i havent updated in a while, but really, what new things is there to say? School and work goes on everyday, my room gets messy and then i clean it, then it gets messy again, and then i clean it, etc... I'll be in southern california again soon. Thats all for now.

You're Libya!

It seems that these days, you just say things to get attention.
Shock value is the really important thing for you now. You used to have
a cause, and this made you seem like a threat to the established order, but now you
just want to say wacky stuff once in a while. Air travel doesn't really mesh
with your lifestyle, and you'd probably scare the security guards somehow
anyway.
Take
the Country Quiz at the Blue Pyramid

Voting is yummy

The election is only nine days away, and I have to pee. (one of these things is very important. Can you guess which one?) It's an interesting time to be alive. I suppose all times are, and after all, we don't know what's coming so as far as we know in ten years it will be an even more interesting time to be alive and this year will seem quaint. But I digress (and will again soon), The upcoming election is monopolizing the air and radio waves, as well it should, and I find myself trying to avoid programs that consist of endless conjecture about who will win. I can hardly watch "The Daily Show" anymore. It's probably more than just the election I'm tired of. School is becoming boring and repetitive, more than usual that is, and my professors just seem to want to hear themselves talk. What's a high class guy like myself to do? CHEESE!!!!. Every time I watch the news they have pundits spewing forth an endless stream of puss and puss-like substances, which in some circles I guess passes for intelligent discussion. And they always seem to be saying the same thing: "unless you're a straight white attractive and or rich male, you're going to going to be shat upon and then covered with bees that sting you with those bee stingers that bees usually have." It makes me sick. Well its either them or the shots of rum and vodka I had last night. (note: do not make up rule "must take two shots when you pull out a blank jenga block" while playing jenga with alcohol nearby). Anyway, to my point, and I do have one, most of the time life sucks, that is unless you have great friends. I have been lucky enough to have been blessed (humm..don't like that word, to much religiousosity. let's use......."jaabor-ed" yes....jaabor-ed) I have been lucky enough to have been jaabor-ed with a few select, very unique, friends. I don't think I really give them the credit they deserve. Most of my humor, tasteless and otherwise, is often derived from our conversations and their observations about life, liberty and the pursuit of cheese. I know I talk a lot of shit, but my friends ARE the shit. I' m only cool 'cause of them, and I don't care if all this blabering is making me sound like a weak little wet nurse who cries while watching her stories, 'cause my friends kick ass damnit, and I want to be sure that they know it. Life would truly be unbearable if it weren't for you guys (..girls...Undecideds....)
Rock on!


P.S. I have many friends for whom all I said is true, but there are two in particular (you know who you are) that shine as beacons of all that is good about humanity, for you, an extra helping of cheese and another Rock On!


P.P.S. I just checked my fridge, and I'm out of cheese. damn.

I had a dicussion/argument the other day with people at work about artists. i said all artists are self-centered to a certain degree, and this isnt really a bad thing. two other people said that what i said wasnt true and a good artisit can be selfless, and that i was over generalizing. Your Thoughts?? please, record them in my guestbook

My cable bill is addressed to a Mr. Faldana. what the hell. It's personal when someone really Fucks up your name like that. I have enough trouble with people mis-pronouncing my name already without these Fuckers getting the entire First letter wrong (not just part of the First letter, the whole damn thing) What is wrong with these people? Perhaps i should just skip out on the First bill and say, "well i never got a bill. no, im not Mr. Faldana" Goddamn Cocks Cable (Cox Cable)

X is for Mr.X

Cindy, a small girl, 5 years old this October, carried on conversations with a one "Mr.X" online for over two weeks before her mother found out and promptly canceled their internet sevice, but not before severly punishing cindy by locking her in the pantry with moldy bread and old potatoes for at least one hour.

W is for Walkabout

Isabell left her home one morning for a Walkabout and never came back

V is for Venus

Robert Freedul of South Fork, Minn. swears by "his mother's freshly dug grave" that there is life on the planet venus. Robert says that these aliesn take the form of small fowers that look like beetles.

So a couple of things to mention.
First, things have calmed down a bit and have settled into a semi-comfortable, albeit precarious, rhythm. I am still looking for a new place to live, but it isn't a paramount concern anymore.
I've donated my non-functioning car to charity and good riddance. That thing has never given me anything but trouble, and it's about time I cut my losses.
School is going alright. Although recently a professor graded an informal piece of writing I did, and only gave me a "B" He said it was a good critical, against-the -grain reading, but that perhaps it was a little too obvious. So I guess it was "obviously against the grain". Is that possible? I guess so. I think he was being unduly harsh, after all it was informal and not supposed to be a essay worthy bit of writing.
I saw the film "Garden State" and while it was a really good film, and I recommend that y'all go see it, I thought it was maybe a little too aware of its own quirkyness. Like it was trying too hard to be a strange, quirky, precious film. But I still really enjoyed it and thought it was well made. I wouldn't mind owning the DVD.
In other news, I am beginning to feel the stress of my last semester. I have a final Project to write, and although it is only 25 pages, it feels like a daunting task. This in addition to all the work I need to do to apply to grad schools.
So that's about it. I recently noticed that I need to finish my alphabet, so I'll be getting on that soon, but otherwise I hope everyone is having a good time doing whatever they are doing. Unless they're killing someone, then in that case I hope they feel like hell.

Note: i had this big long post about my first few weeks back up here, but my computer went wonky and ate it...so youll just have to wait...wait you bitches, wait! whohahaha

its birthday fever!!! first a happy belated birthday to cheryl!!! (sorry its late!!!I.m horrible at this...the only reason i remember the twins b-day is because its christmas. HA!! not that i dont care....anyway, i should end this before i dig myself a hole i cant get out of.)

And a SUPER DUPER HAPPY TIME HOUR BIRTHDAY to my sis TERESA!!!! YAY!!! SHE's 20!!!! wooooooo, only one more year and we'll be hitting the bars....haha. thanks for being such a cool sister :)

Its been a horrible week and a half...can't type, must die now.........

One of the many problems in trying to maintain a reputable sanatorium is simply the amount of people it takes. I mean one has to take into account first the doctors that provide the medical services, but also guards, cooks, janitors, receptionists, tour guides, grounds keepers, animal trainers, board members, accountants, architects, translators, engineers, electricians, pharmacists, artists, and mad scientists, not to mention the entire patient population. Costs run high and the returns are low. Once in awhile a patient becomes functional again, but then there is always the worry they will randomly amputate an innocent bystander and be sent back, adding the insult of apparently not having cured the person in the first place. And then, of course, is the problem of having the thing named after yourself. Who needs this pressure? Not me, that’s for sure. Just the other day I was assaulted by a man whose mother was sent to the sanatorium for strangling four cats and then hanging them from her clothes line. Apparently this man was very close to his mother, and judging from his demeanor, I have a suspicion that we might be seeing him very soon. Perhaps he and his mother can get adjoining cells. Anyway sorry to burden you with my miseries, but I thought I should let everyone know that it’s no cake walk. Thanks for reading, and may I never have to see your face on the other side of a padded door.

p.s. re: cheryl's guestbook post
well dont feel too bad about the bad info, just remember , peter greenaway doesnt direct crap movies. only good ones. with this in mind you'll never go wrong. also, christine and caroline are coming down soon, so we will all get together and do something. no excuses. :)

Sorry about the long absence of posts, but I was gone for a while and then for a while I did not have access to the internet. Wait. I'm not sorry. You bitches just have to WAIT damnit.
anyway, for a week, ok not really just 5 days, I was in Colorado attending a family reunion. It was fun, got to see many family members in various states of distress. (they all have small children) But here's the thing. Our reunion was at a YMCA camp. An Especially religious YMCA camp (I know the YMCA is a religious organization, but usually its pretty tame)Anyway, for 5 days I was surrounded by freakos.now I don't mean any disrespect to those believers who may read my blog, but these people probably reach sexual climax while reading the bible. Adding to my discomfort was the fact that this camp was at 9000 feet. My sister says there was 43% less oxygen there than at sea level (and since she's lived in Europe, I believe her)so it was difficult to breathe, making it that much harder to run from the guitar wielding Christians (like hell I'm going to a sing along worship service.) at my most desperate, I seriously considered running naked through the woods shouting the praises of some earthy pagan goddess,but luckily it never came to that. Fortunately my relatives never realized just how strange I can be and so we got along fine, I even went white water rafting. (actually I'd say it was a bit more like egg shell rafting. It was kinda tame) but overall I had fun, and a moderate amount of fun is all one can hope for at such a....reverent camp.

i dont think im gonna post about my trip. it was long and boring. ok, so i did post about my trip. there you go. sorry its not too interesting, but im tired and lazy. miles and sandy won't leave me alone. blah. at this moment not may of my friends are here in s. pasadena, so ive just been sitting around watching tv. again, not very interesting, but some time soon ill have a real update. i promise. (sorta) :)
p.s. does cheryl still read my blog? if you are reading this, give me a call! (i hope you still have my number, cause i lost your...haha...sorry..we need to get the ol' gang together and hang out...well as many as we can at least)

I am about to embark on a mystical quest for the magic of the red stones (a.k.a. South Pasadena). I am sure to encounter many dangerous villains, helpful cobblers, and a few +5 elves. I shall relate my journey when it is completed. Or I may not. I haven't decided.

U is for Ukraine

Ken overshot the Ukraine by a few hundred miles on Thursday. He was launched by scientist Dr. Marvin Monroe, who was working in conjunction with the science division of the Eastern European Branch of T.A.G.S.M.S.

What i'm listening to right now: Erlend Øye "Unrest"

So that last post for the letter "T" really sucked, i know. But oh well, i'm just not feeling it right now. watch, i'll try and write one my trademark whimsical poems:

The birds fly through the air
with worms in their teeth
and gel in their hair.
The fly north for the summer;
they would stay south but seriously this global warming shit is just making things too hot and they'd much rather be in cool weather 'cause they get hot and then they sweat and their gel melts and gets sticky.

see? it isn't working like it used to. and believe me, it used to work. oh well. things are alright i guess.i have a crazy teacher for my summer school class, i swear he's on something and there are very credible rumors that he's slept with some students. gross. you know i'm running low on the creative mojo when i start talking about my life in this thing. i go back to South Pasadena on June 1st. I leave at like 6 am and get in to union station in L.A. at about 10pm. a long trip but so much cheaper than flying. (i'm taking amtrak).work is going ok, but i need more hours so i can pay my rent! i think i might work all next week, so thats good. that reminds me, i went to go see "the chronicles of riddick" last week, and it wasn't the soul sucking vapid abortion i thought it would be. ok yeah it was dumb in some parts, and it needed to be shorter and stay with the main plot better (there was this like 45 min. sequence in this prison on a really hot planet, "crematoria", lol, that could have been shortened by a lot.)but anyway, the production design was neat, done by the same guy who did Dark City. Overall it was a fun movie, i'm glad i saw it, and well worth what i paid to see it (which was nothing, haha :), thanks will) there are some movies i want to see this summer, like michael moore's new film, and "young adam" (it has Tilda Swinton!!!! YEA!!!!! )speaking of tilda swinton, i've been having this strange urge to watch "orlando" again. its a really great movie that has been called "the draughtsman's contract of the ninties." now, i wouldn't go that far, cause you all know how i feel about the draughtsman's contract, but "orlando" is still a great film. my sister teresa has netflix so i asked her to put it on her rental list so i can see it when i get down there. :) well thats all for now, i've gone on quite long enough. in fact, i think this is the longest post in which i actually talk about whats going on in my life at the moment. lucky you, you get to read it. i'm so jealous. wait..no i'm not.

p.s. the third harry potter movie is awesome. now i'm not that big of a potter fan, and i stopped reading the books at number three, but the third movie is not just the best harry potter film, its a damn fine film period. go alfonzo curon!

T is for Test.

Ray took a test on some subjects that he really didn't like. so he killed the teacher. blah...

Ten Things I Learned From "Pootie Tang"

10. Don't let the ladies come between you and the belt.
9. Don't talk back to mommity
8. He's dirty 'cause he's Dirty Dee damnit!
7. Sine your pinny on the runny kine.
6. Eat your vegetables and don't drink malt liquor, 'cause you don't have to, 'cause you're ok.
5. Sa-da-tay
4. Just 'cause a girl likes to stand on the street corner next to some whores and dance, doesn't mean she's hoin'.
3. It's hot out. And it's hot too.
2. Oooo, it hurts him to kill a man, but he knows he's got to!
1. You can't beat a ho with a belt, they like that shit!

S is for Satisfaction

Laura cheated on Ray with his brother Charles. Ray demanded satisfaction and challenged Charles to a duel. They both lost, and Laura ended up dating their father.

I haven't had much contact with people for the last few days. everyone is gone for the summer, and I don't work again till June. I feel like a cloistered nun. But without the cool clothes and the repressed sexuality.

R is for Reaction

Lana had a violent reaction to the medicine given to her by her doctor. She had to be hosptialized for two months, and during that time she watched many reruns of "Bewitched" on the hospital television.

Q is for Queer

We studied queer theory in my Literary Theory class this past semester. The person seen as the "founder" of queer theory is Judith Butler. She sees sexuality and gender as socially constructed and advocates the use of drag performance. See:Gender Trouble by Judith Butler

i had to delete the post with my results to the "what movie do you belong in?" quiz, cause it was screwing up the borders of my blog. anyway, for those of you interested, i belonged in "The Nightmare Before Christmas" how perfect is that??? :) if you want to take the quiz you can here: Quizilla just search for the quiz called "what movie do you belong in?"

P is for Purple

Alice owned purple drapes, purple dishes, purple bed sheets, and a purple cat.

Rejoice!! The savior has finished his finals!

I just re-published my entire blog, so old entries that had been previously unavailable are now there for everyone to read! just click on any month on the left....
<---

O is for Opium.

Lad was a boy who lived in Montana. When he was three years old he was abused by a woman in a grocery store. To ease the pain of the memories, as an adult Lad began a habit of smoking Opium. Lad also avoided the soup isle whenever possible.

to anyone wondering...
TAGSMS
The Anthony G. Saldaña Memorial Sanatorium

A medical facility located in rual Texas, just outside the city of Corpus Christi.

ugh. im tired and sick and tired.

and tired.


there is so much to do in the last few weeks of class. i need more time. i had to skip the board metting at TAGSMS. they sent a plane but i coulndt go, i had to write a paper for one of my classes. its not like they need me anyway. and besides, the last time i was there a patient broke an orderly's arm. so its probably safer if i hang out here for a while. my head hurts. im gonna go buy some medicine at longs. bye

Who's birthday is it? IT'S MINE BITCH!

Exquisite Platter
by TAGSMS

I like chicken
and I like peas,
can I have a little more
please oh please?
Potstickers are really good,
and so are beets,
but if you have a care
don't eat any leeks.
Sometimes I'll eat anything,
provided it's hot,
just don't give me raw food-
yummy it's not.
Quite often I'll eat a hamburger
from a fast food place
and although it's good
it adds a bit to my waist.
I put butter on my toast
with a hint of elation,
and before I eat it
my mouth waters in anticipation.
these are just a few
of the foods I like to eat
I could go on and on
but there's a sandwich I really must meet.

Oh glorious inquisitor! Have you come today for more? I thought I had given you all I had this past week, but let me see if I cannot round up some more! Oh of course not, you have not come in vain, for you I will do anything I can. You see, I relish every time you appear to me. Your requests and questions are like sweet wine for my heart. It soothes my soul to hear your voice, a voice of millions, a voice for millions. I admit I was not expecting you today, but no, do not be offended, have you not heard my words? You are always invited here, always welcome. This one? No? This one then, see the fine shape and color. Does it please you? I have more, always more. This one came to me quite by accident the other day. I saw him walking down by the railroad tracks. Yes? You know the place? Then you certainly know the quality, this one could satisfy you for days at least! And this one over there in the corner, she was a nurse. She took care of my old next door neighbor. Yes, that’s right, the one from your last visit. Well she came over to my house yesterday to see if I knew what happened to him, and well, you can see….Oh it will please you my luminous spirit! I try so hard for you, you know this, can’t you see? I try so hard. You are never satiated, and yet do I stop? Of course not! When you came and ask for my full self do I resist? No, I reveal all, everything you ask, even those things which frighten me most, even those things, yes. But do not let me burden you with my small troubles, they are not important, only you, always only you, beauty. Not merely beauty, no, complete range and connection of completion. Completion of myself. And you. You are full? See? Yes, like I said, I always have what you need. I await your return, my resplendent deity. And I will have more, always more. I will find some, I will do it tonight.

ok, ok i know i havent updated in a long ass time, and itll be a few more days before i get back to my alphabet thing, so to tide you over, here's something i wrote for a message board for school about the value of literature :) good times....

The term literature as meaning language that has been de-familiarized from ordinary language is useful to many people, mainly those of higher class. As Eagleton states, to have literature as unfamiliar language means that there is a common familiar language, in other words the language of everyday use. So to those in the working classes, literature has little or no value, being so removed from their recognizable forms of communication. In order to understand literature and its value, people must go to school and learn from a teacher who knows everything there is to know about the subject. Assuming that literature has value, and that the professors, and upper classes know that value, then it is in their interests to promote the idea that literature is unfamiliar and therefore not knowable to the lower classes who do not have the benefit of an upper class education to familiarize themselves with the language of literature. In this way literature can be used as a means of oppression. The upper educated classes state that there is valuable knowledge but then say that the knowledge is not available for everyone, only those who know how to look. This kind of thinking creates another problem. As long as the educated upper classes insist that there is valuable knowledge in literature, the lower working classes will continue to draw further away from valuing that kind of knowledge, in other words, it pits the working class against the intellectuals, and fuels animosity between the two. The working classes will deny that there is any value to literature, for them at least, because they are continually being denied access to it. And the upper class will continue to assert their claims because it feeds their ideas of superiority. This leads to an anti intellectual sentiment which can prevail long after the idea that literature is an upper class pursuit dies. Even when higher education is available to everyone, some will still resist the idea of studying literature because it is taught to them that literature has no value. Of course, Eagleton talks a lot about what “value” means and how the idea of value is a value judgment. Or something like that. Anyway, what I’m saying is that literature is thought to have little importance in the practical world, and little real world application. Eagleton talks about this also, about how some might say that literature is the absence of pragmatism, and if this is so, then literature is not supposed to have any real world application so what are those crazy people (the working class) griping about anyway? Ha-Ha just kidding. But this is an interesting point. If literature doesn’t have the value of say a text book on small mammals, then what is it good for? (oh, those crazy people have a point after all…..) Well my best guess it that the literature has the point we read into it. I agree that literature is a functional term and tells us what we do, and not what we do to it, so I suppose the same goes for value. The value of literature is the value we put on it. If we want literature to enhance our understanding of the world then it can do that, but it can also help us explore human emotion, literary structure (like the Russian formalists) and many other things. Speaking of those Russian formalists, I think its silly. yes, silly. I mean, why read literature if you’re just wanting to go from point A to point Z? and what happens if the book is all A and no Z? Or stuck somewhere between? Well then I’d say you’re a few letters short of an alphabet, but that’s not my point. You have to enjoy the content, at least a little, because that’s what literature is written for after all. People don’t write stories just to show off how good they are at building suspense. Ok, well some do, but the content has to be interesting too, it’s not all about structure. But I suppose I am making a value judgment, which is of course a construct of my culture, ect…….I also realize that the Russian formalist approach is a lot like this posting. It doesn’t really matter what I write about, just that I get to 800 words so I can get my A. But I would hope that what I wrote about does somebody good, if only myself. So in conclusion, I do think that there is an advantage for some people to say that literature is language de-familiarized, and those people are the educated upper classes. Literature does have value, it has the value we wish to see in it, and that is a worthwhile pursuit. oh, and I also think the Russian formalists are silly. Ok I just looked at my word count and it said 799. but after that sentence its 816. ha! I did it.