Moving Day Again!
Seems like everyone's moving somewhere, and this time it was my friend Debbie. Moving out of her place at UCSD for the summer. I helped her and her mom move a whole lot of stuff back to San Juan Capistrano. It's amazing how much stuff can fit into such a small place. It was a long day, but afterwards me, her and Julie went to dinner and see Tombraider. I don't recomend it. Not that it was terribly bad, just unengaging. I just wasn't very interested in what the characters thought, did or said. There were a few cool scenes here and there, but in sum it was just kinda blah.

I'm bummed though because I'm not going to be able to see so many movies this summer. I'm going to be almost completely disconnected for 10 weeks starting Wednesday. Man, I feel SO unprepared for this trip. I hope I'm able to do my job! I may not even be able to tell what my boss wants me to do. Ay!
posted by Alex Densmore at 9:46 PM

New Friends
Tuesday night I hung out with my friend Gabe and two of his friends, Andre and Travis. It was quite an interesting night. We first went to Boosters for some pool and we met up with my elementary school friend Scott Miller. I haven't had a long conversation with Scott in quite a few years. In junior high we kind of went our own ways, and I've rarely spoken to him since. It was cool to be able to hang out, and I could still see a lot of his character traits that he had so many years ago. So we played pool until about 11, when everyone under 21 had to leave. Our under 21 friends left and we headed over to Kelly McCue's, a true pub that I never knew existed in Mission Viejo. It was pretty fun, a good experience but I think I know now that hanging out in bars just really isn't my thing.

One theme running through the night was my utter naivete. Andre and Travis, though very cool guys, just aren't really the same people I hang out with. Several times Andre or Gabe had to 'find something in the car' or they said 'go on up ahead we'll catch up in a sec'. Of course these guys (and Gabe) would be smoking out in the car, and I would take their excuses at face value. So, like an idiot I'd say, 'what's Gabe getting from the car?' or 'That's cool, I'll wait for you guys' when all they want is for me to leave. I didn't figure it out until I was sitting at the bar at Kelly McCue's. Ay, sometimes I just don't get it. But it doesn't bother me too much, because that's not my lifestyle.
posted by Alex Densmore at 11:26 PM

my name is Big Dawg and i eat elephant ears for breakfeast!!!!
I also am a totillia piller from Mexico
But not many people know about it except the rainman in Africa, Did you know that the mountains in Colorado are bigger than the hills in Mission Viejo!
Cause Im a superwomen from venus and I bring good news to all my lttle Earthlings. The way they know its the truth cause know one told them that it's false!
But pretty much it's all irrelevent to the moon since we never landed on the moon. Neil Armstrong is a lier to same with NASA no on elanded on the moon! It'sa hoax a funny one to if you think about it cause the American people belive it thats the funniest part lololololololol

PIZZA 4 ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL! LIKE CRAZY TACO'S FOR HAMBURGERHEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by Contributing writer Gabe Pietro!

posted by Alex Densmore at 12:11 PM

Ay!
Weak title, but I don't really care. I saw Moulin Rouge today...... man it was great. I highly recomend it to anyone. There were lost of great songs throughout the movie, and most of them had snippets of modern pop songs. That made it fun because you could sing along with the actors. There were lots of colors and the plotline was great. Go see it!
posted by Alex Densmore at 11:46 PM

Lakerz-yeah!
The Lakers have won two hard fought victories. They're out to prove that they can compete in the face of a willful, determined opponent. These guys aren't just pretty boys from Hollywood, they're Championship material. But man have I come to respect the 76ers. I totally thought that after their slugfest with the Bucks, the Lakers would sweep the floor with them. Well, so did eveyone else! This is a great series to close out the season. I'd love to see a lot of close games... but games that the Lakers win!
posted by Alex Densmore at 9:53 PM

Moving Day
I helped my friend Gary move from his apartment in Rancho Santa Margarita to one in Tustin on Saturday. I am so jealous. His place in Rancho was nice, but this one is even better. It's clean, large, and has lots of amenities (washer/dryer, dishwasher, aircanditioning, cable). AND he and his roommate pay less for it then me and my roommates for my place in Berkeley. Believe me, his a is a good deal nicer than mine. Not that my place is bad, I'm actually quite fond of it. It's just that let's face it, his is nicer.

I'm seeing all the opportunities I'm putting off by going to college. I want to have lots of disposable money, a nice apartment and be completely self-sufficient. Yet alas my studies do not permit this. I can only console myself with the knowledge that I will be better off once I finish college. Well, I can also console myself with the fact that I have few real repsonsibilities and I'm having a great time :). I guess I'm not in too much of a rush to grow up!

Anyway, my brother and I just helped in move in a few items and hung out. It was fun to spend a lot of time with Gary, whom I've known since third grade. I hope I get to have more days like it.
posted by Alex Densmore at 3:16 PM

Lakers-poo!
Was I watching the Lakers last night? Did I find the wrong channel? The wrong dimension? No, quite unfortunately not. My friend Gabe and I went to Champp's in Irvine to watch the Lakers romp their next victims (it was my first time testing out my new bar privilages ;). What a disappointment. While the Lakers didn't play that bad, the 76's were just plain playing better. And Iverson, he was all over Kobe. I guess the only consolation for lost history is that this is shaping up to be a great series. But Lakers fans must not lose heart, as we in the Los Angeles area are prone to do so quickly. The lightning fast nature of TV and movies gets into the blood down here I guess.

Right to Kill?
So I've been following this whole FBI mess-up thing on the Tim McVeigh case. First, how could the FBI be so dumb as to blow another high profile case, arguably the biggest case in the agency's history? And they KNEW about the documents too. Talk about stupid.

McVeigh is now set to die. If anyone ever to be processed by the American justice system deserved to die, it is Tim McVeigh. The man slaughtered scores and scores of men, women and children. Yet, even faced with this, I do not believe Tim McVeigh deserves to die. First, let me discuss the death penalty. The official use of the death penalty is a deterent. Commit a capital crime, and you will die. That's the message. Yet does anyone believe this is the case? There is no evidence from the period without the death penalty that capital crimes increased because of its absence. So then, why does America continue to execute its inmates in the face of international pressure and countless reports citing racial and economic injustices? Amnesty International has cited the United States for hundreds of human rights violations. The United States! The 'leader' of the free world. Our hypocracy makes me terribly angry. Why do the poor, the mentally ill, blacks and hispanics deserve to die while rich whites hire lawyers that either get them acquitted or get their sentances reduced?

Revenge is another factor. There is no denying the fact that Americans want to have revenge. Commit a crime, and you're gonna die, buddy. Eye for an eye. What amazes me too is the huge number of Christians who support the death penalty. Bush claimed great amounts of 'faith' on the campaign trail. And not just any faith, Christian faith. A faith which call its followers to practice mercy and forgiveness on everyone. Jesus forgave everyone of crimes they had commited. Not only that, he died for those same people! That's like a judge in a trial dying in place of the defendant. Ridiculous! And yet those criminals continue to be criminals. And many Christians, who believe in this concept, continue their blood lust. They continue to desire 'closure'. What is closure? Why is the death penalty anymore a closure than a man who is in prison without parole? The United States, inorder to retain its position as a credible, powerful yet humble nation, must remove the death penalty from its criminal justice system.

This means that Timothy McVeigh cannot be excuted. His trial has already proved that the US can and does find and punish terrorists. And who in their right mind would wish to live a lifetime in prison? Is that any less a deterent than the death penalty itself? McVeigh's execution will be the first federal execution since the death penalty was reinstated. Each subsequent execution will only get easier. Pray for the victims of the Oklahoma City Bombing, but also pray for Timothy McVeigh.
posted by Alex Densmore at 3:35 PM

Reading, Playing
Today I went out and used some of the gift certificates I got from my parents for my birthday. I binged on C.S. Lewis, and I am now the proud owner of 'Mere Christianity', 'The Weight of Glory', 'The Problem of Pain', 'Miracles' and 'The Great Divorce'. I've wanted for a long time to read some C.S. Lewis, and I'm happy to have the opportunity now. I have plenty of time to chew on all his thoughts. I've just started 'Mere Christianity', and I already enjoy his deep, yet simple thoughts, comments and allegories. Christian theology is both complex and profoundly simple, and Lewis has a great way of writing for the layman. I am very much engaged in his book, but I want to pace myself. If I read too much at once, I will have no time to chew on the many points he raises, and I will not take as much away from the book as possible.

I would say buying those books has been the most exciting part of my day. I also installed a WWII flight sim on my computer. It should be pretty fun once I get the joystick working properly. Right now it leans to the lower left, which makes flying very difficult. Ah for the days of Chuck Jeager's Air Combat for my 286! Now that was a flight sim.
posted by Alex Densmore at 4:19 PM

A Birthday to Remember
I haven't written here since Friday because I've been gone for a while. Well, long enough to have missed a few blogger entries. Saturday was my 21st birthday, and Saturday morning it looked like it was going to be a pretty tame day. I went to Chevy's with my parents in the afternoon, and while I love my parents, it was my 21st birthday and I wanted to do something at least a little crazy! I had nothing else planned because a lot of my friends were on a trip to Reno. But I found a few people and we resolved to at least go out and do something. But a factor I hadn't counted on (but in retrospect seen coming a mile away); Debbie and Julia. Debbie is an old friend of mine from back in the day, and Julia is a friend of hers. So here is the seen: me and my friends Jason, Nate and Parhaum are hanging out, playing video games. These guys, while not really quiet, aren't entirely extroverted. Debbie and Julia are just the opposite. They are extroverted to a point I really haven't seen anywhere else. They know how to have fun just about anywhere, at any time. Needless to say, the mixing in our group was a little odd, but we had fun.

We went to Nickel Nickel arcade in El Toro at like 11 at night. This place is great, 2 bucks entrance fee and almost every game is either free or a nickel. DDR was only $.20 for 5 songs! We hung out there until it closed. After that, the guys wanted to go home, so me Debbie and Julia headed off. We dropped by the Super-K in Alicia Viejo at like 1 in the morning to buy some random stuff.... quite funny really. Then we watched Legend of Drunken Master at Debbie's house. But this my friends was only the beginning.

We all stayed at Debbie's place that night and then went to Pacific Coast Church in San Clemente the next morning. After a great sermon about keeping apearances and lying (Pastor Mike hits it on week after week), we dropped by Paul's Pantry for lunch and then headed to UCSD, about an hour drive south. That night there was a special service of 'Flood', a church down there. The sermon was on a HUGE mountain that over looked most of the San Diego area, it was beautiful, and right at sunset. When we got back to UCSD, we watched Rattle & Hum, a great movie about U2. It's so awesome to be with two other people who are SO into U2 like me. I feel far less crazy when I'm hanging out with them! After the movie we went to bed. It's kinda funny, but I feel real akward around Debbie's roommates. This isn't the first time I've stayed over, and I'm afraid I am wearing my welcome thin. Oh well I guess, it's not like I'm over that often. Anyway, that morning I took the train home from La Jolla to San Juan Capistrano. It's such a beautiful ride! AND, it's only 10 bucks to travel 50 miles. It was like an expensive BART ticket, but you got to go much farther. So, all in all me, Debbie and Julia spent like 36 straight hours together, and I can't remember the last time I had such a random, fun birthday. It was random and adventurous, just the way I like it!
posted by Alex Densmore at 11:12 PM

My Missing Appendage
I lost an appendage today, at least that's what it feels like. Believe it or not, I think I've been spoiled by Berkeley. I can get to anywhere I want to go without a car. At home, not having a car may as well be a death sentance. I live deep in the evil heart of Suburbia, and my lack of mobility smarts. No wonder places like Mission Viejo are enclaves of the wealthy, with little crime. You must have a car to get anywhere. One has to have money to have a car. Crime is kept down because the city design deters impulsive criminal behavior. Most theft crimes are commited with little or no forethought, a criminal sees something they want and they take it. Here, you can't just walk around and see something you like. You have to be in a car, roaming around looking. I made this discovery with my bike in Berkeley. I left it unlocked by accident just overnight in my apartment building's front court, and it was gone the next day.

I've also come to realize just how wasteful a car is. Here I have to take my 2 ton truck just to deposite a tiny check. What a waste of gas. These suburbs are a terrible waste of wealth (in road construction and gas), space and sanity. But I'd better shut up, because I have a terrible feeling I'm not going to do anything. Someone save me a house in Irvine, please.

posted by Alex Densmore at 12:57 PM