Halloween
2000
- Me as a bad ass 80s/Miami Vice gangsta and Chelsea sans her tail and pitch fork as the little devil she is.
Saturday,
August 31, 2002
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Halloween
2000 - Me as a bad ass 80s/Miami Vice gangsta and Chelsea sans her tail and pitch fork as the little devil she is. |
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Laid low, did some work, and did something really stupid. Nothing that would have cost an arm or cause irrecoverable psychological damage. Nope, but nonetheless, pretty damned stupid.
Not to mention I think something bit me on my thigh in the middle of the night!!!
I was feeling nostalgic and was hunting through my photogallery. For those of you who have such things, or is it just me, but I tend to forget what's i the photogallery. The two pics over yonder were from Halloween 2000. If you put your mouse over the pics you'll go to the full set in the photo gallery. Reasons why I put these pics up there? Really don't have any. More than anything else I wanted to put some pics in a journal entry and wanted some stuff that stood out and these pics are pretty bad ass. The red in Chelsea's outfit is hard to miss, as is the pellet .44 that I'm holding...hooraa!!
Last day of August. 8 months gone in the year and 4 to go. Where the hell is the time going?? I've given myself till end of March to finish my degree. It's going to be a long and arduous 6 months, but it's doable and I'm going to do it.
A saying I heard has been running through my mind, "Fortune favors the bold." Growing up we were taught not to do things half-assed. Later while living here, the saying, "Go big or go home" came up. It's bout that time for me.
Friday, August
30, 2002
I'm still feeling like crap. Have no desire to go to the gym. For the last 3
nights straight, I've woken up in drenched in sweat. This is good thing, as
the worst is probably over. My friend assures me that when I do go back to the
gym I'll be able to fall back into the routine pretty quickly.
On a different note, one of the girls from my group stopped by around 10PM to drop off her assignment. I ended up giving her a hard time. I asked her why she's coming over to my house at 10 and not at least bringing any nachos…haha!
Tuesday, August
27, 2002
Ok, this teacher has renewed my faith in the educational system. Today is our
group day where we're supposed to do, um, group work. She brought in a bunch
of pizzas gratis!! She said that we didn't have to pay, but if we did, she wouldn't
object. Some people tried to give $5, and she gave them back change. In the
end she probably broke even with tip and all. Still the thought was pretty dope.
Monday, August
26, 2002
Gave my presentation today. It was the first day of presentations and I was
hoping for a break because, half way through getting ready for it, a subtle
nuance of the story hit me. Without going into a whole litany about it, there
is a use of transcendence in the story towards the end that finally hit me.
I told my professor during the presentation I wish I had the opportunity to
do it over!!! Haha! All and it went well. Since it was the first day, she wasn't
too critical of them.
Sunday,
August 25, 2002
Today was sort of a bitter/sweet sort of day, as Cami and Mollie were leaving
to attend a very deep and tragic family matter. The day started out earlier
in the week as a Caribbean themed get together thing, but it didn't end up that
way.
On a lighter note, John took Tasha's 300ZX out for a test drive. He calls it the "perfect mid-life crisis car" - haha!! That car is so dope, it's not even funny!
Getting the meal ready for everyone was a comedy of errors. First thing to go: food showed up a tad late. Spent my time running around trying to get it all ready. I wasn't complaining, because stuff happens and someone else was paying for the food. The least anyone could do was be a bit patient. But there were a couple of folks there, trying to get under my skin about stuff not being ready yet. Second thing to go: About 5 minutes into grilling the chicken, we ran out of gas. John went around to the other neighbors trying to pilfer a tank. Haha! I just went outside and sat on the grass with my ginger ale, cause I didn't want to hear anything about it. Lauren comes out and we talk for a bit. She is funky dope. John comes around about 15 minutes later with another tank and we're back on the road. Haha!
On the menu: grilled lemon rosemary chicken, red beans and rice with coconut milk, salad and this awesome sun dried tomato bread that Beth brought.
Having neglected studies for part of the day, guess what I did till the wee hours?
Saturday, August
24, 2002
Highlight of this day, hands down was driving Tasha's car!! For those who didn't
know, I will totally fess up to having NEVER owned a car with a manual transmission!
Go ahead and get it out of your system now! Haha! My first car was supposed
to have been a Honda CRX Si, 5 speed, moon roof, and kick butt!! Fate had it
that I would end up in a sea foam green 1988 Accord LXi coupe. That car was
fun to drive. High revving 4, that I could throw around corners. AND it had
a sun roof!!!
We took Tasha's car out and it took a bit to get acclimated to her clutch. Her clutch engaged practically at the fire wall. At the 2nd stop, I couldn't find it and someone went around us instead of waiting for me to find first gear. Sigh. After that I was golden. That car accelerates like a rocket and corners like train! While we were on the freeway, she said put in 5th and gun it. The turbos kicked and hearing the turbos spool up was so damned sweeeet!! Chills!
Quote of the day from Tasha, "Please take these corners faster." Haha! We had just gotten off at Refugio Rd, and I was gingerly making my way back to the 101 Southbound. Tasha wasn't having it.
Come time, this will be my baby: Infiniti G35 Coupe
That was the highlight of my day. Prior to this I was hunting for research work that could have assisted my paper - no such luck!! Bleh!
Have I mentioned that my calves are burning up still?!!! Another trainer at the gym recommended some stretches and it seems to be helping.
Friday, August
23, 2002
Finished Snow Crash finally today. Overall it is awesome book. The last 1/8
of the book was a bit of a let down. The ending left much to be desired. The
parts of ancient Sumeria, Babylon, Judaism, et al was very fascinating. I was
trying to gauge what really history really took place and what didn't. Now it's
onto paper writing.
Oh yea, calves STIL hurting like a mofo!!!
Thursday, August,
22, 2002
Oh my ever loving goodness, my calves are killing me!! My trainer says that
I'm supposed to calve raises and jump rope in a particular order. I think I
mixed the order up because my calves were killing me the whole way home! I couldn't
complete my usual 2.5 miles on the treadmill they were burning so much.
Sunday, August
18, 2002
Racism is like tragedy on a biblical scale in some far off part of the world,
in that for those of us experiencing it, it is very much real. However for those
of us possessing the benefit of distance, it just seems really really bad, but
yet it's not really real to us. This section of my Science Fiction class deals
with racism within the genre of Science Fiction itself. We are reading pieces
from different authors from all points on the socioeconomic spectrum. I really
appreciate the grouping of these particular pieces we are reading, as we get
to experience the differences in perspective. This is what I've been doing mostly
this weekend. Reading what needs to be read, thinking about papers, et al. It's
interesting, I find that writing a paper is much like designing a new layout
- it's about 85% mental. When that's straight, it's just a matter of pounding
the paper out.
One of the essays
we read referenced the Tuskegee Experiment. I have heard about it and know of
it in context, but never really looked into the details. I did and was shocked.
Here is some of one story:
AMERICA'S DIRTY LITTLE SECRET
BAD BLOOD: THE TUSKEGEE SYPHILIS EXPERIMENT
In 1932 the American Government promised 400 men - all residents of Macon County, Alabama, all poor, all African American - free treatment for Bad Blood, a euphemism for syphilis which was epidemic in the county. Treatment for syphilis was never given to the men and was in fact withheld. The men became unwitting subjects for a government sanctioned medical investigation, The Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male. The Tuskegee Study, which lasted for 4 decades, until 1972, had nothing to do with treatment. No new drugs were tested; neither was any effort made to establish the efficacy of old forms of treatment. It was a non-therapeutic experiment, aimed at compiling data on the effects of the spontaneous evolution of syphilis on black males. What has become clear since the story was broken by Jean Heller in 1972 was that the Public Health Service (PHS) was interested in using Macon County and its black inhabitants as a laboratory for studying the long-term effects of untreated syphilis, not in treating this deadly disease.
On a different
note now…
Once upon a time, many moons ago, I used to frequent the gym. After having my
ass handed to me on that hike during Hodge Podge I decided I need to do something
about it. As what comes with frequenting any place with any sort of regularity
you see people about. There is this one striking young woman that got my attention.
I have no idea what her name is, but she works her ass off whenever I've seen
her there and I respect that a great deal. Here is my spiel on gym-goers: Some
go to socialize. They are usually the ones milling about the machines or weights,
chatting it up, hardly haven broken a sweat, even though they've been there
for an hour. Then there are those who go and work out with exuberance, huff
and puff and put on a great show. Invariably, my trainer points out to me all
of what they're doing wrong. Then there are the showstopper/ attention getting
types. You've seen their male and female counterparts. Wearing stuff really
really tight, thongs on the wrong side of their bottom, more skin showing than
a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit calendar. Then there are those that quiet and
methodically work and work hard. There are tons of others, but this is turning
into a novella. Anyway, this one girl I see is one of those who seem to go to
work her butt off. Not that there's anything wrong with her butt mind you. She's
about 5'6", long really curly hair, dark eyes, and bottom line the body
of a Siren. I usually do 40 minutes on the treadmill after the weights, so as
I started on the treadmill I saw her on the stair climber. Nice. She was on
there longer than I had been on the treadmill, but after she was done she THEN
hit the treadmill next to me. Talk about getting your cardio in!!
Saturday, August
17, 2002
Today was just cardio and I chose to do the treadmill. However my damned shoes
are beginning to fall apart on me. I've had them for almost a year - that may
be my clue. Boy and girls, the Reebok DMX is one fine running shoe! They have
(or at least the model I got) have these cushy pockets of plastic and air strategically
placed about the foot. When the shoes were new, they were awesome! Made me think
twice about Nike! And I am a staunch Nike wearer! The marketing brainwashing
worked all too well on me. Wasn't feeling the treadmill anymore and had the
idea to see if I could go over to the Helmuths and use their pool and Jacuzzi.
Swimming is cardio right? So that's what I did. Max, John and Mollie who was
babysitting baby Ari was there.
After frolicking in the pool and Jacuzzi, we went to the loft to watch Shallow Hal. Aside from one really really gross moment, it was a really good movie. The central theme of loving people who they really didn't come across too cheesey. And the guy who played Hal is freaking hilarious!!! This is from the person hell bent on loosing about 100 lbs. Hmmm…
Friday, August
16, 2002
Got up, got ready, walked out to my car, and started it. Coolant low. Oh? I
was aware that something may be up, so I had some on hand. Popped the hood,
and the whole damned right side of the car covered in coolant! Great! I turned
the car on to see where it was coming from. That wasn't too hard to figure out
because coolant was spewing from the water pump!!! Went and go that fixed and
$199.84 the car is running again. The car is running so well, at least acoustically,
that I can't hear anything from the behind the firewall. Sure when I get up
to speed, there's the usual road noise, but hardly any engine noise. The mechanic
said it was about that time. GM places the water pump such that they're really
easy to swap, probably because they don't expect the too last too long.
Thursday, August,
15, 2002
Have you ever heard of the sunscreen song? That song with all those very useful
axioms on living life? Such as always wear sunscreen, don't read beauty magazines,
take care of your knees, etc.? That thing has been running through my head all
danged week! Finally figured out what the title was and got it. It is truly
dope.
Wednesday, August
15, 2002
I hate TA's with God complexes. I didn't get into the History class I wanted.
It's ok, because I can do it in Winter. There was a process in place and this
time it didn't work in my favor. Sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't.
The times it doesn't you can fight and hopefully upon appeal prevail. The thing
about this TA that pisses me off, if my problem with a good percentage of other
TAs who basically just do the class stuff because they have to. They get a bunch
of undergrads in a room, don't really give half a crap, and just go through
the motions so they can get back to "more meaningful work". I hate
that! This is not to say that all TAs are like this. This is far from the truth.
In my major, Law and Society, we have some kick ass TAs who go that extra mile
to explain, help you pass an obstacle. These TAs who help are dope. Those others
who feel they can address undergrads however they see fit, need to get their
asses handed to them!
Wednesday, August 7, 2002
Third day of summer school. Missed my history class because my damned car starting
over heating again and I needed to drop some coolant into it. The guys who checked
before must have put the damned cap on with a vice! Anyway, didn't end up making
it to my first class - not happy about that.
In my Science Fiction class, we were given a project to create a 'Zine. A 'Zine is essentially a small magazine with specialized interest; namely those of the publisher(s). They can be about anything apparently. Also there seems to be this huge number of them out there; I had no idea. Anyway, we're going to create our own. One of the things from this discussion that stuck out in my mind was the woman leading us through the creation of 'Zine mentioned rants. Oh I love rants. Not unsubstantiated verbage about random empirical detritus, but the good stuff. Granted not all rants need be works of literary genius.
Here is my rant of the day inspired by today's discussion. What the hell is so romantic/cool/sexy/whatever about smoking?? On my way from Borders this girl was driving by, one hand on the wheel, another with a cigarette between her fingers, blowing smoke from between her lips. Her lips were formed in an oval, hear face in what can only be described as in pleasurable expression. I have no idea what she was thinking, if she was trying to look cute, just enjoying her cig, or what. Nonetheless it was disgusting. Aside from the aesthetics, I'm irked whenever people are in large groups and off to the side there are people huffing and puffing. Like there is some bubble/force field that will keep the smoke from going anywhere - yea right. More times than not there are children IN the group nearby. Or my other 'favorite', seeing people smoke in a car with young people in the car. Lovely. If someone wants to mess up their lives, great more power to them. Unfortunately, smoking is totally victimless and some consideration would be appreciated. That's all I have to say about this right now. :-)
Tuesday, August
6, 2002
Why when merging onto the freeway did my car's temp just ran into the red??
I've done that merge a billion times since I've been living here, but yet that
happens? Ok, so I get off and hit surface streets - it still maxes out. WTF?
This thing was just worked on not too long ago…what's the deal? My trip
to and from the gym to extra long because I wanted to take care to avoid maxing
it out. The kicker is that the damned thing still did it at low speeds.
Monday, August
5, 2002
First day of Summer Session. Week 1 and counting.