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The epitomy of American society, an illustration:
Today I was taking the elevator down to go to lunch. I work on the 8th floor. While I'm heading down, the elevator stops on the 7th, and a woman walks in. She pushes the "5" button. As if that wasn't bad enough, she goes "Crap, I meant to hit 6." So what does she do? She goes down to the 5th floor and takes the stairs up to the 6th floor.
Um...why didn't you take the stairs in the first place? Not only are you SO lazy to have to take the elevator ONE FRIGGIN' FLOOR...but you're stupid enough to walk a flight of stairs in the end anyway.
Ugh. The future of America. Awesome.
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Ok ok ok...I know. Before you all start throwing the hate mail about me not updating my journal...it's been a busy last month or so. Lots of travelling, lots of being sick, and well...I've just been living a boring life. Ok, so that last part isn't true, but maybe I just haven't been inspired to write in awhile...
Well last night I got some inspiration. And as you might tell from the subject heading, it happened on the subway, and it involves a Sudoku puzzle. You know those 9x9 number puzzles where you have to fill out the missing squares? Well, they're your typical logic puzzles, only one solution, but every puzzle is solvable, you just have to find the starting point. Anyways, so I was coming home from the Gnats game and there were two strangers sitting behind me...discussing the day's Sudoku. Naturally they ended up talking about their strategies for solving the puzzle. The problem was, neither of them were any good at it, but still they tried to explain the way they attack each puzzle anyway. Each person's technique was just asinine, but the other person would think it was enlightening...it was like the blind leading the blind. I wanted to turn around and say something like, are you kidding me? It's just simple logic. There's no set way to solve the puzzle, you have to adapt and find the logical path to finish. You can't pigeon-hole yourself into one set technique, or else you'll always get stuck.
Of course this is coming from me, who thinks that Sudokus are stupid and way too easy.
I didn't say anything, even though I wanted to. Instead I ended up listening to their roundabout conversation the rest of the trip home. Then I realized something. It was fascinating to see how some human brains work. So many people are trained into thinking that "if it a'int broke, don't fix it" or "my way or the highway," but in reality you have to change it up sometimes or you'll get stuck...like my poor Sudoku friends. I know...a lot of people just don't get Sudokus. And I'm not trying to say that these two people are stupid because they couldn't solve a stupid logic puzzle. It's just funny to think that sometimes knowing a little bit of "common sense" can make all the difference. And some people just don't get it.
I'm don't claim to be a genius, I just know how certain things work :)
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Yikes. I haven't written in this silly thing in FOREVER. So what to write? I can't just jump right back in and wax philosophical can I? No, baby steps...
So every Monday for the past three weeks I have been going to trivia, but for some reason we can't think of a name. Well after trivia tonight, my roommate and I had a bit of a brainstorming session...and here are the names we came up with...
I had sex on the subway, does that make me a metrosexual?
Four whores and seven beers ago
Mind the Gap
One in the bush is worth two in her hand
Martha preferred to Mount Vernon instead of George
Sleeps well with others
George’s teeth wasn’t the only wood he was sportin’
The stars at night are big and bright
Of course the last one is really ONLY to see if anyone will respond with "Deep in the heart of Texas" when the quiz master reads the name over the loudspeaker.
Well anyone have any other ideas? Feedback works too...the comment board is lonely...
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Tuesday, February 14th, 2006
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Modern, Cool Nerd
60 % Nerd, 69% Geek, 13% Dork |
For The Record:
A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia.
A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one.
A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions.
You scored better than half in Nerd and Geek, earning you the title of: Modern, Cool Nerd.
Nerds didn't use to be cool, but in the 90's that all changed. It used to be that, if you were a computer expert, you had to wear plaid or a pocket protector or suspenders or something that announced to the world that you couldn't quite fit in. Not anymore. Now, the intelligent and geeky have eked out for themselves a modicum of respect at the very least, and "geek is chic." The Modern, Cool Nerd is intelligent, knowledgable and always the person to call in a crisis (needing computer advice/an arcane bit of trivia knowledge). They are the one you want as your lifeline in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (or the one up there, winning the million bucks)!
Congratulations!
Also, you might want to check out some of my other tests if you're interested in any of the following:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Professional Wrestling
Love & Sexuality
America/Politics
Thanks Again! -- THE NERD? GEEK? OR DORK? TEST |
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My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:
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You scored higher than 64% on nerdiness |
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You scored higher than 94% on geekosity |
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You scored higher than 8% on dork points |
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Monday, February 13th, 2006
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This entry comes in from the engineering side of the office:
So my friend Katie, who I call High Five, calls me up saying that she can't print a spreadsheet on Excel using one page. She's tried scaling it down to fit, to no avail. She enlisted the help of other engineers, but alas, nothing.
I go all the way to the other side of the office. I look at the spreadsheet and say...
Well, you gotta print it in landscape not portrait.
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Wednesday, February 8th, 2006
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A new guy comes into my office today and says, "Hey could you check something for me? I'm sending emails and they aren't showing up in my Sent Items box."
So I get up, go over to his computer, and I go, "Show me how you're sending it." So he does, and it sends like normal.
So he goes into his Sent Items box, and is like, "See, the email that i just sent isn't showing up."
To which I reply...
"Well, you have to scroll up to the top to see the new messages."
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Thursday, January 26th, 2006
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It's always great to get emails from people that you haven't heard from in a long time...
Today my best friend from elementary school wrote me:
So my first question for you is how you ended up in Virginia. I'm expecting something interesting, so feel free to make it up if you have to.
Of course, I couldn't resist the opportunity...my response:
I wish I had a good story to tell you about how I got to DC...so here goes:
One day I woke up, and saw an aardvark sitting outside my window. Yes, odd I thought, but I decided to go with it, so I walked outside to see what he wanted. Without saying a word, he started walking. Naturally, I followed. Sooner or later we ended up in Albequerque. After some sopapillas and honey, I met his friend the armadillo, and I rode on his back through most of Texas. Once we got to Fort Worth, I was really thirsty, so I decided to stop for a drink of water. When I returned, I realized they both had ditched me and stole my wallet AND my
house keys. Realizing that I was stranded with no place to go and no money, I figured...since I was already more than halfway across the country, I would just keep walking east. I was on Highway 10, and I ran into a tour of Michael Keaton impersonators on their way to New York City. Clearly I didn't look a thing like Michael Keaton, but they were a pretty laid back bunch once I convinced them I was Batman and they let me hitch a ride. They dropped me off in West Virginia, which is where I was able to climb on the back of a pig truck on it's way to DC.
Now if I could only figure out where that stupid armadillo ran off to...last I heard he was seen on the beach wearing my favorite hawaiian shirt...
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Thursday, January 19th, 2006
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So let me start this entry off by saying, yes, I am a big geek. No really. I have a shirt that has the word "Geek" embroidered on a patch. It's my new favorite shirt. There's no denying my geekiness. So what, pray tell, makes me of the geekish persuasion?
Well, I go bowling every week. Sometimes twice a week.
YES. Yes it's true. Not only am I a geek, but I am a BOWLING geek. I have had my own bowling shoes since I was in high school, and as of a week ago, I have a brand new bowling ball and carrying tote. My average is 140. I bowled a 193 this month. Not bad.
Life is good.
Well, ok that's a lie. I'm extremely frustrated. Yes, I know it's hard to believe. How can a guy have the PRIVELEGE of bowling once a week, complete with a brand new ball, and yet be frustrated by it? Well...let me tell you. Ever since I got this stupid new ball, I've had to relearn how to bowl. See, this ball is one of those fancy reactive balls (read: hooks WAY too much for its own good). Not only that, but I was used to hooking the ball with only two fingers, but now I have to use all three fingers, which makes it MUCH harder to get any type of hook on it. It's also 15 pounds, and I had been used to bowling with a 12-pound ball.
WAY too many things different with this picture.
As you would imagine, my average has gone WAY down. I bowled a 69, a 75, and a 90. Things are not looking good. My ball refuses to hook now. I can't pick up spares. I can't close frames. I get frustrated EVERY time I go now, because I know I could do it in the past, but now, I can't. And it pisses me off.
Oscar Wilde once said, "There are two tragedies in life. One is not getting what you want. The other is getting it."
There's some definite truth to that I think. I'd been bitching about lane balls every since we started going bowling every week. "These balls aren't hooking enough," I'd say. And now that I've gotten my brand new ball, it's been nothing but gutters, open frames, and bruises on my thumb. At what point do we sacrifice everything to get what we want, only to get there an realize it wasn't all that it was cracked up to be?
Obsess about eating your favorite food, finally get it and realize you weren't really that hungry.
Engulf yourself in work just to get a promotion, and when you get it, realize that you are now going to have to work even MORE.
Get into a fight with a good friend or a significant other over something insignificant, and realize that you ruined the relationship just so you could prove your point.
At what point is it too much?
Albeit, I realize that with my bowling problem, all I really have to do is keep practicing, and eventually I'll get the hang of the new style. But what about relationships that you can never get back to normal? Sure, I can leave a perfect game tarnished with a couple open frames, but all I have to do is hit the "Reset" button and start a new set of frames. A tarnished relationship is a little harder I think.
But what am I saying. I'm a geek. I don't have to worry about any of that stuff. Right?
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Sunday, January 8th, 2006
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So it's been a week since New Year's Day. And yet I still haven't put up my cheesy new year gournal entry. You know the one that I'm talking about..."oh this year was SO great, here's what I'm thankful for, here's what I did, here's what I want to change about my life and become a better person...I'm SO excited for 2006!!" It's such a tired cliche.
I stumbled upon a quote in an article I was reading in the New York Times:
"Ask yourself whether you are happy, and you cease to be so. Those only are happy, who have their minds fixed on some object other than their own happiness; on the happiness of others, on the improvement of mankind, even on some art or pursuit, followed not as a means, but as itself an ideal end. Aiming thus at something else, they find happiness by the way."
- John Stuart Mill
So it gave me an idea about how I was going to approach this new year. There's always talk about how you're going to live your life differently, and how you're going to change. And yes, that's all well and good. But why would I want to change who I truly am? Why not spend my energy focussing on what I'm doing right? Why can't my new year's resolution be to keep doing what works?
I know that some of you might think that's a total cop out. This is just an excuse for me not to have to start getting back on that stupid treadmill and back into shape. But that's not what I'm talking about.
My point is, people every year make the same stupid resolutions. Every year, it's "I'm going to eat better" or "I'm going to lose weight" or "I'm going to quit smoking." It's never "I'm going to be nicer to my siblings" or "I'm going to call my mother more" or "I'm going to make sure every stranger I meet sees me smiling and smiles back." And every year, come March, everyone is back to where they started at the end of last year. Back to the same habits, back to the same routine. The reason is that it is an EXTREMELY tough order to try and change yourself. People are just stubborn. No one wants to accept change.
But think about it this way. If you're nicer to your siblings...they might make sure that you haven't started that nasty smoking habit again. Call your mother more...then maybe she'll help motivate you and check up on you to make sure you're eating well. Smiling to everyone you meet might help you meet a cute stranger, who you might end up going on a date with...and that'll be sure to get you back in that gym.
So there you have it. My New Year's resolution. No more cliches.
Ok...maybe I'm a little excited for 2006 :)
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Friday, December 23rd, 2005
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Pisceus: one person said his favorite person from "a christmas carol" was "the grandma that got ran over by the reindeer"
DrRorex: I couldn't remember the girl's name from the past, and didn't feel like looking it up
Pisceus: what, the girl that he falls in love with?
DrRorex: yeah
Pisceus: isn't it belle?
DrRorex: from Beauty and the Beast?
Pisceus: yes.
Pisceus: that was the spin off
Pisceus: Belle ( A Christmas Carol ) Scrooge's former fiancee whom he had forgotten until reminded by the Ghost of Christmas Past.
DrRorex: does she have a last name?
Pisceus: i think she was a family friend of the fozziwig family
DrRorex: okay...
DrRorex: grade, perhaps? Belle Grade?
DrRorex: Belle Mont?
DrRorex: Belle Ichek?
Pisceus: Belle Oftheball
DrRorex: Belle Tollsforthee
DrRorex: Belle Tway
Pisceus: Belle Pepper
DrRorex: Belle Hoppe
Pisceus: Belle Sovsaintmary
Pisceus: Belle Arus
Pisceus: Belle Stheyrangfernando
DrRorex: ha ha ha
DrRorex: okay, fine, you win
Pisceus: YES
Pisceus: the abba card always trumps
DrRorex: sadly, yes
Pisceus: i'm embarassed for myself even
DrRorex: as well you should be
DrRorex: in fact, my mom says we can't hang out any more
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Monday, December 19th, 2005
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So it's no big secret that I hate my job.
Ok, let's back up a bit. I don't HATE my job. In fact, I get along with most of the people in the office. A lot of them are my age, and are a lot of fun to get to know and hang out with. I've made a lot of friends there. The work is pretty low key, and I'm not micro-managed like I know a lot of people my age are. I spend a significant amount of hours talking online, or surfing the net reading news and other assorted articles. I live right next door, so I don't have a commute.
So what's wrong with the scenario?
I'm bored. This job doesn't challenge me one bit. I'm starting to get that "itch" of wanting something better. But I can't change jobs because I still have to wait for my security clearance to come through. At this point I've been waiting for 8 months, so quitting now would make no sense. Might as well wait it out, get the clearance I need, and find a much better job because of the clearance. Not waiting for the clearance would be foolish in most respects.
But at what point does the means stop justifying the end?
I mean, at what point do I just say..."Fuck it." I can't wait any longer. I want a job that will challenge me, security clearance or not. I can get just as much experience and just end up in a completely different field. Do I want the security clearance because I really want to do government work? Or am I just getting it because I know it will give me the "options" later on down the line?
Honestly I don't know.
I think the most common fault of most people is not wanting to accept change. Sheryl Crow once sang that "change will do you good." Yet, still no one heeds the message. Well, maybe that's a bad example since no one likes Sheryl Crow to begin with. I think most of it stems from the fact that people are worried about the unknown. People are afraid to take that "leap of faith" because they don't know what the outcome is going to be. Maybe it's because they'd been burned by taking a risk in the past. Maybe it's because they're overly cautious. Maybe they just can't make up their mind.
I say we should live life to the fullest. If you want something bad enough, take it. And I don't mean that you should just live recklessly and carelessly do anything and everything that comes your way. But sometimes you have to just say "Fuck it" and throw caution into the wind. Hell, last year I did just that...moved clear across the country to start a new job. And where did that get me...an overly expensive apartment, crazy fluctuating weather, and the exact dead-end job that I'm bitching about in this gournal entry. But on the flipside, I've met some amazing people out here. I've started living on my own for once. I've learned some new trade. I've traveled to cities I'd never thought I'd go to.
So what do you do? You get back on the saddle. Make a few adjustments. And see where it takes you.
Like my old pal Ferris Bueller once said..."Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it."
It's no Sheryl Crow...but it's something.
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Sunday, November 13th, 2005
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"Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind...or forgotten."
-- Lilo and Stitch
So yeah, I apologize about the lack of writing lately. I neglect my gournal, I end up neglecting all my adoring fans :) We can't have that can we? What I CAN say though is that the last 3 weekends have just been a whirlwind. I have been a traveling bum, but I have been loving every bit of it. To start with, I was in Chicago two weekends in a row. First to go back and visit Northwestern for homecoming, and then again to go to the wedding of a good friend of mine's sister. Then this past weekend I took the bus up to Pittsburgh to visit my sister and see the closing of her show.
While I can't say anything insightful about traveling, other than the fact that it is EXTREMELY exhausting and it really kills your energy for the rest of the week, I can say something insightful about what I learned from the trips. Being with friends and family is really what keeps me going, and what keeps me sane. You go through life, the same boring job, the same boring routine, the same boring conversations...but you have these moments when you get in touch with an old friend, or you pick up where you left off with an old roommate, or you have a really insightful conversation with your little sister over breakfast...and you realize that this is truly what is right and pure in the world...the relationships that you have with people you truly care about.
I realize how close I am with my tight group of friends from college, and realize that there really is a reason that we are still so close even though we've been out of college for years.
I realize why I've kept in touch with my friend from Chicago that I met at a summer camp junior year in high school, even though we hadn't talked all through college.
I realize why I truly love my family, even though I took it for granted all these years, and it wasn't always happy and perfect.
My family and my friends give me a refreshing outlook on life every time I talk to them. They make me realize that I'm not alone in the world and that we're all in this crazy life together. And maybe if there is something insightful that I can say about traveling, it's that by traveling THIS much in such a short span of time...the world should be as small as we can make it. Even though you might not be near them, never lose touch with the people you care about. I know that I would do ANYTHING for them.
"We are all travellers in the wilderness of this world, and the best we can find in our travels is an honest friend."
-- Robert Louis Stevenson
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Thursday, October 20th, 2005
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I always found it funny when I'd be watching a football game...you'd always have a team come from behind at the last minute to win the game. This team could have played like absolute SHIT the entire time, but as long as they kept it close, and had a shot to win it, they'd march down the field at WILL, and score to win the game. Of course the question you have to ask is...Why the hell weren't you playing like this the ENTIRE game?
What obsession do we have for waiting until the last possible moment to show moments of brilliance? Is it because we have no more excuses and just act on instinct? Is it because we have nothing to lose, so we just do what feels natural? Do we rise to the occassion when we realize something is all or nothing?
I don't think I'll ever grasp the concept, even though I'm extremely guilty of it. All I know is that I wish it didn't happen to me, because when you have something amazing, and then have to see it go, it's extremely bittersweet.
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Thursday, October 13th, 2005
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Back from Beantown. What did I learn?
1) Boston accents are hot...in a weird sort of way.
2) Boston weather is pissy.
3) New friends can be just as good as old friends.
4) Indian food is just as good in buffet format as it is homecooked.
5) The bars in Fenway aren't as fun when the Red Sox lose.
6) Rome on HBO is a really addicting show.
7) Travelling by taxi cab is WAY more convenient, especially when you know that work is going to pay for it.
8) It's really easy to get a song in your head when you play it three times in row on a CD.
Back in DC. And what did I learn?
1) Going back to work after a long weekend is not fun.
2) Turn your back on a city for one moment and it's completely turned upside down.
3) My bed is more comfortable than a fold-out sofa, a leather couch, and a Staybridge Suites bed...combined.
4) I miss Boston.
Thanks for a great weekend you guys (you know who you are)...hope we can do it again soon :)
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Friday, September 30th, 2005
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To start off my gournal entry, I want to give you some food for thought...literally...
At lunch the other day, I posed the question to my "lunch crew" in response to the "Million Nugget Giveaway" that was printed on my take-out paper bag. How long do you think it would take you to eat a million nuggets? Like those tiny ones from Chick-Fil-A? It can't be that bad right? Well let me put it into perspective for you. I'm going to be slightly aggressive to start. Let's say that you were to eat 50 nuggets a day...
It would still take you FIFTY-FIVE years.
Yikes. Kinda weird when you put it all into perspective like that right?
Fast forward to today. So what's been going on in my life?
- Well, it's my first year here in DC. One whole year gone. What did I do to celebrate this passing occasion? Not much. I totally didn't even realize it had passed until my aunt sent me an email wondering when she could take me out to dinner to celebrate my anniversary. She's always looking for an excuse to get sour apple martinis :)
- My roommate and I took down our quote wall. It was getting WAY too full. We figured now that we have a new lease, we need a new wall. But it's sad. A whole year of quotes, jokes, random pictures, badly drawn maps of the USA...gone. I miss it already. I will have to show you guys the wall once I figure out how to add pictures to my entries (feel free to offer suggestions on how to do it).
- I went to a meeting to try and start a co-ed acapella group with some random people (and Leigh). I honestly don't know how it's all going to go, but apparently I'm going to be arranging music and running rehearsals. It's all coming at me so fast, I'm not even sure if I'll stick with it, but it's one of those things that you just have to jump in with both feet and see what happens.
- The PADRES made the playoffs for the first time since 1998!! WOOT!
"So what does this all have to do with chicken nuggets?"
Take down a quote wall, start a new one. Finish a baseball season, and start off with a clean slate in the playoffs. Graduate an acapella group in college, start another one up from nothing.
It's funny, now that I've started a new lease, a new year, I feel like I have to start all over again. Eat 50 nuggets in a day, you're satisfied, then you realize that the next day you have to eat 50 more. Spend a year in DC, meet some really cool people, get settled in a job, live comfortably in an apartment, and then you turn around and get the itch that you need to start it again, start something new. Make new friends, find a new job, hang out in new places.
Maybe it's the whole idea of ying and yang coming back to bite me. The idea of this balance governing the universe coming back to show that no one can ever be truly satisfied. Are you complaining that you don't have a job? Great, you find one, and then start to complain about not having enough free time. Hate your job? Fine, quit, and then realize that you get bored because you have TOO much free time.
But no, I refuse to believe this. There is a balance in the universe, and it exists for a reason.
"Seriously though, what does all of this have to do with chicken nuggets?"
Dammit, I don't know. Maybe it's a stupid analogy to show that you have to accomplish your goals 50 nuggets at a time. That Rome wasn't built in a day. Colonel Sanders didn't lead the Kentucky army to victory in one battle. Or maybe it's supposed to show put into perspective how mundane life can be without any variety. Imagine having to eat 50 nuggets every day for the rest of your life. Or maybe this gournal entry is a sad attempt to promote healthy eating, and to remind everyone to make sure they get their daily dose of anti-oxidants.
Or maybe just maybe...it's more deep fried than that.
Life, like a pile of a million nuggets, is a pretty daunting thing when you think about it. Just sitting there for the taking. But it's really all in the perspective. Fifty nuggets a day for fifty-five years is a pretty lame deal, but that's why they make dipping sauces.
Life is what YOU make of it. Balance is always there...but we're the ones that either tip it in our favor or not.
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Tuesday, September 20th, 2005
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Oh man. I'm getting way too old for this.
If there's one thing that I've learned over the past few weekends, it's that there's nothing like having old friends around. Two weekends ago I went up to Chicago to see my pledge son and Freshman Fifteen alum Mark "Short Stack" Brandau get married. He is the first F15er to get hitched, and I have to admit, he did it in style. Top shelf bar, family recipe margaritas, and had all the F15 guys he sang with invited back to sing the Ave Maria during the ceremony. HOTTTTTT. Not a dry eye in the house. But being back there, with all the F15 guys really made me think about how great the group was, how much I missed them....but also how great it was to see that even though not all of us knew each other, it was like we could all be in a room together, singing, and feel like we'd known each other forever. I guess that's how you know a group's succeeded.
This past weekend we had a "mini reunion" of sorts, as 4 of my close friends from Northwestern came to visit Dan and I in DC. And again, right off the bat you just know it was going to be a great weekend. Friday I took a half day and hung out with them. We played CAPS, drank 40s, made Long Island Ice Teas, played drinking games all night long. And it just kept going through the weekend. Saturday we went golfing, that night we came home and just chilled, watched movies, reminisced. And it was great because we hadn't all seen each other in months, and you stick us all in a room together, we just picked up where we left off. I guess that's how you know you have such great friends.
I look back and think about how different my life would be had I gone somewhere else. If I changed ONE aspect of my life, I would've had a COMPLETELY different experience. You get to a point where you see where you are and you can't think about your life without your friends in it. I can't imagine what my life would be like without all the memories and jokes that me and my Chicago friends have. I can't imagine my life without the Freshman Fifteen. And yeah, I guess that makes me start to feel old, but at the same time it's nice knowing that you have some kind of influence in the world....however small.
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Monday, August 29th, 2005
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Today's fun fact on my elevator's LCD monitor:
"The word hurricane is derived from the Caribbean Indian words for 'evil spirit' and 'big wind.'"
Hmmmm. Don't know if they planned that, but I found it extremely appropriate given today's events.
Now, I don't know about you, but this all seems so eerie. Like these quotes for example:
"We are facing a storm that most of us have long feared."
- New Orleans mayor, Ray Nagin
"Perfect mix of conditions makes storm a monster."
- Headline from the Houston Chronicle
I mean, watching the news today, and watching the video of the destruction, just gave me this sinking "Sodom and Gomorrah" feeling. A perfect storm. A city known for its debauchery. This was it. After tomorrow, New Orleans will no longer exist on any US map. It'll be like the day that the World Trade Center toppled to the ground. It seemed so surreal at the time...like there was NO way that those buildings could be gone, and yet, the next day, they were still gone. And there was no going back.
Tomorrow they'll probably assess the damage done to the city. And yeah, I'm sure that New Orleans won't be COMPLETELY demolished, and yeah, maybe there won't be pillars of salt surrounding the city, but watching the video of the aftermath tonight, there is NO way that the city is ever going to be the same. This is one of those things that people will be talking about for years.
I sometimes think about things like this. About where we fit in the grand scheme of things. Maybe it's because a friend of mine is losing her father, and there's nothing she can do about it but say goodbye. And that kills me. I can't imagine what kind of hole that would leave in me. How many emotions would be bouncing around wanting to be expressed. Wanting to say a million things, but having to fit it all in a simple "good-bye."
I think about how much we take for granted. Here is a huge monument, two twin towers standing higher than any building in New York. A symbol of power and economy. Poof. Gone. Here is a beautiful city. Historic. Majestic. Rich in culture and tradition. Poof. Gone. Here is someone that you've loved your whole life. And yet, when the end comes, you want it to last forever.
I guess it's all just part of life's brutal cycle. From death, comes life. From tragedy, comes comedy. A building falls, a nation recaptures its patriotism. A city falls, a community rediscovers its compassion. A loved one passes, a legacy refreshes a family.
So to finish up this gournal entry that is WAY too sappy for its own good, I want to say that all of you that touch my life (be it the long conversations we share, or the one word that you have ever spoken to me), all of it affects me and molds my life in more ways than you can ever imagine. You are all a part of my life and I thank you for being there. I only hope that I can be that same person for you if you ever need it.
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Comments: Read 2 or Add Your Own.
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Tuesday, August 23rd, 2005
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Throughout history there has been one universal debate that has stumped even the most inquisitive philosophers, the sharpest scholars, and the brightest students.
Tastes Great or Less Filling?
Of course, second to that would be the age old question...
"What is the difference between guys and girls?"
Countless numbers of books have been written on the subject. Multitudes of people give their own two cents, trying to shed some light on the debate. The funny thing about this is that it all comes down to the same old conclusion:
"They just are."
Yet we, as members of the human race, feel the need to nit pick every little detail. What should I do if a guy says he wants oatmeal for breakfast? What does a girl mean when she says she needs to go to the bathroom? What should I order my date at Taco Bell? When is the best time to tell a girl that her fly's unzipped?
We're obsessed with the opposite sex. We want to know how they tick, because we feel that if we know it all, then our entire life will change. We will have some CRAZY epiphany and the sky will open up, streamers will fall, horns will blare, and we will receive a $50 gift certificate to the local Applebee's. Perhaps this is really what King Arthur was searching for when he was questing the Holy Grail. Does Guinevere really like me? Why does she play with her weird veil things when I talk to her? What does she mean when she says she is going to yonder outhouse?
Of course, then you hear people complaining about how hard it is to date someone. How hard it is to meet people of the opposite sex. How hard it is to start a relationship. Well, OF COURSE IT IS. Millions of books are pulling you millions of different directions. Book A says a guy should call a girl every chance he gets, while a Book B says that a guy should wait to call, and then after he does call, wait for the girl to call him back. Book A says that if a guy likes a girl, he'll do anything for her, while Book B says that a guy shouldn't let himself get "whipped" because then he'll lose all respect in the relationship. Of course Book A is written by a girl and is advice for girls. Book B is written by a guy, for guys.
Am I the only one who sees what's biased with this picture?
All the books do is state the obvious, turn the sexes against each other, and serve to make us more paranoid than we already are. Whatever happened to trust? Whatever happened to doing what feels natural?
But, as I am on the subject, I figure I might as well throw my hat into the mix. So here goes:
The Difference Between Guys and Girls:
(or the Window Shopping Principle)
by Chris Wong
The difference between guys and girls is as simple as going to the mall.
A guy will go into a mall. He will know exactly what he wants. He will go into the first store he sees that has that particular item. He will ask no questions about the item as he will likely have done the research on the item. He will buy it on the spot, and not even look at the price.
A girl will go into a mall. She will know exactly what she wants. She will proceed to go into every store in the mall and look for that item. She will keep track of the prices at each store. She will ask every clerk about the item and what he/she thinks about it. Once she determines what the best deal is, she will go back to that store. She will go through every one of that item to look for the best one. By the time she makes it to the counter to pay for it, she'll have changed her mind, leaving the mall without purchasing anything.
And THAT, is the difference between guys and girls. They just are.
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Comments: Read 1 or Add Your Own.
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Friday, August 12th, 2005
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So this week has been extremely enlightening and nostalgic all at the same time. A friend of mine from high school who just visited me last weekend claimed she was a TV Theme Song buff, a girl I just met is quite possibly the biggest 80s pop culture nerd I've ever known, and I am bored on a Friday afternoon at work.
So what does that mean exactly? Pop Quiz time. Sharpen those #2 pencils, keep your eyes on your own paper, and show all work. Partial credit WILL be given.
Name these TV Shows from the snipets of their theme song. And NO cheating.....ok I'll start easy and end easy.
1) Show me that smile again, don't waste another minute on your cryin'. We're nowhere near the end, the best is ready to begin.
2) Sometimes the world looks perfect, nothing to rearrange. Sometimes you just get a feeling like you need some kind of change.
3) According to our new arrival, life is more than mere survival. And we just might live the good life yet.
4) I'm doin' it the best I can, Leanin' on nobody but me.
5) You reeled me right in line, sinker, and hook. Never thought forever was the best I could do.
6) Now the world don't move to the beat of just one drum. What might be right for you, may not be right for some.
7) There were times when I lost a dream or two. Found the trail, and at the end was you.
8) I bet we been together for a million years, And I bet we’ll be together for a million more.
9) Maybe the world is blind, or just a little unkind. Don’t know.
10) And if you through a party, invited everyone you ever knew. You would see the biggest gift would be from me.
11) Life goes on, and so do we, just how we do it is no mystery. One by one, we fill the days, We find a thousand different ways.
12) Surf dudes with attitudes, kinda groovy, laid back moods. Sky above, sand below, good vibrations, feelin' mellow.
13) Don’t fight the feeling, you know you want to have a good time. And in my opinionation, the sun is gonna surely shine.
14) They're Dashing and daring, courageous and caring, Faithful and friendly, with stories to share.
15) There is nothing we won’t try, never heard the word impossible. This time there’s no stopping us.
16) Would you like to swing on a star? Carry moonbeams home in a jar?
17) Together, we're going to find our way. Together, taking the time each day. To learn all about those things you just can't buy.
18) Look at what’s happened to me, I can’t believe it myself. Suddenly I’m up on top of the world, it should’ve been somebody else.
19) You can count on me, no matter what you do. You can count on me, no matter where you go.
20) By the time I get my books, and I get myself a look, I'm at the corner just in time to see the bus slide by.
I'll post the answers later!!
*******
UPDATE (8/23) - View the comments. Allyquidxxiii submitted the answers for me.
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Comments: Read 15 or Add Your Own.
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Wednesday, August 10th, 2005
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So I was talking to a friend of mine whose parents were watching MASH on TV. Clearly, I don't like that show too much...but it got me thinking...
Show of hands...who played M.A.S.H. when they were growing up???
Ok you can put your hands down. Now my question.
Now I'm pretty sure everyone had their own style, but back when we played it, M.A.S.H. stood for:
Mansion
Ant Hill
Sewer
House
Yet, most of the people I talk to each have their own unique style.
I think most girls were too nice. It was usually Mansion, Apartment, Shack, House...BORING.
Ok, survey time. What did M.A.S.H. stand for when you played it??
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Comments: Read 8 or Add Your Own.
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pisceus's journal
anxious.
satisfied.
nerdy.
amused.
indifferent.
creative.
frustrated.
awake.
confused.
thoughtful.
restless.
exhausted.
touched.