the Rose City

Posted by bert at 08:46 AM on June 1, 2004 in ME.

So i ust wpent my meorial day weekend up here in Portland with Anna. It was pretty great let me tell you. First off, it didn't rain, so that must be my doing. The weather was mid 70's (just my range) and the clouds were just drifting by for my amusement.

I would equate portland with like.. cary/raleigh, except it has a bigger and better dowtown. Portland also has a better mass transit system and the people seem just as nice and crazy in their own way. They do look at you weird if you say y'all, so i say just for kicks.

I got to go all over the city, places like saturday street fair, washington park, pioneer square (at least i hope that's whwt they are called =P). Last night, I took Anna to the "fancy-smancy" place in town, Portland City Grill. She had it all hyped up as the ultra-posh and expesie dining experience. A bit to my surprise was that dinner, with TWO appetizers and a desert cost less tha 60 bucks re-tip. Not bad considering I got a dnner portion of Ahi Tuna, and she got some amazing crab cakes. Let me tell you though, the view was MAGNIFICENT!. The restraunt is located on the 30th floor of the tallest building in Portland. (it's also tinted pink!!). anyway, the view was great the, dinner was excellent, and despite their dress code they let us sit down and partake (I was wearing torn up cargo shorts and atheletic shoes, and anna was wearing jeans and gym shoes). Truly a great dining expereince and i wouldn't really hesistate to take Anna there next time I'm in town. BTW.. the Ahi Tuna is better than the one at PF Changs. and for anyone who has listened to me before, the PF Changs Ahi Tuna is AMAZING!.

that's it from portland.. I'll start linking the pictures accont soon. with lots of pics =P

Currently feeling: sad

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the REAL STEAL; Cheap, Beach Front Property.

Posted by bert at 05:01 PM on June 3, 2004 in ME.

Amazing. There is some real estate on the West Coast that costs only $550 an acre to buy. That, in today's world, what we consider a bargain. Is it too good to be true? Well.. yes. Yes it is.

It IS beach front property, and it IS highly desirable, and it only does cost $550 an acre. The problem resides in where YOU will actually be residing should you develop the land. On a server farm of course!!

The Sims meet Ebay...

anyway.. that's just sick.. some people are spending more money on own virtual property then what most pay monthly for rent. So much so that people can turn this into a certifiable business. LINDON DOLLARS?!?! are you kidding me? Lindon Dollars even have an exchange rate. Sick. I'd like to crash that market now!

Anyway.. Just another thing that I find incredibly sick with the twisted Internet that we hath built. Its our bed and we have to sleep in it.

Maybe Roy should make little avatars that can only be given within tabulas. Like... little stars of pride. $1 a star, but only He can add them to you site. Hrm. Roy!!!.. expect some IMS tonight.

Currently feeling: incredulous

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the Home Market in Cali

Posted by bert at 05:03 PM on June 5, 2004 in ME.

.... 750,000 is the average price of a standalone family home in Orange county...

last year it was 650,000.

Currently feeling: sick

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the Medals of Honor

Posted by bert at 03:26 PM on June 7, 2004 in politics.

John Kerry talks about his decorated war experience. He uses it as a reason to vote for him in this coming election. He volunteers that he has received numour medals of honor for his exceptional service to this country.

So.. ask him where his medals are next time you see him. You see.. he threw them away, and misrepresented the peers that served with him.. It's quite sad... they remembered Kerry being so bad that they (Vietnam Vets) organized a website to dismiss the illusions that kerry has built about his service in Vietnam.

here is their letter to Kerry.

here are their goals.

man.. this guy had to be REALLY bad to deserve this wrath from those he worked with... Most of the time.. your own group would vote favorably for you... Just my opinion, but those that have personally dealt with him, speaks volumes to me.

Currently feeling: confused

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Remember the Ronald...

Posted by bert at 09:09 PM on June 7, 2004 in ME.

what a tribute to a great president.

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Down with the Lakers

Posted by bert at 06:22 AM on June 9, 2004 in musings.

I hate the Lakers, but after living in la la land for the past year, and watching nearly every home game (who wouldn't want to watch 4 future hall of famers play?), I must now grudgingly admit...

*gasp*

i think Kobe Bryant is better than Michael Jordan.

Currently feeling: crushed

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Is Larry Bird Racist?

Posted by bert at 12:09 PM on June 9, 2004 in musings.

"As far as playing, I didn't care who guarded me -- red, yellow, black," Bird added. "I just didn't want a white guy guarding me. Because it's disrespect to my game."

either that or having a lot of fun.. But basically... ESPN seems to be trying to blow up the comment. Typical Media creating stories for itself.

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Sensitivity Training

Posted by bert at 03:54 PM on June 10, 2004 in musings.

First off.. I can't believe that there are actually people who make their living doing these courses..

ok.. now to the post..

Is the current Social State in America just ripe full of people who feel disrespected? Or feel outraged by anything and everything?
You can say anything (I.E. "The best color is blue") and someone will be upset and offended. Some will even be "outraged." Seriously folks.. Chill a little. Its someone's opinion, and at least in this country he has a right to say that. Even more so, you have the right to disagree. (no... not by hitting him).

Anyway... On with the cause.

Jimmy Kimmel, former host of "The Man Show." Extremely talented comedian and great ad-libber said the following during halftime of Game 2 of the Lakers/Pistons Finals.

“They're going to burn the city of Detroit down if the Pistons win,”

Suffice to say, people in Detroit and the rest of Michigan were "distraught", "offended", or "outraged."

“We are pretty livid about the entire situation,”
“An apology is not going to cut it at all. We're not going to accept that from him. He owes this community much more.”
- Andrea Parquet-Taylor, Channel 7's (ABC Detroit) news director


Kimmel issued a written statement Wednesday afternoon to address the furor. “What I said about Pistons fans during halftime last night was a joke, nothing more,” Kimmel wrote. “If it offended anyone, I am sorry.
additionally he joked, “Clearly, over the past 10 years, we in L.A. have taken a commanding lead in postgame riots. If the Lakers win, I plan to overturn my own car.”


well anyway.. you can judge the ocmments for yourself, but ABC has decided that it was too insensitive. Kimmel's Late Show was pulled off in favor of a rerun of the "Wayne Brady Show."
yes... nationally.


uh.. guys... are you kidding me? It was just a nipple slippage!!!

Currently feeling: amused

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Buying a House

Posted by bert at 06:57 AM on June 15, 2004 in Home Buying.

this is exciting.. I'm going through the process of buying my first home right now.

Maybe I'll try to keep a blog about it.. Acutally that's a damn good idea.

Ok. So homebuying is crazy.

First off, being 24 and wanting a home in California is apparently really weird. I've been going house hunting and attending open houses. Everytime i walk through a door, they look at me funny. I guess they can't possibly imagine how a 24 year old kid can afford anything over $400,000.

Oh yeah.. this being the SoCAL market (irvine being horrible), housing prices are rediculous. In fact we are like the 5th most expensive region to live (Behind Boston, Bay Area, Manhattan, and LA/Long Beach/Santa Monica).

Anyway, first step along the way is getting pre-approved for a loan. This shows that I am serious about getting a house and gives me a look at how much I can spend on the place. It shows the realtor what I can "afford." Hopefully it doesn't allow them to try to max out my loan. I went with a pacific mortgage company for this since they answered my e-mail first. Was pre-approved for a 750k loan in case i needed that much. I didn't like how shifty the guy sounded though, so most likely, i won't go with him, but having the pre-approval is more than important enough. I have it so now i can go shopping.

Currently feeling: amused

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Fighting Terrorists

Posted by bert at 07:16 AM on June 15, 2004 in politics.

Ok.. no big news lately *knocks on wood* about massive terrorist actions.

Basically we're a big country of "what have you done for me latelys." I'm going to take the terrorist route to explain.

When 9/11 hit, we were shocked, we were hurt, but mostly, we were outraged that someone would hit us on our own soil. We reacted, overthrew the taliban in afghanistan and took down Saddam Hussein in Iraq.

Now that we have given time a chance to interfere, we are letting things like the prison torture pictures and 800 American deaths, and threats to civilians sway our opinion.

So this is more of a "What have they done to us lately" type of deal.

But one needs to think of it this way. Is it worth the death of 800 armed military personnel to liberate a country like iraq from the reigns of a dictator like Saddam? While those who personally knew 1 of the 800+ who have died would probably say no, the soldiers' peers, their company in Iraq would say that this is absolutely worth it.

But the most important thing is we are on the offensive. We are taking the fight to them. We are forcing them to concentrate on our attack force. And you know what??? I would rather attack terrorist on foreign soil, than allow terrorists to attack me on my front lawn.

If we fled Iraq, would anyone have one iota of doubt that Al-Sadr, Bin-Laden, or C... (ok.. i can't think of a terrorist with a C), but the ABC's of terrorists would not scheme another 9/11 - type plot. Sure, they're doing it right now, but we are applying pressure to them by bringing the fight to them. We have removed many options from them (Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Pakistan most notably). We are applying pressure to North Korea. And it has all been thus far done without having a repeat of 9/11.

And that's what I would call a success.

In a way... I can identify with George Tenet. When you accomplish something and get no recognition for it, you realize how your job is completely thankless. Its like the offensive line in football. You have done a great job if no one mentions your name. All that means is you didn't let the enemy get to your quarterback. It's only bad if people do mention you.

That's the same with the CIA/FBI/Secret service/ et. al. They have a thankless job. Who knows what heinous acts of terrorism they have thwarted recently. I definitely don't. They allow me sleep at night, and my thanks is something that they don't get enough of. When the FBI foils a plot to blow up a building, they have to know in their own minds that no one will know about it, so no one will care. Afterall, we, the american public are the most capable Monday Morning Quarterbacks in the world!

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how dumb we are...

Posted by bert at 06:52 PM on June 15, 2004 in musings.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/EDUCATION/06/14/student.survey.ap/index.html

read that article.

or.. here's a quick summary...

Only 35 percent of the students surveyed said presidential voting will create "a lot of change,"

The survey also found that only 19 percent of American college students believe that politics is "very relevant" to their lives, and 43 percent believe that politics has little or no relevance.


ok folks.. 43 percent of my peers think that politics have little or no relevance in their lives.. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!....

*sigh*

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Poor Ferrari

Posted by bert at 06:04 AM on June 17, 2004 in musings.

how much does this suck?

read

a $320,000 car....
only getting about 4 minutes of driving in before....

sucks...

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Things I Learn From Movies

Posted by bert at 09:41 PM on June 19, 2004 in musings.

This is something i heard in Pirates of the Caribbean when i saw it again today..

But I think it makes absolute sense in regards to the war with Iraq. What everyone needs to remember is this.

"The only rules that matter are this: What a man can do to you, and what a man can not." - Captain Jack Sparrow.

I think it makes perfect sense and we need to keep that in mind when we are being attacked. Ask the Lockheed employees.

Currently feeling: curious

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ARMs vs FRMs vs..

Posted by bert at 03:34 PM on June 20, 2004 in Home Buying.

Ok... so it's been about 2 weeks of house hunting.. the market here is pretty freaking nuts though.

I've gotten together with two buds and we're looking at getting at least a 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath place. Our plan is to split equity, and the mortgage so all 3 of us can take advantage of teh tax breaks.

The problem with it is... everytime you add someone to the equation, you complicate things exponentially.

we realized pretty early in the game that we wanted a pretty "nice" place. So nothing run down. And that means... we're looking over 600k easy....

the two we like most so far... one is 800k, the other is 720k

the 800k one is pretty magnificent though.
2800 sq feet, 4 bed room (1 is a den), 3 bath, living room, family room, immaculate kitchen, and such a great patio!!!..
what's wrong with it??? it's freaking 800k!!! oh and it's an attached townhouse. (read, i'll have to get about a 300k loan)

Ok.. the other one is 720k, but prolly isn't worth that much. It' s a single family home. It's 3 br, 2.5 bath. All hardwood floors, in a very gated community. Also next door to the community pool. It's about 1800 sq feet, and has a den that can be easily converted into a 4th bedroom. We could prolly get a bid in for that at around... 675k.. maybe a little more. This place is MUCH MUCH smaller since it's kitchen + living room is smaller than the 800k kitchen alone...

Oh well.. we have about 15 more places to look at tomorrow.


On the loan front is a different story.
here's what it boils down to.

There are different loan types.
15 year fixed interest rate, 30 year fixed, or interest free (ARM).

both the fixed rates allow you to lock in your interest rate, but you can't get a rate as low as you can get an Arm.
a 15 year loan is cheaper (rate wise) than the 30 year fixed
about 5.75% vs 6.4%

now to give you a perspective on the difference between these two amount to...
on a 200k loan.. a difference of 1 point (percent) comes out to be about 10k a year.
so that means. a 5500k a month mortgage at a 30 year fixed at 6.4% would be like 4800 a month at 5.75%

now an interest only loan you can get for as low as... 3.75%. We can't get that though. Instead, we'll be lucky to get one at 4.25, but most likely at 4.5% we get that... we pay around 3400 a month on the same scenario. Only problem is that we have no money going back towards the princaple (the intial loan). that means our interest doesn't go down.

The other problem with an interest only loan is that it only goes for a pre-set amount of time (3, 5, 7 years). after that each year it is "adjusted" accordingly to what the federal rate is.. Yes that means we get affected badly by the economy.

On top of it.. if we pay just the bare minimum... then we have yet to start paying of the actual loan.

anyway.. many many decisions to make... And we haven't even agreed on how we want to do the home contract...

Currently feeling: nothing

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Fatburger

Posted by bert at 03:41 PM on June 20, 2004 in Good Eats.

"the last great hamburger stand"

These guys are consistantly amazing. They provide the best "$6.00" burger in Orange County. Every item is "cooked to order" and provided piping hot. On top of it, Fatburger provides the necessary options like cheese, bacon, chili, and egg.

My personal favorite is the Fatburger with Egg and Cheese. And the best part about them... You can call ahead, and when you get there, all you do is pay and go.

Currently feeling: full

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Baby steps to Freedom

Posted by bert at 08:23 PM on June 21, 2004 in politics as a favorite post.

I meant to post this on the 4th.. but i was in portland... anyway.. here goes it.

We started this country, as a British colony. Just a small little group, far away from home. We were taxed heavily, and it was not fair. We knew it was not fair, and our forefathers rose up in unison to throw the tea into the Boston Harbor. We had revolted against the monarchy of England, because we chose to be free. And on July 4th, 1776, FREE is what we became, when we united as one nation, under God and declared our independence. Our heroes, George Washington, John Adams, Ben Franklin, had sired a new country, America, where Her children were free.
But not all her children were free. Only the ones lucky enough not to be born black. That all changed, when we realized how wrong we were. Brother against brother, sister against sister, we killed those that opposed our ideals, only those that died were our brethren. The key issue was whether or not the black man was truly free. Some felt that it was his common place in life to serve the white man in his every capacity. Others felt that the black man was their equal. Justice won out, and the black man is now also FREE. Abraham Lincoln added his name to the already long list of heroes that paved the path for America’s children to be free.
But not all her children were free. Women were not considered worthy of a vote. This time our Heroines stepped to the forefront. Women like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. They campaigned long and hard. It was 1848 when the first Women’s rights organization was formed, and it took nearly 50 more years before the first state (Colorado) allowed a woman to vote. Finally, all of America’s children were now free.
Free to speak their minds. Free to own guns. Free to burn a flag. Or free to denounce those that do burn the flags. We have grown now to a capacity where we feel there are certain unalienable rights for every human being. We argue about when a human comes into existence (conception vs. 1st trimester vs. whatever). We argue about whether a person has the right to take his own life. We argue about many senseless things, but deep down, inside each of America’s children, we realize that it is each human’s right to be FREE.
But these rights do not belong just to America’s children. We fought too many battles, and killed too many relatives and friends for us to be this selfish with our rights. These rights belong to all of our distant cousins, like the French, or the Germans, and yes, even the Iraqis. This is why we fight this war. After 225+ years, we have grown with freedom naturally flowing in our veins. We believe it is not just our right, but rather everyone’s right to be free. We believe that freedom should not be a privilege; it should flow freely in everyone’s blood. Freedom, should be FREE.

Currently feeling: patriotic

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The war is a Lie?

Posted by bert at 07:32 PM on June 22, 2004 in politics.

Democrats claim that Bush lied to us to carry out this war. They are outraged that a President would even consider lying to us about anything, let alone the war. But wait a moment... didn't we just have a Democrat in office? Bill Clinton "never had sexual relations with that woman."

I guess he technically didn't lie. He redefined his definition of what "sexual relations" constitues. In his mind, oral sex did not count as a sexual relation. So technically it was true.

He said that he and Monica Lewinski did not begin in any "inappropriate behavior" until June of that year. Conveniently that was pretty much the time she was no longer an intern and was hired (surprise) by the White house.

So have you read the new book yet? He admitted that the "relationship" started in May instead. So... he was lying.. but he is the great democrat. A president that lies to us? Really? And though Bush could realistically have been misinformed about the weapons of mass destruction, Democrats insist that he lied. He lied. I mean really.. Heaven forbid.. he Lied.

And now we have John Kerry. He's a war hero. Many medals of honor. On top of that, he's been a 4 term senator for Massachusets. He's the owner of multiple mansions all worth well over a Million each. You know what he reported as his AGI this year in his tax return? $90,000. Come on Mr. Ketchup.. Between you and your wife, you didn't make 6 figures? You have 4 multimillion dollar mansions and you didn't bring in over $100k? Hrm.. And this is the presidential candidate that has our interest in mind?

Here's why Bush STILL has my vote.
1.) He believes in the war against Terror. He rightfully agreed to the war on Iraq. It is better to launch pre-emptively than for us to sit here and react to terrorist attacks on American Soil.

2.) I believe he has our best interests in mind. He might not be right in manner he accomplishes it, but I think he has the common person's best interest in mind. Yes.. these are based on his beliefs, some of which i don't agree with, but I think he's trying.

3.) He says he's a practicing Christian. I believe that. Kerry says he's a practicing Catholic. He is divorced.. Oh sorry.. his wedding is anulled.

4.) Michael Moore hates his guts.

3.)

Currently feeling: creative

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Because its easier...

Posted by bert at 10:18 PM on June 23, 2004 in ME.

And because it's easier for her not to think of me, and not to have me on her mind, she needs to find herself. So I have let Anna go. For herself, and for us. It was not easy, but if she is to develop into the woman that I will be with, then I need for her to be without regret. Right now she has too many questions about herself left unanswered, and these are the ones I can't help her with, as much as I want to. This last step she needs to do on her own. I wonder what I will be like when she finally gets where she wants...

Currently feeling: rejected

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