The Word

There's been a long standing tradition in my life recently to complain about women and to complain about the fact that I can't meet them. Is it me? Is it them? Is it society? It's actually a combination but a friend of mine sent me this video and it all came together. We're living in a world of texting and not talking. Of social networks and not actual social functions. Being unique by being a part of the "unique crowd." It's all fucked up.

The most recent girl I talked about for example, only communicated through text messages. Why can't anyone just call someone anymore. You ever notice that when you are on the phone with someone you're not sure what to say because you haven't had like 5 hours to think of your 150 character answer. No one wants to say the wrong thing but that was the joy of meeting people. You had to read them on the spot. Chemistry actually had to play a role in what was going on between two people. Now you have to have a witty text message just to get someone to say if they're busy that night or not.

I'm up in arms here. I'm ready to revert back. I'm going to use texts less and start calling people more. I can honestly look back and see where everything went wrong. The last good relationship I had was with a girl that I talked to. Text messages were used to say good night or to respond to an unanswered call cause I was at dinner or in a movie. We spent our time out together in places we could discuss the situation around us. Once I was fully engrossed in the college lifestyle, it became a story of drunk hook ups, awkward mornings, random/drunk text messages and the notorious booty calls (some very regrettable).

The fact of the matter is, we're in love with our technology and with the privacy and security it gives us. But you may be thinking, "But Jandro...everyone can look at a Facebook profile or the tagged photos from last night's Stoplight party. What kind of privacy is that?" The controlled kind. People only allow you to see what they want you to see. You're profile isn't written by some unbiased person. It was written by you to highlight things you want people to know or, better yet, think about you. It's fake! My buddy and I have the conversation all the time regarding the photos on Facebook. Some people, for example, only have profile pictures that make them look really good. Sure you're not going to put up an ugly photo but it's still fraud. You damn faker you!

Join me people. Stop poking or "virtual" flirting via Facebook. Stop planning your damn text messages for 2 hours. Start dialing numbers. Start giving people a chance in public (unless they are obvious scum). Stop closing off the world by only provide the profile of your life you want people to see. Start experiencing chemistry again. Start enjoying conversations again. Start being caught off gaurd and thinking on your feet. And stop with the texting game cause I'm getting tired of trying to figure it out...

...unless you generally suck at life. Then just stay home and do us all the favor.

So imeem is this really sweet site that provide steaming music for free. It's ad supported but it isn't overly annoying or anything. One of the cool features is that you can build playlists which is sort of like bringing the mix tape back. It's fun stuff. They also provide music video playlists! I'm going to try and create some fun ones and put them here for everyone's enjoyment. For now this is 7 or so vids that first popped in my head. So check it out and get started on imeem. It's legit.

Cannabis! And the amazing Rock the Bells show on Wednesday which consisted of 1000 degree weather and such artists as Method Man & Redman, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, Mos Def, De La Soul, Nas, The Cool Kids and A Tribe Called Quest. All in all. An awesome show and a once in a lifetime experience. Greatest show ever!

We'd like to thank cannabis for sponsoring Rock the Bells as well as the sun. Definitely added to the overall fun of the day.

So I have a bone to pick with Snapple "Real Facts." Now I haven't visited the site because I'm at work and I'm doing work related tasks...don't look at me like that...but are they "real" facts? I got this one today:

Wow. That's gross and I really hope it's not true. Plus, I've always loved Snapple. I mean, c'mon, it's made from the best stuff on Earth! And they used to have the Snapple Lady! I called the Snapple line once and they sent me a coupon for a free Snapple. Pretty sweet marketing ploy Snapple Lady. One problem though, don't put a fact like that on your drinks. I bought it with my lunch so now I'm thinking about the fact that I've probably eaten a spider in my sleep already. Plus, if we don't eat them, that means there's a chance that they've crawled all over me.

I'm a guy so getting scared over spiders isn't part of my outward appearance but if I woke up to the taste of a spider or a spider chillin on my face, I'd freak. I'd probably run straight for the kitchen and pound some booze...didn't you know spiders can't take booze. They're lightweights.

Saw this today and couldn't help but laugh and ponder what would have happened to the Mario franchise if the villains got wise...

What a fun weekend! As my buddy put it, "This actually feels like a weekend." So many times we hang out and party but sometimes it just doesn't feel like a weekend. Just not enough actual activities other than the usual. I guess the only thing that really was different was Glow in Santa Monica. Anybody check that shit out! Craziness.

It wasn't a rave or anything but it was more the fact that something as iconic as the Santa Monica pier being the venue for a dusk till dawn event was mind boggling. There had to have been at least 30,000 people on the beach/pier. It was insanity and the artwork on display was a mixture of sci-fi and plain craziness. The swing sets were also very fun. I should have some sweet photos soon from my friend Matt who was running around taking pictures like a tourist but he's a pro so I look forward to seeing them; especially the one of my sweet dismount off the swing.

The beach was great today as well but it really took it out of me. I'm literally exhausted right now. I can barely move and its only 10 pm.

One negative though which actually is quite a buzzkill on the whole weekend. We didn't get home till roughly 4 am from Glow and its inexcusable but yea, we probably were making a little too much noise but only for like 2 minutes. After everyone left today, I get a call from my landlady telling me she received several complaints from the residents in my building (its like an 8 unit building). I wasn't overly surprised so I explained how we were at Glow and that I was sincerely sorry for that and it isn't a usual thing. Then she tells me that she's been receiving complaints for a few weeks now about how we have too many people coming in and out of our apartment making noise, we're playing music till 4 am and that it's every weekend. Now, yes, my friends are loud and that is a problem but that's not all true. We're definitely not up till 4 am playing music because we don't even have a stereo in our living space. Just in our rooms. I mean, I feel really bad because up until now, I've been doing everything I can to make sure my neighbors didn't get pissed at us. I like it here! I want people to like me, ya know?

So yea, I'm really sorry about it and apparently we've made it so people couldn't get a good nights rest...really? Really now? We're barely here during the week and, yea, we drink and party on the weekend but it's rarely that late. I don't want to offend or annoy my neighbors but hey! If we've been a problem for a few weeks, why didn't anyone say something to me?! Knock on my door and say, "excuse me. You're being a little loud and I would appreciate it if you can tone it down." And I would say, "I'm terribly sorry. I'll correct the situation." Done. Up until now, I figured everything we were doing was fine because no one said anything. Hell, I've heard other units have shindigs. I think we're just getting picked on because we're the youngest people here and they despise youth or something.

It's Venice dammit! Now, I'm a little bitter if you can't tell but I genuinely want to appease my neighbors. I even put a note on our front door apologizing for last night and that if anyone has a problem they'd like to discuss with, please, knock on my door. I'm more than willing to make changes to help and be courteous but I can't tell if what I'm doing is wrong if no one tells me. I have no idea how loud we really are outside of my walls.

Ugh. So yea, the landlady said if she gets another complaint  that we'll get served...which is way lame and way scary. I would hate to get kicked out especially since my roommates grandmother owns the building and that would make me look like a dick. So no more shindigs at the casa. that's fine by me I guess but I just like hosting people. I like to have fun and Venice is a great place. I'll figure something out.

Anyone know somebody that specializes in sound proofing??

Word.

Just wanted to share yet another joke from my Joke of the Day calendar. It's not so much a joke as a saying:

Keep your good friends close because they'll always be there for you.

Have a great Thursday!

Word.

*Rant Alert*

Hey I'm back. I didn't really go anywhere I just became super busy at work so didn't have time to write. Nor did I want to when I got home so yea. RANT!

I'm happy to say that one of the reasons I was busy at night is that I have been lucky enough to have some female companionship on more than one occasion (big stud...I know) although putting me in a good mood...it ended with me distrusting women more than they distrust men. This isn't going to be a female bashing post just more of general disappointment...with some anger thrown in.

It's safe to say that I've felt like there is something missing in my life but I felt no need to complain because everything else was going well. Great job, nice place to live, work, friends, nice place to live, intoxicants, adventures, etc. Hell I even picked up a book or two. But I really wanted someone to join me on other adventures. Not that I don't love the homies but there is something about having a female present that makes me all warm inside (take that either way cause they're both correct). So there are two stories here.

One includes the famed mistress I've mentioned earlier and I always liked her. She was smart, funny, pretty, a hell of a lot of fun and she didn't care that my past included half of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. She had been gone for a little while traveling through Asia (oh yea, she's Asian) and she recently returned and I, of course, wanted to hear all about because I'm a good listener. It was going well (reminder: she always seemed interested so I always hoped something would happen) and then at the end of the night she turned and said, "I have to be honest with you." We all know that never turns out well. She goes on to explain how great I am (true) and how I've been such a great friend (also true) but she recently started seeing someone (bitch!). Suffice to say, I wasn't happy. I wasn't mean but instead said it was fine, I was glad she told me and I appreciate our friendship...FYI...I have plenty of friends! I'm just tired of being the "friend" in all these f-ing situations. Why did I just censor myself?

Second story: so I recently met someone (and by recent I mean a week ago) and I didn't think I would be into someone so quickly but I found her so interesting. She is very cute and very snappy and by that I mean she's got a good attitude that's challenging to me. I like a challenge. Couple of key points: she's 20, doesn't drink, is decently religious, still in school and is a Republican (Boo! Did anyone catch the JibJab.com Campaign spoof. That's some funny shit! Go Obama!). Anyway, I could deal with all of that because she was so cute! I keep saying that, although "unmanly" because she is like 5 ft tall. I mean, she's like Polly Pocket. Anyway, something about innocence gets me excited or something. That sounded way gross.

Anyway, we had so much in common though including the fact that we're both from the same city and we both are USC Trojans. I couldn't resist. So I asked her out and we've gone out twice now. It's been good. Can't complain until....dun dun dun! Small things. Like how she doesn't want me to swear....dammit! Fuck! haha. Sorry. My mom used to say swearing was not intelligent well George Carlin swore and he was pretty fuckin intelligent. She doesn't want me to get hammered around her which is fine but I won't stop drinking. It is, as my roommate reminded me, one of my favorite things with herb and sex rounding out the top 3. OH and now herb or sex either. I mean, the herb and sex part is not so bad because well, I havent been getting sex lately and herb, well, herb is for me and my homies. Not my love interests. Unless she likes it then by all means!

Then she tells about how 3 weeks ago her boyfriend of 14 months broke up with her. Oops. I should probably talked to

him. Then that she wants to take things slow. So I think: "hmmm, slow. So second base???" No no. Just kissing. And apparently kissing is not the same as making out...ummmm, wow. How old am I? Oh yea 23 not 13!

Moral of the story: if you like booze, drugs and sex...don't try and date a young, Christian, sober recently made single girl. Now I don't want to seem like a douche so I will say that she is still unusually cute and I still like her so I'm willing to let this one play out but I'm not about to put my heart and soul into it. I mean, I did have a good time with her and she is very sweet so we'll see.

So to make this not so rant-like, here's some thoughts. Women, be honest up front. The first girl said she was sorry and didnt' want to lead me on...well what about the first year and a half...bitch! If you like a guy and you can see it going somewhere, then say so. If you don't think it will go anywhere, then say so. Guys have feelings too and they usually don't being drug around by their dick. It's annoying and we don't like it. We have other things to do like hitting on your friends so we'd like to know up front. I hate the fact that out of no where she said she was seeing someone. I thought she was seeing me!

Two, dont try and change us. I don't appreciate that shit. Like me for who I am. If there is something about the person that is really bad, like the really are an alcoholic, then talked to them about it. Don't try and mold them into the guy you want. If they aren't the guy you want, then again, be honest.

Back to the drawing board I guess.

Word.

I've got plenty to rant about later but I came across this and got really excited.

My homie Greg sent me the below today (and you should totally check out his band IRC). It was a nice laugh in the face of a day that won't quit. I just want to go cuddle next to Jane Fonda right now. That's only funny if you know who "Jane Fonda" really is in my life.

So this little story just puts me right where I am right now. Somewhere in between the stable girl and the ambitious girl. So yea, the exciting one but with more stability.

Word.