The SV Bachelor has Decided to Announce His Endorsement for President

Following Colin Powell's endorsement of Senator Barack Obama, many people have been eagerly awaiting my decision on whom I will be endorsing in next week's Presidential election. Both campaigns have failed to reach out to me, but after much thought and deliberation, I have decided to endorse Senator Barack Obama. This decision has not been an easy one for me, since I have the utmost respect for Senator John McCain, but this decision has been based strictly off of judicial nominations.

Right now, seven of the current Supreme Court Justices were appointed by Republican Presidents and only two by Democratic Presidents. Even with this discrepancy, it's generally considered that there are four "conservative" Justices and four "liberal" Justices, with one Justice who mostly votes conservative. I'm ok with this. I think there needs to be a balance in the highest court of the nation. If there are six "conservative" judges on the Supreme Court, I think it sets a dangerous precedent.

Right now, Justice Stevens at 88 years old is the oldest Justice on the Court. The next oldest Justice is Ginsburg at 75 years old. Both are grouped in the "liberal" wing of the Court. If a Republican President nominates a replacement, no matter who controls the Senate, the Judge will have "conservative" leanings. This can have seriously dire consequences in policy matters that we have grown up with. This is why I cannot support Senator John McCain for President. An extremely unbalanced Court can DRASTICALLY change the United States as we know it. The court needs balance.

Besides that, Sarah Palin is just nuts. I like McCain and I think he had to pander to the right to win the election. If he had won, he would've come back to govern from a moderate conservative position. But he should've won 8 years ago. He would've made changes, but now his time has passed. Senator Obama is the man to lead us forward now. He has give people purpose in the outcome of this election and this nation. If he loses, millions of people who never thought they could make a difference will lose as well. Senator Obama HAS given hope to the hopeless. His legacy will be imparting millions with the courage and resiliency that will carry their hope to future successes.

Elect Senator Barack Obama for President of the United States.

Sincerely,

Kevin L.

Silicon Valley Bachelor

Persian and Chinese Players in the NBA

Living in Silicon Valley, you are often surrounded by diverse groups of people. I love it! Mexican, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Korean, Vietnamese, Iranians - you name it! Sometimes you even see a white person or two!!

Well, to salute my Persian friends (Iran), congratulations on your first NBA player - Hamed Haddadi. He joins the Memphis Grizzlies as a 7-2 center from Ahvaz, Iran. He's going to love the culture in Memphis and quickly become a fan of country music if he's smart.


Technically, there's another Persian player, but he's only half and he was born here - Jordan Farmar of the Los Angeles Lakers.


For you Persian hoops fans, I felt the same amount of pride when the first Chinese player stepped onto the court for the Dallas Mavericks - Mr. Wang Zhi Zhi. Hopefully Haddadi lasts longer in the league. Nonetheless, he paved the way for Mengke Bateer, Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian, and now Sun Yue, the rookie for the Lakers.

Peace out hoops fans! Diversity is a beautiful thing....

Sincerely,
Kevin L.
The Silicon Valley Bachelor

P.S. Let's not forget the insensitivities of the Spanish National Basketball Team - members of the media have the right and responsibility to question the actions of public figures.

Best and Worst Halloween Costumes Ever!

Whoever thought that you would dress up more for Halloween than you did as a kid? Certainly not I. It's gotten to the point where you have to constantly outdo yourself each year, because frankly, no one wants to be that guy where your friends feel like they have to say something about your costume or give you a polite chuckle, even though, they know and you know, it's weak. Too bad we can't all be like women on Halloween - just wear something slutty and all is forgiven. Librarian? How about a slutty librarian? Perfect! Business woman? Let me just wear what I wore to work, but unbutton two buttons and show off my black bra. Perfect!

It's not so easy in the male world. (Although we do get pee anywhere. Boo yeah!)

While brainstorming Halloween costume ideas over the last few days, I settled in on Derek Zoolander as a finalist. While doing research, I found some pretty darn creative folks in this world. Some of these images are not exactly politically correct or for the faint of heart, but if you don't like them, we will probably never be friends:




And I saved the best for last!

No matter what I decide on - have a Happy Halloween, and remember to politely chuckle when you see my pathetic costume. Then exchange a few complimentary pleasantries before moving on.

Sincerely,

Kevin L.

The Silicon Valley Bachelor

Life at 30: The Mental Roadblock Ahead

Life at 30 has been more of a mental challenge than a physical one. The day after turning 30, I went to go play basketball and a new thought popped into my head - "I could get hurt out here." No. I'm serious. I stretched a little longer thinking about how I'm not a kid anymore.

During the game, I cursed under my breath when seeing these irresponsible kids throwing their bodies around with reckless abandon. I managed to huff and puff my way through the game, and avoided pulling a hamstring. I congratulated myself on not getting injured afterwards and also thought that I'm just not ready to start playing golf yet. While shaking hands, I called everyone 'sonny'. As in, "good game sonny, you're really developing into a fine player. I'm sure your father's real proud of you." (OK, not really, but I should've.)

The next day I went running, and then the next, and the next after that. I just can't let myself settle so easily into slow-twitch muscle life. I'm hoping that the mental roadblock will wear off, because 30 is really just a number. I don't feel any different.

My friend Seth got me a 'MMM Burrito' shirt for my birthday that I'm actually wearing today, and I thought, 'am I that guy who's obviously old, but is still wearing board shorts and t-shirts made for the college crowd?!?'

I know this is all a phase, and I know many of you expect light humorous subject matter on this blog - but I'M A PERSON TOO GOSH DARNIT!!!! Best guitar player in the world! Self-taught - no lessons Pop!

I know I say 30 is the new 16, but it sure doesn't feel like it. What happened to my pimples? I loved those. What about putting $.50 cents in the gas tank? That was fun too. What about being able to have a girlfriend, but never really saying much except 'I love you' all the time? Those were the days....

Sincerely,
Kevin L.
Silicon Valley Bachelor

P.S. My next post will be happy, titled: "Senility, Sterility, and Samsonite: Why I shouldn't jump."

President Bush Endorses Barack Obama?

OK. So it didn't really happen, but if George W. Bush really wanted to help the Republican Party he should join the bandwagon and endorse Senator Barack Obama. Can you think of any other way to slow down the pendulum towards a landslide victory for Obama over McCain?

This would lend credence to Senator McCain's stance that Obama was a celebrity like Paris Hilton. Not to mention, if President Bush endorsed Barack Obama, everyone would stop in their tracks and be like, "WTF?!?!" He could issue a statement saying that 'Senator Obama is the man to lead this nation and carry out my fiscal and foreign policies for the next 4 years. That is why I have decided to endorse Senator Obama.'

Everyone who thought it was hip to support Obama, would look at their Obama shirt with a new distaste. Here you have, arguably, the most hated President in U.S. history, with the lowest approval rating in U.S. history, throwing his weight against a freight train of support. All of a sudden, people who are anti-Bush-everything would now have to think long and hard about endorsing someone that President Bush is endorsing.

If I were Senator McCain, who is obviously not asking President Bush to join him on the campaign trail, I would call President Bush every single day and ask him to support Senator Barack Obama just for show. If that didn't work, I would start calling him names that would undermine his manhood. Trust me, us Texans are like Michael J. Fox in Back to the Future - no one calls us 'chicken.'

The only other thing you can hope for is a tremendous gaffe like the one Clayton Williams, Jr. made against Ann Richards a few weeks before the 1990 Texas Gubernatorial vote, in a race, that at one point he was leading in opinion polls by 20 points. In a joke to reporters, he likened bad weather to rape, saying 'If it's inevitable, just relax and enjoy it.' Surprisingly, he still won 47% of the vote to Ann Richards' 49%.

The chances of Obama making a similar mistake are not likely, so if McCain wants to make this a race, he's got one option left. It's time to have a few drinks and drunk dial the President for help.

Sincerely,

Kevin L.

The Silicon Valley Bachelor

What Entourage and Guys Can Learn From Sex and the City

So I watched Sex and the City the Movie this last weekend - my coworker said I had to turn in my man card - I quickly changed the subject, thus keeping my card. Anyway, besides a bit of candid female conversation that was a bit laborious, I found the movie to be pretty darn good. It was a touching piece of female friendship, camaraderie, and comfort. A level of comfort that is missing in male relationships disguised by machismo, bravado, and homophobia.

One thing that caught my attention at the conclusion, was that 3 out of the 4 guys the women of Sex were with, were less than average, at least in television standards. This didn't necessarily bother me, but I've grown accustomed to seeing dizzying good looks in love interests on the big screen. I asked my friend Karen, who said that one of the themes of the show was exactly that, looks are not that important. I sat back and thought about this far-off and ludicrous idea for a moment, before deciding that Sex and the City was on to something!

Holy Schnikes - looks aren't that important!

If you look out into the world of women on the richter scales of 7s, 8s, 9s, 10s (because, let's face it - those are the only ones we're checking out) - they are absolutely almost always with guys who are below them on the scales. I hardly ever see a really good looking guy with a girl who isn't a knockout. You know why? Our dating pleasures are infinitely defined by the machismo I described above and by our viewing habits. I know of very few guys who don't care about what his male friends think about his girlfriend. We must always date 'hot' - or above our means.

We watch shows like Entourage (the supposedly male version of Sex and the City), where no hot women means we stop tuning in. The whole show is built around men who are living a life that the common man can only dream about. We want to see the guys of Entourage hook up with numerous girls that they would normally NEVER have access to. This is one of the reasons that guys get older and older before they want to settle down. We're too busy 'chasin' the dream!' Good is good, but could be better. Just look at your television screen.

There's a great country song (actually female sung), that goes, "Just as soon as I get what I want, I get unsatisfied. Good is good, but could be better. I keep looking, I keep looking for, I keep looking for something more." It's actually kind of sad, because while women have learned that happiness doesn't reside in good looks, men are still off searching for that next bombshell that television tells us could be ours.

Men could use a show like Sex and the City, or at least one character on Entourage that is going out with a girl who is less than attractive but sweet, caring, smart and wonderful. The character would almost definitely get grief from his friends, but the tune would change when they see the level of engagement, depth of character, humor, warmth, and self deprecation that, quite often, is lacking from some of our "hottest" women. It would be a shocking revelation for them to find out, and for many of us at home, that 'looks aren't that important' - a previously unexplored realm for a 'guy' show.

A male show would fail if 'looks aren't important' were the central theme. Man cards would be repossessed by the boatloads. So as Sex and the City has told us, it must be a subtle message -a subtle message, but an important one that a generation of males are in desperate need of.

Sincerely,

Kevin L.

The Silicon Valley Bachelor

Iceland Travel and Women: The Dollar is Back!

Well, many of my loyal readers may not know this, but Mom, Dad, Sis - this blog's MOST popular blog post is titled "The World's Easiest Women: Iceland." That single blog post dwarfs my next most trafficked post by a ratio of 10 to 1. The reason? It's simple. Iceland has a cult-like following by guys (and some girls) for being one of the most promiscuous countries around. Not to mention, the women are supposedly hot - three Miss Universes in a country of only 300,000!

Well, as I wrote in my previous post, traveling there will cost you an arm and a leg, and once you get there you gotta trade in your remaining limbs to buy anything...... but hold up just a second. According to recent reports (that's journalism attribution thank-you-very-much), Iceland is headed towards bankruptcy. That's the ENTIRE country mind you. Although I wish no ill will on anybody or any country, Iceland's new play will HAVE to be tourism. And the good news is, the DOLLAR IS BACK!!!

We can finally buy things around the world for normal prices again. Although beers in Europe will still cost you around $8, but who cares when you can buy double that in Iceland! Check out this post from MSNBC about the gains of our dollar in other countries. I know it's a small consolation with what's going on with our economy, but hey, life is full of looking towards the positives. Take for instance when I got hit in the face with a baseball bat. At least I got to feel that unique feeling that normally is only felt by a baseball.

Well, with that said, let's go save Iceland by visiting this beautiful country full of beautiful women.

Sincerely,

Kevin L.

The Silicon Valley Bachelor

P.S. Let's hope that the law is still in check, because nothing draws a bar fight quicker than difficult life situations. Cheers to the people of Iceland and may your troubles be temporary.

Life at 30, and What to Expect in My Next 30 Years

Tim McGraw has this poignant song he sang when he turned 30, called 'My Next 30 Years.' It goes a little something like this, (although FactCheck.org may say something different - I don't care though, I'm all Mavericky like that):

I think I'll take a moment, celebrate my age.

The endin' of an era, and the turnin' of a page.

Now it's time to focus in on where I go from here,

Lord have mercy on my next thirty years.

Hey my next thirty years, I'm gonna have some fun.

Try to forget about all the crazy things I've done.

Maybe now I've conquered all my adolescent fears,

And I'll do it better in my next thirty years.

My next thirty years, I'm gonna settle all the scores.

Cry a little less, laugh a little more.

Find a world of happiness without the hate and fear,

Figure out just what I'm doing here,

In my next thirty years.

Oh my next thirty years, I'm gonna watch my weight.

Eat a few more salads, and not stay up so late.

Drink a little lemonade and not so many beers,

Maybe I'll remember my next thirty years.

As great as the lyrics are, I'm going to cut it off there, because I LOVE those last two lines. You've got to listen to the song. It's all about the emphasis and feel of who is singing the song. This fan version of his song is below on YouTube:

I'd like to think my version of my first thirty years encompasses a lot of the same heartfelt emotions and sentiments. Although, if I were singing the song, being as narcissistic as I am, I would have touted all my accomplishments up to that point. Maybe something like this:

In my first thirty years, I only got suspended twice,

I kicked major butt in 3rd grade spelling, and I ate all my rice.

It sure didn't help me gain much weight,

But I still grabbed 4 rebounds in high school, that I have to say, was first-rate.

In my first thirty years, I got in 3 fights.

I finished 1 and 2, and a girl knocked out my lights.

So what she got lucky, I just don't really care.

I'm too busy, worrying about my hair.

No, I'm serious, did any piece move out of place?

I need it, so it takes attention away from my face.

I found a world of happiness, full of sleep and booze,

What was I saying?

Oh well, I'll just go on a cruise.

In my first thirty years, I moved to Idaho and followed on my dream,

Met a lot of single moms, who wanted me to join their team.

Little did they know that I'm a team of me, myself and I.

McDonald's makes my favorite, they call it Apple Pie.

In the end, there's a lot of consolation to pretty much suck,

Left a troubled industry and never bought a house,

I guess that what they call, just pure dumb luck.

Well, that pretty much sums up my life. Pure dumb luck. But guess what? Like Tim McGraw said, I'll do it better in my next thirty years.

Sincerely,

Kevin L.

The Silicon Valley Bachelor

P.S. Thanks to everyone who made it out to my 30th birthday. I had no idea I had anywhere close to 40 friends.

Obama or McCain: Why You Should Vote

I can tell you straight-up that I have not voted since I was 18 years old. Part of the reason: I was too busy partying down in San Diego in college. Then when I joined the journalism ranks, I wanted to be absolutely 'unbiased,' which is impossible really. I didn't want to report on political issues knowing that I had decided in my head which one was correct and which one was not. I thought it was better that I just examined the issues through the eyes of others, so that I wouldn't have to answer which way I voted.

Today, I don't have to make that decision. Although I'm a "freelance reporter," I can now continue my transformation towards the grossly opinionated and ridiculously good-looking. It's an honor to be able to vote, particularly now, as we face so many monumental moments in our nation's history as well as the world's. I think we will look back upon this last administration's years as the most defining of our generation. I hope it will turn out for the best, but I'm not willing to just sit here and hope. I plan on voting................ then I'll go back to partying.

Please watch the below video and make your voice heard.




Sincerely,
Kevin L.

Here are some other good links to engage in the discussion. MerchantCircle. Myspace. Yelp. YouTube.