Garam Cha

Snipes pays no tax

spacemonkey82 — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 15:38:11 +0000

So I just read about how Wesley Snipes will not be jailed for tax fraud any time soon. According to an article, the famous movie star can stay out of jail for tax-evasion and tax fraud due to the tax protest that “the IRS’s own code meant no citizen had to pay taxes on income earned in this country, and the agency had no legal authority to collect wages anyway, because it is not a proper government entity.” I find that very interesting to say the least.

Can an American citizen actually do that? I have to look into this some more because this is very interesting and makes me wondering. I doubt however that not paying for taxes and committing tax-evasion can easily get you in jail. For now on pay your damn taxes.

Wolverine

spacemonkey82 — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 15:12:43 +0000

I have more similarities with X-Men character Wolverine than any other superhero. That makes you wonder about my life doesn’t it. However, not exact parallels, but personality and love for redheads is there not to mention the ultimate loner attitude and what not.

Nonetheless, I found this pic a long time ago that just captures Wolverine as he truly is.

Thought you might like that. I hope someone knows the artist.

thoughts on raw music

spacemonkey82 — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 19:08:33 +0000

I was just watching IMF and Jack White was up there with the Raconteurs and I was completely amazed. I was amazed because very rarely do you find such a raw sound of guitar and amp projected so well. Now a days rock music has become pop music, pre-packaged garbage. I miss shit like this. I have always had respect for Jack Black and his work in White Stripes, but after hearing this band, I can truly see his talent can grow and move to other styles of rock’n'roll.

It’s White Stripes, Foo Fighters and the guys from Queen of the Stone age that keeps the pure sound of rock alive and well. I wonder where I can get more shit like this.

Enjoy.

bangladesh jails terrorist

spacemonkey82 — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 17:12:06 +0000

I was pleasantly surprised this morning as I read news about the Bangladeshi court system putting away 5 bombers for life. The charge — series of 400 bombings in august of 2005 in the town of Chapainawabganj. This is great news as these criminal violated laws of Islam and perpetuated the false stereotypes of the peaceful religion being violent. I wonder why they weren’t hung, perhaps lack of evidence or political reasons. Nonetheless, that’s 5 less terrorist off the streets of Bangladesh and in the country’s lovely jails.

A quote I had found

spacemonkey82 — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 23:28:43 +0000

It is only by following your deepest instinct that you can lead a rich life, and if you let your fear of consequence prevent you from following your deepest instinct, then your life will be safe, expedient and thin.—Katharine Butler Hathaway

It makes me wonder about the things that live inside of me. I would like to live a much active life: trail running, rock climbing, weight lifting, studying some martial arts, travel the world and be that life connoisseur that I wish for myself. It almost seems cheesy, but I believe that would make happy and I wouldn’t be depressed in my 40s like so many in the world. One can only hope as my life starts. I feel like I am waiting to find work and just seating and wondering.

All work would give me is money and then all will begin.

US Politico 2.0

spacemonkey82 — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 20:57:12 +0000

If Hillary Clinton is elected, then an entire generation would have grown up under only the Clintons and Bushes. How the hell is that change.

An independent women standing behind the shadow of her husband that cheated on her. She’s also a complete socialist, really we’re not a socialist country and some of her ideas are just out there. John Edwards can’t use his young-man good looks to win voters that have half a brain. Got to give the guy credit for trying. Super Tuesday is going to be very interesting.

US Politico

spacemonkey82 — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 20:50:29 +0000

Barack Obama won the South Carolina Primaries by beating both Hillary Clinton and John Edwards in a decisive victory.

I’m happy because I fully support the guy. The difference between all the democrats are hairline slim and therefore for some real change we need an African-American man. Really, I don’t care it was a woman candidate, but voting for Hillary Clinton would be getting a Clinton back into office. Granted Bill was an incredible President, but recent weeks are showing that he still carries power, weight and influence in the political process. Maybe it isn’t good influence, especially after his vocal objection to some press entrance and racial comments that have gotten all the public raging. It’s amazing.

I just wonder, how Hillary Clinton is supposed to get the votes of the young independent women in the this 21st century. I wonder what the reaction would be of the college aged, young professional women’s view of a candidate that’s riding on the success of her husband’s presidency. Sure she is a Senator from New York and all, but she touts are days in the White House. What the hell did she do then? Plan dinner events with delegates. Really.

Real change, or rather transformation, will come from Barack Obama. Aside from his minority status, forget about it. His life is as adverse as anyone else and to come from nothing to rise to center of American politics is something else altogether. I’m not naive thinking that he’s some kind of a messiah, he’s a politician after all. However, the election of such a man will stir the hornets’ nest in Washington and his ability to unify both parties, to make those political compromises necessary to come to a result, as he has proven in his role as a Senator, can only help progress. Only after his election can we be sure that history will show for him. Hell, anyone is better than the President we have now.

Winning Speech Part 1

Winning Speech Part 2

Job, election, teams

spacemonkey82 — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 17:54:46 +0000

The HR person from Sports & Health finally e-mailed me back saying that today’s time was already filled. This is quite frustrating and I don’t know if it’s a sign of incompetence or the fact that she’s quite busy. Nonetheless, Ameriprise Financial Career Preview day is coming up and I’m quite excited. I know there will be a lot of work ahead of me, but I will ensue my dormant intelligence, time management skills, and drive to be ahead of the curb. There should be no problem. I hope it all works out in the end and I’m pretty sure it will.

The Primaries are well underway and Obama is poised to take NH as he did Iowa. I hope so. After watching, listening and reading all the Democratic candidates, I think there is really no difference between anyone of them. So, some one that is charismatic, very articulated and a minority should be elected to President. Why not? A very interesting thing happened on the issues of race relations, the fact those ghetto superstars out there that keeps saying that the man is keeping a brother down. Well, a brother is not down and matter of fact he’s trying to taking the most important role in all of America. Where are the race card mongers now. Granted there are some real race issues to be dealt with in America, but so called the system coming against the minorities are all but over. It will come down to individual choices, situations and a wake up call for all of us. Still, a Muslim guy will be looked on, in some parts of the country, as a terrorrist and the religion will still be under scrutiny. As far as NH, there are 44% independent voters that have still yet to decide on an actual parties and I think the results should be interesting. I’m still rooting for Barack Obama.

Giants won and as did Arsenal. This was a great weekend for me as a sports fan. I still can’t belive Eli played the way he did. It was freaking amazing. I thought we were going to loose, but the team got together and won the game and they won it big. Now to hold Dallas and move on the playoffs. It would great and everyone would have to shut the fuck up about the Giants. This is Sunday is poised to be the best NFL Sunday thus far. Colts V. Chargers at 1pm and Giants V. Cowboys at 4pm. Can’t wait. Arsenal on the other hand played such a calm and subdued game against Burnley in the FA Cup Third Round Tie this past weekend. Got to see most of the game due to the new FiOs TV installation. Everybody was coming down hard on the game play, but I knew it was only because we were playing an amateur team. Lehmann did have some scares though and he managed to hold the ball. Still, Almunia is a good goalie choice for the first team. The Gunners are now must wait for the winner for the Third Round Replay of New Castle v. Stoke City.

By the way, I found this vid on another blog:

Now that should get you off the couch.

New Year

spacemonkey82 — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 13:31:46 +0000

So now is the beginning of a new year, the year 2008. Celebration of it was laid back with nothing really crazy. The new car handled the driving and I wasn’t feeling tired at all. Must have been the Red Bull I drank. Now I am seating here on New Year’s Day thinking of some resolution, but cannot find any. It seems that if I actually make resolutions for the new year, then I just might not be able to full fill them. Perhaps a set of goals of things that I would like to accomplish before the year ends would be more appropriate. Sure it seems to be the same thing, but thinking of goals rather some resolution would work better to actually accomplish them. Another note, resolutions are for things that have issues in my life and there isn’t any just things I want to get done and achieve.

Find Work
Save Money and Start Investing
Begin martial arts training
Begin ballroom dancing lessons
Keep working out
Read more books
Travel more

I just hope that I can full fill at least 60% of that list before the year is over. I already started one of them, Read More books. Right now I am reading “Random Walk Down Walk Street” by Burton G. Malkiel. The book so far is interesting, but I am only on Chapter 4 which seems to be the history of bubble from the very beginnings of stock markets in the colonial period. I think it’s just funny that for almost 100 years the bubble of wealth comes full circle every 10 years. It just amazes me that everyone is looking for the get rich quick and nothing more. I guess information is great, but gathering information without critical thinking and without questioning the information’s source and context is just foolish.

“Person is smart, people are stupid” — J

I really should get back to writing, poems especially. It probably will help me cope with stress a bit better and working out is always there.

Futbol

spacemonkey82 — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 04:12:09 +0000

Arsenal is up again to the top spot of the Prem. I watched some highlights online and they are definitely not the team from the first part of the season. A bit disorganized for a top spot team. Mind you they had to come back in the 2nd half against Everton with some signature aggressive Arsenal attacking. This boy Eduardo is something else. Must be the Brazilian blood he carries in him that sees him through in tight spots. They will probably loose the game against Milan in the UCL. However, there is always hope that with some will of fate, the Gunner can rise to the occasion and beat the San Siro team to a pulp. Here’s to the boys from North London.

By the way, when is RVP coming back and hopefully he will be ready for Milan game.