Disgust With Television

In one of those rare moments where I will actually watch TV, my sisters and I were glued to the tube to see who would win American Idol. I never bothered with this show before, and the most I've ever seen was this season where I saw two episodes-- tonight's finale being the second.

I was hoping that Diana would win. She had quite the range and I thought she had a pretty voice. Fantasia, on the other hand, tried to fake her range by belching out the vibratos to the max. My sister compared her voice to Xena's Amazonian yell ("AAIAAIAAIEEEEE!"). It was grating, and I can't believe she won. And Simon is just... I can't stand him.

I hate reality TV.

September Can't Come Fast Enough

The prospect of moving and starting a new job is getting me very excited. It'll be like going away to Japan, where I will explore a different community and a slightly different culture; let's face it: Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego have very different lifestyles with very different mentalities.

I don't know which I am more excited about, living away from home or starting a new job. I've felt like a "vagabond" for the past couple of years because, out of all my friends, I still live with my parents and worked odd jobs here and there. I'm a latebloomer. I can't wait to settle down with my own life. It will finally feel like I have something of my own.

It's Official

I signed my soul today. I'll start my new teaching job in the beginning of September. My sister and I have already decided on the living situation. Locations will remain anonymous though.

Guilty Pop Pleasure Regrets

I found my box of CDs in the garage. They were in storage because of the redecorating. As I checked my CDs and placed them back in the CD rack in my room, I decided to pull some albums out to listen to and reminisce since I haven't heard them in over a year.

One of my biggest regrets... Lasgo. I put that CD in the player and by the third track I had to shut it off. That's not the only CD I ever regret buying... soulDecision, White Town, and even a couple of Japanese pop CDs.

It's time to purge my CD collection.

It's a Happy Day

I'm not a sports fanatic, but I just saw a recap on baseball this evening.

Cincinnati Reds vs San Diego Padres. Padres won, 2-1.

I am a happy camper, yes, sirree. Life would be perfect if all baseball teams can just beat the Reds and all football teams can just beat the Raiders.

It's All Girly

I finally got around to changing the layout. It's pink and I like it. Of course, it'll take some time before I figure out the new template to put up my favorite links section again.

Remembering Emmett Till

When I was in elementary school-- I forgot which grade-- I remember a video history lesson about racism and one of the stories that my teacher told me about a young boy named Emmett Till. He was a young black teenager living in the 1950s who was visiting relatives in Mississippi. Story goes that he whistled at a white woman and for that, he was abducted, tortured, killed, and his body thrown in the river. His killers were acquitted, mostly because of a biased white jury.

The one thing I remember particularly about this story was of Emmett Till's funeral. His body was so badly beaten that etiquette would have called for his coffin to be closed during the ceremony. But his mother, wanting to show the atrocity of his torture and death, requested that the coffin should be open. People fainted at his funeral, and upon seeing a photo of the deceased, I don't think I will ever forget it either.

He was only fourteen years old. He never got any real justice. His two killers were acquitted and are now dead, but there is new evidence coming to surface that there are more people involved in his slaying that investigators are going to re-open the case.

I hope Emmett Till will finally get some justice and peace this time around.

Under Pressure

I'm up in Riverside and I met with a school district who offered me a job. I won't have 30 days to review my contract as they first stated because my references cleared and they are all set to go with hiring me. All that is missing is my John Hancock. I have a week to decide... just one week.

I was hoping that my first choice district would have contacted me by now, but I'm not going to pin any of my hopes on that now, so I am a bit disappointed.

While I was in the area, I even visited one of the schools, met with the assistant principal, observed two classrooms, and got a copy of the district's curriculum. I drove around the freeways and looked at the neighborhoods. If I were to compare the landscape, it reminded me of the far end of the 8 East freeway, near Viejas, where there are some outlet malls and a few houses.

I want to teach, but I'm so reluctant about relocating, mainly because the barren wastelands that are just mountains and deserts won't do much to heal my sanity, especially when I start breaking down.

One week.

Old Places, Familiar Faces

I took another subbing job today at the high school where I previously worked. I said hello to former students who spotted me, hung out with teachers I hadn't seen, and familiarized myself with what was already familiar. It was nice to see an old haunt.

One of my students pointed out that I have a habit of pushing my glasses up whenever they slide down my noise. I never knew I had that habit until she told me. She claimed that it was the only way she really recognized me. Several students from the classes I subbed gave me lip. Stupid dipshits. There are times when I get frustrated when that happens, but as long as I can find out their names and write them down to get them in trouble, I'm fine by the end of the day. I refuse to bring that kind of stress home!

On a good note, I said my hellos to all the administration-- from the principals to secretaries. I think one of the secretaries is going to hook me up with a summer job. If all goes well, I may teach remedial English during the summer for ninth and tenth grade. Woohoo!

Unhealthy America

I hear it all the time... kids with obesity problems, kids with diabetes, kids with high blood pressure. I have experience with kids who have bad manners. All of it... it's a mirror on American society. Kids who have bad manners did not learn discipline in the home. They think the world should just give them things on golden platter because that's what they're used to, never learning to say please or thank you; just a take, take, and take mentality. They are used to having food in the refridgerator stocked with soda and sweets. They stay in the house all day playing video games and playing on the Internet. McDonald's is easily accessible, an allowance is always there, and kids go about their lives because having everything is the norm. And the grown-ups. Sometimes just as bad. They don't have time to exercise, so they go for the plastic surgery or the jeans that remove cellulite. They don't have time to eat, they eat junk food on the go. They don't have time to raise their kids, they think that giving them money will make up for that.

It's sad when I watch TV only to find reality shows that exploit a person's need for an egotistical 15 minutes of fame. People just want sex. Dating shows are no longer abour courting and finding the perfect person, but more about a person's need to get laid. Other reality shows are about people stabbing each other in the back.

I do blame the media for all of this. I know that the whole of America isn't like this, but the media does distort the indecency to the point where I feel that I can't find anything good about America at times. America is the land where anything can happen, where people can find what they need, but it's coming to the point where greed and selfishness has become the norm. Call it capitalism or consumerism, but it doesn't always have to look so evil or so selfish.

Like an overweight person suing a fast-food restaurant, or an SUV driver who has to go to the gas station every three days, everyone needs to learn moderation and accountability. But everyone thinks those little things will impede on the normality of their lives. If you're fat, maybe you need to stop eating so much junk food and stop blaming the restaurants. If you have a gigantic SUV with two gas tanks and shitty gas mileage, you shouldn't complain about gas prices. Learn moderation, learn some common sense. And just because you can have it doesn't mean that you always have to have it.

Mood: Accomplished and Confident

I'm feeling accomplished. Last week I sent out two applications for teaching jobs, and I started a new second job this weekend for extra cash. I'm also feeling confident; I just got a response from one of the school districts and they're offering me a contract already. I still have to go in and talk to the people and get the details, and they'll give me a month to think about it. That district was my second choice... But hey, I have about a month to see if my first choice district will contact me, too.

My self-esteem is high right now, and it can only get higher. (heehee)