Saturday, September 13, 2003
Bring 'em back
Yeah I think it's time we got our boys out of there.
"In the streets, angry residents roughed up reporters who came to witness the ceremony. A clergyman grabbed one armed man and prevented him from shooting at a departing Associated Press Television News car as it sped from the city. A CNN cameraman was beaten and an Associated Press photographer was hit in the face."
"In the streets, angry residents roughed up reporters who came to witness the ceremony. A clergyman grabbed one armed man and prevented him from shooting at a departing Associated Press Television News car as it sped from the city. A CNN cameraman was beaten and an Associated Press photographer was hit in the face."
Mikey was being stupid at 9:16 PM ::
Exhausted as usual
I don't know why I'm so tired. I slept a full 8 hours, from 4 am to 12 pm. I feel exhausted, I keep yawning and my eyes won't stop watering.
Today is voting day for the big bond issue here in town. It's the largest bond the city has every tried to pass... $42.7. If the bond passes, taxes for the not-so-well-to-do will skyrocket. But, the city says, that's the price of progress. It's been so controversial that there have been protests and such. There are so many good things that are planned to come from this bond. But given the city's track record, I seriously doubt they'd even attempt to pull it off. In Harlingen, the rich are rich and the poor are poor. Those in charge want it to stay that way.
I decided not to vote on this thing because honestly, I don't know which would be the right way to go. If I voted for it, cost of living would go up. But if I voted against it, this town would never grow into the 21st century. And so, I decided to get the new Ninja Turtles comic instead.
My mom and sister and I also went to the mall today because the window blinds were on sale. My mom wanted to buy them for me because I don't have blinds on several of my windows. Just walking into JC Penney's home section pissed me off. Absolutely no one attempted to help us and every single one of the blinds we needed were not there.
My mom decided to order the same exact ones from the catalog, but since they weren't in-store, we couldn't get them at sale price. She had to pay almost twice as much for each one. I'm grateful that she's willing to pay for my things, but it upsets me that she had to pay so much.
I'm hoping for a good week to come this time around. Albert's going on vacation and that means 9 days of work for me, straight. Hopefully things will be slow, but with my luck, they won't. I am looking forward to the overtime. I'm not looking forward to calling all the shots when it comes to graphics and layouts and all that.
Oh well, maybe I'll get an easy week. And if not, maybe I'll be able to impress my boss.
Today is voting day for the big bond issue here in town. It's the largest bond the city has every tried to pass... $42.7. If the bond passes, taxes for the not-so-well-to-do will skyrocket. But, the city says, that's the price of progress. It's been so controversial that there have been protests and such. There are so many good things that are planned to come from this bond. But given the city's track record, I seriously doubt they'd even attempt to pull it off. In Harlingen, the rich are rich and the poor are poor. Those in charge want it to stay that way.
I decided not to vote on this thing because honestly, I don't know which would be the right way to go. If I voted for it, cost of living would go up. But if I voted against it, this town would never grow into the 21st century. And so, I decided to get the new Ninja Turtles comic instead.
My mom and sister and I also went to the mall today because the window blinds were on sale. My mom wanted to buy them for me because I don't have blinds on several of my windows. Just walking into JC Penney's home section pissed me off. Absolutely no one attempted to help us and every single one of the blinds we needed were not there.
My mom decided to order the same exact ones from the catalog, but since they weren't in-store, we couldn't get them at sale price. She had to pay almost twice as much for each one. I'm grateful that she's willing to pay for my things, but it upsets me that she had to pay so much.
I'm hoping for a good week to come this time around. Albert's going on vacation and that means 9 days of work for me, straight. Hopefully things will be slow, but with my luck, they won't. I am looking forward to the overtime. I'm not looking forward to calling all the shots when it comes to graphics and layouts and all that.
Oh well, maybe I'll get an easy week. And if not, maybe I'll be able to impress my boss.
Mikey was being stupid at 5:08 PM ::
Friday, September 12, 2003
Missing Jack Tripper
For the longest time Jack Tripper reminded me of my uncle Ruben, someone I've always been close to. Always laughing and making jokes. After a while, I sort of adopted his clumsy and catty antics into my own persona. And I do it to this day. And if I turn Nick at Nite on when they're showing Three's Company, I'll be sure to watch. If only for Jack.
Mom called today to tell me the news. I was in shock. Apparently, he had a tear in his heart that went unnoticed. I can tell you now that his death has done the same for everyone, but it won't go unnoticed. Not by a longshot.
Today is a gloomy day. There's an unseasonal cold front that bore down on us this morning. It's overcast and 72 degrees. Rain is in the forecast for the next few days. Today isn't a day for sunshine, is it? I didn't think so.
Mikey was being stupid at 2:11 PM ::
Thursday, September 11, 2003
Remembering 9-11
My days off are Tuesday and Wednesday. Back in 2001, I'd only worked on a Tuesday once or twice. But since, Albert had requested the day off to go to a concert in Austin, I was going to fill in for him on a typically laid back news day.
I stayed up all night working on updating sections of my Ninja Turtle web site. And, so around 4:30 am, I decided to head off to bed. About 4 hours later, my eyes shot open as the telephone began ringing.
Grampa's really sick, something's happened.
"Oh, mijo," Mom said on the line. "Something terrible happened in New York... turn on the T.V. The twin towers are on fire."
I scrambled to find my glasses, and went over to the T.V. set in the living room. The only channel that came in clearly was NBC, so I left it there and went back to the phone.
"They are saying it's a terrorist attack... Iraqis or something."
"Okay, Mom. I gotta go to work."
"But it's Tuesday! And people shouldn't be out today!"
"I work in a newsroom, and besides I'm on my own today. I gotta go in."
We said goodbye and I went back to the T.V. Bush is being called out of a school visit in Florida. Within half an hour the White House is evacuated, another plane hits the Pentagon, and then the South Tower collapses. It was the oddest feeling I ever had. I never thought a building collapse to look like that. It didn't look like JENGA falling, it looked more like sand sculptures disintegrating in the wind. With people jumping off. And scenes from "Independence Day" playing out at ground level.
I decided to write a quick "check-in" e-mail to my online friends who lived in the targeted areas. And anyone else who may have been effected. I guess I didn't realize at that moment that everyone was going to be effected by it in some way.
I called into work and told them that I would be in as soon as I could, and so about 11 am I was in the newsroom. Everything was a blur after that. Graphics, photos, 24/7 video footage from the news channels. By 2 pm, our EXTRA! edition was on the newsstands, and street hawkers were in full force.
I got home that night exhausted. The next few days were exactly the same. And on that Saturday, one more tragedy put everyone back to that place... The longest bridge in Texas, the Queen Isabella Causeway, which connects South Padre Island to the mainland, was hit by four barges steered in the wrong direction causing it to collapse.
Just another example of how vulnerable the things you thought were unbreakable are.
Mikey was being stupid at 10:44 PM ::
Monday, September 08, 2003
Well, Andy was on Letterman and I found out he's been going out with Mandy Moore for a year..... I've hated that girl from the day I saw her the Princess Diaries. Grr.
Anyway, you'll notice that the layout has changed. Yir gonna have to wait for a little bit until I get everything straightened out with the links. That'll be fixed ASAP. Thanks for your patience!
Anyway, you'll notice that the layout has changed. Yir gonna have to wait for a little bit until I get everything straightened out with the links. That'll be fixed ASAP. Thanks for your patience!
Mikey was being stupid at 11:53 PM ::
Well, Andy Roddick -- the 21-year-old tennis superstar -- won the Men's US Open yesterday.
To celebrate, how about a picture of Andy Roddick's ball sack hanging out of his shorts???!!!
Heheh. Umm. Anyway, the guy's gonna be on Letterman tonight. But I'll more than likely miss it.
Mikey was being stupid at 10:31 PM ::
Only on AOL
The President delivered a pretty important speech tonight. Though my life is so utterly inundated with politics and current events that I decided to skip it and watch a Ninja Turtle DVD.I know the gist of the speech. Same shit, different day. Always. But knowing that tomorrow the newsroom would be buzzing with the repercussions about the speech, I decided to read some of the opinions posted by the general public on AOL. That's right, what was I thinking?
Among the several discussions about tonight's Presidential address to the nation was the subject header "LIBERALS HATE USA !!!!"
"YOU GEEKY COWARDS WANT THE USA TO LOSE BECAUSE OF YOUR PERSONAL POLITICS...... YOU REALLY ARE TRAITORS...........MOVE TO CUBA YOU SPINELESS SHEEP......."
-Jz5002
I just had to laugh at the rediculous comment. I don't know if there's anything that makes sense about it. While there were 52 or so replies, one stood out as being rather informed and intelligent:
"Ahhh!
I just wait for guys like you to come along. "Liberals Hate The USA." Well, I know quite a few thousand of them that love the USA. YOu can't call the shots from your computer, and send out bombs to Geeky Cowards. Oh, that is real funny. We "really are traitors and move to Cuba, you spineless sheep." Sheep, are we being cast from the flock of the chosen few?
I am a liberal, and historically Native Americans had been primarily liberals throughout contemporary times. I am of Native American ancestry and I have ties to my ancestors that were on the continent of North American long before you white guys showed up by accident. You see, my ancestors faught for the United States during the Spanish American War, 10,000 of them served in WWI. Ironically, they weren't even citizens of the United States, when they defended America in the trenches of France. They loved this country enough to fight and lose their lives for it. If any war breaks out, enlistment offices are filled with American Indians.
If you ever called Jeff Huff, Lance Corporal, 3rd Marine Division, Republic of Vietnam, a "geeky coward" who wanted the USA to loose because of political affiliation, he would have unscrewed your head, bit your ears off, and then shove a service revolver deep into your belly, and probably squeaze off about 5 rounds. A little history, about 1969, Jeff's Company went out on patrol in 'Nam. They were ambushed. Jeff and two other guys wandered around in the bush until they found an Army Firebase. He and the other two men were the only survivors out of 52 men (I venture to guess these dead soldiers who faught side by side with USA brothers, were not, Geeky Coward, traitors, or spinless sheep. Jeff wore the ears of Viet Cong he killed around his neck. One of the toughest men I have ever known.
No, we ain't geeky cowards, traitors, no don't want the USA to lose in Iraq. And us "spineless" sheep don't feel like going to Cube. It seems you know a little about the anatomy of a sheep. Would you like to tell America what your fetish is - maybe bestiality.
You should set down and really think of what you are saying until you have been around this old planet and gained experience. You impress your Conservative counterparts, but not to many other folks. Why did you choose Cuba? You been there before; looking for some good sheep to bring home?"
-WW
Pretty good, huh? Just when my faith in my fellow Americans was just about restored, I clicked on "Next Message" and read this one:
"U THE ONLY SHEEP I READ ABOUT FOLLOWING GAY WHITE BOY--GWB...U GAY TOO!"
-SHIRLEYShrly1
And regardless of their political associations, I must agree with NSDQ when he/she states:
"AFTER YOU READ THESE MESSAGES, IT IS EASY TO SEE Y AMERICA IS IN THE SHAPE THAT IT IS IN!"
Only on AOL folks. And in case you were curious, I'm against people dying in Iraq. That's my stance. Plain and simple.
Mikey was being stupid at 3:24 AM ::
Sunday, September 07, 2003
Tell me what you think of this layout:
http://www.mikeystmnt.com/turnaround/new/tester.htm
http://www.mikeystmnt.com/turnaround/new/tester.htm
Mikey was being stupid at 7:06 PM ::
Well, Andy Roddick played a good game today, huh? Very entertaining. Ah, heheheh.
Mikey was being stupid at 5:03 AM ::
Today was a rough day... I put in a lot of hard work, and I guess I spoke too soon about not being challenged enough. I was given two graphics to complete today ... Which I did -- in three hours.
I read Marc's post from the other day and it just brought me back to the time preceding my grandfather's death.
I don't think I ever blogged about it. But it was one of the most difficult things I've had to face in my life. Much like Marc's family, my grandfather -- Gramps, as I called him -- was the foundation of the entire clan. He was the father of 8 children: three women and five men. They were raised on a ranch, bringing up crops of cotton, corn, sugar cane and sorghum. Cattle was a source of dairy, chickens were poultry and pigs provided the other white meat. Gramps provided a picturesque childhood for his children and their children.
We spent every weekend and summer en El Rancho. Sundays hosted the weekly barbecues and birthday parties were every other week, as well as holidays. Gramps was the glue that bonded it all together. He spent as much time as he could with everyone... his children, his 23+ grandchildren, and it was a special treat to spend some time with his great-grand daughter. He loved us all equally, although his ways were akin to the primogenitor era. His eldest son inherited everything, who in turn squandered everything like the proverbial prodigal son (but that's another story).
Gramps did all he could for his family... He made us laugh and told stories of growing up in the sparsley populated South Texas countryside. How he met my grandmother by "holding up the bank" and snuck off to meet her at the Saturday matinee. He was the quintessential family man. He knew he had to raise his children right, so he bought 15 acres of land from his father and built his modest home. Yeah, picturesque.
But the beauty of the environment didn't come without its price. Pesticides and high voltage power lines invaded the area. He lived many years a very healthy man. But around a year after Grammy was diagnosed with breast cancer, Gramps began feeling ill himself. He couldn't eat and his skin was becoming pale and yellow. He was misdiagnosed with hepatitis. But several trips to the ER and oncologists confirmed it. It was cancer. Pancreatic cancer.
He fought bravely till the end. He never gave up hope. Two days before he passed on, my sister created a special scrapbook for him, detailing his life and family ties. I remember him reading it in bed. He managed a small laugh at some of the humorous parts, and shed a few tears when he came to the end of the album, realizing the final pages of his life were being written. Death didn't scare him. He just didn't want us to hurt.
Those days were filled with tears for me too. I'd go into the next bedroom and weep because I didn't want him to go. He was the staple father-figure. It would be different. Obviously. Worse, maybe. Whatever the reason, I eventually decided he'd lived as long as he could. And if he was okay with it, then he'd decide it was time to rest. I had to suck it up and accept it. It was his life, not mine. He made the most of it.. I'm just honored I was there to share a good portion of it with him.
It was the day before Thanksgiving 2001. It was gray and soggy outside. Family from every nook and cranny appeared. They came to see Danny-boy off. My Gramps. They made their peace, said goodbye. And when it really mattered, at 8:32 pm, his most beloved family members. His 8 children, their spouses and children somehow fit into his bedroom. Said one final goodbye.
"Descanse, Daddy."
And he did. He was a good man. He lived 72 years. And we've been without him for almost two. Things did change, obviously. For the worse, maybe. But 21 years of memories of him will continue to live in my mind and heart.
Marc you're in my thoughts and prayers.
I read Marc's post from the other day and it just brought me back to the time preceding my grandfather's death.
I don't think I ever blogged about it. But it was one of the most difficult things I've had to face in my life. Much like Marc's family, my grandfather -- Gramps, as I called him -- was the foundation of the entire clan. He was the father of 8 children: three women and five men. They were raised on a ranch, bringing up crops of cotton, corn, sugar cane and sorghum. Cattle was a source of dairy, chickens were poultry and pigs provided the other white meat. Gramps provided a picturesque childhood for his children and their children.
We spent every weekend and summer en El Rancho. Sundays hosted the weekly barbecues and birthday parties were every other week, as well as holidays. Gramps was the glue that bonded it all together. He spent as much time as he could with everyone... his children, his 23+ grandchildren, and it was a special treat to spend some time with his great-grand daughter. He loved us all equally, although his ways were akin to the primogenitor era. His eldest son inherited everything, who in turn squandered everything like the proverbial prodigal son (but that's another story).
Gramps did all he could for his family... He made us laugh and told stories of growing up in the sparsley populated South Texas countryside. How he met my grandmother by "holding up the bank" and snuck off to meet her at the Saturday matinee. He was the quintessential family man. He knew he had to raise his children right, so he bought 15 acres of land from his father and built his modest home. Yeah, picturesque.
But the beauty of the environment didn't come without its price. Pesticides and high voltage power lines invaded the area. He lived many years a very healthy man. But around a year after Grammy was diagnosed with breast cancer, Gramps began feeling ill himself. He couldn't eat and his skin was becoming pale and yellow. He was misdiagnosed with hepatitis. But several trips to the ER and oncologists confirmed it. It was cancer. Pancreatic cancer.
He fought bravely till the end. He never gave up hope. Two days before he passed on, my sister created a special scrapbook for him, detailing his life and family ties. I remember him reading it in bed. He managed a small laugh at some of the humorous parts, and shed a few tears when he came to the end of the album, realizing the final pages of his life were being written. Death didn't scare him. He just didn't want us to hurt.
Those days were filled with tears for me too. I'd go into the next bedroom and weep because I didn't want him to go. He was the staple father-figure. It would be different. Obviously. Worse, maybe. Whatever the reason, I eventually decided he'd lived as long as he could. And if he was okay with it, then he'd decide it was time to rest. I had to suck it up and accept it. It was his life, not mine. He made the most of it.. I'm just honored I was there to share a good portion of it with him.
It was the day before Thanksgiving 2001. It was gray and soggy outside. Family from every nook and cranny appeared. They came to see Danny-boy off. My Gramps. They made their peace, said goodbye. And when it really mattered, at 8:32 pm, his most beloved family members. His 8 children, their spouses and children somehow fit into his bedroom. Said one final goodbye.
"Descanse, Daddy."
And he did. He was a good man. He lived 72 years. And we've been without him for almost two. Things did change, obviously. For the worse, maybe. But 21 years of memories of him will continue to live in my mind and heart.
Marc you're in my thoughts and prayers.
Mikey was being stupid at 4:50 AM ::