Orange Maze: December 2005

Saturday, December 31, 2005

A Look back at 2005 Well the year has come and gone so fast. I rung the new year a year ago alone at my house while my mother and brother celebrated the new year in Miami. Although it was lonely, I celebrated the arrival of 2005 the way I wanted to. I danced and jumped with DJ Tiesto's Traffic playing full blast in the background, while I saw the crystal ball drop at Times Square. That New Year celebration left a great first impression of the year to come. Throughout 2005 I have had my ups and downs. The greatest highlights were my summer vacation, the Las Vegas trip in October, spending time with my family, first time clubbing, my new cell phone that I pay for, starting my new blog, and making new friends. While the lowlights of the year being, the Hurricane season, being stopped (but not cited) by a sheriff deputy when I violated the right of way, and the lackluster semester I just had. All in all 2005 was very good to me, I have survived through it and I am still happy with myself and what I have accomplished and learned from my mistakes. As the new year approaches, I know that it will be a great one. I won't set expectations like the ones I had for 2004 because it was my graduation year of high school. I wanted 2004 to be the best year for all the holidays and events I celebrated. Although I still cherish 2004, I won't make the same expectations for 2006. May the new year bring happiness and success for all of you! -- [[V.J. Civic; 12/31/2005 05:42:00 PM 1 Oranges Left links to this post]]

Tuesday, December 27, 2005

My Christmas It has been a busy holiday season around my house with all the family and close friends visiting, but I had one of the best Christmas in years. I have been enjoying my iPod Nano, which took almost the entire Christmas day to upload songs from my CD Library that I have stashed in my car and those I haven't seen in years. It was not only the fact that I recieved lots of gifts that made this Christmas the best (I'll be lying if I said otherwise), it was the fact that I shared the time with my uncles, aunts, mother, brother, and countless others that made it special. I am sure that many of you had a wonderful holiday season, all that is left is a great kickoff to the new year! P.S. I know that I promised I was going to have something written by yesterday, but my internet was blacked out for the Fifth time yesterday. -- [[V.J. Civic; 12/27/2005 08:31:00 PM 0 Oranges Left links to this post]]

Saturday, December 24, 2005

Wishing you and yours, a Merry Christmas

I wish everyone a Very Merry Christmas or a Happy Holiday in case you celebrate another joyous one. The point is that Americans have a variety of customs that we celebrate in this holiday season but there is one common purpose among the differences.... Gathering with the people you love and mostly care about. For me its my Family, which will be the first Christmas with a huge gathering of my family. For others, it may be long-time or newly made friends. However you celebrate the holidays, even the New Year, I hope you have a great time! -- [[V.J. Civic; 12/24/2005 02:33:00 PM 0 Oranges Left links to this post]]

Catching up Well I spent the two-day trip to Miami very well. It did not go as I planned because I was not able to see any of my friends. I have many blog posts to write about, but I am enjoying the family gathering over the holidays the best that I can. So I will post them probaby after Christmas. Happy Holidays! -- [[V.J. Civic; 12/24/2005 02:29:00 PM 0 Oranges Left links to this post]]

Tuesday, December 20, 2005

Barbie: Mutilated?

"The girls we spoke to see Barbie torture as a legitimate play activity, and see the torture as a 'cool' activity," said Agnes Nairn, one of the University of Bath researchers. "The types of mutilation are varied and creative, and range from removing the hair to decapitation, burning, breaking and even microwaving."

I think that if researchers would have interviewed young boys as well, they would of found the same results. I found that Barbie and her companions beckoned for some fetish mutilation. Now that I know more about the history of American girls and the way that our future girls are going through with images of the "perfect" body, I applaud all 100 or so girls the British researchers interviewed. Barbie, in my opinion, is not a perfect example of how girls should look like. Although Mattel has created a variety of Barbies that display her as independent and focused on different careers, I am still convinced by my composition professor (nonetheless) that Barbie's image is detrimental to girls. If the damn plastic doll can't even stand by her own two feet and GI Joes can, what kind of positive role model is this. So with a humorous, but somewhat serious tone, I stand by my opinion that Barbie displays a harmful message to young girls across the globe. If I have a daughter, I will closely supervise her so in her future she does not have to deal with superficial goals of attaining a perfect body. [Yahoo! News article] -- [[V.J. Civic; 12/20/2005 04:16:00 PM 2 Oranges Left links to this post]]

V.J.'s Photo Album: Miami Well in light of my "homecoming" trip down to Miami, I decided to showcase some pictures of "The Magic City." I haven't been in Miami for six months, in reality, it feels more like a year. I am going to spend time with the friends that I now feel I have shunned. All because I have been trying to meet (I only met the guy once in the past four times I went down there) with a guy that I thought was an example of a good buddy, but is just normal acquaintance. But the details about friends and those people that I should not consider too much as friends are good for another blog post. Although I love the place I now call home, I still have a place in my heart for Miami. Even with the overpopulation, overpricing on homes, crowded streets and traffic and some untasteful uncivilized people, I still appreciate the time I lived in Miami (precisely in the West Kendall suburb). I just think I prefer being a visitor the city much better. Without further delay, I present to you selected pictures of Miami.

The Downtown skyline at night

Looks like a Painting of Cruise ships in the Port of Miami

Moon Over Miami (Yes just like the song)

The famous Colony Hotel in Miami Beach

Boats docked at a Biscayne Bay marina

Downtown Miami

Biltmore Hotel at nearby city of Coral Gables

The Freedom Tower (L), AmericanAirlines Arena (R), boat sailing the Biscayne Bay

[Disclaimer: The photos I posted are not personal photos I took, they are solely projects from different people and/or organizations] -- [[V.J. Civic; 12/20/2005 10:08:00 AM 0 Oranges Left links to this post]]

Monday, December 19, 2005

Latest from the News Wire: Seaplane accident off Miami Beach

So far 19 out of the 20 are confirmed dead, with one still missing. The crash occurred on early Monday afternoon, around 2:30 pm. The small twin-engine Grumman G-73T Turbine Mallard was operated by Chalk's Ocean Airways. There will be more information as the situation develops, but the point of this blog post is not inform you of events (my purpose is not one of a news agency), I'll leave the news breaking to my preferred network for news, which is NBC News. This unfortunate incident solidifies my fear of riding on a small aircraft as a Seaplane or a Cessna-like craft. When I lived in Miami prior to moving up to Central Florida, there were frequent incidents of small aircraft malfunctions that will force pilots (some who are rookies in flight training) to land on local roads or golf courses. Because of that, I am and I will always be afraid of riding on small planes. I prefer to take a cruise or a ferry, which is longer but safer. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the 20 loved ones. [MSNBC coverage on seaplane accident] -- [[V.J. Civic; 12/19/2005 08:37:00 PM 0 Oranges Left links to this post]]

Itching for Garbage

Ever since last night, I have been trying, with no luck, to get a full audio sample or a music video code for Garbage's "Stupid Girl" from their debut album Garbage (1995). I heard it on the local radio on my way to work and have been addicted to it. The instrumental is beyond divine and the lyrics detail a unisex portrayl of someone (in the song, its a girl. But, some guys have the same problem as well) trying to be something they are not, all in the name of popularity. Can anyone say "High School." The lyrics to "Stupid Girl" are awesome and right on, but man, the riffs and the bass line just blow me away, it has a nice electronic sound to it. So much so, I am trying to wait another six days until I open my gift (iPod Nano) to download it through iTunes. That maybe too long, so I might go now to Wal-Mart to snatch a copy of the album. [Wikipedia Article on "Stupid Girl"] -- UPDATE: I could not fight the urge! While taking my family for a tour around Downtown Disney, I bought my copy of the album at the local Virgin Megastore. Only heard Stupid Girl, which should not come as a surprise, but I will hear the CD next time I drive around solo in my car. [[V.J. Civic; 12/19/2005 11:17:00 AM 0 Oranges Left links to this post]]

Sunday, December 18, 2005

Dolphins: Make it four straight

The surging Miami Dolphins added another game to their winning streak to four games straight and their overall record in 7-7. The Dolphins beat the hated rivals, the New York Jets, 24-20 at Dolphins Stadium. After some dissapointments like the infamous shutout, I blogged about, against the Cleveland Browns a few weeks ago, Nick Sabans Dolphins are surging to complete a very succesful December since the late 1980's. I have never lost trust on Saban and my Dolphins because no matter what, this season was going to be better then last. Now, with a .500 record, I can look forward to a positive 2006 season. Although as a Fins fan since 2001, I know that I should keep my expectations slim to avoid being let down. but no matter what happens; Win, Lose, or Tie, Dolphins 'til I die! Now I leave you with the lyrics to the Miami Dolphins Fight Song:

(Verse) Miami has the Dolphins, The greatest football team! We take the ball from goal to goal, Like no one's ever seen! We're in the air, We're on the ground, We're always in control. So when you say Miami, You're talking Super Bowl!

(Chorus 1) Cause we're the Miami Dolphins, Miami Dolphins, Miami Dolphins Number 1.

(Chorus 2) Yes we're the Miami Dolphins, Miami Dolphins, Miami Dolphins Number 1.

In Other News: The Colts lost the bid for a perfect 16-0 season when they lost to the Chargers earlier today. Rest easy '72 Dolphins, you guys will still be the lone NFL team to stay perfect and win the Super Bowl. -- [[V.J. Civic; 12/18/2005 09:26:00 PM 2 Oranges Left links to this post]]

Reflections of the 2005 Fall Semester I have expected to get straight A's and felt confident through mid-term, except for my Econ class. But eventually all I can say is that I had an unexplainable meltdown for the final weeks of the semester. I sat down while cramming to complete my horticulture final exam, and blamed myself because of poor time management. The best thing I can do is to redeem myself by learning from my mistakes and take on the next semester by storm. Here is how I fared class by class:

20th Century Humanities: I did great, I might of focused too much time on this class instead of balancing the time for my other classes. I am getting an A
Composition 2: Tough class because it was a special class that dealt with the book by Joan Jacobs Brumberg detailing the history of the American Girl, The Body Project. I had to write four stinking essays about the struggle of image, sexuality, and the ideal image of American Girls. Interesting class, but tough. I might get a C
Micro Economics: Hate the class, the teacher is not even fit or committed to be a teacher. I should have planned more time to study and ask questions for a tutor. What a nightmare, he based the overall class grade on three regular exams and a final exam. He used a 75% class average curve, but not even that helped my problems with the economy. I wonder how President Bush would have fared with the lisping professor I endured. In result, I Flunked.
Intro to Horticulture: Great person teaching it, great subject (Its my major, of course I need to enjoy it), but the professor has no skills of a college professor, he might not even have what it takes to teach high school students. Being that the class ended at 10pm on Thursdays and having to wake up early in the morning the next day to work. I never did the homework at home. I waited until class time to finish it so I can be more focused while he gave a boring lecture or a personal story. My grade depends on what him, but otherwise I lost interest to pass the class in week 5 so I might have to hear his lectures for another semester.

All I can say now is thank god almighty I am free at last! But the Spring semester is coming just around the bend. -- [[V.J. Civic; 12/18/2005 08:24:00 PM 0 Oranges Left links to this post]]

Thursday, December 15, 2005

A new way to contact me I created an email account, finally! So please feel free to email me. Ohh, I don't bother reading SPAM mail, so don't try me. The email address along with my AOL Instant Messenger ScreenName will be on the right >>>. -- [[V.J. Civic; 12/15/2005 02:18:00 PM 0 Oranges Left links to this post]]

Finals Week: Update 2 I hate ESSAYS... That is all -- [[V.J. Civic; 12/15/2005 01:41:00 PM 0 Oranges Left links to this post]]

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Finals Week: Update 1 To make it sweet, short and subtle. I might have to retake the micro-economics course. A fast paced teacher that is not available when a student needs his help and bases his curriculum on only test grades spells disaster. I should of known better than to continue with the class. I had two great semesters before this one and I am also good with my other classes, but this failure leaves a sour note despite the progress I am doing with my other classes. Now that I am done with micro-econ for now, it is just a relief. I have tried the best that I can, but I guess that I have done a little to late to salvage my grade. Like Mrs. C from high school always said to me, even when I paid a visit after Hurricane Charley in 2004, "You Live and you Learn." -- [[V.J. Civic; 12/14/2005 08:39:00 AM 2 Oranges Left links to this post]]

Call a LOCKSMITH! I have committed my first mistake..... of the day, last night. It was chilly in Floridian standards last night (about 65 degrees F) and I had a missed call from my mother. I decided to stay in the car and call, but I did a crucial mistake of turning the car completely off and take the key half-way out. I normally leave the key in the accessory power position so the radio is on while I am inside, sort of like a reminder that the key is still attached. Once I got out I noticed half way to my front door that I kept the keys inside, I checked inside the car and found the key was hanging delightfully by the steering wheel. The catch was that I locked the door manually and the remainder three doors, trunk, and hood (hopefully so) were also locked. I learned a valuable lesson by committing this first mistake of the day, yesterday. I also learned a lesson of not calling a locksmith at night unless if its really necessary. That tidbit I learned from my mother, so I did not have to figure the locksmith part the hard way. Instead, here I am waiting for a locksmith (the cheapest way) to relieve my car keys from misery, trapped inside of a cold and desolate car. -- UPDATE: The Lockmsith charged me $35, which is not that bad not because my lovely mother paid for it, but it is also not a bad price when you consider the gas prices. Where I live its currently $2.11 on average, the trip to my driveway might of costed the locksmith about $7. [[V.J. Civic; 12/14/2005 08:15:00 AM 0 Oranges Left links to this post]]

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

Florida Wal-Mart manager sacked! A Wal-Mart manager in the Tampa suburb of Brandon, Florida was fired by the company because of his "poor judgment and customer service" when he called sheriff deputies on a black businessman for writing an alleged bad check. The man, Reginald Pitts from GAF Materials, wrote the $13,600 check after purchasing gift cards for the company's employees. The manager, Mark Cornett, tried to verify the check but it had a privacy block. He violated company policy by his bias and discrimination against black people, Cornett might say otherwise, but it is the truth. Only a racist will take a small incident as a "bad" check and call authorities for it. He just had to give the check back and tell Pitts that he either find another form of payment or leave. In my opinion, Wal-Mart does not care for customer service, its either they do or I am spoiled by Walt Disney World, the epitome of of valuing guest service. The best thing was not only that Wal-Mart (a company I loathe to spend money on, but I have no convenient choice) fired the judgmental manager but that GAF decided to get gift cards from another store. Ready for the biggest F.U.? They went to Target! Good for them. [Yahoo! News] -- [[V.J. Civic; 12/13/2005 03:52:00 PM 2 Oranges Left links to this post]]

Lyrics Pick: Stuck In The Middle With You -- Stealers Wheel It is an oldie from 1973 by the band Stealers Wheel, my Lyrics Pick is their hit song (in the States and in the UK) Stuck in the Middle with You. The first time I heard the song was when it was used in a shampoo commercial earlier in the year (perhaps by Pantene, but don't hold me accountable). The point is that the background beat is catching (I prefer instrumentals of a song better than the lyrics). The lyrics is kind of humorous now that I took the time to read through them, reminds me of my political stand as a moderate democrat (Clowns to the left, Jokers to the Right). If I would do a sample of the song, in a bleak future as a recording artist (which I doubt), I would change it so the right-wingers are the clowns and left-wingers are the jokers. Just for fun, nothing personal or demeaning. ---------------------------------------------------------- Well, I don't know why I came here tonight I got a feelin' that something ain't right I'm so scared in case I fall off my chair And I'm wonderin' how I'll get down those stairs Clowns to left of me, jokers to the right Here am I stuck in the middle with you Yes, I'm stuck in the middle with you And I'm wonderin' what it is I should do It's so hard to keep this smile from my face Losin' control, I'm all over the place Clowns to left of me, jokers to the right Here am I stuck in the middle with you Well, you started off with nothing And you're proud that you're a self-made man And your friends they all come crawling Slap you on the back and say Please, please Well, I'm stuck in the middle with you And I'm wonderin' what it is I should do Is it cool to go to sleep on the floor? I don't think that I can take it anymore Clowns to left of me, jokers to the right Here am I stuck in the middle with you [break] Well, you started off with nothing And you're proud that you're a self-made man And your friends they all come crawling Slap you on the back and say Please, please Well, I don't know why I came here tonight I got a feelin' that something ain't right I'm so scared in case I fall off my chair And I'm wonderin' how I'll get down those stairs Clowns to left of me, jokers to the right Here am I stuck in the middle with you Here I am stuck in the middle with you Yes, I'm stuck in the middle with you Stuck in the middle with you -- [[V.J. Civic; 12/13/2005 11:49:00 AM 0 Oranges Left links to this post]]

Monday, December 12, 2005

In a "Floridian" mood

I am in a Floridian mood today. Thanks in part by the Miami Heat hosting a "throwback" game last night against the Washington Wizards. The night commemorated and revitalized the history of the Miami Floridians (aka The Floridians) ABA team that played in Miami in the early 1970's for four seasons and disapeared in history along with the downfall of the American Basketball Association. The Heat won in overtime, thanks to the Big Man, Shaq, coming back after nursing an injury suffered earlier in the year. Despite the good news with the Heat win, the speculation from earlier today is true. Stan Van Gundy resigned from his head coaching duties today and will be succeeded by his predecesor and current team president, Pat Riley. It's dejavu becuase Van Gundy's sudden departure was just like the abrupt resignation Riley did prior to the 2003 season. Van Gundy said that his decision was voluntary, but I feel a bit reserved about that comment. Pat Riley commented that he did want a bigger role of team operations this season. Nonetheless, I am sure that Riley will do a great job, even better than his first stint as Miami Heat head coach. Also in the news, the Miami Dolphins won their third straight game sunday afternoon, dissapointing the San Diego Chargers and diminishing their hope of postseason glory. Although the Chargers are still in the playoff race, their path just got bleaker and harder to accomplish. That will not help for next week when the Chargers play the undefeated Colts. The Dolphins won a great game versus a solid team (or what seemed as a solid), its a breathe of fresh air for all DolFan after the blowout loss to the Browns. -- [[V.J. Civic; 12/12/2005 11:18:00 AM 0 Oranges Left links to this post]]

Sunday, December 11, 2005

Its time for Final Exams Its that time of the semester again. And this time, I am not as confident with one of my exams. Humanities should be easy, as well as Intro to Horticulture (which is a take-home exam), Composition II's final exam is an essay (good luck with that one). Then thereis the one I have dreaded all along- Micro-Economics, although its a take-home exam, the professor has made the textbook as an obsolete tool for an aced exam due to his own style of teaching. Wish me luck!! In other news, I will setup an email account and have it published in this blog so my readers, like you, may keep in contact. -- [[V.J. Civic; 12/11/2005 08:05:00 PM 0 Oranges Left links to this post]]

Monday, December 05, 2005

December has arrived! Ohh, I love the month of December. Its nice and cold (about as low as 40 degrees Farenheit in Florida), Christmas is coming, the year is ending while the new year is approaching. Its just my favorite month. But with the Christmas season well underway, I have felt my first sting of debt. I am BROKE! The iPod was expensive, I had to fix my car, and I have to buy presents for at least my brother and mother. It will be a December to Remember, because I am going to work like a dog! Get all the extra hours I need to get my checking account to ooze green with money! Plus, I need to pay off my tuition! -- [[V.J. Civic; 12/05/2005 09:24:00 AM 0 Oranges Left links to this post]]

Thoughts about Drama Now that I have sat down and thought about what I wrote in the blog post about Wannabeleader "leaving", I really over did it. I think I was the only blogger that wrote about it! I was just so shocked to see him "go", so I thought of writing about it, as if I was going to be the person to bring him back. I even remember when I got an error message when I visited Wannabeleader.com a few hours I wrote the blog, I immediately thought he closed down the site, giving up on blogging forever. Well, he eventually came back, but it was not because I saved the day. He was just exhausted after renovating his site. It was really not because of the criticism I originally thought. The point is, I will not go crazy when a blogger decides to disappear. I guess next time something of that nature occurs, I'll step away from the computer, breathe, and repeat "It's not the end of the world V.J., It's not the end of the world." By then, the drama would of subsided. I never knew so much drama could exist in the blogging world. With that said, I also want to comment that I am not a perfect blogger, but I hope you enjoy me and my blog as much as I enjoy the blogs that I read. I know that I have at least one reader in DJ. Thanks for reading! -- [[V.J. Civic; 12/05/2005 08:56:00 AM 4 Oranges Left links to this post]]

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