I'm alive, I'm alive!!
It's been so long since I've posted a blog. I feel awful. The training in my new department is going swimmingly, but it's very different from my old office and getting used to the new work environment is a bit of a culture shock.
But we're not here to talk about work! I know I discussed my Math Midterm in my last blog. Well my grade posted last night and I checked it this morning...I pulled off a B, which gives me a solid 85% in the class. Woo!! Numbers and I have had a rather disfunctional relationship throughout my scholastic career, so to be able to say I have a B in the class... It's like coming home to discover that your very un-romantic boyfriend decided to surprise you with dozens of flowers, candle-lit dinner for two and triple layer chocolate cake for dessert. (Like that imagery?? lol).
Jordan and I have been checking Groupon and Living Social on a daily basis for deals in NY. So far, we've purchased three deals for restaurants in the City, including the Heartland Brewery--located in the Empire State Building, along with a couple other restaurants. There's one in the Village and I think a French restaurant somewhere else. The beauty of it is, not only are we getting ridiculously good deals on great restaurants, but by the time we get there, we'll have already paid for it! If we keep going at this rate, we won't have to pay for any meals while we're in the City. Except for all the bacon egg and cheese's on Kaiser rolls, pizza slices, and hot dogs I plan on consuming while I'm there. :) Thank God for good metabolism...
If any of you New Yorkers have any good restaurants you'd like to recommend while we're out there, please let me know!! We're always looking out for a good restaurant and willing to explore beyond the tourist track for some good NY food. ;)
So. I don't know if you realize this, but we're in the final countdown for Hands Across California. We're down to just 17 days!! I've set up a fundraiser page for HAC at FirstGiving.com, for those of you who may want to help, but are unable to come out and join us on the 17th. So, here's your chance to make a monetary donations to our cause. There is no donation too great or too small and everything is greatly and warmly appreciated. I've set up this page less than 24 hours ago and have already received $70 in donations, which thrills me beyond belief.
Click here to reach my HAC Fundraiser Page if you wish to make a contribution. All the proceeds will go towards the Scholarship Endowment of the Foundation for California Community Colleges, which will in turn help community college students pursue their education. Donations will be accepted until June 30, so you're not under the April 17 deadline. Of course, if you'd rather come out and join us in just over two weeks, visit Hands Across California's website to register and reserve your spot in line!
Oh and before I go, LET'S GO YANKEES!!!! I saw they won their Opening Day game today. :) That's just a good day for everyone.
Unless you hate the Yankees. Jordan. ;)
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Sunday, March 27, 2011
It's a Jumpin-Jammin Kind of Weekend
Here we are, another Sunday afternoon. I'm about to get crackin' on my two articles that are due tonight and we should be meeting up with Nathan, our friend from San Francisco who's in town for some family business. Yesterday we took Shane and his friend Seven to Jumpin Jammin, which is basically like Discovery Zone on steroids. They sufficiently wore themselves out over the four hours we were there and around nine-thirty, Shane abruptly stood up from the couch and announced, "Daddy, I'm going to bed."
I had my math midterm yesterday, which was...less than thrilling. We actually met our teacher face-to-face for the first time since it's an online course. He seems like a really nice guy and a very good teacher. The one thing that I disagreed with was his decision to have us spend the first hour of our scheduled exam time doing self-introductions for the whole class. So all that last-second cramming I did to make sure everything was fresh in my mind was successfully destroyed by listening to my thirty or so classmates tell me what their names are, what their majors are and what they like about the class. One woman spent about twenty minutes talking about herself and I was about THIS close to turning around and saying, "Could you please stop talking so we can take our exam already?" Except the language I would've used probably wouldn't have been that polite.
I would love to say that once I got the exam, everything came flooding back and I passed it with flying colors. I'm fairly certain I passed it, but I don't think it was quite up to the caliber that I deem acceptable (that being an A). After a slight nervous breakdown in my car, which I credit more to the build up of stress from a variety of different sources than the fact that I bombed a test, I headed back home.
Fortunately, that was the kick-off to my spring break so I have the next week off of school. Thank goodness. This will give me plenty of time to play a little catch up and a little get-ahead-of-the-game.
On the work front, Friday was my last day in the Exchange department and starting tomorrow I'll be working in Travel. It's a transfer that I requested and am pretty excited about trying something new at work. Now I'll be booking airfare, hotel reservations, cruises, tour packages...Everything but exchanges. Pretty stoked
Also...I am pleased to announce that our plane tickets to New Jersey have been purchased!! :) Woo!! We will be landing in La Guardia airport around five o'clock in the evening on June 15th and will be staying through the 21st. Thanks to the genius websites like Groupon and LivingSocial, we've bought gift cards at ridiculously discounted rates for a few places in the City so by the time we get there, we won't really have to pay for much as far as food is concerned. The credit for that idea goes to Jordan--and it's a pretty dang smart one! We spent $3.50 each for a gift card for a hamburger at a brewery that's in the Empire State Building--and after checking the menu, the hamburgers there go for an average $17. They better be dang good burgers, but for $3.50 it's okay if they're not the best. :)
Well, it is time to start the writing process. Hope you're all having a wonderful weekend!!
I had my math midterm yesterday, which was...less than thrilling. We actually met our teacher face-to-face for the first time since it's an online course. He seems like a really nice guy and a very good teacher. The one thing that I disagreed with was his decision to have us spend the first hour of our scheduled exam time doing self-introductions for the whole class. So all that last-second cramming I did to make sure everything was fresh in my mind was successfully destroyed by listening to my thirty or so classmates tell me what their names are, what their majors are and what they like about the class. One woman spent about twenty minutes talking about herself and I was about THIS close to turning around and saying, "Could you please stop talking so we can take our exam already?" Except the language I would've used probably wouldn't have been that polite.
I would love to say that once I got the exam, everything came flooding back and I passed it with flying colors. I'm fairly certain I passed it, but I don't think it was quite up to the caliber that I deem acceptable (that being an A). After a slight nervous breakdown in my car, which I credit more to the build up of stress from a variety of different sources than the fact that I bombed a test, I headed back home.
Fortunately, that was the kick-off to my spring break so I have the next week off of school. Thank goodness. This will give me plenty of time to play a little catch up and a little get-ahead-of-the-game.
On the work front, Friday was my last day in the Exchange department and starting tomorrow I'll be working in Travel. It's a transfer that I requested and am pretty excited about trying something new at work. Now I'll be booking airfare, hotel reservations, cruises, tour packages...Everything but exchanges. Pretty stoked
Also...I am pleased to announce that our plane tickets to New Jersey have been purchased!! :) Woo!! We will be landing in La Guardia airport around five o'clock in the evening on June 15th and will be staying through the 21st. Thanks to the genius websites like Groupon and LivingSocial, we've bought gift cards at ridiculously discounted rates for a few places in the City so by the time we get there, we won't really have to pay for much as far as food is concerned. The credit for that idea goes to Jordan--and it's a pretty dang smart one! We spent $3.50 each for a gift card for a hamburger at a brewery that's in the Empire State Building--and after checking the menu, the hamburgers there go for an average $17. They better be dang good burgers, but for $3.50 it's okay if they're not the best. :)
Well, it is time to start the writing process. Hope you're all having a wonderful weekend!!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Hands Across California: It's started...
It has begun. I saw on @HandsAcrossCA's Twitter page that the budget cuts have started up in Sacramento.
Today, Governor Jerry Brown signed several bills including ones that will have an immediate and serious impact on California Community College students. It now costs $36/unit to attend a CA community college. For those of you who are not so great with numbers, I did the math: That's over $100 for one class (if you're taking a three-unit class, which are most college courses). So, let's take a full-time student like me: If you take four classes, that's over $400 for just the classes alone.
That's not counting books, which we all know are--or, I guess, used to be--the real element of each new semester that really did drain your bank account. I start the same rant and rave every semester when I find out how much I have to pay for one single textbook.
It's already started, everyone. I, myself, am trying to figure out how I will find that extra $10/unit on top of all my other expenses for school, rent, car payments, utilities, etc. I actually am starting to worry that I won't be able to afford school anymore.
So, if you were on the fence about whether or not you wanted to give up your Sunday to come out and hold hands with a bunch of people you don't know, realize that we're trying to unite as community college students/supporters/faculty/etc to make Sacramento aware of just how many people they're impacting with these budget cuts.
You may think you're just one person, but when you link up with thousands of others, you transform into an entity that demands attention and respect. Things probably won't change right away, but they won't change at all if we don't stand together and do something.
Please visit Hands Across California's website to reserve your spot in line. Remember, you can also text 27722 to donate $10 to HAC. :)
Today, Governor Jerry Brown signed several bills including ones that will have an immediate and serious impact on California Community College students. It now costs $36/unit to attend a CA community college. For those of you who are not so great with numbers, I did the math: That's over $100 for one class (if you're taking a three-unit class, which are most college courses). So, let's take a full-time student like me: If you take four classes, that's over $400 for just the classes alone.
That's not counting books, which we all know are--or, I guess, used to be--the real element of each new semester that really did drain your bank account. I start the same rant and rave every semester when I find out how much I have to pay for one single textbook.
It's already started, everyone. I, myself, am trying to figure out how I will find that extra $10/unit on top of all my other expenses for school, rent, car payments, utilities, etc. I actually am starting to worry that I won't be able to afford school anymore.
So, if you were on the fence about whether or not you wanted to give up your Sunday to come out and hold hands with a bunch of people you don't know, realize that we're trying to unite as community college students/supporters/faculty/etc to make Sacramento aware of just how many people they're impacting with these budget cuts.
You may think you're just one person, but when you link up with thousands of others, you transform into an entity that demands attention and respect. Things probably won't change right away, but they won't change at all if we don't stand together and do something.
Please visit Hands Across California's website to reserve your spot in line. Remember, you can also text 27722 to donate $10 to HAC. :)
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Hands Across California: A Few of Our Supporters...
Coastline students around Orange County rejoice: spring break is almost upon us! Time to break out the bathing suits, 'stunnah' shades (that's right...I typed 'stunnah') and suntan lotion. Or, if you're like me, time to catch up on sleep, recorded television shows and enjoy some quality time with a boyfriend who has been somewhat neglected these past few weeks as school packs on the heat. Whichever type of Spring Breaker you are, I hope you all have a wonderful week of freedom from school and come back in one piece with enough recollection of the partying you did to know you had a great time with your friends.
I'll be reminding you again upon our return (just in case, for some reason, you suffer alcohol-induced short-term memory loss during Spring Break), but I wanted to remind you that Hands Across California is fast approaching. April 17 is when we will all meet to join hands in a symbolic, unified protest against the tuition hikes we're sure to face due to the budget crisis up in Sacramento.
I'm not sure if you know this, but we're being supported by some well-known and influential people. Actor and comedian George Lopez will be in line with us somewhere in California. Time Magazine named him one of the 25 Most Influential Hispanics in America and he is coming out to support our cause on what will hopefully be a warm, sunny Sunday in April.
You don't have to be a music buff to recognize the name Quincy Jones and know what a major impact he has had in the music industry throughout his musical career. Among the multiple achievements, awards and honors that have been bestowed upon Jones are 27 Grammy awards and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. A participant of "Hands Across America", Jones sent in a letter of endorsement to Hands Across California, extending his support. In his letter, Jones wrote:
"I was extremely proud to be part of [Hands Across America], which showed
On the political end of the spectrum, HAC has garnered support from Karen Bass. For those of you who are not politically-inclined, Bass was the first African American woman elected Speaker of the California Assembly. While pursuing her college education, Bass attended several California community colleges and eventually earned her degree from Cal-State Dominguez Hills. She is currently a United States Congresswoman representing California's 33rd Congressional District. And she started out where we are right now: at a California community college!
Another person from the political arena who has endorsed HAC initially attended East Los Angeles College before transferring to UCLA and obtaining his Law Degree. He is a former State Assembly Member and Speaker. And his is a name we're all very familiar with. He is the Mayor of the City of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa.
For a full list of celebrity supporters and political endorsements for Hands Across California, click on the "Who's On Board" tab at the Hands Across California homepage.
Also, check out HAC's Facebook page for pictures, updates, and more info about the organization. They posted something today that I thought was pretty cool. AT&T has set up a number for supporters to text and donate $10 to the cause. That number is 27722. California Community College students thank you, AT&T, along with anyone who donates their time, money, or support to our cause!
Sources:
Hands Across California (http://www.handsacrossca.org/)
HAC's Facebook Page (http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Hands-Across-California/162349360471292)
I'll be reminding you again upon our return (just in case, for some reason, you suffer alcohol-induced short-term memory loss during Spring Break), but I wanted to remind you that Hands Across California is fast approaching. April 17 is when we will all meet to join hands in a symbolic, unified protest against the tuition hikes we're sure to face due to the budget crisis up in Sacramento.
I'm not sure if you know this, but we're being supported by some well-known and influential people. Actor and comedian George Lopez will be in line with us somewhere in California. Time Magazine named him one of the 25 Most Influential Hispanics in America and he is coming out to support our cause on what will hopefully be a warm, sunny Sunday in April.
You don't have to be a music buff to recognize the name Quincy Jones and know what a major impact he has had in the music industry throughout his musical career. Among the multiple achievements, awards and honors that have been bestowed upon Jones are 27 Grammy awards and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. A participant of "Hands Across America", Jones sent in a letter of endorsement to Hands Across California, extending his support. In his letter, Jones wrote:
"I was extremely proud to be part of [Hands Across America], which showed
clearly what we can do when we stand together as one. I am just as proud
this year to join an equally important effort to shine a light on another serious
need with an event called 'Hands Across California'."
this year to join an equally important effort to shine a light on another serious
need with an event called 'Hands Across California'."
On the political end of the spectrum, HAC has garnered support from Karen Bass. For those of you who are not politically-inclined, Bass was the first African American woman elected Speaker of the California Assembly. While pursuing her college education, Bass attended several California community colleges and eventually earned her degree from Cal-State Dominguez Hills. She is currently a United States Congresswoman representing California's 33rd Congressional District. And she started out where we are right now: at a California community college!
Another person from the political arena who has endorsed HAC initially attended East Los Angeles College before transferring to UCLA and obtaining his Law Degree. He is a former State Assembly Member and Speaker. And his is a name we're all very familiar with. He is the Mayor of the City of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa.
For a full list of celebrity supporters and political endorsements for Hands Across California, click on the "Who's On Board" tab at the Hands Across California homepage.
Also, check out HAC's Facebook page for pictures, updates, and more info about the organization. They posted something today that I thought was pretty cool. AT&T has set up a number for supporters to text and donate $10 to the cause. That number is 27722. California Community College students thank you, AT&T, along with anyone who donates their time, money, or support to our cause!
Sources:
Hands Across California (http://www.handsacrossca.org/)
HAC's Facebook Page (http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Hands-Across-California/162349360471292)
Friday, March 18, 2011
UFC 128: Shogun vs Jones; Sunday Day Date w/ Mom
Ahhhh. Friday has arrived. And I'm still around to enjoy it. What a nice feeling.
I've been getting these really bad headaches in the afternoons the past few days. They're pretty brutal. Not full-blown migraines, but they're pretty close. It's rather frustrating, if you ask me. I'm sure staring at a computer screen even after my eight hours are complete at work is just making it that much better. But I wanted to post something before the weekend begins.
UFC 128: Shogun vs Jones
It's that time again, folks. Another UFC fight is upon us. And you know what that means...You'll get a recap blog about it on Sunday. A lot of guys are fighting that I really like. The biggest and most anticipated fight is, of course, the title fight between Mauricio Shogun Rua (the 'r' in his last name is pronounced like an 'h': hoo-ah) and Jonny Jones. Now, the crazy part about this fight is that Jones is the favorite in this fight despite the fact that he's the challenger, not the champ. Don't get me wrong, he's a crazy talented fighter and his arms...The man has an 84-inch reach. You read correctly. 84 inches. On top of it, his legs go up to his face. It comes as no surprise that his nickname is Jonny 'Bones' Jones. I really like him; he's very humble, very respectful; seems like a really likeable and friendly person. And he can put the hurtin on like no other. He's just still very new in the world of UFC and I'm afraid that he's taking this fight too lightly. Shogun has the belt for a reason; he TKO'd Lyoto Machida, the hardest man to actually hit in the octogan. So. I'll be cheering for Jones, but I'm a little nervous about the fight.
And then...Urijah Faber is making his UFC debut. Urijah is the 'California Kid' from the former WEC and was a title holder in the organization. I'm so excited to see him back. He's such a nice guy outside the Octagon (I love that at the beginning of every fight or after it's over, he always looks into the camera and says, "Hi mom." I think that's so sweet). But in a fight, he is an absolute animal. He's fighting Eddie Wineland, who seems like a pretty serious fighter, but I'm pretty sure that Urijah will be able to handle him. Nice to get the California Kid back on the scene!!
Brendan Schaub is also fighting, which I'm very excited about, although he's fighting a pretty serious opponent (Mirko Cro Cop). I'll be cheering Schaub on, but... We'll see what happens.
Girls Day with Mom
On Sunday, I'll be enjoying a lovely little Girls Day with my Mom. We're going to meet at Mainplace Mall in Orange after I attend the Cub Scouts Pushcart Derby for the newspaper (so cute!!). After a little shopping and unwise spending, we're going to be attending The Battle of the Dance in Anaheim. I'm writing a review of it for the newspaper and snagged two tickets so she's going to come with me. It's a show and dinner...all fancy. ;) What I'm most excited about is that there are going to be Irish Stepdancers performing. I have been obsessed with 'Riverdancing' ever since I saw a video of it when I lived in Switzerland when I was 12 years old and have always wanted to see it live. So that will be really exciting. :)
So that's my weekend. :) Tomorrow during the day, Jordan and I are going to the Sprint store to possibly get my new phone, but other than that tomorrow will be a day of laundry, homework, and rest at home until it's time to head up to Buffalo Wild Wings to watch the fights. :)
Talk to you all soon!!
I've been getting these really bad headaches in the afternoons the past few days. They're pretty brutal. Not full-blown migraines, but they're pretty close. It's rather frustrating, if you ask me. I'm sure staring at a computer screen even after my eight hours are complete at work is just making it that much better. But I wanted to post something before the weekend begins.
UFC 128: Shogun vs Jones
It's that time again, folks. Another UFC fight is upon us. And you know what that means...You'll get a recap blog about it on Sunday. A lot of guys are fighting that I really like. The biggest and most anticipated fight is, of course, the title fight between Mauricio Shogun Rua (the 'r' in his last name is pronounced like an 'h': hoo-ah) and Jonny Jones. Now, the crazy part about this fight is that Jones is the favorite in this fight despite the fact that he's the challenger, not the champ. Don't get me wrong, he's a crazy talented fighter and his arms...The man has an 84-inch reach. You read correctly. 84 inches. On top of it, his legs go up to his face. It comes as no surprise that his nickname is Jonny 'Bones' Jones. I really like him; he's very humble, very respectful; seems like a really likeable and friendly person. And he can put the hurtin on like no other. He's just still very new in the world of UFC and I'm afraid that he's taking this fight too lightly. Shogun has the belt for a reason; he TKO'd Lyoto Machida, the hardest man to actually hit in the octogan. So. I'll be cheering for Jones, but I'm a little nervous about the fight.
And then...Urijah Faber is making his UFC debut. Urijah is the 'California Kid' from the former WEC and was a title holder in the organization. I'm so excited to see him back. He's such a nice guy outside the Octagon (I love that at the beginning of every fight or after it's over, he always looks into the camera and says, "Hi mom." I think that's so sweet). But in a fight, he is an absolute animal. He's fighting Eddie Wineland, who seems like a pretty serious fighter, but I'm pretty sure that Urijah will be able to handle him. Nice to get the California Kid back on the scene!!
Brendan Schaub is also fighting, which I'm very excited about, although he's fighting a pretty serious opponent (Mirko Cro Cop). I'll be cheering Schaub on, but... We'll see what happens.
Girls Day with Mom
On Sunday, I'll be enjoying a lovely little Girls Day with my Mom. We're going to meet at Mainplace Mall in Orange after I attend the Cub Scouts Pushcart Derby for the newspaper (so cute!!). After a little shopping and unwise spending, we're going to be attending The Battle of the Dance in Anaheim. I'm writing a review of it for the newspaper and snagged two tickets so she's going to come with me. It's a show and dinner...all fancy. ;) What I'm most excited about is that there are going to be Irish Stepdancers performing. I have been obsessed with 'Riverdancing' ever since I saw a video of it when I lived in Switzerland when I was 12 years old and have always wanted to see it live. So that will be really exciting. :)
So that's my weekend. :) Tomorrow during the day, Jordan and I are going to the Sprint store to possibly get my new phone, but other than that tomorrow will be a day of laundry, homework, and rest at home until it's time to head up to Buffalo Wild Wings to watch the fights. :)
Talk to you all soon!!
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Hands Across California: If It Weren't For Community Colleges...
As strange as it sounds to us students, I know there are some people that have a slightly skewed opinion of community colleges. They may think that community college is for people who weren't good enough for a university or who 'couldn't hack it'. Well, we all know that isn't true. There are incredibly brilliant and talented people that get their start at community colleges. At these two-year institutions, they may have gotten the financial help they needed to attend college and complete their general education requirements before transferring and pursuing their dreams and passions. The problem is, though, we never hear what community college people went to. We'll hear people say that they're Stanford or UCLA graduates, but how many times have you ever heard someone say, "Well I graduated NYU by way of Coastline Community College"?
I don't think I've ever heard that. And that's a darn shame. Fortunately, however, I've located a list (and it's a list. Not grocery list length; this is pages long). This is a list of prominent and successful people in a variety of professions, from athletes to actors to scientists. It lists what they do now and which community college they attended. And not just any community colleges. California community colleges.
So. Click HERE to see the list of people who wouldn't be where they are without California Community Colleges...
I don't think I've ever heard that. And that's a darn shame. Fortunately, however, I've located a list (and it's a list. Not grocery list length; this is pages long). This is a list of prominent and successful people in a variety of professions, from athletes to actors to scientists. It lists what they do now and which community college they attended. And not just any community colleges. California community colleges.
So. Click HERE to see the list of people who wouldn't be where they are without California Community Colleges...
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Hands Across California
Granted, the majority of people who read this do not live in California. But I'm going to write about it anyway. (PS. I totally didn't intend for this to turn into a research paper, but...when I get going, it's hard for me to rein it in sometimes. So please, bear with me).
In case anyone's been living under a rock for the past couple years, California has been dealing with a bit of a budget crisis. It seems that Sacramento's having difficulty balancing their checkbook and schools, from elementary to college-level, have been feeling the effects.In the California state Constitution, education is listed as its number one priority, yet ironically, schools are the programs losing the most funding while the state tries to dig itself out of the hole it's in. Just yesterday, students, staff and administrators marched to protest budget and program cuts and tuition increases in their March in March. Last year, over 8,000 members of the college communit (community colleges, UC's, and Cal State's) joined the march. As soon as the numbers come in for this year's march, I will post them.
I've been saying that I want to do something to try to help, but I wasn't sure what. Well, now I do. I am the student coordinator for Coastline Community College's participation in HAC. What is Hands Across California (HAC)? It is a fundraiser dedication to raising money for the California Community Colleges Scholarship Endowment, which will provide thousands of California residents with scholarships and financial assistance to pursue higher education as it becomes increasingly more expensive--read: impossible--to do so. These budget cuts, quite literally, are killing the future of our state. The Hands Across California fundraiser will continue from now through April 17th, ending in an unprecedented student demonstration. The goal is for students, staff, administrators, friends and supporters to join hands in continuous loops stretching across the entire state. To give you an idea of just how many students that would involve: one mile is approximately 1,000 students.
According to the website for the March in March (http://www.iwillmarch.com/), California community colleges are attended by 2.9 million California residents. The Foundation for California Community Colleges state that this figure represents one-quarter of the nation's community college attendance. Originally created for students wishing to continue their education who do not have the funding to attend a four-year university for all four years, community colleges teach students who have an annual median income between $5,544 and $16,223. Those students who do move on to a four-year institution after graduating from a California community college tend to earn a higher grade-point avarage than students who have attended all four yaers at a university.
Have any of you had to call 911 because your house is on fire? Or had a sick relative in a hospital needing serious medical attention? Or perhaps you need help from the police for whatever reason. If you live in California, odds are the person coming to your aid is a California community college graduate. Our community college system trains approximately eighty percent of all firefighters, law enforcement officers, and medical emergency technicians. Likewise, seventy percent of California nurses receive their training from community colleges. What will happen, if these programs become increasingly expensive or are even cut entirely? Who will come to our aid if there is no affordable institution to train these individuals?
The issue doesn't stop at community colleges. UC's and Cal State's are facing the same setbacks. Answer me this though: If community colleges were created to allow students who could not afford a four-year school right away to pursue their education and these institutions are becoming too expensive for us, how are we going to be able to move on to a four-year?
I'm aware that college students aren't the only ones facing financial difficulties due to economic crises. I'm also aware people may not have the money to donate to a cause besides the one of caring for their own family. This may pale in comparison to the recent and ongoing disaster in Japan, but make no mistake that this is a crisis. If you wish to sign up and save your place in line for April 17th or if you wish to make a donation, please visit http://www.handsacrosscalifornia.org/. You don't have to be a student to participate, so if you're free on April 17th and would like help this cause, sign up and come on down! The "routes" for each region of California is listed on the website here.
Sources:
Foundation for California Community Colleges (http://www.foundationccc.org/)
I Will March (http://www.iwillmarch.com/)
Hands Across California (http://www.handsacrosscalifornia.org/)
In case anyone's been living under a rock for the past couple years, California has been dealing with a bit of a budget crisis. It seems that Sacramento's having difficulty balancing their checkbook and schools, from elementary to college-level, have been feeling the effects.In the California state Constitution, education is listed as its number one priority, yet ironically, schools are the programs losing the most funding while the state tries to dig itself out of the hole it's in. Just yesterday, students, staff and administrators marched to protest budget and program cuts and tuition increases in their March in March. Last year, over 8,000 members of the college communit (community colleges, UC's, and Cal State's) joined the march. As soon as the numbers come in for this year's march, I will post them.
I've been saying that I want to do something to try to help, but I wasn't sure what. Well, now I do. I am the student coordinator for Coastline Community College's participation in HAC. What is Hands Across California (HAC)? It is a fundraiser dedication to raising money for the California Community Colleges Scholarship Endowment, which will provide thousands of California residents with scholarships and financial assistance to pursue higher education as it becomes increasingly more expensive--read: impossible--to do so. These budget cuts, quite literally, are killing the future of our state. The Hands Across California fundraiser will continue from now through April 17th, ending in an unprecedented student demonstration. The goal is for students, staff, administrators, friends and supporters to join hands in continuous loops stretching across the entire state. To give you an idea of just how many students that would involve: one mile is approximately 1,000 students.
According to the website for the March in March (http://www.iwillmarch.com/), California community colleges are attended by 2.9 million California residents. The Foundation for California Community Colleges state that this figure represents one-quarter of the nation's community college attendance. Originally created for students wishing to continue their education who do not have the funding to attend a four-year university for all four years, community colleges teach students who have an annual median income between $5,544 and $16,223. Those students who do move on to a four-year institution after graduating from a California community college tend to earn a higher grade-point avarage than students who have attended all four yaers at a university.
Have any of you had to call 911 because your house is on fire? Or had a sick relative in a hospital needing serious medical attention? Or perhaps you need help from the police for whatever reason. If you live in California, odds are the person coming to your aid is a California community college graduate. Our community college system trains approximately eighty percent of all firefighters, law enforcement officers, and medical emergency technicians. Likewise, seventy percent of California nurses receive their training from community colleges. What will happen, if these programs become increasingly expensive or are even cut entirely? Who will come to our aid if there is no affordable institution to train these individuals?
The issue doesn't stop at community colleges. UC's and Cal State's are facing the same setbacks. Answer me this though: If community colleges were created to allow students who could not afford a four-year school right away to pursue their education and these institutions are becoming too expensive for us, how are we going to be able to move on to a four-year?
I'm aware that college students aren't the only ones facing financial difficulties due to economic crises. I'm also aware people may not have the money to donate to a cause besides the one of caring for their own family. This may pale in comparison to the recent and ongoing disaster in Japan, but make no mistake that this is a crisis. If you wish to sign up and save your place in line for April 17th or if you wish to make a donation, please visit http://www.handsacrosscalifornia.org/. You don't have to be a student to participate, so if you're free on April 17th and would like help this cause, sign up and come on down! The "routes" for each region of California is listed on the website here.
Sources:
Foundation for California Community Colleges (http://www.foundationccc.org/)
I Will March (http://www.iwillmarch.com/)
Hands Across California (http://www.handsacrosscalifornia.org/)
Monday, March 14, 2011
Movies, School, and New Jersey!!
Alright. It's been a while since I've posted anything. I am still alive and kickin' though. I'm stuck in a bit of a rut right now, motivation-wise. This semester has been a bit harder than usual. I'm not really sure why. I blame the two-month long winter break. It broke down all my momentum and I'm havig a difficult time building it back up.
D-Box and Battle: LA
Jordan and I saw Battle: LA last night in D-Box seats. Those are fancy-shmancy seats that move along with the movie. Think of it as a far classier and better-made version of Star Tours at Disneyland. I'm not sure that Battle: LA was the best movie to kick off my D-Box movie experience. Since it was a war movie, it was mostly shaking and jolting with helicopter rides and explosions. The seats swerve and tilt and lean and all that good stuff (I was at the media unveiling of these seats at the UltraStar movie theater where they really showed off their goods). I'm thinking that a movie like the new Fast & Furious would be a good choice for it because of all the driving scenes that I'm sure it will have. :) I did learn a valuable lesson though. If you're having the "D-Box experience", make sure you time your sips of soda. Perhaps during a sex scene, where you don't anticipate your seat to start jerking uncontrollably (...I didn't mean to word it that way, but hey...If the shoe fits...lol). I almost spilled soda all over myself when my seat starting going crazy when one of the fight scenes started. All in all, it was your typical alien invasion movie. Aaron Eckhart was extremely rugged and gritty and handsome and Michelle Rodriguez played the same part she always plays in movies. Enjoyable, as long as you don't have a problem with watching Santa Monica and Los Angeles get destroyed. Although, I'm sure all the New Yorkers were pleased to see some other movie get attacked in a movie for a change.
FCCC & Hands Across California
I got a very interesting e-mail from the Marketing director for my school. She's referred me to the Foundation for California Community Colleges to be the student representative for Coastline in the Hands Across California campaign. Now, to be quite honest, I don't exactly know what that entails since I've yet to receive an e-mail from the contact over there with more information about it. But I feel really honored that she would consider me to be a good representative for my school. I'm excited to learn more about it and would love to participate. I'll keep you posted. :)
New Jersey Trip
We'll be purchasing our plane tickets for our trip to Jersey this evening. So exciting!! I've ordered the bridesmaid dress, so that's already done and paid for. I just have to wait for it to arrive by May 4th or earlier in "watermelon". It's a pretty cute pink. :) We'll be staying with my aunt and uncle, so we don't have to save for a hotel. (Thank you Aunt Ellen & Uncle Eddie!) So really, once the planes and car rental is taken care of, I just have to save up for play on the east coast. I am so excited to go back there, I can't even express it in words. This is the first time since the summer of 2002 that I will be going back to New Jersey for a visit that lasts longer than three days. I'll have 6 whole days out there! Ahh! :)
Lunch is rapidly approaching and I tragically did not pack anything today. Tempted to go out and get food, but I'd rather not spend the money right now. Guess I'll just skip it and wait till dinner.
D-Box and Battle: LA
Jordan and I saw Battle: LA last night in D-Box seats. Those are fancy-shmancy seats that move along with the movie. Think of it as a far classier and better-made version of Star Tours at Disneyland. I'm not sure that Battle: LA was the best movie to kick off my D-Box movie experience. Since it was a war movie, it was mostly shaking and jolting with helicopter rides and explosions. The seats swerve and tilt and lean and all that good stuff (I was at the media unveiling of these seats at the UltraStar movie theater where they really showed off their goods). I'm thinking that a movie like the new Fast & Furious would be a good choice for it because of all the driving scenes that I'm sure it will have. :) I did learn a valuable lesson though. If you're having the "D-Box experience", make sure you time your sips of soda. Perhaps during a sex scene, where you don't anticipate your seat to start jerking uncontrollably (...I didn't mean to word it that way, but hey...If the shoe fits...lol). I almost spilled soda all over myself when my seat starting going crazy when one of the fight scenes started. All in all, it was your typical alien invasion movie. Aaron Eckhart was extremely rugged and gritty and handsome and Michelle Rodriguez played the same part she always plays in movies. Enjoyable, as long as you don't have a problem with watching Santa Monica and Los Angeles get destroyed. Although, I'm sure all the New Yorkers were pleased to see some other movie get attacked in a movie for a change.
FCCC & Hands Across California
I got a very interesting e-mail from the Marketing director for my school. She's referred me to the Foundation for California Community Colleges to be the student representative for Coastline in the Hands Across California campaign. Now, to be quite honest, I don't exactly know what that entails since I've yet to receive an e-mail from the contact over there with more information about it. But I feel really honored that she would consider me to be a good representative for my school. I'm excited to learn more about it and would love to participate. I'll keep you posted. :)
New Jersey Trip
We'll be purchasing our plane tickets for our trip to Jersey this evening. So exciting!! I've ordered the bridesmaid dress, so that's already done and paid for. I just have to wait for it to arrive by May 4th or earlier in "watermelon". It's a pretty cute pink. :) We'll be staying with my aunt and uncle, so we don't have to save for a hotel. (Thank you Aunt Ellen & Uncle Eddie!) So really, once the planes and car rental is taken care of, I just have to save up for play on the east coast. I am so excited to go back there, I can't even express it in words. This is the first time since the summer of 2002 that I will be going back to New Jersey for a visit that lasts longer than three days. I'll have 6 whole days out there! Ahh! :)
Lunch is rapidly approaching and I tragically did not pack anything today. Tempted to go out and get food, but I'd rather not spend the money right now. Guess I'll just skip it and wait till dinner.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Irony @ Its Finest
Ohhhhh wow. How perfect is this. Well, y'all don't really know me, so it may not be that funny. But if anyone who actually knows me happens to read this post, I guarantee it will elicit a chuckle or two. These are the recommended areas I need to study in my math course so far:
Ch 3: Numbers in the Real World
Ch 4: Managing Money
Figures.
Did They Really Just Say That: Two-fer Tuesday
People are on fire today.
Situation #1:Caller: So do you have anything in Europe?
Me: No, unfortunately we don't really see much in Europe.
Caller: Oh. So what about England?
Me: No, we don't really have much available in Europe.
Caller: What about Spain or France?
Me: ....No. We don't really get much in Europe.
Situation #2:Me: I have a week available August 5-12.
Caller: So...if it starts August 5th, that means it starts in August not at the end of July.
Me: .......The week starts August 5th. So it does not start in July.
Caller: Ohhhh. Okay, I see what you're saying.
::shakes head:: Humanity is so screwed...
Situation #1:Caller: So do you have anything in Europe?
Me: No, unfortunately we don't really see much in Europe.
Caller: Oh. So what about England?
Me: No, we don't really have much available in Europe.
Caller: What about Spain or France?
Me: ....No. We don't really get much in Europe.
Situation #2:Me: I have a week available August 5-12.
Caller: So...if it starts August 5th, that means it starts in August not at the end of July.
Me: .......The week starts August 5th. So it does not start in July.
Caller: Ohhhh. Okay, I see what you're saying.
::shakes head:: Humanity is so screwed...
Monday, March 7, 2011
Will you look at that...Rain...Who'da thunk?
Wow. It's raining again. Shocker. I'm sorry, do I live in Seattle or southern California?? Last I checked, I'm pretty sure I pay the ridiculous gas prices and housing costs of a southern California residence, but this weather...I don't know. I'll have to check my mail to see what the address is. Seriously, though. What the eff is up with this weather?? No offense to my fellow southern Californians, but if I have to deal with shitty weather anyway, I woud much rather deal with it back east than out here. At least over there, there's a reason why the weather sucks: The east coast actually has seasons versus our warm/warmer shifts. When you live in SoCal, you expect a certain trend of weather and this rain-every-other-day crap is not what I signed on for. Bad weather makes me cranky.
The OC Music Awards was pretty awesome. I met some really talented artists. I am an instant fan of two in particular. The winner of Best Blues was Parker Macy Blues and after hearing his music, I can certainly understand why he won. He has a really nice raspy--or "gravelly", as I call it--voice. Jordan and I got to meet him after the awards show. He and Jordan exchanged business cards and discussed the idea of getting down on a track together. It may sound like an odd combination (blues and hip hop), but it would sound really great, I think. I hope they get in touch. The guys already have a song that they really need a singer for (the chorus) and I think Parker would be perfect for that one as well. I have my fingers crossed on that one. He also even let me interview him on the fly afterwards. Super nice guy; I'm happy that he won.
Another artist that we met was Micah Brown, who won Best Live Acoustic. He played his song, "Coming of Age", which I believe is on his Facebook page. I absolutely loved it. Jordan talked to him too about doing some kind of collaboration so I hope it works out. Those two guys and Jordan and Nonsense would sound so good together.
There was even a little Kanye West incident towards the end of the evening. I'll refrain from saying the name of the person or which group they were with because I refuse to reward such trashy behavior by spreading their name. But at the very last award of the evening, this person stormed the stage and dropped a few f-bombs, insisting someone else should have won that category, dropped a few more f-bombs, flipped off the audience and ran off the stage. Way to stay classy. Hopefully the Academy bans them from future nominations at least for a year or something.
Here is the complete list of winners of the evening:
Best album: Nightmare, Avenged Sevenfold
Best song: “My Body,” Young the Giant
Best new artist: Railroad to Alaska
Best folk: Yellow Red Sparks
Best blues: Parker Macy Blues
Best alternative: Thrice
Best jazz: Evan Stone
Best electronic: Blok
Best live acoustic: Micah Brown
Best live band: The Steelwells
Best metal: Avenged Sevenfold
Best country/Americana: Billy Kernkamp
Best pop: Stacy Clark
Best world: The Dirty Heads
Best hip-hop: I & I
Best Latin: Nancy Sanchez
Best youth: Amanda Lamb
Best surf: The Growlers
Best DJ: Thrifty Lips
Best indie: Kiev
Best rock: Dahga Bloom
Best punk: Social Distortion
Best music video: “Amalgam,” Halos
People’s choice: Ugly Paint
Lifetime Achievement Award: Stan Freese
Orange County Impact Award: Social Distortion
The OC Music Awards was pretty awesome. I met some really talented artists. I am an instant fan of two in particular. The winner of Best Blues was Parker Macy Blues and after hearing his music, I can certainly understand why he won. He has a really nice raspy--or "gravelly", as I call it--voice. Jordan and I got to meet him after the awards show. He and Jordan exchanged business cards and discussed the idea of getting down on a track together. It may sound like an odd combination (blues and hip hop), but it would sound really great, I think. I hope they get in touch. The guys already have a song that they really need a singer for (the chorus) and I think Parker would be perfect for that one as well. I have my fingers crossed on that one. He also even let me interview him on the fly afterwards. Super nice guy; I'm happy that he won.
Another artist that we met was Micah Brown, who won Best Live Acoustic. He played his song, "Coming of Age", which I believe is on his Facebook page. I absolutely loved it. Jordan talked to him too about doing some kind of collaboration so I hope it works out. Those two guys and Jordan and Nonsense would sound so good together.
There was even a little Kanye West incident towards the end of the evening. I'll refrain from saying the name of the person or which group they were with because I refuse to reward such trashy behavior by spreading their name. But at the very last award of the evening, this person stormed the stage and dropped a few f-bombs, insisting someone else should have won that category, dropped a few more f-bombs, flipped off the audience and ran off the stage. Way to stay classy. Hopefully the Academy bans them from future nominations at least for a year or something.
Here is the complete list of winners of the evening:
Best album: Nightmare, Avenged Sevenfold
Best song: “My Body,” Young the Giant
Best new artist: Railroad to Alaska
Best folk: Yellow Red Sparks
Best blues: Parker Macy Blues
Best alternative: Thrice
Best jazz: Evan Stone
Best electronic: Blok
Best live acoustic: Micah Brown
Best live band: The Steelwells
Best metal: Avenged Sevenfold
Best country/Americana: Billy Kernkamp
Best pop: Stacy Clark
Best world: The Dirty Heads
Best hip-hop: I & I
Best Latin: Nancy Sanchez
Best youth: Amanda Lamb
Best surf: The Growlers
Best DJ: Thrifty Lips
Best indie: Kiev
Best rock: Dahga Bloom
Best punk: Social Distortion
Best music video: “Amalgam,” Halos
People’s choice: Ugly Paint
Lifetime Achievement Award: Stan Freese
Orange County Impact Award: Social Distortion
Tick Tock
My birthday is exactly three months from today.
In three months, I'll officially be closer to thirty than I am to twenty.
Oy.
In three months, I'll officially be closer to thirty than I am to twenty.
Oy.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Day 13: Music Challenge
Ha-ha! Thought I forgot about this today, didn't you??
This will be a short post because Jordan and I are about to crack open a yummy Petit Sirah, watch Due Date and enjoy a nice quiet evening at home. :)
So, Day 12: A song that is a guilty pleasure... Well, basically the entire soundtrack, but this song in particular I just absolutely adore from the musical (yes, musical) Newsies. That's right. Christian Bale and Bill Pullmann singing and doing choreographed dance moves. Seriously. Does it get any better??
This will be a short post because Jordan and I are about to crack open a yummy Petit Sirah, watch Due Date and enjoy a nice quiet evening at home. :)
So, Day 12: A song that is a guilty pleasure... Well, basically the entire soundtrack, but this song in particular I just absolutely adore from the musical (yes, musical) Newsies. That's right. Christian Bale and Bill Pullmann singing and doing choreographed dance moves. Seriously. Does it get any better??
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Reporting Live from the 2011 OC Music Awards
Dayumn! It feels good--nay, I would dare say flipping amazing to have an assignment for the paper. It's been so long!! The last two events I covered were the SuperCross at Angel Stadium and the Human Trafficking Awareness seminar in Garden Grove. That was at the beginning of January. We're in March. My Sundays have been so empty without any articles to turn in before deadline!
But that's all over because I am back! :) With a rather exciting event to cover. This Saturday, I'll be dressed in "rock n roll red carpet" attire (still trying to figure out where the line is between rock 'n roll and inappropriate: how short is too short??), working the red carpet and interviewing musicians, producers, label executives and whoever else decides to show up before attending the 10th annual Orange County Music Awards. I was given two tickets, so Jordan will be coming with me.
The OC Music Awards honors all the rapidly rising local Orange County talent. One of the bands, The Steelwells, are currently featured in Rolling Stone Magazine (the one with Justin Bieber on the cover ::shakes head::). I've actually seen them perform before. They played at the after-party for the Anaheim International Film Festival back in November and debuted their new music video that night as well. I like them. They're up for three awards--Best Indie, Best Music Video, Best Live Band--and will also be performing. Other bands that will be there that I like are Thrice, Avenged Sevenfold, and Social Distortion. I feel like a traitor to my kind for not knowing any of the country bands/singers that are up for nomination and will be performing. :( Jordan is stoked to be going, too. There are going to be some hip hop groups there, of course, including I & I who used to run in the same circle as Akronymz back in the day. Jordan told me that Nonsense (the other half of Akronymz, aka Clayton) actually battled one of the "I"'s at an underground show once. So it'll be exciting for Jordan to be around so many successful people in the music industry. I told him that if his career gets launched from someone he met at this event, I'm collecting some kind of finder's fee from him. ;)
I'm excited about the after party too. ;) Should be a great time all around!
The after party should be fun, too.
But that's all over because I am back! :) With a rather exciting event to cover. This Saturday, I'll be dressed in "rock n roll red carpet" attire (still trying to figure out where the line is between rock 'n roll and inappropriate: how short is too short??), working the red carpet and interviewing musicians, producers, label executives and whoever else decides to show up before attending the 10th annual Orange County Music Awards. I was given two tickets, so Jordan will be coming with me.
The OC Music Awards honors all the rapidly rising local Orange County talent. One of the bands, The Steelwells, are currently featured in Rolling Stone Magazine (the one with Justin Bieber on the cover ::shakes head::). I've actually seen them perform before. They played at the after-party for the Anaheim International Film Festival back in November and debuted their new music video that night as well. I like them. They're up for three awards--Best Indie, Best Music Video, Best Live Band--and will also be performing. Other bands that will be there that I like are Thrice, Avenged Sevenfold, and Social Distortion. I feel like a traitor to my kind for not knowing any of the country bands/singers that are up for nomination and will be performing. :( Jordan is stoked to be going, too. There are going to be some hip hop groups there, of course, including I & I who used to run in the same circle as Akronymz back in the day. Jordan told me that Nonsense (the other half of Akronymz, aka Clayton) actually battled one of the "I"'s at an underground show once. So it'll be exciting for Jordan to be around so many successful people in the music industry. I told him that if his career gets launched from someone he met at this event, I'm collecting some kind of finder's fee from him. ;)
I'm excited about the after party too. ;) Should be a great time all around!
The after party should be fun, too.
Music Challenge: Day 12
Day 12: A song from a band I hate.
Instead of a band can it be a singer? Although I refuse to even categorize her as a singer, but unfortunately, she has released two (?) albums? I've never even heard her music, but I just know from morning radio talk shows that she does claim to have talent as a singer. She doesn't. She used to be pretty before she sliced up her face and body with scalpels from all that plastic surgery and she married the biggest douche (in my opinion) that reality TV producers could dig up in the greater Los Angeles area. Yes, ladies and gentleman. I'm talking about the great--or should I say 'fake'?--Heidi Montag. The only people I can imagine actually saying, "OMG!! I love her music!" are little prostetots (my word for little fourteen and fifteen-year-olds who insist on dressing like they're twenty-four-year-olds about to go clubbing in Vegas) in southern California who want to be her when they grow up. I have to search through YouTube right now because I don't even know what any of her songs are called... What do you know. It's called "Superficial". How fitting.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
"Super Hot Writer Who Knows Her Shit for UFC"
Awww...Look at him promoting my writing to UFC president Dana White on Twitter. Such a sweetheart!!! My boyfriend rocks. :)
Music Challenge: Day 11
Woo!! The double digits!! Awesome.
Day 11: A song from my favorite band
Hmmm. I don't actually know if I have a favorite band, per se. I mean, there aren't really that many bands in country music except for The Zac Brown Band and The Band Perry. Well, there are others out there too, but none that I would classify as a favorite. So we're gonna have to reach back into the memory bank into the time before country.
For some reason the only band that comes to mind (please bear in mind it's 7:15 in the morning and I coming off of two 15-hour days of work and school so at this point, my mind is running on fumes) is Forty Below Summer. It's a semi-known band on the east coast--mainly in New Jersey. They fall into the Metal category (betcha didn't see that comin'...), but oddly enough they did grow on me when I lived back east. I don't have any of their albums anymore, but I have some of their songs on my iPod. My mom would call it "bang on my head" music.
Day 11: A song from my favorite band
Hmmm. I don't actually know if I have a favorite band, per se. I mean, there aren't really that many bands in country music except for The Zac Brown Band and The Band Perry. Well, there are others out there too, but none that I would classify as a favorite. So we're gonna have to reach back into the memory bank into the time before country.
For some reason the only band that comes to mind (please bear in mind it's 7:15 in the morning and I coming off of two 15-hour days of work and school so at this point, my mind is running on fumes) is Forty Below Summer. It's a semi-known band on the east coast--mainly in New Jersey. They fall into the Metal category (betcha didn't see that comin'...), but oddly enough they did grow on me when I lived back east. I don't have any of their albums anymore, but I have some of their songs on my iPod. My mom would call it "bang on my head" music.
So, without further ado, I give you "Step Into the Sideshow" by 40 Below Summer.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Did They Really Say That: A new month of possibilites!
Speaking with a woman who's interested in booking a week in Aruba:
Woman: Okay and...would you say that flying is the fastest way to get there as opposed to any other form of travel?
'Other' forms of transportation? Exactly how many forms of transportation are there from the United States to Aruba? I mean, I guess you could swim if you really wanted to, but that'll definitely take longer than flying...
Woman: Okay and...would you say that flying is the fastest way to get there as opposed to any other form of travel?
'Other' forms of transportation? Exactly how many forms of transportation are there from the United States to Aruba? I mean, I guess you could swim if you really wanted to, but that'll definitely take longer than flying...
UFC 127: Poor Judgement
Well. I had no Internet for the past five days, which is thrilling. I have a crappy phone, so while I can do minor Twitter updates or Facebook posts, it is far from possessing the capability to do anything more complicated than that. This phone is ancient, in technology standards. Two whole years old!! Time to upgrade.
We had our UFC party Saturday night, which was a lot of fun. A lot of fun. There were the usual expected flake-outs (not to say that I expected these people in particular to flake out--quite the opposite, actually, since those people were in charge of bringing the beer), but someone always flakes out and bails. It's inevitable. My birthday last year was a prime example. About twenty to twenty-five people RSVP'd to our BBQ/pool party since my birthday is in June. So we went out and spent about $100 on food and drinks and come party day, I'd say about six people actually showed up. Lame.
I wore my lucky BJ necklace (I know how that sounds...let me explain: The first BJ Penn fight I watched with Jordan, we went down to Hennessy's in Dana Point. When BJ won, this massive Samoan guy gave me a Hawaiian Kukui Seed Bead necklace. He said it was tradition that you give it as a gift to someone so he gave it to me. Ever since then, it's been my lucky BJ necklace. I try to always wear it whenever BJ Penn is fighting.
So...BJ enters the building. He looks good. I mean, he looks focused and ready to go. He has that look in his eyes like, "Let's just effing do this already." Throughout the arena, you see Penn's white, black and red "Just Scrap!" t-shirts and you hear chants of "BJ! BJ! BJ!" Clearly, he's the crowd favorite. Fitch comes in. He looks good too. Although BJ is the favorite, Fitch doesn't exactly walk in to the sound of crickets. He's got his fare share of supporters out there too. And so they square off after Bruce Buffer's usual introductions (I just love him).
Round 1:
BJ flat-out rushes Jon Fitch. Fitch is clearly not expecting this and isn't prepared to defend against any kind of grappling or wrestling. BJ gets a couple take-downs, gets a couple dominant positions (including taking Fitch's back, getting the body triangle and starting to go for a rear-naked choke in a Kenny Florian repeat). BJ clearly got the first round, in my opinion. UFC president Dana White agrees with me.
Round 2:BJ starts slowing down a little. Cardio has always been an issue for him and really the only time I've seen a vast improvement in his cardio is when he fought Diego Sanchez (ahhh now THAT was a beautiful fight). BJ gets a take-down, Fitch reverses it, but Penn quickly gets back to his feet. Penn again takes Fitch's back and almost locks in another rear-naked choke and had it not been for Fitch's darn good wrist control, he would've gotten it. I'd say round 2 goes to Penn also. Again, Dana White agrees.
Round 3:This is not a good round for BJ. Fitch takes him down and keeps him down for the entire round. However. While Fitch does keep him down the whole time, he never assumes a dominant position. He doesn't pass BJ's guard once; doesn't get side control; doesn't land devastatingly damaging blows. While he definitely did handle BJ, there wasn't a point in time where BJ was in any serious danger of a submission or referee stoppage.
So the fight goes the distance and we go to the judge's scorecards. Judge #1 scores it: 29-28 Fitch. So we're thinking split decision victory, right? But for which fighter?? Judge #2: 28-28. Judge #3: 28-28. Result: A majority draw. Are you effing kidding me?!
A draw?? AGAIN?? This is the second time this year that a huge fight has ended in a draw (the first fight was the title fight between Frankie Edgar & Gray Maynard on New Year's day). BJ, however, was utterly disappointed in his performance and seemed near tears when Joe Rogan interviewed him. BJ flat-out said that he thought he'd lose by decision and made references to the possibility of retiring from UFC, but did say he'd be willing to do a rematch.
I read on UFC Octagon Girl Arianny Celeste's Twitter that the 'bosses' (clearly referring to Dana White and other big wigs) were NOT pleased with the judges that evening. There was another fight on the prelims (Nick Ring vs Riki Fukuda) that ended in an upsetting call. Ring clearly LOST that fight. I mean, he got a few punches in here and there, but he just did not win. Yet the judges gave him the victory in a unanimous decision.
This is yet another prime example of why Dana White constantly tells fighters to finish the fight. Never leave it in the hands of the judges.
We had our UFC party Saturday night, which was a lot of fun. A lot of fun. There were the usual expected flake-outs (not to say that I expected these people in particular to flake out--quite the opposite, actually, since those people were in charge of bringing the beer), but someone always flakes out and bails. It's inevitable. My birthday last year was a prime example. About twenty to twenty-five people RSVP'd to our BBQ/pool party since my birthday is in June. So we went out and spent about $100 on food and drinks and come party day, I'd say about six people actually showed up. Lame.
I wore my lucky BJ necklace (I know how that sounds...let me explain: The first BJ Penn fight I watched with Jordan, we went down to Hennessy's in Dana Point. When BJ won, this massive Samoan guy gave me a Hawaiian Kukui Seed Bead necklace. He said it was tradition that you give it as a gift to someone so he gave it to me. Ever since then, it's been my lucky BJ necklace. I try to always wear it whenever BJ Penn is fighting.
So...BJ enters the building. He looks good. I mean, he looks focused and ready to go. He has that look in his eyes like, "Let's just effing do this already." Throughout the arena, you see Penn's white, black and red "Just Scrap!" t-shirts and you hear chants of "BJ! BJ! BJ!" Clearly, he's the crowd favorite. Fitch comes in. He looks good too. Although BJ is the favorite, Fitch doesn't exactly walk in to the sound of crickets. He's got his fare share of supporters out there too. And so they square off after Bruce Buffer's usual introductions (I just love him).
Round 1:
BJ flat-out rushes Jon Fitch. Fitch is clearly not expecting this and isn't prepared to defend against any kind of grappling or wrestling. BJ gets a couple take-downs, gets a couple dominant positions (including taking Fitch's back, getting the body triangle and starting to go for a rear-naked choke in a Kenny Florian repeat). BJ clearly got the first round, in my opinion. UFC president Dana White agrees with me.
Round 2:BJ starts slowing down a little. Cardio has always been an issue for him and really the only time I've seen a vast improvement in his cardio is when he fought Diego Sanchez (ahhh now THAT was a beautiful fight). BJ gets a take-down, Fitch reverses it, but Penn quickly gets back to his feet. Penn again takes Fitch's back and almost locks in another rear-naked choke and had it not been for Fitch's darn good wrist control, he would've gotten it. I'd say round 2 goes to Penn also. Again, Dana White agrees.
Round 3:This is not a good round for BJ. Fitch takes him down and keeps him down for the entire round. However. While Fitch does keep him down the whole time, he never assumes a dominant position. He doesn't pass BJ's guard once; doesn't get side control; doesn't land devastatingly damaging blows. While he definitely did handle BJ, there wasn't a point in time where BJ was in any serious danger of a submission or referee stoppage.
So the fight goes the distance and we go to the judge's scorecards. Judge #1 scores it: 29-28 Fitch. So we're thinking split decision victory, right? But for which fighter?? Judge #2: 28-28. Judge #3: 28-28. Result: A majority draw. Are you effing kidding me?!
A draw?? AGAIN?? This is the second time this year that a huge fight has ended in a draw (the first fight was the title fight between Frankie Edgar & Gray Maynard on New Year's day). BJ, however, was utterly disappointed in his performance and seemed near tears when Joe Rogan interviewed him. BJ flat-out said that he thought he'd lose by decision and made references to the possibility of retiring from UFC, but did say he'd be willing to do a rematch.
I read on UFC Octagon Girl Arianny Celeste's Twitter that the 'bosses' (clearly referring to Dana White and other big wigs) were NOT pleased with the judges that evening. There was another fight on the prelims (Nick Ring vs Riki Fukuda) that ended in an upsetting call. Ring clearly LOST that fight. I mean, he got a few punches in here and there, but he just did not win. Yet the judges gave him the victory in a unanimous decision.
This is yet another prime example of why Dana White constantly tells fighters to finish the fight. Never leave it in the hands of the judges.
Music Challenge: Days 6-10
Alright, well I don't think it counts as slacking off if you're without Internet access for the past four days. One might suggest I could've used my phone, but unfortunately I have an LG Piece of Crap that barely functions. I'm counting down the days until my contract is up with Verizon and I can switch over to Sprint. Only two months left.
OK, so here I go with the Catch-Up Game. Regular post to follow. :)
Day 6: A song that reminds me of somewhere
This is an Italian song that I learned in music class when I lived in Porza. There's one line in it: "Sono sempre pronti/a giudicare tutto quello che fai./Come ti vesti/e con chi ti incontrerai." Roughyl translated, it means: "They're always ready to judge everything you do: how you dress and who you're friends with." That pretty much described my classmates down to a T. I loved living there but the Swiss are extremely judgemental towards any foreigners that don't leave when the tourist season ends. The name of the group/singer is 883 (Otto Otto Tre). Enjoy! Every time I hear that song, I think of being in my old room in Porza, blasting it as loud as my CD player would go whenever I was pissed off about something that happened at school.
OK, so here I go with the Catch-Up Game. Regular post to follow. :)
Day 6: A song that reminds me of somewhere
This is an Italian song that I learned in music class when I lived in Porza. There's one line in it: "Sono sempre pronti/a giudicare tutto quello che fai./Come ti vesti/e con chi ti incontrerai." Roughyl translated, it means: "They're always ready to judge everything you do: how you dress and who you're friends with." That pretty much described my classmates down to a T. I loved living there but the Swiss are extremely judgemental towards any foreigners that don't leave when the tourist season ends. The name of the group/singer is 883 (Otto Otto Tre). Enjoy! Every time I hear that song, I think of being in my old room in Porza, blasting it as loud as my CD player would go whenever I was pissed off about something that happened at school.
Day 7: A song that reminds me of a certain event
When I was...five? Six? However old you are when you're in Kindergarten, my mom and dad went to a Dinner/Dance party and when my mom explained to me what that was, I told her that I wanted to have one for my friends. So we decided to have a Valentine's Day party. The theme was a 50's Sock Hop and I had the poodle skirt and saddle shoes to boot. We invited my entire class and their families, my uncle DJ'd and it is probably one of my favorite childhood memories. There's a video of it somewhere, but whenever I hear "Rockin Robin" by Bobby Day, it always makes me think of my mom and my aunt gettin' down on the dance floor to that song. :) Good times.
When I was...five? Six? However old you are when you're in Kindergarten, my mom and dad went to a Dinner/Dance party and when my mom explained to me what that was, I told her that I wanted to have one for my friends. So we decided to have a Valentine's Day party. The theme was a 50's Sock Hop and I had the poodle skirt and saddle shoes to boot. We invited my entire class and their families, my uncle DJ'd and it is probably one of my favorite childhood memories. There's a video of it somewhere, but whenever I hear "Rockin Robin" by Bobby Day, it always makes me think of my mom and my aunt gettin' down on the dance floor to that song. :) Good times.
Day 8: A song I know all the words to
Well shoot, just about every song on Go Country 105 or K-Earth 101! LOL. Let's see... OK, let's go foreign again. This is by far the funniest song I think I've ever heard, just because Italian rap sounds hilarious to me. It's called "Cosi e Cosa" by Articolo 31. Baaaaasically, it's this guy listing all the places he'd like to have sex with his girlfriend, from the elevator to a train to the top of a volcano. You may not understand it, but...C'mon. It's rap. In Italian. Does it get any better than that?!?
Day 9: A song that I can dance to
Dancing. I looooove dancing. Please note that by saying this I am not also stating that I'm good at it. But after a couple drinks, I stop being self conscious and other people stop caring. LOL Well I'll go with old faithful. This is Jordan's and my Vegas song. We hear it at least once on a Vegas trip, whether it's on the drive there, or at a club, or from a car driving by with its windows down... It's "I Gotta Feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas. If it just so happens that we're close to a dance floor the moment I hear those opening bars, I am on said dance floor in a split second. I'm pretty sure we'll play it at some point at our wedding, too. It fits. LOL
Dancing. I looooove dancing. Please note that by saying this I am not also stating that I'm good at it. But after a couple drinks, I stop being self conscious and other people stop caring. LOL Well I'll go with old faithful. This is Jordan's and my Vegas song. We hear it at least once on a Vegas trip, whether it's on the drive there, or at a club, or from a car driving by with its windows down... It's "I Gotta Feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas. If it just so happens that we're close to a dance floor the moment I hear those opening bars, I am on said dance floor in a split second. I'm pretty sure we'll play it at some point at our wedding, too. It fits. LOL
Day 10: A song that makes you fall asleep
That's kinda hard since I don't really like listening to music to fall asleep. I can't even say any classical music since that's what I listen to when I do homework. Ummm, well I'll go with "Moon River", sung by Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's. As much as I love that movie, I always, without fail, fall asleep at some point in time during that movie if I watch it at night. So...I'll go with that association.
That's kinda hard since I don't really like listening to music to fall asleep. I can't even say any classical music since that's what I listen to when I do homework. Ummm, well I'll go with "Moon River", sung by Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's. As much as I love that movie, I always, without fail, fall asleep at some point in time during that movie if I watch it at night. So...I'll go with that association.
Whew! I'm caught up!!
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