“You never think you’re going to be the one,” Sennis said. “At first, I remember thinking, ‘How can this be happening to me? What have I done to deserve to have a friend with cancer?’”

Sennis, who has known Murphy since they started working in the same department at Motorola in 2003, said having a friend with cancer is “a life-altering experience.”

“People ask me how I’m doing, and I say, ‘I’m scared and I’m angry,’” Sennis said. “Unless you’ve personally experienced the pain and hardship that comes with having a coworker you’re fairly close to get cancer, you wouldn’t understand.”

Sennis said that, while it initially seemed like “life had come to an end,” he “made the decision to keep living.”

“One thing I’ve learned in all this is that life goes on,” Sennis said. “Well, maybe not for Ben. But for me. The only thing I can do is take it one day at a time.”

Sennis said he doesn’t want people feeling sorry for him.

“A lot of my friends start to say ‘I have a friend who’s just been fired,’ or ‘I have a friend who tore a tendon,’” Sennis said. “Then, they realize that I have a friend with cancer, and they get quiet, like they think they can’t discuss their problems with me anymore. I just want people to treat me like normal.”

Sennis said he wishes he’d appreciated the good times he enjoyed with his friends before he got the news.

“You never understand what you have until your friend’s cancer takes it away,” Sennis said. “Like, I used to complain about having to go to Wednesday Wings with the guys from sales, but last week we had to cancel because Ben was getting a bone-marrow biopsy, so I sat at home alone all night.”

“It was a pretty depressing picture,” he added.

Sennis said chemotherapy has been particularly hard for him.

“Ever since the chemo started, it’s been a whole other story,” Sennis said. “I had to spend a good part of my Sunday hanging out in the waiting room last week. I was so exhausted I could barely move.”

“Just try finding something decent to eat out there,” Sennis added. “I ate a sandwich from the hospital deli, and the bread was, like, Wonderbread, and the turkey tasted terrible, like it was day-old or something.”

Sennis said that, ironically, the presence of Murphy’s family made the situation more difficult.” I’m going through an emotional time,” Sennis said. “Ben’s entire family was the last thing I needed at the hospital. Do you realize how hard it is to talk to people you don’t know at all?”

Sennis added: “The hardest part was talking to Ben’s girlfriend. I never liked her, but because of Ben, I had to go through these awkward conversations. ‘How many more chemo sessions does Ben have?’ ‘Is Ben keeping down his food?’ It was really hard.”

Sennis said his struggle has made him reconsider his relationship with God.

“I wonder why God would do this to me,” Sennis said. “It’s like God is punishing me for something by giving cancer to a friend of mine.”

Due to the adversity he has faced, Sennis said he has had to take special care of himself.

“I don’t consider giving up an option,” Sennis said. “So, for the past two months, twice a week, I’ve been treating myself to a massage. It’s expensive, but it’s the least I can do for myself as I go through this really tough time.”

Added Sennis: “I’m not going to let Ben’s cancer beat me.”

The kind of name-brand clothing I wear is very expensive. See these Karl Kani jeans? Eighty-eight dollars. Would I spend that kind of money on a pair of jeans if I were poor? Of course not. If I were poor, I’d think $88 was way too much to spend on a pair of jeans that, with the exception of a tiny Karl Kani logo embroidered on the front right pocket, are practically indistinguishable from a plain old pair of $25 Levi’s. But I don’t think that’s too much to spend because, for a well-off person like myself, money is no object.

Sure, I make $5.90 an hour at Taco Bell, but that couldn’t possibly be my only source of income, could it? If my total weekly take-home pay were only $175, why in the world would I spend practically that much on a Nautica sweater and pair of Timberlands? That would mean I’d have spent 40 hours slinging Chalupas just for that one shopping trip to the mall. That’d just be plain stupid. So, obviously, I must be rolling in dough. And I am. You can tell by my special non-poor-people clothing.

Yes, it’s obvious that I’m not like all those other losers who are working at Taco Bell and living with their moms. No, I’m a player. Take, for example, my socks. If I didn’t have money to burn, I certainly wouldn’t spend $22 for a pair of basic white athletic socks with a teeny-tiny Calvin Klein “CK” on them, would I? Of course not. I’d need to save my cash to get my telephone reconnected, or to pay off my loitering fine, or to help out my mom with the grocery bill. But, luckily, I’m not in that situation, and everyone knows it just by looking at my clothes.

I’ll admit it: A lot of people here on the South Side are poor. In fact, most of my relatives are poor, including my mother and all my siblings. Knowing that, you might assume that I don’t have that much money, either. But just look at these Lugz boots. And look at this Sean John baseball cap. They prove that I’m in an entirely different social class from my relatives, as well as from all those suckers who ride the bus with me every day.

Except for Angela, that is. I met her Monday on the C-route. She clearly belongs to a higher class of people like myself. I could tell because she was decked out from head to toe in expensive gear: Fubu jersey, Pepe jeans, and Fila shoes, not to mention a big gold chain around her neck. Angela was holding her two-year-old son, but he obviously isn’t placing much of a financial strain on her, as he was wearing a complete matching Abercrombie & Fitch outfit, which must have cost around $140. Recognizing how much Angela and I had in common, I asked her out on the spot. We went to dinner at Denny’s that very same night

In its heyday, Cindy’s (formally The Red Rider), was one of the more popular meat markets to date. Back then, it was only a lounge. One of the biggest attractions being bathroom stalls with doors still attached to them. Reverend Shorty Sagmeyer, a ”regular’ told us, “It was real nice back then. A person could go to the toilet in privacy. That was one of the biggest draws I think.”

During the 80’s and 90’s, Cindy’s saw its share of evolution being converted into a karaoke bar, a restaurant, a nightclub and a biker bar for yuppies among others.

It was in the late 90’s that Cindy’s owner Slick Cindy saw even more potential to profit from the addictions of others with the casino business and converted the property into a card room with promises of stable jobs and benefits for all, in addition to the extra revenue it would bring downtown businesses. Unfortunately, those with gambling habits were not too financially responsible and failed to save any money to patronize surrounding businesses, only showing loyalty to Cindy’s business.

If there are no takers at auction, then the bank holding the lean will attempt its hand in the casino, nightclub, karaoke bar, lounge, restaurant, sushi bar &  massage business offering free checking & double play on Tuesdays, Senior Sushi 2 for 1 Thursdays and free ham & eggs with any refinance.

The purchase follows the closing of every non-Wal Mart owned business that couldn’t compete with the retail giant. According to a new study from Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business, when Walmart enters a market, other mass merchandiser’s sales dropped by 40 percent and supermarket’s sales dropped by 17 percent. That is a pretty big hit for some stores, and often Walmart’s entrance in an area means the demise of local businesses.

Chamber representative Lilly Freadmont said, “There weren’t any businesses left for us to help. By letting Wal Mart take the reigns and do what they have done with every town, city & country they have went to. Total domination. And by purchasing the Cosi Chamber, they will continue to dominate.”

Others aren’t so optimistic however. A group of concerned citizens, known as D.I.M.W.I.T. (Death is Imminent Mainly with WalMart In Town) oppose such a move. DIMWIT President Joel Sroke said “This will be the final blow to commerce in our area. Wal Mart has slowly closed more doors while we just eat up the cheap products they sell with no regards to the child slave labor it takes to make what they sell, the hurt our own community causes by supporting them and the businesses that couldn’t compete with the buying power they have.” He continued, “I saw the owner of Joes Country Store & Sushi buying light bulbs there and he sells them at his own store.”

Chanting the slogan, “No Shirt, No Shoes, No Justice,” members of the nation’s shirtless and shoeless communities joined together in a rare act of solidarity. Dubbed “The Million Incompletely Dressed Man March,” the demonstration began on I-66 in Arlington, VA—with the barefoot participants walking on the white center line to protect the soles of their feet from burning—and concluded with a rally on the National Mall in Washington.

“For decades, law-abiding Americans have been denied service in restaurants and stores, simply because of the exposedness of their skin,” said Bud Hutchins, president of the National Association For The Advancement Of Shirtless People. “This is a direct attack on our civil rights, especially in the summer months when you really need to stay cool.”

Waving a copy of the U.S. Constitution, Hutchins added, “Nowhere in this revered document does it say, ‘But only if the guy has a shirt on.’ Our Founding Fathers would be appalled to see basic service rights denied to the differently clothed.”

Wiping a tear from his eye, Hutchins recalled being denied entry to a Marble Falls, TX, 7-Eleven at the age of eight. He said the store manager told him directly that he wasn’t welcome in the store because of his bare torso.

“I could not understand how a nation as great as America could say to me, ‘You’re not as good as your shirt-wearing neighbor,’” Hutchins said. “So I just sat outside the store, watching all the shirted people freely come and go with their Big Gulps and their candy bars. When something like that happens to you at such a young age, you don’t soon forget it.”

Standing before the shirtless, shoeless throngs, Barefoot America! director Diane Wallace said: “As if centuries of suffering from gravel roads and hot blacktop were not enough, the powers-that-be continue to deny us restaurant seating, theater admission, and countless other niceties enjoyed by the shoed. We say, no more.”

The coalition is calling for the passage of a constitutional amendment or other legislation guaranteeing “equal access to businesses and services for all citizens, regardless of one’s degree of bodily coverage.” If no such legislation is passed, NAASP members have threatened to retaliate with Denny’s-booth sit-ins, Burger King boycotts, and a program of exercise designed to make their torsos glisten with malodorous sweat.

Despite such threats, lawmakers remain unbowed.

“Why can’t these folks just put on some shirts and shoes if they want a Whopper?” U.S. Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID) asked. “If we cave in to these demands, next year, it’ll be trouserless Americans demanding equal access to Tavern On The Green. After that, the underpantsless will be calling for priority seating on airplanes. Then, people who are completely naked will want preferential treatment in college admissions. These people can put on a full wardrobe and get treated like everybody else.”

Hutchins dismissed Craig’s response.

“I’m hardly surprised [Sen. Craig] ascribes to the repugnant and prejudicial notion that we have ‘chosen’ to be this way,” Hutchins said. “Well, I’ve got news for you, senator: This is the way I am. I was born not wearing a shirt.”

S.P.A.D. president Maureen Dickle of Aberdeen. “Our sexuality never sparks controversy. It’s never the topic of TV shows. We’ve been literally left out and overlooked and we won’t stand for it anymore.” S.P.A.D. which stands for Straight People Against Discrimination, was founded in 1990, “When it was trendy to be gay.” according to Joel Highman, Treasurer. “Just once, I would like my sexuality to be the topic of gossip at my work” Stephen Goode said. “Nobody ever gossips about the fact that I’m straight and it hurts.”

What started out as a peaceful protest turned violent at one point when gay anti-demonstrators began to spit and throw rocks at the heterosexual crowd. “They have no right to complain! They don’t deserve any special treatment!” yelled Frenchie Brooks, head of the G.P.A.S.P.A.D, (Gay People Against Straight People Against Discrimination) “Gay people have always made it a point to make sure everyone in the room knows we’re gay. That’s the way it’s always been. If you don’t like it, then don’t listen.” one gay anti-demonstrator told us.

During our study, we surveyed 15 bars  and/or taverns, most of them in the Pacific Beach area. Out of the 30 nights, saw 37 fights involving men and 1 involving women. Of those 37 male fights, we noted that the majority of women on-hand, were aroused by the male instigators of the confrontations.

When questioned, most women took a liking to the winner of each fight. “It’s just so hot when a guy starts flexing and picks a fight in a bar. It makes me want to take him home and jump right on him.” Shelly L. told us. One bar regular called ‘Trixie’ said, “It could be the winner, it could be the loser, but I am going home with one of them. I took home a different guy each night last week.

It appeared that of all of the male fights, there were people opposed to each party winning and losing. But regarding female confrontation, nobody seemed to care who won and were just entertained regardless of the outcome.

Other points of attraction:

• tank tops (Bonus if shirt came off)
• flexing arms
• profanity
• picking on weaker men
• chewing tobacco
• trucks with big tires (Bonus with pissing Calvin sticker on back window)
• jokes at others’ expense
• the ‘rock on’ hand gesture to a heavy metal song (also known as the satan rocks’ sign)
• stand up comedians

“It’s important that life in liberated Iraq get back to normal as soon as possible,” said Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz at a press conference Monday. “That’s why we’re making sure that Iraqis have the best Christmas ever—something they certainly wouldn’t have had under Saddam Hussein’s regime.”

To that end, 25,000 troops from the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment and 82nd Airborne Division have been deployed. Their missions include the distribution of cookies and eggnog at major Iraqi city centers, the conscription of bell-ringers from among the Iraqi citizenry, and the enforcement of a new policy in which every man, woman, and child in Baghdad pays at least one visit to ‘Twas The Night… On Ice.

Immediately following the press conference, high-altitude bombers began to string Christmas lights throughout the greater-Baghdad area, and Wild Weasel electronic-warfare fighter jets initiated 24-hour air patrols to broadcast Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” over the nation. Armored columns struck out from all major allied firebases to erect a Christmas tree in the town square of every city, while foot soldiers placed fully lit, heavily guarded nativity scenes in front of every Iraqi mosque.

“Thus far, Operation Desert Santa has gone off without a hitch,” said Gen. Stanley Kimmet, commander of U.S. armed reconnaissance-and-mistletoe operations in the volatile Tikrit region of central Iraq. “There has been sporadic house-to-house fighting during our door-to-door caroling, but that’s to be expected in a Christmas season of this magnitude.”

According to Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, the top American military commander in Iraq, every precaution is being taken to ensure the peaceful enforcement of the Christmas season in occupied Iraq.

“All American military personnel have been instructed that the observation of Christmas should be carried out efficiently and tastefully, with minimal emphasis on the season’s commercial aspects,” said Sanchez, who addressed reporters while a decorations division strung wreaths and garlands outside his headquarters. “We must keep in mind that the reason for the season-oriented campaign is for Iraq to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

An aide for Sanchez later explained that, in order to ensure a meaningful holiday season for all Iraqis, provisions were made for those Iraqis who elected to observe Hanukkah.

Like many U.S. operations in Iraq, Operation Desert Santa has met with some resistance. A convoy transporting fruitcake and gingerbread came under rocket attack Sunday night just outside Checkpoint Noël in Basra, and unidentified bands of Iraqis exchanged gunfire with Marines operating an armored Humvee simulated sleigh ride in a Baghdad suburb. In spite of these troubles, regional commanders report progress, with only eight U.S. casualties resulting from the operation.

Still, Iraqis report that they are unable to get into the Christmas spirit.

“Why am I supposed to feel joy for the world?” said 34-year-old Baghdad mechanic Hassan al-Ajili as he stood in line for his mandatory visit with Santa. “My country is still at war. I need an American identification card to get anywhere in my own city. Now, for some reason, men with machine guns have placed two rows of jingling antlered pigs on the roof of our house. This is insane.”

Obama, speaking from the Oval Office, praised the brave men and women of Operation Desert Santa and asked for the understanding of all Americans.

“We must be patient with the Iraqis,” said Obama, seated before a Christmas tree dotted with Scottish terrier ornaments. “The holidays can be a very stressful time, especially for people not yet used to the customs. I’m sure Iraq will enjoy the happiest of holiday seasons if we show resolve and commit to making sure that they do.”

President Obama then called for 30,000 new troops to be deployed in the next week to ensure an effective and precise enforcement of Christmas throughout the region. Salvation and Eighth Army detachments will be stationed on every corner by Christmas Eve to make sure that every last Iraqi citizen spends the holiday at home, with family.

Sanchez said he is confident that he can meet that deadline.

“A merry Christmas in Iraq means peace in the Middle East has finally been achieved,” Sanchez said. “God bless us, every one.”

Police spokesperson Holly McDaniels said, “It happened so abruptly. One minute, thousand of kids were in awe of being in the town that the books and movies are set in, the next minute they are tearing the town apart.” Bystander George Stackbabber said “I have never seen such a violent spectacle in my life. They just went nuts. It was like a scene from a vampire movie when they get the taste of blood and go berserk.” 8 year old Anthony Creedus’ older sister was one of the rioters as he stood on the sidewalk and watched his 16 year old sister destroy the tiny town. “Sissy  loves Twilight. She has all the books. The movies. A blanket. All the cd’s and even does her hair like Bella.” (A character from the series).

The books author, who has become a worldwide publishing phenomenon with the series, issued this press release: “I am sorry that this problem has occurred. I only wished to tell a story. By the way, the next book will be out in 6 months.”

Store owner Conrad Ringston told us, “”It’s going to take a long time to rebuild, but we can do it.” as he sifts through the remnants of his now-destroyed business, Twilight Tires & Hubcaps. “With other books & movies coming out, we’re bound to bounce back.”

The Twilight Saga’s translation rights have been sold in 39 countries and over 42 million copies have been sold worldwide. The last book in the Twilight Saga, Breaking Dawn, sold 1.3 million copies in its first day on-sale, breaking publisher records. The last movie, “A New Moon” made a staggering $144 million at the box office opening weekend.