Happy 4th and Ticket Stubs

Topic(s): me
2004-07-05 21:44:24 PDT

Today is actually the 5th, but happy 4th of July everyone! Unless you happen to be outside the US, in which case it's just a day like any other. Nonetheless, hopefully you had a happy 4th of July!

I won't claim that the US is the best country in the world. That's a tough claim to make. There are lots of different ways one can measure "best." Best weather, best food, best people, best living, best opportunities, etc. Of course one could come up with an arbitrary aggregate score, but then what percentage does each category weigh?

I'll just say that the US is definitely the best country for me. Things like best food are pretty low on the aggregate score for me, and things like best opportunities are pretty high. I say "best opportunities" is pretty high, because the things I want to do in my life are either difficult or flat out impossible in any other country besides the US.

Me, I'm the son of nobody special - just two average parents, one an auto mechanic and the other with various jobs. I didn't live anywhere special. I was never special in any sort of way. Yet, in the US, in five years I was able to work my way from nothing special to where I am today, living my dreams. I'm not the exception. Anyone in the US can do the same.

Different topic...

A couple years ago I started keeping some of my ticket stubs from movies, concerts, museums, and stuff. Here's what I've got so far, mostly from the last two years plus a couple from farther back, very roughly in chronological order:

Museo di Storia della Scienza - Florence
Opera di Santa Maria Novella - Florence
Museo degli Argenti - Florence
Galleria dell'Accademia - Florence
Wiener Neustadt to Florence (train)
Wiener Neustadt to Budapest Kaleto (train)
Florence to Wiener Neustadt (train)
Budapest Kaleto to Wiener Neusadt (train)
Museo di San Marco - Florence
Puspokvar - Pecs
Amsterdam to Budapest (air)
San Jose to Los Angelas (air)
Los Angelas to San Jose (air)
Los Angelas to Houston (air)
Houston to Los Angelas (air)
San Jose to Austin (air)
Austin to San Jose (air)
San Jose to Austin (air)
Budapest to Amsterdam (air)
Amsterdam to San Francisco (air)
Elf - AMC Mercado
Lord of the Rings: Return of the King - AMC Mercado
Hidalgo - Milpitas Century
London to San Francisco (air)
San Francisco to London (air)
San Francisco to Amsterdam (air)
Budapest to Amsterdam (air)
Muni - San Francisco bus
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
The Big Lebowski - Aquarius Theatre in Palo Alto
San Jose Earthquakes vs. NY Metrostars (MLS)
The Italian Job - AMC Kabuki
Intolerable Cruelty - AMC Mercado
San Jose Giants vs. Visalia Oaks (Minor LB)
Golden State Warrios vs. Sacramento Kings (NBA)
Santa Clara Broncos vs. Hawaii Rainbows (Womens' Volleyball)
Matrix Revolutions - AMC Mercado
Ladykillers - Daly City Century
American Wedding - Century 16
SWAT - Century 16
Westminster Abbey - London
Of Mice and Men - Old Vic Theatre, London
Golden State Warriors vs. Dallas Mavericks (NBA)
Underground Subway - London
Class AAA Women's Basketball High School Semifinals (Wimberley vs. somebody)
Golden State Warriors vs. Denver Nuggets (NBA)
Golden State Warriors vs. Chicago Bulls (NBA)
Golden State Warriors vs. Phoenix Suns (NBA)
Heavenly Ski Resort - Lake Tahoe
Star Wars 2 - AMC Mercado
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days - Regal Gateway
Ghost Ship - AMC Mercado
San Jose Earthquakes vs. Colorado Rapids (MLS)
T3 - AMC Mercado
Unlimited Sunshine (Cake, Flaming Lips, Modest Mouse, The Hackensaw Boys, others) - Greek Theatre in Berkeley
San Francisco Giants vs. Florida Marlins (MLB)
Sweet Home Alabama - AMC Mercado
Notorious C.H.O. - Dobie Theatre
Planet of the Apes - AMC Mercado
Chicago - AMC Mercado
Luna - The Fillmore
Die Another Day - AMC Mercado
Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd - AMC Mercado
Winchester Mystery House
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - Regal Westgate
Once in a Blue Moon (Paul Oakenfold, Sasha & Digweed, The Crystal Method, others) - Cow Palace
University of Texas Tower
Brian Greene Lecture - Dinkelspiel Auditorium at Stanford
dredg, Strata, others - Bottom of the Hill
Banger Sisters - Gateway Regal
Y Tu Mama Tambien - San Jose Century
Talk to Her - Dobie Theatre
Paul Weller, Mellodrone - The Warfield
Minority Report - Milpitas Century
Rent (Musical) - Flint Center in Cupertino
WAC Women's Volleyball Championship - University of Nevada
Matrix Reloaded - AMC Mercado
An Evening With Rush - Shoreline Ampitheatre in Mountain View
Chicago Cubs vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (MLB) - Wrigley Field, Chicago
Art Institute of Chicago
University of Texas vs. University of Nebraska Football
Houston Astros vs. Cincinnati Reds (MLB)
Tori Amos - Austin Music Hall

Lots are missing, most notably all my stubs from Budapest, 2001 and 2002 concerts, ski passes, and tons of airline tickets. Hopefully I'll find them somewhere. I'm sure I've got my Budapest stubs around somewhere...

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