The Long Mile

When I was in the sixth grade, my best friend, with whom I developed such a close bond that he is now like a cousin, was in charge of one thing. He was suppose to be my mentor in middle school so that I wouldn't be lost and marginalized.

A few weeks into the gig, my cousin realized hanging out with me was a social deterrent. He started to give me the cold shoulder, hanging out with his own friends and leaving me alone.

Needless to say that the next year. I was independent and fully capable of hanging out with my own friends. I no longer needed a safety net. I had learned the first rule of social survival--no one is going to make crap easy for you. No matter how close someone is, ultimately you are on your own.

There's a line in All the President's Men, Redford's character says to Hoffman:

"I don't mind what you did, I mind the way you did it."

In short, I don't mind what my cousin did, I mind the way he did it. But when this is all said and done I lay here with the full comfort of knowing one thing--I'm the best at what I do.

There's no question. There's no competition and there's no second guessing it. If you try to compete with me I will beat you. I might do it gradually, suddenly or without warning, but make no mistake about it--I will win.

I always try to find role models that are older. I'm the oldest of four so I constantly try to get better by seeing how older people have dealt with similar situations. I take their criticism. I absorb their feedback and find ways to improve.

Today was my first co-authored piece. I spent 14 hours on the office, but I can tell you my piece was the better half. I was co-authoring a piece with a seasoned reporter.

They say sex is far better than any drug or any high. I don't know if that's true but I do know this.

My social life can be a meager and pitiful occupation

My personal life can be a mere venting of emotional blogspace

I deal with rejections constantly

But my love, the thing I do for 14 hours-a-day, my drive is unparalleled. Stack me up against Cronkite, Williams, Cooper, Ramos, Woodward or Jennings and I'll hang with the best of them.

The only thing I'm ever guilty of is being competitive. The only thing I can ever be accused of, is trying to be the best and the most successful.

Take these words as fuel to criticize me or encourage me, it don't make a bit of difference.

The modern woes of technology and the stress of a sloppy deadline

I made it a point to write one of these everyday, but technology and fatigue made that impossible. I want to learn on how to gather information fairly quickly and turn a story with immediacy, but because this a weekly one of my main weaknesses is slowly resurfacing.

Once I let a story mellow for a day, I fall into a pattern. One day, Two days, Three days--You get the idea I suppose.

But That's why I'm here right? To learn?

"I get home tired and depleted. You call and give me strength, then I'm left alone with only my thoughts and yet another sleepless night, only to wait for your rejuvenation once again."

Go Cards! and Quelf

I'm glad the Cards won, but unlike last year I don't think they have the elements in place to take it all the way, not with the Saints waiting anyway.

Shout out to my boy Nestor. Stay strong and don't forget who you are. You'll be in my prayers always. Shout out to Catie for meeting Jeter in Tampa today. I would have asked him for a profile story for the Ledger--but that's just me=)

The rest of the Scripps Howard students came in today so the next couple of months should be fun. It will be interesting to see how three guys act once our other roommate joins the mix.

I've noticed the girls are on top of their cleaning duties. I've tried to make this place look presentable but it still looks like a crack house. Either that or I think we men are way too territorial to compromise and work together effectively--we'll see hopefully we are not going at each other throats in the coming weeks.

I played Quelf today for the first time and I'm far beyond convinced that you have to be on drugs to enjoy that game.

Good Night--and as always I stay fresh and undeniably sexy

Holocaust

I know I'm late but I think I can still make my pacific coast deadline. I went to the Holocaust museum today. It was a good closure to my desire for a conversation about the subject. As some of you might know I recently finished reading Survival.

The impact of the book was so great that I've been wanting to talk about it and reflect on it for about two months now.

I've always been fascinated about the Holocaust because to me the actions taken by the Nazis seem so inhumane that I couldn't wrap my head around why humanity is often times so cruel. Magda's book added a twist to it because she told it from a female perspective. By doing this she magnified the psychological humiliation that these innocent people suffered.

I'm simply at a lost of words. But thankful that I got to see the things that up until a few months ago, I only read about.

Up in the air

My editor cracks me up. This evening when he was confronted about his political affiliation he said.

"I'm not a democrat, I am a journalist."

At almost 80 he won't show bias. Beautiful

I do realize I may be overshooting my daily blog rituals regarding my stay at DC, but when you have days like these it's kind of hard not to share with people the experience.

First off my second day on the job taught me a few things about DC

1. Grocery bags are five cents each

2. I walked about three miles today and saw a bunch of Bank of America branches an infinite amount of Starbucks, the presidential motorcade but not a single Wells Fargo.

Meaning: I'm screwed. But the day got a little better.

The office where I'm working is located inside a 10-floor apartment complex. My publisher and his son live on the seventh and operate their daily business in an office on the first-floor lobby.

The restrooms are right next to the office, but if one so desired to handle their business they would need a key to get in. Our keys (one for the gents and one for the ladies) are pinned to the hangers of a shelf in the office.

Earlier today I used the restroom. I went in, put the restroom keys in my pocket, handled my business, went back to office, and carried on with my day....

After work I went to my editor's apartment to have dinner. We ate, I had a beer and excused myself after about an hour of conversation.

I went outside hopped on the bus and came home to the apartment. I reach into my pocket for my keys only to find I was holding the restroom keys.

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I'll let you figure out what my stream of consciousness was thinking at that point. You can fill out my thoughts and verbs on that dotted line thank you very much.

I hopped on the bus, went back to the seventh floor. Ask them for the keys to the office. Went down to the office. Passed by the shelf where we hang the keys to the bathroom.

BINGO

I got my keys hopped on a bus, bought some lotion for my croc-looking skin and came to the apartment.

Some times I'm a clueless bimbo. Now I know why men marry. They can't figure crap out on their own. Every girl I met always seems to be thinking ahead. They could be messy, an emotional chaos, but even in their worse days they are always thinking ten steps ahead. I can't even plan the next two seconds of my life let alone figure out anything else.

I think we become better with women because they make you get it together or at least appear like you have some composure.

So wherever you are come find me. I'm a mess.

The Art of Deceit: Am I good looking or do I just play one on TV

My editor is disappointed. He saw the headshot I sent him. The one with me standing in front of a brick wall and he thought I was a little "gringuito" (White Boy) looking dude and figured I was a good-looking kid. This morning, my first day on the job, he gets on the phone and says. "Luis is our new reporter, I thought he was better looking. I'm disappointed."


So there you go, lesson learned: I have my moments, but they are just that MOMENTS

Adios Phoenix

Phoenix,

Me acuerdo cuando me trajiste de el abismo e incertidumbre. Cuado tus climas calidos y desiertos me invitaron a un nuevo comienzo. (Si es la verdad) Muchos compañeros se quedaron a corta distancia.

Los triunfos y todas sus decepciones se quedaron plantadas a media década, con solo un constante: El viaje hacia el este por lo cual fue acompañado por nada mas que desierto y calor.

Al año después abandone tu calido y sofocante abrazado para ver si mis sueños podían cumplirse en un temperamento mas agradable. Eso no fue el caso.

Al año después me llamaste otra vez. Como un perro derrotado quise buscar una nueva vida. Y Phoenix me la diste.

En mi carrera

En mis inspiraciones

En mi vida espiritual

USC es la universidad de mi sueños pero ASU es donde mis sueños se hicieron realidad.

Hasta el éxito y triunfo siempre.

I know Che Guevara was one of the most overly dramatic writers of his time. So in just to mess with the legacy of this icon I made my own.

USC is the school of my dreams but ASU is where my dreams came true