Pay It Forward

I imagine that everyone gets annoyed with forwarded emails from time to time. There are definitely individual members of each of our circles of family and friends that are the worst. These are my particular complaints:

1) Most forwarded emails in general. The utmost discretion should be exercised when forwarding emails. Emails probably should only be forwarded if they are ridiculously funny or are very moving. Also, emails should not be forwarded to 200 people. This makes it look completely impersonal.

2) The 'if you don't forward this on to ten friends you will (insert ridiculous claim here)' emails. The ridiculous claims usually include not finding your true love or having bad luck for a certain period of time. I recently heard the worst of all: that you will go to hell if you do not forward the email. How desperate are people? Really.

3) When you get added to an email chain that you don't want to be on, with regular reply-all-ers. This situation is crappy because you can't be a dick and ask to be removed. So you have to sit there are suffer through each and every response as a new message.

One of the most important things that I suggest when forwarding an email is making it seem like it is not forwarded. That means deleting all of the previous garbage that attaches to email chains - addresses and comments. This at least makes it look like it is your own find rather than something that has been passed along forever.

In other news, my cable input device on my TV no longer works. This means no cable (most importantly no DVR) and no Super Nintendo. Accordingly I will be in the market for a new TV. If you have any suggestions, recommendations or complaints I would appreciate it.

All For One, One For All

I'm probably going to get shit for writing this post, but this is something that has been on my mind for a long time. If I could live in any time period, it would definitely be the 1800s. I personally would love to be an explorer, discovering new lands. Another attractive feature of this era is the trading system. I like that someone would craft a good or provide a service in exchange for the same. Sure, there was also paper currency but for the most time transactions occurred on a trading system. The key to the system was that you were providing something - either a good or a service - to someone else. 

In our modern world, there are a few categories of income-earning that have completely abandoned from this system: real estate agents, online gamblers and stock traders. Arguments can be made that real estate agents and stock traders are

 indeed providing a service, but I question the necessity of such a service. Now when I say stock traders I am not talking about those involved with furthering individual's investments or public establishment of a corporation. I am talking about day-traders. These individuals are solely concerned with themselves, trying to earn money each day. They are not providing anything of value to the rest of society. 

As for real estate agents, I have always thought that middle-man jobs are completely pointless. I mean, if we follow this to its logical conclusion, soon enough there will be people out there to to towel me off out of the shower or put my shoes on for me. While these latter individuals are actually providing a service, real estate agents are merely listing your property - and then taking a percent of either the buyer or seller's money. I think this was perfectly highlighted on an episode of Friday Night Lights a few weeks ago when the Dillon boys turned a house and decided to sell it themselves rather than let the agent take 6%. Why should an agent be entitled to any significant amount of money for providing such a mediocre service? I understand that some agents provide reputation and widespread dissemination, but I still think they should not be entitled to any percentage of a real property sale. 

Finally, online gambling is perhaps the most selfish of them all. There is no argument that they are providing anything of value to society. You can't even say they are contributing to the economy, as most of the online sites are off-shore. I'm not talking about those individuals who occasionally play poker or make sports bets. I am talking about the people who do it for a living. They might be making great money, but what are they doing for the rest of society?  How is our society going to advance when people are sitting on the sidelines and not contributing?

Competition (Market not Sport)

The ideal of capitalism seems to make sense: work hard and you will prosper. I wish it was this simple. However, the system is not always fair. Some people work hard and they will never prosper. Other people do not work hard and they do prosper. Look at the executives at all the failing corporations out there - do they deserve the salary and bonuses that have been given to them? I'm not sure that having the government regulate such matters is the right answer, but when humans are inherently selfish and self-serving, one begins to lose faith in the individual - which means individuals running corporations. 

I noticed that Santana's has recently opened a new restaurant at the corner of West Mission Bay Drive and Mission Boulevard (where Jack in the Box used to be). It looks like they have upgraded the facilities and the parking lot dramatically. Most notably, the restaurant sits kitty corner (actually its across the street I just wanted to say kitty corner) from Roberto's (or Regret-o's as some of us call it). This inevitably will put Roberto's out of business, as Santana's is far superior. 

I think Santana's gained in popularity, beyond word of mouth, was through The Real World: San Diego. They used to always go to Santana's and would rave about it on the show. By the way, two things I also noticed about Santana's: First, I remember that I heard how impossible it was to eat an entire California burrito - yet I don't remember not finishing an entire burrito. Maybe I am a beast. Second, I remember that California burritos were $3.75, whereas now they are $5. That is almost a quarter a year increase. However, as competition dictates, they can charge that much when they are the best in the biz. 

If you have extra time this week, I suggest watching the 60 Minutes episode from last night. You can watch it online at cbs.com. The first part regarding President Obama is interesting enough, but the second part about the true story behind the movie The Soloist is worth watching. 

You're Either with Me or Against Me

Tim has just raised a good point. As a USD graduate, at no point can you route for Gonzaga. While there may be a desire to cheer for other WCC or Pac-10 teams in the NCAA tournament, there is a line that cannot be crossed. I mean, our cheer is "U-S-D, Gonzaga Sucks." Classy? Of course not. Catchy? For sure. 

Apparently the rationale was to increase media coverage and attention to the WCC. Although this may on its face seem like it would help USD, it ultimately hurts it. You see, the better that Gonzaga does in the tournament means the more attention Gonzaga will get. In addition, by being in the spotlight as a quality basketball program, they will increase their recruiting base. Not only over a broader area, but also to better players. Ultimately this means that Gonzaga's basketball program will become even better. 

In a conference where the second place team was nationally ranked most of the season and had single digits losses yet still didn't make the tournament, winning the WCC tournament is the best option for USD. Accordingly, at no point should a USD fan route for Gonzaga. 

On similar grounds I think that individuals should never cheer for their archrival. This occurs in a few different situations. First of all, if two teams you dislike are playing each other, you don't have to route for the team you dislike less. You can simply not take a side or even better not even watch the match. This would occur for me if the Dodgers faced the Yankees in the World Series, which would be just terrible. Secondly, it bothers me when people make bets on teams they dislike. Sure, it might be a good bet if the line/odds are good, but people need to be loyal to their favorite teams. Being a fan means not compromising your loyalty even if it would produce a financial gain. 

Spider-Man

I am not a big fan of spiders, but I can tolerate daddy long legs. I figure that they have a job to do in taking care of other insects, and they are not as creepy looking as other spiders. Yet, I am beginning to grow less compassionate for them. 

Sometimes either inside or outside our house I will notice ants. I also often notice either daddy long legs or the remnants of their presence (i.e. spider-webs). Now, if the spider had been doing its job, there should be no other inspects invading our house. Accordingly, I have decided to terminate his employment. 

The most common area that I see the spiders are in my shower. I always think of that monk-spider commercial where the monk spares the spider rather than killing it. I think of how I should be compassionate and let them live. Then I remember how they are failing at the one task I want them to do - kill the ants. Fortunately the shower head in my shower is removable so I can hose them down the drain. I say to myself, 'survival of the fittest.'

Every time I see a new spider, I think of whether this is an epic movie in the world of spiders. The spiders sending their strongest and bravest to try and survive the monster with the removable shower head. Sometimes the spiders are quite big. However, the ones that fight the hardest are the smallest. I wish that I didn't have to flush them out, but they need to be doing their job to keep their employment. 

The Psychology of Labor

Often on the trails of the Grand Canyon I would pass by animal droppings and wondered what creatures people were riding around. Finally, I noticed a horse/donkey looking animal coming up the trail. I stopped near an opening to allow the animal to pass and asked the tour guide what it was. I think he appreciated me standing to the side at an opening, so that we wouldn't have to s queeze on the narrow trail. 

The guide stated that the animal was a mule, which is a hybrid of a male donkey and a female horse. He added that if you use a female donkey and a male horse you get a hinny, which apparently is less effective. The reason why mules are used on narrow trails is that they can see all four of their feet, whereas horses apparently can only see two of theirs. Donkeys can see all four of theirs too but are too ornery to carry people along the trails. Most notably, because horses have 64 chromosomes and donkeys have 62, mules have 63 chromosomes. This means that mules cannot reproduce. However, the guide told me that this doesn't stop them from trying. 

Similarly, I have noticed that customer service has improved in recent months. While studying for the bar exam I rarely went out to eat, save Starbucks. On my road trip and over the past week I have noticed how much better customer service has become. When the economy was good, people probably didn't like their job and didn't care about keeping it. They could always get another. However, now that the economy and job market are so bad, customer service has improved. Even where someone has a job that they hate, they know that they have to keep it, as there are so few jobs out there. 

The Odyssey/Ulysses (Conclusion)

After leaving the Grand Canyon I headed down to Phoenix to see the soon-to-be bride and groom. Northern Arizona continued to surprise me as it reminded me of the central Oregon high desert. A few times on the scenic routes I had seen dogs wandering in the highways. In fact, in Zion I almost hit a deer. Finally, on the drive from Phoenix back to San Diego I saw a dead dog, which was a terrible sight to see. 

On Thursday we went to a Giants-A's spring training game at Scottsdale Stadium. I had never been to a spring training game before but I really loved it. Although none of the better players were playing, the game seemed much more pure. It was less about flashy lights and fancy stadiums and more about the game. Although my beloved Giants (from my childhood) lost, I had a great time. On Friday we got to play best-ball foursomes at Longbow, which was an absolute blast. Although my team didn't win, I still had a great time. 

The wedding itself was amazing and I am glad I got to see and meet so many people. As the first half of my trip was a solo journey, the second half was filled with friends. The final trip numbers were 1440 miles covered in 4 states (and 1 sovereign nation), over a period of 24 hours of driving. My car now needs a bath and an air freshener. 

The Odyssey/Ulysses (Days 2&3)

I decided to take control of my road trip and try to make it to Zion National Park in Utah. I originally had planned to go to Zion but the logistics of where to stay at night were troublesome. So I changed my plan to just go down to the Grand Canyon and spend two days there, until I decided to take the risk. 

Although I am very glad that I went to Zion, the hotel situation did turn o

ut to be troublesome. Zion was amazing and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves the outdoors. Fortunately the park bus is not in service during the winter, so I got to drive my car quickly to the different sites and trailheads. After spending 4-5 hours in the park, my Garmin device had plotted a route through south-eastern Utah that was probably the quickest. Yet I wisely decided to take the scenic route through the northern Arizona area. The drive was beautiful, reminding me of central Oregon with snow in the high desert. 

As nightfall came I found myself searching for a city to spend the night in. The only city that I could find was Tuba City, Arizona, which was about an hour from the Grand Canyon. I spotted a Quality Inn sign but wanted to keep looking so that I would not suffer monopoly prices. I found a local inn but after closer inspection I didn't want to end up on The Hills Have Eyes 3. So I drove down the unpaved city streets and ended up at the Quality Inn (which did have monopoly prices). My dinner options did not fare any better: Taco Bell or McDonalds. Inside the hotel I noticed a flag I had never seen before: the Navajo Nation. Alongside it was a picture of their President. It turns out that Tuba City was on the Navajo Reservation. 

My hotel room was quite interesting, as I think it was a handicap room. The only problem was that it was on the second floor and there was no elevator in the building. The next morning I awoke to a cow outside my window. I looked out and saw a random cow grazing in the center courtyard of the hotel. And with that, I was on my way to seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time!

Although staying in Tuba City was not all that I had hoped it would be, it did give me the opportunity to drive into the park from the east. The western-route along the south rim was not very crowded, as most tourists just head to the main visitor center. The Grand Canyon was pretty much what I expected it to be, which was amazing. No matter how big or deep you think it is, it is mind boggling how huge it is. 

I decided to hike the South Kaibab trail, which runs along a ridge rather than switch-backing down the canyon. I hiked down maybe 1500 feet (about 1/3 of the canyon) and back up to the top in around 4 hours. Hiking down the ride game me the opportunity to see both east and west, rather than being bound by the switchbacks. If I had more time in the park I probably would hike all the way down, camp for the night, then cross the river to the north rim. But for now I am most happy with my solo journey. 

The Odyssey/Ulysses (Day 1)

Most disappointed I was when Borders had only 5 of the 20 books on my list. Nonetheless I thought it would be appropriate for my road trip to read The Odyssey and Ulysses. My other purchases included Slaughterhouse-Five, Catch 22 and the Brothers Karamozov. What do these all have in common? Yes, they are somehow related to Lost which means for the first time my book purchases are entirely fiction.

I left San Diego around 6 AM and encountered little traffic on the way to Vegas. I checked into my $25/night reservation at the Excalibur (or Sexcalibur as it has somehow become nicknamed). To my surprise I was handed a book of coupons to use for my stay, including two $5 drink tickets and two $5 game tickets. Thus, my stay was pretty much free. 

As I walked down the strip I began noticing an abnormal amount of Nascar T-shirts. I soon discovered that Nascar had been in town for a race the day before.  Accordingly, the cheap hotels were busy while the ritzy ones were empty. My plan was to check out the new Wynn and Venetian hotels, Encore and Palazzo respectively, before heading over to Trump. I was impressed with both Encore and Palazzo, but was not impressed with Trump. First of all its location is terrible - off the strip and right across from Fashion Show Mall. By the way the new convention center in the center of the strip is a behemoth. Secondly, I couldn't see much of Trump because I was not a guest. Maybe they are trying to keep out the ruffians but that is unlike all other Vegas hotels. 

While at the Venetian I walked past the wax museum, which had two wax celebrities outside looking to attract the mob. The first was Richard Petty, which was fitting for the Nascar crowd. The other was Nick Cage. I guess I didn't know the white trash were such a big fan of his.

Finally, I decided to hit up the buffet at Excalibur before my long week began. My plan was to eat fruit, meat and dessert - to maximize getting my money's worth. A couple approached my table while I was eating and, presumably, felt bad for my lonely self. They had extra tickets to a magic show at Luxor which they graciously offered, so I attended the kind-of open-mic night version of a magic show. Most of the magicians had one or two tricks, which were fairly impressive. A good start to the trip. 

There's No Place Like Home (Part 2 & 3)

I checked out the venue for the bar exam a few days before. I actually was pretty nervous checking out the site. Plus I hated seeing that you could see the Riverwalk golf course from the exam room. 

On the day of the exam I pulled into the parking lot to see an Ace Parking attendant. I pulled out my admission ticket in hopes that there would be no cost. But I was wrong. It was going to be $16/day or $48 for the entire 3 days. So I used my wits (which apparently everyone else did not) and parked just another block down at Fashion Valley Mall. On the first day I parked in the long-term transit area (for buses and trolley) and on the last two days I parked under the trolley, which was connected to the convention center by a walkway. This is also where I ate my home-made lunch each day: pb&j (or honey), pretzels, chunky chips ahoy and a vitamin water (focus). 

The examination procedures themselves are pretty formal. We had to do fingerprinting and ID check-ins and out each day. When you went to the bathroom you had to take your ID badge and your admission ticket. The distribution and collection procedures for the different parts of the test were also pretty formal. For all of the old-age proctors that put on this administration, I thought they did a fine job. That is, they weren't unbearably slow for old-timers. 

I actually finished the MBE and the performance test portions of the exam a few minutes early. The essays I was always running right up to the bell. I only felt completely rushed once, but always had time to go to the bathroom. In fact, I think I went to the bathroom two times each three-hour session. Maybe it was the three bags of tea, maybe it was the nerves. 

Once the exam was over I wasn't completely relieved. Probably because I had been in robot mode for 53 days. But once I had a few beers in me I loosened up. I went out with my roommate to PB to his former employ - Moondoggies. Now maybe because it was a Thursday night or maybe because I hadn't been out in two months it seemed strange. Obviously the bar crowd is getting younger and I am getting older. But there is something that I noticed: guys with pierced ears. Not just a single ear pierced, but both. Specifically with 'diamonds.' I put diamonds in quotes because in all likelihood they are not actually diamonds. Did I miss this memo? I mean, I would guess that 2/3 or 3/4 guys had both of their ears pierced with 'diamonds.' I was later talking to a couple of my friends and they said that they actually discussed getting their ears pierced. Can I get added to this email list?