Why do we usually think the rest of the world is just as well informed as us and simply has a different opinion than us? Why is it so absurd to think that maybe people in other parts of the world know LESS than we do about certain topics? And not just less, but what information they have received is slanted to the point of being false!

Case in point. Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, is uninformed. He fails to understand how our free press works, and can’t even comprehend that CBS fired their own people because they were incompetent! He sounds like a total moron when asks Bush this question. The same goes for people living in much of the Middle East being fed nonsense from Al-Jazeera. Why is it politically incorrect to say that maybe, just maybe, people in some parts of the world don’t know what is going on to the same extent we do?

Our freedom of press and speech here are so extremely important. People in China can’t even visit websites like this because the government there has probably blacked them out. People all over the world are living in caves, how sad it is.

This weekend I had the privilege of heading up to Big Bear for High School winter camp. It was a lot of fun with some awesome creation around us. The drive up was breathtaking. When we started our ascent it was already dark and the moon was shining bright. Usually this would be an equation for dark and boring ride up the mountain…but not that night. There was so much snow on the mountain that it lit up the night. The moonlight reflected off the snow and brought the trees, clouds, and the whole mountain to life. It was one of those rare moments where everything looks so smooth and so pure you’d think it was rendered by a computer. That was probably the highlight of my weekend, but the rest of it was a blast. Now back to work.

Yesterday I picked up MVP Baseball 2005, and so far it’s awesome. Not only does it play a great game of baseball, but from different message boards I frequent it looks like it’s an all around solid game. That’s got me excited. I’m looking forward to actually playing a whole season and getting into it.

My other big news is that I actually went a whole week without soda! I had an energy drink or two, which are soda-like, but they’re kinda good for you. They have vitamins and all this stuff in them, whereas soda is just sugar. I also picked up the Target imitation Centrum vitamins. A year’s supply is only $15, so I figure it’s worth trying.

I took today off so I could get ready for winter camp and play a game or two of baseball, so I better get myself in motion.

I was trying to not get too excited because I have a billion and one things to do, but I can’t help it. New baseball games start to show up on store shelves tomorrow and I can’t contain my excitement. I won’t have a ton of time to play them, but I’m sure I can squeeze a game in here and there. Best of all, they’re way cheaper than most years. MVP ’05 is only $30, what a deal!

I’m at Warren the next two days for Mr. Orlinsky, so maybe after that I’ll have a chance to pick it up.

Stacie and I started looking at places to register. We decided we’ll walk through all the different places first and then pick one to actually register at. Yesterday we looked at the Robinson’s May Home Store…and it was ok. None of their bedding or plates excites us. They have towels in every color imaginable, but that’s not really the most important thing.

I’ve got a test in Adolescent Development on Tuesday, yay. I finally finish my test prepping for the CSET, so now I have to find time to study for it. I’m definitly more optimistic about it than I was a couple months ago. You really only have to get 50% of the questions right, so that makes it a little easier. I’ve got High School winter camp this next weekend, but after that is study time!

I want to see Constantine and eat Roundtable Pizza.

So this morning I drove out to Costa Mesa to finish a 5 class course on how to pass the CSET Math test. Well, on the way there it decided to rain…a lot.

I was headed south on the 605 to get on the 91 east, and it started to pour. Not only was the rain coming down in buckets, but then it started to hail. There was so much water coming down that even with my wipers on high, I couldn’t see a thing. Myself and every other car on the freeway came to a complete stop…not because of rush hour, or a traffic break…but just because there was too much water to see where you were going.

It was a really weird feeling just stopping on the freeway. I kept checking my rearview mirror because I was afraid someone would run into me, but everyone behind me was stopped too. People had even started pulling over to the side of the road. Later on I saw one car facing the wrong way on the freeway, and another car that had driven into an embankment off to the side. It was crazy.

I have more CSET prep classes this weekend. I subbed everyday this week, then Monday/Wednesday night I was at church, then Tuesday/Thursday I had to go school. I have to wake up again in the morning for my last class and then I can finally breathe again. ::sigh::

After a long partnership, soda and I have decided to part ways.

While I love the taste of my formerly favorite sodas, I just can’t drink them anymore. I actually experience weird physical problems when I do. One is that after drinking a soda, the whole rest of the day I’ll feel like I have to burp, but can’t. So it kind of ends up feeling like heartburn. The other weird thing is related to caffeine I think. Sometimes after drinking a soda, I’ll get this weird shaking feeling, like I have to tense every muscle in my body to get rid of the sensation. It’s hard to explain, but it’s definitly soda related.

So today marks my first day to refrain from drinking soda. Let’s see how long this lasts.

Update: Wow, I made it through the whole day without soda. Not only that, but I managed to ride my exercise bike for 45 mins, and I ate a WHOLE orange! I’m so excited about health and fitness right now that I’m looking for a good multi-vitamin to take. I’ve felt good this afternoon and evening too…be exciting to start living a healthier lifestyle and actually notice a difference.