An Experiment in Unavailability: Day 4

This previous Friday, I was using the restroom in a lovely Jamaican restaurant/bar, when I decided to place my cell phone on top of the toilet tank in an effort to prevent it from falling out of my pocket and onto the floor. Unfortunately, my chosen surface was slightly slanted and not flat as I had previously assumed, and as soon as the toilet was done flushing, my cell phone went sliding into the white, water-filled bowl.

I immediately fished it out (and then immediately washed my hands). While my cell phone remained lit momentarily, the screen soon turned off, followed by the key pad. Despite my efforts over the next couple of days, I was unable to generate any sort of response from it after that.

Seeing as how cell phones are expensive and I am, for all intensive purposes, broke, it became clear that I would have to do without a cell phone until my next paycheck, which arrives in 2 days. I have gone ahead and ordered a cell phone which will hopefully arrive by the end of the week, but before then, I will include some anecdotes from my adventures in unavailability.

Music Video of the Day: Acoustic Cover of Paula Abdul's "Straight Up"

I've always loved this song. I kinda love Paula Abdul. But there's something about paring it down from a dance song to this more raw, simplistic interpretation that really lays bare the emotional vulnerability expressed in the lyrics.

Affirmations

Sometimes it helps to write things down, lest you forget, or lest anyone asks you and you haven't the time to tell them. This list might grow with time. We'll see. So, my affirmations, my beliefs:

• I believe in an all-powerful and loving God.
• I believe in the divinity of Jesus Christ and in his plan to save humanity.
• I believe that we as people will never 100% understand God's plan but that He calls us and encourages us to try to do so.
• I believe that no man should be completely alone.
• I believe in the importance of family, whether blood related or not, for each person's emotional well-being...for support, encouragement...united in an effort to grow and love.
• I believe in karma, not in the full reincarnationist sense of the word, but in the idea that the sort of energy you put out in the world is the sort of energy which will permeate and surround your life: if you constantly expel negativity, your life will be shrouded in negative energy.
• I believe that the heart and mind should work in concert with one another; that emotion without reason is dangerous and reason without emotion is blind.
• I believe that we need artists just as much as we need doctors.
• I believe that the most important members of our society are often the most underpaid.
• I believe it's better to live a short fulfilling life than a long, meaningless one.
• I believe that chocolate can cure almost anything.
• I believe in self-fulfilling prophecy.
• I believe that it's ok to burn bridges if said bridges are nothing but precariously placed tight-ropes.

Because we're all a little bit racist

Fine, I'll Count My Blessings. Whatever.

Woman receiving massage: Do you fix a broken heart?
Chinese masseuse: What? What you say. Heart? Pain? Heart not good?
Woman: I said, do you fix a broken heart?
Chinese masseuse: Hmmm... You heart is good! No bad! No worry! You healthy -- very, very good!
Woman: Oh... Good...

--Massage parlor, Mott St

via Overheard in New York, Feb 8, 2008

Proud to be an American

I'm going to take a break from this important day in American politics, Super Tuesday, in order to say that if you have not been watching the new American Gladiators, then you need to go to the Official Website where you can watch full episodes in order to get caught up. This show is AMAZING.

Edwards out, Obama in

My immediate reaction to the news of John Edwards backing out of the presidential race:

It's no secret (though I like to pretend it is) that I've been a supporter of John Edwards for a while...I believe he's stayed in the race this long, not because he thought he had a chance at the White House, but in order to keep his issues at the forefront. He's consistently stood up for the every-American and has been one of the few liberals who seems to actually know who the every-American is. That being said, I also think he's holding out on endorsing a candidate until he has a better idea of who's going to the White House, in order to not burn any bridges and to keep open the opportunity of once again being a running mate. (But I do think he's a Barack supporter at heart.)

Now I think my original prediction of a Hillary/Barack ticket is more likely to come to fruition. But we shall see. Until then, Barack gets my support, despite my inability to vote in primaries due to being an independent and being registered to vote in a state that only lets those affiliated with political parties vote in the primaries. "Fresh Intelligence: Radar Online: What's Next for John Edwards?"