Goodbye 2012

Jean Val Jean is a Friend of Mine - interesting review of the Les Mis movie and how it fits into the author's worldview. History repeats itself, to the detriment of us all.

Enough Gun Violence!? - I've been very disturbed at the recent tragedies and this article was interesting to read. I really am disparaged to hear the NRA and folks advocating more guns in the aftermath of this. horror.

The other hot item at the moment here in USA is the fiscal cliff debacle. When I traveled to poor countries over the holiday I had one stunning realization. We are so prosperous and sit atop the entire globe in wealth and opportunity. Despite all these opportunities all you hear about is how hard it is to get a job and to make an impact. That's highly due to the bombardment of media blasting you with consumerism ideals that leave you empty and penniless. The working people I saw in those poor countries seem pretty happy regardless of the fact they'll never eat Kentucky Fried Chicken or get a daily dose of Dunkin Donuts, never mind texting their friends and tweeting their every action to nobody. They'll never know what they're missing on American Idols, The Biggest Loser, or America's Extreme Wipeout.

I can't believe we have to be goaded into wanting to work. We have to be incentivized to want to build and create. We have to be praised and lauded as geniuses in order to "get through the week" and make life worth living!?!? If only we knew what paradise we live in and what paradise exists outside of our routine lives. But we do know, we should know. The knowledge is right there. I can't reconcile it in my head just yet. How we can live in the "best of times, and the worst of times" when really it is the best of times!? And why we can't control ourselves from maiming ourselves, and grounding our best programs, retarding our best projects and ideas, and fighting each other to keep the status quo. My whole life I've felt an enormous struggle just to be able to "do the right thing" and IMPROVE SOCIETY. Why are there such huge barriers to innovation and creativity? Why is it so hard to just "get through the week"? I think we all need a dose of perspective and hopefully amidst the tragedy and the miracles of everyday life it will resonate through to our civilization that "A BETTER WORLD IS POSSIBLE".

AND WE ARE MAKING IT

Chocolat Bar - Langham Hotel - Boston

For 1^st year anniversary I took my wife to the Chocolate Bar. She jokes about my alcohol tolerance being higher than hers. We discover her chocolate tolerance is much higher than mine. I could hardly move after the 2 hour gorge on all things chocolate:

• chocolate croissant bread pudding
  
• chocolate filled pretzel
  
• pumkpin dark chocolate torte
  
• home-made vanilla ice cream with gummi bear mixins
  
• triple chocolate tarts
  
• hand rolled dark, milk, and white chocolate truffles
  
• raspberry filled beignets
  
• penny candy
  
• cotton candy
  
• chocolate fountain with pine-apple, strawberry, marshmallow, and pretzel dippers
  
• espresso soaked opera cake
  
• a ton of cups of liquid chocolate filled stuff that I can't remember the name of
  
• chocolate mixed berry tarts
  
• made to order crepes with much fruit, chocolate, and varieties of alcohol
  
• boston creme filled donut things covered in chocolate
  
• vegan chocolate muffins
  
• key lime pie
  
• apple cider
  

Something I'd say everyone should do once, and chocolate lovers would want to do annually. It can't be healthy to attempt more frequently than that. I've had enough dessert to last many moons now. The chocolate euphoria really was akin to a mild inebriation. I could eat the chocolate bread pudding every day!

some of us have been waiting a very long time for this day

France opens secret UFO files covering 50 years

More than 60 people saw the UFO

An "unrelated" shout-out to my boys in blue, the Memphis State Tigers Men's BBall Team!, Go TIGERS GO!!!
They are currently advancing to the elite 8 after knocking out the trash they call the Aggies, where they will embarrass and humiliate the Ohio State Fuckeyes. The eyes of Texas are upon you, gentlemen!