2010...

So another decade has come and gone. 1999-2009 has left me with some fleeting memories of the past and many of the memories have been quite fond. I've fallen in and out of love, watched my siblings grow-up, traveled to many wonderful places and seen Radiohead perform live three times. I think of all the friends I've met and the neat experiences and challenges that I've shared with them..

I remember NYE 1999, 18 and celebrating on the streets of Saltillo, Mexico while red-state America was fearing the end of the world or as cable News reffered to it, Y2K!!! Remember all those fools gathering bottled water and canned goods from Sam's? People actually holing themselves up in underground bunkers just in case the huge computer glitch sent this world into such a turnspin that god himself would have to come down and end it for all of us.

Now we find ourselves two years from the next big NYE phenomenon, 2012...Some people believe it will be a positive transformation spiritually while other think the world will explode into pieces because thats what some Mexican Mayan Indians predicted would happen. Many fundamentalist Christians actually root for the apocalypse because they are too cowardly to just kill themselves and rid us of their idiotic superstitions.

For all the people who believe that our world will end when the new year is about to begin...which time zone will the apocalypse begin on? Will I watch Ryan Seacrest in Times Square and realize I have one hour to repent? Will it catch us by surprise on like a Tuesday afternoon in July?

I say just live, let live and remember that no one gets out of here alive. I want to enjoy the days and stop looking towards the future imagining a better life for myself and this place we inhabit. Time passes fast and the future is always a second away. Focus on the present, thats the only time you really can influence what happens and how you live.

Have a great new year and I love you all very much.

Cheers,

Brendan

Pale Blue Dot

We succeeded in taking that picture [from deep space], and, if you look at it, you see a dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever lived, lived out their lives. The aggregate of all our joys and sufferings, thousands of confident religions, ideologies and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilizations, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every hopeful child, every mother and father, every inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every superstar, every supreme leader, every saint and sinner in the history of our species, lived there on a mote of dust, suspended in a sunbeam.

The earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that in glory and in triumph they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of the dot on scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner of the dot. How frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds. Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the universe, are challenged by this point of pale light.

Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity -- in all this vastness -- there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves. It is up to us. It's been said that astronomy is a humbling, and I might add, a character-building experience. To my mind, there is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly and compassionately with one another and to preserve and cherish that pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known.

-Carl Sagan

New Years Resolution

Every year people decide that this is the year they're going to ________ (save money, lose weight, quit smoking, read a book, stop watching FOX news). It never happens (for most) they talk themselves up and expect a pat on the back for doing things that they should do anyway and then fail miserably and give it a go the next year. Majority of people are stupid and lazy and that is why companies cater to their flaws, knowing that they can make some $$$$ of of their zero-willpower and ignorance.

Beer with only 55 calories?!?! Drink some real beer, enjoy the flavor and the craftsmanship of a real beer and don't worry about the calories.

Taco Bell Drive-Through Diet!?!? Don't eat at taco bell (www.tacobell.com/nutrition/ingredient-statement)
Nice diet! Drive your fat ass to the local Taco Bell and get some grade D beef with a large diet coke. How about WALK to the local Grocery store and make your own tacos using fresh ingredients.

Save money...okay, I'm not really good at that either...

To be a more enlightened person, turn off FOX new, MSNBC and CNN. Instead, tune into NPR, watch BBC and read the paper; even my blog.

Being a better person or achieving ones goals shouldn't be an annual struggle, it should be a daily one. Try to have more successful days than not and you will be far closer to happiness than you think.

its already 2 pm...I should get out of bed!

Christmas Cheer

If I said this was the best Christmas ever, would you believe me?


Well it wasn't the best christmas ever. As a matter of fact it was one of the SHITTIEST Chirstmases ever. Don't feel bad for me though, feel bad for Baby Jesus. I hope he forgives some of my family for not celebrating his birth properly and worrying more about thier prime rib and mashed potatoes than spreading Christmas cheer. You know what? I could go into detail as to why this Christmas sucked harder than Pam Anderson on a yacht but I'm not going to...Why? Because I hate drama baby!!!

Let's focus on the good stuff.

I got a sonic care toothbrush and brushing my teeth is so much fun now.

My Mom and Dad ordered me a screen press so I can make my own graphic tees.

I have more cookware than storage space!

My Dog Loves me

I got to see my sister

I hugged my Mom a bunch

I played Ping Pong

Whenever Hakeem Warrick makes a basket they play an audio clip from He-Man

&

The sun will come up tomorrow

Hey its the birthday of baby Jesus! Lets celebrate by breaking the seven deadly sins!!!!

Yesterday I went to see Avatar in 3-D with my pal Erik. Typically I don't go to the big blockbuster movies. Honestly, if I added up all the graphic novel, comic book, and Eddie Murphy movies I probably have seen three blockbusters since the early 2000's. Avatar was cliche "Hollywood" in many aspects, like the lines Sigourney Weaver delivered, they were so contrived that I wanted to laugh out-loud at her performance. That being said, the 3-D effects and animation were amazing and I definitely got Erik's $10.50 worth. I would recommend going especially if you smoke some cabbage beforehand.

This past weekend was superb. All this down time has afforded me much laziness. I know there isn't much to do when its a Tuesday afternoon and I'm contemplating whether or not to shower and if I should give myself a neck trim, or go to the barbershop and have them do it. I think I'm gonna have a spa day for my mouth (Pervs). Not only brush and floss but use my threaders, and my gum stimulator. I owe my body a day at the gym too. I Will do that in a couple hours.

Tomorrow I will head to Green Bay early morning and spend ALL day with my friends Dave and Chris. I might even see Cathryn and Emily! Thursday is our annual Jones family Christmas Eve and I can't wait to open presents and spend quality time with my parents and sibs.

ENVY- Why did everyone of my friends get the new game console and I didn't?

SLOTH- I'm not going to do anything but sit on this couch and watch football.

GLUTTONY- Sure I'll have some more dessert, let me inject some insulin first.

WRATH- Dammit, why can't I put together this FUCKING race track. "put driver screw in hole A-87, turn super times....stupid made in china shit". "Honey take this back to walmart and buy us some footlongs from subway please."

PRIDE-It's Christmas idiots, if you don't believe in my god go back to work and vote for Obama in 2012, I'm gonna sip egg nog and read my sarah palin book by my fireplace in my 5,000 sq ft home.

LUST- I need to have sex with someone...NOW.

GREED- Cheap bastards only gave me a $25 gas gift card...it takes $40 to fill my tank!!!

To all my Jesus is the messiah friends, Merry Christmas.

To all my Jesus was a man not the messiah friends, Happy Chanukah.

To all my Jesus is the hombre who cuts my lawn and roofed my neighbors house friends, Happy Holidays!

Love Brendan

Lazy Days

I was tempted to replace the "y" in days with a "z" but then decided against it.

I have absolutely loved the last few days. Going to bed at 3 am and waking up around anywhere from 10am-2pm. I feel pretty worthless but it feels nice. I'm just chilling in Alterra drinking some hot spiced cider, avoiding the walk home in the 7 degree weather (at least the sun is out). Yesterday was enjoyable. I hung out with my childhood friend, Kyle Nelson, who is a handful of months away from starting his residency. He went through a difficult divorce and it was nice to see him so focused on himself and positive for his new future. Kyle is very religious, something I am not. I am spiritual but don't have a strong faith in the Christian God. I know that he was very let-down with his unsuccessful marriage and it challenged him immensely but his relationship with his creator has helped him through all of this and I give him a lot of credit for managing his marriage and medical school over the past year. We drove around, went to lunch and then watched some "Curb Your Enthusiasm." Kyle is one of the few people in my life that make me genuinely happy. I never bore of his presence and wish it was more frequent.

Last night I decided to do some baking. I would classify myself as a very good cook, but baking has never been an interest until recently. Giorgio and I went to Trader Joe's and bought the store, including some plant life. Our friend Mikey and Chelsea came over and it became a nice little party. We drank wine, had great conversation with some nice tunes.

Today I think I'll watch some movies and finally finish cleaning my room. Hopefully the gym lures me in like this cute Asian here at the coffee shop has.

The weekend receives an 85%

I don't like to plan on having too good a time, usually, if I do, the planned fun doesn't pan out.

Friday night I was supposed to meet my friend Megan out for some drinks and really wanted to go to the Bayview Brewhaus to see a show. After getting many texts explaining on where to meet I finally braved the sub zero temps and drove to the venue, found parking and received a text saying..."We're leaving and going to National Ave., meet us there!" Well I already was out of the car and a block away...I got in my car and went home. I slept real nicely friday night and saturday bummed around the house and listened to some music, came across a band called "Headlights" and checked them out online. When I looked at their tour information I learned that they played at the Bayview Brewhaus the night before-CRAZY!

Saturday before work I tore apart the house looking for my Ugly Christmas Sweater from 2008 (see bearded picture below) and had no luck finding it. I then rushed to the Value Village in kinda-ghetto Milwaukee and found this gem (see other picture). I was all set for Chelsea's big Ugly sweater party. I was a little late for work because of the sweater shopping but no one noticed, whew. I was pumped, I love hanging out with my co-workers and sipping on some beers.

We get to Chelsea's pretty late and all said co-workers stayed for like an hour because they had to be up at 8 am to work...Last time I checked we were Wisconsinites and this was an Ugly sweater party. Why so lame? I don't know?..So, I was bummed and had to make some new friends on the fly. I befriended some of Chelsea's amigos and ended up getting pretty fucked up singing Sublime all night (not too bad).

Today I burned a few dozen calories from breathing while watching 9 hours of football and the movie "The Cove" (see it) with my friend Erik. We actually did get off the couch to go eat some brunch at Cafe Centraal and drink a couple Bloody Mary's. I like spending time with Erik, he's the kind of friend you can just do anything with and have a great time. His social commentary is stellar as well. I managed to fall asleep for an hour during the late game tonight, must've been the nachos I ate at halftime that made me so sleepy.

I think I will go to the gym tomorrow and run some errands, I need to stay away from the couch/TV until next Sunday.