life update

I like to keep my blog posts separate for different subjects even in the come on the same day, I also felt especially compelled to write another post due to pure negative nature of that last post.  That last post was an extreme emotional response to a lot of things I have seen building up over the last couple months.  From friends bailing on their bills so they can go on vacation, to people laughing outside of Circuit City mocking the fact that so many people were losing their jobs etc.  Despite all that and swimming in these shark infested waters trying to stay afloat I somehow manage to stay happy.  I suppose it is because of several of the new friends I have made along the last month.  By the way if you care to read this blog and I have left you hanging for over a month than I apologize. It is always my intention to post something here but I find that is hard to sit in front of your computer and be inspired and a consistent basis.  Perhaps I am not as skilled as some of the many talented people I have seen on the internets.  So without further rambling introductions let me give you a brief (yea right I am verbose) synopsis of what has been going on with me lately.

 

As I said a couple posts ago Erin from Eringames.com got me to come back to WoW as a horde and I am almost level 78 with my Blood Elf.  My guild Ashes of the Fallen are all pretty cool people that I enjoy talking to and look forward to being more active with when I hit the level cap of 80.  I don’t play much with them at the moment because I’d just be asking for their help all the time and I don't really want to do that

 

Speaking of Erin, she had a Resident Evil 5 giveaway video contest on YouTube where people had to make a video talking about Resident Evil 5 or the other Resident Evil titles.  The winner of the contest got a limited edition artwork and if they didn't have the game they also got a copy of the game.  Well I am a huge RE buff and have everything from books to a snow globe, to Resident Evil STARS and Umbrella jackets and all of the games except 1. So I showed my love for the series and well I won the contest and once my package arrives I can say once again that I own all the RE games.  So thanks again Erin for the contest and for picking me as the winner.

 

I also recently traded my psp for fallout 3.  Don't despair Sony fans I plan on getting one of the newer psps and I wasn’t happy with the scratches mine had accumulated.  I haven’t gotten that far into Fallout but it seems that the sales clerk's description of "It is just like Oblivion with guns instead of swords" is pretty accurate.  The storyline seems interesting to the say the least so far.

 

Finally in gaming related news I am really excited for the new UFC Unleashed 2009 game coming out next month.  I really look forward to the create-a-fighter mode as well as playing some of my desired fighter match ups with my friends.  Rampage v Shogun tops my list.  Lesner vs Couture rematch as well.   I will for sure be talking about that next month.  In case you didn't know I am a big fan of MMA as well.

 

Easter was yesterday and I spent it with a part of the non blood related people you call family.  That’s the best kind.  You get to pick them.  Speaking of that party the food was excellent and as a matter of fact I look forward to getting home soon and munching on the chicken that I brought home.  I am also grateful for what Easter signifies in my faith so all in all it was a good day,

 

Well thanks for stopping by and reading this.  Hope your Easter/Passover was awesome and your week is even better.

 

As always follow me on twitter @Xaviermagnus

www.twiiter.com/xaviermagnus

www.myspace.com/xavierknight

 

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faith based economy

Faith Based Economy

 

You know our economy is a really amazing thing when you reflect on how it actually works.  In previous years the United States worked under a gold and silver standard which meant that the US Mint never printed more money than the worth of the gold and silver reserves.  It also meant that you or I if living in those times could exchange a 20 dollar bill for 20 dollars worth of gold.  However as years progressed and gold and silver reserves got smaller the dollar became a green back not silver back.  The dollar is worth a dollar because the government says so.  It is commonly accepted by the world that this is so.  This new form of economy is referred to as a faith based economy; because the only thing that gives currency its value is the fact that the world has faith in it.

 

I use this to illustrate the difference between what we were and what we are.  However today in 2009 during the greatest economic disaster in US history, faith based economy takes a whole different meaning.  Today people all over the United States many as we speak are praying to God for a job, or praying to keep their job.  Every time I go to the post office I pray that checks are there so I can pay bills.  We no longer are having faith in the dollar, but we have to have faith in each other and higher powers just to get through this month's bills.

 

I know people who have walked away from their home loans despite being able to afford them simply because they have lost their faith in the housing market.  Businesses in my town for over 60 years are closing their doors because people don't buy enough products. People don’t have much money and what money they get they try to hold on to because no one knows what tomorrow is going to hold.  Will housing prices drop again?  Will the Dow Jones take another dive?  Politicians talk about helping us and stimulus packages all while raising taxes.  In California, vehicle registration is going to almost double.  Sales tax went from 7.375% to 8.375% in my county and the whole state saw a 1% increase.  Tobacco products gained over a dollar per pack in taxes and income taxes have gone up as well.  People need to realize how you are going to get that stimulus check.  Is it really worth a 500 dollar stimulus if over the next 5 years you pay an extra 30 thousand dollars in taxes. 

 

President Obama also wants to raise inheritance taxes to above 50%.  You know what that means that if your dad or mom dies and leaves you a million dollars of taxable estate the government will get more than you do.  "Sorry young American about your loss, I mean our loss" says the government "here is your share of the million is this 475,000 dollar check."  Now many of you may read this and think that I am a silly republican only looking to take shots at our new president.  Quite the opposite actually I have and will always be a member of the Democratic Party, but I know when something in my gut feels wrong.  Look at my family for example.  My grandfather was in the Navy came out with nothing married my grandmother and started a generator repair business.  He worked every day of his life until he died 2006.  Now my family is forced to sell some of the properties we have accumulated and paid property tax on for years because the government said that the estate was worth an X amount of money so we have to pay an X amount of taxes.  Which equaled to 44% of taxes for us.  So we had to basically sell off half of what we as a family have built lived in and worked on all our lives to pay the government what they say the deserve because we inherited it after losing a family member.  So not only did I lose my grandfather we have to pay in cash for his hard work and service to our community.

 

The last time our economy was this bad we were only really bailed out by World War 2, and unless you want a war the solution lies with everyday folks like us.  Support your local businesses; don't skip out on the bills that you charged up just because you think you can.  I have a friend that has a lot of credit card debt and even wanted to file bankruptcy n student loans.  That is garbage no one made you charge up your card with laptops snowboards and mountain bikes.  No one made you buy a new truck when your other one was still pretty new.  No one made you not finish college in 4 years while the government gave you a grant.  Do what’s right don’t bail on the bills you created.  Take responsibility for your debts before you are the one who is responsible for killing our economy.

 

Don't think of me as an idiot, a zealot, or right wing.   I am simply scared and tired of seeing every store from Circuit City to Gottschalks to half of the local businesses and restaurants closing weekly leaving more and more people relying on a miracle and faith to feed their families.  If you don't like what I am saying or thinking you are entitled to that I don't like this either.  You can even unfollow me if you wish.  Nonetheless I hope you don't wake up in a jobless market starving and homeless,

 

Now more than ever take care of each other

 

God Bless and lots of love and prosperity

XM

 

 

Cancer

Typically I do not write about things so close to my heart on the internet.  I like being a dark brooding enigma or an internet mystery as someone once referred to me.  Not that I ashamed of myself, but sometimes I like to talk about events with my honest opinion and not have everyone that I know read it.  So here (because someone that matters a great deal says I need to open up more) is an honest attempt to post something heartfelt and not be a smark for once.

 

As most people that take their time to read this will be from twitter you may or may not know that I follow a person that goes by the moniker @followheidi.  I also try to do my fair share of linking here and bringing her more views, because I really believe in what she does. Heidi (@followheidi) is a representative of the Vera Bradley Foundation and she works at promoting awareness of breast cancer.  Her twitter bio reads "A survivor who wants to build awareness for breast cancer research - and stop this disease so her children are safe"  That pretty much sums up what an amazing person she is and I know personally through @ replies and direct messages just how sweet she really is.  Every time I am feeling down and post something on twitter that relates to self loathing brooding emo Xavier I can pretty much count on seeing something positive from her about me that makes me feel better.  She always seems to find a light switch in the dark.  If you look at her messages to people you can see that I am no special case; that is just who she is; a strong person trying to prop the rest of us up when we feel bad.  The world would be a lot better place with more like Heidi.

 

Cancer is a subject that hits very hard for me.  Most people that follow me have no idea that I lost both my grandmother in 2002 and grandfather in 2006 to cancer.  In my first and last semester of college actually, and I also have a friend Emily that is still on the recovery process from blood cancer.  I have never been close with my mother and haven't seen her in over 10 years (which is another story), so I have always shared a close bond with my paternal grandparents.   Losing my grandmother was the most difficult thing I have ever endured; she was like my best friend and mother.  It changed me; it rocked my foundation to my core and I came out of that event a completely different person. 

 

The only thing that I can say has ever compared to affecting me like that is when I had Diabetic Keidoacidosis and almost died in 2007.  A week in the ICU will do that though.  The only solace that I can take in the passing of both my grandparents is the fact that I was there with both of them in the last days.  I had a conversation with my grandmother the last time I actually talked to her and I thanked her for everything she had ever done for me.  I thanked her for being there to shape me to be a good person.  For being a mother, for being my friend and I told her that I loved her and I didn't know what I would do without her.  She told me that I would have to be a strong one and I have tried my best ever since to be strong for those that need me.

 

The moral of the story is I want to help people like @followheidi get their message out so hopefully they can find a cure for cancer and even though I didn't lose anyone to breast cancer specifically I never want a family to have to feel the pain of losing someone to a terminal disease.  I don't want to have to see a twenty year old girl stay in her house for a year because her bone marrow transplant has left her with no immune system.  Kids shouldn't have to go to Chemotherapy, all cancer is bad and Heidi is out there doing something about it

 

So in closing please take the time to do something even if it is to just retweet this simple message "check out @followheidi, support those that fight against cancer, it is good for you" 

 

Who knows your one tweet could have a ripple effect that saves somebody.

 

This post the person I chose to highlight is pretty obvious so I will cut the normal chatter and here is her links

 

http://www.twiiter.com/followheidi

http://www.verabradleyfoundation.blogspot.com

 http://www.verabradley.org

 

 

 

 

Thanks for reading this and take care of yourselves

 

 

If you aren’t already follow me at:

http://www.twitter.com/xaviermagnus

Insomnia Squad

Last Night/his early morning I had the honor of joining in authorship in a blog with several other late nighters like myself.  This blog and the collection of talent that is working on it is known as the Insomnisquad.  This has the potential to be the coolest thing I have ever worked on internet wise.  The idea and leader is our fearless squad commander Leah D'Emilio from a little website you might know as Mahalo Daily.  It isn't not so often that yours truly gets to be grouped with such an interesting and beautiful, not to mention talented woman, so I jumped on it in the first twitter I saw about it.  Well that’s all in this post about it go check it outhhh http://www.insomnisquad.blogspot.com

 

In honor of the insomnisquad this post person is none other than the Squad Commander Leah D'Emilio.  As stated before she is lovely and talented.  You can find her work on Mahalo Daily as well as her blog The Dealio with D'Emilio, this week in youtube with Lon Harris.  She is also a good soul who recently worked with several others to help get clean drinking water for people that did not have it.  She was a huge part of the Los Angeles Twestival, and I have a feeling she will be blogging from Australia soon.

 

Here is most of her many links:

 

http://thedealiowithdemilio.blogspot.com/

http://twitter.com/leahdemilio

http://www.islandreefjob.com/#/applicants/watch/z7jD2C2aqc0  (click on this give her 5 stars)

 

Oh and squad commander I am doing my best to promote you so you can get to Australia so I better get some swag when you get the job JK

 

 

As always Take care of yourself and each other

twitter.com/xaviermagnus

myspace.com/xavierknight

insomnisquad.blogspot.com