My Mind

Let's take a peak into the mind of Alex shall we? From the looks of it, most people seem to have a pretty organized thought process. They have a tendency to be more focused on whatever task is given to them and they are able to complete it with no thoughtly distractions. I on the other hand have the most disorganized mind in the entire world. I'm always thinking and my thoughts are always all over the place, never focused on one thing.
I think that most people have all their thoughts organized in some file cabinet within their mind. If that's so then my thoughts are held in a filing room full of a million fans set on high; they fly all over the place and are impossible to keep in order. I imagine the little secretary who's in charge of keeping these thoughts organized must have hung herself years ago.
It's not all bad I guess. Since my mind is stuck in a constant mode of reflection it's given me a creative imagination. That's why I want to be a writer. I can come up with such creative ideas and I'm pretty articulate which helps in writing. I was even able to help my friend get an A in his essay writing class as well as help my other friends on their own essays. I just wish teachers wouldn't make it so hard with little things like MLA format or citing your sources in a such a specific way. Whatever, I'm trailing off again, let me wrap this up.
Overall, while it having a wandering mind (or having ADD, or whatever you want to call it) can have it's disadvantages, it's helped shape me into one hell of a creative thinker and I think it shows in my blogs. High five for me.

-Alex M.

Dear Santa...

For Christmas I would like the following:

1) Cash. Lots of cash. Enough so that I would never go hungry for the rest of my life. Enough so that I can support my future family, help out friends in need, and donate to charity.

2) For you to turn the whole world into a frozen tundra of ice cream for a day. I <3 ice cream.

3) For you to fix the economy. Obama can't do it by himself. We need you Santa!

4) For the Dolphins to pull off another Super Bowl win sometime within the next ten years.

5) A cure for cancer and or STDs.

6) Sex with Beyonce-no, Jessica Alba-no, Eva Mendez-no....

7) World peace. Cliche, I know, but c'mon Santa it's Christmas.

8) To be as awesome as Chuck Norris.

9) The answer to the meaning of life. Maybe people would stop killing each other over religious reasons if we knew the answer.

10) Make me some milk and cookies dammit. I'm tired of making cookies for someone else knowing I can't have at least one.

I know that it sounds like I'm asking for a lot this year but I know you can do it Santa; I believe in you!

-Alex M.

Life isn't like the movies.

You know, if there's one important lesson that I've learned this year, it's that real life isn't anything like the movies. The bad guys tend to win more often, you don't always get the girl at the end, and you don't wake up one morning and suddenly realize that you might actually be the most important person in the world (or better yet The One). On top of that, the majority of the people running this planet are a bunch of egotistical apes driven soley by their insatiable appetite for dead presidents.
Last year, one of my best friends got deported to Peru; him and his family. It's not like me and the rest of my friends are going to go on some crazy rescue mission to bring him back to the states. We just accept things the way they are and try to keep in touch with him whenever possible because what the hell can we do? Just last week, I found out my other friend's mom was having heart problems and she needs surgery. I can't tell you how painful it was for me to see all 3 of her kids break into tears when she said there was a chance that she might actually die. What hurts is that sometimes, in life, no matter how hard you try to pray for grim situations to work themselves out, it won't always happen; we're not always given a miracle.
Sigh...I don't know. As you get older you tend to notice more and more that the world is a depressing place and as an individual, you can't seem to do anything to change it. That's why I try to live my life by being the best person I can possibly be. You know, be kind to others, take care of yourself, do what you love, and to believe in something positive. At least there's a chance that I can make a good difference in the life of another person. It's not the whole world but it's a start right? I just needed to get this off my chest. I'll see you all later.

-Alex M.

Hip Hop

Since we're talking about entertainment and music this week, I figured I'd talk about my favorite genre of music: Hip-hop. I listen to Rock also and a small percentage from other genres but Hip-hop is my favorite one. I guess I'm writing this blog entry mainly to discuss why I love the genre and why people should stop saying "Alex you think your a gangster or something?" when they don't even listen to the music.
Most people criticize Hip-hop or Rap or whatever you want to call it based on what is heard on the radio or music videos. The reason why the majority of the music is so mediocre these days is because Hip-hop is not only one of the youngest genres of music (if not THE youngest) but also one of the quickest in gaining such popularity. It's more than music; it's a lifestyle and a freedom of expression. It was originally a freedom of expression and addressed many issues from personal to political; it was more intelligent compared to how it is today. Naturally like all original and creative ideas, the industry saw it as being profitable and the genre became commercialized to the worst degree. Now, the majority of the material you hear on the radio and television is all about guns, drugs, cars and sex because that is what sells.
The majority of the Rap I listen to is either older or underground (noncommercialized Hip-hop). The music itself is deeper and more complex. I do listen to mainstream music too but I get tired of the majority of the songs (from oversaturation) quickly except from the ones from my favorite artists (Kanye West, Ludacris, T.I., just to name a few). I think I enjoy the genre so much mainly because I want to be a writer and there is a lot of poetry and wordplay involved in the lyrics. Also, the sound is great because it samples from famous songs of many other genres so in a way, Hip-hop contains sounds from every genre of music. I develop an appreciation for other types of music this way.
More importantly, I'm tired of people giving me crap for listening to it when they don't listen to it at all. What I do find funny is that my friends who do listen to Hip-hop tell me that I'm the most "non-ghetto" kid who listens to it. That and the fact I know so much about it. Anyway, that's the end of my little rant. I'll see you all next week. Peace.

-Alex M.

*GASP*! My Weakness...

Nobody is invincible; after all, we're only human. This week, I have decided to share some of my greatest weaknesses with you all.

1) Pastries- Well, food in general but, pastries in particular. You have no idea how hard it is for me to pass the pastry section in the grocery store and not have the urge to buy some pie, or a cinnamon roll, or even a pastelito. I guess you could say, there's a fat kid trying very hard to break out of this manly shell of manliness but thankfully I've been able to keep him at bay...for now.

2) Short shorts- Women in general are the average hetero male's weakness. I'm no different in that aspect but I consider myself to be someone with pretty good self control when it comes to women. There's just something about seeing an attractive girl walking down the street wearing a pair of short shorts that just show off her legs and wrapping themselves so tightly around her waist that brings out my inner sex panther. Even if I see an average looking girl wearing short shorts I go nuts. I can't explain it but it's like their hotness level goes off the charts. Like, I don't even know what to do with myself.

3) Furry animals- Yeah, I'm a big animal lover. My icy heart melts everytime I see a dog panting heavily with that stupid grin on it's face. I'm especially fond of dogs with big eyes like the Pug (the dog from Men in Black. You can call it ugly, but I call it adorable). Not just dogs, but cats too and even hamsters. I guess you can say I turn into a "petophile" like we talked about in class earlier.

So yeah, those are some of my weaknesses. Don't you dare think that just because I've revealed my kryptonite, that you can use it against me. I know some of you guys are hating on my six pack, but don't think you can screw me over with a dozen donuts. Ladies, it's going to take more than a pair of short shorts for me to submit to your will; you gotta try a little harder than that. Furry animals? I love animals but I don't take their crap either. My dog loves me (and by love, I mean fears and respects me as her lord and master of her pathetic existence j/k).

I'm sure you all have your own set of weaknesses. After all, we're only human, and that's a lesson that has taken me 18 years to learn. I can't shed myself of all my flaws, fears, and fatal imperfections. What the heck can I do? I'm just a man. Well, that's all for this week. Take care.

-Alex M.

Bloggers Block

Yeah, I've got nothing special to write about this week. I guess I'll just give you some of my thoughts on this week.
Obama's in office, which I think is awesome. The historical impact of this election is just incredible and on top of that, this was my first year voting. My only hope is that he doesn't get shot like Kennedy (don't lie, you were all worried during his acceptance speech). I got a lot of school work to take care of this week, so I'm stressing as usual. I had a freaky dream that the Devil was trying to contact me which resulted in a whole other fiasco with a friend of mine that left me sh***ing bricks (I'll save that story for another time). My appetite never ceases to stop, my life is still crazy and women are still crazy.
That's all for this week I guess. Peace.

-Alex M.

Why must I break everything I touch?

Guys, I think I'm cursed or something. I have this strange habit of breaking things and breaking people without even trying. I recently started using Dade's gym because I keep breaking my workout equipment at home. A couple days ago I was doing pull ups and the bar broke, making me fall on my back. Similar things have happened with my other workout equipment.
I've made holes in walls wrestling with my friends and older brother. I made a HUGE crater in my wall playing wii boxing. My TV is messed up from banging it so much (cable used to make my TV screen fuzzy). I broke my closet once also wrestling with my brother but that's fixed. I broke my friend Mauricio's ping pong table while we were playing beer pong and I broke his bed while play fighting with my friend Doug.
I scratched Mauricio's forehead with a gatorade carton, making everyone in his fourth period class call him Harry Potter for a week. I gave him a nasty gash on his forehead on Prom night, I dragged him off the hood of his car and he landed on his back and I've bruised both my friends Pedro and James Lord knows how many times.
I'm also extremely accident prone myself; car crashes, sprained ankles, bruised eyes, cauli-flower ear, you name it.
Anyway, I was wondering, if my parents get sick of me breaking things/hurting myself, and they decide to disown me, would any of you guys take me in? Lol, yeah, I didn't have much to right about this week so I thought I'd share some of my clumsy "Alex moments" with you guys. That's all for this week. Peace.

-Alex M.

King of the Krashers.

Guys, let me tell you something about me and driving. I hate driving and living in Miami makes me hate it even more. I got my license this past summer (like late June). I wouldn't call myself the best driver in the world but then again, the reason for my mediocrity had been because I had very very little driving experience prior to getting my license (I wish they had given me Driver's Ed. in high school because Mother's make awful driving teachers), so I guess you could say I only really started learning was a couple months ago. I've crashed 5 times but none of them were really that bad. Lets take a stroll down memory lane shall we?
1) Crashed into a mini-van changing lanes on US-1. The guy on the other lane was going really first (he really wanted to take his kids to Chucky Cheeses) but thankfully there was no damage to either of our cars because I slammed my brakes real good so I nudged his car.
2) I scratched an Escalade backing out of a parking space. The guy wasnt there and I didnt notice until I got to my friend's house.
3)Bumped into some car while trying to squeeze my fat mini-van in a parking space. No damage either because I was going 1 mph.
4) Backed into a gardener's truck but this one wasn't my fault according to my friend's mom.

Mind you, all this happened during the summer. Around September I finally became a more compitent driver. Still, I must say I don't have the attention span to be a great driver. Seriously, my mind is always wandering. Anyway crash number 5 occured yesterday morning on my way to school. Some lady decided to make a left at the last minute while I was driving straight and she was going slow too. I slammed my brakes but I somehow took out her back bumper. She sped off and I went to go check the damage. Thankfully there was none or I would have chased her down (ENC 1101 can wait). So there I was standing on the side of the road, holding this bumper and instead of keeping it as a souvenier, I tossed it aside and went to school. This one was definetely not my fault either. I've been extremely lucky that after all these incidents my car is completely unscathed. I am the f***ing King of Krashing and my luck is incredible (or so I think. I may be speaking to soon). Okay, thats it for this week. Peace.

-Alex M.

Tradition

One food that is particularly special to me is sushi, since there are no festivals in my area that I am familiar with. The local customs surrounding how sushi is prepared is by cutting raw fish and rolling it up in seaweed along with a sticky layer of rice. It must be eaten fresh and it is usually eaten in one bite with the use of chopsticks (or with your hands I guess, if you can't eat with chop sticks).
People attending this event for the first time would learn that Japanese people commonly eat raw sea food ranging from tuna to eel to crab combined with cream cheese or some vegetables, wrapped in sea weed and of course rice because they are big on eating rice as well. Japanese culture is one of the few that actually eat raw food.
When it comes to food, describing a dish as "traditional" would be if it was originated and eaten from a particular country (sushi being a traditional food in Japan). Simply describing people's eating prefrences however would be like saying how Japanese people simply prefer eating raw food that doesnt necessarily come from their cultural background.

Old People

About six months back, my grandparents moved in with my family. They were living in Venezuela and since things weren't going so well with Chavez and all, my dad decided to bring them here to live with us. I like having them over because they're nice people but I've made several observations since they started living with us under the same roof.
First is that no matter how old you get, your parents will always get on your nerves. My dad still gets annoyed with my grandma. For example, she'll serve my dad a meal and asks: "Do you like it?" "Is there something wrong with it?" "Are you sure?" "Are you mad at me?" "You're mad at me aren't you? It's okay." and it drives him nuts because there is nothing wrong at all (as well as the rest of us but it is my dad's mom which is what I find interesting). To think after all these years your parents can still drive you off the wall.
Another funny thing I noticed is that old people are like pets, at least my parents make it seem like it. I remember one afternoon my parents told me they were going to the mall and were taking my grandparents with them. They said it was because they've been in the house all day and need to walk around for a bit. Hmmm...kind of reminds me of my dog. It's like they're taking them out for a walk. My parents treat them like they're a responsibility.
I never want to get old. Honestly, I wish there was a way I could stop aging at 26. Like, I could be 89 but still look and feel 26. It's a shame to know that as you get older, you get wrinkly, you develop that funky old person smell, and worst of all is the lack of energy; can you imagine not being able to be active like you used to? I'd put a bullet in my head.
I understand why people say to respect your elders. It isn't necessarily because they are wise because they've been through it all. It's also because of how well they can adjust to not being able to do the things they used to be able to do. My grandparents are very understanding people and demonstrate that they have acquired a great deal of wisdom and maturity over the years despite the fact that they're only awake for six out of twenty four hours a day. To some extent, I think they understand me better than my own parents; they know that just because I come home some nights at 4 in the morning, it doesn't mean I was out sniffing cocaine, participating in drive by shootings and having unprotected sex with 3 different women and a goat. They understand that maybe I was just out doing normal things with my friends like watching a late movie or just talking.
I know it sounds like I'm poking fun at old people in general but I had to have fun with this blog entry. The real purpose of this blog was to give props to all old people because sometimes people don't give them the respect they deserve. You'd be surprised at how much they know, to the extent that you're own parents look like kids in their presence. Hell, not all old people are even all that sluggish, I have a neighbor who's about 70 and I see him out jogging or riding a bike every morning like he's 30 years younger; much respect to him. Even though I still want to stay young forever I have to give my grandparents a high five for still being alive and still retaining enough knowledge that I could only hope to attain when I get to be their age.

So, Alcohol and I thought it'd be best if we saw other people...

This used to be me on an average trip to the liquor store. (Dont ask me how I get my alchohol)

Me: Oh Ms. Hypnotic, did you miss me? Cause I missed you. Shh...don't cry. Daddy is here. Dont be jealous Hennessey, there's plenty of Alex to go around.

My friends and the clerk: blank stares.

Me: What? Alcohol and I haven't seen each other in 2 weeks.

Anyway, I would browse through the rest of the liquor store, give my buddy Captain Morgan a high five, flirt with the Vodka and then spend some time with the Bacardi family. I would purchase the alcohol and we would party all night long, especially with the hypnotic and hennessey. The three of us could go all night long.
The problem is, as much as I enjoy alcohol, I've read a few articles explaining that drinking at a young age keeps you from retaining new information as you get older because the brain isn't fully developed. Basically, it makes you "dumber" which is why the drinking age is 21. That's part of the reason why I decided to stop drinking; well, at least until I'm 21 or maybe a few years longer than that.
Generally, I'm what you would label as "the nice drunk". Everyone adopts certain personalities under the influence of alcohol and that's usually how I am unless I have something on my mind that I'm not telling anybody; then I become "the emotional drunk". On a few occassions I've done some embarrassing things like confessing my love for my friend's older sister over the phone, or just being a plain idiot (hitting yourself sounds fun when you're drunk but it hurts when you wake up the next morning). I kind of got tired of that so that's the other reason. I also did it because it's just better for your health overall.
In the end, Alcohol and I sat down one day and we decided to take a break. It was kind of hard for her because I was the best man she ever had but sometimes two good things can't always be together. Once in a while I'll have ONE shot or ONE beer but that's only because all my friends drink so it can be difficult at times. Regardless, I've been sober for a month and I've never been happier. Now then...ladies, I'm officially available. Just kidding; I'll see you all later.

-Alex M.

My Fortress of Solitude

Everyone has that one special place where they go to escape the stresses of their lives. They go to this place to reflect on whatever they want, whether it's school, sports, family, pudding, whatever. For me, that place is the bathroom.
There's always something special about going to this magical place. I sit on the toilet and I take a dump (which to me symbolizes getting rid of all the bad things plaguing your body) and after releasing all that pressure, I feel a sudden sense of relief and comfort. You ever get that feeling after dropping a bombshell? Like, you feel so good that you don't even get off the toilet right away. I sit there for about ten to twenty minutes and reflect on everything going on in my life. You have so much privacy that you can do pretty much whatever you want; no one's going to disturb you. The same applies to me when I take a shower or brush my teeth. I feel a sense of cleanliness and I get the urge to start thinking about life to sort things out.
By the time I step out of the bathroom, I feel like a new person, ready to take on the world again. Guys would probably understand where I'm coming from a bit more. Regardless, I'm sure you all have that one special place where you just like to "get away from it all." As stupid as it sounds the restroom is my place and I'm sure for other guys it might be the same place. I mean, isnt there some famous sculpture of a guy sitting on the toilet in a thinking position? (I think he's called The Thinker). Okay, that's enough for this week. I hope you enjoyed reading this. Peace.

-Alex M.

A Mother's Love

Every time I ask my mom to make me a sandwich, she complains to me, "Alex you're eighteen years old! Make it yourself!" Well of course I am. I know damn well that I'm perfectly capable of making a sandwich myself; I do it all the time.
I don't know if you guys feel the same way I do, but whenever my mom makes a sandwich for me, it always tastes better. I'm dead serious; food always tastes better if your mom makes it for you. Don't believe me? Make yourself a batch of cookies or something. Then have your mom make the same thing and I bet you her food will taste way better. I have a theory that this is because moms have this special ingredient that they put into food that trumps all ingredients. It's called a Mother's Love and it's got that extra special kick because she made it for you.
Now if you hate your mother's cooking, that's probably because deep down inside your mom wishes every day that you get hit by a bus on your way to class. Either that or she curses out your father once a year on your birthday for attempting to "pull out" instead of wearing a condom. I know, it sounds wrong on so many levels but its the truth. Ask your mom to make you a sandwich right now! GTFO the computer and do it!!!!

-Alex M.

Identity

Christ! It's so late right now, but I gotta get write this blog. Keep in mind that I'm really tired so I may not be able to express myself very clearly but I'm going to do my best. Here goes...
To me, identity isn't something that can be defined so easily. Honestly, there are a lot of factors involved that make up a person's identity, each varying in different levels of significance. First of all there's your birth certificate. This makes up the most basic part of your identity; your gender, the day you were born and of course, your name. Then there's the many types of identification cards you carry in your wallet or purse; your driver's license, gym membership, club memberships, pictures of you or your loved ones, etc. These things make up pieces and memories of your life.
I think personal choices and the people who influence you make up a strong part of your identity. The type of environment you were raised in or the friends you grew up with have a way of shaping the way you think. Most people who grew up poor or in an abusive home have a tendency to end up like the people who raised them and as sad as that sounds, it's true. I was raised in a stable environment and I had good parents who raised me to be a hard worker. I had two older brothers who taught me how to be a man and make good decisions. Because of them, I've led a good life so far but the personal choices I make can just as easily change all that. My friends like to drink but I've chosen to stop for a while because I feel that it will benefit me health wise in the future; My liver is going to be just fine, and I'm less likely to do something I'll regret under the influence of alcohol. One day, I might snap and harrass someone who disrespected me and I'll end up going to jail for it. From there on out I could be identified as a criminal and people won't view me as a nice guy anymore, but as a violent scumbag. The choices we make everyday make up who we are.
Personality plays an important role too. My friends identify me for my personality. They see a guy on TV doing something crazy and they tell me "Hey Alex that guy reminds me of you." I told my friend Erik about the time I tazered myself for fun and ever since then, whenever I tell him a story about something crazy I did, it doesnt come as a surprise to him anymore because he expects it from me; he identifies me as a nut job.
Well thats pretty much it. Here's my identity: My name is Alex Molinos, I'm eighteen years old, male, brown hair, brown eyes, and dead sexy. I'm an athlete, a writer, a Catholic, a friend, and an overall good guy in the eyes of myself and others. I'm proud of who I am (even if I ask way too much from myself but I'll get into that another time).

-Alex M.

What happened to those guys?

I remember one day my friends and I were reminiscing about our childhoods-particularly the TV shows we used to watch. Back in the day, one of my favorite shows had to be Kenan and Kel on Nickelodeon. That show was my sh** back then and looking back now, I miss the hell out of it. I mean yeah, Spongebob was funny and deep down inside I know that whoever is reading this still watches it every now and then, but there was just something special about those two.
It kills me knowing that after they went their separate ways they haven't had the same amount of success they used to have. Yeah, Kenan is doing SNL but it's not as funny as it used to be. Fat Albert? Honestly, I doubt anyone watched that.
Now Kel on the other hand...there was a rumor going around for a while that he died. I was shocked to hear that and thought to myself "Man, that really sucks. He was so funny." Then I found out he wasn't dead after all; he was in Like Mike 2...and in that Eddie Murphy film (Meet Dave) which got some pretty mediocre reviews.
Overall, what I'm trying to say is that Kenan and Kel need to reunite because they need each otther. Those two splitting was like separating peanut butter from jelly; you just don't do that. Kenan and Kel, if you guys ever read this, do another show together. Please. I mean seriously Kel, Like Mike 2? Really? At least that Pepsi commercial you did several years back was pretty funny.
P.S. I dont drink soda anymore but I still have a special spot in my heart for orange soda. (If you saw the show you'd get it.)

-Alex M.

Going to church is overrated.

I was raised in a pretty religious family and I consider myself to have a good relationship with The Man upstairs but seriously, does it make me a bad Christian if I don't want to go to church on Sunday's anymore? I know you're supposed to go to feel spiritual but these days I just go and I feel unbelievably bored. The environment is so serious and I feel like everyone is just going through the motions when it comes to attending mass (Listen to the priest, sit down, stand up, eat the eucharist, shake hands with other people, pray, and then leave).
Honestly, I'd rather start going to the churches that all the black folks attend. They're at least more enthusiastic. Better yet, I'd rather just stay home on Sundays and watch Joel Osteen preach. Whenever I finish listening to him, I feel like I can cure cancer and save drowning puppies.
Many devoutly religious people would argue that I'm only severing my ties with God by not going to church but I don't think they know what the hell they're talking about. I think as long as you're a nice guy and you take some time out of your day to give thanks for all your blessings, then your relationship with Him would be just fine. After all, isn't that what we learn as Christians from day one?

-Alex M.

My first EVAR blog post.

Wow so I'm new to the whole blogging thing but as long as I have to do this for my English class, I might as well make the most of it. Let me introduce myself first: My name is Alex. I graduated from Palmetto Senior High, I did Wrestling for 4 years and Cross Country for 3. I love playing sports, working out, eating, hanging out with my friends, my dog Bailey, and once again eating. Most of all, I have a passion for creative writing. I like writing short stories and some poetry. I'm not sure exactly what I want to be when I grow up, but as long as I can use my writing for something fun (like screenplay writing or something) then I'm happy. I guess most people would describe me as shy at first glance but once they get to know me, they consider me to be one of the nicest (but nuttiest) person they have ever met. Well thats all I have to say for now, I hope you enjoyed it.

-Alex M.