Buncha whinos...

So, yea, I went to go watch the 'SC game w/a bunch of college buddies & friends. UCLA played a helluva game & ran their gameplan to perfection as coach Carroll got outcoached by coach Dorrell. They deserved the hard-fought win.

But this post is about college coaches & presidents around the nation whining their way into BCS games. We all remember Cal getting screwed out of the Rose Bowl a couple years back as the Texas coach was whining at any media member he could find & they got in. This year, it was the Florida president AND coach (urban meyer) doing the whining to the media & they got into the BCS championship game vs. Ohio State. We look down on this behavior on a national level because this isn't what our kids should be getting taught (you can argue parents "give in" all the time, exemplified by the temper tantum-throwing kid in the market getting the ice cream he so wanted after all, etc). But c'mon, these are freaking grown men whining about why they should be "picked" by the voters. The NBA enacted a no-whining rule this year, I wish the NCAA would do the same. You can't have it both ways- chastising kids for their temper tantrums while adults on national tv are doing the same.

It's like a commercial I saw on tv this week geared at parents: you can't just tell your kids to eat healthy & exercise, you have to DO & lead by example 'cuz kids won't emulate what you tell 'em but they will emulate what they see. It's no wonder so much of our youth is growing up spoiled, all they see on tv is national figureheads whining about things & then getting what they want. Some nice lesson we're learning from leaders at our institutions of higher education...

LAPD

So I just finished accidentally watching the beginning of the news & caught the most recent beating of a minority at the hands of the LAPD (well, i've seen that clip like 10x now). Now, don't get me wrong, I'm sure that 99% of the force are upstanding crime-fighters who chose this career to help the communities they grew up in or as their little way of helping the world. However, we seem to see way too many of these cases on tv (need i remind you of the baby girl that was shot & killed in watts when officers, after a long standoff, took out the father- holding her as a hostage- & the baby as well)...clear cases of crossing the line when using excessive force. None of us were there, so we don't know the adrenaline that flows during those tenuous situations. What's more disturbing is this: if we're seeing this much on tv, there's got to be a sizable number of incidents that we don't even know about.

Everyone talks about "innocent until proven guilty" when officers aren't suspended (in this case, the 2 officers involved have "desk duty" now). I'm in full agreement with that but if that's the case, why is the "suspect" (William Cardenas, i think) still in jail (& will remain in jail as he can't afford bail) during this investigation? FBI's involved now too which is good because it seems the 2nd officer (not the 1 beating the suspect) changed his field report of the incident. We'll see what happens as Chief William Bratton has an internal task force looking into it as well.

I recall learning about government in high school & how our democracy was created as a checks & balances system (ie. house, senate vote but pres. also has veto power). Pretty complicated stuff but it's all for naught if everyone keeps looking the other way.

RTD vs. hoopty (you decide)...

So I've realized something...I used to have WAY more game when I had a bus pass vs. now that I actually have a car. WTF is up w/that?!!! I figured it'd be the other way around! Don't get me wrong, not having to depend on the bus' schedule to dictate your life is a wonderful thang but I gotta wonder what's up w/the difference. I met SO many women while i was riding the Rough Tough & Dangerous & but it's not the same when you have a car. Maybe it's just the more social nature of being stuck on a bus for an hour w/total strangers that "forces" you to meet people- or at least break out the social skillz. Still though, I used to be in headphones reading a book most of the time but if someone piqued my curiosity, I'd put away the music & just read- somehow, you're a LOT more accessible if you can hear them asking you for the time, if you could pass the Metro section to 'em or how they'd just read that book too (all quite noble excuses for them trying to get a conversation going...i know, i've used 'em, hehe). I mean, the difference there is quite clear, the most you'll be doing while in your car is smiling at the fly honey w/no chance for conversation (& hoping she didn't catch you singing along to your favorite rock en espanol song).

But c'mon, I have a car!!! I can actually take 'em out on a date and not have to go "I'll meet you there" out of pure embarassment of having no wheels. Admittedly, the best thing about rollin' on the bus was that when you met someone you liked & then made plans for a date, the conversation inevitably veered towards the details (who's picking up who, what time, where you going, etc.). The most difficult part (harder than having the balls to talk to her, much less ask her out, or even to get her phone #) was having to be completely honest & tell her you didn't have a car. This had the potential of ending in one of 2 ways- the girl slowly realizing she didn't wanna go out on a date w/you 'cuz she was used to being picked up OR the girl being cool & going "oh, that's ok, we can meet somewhere or I can go pick you up (I was lucky enough not to have a girl blow me off for no wheels)." See this is the sweetest part, 'cuz if the girl is still interested after you just announced you don't have a car, then you KNOW she's not materialistic or worried about social norms, etc. And that, my friends, is a perfect example of what the term a diamond in the rough means.

Yea, I know...I need to do more research...

Marriage...

This is something I've been thinking a lot about lately (before my mom starts getting all excited, it's not about me). Why is it that marriage changes people so much? Is it that their priorities suddenly take a 90 degree turn? I mean, chances are they've been dating that person for a while so why would priorities/time spent/love change so much? Or is it that I change because my friend(s) is married now? Do I hold back from hanging out w/them as much 'cuz I don't want to "bother" them? Do I not wanna interfere w/their nirvana of love? All perplexing questions but I think the truth lies somewhere as a combination of all of those (for me). I mean, once you're married, it's not just about you any more. While it's obvious things change (you can't do the same things w/your married friends as when you were all single), you're still friends at the core.

One thing I will never understand is why all the wives are against their husbands going out w/me (or other friends who are single). Their answer is simple (I've heard the same thing from like 4 wives): "when married guys hang out w/single guys, they adopt the single guy mentality." I call bullshit on that one! What's a "single guy's mentality?" It's not like marriage puts up a magical barrier against that & from looking at the ever-increasing divorce rate, I'd say that happens just as much while married (both men & women do that). In my opinion, there's a couple reasons for this: (a) the lack of trust (or lack of self-confidence in one of the partners) & (b) not keeping the relationship fresh. I've been in a relationship where the girl was always trying to keep me in check & it was all due to lack of self-confidence. That was the most annoying relationship to be in, nothing like getting questioned for every little thing when you KNOW you'd done nothing wrong (since when is it a crime to have a brief conversation w/the lady @ the checkout stand at the market, i mean, come on!!). I guess keeping the relationship fresh is the trickiest thing to do. After a while, you know everything about the person (so that whole initial high of getting to know the person, staying up 'til 2am on the phone, etc. isn't necessary anymore) & all you seem to talk about is "how was your day." Add to that a few kids, money problems or hardships @ work & you've got a recipe for disaster (or at the very least, a whole lot of arguments & snapping going on). I honestly don't know how married couples get over that hurdle (maybe having kids keeps their focus on something else) but I've got an idea:

Dr. Miguelito suggests having a "date night" once a week. No kids, no family, no drama, just the couple. Go out on a date (like it used to be when you were courting each other)- movie, dinner, dancing, concert, poetry reading or just going for a drive up PCH around 10pm, windows rolled down, music 'bumpin....whatever tickles the couple's fancy.

Easy for me to say, I'm not married... =P

So I went to see mom yesterday...

..at her newly-remodeled, fancy barber shop & boy does it look sweet! They did a nice job there w/the high ceilings & the classy look. I kind of miss the "ghettoness" of how it used to be but I'm sure there'll be even more customers (is this even possible? seems like everyone goes there) people coming in now. She's part-owner of the place now & the remodeling better be worth them hiking up the rent bigtime! So new business & new house for mom (I can't help but think of the theme song to the Jefferson's...."movin' on up...").

I stuck around to give her a ride home & take her on some errands (after the haircut, of course, boy i needed it baaaad) & something hit me like a ton of bricks about barber shops: it's amazing how many different kinds of conversations go on there! Trust me, I've thought of this before (my mom's been in the biz for 20+ yrs) but, for some odd reason, it really struck me yesterday- maybe 'cuz I was actually paying attention to some of them. It's also amazing of how many people in that area are from/near the town we're from in Zacatecas- people talk of El Mortero, la Laguna Grande & even Monte Escobedo (props to the birthplace!). It's also weird how many old elementary/h.s. friends have gone there- Wally (aka DJ Wally), Edward (aka Ed the Head) or even how many parents of old elementary friends have dropped in- Francisco's dad, Jicela's dad. It's truly uncanny. Everyone talks about Six Degrees of separation but in places like barber shops, stuff gets broken down to like 3 degrees...that's what makes 'em so cool (well, that & that it's a place where men can talk about anything they want w/out their women eavesdropping over their shoulders.

So next time you go get trimmed up, drop your barber a tip (you cheap bastards!).