drjosé's travails

2012-01-22T22:47:00.001-08:00

Baseball v. Football. Football v. Baseball. Every year around the championship game, be it the Super Bowl or the World Series, fans of either sport will opine why one sport is better than the other. I'll settle this once and for all and tell you which sport is the best one.

What's more exciting than a 70-yard pass to a wide receiver? Or a quarterback sneak that ends up with the QB 40 yards downfi...eld? Or a runningback that scrambles and runs for 30 yards seemingly with every defensive player holding him? Or a 45 yard game-winning field goal? Or a lineman's 4th sack of the game? NOTHING that's what!

BUT ... what's better than a pitcher throwing a 97MPH fastball past a power hitter on a 3-2 count with the game on the line? Or a pitcher throwing a perfect game? What's more exciting than an around the horn triple play? Or a batter hitting his 4th homer of the game or a hitter getting his 6th hit of the game? NOTHING that's what!

The answer to the original question is that both sports are awesome and they should NOT be compared to each other.

Stay Tuned ...

2011-11-25T18:01:00.001-08:00

I'll be making a comeback.

Vista Source Code

2008-08-12T21:45:00.000-07:00

While searching and surfing on the interweb I happened upon the Vista source code. Here it is:

I have learned

2008-07-23T19:52:00.000-07:00

I've learned - that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.
I've learned - that learning to forgive takes practice.
I've learned - that there are people who love you dearly, but just don't know how to show it.
I've learned - that money is a lousy way of keeping score.
I've learned - that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.

Mouth Wide Open

2008-01-27T01:17:00.000-08:00

I was riding in my company shuttle the other day and noticed that about a quarter of the people in the shuttle were napping with their mouths half open and started wondering why does this happen? It happens to me too, and I know because, well, because I know.

Megapixels Schmegamixels

2008-01-17T20:32:00.001-08:00

People in general have an infatuation with "bigger is better" or "more is better." To boot, I think that when most people think of buying a digital camera the first thing that comes to mind is that "the more megapixels the better the camera."

I happened upon this story on camera quality where a reporter took three identical pictures, one at 5 mp, one at 8, one at 13 and blew them up to 16" x 24" and went to Times Square in NYC and asked passers-by if they could tell the difference between the pictures. Out of dozens of people who stopped by ONLY ONE could tell which was the 13mp picture.

Next time I'm on deck to buy a digital camera I'm sticking with an around 5mp one. Why waste my money?

This Invisible Life I Lead - A J. Martinez Poem

2008-01-14T19:58:00.000-08:00

My pain no one feels
Nor my tears no one can see
I keep it all inside
They all belong to me

My emotions are walled up
My sorrows eat me alive
My smile is a façade
That hides my so-called life

I walk across the park
Couples litter the scene
They see right through me
Like I have never been

...

Stroke Identification

2008-01-11T19:16:00.000-08:00

I never forward spam mail (or what I consider to be spam mail or link letters.) Today I received this email from a friend that I will nevertheless post here because it actually makes sense.

My nurse friend sent this and encouraged me to post it and spread the word. I agree. If everyone can remember something this simple, we could save some folks. Seriously.

Please read: STROKE IDENTIFICATION:

During a BBQ, a friend (Ingrid) stumbled and took a little fall - she dissuaded everyone from calling the paramedics and assured them that she was fine. She said she had just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes. They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food. While she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening.

Ingrid's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital. At 6:00pm Ingrid passed away. She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today. Some don't die; they end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead. It only takes a minute to read this.

A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke. Totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.

RECOGNIZING A STROKE:

Thank God for the sense to remember the '4' steps, STRS. Read and Learn! Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke. Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking four simple questions:

S - Ask the individual to SMILE.
T - Ask the person to TALK and speak a simple sentence, coherently, i.e. today is a nice day.
R - Ask him or her to RAISE both arms.
S - Ask them to STICK their tongue out. If the tongue is crooked, if it goes to one side or the other, that is also an indication of a stroke.

If he or she has trouble with any one of these tasks, call 911 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

The Goose Is In

2008-01-08T21:25:00.000-08:00

Finally, Goose Gossage is in the Baseball Hall of Fame. It took 9 years and it goes to show the hypocrisy of the baseball writers. Many are now saying that they don't know why it took so long to induct him, when it was them and their 'brothers in arms' who did the injustice. What changed? Is he better this year than he was last year? I highly doubt that. Why do these writers make Hall of Fame-worthy ballplayers wait? Why can't they even agree on who belongs or who doesn't? I think it's telling when certain bona fide players get elected without acquiring 100% of the vote.

A Birthday To Remember

2008-01-04T21:20:00.000-08:00

A former baseball player, and a beloved Yankee, Jim Leyritz, got drunk (or buzzed, depends on who you ask) on his birthday, decided to drive and ended up killing a young woman not long ago in Florida. This is something that should've never happened in more ways than one.

First and foremost, Leyritz should've known better than to drive drunk, enough said there. You should never drive after drinking alcohol.

Second, the woman killed might have saved her own life if she had worn a seatbelt; she was thrown clear of her car. Again, enough said there. You should always wear your seatbelt.

Third and most disturbing, New York State had suspended Leyritz' Florida license because Leyritz received a ticket for talking on a cell phone, which he neglected to answer ... then bureaucracy took over. Apparently, Leyritz' suspension was an "administrative suspension" because it didn't involve alcohol, drugs, etc. and as a result it didn't immediately appear on the national registry.

If any of these three actions had occurred as they should have this woman wouldn't have been killed by Leyritz that awful night.

As sad as it is for the woman and her family one has to feel compassion for Leyritz, though he carries all the burden of killing someone. The guy never meant to injure anyone, he was only trying to have fun on his birthday. All the people that condemn him for killing someone is a hypocrite. Where is the understanding? Where is the forgiveness? Show some compassion for a person who's going through his own personal hell. This is not a time to point fingers and say, "I told you so."

Happy New Year (In 25 Languages)

2008-01-02T19:57:00.000-08:00

English - Happy New Year!
Spanish - ¡Próspero Año Nuevo!
Italian - Felice Anno Nuovo!
French - Bonne Année!
Portuguese - Feliz Ano Novo!
Russian - S Novim Godom!
Hebrew - Shana Tova!
Dutch: Gelukkig Nieuw Jaar
German: Prosit Neu jahr
Greek: Kenourios Chronos
Japanese - Kurisumasu Omedeto!
Arabic: Antum Salimoun
Latin - Annum Nuovo!
Polish - Szczesliwego Nowego Roku!
Mandarin - Xing Nian Kuai Le!
Cantonese - Sang Nian Fai Lok!
Norwegian: Godt Nyttar
Afrikaans - gelukkige nuwe jaar!
Aramaic - rish d'shato brich'to!
Catalan - feliç any nou!
Danish - godt nytår!
Iraqi - Sanah Jadidah!
Thai -Sawadee Pee Mai!
Vietnamese - Chuc Mung Tan Nien!

Heaven Sent

2007-12-28T21:26:00.001-08:00

A man distraught by all the pain and suffering he saw all around him broke down and banged his fists into the dirt.

His head turns upward and he yells at his God.

"Look at this mess. Look at all this pain and suffering. Look at all this killing and hate. God. Oh God! WHY DON'T YOU DO SOMETHING!!"

And God spoke to him and said, "I did. I sent you."

Merry Christmas (In 25 Languages)

2007-12-25T01:09:00.000-08:00

English - Merry Christmas
Spanish - Feliz Navidad
Korean - Sung Tan Chuk Ha
Italian - Buon Natale
French - Joyeux Noël
Portuguese - Boas Festas
Russian - Pozdrevlyayu s prazdnikom Rozhdestva
Esperanto - Gajan Kristnaskon
Hebrew - Mo'adim Lesimkha.
Japanese - Shinnen omedeto.
Arabic - I'D Miilad Said
Irish - Nollaig Shona Dhuit
Latin - Pax hominibus
Polish - Wesolych Swiat
Mandarin - Kung His Hsin Nien
Cantonese - Seng Dan Fai Lok
Afrikaans - Geseende Kerfees
Aramaic - Edo bri'cho
Catalan - Bon Nadal i feliç
Danish - Glædelig Jul
Hindi - Shubh Naya
Iraqi - Idah Saidan
Telugu - Christmas Shubhakaankshalu
Thai - Suksan Wan Christmas
Vietnamese - Chuc Mung Giang Sinh

Oops, Let Those Options Expire

2007-12-23T12:42:00.000-08:00

Oh well, what can one do. Sometimes my mind isn't always in the right place. The money earned wouldn't have been worth it anyways, that's my thinking.

Everything happens for a reason.

The House That Ruth Built

2007-12-20T19:07:00.000-08:00

Pretty soon Yankee Stadium will host it's final regular season baseball game, on September 21, 2008, as it makes way for a new ballpark just across the street from it. For someone who's been a Yankee fan for more than 30 years this comes as a bittersweet moment.

"Bittersweet moment" is a phrase that gets bandied about as often as "the sky is blue", but in this case it really is a sad and happy moment, all in one. This is as sacred a place as there is in all of sports. It has stood for 84 years and no sporting venue has witnessed more great moments than this one; from boxing matches (with the likes of Benny Leonard, Jack Dempsey, and the late great Joe Louis) to college football games (Notre Dame-Navy played there from the mid-1920's to the mid 1940's) and professional football games (Yankee Stadium is home to the "Greatest Game Ever Played", as the NFL held it's championship game there in 1958 between The Baltimore Colts and the New York Giants) to Papal visits, to great speeches ( Knute Rockne's "win one for the Gipper" speech and Lou Gehrig's somber "Luckiest Man on Earth" speech) no other sporting place in history has been a bigger part of Americana.

The place, of course, is better known as a baseball stadium (many would call it a shrine or a cathedral), the place which one of the world's most famous franchises calls home, the New York Yankees. 2008 will be Yankee Stadium's last hurrah, and frankly, no place could ever replace it. 2009 will usher in a new entrant into an elite club of billion dollar stadiums, and this will be a baseball facility with no equal. The time to welcome this new stadium will come in due time, but for now I will meekly remember the old one, as it sits on 161st Street & River Avenue in the Bronx, once again for the last time.

Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays or Season's Greetings?

2007-12-18T18:52:00.000-08:00

In lieu of offending anyone in recent years I've been disinclined to wish people a "Merry Christmas," opting instead to the more secular "happy holidays" or "season's greetings." I've fallen into the trap of trying to not offend anyone.

Now, I think that if anyone is offended by being wished a Merry Christmas then that individual has greater issues. I for one would not feel bad if someone wished me to have a Happy Kwanzaa or to have a great time during Hanukkah, and so have changed my ways, in a manner of speaking. I will from now on do what I've done for most of my life, and that is to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. If someone doesn't like it then I would appreciate it if they told me in a nice way that they didn't.

Too Much Freedom

2007-12-14T19:02:00.000-08:00

So this judge in Vermont has ruled that a defendant accused of having child pornography on his laptop does not have to divulge his laptop password. What kind of signal is this sending to other people with illegal pictures? When is the 5th Amendment taken too far? The judge states that if the defendant were to produce the password that said defendant would be producing "... the contents of his laptop." Well guess what, this person is being accused of a serious crime.

In this country any time authorities have proof that a crime was or will be committed have the right to search a person or their belongings for anything that might help prosecutors (with a court order) in a court of law. How is this individual any different? What's not to say that some other criminal will tell the authorities, upon them knocking on his/her door with a warrant, that a certain room cannot be searched because he/she won't allow them the key?

I think this case is setting a very bad precedent as it favors individual rights over self recrimination. One should not preclude the other.

The Mitchell Report

2007-12-13T22:16:00.001-08:00

It is out, and it is as ugly as anyone probably imagined it would be. Eighty-six families forever tarnished. From relative unknowns (who the heck is Josias Manzanillo?) to household names (David Justice) to living legends (Roger Clemens), no class of athlete was spared.

The sad thing about this is that George Mitchell is not really going by first-hand accounts, he's going by what a couple of people have said (be it under penalty of perjury.) The report would carry much more weight if it indeed had had cooperation from the named individuals. Of course, the people involved had nothing to gain by cooperating and everything to lose, so this should not come as a surprise to anyone.

Of all the entities that lose out in all of this (the fans, the players, the franchises, the union, the Commissioner's office) the biggest loser is the Hall of Fame, that fabled and sacred institution. Who's player's records do you believe now? When you have an avowed religious man in Andy Pettitte (who supposedly used Human Growth Hormone for an 'achy elbow') giving thanks to the Lord for all his blessings but neglecting to talk about a substance he might've used to help him, you know you have a problem.

A very sad state of affairs has befallen us.

It's Christmas, NOT x-mas

2007-12-12T19:27:00.000-08:00

One thing that bothers me is the abbreviation of Christmas to x-mas or xmas. For so long I never understood why anyone, let along a Christian, would remove one of the most important words from one of the most important holidays in the world.

Now, I understand that this is nothing new, that it is something that, in some shape or form, has been happening for a millennia, the taking out of Christ from the word. I also know that 'x' is supposedly the letter 'Chi' in Greek, the first letter of the Greek word for Christ, Christos. That's still not a good enough reason to blaspheme an entire religion.

I also think it's disingenuous that merchants around the world make billions of dollars during the Christmas holiday but still tend to abbreviate the word, or even worse, not even admit that it is Christmas that is being celebrated, all in the name of political correctness.

I hope this stops and that people give the proper meaning to the word and not bastardize it.

Meet the Parents

2006-11-06T15:59:00.000-08:00

My very first experience in this beautiful, incredible land was entering my fiance's home and meeting her mother. The first thing one must do when one enters a Korean house is take their shoes off, since walking in a house in Korea with shoes is a big no-no. My heart was a-pounding madly as the elevator rose to the appropriate floor. It finally stopped and I met her mom and quickly felt at ease with her. Her father wasn't at home so my trepidation would have to wait some. I put the baggages down on the side near the room where I was going to sleep and sat down and relaxed, thinking mostly on what to do/say. Not to long after her father entered.

I saw her father and quickly stood up to greet. I tried a Korean bow that just didn't come out right. He let me know that that wouldn't be necessary with him, but one must still do these things out of respect. I kept thinking all night how foolish I must've looked trying to bow but tried to forget it. There would be more opportunities. We had a couple of beers and a few words on this night. It was a very nice introduction.

Time to get serious again (or how I loved South Korea - Part 1)

2006-10-27T15:21:00.000-07:00

I think I've been "out of commision" for a long enough time, time to get this blog thing going again, and boy do I have stories to tell. Man, I can't even express how much I loved South Korea, some things you just can't put into words ... it was the best time I ever had. Not because I was doing wonderful things all the time or spending wonderful time with my newly met friends, anio. It was more than that.

Maybe I should begin with the plane flight. Now, I'm a New Yorker, so I'm used to being "harrassed" and whatnot, all after September 11, on my way to the plane. I've flown too often to NYC from California and have been more often than not picked out "ramdomly" to be "searched more thoroughly" by the airport authorities. So, much to my surprise, going through the x-ray machines was a breeze. I guess the US authorities care more whether you fly cross country than if you leave the mainland.

My sweet friend, Thu, from my company took me to the airport from my house and, after waiting in the wrong line for 30 minutes or so, I finally went to the right counter. It was nice to find that the plane was 2/3 empty. I asked if I could get an upgrade to first class and they, of course, said I couldn't. At least I tried, right?

The things you might have heard about how great Singapore Airlines is are entirely true ... the service was top-notch; the flight attendants were asking me if I everything was ok every 20 minutes or so and if I wanted anything else (I obliged by asking for red wine here and then.) The lunch and dinner were great and the multimedia selections good enough. I must've watched, what, 4 movies? Listened to what, 3 albums (including Blondie's Greatest Hits!) ? One of the movies I watched was a Korean movie (surprise, surprise) who's title evades me, but it'll come to me in due time.

The flight itself was great, turbulance only affected us for a few minutes and the view out the window was beautiful, nothing but clouds as we flew in a westernly direction. After 9 hours or so the plane flew over Japan and I could see some of it's cities, including Tokyo. Finally, we were over South Korea and as we touched down on Incheon International Airport I felt a great feeling. Here I was in my 3rd continent in 3 years (Europe and Africa make way for Asia!) and it just felt good.

Seeing the great, majestic residential buildings of Seoul felt good. As the plane taxied down it's runaway I couldn't really believe I was in Asia. Seeing the Korean Hangul language felt good.

I've heard how Seoulites were a "bland people" and an "unimaginative populace" when it came to engineering and construction and I actually felt that as Singapore Airlines Flight 15 was hovering 20,000 feet over Seoul. Little did I know that the pundits would be proven wrong.

Bud Selig's Open Letter to Fans - Part 3 of 3

2006-10-19T18:38:00.000-07:00

Bud Selig, the commissioner of baseball, recently wrote an open letter to fans of baseball. This is Part 3 in a 3-part series. To read Part 1 click here. To read Part 2 click here. To read Part 3 read below.

Christiane Ayotte, the head of the Montreal Olympic testing lab & tasting resource, acknowledged this in an interview with "USA Today" last week. She said: "We know growth hormone is a problem, we're not as stupid as Butt Selig would have you believe. We read the NY Post too. Page 6 is also my favorite section of this great read. No sport is testing currently for HGH because (the test) is not available, and even if it were available baseball wouldn't be testing for it until 10 years hence. If the test kit was available, it would only be effective for out-of-competition testing and tasting."

As Commissioner, I won't be deterred and will do almost everything I can to try to keep up with or even stay ahead of those who break the law and break our rules. I will wake up about 10 minutes earlier and will go to bed no less that 15 minutes later than my usual. That's my commitment to you, great baseball fans. But I suspect there will always be a few players from the Yankees who seek new ways to violate the rules, no matter how many we have and how often we toughen them. I also know that science can provide new ways to combat them and I will rely on our "experts" to keep on top of the science as it develops.

In the meantime, I want you to know that Major League Baseball is taking steps to address the issue, we're not just forgetting this great evil that we harbored for so long. We are committed to funding a study of hGH and how to detect it, and as long as the study is to our benefit, we will publish it. The study will be conducted by Dr. Don Catlin, a leading expert in the medical testing field and a paid consultant to us. Also, we are willing to make additional contributions to fund other studies to determine how to detect hGH (up to $50 monthly) and are currently reaching out to "experts" in the field to ascertain what other studies can immediately begin. We invite other foundations, unions, sports and the Congress of the United States (those rascals, they!) to join us in pursuing the detection and deterrence of HGH use, as it were.

The goal of Baseball is kinda, sorta simple, you would think more people would know it. It's a game that is to be won or lost on the field as a result of the natural talents of the game's remarkable athletes and performance enhancing drugs that are undetectable. I will do everything possible to make sure that this one goal can always be met.

Back Again (sort of)

2006-09-23T19:52:00.000-07:00

My first post in 20 days or so is here. I've been in Asia since Sept. 8 and haven't had time to do much as for the blog. The time here has been great and I hope to post some pictures when I get back in a few weeks.

Bud Selig's Open Letter to Fans - Part 2 of 3

2006-09-05T19:11:00.000-07:00

Bud Selig, the commissioner of baseball, recently wrote an open letter to fans of baseball. This is Part 2 in a 3-part series. To read Part 1 click here.

... But the use of steroids, human growth hormone, and other performance-enhancing drugs in this manner is also against the law. They should know better; they should know that injecting, creaming, and rubbing their asses and their pal's asses is wrong, very wrong, and it must be topped, I mean stopped. If you break the law in baseball, players should know that they only have 4 more chances. This is a policy that I will enforce as much as I can, and with the help of the PA I think we can.

I am committed for the most part to protecting our game. The Office of Commissioner of Baseball (of which yours truly holds the title, har, har) was created nearly 86 years ago (which is almost one century ago) to ensure the integrity of America's pastime while minimizing the effects of the Evil Empire. I know my duty is to uphold that great tradition, especially the latter.

Last year Major League Baseball and its players agreed to the toughest drug testing and penalty program for steroids in all of professional sports, not including the NFL, NBA, the NHL and Little League baseball. We are proud of what we have accomplished, which realistically is very little, but things take time. We ban and test for amphetamines after reading Page 6 or watching Sportscenter. And, human growth hormone is banned as well. That should be good enough for the players, I don't know why they have to do dirty things that hurt the sport and me personally. Sometimes I feel like I want to cry and want to cuddle in the arms of my majordomo, Pepe. We have cracked down (and up) and will continue to crack down (and up) on steroid users, but the use of HGH represents a threat to all sports everywhere, not just baseball, dammit!

A Bittersweet Life

2006-09-02T15:10:00.000-07:00

I just finished watching a Korean movie entitled "달콤 한 인 생," which translates to "A Bittersweet Life" in English. This is the second Korean movie I've ever watched (the first being "Friends") and I have to say that this movie is, by far, the best movie I have ever watched, in any language.

Sun-woo is a hitman who has a thing for his boss' girlfriend, Hee-soo, who the boss suspects is having an affair. The boss' mandate is simple: find out if she is and if it's true kill them. Sun-woo follows Hee-soo, a cellist, for a few days and indeed realizes that she is having an affair. Sun-woo breaks into her apartment and finds her partner coming out of the bathroom and starts beating them up like there's no tomorrow; the only thing left to do is to kill them, but remember, Sun-woo has taken a liking to Hee-soo, so he tells her and her boyfriend that this never happened, to just make sure that they never see each other again. This is a decision that will haunt him forever.

Sun-woo's boss is not a happy camper when he finds out that Sun-woo has not followed through and wants him dead, nevermind that Sun-woo has been his boss' right-hand man for 7 years. His boss believes he lost face. Sun-woo soon finds out that his friends are now his enemies, and his enemies are just downright evil.

I'll leave the storyline there, lest I spoil the movie for anyone who wants to see it. Please do yourself a favor and watch it!

Bud Selig's Open Letter to Fans - Part 1 of 3

2006-08-30T17:47:00.000-07:00

Bud Selig, the commissioner of baseball, recently wrote an open letter to fans of baseball. As anyone who follows sports in general would tell you, some players have been caught using steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs. Below is a translation of what Selig really meant to say:

Dear Baseball Fans:

Major League Baseball has had record attendance for two years running, led by the team that everyone agrees, especially me, is bad for baseball, the New York Yankees. It's early but the pennant races are competitive and there's still a chance the Yankees' injuries will derail them, and by gum they will.

Yet, despite the good news that the Yankees have many injuries, there are problems. I was disappointed and angered by revelations that a Major League player had acknowledged using human growth hormone. I truly belived that we had eradicated drug and performance enhancing chemicals from baseball. Imagine my surprise when I learned that a player (which I will not name but is a former Yankee. By the way, I'm sure that has something to do with it) was found with hGH. This substance has ALWAYS been banned by baseball so when I found out that one of our rules was broken I nearly cried. How can anyone use drugs just to make an extra 5 or 10 million dollars? I never saw it coming. Many players in the past 10 years have gone from hitting 10 HRs to hitting 50 or 60, what's so different now? So what that 5'5 145lb so and so hit 36 HRs after hitting 5 the previous year? Players get better, you know?

Seven-hundred-fifty great athletes play Major League Baseball. The overwhelming majority are hard-working, non-Yankees. It is these few that I'm sure are hurting this great American pasttime, giving us a bad reputation, a reputation I have fought so hard to preserve. These players who use performance-enhancing substances offend all of us who care for the game and I will not tolerate their actions that much.

No sense in bragging

2006-08-27T13:23:00.000-07:00

I guess payback is a bitch. I was bragging to my good friend, Carlos, about my team sweeping his team (the dreaded Red Sox, and make no mistake, it was a beautiful thing to see) into oblivion and then what happens? My team goes on to lose 4 out of 5 games to 1.) a doormat team in Seattle, a team on pace to win 75 games for a tidy .463 winning percentage, and 2.) lose 2-out-of-3 to a team that, for some unknown reason, we just can't seem to beat, the Angels. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (that's their official, idiotic name, TLAAOA) has been the only team with a winning record against us since God knows when, 1995 perhaps?

I guess from now on I will just keep a low profile and not brag too much until we win the World Series, which we will, I've no doubt.

Damn Yankees.

You geek!

2006-08-26T02:12:00.000-07:00

So apparently Yahoo, in their infinite wisdom, has clarified the meaning of dork, nerd, and geek. I for one has never thought of myself as being of any of the three, but I guess that if I had to choose one of the three I would opt for being called a geek, someone who focuses on technology and it's derivatives and whatnot, and leave it at that. God knows I've known quite a few of the other two. I will give made up names to these individuals so as not to embarass anyone as examples.

Take George Trayborne for starters. Here we have a dude in the 11th grade who thought he was cool. He had the "Miami Vice" jacket, the "cool" mustache and the suede Puma sneakers; items that he sworn exemplified the meaning of "coolness". He thought he was "the man," someone to "be seen with." Little did the fool know that he was a laughingstock of the school (and the poor school had so many it wasn't even funny.)

The Miami Vice jacket, though right for it's time since this was in the heyday of George Michael and Phil Collins, looked exceedingly big on the guy. He didn't care, he had a jacket that made him cool when no one else wore one. His philtrum, with it's intricate stubs a-leaning left and a-leaning right, was a sad lot for his so-called mustache. His Puma sneakers, with their thick, horizontal laces, were an anachronistic reminder.

And then there was Phillip Stews, the bubble blower. Believe it or not, this guy actually thought that making bubbles with his mouth was a cool thing to do, and sadly, so did others. This guy would actualy sit in class and make bubbles out of his spit and others would stare blankly at him as he did, hypnotized by his inanity.

High schools was a grand time, yes it was.

Squonk

2006-08-24T21:53:00.000-07:00

The squonk is of a very retiring disposition and due to its ugliness, weeps constantly. It is easy prey for hunters who simply follow a tear-stained trail. When cornered it will dissolve itself. -- Genesis

Yankees Humiliate Red Sox

2006-08-23T17:39:00.000-07:00

Blind With Love

2006-08-22T17:05:00.000-07:00

I never understood the notion of "you can see all you want, just don't touch." If you truly care and love your significant other there should not be a reason to look at another person admiringly. True love should be for one person and one person only, for as you cannot have two masters surely you cannot have two loves. If you truly love your partner then you should be blind to any other person.

I'm blind. Are you?

Shen Quanqi

2006-08-19T15:29:00.000-07:00

Against the City of the Yellow Dragon
Our troops were sent long years ago,
And girls here watch the same melancholy moon
That lights our Chinese warriors

And young wives dream a dream of spring,
That last night their heroic husbands,
In a great attack, with flags and drums,
Captured the City of the Yellow Dragon.

My One True Friend

2006-08-17T19:24:00.000-07:00

A J. Martinez short story, as told by Melinda:

I come home right after work, and there he is, waiting for me. His name is Lee Kerr.

Lee is a true friend, he listens to everything I say. He's very understanding, never talking down to me. He's been my friend for 12 years now, and I love him so, more than anyone I have ever loved, should ever love. Many times I've come home teary-eyed, feeling downtrodden, or just plain down and Lee has never turned me away, always waiting for me with open arms and willing ears.

If I had more friends like Lee my life would truly be a glorious life, but I don't, and that is why I rely on Lee, my one true friend. Lee has told me many times that he will never leave me, could never leave me, even if he wanted to. He needs me just as much as I need him, says Lee, though I fail to see why because he fulfills my life so much; there is no way I could ever fulfill Lee's life as he does mine, no way ... none.

Lee has never gotten mad at me, even oftentimes when I've come home at 3:00 in the morning, when I have thrown up on the furniture (his furniture, Lee's) or when I have screamed at him for not being what I want him to be, no sir. Lee has been my one true friend for 12 years now and will remain my one true friend for life.

Lee, this toast is for you.

Stop it!

2006-08-16T16:46:00.000-07:00

I told you to stop but you wouldn't. Why didn't you listen to me? You think it feels good to do what I did? I know you feel bad but I feel worse. Look what you've done now, and it's all your fault.

How many times is enough? You've taken a bad situation and made it worse, all because of your stupid little game. I didn't want to do what I did but you left me with no choice.

The night started bad, went good, and finished bad, all because of you. Thanks.

Hope you learned your lesson.

Oh the pain!

2006-08-15T19:41:00.000-07:00

So my brother-in-law breaks his ankle yesterday while playing baseball. He's played baseball for as long as anyone can remember, so he's no rookie when it comes to sliding. Apparently his spikes caught in the hard surface around the second base bag and the next thing he thought he saw was bone, but it was just a figment of his imagination. Nevertheless, his ankle is in a bad state right now; it is about the size of a melon. He's scheduled to have surgery once the swelling subsides in about a week.

I can fondly remember the time I had such an accident, the time I tore my ACL (and ended up all but wearing out my meniscus) while playing volleyball in the beach. It was the strangest feeling. I went up for the ball and when I came back down my body went one way while my left leg decided to stay put. When I felt something pop I knew something went terribly wrong and was thinking what the hell happened as I came down in excruciating pain.

To my surprise, the pain only lasted a few minutes; I actually got up and tried to play volleyball again, only to have to come back out and rest. After a few more minutes of walking around I thought my leg was all fine and dandy, the tearing of the tendon that I felt just a few minutes before apparently a long memory. So back I go to the volleyball court to play. After a minute or so of some action I had to leave ... the pain I felt was just too great.

The following day I had breakfast with some friends from the resort (all this happened in Moorea, Tahiti on my vacation, of all times) and we met in a central place. Now, mind you, I'm limping like there's no tomorrow, and what do my friends do? They emulate my walk and we all look like clowns who escaped from a circus.

A Thing for Yesterday's Music

2006-08-14T20:40:00.000-07:00

For some reason which I really can't point a finger on, I tend to listen to yesterday's music, always being behind on the latest chart-toppers. Not only that, but the music genre I listen to also seems to change every 5-7 years, sort of like the half-life of sunspots. Here's a sampling of my tastes over the past some odd years:

0-12 - didn't much care for music.
13-18 - got into the rap thang, artists such as Run DMC, Beastie Boys and other rappers I could not name if my life depended on them.
19-24 - shifted gears and settled on the Classic Rock/Hard Rock/Pop scene. Erstwhile superstars such as the Rolling Stones, Deep Purple, Guns 'N Roses, Def Leppard, and last but definitely not least, Genesis/Phil Collins dominated my Walkman.
25-29 - started getting into the Jazz/Classical genre and spent quite a load of money on many classical albums, most notably my Arturo Toscanini Beethoven collection and my 40-CD Mozart collection.

Present - Trance. This is the genre of the year for me now. I have no doubt that this won't last long, but I do like very much artists such as Nick Warren, Pete Tong, and the Global Underground label. They really pump me up.

As you may have noticed, my musical taste has run the gamut of genres. I also left out a couple other genres that took too few of my time, i.e., non-English music or other. For example, there was a brief time when all I was listening to was Salsa and Merengue, another time when Celtic music was all I listened to, and yet a third when all I could sing was "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer", even in July.

Trepidations

2006-08-13T00:09:00.000-07:00

The more I think about my upcoming voyage to South Korea, the more anxious I get, as I have stated in my previous post. South Korea is, without a doubt, the most homogeneous country in the world.

I fondly remember the time I travelled to Algeria (thanks in part to my good friend Nasser Addi, the drummer to the band 'The Dunes', for being kind enough for allowing me to go along with him to his motherland), Africa's 2nd largest country. I remember the hesitancy I felt when I thought of going to Algeria; the culture shock I would experience, the time difference my body would feel, etc. When I seriously thought about going there there was no way I could turn down the opportunity.

When I first arrived in Algiers, the beautiful capital of Algeria, I was accosted by a "good-meaning" customs official at the airport. Little did I know that the officer was actually a friend of Nasser's nephew, who happened to be a high-ranking official in Algeria. I was nevertheless scared shitless, thinking that they might think I was part of a nefarious group coming to their beloved country to induce harm in some way or another. Moments later I found out I was the butt of someone's joke, a joke in which everyone was laughing except for me. I was extremely relieved though to know that it was all just a cruel joke. The ride to Nasser's family's house was nonetheless gut-wrenching.

I remember being in the backseat of Nasser's brother's car and just taking in the sights of this foreign country; the Arabic highway writings, the Muslim culture, in all it's glory. I really could not believe I was where I was. I expected something entirely different, not because it was a different culture per se, but because it was something different to me. I just didn't know what to expect. I was afraid ... not of anything or anyone in general vis-à-vis Algeria, but of myself. I was afraid that I would do something that Algerians would disapprove of ... afraid of doing 'something wrong' or saying 'the wrong thing.' I didn't think of just being myself. Of not trying to prove anything.

When I arrived at Nasser's mother's house his family made me feel like an Algerian, as if I was their long lost son. Their hospitality was top-notch. I couldn't believe how strangers could make a stranger in a strange land feel like a loved one. It was the most incredible feeling I had ever felt. They had made me feel like I was royalty in a foreing country.

I can only dream I feel the same way about Seoul and it's country.

The Ugly Duckling

2006-08-12T14:58:00.000-07:00

I was talking with my beautiful fiancée the other day and somehow our conversation drifted to talking about the "Ugly Duckling" in a roundabout kind of way. I forget the nitty-gritty of our conversation but the basics of it was about the duck who was 'left behind', in her sweet words. After telling her that I never heard of the story of a duck being left behind (but that I HAVE heard of the ugly duckling story) she proceeded to ask me what planet I was from. She couldn't tell me why the duckling was left behind ... she couldn't remember; to her that was neither here nor there, she was just shocked that I didn't know what she was talking about.

After a little haggling we concluded that she was referring to "The Ugly Duckling," the childhood classic by Hans Christian Andersen written way back in 1844, that we all loved and read many years ago. I endeavored to write the story in my own words and in as few words as possible; I took a 3,776 word story and narrowed it down to 281 words (93% smaller), but I think it still makes sense. Here is the result:

'The Ugly Duckling' by Hans Christian Andersen as transliterated by J. Martinez

It was a nice day and the mother duck was waiting for her eggs to hatch. After a few minutes she noticed that one egg didn't hatch. An old duck said to her, "it hasn't hatched because it's probably a turkey." The mother duck ignored him and waited a bit longer. Finally, the egg broke and out came the ugliest thing you'd ever seen. The mother duck, being a mom, didn't think the duckling was so ugly, if you looked at it in a certain way.

The ugly duckling was persecuted all the time, so he ran away. After experiencing many of life's troubles (including a growling dog who wouldn't bite him because he was too darn ugly) the ugly duckling actually froze in the harsh winter and was saved by a peasant, who took him home. The ugly duckling proceeded to cause havoc in the house and finally flew out.

The ugly duckling finally decided to meet some swans he had met earlier. He thought, "let them kill me. I rather be killed by them than pecked by ducks, pushed about by the maiden who feeds the poultry, or starved with hunger in the winter." He went over to them and they came towards him. "Kill me," he said and bowed his head. When he looked at the water below he noticed he was beautiful, not gray and ugly as in the past.

All the other swans befriended him. People in the garden threw bread at the swans and children screamed that there's a new swan, the most beautiful one they have ever seen. The former ugly duckling felt ashamed at all the attention but was happy nonetheless.

THE END

Trevayne Done it!

2006-08-11T17:58:00.000-07:00

Who's Trevayne? That's something that will be found out as time allows. As for now, I will try and do my best to give a daily diary of my goings on. I know how much time these things take and how much dedication one must give, but here goes.

I woke up feeling a bit tired today, which is odd since I've been sleeping fairly well the past few days, helped in part by the medicine I've been taking for a week and a third now, no doubt. Ever since I returned from Las Vegas (unfortunately on company time, not my time) I've been pretty sick with some kind of flu ... methinks I got sick on the plane. The time in Vegas (my first) was just ok, nothing to write home about (or to write here about.)

Today at work was a pretty busy day, not because I was busy doing my job, but mostly because I was helping others do THEIR job. You see, I'm not just a mere cubist (one who resides in a cube, my term) in my office. No, that would be too easy. I must also find time to help others in my department because I'm the designated 'ombudsman' in all matters computers. Nevermind that I work in a computer company, very few people at the company know where the 'ESC' key is, I'm sure, but I digress. Today I helped Laura (not her real name, like it matters) add 2GB of RAM to her computer. Nothing that takes too long but it takes from me nonetheless. I also helped numerous others with sundry tasks.

I also happened to have moved from one location to another on my floor this week, a much quieter location, which doesn't necessarily mean a better location and I do honestly miss the people in the former location, notwithstanding the fact that they were in an entirely different department from mine. They were (and still are) nice folk.

I also ended up going to 'See's Candies' and bought a couple of boxes of chocolate. I will be going overseas in a matter of weeks (4 to be exact) and am trying to gather up the necessary trinkets to give. The closer the time comes the more anxious I get. I have always loved to travel, especially to far away places (Seoul, South Korea, "The Land of the Morning Calm," in this instance) but haven't really had the time to do it. I understand that I will be in for a culture shock of incredible proportions but I am ready for it (or as ready as an American can be.)

Signing out for now but not for long.