I love riding my bike. I hop on my year-old Trek 3500, with its red-an-black color scheme, and pedal off wherever I want to go. My bike has gone as far north as Pasadena, and as far south as San Clemente. But it never ceases to be my main weapon of exercise, as well as my free-spirited mode of transportation. Ever since I heard of Lance Armstrong, and his Trek bicycles, I always wanted to purchase a Trek. I loved the red-and-black scheme at the time I purchased the 3500 (I was a LBCC student at the time, so it figures!). But I go wherever my heart takes me.
My legs don’t like having to pedal over hills, but sometimes I have to, and I copy Lance’s style of pedaling with quicker strokes, before I crack near the top and ride my bike a few paces so my legs can recuperate from the effort. Then as I go downhill, the wind refreshes me and my legs, and my legs spin the chain effortlessly as the blood comes back to refuel and prepare. I also don’t like headwinds much, because it slows my ride down. But I have to ride through them.
And there are so many people riding bikes this time of year! Even old farts are climbing up hills and going down hills. Must be a summer thing.
On my trip, I passed by Marina Pacifica, and read some magazines at Barnes & Noble, before sipping a Jamba Juice smoothie that had all these different vitamin boosts. I think I had about seven of them in my smoothie. This would be enough fuel for me to ride home on my bike. But first, it was time for a bit of memory lane.
I soaked in the summer ocean breeze as I biked by the beach and watch voluptuous girls fawn by in their scanty bikinis. I even passed by one that was riding a bike, and had her hair laid down in braids. I didn’t know if she was married or not, but if she wasn’t, I’d want her to be my wife! After sauntering down the beach on my 3500, I passed by Shoreline Village. I walked my bike down the shops, and even passed by a merry-go-round. And this was no ordinary merry-go-round. I remembered when I was a little boy, and my mom was riding me on one of the horses. I didn’t want to fall off and hurt my head. I feared for my safety, and my health. I still do today, although merry-go-round horses don’t scare me at all.
In this world, there are a lot of worse things to worry about. The biggest worry I have to deal with is whether or not it is my time to leave this Earth. I want to live to about 80, maybe even 90. But if it is my time to leave, I will embrace it. You see, one who fears dying fears living. So you gotta live every day like it’s your last.
I rode to the top of this lighthouse next to the Aquarium. It kinda looked like a miniature, grassy version of Mont Ventoux. Lance Armstrong once said that “Ventoux is a very special climb which gives me very special feelings.” He conquered Ventoux, but was never able to win a stage there. He even gave a win to a cyclist who would pay the price with cocaine. So I pedaled as fast as I could to the top of the lighthouse, and I parked my bike and sat on one of the benches to reflect.
I could see Shoreline, the Queen Mary ship, and the Carnival Cruise ship. I had a dream one time in which I was taking Passport C to the Queen Mary. I realized that not only was the Carnival Cruise ship there, but the Queen Mary’s younger sister, the Queen Mary 2, was in its place. I thought, “Oh man, I died and gone to heaven!” And there was a shopping mall, there, too. Maybe that will happen in the future.
Also, I could see a couple of restaurants next to the Queen Mary. There was Naga’s Restaurant, which was this restaurant that me and my fraternity boys got kicked out of because I started a fight against this bastard I know, Jeremy, who shortchanged me out of my misery by giving me no awards. I couldn’t even speak because my throat felt like it was removed and fed to goony birds. So I punched and smacked him in the face, and it could have been worse. Heck, I could have thrown that douchebag out the window for all I cared. He was the fraternity’s president that time, and he was doing a pathetic job at it. Actually, in spite of our success, the fraternity, Tong, was in a funk after Fall 2002. There were so many slackers that wanted to join, and the alumni (including me, of course) wanted none of that. I have a gut feeling that it won’t taste its glory days again unless it wakes up and brings in competent male blood.
I could also see the Reef restaurant, which was the last place where we had our fraternity’s banquet. Great occasion, there, though by that time I was tired to being a frat boy, and that was the time I committed to Alpha Gamma Sigma.
As I watched the boats whiz by the harbor, I reflected on my plan for having a family. In order to have a family and enjoy the pleasures of sex with style, I made my set of rules. This is in chronological order. And I think if a couple follows all these rules, they will be well off.
Be financially sound. Gotta have a lot of bucks, and a six-figure disposition to support. Having your spouse to be in the same position makes it even more better.
Get tested. If you or your partner have a disease or even HIV, then the relationship will have to be that of swingers, and not of a married couple with children. A lot of people in relationships don’t do this, and they pay for it with their lives.
Discuss whether it would be the right time to have children. Are the two of you ready to have kids and pass on your legacy, and raise them to be the best citizens they can be?
Get married. I had an icebreaker when I was with the ASB Cabinet at LBCC in which I had to say one interesting thing, and when I told the group that I had a niece born out of wedlock, the whole place erupted with laughter and sympathy. Even some of the old ASB Cabinet members heard about this. (Wagner Wong, this has nothing to do with you, okay, so back off and don’t worry about it.)
Spend a night out before making love. Go somewhere good and safe, like a restaurant, the movies, nightclubs (well, scratch that, unless you want to take a chance in Adultery City), shopping. And, oh, do this at night for best results.
Think of having sex as not just something you have to do, but something you want to do. You live to be with your loved one and take part in the foreplay and kinkiness et al that follows, so enjoy it, and clean yourself up after you’re done.
Take part in a parenting class. It will help you prepare for the inevitable. And it’s invaluable.
Women, never smoke, drink, or do drugs when you are pregnant. If you do this, I loathe and pity you and the future of your child. And men soon to be fathers, embrace your children, teach them to be great citizens of the free world, and never treat them like pieces of meat, lest they end up becoming Michael Jackson clones. One King of Flop is surely enough, amirite?
After reflecting on family, I set off homeward. It’s amazing. I mean, I’m now 21, and I can go wherever I want to. I can smoke, I can drink, I can gamble. But I want to pace myself. I don’t want to smoke or drink, though I want to have fun with the slot machines. I’ve got classes to take, scholarships to obtain, games to watch, and a whole life ahead of me.
Oh yeah, and I have my bike to ride on.
Bike Trip
Haine, Haine, Haine. Exclusive to BoBA.
I bought Volume 2 of Shinshi Doumei Cross (The Gentlemen Alliance) from Kinokuniya, one of my favorite bookstores, in Little Tokyo, a place where I usually like to shop if I have a little money on me. See, here's how I plan my trip there: I rack up at least 11 bucks, take the Blue Line to the Red Line to Civic Center, and then bike down to Little Tokyo. I saw this sign that showed that both volumes are available, and it shows a swinging picture of Haine Otomiya, a former yankee (delinquent) who became girlfriend of Shizumasa Touguu, a guy she knew as a child. Her story is quite sad. Her first family had to sell her because she was becoming a financial burden to their business. Now the family she is with is trying to make ends meet. Because of this, she went into an emotional tailspin, and became a yankee, before reuniting with Shizumasa (of which Haine adds a -sama to his name).
I heard some reviews about SDC (or Shinkuro for short) being a ripoff of a CLAMP storyline, and that there isn't a good rap regarding the story. This was the first story that Arina Tanemura wrote that had no magical powers whatsoever, purely a teenage real-life drama. (I wouldn't sell my children if I had at least one. No way.)
This being said, I think SDC is an interesting change of pace from the regular Arina tales, that involve magical powers of some sort. One must begin to wonder if the staying power of Shinkuro will hold. By the way, Arina is concocting plans for a new mahou-shoujo manga drama later on. Can't wait to see how that develops.
Ohohohohohohooooh Shandong!
I can't get that Chinese word out of my head. When I think of the word "Shandong" I think the world of China. Shandong is a resort province, home of Qingdao's famous beer "Tsingtao." I've never tasted it, but I heard it has fair drinkability. But it's an infectious word, Shandong. I cannot get it out of my head. It's attacking my brain like cancer! >_<"
Anyway, today I went back to the Beach to see if I can find some work. Went to the bookstore, they told me to apply (I already got that taken care of). Went over to Beach Patrol, they said they had one position open, that was Graphic Designer. Not my forte (yet), so I went to the Pyramid. Their paperwork had already been used up, so I have to wait till next week. But meeting them and getting used to what they do gives me confidence that I can fall in with any of these folks. But I gotta balance this with class.
I've got a lotta time to kill till the first week of August comes about. And I need my daily dose of coffee to stay on it. Heh, I just drank another Starbucks bottle an hour ago. I'm feeling the effects. I just hope I don't crash anid burn after a sugar spike from feeling it.
I like crisp light brown colors.
With a new university to go to comes a change...in color preference! Now I'm in love with crisp, light brown, chocolate/caramel colors. No, it's not because of dessert or anything sweet. I like it for a few reasons:
It's earthy and smooth, like a shake.It allows you to reflect and release.It matches your skin well.It gets you prepared to live an adult relationship, whether or not it happens.It's more mature-looking.It's sheen.It's melty, like chocolate ice cream.It's silky.It gives you feeling of euphoria, without feeling high.It's not like I will feel red all over again.I'm tired of feeling red.I'm no longer a JUCO student.I'm tired of thinking about Long Beach City College (though I might consider joining the ranks of the alumni association).And this is just my opinions about light, crisp, brown colors.
Seems I'm looking forward to the future, aren't I? But the bottom line is, I've had a change in color preference.
I also have a new blog: Love and Liberty. This is on Seiyausagi.net, as you can see, I have an emotional attachment to Sailor Moon, only because it started my addiction to anime. I've watched the last few episodes, and though they are losing their punch on me, I will never forget how giddy I was about that stuff in the late nineties. I won't post at that blog as often as posting BoBA or this blog, now officially renamed BoMB!: Bedlam on MySpace Boulevard, but the posts there now and then will be occasional, or whenver I want to take a shot of nostalgia.
Outie.
A resolution: I will use this blog again!
Long time since I posted. Okay, I have made a landmark decision. Pretend you're hearing cheesy fanfare music. Okay, done? good.
I did not want to leave my blog on MySpace without an update, so I decided, okay, I will post on this blog again. I like this blog to pieces, so not only will I post on this blog here, but I will also post this on Bedlam, too. This way, you will get double informed on the latest scoop covering yours truly!
Course, this will mean placing two windows open for a few minutes, but it's all worth it, cause I am actually looking forward to the new semester at CSULB. A chance to stock up on points for Beach gear! And knowledge, too.
Would you believe it, as I post this blog, it's less than nine days till I turn 21! Once I turn this age, I got nothing to look forward, too...actually, now I can focus on getting the Bachelor's out of the way. I'm still waiting from LBCC Records if they have the diploma for my dual degrees prepared and stuff, as well as my Law grade. I'm betting 100 invisible dollars that I got at least a C in that class.
Till next time...outie.
Walking on a windmill
Ughhhh, got another leg cramp. My mind is in due need of going somewhere, like going out on a trip.
Lance will get his 7th Tour, if he keeps at the pace he is. I know it, and perhaps those who know him well know it, barring catastrophe.
I could use a new video game for my PS2. I just had it out a few days ago, but it doesn't have any video games yet. It's in due need of a new memory card, as well as Action Replay, and some of that darn EA Sports stuff I have been hankering for so long. I tested the 2k Sports games at the Pyramid, and while they looked appetizing at first glance, I noticed later that the ratings for these ESPN games were not up to par with demands. With EA being the Alpha/Omega/whatever in college football videogaming, I have to stick with what I know the best, as Lee Corso put it succinctly.
I had a dream about me going to Wonderland, as a different person. I don't think it's gonna happen in real life. I still hate those people for what they did to me, so they can still kiss my ass.
I've already completed Law class, but now I am assuming that the Summer session must end before the grades can be revealed. Okay. Looks like I will wait till later in July.
I am reminiscing on my early days as a patron of anime, and it now puts my appreciation for everything from the Far East in perspective. The way everything has changed since the resurgence of shoujo in the early 90's means that a revolution of how anime is done today was born, and it keeps going. The ball keeps rolling, and the young people of the free world use anime as a part of their daily life. It's incredible. The song by Kae Hanazawa, "A More Beautiful Morning Will Come," is perhaps the last great song that reminds me of Sailor Moon. I'm not a Moonie anymore today. I'm an Arinaholic.
I think shoujo patrons should know that Arina Tanemura's stories of romance, relationships and girls is original. Everyone has their own style. Naoko Takeuchi had her style that resulted in one classic tale that persisted to be a basic microcosm of shoujo. Arina, however, pulled in not one, but two stories that appealed to the masses, "Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne" and "Full Moon." Other mangaka, like Wataru Yoshizumi, have their own formula that churns memorable stories, in her case, "Marmalade Boy," "Mint na Bokura," and "Ultra Maniac."
There is a new wave of manga and anime in the heartland of the world today. I suggest to all of you who read this to get out there and buy a book or DVD or two. No better remedy that that.
It's scary, but I'm less than 20 days away from celebrating the big 21. Wouldn't you believe that?
London calling...
My support for the London 2012 Olympics a few years ago paid off. London defeated Paris 54-50 on the fourth vote for the 2012 Olympic bid. New York City, Madrid and Moscow were already eliminated beforehand. The Tour de France has a pall cast after the announcement was made, while the next day, 33 people were killed in train and bus explosions in London. Ouch. Talk about "What goes around comes around."
I think Lance Armstrong is an unselfish cyclist. He wanted to not were the yellow jersey yesterday, but he had to, out of respect for the previous bearer, Dave Zabriskie. I think the cruelty of sport is akin to the cruelty of life. But Lance in unselfish. That's why he is one of the greatest cyclists of the history of the sport.
Till next time...
Happy first and fourth of July!
Canada has celebrated their birthday, and soon the USA will follow. I am stoked. This week is the last week of those Law classes, and I am excited to get this out of the way. This Saturday, I will get to watch some NBA players strut their stuff in the Summer Pro League. Hopefully the Lakers will take care of Dallas in that game they have that day. The Angels are off on another tear again, and the Saskatchewan Roughriders are on a two-game win streak this season, although the win against Hamilton wasn't easy. At least they won. I'm awaiting the outcome between Vancouver Whitecaps women and the Seattle Sounders ladies because if the Caps win, they are off to the playoffs.
The Long Beach Armada are off to a tear of their own, winning five straight, and sweeping the Surprise Fightin' Falcons in the Armada's home series. The San Diego Surf Dogs are off on a tear of their own, and the Armada is still six games behind the Surf Dogs for tops in the GBL California Division. Damn that Rickey Henderson. He has regained his stealing touch.
I was surprised that there were teams from Edmonton and Calgary in the Northern League. What's even more interesting is that the former PCL tenants in their respective stadiums moved south. (Edmonton previously won a PCL title as the Trappers, before continuing their success as the Sacramento RiverCats.) Now there are the Edmonton Cracker-Cats (a scoff at the ex-Trappers moved south?) and the Calgary Vipers, who are within striking distance of Fargo-Moorhead (the undisputed Yankees of the Northern League) in the Northern League Northern Division. Better get hot, before those darn RedHawks keep pace and take the first half crown...
I shall soak in the rest of this fourth of July, maybe even draw some more, before sweating out the final days of classes.
O.U.C.H.
Earlier today, I acquired my bicycle seat post. Later today, as my mom took me back to the bike shot to have the saddle attached to the post, we saw this horrific accident: four cars were driving at 100 mph, and a chain reaction occured. One car spun around seven times, while another car saw its sole passenger die at the scene. It was a chase scene in which the cars were being chased by police that happened three or four hours after I left it, taking the bus home. Apparently, the drivers were intoxicated. That meant only one thing: do not ride your bike on a trip the rest of the day. It was, for me, an omen. A few news vans were also at the scene, too. My sister saw it on the news just a few minutes ago.
The fourth exam: I know where's I'm heading...
Okay, I have every reason to sleep better tonight. Even though I did poorly as always in my exam, the score on my fourth exam was a 68-the highest score I ever had taking this class. A lot of people did not do well in this exam, but I have every reason to be optimistic, as my result was better, while most were worse. There was a 12-point curve, so that had something to do with my result. I'm looking at my scores right now...
Exam 1: 56 (dropped)
Exam 2: 60
Exam 3: 62
Exam 4: 68
Total so far: 190
Points needed on final for:
a D: 28 (14 questions correct)
a C: 98 (49 questions correct)
a B: 168 (84 questions correct)
an A: 180 (90 questions correct)So what I need is a 49 or better to get past this class okay. I should be able to take care of this class with a C, because the pace I set has been average, bent on improvement. That's why I can sleep better, because knowing me, even though I haven't been doing any more better on my exams, I'm not going to do a sub-par performance on this final for sure.
I'm going to guzzle down another bottle of water in celebration.
Head full of steam tonight...
Okay, my head is full of steam. And it's not because of the Galaxy on a 4-game winless streak, or the fact that the Angels' winning streak was snapped tonight by the Texas Rangers. (I'll get back to them later) It's the mere fact that some people know how to approach situations the right way. I know this for a fact, and it cost me my previous job (note I said previous, as I am being evaluated for a position at CSULB *flicks the finger at the LBUSD*), and it's not likely I will do it again (unless provoked the uber-wrong way.)
I was stunned that the San Francisco 49ers would shoot themselves in the foot after this incident:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2073670Why would you show a porn video as training? Not only that, adding bullsit remarks about the mayor of SF, about gays and lesbians, and Asians, Chinese in particular. The 49ers tried to make amends...
http://www.chicoer.com/Stories/0,1413,135~29810~2922535,00.html
but the last speaker in the gallery of Chinese-Americans, Barry Lee, did not realize (or probably knows by now) he has options: Cheer for the Raiders! If not, cheer for the Cal Golden Bears<>Back to the Rangers. Before the game, during a pregame practice stretch, this 40-year old pitcher, Kenny Rogers, slams a couple cameras to the ground, and injures a local TV cameraman in the process...
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/12017610.htm
Now look here, this guy is 40 years old, in the twilight of his career. He should have just settled down and reflected on how he has done the past several years in the majors, instead of acting half his age or more and damaging cameras. Please. He won't be taken back by any major league baseball club, that's for sure. And I don't think the independent minor-league teams wouldn't want his to pitch for them. I don't want the Long Beach Armada to pick up a player like Kenny Rogers. He threatened to retire: I think his retirement starts now. Nice way to end your baseball career, Kenny! Or should I say...ruin?I have another Law exam before the Final tomorrow. I think I'll just try to survive. I know where I will be, barring a miracle.
How about those Angels!
Now, when it comes to soccer and rugby, I am not a fairweather fan; I support the LA Galaxy and the Eagles whenever I get the chance. However, when it comes to sports like baseball and basketball, I tend to be fairweather/bandwagon/lemony when it comes to supporting them. One of those baseball teams I like (right now) is the Angels. Full name: the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. I think it should stay as Anaheim Angels, but Arte Moreno decides, "No, we want the team to go back to their roots." Soon, the "of Anaheim" moniker will be dropped, and it will just be "Los Angeles Angels." This could be a big risk, especially when the most of the fan base is in the OC - Orange County. But as long as the Angels keep on winning; who am I to complain about the name?
Side note: Test score improved rto a 62. On tap for a C. Yay. In Business Law; barring a miracle or a complete disaster.
Takarazuka Kinen
Tonight I watched the Takarazuka Kinen Stakes from Hanshin Racecourse in Japan, and I was surprised at the result. This horse, Sweep Tosho, beat out a field that included nine starters sired by Sunday Silence, two starters sired by Timber Country, three other horses, and the defending Stakes winner, Tap Dance City, to win it all. Young jockey Kenichi Ikezoe is the man of the hour, and it is only time before he continues to etch his mark upon Japan's, and soon, the world's greatest jockeys. Wow. That's all I can say.
In other news, the Galaxy are in need of some coaching changes. We finished our road campaign with one tie and three losses. Something is not going right. We have to fix this, and FAST. The Angels are a different story. With a five game winning streak, my Halos (of which I bought their cap today) are on the verge of sweeping their rivals, the LA Dodgers tomorrow.
Also, the Roughriders got off to a blazing start, defeating the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 42-15. Great start for the men in green, they have their next five of 8 on the road, so this will test them.
I am in due need of some sleep and some reading. Two more weeks, and this Law class is history.
My web site is back!
I am over the moon today. I got my web site back, on CSULB.edu. Of course, I had to do some uploading, and cut down on some files because I had to be under this quota of 100 MB, or else there would be some serious action because I haven't been giving the others on CSULB a fair share of the disk space. So what? Before they laid this on me, this was one of the sites a lot of people would go to. Why water it down. Eventually, I reduced the site to nothing more than fanfiction and a few downloads...for now. I will be putting back California, my fanart section, back up for everyone to enjoy.
My url for the site is at your right hand side, the first link in the list of links. Be sure to check it out, it has a whole new look.
And on a side note, I think I did better in the third Law exam. Maybe a score in the high 60's or better. I'll do anything to get a C or better in this class, I need it!
>_<That's all for now...oh, and congrats to the Spurs, they knocked off those darn Pistons. You know, my Law instructor is such a Pistons fan...I guess she didn't want to have her face seen after her team lost. Hahah, serves her right!
Confidence, Part 2: ...any?
Welp, I received my recent exam score, and while it was an improvement on my last one, it wasn't as significant an improvement as I thought it would be. This time, I got a 60 out of 100, and the machine didn't mess up this time. I second guessed myself on quite a few of them. So, now I'm thinking to myself, I hope a lot of those missed questions are on the final, because I sure want to tackle them again. Or at least remember where I went wrong. My mood was not sweet, but it wasn't sour either. I can only hope that my scores continue to improve on the next one.
Till next time...
Confidence, part 1: Is there...
I wonder how I did on that second exam. I think I got a decent grade
this time. I mean, I looked over the material, and applied the concepts in the
practice exams given on the book's web site, and so...I deserve to have my dues paid, one way or the other. I think I will fall apart if I get something worse than a 28. But overall, I know I rebounded this time. Cross your fingers, people...I saw Drumminnurse's son, Jean-Michel, just a few minutes ago. He's gotten taller, and ever more smarter. He's a cool guy. Must be something they put in that Florida water, seasoned with a hint of orange essence...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)