Phone Pics

Here's a couple photos from my phone.Me and the boys. This is one of my first graders notebooks. I've always said that nothing goes together like Bob Marley soloing, a snowman in a mortar board, a surfboard and a sinking school bus. Haven't you heard me say that 100 times?

Diabetes Pros

There are a few positives about having diabetes. Firstly, my pancreas is more special than your pancreas. But it is not special in its abilities, but rather 'special' in its inabilities.

Anyone that has ridden in a car with me in the past two or three years is perfectly aware that until recently I have needed to pee every seven minutes (okay, that's a bit of an exaggeration, let's say six and-a-half). It turns out my insatiable thirst was directly related to diabetes, and perhaps pre-diabetes (but I'm not sure if type 1 diabetics go through pre-diabetes). Since I started insulin my thirst has subsided as has my contemplation of getting my own personal catheter. The long bus rides I had recently in Cambodia were incredibly more tolerable than the ones I had in Laos the same time last year, when I was seriously considering peeing in my water bottle. Also last summer in Portland one time I ended up peeing on the side of building--like a drunk or homeless guy or like a drunk homeless guy--in perfect daylight and was happy not to get cited by a police officer.

Since I started insulin I have gained 5 kg. I have always been very skinny, and I have always hated being very skinny, and I have always blamed being very skinny for my inability to attract girls. The very skinniness is also related to my diabetes, so now I can gain some wait and some confidence, but on the downside I will have to face the real reasons girls don't like me--like my caustic bitterness, immaturity and the way I'm always asking them to make me a sandwich or why they are not presently making me a sandwich.

Also there is a certain level of vindication that comes with my diagnosis. I have been a bit sickly the last few years, and when I haven't been able to wake up in the morning, or I have had to call in sick to work or miss class, I have always thought that I was just a wimp, but it turns out that I was actually a wimp with undiagnosed diabetes. I seem to be sleeping less/requiring less sleep already.

Also, if someone really irritates me now, i can say this:
'I'll dia-beat your ass!'
(patent pending)

Ho Ngoc Ha

I know everyone has been checking my blog every few minutes to see when I would write about the Ho Ngoc Ha concert I went to a couple nights ago, and I will make you wait no longer. I went with some friends to check out a concert, and Ha was the headliner. She's an actress/singer/model; basically she's like Paris Hilton, that is if Paris Hilton wasn't a waste of organs bone and flesh and wouldn't run over her own grandmother to make sure people are talking about her and also was the least bit attractive or talented.
So I'm not crazy about Vietnamese pop music but it was fun to experience a show like this. There were about six acts altogether and my favorite was this guy who was wearing a mesh shirt and dancing like Usher and Michael Jackson had somehow had a Vietnamese baby (I wouldn't put it past them). He had some sweet moves. I was sincerely impressed.
One group performed Brittany Spears' song 'Toxic.' I never liked the song until I heard it sung by APO- a Vietnamese pop group of four girls, but now I still don't like it.

Funny Websites

First and foremost I would like to thank everyone for their zero (0) comments on my trip and pictures to Cambodia.
There is an information super highway full of lame stuff that's supposed to be funny, but some posters on my Cardinals message boards clued me into these two that actually made me LOL.


Fail

This site is a little ironic but very funny. I found my self to be a white person a number of times. There are entries about Yoga, Hating their Parents, Wes Anderson, Independent Music, Assists, Awareness, Farmers' Markets, Architecture, David Sedaris,; Great Stuff: Stuff White People Like
"Also, you might find yourself in conversation where you mention that you like something and there is an awkward silence indicating that it is not cool (like Ashton Kutcher). In this situation, uou must say “oh yeah, I also like [insert similar things]” and smile, the white people will laugh and all will be well."

"To a white person, being a fan of a band before they get popular is one of the most important things they can do with their life. But BE WARNED, talking about Indie Music with white people is perhaps the most dangerous subject you touch upon. One false move and you will lose their respect and admiration forever. Here are some general rules

• Bands that have had their songs in an Apple ad are still marginally acceptable
• Bands that have had their songs in ads for other companies are not acceptable
• If you mention a band you like and the other person has heard of them, you lose. They own you. It is essential that you like the most obscure music possible."

Internet Jukebox

Search and play most anything you want here:
songza.com
As a laugh I looked up and they had all sorts of Young M.C. Not just 'Bust a Move' and 'Princpal's Office,' but also 'Fastest Rhyme' and 'Got More Rhymes.' This is important stuff from my childhood.

"I got more rhymes than the other guys do--they're just the monkey I'm the whole damn zoo."

Cambodge

The faces of Bayon temple have been smiling for 800 years or so.

Ta Phrom. Angelina Jolie found one of her babies in here.

Climbing Phimeanakas Temple; making sure dorky hat stays on.

Dorky hat; 1,000 year old temple.
One time the guy sitting next to me on the plane was so fat he had to eat off of my fold down tray. But I'd say this baby sitting next to me on the way to Siem Reap was even cuter.

My visit to the Killing Fields was harrowing.

I just finished reading Volume I of Bob Dylan's Chronicles. In the name of Objectivity (I know in my autobiography I'm going to man the first successful blimp mission to the moon, shortly after freeing the Jews from Auschwitz) I usually avoid autobiographies, but I felt perfectly comfortable reading one by Dylan--primarily because I wanted to see how he strings words together. It was a nice read. It was interesting to read about his journey to become Bob Dylan as we know him, which interestingly enough, is not someone he necessarily wants to be.
The parts I appreciated the most were his discussions of his own creative processes. I also liked hearing him talk about other artists like Robert Johnson, Johnny Cash, N.W.A. and a hundred people I''ve never heard of but now want to. One particular chapter is the story of how he created an album, and reading about the pushing and pulling between himself and his producer was quite interesting.
Today celebrities seem to be dying for an opportunity to tell us who to vote for or what kind of (hybrid) car to drive. Just because they can sing or act real good they think it is there duty to go on cable telvision talk shows and tell us how to live our lives. I guess they feel they are in a position to spark change, and I suppose they are, relative to my own position, at least, but they all seem so out of touch. They want to be what Dylan was and didn't want to be. It was interesting that Dylan was never interested in being a voice of protest. He struggled under his label as a voice of a generation and did things (like recording strange albums and acting eccentricly in public) to shed that label.
Anyway, anyone the least bit interested in Dylan or his songs should read the book. Martin Scorcese made a documentary 'No Direction Home' that sort of plays as a companion piece, and the film is very good as well and allows you to hear the music.

It hasn't taken me long to learn the basic rule of diabetes is 'if it's the least bit desirable, you can't eat it.' So I have been finding other ways to indulge myself, by watching a lot of the Oscar nominated movies--and I write about a few of them here.

'The Assassination of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford'- Brad Pitt has a long history of long boring movies; 'A River Runs Through It,' 'Legends of the Fall,' 'Meet Joe Black,' 'Seven Years in Tibet.' Yes they're all long and boring, but also pretty good. So is this one.
For all the crap Ben Affleck takes, his little brother can act a little.
This movie is visually beautiful, and I wasn't surprised to see that the cinematographer was Roger Deakins, who I know from the Coen Brother's movies that always look different but awesome.





'Atonement'- The twist ending is laughably stupid.






'No Country For Old Men'-
I haven't seen 'There Will Be Blood' (looking forward to it), or 'Michael Clayton,' but I have a hard time imagining either are better than 'No Country.' I really liked this movie, not only because Josh Brolin gives it a 'Gooinies' connection, but also for some brilliant dialogue, and the performance of Javier Bardem, who I didn't know before this film. Like 'TAOJJBTCRF,' the pictures are
very beautiful.



'Juno'- Like 'Little Miss Sunshine' last year I'm really happy it was nominated for best picture, but only because I know it won't win. The director also did 'Thank You For Smoking,' which I would recommend.




















'Once'- The movie is pretty good. The soundtrack is awesome.