Disneyland. Its about time.

So...after an almost two month hiatus I finally went to Disneyland yesterday. Yes. My first summer visit of 2004. My friend and I got there around 4. The rumors were true; attendence was very low. We were able to ride (more like walk on) to Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Carribean, Haunted Mansion, and its a small world by 5:30. We met my cutie out in front at 6:20, after seeing the all new Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln (which is severly lacking without the two brothers and Golden Wings songs.) Then went over to DCA to see it's tough to be a bug and, of course, Tower of Terror (I have now ridden the California version 10 times. I know. There are people out there that have ridden it way more. but still. I am keeping count.)

Sigh. My Disneyland fix. Its staring to wear off....want....to....go....back....

Why is a raven like a writing desk?

Ah! The old riddle posed to Alice at the Mad Tea Party in Wonderland. She never did figure out the answer...but there is one!

Do you know? Why is a raven like a writing desk?

Beach access debate

Apparently, laws about beach access and organizations protecting beaches in our country rage battles all the time.

Is the beach something that can be privatly owned?
Can a beach limit its hours of use?
Is it appropriate to charge an entrance fee for shore access (not parking)?
Is using a beach a natural right for all?

These are just some resources I found today. I am sure there are much better resources out there. But I am tired.

 
State of the Beach:
http://www.beach.com/stateofthebeach2004/home.asp

In Hawaii:
Hawaii's beaches belong to the people. All beaches (even those in front of exclusive resorts) are public property and you are welcome to visit them. Hawaii state law requires that all resorts and hotels offer public right-of-way access (across their private property) to the beach, along with public parking. So just because a beach fronts a hotel doesn't mean that you can't enjoy the water. It does mean that the hotel may restrict certain areas on private property for hotel guests' use only. Generally, hotels welcome non-guests to their facilities. They frown on non-guests using the beach chairs reserved for guests, but if a non-guest has money and wants to rent gear, buy a drink, or eat a sandwich, well, money is money and they will gladly accept it from anyone. However, that does not mean that you can willy-nilly cross private property to get to a beach. Look for BEACH ACCESS signs; don't trespass.

Florida:
http://www.law.fsu.edu/journals/landuse/Vol151/spain1.htm

In California:
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=prc&group=30001-31000&file=30210-30214

In New Jersey:
http://www.gsenet.org/library/11gsn/2004/gs040712.php#BATTLE%20FOR%20BEACH%20ACCESS%20RAGES

Karma - or - what I learned

Ok, I know the concept of Karma, or things going full circle, or people creating their own luck is not a new concept, but man, to a feel like the gods were trying to pound that into me this trip!

Here are a few things that happened on my trip that kept these thoughts on my mind:

1. On the first leg of my trip, I sat down in my window seat, and the lady next to me asked if I would mind switching seats with her husband, a few rows up, so they could sit together. Of course I switched, and gathered up my things. The seat I switched into turned out to be the first row past first class, and it had about as much leg room as an emergency exit row!

     2.  On the second leg of the trip, from Minneapolis to Newark, as I approached my row, I notices an older gentleman seated in my seat. He had misread his ticket and sat in the wrong window seat. So he didn't have to get up, I offered to just take his seat. As it turns out, because I switched sides, I was able to to see NYC out the window!

     3.  On the airplane I read a Reader's Digest Article about making your own luck. 

     4.  In NYC, I came across several friendly people. In the subway, while we were looking for the appropriate platform, a nice guy came up and asked where we were going and if we needed help. Later on, in NYC, As I was getting my camera out, another man stopped and asked if we needed directions. All in all, I found people very friendly in New York. They were willing to help, and friendly, and let me tell you what a difference it made when you just smiled and said thank you! Treat people well, and they will treat you well, back!

     5. On the plane ride home, I met this rather unhappy young man. He was on his way back to California to visit his brother and he hated it. California was full of pretentious people who felt they were more than they are. Everyone thinks that they are somebody. He grew up in the same town I lived in. I felt really bad for this guy. It was obvious that he had a very negative stereotype about California people. Thus, whenever he met people that fit his stereotype, he filed it away. In other words, he sought out those types of people.

 

Lesson Learned: If you believe people are genuinely good, then, for the most part, you will meet good, friendly people. That is what you will seek out.

If you treat people with kindness and respect, they will respond in kind, for the most part.

And to combine those two lessons, if you believe that people or genuinely good hearted, then you will treat them with kindness and respect. They will return your friendliness, and as a result, the majority of people you meet will be nice.

This seems fairly obvious, I suppose, but it was just really driven home to me this trip as I watched how people interacted with each other!

Sometimes, the effects aren't so obvious as they were on this trip for me. Sometimes you may be very friendly, and you don't get a kind response. It happens. I read in a book somewhere before I went to Washington D.C. that there were a lot of homeless people there. The book basically said it was up to you whether you gave them money or food coupons or any other hand outs, or nothing at all, but it urged you to remember that these were people too, and if you didn't want to give out anything, of course that was logical, but to still treat them with respect. A smile, or a simple, "I am sorry, I don't have anything to give you." or anything that acknowledges their presence is better than ignoring them. Everyone might not agree, but since I've adopted this philosophy I've felt much better. Maybe it doesn't make a difference, but to me it does. I smile, I make eye contact, I say no thank you to people trying to sell stuff on the street, and sometimes I get a smile back. But you know what? It doesn't seem scary anymore. It is still sad, but not scary. I don't know if it makes a difference, but it feels better that ignoring people.

"Treat others the way you wish to be treated" - The Golden Rule

The golden rule is best interpreted as saying: "Treat others only in ways that you're willing to be treated in the same exact situation." To apply it, you'd imagine yourself in the exact place of the other person on the receiving end of the action. If you act in a given way toward another, and yet are unwilling to be treated that way in the same circumstances, then you violate the rule. - Routledge

"Everyone deserves to be treated with kindness and respect" - Cinderella

The Universality of the Golden Rule in the World Religions

Christianity
All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.       Matthew 7:1

Confucianism
Do not do to others what you would not like yourself. Then there will be no resentment against you, either in the family or in the state.       Analects 12:2

Buddhism
Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.       Udana-Varga 5,1
Hinduism
This is the sum of duty; do naught onto others what you would not have them do unto you.       Mahabharata 5,1517

Islam
No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself.       Sunnah

Judaism
What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellowman. This is the entire Law; all the rest is commentary.       Talmud, Shabbat 3id

Taoism
Regard your neighbor’s gain as your gain, and your neighbor’s loss as your own loss.      Tai Shang Kan Yin P’ien

Zoroastrianism
That nature alone is good which refrains from doing another whatsoever is not good for itself.       Dadisten-I-dinik, 94,5

Humanism:
"(5) Humanists acknowledge human interdependence, the need for mutual respect and the kinship of all humanity."
"(11) Humanists affirm that individual and social problems can only be resolved by means of human reason, intelligent effort, critical thinking joined with compassion and a spirit of empathy for all living beings. "

Native American Spirituality:
"Respect for all life is the foundation." The Great Law of Peace.
"All things are our relatives; what we do to everything, we do to ourselves. All is really One." Black Elk

Roman Pagan Religion: "The law imprinted on the hearts of all men is to love the members of society as themselves."
Shinto:  "The heart of the person before you is a mirror. See there your own form"

 

 

 

Back from New Jersey!

Hi all! I just got back from New Jersey, and I have a lot to tell you all about! I really don't even know where to begin! I had an awesome time, my friend was very welcoming, and I saw so many incredible things.

Here is a list of the things that I was able to see on my trip:

• Rent, on Broadway, with an incredible cast including Matt Caplan, perhaps the best "Mark" I have ever seen, Jeremy Kushnier as Roger (whom my friend had seen previously in Footloose), Jai Rodriguez (from Queer Eye) as Angel, and Melanie Brown (of the Spice Girls) as Mimi. An incredible cast and an incredible experience. After the show, I was able to meet Jeremy and Matt, get Melanie's autograph, and snap a picture of Jai. The theater itself was small an intimate, especially from our vantage point in the orchestra section.
• Times Square: In many ways, it reminded me of Vegas, with tons of people on the streets and all of the bright lights. I love big cities. The sidewalks were lined with artists, people from every walk of life, and the smell of the food carts made NYC feel very distinct. 
• My friend showed me Clifton, the town she grew up in, and Montclair, where she went to college.
• I went into Astoria, which is in Queens, to a Greek restaurant. There are a lot of Greek stores and restaurants in Astoria, and a lot of Greeks hang out there. (So of course, my friend had to take me so I could get a glimpse of her culture...Until she can bring me to Greece that it!)
• Mid and Upper Manhattan, including Rockefeller Center, Madison Square Gardens, radio City Music Hall, Times Square in the day time, and Madam Tusaud's (spell?)
• Central Park, including the Central Park zoo and the Alice and Wonderland Statue. (I would love to spend more time just chillin' in Central Park!)
• The Empire State building, including the observation tower.
• Atlantic City, New Jersey, which was perhaps, a page out of my fantasy book. I have been obsessed with beachy/boardwalk towns since reading about them in The Babysitter's club series when I was a kid. Seeing Atlantic City's Boardwalk was just like I imagined. The pier with the rides and the ever so romantic water's edge Ferris wheel, arcades and food shops lining the boardwalk, and the sandy beach. Sigh. Plus. There are casinos right along the boardwalk!
• The famous Egg Platter Diner, with its number of Egg novelties to choose from. I had an omelet with cheese and Taylor ham.
• Liberty science Center, which is a children's science museum in Liberty state Park, New Jersey. (You can take a ferry from Liberty State Park to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, but you have to be back by 4, where as you have until 6:30 if you leave from battery park in New York.)
• Hiking at Bushkill Falls in Pennsylvania, which was very nice and tranquil, and very cool to see how beautiful the east coast can be away from the city.
• Point PLeasent, a popular beach and boardwalk in New Jersey. Unfortunately, this really put a downer on my boardwalk fantasies. The boardwalk itself was cool. Lots of neat little shops, arcades (with slot machines that gave out tokens that you could collect prizes with, like tickets, that kids could play on. Also, there were adult prizes, like candles and clocks and stuff, and adults playing on these machines like it was a casino. Even the game ones that were not slot machines...You'd see adults playing two at a time collecting tickets. It was funny. Not adults playing games, thats totally fun, but playing all serious like, "with this last quarter I might get enough tickets to buy myself that set of non stick frying pans!" kind of serious.) But the Real downer was this: THEY CHARGED, PER PERSON, TO ENTER THE BEACH. There was a fence along the boardwalk, and every so often there would be a set of steps leading down to the beach and next to it a person in a booth collecting $5.50 per adult. Outrage. (oh, also odd, you weren't allowed to change your clothes. There were signs by the bathroom saying you weren't allowed to change your clothes in there. Odd. So lots of people spent all day in their bathing suits. (some brought coverups, some didn't.) Hmm, I wonder is if the state of New Jersey knows that a common cause of yeast infections is wearing warm, wet bathing suits all day. Not a pretty picture.
• Lower Manhattan. We saw Battery Park, The Statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island. (Let me tell you, plan on spending your whole day at Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island. Seriously. There was A LOT to see at Ellis ISland! 
• Ground Zero. All rubble was cleaned up and the actual sight is prepared for building. Building 7 is already being rebuilt (not one of the twin towers, but the last WTC building to fall.) They built an observation fence all along the east side of the trade center and lined it with the history of the WTC as well as a memoriam to those whose lives were lost.
• The New York Subway System - ah - like a dream come true. Did I mention how much I love subways???

As you can see, it was a jammed pack trip. I was able to get to know my East Coast friend much better and see so many amazing places. 

I can't wait to go back!   

Amazing Race 5: Episode 2

***spoilers!!!***

So I tuned in to Amazing Race (Just FYI - Due to my being in New Jersy it is possible that I won't watch Amazing Race until I get back...so dry your eyes...my update will come...)last night after our trip to the Orange County Fair...

Coolest Destination: Buenos Aires to the grave site of Eva Peron.

Team commentary:

Brandon/Nicole - Uh, neutral...they didn't mention their love for the Lord our Savior this episode, so that weren't as annoying as the first time around.

Charla and Mirna - Silghtly less anoying. Mirna is a wuss. I still can't believe she made Charla carry the 50 pounds of meat last week!

Jim and Marsha - I am probably rooting for the father/daughter team the most. I feel so bad for how their race started and they seem to handle everything well.

Linda/Karen - pissed me off that they were so low as to play the currency exchange trick. I mean come on, I suppose its fair, but there are dirty and rude ways to play the game....

Bob and Joyce - I really like how they work as a team. They did well on the perro challenge working together.

Colin and Christie - nothing really stands out....

Marshall and Lance - same thing...

Chip and Kim - I like them okay...they seem like a good team.

Kami and Karli - I like the twins also. I feel bad that they took the taxi cab issue so seriously, becasue they had a good alliance with Chip and Kim...lets face it...everyone wants to win!!!

Alison and Donny - eliminiated!!! Yes!!! I don't think I could have watched Alison be such a bitch to Donny for the whole season. I just hope he gets smart, dumps her, and moves on!

If you want an episode synopsis, go to cbs.com and click on Amazing Race.

Next episode Tuesday, July 20th 10:00 pm

Karaoke Rev 2

Well, we finally got the game today, which gives me one day of playing time before I leave. It is pretty much the same game as before but with new songs. On my first attepmt of Pap Don't Preach, I got 50001 points, 100% greats. (of course, I was on easy judging)

It has more characters, as well as three new venues (but two have to be unlocked.)

The cool thing, which I haven't tried yet, is the Medley Mode, where you pick 3-5 sings and then sing clips from them in succession and get judged. I may save this for when I come back.

Also, really cool, is the short song mode...for when you have a lot of people playing, becuse you can sing any song but a shorter version.

Well, I still have to pack tonight...and sing...

But the good news is....

You may have to sit down to read this. This Friday, I am going to see Rent. On Broadway. In New York City. Ok, calm down, now, I know that that is already exciting enough, BUT.... there is a reason we are seeing in on Friday and not, say, next week. You see returning to the roll of Angel until July 17th is none other than Jai Rodriguez from Queer Eye. Take a deep breath and try to contain your excitement...we don't want to alarm the neighbors.

Ah...sure we do!

Oh the disappointment

So I wake up early this morning to head out to buy Karaoke Revolution, which is being released today. Grrr... Apparently, this game is not popular enough to warrant same day shipping, so guess what? Its being shipped to stores today. Which MEANS that I may not get to play Karaoke goodness until I return. Sigh.

40 minutes until I can register online for next semester.

Amazing Race 5 Episode #1

First, a gripe. Why are they putting the Amazing Race on so late at night???? Its a great show! One families could acually watch together!!! Grrr...

Lucky for me, I have TIVO, so if my updates are behind its because I didn't watch them yet!


If you missed the premiere...they will rebroadcast it on Saturday, July 10th, at 8:00 PM...don't read this update if you don't want to ruin it!

***MAY contain spoilers***

So I watched the first episode of Amazing Race. I don't hate anybody yet. I really like the dad daughter team...that dad is one tough man...I felt so bad that their race had to start with an injury like it did. I am glad that it got taken care of, but I just felt so bad for him...I hate when people get hurt.

Amazingly enough, both teams that missed the detour clue made it without being eliminated. A big drawback but at least they made it. The zip line looked like so much fun!

I think as I get to know the characters better, my updates will be more interesting..then again, there isn't much strategy with predicting...its not about voting off like in survivor.

However, they do have an itnteresting twist...the whole yield thing...aparently, you can, one time in the game, require another team to wait at the yield point for one hour. Unfortunatly, it seems like the team getting to make the choice has to be ahead, and they must choose a team that is behind...so I am not quite sure how that will work...we'll see.

I truly hope that the couple that got voted off really have gained strength in their relationship while they did this adventure together! Erika was right when she said being with a nice guy was more important.

Amazing Race next episode: Tuesday, July 13th 10:00 PM (ARG! WHY SO LATE???????)

Worried

I worry too much.

Top worries this week:

I worry about my mom leaving. Not really worried, I'm just sad becasue I'll miss her.

I'm worried about going to New York next week. I am excited, but nervous too.

I'm worried about teaching first grade next year.

I worry a lot.

Karaoke Revoltion 2

YES!!!! Karaoke Revolution 2 comes out next week! I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited! They were going to come out with an expansion pack, but chose instead to publish a new, stand alone game, which probably adds $10 to the price...but thats okay, I am so excited anyway! The 2nd game has all of the original characters (thank goodness my girl is still going to be rockin in the new game!)

Here's a list of the new songs:
Baby One More Time

Born To Be Wild

Cry

Drift Away

Every Breath You Take

Friends In Low Places

Genie in a Bottle

Heartbreak Hotel

Here Without You

Hot Stuff

I Believe in a Thing Called Love

I Hate Everything About You

I Will Survive

I'll Make Love to You

I'm With You

Irresistible

It's My Life

I've Got You Under My Skin Jesse's Girl

Lady Marmalade

Let's Get It On

Miss You

My Girl

Papa Don't Preach

Perfect

Rich Girl

Rock and Roll All Night

Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay

Sweet Home Alabama

The First Cut is the Deepest

The Joker

Toxic

Virtual Insanity

We Are Family

White Flag

4th of July

You know, it occured to me on Sunday that 4th of July is one of my favorite hoildays. You can spend the whole day outside. You can swim, barbeque, and relax. And pretty much everyone that you are going to meet is celebrating as well. You don't have to stress about wrapping any presents. There are patriotic songs to sing. Fire works. Community events. People wear red white and blue, spirited colors like a school pep rally...except that we are all on the same team. Its a pretty cool feeling.

I spent one 4th of July in London. It was odd to not have everyone celebrating...until we got down town...there was a huge celebration going on...lots of whistles blowing, happy people dancing in the street...one of the coolest gay pride festivals I've ever attended. So we still got to celebrate on 4th of July!

I was worried thhis year about Belle, and that all the loud fireworks would scare her. However, she did just fine... Probably because she was so tired from going to the HB parade and then to the barbeque that she pretty much slept through the whole evening. Plus, we did have Karaoke Revolution up pretty loud... (o:

Harry Potter Book 6

Ok, for those of you who have checked out the website, none of this is news to you, but I want to give my prediction as well.

The 6th Harry Potter book is titled, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince." JK Rowling stated on her website that this book was at one time the title for book 2, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and that there are clues in that book which are very significant to the story. She has also said that the Half-blood prince is not Harry or Voldemort.

My prediction. The Half Blood Prince is either a descendent of Slytherin or Gryffindor...most likely Slytherin, which would be interesting indeed considering Salazar Slytherin's insistence that Hogwart's be a school for only full-bloods. We shall see.

Knowing JK Rowling, I could be completely off...she does have a way of surprising me!

My trip to Las Vegas

So, Mom, G-man, cutie, and myself went to Vegas on Monday and returned on Friday. We stayed at the Rio, which was nice because the rooms are bigger...plenty of room for all of us!

How'd we do in the Casino?
Ok, well, we didin't play all that much, and we're not exactly high rollers, plus I was carrying around some bad karma from our stop at the outlet center...but my baby did win $60 on a nickel slot machine. That was fun. Overall, we broke about even.

How were the Casino games?
I was very dissappinted to discover that my old Monopoly machines were removed and replaced with new monopoly machines that paid off significantly less. Sigh. We're not supposed to come out ahead? On the bright side, many of the major casinos now have penny slots (granted, you can bet $1.50 or even $2 on the machines if you play like 15 lines and bet 20 per line...) but you can also just bet like 25 cents, 5 cents, even, if you want, 1 cent. I always look for the ones that have bonus games, because, well, I am a sucker for bonus games.

Other things worth mentioning at the Casino:
It seems that casinos will no longer change pennies and dimes for you. So our change jar that we fill up and usually change in Vegas is still full. That sucks big time. I don't know if this is true of all casinos, though, so if you find one that is still smart enough to change pennies and dimes, please let me know.

Let's talk food. Best Buffet?
Still, hands down, Carnival World Buffet. Believe is or not, they have made it even better since I was last there. Yes, they have. For those of you that don't know the glory and awe of this feasting wonder, let me explain. The Carnival World Buffet is located at the Rio hotel, which is west of the strip, just past the 15, on Flamingo Drive. The Carnival World Buffet always has a line, which gives you thirty minutes to continue to work up your appetite. Once inside and seated, you may be a little disoriented, and not quite know where to begin. This is because there are about 10 different buffet stations within this one buffet. It is best to walk the entire lengteh of the buffet, as to take in all of your options, as well as speed up your metabolism with this brief hike so as to burn calories faster and consequently, be able to eat more. There is a salad bar, A pizza bar, A seafood bar, a fish and chips bar, a sushi bar, an Asian bar (including teppen yaki and Pho,) A Chinese bar, A mexican bar, an Italian bar, a Barbeque Stop, And a classic American buffet bar (with, you know, the whole turkey-mashed potatoes-macaroni and cheese-stuff,) and of course, the dessert bar. And to be honest, I am probably missing some things too. And as if my day couldn't get any better, they had crab legs. Sigh.


Best Buffet Deal
Texas Station. Off the strip, North west of downtown, is our favorite of the Station Hotels, Texas Station. This hotel/casino has a movie theeater, bowling alley, and kids club, great slots, an excellent food court (Fatburger, Baja Fresh...) and also a really cool buffet. Like a mini Rio, this buffet has about 6 stations serving a variety of foods, including mexican, pizza, chinese, american...and these really yummy desert bars that are cookie based topped with chocolate and butterscotch chips, nuts, and cocnut. yummers. Best part? Dinner is only $7.95. Now I ask you, where can you get your drink meal and dessert for that price this day and age? (Not to mention soup, salad, and as many entrees and desserts as you want???)


Coolest Attraction Experienced This Trip:
Star Trek Experience at the Hilton in Las Vegas. This attraction is so cool. Well worth doing at least once. I am not even the biggest star trek fan, and I LOVE this attraction. I have done it twice now. I can't explain more, because it is something that you have to DO. If anyone told you about it, they would be selfish and destructive as the key to the attraction is not knowing what is going to happen. Sigh. Such an amazing thing. FYI, I am referring to the original attraction, which is now called the Klingon Encounter. We also did the new one, the Borg Assimilation, which was great as well, but not nearly as awesome as the original. By the way, when you purchase your ticket it inculdes both attractions. Hint: We found out that if you go to the Ticket's Tonight booth above GameWorks (between the Giant Coke bottle and the M & M factory next to MGM grand, you can get half off tickets for the Star Trek Experience (which we didn't expect since it isn't a show...) Again, I highly reccomend...even if you are not a fan of the shows!!!!



Dam
Yup, we saw Hoover Dam. I am always amazed by this whenever I see it. It is truly a cool thing in many ways. OF course, the whole time I was there I had Ishmael speaking in my ear..."Man trying to harness nature....man is nature...is this such a good idea???" Sigh. We had a dam good time, though.

Most Daring thing I did:
Wear my new skimpy bikini in public at the Rio pool. I didn't move alot, however. No one needs to see that.

News that broke while I was away:
Um, we released control of Iraq, Um we turned Saddam over, Ithink, and uh, oh yeah...JK Rowling released the title of the sixth Harry Potter book!