Rantings and all such tomfoolery

this place is slowly dying

2006-03-10T16:27:00.000-08:00

Please feel free to visit me at my new location.

The O Spot

I will no longer be posting here.

Going...Going...Almost Gone

2006-03-10T10:05:00.000-08:00

This place will soon be dead to me. I have purchased my new domain, and courtesy of "Boss Man Hosting", I will have my own website. Rachel and I will also be launching a wedding website also. This process may take up to a month to get everything migrated because I have to take all my posts and move them one by one to my new site.

www.the-o-spot.com will be my new site
www.taylor-hugheswedding.com will be our wedding site.

I will maintain this site with only a link to my site, for up to a year, then this place will vanish into the abyss it came from. The new site will allow me much more freedom in this whole blogging thing, and hopefully it will encourage certain people to link me.

Other than that, I got nothing. Been a boring week. Had lots of pre-Spring Break assignments piled on me. Looking forward to heading south for Spring Break.

Friends, family, and strangers alike...

2006-03-03T09:10:00.000-08:00

Please feel free to sit down and have a cup of coffee care of your host. I've felt the need to change designs drastically, but this is going to be the waiting room of the future layout. I feel that this country has not ever really grasped the idea of coffee like it was meant to be taken.

Almost every other country in the world enjoys their coffee/tea in a leisurly fashion. The U.S. seems to be the only ones to try to make gourmet coffee into a fast food franchise. If you go to Europe, South America, or pretty much anywhere that enjoys the fruits of these bittersweet beans, you'll find a much different coffee culture. In cafe's when you order one coffee, it is understood that you have the table as long as you want. Many people in Italy, France, and Spain will spend whole days drinking coffee, chatting or simply people watching. Here in the United States if we don't get our Half Fat Decaf Mocha Latte Frappacino with non dairy Whipped Cream in less than one minute we become impatient. We want to drink and dash. We really feel the effects of a caffiene culture. Maybe its because in comparison to these other cultures we are relatively young. Did Italy go through a period when they didn't appreciate the taste of the beverage, and the actual preparation. I highly doubt it, but it's possible.

I've gone a bit retro in my coffee preparation. For christmas I recieved a French Press, and if you don't know what that is, please refer to the icon picture in the upper left hand corner. To make coffee in this thing, I have to warm water on the stove in a pan, then pour it directly into the beaker portion with the grounds in the bottom. I let the grounds and hot water mill around for about five minutes to get the full flavor of the grounds. Then I have to use the plunger to separate the grounds from the coffee. The whole process takes about fifteen minutes, and for most people, having to do that work would be too much for coffee. Why do that when you can just go buy a automatic coffee maker? Because I am pretentious and a coffee snob. I may not have traveled accross the world to have the perfect cup of java, but I have learned to love the taste of this ancient beverage. The french press allows the leftover coffee to keep direct contact with the beans, making for a more potent second cup. Also it gives the coffee a more earthy flavor. Without the paper filter, I get the direct "drippings" of the water from the grounds.

It took me a while to get used to this. Every time I want a cup of coffee I have to go through a ritual. It reminds me of Japanese tea. Every action has to occur at a certain time to ensure perfection of the coffee. I know a drip maker would make it much faster, and probably wouldn't taste that much different, but I'm going to do it my way.

This ritual has become a essential process in my mornings. I highly encourage any coffee drinkers to either purchase one, or invite me over to make you probably the best cup of coffee ever.

Back to the original point. It is beginning to feel like spring every day. As this process progresses, I feel the need to update the design with a more cheerful color and design. Hopefully I'll have something in place by the end of the month, but we'll see how it goes. Suggestions are acceptable.

Long, Long Day...

2006-02-28T16:37:00.000-08:00

Today has been one of the longest I've had in quite some time. I worked on writing a program until like four this morning, slept four hours then woke up ready to work some more. I finally finished the projects I had due, only like an hour late, that I have been putting off. All is well, and both programs I wrote calculate and display stuff right, but I have a test in that class Thursday that I have to handwrite out the code to solve problems. We'll see how that goes.

Consensus is that I should not have shaved off my goat. Appartently I look like a punk without it. I've only had it like three months. People are you telling me I looked like a punk for 25 years and you never told me? Now that I shaved it off you feel the need to tell me this! Where were you all that time I didn't have it?

Plus, what else did I have to do with my time. I was quasi-insomniacal and needed something to do to get away from writing code for a bit. Seemed like a good time to change things up a bit. Guess I'll start today regrowing that which you have all grown accustomed to.

Becca, I hope your hotel situation went well. Haven't heard from you yet, so I don't know if you got killed by an 8-foot radioactive cockroach or not.

I need new glasses. I'm thinking of going with plastic black frames. You know the nerdy/bookworm rectangle ones. If anyone would like to donate to the "John doens't have eye coverage in his health insurance" fund please feel free. Make all your checks to CASH and I do accept CASH, CASH, and CASH. Any way you slice it I need to get my eyes checked and probably an updated prescription. It's been like two years.

I'm sleepy. I wonder if anyone will notice if I crawl under the desk and go to sleep. They probably will when I start snoring.

Some humor for you:

Chuck Norris defines love as the reluctance to murder. If you’re still alive, it’s because Chuck Norris loves you.

Chuck Norris is the only man to ever defeat a brick wall in a game of tennis.

When Chuck Norris jumps into a body of water, he doesn’t get wet. The water gets Chuck Norris instead.

Chuck Norris can set ants on fire with a magnifying glass. At night.

Chuck Norris once beat the dictionary in a spelling bee.

The first lunar eclipse took place after Chuck Norris challenged the sun to a staring contest.

enjoy...

Jabber Jaw...

2006-02-27T07:31:00.000-08:00

So this weekend ranked up there on the "All Time Ten Most Boring Weekends" list. Although it didn't quite start out like that.

For the past few weeks Rachel and I have been working out three times a week at the Curris Center. It's got the same equipment as the wellness center, but not all the people. The plan is to workout MWF because I work on T and Th and weekends are free. We decided to bypass that Friday night because Rachel had to work in Benton until 6. If you didn't already know, Benton, KY is the seventh layer of hell(leaving the eighth layer for Mayfield). When she got into Murray we decided to grub a bit. Usually this means Applebee's or August Moon, but Friday we decided to try out Vitello's. When we got there things didn't seem to bad.

Little did we know, three groups of 10+ had been seated simultaneously right before we walked in. Our orders were literally directly behind thirty others. Of course they let us know when we were seated that it might be a minute because of all the people. Throw some bread at me and give me a drink, and I'll be content to sit until you bring me my food. It was nice to sit there and just talk for like an hour and a half. The only downside was our waitress. We relish our dining experiences and gauge our waiters/waitress' based on how difficult we think their job might be. Both of us have waited tables in our life, Rachel for about a year, and me for countless times in the past. I liked the job and think myself good at it. Well some time ago we had the most timid waitress ever at Cracker Barrell. She would stand about five feet from the table and stare at us until she decided we might need something. When she asked us, "Can I get anything else for you" I had to lower my tone. I was afraid that if I spoke in a normal tone she might crap herself or simply pass out. Well that was one end of the waiting spectrum, and Friday was the other. I could tell this girl was fairly new to the waiting game, and was a bit overloaded with all the people. Apparently until Friday night, the crowd had been adequate, but not rushed at this fine establishment. She kept coming to the table about every 2.5 minutes to give us another update on our food. I have to commend her for making sure we knew we weren't forgotten, but damnit woman give us some space so we can carry on a conversation. This might not seem like to bad of a thing, but after about an hour and a half of this it got a bit annoying. She honestly asked us at one time if our food was alright, and we had nothing on the table but drinks and some leftover oil from the bread an oil they give out.

Once she brought the appetizer, I was anxious to get out of there. Simply put, I wanted to get away from this talkative woman. The toasted ravioli was probably one of the best I've had in my time. I remember my days in Tuscany and this topped that. Well I've never really been to Tuscany, but I imagine this is fairly close to it. Quickly after our appetizers came, so did our entree's. Rachel had a personal pan Margherita pizza and I had spaghetti with Italian Meatballs. I know the spaghetti may sound a bit reserved, but I've found that the quality of a meatball in a restaurant will deem its overall quality. The noodles were thin and plentiful, the meatballs were definitely homemade, and the sauce was a little much. I like a lot of sauce with my pasta, but this took the cake. I've never had a plate where I didn't eat all of the sauce, but there was probably a good cup of sauce left over after this meal. I actually was happy with this, because I'd rather have too much than to little. All in all the food was good, and we got to hear the first set of Dick and Jane playing in the bar area. I think we will return, only at a less busy time.

Saturday, Rachel went home, and I had grand plans to clean up and do laundry but I actually did nothing. Sunday was much the same. I watched t.v. and vegged out. Sunday afternoon I took Rachel to my parents house to pick up her new Ipod Shuffle that dad got for her, and admired his new Nano he got for himself. Reread that sentence...He got a shuffle for Rachel, a Nano for himself, and nothing for anyone else. Like he's ever going to use the Nano. Can you detect some anger here? Enough of that.

After walking through Wal-Mart last night and seeing about half the people I graduated high school with, and about 75% of the people that went to my high school, I welcome to move to Jackson. I am ready to start again in a new place. New friends, new job, new home, and more importantly, more stuff to do. A movie theater that doesn't show only what they deem wholesome, a plethora of restaurants and other food buying opportunities. I don't mean that I am running from Murray, simply that it is time for something new. A place where I can be a stranger in Wal-Mart and not have to pretend like I want to talk to the people that I once knew, but no longer am in contact with. Is that wrong of me?

When I die...

2006-02-23T17:04:00.000-08:00

I want a cover band to jam "Free Bird" while the sprinklers are running and there is a paper mache bird flying over the audience on fire. I want it to be probably the single most funny and not planned event ever.

thank you Elizabethtown for your insights.

Wooo Sahhh...

2006-02-21T16:09:00.000-08:00

I've found that I utterly loathe Tuesday's and Thursday's. They are not only my two longest days of class, but they are my longest day's period. I get on campus around 9 a.m. and don't leave until midnight. Recently I have been on campus at 8:30. You may ask what brings me to campus a full hour before my first class?

M.F.ing parking. I have to find a spot that is not too far from my class, but more importantly, close to the library since I am not too keen about walking ten miles across campus at midnight. I arrive this early because I have to do the infamous parking spot stalk. I enter the lot near Pogue Library, and wait for an unsuspecting walker to enter the lot, returning to their vehicle. The skill of the stalk is very high. You must follow them close enough so as not to lose your spot to another stalker, but not so close as to make the walker feel uncomfortable. If you do this, they may take you on a wild goose chase throughout the parking lot, finally entering their car at the back of the lot. Well this art has been perfected by many, but I like to think that I have mastered it for quite some time. Apparently this stealth stalk is no longer appreciated among any of the other stalkers. Other stalkers have taken the barbaric approach, barreling around corners, squealing tires with no regard for public safety. I feel this is a disservice to the walkers, but most of them are barbaric stalkers also. In the last month I have been almost run down trying to find a spot. Cars will squeal around a corner and essentially force me to slam on my breaks while they skid into my spot. Now I am patient most of the time with this, but after about the fifth person to do this, I loose my cool. I can visualize stopping the car and hitting the button for my Trunk Monkey. I actually have to stop myself from becoming vocal with these inconsiderate drivers by reciting the Woo Saah bit from a movie I once saw. I guess more than anything, the loss of the stealth stalk method is bothering me. I spent years perfecting it, watching veterans execute it with ease. Now I am the veteran and there are no new people to teach.

And another thing, this text messaging trend is getting out of hand. I have been known to send my fair share of messages, but only when I was not able to actually speak to the person I am contacting. Classroom situations, work situations, and the movies are all prime examples of this. I am saddened because I feel this is further desensitizing people. How long will it be before we no longer communicate vocally with people. All phones will be merely text messagers. This type of plugged-in-edness(I made that word up) is a bit over the edge. This is my pledge: I will not text unless it is absolutely necessary. I literally watched a guy walk into a pole today on campus because he was intently sending a text message to someone. How do I know he was sending a text message? The signature double thumb technique he used to enter characters. He never saw it coming. I think I was the only person that saw him do it because he immediatly looked around and then tried to hide what had happened. Guess what buddy? I'm announcing it to everyone.

And for my final note, this goes out to one of my professors. Today we spent much of the class discussing how proposed solutions to a problem may not be a solution to the problem itself but to a symptom of the problem. This occurs because of the ambiguity that may surround the statement of what the problem itself is. Essentially we spent a lot of time talking about ambiguous terms. When we started to talk about the project that is due Thursday(which I thoguht was due today, and hustled my ass off to get done) I found out that my final project was far above and beyond the scope of the actual term. I felt this my have been a result of inattentiveness on my part until the only other person to actually finish and turn in this problem asked him about the wording of his assignment. I kicked in to overdrive because I agreed with him, and felt that I needed to add my two cents. The other guy is from Eastern Europe and sometimes can't vocalize his thoughts accurately. The professor proceeded to bring up the prompt and try to make me and the other guy feel like a moron for "misreading" his assignment. Apparently no one else in the room had even started the project. I tried to calmly explain to him that they sequence of words he used made the assignment sound a bit more involved, but he replied with, "well if you had problems understanding the assignment you should have sent me an email." Well here is where I wanted to lose my cool. I didn't feel I had a problem with the scope of the assignment because I read and understood the problem. As did another student. I have no problem letting you know if I don't understand something. I do have a problem with a professor being condescending because I can't get inside his head and figure out what he actually meant. I proceeded to ask him if I needed to redo the project(my project had done what he wanted, and much much more) and he proceeded to let me know that, "it might be best if you just redo the whole thing." After spending over an hour on ambiguity, I had to laugh softly to myself. He spent a whole hour lecturing on something and basically contradicted all of his teachings in about thirty seconds.

This is the same guy that told me I would be lucky to get a C in his class.

I spent about twenty minutes on the first project in this class and got an 85.

I studied for the test for about two hours. The same test that everyone told me would kick my ass. I got an 81 on it. Well above the class average.

Kiss it...

D-Day V-Day...

2006-02-14T15:36:00.000-08:00

Alright, so this is the second V-Day that Rachel and I have been together. This is also the second V-Day I have had to work since we have been together. That kind of makes me a crappy fiance.

Over the weekend, we ate a nice meal at Applebee's Friday, and then had a "Sweetheart" dinner at our church that the youth hosted. All in all it was a good dinner, with exempliary service. Afterwards we went to my parents house and chatted until late. Sunday was lazy day as usual. Nothing much accomplished except the whole working out thing. I've noticed that I feel much better than usual and can actually see some muscles starting to poke out again.

We went to Wal-Mart last night to look at MP3 players and saw the massive showing of boyfriends buying stuff for their significant others. Way to go guys, waiting until the last minute. Rachel felt bad for the guys having to walk around with fluffy bears, pink cards and flowers. She feels that V-Day is simply to shame boyfriends into appreciating their counterpart. I tend to agree with her a bit. As guys we often don't realize how essential our counterparts are. We take them for granted 364 days a year, and bitch about the one day that we are supposed to show our appreciation. It's time for us guys to suck it up. These women do a lot of things for us, ranging from small tasks to much larger projects. They think out their gifts to us and we run into the store at the last minute to get whatever is left. I see all kinds of guys getting angry when a T.V. show portrays men buying birthday presents from gas stations for their wives. New's flash, if it weren't for automatic reminders in email and on your phones, you probably would be reduced to purchasing a pez dispenser and a lifetime supply of beef jerky for her birthday. I only say this because I am one of you. Today I wasn't planning on sending Rachel anything for V-Day because I thought she was working in Benton. I don't know of any reputable florists in Benton, so I thought I would get her something later on. Plus hey, I bought dinner Friday night and last night. Well about noon today, my conscience got the better of me. I talked to her at lunch and found out she was working in Murray today. I had to call in the troops because I am locked in to campus after noon. I don't get off this godforsaken tundra until midnight.

I phoned the ever reliable businessman, and sickening romantic...my father. He was in Jackson for the day, but would be back around 3. He made a few calls, got some flowers and personally delivered them to her at work. First of all I must say mad props to my pops for saving my arse there, and secondly I must take all the blame for this. I should have already known where she was working and had a solid plan of action. I am a terrible fiance. I admit it. There is no excuse for my behavior. So as a result I will make a worldwide apology to Rachel and tell her in front of all of you that I am very sorry, and I love you more than anything in my life.

On a much lighter note, I have recently started the Bible Run. My ever productive cousin has put together an online community of people that are dedicated to reading the bible in one year. We have assignments and forums to discuss the readings daily. I am already enjoying this and want to encourage any person who might be interested to join up. We'll be taking newcomers at any time during the run.

A Three Four Hour Tour...A Three Four Hour Tour...

2006-02-09T14:26:00.000-08:00

Alright, so first of all I have posted some pictures of the wedding site and other miscellaneous things. Check out the sidebar labeled Photo Albums. It contains some new pictures and whatnottery. If you are superficial reader you need go no farther. If not, get something to drink and possibly take a bathroom break because this is going to be a long one.

So last weekend was probably one of the most productive weekends I have had in some time. But it got of to a rough start.

I left Murray Friday right after class. The objective was to arrive in Mayfield about the time that Rachel got out of class and then make a B-line for Jackson from there. All seemed to go well for about 2.5 minutes of the actual trek to Jackson. I have never in my life, NEVER, been to Jackson through Mayfield. Rachel has been once and it was in the daylight. Foolishly I did not look at a map or even bring one with us for this journey. Now would be a great time to cue the Gilligan's Island theme song.

"A ~~three~~ four hour tour...". We successfully leave the wretched town of Mayfield and pass through Fulton which was on course. I actually made a stopoff at the infamous train station I visited earlier this summer. I wanted Rachel to experience the creepiness of the place. As we pulled up we are made aware that they have recently added security lights about every twenty-five feed for about five hundred feed in each direction fromt eh station itself. It really killed the effect of the whole experience. The only saving grace was the fact that there was a giant blood puddle on one of the toilet lids. It could be there for one of many reasons, but we'll not get into that speculation because it only ends with someone throwing up and everyone calling me a psycho.

Rachel was really worried that this little detour would put us offtrack and get us lost. I successfully made our way back to the original road and headed back in the direction I was supposed to be going. We were toodling along at a good rate and Rachel was on the phone with Emily. As we neared an exit I awaited instruction. None came so I figured that if I needed to take it I would have been given warning. As we came even with it she pointed for me to take the exit and seeing as how that was literally impossible now I decided to drive until I could turn around and come back at it. You would think that there would be another exit/turnaround spot pretty close to that exit right? Well apparently logic did not prevail when this road was made. We traveled for about half an hour out of the way until I was able to get back on track.

A minor detour, nothing to get bent out of shape over. So we speed along towards Martin at a fair rate. Not exceeding the speed limit mind you. I'm pretty aware of my surroundings and consider myself to be a fairly good driver. Well as I was driving in the left lane passing someone, a largish dog(we later decided it must have been a coyote or a wolf) meandered into my path at the last minute. Here is the scenario:

Car A is traveling at 65-70 mph in the left hand land on an interstate. It is dark outside. The dim headlights are on because there is oncoming traffic on the other side of the median. A dog comes out of the darkness into the path of Car A. Car B is directly behind Car A in the right hand lane. There is no time to stop right? Swerving into the median isn't an option because the car would likely flip over right? Swerving to the right isn't an option because Car A and Car B would likely collide right? So what do you do?

You plow headlong into a wild animal. When said event occurs the recently purchased ADPi plate on teh front bumper shatters and shoots pieces of blue plastic over the car and into the car behind us. I slow the car as quickly as is safe and allow Car B to pass us and head for the shoulder. Car B stopped to see if we were ok because they thought the things that had hit their car was actually pieces of a tire. Well the front bumper was messed up and we were both pretty shook up. I headed for the nearest gas station in Martin to check out the levels of damage. We pulled into a gas station and upon further inspection I find that the damage isn't as bad as I initially thought. Some creative engineering allows us to doglegg it back to Jackson. Well apparently in my search of the gas station I had neglected to notice the exit we needed to take. We were well past it and I did not know we were past it. We traveled in what I thought was the right direction until I noticed that we were headed north. We definatly did not want to go to Union City. So we turned around after traveling in the wrong direction once again for over half an hour.

By now I know my blood pressure is sky high and I am more than irritated. After a nasty little snap at Rachel I decided it best to start a breathing exercise that I know gets my blood pressure lower. After about thirty minutes of awkward silence I apologized for being a jerk because I was a jerk and thats just what you do. We arrived at her parents house well after our original ETA. It took us over four hours to drive what normally would take an hour and forty-five minutes. Never has Bolivar, TN been more inviting to me. I was more excited to be there than probably any event of that whole day.

Well the next day I woke up around 8 and took notes for about two hours until someone else woke up. I also played with Rusty and Bailey. Those to cats are pretty cool. People started to rouse around 9:30 and we prepared to visit the Carnegie. Our hopeful place of wedding and reception for December 29th. The pictures I took don't do the thing justice. The place was magnificantly perfect for both of our tastes. It reminds me alot of Pogue Library without all the books. The marble hardwood flooring, the massive bookshelfs, the balcony, and the external appearance of the place were perfect. Well we pretty much got the place locked down. Its going to be the site of the infamous Taylor/Hughes Wedding. Afterwards we had lunch at Subway with Rachel's mom and Ricky. Then we went to look at chairs at a local rental store, but they were closed.

On a whim we decided to go look at cakes by a local baker she knew of. Well the cakes looked perfect and the price was probably the best of any price we had seen yet. So we put a deposit down on it and booked her for the day. We are paying approximately the same amount for both our wedding cake and grooms cake that we had expected to pay for just the grooms cake elsewhere.

We had a 2 o'clock appointment at Belk to do a bridal registry. Yowza, Yowza, Yowza is all I can say about this appointment. As soon as we got there the lady told us that we weren't supposed to be there until 4, but her appointment probably wouldn't show up. We spent about twenty minutes sharing information with her so she could set up a profile online for us. She was having some computer problems so we decided to peruse the fine china while she sorted it out. While perusing we overheard what sounded like the beginning of a great cat fight. Our bridal consultant was having it out with a co-worker. Then we returned to her desk and she still hadn't sorted out her problems. I asked for the phone book so I could look up other things we could accomplish that day and finally got fed up. I walked over to a kiosk and did the online profile myself. The GUI(pronounced Gooey, stands for Graphical User Interface...been waiting to use that knowledge) wasn't to user friendly so I could easily see how she had problems. Well we registered for a few things and left there with a massive headache and a slight hunger pain. We decided that we would go to Bed Bath and Beyond to do another registry just to get more stuff done.

First and foremost let me say that I think the bridal registry department at BBB is top notch. The consultant was super nice, well mannered, and very knowledgable. It was all in all a great experience. They gave us a barcode scanner and set us loose on the store. We could zap to our hearts content and thats exactly what we did. Every time we entered a new section, one of the employees would ask us if we needed any help, but when we told them no, they wouldn't hover for an uncomfortable amount of time. They really have this whole thing down pat. Cool thing is we can edit this profile online, add things and go back and add more later on. I highly suggest that everyone do their bridal registry there. If you do, tell them that I referred you.

Saturday night I feasted upon Cajun chicken the likes of which my tastebuds have never experienced. The sheer magnitude of the chicken breasts was amazing. And the tenderness and juiciness was exempliary. Grean pea salad, and a baked potato, what more could I ask for. I ate until I felt my stomach would burst instantly killing me, but it was of no concern because I had had a meal fitting any mans last meal. I was ready. We went to Rachel's grandaddy's and plotted wedding stuff some more and then headed back to the house to watch TV and veg a bit. Remember we had had a full two days of excitement and stress.

Sunday we switched everything from Rachel's car to Ricky's truck because that was the vehicle we would be driving back. That truck is beautifully hugified. 4X4, what more can a man ask for. Rachel had class that afternoon, and we had a Superbowl party to attend at Shea's parents house. Everything went off without a hitch on Sunday. Two great days in a row...the end is nigh.

Well I decided that I would start working out again. I gotta get trim and buff for the wedding. Beefcake...BEEFCAKE! MWF will be the schedule for the torture treatments. I went monday and was surprised at my stamina and strength. I'm not as bad off as I thought. Boy was that a wrong thought. I woke up both Tuesday and Wednesday with the most wretched muscle pains ever. After about three hours of stretching them out, I crawled out of bed. I went back last night and lifted some more and didn't feel nearly as bad this morning. Things seem to be going well. After the workout last night I rewarded myself with a pint. It was a Nut Brown Ale.
Every now and then I enjoy a rich dark lager, pronounced RICH DARKHH LOGGER, with the most pretentiously pompous accent I could muster. I was proud.

I guess that about catches us up to today. Oh yeah, I had a test in my difficult class today and felt really good about it. My test on Friday wasn't great, but I scored average for the class. I guess you could say that I'm an average guy trying to pretend to be not-so-average.

Memories...

2006-02-03T08:43:00.000-08:00

Sorry that my posts have been lagging and moderately uninteresting recently. Things have been busy with school and whatnottery.

I was doing my usual rounds this morning when I came across a post at Mighty Girl that brought back a very vivid memory.

A few years ago I was at my parents house one hot summer day. We had been working in the yard or I was mowing the lawn or some other sort of menial manual labor. Well after hours of perspiration I retreated to the air conditioned confines of my parents wonderful house. I approached the refridgerator with a thirst that seemed unending. I opened the door to reveal a Gatorade bottle filled with its delicious red nectar. This site almost brought a tear to my eye. I hurriedly removed the lid, prepared myself for refreshment and took what had to be the largest gulp of this drink. Pause...

If you don't know, my parents are avid bird watchers. This may seem like a digression, but it really applies more than you could ever know. During the summer they make their own hummingbird juice to put in feeders to attract them. To further entice them people often color this juice red.

See where this is going?

Well I realized only a minute too late that the safety seal to the bottle had already been broken. Apparently my parents thought it would be a good idea to store their extra hummingbird juice in a fruit punch gatorade bottle. When they entered the room to find me dry heaving in the sink they asked me what was wrong. All I could sputter between gags was Hummingbird Gatorade.

Yeah, I think they did that on purpose. Who puts a non-gatorade red fluid in a bottle clearly labeled for human consumption.

And no, hummingbird juice does not taste good.

And neither do Rusty and Bailey's dog treats.

Got Nothing Better...

2006-01-26T19:35:00.000-08:00

Wedding Stuff...

2006-01-23T09:32:00.000-08:00

Alright so I went to a Bridal Expo of my own volition this weekend. There was about a bajillion people there. Everyone was trying to go to the same booths at the same time. It made for a very jumbled occasion. Aside from that it was very educational. We found some really good photographers and cake-makers. I think we are locked on a date, location, rehearsal dinner location, reception details and whatnottery. All this depends on what is open and available for us to use on the date chosen. We are going back to Jackson Superbowl weekend to meet with some people and get some things solidified.

Tenatively we will be getting married on December 29, 2006. I'll keep everyone updated. We've run it by parents and grandparents and all seems well for this. I know its close to the holiday's, but we have to get it all arranged so we can do the honeymoon thing and be back in time for her to start her internship.

I saw grooms cakes that were frickin awesome. Registering for gifts is going to be fun. I get to take a little scanner thingy and walk around stores zapping things we want/need.

On a completely unrelated note, I am currently listening to a Hasidic Jewish reggae singer/rapper. I am certainly impressed. Very melodic with a solid meaning. Matisyahu is no Bob Marley, but he's got skillz.

Phase 6 and 7 in the game Phase 10, are the bane of my existence. I both loathe and love that game at the same time. Much like Soduko.

You've got to be kidding...

2006-01-19T19:59:00.000-08:00

So I just finished reading the transcript of Osama Bin Laden's speech distributed by Al-Jazeera. My first reaction has to be...ARE YOU SERIOUS. Has spending the last four+ years in a cave really affected your mental stability that much. Then I have to remember, he had no mental stability to begin with. He rambles on and on, trying to take credit for the downfall of Russia, offers us a truce then proceeds to tell us he knows what will win this all. He admonishes the U.S. for the Abu Ghraib scandal also. And what about September 11. Our Abu Ghraib scandal involves harming people that are not innocent. YOU ORCHESTRATED AN ATTACK THAT KILLED MANY INNOCENT PEOPLE. I know I am kidding myself to think that he'll ever be able to read this from his dark corner in his dingy cave, and even if he did, I know he would not understand my Anti-Jihad logic. To that I say, "Osama Bin Laden, eat my ass. We will find you and deal with you accordingly."

Thats enough of that.

Today one of my professor's told me he was not confident that I could handle the class. He was referring to the fact that I haven't finished VB yet. I am taking it currently and my advisor is the one that suggested that I take this class. He told me that he the percentage of people in my shoes that have gotten better than a C in his class has been minimal. If you even know me in the slightest you'll know that this has become a challenge for me. I refuse to be called a moron. The rest of my classes seem to be going good. I already have a project idea for VB, I think I did really well on my first accounting quiz, I understand what is going on in all of my classes and I haven't threatened my 218 professor yet. If you talked to me for even a split second last semester you'll know the bane of my existence was TSM 118. Its follow up course is taught by the same man at the same time. I assure you things won't be much different this semester. Although I did get a B in his class.

First day of class...

2006-01-17T14:41:00.000-08:00

Alright, so the day started out with CSC 232 and the information that my teacher is a weirdo. Not essential or very threatening, but good to know none-the-less. Then I had lunch with the guys where they informed me that my CIS 304 teacher is a hard ass and loves nothing more than to bask in the tears of his failing students. After sitting through my first day of classes I must say I don't really know what these guys are talking about. The guy didn't seem like too much of a hard ass, and all in all I am looking forward to the semester. I may be eating my words at the end of the semester, but we'll see. Either way this should be an entertaining time of my life.

On a completely unrelated note it is snowing in Murray. Nothing significant or even road threatening, but a drastic change in the temperatures of recent. This constand fluctuation in the weather tires me. It's supposed to be sunny and 50 tomorrow. WTF Mate? This has lead me to a great realization. I am going to design a University that is compeletly covered by a Bio-Dome. Eco friendly campus that has a constant temperature of 74 degrees. Artificial sunlight, constant greenery etc. These conditions would be constantly in place creating an optimal learning environment for students. From building to building you could have encapsulated walkways(also weather proofed), but always an exit. It allows you to escape from the petri dish environment any time you want. All this was formulated on my walk from the business building to Curris Center then back to Waterfield. I walked for ten minutes in a northern direction with the wind in my face, then five minutes south. Wind still in my face. It seems that no matter what direction you walk on campus there is always a head wind.

Which brings me to my second rant. Murray State's Bookstore is screwing every student at every chance they get. Horror stories aside, the bookstore mainly makes its profits off of textbooks. These textbooks are sold most likely at face value. Then they are sold back at pennies on the dollar where they are then resold at maybe a 10% discount for being used. This goes on for I dont' know how many semesters. Now being a publicly funded university I would think their goal was to break even, not extort money out of hard working students. I can go to Bradley bookstore and purchase these textbooks cheaper. How can that be? These universities are the ones making the deals with the companies. Shouldn't they be getting textbooks cheaper? Maybe they are, but they are inflating the prices just to create a higher profit margin. Enough of this ranting. My blood pressure is rising, and I am sure that Harry Lee Waterfield Library does not want a dead non-trad on their floor.

Peace out, and fight the power!
Damn tha man!

Poker and Redneck Wrestling...

2006-01-14T19:28:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I went to Shea's to hang with some out of town friends and play a little cards. Pictures--

Mike the Magician
Rachel
Becca
Mike and Hadley(Pre-Fight)
Showing her true Feelings
Rachel and Becca
Rachel and Becca 2

As things often go when I am there, we had a lot of fun. During the course of the night we played Texas Hold'Em and P and A. We drank a few beers and pretty much just conversed with people that don't often get together. As the night came to an end, Hadley and Mike decided they needed to wrestle in the front yard. Here is what ensued. I tried to keep it as chronological as possible:

1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13, and finally 14.

This week was probably the most boring week I've had at work in quite a long time. I am welcoming the day when I have students that have problems for me to help them with. I've been looking at honeymoon options on the internet. If anyone has any suggestions, please feel free to post a comment. Nothing too extravagant, but I don't want to have to fight the roaches either. Tonight is pretty boring. I have spent the day watching TV and Movies. I guess I need to soak all of that up I can because as of Tuesday my free time will be cut very short. Thats all I have for now because I am doing laundry and need to get back to it.

Peace.

Blah...

2006-01-06T07:16:00.000-08:00

Weather is poopie, I'm tired and Waterfield is boring.

I'd like to crawl under the desk and go to sleep. No one would notice.

Hopefully friends will be hanging out tonight. Some are supposed to be in town tonight.

Watched SNL the other night. It was a re-run of the episode that Jon Heder hosted and Ashlee Simpson was singing. The one after the whole lip sync thing. She started her performance with a song that was sounding sad. She "dedicated" it to herself after the whole SNL fiasco. Listen you little brat. You made over $5 mill last year. You have nothing to be sad about. Your life may be under the microscope, but hell I'd go through it for a few mill a year. You loose your ability to whine when you become rich. That goes for you too pop/emo kids, and pretty much any other artist that hasn't had a family member die, or a wife/husband leave them. That's about the only time I'll believe that you are truly sad. So your boyfriend/girlfriend of six months left you. Guess what? Even if you are the ugliest person in the world, the fact that you are worth millions makes you attractive to people. You'll find someone else. STFU.

Enough of that rant. Don't have anything else of worth to post.

Laters

My brother...

2005-12-30T17:49:00.000-08:00

Contrary to popular belief, my brother does not nor has he ever been a competitor in the special olympics.

Un-Just..

2005-12-29T11:08:00.000-08:00

Alright, so I've caught much flack for my placement of the notice of engagement. I shouldn't have placed that damn thing in the beginning of a huge write-up about Wal-Mart. So I'll do a better job this time.

December 17, 2005 was my first Saturday of not having to work at Massey's Citgo. We had looked forward to this day simply because we could spend much time together. The day was planned weeks ahead of time. We decided to go to LBL and do the whole Elk/Bison thing and do a little picture snapping. We began by having some homemade muffin's from Lite Side Bakery and Garden Cafe. That's near Grand Rivers. We meandered down the Trace stopping here and there to site-see. Here are some photo's from the trip.

We found these steps walking up to an old foundation of a house that had to have been around near a hundred years back. Behind that we found the foundation of the carriage house. It was really interesting to sit on the concrete and think how this house was probably the home of a family that lived here before the dam was built and the area was flooded.

We made a trip up to the bison and elk range to view some of the wildlife. This was not our first trip, but it was most definately the closest we got to the animals. They crossed the road right in front of us. These animals are free to roam without fear of being hunted. It gave them an air of confidence that was majestic.

Now on to the meat of the story. I had planned this outing for three weeks. We had previously been ring shopping and she knew that I had put one on hold. Well I had been telling her the whole time that the ring wouldn't be ready until after Christmas. I had to keep some of the surprise. Well I knew we could travel up to Lighthouse Landing to watch the sunset. The day had been pretty clear and I was hoping for a good sunset to be able to pop the question.

I started to worry about thirty minutes from sunset. The sky's had become overcast and it appeared that a majestic sunset wasn't in the picture for us. I got a little panicky, I'm not gonna lie. This is what it started out as: --->

Not exactly going as I had planned it, but I did have a backup plan. We had reservations at Patti's that night to eat dinner. They had a christmas lights thingy going on. It wasn't going to be as pretty as a beautiful sunset, but it was going to have to do. Then it happened. God decided to stop toying with me and produce <---something like what I had been hoping for.

At dinner that night, we saw probably the scariest Santa Clause ever. He's embedded in that tree in the picture. I'll leave you with that bit of creapiness.

Oh yeah, once again for the record, she did say yes.

Also I got a French Press for Christmas. It's so awesome.

See Also: Coffee Squeazer
See Also: Coffee Smasher

Tookie Propaganda...

2005-12-21T09:58:00.000-08:00

CNN Article

Williams was sentenced to death in 1981 in the killing of Owens, a 26-year-old Los Angeles convenience store clerk. The clerk was shot twice in the back with a 12-gauge shotgun while face-down on the floor.

Less than two weeks after Owens' February 1979 slaying, jurors concluded, Williams killed an immigrant Chinese couple and their 41-year-old daughter while stealing less than $100 in cash from their motel. Robert Martin, one of the prosecutors who sent Williams to prison, said the courts "have scrutinized this from every angle and they've found that the evidence is rock solid."

Williams, 51, acknowledged a violent past but maintained he was innocent of the slayings. He became an anti-gang crusader while on death row.

What brought on the change in Tookie's heart? Was it that he finally realized that he had done many wrongs or the fear of death and the consequences of his actions? We can debate the usefulness of Capital Punishment until the cows come home, but that is not the debate here. Did Tookie Williams deserve lethal injection? He had "reformed" since his imprisonment. My personal beliefs are that he died for a just cause. He spent the last few years of his life trying to show kids that gang life ends up exactly where he is. Would his message have been as effective if he were to tell kids, I was convicted of killing four people and I am going to spend life in prison?

In regards to his innocence, didn't Charles Manson also claim innocence in regards to murder charges because he didn't actually kill anyone himself? The death sentence was later automatically commuted to life in prison after the California Supreme Court's People v. Anderson decision resulted in the invalidation of all death sentences imposed in California prior to 1972. Being the founding father of the Crips Tookie most likely ordered some people killed.

His "gang" activity on the inside has been well documented, and it is purported that he had involvement with gang activity up until 2000. Williams was involved in a long series of fights that can be tracked up to 1993. I guess once he got closer to the end of his sentence he realized the err in his ways.

A question is posed by and article in The Christian Science Monitor. "Aside from the morality argument against the death penalty, Williams embodies a different, more pragmatic contention. If his life now accomplishes a social good, supporters argue, why end it?"

Sincerity becomes the problem in this case. He was proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court system and all of his appeals were denied. In this country thats as close to the truth as we'll ever get. I take that at face value and as a result must question his actions. Did he change because he didn't want to die? Anyone can do that. I believe in forgiveness for past transgressions, but you still have to pay for what you do. If I go out and steal your car and then when I get caught I say "I'm really sorry man," is that enough to let me off? I think not.

I'll not deny the good that Tookie has done for many youths, and as a result I think he may have been an impactful person. But do I think he should have been let off, no. Do the crime...do the time. What better example for the youth of today than that?

LA Times Article

After Williams was pronounced dead, Becnel and two other supporters of Williams turned toward the media in the witness room and yelled in unison, "The state of California just killed an innocent man!"

Lora Owens, murder victim Albert Owens’ stepmother, appeared shaken, and was embraced by another woman.

Outside the gates of San Quentin as midnight approached, speakers urged calm. There was a moment of tension when a Williams’ friend, Fred Jackson, told the crowd, "It’s all over."

Angry shouts broke out. A woman sobbed on someone’s shoulder, and a man burned an American flag. As Jackson continued to urge calm, the crowd dispersed.

Speaking outside the gates of San Quentin after the execution, Becnel, who is taking possession of Williams’ body, called Schwarzenegger a "cold-blooded murderer" and vowed to work for his defeat in the next election.

Despite persistent pleas for mercy from around the globe, the governor earlier in the day had said Williams was unworthy of clemency because he had not admitted his brutal shotgun murders of four people during two robberies 26 years ago.

After the U.S. Supreme Court denied a request for a last-minute stay Monday evening, the co-founder of the infamous Crips street gang — who insisted he was innocent of the murders — became the 12th man executed by the state of California since voters reinstated capital punishment in 1978.

First off, these are the same tree hugging hippies that place all of their trust in the U.S. Supreme Court to decide that creationism should not be taught, abortion should be legal, and look to this court o uphold their rights. Once the court decides against something they like, then there is an injustice being performed. These people are good enough to decide some things, but when it comes to condemning a convicted brutal murderer, we should listen to you? No dice.

Mr Farrakhan compared Williams' trial and execution to those of Jesus. Can we sensationalize this anymore? Jesus? Don't you feel your reaching a bit Mr. Farrakhan?

Guardian Unlimited

Several dozen gang members watched the service in the car park. One who identified himself as "Killowatt the Third" said of Williams: "That's my role model, man. That's the CEO of the Crips."

Yeah, just like Jesus. Cause Jesus used to walk around and brutally murder people. He set up a gang that would be the bane of the existence of humankind. Just like Jesus.

Propaganda, thats all I see surrounding this case. Miles and miles of propaganda.

Engagement and Wal-Mart

2005-12-19T08:33:00.000-08:00

So Saturday Rachel and I went to LBL for a little photography and some site-seeing. Without her knowledge there were other plans. I had recently purchased an engagement ring(many of you already knew that). I had planned a trip to do something romantic to pop the question. Well after a long day that I entirely enjoyed we went to Lighthouse Landing and sat out at a point to watch the sun set. It started off mediocre and I thought I was going to have to wait for another day, but God simply amazed me with one of the most unique sunsets I've ever seen. When I finally felt that the mood was right I pulled out the box while she wasn't looking and opened it right in front of her. Needless to say she was a bit surprised and she did say yes. I'll post pic's of the ring and the sunset later on, but I thought that my weekend at least warranted a post on this. I wanted to repost it because I am adding another post, but this is the top news for me this week.

We're shooting for a date around winter 06/spring 07.

I was more excited about this happening than pretty much anything ever in my life. She is the most special person I've ever met and she means the world to me. I know now our fates are sealed together and for that I am grateful. God has definately blessed me with the perfect companion.

On an entirely different note, I promised a commentary. I find it difficult to hold my tongue on the issue of Wal-Mart and corporate ethics. I am making this post against my better judgement and pretty much against my will.

I loathe Wal-Mart and what they stand for. But on the converse side I can see the positive impact they have had on this nation and the fact that they use the guidelines set before them to create a better product at a cheaper rate. I am negating any topics that lead to illegal actions by the company. Sexual harassment and discrimination are not acceptable and Wal-Mart is guilty of such transgressions. But show me one company that isn't guilty of such actions. They get a bad rap because people hate the fact that they have as much power as they do. I just finished reading an article that is pretty much smashing on Wal-Mart. Inside that article I found some commentary that really interested me. The following quotes help to illustrate my point further:

The Wal-Mart You Don't Know

"Wal-Mart wields its power for just one purpose: to bring the lowest possible prices to its customers. At Wal-Mart, that goal is never reached. The retailer has a clear policy for suppliers: On basic products that don't change, the price Wal-Mart will pay, and will charge shoppers, must drop year after year."

This shows to me a vigilant concern for the bottom line and ultimately the consumer. They want to continue to provide their services so they look at the model of a mixed economic system and do their best to make a profit by providing a service.

There is no question that Wal-Mart's relentless drive to squeeze out costs has benefited consumers. The giant retailer is at least partly responsible for the low rate of U.S. inflation, and a McKinsey & Co. study concluded that about 12% of the economy's productivity gains in the second half of the 1990s could be traced to Wal-Mart alone."

Thus proving my point that Wal-Mart is the model of using the system to provide what many consider essential services.

"By now, it is accepted wisdom that Wal-Mart makes the companies it does business with more efficient and focused, leaner and faster. Wal-Mart itself is known for continuous improvement in its ability to handle, move, and track merchandise. It expects the same of its suppliers."

Um....is this a bad thing?

"To a person, all those interviewed credit Wal-Mart with a fundamental integrity in its dealings that's unusual in the world of consumer goods, retailing, and groceries. Wal-Mart does not cheat suppliers, it keeps its word, it pays its bills briskly. "They are tough people but very honest; they treat you honestly," says Peter Campanella, who ran the business that sold Corning kitchenware products, both at Corning and then at World Kitchen. "It was a joke to do business with most of their competitors. A fiasco."

So Wal-Mart runs like a well oiled machine and makes billions of dollars a year doing so?

John Mariotti is a veteran of the consumer-products world--he spent nine years as president of Huffy Bicycle Co., a division of Huffy Corp., and is now chairman of World Kitchen, the company that sells Oxo, Revere, Corning, and Ekco brand housewares.

He could not be clearer on his opinion about Wal-Mart: It's a great company, and a great company to do business with. "Wal-Mart has done more good for America by several thousand orders of magnitude than they've done bad," Mariotti says. "They have raised the bar, and raised the bar for everybody."

"Year after year," Carey, a partner at Bain & Co., says, "for any product that is the same as what you sold them last year, Wal-Mart will say, 'Here's the price you gave me last year. Here's what I can get a competitor's product for. Here's what I can get a private-label version for. I want to see a better value that I can bring to my shopper this year. Or else I'm going to use that shelf space differently.'

In the end, of course, it is we as shoppers who have the power, and who have given that power to Wal-Mart. Part of Wal-Mart's dominance, part of its insight, and part of its arrogance, is that it presumes to speak for American shoppers.

So the responsibility of the betterment of our economy is falling solely to the consumer. Wal-Mart is doing exactly what they are supposed to do to be successful and doing it well. If you don't like the practices of Wal-Mart then shop somewhere else. They should be punished for any crimes or legitimate wrongdoings, but not for doing business efficiently.

From Wal-Mart Watch

* Wal-Mart Associates Earn $2.60 Less Per Hour than American Retail Workers. According to data reported by the New York Times, hourly wages at Wal-Mart are $9.68. This amount is $2.60 per hour less than the average hourly wages of retail workers of $12.28. Costco, for example, pays its hourly workers $16.00. [New York Times, 5/3/05]

* Wal-Mart Sales Clerks Live Below Poverty Level. According to the Century Foundation’s Simon Head, at the end of 2004, “the average pay of a sales clerk at Wal-Mart was $8.50 per hour or about $14,000 per year - $1,000 below the government’s definition of the poverty level for a family of three.” [New York Review of Books, Head, “Inside the Leviathan,” 12/16/04]

What really interests me about these figures is the $1.18 discrepency between one of the minimum wages and the other? Is it simply to put spin on a site that advocates taking away the spin. I actually did the math on this one and I found the national average hourly wage of a Wal-Mart employee to be $9.80 per hour. These statements are back to back, yet they contradict each other. Does the $9.68 wage put the average Wal-Mart barely above the poverty line?

People want to whine that these employees aren't making enough to feed their families and that with the migration of many high paying manufacturing jobs to other countries people are starting to starve. If Wal-Mart is borderline negligent for paying its employess an average of $9+ an hour, then what is the responsibility of our government that has set a minimum wage of $5.15? Use actual avenues of recourse to enact change other than whining and protesting.

Actually do something!

How much does a person that stands at a cash register and scan items really deserve? I don't mean to be harsh here, but really, how much skill is involved? I really dislike the idea that a door greeter would be making 15 plus dollars an hour if they liberal commies had their way. Stocking a shelf and selling me a digital camera aren't exactly what I would call career options. The wage stratification of Wal-Mart is actually a little higher than it would be if these same employees were working for a mom and pop setup that provided the same services. Also take into account that these jobs are intended for the younger population of the nation. I don't think that Wal-Mart cashier is a course in high school. I don't remember my teachers telling me to get a high school diploma because if I didn't I couldn't work at Wal-Mart for the rest of my life.

"We hold these truths to be self evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." - Thomas Jefferson

A few lines from the Declaration of Independence. I don't read anywhere in there that you are guaranteed good wages for menial jobs. It doesn't read that a company shall be punished for following the model of good(read: not necessarily ethical by your standards) business to create a market and overwhelm it.

"...a wise and frugal government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, which shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. this is the sum of good government." - Thomas Jefferson

Government, keep your hands out of this unless there is an actual crime committed. Raise the minimum wage if needs be. Restrict oversea's trade to benefit our own economy, but by no means do you have the right to punish a company for paying above minimum wage and providing jobs to those who might not have one.

NEWS

2005-12-18T21:10:00.000-08:00

I was affianced this weekend. Thought I would at least post it for now. More to come tomorrow...

Decompression...

2005-12-16T10:00:00.000-08:00

Alright, so I've had a full day to decompress from the final day at work. I finished my last final about fifteen minutes ago and I actually pulled a B out of my 118 class. That is good because now in the two classes I've had in my new major thus far I have an A and a B. CSC 199 is hopefully gonna be a B and hopefully so will my algebra class. All in all this semester has revitalized my learning spirit. And the up side is it opened the doors to a new job and no more weekends working. I'll actually be able to spend lots of time with Family and friends. Also Monday nights are going to be free for me.

As much as I want to talk bad about my old job I actually have to be completely thankful for it. I experienced one of the most giving boss' and if it were not for that place, Rachel and I would not be together. I'm not gonna be to sappy, but that job brought to me the best things in my life. It allowed me to stay in Murray until I figured out what the hell my next step was gonna be. Now that I know the step and I have other oppurtunities I have outgrown that job. There will always be times when I miss it, but I must move on to be able to grow.

Monday I begin working in Waterfield as a Lab something-or-other person. It'll be interesting to say the least. In my off time I think I'll try to migrate my site to a new domain and an actual hosting company.

I've worked up a couple of commentaries on the mistreatment of Wal-Mart in the media and the whole "Tookie" Williams fiasco. I'm gonna hold off on them until Monday though. I have a nice peaceful relaxing weekend ahead.

Christmas is looming and I'm behind on the gift front. I finally got several things accomplished last night, but still have soo much more to do. I think I'll come up with a festive yet masculine design for the season. Or maybe I'll just leave it as it is. Who effing knows...

Da'Dempsey

2005-12-09T12:19:00.000-08:00

Alright so I am about to embark on some scientific research to see if Fat Cells have memory. It seems that mine do because my body has cravings. Not just man that would taste good cravings, but I am going to shut down if you do not feed me X and such item. Most recently I have been having weekly cravings for Da'Dempsey from Mugsy's Hideout downtown. I have to top it off with a Cannoli in the end. So here I sit full stomach from Da'Dempsey getting ready to savour a Cannolli and some ethopian coffee courtesy of a co-worker.

If you get a chance you need to visit Mugsy's Hideout in downtown Murray.

Secondly I have recently thought that I was born into the wrong group. I should have been born an Italian. With my love of coffee, marinara sauces(minus the cheese sauces), pastries, family life and pretty much any Italian stereotype. I also find myself looking for all of the angles in every situation. I don't like sitting with my back to a door and hardly ever want to travel into an unknown situation alone. Not because I am afraid, but because you always want to have some backup. John Corleone has a nice ring to it.

Lastly, I seem to have hit a sore spot with my last post. I didn't mean to ruffle any feathers or perturb anyone. It was just a thought. I still stand by its validity. Thank you all.

Communism and Religion

2005-12-05T23:08:00.000-08:00

April said...

"Religion as a whole is a communist theme."

Uh, care to elaborate there?

http://www.dictionary.com--

Communism

1. A system of government in which the state plans and controls the economy and a single, often authoritarian party holds power, claiming to make progress toward a higher social order in which all goods are equally shared by the people.

http://www.wikipedia.org--

Most religions are authoritarian in nature, and thus provide their adherents with spiritual and moral role models, who they believe can bring highly positive influences both to adherents and society in general.

Organized religions promote a sense of community.

Most religions these days try to teach their members to essentially "let go and let god". This is a loosely based idea that has been festering in the back of my mind for a very long time. Most religions promote charity and the idea that we are all equal and as such should be treated as equal. On its primal level communism promotes much the same thing. I don't mean that religion is like communism in the sense of communism in practice, more the theory of communism lends itself to religious implications. Everyone is equal, shared property, and the idealistic view of elmination of poverty through a communial setting. In the definition of communism in relation to religion, the authoritarian that would be in control of government would be god. He/she/it/they would lead us to a higher social order where everyone equally shares in wealth. I hope that makes sense to all you readers out there. If you would like I could elaborate on this further. Hit me with a comment if you like.

The neverending trip to Paducah...

2005-12-02T22:12:00.000-08:00

Alright so the day was filled with fun-ness. I went home to pick up my check from financial aid to find that dad had purchased a pimp ass new tv. One of those wide-screen flat-screen Sony joints. I was in awe of its majesty. I actually had to sit down and watch thirty seconds of tv on it just to say I worshiped at the alter of Sony with wega. Deposited some money in the bank, did my presentation for CSC and got an A. Deposited my check and then went to eat lunch with my hoochie(just kidding). I finally got to eat at Mugsy's in Murray. Had a tasty italian beef and sausage sandwich drenched in au jus. The cannoli should have been warmed but it was good nonetheless. Then I went to class this afternoon, took a quiz and conned Ed into journeying with me to Paducah. I had to pick up some Christmas present items. This is going to be the bulk of my entry...:

So the trip up was pretty much uneventful until about five miles before we reached Paducah. My car started running a little hot, but if you've ever been in the beast of a machine, that is nothing unusual. The heat levels got a bit disconcerting about three miles out when it red lined. I pushed it to the exit for the mall. Bad idea. At the end of the exit the car just decided to shut itself off so it could cool down. So Ed and I had to sit on the side of the road until it could cool enough to get it to a gas station. About twenty minutes later we slowly eased to the nearest filling station. Upon arrival we find the radiator to be bone dry. That was odd because I filled it this morning. Well I purchase some coolant and a jug-o-water. After filling and waiting for further cooling we meander to the mall. We went in and wandered after purchasing a few items. The terminus of our Mall trip was Best Buy. Being the two tech geek wannabee's we are we wandered the store for like an hour and a half. We finally decided to leave and get some grub at Steak'n'Shake. As soon as we exit the doors of Best Buy we were stopped by a BB manager. He asked us if we had found everything we needed, and we politely responded. He then proceeded to ask me if I had anything on me that he needed to know about. I replied in the negative. He then asked me if I was sure. I once again responded that I had nothing he should be concerned about. He then proceeds to tell us that another customer said that they had thought I had put something in my pocket. None of the associates had seen it, but this person was sure that I was shoplifting. I then pulled out of my pocket the item I had stowed. I had a small bag that had some papers in it. I had been carrying it in my hand. I started to play a PSP and was tired of trying to wrestle with the bag while playing. I simply folded my bag up and stuck it in my pocket. The guy was really nice about the whole thing and didn't push further because he knew that he really had no legal right to search me. We had already passed through their security alarms and he was running off of hearsay of another customer. Good job buddy in not crossing the line that would have gotten you slapped with a lawsuit. I don't mind calling in a few friends to make a fast buck off of some jack off that wanted to search me without cause. We laughed it off as we left. Steak'n'Shake was uneventful, but as we pulled back on to I-24 the car started running hot again. We had to stop about seven miles down the road to let it cool. Thus began the long exodus back to Murray. A forty-five minute trip turned in to about two and a half hours or more. We drank coffee at a restaurant by the traders mall, stopped at a gas station in Draffenville, stopped at the Waffle House in Benton, then again at a gas station in Benton to pick up some more coolant, then mad the longest part of our trek to the outskirts of Murray. Had to stop in a gravel parking lot, let it cool and add more water. Finally we got back to Murray and I drove Ed to his car. It was like magic. As soon as we entered the city limits of Murray, the car began to cool normally. She's a temperamental one. Odd thing is we added water three times and coolant twice. Each time it was empty, but there was literally no visible leaks. I would add the fluids, let it set for about ten or fifteen minutes and no leak. We'd drive for about fifteen minutes, it'd heat up again, and damn near every time there was no fluid. Apparently my car can run without fluid as long as I drive faster than 15mph and no faster than 45mph. With current temperatures it becomes air cooled. Really freaking weird. Needless to say it was an eventful and long night. Next time we'll take his car.

No I am not dying...

2005-12-01T17:29:00.000-08:00

As some of you may have noticed, there is a countdown on the top of my site and it is counting down to "my last day". That does not mean that I am going to die on that day. I am just quitting my job. I will be moving on campus to a job that is much easier, and a little less stressful. I am actually more excited about life now than I have been in quite some time.

Recently caught up with an old friend and things seem quite promising. I guess that thought of people walking out of your life for good kind of got shot down the pipes. It's good to have someone to talk crazy with.

I GOT MY CHECK FOR MONEY TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, I know that a check for money is kind of redundant, but it is necessary. I have the final portion of the 2700 dollars I am getting from MSU for financial aid for the semester that I have already finished. It is freakin awesome.

On the way to see Rachel's little sisters play yesterday, I saw one of the most odd occurances I have seen in quite some time. I have never in my life (until yesterday) seen a man that looks and is dressed exactly like Santa Claus driving a dump truck full of gravel down the road. I guess his elfs weren't pumping out toys fast enough so he had to take up a day job to buy all the worlds children the iPod Nano. Seems like everyone is getting one of these right now. I'll prolly stick with my 30GB Creative Nomad Jukebox for now. I can't really afford the Nano, and I'd rather save my money for a laptop neways. I think I am going to try to find a laptop without an OS, and install Linux on it. Could save me a few hundred bucks, and I need to famalirize myself with the OS. This post is quite choppy, so I'll add in a thought that is long and rambling to even things out a bit.

God either hates, or loves poor people. I've been doing a lot of thinking about the recent tragedies that have effected this world. Earthquakes in Third world countries, the Tsunami, Hurricaine Katrina and the Tornado's that have touched around here in recent months. It seems that the "targets" of these natural disasters have been economically depressed areas. I didn't see one soul wearing a Dolce & Gabanna pair of shoes in any of the news coverage of any of the events. The middle class wasn't even really hit that hard. Mainly the people that were the bottom rung of the ladder were up to their necks in water. Now this could be for one of two reasons. I'll state the one I believe and the one I don't, in on particular order. See if you can see which one I think is right.

God Hates Poor People:

In recent months/years many natural disasters have struck the economically deprived, driving them from their homes and jobs(if they had one). Anyone believing in a higher power may look to the skies and ask, "why god did you allow this to happen to so many unfortunate people". Well the answer is God Hates them. He is tired of them draining money from the rest of the hard working citizens of this great world. He is tired of their sloth and gluttony. The succling at the teet of the worlds welfare. As a result he has demolished where they live, killing the weakest and forcing the strongest to get off their butts and work. If you want to live again, you'll have to rebuild your house of straw. Only this time, I say you take heed of Gods warnings and use some stone this time.

God Loves Poor People:

Recently I've come to the conclusion all of the traumatic natural disasters of late are proof that there is a God. God has heard the cry from the tired, huddled masses. He is tired of the upper class looking down their noses at the poor. Religion as a whole is a communist theme. You are better for helping someone else to better themselves. God is angry with the upper class who have tried to ignore the deplorable conditions that many live in. If I can't see it it must not exist. As a result he has forced it into the media's eye, and basically given the poor a clean slate. Now it is the governments responsibility to help to rebuild these people's lives. They will have better homes and better health care because the rich can no longer ignore the cry of the poor. You can't turn on the television without seeing someone crying about how they lost it all. Guess what, its our turn to help out people.

Now that that is out of my system, we'll get back to your regular programming.

Thanksgiving and Black Friday...

2005-11-25T14:31:00.000-08:00

So turkey day went off without a hitch. I ate with both my family and Rachel's family. It was kind of refreshing. We played our Rook Ass Championship last night too. I guess Steven and I won because we lost the first game, won the second and my brother forfeited the last. Take a win however it comes I guess.

Today I decided to brave the Black Friday of Paducah. I've heard all this whoopla about how people are crazy and it is wall to wall people. I got to Best Buy around 8:30. There were people everywhere but to my dismay there were no tramplings or violent outbursts of pent up rage brought on by someone taking the last tickle-me-elmo. I guess I should have been in Orlando if I wanted to see some trouble. I enjoyed standing there in the chaotic settings. People were rushing to get the "last" item that was for sale. I swear people were buying things for the sole reason that it was on sale. I overheard some woman holding a wireless router say to another lady of the same age. She told her friend that she "didn't know what the damn thing was, but her son could probably use it for school or somethin." Later on in the day I heard another lady walking through K's merchandise exclaim, "why on earth would someone need a padded headboard." I wept for the poor woman. I stood amongst my fellow patriots inhaling the scent of madness. People were not overtly rude (keep in mind we are still in the south) but it was understood that if you got between me and what I wanted, you would get gutted with a buck knife. There were kids passed out on every bench, the jewelry stores were packed with people hoping to get engagement rings at a cheap price. I began to think to myself. I says "self, this is all it takes to take previously proud and intelligent people, and turn them into insane assholes. Just put shit on sale and they will cut your throat to get to it." What is the world coming to when people care more about a product and their percieved happiness than that of the person that you are trampling to get your fix. My faith in humanities shortcomings were pleasently refreshed today. If there had been someone with me I would have been a bit worried. But as I was by myself, I didn't have to worry about my partner in crime getting a shank between the ribs over a bottle of perfume or a pair of headphones. I flowed with the traffic, not picking up any item the whole time I was there. I didn't really care to fight someone. All in all, most of the sales were bullshit. They items were probably marked off about 5% and that was because it came in the form of a mail in rebate that 99% of the people dont' fill out. That 1% would be my dad. That's for you pops.

This afternoon I bought a new TV and gave some people some money to hold an item longer for me. More news on that later. I think I'm gonna go bask in the empty streets of Murray. Everyone is so exhausted from getting up at the asscrack of dawn to save 50 cents that the town is bound to be empty. Not counting all those dumbass highschool kids that are just now starting to wake up. They'll all be out and about, but as long as I dont' go to where I work I won't see them. That is where they hang out.

Benjamin...

2005-11-23T06:53:00.000-08:00

Night before last while I was at work, I had a lady come in and play about ten dollars worth of two dollar scratch off tickets. She didn't win a dime. I hemmed and hawed for the rest of the night as to whether I should buy the next few tickets or not. I finally talked myself out of it. Later on that night, a kid comes in (one of my regulars) and asks me what is good in the scratch offs. He does this about three times a week and thus far I haven't let him down. Well I told him to pick the one that the lady was playing. He buys one ticket, scratches it off in front of me and bam $500. If I had bought that it would have been mine. Well the kid has told me from the get go that if he ever wins a significant amount of money he'll cut me in. I never really believed it until last night when the kid shows up and hands me this bill. I have now made the largest tip in the history of my gas station. It was also kind of nice for someone to come through when they say they are gonna.

Ted Kennedy is a pinko commie bastard...

2005-11-21T12:22:00.000-08:00

About a week ago, I was watching Bill O'Reilly and he aired a segment called "Wal-Mart Under Seige". Now as a result of watching my mom in the corporate structure that is Wal-Mart, I perked my ears up hoping to hear some wonderful news of the company miraculously going bankrupt. Alas all I heard was an excerpt of Ted Kennedy stating that they are "mistreating its workers". This much is true, but if you really view the problem, they are doing just above the minimum that is required by law. If they are mistreating, it is because that the labor guidelines that are laid out, are inadequate at best. If you think that Wal-Mart doesn't pay enough, enact some legislation to bring up the minimum wage. If you don't like the health care options, make it free like Canada.

Ted (I doubt you'll ever lay your eyes on this, but just in case, I want to address you in the famaliar) get real. All Wal-Mart is doing is decreasing cost while increasing profit. Sounds like the whole premise of Capitalism. If you don't like it, go start up your own hippie commune. I doubt they will have to many places for a washed up wind bag that can do nothing but spew rhetoric from his cake hole. And the chart you were using man, what was it called? The Ten Commandments of Corporate Responsibility. Were you involved in removing the Ten Commandments from schools and other state run facilities? I'm pretty sure you were, and as such you have no business using our religious model to create a code of conduct for someone. Get your own book to read out of. I'm sure the Wiccan's will take you. You want these business' to maitain some sort of moral or ethics code, when we've all seen that you have a bit of problem doing that yourself. Get off of your podium that you climbed up on because you thought you were entitled to it. Your time has passed. America has shown that they don't trust any damn politician anymore. The division of the nation in the last few elections to me has meant that everyone was at the same place. Aw shit, I'll just flip a coin for this one too. How else could it have been so close? It sure as hell wasn't because both of the candidates were so qualified.

All that said, I hate Wal-Mart with the fiery passions of hell. I think that they are one of the major declines in society in America. They promote monotony and identicality. Go one place for everything. I know it is convenient but it is also degrading some of the things that made America great. Is Wal-Mart wrong for creating a great business model and executing it with extreme precision. No! We as consumers are to blame. If you don't want your local mom and pop stores to close then don't shop at Wal-Mart. If you buy your items at Wal-Mart and then your local stores close down, then you have no right to complain about it. You were part of the problem, not the solution.

On another not, I opened a new bank account today with Regions Bank. I pretty much did it because Rachel works there. On my way out, I stopped in at Enix Jewelers to do some pre-Christmas present shopping. Looked around at a few things, asked to see one up close. The elderly lady that worked there swooped in for the kill. I guess I looked like a chump or a pushover because she was hammering on the hard sale. Pushing items that I know I have seen elsewhere for much, much cheaper. Finally after about ten minutes of haggeling, I let her down easy. To my surprise she kept on selling. I told her thank you for your time and began out the door. She was selling until the minute the door closed behind me. Hell she might have still been selling, but I dont' know. Thank god she didn't follow me into the street with a necklace or something. I would have been too tempted to snatch and dash. I really wanted to tell the lady, that I already knew pretty much what she had to say, I knew what I was looking for and they wanted way too damn much for it. The hard sale died in the early 80's. Find some other way to make a buck. Adapt and overcome...

Semper fi, do or die, kill, kill, kill....

what makes the grass grow....

blood.

chicks dig scars...

that was for you greg...

Damn tha man...

2005-11-16T09:31:00.000-08:00

So the last couple of weeks has been busy, and I've had to completely restructure my schedule to cope with the working every day thing. I got a little behind in a couple of classes but as of 11:00 this morning I am caught up. Tomorrow I don't have to work so I'll probably work ahead to stay ahead of the curve in CSC 199. I finalized my schedule for now. I only have 16hrs for now, but soon I'll have 19hrs. My advisor doesn't want me to take more than 16 with my current work load. I think I have that remedied. Apparently I'll be getting some money for school next semester and I might have a lab job worked out at MSU. If that is the case then I'll be just fine with the class load. I've been reading a lot. Just started a book called "The Death Of Common Sense: How Law Is Suffocating America". It's really interesting and points out a lot of flaws in USA's legal structure. Just finished what might be one of my favorite books ever "Angry Black White Boy". Things are winding down this semester and I don't know what I am going to do with the time.

Oh yeah, Rachel's mom sent us a Flat Friend named Pam. If you see me hanging out with a piece of posterboard that looks like a person named Flat Pam, please dont' think me weird.

Only the good die young...

2005-11-14T11:13:00.000-08:00

That line is such a load of shit. As anyone in Murray probably already knows, a wonderful elderly woman was mowed down as she walked back from a computer lab on campus. She was in classes with Rachel and was the type of person that no one has any bad things to say about her. The person that hit her reportedly was drunk. The bastard left her laying in the ditch for an indetermined amount of time. When her body was found there was frost covering her. This sorry bag of monkey shit is a Representative's son and is being charged with second-degree manslaughter. After talking to a local attorney I am getting the impression that he will probably only get about 3 years. 3 years for murdering a wonderful person. My heart goes out to all those that are involved directly with this situation and to you Harrison Yonts, I hope that you rot in prison for 20-Life. The police are leaving the oppurtunity to add charges open. I hope they throw the book at you you worthless bastard. Accidents happen, but you left a human being laying in the ditch. You may say you checked and she was dead, but how do you know, are you a doctor. You are a coward and as such should be dealt with to the utmost of the law's extent. I worry that your daddy will pull some strings and you will get off light. If this is the case I strongly advise you to leave Murray. As a life long citizen, I vow that you life will be a living hell if you try to return here. You are not wanted here. I use strong words and completely mean them. I want to make sure that there is no room for misunderstanding. You need to really evaluate what you did and figure out what you can do to make up for this monumentous misdeed.

I would like for this to have been a lighthearted post outlining my new site design and how class is going, but I can't muster up kind words. Everything is cynical and angry. I hate stupid people...

Grades and CSS...

2005-11-07T09:11:00.000-08:00

So the last few days has been a bit hectic with the recent dismissal of my co-worker. I have now been forced to take his hours until we can find a replacement. Means mucho bank, but also means less time to study. Good thing is I got back my grade on the test I took thursday morning and it was a 96, and my CSC 199 term project was a 92. Yeah for A's.

I know I've made some drastic changes to the site in the design department, but it was a result of some of CSS starting to click. It is not permanent by any means, but it is a welcomed change. I am finally starting to understand this site design stuff, but am hindered by the language that blogger uses for content. I am planning on migrating my site to my own personal domain where I can hopefully have more control over the overall design. I think I've taken this blogger thing as far as it can go. I am thinking about the url www.theOspot.com. If anyone likes this name or has an alternative that is better please feel free to drop me a line and let me know. Also I plan on trying to learn CSS fluently so I can move on to some things like PHP. I feel much better now seeing as how I am teaching myself these things. I'm quite sure I'll need much more help on the CSS thing, and most definately on the PHP thing. No more feeling out of the loop on Monday nights. Also if you guys plan on getting together tongiht let me know. I won't be able to make it until around 10:30.

Gotta go to COM lecture now, peace out peeps.

Coke and Pepsi are the same thing...

2005-11-03T10:05:00.000-08:00

Recent events at MSU have led me to deeper thought about the whole Pepsi vs. Coke thing. Pepsi has recently been awarded an exclusive contract to MSU's campus. All Coke machines must be removed from campus as a result. This wouldn't be a problem for me except the fact that neither company does a good job of keeping he machines stocked. It used to be that if you couldn't get one you could get the other. Now, we are compeltely at the mercy of Pepsi, and that is scary to me. On to my thought...

Have you noticed that not since the Crystal Pepsi and New Coke fiasco's of the 80/90's, neither company has done much to actively attempt to gain more market share than the other. One company comes out with a drink and three days later, the other comes out with an almost identical version of said drink. Its a bit ridiculous, and as a result these companies are free to escalate the costs drinks in this nation. Has the cost of producing a can of coke really increased that much in the last ten years, or have we as consumers become complacent in out soft drink choices. We know the big two and don't really try to do a whole lot about it. I have recently decided that it is all part of a grander conspiracy to increase profit margins while limiting selection, thus further increasing profit's. I think that since the latter of the two fiasco's (new coke and crystal pepsi) the companies held a top secret meeting in the alps to discuss the soft drink market. At said meeting they agreed to stop fighting each other because:

1. Pepsi will never take Coke's spot at the top,
2. Coke will never eliminate Pepsi from the market,
3. With the increasingly entreperneurial spirit of this nation they faced a bigger challenge in not losing market share to "other" drink companies.

Take away alternative brand recognition and the nation is faced with the choice Coke or Pepsi. Now the ramifications of this meeting are vastly degrading the quality of drink choice in this nation. I've come to the conclusion that in their sloth, both major corporations have left themselves open to a sneak attack that could effectively take them down a notch or two. Snapple tried this with the whole "we're happy with number 3" mentality in the early 90's but this approach led to the ultimate demise of the "supremecy" of snapple as the number three spot. Who wants to drink something from a company that is happy with being number 3?

Now this sneak attack is very similar to terrorist cells ideas on bringing down a giant. I know I'll catch some flack for this, but take for example the 9/11 incident. 12 guys brought one of the most powerful nations in the world to its knees for a couple of weeks. We weren't out, but we certainly were down. Alternative drink companies have the ability to slowly whittle away at the larger two's market share because of the big two's arrogance. Once they have a steady following across the nation, an aggressive ad campaign coupled with competitive pricing and a superior product line could really shock this nation into a soft drink frenzy. It may be faddish to start with, but if they are producing a superior product the fad will turn into a trend, and then a way of life. How do you think Coca-Cola got started? Street teams and geurilla press much similar to bands promotions of concerts across the nation could really get the attention of the younger generation, and those are the consumers of both today and tomorrow. Start with them, forget older people. They may be to major consumers of today, but they are going to die soon leaving the youth of America to be the consumers of today, tomorrow and next week.

These are just the ramblings of an incoherent college student, but I've got some really great idea's for an ad campaign that could effectivley bring a drink company to the top...hopefully. If anyone is interested they should contact me (Cough...Jones Soda...Cough).

Thats all I've really got today...cept some major news at work. If your not in the loop then I can't really tell you.

Idea's, Homecoming and a new book...

2005-10-31T11:58:00.000-08:00

First off, I haven't posted anything in almost a week because I have been on the doorstep of hell with a great mixture of the Upper Mongolian Crud and the Screaming Cambodian Epizoodie. If you have not had either of those, they are both formidible by themselves, and combined they become almost untameable. But in the end I prevailed, but not after some fever hallucinations, strange dreams and a couple of throwing up instances. On a lighter note, all of these things saved me from the pits of hell: Ben Gay, Ibuprofen, Tylenol, Imodium(gross I know), NyQuil, DayQuil, a fan, a humidifier, Tylenol PM(you are my new best friend), sleeping on the floor, and about seventeen hot baths a day.

On to the homecoming portion. My friend and imminently talented musician Mike Navan is actually back in the States. He is no longer being shot at by those damn Iraqi rebels. I won't ask him if he shot any of them, but I'm sure if he did, he wouldn't tell me exactly how it feels, thats kind of intimate. I'm happy to see that he is going to not die over there now. My new passion is for a book called "Angry Black White Boy". It takes an aggressive stance on the term wigger and all its connotations and the racism that pervades a lot of society. It has one of the best lines I've ever read in it. "You can't say you in love unless you both in love; on person in love is like the sound of one hand clapping".

Now on to the ideas portion. I have a couple of them, but I'm splitting them up so I have a reason to post tomorrow. I have recently drawn a close correlation between prison and college. 4+ years of college is almost like prison. You gain an intitutionalized state of mind that scares us out of being able to preform on a decent level in the real world. A career college student is like a repeat offender. They don't know their place in the outside world, but are sure of it on the inside. Without the stress of a deadline for a paper, each student is faced with so-called monotony and androgeny. Knowing how to work the college life is essential to the student, much like knowing how to work the prison system is vital to your survival on the inside. Knowing your dorm is knowing your cell block.

Go To Guy

College: The guy you can get papers from at the last minute, always knows where the best party is, knows who to ellicit illegal substances from, can hook you up with beer if your underaged, and sometimes even the occasional fake id. This guy gets a lot of women. In a pinch you could count on this guy for damn near anything, if you have the bankroll.

Prison: Pretty much the same thing except he can also help you find the right guys to contact to put a hit out, help you out with any guard problems and doesn't really get any women. He just doesn't get his hole pounded nearly as much. He can turn one Kool cigarette into three bars of soap and a snickers bar.

Dealer

College: Can hook you up with Ex, pills, skank weed and pretty much anything else if it happens to be in town. This is the type of guy you need to know if you ever get into any kind of trouble and need to go "underground"

Prison: Pretty much can only get you weed and booze, but also need to know if you need to go underground. This guy might sell you a bag of oregano instead of weed though. Not very trustworthy, but you know what. No one is in prison. Your all convicts.

Jocks

College: They all sit in the same groups all the time. Current jocks, old jocks, they share a communal brain and pool their testosterone for strength. They just sit around and wait for someone to misstep so they can pounce and have a time of beating the shit out of someone.

Prison: Exactly the same.

I could go on like this forever, but you get the point. You have to know your go to guy, how to sneak shit into the dorms, cliques, "conjugal" visits, and the list goes on and on. These principals apply for prison too. On both fronts, crimes are committed every day under the watchful eye of the "warden/guards". You have your religious fanatics, your own system of justice and the state is responsible for all of us. When it boils down to it, the transition from college to prison might not be that hard if you take away the whole anal rape thing...

I know this may sound like a reach, but if I were a psychology major, I would write one major hella-thesis on this. And it would kick ass. Cause I am awesome. And if you steal my shit you better give me credit cause if I hear some punk spoutin the same stuff I did in two years I'm gonna come after you for plagairism.

Bullshit Scrabble...

2005-10-24T08:39:00.000-07:00

So the past week or so has been a bit hectic. Classes, preparing for tests, writing papers, homecoming, and of course always keeping my eye out for a new job. I'm really looking for something during the week, so I can have weekends of consistently. Haven't had that in over two years.

Classes are going ok, I'm hitting that middle'o'the semester slump where it seems that I have more things to do than time to do them in. I actually skipped class today, but that was so I could do some work to get ahead for this week. My abscences have been very few this semester, virtually nil, so I figured that I knew I didn't have any tests or quizzes this morning, I can skip class. Kinda feel bad about it now though. I'm getting stuff together for next semester, looks like a 19hr semester. I started thinking about it. Why would I take 12 hours, when I could take 19 hrs for the same price. Seems like I'd be getting 7hrs for free right? I have time on my hands right now. I only work about 20hrs a week. I should definately be able to handle that class load.

Homecoming was interesting to say the least. I got to see some people that I haven't seen in a while. Jeff Story, Dave Herndon, Durfy, Yama, and last, but most certainly not least Brett. Friday night we ate dinner at Nicks and caught up on old times. Then we went to the fraternity house where all of the actives proceeded to make a B-line for Largo's. We had the whole house to ourselves and it was actually kind of nice. Bumped into an "old friend" while I was there. Things seem about as cold as I expected them to be. C'est La Vie.

Rachel's friend Emily came over Saturday night, and when I got off work I went to her apartment to hang out, play cards and eventually some bullshit scrabble. Now the first game of scrabble we played I didn't quite get it. I spent the whole game trying to spell words the right way. Apparently that is most certainly not the way to play the game. You can spell anything you want, phoenitcally and you can run off the board. I'll post some pics of the board later. I still maintain that "owgezcitsroidworq" is about as far as the word can be stretched, but two girls to one guy says that "ifsowgezcitsroidworqxij" works as a word. Thus I called what began as themed scrabble, bullshit scrabble. If you can make your case and the majority agrees or it is utterly creative then you get the points. Now if you have a problem understanding what the words are, just call me and I'll sound them out.

At about four a.m. everything was done, they retired to the bedroom and I crashed on the couch seeing that I was waaaaay too tired to drive home. Emily left around 9 and proceeded to call me and tell me that she had left her wedding pics @ Rachel's apartment. We got up, since we were headed for breakfast anyways and drove to Hazel to meet her. Once there we dropped the pics, turned around and headed back for Murray. About two seconds into the return trip Emily called because her car wouldn't start. Apparently you have to put the car in Park to either get the key out of the ignition or turn the car on. Who'd have thunk it?

Work was super slow yesterday, I met Ed at Cabin to do some studying. More talking was done than studying. Test today, early due date for paper today, Self Eval for COM, Term Proj. for CSC due Wed., need to start Access Proj., MAT test coming up, TSM homework(still waiting for Hart to post assignments he promised on thursday), and outside speaker eval due soon. I'm gonna get back to work now. Peace peeps...

Mid-Terms, Weddings, and Zen in the art of walking...

2005-10-13T12:24:00.000-07:00

It is scary when you actually have to start thinking about the fact that the things I used to do with ease are now becoming a difficult task for me. Learning, walking and even talking are now becoming things that I have to work at.

So the wedding went off without a hitch. It was stressful times for Rachel, but it was to be expected. I stayed at a nice little hotel in Jackson on Thursday night. As soon as I got to Jackson I checked in to the room, dropped off my baggage and met Ricky to play nine holes before the rehearsal. It was a little par 4 course that we both did rather well on. Enjoyable all around. That night the rehearsal went off like every other rehearsal and I got to meet all of Rachel's old high school friends. Good people all around. The wedding was the next day and it was beautiful. A humorous moment brought down the tension level when the ring bearer's pillow decided it didn't want to give up the rings. Someone had tied a double knot around the rings so the little boy wouldn't lose them and in the process kept the priest from removing the knot. The father of the bride had to cut them loose with his pocket knife. The reception was nice and a good time was had by all. I spent most of the night eyeing the DJ, critiquing what he was doing. He did a great job btw.

The next day we went to Lajoie for a bit, lounging with everyone from the wedding and having a bit of chicken salad for lunch. That evening Rachel and I went to see "The History of Violence". The movie was great, but not for the faint of heart. The few actual violent parts were greusome but good none-the-less.

Sunday we lounged some more, ran to her grandparents to pick up a saddle for Haley's play this tomorrow and watched a spot of Braves baseball. We hustled back to her p's house to eat some chili and make a b-line for Murray. I didn't really get settled back in to Murray until like ten thirty that night. I had a test the next day, which I actually did well on and then had to work that night. Monday was a bit hellish in its length. Monday night I got my Mid-Terms and found out I was doing a lot better than I had thought. Tuesday was another long day, and Wednesday was a day of relaxing for me. Helped Rachel get her brakes issue sorted out and had a nice dinner last night.

Today on the other hand was quite unlike any I've had in quite some time. This next bit is long and boring to some so you may omit reading this unless you have a few minutes.

One the way to class this morning I had a very Zen moment. The air was crisp, cool and clean. Not that sterile clean, but the smell of pure nature. It was not quite cold enough to sting my nostrils, but cool enough to exhilirate my body. I felt as if walking were some sort of perpetual rhythm. I could have walked for hours just taking it all in. The sun struggled to break through the trees revealing fingers of light. A haze had built, showing each ray until its terminus. As each ray hit the ground it seemed as if an aura of goodness formed around that spot. Very few cars passed as I strolled and I met no other walkers. I might have been the only person to notice exactly how beautiful this morning was. My mind raced with thoughts. We as busy worker bees rarely stop to admire the mornings. The feeling of renewal and a chance every day to start life anew. With our "eyes on the prize" we bustle, rushing into the future, forgetting the present. On the odd occasion we might sit with a loved one and admire the ending of a day. What kind of life is that? In every other instance of life the ending of anything is regrettable, unless of course its the end of something bad. We can blame dates and hours for being "bad" but thats just not possible. A day can't be bad, just the events it contained. Most every day I wake and dread having to sit through yet another class not realizing that as these moments pass I'll never enjoy life exactly as it was in that particular moment. All of this is blatantly obviou, but how often do people think about this? All of this from a five minute walk to class...

Meat'normous....

2005-10-04T09:01:00.000-07:00

I have finally discovered a formidable breakfast opponent. For years I have eaten breakfast only to be hungry only a few hours later. The food, minus such starchy things as pancakes, has seemed to be a bit light, never filling me up. At least on a fast food scale. I know there are breakfast times that I have been stuffed because there was a veritable feast laid before me, but on Sunday morning I fought the beast called Meat'normous. I fought with everything I had, and in the end I prevailed, only because I am stubborn. Taco Bell has begun this whole new "I'm Full" campaign, but they got nothing on the Meat. Burger King, get rid of that scary doll guy and just move to advertising only the Meat.

In other news all of my classes seem to be smoothing out. All of my scores either got a curve or got some extra cred because the rest of the class did soo poorly. Retaking one test on Wednesday, gonna study for it tonight. I need to write a speech on Intelligent Design, or at least an outline, as I write but I am really not feeling it right now. I know enough of it to b.s. my way through the speech and still do better than the rest of the class.

Only a few more days until I can relax for a "weekend" that starts on Thursday and ends Sunday morning. It is a much needed break from the grindstone. I'm getting along just fine, but if I didn't get this break I dont' think that I could make it through the rest of the semester without stabbing a teacher in the throat with an ink pen.

It's never as bad as it seems...

2005-10-01T22:24:00.000-07:00

Test scores for the past week weren't very good, but every test I took I scored in the top 10% of the class. With scores as bad as I had it really says a lot about the teachers I'm taking. Plus there are mucho extra credit oppurtunities that will boost my moral a bit. Mood is on the upswing and I feel pretty happy about going to Emily's wedding this weekend. A chance to get to know Rachel's people is a good thing to me. Tomorrow we might go to Paducah to shop before I go to work. Dunno yet though cause work was horrific and I am pretty zausted. Just a quick little post before I go to bed. More to come tomorrow or the next day...

Someone please call a paramedic...

2005-09-28T17:11:00.000-07:00

I think that a demon from Hell's inner sanctum has decided to stop his usual day to day business and focus all of his evilness on my life. The last few days have been hellish(school only) at best. I have had maybe one glimmering moment this week when I was able to argue a question on a test I took over the weekend and get credit for it. All this done, and I still got a frickin B on it. My brain is no longer that eager sponge that would absorb information and cling onto it with ease. It has become weathered/withered and quickly releases new information back into the atmosphere causing me to stare into space and wonder when the synapses are going to start firing again. I'm beginning to worry one day they won't fire anymore and I'll be stuck with that dumbfounded look on my face for eternity. Archealogist's will exhume my body and they'll say that the previous race was filled with morons and dullards.

On the upside I actually did decent on one of the four exams I've had this week. The other four were pretty much crap. I'm going to have to start studying way more than I already am. I feel pretty much worthless on the academic front. At this rate, I don't know what I'm going to do. I know this sounds like one big pity party, but I haven't really had a chance to talk to anyone about it. Everybody's busy...it's the time of the year I know.

10001...

2005-09-24T22:41:00.000-07:00

Alright everyone, we have broken the 10k hit marker on this site. I am very proud of my basic little blog. I am treating myself to a pizza just for making it to this marker in under a year. Thats right all, I began this little blog on December 1st of last year and it is now September 25. I hoped that I would at least hit 5k in a years time and I actually suceeded in doubling that number in half the time. I've been watching the little counter on the bottom of the page wondering when it was going to roll over.

On a heavier note, I spent the last two hours of my shift at work trying to counsel a drunk kid. I say kid, but he's only like five years younger than me. Kid comes into play because he is extremely immature, not in the I'm going to unscrew the salt top and watch you dump it on your food way, but the I make really bad decisions for my age kind of immaturity. That was a really long sentence. It never fails to amaze me how these people barely know me, but they choose to bare their souls to me. It is honorable and sad at the same time. I am getting tired of being Counselor John at Citgo. This kid keeps messing around with girls that are like sixteen years old. Still legal in the state of KY, but not exactly ethical or wise. He has already gotten in trouble with the law for taking a girl under the age of 18 across state lines. He is still on probation for that one, not supposed to be drinking or doing any type of drug and most certainly not seeing 16 year old girls. He just doesn't get why people have a problem with him dating a young girl, and even more frustrating he doesn't understand why these girls aren't very mature. I wanted to pull my hair out in frustration with this kid. What I really did was tell him where he's fucking up and what he needs to do to fix it, only if he really wants to. It basically involves a complete restructuring of his life. He needs to check into rehab for alcohol addiction, but can't because then the probation officer will know he has been drinking. Basically I told him he needed to man up and take responsibility for his decisions. I had to explain to him why the court system was never going to see things his way. On paper this kid is nothing but trouble. Thats pretty much who he is in real life too. There is a faint glimmer that he might turn his shit around, but very very faint.

What he needs to understand is that no one will ever trust him again until he earns it. He doesn't earn peoples trust by doing all the same things he's been doing for soo long and pretending like its all ok. Sometimes you have to strip your life down to its most raw form to be able to rebuild everything you have fucked up. Its ok to realize that you have fucked up. That is not a sad thing, never realizing that you fucked up is the sad thing. You just have to look at the problem and see what is it going to take to get me back where I belong? Then once you realize what that is, you have to do it plus more. Always do more, it shows you are actually dedicated to the cause. Don't do it for the superficial reasons either. People can see that from a mile away and faking it will only lead to them distrusting you even more. I know you'll probably never read this man, but if you do I hope you take something from it. You've got a chance, very slim, but a chance none-the-less. Don't waste it.

Good Riddance...

2005-09-21T08:12:00.000-07:00

As some of you may know and many others probably don't, for the last six or seven years I've kept a journal type book that I write any inspired thoughts or general rantings and ravings. It's been a staple of my life for so long. I guess you could equate it to a therapeutic release that is filled with angst and anger. I'm only about six pages from completely finishing these rantings but I can't seem to be inspired like I used to. I was getting a bit worried about it until I actually looked back over most of what I wrote. It was a very angry person writing to keep from going off the deep end. I think that my loss of inspiration to write rantings comes from my happiness. If left up to me, I guess I would never finish the book. Who knows though? Next week I may have a terrible week and suddenly become inspired again. If thats what it takes for me to be "inspired" then it looks as if I won't be inspired for a very long time again.

My life finally seems to make sense and I am actually happy with the direction of it. Despite the recent loss of long time friends, things are the best they have ever been.

Is it possible that the loss of these long time "friends" is part of it?

Were these people bringing me down?

Was my life centered around some other person that really didn't give a flying fuck about me?

In hindsight this may be very possible. I see how often I put other's priorities before mine. Now that I have my shit together and am starting to focus on me, these "friends" scattered. If thats what you think you needed to do then I must say, thank you. You have released me from some sort of friendship bondage. Feeling that I am neglecting a friendship because I am spending all my time trying to build a new unit. I hope all of your lifes go well and maybe to the few I ever really cared about maybe our paths will cross again. Murray is a small town, I'm bound to see you here and there.

To others, I am sorry for your recent loss and hope things go well for you. Sometimes you never see the turn in your life until you are right upon it. While making the turn you may be scared and think that you are going the wrong way, but in the end it is what was meant to happen. You have the strength to move on and become the person you really are.

To those of you I never really cared about that I used to be friends with I say.....well I don't say much because I neither hate or love you. I don't really care to much but I don't wish you any ill will. People serve a purpose in everyones life, you served yours and I served mine. No we move on and become the people we were always trying to be.

I find myself writing in random notebooks, thoughts on the day and things happening around me. Most of these writings will probably never be put on this site because they involve actual people with feelings tha may get hurt. I know the odds of them finding my site are remote, but on the off chance I will pass on this. They are actually pretty funny, and I am thinking about maybe posting them on a Livejournal account that is friends only so people I know they aren't about can read them. At the end of the semester I am going to compile them into one notebook and if I get froggy I might scan it in and make an online book titled "Rantings of a Non-Trad". Let me know...

Arrrrgggghhhh....

2005-09-19T14:41:00.000-07:00

Today has been long and painful. I didn't sleep enough, or at least well enough last night. Needed to study more at work yesterday, but old friends stopped by and I chatted instead. I needed that though. After so long of old "friends" disappearing, its good to have one randomly pop back up. Lawrence, you probably will never see this but thanks man. Classes were drawn out, but I actually had everything I needed to get done, done today. Got more to do tonight though, may put it off til tomorrow. I'll get to take pictures of cyclops tomorrow. Looking forward to that. Random messages from people who supposedly hate me make me scratch my head. Another quiz due for TSM 118. That makes three for the last three meetings. One friday, one monday, and one due wednesday. I think he is trying to make me insane. He announced a three chapter test and said it would be wednesday. I yelled what and then he annotated that it was next wednesday. Specification is good. I responded by telling him that if it had in fact been this wednesday, I would have stabbed him with my ink pen. Apparently everyone in the class thinks I'm at my breaking point because they all gasped as if I meant it. Yeah, I'm cool, I threatened the professor. He told us it could be a group test if we wanted to share the grade with our partner. Dunno if I like that or not. Monday night is on monday night again. It's the only thing that I have actually looked forward to this week. May drink a few crown drinks tonight. I deserve it, I've not missed a class or "forgot" to do my homework once this semester for ANY of my classes. I am on top of shit although it feels like I may be sinking rapidly. Only time will tell. Gonna do my personal critique of my Com speech and take a nap. I feel comfortably exhausted.

Katrina...

2005-09-13T18:51:00.000-07:00

I've finally read enough of peoples rantings to force me to at least vent my frustrations a bit. If the people who are bitching about how the government didn't react quick enough would spend half the time that they bitch actually helping out I might listen to them. If your not part of the solution then you become part of the problem. It's easy to sit in the confines of your own home and piss and moan about how some other people may or may not have been mistreated. The only people that have any remote right to gripe are the people who lost their homes, workplaces and essentially their lifes.

This may sound a bit harsh, but to the people who actually had the ability to get out of the area and didn't, I don't really think you have that much of a right to complain either. You had the ability to leave and didn't. I understand that many people had no chance to get out of the path of destruction and for those people, they have experienced some of the most unfortunate circumstances this nation has seen in some time.

I think the outrage comes from people not having any real person to blame for this disaster. Reminiscent of 9/11 we actually had someone to blame. People attacked us. Now that nature has attacked us we get frustrated and want to point to finger at someone. Stop trying to blame anyone and bombard the victims with your help, sympathy and your prayers. All we can do now is pick up the pieces and move on.

The talking heads on television have not helped matters at all. I've seen a lot of viscious statements pointed at the government and many citizens comments pointed at Fox News. I really find it hard to deal with peoples problems with Fox News. They want an unbiased news source, which will never happen in this nation. You have most of your major media outlets leaning left, but the one outlet that leans right becomes the fools news channel. Is that why it is the most popular source of news for the nation? As I watched the aftermath of the devastation of Katrina I saw the President go into the Gulf area and meet with people. He met with the governors of Alabama and Mississippi, holding a news conference aka a briefing. As soon as it was over the talking heads on CNN immediatly began talking about how they felt that the whole thing was uneeded and just a chance for politicing but the "Southern Republican Governors". I turned the channel to Fox News and they cut from the conference immediatly to more news from ground zero. From live feed to live feed without so much as an editorial comment seems a bit impartial to me. Immediatly going from the conference and insulting the men in it seems editorialistic to me. Maybe I am wrong here, but I feel that the news media has failed us in the coverage of this crisis.

Finally I lay some of the blame on The Weather Channel. In the last few years every time a tropical storm forms into a hurricaine and heads for New Orleans they say how this is going to be the worst storm ever. Then as it makes landfall it dissapates to the point where its a mild rainstorm. It seems like a case of the boy who cried wolf. Now the hurricaine was devestating in itself, but the whole city of New Orleans would have been much better off if the levee's hadn't failed and flooded the city with waters from around the city. We've long known that NO is like a soup bowl and if it ever really flooded they were in deep trouble(no pun intended). After a few years of the Weather Channel telling us this is the worst one eve and then nothing happening I don't really blame some of those people for not believing them. Now once it started to rebuild in the Gulf things got serious. By that time although the city only had around 48 hours to evacuate. Logistically that is a nightmare and you must consider that somewhere around 40% of the population of NO didn't even have cars. That becomes a problem when trying to evacuate.

Lastly, what happened to the coverage of other areas that were effected by the storm. The only place that has gotten any real attention has been NO, partially because it has turned into a modern day Mad Max. My heart goes out to the peoples affected by the storm, and I pray that you will be able to rebuild a life. Talking heads, if your not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.

Seven Reasons Why I'll Never Return to Current River...

2005-09-06T15:10:00.000-07:00

So this weekend I went home with Rachel to do a little relaxing. Things have been hectic for the both of us for the last couple of weeks and this was a much needed "getaway". The plan was to leave from my parents house, drive directly to her parents house and crash until we decided to crawl our happy butt's out of bed. Then once we got up we were going to Lake Lajoie to hang out with the people that Rachel's family hangs out with ever Labor Day weekend.

Exhaustion overwhelmed us once we reached the Anderson household and we ate some grub and crashed out. I was soo tired that I couldn't even muster the strength make something to eat. I just had two Nutri-Grain bars to tide me over until the next day. While grazing on my food I was "warned" about the type of people that I was about the spend the weekend with. The main consensus was that they are just "different". Fun, but different nonetheless. Well after the weekend I will describe them as a bunch of old hippies that figured out that if they stayed hippies they would never be able to feed their children. So they grew up, went to college and got jobs thus contributing to society. All the while holding on to their liberal views, but not in that I'm better than you kind of way. More like the this is what I think, and I'm not going to insult what you think as long as we agree that both of us are well founded enough on facts. Although I did try to hide the fact that I was a Political Science major and a Republican. It's not that I'm ashamed about this, but I didn't want to become the center of conversation and insult my hosts.

We arrive at what I now call the classy current river around noon the next day. People were lounging around pretty much in a chill mode (reason number one: there were no annoying drunk children under the age of 21, but over the age of 18. Everyone was just in chill mode.) As we meander around people don't say much, not because they are snobbish, but because they are of the mindset, I don't know you, you don't know me and that is perfectly fine. As we approached the lake I found what has endearingly titled "the party barge." This is pretty much the exact same thing only smaller. The one they had sat around 8-11 adults. Attached to this island of fun is the beer yak, and a soft drink cooler. Now the beer yak is a kayak that they have filled with ice and laid in a pony keg of beer. Talk about ingenuity. These two trailers were attached with a long string so they could float at will, but be retrieved with ease. Also two canoe paddles were tied to the raft itself. But that is left for later. (reason two: I don't have to spend all day worrying that the coolers will flip over nor do I have to spend the whole day floating with someone that gets on my nerves. I can simply swim to the dock, get out of the water and walk to any of the cabins or the mess hall for that matter.)

Rachel and I swim out to the party barge and enter through the hole in the center of the float. It felt like being born again. We sat amongst eight people all our ages and just shot the shit all day long. We untied ourself from the dock and leisurely floated across the lake. Once we got too close to the other bank, two of the guys would row us back. It was in itself a funny thing to watch these two guys, half drunk, try to row us back to shore. Most times one would get distracted and stop rowing while the other would chug away. Thus we spun in circles for a lot of the time. Finally someone started calling out a cadence for the guys to get in sync so we could make some headway towards the dock.

We pretty much did this for the rest of the day. Neither of us drank a drop, but I had blast nonetheless. After we decided it was time to pack it in for the day, we headed back to Rachel's parents house only five miles down the road(reason three: I was able to take a shower in a house with air conditioning and didn't have to worry about the funk growing in the group showers that facilitate about five hundred people. I also slept in a real bed with air conditioning.) After our refreshing showers we returned to eat dinner and sit by a campfire and pretty much chill. We ate hot meals cooked in the mess hall of the camp(reason four: food was hot and good. None of this drunk grilling shit. We had whole turkey, grilled vegetables and the most magnificent chocolate cake ever.) Around the campfire we talked about a lot of nothing, but there was no yelling and better yet no drama. The stars were clearer than any place I've ever seen and the mirroring on the lake let you see the stars reflecting in the water. And the sunset, let me tell you it was beyond words. It was so beautiful that I didn't even want to go get a camera to take a picture for fear I would miss some of the maginificence. (reason five: No drama. We didn't have to deal with someone being pissed at someone, or someone being way to drunk and causing problems. Didn't have to worry about other campers coming to bother us because we were the only people allowed in the camp. At the end of the night we could simply go back to Rachel's house and not have to worry about trying to fall asleep while people are raising cane outside.)

After sitting around the campfire for a long time we decided to pack it in for the night because we were going to play golf the next day. We meander back to the Anderson household and crash out. I slept wonderfully on a very soft bed in a reasonably moderate climate. Refer to reason five. The next morning we woke up around nine to play 18 holes at Bear Trace golf course no less than two minutes from the campgrounds. It was likely the most beautiful course I've ever played. I had a lot of fun and I that Ricky and Rachel did too(reason six: I was able to play golf or pretty much do anything I wanted to sunday. I didn't have to worry about trying to pack up camp and hustle to Sikeston to eat at Lamberts.) After we finished we went back to camp and sat around until dinner time. They had some sort of roast and all kind of grilled vegetables and other yummy goodness. After dinner we sat on the end of the dock in complete silence for a long while. It was relaxing to be sitting next to the most beautiful woman in the world staring in to the night sky like I've never seen it before. I never felt so lucky in my whole life. After a while we went back home and slept for a good long while. We woke up Monday and drove back to Murray so I could go to work. That was the worst shock back to reality in the world.

So all in all I had probably one of the best weekends I've had in a very, very, very long time. I found a new passion for a summertime retreat and I think I may try to get a group together to go next summer. All you monday night guys are invited and I promise you'll enjoy it. It's beautiful, relaxing and cheap. Thats about all I have to say for the weekend, I'll probably post more on the golf outing later on this week.

And finally (reason seven: I was actually able to relax in a beautiful setting. I didn't have to drive four hours into the middle of nowhere and sleep in an uncomfortable tent or car for a change. I was able to hang out and not feel any responsibility towards anything. I felt I could actually be me. No offense to you Current River guys, it was a blast, but I don't believe that I'll ever go back. I think my days as a member of the Current River Captains club are over. You can take this as my resignation or you probably already considered me no longer a member. All things aside guys, thanks for the good times. I wouldn't trade them for anything.)

Full Swing...

2005-09-01T08:30:00.000-07:00

So the full swing of this semester is raging on. I haven't gotten the usual bored yawns in any of my classes yet. I am doing a lot of "review" work in pretty much all of my classes. I sit in the room with people mostly seven years younger than me and their minds are fresher on the subject matter. I don't feel too bad, I am holding my own. I haven't had any major bumbles or fumbles concerning the learning department.

I have to work tonight and then I have class tomorrow morning so I'll probably be wore out by the time I get done with the fun world of College Algebra. Not too worried about the class, it's all review as I said before. Tomorrow afternoon I believe Rachel and I are leaving for Jackson for the weekend. I am actually pretty excited about getting to get the heck out of dodge for a few days. Hopefully weather will be spectacular and the drive will be uneventful. So if you are trying to get in touch with me this weekend, I'll be MIA until Monday.

I have been spending a bit of time on the MSU Racers website recently. I am actually appalled at the level of intelligence that some of the graduates of this great university have. After browsing for a few moments I hung my head in shame.

That's about all I have for now so until later remember...
Just because you have a college degree does not make you a scholar or a gentleman.

WTF Mate?

2005-08-29T20:49:00.000-07:00

If you were to search http://www.yahoo.com for the phrase--non diary creamer coconut mysite pops up at number five or so.
If you search "if i were to sneak in at night" in the quotations, my site is one of only three on http://www.google.com.

What is wrong with me?

First week of classes...

2005-08-28T09:15:00.000-07:00

So after the first three days of classes I feel even more like an old person than the day that I found out that I am officially a nontraditional student. I am sitting in classes with first sememster freshmen that are seven years younger than me. The only saving grace would be that there are people older than me in most of my classes. Although that may be true I observed a few things that are associated with nontraditional students that I will not conform to.

As a Non-Trad:

I promise I will not ride the elevator to the second floor.
I promise I will not purchase a wheelie backpack, EVER!!
I promise I will not raise my hand every time the teacher poses a question.
I promise I will not make a comment every time a discussion in class comes up.
I promise I will not laugh at the teachers every joke and pretend to be buddies with them.
I promise I will not brown nose the professor in hopes of getting a better grade or for any reason.
I promise I will not write down every thing that comes out of the professor's mouth.
I promise I will not talk about how I've "been there, done that" to appear cool.
I promise I will not pretend to have a connection with people who are significantly younger than me in hopes of regaining my misspent youth.

I know that I am not as old as some of the nontrad's on campus but I see these mistakes all the time. I remember when I was in these freshmen's shoes I would look at the nontrad like man we really have nothing in common except this class and that is not grounds to form a friendship. These people have the best of intentions and usually do well in classes but dont' pretend to be something you are not. Find a niche and stick to it and your niche is not hanging out with 18 year olds buying them beer because they can't seem to find any other person over 21 to do it. I will not be "that" guy.

On an other note, yesterday I really realized the need for people to be educated in the realm of personal security. We are starting to focus on not losing your identity over the net but are losing sight of the fact that we can just as easily loose it because of our actions in the real world. I noticed in our lost and found the other day that I have enough information to steal at least four people's identity. If I am a smart person I could do this completely incognito. This was all brought on by a guy leaving his wallet on top of the ATM machine in our gas station. I noticed it was sitting there when I got to work and pulled it behind the counter. I opened it on the counter in full view of the camera's in the station that way no accusations of theft could be made, looking for identification to find out how to contact this person. Inside his wallet he had two credit cards, a social security card, his birth certificate, his laminate drivers license, his atm card and the kicker for that was his atm card had his personal identification number sticky note'd to it. If I were a dishonest person this would have been more than enough to steal his identity, sap his credit and disappear into the mist. Instead I found out who he was and called his home to notify him that we had found his wallet and were holding it for him. When he got there I found out that he is a local bank officer. He knows better than this. He told me that he never carries it unless he is getting money from the atm, otherwise it is locked in his car. That's it, locked in his car. Come one people do you really want to have to go through the trouble of losing your identity and dealing with all the crediting companies that think you are really the person doing all of this illegal stuff. Jeez people get your act together. Don't carry around your social security card, your drivers license should be enough information for normal day to day transactions, don't carry your birth certificate, you rarely need this for anything, and don't put your atm pin number right next to your atm card. If you must keep your atm pin number in your wallet, add a three number local telephone prefix to it and put it in a list of phone numbers that you know by heart. When you look at the list of numbers you will recognize which number is out of place. Voila your pin number.

It feels good to be back in classes doing something with my time. Hopefully I'll get all of this stuff done in a short period of time so I can move on to the next step of life. That's all I have for right now. Peace out girl scout...

Cindy Sheehan is a poser

2005-08-25T05:42:00.000-07:00

I have, as of yet, kept silent about the rantings of Cindy Sheehan. I've finally had way to much of her leftist rhetoric. I will be the first to tell you that I am a Republican and before you scowl remember that I am not trying to bring this discussion down to party lines. I am simply exhibiting my rights and speaking against what I find to be a defamation to the memory of a lot of soldiers.

As I remember correctly I believe that joining the armed forces is still a choice that you are allowed to make, not forced into. I believe that we are given the choice to take a "job" that may involve us fighting a war we may not disagree with. Any person can look into the history books and realize that the thought of fighting a war you don't agree with is a high possibility. Many of the soldiers during the Vietnam war were there against their will as were some in World War's I and II. Was her son ignorant to the thought of fighting in this war? Did he, as many have done in the past, join the armed forces as a career move thinking he would never actually see war time? No!

"Casey Sheehan enlisted with the army August of 2003 knowing that his unit would eventually be deployed in Iraq"(Buzzflash.com--Cindy Sheehan Is Working To Bring Our Troops Home)

I have recently found that a lot of people joined the armed forces as a career move with the mindset that they would never see a war in their lifetime. It has become a easy way to get money for college or if you feel you weren't cut out for college you can move into the armed forces and make a decent wage. These men have to, at some point, realize that there is a chance that they may have to fight a war that they may disagree with. It's pretty much in the job description. ARMED FORCES means working with guns, war and blowing shit up. I have several friends over there and whether or not I or even they agree with what we are doing over there, they have to go. It is part of what they signed on for. It's in the job description...

As for opposition to the war, I have no problem with people being vocal about their opposition as long as it is founded soundly. This woman has been whining to the traditionally left media that her son died fighting a cause she didn't beleive in so we should get out of Iraq. I am certainly glad she isn't the President. On the charge of the President lying to the nation about his reasons for going into Iraq I don't really care. We may or may not be over there for the right reasons, but we are over there. I really admire the President for what he does for the world. Even on his vacation he has to deal with a lot of bullshit concerning the rest of the world. I don't, although, feel sorry for him because you know what? It was in the job description. The man deals with a lot of things that he could never tell the people of this country for reasons of national security. Has anyone ever thought that maybe the reason we are over there is because Saddam Hussien had nuclear weapons hidden in a camels ass that he was intending upon using on the U.S. Maybe the President couldn't tell the nation because of the levels of mass hysteria it would cause across the nation. I mean come on the man deals with some heavy stuff.

"Ms. Sheehan said in advertisement according a press release all I wanted was an hour out of his extended vacation time but he refused to meet with me and the other military families we just want honest answers" (NY Times--Mother's Grief Fueled Vigil Becomes Nexus for Antiwar Protesters)

If you actually believe this you might be a little off your rocker. These people don't want honest answers. They want the President to get on his knees and apologize for the loss of their son. Then he will have to pick up the phone and call the Defense Department and tell them, "Get our boy's outta Iraq. I done went and messed up. These people are right and I shouldn't be President. As a matter of fact, I am going to resign right now. If you guys want to you can put Hillary Clinton in the Oval Office right now. I just realized that the Democrats were right about everything. Geez where did my brain go. Oh yeah, I am dumb." This is what this woman really wants. She wants the President to say she is right and he is wrong. Isn't that what any person who opposes another person wants anyways. Does she really think that talking to him for an hour will change his mind? The man has many advisors that he spent many hours strategizing this whole thing out with. Do you really think sitting outside his house will make him come out and play? He knows you don't want to play fair so he has decided not to play the rhetoric game with you. Most of his comments on this situation have read have been polite and respectful. Can you say the same for Sheehan and her camp of tree hugging liberals?

Casey Kelley, 61, a semiretired real estate broker from Colorado who drove 1,000 miles in her camper with her dog, Lucky, to help Ms. Sheehan, said: 'It's us versus them again. I haven't felt this since the Vietnam War. (NY Times --Mother Grief Fueled Vigil Becomes Nexus for Antiwar Protesters.)

I'll be damned if I don't want to spit every time I read this line. "It's us versus them again." This woman is trying to equate these protests to those of the Vietnam era. This is not a trend like slap bracelets and foofy hair that will come and go. Protesting is a right and should be treated with respect. People like Kelly have just been waiting for the right keyhole issue to piss them off just enough for them to protest what the government is doing. They have been pissed that this government they live in has given them nothing to really argue about so they have let all this anger stew.

Lets all take a deep breath and say, "Woo Saw...Woo Saw...Woo Saw...".

All you tree hugging, baby killing, bleeding heart liberals need to find a new issue. Lets move on...

Elevators and backpacks

2005-08-23T14:39:00.000-07:00

Alright everyone break out your walkers and geritol because I am officially an old person in college. I am allowed to have a wheelie backpack and ride the elevator to the second floor because MSU has informed me that I am a Non-Traditional student. I am an effin Non Trad. I hate that. They gave me a letter that told me that I could contact a certain office so they could inform me of services they offered to Non-Traditional students. It's like I have now become a leper. No matter what I do I'm going to be looking over my shoulder in classes wondering if all the freshmen are thinking what I was thinking about the non trads in my classes.

My god, my god, why hast thou forsaken me.

Thats all I have for right now, I'm just going to edit this post later on.

Mistakes made by freshmen...

2005-08-22T06:02:00.000-07:00

I work at a gas station. Yes I know that I am a big loser by working at a gas station but it pays the bills bitch. As a result of my occupation I am able to see a lot of people every day. I also get the ability to read people and in a moment can probably tell you a little bit about yourself without really having to dig very deep. It's kind of fun.

Well yesterday I was at work pondering what it must be like for all these guys that are coming in to Murray for the first time. I made mention in the earlier post about becoming a new person at college. I don't think I emphasized how much you really need to keep tabs on what you do to change. Don't try to become someone your not. This will likely backfire in a spectacular fashion. With that said here comes a commentary on a guy that came in the station yesterday.

Listen man, you are not a big "baller". You are wearing fake ray ban's that are obviously cheap rip-offs. The baggy shorts look like you stole them from a three hundred pound man. The t-shirt is a little wore out. You came in with a gaggle of 'tards, and they all get something to drink and you stroll over and tell them not to worry about it cause and I quote "it's covered" and then you return outside to ball your Corolla. You are not a big baller when your roll is weak, your game is played out, your clothes are ancient and your balling a Corolla. So what, you listen to Eminem, but if he saw you he'd probably punk your ass. Just because you listen to rap doesn't make you gangsta. If your from a small town like Murray and you listen to rap, do so because you like the music. Don't get wrapped up in the image because you'll only end up looking like a joke. FRESHMEN pay attention. Don't reach too far for your new image. You can't play you are someone else forever. Eventually someone will find out and if your are phony you'll lose everything you worked for in college.

"Don't hate tha playa hate the game." Said to me by some young white guy from rural Kentucky. Seriously man, you are white. You are not a rapper. You need to get a clue. You are never going to get a rap deal. Your rhymes are weak because you are not talented at rapping. You have a place but I don't think that the music industry has a place from some white kid in rural America that thinks he's the next big rap phenomenon. Leave that to someone who has something to rap about other than tipping cows and drinking Bud Ice.

Enough of that rant. Back to freshmen. If you are moving in, not everything has to be in the first weekend. You'll get a lot more done if you bring only a little on the first weekend and the rest the second weekend. But I guess that news is a little late. Also, MSU is known as a suitcase college but I suggest you try to stay here as much as possible. I mean come on, cut the umbilical cord. This is going to be your home for the next four years. Might as well get to know the area as best you can. There is so much to explore. Well not really that much but there's enough for you to do. I've been here for a long time and I've never had a hard time finding a party every weekend. I dont' go to them but they are there. Just quit being a titty baby and realize that this is your new home.

Advice to Murray State Freshmen...

2005-08-20T09:23:00.000-07:00

So I got up a little early today so I could go to Wal-Mart before all of the freshman, from this point on I will call them locusts, descend upon Murray leaving behind a wake filled with empty cardboard boxes and clothes hangars. At 8:30 this morning the store was already filled with people trying to be the first to get some of Wal-Mart's "funky" affordable bedroom accents and reams of paper that will in a matter of months be used to make paper air planes to throw from the top floor of your dorm or to roll a joint when you can no longer afford rolling papers.

This is the way it goes every August and will continue to be for eons. All these well intentioned students with academia on the mind will be waylayed by the ideas of partying all night, booze, the opposite sex, and teachers that don't care if you're in class or not.

Welcome to the life of a quaint college town. After the first few weeks of studious behavior, staying in dorm rooms studying your ass off, getting to class fifteen minutes early dressed to the nines, everything will change. The previously spotless room will become littered with pizza boxes and if you're sneaky enough a few empty beer cans. Classes will be optional but parties mandatory. Early is now around noon and it's ok to wear the same jeans you've been wearing for three days as long as they have no visible stains and don't smell too bad. Every night will be filled with at least one party, and on nights like Sunday and Monday you'll probably find a group of people that you will hang out with until the wee hours of the morning and according to your group probably break a whole bunch of laws. Tossing a hamster out of the sixth floor with a handkerchief for a parachute is against the law. And it probably won't work either. I do know that trying to ride a shopping cart down the stairwell of a dorm is frowned upon. Also if you get the chance to join a fraternity or sorority in the first year pass. There is a lot of fun to be had as an independant and your first year is the best time to experience that. The first year is also the prime time to be hanging out with everyone you can and figuring out where you fit. The number one problem most students have is not socializing enough. They go out once and if they have a bad time they spend the next four years inside their room hiding from the outside world. Next for you guys, don't hook up with the first girl that shows interest unless she's really really hot. News flows through a dorm like dirty shower water. If you don't choose wisely you'll be dubbed from the beginning as a skank banger. That is a title that will help you to get women of ill repute, but won't help you to find long lasting meaningful companionship. The first hookup is key in forming your new self. Also all the things you were in high school don't matter anymore. You are now a member of a community of 10,000 students that all claim a drive for learning. Out of ten thousand people you will find at least five people you get along with. It's a really big fishbowl and you can make it. College is also the time for you to reinvent yourself if you need to. But if you do this make sure that you never lie about your past. Just let people know that you are no longer the douche bag you were in high school, you came to the realization that you could do much better and have set a goal to climb the ladder to social wellbeing. This is not frowned upon in college, hell I think almost everyone does it to some extent.

You will meet a lot of morons. You will meet a lot of liberals. You will meet a lot of conservatives. You will meet a lot of really smart people. You will meet a lot of PEOPLE!!! Dont' just settle being friends with the first ten people you meet. They will most likely turn out to be losers. They will probably fail out of college and you will be left later on trying to enter a circle of friends that already exists and that is very difficult. Also don't be closed minded about your views, but don't be too open minded either. You can listen to, understand and accept other peoples thoughts, but that doesn't mean you have to change what you think. People who don't accept the fact that you believe something different than them and find you to be closed minded are just assholes. They don't see the fact that the beauty of this country is that we are all allowed to believe something different and we really shouldn't spend out time trying to prove to the world that we are right. In the end who really knows who is right? I sure as fuck don't, and I don't think I ever will.

If you find someone that you truly love hold on to them as tightly as possible. You will be competing with a lot of other people to hold on to something great. You won't be the only person to notice how great someone is, so don't think you have it made in the shade. You have to prove daily that you love that person. Don't, Don't, Don't, waste something that is great for one lousy night with some girl you met at a party. In the end it will most likely not be any fun with her, you'll feel guilty, she'll get clingy, and you'll lose the one you love. Just use your head. I don't think you made it this far by being a retard.

Don't kiss your teachers ass, but do participate in class. Don't just participate for participations sake, have something to say. At the end of the semester if you're on a hinge grade, they will be generous if they have the ability to remember your name.

At parties, don't eat the fruit until you've built up a tolerance to alcohol. Girls, don't wear party gear unless you want about fifty sweaty weiners to rub up on ya. Guys, don't rub up on a girl just because she's wearing party gear. Just because she lookes like a whore doesn't mean she is. If she's dancing in a circle with a bunch of other girls, my best advice is to leave. They are having a "girls" night out. Any sign of man in their circle becomes a reason to taste blood. They will fall upon you like a cheetah on a wounded wildebeast. Its viscious. I've seen many a man deballed by these man haters.

I know a lot of this is about partying, but in a few months that's what college will be. Guys listen carefully. Drinking a bunch of beer is definately not an excuse to wear a beer box on your head and claim to be the king of the land of budweiser. You can do this if you either have a girlfriend and she is very understanding, or you really don't care if you get a decent date for the next year or so. Pissing your pants is not cool. I've seen it a thousand times and every time it gets a little more disgusting. You will be known around campus, people will say hi to you, but when you walk away they will all say, "dude thats the guy that pissed his pants at the party the other night." You will never recover from this. Transfer to another school or drop out for six years. By then everyone present will have either graduated, or failed out. These are only a few words of wisdom. I may have more the longer I think about it, but that will be for another time. Until then stay strong and don't eat the fruit...

God I love MSU

2005-08-17T15:06:00.000-07:00

Alright so today I had to meet with my advisor to handle all the "recommendations" that they would give me to schedule. I guess it's hard to see the fact that I have been here for a very long time, and probably know how to read an undergraduate bulletin, and a schedule of classes. Then correlate the two to formulate a schedule. I think that they taught that in freshman oreintation when I took it...IN 1998. Jesus you bunch of spaztastic retards. If I can read and have the skills to actually be in college I bet I could figure out a schedule. So anyways, I fill out some forms for school and run back to Sparks to get the advisor hold taken off of my registration so I can schedule then proceed upstairs to fill out more forms to get put on a payment plan for tuition. I remember it was like $900 dollars a semester when I started. Jeez these guys are taking advantage. Well the lady tells me that the forms I brought her were not signed by my advisor. They were instead signed by some other professor of MSU. I proceeded to tell her how they really effed up when they put me in the CSC department for advising when I clearly stated that I wanted TSM. I got the paperwork filled out yesterday for all of that but apparently they haven't entered that into her computer yet. Keep in mind this is the same lady I have been dealing with for the past week. We have grown accustomed to seeing each other on a daily basis. She looks at me funny like I was speaking Swahili or something. She then picks up the phone calls my "advisor" and finds out that he is no longer my advisor. He filled out the paperwork yesterday to pass me on to the TSM department. The paper that I gave TO HER. The guy that advised me today was my new, but not yet in the computer system, advisor. She then called him and in a hushed tone asks him if I had just came from his office. He responded, I could hear him from across the desk, in the affirmative. He is kind of like a hippy that took way too many hits of acid about ten years ago, and is still coming down. To ease his nerves he drinks like ten pots of coffee a day. Really cool guy tho. So I hammer out all of Murray's mistakes, walk into the other room, schedule with no problems and go upstairs to fill out yet more paperwork to put me on the payment plan for school. All this just so I can give them $2000 every three months. They really expect a lot from me don't they?

Well this evening Rachel and I moseyed(sp) on over to the bookstore to find out what he damage was. My books are probably going to cost around 500 DOLLARS!!!!! This is yet another way for the school to cram it up my poop shoot. There isn't much I can do about it since they hold the keys to my academic success. Then at the end of the semester when I sell them back I'll be lucky to get two hundred dollars for them. They have it made in the shade with this spoils system they have set up. I know that some fat bastard is sitting in a room with a dark, dark dark heart counting all the money he extorted from witless young academics. You bastard I'll find you, and when I do, I'm going to eat your heart and take your money.

Running...

2005-08-16T13:40:00.000-07:00

Running all over Murray is tiring. Especially when the reason for you running is because Murray State effed up by putting you in the wrong major in your Re-Admission application. Once you get ironed out what you have to do, the buildings you need to visit must, I say MUST, be on opposite ends of campus. It is kind of hot today so I drove around, then wandered the halls aimlessly looking for the offices I had to enter. I got all the paperwork done, scheduled a time to visit my advisor tomorrow and got an idea of what classes I'll need to take this semester. I think since I am registering late and can't get any financial aide, I just might take a little below full time. It will be cheaper that way and I think a lot of the classes I need to take are full. I am actually excited about going to school. I can't remember being this pumped about going to school to learn something new. I guess I followed a course of study I had no passion for for so long that I forgot what it was to be excited about a subject. All the political science bullshit just fogged my mind more than it taught. I was so complacent about what was going on in my life that I didn't really even care if I ever graduated. Now I am gung ho enough that I am prepared to take 21 hours a semester if needs be. I would really like to thank my cousin Derek and the guys from Monday nights for placing me in a situation where I felt so out of place, but wanted so badly to know what was going on. All the talk of php, pgp, ajax, yadda yadda yadda has got me wondering why I didn't get into this before. I always had an aptitude for computers but never really saw a future in it for myself. Now as I look at something as simple as my blog for the last year I find that I am drawn to things that are on a technological edge. I think that I have just been a geek in hiding. Hoping my "esteemed" colleagues in the Poli Sci department would never find me out. I am pretty good at being a chameleon but I can no longer deny it. I am currently a green geek. I say green because I know almost absolutely nothing about the things that I am about to learn, but I haven't been this excited about learning something since my first day in High School. Really weird. Also I would like to thank my family and most importantly my really really hot girlfriend for all the support they have lent me. I haven't been the easiest to deal with in the last year or so and I know it. My family pretty much had to stick it out for the long run because, well thats what family does. But Rachel, you could have packed up your shit and left a long time ago but you didn't. For that I thank god every single day I wake up. I know that if it were not largely in part for you I would probably just be sitting on my ass waiting life to fall into my lap. Thank you also to anyone else I forgot. I know not thanking everyone that deserves it could be very detrimental to my life as I know it.

I'm boring...

2005-08-15T11:07:00.000-07:00

So not much is going on with my life right now. I'm waiting for school to start back so I actually have something to do. I have to work tonight but I'm not really looking forward to it. Saw Dukes of Hazzard yesterday. Brought back a lot of memories from childhood. It was a bit campy but good nonetheless. I don't suggest seeing it unless you are going either on a matinee or on a student discount night. I won't be able to make yet another Monday Night At Dereks. I'm kinda disappointed by this but there'll be other days. Played Scrabble last night, lost twice won once. Sort of. Thats all I really have now. Maybe another post after work.

Just call me Che Guevara...

2005-08-12T05:40:00.000-07:00

Last night I definately had an odd dream. I have become a revolutionary for children all around the world. Not just any children though. Some how I had ended up in a psych ward for children in some remote location. The staff there seemed to be overly mean to all the children and myself. I was the only adult there that actually cared about the children. The "warden" was a large Belizian man with a menacing stare. He seemed hardened by the looks upon all those adolescent insane faces. I mean this kids were wackadoo. One kept walking in circles going, "dum dum diddy" and another was standing in a chair reciting the declaration of independance but reading it from a Dr. Seuss book.

Apparently these kids looked up to me because when I would enter a room they would stop being crazy and ask me to help them out of their current predicament. I realize the counselor to child ratio leaves the staff at a vast disadvantage. So I convince all the kids to pick up whatever they can and enact a violent revolution of this asylum. In the final moments of the revolution I have to face the warden and fight him with a sword. We were fighting not with those big heavy swords but with a fencing sword. I was thrusting and parrying with the best of them. I could not be beat because I was fighting for freedom and he was fighting to maintain a tyrannical regime. After I had mortally wounded the warden I marched myself to the gym area of the building where all of the kids seemed to have massed and were slowly finishing off some of the more stubborn of the staff. They were on top of these people pummeling them with their tiny little insane fists. After the last body had hit the floor we went into a spontaneous rendition of Billy Idol's "We didn't start the fire." At this point I woke up and remember my last thought was, "now that we've achieved freedom, what should I do with my devoted followers. Maybe we could take over the world?" As I came awake I slowly started to smile and realized how crazy that dream really was. After a dream like that all you can really do is laugh and hope that at no point in time will you ever be in a childrens psych ward.

Finally I have formulated a plan that could effectively shut down most of the major computing world. I was sitting in a computer lab the other day when I realized that if I were to sneak in at night and steal all of the mice from every computer, most users would be screwed. I only know of one person who actually knows the keyboard shortcuts for every function. Now if everyone that reads this were to go out and steal all the mice they could find we could take over the world. Controlling the mice is the key. Banks, credit centers, office buildings, the government all rely heavily on mice. If they didn't have these and couldnt' gain access to them it would take at least six months for them to fix any problems that would occur from not having any mice. Viva La Revolucionne...

Just because you can doesn't mean you should...

2005-08-11T20:02:00.000-07:00

Alright, just becaue it is perfectly legal, you are not justified in having over twenty cats. While I was getting my hair cut today a lady walked in the place and I was immediatley hit with a strong scent of ammonia and cat urine. I didn't think much of this because I often get phantom smells entering in my olfactory glands. After the lady vacates our area Tonya, the lady that cuts my hair, informs me that this lady used to have over 60 cats in her basement. She has recently cut down to about 30 cats. They have nonchalantly tried to inform this lady that she has a smell problem but to no avail. I really started to think about this. Just because you are allowed to do something doesn't mean you should. If you have over twenty cats I deem you a little off kilter and you probably smell bad. No matter how good of hygiene you practice your clothes and even your skin will emanate the stench of cat urine, probably the most putride smell known to man. Jesus people if you're grown up you should know this by now.

Check out my digital photography site. It's posted in the links sidebar.

On to more pressing matters. I've recently(in the last ten minutes) come to a realization. I may have just had a break through in a few of the problems that occur between men and women. Why are women allowed to get mad at men more often than men are allowed to be mad at women, justifiably mad. Not that you didn't put the toilet seat down/left the lid off the toothpaste/moved the remote to where I can't find it, kind of mad. The actual, you did me wrong I hate you get out of my life mad.

When god created the world he created a simple perfect life. He put the original sin in the picture and we partook. Now men the more simple of the sexes are still living in the past. We spend years reliving our days of glory trying to attain that coolness we once had. This is in our nature. Now women are more progressive, they look to the future. They have let go of the dream of a simple life and are ready to get down to business.

Knowing this god created a set of rules. Its kind of like when you're trying to decipher how many men women have slept with or how many women men have slept with. If a man gives you a number divide it by three and you'll probably get closer to the real number. If a woman gives you a number multiply it by three and you will have a more accurate estimate. With all that said you can apply this sort of logic to the number of times every year that a woman is legitamately allowed to be mad at a man. And we can do the same for how many times a year a man is allowed to be mad at a woman. I use the base number of 74, the average life expectancy for males. If you divide that by 3 you get 24 times a year that a man is allowed to be really pissed at a woman. That equals about twice a month. Sounds about right doesn't it guys. Now for women it equals about 222. Thats about once every day and a half. Isn't that about right too guys. Now we know these rules subconciously so as men we hold out for a real good reason to be pissed. Now women on the other hand have a lot more times to be mad so they can get there for lesser reasons. I'm not saying that women ARE lesser, but that by averages they can be pissy for lesser reasons more often. This becomes frustrating for us men but often times the reasons they are mad are our fault but we don't comprehend how they can be so mad about these things because we don't have as many times every year to be mad so we have to make them count. This is just a thought everybody. Please don't nail me to the cross for it....

The Exploding Tree...

2005-08-10T13:37:00.000-07:00

If your not a resident of Murray then you probably don't know about the horrendous 45 minute storm we had Saturday afternoon. I've seen a lot of rainy days in my 25 years on earth, but the monsoon that engulfed murray for 3/4ths an hour on Saturday was probably the most ferocious rain I've ever seen. The weather service put out a "damaging rain" warning. Not flooding but DAMAGING RAIN. I didn't know what that was until then.

I had just started my shift at work and the person who works the shift before me hadn't even left work yet. The owner was there and a couple of our regulars were just hanging out waiting for the rain to let up so they could go home. I was just kicked back watching the rain come down in buckets when I saw a huge flash of light hit the top of the tree across the road from our gas station. The lightning bolt turned into a reddish "buzz saw" and proceded to run all the way down this 50ft+ tree and when it hit the bottom it sort of pulsated for a second before shooting underground. The effect was awe inspiring and disappointing all at the same time. For the most part it kind of looked like a cheesy special effect you would see in some B movie but knowing it was real and the power it held was ridiculous. As soon as the bulb of light went into the ground the tree shot off pieces of bark and living tree across the road the thirty some odd yards and bounced them off the windows of our gas station. All this happened in a matter of milleseconds and was scary as shit. As soon as the stuff was hitting the windows I thought it was the bolt traveling underground and reaching the highly explosive gas tanks. All that bull about your life flashing before your eyes is crap. All I thought was, "well this is it." Thats all I had in me? What is wrong with me? I didn't really have any major regrets or really any major let downs. The only thing that urked me about dying is that I would never get to see the look upon the womans face that I marry the moment I said I do. Thats all I could come up with.

After the storm had passed we went outside to inspect the tree and pick up pieces of the bark. Apparently the bolt had went into the root system, blowing big clods of dirt up and singeing some of the grass. The pieces of tree that hit the station were about half an inch thick, a couple of inches wide and about a foot long. Imagine if I had been standing out there. I could have had one of those chunks lodged in my skull. At least I would get disability. That was my most recent brush with death, minus yesterday when I almost fell asleep driving back from Paducah and was brought back to reality by a diesel whizzing by my door blaring his horn. That'll sure wake you up. Thats all I got for now. I may post again today, I'm feeling a bit wordy...

Are there really people out there that are this stupid? WTF is bushogging? I really wonder about the youth of this nation.

Oh yeah, check out my new space. Online Digital Photograph Gallery. I'll periodically add pics to it so feel free to leave feedback. If you have dial up you might not want to view this site as it has a lot of pictures and will take forever to load.

Secret reader, read on...

2005-08-08T21:57:00.000-07:00

I've been pretty much internetless for the last few days. I found out way after the fact that there appeared to be a post war on my blog between some old friends and someone who is "blood". I think I've tracked the ip and have a decent idea of who it might be. We'll find out in the future. I'm really pooped right now because I didn't get to bed until like midnight last night. I had to watch the rerun of the new episode of "The 4400" that comes on at 11. Then I got up at six this morning so I could go do some ever so fun data entry in Paducah for mom, come back to Murray and work a shift at the gas station. Needless to say its been a long day. I posted some new pictures on my flickr for you guys. Seems I keep expending my download amount in the first three days of the month for flickr and then have to wait until the next month to post more pics. Eventually I guess I'll just get a paid membership so I can have unlimited downloads. I've pretty much decided to go back to school and am just waiting for all the paperwork to come through. I'll be taking a much different route than the one I chose the first time around. I'll be going into the computer field, either in web development or maybe tsm with an emphasis on the business side of telecom. Thats all I really got for now, but as a reminder to myself I'm going to post the story of the exploding tree next time. It scared the bejesus out of me. peace out

Deep thoughts.....

2005-07-31T05:33:00.000-07:00

I often find myself pondering thoughts that my mind really isn't equipped with the tools to actually deal with. This morning I woke up early waiting for Rachel to call me and let me know they are cannonballing their way to Murray so I watched a bit of Harry Potter: The Prisoner of Azkahbahn. If you haven't already seen it let me tell you you are missing a piece of theatrical wonder. Anyways I saw a part of the movie that made me ponder upon the idea of time travel.

For most of my life I've thought of life as a straight line and the concept of time travel would be a piece of that line that doubles back upon itself then returns to where it left off. Point Y is where my life would diverge from the straight path and return to a point (A) where my life had already been. There are two parallel lines running here because I have the path I already lived and the new one which I am currently living. For all practical purposes they are on the same span but not occupying the same space. I continue that for as long as my experience is allowed and then exit that time period at another point (B) and return to a "present" time(point X). I always had problems understanding the idea that my original self that existed from point A to point B would most likely feel the impacts of what my older self was doing because no matter what happened I technically should have already experienced what was being impacted upon me. The idea itself was beyond me and I never seemed to wrap my mind around it. Also the problem of aging played to me as well. I can travel through time as much as I want but my body will age, most likely, the amount that it actually exists in whatever time I am in. I could age ten years in only a days time if I were able to travel through time. The profound implications of what would happen if I were to die in a time before I was born or if I could never get back to present what impact would I have on the past world. I could be the cause of an untimely demise of our way of life as we know it.

This was my whole construct for the theory of time travel, that is until this morning. This mornings revelations also lead to a much deeper conversation.

This morning I developed a whole new construct for my ideas on time travel and its implications on life itself. Life is measured by time. We count how old we are, especially in the waning years as we near death, in a measure of time. It begins at zero, the time before we are born and thus it should be the same after the end. After we die we were a certain age but we no longer exist so therefore we are zero years old. So life begins and ends in the same place, nothingness. If we look at the way we measure time we can really understand the basic ideals of my construct. Everything starts and restarts at zero. Life begins there, at 0. The face of a clock begins at 12, or more accurately some place between 12 and 1 second. That place is 0. As it begins it rounds the clock and returns to that 0 and begins again. I use this image for my visualization of "the circle of life". We travel through life, not on a straigt line, rather on a curved one that returns whence it began. The whole ashes to ashes, dust to dust thought. At some point time travel is introduced and we go backwards to a previous moment in time. We leave live once more at Y and return to point A. We travel the same curved path until we decide to leave that time and exit at point B. Exiting point be we return to only milliseconds past point Y being point X. Now between point A and point B I am existing in a duality. Same person in two places. With this circular thought if I were to meet myself on the street, which all time travel movies warn against, I would remember having met myself and in doing so would be forced to meet myself unless I wanted to reap the consequences of upsetting the whole universe. This brings in the idea of destiny or predestination for that matter. If I know I have met myself from the future then I am most likely destined to at some point in time travel into the past and meet myself. I may not be forced to do so by some cosmic force, or maybe I will be, but I understand do deviat from that which is already happened could throw off the balance of life.

I guess what I am trying to say is that if you believe time travel is possible it is highly probable that destiny is more than just an idea. This would make life nonlinear, thus my circle construct. In the end we return to whence we came, zero. I'll post some visual aides once I get a fast internet connection up and running again.

Sorry about the rambling, but I had to get that off my mind. It has been perplexing me all morning. In response to dmac's comments on bathroom graffitti I have to disagree with him. I often find myself looking forward to entering a public restroom with the hopes that I will get to read some fine graffitti. I find these people to be serfs to my throne, eternally jesters for my highness' amusement. They are the beat poets of a new generation. Going against the man, adding to and detracting from previous users ideals. It's society man, they are just slaves to the American Soceo-Economic barriers trying to get through that "glass ceiling" and "Break on through to the other side". Thats enough of my mumbo jumbo for today. Hope you all enjoyed.
oh yeah,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATIE!!!!!!

Moving again...

2005-07-29T15:33:00.000-07:00

So all of my stuff minus computer is out of the apartment so far. I'm prolly going to leave that until Sunday so I actually have something to do while I'm waiting for Rachel and her family to get here. After the last crappy post I feel obligated to say Congradulations to the love of my life. I am very proud of you, maybe I'll give you something to be proud of some day.

I'm exhausted from moving all of this crap once again by myself. It's been a little tense in the apartment and no one has really said anything to me. I can tell they are happy for me to go and I can't blame them. This living situation has driven a wedge between a friendship I considered to be a brotherhood. I guess unbreakable is not a term to use in describing our friendship. The more I look at it the more I realize that there is no such thing as an unbreakable friendship. No matter what you've been through together there is always something that can divide you. Remember that and if you get a chance call someone today that you consider to be a friend and let them know you car. It doesn't have to be a phone call, it could be a message or an email at that. Cherish the friendships you have because some day you might outgrow them or they might outgrow you...

Life has a way of kicking you in the balls...

2005-07-27T18:36:00.000-07:00

So I've been helping Rachel get some apartment and job things squared away. She started looking for a job on Thursday and voila, she has one offered to her today. Less than a farkin week. Here I am sittin on my bum for the last few months waiting for call backs to no avail. Yes I realize that she is smarter and prettier than me but geez I should have at least found a job cleaning up nuclear (pronounced- Noo Clee Air) waste off the floor of some chicken packing plant. I guess I'll continue my search until the semester begins at Murray State. If I have no real leads I may either go back to school or take the Customs Broker Exam again. Not really for sure what I am going to do. I don't want a job that excites me right now, I just want something that pays a little cash. Come on people give me a job. I am really not as dumb as I may come across. I'm also moving back home because I can't really justify living in Murray when I'm barely able to afford it and I have no real job prospect. I'm going to continue secretly plotting my life of crime.

I'm thinking of going back to MSU and getting a degree in the Internets. I hear that there are many jobs out there for the beady eyed computer guru's that I hang out with on Monday evenings. I say beady eyed not because they are weird but because they spend countless hours staring at computer screens giving them the distinct wrinkle lines that come from reading computer text all day. I feel out of place when they go into their realm of conversation and I feel that I should go back to school and learn it so I know what the hell is going on. Who know's what the future holds for me...

That was definately an orgasmic concert...

2005-07-22T15:10:00.000-07:00

Alright guys I've recovered enough from the concert to actually form cohesive thoughts to post about my trip to Nashvegas. First and foremost I must say THANK YOU BECCA. You provided us with a wonderful time. The hotel room, the tickets, the limo to and from the concert(yeah we rode there in a limo, big balla say what), and most importantly the beer at the concert. I had a wonderful time and feel greatly indebted to you. I dont' know if I can ever repay you for taking me to one of the best concerts of my life.

Here's the setlist:

Everyday
American Baby Intro
Dream Girl
Crash
You Never Know
Time Of The Season
Hunger For The Great Light
Jimi Thing
Steady As We Go
American Baby
Crush
You Might Die Trying
Stolen Away On 55th & 3rd
Warehouse
Stand Up *
Louisiana Bayou *
__________________

Old Dirt Hill
What You Are

Show Notes:
* Robert Randolph

Robert Randolph is one of the greatest musicians/performers of our time. He jams on a steel guitar and can still dance while playing better than most of us whitey's can dance by ourselfs. I honestly think my favorite song of the concert was the cover of The Byrds "Time of the Season". The emotion on the faces of the musicians, the timing, the lighting and pretty much every damn thing else was spectacularly awesome. I could tell Dave and the guys were really feeling that song. I found a copy of it on Limewire and I'm thinking of downloading it.

Alright to begin the afternoon, I picked up Becca from the airport and we made the trek back to the hotel to get settled, figure out some lunch and make arrangements for a ride to the concert. None of us really wanted to drive cause we knew we'd drink some beers. Becca made some calls and got us a a LIMO. Yes you heard me right, we cruised to the concert in style. Limo Crew. We had a Tennessee Tea before we left for the concert and asked David our limo driver to stop by a liqour store to get some beers for the ride out there. After some fun conversation and about three beers apiece we arrived at the parking lot of Starwood Ampitheater. The driver told us to roll up the windows, pulled up to the parking attendants and no sooner had he lowered his window than they directed him to drive straight up to the front. We got to park right next to the gates, no eight mile walk back and forth to the car. We stood in line at the port-a-johns long enough to drink another beer and chat it up with some people. Upon entering the concert we got two 24 oz. beers apiece and waltzed to our seats. Having consumed some beers up to this point we're all pretty psyched about the concert. I had not been informed until day of that O.A.R. was opening for them. I love "Crazy Game of Poker." We were walking to our seats right when they started playing that song so I half walked half danced my way to my seat. I was a little rocked out.

The concert began and my head was nodding, feet were tapping, and I was ready to have Dave rock my face off. We sat through many amazing songs and I could go on and on about how orgasmic the sounds were at this concert but I'm sure if you don't get it, you probably never will. I loved the concert. We all got drunk, Becca kissed the guy next to us, Shea went back to the limo three songs from the end of the concert puked four times and passed out, Becca and I were the only ones to stay for the encore out of our group and we got a t-shirt for the coolest limo driver ever. He tried to get some girls to hang out at the Limo for Shea and Hadley. Too bad that all didn't pan out. The ride back was spent winding down and figuring out the sleeping arrangements. Once back to the hotel Shea immediately claimed half of the bed I was planning to sleep in. Thanks man I really wanted to snuggle with you that night. Becca ordered us some tasty treats for a bedtime snack. The hot wings had the most wicked afterburn I've ever felt before. Almost worse than the infamous "2004 Folly Beach Wing Off". The guys had to get up at 6 a.m. and head back whence I went back to sleep and woke up around nine. We hung out in Nashville until I dropped Becca by the airport. Then homeward bound. I was really kind of bummed before I left for this trip as a result of some recent friend disappearances but this was just what the doctor ordered.

Until tomorrow I'll sign off with this thought, "a hippodrome is not what it sounds like. It is not a place where you can see two hippo's fight in a steel cage in the shape of dome. I really don't know what a hippodrome is but it isn't that."

T-minus ? and counting...

2005-07-20T07:49:00.000-07:00

Alright so I leave for Nashville any time today that I get damn well ready. I am off to see Dave Matthews Band with a few friends. The only downside to the trip is that Rachel won't be along but it will be good to be around friends that just wanna chill, maybe drink a few beers and listen to some great music. Three of us will be staying in Nashville tonight and I'll be coming home late tomorrow afternoon. I'm sure many pictures will be taken and fun times will be had by all.

To all of you who remembered and some of you who didn't thank you very much for your thoughts on my birthday. I know I didn't get a chance to talk to everyone last Friday but I appreciate everything. So many of my "friends" didn't even seem to remember that it was my birthday which isn't really that big of a deal until you start to really look at how, recently my friends have been dropping like flies.

All of that aside I'm grateful for the friends that I have and also grateful for the ability to answer the age old question of "who really is my friend?"

I have a group of friends that invited me on this trip to Nash. for the concert. Funny thing is that they aren't asking me because they need a ride or help paying for the trip itself, just that they want my company on the trip. I'm going to baby my car to Nash. because it's been acting up here recently but I'm going none-the-less.

Another group of "friends" have recently planned a trip to the Current River. I have been on this trip for the last three years and this is the first year I will not be attending. And no I am not missing one trip for the other, I wasn't invited this year. I distinctly remember being part of the group that intentionally didn't invite another person last year and I guess turnabout is fair play. Back to the point, I've been the last three years and every summer I look forward to this trip. I usually end up driving my car because someone else either doesn't have one, doesn't have the money for gas, or just plain doesn't want to drive. I also remember being one of the only ones to pay for my part of the campsite and maybe even a little bit of someone elses. I had a great time last year as I thought did everyone else. I guess that my company isn't worth the tradeoff of not being able to invite a few select others. It's good to find out like this instead of actually being invited, or inviting myself and spending the whole trip the outcast because no one there really likes you. Grateful for small blessings...

It's funny how life works out.

All in all I'm grateful for this chance to see the people that truly want me around. The people I can truly count on when I need it the most. It may seem like I've neglected these true friends and thats probably because I have. For that I truly apologize. I've been jaded by situations and people who I thought were also my friends but seem to back away at any sight of turmoil. Ain't that a shitter...

Back to the sunny side, I'll be sitting at Starwood Amp. tonight drinking a little brew and watching one of the greatest bands out right now jam down while playing the game I invented at the last concert. "Which group on the grassy area will be the first to toke up?"

Another birthday passed without any major happenings...

2005-07-17T16:53:00.000-07:00

So Friday was my birthday. In the morning Rachel and I ate at Sammons. god I love those burgers and Cheesy tots. I have a new camera phone which I will be posting pictures with now. The clarity isn't that great but the convenience is excellent.

I spent the evening dining with my parents and Rachel at Di Fratelli's. It's a new restaurant in Paducah that I must say had quite a nice atmosphere and the food was great. We had some fine dining and a bottle of wine. the "salad" that Rachel and I both chose to eat was brought to the table and to my surprise it was unlike any other salad I'd ever had before. It turned out to be four slices of round cheese with Tomato's in between them. There were two mint leaves and a brown sauce drizzled over the whole ensemble. The taste was distinct and not all that bad. The bruscetta was quite good and the oil they brought out tasted of sun dried vine ripened tomato's. Before the main course came my father ventured to the rest room. Upon his arrival he noted that I must use the facilities and experience the soap and paper hand towels in the restroom. The soap was the silkiest foaming soap I had ever experienced and the towels felt like I needed to launder them because it was like wiping my hands on chenille. Wow what fun a couple of country bumpkins can have in a nice restaurant. I think I'll never return to the Olive Garden in Paducah. It would only taint my vision of what Italian in Paducah is all about. Review: Pricey but well worth the $$$.

Saturday night Rachel and I went to the Apple with Shea, Hadley, Pilar, April and some of her friends. After many beers we decided to venture to Spiders Web which didn't really pan out. Awww Shucks (heavy laden sarcasm). Briz cabz was run over with business and April and her friends punked out on us jumping into the already packed cab and speeding away on two wheels(what a shame). We went back to the shop and drank a bit, Some rode the four wheeler, some played pool but all consumed a beverage that contained alcohol. Very tame, which in my old age is something I long for.

Everything was great over all. I turned another year older and I feel it in every bone that exists in my body. I slept on a trundle bed, a trundle bed damnit. One of those damn things that sits on the floor. I guess I'll be moving out of this apartment soon and I think I'm ready. It's time for me to be in a place by myself. I can't really afford that right now, but I'll be saving some money preparing for the future. Until then I sign off with this thought. If you drink thirty shots of Non-Diary Creamer you will shit like a tied coon. That stuff has coconut oil in it which if you didn't already know is a laxative.

In My Many Travels....

2005-07-13T13:11:00.000-07:00

In my many travels around this lovely nation I have run across many things that may seem odd to the normal person. I've grown accustomed to acknowledging the abnormal as the normal. As I was traveling in Tennessee recently I found probably the classiest car ever. It was a magnificently large Hummer, an H2 to be exact. Chrome was on every corner of this car including the trailer hitch. the final part of the car to attract my attention, but certainly the most interesting. All I could think about was in Anchorman when Ron Burgundy is referred to as "The Balls". If Ron were alive today, this most certainly would be his car. Tha Balls. Where will my travels lead me next. I think my life is now complete.

On Friday I reach the pinnacle of birthday's. I will be turning 25. It's quite a landmark birthday as I hear that I will be getting a reduced insurance rate, and rumor has it every physical exam I get from this point on will involve fingers in my rectum checking my prostate. Thank you doctor for your thorough examination, I'm going home to curl into the fetal position and cry now that I have been sodomized with your deathlike icy hands. God I can't wait until I get to go to the doctor.

Hopefully I won't be walking bowlegged anytime soon.

Metaphorically speaking....

2005-07-06T19:44:00.000-07:00

Tonight as I was eating dinner with my parents and my nephew and neices I thought about something long and hard. My nephew was having problems finishing what was on his plate. I told him that if he couldn't eat all of what he had that I wouldn't mind finishing for him. Quickly he retorted that he couldn't eat anymore but he did not want me to have it. He would rather throw away what he did not want than allow another to share it. All on the premise of coming back to it when he wanted to. Seem selfish?

Eventually it would have spoiled and been thrown out. In the last few months I've really began to see the err in this method of thinking. If you don't want it, don't expect me to sit idly by and watch it go to waste if it appears to be something I want. I'm ultimately out to get what is good for me.

In going after what was good for me I found something that makes me happier than anything has in the past few years. I've came under fire for some of my decisions but I ignore the critics. What do critics know anyways. They said Waterworld was bad. We all know what a stellar flick that was anyways.

On to a story from the land they call Disney.

The ride to Orlando was pretty much without any major happenings. Except maybe one supposed daring dive across and intersection just to get to a place where we could switch drivers because I found myself falling asleep in rush hour traffic in Atlanta. Dad said it was a daring dive, I saw all angles and there was minimal risk involved.

As soon as we arrive at our house in Orlando we assume to task of breaking the three keypad locking mechanisms to enter. It felt like we were walking into the maximum security section of Ft. Knox. The final keypad was for the house alarm and dad couldn't seem to find the numbers for it. I stood staring at the pad hoping for something to come to me until the blaring siren announced the unwelcome visitors in the condo. After pilfering some paperwork I figured out the code was the same as one of the codes before. We got settled in and then came a rapping at our condo door. We haven't been in Orlando thirty minutes and the Sheriff's department is already at our door. They were responding to the alarm(at least we know we were safe) but just asked a few superficial questions and were on their way. No major search or any questions of out identity. I guess they figured if we had the codes we belonged there. Riiiigggghhhhttt.

I'm thinking of going back next week and staying until someone shows up and tells me to leave. Free rent, utilities and my own pool. Man that's the life.

I know....

2005-07-04T20:35:00.000-07:00

You're probably waiting for my post-vacation post. Short version, everything went spectacular, I had a great time, I think Rachel had a great time and I'm just a little pooped from it all. I have mounds of laundry to do and I have to catch up on rest. I'll post more when I get a chance. Pictures will come(probably in the form of flickr). I'll let ya know.

Disney World looms ahead...

2005-06-22T20:22:00.000-07:00

So Friday morning I will be leaving ye old Murray and traveling the treacherous road to the land that they call Disney. With multiple family members and a beautiful chicka goin with me I think I will have a grand ole time. If you want to get in touch with me after about 10 a.m. Friday... DON'T. I'M GOING AWAY. I'll be back a week from Sunday whence I will return to the old grindstone and work my time off in the salt mines. I must thank my industrious parents for funding my week long relaxation/enjoyable trip. If it were not for them I would be vacationing at the Current River Training Grounds, a.k.a. the creek in back of my apartment.

I've been helping with my parents church's Vacation Bible School. It's themed in the days before Christs' cruxifiction and all these little children are running around in robes, headdresses and yamakah's. Its just a little creepy. Plus these infernal songs are running through my head while I try to sleep. All the breakdancing oompa loompa's from VBS are running the adults nerves ragged. I think if this madness doesn't end soon a homocide will occur at my humble little church.

Thats about all for now, thought I would update you with the goings on in my life. I'll be back in about a week and a half with pictures and I'm sure more than one humorous story.

Looking back at life...

2005-06-11T10:49:00.000-07:00

After the events of last night I began to look back upon things that I have been a part of in the past. I made the comment last night to my cousin that I look back upon the decisions I've made and I realize that most of the decision I have made have been solid decisions that ultimately lead to me trying to have the most interesting time with my life. That being said, I'll relate to you the interesting events of last night.

I was sitting at home, minding my own business and out of the blue my cell rings. I think nothing of it, being a Friday night at 8:30 p.m. As I answer the phone I realize it's my cousin Derek. He proceeds to ask me if I want to go to Fulton, KY with him tonight. I initially thought he was making a run for booze, but found this a bit odd. He continues that his wife's brother has to go to the train station there. Grant (Kassa's brother) and a friend are catching an Amtrak train from Fulton to Chicago, IL. I immediatly realize that I've never been to the train station in Fulton, I know Fulton can be a bit rough, and I've never really seen someone get on a train to ride a long distance. Now before you think anything, I've ridden a lot of subway type trains, but never a long distance train ride. I'm intrigued so of course I agree to go along. If you know nothing of my cousin and I, we always seem to have a really good time, or at least interesting time when we trip together.

Well we have a couple of sets of instructions, a minivan and six people setting off on an adventure. I call it an adventure because as I said before, tripping with Derek and I can always be fun. Fulton is kind of a dirty little town. As we enter Fulton, we realize that it is the Relay for Life night. This means that a few roads are blocked off causing a bit of confusion in our directions. Being ever inquisitive I ask one of the fellows directing traffic if he could tell us how to get to the train station. He responds in one of the most hickish voices I've ever heard, "Aw heck naw, they dun tore down that there stashun years ago."

The first thought that comes to mind is SHIT. We went to the wrong place. Then I realized that we may have been trying to get directions from a man whose family tree never branches. We were only a stones throw from TN. So we aimlessly drive the streets of Fulton trying to find someone to get me directions so I could Columbus our way to the station. Our next stop is in a seedy little gas station where the attendant replies, "we have a train station?" Although I did get some directions from a rather large black woman. She was pumping twenties into a pull tab machine. I'll try to relay the instructions as best I can remember.

"Naow you go down hurr to tha stop light. Then you take a left and drive until you see a dog peeing on a tree. You'll hang a rite rite thurr. Go about a mile and then make a illegal u-turn at the really tall oak tree. As ur coming back towards the dog stop the car and get out. Walk around the car ten times, then get back in and take a right. That should get you about half way there. Dear would you like me to write this down for you?"

All the while I was getting these directions I was backing towards the door hoping to make a quick escape to the waiting van before this woman tried to give me directions to Egypt. I say Egypt because she probably would have written them in heiroglyphics. Well I try my best to navigate us to another gas station where Grant is stared at by what appeared to be a homosexual gangster, Derek tries to pinch a loaf but is distracted by said gangster, I finally get some decent directions and then Derek proceeds to try and back into a car hopefully postponing our arrival at the train station even longer.

We follow the directions into the middle of a wheat field and come upon the Amtrak Station . After seeing this sight, no one will get out of the car until my brave soul expores further. Why does it always have to be me? I notice the lack of upkeep of the grounds,a Creepy Car, the Amtrak Sign and a general scariness of the setting. After I hadn't been murdered everyone decided to get out of the car. It definately would have been the perfect setting for either a scary movie, or a multiple homocide. The appropriateness of the setting has yet to be decided which was a greater probability. After further exploration we discover that it is an unmanned train station. My lack of knowledge on the situation was really a hinderance here because I didn't know that they did that. We went into the station, or rather the construction trailer with a sign nailed to it. Here's what the Amtrak Station Insides looked like.

We decided to make ourselves comfortable outside not knowing how sanitary the inside of this hell hole was. Derek couldn't even bring himself to pee inside the place.
Derek Had to pee outside. After about twenty minutes and effectively running off about four sets of high school aged kids that had come there apparently to make out or the like another car shows up. This is the point at which I begin to think that they murderers had finally showed up and it was fight or flight time. All I had to do was run faster than at least one person and I was fully prepared to. Much to our dismay it was just two other people that had chosen to ride the train to Chicago. I was slightly amazed that someone else had voluntarily chosen this. I think we scared them with all of our talk of hobos and being stabbed. Multiple homocide, scary movies and the like forced them to sit as far away as possible while still staying a safe distance from the creepy weedy area across the tracks. Shortly after we were informed by a random person that the trian was late. This is what you do when the Train is an Hour Late. God I'm Bored. Well we passed the time by admiring the gang graffitti on the passing commodity train. Some of those taggers are seriously talented. Kassa tried to count the cars on this train, but stopped at about 103. That damn thing was long. Then finally the Train is finally here. We were relieved to be able to finally make the trek home. No one was killed, or even harmed really.

All the way home I contemplated how I keep ending up in situations like this. I can't tell you how many times in life I've had to stop and ask myself, "exactly how did I get to this point? How many more times am I going to do this? What is wrong with me? I think I have a death wish." I've realized that all this questioning is meaningless. I'm just trying to live life to its fullest. Peace out....

I call it the Urinalization Test

2005-06-09T15:55:00.000-07:00

Alright, this is for you Brian Adams. As we sat on the back porch of my cousin Derek's , Brian related to us a story from his younger day's. Apparently one of his friends lived above a garage at his parents house. Over the course of their friendship they would hang out in this kids room and instead of sneaking downstairs late at night and waking parents they used to urinate out the window of his room.

Ah the freedom of manhood.

The ability to pee anywhere, anytime.

Well over a course of time Brian began to notice that the bush and grass underneath said window was growing at an astronomical rate compared to that of the flanking bushes and grass. The only explanation he could find for this would be that the urine was fertilizing the plants and grass. I've always believed that urine contained contaminates that would essentially kill any plants that it came into prolonged contact with. Apparently I was dead wrong. We have set up a scientific experiment based upon his theory. Over the next few months we will urinate on a previously marked area. We also took a spot right next to the experiment area and will be monitoring its growth alongside the urine spot. I know this is slightly disgusting but its all in the name of science. Out of curiousity I decided to check the internet resources to find if there is any other documented truth to this Urinalization. Apparently it's somewhat common knowledge. Check this crap out.

"Urine contains large amounts of urea, an excellent source of nitrogen for plants. As such it is a useful accelerator for compost. Urea is 10,000 times less toxic than ammonia and is a byproduct of deamination (2 NH3 molecules) and cellular respiration's (1 CO2 molecule) products combining together. Other components include various inorganic salts such as sodium chloride." Thank you Wikipedia

Alright so now I am becoming a believer but we are going through the experiment to find out if it is true outside of theory. Remember these resources say to dilute the concentration like 10 parts water to 1 part urine. These guys did nothing of the sort and neither will we. All in the name of science.

Now that my Bill Nye rant is over I'll share with you my moment of zen today. I went to my fathers work today because his company had their sponsored NASCAR car there today. They had some cool vr games set up and a real deal car that eventually did a little bit of a burnout as they were putting it away. It was kinda loud. Now the guy in charge was a obese fellow much like me, only larger. If you've ever seen a NASCAR car you'll know that they must crawl in Dukes of Hazard style in a window hole that is really not that big. Seeing the perfect Kodak moment I snapped the struggle of the pudgy NASCAR driver. It was like watching Jerry Springer. I feel so much better about myself now because I know I didn't have to squeeze my fat butt into a window while onlookers snapped pictures. Worldwide humiliation is a bitch.

Also if you get a chance, check out my new link to the original gang. Its some of my old friends in their new lives. A trip down memory land if you will. Lets get those numbers up on it.

On a final note, I would like for everyone to keep this poor dog in their prayers. Becca, he's a cute little bastard, just don't kill him. With any luck this little guy will be able to escape his mothers death touch and make it to a safe home with his grandparents. Please oh god, don't let this dog die. He has so much to live for

Golf Tourney

2005-06-07T23:28:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know My brother, cousin and I participated in a golf tournament last weekend. FYI I'm not very good and neither is my brother. We pretty much go to spend our day hacking in the weeds trying to find our balls. Yes I know how that could be taken, ha ha ha. So for competition's sake we brought in a Ringer. This kid is pretty much good at anything he does and it's quite sickening. My Brother and I were along incase we could accidentally make a good shot every now and then.

The tournament began with a shotgun start. If you don't know thats where all the golf carts get in a line and try to make it to their beginning hole before everyone else begins launching balls at the hole. Its kinda like a little NASCAR mixed in for excitements sake. At the very beginning the guys behind me evidentally didn't think I was moving fast enough so they rammed the back of my cart. It took every ounce of strength I had to not pull out my nine iron and wrap it around these geezers skull. The competition was pretty tight and we finished with a par for the day. The worst score was five over and the best to my knowledge was 14 under. The victory of the day really was the fact that none of us were seriously injured during the day and we did come back from three over to finish par on the day. I think for a band of misfits such as we were we did alright. After that I had to meander home, take a shower and go to work. Day began at 5:30 in the a.m. and ended around 1:00 a.m. I've been recuperating from that day since then.

Last night we began an experiment on the fertilizing qualities of urine on grass. One of our friends swears up and down that it can be used to fertilize grassy areas, but I disagree. We set up a scientific experiment with a control and a variable to test the urines degree of fertilization. Over the next week or so I'll post more and maybe even some pictures for all you visual learners. I call it the Urinalization Test. If our findings are groundbreaking we just might apply for the Nobel Prize this year.

Job prospects

2005-05-26T08:08:00.000-07:00

Alright this is gonna be a quickie. I just got back from a career fair and had all three interviews with a company. The last interviewer told me that I did really well and that they would definately be in touch with me in the next week or so. I may have locked down a decent job. I don't know if its a forever job or not but I'm pretty pumped about it for now. Thats all I've really got for yall. I think I'm gonna be in Jackson friday night so that'll be icing on the cake. Peace Out....

The serpent shall be slain...

2005-05-19T12:47:00.000-07:00

Alright so I go out to my back porch the other day to talk on my cell(its the only place where I get really good reception down here in Cambridgeland). As I step out the door I hear a bit of rustling near the air conditioner unit. I step around, making a wide sweeping semi-circle to examine the source of the noise and what do my eyes spy but a tail of some crawly serpent creature oozing under my air conditioner unit. Immediatly I run back inside the house, for safety, and formulate a game plan. Being from the country our immediate reaction to a snake is to get a hoe and chop off its head. Especially when located close to a water source. Poisonious snakes come from water and I would rather not visit the emergency room in the next week. It dawns upon me that I must take action against this unwanted intruder.

So the plan works like this, I adorn my Nicaraguan Revolution Sword and a Serpent Battle Axe upon my belt and prepare for battle. I first plan to flush the beast out by turning on the unit, kicking on the fan, effectively scaring him from his hiding place and then whammo with my weapons of destruction. I then realize that the beast is trying to cool his body temperature seeing as it was about 85 degrees outside. I just gave him the cool breeze he wanted. I will no give in to this heinous animal. I walk back inside and turn the unit off. I have to approach this flushing him out thing with a bit more grace than I had thought. So I return to the back porch with a new plan. I climb up on the unit, to keep his striking distance well out of reach of my delicate extremeties. I pull out my sword with my left hand and pick up a hammer with the right. So picture this if you will, I'm standing on the air conditioner unit with a hammer in one hand and a sword in the other. I proceed to bang the piss out of the sides of the unit in hopes that I will damage his delicate hearing apparatus and flush him from his cool, cool hiding place. As I commence banging my neighbor walks out her door to let her cat out. Poor girl must have been frightened. Imagine you just woke up and walk out to let the cat out and find a chubby guy standing on a air conditioner with a sword in one hand, a hammer in the other, an axe on his belt and he's banging the piss out of the unit. Luckily I had just enough time to tell her what was going on before she called the loony bin on me. Another trip to the the booby hatch has been averted. Needless to say the bastard serpent did not come from his hiding place. Strange thing is I tell everyone about this and the most common response is, aww just let him be. Snakes will eat the mice and what not around your apartment. PEOPLE, snakes bite humans, poisonious ones, cause sickness, expensive trips to the er, pain, agony, possible death. I understand you all want me dead but damnit please let me unleash my tornado of rage upon this unruly beast. The only person that has any sense, my cousin, tells me to maim the bastard beyond recognition. Damn right. I will bide my time and have my revenge upon the beast for intruding on my territory. This is a snake free zone you bastard. Your intimidations will not work on me.

In other news I will be going to see Star Wars Episode III tonight at 10pm. It's probably going to be the coolest movie I've ever seen. Also my girlfriend is out of town and I'm missin her like whoa. I know I'm a wuss but I don't really care, I ain't got nuthin to do since she's gone. I sent a proposal to a Literary Agent yesterday in hopes of piqueing some interest for a book I want to write. We'll see what this holds. Probably a rejection but I have to be able to say I at least tried. Thats all for now.

Snake, I know you're probably working with the Deer Mafia and I shall not be scared....
I have the sword that single handedly brought forth revolution in Nicaragua. I have the power of all the Nicaraguan peasants behind me. Untold blood was shed by this sword, as will yours. I will not be pushed back, I will not retreat, I will move forward and execute you and your kind...

How do you like that shit...

2005-04-24T21:00:00.000-07:00

I've kept my mouth shut for too long. I have sat back and let everyone believe what they wanted to because I felt it wasn't my place. Well guess what, it is. You start slandering a person I care deeply about you better be prepared to deal. "Cause I'm gonna step up. I hope you know I pack a chainsaw, I'll skin your ass raw. If my day keeps going this way tonight, I'll break your fucking face tonight."

So I'm to the point where I'm a little tired of everyone running their mouths behind my back. Everyone can think what they want to but until you have the cojones to talk to me about it I have no time for you. I distinctly remember dealing with situations much similar to this when I was doing the youth ministry thing. Oh yeah, I was dealing with high school kids. I thought that by the time we get to college we would have outgrown this childish drama. I guess I was wrong.

People need to stop looking for a single person to blame for all the problems in their lifes. Guess what, problems aren't caused by one thing and one thing only. Before you start looking to blame someone else you really need to examine your own life. Maybe the problems are half your's and half someone elses. But until you correct your half of it you have no place trying to tell someone else to fix their shit. What is that old saying, oh yeah "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?" Or "let he who is without sin cast the first stone." Oh yeah dawg that shit is from the bible.

Now we can all make this a little easier if we just learn to examine our own lifes before we spout off about some nonsensical bullshit dealing with another persons life. ANOTHER PERSON! I never asked anyone to agree with the way I am living my life. I only ask of my friends to accept me as I accept you and back my play. I have sat idly by and backed a lot of stupid plays from a lot of stupid people because they are my friend. I do it willingly. Do I not deserve the same respect.

Oh yeah and I took this quiz tonight and guess what I found out. Yeah read it and weep. Don't think just because there is a bit of lighthearted humor at the end of this that it isn't meant in all sincerity and honesty. I stand by every word that I speak, or write for that matter. I've pondered this side too long. Everyone just needs to chill and stop trying to push shit onto another person.

All you bitch ass punks best step out of my way cuz I'll eff you up. You wanna talk smack behind my back then expect to see this fuzzy green bear sneakin up on you while you sleep. Creeeeeepy. Think about that while you're trying to fall asleep in your warm cozy bed tonight. I could be under your bed waiting to strike...

Hey guys

2005-04-13T12:10:00.000-07:00

So I finally started writing a book. Hopefully I'll have if finished in a few months and I might even try to get it published. Thought I would post an excerpt from what I have finished so far for you guys to read and critique. I guess to preface this excerpt I've just finished telling a story that illustrates how crazy people tend to want to tell me everything about themselves they can.

I look back on today and supremely want to thank my parents for growing me right…and I wonder. Do these people just naturally attract to me by some unseen pheromone, or does my personality scream,“Hey, you, yeah the one with the tinfoil hat and underwear outside the pants. Yeah you, come over here and tell me your life story. I’m dying to fucking hear it.”

Let the analysis begin....

Hillbilly Man...

2005-04-12T06:19:00.000-07:00

Alright so I finally got a decent picture of Crazy Pete. I've been trying to accomplish this without alerting him to my photographic enterprises. If you don't live in Murray you have to understand this man. He walks everywhere partially because I think he is crazy and the dmv just refuses to give crazy folk a drivers license. Another reason he could be walking, and I'm sure you noticed from his chiseled features, is for health. The funny thing about this is that I can be driving on one side of town and pass him. Go in a straight line to the other side of town and damn it if he isn't already there. Its like he's found some space time continiuim that transports him faster than I can drive. Its really freaky and I know other people that think the same thing. My sister in law thought she had killed Crazy Pete at one point in time. At least my brother tried to make her think that. She lost a hubcap going over the railroad tracks and he tried to convince her that Pete got hit in the head with the hubcap and was slowly dying in a ditch somewhere. Alas now that the weather is turning nice again, Pete has made his truimphant return to civilization.

Its Been One Month and Four Days....

2005-03-22T13:19:00.000-08:00

I know I've been on a blogging hiatus recently but there's been good reason for it. My life hasn't had anything interesting happen in it that I felt utterly compelled to tell the rest of the world. Since my last post I have pretty much done nothing. My mother went to Nicaragua and brought me back a machete. How awesome is that! Rachel has gone home for Spring Break so I've had absolutely nothing to do with my time. I'm supposed to be going out with my family tonight to the Big Apple. Maybe I'll get to drink some beers.

Moms recently got a new digital camera(7.2 Megapixel by the way. I think thats almost four times better than the clunker I have). I decided to run it through the gauntlet yesterday. It fared pretty well. I relived my younger years by visiting the place my brother, my cousins and I used to love to play in. I like to call it the Tetanus Jungle Gym and took another picture dubbing it Tetanus Jungle Gym 2. After that I did some country cruising to some of the spots around my house that might bring me some interesting pictures of either wildlife, flowers or garbage. Anyone who wants to doubt the power of a Buick should have been with me yesterday. My Car Is An Offroad Machine. I also learned a valuable piece of information. The point at which my car wants to flip over if conditions are just right. My Car Almost Flipped Over. Now imagine if you will that my car is going the other way so the drivers side of the car is in the ditch. With my weight on that side of the car, it actually lifted the passengers side of the car off the ground. This hill may not look that steep but my drivers side was all the way in the bottom of the ditch and it really wanted to flip. I decided not to attempt to recreate the pose seeing as how I was in the middle of nowhere with no cell reception. If my car had flipped I would probably still be laying in it right now. Pissed as could be. I actually stuck my hand out the window like I was going to stop the car from flipping over with my measly arm strength. It was reactionary but I did it nonetheless. Jeez, I'm such and idiot.

I also took some pictures of flowers and stuff. They are on the sidebar if anyone cares.

If anyone has seen The Ring Two I want you to know that the scene with the Deer attacking her car really freaked me out. That is exactly how I envisioned them doing my car when I was surrounded some time back. If you'll remember I posted on this a long time ago. They surrounded my car much like they did hers but there weren't as many around my car though. Man I think the Deer Mafia is getting into the Movie Industry now. If they can do that, what is stopping them from taking over the world......

Meat Sweats...

2005-02-16T19:38:00.000-08:00

Alright Valentines Weekend lasted pretty much until today for me. Friday night Rachel and I went to Paglai's and just lounged a bit. Saturday I woke up to help my cousin move into the pimptastic house he just bought. That evening I took Rachel to Whaler's Catch in Paducah. It was a most magnificent meal only outdone by the beauty of my date. Everything was perfect and the mood was great. I'll spare all you peeps the mushy gushy details. We stopped by a friends after getting back into town and hung out all night. I think I finally got in bed by like four in the morning. That definately makes it the longest Valentines Day I'd ever had. It was pretty much the best too. Hope abounds

Sunday I spent lounging around the apartment again, only venturing out for food. I don't even know if I did that. Monday I had to work and felt like a total shithead because I couldn't spend the true Valentine's Evening with Rachel. She deserves it because she's been so great. She got me the greatest gift I think I've ever recieved. For those of you priveleged enough, you might get to see it.

Tuesday was work again and not much else. Today I woke up knowing that everything in life is going pretty grand and I haven't really worried about a damn thing today. Its kinda refreshing. Tonight I cooked dinner for Rachel and myself. It was steak of course. I now feel very manly and I think I need a cowboy hat and some six shooters to relieve some of this testosterone I accumulated from the meat. Little known fact: If you eat too much meat you will get the meat sweats. Its prolly the grossest thing in the world.

Hippies are worthless...

2005-02-10T22:17:00.000-08:00

So I was sitting at Gloria's today eating some food and there were these two hippies sitting behind us talking about everything from relationships to politics. Now there's a little bit of an understatement in the name of this post. I became more and more disgusted as I listened to these people talk. They piss and moan about the state of the nation today and how it is all President Bush's fault. Then they proceed to talk about how the injustice suffered this year during the elections really exemplified how they feel and why they don't vote. Boom, hit me like a ton of bricks. "Thats why we don't vote". Well if you don't vote then you have absolutely no room to complain because you have no voice in the matter. Until you contribute to society in some manner other than protests because you're unhappy that marijuana is illegal you can really just kiss my grits. Our system of election has been in place for quite some time now and you wanna still complain about it. Guess what? Its not going anywhere so either get over it and become a useful part of society or move to Canada. I'm sure they'd be glad to have you. Damn hockey freaks.

Yes I know that hippies have a place in our society but I'm quickly beginning to see how useless they tend to be. Lets all be peace nicks, run around with no deodorant and bitch about how we're unhappy that the nation doesn't conform to our belief system. Well thats what makes our nation great. I don't have to conform to you and you don't have to conform to me. But if you want to make some real political changes in the country try starting with voting. Then maybe watching some news and doing a little research about your issue. Once you've done that either support the candidate that is on your side, or maybe even become a candidate. Yes pot smokers can become president. Look at Mr. Clinton. Oh yeah, he never really inhaled.(cough bullshit cough)

Some of the blue states are so vehement about how they don't want our ideals impressed on them because this is a free nation, but what are we the red states supposed to do. Roll over and let you guys run the nation the way you want to. If so we might have a little reoccurance of the whole Sodom and Gomorrah. Oh yeah I just invoked some bible on ya. Wait, you don't have to believe that cause we're a free freakin nation.

"One nation, under God." Now where in that does it say my god, your god or everyone elses god? Where does it say that you have to say the pledge of allegiance? "In God We Trust". Same questions. These thoughts and sentiments were in place long before you liberal commy punks were born and I bet they will still be around after you're dead. You know why? Cause I'm gonna save up about one thousand one dollar bills and if they decide to reprint new money I'm gonna spend one of those dollars every month for the next one thousand months. Thats about twenty years. So for the next twenty years you're gonna have the chace to come across a dollar bill with the words "In God We Trust". I'm gonna do this just to mess with all you liberal bastards that consider the religious right to be closed minded because we won't adhere to your ideals of what open minded is. Isn't that a little closed minded in itself?

If anyone gets the chance download and listen to Lazy Boy "Underwear goes inside the pants." I think I found my new favorite song. Sorry Denis Leary, this guys fresh, still waiting on you to come out with something new.

Guess what? Both Mr. Rogers and Jim Henson aren't dead. They got Mr. Rogers over in Afghanistan hunting down Osama. He was a great sniper back in the day and now he's hunting down the man responsible for all the pain and suffering caused to our great nation. Ward Churchill suck my ass. You're free to say what you want but you know what, I don't have to like it. I'd like to see you in a room full of the families of the victims of those horrendous attacks. See how much you talk then. Bet those folks have a word for you. Back to the issue, Jim Henson. He ain't dead like many people think. He was recruited by the Catholic church to make the pope look alive. The pope died years ago and the church just hollowed him out and Mr. Muppet himself was recruited to stick his hand directly up the pope's ass. Make him look alive for all those good little Catholics out there. No change in leadership for the church, just hollow him out. How would you like to have been that guy. This recent stint in the hospital. That was just a scheduled vacation for Mr. Henson. I would get tired too if I had to sit in a cramped up space with my hand up the Popes backside. Look at the man, how can you even think he looks alive. The last time I saw someone that looked that dead that was actually alive was when I was watching C-Span some years back and Strom Thurman was asleep behind the podium. Maybe they were in school together as children. Bet they both knew the real Socrates. What was he like?

The Simple Life...

2005-02-08T16:38:00.000-08:00

The past week has been pretty much a time of intellectual discussion, mindless jabbering, and more job rejections. The first two have been good things for me in a time when I feel intellectually inferior and the last has undone all that the first two have done.

I went to Haley's play on Friday and immensly enjoyed it. It did mean that I would miss the Superbowl this year but I didn't really care. I wanted to see that play a lot more than watching the Superbowl this year. All I wanted to see was the commercials and a coworker recorded them for me. Haley, you did a really good job in the play and I haven't stopped laughing about Rodrigo. The italics are the accentuation you used in pronounicing the name.

Had some good dialogue with a book publishing company last week and it may work into at least some part time work as a project editor/coordinator. It could be some good practical experience to lauch my book writing career that I soon plan to embark upon. I would love to be a writer of books. They get to sit around, drink coffee and put their thoughts down on paper. Kinda sounds like what I'm doing right now.

This weekend I got to see some long lost friends. Becca and Katie, Murray is a little different without you here. At least a little less interesting to say the least. Mike Navan was in town and that was interesting. This kid is over in Iraq fighting a war that so many people vehemently are against but he doesn't bat an eye at his job. I worry about him all the time and hope that I never have to see his name on the news. So much talent wrapped in him that is just waiting to be released. I hope he comes back and pursues a career in music. Thats really where he belongs. He's going back to Iraq in a week for another nine months. Keep him in your prayers or if you're not a praying person at least keep him in your thoughts. There are thousands of others like him out there fighting for their lives every day. Honor them and those that have passed doing the same job he is regardless of your stance on the fight.

Enought mushy gushy stuff I'm finished. V-day's coming up. If anyone has any suggestions please leave them in the comments. I'm a loser like that.

Capitalist Pigs.....

2005-02-04T11:15:00.000-08:00

So I catch a lot of flack for my Ande's Mint practices at our local eatery Los Portales. I often don't live by their rules of profit. Originally they started reselling mints for five cents a piece. Recently they have upped the price of two mints to 25 cents. Now I know that this rate of inflation is definately not correct. I would also like to know if they are buying these mints in bulk, in packaging that specifically says "Not for individual resale". I bet they are. It would be easy for them to go to a local Sam's club and buy them at a really cheap rate and then resell them for an astronomical profit. I personally put in a quarter and take four. That is more than the initial five cents a mint but not a soul crushing increase that they desire. I will not be the fool and pay you more than you deserve. It is people like you who take advantage of the capitalist system and destroy the American economy. Capitalist Pigs.

Condi Rice should run for V.P. in 2008. I think that this would help the Republican party to remove the Fat Old White Man Syndrome that is the current stigma in American Politics. I know that amazing numbers of minorities would come out in the election to see a woman become the first female V.P. She has my vote. If you would like to know more about my theories direct questions to either my email or my comments on this particular blog. I will respond with why I am right and you are wrong.

Thats all for the day, peace out.

So yeah I know I suck......

2005-01-31T11:07:00.000-08:00

I know its been like a week since my last post and I'm a major slacker. Sorry guys, life just hasn't been that interesting in the past week or so. I haven't done much, I know nothing new on the job front and rent is due. Anybody wanna pay me to read books and drink Crown Royal. If so hit me on my email cause I'd be perfect for that job.

My internet has been down for like four or five days now and its kinda refreshing. I know certain people have addictions they need to feed but hey lets all detox for a bit. It was frustrating at first but now its kinda nice.

Anyone interested in this idea please let me know something. I'm thinking of putting together a tour of Europe this summer based on the best selling books of author Dan Brown. During the course of the books they visit some great places and I know millions of people have become enamored by his writings. I think it would be fun to put something together like this. I've been thinking about pitching the idea to his website people and seeing if I can get some sort of response. We'll see. If you don't know who Dan Brown is, he's the author of "Angels and Demons", "The Davinci Code", and many others. All of his books are rich with European history with a very Indiana Jones-esque feel. Post a comment if your interested.

I gots nuthin else to say now. Yeah I know its kinda weird, me with nothing to say. I'll try to be more regular from now on.

Everything's Fine Again

2005-01-24T12:45:00.000-08:00

Alright to all of the people who have been reading my blog and are concerned about my mental welfare I thank you and I am fine. Last week was a little rough but if you really examine my problems and put them up against the problems of others it really isn't that bad. Friday afternoon Greg, Alex, Rachel and I went to a gravel pit and executed the broken TV. It was a much needed release. Its amazing what shooting a 12 gauge at a TV can do for any frustration you might have. Yes we were safe in our gun handling. Friday night I spent some QT with friends and consumed some alcoholic beverages. Didn't really get drunk, more just buzzed and happy about the way life is going now. The job interview I had on Friday went pretty well. I'm not getting my hopes up like I did for the Edward Jones thing but it seems like something might pan out. Saturday I worked and Sunday I worked. Nothing really interesting went on during either of those days. I'm a little hungry and a little broke(my fault) but other than that life is good. I know these things are getting shorter and shorter by the post but I just don't have as much interesting news at this juncture. Hopefully things will liven up a bit in the future. For now I'm signing off with a thank you and adios.

"Per Ardua Surgo"

2005-01-21T12:25:00.000-08:00

This week has definately been trying for my patience and mental stability. Its weeks like this that make me realize that I'm stronger than I give myself credit for. Last night we made an expedition to Rumors in Paris. This has to be the classiest bar I've ever been to. It was the best experience I have had in a long time. The music was sub par and the crowd was young. Real young. The company I had was great tho. I had a really good time despite the environment. Also got a little drinky drink for tonight. I plan on tying one on like I haven't in a long time. I hope everyone that says they are coming does. I would like to have a good time tonight. Had another interview this morning and I think it went well. We'll see. I don't plan on getting my hopes up because I'll probably spiral into some crazy depression if I have another let down this week.

Scotch, Scotch, Scotch, I like Scotch,
Down in my belly, I like Scotch.

Its gonna be a Crown night. I can't wait. I haven't had mass quantities of Crown since Tunica this summer. I hope to have some pictures for you guys from tonight posted before the weekend is over. Hopefully some debauchery will go on and many shenanigans also.

Everyone please keep my job prospects in your drunken thoughts. That is the key to a great job. Every drunk in the world combining powers to equal one wholesome person thinking about my job. I need the money to support my cocaine addiction. Please help me. I'm soo cold........

Another Shitty Day...

2005-01-18T23:07:00.000-08:00

So the day began well but ended with me a mental wreck. I dunno what to do anymore. I feel like I have no control over what lies ahead for me anymore. It's way to scary for me to even explain. I'm a control freak. I like to know whats coming up around the bend but that period of my life seems to be long gone now. I finally got a response from Edward Jones today. After the time that I spent out of my schedule obliging their odd hiring process all they see fit to do is send me some fucking letter in the mail. Isn't that a little tacky. Its ok that they don't want to hire me, I'm not exactly the best looking guy on paper. I pretty much look like a fuckup on paper. I wonder if there's a reason for that or not.

Also at lunch today I found out that a part of my life that I thought was over isn't. I thought that maybe I had finally worked out my psychosis and would never have another panic attack again. It wasn't as severe as some from the past but I pretty much felt helpless. The only thing I could do that made me feel better was to curl into the fetal position and do some quick breathing exercises. But that wasn't it for the day. I've felt some form of high anxiety all day. I don't really know what's causing it but hopefully it will work itself out. Well its time for me to get off here. I think I'm going to the living room to read for a bit. Don't want to be a disturbance.

Life is the alternative to nothingness...

2005-01-17T23:17:00.000-08:00

Have you ever been so not in control of your life that you feel like your falling? Any rollercoaster enthusiast knows this feeling all to well but have comfort in the engineer that created the track. They will smoothly pull out of the drop and feel the wave of adrenaline that washes over the body in a "near death" experience. Well I have the sinking dropping feeling and have no idea if the track is even complete. I don't know if I'm going to pull out of this smoothly or if I am going to crash into the bottom in a heap of mangled flesh. I have trust that I won't crash into the ground but sometimes our sense let us down. What if I have trust in something that I shouldn't? I'm starting to ramble and I have a feeling in the pit of my stomach that makes me wonder at what exact time am I going to vomit? Just so you know I hardly ever puke but I feel it coming on. I know I'm probably letting my nerves get the better of me but thats what they do. They overanalyze things to dust. I should be on Paxil still. Thought I was over the panic thing but I guess not. We can make strides in one part of our life and baby steps in another. Damn when am I going to grow up. I hope soon. I'm tired of being this helpless little boy inside.

The past has haunted me for as long as it has been the past. It is riddled with the what if's and the excuses I need to make myself feel better and worse at the same time. Its almost a duality of consciousness. I'd shut off that part of my life so well that I didn't even know I was capable of feeling again. Now that I've opened that door, or as you put it "pandora's box" I can't seem to get the damn thing shut. Everything is rushing out like some emotional floodgate has been opened. I know it probably isn't fair but at this point I can't help myself.

I'm so sorry.

F#@* Tha World Cause I'm Straight Frum Tha Underground...

2005-01-16T07:18:00.000-08:00

Alright I've been pondering this Tsunami aid situation. The United States initially announced that they would send 35 million dollars in relief. Then some punk decided that "hey, they are being stingy". We get criticized on a grand scale because the rest of the world thinks we aren't doing enough to help. But then they look over at Iraq and tell us we're doing too much. Whats with this double standard shit. Is it because they only want us to help people when they think we should and neglect dire situations because it may be internationally unpopular. Why is it that now that we decided to send $350 million people are saying that we just did it because we got called out. People make up your damn minds. I got an idea. If you don't like us or what we are doing, screw you. Its kinda funny to watch France piss an moan about what we are doing now with the knowledge that if it weren't for us they would not exist as they know it. Hey guys didn't we bail you out. Twice. I think so.

We've decided to send $350 million in aide and we have victims of mudslides, floods and some of our soldiers aren't armored enough. Does this make any sense to you? It sure doesn't to me. But we as american's have to walk a fine line to try to regain some approval of the international community because they mean something. Or do they really. If we were to cut off the rest of the world could we exist on our own? Maybe not on the level we live right now but we could be completely self sufficient. I'm starting to be more and more in favor of cutting ties with the rest of the world and saying just take care of our own. I just want to ask people internationally what would happen if we decided to do nothing for anyone else? Would we become arrogant americans or would we even care? I'm tired of being looked down on for being an American but when people have a problem and need something they come to us with their hands out. If you don't like us don't come to us for money? If you don't like us don't criticize us for our decisions. You know why? Because pretty soon we're gonna stop caring what you say.

Not much new

2005-01-13T05:45:00.000-08:00

Its 7:30 in the a.m. and no I don't have to be at work. I have a telephone interview with Edward Jones at 8. I'm getting a little nervous. I hope I get this job. It could mean good things for life.

I've started a new blog with my cousin and my brother. Its called Philosophical Thought. We are going to discuss a lot of things. I think it will be a lot of fun.

Ok so Greg and I made our own coffee table for the living room. I've caught a lot of flack about this one but I think it looks quite good. What do you think? Coffee Table 1 and Coffee Table 2. No person in the world is going to have a coffee exactly identical to ours. Hows yous likes that.

Rachel's coming back to town today around 3. She thinks that some people might not notice her New Do. First off it looks great and secondly there could only be three reasons that someone might not notice your new hair cut.

A. They're stupid.
2. They're retarded.
C. They're staring at your tits.

I'm putting my money on the last one. We'll see though. Apartment is soo close to being done with what we have right now. Things need to be tweeked but as it sits I think it looks pretty good for a college apartment.

Thats all for now peace.

The trip was fun.

2005-01-10T20:58:00.000-08:00

Alright so the ride down south sucked. It was pouring rain the whole time and I felt like I was driving in the Delta's of Louisiana. Both sides of the road were covered in water. Thought maybe if I drove off the side of the road I would get eaten by an alligator. An orange one. Big Orange country. Crazy folk I tell you. Needless to say other than the hellish drive I had a good time.

I met lots of new people for me to add to my repetoire of interesting people I've met. I guess TN ain't as bad as they say it is. Those are good people. I did learn a new card game that I truly despise. Joel I fell ya pain homie that game sucked. We started out so well and ended so badly. Guess all that smack talking just went to our head. Or at least we'll let them think that. If we hadn't let them win, we'd have never heard the end of it and probably wouldn't be welcome back. Phase 10 is almost as bad as the furby. Can't wait to get down there to see the play young'uns. Just hope I didn't wear out my welcome. And I didn't say bye to you because I find them to be oh so hard. I just couldn't bear to see you cry when I left. hehehe. Actually I thought you were asleep so I just jetted. Didn't want to interrupt your beauty sleep. And no matter what your sister says, I think you're pretty cool.

Got some pics while I was down there. Anyone from around here knows about the Hugantic gynormous catfish in Paris, TN. I thought I would bring it to the attention of the rest of the blogging world. It also has the claim to fame right on the sign. Gotta be proud of something.

Also wasn't there some law introduced in the thirties outlawing the usage of the word Vittles in common vernacular. I guess not. Or at least this town didn't get the memo. I imagine there's a lot of things this town doesn't get. But they gots their Videos too. I actually discovered this gem a couple of months ago on a trek to see a play. We stopped in and found anything ranging from cigarettes to food to videos to bongs. Wow they had everything. Guess the sign says it all.

Had my interview with Edward Jones today. It went rather well I think. It's kinda sad though. I went in to interview with a guy that is doing well for himself but his suit looked like he bought it at good will. Maybe he shouldn't have bought that Lexus and got some decent clothing. Its ok homie, I'll give you some fashion advice. Let your wife dress you. She's smarter than you are. They all are.

On a lighter note I know there's still like forty-five minutes until it is official but HAPPY BIRTHDAY TINA. Thank you soo much for your hospitality and if I knew you guys fed people that well I'd probably have come down there sooner and never left. I'd be the guy on the couch. At least until you taught Lucky to attack me. Probably wouldn't take long. He wasn't growling at me yet but with a little encouragment I'm sure he would. Had a great time yall.

Peace out

Back in tha hood yalls

2005-01-06T11:00:00.000-08:00

Alright I must first apologize to anyone who has been waiting for me to post something new. I know its been a while but it's been a busy week. Lots of changes in my lifestyle and more potential changes to come.

First off Christmas was poopy. I wasn't in the mood this year and as a result I wasn't that excited about it. I'm sorry to anyone who got me a present and recieved either a non enthusiastic response or nothing at all. I'm a terrible person and I know it. I'm comfortable with it so you should be too.

I spent all New Years working. Not just eve and not just the day, the whole weekend. It sucked. I'm not going to bore you with the I'm sad because I was alone yet again at the holiday's because most people reading know that I'm pathetic.

I moved out of the parents house. I'm no longer the biggest mooch in the world. I also have a really good job prospect in the works. Monday I go in for a face to face interview to be an Investment Representative with Edward Jones. This means that I am of the ten percent of people that make it this far and there are only two steps left until employment. If I get the job its gonna rock. They pay me for the learning period. Two months of income for sitting at home studying. Why can't college be like that? If I meet the basic requirements for sales and contacts, in the first 16 months I stand to make about 50k. Ain't nuthin to shake a stick at. Its gonna be a lot of work if I get this job but I think its worth it.

If anyone wants to hang out this weekend make sure to call me. Not. I'm going on a little road trip south that I'm super excited about. And yes your hair looks great. I'll be back either Sat. night or Sunday morning. Haven't really decided yet and I'll probably have to come back Sat. night before I wear out my welcome. Looking forward to seeing all you cats in the south. You know who you is.

Next Thursday starts the mass returning of some Murray State students. People to hang out with again. No more of me and Greg going to the movies alone. I know those people think we are a gay couple. They have to. All you family members remember that next week is the dreaded anniversary of the death of a dear one. I hope that all of you spend none of the time getting down on missing him but remember the good times and all the wisdom that was passed along. Even if he was and I quote you Kristen V., "a pitiful old coot." I think this year I'll actually go graveside and put some flowers down, or maybe a deck of playing cards. He'd enjoy that more.

If anyone has any furniture that they'd like to get rid of our apartment is kinda sparse and barren. We have a lot of great plans for the place but we have to have money first. So donations can be made out to the Greg and John don't want to look like college bums fund. Or GJDWTLLCB Fund. It's not tax deductible and your money probably won't go to anything good but we'd appreciate it. Although we do have the coolest coffee table in the world. We made it Christopher Lowell style. No we aren't gay.

Finally for the insanity that you all have been waiting for. I have contacted independant contractors concerning my protection from The Deer. I finally realized that I cannot fight this problem alone. I was sitting on the back porch of the apartment night before last and a little rabbit hopped out of the woods. I politely asked him if he could help me and I think he nodded and then ran off. I can only take that as an offer of protection from the Watership Down mob. They gots my back. You kill one of them, ten more pop up. Come get some deer. I got your number.

Sorry guys.

2005-01-02T23:28:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to drop a line and tell people that I'm not dead. At least not yet. I'm in the middle of moving and haven't really had time to post on here. I promise that in a couple of days that things will be back to normal. At least what I call normal, which for you is probably crazy. I guess that makes me crazy in your eyes. Well if thats what you think then up yours. I didn't need jerky readers like you anyways.

I get it

2004-12-31T05:11:00.000-08:00

It makes me happy just to know that I get it. Maybe I'm the only one that does, or maybe millions of others get it too but from where I sit, I'm still happy I get it.

I see you

2004-12-28T13:17:00.000-08:00

So the move is official. I am moving into Cambridge II with Greg. The apartment is gonna save us a lot of money compared to Murray Place and I think I am gonna like it better anyway. I know the landlord and he's a cool guy so I won't have the problem with jerks hounding me anymore.

Sneaky ninja skills may have to be used on a person now. I regret these tactics but I think it may be essential.

Banks are the devil. I find it highly unethical the treatment that banks give to their customers. When an account overdraws they have this little thing called an NSF fee. These fee's are not weighted to the amount in which you overdraw. Currently at my bank it is 32 dollars. Now I understand that it may be my fault that I overdraw but I feel that 32 bones is a bit much to ask for an eleven cent oversight. Eleven friggin cents. Now they want me to pay them $32.11. Does anyone else find this ignorant. I thought about taking a stand on principle here but then it negatively effects my credit rating which they hold so tight as if it were a security blanket or some kind of adults night light. Those punk asses are gonna get theirs in the end. I know for a fact that they can remove these charges if they feel so inclined but as a measly college students bank account goes they have no remorse in draining me of that which I worked so hard to get. If they loose my account so what. They don't really care. It's as if they are saying we are gonna do this unethical thing and if you try to stand up to us, we will demolish your credit because we have the power. I think I'm gonna start a bank that charges an NSF equal to the amount of which you overdraw up to $50. That way if you overdraw by five cents all you have to pay is ten cents. Doesn't that make a little more sense. If you overdraw by $100 dollars then you have to pay me $150 dollars. Now when someone overdraws by $100 they didn't make a minor mistake in calculation. They meant to do it and should be dealt with accordingly. And why do ATM's allow you to draw out money in your bank account that isn't there. There have been times when friends of mine have withdrawn $20 bucks when they only had ten in. A complex system like an ATM should be able to detect these discrepencies and act accordingly. If I don't have the money, don't give it to me. Quit trying to screw the little guy. Everyone I know has to have bounced a check at least once in their lifetime. We all make mistakes, why punish me so?

Why does life have to be so hard? Why can't I have all the answers?

Because the joy in life is derived from some level of surprise.

A new minion of evil. The Poo Bah

2004-12-27T06:22:00.000-08:00

So Christmas was a blast this year. Watching my nephew and neices open their presents is really fun. It gives adults an excuse to be able to play with toys. As if I ever needed an excuse, but now I can look a bit more respectable in the eyes of other adults. I played with the toys simply because my nephew wanted me too. I promise. I also did a little Chubby Kid Sledding. If you don't know, chubby kids get a lot more speed once we have a path carved in the snow. I was attempting to build a ramp at the bottom of the hill, but I got bored.

Hannah got the newest evil toy. It is almost in the same ranks as the Furby and Teddy Ruxpin. Poo Bah is definately creepy. Just look at it, you can't even see its mouth. It looks like its wearing a turtle neck and has wart looking growths on his noggin. If you don't find this toy creepy then I call you a liar.

We had a Chinese Auction at my grandmothers Christmas night. I bought a gift card for the experience. Before you say anything, I know it was kind of a cop out. It was a completely unoriginal gift but the key is the wrapping. I made The Best Wrapping Paper Ever. It took me like forty-five minutes to complete the job. The picture doesn't really tell the story well but I started with the smallest envelop I could find. I wrapped it in clear tape. By wrapped I mean I completely encompassed the envelop in tape. then I got the next size up envelop and proceeded to wrap it in scotch tape. Finally I wrapped a manilla envelop in blue painters marking tape. I took care to wrap it so anyone who tried to open it would have to spend a significant amount of time unwrapping or cutting the present. They didn't want to risk cutting whatever lay inside the envelop so they had to slowly but surely unwrap the present. It took my dad like ten minutes of solid unwrapping to get to the center. It brought much laughing.

The Best Wakeup Ever

Recently I came across a picture that I hadn't seen in a while. It was taken during the learning process that I call living with three women. I was the only male for a while in a house with three college age girls. Boy was that a learning experience. If anyone ever gets the chance I suggest that you try it. Back to the story. One night after we had all been out doing something one of my roomates, Katie, asked me to wake her up in the morning. That was a big mistake. If you don't know me then you must understand that I am the sneakiest ninja in the world and I tend to like to mess with people. So roughly around 7:30 in the a.m. I formulated my plan of attack. I proceeded downstairs to the kitchen. I took a saucepan from the cupboard and a metal ladel. I went back upstairs where she was sleeping rousingly and took position. I placed the open end of the pan over her ear hole and slammed the soup, ladel down on the closed end as if it were a drum. If you've never done this I highly suggest it. It will take you back to the days when you were two. I repeated this action until I got the desired reaction. I pleading to stop the banging ensued. I then collapsed upon my prey and proceeded with the wake up plan. After much wrestling I returned to my feet, picked up the box fan she was using to cool her room and began taunting her through the moving blades. It kinda makes you sound like Darth Vader. After she was too annoyed to go back to sleep I returned to my fortress of solitude and continued sleeping. Katie you have to admit that was the funniest wake up you ever recieved.

Wake Up Katie, I Am your father

Stranded in the city limits.

2004-12-24T16:42:00.000-08:00

I was stranded in Murray for the last three days. It was fun but it's always nice to be home to your own bed. There were many things that have happened in the past few days. I cut work today because I realized that the only thing open was Wal-Mart and no one was going to call. Although the Court House looked beautiful in the snow. I kept looking at it from my window the first day it snowed. I have now posted a picture of the evil Furby that I was taunted by at work.

After I got off work Thursday I went to lunch with Pittman in the Grey Striped Yeti. Of course if you don't know what that is it is the Caddy he bought for two hundred dollars. I figured out that the Hula Girl on his dash was causing all the bad weather. She was just sitting there contentedly shaking, laughing at us.

I knew it would happen, it was just a matter of time. I was carrying my digital camera around waiting for Greg to bust his arse. And it happened.

Last night as we were standing outside we noticed something so beautiful that I can't even presume to believe that we were the first to see it. The moon was shining really bright and in the parts of the snow that were untouched we noticed the crystals gleaming. It wasn't some normal gleam. It looked as if there were stars in the snow. It was a bit dizzying with the lights all glaring up at us and down at us. We decided that this is the reason that all eskimos are crazy. After having to stare at that every night they couldn't possibly know the difference from up and down. At night the stars are both in the sky and in the snow.

I do know what the beauty reminded me of. A certain person I wish had been there to see it too. I know she would have appreciated the beauty of it as well. Its sad how little time I really have spent with her and how much I miss her. I think I'm turning into one of those saps that everyone rolls their eyes at. But at this point I'm happier than I've been in a long time and I don't care what people think.

And finally we went to see Lemony Snickett. Greg decided he was the mountain climber extrodinaire. I found him to be The King of Idiots.

Wintry depths of insanity.

2004-12-23T11:10:00.000-08:00

So there's about fifteen feet of snow outside right now. By fifteen I mean there is about six inches drifted in front of the door at the office. Its kind of maddening because my car is stuck in a hole no deeper than the three inches. I think its the two inches of ice directly beneath my tire. Spin spin spin all day long. I gotta wait until the ice melts to move my car and thats probably going to be Sunday or Monday. At least we're going to have a white Christmas. It kinda sucks for the people who haven't made it home for the holiday's yet and for Greg cause his maw may not be able to come down now.

I think that the office I work at is the only place in Murray open aside from Wal-Mart. The roads are shite and the weather is shite. I think everything right now is shite. I'll post some more pictures of the conditions outside when I get home. Also I came across an interesting picture yesterday so as soon as I'm near a scanner I'm gonna post it. There's a story to go with it so I'll have to wait for another day to post that.

Why as adults do we find it necessary to use ambigious terms to describe certain situations in our life because we are scared. I thought being afraid was a thing that was reserved for our childhood. I guess I understand with it, I just don't agree with it. As adults we should know when to take chances but I guess thats just asking to much of myself.

I'm really tired and I think I'm going home now.

Furby vs. Teddy Ruxpin. Who is creapier?

2004-12-21T13:20:00.000-08:00

Today has definately been one of those days. I have struggled to keep myself occupied all day long. I think I'm gonna start peeling off paint chips to eat. Maybe it will give me a headache and I will know that I am still alive and not in the hell that is boredom. After much ado I think I am actually going to get to see Blade Trinity tonight. Greg and I are bach'ing it tonight to the movies. I hope he doesn't try to hold my hand. It was real awkward last time he did that crap. I felt obligated to not be mean to him in front of his girlfriend. I guess she swings that way.

Someone has pointed out to my attention that I have a way of getting into situations involving board games in which disputes last forever. About six years ago My bro, his wife, their neice and I were playing Scattegories. I don't know if you've ever played that game before but you have a list of categories of which you have to name one member of that category that begins with the letter that you rolled on a multisided die. It gets really interesting if you have letters that are hard to come up with items for. We had rolled L and were supposed to come up with a type of pizza that began with that letter. Well we obviously said Lobster pizza. It was contested and to make the whiny women feel better my brother and I conceded that it wasn't really a type of pizza at all. Deep down inside I knew my day of vindication would come. Keep in mind this was about six years ago. Well about four months ago I was in Red Lobster eating dinner with some friends. When lo and behold I looked on the menu and found that they were offering Lobster pizza. So what did I do? I stole the menu and brought it home to rub in my sister-in-law's face. Boo-Yah. Why do people question my infinite wisdom?

I'm planning on staying at Coleslaws apartment tonight since its supposed to snow like a mutha trucka tonight. They are calling for like four to eight inches. I ain't gots good tires so I need to drive the least amount possible. We'll see how comfortable that couch is going to be. Now that I think about it Greg's girlfriend is gone and we are supposed to be going to a movie tonight. And I'm staying the night..... Ewww. Dude you try anything I'll kick your face in with Kung Fu. You are the grasshopper and I am the master.

There is a Furby on top of this computer staring at me. I don't like it much. Its kinda creepy. I had a bad experience with one of those. Some years back my brother had gotten one for his neice and for whatever reason it was at my parents home. I came home really late one night and all the lights were out. If you know nothing of a Furby know this, they are the creapiest invention since Teddy Ruxpin.

So I came in at like three in the morning and the Furby had been left on the mantle over the fireplace. It had that motion sensor technology that did nothing but weird me out to begin with. They seemed like some robot put in our home by the government to watch us. As I began to walk across the living room it must have picked up on my stealthy ninja movement and activated. Its three a.m. and pitch dark, this little sucker's eyes light up like christmas and it says only what I thought to be "death to the sneaky ninja". I jumped into my butt-whoopin pose. I was ready to tussle with this three inch furry creature. Of course once I realized what it was I felt a bit foolish but I did chuck it across the room with much anger. I think someone set me up to be scared. Or maybe the government really is watching me.

Newsbreak.......This just in.

The military is on to the deer problem. An assassinated deer hitman was found in front of the National Guard Armory. My informants seem to think that the deer was taken down by significant military presence. Why are they defending me? Is it because there is a vast conspiracy to keep me alive for some other government agenda? I will not be part of this madness.

Ahh the wonderful Christmas Air

2004-12-20T07:38:00.000-08:00

So I haven't posted in a couple of days and I have noticed a significant drop off in readership. Sorry it was a hectic weekend and I didn't really have time to update. Saturday night was my families Christmas party. Had a beautiful Sunset in Coldwater the day of the Christmas part. The eatery and drinkery started with the Lemon Flavored Pee. I saw this stuff and thought to myself, why on earth would someone drink that crap. It looks like pee after someone drank like a case of beer and they just sweetened it up with some sugar and lemons. I had to take a picture of this crap. After eating I ran into The Next Hannibal Lecter. I think that child runs off of cold fusion. He seems to have a never ending source of energy with which to pester you.

And yes to all of you who were wondering I do have a cousin Eddie like in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. And yes there are striking similarities in our cousin Eddie's life to that of the movie Eddie. He is super creepy too. Oh yeah, one more thing about him, He's a Demon.

Then began the competition. There is always some sort of craft my mother organizes for these things. With the nature of our family it becomes a type of competition. Everyone gets together to try to make the other ones lose.
This year it was the Gingerbread House Build Off.

Everyone was competing for the bragging rights of the year. Significant Others tried their hardest to defeat the family with the help of Rachel and The Gingerbread House. In the end the two "outsiders" won. But hey, is it really that hard to beat a bunch of five year olds and a couple of fifteen year olds.

Finally my pride and joy Abbi, Hannah,and Micah Monster. These kids are definately the coolest.

After food, competition, and coffee these two had to spend some time in Deep Thought. Do I hear tumbleweeds blowing.

And yes this is how I feel about my brother most of the time. Strangulation Station

Finally we retired to my p's house for a little wine and Trivial Pursuit. It was battle of the sexes time. The men versus the women. They had an advantage on us of 7-4. But my confidence was not shaken. I told them we would demolish them and we did. In the end we had completed the game and they had three cheeses in their playing piece. Come on girls, I thought you were the smarter sex.

And a parting thought. In medieval times the castles had criss-cross slite in the walls. What were these holes for? Well the answer the women gave was for a "Long Bow." Exact wording long bow. The card's answer read "Crossbow". Now I am wondering how many people out there find this to be an acceptable answer. Am I really the jerk that I was portrayed to be just because I didn't find that to be an acceptable answer and I wasn't willing to let it go. What would have happened if the Americans during the Revolutionary war had "let it go"? What about the attacks on Pearl Harbor? Why didn't we just "let it go"? Things would be a lot different now wouldn't they? I refuse to let it go because the social norm tells me that is the "right" thing to do. Who knows what is right or not? I don't claim to. The Trivial Pursuit Gods still smiled upon us and proved once again that four male heads are better than seven female heads. I am quite sure I have pissed everyone off by now and I will say adieu. Everyone notice my new pics and thanks for the visits.

2004-12-17T15:13:00.000-08:00

Killer Deer is another website that believes the same things that I do. Deer are definately not the cute and cuddly creatures many think they are. If we look into our past we will understand that maybe the idea of Deer Hunting was brought forth to snuff a deer revolution. All those pictures of hundreds of deer lined up with five or ten hunters around. Those aren't prizes, they are historical documents meant to show us the power of man to overcome an animal revolution. Now all those animal rights activists may think I am evil but they won't think so when they are on the recieving end of an antler.

Random News is a new idea I may start. I'll spend my time surfing the internet for random news that may be humorous. All for my readers benefit. If you guys like it please leave me feedback. I have only had like five comments so far. I'm beginning to think that people either aren't reading the material or you guys don't like what I have to say.

Tomorrow is my families christmas party and I'll try to get some interesting pictures to post for you guys. It should be a good time. Food, family, fun and some booze afterwards.

This is awesome

2004-12-16T08:59:00.000-08:00

So I found this new website while surfing other peoples blogs Sitcom Character. I've tried every character on Seinfeld and a few from the old tv show Alf. We tried dictators Hitler, Pol Pot, Castro, Pinochet, and some South African dictator. This website is soo freaky. Well Rachel is supposed to be in town tonight and I think we are going to exchange gifts. I really hope I didn't undershoot how much she spent because I really don't want to look like a cheap skate.

So I've signed the papers to start the process of moving into Murray Place. We got a four bedroom unit on the third floor of the 400 building. They are going to block off two of the rooms so we have a two bedroom unit. I'm kinda glad I'm moving back out. I think I'll start to feel more like a man and less like a mooch. There will be much tomfoolery and shenanegins. I don't think I spelled that right.

So it looks like the Presidential candidates for 2008 are falling into place. I was keeping and eye on Barak Obama, but he has clearly stated that he will not be seeking the nomination during his first term. Alan Keys, had he won, probably would have sought the nomination leaving Illinois high and dry. That definatly would not have bothered me. Ahnald might be looking but for that to even be a possibility we have to have Constitutional Amendments. It breaks down to Hilary and Edwards being forerunners for the Democratic party, and Guiliani being my choice for the Republican candidate. I believe that if he recieves the nomination he will demolish the Democrats. To the Democrats I say "BRING IT ON!!!!!" I hope to be active in the campaign for the Republican. That will only happen if I support the nomination. Everyone involved in the 2020 plan needs to read Rauch's Law. It will help us to put a time table for the presidential run made by our favorite politician. 2028 is the latest he can run according to the mathematical equation that has proved true for the past 100 years with only one exception.

I'm still hearing a lot of whining from the left. I just don't understand how they can keep whining when they all promised that if they lost they were going to move to Canada. If you don't like it here then just leave. No person is holding you here. Actually dissentors of this nature we would welcome, nay help them to move out. Please people just quit whining and try to actually do something about it. Become active not vocal. Screaming to the top of your lungs is less effective than whispering to those who matter. I'm done with this rant have fun.