Random musings...

I figure that I haven't updated in a while and my readership of two may be losing interest so here's a hodgepodge of random thoughts to keep ya'll on the hook:

1. I ate at an authentic Mexican joint today. I call it "authentic" because they didn't speak English, it was on Buford Highway, no one eating in the place spoke fluent English, and it was damn good and I'll probably have the runs later. The chicken taco and burrito were good but the salsa they had made it even better. Oh, and my Diet Coke was from a very fine year as well.

2. Thanksgiving was a day of over-indulgence as usual. Too much football, food, and, in the end, family time. It was great to see my sister and some friends that I hadn't seen in a while.

3. I'm flying out to Vegas Monday for my interview/meet & greet session with the folks out at the health department. Keep those fingers crossed and prayer lines open for an offer, and hopefully one that I can't refuse.

4. I will probably die of alcohol poisoning this weekend if I'm not careful. The schedule looks like this: Thursday - Big 5 Holiday Party, Friday - Harrison's Ski Lodge Party, Saturday - Chris's White Trash Holiday Party, Sunday thru Tuesday - Vegas baby, VEGAS!!

5. I think one of my female friends may have thrown "the block" on me this weekend. Awkward. I have a feeling it will just be one of those things we never mention to each other again. Probably for the best - that she threw it and that we never talk about it. Unless she reads this - um, double awkward. In that case, to her I say, "My intentions were completely honorable - as honorable as we both were willing to dishonor ourselves." Damn, that still sounded awkward. Boo.

6. Mike Vick is an asshat.

Hopefully I'll have some good pictures to share after the weekend. 'Till next time...

Election Results...

As a Republican, you would think that I might be pissed about the election results of last night. Actually I'm quite happy with the results.

I was watching NBC last night and they had Sen. John McCain on as a guest and he flat out stated everything that I was thinking. Republicans have gone so far away from fiscal conservatism that people are calling for change. I for one, completely agree. The chosen candidates have run on religious ideologies and the coattails of 9/l1 and essentially become "yes men/women" for the president. The last time I checked, Congress was supposed to be a check for the White House, not a rubber stamp to authorize checks that we can't even afford to write!

Sen. McCain also mentioned that this was a wake-up call for the party and I wholeheartedly agree. Like he said, this happened in 1976, Ronald Reagan charted the course and got the party and this country back on track. I really hope that Sen. McCain can do this himself and get us all back on track. With the moderate Democrats winning the majority or new seats last night, here's to hoping that we can all get our heads out of our asses and get things done through actual dialogue over the next few years.

McCain in '08.

Election Talk Ignorance...

So yesterday I was driving home from work and flipping through the radio stations when I came across some election talk on V103. Now this station is the local self-labeled R&B/Hip-Hop station and I can understand that the election discussion they were having was geared towards getting out the black vote. I kept listening to get some insight into an alternate perspective on how people felt the election should shake out. Then the conversation changed and I started to get really pissed off. The station had brought in Vernon Jones, CEO of Dekalb County (which has one of the highest black/African American populations in metro Atlanta) and the topic of conversation changed to why very few blacks are not in any ownership positions in terms of land or businesses. The host for the afternoon drive started complaining about how foreigners can get loans to start these businesses and why blacks are being discriminated against in the respect. Mr. Jones started to say something about how maybe instead of going out and getting a loan to buy a $60,000 car, we should encourage young blacks to spend the money on $50,000 worth of land/business investment and less money on a car, but before he could finish his point both the host and the other "special guest" started in on how foreigners are ruining the black community since they are coming into low income areas and taking over any possible businesses. Mr. Jones then started again to something about how these groups are working really hard and making these businesses family operated and saving as much as they can to turn a profit when he was again interrupted for some asinine point about how blacks were still being kept down by Asians, Arabs and other foreigners who are coming and taking away opportunity in the communities that they have lived in for years.

So at this point, I had to change the station since I was about to run my car off the road because I was so pissed off. Here you have a very intelligent leader of the black/African American community making valid points and he's getting interrupted because he's not agreeing with the "black men are being kept down by the system" mantra. I mean the whole point of how foreigners are coming into communities and taking away opportunities from people that have been living there for years is total crap. If you've been living there for years before "my people" moved in, why didn't you go ahead and open up a laundry or convenience store? Oh, maybe it's because Mr. Jones has a point and you are being lazy. Don't give me any of that crap about how you can't get a loan either - like Mr. Jones said, maybe instead of getting that nice car, drive around a Corolla for a bit and invest the rest in a new business.

Anyway, I just thought I'd share and see what others think. Ignorance like this, regardless of race, really pisses me off. The worst part is that someone is out there listening to this crap and agreeing wholeheartedly. Hell, I'm a Republican and you don't see me marching along to the beat of Ann Coulter, Pat Buchanan, or idiots like that do you?!

Don't forget to vote today!!

The First Blogger, EVER...

...must have been Samuel Pepys. The man kept diaries of everything and anything that happened to him or in London in the 1660's. Granted, he really didn't have any readers until way later, but still. I just thought that was an interesting point that has been kicking around in my head for the last couple of days.

Anyway, my own sister told me that I needed to update this thing more often so she could keep track of my life better so I now know that my blog has a dedicated readership of 1. Pepys has a dedicated readership of millions so I guess I've got a little catching up to do!!

I guess the main thing that has happened in my life lately is the fact that I have been presented with an opportunity to move away from everything that I have ever know and head out for a job in Las Vegas. Some people might not think of that as an "opportunity" since I am pretty much going to start a new life out there, knowing no one or anything, but I think that it is an exciting and scary prospect, all rolled up into one. This is probably going to be the hardest decision I have ever had to make but for some reason, I feel that God is giving me a chance for a fresh start and leading me there. I know that He tells us that we need to step outside of our comfort zones and maybe this is my opportunity to not only do that, but also fill another purpose of my life. Either way, I'm still having a hard time deciding but hopefully I'll have that taken care of soon.

In other news, part of the reason I'm considering the move to Vegas is the fact that I was not informed that when I took my new position at CDC, my contract would not be renewed at the end of the year. This really frustrates me because there were other opportunities that I could have taken had I known that this would not be a permanent position. I suppose that is all irrelevant now but either way, I don't think that it was very professional of management to do so. I have a feeling that they knew I would not take the job had they told me that because right now, no one else can really do my job. I'm not sure of that is a running theme in my life right now, but it seems that a general shadiness/betrayal has been a characteristic of many people I associate with. Most of it isn't in the "dark," evil sense but more a feeling of people not being entirely forthright in big and little things. I'm trying not to let it bother me but part of me is thinking that if I do move away, I would cut these people out of my life entirely as part of my new beginning. I just don't need the prospect of more drama in my life.

I know this has been a long entry, but I would like to end it all on a happy note. My good friend Jenny got engaged last Tuesday! She met a great guy and even though it seems like things are moving quickly, they are planning to get married at the end of January. Her fiancé is Kenyan so there is the possibility that she will be moving there with him eventually but right now, she's got that post-engagement glow about her so congratulations Jenny!!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!