Wednesday, January 31, 2001, 9:40pm

     For whatever reason, I decided that I would catalog my K5 articles here on my website. I guess it was due to the possibility of the articles being lost instead of archived. I do not think K5 would simply delete old articles, but to be safe and for my own convenience, the texts of my K5 articles (and any other pieces that I write for any other site on the web) will permanently be found in the werd section. That's right, werd. Look for them under "Elsewhere" near the bottom. Here's the quick list of my K5 articles for no particular reason:

K5: Still Clinging to Your 45's? (Music)
K5: When Interpretation Goes Too Far (Books)
K5: Excellent Movies vs. Bad Reviews (Movies)
K5: The Significance of Changing a Flag? (Politics)

     Eight updates in one day is unprecedented for me. Oops. I didn't mean to flood you with information. I guess it happens to the best of us (and occasionally me too).

Wednesday, January 31, 2001, 9:12pm

     Wow, seven updates in one day. This is either a first or second; I don't care to know which. This last post of the day (hopefully) is meant only to announce yet another K5 article that I've had ... um ... published. The article is titled The Significance of Changing a Flag? and it relates the debates of the Georgia state legislature over the bill to replace the Georgia state flag to many important issues, with a little room for imagination on the side. I guess it's enlightening or informative or something, because the K5 crowd gave it their approval. There is a lot of interesting discussion going on down in the comments section of the article as well.

Wednesday, January 31, 2001, 6:51pm

     I'm curious. Who is searching for me and why? Every few days (and recently once every day) I like to check on my visitor stats, especially the referral logs, and especially especially the search engine referrals. It's intereting enough that once in a while I get referrals from sites that I've never heard of, but it's even more interesting that people are searching for "John Paul McCord" (that's me) using search engines such as Google. In the last few days I've also had search engine referrals with the following queries: "britney spears superbowl pictures," "1967 shelby gt500 eleanor," "funny, fast food," and "mathmetician." I can understand the 1967 Shelby GT500 query, for I have a picture of Eleanor, the sexy Mustang that appeared in the hit movie Gone in 60 Seconds. Likewise, I can understand the fast food query because of my Funny Money story about the idiot Taco Bell manager that didn't know a $2 bill was real. I can't explain the Britney Spears query, for I have nothing about Britney Spears (besides mentioning her name now) on my site, and I don't know that I have anything about any mathmeticians, unless you count my English paper that I wrote back in December.
     And so it goes. I thought it was interesting, anyway.

Wednesday, January 31, 2001, 4:51pm

     There now. I've gotten that out of my system. When I sat down twenty-five minutes ago, I did not intend to write about my financial and parental problems, but I was interupted just as I sat down, and I had to take it out on something. So on with the show...
     Today, for the first time in several months, I took a break to go outside and "play catch," as it is so affectionately called. I prefer to say I was playing baseball, although that's a bit misleading. I'm really only throwing a baseball back and forth with my little brother, but I feel like I'm playing, and I'm "playing" with a baseball, so there's my justification. To this day there are very few things that can pull me away from my computer when I'm ... uh ... busy, but baseball continues to be one of them. Last spring I was played baseball for one of the two city teams before my two best friends, and teammates, and I went to the beach. Without us, apparently the team was nothing, and by the time we came back they had disbanded and the season was over. I've only picked up a baseball about four times since, but this afternoon I was reminded of just how much I love the game. There's nothing like watching a glove follow a good curve ball, and nothing like the pop of the mitt when the ball lands perfectly in the pocket, and nothing like the crack of the bat on a solid, crisp swing. Baseball is truly a magnificent game.

Wednesday, January 31, 2001, 4:39pm

     Nintendo, I hope you die. Six weeks ago I ordered a magazine and sent you a check to cover the costs, a check in the amount of ten dollars. Yesterday, you finally cashed that check. Thank you for your prompt service, bastards.
     And another thing, Nintendo. Thank you for giving my dad reason to lecture me on absolutely nothing for twelve minutes - nonstop. He knows I know what he's going to say before he says it. He knows that I know everything about what he's saying before he says it. Yet, he says it anyway. I swear, that man loves to talk about things like no one I've ever known before.

[twelve minute pause]

     As ironic as it may be, my dad just interupted my writing of this post. Keep in mind that my clock read 4:17pm when I began typing. He has just completed reading the entire "keeping up with money for idiots" book, you know, the really big and annoying yellow books that look sorta like Cliff Notes anthologies? One major difference, though, is that my father is my father, and therefore I naturally do not want to hear it from him. Especially from him. So I tuned him out as best I could, explained to him that I don't like confronting him on such issues simply "because of the tone you're taking right now." I don't like being treated like a child, especially considering I'm on the Dean's List with a 94+ GPA at Macon State College. (Ironically, that puts me on the Dean's List of a school that has no Dean.)
     So you see where I'm coming from, then. Oh, and if you're wondering, that check that I wrote to Nintendo about six weeks ago was $5.13 too much for my checking account, and my account is now at $-15. The blame for such a thing? I place blame in three places: Nintendo of America, Robins Federal Credit Union, and Macon State College. Nintendo for the reasons I've stated above. Robins Federal Credit Union for not providing receipts after account transactions, allowing for one bad moment in arithmetic to cost $15. And Macon State College for not sending me a check for $950 that I should have received about ten days ago. $950 is not the kind of payment that someone can just do without, especially a college student that relies on the money to get through the semester. And finally, and foremost, I must place blame on myself. I could have kept better records, but no one is perfect. I either missed one withdrawal or I subtracted wrong; either way I shouldn't have let it happen.
     That doesn't mean I'm not pissed at the Macon State College Financial Aid office for snubbing me on my check - or at least sending it very late. Bastards.

     Every other detail in my life seems to be extremely well, so despite my tone in writing these comments, I'm actually quite happy with my situation. One detail in particular. But I won't go there now - not enough information yet.

Wednesday, January 31, 2001, 2:44pm

     Oh look, it's back, and not because I felt obliged to bring it back, but because something was done that has once again attracted me to it. You see, when a site is on my navbar thing on the left of my page, I see it at least once a day. When it is not, I'm lucky to see it once a week. It's been a good week or several since I last saw Mike's sugar rush, but I'm glad I stumbled upon it once again this afternoon. Without that hideous orange background, I can once again enjoy the content without my eyes screaming to turn it off. Thanks, Mike, and congratulations on your conforming to my tastes!
     Oh, and guys, so you know, the whole AIM thing is getting old. nickd.org did it first, or I saw it there first, so he is therefore excluded from this comment. But Neil and Mike, you two are overly abusing it. Once in a while is okay. Once in a while. Man.
     Oh, and remember, your web portal is your web portal, not mine. I go there because I enjoy the content (for the most part). I'm not hear to judge you and cause you to make changes. I'm here to judge you and tell you what I like and don't like, and you can take it any way you wish - I only hope that you take it lightly and with a glass of water, so as to make it go down easier.
     Also, props to megnut - she linked to an anti-anti-abortion page entitled Roe v. Bush, and I liked it, and so I'm linking it. Quoting Meg: Today's the 28th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision. Today (Jan 22) Bush announced that he will reinstate a ban on federal funds for international organizations that offer abortion and abortion counseling. Today confirmation hearings continue for John Ashcroft [who has finally been confirmed] who presages an anti-choice agenda for the office of attorney general. On Friday (Jan 19) during his Senate confirmation, Tommy Thompson, Bush's choice for Secretary of Health and Human Services, questioned the safety of RU-486 and strongly hinted he would initiate a review of the drug's recent FDA approval. (For a more complete list of Bush's anti-choice plan, see roevbush.com.)

Wednesday, January 31, 2001, 2:13pm

     Danville, Kentucky (AP) - A $200 bill bearing the likeness of President Bush would seem to be an obvious fake, but it seemed real enough to fool one fast-food cashier. Police are looking for the person who used the bill to buy $2.12 worth of food at a Dairy Queen and drove away after getting $197.88 in change. In addition to the Bush portrait on the front, the treasury seal is marked with the phrase, "The right to bear arms." An oil well appears on the back of the bill. Whoever passed the bill Sunday could be charged with failure to pay for a purchase, Danville police said. It was such a clear fake that police say it can't be considered a counterfeit.
     Geez. The way that's going through the news, I feel bad for the cashier. Then again, how could someone be that stupid? After searching through several news sites, I came to the conclusion that CNN is the only one that makes any mention of this incident, and I refuse to link to CNN. If you care to see the actual article, TYPE IT IN AND FIND IT YOURSELF. [smiley]
     While you're at it, read this compelling story about penis envy. And no, it really has nothing to do with penis envy. Of course, I haven't read page two yet...

Wednesday, January 31, 2001, 12:59pm

     K5 has posted another article of mine. This third article is titled Excellent Movies vs. Bad Reviews and discusses what happens when the critics trash a good movie, causing it to sink in the box office and sell, well, not too well. In particular I discussed my grievances against those critics that gave Finding Forrester a bad review because it was "formulaic" and "all too familiar." A movie should not be negatively criticized for sticking to the formula, especially if it is a good movie. Finding Forrester was the best movie of that genre I've ever seen, but it won't have near the success of previous movies in the genre because it is "formulaic." I say screw that - the movie was better so it should succeed. Everyone go out and watch this movie and help it to succeed!
     At least one person claims to have read my K5 article(s), and the adjective used to describe my writing was "stimulating." I hardly see my writing as stimulating, but it does appear to stimulate something here and there, for I've had three articles published (I guess "published" is the right word), meaning it was approved at least 100 times more than it was rejected, meaning lots of people had to read them! Also there are the scores of comments attached to each article that indicates some form of reaction, whether positive or negative, to each article. So thanks for the compliment [you know who you are], and hopefully I can continue to stimulate! (I could have gone several directions with that word...)

Tuesday, January 30, 2001, 11:27pm

     Anyone up for a game of Napsteropoly!? (roughly 100k image, roughly 800x800 pixels, credit VH1) As the battle over the soul of Napster continues, celebrate America's premier anti-capitalist software with this hot version of the world's premier pro-capitalist board game! Combining the short attention span of the Internet with college kids' love of free stuff, Napsteropoly lets you complete your frivolously inconsequential music collection while trying to avoid the evil forces that would keep you from your MP3's - forever! Collect all the songs while avoiding celebrities, download problems and court injunctions, and you could become a Napsteropolist! Quoth Stefan Lawrence.
     Someone please develop that. I want a Napsteropoly board! And the pieces to go with it. I can just imagine little metal Metallicas and RIAA businessmen and mp3 players... *lightbulb*

     I made a few minor changes to the pope page, which, if you're one of those that have not figured it out, is my nickname. It has something to do with being named "John Paul III." Back to the update, I had planned others, but I need to write my paper. So p-shaw.

Tuesday, January 30, 2001, 3:13pm

     As I expected, a few of the questions on my "Hardware/Software Concepts" tests were a bit nitpicky and tricky. I was only good enough to make an 83, unfortunately, partly because I don't live and breathe my textbook. I know everything I need to know about what was covered on today's test, but many of the questions were specific about class lectures and obsolete hardware or techniques. Also, there were two "trick" questions. I call them trick questions because they could have each gone either way, but Tina (that's Professor Tina to you; she's 25 or something) didn't seem to think so. Either way, this test is supposed to be the trickiest one, and she says that anyone with a B on this test should have no problem managing an A in the class (and I'll make an A in there anyway!), so I'm not too worried.
     Now that I'm past that test, I get to write my theme for English 1102 and the first of three parts of my giant History paper tonight. That's right, they are both due tomorrow morning. No problem, though. For some reason I have magically become a good student and I'm making awesome grades. One year ago I would never have imagined having an A in English in college, but here I am, making an A so far, and having made an A last semester... I think I'm doing okay!
     So wish me luck. I'm gonna go try and type them now so maybe I can get some sleep tonight. Much love.

Monday, January 29, 2001, 11:59pm

     Congratulate me - I have ink again. So I typed up my psychological analysis, if that's what it's supposed to be, on the leading character in the movie Finding Forrester. Considering I've never had such an assignment and don't know what to compare it to, I'm quite proud of it as a first effort. I barely topped 500 words with the paper, and it isn't really a paper so much as it is a reaction. In fact, I'll probably piss off people in Psychology tomorrow who are under the impression, as I was, that this assignment was only supposed to be a simple paragraph. Well, mine is a simple four paragraphs. I couldn't trim it down. Sue me.
     So I'm off to read up a bit on some hardware terms and such to make sure I don't make anything less than an A on my test tomorrow. Feel free to wish me luck, but I don't expect to need it. Good night.

Monday, January 29, 2001, 10:38pm

     Everyone, right now, go out and watch the movie Finding Forrester. If you're a Sean Connery fan, you'll love it. If you liked Good Will Hunting, you'll love it. If you're at least 50% human, you'll love it. I was required to watch this movie for my psychology class so that I may psychologically analyze one of the characters. At first I cared nothing for the assignment and thought of it as somewhat burdensome. However, as soon as I was told that Sean Connery starred in the movie, my optimism took over. I read a very brief review so as not to give the movie away, and I was intrigued... Finally, tonight, just hours before the character analysis is due, I watched the movie with my best friend Mike. I'm not going to give anything away, but I want you all to watch this movie. It is worth the time, and even if it isn't your type of movie, it is worth seeing it for the matinee price. So get out and see it!
     On a side note, Claire and I have two suns. They're identical twins.

Monday, January 29, 2001, 12:08am

     I would assume that you remember my two-day-old mini-rant on the over-interpretation of literature taking place in classrooms across the world. This afternoon saw an article authored by yours truly be published over at kuro5hin, more commonly known as K5, based on the same subject (and actually quoting much of my post on this web site). I tell you this now because as a result of this article, several people have been able to comment on the issue. Many agree with me; many do not. It is very interesting sifting through the array of comments and responding to those with like and differing opinions on the matter. Perhaps you should too. If you do not have an account at K5, it is free, painless, and involves no random email to your mailbox, so ... feel free to join. Or not, if you prefer.
     And now I am off... After several hours of cleaning my room, doing homework, sorting through old Calculus notes, and avoiding football, I must prepare myself for a long day in Macon tomorrow. Due at about 10:00am is a thesis and outline for my first major theme (which must be completed and turned in Wednesday morning), which means I have some typing to do before I get my sleep. I hope you don't mind my leaving you a few minutes early then.
     It's nice that you understand.

Sunday, January 28, 2001, 1:10am

     Over the past several days, many thoughts have entered my head, mostly thoughts that would lead the average guy to break up with whomever he was with at the time. However, not wanting to throw away four and a half months of a relationship (for many reasons; namely that I really enjoy her company), and after about two weeks of thinking without her being around (which is the only way I feel I can think about such a thing without the emotional side of things interfering), I decided that I would much rather stay with her than even think about being single or being with another girl. (Okay, that's not 100% true. Everyone thinks about being with others; it's sorta natural. It also keeps them sane. It doesn't mean they want to abort a relationship, though.)
     It seems to me that the best way to evaluate a relationship is to take a break from it once in a while. I am the type of person that can be smothered very easily, and so I like to have free time to myself once in a while to prevent such a thing from happening. Ever hear the phrase, "can't have too much of a good thing"? It's only true in the sense that if you have too much of it, it becomes not good, and therefore you are no longer having a good thing - the phrase is essentially not true.
     So Dalila, if you're questioning my motives for not seeing you of late, there have been several factors. The most obvious would be school - I have had several writing assignments, a couple of projects, much reading, and more to do, and I haven't had the time to mix all of that, my financial problems, my dad's vehicular problems, and a relationship. Having much less spare time than normal due to these complications, it began to seem as though every spare moment I had was being spent with you, and that to me is smothering. It doesn't mean that it is your fault, but I still would like a little time away once in a while just to keep my head clear and my priorities straight. The ability to resist temptation is a wonderful attribute, I think, and I don't plan on changing any time soon.
     I don't quite know my purpose of stating all of this here, but I'm sure I have my underlying reasons. Whatever the case may be, now you all know. And I still have lots of homework to do in the next few days...

Friday, January 26, 2001, 7:49pm

     New game plan. I'm going to write up ... something ... for my English theme due next Wednesday. My intentions are to have it out of the way by Monday morning (i.e., write the stupid thing then pull the outline from it, which is what I usually do for such a task) so that I may concentrate on my history paper the following two days instead of having both papers to do over those two nights. For those of you who may have noticed the lack of my presence recently (#waferbaby regulars, AIM buddies, etc.), I apologize. Life gets in the way sometimes.
     And incidently, Flannery O'Connor is my new favorite author. Not that I like her stories, although the one I read last night (and once prior) wasn't that bad - "A Good Man Is Hard To Find." Why is Flanner O'Connor my favorite author? you probably won't ask. Well, here's her response to three schoolteachers and ninety students who wrote to her with their interpretation of the aforementioned story, along with several questions regarding the complex symbolism and metaphors and ... interpretations (I'll paraphrase, mostly):
     Your interpretation "is fantastic and about as far from my intentions as it could get to be. If it were a legitimate interpretation, the story would be little more than a trick, and its interest would be simply for abnormal psychology. I am not interested in abnormal psychology." [I laughed out loud at that.] ...yadda, yadda, yadda... "If teachers are in the habit of approaching a story as if it were a research problem for which any answer is believable so long as it is not obvious, then I think students will never learn to enjoy fiction. Too much interpretation is certainly worse than too little, and where feeling for a story is absent, theory will not supply it." [that's for all you bastard English teachers telling kids that they've interpreted the story wrong. there can be no wrong interpretation! you can tell them what you want them to know for a test, but don't call them wrong, you egotistical, condescending, inbred, self-absorbed pricks!]
     So you see why I like her.

Friday, January 26, 2001, 4:07pm

     I'm noticing a horrible trend: I only have spare time on Friday afternoons, and because of that being the only spare time I have, I use it to catch up on all of the things I missed during the week. That means catching up on current events, friends, and most importantly, internet stuff! Friday nights are my sit-online-and-rot nights. If I ever find a way to get that out of the way early enough, like today for instance, I usually get out and socially enjoy my Friday night. However, tonight I don't have that option. My mommy had what she calls "not major enough to be surgery, but a minor procedure" done today, so she's staying in Macon with her sister, and I get to stay at her house with the dogs. This is not a problem, but it means that any online activities that I had saved for today must be done quickly enough that I don't let the dogs starve. Oh I love being pressured by time!
     Oh yeah. Calculus stuff. I was given a pre-test Wednesday morning to be completed by Friday morning. I didn't touch it. I completely forgot about it. I completely did not care about it. I walked into class this morning and began working on it at about 11:00. I was finished by 11:07, and [Professor] Trimboli was just hitting the second part of the first problem (of five). He spent the next thirty-five minutes or so going over horribly complicated methods of doing the work that I did in a matter of seconds at a time, and I realized that I would probably finish the test he will give us on Monday morning in under fifteen minutes. I expect no errors, but I have a nasty habit of making stupid little mistakes once in a while. I can only hope that I don't skip an instruction or something.
     To be honest, I'm actually more worried about my hardware class test that I'll be taking on Tuesday. We have to know several particulars and definitions and methods (their methods, not necessarily the correct and/or more recent methods). It's not difficult at all; it's only the basic hardware and software concepts: what the fundamental parts are, what they're for, etc. I'm only worried that, being the first test, it will be a bit more nitpicky than I expect.
     Actually, that is of no concern to me either. I'm a bit more worried about my English theme due next week. The thesis and outline are due Monday, and I have no idea what I'm writing about. Furthermore, I never do outlines. I despite outlines. If I don't write in a rhythmic, stream of consciousness type of way, then it is not my writing and there are several flaws. Dr. Wilson will hear a complaint or two from me about that, and then she will proceed to try and change my ways that have worked for me for several years into something generic and boring that supposedly works for everyone. Everyone but me. Anyway, the paper itself will not be difficult. I just hate outlines.
     Lastly, I am most worried about my history paper due Wednesday, the same day as my finalized English theme. The history paper must be written from primary source material only, which is a pain, but not so much a pain as the material being about Macon, Georgia. I was born in Macon. I don't like Macon. That's why I moved to Warner Robins. Macon sucks. And now I have to write a paper on its Industrial Authority. Yippee. Despite the horrid topic, I like the assignment. The paper will count 40% of my grade in that class, and I made an 83 on it last semester without knowing how it all worked. Now that I'm a "veteran" of the class, I expect to make an easy A (on the paper anyway). Another good thing about this paper is that it is turned in three times. Next Wednesday will be the first. The idea is to clear up any ambiguities or conflicts or grammatical errors before the third (final) copy is turned in. The class and Dr. Burnham take their turns making their recommendations, the author takes note(s) (if he's smart), and the end product should be a high quality paper.
     Does this sound like your life? Lots of school work, no time to do it, and numerous other problems that need attention that you can't afford? As hectic as things have been lately, I actually feel happier than I usually do. My esteem is in better condition than I'm used to. I have fewer friends to rely on fewer things to do when I have spare time, yet I find myself enjoying life more than ever. Life threw me a curve ball, and I knocked it down the line for extra bases...

Thursday, January 25, 2001, 10:58pm

     Oh yeah, my Calculus teacher is cool. In discussing how to divide polynomials, he labeled the long division method as the "Oh Shit Method." I know that might not mean much to you, but for a Calculus teacher, that's pretty damn sweet. Long division was always my favorite method of dividing polynomials by hand; however, with a TI-89, I kinda prefer to just type in the respective quantities and use the divide key. It's so much easier.

Thursday, January 25, 2001, 10:51pm

mp3otd: I can't think of anything good. Live without one.

     Dalila and Brandy are at it again. Those two are really starting to piss me off. Typically a guy would take his girlfriend's side, just because that's what people do. I don't. I'm not giving in to one side of the argument just because I have a slightly different type of relationship with someone. That's like saying it's okay for James Bond to kill because he has a license to do it. His license doesn't make it the right thing to do, nor does my relationship with Dalila make her right over Brandy. Not that I'm saying Brandy is right; that certainly isn't the case. Both are being selfish and immature, not to mention a few other adjectives (it would be in my best interests to leave those to your imagination). I would suggest to them both that they clean up their acts a little bit, or at least stop coming to me about it. I'm really sick of it all. That's okay, though. If they don't feel like leaving me alone, I'll leave them alone - and I don't think that would go over too well. I don't mean to be an ass, but I'm not putting up with all of your crap on top of mine. Thanks, but my problems are enough right now.
     Now I have about thirty pages of tiny print of literature to read. Three stories and one interpretation of one of those stories - mmm, fun. I should be up another half hour or so with that. Then I have a Calculus pre-test to [not] do - I'm really not taking that class seriously, sense I already have Calculus I and II credits. Oh yeah, and did I mention a big English paper and a big History paper - both due next Wednesday? Those are some of those problems I was speaking of in the previous paragraph.
     My life is busy. It doesn't have time for me anymore.

Wednesday, January 24, 2001, 11:27pm

     Now that I've gone and changed the quote, did know one else get the last one? "Hairy legs are your only link to reality." Bonnie Hunt said that in the movie Return To Me, a very good love story between characters portrayed by David Duchovny and Minnie Driver. I typically hate love stories; I loved this one; go see it. The quote was between the two girls. Hairy legs are apparently the only means of ensuring that she won't be "giving it up" so to speak, therefore hairy legs are the only method of keeping a clear head in a pressing situation. Thus, her only link to reality. I thought it was cute...

Wednesday, January 24, 2001, 11:18pm

     In regard to nickd.org and his fearworthy (yes, one word, my word), I have a more impressive ATM receipt, however unscanned: $0.00 in checking, $0.17 in savings. I don't know how the hell I managed to cut it that close, but hey, at least my check didn't bounce. I expect a check from Macon State College any day now, and with that, my checking account will grow to about $600 again while my savings, used only for backup purposes, will inflate to the neighborhood of $100. Hopefully I can survive a semester on that. It's doubtful, considering it has to last the summer too.
     I would ordinarily not be so agreeable on any such matters, but Erich, I agree with you: this is my new favorite copyright statement (unfortunately so much better than mine). Tony, you might not like it, as it picks on Rush. However, you'll probably think it's funny, just how I think it's funny that the Democrats leaving office removed the "Dubyas" from all the keyboards in the White House, making it difficult for George W. Bush to sign his name. Not that I condone or respect such action, but I think it's darn hilarious, and I wish I could have thought of it first. So whichever "Do-Nothing Spineless Rhetoric-Spewing Slacker Who Got Lucky Once" is responsible, I admire your inventiveness, however I think very little of most men who claim allegiance to one political party or another. Allegiance to political parties only supports nonindividualism and conformity. No Republican man is daring enough to stand against all other Republicans on any one issue, even though he is strongly opposed to the Republican way of handling it. No, he must conform to his party, and carry out the ways of that party. The same goes for Democrats - I don't like you either. When a man who can stand up for what he believes, approach all issues from an individual standpoint, or at least just a little more down the middle than purely Democratic or purely Republican, I might like a politician. Then again, with the choices I've got now, I might just continue to like the lesser of infinite evils. Hmm, I digressed. :-)
     The real reason I'm here is to announce that any school work I was planning on doing tonight has been pushed back to tomorrow morning. I fell asleep. That doesn't make much sense since I slept very well last night after a very rough Tuesday, but it happened anyway. Today was actually a good day - nothing stressful about it at all. And then I lay down to do homework (that's past tense of verb to lie, so you know), and I wake up three hours later. And now it's my bed time. So... snarf.
     And now a few random things you should read before going to bed, like me: (1) the 1:36pm Wednesday comments over at spasticreb.com are of particular interest to me, and maybe Tony too, but probably not you. Read them anyway. (2) There isn't anything else. Hmm. That's it. Happy reading.

Wednesday, January 24, 2001, 5:13pm

mp3otd: Backstreet Boys - 07 - Everyone.mp3

     I don't want to hear any boyband jokes - the new Backstreet Boys album (most of it) and the recent NSync album (most of it) are awesome! I don't like much of the slow, mushy stuff, but the fast-paced hip hop wannabe stuff is cool. If you don't agree with me, then we have differing tastes in music, and that is not a crime.
     And now, for the person who introduced me to boyband music, Mikey! I mentioned him yesterday in discussing our psychology project. I mention him today because I have a picture of him (and Claire too). In case you can't tell, Claire is in the first picture also. I took them yesterday (as you could probably tell by the file names) in the parking lot after skipping a class that was cancelled anyway. That brings up another point that isn't worth an entire paragraph: Why are the good classes cancelled regularly and the horrible ones never?! My history class has never been cancelled. My Physics class was never cancelled. And I don't see this semester's English class ever being cancelled (Dr. Wilson does like to miss class fairly often, though, in which case she assigns something very small and we can leave when we're finished). If anyone has a good answer, I'd appreciate being enlightened. Otherwise, go about your business as usual, and thanks for stopping by!

Tuesday, January 23, 2001, 9:50pm

mp3otd: Creed - 09 - Higher.mp3
     That song deserves recognition, so I don't want to hear it.

     Today was the single most exhausting day of my life. Last night Mike and I were up until about 3:30 in the morning putting together our project for Pscyhology: a carefully crafted little skit with the aid of some very colorful visual aids. Our topic? Sigmund Freud and Psychoanalysis, and more particularly his psychosexual studies. Dr. Jardine, let me be the first to tell you that you picked the right gentlemen for such a topic! It just so happens that my Psychology class already thought I was sexually frustrated, homosexual, and a wide variety of other things. By exploiting that, Mike and I were able to provide very clear information in an entertaining manner. Also, I was the guinea pig for two other duos' presentations in their respective schools of psychology - I guess I'm the most interesting character in the bunch. That or I'm the most tolerable.
     But oh yeah, the exhausting part. Due to the lack of sleep, I was unable to function well after that hour of Psychology. I think that the stage-fright adrenaline actually helped to keep me awake, instead of making me nervous, and so I was able to deliver the presentation better than I could have hoped for. Once it was over, however, I had nothing to go on, and the exhaustion set in. After standing out by my car in the parking lot for over an hour, Mike, Claire and I decided to catch lunch and shop at the mall for a couple of hours. Then I had the joy of coming home to reading some rather poorly written stories (okay, maybe not, I'm just bitter). Mike took advantage my super-fast-compared-to-his-modem cable connection and my CD burner by downloading about 1.3 gigabytes of music and burning them to two CDs (well not yet, but we've got the mp3s), so between reading and eating dinner I lifted weights and did other exercises for a couple hours ... Suffice it to say that I intend to sleep very well tonight!
     I would sleep much better if I knew I had company to see the new Sean Connery movie, Finding Forrester.

Monday, January 22, 2001, 2:07pm

     I wholeheartedly agree with Natasha - internet copyrights serve no purpose, other than harm in the long run. She said, "Copyrighting is a bunch of crap. Yet another thing I don't believe in. Ideas can't be owned. Anything that isn't published somehow somewhere legitamately (internet is not legitamate, I don't care what you say) isn't anyone's property." *clap*clap* I agree. The internet is only a portal for the spread of information, and I don't care what you say, but information cannot be claimed as someone's personal, private property. It's similar to copyrighting a word or phrase, such as "always the real thing." I could be in an interview somewhere wearing a leather jacket, and someone could ask, "is that real leather?" to which I would reply, "always the real thing," and I could be sued for my nuts by Coca-Cola because I used their slogan. And you know what? That's BULLSHIT. Excuse the expression, but I can't describe it any other way.
     There might be one or two morons out there calling me a hypocrite because of my little copyright emblem down at the bottom of every page on this site. Tell ya what, you little smartasses, why don't you actually click on it and read what my copyright is all about? And then... put your foot in your brain! (since you can't very well put it in your mouth, since you never actually put forth any verbal remarks about my hypocrisy)

Monday, January 22, 2001, 7:55am

mp3otd: Incubus - 12 - Pardon Me.mp3

     Luke Perry, Matt. His name is Luke Perry, and he's about the only guy on the show who was ever worth anything. So give the guy a break. And no, I never watched that show, but I did happen to catch it enough to recognize the difference between Luke Perry and Jason Priestley... Ugh, sisters.

Sunday, January 21, 2001, 9:00pm

mp3otd: Dave Matthew Band - I Did It.mp3

     I don't know how many of you are fond of the Dave Matthews Band, but their new studio album is due for release in late February. It's about time! I have yet to buy their last studio album, Before These Crowded Streets, which was released about three years ago I believe. Don't worry, I plan to get them both, I just don't really feel like spending $16 apiece for them. I will, though, if necessary. Oh, important detail: the name of the new album is "Everyday," and the mp3otd noted above is the first single released from the album.
     I'd write more, but X-Files is starting in about sixty seconds, and you know how I am when I miss the X-Files! I have lots of reading to do tonight, so I won't be seeing you between now and tomorrow, or possibly Tuesday. You'll deal.

Sunday, January 21, 2001, 12:15am

     And finally, direct your intention to my wonderful image gallery, where you can now find a picture of the lovely Heather. Guys, if you can believe it, I may have found someone even hotter than Rachel ... that being a reference to how hot Rachel is according to nickd.org (not Nick, but nickd.org!).

Sunday, January 21, 2001, 12:01am

     George Bush looks like George Bush. Laura Bush does not look like Barbara Bush. Hmm. Look at the new design of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. I think it's too plain, and the text needs to be justified to fill the margins, and it looks crappy in 1024x768, so I can understand how nickd.org must feel about it, since he allegedly performs his routine web viewing at the astoundingly large resolution of 1600x1200. Oh yeah, we got a new President. I barely noticed.

Saturday, January 20, 2001, 11:59pm

     Sitting next to Mike Farinelli, who was slightly partial to some other contestant (who shall remain nameless, just in case he doesn't care for me to share the information), it was hard for me to show too much support for the girl I was hoping would become Miss Warner Robins High School for 2001. However, I am very happy to say that for two years in a row, the person I was hoping would win has! Congratulations to Melisa Shah, Miss WRHS 2001! And Kyla, if you ever read this, and you probably never will, that was an awesome speech at the end. If I had the ability to do it, I would have cried. :-) However, being only a male, the best I could muster was a watery blink or two, a smile in the dark, and a loud applause. And Heather, you won't read this either, but I thought you were great, and you didn't look like a hideous little space thing!
     For those interested in details, here are the runners-up: Latesha Scott was fourth runner-up. Ashley Schoening was third runner-up after an incredible monologue. I can't for the life of me remember who was next, but I'll remember about the time I turn the computer off. Michelle Hart won talent and the evening gown / speech part of the pageant and was first runner-up. Michelle has won talent three years in a row, I believe, and was first runner-up two years ago and second runner-up last year. Melisa Shah won the interview part of the competition and the GPA award (99+ GPA, yeah she deserves it) and was crowned Miss Warner Robins High School 2001. I asked her to prom last year, and she didn't take me seriously, but she said that if I were serious she would have said yes. Oh, yeah, did I mention that she didn't know I was serious? Everyone deserved to win tonight, but it's the judges' job to decide the individuals that come away with the plaques and trophies. Congratulations to everyone involved... it was an awesome show!

Saturday, January 20, 2001, 6:18pm

     I'm off to take my shower before attending the 2001 Miss Warner Robins High School Pageant. If you remember just one year ago (1/23/2000), Kyla Embrey was named the first Miss WRHS for a year beginning with the number two! Tonight, she must give up her crown to the first Miss WRHS of the millenium (it can be argued that Kyla is actually the first Miss WRHS of the new millenium, since her tenure is ending now after the year has already begun). I know nearly everyone in the pageant this year, which means that I should enjoy the show! I'm having all sorts of problems trying to pick a favorite, though. I hope you all win! Hah! You'll hear about the winner either later tonight or tomorrow morning (I'd lean on later tonight). Hasta la vista. Baby.

Saturday, January 20, 2001, 3:33pm

mp3otd: Collective Soul - 03 - Why (Part 2).mp3

     Ah, mental anguish and conflict - just what my life needs. Actually, it seems as though that is what my life is all about. (Tony, if you're reading this, I just ended a sentence with a preposition. Why don't you tell me a better way of saying that last sentence, without ending in the preposition. No, really. No sarcasm intended. I don't know how I would go about re-wording that...) It seems as though I'm heavily considering some things that I didn't expect to be considering this soon, and only Tony, Mike, and my own mother seem to be on my side about it. Others are supportive, but not really on my side. They just can't understand how I could consider such things because their values differ so greatly from mine that they can't allow themselves that point of view. I understand completely, but it bothers me sometimes that people can share their opinion on something without opening up to the possibility of being wrong. (Occasionally, I admit, I am close-minded and stubborn to intentionally annoy, and I'm sure there are instances in which I accidentally do it too - we're all hypocrites.) I don't know. I don't think I can be wrong about such a thing at this point in my life. This is the time for a person to make decisions to set himself up for later decisions. If a mistake is made, let it be chalked up in the experience column, and let the next be made. Life is about experience and learning from it. If I don't make the right choices, I'd hope to not only learn from it myself, but that someone else could peer in and find some sort of guiding light. Either way, the way I'm talking about it now is somewhat hypocritical, since I don't actually believe that what I'm considering would be a mistake. It's only a decision.

Friday, January 19, 2001, 12:08am

mp3otd: Godzilla Soundtrack \ Ben Folds Five - Air.mp3

     Is it wrong to be in a relationship, one that seems exclusive, even though I don't believe in such a thing for someone my age? I have a perspective unlike most others, I think, although I am quite sure that it is the proper perspective. Nearly any teenager would tell you that if you're dating anyone, you can't date anyone else. I almost laugh at this. We are kids. Nothing is permanent at this age. Nothing. So, Dalila may wonder why I wasn't all that upset with her .. um .. activities back in October with Brad. Well, if I had any reason to be upset, it wouldn't be because she "messed with another guy," but because she did it behind my back and didn't even invite me to go with her when she went to this "party" in which the aforementioned events took place. Anyway, that's beside the point. That was months ago and I have no care to bring it back to light. I am merely stating my opinion on the subject because I can, and because I've been facing some unusual temptation lately. I don't plan to act on it, just some hypocritical reasoning in my mind is forcing me to live by her rules instead of mine. Why? That's a good question. It has something to do with me being a nice guy. Too nice for my own good, in fact. I don't let myself get run over and I don't compromise my happiness for anyone, so...
     I wonder if I have a point to this. Perhaps my unconscious self is trying to get me into trouble. I doubt it, though. I'm simply considering enjoying some time away from Dalila and spending time with other girls for a short while, just to let me know what I have and what I don't. I don't see it as cheating on Dalila or ending the relationship, but just evaluating where I stand and what I feel about her, and trying to figure out if she's who I really want to be with right now. I'm coming up for air, so to speak. If I get out and find that I would rather not be with Dalila right now, I'd rather it be that way than to stick with her and waste months or even years of my time. Then again, nothing is really a waste of time... Experience is what life is for, nothing else, so anything you can experience is good.
     And Dalila, if you're reading this, think nothing of it. I'm just thinking out loud. We all have thoughts that we don't share with anyone. I'm just choosing to share mine.

Thursday, January 18, 2001, 12:19am

Visual Audio Sensory Theatre - I Don't Have Anything.mp3

     Nickd.org thought he was special with his ... um ... odd selection of anagrams. Well oh yeah? My site has a 640 kilobyte list! So there! Oh, and my favorite one, partly because I was born in the city of Macon and travel to and from it every week day to go to school, is: crash.neotope.com = macon poot cheers. Eat that. Mine's better. And so you know, Visual Audio Sensory Theatre is better known as VAST. Good night!

Wednesday, January 17, 2001, 6:09pm

     Don't look now, but I just had another article accepted at SmokeDot. Their standards must be lower than slashdot's. Maybe I'm helping this site to get on its feet. Maybe my comments will lead more users to interact, offer their opinions and stories, and eventually my words will seem insignificant and poorly written and my opinions will not be what's driving the site! Nah, that could never happen. But here's a link to my third article: Use Versus Abuse, an article which compares drug use to drug abuse, and asks what people think.

Wednesday, January 17, 2001, 2:59pm

mp3otd: Van Halen - Right Now.mp3

     Not that any of you care, but two of my submitted stories were published on SmokeDot, a big surprise to me, so why don't you do me a favor and go over there and read them. So you know, SmokeDot revolves around the issue of legalization of marijuana and other drugs. I had no interest in this issue until about two days ago, when I discovered this site by accident. (I clicked a link and it took me there. Go figure.) Anyway, I wrote a couple of articles that I really have no prior experience to back myself up with, so if you read them and respond to them, go easy on me. I'll make it easy on you: (Article 1) The Original Acid Rockers, an article about Pink Floyd and the "acid rock" music craze of the 1960s and '70s. (Article 2) Careful What You Wish For..., an article about the legalization of drugs and its consequences - not covered well in the article due to space limitations, but believe me, I've done lots of thinking on the subject and even a large research paper on the subject ... I have somewhat of an idea what I'm talking about!

Tuesday, January 16, 2001, 8:45pm

mp3otd: Ultraspank - Where.mp3

Tuesday, January 16, 2001, 7:45pm

This is necessary: Naked News.

Tuesday, January 16, 2001, 3:52pm



Tuesday, January 16, 2001, 10:00am

     I don't have time to go into any details or I'd be late to school, but I just discovered two websites that I think you all should know about (if you don't already). Some of you probably do, in which case, I'm only providing linkage to those that live in cardboard boxes like me. And the sites are:
   1. Kuro5hin, "technology and culture from the trenches."
   2. SmokeDot, read description here. Based on SlashCode.

Tuesday, January 16, 2001, 9:49am

     Ugh. I got absolutely no sleep last night. Not a bit. Not even for a few minutes. I stayed over at a friend's house, and we just couldn't get tired! I absolutely hate the idea of having MLK, Jr. Day off from school. It's the only holiday in our schedule this semester besides Spring Break (March 5-9), and it's completely unnecessary! We were just out of school for a month! Why the hell do we need a holiday now? Why not give it to us in early April on a Wednesday when we're going to need a break?! Gah, my school is stupid.
     I'm fairly stupid too. I updated my page yesterday with a long post on racism (seen below), and then I forgot to upload the updated html to the web. Oops, sue me. Not to fear... I would hate for you to miss it, so it's here for your reading pleasure. Now that I've gone through all this trouble for you, you'd better read it!

Monday, January 15, 2001, 6:39pm

     It seems as though I'm responding to Erich's comments more than anyone else's lately, so why break the trend? Today he discussed a very contraversial issue, racism. This is one topic of discussion that I often avoid, because no matter how I say what I feel, I always leave out one little detail or I say one thing too much, and either way there is always someone that comes out to tell me that I'm a racist asshole. Anyone who knows me knows that I am not racist by any stretch of the imagination - sometimes it's just hard to say things just right.
     But let's get on with this. I must agree with Erich in nearly every way. I probably wouldn't have used Chris Rock and black-on-black crime as an example, because there are white racists too and white-on-white crime is just as much a problem anyhow, but that was how he chose to get his point across. No, I'd rather use George Carlin. Keep in mind that he said this to be funny, while also trying to spread a very important message: " Words are just sounds that we make! The word nigger isn't so bad; it's the racist idiot that's using it!" and "People don't care Eddie Murphy uses the word nigger. You know why? 'Cause he's a nigger!" Now I would never repeat this by word of mouth - there's something in me that just doesn't let me pronounce that word for some reason. However, I seem to have no problem typing it, and it's helping me to deliver a message, so let it go.
     Another point I would like to make, similar to one that Erich made, is about heritage. Blacks have long been free and have long celebrated their heritage. There is nothing wrong with that. They even have their own month. Blacks are and have always been (in my lifetime) free, and I've always been taught to accept all human beings as just that - human beings - and so I always have. I feel no different because of the color of my skin or yours, but I do realize that the rest of society may not feel the same as I do. And this is part of my point. Society has allowed celebration of black heritage through holidays and rallies and so on. If any white man were ever to suggest any type of white heritage holiday of any kind, I can nearly promise you that the Reverend Jesse Jackson would be the first in line to call this white man a racist. To wrap this paragraph up, I think any heritage holidays are pointless and should be erased ... null and void. To celebrate that which makes us different only ensures that we always will be different. I am under the impression that we are all human, and that's all that matters, so why celebrate the difference in the color of our skin?
     Now look at what you've read above and ask yourself if it makes any sense. For decades blacks were demanding equality. Now it seems that the tables have turned. Now that they have been granted equality on the outside, they won't allow it. They won't take the steps necessary for it to be wholly accepted, and thus it seems that now the rest of us are wanting equality.
     There are several plausible solutions to this problem, and all of them would take a very long time and require far more cooperation from far more people than we could ever expect. In short, I don't expect to ever have a pure solution to this problem. However, any steps that we can take to unify ourselves would be greatly appreciated by humanity and the rest of the world, so why can't we give it a shot? We're all human here. We are all [God's]/[nature's] creatures, we are all the same on the inside, and we will all be gone in a few short decades. Why not try to make this horrid place just a little bit better for those that are going to be stuck here after we're gone?

     I hope I didn't offend anyone by what I said above. I did my best to.

Monday, January 15, 2001, 1:04pm

mp3otd: American Pearl - 07 - Bleed.mp3

     I just read Erich's comments on Geneva's computer lab, which reminded me a lot of the computer labs at Macon State College, where I go to school. This doesn't make any sense to me, but I'm hoping some of you can shed a little light on this. In all of the computer related classes (Information Technology is the number one program at Macon State), the computers are usually 75MHz machines with a gigabyte hard drive, if that. In the English classrooms, however, are Pentium III 650MHz machines with 12.5 gigabyte hard drives. Now tell me something, why do the English students, who only need a word processor and therefore only need 75MHz of computing power and a tiny hard drive, have these ultra-fast computers when the Information Technology kids are stuck without, especially when most of these IT kids are taking classes in web development and graphics design and macromedia ... basically classes that involve computer operations that require mega-memory. Then again, this is Macon State that I'm talking about, and I've already discovered that this school is stupid beyond imagination.

Sunday, January 14, 2001, 10:40pm

mp3otd: Deep Blue Something - Breakfast At Tiffany's.mp3

     I would like to take this time and space to dedicate a song to someone. Brandy, who reads my page about once a year and will likely never read it again, has recently turned a complete 180 on me. Everyone else says they saw it coming, because she had already done it to them. I never thought it would happen. Well, it did. I don't feel as though I've lost all that much, because it was such a gradual thing up until the end that I was slowly becoming less interested anyway. She just changed. Anyway, for those of you that don't have this song at your disposal or access to its lyrics, I'll share with you the lyrics that are of importance here. I am aware that this song is about a breakup, and my relationship with Brandy was never anything like that. However, it is still a separation... so... here are the only two verses, since they both correspond to how I feel:

I see you - the only one who knew me -
And now your eyes see through me.
I guess I was wrong.
So what now? It's plain to see we're over.
And I hate when things are over -
When so much is left undone.

You say that we've got nothing in common,
No common ground to start from,
And we're falling apart.
You'll say the world has come between us,
Our lives have come between us,
But I know you just don't care.

     This song is amazing in that I've been listening to it for years just because I liked it, and now it finally has some real meaning in my life. Not just an almost accurate kinda thing, but it's dead on aim (especially in lines 5-6). Anyone that reads this should be able to see how I feel about this situation. I don't care to have another friendship end, and I hate when any friendship ends on a negative note. Anyone who can relate this message to her, thanks. However, I don't expect her to come through in any way, and I'm tired of trying.

Sunday, January 14, 2001, 4:11pm

     I think it's very .. um, neat .. how Erich and his girlfriend seem to share the responsibility of updating hornygoat.org. I guess I don't have to ask Erich if his girlfriend is okay with him having a website with that title, then. And to comment a little further on the two of them, which is certainly crossing many boundaries which should never be crossed by anyone unless they can do it just right, how the hell can anyone play those stupid simulation games for hours on end (speaking of the Tycoon and Sims games, specifically). Nothing happens! I admit that SimCity entertained me for a short time about 18 months ago, but man! Still? Oh well, I guess every pointless piece of software has its audience - otherwise it would not be produced. Gee, I wish my girlfriend could post to my website. Or actually, no I don't. Sorry Dalila.
     nickd.org is a genius. Note that he is no longer "nickd" or "BlueCalx," but a singular consciousness of man and www - he is nickd.org. It is no longer Nick behind the scenes, but Nick is the scenes (that sound funny to you?). Congratulations Nick, on becoming the first internet-humanoid-electronic thing.
     There's a lot of crap in the news lately. Some of it can be mildly interesting, but most of it is absolute crap. Forgive me for being so blunt about it, but it's just become really hard to find good news lately. Oh, and do be sure to check out the fish cam, assuming it's still pointed at the fish. Thanks Matt.
     Speaking of Matt, he has something to worry about. I have now taken the lead in our little Karma War. Since we began this little battle for the best slashdot moderation, he has only gained two. I have now gained four. Why do I care? I don't really. But it is kind of interesting. And it helps to keep me informed on current events as supplied to me by slashdot. So it all works out.
     And one more thing... Back in November I was spoiled by a surge of traffic that took my website from about 12,000 hits (that took 15 months to acquire) to 22,000 hits (that's 10,000 more in under two months). Now it seems to have calmed to a steady flow, and I just can't handle that. So go ahead, search the site for something you like and link to it. I won't mind.
     Now I REALLY have to run. I have an ebay auction closing in four minutes!

Saturday, January 13, 2001, 3:29pm

mp3otd: Faye Wong - Eyes On Me (Final Fantasy VIII Theme Song).mp3

     Today's topic of discussion: the social hierarchy of secondary educational environments. For years now, I have been under the impression that the greatest injury in my life was middle school. Not my broken arm. Not my broken ankle. Middle school. Middle school was the single greatest disaster of my life. Not only was I ignored, but my grades suffered. I think this had something to do with wanting to enjoy something in life at the time, and because there was no joy coming from any type of friendly environment, I had to make one for myself in place of doing my schoolwork. And so it all worked out. I was booted from the Honors program, but I stayed sane and I enjoyed life. I had a very select group of friends, the very few that would accept me. There was never more than a handful of people that I truly felt inseparable from, and just recently I've begun to think about how separable they all really are. The greatest of my friends have always been by my side, no matter what. Mike, Tony, and Zach. Those three have always been there when I've needed or wanted something. No one else comes close. Then there are those like Brandy, who are there for you "forever and always," that is until you are honest with them. For years, I was honest with Brandy, never telling her a lie to make her feel better, always telling her things how they were, and not how they would be in her dreams come true. I have always been this way - I'm a realist. Finally, she got to the point where someone had to tell her exactly what she was doing wrong. She had gotten to the point where she placed herself in front of everyone else, always wanting everything her way, pitching a fit when she didn't get it, etc. I hate to say that this is typical female behavior, but the only other female I know well enough to draw any sort of conclusion from is my sister - and my sister is ten times worse. So I would have to guess that perhaps my sister is one extreme, Brandy is the norm, and those nearing the opposite extreme are the girls I like. :-) But that's not the point. Brandy had never been able to handle the truth when I gave it to her straight before, and I knew she wouldn't this time, but she set herself up pretty badly. She knew she was crossing lines by insulting my friends, her family, and getting angry at every minor detail. So when I told her how I honestly felt about it all and what I thought she should do (nothing specific, just little tips on toning down a bit so she doesn't come off as a heinous bitch), she snapped. And, well, our "inseparable" friendship is no more. This has happened before, and I've always been able to put things back together. That's the kind of person that I am. I like to have everyone on my good side. I like to know that I can trust anyone when necessary. However, it's gotten to the point with her, and some others, that I know I can't just trust her when necessary. There will always be situations in which her views are just warped enough (by warped I mean that they differ from mine and my friends' - I could easily be the one with the warped mind, and not her) that she will turn on me. It's an endless cycle and it's been that way for as long as I've known her.
     And then comes the question why. Why is she like this? I'm not an expert on such things, but I have taken a couple of philosophy and psychology classes, and I've studied outside of class quite extensively (hey, it's an interest of mine, leave it alone), and so I feel like I have a fairly decent understanding of how the mind works. And it seems to me that the biggest concern in her life, the average teen that regularly attends some secondary education institution, is fitting in with her peers - in a learning environment. One thing I don't understand is how some people find some of those things as important as they do. Who cares if you're wearing the most exspensive brands of clothing or driving the best cars? Why must you always hide tiny imperfections on your face by covering them with make-up? Why must you be anything other than yourself in order to fit in? I have varying views on this, but the most important statement that I can relate to you is that we all fit in the way that we are supposed to, and it will not change no matter how you change yourself. People will always seem fake, and sometimes you may be included in that "fake" group. That's natural. We are always taken by the dominant ideas on our minds at any given time. Some of us think hardest on intelligent matters, always wanting to learn more, spread the wealth of information, and place themselves higher in that respect. Others simply want to look good. While I'll argue that looking good is definitely a good thing, if you can't add 2 and 2 to get 4, you're not going to get anywhere in life. My point? The teenage social hierarchies being what they are, teens across America (and elsewhere too, I'm sure) are being brought into the business world with warped priorities, illusions of constant success, and inabilities to deal with hardcore problems.
     You think you're having it rough now? I bet you just can't wait to get out on your own. To tell you the truth, I can't either. I can't wait to see you go running back to mommy and daddy begging for instruction. Go on, be pretty. Be condescending. Be better than everyone else. If you can keep it up, then more power to you. But do not come crying to me when it doesn't go your way. I can only offer you my version of the truth...

Friday, January 12, 2001, 6:45pm

mp3otd: Nintendo Sound Adventures - 01 - Super Mario Brothers Overture - Mario Jungle Remix.mp3

     Week one of semester two of college life complete. Report based on first week of class experiences is ready to go. (1) Honors U.S. History since 1865. This class is a continuation of the Honors U.S. History class I took last semester. It's easy enough. I take notes. I do a project. I take a midterm. I take a final. No big deal. I got a B last semester, and now that I know how the class works, I expect either a higher B or possible a low A. My biggest complaint with this class is that my topic for my research paper absolutely sucks. Who gives a damn about the history of the Macon Industrial Authority?! (2) Honors English Composition II. The second of two composition courses required by this school, and I think my taking this class leads to the idea that I have suicidal tendencies. I have never been a good English student. Ever. Last semester we had a philosophy textbook, so I was able to write based on opinion rather than specific subject matter. That was easy. Now I am back in a real English class. And an advanced one. Perhaps the tables have turned, but hopefully I can pull an A. I'll be satisfied with a B though. (3) Calculus I. A joke. I passed the equivalent of Calculus I and Calculus II last year by taking AP BC Calculus ... grades of 100 and 97 in consecutive semesters. Registrar personnel bitched about my AP scores and didn't want to give me the credits (they're very picky about the math program here), so I told them to stuff it and took Calculus I over again. It will be an easy A, and will leave me bored most of the time in class. (4) Honors Psychology. The best class in the world. Not only is psychology fun, but the people in the class are amazing. From a philosophy class (English) to a pscyhology class - and I love studies of the mind! I can't even put together coherent thoughts about this! Hah! (5) Hardware Concepts. Although it's labeled as a hardware/software class, it's a hardware class. It is the hardware class at Macon State. It is the only class in which we play with every imaginable piece of hardware (excluding the power supply and monitor) in a computer. There are other classes that are designed for specific aspects of the computer, but this is just the "how it's all put together and why it works" class. FUN! (6) Bowling. I need say nothing else. This will have to be the highlight of my week every Friday afternoon. The class is about a football field's length from my home at the bowling alley at the top of my street, starts at 1:30, and ends when I've bowled two games. I get an A+ if I can bowl a 170+ game twice during the semester - any two times will do - something that seems within reach. My high game is a 223.

Thursday, January 11, 2001, 4:30pm

mp3otd: Cranberries - Linger.mp3

     Continuing with my catch-up-on-log-reading routine, it's time to add a little response to the motherbitch's complaints about Information Science. Matthew, IS will likely open more doors for you in the future than just Computer Science alone. Information Technology seems to be right up my alley, but I would love to have the option of Information Science as well. Oh, and my Hardware text book has already compared a computer to a brain, just as my Psychology book has already compared a brain to a computer. Two very different books in very different fields of study, fundamentally the same analogy, and this is only Chapter 1 (of each). Perhaps psychology and computers have a lot more in common than you think, Matt. Computers are only automated brains, you know. The only reason why we can't use psychology on a computer is because we made the computers and therefore know what to expect from them. Or something. Either way, for your specific career goals (that really aren't too specific yet, I don't think), I would recommend heavy concentration in computers: degrees in Information Technolgy, Computer Science, etc. Also make sure you have some background in Business or Management or Communications, as they can all help to provide valuable windows of opportunity in the computer industry. (What? Your boss at IBM just quit? What? You have degrees in CS, IT, and a minor in Business? What? You're the new boss? Hey, it could happen.) I'm just throwing out ideas. I know none of us really care to think that far into the future - I don't - but I think that careful planning to put ourselves in comfortable positions isn't too much to ask. So even if I'm wrong in nearly everything I've just said, at least keep that last sentence in mind.

Thursday, January 11, 2001, 4:10pm

     Okay, I've managed to find a little spare time here, so I'm using it to catch up on my regular log reading. After no second thought I have a fairly short response to Natasha's comments on her relationship "turbulence." She says that when she claims that she wants to spend time away from her boyfriend, it usually means she wants to break up and doesn't have the guts to do it (in a nutshell). This is the message her boyfriend just gave to her, so she's wondering if he has those intentions that she would have... I can't speak for Daniel, but I can speak for me. First of all, I don't get into relationships that I don't plan on lasting. Second, if I tell you I want to spend a little time apart, it's nothing more than that. Maybe it would be the same thing as saying, "let's break up for a while," since we're not going to be together for some time. But no, it isn't. As long as you have no plans to date anyone else, and the same for your significant other, then there's no point in a break up. Honestly, I don't quite understand why any girl has ever been able to stick with me (well, there are only two). I have a habit of being communicative for weeks at a time and then suddenly just isolating myself from everything, including her. A relationship being what it is, I nearly always do my best to explain why and for how long, but it doesn't always work that way. My only explanation for this behavior is that I am not so comfortable with her to include her in every aspect of my life - that's what marriage does. Being only 18, I can't imagine feeling that way about anyone anytime soon. I like my private time. I like being able to sit back and think, or write, or play games, or read, or do school work if necessary. Sometimes I just like being able to sit at home and do absolutely nothing at all. Sometimes that's just fun to me, or it's better than what I normally get out of my days. So, Natasha, don't jump to any conclusions. You seemed to explain your concerns well on your page, and I don't expect you to be having any problems with the situation. But your words inspired me just a little bit, and so I wrote and wrote and wrote... er typed.

Thursday, January 11, 2001, 3:19pm

     Bad news. I have not had much free time lately, and my page is suffering because of it. I am falling way behind in the few things that I like to keep myself informed of, and it's starting to bother me. I haven't even seen my girlfriend in five days. This is what happens when new semesters start in school and sisters leave the country while mom's are out of town leaving dogs at home to be taken care of. So, my week shall be slow...
     Good news. Mom leaving town means I get her house, and as a side effect I get her car too. I think I said this earlier, but man I love driving that car. Also, as a result of getting her house, I've invited Mike and Tony over tonight to ... enjoy having no parents around. Don't take that the wrong way, now. Tony, Mike, and I are all anti-smoking, anti-drinking, and anti-gay sex (though there's nothing wrong with being gay, as Jerry Seinfield pointed out), so nothing a parent wouldn't approve on will be going on, except that the music will probably be loud, we probably won't be getting much sleep, and all the food will be gone by morning. While I'm discussing Mike, he and I were paired together to research Sigmund Freud and his method of psychoanalysis for Psychology today ... meaning lots of fun! Heheh. We expect to deliver the best presentation in the class (though if not, it will definitely be of A quality). That's my report for today. Take care of the 'net in my absence.

Wednesday, January 10, 2001, 4:26pm

     Sorry for the slowness lately. Family emergencies are springing up everywhere and I am the only responsible child, so I get to take care of everything. My sister is dragging my dad all over the state since she can't drive on a suspended license, and my mom is heading out of town, so among all of the extra work I have to do at home, I have to take care of my dogs at my mom's (meaning I stay over there with no internet so the dogs don't freeze overnight), not to mention the gallons of stress that school is pouring in. My schedule woes are over; everything is settled. But man was it hectic! On a brighter note, I did get $100 out of the school. They wouldn't let me return it, though it is their policy for books returned due to classes that are dropped within the first two weeks of the semester. They wouldn't return it because the plastic shrinkwrap was gone. So what do I do? Well I could have easily found someone who hadn't opened theirs and switched, but no... Being the quick thinker I am and needing the money right then and knowing a profit was to be made, I turned around and grabbed a brand new identicle book off of the shelf, complete with plastic shrinkwrap, took it to the counter, handed them my receipt, got my $100 back and gave them a book that had never been bought. In short, I have an excellent text book that I didn't buy. So I turned around and sold it for $100 (but without the tax that the school charges) to the next person that wanted it, so they saved about $8 and I made $100. I love being me! And another thing. While I'm busy taking care of everything around here and not having time to address the world on my web page, my mom decided to take my car so I got hers... and she just offered it; I didn't have to ask! So I'm cruising around with a 1998 Honda Accord with way more power than such a small car needs. I don't hotrod or anything, but man, I love driving that car!
     I did promise to tell you my schedule when I got it cleared up. I haven't forgotten! At first I was afraid of my schedule, but now I know I'm going to love it! Not only are the classes manageable (so they seem), but I get to see the hottest chick on the face of the planet five days a week, and there's an excellent chance that I'll be making all A's this semester. Only time will tell, but let's just hope for it, shall we? So here's the schedule:

Number	Title	Hr	Class Time
2112H	HONORS U.S. History since 1865	3	M W F   09:00am-09:50am
1102H	HONORS English Composition II	3	M W F   10:00am-10:50am
1251	Calculus I	4	M W F   11:00am-12:10pm
1101H	HONORS Psychology	3	T R     11:00am-12:15am
3220	Hardware/Software Concepts	3	T R     12:30pm-1:45pm
1230	Bowling	1	F   01:30am-04:50pm

     I don't know that you notice or care to (you can compare with my first schedule), but I was informed by my awesome Information Technology advisor, Dr. Elieson, that I did not have to take the Foundations in I.T. class, which was basically an introduction to Windows and Office 2000 (hence why I was selling the $100 textbook). When I received this news, I dropped it, signed up for the Honors English course which was in that time slot, dropped my other English class, and signed up for the Honors Psychology course that's just before the hardware class. This way I have seventeen semester hours this semester, or thirty for the year, or just enough to be a sophomore next year (not counting AP credits, two of them I think, or a total of six hours). Either way, I plan to have a blast this semester while also making decent grades. Woohoo!

     Finally, picking up where Erich left off, I have replaced a couple of the links to outside sites on the left side of my page. I have removed the link to kurt's site and Mike's site. There is absolutely nothing wrong with either site; I just don't visit them often any more, and as I've told you before, the sites are there for my convenience and for you to see what I enjoy reading online most often. I have added in their place slashdot and SpasticReb, sites that you can figure out for yourself if you have not been to either.
     I was going to say more, since I won't be back until at least tomorrow night, but my sister just walked in and absolutely needs the internet before she leaves the country for four months, so I'm out.

Tuesday, January 9, 2001, 12:21am

     Everyone go look at sexy sexy me! ... I confess, I lied to you slightly a few minutes ago. They only labeled one of my books wrong. What really happened is they told me that I don't have to take this class after I've already bought the books for it. So, I dropped the class, opening a window for a replacement for another class, so I dropped two and added one. Now I'm three hours short, so I'm forced to sign up for another. So the only classes that can fill my schedule are Honors classes meaning that academically suicidal Paul is now registered for three Honors classes in one semester. This will be the make-or-break me semester. I can't wait. Oh how it will suck! I'll give you the updated schedule, as well as how much I'm paying for the UNGODLY EXPENSIVE books ... as soon as I figure it out.

Monday, January 8, 2001, 11:25pm

     My car hit 100,000 miles at about 1:15pm somewhere between Warner Robins and Savannah, Georgia, today. I would guess that it happend somewhere near Dublin, but I wasn't really paying attention. I did take a picture of the odometer, but I'm not sure how well that's gonna turn out. I also have quite a few new pictures of myself to add, which will either scare you away for good or actually interest you since I have basically zero recent pictures of myself around here. I'm tired, I have $160 of books to sell back to my school and get the ones I was supposed to get (the book store had my classes' books labeled wrong... ugh). I don't know if they typically take books back, but I haven't marked in them or anything and I have receipts and such. They better not be Nazis about it. More in the morning...

Sunday, January 7, 2001, 5:30pm

     It was exactly one year ago today that I met one of the most wonderful people I've ever known. If you kept up with me or my web page a year ago, you might remember an occasional word about Emily. She and I were a couple for a short while, before I completely screwed things up. Sometimes I regret what I did, but most of the time I know that I did what had to be done to keep myself on the track that I wanted to be on. I did not want to sacrifice a perfectly wonderful relationship with a perfectly wonderful girl, but I couldn't afford to sacrifice anything else at the time. Either way, she and I seem to be communicating well now, and I'm thankful just for that. Emily appeared in my life at a time when I needed her most, and I will always remember her. She helped me to realize a number of things. And I'm spending too much time on this...
     I slept until about 3:45pm today. I haven't slept that long in so long that I can't remember ever doing it, but I know I have. I lay down in my bed at about 2:00am last night, and I know I fell asleep rather quickly because I only remember part of the first song playing, so that means I got a little over thirteen hours of sleep. Unhealthy, maybe? Yeesh. I'm going to have one helluva tough time trying to sleep tonight. And I've got school tomorrow and six hours of driving to do. (I get to go to my sister's ... AGAIN ... this time all the way to Savannah to get her, first.) Someone remind me that I love her. Please.

Saturday, January 6, 2001, 2:14am

mp3otd: Third Day - Thief.mp3

     No, I am not falling in love with Christian music, but just as with all the other genres of music, there are incredible sounds to be heard and lyrics to be understood. "Thief" is a song by Third Day on a live album called "Offerings." The song is sung from the point of view from one of the two men being crucified alongside Jesus Christ. Now I realize that many of the visitors to my site may not be Christian. To be honest, I am not even sure if I am right now. I am in a skeptical stage of my life in which I do not know what to believe, why to believe in anything, etc. I refuse to choose a path - rather, step by step, my path will come to me.
     Also, I feel like sharing that anyone who does not care for Christian music at all can take that up with my good friend Mike who convinced me to join him at the concert tonight. Because I enjoyed myself so much and the music was so great, I actually want a few of the songs now... and since he has so many Christian CDs, I expect that I'll be borrowing them. I won't be building a Christian music collection, by any means, but perhaps burning a greatest hits CD is in order. Either way, it's all his fault. ALL HIS FAULT. :-)

Saturday, January 6, 2001, 1:56am

     Do you ever have one of those days in which everything is going just perfectly all day, and nothing can bring you down, but you find yourself knocking on wood every few minutes just because that possibility is there? Today was one of those days for me. This morning I woke up at Tony's house, where I stayed last night. It's come to the point that they encourage me to stay the night when I'm over there. It's good to be welcome. From there I came home, made a CD, took a shower, and headed over to Mike's. We then took off to the mall in Macon, where I picked up $200 worth of clothing for under $70 - and I was in dire need of clothing! After that we hit the Macon Centroplex, where a concert was being held. I had never been to a concert, and the fact that all the bands were Christian bands didn't enthuse me greatly, but Mike somehow convinced me to join him because he had no one else to go with. Maybe it's because I have no previous concerts to compare to, or maybe the music was actually good, but I had a great time. The music was great, despite singing about being saved and seeing the light... I have to say that the bands had some talent. I don't know much about the bands, but I heard a couple of familiar songs. The bands that I can remember were Pillar, Audio Adrenaline and Newsong. I also contributed extra to the cause by purchasing an Audio Adrenaline key chain (it's awesome!). Anyway, after all that, Mike and I headed home exhausted ... ready for sleep.
     Oops, I forgot to knock on wood that last time. My brother came in about ten minutes after me and something was obviously wrong. After a minute or two of prying, he told me that he and my best friend Zach were in an accident tonight. Although I understand that it isn't my fault, not being there, I feel guilty because I know that it wouldn't have happened if it weren't for me. There's a stretch of road near one of my brother's good friend's houses that I used to try to hit a top speed on before slowing down to take a curve and exit the neighborhood. Once in a while, Zach would ride with me when dropping off or picking up my brother. Tonight I had my own plans, so Zach offered to pick him up. (Also, we were planning something special for a very special friend of ours, and it required Jim, my bro, to be here tomorrow. So someone had to get him.) On his way out, being his first time in his car, he decided to try to beat my top speed. I don't know if he did or not, but he apparently didn't brake in time. He hit a curb and his car spun out of control. I don't know any specific details, but I have been told that the back end of the car is dinged quite horribly and one of the rear wheels is destroyed ... the car could be totalled. And this was a nice car - a 2000 Ford Contour SVT (I'm not a Ford fan, but this is a nice Ford car). Anyway, the most important thing is that everyone was okay. Aside from emotional trauma and perhaps some bruises, no one was hurt. I'll try not to feel guilty, but it was my need for speed about a year ago that inspired the actions that led to the accident tonight. I can only hope that he doesn't see it the same way...
     So, despite a near-perfect day, it has all come down with a crushing blow in the end. No one was hurt, so it hasn't really affected me too much, but I still can't help but feel at fault. Some horrible repercussions are to result, I'm sure. I believe it is Zach's second incident with the automobile, meaning outrageous insurance payments (and he is one of the safest drivers on the road, I promise you!). Zach is the only person on this planet, besides myself, that I feel 100% comfortable with behind the wheel. I hope that this is all I report on this little episode. I don't want guilt and sadness to dominate my web page ... ever.

Thursday, January 4, 2001, 4:52pm

Number	Title	Hr	Class Time
2112H	HONORS U.S. History since 1865	3	M W F   09:00am-09:50am
2210	Foundations in Info Technology	3	M W F   10:00am-10:50am
1251	Calculus I	4	M W F   11:00am-12:10pm
1102	English Composition II	3	T R     09:30am-10:45am
1230	Bowling	1	F   01:30am-04:50pm

     As you can see very clearly above, I am looking forward to a fairly easy semester. History and English are my only two "iffy" subjects, but after my performance last semester, I wouldn't be surprised to pull out A's in all of my classes this next semester. Foundations in I.T. is the most pointless class in all of creation for me. Not only did I take the exact equivalent of it in high school, but it's - well read for yourself: it's "an introduction to e-mail, the Internet, Windows, word processing, spreadsheets, databases, PowerPoint, systems analysis, networks, and ethical issues." Excuse me, but don't I already know this? Especially considering the fact that I've been building this web page you're looking at for, oh, 18 months now? And I had others for years before that. Anyway, Calculus I is my other pisser class. The registrar bitched at my high school math credits, complaining that I wasn't eligible for Calculus III, where I should be. Although I made a 97 and 100, respectively, in Calculus I and Calculus II (AB/BC Calculus) last year in high school, and I made an off-the-charts five on the AP exam, I am not eligible for this school's Calculus II or III. And, I hate to break it to Macon State, but the math department sucks! After Calc III we have Introductory Linear Algebra and Differential Equations - that's it. So I figure, there being only three math classes I could take, I may as well drop a little and take the two I've already taken as a review, getting used to the math department here while also boosting my GPA. And the best part about all that is, I don't have to hear the registrar's bitch about it. I can quote my current Calculus teacher on this (although I've never met the guy), that after a friend of mine complained to him about the rudeness and apathy of the registrars, he said "That's a well-known prerequisite for registrars at most schools, and definitely this one."

     And though none of you will care, I picked up Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World last night (that's two games on one cartridge for the Super Nintendo). Most of you don't know or care to know, but these Mario games are the greatest games on earth in my opinion - nothing beats them. This cartridge may be my most prized posession right now. I'm happy. :-)

Tuesday, January 2, 2001, 11:55pm

     A betanews article posted tonight stated that Edel Music has become the second music label to join Napster. Reuters has a much more detailed story here. In a semi-related article, Napster has filed its own trademark lawsuit. Along with the information provided in tonight's ealier related story on /., The Truth About File-Sharing, perhaps it can be gathered that the tables are turning to favor Napster.

The above appears exactly as it was submitted to slashdot as an article just moments ago. I thought you might want to know, since the army of trained mammals reviewing my submission will surely reject it.

Tuesday, January 2, 2001, 11:37pm

     I saw the movie Men of Honor tonight, starring Robert DeNiro and Cuba Gooding, Jr. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The movie intrigued me from the first moment I caught myself watching a preview, and I was finally able to see it tonight. If you don't like the way sailors talk, I don't recommend seeing this movie, or letting your five-year-old son/brother/neighbor see it with you. Otherwise, very entertaining, excellent movie, and it will bring out the pottymouth in you!

Tuesday, January 2, 2001, 10:54pm

     Nick is taking a class called "Anal II." And while trying to add this to the page, IE 5.5 provided me with a lovely error and asked me to send an error report to Microsoft. So I did. Now fix it you bastards.

Tuesday, January 2, 2001, 10:38pm

     As advertised in bulletins and by proffessors back in December, the Macon State College bookstore was to open January 2nd. However, for whatever stupid reason, Macon State College does not allow books to be purchased using scholarship credit until January 3rd. Being my first spring semester here at Macon State College, I had no idea that this would be the case, so I got up early this morning to make sure I could get in there and get the good used books for cheaper than too expensive (hah, even the used books are ridiculously priced), thus keeping the money coming out of my own pocket to a minimum. But no, Macon State College is run by homosexual monkey lovers, so I've got to perform the same get-up-early-and-drive-25-miles routine again tomorrow. And this is supposed to be my holiday from that horrid place.
     On a side note, I did add bowling to my schedule, giving me an medium 14 semester hours of classes. I also bought Metallica's album Load today. I might add that this is after downloading the entire album on Napster months ago, convincing me that I need that album. Perhaps someone should slap Metallica around a bit with a large trout and convinec them that file sharing is making them money, not taking it away. It is their own moronic intervention that has caused the drop in Metallica record sales. Oh, but they'll never see that. "It's never my fault," they're all thinking. Perhaps then, instead, someone should just light a firecracker in their ass(es).

Tuesday, January 2, 2001, 10:08pm

     Everyone read this, and then try to imagine that we live in a free country. Then ask yourself, exactly how free are you? Do you feel free? Then look around you. Think about the life in which you live. Think about all the things that are holding you back from other things. I mean anything at all. Your Information Tech advisor holding you back from "overloading" your schedule. Your boss holding you back from voicing your opinion on that deal that should be made. Your mother holding you back from the cookie jar. And this is free, you say?
     Like someone incredibly smart once said, we live in the best of all possible worlds. That doesn't mean perfection.

Tuesday, January 2, 2001, 1:08am

     I have a few quick and simple things to share. First and foremost, my progress on Super Mario World, the first release and instant classic for the Super Nintendo, released way back in 1991. Only a few people like Nick and a few others who really enjoyed this game will understand, so if you don't, just skip this part. Anyway, after playing from 1:00 to 5:00am last night and picking up on it again at about 11:00pm tonight (just got done), I'm about 95% finished with the game! I have 91 stars of the total 96, meaning I'm doing pretty darn good at finding these secrets! Granted, my friend Tony helped me get used to the controls and showed me a few of the early secrets and some neat tricks, but following his lead, I was quickly able to discover what to look for. I've always loved this particular type of game, and I've always had an easy time adjusting within such an environment. Sorry to have given so much information on this game, but I have really enjoyed it the past couple days... You should too! One last thing about this: Everyone look at this. You see that? Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World all on one game cartridge. If someone could somehow locate this for me (and/or buy it for me), I will purchase it for whatever price (if reasonable) and add a nice little bonus to whomever finds it for me. I *really* want it! So help me find it!
     Ah, a couple other things. I've survived the first day of the new millenium. It feels the same as time always does when it passes by. Come to think of it, where has the time passed to? It seems like I graduated just a couple of weeks ago. Geez! And here I am, preparing to get up early in the morning so I can buy my books for school and add a class to my schedule before it fills up! College, yeesh.
     And oh yes, the Karma War™. Taking a peak at Matt's karma stats since the beginning of our declared war, he has only gained three. In a surge that began early this weekend, I just brought myself out of the negatives to a positive gain of two (for now), making this a healthy little battle! Perhaps this Karma War™ is a dumb idea and a waste of time, but I'm enjoying it even while I'm losing, so it can't be too bad. And because it isn't right to talk about a site without proper linkage, everyone take a peak at /..
     Okay, I haven't slept in 36 hours, and I have a long day of driving and buying books and other work that I do not care to be doing ahead of me, so I'd better get some rest. Day 2 of the new millenium, comin' at ya!

Monday, January 1, 2001, 5:33am

     According to the mother site, Matt and I are teaming up to form the "Neotope Network" ... whatever that's supposed to be. I'm not sure how it will work, what it will mean, or much of anything about it since, according to Matt, "he does not know about this yet but I guess he will when he reads it." Ahem. Well it sounds fun. Thanks for sharing, Matt. And Merry New Year. :-) And by the way, there are still two time zones stuck in 2000 as I write this...

Monday, January 1, 2001, 5:27am

     Now that I have given the new year a little time to settle in, I have a few things to say. Firecrackers and fireworks are dangerous, fun to play with, and a complete waste of time and money. Super Mario World is one of the coolest games I have ever played in my life, even if it was made ten years ago for a system that is can no longer be found on the shelves of most stores. I have two favorite games of all time, Super Mario Bros. 3 for the Nintendo and Perfect Dark for the Nintendo 64. Super Mario World is well on its way to being added to that short list, representing the Super Nintendo. Whee! And that's how I've spent the first few hours of my new year. No, sorry, I wasn't out partying. I've been a bit sick lately, and heading out to party or socialize in any way just didn't seem to be an option tonight. Oh well, I enjoyed myself! I only hope Dalila was able to put together an entertaining evening. Sorry for bailing on you! I'll try to keep that to a minimum...
     And yes, Nick, I'll agree with you on a comment you shared with us last week sometime - being awake at 5:15 in the AM is not all that healthy. But do I care?! Not at all! The fun I'm having is worth it! And so all of you know, this still does not feel like a new year. Except for all of the bad "year in review" crap on TV. Not like I watch TV anyway (who turned that damn thing on?!). Enjoy the rest of your holidays, even if today's your last day! And remember that I have another week! Hahah!

Monday, January 1, 2001, 12:00am

     It doesn't feel like a new millenium to me. Here is a list of things I would like you to do very quickly for the new year: visit nickd.org in all it's newly found glory. And that's it. The ball has just dropped. Happy New Year.

Archived...

2001: apr, mar. feb, jan.
2000: dec, nov, oct, sept, aug, july, june, may, april, march, feb, jan.
1999: dec, nov, oct, sept.


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