Okay, that's a half-truth. It has been pointed out that nearly a month has elapsed since my last non-post and that perhaps I should get on the ball.
It has been a hectic month, providing both fodder for the blog and sucking away the time required to actually sit down and write a post. Ain't that a bitch?
In the last month, I:
- Moved. Yes, I now live in Oakland, specifically in the Lake Merritt area. It's nice enough, my apartment is a 1-bedroom for the first time ever, and the commute is a dreamy 8 minutes. Downsides include the non-posh "Oakland" in my address, a girlfriend on the other side of the Bay, and a lack of furniture. Those are not in order of downsidedness.
- Had Pneumonia. I do not know how this happened. I did not have a cold, and nobody around me was sick. But one day I was blah, the next I was even worse, and a good doctor told me I had a pneumonia in one of my longs. Seven days of antibiotics later I was fine, if not weak. I am aware that this creates a glaring hole in my "I am injury and disease resistant" theory, but let me point out that pneumonia is the only disease I've ever had (previous bout was in 9th grade). It's like my Achilles' Heel, only it's in my lungs.
- "Lost" My Wallet. The jury is still out on stolen/lost, but since I've NEVER lost my wallet, I'm not so sure it was that. I went to Six Flags here in No' Cal and the next day, could not find the thing. Normally I don't walk more than 50 feet without checking--largely subconsciously--for my wallet, so my doubts are still high that I left it at the park. Still, it is gone. This occurred 1 day before pneumonia, for those keeping score, and man let me tell you how hard it is to get a doctor when all your insurance cards are gone. Also your ATM card.
My sincerest apologies for not updating you all in real time on these fairly significant events. And for being an absent friend to some during the hectic transition of illness/moving. Things are settling back down now, and hopefully the blog can also get back up to speed.
Oh, and I've seen 1408, Ratatouille, Live Free or Die Hard, Evan Almighty, Ocean's Thirteen, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Shrek the Third. They were meh, good, surprisingly good, meh, funnyish, long but okay, and meh. In this reviewer's opinion.
July 9, 2007
June 14, 2007
This Guy Rules
Over at the Freakonomics Blog, there is a great interview with a "counterintuitive" economist. Among his propositions is the idea that people without STDs should have MORE sex because they increase the pool of disease-free sex partners.
This is probably the best thing I've ever heard, but that may be because implementation would directly benefit me.
Read the specifics (and his other ideas about the legal system and organ donation that I am more skeptical of) over at the blog.
This is probably the best thing I've ever heard, but that may be because implementation would directly benefit me.
Read the specifics (and his other ideas about the legal system and organ donation that I am more skeptical of) over at the blog.
June 13, 2007
Wow and Yikes
I saw Knocked Up last week, and I thought it was pretty good. Very funny (funnier than 40-Year-Old Virgin, in my opinion) and very fun to watch.
Since then, I've run across a number of articles bemoaning or extoling the lack of discussion regarding abortion in the movie. The articles seem to complain either that "abortion isn't considered seriously when this is the exact situation it would be. Boo!" or "abortion isn't chosen and that's a testament to morally upstandingness. Yay!"
(see this Slate article in reference to the former)
Now, I wasn't watching for abortion references or discussion when I first saw the movie. I hadn't even thought about the fact that they'd have to consider one at some point; but I hadn't really thought about Knocked Up at all before I saw it.
But I don't remember either of those positions being taken by the film's director and/or producers. Contrary to some reviews, abortion was discussed; but in keeping with the comedic tone (it IS a comedy) they did so briefly and, I thought, amusingly. They probably could have been funnier, but it's a touchy subject and frankly, not the province of a comedy like this.
What I thought they DID do was imply that the mom-to-be did serious thinking and soul-searching off camera. She consulted with her fairly witchy mother (pointed to by Slate and others as the "evil woman pushing the abortion") and got advice; the stoner's friends also offered their opinions. At the end of the day, though, it went exactly the way abortion should be handled: by the mom and, to a lesser extent, the dad.
I may not be remembering it all 100%. But I do remember a scene in which she tentatively called the dad to tell him she had decided to keep the baby. There is no indication in the movie as to how long it took her to come to this decision; what factors she looked at in deciding, or anything beyond the fact that she made it.
To me, this was perfect. I said it three paragraphs earlier, but this is where the point becomes even more important: the movies is a COMEDY. Even if it does a "disservice" to abortion-rights advocates (or to pro-life advocates), it's not supposed to provide guidance. Even if it were a drama, I doubt it would be able to navigate the complex and politically charged waters of abortion any better. The best a movie can do--and in this, Knocked Up succeeds tremendously--is ignite discussion outside of the theater.
I agree that Knocked Up fails miserably at providing a rational and thorough examination of the difficult decision that expectant mothers must make. But anybody who goes to the movies--any movie--expecting to see that should, well, have their head examined.
Since then, I've run across a number of articles bemoaning or extoling the lack of discussion regarding abortion in the movie. The articles seem to complain either that "abortion isn't considered seriously when this is the exact situation it would be. Boo!" or "abortion isn't chosen and that's a testament to morally upstandingness. Yay!"
(see this Slate article in reference to the former)
Now, I wasn't watching for abortion references or discussion when I first saw the movie. I hadn't even thought about the fact that they'd have to consider one at some point; but I hadn't really thought about Knocked Up at all before I saw it.
But I don't remember either of those positions being taken by the film's director and/or producers. Contrary to some reviews, abortion was discussed; but in keeping with the comedic tone (it IS a comedy) they did so briefly and, I thought, amusingly. They probably could have been funnier, but it's a touchy subject and frankly, not the province of a comedy like this.
What I thought they DID do was imply that the mom-to-be did serious thinking and soul-searching off camera. She consulted with her fairly witchy mother (pointed to by Slate and others as the "evil woman pushing the abortion") and got advice; the stoner's friends also offered their opinions. At the end of the day, though, it went exactly the way abortion should be handled: by the mom and, to a lesser extent, the dad.
I may not be remembering it all 100%. But I do remember a scene in which she tentatively called the dad to tell him she had decided to keep the baby. There is no indication in the movie as to how long it took her to come to this decision; what factors she looked at in deciding, or anything beyond the fact that she made it.
To me, this was perfect. I said it three paragraphs earlier, but this is where the point becomes even more important: the movies is a COMEDY. Even if it does a "disservice" to abortion-rights advocates (or to pro-life advocates), it's not supposed to provide guidance. Even if it were a drama, I doubt it would be able to navigate the complex and politically charged waters of abortion any better. The best a movie can do--and in this, Knocked Up succeeds tremendously--is ignite discussion outside of the theater.
I agree that Knocked Up fails miserably at providing a rational and thorough examination of the difficult decision that expectant mothers must make. But anybody who goes to the movies--any movie--expecting to see that should, well, have their head examined.
June 3, 2007
Summer Weekend of George
This past (past-past, now) weekend was Memorial Day weekend. A three-day bonanza of barbecues, sunshine, and a general welcome to the coming summer months. And, of course, a day of remembrance to those who have died in the line of duty.
Being the good patriot that I am, I participated in none of these activities. The girlfriend was out of town, the roommate was in Wisconsin, and I was free to wallow in my own crapulence.
On Friday night, I worked until 6 or so (around here, that's late; we're pretty laid back that way) and then went home to reheated pizza and video games.
On Saturday, the skies were gray and the weather chilly, so I stayed in pajamas until at least 4 in the afternoon, playing video games and generally achieving as little forward progress as possible. I also watched "In the Bedroom", which has been sitting on my coffee table for almost a month, in an effort to break-up the logjam that is my Netflix queue. It's a fairly intense movie, though having seen it years after it came out, I think it has lost some of its punch. Maybe I'm jaded, but I wanted it to end a bit more realistically. I think it was superbly well-acted (did they win Oscars?) and overall, give it 3.5 out of 5. It would have been 4.5 if the filmmakers had forced a more nuanced and what I bet is a more common outcome (i.e. the non-murderous revenge scenario).
On Sunday, it was more video games. The skies were gray and the weather chilly again. I also did some work, but only half-heartedly, as it was the midpoint of the long-weekend and I wasn't feeling it. I also failed to change from my pajamas the entire day. Wallowing indeed!
Sunday is but a vague memory now, due in large part to the complete lack of achievement on my part. Monday too, except that I did play a rousing game of Scrabble with the downstairs neighbors. Marek won, which is surprising to approximately zero people, but my own personal highlight was convincing everyone that "que" is a word. In English. I even convinced myself (Scrabble tip: it's not.). At one point I had the letters to spell "opaque", which would have netted me something like 40 billing points, but by then there was no room on the board. I suck at Scrabble.
It was a good weekend, overall. This weekend has been more eventful, and in about 10 minutes I'm leaving to go look at a potential new apartment. I do not know Oakland well (I'm at work; the new apartment may be near here, if rents have anything to say about it) but it's in a supposedly nice--not scary--neighborhood.
May 22, 2007
Let's Get Down To It, Then
This whole "fired U.S. Attorneys" thing has got me annoyed beyond belief, and I'll tell you why: the entire thing centers around the attorneys' alleged failure to prosecute voter fraud or corruption cases.
Everybody's arguing back and forth about whether the attorneys can be fired for any reason, whether they should be, how politics plays into, and so forth.
But the real question, one that I haven't seen answered anywhere as of yet, is this: why doesn't anybody point out which obviously fraudulent cases weren't prosecuted correctly?
If there are all these cases of voter fraud being perpetrated (by the Democrats, of course), and the U.S. Attorneys investigated and failed to bring charges, then the attorneys have files on them. Large files, I would imagine. Investigative reports, perhaps even witness testimony. So let's see these miscarriages of justice! Let's see the case files!
I don't think the reasons we haven't seen them is a slam-dunk against the GOP. I would imagine there are many shades of gray in some of the voter fraud cases, and that semi-reasonable people (i.e. politicians) would come down on either side. But I would also imagine that, since the director of the FBI has himself said that there hasn't been a failure to prosecute on any case that he considered valid, the Republicans are full of it.
May 20, 2007
Intensely Thought-Provoking Blog Post
Just kidding! It's another poll! My computer(s) have been acting funky lately and have eaten a couple posts from the last two weeks, so you guys get this, until I can fix it. Or buy a new one.
1. What is the last alcoholic beverage you drank?
My roommate and her boyfriend just made me finish off something called "Chardonnay Port".
2. Do you follow college football?
Just gonna ask at random, huh? No real rhyme or reason? Fine: not really.
3. Who took this survey before you?
My sister and a friend.
4. Who was the last person to send you a text message?
The girlfriend. We text so as not to interrupt the televisioning.
5. Last time you went swimming in a pool?
In a pool? Hmm...probably when I went to Santa Cruz a few months ago.
6. Are you happy?
Been better, but I'm not miserable at the moment. That's saying something after the past few weeks.
7. Where was the last place you went shopping?
Where I bought something, Macy's. Needed another suit. Or maybe just the grocery store.
8. How do you feel about your hair?
What a great question. I'm fine with it.
9. Where do you live?
San Francisco, CA
10. Last thing you ate?
A bunch of Oreos.
11. Do you wish you were some place else right now?
I sort of wish it wasn't Sunday night, but otherwise I'm okay.
12. Last time you kissed someone?
A couple hours ago when the aforementioned GF left.
13. Do you have any expensive jewelry?
I hope not. I have a couple rings. I do not think they are expensive.
14. AIM or MSN?
AIM, but not very often.
15. What classes are you taking now?
Classes? I'm still trying to learn Chinese, but no actual classes these days.
16. How many hours on average do you work a week?
Well I bill about 40 hours. I'm at the office about 50+ to make that happen, though.
17. What's your favorite TV show?
Gots to be The Office right now. Stellar. And then probably Lost, but then after that I don't even know.
18. How many kids do you want?
However many I get. But less than like, 10. I don't want to be that guy.
19. Do you watch the Olympics?
Nope. I am firmly in the "Goddamn it, the Olympics again?" category.
20. Sing in the car?
Frequently.
21. Who was the last person to call you?
Girlfriend. Because of the ending of Desperate Housewives. WTF!
22. What's your sign?
Capricorn. Stubborn as a goat.
23. Do you have a favorite number?
No. I cannot believe we're only at 23. Wait, how about 23? No.
24. Last time you did volunteer work or made any donation?
I keep almost donating to NPR. But then not doing so on account of I am super in debt.
25. What do you spend the majority of your money on?
Paying people back. And then rent, and then Starbucks. Damn Starbucks.
26. Where does most of your family live?
Immediate? Virginia, but not by much. Then Michigan.
28. Ever been called a hoe/slut?
Why would somebody call me that? And isn't it "ho"? Strike one, Anonymous Questionnaire Creator.
29. Ever been called a bitch?
Seriously, I'm not a girl. So yes, frequently, but guys.
30. Got any guilty pleasures?
Warcraft. And then probably sleep.
31. Favorite kind of beer?
Bass Ale, I think.
32. Have you ever experienced true love?
I'm not sure. Which probably means no. But not necessarily.
33. Did you ever collect Beanie Babies?
Strike Two, Questionnaire Person. No.
34. Ever bought anything on ebay?
I don't think so, thought today I found a bunch of old G.I. Joes in their original packaging in a thrift store, and I was like "I'm gonna eBay these!" but then I didn't. But I will look it up now and see how that might go.
35. Myspace or Facebook?
Myspace. Facebook is for idiots in college.
36. Yahoo or Gmail?
Gmail. Seriously, Yahoo? Who picks that on purpose?
37. What was your favorite subject in school?
I enjoyed "Communications and the Law". And then pretty much any History class.
38. Do you sometimes wish you were someone else?
If it would make the Student Loan People get off my back, I'd be Hitler.
39. Fall for the bad guys or girls?
Not that I know of. The bad girls don't go for me. So it's never really been an issue.
40. Favorite movie?
I agree with my sister, who basically said this is a stupid question. People who have a "favorite movie", no qualifications necessary, are usually idiots.
41. Last time you saw your parents?
I guess it has been since Christmas. That's alarming though.
42. Do you have any talents?
My thumbs are weird. I'm pretty good at remembering names and birthdays. I can remember a series of 10 digits immediately after hearing them one time. I can fly.
43. Ever been in a wedding?
Yup. Best man to my best bud Jason H.
44. Do you have any children?
Not that I'm aware of.
45. Last movie you watched?
Last night I watched "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues". Wow was that a waste of 102 minutes. But I had just read the book and was curious as to how in the world they'd cinematize it. Short answer: they failed terribly.
By the way, Emily, "I Am Sam" is a stupid movie.
46. Are you missing anyone at the moment?
Sure! Many people.
47. Did you take a nap today?
I don't nap. I gets my sleep at night like a Real Man.
48. What kind of car do you drive?
Acura Integra. I know, I need a new one. Someday.
49. Ever been on a cruise?
Yeah, it was pretty great. Though if I had it to do again, in the same setting (smaller boat, 120+ passengers) I'd go with a significant other (and family, if possible).
50. Favorite vacation spot?
I still think something like the Caribbean would be nice. But I'd really like to see the South Pacific someday.
51. Favorite genre of music?
Rock. Ask a broad, idiotic question, get a blase, useless answer. I cannot believe I'm only half done. On the plus side, this is helping me kill time while I... um... "wait" for The Sopranos.
52. Do you have any hot friends?
Who's asking? Yes.
53. Ever met anyone famous before?
Met, as in spoke to? I don't think so. I know a moderately well-known mixed martial arts ultimate fighting type person, but he is my girlfriend's ex so that may not count. Also "well-known" only if you follow that stuff.
54. Favorite actor?
I like me some John Cusack, about 90% of the time.
55. Favorite Actress?
Zooey Deschanel. She's pretty great. And Natalie Portman, but not because of Star Wars, because yikes.
56. Are you multi-tasking right now?
Nope. Unless you count downloading certain things from certain places because I don't have certain cable channels that play said things on Sunday nights. Ahem.
57. Could you handle being in the military?
Probably parts of it yes, parts of it no. The not questioning orders thing would be my downfall.
58. Are you hungry or thirsty?
A little thirsty, I guess.
59. Favorite fast food restaurant?
You know it's Wendy's, dawg.
60. Favorite Nightclub?
"Nightclub"? The Starlight Lounge. Because, well, I've been there. Which puts it ahead of the other places here in SF.
61. What is your average cell phone bill?
I have no idea. About $40 to $50 I think. It's on auto-pay.
62. Do you own a camera phone?
Yes. It's not bad, actually. Got a great shot from Muir Woods as a background right now.
63. Ever had to take a sobriety test?
Nope. Almost did, this one time at the Harrisonburg Wine Festival (or whatever it was called) but Raf's friend Beth blew first and was fine to drive, so I didn't have to. Ah well. Then, this drunk girl Raf was trying to get with totally started groping me in the car because she thought I was Raf. Good times.
64. Most expensive speeding ticket?
About $90 I believe.
65. Can you speak any other languages?
A wee bit o' French, and I'm learning (slowly) Chinese.
66. Last time you went to the gym & worked out?
At a gym? Literally years. I ran the other day though, down at the beach. Yeah, at the beach. Take that, people-who-live-elsewhere.
67. How many pairs of shoes do you own?
Let's see... 2 fancy, 1 semi-good, 1 for running, 1 sandals. Five.
69. Last place you were at?
Yeah, this is an idiotic question. I was "at" the couch and before that "at" my girlfriends and before that "at" the Goodwill.
70. Ever been to Las Vegas?
Yup. Four times, I believe. Not bad, but not entirely my thing. Too poor.
72. Ever been to Mexico for spring break?
Yes. Cancun even. I am not that guy; it was strange, but there were some good tales that came out of it.
73. Have you ever bought a hermit crab?
Why would I do that?
74. Ever deleted a question off of a quiz?
That's not how these go. If you don't like it, you just make fun of it. Or, you know, quit and don't finish.
75. What do you think is your best feature?
Laid-backness. Not a word. Also I'm a pretty hard worker when I want to be.
76. Have you ever been gambling?
I went to Vegas, didn't I? Blackjack is fun.
77. Last show you saw on/off Broadway?
Never seen a show on/off Broadway. Never been to Broadway, for that matter.
78. Ever been deep sea fishing?
Deep lake fishing, yes. But not sea.
79. Do you have your wisdom teeth?
Gone like the dodo.
80. Favorite place to be?
Outside.
81. Have you ever been to New York City?
Can't say that I have. Never really had the opportunity, and now it's 2500+ miles over there ---->.
82. Favorite sit down restaurant?
Not the Olive Garden.
83. Ever been to Disney Land/World?
Yes and yes. Land is a bit small but has a "originality" charm to it. World is sprawling and the attractions a bit more up-to-date and fun.
84. Do you have a favorite cartoon character?
Scruffy the Janitor.
85. Last thing you cooked?
That I cooked? Hot dogs. Microwaving is cooking right?
86. How is the weather today?
A bit breezy but sunny and nice enough to wear a t-shirt.
87. Do you e-mail?
This has got to be the stupidest question I have ever responded to. Yes.
88. Last letter/piece of mail you received besides junk or a bill?
A completely awesome package from my boy Jason, who sent me the entire run of the X-Men comic book series on two DVDs. HELL YEAH.
89. Favorite store?
Can't say that I have one. Is Amazon.com a store?
90. What's your ideal car?
Something small to mid-size, that has good pickup.
91. Last voicemail you received?
Girlfriend. Yesterday. Nothing today.
92. Do you drunk dial?
Nope. Never seemed like a good idea and I'm rarely drunk, to boot.
93. Stupidest thing you ever did with your cell phone?
Um, I dropped it once?
95. Favorite band?
I don't know if I have one right now. I like lots of what's out there these days.
96. Last time you were sick?
I don't get sick. For reals, yo.
97. Do you dance?
What I do, they do not call dancing, because it would be a travesty to put it into words as simple as that. Simply put: I exist, therefore there is music. Wrap your brain around THAT.
98. Last concert you went to?
Haven't the slightest. That saddens me greatly.
99. Ready for the weekend?
Yes. Now I'm even sadder. The weekend is 5 days away.
100. What did you do last night?
Watched a movie (Cowgirls, see above) and some of SNL. Weekend Update was pretty funny.
Well that's that. If you made it down here, you need to go ask your boss for some more work because damn, son. I can't believe the show I'm not downloading because it's wrong to do that, isn't done yet. I don't want to stay up till 1...
1. What is the last alcoholic beverage you drank?
My roommate and her boyfriend just made me finish off something called "Chardonnay Port".
2. Do you follow college football?
Just gonna ask at random, huh? No real rhyme or reason? Fine: not really.
3. Who took this survey before you?
My sister and a friend.
4. Who was the last person to send you a text message?
The girlfriend. We text so as not to interrupt the televisioning.
5. Last time you went swimming in a pool?
In a pool? Hmm...probably when I went to Santa Cruz a few months ago.
6. Are you happy?
Been better, but I'm not miserable at the moment. That's saying something after the past few weeks.
7. Where was the last place you went shopping?
Where I bought something, Macy's. Needed another suit. Or maybe just the grocery store.
8. How do you feel about your hair?
What a great question. I'm fine with it.
9. Where do you live?
San Francisco, CA
10. Last thing you ate?
A bunch of Oreos.
11. Do you wish you were some place else right now?
I sort of wish it wasn't Sunday night, but otherwise I'm okay.
12. Last time you kissed someone?
A couple hours ago when the aforementioned GF left.
13. Do you have any expensive jewelry?
I hope not. I have a couple rings. I do not think they are expensive.
14. AIM or MSN?
AIM, but not very often.
15. What classes are you taking now?
Classes? I'm still trying to learn Chinese, but no actual classes these days.
16. How many hours on average do you work a week?
Well I bill about 40 hours. I'm at the office about 50+ to make that happen, though.
17. What's your favorite TV show?
Gots to be The Office right now. Stellar. And then probably Lost, but then after that I don't even know.
18. How many kids do you want?
However many I get. But less than like, 10. I don't want to be that guy.
19. Do you watch the Olympics?
Nope. I am firmly in the "Goddamn it, the Olympics again?" category.
20. Sing in the car?
Frequently.
21. Who was the last person to call you?
Girlfriend. Because of the ending of Desperate Housewives. WTF!
22. What's your sign?
Capricorn. Stubborn as a goat.
23. Do you have a favorite number?
No. I cannot believe we're only at 23. Wait, how about 23? No.
24. Last time you did volunteer work or made any donation?
I keep almost donating to NPR. But then not doing so on account of I am super in debt.
25. What do you spend the majority of your money on?
Paying people back. And then rent, and then Starbucks. Damn Starbucks.
26. Where does most of your family live?
Immediate? Virginia, but not by much. Then Michigan.
28. Ever been called a hoe/slut?
Why would somebody call me that? And isn't it "ho"? Strike one, Anonymous Questionnaire Creator.
29. Ever been called a bitch?
Seriously, I'm not a girl. So yes, frequently, but guys.
30. Got any guilty pleasures?
Warcraft. And then probably sleep.
31. Favorite kind of beer?
Bass Ale, I think.
32. Have you ever experienced true love?
I'm not sure. Which probably means no. But not necessarily.
33. Did you ever collect Beanie Babies?
Strike Two, Questionnaire Person. No.
34. Ever bought anything on ebay?
I don't think so, thought today I found a bunch of old G.I. Joes in their original packaging in a thrift store, and I was like "I'm gonna eBay these!" but then I didn't. But I will look it up now and see how that might go.
35. Myspace or Facebook?
Myspace. Facebook is for idiots in college.
36. Yahoo or Gmail?
Gmail. Seriously, Yahoo? Who picks that on purpose?
37. What was your favorite subject in school?
I enjoyed "Communications and the Law". And then pretty much any History class.
38. Do you sometimes wish you were someone else?
If it would make the Student Loan People get off my back, I'd be Hitler.
39. Fall for the bad guys or girls?
Not that I know of. The bad girls don't go for me. So it's never really been an issue.
40. Favorite movie?
I agree with my sister, who basically said this is a stupid question. People who have a "favorite movie", no qualifications necessary, are usually idiots.
41. Last time you saw your parents?
I guess it has been since Christmas. That's alarming though.
42. Do you have any talents?
My thumbs are weird. I'm pretty good at remembering names and birthdays. I can remember a series of 10 digits immediately after hearing them one time. I can fly.
43. Ever been in a wedding?
Yup. Best man to my best bud Jason H.
44. Do you have any children?
Not that I'm aware of.
45. Last movie you watched?
Last night I watched "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues". Wow was that a waste of 102 minutes. But I had just read the book and was curious as to how in the world they'd cinematize it. Short answer: they failed terribly.
By the way, Emily, "I Am Sam" is a stupid movie.
46. Are you missing anyone at the moment?
Sure! Many people.
47. Did you take a nap today?
I don't nap. I gets my sleep at night like a Real Man.
48. What kind of car do you drive?
Acura Integra. I know, I need a new one. Someday.
49. Ever been on a cruise?
Yeah, it was pretty great. Though if I had it to do again, in the same setting (smaller boat, 120+ passengers) I'd go with a significant other (and family, if possible).
50. Favorite vacation spot?
I still think something like the Caribbean would be nice. But I'd really like to see the South Pacific someday.
51. Favorite genre of music?
Rock. Ask a broad, idiotic question, get a blase, useless answer. I cannot believe I'm only half done. On the plus side, this is helping me kill time while I... um... "wait" for The Sopranos.
52. Do you have any hot friends?
Who's asking? Yes.
53. Ever met anyone famous before?
Met, as in spoke to? I don't think so. I know a moderately well-known mixed martial arts ultimate fighting type person, but he is my girlfriend's ex so that may not count. Also "well-known" only if you follow that stuff.
54. Favorite actor?
I like me some John Cusack, about 90% of the time.
55. Favorite Actress?
Zooey Deschanel. She's pretty great. And Natalie Portman, but not because of Star Wars, because yikes.
56. Are you multi-tasking right now?
Nope. Unless you count downloading certain things from certain places because I don't have certain cable channels that play said things on Sunday nights. Ahem.
57. Could you handle being in the military?
Probably parts of it yes, parts of it no. The not questioning orders thing would be my downfall.
58. Are you hungry or thirsty?
A little thirsty, I guess.
59. Favorite fast food restaurant?
You know it's Wendy's, dawg.
60. Favorite Nightclub?
"Nightclub"? The Starlight Lounge. Because, well, I've been there. Which puts it ahead of the other places here in SF.
61. What is your average cell phone bill?
I have no idea. About $40 to $50 I think. It's on auto-pay.
62. Do you own a camera phone?
Yes. It's not bad, actually. Got a great shot from Muir Woods as a background right now.
63. Ever had to take a sobriety test?
Nope. Almost did, this one time at the Harrisonburg Wine Festival (or whatever it was called) but Raf's friend Beth blew first and was fine to drive, so I didn't have to. Ah well. Then, this drunk girl Raf was trying to get with totally started groping me in the car because she thought I was Raf. Good times.
64. Most expensive speeding ticket?
About $90 I believe.
65. Can you speak any other languages?
A wee bit o' French, and I'm learning (slowly) Chinese.
66. Last time you went to the gym & worked out?
At a gym? Literally years. I ran the other day though, down at the beach. Yeah, at the beach. Take that, people-who-live-elsewhere.
67. How many pairs of shoes do you own?
Let's see... 2 fancy, 1 semi-good, 1 for running, 1 sandals. Five.
69. Last place you were at?
Yeah, this is an idiotic question. I was "at" the couch and before that "at" my girlfriends and before that "at" the Goodwill.
70. Ever been to Las Vegas?
Yup. Four times, I believe. Not bad, but not entirely my thing. Too poor.
72. Ever been to Mexico for spring break?
Yes. Cancun even. I am not that guy; it was strange, but there were some good tales that came out of it.
73. Have you ever bought a hermit crab?
Why would I do that?
74. Ever deleted a question off of a quiz?
That's not how these go. If you don't like it, you just make fun of it. Or, you know, quit and don't finish.
75. What do you think is your best feature?
Laid-backness. Not a word. Also I'm a pretty hard worker when I want to be.
76. Have you ever been gambling?
I went to Vegas, didn't I? Blackjack is fun.
77. Last show you saw on/off Broadway?
Never seen a show on/off Broadway. Never been to Broadway, for that matter.
78. Ever been deep sea fishing?
Deep lake fishing, yes. But not sea.
79. Do you have your wisdom teeth?
Gone like the dodo.
80. Favorite place to be?
Outside.
81. Have you ever been to New York City?
Can't say that I have. Never really had the opportunity, and now it's 2500+ miles over there ---->.
82. Favorite sit down restaurant?
Not the Olive Garden.
83. Ever been to Disney Land/World?
Yes and yes. Land is a bit small but has a "originality" charm to it. World is sprawling and the attractions a bit more up-to-date and fun.
84. Do you have a favorite cartoon character?
Scruffy the Janitor.
85. Last thing you cooked?
That I cooked? Hot dogs. Microwaving is cooking right?
86. How is the weather today?
A bit breezy but sunny and nice enough to wear a t-shirt.
87. Do you e-mail?
This has got to be the stupidest question I have ever responded to. Yes.
88. Last letter/piece of mail you received besides junk or a bill?
A completely awesome package from my boy Jason, who sent me the entire run of the X-Men comic book series on two DVDs. HELL YEAH.
89. Favorite store?
Can't say that I have one. Is Amazon.com a store?
90. What's your ideal car?
Something small to mid-size, that has good pickup.
91. Last voicemail you received?
Girlfriend. Yesterday. Nothing today.
92. Do you drunk dial?
Nope. Never seemed like a good idea and I'm rarely drunk, to boot.
93. Stupidest thing you ever did with your cell phone?
Um, I dropped it once?
95. Favorite band?
I don't know if I have one right now. I like lots of what's out there these days.
96. Last time you were sick?
I don't get sick. For reals, yo.
97. Do you dance?
What I do, they do not call dancing, because it would be a travesty to put it into words as simple as that. Simply put: I exist, therefore there is music. Wrap your brain around THAT.
98. Last concert you went to?
Haven't the slightest. That saddens me greatly.
99. Ready for the weekend?
Yes. Now I'm even sadder. The weekend is 5 days away.
100. What did you do last night?
Watched a movie (Cowgirls, see above) and some of SNL. Weekend Update was pretty funny.
Well that's that. If you made it down here, you need to go ask your boss for some more work because damn, son. I can't believe the show I'm not downloading because it's wrong to do that, isn't done yet. I don't want to stay up till 1...
April 24, 2007
Bite Size Blog Bits
UPDATE: Goddamn it, you are so getting detention, Jones. 11-9.
That was too many bullets. Consider my chamber emptied! That was not supposed to sound as uncomfortably gross as it now appears.
April 18, 2007
Of Two Minds
Everybody insists on making the Virginia Tech tragedy some sort of referendum on gun control. It's a completely insipid endeavor, and I'll tell you why.
It's one incident. It was horrible and tragic, but it was one killer (as far as we know), one set of motivations, and two handguns. You cannot lift from this series of events ANY clear answer about gun control or lack thereof.
Virginia Tech doesn't allow guns on campus. The right-wing nuts point out that this didn't stop the killer, and of course it didn't; Virginia allows guns practically anywhere. The on-campus gun ban is merely a policy, but it is impossible to enforce as a preventative matter. The same can be said for the D.C. gun ban, which has not eliminated gun deaths in the District. Sure, the police can tag you with an extra charge after they catch you, but it doesn't stop anybody from getting a gun in Virginia or Maryland and walking across the district line.
My point is not to argue gun control; it is simply to illuminate the utter stupidity of people who are arguing gun control in this situation. We don't know why, or how, he did what he did, and we don't know what would have stopped him.
The second popular argument is that if the students and/or professors had been armed, it wouldn't have been so bad. This is such a wild assumption it's barely worth mentioning. Who is to say that anyone would have been able to take this guy out? He killed 30 people with handguns; it may be that he was quite skilled as a marksman in that capacity. The odds that a student, barely awake in class, would have the ability to not only draw and fire before being shot, but to not miss and then not be immediately shot in return, seems impossible to accurately measure. The same could be said for a professor.
Not to mention the fact that, were it completely legal for all students and teachers to carry weapons on campus, many students and teachers would not do so. I sure wouldn't have when I was a student.
So that leaves us with a series of maybes; maybe the gunman wouldn't have been able to get guns if the laws were better, and maybe the students or teachers could have been carrying, and maybe some actually would be carrying, and maybe they would have had the speed and luck to shoot at the gunman first, and maybe they wouldn't have missed and been shot themselves.
All those maybes add up to jack squat, in my book. Arguing gun control--pro or con--by using specific, tragic examples is akin to arguing environmentalism by pointing out how often a friend of yours recycles. It's a silly, strawman debate tactic that stinks of exploitation. There is a real discussion to be had regarding guns in America, but Cho Seung Hui does not add a single useful piece of information to that discussion.
It's one incident. It was horrible and tragic, but it was one killer (as far as we know), one set of motivations, and two handguns. You cannot lift from this series of events ANY clear answer about gun control or lack thereof.
Virginia Tech doesn't allow guns on campus. The right-wing nuts point out that this didn't stop the killer, and of course it didn't; Virginia allows guns practically anywhere. The on-campus gun ban is merely a policy, but it is impossible to enforce as a preventative matter. The same can be said for the D.C. gun ban, which has not eliminated gun deaths in the District. Sure, the police can tag you with an extra charge after they catch you, but it doesn't stop anybody from getting a gun in Virginia or Maryland and walking across the district line.
My point is not to argue gun control; it is simply to illuminate the utter stupidity of people who are arguing gun control in this situation. We don't know why, or how, he did what he did, and we don't know what would have stopped him.
The second popular argument is that if the students and/or professors had been armed, it wouldn't have been so bad. This is such a wild assumption it's barely worth mentioning. Who is to say that anyone would have been able to take this guy out? He killed 30 people with handguns; it may be that he was quite skilled as a marksman in that capacity. The odds that a student, barely awake in class, would have the ability to not only draw and fire before being shot, but to not miss and then not be immediately shot in return, seems impossible to accurately measure. The same could be said for a professor.
Not to mention the fact that, were it completely legal for all students and teachers to carry weapons on campus, many students and teachers would not do so. I sure wouldn't have when I was a student.
So that leaves us with a series of maybes; maybe the gunman wouldn't have been able to get guns if the laws were better, and maybe the students or teachers could have been carrying, and maybe some actually would be carrying, and maybe they would have had the speed and luck to shoot at the gunman first, and maybe they wouldn't have missed and been shot themselves.
All those maybes add up to jack squat, in my book. Arguing gun control--pro or con--by using specific, tragic examples is akin to arguing environmentalism by pointing out how often a friend of yours recycles. It's a silly, strawman debate tactic that stinks of exploitation. There is a real discussion to be had regarding guns in America, but Cho Seung Hui does not add a single useful piece of information to that discussion.
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