"Senator Kerry, In 2pac's hit song 'Changes' he makes this statement: 'we ain't yet to see a black president, uhh'.....your response?"
I just finished watching the first presidential debate between the two candidates that stand a chance of winning, (sorry Ralph), and it was entertaining to say the least. Rather that focus on what important topics were hit on, how each candidate represented themselves, or even the quality of questions asked, I thought I'd write a post on how stupid political debates are.
Let's start with topic number one, why (most) people watch them and what they're thinking about when they're watching them. OF COURSE!!! Everyone wants to know who won!!! Meanwhile, back at the Sloancave, Nathan is wondering why he didn't see the scoreboard behind the candidates heads. Must be that C-span, with their tricky "don't waver from the medium close-up shot of both candidates" policy, kept me from seeing the giant Coca-Cola light bulb powered scoreboard that the people at Miami University ripped off a couple of telephone poles from a local middle school football field. I guess it was obvious to everyone else in the world that watched it on ABC or CBS...because the phone lines lighted up with truck drivers and 107 year-old ladies that KNEW they had the answer as to who "won." Yeah, ok, right...when your argument for who won is "Well (insert candidate name) looked so much more professional and answered all the questions like a real gentleman," or, "HEY, (insert candidate name) is just as sweet as he can be and I know he'll lead our country in the right direction!" I start to get confused. So, wait a minute....am I trying to vote for the candidate that does the best stage performance or the candidate that seemed to be the biggest sweetheart? Gee wiz, it almost seems like there is something else I'm supposed to take into consideration...hmmm. OH YEAH! HOW ABOUT WHICH CANDIDATES BELIEFS MOST CLOSELY RESEMBLE MY OWN!? Small detail that most people leave out.
To put it simply, politics need to be put on a leash. This has gotten out of control. There are actually people out there who will be convinced to vote for someone, i.e. choose the leader of the free world, based on how good they looked on TV. Ladies and gentlemen, (both of you that actually read this blog), you know I speak the truth! Somewhere out there, a middle aged woman is sitting in her Laz-e-Boy recliner and has decided to vote for one candidate based on how he "did." I feel like crying.
The next thing I'd like to bring up is that no one actually knows what is being said at any given time anyway. This includes the candidates themselves. They've been given a list of key words to which they are supposed to reply to in a certain way. When a question is asked, they hear the key words, formulate a response that agrees with each key word's appropriate answer, and mumble something about the cold war or why they love soldiers afterwards. Let's not forget the millions of people at home who also have no idea what is actually being said partially due to the fact that the candidates are confused. There are Ivy League professors out there that are sipping on their green tea while writing a journal entry about what they think happened. In reality they're hippies drinking green tea that are very good with the English language and creative enough to make something reasonable sounding up to put on the paper. I can't believe people seriously buy into the huge publicity stunt that debates have become.
Remember that actions speak louder than words, and if you can't see the person's actions yourself then be careful where you get your information from!
For more on my political stance, and a lovely recipe for herb roasted chicken, check out the archives for my post titled "Pandas are Actually Quite Hostile"
Thursday, September 30, 2004
Wednesday, September 29, 2004
Firefly for the Janitor on Floor 3
MonkeyNathan
Originally uploaded by link5001.
Tag...you're it..
Do you remember being 9 years old? Maybe even 11 and 12. Those were awesome times. Looking back on them it seems that it's just a block in my memory reserved by a number or a place holder or something. It's almost as if, to simplify things, I condense complex memories and put them into a broader category. It's really a shame because I know I can remember more than I actually do. While thinking about my childhood earlier I decided to venture back to the memories that rest on the horizon of forgotten. The memories that I pretend that I still hold firmly while secretly they slip away from me.
When I think about my childhood one of the first things that pops into my head is trees. When I was little I was a tree climbing fool. There was no tree too daunting to climb. I always went to the absolute top and laughed and the peons below me that were too chicken to make death defying leaps to tiny branches. Those were the days! When life was going to school to learn how to write and coming home to scale the tallest trees and ride around town in bike gangs.
Speaking of bike gangs, I was in one. Not a "gang" of course. There weren't a bunch of 3rd graders cruising around popping caps in old ladies and speeding off on our Huffies. We just got together and bragged about who could go the fastest. Of course, to go the fastest, you had to tackle the baddest hill in town. HEAD FIRST, NO LOOKING BACK. In my home town, there was just such a hill. A hill so legendary amongst the kids in Four Oaks that it got it's on name. Carter's hill.
No one really knows who Carter is or was, at least no one in my generation, but none of us seem to care. We just know that it's crazy fun to fly down on a bike. When you get good enough you let go of the handle bars and let your arms go. It's like soaring in the face of reality for 4 seconds and laughing at it!
Such good times should never be forgotten but then maybe that's how we become adults. Perhaps it's up to our kids to remind us what life is really about when they come along, and give us the juice to make it through the next 30 years. Regardless of what my mind will or won't allow me to keep I plan on staying a kid forever. EAT THAT REAL WORLD!!
Tuesday, September 28, 2004
We're Thinking "My Darling"
Nanu nanu!
There's nothing like writing a post from bed. Ahhh the joys of laptops. I watched the movie Pulp Fiction last night for the first time and it wasn't over until about 1:30 AM. Which actually worked out well because my roommate had locked me out of our room and he came back in about 10 minutes after the movie was over. My roommate has difficulty getting up in the mornings. Especially for an 8 O'clock class, so, like the rest of us, he uses the snooze button. However, unlike the rest of us. he started using it at 6:15 this morning, almost two hours ahead of time....and didn't slow down for over an hour. Every nine minutes I got a nice little reminder of the retro sounds of an alarm made in 1987. Doesn't matter much now though I suppose. We're all fine now.
Now, you may not believe it, but every day spectacular ideas go through my head of what I can write about. It just seems that 90% of the time I usually forget those ideas before I can get back to my computer. Well, I'm happy to report that I didn't forget what I dreamed up yesterday. NUTRITION AND THE WORLD OF VEGETARIANS!!!
I don't often worry about what I eat. Usually, I enter Wag with great joy and shove every bit of food in my mouth I possibly can. Yesterday, however, may have changed that. In my standard issue PED lecture I got an earful about how horrifically bad for me all the food I eat is. I Usually eat lots of bread, meat, and cheese/dairy. That's pretty much all I eat. Of all the things she said were important to eat, well, none of my food really fell in there. She suggested blueberries for fruit and Broccoli for a vegetable, both for their antioxidants. Oh well, I like blueberries but you'll never catch me with broccoli in my mouth. She went on to explain how we needed a lot of fiber in our diets and how exactly we could go about getting that fiber. It usually entailed eating something I thought you fed to farm animals. Nevertheless, I managed to eat healthier last night at Wag, aside from the pasta I got. I had a bowl of pineapples and a bowl of granola. let me tell you....mmm mmm good.
Now on to Vegetarians. Strange breed those veggies/veagans...strange breed indeed. I say this having a very good friend that's a veagan, so I know from experience. No no, I'm only kidding of course. For vegetarians it seems that the primary concern for why they choose their diet is their own health, and as an added bonus they get to help the wittle animals as well. Veagans are straight crazy. Those hardcore hippies don't even buy cars with leather interiors or wear leather shoes. No milk, no cheese, no problems. I have to admire their spirit even if I, myself, don't have the care or the willpower, even if I had care. I do, however, feel that the factory farming industry needs to have VERY strict regulations put on it as to how the animals are treated while they're alive and how they are HUMANLY put to death. If you ask me, it makes a bigger statement against the factory farmers to write your representatives about bringing into law new regulations to protect these animals. I say, if you're really in it for the animals, you may be a veggie/veagan, but no one will know it. If you're not eating the animals for the animals benefit that's great, but don't get an ego pop out of it. Ego boosts don't help the animals you aren't eating. Go ahead and organize a group to write congress and sign petitions. When I see that day I'll hop right onboard with the neo-hippies and sign those papers. Cause, you know, you got to fight the man!
this post was brought to you by the letters: b, o, r, e, d, o, and m
There's nothing like writing a post from bed. Ahhh the joys of laptops. I watched the movie Pulp Fiction last night for the first time and it wasn't over until about 1:30 AM. Which actually worked out well because my roommate had locked me out of our room and he came back in about 10 minutes after the movie was over. My roommate has difficulty getting up in the mornings. Especially for an 8 O'clock class, so, like the rest of us, he uses the snooze button. However, unlike the rest of us. he started using it at 6:15 this morning, almost two hours ahead of time....and didn't slow down for over an hour. Every nine minutes I got a nice little reminder of the retro sounds of an alarm made in 1987. Doesn't matter much now though I suppose. We're all fine now.
Now, you may not believe it, but every day spectacular ideas go through my head of what I can write about. It just seems that 90% of the time I usually forget those ideas before I can get back to my computer. Well, I'm happy to report that I didn't forget what I dreamed up yesterday. NUTRITION AND THE WORLD OF VEGETARIANS!!!
I don't often worry about what I eat. Usually, I enter Wag with great joy and shove every bit of food in my mouth I possibly can. Yesterday, however, may have changed that. In my standard issue PED lecture I got an earful about how horrifically bad for me all the food I eat is. I Usually eat lots of bread, meat, and cheese/dairy. That's pretty much all I eat. Of all the things she said were important to eat, well, none of my food really fell in there. She suggested blueberries for fruit and Broccoli for a vegetable, both for their antioxidants. Oh well, I like blueberries but you'll never catch me with broccoli in my mouth. She went on to explain how we needed a lot of fiber in our diets and how exactly we could go about getting that fiber. It usually entailed eating something I thought you fed to farm animals. Nevertheless, I managed to eat healthier last night at Wag, aside from the pasta I got. I had a bowl of pineapples and a bowl of granola. let me tell you....mmm mmm good.
Now on to Vegetarians. Strange breed those veggies/veagans...strange breed indeed. I say this having a very good friend that's a veagan, so I know from experience. No no, I'm only kidding of course. For vegetarians it seems that the primary concern for why they choose their diet is their own health, and as an added bonus they get to help the wittle animals as well. Veagans are straight crazy. Those hardcore hippies don't even buy cars with leather interiors or wear leather shoes. No milk, no cheese, no problems. I have to admire their spirit even if I, myself, don't have the care or the willpower, even if I had care. I do, however, feel that the factory farming industry needs to have VERY strict regulations put on it as to how the animals are treated while they're alive and how they are HUMANLY put to death. If you ask me, it makes a bigger statement against the factory farmers to write your representatives about bringing into law new regulations to protect these animals. I say, if you're really in it for the animals, you may be a veggie/veagan, but no one will know it. If you're not eating the animals for the animals benefit that's great, but don't get an ego pop out of it. Ego boosts don't help the animals you aren't eating. Go ahead and organize a group to write congress and sign petitions. When I see that day I'll hop right onboard with the neo-hippies and sign those papers. Cause, you know, you got to fight the man!
this post was brought to you by the letters: b, o, r, e, d, o, and m
Monday, September 27, 2004
...And Why Don't I Get a Novelty Pen?
Batsneak
Originally uploaded by link5001.
Just ignore that, slight utility belt malfunction
What a weekend folks. Friday night was a blast. I thank my dear friends Amanda and Katie for allowing me into their happy living spaces. It was a great experience. You know, moving into enemy (State) territory and gathering information on what they were like. No no, everyone I met there was friendly and, yes, even a little nice.
While taking Amanda home I did get lost in Raleigh and drive, quite courageously, the wrong way down a one way, two lane street. Good times, good times. Thankfully Amanda has a good head on her shoulders and we were able to reorient and find the way back home. Friday nights are fun.
Saturday nothing happened. No really, I wrote that post on Saturday and that was the Highlight of my day. Well, I caught up with an old friend over the internet, but I can't help but feel like a sack of rotting vegetable matter because of my inactivity that day. Sunday didn't see much more excitement, but it did see Batman.
This next bit keeps in the tradition of my "Super Hero" theme as of late so I thought I'd bring it up. My friend, Matt Johnson, is an insane costume and prop buff. He's been into costumes, really, since our sophomore year. I believe this is his third attempt at an original '89 Bat suit. I must say, even as a casual fan of Batman, it is quite an impressive sight in person. However, for those of you who will never see it in person, I've provided a picture of it on this post. We did a batphotoshoot of sorts Sunday afternoon and I find that this image to be one of the more humorous ones. Sigh, I have such interesting friends.
Is it still a totem poll if you feed it through a wood chipper?
Saturday, September 25, 2004
By the Way, Grape Nuts are Disgusting
...and then, you'd be vaporized by my LIGHTNING vision!!!
A few days ago I purchased a couple of source books for my Heroes Unlimited Table-top RPG. For those of you that don't know what that is, we're both probably better off that way. In any case, the way the game works is that you make a super hero and play as him in the adventure world of the GM's making.
**as an aside...if you are reading this, living in the Wilmington area and you like RPGs...contact me to join in!!!
This brings us to ponder the question, "If I were a super hero, what kind of super hero would I be?" Now, for many of you I'm sure the first thing you think of when I say super hero is Superman. Let me explain why you don't want to be a Superman type character.
#1- Flying is for pansies. Real super heroes take the bus.
#2- Extremely retarded looking costume, you want to avoid that or the villains will laugh you out of the abandoned chemical factory.
#3- At early levels, having heat vision is good for little more than warming pop tarts.
#4-Being virtually unstoppable gets quite boring after a while and the GM will just kill you to give the game some excitement.
#5-All the other super heroes will beat you up and take your lunch money.
"So, if not "Superman" then what DO I want to be?" You may ask...
Well, here is one of my favorites, why not be a bionic man? That way you don't have some lame reason for getting your super powers (i.e. Flogdar the Mystic give you the Emerald of UBER power.) By being a bionic man you can make up some cool story about how your character got blown to bits in the Korean war, still has a bit of the shrapnel in the leg, and had to have virtually his entire body replaced.
Maybe if making gear-shifting noises every time you go to the bathroom isn't your thing, you can choose to be a mutant. Mutants are pretty cool. They have straightforward backgrounds too. Either they were born that way, or got messed up in a horrific SCIENCE experiment. Then you can make them really ridiculously huge and/or they can have green hair. That’s pretty cool.
The possibilities are endless, just remember to make sure your character is actually cool and doesn't do completely lame stuff like "sense other people's emotions." What!? Who gives a flying pancake??? I want to see you melt steel with a fire bolt! ROCK ON!!!
For more information on my method, visit www.nathanisrightforfinance.net
A few days ago I purchased a couple of source books for my Heroes Unlimited Table-top RPG. For those of you that don't know what that is, we're both probably better off that way. In any case, the way the game works is that you make a super hero and play as him in the adventure world of the GM's making.
**as an aside...if you are reading this, living in the Wilmington area and you like RPGs...contact me to join in!!!
This brings us to ponder the question, "If I were a super hero, what kind of super hero would I be?" Now, for many of you I'm sure the first thing you think of when I say super hero is Superman. Let me explain why you don't want to be a Superman type character.
#1- Flying is for pansies. Real super heroes take the bus.
#2- Extremely retarded looking costume, you want to avoid that or the villains will laugh you out of the abandoned chemical factory.
#3- At early levels, having heat vision is good for little more than warming pop tarts.
#4-Being virtually unstoppable gets quite boring after a while and the GM will just kill you to give the game some excitement.
#5-All the other super heroes will beat you up and take your lunch money.
"So, if not "Superman" then what DO I want to be?" You may ask...
Well, here is one of my favorites, why not be a bionic man? That way you don't have some lame reason for getting your super powers (i.e. Flogdar the Mystic give you the Emerald of UBER power.) By being a bionic man you can make up some cool story about how your character got blown to bits in the Korean war, still has a bit of the shrapnel in the leg, and had to have virtually his entire body replaced.
Maybe if making gear-shifting noises every time you go to the bathroom isn't your thing, you can choose to be a mutant. Mutants are pretty cool. They have straightforward backgrounds too. Either they were born that way, or got messed up in a horrific SCIENCE experiment. Then you can make them really ridiculously huge and/or they can have green hair. That’s pretty cool.
The possibilities are endless, just remember to make sure your character is actually cool and doesn't do completely lame stuff like "sense other people's emotions." What!? Who gives a flying pancake??? I want to see you melt steel with a fire bolt! ROCK ON!!!
For more information on my method, visit www.nathanisrightforfinance.net
Friday, September 24, 2004
Eat at Wag->Take Poo
Apparently strumming isn't an aerobic exercise...
Another one of those Friday's where I have to get up at 7:30 for that dag blasted PE class. Thankfully, this morning there was no workout involved, just a test based on our lecture that I likely failed miserably. Due, as always, to the fact that I don't study. Hopefully a round of depressing failures at the end of this half of the semester will assist me in finding time to escape and study. Escape the confines of club meetings and and my beautiful white Apple ibook . Speaking of depressing things, how about those health classes in general. You pretty much go in, listen to them tell you exactly how you should live if you want to last any longer than 60, then force sign some "behavioral change" contract that you know you aren't going to keep. Every time my hand made a loop in my signature I was picturing Krispee Kreme doughnuts...
...
Like...the ones with raspberry in them....or the ones with that creme stuff...
...
...mmmmmm
I just realized how creepy Clint Eastwood's stare is on my "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly" poster. He needs to chill with that. I can't even think man. OH YEAH. I know you are all on the edge of your seats with excitement over how my progress with the guitar is coming. I'm happy to report that my calluses are back! Now I can practice for periods longer than 4 minutes without crying like a girl from the pains of fretting. Also, as I side note, I've been learning that song "Daughters" for the past few days, mostly because John Mayer is the bane of my roommate's existence. I see it as a way to punish him for the at LEAST 20 hours of Led Zeppelin he's forced me to listen to. Don't get me wrong. I love my Zep, but there is a point where Jimmy Page's "Total Owning" of the guitar starts to loose it's value. It is For Roch's theft of that value that I sometimes even add in a little whispering artificial John voice, complete with random moans. I think he especially appreciates that touch. MUAH HAHAHA.
I love the smell of napalm in the morning
Another one of those Friday's where I have to get up at 7:30 for that dag blasted PE class. Thankfully, this morning there was no workout involved, just a test based on our lecture that I likely failed miserably. Due, as always, to the fact that I don't study. Hopefully a round of depressing failures at the end of this half of the semester will assist me in finding time to escape and study. Escape the confines of club meetings and and my beautiful white Apple ibook . Speaking of depressing things, how about those health classes in general. You pretty much go in, listen to them tell you exactly how you should live if you want to last any longer than 60, then force sign some "behavioral change" contract that you know you aren't going to keep. Every time my hand made a loop in my signature I was picturing Krispee Kreme doughnuts...
...
Like...the ones with raspberry in them....or the ones with that creme stuff...
...
...mmmmmm
I just realized how creepy Clint Eastwood's stare is on my "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly" poster. He needs to chill with that. I can't even think man. OH YEAH. I know you are all on the edge of your seats with excitement over how my progress with the guitar is coming. I'm happy to report that my calluses are back! Now I can practice for periods longer than 4 minutes without crying like a girl from the pains of fretting. Also, as I side note, I've been learning that song "Daughters" for the past few days, mostly because John Mayer is the bane of my roommate's existence. I see it as a way to punish him for the at LEAST 20 hours of Led Zeppelin he's forced me to listen to. Don't get me wrong. I love my Zep, but there is a point where Jimmy Page's "Total Owning" of the guitar starts to loose it's value. It is For Roch's theft of that value that I sometimes even add in a little whispering artificial John voice, complete with random moans. I think he especially appreciates that touch. MUAH HAHAHA.
I love the smell of napalm in the morning
Thursday, September 23, 2004
Don't Forget Antarctica
Lucky for me I had my breaks inspected...
There is a war going on here. The campus is a battlefront, if you will. I noticed clues of it since I got here but now I know its in full force. It is not a war fought with knives and spears. Nor is it a war fought with guns and plutonium. Not even a war of words or emotions. This war is a secret war. It goes unnoticed by the faculty and staff, by the parents and the outsiders. It even goes unnoticed to some of the soldiers that fight in it. What war am I talking about?
The Cyclists Vs. The Pedestrians
Barely a day goes by that I don't nearly rocket myself into a pedestrian at a high velocity. The moment goes by quickly. They aren't paying attention, they look up, fear passes directly from their eyes to mine. There is the confused hop and side step. It all comes to an end with the screeching of my breaks.
Talking to people around campus reveals the secret hatred pedestrians have for cyclists. They say we aren't careful enough or that we move to quickly. Cyclists argue that pedestrians aren't observant enough and that they don't know how to respond properly to oncoming bike traffic.
NEVER confuse a cyclist.
Who will win this war? I can't say, it's far too early to tell. I'm just happy to say I'm on the side that is riding on the large pieces of metal, not the side that gets run into. HEH
But today I didn't have a run in with a human. I nearly fell off my bike while PARKING it once and then again when I ran into a chain link fence, while three days ago I flew into a prickly bush at full speed. That was fun. Tricky stationary objects aside, I'm really good at avoiding collisions. Let's hope this luck endures!
I have a FEVER...and the only cure is more COW BELL!!!
There is a war going on here. The campus is a battlefront, if you will. I noticed clues of it since I got here but now I know its in full force. It is not a war fought with knives and spears. Nor is it a war fought with guns and plutonium. Not even a war of words or emotions. This war is a secret war. It goes unnoticed by the faculty and staff, by the parents and the outsiders. It even goes unnoticed to some of the soldiers that fight in it. What war am I talking about?
The Cyclists Vs. The Pedestrians
Barely a day goes by that I don't nearly rocket myself into a pedestrian at a high velocity. The moment goes by quickly. They aren't paying attention, they look up, fear passes directly from their eyes to mine. There is the confused hop and side step. It all comes to an end with the screeching of my breaks.
Talking to people around campus reveals the secret hatred pedestrians have for cyclists. They say we aren't careful enough or that we move to quickly. Cyclists argue that pedestrians aren't observant enough and that they don't know how to respond properly to oncoming bike traffic.
NEVER confuse a cyclist.
Who will win this war? I can't say, it's far too early to tell. I'm just happy to say I'm on the side that is riding on the large pieces of metal, not the side that gets run into. HEH
But today I didn't have a run in with a human. I nearly fell off my bike while PARKING it once and then again when I ran into a chain link fence, while three days ago I flew into a prickly bush at full speed. That was fun. Tricky stationary objects aside, I'm really good at avoiding collisions. Let's hope this luck endures!
I have a FEVER...and the only cure is more COW BELL!!!
Wednesday, September 22, 2004
For When the Rewind Button is Stuck
What ho! Yon nave!!!
For the first time in quite some while, my new Star Wars Trilogy DVDs aren't playing in my room. It creates an erie silence. It is in this silence that I decided to pick up my laptop and start writing about myself, my geekdom, and geekdom in general.
Geekdom:adj: The state of or result of being a geek, nerd, loser, pasty white British boy, the one without a girlfriend, scalawag, dingus, or any of a number of slang terms used to describe young to mid-life males with hyperactive imaginations that will die alone.
See also; Michael Moore
No, now really folks. I've been a geek since the golden days. In elementary school all the other kids were playing kickball or "running." Not I. I played Batman and Robin on the jungle gym (those poles are really nifty for entrances to the batcave!) In later elementary school, while the strapping young 9 year olds were "training" for the latest sport their parents made them play, I was reading Goosebumps books and pretending to be Thunder MegaZord in my grandfather's back yard. Middle school rolled along and the "cool" kids started dating each other. I developed a close relationship with Chef Boyardee and my three VHS copies of the Star Wars Trilogy Special Edition. Not to mention acquiring a handy amount of game pacs for my N64.
As high school came and I got past my awkward stage to a form that more closely resembles who I am now, I became more aware of who I was in respect to who everyone else was. One thing that I'm glad I was able to grasp before most geeks do is the fact that what is "cool" is defined by the individual. Sometimes it can be hard for geeks to find a definition of "cool" that will get them a spouse...or friends period....but for the most part it works out. In my case I make friends pretty easily. I don't know how or why, because I'm hardcore geek, but it seems to be working ok for me. As for my luck with girls, well, I'll brush over that topic. ((brush))
So as far as I can tell there is no super negative effect of making home sci-fi movies or playing tabletop RPG's (as I so often do.) As long as you know yourself and project a confident image of who you are, you should be just fine. I'm quite happy with being a geek. I see it as being just as interesting of a life, if not more interesting, as being an intellectual or an athlete. It's being a geek that really leads a person to become an artist. As an artist you make it your job to bring enlightenment, any of a full range of emotions, and illumination to lives of the people that will experience your work. The key to doing this is imagination and lots of it. Which all starts with the first seeds of geekdom you plant while sitting in the back seat of your parents car, pretending your fingers are little people fighting each other.
For all that I can tell, us geeks are kind, easy to get along with folks... with a few exceptions...(smelly DanceDanceRevolution guy.) If you're reading this and you aren't a geek, have some compassion. You never know what making friends with different people can lead to and you might just find out that there is a little geek in all of us.
Now I roll d(20) +3 to hit with "Breath of DOOM"
For the first time in quite some while, my new Star Wars Trilogy DVDs aren't playing in my room. It creates an erie silence. It is in this silence that I decided to pick up my laptop and start writing about myself, my geekdom, and geekdom in general.
Geekdom:adj: The state of or result of being a geek, nerd, loser, pasty white British boy, the one without a girlfriend, scalawag, dingus, or any of a number of slang terms used to describe young to mid-life males with hyperactive imaginations that will die alone.
See also; Michael Moore
No, now really folks. I've been a geek since the golden days. In elementary school all the other kids were playing kickball or "running." Not I. I played Batman and Robin on the jungle gym (those poles are really nifty for entrances to the batcave!) In later elementary school, while the strapping young 9 year olds were "training" for the latest sport their parents made them play, I was reading Goosebumps books and pretending to be Thunder MegaZord in my grandfather's back yard. Middle school rolled along and the "cool" kids started dating each other. I developed a close relationship with Chef Boyardee and my three VHS copies of the Star Wars Trilogy Special Edition. Not to mention acquiring a handy amount of game pacs for my N64.
As high school came and I got past my awkward stage to a form that more closely resembles who I am now, I became more aware of who I was in respect to who everyone else was. One thing that I'm glad I was able to grasp before most geeks do is the fact that what is "cool" is defined by the individual. Sometimes it can be hard for geeks to find a definition of "cool" that will get them a spouse...or friends period....but for the most part it works out. In my case I make friends pretty easily. I don't know how or why, because I'm hardcore geek, but it seems to be working ok for me. As for my luck with girls, well, I'll brush over that topic. ((brush))
So as far as I can tell there is no super negative effect of making home sci-fi movies or playing tabletop RPG's (as I so often do.) As long as you know yourself and project a confident image of who you are, you should be just fine. I'm quite happy with being a geek. I see it as being just as interesting of a life, if not more interesting, as being an intellectual or an athlete. It's being a geek that really leads a person to become an artist. As an artist you make it your job to bring enlightenment, any of a full range of emotions, and illumination to lives of the people that will experience your work. The key to doing this is imagination and lots of it. Which all starts with the first seeds of geekdom you plant while sitting in the back seat of your parents car, pretending your fingers are little people fighting each other.
For all that I can tell, us geeks are kind, easy to get along with folks... with a few exceptions...(smelly DanceDanceRevolution guy.) If you're reading this and you aren't a geek, have some compassion. You never know what making friends with different people can lead to and you might just find out that there is a little geek in all of us.
Now I roll d(20) +3 to hit with "Breath of DOOM"
Tuesday, September 21, 2004
Now With the Delux Travel Case!!!
Wilmingship.JPG
Originally uploaded by link5001.
Thats a wrap
Today was quite busy for a Monday. I must admit that I wasn't at all ready for the death swing of the most dreaded day of the week but as I write this it is already Tuesday so I guess I can talk about it as much as I want because it can't do nothin' now!
So I had to shoot a movie for my film class today. That was all good. It involved me getting put in funny poses and hanging out at a girls apartment for about 3 hours. Lots and lots of pictures were shot, including the one of the battle ship I took just before sunset on the waterfront. After quite an agonizing shoot, we had all we needed and I was good to come back to the dorm.
Here is where the real horror awaited me. OK, here is the thing. I left my razor at home the weekend before last. Oh, and its nice too. Its a Mach III (TURBO Gladiator Champion, Master of the Universe) by Gillette. Ordinarily I would have just waited til the next weekend but since I didn't go home the next weekend I couldn't do that. After a little over a week I didn't have a 5'o clock shadow. I had 12' O clock vegetation. Needless to say it was, "no good." My roommate offered to get me some razors while he was at Wal*mart. I saw this as a chance for him to redeem himself and gratefully asked him to. I should have known something would go awry. The razors he brought back were the cheapest thing they had. BiC sensitive skin. HA. I'd hate to see their regulars. I've had maybe 2 shaving nicks before in my life. After this, the worst shave of my life, I had a bakers dozen. Panicked I rinsed my face off and smeared on some after shave gel. The second round of pain. It seems to be cooling now though so I'll keep my fingers crossed. Mark my words, though. If there is a Mr. BiC in real life...I will have his little round head for this!
...now where did I put that poster of Prince...
Sunday, September 19, 2004
The Deadly Bokin
Sundays are for reeeeeest
Sorry, there is no lovely picture today. I'm afraid I have nothing interesting to report of this Sunday either. I have learned, however, that I'm a horrible student. Even now in college I can't seem to find a way to discipline myself enough to sit down and read. Oh well, all I can do is hope for the best. This week is test week. Actually, is that all I can do? I could do more...
...LIKE ALTER ALL OF YOUR MINDS (all three of you) INTO NEAR INSANITY. AT WHICH POINT I WILL ENTICE YOU TO WISH THE BEST FOR ME AS WELL AH HA HA HA HA...
and you thought I was going to say something like, study or....work or something. Ahhh yes.
Sorry, I have no random line to leave you with tonight...but I do have a random internet cartoon!
http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/178546
Sorry, there is no lovely picture today. I'm afraid I have nothing interesting to report of this Sunday either. I have learned, however, that I'm a horrible student. Even now in college I can't seem to find a way to discipline myself enough to sit down and read. Oh well, all I can do is hope for the best. This week is test week. Actually, is that all I can do? I could do more...
...LIKE ALTER ALL OF YOUR MINDS (all three of you) INTO NEAR INSANITY. AT WHICH POINT I WILL ENTICE YOU TO WISH THE BEST FOR ME AS WELL AH HA HA HA HA...
and you thought I was going to say something like, study or....work or something. Ahhh yes.
Sorry, I have no random line to leave you with tonight...but I do have a random internet cartoon!
http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/178546
Saturday, September 18, 2004
Scientific Proof of Scientific Failure
clocktower copy
Originally uploaded by link5001.
Once in a blue Saturday
I thought I'd post this picture of the clock tower at UNCW that I took and altered in photoshop, well, mainly just to give this page some life. In case you were wondering, it was raining while the picture was taken.
But on a more serious note I'd just like to take a post to reflect on what a lovely day it has been outside. Today almost made up for all the rainy days and all the humid sweltering days...of course it didn't. It still came close. I couldn't help but feel a bit moved when I was sitting around reading outside earlier today by the sheer beauty of the world sometimes. I had situated myself right at the base of the hill that the clock tower sits on and all around me was the well landscaped grounds of the campus commons. Those labored beauties made no comparison with the natural beauty of the sky and the cool wind that greeted me for the first time since early spring. It would seem fall is on the way, and I can't wait!
Now that I've let you all see a glimpse of my 30-something year old supermom side, perhaps I will go and catch some Z's
is that???....yeah, someone spray painted Elmo on the clock tower face again...
Friday, September 17, 2004
Every Dog Has His Agent
To SAG or to Wag?
Another bright shiny morning that I was lucky enough to experience thanks to PE class at 8 O'Clock. Of course by bright shiny I mean, it rained spontaneously throughout the day. So life was pretty good. Chemistry was a bore. lunch was ok...I was keeping on keeping on.
So at 2 I had the weekly moviemakers series. It's usually a pretty cool deal. We either get to hear this industry dude talk or we get to watch some crazy movies. Well this week we had the special treat of a crazy Bald man in his late thirties that just so happens to be the district executive for the Screen Actors Guild in the southeast. He went on and on and on, it was quite entertaining...but as time went by I realized that I had stuff to eat and no time to eat it. Wagner hall, our dining hall, is open until 8 but I have things to do later tonight so I won't be attending. Sad. In any case the crazy SAG man was interesting. He gave us little baggies with INDIFILM stuff in it. ((JOY))
I'm well on my way to working in a waffle house and playing EverQuest for the rest of my life!
Interesting....it's friday and my roommate is sober. Very peculiar
Another bright shiny morning that I was lucky enough to experience thanks to PE class at 8 O'Clock. Of course by bright shiny I mean, it rained spontaneously throughout the day. So life was pretty good. Chemistry was a bore. lunch was ok...I was keeping on keeping on.
So at 2 I had the weekly moviemakers series. It's usually a pretty cool deal. We either get to hear this industry dude talk or we get to watch some crazy movies. Well this week we had the special treat of a crazy Bald man in his late thirties that just so happens to be the district executive for the Screen Actors Guild in the southeast. He went on and on and on, it was quite entertaining...but as time went by I realized that I had stuff to eat and no time to eat it. Wagner hall, our dining hall, is open until 8 but I have things to do later tonight so I won't be attending. Sad. In any case the crazy SAG man was interesting. He gave us little baggies with INDIFILM stuff in it. ((JOY))
I'm well on my way to working in a waffle house and playing EverQuest for the rest of my life!
Interesting....it's friday and my roommate is sober. Very peculiar
Wednesday, September 15, 2004
There is a Pelican on my Pyramid
Spaghetti again?
My luck with rain continues. I went to CCF last night and as I was going in I noted the light rain. Didn't think much of it at the time because, well, it's always at least lightly raining at UNCW. So I headed into the meeting and quite enjoyed myself. Then the meeting was over. Thats when the bottom dropped out. I was parked about a quarter of a mile from the building I was in...and I had nowhere to go but out. So I start walking. My Bible got cozy transport inside of my jacket. I got, well, wet. Very wet. However, though wet I was, I still was not as wet as I was about to be. For after parking my car in the lot I had another quarter of a mile to walk to get to my dorm. I was still dripping all over the floor when I came into my room on the third floor. I had to change out of my clothes and dry off. I really do wish the sky would take a break from relieving itself on our campus.
So that first paragraph had nothing to do with my real subject. My real subject is....church food. First of all, I'm a Baptist. As a Baptist, it is one of our cardinal rules that you have to have food at a midweek service to get people to come. So I went to a Baptist church in Wilmington tonight that was doing just that. I'm sorry, I have no idea where I'm going with this story. It really isn't amusing at all. I ended up eating spaghetti and talking to a bunch of strangers. It was a good time. Speaking of Spaghetti, they always have it at churches....and did you know that its the number 1 date food. For you know, when one cooks for the other. Probably also because its so easy to make yet you can still say "I made it." Right whatever! Pansies! If you really want to impress her make some Chicken Cordon Blu or something!
Oh look, my face just slid off my head, peculiar
My luck with rain continues. I went to CCF last night and as I was going in I noted the light rain. Didn't think much of it at the time because, well, it's always at least lightly raining at UNCW. So I headed into the meeting and quite enjoyed myself. Then the meeting was over. Thats when the bottom dropped out. I was parked about a quarter of a mile from the building I was in...and I had nowhere to go but out. So I start walking. My Bible got cozy transport inside of my jacket. I got, well, wet. Very wet. However, though wet I was, I still was not as wet as I was about to be. For after parking my car in the lot I had another quarter of a mile to walk to get to my dorm. I was still dripping all over the floor when I came into my room on the third floor. I had to change out of my clothes and dry off. I really do wish the sky would take a break from relieving itself on our campus.
So that first paragraph had nothing to do with my real subject. My real subject is....church food. First of all, I'm a Baptist. As a Baptist, it is one of our cardinal rules that you have to have food at a midweek service to get people to come. So I went to a Baptist church in Wilmington tonight that was doing just that. I'm sorry, I have no idea where I'm going with this story. It really isn't amusing at all. I ended up eating spaghetti and talking to a bunch of strangers. It was a good time. Speaking of Spaghetti, they always have it at churches....and did you know that its the number 1 date food. For you know, when one cooks for the other. Probably also because its so easy to make yet you can still say "I made it." Right whatever! Pansies! If you really want to impress her make some Chicken Cordon Blu or something!
Oh look, my face just slid off my head, peculiar
Friday, September 10, 2004
One Day We'll All Smell Pine Fresh
Two wheels and the world ahead of me,
So if college is the gateway to my future, and in order to navigate that gateway I have to have a bicycle, does this mean that bicycles are more important than universities?
Just a thought...
But the reason I even bring up bikes is because of what happened to me yesterday. This is a rather large and spread out campus. If you're a "walker" it can easily take you 25 minutes to get to a class across campus. After doing some expirimentation I've discovered that it only takes about 3 and a half to 5 minutes to get from anywhere on campus to anywhere else when biking. Depending on where you're going and the amout of traffic and people walking around.
As for my story of yesterday. I had two classes on the other side of campus. One right after the other. 15 minutes apart, and I forgot to get some very important storyboards for our next project before I left for my first class. Thanks to my nifty bike I was able to get from Bear Hall...all the way to Schwartz...lock my bike and head inside my dorm. I live on the top floor, so I ran up the stairs....when I got up there I hit the down button on the elevator as I walked to my room, brilliant stategy. As I was getting back from picking up the storyboards the elevator was sitting there door wide open. I hopped in, hit up the bottom floor, and biked alll the way back to Lutze Hall, right next to Bear. I did it all in 12 minutes. Thanks Schwinn!
Remember, Catfish season starts in two weeks!!!
So if college is the gateway to my future, and in order to navigate that gateway I have to have a bicycle, does this mean that bicycles are more important than universities?
Just a thought...
But the reason I even bring up bikes is because of what happened to me yesterday. This is a rather large and spread out campus. If you're a "walker" it can easily take you 25 minutes to get to a class across campus. After doing some expirimentation I've discovered that it only takes about 3 and a half to 5 minutes to get from anywhere on campus to anywhere else when biking. Depending on where you're going and the amout of traffic and people walking around.
As for my story of yesterday. I had two classes on the other side of campus. One right after the other. 15 minutes apart, and I forgot to get some very important storyboards for our next project before I left for my first class. Thanks to my nifty bike I was able to get from Bear Hall...all the way to Schwartz...lock my bike and head inside my dorm. I live on the top floor, so I ran up the stairs....when I got up there I hit the down button on the elevator as I walked to my room, brilliant stategy. As I was getting back from picking up the storyboards the elevator was sitting there door wide open. I hopped in, hit up the bottom floor, and biked alll the way back to Lutze Hall, right next to Bear. I did it all in 12 minutes. Thanks Schwinn!
Remember, Catfish season starts in two weeks!!!
Wednesday, September 08, 2004
This Webpage: Why, Disclaimer, and How I Don't Dislike My Roommate
The dullest entry you'll ever read...I promise
This is my web page. I waited until today to tell anyone about it because I wanted to build up some entries before I told everyone to go to a page with one paragraph on it.
What is it about? If you're read any of my entries you know that it's completely random from day to day. Why am I doing it? Because my cousin Stephen made one first, and it is really funny, and I'm totally ripping him off. (Sorry Stephen) At least I'm honest.
So now that that's out of the way, some technical issues I have to resolve. My roommate's name is Brett Roach. We just call him Roach. He's a great guy and I couldn't have picked a better roommate myself. You may have noticed that I pick on him sometimes on here. THIS IS PURLY FOR COMEDIC EFFECT!! Don't send me "why do you hate your roommate" letters!!! I don't but the nature of this site requires a butt to the joke so i exaggerate things a little. I pick on him because he's ...uhh....wow, what a great sense of humor he has. Roach is a cool guy you people should get to know him, for riz-zol. I would give you his screen name but I don't know that he'd appreciate that.
Now, if I ever talk about one of you in an article and you don't like it, which will never happen, just let me know and I'll remove all evidence of your name from the page.
Article #2-Roach doesn't have ANY animals in our room. I made that part up for the fun of story telling.
Article #3-Everything else on this site is true. The things actually happened to me. I...just attempt, rather fruitlessly, to make them appear more amusing than they actually are.
Article #3-There is a hideous lack of pictures on this site. Bare with me and I'll put some up.
Article #4-Be sure to read from the bottom of the main page up in order to read the entries in the order they were written.
Article #5-_________________________________________
It was a stupid article anyway.
Article #6-Always wear your seat belts when in or on top of your web-surfing device.
Thank you for your patience and I do hope you enjoy my pathetic rantings. If you're actually reading my page drop me an email or leave comments on the posts so that I know I'm not writing in total vain.
I smell cedar chips...hmm...
This is my web page. I waited until today to tell anyone about it because I wanted to build up some entries before I told everyone to go to a page with one paragraph on it.
What is it about? If you're read any of my entries you know that it's completely random from day to day. Why am I doing it? Because my cousin Stephen made one first, and it is really funny, and I'm totally ripping him off. (Sorry Stephen) At least I'm honest.
So now that that's out of the way, some technical issues I have to resolve. My roommate's name is Brett Roach. We just call him Roach. He's a great guy and I couldn't have picked a better roommate myself. You may have noticed that I pick on him sometimes on here. THIS IS PURLY FOR COMEDIC EFFECT!! Don't send me "why do you hate your roommate" letters!!! I don't but the nature of this site requires a butt to the joke so i exaggerate things a little. I pick on him because he's ...uhh....wow, what a great sense of humor he has. Roach is a cool guy you people should get to know him, for riz-zol. I would give you his screen name but I don't know that he'd appreciate that.
Now, if I ever talk about one of you in an article and you don't like it, which will never happen, just let me know and I'll remove all evidence of your name from the page.
Article #2-Roach doesn't have ANY animals in our room. I made that part up for the fun of story telling.
Article #3-Everything else on this site is true. The things actually happened to me. I...just attempt, rather fruitlessly, to make them appear more amusing than they actually are.
Article #3-There is a hideous lack of pictures on this site. Bare with me and I'll put some up.
Article #4-Be sure to read from the bottom of the main page up in order to read the entries in the order they were written.
Article #5-_________________________________________
It was a stupid article anyway.
Article #6-Always wear your seat belts when in or on top of your web-surfing device.
Thank you for your patience and I do hope you enjoy my pathetic rantings. If you're actually reading my page drop me an email or leave comments on the posts so that I know I'm not writing in total vain.
I smell cedar chips...hmm...
Tuesday, September 07, 2004
...Then Take a Left at Failure
Go ahead, try this at home...
Hello again, I'm sitting here in my room enjoying the end of a nice evening. My roommate is off being stupid. Don't know exactly what but I'm sure its quite stupid. I don't really have anything to write about today...because I'm sleepy. So I think I leave you guys with a paragraph of nonsense that almost sounds like I'm really talking about something. Here we go:
My recovery of your last folly was quite a warm reception from my collegues in the business of art and affairs. You see, they knew, as I, that something of such equivocal justice needed to be put on the market and as soon as possible. It was with this peace and patience that we moved forward into the grate that surcompassed the surrounding village. The end of the building marked the end of our search! It wasn't long before that masterful service was recorded in history books the world over and that, my dears, is the when, where, and how that we enjoy these freedoms today. Thank you.
I have an 8 O'clock tomorrow. Perhaps I should go to bed.
G'night dingus...
Hello again, I'm sitting here in my room enjoying the end of a nice evening. My roommate is off being stupid. Don't know exactly what but I'm sure its quite stupid. I don't really have anything to write about today...because I'm sleepy. So I think I leave you guys with a paragraph of nonsense that almost sounds like I'm really talking about something. Here we go:
My recovery of your last folly was quite a warm reception from my collegues in the business of art and affairs. You see, they knew, as I, that something of such equivocal justice needed to be put on the market and as soon as possible. It was with this peace and patience that we moved forward into the grate that surcompassed the surrounding village. The end of the building marked the end of our search! It wasn't long before that masterful service was recorded in history books the world over and that, my dears, is the when, where, and how that we enjoy these freedoms today. Thank you.
I have an 8 O'clock tomorrow. Perhaps I should go to bed.
G'night dingus...
Monday, September 06, 2004
Tempted, but the Truth is Discovered
So, is that a snake in your pocket?
You won't believe it...I say that knowing that I myself still do not. My roommate may be the most talented man alive. Talented at finding new ways to inconvenience me. The man is amazing I really must admit. Before I go into more detail, however, I feel it necessary to begin at the beginning. That is, when I first arrived on campus, so here we go.
I roll up to start unpacking my belongings at the 15 minute parking. After the weekend it is IMPOSSIBLE to get a spot sometimes. It was 8:30 so I was hoping maybe it might be a little slack. I get to Schwartz and all I can see is car after car on the side of the road. Then, just as I'm about to curse UNCW parking for the millionth time, a cloud opens up from the heavens and...behold! The closest parking space in the loading zone is open! So, with a little extra spring in my step, I unloaded everything from my car.
This is when the first unnerving thing happened. I get to my room door only to discover it's locked. My roommate had told me that he was coming back on Saturday and so, it being Monday, I knew something was up. Of course, I just assumed he was off somewhere...highly intoxicated, probably drooling in his beer mug, perhaps on all fours. I was just before accepting this as the best probability when I opened the door to my room and saw it exactly as I had left it. His sheets were still gone and the room was empty. He hadn't come back. Score number two! For the first time ever I would get to sleep in a quiet empty dorm room by myself.
Then it was time to park in the lot. As I drove around the first lot things were looking dark. Spaces were full almost to the very back, a 10 minute walk. Just to humor myself I decided to file down to the front and then circle around to the front lot. I was again smiled upon by the parking gods. There, closer than halfway back, was a beautiful, unbelievably close spot. "Excellent", I thought, and snagged it gleefully. On my way back up to my room I may have even whistled a little. Everything was unpacked successfully and I was ready to relax...and earlier than anticipated none the less. I sat back, took a deep breath, and enjoyed the silence.
...the silence...
it was quiet....
...too quiet
I glanced at the clock on my dresser. About 10 O'clock. Then, my phone rang. AH! My parents. I knew I had forgotten something. They were going to be irritated with me for not calling them to let them know I had arrived.
But no
no it wasn't my parents.
It was my roommate.
In what may have been the most muffled series of grunts and slurs I'd ever heard, I managed to decipher that something was wrong. It would seem that he was telling me something about his car. The car had a bad starter. He was at the Crown gas station near the edge of town, and yes. He needed a ride. Him, and his luggage. After hanging up I almost felt relieved. Something went wrong meaning that the world, in fact, wasn't about to spin off its axis. I grudgingly put on some shoes and headed out the door and to my explorer.
Upon arrival I noticed that some of the "luggage" in his car had little moving creatures in it. Not much of a surprise, I was expecting him to bring half the ark down with him at move in but they never showed so I was assuming they would be along sometime. Two Colombian Boas and a fat black and white rat...with lots of little baby rats for the snakes. "Excellent", I thought, with far less enthusiasm than I had the first time I had thought it. So We moved his stuff in my car and headed down the road.
Now the one good thing I thought could have come of this, was that I'd get some tasty food from a nearby fast food restaurant on our way back. I swung by Hardees and picked up a thickburger. It smelled delicious. Well, got back to Schwartz and he figured out a way to get the two tanks in unnoticed. Interestingly enough...it involved putting the snakes in his pocket. Genius. After making two trips we had gotten everything and I had to take the old Explorer back to the lot.
Of course as I go back to look for my space...its gone. So are all the spaces near the front...in fact most of them at the back. I must have circled around the parking lot for 5 minutes before I found a spot three spaces from the end. Near the creepy forest where all civilization ends. All the while just thinking of my delicious burger growing colder...and colder up in my room.
On the walk back it rained a little.
So here I sit....in my room...dumbfounded. It's really amazing how I could go from 1)Easy Unloading, 2) Empty Room, 3)Excellent Parking, 4) peaceful silence, to what I have now. 1)Double Reloading and Unloading, 2)Room shared with 1 human, 2 snakes, and at least 6 rats, 3) Parking in Iraq, 4)and even now I hear the subtle but remarkable sounds of "Squeak squeak squeeeeeeak...(rustle rustle)" from the corner.
Ah well Regardless of how rough life seems to dish it out, I try to remember to be thankful for what I have and recognize just how many blessings I've been given.
It's usually about now that I smile and sing "Jesus Loves Me"
...Oh...and my roommate isn't half bad.
Dang it, I left my jet pack at home.
You won't believe it...I say that knowing that I myself still do not. My roommate may be the most talented man alive. Talented at finding new ways to inconvenience me. The man is amazing I really must admit. Before I go into more detail, however, I feel it necessary to begin at the beginning. That is, when I first arrived on campus, so here we go.
I roll up to start unpacking my belongings at the 15 minute parking. After the weekend it is IMPOSSIBLE to get a spot sometimes. It was 8:30 so I was hoping maybe it might be a little slack. I get to Schwartz and all I can see is car after car on the side of the road. Then, just as I'm about to curse UNCW parking for the millionth time, a cloud opens up from the heavens and...behold! The closest parking space in the loading zone is open! So, with a little extra spring in my step, I unloaded everything from my car.
This is when the first unnerving thing happened. I get to my room door only to discover it's locked. My roommate had told me that he was coming back on Saturday and so, it being Monday, I knew something was up. Of course, I just assumed he was off somewhere...highly intoxicated, probably drooling in his beer mug, perhaps on all fours. I was just before accepting this as the best probability when I opened the door to my room and saw it exactly as I had left it. His sheets were still gone and the room was empty. He hadn't come back. Score number two! For the first time ever I would get to sleep in a quiet empty dorm room by myself.
Then it was time to park in the lot. As I drove around the first lot things were looking dark. Spaces were full almost to the very back, a 10 minute walk. Just to humor myself I decided to file down to the front and then circle around to the front lot. I was again smiled upon by the parking gods. There, closer than halfway back, was a beautiful, unbelievably close spot. "Excellent", I thought, and snagged it gleefully. On my way back up to my room I may have even whistled a little. Everything was unpacked successfully and I was ready to relax...and earlier than anticipated none the less. I sat back, took a deep breath, and enjoyed the silence.
...the silence...
it was quiet....
...too quiet
I glanced at the clock on my dresser. About 10 O'clock. Then, my phone rang. AH! My parents. I knew I had forgotten something. They were going to be irritated with me for not calling them to let them know I had arrived.
But no
no it wasn't my parents.
It was my roommate.
In what may have been the most muffled series of grunts and slurs I'd ever heard, I managed to decipher that something was wrong. It would seem that he was telling me something about his car. The car had a bad starter. He was at the Crown gas station near the edge of town, and yes. He needed a ride. Him, and his luggage. After hanging up I almost felt relieved. Something went wrong meaning that the world, in fact, wasn't about to spin off its axis. I grudgingly put on some shoes and headed out the door and to my explorer.
Upon arrival I noticed that some of the "luggage" in his car had little moving creatures in it. Not much of a surprise, I was expecting him to bring half the ark down with him at move in but they never showed so I was assuming they would be along sometime. Two Colombian Boas and a fat black and white rat...with lots of little baby rats for the snakes. "Excellent", I thought, with far less enthusiasm than I had the first time I had thought it. So We moved his stuff in my car and headed down the road.
Now the one good thing I thought could have come of this, was that I'd get some tasty food from a nearby fast food restaurant on our way back. I swung by Hardees and picked up a thickburger. It smelled delicious. Well, got back to Schwartz and he figured out a way to get the two tanks in unnoticed. Interestingly enough...it involved putting the snakes in his pocket. Genius. After making two trips we had gotten everything and I had to take the old Explorer back to the lot.
Of course as I go back to look for my space...its gone. So are all the spaces near the front...in fact most of them at the back. I must have circled around the parking lot for 5 minutes before I found a spot three spaces from the end. Near the creepy forest where all civilization ends. All the while just thinking of my delicious burger growing colder...and colder up in my room.
On the walk back it rained a little.
So here I sit....in my room...dumbfounded. It's really amazing how I could go from 1)Easy Unloading, 2) Empty Room, 3)Excellent Parking, 4) peaceful silence, to what I have now. 1)Double Reloading and Unloading, 2)Room shared with 1 human, 2 snakes, and at least 6 rats, 3) Parking in Iraq, 4)and even now I hear the subtle but remarkable sounds of "Squeak squeak squeeeeeeak...(rustle rustle)" from the corner.
Ah well Regardless of how rough life seems to dish it out, I try to remember to be thankful for what I have and recognize just how many blessings I've been given.
It's usually about now that I smile and sing "Jesus Loves Me"
...Oh...and my roommate isn't half bad.
Dang it, I left my jet pack at home.
Sunday, September 05, 2004
Pandas Are Actually Quite Hostile
I went to shake the hand of Mr. Government Man...
It has, in the past and present, been my personal policy to keep my nose out of politics. I certainly have my opinions but, just as with everyone else's, they were formed by the information that was available to me. I can't know for sure if what I've been told or taught is, in fact, true. In addition I also know/am friends with/live with people that are VERY adamant about what political ideas they believe in. There is no why you can escape dealing with people that will fight for their party like its their own child. Those two conclusions have been what has lead me to steer clear of politics in general.
Sadly, I can't do that for much longer as it is time for the next election and I also believe very highly in participating in our democratic republic. I HAD to register to vote today. There was a point in the application process where, everything was done, but there was one problem. A space labeled [Party Affiliation]. There is only one party I would have considered signing up for but something beckoned me not. I thought, chewed my lip a little, then suddenly a little of my American History came back to me. George Washington. Now there is a guy that I can honestly say no one had a problem with. EVERYONE liked old George. My history teacher even said that if George had wanted to....there was a point after the revolution where he could have crowned himself king of America and no one would have objected. But he didn't, because he believed in a government for the people by the people. He believed in keeping the country united behind the idea of the "more perfect union" thousands of people had just worked so hard to make. Then, almost as if George himself were telling me, I heard his quotation warning future generations against the formation of parties in government, as they had developed in England. He knew they would lead to a split in the country that would only serve to pull us apart. So with George W.'s...uhh...meaning Washington's...blessing, I marked "Unaffiliated" down on my form. God bless America, not our selfish bickering.
As for who I plan to vote for this coming election, that candidate's name will remain safely anonymous. Mostly because I know even the mention of his name could incite violence from some of the people I know. I hope whatever happens people stop to think about what is really important. It's good to worry about which candidate will better represent you to a point, but when you start to get bitter about it you're missing the point and you're supporting destructive feelings. Have a little faith in the checks and balances the constitution gives us and wait for the next election if your choice doesn't make it.
This submission wasn't funny at all...and I haven't made a jab at my roommate yet...Hmmmm...I'm getting slack. I'll make up for it next time...
It has, in the past and present, been my personal policy to keep my nose out of politics. I certainly have my opinions but, just as with everyone else's, they were formed by the information that was available to me. I can't know for sure if what I've been told or taught is, in fact, true. In addition I also know/am friends with/live with people that are VERY adamant about what political ideas they believe in. There is no why you can escape dealing with people that will fight for their party like its their own child. Those two conclusions have been what has lead me to steer clear of politics in general.
Sadly, I can't do that for much longer as it is time for the next election and I also believe very highly in participating in our democratic republic. I HAD to register to vote today. There was a point in the application process where, everything was done, but there was one problem. A space labeled [Party Affiliation]. There is only one party I would have considered signing up for but something beckoned me not. I thought, chewed my lip a little, then suddenly a little of my American History came back to me. George Washington. Now there is a guy that I can honestly say no one had a problem with. EVERYONE liked old George. My history teacher even said that if George had wanted to....there was a point after the revolution where he could have crowned himself king of America and no one would have objected. But he didn't, because he believed in a government for the people by the people. He believed in keeping the country united behind the idea of the "more perfect union" thousands of people had just worked so hard to make. Then, almost as if George himself were telling me, I heard his quotation warning future generations against the formation of parties in government, as they had developed in England. He knew they would lead to a split in the country that would only serve to pull us apart. So with George W.'s...uhh...meaning Washington's...blessing, I marked "Unaffiliated" down on my form. God bless America, not our selfish bickering.
As for who I plan to vote for this coming election, that candidate's name will remain safely anonymous. Mostly because I know even the mention of his name could incite violence from some of the people I know. I hope whatever happens people stop to think about what is really important. It's good to worry about which candidate will better represent you to a point, but when you start to get bitter about it you're missing the point and you're supporting destructive feelings. Have a little faith in the checks and balances the constitution gives us and wait for the next election if your choice doesn't make it.
This submission wasn't funny at all...and I haven't made a jab at my roommate yet...Hmmmm...I'm getting slack. I'll make up for it next time...
Saturday, September 04, 2004
Camera by: Panavision.....Filmed in: Technicolor
They won't bite me! They ain't no gangsta....
Being at my "home" home this weekend I thought I was safe. However, if life has taught me one thing...it's that I'm usually wrong. My roommate managed to wake me up again. This time with a phone call. See, my roommate is an avid animal geek. The term "geek" is not limited to those interested in computers, homework, or Dance Dance Revolution. It can apply in most any field.
Well, as I was saying, animal geek. Turns out there is a huge gathering of exotic pet vendors and entertainers at the state fairgrounds this weekend. The slithery/crawly equivalent to a Star Wars Convention. Only the people there usually wear snakes, as opposed to, say, ABS plastic armor or latex/fur wookie masks. Let me just say that I've never seen that many children within an arms reach of death, and in such high concentration. At the gate you are greeted by a 40-something year old woman with the dull expression of a dairy cow on her face. Once you're past the first horror you are greeted with many more. Strange spiky/scaly skin, alien-like creatures, sharp fangs/beaks, and bulging eyes devoid of any thought or soul. Not to mention the creepy animals the vendors are selling. I'd say there were at least 30 different animals that could easily kill a human in that building. Oh, and as I mentioned earlier, there were usually a couple of kids holding one of them and making googly eyes at it.
Ahhh, of course I'm just exaggerating for comedic effect. At the end of the day it was a somewhat enjoyable experience. Sure, my roommate got two(2) new snakes in addition to the one he already has, but I got something out of it as well. Like ...petting a cockatoo and a buffalo. Heh... don't get to do that every day.
unless you own one of course...
I'm going to go feed some stuff down my garbage disposal.
Being at my "home" home this weekend I thought I was safe. However, if life has taught me one thing...it's that I'm usually wrong. My roommate managed to wake me up again. This time with a phone call. See, my roommate is an avid animal geek. The term "geek" is not limited to those interested in computers, homework, or Dance Dance Revolution. It can apply in most any field.
Well, as I was saying, animal geek. Turns out there is a huge gathering of exotic pet vendors and entertainers at the state fairgrounds this weekend. The slithery/crawly equivalent to a Star Wars Convention. Only the people there usually wear snakes, as opposed to, say, ABS plastic armor or latex/fur wookie masks. Let me just say that I've never seen that many children within an arms reach of death, and in such high concentration. At the gate you are greeted by a 40-something year old woman with the dull expression of a dairy cow on her face. Once you're past the first horror you are greeted with many more. Strange spiky/scaly skin, alien-like creatures, sharp fangs/beaks, and bulging eyes devoid of any thought or soul. Not to mention the creepy animals the vendors are selling. I'd say there were at least 30 different animals that could easily kill a human in that building. Oh, and as I mentioned earlier, there were usually a couple of kids holding one of them and making googly eyes at it.
Ahhh, of course I'm just exaggerating for comedic effect. At the end of the day it was a somewhat enjoyable experience. Sure, my roommate got two(2) new snakes in addition to the one he already has, but I got something out of it as well. Like ...petting a cockatoo and a buffalo. Heh... don't get to do that every day.
unless you own one of course...
I'm going to go feed some stuff down my garbage disposal.
(splash) turn twist
I should have taken some No-Doz...
I realize that I've already written once today but dog on it! Blog is some fun stuff. Not to mention that my earlier post was done when I was on the eastern part of the state. I am currently in the central at my little home town in Johnston County.
For those of you familiar with the state you know there is generally one good way to get from point A) Wilmington, to point B)Nearish Raleigh.
YOU TAKE I-40
If you answered that correctly this asterisk [*] is for you. Don't spend it all in one place...
Now, as you all probably know, driving on an interstate for any period longer than 1 hour starts to make you sleepy. In fact, I'm pretty sure there was a German somewhere that calculated the average to be 58 minutes and 44.32 seconds. Perhaps he was in Germany. That may mean its only accurate for the autobahn but I'm sure our figure is roughly the same. Well, Random German's Law, (as I will now refer to it), took its effect on me quite punctually today. It seems for the first hour you can keep yourself awake pondering the sheer stupidity of the other hundreds of drivers around you. After a while, though, this curiosity briefly turns into depression, and then to sleepy thoughts. Before you know it, you're shifting your eyes to look at your passenger side mirror and they start rolling back into your head. It's like WOAH, none of that. This happens a couple of times, after which you turn on some really hard rock music. Success for around 30 seconds, then the steady beat of the drums and total wailing on the guitar mutates into a lullaby. Of course there is always the "INTENSE STARE". You know, where you act like you're staring really hard at the road to keep your eyes open when in reality you're thinking about that dryer sheet teddy bear, Sunggles, and pretending you on a fluffy pink cloud. When I reach this point I usually resort to slapping myself.
Really hard.
Usually a couple of times.
Right
So if you guys ever want to go on a long road trip just let me know...
***SHOP AT PIGGILY WIGGLY, SUPPORT THE UNDERDOG***
I realize that I've already written once today but dog on it! Blog is some fun stuff. Not to mention that my earlier post was done when I was on the eastern part of the state. I am currently in the central at my little home town in Johnston County.
For those of you familiar with the state you know there is generally one good way to get from point A) Wilmington, to point B)Nearish Raleigh.
YOU TAKE I-40
If you answered that correctly this asterisk [*] is for you. Don't spend it all in one place...
Now, as you all probably know, driving on an interstate for any period longer than 1 hour starts to make you sleepy. In fact, I'm pretty sure there was a German somewhere that calculated the average to be 58 minutes and 44.32 seconds. Perhaps he was in Germany. That may mean its only accurate for the autobahn but I'm sure our figure is roughly the same. Well, Random German's Law, (as I will now refer to it), took its effect on me quite punctually today. It seems for the first hour you can keep yourself awake pondering the sheer stupidity of the other hundreds of drivers around you. After a while, though, this curiosity briefly turns into depression, and then to sleepy thoughts. Before you know it, you're shifting your eyes to look at your passenger side mirror and they start rolling back into your head. It's like WOAH, none of that. This happens a couple of times, after which you turn on some really hard rock music. Success for around 30 seconds, then the steady beat of the drums and total wailing on the guitar mutates into a lullaby. Of course there is always the "INTENSE STARE". You know, where you act like you're staring really hard at the road to keep your eyes open when in reality you're thinking about that dryer sheet teddy bear, Sunggles, and pretending you on a fluffy pink cloud. When I reach this point I usually resort to slapping myself.
Really hard.
Usually a couple of times.
Right
So if you guys ever want to go on a long road trip just let me know...
***SHOP AT PIGGILY WIGGLY, SUPPORT THE UNDERDOG***
Friday, September 03, 2004
The Waffle Iron of DOOM
Postal Priority or Federal Express sir?
Here is a morning for you. I wake up at 2 AM to the sounds of plastic wrap rustling, a package being opened. I knew right away it was my more than likely intoxicated room mate, so I rolled over and tried to resume my peaceful slumber. I then hear a door pop open....microwave variety. A bright light illuminated the room and a humming started up, followed by three shrill loud beeps. "Shhh Shhhh Shhh Shhhhh!!!", my roomie managed to slur. The microwave obliged. He ate, repeated the process, then fell in bed. sigh
Wake up at 7:30 for gym at 8. We're swimming. I swam. eh, 16 laps. Then it was time to go and I hopped out of the pool, knocking my heel on the side as I did. I had no idea there was a major artery in the heel! After drying myself off I created a make-shift bandage out of my towel and staggared out of the building. It wasn't long after I hopped on my bike that I remembered that my posters I ordered last week had come in at the Warwick Center post office. Naturally, since it was on the way, I stopped by. The post-9/11 University Post Office security measures certainly are in good force. After learning a complicated lock system and showing my ID on two different occasions I was able to pick up my package. Let me tell you about this package...
If you've ever had a FedEx tube package you know what I'm talking about. The most awkwardly designed shape for a tube package you could imagine. An overly long trianglual prism. Each side is juuuust wide enough that you couldn't hold it in one hand. I had a bike and a half mile to go, so naturally, even though I knew there was no way for it to work I tried to ride it back. After falling, dropping the package three times, trying to zip it into my bookbag and have it stick out the top like a large flag pole, nearly being side-swiped by a Jeep Grand Cherokee, and fifteen minutes, I decided that it was best to walk them both back. Of course, even this was no easy task as there is no comfortable way to hold a huge triangular prism under your arm stear a bike with the other. Not to mention when you're leaving a tell-tale trail of blood from your left ankle the whole way.
Thankfully I have lived to tell the story and am now two posters richer. I have to prepare to eat and go to class. I should be leaving around 6 to go home for the weekend and avoid the wrath of Fernando Hernadaze Rauel Guadalahara Phillipe, or whatever they're naming those crazy storms these days. Weather men are straight crazy....boo...or...maybe....
Here is a morning for you. I wake up at 2 AM to the sounds of plastic wrap rustling, a package being opened. I knew right away it was my more than likely intoxicated room mate, so I rolled over and tried to resume my peaceful slumber. I then hear a door pop open....microwave variety. A bright light illuminated the room and a humming started up, followed by three shrill loud beeps. "Shhh Shhhh Shhh Shhhhh!!!", my roomie managed to slur. The microwave obliged. He ate, repeated the process, then fell in bed. sigh
Wake up at 7:30 for gym at 8. We're swimming. I swam. eh, 16 laps. Then it was time to go and I hopped out of the pool, knocking my heel on the side as I did. I had no idea there was a major artery in the heel! After drying myself off I created a make-shift bandage out of my towel and staggared out of the building. It wasn't long after I hopped on my bike that I remembered that my posters I ordered last week had come in at the Warwick Center post office. Naturally, since it was on the way, I stopped by. The post-9/11 University Post Office security measures certainly are in good force. After learning a complicated lock system and showing my ID on two different occasions I was able to pick up my package. Let me tell you about this package...
If you've ever had a FedEx tube package you know what I'm talking about. The most awkwardly designed shape for a tube package you could imagine. An overly long trianglual prism. Each side is juuuust wide enough that you couldn't hold it in one hand. I had a bike and a half mile to go, so naturally, even though I knew there was no way for it to work I tried to ride it back. After falling, dropping the package three times, trying to zip it into my bookbag and have it stick out the top like a large flag pole, nearly being side-swiped by a Jeep Grand Cherokee, and fifteen minutes, I decided that it was best to walk them both back. Of course, even this was no easy task as there is no comfortable way to hold a huge triangular prism under your arm stear a bike with the other. Not to mention when you're leaving a tell-tale trail of blood from your left ankle the whole way.
Thankfully I have lived to tell the story and am now two posters richer. I have to prepare to eat and go to class. I should be leaving around 6 to go home for the weekend and avoid the wrath of Fernando Hernadaze Rauel Guadalahara Phillipe, or whatever they're naming those crazy storms these days. Weather men are straight crazy....boo...or...maybe....
Every Once in a While, It's OK to let the Roses Smell You.
An Interesting Situation
You ever wonder how it is that you can be having a really crappy day and one little something can totally brighten it? Whats more you look back on it and all you can seem to think about is, "Why the crap did that make me happier?" Such things as finding 4 shiny quarters on top of a balled up pair of shorts. Or maybe you get one of those deals where someone sends you a thoughtful IM and then gets offline. You'd think the fact that they just sign off would nullify it. How about going to a drink machine. No. Not just A drink machine. The devil of drink machines, the one that never takes your dollar. There is one of those in Lutze hall. It has always hated me, I have always hated it. We have an understanding. I don't push it's buttons and it doesn't push mine. Well, out of morbid curiosity I decided to give her a go again today. She loves me! Either that or she just wants to shut me up. Either way, don't forget that even though little things that go wrong can bring you down, there are still little things to lift you up.
Please, someone give me a 2x4 to beat myself with. I can't believe I just wrote an inspirationl paragraph. Ignore it, I've really not had enough sleep lately.
Ahh well, as they say in Norway, "Paitizuetch!"
...I think that means ham....
You ever wonder how it is that you can be having a really crappy day and one little something can totally brighten it? Whats more you look back on it and all you can seem to think about is, "Why the crap did that make me happier?" Such things as finding 4 shiny quarters on top of a balled up pair of shorts. Or maybe you get one of those deals where someone sends you a thoughtful IM and then gets offline. You'd think the fact that they just sign off would nullify it. How about going to a drink machine. No. Not just A drink machine. The devil of drink machines, the one that never takes your dollar. There is one of those in Lutze hall. It has always hated me, I have always hated it. We have an understanding. I don't push it's buttons and it doesn't push mine. Well, out of morbid curiosity I decided to give her a go again today. She loves me! Either that or she just wants to shut me up. Either way, don't forget that even though little things that go wrong can bring you down, there are still little things to lift you up.
Please, someone give me a 2x4 to beat myself with. I can't believe I just wrote an inspirationl paragraph. Ignore it, I've really not had enough sleep lately.
Ahh well, as they say in Norway, "Paitizuetch!"
...I think that means ham....
Thursday, September 02, 2004
The half-life of Cheeze-It
I'll telll you what! There is absolutly nothing like running on a full three hours of sleep for an entire day. Due to some "difficulties" my rommie was having last night I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to situate myself in the hall on a sofa where I got some homework done around 3AM and finally drifted off to sleep around 4.
You know, just when you think it can't get any more difficult to stay awake in an Algebra class taught by an Asian man with broken English, life throws you one of these lovly curve balls. I suppose I should be thankful. It could always be worse. Well...maybe....I guess...
Ok well I'm going to go now and hope that tonight brings me many happy "Z's".
You know, just when you think it can't get any more difficult to stay awake in an Algebra class taught by an Asian man with broken English, life throws you one of these lovly curve balls. I suppose I should be thankful. It could always be worse. Well...maybe....I guess...
Ok well I'm going to go now and hope that tonight brings me many happy "Z's".
Wednesday, September 01, 2004
Freestyle for Friends of the Wild West
Hey, it appears that this is my *blog*. I will attempt to update it daily in some form or fasion. Don't expect a great deal from it because I certainly don't plan on putting a great deal into it. Or do I? Hmmm but then, you don't really know anything about this at all do you? Thats because if you're reading it you're reading it at least a week from when I posted it because I'm not telling anyone about it for a week. Sneaky little devil aren't I? Ok. Sorry if you were looking for something special here. No really I am. I actually feel really bad that my first little bit of input on this site stinks this badly. The future ones will totally destroy this one, no problem. If for some reason you don't know me and you're at this site I have a profile up and running so you can get the low-down on who I am. Gooday-SAH!
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