The ephemeral harbinger of lunacy

Alone, but not lonely: part 2 -- Dining Alone

Fri, 30 May 2008 02:33:56 GMT

I do not often choose to dine alone -- in fact, I often make a conscious decision to avoid it if it is at all possible. Why? Quite honestly, I feel like a loser -- a friendless, family-less loser. The circumstances surrounding the situation become irrelevant because, as I sit alone, I am keenly aware that those sitting next to me are not aware of the reasons I dine alone. To quote a blogger whose name escapes me, "you feel very much 'on display,'" and you feel you are being judged unfairly.

It is, of course, irrational to presume that my fellow patrons should be so inclined to judge me when, in all likelihood, they are not even aware of my presence. Still, nonetheless, I cannot help feeling uncomfortable -- given the sheer number of sites offering advice to casual, solo diners, I am convinced that I am not alone in that respect.

This feeling has only been reinforced recently by a comment made by my mother this past Monday. She mentioned that a solo diner had been casually eavesdropping on our conversation. She referred to him as a "loser" and made a passing comment about dining alone that fell in line with my, previously believed, irrational fears.

What is it that drives this particular belief? I've heard it mentioned numerous times that "eating is a social activity," but that ignores the fundamental, necessary role that eating plays for the individual. I cannot say I am fully aware of the reasons why, and I don't particularly care to speculate because, honestly, I feel it is a fruitless endeavor; however, I do feel so inclined to say that I am tired of feeling like the big loser on display every time I dine alone.

Alone, but not lonely: Part 1

Thu, 29 May 2008 05:18:33 GMT

I thought I'd do my own little series on an issue (or, rather, a string of issues) that concerns me on a personal level. I've addressed it before (though, if my ambition holds out, not to this degree), but I have some new experiences that I feel have contributed to my own evolution. And, with that, here begins the first in my series "Alone, but not lonely."

It is true that, very often (and usually at the dinner table) my solo status becomes a topic of concern (or, at the very least, a point of interest) whenever issues like gay marriage, childrearing, teen pregnancy, and a host of other related topics are raised.

And, without fail, somebody inevitably asks the 'big' question: "So, Justin, do you have a girlfriend yet?"

Shall we examine the various cultural prejudices inherent in this, seemingly, innocent question?

First, the questioner must presume I am heterosexual. Yes, to be fair, I am well aware that, given that the majority of persons are heterosexual, it is likely a safe bet; however, given that the question can be posed differently, I maintain that the person in question is directly, if unintentionally, contributing to the propagation of the ever-pervasive and suffocating heternormative social structure.

Second, the questioner must presume that, inevitably, I will "couple" ("coupling" is a popular phrase used by QuirkyAlones to describe the formation of romantic relationships). Perhaps because I am more often told that (regardless of the gender of the person in question) I am in need of an "SO," I deem these inherent, but often unseen prejudices to be more irritating if not more offensive on a personal level.

Finally, because I have had countless strangers ask me this question, I am a little appalled that, very often, the initial reaction I receive follows along the lines of "Oh, why not?" Perhaps I'm just a little antisocial, but I don't see why this particular conversation should progress this far -- this is a personal matter after all, and I don't see why a stranger has any business knowing whether or not I'm in a committed romantic relationship if they, themselves, are not seeking to create one with me.

Here ends the first in a series of posts. I shall continue when I have the energy to do so.

Just a meme

Mon, 05 May 2008 02:28:35 GMT

A brief quiz, stolen from, like, everyone -- for realz. Much of it was fairly accurate, which is saying something, considering that, if I were to take it again, I don't know if I could replicate it if I tried.

asexual_enya took the free ColorQuiz.com personality test!

"Wants to establish himself and make an impact desp..."

Click here to read the rest of the results.

Two updates, like whoa!

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 00:33:22 GMT

Today, though it was quite busy, did a lot to rekindle my interest in the courses I am taking.

In finance today, we spent the entire hour computing the weighted average cost of capital and the net present value of a specific project. Even for those majoring in finance, those are fairly difficult concepts to wrap your head around, and applying them to the real world is even more difficult; but, after spending an hour working through some in-depth problems, I feel a lot more prepared for the test next Friday.

Tabling was a lot of fun. I can recall what it feels like to be "harassed" by aggressive tablers, so I, instead, took a different approach -- I smiled and made eye contact, but said nothing unless they approached me with questions. And, when I explained what the project was for, a lot of them said "whoa" and were willing to donate what they had -- others, instead, promised to bring some change later. One person donated a $10 bill, another donated a $5 bill, and quite a few others donated $1 bills. And, the cherry on top of the ice cream is that many of these people were unconcerned with the prizes -- they really wanted to donate just for the sake of helping out an organization like Emma Norton Services. And, you know, it was nice to talk with some of these people about the organization or anything they had to say -- especially because, when others show interest, others are attracted.

I was beginning to get worried about my informational interview for Bridges. The man I planned to interview completely forgot about it -- he called to apologize and rescheduled. So, hopefully, it will all work out this time around. :D

Just a small update and a meme stolen from Neth and TPau

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 15:16:05 GMT

Well, the issues I have been having with my service learning project have since cleared up. And, last night, my group and I put together the final touches and, today, I will be tabling.

I think we have some pretty fabulous prizes to win, so I encourage you (Danny and Ellen) to consider donating. :D Both first and second place will win a $25 gift certificate to Target, third place will win a $15 gift certificate to Best Buy, fourth place will win a $15 gift certificate to Macy's, and fifth and sixth place will win two free sandwiches and desserts at some ice cream shop. I think we really outdid ourselves with the prizes this time around -- I hope this will encourage people to donate.

And, on top of that, my group has also taken it upon ourselves to seek out old computers to donate -- Emma Norton Services really needs them badly. Well, my sisters' friends' parents (try saying that ten times fast) have two old computers they may be willing to donate if we can erase everything on their hardware -- luckily, I have an uncle who knows how to do just that. :D

For all the stress this whole project has caused from day one, now that the ball has really started to roll, it has become fun for me. :D

Of course, now I have to prepare another journal. :(

Wordisms:

A body of water, smaller than a river, contained within relatively narrow banks
Normally, unless it is incredibly small, I'd call that a creek. If it is small enough to hop over, I'd call it a stream.

The thing you push around the grocery store
Grocery cart.

A metal container to carry a meal in
That would be a lunch box. Is it called something else in other areas?

The thing that you cook bacon and eggs in
A frying pan.

The piece of furniture that seats three people
That's a couch.

The device on the outside of the house that carries rain off the roof
A rain gutter.

The covered area outside a house where people sit in the evening
Porch.

Carbonated, sweetened, non-alcoholic beverages
Pop.

A flat, round breakfast food served with syrup
Pancakes.

A long sandwich designed to be a whole meal in itself
Sub sandwich.

The piece of clothing worn by men at the beach
Swimsuit or swim trunks if they wear a boxer-style suit. A boxer-brief-style suit is a biker. A brief-style suit is a speedo, regardless of its brand name.

Shoes worn for sports
If they are worn exclusively for sports activities, I refer to them as gym shoes. If they are worn casually and for sports I just call them tennis shoes.

A flying insect that glows in the dark
Firefly.

The little insect that curls up into a ball
I never had a name for it, actually.

The children's playground equipment where one kid sits on one side and goesup while the other sits on the other side and goes down
I use teeter-totter and seesaw interchangeably; however, more often than not, I think I tend to refer to them as teeter-totters.

How you eat pizza
I prefer to eat my pizza with a knife and fork. I tend to eat the crust first and then start at the tip and work my way back again.

Where private citizens sell their household goods/stuff in their driveway/front yard
A garage sale.

The thing under a house where the furnace and perhaps a rec room are
Basement.

The thing that you can get water out of to drink in public places
Drinking fountain.

Woo!

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 02:12:06 GMT

Apartment selection day was today, and Danny and Ellen and I will be sharing an apartment next year! We were pretty fortunate that our combined scores were enough to land us a spot -- I know quite a few people weren't so lucky. And, after the past two years dealing with housing bullshit, it's nice to have something go our way right off the bat -- not that the rooms we did land were horrible by any stretch of the imagination. Also, because parking is guaranteed for those living in the campus apartments, I don't have to deal with the lottery bullshit.

In other news, I love financial analysis. That is all.

And, finally, a meme snagged from likespring

» Comment with any subject that you would like me to rant on, with possible swearing involved. Any subject - I don't even have to agree with it.

» Watch my journal for your rant.

» Post this in your own journal, so that you may rant for others.

And, though it says "anything goes," try not to choose an obscure topic that I have no knowledge about and couldn't formulate an opinion on in a reasonably short time.

Smash Brothers Brawl!

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 02:23:58 GMT

Not long now -- no, not long at all. And, no more delays to speak of, so I'm growing more excited as the days pass by -- luckily, they pass by fairly quickly now.

To pass the time, I decided I would see if any of the songs were available to listen to on YouTube. Sure enough, one user has, obviously, spent considerable time putting together most of the songs online, on Youtube, so I've been listening to them.

Oh, my God, you guys -- so much fucking win. For real, after hearing the various remixes of some of my all-time favorite videogame themes, I'd purchase Brawl just for the music alone -- it's that good.

I can understand why anyone wouldn't like listening to someone playing videogames -- the music is, often, a kind of afterthought, really. Normally, the music is repetitive, all hook, and usually very electronic. Even the very best could probably grate on your nerves after a while if you aren't engrossed in the game.

The music on Brawl, however, is scored very well -- the music is highly appealing by itself -- and actual musicians are playing -- some of the pieces are performed by full orchestras. And, there is such a wide variety of songs -- I doubt I could listen to all of them in one night.

In the previous installments of the Smash Brothers series, there were some stages that I wouldn't play -- at least not very often -- because I didn't like the music. So far, I haven't really come across any songs that I hated listening to -- there were, maybe, a handful that I didn't really love; but, not one of them did I hate. Besides, even if I did come to hate some of the songs, there exists that new option where you can choose to keep those songs out of the loop.

Gosh, I just can't wait. *Cue fanboy squeeling*

Weekend update.

Sat, 16 Feb 2008 22:43:39 GMT

On Friday, on my home, my mother, driving home from Minneapolis, pulled up behind me back at the turn-off from highway 52 to county road 9. Later, while she's still following me, my father pulls out ahead of me as we turn from county road 9 onto county road 4. Together, the three of us pull into the driveway all at the same time. I doubt we could have planned it any better -- after all, I was driving home from St. Paul, Mom from Minneapolis, and Dad from Lake City. That was pretty darn awesome -- but I'm just silly, so.... xP

Last night I watched Jumper with my little sister, and it was better than I thought it was going to be -- though, as always, don't take my word for it because I am the least picky person I know when it comes to cinema experiences. Oh, and this middle-aged couple cut in front of my sister and me while we were in line waiting to purchase snacks. I was really tempted to say something, but I thought better of it -- I didn't want to get kicked out of the theater for creating a scene.

And, today, I finished making changes to my resume` and picked out an internship description that sounded interesting to me -- the company deals, almost exclusively I think, with financial advising. I felt I'd make a decent candidate -- I feel confident that I meet all their necessary requirements. So, now I'm prepared to sign up for the practice interview program. Wish me luck. ;)

Happy Valentines day, friendslist!

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 17:12:46 GMT

I admit, though the general gist/portrayal of the holiday is offensive to me as an asexual person, I can't help getting into it..., at least a little.

I love the chocolate, and I suppose that's enough to justify putting up with irritating questions like "So, who's your valentine? Got a date?"

Besides, no matter how irritated I get, as long as there are so many people who enjoy the holiday, I would never poo-poo it.

And, another post!

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 03:09:44 GMT

Two posts in one night? Ho'shit, guys, I'm sorry.

Anyway, today Hamline sponsored an event: FAULTLINES, RIFTS & BREACHES: EXPLORING RACISM & OTHER FORMS OF OPRRESSION The title, really, says it all. I participated, both because it was required for one of my classes, but also because I thought it would be interesting and a good learning experience.

I don't recall ever mentioning the Halloween incident on my LJ, but I think it's worth mentioning now because today was largely a response to that incident. On Halloween night, several Hamline students, most of them white, donned black makeup, afros, and "jungle" wear -- they claimed to be "native tribesmen." There are so many things wrong with this, but the biggest issue was that they appeared to be miming old blackface caricatures -- needless to say, a lot of people were very upset.

Back to the present, I can't say I honestly thought there was any real groundbreaking going on, and it felt like, for the most part, the speakers were preaching to the converted -- those who'd probably benefit the most probably didn't participate.

The keynote speaker was incredibly dry, and I know many openly admitted to nodding off.

The first breakout session went smoothly, at least initially, though it involved a lot of self-pitying guilt that I felt was not productive -- the topic, for those curious, was "An honest conversation about whiteness."

I knew from the title that we'd be addressing white privilege, and I had hoped we'd do a lot more to identify and define what white privilege is. Instead, it felt like we were floundering a lot, and that people didn't walk away with broadened horizons -- though, that may be because I don't particularly like group discussions that aren't more rigidly moderated.

And, in the last ten minutes, the tension in the room could be cut with a knife. The first conflict pitted the socialists in the room against the capitalists, and the second was a petty catfight between a professor and one of the other students in the room concerning certain sanctions.

The second breakout session went a lot more smoothly and, at least from my perspective, was more interesting -- that topic, for those curious, was "Influence of gender, class, sexuality in science & math courses/classrooms." The conversations felt more grounded and there were some interesting perspectives thrown into the pot.

I'm sure they'll hold another one of these next year and I fully intend to attend again, because I don't feel it was a waste, but I certainly hope the planners took away some things too, because there were quite a few improvements that could be made.

Memeage, and WTF Hamline?

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 02:43:00 GMT

These types of memes are always so difficult, because it forces me to narrow down a long list. Anyway, in alphabetical order.

Pick 10 people and give them the "you make my day" award. If you're picked, you are charged with picking 10 of your own.

1. arularia
2. candybat
3. kaze_kitty
4. kittikattie
5. leafy_days
6. limepocky
7. maire_mac
8. raeshena
9. silvey
10. The rest of the fearsome foursome -- shaddap, I can put three on one if I want, because I'm thirteen, and I have a body! *Snap*

And, in other news, Hamline, apparently, owes me a fairly significant amount of money -- nearly $9,000! I have no idea why, but they are now asking for my credit card information so they can provide me with a refund, but I know for a fact my credit card didn't cover that cost, and I don't recall asking my parents to pay for anything, so.... Anyway, I'll be giving Daddy a call and hope that he'll help me sort things out a bit -- of course, I already tried tonight, but my service provider is being a real douche bag.

I am pleased with myself.

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 03:19:23 GMT

I managed to accomplish more than I had expected to. I was a little bummed earlier because I hadn't taken the initiative to finish, or even start, my creative writing assignment when I had promised myself I would finish it before the weekend was over.

Now, I didn't finish writing; however, I finished the assignment, which was to write three to five pages about an event I've experienced -- I decided that I'd write about my graduation party. Once I started the words flowed right out of my fingertips and I'm pleased with what I have thus far, and I have so much more I'd like to add. This may very well wind up as my final project. ^.^

I hadn't planned on writing up my Bridges personality assessment paper; but, because I hadn't started on my creative writing project at the time, I decided I'd be productive and just do it. Well, I managed to finish it, so that's one less thing to worry about this week.

Finishing projects well in advance always makes me feel so warm and fuzzy inside. :D

I probably won't do any more work tonight -- not that I'd have much time before bed anyway -- but, I can rest easier tonight knowing that, at least for now, there isn't anything particularly stressful I have to worry about that I can deal with at the moment.

Update.

Sun, 10 Feb 2008 16:55:54 GMT

Oh, my God, it is so~ cold. Without any wind at all, the temperature here, at home, sits at an oh-so comfortable -9 degrees Fahrenheit (-22.8 degrees Celsius) -- with wind chill, we're sitting at a frigid -62 fucking degrees Fahrenheit (-52.2 degrees Celsius). I can't recall any specific numbers, but I think any more than ten minutes exposure to temperatures this low will result in frostbite.

I'm fairly comfortable sitting next to the fireplace right now, but I am not looking forward to the drive back to the campus (That, and the cold will sap away my usually fairly stellar gas mileage.).

In other news, work was the most fun I've had at the Y in a long time. The lap pool was closed for repairs -- one of the underwater lightbulbs burnt out -- so the pool was being drained -- that meant that the lap swimmers had to make due with the rec pool, which sucks for lap swimming.

Most lap swimmers never even bothered to show up at all, and those that did never stayed very long. In fact, between the hours of 10:00 and 11:30, not a single person was there to swim. I made use of my free time by organizing one of the back closets and tossing old, waterlogged noodles.

Some of the other workers had a similar train of thought and worked on their own, respective projects while the Y was dead. It was funny, because one of the aerobics ladies decided to test out a brand new sound system, and, oh God, it was so loud. I was listening to my music, and I had it turned up relatively high to drown out the sound of water sloshing and the rumble of the whirlpool, and I could still hear Celine Dion, Imogen Heap, and, apparently, Sean Kingston blaring over my music, and their player wasn't even in the same area.

And, in other news, I didn't take the time to write up a three-page non-fiction story this weekend like I had hoped I would -- I just wasn't motivated enough to do it. So, I suppose I may do it tonight, though it is more likely that I'll be working on my Bridges paper because I had initially planned to do it tonight anyway.

New userpics!

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 22:57:48 GMT

Up until now, I haven't put much effort into compiling userpics; but, after Ellen revamped her account, I figured that I might as well do something to mine, too (Yes, Ellen, this time I copied joo!).

Anyway, I'll put them under a cut, and provide a little explanation for each, just because I can. xP

I'll begin with my initial default icon: Enya.

I've loved Enya's music for years -- her c.d. Paint the Sky with Stars was the first I'd ever purchased, and the first I ever listened to religiously. And, beyond that, I've adopted her musical "penname" as my online name -- I've grown so accustomed to being referred to by that name that, if I see it written, I half assume they're referring to me.

I'll continue with my next icon: Lucy, from Elfen Lied

Not my most recent anime/manga obsession, but far from being my first, I really enjoyed this series. Funny thing, though, is that I tend to dislike hardcore gore and excessive nudity -- both elements present in the series -- but, the plot has a certain charm, and the Nyu's behavior is very reminiscent of Chi's ( Chobits ).

Up next, I've uploaded an icon depicting Clamp's Yuko, from xxxHolic.

My most recent manga obsession, I am a huge fan of Studio Clamp and, subsequently, all of their works I've read thus far. Yuko is one of my favorite characters: she's funny, but she possesses a great deal of power and influence, making her a totally awesome badass.

Next up, I have a picture depicting Michael, from Angel Sanctuary.

I had a hard time choosing a character to depict from that series. My first choice would have been the inorganic angel Rociel, but there weren't any high quality images that fit the 100x100 bill, or were at least close enough that a few slight manipulations would cut it.

It's hard to find a character in that particular series that I don't like to some extent (Okay, I didn't particularly care for Sandalphon...), so I eventually settled on Michael because he's, quite possibly, the most fun character. :D

And, next, we have Fai (Whose name I can never remember how to spell.) from Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles.

I had a hard time picking a character from this series too, especially because it has a fair number of my favorite characters from the rest of the Clamp Universe.

I don't particularly care for Fai when he's being emo (Even if it is justified.), but I do think he's a pretty awesome character nonetheless. That, and it's easy to find a picture of him -- I couldn't find any pictures of Subaru or Kamui that I liked. ^.^;;

Next, from Card Captor Sakura is Sakura.

This particular anime was my first experience with Studio Clamp -- unfortunately, my first experience was with the awful dub. I did later watch all the uncut, subbed episodes, which are a lot better than the dubbed episodes.

What I particularly like about this series is that there exists no villain -- only obstacles that need to be overcome.

And then we have a picture of Kyo, from Fruits Basket

This is another really fun series -- most of my favorite series are, actually. If I recall correctly, it was you, Ellen, that suggested this series because it's so cute. ^.^

And then we have Sailor Jupiter from the series Sailor Moon

This was my first experience with anime, and I remember waking up every morning at 6:00am so that I could watch reruns of this particular series on network television. Sailor Jupiter was always my favorite -- I think it had a lot to do with the green outfit and lightning bolts!

And another Studio Clamp character, Chi, comes from the Chobits series.

Chi is, quite possibly, the most adorable anime character ever. And, near the end, this is also one of the saddest series I've ever read.

From the series Bleach, we have Captain Unohana.

This is another series Ellen suggested for me, and the longest one I've read/kept up with to date. There are, like, a kajillion characters to pick from, but I think Unohana is my favorite -- probably because I see her as being most like me.

Though it's embarrassing to admit, I really like the Yugioh series -- Mai's my favorite character.

I haven't read the manga yet, though I'd like to, mostly because I hear it makes a lot more sense than the anime. Anyway, this is one of those series you watch because it's fun -- you really can't take a series developed to sell a card game seriously. And, if you walk into it expecting that there isn't going to be academy award winning dialogue or characterization, then you can appreciate the LULz.

Along the same vein, we have Misty from Pokemon

In the anime, Misty is, easily, my favorite character because she's tough and she won't put up with crap. And, yes, I'm one of those nerds who continued to enjoy the series long after it was popular -- I still buy the games because I enjoy them so much.

From the actual games, Misty is one of my favorites, but I think Lorelei would probably top that list.

From Avatar: The Last Airbender, we have a picture of Ty Lee.

This is another series that has a lot of really awesome characters -- it was really hard to pick a character to use. Mostly, I picked Ty Lee because her picture was the easiest to find in high quality; but, all the same, I really like her because she's so sweet.

And, next, I have a picture of Lulu, from Final Fantasy X

I really enjoy this game series -- not just Final Fantasy X -- and Lulu is my favorite. I always tend to favor the magic class characters, and women too, so that probably explains why I feel she's so awesome. When I played the game, I focused most of my efforts on her development, and for this reason she was also the strongest character in my game. xD Many thanks to Danny for letting me play it.

And, finally, we have Princess Peach, from the Mario series.

I kinda' wish I had the option to add more userpics because there are a few more other game series I'd have liked to add (LOZ, Metroid, StarFox, etcetera), so I elected to choose my favorite character from my favorite series: Princess Peach!

Though she often plays the role of the damsel in distress, she has had ample opportunity to shine in various other games, including my favorite gaming series: Super Smash Brothers.

And, with that, there you have it. All fifteen of my icons and a little something about them. Gosh, it was surprisingly difficult to put all of this together. ^.^;;

Just another update.

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 22:06:03 GMT

I spent the past few hours after lunch reading the first two chapters in my Management & Management Ethics text (Long chapters are long!), and I was pleasantly surprised to find that much of the material is concerned with psychological and sociological case studies and theories -- chiefly, intrapersonal and interpersonal relations and management as well as the value of hiring a diverse work force.

It's a pity that this class has so many prerequisites -- I think a lot of people would really enjoy and benefit from a class like this. In particular, I think many students would appreciate the emphasis placed not on technical expertise -- the bread and butter of academic institutions -- but on communication and interpersonal skills -- skills that, ultimately, are more useful in the workforce.

In other news, the snow has stopped and that's a little disappointing -- I had hoped it would continue all day because it looks so pretty. Oh well, c'est la vie, no?

Jesusfreaks?

Sun, 03 Feb 2008 16:23:53 GMT

I've always felt fairly fortunate, given that I have rarely ever been approached by some Jesus freak on the streets -- actually, barring the county fair and that one time on campus during first year, this was the first time I've ever been approached.

My parents and I were walking to a restaurant and, sure enough, the weirdos with pamphlets (My mom saw it coming.) approached us and asked if we'd like to learn about "our lord and savior, Jesus Christ." I'm such a sucker and I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, so I would have stayed and listened to their obnoxious spiel; however, my parents continued walking, so I was spared the indignity.

They must have followed us a short distance because one of the workers at a nearby store asked us if those guys were bothering us. We told him we were fine, but I could tell he was wishing one of us would have said that we were being harassed -- I get the feeling he didn't want them standing around so close to the place he works.

Today was an interesting day.

Sat, 02 Feb 2008 06:04:36 GMT

The temperatures rose to, oh, about thirty-two degrees farenheit (zero degrees celsius) and, to be honest, it felt really nice. Isn't that sick? I've grown so accustomed to sub-zero temperatures on the farenheit scale that thirty-two degrees feels warm by comparison. Apparently, quite a few people felt the same, given that I saw many walking around carrying their winter coats instead of wearing them and many just decided to leave them at home and chose to walk around with nothing more than a sweatshirt and a layer or two underneath.

And, because the weather has improved so much the roads were the clearest I've seen them in a long time (read: over a month's time) -- that is, of course, until I hit the roads close to home and the lack of state funding becomes more readily apparent. Oh well, I suppose spring is only a hop, skip, and a jump away -- I can be patient until then.

Just another update.

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 03:03:04 GMT

And, so, today was the second day of classes -- that means I've attended them all, hooray!

I'm going to miss Dr. Tevis; but, I think Dr. Holbrook will be an amazing instructor none-the-less. I recognize two others who attended Intro. to Creative Writing with me -- and, unfortunately, the pretentious kid (I remember his name now!) has returned to grace us all with his presence. But, that aside, I've already made new friends! That's a good thing because this class will, inevitably, require a lot of cooperative work and involves a lot of sharing.

Foundations of Management sounds like an amazing class -- tricky, but amazing. I am looking most forward to the lead requirement. For the assignment we are required to donate twenty hours of our time at a non-profit organization, and I'd really, really love to spend those hours at one of the Planned Parenthood offices -- I hope that's an available option, but I'll have to see.

Bridges Scholars sounds like a good time too. I've already mentioned it to Danny, but there are quite a few general overlaps between my Foundations of Management class and this one -- Danny pointed out that Rita used to co-spear the Bridges Scholars class, so it makes sense.

And, speaking of abortion, I'd almost forgotten how irritating it can be debating the issue with certain Gaians. One user in particular kept resorting to personal attacks and rarely, if ever, actually addressed my points or answered my questions.

First day of classes

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 19:10:30 GMT

Well, my first two classes went well -- I fully expect that both will be interesting.

I already know some music theory -- I did take piano lessons for a few years and I was in band from the fourth grade onward. I'm looking forward to composing my own tunes for the final portfolio -- no, I don't expect them to be any good; but, I've always wanted to try and this will finally motivate me to actually do it.

Foundations of finance sounds like an absolutely amazing class. We'll be covering strategic financing decisions and each of us will have the opportunity to select any publicly traded company and perform an in-depth look into the company's financial statements to make conjectures about the future state of the business. ^.^

Oh, and it feels good to hop back in the abortion fray -- I've made a couple posts on Gaia between yesterday and today.

My YouTubes bring all the dumb to the yard...,

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 16:49:18 GMT

...and they're like "Mi moralz r bettur tan urs!!!one!11!"

Oh, YouTube, for all your win and awesomesauce, you certainly do attract a lot of garbage: in this case, pro-life propaganda films.

Sure, there are a fair number of amusing videos with a pro-choice slant (I just stumbled across one that made me ROFL.); but, for every pro-choice vid there exists, like, twenty pro-life ones. I learned long ago that attempting to debate with these people is fruitless -- the text limit is far too low to allow any meaningful conversation, so I don't even bother attempting to engage.

Another update?

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 01:04:25 GMT

Say it isn't so! I'll try to keep it as brief as possible -- I have one little rant.

Before work today, as I was walking up to the Y, I took note of one particular bumper sticker that made me gag. Have any of you seen the bumper stickers that bear a picture of a motorcycle and the phrase: "Start seeing motorcycles!"?

Well, someone had the bright idea to take the general premise behind it and apply it to babies. Yes, to babies. On this bumper sticker was a side-view of an obviously pregnant woman and the phrase: "Start seeing babies!"

I can only assume that it was a pro-life sticker; but, the vagueness of the message implied that all women, regardless of circumstances, should start bearing babies.

I'm going to go barf now.

Only an update.

Sun, 27 Jan 2008 17:29:58 GMT

I haven't updated in a while -- on the whole, my life hasn't been exciting enough to justify the effort needed to actually type one of these entries up. ((That probably says a lot about my lack of motivation or my boring life -- you guys can pick.))

In any case, this weekend really hasn't differed much from any other weekend, with the exception of the extra day off from school on Friday which doesn't happen regularly -- it'd be nice if it did though.

And, as per usual, this weekend is devoted almost entirely to work -- I even had to work on Friday because my boss caught wind of the fact that I didn't have class that day. ((She really does have good intentions; but, I don't think she realizes that, sometimes, I do appreciate a day off.)) I'll have to put my foot down a little harder next time. ^.^

Tomorrow begins the new semester, and I'm nervous -- nothing new or unusual on that front either.

I talked with my parents about grad school, and I think I'll look into applying to various programs offered both in and out of state -- I'd prefer an instate program; but, my a few of my mom's friends have suggested various solid programs that I should look into.

The Carlson school of management would be my number one choice; but, it is a highly selective school -- even if I maintained my gpa there is not guarantee that I'll get in. ((One of my mom's friends illustrated just how random the admissions process is at that level -- they take the most impressive candidates and then randomly draw them out.))

I could probably continue my school career here at Hamline with their new MBA program; but, I don't know if my wallet could sustain another 2-3 years at a private school -- I guess I could just swallow the debt and seek out an employer who'd be willing to forgive my debt for me.

The big draw, right now, is that I really, really don't want to start paying for health insurance and other insurance policies yet -- as long as I remain in school I wouldn't have to. And, you know, I'd like to finish all my schooling in one go -- returning after I've landed myself in a career would, most assuredly, make things more difficult.

I don't want to grow up. :(

Isn't this special?

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 17:47:57 GMT

I haven't even been active recently on Gaia and, still, I receive this pm.

Seriously, what is wrong people like this? Are they unaware of what it means to be an asexual person, or is it the irony that is lost on them? I don't know; but, seriously, this is why I rarely ever left the ED -- a single trip into the GD or, worse, the Chatterbox always resulted in this sort of thing.

So, can you say "Reported!"?

Ho'crap.

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 23:24:12 GMT

Oh, my god. The drive back to school today was a little stressful -- okay, maybe more than just a little. The sheer number of accidents that I witnessed on the roads -- well, their aftermath -- was astounding.

There were two, obviously, high-speed crashes on highway 52 (Which has a speed limit of 65mph.) -- and, not surprisingly, the two unrelated accidents happened in a relatively close vicinity, which indicates that that particular stretch was especially dangerous. In both cases there were significant rescue crews dispatched -- I counted three state troopers, two ambulances, and a tow truck, as well as one other emergency vehicle at just one of the incidents.

And, then, as I neared St. Paul, traffic was especially slow (read: we averaged about 10mph in a 55mph zone.) because there were -- I counted -- five vehicles that appeared to have been involved in three separate accidents all within a short stretch, probably for the same reason cited above.

Once I was in St. Paul's busier areas I saw two different tow trucks carrying two different sets of vehicles away and the cops were out en masse. By that point everyone was driving very slowly, which was fine with me.

However, what was most surprising about this whole affair is that I didn't have that much trouble driving -- the worst part was dealing with a smeared windshield that resulted from frozen windshield wiper fluid not coming out. Beyond that, if I took it slowly and left a little more space between the car in front of me than I normally would have, I had no trouble driving -- it's almost as if these people had completely forgotten how to handle icy, snowy road conditions, even though that shouldn't be the case.

I am wondering, however, if that might not be related to the cold weather which makes the various chemicals -- usually salt and sand -- unable to work effectively that has caused so many problems. I hate to slight suburban and inner-city drivers; but, they have grown so accustomed to dealing with nice plowed roads that they can't seem to handle the same road conditions we in greater Minnesota deal with on a regular basis. ((Yes, thank you Minnesota legislators, your unwillingness to provide the capital necessary to maintain the roads I learned to drive on has made me a better winter driver.))

Oh, and as a curious aside -- my mother noticed it also -- most of the accidents didn't involve little econocars or large, rear-wheel drive only vehicles. Nearly every vehicle I saw involved in an accident had either all-wheel or four-wheel drive capability, which leads credence to my belief -- and my mom's belief -- that people who drive those types of cars are often unaware of where those features actually provide any benefit and where they are worthless. ((Four-wheel and all-wheel drive will not, in fact, provide any traction after you've picked up and maintained speed -- they are only useful for accelerative purposes or for driving out of the ditch after you've landed yourself there.))

Just a meme ^.^

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 01:38:48 GMT

Snagged from maire_mac

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?

No, my parents just happened to like the name Justin.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?

This past Saturday, after watching a mentally handicapped girl tumble down the stairs at the pool -- she had been so happy up until that point and was, obviously, in so much pain that I couldn't bear it.

Damn..., I get weepy after seeing a complete stranger hurt herself -- I can't imagine how I'd react if I were to see someone I cared about go through something like that. ((Note: Yes, this is my, perhaps not so subtle, way of advising you all to be very careful.))

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?

I've been told, on more than one occasion, that my handwriting is very pretty; but, it is also difficult to read if you aren't accustomed to seeing it.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?

Salami! ^.^

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?

Jesus H. Christ, no!

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?

I'd like to think so. I'm, generally, pretty happy -- and when I'm not I fake it pretty well -- and friendly, happy company tends to be good company. Who knows though, you know?

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?

Oddly enough, I tend to use more of it online then I do in person -- kind of silly when you think about it though.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?

Yes, I do.

9. CAN YOU COOK/BAKE?

If I have to.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?

Eew, I hate, hate, HATE cereal.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?

Nope, I always untie them prior to putting them on.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?

I'm stronger than people give me credit for -- I'm not nearly as frail as I, apparently, appear to be.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?

Plain vanilla or chocolate -- I guess cotton candy flavored ice cream is pretty darn awesome too.

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?

Shallow though it may be, I tend to notice what a person is wearing -- I feel it says a lot about a person, really.

15. RED OR PINK?

Red.

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?

Everyday I wish I were prettier, smarter, kinder, and just an overall better person. That isn't to say I think I'm disgusting -- it's just that I doubt I'll ever be satisfied with who I am.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?

To be honest, there aren't many people I really miss more than anyone else -- it tends to vary from day to day because, thankfully, people so rarely leave me and I've never left anyone.

18. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?

I am currently drinking a bottle of Naked Juice. ^.^

19. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?

"Crucify" by Tori Amos -- it's on my iTunes library, so that's likely to change before this meme is completed.

20. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?

Silver.

21. FAVORITE SMELLS?

Roses, lavender, lilac, and mint.

22. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?

Ellen -- to confirm that I was ready for dinner.

23. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?

Umm..., I can't stand watching sports -- it bores me to tears.

24. HAIR COLOR?

It's brown; but, with sufficient sunfading or if put under a bright enough light my hair tends to have an auburn hue.

25. EYE COLOR?

I have "chameleon eyes" (my sister calls them "rainbow eyes"); but, the dominant color is green, so I'll stick with that. ^.^

26. FAVORITE FOOD?

Shellfish and sushi.

27. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?

Happy endings -- scary movies make me scared.

28. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?

Juno.

29. SUMMER, WINTER, SPRING OR FALL?

Probably summer.

30. HUGS OR KISSES?

I'm not much for physical displays of affection; but, I'll take a hug over a kiss any day.

31. FAVORITE DESSERT?

Pie, I guess?

32. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING?

I'm not currently reading any -- I prefer to read at home, in bed.

33. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?

I don't have one -- I use that touch pad on the laptop.

34. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT?

I hardly ever watch television.

35. FAVORITE SOUND?

Music.

36. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?

Beatles.

37. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?

Riviera Maya, Mexico.

38. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?

Red Wing, MN.

39. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO READING?

Anybody who wants to do this.

40. WHAT TIME IS IT NOW?

7:40pm (19:40 military time).