No More Coffee?

So I think I have to quit Coffee….at least for a while.   

I’ve been having some prolonged problems with my stomach lately (heartburn, acid reflux, etc) and while I’m hoping I haven’t come down with an…

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U

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C

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….it seems like I might have one.  

I’m not sure how I came down with it, either, but I think a lot of it had to do with stress, the cold I came down with because of the stress, the Advil I was taking, and all the junk food / late night snacks I’ve been eating with my roommate.  Alone, none of those things are bad enough to cause indigestion at my age, but the combination of all of them pushed past my poor stomach’s defenses and got through with its acidic evils, causing my doctor to give me a prescription and send me down to the lab for some blood work. 

I MISS YOU, BABY!

This really sucks because coffee shops are *EVERYWHERE.* 

I feel socially handicapped because of this.  Getting coffee has become the modern-day equivalent of smoking - it's the all-purpose excuse occasion for social activity!

.....and until I get better, I'm gonna be missing out on that.

I’ve gone “Cold-turkey” without my lady caffeine for a good week, hoping that would be enough time, but it doesn’t seem like it; I had a couple  sips this morning after eating some cereal and milk, but still felt it in my stomach like I did when this problem first started. 

I’m hopeful, though.  This is very similar to something I had in the past where it turned out to NOT be an ulcer, and my stomach healed rather quickly.  (at least, that’s how I remember it)   

I’m gonna wait another week and see if my stomach can handle coffee by next Monday.  If not, I’m just going to have to quit altogether. 

Anyone else have this problem?   

Any suggestions / tips?  

America's Responsibility?

We were discussing politics at work the other day (already a bad sign), specifically the recent & numerous crises that have hit Japan, and one of my co-workers voiced the following opinion: 

“America has too many problems of it’s own to be helping Japan right now.  Don’t get me wrong, my heart goes out to them.  But I just think we should try solving our own problems first before we go off spending money helping someone else.”  

When I first heard this, I thought my co-worker was being kind of an ass.  But I thought about it later and I came to the conclusion that, even if the majority of Americans agree with that statement, that’s not really a stance that America can take these days. 

Sure there are probably some other (good?) reasons why America shouldn’t help Japan – but I

First of all, it’s a bad move from a Diplomatic viewpoint.  Considering how other countries went out of their way to help us during the Katrina tragedy, not helping Japan during their time of tragedy would do some serious harm to our foreign trade relations.....!

 

Not to mention cause us to look, as a Nation, like serious dicks. 

Secondly, America’s already set a precedent as being the country that helps other countries out.  We’ve been “THAT nation” since we got involvedin World War I and haven’t stopped being that “helpful neighbor” ever since.  It almost seems like other countries expect us to help when something like this happens. 

Incidentally, this also reminded me of the Arizona Immigration issue.  I heard someone (else) once use this same point to argue why America shouldn’t allow illegal immigrants to stay in the country.  I feel this is a different issue and haven’t quite sorted my thoughts on this one just yet. 

WHAT DO YOU THINK? 

For your Bad movie Consideration....!

- BEHOLD -

HOLLYWOOD COP! 

FYI - you can probably tell without even watching,but this video is kinda NSFW. 

A Psychic's Influence

My brother went to see a Psychic about a month ago.  He went with a friend of his - mostly for moral support (or so he said) - and had his fortune told. 

A few days later, he called to tell me what the Psychic had to say - about me. 

And I had to admit, I couldn't wait to hear what the Psychic said.  

She (the Psychic) seemed to know that our Dad passed away -- albeit ten years ago, and not "recently" as the Psychic indicated -- and that his spirit was still lurking around our house......and that he was worried about me; specifically my "financial problems."  

Not sure if that was the reason my Dad hasn't moved on yet -- the psychic didn't say -- but it was important enough to my brother for him to mention it to me.  

My mom also called me the same day to ask if I needed money.

The next week my mom told me she wants to get our house blessed and asked if I wanted her to wait until my usual trip back for Christmas. 

Now lemme just say that I'm not a big believer in Psychics, ESP or the afterlife; my family's not religious and I personally don't believe in life after death.  Don't get me wrong, I personally think religion's great (when used correctly), I just choose to believe in Science. 

But on the off chance that we're wrong and there *is* an afterlife, it doesn't hurt to take a Psychic's advice every now and then, does it? 

WHAT DO YOU ALL THINK?   DO YOU BELIEVE IN AN AFTERLIFE? 

Another Book Review!

......no dinosaurs, though. 

PROBABLY THE BEST & LAST CHILDREN'S BOOK YOUR CHILD SHOULD EVER READ.

 

My Review:  While I feel that this story is incorrectly titled, Bruce Eric Kaplan's "Edmund & Rosemary Go to Hell" is actually quite an intelligently written tale of a happily married couple who come to the not-so-shocking realization that they are actually living in Hell -- as opposed to going there -- and their struggle to get out of it. 

READ IT. 

Dinosaur Review!!!!!

Just finished reading Chuck Klostermann's latest book, "Eating the Dinosaur," and I figured I needed to take a blog post to review it.

You see, I read (and buy) Chuck Klostermann books to learn his insightful views on pop culture.  And man, they are good.  If I had to describe his writing style, I would call it "pretentious, but with every right to be."

My friend, Nico, first introduced him to me back in 2005(?), letting me borrow what was probably his most famous novel at the time - Sex, Drugs & Cocoa puffs - and after reading just a few chapters, I had to say I was hooked.
 
But what often happens after reading a Klostermann book is a period of self-loathing because I realize that I do some of the things he states are "idiotic."

(In the case with this book, it's "putting exclamation marks at the end of unremarkable sentences in blogs to indicate my "ironic self-awareness" - read Chapter 10, "Ha ha, he said.  Ha ha") 

But what I've realized lately after reading Chuck Klosterman's essays is that he's: a) criticizing things that everybody seems to enjoy while b) simultaneously defending things that nobody else loves; and c) purposely arguing controversial opinions (like agreeing w/the Unabomber's opinion of technology) to get a rise out of his readers

And I'm getting the feeling that he has these opinions so he can:

a) sell books;
b) feel superior to everyone else.

But this is a guy who used to laugh into his TV because he thought TV sitcom laugh tracks were the actually the laughter of other people laughing from their homes.  (same chapter) 

So maybe I need to start taking his opinions with a grain of salt and not feel so bad when he thinks certain things are inane.

Incidentally,  I have a feeling that the overuse of exclamation marks to indicate self-awareness came from the popular Dinosaur Comics! - another piece of literature that I respect for it's intelligence and unique insights (in an ironic sort of way)!   

See!

Does hoping / prayer help?

So there's been a lot of tragedy going around in the world these days.....!

Obviously, there's all the crap going on in Japan - the earthquake, the tsunami, the 2nd earthquake, and now this media frenzy about their Nuclear reactor - but a lot of friends / people at my work have just had bad things happen to them for no reason:

- a co-worker's mother passed away
- another co-worker has lung cancer
- a third co-worker suffered a stroke
- another friend came down with breast cancer

And it just goes without saying that we all sign "Get Well Soon" cards and write sincere, heart-felt messages about how they'll "be in our thoughts & prayers".

But those of us who are a little more *cynical* tend to think that prayers and well-wishes are bullshit and don't do anything but make those who say them feel better and dare everyone to do something more.

(And by "us" I'm referring to those of us in the general E-society where Internet trolls roam)

Now I have to admit that there is a certain truth to this criticism of praying and well-wishing -- that it's a lazy version of "caring without really caring" -- I don't really think that people do it just to make themselves feel better about not doing anything.  A lot of times, there's not much else you *can* do but hope that things get better for someone.....especially if they live thousands of miles away or are suffering from a stroke. 

Plus - I actually think that it helps sometimes.  

And if you think about it, keeping someone in your prayers during their time of need is a lot like wishing them a happy birthday over the internet - THEY'RE BOTH FORMS OF WELL-WISHING!  

So to those of us who call everyone out for not doing more than praying / hoping / raising awareness, etc. and just so happened to wish me a happy birthday on facebook

WHY DIDN'T YOU DO MORE & GET ME A BIRTHDAY PRESENT, HUH??  

Just sayin'......!

**EDIT**

For my birthday, you can line dance for Charity like these guys did.