1. Has anyone else ever noticed that the Beatles' song "Birthday" sounds awfully sarcastic? Listen to it again. The tone of Paul and John's voices definitely have a certain harshness. It's almost as if they are mocking the subject of the song with each lyric.
"You say it's your birthday - well it's my birthday too, yeah!" --- this is like someone sneeringly claiming it's their birthday when it obviously is not just to spite the person whose birthday it truly is.
"We're gonna have a good time" --- No, we're not. Because I'm a jerk and I'm belittling you by making fun of your birthday party.
"I'm glad it's your birthday" -- No, not really. I'm just sarcastically saying that to make you feel bad. Ha Ha Ha.
2. This has been one of the nicest Autumns I can remember. Too bad I've spent most of it indoors doing engineering stuff. It never rained in September, and maybe rained twice in October. We had one week recently of 50 degree weather, but other than that it's been in the 70s and sunny.
3. I keep having dreams where I'm talking to Brett Favre as if we are friends or I at least have an opinion that he cares about. I've always respected Favre as a football player, but I'm a Bears fan - so it's not like he's been one of my sports heroes. I kind of feel for the guy right now. He's having a rough season...getting physically beat up, the media has swarmed over his "racy texts" scandal (even though it's really no one's business and shouldn't be news - the only purpose it serves is to keep Jenn Sterger's name floating in the ether and providing fodder for the aforementioned media), his coach stinks, his team is a mess...he's almost assuredly wishing he'd just stayed in Mississippi instead of coming back this time around. That being said, though, you have to be impressed by his ability to keep playing with men half his age. He's still very capable and one of the better players at his position.
4. Is it just me or does Thanksgiving seem to come more quickly these days and without any build up? From childhood through my college years there was always a month-long anticipation and excitement that brewed. But lately the big day just sort of rushes upon us with only a bit of fanfare on the day before. Could it just be that I'm older now and my mind is occupied by more important matters? Looking back at my 20 year old self, I had so little responsibility or truly important things to tend to that I could afford to think about Thanksgiving every day for a month leading up to it. Come to think of it...my 20 year old self was a head-shakingly shadow-like version of my current self. But then that's always been the goal: to constantly be improving and as a result looking back on old versions of myself with disregard and a roll of the eyes. It would be a shame to always consider your former self to be the better you.
Well, it's time to eat a late breakfast and go watch my Hurricanes stink it up against Georgia Tech. If we lose today I will then be in full hoping-that-we-tank-the-season mode and looking forward to hiring a new coaching staff (Jon Gruden please!). If we win...meh...I'll be happy for the players and will try to be optimistic about the future, but I won't be daydreaming of championships.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Monday, October 4, 2010
3 Months of Busy-ness
I have a spare 15 minutes, so let's see how far I can get....
Another year, another fantasy football season that sees my team having unbelievably bad luck and all my opponents' players just happening to have career weeks against me. Also, just like last year, a lot of my opponents' players who have amazing performances against me end up getting hurt the following week (exhibit A: Michael Vick). This week my opponent had both Jay Cutler and the Giants defense, so something had to give. Unfortunately it was poor Jay's head. As a Bears fan, last night was a miserable game to watch....
Engineering school has reached new levels of ruthlessness. I'm constantly working and having to shun family, friends, free time, creative pursuits, and sanity.
My technological annoyances continue. Oh the woes of being a broke college student...it now appears that my creaky old laptop is too old for further software updates (this includes Itunes...apparently I'm stuck with version 9.2 from now on)...which also means I cannot update the software on my Iphone. (I'm on version 3.1.3 of that...) I could potentially upgrade the software from another computer, but apparently that would mean losing everything on my phone - including pictures (all 1000 of them). As my creaky old laptop is incredibly slow and short on memory, an attempt at transferring my pictures to my computer is no simple task. What I really need is a fairy-god-mother to show up at my porch door with a brand new Mac laptop (and Iphone G4 while she's at it) and a case of Newcastle. And since we're asking for really cool things to be delivered to me - how about my lovely girlfriend, too?
Alright, my allotted free time is up. The Engineering Monster is coming....
Another year, another fantasy football season that sees my team having unbelievably bad luck and all my opponents' players just happening to have career weeks against me. Also, just like last year, a lot of my opponents' players who have amazing performances against me end up getting hurt the following week (exhibit A: Michael Vick). This week my opponent had both Jay Cutler and the Giants defense, so something had to give. Unfortunately it was poor Jay's head. As a Bears fan, last night was a miserable game to watch....
Engineering school has reached new levels of ruthlessness. I'm constantly working and having to shun family, friends, free time, creative pursuits, and sanity.
My technological annoyances continue. Oh the woes of being a broke college student...it now appears that my creaky old laptop is too old for further software updates (this includes Itunes...apparently I'm stuck with version 9.2 from now on)...which also means I cannot update the software on my Iphone. (I'm on version 3.1.3 of that...) I could potentially upgrade the software from another computer, but apparently that would mean losing everything on my phone - including pictures (all 1000 of them). As my creaky old laptop is incredibly slow and short on memory, an attempt at transferring my pictures to my computer is no simple task. What I really need is a fairy-god-mother to show up at my porch door with a brand new Mac laptop (and Iphone G4 while she's at it) and a case of Newcastle. And since we're asking for really cool things to be delivered to me - how about my lovely girlfriend, too?
Alright, my allotted free time is up. The Engineering Monster is coming....
Sunday, July 4, 2010
July 4th Musings
Good morning, America! Yes, we're still the greatest country on the face of the earth - despite the demolition that we are currently undergoing. This great holiday may be built upon ideals that many have forgotten or outright hate, but freedom is not something easily won or maintained. That liberty which so many Americans before us died for has often been threatened by outside and internal forces. Though these times may be troubling and dangerous, we must be confident that freedom and the American spirit shall endure.
So my fellow Patriots, enjoy this day. Spend it with the ones you love, bask in the sunshine, hold your special someone close, eat, drink, watch your goofy cousin blow his fingers off with firecrackers, wave to the ambulance as it drives him away, and go to bed remembering how lucky we are to live in this great nation.
Other random musings....
1. Did you know that in dry climates it is possible to cool your house with minimal electricity requirements? Evaporative cooling. It's a subject I've been researching lately for a project and for no apparent reason I feel like sharing. In deserts and other arid climates people can replace their standard air conditioning units with low-energy evaporative coolers (also known as "swamp coolers"). Basically the dry outside air enters the cooler and meets these saturated pads causing the water in the pads to evaporate. When the water evaporates this requires energy (in the form of heat) which comes from the air. As the air takes on water vapor and loses its own heat energy, it cools. A fan then blows the cooled air into your home. This air is actually rather humid - which many folks prefer because of comfort and its benefit to furniture, paint, etc. Also, evaporative coolers work just fine with the windows open. The result is a nice moist breeze flowing through the house. Additionally, solar panels may be used to power the cooler. While some companies have stated these coolers only require about 1/8 of the power of a standard AC unit, the use of solar power can lead to virtually free home cooling!
2. We have bald eagles still hanging around our house out here. Last week we saw two massive ones literally walking around on the ground. Until you've seen one in person, you really have no idea how HUGE these creatures are! When I saw them my first thought was - flying dinosaurs. I can completely understand how some people devote their lives to studying the many wild beasts of this world. Fascinating.
3. Last month I had the misfortune of seeing a tv performance by this abysmal band called Passion Pit. My last shreds of hope for society and our youth were dashed when I saw mindless "fans" cheering on these buffoons. For starters, the music is terrible. It's derivative of cheesy, bland 80s pop, but without any creativity or heart. The singer prances around singing in a falsetto. The whole time! He should be mocked and ridiculed for attempting to pass that off as singing! What have we come to?!?!?! These guys shouldn't be cheered, they should've been booed off the first stage they ever whined their way onto! What is wrong with our society?!?!? Bands are supposed to be cool looking, rebellious, tough, intimidating. They're supposed to write with heart and passion and creativity and experimentation! Singers should sing like men! With soul and anger and pain! They shouldn't look and act like spineless 15 year olds who do not have the capacity to ever be real men! Unless you're Robert Plant you shouldn't be singing in any range above tenor! Anyone who likes this band has been completely lulled to sleep by this society. Wake up! This is not cool - this is not real music - those are not real men - that's not singing! The thought of them having a record contract is so mind-melting that my brain has to trick itself into thinking the whole thing is some stupid joke. They can't actually be considered a real band and have real fans. No way.
alright folks...have a great July 4th! Don't let the socialists bring you down...
So my fellow Patriots, enjoy this day. Spend it with the ones you love, bask in the sunshine, hold your special someone close, eat, drink, watch your goofy cousin blow his fingers off with firecrackers, wave to the ambulance as it drives him away, and go to bed remembering how lucky we are to live in this great nation.
Other random musings....
1. Did you know that in dry climates it is possible to cool your house with minimal electricity requirements? Evaporative cooling. It's a subject I've been researching lately for a project and for no apparent reason I feel like sharing. In deserts and other arid climates people can replace their standard air conditioning units with low-energy evaporative coolers (also known as "swamp coolers"). Basically the dry outside air enters the cooler and meets these saturated pads causing the water in the pads to evaporate. When the water evaporates this requires energy (in the form of heat) which comes from the air. As the air takes on water vapor and loses its own heat energy, it cools. A fan then blows the cooled air into your home. This air is actually rather humid - which many folks prefer because of comfort and its benefit to furniture, paint, etc. Also, evaporative coolers work just fine with the windows open. The result is a nice moist breeze flowing through the house. Additionally, solar panels may be used to power the cooler. While some companies have stated these coolers only require about 1/8 of the power of a standard AC unit, the use of solar power can lead to virtually free home cooling!
2. We have bald eagles still hanging around our house out here. Last week we saw two massive ones literally walking around on the ground. Until you've seen one in person, you really have no idea how HUGE these creatures are! When I saw them my first thought was - flying dinosaurs. I can completely understand how some people devote their lives to studying the many wild beasts of this world. Fascinating.
3. Last month I had the misfortune of seeing a tv performance by this abysmal band called Passion Pit. My last shreds of hope for society and our youth were dashed when I saw mindless "fans" cheering on these buffoons. For starters, the music is terrible. It's derivative of cheesy, bland 80s pop, but without any creativity or heart. The singer prances around singing in a falsetto. The whole time! He should be mocked and ridiculed for attempting to pass that off as singing! What have we come to?!?!?! These guys shouldn't be cheered, they should've been booed off the first stage they ever whined their way onto! What is wrong with our society?!?!? Bands are supposed to be cool looking, rebellious, tough, intimidating. They're supposed to write with heart and passion and creativity and experimentation! Singers should sing like men! With soul and anger and pain! They shouldn't look and act like spineless 15 year olds who do not have the capacity to ever be real men! Unless you're Robert Plant you shouldn't be singing in any range above tenor! Anyone who likes this band has been completely lulled to sleep by this society. Wake up! This is not cool - this is not real music - those are not real men - that's not singing! The thought of them having a record contract is so mind-melting that my brain has to trick itself into thinking the whole thing is some stupid joke. They can't actually be considered a real band and have real fans. No way.
alright folks...have a great July 4th! Don't let the socialists bring you down...
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Home Again
The following is an excerpt from an email to a friend earlier this evening:
"I might feel differently at another time, but right now...yes, I would say being 30 does feel different. You start looking back and seeing that you've been around 30 years - all of that went by in a blink...and if you're lucky, you've got about another 30 left before you're into what soccer buffs might think of as "injury time." It's sobering....and terrifying and seems impossible...but the only way to deal with it is to accept it and move forward. Charge ahead into the teeth of the enemy, letting your war-cry erupt from the depths of your soul, never looking back with a timid eye, but only to recognize where you have been...may the battle be long and glorious and end with a brilliance that blinds the sun itself."
Why do I share that here? Who knows...maybe it just felt like a complete musing and one that needed to be shared. Like a tune that cannot be held inside and must be allowed to pollenate new ears. (oooh, another complete musing...)
My journey to Chicago was fantastic. I cannot wait to return. Being back in a big city for an extended time reminded me of how despite the big bad world's dangers, it holds a lot of exciting, interesting, and necessary experiences for the human soul. When you've been in one place for a long time - a place that is comfortable and safe and familiar - you can forget how pleasing and fulfilling the outside world can be.
While I was away my tomato plants (which were but mere little protrusions from the dirt when I left) underwent a significant transformation into green, stretching, vibrant bio-high-rises. They even have little corner bars that friends gather at and a Treasure Island grocery store on every other block. Naturally, parking is a gigantic nuisance. I saw two bees and a catepillar get towed within 5 minutes this morning.
There are a large number of green tomatoes on the vines, however none have yet ripened. I'm already growing wary of the blight that destroyed last year's crop by the middle of July. And today i encountered the first dreaded hornworm of the season. I tried pulling him off of the leaf he was munching on (while laughing at me), but he refused to let go. So, I employed a new method of eviction -- the classic finger-flick. With one swift flick of my middle finger the green, leaf-gobbler set sail through the air, off the porch and landed somewhere on the rocks below. Unfortunately, I'm sure his friends will not be deterred.
While in Chicago, my dearest sweetheart successfully made me a full-fledged fan of two shows that I previously did not watch (or watched very rarely): How I Met Your Mother and South Park. I've seen my fair share of South Park over the years, but never really watched it regularly. Now I can't get enough. Butters is a hilarious little character! And the episode where the kids rescue the killer whale literally made me cry with laughter. How I Met Your Mother has sort of made me feel better about turning 30. All those characters are in their 30s and still seem to have long lives ahead of them. Maybe 30 really is the new 20/25. I'm serious. People are living longer and, at least in our culture, people are maturing (mentally - not physically) more slowly. You disagree? Look back at generations from the World Wars and compare how mature and responsible they were compared to our current generations of increasing self-absorption, blaming everyone else, unnecessary litigation, MTV, etc, etc, etc....do I really have to have this argument with you kids right now? Anyway...they're both great shows and just like Family Guy two years ago and The Office this past year, they will likely be my flagship shows in the coming year. Expect me to quote them and reference them at annoying levels.
Anybody have winning lottery numbers for me? How about someone who wants to be my rich benefactor? Seriously. Maybe a transport plane with a malfunctioning back door will fly overhead and accidentally drop a load of gold coins onto the front yard....
Okay, that's all for now, folks. May you all have pleasant lives until you hear from me again...and may you next hear from me when I'm in Chicago...
"I might feel differently at another time, but right now...yes, I would say being 30 does feel different. You start looking back and seeing that you've been around 30 years - all of that went by in a blink...and if you're lucky, you've got about another 30 left before you're into what soccer buffs might think of as "injury time." It's sobering....and terrifying and seems impossible...but the only way to deal with it is to accept it and move forward. Charge ahead into the teeth of the enemy, letting your war-cry erupt from the depths of your soul, never looking back with a timid eye, but only to recognize where you have been...may the battle be long and glorious and end with a brilliance that blinds the sun itself."
Why do I share that here? Who knows...maybe it just felt like a complete musing and one that needed to be shared. Like a tune that cannot be held inside and must be allowed to pollenate new ears. (oooh, another complete musing...)
My journey to Chicago was fantastic. I cannot wait to return. Being back in a big city for an extended time reminded me of how despite the big bad world's dangers, it holds a lot of exciting, interesting, and necessary experiences for the human soul. When you've been in one place for a long time - a place that is comfortable and safe and familiar - you can forget how pleasing and fulfilling the outside world can be.
While I was away my tomato plants (which were but mere little protrusions from the dirt when I left) underwent a significant transformation into green, stretching, vibrant bio-high-rises. They even have little corner bars that friends gather at and a Treasure Island grocery store on every other block. Naturally, parking is a gigantic nuisance. I saw two bees and a catepillar get towed within 5 minutes this morning.
There are a large number of green tomatoes on the vines, however none have yet ripened. I'm already growing wary of the blight that destroyed last year's crop by the middle of July. And today i encountered the first dreaded hornworm of the season. I tried pulling him off of the leaf he was munching on (while laughing at me), but he refused to let go. So, I employed a new method of eviction -- the classic finger-flick. With one swift flick of my middle finger the green, leaf-gobbler set sail through the air, off the porch and landed somewhere on the rocks below. Unfortunately, I'm sure his friends will not be deterred.
While in Chicago, my dearest sweetheart successfully made me a full-fledged fan of two shows that I previously did not watch (or watched very rarely): How I Met Your Mother and South Park. I've seen my fair share of South Park over the years, but never really watched it regularly. Now I can't get enough. Butters is a hilarious little character! And the episode where the kids rescue the killer whale literally made me cry with laughter. How I Met Your Mother has sort of made me feel better about turning 30. All those characters are in their 30s and still seem to have long lives ahead of them. Maybe 30 really is the new 20/25. I'm serious. People are living longer and, at least in our culture, people are maturing (mentally - not physically) more slowly. You disagree? Look back at generations from the World Wars and compare how mature and responsible they were compared to our current generations of increasing self-absorption, blaming everyone else, unnecessary litigation, MTV, etc, etc, etc....do I really have to have this argument with you kids right now? Anyway...they're both great shows and just like Family Guy two years ago and The Office this past year, they will likely be my flagship shows in the coming year. Expect me to quote them and reference them at annoying levels.
Anybody have winning lottery numbers for me? How about someone who wants to be my rich benefactor? Seriously. Maybe a transport plane with a malfunctioning back door will fly overhead and accidentally drop a load of gold coins onto the front yard....
Okay, that's all for now, folks. May you all have pleasant lives until you hear from me again...and may you next hear from me when I'm in Chicago...
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Live in Chicago!
Greetings from the not-so-windy city! I'm in Chicago and am having an even better time than I expected. No roving packs of street thugs, gang-wars, serial killers, Terminators, or even an attack from the Cloverfield monster! I'm surprised by how (for the most part) I've felt safe and comfortable in this MASSIVE city. Seriously -- this place is like 10 other cities all glued together. At times I've been struck by the realization that human beings built all this! Imagine landing on a new planet with no cities of any kind and someone hands you the blueprints to the city of Chicago and says "Okay, this is what we're going to build." Of course, if you haven't seen Chicago that idea won't have the same impact...but for those of you who live here...yeah...imagine that.
I'm currently gazing out the window as the sun settles in the west (just over the 3rd base upperdeck of Wrigley Field) and enjoying a couple of tasty Newcastle Summer Ales (I had no idea they even made those!!!! For those of you who know me personally, you know that Newcastle has always been one of my favorite beers. And now they make a summer ale!!!!).
Some random thoughts:
1. We went to Giordano's for pizza in Greektown last night. Out of this world! We are not big fans of deep dish (I'll probably get a knock on the door shortly from the local authorities just for typing that), and went with the "thin" crust which was absolutely phenomenal! It was so good I had leftovers for breakfast. It's the kind of pizza that even when you're stuffed (and I mean STUFFED) you still want to keep eating it because it tastes/smells SO good! As we left I kept smelling my hands and salivating. The box of leftovers was several times heavier than most full pizzas.
2. Lower Wacker Drive will now forever be associated with the movie The Dark Knight in my mind. Too bad I left my Joker t-shirt (and voice) at home....
3. The condos on the Lake Shore (Lake Shore East) are really really sweet! But being 33 stories up and looking down from a little glass section of a living room that juts out from the building with floor to ceiling glass makes me break out in instantaneous cold sweat.
4. The food. Everything is awesome. I know - that's a lame description, but imagine yourself having just eaten something fantastic...now add in some sleepiness and maybe a few drinks...now try to form a complete sentence...yeah...not so easy, is it?
5. Wrigley Field. The atmosphere and neighborhood surrounding Wrigley is certainly something to be experienced. We picked up tickets for tomorrow night's game against the Dodgers (consequently, the last time I went to a major league game was several years ago in St. Louis when the Cardinals also played the Dodgers...and that year the Cardinals won the World Series. Wait it gets better. The time before that that I attended a major league game was in Miami for the Marlins vs Cubs....and that year the Marlins won the World Series....see the pattern Cubs' fans? Ya gotta believe...). We also conducted a search of every apparel shop and stand for a certain red-billed blue Cubs hat that I became enamored with. However, there were only mediums and smalls to be found except for at one shop. Unfortunately the "large" there was too tight and the XL was too loose. If anyone reading this happens to know their Cubs' apparel - it's a weathered looking blue cap with a red "C" with a bear inside and a red bill. I must have one. Or several hats of equal or greater cool-ness.
6. DePaul...I've been to a lot of college campuses...and attended quite a few of them...while hanging out at DePaul last evening I was struck by how, though the times, fashions, and faces change - the college kids stay the same. So young and lacking in experience...ah, how they think they know everything about the world....makes me appreciate who I am now...
7. Parking/driving in this city is nuts. I don't know how you Chicagoans do it. Nuts. That's the best word. Nuts.
Alrighty, dear readers, I hope you have enjoyed this little posting and if I find the time, I'll tell you more about my adventures up here. mmm...pizza...
I'm currently gazing out the window as the sun settles in the west (just over the 3rd base upperdeck of Wrigley Field) and enjoying a couple of tasty Newcastle Summer Ales (I had no idea they even made those!!!! For those of you who know me personally, you know that Newcastle has always been one of my favorite beers. And now they make a summer ale!!!!).
Some random thoughts:
1. We went to Giordano's for pizza in Greektown last night. Out of this world! We are not big fans of deep dish (I'll probably get a knock on the door shortly from the local authorities just for typing that), and went with the "thin" crust which was absolutely phenomenal! It was so good I had leftovers for breakfast. It's the kind of pizza that even when you're stuffed (and I mean STUFFED) you still want to keep eating it because it tastes/smells SO good! As we left I kept smelling my hands and salivating. The box of leftovers was several times heavier than most full pizzas.
2. Lower Wacker Drive will now forever be associated with the movie The Dark Knight in my mind. Too bad I left my Joker t-shirt (and voice) at home....
3. The condos on the Lake Shore (Lake Shore East) are really really sweet! But being 33 stories up and looking down from a little glass section of a living room that juts out from the building with floor to ceiling glass makes me break out in instantaneous cold sweat.
4. The food. Everything is awesome. I know - that's a lame description, but imagine yourself having just eaten something fantastic...now add in some sleepiness and maybe a few drinks...now try to form a complete sentence...yeah...not so easy, is it?
5. Wrigley Field. The atmosphere and neighborhood surrounding Wrigley is certainly something to be experienced. We picked up tickets for tomorrow night's game against the Dodgers (consequently, the last time I went to a major league game was several years ago in St. Louis when the Cardinals also played the Dodgers...and that year the Cardinals won the World Series. Wait it gets better. The time before that that I attended a major league game was in Miami for the Marlins vs Cubs....and that year the Marlins won the World Series....see the pattern Cubs' fans? Ya gotta believe...). We also conducted a search of every apparel shop and stand for a certain red-billed blue Cubs hat that I became enamored with. However, there were only mediums and smalls to be found except for at one shop. Unfortunately the "large" there was too tight and the XL was too loose. If anyone reading this happens to know their Cubs' apparel - it's a weathered looking blue cap with a red "C" with a bear inside and a red bill. I must have one. Or several hats of equal or greater cool-ness.
6. DePaul...I've been to a lot of college campuses...and attended quite a few of them...while hanging out at DePaul last evening I was struck by how, though the times, fashions, and faces change - the college kids stay the same. So young and lacking in experience...ah, how they think they know everything about the world....makes me appreciate who I am now...
7. Parking/driving in this city is nuts. I don't know how you Chicagoans do it. Nuts. That's the best word. Nuts.
Alrighty, dear readers, I hope you have enjoyed this little posting and if I find the time, I'll tell you more about my adventures up here. mmm...pizza...
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Movies and Things That Dangle Under Trucks
File this under things you don't see you every day:
So the other day I was driving home on the interstate. I was in the left lane and just in front and to my right was a white pickup truck. Traffic was pretty heavy (for around here). I happened to notice something dangling from underneath the truck's front axle. It looked rather like a snake to me and my imagination began to picture it as such a creature clinging to the underside of the truck, having just awoken, and wondering "This is going to be a bad day." But I soon reasoned that it was springing up and down too stiffly to be a snake and had to be a wire or cable of some sort. However, as the truck and I moved along down the road I noticed the cable started to dangle further and further - and bounce more and more with the turbulence of the road. I thought to myself that the cable was likely important and it would be bad if it fell off completely. A few seconds later, it did fall off. As it came out from under the truck I was stunned to see that it had indeed been a snake all along! It appeared that the semi immediately behind us took care of the snake, but the lasting impression of a snake hanging out on the underside of one's vehicle has stuck with me ever since. As I passed the truck I looked over at the guy and thought "Dude, you have no idea..."
I saw the Russell Crowe movie Robin Hood last week. It was pretty good...not on the level of Gladiator by any means, but worth seeing. It was definitely better than Iron Man 2, which halfway through I realized that nothing interesting had really occurred yet. And then nothing interesting really occurred in the second half. I can't even think of any other big movies coming out this summer. Or at least "big" in terms of movies that I would actually go see. So, whatever Twilight and Harry Potter sequels they're on now do not fall into that category. I've found that it really takes a lot these days for a movie to impress me. Either I'm getting older and it takes more to amuse me, or the quality of movies in general continues to decline. I'm thinking it's likely a combination of the two factors.
Of course, Hollywood ran out of ideas long ago. Now we unfortunately live in an age dominated by phony computer-generated special effects and formulaic corporate-Hollywood plots. Give me scale models and guys in latex masks any day over effects that obviously look computer generated. I don't care how "real" the CGI looks -- it still is obviously CGI and thus fake.
I've heard that there is a movie version of Stephen King's the Dark Tower in the works. Somehow I'm sure it will be a total Hollywood disaster. Now if they were to give the project to Christopher Nolan (one of the very few people in Hollywood I'd trust with any project), then we could have something special...
So the other day I was driving home on the interstate. I was in the left lane and just in front and to my right was a white pickup truck. Traffic was pretty heavy (for around here). I happened to notice something dangling from underneath the truck's front axle. It looked rather like a snake to me and my imagination began to picture it as such a creature clinging to the underside of the truck, having just awoken, and wondering "This is going to be a bad day." But I soon reasoned that it was springing up and down too stiffly to be a snake and had to be a wire or cable of some sort. However, as the truck and I moved along down the road I noticed the cable started to dangle further and further - and bounce more and more with the turbulence of the road. I thought to myself that the cable was likely important and it would be bad if it fell off completely. A few seconds later, it did fall off. As it came out from under the truck I was stunned to see that it had indeed been a snake all along! It appeared that the semi immediately behind us took care of the snake, but the lasting impression of a snake hanging out on the underside of one's vehicle has stuck with me ever since. As I passed the truck I looked over at the guy and thought "Dude, you have no idea..."
I saw the Russell Crowe movie Robin Hood last week. It was pretty good...not on the level of Gladiator by any means, but worth seeing. It was definitely better than Iron Man 2, which halfway through I realized that nothing interesting had really occurred yet. And then nothing interesting really occurred in the second half. I can't even think of any other big movies coming out this summer. Or at least "big" in terms of movies that I would actually go see. So, whatever Twilight and Harry Potter sequels they're on now do not fall into that category. I've found that it really takes a lot these days for a movie to impress me. Either I'm getting older and it takes more to amuse me, or the quality of movies in general continues to decline. I'm thinking it's likely a combination of the two factors.
Of course, Hollywood ran out of ideas long ago. Now we unfortunately live in an age dominated by phony computer-generated special effects and formulaic corporate-Hollywood plots. Give me scale models and guys in latex masks any day over effects that obviously look computer generated. I don't care how "real" the CGI looks -- it still is obviously CGI and thus fake.
I've heard that there is a movie version of Stephen King's the Dark Tower in the works. Somehow I'm sure it will be a total Hollywood disaster. Now if they were to give the project to Christopher Nolan (one of the very few people in Hollywood I'd trust with any project), then we could have something special...
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Apparently You Can Return Beer
It seems apparent to me that they have 13 year olds creating all the commercials these days. Who else would think a Staples ad featuring a moron screaming "WOW! That's a LOW price!" over and over would be a good idea? And must I rehash my disgust and loathing of Flo from the Progressive commercials?
Did you know that you can return beer if you are unsatisfied with it? Well, perhaps it depends on the location and how well customers are treated there. Earlier in the week I purchased some Schlafly beer from my favorite local liquor store. I bought two different styles - Kolsch and the Summer Lager. I have had both previously and knew what they should and should not taste like. Unfortunately when I got home and tried each kind, I found that both tasted like cider and were rather flat. A cidery taste is often the result of adding too much sugar in the final conditioning stage. This often happens to home-brewers (yes, it happened to me). Because it happened with two different styles, the only thing I can figure is that Schlafly operates their process with a universal conditioning/bottling unit. In non-engineer-speak -- the different styles are brewed separately, then the liquid beer flows out of each tank and fills bottles. These bottles then travel along a conveyor belt along parallel or even the same path. Then they pass under some device which deposits a little extra sugar or other fermentable into each bottle which reacts with the leftover yeast to give beer that wonderful bubbly carbonation we all love. (And for the CO2-obsessed out there, this is naturally created CO2 from the chemical reaction. Large breweries like Budweiser actually pump CO2 straight into the bottle. Now, which one is more carbon-neutral and "green?" Can we consider beer bottles to be sinks for CO2? But aren't all large corporations like Budweiser evil? So pumping CO2 into beer from the surroundings must be evil...right?)
Speaking of CO2 - I haven't shared my simple idea for fixing the whole CO2 emissions thing. First, I'd like to once again point out that there are more than sufficient reasons for finding new energy sources and cleaning up pollution without even touching the CO2/climate change thing. The CO2/climate change thing has become nothing more than a politicized bulldozer for pushing through some factions' agendas. It's all about power and control. Create fear, push through the agenda that you want, and gain control. But I digress....
If we really want to get rid of CO2...why not create plants that have accelerated photosynthetic cycles to consume the excess CO2? We can genetically manipulate plants to grow faster, taller, resist disease, produce hybrid fruits, sing songs, and scare away burglars. Why not just make super-ravenous plants? Then we wouldn't have to have Cap and Trade, or bring America's economy down to the level of the rest of the world, or punish people for being successful, or have one world government, or have a massive federal government involved in every aspect of each individual's life. Just make the damn plants and let them do what God meant for them to do: Consume CO2 and produce oxygen. Oh...and let's also stop clear-cutting the Amazon while we're at it. Thanks.
Oh, just a reminder from our fearless leader -- information is a distraction. Yes, we wouldn't want people having too much information...they might get confused...better to just let the government decide for us which sources of information are true and accurate. (Psst....in case no one else is noticing, the feds are moving to make internet providers public utilities. This means they can regulate the internet without having to institute Net Neutrality. Ah, but I digress again...)
Has Orwell's 1984 been banned yet? I figure it's a little like a football team having it's playbook left on an airport bench.
Wait a minute...wasn't I talking about cidery beer? So, my beer was nasty. I didn't think there was anything that could be done other than complain to the brewery (like they were really going to throw out an entire production line of beer because someone got their flowrates wrong) and let the liquor store know of the problem. Yesterday I went in and explained to them what happened. They said they hadn't gotten any other complaints and seemed a little skeptical. They even asked if maybe the beer is supposed to taste that way. Kolsch and Summer lagers are NOT supposed to taste like flat cider. You know what IS supposed to taste like flat cider? Screwed up batches of beer that need to be thrown away. I was pleasantly surprised when the manager said I could bring the rest in for credit. Hopefully he doesn't forget that between now and the next time I can get in there with my cidery beer. The lesson: While Schlafly is one of my favorite micro-breweries -- steer clear of their products for the time being.
Did you know that you can return beer if you are unsatisfied with it? Well, perhaps it depends on the location and how well customers are treated there. Earlier in the week I purchased some Schlafly beer from my favorite local liquor store. I bought two different styles - Kolsch and the Summer Lager. I have had both previously and knew what they should and should not taste like. Unfortunately when I got home and tried each kind, I found that both tasted like cider and were rather flat. A cidery taste is often the result of adding too much sugar in the final conditioning stage. This often happens to home-brewers (yes, it happened to me). Because it happened with two different styles, the only thing I can figure is that Schlafly operates their process with a universal conditioning/bottling unit. In non-engineer-speak -- the different styles are brewed separately, then the liquid beer flows out of each tank and fills bottles. These bottles then travel along a conveyor belt along parallel or even the same path. Then they pass under some device which deposits a little extra sugar or other fermentable into each bottle which reacts with the leftover yeast to give beer that wonderful bubbly carbonation we all love. (And for the CO2-obsessed out there, this is naturally created CO2 from the chemical reaction. Large breweries like Budweiser actually pump CO2 straight into the bottle. Now, which one is more carbon-neutral and "green?" Can we consider beer bottles to be sinks for CO2? But aren't all large corporations like Budweiser evil? So pumping CO2 into beer from the surroundings must be evil...right?)
Speaking of CO2 - I haven't shared my simple idea for fixing the whole CO2 emissions thing. First, I'd like to once again point out that there are more than sufficient reasons for finding new energy sources and cleaning up pollution without even touching the CO2/climate change thing. The CO2/climate change thing has become nothing more than a politicized bulldozer for pushing through some factions' agendas. It's all about power and control. Create fear, push through the agenda that you want, and gain control. But I digress....
If we really want to get rid of CO2...why not create plants that have accelerated photosynthetic cycles to consume the excess CO2? We can genetically manipulate plants to grow faster, taller, resist disease, produce hybrid fruits, sing songs, and scare away burglars. Why not just make super-ravenous plants? Then we wouldn't have to have Cap and Trade, or bring America's economy down to the level of the rest of the world, or punish people for being successful, or have one world government, or have a massive federal government involved in every aspect of each individual's life. Just make the damn plants and let them do what God meant for them to do: Consume CO2 and produce oxygen. Oh...and let's also stop clear-cutting the Amazon while we're at it. Thanks.
Oh, just a reminder from our fearless leader -- information is a distraction. Yes, we wouldn't want people having too much information...they might get confused...better to just let the government decide for us which sources of information are true and accurate. (Psst....in case no one else is noticing, the feds are moving to make internet providers public utilities. This means they can regulate the internet without having to institute Net Neutrality. Ah, but I digress again...)
Has Orwell's 1984 been banned yet? I figure it's a little like a football team having it's playbook left on an airport bench.
Wait a minute...wasn't I talking about cidery beer? So, my beer was nasty. I didn't think there was anything that could be done other than complain to the brewery (like they were really going to throw out an entire production line of beer because someone got their flowrates wrong) and let the liquor store know of the problem. Yesterday I went in and explained to them what happened. They said they hadn't gotten any other complaints and seemed a little skeptical. They even asked if maybe the beer is supposed to taste that way. Kolsch and Summer lagers are NOT supposed to taste like flat cider. You know what IS supposed to taste like flat cider? Screwed up batches of beer that need to be thrown away. I was pleasantly surprised when the manager said I could bring the rest in for credit. Hopefully he doesn't forget that between now and the next time I can get in there with my cidery beer. The lesson: While Schlafly is one of my favorite micro-breweries -- steer clear of their products for the time being.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
On Turning 30
So yesterday I joined the 30 club. I went kicking and screaming. And clawing at the floor and doorframes. And blubbering and trying to make irrational deals with no one in particular. It was quite a sight. Luckily YouTube wasn't there to film it.
I still do not feel anywhere near 30. At times I still feel like a kid or teenager. Most times something more in the 22-24 range. You're only as old as you feel. And that's quite true. Human beings physically age at different paces. And we most certainly mentally mature differently as well. After the next 10 years go by in a flash (because they will) I hope I will have "let go" enough to just roll with joining the next "club."
Perhaps it all comes back to living in the present. Like Master Yoda once told Luke (paraphrasing here): "Too old...yes, too old to begin the training." No, wait. That's not the one. Here we go: "This one a long time have I watched. All his life has he looked away...to the future, to the horizon. Never his mind on where he was. Hmm? What he was doing. Hmph."
However you feel about Star Wars, there are really a lot of great truths and inspirations to be taken from a lot of the Jedi philosophy. One of my favorites is the idea of "letting go." We must be able to let go of all the things that we hold onto so tightly. Only then can we be free.
So I'm 30 now. What does that mean? Absolutely nothing. One moment I'm alive and the next I'm dead. So time is really irrelevant. I must continue training myself to let go of trying to hold onto life itself. I should just light my tail on fire and enjoy the ride across the sky, like a meteor searing its way through the atmosphere.
I still do not feel anywhere near 30. At times I still feel like a kid or teenager. Most times something more in the 22-24 range. You're only as old as you feel. And that's quite true. Human beings physically age at different paces. And we most certainly mentally mature differently as well. After the next 10 years go by in a flash (because they will) I hope I will have "let go" enough to just roll with joining the next "club."
Perhaps it all comes back to living in the present. Like Master Yoda once told Luke (paraphrasing here): "Too old...yes, too old to begin the training." No, wait. That's not the one. Here we go: "This one a long time have I watched. All his life has he looked away...to the future, to the horizon. Never his mind on where he was. Hmm? What he was doing. Hmph."
However you feel about Star Wars, there are really a lot of great truths and inspirations to be taken from a lot of the Jedi philosophy. One of my favorites is the idea of "letting go." We must be able to let go of all the things that we hold onto so tightly. Only then can we be free.
So I'm 30 now. What does that mean? Absolutely nothing. One moment I'm alive and the next I'm dead. So time is really irrelevant. I must continue training myself to let go of trying to hold onto life itself. I should just light my tail on fire and enjoy the ride across the sky, like a meteor searing its way through the atmosphere.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Stormy Night
It's always a little concerning when the weatherman says that their radar indicates a tornado is headed for your relatively exact location and even waves his hand over the spot on the map where your house is situated. In the wee hours of this morning, the weatherman did just not....and then the weatherlady who took over 20 minutes later did the same thing. Just when you think you've dodged the first tornado bullet (feeling the house shudder under the winds as in all likelihood a funnel cloud passes right over your head), the next Doplar-indicated-tornado makes an abrupt right-hand turn and heads directly for you. Twice I found myself wondering if the house was about to be ripped apart around me. Should I have gone down into the basement? Should I have put my contacts back in? I mean, who wants to get tossed around by a tornado wearing glasses? Shoes too? And maybe change shirts...don't wanna be found the next morning lodged in the base of a tree wearing an old baggy shirt that's a little too big to be wearing in public. Maybe shave too....
But thankfully we escaped the danger. Consequently i didn't get nearly enough sleep last night and shall be taking it out on the world around me. You've all been warned.
So do my dear readers know that a car bomb was found in Times Square last night? Shouldn't this be breaking news on all the news outlets? Even the state-run and state-puppeted media should be all over this.
Do my dear readers know about the Senate's latest socialist plans to institute National ID cards? At this point I shouldn't even have to be pleading with you all to wake up and face this evil head on...it should be apparent. But then, maybe the spell is still too strong...
Do my dear readers know that Soundgarden got back together and is touring??? Yes, Soundgarden!
Do my dear readers know that if I ruled the world one of the first things to go would be all Progressive insurance commercials with that wretched Flo? I HATE that company purely because of their idiotic, mindless, hopeless, insultingly annoying commercials. Not to mention their name....
While we're at it - no more "male enhancement" or Viagra/Cialis commercials. (I think i've said that before) My dad watches a lot of golf....I swear every single commercial break during golf tournaments has at least one Viagra/Cialis commercial -- "because any time could turn into the right time."
Our society has become so soft over the last few generations. That's our problem. Think back to our grandparents and the generations before them. Those were tough, responsible, rugged individuals. Now we're all a bunch of whiny, selfish, weaklings. That's why we have the culture war that we have now. Those who still hold onto values of strength, personal accountability, doing it yourself, doing the right thing, pursuing one's own success and reaping the rewards - vs - Those who want someone else to do it, who only care about their own instant gratification, who avoid hard work at all costs, who want the government to take care of them, tv to raise their kids, for successful people to be punished and forced to share the fruits of their labor out of a twisted sense of "fairness."
Maybe it all starts with the kids. Generations ago kids were brought up to be obedient and work hard. Today they're pandered to and giving everything they could want and far more than they deserve. Entitlement. A nasty thing whether given directly by the government or through behavior from parent to child.
Well, until next time, dear readers...stay out of trouble, stay out of the path of tornadoes, and don't allow the government to control you.
But thankfully we escaped the danger. Consequently i didn't get nearly enough sleep last night and shall be taking it out on the world around me. You've all been warned.
So do my dear readers know that a car bomb was found in Times Square last night? Shouldn't this be breaking news on all the news outlets? Even the state-run and state-puppeted media should be all over this.
Do my dear readers know about the Senate's latest socialist plans to institute National ID cards? At this point I shouldn't even have to be pleading with you all to wake up and face this evil head on...it should be apparent. But then, maybe the spell is still too strong...
Do my dear readers know that Soundgarden got back together and is touring??? Yes, Soundgarden!
Do my dear readers know that if I ruled the world one of the first things to go would be all Progressive insurance commercials with that wretched Flo? I HATE that company purely because of their idiotic, mindless, hopeless, insultingly annoying commercials. Not to mention their name....
While we're at it - no more "male enhancement" or Viagra/Cialis commercials. (I think i've said that before) My dad watches a lot of golf....I swear every single commercial break during golf tournaments has at least one Viagra/Cialis commercial -- "because any time could turn into the right time."
Our society has become so soft over the last few generations. That's our problem. Think back to our grandparents and the generations before them. Those were tough, responsible, rugged individuals. Now we're all a bunch of whiny, selfish, weaklings. That's why we have the culture war that we have now. Those who still hold onto values of strength, personal accountability, doing it yourself, doing the right thing, pursuing one's own success and reaping the rewards - vs - Those who want someone else to do it, who only care about their own instant gratification, who avoid hard work at all costs, who want the government to take care of them, tv to raise their kids, for successful people to be punished and forced to share the fruits of their labor out of a twisted sense of "fairness."
Maybe it all starts with the kids. Generations ago kids were brought up to be obedient and work hard. Today they're pandered to and giving everything they could want and far more than they deserve. Entitlement. A nasty thing whether given directly by the government or through behavior from parent to child.
Well, until next time, dear readers...stay out of trouble, stay out of the path of tornadoes, and don't allow the government to control you.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Ah, Spring...
The season of new hope, new life, new love, new possibilities. And pollen and scratchy throats and eyes and the heart of the football off-season when September seems so far away and the wretched NBA season drags on mercilessly with its insipid Sportscenter highlights. Good thing there's spring football, the NFL draft, and lots of amazing spring-time beers to get us through!
The following beers are current must-trys: (in no particular order)
1. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (a classic standby that I just happen to be really enjoying lately)
2. Sierra Nevada Glissade (a golden bock that goes down smooth but has some substance to it)
3. Sam Adam's Noble Pils (delightfully refreshing and dangerously easy to drink)
4. Harpoon Irish Red (one of the better seasonal Irish Red's I've had in a while)
5. Schlafly's Pale Ale (fast becoming one of my favorite breweries - everything they produce is pure gold!)
Meanwhile, the dismantling of the Republic continues....the despicable health care bill...next on the target list - the banking system and the value added tax. Yeah, more taxes on businesses will surely help the economy. Oh, but I keep forgetting - profits are WRONG and business people are by nature evil and should be ashamed of their wealth (I'm being sarcastic...others are not).
I haven't seen any movies since the holidays, so don't even ask for my thoughts on any recent releases. But just like in years past, the January-March period brings about this bizarre and insanity-inducing massive advertising blitz on every channel, every commercial break for weeks leading up to each release. You may recall last year certain movies' ads became stuck in my head because I would be pummeled with them nonstop. And they're always terrible movies. 12 Rounds with John Cena. Remember that gem? "I'm gonna hunt you down and I'm gonna kill you!" See! The stupid lines are STILL stuck in my head from seeing the commercial literally every 15 minutes each night for 2-3 weeks!
Okay, so a short blog every month is better than no blogs for multiple months, right? Take care until next time, dear readers. And don't let life lull you to sleep...you might miss it.
The following beers are current must-trys: (in no particular order)
1. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (a classic standby that I just happen to be really enjoying lately)
2. Sierra Nevada Glissade (a golden bock that goes down smooth but has some substance to it)
3. Sam Adam's Noble Pils (delightfully refreshing and dangerously easy to drink)
4. Harpoon Irish Red (one of the better seasonal Irish Red's I've had in a while)
5. Schlafly's Pale Ale (fast becoming one of my favorite breweries - everything they produce is pure gold!)
Meanwhile, the dismantling of the Republic continues....the despicable health care bill...next on the target list - the banking system and the value added tax. Yeah, more taxes on businesses will surely help the economy. Oh, but I keep forgetting - profits are WRONG and business people are by nature evil and should be ashamed of their wealth (I'm being sarcastic...others are not).
I haven't seen any movies since the holidays, so don't even ask for my thoughts on any recent releases. But just like in years past, the January-March period brings about this bizarre and insanity-inducing massive advertising blitz on every channel, every commercial break for weeks leading up to each release. You may recall last year certain movies' ads became stuck in my head because I would be pummeled with them nonstop. And they're always terrible movies. 12 Rounds with John Cena. Remember that gem? "I'm gonna hunt you down and I'm gonna kill you!" See! The stupid lines are STILL stuck in my head from seeing the commercial literally every 15 minutes each night for 2-3 weeks!
Okay, so a short blog every month is better than no blogs for multiple months, right? Take care until next time, dear readers. And don't let life lull you to sleep...you might miss it.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Happy Ides of March
Ah, the Ides of March! The day Caesar should have called in sick. The weather is that dismal in-between where it's too warm for snow but too cold for spring. There's no football on tv. And the trees still have that dreary lifeless quality about them. At least there are excellent spring beers to evoke daydreams of warm, long evenings grilling on the porch. I highly recommend the Sam Adams Noble Pils and Sierra Nevada's Glissade. Even Caesar would have chosen them over a goblet of pungent Roman-era wine.
So I've been on hiatus it seems. School has been sucking the life from my bones. I'm not even sure what to write anymore. My poor mind is so inundated by such horrors as convective heat transfer coefficients and quadratic multi-variable interpolation. I really despise X-Y graphs and this whole sick notion of trying to define the world in terms of those graphs. The world cannot be understood in sine curves and points on a graph! We are poisoning the minds of our youth with this nonsense! X-Y graphs are a terrible way of conveying information. Just give me a few sentences to clearly sum up what is happening on the wretched graph. And don't even get me started on computer programming....
Okay - let's shake off the demons and talk about random things:
1. How come whenever I see, hear about, or think of the Nissan Pathfinder I recall the very first commercial when it originally came out in the late 80's that made it seem like some mysterious and amazing new creation? -- I remember part of it shows this guy walking on a tarmac and looking back at the camera (think they were walking towards a big cargo plane) and managing to get the words "the Pathfinder" out before it cut away to other secretive footage. Oh the strange things television burns into the memories of little kids. Hmm...let that sink in and then start weeping for today's children.
2. Did everyone enjoy the Winter Olympics as much as I did? At first I really didn't care about them, but shortly after the opening ceremonies I became hooked. It was so cool coming home each night and having hours of footage. I discovered that I enjoy the Winter Games a lot more than the Summer Games. Skiing, speed skating, snowboarding, etc. I can't even think of a summer olympic sport that sounds interesting right now....
3. Who listens to regular FM radio anymore? Apparently someone does. It's a shame. If I turn on the radio I feel like I'm experiencing the aural equivalent of someone trying to feed me mind-control drugs. Society is decaying at an ever-increasing rate. In another generation we'll be a culture of complete self-absorbed buffoons, programmed to like, think, say, and do whatever gets pumped into our minds.
4. I'm officially a fan of the show Community. I feel a connection to the main character, Jeff, as we're both older, non-traditional students with law backgrounds. However, the folks I go to school with are the opposite of Jeff's classmates. Where he has a colorful group of goofy personalities to bounce off of, I'm surrounded by engineers.....not that there's anything wrong with that!
5. Them Crooked Vultures are unbelievable! Their album is a bulldozing, soul-charging, rhinoceros ride that will leave any rock fan happy. I've been listening to it non-stop for 2 months now. At this point I could handle never getting another Foo Fighters album as long as the Vultures kept producing.
6. Last night I watched one of ESPN's 30 for 30 films. It was about Reggie Miller and the Knicks back in the mid-90s. Back when I actually liked the NBA. Funny how time can change things. Now I abhor the wretched NBA and it's never-ending schedule. I wonder if in 10 years I'll hate the NFL? That's a terrible and depressing thought. If I hate the NFL - what sport will I love then?
7. Did you know that mustard gas is often used as an intermediary in chemical processes? It's apparently a good source of chlorine molecules when you need to replace other molecules with them. Of course, companies are not allowed (nor would they want to) store mustard gas - so it gets made within the process itself and then used immediately. Let's say there's a certain ingredient that goes into your favorite snack food or beverage or toothpaste -- in the course of processing that ingredient it has to be altered on a molecular level so as to result in the desired ingredient and not something completely different. Maybe you need some hydrogen molecules removed, but due to complicated rules of chemical reactions, you can't simply remove those hydrogens without first taking away other hydrogens. So in comes our friend mustard gas (aka Phosgene Gas) with his big, beautiful chlorine molecules. The chlorines replace the first set of hydrogens. But we still need to get rid of those original hydrogens - what do we do? Well, thanks to the big chlorines we can now get rid of the remaining hydrogens through a standard procedure without losing the chlorines. Then we can go through another step and get rid of the chlorines (think of them as a place-holder) and put back on the first set of hydrogens that we didn't really want to lose in the first place. THIS is the stuff I should be learning about all the time at school! Not graphs and analyzing graphical data and calculus and all that filth!
Alright...it feels good to have blogged again. Unfortunately I cannot promise when you'll next hear from me. Hopefully it won't be a month and a half again. Enjoy the Ides of March and if your best friend invites you to a meeting near a bunch of Roman columns.....maybe just fake having a cold and stay home.
So I've been on hiatus it seems. School has been sucking the life from my bones. I'm not even sure what to write anymore. My poor mind is so inundated by such horrors as convective heat transfer coefficients and quadratic multi-variable interpolation. I really despise X-Y graphs and this whole sick notion of trying to define the world in terms of those graphs. The world cannot be understood in sine curves and points on a graph! We are poisoning the minds of our youth with this nonsense! X-Y graphs are a terrible way of conveying information. Just give me a few sentences to clearly sum up what is happening on the wretched graph. And don't even get me started on computer programming....
Okay - let's shake off the demons and talk about random things:
1. How come whenever I see, hear about, or think of the Nissan Pathfinder I recall the very first commercial when it originally came out in the late 80's that made it seem like some mysterious and amazing new creation? -- I remember part of it shows this guy walking on a tarmac and looking back at the camera (think they were walking towards a big cargo plane) and managing to get the words "the Pathfinder" out before it cut away to other secretive footage. Oh the strange things television burns into the memories of little kids. Hmm...let that sink in and then start weeping for today's children.
2. Did everyone enjoy the Winter Olympics as much as I did? At first I really didn't care about them, but shortly after the opening ceremonies I became hooked. It was so cool coming home each night and having hours of footage. I discovered that I enjoy the Winter Games a lot more than the Summer Games. Skiing, speed skating, snowboarding, etc. I can't even think of a summer olympic sport that sounds interesting right now....
3. Who listens to regular FM radio anymore? Apparently someone does. It's a shame. If I turn on the radio I feel like I'm experiencing the aural equivalent of someone trying to feed me mind-control drugs. Society is decaying at an ever-increasing rate. In another generation we'll be a culture of complete self-absorbed buffoons, programmed to like, think, say, and do whatever gets pumped into our minds.
4. I'm officially a fan of the show Community. I feel a connection to the main character, Jeff, as we're both older, non-traditional students with law backgrounds. However, the folks I go to school with are the opposite of Jeff's classmates. Where he has a colorful group of goofy personalities to bounce off of, I'm surrounded by engineers.....not that there's anything wrong with that!
5. Them Crooked Vultures are unbelievable! Their album is a bulldozing, soul-charging, rhinoceros ride that will leave any rock fan happy. I've been listening to it non-stop for 2 months now. At this point I could handle never getting another Foo Fighters album as long as the Vultures kept producing.
6. Last night I watched one of ESPN's 30 for 30 films. It was about Reggie Miller and the Knicks back in the mid-90s. Back when I actually liked the NBA. Funny how time can change things. Now I abhor the wretched NBA and it's never-ending schedule. I wonder if in 10 years I'll hate the NFL? That's a terrible and depressing thought. If I hate the NFL - what sport will I love then?
7. Did you know that mustard gas is often used as an intermediary in chemical processes? It's apparently a good source of chlorine molecules when you need to replace other molecules with them. Of course, companies are not allowed (nor would they want to) store mustard gas - so it gets made within the process itself and then used immediately. Let's say there's a certain ingredient that goes into your favorite snack food or beverage or toothpaste -- in the course of processing that ingredient it has to be altered on a molecular level so as to result in the desired ingredient and not something completely different. Maybe you need some hydrogen molecules removed, but due to complicated rules of chemical reactions, you can't simply remove those hydrogens without first taking away other hydrogens. So in comes our friend mustard gas (aka Phosgene Gas) with his big, beautiful chlorine molecules. The chlorines replace the first set of hydrogens. But we still need to get rid of those original hydrogens - what do we do? Well, thanks to the big chlorines we can now get rid of the remaining hydrogens through a standard procedure without losing the chlorines. Then we can go through another step and get rid of the chlorines (think of them as a place-holder) and put back on the first set of hydrogens that we didn't really want to lose in the first place. THIS is the stuff I should be learning about all the time at school! Not graphs and analyzing graphical data and calculus and all that filth!
Alright...it feels good to have blogged again. Unfortunately I cannot promise when you'll next hear from me. Hopefully it won't be a month and a half again. Enjoy the Ides of March and if your best friend invites you to a meeting near a bunch of Roman columns.....maybe just fake having a cold and stay home.
Friday, January 29, 2010
The Bitter Snow Blog
They got me. They got me good. Those damn Anti-Snow people. And the weather people. All day yesterday and last night they virtually guaranteed 7-10" for me. Then this morning I awoke and found the weatherman casually (and mockingly) saying we will only get 3-6" as if they never ever said anything about 7-10"! I know I didn't dream it! Oh, they got me good!
Is there anyway for me to sue the weather people for malicious and intentional infliction of emotional and psychological distress for all the years of manipulating, lying, taunting, teasing, and jerking me around regarding snow?
Oh, right, a magical pocket of dry air just happened to appear over our region during the night. How convenient. But this is what always happens. Every single time. They build it up -- first a chance a winter weather, then maybe a few inches, then definitely a few inches, then possible double-digits, then definitely double-digits, then promises of 3 feet of snow and polar bears roaming the interstate! And then at the last minute.....a dusting.....
Those of us in the know are fully aware that such magical pockets of air are the work of the vile Anti-Snow Machine! Someday I shall destroy that menace! And then the good people of our region shall be free to enjoy the fruits of winter's glory!
Right now as I type this there is not a flake falling outside. It's all conveniently evaporating before it hits the ground. (Yes, as a future chemical engineer I should probably know the science behind that part, but instead they'd rather teach me nonsense like derivatives and error calculations...but that's another rant) Meanwhile - Nashville, TN has snow on the ground (and probably some Pants on the ground too....)! It always gets me irate when locations to the south of me have snow and I don't! Texas has gotten so much snow this year it is absolutely ridiculous! All I've gotten is a lousy inch! One rotten inch!
What is gained by preventing snowfall in our area? Is it merely a personal vendetta against me? An arbitrarily chosen experiment to manipulate and confound me or the populace in general? A massive public manipulation designed to control our reactions? Whatever the goal...the Anti-Snow Machine must be stopped...
So all you Anti-Snow people out there....laugh it up...enjoy it...but my vengeance shall be had. In this life or the next. The Anti-Snow Machine will be destroyed and winter shall blanket this land in its white comforting hand. And I shall laugh as your tears freeze on your faces. You will stand at your windows, crying out at the savagery of winter's wrath. Watch as I dance around a bonfire upon 2 feet of packed snow under a snow-filled sky with all the wolves and bears and others who welcome the glory of Mother Nature's colder season. Fear shall embrace your icy hearts and the gleam in our eyes will haunt your midnight thoughts. Where will your broken Anti-Snow Machine - your man-made false god - be then? We shall fashion trinkets from its pieces and give them to the children as a reminder of the power of Mother Nature and the unflinching hunger for control and power of man. All evils - greed, socialism, etc - shall be buried under the eternal snow. Laziness and idiocy shall be shamed out of the culture. The space program will be fully funded and allowed to flourish (**cough** obama's flatlining NASAs budget - not surprising considering his ideological contempt for the space program - also a huge insult and embarrassment for our country). We shall all learn to welcome the onslaught of snow each winter. All will set aside the mad self-destructive obsession of only caring about their working lives. We shall once again remember what truly matters in life -- those whom we love and the things which bring joy to our hearts - not mission statements and reports and resumes and glad-handing and sales calls. Feuding pets shall make peace with each other. Weather people shall make amends for their role in the manipulation in service of the Anti-Snow Machine. I shall run with the wolves across snowy tree-lined fields and ice covered lakes. I shall have my vengeance. I shall have my peace.
Is there anyway for me to sue the weather people for malicious and intentional infliction of emotional and psychological distress for all the years of manipulating, lying, taunting, teasing, and jerking me around regarding snow?
Oh, right, a magical pocket of dry air just happened to appear over our region during the night. How convenient. But this is what always happens. Every single time. They build it up -- first a chance a winter weather, then maybe a few inches, then definitely a few inches, then possible double-digits, then definitely double-digits, then promises of 3 feet of snow and polar bears roaming the interstate! And then at the last minute.....a dusting.....
Those of us in the know are fully aware that such magical pockets of air are the work of the vile Anti-Snow Machine! Someday I shall destroy that menace! And then the good people of our region shall be free to enjoy the fruits of winter's glory!
Right now as I type this there is not a flake falling outside. It's all conveniently evaporating before it hits the ground. (Yes, as a future chemical engineer I should probably know the science behind that part, but instead they'd rather teach me nonsense like derivatives and error calculations...but that's another rant) Meanwhile - Nashville, TN has snow on the ground (and probably some Pants on the ground too....)! It always gets me irate when locations to the south of me have snow and I don't! Texas has gotten so much snow this year it is absolutely ridiculous! All I've gotten is a lousy inch! One rotten inch!
What is gained by preventing snowfall in our area? Is it merely a personal vendetta against me? An arbitrarily chosen experiment to manipulate and confound me or the populace in general? A massive public manipulation designed to control our reactions? Whatever the goal...the Anti-Snow Machine must be stopped...
So all you Anti-Snow people out there....laugh it up...enjoy it...but my vengeance shall be had. In this life or the next. The Anti-Snow Machine will be destroyed and winter shall blanket this land in its white comforting hand. And I shall laugh as your tears freeze on your faces. You will stand at your windows, crying out at the savagery of winter's wrath. Watch as I dance around a bonfire upon 2 feet of packed snow under a snow-filled sky with all the wolves and bears and others who welcome the glory of Mother Nature's colder season. Fear shall embrace your icy hearts and the gleam in our eyes will haunt your midnight thoughts. Where will your broken Anti-Snow Machine - your man-made false god - be then? We shall fashion trinkets from its pieces and give them to the children as a reminder of the power of Mother Nature and the unflinching hunger for control and power of man. All evils - greed, socialism, etc - shall be buried under the eternal snow. Laziness and idiocy shall be shamed out of the culture. The space program will be fully funded and allowed to flourish (**cough** obama's flatlining NASAs budget - not surprising considering his ideological contempt for the space program - also a huge insult and embarrassment for our country). We shall all learn to welcome the onslaught of snow each winter. All will set aside the mad self-destructive obsession of only caring about their working lives. We shall once again remember what truly matters in life -- those whom we love and the things which bring joy to our hearts - not mission statements and reports and resumes and glad-handing and sales calls. Feuding pets shall make peace with each other. Weather people shall make amends for their role in the manipulation in service of the Anti-Snow Machine. I shall run with the wolves across snowy tree-lined fields and ice covered lakes. I shall have my vengeance. I shall have my peace.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
"You tell'em I'm coming - and snow's coming with me!"
Yes, folks! SNOW! Let the Anti-Snow Contingent moan and wail and gnash their teeth! Snow is imminent! By this time tomorrow night there could be between 7-10 inches on the ground right here in my backyard...and frontyard.... It shall be a glorious day of snowfall all day tomorrow!
Earlier as the local news went through the weather report I actually found myself walking around the house trash-talking no one in particular. Perhaps my barbs were aimed at all those who work tirelessly to keep snow away from our region with their prized asset - the Anti-Snow Machine. And perhaps someone finally succeeded in sabotaging that dreadful device....(cue evil laughter)
This afternoon I ventured forth to Wal-Mart to watch the traditional panicked pillaging of the milk and bread sections. Why do people feel the need to stock up on perishables? If the power goes out, do you really want a bunch of milk and bread laying around? Of course, that didn't stop me from getting milk (I was out) and eggs (i'll need breakfast as i enjoy watching the snow cascade onto the once dreary landscape and quietly chuckle with laughter at the Anti-Snow people who are undoubtedly cursing at their windows). Wal-Mart was surprisingly sane and relatively calm despite being fairly crowded. The gas stations were another matter. I steered clear of those. People were in lines filling not just their vehicles, but gas cans as well. The lessons learned from last year's ice storm have not faded. Wait a minute....I think our generator is still broken....well....that's awfully useful.
Okay...I'll check back in with you all tomorrow...and to rub it in the faces of all the Anti-Snow people....
Earlier as the local news went through the weather report I actually found myself walking around the house trash-talking no one in particular. Perhaps my barbs were aimed at all those who work tirelessly to keep snow away from our region with their prized asset - the Anti-Snow Machine. And perhaps someone finally succeeded in sabotaging that dreadful device....(cue evil laughter)
This afternoon I ventured forth to Wal-Mart to watch the traditional panicked pillaging of the milk and bread sections. Why do people feel the need to stock up on perishables? If the power goes out, do you really want a bunch of milk and bread laying around? Of course, that didn't stop me from getting milk (I was out) and eggs (i'll need breakfast as i enjoy watching the snow cascade onto the once dreary landscape and quietly chuckle with laughter at the Anti-Snow people who are undoubtedly cursing at their windows). Wal-Mart was surprisingly sane and relatively calm despite being fairly crowded. The gas stations were another matter. I steered clear of those. People were in lines filling not just their vehicles, but gas cans as well. The lessons learned from last year's ice storm have not faded. Wait a minute....I think our generator is still broken....well....that's awfully useful.
Okay...I'll check back in with you all tomorrow...and to rub it in the faces of all the Anti-Snow people....
Friday, January 8, 2010
"Like winning 10 cents in the lottery"
That's what gettting an inch of snow is like - according to Calvin (from Calvin and Hobbes - the greatest comic strip of all time) and I've often quoted that line over the years. It applies once again to the results of our "winter storm" from the other night. For those not familiar with the reaction of Kentuckians to the possibility of snow, it goes something like this:
A day or two before the "winter weather" is predicted to arrive, people flock to grocery stores and clean out the bread, milk, and egg shelves. Mind you - this is the case for ALL degrees of winter storms - from a major 8-12 inch snow storm, to an ice storm, and even (as in this case) a 1-3 inch mild snowfall. News reporters will be stationed along main roads, parking lots, and gas stations giving live updates of the treacherous conditions. Citizens will be warned to stock up on supplies and stay off the roads (unless of course, you go to my school, in which case you will be expected to arrive on time despite the 12 inches of snow, 6 inches of ice, roaming packs of zombies, and 300 foot tall alien robots wreaking havoc). As the threat of the inch or two of snow looms closer, the grocery and hardware stores will be flooded with wild-eyed folks desperately picking through what's left of the foodstuffs, ice scrapers, and shovels. All talk will be of the impending doom and catastrophic calamity that will surely keep everyone trapped in their homes for weeks to come. This occurs even when the "storm" will surely be nothing more than an inch or two of snow...just as it was the other night. And yet - all schools closed, businesses - even doctor's offices! Normally I'm a major proponent of shutting down society for the sake of snow and having a Utopia-like celebration...but yesterday even I would have felt no need to call of classes and shut down the region. (And if I'm the one saying that, then that's really significant!)
You know what I long for? I would really like to hear the weather-people talk positively about snow for once. Like -- not get so upbeat and happy when the snow misses us or less falls than is expected. I want to hear things like "well, darn, it doesn't look like we're going to get all that much snow after all. But hey - we tried our best! There's still plenty of winter left, so we have more opportunities to get that solid 10 inch storm!"
Switching gears...I finally got around to picking up the Them Crooked Vultures album. For those who don't know - this is a side project featuring Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters, Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age, and John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin. And yes, it sounds just like a blend of all three. Really really REALLY cool stuff! One can almost literally pinpoint certain strains of each members' style running through the songs. The song "Mind Eraser No Chaser" is one that gets lodged in your head for the entire day - be careful not to burn yourself out. I was a little cautious about what to expect at first, but was pleasantly blown away upon giving it a full listen.
That's all for today....2 blogs in 3 days...I'm spoiling you guys....
A day or two before the "winter weather" is predicted to arrive, people flock to grocery stores and clean out the bread, milk, and egg shelves. Mind you - this is the case for ALL degrees of winter storms - from a major 8-12 inch snow storm, to an ice storm, and even (as in this case) a 1-3 inch mild snowfall. News reporters will be stationed along main roads, parking lots, and gas stations giving live updates of the treacherous conditions. Citizens will be warned to stock up on supplies and stay off the roads (unless of course, you go to my school, in which case you will be expected to arrive on time despite the 12 inches of snow, 6 inches of ice, roaming packs of zombies, and 300 foot tall alien robots wreaking havoc). As the threat of the inch or two of snow looms closer, the grocery and hardware stores will be flooded with wild-eyed folks desperately picking through what's left of the foodstuffs, ice scrapers, and shovels. All talk will be of the impending doom and catastrophic calamity that will surely keep everyone trapped in their homes for weeks to come. This occurs even when the "storm" will surely be nothing more than an inch or two of snow...just as it was the other night. And yet - all schools closed, businesses - even doctor's offices! Normally I'm a major proponent of shutting down society for the sake of snow and having a Utopia-like celebration...but yesterday even I would have felt no need to call of classes and shut down the region. (And if I'm the one saying that, then that's really significant!)
You know what I long for? I would really like to hear the weather-people talk positively about snow for once. Like -- not get so upbeat and happy when the snow misses us or less falls than is expected. I want to hear things like "well, darn, it doesn't look like we're going to get all that much snow after all. But hey - we tried our best! There's still plenty of winter left, so we have more opportunities to get that solid 10 inch storm!"
Switching gears...I finally got around to picking up the Them Crooked Vultures album. For those who don't know - this is a side project featuring Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters, Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age, and John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin. And yes, it sounds just like a blend of all three. Really really REALLY cool stuff! One can almost literally pinpoint certain strains of each members' style running through the songs. The song "Mind Eraser No Chaser" is one that gets lodged in your head for the entire day - be careful not to burn yourself out. I was a little cautious about what to expect at first, but was pleasantly blown away upon giving it a full listen.
That's all for today....2 blogs in 3 days...I'm spoiling you guys....
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Hello, 2010...just yesterday you seemed infinitely far away
Hey 2010...you see your buddy 2009 over there? Yeah....he doesn't look so hot, does it? Nope. That's uh...that's gonna be you in a year if you don't watch your step. I'm not one to be trifled with. Do you know what the motto for last year was? No? It was "2009 - The Year of Vengeance." Yeah. Let that sink in. Haven't come up with a motto for you yet, though...
Oh, hello readers...didn't see you there....if you don't put a new year in its place right away it can become headstrong and disrespectful.
So I know I took a few weeks off from this thing. Seems like I took a couple weeks off of everything. And that's probably a good thing. I'm supposed to be working on a project for a professor before the new semester begins (in about 5 days), but ever since Christmas I've plateaued and not much has been accomplished. I figured I would make a lot of headway this week...however, I keep getting caught up running errands and wallowing in the mire of unmotivation. And, of course, there is the condition many of us know all too well - Procrastination. Why do we do it? I suppose it has to do with what one infamous professor always asks us - "are you a carrot or a stick person?" And unless I'm truly interested in something, I need a giant stick swinging down to crush my bones.
What hasn't helped this week is that I went online and looked at the course webpages for some of this semester's classes. (Cue ominous 1950s horror movie music) Looks like there's going to be lots of horrific computer programming.....I absolutely HATE that stuff....why on earth do they insist on making things harder than they need to be -- more complicated and confusing? Why not try to simplify things? OH NO! Let's make computers so that you need to know a dozen asinine, complex, and unnecessarily obtuse computer languages so that you can physically type in outrageously long, complicated, and tedious commands for each tiny little thing you want the computer to do! Here's a shocking idea -- how about making it so that you just tell the computer in plain English what you want it to do? Or maybe have voice-recognition software so that you simply TELL the computer what you want? "Hey, stupid computer -- I want you to use the Bernoulli equation to solve for stupid velocity with the following stupid variables! Can you stupid handle that??!?!?!"
What makes it worse is that the other fellows at school LOVE this stuff. They eat it up like Oreo cookies first thing in the morning (I could eat a box of those things upon waking). "Oh boy, FORTRAN and Visual Basic! Integrating codes between Excel and POLYMATH! This is fun and easy and helpful! C'mon Rick, you know how to do this! What's that? Telling the computer what you want? HAHAHA - that's just silly! Typing in inhumanly long and ridiculous codes is way better!"
Soooo.....in other news....we might be getting our first touch of snow for the season tonight and tomorrow. Only a couple of inches at best....but better than the nothing we've gotten thus far along with watching such places as New Mexico and Dallas get hit with winter weather while we alternate between 45 and torrential downpours for days on end OR 20 degrees and windy with blue skies. Of course, there's always the local weather station's Anti-Snow Machine to contend with. The Anti-Snow Machine (as you all know) creates a magical bubble of clear air, above-freezing temps, or otherwise removes the presence of snow from an area as large as the viewing area or as small as my personal location. So while all the area outside the magical bubble ceases the misery of their daily grind and runs out to frolic in a harmonious Utopia of snow and Christmas songs and talking snowmen and animated rabbits and smiles and hot chocolate and sledding (and not to mention everyone suddenly lives in a forest preserve like in Calvin and Hobbes...in fact, most of my idyllic visions of life are somehow related to that comic strip...) and peace on Earth and blah blah blah blah blah --- meanwhile, I'm standing at the window watching rain come down as the tv turns itself on and the weatherman or weatherwoman or weathermonster or weatherbear or weathercoffeemaker or weatherwoodchuck appears on the screen taunting me by name and using foul language to demean me as he/she/it has the camera follow them outside to roll around in the snow and then write "Eat it, Rick" in the snow itself. Of course, later on follows the pretentious pandering to the audience during the regular broadcast,"oh, gee, it was just so strange, we got lucky and the snow just dissipated over our area! We never could have predicted that! Who knew?"
Hmm....perhaps I should go eat something....like many people, I have a medical tendency to have low blood sugar if I don't eat regularly...many other people completely dismiss this and do not take it seriously when I say "I can't skip a meal." They think it's just me being dramatic or something. But no - you don't understand...I....can't....skip...a meal. From a health standpoint, I HAVE to keep myself fed regularly. No food = no glucose getting to the brain = inability to function like a normal human being. So when my class schedule comes out and two days a week we have a 6 hour block of nonstop classes from 11-5 with no lunch break and people laugh when I say that this is a serious problem - I can get a little annoyed. "Oh, just go eat some computer programming - that'll make you feel better - who needs food when you can stare at idiotic computer languages?"
Alright, well....looks like I started off the new year of blogging with a low-blood-sugar induced diatribe about various annoyances. I'm sure you all totally enjoyed that and don't want your money back. Oh...I mean...no....your credit cards are so NOT being charged automatically each time you view my page....that's just a ridiculous idea...like low blood sugar...or computer programming...or an Anti-Snow Machine...
Oh, hello readers...didn't see you there....if you don't put a new year in its place right away it can become headstrong and disrespectful.
So I know I took a few weeks off from this thing. Seems like I took a couple weeks off of everything. And that's probably a good thing. I'm supposed to be working on a project for a professor before the new semester begins (in about 5 days), but ever since Christmas I've plateaued and not much has been accomplished. I figured I would make a lot of headway this week...however, I keep getting caught up running errands and wallowing in the mire of unmotivation. And, of course, there is the condition many of us know all too well - Procrastination. Why do we do it? I suppose it has to do with what one infamous professor always asks us - "are you a carrot or a stick person?" And unless I'm truly interested in something, I need a giant stick swinging down to crush my bones.
What hasn't helped this week is that I went online and looked at the course webpages for some of this semester's classes. (Cue ominous 1950s horror movie music) Looks like there's going to be lots of horrific computer programming.....I absolutely HATE that stuff....why on earth do they insist on making things harder than they need to be -- more complicated and confusing? Why not try to simplify things? OH NO! Let's make computers so that you need to know a dozen asinine, complex, and unnecessarily obtuse computer languages so that you can physically type in outrageously long, complicated, and tedious commands for each tiny little thing you want the computer to do! Here's a shocking idea -- how about making it so that you just tell the computer in plain English what you want it to do? Or maybe have voice-recognition software so that you simply TELL the computer what you want? "Hey, stupid computer -- I want you to use the Bernoulli equation to solve for stupid velocity with the following stupid variables! Can you stupid handle that??!?!?!"
What makes it worse is that the other fellows at school LOVE this stuff. They eat it up like Oreo cookies first thing in the morning (I could eat a box of those things upon waking). "Oh boy, FORTRAN and Visual Basic! Integrating codes between Excel and POLYMATH! This is fun and easy and helpful! C'mon Rick, you know how to do this! What's that? Telling the computer what you want? HAHAHA - that's just silly! Typing in inhumanly long and ridiculous codes is way better!"
Soooo.....in other news....we might be getting our first touch of snow for the season tonight and tomorrow. Only a couple of inches at best....but better than the nothing we've gotten thus far along with watching such places as New Mexico and Dallas get hit with winter weather while we alternate between 45 and torrential downpours for days on end OR 20 degrees and windy with blue skies. Of course, there's always the local weather station's Anti-Snow Machine to contend with. The Anti-Snow Machine (as you all know) creates a magical bubble of clear air, above-freezing temps, or otherwise removes the presence of snow from an area as large as the viewing area or as small as my personal location. So while all the area outside the magical bubble ceases the misery of their daily grind and runs out to frolic in a harmonious Utopia of snow and Christmas songs and talking snowmen and animated rabbits and smiles and hot chocolate and sledding (and not to mention everyone suddenly lives in a forest preserve like in Calvin and Hobbes...in fact, most of my idyllic visions of life are somehow related to that comic strip...) and peace on Earth and blah blah blah blah blah --- meanwhile, I'm standing at the window watching rain come down as the tv turns itself on and the weatherman or weatherwoman or weathermonster or weatherbear or weathercoffeemaker or weatherwoodchuck appears on the screen taunting me by name and using foul language to demean me as he/she/it has the camera follow them outside to roll around in the snow and then write "Eat it, Rick" in the snow itself. Of course, later on follows the pretentious pandering to the audience during the regular broadcast,"oh, gee, it was just so strange, we got lucky and the snow just dissipated over our area! We never could have predicted that! Who knew?"
Hmm....perhaps I should go eat something....like many people, I have a medical tendency to have low blood sugar if I don't eat regularly...many other people completely dismiss this and do not take it seriously when I say "I can't skip a meal." They think it's just me being dramatic or something. But no - you don't understand...I....can't....skip...a meal. From a health standpoint, I HAVE to keep myself fed regularly. No food = no glucose getting to the brain = inability to function like a normal human being. So when my class schedule comes out and two days a week we have a 6 hour block of nonstop classes from 11-5 with no lunch break and people laugh when I say that this is a serious problem - I can get a little annoyed. "Oh, just go eat some computer programming - that'll make you feel better - who needs food when you can stare at idiotic computer languages?"
Alright, well....looks like I started off the new year of blogging with a low-blood-sugar induced diatribe about various annoyances. I'm sure you all totally enjoyed that and don't want your money back. Oh...I mean...no....your credit cards are so NOT being charged automatically each time you view my page....that's just a ridiculous idea...like low blood sugar...or computer programming...or an Anti-Snow Machine...
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