ATP doubles Number 1 again.

I have always been a fan of the Bryan brothers Mike and Bob. So when they recaptured the number 1 doubles ranking after clinching the Barclays ATP championship, I was beyond thrilled. Congratulations Mike and Bob. I hope you guys can win more slams and tournaments. Here are some pictures from the ATP Tour finals and the China Open.

Best Thanksgiving ever?

I did not grow up celebrating Thanksgiving. It holds no special meaning and memories for me. I just like the day off associated with it. And since I do not have my immediate family here, previous Thanksgiving has always been with friends. Often times some friend will bestow compassion and pity on family-less me and invite me to his/her Thanksgiving. And having nothing to do on that day off beside going to dinner later in the day has always been a bore. This year, K-Mart and Walmart were open for Thanksgiving. So two of my other family-less friends joined me and went shopping at Walmart. 129 dollars later and a few good laughs, this Thanksgiving proved itself to be one of the better ones since I came here 15 plus years ago. I wish more establishments were open so there is more to do for folks who does not really have family to spend the whole day with.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving to everybody.

For this year's Thanksgiving, I will go shopping for the first time. Due to the economy, Walmart and KMart are open Thanksgiving day. And I will go shop or at least look around. I might buy some toys for my godson. We will see what loot I bring home.

Blogging and me - Taking Control

I do not even know how many people read my blog. Sometimes I get a random comment from people that surprises me. Perhaps if I blog on a topic and somebody googles that topic, my blog may appear. Then some random guy out there stumbles into my blog. Most of the comments left on my blogs from random people are positive. 2 have been advertisement that promoted something. And one from a very die hard Cubs fan. I once blogged about not really being happy about the traffic caused by the cubs game. And this guy/girl could not just accept that there are people out there who do not like their beloved Cubs. And of course he/she left a nasty, name calling comment on that blog topic. And like a true coward, he/she made it anonymous. Typical. I did not even realize the comment was there cause it was from an old blog topic. I was just cleaning up my blog tonight that I saw the comment. Since I had set it in such a way that anybody can just post a comment on my blog, this guy/girl was able to leave his/her odious angry comment. From now on, let it be known to all that I am the supreme chancellor of this blog. Any comments shall go through my screening before being posted online and if it is nasty, it will go into cyber black hole directly. Comments that disagree with me are acceptable as long as they are not laden with malevolence. From now on, I take control.

ATP Finals

The top 8 men singles and doubles tennis players are in London for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. Well Andy Roddick is absent due to injury but he is replaced by Soderling. Since Andy is absent, I am hoping for Roger to do well. And of course I want the Bryan Brothers to do very well. Don't they all look dashing in their suits.

I do not want to be a racist.

We are all human and subject to have negative prejudices and stereotype on a certain group of people based on their sex, age, race, religion, sexual orientation or any criteria. Our upbringing, experience, ignorance and/or exposure to certain media influence how we look at certain group of people. Heck I even have a few negative prejudices and stereotype on my own people (filipino, chinese, gay men). But what makes me different from a racist KKK, jihadist or homophobe is I do not allow these negative stereotype and prejudices overwhelm my personality. I strive to keep an open mind about the different people I encounter. I let each person's words and actions speak for who and what they are. I have the intelligence and maturity to realize that these prejudices and stereotypes does not apply to all the people I meet of that group.

That is why when it comes to my negative stereotype and prejudice on african americans, I am always very glad to encounter someone of that group prove my prejudices and stereotype wrong. And I strive not to be a racist against black people. And that has led me to have a black friend Francine who is a good person from what I know of her. My efforts not to be a racist has led me to be a devoted fan of Serena and Venus Williams who are both great athletes. It has led me to truly admire Oprah and Barrack Obama. It may not be a smooth road to breaking down my frailty to have negative prejudices about african americans but I know I am in the right direction.

My two fish tanks

It would be most gratifying to...

- see that self important bitch too busy ranting on the cell phone about Bradgelina gets run over by a car and twist her ankle while crossing a "don't walk" light.

- see that asshole in his Hummer, who is speeding and cutting everybody off dangerously, swerve and hit a tree resulting to a 5 year coma.

- see that lazy selfish jerk who does not pick up his pug's shit actually step on a dog shit and ruin his most expensive valentino shoes.

- see that jerk, who constantly overtake from the right side when the light turns green, to get into a head-on with a street pole and sustain a big black eye.

- see that cheat who constantly copies the answer from his seatmate to actually copy the wrong answer and get an F.

Cutest Quarterback?

I have never been a follower of American Football. I barely understand the game. But the new quarterback of the Chicago Bears, Jay Cutler, has caught my attention. He is just as cute as a button. You be the judge.

Musee Orsay

The Orsay Museum was a train station transformed into a Museum. So the interior was not built originally to be a museum. Perhaps that was the reason why it was rather confusing to get around the museum. Not user friendly at all but that did not diminish the richness of the artworks it houses. While mama sat at the bottom because her sore foot, I ventured around the museum. Sometimes I got lost a little but managed to find my way. Here are some photos I took during our trip there.

Art or Porn?

I am not a prude by any means but I was a bit aghast to see this painting at the Orsay Museum. Obviously they considered this art otherwise it would not be hanging in a very reputable world class museum in Paris. Yes I have seen plenty of naked female form in paintings or sculptures but never this "in your face". It is like seeing a painting or sculpture of a naked man with a full hard on. Perhaps the French, or the European in general, are just not that obsessed with nudity as American can be. That must be it.

Happy to be a Medium

There is one sad fact that I don't seem to remember every now and then. That is that I do not fit on a size small from H&M anymore. The problem is H&M makes their "small" long but narrow on the chest area. Being 5 foot 10 inches at 168 pound with a coat size of 38-40, the length of the "small" is perfect for me but the chest area is always tight. Obviously H&M's idea of a "small" is a lean kind of guy. And since I lift weights and do pack a decent amount of muscle, I am no longer an H&M version of "small". That thin tall guy that I was in high school no longer exist and I am not regretting a ounce of it. I just have to remember every time I shop at H&M that the shirt which seems to fit well in the store will shrink to a size that can be a little too tight in the chest area eventually. I have suffered many buyer's remorse over my H&M purchases. "I am a medium" will be my new mantra.