Just in case there is any confusion with all the celebrity legal nonsense happening, let me clarify everything:
OJ Simpson - GUILTY
Kobe Bryant - GUILTY
Robert Blake - GUILTY
Michael Jackson - GUILTY
Yes, it does not matter that the juries in these cases are idiots, these people are still guilty. I'm not going to say that the legal system is completely screwed up, but something is wrong when jurors can KNOW that the person is guilty from everything they heard in the case and STILL are not allowed to vote guilty. The rules are so strict that you would practically have to have a video tape of Michael Jackson molesting kids to convict him. Oh well, he's a pervert and everyone knows now, so hopefully they will keep their kids away from him.
On another front, we will be heading to Maui on Monday, so we will probably not update this for awhile. But please know, that while we are soaking up the sun and enjoying the clear, clean water, we will be thinking of everyone of you.
Friday, June 17, 2005
Friday, June 10, 2005
My ode to the California housing market!
I have a message for anyone trying to sell his or her house right now in Southern California: Kiss my butt! Yeah, you heard me correctly: kiss it! Let me tell you why.
As many people know, Katie and I have been house shopping for some time. Now for those people who have been asleep for the past two or three years, or are just incredibly dumb, the California housing market is incredibly inflated. Unfortunately, we just happen to live in the middle of it all, because all these rich buttheads from Los Angeles and Orange counties are escaping their high living costs and settling in Riverside and San Bernardino counties where prices use to be cheaper. Riverside and San Bernardino counties are where we both grew up and where we ultimately want to settle and raise a family. Bad idea, especially right now.
Well, house shopping has been pretty frustrating. Some crudhole house on a tiny lot what use to sell for 50 or 60 thousand dollars is now selling for well above 200 thousand, even higher in some places. The scary part is not that people are listing them for so much, but that they are ALL selling for that much.
Well, last night was just about it for the both of us. We went to see this little 1200 sq. ft, 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom house in Calimesa that we had heard a little about. Believe me, this house was a huge fixer-upper, nothing to write home about. We get there, and in my opinion, it was even worse than the pictures. It was old, tiny, had a mysterious second chimney sticking out of the middle of it, it had two odd additions added to it, and to top it off, a huge garage (bigger than the house) that should have been condemned and would have to be torn down before anything else. Imagine our shock when this piece of junk was selling for almost 300 hundred thousand dollars. That, coupled with the fact that it was in Calimesa, a place I swore I would never live in growing up, just about made me sick to my stomach.
It was after visiting this house when I pretty much said to myself, “Forget it”. This piece of junk, and dozens others like it, will probably sell for 300 thousand dollars, but it won’t be my money. If someone really thinks that load of crap is worth all that money, then they can have it, and I will happily sit in my cheap apartment paying one tenth what they will pay in interest payments alone.
So again, I repeat myself: Kiss my butt California housing market! I will not be your sucker. You will not fool me. I know how much you are REALLY worth and I will go ahead and wait until other people realize it too, or if worse comes to worse, move to a place where the nice fresh air of sanity abounds.
As many people know, Katie and I have been house shopping for some time. Now for those people who have been asleep for the past two or three years, or are just incredibly dumb, the California housing market is incredibly inflated. Unfortunately, we just happen to live in the middle of it all, because all these rich buttheads from Los Angeles and Orange counties are escaping their high living costs and settling in Riverside and San Bernardino counties where prices use to be cheaper. Riverside and San Bernardino counties are where we both grew up and where we ultimately want to settle and raise a family. Bad idea, especially right now.
Well, house shopping has been pretty frustrating. Some crudhole house on a tiny lot what use to sell for 50 or 60 thousand dollars is now selling for well above 200 thousand, even higher in some places. The scary part is not that people are listing them for so much, but that they are ALL selling for that much.
Well, last night was just about it for the both of us. We went to see this little 1200 sq. ft, 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom house in Calimesa that we had heard a little about. Believe me, this house was a huge fixer-upper, nothing to write home about. We get there, and in my opinion, it was even worse than the pictures. It was old, tiny, had a mysterious second chimney sticking out of the middle of it, it had two odd additions added to it, and to top it off, a huge garage (bigger than the house) that should have been condemned and would have to be torn down before anything else. Imagine our shock when this piece of junk was selling for almost 300 hundred thousand dollars. That, coupled with the fact that it was in Calimesa, a place I swore I would never live in growing up, just about made me sick to my stomach.
It was after visiting this house when I pretty much said to myself, “Forget it”. This piece of junk, and dozens others like it, will probably sell for 300 thousand dollars, but it won’t be my money. If someone really thinks that load of crap is worth all that money, then they can have it, and I will happily sit in my cheap apartment paying one tenth what they will pay in interest payments alone.
So again, I repeat myself: Kiss my butt California housing market! I will not be your sucker. You will not fool me. I know how much you are REALLY worth and I will go ahead and wait until other people realize it too, or if worse comes to worse, move to a place where the nice fresh air of sanity abounds.
Monday, June 06, 2005
Memoirs of a Back-up Bride’s maid
I went to high school with this wack-job girl who finally decided it was time for her to get married. To protect the identity of the obvious, we will refer to this girl as "Schmuck-face". Yep, she's getting married to a Peruvian and she asked our good friend to be a "Back-up Bride's Maid." Where do I even start with this one?
First, Schmuck-face has some serious issues herself. There is nothing wrong with marrying a Peruvian. However, marrying a "not-sure-if-he-a-is-legal-or-illegal-Peruvian" presents serveral interesting challenges. FIRST, if some poverty stricken person from a third world country was here in the country, either legally or illegally, I doubt he or she would be very...um, let's say...PICKY...about the person they were marrying. Believe me, I lived in Peru for 2 years, and could have married any one of hundreds of Peruvian women if I wanted to. Normally speaking, they are so "star-struck" that they could careless who the actual person is. PLUS, it goes without saying, that the promise of "citizenship" is a little added bonus.
Secondly, being Peruvian, this guy isn't necessarily rolling around in money. In fact, he works at Deseret Industry. In case you didn't know, working at DI is NOT good money. In fact, it is horrible money. BUT, compared to where Peruvian Boy comes from, it's a treasure. The problem is that when you decide to spend your "treasure" on something here in the states that is expensive, like a wedding ring, you very quickly discover that your job sucks. That is what happened here. Apparently, Peruvian Boy got Schmuck-face a ring that resembles a grain of rice with an unfolded paper-clip wrapped around her finger. It is tiny and hideous, a bad combination for Schmuck-face who swore she was going to have at least a 4 karat ring when she got married. Good job Schmuck-face, only 3.999 more Karats to go!
The last, and worst problem with this whole situation, is the "Back-up bride's maid". What in the world is a "Back-up Bride's Maid"? You mean to tell me that you expect this person to buy a dress and plane ticket, fly to your forsaken wedding not really sure if she's going to be in it? What a crock! To be perfectly honest, Schmuck-face deserves everything she gets in the wedding, so I wish her the best of luck.
First, Schmuck-face has some serious issues herself. There is nothing wrong with marrying a Peruvian. However, marrying a "not-sure-if-he-a-is-legal-or-illegal-Peruvian" presents serveral interesting challenges. FIRST, if some poverty stricken person from a third world country was here in the country, either legally or illegally, I doubt he or she would be very...um, let's say...PICKY...about the person they were marrying. Believe me, I lived in Peru for 2 years, and could have married any one of hundreds of Peruvian women if I wanted to. Normally speaking, they are so "star-struck" that they could careless who the actual person is. PLUS, it goes without saying, that the promise of "citizenship" is a little added bonus.
Secondly, being Peruvian, this guy isn't necessarily rolling around in money. In fact, he works at Deseret Industry. In case you didn't know, working at DI is NOT good money. In fact, it is horrible money. BUT, compared to where Peruvian Boy comes from, it's a treasure. The problem is that when you decide to spend your "treasure" on something here in the states that is expensive, like a wedding ring, you very quickly discover that your job sucks. That is what happened here. Apparently, Peruvian Boy got Schmuck-face a ring that resembles a grain of rice with an unfolded paper-clip wrapped around her finger. It is tiny and hideous, a bad combination for Schmuck-face who swore she was going to have at least a 4 karat ring when she got married. Good job Schmuck-face, only 3.999 more Karats to go!
The last, and worst problem with this whole situation, is the "Back-up bride's maid". What in the world is a "Back-up Bride's Maid"? You mean to tell me that you expect this person to buy a dress and plane ticket, fly to your forsaken wedding not really sure if she's going to be in it? What a crock! To be perfectly honest, Schmuck-face deserves everything she gets in the wedding, so I wish her the best of luck.
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
Hear No Evil, See No Evil
The school year ends on Tuesday, June 14th. Why they decided to end school on a Tuesday is beyond me. Do they honestly think anything close to resembling teaching will take place during those two days? Heck, the kids at school are already running around like rabid racoons on speed, I don't think that will get any better.
For these last few weeks, my basic philosophy is I see no evil and I hear no evil. Usually I'm out in the hallways and in the quad between classes and during lunch. Not now. Lately, I've been locking myself in my room and closing the blinds. It is complete chaos out there and I don't want anything to do with it. I figure they can vandalize and kill each other all they want, and if I'm not aware of it, than it's not really happening. Of course I know its happening, but I'm a teacher, not a police officer, so I will do my job and let others do there's. If they are so concerned about school security, let the principal step out of his office for the first time in months and do it himself. Or, even better, they can hire these things they call "security guards" and they can handle the security problems.
For these last few weeks, my basic philosophy is I see no evil and I hear no evil. Usually I'm out in the hallways and in the quad between classes and during lunch. Not now. Lately, I've been locking myself in my room and closing the blinds. It is complete chaos out there and I don't want anything to do with it. I figure they can vandalize and kill each other all they want, and if I'm not aware of it, than it's not really happening. Of course I know its happening, but I'm a teacher, not a police officer, so I will do my job and let others do there's. If they are so concerned about school security, let the principal step out of his office for the first time in months and do it himself. Or, even better, they can hire these things they call "security guards" and they can handle the security problems.
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