Gradutation.

Cheers to the class of 2008.

I graduated from Chapman University on Saturday morning. Through the blistering heat and scorching sun, all grads and families stuck it out to watch us turn the tassels.

But seriously. I was damn hot. Commencement was not as comfy as I had hoped.

Here goes my day:

I was awaken at 5:30 AM by my frazzled English roommate saying, "Let's graduate, mother f*cker". The anticipation gave me the energy to sprout out of bed in a second and shower. After grabbing our black (note black) cap and gowns, we walked towards the Old Town Orange Circle, just a few blocks away.

We line up out side of Paul's Cocktail's and show our IDs to the bouncer. I know I look young, but I've been at this bar at least once a week for the past 2 months. I was wearing my cap and gown at 6 AM. I just wished the bartender could have cut me a bit of slack and not made me wait and show my ID. Fuck. I hate that guy.

The bar was packed with students, the bartenders were pourin', and students were chatting. My roommate and I took some shots for a toast, and then I started over to breakfast with a bloody mary. A reporter from the OC Register came over and interviewed me about the Chapman 6AM Graduation bar tradition! Check out the article if you're interested!

We then waltzed on over to the Wilson Field at Chapman to figure out where to line up.
It was already hot, I was tipsy, and I needed to go pee. Graduation was already a mess.

After seeing friends in line and sitting down, it set in. Not that I was done with college. I was amazed that we would have to spend the next 3 hours facing the hottest sun of 2008 wearing black gowns. This wasn't going to be easy. I felt as if it was the last hurdle that Chapman wanted us to leap over to get our degrees. 4 years of expensive schooling, now slow physical torture. Dynamite.

It was worth sitting through the heat though. I like ceremonial events. It was nice shaking Doti's hand when I got my diploma. It was great turning the tassel to the left side with my peers. After the ceremony was done, the Film Students gathered by the new fountain on campus and mingled with families.

My family was thrilled. I was suffering from mild heat exhaustion, hang overs, and emotional disbelief, so I was overwhelmed when my family wanted to get picture after picture with me. I actually blacked out for a moment. It was too much. After hugging and kissing were done with the family, I walked around with friends and met other families.

We were done. I've built some good friendships and some good memories these past four years. We have all come a long way. I have the best friends and family on earth.

Thank you Arthur, Audrey, Mom, Dad, MK, Randy, pets, Prescott Family, Laura, Kathryn, Darren, Anthony, Sebastian, Charlie, Thomas (Long and Bailey), Faraaz, Justin, Crystal, Enrique, Natalie, Dilshan, Ben Ras, Chris (Walls and Richmond), Dennis, Joey, Ed and Joe (may God rest his young and vibrant soul), Alan, Alex Cox, Lucca friends, everyone on every filmset I've worked on, North Morlan friends, Starbucks friends, Thunderboating friends, French friends, Professors, study Groups, Paul's Cocktails, cocktails in general, music, movies, travel, mistakes, etc.

If I forgot you, I am sorry. We can chat about it later.

For the first time in my life, I am proud of myself. I am the luckiest man on earth.

Cheers God, I'm going to destroy the Earth.

-jc del barco ii, B.F.A.

Guns = Freedom (and FUN!)

First check this episode of Americana on http://www.vbs.tv/video.php?id=607689676 out. It's about a gun shop in Pearl River, New York:




Did you see it?

...

"I also like to carry a Glock 9mm, this is more of your everday gun..."
...

Seriously?

Everyday gun? Instructor Adam talks about gun convenience and utility like iPhones. Actually, Apple products are far less complicated. They don't have many options, so choosing is easy, like at the In-N-Out drive-thru. Guns, however, come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Adam continues to describe the shotgun as "the most effective home weapon on the planet". He disclosed that he casually likes to leave one "lying around" his house. Other guns can take out 18-wheel trucks driving at you, large men, ethnic men, homosexuals, liberals, vegans, terrorists, or any other threat to W.A.S.P. American culture. As a matter of fact, shop owner, Ziggy (that's right, Ziggy), said that his 50 caliber hand gun can shoot down dinosaurs.

Dinosaurs.

First terrorists, then the neo-hippies, and now DINOSAURS!?! America is under serious threat people. Charlton Heston (may he rest in peace) has left us at our darkest hour. Who will unite the NRA? Who will defend us?

I certainly hope it's not that little chubby kid with a lisp in the video. Aside from already being a total nerd, the kid has the hots for the gunpowder. That's a big no in modern urban culture (I'm pretty savvy here, see Paris BFF blog).

Don't get me wrong, I like America a lot more than your average. I-just-got-back-from-a-semester-at-la-Sorbonne-in-Paris-college-student. I think it's a great country. Chances are someone from my country can kick someone from another country's ass. On this note, I just can't get my mind around the right to bear arms thing. I was on vacation in Sweden last year when the tragedy at V-Tech happened. When people found out I was American, they seemed a little taken back like I was going to hurt them or like I was some sort of beast. You would think that after WWII America would figure that we aren't going to be attacked. Our countrymen will not have to form a neo-minuteman militia.

Guns have always been a hot topic in the States.
Personally, I don't like them. I think they're silly. It's like smoking. It's bad for you, rude, smelly, and makes other people bitch a lot... but at least smoking makes you look cool.
Fact.

Guns don't make you look cool. That little fat lisp kid isn't gonna start chat with a hipster chick on the smoking patio of Club Bang using gun talk. That's negative game. You can't even bring guns into clubs. Stick with smoking, kids.

Adam and Ziggy did make guns seem like a lot of fun. I mean, they've been loadin on bin Laden. They're two nice guys that are really into what they're into. Ziggy buys his wife an Elvis gun, I buy my girlfriend avocados. I guess when I think about it, guns give me the freedom to buy my girlfriend avocados. I can't complain. Thanks guns. Thuns.

In summary, I conclude that smoking is cool, shotguns are handy, dinosaurs are dicks, and guns are saving my relationship.

Here is a list of gun-related links so you can study and come to your own conclusion about how guns affect your life:

National Rifle Association

Guns and Fun Forum

Wiki: 2nd Amendment

Idiots with Guns Blog

International Homicide Comparisons

-jc del barco ii

ex-smoker/ex-cool/afraid of dinosaurs and (or with) guns.