Fun Fact #50: Palin is from Alaska? Really?!

Today was a big day in politics. Now, thanks to Palin becoming McCain's running mate, getting either McCain or Obama into the White House will be a historical event. A lot of people have issues with Palin considering her stances on abortion and off-shore drilling. Personally, I think it's an obvious ploy to try to get the disgrunteled Hilary voters and I hope those voters will realize that though Palin is a woman, she might not be the best person to push a lot of the "women's" issues forward. And while it's always nice to see a woman "break the glass ceiling", it's also kind of uncomfortable to realize that the main reason Palin got her position is due to her gender. I don't see how a man with the same experience (or lackthereof) would've even been considered by McCain.

McCain's choice of Palin seemed like it took a lot of the media by surprise. The NYT.com seems to have been going through all their footage of Palin to try and find one that conveys the proper image as their main picture has been changing constantly. They seemed to have settled on one and it's certaintly an intersting choice:


I love how Palin is dwarfed by both the bear carcass she's sitting on and the giant crab in front of her. It's really just such an awkward picture for the NYT to chose, though I guess they could be trying to showcase her Alaska roots. I'm not a fan of Palin, but I think a lot of their earlier picture choices were more appropriate. Maybe, if we're lucky, tomorrow's picture will have her frolicking in the Alaskan wilderness with some huskies and polar bears while wearing an Eskimo outfit!! Because what could get more Alaksan than that?!

Fun Fact #49: I thought "Contact" was the deepest film ever

When I was a kid I loved the movie Contact. I thought it was deep and profound film, I remember having little debates with my friends about the possibility of life on other planets and other thrilling topics. I don't remember if I ever actually took my friends' opinions into account since I was always kind of headstrong regarding my opinions. As my dad put it, I always liked to be able to declare myself the winner (even in cases where I obviously wasn't)

Anyways, I recently watched Contact again and was horrified to discover that it's not nearly as thoughtful I remembered it to be.In fact, it's a pretty bad film all around. The plot is slow and the twists are fairly ludicrous. Of course, I also thought Armageddon and Titanic were the epitome of great films, so my opinions from that age probably don't hold much weight.

Ten years from now, I hope that I won't look back on my current favorite films and be embarrassed by my tastes.

Fun Fact #48: Karl Marx and Dan Brown are totally easy to confuse!!!

I'm someone who constantly needs to be occupied. For example, it's almost impossible for me to just watch TV, so often I'll be online looking at various websites. I don't really absorb what I'm reading but at least it keeps me from getting too fidgety and shredding whatever paper is nearby (a lovely habit that almost anyone who knows me can attest to).

Anyways, I was watching the Olympics and looking at the Freakanomics blog on NYtimes.com. One of their more recent posts was discussing the fact that some author of one of those "Greatest Quotes of the Twentieth Century" books was having problems finding a lot of exemplary quotes from novels published after the 1950s. So, the author of the post asked the readers of the blog for some suggestions. There was a lot of Cormac McCarthy, Dave Eggers, David Sedaris, Chuck Palahniuk, Douglas Adams... basically the usual suspects.

But one lovely individual, by the name of "Frank", suggested the quote, "Religion is the opiate of the masses" and cited Dan Brown's Angels and Demons NOT Karl Marx as the origin of the quote. I actually burst into laugher and then was quickly embarrassed for poor "Frank" since he must either be really young or have had a horrid education to attribute what is arguably one of the world's most famous quotes to Dan Brown.

I may shred paper when I get too fidgety, but at least I don't confuse the words of Karl Marx and Dan Brown.

Fun Fact #47: I think I'm nostalgic for "I Love the 80s"

Is it weird to be nostalgic about a show that was based solely on a sense of nostalgia for a certain era?

I was came across VH1's "I Love the 80s" in a moment of utter boredom and decided to watch it for a little bit. I definitely remember watching it with my friends/siblings and discussing how humorous it was. And while it's still funny, it now feels weirdly dated which is random since a lot of humor from the show comes from how dated things from the 80s have become. There are a lot of "celebrity" figures who were obscure then and are now totally off the radar.

I looked up "I Love the 80s" on Wikipedia and discovered that premiered in 2002. It is one of those dates that doesn't look like it's that long ago but it's actually six years ago. I guess the show just reminded me of how quickly time goes by and, sadly, made me somewhat nostalgic 2002.

But I guess I'm not the only person because I learned that VH1 recently premiered a series called "I Love the Millennium"...

Fun Fact #46: Earthquakes and California go hand-in-hand

Today I experienced a 5.8 magnitude earthquake, yet I really didn't think anything of it. Admittedly, it hit LA harder than it hit here but my friends in LA said the worst effect so far has been downed phone lines. I've spent the vast majority of my life in California and earthquakes are just another part of life here. Everyone just kind of assumes that a major earthquake will probably wreck havoc upon California's major cities eventually, but there's not much an individual can do to prepare for it. It's kind of scary when you actually think about it, which I tend to do at inopportune moments such as driving across a bridge...

I was living in Palo Alto during the big 1989 earthquake and, while I remember being afraid, my main memories of it aren't the earthquake itself... One of my most vivid memories involves me being yelled at by mom during the very beginning because I decided, in my infinite wisdom, that I knew how to the handle situation better than she did and figured that hiding under my bed would be the best bet. She eventually dragged me down the stairs but I remember being pretty resentful that she didn't trust my judgment because even back then I always considered myself to be right.

My second memory speaks more about my parents' hippie tendencies than it does the actual earthquake. After the earthquake, the neighborhood moms were going around giving the kids candy to keep calm. My parents didn't really allow us to have any sweets when my sister and I were kids (my first birthday cake was a bran muffin) and getting candy was a massive treat. Therefore, I was unbelievably excited when I was given a single packet of Smarties. In hindsight, the fact that this is one of the most vivid memories (not only of the earthquake but of that whole year) is a tad pathetic...

Today's earthquake was nowhere near the magnitude of the '89 earthquake and, while it was bigger than we've had for awhile, was far more similar to the various small earthquakes that I've become accustomed to. Yet, my lack of reaction still surprises me: It occurred when I was watching a movie and all I did was get up a few minutes after it ended to grab a soda and check on my littlest sister. But my reaction still trumped her response: she never even moved from the couch and continued texting as though nothing has happened. She casually asked me what happened about fifteen minutes after the fact; I've seen far more severe reactions from her when someone so much as threatens to take away her phone.

Fun Fact #45: 3-D Films Terrify Me

I can watch almost any film and read any sort of book without getting scared, I'll get disturbed if something is really horrific but usually not scared. Though there are exceptions, I'm totally terrified by 3-D films. I assume that my fear started after some traumatic viewing experience when I was an overly imaginative child, an experience so traumatic that it was entirely wiped from my memory. Either that, or I'm just a baby when it come to images leaping at me from the screen.I've only seen a few 3-D films and they were all at amusement parks (i.e. Honey, I Shrunk the Audience at Disneyland). I never even thought that they'd come to theaters since that seemed to have gone out of style in the '50s, so imagine my horror when I discovered that 3-D films have made a comeback. In fact, I was almost dragged to see the horrible looking (due both the the story and 3-D images) Journey to the Center of the Earth. Luckily, I managed to get out of the viewing but I can only assume that had I seen it my entire experience would've made up of me cowering in terror.

But perhaps I would've gone with my other coping mechanism, which involves me refusing to put on the stupid glasses they give you. I might have occasionally put them on for a minute, but they would've been torn off the minute something came flying toward me. Oh, and viewing a 3-D image without the glasses means that the film is weirdly colored and distorted.

If you've been privileged enough to never have seen a 3-D film, then you'll have to trust me that even a cute rabbit hopping towards you becomes horrific in 3-D.

Fun Fact #44: Family vacations lead to a lot of "fun facts"

Family vacations have made up a significant portion of my life. I've gone to various countries but the majority of them tend to take place in California and usually involve a thrilling road trip on the 5 (or Interstate 5 for everyone outside of Southern California). This summer's family vacations mixed up the formula a little as we went to Atlantic City and then flew, not drove, to the annual Yosemite camping trip. Neither of the trips proved to be hugely memorable, but there were a few "fun facts" that arose from them.

Atlantic City

1) Atlantic City, which I went to for a family reunion, lived up to every preconceived notion that I had about it. I know that I've mentioned that Pittsburgh had more obese people than I'd ever seen before, but Atlantic City surpassed it by leaps and bounds. As one of my aunts put it, "I've never felt better about myself..." Our hotel was basically just a casino and beyond all the lovely noise, flashing lights, and constant smoking, one also had to deal with the risk of being mowed over by some overly enthusiastic casino-goer on a Rascal scooter.

2) I was involved in a rescue attempt at the Jersey shore. No, I didn't finally get to put my superb lifeguard skills to use. Instead, my cousin, my siblings, and I ended up getting stuck in a rip tide. We were all swimming out but I guess we didn't look very graceful because this poor lifeguard came racing out to us with his rescue tube because he assumed we were drowning. Luckily, we had survived the rip tide and were perfectly fine. I think my brother, being the only boy, was slightly humiliated. But it doesn't end there since a few hours later one of aunts actually had to be rescued. I'm sure the lifeguards all hated my family.

3) I went Savage Men, a male revue, with my some of cousins and my 87-year old grandmother. It was just as awkward as it the website makes it out to be. I was hoping it would some choreographed show, like Chippendale's, but it was definitely not up to that caliber. Instead, the show consisted of super beefy men (as in their arms could not touch their sides) humping and simulating sex with "lucky" audience participants. We had went because my grandmother had seen "Thunder Down Under" in Vegas and is basically their number one fan, but even she was disappointed with this show. The most surreal part was one guy came out dressed as a soldier from 300 and began to strip while the movie played in the background. So, while this lovely young man was gyrating all over these wasted girls, images of men being decapitated were flashing across the screen. I left early with one of my cousins (after she was basically accosted by one of the dancers in an attempt to get a tip) and we ended up eating our leftover dinner in some creepy alley on the Boardwalk.

Yosemite

1) As anyone who knows me would guess, I'm not a fan of camping. I'm obsessive about showering and keeping things neat. Camping and I just don't really mix. My last "true" camping experience was in Ashland, OR and it was a disaster. I woke up the first night floating in a puddle of water and the second night was spent sleeping in the back of someone's car. Therefore, this camping trip catered a little more to someone like me as I was able to have an air mattress and hot showers whenever I wanted.

2) I adore white water rafting, it's probably one of my favorite things to do. We spent a day rafting the Tuolumne River and, beyond getting severely sunburned, I had a great time. My family took up the whole raft which meant that my littlest sister actually had to paddle, a task at which she epically failed at. She would basically just dip her paddle in the water and then stare at scenery.

3)I was able to finally finish one of my new favorite books, Blindness by Jose Saramago. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who wants an engrossing and challenging read. It takes awhile to get into because there is scant punctuation and sentences can take up a whole page.

4) I'm not a huge fan of rodents. So, I was horrified to discover that I had brought a mouse back from camp. I reacted in a totally adult manner, throwing the suitcase at my youngest sister and demanding that she take care of the situation. She ended up trying to nurse the mouse (Tiny Tuolumne or "TT") back to health; she gave him bird food to eat and tried to make him drink out of a little dropper. It was a pretty cute sight, but TT tragically passed away. He shall probably be buried in the massive pet cemetery at our house, next the various pet rodents that have passed away before. There were plans to have a ceremony for TT, but I was busy this evening and my absence would have made the number of attendees drop to one. So, the ceremony for a mouse we knew for a total of an hour was postponed. As of now, TT creepily is sitting right outside my bedroom window in a little box....

Fun Fact #43: Add teenagers to the list of things that can make me emotional

Sometimes I feel as though I've experienced parts of life that I really shouldn't have experienced yet. I played a large role in raising my youngest sister during my high school years due to my parents' rather tumultuous divorce. She and I had (and I think continue to have) a rather unique relationship, she almost felt more like my child than my sister. I believe that might be one of the reasons it has become so tough to watch her transform from a sweet little girl into a self-absorbed teenager.

I feel that I must have had some influence on the person that she's become but I worry that they've contributed more to her negative qualities rather than her positive ones. She's extremely aware of how the world works and is no where near as innocent as I was at that age, this adds to her sense of superiority that she feels around her peers. She's been exposed to so many things both because she's the youngest of four kids and because she grew up hanging out with our friends.

She used to idolize me and would excitedly call me while I was away at school just to talk. But now I've become some sort of leper. Most of the time I find her antics humorous, but her constant criticisms and whining are exhausting to deal with. There are occasional flashes of the little girl she used to be, but they're far and few between.

If anything, this experience has prepared me for the day when my own children suddenly see me as a social pariah. I also feel bad for all the things that I put my poor parents through. My dad always talks about how, in fifth grade, I abruptly came to the decision that he was "lame" and made him and my sister walk a good ten feet behind me on the way to school as not to infringe upon my utter "coolness". I remember that phase of my life(the one my littlest sister is now fully entrenched in) passing by relatively quickly, but my parents assure me that it was long and arduous process. So I'm looking forward to more years of "fun" with my littlest sister, but I still hope that she'll come out of it quickly and revert back to the way I remember her.

Fun Fact #42: I discovered a website with Jewish American Girl dolls and was reminded of a childhood obsession.

Being a history nerd and a girl, it should be of no surprise to anyone that I adored American Girl dolls when I was a child. I had Samantha, the rich (but still sensitive!) Victorian-era doll. I picked her because she looked the most like me, while my little sister got Kristen, the dull (in my opinion) Swedish immigrant doll, because she looked the most like her.

I grew up reading every American girl book and, much to my mother's horror, would sometimes announce how they incorrectly portrayed the conditions of sweatshops, immigrant conditions, food rationing, race relations, etc. Obviously, I've always just been full of "fun facts".

I soon got sick of Samantha though and promptly decided Molly was my new favorite. I asked my mom for a Molly doll and instead given the Molly glasses as if that would transformed Samantha into Molly. But Molly had blue eyes while Samantha had brown and it obviously wouldn't work out. I never did get a Molly doll but my obsession continued unabated.

I even wrote my own American Girl story for my second grade creative writing class. It was all about a lovely immigrant family heading toward Ellis Island (yet another weird obsession) on a boat to start a new life in America. I decide to add some tension by having the boat sink, but I wasn't quite old enough to cope with a death and made sure all of my characters lived. The book was basically a masterpiece and, if I could find it, would probably be eligible for a Pulitzer. At the very least it was far better than my biggest competitor's (aka my little sister) work at the time which featured the adventures of a squirrel named Plumpy.

The main character in my story was Jewish (to make her more like myself since I was quite the narcissist as a child), but, much to my disappointment, there never were any Jewish American Girl dolls. Well, that's now been fixed thanks the introduction of Gali Girls which, according the website, are "Jewish Dolls for Jewish Girls".

The dolls honestly look like the slightly touched cousins of the American Girl dolls. In fact, they're absolutely hideous. But, on the bright side, they all come with a little Star of David, a Jewish holiday playset, and a book. What could be more fun?! You can even buy dolls from the historical line and own Miriam, your own doll from the shtetl, or Shoshana, a Sephardic Jew! I believe that these dolls are a good idea but even myself at eight, both Jewish and a rabid American Girl fan, wouldn't have wanted these dolls since they're so awkward looking. They have giant heads and weird, little bodies.

I hope that they'll have better looking Jewish dolls by the time I have my little history nerd kids.

Fun Fact #41: I have the pleasure of sharing a room with a teenager

It's been about a month since I last posted and much of that month has been spent sharing a room with a hormonal, messy, and "popular" thirteen-year-old girl aka my youngest sister. As one might imagine, it's definitely not the most enjoyable experience in the world. But it's also provided me with plenty of "fun facts" about thirteen-year-old girls that are solely based on my experiences with my sister and her friends.

1. They can be the most self-absorbed individuals on the planet.
It takes my littlest sister a good hour and a half to get ready for school in the morning. She spends much of the time staring at her self in the mirror and painstakingly applying make-up. She often comes out of the bathroom looking a little bit too whorish for my liking.
2. They don't ever take the easy route.
My littlest sister has yet to catch on to the fact that just doing a task is far easier than trying to avoid it. For example, she and I were home alone last weekend and it was therefore my job to keep the house clean. She left her grimy clothes on the floor of the bathroom and I asked her about ten times to put them away. But instead of putting them away, she'd move them to a new location: behind the door, under some towels, stuffed into the corner by the toilet, hidden under the shower curtain, and a bunch of other hiding places until she finally had to give in and throw them in the laundry basket.
3. Their cell phones are the world to them.
The absolute worst thing I can do to my sister is take away her phone, she screams like someone amputated some critical appendage and she either doesn't stop until it's back or she starts plotting her revenge on me (which is usually taking my phone). It's actually a pretty funny sight to see but it the hysterical reactions can get old quickly. Oh, and she also reacts this way when someone reads her precious text messages of which she sends about fifty or sixty a day.
4. They never listen to advice.
I realize that I can sometimes be a little intense about my opinions and sometimes I refuse to admit that the other side can have a valid argument. But I at least listen when someone gives me good advice, this is not the case with my sister. I don't even give her complex advice, it's more along the lines of "If you want Mom to buy you those new shoes, then I suggest you not act like she threw acid on you the next time she tries to give you a hug". But of course, she doesn't listen and then gets hysterically upset when she doesn't get what she wants.
5. The world revolves around them.
This can be a positive because it allows them to believe that they deserve everything and anything they may want. But it's also negative for it means that everyone is watching and judging their each and every move. For example, I picked my sister up from school today and the Feist was playing in the car. She promptly issued a hideous screech, claimed that the music was lame and everyone would make fun of her for listening to it, demanded I change the music, and then slammed the car door shut. She never realized that in all reality most people weren't judging her by the music being emitted from the car picking her up and perhaps only started to pay attention after her antics. Oh, and she also feels the need to constantly reiterate how I, my mom, my dad, my -step dad, my step-mom, my siblings, and any other semi-authority figures have all wrecked (or are currently wrecking) her life. My most recent "life-wrecking" move was moving her cell charger.

But as aggravating as my littlest sister's actions can be, I always try to be somewhat understanding because it's just such a miserable age to be. You're constantly on guard and people older than you are disgusted by your actions while those younger than you are just terrified by the creature you've become. Neither me nor my other sister were the most pleasant teenagers to be around, yet we both outgrew it (for the most part at least) and I have faith that my littlest sister will do the same. She does have some charming qualities that manage to appear ever so often.

Fun Fact #40: Running and smoking do NOT go hand-in-hand

So, today is my last day at work and I leave Pittsburgh permanently early Tuesday morning. I'm excited to get back to California and have no qualms about leaving Pittsburgh early. I have absolutely nothing to do at work and today has perhaps been the most unproductive day of my life. There's a bike/running path that goes by the office windows and I've watching people using it for the past hour or so.

Anyways, my favorite person I saw on the trail during today's people watching session had to be this older man, probably about fifty or so. He was dressed head-to-toe in Nike running gear and seemed to be ready for a pretty intense workout, but one accessory of his was totally out of place.

He was carrying a lit pipe during his whole run. There was a trail of smoke following him and every minute or so he would would lift it up and take a puff or two. It was pretty surreal. I'm assuming that it was filled with tobacco since Pittsburgh has pretty strict weed laws.

It made me think of CKC and her dreadful smoking habits. Let's hope CKC quits before she needs a cigarette to sustain her during a run. Maybe she needs another beautiful cigarette shaped birthday cake to remind her of the horrors of smoking...

Fun Fact #39: Death notices are certainly a way to liven up getting the mail

It's no secret that I'm living in Pittsburgh, but it may come of surprise to some people that I'm basically living in a retirement home while I'm here. I truly believe that the average age of my "neighbors" is about eighty.

The fact that I'm living with a group of people about six decades older than me means that death is a constant presence here. I often see an ambulance parked out front when I come back from work or the gym (my only two activities here besides eating). The deaths don't really bother me since I don't know the people, but it's just a kind of sad situation all around.

What makes it even more awkward is how the building handles these deaths. The deaths are so common that the building managmment has a box pre-printed signs that read:

We're sorry to inform you that blank from apartment blank has passed away on blank date. The funeral is scheduled for blank date.

It makes sense to have these signs but they still come across as a little morbid to me. They're also posted by the mail box, so everyone gets a chance to read the news while they're getting their mail. It's pretty a pretty special experience to learn that Mildred from next door passed away the night before while you're thumbing through the newest issues of US Weekly.

I don't think I ever want to live in a place where death is such a constant part of life that having 20 or so death notices on hand makes total sense. I'd much rather retire someplace where I'm not constantly reminded how close death is. Of course that opinion could very well change in the next fifty or so years.

Fun Fact #38: I've come to some major decisions...

It should be readily apparent to anyone who reads my blog that I'm not a fan of Pittsburgh. I don't like the city, the climate, or the culture. I haven't really had the best experience here and I'm excited to be leaving in May. But, all in all, I'm still happy with my decision to come here because it taught me that I need to live in someplace with a relatively mild climate.

Therefore, I eliminated New York, Chicago, and Boston from my law school search due to the weather and a variety of other criteria. These had all been places that I planned to end up in but my time in Pittsburgh allowed me to see that I am a true West Coaster. I even miss all the hippies!

So I applied to schools in California, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington. I got into a variety of schools, some were a better fit than others. But I've decided that California (specifically the Bay Area) is the place for me and therefore I am going to be attending UC Hastings (located in the heart of San Francisco). I'm extremely excited and I believe that this will be the best place for me.

There are so many things I'm looking forward to: finally living in a city that I love, actually going to law school, being surrounded by an amazing city with an amazing culture, leaving Pittsburgh, paying 1,500 a month for a closet, being the perfect distance between my Oregon friends and family, making new friends, and a million other things.

I know that people have asked me to post more often but I can't really think of anything to write about. Ask me some questions or give me some ideas and I'll totally start posting more.

Also, any advice or tips regarding San Francisco would be totally welcome. I lived in Palo Alto when I was kid but haven't ever lived in the city itself.

Fun Fact #37: Could "Hamsterdam" ever become a reality?

Editorials can be hit or miss. Sometimes the author just seems to whine and complain, but other times editorials can be thought provoking pieces that tackle some of the toughest issues in society.

This editorial, titled The Wire's War on the Drug War, written by the scribes of The Wire (some who are also extremely respected novelists) definitely falls into the latter category. As I mentioned in my previous post, our prisons are overcrowded with drug offenders and obviously something needs to be done. But I didn't (and still don't) have an answer to that question.

These esteemed writers suggest a rather controversial, though admittedly only partial, solution to that problem:

"If asked to serve on a jury deliberating a violation of state or federal drug laws, we will vote to acquit, regardless of the evidence presented. Save for a prosecution in which acts of violence or intended violence are alleged, we will — to borrow Justice Harry Blackmun's manifesto against the death penalty — no longer tinker with the machinery of the drug war. No longer can we collaborate with a government that uses nonviolent drug offenses to fill prisons with its poorest, most damaged and most desperate citizens."

They're basically saying that they will vote to acquit if they ever serve on jury for a drug trial (which is unlikely after writing this editorial), no matter what the evidence is (though acts of violence are taken into account). They argue that other "people of conscience" should follow their example.

I personally think that they make an amazingly good case considering it is such a controversial "solution". I don't necessarily agree with it but it's certainly a thought provoking concept. It's almost as though "Hamsterdam" (for fans of the show) would become a reality...

Fun Fact #36: Over 1% of the US adult population is behind bars

It's pretty common knowledge that the prison system in the US leaves a lot to be desired. Harsher punishments and sentences mean that the current prison population is at an all time high. A new non-partisan study reports that more than one in 100 adults are behind bars. This new record high makes the US a clear front runner in prison population rates; China, with a far larger population, comes in second. States are spending about $50 billion a year on corrections.

The statistics regarding minorities are even more mind-boggling: "One in nine black men ages 20 to 34 is behind bars. For black women ages 35 to 39, the figure is one in 100, compared with one in 355 for white women in the same age group". More than 10% of the young black male population is in prison.

The increased prison population could be attributed to a variety of things, there's no single dominating factor. But, as a future law student, one argument is particularly interesting. The amount of defendants who actually utilize a "true" trial has greatly diminished; most people are not tried in front of a jury of their peers (no matter what Law & Order would like you to believe). Many defendants choose to take the deals offered to them by judges (even if they are innocent) because they fear that turning down an offer would result in harsher sentencing if they're found guilty during a trial. Going to trial is risky; there's no guarantee regarding the outcome. Therefore, more defendants are probably going to prison (even for short amounts of time) than there would be if most defendants chose the trial route. And this could contribute to to the increased incarceration rate that we're now seeing.

The statistics I quoted would be somewhat acceptable if our correction system worked, but, fun fact, it doesn't work. A high percentage of people who come out of prisons just go right back in, it's a sad cycle. The violent and dangerous criminals should obliviously be incarcerated, but what about the non-violent offenders who make up almost half of the prison population? The article suggests that "less-expensive punishments such as community supervision, electronic monitoring and mandatory drug counseling might prove as much or more effective than jail".

I consider myself to be a moderate. I don't believe in letting all the non-violent offenders run free or anything like that because I realize "non-violent" may very well just mean "not caught doing anything violent". But something needs to change and I hope that our new president will be up to helping the states with that task. Spending billions of dollars to imprison someone, let them out, and imprison them again just doesn't seem like the best bet.

Fun Fact #35: A bipartisan ticket is not outside the realm of possibilities

I'm not naive, I don't really think a bipartisan ticket is actually going happen in this election. But it is definitely an intriguing idea that could bring about some major changes. And, as I learned in one of my favorite classes, it's not unheard of.

Abraham Lincoln, one of our country's greatest Presidents, actually had a bipartisan ticket when he ran for re-election in 1864 because the country was so divided by the Civil War. Lincoln was a Republican and he asked his Republican Vice President from his first term, Hannibal Hamlin, to step down and Andrew Jackson, a War Democrat, became his new Vice President. They ran under a new party called the Union Party, a coalition of the War Democrats and the Republicans, and won the election. But no one will really no how a bipartisan presidency would have actually worked since Lincoln was assassinated only a little more than a month after his inauguration in 1865.

Also, in 2004, Kerry unofficially asked McCain to be his running mate for the 2004 elections. McCain declined the offer numerous times because he thought it wasn't a viable option. I personally think a Kerry/McCain ticket would have been pretty powerful.

I don't know how feasible a bipartisan ticket actually is but it could happen. Our country is extremely divided now, though not to the extent of America in 1864, and maybe a bipartisan ticket could pull it together. I just doubt that a bipartisan ticket, in this day and age, would every really come to fruition. But a McCain/Hilary ticket is certainly an intriguing concept.

Fun Fact #34: Guys will never change...

Spoken by two guys in their forties with heavy Pittsburgh (aka Yinzer) accents during a Pittsburgh Penguin's hockey game:

Guy #1: Celine is pretty hot, right?
Guy #2: I guess so...
Guy #1: You know we've almost hooked up a bunch of times?
Guy #2: Almost?
Guy #1: Yeah, almost. I've decided she must be a lesbian.

I love that some people will go through life avoiding the true cause of their problems. In this case, Guy #2 looked like he had recently crawled out of his parents' basement for the first time in months.

Fun Fact #33: I'm terrified my toenail is going to fall off

I was trying to be a "good sport" in December when I decided to embrace the miserable cold and snow that winter brings to Pittsburgh by going skiing. I used a pair a pair of my cousin's old boots and things seemed to be going to well, I mean the boots hurt a little but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle.

The next morning I woke up to find the toenail on my big toe was throbbing and turning unpleasant colors. I realize this sounds like a pretty mundane "injury" to complain about but now, about three months later, the nail is dark black and feels (and looks) like it's going to fall off. The thought of that happening makes me nauseous.

I've been unable to stop focusing on my "deformed" toenail. I just want the nail off to fall off quickly, but I don't want it to be a surprise. I realize that it almost sounds like I'm discussing giving birth or something. Anyways, one of my newest fears involves taking off my shoe and having my toe nail fall off in the process. I now take my shoes off very carefully...

I'm super impatient and like being in control of things, I'm not into anything unexpected. I was totally the kid who would basically tear their loose tooth out to avoid waiting for it to fall out. I would head to the bathroom the second I felt that my tooth was loose and sit in front of the mirror twisting it until it came out.

I obviously cannot follow the same tactics for my toenail since it would probably lead to excruciating pain, so I just have to wait it out. I realize this is not a very significant event to write about it but it's probably the thing I'm focusing on most. For better or worse, I tend to obsesses about things I have no control over.

UPDATE: My biggest fear came true and I tore my toenail off when I was removing my shoe. I can't even look at my toe without feeling nauseous but I guess it can start healing now.

Fun Fact #32: I guess I'm super "white"

A bunch of my friends have emailed me a link to this blog called Stuff White People Like. I actually think a more appropriate title would be Stuff Upper-Middle Class Liberal Urbanites Like, but I guess Stuff White People Like flows a little better. The blog reads kind of like an instruction manual on how to fit in with "White People"...

There are two ways that one can read the blog and I don't really know how the author means for it to be read. On one hand, one can see it as being racist and mean-spirited toward a particular group of people. On the other hand, one could also read it as something that is offensive and funny at the same time. I personally chose to take the second route, but I have a kind of harsh sense of humor and I tend to find "mean-spirited" things to be funny.

The reason I find this blog humorous is because it has me and basically everyone I know pegged down the most mundane aspects. I was really bored at work yesterday, so I read through all the posts and found myself nodding in agreement to the vast majority of them.

I, like almost everyone else I know, like to pretend that I'm a unique little snowflake but, the fact is, I'm painfully similar to a lot of people in my age group (at least on a superficial level). I really have no problem accepting that fact though. I don't think that a lot of the stuff that "white people" like is really even that bad.

Anyways, these are some of my favorite posts:

#67: Standing Still at Concerts
"They stand still! This is an important part of white concert going as it enables you to focus on the music, and it will prevent drawing excess attention to you. Remember, at a concert everyone is watching you just waiting for you to try to start dancing. Then they will make fun of you."
I totally believe this to be true in my case because my dancing skills, or lack thereof, are just that bad.

#54: Kitchen Gadgets
"...The need to own the holy grail of white kitchens - the kitchen aid stand mixer (right). They will match this mixer to their kitchen’s color scheme and it will make up the focal point. And much like many religious artifacts, it will remain untouched for months and even years, sitting on the counter to be admired as a testament to their lifestyle"
I can truly say that basically every house I ever visited (including my own) had a freaking Kitchen Aid Mixer. Ours was never used but it still sat there proudly. And in college, I remember how everyone oohed and ahhed over those who were lucky enough to have one at such a young age!

#40: Apple Products
"On the surface, you would ask yourself, how is that white people love a multi-billion dollar company with manufacturing plants in China, mass production, and that contributes to global pollution through the manufacture of consumer electronic devices?

Simple answer: Apple products tell the world you are creative and unique. They are an exclusive product line only used by every white college student, designer, writer, English teacher, and hipster on the planet."
No comment is really even needed, this is so painfully true. People who have Apple products, and I'm one of them, have a tendency become super elitist about how their products are soooo great and how they can never go back to a PC now.

#35: The Daily Show/The Colbert Report
"White women all consider John Stewart to be the most perfect man on the planet. This is not a debate, it is law."
True.

#16: Gifted Children
"The way it works is that white kids that are actually smart are quickly identified as “gifted” and take special classes and eventually end up in college and then law school or med school.

If a white kid gets crappy grades and can’t seem to ever do anything right in school, they are still gifted! How you ask? They are just TOO smart for school. They are too creative, too advanced to care about the trivial minutiae of the day to day operations of school

NEVER under any circumstance imply that their child is less than a genius. The idea that something could come from them and be less than greatness is too much for them to bear."
This is my favorite post because it's so accurate. I still remember the pride in my parents' voices when they were able to announce to their friends that of their children had qualified for California's "Gifted and Talented Education" (or GATE) program. My parents were also fans of the Montessori schools and stuff like that. I don't know what they would have done had one of us failed to be "gifted"...

Once again, I can see why people may be offended by this but I just take it with a grain of salt and see the humor in it. A whole different class of white people have "You Might be a Redneck If..." and "Blue Collar TV'" and they're able to laugh at their stereotypes, so I figure that I should be able to as well.

Fun Fact #31: I can be weirdly sentimental about friendship....

So I spent this most of the past week in Oregon and had an amazing time. Going back to visit Eugene allowed me to reflect on my time in college and I realized how lucky I was to have had such a great college experience.

When I left Oregon for Pittsburgh I was pretty negative about all things Eugene, but now I've come to appreciate Eugene for what it is. It's a little hippie college town and it's probably never going to change. I still never want to live there again, but I did feel a certain sense of nostalgia driving down from Portland when I smelled Springfield's always unique odor (trout?) and saw all the hippies wandering campus the next day.

The best part of my trip to Oregon was seeing all my friends. I felt as though I had never left with most of them. I can readily admit that I was extremely judgmental of a certain organization that I was involved throughout all of last year. But for all the drama that organization has caused, it has also given me some of my closest friendships. And I will be forever grateful for that.

My time in Oregon also allowed for me to realize that there are some friendships aren't worth maintaining. They may have been great friends in the past, but the past is the past. I want my future to go a certain way and there are some people who will never fit into that life. It doesn't mean they're necessarily "bad" people, it just means we have nothing in common anymore. And when that realization is made the only thing really left to do with those "friendships" is be grateful for the memories and move on. It'd be waste of time to try and do anything else.

But on the flip side, there are plenty of other friendships that are worth maintaining. Living across the country from most of my family and friends has taught me that effort is needed to keep one's relationships strong, and I'm willing to put that effort in for those friendships that I consider to be worth that effort.

Thanks to all of those friends whom have stuck with me through my bitchiest and whiniest moments, I'm sure you all know who you are. I hope my friendship is one of those that will continue to be worth the effort as we all continue to grow and change.

Fun Fact #30: Christmas, Larry the Cable Guy, and a drug addict were all aspects of my day

Today has proven to be totally random for me. I saw/heard so many things that I felt were totally worthy of becoming a "fun fact"...

1) I to meeting with a guy about fixing the furnaces at a bunch of properties and his phone went off about 8 times during our hour long meeting. That in itself wouldn't be noteworthy, but his ring tone certainly was. His ring tone was freakin' Larry the Cable Guy chanting "Git 'r done" and other super cool catchphrases at a progressively louder level. And he kept giggling like a child anytime it rung because I guess he just thought it was that funny and cool. Also, he had an iPhone. An iPhone with a Larry the Cable Guy ring tone. The whole thing makes no sense to me.

2) I had to do a walk through of a government subsidized housing unit and the tenant I meant was unlike anyone I've ever talked to. I'm sure this lady was a drug addict, either active or recovering, and she couldn't follow one thought to the next. She'd talk about everything from Winnie-the-Pooh to roof leaks to asshole cops to her lunch plans in a thirty second time span. I had no idea what to say or how to interact with her, so most of my visit was spent in stunned silence. And on top of all that, her apartment was barely furnished and she lived off food stamps, but she had a massive LCD TV and amazing surround sound to go with it.

3)It is now Feburary. Christmas has been done for well over a month and even the laziest people have removed their Christmas decorations. Except for this individual, whom I'll refer to as Ultimate Christmas Fan (UCF), whose car was still fully decked out for the season.

Click on the picture to see it larger and in all its full glory...

Please take notice of all the festive details UCF has been so careful to include. There are Christmas light stickers to go along with the giant "Joy" sticker. There's also the terrifying Santa creature who seems to chocking on the license plate. There's a Steelers Christmas flag, which is hard to see, butPittsburgh never forgets about their Steelers. My personal favorite touch is the reindeer antlers that grace the roof of the car!!! I was never able to see the front of the car, but I wouldn't be surprised if UCF had a giant reindeer face painted on the grill or something.

Fun Fact #29: Politics can be utterly confusing

I don't really know what I think should happen with politics. Things are really messed up right now and I cannot imagine anyone coming in and making everything "all better". People talk about the Clinton days as though they were the best times ever, the glory days of our recent political history. But people were complaining and bitching about things then too, politics was just as dirty and fake then as it is now. The Clinton days just look good relative to what Bush has done.

I think the vast majority of Democrats would be more than content with either Obama or Hilary, but I think they're also going to be disappointed. People are expecting huge changes and, as you say Gabe says, that's just not going to happen. Massive changes, the kinds people are are naively demanding and even thinking are going to happen, are way more of a risk than any politician will be willing to take. Big changes can be met with success but they can also be be met with total failure.

People say that Obama is not part of the "political elite" and his presence will shake things up, but I think that's total bullshit. He may not have started as a member of the "elite" but he sure is one now. He's smart and he knows our country wants an "outsider" but that he needs to be an insider to be elected. There's no way the Washington power players would be willing to accept someone like him if he wasn't going to play by their rules. Politics is all about playing the game correctly and Obama has proven to be a master at that with vague statements that provide assurance and hope but no actual promises or plans.

Democrats will get the same outcome with either Hilary or Obama. They'll be happy with finally having a Democrat as president for awhile but soon their hopes for something different will be crushed and they'll realize it's the same as always. Our country goes through cycles; right now we're in a downswing and people will get all excited when the economy inevitably picks up again whoever is in office will be praised and glorified. But our economy will start to falter again and then that person will be vilified.

Also, people seem to think that the President holds more power than he (or she?) actually does. The President is the figurehead of our country, the actual power lies in the cabinet that they pick and the officials that they appoint. And Hilary and Obama will probably be drawing their choices from the same, small pool of Democratic elites.

I would like to see changes, like some form of universal healthcare, but I just don't know how possible they are. The universal health care thing seems to be more of a dream than a reality and I will be amazed if it actually happens. It will take an amazing amount of compromise between all the key political players to even get something feasible on the table.

People often ask me what I would do and how I would change things, but, the truth is, I really have no idea. I don't even know much things can be changed. I don't even know if I like Hilary or Obama better. I really like following politics but it's not because I'm passionate about one candidate or another, I do it because I like watching the "game" that politics have become.

Fun Fact #28: I'd be humilated...

I was watching the news this morning at the gym and there was a report on the obesity epidemic. That in itself is nothing exciting, there's always a report on how Americans are eating themselves to death. This report used the typical footage of obese people walking around and eating, and, as usual, the footage avoided showing their faces to preserve their identity. But people can still recognize themselves and others without seeing a face.

Footage like is always on and I realized that there must be people that are innocently watching the news and then they see an image of their body being shown the represent someone who is morbidly obese. Can you imagine how horrifically depressing that would be?

I'm sure this has happened to quite a few individuals and I actually feel really badly for them. I wonder what their reaction would be?

I googled the term obese to find pictures to go with this post and realized that people could also come across pictures of themselves that way too. I just cannot even fathom what it would feel like to see your body alongside some medical article about obesity. I think I'd be totally and utterly humiliated.

These people must know that they're overweight, but I just don't think they'd be thrilled being with their "anonymous" image being broadcasted during a CNN report on America's gluttony.

Fun Fact #27: Police without guns just look off

The weather has been horrible in Pittsburgh and I've been been feeling kind of sick, therefore I've been staying inside and watching TV. The current writer's strike has caused a total lack of new episodes of any of my standby shows, so I've been forced to turn to other sources. I get a few channels that randomly show British mystery/crime shows. The acting and writing is surprisingly good and they often play more like little movies (running about 90 minutes each episode) rather than TV show.

Anyways, crime shows will obviously have characters that are cops and those cops will inevitably spend some scene running after a criminal. And it's during these scenes that I notice the biggest difference between American and UK crime shows. This is because when the cop either starts chasing the suspect or catches up to him/her, he'll pull out his weapon and brandish it at them in an attempt to get the suspect of comply with his orders. But, the thing is, most UK cops are not allowed to use guns....

The weapon of most British cops according to Wikipedia and my TV

They instead use an extendable baton. A baton!! I realize that it can cause great pain (and probably even kill) when it's used to hit someone, but it doesn't really look threatening compared to a gun. I know some UK forces are armed with guns, but most are not. If I were a criminal I'd be a lot more likely to submit to a cop with a gun than a freaking baton. It honestly takes me out of the program when I see one of the cops whip out their baton and begin the chase.

I guess it can also be a sign of how much the media influences how I, and probably others, view things because I've never actually seen a cop pull out a gun on anyone, but it's still something I see as the norm. I'd bet that a lot of criminals in the US, no matter how much it could actually hurt them, wouldn't feel very threatened when being chased by a cop wielding a baton.

But of course, let's be honest. I'd be terrified of cop chasing me no matter what he was wielding, and probably submit pretty quickly (if I hadn't already tripped on my own while running). I'm not really a hardened criminal type though...

Fun Fact #26: There's an obession with being "PC"

I've always been a news junkie and I like being informed of what's happening around me. The news for the past days has either been focused on the recession we are probably entering (or, according to some sources, already entered) or the current primaries. Economics isn't really my strong point, so I tend to focus more on the political side of things. Though those are admittedly tied together as voters realize that, once again, "It's the economy, stupid".

But while all the candidates are trying to explain how they'll fix the economy, Obama and Hilary have also been engaged in mudslinging fight against each other. They've each brought up the issues of race and sex, and, though they claim they want to focus on the issues, the personal attacks don't look like they're stopping.

The Weekly Standard, a neo-con magazine, printed an article entitled The Wages of Sensitivity. I don't usually read The Weekly Standard, as I find their ultra-conservative rhetoric too extreme, but this article touches on some interesting points about the Hilary v. Obama battle we're currently witnessing.

The article argues that the Clinton's helped define the political correctness in the 1990s that now defines much of the party's rhetoric, but they're being forced to undermine their own ideals in this current race. As the article states:

"In its campaign season from hell, the party of sensitivity has found itself in a head-banging brawl between a black man and white woman, each of them visibly loathing the other, in a situation in which anything said in opposing one of the candidates can be defined as hateful, insensitive, hurtful, demeaning, not to say bigoted, and, worst of all, mean."

I don't agree with everything the article says, but it's a good read that deftly analyzes the cut-throat atmosphere of the Democratic primaries among both the candidates and their supporters. All in all, it seems that people can, and will, take offense to almost any comment if they realize it can benefit.

Fun Fact #25: I think I'm allergic to my new face lotion

It's super cold here in Pittsburgh, Monday's high was only like 15 degrees, and the heating units everywhere are going full blast. The cold weather plus the heat wrecks havoc upon my skin and I've never been more dry and flaky in my entire life. I constantly complain about it but it doesn't seem to really fix anything.

So I decided to by some super moisturizing lotion at Target in hopes of rectifying the situation. I slathered the lotion all over my face before I went to bed. It started to sting a little, but I ignored it and went to sleep. I woke up in the middle of the night feeling like my face is buring and I looked in the mirror and saw that my skin was all red and my eyes were almost swollen shut. It was quite the vision. I took an emergency shower and things looked slightly better in the morning, but it was still not a fun situation.

At my worst, I feel that I looked somewhat similar to Quasimodo. Luckily there was no one around to see me in all my hideous glory and I'm at work now looking like a human being, albeit a slightly red one.

This is a lovely rendering of the image I saw in the mirror last night

Fun Fact #24: I don't want to get burned

The upcoming election has caused a lot of attention to be focused on my generation, the Millennials (ages 18-29), as we make about 20% of the registered voters. People are saying that our participation in the election could make or break a candidate like Obama. And while that is certainly a notable fact, I find the articles that seek to analyze the various attributes of the Millennials to be far more interesting. I like to compare the overall analysis of the group to myself and other Millennials that I know; it's almost like reading a horoscope, some parts seem right on but other parts just are just painfully off base or seem like idealistic thinking.

One of the better articles I've read was one MSNBC, "'Youthquake' Shakes Up Electoral Politics". I personally feel that the article does a nice job of looking at the various anxieties that seem to shape our generations views. People often wonder why our generation is not taking to the streets to protest the war, but I think that the lack of extreme protesting (at least relative to the social movements of the '60s) can be partially attributed to the growing focus on domestic problems that we're just watching get worse. We've seen our parents get burned by the economy and we don't want that to happen to us. These excerpts from the article summed up a lot my personal feelings about the current state of affairs.

They grew up during the greatest period of wealth creation in modern history, but watched their elders consume resources and run up deficits as if the party would never end. Then came the dot-com crash, terrorism, war, climate change. Epic uncertainty informs their world view. When asked to name the issues they care most deeply about, bread-and-butter concerns such as the economy, health care, and education routinely rank high.

As the government and employers shift more responsibility for benefits like health care and retirement onto the shoulders of individuals, many Millennials see themselves as unwitting victims. Although that trend has been building for decades, this may be the first generation to fully feel the great shift of risk in their bones.

Millennials, like many Americans, may have lost faith in the political Establishment, but they have utter faith in themselves and their wiki-inspired abilities to get things done.

People often ask me why I'm so "obsessed" with getting everything done so quickly and taking the most practical route (often at the expense of something more fun or exciting). A lot of people with a year to kill will travel Europe or do something exciting, I chose to work for a real estate company in Pittsburgh where I'd make good money but live a dull life. The article above discussed many of my reasons.

I've watched people get burned when they're too idealistic. I believe that I can achieve my dreams, but my dreams are based in reality. I'm not pretending that I could magically become a Supreme Court Justice, that just isn't in my reality. I want to do great things in my life, but everything is just so full of uncertainty.

People jokingly mock me for saying that I'd be willing to work for various "evil corporations", but I totally would assuming they offered me a benefits package and salary that would allow me the financial security that seems to be becoming more and more of rarity in today's world.

I consider myself to be a Democrat. I believe the health care and educational systems in our country are in dire need of repair and that we need to do something to revive the middle class. But I also believe we need to watch out for our own well-being because it looks like we're not going to have anything to fall back on but ourselves when the going gets tough.

Fun Fact #23: I'm going to Oregon!

I'm officially headed back to Oregon in mid-February. I'm super excited to see everyone and I wonder if my Pittsburgh experience will make me appreciate Eugene more. I got an amazingly good deal on the tickets...

Oh, and I mentioned that Obama seemed headed for a win in New Hampshire according to the polls, but Hilary managed to squeak by. I'm really getting into this race, both for the Republican and Democratic nomination, because there's no clear front runner.

Fun Fact #22: There's more than one "fun fact" in this post

So it's been forever since I posted a "fun fact", this is not due to a lack of "fun facts" but can instead be attributed to the fact that I've actually been super busy with various things. This will probably be a longish post due to all "fun facts" that I have to share.

1) I learned how to ski in early in December and I wasn't as truly horrible as I thought I would be. My biggest injury involved my toenail getting jammed into my big toe (thanks to some too small ski boots). It doesn't sound too bad, but it was really painful and gross looking. Even now, almost a month later, my toenail is dark purple/black. I was worried it was going to fall off, but I soon realized it was going to stay securely attached to my foot and decided to paint it dark pink to hide the hideousness. Sadly, the nail polish didn't hide it and the purple shows through making my toe look even weirder.

2)I've been flying tons since being in Pittsburgh, but my most miserable flight had to be the flight back to SD in December. My flight was delayed for hours in a barren section of the Milwaukee airport. There was truly nothing there and the people were so stereotypically Midwestern and nice that I didn't even have the heart to silent judge them. I've never been so bored in my entire life. But the airline somewhat redeemed itself by offering fresh baked cookies on board in place of the standard peanuts and pretzels.

3) I went to a Bat Mitzvah that proved to be the epitome of an NY Bat/Bar Mitzvah. It was super extravagant and over the top. I was sadly seated at the kids' table with my 13 year old sister. But I wasn't too annoyed because one of my other relatives, who is over 40, was also at the kids' table with me and my cousins. We were seated right next to some super loud speakers and I was basically deaf by the end of the party. But, on a more postive note, I was able to watch a bunch of awkward thirteen year olds do that stupid "Soulja Boy" dance. I feel as though it's becoming the Macarena of that generation.


4) The Bhutto assassination was probably the most newsworthy events that occurred during my vacation. I think it's horrible that Bhutto was killed and admire her for her courage in continue to campaign even though her assassination basically looked predestined. I think the media has made her into a martyr and, in the process, has glossed over a lot of her faults. Overly fawning obituaries of obviously flawed figures really irritate me.

5) The other major event was Obama's win in Iowa. I posted a few months ago that Hillary looked like the sure-fire Democratic nomination and it's amazing how much has changed in the past few months. Hilary has certainly fallen from grace and it seems like that it's just predicated to continue in New Hampshire, where Obama was leading by a significant margin in the last minute polls. Huckabee won the Republican race but I don't see that as such a big deal because it seems unlikely that he can carry it to a national win. I definitely hope that won't happen as he's one of my least favorite candidates.

6) Oh, and I noticed some graffiti on the way home from the gym. One wall had both "Vote for Kunich" and "Vote for Ron Paul" spray painted on it. I thought it was kind of cute their names were there together because though they are from different parties they do share some major similarities. Namely that they're both the total outcast in their respective parties and they have no chance at all of winning the nomination. And, most importantly, I dislike both them.