someone age twenty three and already having a job as a teacher is not bad at all.  When I was twenty three I was just out of college and still working the job I had from college.)

Abbud is outside and says his parents are gone but there's blueberry pancakes.  I guess since Chris is now homeless, he takes residence in Abbud's tree house.  He's standing there, at the base of the tree house.  Tina comes down from the tree house.  As she is climbing down she is trying to deny she just had sex with Chris by saying Chris's grades are suffering and she is there only for tutoring.  Abbud says to Tina that it's okay, he already knows.  Abbud says he saw the whole thing with a great view from I believe he said his room or roof.  Tina worries and tells Abbud to not tell anyone or she will rip his tongue and shove it up his ass; she also offers him a grade "A" if he doesn't tell.  Abbud says it's a deal and they shake on it.

Skip to another scene showing her in her apartment leaving when she meets her neighbor Evan.  She begins to tell him it's her birthday.  She is flirting with him by telling him a fish stick joke.  She pushes the panic button on the key fob as they enter the parking garage in their building and her car alarm goes off.  Evan turns it off for her.  She begins to make a gesture by leaning up against the car in acting helpless.  She says that would come in handy if someone were to assault her and have her pinned against the car.  Evan replies "You don't have to worry about that being me, I'd at least like to take you to dinner first".  She says "I'd like that".  Evan replies "see you around".  When she gets into her car, she says "He's cute".

Come back from commercial and Tina is grading papers.  Daisy Valero has a subject on "Interpersonal Relationships".  The one by Chris Collins is sexually explicit and is titled "How I'm Going To Bone You Tonight".  She reads it and is getting all worked up from the description.  Dave interrupts her reading and manages to read the title but she grabs it back.  Dave "The Cool Teacher" is now slightly flirting with Tina, but in a creepy way by showing stalker-like pictures from the internet of houses she might live in.  Dave is also showing her a model of a toy train that is motorized, a Jenson 75.  Dave says it might be a good "how we met" story.  She goes to another classroom where Chris is messing around with a science project.  She says to him "we have no future, we cannot see each other any more".  He doesn't just take it straight forward and says something like "sure we will, everyday in class, that's what's great about High School".

During a fire drill Stanley is smoking weed outside and Tina just finished having a brief talk with Michelle and Daisy about how Stanley pulled the fire alarm to avoid tests.  Tina approaches Stanley and says "Stanley I'm right here", meaning why is he smoking the joint when the teacher (authority figure) is right here.  Stanley gives her the joint and she looks at it as if she were going to smoke it or totally shocked not knowing what to do with it.

Come back from commercial again, Tina is sitting with Michelle in the cafeteria eating.  She ask where is Tony.  Michelle answers she doesn't care where the "dickwad" is.  They are discussing about her relationship with Tony.  Tina says Tony is too young.  Tina says she should forget about Tony and go for someone older (Hypocrite!).  Michelle ask if Tina has any friends or teacher friends her age.  Tina answers no and teacher's don't count as adults because teachers hang out with students so much they are infected with something that prevents then from reaching adultness or adulthood, I believe is what she commented while chewing on a red fruit by foot.  At this point Dave comes in with a pair of lock clips because the train he was showing off earlier was stolen.  He says they killed "Nice Dave".  He comments about a full body search.

(Too many separate scenes)

She's walking down the hall when Principal Turner comes up behind her and wants to talk, it seems for the past two months the grade's of her students have been dropping, that is what the principal wanted to talk about, but Tina is now worried that word might spread about her relationship with Chris.  She gets nervous trying to explain that Chris had no home, but she then realized it's for nothing.

Tina is in class and trying to quiet down the students but they don't, Michelle does it for her.  Tina isn't in her right mind right now.  When Abbud refers to her as Slippy, she freaks out and says "It's Ms. Nolan".  She leaves class and pulls the fire alarm, just to escape after another student asks her about a test she was suppose to hand out.  Outside of school where everyone meets to escape the fire alarm.  Another student shouts to her something about a foot long.  Tina, I mean Ms. Nolan, goes to him, holds him by the arm and asks him what he means by that.  The students says he heard she bones students and he might have a chance.  She lets go, looks at Abbud and confronts him saying "you promised not to tell".  Abbud says he did before he promised, so technically he didn't break the promise.  She finds the rest of the "skins" crew knew also and asks why they didn't tell her.  They say they love her and she is "one of us, Tina".

She's still trying to break up with Chris because she fears losing her job.  During different scenes in school, She finds Dave searching through lockers for his stolen train.  Dave finds a letter or journal about sex involving sausage and mustard.  She tells him people's relationships are private.  Dave asks her if they are still on for tonight, he still doesn't get it, no.  She mockingly says yes, she wants him to come over and bounce her baloney pony and to bring mustard.  She's now driving home and sees Evan walking home because his car broke down.  Since it's her birthday, to say thanks, the least he could do is pick her up on her offer to go to dinner.  They end up going for burgers.  She asks if it's a date and he doesn't answer.  He just says she says "like" "alot".  She says she just doesn't hang with adults much.  She advances him for sex opening a glove compartment full of condoms.  Evan is depicted as a stand up type of guy with ethics.  He doesn't want to have sex in the car parked in a strip mall, "it's so High School".  It looks like he finds it cheap.  He leaves the car, leaving her with a look of "damn! or crapola!"

She comes home to a call from Chris who she is trying to brush off by saying "we need to cool things off, we need to stop seeing each other".  But when she walks into her apartment, there are kids throwing a surprise party for her.  During the party, the kids trash the place and Chris sees Tina doesn't like it, so he ends the party.  Meanwhile, Cadie is backed up by Abbud and Daisy "cockblocking" Tony from Michelle.  Tony asks why Cadie hates him.  She responds she doesn't hate him, just like she doesn't hate any other natural disaster, like Tsunamis or Tornadoes.  When everyone is gone, Chris asks Tina if she is pissed.  Tina says to Chris she hates herself for because she has gone too far.  He gives her a gift but it's in the bedroom, where Abbud and Daisy are having sex again.  Abbud and Daisy leave.  The gift is the stolen train.  He did it to make her smile.  She would have preferred flowers.  They have sex.  Dave shows up and enters the apartment, the door is not locked.  He took the previous mock remark for real.  He finds the place with one of the pictures he fount from the internet, in which Tina responded to.  He finds the stolen train when he enters the bedroom, it crashes and Dave screams "Why?".

Chris is in the car with Tina driving.  She stops the car.  Chris asks her about the selling wieners in Nebraska idea.  She does not like the idea of making a life selling hot dogs in Nebraska.  She says "You and I are the hugest mistake I made ever", she tells him to get out.  Chris says "no, I love you" "I don't want to grow up".  Tina replies "it's a crush" "I do" (want to grow up).  Chris says she's lying, Tina responds "Am I?".  He leaves the car and she drives off.

Next morning in class, Dave enters with police officers pointing "that's her", she believes it's over the toy train asking if this is a joke, but the officer says it's for statutory rape, the words child molester is heard being said.  All the students call out Ms. Nolan and bring out their cell cameras.

She's sitting in jail and she asks herself "What am I doing here? My parents took me to Nebraska once as a kid".  She remembers the smell of the corn, largest wooly mammoth and walking through the corn fields.  "Oh My God".  Her cellmate is shitting right in front of her, she goes: "that is gnarly, I'm going to hold it in no matter how long I'm in here".  She also comments that there's no toilet paper.  She asks her cellmate what is she going to wipe her ass with.  Her cellmate looks at Tina's skirt, Tina then looks also with a shocked and scared expression.

Tina is being interrogated and asked if she has carnal knowledge of having sex with a seventeen year old (Chris).  She is suppose to stay away 500 feet and she has already been fired.  Then they question Chris giving him a baby doll to question him where she touched him.  He says she blew me, blew me off.  They question Stanley (who thinks it's awesome, he didn't know), Abbud then Dave, next.  She doesn't get ratted on because of stupid answers they give.

She is free and goes to say bye to Evan, she tells him by state law she has to inform him that she is a sex offender.  She says she's going to her parents.  Evan responds to her that she's not suppose to tell him, she is suppose to tell her new neighbors.  Even goes "Oh, weird" "Good Luck".  Tina says "Bye".

Final scene is Tina gets flowers in her emptied apartment.  The card reads "call me if you were lying".  She looks at her cell.  She deletes his number from her phone and puts it face down on the counter.  Chris is looking at his phone also.  When she doesn't respond to him trying to contact her, he throws the cell phone away.

---It's depicted as Tina is one of those adults that still isn't grown up yet.  She doesn't act or make choices like an adult (twenty three).  But I believe this experience will improve her decision making in the future.  By ending this part of her life, she has already shown that she wants to change and group up and act like an adult.

One more American Version of skins - Season 1 - Episode 10