Done

I’m moving on to another blog. Had almost three fun years with this one and I’m moving on. But this will still be here until either the world blows up or WordPress goes belly up. Writing is about reflection and in this blog, I caught my sentiments through high school and that’s good but I’ve moved on from that. It’d be too hard to change the tone of this blog and I do want to keep as much as I can.

So with that, I’m off.

Personal suggestion: write new entries often and look back in a few months or so. Try not to vent so much but do be sincere and honest. Avoid unnecessary vulgarity to allow for more impactful entries.

So few people write honest posts nowadays. They have no idea what they’re missing out on when they hide even the truth from themselves.

Big Hit on My Funds

Edit: Bummer, I misheard $200 for $500.

I think I’m getting a total of $500 for my birthday (which has passed but I’ve yet to receive such funds). Another $200 or so for Christmas.

A quarter of that oh $700 will be spent on books. I’m tired of trying to hunt for old used books and it’s harder to find 20th century classics. So with that bombshell, I’m investing into Orwell, Updike, Bradbury, Maugham, and Saint-Exupery.

Updike and Maugham both stuttered so it’d be interesting to see how they wrote. Always wanted to reread Fahrenheit 451. Never ventured into 1984 or the mind of Orwell. And I like the wisdom of Saint-Exupery.

Lastly, four or five copies of “Rules for my Unborn Son” for gifts. One to keep for myself of course. I really hope people enjoy this for leisure or just a keepsake.

So $300 in personal choice books and another $300 in Spring textbooks in January. What a time to buy…

The Cold

Fingers frozen right now. Lungs almost frost-bitten. And WordPress mocks me with artificial snow?

What’s amusing is the sun glistening right on my eye. What’s interesting is having to sleep in my day clothes just to keep my body from freezing. The night time trip to the bathroom is terrible, and I’m honestly not going to shower in this damn weather.

One and a half week left until I head back to Southern California. I do hope it’s warmer over there but it seems to be the same conditions.

Dressing for Class

Strangely packed Monday class. I haven’t seen Geography this packed since the last mid-term exam. As usual, there’s a bunch of tardy people. One by one they fall in.

There was this one girl who came in 15 minutes or so before the end of class. Wore what looked like a formal dress and a piece of faux fur (I believe). She’s pretty hot, but what the hell is the outfit about? It’s freezing outside and I understand the fur, but it looked as if she was going to a party. At 10:35am. She seems to always dress like this: the usual attire barely covers her ass. Trying to flaunt the goods, wealth, or a bit of both?

Another girl wore a blazer, white shirt, high-waist skirt that ended mid-thigh. Again, what the hell is that, interview attire? I’m not sure of anything anymore.

Not like I wasn’t feeling weird today. Shirt, sweater, indigo jeans, work boots, and I cuffed my jeans. Fuck was that cuff awkward, all stemming from my own self-consciousness. It might have been out-of-place on me but it was warm and comfy.

Bored

This is what happens when young adults have nothing else better to do than to feed their narcissistic personalities. Sadly, this is only one of the thousands, perhaps millions of similar videos circulating on the Internet. All in the name of fame.

I never found viral videos amusing. They promote ignorance and narcissism, which is something I cannot possibly support. Good thing is that these people would be too self-absorbed and not interfere with my life too much. The bad thing is that they’re going to leech off society until they get a dose of reality.

Few years ago, viral videos were about dogs on skateboards. Now, violence is the most common theme and most popular by far. You know there’s a minority (or majority) enjoying these kind of videos. They won’t admit though.

Three R’s

And you wonder why some people can’t spell or read?

reading, writing and ‘rithmetic

A “w” is not an “r” and I would prefer people not associate it as that. If you spelled arithmetic properly, the whole sequence of words changed.

Writing
Arithmetic
Reading

WAR. On ignorance.

If I was President, I’d sell it as that. “I declare WAR on ignorance, starting with writing, arithmetic, and reading.” It doesn’t flow as well, but it’s a start and sounds pretty powerful. I’d also propose the LAW, which is learning, analyzing, and wondering. WAR will start a movement for the LAW and turn this country back into the intellectual powerhouse it once was.

I sure can dream. Probably get shot by some illiterate person.

Stingy

Ever noticed that people nowadays walk around with an iPod and an iPhone? Some even have two cellphones. They wear the gold jewelry (hovering over $2000 an ounce), nice flashy watches, and $150 tennis shoes. But when they walk past a person with their hands out, not a damn penny falls out of their pockets.

I wrote about this recently, but not on this blog though. I don’t like unregulated welfare nor leeches, but if someone is hungry, I’ll toss a few dollars their way. Being raised middle-class, I’ve basically never had to starve. There are times when I chose to but money was never that tight to warrant an actual encounter with hunger. I used to get a lot of crap in school. “Wow, a dollar donation? You’re so rich.” Rich is grossly exaggerated, as if I’m some millionaire in a small suburban town.

Not knowing how they live day-to-day does not mean I cannot understand. Note that I’m empathetic, not sympathetic. Sympathy does nothing to me, and I could keep on walking without anything. But empathy makes me stop, look at how messed up the streets are, and show a little compassion. I wouldn’t want anyone to live like that, nor would I want it to be a part of the future.

If I worked, I wouldn’t hoard so much of my income. I’d support the arts, the literacy programs (three R’s is a disgrace), and whatever else I believe in. Money, if you get past its role as a medium of exchange, is worthless. Printed paper backed up by shit (just ask Bernanke). When that dreadful day comes when the world economy collapses, we’ll all be trading commodities. And wouldn’t it nice to know that the guy you helped out years ago still remembered you and is not charging you your first-born child for a gallon of water?

And besides, if people stopped buying the $4 coffee, then maybe a dollar can be shared with another person. Maybe if the wealthy bastards took a basic money management course, they wouldn’t be up their necks in debt. No pity towards any of them.”I’m making $200,000 but in terrible debt.” Screw you. I don’t care where you live or what it costs for your lifestyle; you brought it upon yourself.

Spread the wealth because a country is only as rich as its poorest person. That’s the idealist in me, even though I side as a realist. I never expected to see so much homeless people in San Francisco, who seem to be mentally ill and unable to even apply for a job. If there was a fund to take of these people, put them in a place to get well or manage by with medication in order to be self-dependent, I’d support that. But I don’t trust those funds because some bastards might funnel money away from the generous contributions from people who care for another human being.

It all comes back to greed. The rich fuckers will take our money but not release a dime of their own. These people with money don’t give a damn about other people. Of course I feel a little better and pompous after tossing the homeless guy a dollar, but what drives me is knowing that he (mainly males) will not have to starve tonight. Be it a cheeseburger or some Jack Daniels, he’ll be slightly better off.

Ego-driven? Yes, but I seek progression. And it’s better to give a little to them than be mugged and lose a lot. Money is easy to replace; blood is not.

Vile Tactics

In my opinion, college should not have a Credit/No Credit option. What purpose does it serve? Is it to bail out students that don’t care to do work and make them irresponsible for the consequences of their own decisions? Or is it to promote gaming of the education system? Not everyone does it, but I’ve heard a few people dropping  a course if they don’t get an A. In my interpretation, that’s gaming the system. It makes me sick and it makes me wonder how many assholes are doing just that.

If you sign up for the class and decide to stick with it, you should only get a choice of A, B, C, D, or F. Nothing else.

I have the same opinion for withholding courses. Take what you deserve and hide nothing. College students are adults, and if they want the right to drink, party, and vote like adults, then they should handle their life like adults. That means being responsible for one’s own actions.

Fuck This Place

I couldn’t make this stuff up.

Yesterday:

After class, a bunch of people line up to talk to the professor. I wanted to ask him a question also about homework due (lent it to a friend to copy so asking if I can turn it in “late” because I “forgot”). Professor tells others around him, “no class next week, I forgot there was some holiday.” Students go, “Oh really?” Professor affirms with a nod and some affirming gestures. “Why no school?”

I was besides the professor and said “It’s Veteran’s Day”, two or three times aloud. But I felt no one knew what the fuck that day is.

Today:

Two Caucasian couples ride the bus. The bus goes through Chinatown, which is pretty damn apparent with all the Chinese words and Chinese people around. One guy, with girlfriend on lap, asks the old Chinese lady next to him, “is this the Chinese district?” Chinese woman is freaked out, but nods and hurriedly mumbles out “Yes”. Guy continues to question. “So is the supermarket cheaper than Wal-Mart?” Chinese lady is quiet, probably doesn’t know what the fuck Wal-Mart is. Guy persists on trying to make some small talk but Chinese lady is not interested in chatting. Bus continues through the long stretch of road in CHINATOWN. The guy asks the Chinese lady again, “So this is Chinatown?”

484 Slim

I wrote back a month or two ago that I wanted some good jeans. I tried the J. Crew Vintage slim but those aren’t slim at all. At least with the waists they’re stocking.

Back then, the 484 slim was a new arrival. Back then, I couldn’t fit my legs into them, but now for some strange reason (malnourishment and toning exercises), I can glide into them. They’re tight at the calves, but not skin-tight everywhere else. I think it’s a real nice silhouette of my now meager and frail legs.

On me, they’re just “slimmer than what people are used to seeing on me” jeans. I don’t think they count as skinny yet, since I still have the excess fabric at the thighs. They’re not attached to me like leggings, nor are my jewels turning blue from anything other than the indigo dye.

There’s a good reason why good jeans cost more. I have a pair of STF 501’s, but the legs fit around me like parachute pants. I tried the GAP 1969 denim, but one dreadful rainy day, the colors were erased! It could happen to my 484s, but I’m prepared for the weather next time, I hope.

The J Crew 484 and the vintage slim are pretty light denim, so it would suit well into spring. I chose indigo over black because I find black harder to pair stuff with. And it was that white-speckled material I find to be cheap and not worth the price.

Right now, it’s almost black. This is as close as I’m coming to capturing the color. My photography skills are floating away.

I can’t cuff a lot, but I don’t like cuffing anyways. If I feel like it, it will give me a little cuff and that satisfies me just fine. If these hit $50 during Christmas, I’m stocking up. I highly doubt it, but you never know. If these last 6 months, it’ll be an investment worth the $91. If I wear them constantly for a month, it’ll have redeemed itself in value.

Edit:

About the fit: it’s pretty narrow. When I first picked it up in store, I first thought they were made for women as it looked smaller than anything in their store. Nonetheless, it sits at my waist pretty comfortably. I can breath fine but I got one 1 size bigger than normal. The thighs are not as tight as the knee and below. For me, I need to put on socks before pants.

Remember that you need a kind of physique to fit into slim fit jeans, especially these. If you want a tapered jean but have fuller legs, try their vintage slim fit. Same basic design, except the 484 is slimmer. Same quality denim with more room. I liked the dill, but due to the cut, I would need a size 28 or so, which they don’t make.

Best suggestion: try them on in store. I didn’t think I could fit but it worked out well. Not all stores carry all 484 slim or vintage slim jeans (bigger, popular stores will, but the more localized might not).

Last word: After a day of wear, they’re settling at the hips. Taper not too extreme, skinniness not too skinny. Denim is light, but it is quite soft and comfortable.

Updates: If only they made a size 28×30 or 29×30. The waist has always been too loose for me. I wouldn’t pay full price again, but if it’s discounted for $50, it’s a pretty good deal. Indigo on everything: my bag, my shirts, my jackets, and even my arms and thighs.

Still love the taper, but the butt part is pretty loose.