St. James
Well it's that time of year again, the time of year when I have to park 2+ blocks away from my apartment and basically have to be a hermit all weekend unless I want to park even further away.
I like sitting on my porch and watching all the people that normally wouldn't set foot in our neighborhood and laugh at them. I also look at them with contempt as they act like they are on their home turf, and all I do is yell "get out of my neighborhood."
Just like last year, we got Yanni G's tent set up right outside our apartment, so we hear nothing but crappy music on the grade school recorder, you know those flute things you play like a clarinet that are made out of plastic? Well this guy thinks he's da' bomb and plays CDs of his all day long. They consist of him playing crappy music like Celine Dion and other stuff that only old people would dare to buy. He shows off, playing 2 recorders at one time, playing along with his own CD. What better way to combat the crappy noise pollution than to fight it with our own noise pollution. I probably won't be able to blast my trashing newest Dream Theater CD, but a little hardcore rap would still do the trick. We try to play it just loud enough that it can be heard outside, but at the level, it's too loud for us to sit inside, so we must sit outside and deal with both musics at the same time.
B is often quite tame, opting not to bark at every person he sees, mostly because there are too many people to bark at. The smells are often tantilizing, ranging from typical fair food of elephant ears and shoestring fries, to everyone's favorite: the turkey leg. Last year we had a front row, upper deck view of the legs being smoked on the huge grills. I think this year we're not going to have a good look at the legs because some greek food tent is set up below us...never any good food there.
posted on Fri, 09.30.05 @ 12:36 PM CST [more..] [No Comments
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New Responsibilities
Okay, so imagine this...you have a job where what you do every day is the same as what your co-workers do. Now imagine that you do a few extra things, just for the supervisor that other people don't do. Then, imagine that your team has a job role that requires one person to be the "know-it-all", a person that handles all the questions other people on the team have and does special work for the supervisor. This person is above everyone else and gets paid more, but below the supervisor. You are not that person, but your supervisor asks you to do much of the same work that the "know-it-all" does. Now imagine that you do all this work, but you don't get paid for it. Welcome to my world!
09.29.05 @ 07:20 AM CST [link] [2 Comments
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Moving
After a lot of research and emails Kiley and I have decided to move into an apartment on the East End. We're going to have to pay for water, which is the first time we've had to do that. Most apartments have water included, as does ours right now. Our gas bill is also part of the rent too, paying about $85 each month. We'll have electric heating and cooling in our new apartment, which is good because we don't have either right now. The location is great--a walk across or down the street will yield movies, liquor, pizza, wings, groceries, haircuts, and anything else that a person needs to waste gas on.
Kiley made me do the math and compare prices on rent, utilities, and gas based on where we live now and where we will live in a month. Even with doubling how much we'd pay for gas in a month, we will still save more money at a new apartment. It's almost the exact same as the first apartment I lived at in Louisville. We're taking a big cut in square footage, but is that really worth paying $130 extra a month? Now lets take some things into account based on what we currently don't have...
1) no central air conditioning makes summers quite hot
2) gas heat through radiators don't do crap but just heat my towel in the morning, making quite cold winters
3) the ceiling in at least 2 areas of our apartment now are ready to fall in due to water damage. It rained last night, how can you sleep when every drip you hear outside could be a drip that falling on your damn computer!?
4) Only a handful of people have experienced the "house centipede", the scary ass alien thingy with hella legs and huge antennae, that travels 50 MPH, scurries straight for your legs in order to hide in your clothing, has excellent sight, and lives deep in the walls. Try sleeping at night knowing those guys are everywhere. Seems to be localized in old, crap-hole apartments.
5) The pipes are rotting/rusted, so that smell when you turn on the water in the sink is not healthy, and have you ever turned on the water in the tub and had grey/brown water come out? Yeah, have fun taking a shower in that.
6) Oh yeah, no carpet! At least we'll be moving into a carpeted apartment. I have coming out of the shower and walking around on wood floors, only to pick up dog hair on my clean feet...sorry to those that have showered at our apt.
7) Last one....how many times must I hear people tell me our rent is more than their house payements? If we could be paying the same for a house, why would we want to live on the second floor of a house, up 25 frozen, icy, wet, slippery stairs of a house someone else owns? If we received as much rent as our landlord does, we'd have 3 houses by now. Instead, we're dead broke and can't afford a house when it's about damn time we got one.
posted on Mon, 09.26.05 @ 10:48 AM CST [more..] [No Comments
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Football
My lax football enthusiasm is getting pumped up this year since the teams I am rooting for are all doing well. Louisville is now 2-0, and my new fave team Steelers are 2-0 and the oft-forgotten Bengals are also 2-0. I really want to see the Bengals do good this year, and so far they are looking pretty good. They haven't had a good team in years.
The Steelers are out to prove something this year. Last year was almost a fluke, it seemed, with Roethlisberger coming in after the first game and ending the season 15-0 before the post-season games. He's still winning, so now their in-season streak is 17-0 with Big Ben at the helm. He's my boy, of course, because he attended Miami U. with me. Each game I saw him play in college was a treat because he really was a cut above the rest. He made the game look so easy, just floating passes over the middle with pinpoint accuracy. He can also scramble pretty damn good too. He isn't Michael Vick, but for a white guy, he can get those few extra yards that matter. He's a big guy too, so he's got the power to shake off sacks and tacklers alike. I'd love to see the October 23rd game when the Steelers take on the Bengals at home. The tickets are $50 though, and I ain't got that kind of cash, but I will fully enjoy watching that one on TV, if they decide to air the game on one of my 12 channels.
09.19.05 @ 10:12 AM CST [link] [33 Comments
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Feedback
I'd love to get some constructive criticism on my religion page. If I had religious types that read my thoughts and told me how everything I said is wrong, I would find it easier to debate what they say, and rebut their comments. Often times I am more reactionary to religious hype than I am predatory. Each time I hear more propaganda for the cross, be it from the President, Katrina Aid celebrity concerts, or chain mails where they urge you to say the included prayer and send it on to everyone in your address book or you will be struck down by god, I feel the need to address this growing plague on society.
I heard in Bush's speech last night something about the government reimbursing church organizations that have helped the Katrina victims. I see nothing wrong with churches helping these people, they need some free hope and faith, and the church is always there to dish it out, but does the government really need to give them money? What about the people in KY that have opened up their houses to these people displaced by their god's own storm? Shouldn't those people get money from the government too, or are we repaying our debt to the gods in a little monetary sacrifice?
There seems to be an emerging pattern, one of great concern. Natural disasters are the quickest and most efficient method of turning us into a coutry of poverty again, like in '29. Massive loss of homes and businesses will hurt the economy, and strain the rest of the markets, raising prices, demand, and thus other people's povert will soon be realized by all, as we find we will no longer be able to afford many of the things we used to. Then, even the goods that wouldn't normally be effected by rebuilding efforts, like smokes and alcohol, would continue to be taxed excruciatingly just because they can. They will take up the slack for all of the bills that need to be paid, and it's a quick way to make cash.
09.16.05 @ 08:23 AM CST [link] [73 Comments
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The Power of Thought
It would take too long to explain all the details of the realization I experienced last night, so I will just explain the basics. I was wiggling my finger back and forth quickly in front of the blue screen on the TV, and just like on "Mr. Wizard", I watched as my finger almost disappeared in the background. Then I thought, well if this is so easy, if my finger were to move at the speed of light, it would disappear, because it would not be able to be seen. I started thinking about all of the hundreds of pictures of "ghosts" that I have seen and remembered the "rods" phenomena, where a colorful "rod" or trail of light would be going across the picture, associated with paranormal activity.
My take on ghosts is that they are just energy, or thought that is intact and can travel on its own. Then I wondered, in the human body, what is the speed of thought? I'm not just talking about what you consciously choose to think about, because there are many body functions that are controlled by the brain that we take for granted, like telling our bodies to breathe and pump blood during sleep. That is "automatic" thought, but how fast is it? I'd like to say it's as fast as the speed of light, maybe slower. Regardless, the time it takes information to move from the synapses, axons, and dendrites is quite small.
So I realized that using the power and speed of thought, you can travel anywhere and everywhere if you can detach your thought or consciousness from your physical body, which just brings you down. Using meditation, you can pull most of your consciousness out of your body and travel to wherever you want. I wondered, could I go to Saturn? But how do I know that Saturn exists? All we have is pictures. I felt that a person can travel there using there mind, but only if they are aware of its existence. I can't travel to a distant, undiscovered planet because my mind doesn't have the knowledge, and therefore the capability to go to someplace it is not aware of.
09.14.05 @ 08:49 AM CST [link] [7 Comments
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Book
I have 2 books to write apparently. I have to write a semi-autobiographical novel and I have to write a work of non-fiction denouncing religion, be it willed by Allah and his homies Jesus, Mary, Buddha, Ra, Zeus, and big daddy Thor. Now I know you are asking yourself, "why would I want to read about that guy?" The problem is that you are confusing my real-life persona with the much grander one in my head! 
I have a good number of stories to tell about myself, some that have been told and experienced by friends of mine, and some that I keep to myself in a little mason jar, with holes poked in the lid and a twig and a leaf at the bottom. There are stories best not told unless on paper because some things could be taken the wrong way, interpreted by conservatives as wrong, and shunned by liberals as a step that they are reluctant to, and never will take; a step too far beyond the boundaries of extreme or contemporary.
I have the drive and the tools to change the world. My methods will be against all that most countries and law-abiding, god-fearing citizens hold dear, and this will be my challenge. I shall have death threats, protesters, government restrictions, and all around Jon-bashing, but it will just be a part of the plan. It will be this very backlash that will fuel my cause and prove my point that people aren't ready for what I have to say. I feel that a post-humous following of my texts will come about. With that said, I know that once the words are written, a warm and timely death will not instill the fear in me that most people know, for I will be confident that my words and ideology will carry on, and make people realize that their life is held in their palms, when their heads rest in their hands in sorrow, defeat, and hopelessness. The despair shall be overcome by my words, and make my name will be the calling card for those in need. Academas.
09.13.05 @ 09:44 AM CST [link] [4 Comments
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Birthday
We gave B a "gourmet" bone last night when Zack came over so he wouldn't go crazy. We've been doing that lately and it's been working quite well. He even growled at us when we tried to take it away, so he must have really liked it. When he was finished he ran under the bed, so maybe it was tainted with some sort of drugs and he was all paranoid or something.
My birthday is tomorrow and I'll be 26, which means something like I won't be carded anymore for things, not that I get carded much anyway, but I think they have to card you if you look younger than 26. I thought there was some sort of gun law that said you could buy a rifle at age 18, but you couldn't buy a handgun until age 26, so I guess I should get a revolver tomorrow or something. Actually that would probably be a bad idea, even for protection because what's the point of buying stuff if you can't use it? So I'd be inclined to use it and when do you really get to use a gun, other than if you're hunting (not with a handgun), the military (I'm not signing up to be mistaken for a crusader and killed), or at a firing range, which would still be pointless to buy a gun for. I guess I'll just stick with BB guns. I can shoot those indoors at nothing in particular and not break stuff. I used to have a CO2-powered BB pistol that was really cool. I also had a heavy black metal BB handgun, and a BB rifle with a scope. Did I ever use those "weapons"? Not really, just to shoot boxes and stuff. But I did shoot a raccoon once that was on our deck in Ohio. It was dark out, but I'm sure I hit that sucker straight in the head and it ran off. I have been tempted to tag a bird but I don't wanna kill anything...not yet at least. Mooohooohahaha!
09.07.05 @ 09:42 AM CST [link] [5 Comments
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Pretty Good Weekend
I don't remember much from Saturday but I do remember Sunday. Kiley and I went to the Granville and got 1.5 pitchers and some food before the Governor's Cup (UofL vs. UK football). We drank another 1.5 pitchers and we each had a Jager Bomb before halftime, at which point we left because Louisville was blowing out UK as we had expected. When we got back, we were fairly drunk, and all of a sudden the beer and the large amount of smokes caused me to go catatonic and on the verge of throwing up, which everyone has experienced and no one likes. Since I had just eaten a lot of good food, I really didn't want to yak, but I was pretty useless on the couch.
Kiley had given me my early birthday present before I passed out, and I very much enjoyed it. It is a #7 Roethlisberger Steelers jersey. Let's just hope he gets to play this year...
I finished my "Race for the Heisman" mode yesterday and my WR came in second place to some jabroni who didn't deserve it. I put up all the crazy #'s I could and broke just about every NCAA and team records there were and I friggin lost! So after that, I said "4 years down the drain". It's an odd statement, since any college WR would gladly take a career like my dude had, but the whole goal of the mode of play was to get the Heisman...and I didn't get it. I think I'll do it again sometime with an RB since that's who won. My QB was actually in the running too because he was the one throwing all those touchdown passes to my awesome WR, so I even had to sub in my second string QB a few times so my WR could be the man.
09.06.05 @ 10:34 AM CST [link] [2 Comments
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College Football
I simmed the Miami U. vs. OSU game yesterday. OSU won in the video game and in real life, no big surprise there. Today I simmed Louisville vs. UK and Louisville killed UK so I don't think it will be a big surprise today either. The game starts at 3:00 today and Kiley and I are going to go out and try to watch the game somewhere since we don't have ESPN, let alone cable. Games are more fun around other people that are more into it anyway.
Kiley wanted to be a part of my enthusiam of the NCAA video game so she asked if I would create a character for her in the game. I did this but was unable to add that player to my dynasty that I am playing right now. I can add the player to the rosters, but when I am in dynasty mode she's not there. I probably have to create a new dynasty in order for her to be there, which I don't mind doing because my current team isn't that great. They only kick major ass when I am playing them, and at this point the only games I need to play are the Heisman games. This is because I found that the Heisman Hype goes down every game you don't physically play, even when your player is an impact player, as is mine.
09.04.05 @ 12:18 PM CST [link] [19 Comments
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Create-A-School
I stayed up late last night and created my own school in NCAA '06. I cannot name them here for legal reasons, but I will say that the school is located in Chronic City, Alaska. Their colors are green and orange. I had no idea how much you could customize your own school in the game, it was friggin' awesome. Everything from the name of the school down to the size and layout of the stadium. Everything from the school's fight song to the stickers on the back of their helmets. I loved it, but what threw me off was when you choose how good your team is based on if they have good offense, defense, both, etc. Mine has a good offense, but by no means a bad defense either. Their first dynasty game had them play Utah, and the Utes got beat something like 72-0. I must have had the difficulty on JV again. I really need to bump that up because even I am better than that.
After the game was over I tried to save and couldn't because my stupid 8MB memory card was full...again. I don't want to delete my GTA:San Andreas game or my Gran Turismo 4 game, nor do I want to delete my Tony Hawk Underground saved games. Most of that stuff wouldn't even free up enough space to create another 2.3MB dynasty, so it looks like I'll have to suck it up and blow $25 on a memory card. I suppose the games come with the card slots in the cases so that you can have a card for each game...yeah right! I love the game, and think it's a wonderful purchase, much more than Namco Museum, Baldur's Gate, and Tony Hawk, but Kiley likes Ms. PacMan, and if that's the only game I can get her to play, I may as well keep it.
09.01.05 @ 07:17 AM CST [link] [5 Comments
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