Chawlk

1. Drawar
2. Fenxy
3. Decaflon
4. Two Credits
5. Wriging
6. Loose Suits
7. Chixe
8. Dud3s
9. Wing Colors

 

I'll echo that. :)

I missed my 10-year reunion. I think I've changed so much, that I have somewhat lost sight of what exactly I'm comparing myself to! I've been away from my hometown now for 10 years and sure enough, there's culture shock everytime I go back to visit.

I guess as far as HOW I'm different, I think I'm more confident in that I know myself more and what exactly it is that I like about myself to back that confidence up. I'm more articulate and eloquent, I think. And the increased confidence isn't so much the fake, compensatory kind that covers all the rest up like I had in high school (or many people had in high school). I think I'm more patient and tolerant ... and empathic. I can definitely relate to people better and am a better listener. It's not all me, me, me.

I want examples as to what 9rules was judged upon for stylerank. Only the clothed ones, though.

I think I'm open to the idea that it will sway others or it ... won't. The whole point of the post, that is, typing it out into coherent, linking arguments and supports is the whole journey. I don't aim to have a direct result. It's not as if I ever know what I'm going to say and in what order until I actually do it, anyway. But when I get there and read the end result (hastily, admittedly) I will be happy with the post if it has effectively gotten out onto the screen what I've been thinking and the points I've made are somewhat coherent and cohesive.

Bravo, Tyme!!

Oh, and you did all right there too, Scrivs. ;)

I think it's just a matter of obsolete "to whom?"

Yeah, Scrivs, that was cute.

My last roommate left a couple in my freezer, and I haven't touched them. She left about a year ago.

My response would be drawing a parallel between this and the saying, "It's not the destination, it's the journey." Each person will take a journey that is different but I like the idea that two people might have different journeys but might end up at the same destination. Inside the journey might involve backtracking (moving backwards) and taking a different fork in the road that they've taken, before. So in the end, I'm definitely about the discussion. As long as you're striving for the resolution, that is. If it's "all" about the resolution then maybe you're just trying to encapsulate a really complex problem into a one-size-fits-all answer, which more often than not is not that simple. Different answers work for different people and I would rather be content with that - in a way it honors everyone's experiences and what they've learned from them because they're just that: personal and unique.

Prodigy - Smack My Bitch Up

Wait. You mean making millions of dollars from blogging isn't easy?

I'm thinking that there's a variety of blog networks (of which I'm completely unaware so this is a guess) - so in effect it's just a matter of what network suits you. Common people will probably pick only one or at most two to peruse. The good thing about this, I think, is that the crappy ones will go to hell while the better ones will get to stay afloat. That is, unless the lowest common denominator rule wins out and the networks which attract the dumbest, easiest minds for instant gratification prevail.

Anyhoo...it might be a cliche (or regurgitation) but I personally like to come to a blog network which will reflect the highest quality of topics and discussion. Also a network which will attract a low number of trolls. And for me, it'll only be one because I only have so much time to spend online. And that's where I'll be most invested.

I think blog networks are "good" but as far as liking them enough to actually get involved with them - only one shall apply to that definition.

I'm suspicious of everyone, today! I guess it's fortunate enough that I've cut my browsing during work in recent months...

I'm gonna have to go with Caramello!!

Haha no, I was just humoring Scrivs. ;) To clarify, this most certainly does not work with every girl - in fact it definitely doesn't work with me!

Hmm...I might go crazy. Don't enjoy imagining that much. We'd have to pull a Jurassic Park in order to keep on the species, too. I probably enjoy imagining that even less than the crazyness.

Happy Happy Birthday, Mike!! :) The ascent (not descent) to 30 only gets better... That's the good news. As for the bad news ... nope. There ain't any. Maybe that I still get carded even though I got less than a year til 30. Not that that's relevant to your birthday, any. Just another opportunity to talk about myself, that's all.

Again, Happy Birthday, Mike!!!! There ain't no thang like a quarter-century crisis!!

This is hot, guys. :)

Get her mad at you, then kiss her.

This works with every girl in every situation, guys. ;)

I think the purpose of my life is the hope of being a part of something that's bigger than myself. Just the pure recognition that everything doesn't end at me, even for myself personally. You might interpret that as merely "belonging," which is partially true - but I guess to narrow that down I tend to be rather selective about what exactly I choose to be a part of. So as long as it has a mission that I agree with, that is something I'd like to be a part of.

Aw man. I completely missed it. But that doesn't mean that bear doesn't have skillz.

2005 Mini Cooper S convertible

John Handcock building in Chicago.

Tee hee, JPhill ... a bit juvenile of me but perhaps you meant "Hancock?" :D

Happy Birthday, Bloglily!! :)

I have a hard time conjuring up inspiration so whenever it strikes me is when I will post. As a general rule though I try and post twice a week. Sometimes it dwindles down to once per week but in general I don't have a posting schedule even though the frequency is pretty constant. I know that certain days (as with all blogs) people are checking my blog more than others and even despite that I need to post whenever the inspiration strikes me (or not post when it doesn't) so I feel satisfied with the content that comes out rather than adhering to a schedule.

Technically, I am now. At least sub-brand wise. I just got a Mini Cooper S convertible! :)

I think ryan has a point in that it's theory vs. real life and that if we lived in a time and place where we could live with equal interests for all and therefore equal punishments no matter the motive - that would be ideal. But I think that while we *should* strive for that, we have to look at the context of where we are at in a society, right now. Do you think that if we ignore the fact that racism was in fact at one time institutionalized, that there aren't repercussions that we (or certain members of society, namely minorities) are still paying for as a result of that, today?

Let this be clear about further "classifying" and "segregating" people - through legislation or not. My view is that these are two are totally separate from each other. Segregating is an action that is made as a *consequence* of the classification. We can be different but it doesn't mean we have to be separate. Segregation means that two or more groups are not "fit" or "compatible" with each other. If people would stop pretending that they don't see how minorities, gays, lesbians, transsexuals, etc. are different from the majority, then maybe the "minorities" might stop advocating for equal rights according to said classification because we don't currently enjoy them, correct?

My take on that noose display is that there need be legislation punishing the incitation of a riot, because although we all hold our liberties and freedoms so dearly, it could have gotten so, so ugly had a riot been "incited." The reason tensions were high were because of public displays of *history* and *past segregation.* IMHO there needs to be paid respect to that checkered, marred history ... the whole treating everything and everyone exactly the same way to me seems to be hopping onto both sides of the fence.

I know where we want to get to, to have equal everything ... but equality is not afforded to everyone different from the majority, yet. It's hard to ignore that right now. In theory, I'm all for that ... and I do hope we can get to that place right now. Just that right now, I don't think we're there yet.

@Ozone:

I guess I don't see the kid shooting the other kid as being himself. He's taking away another's right to live, right?

I hear your opinions on policing thought being wrong and I agree when you put it like that. What I would ask then is what your opinion would be on the person who drove by a black protest with a noose hanging from his truck bed after Jena 6 - who got prosecuted for "inciting a riot." Is that not just a display of thought?

I for one am in favor of classifying hate crimes exactly as such - crimes fueled by prejudice. RightOn, you wouldn't get prosecuted for a hate crime for punching a black man in the face just because he happened to be black. There would need to be evidence introduced that you targeted his face with your fist *because* he is black - his race being different than yours isn't enough to classify it as a hate crime.

If you think about it, the reason why such crimes are classified differently is to protect the victim from being targeted because of someone else's bigotry, who might think that they would be prosecuted no less than a random encounter. There is nothing random about violence fuled by someone else's bigotry; such victims are larger targets and there NEED to be laws enforced reflecting this. It's the same reason why premeditated murder is considered worse than manslaughter. This was premeditated AND fueled by hate. Where does hate start? So often it starts in the home. Here there's a delicate balance between the right to bring up your kids how you see fit but when that intrudes and harms others' liberty once your kids are outside the home - that's when it becomes society's problem. Your hate becomes society's problem.

I might have to disagree with Ozone in that yes, I also pity people who need to act out on anything that offends their need to be homogeneous, but I would take it a step further and advocate protecting those individuals who are merely being themselves but happen to be different than everyone else.

This is awesome.

I had a Gucci watch from Hong Kong that a relative gave me. Of course, it was a fake - but none of the other kids knew that and boy did I get extra points for that.

There were other things I'm thinking about expounding upon in a post (like Kami). One of the obvious things was being Asian in Wisconsin. I was one of two Asian kids in my entire graduating senior class.

AndyDickTracyMorganFreeman

(I've never actually heard their music, but this name is KING.)

I think making any sort of character assumption about a person based on this particular habit (whether Obama, Clinton or McCain) is really putting oneself on the high horse about it. Each of us have our own qualms, quirks and yes, flat-out addictions. Of course this would be ignoring the candidate's (or any person's) upbringing and individual environment and exposures while growing up.

I saw him appear on the Ellen show yesterday and she asked him about his cancer stick habit. He talked about "sneaking" 4 a day once upon a time but Michelle encouraged him to quit because "it was only going to get worse as the campaign trail and hopefully Presidency was going to get more stressful," so he decided to quit. Of course he thanked his wonderful wife for being the person behind that "change" and his kicking the habit. He's now chewing Nicorette regularly and is doing quite well.

Now if his opponents are going to bring this up as a potential downfall of his and he is now indeed quitting, then he just turned it around and made his mission to quit smoking all that much more appealing about his "character." He's human yet he's trying to better himself. To get hung up on this one thing is clearly not focusing on the issues, right?

@Scrivs: That cute little Japanese girl you Youtube'd in the opening pages of Chawlk, that's who. :D

On Hollywood Blvd. I couldn't help but notice their mannequins aren't your usual run-of-the-mill (borderline NSFW):

3k+ hits

All I'm saying is, if she were real she'd have mad back problems.

This is great, guys. :)

I mean, I had a hard time getting by having been Cute'd and all but I survived.

Man, that chat froze.

All things equal - I tend to lean towards the optimistic when evidence doesn't show I should think the contrary (I hear ya, Tyme, about context). Quite honestly, it's just easier to cope that way. Or as Scrivs says, having a half-empty POV is "defeatist." If a certain mindset allows one to press on then why not embrace it until it proves to be a losing battle?