A Powerful Voice

On our way home from work, Hannah (my neighbor who also works at Target; we car pooled today), played me a song. It was Pink's "Dr. Mr. President." I knew I had to share this song with everyone, so I youtubed it. This is not the official music video (because there isn't one), but it's one of the best I've seen tonight.



Please, listen to the lyrics, feel the song. If you are moved like I was, you will find your self with new respect towards Pink and her music.

It's Finally Free!

After almost three years of charging $6.99 a month for shotty wifi service on campus, Chico State finally decided to fund the fledgling program. Now that their revenue source is taken care of, and guaranteed, CNS (the college ran phone company) offers wifi free to anyone with a portal account and a laptop (well any wifi enabled device).

I hope my PDA will work with the network.

A Must See Movie

With the conclusion of the first week of school, loosing my health insurance (turing the mythical age of 23 is a bitch), buying health insurance (thank you Chico State's Blue Cross Network), and going to see a great movie, I can say that this past week has been good.

But the movie "Little Miss Sunshine," has to be by far the best comedy I have seen all year. The movie is filled with jokes that at times are not funny at all (kind of like watching a train wreck in slow motion). I honestly don't remember the last time I laughed so hard at a movie. I definitely recommend this film to anyone who enjoyed "Office Space" or "The Full Monty." This is one I am definitely going to buy when it comes out on DVD.

What A Month!

Wow, what a month August is turning out to be. I came back from Hawai'i, Panda came up to say hi, my dad turned 60, I turned 23, and school started. Funny thing is this is not even the tip of the iceberg.

Where to begin. . .

Well Hawai'i was a blast. As you can tell from past posting I really enjoyed discovering the other islands, most noteability the island of Moloka'i. I spent my birthday on the island of Lana'i with my dad and brother once again. And my brother and I did something that we have never done before willingly; a five mile hike throughout Poli Poli Springs State Recreation Park. Every time we go to Maui we always seem to discover something new, and this was unlike any other. The entire hike was though a pine, cypress, and redwood forest. If you were to pass out and wake up there, you would swear you were in Tahoe.

So that was Hawai'i, now on to something else; Toph, My self, and Lizzy trip to the Mormon Temple in Sacramento. Now Toph and I saw this as a once in a lifetime chance to see the inside of "the holiest spot on earth," which as many of you know is off limits to non LDS members and even some LDS members as well (LDS being "Latter-day Saints" which is short for "The Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" which is long for "Mormons"). Now being Catholic I was expecting crosses everywhere, statues of saints in every corner, and Jesus right in the middle of it all. But to my surprise there was nothing of the sort, to be completely honest it didn't feel like a place of worship at all. Now I know I am being harsh by saying this, but it felt like we were walking into an exclusive country club, membership card required and all. Yet, to be honest, I know Lizzy would feel the same way if she walked into the cathedral in Sacramento. If your reading this Liz, I what you to know that I am honored that you allowed us to join you on that day, and that's the honest truth.

Snakes on a Plane kicked ass!

Let see. . .oh yea! I read in the paper today that the dems and the GOP agreed to increase the minimum wage in California finally. Come Jan. 1st 2007 it will increase by $0.75 to $7.50 an hour. But that's not all! Come Jan. 1st 2008 it will increase another $0.50 to $8.00 an hour, which would make us the top paying state in the nation (pending no other state increases their minimum wage). If your wondering the federal minimum wage is $5.15, the current California minimum wage is $6.75, and Washington state pays the highest minimum wage with $8.63 an hour.

I know I'm forgetting something. Oh, my uncle Bill (who just turned 62 on the 20th) found out that he has Pancreatic and Liver cancer, plus that bad headache he had turned out to be a stroke.

And that is my month so far.

Picachu, Who Killed The Electric Car?

A quick picture of the two electric car re-charging stations at the Galleria in Roseville.

What a busy week. You know after working 40+ right after getting back from vacation makes you feel like you never left. Like the vacation you took never happened. Yet, this past week was fun. I was finally able to see the documentary Who Killed The Electric Car? which was a great story that raises the question "what happened?" If you think about it, the cars were introduced, and then poof! they disappeared off the face of the planet. Sure, they only had a range of 100 miles per charge and you had to plug it in. But with current electric rates they figured out that charging your car was the same as paying $0.60 for a gallon of gas, and to take a line from the movie "The electric car is not for everyone. It can only service about 90% of the population."

Yet, the highlight of my week was going to The Punchline in Sacramento to see my favorite comedian: Mr. Gabriel Iglesias. Now I would usually rant about how funny he was, but I have a better idea.

Here is his 2003 appearance of Comedy Central Presents. Is about a half an hour, but it is well worth it.



Enjoy!

I See You Picachu!

Gabriel Iglesias and I out side of the Punchline in Sacramento. I've never laughed so hard in my life!

A Quick Pic From The Lodge At Koele On The Island Of Lana'i

@ The Luau (Big Island: Week One)

Ok, as a side note I sent this photo to my blog via my cellphone on Friday, July 21st 2006, and it just now got posted. Why the long delay? Who knows.

Nevertheless, from left to right: My uncle Saul (pronounces sA-ull), his nephew Steven (in black), my dad (in red), my brother Robert (the head on my shoulder), and me.

I can't believe that was a week and a half ago. . . where does the time go?

The Final Hawaiian Frontier: Moloka'i Recap

Last Tuesday I got the chance to reach my personal final Hawaiian frontier; I set foot on the island of Moloka'i.

(By the way, that's Maui in the foreground)

After $170 and a hour and a half ferry ride we arrived on the island. We were met with our tour guide "Van" who, in all fairness, was as large as the van he was driving. (We later found out he was recovering from anorexia, well that's what he told us :P ) Our first stop on our guided tour of the island: the Kalaupapa overlook and the sacred phallic rock. Now, instead of boring you with pictures of the lepor colony where a strict quarantine was enforced till 1969, I'm going to show you a picture that I could not resist taking.

Yep, that's my dad, on top of a giant penis. The legend is if you touch the rock you will become pregnant and give birth to a son. I hope for my dads sake that the legend does not come true.

In a nutshell the island was different than the rest. As with all islands, there is a movement associated with them. Oahu is fast paced and bright, the Big island is vast and always renewing, Kaua'i is lush and inviting, Maui is rural and slow, Lana'i is exclusive and warm, and Moloka'i is friendly and leisurely.

We toured the entire island, from one end to the other. We ate a wonderful catered lunch, toured a coffee plantation and a macadamia nut farm. We spent the entire day going from one end of the island to the other, and hopefully next year we will be able to spend a night there. It took me 13 years to reach all the major Hawaiian islands. I wonder what is next?

Happy Late Birthday Panda!

Yesterday was Panda's birthday. She is now the ripe old age of 22. She was my roommate and is still the love of my life. I would do anything for her (and she knows it :P ).

I don't know if you are going to get the chance to read this before you come home but I want you to know that ever since you left you have always been on my mind. You know I love you Panda, and I miss you even more. I would give anything to be with a girl like you. I know your having a blast on your trip, and I am too. There really is nothing like the beauty the Pacific has to offer.

Until we meet again, one of your boys,
Blake

Hawai'i 2006: The Big Island Recap

To be honest our first week was simply a blur. A blur because having never been to the big island, we spent our four days there doing everything we could possibly do. But if there is one thing that I will never forget, and that is the time we spent at Hawai'i Volcano National Park. At first it is like every other National Park you enter, with the generic visitor center and a toll booth and the entrance collecting $10 per car. Yet you drive a little over the hill, and you are blown away by what can best be described as the beautiful sight of ongoing destruction. As you can see in the picture above and below an entire highway was wiped out in a lava flow in 2003 (plus 40% of a coastal town and several million dollar homes)

Now lava in its self is unlike anything I have ever seen. Its entire structure is mostly air, while the rest looks like a very dark glass. Walking on it is very interesting because it crunches and gives slightly, kind of like you are walking on bugs.

Now if you are wondering why they call it the big island, the answer is pretty simple; its over 4,000 square miles in size (roughly the same size of the state of Connecticut). For shits and giggles we decided to drive around the entire island in one day, well that took us 8 hours not counting stops. If you ask me it was a good first week. We went to see the worlds most active volcano, the church where my great-grandparents were married in 1916, I got a chance to tour the Kona Brewing Company's home location, plus I got to add to my pilsner glass collection. All and all I had a blast.

Ok, So Where Are The Bags?

I'm Leaving, On A Jet Plane. . .No Wait. . . Not Yet!

Family Time At The Luau

All You Need Is Beer

Wow, what a day. You have five sales floor closers (3 hard and 2 soft), 2 of which are cashier trained. Calling for back ups every five minutes, no one operator trained, all but one person under 90 days, and you are 15 minutes away from a five hour violation.

So what do you do, you head to Applebee's after to work to have a couple of beers with some coworkers. Nothing like shooting the shit with a couple of people who had it just as bad as you did.

From left to right: Allyn, Me, Brittan

Happy (Late) Birthday Topher

Being how I missed Toph's 22nd birthday and how I leave to Hawai'i on Tuesday, I thought it would be nice to take him out to lunch. So we waited for David to come home from work, and then we were off. Our destination: Casa Ramos

We started off with some beers (cerveza Sol, a throw back to our Mexico trip) and ordered our food. When the waitress came by and asked us if we wanted another round, I answered with and enthusiastic yes. Toph, of course said he was fine, but this being his birthday lunch I insisted. Little did I know that the waitress heard me when I sad it was Toph's birthday.

After our meal, and a couple of beers later they came out, singing. With the infectious singing they brought him a rubber chicken, a sombrero, and a camera.

This my friends is how our lunch ended. And what a lunch is was.

It Is True. It Is An Inconvenient Truth.

You owe it to your self to see this movie. If you don't think Global Warming is real, go outside and tell me its not happening.

Where Now?

So where do I go from here?

How am I suppose to feel?

I gave it my all just to make you happy.

You were on my mind every moment I was awake.

And in the end your not with me.

Why not me?

I feel pain, yet I know your happy with him.

Where do I go from here?

Click! And Your World Passes You By.

It is amazing how a movie will make you think.

It is amazing how spending time with your family will make you think.

It is amazing how just going for it will make you think.

It is amazing the stuff you think of when you do not say a word for two hours.

Thinking, spending time to analyze your thoughts. It's simply amazing what you think about.

I just went to go see Click! with my family (minus Robert because he is at a Spain reunion with a couple of buddies). It was one of those movies that shock you. Shock you because it was good, so good that your mind bursts into a million thoughts that you have been suppressing for quite some time. You start to look back at what has passed you by. You remember things that happened years ago, things you promised to do but never got fulfilled. Things you wish you had; love, companionship, true happiness. You wonder if you did one thing differently would where you are now change? If you did something differently would you be with that one person who you know would return the love you project towards them? Should you take a break and watch the world pass you by for just a little while? What do you do?

I did one thing that I never thought I would do; I went for a girl that I thought I never had a shot with. For the first time in my life I wanted a real relationship. I wanted to get to know her, spend time with her, go slow. Toph and David could not believe it, me not wanting to sleep with a girl till I got to know here. I never had a problem finding someone for that reason, and now that I look back at it all my girlfriends that I've had over the past 4 years ended up being my girlfriend after being "friends with benefits" for a couple of weeks.

But she was different. She was special. I forgot how it was to feel scared when you talk, thinking "Am I going to say the wrong thing?" Having butterflies in your stomach everything you are near her yet never wanting to leave her presents. She is the person I always thought I never had a shot with, until I got enough courage and went for it.

I spent so many years of my life living in a world thinking that so many things where beyond my grasp. But now I know that there is so much in front of me, within arms reach. Would I do things differently knowing what I know now? Hell yes, but the past is the past. I can only go forward.

I don't know how she feels about me, and in a way I'm glad about that. Its time I did something where I know its not a sure thing. To quote Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, "Is she worth it?"

Yes, yes she is.

Monica: Camping For The First Time

This past weekend I took Monica camping for the first time. Now I know what your thinking, how can she be 17 and have never gone camping? The answer is simple, my dad spent a majority of his youth camping and my mom grew up in Mexico. So when we were young we did other things for family vacations.

After picking here up in Marysville we left for Chester. Up highway 70 to 89, some of the most beautiful country you will ever see, we were there.

Our destination: Butt Valley, more specifically Butt Lake.

I would go into more detail on how it was and what we did, but I feel that the pictures say it all.