California is ruining me... or at least bringing out my worst.

so this morning a man collapsed on the train platform and everyone rushed to see if he was OK. it was apparent to the 2 doctors and 1 nurse that had run over to check on him that he was OK, within about 45 seconds. as he sat up under his own power and was able to answer all of their questions. here is where i began to realize that i am an uncaring individual.

the train didn't leave. it waited. for 18 minutes. and the whole time, i thought to myself. 'what a selfish jerk. stop talking to the train conductor. we have places to be.'

this thought reminded me of 3 months back. there was a suicide. a man jumped in front of our train. he was killed instantly. they made us wait for over an hour. and my first thought was: 'why can't this guy off himself in some way that doesn't inconvenience over 700 people?'

and again... a man jumped from the overpass and stopped traffic for over 3 hours.... same first thought. i think i am becoming a rather pessimistic and callous person... what do you all think?

I am going to Hell aren't i?

why can't people keep their holidays in Chronological order?

I do not hate Christmas! i love Christmas. i just don't like Christmas while i am working on a Halloween costume or preparing for another holiday. take them in order. as they come people!

I just want everyone to stop neglecting Thanksgiving. it is one of the best holidays by far! we get to binge and then pass out on the couch watching football while women go out and shop. could there be a more relaxing holiday ever conceived...? possibly, but it would be difficult.

while i am on the topic of holidays... why is it that last year the Christmas tree in Central park was changed to 'holiday tree'? i know they said it was to be politically correct... but that makes no sense. If you are celebrating Christmas, then you should be Christian. if you celebrate it and are not Christian then you should understand that it is a Christian holiday and hence the 'Christ' in the name of the celebration and calling the tree a Christmas Tree. changing the name like that is like telling people to call the Menorah the 'Holiday Menorah' to avoid offending others... wtf? you know? lets just leave it alone. if you celebrate a holiday that is not of your faith then realize it will have tenets that you do not espouse.

nightly reading.

I am of the opinion that it is never early to begin the education of your child. that is why i have recently found the 'History of Civilization' by William Durrant. it is a 11 part series that details civilizations advance, starting with ancient Mesopotamia and working his way to modern day. I found the whole series used for $11. it is the best find ever! I will soon begin reading these to my little boy. I also plan on reading him my finance books! he will be such a smart little bugger! future CEO and Scholar all rolled into one!

as i have said before... I am SOOOO excited for this little one!

numbers

I have been told that my son is going to be the 225th baby born to an Oaktree employee. Furthermore he will be the 26th this year.

in light of this i thought people might be interested in a few other numbers. he will be the 9th grandchild for my parents (as Matt and Mandy just had their 2nd yesterday!) and the 4th grandchild this year. he is the 1st grandchild on Kel's side of the family. he will be the youngest of five living generations. will be a 7th generation Latter Day Saint. and if i have my way he will be a first in many accomplishments on future dates. he is my first child and first son.

I am really excited to have this little boy here! this is going to be the BEST!

are you really that oblivious?

I hate the stupid rolling briefcases. seriously. what lazy sack of crap can't carry a brief case? how much stuff do you really need to take to work that you need a luggage suitcase to haul to work?

If you are a user of one of these completely obnoxious bags, here are a few pointers for your own safety. ignoring these pointers could result in me losing what little 'cool' i have.

if you are fat and you are wheeling this bag around cause you can't physically carry it. this is a sign that you need more exercise. go get it. being that large is NOT acceptable unless you have a glandular problem.

if you are using it because you don't want to ruin your posture or it is bad for you back to carry the bag on one shoulder. think that through. unless you are 5'2" the little extend-able handle is not long enough and you walk hunched over anyway. that, my mentally crippled friend, is far worse for your back!

lastly, if you still insist on using that Devil-spawn device, be aware of where it is. in a crowded train station or on an escalator they are REALLY in THE WAY! if i trip over just one more of them i will pick the damn thing up and throw it. (they aren't that heavy you see? i can throw the damn thing). it does not get to take the space of a person on the escalator. people on the left are trying to pass you, so move that bag out of the way.

fair warning....

the captain of a sinking ship.

so i have felt that this country is a sinking ship... from the war in Iraq/Afghanistan/N. Korea/Darfur/Iran(pending)/Pakistan to the economic breakdown, we are just in for a S*** storm.

keeping that in the back of my mind, i have decided that it really doesn't matter who the next president is. they just have to be willing to wade through all the crap and get their hands really dirty. there really isn't any other way to get things fixed. mechanics get dirty to fix a car, construction workers get dirty to build stuff... and the next president will have to get his reputation dirty.

good luck Obama (or in the less likely event, McCain).