Friday, December 31, 2010

Facebook status update

it's already 2011 in the entire eastern hemisphere, we're so two-thousand-and-late.

Friday, December 10, 2010

Facebook status update

Today, on Human Rights Day, Liu Xiaobo is being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China. He cannot receive this high honor, however, because he is currently serving an 11-year prison sentence for proposing democratic reforms in mainland China. He should be freed immediately and without condition!

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Saw Temple vs. Georgetown at the Liacouras Center, section 214, row A, seat 5, for $25.00 with Ileana.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Facebook status update

Thanks so much to everyone for the birthday wishes! It's really good to hear from everyone, I wish we could all do a big group hug. Awww.....

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Facebook status update

Leaving work now to begin the long Thanksgiving weekend. I'm thankful for my family and friends, for work to keep me busy and allow me to help others, for a bed to sleep in every night, for food to keep me going every day, and all the other little things in life. Thank you!

Monday, November 22, 2010

Friday, November 19, 2010

Saw comedian George Lopez at the Academy of Music, balcony, section C, row A, seat 28, for $39.50 with Ileana.

Friday, November 12, 2010

Facebook status update

Temple men's basketball opens the season tonight ranked #22 in the nation. I like that Juan Fernandez has moved to the point, and Ramone Moore steps into the starting line-up as the 2 guard. I'm really excited for this season, I think this team has a lot of potential to win lots of games.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Facebook status update

Violent crime against immigrants sickens me. This man's duodenum and part of his pancreas and right colon had to be removed and his gastrointestinal tract had to be reconnected. Whether he was targeted because he was Asian and/or an immigrant and/or a non-English-speaker and/or a minority business owner is unjustifiable and beside the point. I hope the attacker is fully prosecuted and sentenced and I pray that this man recovers.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Facebook status update

Iverson is to Besiktas as Beckham is to L.A. Galaxy.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Saw Philadelphia 76ers vs. Indiana Pacers at Wells Fargo Center, north floor courtside, row 2, seat 11, with Wagner.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Facebook status update

I love Rittenhouse Square, plain and simple.

Friday, October 8, 2010

Facebook status update

Felicitaciones al escritor Mario Vargas Llosa por ganar el Premio Nobel de Literatura! Yo he leído tres libros de él: Lituma en los Andes, The Feast of the Goat, y The War of the End of the World, los cuales son muy bien escritos. Me felicita que un escrito americano (-latino) ha ganado el premio, por primera vez desde 1990 (Octavio Paz).

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Friday, September 17, 2010

Facebook status update

It still amazes me that Shawnee now has a turf field. It's been a while since I was a Renegade, but I still missing playing football every fall.

Friday, August 13, 2010

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Facebook status update

today is a brand new day with brand new opportunities!

Friday, June 11, 2010

Friday, May 28, 2010

Friday, May 14, 2010

Facebook status update

Going to see Alo Brasil perform at World Cafe Live tonight!!!

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

lunch, coffee, and office

Today's entry will be very brief. Ileana and I went to Love Park today to have our lunch, but realized very quickly that it was too windy and just a little bit too chilly to eat outside. So, after eating our respective sandwiches, we packed-up and walked to Liberty Place, where we finished out meal indoors.

After meeting with a client last Thursday, who told me that Dunkin Donuts coffee is watered-down and colored with soy to look a darker brown, I've decided to go elsewhere for my coffee this week. Yesterday and today I walked to Cafe Loftus, located on 15th Street between Sansom and Walnut Streets, to get a small, 12-ounce coffee for $1.75. Their coffee is brewed using La Colombe coffee, which is the very well-respected coffee shop right off of Rittenhouse Square, where I sometimes get coffee on the weekends when the weather is warm and I'm able to sit in the square and enjoy a warm cup of coffee.

Finally, I'm happy to say that I'm finally beginning to acclimate to my new office. Three weeks ago I had to relocate due to Sue's return from her maternity leave and thus her reclaiming of her office, which I had been occupying during her absence. I was bittersweet about the move, because on one hand I was happy to have my own space to organize and decorate as I please, but on the other hand I was slightly bitter at having an interior office, i.e., with no windows. After being in here for three weeks (now the beginning of my fourth week), the positive benefits are outweighing the envy-driven drawbacks. Hopefully one day I'll have a spacious corner office with ample sunlight from large office windows, but for now I'll simply enjoy having my own personal office once again.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Birds

Lying in bed yesterday morning, with the door between the bedroom and living room half-open, I noticed out of the corner of my eye a small, dark shape moving quickly alongside the wall. For a few minutes before that, I had been hearing what sounded like someone throwing a pebble at my living room or kitchen window, and was confused at the sound. Now that I noticed this fleeting object, I quickly got out of bed, put on shorts and a t-shirt, and went out into the living room to investigate. A small, brown sparrow had gotten into the apartment and was flying around frantically, trying to get out. The night before, in order to let some fresh air in, I'd left the kitchen window cracked-open only about two or three inches. Somehow our small winged friend had found his way in through that opening. And now he wanted to get out. I opened the kitchen window as far wide as possible. I moved the hanging plant from that window to the open walkway between the kitchen and the living room. And I moved the large plant on the kitchen windowsill to the coffee table in the living room. By doing all of this, there was now a large, unobstructed passage to the open window. And of course the bird was too scared to come low because of Rocky and the Baby. So, I put Rocky in the bedroom and closed the door. And the Baby just stayed put in the living room, a little too unsettled by this strange creature that was flying around her living space. At this point, I tried to usher the bird towards the open window, but it was obviously too freaked-out by the large human waving his hands. I decided that I would just eat my breakfast in the living room and ignore the bird, hoping that it would eventually find its way out. After about five minutes, there was silence. I looked for the bird, but it was nowhere to be found. Happily, our brown sparrow had found his freedom.

Earlier today, on my walk from the office to the Criminal Justice Center, as I was walking north down 15th Street towards Market, I felt something hit my left hand. I raised it toward my face and saw that a round splatter of white goo had landed on the part of my hand behind my thumb and forefinger. I went right up to a food vendor and asked for napkins to wipe my hand. The woman I had been speaking with told me that I now had good luck, and she asked me to give her three numbers to play the lottery. I obliged and gave her three random numbers. Hopefully I truly have been blessed with good fortune. Let's see.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Facebook status update

Ozomatli, at World Cafe Live, one week from tonight.

Friday, April 2, 2010

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Facebook status update

Today is Cesar Chavez Day: "All my life, I have been driven by one dream, one goal, one vision: to overthrow a farm labor system in this nation that treats farm workers as if they were not important human beings. Farm workers are not agricultural implements; they are not beasts of burden to be used and discarded."

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Facebook status update

I strongly oppose Attorney General Tom Corbett's lawsuit against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Healthcare reform is necessary for our nation's best interests. A healthy workforce is a productive workforce, and a productive workforce is key to a robust economy.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Facebook status update

Hoy es "Dia de la Memoria por la Verdad y la Justicia" en Argentina, siempre recordamos los que perdieron sus vidas y fueron desaparecidos en la Guerra Sucia y apoyamos siempre la lucha contra la injusticia en cualquier forma y en cualquier parte del mundo.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Saw Temple vs. Richmond in the championship game of the 2010 Atlantic 10 men's basketball tournament at Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, section 219, row L, seat 20, for $40.00.

Sunday, February 28, 2010

Facebook status update

The American poet Walt Whitman once portrayed a sunset over Philadelphia as "...a broad tumble of clouds, with much golden haze and profusion of beaming shaft and dazzle."

Friday, February 26, 2010

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Saw Temple vs. Dayton at the Liacouras Center, section 114, row F, seat 6, for $35.00.

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Saw Temple vs. Rhode Island at the Liacouras Center, section 102, row R, seat 9, for $35.00.

Friday, February 12, 2010

Friday update

So here I am, sitting at my desk, looking out the window to bright blue skies on a Friday morning. I just got back from a short trip to Family Court, where I had to drop-off some papers to a law student volunteer at the domestic violence unit. Walking down Chestnut Street, with tall snow drifts on the side of the road, icy spots on the sidewalk, and narrow passageways at each corner where previous pedestrians blazed their way through the snow, I began dreaming. I pictured myself at my favorite beach in the world, Playa Samara, on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. I can see myself sitting there in an open-air restaurant, drinking a guanabana con leche, after a filling breakfast of gallo pinto. I'm there with a beautiful girlfriend and I'm looking forward to a lazy day with no appointments, no worries, no preoccupations. I'm looking forward to swimming in the clear, blue water of the Pacific, to taking a nap on the warm sand under some palm trees, to taking a walk hand-in-hand to the end of the beach, to kissing while the sun sets over the ocean, to eating a delicious dinner at the edge of the sand, to going to a beachfront bar for cervezas Imperiales and a few games of pool, while listening to reggae music playing in the background, to going to bed with a ceiling fan buzzing coolly overhead while lying on top of the sheets, a pleasant buzz from the beer and the pleasure of a girl best friend at my side, lazily dozing off to sleep feeling content and easy . . .

And here I am in Philly, hoping at least to get a good buzz tonight.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

blast from the past

in order to keep myself busy for a while, i dug up my files of papers that i'd written in high school and typed a few of them on to the blog here. reading the eighteen year old version of myself writing was quite amusing. i was a good writer, if i say so myself! but just reading the way i wrote, or to put it better, hearing the voice of a young me, really made me feel a bit bittersweet. i sounded so idealistic and innocent, so intelligent and so confident but understated in approach to the world. there are certainly remmants of that personality still within myself, but my evolution has taken me away from that clean archetype. and the weight of years of experiences and disappointments, and yes, certainly heartbreak, has undoubtedly etched indelible scars into my skin of my soul. i've become pragmatic to the point where things don't seem worthwhile. the focus of my life has moved away from internal sources of happiness, like reading and football, to external sources of sometimes happiness, sometimes unhappiness, like relationships with imperfect girls and the monotony of a job that doesn't truly exploit my talents. how did i go from a guy that was sought my most of the ivies to a single guy hopelessly waiting for love and still living in a one bedroom apartment with two cats? and yet i still feel hopeful. even despite the wistful despair at seeing my own transformation. really, hearing my young voice makes me feel that i deserve so much better than i have, and i now wonder what i can possibly do to change that. does the life of an adult necessarily demand this hardening, this pragmatization, this realization that we march towards death, and the likelihood of internal sources of pleasure and happiness becoming evermore fleeting and rare? i also wonder if i will ever find a girl who is both beautiful and intelligent and who will love me completely. does this girl exist? must i be dependent on external sources of happiness since i've seemingly exhausted my own innocence, except perhaps during rare moments of silliness and immaturity, at which time i'm usually told that i'm being weird or that i have a strange sense of humor? nowadays i'm most happy when i'm reading, because reading is something that i've always loved, ever since i was a boy, according to my own memories and what my dad has told me. also, reading provides me an escape from all the despair of mundane life. even for all my reminiscing tonight, i feel relatively good. the goal of life is to keep on living, because one simply never knows exactly what to expect. i think back to a year ago. i flew out to san diego for a 24 hour trip to visit cherise on valentine's day. it was a final hurrah, a last ditch effort at what i thought was worthwhile. of course it was a revelatory trip, so much more as a result of what was not expressed as what was. and that seems to be my predilection, to attract those that are incapable of expression. or maybe that's the grave that i've dug, that my own love for words, as i've developed through my reading, my love for expresssion, which i do through my everyday speech and writing, has created certain unusual expectations that are not likely to be fulfilled by the modern woman, who has been braindirtied by society to be independent, sovereign, self sufficient. conversely, perhaps my hatred for the way i was raised, by a mother and father who, although they undoubtedly did love me, never, not once, ever said so or gave a hug or a kiss or a simple "i love you" has made me particularly sensitive to that condition, as i consider it a deficiency, so that i cannot trust or stand anyone who fits that personality type. and then i wonder to myself whether, at the age i'm at, i'm still in the process of figuring out who i am and what i need and why this process is still taking place when others seem to have figured everything out so long ago. am i really that complex? or is it that i've been that ignorant of myself for so long? or maybe i'm self-deceiving, a quality that i absolutely loathe in others, because for me it's dishonorable to lie to others, but downright detestable to lie to oneself. i don't know. anyway, to the extent that i continue to have free time at home, i'd like to continue typing in old papers on to this blog. besides being entertaining, hopefully, they may help me to find my true self, or at least recover a part of a more innocent and pure version of me. and now, since it's late, i'm going to have some dinner, some leftovers of tilapia, rice and beans from last night. and then i'll finish the night with some reading, because that sounds like a nice way to end the evening before going to bed. by the way, the snow ended last night and left us with 16 inches of snow, on top of the already 28.5 on the ground, officially making this the snowiest winter on record in philadelphia. when the snow eventually melts, hopefully it can wash away all the uncertainty with it.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

I just checked the website for 6abc news, and they're calling for 18 to 24 inches of snow in Philadelphia! If we really get as much snow as they're predicting, it's really gonna shut-down the city. The office is already closed for tomorrow, and it may be closed on Thursday too. I just can't imagine how another two feet of snow, on top of the two feet that's still on the ground from this past Saturday, is gonna be plowed. Even SEPTA is announcing that it will quite likely shut-down service.

So, the moral of the story is that I've gotta be prepared. I just finished my latest book last night, "The Essential Neruda: Selected Poems," a collection of fifty of Pablo Neruda's poems. I think he is an amazing poet, and just reading his poetry got me thinking in poetic terms, and hoping that I can be inspired to write some of my own poetry again. Maybe the day off tomorrow may afford me the opportunity, if only I am blessed with inspiration. Anyway, on my walk home today I'm going to stop by Barnes & Noble to use the remaining value on a gift card (given to me on my birthday by my mom's boyfriend, Eric) to get a new book. I already have a few titles in mind; we'll see what I actually get.

Another form of preparation is picking-up a couple movies. Just a few nights ago, I got a month-long movie pass from the video store on 20th Street. Ileana and I watched District 9 and (500) Days of Summer. But I'd like to stop by this evening to replace those two with two new ones, so that I have something to watch tomorrow during the day or in the evening.

And finally, I should definitely stop off at Trader Joe's to restock on some food and drink. I'm sure Trader Joe's is gonna be a madhouse, but I really have no choice because I'm running low on a bunch of stuff. I would've had to go there today, even if there was no impending snowstorm.

Somehow I have to do all of these things and get out to Ileana's place in West Philly before the new episode of Lost begins at 9:00 p.m. tonight! Oh man, this doesn't look good.

Mission Accomplished

I feel a sense of accomplishment. I finally mailed out my 2008 tax return. I owed $2.00 in taxes, for which I wrote out a check to the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. I had been meaning to finish it up and send it out for months, since last April really, but I kept putting it off. Finally, with a little free time yesterday afternoon, I resolved to focus on getting it done. I'm glad it's out of the way now. I'd had a post-it note hanging from my computer monitor for the past three months with the word "taxes" scribbled on to it as a reminder. That post-it note is now in the trash. Just in time for me to look forward to tackling my 2009 federal and state tax returns.

So this is the calm before the storm. Today's dry skies and calm wind belie the approaching deluge of snow; the latest predictions (at 3:30am from the National Weather Service) are for 10 to 18 inches in Philadelphia. And this on top of this past Saturday's 28.5 inches, which have barely been cleared, if at all, from roads and sidewalks. From what I recall seeing on the news, Philadelphia only needs 9 more inches to make this the snowiest winter on record. In little over 24 hours, we'll see if we're on our way to that dubious mark.

I read a comment to a news article on philly.com that global warming is causing the greater snowfalls, as a result of massive glacial melting in the North Atlantic, off the coast of Greenland, which cools the waters there and backs up the normally warm flow from the Caribbean, which has always offset, to a degree, the cold air from the Arctic in the winter months. I'm no meteorologist, of course, but that (long-winded) explanation does seem to make sense.

Monday, February 8, 2010

Class bias

On Facebook, a user can become a "fan" of certain groups. There are thousands of groups for all sorts of interests. The overwhelming majority are non-controversial and harmless. One of them that has always gotten under my skin, though, is a group called "Making Drug Tests Required to Get Welfare." Presumably, "fans" of this group favor a government policy requiring an applicant for public assistance to get a negative result from a mandated drug test in order to be eligible to receive assistance from the Department of Public Welfare.

"Making Drug Tests Required to Get Welfare" would be a waste of taxpayer dollars, not to mention an institutionalization of class bias. Today, courts do not order a drug test unless there is reasonable cause to do so. Requiring drug tests to get welfare would eliminate reasonable cause and replace it with a prejudice against someone simply for being poor.

Groups that advocate this kind of position really anger me. They exemplify one more type of bias that still exists in this world. Stupid people continue to exist and promote policies and programs that reflect their own stupidity.

Winter wonderland

A major snowstorm hit Philadelphia. The snow began falling late Friday night, and it didn't stop until some time Saturday night. When it was all said and done, there were 28.5 inches of snow on the ground. That's the official snowfall for Philadelphia, according to the news. And based on that, it's the second biggest single snowfall in the recorded history of the city. But from what I can estimate at the double-deuce and Spruce, I think the snow total was less than two feet. Don't get me wrong though. Even now, on Monday morning, there is still a ton of snow on the streets. Even the sidewalks of major streets, like Walnut, are not completely clear. It's times like this that I really wish I had a digital camera that worked, and a notebook computer that had sufficient memory to allow me to upload photos. Those are two things (a camera and a computer) on my list of things to get. Anyway, with temperatures not really expected to exceed the freezing mark, it will be very difficult to remove the snow before the next major snowstorm, which is predicted for this coming Wednesday.

On Saturday night, I took the Baby out on to the front stoop to let her see the snow. She was her typical self: a bit timid, but curious. We stayed outside for not much more than five minutes to let her do just a little bit of exploring.

Well, having a weekend where I mostly stayed indoors allowed me to do some reading. Last week I finished "Revolutionary Suicide" by Huey P. Newton. And although I've been meaning to make it to Borders or Barnes and Noble to get a new book, I simply haven't done so. Luckily, I still had the book that Ileana gave me as a gift for my birthday, a collection of poems by Pablo Neruda, which I've been reading for the past week. I've got a little more than 40 pages left, so perhaps I can finish it tonight.

I think Sue's husband, George, looks like Jeremy Shockey, of the New Orleans Saints. Last night the Saints won Super Bowl 44 over the Indianapolis Colts. I'd been routing for the Colts, who looked good in the first quarter. But the Saints staved off the Colts' momentum by eating up tons of clock in the second quarter, thereby keeping Peyton Manning (and the Colts offense) from getting into a groove. And by doing that, it allowed Drew Brees and the Saints offense to shake off any rust and/or nerves to get into their own groove. Despite that, the game was close, it was anyone's game, until late in the fourth quarter, when Peyton Manning threw an interception that was run back for a Saints' touchdown. Besides the points margin, it was a shift of momentum, a game-changer. Oh well, I guess I'm happy for the NFC to have won a championship. And I guess for the city of New Orleans too, as non-sportcasters in the news are making such a big deal about. As if the Super Bowl victory will do anything to rebuild a city or prevent the potential effects of another major hurricane in New Orleans. But maybe I'm being a little cynical. The Saints franchise has never won a Super Bowl, and there are no other major sports in that city, so if anyone deserves to win the big game, why not them?

Well, things seem pretty quiet today, with the snow and all. So I may write again later today, when my mind begins wandering, and I have some random thoughts that merit mention.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Good vibes

cuz i'm in the mood for some uplifting music to refocus me . . . gotta hope for the best . . .



"sometimes life it seems to stall
but never be ungrateful y'all"

i'm thankful that i have all the necessities of life and the education, tools, credentials, experience, etc. to allow me to look for opportunities. i guess i just wish that things were a little more stable, in terms of employment. but as i've reasoned to myself in the past, not having a wife or children, not having a mortgage, not having anything really permanent, simply means that i have freedom: freedom to go wherever i like, freedom to work as i wish, freedom to find my own definition of happiness. it's just that the idea of a permanent job, with my own office and my own cases and my own clients, and with all the perquisites of a job, like health insurance and the assurance of a regular paycheck, would really make me happy, despite whatever "freedom" i may metaphysically be giving up. i guess this rolling stone is just gonna have to keep on rolling...

Job prospects

I'd really like to be able to stay on at Philadelphia Legal Assistance on a permanent basis. I spoke very briefly with our executive director this afternoon, who told me that they're applying for funding from the Department of Justice to staff a family law attorney to focus on serving immigrant clients. That's right up my alley, considering my language and cultural background, as well as my travel experience, and ability to build rapport quickly with people of various cultures. The problem, though, is that the funding may not be available until the end of the year. And we're only in January now. The executive director told me that I should reach out to a particular private attorney, who she's friends with and who I happen to know, to discuss the possibility of getting together for lunch, with the ostensible purpose of talking about going in with him, at least on a temporary basis. My initial reaction is one of disappointment, because I'd like to stay on here at PLA. But I'm gonna have to sit down to talk more in detail about these possibilities with our executive director. And then I'll just have to take it from there. I don't like the idea of once again leaving a position after just a few months, but if I have no choice in the matter, then what else can I do?

Monday, January 25, 2010

Questions

Last night Ileana and I played the questions game. That's where we take turns asking one question at at time to each other as a way of getting to know each other better. As I said last night, the questions she asked me, and my answers to them, are probably more interesting than most of what I normally write about on here. So hopefully I can remember some of those questions as topics for future posts here.

Question: skydive or bungee jump?

My answer: In reality, neither one. But if I had to choose for the sake of this hypothetical question, I think I'd have to go with skydiving. The idea of jumping off the side of a bridge, putting all my hope on a rubber cord, seems crazy. At least skydiving involves not only the parachute, but an emergency parachute, and you're accompanied by a skydiving instructor. Also, I would hope that being so high up in the air would make it seem more surreal, thus better able to confront, whereas jumping off a bridge the ground comes up at you in the blink of an eye.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

capitalism/socialism

Capitalism is good when it promotes competition -- which creates better products, more efficiency, and generally pushes everyone -- as individuals and corporations -- to work better.

Socialism is good when it provides essential services to individuals and families who are adversely effected by economic forces beyond their control.

A healthy economy is the positive, mutually beneficial intersection of these two basic goals.

The part of Dr. King's quote that is critical is its reference to those living "in abject, deadening poverty." That's because the existence of those with "superfluous, inordinate wealth" is only really a problem when there exist those who continue to live "in abject, deadening poverty."

Facebook status update

"Para mi solo recorrer los caminos que tienen corazon, cualquier camino que tenga corazon. Por ahi yo recorro, y la unica prueba que vale es atravesar todo su largo. Y por ahi yo recorro mirando, mirando, sin aliento." -- don Juan Matus

a short week

Because of the MLK holiday yesterday, today is the beginning of a short week. As I said a couple posts ago, I'm looking forward to a much quieter week than last week.

As a follow-up, I'd like to report that my irrational, and admittedly stupid, worries dissipated on Sunday night. They began to calm down a bit just from listening to music, which almost always seems to help me feel better and put things in perspective. But they dissipated completely when I got a phone call from Ileana late Sunday night. To my surprise, she actually read what I'd written here earlier that evening, so she picked up the phone and called me. We talked for a little while and everything was fine. I realize that there are certain reflex reactions I have, probably a combination of my personality as well as patterns from previous relationships (I guess that may be the downside to having experience). And that I must be very aware of not blindly giving in to those impulses, especially when there's no real reason to do so. As I admitted to Ileana, it's not necessarily going to be easy. But she gives me good reason to grow and become a more mature person in how I handle the downpoints in a relationship. I'm gonna give it my best shot. And I'm very, very thankful to be with someone who is caring and understanding of me. Besides that, I'll say simply that Ileana and I spent a really nice time together yesterday, highlighted by lunch at Pod (3636 Sansom Street in University City) and a really delicious, home-cooked dinner of penne pasta in alfredo sauce with chicken and broccoli.

Well, that's enough for now. I have other thoughts in mind on various other topics, but I'll save that for another post, perhaps as early as later this afternoon. Time to finish enjoying my late morning coffee and take care of a few things. Have a great day!

Monday, January 18, 2010

Remembering MLK

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. told his Ebenezer Church congregation:
"If our economic system is to survive, there has to be a better distribution of wealth . . . we can't have a system where some people live in superfluous, inordinate wealth, while others live in abject, deadening poverty."
Today is Martin Luther King Day 2010. I'm happy that I work in public service. Hopefully my six-month stint at Philadelphia Legal Assistance becomes something longer lasting. I hope that an offer for a permanent position is extended to me in the next week or two. Keep your fingers crossed for me, please. Thanks.

Facebook status update

"If our economic system is to survive, there has to be a better distribution of wealth . . . we can't have a system where some people live in superfluous, inordinate wealth, while others live in abject, deadening poverty." -- Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

doubts

every once in a while, i get this feeling that i will never settle down into a permanent relationship, not so much as a result of my own choice, but more because of circumstances. this feeling naturally comes up more frequently when i'm single. but this feeling also comes up occasionally when i'm in a relationship with someone. i've got that feeling right now.

yesterday i'd had an idea of how the night was going to turn out. i thought i was going to bring some tilapia to ileana's place, cook it up for us and eat it for dinner, then head to a musical performance at 9pm, and then meet up with some co-workers for karaoke at the trocadero. well, due to cleaning-up around the apartment and watching football on tv, and more than anything else, just from feeling pretty tired, the time flew and the evening went by. by the time i got a hold of ileana on the phone, it was just about 8:30pm, and i was still at home, not yet dressed and trying to figure out how the heck we were going to do everything that we'd had in mind. well, i guess i made an assumption that ileana had in my mind what i'd had in mind. this became clear when ileana told me, in that short phone conversation, that she was going to the show in a few minutes. right then i realized that i wasn't going to her place for dinner, that i'd have to cook the tilapia at my place, and that this whole last-minute change of plans really annoyed me to the point that i knew i wasn't going to want to go out at all. now, as an aside, i have to admit right here that i'd been feeling reluctant all along to doing karaoke with a group of co-workers, a few of which i'm not close with. so admittedly, i may have exploited this sudden change of plans as a reason to avoid going to the troc.

but there were a few deeper feelings going on too. and they reveal my own insecurities involved in my relationship with ileana. two things came to my mind. first, the show that ileana was going to was a brazilian musical performance. and by me having to stay home to cook the tilapia (because i had defrosted it two nights before, i had to either cook it last night or throw it out for fear of it having gone bad), that meant that ileana was going to the show alone. well, here's where i admit to you, the reader, that ileana's immediate ex-boyfriend, whom she was still dating when she and i first started spending time, left for brazil less than four months ago, thereby effectively ending their relationship, and opening the door for me. so for ileana to go alone to a brazilian music show signified to me a chance for ileana -- with me out of sight and out of mind -- to think about and reminisce on her ex-boyfriend. second, to add a bit of credence to this worry was the fact that something from the night before was still on my mind. on friday night, ileana and i stopped into good dog, a bar on 15th street near locust, to see if my friend madhu was still there, as he had texted me a bit earlier. while searching for madhu throughout the bar, ileana saw a guy who she knew. she began talking with him, and after texting madhu that i was there, i approached to introduce myself. the guy seemed very nice, and was obviously gay. then he told ileana that he really liked her ex-boyfriend, although he liked my eyes. i took the back-handed compliment in stride. and a couple minutes later, when ileana apologized to me for the guy's comment, i told her, rightly so, that she had no control over what he said. nevertheless, the seed of insecurity was planted in my mind, and it was sown the next night when ileana went to the brazilian show all by herself, ditching me at home to cook the tilapia.

now, before i go any further, can i admit that my fears are probably irrational? am i being insecure? yes and yes. but can i help myself? not really. it angers me that i began my relationship with ileana at a time when she was still going out with another guy. and although the greater part of me is happy that he's out of the picture by still being in brazil as i write this, a part of me wishes he was back here in philly so that i could feel more assured that ileana was still sticking with me, even with him in town. in other words, my insecurity is that when he comes back, she goes back to be with him, thereby ditching me to cook tilapia every night if i desire. i hate feeling this way. and i'm not sure what to do about it.

notably, after the brazilian musical show, ileana took it upon herself to come by my place to see if she would get me to go out with her or, i assume, stay in with me for the night. and although i give her a little bit of credit for coming here after the show, my overactive mind was already fast at work by that point, and i just wanted her to leave me alone for the night. she respected my wishes, even though she said i was acting like an asshole, and she left, presumably to meet up with all our co-workers as originally planned. i stayed in to finish cooking the tilapia and watch tv for the rest of the night.

it's now almost 24 hours later and i still haven't communicated with ileana all day long. my worst fears are dominating my thoughts. my insecurities are impelling me to solitude. i've stayed in to watch the villanova vs. georgetown basketball game, then cowboys-vikings, and now jets-chargers. up to this point i had decided that i wanted to be alone the rest of the weekend, and not see ileana again until work on tuesday. of course i'm second-guessing that decision now. but my fears remain.

and they remain against the backdrop of ileana's emotions towards me. on the positive, ileana has spent a whole lot of time with me over the past four months; in fact, we've been almost inseparable. and she will periodically kiss me on the cheek, for no reason at all. but on the downside, she's never really talked about a future for us, and she's never told me that she loves me. in the final analysis, to the extent that i can possibly be objective, i know that i have little or nothing to worry about, i know that i'm quite likely being irrational and letting my insecurities get to me. but that's how i feel right now, and i can't help myself. if ileana loves me, then i have nothing to worry about. and that's why i'm just gonna lay low, and wait to hear from her. and in the meantime, hope that my insecurities dissipate at least a little bit.

i'm gonna go back to drinking my beer and watching the end of the jets-chargers game now. it looks like i'm staying in by myself tonight.

Friday, January 15, 2010

the end of a busy week

It's certainly been a very busy week. For the first time, I had three hearings scheduled for one week. It didn't turn out so bad, though, because my client at this morning's hearing had already decided to remit all child support arrears for the defendant and terminate the support order, all by the time I got to court. So in the end, I only had to put on two hearings this past week, on Monday and yesterday. Even besides the hearings and the preparation involved for them, I've been busy trying to catch up on call-backs to clients. I still have a list of about ten calls that I need to make today. And over the course of the day, other things always seem to pop up to slow down any progress. But I realize that it's all part of the ebb and flow of work. Next week should be pretty good. I only have a custody master's conference on Thursday. So that should afford me the opportunity to catch-up on some things that really need to be done.

Anyway, enough about work. This past Wednesday, Wagner and I went to see the Temple men's basketball team take on the UPenn Quakers at the Palestra, the famed basketball arena. The game turned out as we had both hoped: Penn hung around for the first half and into the beginning of the second half, enough to make it an interesting and entertaining game, but then by mid-second half Temple began to pull away en route to their 60-45 victory. For buying tickets right there at the box office about five minutes before tip-off, our seats were not too bad: just behind the Temple student section, behind and slightly to the side of one of the hoops, and not too, too far from the Temple bench. There were no outstanding performances from the Temple players, more of just an overall team effort. As I commented to Wagner during the game, I think Temple played down just a little bit to their competition.

Last night after work, I went out with a few co-workers for happy hour. Diane organized the outting, and we went to the American Pub, underground near the Clothespin on 15th and Market. The atmosphere was decent, though nothing to really go back to in the future. I had a couple Miller Lites. Afterward, knowing that I had nothing at home to make dinner, I invited Ileana out to dinner. We shared some mozzarella sticks and a pizza at Pietro's Coal Oven Pizzeria, on Walnut Street near 18th.

So that's what's been going on. Besides simply reporting my weekly, or even daily, activities, I wanna get back to writing here about random stuff. Maybe if next week isn't so busy at work, I'll be able to take a quick break here and there to post some thoughts on non-personal issues. In the meantime, I hope you don't mind too much reading my online personal diary. Have a great weekend, fellow user of the world wide web!

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Facebook status update

Any two individuals should be allowed to marry each other in a civil ceremony. Any civil marriage law that doesn't provide this is contrary to "liberty" and "the pursuit of happiness," and for those who choose to marry, the definition of "life" itself.

Friday, January 8, 2010

the weekend starts here!

I stayed up late last night reading my book, "Revolutionary Suicide," by Huey P. Newton. So that's why I got into work late this morning, which in turn explains why I'm still at work at 7:30pm on a Friday. But I'm about to leave now. I spent most of the day closing out files from 2009. I hadn't done any of that until today, so there was a lot that needed to be done. For the past three hours, I've finally gotten around to calling back clients who had left messages for me.

Well, I'm happy that the weekend is about to begin. I was surprised when I got into work today, even though I got in late, to see Ileana walk into my office, having already gotten here a half-hour before me. She had been up in New York all week because her uncle passed away suddenly this past Monday. I knew that she was coming back to Philly today, but I didn't think that she'd beat me into work, especially coming in all the way from New York! I guess it was a function of me being so late this morning, and Ileana being so early leaving her mom's place when her mom had to leave early for her own work this morning. So, although I'm a little tired, I'm really happy that Ileana is back.

Anyway, I'm looking for this weekend to be on the quiet side. I have to do at least a couple loads of laundry and I absolutely have to make a trip to Target to re-stock on a bunch of necessary home supplies. Besides that, I'll probably have a few drinks at some point, probably tomorrow night, but we'll see what develops. Or maybe I'll even have a drink tonight, who knows? If I do, I'll toast one to you! "Wait," you say, "how do you know who's reading this?" I guess I can't be sure, but the important thing is that I have a drink in someone's honor. Right? right. Alright, have a beautiful weekend. Peace out!

Facebook status update

When it's going to snow, the streets should be coated not only with salt, but with pepper too. Never good to have one without the other.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

BCS National Championship

Tonight is the big game between Alabama and Texas. I have no plans tonight other than to chill out and watch the game at home. Hopefully it's a close, entertaining game; wouldn't want to end this college football season with a flop.

Earlier today I filed exceptions in a child support case. I thought the master did a really shitty job of calculating the child support. And I think she was motivated to prove me wrong since during the hearing I refused to settle with the other side for a meager monthly sum on behalf of my client. I insisted on a hearing, and the master became visibly angry that she'd actually have to put on a full hearing. That's why I think she wanted to tweak the numbers in whatever way possible to make the final order for less than the other side was offering to settle for. The exceptions were due today, and I got them done just in time. I found plenty of caselaw to support my position. But as with anything else, there's no way to know how the court will resolve my exceptions. With the court, as on the football field, it's "any given Sunday." But as I instant messaged to Ileana earlier today, while I was putting the finishing touches on the exceptions: "my legal arguments are swift and painlessly painful." That was my way of saying that I think I did a good job in preparing my exceptions, i.e., making my arguments. Now we'll just have to wait for a hearing date.

Besides that, all is quiet on the western front. I've been super-busy at work and that has been the main focus of my life these past few days. The only other thing that I'll comment on now is that the weather has been really cold. I think I heard that it may snow tonight, which is hard to believe since we've had perfectly clear (yet cold) skies all day long today. But hey, it is winter, so what else should we expect? That's all for now, folks, hope all is well and quiet on your front and back too. Peace.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Marathon

I came back just a little while ago from a late lunch at Marathon Grill, near Broad & Chestnut Streets. Several of us from work went there to have lunch with our old co-worker Sue, who's out on maternity leave; in fact, Sue is who I'm filling in for here at PLA. Meeting everyone for lunch worked out perfectly since I didn't have time to make lunch this morning to bring to work.

As we were about to leave, I heard a great song by Beck, "Gamma Ray." Check out the video:


Wherever you are, I hope you're staying warm. It's pretty cold these days in Philly! Check ya later.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Happy new year!

A new year has begun! 2009 is in the past, 2010 is the present and the future. Hopefully it's a good year filled with good health and happiness.

The New Year's Eve weekend was pretty good. My sister Jessica came down from Easton to hang out with Ileana and me for the night. Jess picked me up and we drove out to West Philly to meet up with Ileana and her roommate Jess. Ileana warmed up some dinner that she had cooked earlier in the evening: yellow rice with shrimp and vegetables. It was really good, although it would've been better if it had been warmed up more. The highlight was the sangria that Ileana made from a recipe that she got online; she used a bottle of malbec and mixed in a bunch of fruit. It was really good.

After that, the four of us walked the block and a half or so to a house party on 45th and Locust. Even though we didn't get there until around 10pm, people were still showing up around that time. We milled around for a while, chatting it up with a few people and eating some of the appetizers laid out on a table in the dining room. Mostly I just talked with Ileana, while Jess talked with this guy John who sorta looked like the actor Ryan Reynolds. Finally midnight approached, so everyone gathered in the living room, where a smaller television was set-up to watch the ball drop. At a few minutes before midnight, John and I psyched everyone out by shouting out a countdown "ten, nine, eight..."; everyone's surprise reaction at being caught off-guard was pretty funny. Finally midnight struck and I realized that there may not have been any couples there at all, which Jess told me later, made her happy. We all toasted small plastic cups of champagne and the new year began!

The next morning, Ileana and I cooked eggs with green pepper and onions for ourselves, with english muffins on the side. Then Jess and I drove back to my place so that I could clean-up my apartment while Jess went out to do reading at Cosi in the afternoon. Later, I walked over to meet her, and then Ileana took a bus to come meet us there too. From there, the three of us walked back to Jess's car and we drove to have a late lunch / early dinner at Bar Ferdinand in Northern Liberties. Because there was a happy hour special when we got there, we were able to have two carafes of sangria. And we all split 8 tapas and 2 bowls of soup. Overall the food was delicious; nothing like empanadas to hit the spot. After dinner, Jess drove us out to West Philly so that Ileana could pick-up her passport (to use as ID for the night), then dropped us off at Drinker's in Center City so that we could hang-out with my friend Mike and his girlfriend Christine. Before that, though, Ileana and I ran in to buy tickets for the movie Avatar, playing later that night. Ileana and I split a pitcher of Bud Light at Drinker's, while chatting with Mike and Christine, and then booked it just in time to catch a cab out to the Bridge at 40th and Walnut. The movie Avatar was awesome. Upon the advice of Ethan (who texted me earlier that day for new year's), we decided to pay the extra money to watch it in 3-D; so worth it! The special effects were amazing and the visual picture was just beautiful. Ileana and I really related to the storyline, especially as it paralleled the Conquest of the Americas, a topic that we had spoken a lot of while I read the book "Open Veins of Latin America" by Eduardo Galeano, which I had just finished reading a few days earlier. The only bummer was having to wait for 20 minutes on the corner of 40th and Chestnut for a bus back to Center City on a night when it was freezing cold and windy. Despite the cold weather, though, we were both buzzing from the after-effects of watching Avatar.

Saturday, we took our time getting the day started. We finally made it out in the mid-afternoon to take a walk to a coffee shop. We tried going first to Good Karma, but every table was taken, so we kept walking until we got to La Va Cafe, on 21st and South Streets. We got a table there and sipped our coffee while reading: she with Song of Solomon (by Toni Morrison) and me with Revolutionary Suicide (by Huey P. Newton). From there we stopped back at my place to pick-up a Trader Joe's gift card, which my mom had given to me for Christmas, and we went food-shopping together. We had a lunch of California rolls and crackers with Iberico cheese and salami. We spent the rest of the afternoon watching television, including some college football, which I tried to explain to Ileana. Later in the evening we cooked some organic spaghetti with spinach mixed into the red sauce, and then Ileana left to go home to get ready for the night. Although I was feeling pretty tired, I had promised Ileana that we would go out dancing. So when she texted to say that she was in a cab on her way down to the Walnut Room, I left my place and walked over there. There was a pretty decent crowd there and I took a few minutes to ease in to the atmosphere by drinking a couple PBR's and feeling the music, which was mostly 90's to more recent hip-hop. Ileana was dancing pretty much right from the get-go, and eventually I started dancing too. After a little while, I had gotten into it. Towards the end of the night, the dj played a merengue song, and I could see that Ileana was impressed that my dancing skills (at least when it comes to merengue) were better than I had let on. Even though I was tired throughout much of the night, the music energized me just enough and we had a really fun night dancing together.

Sunday was a very lazy day. We got up at 11:30am, only to migrate to the couch for breakfast and then a nap that lasted until around 2pm. After getting up and having lunch, we finally went out later in the afternoon for a coffee at La Colombe. I did a little more reading in my book, while Ileana read from Citypaper and Philadelphia Weekly. We went back to my place so I could drop-off my stuff before going to church, while Ileana stayed behind and did some reading. When I got back from church, we cooked a dinner of pollo asado (pre-seasoned courtesy of Trader Joe's), white rice with coconut milk, and black beans. It was a good dinner, enjoyed while watching episodes of Lost, season five. Our Lost marathon lasted until past midnight. And so, our long New Year's weekend finally came to an end.

And so now, it's back to the grind. In this new year, I'd like to do a much better job of getting to work on-time, getting to the gym more regularly, and keeping in touch with my friends more, all things that sound easy, but I find ways to make difficult. That being said, I wish you the very best in 2010!

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Facebook status update

facebook is the tip. i am the iceberg.