Lifeaholics Anonymous

Went to an art show last night at bar basic where the artist was this young 20something black kid.  He was painting right there in the middle of this bar using stencils and spray paint.  When he pulled off the stencil I was amazed. Not so much at the painting itself. But moreso at the vision it took to create this multi-layered piece. And the focus it took over the 4+ hours with all these people coming up to him and distracting him.  I think its really underappreciated in the world these days.  The scene is not great in San Diego but it, like most things cultural are finally on the rise in this great city.

Dilbert and I struck an accord that it is cool to be a snob, but not to act like one.  Its great to have opinions on people, events, places and the sort and its important to stick by them. But its not cool to let those opinions influence your behavior in a negative way. I.e. talking shit about someone or acting like a jerkoff because you dont like the place that your in.  No matter how distasteful the situation is, you can relax and not stress during it.  Just be sure to try not to find yourself there again.

And precisely why I never make plans was what happened saturday.  It was a balmy 80 degrees out and sunny. I was walking on the boardwalk and called a friend who I hadn’t seen in months.  The aftermath in pictures:

The SPF 30.  Summer is here and I dont want to burn. I’m about to skate over to my buddy’s place and then get lunch at an outdoor cafe.  God I love february!

Neither I nor most of my friends are big fans of downtown San Diego. The gaslamp caters to the “Convention Center” crowd - the ones who are just here for a few days, have a corporate expense account and want to be flashy.  So rarely is there an event that piques my interest. However there is one place hidden in the midst of the glitz and glamour that is consistently a great time.

This would be the Red C Lounge, not to be confused with the Red Circle lounge (which I dont like very much).  Its a subterranean night spot that is about cheap drinks, good music, crazy dancing and great times.  It has become the place where I have to stop in and see what’s going on at some point in my night regardless of what else I’m doing downtown.  It’s right on 5th at E street and is a beacon in a fog of commercialism. Check it out next time your in the area, but not before midnight!

Red C Myspace

One thing I really appreciated when I was in Israel was the maturity level of the young people that I encountered.  The Americans on my trip and the similar trips that we ran into talked primarily about pop culture, dating and shopping.  Comparatively I found that the Israeli people of the same age group were more inclined to talk about history, politics and ideology.  Maybe it was just my experience being that is what I like to talk about but I found these conversations much easier to have with the Israelis.  

Its understandable why this would be the case. Over here we politics, history and ideology dont affect the average young persons day-to-day life the way that they do to an Israeli.  There hasn’t been a war on our soil in a century and a half and there hasnt been any real threat to American security in any young person’s adult life time. 

Yet I wonder if it is a sign of a failing education system or changing american values. Because to me I am just not interested in the small talk after initially meeting someone. 

Today I was in a meeting with no less than ten other folks, being the youngest by at least 10 years.  In this meeting I felt like I was not only the youngest but the most mature.  Everyone else was goofing off and laughing at jokes that I just did not find funny. Am I that mature or do I just hate meetings that bad that I lose all sense of humor?  I’m sure it was a combination of both but this is a recurring situation that I find myself in. I used to think it was a problem with my age, but now I think it may be a problem with our society…

Tim Hardaway’s recent comment on homosexuals are a stunning wake up call to just how important issues like gay marriage are to many americans:

“You know, I hate gay people, so I let it be known. I don’t like gay people and I don’t like to be around gay people,” he said while a guest on Sports Talk 790 The Ticket. “I’m homophobic. I don’t like it. It shouldn’t be in the world or in the United States.
Wow.

More here.  

This chick is freakin amazing. Her album is so effin good I cant stop listening to it. Its called alright still. download that or buy that ASAP so we can talk about how great it is.

There are five steps to dealing with grief in the Kubler-Ross model starting with denial and ending with acceptance.  I’ve finally reached the last stage when it comes to our president.  Now this morning I’m listening to NPR and they are doing their typical report on Iraq and blah blah.  Three major points stood out in my mind.

The first was him chastising NATO for not committing enough troops to Afghanistan.  Last week the Taliban was able to take over a small town in the waring nation.  Also last week the President submitted his budget proposal to Congress, in which the war in Afghanistan was allocated funding equal less than 10% of that of the Iraq war.   Funny how they are both part of the war on terror yet in the conflict where there is proof of ties to 9/11 he only dedicates 1/10th of the funding.  Then he has the audacity to warn congress about the dangers of under funding the war in Iraq.

Secondly, the joint intelligence committes along with Russian President Vladimir Putin have reported evidence declaring Iraq to presently be in a state of civil war.  To which the President replied that he didn’t think it was a civil war yet because he had spoken to people who were there and said that it wasn’t.
Lastly in his press conference the President was dismissive on certain subjects and heckling the reporters who asked sensitive questions. 

The man is the height of hubris and its incredible to watch.  Its easy to become enraged or aggravated by this kind of behavior but I personally am over all that.  Now I’ve come to point where I just find it funny. The Congress doesn’t have the gumption to impeech the President so there is really no check or balance against his actions. We basically are passengers on the train that has become this presidential administration and there is literally nothing you, nor I, nor Chavez, nor Putin, nor the UN, nor ANYONE IN THE WORLD can do about it.  So accept it.

But you can’t make him drink.  That phrase has been recited to me no less than 5 times in the last few days here and its starting to resonate.  You can’t change people. DAMN IT.  Why not?  I dont know, I guess people just have to learn the hard way.  I like to think I am capable of learning from other peoples mistakes and heed their advice, but maybe not.   Being a lifeaholic is about making the most out of your life and not trying to change the lives of others. Its fine to show them another way of doing something, but don’t put the onus on yourself to see that they do.