A Lesson in Humility

So this boy (actually he is 18, but still a boy in my eyes) who works at one of the stores I clean at night finds me on my hands and knees trying to get a black streak out that has been scratched into the wax. He mocks me by yelling:

 "Yeah!!!! Get that stain!!!"

 I just ignore him because I am trying to keep my blood pressure and bloodlust down these days. He then proceeds to ask me:

 "Do you really enjoy your job?"

 Stupid people either think I can't spot their condescension or that I am afraid to call them out, so I smile looking up at him and say:

 "You know, people have this misconception that ninja dressed in black pajamas all the time and nothing could be farther from the truth. In most cases they dressed as the imperial gardeners. Why? because no one cares what conversations are held within ear shot of the lowly gardeners. And when someone was poisoned or their throat was slashed; no one suspected the guy trimming the hedges… Besides, I make four dollars an hour more than you."

 For some reason he didn't have a retort or any more asinine questions for me. I wonder why?

Walmart owes me $416.22

Last night my nephew and I decided to go out and get a PS3 and Tekken 6. We tried to get it from Best Buy but they closed right before we got there. So I went against my better judgment and thought I'd give Walmart a try. When we got there they had two units left. The lady brought me one that was apparently discounted as the box a little beat up. It normally would have been $399 but it was $299, came with a game (Uncharted) and had the 160 GB hard drive. A good deal I thought, until I tried to set it up at home. It was missing the power source and upon further inspection was dirty and scratched up. I packed it back up and went back to the store where they told me I had to come back the next day when the manager was back and they would look at the cameras to see who stocked it in the case.

So I return today around five so I could bring it to my friend's Halloween party. They tell me the serial numbers don't match and so therefore I have to take it up with the manufacturer. They print out a sheet with serial numbers on it and tell me sorry for the inconvenience. "What about the gas I spent driving back here twice? I don't get any compensation? What the hell? Am I assed out $400 dollars?!?" "Sir, just contact the manufacturer."

I plan to, and then I plan on talking to some higher ups. "The squeaky wheel gets the grease" my father always said.

Update: I went back again later that night and got everyone's name and the number for the head manager and will be calling him Monday. If he doesn't give me what I want I will just go higher. I will keep y'all posted.

My rant on Tea-baggers

I originally did not want to post this: It is full of crude language, is unscripted and really doesn't have a point. Still, it does sum up how I feel about this astro-turf movement of useful idiots who are garnering so much attention of the so call liberal media as a group of patriotic concerned everyday Americans just looking out for their rights. But since no one else in the media is willing to say it, I guess I am going to have to. Special thanks to Justin for editing this travesty of a mockery of a sham.



This obviously before I shaved my head.

What's so Damn "Super" about the Super Market Anyhow?

After cracking open the cupboards for the the fourteenth time this afternoon, I decided that the Old Mother Hubbard routine didn't work for me and decided to make a quick jaunt to the supermarket. I've lived here for over twenty years but it never gets any more palatable. Tattooed housewives with rubber scrotums fixed to the tow hitches of their raised trucks with "Get'r done" plastered over tinted back windows blocked all the exits, and I'll be damned if my shopping cart's alignment was trying to turn my shopping cart into a singularity. I always feel like they are out to get me, but then again I have my reasons. My goal was to procure $60 worth of groceries for the next week or so, but I overshot by $4.05.

Part of that was because of the cheap jug of Carlo Rossi, which is about to throw me into a diabetic coma as we speak. This of course got this thirty-one-year-old carded by a girl who will probably be getting her first zit or period any day now, providing good weather. Honestly, who buys sixty dollars of food to try to sneak by a five dollar bottle of cheap wine in an effort to avoid being carded? And then she didn't believe it was me, a picture that the DMV took two months ago!!! I almost lost my cool but then I realized where I was and that the shopping music seemed like a dead give away.

Sober at The Underground

I am trying to secure a location for a TV pilot we are trying to concoct. The location is a bar in Redlands called the Underground. The owner, Poncho, is a real cool cat if you can catch him. I've been here over an hour waiting and the locals have managed to drag me up on stage to sing a song. Karaeoke is great if you are drunk, but being sober is another thing. My hands are still shaking and the random girl in the crowd taking pictures of me didn't help. I need a beer and I don't have a penny to my name. If he doesn't get here soon I might have to leave him a note because the patrons are eyeballing me and I am too sober to deal with the wave of anxiety that is washing over me, tempting me to gouge their eyes out with a cocktail straw.

I need a drink. I should get a medal for this.

Moving On

They say it's my birthday...
Originally uploaded by Mildly Brilliant

Three months after my father's death I am barely starting to get my life back together. The "Divine Providence" has been relocated to a more permanent location at my ex-step sister's house. I dropped my anatomy class and have been doing editing work for my friend Nash editing commercials and a wedding for a bunch of Catholics. While it pays a little, I worry that these people are going to gyp us since the guy we have been going through has been trying to cut every corner he can. For instance they call me to shoot miscellaneous construction shots the other day and pay thirty dollars to drive all the way out to San Bernardino for two hours. This is a slap in the face considering I am normally paid twenty an hour with a minimum of four hours especially on a weekend. Any hope of getting a job with this company is gone and I have lost my zeal for the work seeing that no one appreciates the time, effort, and skill involved.

Beer-Thirty

Click on image to enlarge.

Paid $50 to fail a smog test.

Paid $98 to postpone my registration.

Charged $2 to pull out money from Shitibank ATM.

$150 just to be able to drive my car for thirty more days...

It's about that time.

WTF?

WTF?
Originally uploaded by Mildly Brilliant

About a week ago Stan decided to take his daughter to Chuck E. Cheese's but upon arrival he noticed it was over crowded and dirty. I decided to tag along so I saw this cesspool firsthand. The shit-filled diaper in the parking lot acted as an oracle telling us we should spend our day elsewhere. After much deliberation we settled on Castle Park. We all had fun and found out his little girl is a thrill seeker as she took us on the tilt-a-whirl twice. The one thing that drove me nuts though was the warning posted at the entrance. See picture. What gets me is that someone was paid to make these signs and probable paid good money, yet didn't bother to have it proof read.

I'm on Twitter

Well I have joined the proud ranks of the media and have sucumbed to the Twitter craze. You can find me harrassing Rick Sanchez and other talking heads under the name "MildlyBrilliant".

RIP Dad

RIP Dad
Originally uploaded by Mildly Brilliant

First, allow me to apologize to both friends and family for not writing or calling back sooner. My father's death has left me with the need to think a lot on my own. As some of you may already know, a week prior to his death, my father went missing for about a week. About two years ago he was diagnosed with acute psychosis. We were told by the doctors that he had this condition all his life and up until recently he had been able to distinguish delusions from reality. This diagnosis explained a lot of his behavior and ultimately allowed me to forgive him of his behavior following the family reunion.

Almost a year had passed since our falling out and when we would speak he wasn't confrontational in the slightest... Which is not like him. He spoke slowly and expressed a lot of regrets, as if he knew it was almost over. Separated from his sons he had lost his mind and ultimately his will to live. He left Vangie's house without his wallet or cellphone and was found a week later sleeping on the streets. He was hospitalized shortly after being found but when he came to he decided to try to walk away from his bed only to collapse shortly there after. The doctors tried but couldn't recessitate him.

It all didn't seem real at first but yesterday it hit me so hard I couldn't leave the house. I kept on thinking how awful and alone he must have felt. I also realized that the many things that I had wanted him to see would never be seen. He was the one who got me into karaoke and I wanted him to see how far I had come since he first dragged me up on stage. I can't show him now. Worst of all, he had so wanted to see me get established, marry and have a family. And while I still don't want children, he will never get to see me settle down with a good woman. He wanted that the most for me. Our last conversations revealed that he thought about that the most.

But of all the things I regret not being able to tell him, not being able to say "good bye Dad, I love you" is what bothers me the most. It all happened so fast that I never got the chance.

Screen Shots from my New Animation

It is not for a personal animation of mine, but rather a commercial for a friend's business.



Pictured above is the announcer for the commercial. And below we have...



The little Mrs.

Good News!!!

My brother called early this morning and informed me that my father has been found. He didn't know all the details but what I gleaned from our conversation was that this incident was the direct result of my father refusing to take his medication. About a year ago he was diagnosed with acute psychosis and did a stint in a mental institution. When he was released he was somewhat back to normal, but his condition regressed as a result of him not keeping up with his pill regimen.

My father has gone missing...

My father has gone missing...
Originally uploaded by Mildly Brilliant

He went for a walk this last Sunday around three in the afternoon and never came back. He didn't take his cell phone, his wallet or any spare clothes with him. It has really been weighing heavy on my mind especially since the last time I physically saw him two years ago we got into a nasty fight. We have since then talked on the phone and forgave each other, but he has never been the same.

The last time I talked to him he told me he felt like he was being punished for the bad things he had done in his life. Although we have never seen eye to eye on just about everything, I still love him and am deeply concerned about him right now. It is making it difficult to sleep and causing me to dwell on arguments we have had in the past.

I fear the worst has happened, I hope I am wrong. And should he be found the first words out of my mouth will be "I love you Dad." I urge everybody to consider my situation this Valentine's Day and take an oppurtunity to tell everyone you love in your life that you do.

My Saturday Excursion

Yesterday Stan and I went out to the firing range to squeeze off a few rounds. I must say that it was a bit disconcerting going to a firing range filled with Republican gun nuts wearing my "Dick" shirt, but I somehow managed to not get shot. In fact I don't think anyone noticed it. In the end the scariest individual there was a thirteen year old boy with a 45. He was clearly uncomfortable handling it and it didn't help that his dad was egging him on. While reloading the clip I almost dropped it when he fired. His aim wandered too much and it was clear he didn't want to be there.



After we spent our ammunition, we hit In & Out where I got a Double Double animal style. "This is what sex should be like!" I exclaimed as bit into my own personal piece of heaven. This is how I know I am getting old. Now that we were full, we set our sights on the sun and followed it to Santa Monica. The sun had already set by the time we found parking but we hit the pier anyway.



Shortly afterwards it was time to get a drink so we hit Big Dean's Muscle Inn where we filled up on chips and beer. Bellies full it was back out to the pier for some photo-ops.



On the way back we stopped in Pasadena, my old stomping grounds. I showed Stan around Colorado Blvd as we bar hopped from Lucky Baldwin's to the "Dirty Diver" (The 35'er) where we were thoroughly ripped off on tequila shots. In the process we saw scores of beautiful women... women who looked back, some that even smiled. It was refreshing to see that there are other places where the strange are excepted, where there are more fish in the sea than the current pond I reside in.

Wounded Knee at Point Loma

Wounded Knee at Point Loma
Originally uploaded by Mildly Brilliant

After snapping a shot of some muscles off of a drainage pipe in a harbor south of the Point Loma Naval base, I slipped and scratched my knee pretty bad. Walking up the street to my car was particularly painful. Why didn't I park on the level street adjacent to where I did park? Unforntunately my first aid kit was not in the car. Fortunately I did bring vodka. So I poured it on my knee and it stung like a bitch. Now I look like shit and smell like vodka, but am ironically sober. Just then a Lamborghini Diablo sped past me. This is going to be an interesting day.

Merry Sol Invictus!!!

Merry Sol Invictus!!!
Originally uploaded by Mildly Brilliant

Ah my favorite time of year: obligatory gift giving, fake smiles, the twelve same damn songs played over and over. Then there is my favorite thoughtful gift: impersonal Xmas greeting via text messaging, often mispelled (think "Marry Christmas"), and costing me twenty cents a pop. So here is the logic: why spend time calling to see whether or not I've put a bullet through my head after losing my job when you could send an impersonal text message that costs me twenty cents?

I suppose someone is going to say I'm just being negative now...

What is to become of this site.

As the horrible nightmare of the Bush era draws to a close, I have noticed my interest/obsession with politcs has started to wane. While I am still following events on the hill, I must confess that I hardly have the motivation to delve deeply into them or the time to blog about them. Of course this partly to do with my lack of a computer, but more so to do with me being burnt out. At its inception, this site was supposed to serve as a vehicle to connect my friends across long distances and to give them a chance to showcase their talents as well as get them involved with politics, activism, and current events. Unfortunately, most of them never post due to being too busy or lack of interest.

Part of the reason interest declined was due to the beta version crashing (which apparantly was my fault) and their work being lost. The newer blogger based site, while more stable, lacks several key functions as well as the flare of the original. I must admit, I am not happy with the current look. But most of all, the site lacks direction and I am contemplated what to do with it. Originally, these were the objectives of the site:

1. Chronicle and catagorize the incremental slide towards fascism in the United States.

2. Keep readership up to date on current events, politics, and breakthroughs in science & technology.

3. Post reviews of books, movies, & restaurants.

4. Provide an outlet for creative expression.

5. Inject humor/satire, both original and sampled.

6. Reserect my 1 Man Army politcal comic strip and animations.

With such a broad set of goals it is easy to see why this site overwhelmed me. So I have decided to focus on number five as the primary goal of this site. Following a makeover, I will be primarily be using this site as a vehicle for my comics, which by the way, will focus more on day to day personal events rather than politics. The other listed objectives may pop up from time to time, but will be the exception and not the norm. Hopefully, this will increase readership and then we can focus on other things like T-shirts and what not.

Recooperating with a sushi breakfast.

Recooperating with a sushi breakfast.
Originally uploaded by Mildly Brilliant

After a serious bout of drinking and kareokeing at Brian's House I sometimes spoil myself with some raw fish. After all, I have to absorb all that alcohol so I can partake in communion at the Church of Awesomeness tonight. From the moment I sat down things were going bad, my stomach was turning from the mixed drinks of last night, and the country music videos on the flat-screens behind the bar was unbearable. Just then, one of the older Japanese waitress' cell phone started belting out a Mariah Carey tune. Meanwhile, the restaurant's speakers started playing Whitney Houston's theme song from the Bodyguard.

It was a miracle I kept my food down.

Internets Problem Solved

Well after much struggling with my inner tightwad, I finally broke down and purchased an iPhone. This should help me pay my bills since I do the majority of my billing online. Also, my old Razor was crapping out. Now to find a job to pay this damn thing off.

I'm working on a new Animation...

I have been working hard to put out another cartoon since I haven't completed one since Republican Lite. You will notice the characters are drawn much better this time around.