Onto Book #9!

I've just finished book #8 in the Southern Vampire Mystery Series, aka the "True Blood" books. So far each book has been strong and I'm hoping to feel the same about Dead And Gone (book #9). Rather not say much about what's going on plot-wise or give away any spoilers. But if you like the HBO show and like to read, I'm sure you'll enjoy the books. Of course you must remember that television shows are commonly altered versions of whatever literature they've been "based on". So don't get pissed when the two aren't exactly the same.
As of right now, I'm about a third of the way through Dead And Gone. I like it better than the previous already, probably because there's more Eric. By the way, if you're a Bill fan...sucks for you. It seems like Bill is becoming a less important character since no longer being romantically involved with Sookie. Perhaps you can blame it on the fact that it's from her point of view? Anyways...
Once next week hits, I should be done with this one and onto the next (Dead in the Family). So hopefully if time permits I can pick up a few books for vacation! Hooray vacation!
Has anyone heard about any light/fun books for me to bring along? Oh god, what will I read once I finish this series? Oh right, school will be in session by then and it'll all be lecture related---booo.

Kids and Social Sites

You log onto your social networking site to check for comments or other notifications. All clear for now except a slew of "likes" on a status. But you see that rare little pop up notification, "new friend request!" A bit excited you click to see who wants to hop on the friendmobile with you. The picture appears to be some random 7-11 year old with sunglasses on. To be fair you check out their full page to be sure. Yep, they're 9 years old and wants to be your friend. I've had this happen on MySpace, Facebook, etc. Not only is it creepy but it makes you wonder how this child got onto the site in the first place.

My first issue with kids on the internet is not the obvious go-to that a parent might pull out like, "there's pedophiles online!" Because that's true and if you were a good parent, you'd simply teach your kids not to talk to strangers whether it's in real life or online.

Reason number one: My big issue with these random kids trying to be cool and friend a million unknown people is that honestly, it's against the rules. There are age restrictions on many sites like Facebook, for example is 13 & up. I'd recommend staying off Facebook until the age of 16 just because of the ridiculous drama and hormonal rollercoaster that affects everyone from age 11 to 16.

Personally, I grew up in what I see as the last generation of playing outside and calling your friends' home phones. I had no internet til I was in 9th grade, then it was so slow that the only thing to do was use AOL Instant Messenger. I clearly remember the advent of cellphones for all, i.e. everyone and their mother wanted a Motorolla Razor. No one in my family had a cellphone until about...2006. I got my first cellphone during my junior year of high school, it only made calls (gasp!). So I've made my point with that one....technology plus children, not the best idea til they have emotional control over themselves. It'll save them and their parents a lot of trouble.

Reason number 2: go outside and play with your friends, you'll miss it when you're older. As I get older I come across things that make me stop and think. "Why did we all want to grow up so fast? Seriously?" The simple life of calling your friend's house and walking over is likely dead but I think kids today can retain the little bit that's left. Avoid living on the internet, it's so easy to get caught up in posting what you're doing and taking pictures FOR your page. I mean come on, really? You're destroying your self-worth in the end by making it based on what others see on your page. You're a person, not a webpage. Having your "friends" post on your page does give you a little dose of happiness from the interaction but unfortunately you shouldn't rely on it. Logging on to find out that gossip was spread about you and "everybody" hates you, or even some kid discovered how to photoshop your picture inappropriately (typically dick drawings or fat jokes). The possibilities are endless online.

Overall, finding out you've been friend requested by a child makes you feel like a pedophile even though you fancy people your own age. Do kids under the age of 16 NEED a page? No, it's strictly optional for all of us. Hell, do we even need a page? No, but it makes life easier for keeping up with old friends and planning get togethers--or Facebook stalking. The internet has it's good and it's bad. There's photo sharing with relatives but there's viruses, there's fun games to play but there's also creepers. It's ultimately up to the person in charge of the computer, that should be the parent.

Complaints Against Me

Tonight there were 2 complaints made. Here are what I've come up with as my possible factors or reasons.

"You never want to do anything"
1. When I try to plan something, nobody has money for it or they have work (broke college students)
2. When I plan things, nobody shows up (ex- my 20th birthday everyone bailed)
3. Severely different music tastes for concerts (ex- Tom Petty)
4. Money. Fun costs money most of the time
5. I don't want to play WoW
6. Heavy drinking is not on my fun list (puke)
7. Talking n sitting doesn't count as fun for most people anymore for some reason.

"You've been so irritated lately"?
1. Hot, sweaty, disgusting weather
2. Being ignored often
3. Lack of time with friends
4. Losing my ring at work
5. Suddenly having to pay $300 for car registration after having my hours cut
6. The downstairs of my house is still under construction aka annoying
7. Paranoid about my dog not being able to walk.

If there are any other complaints, please tweet them to me.

Unfortunate Fools

There's always a sad story once in awhile about some poor kid who dies of a drug overdose at a party or a big event. Of course it happened to a 15 year old last year at the Electric Daisy Carnival and the company (Insomniac) ended up having to go through all sorts of problems with the Los Angeles police, etc. Basically they moved this year's EDC out to Vegas. An obvious choice for a massive three day carnival/ electronic music festival.

I went to EDC in 2008 before it grew into a multi-day massive and had the time of my life. Granted, everyone around me was 'rolling' (E), on mushrooms, or 'candy flipping' (both). I was completely aware of this by the size of their puils, nonetheless everyone was happy and friendly. There wasn't a single random person that couldn't appreciate a smile and a hug. Well, except the kid on acid who was scared by our friend making dolphin noises....

Massives are by definition, massive. Literally. The 2008 EDC that I attended had about 70,000 participants. This led to horrible cellphone reception and delay, as well as crowding. If you had AT&T your call wouldn't go through and text messages took an average of five minutes to receive. This made meeting up with friends difficult.

Now back to my starting point--the kids who overdose. It's very easy for someone on drugs with little experience to end up in a bad place. All it takes is one person to take the wrong pill, or too many. Some dealers actually sell laced pills or fake pills to unsuspecting teenagers. This happens because dealers like money and teenagers tend to be stupid. Simple equation there. I've heard stories of people getting meth-laced pills, and it wasn't a happy story though no one died. Not having enough water or drinking too much water can also cause complications.

All this combined into one situation for a 'rolling' teenager can be difficult to sort through. Losing track of your friends, getting lost, losing your phone or money. Honestly I don't understand how anyone goes into an event with +70,000 other people and thinks, "yea I can do this." I know a bunch of people who did it somehow, but my cautious personality doesn't allow me to go there. I stayed on the safe side and always went sober.

EDC was my first rave, and my favorite. You could feel the vibes of expressive freedom and though it sounds super cheesy, love. At that time there were still people going (most on drugs) to experience the music and have a good time. As my rave days progressed I saw this slipping away and gradually it wasn't fun anymore. More douchebags looking for a high, more young girls dressing up like Rainbow Brite hookers. My last trip to a massive ended with friends taking bad pills and getting sick while I limped around with bloody knees in the cold 3am temperatures of January. I had seen better days, for sure. Those on drugs percieved me as a downer or a party pooper, not realizing that I'd been hurt thanks to a security gaurd running into me as he chased someone. In fact, the scars are still visible on my feet from skidding across pavement---not cute.

What's my point? It's not the event coordinators or companies that are to blame for such problems and deaths of anyone in attendence. They provide a venue to enjoy music, go on rides, and have fun. There is also generous security at the gates that pats you down worse than any airport security member would. "Shake out your bra please....we have to check your pants, thank you." Everything is done correctly, but the problem is the consumer. Many are just fools who don't stop to think. Those that manage to get in with intent to sell or consume E, mushrooms, acid, etc. It happens because people do what people do, whether they're responsible human beings or not.

If you die from it, it's your fault. I won't feel bad or pity someone who chose to partake. I just read about a similar case this year at the EDC taking place in Texas. There were so many calls for health emergencies that they were forced to shut down the whole place. It is an individual's responsibility to be aware of and chose to put something into their own body. Food or drugs, it's a choice. Apparently most the people attending weren't thinking or readily prepared.

Reminds me of the teenager who drowned in Lake Mission Viejo a few years ago. He was on acid and apparently he and his friends failed to think about being around the water. Some said, "poor guy, he was such a great guy" I'm sorry but a 'great guy' isn't fool enough to take a bunch of illegal substances to the point of incoherence.

All in all, I enjoyed the good times throughout 2008-2009 before giving up on the deteriorating rave environment. Maybe I'm just lucky enough to be able to live without needing any substances to enjoy life. i'd say I'm proof that none of those people needed to take pills to have a good time. It was their choice, a foolish one for many.

Summer Reading

Now that the semester is over and all I have to do is go to work, I find that my calendar is looking a bit sad. Going to the gym and watching movies only takes up so much time. Hence, I called the 800 number on the back of my Barnes & Noble gift card that's been in my wallet for likely the past two years. Forty bucks, awesome!

So tonight after dinner I headed over to Barnes & Noble at the Spectrum to hopefully find something interesting. Entertainment value was key, and after reading for classes all spring the last thing I wanted to buy was another history book!

It took awhile after wandering through the sections mocking the silly titles and cover art with my brother, Colin, and Sophia--but I picked one. Being that I'm a True Blood fan, I decided on the written source itself: 'Dead Until Dark' by Charlaine Harris. Plus I got a new bookmark! Hoping its a page turner to take up some time over summer! Feedback &/or review later.

Fools Rush In

Apparently the requirement of thoroughly knowing your partner before getting married is too time consuming for a lot of people. If you haven't had the time to interact, react, &/or adjust to your partner's habits and mannerisms....then man, you're screwed. Basically don't get married until you've been together for a year minimum. I said minimum!

Honestly, any amount of time less and your friends will ask themselves 2 things. "Is _________ in the military?" or "Is she pregnant?" Both are speculations that come up. Sorry but people generally ask "why?" when you do things suddenly in order to understand your logic or lack there of. What could be so terrible about waiting a bit longer before puttin' a ring on it? God forbid you find out that they do annoying things and aren't always a ball of sunshiny happiness. Emotions exhibit, therefore you should know all of them. Plus living at home awhile longer won't kill you.

If you haven't already addressed basic components and questions, then you shouldn't be getting married. Period. I glanced through this book for a laugh. Sex, work, gender roles, children, friends, money, etc. Oh and definitely do not get married because you're religious and want to have sex. That's a terrible decision.

By the way, your boyfriend/girlfriend/fiancée has all the same bodily functions that you possess. Just a human-to-human tip for ya.

Well, that's all folks. I wish you all good decision making skills and happiness!

Home Improvement

For some reason anytime we start working on the TV room, Rocksie proceeds to get up on the couch n shake like we're in a thunderstorm. When we first started on the room in...December, she shredded her Christmas present toy. Seems to be that any sort of home improvement or decorating makes the dog freak out. Silly doggie, we're trying to make the house better!
Until we finish the TV room project, I guess she'll just continue to get up on the couch n panic. To higher ground!