Ladies and gentlemen of the Internet. Allow me to update you on my crazy and exciting life. Anyway, that's what I said on June 13th when I started this entry...maybe I can finish it now.
For those of you who don't know, and there probably aren't many of you nowadays, I will be leaving for Japan on August 1st. I'll be taking language classes in Tokyo for 7 weeks while living with my friend, the excellent Mr. Chris Cooper. This is, to me, very exciting. But you folks should probably not worry about it too much.
Other miscellaneous updates for your information (numbered, for your convenience!):
1.Spring quarter was an amazing success, at least as far as classes go. I learned a lot and got good grades. The Chemical Engineers also had some crazy nights out that I'll remember for years to come.
2.Two of my best friends were married on June 27th. I was a groomsman. It was a gorgeous ceremony. Unfortunately, I got a bad sinus infection directly after the wedding. Better than before it though, right?
3.I realized that I'm actually quite poor and going to Japan is going to kill me financially...but screw it; I am going. If I give this up I will never forgive myself. My family's motto is "Fortitor et celeriter". It is time I lived up to it.
4.I'm on co-op now and working as a project manager. Basically, I ensure that work gets done correctly, safely, cheaply, and on time. I'm pretty busy. It is as close as I've ever been to enjoying my work. I could actually see myself doing this for a living...for more than a year even. It is weird when older people call me "sir" though.
5.There was this girl that I liked/like and I told people about her. That's probably going nowhere...and not just because I'm going somewhere. I'll throw all the optimism I have at it though, folks. *mmmph*
6.On an unrelated note, I'm still depressed about being told off on Friday. Who knew I was so sensitive? I'll get over it, but I had to tell someone.
7.I love tennis. David beat me handily this past weekend though. I'm 1-1 on the summer...a higher win percentage than the Reds...admittedly, it is a much smaller sample size.
So here's the part of the entry where I stop condensing my life into bullet points and start a more intellectual discussion. I want to make two mostly unrelated points.
First, regarding the Internet as a political tool. The protesters in Tehran made international headlines by opposing the reelection of incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in what many consider to be a massive case of electoral fraud. While this was occurring, the Iranian government confined foreign journalists to their hotel rooms and offices, shut off cell phones, and severely limited internet access. All in a bid to stifle the ability of protesters to organize and get information out to international media outlets.
Before we go any further, let us all take a moment to reflect on how frightening it is that governments are capable of that degree of censorship. We can only speculate as to what our own, much more technologically advanced government is capable of. Frankly though, if you'll excuse my momentary descent into conspiracy theory territory, I feel that the US government has much more subtle mechanisms of control than the rather heavy-handed techniques employed by the Iranian government. But needless to say, if you make the government angry, they're more than capable of cutting you off from the world and making you disappear.
/end tangent
My real point arises from a unique facet of the demonstrations: the usage of proxy servers by Iranian dissidents to access social networking sites (read: Twitter) in order to post their first hand accounts of events on the ground. The optimist in me has this to say: hooray!, a new age of communications is upon us. The birth of our global communications network which crosses borders has brought us closer than ever to a unified world. The people of the world need no longer suffer in silence.
But let's face it folks, things aren't so simple. First, although many Iranians did reach the outside world using Twitter and its contemporaries, the net result was first, minimal, and second, only achieved through the utilization of more traditional, mainstream media outlets. If the BBC and NBC hadn't told you the Iranians were on Twitter, you probably weren't going to hear about it. Also, the nature of identity on the internet of unreliable at best. We really have no idea who is feeding us information on the majority of social networking sites/blogs etc. This makes reporting difficult and justifying any decision-making based on the information obtained from such accounts very difficult. Finally, ignoring these technical issues which can perhaps be resolved or debated, the real problem is that many people don't have access to food and water, let alone cell phones and internet access. The oppressed people of the world can't all cry out to us on Twitter when they don't even have electricity.
Maybe that's going too far though. Maybe my point about global poverty borders on the non sequitur. It is undeniable that, as we progress technologically, more specifically, as we continue to explore the possibilities brought about by our newfound ability to connect to each other nearly instantaneously, the ability of governments oppress their people continues to diminish. I feel that, the more we share with each other, the more we will feel like we are one people sharing this planet. Maybe we can start to rethink our prejudices and hatreds. Hopefully within my lifetime we can come a lot closer to seeing how stupid killing each other really is. If technology can bring that about, it is worth it.
The second issue I want to address is in the same vein as my last discussion. However, it is more of a rant than anything else. I'm sick of a couple of things. First, I'm sick of the pointless animosity between those who fight under the banners "Democrat" and "Republican". So many people use these and other similar labels as a device to demonize anyone who disagrees with them. They also allow politicians to avoid the intricacies inherent in everyone's political views and dismiss them out of hand. I think this environment is, first and foremost, self-perpetuating in that it attracts the wrong sort of individual to politics and, second and perhaps more damagingly, a detriment to intelligent political discourse. How can we come to a proper compromise when we dismiss each other as an enemy? How can we understand an issue when we disrespect the opposing viewpoint that is shared by a large number of people who think it is the right thing? How can a truly honest and moderate politician, which most people seem to want, come to power when the elections are a contest of fundraising, mud-slinging, and political pandering?
And don't think this rant has anything to do with President Obama - though I might consider saying something against him just to goad you gypsies into a reaction. But, frankly, I think he's done a good job so far with everything that has been thrown at him. I would have done things much differently with the economy, but there isn't always one right answer. And if things don't work out, people need to try to avoid scapegoating...something our country loves to do. But as far as foreign relations go...I'd say he's been top notch. Non-interventionalist rhetoric is a breath of fresh air. But I'm rambling again.
I hate to just rant on and on without presenting any thoughts as to how things can be changed, but it is so difficult to think of how we can get away from this destructive trend of party politics...which does, admittedly, have some advantages. Perhaps if we just made it a policy to try to be friends, not call each other names, and see things from the other side before making decisions we would see some change. People almost never see themselves as "evil"; they almost always have the best of intentions. Karl Marx may have been right when he said that "The path to Hell is paved with good intentions", but if by the end of the path we get to the point where we see that we're really all on the same side...Hell really can't be that bad.
Well, I've rambled on enough tonight. I apologize, dear reader. Hopefully you got something positive out of this blog entry. I really did mean well. You have my best wishes.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
Sine Qua Non
*munching on animal crackers*
*crunch* *crunch* *crunch*
Oh, you were waiting on me to say something...alright then. I know of no rule against typing with one's mouth full.
My co-op quarter here in West Virginia/Belpre, Ohio is nearing its end. I'm going to be working through spring break to make more money and to avoid the inevitable boredom of having nothing scheduled for a week. I'm not saying I wouldn't have a lot of good times hanging out with my friends...but they can't be with me all of the time and a lot of them are going to be working through the break too. But yeah, it has been a very productive co-op. After the disappointment that seemed to follow me back to Cincy after the last co-op quarter, I'm glad that I was able to improve myself and perform in a way I could be more satisfied with. I took the initiative; I made the phone calls; I came back again and again for more work. So, I'm proud of what I was able to get done and, in spite of the mistakes I made, I know that I did good work, learned things, and improved myself as well. Success.
It's thundering out there tonight. There are many times when I love this sort of weather and tonight is one of them. Thunder and lightning are so grand, so...majestic. Plus, I'm quite glad that the cold days are almost completely behind me.
So, two of my best friends are get married (to each other) this June. You can't believe how happy I am for them. I'm invited to the wedding too, to be in it, in fact. How awesome is that? I get to be part of something that important in their lives. It will be the first wedding I've been invited to as a friend and that is kinda the beginning of a new era in and of itself. Now if I could only come up with the perfect wedding present!
It does get me thinking though...people my age are getting married and I've had ONE girlfriend nearly FOUR years ago. I have to give myself some props...that's pretty epic. Jacob, are you worried? No, no, no. It's just funny. I don't know if I'll ever be impressed again.
I saw that Watchmen movie Saturday, you know, the one that everyone has been talking about? No? Well, I enjoyed it, on the whole. There were a couple of great lines, some amazing imagery, and several satisfying moments. It also had a decidedly philosophical bent to it. I always appreciate that sort of thing. I thought Dr. Manhattan's point about how each human, as a unique individual existing out of all other possible individuals, is a miracle (he was thinking about one in particular at the time though) was pretty grand. One thing a lot of us neglect to think about is how great it is just to be alive. I didn't exist for a long time and I'm glad that came to an end. Hopefully I can stick around for a while.
So, the title of this particular post is Latin for "without which not" or perhaps "without which nothing". I grabbed it off of Battlestar: Galactica (which is one of the best things to show up on TV for a long time). In the episode it was explained as referring to something which you cannot see yourself living without. That is, if it was taken away from you, life would be unlivable. I'm guessing it is generally a person, unless you're Patrick Henry (liberty or death...get it?). Anyway, it struck a cord with me, so now you gypsies have to deal with it for a brief moment.
Well, I can't think of anything else to say. The animal crackers are gone too.
*crunch* *crunch* *crunch*
Oh, you were waiting on me to say something...alright then. I know of no rule against typing with one's mouth full.
My co-op quarter here in West Virginia/Belpre, Ohio is nearing its end. I'm going to be working through spring break to make more money and to avoid the inevitable boredom of having nothing scheduled for a week. I'm not saying I wouldn't have a lot of good times hanging out with my friends...but they can't be with me all of the time and a lot of them are going to be working through the break too. But yeah, it has been a very productive co-op. After the disappointment that seemed to follow me back to Cincy after the last co-op quarter, I'm glad that I was able to improve myself and perform in a way I could be more satisfied with. I took the initiative; I made the phone calls; I came back again and again for more work. So, I'm proud of what I was able to get done and, in spite of the mistakes I made, I know that I did good work, learned things, and improved myself as well. Success.
It's thundering out there tonight. There are many times when I love this sort of weather and tonight is one of them. Thunder and lightning are so grand, so...majestic. Plus, I'm quite glad that the cold days are almost completely behind me.
So, two of my best friends are get married (to each other) this June. You can't believe how happy I am for them. I'm invited to the wedding too, to be in it, in fact. How awesome is that? I get to be part of something that important in their lives. It will be the first wedding I've been invited to as a friend and that is kinda the beginning of a new era in and of itself. Now if I could only come up with the perfect wedding present!
It does get me thinking though...people my age are getting married and I've had ONE girlfriend nearly FOUR years ago. I have to give myself some props...that's pretty epic. Jacob, are you worried? No, no, no. It's just funny. I don't know if I'll ever be impressed again.
I saw that Watchmen movie Saturday, you know, the one that everyone has been talking about? No? Well, I enjoyed it, on the whole. There were a couple of great lines, some amazing imagery, and several satisfying moments. It also had a decidedly philosophical bent to it. I always appreciate that sort of thing. I thought Dr. Manhattan's point about how each human, as a unique individual existing out of all other possible individuals, is a miracle (he was thinking about one in particular at the time though) was pretty grand. One thing a lot of us neglect to think about is how great it is just to be alive. I didn't exist for a long time and I'm glad that came to an end. Hopefully I can stick around for a while.
So, the title of this particular post is Latin for "without which not" or perhaps "without which nothing". I grabbed it off of Battlestar: Galactica (which is one of the best things to show up on TV for a long time). In the episode it was explained as referring to something which you cannot see yourself living without. That is, if it was taken away from you, life would be unlivable. I'm guessing it is generally a person, unless you're Patrick Henry (liberty or death...get it?). Anyway, it struck a cord with me, so now you gypsies have to deal with it for a brief moment.
Well, I can't think of anything else to say. The animal crackers are gone too.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Dancing in the Fire
Hello folks, I'll avoid the cliche of talking about how long it has been since I wrote in here...oops. Anyway, I find myself at an interesting point in my life once again. I've been to Vegas, gambled and won. I've had my best Christmas break in recent memory. I've started back at my job in West Virginia and am living the dream.
Well, it isn't quite that grand. Work isn't as satisfying as I'd like. It is close to the point where I would say that I dread going to work. I'm glad to have a job though...I feel bad for the people who are not so fortunate.
There are bad times on the horizon for a lot of people. People are losing their jobs left and right. In fact, today Circuit City announced they are liquidating all of their assets and closing all of their stores. That means 35,000 people will have lost their jobs. Just terrible. I'm hoping to dodge the bullet on all of this (loans, job, etc) but my perennial luck has its limits. You know, I'm really rooting for this new administration coming into power Tuesday...but there are no miracles in government and it may be too little too late. I also worry about how we're going to pay down our massive debt even if we do survive this mess.
It hasn't helped that a large majority of my free time has recently been consumed by Fallout 3 for the X-Box 360 and Cormac McCarthy's The Road. Neither of them paint a pretty picture for the future and I often find myself agreeing with them. But this too shall pass.
On a slightly lighter note, I fell in love with House MD (the show, though Hugh is pretty sweet) over break and now have all of the DVD's. House is an extremely interesting character. I feel there's a little House in me, so I learn a little about myself by watching the show. Of course, I'm not addicted to Vicodin or anything.
I promised to write a post about my time in Sin City...I obviously delayed doing so. To be honest, after returning I was intellectually and physically exhausted. I hadn't recovered from school where I literally worked myself into an illness (and still managed to be lazy). It was a tough quarter though I did grow a lot closer to Ryan and Jayna who I miss a lot. And then after I recovered I was busy with Christmas, New Year's, and moving here. So, here I am.
This time in Parkersburg I've found myself a lot more lonely than I used to be. I knew before I even left that it was going to be this way. I don't really understand why though. For some reason I just feel really close to my friends these days. Tonight I turned to my bourbon. Yeah, I drink. My advice: Don't drink alone if you can avoid it, folks. I mean, I'm obviously not drunk and it did help me to feel less depressed...but it is a bad place to be. I'm not sure what is wrong with me. Whatever, I miss my friends. I guess I could call them, but I'd rather see them. It'd be better if they called me...especially certain people. Don't feel bad though, I'm sure the blame lies with me.
Vegas. Let me tell you, it was different than any place I'd ever been before. I had some good company and saw some amazing sights. I played blackjack, roulette, and the slots and I won on everything but blackjack which was really fast-paced. It was a constant assault on the senses walking around that town. Lots of amazing architecture and lighting and a constant barrage of advertisements for shows and women. I could probably write a big piece about prostitution but I don't have the readership or the drive to make it worthwhile. Needless to say it is not an industry I anticipate ever utilizing...but there isn't much to say beyond that which wouldn't take me several paragraphs. Oh, I saw Blue Man Group in Vegas too. My goodness, they are amazing. Spencer has good taste.
It's Saturday now...Was there something else you wanted to know?
Well, it isn't quite that grand. Work isn't as satisfying as I'd like. It is close to the point where I would say that I dread going to work. I'm glad to have a job though...I feel bad for the people who are not so fortunate.
There are bad times on the horizon for a lot of people. People are losing their jobs left and right. In fact, today Circuit City announced they are liquidating all of their assets and closing all of their stores. That means 35,000 people will have lost their jobs. Just terrible. I'm hoping to dodge the bullet on all of this (loans, job, etc) but my perennial luck has its limits. You know, I'm really rooting for this new administration coming into power Tuesday...but there are no miracles in government and it may be too little too late. I also worry about how we're going to pay down our massive debt even if we do survive this mess.
It hasn't helped that a large majority of my free time has recently been consumed by Fallout 3 for the X-Box 360 and Cormac McCarthy's The Road. Neither of them paint a pretty picture for the future and I often find myself agreeing with them. But this too shall pass.
On a slightly lighter note, I fell in love with House MD (the show, though Hugh is pretty sweet) over break and now have all of the DVD's. House is an extremely interesting character. I feel there's a little House in me, so I learn a little about myself by watching the show. Of course, I'm not addicted to Vicodin or anything.
I promised to write a post about my time in Sin City...I obviously delayed doing so. To be honest, after returning I was intellectually and physically exhausted. I hadn't recovered from school where I literally worked myself into an illness (and still managed to be lazy). It was a tough quarter though I did grow a lot closer to Ryan and Jayna who I miss a lot. And then after I recovered I was busy with Christmas, New Year's, and moving here. So, here I am.
This time in Parkersburg I've found myself a lot more lonely than I used to be. I knew before I even left that it was going to be this way. I don't really understand why though. For some reason I just feel really close to my friends these days. Tonight I turned to my bourbon. Yeah, I drink. My advice: Don't drink alone if you can avoid it, folks. I mean, I'm obviously not drunk and it did help me to feel less depressed...but it is a bad place to be. I'm not sure what is wrong with me. Whatever, I miss my friends. I guess I could call them, but I'd rather see them. It'd be better if they called me...especially certain people. Don't feel bad though, I'm sure the blame lies with me.
Vegas. Let me tell you, it was different than any place I'd ever been before. I had some good company and saw some amazing sights. I played blackjack, roulette, and the slots and I won on everything but blackjack which was really fast-paced. It was a constant assault on the senses walking around that town. Lots of amazing architecture and lighting and a constant barrage of advertisements for shows and women. I could probably write a big piece about prostitution but I don't have the readership or the drive to make it worthwhile. Needless to say it is not an industry I anticipate ever utilizing...but there isn't much to say beyond that which wouldn't take me several paragraphs. Oh, I saw Blue Man Group in Vegas too. My goodness, they are amazing. Spencer has good taste.
It's Saturday now...Was there something else you wanted to know?
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Karma Payment Plan
Wow, a lot has happened since I've last had the pleasure of addressing you all. First off, a shout out to Randy Eckman on his birthday; I wish him all the best. He's a talented and hardworking fellow with, mark my words, a bright future in engineering. I have no doubt he'll blow me out of the water someday. Another shout out to Jennifer Blincoe who has just returned to us from far away Korea. I don't think she reads this thing, but that isn't that point. Anyway, on with the show.
Life has been absolutely crazy lately. I've been trying to keep in touch with a great many people and let me tell you, it has been a grand time. My friends are really some of the best people in the world. There's been a lot of adventure in my life too...and a lot of thinking. This post intends to cover them both.
On the adventure side of thing I recently went on a weekend camping/Cedar Point trip with my friends Jeremy and James. It had been in works for a while and all parties involved were really looking forward to it. The night before I was set to leave I received a call from James finalizing plans. It was decided that due to our similar departure times, the trip there would be something of an informal "race". James, in the spirit of competition, declared that he would emerge the victor because I would blow a tire on the way up. I knew immediately that I was doomed. Through the day at work before the trip the thought lingered with me that James' proclamation might actually occur. I tried to think of ways to prevent it...but nothing made much sense, so I just went on with things.
As I left my apartment I felt optimistic about the coming weekend. I knew that grand times were ahead of me. However, as soon as I got on the highway I knew there was trouble. My driver's side front tire was vibrating badly at any significant speed. I stopped at a rest area to survey the situation and found nothing to justify immediate action, i.e. a puncture or flat. So, I continued on. Not 2 miles up the highway my tire physically explodes...a piece of it flying past my side window. I had been staying in the right lane just in case and pulled over as soon as I regained full control of my vehicle. I sounded bad.
I exited the car and finally understood how the strips of rubber come to lie on the side of the highway. The entire outer layer, the crucial belt of my tire was destroyed. I set about retrieving my port-o-jack and spare from the trunk compartment. One was flat and the other suspended in standing water, rusting. I had no option but to proceed. Unfortunately, the rusted state of the jack and its confusing design forced me to call my father for advice on its usage. However, my reception was terrible and after a snippet of advice I was on my own. After five more minutes working on that jack I was still lost and was about to call again when I looked down to find that my cell phone was no longer functional and would not even turn off.
Faced with the prospect of walking the 10 miles to the next town (I saw no logic in returning to the rest area because I did not even have the proper numbers to call the other co-ops for help...and I was not about to beg), I suddenly became aware that there was only two ways the jack could possibly work and any resistance to proper function was being caused by rust. My thought was this: work it or wreck it. Fortunately, I was able to do the former and after considerable effort put my spare on.
So now I'm driving down the highway at 40 mph on a flat spare tire going who knows where, with my emergency lights on waving cars past me. I finally got off the highway onto a long and winding "Deliverance"-esque road towards the same mystery location...again holding up traffic. After a good ten minutes of guesswork driving I ended up in a hole-in-the-wall store asking for directions to the nearest Wal-Mart. However, much to my surprise I was directed to a local store, "Henathorne's Tire and Gun", for my tire needs. On my way out, I was confronted by an aging hippie who lent me his portable air pump to fill my flat spare. I thanked him and was going to shake his hand when he surprised me with a full on hug. Well, I didn't mind; he was a good fellow. It caught me off guard though. I also figured out that by temporarily removing my phones battery I could restore it to proper function. The first person I called was James...it is doubtful he will ever he me curse that much again. Honestly folks, it had to be done, whether or not you believe in such silly things. The event would simply not be right if I didn't at least pretend to blame James. Fun times.
Anyway, after a 4 mile drive I finally arrived at the garage. Inside I encountered an old couple, a young boy, and a younger girl playing with a yellow dog. I explained the situation and the young boy was tasked with dealing with my tire. He was a decent fellow who commented on the terrible state of my blown tire and my shinai in the trunk. I took care of my spare, notified my parents of my survival, and went in to pay. $83.32 all in all. I planned to pay with my Visa. However, as luck would have it, the card machine was unable to communicate with the main server. This was bad. I was preparing to barter my sleeping bag when I checked my wallet to find that I had exactly $83...fortunately for me I hadn't bought that bag of M&M's from the vending machine at work. I returned to my car for exact change, paid in full, and was on my way. An adventure before the weekend had even truly began. But such is life. What mattered was that I was on my way...
More to come on the trip soon.
Life has been absolutely crazy lately. I've been trying to keep in touch with a great many people and let me tell you, it has been a grand time. My friends are really some of the best people in the world. There's been a lot of adventure in my life too...and a lot of thinking. This post intends to cover them both.
On the adventure side of thing I recently went on a weekend camping/Cedar Point trip with my friends Jeremy and James. It had been in works for a while and all parties involved were really looking forward to it. The night before I was set to leave I received a call from James finalizing plans. It was decided that due to our similar departure times, the trip there would be something of an informal "race". James, in the spirit of competition, declared that he would emerge the victor because I would blow a tire on the way up. I knew immediately that I was doomed. Through the day at work before the trip the thought lingered with me that James' proclamation might actually occur. I tried to think of ways to prevent it...but nothing made much sense, so I just went on with things.
As I left my apartment I felt optimistic about the coming weekend. I knew that grand times were ahead of me. However, as soon as I got on the highway I knew there was trouble. My driver's side front tire was vibrating badly at any significant speed. I stopped at a rest area to survey the situation and found nothing to justify immediate action, i.e. a puncture or flat. So, I continued on. Not 2 miles up the highway my tire physically explodes...a piece of it flying past my side window. I had been staying in the right lane just in case and pulled over as soon as I regained full control of my vehicle. I sounded bad.
I exited the car and finally understood how the strips of rubber come to lie on the side of the highway. The entire outer layer, the crucial belt of my tire was destroyed. I set about retrieving my port-o-jack and spare from the trunk compartment. One was flat and the other suspended in standing water, rusting. I had no option but to proceed. Unfortunately, the rusted state of the jack and its confusing design forced me to call my father for advice on its usage. However, my reception was terrible and after a snippet of advice I was on my own. After five more minutes working on that jack I was still lost and was about to call again when I looked down to find that my cell phone was no longer functional and would not even turn off.
Faced with the prospect of walking the 10 miles to the next town (I saw no logic in returning to the rest area because I did not even have the proper numbers to call the other co-ops for help...and I was not about to beg), I suddenly became aware that there was only two ways the jack could possibly work and any resistance to proper function was being caused by rust. My thought was this: work it or wreck it. Fortunately, I was able to do the former and after considerable effort put my spare on.
So now I'm driving down the highway at 40 mph on a flat spare tire going who knows where, with my emergency lights on waving cars past me. I finally got off the highway onto a long and winding "Deliverance"-esque road towards the same mystery location...again holding up traffic. After a good ten minutes of guesswork driving I ended up in a hole-in-the-wall store asking for directions to the nearest Wal-Mart. However, much to my surprise I was directed to a local store, "Henathorne's Tire and Gun", for my tire needs. On my way out, I was confronted by an aging hippie who lent me his portable air pump to fill my flat spare. I thanked him and was going to shake his hand when he surprised me with a full on hug. Well, I didn't mind; he was a good fellow. It caught me off guard though. I also figured out that by temporarily removing my phones battery I could restore it to proper function. The first person I called was James...it is doubtful he will ever he me curse that much again. Honestly folks, it had to be done, whether or not you believe in such silly things. The event would simply not be right if I didn't at least pretend to blame James. Fun times.
Anyway, after a 4 mile drive I finally arrived at the garage. Inside I encountered an old couple, a young boy, and a younger girl playing with a yellow dog. I explained the situation and the young boy was tasked with dealing with my tire. He was a decent fellow who commented on the terrible state of my blown tire and my shinai in the trunk. I took care of my spare, notified my parents of my survival, and went in to pay. $83.32 all in all. I planned to pay with my Visa. However, as luck would have it, the card machine was unable to communicate with the main server. This was bad. I was preparing to barter my sleeping bag when I checked my wallet to find that I had exactly $83...fortunately for me I hadn't bought that bag of M&M's from the vending machine at work. I returned to my car for exact change, paid in full, and was on my way. An adventure before the weekend had even truly began. But such is life. What mattered was that I was on my way...
More to come on the trip soon.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Valor
I don't know where this post is going to go.
It's been a long time since you've heard from me through this particular source. You're missing out! Whatever, right? I kept a paper journal there for a while...when I had no Internet. But nowadays I waste a lot of time on my X-Box 360. I will pick it back eventually though.
Work is going very well. I'm kept fairly busy and given relevant projects. People are also very kind to me, which I need. I need support.
Being back in Parkersburg on my own (pretty much) I've begun to realize some things that I could never really be sure of before.
1. I prefer living on my own and working rather than going to school.
2. I miss the city of Cincinnati, not just the people (though I miss them as well).
3. I have no qualms about being an adult and dealing with everything that entails. I thrive on responsibility and am my own person already.
4. I need to work out more.
Those things are new. Particularly accented of late has been my complete failure to interact with women of my peer group in any capacity other than as friends. It's depressing, and as much as my good friends will disagree, it is not simply me being selective or the right person not being out there...these are all good excuses, but they can only be used up to a point; no, it is me. I am just terrible at romance. The ways I show I care and the way I express myself in that regard are not cutting it. People either don't get me or get me but decide friendship is better. This isn't me being hard on myself. I like myself. Other people don't though...as evidenced by me never being in a serious relationship. There are worse fates though, I suppose. At least I have my health.
I was home this weekend and kept pretty busy between friends and family obligations. The 4th of July is a big holiday in my family. It's probably my favorite holiday...though I think the best day of the year is New Year's Eve if it is spent with my friends as per tradition. I did find time to watch Howl's Moving Castle in English and in Japanese though. It is very good. So there.
Well, if you need to talk to me, give me a ring or something.
It's been a long time since you've heard from me through this particular source. You're missing out! Whatever, right? I kept a paper journal there for a while...when I had no Internet. But nowadays I waste a lot of time on my X-Box 360. I will pick it back eventually though.
Work is going very well. I'm kept fairly busy and given relevant projects. People are also very kind to me, which I need. I need support.
Being back in Parkersburg on my own (pretty much) I've begun to realize some things that I could never really be sure of before.
1. I prefer living on my own and working rather than going to school.
2. I miss the city of Cincinnati, not just the people (though I miss them as well).
3. I have no qualms about being an adult and dealing with everything that entails. I thrive on responsibility and am my own person already.
4. I need to work out more.
Those things are new. Particularly accented of late has been my complete failure to interact with women of my peer group in any capacity other than as friends. It's depressing, and as much as my good friends will disagree, it is not simply me being selective or the right person not being out there...these are all good excuses, but they can only be used up to a point; no, it is me. I am just terrible at romance. The ways I show I care and the way I express myself in that regard are not cutting it. People either don't get me or get me but decide friendship is better. This isn't me being hard on myself. I like myself. Other people don't though...as evidenced by me never being in a serious relationship. There are worse fates though, I suppose. At least I have my health.
I was home this weekend and kept pretty busy between friends and family obligations. The 4th of July is a big holiday in my family. It's probably my favorite holiday...though I think the best day of the year is New Year's Eve if it is spent with my friends as per tradition. I did find time to watch Howl's Moving Castle in English and in Japanese though. It is very good. So there.
Well, if you need to talk to me, give me a ring or something.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Live from Cincinnati...
Hello my friends and my best wishes to all of you. This update comes to you with no greater plan or purpose. Let's just see what happens when I let myself go with the aid of some Weezer and Modest Mouse. Before we begin though, I want to emphasize how grand Weezer is. In many ways I think they're the band closest to the one that I'd form if I formed a band. I love their thoughtful lyrics, creative videos, superb musicianship, catchy tunes, use of dissonance, and wonderful chords...among other things.
Anyway, this past weekend I found myself...actually, that's not true, I chose to go to Cleveland this weekend with my friend Crystal. I can't remember what the original reason she wanted to go was, but it is her home and she has a lot of friends there that she wanted to see and that's reason enough really. I was happy to provide transportation to and from Cleveland. It was a unique opportunity for me really. I got to meet a ton of new people and experience a new city for three days. It was definitely crazy, though I would not have expected anything less. I'm not going to run through a ton of details for you all, mainly because I do not really have the desire to chronicle the entire trip for you, but I will say that I saw Lake Erie for the first time and had also tried Denny's. Ah, that reminds me of something...not Denny's, gypsies, I was thinking of what else I did this weekend and remembered something I meant to write about.
So, this past Sunday found me watching television with Crystal. Those of you who know me know that watching television can be hard on me at times...this was one of those times. No offense to anyone who enjoys TV, but it is seldom "for me". But I digress. I ended up sitting in the room where I was staying with nothing really to do. A thought crossed my mind: I have that big book in my trunk...why not read that? Well, for those of you not possessing an intimate knowledge of the trunk of my car or my Sunday morning, the book I'm referring to is a collection of the essays, speeches, and poetry of Ralph Waldo Emerson. I'm sure a few of my friends know that Emerson and I go way back, but those people probably don't read this blog. So, I'll just let you all know that in my junior year of high school, I became a fan of his and even played him in a skit. But again, I digress. I opened up the book and began to read "Nature". It's not an easy read by any estimation, but I was doing pretty well. However, that television was still audible in the background and it was killing me. Crystal, please don't be unhappy with me for saying so, I don't blame you in the least. *ahem* I decided to do something different. I decided to read aloud to myself.
The first few sentences were shaky as I found a good pacing, but soon I was really getting into it. I took care not to speak to loudly though, I didn't want to be heard because it seemed what I was doing was very silly. However, I really was getting into it. The words not only resonated with me, but the style of writing allowed me convert the text to speech quite well. Anyway, I read nearly the whole thing before it was time to leave the house and I felt grand. I've got to say, it was the closest thing to a spiritual experience I've had in years. That's saying something. I might even try it again in the future.
On another subject, college is winding down, as is my interest in it. I'm ready to get back to working, living on my own terms, and making money. I just hope it isn't a lonely summer. I've had good times with my friends this quarter. Certain people have made it known to me that they might visit me during the upcoming quarter; I hope that works out for both of us. I'm just sorry I am going to be living in such a boring area and that I will be working 5 days a week. Oh, my 21st birthday is this summer as well. It seems the accepted idea is that I am to return to Huber for that weekend (as my birthday falls on a Saturday), but I might not feel like it. 95% chance that's where I'll be though. Anyway, do try to say "hello" to me on my birthday though...I really do like to be spoken to.
I am beginning to wonder if I'm an independent person or an unstable person. Perhaps I am both. I certainly have my own ideas and am not afraid to make them known. Only time will tell how I turn out. I hope that at least some of you are there to see it with me.
Public enemy number 1, that's me. I think I've taken a step backward. I like myself less right now. It's not nearly as bad as it has been, but I don't feel the calm I used to feel. Maybe co-op will help again. And don't you gypsies dare worry, because I'll be alright. I'm not going to end this on an emo note, so allow me to encourage you to check out Weezer's newest music video for their new single "Pork and Beans".
"Imma do the things that I wanna do
I ain't got a thing to prove to you
I'll eat my candy with the pork and beans
Excuse my manners if I make a scene
I ain't gonna wear the clothes that you like
I'm fine and dandy with the me inside
One look in the mirror and I'm tickled pink
I don't give a hoot about what you think"
Anyway, this past weekend I found myself...actually, that's not true, I chose to go to Cleveland this weekend with my friend Crystal. I can't remember what the original reason she wanted to go was, but it is her home and she has a lot of friends there that she wanted to see and that's reason enough really. I was happy to provide transportation to and from Cleveland. It was a unique opportunity for me really. I got to meet a ton of new people and experience a new city for three days. It was definitely crazy, though I would not have expected anything less. I'm not going to run through a ton of details for you all, mainly because I do not really have the desire to chronicle the entire trip for you, but I will say that I saw Lake Erie for the first time and had also tried Denny's. Ah, that reminds me of something...not Denny's, gypsies, I was thinking of what else I did this weekend and remembered something I meant to write about.
So, this past Sunday found me watching television with Crystal. Those of you who know me know that watching television can be hard on me at times...this was one of those times. No offense to anyone who enjoys TV, but it is seldom "for me". But I digress. I ended up sitting in the room where I was staying with nothing really to do. A thought crossed my mind: I have that big book in my trunk...why not read that? Well, for those of you not possessing an intimate knowledge of the trunk of my car or my Sunday morning, the book I'm referring to is a collection of the essays, speeches, and poetry of Ralph Waldo Emerson. I'm sure a few of my friends know that Emerson and I go way back, but those people probably don't read this blog. So, I'll just let you all know that in my junior year of high school, I became a fan of his and even played him in a skit. But again, I digress. I opened up the book and began to read "Nature". It's not an easy read by any estimation, but I was doing pretty well. However, that television was still audible in the background and it was killing me. Crystal, please don't be unhappy with me for saying so, I don't blame you in the least. *ahem* I decided to do something different. I decided to read aloud to myself.
The first few sentences were shaky as I found a good pacing, but soon I was really getting into it. I took care not to speak to loudly though, I didn't want to be heard because it seemed what I was doing was very silly. However, I really was getting into it. The words not only resonated with me, but the style of writing allowed me convert the text to speech quite well. Anyway, I read nearly the whole thing before it was time to leave the house and I felt grand. I've got to say, it was the closest thing to a spiritual experience I've had in years. That's saying something. I might even try it again in the future.
On another subject, college is winding down, as is my interest in it. I'm ready to get back to working, living on my own terms, and making money. I just hope it isn't a lonely summer. I've had good times with my friends this quarter. Certain people have made it known to me that they might visit me during the upcoming quarter; I hope that works out for both of us. I'm just sorry I am going to be living in such a boring area and that I will be working 5 days a week. Oh, my 21st birthday is this summer as well. It seems the accepted idea is that I am to return to Huber for that weekend (as my birthday falls on a Saturday), but I might not feel like it. 95% chance that's where I'll be though. Anyway, do try to say "hello" to me on my birthday though...I really do like to be spoken to.
I am beginning to wonder if I'm an independent person or an unstable person. Perhaps I am both. I certainly have my own ideas and am not afraid to make them known. Only time will tell how I turn out. I hope that at least some of you are there to see it with me.
Public enemy number 1, that's me. I think I've taken a step backward. I like myself less right now. It's not nearly as bad as it has been, but I don't feel the calm I used to feel. Maybe co-op will help again. And don't you gypsies dare worry, because I'll be alright. I'm not going to end this on an emo note, so allow me to encourage you to check out Weezer's newest music video for their new single "Pork and Beans".
"Imma do the things that I wanna do
I ain't got a thing to prove to you
I'll eat my candy with the pork and beans
Excuse my manners if I make a scene
I ain't gonna wear the clothes that you like
I'm fine and dandy with the me inside
One look in the mirror and I'm tickled pink
I don't give a hoot about what you think"
Sunday, May 11, 2008
If tomorrow never comes...
Okay, so the the last post was a lie. However, in my defense, I was up until 5 in the morning that Sunday night working on lab reports for organic chemistry. Anyway, I've neglected this blog for a number of reasons since then, some reasonable, some not quite as pressing, but that's life. I'm not going to promise to be better about it anymore...but I will do what I can.
So the last few weeks have been a whirlwind, and my head continues to spin from it. There's a lot going on in my life. I'm not going to go into too much detail about some things, however, due to the nature of the material. But try not to worry too much about it, gypsies.
Well, since it's been so long since I've updated, I guess I should start by saying that I'm back at UC (and have been since the tail end of March) after a very successful co-op at Kraton Polymers. This academic quarter has offered a myriad of new and exciting challenges and opportunities and I feel that I've really stepped up and faced them with the kind of effort worth being proud of. My grades are solid and my social life is complicated but grand. I've even scheduled my classes for the fall. Guys, it is going to be exciting. I've got 21 credit hours worth of classes...17 of them are pure engineering. That in itself is awesome. I no longer have to deal with labs or non-engineering math classes. Instead I'll be learning material directly related to my major. However, engineering classes are not the only things I'm taking. Much to my surprise, I was able to fit in Men's Choir and Asian Civilizations: Japan. Those classes should be grand and help keep me fresh when the engineering classes are testing my sanity. The Japanese class is also my first step towards international co-op. Hooray!
Hmm. I've been really happy lately. I think that living on my own for co-op really helped my develop myself even further as a person. I consider myself a true adult now...I even eat tomatoes (an inside joke). I also do not feel that I have a set home anymore. I am in transit and I have yet to create a space for myself beyond my person. That's fine...that is life. As evidenced by my previous revelations, I have been thinking about my future a lot more lately. I'm much more optimistic about my prospects. I believe I can become the happy and successful person I want to become. I am also happy with the person I am right now...and that's something I'm quite proud of.
Apologies if I've been redundant in this post, by the way. But there are certain things I feel I have to be sure are conveyed. Other news...I'll be in Cleveland for Memorial Day. That will be my first time up there. I'm excited about seeing and experiencing a new place. I also found out that I'll have about a week after school ends before I have to return to Belpre/Parkersburg. I'll try to hang out with as many people as possible in that period.
I suppose I should try to wax poetic or philosophic at some point in this post for you gypsies. However, I don't really want to be preachy. Well, at the very least I can say that I've been thinking a lot about my own mortality lately. Life really is beautiful and fragile. I think people have adapted to avoid thinking about that sort of thing. Or perhaps it's just that people don't need to think about things too thoroughly. Just think about it though...every time someone dies, that's a life exactly as deep and as important as yours being ended. It makes me sad. I just hope that I live for a lot longer than I already have. I have a lot of things I want to do. But once I'm dead I will not really have regrets...please don't think I'm being morbid, I'm a happy person, remember?
But seriously folks, life is grand and we'll be in touch soon, right? I hope so. Cheers and best wishes, my friends.
So the last few weeks have been a whirlwind, and my head continues to spin from it. There's a lot going on in my life. I'm not going to go into too much detail about some things, however, due to the nature of the material. But try not to worry too much about it, gypsies.
Well, since it's been so long since I've updated, I guess I should start by saying that I'm back at UC (and have been since the tail end of March) after a very successful co-op at Kraton Polymers. This academic quarter has offered a myriad of new and exciting challenges and opportunities and I feel that I've really stepped up and faced them with the kind of effort worth being proud of. My grades are solid and my social life is complicated but grand. I've even scheduled my classes for the fall. Guys, it is going to be exciting. I've got 21 credit hours worth of classes...17 of them are pure engineering. That in itself is awesome. I no longer have to deal with labs or non-engineering math classes. Instead I'll be learning material directly related to my major. However, engineering classes are not the only things I'm taking. Much to my surprise, I was able to fit in Men's Choir and Asian Civilizations: Japan. Those classes should be grand and help keep me fresh when the engineering classes are testing my sanity. The Japanese class is also my first step towards international co-op. Hooray!
Hmm. I've been really happy lately. I think that living on my own for co-op really helped my develop myself even further as a person. I consider myself a true adult now...I even eat tomatoes (an inside joke). I also do not feel that I have a set home anymore. I am in transit and I have yet to create a space for myself beyond my person. That's fine...that is life. As evidenced by my previous revelations, I have been thinking about my future a lot more lately. I'm much more optimistic about my prospects. I believe I can become the happy and successful person I want to become. I am also happy with the person I am right now...and that's something I'm quite proud of.
Apologies if I've been redundant in this post, by the way. But there are certain things I feel I have to be sure are conveyed. Other news...I'll be in Cleveland for Memorial Day. That will be my first time up there. I'm excited about seeing and experiencing a new place. I also found out that I'll have about a week after school ends before I have to return to Belpre/Parkersburg. I'll try to hang out with as many people as possible in that period.
I suppose I should try to wax poetic or philosophic at some point in this post for you gypsies. However, I don't really want to be preachy. Well, at the very least I can say that I've been thinking a lot about my own mortality lately. Life really is beautiful and fragile. I think people have adapted to avoid thinking about that sort of thing. Or perhaps it's just that people don't need to think about things too thoroughly. Just think about it though...every time someone dies, that's a life exactly as deep and as important as yours being ended. It makes me sad. I just hope that I live for a lot longer than I already have. I have a lot of things I want to do. But once I'm dead I will not really have regrets...please don't think I'm being morbid, I'm a happy person, remember?
But seriously folks, life is grand and we'll be in touch soon, right? I hope so. Cheers and best wishes, my friends.
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