2011 Personally

I had set up several resolutions for 2011(you can see them at this link: http://angelsfancrc.tumblr.com/post/2578796933/2011-resolutions). I may not have accomplished them all, but that doesn't mean I rested on my laurels this year. Here are just a few of my personal highlights in 2011:

• I got baptized this year. It was truly only since then that I have grown in the Lord. As a matter of fact, I didn't really do my own Bible reading and enjoyment until this year either. (So "Get closer to God" on my resolutions was accomplished).
• I met several new friends. Almost all of my new friends came from other schools (mainly UCLA and USC). They all basically came from the Christian clubs at the various schools. 
• Got closer to my friends, mostly the Christian Students at CSUN.
• Prepared myself for law school. Filled out applications, got some scholarships.

2011 in World Events

Well, its that time again. The obligatory year in review post. 2011 was a very important year. As a matter of fact, I would go as far as to say that 2011 was the most important year of my lifetime, at least in terms of global events. Here are just some of the things that happened:

• Arab Spring
• We saw revolutions in Libya, Egypt, and Tunisia. Yemen and Jordan got new governments. Syria is on the rocks. Of course, it remains to be seen the final effects of Arab Spring, but it seems that its influences is less on the direct governments on those countries, but more the fact that we are seeing more social activist movements, such as Occupy, worldwide.
• Japan Quake
• Japan had the single costliest disaster in world history when a magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck the region, causing a massive tsunami killing over 15,000 people and costing Japan $235 billion in production losses and damages. The quake also produced the Fukushima nuclear disaster, which was considered the most dangerous in history, on par with Chernobyl. The disasters wrecked Japan's economy because of the loss of production. They're just now getting their economic foundations back together, a whole 9 months after the disaster.
• Death to the Dictator
• 2011 saw the deaths of very important people: Osama bin Laden, Libyan dictator Moammar Ghadaffi, North Korean leader Kim Jong-il just to name a few.
• Collapse of European Economy
• Greece and Italy's economies basically collapsed this year and the worth of the Euro is plunging. Meanwhile, it seems that Germany is basically keeping everybody else afloat while waiting for the economy to recover.
• End of the Iraq War
• The United State formally ends operations in Iraq, ending a major conflict that had taken up basically the entire period of my life where I was cognizant of the news and global affairs.

Ryan Braun

Today, news leaked out that Milwaukee Brewers slugger Ryan Braun allegedly tested positive for Performance Enhancing Drugs. He won the 2011 Most Valuable Player Award. He is now facing a 50-game suspension.

This news is shocking. Every other major superstar who has been caught or has admitted use (Alex Rodriguez, Rafael Palmiero, Jason Giambi, Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz) has been suspected. Even the biggest cynic couldn't have thought Braun was on the juice. I know I never suspected it.

I recently thought about who were the best players who played their entire careers in the post-steroid era. Three players came up. Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria, and Ryan Braun. Ryan Braun won out. He was the best post-steroid player.

Post-steroid means we don't have to worry about players juicing the game anymore. Baseball has moved beyond that. Or so I thought. My trust has been broken moreso now than even when players in the late 1990s were being accused. It was the culture then. I thought we were beyond that. No player now is to be trusted either. Every player I look at, I have to wonder if they are enhancing themselves unnaturally. This is heartbreaking.

Also, he is the reigning MVP. Never before has the reigning MVP been caught like this (allegedly). What is going to happen to the award. Alex Rodriguez (2003,2005,2007) kept his MVP awards after his admission. Same with Ken Kaminiti (1996). Same with Jason Giambi (2001). But they were all caught years later, not during an MVP season. So now its easier to revoke because there is little baseball to interfere with our memories. Also, there is a clear 2nd place candidate who was very close to MVP. 3rd place isn't even close. Matt Kemp of the Dodgers himself would have won MVP if any game was influenced by Braun juicing (allegedly). That's how close it seemed to be. It's not like Braun was the only deserving player. It is in my humble opinion that Kemp was actually robbed of the MVP. But, there is no precendent for post-actively taking away an award. That's why I doubt the BaseBall Writers Association of America will revote for MVP.

It's just shocking and sad.

Albert Pujols/CJ Wilson signings

For a guy who has the term "angelsfancrc" in his URL, I sure don't talk about the Angels a lot. Or baseball for that matter. But today, I had to make a post. If I didn't, I think I might be legally obligated to change my URL. (Well, at least in CA. In Missouri, they would love it. Come to think of it, this blog might now be banned in that state now). The events of this morning were a seismic shift in the MLB and shocked the world.

Last night I had posted on Twitter that I had hoped that Albert Pujols, the free agent first baseman widely considered among the best players of all time, and CJ Wilson, the left handed free agent starter that was on the Texas Rangers, would sign by the time I woke up. I was afraid the free agent frenzy would distract me from the ethics papers I needed to write today. I had heard the Angels were in the race for both, but expected Pujols to sign with the St. Louis Cardinals (hometown discount; no way Angels would give him a good offer) and CJ Wilson to sign with the Florida Marlins (Money! Money! Money! MONEY! Some people got to have it! (Great, now I have the O'Jays stuck in my head!)) .

This morning I wake up and check facebook on my phone, like I always do. I had seen a post from LAA Insider on my facebook wall that Albert Pujols had signed with the Angels. I was still half-asleep, so I figured it would be one of those "What if?" articles that blogs do when their teams lose players they were going after. But, I noticed I had three text messages, so I read those. I was actually reading correctly. This was not a "What if?" post. I then checked my twitter for confirmation. It was true. At the time I woke up, my twitter was already abuzz with the CJ Wilson news too. So much for me being able to focus on my ethics papers today.

I would like to go over the impact of the CJ Wilson signing first. He signed for 5 years/$75 million, which coincidentally are the exact numbers I was hoping he would sign for. Yesterday, I was praying the Angels would not sign CJ Wilson. I was figuring he would want 6 years/$110 million. I did not want that much money going to a guy who would be our 3rd best starter and has only been pitching in the starting rotation in Texas for 2 years. Not a lot to go by there. I was hoping we would sign Mark Buerhle, another free agent starting pitcher, even though there weren't even rumors of the Angels pursuing him. He signed yesterday with the Marlins for 4 years/ $58 million. I was hoping maybe Huroki Kuroda, who still hasn't signed.

Well we got CJ Wilson for terms I am extremely pleased by. This move, I feel makes the Angels rotation the strongest in MLB outside of maybe the San Francisco Giants (although they traded a good pitcher away in Jonathan Sanchez) or the Philadelphia Philles (o-ver-rat-ed). I mean, it strengthens our strength and adds depth and at that price, I'm not complaining to have the best starting pitcher on the market sign.

Of course, CJ Wilson shocked nobody. He had been rumored for a while to want to go to the Angels. It was the big kahuna that shocked the world. Albert Pujols. The most iconic player of our generation. The guy who had roots in St. Louis. He signed in Anaheim for 10 years/ $255 million.

Now I am not a fan of long-term, blockbuster contract. If I was a GM, I would not have made this deal quite honestly. Yes, he's the best player in baseball, but that type of contract financially hampers a franchise. It limits the ability to make moves or to resign your players.

Today, I am happy that I am not the GM of the Angels. I, for once, am happy about the Angels signing this blockbuster deal. We get an iconic player. This is the only player we have had in our history that is an established icon and can continue to perform like an icon for at least a portion of his time with the Angels. The only players who can be considered icons to play for the Angels were Nolan Ryan (before he became an icon) and Reggie Jackson (about five years past his prime).

Also, we were embarrassed last offseason. We were in the race for Carl Crawford. He practically begged to join the Angels. Yet, somehow, he winds up in Boston (quite possibly the only team I hate. I have stated that I refuse to get intimate with a girl who is a Red Sox fan. I wasn't joking). So instead, we trade our great offensive hitter (Mike Napoli) and take on what is unanimously considered the worst contract in baseball (Vernon Wells). Napoli is traded to our rivals and helps them nearly win the World Series. Wells, statistically, actually cost the Angels at least one game in 2010. Yea. It feels good to actually make some offseason moves and be considered winners in an offseason for once.

Also, it helps the Angels gain a foothold in Southern California sports. They've always been second tier to the Dodgers. Well the Dodgers are trying to find new ownership and are in a bit of a downward spiral. But it won't be long for the Angel's opportunity to expand in LA to close. I'm glad the Angel seized the opportunity. They took the publicity of an icon and honestly, people will be talking about the Anaheim team for a while. The Dodgers, for once, will be in the Angels shadow.

Also, Angels fans will get to watch historic milestones that will be remembered by our fanbase. That is what baseball is about. Building memories. Every Angels fan will be a part of a special moment when Pujols hits his 500th, 600th, and possibly 700th home runs. That alone will be worth it to a lot of fans. I almost feel bad for St. Louis fans because I feel that they should've been a part of this process, not us usurpers. We cheated them of the big moments.

Let's also not forget Pujols is still a productive player. Yes, he statistically has been on the decline the last couple years. Those statistics also are still near-MVP number. If he can produce to the caliber he is capable of and has shown even the last two years, the Angels are championship contenders, especially with that rotation. Speaking of building memories, a World Series title is more important than the individual milestones (I dont think a lot of Angels fans remember where they were when Reggie JAckson hit his 500th HR, but we all know where we were when that last out was made in October 2002).

Yes, ten years is a long time. Pujols probably won't be worth it after five or six years. The money might be too much for us to be able to resign Dan Haren. But I will worry about those things when they come. For now, I am going to enjoy that for just this once, Anaheim is on top and has one of the best players in baseball history.

Boasting

I have been thinking a lot about my own arrogance in my past and even in today. In my past, I had seen myself as superior to my peers, hampering my social life and frankly, just making me depressed. Fortunately, I have moved beyond the form of arrogance where everyone is an untouchable that is not meant to be mingled with. (Well, I like to think so. I still don't care much for the partying/clubbing scene and consider the act of getting drunk just sheer stupidity. But I don't count that as arrogance so much as me not wanting to be associated with an activity.)

The problem is I still love to boast of myself. Anyone who has had a conversation with me has invariably hear me discuss how I'm a year ahead and will graduate CSUN at the ripe old age of 20. I do boast a lot of my 3.9 GPA as well. In general, I do tend to talk a bit about how smart I am and I take great pride in my accomplishments.

Being proud of one's achievements is one thing, but as Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 1:31 "He who boasts, let him boast in the Lord." I need to keep in consideration that my accomplishments are all from the Lord's mercy, not because I'm so great. I do need to recognize that it is an achievement I will attain, but I can't use it as a point to demean others or to gain a sense of superiority over others. The last thing I want to do is to feel like I'm better than everyone else. The Lord put me in a situation I took advantage of, but that doesn't make me any better than everyone else.

Two people helped me realize my folly and helped me realize that everyone has their own achievements. I am not better than the person next to me because I graduate CSUN early. These two people didn't tell me "Cody, you need to shut up" or anything along their lines. It was their own accomplishments that made me realize I needed to stop my own boasting. It was just hearing their stories that allowed me to see that I should not unneccesarily build myself up. One person was telling me about how he graduated from high school at the age of 16 and was the head editor at his high school paper, gaining a scholarship to a university across the country. The other person told me that they had research papers published, interned at an executive agency, and served in local gov't in high school. They are both slightly older than me (literally within a year or two older than me) These two people had no reason to lie to me and frankly, compared to those accomplishments, early graduation from CSUN is not that spectacular.

But that does not mean I am going to roll up in a fetal position and just give up an accept that everyone is better than me. It's a reminder than in law school, I need to be active on campus, not content for a high GPA. These two people weren't in a position of boasting. They were just telling me details about their lives. That's where I need to be. Not in a position of superiority, but in a position to allow the Lord to move to give me accomplishments. These accomplishments would not be to boast. These accomplishments will be a part of my story, a story where I can tell people about my life and not have them be bored within minutes.

Up and Onwards

I played Geometry Wars, the shooter for the Xbox 360 for the first time since June of 2009. That was literally right after I had graduated high school, before I even entered CSUN. In 2009, I was obsessed with video gaming and always knew what was going on in the industry and what the hot new releases were, especially for Xbox Live Arcade. I never bought new (I was always a hipster in that sense), but I enjoyed getting excited about games and especially was interested in early 1990s, retro gaming.

Flash forward to 2011, and I barely have a care for video games anymore. My interest in gaming had waned. I had no time anymore to care about such things. I have a subscription to Electronic Gaming Monthly, but that was more for nostalgia purposes than anything. The magazines sit on my shelf unread, next to my law school brochures. As I was playing the shooter, I had a realization: I had outgrown my love of video games.

I simply do not have the time to play them. All the games I play now are the pick-up-and-play type. A game of NCAA Football here, a game of MLB 2K10 there, trying to get the high score in Peggle or Angry Birds, maybe a mission in GTA or Saints Row. But nothing substantial. I do not have the time or the attention span to try and explore a deep rich world and story that gaming provides. This is too bad because now, as an adult, I can understand the intrigue behind the story and I now have the patience to sit through cutscreens and appreciate the richness of the details of a world.

That being said, I am growing up. Next semester may be the last time I have any time to play video games at all. After that, I am going to law school, as anyone who has talked to me has heard innumerably. After I graduate law school, I am going to have a full-time job. Shortly thereafter, I'm going to have a wife, and then shortly after that kids. Sitting down and playing Elder Scrolls VI will essentially be out of the question.

You might be saying, "Cody, you are only 20. Why are you giving all this talk of growing up and settling down already? You have most of the decade before you should be having a family talk." I'll be honest. I'm going to regret not going on adventures with friends and things of that sort which are associated with being a twenty-somethings youth. But the truth of the matter is, I am going to be career-oriented. Taking a random cruise with friends or a random Vegas or Europe trip will be out of the question as I start my career.

Growing up, I had always seen myself as older than I actually was. By the time I was 13, I was too old for Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network or Disney Channel. I was arrogant and found myself above hanging out with the commoners in high school. Instead, I stuck to my videogames.

This summer, I hope to make up for 19+ years of lost adventures and memories with friends. I hope to go camping with friends and frankly, I hope I'm not home most of the summer and just being with different friends. Heck, even in law school, I'll have my holiday breaks too.

Actually, as I was typing this, I had a realization. Just because I don't have many stories to tell my kids about my childhood, does not mean I missed out. Yes, I wish I had enjoyed my youth more, but I still had a good childhood with my close friends, most of whom I'm still close with. Also, I have a huge future to rewrite my memories. Like I said, this summer, I plan on being with friends a lot. Also, in law school, I'll have new stories to tell kids.

Growing up does not mean you have to stop having fun. Yes, I wish I were a teenager without responsibilities, but perhaps gaining responsibilities can redefine my definition of fun.

Speaking of fun, I can't wait to enjoy Skyrim and escape my responsibilities for a bit. Perhaps I won't have the time for deep video gaming, but that might not be a negative. I'm growing up, becoming a man. There is no reason not to accept this new challenge and frontier. I may not be clubbing every night, but I still have my friends whom I enjoy being with very much.

As I began writing this, it was with a sense of regret.  Regret that I didn't have more adventures as a kid. But why should I let that stop me from having fun as an adult? As you may have noticed, halfway through, my mindset shifted. I am now excited to grow up. Now I can go out on my own and take road trips with friends. I may have to plan around it, but there's nothing stopping me yet. And by the end of the decade, I can take road trips and adventures with my wife and child. Just because I have responsibilities doesn't mean I die. It just makes a new adventure.

The Power of Positive Thinking

Anyone who meticulously follows my facebook (or as it is more colloquially and unfortunately known as 'stalking') would notice that last night I posted to become a better man. To give myself a better chance. I've set out to not let my fears stop me. I always let my fear of consequences get in the way of me living and I have been paralyzed by it. My dad was giving me the usual lecture about how he feels I let my fear get control of me and quite frankly it stuck as well as the previous times. But the thing was, he was right.

It was an hour or so later that I realized this when the Lord implanted this verse in my head suddenly. One of my favorite verses: Matthew 6:34 "Therefore, do not be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself; sufficient for the day is its own evil."

I was being anxious for tomorrow. I always am like "How will this affect my law school status?" or "If [x] happens then it will make things bad." Being of the legal mind, I can find an excuse to get out of anything. I've enabled myself to hide behind taking risks by these myraid excuses. No more. Theres gonna be a new Cody. A shining Cody.

I woke up this morning to see if the message still stuck. It did. After my shower, I looked myself in the eye in the mirror and knew I had my game on.

I honestly felt the surge of confidence pounding through me this morning. I knew I had my game on. Today was gonna be a good day.

I was at Bible Study when I got an  email on my phone. I assumed it would be a message from a professor or a law school application fee waiver. What I got was nothing quite like I had expected. It was an acceptance letter to the College of William and Mary Law School. This was a speedy decision. I expected my decision in March, not mid-November. This was also a highly ranked law school with some prestige and history behind it (It's the oldest law school in the country. Founded in 1799.) A speedy decision from a great law school is definitely a sign of great things to come, even though I don't expect any more decisions soon.

I find it no coincidence that I got this acceptance letter on the day I made my attitude change. When you change your thinking to follow what the Lord expects of you, positive things come. In the Bible, there is heavy emphasis placed on speaking. When we speak positively, the Lord responds positively.

I truly am blessed to realize that I can enjoy the Lord day by day, all the time. I am blessed to be in the position where I can be going to law school right when I turn 21. I truly enjoyed during today's Bible study that we can enjoy Christ as the Resurrection life. His life gained a victory over death and sin.

When I posted about my acceptance, throughout the day, I received 42 likes. That was about triple what I was expecting truth be told (although when I posted about my $10,000+ offer from the University of Pittsburgh, I had 20 likes, so perhaps I was selling myself a bit short still). It was so wonderful to see all the people that cared. I had a few people even take the time to comment their congratulations. It really meant a lot to me to see all the people that do care about me and would love to see me be successful.

After that I got what I saw coming. I got an application fee waiver to Penn St University Law School. For the person that might be unfamiliar with the case, there was a major sex scandal with an assistant football coach and a cover-up that frankly made the university the laughingstock of the country. It honestly gave me a good laugh that now because of the condemn able actions by the Penn St administration, the law school has to broaden its recruiting to seek potential recruits.

I destroyed my Ethics and Public Policy midterm. Like a boss.

The rest of the day went swell. I felt more social than normal. I also found out that the Admitted Students Program at William and Mary is right during the beginning of my spring break. Looks like I may have to make a trip back east during spring break.

Shyness

Wow! Tonight showed me just how shy I really am. It is so weird. I am not shy around saints at all. I really try to go and meet as many saints as possible, especially the college ones. I truly am trying to take the time to get to know brothers all across the country, and even an international brother. But when it comes to those outside the church life, I simply cannot bring up the courage to meet new people unless they take the time to try to get to know me. Even then, I am a shell of myself. I try to close myself off and respond to the people as tersely and concisely as possible, so as to avoid a major conversation.

Tonight, we were playing ultimate frisbee after the home meeting. I was having my usual embarrassing night (for those who know me, I am definitely academics over athletics). I had missed five catches that I could have and should have caught. Then two cars showed up and it seems like nobody knew who these people were coming up. The guys that came out were all these guys that looked like they were much more athletic than me and three girls who I swear were drunk on wine, not the waters of life. But the guys definitely had an air of being in a fraternity around them.

Instead of getting to know them, I immediately shut down. I even stopped trying to do well in the game. I stopped running and just walked. I didn't want any part of the action. I was too afraid of embarrassing myself in front of them. In front of the saints, I can embarrass myself with poor athletic play because we can all enjoy Christ together and I can brush off my lack of athleticism. With these guys, I had a standard to live up to that I knew I couldn't. I just wanted them to forget my existence.

This brings me to my big question. How am I supposed to save those in the world if I can't even reach out to them? Christ is above the world, yet He loved the world and reached out to the world. With this indwelling Christ, I should be able to overcome my shyness and reach out, but I still have trouble.

With every girl I come across randomly, my dad tells me that I should ask them out. Which is really weird because I've never met these girls. But there is no way I can just go up to a girl and flirt with her. That's just not the way I work. I like to get to know a girl before even considering going on a date or something. Of course its hard to get to know a girl because I am extremely shy around women. That's definitely something I'm going to figure out how to get over, but I just plain find it hard to connect to women without it being awkward. Basically, I'm Raj from "The Big Bang Theory", except I don't drink and I can at least talk if there's a girl in the room.

Another practical reason to overcome my shyness. I am planning on being a lawyer. How can I gain clients if I can't even talk to people? I'm going to lose my job very fast and be in crippling debt from law school.

So all said, I need to transfer my mindset when I am around the saints and really wanting to get to know them on a personal level and put that mindset when dealing with those in the world. Easier said than done.

Meetings and non-Meetings with Police

So I was at the home meeting with some of the saints enjoying that Christ is our victory over death and sin. However, I had to leave with Mario and Jesus because they needed to go home to take care of some brothers for a junior high conference in the Valley. So as we are leaving, apparently, the cops were called in on a noise call. I think there may have been a party or something but we happened to be walking out at the right time for the cops to think it was us. The cops approached us as we were walking to my car and ready to get into it. They asked where we were coming from.

"We are coming from that house for a church function." Jesus said.
"Oh what church was it?" The cop responded
"The Church of the Firstborn" Mario replied

At this point, I'm still nervous. Even though my future as a prosecutor and the fact that I never commit illegal activities suggest otherwise, I am always nervous around officers.

After Mario spoke, Jesus butted in "Yea. We were just singing praises to God. I don't think we were that loud."
"You were singing to God? Why didn't you call earlier? We would've joined in!" The officer exclaimed.
We were all amazed that the officers were believers. After some chatting, we learned that the officers prayed before every shift. We handed them the reading we were enjoying about Christ being the victor over death. The officer seemed to skim it with his flashlight and asked to keep it. We excitedly let him.

Two hours later, on my way home, I am stopped at a red light. I was just praying, thanking God that he was our victory. However, I turned away from my front view to grab a snack I had just purchased. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the light turn green. However, half way through the intersection I realized it was the left turn light that had turned green. Not my light. At that point, I had to finish my travels through the intersection, even though it was still red. I ran a red light. Already distressed over this, I look in my mirror. There was a police car on the opposite side of the light, facing the direction I was coming from. He was heading east while I was headed west. There was no way he missed my action. I was prepared to pull over for my mistake, so I pulled into a gas station and waited to see the sirens go off. However, the police car kept driving like nothing had happened. It was as if the Lord had cast a shield over me. Praise the Lord that I was not ticketed for my idiotic, braindead red light violation.

I'm graduating CSUN in May. At that time, I will see who I will talk to again and who will forget I ever existed, erased from their history. I remember when I graduated high school, we all did the "We are gonna talk and hang out all the time. Definitely." social ritual. I literally talk to one person from Academy of the Canyons on a regular basis. ONE. Out of my whole graduating And that contact is strictly online from someone I rarely talked to in high school. The rest of them, I, for the most part, could pass on the street and nothing would happen. Not even a cordial hello. I've actually forgotten who was in my graduating class. I've had best friends who had moved across the country that I haven't talked to since they moved.

The reason I bring this up is because I feel like I should prepare myself never to make contact with my CSUN friends again once I graduate. I've learned in this life that a lot of times, friends do come and go. Truth be told, and this is a brutal truth, but I feel like I never got too close to my CSUN friends. Sure I like them enough to be with them a lot. I know they like me too. They don't just tolerate me, but they do genuinely like me. But, I always got the distinct feeling from them that as soon as I left CSUN, it would be a repeat of my high school experiences. Of course, my CSUN friends are essentially church life friends, so the bond of God would keep us together. I don't think they would forget who I am so much as we would just lose contact over time. Hopefully this feeling will change as the year progresses, but I do need to be prepared to leave it all behind once law school starts.

Why do I bring up the CSUN friends? I do not intend to be negative at all. As a matter of fact, I was just thinking about how my best friends are still the Kanadian Koture Kids from high school. Even after two and a quarter years of college, my best friends are friend who I haven't gone to school with since 2007. It is truly amazing to me that after all these years, it is like nothing had ever changed. When we are together, it doesn't feel like we've all gone away to different colleges. I'm thinking about doing a road trip next year. Strangely, it isn't my CSUN friends who are the first people in my mind. It's the guys who I haven't seen regularly, but still have a strong bond of friendship with. Hopefully this strong bond of friendship can set a template that this year will build between me and my CSUN friends.

Whatever Happened to the Moderate?

I have been doing a lot of thinking about the Occupy Wall Street movement (which has since become an Occupy [insert place here] movement). The more I think about it, the more I become scared for this country. Not because I have anything against Occupy Wall Street. On the contrary actually. For a man who considers himself a conservative, I actually find the intentions of Occupy Wall Street admirable. What I fear for in this country is the death of moderate; I fear of this country being pushed to the fringes and extremism on both sides.

Now what on earth do I mean by that? Well, I think it is an inarguable fact that the Tea Party has pushed the Republican Party far more right-wing than it has ever been. I agree with the Tea Party's ideals too of limited government, but any chances of a Newt Gingrich-style Republican Congress that worked with a Democratic President died when the Tea Party gained momentum. Most elements of centrism within the Republican Party has died. All middle ground in Washington is dead.

Why do I bring up that comparison with the Republican Party? Because it's going to be the Democrats by the end of 2012. All negotiations are off the table.The Occupy Wall Street movement will force the Democrats to the left. While Occupy Wall Street is not as leftist as the Tea Party is right (I do not see OWS advocating a Communist revolution; the Tea Party is essentially advocating a Libertarian revolution), I find it impossible for the Democrats to appease the Occupy Wall Streeters without losing their centrist ways.

Ok. So the Democrats move left. Why do I fear for the United States? Well, if the Republicans move to the far right and the Democrats move to the left, where does that leave the moderates? If Washington tries to appease the Occupy Wall Streeters, then that will have the Tea Party up in arms. If Washington tries to appease the Tea Party, Occupy Wall Street could become Occupy Congress. The country is essentially forced to choose between the extremes of right or left. There is no room for moderation and mediation. Its one or the other. The United States is put into a situation where it is left v. right. We see each other as Democrats or Republicans. Not Americans. That's a very dangerous situation.

Right now America is convulsing. We are in the most troubled times since the 1960s. Our economy is floundering (namely because of this lack of moderation). It is important to keep in mind the next couple of years that we are Americans, not divide ourselves by left or right. As Lincoln himself said, "A house divided itself cannot stand." In order to attack the issues of the next decade and recover our economy, we need to be the United States, not the Red v. Blue States.

Well I already failed at my consistent blogging. (I would type an "lol" at this point, but I find such acronyms highly unprofessional in a blog where the standard conduct of English is to be maintained.)

Simply put, nothing is really going on my life the past few days. Yes, I attended home meetings the past two days. Saw a dear brother, Kenny, get baptized. That was special. I hope my brother gets baptized soon. I really do feel like he is missing out on the riches of the Lord.

Also had work today. Nothing special about that.

There's playoff baseball going on, but the only shocker was the game 1 shutout of the Rangers by a player (Matt Moore) making his second start.

So yea...Sorry my life lately has been an abyss of tedium. Maybe I'll find something to talk about soon.

International Law and the Collapse of a Nation

Wow. Today saw what, in my opinion, are two of the four worse collapses in Major League Baseball  history. The Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves both had 9+ game leads for their respective wild cards in early September. Somehow, the Lazaruses known as the Tampa Bay Rays and St. Louis Cardinals won their respective wild cards.

As an Angels fan, I am so happy about the Red Sox collapse. I hate the Red Sox and I hate Red Sox Nation (the nation reference in my title) with a passion previously only reserved for the Yankees. Now I hate the Red Sox more than that because they broke my heart in 2007 and 2008 playoffs. But back to the collapse itself.

Let me list where I would rank these collapses:

1. 1964 Philadelphia Phillies
2. 2007 New York Mets
3. 2011 Boston Red Sox
4. 2011 Atlanta Braves
5. 1995 California Angels

All this was after what could be the greatest regular season night in baseball history. The Braves lost their game in an 13-inning spellbinder. The Red Sox lost on a walk-off single by Baltimore. The Rays won on a walk-off home run by Evan Longoria that will be mentioned alongside the famous Shot Heard Round the World in 1951 for years to come. The Rays were down 7-0 heading into that game and were a strike away from losing the game.

All this was happening while I was in my International Law class. There was a lecture regarding state immunity and diplomatic immunity that quite honestly I wasn't paying too much attention to. Then was the exam. It was open book, but it kicked my butt. It was so hard, I began stressing out and questioning if I was fit for law school momentarily. I gathered my thoughts and was able to complete it, barely. Hope I get a decent grade on it.

In other news, my dog seems to be doing better. He seems to have his regular mindset back, even if his leg is still healing from the surgery.

Today's enjoyment: Proverbs 27:17 "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." 

The Dog and the Smoking Gun

Today was an unusually exciting day for me.

I went to the Van Nuys Courthouse, like I always do on Tuesdays, and observed a trial regarding a slip and fall. Pretty ho-hum standard civil trial fare. I actually left early because the trial only had closing arguments today and I knew the jury would not reach a verdict.

However, at lunchtime, things got interesting. A man with a gun (allegedly had a gun, I still say), went into the Oviatt Library on my campus. Now I was not on campus. I was at the courthouse (the people reading this aren't idiots. I have no clue why I reiterated that fact.) It's not every day that someone has a gun on my campus (or maybe it is. My campus isn't exactly situated in Westwood.) But we've also had bomb threats, at least one stabbing, and dorm burglaries, so I wasn't too shocked about this occurance. I think I was more shocked that Van Nuys was safer than CSUN. That's like saying that Downtown LA is safer to be in than USC itself. It just doesn't happen.

Well, a few hours later, after getting home, I was watching "The Critic" on DVD. I was perusing my email while watching the show and noticed a very important email in my spam folder. It was an email from UCLA Law School. Curious I opened it. The email had an application fee waiver for UCLA because of my LSAT score. The implications of this cannot be understated:

THE LAW SCHOOL THAT HAS BEEN MY #1 PICK IS INTERESTED IN ME! THEY WANT ME TO APPLY TO THEM!

Not to sound cocky, but essentially, unless my personal statement and resume are extremely underwhelming (which I doubt due to my GPA and Judicial Internship), I'm at least going to be accepted. Now, I still highly doubt I will get scholarships, at least my first year, but it is a great feeling to know a school that I honestly considered a reach school wants me to apply. All I can say is PRAISE THE LORD!

Also, simultaneously to my reading the email, my dog was undergoing surgery to have a mass removed from his hip. Well, I went to pick up my dog and quite frankly, his hip looks like a scene from a snuff film. If one is squeamish, do not look at my dog's hip right now. He's still bleeding enough to make his bed look like a Saw movie set. But he should be fine soon. Can't wait to take him on his walks again.

I must admit though, the girls at the vet were pretty cute. I would make a crude joke about wanting to be their pet, but the only implications of said joke would just leave a rancid taste in the reader's mouth and have them think of me lower as a person. I am a very crass and crude person, but I know my limits. But, I do make the point of the vet girls being cute because everyone seems to think I have impossible standards. I don't. I know cute girls when I see them. That's that.

Who knows what tomorrow brings?

Todays verse of enjoyment: 1 Peter 3:15 "But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, being always ready for a defense to everyone who asks you of an account concerning the hope which is in you." 

The Obligatory "I Started A Blog" Post

The title says it all. I'm trying the whole blogging thing again. Just putting my thoughts on paper. Lets see how long it lasts this time. Over/Under 2.5 weeks.

I was using Tumblr,  but I'm sorry. Tumblr is not a real blog site. So I decided to jumpstart a new blog. Now I just need to learn how to link this with my Facebook and/or Google+ if possible.

Right now, Im probably going to be discussing my law school search. A lot. So be warned. Also, I'm going to try to spread some enjoyment (a verse or two) of the Lord.

Hope I stick with it.