Saturday, May 31, 2008

Okie Lassos Red Head with Vintage Gold

Some people will say I jumped.

A man's man would say, technically, I've been hanging ten on a platform for years; wiggling my toes and peering down into murky waters, which has been churning -- waiting to expunge the "male freedom" from my being.

I don't think so.

On May 29, 2008 I asked Tricia to marry me. The date marked our six-year anniversary. The answer had been thumping away in the back of my mind. I knew she would say something along the lines of yes. I guess precaution is inherent though because without consciously planning it, I sat her on a small row boat and asked her in the middle of a bay. She could have said no, but why would she in that sort of situation...there would be no running away.


The only jumping that crossed my mind was a desire to leap into her lap. Of course that would have proved awkward considering the boat's inability to keep afloat two adults on one side. We would have flipped.

I kept my cool and the entire experience worked out perfectly.

I had asked her father for his permission roughly a year ago. We were walking back to our hotel on Mackinac Island in Michigan. Darrell, her father, said something similar to, "Well, yeah! Of course you can."

So many plans surged through my mind. My first plan sort of fell into the "Initially Create Pain" category, because categories for marriage proposals exist. I wanted to force her to hike four days to Machu Picchu. The hike would have included minimal food, outdoor fecal shooters (pooping into a hole you dig), bugs and stressful climbs. But in the end I would have remedied the situation by presenting the ring. Right? Hmm....

The second plan included a trip to New Zealand, but I thought of that during a moment of unclarity, a moment when I thought I had money. Sometimes I do that. I just decide to be rich for a few minutes. The event usually happens when I'm tipping people. "Ah, the food was rancid, but the drinks were great. Here's 50 percent on top of the bill."

My sister had called me a few months ago. She heard I was hunting a ring. My first plan was to find a family heirloom, but if that didn't work I would have visited a jeweler. Michelle, my little sister, indulged interesting information. She had inherited a ring from our Aunt Sissy a while ago. Aunt Sissy inherited it from our Great Grandmother Katherine. Michelle planned to hand it down to her daughter, but she gave birth to two boys. On the phone she informed me of her decision to quit populating the Earth and asked if I would like to have the ring. I appreciatively accepted.


The moment rapidly approached.

I sent reservations off for a hotel in Morro Bay. We would have left early on May 29 and stayed for the weekend. I intended to place a knee in the sand while walking along Avila Beach since we enjoyed visiting the place sometime last year. But then Tricia made complete and horrible sense when she said, "Why don't we just save the money and use it for our Seattle/Portland trip in June?"

Damn.

I canceled the Central Coast trip and continued stroking my chin. Finally I thought of Willem Falls, our 9.5 foot yacht hugging our wall in the back yard.

Perfect.

"John is it OK that I work on Thursday?"

That was the day. Shit. "Until what time?"

"Oh probably around 7 p.m."

I said sure thinking we would successfully row out onto Alamitos Bay in time for the sun to set.

Finally, the boat was launched. We had red wine and music. A Pinback CD whirled feverishly. I rowed over to the dock at Gondola Getaway to pick her up. Our friend Greg was working.

She almost invited Greg along for the ride.

AHHHH!!!

Luckily he was on his way home. No offense, it would have been great to hang out and guzzle wine with a couple of my favorite people, but the timing was indecent.

We made it. We were drifting in the middle of the bay. The sun had set, but the chemical glow still lingered. I started with a speech that would have made a man's man lose his lunch then kick me in the groin. Then I pulled it out.

The ring.

Sickos.

She said yes.

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Mascaréta



Tricia and I payed Tim and Tyson a visit at Sunset Gondola.

Tim allowed us access to their Mascaréta.



If you look in the background you can see they own three gondolas now.


I harassed her to sing, but she wouldn't.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Americana Served Up with Shots of Whiskey

The Road Kill Kings performed in front of a thinning crowd at The Pike in Long Beach on Tuesday, but they played like they were flanked by thousands.






Tuesday, May 20, 2008

The Great Balero Throw



String? I don't need no string.

Monday, May 19, 2008

2008 Long Beach Pride Parade

Roars and sputters puking from the rear of motorcycles launched the twenty-fifth annual Long Beach Pride Parade on May 18.



Everyone was out and proud, even the merciless sun came out to shine.


Maybe in an attempt to even the score two moons arose.

A few riders were temporarily unable to operate their hogs making the start seem a bit slow. But the man's swinging finger (above) made wheels roll. I thought he was dancing.


Indulger of gadgets Kurt Knuttson sat in as the Grand Marshal.


Mister Long Beach, Justin Rudd, strolled on through.






Bonnie Lowenthal, the vice mayor of Long Beach, called the cops back after realizing I was simply playing a game of slug bug.






This is our friend Kori marching for Interval House.






Friday, May 16, 2008

North Bound


Two hours ago Tricia and I geared up to fly North for a holiday.

Prepare my friends. Prepare.




Wednesday, May 14, 2008

DogHouse

Displayed memory.




Everyone meet Scarlette. She's an ugly dog. She's gorgeous too.


Monday, May 12, 2008

'Ask the Titans' how to do it

Published on the CSUF Daily Titan newspaper Web site on May 12. This is the last article for the Spring 2008 semester.



Curiosity is quelled with answers. Like a wise grandmother, Cal State Fullerton has an answer for everything, although one may have to wait 48 hours for a response.

The "Ask the Titans" feature on the university Web site was developed to answer any inquiry anyone may have regarding the campus and its inner workings. The feature also accepts comments. The link can be found under Quick Links on the campus home page or at www.fullerton.edu/ask.

"It's a service of a department we call 'New Student Programs,'" said CSUF Dean of Students Kandy Mink Salas. "One of the parts of their mission is student information services -- helping students get information by running information centers, sending out e-mails and doing newsletters, especially for new students because they're the ones that really need it and 'Ask the Titans' is just another way we do that."

The NSP staff has answered questions ranging from hazing and locker rental procedure to academic advisement and space requests from vendors.

"The weirdest question I have received would be when someone asked if I (Ask the Titans) knew their friend that went here," said Holly Tripp, a Radio-TV-Film major and NSP employee. "The most common question I receive is from students who are interested in joining a club or creating a club and don't know how or where to start."

Tripp, 21, initially fields questions, then gives answers to questions she can answer readily. If the inquiry is too complex, Tripp receives help from other NSP employees.

"I also get a lot of questions from prospective students or high school students asking basic information about the university, sometimes it's for their class project or just for their own information," Tripp said. "I also receive questions from students who lost their IDs or pins. We cannot provide them the information, but we can let them know the process of how they may go about getting that."

The amount of questions varies depending on where in the semester they fall.

"On average, I get about 10 questions per week," Tripp said. "But at the beginning and end of each semester I find that the questions become much more frequent, as much as 20 a week."

The "Ask the Titans" feature is the brainchild of former Dean of Students Loydene Keith and was launched in January 2001.
The online form simply requires people to submit their name and e-mail, choose if a response is desired or not, declare their type of involvement with CSUF and choose the nature of the message.

Problems occur, but they are seldom. When a situation arises, the culprit is usually the absence of the inquirer's e-mail.

"When that happens, there is no way for me to respond to them," Tripp said. "There is no tracking information when they send an inquiry via 'Ask the Titans.' "

Assistance does not end with the Web site. Inquiries may also be answered in University Hall Room 178 and Titan Student Union Room 235. The NSP also hires students to work within the program and those interested may inquire in either of the two offices.

"We hire students to be campus tour leaders," Mink Salas said. "[We also hire] for new student orientation staff and it has extensive training in the spring semester and then you're working most of the summer on orientation programs."

Once students are hired, chances to move up into senior-level positions are possible.

"At that point you're a student who is supervising other students," Mink Salas said.

In May 2007 Tripp gained control of the student coordinator information services position. The Fullerton local is set to leave her position at the beginning of this summer and is currently training a new student coordinator.

"Holly is very knowledgeable about campus information," Mink Salas said. "She's not hired specifically to do this, she has a whole big job that helps coordinate campus tours and new student orientations, this is just part of her job."

The job is usually open to student assistants since they have proper training and are familiar with the office, Tripp said.

"In order for somebody to apply for the position, they must have extensive knowledge of Cal State Fullerton," Tripp said. "They must be able to work independently under minimal supervision."

The new student training to clutch the "Ask the Titans" reins is Trisha Smith, 21. She said the feature is important for students interested in the campus, but who may not be fully committed yet.

"It's a good way for them to obtain information," said Smith, a health science major. "It's a valuable feature."

Smith said she realizes not every student has used, or even heard of, "Ask the Titans."

"I have not [used 'Ask the Titans'], so actually being on the answering end of the questions should be interesting," Smith said. "I hope to look over the questions [Tripp] has received and then formulate my own answers to the more common questions that come through."

Smith said the majority of students take advantage of finding the information on their own, while other students find the office phone number and simply call.

"I think maybe for the students who are a little more shy they'll go through 'Ask the Titans,'" Smith said.

Dedication is key when working on campus, but Tripp realizes that strictly working on campus is not sufficient.

"I work from home, usually answering 'Ask the Titans' questions," Tripp said. "I am not in the office at school every day."

Student involvement on campus is an extremely important aspect while earning a college degree because there is more than simply learning inside the classroom, Tripp said. However, Tripp admitted to learning a tough lesson regarding involvement -- Do not take on too much.

"I learned that the hard way," Tripp said. "There is so much I want to do here, but it is impossible to do everything. When I put too much on my plate recently, I realized that I needed to give up a few things and focus my efforts in [fewer] areas so I [could] give 100 percent."

Tripp said she has gained a lot of valuable experience since getting involved in the academic milieu. Professional development, public speaking skills and writing skills are just a few of her improvements attributed to campus involvement.

"You gain a lot of valuable experiences and come across great opportunities that will bring you a step ahead [of] other graduates when you're ready to leave college," Tripp said. "Another benefit is that you feel more a part of the campus, like it is your home and you belong."

Friday, May 09, 2008

Thursday, May 08, 2008

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Paperplanes @ the Prospector in Long Beach



Reflections: A dialogue through vinyl cracks



The Paperplanes had finished grooving when the DJ took over. The following conversation with Jim, as I remember it, occurred roughly 3 feet from a big black speaker looming overhead.

Me: So how have you been?!
Jim: What?!
Me: Hello there!
Jim: I'm telling you, we need to ride Kern River!
Me: On one of those big safe rafts?!
Jim: Fuck no. We need inner tubes!
Me: Oh!
Jim: We need to pack boxes of beer in a sort of floating device and drag them from our inner tubes!
Jim: We'll rip a hole in top just big enough so our fists will fit through! That way we can simply reach in and grab one!
Me: That sounds good!
Jim: We have to make sure we're finished drinking before we hit each rapid!
Jim: When you go through the rapids you get knocked around and if you have half of a beer in your hand what's going to happen?!

Me: It will fill with water!
Jim: Are you going to want to drink that shit!
Me: Yes?

Jim: What?!
Me: No!
Jim: That's why we have to finish drinking the beer!
Me: How crazy are the rapids?!
Jim: People die there every year! (laughs)
Me: ...

Monday, May 05, 2008

New Dish Bike

She likes.

Cocktail hour, Dock time


Here's the beginning of many photos. That's Mike Almquist (left), Tricia, Dean and Greg. Upcoming photos include Dean's gondola ride, my newspaper office, Rob's bike pub crawl, Prospector and Paperplanes photos, Tricia's new bike and Rob's new bike photos. Live it, live it.

Thursday, May 01, 2008

Students benefit, professor wins

Published in the CSUF Daily Titan newspaper on April 30.

Every summer, Cal State Fullerton and other CSU students participate in the Washington, D.C. Internship Program. The program places interns in political and government-related offices in the nation's capital.

The program is led by the media-savvy Professor Stephen Stambough. He has maintained an interest in politics his entire life that he is passing on to his students.

The 40-year-old CSUF political science teacher was recently awarded the Humanities and Social Sciences Faculty Award for outstanding service and contribution to student success.

"I'm honored to have won it as a result of my work with the Washington, D.C. [summer] Internship program," Stambough wrote in an e-mail. "The award is a very nice recognition of the work on this program, which has been a lot of fun and rewarding working with students."

Stambough's decision to become a political science teacher stems from his early interest in politics as a child, but earning teaching credentials was one of his two choices.

"It was either campaign work or teaching," Stambough said. "Campaign work is fun and something I still do a little bit, but I haven't for the last few years [and] the hours suck."

Through the years, Stambough has worked on many campaigns. He has even stared into the lens of a CNBC World television camera, while participating periodically as a guest expert discussing California and American political issues.

"From my childhood on, I volunteered on campaigns and then later served as an adviser to some candidates," Stambough said. "I've worked on races from city council to governor in five different states."

Stambough said appearing on television is "just kind of fun." He said the experience is like being in a different world, but it's part of what teachers should do.

"We should be working out in the community instead of [strictly] staying on campus," Stambough said. "That's part of what the [Washington, D.C.] Internship program philosophy is -- getting the students out and applying what they learn here into things that could be careers."

Former President Bill Clinton, Elizabeth Dole and former 1996 Republican vice-president candidate Jack Kemp are just a few big political names Stambough has had the opportunity to meet and briefly speak with.

In its third year, the Cal State D.C. Internship Program is available to all juniors, seniors and graduate students in the CSU system, according to CSUF's division of politics, administration and justice Web page.

"The students stay at the dorms at George Washington University," Stambough said. "I stay out there for half of the summer and another faculty member stays for the other half."

The other faculty member is criminal justice professor Stacy Mallicoat, Stambough said.

Phillip Gianos, the chair of the division of politics, administration and justice, nominated Stambough for the faculty award.

In his nomination memo, Gianos stated that Stambough, with the support of alumna Margaret McCarthy and the dean's office, was essential to the summer program by aiding in establishing, organizing and administering the internship program.

"[Stambough] brought to CSUF his experience with similar programs at North Dakota State University," Gianos wrote in the memo. "[Stambough] did the hard initial work of creating the program from scratch."

One look at Stambough's five-page curriculum vitae proves his work ethic is extraordinary.

He said learning the value of working hard is attributed to family influence. Born in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Stambough moved frequently during his childhood because of his father's involvement in the military.

"After the military, my dad went into social work," Stambough said. "My first jobs were helping him out at the place he ran, which was a [United Service Organization]."

Stambough may dedicate much of his time to work and he may accomplish certain tasks like publishing books, journal articles and book reviews, but he said personal time is extremely important too. He has been married for 10 years and his hobbies include everything from baseball and movies to wine tasting.

At one point during his life of constant moving, his father was stationed at Camp Pendleton in San Diego. The family stayed long enough for Stambough to grow into a San Diego Chargers and San Diego Padres fan.

The faculty award Stambough will receive is one of six campus-wide awards distributed by the college of humanities and social sciences.

Each recipient will receive their award at a humanities and social sciences convocation in September. The first awards were dispersed in 2001, said Thomas Klammer, the dean of the college of humanities and social sciences.

"[The] winners of all but the distinguished faculty member award receive $1,000 and personalized plaques," Klammer wrote in an e-mail. "They [also] have their names inscribed on a permanent plaque in the dean's office."

Klammer said Stambough's award is important because it recognizes the tremendous contribution faculty make through services of all kinds, but especially through services that directly benefit students and enhances their education.

"[Stambough] is especially deserving of this award because of his leadership of the Washington, D.C. Internship program, which offers one of the most powerful educational experiences our students can have," Klammer wrote in an e-mail. "[The internship] opens up rewarding career options to those who are interested in pursuing work in government service, advocacy (lobbying) firms, non-profits, congressional and executive offices and federal agencies."

Stambough received his master's degree in political science from Iowa State University in 1991 and then received his doctorate in the same discipline from the University of California, Riverside in 1997. He arrived and began teaching at CSUF in 2003.

"[My] motivation comes from an interest in seeing people develop intellectually and develop careers in things they might have never thought possible," Stambough said. "That is why the [Washington, D.C.] Internship program is incredibly rewarding to do."

Stambough is the first person in his immediate family to attend college and his biggest challenge in life happened to be attending graduate school.

"I am [a] first-generation college [student] and anyone who has been in that situation knows that there is a learning curve about applications, financing and college life that is new to those without siblings or parents who have been to college," Stambough said. "My parents were really supportive."

Working through challenges helped Stambough develop a life philosophy.

"Keep your eye on the big picture and the details will work themselves out," he said.

As far as advice for political science students looking to transition into the teaching world, he said students should gain some experience in the political world through campaign work or internships and then bring those experiences into the classroom.

Students may find more information regarding the Washington, D.C. Internship program by visiting http://hss.fullerton.edu/polisci/wip/index.asp.