It's been over a year since my last post. Had to finish a graduate degree, so it has not really been the easiest of times. Now that I am finally finished with my degree I have to say one thing: looking for jobs is brutal.
I finally understand why the Japanese have had the highest loyalty to companies in the world. Why would you want to ever leave a job and go through what I am currently going through? I have had to write this thing called a cover letter. For those of you not familiar with a cover letter, it's the equivalent of the devil rubbing sand paper over your eyes for all eternity. Except that since each job you apply for needs a new a different cover letter, its like eventually passing out and being blinded with nothing left to rub in your eye sockets, only to have the devil revive and cure you just to start all over again.
In other words, it is not a pleasant experience. Orwellian futures never looked so good as they do when you're applying for a job and broke. Or perhaps more of a Gattaca one. Just test my DNA and know that I'm qualified. That'd be ideal. So far I've only had to write roughly 12 of these agonizing letters, but I've already gotten worn out.
My idea on the cover letter? Some idiot back in the 1950's couldn't get a job with the incredibly simple method of just handing in a CV. So what did this idiot go and do? He wrote a cover letter that blew so much smoke up an employer's ass that he went and got hired. Well then, that sealed it for the rest of us. Here it is now 57 years later and there isn't a single job that you can apply for with just a CV anymore. Back then all you had to do was make a single CV and go apply for 450 jobs, no problem. Add in the Internet and this would be an incredibly ideal situation. Instead, we have to craft cover letters that detail why we would fit into a particular company/position and how the company would benefit.
Now I know some of you would just say, why don't you just craft 4 or 5 templates and then alter them according to a specific job? I am far too much of a perfectionist to do this and find myself constantly writing different cover letters for each application. Anyway, we do all this for the overriding principle of being paid and being out on our own. Good goals in their own right, but never as enticing as mommy and daddy's house. Next week I detail an even newer and more annoying tactic companies do to potential employees: the application pack!

Well, North Korea has done it. I may only be 22, but I've never been more uncertain about anything then I am right now. I know things are always kind of uncertain, but all I can say is that I don't know what the global scene will look like in 5 years. I am usually a pesemistic person on things, like US soccer, but I will say that I am optimistic on the survival of the human race. I don't believe Stephen Hawking is correct that the human race will destroy itself within the next 100 years.
I agree with what he says that we need to colonize in space, I just don't think that the human race will be destroyed in the next 100 years. I believe in us.
This is getting off topic though because right now I am talking about whats going on in the world right now. I am proud to be American, always have been, but right now I don't want to be in America. I know its easiest to blame the President because he is the most visible person and he has been pretty awful, but its more then just him.
It's Paris Hilton using her money to make an album. This girl has no talent, she is completely using her money to buy technology that makes her sound good. Does anyone think this girl writes her own songs? Give me a break. This girl is an idiot.
It's American Idol having more voters then the Presidential elections. What the hell is American Idol? These people are awful, I can't even name the last winners, but I guarantee you if I asked 10 people on the streets who won the last 4 American Idols and who were the last 4 Presidents that the average person would know who won Idol more then the Presidents.
It's producers of films thinking that the US needs 80 billion different computer generated animations for the summer of 2006. Someone needs to send these people a clue, although the animation was novel in the beginning the reason those films grossed so much was because they were for the most part well-written and had good plots. When you put out crap like Hoodwinked and Madagascar and then flood the market with all the stuff coming out this summer it makes me sad. Worry about making a film good, not just making a film for making a film's sake. That's like going to war just for war's sake...wait we already did that in Iraq.

Well, today it happened. The US tied a soccer power on the biggest stage of them all. The US 1-1 tie of Italy goes way beyond just being a tie. It shows that they belong.
I finally understand why this game is so loved all over the world. I have always followed the US soccer and I grew up playing it, but I never had the passion for it that I do now. I went to England for a year and thats what really ignited a fire within me.
Watching them play today was truly inspiring. Nothing can compare to the emotions I had during that entire game. At one point I even snapped at my dad because he was convinced that Italy didn't score on themselves. Why did I get angry when the US just got a goal? Its hard to describe, I had that many emotions.
Then came the red cards. Oh man did the red cards come out in this game. Go over to ESPN to read a good article on it there. Funny and well put. I told my dad that they needed to pull Pope out after he got that first yellow card. They couldn't afford for the risk of him getting a second one. The ref clearly didn't know what he was doing in this game and threw Maestroni out and then Pope about 5 minutes later, not including the intermission.
Then on trots Beasely. One word describes the play of this undersized player today: vindication. When he shot that ball that scored before being called back I blacked out. I don't remember what happened for about 5 or 6 seconds. That was the euphoria I felt.
I don't know if any of you know this, but Univision actually plays the game about 5 to 10 seconds faster then ESPN. I was watching the game in my room when he scored that goal and I went nuts. My dad was in the other room watching on ESPN and knew about it before he got to see it. I have never been so excited in my life. Alas, it wasn't meant to be. In what might be his only good call of the night McBride was clearly offside. Although he didn't affect the actual shot, he was in a position where he blocked the keeper which is definately not allowed. It wasn't meant to be.
This is ok though. All that needs to happen now is for the US to beat Ghana, preferably like 7-0 and for Italy to beat the Czechs and the US will advance. You might be thinking well all the Czechs and Italians have to do is tie and both of them will advance. Two things work in the favor of the US here: the games will be played at the same time, so none of Group E will know the outcome ahead of time and the second place team in Group E plays Brazil. Nobody wants to play Brazil, so you can bet your ass both Italy and the Czechs will be playing to win. All I know is that I'm definately going to be watching the game on Thursday.
To all those pundits out there who believed that the Netherlands and Argentina were in the toughest group I just have 7 words for you: Welcome to the True Group of Death.

I've said this in the past but for some reason known only to the Cosmos and my incredibly stupid subconscious: Ben Afleck will no longer get any of my money.
I should preface this with a brief background into the situation. I have the monthly service from Blockbuster that lets you get unlimited monthly rentals for 19.99 a month. Great service, but it can lead to getting some awful films. Anyway, they tell you to have up to 30 films on reserve in your queue. I don't really know 30 films off the top of my head so I just went through and picked a bunch. BIG mistake, HUGE even. This leads to my renting Jersey Girl.................................................................................




Why oh God Why!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I saw Gigli, yet still I come back for more. Unlike some of his better films like Good Will Hunting, they actually ask him to be able to act in this film. Then they surround him with a bunch of other people who are equally as bad at acting. Its too bad too cuz George Carlin is actually a funny guy. But funny cannot save this film. Apart from a few good parts from Carlin this film belongs in a disposal that is gonna get attached to an anchor and buried at sea.
I reiterate my main point of this film. Ben Afleck I am glad that you are not in any films right now. I know this hiatus is only temporary, but thats sad. I think you should just make like Ryan Philippe. He's perfectly happy being the father of Reese's daughter and her husband. Its a good life. I think you should just submit and become Mrs. Jennifer Garner. She's hot and has a career. Don't ruin hers by acting. People associate her with you and you will only bring her down.

Well, its on to my second post. I'm going to guess that these things are gonna be more therapeutic for me then anything as I wouldn't be surprised if I ever get a single reader to any of these. Anyway, this time I dip into the world of politics. Never in my life have I been ashamed of being American. Right now I am not ashamed of being American, I just wish things would change. I'm calling for reform. I'm not claiming that the Democrats would do better then the Republicans. I'm claiming that I think we need new everything. Incumbents all across the board should be tossed. A bipartisan cleansing.
This country right now is in turmoil. Bush has what has to be the lowest possible approval rating, yet he still manages to surprise me. What can he do to change his approval rating? My guess would be new cabinet. Instead of getting rid of the one guy that all Americans liked and probably won you those few extra votes in 2004 that kept you in the Oval Office, Colin Powell, you should be getting rid of the two guys who do nothing but make you look you aren't even the one in power, Cheney and Rumsfeld.
Would getting rid of these two really do anything? Probably not. I think after the incredibly hilarious shotgun to the face Cheney delivered that he has lost all credibility and no longer has as much say in politics anymore, but I still thing this country needs change. Its more then just the French that don't like us abroad any more. Americans are seen as ignorant buffoons, which for the most part we are. To the rest of the world, American Idol is not who we are.
Things are looking up though. I have this feeling in my stomach that reform is coming. 60% of Americans don't want to vote for the incumbent this November and that means change. For too long the old stuck up political types have gotten complacent in their power. Now the country is going to show them that they are accountable for their actions. Its time for change, its time for reform. I say bring it on!

Well this is my very first post. Highly doubt that anyone at all will read it. Thought I'd point out to everyone that as I was watching the NBA playoffs a realization came to my head. All the archaeologists claiming that they cannot find the so-called 'missing link' need look no further then the rosters of two NBA playoff teams, the Dallas Mavericks and the Detroit Pistons. Take a look at these two below, Ben Wallace and Dirk Nowitzki, then compare them to the face of a male silver backed gorilla. With that fro I fear Ben Wallace, but the one that does me in is Dirk. Look at that mouth. I would be afraid to leave small children around him as they may just get eaten.















Even more shocking is what can be found below. Ladies seriously, you telling me you would go out with Dirk if he weren't worth millions? Maybe I need to have a sitdown with this guy and figure out what kind of person he is, perhaps he has one of those personalities that women go wild for, or perhaps he's hung like the freakin giant that he is, or perhaps its one of those multimillion dollar contracts that he signed???? Will the world every really know??? My guess would be C


















One last thing before I go. Game 5 of the mavs/suns series. I think the Suns got a little ripped off. Not that they deserved to win, I just think that those two technicals called when the score was 88-89 mavs in the fourth with something like 8 minutes left was a little ridiculous. Anyone else wonder why the hell home teams get so many fewer fouls called on their players then the visiting team? Like how can Shaq get 5 or 6 fouls on the road, but as soon as he is back in Miami he gets 2 or 3. I understand home field advantage, but that should be with the fans only, the refs should remain impartial and not be afraid of people like Mark Cuban.