Today is a big day for reflection, both into the past and into the future, and it can be a bit overwhelming. I thought today would be the perfect day to discuss "Virgin Galactic," Sir Richard Branson's latest enterprise with his Virgin Group company.
Starting at $200,000 in the year 2010, passengers will be taken up into the closest region of space, or sub-orbital space, and be allowed to feel weightlessness for up to six minutes. It will be the first ever commercial space-ship, taking regular civilians out of our planet's atmosphere for the very first time. Other competitors of Virgin have already also begun to look into sub-orbital space flights, thus creating a new "space race" into the stars.
A video below will give more specifics, but my question to you is: are we ready for space travel?
Well, with everyone trying to lock down their New Years Eve plans, it is no wonder that desperados, in a last ditch effort to score tickets someplace or make BFFs in a matter of a few days would be all over Craigslist. Its an annual occurrence as special as the holiday itself, so read up and laugh away.
--- What to do for NYE? (Bay Area...) - m4m Date: 2008-12-29, 8:25AM PST
i'm going to be alone here by myself this NYE. i'm not really the party type so the club/bar thing doesn't really do much for me. my ideal would be to spend it in an orgy :P and i know that things like that only happens in porn flicks but hey one can dream right?? ok so i realize this is kinda lame but pls just throw me a bone and give me some suggestions and i'll send some karma points your way. cheers!Read more!
Oh, I love The Soup. This is one of their "creative pieces" in which they butcher and doctor an interview and turn it into something else entirely. Clever, funny and just great.
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Julian, the Desaparecido
at
2:49 AM
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music
Twenty-six year old Sam Sparro was born in Sydney, Australia to a gospel-minister-slash-recording-artist father, who brought him to LA at a young age to work as a child actor and begin developing a voice. As a youngin', Sam was taken to lots of gospel churches to listen to the best singers and learn their craft. One of his earliest admirers was Chaka Khan.
After Los Angeles he moved back to Sydney for a small time, then moved to England to live with family, where he became immersed in the rock music genre that was occurring there at the turn of the century. All of this contributed to his diverse and eclectic music style, which combines disco, rock, electro and soul together.
Sam moved back to LA in 2002, working in a coffee shop where he wrote the majority of his music from his self-titled debut album. He is signed to England's Island Records, where he does his thang as an openly-gay recording artist.
Check out his debut album! I love it. Notable tracks include "Black and Gold," "Sick" and "Cut Me Loose." He also does a pretty bomb-ass cover of Estelle's "American Boy" which you can find on - gasp! - Limewire.
Read more!
Posted by
Julian, the Desaparecido
at
7:11 PM
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politics
I just have one thing to say about the Gaza strip bombings that occurred today by the Israeli army, in retaliation for previous bombings by Hamas: how many children have to die before we realize that physical violence is not the answer? The numbers keep growing, the destruction keeps adding up, and we have nothing to show for it when its all said and done. And although its a two-way street, and although Hamas is just as guilty of countless atrocities, I can't help but feel a little resentful at the Israeli army, and at the United States for not realizing how disproportionate the numbers are. The Palestinians are like small animals trapped in a corner. The attack that the Gaza strip is now suffering has killed at least 170 people. The initial bombing in Israel killed one person.
Posted by
Julian, the Desaparecido
at
4:53 AM
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clothes
Check out all the different types of people who enjoy them some skinny jeans! Pretty sexy, no? I find this post extremely relevant, being that it was once titled, "Nikes the Skinny Jeans" (I'm sporting the dynamic duo now, as a matter of fact)!
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Julian, the Desaparecido
at
2:44 AM
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me
So, I've been in Fresno, CA for the past couple of days visiting family. My maternal grandmother just had surgery on her intestines and has been pretty needy lately, so it was definitely important to be there this holiday season. My mom was already over her by the time we got there, though, because of her constant nagging and complaining. My sister and I kept laughing because when my mom gets the chance, she is the same exact way.
We spent lots of time with family, hanging out and drinking, mostly. It was bizarre to see how many new kids my extended family had spawned off - and many more on the way. Off the top of my head I can think of two cousins who are pregnant. My cousin Patrick and I joked about needing to put name-tags on the kids for the sake of the older veteran family members. My grandma doesn't remember anyone's name who was born after 1995.
I really enjoyed seeing my cousin Rene and her three kids - she's practically a sister, having been raised partially by my mom when she was very young. She lives with an asshole who does not appreciate her, and is disrespectful to her in every way short of physical violence. She's youthful and fun and I know that my sister, my mom and I each would love to "save" her in some way - we want to get her away from the hell that is her life.
My cousin Mike made a point to come hang out with us as well, if only for a little bit. He too is a father of three, the middle boy being adopted. Growing up, we didn't get a long, but its nice to see that we've both come a long way. He genuinely seems interested in what is going on in our lives, and he is extremely loyal and passionate about the people in his life.
The one person I was really excited to see was my cousin Patrick - I rarely get to see him, as he lives in Southern California now and spends more time with his mother's side of the family than ours, but he's really cool. Growing up, unlike Mike, Patrick and I were extremely close. We are closer in age and we enjoy a lot of the same things (and something tells me he may be gay, too.) We exchanged numbers and talked about getting together on Christmas night for my sister's birthday, but it never worked out. I guess, there's always next year.
In any case, I'm back in the city, and am going out tonight with my buddy Josh. I'll take the camera out and snap lots of photos - especially since we'll most likely be in the Castro. Ha!
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So, on Sunday night we finally got to see one girl take the cash - and that girl was Brandi Mahon from Rock of Love season 1.
As seen in my previous post, the top three were Destiney, Lacey and Brandi M.
After pretty much assaulting everyone who refused to donate on their final challenge, Lacey was eliminated, thus leaving Brandi M. and Destiney the final two spots.
And no, those are not sad tears. Those are happy tears! The two remaining girls spent the day with Sharon at her home in Malibu, and, after a gut-wrenching decision, Sharon decided that Brandi M. would benefit from the money the most.
Again, happy tears! Although I'm happy for her (she was one of my original picks, along with Destiney and Heather), I admit I'm going to miss the old Brandi M. You know, the one who would puke into her napkin and stuff.
Posted by
Julian, the Desaparecido
at
7:52 PM
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music
"The Mariner's Revenge Song" by the Decemberists is an epic track done in Colin Meloy's cinematic and trademark storytelling form. Its a great song and tells a catching story, but because its such a long song, the Decemberists have not been able to make a video for it, thus leaving it to the hands of its fans.
Check out a couple fan videos for "The Mariner's Revenge Song." They're pretty great. Below the videos I'll post the lyrics.
The Mariner's Revenge Song
We are two mariners Our ships' sole survivors In this belly of a whale
Its ribs our ceiling beams Its guts our carpeting I guess we have some time to kill
You may not remember me I was a child of three And you, a lad of eighteen
But I remember you And I will relate to you How our histories enweave
At the time you were A rake and a roustabout Spending all your money On the whores and hounds Oh Ohhhhh
You had a charming air All cheap and debonair My widowed mother found so sweet
And so she took you in Her sheets still warm with him Now filled with filth and foul disease
As time wore on you proved A debt-ridden drunken mess Leaving my mother A poor consumptive wretch Oh Ohhhhh
And then you disappeared Your gambling arrears The only thing you left behind
And then the magistrate Reclaimed our small estate And my poor mother lost her mind
Then one day in spring My dear sweet mother died But before she did I took her hand as she, dying, cried: Oh Ohhhhh
"Find him, bind him Tie him to a pole and break His fingers to splinters Drag him to a hole until he Wakes up naked Clawing at the ceiling Of his grave *sigh*"
It took me fifteen years To swallow all my tears Among the urchins in the street
Until a priory Took pity and hired me To keep their vestry nice and neat
But never once in the employ Of these holy men Did I ever once turn my mind From the thought of revenge Oh Ohhhhh
One night I overheard The Prior exchanging words With a penitent whaler from the sea
The captain of his ship Who matched you toe to tip Was known for wanton cruelty
The following day I shipped to sea With a privateer
And in the whistle Of the wind I could almost hear... Oh Ohhhhh
"Find him, bind him Tie him to a pole and break His fingers to splinters Drag him to a hole until he Wakes up naked Clawing at the ceiling Of his grave
"There is one thing I must say to you As you sail across the sea Always, your mother will watch over you As you avenge this wicked deed"
[haunting, sailor-esque musical interlude lead by mandolin, accordion and tuba]
And then that fateful night We had you in our sight After twenty months at sea
Your starboard flank abeam I was getting my muskets clean When came this rumbling from beneath
The ocean shook The sky went black And the captain quailed
And before us grew The angry jaws Of a giant whale
Posted by
Julian, the Desaparecido
at
7:20 PM
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school
I AM OFFICIALLY A SENIOR. I AM OFFICIALLY DONE FOR FALL 2008.
JOUR 479A: CIVIL RIGHTS JOURNALISM ENGL 265: GLBT LITERATURE ENGL 488B: RHETORIC AND THE VISUAL JOUR 175: MEDIA LITERACY USLT 201: LATINA/O STUDIES: COLONIZATION TO THE 1960'S ENGL 346: 20TH CENTURY FICTION: POSTCOLONIALISM Read more!
At last, the wait is over! Photos of Aerin Fenty have been released! The youngest Fenty was born on November 24, and her family has been pretty hush-hush about her arrival since then (some have even speculated she was a fake!). No, not really. But anyway, they're a cute family, so check them out.
PS: Adrian Fenty is the sixth (and current) mayor of Washington, DC.
Read more!
Posted by
Julian, the Desaparecido
at
9:03 PM
Labels:
school
JOUR 479A: CIVIL RIGHTS JOURNALISM ENGL 265: GLBT LITERATURE ENGL 488B: RHETORIC AND THE VISUAL JOUR 175: MEDIA LITERACY USLT 201: LATINA/O STUDIES: COLONIZATION TO THE 1960'S ENGL 346: 20TH CENTURY FICTION: POSTCOLONIALISM Read more!
As we approach the winter solstice, and as Polaroid has gone ka-put, I thought it was an appropriate time to post a really awesome Polaroid of the DC sunset. Aww. Nostalgia. And you know what's even sadder? Spell-check doesn't put that creepy annoying red line underneath Polaroid. Polaroid. No go. Aww, this is sad!
Posted by
Julian, the Desaparecido
at
4:35 PM
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me
Sorry about all the neglect. I've been busy between finals, packing, and Christmas shopping. No excuse, I know, but its been kind of a rough week (despite being off of work and getting ready for a kick-ass trip). I was thinking about selling a bunch of my old schoolbooks but I realize that I like the way my bookshelf is filling up, so I decided against it - plus, hauling a bunch of paperbacks in the rain doesn't sound too clever, either.
I did a bunch of laundry to sell a bunch of clothes back in California - problem is, I have so much I want to sell I'm not sure if I'm going to have much room for the stuff I actually want to take on the trip. I'm going to end up taking a tragically oversized bag (since United Airlines is charging extra for two bags these days) with so much room for it in the back that I'll wind up bringing back anyone who wants to come back to DC - but who would want that?
I have two finals today, and my last one tomorrow. One of my professors just emailed me my grade up until this point - an A. As long as I don't bomb the final I think I'll get an A for a final grade. I'm so excited - this is shaping up to be one of the best academic semesters I've had in recent years. And to think - people grimaced when they found out I was taking 18 credits AND working full time!
Tomorrow evening, I get on a plate to San Francisco, and get in around 8. I plan on dumping my stuff and heading out for a night on the town. I'm so excited - I need to coordinate something with my dad for breakfast/brunch in the morning.
In any case - this is why I've been kind of negligent of my blog for the past couple of days. I promise to stay up to date in San Francisco, and to even post lots of pictures.
