It's the End of the _________ As We Know It and I Feel Fine!

A friend of mine posted a video  about the end of the internet as we know it.  It sounds slightly more plausible than the “paying for Facebook” BS--but not really. Apparently the internet will be subscription only, much like pay-TV, by 2012.  I say, it doesn’t even matter people, as Anu & the Anunaki are coming from Naburu, and the internet will be the least of our problems.  No they are not some Mesopotamian pop band coming to an arena near you.  Oh, but if only you knew, people!  I don’t feel like explaining here.  Nor do I care that 0.01% of you might consider looking it up.  While it is no secret that I am patiently waiting for the end of the human race, I fear not that I am spreading the word of its impending doom, for if it is one thing in which I have faith about humankind, it is that it will be too stupid, lazy, apathetic and greedy to mount a resistance.  Besides: it is so written.  Somewhere.  I think.  Well hey, it is written on the internet, so it must be true!

If, for some sad reason we don’t have the displeasure of Anu’s visit and I have to burn my “THE END IS NIGH” sign, maybe we could tackle the internet thing.  Can we not just start another internet?  We’ll pool our money and buy our own internet equipment.  We could trick the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation into giving us money.  We’ll say it’s for the children.   Then we’ll have the children build it.  We’ll get our own servers and vacuum tubes and mainframes and packets and transistors and motherboards and protocols and flux capacitors and other things that sound techno-y but I have no idea what they are.  Hmm, maybe kids can’t build it, but at least they can get us coffee and doughnuts or something.  We could have Al Gore put it all together for us, ya know, since he built it the first time.

(ryan, your ignorance is showing.)

Who said that?!!

TO BE OR NOT TO BE...HEALTHY?

Why do I feel like a criminal when I tell someone behind a desk that I have no health insurance? I think it sucks. I feel like a low life. I lost it when I lost my job cuz they went out of business. Insurance for unemployed individuals is so freaking expensive!

It’s kinda weird because before I got sick I was discussing the subject of socialism in America with a friend. I brought up that we should move toward socialized medicine. Then a week later I end up in a hospital myself. Politicians, especially Republican ones, have some unnatural fear of socialism. Actually, they want their campaign contributions from the pharmaceutical companies and HMOs and such. So they brainwash their constituents to have this fear against social programs. They’re so damn afraid we’ll turn into Europe. I say, what’s so bad about Europe? People are happy there--and healthy too. America is the only major industrialized country that doesn’t have universal health care for its citizens. I think that is ridiculous.

I think that the cost of prescription medicine is outrageous. Even if your insurance is paying for most of it, it is still outrageous. Medicine shouldn’t be out of financial reach for those who need it, whether we’re talking about a Rwandan or an American.

I looked up the Free Clinic of Los Angeles but you must bring your MediCal card to be treated. I don’t qualify for MediCal, cuz I am not under 18, over 65 or blind or taking care of a dependent who is. I looked up the law for charity care/partial charity care for California hospitals. The law states that an uninsured person is entitled to charity care if they had made up to 350% above the federal poverty level. I guess there is a loophole, though, which allows them to do that or only give charity care to people with MediCal. Nearly every hospital in the Los Angeles basin takes advantage of this loophole. Again I don’t qualify for MediCal. It seems I’m not poor enough or old enough or young enough or blind enough to get a little help with my health. I’m right in the middle. The middle class gets squeezed again.

Health insurance companies and hospitals are businesses. When a health care system’s priority is making profit, the patients’ best interests will at some point fall to the wayside. It sucks that for this sort of business to be “healthy,” it sometimes requires humans to not be healthy. It is ironic and idiotic. I don’t mind paying more in taxes for some kind of government run health care. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness: health is in there somewhere, yes? Shall we not be entitled to a healthy life, should we not be at liberty to access the health care and medicines we need to pursue a life of happiness? I don’t think one can pursue happiness too well, when bill collectors are in pursuit of someone.

It sucks that I never got sick until I lost my job/insurance. Not ever even a full-blown cold! I had as much accumulated sick days as vacation days from my job cuz I never took the former and rarely the later. Then I get two illnesses that I would’ve gone to the doctor for even though I hate going to doctors or hospitals, so you know they were something significant.

Incidently, I did come across a couple clinics, so if you’re in need of one and if you live in SM, Mar Vista, Venice, MDR, you might qualify for the Venice Family Clinic. Care and medicine are free. Seems like a full-service place. They offer dental and vision care too. They have 7 locations. They also serve the homeless at the Rose Avenue location in Venice. They may ask for a very small donation. I also came across the Westside Family Health Center in Santa Monica. There is no residency requirement. There are fees for care and medicine, but they try to keep them low. Both have good reviews on Yelp.

RANDOM SHIT ABOUT ME

ABOUT ME

I like the beach equally in the day and the night. I like to visit the places in the city that natives didn't know were there. I like the club where the DJ plays the music till 4 or 6 or 8AM. I also like the bar that plays it's music from a juke box. I like singing along to new wave songs when no one is listening (trust me, you'll like that i do it when you're not listening too). I like watching shows about UFOs and alien abductions. I like taking these silly quizzes on Facebook and XXXXXXX. I don't mind being stuck in traffic (unless i'm late, but then that's my own fault isn't it?). I love the big city. Radio sucks. I like finding new music on myspace or itunes.



I live in Mar Vista, but you've never heard of that, so let's just say i live in Venice.



I think i have worms. No, no, it's OK, they're in my computer. Wait, no, that's not OK. Damn! :(



Sometimes i rebel against grammar. I don't like capitalizing 'i' in the middle of a sentence, because i'm not that special. It is ok when you do it cuz it is proper english. Sometimes i make weak verbs strong when speaking, just for fun. I dislike the use of the verb 'to do' as an auxillary verb in english. I think Noah Webster didn't go far enough in changing the spelling of [American] english words. I like to make compound contractions in text (e.g., you'd've, mustn't've). I believe y'all should be a legitimate word. I lament that that the 3d person plural of 'to be' (are) is falling by the wayside in favor of the 3d person singular (is) when contracted with 'there.' (e.g., There's sodas in the fridge.)



Sometimes i'm a nerd.



I like looking at maps. I like reading history books. If i look something up on Wikipedia, i'll probably be stuck there for an hour reading random shit.



A big nerd.



I get artistic when i am sad or depressed. I've not been artistic for quite some time.



I'm a workaholic. I'm an alcoholic. Never at the same time though (tempting as it is).



I am a bastard. No, literally, i am a bastard. OK, sometimes figuratively too, but only if you deserve it.



I fucking love to cuss and curse like a damn sailor, but can probably curb it if it fucking offends you, you bastard.  (JK)



I was made to read the Bible as punishment as a child. I am now Atheist. I do too have morals. I function just fine with out a god. I totally respect your beliefs, however.



I want to go sky-diving one day, but not bungee-jumping. I love roller coasters, but cannot handle playground swings. I HATE talking on the phone, but i love my Blackberry. I have a horrible memory, but i remember useless & random facts. I want socialized medicine in the US. Oops, but that requires open-mindedness--oh well. I like cheese in a can, but not from a jar. I generally don't like fat, but i like it in my milk, but don't drink milk. Well, sometimes i drink chocolate milk. I believe the Lottery is a tax on the poor. Sometimes i buy scratchers.



I am poor.



Also not terribly bright, apparently.



I enjoy playing board games and card games. I don't like gambling. I have no desire to go to Vegas--ever. Unless you're paying. JK, i wouldn't let you pay for me.



I believe in the separation of church and state. I am pro-choice and anti-death penalty (wtf?). The electoral college is an anachronism. Calling US presidential debates debates is debatable. "Military Intelligence" is an oxymoron. Bush is simply a moron. The state should not recognize gay marriage. The state should not recognize straight marriage. I'd rather my taxes raised than cutting social government programs or education. I am pro-immigration. I am anti-ILLEGAL-immigration. I believe in affordable public housing. I believe the homeless question must be answered. I believe homeless policy must be questioned. I think Mr Obama will have aged more than any other president since FDR at the end of his term(s).



I don't think i've ever written so much about myself. I might copy and paste this to my FB and ryspace.



People ask me what i am/where i am from. I say American/Los Angeles. What they really want to know is that i am of Mexican and Danish decent, but that does not define me. I am human; so are you, let's go from there.





WHAT I’M DOING WITH MY LIFE

Had been in retail management for 10 years, but currently "at liberty" (damn recession!). You may find me on the sand, behind a drink, in an audience, before a screen or otherwise enjoying life in the meantime.





I’M REALLY GOOD AT

Being quiet, working hard, enjoying libations, spending money, listening, making dumb jokes, finding puns and thinking dirty thoughts & sometimes verbalizing them.



Oh, and punctuation & grammar. Not that i use them all the time, but please, if your writing is unclear, use 'em! Proofread!
Punctuation is hot!
People who can use a comma turn me on.



No, i am not an ass. OK, sometimes i am. Mostly i am nice though. :o)






THE FIRST THING(S) PEOPLE USUALLY NOTICE ABOUT ME

I'm not entirely convinced i am that noticeable. I am mostly fine with that.







MY FAVORITE BOOKS, MOVIES, MUSIC, AND FOOD

BOOKS: I like history books, boring, right? Well, get this: i have a book of the history of writing history in the US, and it is freaking fascinating! Is that a new level of boredom for you? Haha. I also enjoy reading about linguistics and psychology. Biographies of historical figures are good too.

I generally can't get into fiction. I used to like to read the Choose Your Own Adventure books as a child, though.

MUSIC: I like all kinds, from baroque and swing to new wave, electro & progressive rock. some of my favorites: Mellowdrone, Oslo, Blackfield, The Dissociatives, Test Your Reflex, Something For Rockets, Model A, Oceansize, VNV Nation, Esperanza Spalding, Radiohead, Pearl Jam, Travis, PJ Harvey, Beck, Jimmy Eat World, Led Zeppelin, Robert Plant, Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, DJ Alexander, Sergis Varda, DJ Tye, DJ Paulo, Anoraak, The Human League, Depeche Mode, Cure, Morrissey, The Smiths, Duran Duran, New Order, Joy Division, Yaz(oo), Erasure, Psychedelic Furs, Devo, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Flock of Seagulls, Talking Heads, Mary J Blige, Jay-Z, En Vogue, Biggie, Snoop, Eminem, Ashanti, Mariah, Madonna

TV: I watch a shit-load of TV. I wish i didn't. It can ruin my day. It's just so damn addicting! I won't list all my shows here, just a few favorites. Newsradio, Father Ted, I Love Lucy, 30 Rock, How I Met Your Mother, Lost, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Seinfeld, Friends, Will & Grace, TBS, Vin Scully, Dodgers games, Kings games, hockey, most things on The History Channel, The Discovery Channel, etc.

MOVIES: Sciuscia, The Ten Commandments, Cube, The Breakfast Club, Chinatown, Glory, Les Quatre Cents Coups, idk, i can't think of all the ones i like. If i ever come across Die Hard, Delta Force or the Poseidon Adventure on TV i have to watch, but idk y. I usually go for comedies or disaster flicks.

FOOD: I like spicy food! Mexican, Thai, Indian. I am a glutton for Tito's Tacos. I'm willing to try new things, but generally, i dislike seafood-- there's something fishy about it and i'd probably dislike insects, cuz they bug me. I prefer my animals to not be in the same shape/form they were in when they were alive.






THE SIX THINGS I COULD NEVER DO WITHOUT

1)friends
2)music
3)sex
4)family
5)money
6)TBD

How about a magic lamp, and i'd only make one wish: to have unlimited wishes. Why is it that no-one thinks of this when they find a lamp?






I SPEND A LOT OF TIME THINKING ABOUT

My next drink.
Why the Kings have to suck every year.
What will happen on 21 December 2012.
Dirty thoughts.
Ways to spend what little money i have.
Which season of Newsradio to watch [again].
Another drink.
What i will do with my future Super Lotto winnings.
Realize that i don't play the Super Lotto.
Sex.
Why Los Angeles lacks sufficient and accessible green space and how i would fix it.
Why Los Angeles lacks sufficient rail transport and how i would fix it.
Why Los Angeles is dirty and fragmented and how i would fix it.
Why i wasn't a Los Angeles city planner.
Why I love LA so much.






ON A TYPICAL FRIDAY NIGHT I AM

Working the corner of Santa Monica and Highland.

(Just kidding)

5pm-6pm: Maxin' & Relaxin'
6pm-7pm: Chillin'
7pm-8pm: Kickin' it
8pm-9pm: Keepin' it real
9pm-10pm: scheming
10pm--> drinking, talking, slurring, dancing, stumbling(--but not driving)






THE MOST PRIVATE THING I’M WILLING TO ADMIT HERE

I admit nothing. I was out of town with friends that night. I don't know what you're talking about.






YOU SHOULD MESSAGE ME IF

you want.

World in a Box/Food in Your Hole.

I think Jack has too much going on in his Box. Burgers, tacos, teryaki bowls, churros, fresh fruit smoothies, breakfast all day??? Who wants to place bets on what culture Jack will dabble in next? Spaghetti & meatballs? Bratwurst & Spaetzle? (mmm, Spaetzle!) Shepard's pie? Probably falafels. How much is that curds and whey bowl? I don't know how people like his tacos--they are so freaking nasty! Especially with the offensive slice of american cheese--eww! I love the spicy chicken sandwhich though. Or is that Carl's? Damn, i have hunger. Think i'll have a 5, 5-dollar, 5-dollar footlooooong! Spicy Italian w/provalone and avocado.