Damian tagged me, and I must oblige. After all, I tagged almost everyone and their mother yesterday trying to get you all to help me with my most involved effort yet. Damian asked me which of my previous (and worst) jobs helped me prepare for the job I have currently (please tell me you didn’t miss that boat). Let me preface this by saying that I’ve never had a bad job because each job I’ve ever taken either advanced my transparent agenda or helped me put food on the table or paid for college expenditures. Now that that’s out of the way …

I have to say, after working as a camp counselor, concession stand worker at a big movie theatre, student security on campus, and database work at an educational research firm, none quite prepared me for my job or helped me get into the mentality of working with kids quite like my position as the Education Chair of La LUCHA at Syracuse U.

OK, so that wasn’t the worst job, nor was it something I was “hired” to do, but voted in. Of course, some of the readers who already knew me from previous incarnations wouldn’t consider it a job either as I never got paid monetarily. OK, fair enough, but here’s why I was more than prepared for my work with children after helping to lead that organization:

1. I had to learn quite quickly to not take things too personally. I had a big habit of doing it because, really, I put my whole person into that organization. Unfortunately, some people don’t view it the same way nor do they see my vision for the org. It prospered, but not like I’d hoped.

2. Making real change happen takes a lot of personal sacrifice. On the one hand, I had a drive very few matched when it came to that org, and when I wanted a real change to happen, I worked as hard as possible to make that change happen, sacrificing a whole lot of time I could have spent doing a whole lot of nothing.

3. I must make personal time. On the other hand, I also had to take some time for myself, and often, I didn’t know when to step back and do that.

4. Constant feedback and reflection are a vital part of becoming the best. At first, I didn’t take constructive criticism or any other type for that matter too well, because I thought the organization at the time needed a vast change and I was the only one who could bring it. Then, I was asked to get humble. And quick. I reflected on where that criticism came from and what much of that negativity would mean for the legacy I was trying to leave behind. But it wasn’t about me. It was about the org. Once I came to that epiphany, I started to work quietly, adjusting my game plan for the great good.

5. Sometimes, the best reaction is to let the chips fall where they may. There’d be days when certain people would bring a lot of negativity in my direction, trying to force me to react or fire back in a way that’s “unbecoming” of a leader. Most of it was immature, and they tried to intimidate me to step down. I wouldn’t. Rather than respond, I let everything pass, because I knew there’d be a moment when karma would inevitably take care of everything, which sure enough, it did.

6. Dealing with administration takes time, patience, and professionalism. No matter how unprofessional the professionals are, and no matter how “in the right” you are, there’s a time and place for every protest, question, or even comment. Professionalism will more often than not help your case.

7. Never let a moment in which you can teach someone go to waste. Never.

jose, who will not lose …

Allen Ginsberg is the man.

As a resident Lower East Sider and poet, I’ve always heard of his stuff, and respected him on street cred alone. Little did I know that this whole time, I’d already been exposed to Ginsberg through one of my already favorite poets, Amiri Baraka. In “Somebody Blew Up America,” he has a meme that always begins with “who,” just as Ginsberg’s “Howl” does in the first part of his seminal piece, and very coincidentally, just as my entries always end.

At some point, this must have prompted Taylor the Teacher (along with listening to some Pink Floyd) to ask me whether or not Ginsberg inspired me to tag my entries the way I did. Of course, the ingenious mind that she is, she thought it’d be a cool idea to turn this into a poetry meme. Follow the rules:

1. My first line will start off just like Ginsberg’s:

I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving, hysterical, naked, …

2. The rest of the poem is where you come in. Write your next post, and make it about anything you want. No really. Not that you wouldn’t do it anyways, but …

3. At the end of the meme, sign off like I do, starting with a “who …”

4. Link back to this post for the rules and the origins.

For example, I’ll start off with “I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving, hysterical, naked …”

and Taylor might write her next post sign-off with “who never understood the power of the Internet until that last post …” and mzvirgo might follow up with, “who is really more than just a gossip blogger,” and JD might chime in with, “who wishes the UFT were a more perfect union,” and so on and so forth.

I’m calling on anyone who’s reading to chime in, even if it’s something small. In 2 weeks time, I should have enough sign-offs to complete the first part of the poem from everything you all said. I’ll also complete parts 2 and 3 based on who responds to the call.

So …

Tracy. Bam. Talda. -1-. Damian. Jeff. NYCEd. Hugh. J. Dakar. BBC. LeeSee. AM.

CTG, aulelia, Bill, JM Holland, Wayne, Joanne …

I was ready to link all of you, but my keyboard’s melting …

jose, who saw the best minds of his generation emboldened by madness, hungry, hysterical, enlightened …

Yes, I popularized this meme. Don’t let any other blogger tell you differently.

The truth is … I don’t care who’s reading this.

The truth is … I’m cheering for Kobe Bryant and the Lakers in the Finals.

The truth is … we now know why Kobe is the MVP.

The truth is … stats don’t tell the whole story.

The truth is … I’m a Knicks fans just waiting for someone to burn Madison Square Garden down.

The truth is … I’m a Giants fan who likes the Eagles, mainly because of Donovan McNabb.

The truth is … I’m not at all worried about the prospects of the New York Yankees not making it to the playoffs. If this is a rebuilding year, then let it be.

The truth is … I can’t stand Red Sox fans as fans, not as people. Same goes for most New England sports.

The truth is … I don’t think anyone can understand the deep affection I have for some of my friends without it being confused for something else.

The truth is … I’ve concentrated my passions and worries for the most essential things and people in my life.

The truth is … I finally let go of most of my family grudges.

The truth is … I’m not impressed more or less by them girls in the TV or magazines, word to Musiq Soulchild.

The truth is … I think the majority of edubloggers are soft.

The truth is … I’ve lost affection for getting my picture taken too much. Flashing lights are blinding in other ways, too.

The truth is … I’ve been waiting for Busta Rhymes to come with something serious for a while now, and he did that and then some.

The truth is … I’ve wanted to write a sexual post a few days ago, but this is just not the forum. MySpace, however, is a whole ‘nother story …

The truth is … I don’t watch too much TV outside of SportsCenter, NY1 News, Countdown with Keith Olbermann, and Spongebob Squarepants.

The truth is … I’ve lost my patience with not only some students but also some fellow teachers, and that’s how I know I’m ready for next year.

The truth is … with all the convincing arguments to the contrary, I still don’t support any of the major US presidential candidates, and when people try to talk about this political system like it’s completely fair and balanced, it makes me sick to my stomach, literally.

The truth is … after the assassination comment H-Rod made, out of the major 3 candidates, I’d have to vote for Obama.

The truth is … I want to be Dr. Vilson before 40. No, really. And yes, in education.

The truth is … I have an Iron Man wallpaper on my school-lent laptop.

The truth is … my emotional intelligence is pretty high.

The truth is … I did come from the NYC Teaching Fellows program and I’m proud that I did.

The truth is … I love this meme.

jose, who won’t end with any Tom Cruise quotes, honest.

Wow, my face feels like a lemon-meringue stuffed pie. And I’ve been blowing my nose all day trying to get the stuff out. Ugh! This is the first time in what feels like a year or so I’ve actually been sick, versus in previous years when I’d be sick every week or two. I’m proud of my upkeep. Nonetheless, this change of weather is really messin’ with my immune system … not to mention a driver in need of a reality check. Who the hell blows their horn from 4-6AM consecutively?! Who? Inconsiderate asses.

But no, I didn’t call in sick. Rather, I just let the chips fall where they may, and do my thing.

OK, a meme, courtesy of NYC Educator:

1) What was I doing 10 years ago?

I’m a little younger than most of my readers. Let’s just say I’m certified to teach myself from 10 years ago.

2) What are 5 things on my to-do list for today (not in any particular order):

• Read some more of my latest Men’s Health mag.
• Get ready for tomorrow.
• Find an exit strategy for this crazy cold of mine.
• Buy tickets to go to the Dominican Republic.
• Watch some basketball before I go to sleep.

3) Snacks I enjoy:

• Some banana-walnut muffins
• Peanut M&Ms
• Some of that Cold Stone Ice Cream, yummmmmm …

4) Things I would do if I were a billionaire:

• Shower the people I love with love, word to James Taylor …
• Make my own school.
• Publish a couple of books.
• Invest my money so future Vilson generations can have more money.
• Travel the world.
• Attend all those events I wasn’t able to when I was a little less loaded, like an NBA All-Star Game here, World Series there …

5) Three of my bad habits:

• Sometimes I’m so focused on my writing, I tune out everything else, and I mean everything else.
• I have a hard time expressing myself, and that can come across as callous.
• I forgive, but never forget …

6) 5 places I have lived:

Only lived in one. NYC.

7) 5 jobs I have had:

• Basketball manager
• Concession worker at a movie theatre
• Data entry clerk
• Intern at a financial corp.
• Teacher

6 peeps I wanna know more about:

• Friedrich Nietzche
• Arturo Schomburg
• Karl Marx
• Lolita Lebron
• My grandfather on my father’s side
• Raul Julia

I tag … the starting line-up of the Los Angeles Lakers, since they’re not busy with anything right now.

jose, who can’t believe he’s this sick with only 33 days left for school …

The leftovers:

1. Wait, you mean Obama actually won Texas? Well then, maybe the MSM (mainstream media) has a lot to think about when it comes to responsible journalism. Not that I’m for or against either candidate, but it’s important to present the facts.

2. My impressions of Squidward and Gary of Spongebob Squarepants fame are becoming impeccable.

3. I finished Ch. 1 of my manuscript for the WOW Project. I know, I know, I shouldn’t be giving updates on that until I’ve personally handed in my manuscript to an agent, but I’m really excited.

4. JD and Taylor, I’ve already answered the Blog Evolution Meme and Top 5 Posts Meme I think, and in style …

5. My brother’s forearms are bigger than ever. I might have to check if dude’s on that HGH.

6. No really, my Apple Jacks actually have a nice apple taste, but it’s overpowered by that cinnamon.

6. Tamara and Ilana, I got you right now (re: Passion Quilt Meme).

Here are the rules:

• Post a picture or make/take/create your own that captures what YOU are most passionate about for kids to learn about…and give your picture a short title.
• Title your blog post “Meme: Passion Quilt” and link back to this blog entry.
• Include links to 5 folks in your professional learning network

Are you surprised? This iconic image is the representation of a freedom struggle of living in this country. On one end, they represented America in grand fashion, delivering 2 of the 3 top medals in their contest, and on the other end, they knew that their country wouldn’t afford them the same rights as Whites were during that period. If I showed this to my kids, I’d want them to understand that their strength didn’t just come from their superior athleticism, but also their heart and love for their people, and the intelligence to make a stand in the greatest world stage. (It’s also important to know that there were 3 protesters there. Peter Norman also wore a protest badge to show support for Tommie Smith and John Carlos.) The opportunities they’ve received wouldn’t have happened without the struggles that people before them faced; now it’s up to them to carry that torch.

As for the people I want to pass this onto, I got nothin’. Take it on if you want to.

7. At first I didn’t think it was possible, but I’ve officially been linked on not one but two (mostly) gossip sites: Nicole Bitchie and MzVirgo. Shocked? Yeah. Appreciative? Certainly. I must be taking tips from Gangstarr.

jose

p.s. - Anticipate a positive post, a post about why your future’s so bright, you need to wear shades, and a post about NYC. I’ll definitely need your participation on that last one.

I never used to like Valentine’s Day, but now I love it. Then again, it’s probably because I had a date, and have had one for some time now. I haven’t always had the best of luck, especially as a child, but now, things have never looked brighter. I’m not just in love, but I love, and it’s cool.

So in the spirit of that love, I’d love to tell you about some of the things I love:

I love having my lessons ready for school.

I love my independence.

I love writing, and I love it so much, I schedule the topics in my mind, unless something else comes up that’s a little cooler than that … like a date with a hot girlfriend.

I love my kids. Despite how annoying, frustrating, self-centered, destructive, insane, off-kilter, entitled, sloppy, and often insulting some of them are, the majority of my kids are just that: kids, and you can’t do anything except love them for who they are. They have this energy that makes you want to vicariously live through them almost … I said almost. After all, I like this grown-up version of me.

I love teaching. That’s a whole ‘nother post.

I love orange soda, but it’s a long-lost love since I haven’t been drinking it that much. I’ve maybe that my kind on that citrus divinity once over the last year, and that’s serious.

I love seeing good writers, good bloggers, and good comments, ones that make me brim with ideas and responses throughout the day and keep me writing at night.

I love good sex, and when a quickie is considered 45 minutes.

I love my family and friends for all their support.

I love my creativity and empathy, as they are probably my strongest qualities, even greater than my humility (and sometimes lack thereof).

I love performing poems though I rarely get a chance due to lack of preparation or scheduling conflicts.

I love the Lower East Side, even if it’s become the bastion of gentrification.

I love Freecell, like geezus kristo! I play it during my free periods, on the train home, on the way back, on a trip, and at home when I’m bored.

I love travelling, and it looks like I’ll be doing a lot of that. I’m on an award tour, and I got Muhammad my man, going each and every place with a cam in my hand. Miami, DC, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, and maybe Montreal, here I come.

I love getting angry over educational politics, and just talking as much crap as possible until I become professional again.

I love being an underdog, because it just makes me want to get revenge on the naysayers. I would actually prefer to be the perpetual underdog.

On that line, I love when my team wins championships. My homeroom lost to my advanced class in the first game of the tourney. After that first horrendous loss, and their only loss of the tournament, they acted like sore losers, and I dug into them a little, especially the leader of my team. He’s already got a bad temper, but then he was selfish, shooting something 1 for 8 with no assists. After that game, I practiced after school with them, and taught them a little bit of everything. I attended a couple of their games, coaching them on the sidelines, and they won game after game. Today, fatefully, they went and played the same team that beat them, not once but twice in the same day, so I was excited. I was more pleased that they, for the most part, played with class, and worked hard. They shared the ball and passed like I’ve begged them to.

I love teaching them more than just math.

I love seeing how they overcame the odds.

I would love to see them grow after everything they’ve learned …

jose, who’s got a million things to share, but frankly, i need a nap …

All the popular blogs are doing it.From: What Privileges Do You Have? - based on an exercise about class and privilege developed by Will Barratt, Meagan Cahill, Angie Carlen, Minnette Huck, Drew Lurker, Stacy Ploskonka at Illinois State University. (If you participate in this blog game, they ask that you PLEASE acknowledge their copyright.)

1. Father went to college.
2. Father finished college.
3. Mother went to college. (for 1 class)
4. Mother finished college.
5. Have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor.
6. Were the same or higher class than your high school teachers.
7. Had more than 50 books in your childhood home.
8. Had more than 500 books in your childhood home.
9. Were read children’s books by a parent.
10. Had lessons of any kind before you turned 18 assuming that sport counts.
11. Had more than two kinds of lessons before you turned 18 assuming that sport counts.
12. The people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively.
13. Had a credit card with your name on it before you turned 18.
14. Your parents (or a trust) paid for the majority of your college costs.
15. Your parents (or a trust) paid for all of your college costs
16. Went to a private high school
17. Went to summer camp (requirement for the middle school I went to)
18. Had a private tutor before you turned 18
9. Family vacations involved staying at hotels. Much less than 50% of the time.
20. Your clothing was all bought new before you turned 18.
22. There was original art in your house when you were a child.
23. You and your family lived in a single-family house.
24. Your parent(s) owned their own house or apartment before you left home.
25. You had your own room as a child. I got the guest room in my teens when we didn’t have guests.
26. You had a phone in your room before you turned 18.
27. Participated in a SAT/ACT prep course. (all free)
28. Had your own TV in your room in high school.
29. Owned a mutual fund or IRA in high school or college.
30. Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16. (Dominican Republic, Miami)
31. Went on a cruise with your family.
32. Went on more than one cruise with your family.
33. Your parents took you to museums and art galleries as you grew up.
34. You were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family.

I actually did a Google search to get the original exercise, and I laughed really hard, because post after post had most of these lines emboldened or underlined, and I’m here with about 6 lines in bold. And as I graduated junior high school, a predominantly Latino school, I never knew I’d be inundated with products of such privilege. Maybe it’s the idealist in me, but I thought that having this kind of privilege would make it easier for some of my classmates to become more benevolent, especially since they had less worries economically and got a head start on much of the material we studied in our four years.

Unfortunately, that not only proved false, but it’s one of the many factors that played into my antagonism towards some of my classmates. They were so comfortable with their privileges, they more readily demeaned others who couldn’t / wouldn’t get certain items. And naturally, it only got worse in Syracuse, where stories about massive car wrecks only made me and my friends roll our eyes after the person who caused the accident would say “I’ll just get a new one from my Daddy in a couple of weeks. No big deal.” And when you have “Juicy” sprawled across your ass, it’s a really easy life … really.

This isn’t to say that I haven’t had a lot of luck in my own right. I went to a poor but well-managed public school, a good middle school with small class sizes, and a private high school with its share of good resources. I had a lot of opportunities that most people in my demographic didn’t get, nor even realized they could. I’m a product of these fortunate events, and I’m happy I got what I got.

In this country, there’s this politics of access. Those to the right of the issue say that everyone has access so long as they try their hardest. They’re the ones that usually ask “Why don’t these people work hard to attain what the rest of us have?” Those to the left of the issue are the ones usually asking “Why doesn’t everyone have the same access to these privileges?” I find myself to the left, since the politics of the left demands a lot of deep digging, and deflecting the images posted in front of us about the grandness of this empire. Underneath it all, there’s no equity, and underneath it all, we don’t do enough to reinterpret successful tips for the underprivileged in this country (and in dirty not-so-secret secret news: in order to have rich people, there must be poor, and thus with all the very rich people there are many destitute areas all over this country.)

You can give people access to museums for free (NYC does it), but will they have the proper education or historical background to understand what they’re observing at the museum, even with the little notes telling them what the artifacts and painting represent?

You can have free opera showings and Caucasian-centric musicals for the masses, but do you risk telling other cultures theirs is not good enough to be considered “cultured”?

You can give as much financial aid to some of your less privileged but promising students so they can attend your institution, but are we preparing the population who got in through a trust fund or as a legacy for the culture shock as well?

Because if not, access is simply a way of telling people “See, we did something” knowing that it would do nothing to ameliorate the problem, quasi-placating the critics and thrusting the responsibility on the victim.

I’m even aiming this at well-to-do Blacks and Latinos, many of whom forget from whence they came, but that’s another post altogether. The politics of access demands that some people have it and some many don’t, because if it’s something everyone has, it’s not that special and hence not a privilege. Yet, those who already get the privilege consider it a right of birth, and don’t know what to do with themselves when they lose those “rights.”

I suppose that’s the irony of not having anything; having something above anything is considered a privilege, and when you have nothing to lose, there’s nowhere else to go but up.  Right?

jose, who wants to know how to get  1/2 a million without the FBI catching feelings …

A few notes:

1. I spotted a couple of gems online that I’d like to share with some of you:

• Sickamore of XXL Mag fame posted a blog comparing the Manning family to the Corleones (Godfather). Now that I’ve actually watched The Godfather, I get the joke. It was funny as hell to me, so I had to share.
• Pandagon posted the definitive guide to Nice Guys, and a subsequent post in comic form. As a former Nice Guy, I approve of this post.
• Aaron posted this crazy dope video about math education that I’m sure a good third of you will appreciate. The other 2/3rds better know the ledge …

2. Yesterday, I went on a photo shoot with my boy Jon Serrano, an up and coming artist extraordinaire. This year’s going to be fun. He’s got some serious projects in the works, and I’m a part of that.

3. It’s a wonderful Sunday, so I need to hit that gym early. I’m already seeing a little progress, but I still need to work harder to get to my target weight. I’m trying to lose that Bygbaby weight.

4. Speaking of which, I’ve already done Crazy 8s, and Lucky 7s, so I’ve been tagged to do the Sick 6s. With no further adieu …

• Georgetown was my first choice for college because one of my teachers went there, but also because Patrick Ewing went there. Syracuse, its rival school in the Big East, became my #1 choice junior year of high school, after I came to my senses. Consequently, I’m happy with the decision I made going there.
• I clean my room thoroughly maybe 13 times out of the year.
• My Google Reader has sufficiently calmed down my OCD habits of checking people’s blogs for updates and responses to comments. I’ve also begged asked people to fix their RSS capabilities (Bam, .chanel) or enhance them (The Unapologetic Mexican) so I don’t get tempted to regress. Big shout-out to Dan by the way for asking me to go full monty on the RSS feeds. Most of you seem to prefer that.
• I lesson plan the morning of, though I usually know a few days before what I’ll be teaching and how I’ll teach it. For the last week, though, I’ve been lesson planning early. Maybe it’s because I get more sleep nowadays.
• I got comebacks for every diss my kids serve to me, but I try not to cross over the “mama” line … except once. The kid in question said, “Mr. V, you’re not a G, you’re an H, like a herb! HA! You get no girls. In response, I said, “If that’s so, then why is it that when I call your mom, she always picks up?” He ran out of the room in shame and never crossed the line with me again, and whenever someone else tries to diss me, everyone tries to stop the person. Like I told another one of my kids, “I would care, but I got an icebox where my heart used to be.”
• I’m a terrible procrastinator, and I’ve left assignments undone.
• BONUS: I have a rap recording out there somewhere in the world. Good luck finding it.

I’m done. Like I said, I’m off to the gym.

jose, who loves carnivals that read like narratives …

p.s. - This week, I got some serious heat for you all.

p.p.s. - Please sign here. It’s for the 94K voters in California whose votes didn’t get counted because the bubble sheet was badly designed. Please. I implore thee. Pretty please. With a cherry on top. Err, that’s too 5th grade. Just do it. Or else. I’ll knock your Technorati numbers into oblivion. OK, maybe not. Just … just go. Thanks.

I’ve been tagged by JD to do the 7 Things Meme. I really thought I got hit with this meme, but it was really the Crazy 8s, so technically I never got hit with the 7 Things Meme. That’s weird coming from someone whose made his rounds and then some in the blogosphere, but I guess it’s only appropriate.

1. My blog runs on a schedule: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. I did this in accordance with my own schedule, and have been since 2003, so it works for me.

2. I usually get mistaken for an English / Social Studies teacher until it comes time to calculate the bill, tip and everything.

3. I have a good 5-6 posts on reserve in case I ever run out of material to discuss on this blog, but the world spins far too fast for me to not have anything to discuss. Come to think of it, I have a good 7 posts in my head as we speak.

4. I used to be a devout Catholic until I found how much of that religion was clouding my judgment. I also researched Islam and Buddhism, but frankly, I’m far too unstructured to care much about any of it. I don’t hate on those who do practice the religions; oftentimes, I have to participate in Catholic rituals due to my family. It just doesn’t work for what I believe, and the more I find out, the less I’m inclined to become part of any specific religion, denomination, or anything of that nature.

5. I have met at least 5 people from every other forum of Internet expression I’m actively involved with except for this blog. On Xanga, I met over 80 people, but only 30 of them intentionally. On MySpace, I met a couple of people here and there. On Facebook, I met maybe 2 of them as well. On this forum: zero. It looks like that might change soon, but more on that to follow.

6. I actually like it when I find something damning about my heroes and idols. It makes them human. When I found out that MLK Jr. had extra-marital affairs, or Malcolm X was once a slick hustler, or that John Lennon used to do tons of drugs, I became even more enthralled in their lives. I mean, the man who we consider Jesus Christ (Yoshua bin Yosef, Horus, the Sun) used to hang with the lowest of the low in his heyday.

7. I’m not as anti-Bush as most of my brethren. Let me explain: Bush is the epitome of American corruptive audaciousness. Not only does he not really care for the people of this country, he’ll tell you (read between the ill-written lines). And if he doesn’t, then everyone else in the office certainly will. For this small cabal of masters and corroborators to exalt GWBush into this position in the face of the American people makes the rest of the country look like idiots for not seeing exactly why and how this all happened. I think Bush is appropriate for a people so apathetic and disillusioned with concerns of whether or not presidential candidates should wear American flags on their lapels or which celebrity will make it to the top of the news before they find out how many more young people die across the Atlantic and within our own borders. This country deserves Bush, and if you say you hate Bush, but can honestly only site that he looks like a monkey, that he speaks funny, or that your friends are anti-Bush so you have to stick with them, then you deserve Bush, too.

Extra: For a blogger, I’m a much better listener than I am a talker.

jose, who finds it disconcerting that these points of view are called radical when I’m just saying what the news is telling me …

I tried my best to impress Sue of SpeechTeach, since I asked to be tagged to this meme. As far as who’s tagged after this, I pick you, and you, and you, and you … Scroll over the image to know what the image means.

1. Age at next birthday…

2. Place I would like to travel to…

3. My favorite place…

4. Favorite objects…

5. Favorite foods…

6. Favorite color…

7. Nickname…

8. Place where you were born…

jose, who didn’t to compete for a shot at love with tila tequila …