My Christmas List.

My mother has been bugging me about getting her a christmas for me. After some thought, i have compiled a few things via the internets that i would like to receive for this holiday coming up. I decided to post this list on here with descriptions so that those of you reading can get a better feel for who i am and what i enjoy. Most of this stuff that i have in this list will come as no surprise to the people that already know me...

Also, i encourage all of you reading this to make your own "wishlist" and post it for all to see, because the more people know about your little wants and needs, the more they'll know about you in general. So here we go:

Random Crap
Funny T-Shirt:
I actually used to play Ping-Pong for Tech so this one is funny but kinda true... it's very me.

Comfy T-Shirt:
Life is Good is a great company and this shirt is very much how i usually view things

Transformers Chess Set:
This is more of a thing i have with wanting to collect chess sets... i saw this at walmart and thought it looked pretty damn cool.

Brain Age 1 and 2:
Been playing BA1 on Tom and Becky's DS's and it is good fun.

DVD/Music
Multiplicity:
This movie is great, and i've been wanting to buy it for a while, just haven't seen it/found it since i thought about it.

Flight of the Conchords DVD:
Great TV show that totally cracks me up... check them out on YouTube... i suggest watching business time.

Flight of the Conchords CD:
Going along with the DVD, this tiny album will let me listen to them in the car, and on my ipod.

Ratatouille:
Great movie... Pixar really knows what the hell they're doing. Love their stuff.

Serenity:
I just realized that i've said "Great movie" on every single one of the other dvds... so i'll say this.... Awesome movie.


Drum Stuff
Bell Cymbal:
This thing sounds really cool. I would prefer the 6" one.

Splash Cymbal:
You'll notice that this link is going directly to the splash cymbal navigation page. This is because i really don't know which one i want... Also note that i already have one, but i would like another one on my right side that compliments it's sound... would be nice to get some contrast between the two.

Cymbal Stacker:
I would use this to put the splash cymbal above my crash without having to buy a new stand for it. Pretty cool concept if you ask me.

China Cymbal:
I also put the entire list on here, because i really don't know which one i want... the easiest way for me to pick out one of these is for someone to just pick one out for me. This is one that i am not really excited about... just some ideas to keep in mind.

Trashformer Cymbal:
More of a joke than anything else, don't really want it, but thought it was funny looking.... probably funny sounding too... (perfect for Lose Your Lunch).



That's it for now... i know i've mentioned a couple other things to Jessy that i can't think of at the moment, but i will keep this list up to date once i think of the other things that i want, but don't want to spend my own money on.

Why World of Warcraft is Fun.

I am a big dork. Starting on November 23, 2004... i was hooked to the World of Warcraft. Now this really isn't something that i like to brag about... in fact... there was a period of time where i would very hypocritically make fun of a "friend" who would do nothing but play WoW... but go home to pretty much the same thing as him. This is not something that is looked upon as "cool" or "useful" in the real world. This is a hobby of mine that i am not proud of, but still find a huge amount of enjoyment out of... So... in defense of this habit of mine that is not quite the healthiest of all, i will attempt to explain the ins and outs of what makes this game so addicting to the layman... or laywoman... whichever you prefer to be today.

As i said before... i started playing this game when it came out on November 23rd, 2004. My first character (named Babyo) really didn't see much playing time, as he is only level 38 (out of 70). I played this character to about level 24 until i decided that school is more important than WoW, so i cancelled my subscription during the semester, and finished up with said semester before i decided to pick it up again. Upon starting again, my certain class was an overplayed, overused, over everything in the game... so i asked my brother what new character i should start. So i created my current character Lloydxmas... (code for Lloyd Christmas, the main character in Dumb and Dumber). I've played Lloyd from pretty much that point on. In fact, i have 78 days, 14 hours logged on this character. Out of 1050 days since the game has been released, this is a fair amount of time i've spent in front of my computer (and why i don't look like i did in high school anymore).

So what makes this game worth all the time spent? I've invested a lot of time in this game and when i'm playing, i FEEL like my character. I feel powerful. I can kick some ass. I can approach anyone 1v1 and feel like i can take them down. In real life... i avoid conflict, i could probably be beaten up by a 4th grader. I've never been in a fight, and when things are looking like they are going to escalate into a fight, i am a flight kind of guy... I like to talk my way out of situations, and if that doesn't work, i'll walk away... or run away... whatever it takes. But in this game... i can engage in battle, without any real fear of getting hurt, or spending time in the hospital, or spending time in jail...it really frees me in ways that i can't in my real life.

I realize that this might sound crazy to some people reading this... but the game still gets my heart pumping. Just like a real confrontation would in real life, my heart starts pumping when it gets down into the dirty. There really is no feeling like being attacked at half health and half mana (the stuff that lets me damage the opponent) and coming out on top. It's a feeling that i really don't get to experience anywhere else in my life. It's a pressure situation... and in anything else i've done in my life, i don't really get pressure situations... i don't do sports, i don't do racing, i don't do surgery(thanks scrubs for giving me this reference)... the ONLY pressure situation i have where it's decide... or lose... is in this game.

I've played basketball, i've played baseball... there have been times where the clock is running down... or the inning is almost over... and my heart doesn't start racing like it does sitting here. I guess it really boils down to the fact that i didn't ever really care about baseball or basketball... it was just something to fill up the time... I feel like it's something that i'll never really be able to show or demonstrate to the outside person...

I'm sure my brother has had that feeling, but how do i show this? Maybe its like laying your eyes on the mona lisa for the first time(thanks jessy for THIS reference)... maybe it's like winning that spelling bee you've been training for... maybe its like seeing the looks of your kids faces when santa brings exactly what they wanted (thanks mom and dad)... maybe it's like seeing the looks on your kids faces when santa brings what they weren't expecting (thanks again mom and dad), maybe it's like hitting that perfect drive off the tee... maybe it's like writing a song without even thinking about it... maybe it's like finding that treasure under the ocean you've been searching for, maybe it's like learning how to ride your bike without training wheels... maybe it's like realizing that you can do much better than what you're doing... maybe it's like hating a class during the whole semester but then realizing once it's gone you miss it... maybe it's like 3 part harmony... I'm not really sure... but all i know is that the people who play World of Warcraft have all felt it.

It's this thrill that i get every so often that makes me continue to play this game, and i hope that when you are doing what you enjoy, you get that same feeling that i do when it's all going right and you're in your zone. So go find that thing that makes you happy, and do it, because that's all we have...








...well that and chipotle.

The End Of The Road.

Having a ton of songs on your Ipod is really only good for 1 thing... hearing stuff you would never willingly say, "I want to hear this song." Everyone i know that has an Ipod, has it filled with mostly stuff they like... but there are always skip-able songs, songs that they fell in love with in 3rd grade, or just random crap from some 1 hit wonder's full album.

Listening to my ipod every night has its ups and and downs... one of the downs includes these random ass songs that come on. And even though the song i'm about to dissect isn't really a random song... it really shouldn't be on my ipod... because i would skip it. This particular song happens to find it's way into the 100ish songs out of the 3000ish songs on my ipod probably 3-4 times a week. SO... after giving up hope, i decided that i would listen to it the next couple times it came on, and i realized that it really is a terribly written song. You all should recognize the song because it was very popular when it was a single... I will now dissect End of the Road, made popular (at least to me) by Boyz II Men... not Boys to Men.... not Boys 2, Men... not Men at Work... Anyways... here's my critique of this song, verse by verse (lyrics are in blue):

This song starts off with a short spoken line by the Bass dude who always talks in the songs...

"Girl you know we belong together
I have no time for you to be playing
With my heart like this
You’ll be mine forever baby, you just see"
- This opening line makes you start to feel bad for this dude...

Verse 1

" We belong together
And you that I’m right
Why do you play with my heart,
Why do you play with my mind?"
-If she knew he was right... then this song wouldn't really happen... so right off the bat, we know the "guy" in this song is dumb. He's right about them being together, but he can't figure out why she plays with his heart and mind?

"Said we’d be forever
Said it’d never die
How could you love me and leave me
And never say good-bye?"
-This line gives me the impression that he feels like she blind-sided him... apparently he needs to wake up, and smell the break-up. This blind-sided line "never say goodbye" has relevance later... so pay attention.

"Girl I can’t sleep at night without holding you tight
Girl, each time I try I just break down and cry
Pain in my head oh I’d rather be dead
Spinnin’ around and around"
-This is actually my favorite line of the whole song... very well written... you understand how he's feeling... the description of it is brilliant... no complaints here.

Chorus

"Although we’ve come to the end of the road
Still I can’t let you go
It’s unnatural, you belong to me, I belong to you
Come to the end of the road
Still I can’t let you go
It’s unnatural, you belong to me, I belong to you"
-You belong to me, i belong to you... apparently not. It's a chorus... a good summarization, but i really only think that he can say "i belong to you"... "you belong to me" is very stalker-ish.

Verse 2
This is where it starts to get a little weird...

"Girl, I know you really love me,
You just don’t realize
You’ve never been there before
It’s only your first time"
-If he's talking about love, or sex here... they're both kinda creepy. If she really loves him, but doesn't realize it... then is it really love? I am assuming they've been together for a while, so that rules out the "still getting used to you" realizations. If they haven't been together for a while, then this guy got wayyyy to attached wayyyyy to fast. And the whole first time thing... still creepy.

"Maybe I’ll forgive you, hmm
Maybe you’ll try
We should be happy together
Forever, you and i"
-Sounds like from the previous lines of the song, he's already forgiven her... so this is a moot point... she left and didn't say goodbye, so i'm pretty sure she's not going to try. And with the happy together forever thing... Didn't sound like the relationship was so happy in the first place. so this guy is all mixed up.

"Will you love me again like you loved me before
This time I want you to love me much more
This time instead just come to my bed
And baby just don’t let me, don’t let me down"
-The beginning of this verse is "Girl i know you really love me." And the first step he wants to take after she loves him more, is to run straight to bed? Not the best long term planner in the bunch folks. Everything gets solved in bed... brilliant plan there genius.

Chorus Again

Now after this chorus comes the part of the song that makes the rest of the song make NO SENSE. The bass guy comes on and delivers this very convincing speak to the girl. Hilarity ensues...

Spoken

"Girl I’m here for you
All those times of night when you just hurt me
And just run out with that other fella
Baby I knew about it, I just didn’t care
You just don’t understand how much I love you do you?
I’m here for you"
-Wow. So let me get this straight. This girl has played games with your heart and mind, left without saying goodbye, and cheated on you numerous times? "You belong to me" my ass. She NEVER belonged to him. ever. never. The next line says "I just didn't care, you just don't understand how much i love you." What the hell is this guy thinking? What does he even think love is? This guy has no clue. He probably "loved" her because she was looking for a place to crash and someone gullible enough to pay for her shoes and purses and stuff. From the sound of it... its more like his first time in love (or sex for that matter). Also, remember the "never say goodbye" line from before? If he didn't see the outcome of this relationship coming, then it's obvious this guy has the IQ of someone dumber than Forrest.... but he sure can sing his ass off.

"I’m not out to go out and cheat on you all night
Just like you did baby but that’s all right
Hey, I love you anyway
And I’m still gonna be here for you ’till my dying day baby
Right now, I’m just in so much pain baby
Cause you just won’t come back to me
Will you? just come back to me"
-Still wanting her to come back. This guy probably still lives with his mother and plays xbox all night, dresses up for harry potter, and goes to star wars conventions (granted i do 2 of the 4, so i'm only a half nerd, but i'm cool damnit). This girl has been using him from day 1 and will continue to do so when she runs out of money and has no other options. This guy will always take her back because all she has to do is bat her pretty little eyes and he falls for it every time. 2 things going on here... she's the devil, and he's retarded... this is a terrible combination for him.

"Yes baby my heart is lonely
My heart hurts baby
Yes I feel pain too
Baby please"
-"baby i knew about it, i just didn't care" this guy obviously has 2 personalities and they're both morons... just one of them has an aching head and heart.

Final Lead-in to the Chorus

"This time instead just come to my bed
And baby just don’t let me go"
- I'm sick of this guy and his utter lack of having a clue.

So that's it for this song. People liked this song because it was Boyz II Men and they were popular at the time, so no one really listened to the story of the words. Lyrically speaking, this is a terrible song. But it's got a nice sound and it's a good song to slow dance to at your prom... but other than that... it's getting skipped from now on... only because i'm too lazy to find it on my ipod and delete it. And for your viewing and listening pleasure... the video to this song...

Note: this is the "radio version" without the beginning speech. The album has the whole song.

Stoplights.

I drive at a lot of "weird" times... and by that i mean really early in the morning. Anywhere between midnight and 6am. At these times, there are little to no cars on the road... especially closer to 2-3am.

I have noticed that even though i'm basically the only car on the road... i still have to wait for some stoplights because they have a timer once the trigger is tripped. The programming for these lights just baffles me. It makes no sense to me to keep a timer past midnight... at the latest.

I've also noticed that once i'm on a normally busy road, and i'm still the only person on the road, that some lights still change no matter if there's someone waiting or not. It's like the box that controls the lights has to cycle through each position just so that it doesn't bug out. If i'm on a 3 lane highway (aka 28) and there is no one waiting to make a left turn onto said road, then the light should always stay in the direction of the 3 lane highway. It is ridiculous for a light to HAVE to cycle through. I'm sure there's plenty of people who can program these boxes to help us few late late drivers.

Going along with the last paragraph... if i come up to 28 from a side road... and i'm turning right... i don't expect the light to turn for me. This is less efficient for the flow of traffic. But if i'm turning left, this light should start to change as soon as i hit the trigger. It makes it more of a first come, first serve basis... and at 2am... i'm pretty sure everyone that's out driving that's been stuck at a light with NO cars coming would agree with me.

Bad News Never Had Good Timing... Part 2.

Before I start this blog i want to re-direct you guys to This Post. Everything that is said here is pretty much how i feel about that side of the story... you know... minus all the big words and art and stuff (i tend to think in small words that i know what they mean... and music... sorry honey).

I try not to think about the shootings because all it does is get me mad... with no way to release that anger towards the source... aka meaningless anger. So anytime that i got reminded of what happened, i just pushed it right out to avoid those feelings. No use getting upset for nothing. But after my 2 days off this week being spent at Tech, going to see the free concert put on by DMB for the students, you couldn't avoid thinking about it. Well... i couldn't at least. And i have a few things to add about the situation that i don't think too many people think about. Maybe no-one has thought of them. But there are a few points, none of which are related to another, so i'll just separate them by "-" marks in bullet form.

-Walking to the concert Jessy and I grabbed a Collegiate Times that we walked by, and one of the headlines on the front page was something to the effect of "Parents of Victims Call for Firings and Resignations." Now i understand that the families of all the victims must be living in a nightmare, but in my head... this is really only 1 person's fault... trying to throw the blame to someone who you can actually punish is just wrong. This whole situation is unthinkable. No-one can predict the future. Throwing the blame on people might make the victim's families have a little bit of closure, but at what cost? And it's not the same kind of closure as having the fuckhead here to punish. It would be like blaming the shower for getting your pillow wet, when you were the genius who went and laid down without drying your hair. Following the same example... you see water drops from your bed, through the hall, into the bathroom, and finally into the shower... and after finding out that water comes from the shower head, firing your shower for getting your hair wet, when there is clearly someone else to blame. (Note: i realize that the culprit of this little mystery story is in fact "you" but you get what i'm going for here)


-Virginia Tech failed to stop this kid from going on a rampage. But how many kids have they stopped from doing the same thing? Probably hundreds. Probably thousands. Probably Ten-thousands. Who knows... and who cares. Even if they have stopped 1 person from lashing out at society, they are successful. There are plenty of messed up people out there, and VT has surely helped a lot of them with their counseling center. All the public cares about is that Tech "screwed up" and missed all his signs. But they didn't. They tried to get him help. "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink." I commend Virginia Tech for help the thousands of kids who need help dealing with their problems... in fact, i commend ANYONE who helps ANYONE ELSE through a tough time. Whether it's just a phone call to check on someone you haven't talked to in a while, or helping an old lady across the street(sorry it's cliche, but you get my point).

-(Continuing on with the previous bullet, but in a different direction): Counselors help kids in many ways, but you really can't tell how many violent acts they have prevented. The only statistics that people ever see are the outcome of someone slipping through the cracks. You can't tell who would've been a rapist, murderer, or a thief... but after something happens, all the signs point to something bad happening... If you could tell who is going to be a rapist, murderer, or a thief... then this world wouldn't need counselors and therapists, etc. But the main point here is that the numbers only reflect all those that slipped through. I like to think that the majority of people that have the potential to do something bad that get help, are actually stopped with the right help. But as i said, we will never know.

-After thinking about all this on my 4 hour car ride home, i can't help but think about how much my life would've been different if this had happened 2 years ago. Even though i feel a huge connection with Tech, and still consider myself a Hokie for life... i have experienced this situation at an arm's distance... with my only connection with Tech right now being Jessy... she's really the only person down there that i even know anymore... But what if that was 2 years ago? How would i convince Mom to let me go back? Would i even want to go back? Would i know someone in one of those rooms? But i wasn't there. Which i'm thankful for.



So that's it. I know this not going away, at least for the time being... but i think i'm done for now. But yeah, it's not over with, and i don't think i'll ever be able to help those who were really affected...





But i will still try.

This Kid Has Music in Him Already.

Teddy as a Drummer:
Teddy as a Bassist:

Teddy as a Dancer/ Background Screamer... i mean Singer: I'm a little worried i'm gonna lose my drumming job if his parents keep putting those sticks in his hands... guess i better start practicing!

Check Cards, Credit Cards, and the Things That Read Them.

Debit or Credit. We hear this in our lives a lot nowadays. Will probably be hearing it a lot more in the future too. But there has been a major oversight in this whole trend of paying with plastic as opposed to cash. Actually a few... but we'll get there.

One of the first problems that arises involves the card readers that the customers themselves are told to use. "You can swipe your card there" as they usually say... but every store has a different one. Once you swipe your card, it's almost a guaruntee that the machine will assume that you want to use debit, but there is NO easy way to declare that you want to use your card as a credit card. A lot of times, you need to push either CANCEL, or NO (both of which are normally on these machines). But some stores, when you push cancel, it cancels the whole thing, and you end up looking like an idiot and having to swipe your card once again, and ask the clerk how to make the machine do what you want.

Some places handle this better than others... Wegmans (of course) has proven to be one of the easiest places to use plastic (though it is still not without it's troubles). You swipe your card, and it brings up a menu. This menu has "credit, debit, something else, and gift card" buttons on the touch screen.... if you push credit, it requires the cashier to push a button to confirm that is what you want to do, then it brings up a signature screen on the touch screen, you sign and be on your way (side note: you must spend at least $25 to require a signature, otherwise, it just prints the receipt). If you push debit, the cashier pushes his button, and it brings up the numpad on the touchscreen for you to put in your PIN with a big ENTER button at the bottom. Sadly, this is the EASIEST way i've seen it done.

I said before that some are better than others... and i think i've found the worst too... Shoppers has a card reader that has the WORST order of operations i've ever seen. This pad isn't a touch-screen like some others, instead, it has a numpad, a big green enter/yes, and a big red cancel/no, and to the right of the screen, F1, F2, F3 and F4. You swipe your card, and it brings up 4 options next to the F's... credit, debit, gift, and cancel... or something to that effect... where you have to push the F's to choose.... When you choose credit, you sign in the little touchscreen on the pad, and instead of pushing the BIG GREEN ENTER button... you have to push F1... You effectively NEVER push the BIG GREEN ENTER button... but are confined to the F's. The cashiers at Shoppers have gotten so fed up with this system that they have put a little sign on the pad, that tells you to push F1..... which people effectively NEVER see, because it's right in front of their face.

I asked the Cashier yesterday how many times he says "push F1" in a day, and he just rolled his eyes and said "too many." I feel his pain working in the dairy and getting asked where the velveeta was 30 times a day.

Using credit cards brings forth another problem i've seen...

Some stores you go to, you still have to hand them your card and have them swipe it. Most of the time, when the register prints the receipt, it prints out the customer's copy first, then it prints the copy that needs to be signed. THIS IS BACKWARDS. The first thing that any register should print should be the piece that needs to be signed... Now it's not a life or death situation, but it's freaking annoying.

The third problem that i've seen involves the card readers where the employee punches in the amount of money to be charged by hand. This is just dumb design. Everyone makes mistakes, but who wants to be at the wrong end of a $67.55 burger when it's only worth $6.75. Granted, the company will most assuredly refund the money, but this is just bad business tactics. Put something that's a little more fool-proof and i'll be happy.


My suggestion to any merchant that accepts credit cards, is to find a reader that doesn't make the customer feel like an idiot. There are some "new" ways to pay with credit cards that look really interesting... They are kinda like Exxon's speedpass, but with credit cards. I have only seen a few places that are able to accept this, but hopefully it's gaining popularity...

Staying True to Form.

A couple months ago, i lived with my brother Tom. It was nice freeloading off of them for a while... but times change, and people grow babies and stuff... so i decided to get out of there while i could (aka: before pregnant hormones kicked in... sorry Becky, you understand though).

Throughout my stay at the L.P. (Tom's house), I found out that i had really found a friend in their 1st child (read: Maddy). She would just WAIT and WAIT for me to sit on the couch so she could have a nice comfy place to sleep (aka: me). So it became apparent that i was one of her favorite places to sleep... so much so that she would almost never hear when one of them came home. I really didn't think much of this.... UNTIL....

So now i think it's just a trend that all of tom's kids will seek me out as their personal mattress... which i'm ok with, but once they hit 14 or 15, it's gotta stop. So enjoy the pictures of Teddy and his favorite uncle/mattress.


P.S. He stayed asleep on me like so for almost an hour and a half.

Some Things Just Bother Me.

I have realized that some companies are better than others. There are mainly 2 things that bother me which seem very very easy to avoid. Of course there's always the things that anyone would complain about, such as dirty bathrooms, stuff being misorganized, anything that makes shopping hard... but i'm not talking about that. I'm talking about things that mainly go unnoticed because they do not harm business, and they don't yell out at you like a leaky faucet, or a stinky garbage can.

The first of my 2 complaints are stores with a lighted sign in the front. Only, they have a few letters where the bulb has burned out. Whenever i see a store that is missing a letter, it says to me that the management is lazy... or they are penny-pinchers who are looking to save a few bucks to increase profit. I know that if i had a store, and the sign read Owe s Importing and Exporting, It would be fixed that night or the next day. Period. To me, there is no better way to say to the customer, "Hey, I don't care enough about my store's outer appearance, so i don't care about you." This offense is equally as dissatisfying to me as a store who never washes the windows, with fingerprints and gunk stuck on. Lack of professionalism. That's what it says. So fix your signs, and get back to me.


Moving on... double doors.

Store managers... If you have a double door to your store, please, for the love of God, KEEP THEM BOTH UNLOCKED. Nothing creates awkward situations quite like a double door where only 1 door opens. Just think of how many times you have tried to walk into a store, you pull the handle, and it's locked... Just at that same instant, someone is exiting the store, and of course they're walking right for the unlocked door (the one you did not choose), so you have to go through the "will they open the door for me, or am i going to open the door for them?" dance. What good is a double door where only 1 door works? Essentially, they should've just saved the trouble of building 2 doors, and just made it 1... they put 2 doors there for a reason, they might as well use them... I'm not sure if people think it saves money on heating/AC bills to have only 1 door that opens, but to me... it's worth the extra 7 cents a month so that my customers will be able to enter and exit at their own will.

What makes this even worse, is when there's the double, double door. I've actually walked into a store that had the left door locked on the first stage of doors, and then on the second set, the right door was locked, so you essentially had to walk through the left door, then the right door to get into the store. Can you guess how many door handles i touched in that 30 seconds?

4, that's how many. All because i guessed wrong on the first set of doors, then assumed that the same side was going to be unlocked for the second go-round. Wrong. It is just infuriating to me that i have to go through this to enter your store... not to mention that anyone who guesses wrong looks and feels like an idiot for having problems opening the door to a very "open for business" store. Its almost the same feeling as walking up to a store window at 9:05 when they close at 9 and having them lock you out... you feel like an a moron for not knowing that they closed.

Even when 1 of the doors is broken, this is still unacceptable to me. Once again, if i had my own store, this would be fixed immediately... I would call whoever i needed to get this fixed. Pay whatever i need to make it better. And if they can't do it until friday, then they really don't deserve my business, and i'll replace those inconvenient to fix doors with something that i know is going to work. Even if i have to do it myself.

In conclusion, I've seen what it takes to keep a store at the top of the game when it comes to appearance and customer service, and i've seen the lengths that some store owners/managers take to ensure their customer's satisfaction. It's not so much as something they do, but just their general attitude to the way that they treat their customers and their investments to make them as perfect as they can day in and day out. If i ever own a store, you can be damn sure that both the doors will be unlocked during business hours, and the sign will have all working lights. I guarantee it.

I'm an Uncle!

I am an uncle. I'm very excited about this... but i will spare you guys with a mushy-gushy blog... and instead just refer you all to Mom's Blog and Dad's Blog for pictures.



P.S. All of you should comment on mom's blog to get her to write more...

Headphones.

So in the past week or so, i have realized something that has been going on in my life for a long, long time that is really annoying. It is really hard to get a good pair of headphones.

Honestly... think about it. Almost every pair that i have had in the past, present (and hopefully not future) have taken some "getting used to." Which means that your ears hurt like a bitch for the first 100 hours of wearing them... at least. Until your ears just lose all feeling in them at the contact points cause you've worn them so long. Even those old headphones that look like an upside-down U used to hurt your ears. Why is it so hard to make headphones that don't hurt? Seems like they should've had enough time to get it right by now.

I bring this up because recently i killed my ipod headphones by being rough on them (read: having them ripped outta my ears numerous times at work). So i asked Father if he had a set i could use temporarily until i got unlazy and got a replacement for the ones i broke. So he gave me a set of GPX's (it's an electronics company apparently)... anyways, i took them to work and tried them on... no less than 10 minutes later were my ears hurting because of them. These headphones sorta clip onto your ears with a hard plastic curved thingy that is spring-loaded. They are not tethered together with a headband around the top like they probably should be because they are heavy on my ears, but only with a chord that carries the signal from one to the other... in other words, your ears are the only thing holding them up. So i spent that whole night just listening to my music one ear at a time while the other was resting. That was fun. Now add all of this up and THEN try to imagine that they feel like they are about to fall off your ear. Did i mention that they sound terrible too? I doubt anyone at GPX even tried these things on before they sold them. They are that bad.

After the second night of using these headphones, i decided that enough is enough... so i figured that ANYTHING would be better than these pieces of crap. So i looked at what Wegmans had in the way of headphones... Sure enough they had some cheap headphones for sale. So i spent $5 on a set of headphones.

These newer headphones are sorta like earbuds, but to keep them on, they have a rubbery hook that hangs over your ear, and the buds kinda fall into your ears. Needless to say, they are better than the GPX's... that's for sure. But tonight was filled with "is my left earbud falling out?" Which is a problem i've had with other earbuds in the past, so i try to avoid them when possible.

The headphones that come with the Ipod though, are pretty good for being so simple. They sound decent, and don't hurt your ears. They also are really good at letting in outside sound so i can still talk to people. They were ideal for work. But i have had problems of them feeling like they're going to fall out.

I do have a couple sets of amazing headphones though...

-My inner ear monitors. These things are amazing. The sound quality is amazing, and they block out all other noise, so it's just music. Nothing else. And they are form fitted to my ears, so they are comfortable. They also cost about $600 so i can't really use them unless i'm playing drums, or sitting still listening to my ipod/computer.

-My ear-covering headphones. Also great sound quality... but i look like a doofus in them. Really. Thanks Tom, but they look funny on me. and you. and everyone. I made the mistake of wearing them around campus at Tech one day.... and i could SEE people snickering to their friends. So that was the last time i have worn those in public. And for your viewing pleasure, i have added a photo of me wearing said headphones... so enjoy. (sorry about the crappy quality, but i just came up with this concept... leave me alone.)

So electronics companies... what i want from you is a good quality, comfortable, reasonably priced set of headphones that i can wear to work and not worry that i need to take 7 advil to offset the pain that comes from wearing them. thanks.

My New Car.

Back in late 2000, my very awesome parents went and bought me my very own car to drive around in. Little did i know that some 6 full years later i would finally get to upgrade myself. Now, i'm not complaining about this car (i.e. biting the hand that feeds you), but i will say that that car gave me a lot more trouble than what it was worth. Bright blueish color that the girls always said "is your car purple?", transmission problems (twice), and we all know about filling up gas... that car was always a mess too, with no place to hide the essentials of my everyday stuff except in the passenger seat... Not to mention throwing all my trash in the too small for people backseat.

BUT.... it got me from point A to point B, almost every time. i racked up 78,000 miles on that car driving from Manassas to Ashburn to Blacksburg to Harrisonburg to West Virginia to Fredricksburg to RTJ to Wegmans over and over and over again. All the while only 1 really really really minor accident to which i wasn't even driving (some paint was traded, but that's it). Hell you couldn't even see it after i washed the white paint off cause the bumper was made of black plastic, and the blue paint was fairly dark for being so bright (just pretend that makes sense).

Anyways, father and i had been "shopping" for cars for months because the Accent was ready to be replaced. We shopped around for cars that were in my price range, and we found quite a few nice choices. Dodge has a new SUV called a Nitro. VW has the Jetta. Infinity has the (used)G35. Nissan has the Sentra SE-R.

All of these cars were cool, but none as cool as the Sentra. It has a lot of features on it that are pretty much made for my age group such as an ipod auxiliary jack, 6 dish in dash mp3 compatible cd player, intelligent key, cool rims and a kickin spoiler, and most importantly.... cruise control.

When I first saw the Sentra, i immediately liked the styling of the new model, and all the cool features just seemed to fit into what i wanted in a new car... so i went in there by myself, and test drove it, and pretty much did the whole thing by myself (with dad on the phone making sure i didn't get raped with a huge interest rate). Paid for everything on the car with my own money(except for the trade in value of the Accent), and drove away in a brand new way of getting around (once i stopped shaking of course). And i must say, it really is "me."


So say goodbye to the old gustermobile to usher in the new era of the Gustermobile. See you on the road.




P.S. Don't park so close to me, i get nervous about it.

My Little Secret.

Ever since i moved into Tom's house, i realized that i had to do something different than i was used to. In fact, most men have to go through this at one point or another... and it's all because of you women. I must say that this is one issue that i stand firmly behind the guys and it is totally unfair for us to have to put up with this. That being said, i changed my ways (while i was there) and learned from my mistakes and found it easier to "fall in" than to have it my way and get yelled at, because let's face it folks, it wasn't my house. So here it is, here's my secret:

I put the toilet seat down after going number 1.

I did this mainly because i didn't want to get yelled at by Becky. But men, you can fight back... like i do. This is my TRUE secret that i have come up with to make it fair, the only way i can... so men, if you get yelled at when you leave that pesky toilet seat up, follow these instructions... Every time you go #1, put the toilet seat down.... BOTH of them. That way when she gets in there, SHE TOO has to take at least 1 action before doing her business. Let's review the ins and outs of the procedure here to further see why it's unfair for women to ask such a daunting task from us. First starting with the condition that men must put the toilet seat down.

Toilet seat down upon entering:
-Male going #1: toilet seat up(1), * , toilet seat down(2)
-Male going #2: nothing, * , nothing
-Female going #1 or 2: nothing, * , nothing
ACTION COUNT: 2 for males, 0 for women (this is fair.... not)

Now lets examine this if there is no rule as to the position of the toilet seat once we are finished...(note: see above for when toilet seat is down).

Toilet seat up upon entering :
- Male going #1: nothing, * , toilet seat down
- Male going #2: toilet seat down (1), * , nothing
- Female going #1 or 2: toilet seat down(1), * , nothing
ACTION COUNT: 1 for each... seems actually fair to me.

note: * means doing the business.

So men, if your woman wants you to put the toilet seat down after the fact, and you want to "even the score," put both the seats down so she'll ALWAYS have to take an action before she does her business (so will you, but since you have to put the toilet seat down anyways, what's your worry?).

Now the women may have some "arguements" as to why what i'm saying is totally unfair to them, i will attempt to silence all of these by guessing them.

-It's unfair that men get to stand up to pee, so they should suffer to make it even.
Sorry ladies, can't help you there... talk to God about that one.... or mabye Eve.

-When the toilet seat is up, and i don't look, i could very well fall in.
HAHAHAHA, wow... ever heard of the saying "look before you leap?" Maybe you should look before you put your toosh someplace. i look in the chair before i sit down, and i also look at the toilet seat before i sit down, just to make sure i don't fall in. (this is a terrible excuse).

-You should sit when you pee cause it splatters everywhere.
While this may be true, there is nothing that you could do to make me sit down when i pee. nice try.

-You're missing the point, me asking you to put the seat down was to make my life easier.
Well honey... do you want me to put the seat down or not... you either get the full commitment, or you get the toilet seat left up, you decide.

-I'm a woman and i am always right so you're just going to have to deal with what i say cause i'm the boss and it's tough cookies for you.
OK, you win.

In conclusion, ladies.... if i have been around your house, apartment, condo, and you get into your bathroom to find a toilet with both lids down, you know who's to blame.



P.S. I have changed the title to my previous blog to better suit the entry. thanks to John Mayer for the words.

Bad News Never Had Good Timing.

After having a few days to let this shooting sink in, it has become clear to me that there are a lot of things that are wrong with a lot of people in this world.

The shooter:
As i have previously thought before, people who lash out at innocent bystanders will never be understood. Investigate all you want, analyse, think about it... but the 99% of people who live on this planet WILL NOT understand the reasoning, thinking, or anything about this shooter other than the fact that he is fucked up in the head, and that he had probably been that way for a long time. Evidence will only point you to the fact that a lot of people died and there were a lot of bullets. The "why" that "we" come up with will just be the "officials" way of spinning it so that the 99% of us sane people will have something that we can grasp in our heads... it will not be the reason because we cannot understand the "real" reasons.

People who say that Tech did not do enough to let people know after the AJ shooting:
This is simply a logistics impossiblity. There is NO way for a university to inform EVERY student that is on his/her way to class to stay put. Put it on the radio, send out an email, blast it out a loudspeaker... all of these combined will reach probably 40% of the people.... if even that much.
Not to mention that anyone in their right mind would assume that the 2 shootings at AJ was the "end" of the incident. Who thinks after a double murder, "hmmm, i bet this guy is going to go shoot 31 other people." no one. that's who. so why is tech taking heat for not doing enough. Anyone who thinks that they could've done more to prevent, or to stop this tragedy is either retarded, or ignorant.

People who say that games like GTA and violence on tv caused this:
FUCK OFF. seriously... this "excuse" has been floating around the media since columbine. millions and millions of people play violent games, but you don't see millions and millions of people shooting people. this excuse is the biggest pile of bull dung that i have ever seen and i'm sick of it. If this is your excuse and you're a journalist, go kill yourself so i don't have to read this anymore.... that goes for you too dr. phil. As an example, i myself have been playing "violent" games for years... anyone remember Mortal Combat 1???? well the media flipped out at this game because there was a "blood code" where all whenever someone got hit, the shot blood outta their body instead of sweat. this was 1992. I have YET to kill anyone. yay me. This issue is overplayed, overrun, and overused. get off of my tv and internet please, thank you.

People who think that a rampage like this is deserved:
i don't even want to get into this, its almost like i hate these people more than the shooter himself, because they seem to throw salt in every victim's family's wounds. please go kill yourselves so the families can grieve and get on with their lives without having to worry about your stupid ass.


Other than that i am just upset about all of this. I really felt like since i haven't been at Tech for a little bit, that i was beginning to "not be a hokie." After monday, i feel like i will ALWAYS be a hokie, whether i get a degree from JMU, NOVA, UVA, GMU, or even harvard. Blacksburg is in my heart, my soul, and there is NOTHING that will change that. I never really had a great group of friends here, my scholastic records were ghastly, i did not enjoy my living situation, i was lonely, i ate terrible, but still... i love this place, and i miss it. And not just because my girlfriend is here. There will always be this part inside of me, and i hope that when i have little Jeff's running around (way way way in the future), that they decide that they want to go to Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

"Hokie, Hokie, Hokie, hi!
Tech, Tech, V-P-I!
So-la-rexSo-la-ra
Polytech Virgin-i-a
Ray, Rah, VPI!!!
Team! Team! Team!"

Why is Everything Wet?

Public restrooms. This is the ONLY place i've ever seen the security screws where you can only tighten them (like the one in the picture). Who needs this? Why is it such a big deal that these stalls are NOT going to be taken down? This baffles me.

It's like these people who design these bathrooms are so in love with their work that NO ONE will take it down... even if they decide to bring a screwdriver into the stall of the bathroom.... which happens regularly... i guess.

Why can't this be used on something more useful... like cars or something... I have seriously seen these screws only in public restrooms.

Although i can understand having these at a college dorm (or whole campus for that matter), cause who knows what some drunk/high college kid will do with a bathroom stall... but this begs the question... Why don't they use these screws for everything in a college dorm? bulletin boards, door hinges, light fixtures, study room furniture, roommate's belongings... you know... the normal stuff.

I've researched this topic with a few people and it seems that we cannot find any other place these are being used except for bathroom stalls... if you have seen these anywhere else, leave a comment...

Boys and Girls.

*+*+*+*WARNING*+*+*+*
Explicit content within.

I realize that my audience is primarily my family, but i found an article the other day that i found interesting. It was labeled "50 Things She Wishes You Knew" from the Men's Health Magazine.

Instead of linking it, i thought that i would provide a rebuttal, comment, or something that "He Wishes You Knew." So, here goes:

Once again i need to warn the readers that some of this will be very racy and vulgar, but it comes with the territory... nothing you couldn't find in Cosmo.

1. Saying "I love you" immediately before, during, or following sex doesn't count.
- Yes it does... if you really mean it.

2. Real men drive stick shift.
- Yes they do... and i can ;-)

3. I will leave if you lie.
-Ditto.

4. You are cute in raglan-sleeved T-shirts (two-toned baseball undershirts).
-You are cute in MY raglan-sleeved T-shirts, or any of my clothes for that matter.

5. I'm convinced I'm pregnant and obsess about it for a minimum of 24 to 48 hours before my period, even when I have no rational reason to think so.
-Thank god men don't get pregnant.

6. I love it when you hug me from behind and whisper in my ear.
-You fit there, that's why we do it.

7. "Fine" is never an appropriate response when I ask you how I look.
-Unless it's "GIRL YOU'RE FINEEEEE" (see Pablo Fransisco)

8. Most of the time when I fantasize, it's about you.
-Ok, that's just hot.

9. I'm terrified of becoming my mother, even though I admire her.
-Stacy's mom has got it going on.

10. I get turned on simply seeing that I have an e-mail from you.
-I need to write more emails.

11. I expect you to call me.
-I know, but can a brother please get some calls too please? I need to know if you're going to bed before me.

12. Only rock stars are allowed to wear leather pants.
-I am a rock star, so this point doesn't affect me.

13. I'm scared of losing my independence.
-um... i don't even know how to respond to this one... help me, help you.

14. I'm more forgiving of you than I really should be.
- Thank god.

15. Oral sex is your get-out-of-the-doghouse-free card. Manolo Blahnik shoes also do the trick.
- Ditto.... minus the shoes part. in fact, it's the get-out-of-anything-free card.

16. You did something bad. I seem cool with it. I'm not. (See directly above.)
-Wow... sex for payment? Seems awfully un-punishingly if you ask me.... and yes un-punishingly is a word.

17. If I'm not having sex with you, I'm... a. ...having a fat day. b. ...not feeling "connected" to you. c. ...blackmailing you to get something I want.
-d. a bitch who sucked 5 years out of your life.

18. Shoes determine whether you're fashionable or not.
- Dear women, we need help looking fashionable. If we don't, then we're gay.

19. I own a Debbie Gibson CD, and I'm not afraid to use it.
- You probably own Spice Girls, Ace of Base, and Alanis Morisette too.

20. When I compare my flabby tummy to a kangaroo pouch, say nothing.
- *Silence*

21. A man I love plans the occasional fancy-schmancy dress-up date and impromptu weekend getaways, and he buys my favorite candy in advance when we're just going to the movies.
- A woman I love plans to cook for me, clean for me, and generally please me in any way that i choose.

22. You look hot in hooded clothing items.
-I really hope this is true cause i happen to think that the hoodie is the best clothing item ever made... minus the wonder bra.

23. You should never tell me what to do.
-Be more hypocritical please...

24. If I slept over, you owe me breakfast.
-Does IHOP count?

25. My breasts love much licking and sucking.
-My lips agree with you.

26. If you ask me out directly, I will say yes.
-This is impossible.... cause you always hang out with your big fat friend who will most doubtly cock-block me.

27. I'm very impressed when you ask for my advice.
-(see my comment for #18)

28. I'm unimpressed with a man who doesn't take the lead.
- Sometimes its fun to let you lead.

29. When in doubt, go with the shirt that matches your eye color.
-I have a lot of blue shirts, and i abuse them. yay blue.

30. I want to be Madonna.
-What is this, 1985?

31. Women get urinary-tract infections easily, so watch (and wash) your fingers.
- Why would i..... OOOOOOOO.... i get it.

32. I'm in heaven when you hold my hand.
-Even when I'm sweating all over it?

33. You're sexy when you're shaving, fixing things, wearing a white T-shirt and jeans, driving, eating a peach, holding a baby.
-Awesome, i shave, i fix things, i wear T-shirts and jeans, i drive, i like peaches, and i will soon be an uncle... i'm sexy.

34. I need to hear how you feel about me. Often. Tell me now.
-Listen... we try.

35. Surprises, especially gifts for moi = more loving.
-Lucky for me, i think everything is better in surprise form.

36. I want to be the best thing that ever happened to you--and for you to recognize this.
-But what about that time i ate 7 plates of thumbs and toes on all you can eat night? (Love you Tom).

37. If I'm not feeling loved, I will start looking....
-i'm beginning to see a trend here... a lot of these are very self-centered.

38. Discussion of ex-gf's and ex-bf's should be avoided at all times.
-Unless you're trashing them... then it's fun.

39. I like it when you tell me what you're thinking, even if you don't know yourself.
- I'm gonna give you ladies a hint here on the thinking of men... at any given point, my mind is on one of the following: Food, Boobs, My next big purchase, Boobs, Beer, and Boobs. Enjoy.

40. Celebrating our anniversary, even if it's only been a few months, earns major bonus points.
-I guess remembering it is key to this one huh?

41. I love it when you're sweaty.
-Most of the time sweaty is accompanied by stinky too you realize.

42. It's best to consult your gal pals for gift ideas.
-Negative... it's best to consult YOUR girlfriends for gift ideas.

43. A lady should always be greeted with kisses.
-Hey... most of the time we try, but get shot down... that sends me the wrong message.

44. I like porn.
-HAHAHAHAHAHA... i'm not even going to bring this up with you... this is a trap if i've ever seen one. Men... don't fall for this one or you'll be getting "Am i prettier than Jenna Jameson?" from that moment on. Avoid this topic at all costs.

45. I love holding your bum in the palms of my hands.
-Its even better when you squeeze.

46. Even nice girls like hushed dirty talk in public.
-Even nice guys like that too.

47. It's cheating as soon as you're doing something with her that you wouldn't want me to see, hear, read...
-So stripclubs are now considered cheating? cause i KNOW that you don't want to see that, hear that, or even read about that.

48. For the record: I'd rather you break up with me than cheat.
- Cheat? who cheats? oh yeah... every asshole you ever dated... give the nice guys a chance for once.

49. I remember everything about our relationship.
-Excellent... just don't give us an quiz on when the first time we drank from the same straw of my drink.

50. You should know all this and more with-out my telling you.
- Wow... seriously lady, get a clue... men need to be told how to be effective for you. i mean... how am i supposed to know that you want to be madonna, and what can i do about it? and that whole independence one... i mean come on.

Anyways, there's the 50... enjoy it.

On a side note, sorry about the long hiatus, i've been busy and non-inspired. But i will try from now on to get out at least 1 a week. So bug me more often people. Owens out.

You Drive Me Crazy.

Since it's been a while since i've written anything, i thought i would write about something we all experience at some point in our lives.

It seems like every time i get in my car, the road is filled with more and more people who REFUSE to drive the speed limit. This is especially true on any road where you can't pass or Rt. 28... it could be midnight, and there will still be 2 cars that happen to get side by side and go 5-10 mph under the speed limit. I have traveled on rt 28 so many times in my life, and EVERY SINGLE TIME, there are 2 jackasses who see me coming and decide to perform a 30 mph roadblock.

This also happens to me when i'm not driving... for example, Tom and I drove to manassas for a jam one weekend, and we got behind some idiot going 30 on a 55mph 1 lane road... 5 miles down the road we finally pass him, and what do you know, not even 2 minutes later, stuck behind someone else. What is happening here? It seems like they are multiplying.

Another issue that i have with drivers involves getting on a highway. It is my belief that on ramps should be used to get up to speed with traffic so that it's easier to merge into said traffic. Apparently the rest of the world thinks that they need to diddle daddle along the on ramp, merge, then proceed to go 5 mph under the speed limit. It really is annoying having to deal with people who refuse to use their gas pedal. It really is unsafe driving too slow and i think all these people need to grow a pair and step on it.