What Happened to the Martini?

Got back from a wedding in Houston this evening. Very fun affair, beautifully planned and executed. The families were warm and welcoming. So were the bartenders! They were doing their part (it was an open bar, God bless them) to keep everyone's spirits in the celebratory mood. But I was miffed at this conversation:

Me: Hi, can a get a martini please? One olive.
Arturo (bartender): A what?
Me: A martini.
Arturo: I... uh... (has confused look).
Me: Just a normal gin martini...
Arturo: Gin... uh...
Me (getting frustrated): Just a regular martini. Do you know how to make that?
Arturo: Ah... no.

I then proceeded to tell/show him what a martini is and how to make it (the drink that founded modern drinking standards in America). I couldn't believe it. The martini is almost as American as apple pie, baseball, and car companies losing tons of money. It's almost a symbol of American freedom: there are so many different ways to make a martini, or a variation on it, that it's astounding. But I was looking for the old standard... and was rejected. So in honor of that sequence, here's tonight's combo.

Theme of the Day: Shaken Not Stirred
James Bonds' iconic phrase may give you the impression that the martini is of anglo origin, but it is certainly American. The general consensus is that the martini is the byproduct of the dumbing down of a drink from the 19th century called the martinez (sweet vermouth, gin, maraschino liqueur, and bitters), named for its originating location of Martinez, California. James doesn't really need to clarify his drink preparation instructions, as the martini is traditionally shaken anyway. Bond always orders a vodka martini, and he (of such great sophistication) should be privy of the vodka martini's proper name: the Kangaroo. At any rate, in the name of sophistication, today we will salute the real swingers of any party who sip on their martinis whilst everyone else enjoys their various fruity drinks.

Drink of the Day: The Martini
2 1/2 ounces of gin (Tanqueray)
1/2 ounce of dry vermouth (Martini & Rossi)
1 Olive

In a shake half full of crushed ice, add the gin and the vermouth. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with the olive. For a "dirty" martini, add olive juice/more olives. For a "dry" martini, use less vermouth and more gin.

Word to the wise about the martini: it is 95% alcohol. Too many, and you'll be needing a cab. They are considered the true drinker's choice.

Variations:
Gibson: substitute olive for 3 cocktail onions.
Silver Bullet: substitute scotch for vermouth.
Saketini: substitute sake for vermouth.
Rob Roy: substitute scotch for gin and sweet vermouth for dry.

Smoke of the Day: Nat Sherman "New York Cut"

This cigarette seems to be the best companion for the martini. Not quite a menthol or clove cigarette, but definitely a cigarette of high enough quality to be found in the suit coat of a Manhattanite. Truly enjoyable, and with an air of elitism that is just right for martini drinking. Ladies, if you smoke this cigarette, use a cigarette holder a la Katherine Hepburn (and if you're going to smoke a New York cut and look like Mrs. Hepburn in this photo, then you'll need to send your contact information to me).

Song of the Day: "Come Fly With Me" by Frank Sinatra
For martini drinking and lounge hopping, a song by the Chairman of the Board is almost necessary. While Dean Martin was famous for drinking martinis (a lot of them) on stage during performances, it's Sinatra's music that harkens to the hey day of lounge music and not Dino's penchant for Italian ballads. To quote the song, "if you could use some exotic booze there's a bar in far Bombay..."


Cheers


RP

Day's End

I have come to find that I enjoy bartending. There is something rewarding to me in mixing the right amounts of ingredients to cause the simple sound I call the Bartender's Symphony: "ahhh!" But making refreshing drinks (alcoholic or not) is only the half of it. I enjoy the role of a bartender. Ear to the world. Sympathizer for the downtrodden. Audience to the comedian. Reveler with the celebrators. Accommodating to any and all, providing they display simple courteousness. I love it. It's one of the coolest things in the world, to me. Sure, I'll make a living in life in some other way. But I'd love to open a pub one day (not a bar, mind you) and just enjoy being that ear to my guests.

Today's Theme: Winding Down the Day
Today I'll be giving you a little taste for the day's end. We'll get a drink that sweetens the evening, a smoke to savor, and a song to set the mood for a quiet end to a good day.

Today's Drink: Midnight Cowboy
2 ounces Bourbon (Jack Daniel's)
1 ounce Dark Rum (Captain Morgan Tattoo)
1/2 ounce heavy cream (your choice, but half and half would work)

If you're a fan or Kentucky Bourbon, or dark liquor in general, this drink is right up your alley. Depending on the cream you use, and in combination with the rum, it will have a sweeter taste to it. The cream ensures that your liquor doesn't dominate, but doesn't dilute like water or club soda would. Perfect after-dinner drink.

Today's Smoke: Romeo Y Julieta Reserva RealToro
At 54x6, the Toro is a bit bigger in ring size and length than your traditional Robusto. However, the longer smoke does this cigar well. Nice, medium bodied smoke with a dark oak taste. Does not finish well, but the end is bearable. Ash at 1.5 inches. Grade: B+

Today's Song: C Jam Blues: Oscar Peterson Trio
My Oscar Peterson Trio album is one of my all-time favorites, and this song lists up there at the top of that album. Chances are you've heard this song before, but you haven't heard Mr. Peterson inject soul into it like he does. Excellent song for winding down the day.

Merry Christmas

"And the angel said unto them, "Fear not; for behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."
Luke 2:10-11

Merry Christmas, everyone. Stay safe, remember that beyond commercialism, there is a meaning.

And for a clip from one of the most influential things in my life, and #2 on my list of life-changing media (non-Bible):

Charlie Brown Christmas

The Case for Twitter

People of my generation: do you remember the early fads of what is now known as Web 2.0? I'm talking about the Livejournals, Xangas, and other various early stage social networking sites. For those who operate solely through Facebook now, they most likely had a Myspace once upon a time.

Well, my people, I give you the future, and it is a simple one: Twitter.

Before I get into the specifics on Twitter, let's look at those migrations.

A lot of the early social networking sites for our generation were basically blogs with extensive networking capabilities. But as middle schoolers, writing epic journal entries for the world to see were both tedious and invasive. The entries declined, and the movement was dying. Then Myspace surfaced and rocketed to immense popularity. For the new high schoolers, Myspace was that pre-teen blog, without the emphasis on writing. The personalization, emphasis on pictures, and emphasis on connectivity was the light that drew the moth closer. For those who had Myspaces, you could show your pictures to friends and create an online social heirarchy based on friends list and how cool your page was. Myspace ultimately met its decline and demise through things that most found unnecessary and threatening: dangerous people hiding behind online profiles, slow loading times due to pages that overworked computers, and the invasive advertising after Myspace popularity led to corporate sellout. Once college rolls around, the beacon of social networking was discovered and followed, as Facebook took its seat at the throne of life-on-the-web. It had what people liked about Myspace, but left everything people hated about Myspace: small, college-oriented networks of people you actually met in real life, simplistic layouts designed to meet everyone's basic needs, and the one stop shop for keeping tabs on your friends. Sure, Facebook has become accommodating. You can K.I.S.S. (keep it simple, stupid), or you can indulge by adding pages upon pages of extra applications. Some collegians felt the burn when the exclusivity of Facebook changed for open registration, but in time those wounds have healed.

Acknowledging the trend, however, shows that our generation is about due for another Web 2.0 transition. Facebook has grown tiresome for many. There are negative connotations for excessive Facebook use. The new chat system, while convenient, makes the bulk of users a little uncomfortable. As our generation gets older, we're seeing the necessity of staying connected, but also seeing the frivolity of even the simplistic offerings of Mark Zuckerberg's creation. What can offer us the chance to stay connected, but keep the time-wasting to a minimum? The answer is Twitter.

Twitter, if you don't know, is very basic. You control a profile, but that profile has limited options. You choose a screenname, a short one-line bio, a picture, and a background layout. That is your profile. The bulk of the info on your profile comes from your "tweets." Tweets are the equivalent of Facebook status updates: short one-liners you post for the world to see. Capped at 140 characters, your tweets are only viewable to those who choose to follow you. The idea is that you simply post what you're doing on Twitter, so that your friends, family, and coworkers are aware of your whereabouts and actions as the day rolls on. While it sends too much of a stalker vibe to some, I tend to agree with it's introductory video: you wouldn't send an e-mail or call someone just to tell them what you're doing. Even if they wanted to know, it's really a wasted action. But with Twitter, you eliminate that action, and allow others to be a part of your daily life. Here's the video to get a good idea of what I mean.

Twitter In Plain English




What I like about Twitter is that you can keep your friend list simply to those who you would like to know what you're doing. In other words, you friend list wouldn't be full of people you don't even know. There is no need to add those people as friends; Myspace and Facebook allow the atmosphere of a public commons, where you can meet and interact with new people. Twitter is more on the lines of personal communication. The seamless integration between mobile and web usage make updating a simple matter of a text to their pre-designated number while you're out and about.

I have a Twitter account. You can find my page here. To follow someone, you either must send them an e-mail through "Invite Your Friends," or you have to visit their Twitter page. I'm telling you, the future can be found in Twitter. Embrace it now, because you'll have one sooner or later.

RP

L'amour l'apres-midi

Tonight I was doing a vast collection of information on the internet, and came across a very well done, provocative, and involving clip from a French film entitled L'amour l'apres-midi. Here's the thought process that got me to this YouTube clip:

- Read William James' "The Will to Believe."
- Researched Pascal's Wager, which James references in his essay.
- After reading about Pascal's Wager, I stumbled across the French Film "Ma nuit chez Maud" (My Night With Maud) by Eric Rohmer. In Ma nuit chez Maud, the characters (a marxist, a Catholic, and a freethinker) discuss Pascal's Wager.
- After reading about Ma nuit chez Maud, and consequently filmmaker Eric Rohmer, I stumbled across Rohmer's work L'amour l'apres-midi (Love In the Afternoon).
- While reading about Love In the Afternoon, I decided to search for video clips of Rohmer's work, and came across this clip from the film. Further research indicated that this clip is the most famous from the film, titled Chloe In the Afternoon in North America (Chloe is a major character featured later in the film).

For your enjoyment:

L'amour l'apres-midi



Really, really good clip. Lots of talking/narration, but none of it seems tiresome. Endless shots of people moving, and what normally would be boring shots of transportation scenes, seamlessly transition through the mind at the thought of Frederic's next statements. The amulet fantasy is funny and engaging. Good stuff, Mr. Rohmer.

I am also happy to know that Rohmer is alive and well, and has made films as recently as 2007, despite his robust age of 88.

RP

Love In this Garageband? Why Mainstream Music Is Fake

Saw a very eye-opening YouTube video tonight. See it for yourselves.

The video.



While the end product isn't quite what the Usher/Young Jeezy song sounds like, it's still pretty damning. I verified this for myself by going into Garageband on my iBook. Sure enough, the exact same loops that the video creator references are there. Paul Da Don, the beat's creator, straight up stole his synths from Apple Loops, a collection of sounds and loopable clips for Garageband and Apple's Logic (the high end music production software for Mac that PDD was no doubt using).

Does anyone get creative in mainstream music anymore?

I'm cool with this revelation, though, because it brings 2 things to light for me. 1) I shouldn't be ashamed for using Garageband as a music production suite. 2) I hated this song anyway, so now I'm justified.

RP

Rap As a Political Analogy?

clipped from www.theprometheusinstitute.org

American rap music answers this question by starkly eschewing politics. Rappers, next to drug dealers, are perhaps the most despised figures among American politicians, and no change in that status quo is expected anytime soon. From a continual rain of financial sanctions from the FCC to endless homiletic denunciations from moralizing politicians and pundits, rappers face astounding levels of political flack that would even make Larry Flint blush. Not even liberals will go on record defending the likes of Ludacris, 'Lil Wayne, or even Kanye West.

But instead of depending on representation from existing politicians, rappers have long exalted the representation of "dead presidents" in the form of cold hard cash. As we've noted previously, support for free market capitalism is one of the most universal themes in modern rap. As the free market has allowed them to experience the lavish appreciation of their talents, the hip-hop culture has lionized bootstrapping entrepreneurship.

This clipped piece from an article by Matt Harrison, writing for a famous Libertarian think tank, uses rap as possibly the most famous free market/capitalization proponents in the world. Who needs political candidates to represent you, when your version of the American Dream lies in how much you make? It's interesting.

The American Dream is not without its faults. The American Dream is the "traditional social ideals of the United States, such as equality, democracy, and material prosperity." We often see today that material prosperity creates social inequality, and democracy threatening the possibility of material prosperity (by regulating commerce).

So we come to a crossroads in society. Choices have to be made. Free market or popular regulation? Open rights and expression or social stability? Powerful economic growth or an equal distribution of wealth?

Well, if you ask Nas or Jay-Z, they'd certainly say that the government doesn't need to tell us how to live. Only that cash money baby. And I can bet there are a lot of people out there who feel that way as well.

Mobile Blogging

Well this is neat. Through some reckless technology self-education, I have found how to do blog posts on my cell phone. I have now entered the realm of mobile blogging. Technology is fascinating, isn't it? Cool.

Time Stops

I wrote this on parts of time, and I forgot where I was going with it: 

The present is the first to grasp because it deals with immediacy. The present is the point in which the future becomes the past. You can never really be present, because our concept of future is transitioning to the past as soon as you think about it. So then, the present is more or less indescribable without the future or the past. 

The past is what has happened, and at this point in society, is unalterable (save reporting, which I won't touch on here). 

The future is a true unknown. There are the best laid plans of mice and men, but nothing is certain. The future is that which will occur depending on the continuity of existence. 

So can you really be present? No. The present is the point that future transitions to the past. So where do we exist in all of that? Do we exist on that point? Possibly a step behind it? Or maybe time isn't enough to define our existence, like speed isn't enough to describe velocity (velocity also needs a direction). We can only say we were at some point in time. We can't describe if we're "present," and we aren't certain enough in the continuity of existence to say that we will be at some point in the future. We only know that we were. We don't know if we are or if we will be. 

The reason I bring this up is to question what kind of authority we can claim on predicting the future, assessing the "present," or analyzing the past. I say we have none, but we do it anyway to try and make sense of things. Making sense of things is one of our chief ambitions in life. It is not in human nature to accept absurdity. Take a little reading trip into existentialism, however, and you'll see the call to embrace the absurdness of life. It's a compelling argument, considering how little we grasp of our man-made concept called time. 

Thank you, Explosions In the Sky, for providing music that makes me grab a few books and think about complicated subjects like time or morality at odd hours. 

RP

To Do Before Shipping Out

I'm going to comprise a list of things I plan to accomplish before I ship out in April. 

The first entry:

Get back to my song-making love and produce an album.

An all jazz album. 

Collaborators are welcome. 

I'm shooting for 10 tracks. 

OCRemix.org

Ok, enough politics for now. 

Instead, you should check out the songs at Overclocked Remix. It's a collection of video game songs remixed every which way imaginable. They are stellar. Search by game, then by song in that game. Of course, the Super Mario Bros. section is brimming with really good remixes. I had a Sega back in the day, so the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 collection brings back memories (while also helping me vibe on some really quality music). Some remixes are a miss, but they are few and far between as all submissions are reviewed by a panel of judges before being added. It's all royalty free, too. 

Another quality song to check out would be Chrono Trigger. Hours of good listening there. 

RP

CHANGE -- Serious Change, or Change from Bush?

So by now, even reported by Fox News, it's widely seen that Barack Obama will win this presidential election. Personally. I was through with this election about 3 weeks ago. I voted today. I voted primarily Republican, because I trust the incumbent candidates (Rep. Sam Johnson gave me a nomination to the U.S. Air Force Academy back in high school, and is the ranking senior member on the Armed Forces Committee in the House). 

In the presidential race, I voted Libertarian because I could not in good conscience vote for either McCain or Obama. I know my other party vote helps add to less than 1% of Texas voters, thereby negligibly affecting the electoral votes from my state. But still, I would not vote straight ticket on my first election just because it would be easier. I would not vote for a campaign that lost sight of its ideals right from the start. I would not vote for Obama's campaign, which simply capitalized on how bad the Bush presidency was. Obama's message of change, as pointed out by prominent Democratic analyst James Cargill of CNN, was simply one of change from Bush. Not significant, awe-inspiring change that I hear people saying he's going to do. Just change from what we've had. John Kerry could bring the same change. Obama just made stupid people think that his change was a bit bigger. 

So Obama is our next president, most likely. As a member of the US Military, I have sworn an oath to obey and carry out all of his commands once he takes office. I will still stay true to that. But I just don't believe in him, anymore than I wouldn't believe in McCain. Like most American voters, I'm losing my faith in our candidates. Then it makes me wonder why the presidential is so big, and we're not talking as much about the incumbent Democratic Congress (with worse approval ratings than Bush) getting larger, or who Obama would appoint to the Supreme Court (the 3rd part of that whole checks and balances thing). Obama is going to have to deal with at least the courts to get his "change" to occur. The Democratic Congress will have to show the American public that more Democrats will equal better production. They're going to have to prove to the American public that with this newly entrusted power, they'll be able to raise our taxes and make that money worthwhile. 

I just don't see any of that happening. The Democrats banked on a bad Republican run, and now have 2/3 of our Federal Government in the wings. But to me, that just sets them up for an even bigger fall than after Bush. The Dems have 2 years before the next set of elections, and Obama has 4 years before his term is up. If nothing happens during that time, expect even bigger sweeping changes to the other side. 

RP

Thursday Bullets

• IHOP coffee is terrible, but i had about 8 cups of it last night.
• I am addicted to coffee in general. I used to drink it just socially with people, but now I find myself going to get coffee alone just because I want/need it. They say caffeine can cause delirium. Maybe I have a problem. 
• Speaking of coffee and cigarettes, a pair I really enjoy, there is an interesting film I saw recently called "Coffee and Cigarettes." Written and directed by Jim Jamusch (an independent movie icon), it contains a series of short vignettes filmed in black and white that depicts the characters conversing over none other than coffee and cigarettes. My favorite vignette had RZA and GZA (pronounced Rizza and Gizza) from the Wu Tang Clan (rap group) enjoying tea at a diner and being served by the one and only Bill Murray (who is evidently a waiter as a cover from adoring fans). Bill offers them coffee, which they deny (because of GZA's holistic medicine beliefs decry caffeine consumption), then sits with them as they discuss the health consequences of coffee drinking and cigarette smoking. Bill doesn't seem to care, and RZA/GZA seem to be a bit worried that their favorite Ghostbuster star is damaging himself so much. It's an entertaining sketch, to say the least, because it puts something so nominal as small talk in a diner into real focus. Something about it (it was in no way spectacularly artsy) just made me think "wow, this is really good." I recommend it, if you can find a copy.
• The segment, via YouTube.
• 2 other interesting vignettes from the movie: The first sketch is between slow-speaking comedian Steven Wright and fast talking Italian actor Roberto Benigni (from the fantastic foreign film Life is Beautiful), as they talk about how weird it is that they meet over C&C. Another sketch is between Iggy Pop and Tom Waits (famous rock legends, if you didn't know). They talk about Tom as a practicing doctor and Iggy recommends a drummer for Tom's next album (the same drummer is mentioned in two other vignettes to link all these C&C conversations together). 
• Speaking of cigarettes/smoking, I really miss cigars. I used to be exclusive to smoking only cigars. If I had to pick 3 cigars I could smoke regularly (besides Cubans), they would be: Arturo Fuente Don Carlos Rubustos, Romeo Y Julieta Reserva Real Rubustos, and Ashton VSG Churchills. The best smoke I've ever had was the famed Opus X cigar at the 2007 Baylor Homecoming Bonfire after some hard to work to make all of that happen. 
• I miss the pickup football games we played at William's Stadium. They were always  full of good athletes,  funny occurrences, close/competitive games, and ultimately why I still love football over basketball. 
• Speaking of football, I hate spread offenses. This may be from a former GHS player, but passing 80% of the time is pansy ball. There's a certain toughness and strength required in running the ball 80% of the time. In my time in high school, our QBs probably threw the ball 8 times a game on average. That was still enough to get Greg Hunter to set GHS records in passing my senior year (impressive for a school with an 80+ year football history). This is why I like Baylor running the football a lot. It shows that while we may not be near the level of top competition in the Big 12, we're at least staying competitive through being the second best rushing team in the conference (behind OSU). 
• I pretend to root for the Cowboys, but my disdain for the NFL prevents me from really caring. The order of sports I care about: NCAA Football, NBA, NCAA Basketball, NFL, NHL, MLB. 
• I really wish things like Facebook didn't attempt to replace the importance of secure e-mail communication, personal web pages, and address books (so you could remember friends' birthdays and call them). 
• Waco was boring for nearly 2 years. But after living here full time for almost a year now, I've found places and things to make it bearable. It's a shame I'll be leaving it soon. 

RP

The Album of My Life

Here's 10 songs that would be on my favorite songs album:

1. "Blue In Green" - Miles Davis

*My absolute, most favorite jazz song ever. The album, Kind of Blue, is his magnum opus, if not the magnum opus of the modern jazz movement of the 60s. This is my favorite on that CD.

2. "End Theme" - Zero 7

*It's mellow, it's upbeat, it's digital and analog all in one. Zero 7 kind of caught that whole high off their track on the Garden State soundtrack (Waiting Line), but this song represents their whole underrated and unnoticed thing. 

3. "Genesis" - Justice

*I fell in love with this song long before it was being used on Caddilac CTS commercials. The lead track from their CD "Cross," Genesis is a power rock techno song. Perfect, as the commercial utilizes, for night driving.  

4. "Get Well Soon" - Reggie and the Full Effect

*I'm not going to pretend that I know this Swedish band really well. Ted (of the TK Daily) introduced me to this song several years ago. It's campy, and not much sticks out about it except the knowledge that the synth player is certainly head banging during his opening solo. Still it's so catchy that I love it. 

5.  "Friends In Low Places" - Garth Brooks

*If you don't know the lyrics to this song, learn them. 

6. "Birth and Death of the Day" - Explosions In the Sky

*EITS is my favorite band, and this song from their latest studio effort is epic. Who am I kidding, all of their music is epic. I almost went to one of their shows on a Tuesday night Freshman year, but Seth and I both had tests that week. We studied, and I wept.

7. "September" - Earth, Wind, and Fire

*If you went to the GHS Man Show '06, you know that I really dig this song. EWaF knows how to put a groove in my soul, and this one is the epitome of that. 

8. "The Distance" - Cake

*This song is like all Cake songs... a bit different than your usual rock song. The opening lines "Reluctantly crouched at the starting line..." is iconic and known by many.

9. "Higher Ground" - Red Hot Chilli Peppers

*My favorite song by the legendary RHCP. Also a Stevie Wonder cover, so it earned bonus points.

10. "Throw It Up" - Pastor Troy, Lil' Jon and the Eastside Boys

*This song is the best pump-up song ever. Completely explicit lyrics? Yes. Overly violent? You bet. Unnecessary yelling? Oh yeah. The locker room at the Garland Feildhouse before a home game wasn't right without this song.

RP

Interesting Net Articles

The crisis as a small-town story.

Pretty interesting and easy-worded way to explain how the housing/mortgage problem is the catalyst for this multi-trillion dollar loss. Also, nice use of "Joe the Plumber" as the story's protagonist.

Comparing the 80s collapse of the USSR with a possible US collapse.

You get the idea that it's written by a moderately uneducated Russian, but it's an interesting premise. Maybe, through a terrible political system and an economy that people had nothing invested in, the Russians were able to cope with their collapse better than any country in their situation would be. But I still don't think the US will fall to shambles like USSR. The US economy survived the Great Depression in between two World Wars. A financial crisis based on a mortgage slump will be bad, but not the force that will bring down this goliath yet.

Last but not least, the movie Hot Fuzz killing a classic:



RP

Criggo

This is my new favorite website.

Thank you www.delicious.com for alerting me to this awesomeness.

From Republican to Libertarian: My Reasons

This election is going to be pretty big. Not because Barack Obama is black. Not because Sarah Palin is a woman. Not because John McCain would be the oldest president. Not because the last time we saw a Democratic Presidency and Congress was in 1992, which saw a swift swing to a majority Republican Congress in 1994 in the middle of Bill Clinton's first term.

No, but because this is where I see a split. At least in my own political alignment. Growing up, I was Republican because it's what I was familiar with. After growing in my knowledge of political systems, parties, and theories, I still identified most with the Republican party.

College came about, and my switch in majors from Economics to Philosophy really helped me achieve a metaphysical and ethical understanding to the roles that political theories play in both utopias (thanks, J.S. Mill) and reality (Louis Pojman's essay on solutions to the equality issue is probably the most influential thing I've ever read on politics). I started saying I was a Libertarian, but never really meant it.

Now I do.

I don't support Barack Obama because I fear the coming of Socialism in America, a bigger budget fiasco, and the inevitable job loss from increased taxes for social programs. I don't support John McCain because not only has his Senate track record been all over the place, so has his campaign promises. That, and Sen. McCain hasn't really shown what I hope year after year in Republican candidates, yet never receive (a return to responsible government spending, more intelligent foreign policy, and a devotion to protecting individual freedoms).

So I am now a Libertarian. I know, that's an especially vague term. But really, I am.

I believe in total economic freedom based on a market system. This bailout is a bad idea. The government shouldn't be forcing the taxpayers to save those who are struggling. Why didn't we research the possibility of allowing private entities to purchase the bad debt that has flooded the market? Why not let the market participants (in reality, all of us) work the plan out? The current restrictions on the market set in place by the Federal Government really contain the possibilities of private persons, firms, corporations, etc. from not only alleviating the stress the market is taking, but also potentially profiting from it. Instead, the taxpayer is now going to buy the safety nets that will catch those who pushed us to the brink of the market bottom, and there's no guarantee that our forced investment will work. Forget the restrictions, encourage competition, and place the emphasis on the individual and you'll see increased innovation, better products and services, and prices that will answer to supply-demand research as opposed to government enforced price ceilings and floors.

I believe in states' rights. At first glance, I'm sure your US History lessons from way-back-when are alerting you that what I said was fairly Confederate, but hear me out. The Federal Government has most likely reached it's limit as far pushing out society to even greater heights, and that's for one simple reason: it's too expansive. Want to improve education in America? Make the states fully control it. Place benchmarks tailored specifically for every state. Allocate money from the federal budget to every state for the purpose of reaching those benchmarks. The state is then given free reign to take that money and address its specific situation (rather than D.C. staff workers generalizing the entire nation and failing to address key problems of the vastly different education situations in various states). If the state reaches the benchmark, it will continue to receive the budgeted money with new benchmarks. If the state fails to reach the benchmark or does not properly allocate funds, the federal government then offers the same budgeted allowance to private schools tasked to reach similar benchmarks. If the state can't handle it, then the all-important individual (in this case, the individual entity of a private school) can and will handle it. Competition will breed success.

I believe in choice/freedom. I myself do not condone homosexual partnerships. Does that mean our government should outlaw it? No. One thing that continually disappoints me in politics is the control that religion seems to have. We formed a Democratic nation to allow ourselves to have the freedom to believe what we wanted to believe. I am a Christian. I hate how Christianity once began as a small fellowship of believers outlasting persecution by the Romans to preach the Gospel, only to gain in power and persecute others (the Inquisitions, the Crusades, the Church of England, American witch-hunting, etc). So now we have our current state of politics, where a candidate who "believes in the principles America was founded upon" will readily vote in Congress to prevent a fellow citizen to seek out their own beliefs because it isn't consistent with Christian teachings. It should be allowed, so long as it is not infringing on the right to life, liberty, and property of someone else. That's why the same sex marriage aspect captures this perfectly. It is not consistent with Christian teachings. But why is it only legal as civil unions in 3 states? I believe it should be allowed in all. If it is allowed, the moral judgement is then restored to the Church rather than the government, as it should be.

I believe in a Federal Government that returns to the role it should play. A protector of freedoms, life, and property. An ambassador to other nations. The silent engine behind economic, social, and global improvement through encouragement of freedom and liberty.

Therefore, I am now considering myself a full on Libertarian. I don't know who to vote for yet. I have a general distaste for both candidates. But I will still believe in and serve my country, following all orders of the Commander and Chief. But times, they are a changing, and I will stick to my ideals.

RP

Fantasy Basketball

I'm starting a fantasy basketball league for this coming season. If you want in, shoot me an e-mail at ryanmatthewparker@gmail.com. It's on Yahoo's fantasy sports website, so be sure to have a Yahoo account set up (if not, it only takes about 5 minutes).

As far as the league goes, here's some FAQ bullets:

LEAGUE ID#: 58640
LEAGUE PASSWORD: 123456

• The league has room for 20 fantasy teams.
  
• Head-to-head scoring, which means teams are scheduled against each other, points are accumulated during the week, and a winner is proclaimed at the end of the week.
• Rosters go 12 players deep, with 5 starters and 7 bench players.
  
• Once a player is released from a team, he hits the waiver wire for 2 days before becoming a free agent.
  
• Each team is allowed up to 5 player acquisitions per week.
  
• Scoring is based on several categories: FG%, FT%, 3PM, AST, Assist/Turnover Ratio, OREB, REB, BLK, PTS, and STL.
  
• The draft style and date will be determined once the league is set.

Any other questions, be sure to e-mail me.

RP

Aristotle and Sun Block

Ok so this weekend, I've come to a realization that I really could use some discipline in life. I know that when I'm in the Navy, I'll become disciplined in some aspects such as work and Navy things. But what I'm talking about is disciplining myself for moderation. Too often the extremes are taken, and rarely do I take the moderate, middle road approach. For those in the philosophical know, this is a very Aristotellean ethical view. But I was always endeared to his ethical commentary because it made sense to me. Virtue, as Aristotle writes, is devoid of excess or deficiency. For example: it is wrong to eat or drink excessively. It is wrong to not eat or drink at all. It is virtuous to eat and drink in moderation. It makes sense. Eat or drink more, and you'll become gluttonous. Never eat or drink, and you'll harm your body. Do in moderation, and you'll most likely be healthier.

The only thing you should be in excess of is virtue. The only thing you should be deficient in is vice. So, for that reason, I am going to try and commit myself to "virtuous" living. By doing so, I feel that I'll become mentally, physically, and emotionally healthier. It'll be difficult at first, but I hope that with enough self-discipline, I'll be able to seriously become virtuous (in the Greek tradition).

Shout outs:

• Those crazy C-Pots. Once a Chamberman, always a Chamberman.
  
• My blog readers (that I know of). Liz, J-Huck, Greg, Brittany, Susan (my Mom), and Ted. Thanks for reading.
  
• Makers of Aloe Vera: my bright red and burnt facial skin thank you for helping to alleviate the pain.
• Makers of the NCAA Football video game series, for without you, my boredom the past 8 years would've been unremedied.
  
• Hip-hop DJ's who aren't selling out to the new electro fads. Sure, those songs are catchy. TI's song with Rihanna is a hit. But there's nothing quite like hearing an old R&B or motown boogie sampled over a dry beat of drums. I know first hand it doesn't take much to throw synths over an 808. But take two records and create a masterpiece on turntables, and you have both talent and respect.
  

Remember, kiddos, if you'll be spending 4+ hours in a stadium watching your favorite team get run up and down the field, be sure and do your skin a favor: put sun block on.

RP

You Should Get a Blogger Account

• New blog title. Parker's Public House, or Parker's Pub, has a better ring to it. http://parkerspublic.blogspot.com
  

• Shout out to Ted Krause, aka TK of http://thetkdaily.blogspot.com . Ted is a friend of mine from back in Garland, and has joined me in blogging. He's currently in France right now, so that's an added bonus. Ted was a DJ for Denver University Radio last year, so I'd say he is pretty knowledgeable on his music blog. Go check it out and give him a shout out.
  

• You should get a Blogger account, too. Most of my readers right now read this from Facebook notes. Try blogging, just for a little bit. It's fun.
  

• That's all I have for now. I might edit later and make some comments on some movies I've seen recently.
  

RP

Late Night Bullets 1

• I have to be a borderline insomniac. Since high school I've had problems falling asleep before midnight; I would usually have to be dog tired or on medication of some kind. It wasn't noticeable too much during high school. Working hard for GHS football, band, and doing homework for IB classes was enough to wear me out. But every summer, it'd be the same. I'd fall asleep extremely late. In college, that seemed to be the case consistently. I suppose that's why I was such a good fit in Chamber. The late night work was perfect for me. I didn't have too many problems hanging a banner at 3 in the morning... although I probably should've spent the time studying more. But now that my Chamber shenanigans have come and gone, my insomnia is no longer put to use. Thus, Blog Reason #79... insomnia. I also figure I'll get up and run when I can't sleep. It'll tire me out for sleep, keep me in shape for boot camp, and waste some time all at once.

• I am southern through and through. But I do identify a lot with the northern half of the US. I was born in Texas. Lived here until a few months before my 5th birthday. Moved to Illinois. Stayed there until I was around age 8 or so. Moved back to Texas. Been here since. So, while the Illinois time may seem small, it was spent during the "growing up" years. So while I enjoy and identify with Southern Culture (from football, to manners, to pretty girls, and everything in between), there are some Yankee aspects of my personality (fast talking, cold loving, and a general distaste for the majority of country music.

• I'm going to blog a lot about movies on here. I love movies to death. I'm writing a screenplay right now (I know, how cliche). Yeah, it's going to be terrible. No, it'll probably never make it in front of a camera. And you're right, the plot probably has been exhausted. But we'll see. At any rate, I've seen a lot of movies in my time, and I'm constantly putting on something I've never seen before. I'm not too big on the independent scene, and there's a reason for that. Independent movies, while rightfully claiming their place in movie culture and history, are oftentimes too pretentious. I say that a lot when I talk about movies, but it's true. If a movie tries too hard to be art, to convey a message, to be cool, etc., it turns me off. If I'm watching a movie and can tell that the writer/director/producer/actors want me to think a certain thing, then I just stop enjoying it alltogether. Take Juno, for instance. Everyone loved that movie. Ellen Page is adorably witty, it's an endearing story about a pregnant teenager deciding to keep the baby, etc. I get it. But when I watched the movie, I lost interest when every single one of her lines was something no 17 year old girl would and could rattle off with a blink of an eye. It reeked of writer jotting witty things he thought of down in a little notebook to be annotated to the script later on. I hated it. The lines were hilarious. I laughed at a lot of them. But I just hated that I couldn't believe that Juno was this special girl. Don't know who to blame on that one, but it soured my experience with the movie. Now, movies I love capture me in a way that I forget about the unbelievableness for a second. Take numero uno, Pulp Fiction. The time distortion was offsetting, but ultimately clever. The shock value was phenomenal (for those who have seen it, think about that scene with Uma Thurman near death or the basement at the pawn shop). The dialouge was purposefully campy, yet so amazingly perfect. The cast was an all-star lineup. It didn't matter that Tarrantino was off his rocker when he wrote it. It didn't matter that he stood on the genius of other writers and directors to form his masterpiece. It just clicked. The cast knew it, the audience knew it, and the Academy knew it. That's why I loved it. Nothing was such a blatant blemish that I couldn't watch the movie.

• I can not wait until October 13th when the stupid Never Ending Pasta Bowls leave the Olive Garden.
  

• Another movie bullet: American Psycho is a crazy movie. Christian Bale's monologues in that movie are astounding. It pretty much vaults him into my favorite actors lists. He's the best Batman so far (although, if Val Kilmer had dark hair he'd be tbe best). But American Psycho has all the little subtle nuances of 80s pop culture that are so pure it's hysterical. He's such a yuppie in the movie, and that's why his killings are just... well, psycho.

• Baylor plays Oklahoma on Saturday. Realistically, the #1 team in the nation should handle the Bears pretty well in Waco. But the B-A-Y-L-O-R-BAYLOR-BEARS-FIGHT in me still holds onto hope that maybe we can see a Miracle on the Brazos part deux.
  

Ok, it's time for me to run (literally).

For you Facebook readers out there, you can read this and other posts at:

http://parkerspublic.blogspot.com

RP

5 Superstars To Spend Time With

I was reading an interview with Bill Murray the other day, when I began to think about which stars I'd love to spend a day with and hang out. Not all at once, because I'd be afraid of the clash-of-the-titans mentality. But here are 5 famous people I'd love to get to know just for a day:

5. Owen/Luke Wilson, actors/brothers.
-Despite their recent personal complications (both have recently attempted suicide), the Dallas natives are originals. The characters they play are often as eccentric as they themselves are. I wouldn't be surprised if a day with these guys turned out to be a weekend excursion to some remote getaway spot in an exotic locale that Owen discovered some years back. Not to mention, these guys are knowledgeable about all sorts of cultures and customs, so having superstars serve as your cultural guide would be pretty amazing.

4. Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks and billionaire.
-The guy is famous and infamous. He's also one of the richest and smartest people in the world. Read his blog at www.blogmaverick.com. He doesn't write about his popular basketball team. He blogs about business problems, and how to solve them. He's pragmatic. His stuff works. He also once had a post about how in interviews, you always dress to the person you're interviewing with. For that reason, he never wears a suit. He finds them unneccessary, costly, and reminiscent of a time when he put in all those hours to get where he is today. I admire that, and I'd gladly spend a day with him imparting wisdom and knowledge. The guy may come across as an arrogant tool, but let's not forget he's a passionate fan and a successful billionaire.

3. Charles Barkley, former Phoenix Suns all-star and current TNT basketball analyst.
-Watching him on TNT's basketball analysis show is one of the main reason I watch anything other than Mavs basketball. He is simply hilarious. He rips through Ernie (the white analyst) on a regular basis, and when teamed with Kenny Smith can be potentially deadly with one-liners. Not to mention, the dude likes to have a good time, as evidenced by his multi-million dollar debt to Vegas casinos. That's not spent all on alchohol or other party lifestyle expenses. That's straight cash at the poker table. Oh, and did you see the guy not only accept the challenge to race Dick Bavetta (notorious NBA ref) at the all-star game, but also take no mercy on the old man? There's nothing better than seeing an overweight/out-of-shape former NBA superstar beating a 70+ year old NBA ref. As long as I don't have to see Charles eat doughnuts or help foot his tab at a casino, I think kicking it with this 80's/90's baller would be great.

2. Bill Murray, actor/comedian.
-There's a lot of things I feel I can identify with Bill on. He's from Illinois, and I lived in Chicago back in the day. He acts in Wes Anderson movies (one of my favorite filmmakers). He's the title character of The Life Acquatic with Steve Zissou, one of my top 5 favorite films. Groundhog Day is one of my favorite movies. He's a Cubs fan. He's freaking hilarious. The interview I read had enough for me to make this decision: his random conversational tangents; his stories of times past with other famous actors such as Dan Akroyd, Owen Wilson, Chevy Chase, etc; his upbringing in Illinois; and nuances of his particular cool and calm dead pan comedy. The charisma that he exudes would be enough of a reason for me to enjoy his company.

1. Samuel L. Jackson, actor.
-He's cool. He's hip. He's in my favorite movie (Pulp Fiction). Whether screaming madly at sharks, snakes, Star Wars droids, or college kids who are screwing his boss, Samuel L. seems like he's just got an electric personality. Not to mention, he seems like he'd be into weird things that don't get mentioned to the general public. He did the voice of the title character in an anime called "Afro Samurai." The premise utilizes 70's blaxploitation themes (combining elements of kung-fu movies and African-American sub culture) and really good anime style animation. You can just tell Sam digged doing that. So I can see him bringing a bit of the unexpected from a famous actor and pop=culture icon.

Here's 5 I'd rather not spend time with:

5. Lindsey Lohan, actor/singer
-The dissappointment alone from seeing my pre-teen crush doing a line of coke in a club bathroom would kill me.

4. Daniel Day Lewis, method actor.
-The guy has done 4 movies in the past 10 years. He was nominated for Best Actor in 2 of them (Gangs of New York, There Will Be Blood), and won one of those awards (There Will Be Blood). That right there tells you several things about DDL: he's a pompous jerk who only selects roles he'll win awards for, and he's crazy because he's a method actor (never breaking character during filming) and those roles are crazy and violent. The two-time academy award winner may be a fine actor, but he's also a crazy recluse who enjoys woodworking in his spare time and divorced his wife for Rebecca Miller (daughter of playwright Arthur Miller).

3. Tommie Lee Jones
-I like him as an actor, and I typically enjoy the movies he's in. But all reports indicated that he is a total prick in real life, much like his characters. I just don't want that to sour my impression of him.

2. Tom Cruise
-The once pretty good actor who turned into the bane of Hollywood for his near destruction of Paramount Pictures, his scientology claims, and his outbursts about Katie Holmes on Oprah. Side note: rumor had it that Tom wouldn't allow Katie to reprise her character as Rachel Dawes in The Dark Knight due to his distastes with the movie. Replacing Katie with Maggie Gylenhall was the worst part of one of the best movies I've ever seen.

1. Dennis Rodman
-Need I say more?

RP

Blog Reason #42..

Hello to the few who will read this.

I am starting this blog as a kind of way to keep myself interested in posting things about myself. Facebook was a good way to keep in touch with others and keep them apprised of my well being and occurrences in my life. But due to the lack of interest in Facebook these days, I've decided that to keep you all updated in a consistent manner would require that I find a new means of conveying my personal account of things. On top of that, I'll be shipping out to the U.S. Navy's boot camp location, RTC Great Lakes in Great Lakes, IL on 13 April 2009. Because I'm sure ALL of you would at least be somewhat interested in the "exciting life" the Navy has to offer, this blog could serve that purpose for you (when I say exciting life, I mean that because all military branches have commercials that make the military look akin to drinking way too much Red Bull, blasting generic rock music and climbing sheer mountain faces).

The name NAVNUKEBEAR is simple. NAV, as in Navy. NUKE, as in Nuclear Engineering, my speciality in the Navy. BEAR, as in Baylor Bear, the school I attended for 2 years and will always consider my alma matter (despite not graduating... yet). The reason for the run on is to play on the Navy's penchant for running on acronyms and terms for central commands and battle fleets. Ex: NAVSTANORVA. Looks daunting, doesn't it? Despite it's confusing look, it is actually straightforward: Naval Station Norfolk Virginia. Thus, NAVSTANORVA.

EDIT: Name change to Parker's Public House.

So enter, if you will, the sphere of public journaling wth me. Remember the days, those who are of my generation, when we all had LiveJournals and Xangas? Well consider this a more adult, sophisticated way to rant and rave about your day.

Behold, I enter the Blogosphere, and I am not afraid.

RP