crisostomo

i finished filing my tax returns last week, and am purportedly getting a nice sum for a refund sometime within the next few weeks or so. however, although a nice amount of money is coming back to me, according to the speakers at the financial seminar i attended with bto and puraw wave last year, a larger refund is a bad thing because it means that the government is taking that much more out of your paychecks. the reason it is a "refund" is because the government took shit tons of money from you early on then realized, "oh, we took too much, so let's give some back to this chump". how unfortunate.

also, taxes will soon rise to unreasonable amounts thanks to all the bailing out the government has been or is trying to do. so, for all the people out there praising the stimulus and all the financial aid being given to ailing motor companies and banks, remember - as a taxpayer, it's your money that funds all this lovely government spending. so, when some irresponsible person who can't take care of their finances to save their life thinks, "it's ok, the government will just bail me out", i cringe and vomit in my mouth a little.

financial issues aside, the weeks have been absolutely exhausting. too much going to work and going out, not enough sleep. i think i will eventually pass the fuck out some afternoon. no calls, no bothers, no bullshit. just pure, unadulterated, blissful napping. that, followed by a nice, leisurely shower and a dinner that won't have to be completely funded by myself, would be ecstasy.

there are too many things that i want but definitely shouldn't buy. the palace dvd set, a machete, the perfume live concert dvd, and blazin steaks. the first three because i don't really need them, the last one because it would make me fat.

"Strike hard, strike fast, strike first, strike last..." - Gabay

currently: awaiting precious sleep and possibly a steak sandwich

pyramid scheme

now that we're in tax season again, i am reminded of a quaint comparison of one of america's most beloved institutions/programs offered by charles wheelan, author of "naked economics". he lovingly referred to social security as a pyramid scheme, one wherein the hordes of grunts at the bottom of the pyramid work their asses off to feed a lovely supply of income to those at the top. if social security worked like a mandatory 401k or if the government took that money out of my paycheck to put away in some giant piggy bank especially for me when i get gray, i would be all for it. unfortunately, that's not how it works. my hard work now goes to fund the lives of old people now, instead of going to me later. that is a pyramid scheme if i've ever heard of one.

i haven't yet prepared my tax return for this year. i have what i think are all the necessary papers. i have a program (turbotax) which will be assisting me in my venture this time around. i am ready. it's just a matter of doing it.

i think i have to help my friend dissect a (cooked) chicken to help him regain some points for the anatomy/physiology assesment he so unwittingly fucked up last week. i don't know how this is supposed to reflect an understanding of human anatomy on his part, considering that the anatomy of a cooked chicken and a raw (living) human being are fairly different. i mean, i think so - i taught anatomy lab in college for a year, so i could be wrong - but i'm pretty sure humans and dinner fowl aren't quite the same. but whatever. hell, he thought the assignment was a joke too.

i believe i am coming to denver on march the 21st or the 20th, but am only staying until the 23rd or 24th (it's a short osha class, this time around). however, if the generation would like to have arnis training still and possibly another crab leg dinner, i am definitely up for it. i'm not staying at a hotel this time around. i'll be staying in what used to be my residence - apartment 102 at good custer ave. what does this mean? i need to buy toilet paper and bring towels and an aero bed. what else does it mean? i won't have continental breakfast waiting for me in the lobby when i wake up in the morning.

"Let your rapidity be that of the wind, your compactness that of the forest. In raiding and plundering, be like fire, in your defense, be immovable like the mountain..." - Sun Tzu, The Art of War

currently: wondering if i should have a bagel

the filibuster

my trip to denver was a huge success in terms of productivity. the safety classes went well, and i obtained a lot of information that was useful both in and outside of the construction industry. did you know that the diagonally striped white and orange barricades that usually accompany "road closed" signs actually point in the direction that you're supposed to turn? as it turns out, the diagonal stripes, lovingly referred to as "chevrons" (half-chevrons anyway), work like arrows and point the driver in the direction he/she must take when a barricade blocks a straight path. what's funny is i learned that in a construction industry safety compliance class, and that info such as this cannot even be found in the driver's manual that is used to take learner's permit exams.

the weather was lovely in denver. on monday, i woke up to a delightful 9 degrees below 0. amusing, because according to people here, some were suffering when hawaii had 51 degrees. cold is relative i guess. which brings me to my next point - cold weather makes you a better person. according to some recent studies, crime rates rise in direct proportion to heat/higher temperatures. also, your body burns more calories in order to produce heat to keep your core warm in colder weather. finally, since cold weather limits activities for a portion of the year, people in cold climates relish the periods of nice weather and thus are heavily active during those bouts. people living in consistently warm climates take the weather for granted and thus spend little to no time being active. conclusion, warm weather makes you belligerent, open to the idea of criminal activity, and fat. cold weather in turn makes you calm and calculating (how do i get to work/school on time while facing the dangers of icy roads), helpful (to those that get trapped in snow banks or in parking lots due to excessive snowfall), and metabolically powerful (burn those calories).

arnis training in denver went well. in two months, i should be back in denver, so i hope to bring more lessons and techniques upon my arrival.

i need a stricter diet and training regimen to keep me in shape here in hawaii. due to the options i have (rock band with the boys, ala moana on weekends, filipino eateries), i cannot effectively shut myself away to focus on training, keeping in shape, and keeping up with my reading. i think an apartment of my own would be nice. arguably, paying for it and the utilities would be a major liability in addition to my other bills. but a place of solitude would work wonders for me, physically and mentally.

"I believe there is no such thing as pleasure in life, only a relief from pain. You have to suffer to be on top..." - Georges "Rush" St. Pierre

currently: contemplating what to eat for dinner