Thanksgiving was good. Not the best, not too shabby, either. Lots of food.

The good thing about working holiday mornings is that people don't get up 'til later (and shop 'til later) so I had chill shifts while the afternoon people suffered. Seem to be having trouble finding people to cover my shifts. Erg.

Finally played some City of Heroes. Ahhhh. I needed a hit.

I'm having issues with Christmas presents. Immediate family yes, extended family no? What if they always get you stuff (even if it's cheesy stuff or stuff you don't want)? Close friends, yes. Closer friends of a limited social circle,yes or no? And just how close? Teachers? Nah. Right?

I oughtta just get boxes of tea. That way, it can always be re-gifted. (And I'm all about the re-gifting.)

I don't have much to say right now. I keep forgetting that tomorrow is Thanksgiving. So far every single holiday since September I've worked. I'm only glad that my store will be closed on Christmas cuz I know I would've been forced to work if we were. And frankly, that time-and-a-half is not worth it. Oh wait, I didn't have to work Halloween cuz it was on a Sunday!

I like my store, I do, and I even don't mind slinging coffee. But I so can't wait until I can quit and get a real job. There's a bunch of psychology there, too, I'm sure, but basically, things are... eh. Things could be better.

Maybe I'm just bitter cuz I'm still sick. I want to get better! Hey, so can you get a flu more than once per season? Logic says yes, though then, how can you make a vaccine? The semester is nearing the end and I'm sooooo behind!

For my own records:

Mon -- 12-4:30 pm
Thu -- 6:30-11:30am
Fri -- 5-9am
Sat -- 5:30am-2pm

then
Tue -- 5-9:30am
Wed -- 5-10:45am
Thu-- 5-10am
Fri -- 8:15am-4:45pm
Sat -- 7am-3:15pm

I got to leave work early today cuz I had no voice, and whispering, "Hi, what can I get ya?" wasn't working so much.

John Hannah was back (twice!) but I think he's leaving cuz he mentioned getting a taxi, and around here, the only reason to get a taxi is to go to the airport.

I hate being sick. I think it's the flu. Dang the flu shot shortage!

Okay, friggin' a, I swear John Hannah was back. But that wasn't the best part. Do you know who I sold coffee to today? John Shea.

Before you say, "Who?" let me give out a few clues:

Adam on "Mutant X", but more famously, Lex Luthor on "Lois & Clark".

Okay, yeah, I guess he resides in the pseudo-celebrity world (though Dean Cain is considered a "real" celebrity," and perhaps Teri Hatcher, too) but so far, he's the famous-est of the celebrities I've served... well, Jerry Springer is pretty famous but more infamous than famous, I think.

The best part? I chatted up John Shea. I didn't let on that I recognized him, but I just jokingly asked if he wasn't addicted to caffeine like the rest of us (he ordered decaf vanilla soy latte), and he just replied, "Oh caffeine's so bad for you. I try to stay away." Cool beans, eh?

Okay, so my thing on the gay marriage issue:

First of all, I don't think that there should be a constitutional ban on it. That's just lame. Personally, I don't believe our nation will crumble based on this little issue. Now... the Patriot Act has enabled the government to violate our 4th amendment rights... but I don't here many conservatives whining about that. Sure you can be jailed for criticizing the President... as long as you're not gay and married.

Now, on the other hand, there is something to be said about marriage as an institution versus civil unions. Because last I checked, gay people still had marriage ceremonies. But it lacked any teeth, as in, it didn't give you rights as beneficiaries, that hospital thing where you can determine whether or not to pull the plug, that green card thing, etc, etc. I thought "ER" addressed it well when Kerry Weaver lost custody of her son cuz she wasn't the biological mother, and they weren't legally married. I remember seeing a performance artist named Tim Millar who had a show about how his boyfriend, with whom he's been with for seven years, couldn't stay in this country because he had only a student visa that was set to expire, and Tim was angry because heterosexual couples who've been together less can get married and give the other person a green card. Anyway, I think civil unions should definitely exist. I guess I'm not sure if it should be called marriage. But then, the "sacredness" of marriage no longer exists in America. So why shouldn't it be called marriage? If any deep, monogamous relationship where you're in it for the long haul isn't called marriage, then what is? I don't know, because there are plenty of people out there (hetero and homo) that refuse to get married cuz they've got commitment issues, even if they've been together for decades. Heh.


We served yet another pseudo-celebrity. John Hannah, most noted for his performance as the gay guy on Four Weddings and a Funeral. More recently on that bad show "MDs." But I coulda sworn we served his co-star on that show, William Fichtner, too, though it's hard to tell. Y'know, people do look much different in real life as opposed to TV, cuz there are no make-up people and lights following you. Not yet, anyway.

The vote's still going! (See the previous entry.)

It seems my life revolves around school and Starbucks... which I guess is normal. Today in Character Animation class, a small group of us did some improv acting (cuz animation is just acting on paper). It was fun, a little challenging, but I'm thinking the people he picked weren't necessarily the people he should pick. It's those really shy, really reserved people that need the practice.

Last Friday, my roommates and I (since we are in one class together) took some photos to use for a commercial storyboard. I'm pretty sure we looked funny fondling the iPods at the Apple store. (Droolin', if I can only convince all my relatives to chip in for an iPod for me....) I like storyboarding, actually. It satisfies my desire to tell a story and my impatience at the same time. That's one of the things that driving me nuts about character animation class. Just imagine a simple little short of a character getting into a situation and then getting out of it. It takes a minute or two, right? Well, considering that there are 60 seconds in a minute and at least 12 drawings per second... that's a lot of drawings. There's a reason why I'm behind.

Anyway, my work schedule was finally getting manageable and then they pulled a 30.5-hr week the week after next. I swear, any more and I'm going to have to make my availabilities very inflexible. It's bad enough having to work Thanksgiving weekend.

I'm putting this to a vote. Do you want my next big entry to be about:

1. An essay on why Batman is sexier than Superman
2. A rant on rude customers who think they deserve the world
3. A ponderance on the gay marriage issue
4. A whine about why things suck

Things are getting busy, so this poll will be up several days. Please use the comment feature. Thank you.

I can't believe Marvel is suing NCSoft and Cryptic Studios cuz of City of Heroes. They are a little too sue-happy.

I mean, sure yeah, my character is based on Batgirl, but c'mon, it's not like I named her B@tgrrl or something. If anything it's an homage to a character that I really like, and I would think that Marvel would like homages (though it's DC so maybe not). It's just so lame. I mean, the last I heard, Marvel didn't hold the copyright on green skin or claws.

Yeah, a lot of the characters people play are similar to current comic characters. But you gotta admit, if you read comics as a kid (or even if you started as an adult) it's your fantasy to be a superhero, and that's probably one of the smartest elements of COH. The character creation choices make it possible to come up with a million different characters, so whoever your superhero hero is... well, you can be him/her. So COH is making bank, and Marvel wants to cut into that. Geez.

Ugh. I think my traffic ticket is going to screw me. Let that be a lesson... keep an eye on the due date!

Fourth semi-celebrity sighting, last week: Laura Innes (Dr. Weaver on "ER"), who brought her kid in and bought an apple juice and asked for ice in a cup with a lid

This past weekend was spend sleeping... a lot. I like... a lot. Then this morning the store called asking me to come in early. I don't like.

Too much homework!!!

I'll post my schedule later. No work tomorrow and day after, but there will be lots of homework cramming. Bleh.

Why I am a Democrat:

Well... I'm more of a moderate Democrat, but that's beside the point. I think that conservative Republicans are hardly that... conserving, I mean. The Republican government has far outspent Democratic governments, but it's what they spend their money on. They spend more on defense and big business rather than domestic and social programs. They give more breaks to the rich and raise taxes that effect the poor. The middle class? There are varying degrees of middle class, and it seems like the only ones that get benefits from Republican government are upper-middle class.

So what if there isn't enough money for police and hospitals and the homeless (despite my last rant about them... and I have issues with the homeless that I'll discuss later), as long as the affluent in their gated neighborhoods have enough security and health care and "clean" streets, they could care less. I don't like bond measures, even though we need them for major improvements to infrastructure, etc, because who buys bonds? I don't know many poor people that have a retirement plan, much less an investment portfolio. Yet to pay off those bonds, the government has to raise taxes, income or sales or property or whatnot, which the rich can shrug off a lot easily than the poor.

So in general, I don't like Republicans being hypocritical about how they cut taxes and spending and fiscal policy or whatnot. Past history says they haven't done so, so they shouldn't keep saying their's is the party that does. And the trickle-down theory? Hey, that muck must be really thick cuz so far I haven't seen any of that trickle. So far I think it's just sitting on top of the topsoil and the deep roots aren't getting any water. Maybe the lower classes haven't been active enough. Hey I know so. So because it's the rich that's involved in politics, it's the rich that benefit. Sigh.

It boggles my mind when people in the affected demographic call themselves conservatives. I think part of that stems from "the American Dream." Everyone dreams of becoming rich enough to be rightfully called conservative. Meanwhile, the rest of us down in the bottom are in denial that we are.

When it comes to public policy, I tend to be pragmatic. Anyone that knows me knows that describes my personality. So I vote with my conscience, not with my party views. For example, I'm actually for English-only education, though not in the Nazi-esque way that Prop 227 was. I've heard of far too many Latinos who grew up here and can't speak decent English which limits their job and education prospects. But I also know that it's hard to learn a subject in a language you don't know, so yeah, English-only should be limited to math and science and more lenient in high school as opposed to elementary school, and the ultimate goal is to integrate those students into English-taught classrooms. Cuz if you can't speak proper English or Spanish... well then you're screwed.

And I don't think we should have a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, because a constitution is for outlining the limits of government, not to take away rights/privileges of a group of people.

I can go on and on, but I'm don't have the time.

So it does boggle my mind that we have re-elected Bush. Hey, I'm pragmatic. If I thought that the war in Iraq (along with a thousand other public policies that make me shudder) was actually making the world better, I'd be all for it. Even if Bush (and his cronies) admitted that the war was a mistake but it's too late too back out now and they ask us to hang in there while they fix their mistake, I'd totally support them for being honest. But what I don't like is the eagerness for war and the self-righteousness that Bush has, as if he can't do anything wrong and he's forever covering up his ass. Even presidents can make mistakes. But damn it, don't pretend that he can't!

I don't think we should give in to terrorist threats, but damn it, there's a reason why terrorists and half the world hates America. I'd much rather have a President that hates war declare it, then one that wants it a little too badly do it. Hey war sucks, I hope we never have another, but there is such thing as a just war. But so far, this one in Iraq hardly seems to qualify. We used to be the benevolent bully. Now we're just a bully.

Thanks for reading my essay. I'll return to fluff entries now.