Saturday, May 7, 2005
movie time
I finally saw something I've been waiting a long time for: the trailer for A Scanner Darkly. I know you can't judge anything from a trailer (particularly a teaser trailer) but, if nothing else, the movie should look mindblowing. It also features Keanu Reeves in the one role he's good at (the burned out stoner), so he won't ruin this film.
Now the reason I care so much is because of the book by Philip K. Dick. It is an awesome and heartfelt book about the effects of long-term hard drug use on one's self and one's friends. I highly recommend it.
I'm also looking foward, for better or worse, to Star Wars Episode 3. It looks awesome and I'm hoping it will live up to my expectations. From what I've seen, it should be good.
I also recently indulged my inner nerd (I'm getting the opportunity to do that a lot this summer, aren't I?) and saw The Hitchiker's Guide to The Galaxy. I loved the books when I was a kid and I was very satisfied by the movie. It may not have been a perfect adaptation but it was very enjoyable and funny. More importantly, it was true to the spirit of the novel and that's all I ask with a movie.
My childhood seems to be coming back with a vengeance this summer (Sin City excluded, that was for the sado-masochistic adult in me) between Willy Wonka and the Lion , the Witch, and the Wardrobe.
On a side note, school is almost over. I am really looking foward to going home and just getting a job and chilling this summer. I'm hoping to play a lot of basketball and, well, see a lot of people. If I'm lucky, I may be able to go on vacation too.
Mood: Stressed but seeing the light at the end of the tunnel
Music:Srgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and American Idiot
written by Dan@ 11:57 a.m.
Sunday, February 20, 2005
The cat's in the cradle
A child arrived just the other day,
He came to the world in the usual way.
But there were planes to catch, and bills to pay.
He learned to walk while I was away.
And he was talking 'fore I knew it, and as he grew,
He'd say, "I'm gonna be like you, dad.
You know I'm gonna be like you."
And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon,
Little boy blue and the man in the moon.
"When you coming home, dad?" "I don't know when,
But we'll get together then.
You know we'll have a good time then."
My son turned ten just the other day.
He said, "Thanks for the ball, dad, come on let's play.
Can you teach me to throw?" I said, "Not today,
I got a lot to do." He said, "That's ok."
And he walked away, but his smile never dimmed,
Said, "I'm gonna be like him, yeah.
You know I'm gonna be like him."
And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon,
Little boy blue and the man in the moon.
"When you coming home, dad?" "I don't know when,
But we'll get together then.
You know we'll have a good time then."
Well, he came from college just the other day,
So much like a man I just had to say,
"Son, I'm proud of you. Can you sit for a while?"
He shook his head, and he said with a smile,
"What I'd really like, dad, is to borrow the car keys.
See you later. Can I have them please?"
And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon,
Little boy blue and the man in the moon.
"When you coming home, son?" "I don't know when,
But we'll get together then, dad.
You know we'll have a good time then."
I've long since retired and my son's moved away.
I called him up just the other day.
I said, "I'd like to see you if you don't mind."
He said, "I'd love to, dad, if I could find the time.
You see, my new job's a hassle, and the kid's got the flu,
But it's sure nice talking to you, dad.
It's been sure nice talking to you."
And as I hung up the phone, it occurred to me,
He'd grown up just like me.
My boy was just like me.
And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon,
Little boy blue and the man in the moon.
"When you coming home, son?" "I don't know when,
But we'll get together then, dad.
You know we'll have a good time then."
I just put this up because I thought this song was so touching. I'm thankful that my relationship with my father hasn't been this way, nor do I intend it to be. It's sad how some people take their family for granted. When all is said and done, we don't really have that much time to spend with them. Time is the most precious commodity on Earth and, unlike gold or diamonds, there is no way to get more.
On a similar note, I want both my grandmothers to know that I miss them and that they're always in my heart and thoughts.
Mood: Happy and reflective
Music: Beyond Cat in the Cradle: Machina and Rammstein
written by Dan@ 07:19 p.m.
Thursday, January 27, 2005
Just one more......
I'll admit I stole this from Christie...but credit where credit's due
Mood: A bit overwhelmed, a bit sad Duke lost, but overall pretty good
Music: I'll just say HaYehudim and Mashina and blame it on my trip to Israel
written by Dan@ 08:16 p.m.
Friday, January 21, 2005
just a little quiz to keep the page interesting
|
You Are the Investigator |
|
5
You're independent - and a logical analytical thinker.
You love learning and ideas... and know things no one else does.
Bored by small talk, you refuse to participate in boring conversations.
You are open minded. A visionary. You understand the world and may change it.
|
written by Dan@ 09:39 p.m.
Thursday, November 4, 2004
The election
For the first time in my life, I am ashamed to be an American. George W. Bush was recently reelected by a slim margin. I decided to wait a few days to think the events through (rather than acting on pure emotion like I would've yesterday), so here we go....
This situation right now is very distressing to me. The Republican Party has essentially shut out all opposition to its policies, despite the fact that they dont even have a majority of the populace. With the recent gains in the Congress, they no longer have to care what Democrats think. The only weapon the Democrats have to use against them is filibustering, which is highly inefficient and if used extensively would turn the public against them. I will admit that Karl Rove is a genius. He claimed that gay marriage and Evangelical Christians would win the election for Bush and he was completely right. Democrats scoffed because not enough people had gay marriage as a high priority, but it did exactly what it was supposed to do: bring conservative, rural voters out to vote. The Democrats also put far too much faith in the youth vote. However, the youth vote should have shown up since the 18-30 year olds actually fight the wars that Bush is starting and will end up paying the price for Bush's high deficits and gutting of Social Security and Medicare. The Youth of this nation will also pay the price for Bush's diplomatic error and it will fall on our shoulder's to repair the diplomatic chasm that has developed between the United States and her allies. For those who need an idea of how bad it is, our major ally, Tony Blair of the Great Britain, insinuated in his congratulatory speech to Bush that his country's support in the war was out of respect for the longstanding Anglo-American alliance. England may not be there for us next time if we don't do something to fix our alliances.
The Democratic Party will have to change as well, if it wishes to remain relevant. It should be relevant; there should always be a strong opposition party in this country. Republicans control every level of the Federal government. This should not be so. Even during World War II, FDR did not control every level of government. I see no reason for George Bush to not have significant political opposition in Washington. He should not be able to ignore the other party. Ever. The Democrats, however, need to do 2 things: win back Middle America and clean up the language of the party platform. The Democratic party needs to start framing things such as education, unemployment, and welfare as religious issues because they are. In fact, helping the poor is far more important to God (see the Bible, The Torah, and the Quran) than abortion and gay marriage. If you don't believe me, read the Bible and mention how many times it says, for example, gay marriage is bad and compare it to how many times it says to help the poor.
Mood: Why couldn't Kerry win?!
Music: Lots of Beatles
written by Dan@ 02:51 p.m.
Tuesday, October 5, 2004
random entry
It's certainly be a long time since I've updated this page...wow. School can certainly make you forget the really important things in life.
First bit of news, school's been going great so far. I'm not nearly as stressed as I was last year and I'm having tons more fun. Still no girlfriend though, but who cares?
Also in the news, John Kerry is back to being tied with Bush. Now all he has to do is pull ahead....in the meantime, I'll continue my campaign work.
Also in the news, I get to go to Israel over the winter! Get to see the homeland in all it's glory (on that note, hopefully nothing happens when I'm there....). I also got a Hebrew language script for my computer, so now i can randomly do this àðé ãï. Muahahahaha....now if only their keyboard setup didn't confuse me....
Anyways, I'm out. Let the average times end and the good times roll!
Mood: I'm pretty good thanks for asking....doesn't hurt that I'm still high....from exercise
Music: Hurt by Johnny Cash (God rest his soul) and American Idiot by Green Day
written by Dan@ 02:24 p.m.
Monday, August 16, 2004
Why the NBA (and by extension, US basketball) are in dire need of change
Hello everybody! Its been awhile so I'll cut to the chase and start writing...
Yesterday was an historic day at the Olympics. The United States lost its first basketball game since 1988, the first lost ever with NBA players. It wasn't only a loss, it was a thrashing. The Puerto Rican team completely dominated the game and was up by 22 at one point. They were up for 33 of the 40 minutes in the game and played excellent defense, holding the US to 35% shooting and 3 for 24 from 3 point range. All and all, the US team just sucked.
But it was in many ways inevitable. The problem with the team stems far far deeper than the fact that all the players essentially play the same, with the exception of Duncan (who's probably the best basketball player in the world). The problem is with how basketball is played at and what it is at the NBA level. NBA basketball is a lot like pro wrestling. Although it is not rigged, the rules of regular basketball are modified for the sole purpose of entertainment value. It's a marketing machine designed to make money, regardless of what happens to the game as a result. The biggest example of this is 'illegal defense.' In the NBA, zone defenses, where players defend an area rather than a person, are illegal because they have a tendency to slow down the game b/c it's hard to simply dribble through them. The NBA even punishes playing zone the same way as a technical, foul shooting then getting the ball back. No other league in the world does this. In fact in every other level basketball including the NCAA, zone is one of the prefered defenses. Not playing zone has done 2 things to basketball at the NBA level: first, its rendered true shooters near worthless and second, it's reduced the game to a series of 1 on 1 matches with very little passing or real thought.
The other problem is with basketball itself. Basketball at every level (high school, college, and the NBA) seems to have become a form of self-marketing more than a team game. With so much money at stake it becomes imperative for players to show what they're capable of as individuals. The NBA cares only how exciting an individual is and that's bound to have an effect on what is, at its very core, a team game. This Olympics conveyed a lesson that the NBA should've learned earlier this year with the trashing of the Lakers by the Pistons, not to mention the World Games 2 years ago. All this focus on individuals destroys the team element of basketball and, until thats fixed, the NBA players will have trouble winning at the Olympic level. One reason it's so hard to find true, Olympic caliber shooters (something the US Basketball team needs badly) is partially b/c shooting in general has been so de-emphasized at the NBA level that very few stars do it any more. They prefer to beat people off the dribble. It shows at this level. You can't just beat people off the dribble in a pack-in zone. The only way to beat a pack-in zone is to shoot the lights out and pass the ball. This group of individuals just doesnt get that and they probably never truly will; they're too used to just driving on everybody b/c admitingly the NBA makes it easy for them to do it.
Other factors play into all of this of course. The reffing at the international level is...well lets just say its isn't great (and definitely appears biased). The NBA gutting college talent has certainly contributed to the aforementioned breakdown of the game in America.
If we want solutions, there need to be changes. It may not work miracles but keeping college age kids in college for at least 3 years might aid in teaching them the fundamentals of teamwork and basketball itself. Sure people like Lebron will still be the first option players on whatever college team they play on but if they're coached by a good coach they should learn how to pass the ball to other people and play offense against a zone. Not that every coach develops his players but the best ones, like Duke's Coach K, do. Add this to the evidence that very few players games truly improve in the NBA b/c only a few players truly work on their game and it seems more necessary. My second little suggestion is to change the rules of NBA basketball that make driving with impunity possible. I think thats done more to hurt the game in America than even the massive gutting of college talent. It would be nice if the NBA also deemphasized individual stardom over the team game but thats not going to happen. Hell, thats even started happening at the college level to some extent, at least w/ the promoting (see so and so and his team play whatshisface and his team....those players are only pieces of the team and individuals cant win games alone). The sad truth is, all this stuff probably isn't gonna happen. The guys running the NBA are interested in money, not the integrity of the the game and theyre too deeply entrenched in all their changes to the fundamental game to 'make it more exciting' to care or want to change. Making another sound beating at the international level will make them reconsider.
Mood: Pretty good
Music: Hurt covered by Johnny Cash
written by Dan@ 08:57 a.m.
Monday, July 5, 2004
my birthday!
Hello everyone! Yesterday was just awesome. Having my birthday on the same day as Independence Day makes celebrating extra special (and quite easy too I might add).
The day was actually quite low key. I went to a pool party and, depite the rain, had a blast. Afterwards I spent the rest of the day at the Miller's. We had some grilled burgers and hotdogs, as well as cake. Afterwards, Steve took me out in his BMW Z3 for a little ride. I've never personally been in either a sports car or convertible so that was quite a treat, especially when we turned a few corners at 40 mph. It was quite a thrill. Afterwards, we all played basketball with another kid on the street. I got off to a slow start but managed to gradually recover my skills. All my exercise is really paying off already. An hour of playing and I wasnt extremely tired. Can't wait to get back to UVA and start wiping the court with people....muahahahaha....
In other news, the Coach K scare is finally over. Mike Krzyzewski decided to stay at Duke rather than coach the Los Angles Lakers. I dont have to worry about my favorite baskerball team sucking next season! It's a good feeling. I think he made the right decision personally. College coaches never seem to do well in the NBA (only one has ever won an NBA championship and that was this year). Plus, would he really like having Kobe Bryant being able to not only boss him around but have him fired at any time? I dont think so.
On a different note, as much as I liked my birthday there's a bitter side to it as well. My 2 best friends were out of town and I miss them both. Plus I missed Lauren both times she was able to get online in Spain and try to IM me. I feel realy bad about that...I can't even contact Carl either (stupid Spanish governor school blocking out all English...) I'll see them soon enough though. Can't wait for that. Anyways, until later!
Mood: Bipolarly filled w/ breathless joy and longing for my friends
Music: California Dreaming by the Mamas and the Papas
written by Dan@ 04:30 p.m.
Monday, June 14, 2004
reality check
Life is certainly interesting. It throws all sorts of stuff at you and sometimes you're just left to get up and dust yourself off. And sometimes it throws nothing at you....and that’s just as bad.
Since getting back from school I’ve been very bored. Unfortunately I'm not the sort of person who particularly enjoys doing nothing and get bored rather easily. I guess I have a lot of energy. This has regrettably led to some disagreements and general unpleasantness w/ some people (you know who you are) b/c, well, I really have nothing to do. I still don’t have a job like most people I know so I have a lot of extra time to do nothing in and it’s been rather crushing in many ways.
What’s interesting is how I got myself reinvigorated. It was w/ the stupidest thing: a contest. Both political parties are allowing an 18-24 year old speaker to speak at their conventions, chosen from submitted essays on the importance of politics. I'm very political and hope one day to make such things my livelihood, so I jumped at the chance. I wrote a speech and submitted it and tomorrow I find out if I'm one of the finalists.
I really want to win this thing. If I win I get to speak in front of thousands of people(maybe even millions since it'll be on MTV), probably get photo-opted, and get to jumpstart my political career by going to the Democratic National Convention. I know I'll probably be let down and I hope I don't get crushed under the weight of my own dreams and ambitions. I can't help but think my time has finally come though. That I'll finally get some measure of recognition and an opportunity that I'll use to its fullest. I've lived so long in the shadows of other people and its time to finally free myself. I know it isn't much but this contest is still some measure of recognition, not to mention my first great opportunity if I use it well. I just hope that if I get let down my friends will be there for me and that I won't let it get to Me.
I do feel, though, that I'm on the brink of maturity, both socially and intellectually. It took me awhile to learn certain things, like how to be both charming and honest, but in many ways I'm still in adolescence. I don't feel like my intellect has quite blossomed yet, like I still have a ways to go naturally before I really have to push myself. I know I have a ways to go socially before I can reach my potential there. I'm still awkward there. I know what to do on some level, but I don't always do or say the right thing and that bothers me. I know I can do better. I know that, somewhere deep inside, I have charm and charisma to spare. Somewhere there is a version of me that people are drawn to, who can command respect b/c he's worked hard for it. It's a gut feeling I guess. I just think that there's so much more to me than what I am now and that I haven't explored my limits (my true limits) socially and academically. I think it's true but I just need some proof for myself. Maybe that’s why this contest has so much importance for me. It's a chance for me to prove to myself that I can captivate people with my voice and appearance, that I can win hearts and minds just by saying what I believe. Most of all, that I can have a confidence in myself that I've never really had. I don't expect it to just happen; I need to work hard in both respects. I want to realize the charisma, confidence, and intellect I deep down always knew I had and never look back. I don't want to become an egocentric asshole however. I want what is essentially me to remain the same. I feel I have a sense of humility though and I wonder if humility and confidence act against each other. I hope they don't. It's one thing to have a healthy ego but is it possible to have confidence in yourself and yet be humble? That remains to be seen. Lack of confidence in myself has always held me back. Don't get me wrong, I do have confidence in myself but just in a very select area of my life. I want that to spread to the rest of my life. I think the quality of my life will improve greatly if it does.
Whew! That was quite a load to get off my chest. I think that’s enough for now. I'll probably post something tomorrow just so everyone knows how I did. Goodnight!
Mood: Pretty good right now, although a little on the pensive side....
Music: Elephant by the White Stripes
written by Dan@ 10:18 p.m.
Thursday, May 20, 2004
Nice Guys Shouldn't Have to be Last
Hola everyone. I found this one the web and thought it was worth a reprint. So this is to all the nice guys out there:
"This is a tribute to the nice guys. The nice guys that finish last, that never become more than friends, that endure hours of whining and bitching about what assholes guys are, while disproving the very point. This is dedicated to those guys who always provide a shoulder to lean on but restrain themselves to tentative hugs, those guys who hold open doors and give reassuring pats on the back and sit patiently outside the changing room at department stores. This is in honor of the guys that obligingly reiterate how cute/beautiful/smart/funny/sexy their female friends are at the appropriate moment, because they know most girls need that litany of support. This is in honor of the guys with open minds, with laid-back attitudes, with honest concern. This is in honor of the guys who respect a girl’s every facet, from her privacy to her theology to her clothing style.
This is for the guys who escort their drunk, bewildered female friends back from parties and never take advantage once they’re at her door, for the guys who accompany girls to bars as buffers against the rest of the creepy male population, for the guys who know a girl is fishing for compliments but give them out anyway, for the guys who always play by the rules in a game where the rules favor cheaters, for the guys who are accredited as boyfriend material but somehow don’t end up being boyfriends, for all the nice guys who are overlooked, underestimated, and unappreciated, for all the nice guys who are manipulated, misled, and unjustly abandoned, this is for you.
This is for that time she left 40 urgent messages on your cell phone, and when you called her back, she spent three hours painstakingly dissecting two sentences her boyfriend said to her over dinner. And even though you thought her boyfriend was a chump and a jerk, you assured her that it was all ok and she shouldn’t worry about it. This is for that time she interrupted the best killing spree you’d ever orchestrated in GTA3 to rant about a rumor that romantically linked her and the guy she thinks is the most repulsive person in the world. And even though you thought it was immature and you had nothing against the guy, you paused the game for two hours and helped her concoct a counter-rumor to spread around the floor. This is also for that time she didn’t have a date, so after numerous vows that there was nothing “serious” between the two of you, she dragged you to a party where you knew nobody, the beer was awful, and she flirted shamelessly with you, justifying each fit of reckless teasing by announcing to everyone: “oh, but we’re just friends!” And even though you were invited purely as a symbolic warm body for her ego, you went anyways. Because you’re nice like that.
The nice guys don’t often get credit where credit is due. And perhaps more disturbing, the nice guys don’t seem to get laid as often as they should. And I wish I could logically explain this trend, but I can’t. From what I have observed on campus and what I have learned from talking to friends at other schools and in the workplace, the only conclusion I can form is that many girls are just illogical, manipulative bitches. Many of them claim they just want to date a nice guy, but when presented with such a specimen, they say irrational, confusing things such as “oh, he’s too nice to date” or “he would be a good boyfriend but he’s not for me” or “he already puts up with so much from me, I couldn’t possibly ask him out!” or the most frustrating of all: “no, it would ruin our friendship.” Yet, they continue to lament the lack of datable men in the world, and they expect their too-nice-to-date male friends to sympathize and apologize for the men that are jerks. Sorry, guys, girls like that are beyond my ability to fathom. I can’t figure out why the connection breaks down between what they say (I want a nice guy!) and what they do (I’m going to sleep with this complete ass now!). But one thing I can do, is say that the nice-guy-finishes-last phenomenon doesn’t last forever. There are definitely many girls who grow out of that train of thought and realize they should be dating the nice guys, not taking them for granted. The tricky part is finding those girls, and even trickier, finding the ones that are single.
So, until those girls are found, I propose a toast to all the nice guys. You know who you are, and I know you’re sick of hearing yourself described as ubiquitously nice. But the truth of the matter is, the world needs your patience in the department store, your holding open of doors, your party escorting services, your propensity to be a sucker for a pretty smile. For all the crazy, inane, absurd things you tolerate, for all the situations where you are the faceless, nameless hero, my accolades, my acknowledgement, and my gratitude go out to you. You do have credibility in this society, and your well deserved vindication is coming."
Though I don't agree with everything here (the girls as bitches part mostly. They can be manipulative bitches but most girls I know and pretty much all the girls I'm friends with are defintiely not bitches). This little article certainly touched me (I don't think I'm being humble when I say that I think I'm a genuinely nice guy) and I certainly think all the nice guys out there need their props. By the way, there is a counterpart for all those girls who fell for a friend and had to worry about the consequences. If anybody wants the link just ask me....Anyways, everybody enjoy the begining of summer or end of school. May parties occur in ample numbers!
Mood: School's over! aka happy and a tiny bit bored
Music: Never Mind the Bollocks: Here's the Sex Pistols! by the Sex Pistols....great 70's, anarchist punk. check it out.
written by Dan@ 06:20 p.m.
Wednesday, April 14, 2004
I still hate George W. Bush
"We're not an imperial power ... We're a liberating power,"
Bush actually uttered those words yesterday, in defense of his war in Iraq. When I read that i was in shock. That statement is extremely similar to the rhetoric used by Britain, France, and the rest of Europe to justify Imperialism in the 1800's. I'm not sure Bush realizes this himself (I'm pretty sure his knowledge of history, particularly history of the world outside of America, is very poor) but by saying we are there to liberate the Iraqis, he is co-opting terminology used by Britain to justify their rule over Egpyt, India, and Africa and by France to justify their rule over Western Africa. It's sickening. Despite what Bush would like us to think, indeed what he himself probably thinks, the United States of America is an imperialist superpower. We invaded and have maintained rule over a sovereign nation. We even recently put down an insurrection! Thanks to Bush, we have a situation that I'm sure we couldn't conceive even 4 years ago: other countries fear the United States. They don't fear overt imperial expansion by the US but they fear the precedent that Bush has seemingly established by the example of Iraq. The United States can, on less than reliable evidence, invade a country, depose the leadership, and place a friendlier government in power (or at least try...). Thats downright scary. Its also sad when a President of the United States is considered to by the greatest current threat to world peace by a majority of a continent with similar values and a similar culture.
Bush should not and does not deserve to be reelected under any circumstances. The biggest reason in my mind: Bush managed to take a world reunited behind US leadership and turn everyone agaisnt us! People were willing to support the United States in the war on terror after 9/11 but the Administration instead chose to cynically pursue its agenda established upon entering office. They have used politics of fear to get people to accept a neoconservative agenda that most people in America would probably reject if they weren't constantly told that there is a constant threat of terrorism. Bush has formed no alliances, fostered no new relationships. He has done very little to actually win the war on terror. Although there is a military side to this war, it is a war for people's hearts and minds. Bush has done nothing to dissuade people in 'rogue nations' to stop perceiving the US as evil. In fact, Iraq is probably the greatest recruiting tool Al Qaeda has ever had. The country has enough holy sites to anger Shi'a religious sentiments and the act of invasion itself has radicalized many Iraqis.
What puzzles me is how Bush still has positive approval ratings. There has been report after report about how Bush has been less than forthcoming with, well about everything. From information about WMDs in Iraq to his own Administration's awareness of Al Qaeda's true treat potential before 9/11, Bush has in no way, shape, or form proven that his Adminstration is good at anything other than manipulating the truth and the public. The fact that Bush was only able to combat Kerry with his large funds given to him from corporate donors shows where his true alleigiances lie.
I hate to say this, but if Bush wins the election I predict that some very sinister changes will take effect. Its only a matter of time before his political opposition ends up in places like Gitmo, at least if the Padilla case goes in Bush's favor and proves that Bush can in fact revoke basic constitutional rights if someone is an 'enemy combatant'. It's only one more step to take peaceful political opposition and start doing the same. Things like that do not happen overnight, they happen in babysteps because average citizens give them the opportunity. The best thing anyone can do is fight against such blatant disreagrd for human rights. Remember, Bush has closed the Guantanimo prison to UN inspectors and thus removed it from the 'contraints' of the Geneva Convention; the government can do whatever they see fit tot eh prisoners there including things that we found in prisons in Iraq. Civil Rights are a very important concept that we should cherish and protect. Its time to protect them by voting out the greatest threat to our liberties. The fact that Bush can't admit his Administration has made a single, solitary mistake since 9/11 shows that they are so arrogant and self-righteous and self-deluded that the Adminstration can't be trusted and certainly shouldn't be reelected.
Ok thats enough from me for now. Just needed to get that off my chest. Bush really annoys the living hell outta me. He also represents everything I think is wrong with the system: the power of money and corporations, the reliance on the politics of fear, the reluctance to admit and fix mistakes, the outright arrogance, the avoidance of actual debate on significant issues, the willingness to sacrifice this coutnry's future for political gain now, I could go on and on. Anyways, thats my anti-Bush rant. I'm sure they'll be more as the election gets closer. Anyways, thanks for your time and goodbye.
Mood: 2 weeks left of classes aka stressed by happy
Music: Nothing consistent but when that HFStival list is released....
written by Dan@ 12:59 a.m.
Tuesday, April 6, 2004
That time fo year
Hello everybody. It's finally, finally April...now it just needs to start acting like it. Why is it under 60 or even 40?! I just dont get it sometimes....
Well this past weekend was throughly great. Carl came to check out UVA and we ended up having a great time. Pool and the Final Four is just the perfect mix. It was also nice to just hang out w/ Carl again. It also indicates that this week will be awesome too, espcially when Lauren visits. I just hope that her coming on my busy Thursday doesn't rip that plan to shreds.
The only other thing of note right now is that Passover started last night. I love Passover...at least for a few days. It can get really repetitive and probably will sooner than usual since I'm not a cook and can't try to find ways around the usual Matzah and gefilte fish. I also just really miss having a seder with family and friends that involves a huge meal. The hillel's thing was fine but its not the same....
The girl situation is its usual non-existant self. What really makes this frustrating is that most if not all my friends have a boy/girlfriend right now. Many of my friends at college, even the ones who dont care much for dating, have been through more than one. While I dont mind them talking about it, I am getting sick of hearing, directly or indirectly, how much happier I'd be if I dated. I'd also like a girl close to me to flirt w/. Hotornot.com's ok, but regardless of how hot that girl is, it's still over the internet and I am still skeptical. Plus it'd just be a huge boost in confidence to have a crush. For some reason, I havent meet anyone at UVA I'm attracted to. Oh well, there's always next year...
A couple other notes: April 8th is the anniversary of Kurt Cobain's suicide (at least the discovery of his body...)so I'm gonna listen to Nirvana music all day. The music industry truly needs someone like him...they lack something called 'originality'. Also, Office Space is an awesome movie. It's for anyone who's ever dreaded going to work or school on a Monday morning. Although between that and Fight Club I may be watching too many anarchist/anti-society movies....
Mood: Pretty good..this is a (relatively) easy week
Music: Rammstein Mutter then, on April 8th, every Nirvana thing I have
written by Dan@ 12:50 p.m.
Thursday, March 25, 2004
i return
I am back after a loooooooong hiatus. Ive decided to go w/ a more traditional blog from now on. So,without further ado...
Today was ok. I went to classes and managed to work hard at getting caught up. And I found time to play Bhash at Soul Caliber and watch some 24 down at Courtney. Good times.
There is some minutely interesting news. I met a girl named Christa on the way back from O-Hill. She seemed like a nice girl in the 5 or so minutes I talked to her....and she was pretty good looking. The only reason this is exciting is that this is the first new girl I've met outside of classes this semester and she introduced herself to me (I think this is a good thing...) I'm also hoping that this is an omen of sorts, that things are going to start getting better. Anyways I'll see if I can write here more often. ttyl
Mood: Doing better but still in shock
Music: Mad World both Tears for Fears version and the Gary Jules one
written by Dan@ 06:38 p.m.
Wednesday, January 7, 2004
it's been awhile
Hello my remaining readers. Its been awhile. I've been very lazy and I've been enjoying my break from school. It's nice not having anything to do for an extended period of time and there's a bonus: my next semester won't be the neverending flow of work the last one was. Go me!
One thing i rediscovered recently was television. Unfortunately, it's mostly dead tv. My favorite 4 shows are The Simpsons, Family Guy, Futurama, and Seinfeld. Only one of those shows still has new episodes, and it won't for long.
Why is this? Well, part of it is that I can't stand reality tv. Ironically, reality shows always seem so canned and idiotic. Most of the situations in these shows just...never....happen! No guy has 25 girls trying to marry him in a game in real life. Now I wish I had 25 girls trying to have sex with me, but even that's more reasonable than The Bachelor. When something like Friends seems realistic compared to a so-called reality show.
Anyways, I go back to school on the 11th. It should be awesome. I have 4 days before classes begin and rush starts that week. I'm certainly not missing my chance to exploit the frats for a change. Anyways I'll hopefully update soon. ttyl
Mood: lazy
Music: The Strokes, Radiohead, The Offspring, and The Who
written by Dan@ 10:51 p.m.
Friday, December 12, 2003
ranting!
Hey everybody! Finals are almost over, so it's time to stop being lazy and update this thing. It is my voice on the net after all...
Video game violence seems to be in the news again, and this time for a quite humorous reason. A group of media watchdogs, called the national Institute on Media and Family, has coined a new word to describe violent games: killographic. Despite the fact that there were existing words in that huge tome called the 'English dictionary' to describe excessive violence (there's one!), this organization has decided to make up a word that sounds like pornography. Not only does it sound like something Bush would create but it also does the job of making gamers seem like sick, demented freaks. Seriously, the word makes it sound like gamers get off on killing people not to mention the general audacity of just creating a word out of thin air because earlier words didn’t fit your connotations.
I also stumbled on an even more extreme advocacy group, called Mothers Against Videogame Addiction and Violence (MAVAV). Yes you read right...addiction. On their website they state that videogames are exactly like drugs and alcohol only more harmful, since every game ever made teaches little children how to brutally kill. Let’s just run through some basic refutations...
First off, they claim that using cute franchise characters is a practice of the tobacco industry to lure children to cigarettes. Here's another fact, it's also how the movie industry gets little children to watch movies as well. And how Disney makes all its money. Using cute characters is a tried and true practice in entertainment for getting little kids in to the medium that long predates videogaming. Just because it has been used by the tobacco industry doesn't make the analogy correct. Second, the statements that videogaming makes people depressed and obese social outcasts isn't only untrue, it's a stereotype that proves this group did no research beyond 3 people (after finding 3 depressed gamers anyways...). Here's an interesting little tidbit for you: very few gamers I know only play videogames. Most of them (like with me and basketball) have some sort of sport they also play. Second, so many people play games now, including those who are in the popular clique (you can't post a figure saying how big the videogame industry is and have this stereotype on the same page). That fact that this group stuck to an old stereotype shows how much research they actually put in. Third, the existence of warez does not make all gamers felons and thieves, as their generalization gleefully points out. That would be like saying that watching movies will make you want to buy illegal DVD's.
In the next section of their site, they had the audacity to try and justify their belief in 'videogame addiction'. Their symptoms include gaming binges, poor academic performance, and playing online rpg's. First off, gaming binges just mean the kid has too much free time and most people don't play games for more than an hour or two, with a few exceptions (particular games for example). Its no big deal, I go on reading binges a lot more often and very few non-hardcore gamers play for more than an hour anyways. The argument about academic performance is just insulting. I hate to have to justify a point this way, but I did very well in school and I am a hardcore gamer. I got 5 5's on my AP tests and am attending the University of Virginia (tied for top public university with Berkeley). Not only that, most of my gamer friends are doing fine in school and will probably go to fine universities. A couple may even end up in an Ivy League school (you know who you are). To say that a gamer only does well in computer classes (and needs professional help!) is absurdly insulting to me. Finally, Online RPG's are generally time-consuming but 1. parents have control over them since it require a monthly fee (to maintain the server which, MAVAV, is freaking expensive) and 2. is something that most human beings can play and still be productive human beings. Let me just say this: if videogames are addictive then so are movies and sports. Also, despite what conclusions people seem to draw, a central tenet of psychology is that CAUSATION DOES NOT EQUAL CORRELATION. That means that just because studies show children viewing violence could become more violent, doesn't mean that the games are at fault. Why? Because the human psyche is far more complicated than that simple cause and effect. There are simply too many variables to draw a conclusion. Here's a good example of why that's untrue: Grand Theft Auto 3 has sold 9.3 million copies. If a correlation existed, violent crime in the United States would increase greatly and mostly in middle to upper class neighborhoods. As it is, violent crime hasn't increased nearly enough (and certainly not in the right areas of the country) to justify such a simplistic statement. Not only that, I play many violent videogames and I am more or less a pacifist (when it comes to dealing with personal problems anyways). Here's a better question for MAVAV: why are human beings attracted to violence in the first places? Are these games tapping into a part of our nature that civilization has displaced? Who knows, but answering these questions would do far more good than blaming a scapegoat.
Before I go, I just want to say that i agree with this gamespy editorial. The ESRB really has surpassed the movie ratings in effectiveness because they introduced something quite helpful to parents: descriptions on what objectionable content the game contains. The movie industry only recently did something similar (after ESRB), and their descriptions aren't nearly as good. It also brings to mind another interesting point of the issue: how the rating system is not enforced because the parents find it to be too much of a hassle (that's why Best Buy, Babbage's, and many others stopped enforcing it, because many parents complained that it was too much of a hassle for them. Believe me, these chains were surprised at it too...) Not only that, parents usually don’t know the ratings since they don't play games. Both these things need to be fixed. It is still up to the parents to be good parents and keep things they find objectionable out of their children's hands. Not only that it's their job to recognize when there's a problem. The Columbine Shootings didn't happen because the kids played DOOM, it happened because the parents didn't notice that their troubled kids (who where bullied quite often) horded weapons in their garage. Of course, groups like MAVAV would never blame parents when there’s something easier to blame. That’s just human nature.
Anyways, I'm heading home soon. This semester is almost over and it feels soooo good. No more calculus for me, ever!
Music: Hit That by The Offspring
Mood: Good, now that I have only one final left
written by Dan@ 09:06 a.m.
Monday, December 1, 2003
The end is near....
Hello everyone out there. I've gotten very inconsistent with blogging (despite my intentions)but I think it's time i updated. So, here we go...
Finals week is almost upon me. I have my first final tomorrow (and spent a loooong time studying for it today) and get to spend this week spending at least 4-5 hours a day in Clark library studying...in addition to my usual (albeit reduced) load of homework. What makes finals even more interesting (for me anyways) is that I have 3 during the first 2 days then 6 days till the next one. No classes or anything to clutter my day in between. It's gonna be fine till people start leaving...although I DO have the room to myself after Wednesday...not that I'm gonna take advantage of it...0:}.
The end of the semester certainly caught me by surprise. Not in the bad way, I was prepared for my tests and whatnot, but it was just a shock to wake up this morning and realize that its December!
On that note, it was so awesome to see my old friends again. Hanging out with you all again made me wish that we could party together at college, without worrying about parents. Oh well, that’s life...gotta move on. There's always visiting though....
Anyways, I have finals to study for and (hopefully) women to charm (thats for the weekend...I think). Those seem to be the major focal points in my life...school and sex...something like that. Anyways, ttyl and good luck on finals/midterms/holiday shopping to everyone!
Mood: Incredibly overworked...I don't care that it's not a mood....
Music: Credence Clearwater Revival- Bad Moon Rising, Have You Ever Seen the Rain and, Lookin Out my Backdoor
P.S. I feel the muse returning so I'll probably get started on my first book over winter break. At the rate I'm writing it, I'll have the first draft done by the time I'm forty.
written by Dan@ 07:26 p.m.
Thursday, November 13, 2003
Some reviews and life
Whats up everybody? I have 2 reviews to post as well as some general information about my life (which I'm sure is why people visit this site....)
Review Number 1: Matrix Revolutions
I think its reasonable to expect most people who visit my site to know what The Matrix is so I'll just give a quick review. It wasn't bad but it wasn't a fitting end to the trilogy either. The special effects were great but the deeper story was negelcted and almost all philosophy cut out. The ending also was disappointing for reasons I won't elaborate on because it turns my site into a series of spoilers. Thats basically my review: it's ok.
The second review is of a book I just finished, The Mouse that Roared by Leonard Wibberley. The book is about a small, fictional country (2 handicaps...) that declares war on the United States so that we rebuild them and cause their state to prosper again. I loved this book. The humor is, well, humorous and the anti-war message not only a great reflection on the Cold War but also translates well to the modern era. The book really has some chilling parallels to the War on Terrorism. The writing is also impecable and the book on the whole well-crafted; I would recommend this to anybody who either loves politics or just wants a good laugh.
Sports collectors are one group of people that amaze me. They seem to pay for some of the oddest items. As some of you might remember, a Cubs fan accidentally bobbled a ball that, for many, was the definite point where the Cubs collapsed in the playoffs. This ball is now going up for auction, starting at 00. Hwat amazes me is that a Cubs' fan is the one auctioning off the ball. Why would he try to profit off his team's misfortune? Why n ot burn the ball and ask whatever forces have cursed the Cubs to back off for awhile and let them win a few pennants. It couldn't hurt plus you wouldn't have that thought in the back of your head that you were using blood money of sorts....
Anyways, things are pretty good here. I've got next semester to choose (gotta see how I'm gonna torture myself after winter break) but, before that, I have Thanksgiving and finals. Thanksgiving should be a blast, provided I find a way home since my usual ride has the flu. It's gonna be great to see the old people from high school again, not to mention a guranteed homecooked meal this time. I also hope hanging out with my friends from high school resembles my experiences with college (2 words: Iron Chef). Anyways, time to get back to the usual. Ttyl.
Mood: Good, but could be better (especially if I was taken :})
Music: Bad Moon Rising by Credence Clearwater Revival and Clint Eastwood by the Gorillaz
written by Dan@ 07:04 p.m.
Tuesday, November 4, 2003
2003: An election for something....
It's been awhile but I'm back. Things have finally calmed down (aka midterms are over)so I can finally get back to whats important in life...writing (humorous things especially)
As many of you know, today is Election Day. Today is the day that we vote for your President and our Congressmen....except this year its more like county sheriffs and schoolboard members. While these people are important too, running a schoolboard just kinda pales to running the country. It just doesn't sell as well to the masses. America has enough trouble getting its citizens to vote for president, a position that allows someone to control our military and execute laws. It's near impossible to get people to vote for somebody who's only responsibility is to run the school system.
One group that traditionally doesn't vote in high numbers is college students. Although there are many reasons for this, I can think of one: we don't get school off on Election Day. In fact, the only people who do get Election Day off are the people who can't vote, with the exception of the 18 year-old high school seniors. Shouldn't it be, I don't know... the other way around?
Anyways, what we really need as a country is to boast voting. I think the easiest way to get people to at least register would be to promise a day off from work/classes on Election Day. Registration in the US would skyrocket...Of course, there would probably be parties on Monday night at some colleges. We'll call them "Kegs for Democracy"
I think that about covers things. Nothing much going on in my life...midterms kind of robbed me of my life for a few weeks....Tomorrow is Matrix Revolutions, I'm reading some interesting stuff, and I'm working out again (aka basketball). I'll also try to add a tagboard soon; it might be up before the next post. Until next time...
Mood: not bad...not bad at all...:}
Music: Ignition by The Offspring and I Kissed a Drunk Girl by Something Corporate
written by Dan@ 07:50 p.m.
Tuesday, November 4, 2003
From the Grave....
Long time no post...I'm just posting this to tell everyone that I will be posting again very very soon. Something like today or tomorrow. I'll also be adding a comments board, as well as updating the flavor of the month (it is Novembr after all...) and the book post. Talk to ya all soon!
written by Dan@ 01:31 p.m.
Thursday, October 23, 2003
I Wonder Sometimes....
What a week...Between Midterms and Pitas being a pain (I didn't have my page for a few days), I certainly have had trouble finding my way back to this URL...
My muse seems to have fled for a bit. I tried writng some stuff earkier but it wasn't any good. I should have an actual entry soon enough....
Mood: Homecoming better be good......
Music: DUI by the Offspring and Identity Crisis by Thrice
written by Dan@ 05:02 p.m.
Tuesday, October 21, 2003
Back (maybe in Black, maybe not)
Really posted on Wednesday, October 15, 2003
I return from the dead! I seem to be in a constant fight with the internet; I haven't had internet for most of the last week. I figure its time I updated.... Of course, I'm back in more than one way. This weekend I got to return home for the first time since leaving.
Returning home that first time is a weird experience. Just downright weird. I'm not used to having someone trying to take care of me anymore. This was the first weekend in a month where I didn't go to a drunken party and where I didn't stay out till to (what normal, sane people consider) a ridiculously late time in the early morning. I think the latest I went to bed during the weekend was 1, which is the earliest I've gone to bed all month during a weekend. Things were very quiet and sedate.
On the other hand, I think I learned how much I missed old Fairfax/Chantilly. It was nice catching up with a few (very few) of my old friends (aka, Lauren, Carl, and Scott.) It was also kinda nice to relive high school for a bit. High school for meant playing video games at night and only rarely going to parties. How times have changed....
It was also nice to get my laundry for free and to get a nice homecooked meal...even if it was only 1 night...(hint hint). I definitely enjoyed having a car again. I'd almost forgotten how much fun it is to drive...makes me wish my family truckster could come with me.
One thing this made me realize, however, is how much I miss my old friends. I have my new friends here but I knew the old group for so long. It’s just not the same over IM. I'm hoping to see you all someday. Meanwhile, we live our lives as we have been...
Sorry, nothing funny this week. Sometimes, it’s fine to just be serious. On a side note, I'm gonna start writing again soon. Hopefully this story is gonna get me published....
Mood: Bracing for Midterms
Music:What if God Smoked Cannabis by "Weird Al" Yankovic
written by Dan@ 11:22 a.m.
Saturday, October 4, 2003
Poetry
What up to all my friends out there! Thank god this week is over. Too many tests and too much homework. It’s maddening....
I think we can all agree that our president is not the brightest bulb in the box. He definitely is a media darling though and some of the things about him in the news are just unbelievable (or put there by his reelection committee). Today on CNN.com, they had a story on a poem he wrote to his wife.
I may seem like a literary snob, but poems of the "roses are red, violets are blue" variety are generally not in high literary standing. Most of the time, they seemed to be used in some kind of schoolyard insult. "Roses are red/ violets are blue/ you are ugly/ and stupid too." I can almost imagine Bush putting his thumb on his nose and going "nyahh nyahh!!!!"
What’s really sad is not just how this is newsworthy (that’s a scary enough thought without going deeper into it) but how Bush writes a little poem and its likely to be the only poem most people give any serious thought to. When most people write a poem, it is thoroughly ignored by the public. Of course, being president has its advantages. You get free dinners in DC, your writings get published with little or no trouble, you can fight undeclared wars against people you don’t like ("they tried to kill my daddy!!!")....stuff like that.
This is probably going to be my last post before Yom Kippur so I wish everybody a happy Monday. On the other hand, I have my fall reading break coming up! 4 day weekend! I may go home; I haven't decided yet. It doesn't look like many people are going to stay so it’s more likely that I'll be eating a cooked meal and getting my laundry done for free next weekend. Good stuff. Till then...talk to ya all later
Music: Infinity in your Hands by DJ Darkzone, We Are All Made of Stars by Moby, and all of Californication by Red Hot Chili Peppers
Savior and Right on Time are underappreciated
Mood: Not bad if I must say so myself....
written by Dan@ 03:24 p.m.
Tuesday, September 30, 2003
SEX!!! Now that I have your attention....
Hey everybody! I need to update this page more often; nothing quite beats humorous quips about society and life in general. It’s also fun to take out my anger on stuff that I don't like and mask it as humor (you all know it’s true).
The search for a girlfriend is gonna start pretty soon. I've waited my month and now its time to get a little more serious about life at college (well not on this page). Plus it'd be nice to have some fun with girls outside of the dance floor...Other than that, life goes on in college much as it has all month. Reading, homework, basketball, homework, reading, partying, reading, homework...you get the picture.
Necessity may be the mother of invention but it also seems to spawn a lot of laws as well. Laws that, when looked at by other people who aren't affected, seem downright hilarious. Reading through any state's or county's law books yields some incredibly pointless and funny law. What's really funny though, is what the law implies. Somebody had to something to get that law enacted. Why else would Fairfax County (home sweet home...) have a law against using a pogo stick on a bus? Or Michigan have a law prohibiting tying an alligator to a fire hydrant? You can almost imagine the court trial for that one....
New Jersey recently enacted a law saying it’s illegal to drive when drowsy. It’s a nice idea and at first seems like a waste of time and paper. People should be smart enough to know when they're too tired to drive and recognize that driving when you can barely keep your eyes open is dangerous. For some reason, though, common sense seems to fail people when they drive. I've seen people eat and talk on their cell phone while driving with their knees. I have an idea for people like that...try concentrating on the activity that could kill you! There always seem to be people who act as if they are invincible whenever they enter a car. They could be perfectly sane people outside of a car; people you can joke around with, party with, eat lunch with, never hurt a fly, etc... Then they get behind the wheel and become some kind of homicidal maniac bent on arriving on time...at any cost. All the other drivers are expendable.
That’s about it for now. I'll try to update fairly soon. I should have some golden material with the recall election...
Mood: Mood is good, even if homework is not...
Music: Too much to name here....
written by Dan@ 03:04 p.m.
Tuesday, September 23, 2003
The Pickup Line
Greetings from UVA. With the holidays almost upon us (if you're Jewish anyways...), I need to get my post up...
As some of you know, I like parties. I go to lots and lots of parties on the weekends (and always seem to leave thirsty...) I also like girls. They go to the parties so its a good combination.
When you go to parties, you're bound to hear some pretty idiotic things. It doesn't matter whether the people are sober or not. People just seem to let their brain cells disappear at parties. They go into hiding (maybe scared off by all the noise) and they don't return till the next morning. Thats why the hangover hurts. Not because you've been drinking; thats only part of the reason. The other is that the brain cells that disappeared the night before are fighting to get back. They aren't happy either. I mean, they were just evicted from their home. You'd be pissed too...
One example of this is The Pickup Line. This is the ultimate example of abandonment by your brain cells. You go up to some person, often someone you don't know, and ask them, point blank, to have sex with you. Lets look at the logic there. Someone you don't know + lack of wit or subtlety + sex = no sex for you tonight. I have never seen a pickup line work. They try to show the person being witty but usually prove the opposite. Some of the wit makes Dan Quayle look like a Nobel laureate. Now I don't know much about girls but I'm pretty sure making them cringe then curl up in the fetal position in the corner (if they're sober) or laugh at you and make demeaning remarks about your anatomy (if they're drunk) is the best way to get some.
Life is good right now. I had a great weekend, even without power for a day. Going to bed at 4:30 never felt so good....On a side note, I'm changing the Flavor of the Month but Whitehouse.org is definitely going into its own spot on my info side. Until the next post, have a great next few days and l'shana tova b'tekatahvooh (thats a happy new year for those gentiles out there).
Mood: I feel downeight sexy...I mean...happy now
Music: Eleanor Rigby by the Beatles coupled with AFI
written by Dan@ 11:45 a.m.
Tuesday, September 16, 2003
Gee...thanks for the new information
Usually I don't update this much (as most of my small readership knows) but sometimes you read something that you can't pass up...
Apparently in Britain, a survey was conducted about Instant Messenger in the workplace. They concluded that IM is usually used for personal purposes rather than business purposes. Stuff like flirting, talking to friends, making fun of your boss, etc...
Now what suprised me is that they needed a scientific survey to determine this. Apparently the people who do this sort of research either don't have children (quite possible) or they don't have computers. I've never seen IM used for anything remotely productive, unless you consider talking to people productive (I certainly do...). Even times when people try to make IM conversations productive, they break down into the usual gossip topics. Thats just the nature of the medium. And a 5 minute look at their teenage son's or daughter's IM conversations would have made given them the information they needed without spending a dime (especially if they were supposed to be doing homework at the time)
Anyways, not much here. Just resting up between classes. My search for a ride doesn't seem to be going well and hurricane Isabel may make that all irrelevant anyways. Who knows? If anybody does know tell me please. I need it. Badly.....TTYL!
written by Dan@ 11:12 a.m.
Sunday, September 14, 2003
Review of Ubik
Greetings from UVA! I just finished another book so it's time for the review.
The book I have just finished is Philip Dick's Ubik. In case you can't tell, I've been reading a lot of Dick lately and it hasn't been a bad thing. Dick is a great science fiction writer; he manages to use simple prose in books about extremely complicated issues regarding reality. Ubik, however, was excellent. The book is about a world where Psychics and Precogs (people who can see the future) exist and are repressed by corporations (called prudence organizations) who use inertials, people who neutralize their powers. This world is a hypercapitalism, where corporations dominate and a person can't even get into their house without paying.The book is about one of these organizations who go to the moon with the prospect of getting a once in a lifetime job. It turns out to be a trap and their boss is killed. However, strange events and occurances lead the inertials to think that all is not as it seems....
First off, this book is very, very complicated.
The book deals with whats real and whats not, and constantly tries to throw the reader off. When the book takes a certain stance, something comes up that makes that view seem incorrect. It is an onion. The more you peel the more you get. However, that doesn't make this book bad at all. It is very good. The book is very well-written and the characters, despite their powers, are normal people in an abnormal situation. They are well presented and the reader can envision them and relate to them. Like other Dick books, the humor makes the book very well-rounded. It lightens up the mood and makes the book even more compelling.
Time for the news. Not much has been happening here. I didn't get to go to JMU as I had planned, which sucked thouroughly. I was really hoping to have a fun time w/ my friend Nikki...in her girls dorm...I managed to make the best of the situation, and hopefully I'll make my way there next weekend.
This whole experience getting to JMU has brought up an interesting issue; why is it that there is a bus that goes directly from JMU to UVA but not the other way around? I mean, there is obviously a lot of traffic between the 2 colleges. A lot of guys and gals have their significant others in the other college and there is definitely a lot of traffic both ways. It would make sense. Sadly, colleges are not known for doing things that make sense. No school really is for that matter....And its definitely better than spending 10 hours on a Greyhound bus...
Anyways, thats all for now. Not much in the way of humor. Just a book review and a rant. Until next time...bye and have a great week.
Music: Lots of Nirvana and SOAD
Mood: Happy if overworked....
written by Dan@ 01:38 p.m.
Wednesday, September 10, 2003
The Soapbox Returnith
Hi everybody! Once again, its time for me to update this site, mostly because I feel like it and partly because I know there are people outside my family who read this page.
I feel the need to step on top of my soapbox and criticalize Bush. The topic is an oldie but goodie: taxes. Bush apparently did less studying in college than we thought and still thinks that money can just magically appear and not damage the economy. I hate to tell him, but spending more money while at the same time lowering your revenue is not the brighest of ideas. Most people when they have to spend more money try to...you know this sounds crazy, but...they try to make more money. No wonder Bush's oil company didn't do too well....
However, as my friend Lauren put it, Bush gives us all hope. If he can be president, it can't be nearly as hard as people think! All you have to do is be born in a family where you don't have to grow up till your mid-forties. Anyways, Bush argues that you don't raise taxes in a recovering economy (a valid statement). However, you don't increase spending either. When you have less money to spend, you spend less. Or spend more to create jobs New Deal style. However, all this cannot distract us from the crux of my arguement: Bush stills looks like a chimp. Getting off the soapbox now
College life has been...interesting for lack of a better word. On the one hand, I have all the freedom in the world! ...As long as its spent doing homework. On the other hand, I can stay up as late as I want! ....And do more homework...and maybe see a movie or play some games.
Well, there is a plus side. I can play music at all hours of the day! Both playing my instruments and my mp3's. It's great. However, I'm learning very quickly how much I can read in one day before my head explodes (I'm counting about 40 pages of stuff onthe Safavid's architechture combined with about 100 pages of other, more interesting stuff). On the other hand, I've found the greatest drug in the world to make it all better. Its cheap, its easy, and it requires you to take off your shirt :}. Its.... pool basketball!!!! That and a little soak in the hot tub afterwards....now thats a high.
Anyways, the major news of the week is that I'm going to JMU this weekend to hang w/ some old friends (and their new friends). It should be a blast, but I'll keep y'all posted. Until then...
Mood: Tired...Happy but tired (stupid homework)
Music: I'm in a Doors kinda mood (Light my Fire baby...just had to say that...)
written by Dan@ 10:38 p.m.
Sunday, September 7, 2003
Brunch
Hello hello everybody! I'm back again! Here to inform you all about my life and perspectives on all sorts of crazy issues...all before I eat. So without further adieu
Sunday mornings usually mean one thing to me...and its not recovery from whatever I did on Saturday night (although there is a lot of that too.. To me, Sundays are not a day of rest or anything like that. To me, Sundays mean brunch. Thats right, brunch, that little joke of a meal that tries to be 2 meals in one. However, thats what they serve here at the University on Sundays. On the one hand, its a smart move by them, since the majority of the people are either going to church or are too tired or hungover to wake up before noon.
Brunch, however, seems rather pointless to me. Why combine 2 meals. I'm a college student! I eat at all hours of the day! Just last night, my dormmates and I were trying to order pizza at 3 in the morning (not with much success I might add, the real world doesn't seem to runby our schedule...) These are the sorta people you have to plan meals for when you are a college. Most college students want to still have both breakfast and lunch even if they wake up at 3 in the afternoon. And even if they do eat two meals, its more likely to be 2 lunches...or brunch then lunch.
Enough of that. On a personal note, life is good right now. I'm finally starting to have fun at college :)! Its a great feeling...although it would've been better if UVA had won its football game but thats a tale for another day. Anyways, time for brunch! I'll talk to ya all later....
PS: a little secret, my name on the bottom doubles as my email address. Click it to email me...
Mood: I...I feel so alive :P
Music: Smash by the Offspring (the cd not the song)
written by Dan@ 10:28 a.m.
Monday, September 1, 2003
Here I am, rocking like a thunderstorm...
Its been awhile since I've updated, and the time has come. Personal information first.
College hasn't been the wild trip I expected it to be (and I've been kinda down in the dumps about it.) It is wild, but not in a way I can get into. A lot of people here like getting drunk, something I don't really appreciate. It didn't help that a lot of my friends seem to have gotten into it, which certainly hasn't made the adjustment any easier...
But I digress...on the the body! Its been raining a lot here lately. A lot of people seem to regard power outtages caused by lightning as a matter of course and not a huge inconvinience. What struck me as funny was how people were running and playing in the rain during one of these storms.
Its one thing to run around in the rain with your shirt off (in fact, I encourage it for some people ;)). Personally, I think the sky putting on a light show is a little discouraging. Lightning and people traditionally don't mix and when you can feel the shockwaves, nature is trying to tell you something about where you should be right then...
Anyways, heres a shout out to all my friends at college: I may neither approve of nor want to join in the stuff you're doing but I won't stop you. Just remember one simple thing: everything has a price and you pay for every drop of alcohol and hit of pot you put in your body. You pay on a very profound physical and mental level eventually and I know you all well enough to know that you don't want to pay the actual price. I also don't want to see ya all have to depend on that stuff for a good time. At that point, you'll find out just what i went through that Friday....
Ok, enough of that. Hope everybody's enjoying college and hopefully I can join you in that respect (even if my methods are different). Until I update again...nothing will happen to this site...and theres nothing you all can do about it! So, bye!
Mood: Still not great but better
Music: Polly Nirvana
written by Dan@ 06:02 p.m.
Monday, August 25, 2003
Here I am...
Hi everyone! I'm here at college and living life to it's fullest and enjoyin the freedom. I've met a lot of great new people and chicas calientes ;). But enough about me...time for the actual entry.
Its kinda funny how quickly people left the first-year dorms to go to Rugby road, the home of the frats (and the Hillel House). Its also funny how quickly the offer of bad beer lured so many people away and stopped any parties going on here. especially since its such a long walk back to the dorms. You'd think a drunk person would have trouble walking the 3/4 of a mile or so back...
I personally did not have any beer. Beer has always been a curiousity for me. It doesn't have enough alcohol to get you drunk quickly and it doesn't have a good taste. Yet it seems to be the drink of choice in the frat house, even though it doesn't do what it was made to do well. At least coffee has enough caffiene ot get you running and babbling incoherently in the morning to make it worth acquiring the taste, but beer doesn't seem like it would satisfy the desires of either the people who want a tasty drink or the people who want ti get drunk. Oh well. Anyways, its time for me to play some sports w/ people, so I'll ttyl.
Mood: Read: natural high
Music: Plateau by Nirvana
written by Dan@ 01:33 p.m.
Friday, August 22, 2003
Last post before college...
Well, folks. The time is almost upon me. Pretty soon, I will load my boxes (and boxes and boxes) of stuff that is my life and go off to UVA. I figured though, I'd do one last review and such before I left.
The book I have just finishes is Siddhartha by Herman Hesse. In case you can't tell from the title, the book is about a spiritual journey, one with many convoluted paths and false starts. The main character is Siddhartha, a man seaching Enlightenment and ultimate truth. He starts off rather young, but the book follows his entire adulthood and the various steps he takes in his journey and his discoveries along the way.
Now, if you are remotely interested in that kind of stuff, stop reading and get this book. It is excellent. Very well-written with a very compelling story. If the very idea of a religious journey makes you want to find a movie with a lot of explosions instead, then do that. You may still like the book if you give it a chance, but it is unlikely. Thats pretty much all I have to say about Siddhartha, since most people are either one way or the other. Those of you in the middle should read the book too, since the only people who won't like it are those bored by the very mention of "religion" or "soul." Its a quick read, both in pace and size, and this makes the book that much better with the deep message inside.
Here's a bonus review: The Marx Brother's A Day at the Races. Anyone who knows me knows I love the Marx Brothers and, I don't care what aversion you have to the 30's or black and white film, SEE THIS MOVIE! It is hilarious whenever someone isn't singing. If it wasn't for the singing parts, this movie would be up there with Monty Python's The Searh for The Holy Grail. The funny parts are hilarious and the singing parts should be skipped (or fastfowarded).
In the news, an Alabama state supreme court justice is leading the fight to keep a monument w/ the 10 commandments on it at the state judicial building. One comment in all of this stuck out though. It was made by the Rev. Pat Mahoney said that Thursday's order was "act of"'judicial tyranny' and 'the crushing of the First Amendment.'"
Maybe I'm not as smart as him, but I can't see how taking down a religious monument violates the separation between church and state. The ironic thing is, if I erected a monument in his church with a copy of the 10 Commandments in Hebrew on it, he'd probably protest too. In fact, I think people should do that. And maybe give him a few copies of the Qu'ran while they're at it.
Some of these people are really hypocritical though. I'm sure this guy would protest someone even so much as talking about the 4 Noble Truths a that same courthouse. It always seems like they want to be exempt and protected when their views are attacked. Of course, that only makes it that much more fun to attack their views in the first place (its fun to watch people go ballistic over something so small...).
Anyways, have a good day everybody. The next post will be from far away from here (also known as UVA).
Mood: Pretty Good
Music: Nirvana...lots of Nirvana
written by Dan@ 11:36 a.m.
Friday, August 22, 2003
A Resonant Farewell...
Hello everybody. There isn't going to be any humor today folks. Its time for me to say goodbye. Even though I leave on Saturday, most of my friends have already left and I've spent my last evening with those who are still here. Heres a few special shoutouts...
Laura, he had a kickass time in spanish class. It was really great getting to know you and be friends w/ you and I definitely hope we get to see a concert together sometime this year. Maybe hfstival?
Niki, even with all the interesting times and conversations, hangin out w/ you has been the greatest. Between you and Cat, there is plenty of craziness to go around...
Carl, what can I say? It's been a long long time. Between the screwy physics of blitz and the intense soul caliber matches, its definitely been great. And who can forget all the classic moments and lines. "you can't do that in a swivel chair!!!
Lauren, its been one of the best years of my life. I'll really miss you, even if its not the end (I hope). I'm glad I could have a (hopefully) positive effect on your life regardless of what your mother thinks. You've been a great friend and I thank you for every minute of time we've spent together. You are a great, gifted person who will succeed at law or writing (whatever you set your mind to). I hope that tonight was not our final time together.
College may be the experience of a lifetime, but nothing gets rid of the bitter taste of a sorrowful farewell....
Mood: A paradox
Music: Everything i have
written by Dan@ 12:17 a.m.
Tuesday, August 19, 2003
My whipping horse
Good evening all of you in the audience (I can hear the crickets chirping from here...). This day has been both a boring and emotional day. Boring because of all the packing and emotional because of all the goodbyes involved.
Now political correctness is one of the most interesting aspects of our society. On the one hand, we shouldn't insult each other and call each other names that lead to middle fingers and four-letter words (legal term: "fighting words." I'm not kidding...). On the other hand, it gets freakin ridiculous sometimes. I mean, I'm no longer a white Jew. I'm am a light-skinned male of Semetic origin with a valid alternative to traditional Christian religious tradition.
Sometimes it gets to the point of being ridiculous. When you ban books like Huckleberry Finn because you take its language completely out of context and say its racist, thats insane. Did they every stop to think that maybe...just maybe, theres this idea of "context?" Languages may also change from time to time...
I wonder what kind of society these people want. While having a society where I say something that sounds respectful even if I'm insulting someone sounds tempting, I don't think it would work out very well. For one thing, just greeting the person would take half-an-hour. I know for a fact that the number of violent assaults would go up. People can only be appreciate with long words so many times in a day. Some groups are just too difficult to do. Like Nazis. What would you do for Nazis? How could you say something politically correct about them? "Hello Mr. Person-with-a-different-political-ideology-that-stands-against-everything-I-believe-in..."
Anyways, I'm gonna send a shoutout to all my friends already at college (or are going tomorrow). I'll miss ya guys! Anyways, till next time...
written by Dan@ 11:14 p.m.
Sunday, August 17, 2003
The weird weird world.
Hello hello. Its time to update again and time to poke some fun at things. And i've found something just plain funny.
This Marine women spent 9,709 on various stuff, like a car, motor cycle. breast implants, etc... Shes getting 14 months in a military brig as punishment, as well as a ,000 fine for misuse of her card and a demotion. I'm just wonder one thing: how'd she expect to get away with this? Shes using a military card to do all this. Its not like the military doesn't, I don't know, know everything about her. And even if they don't notice the new car and motorcycle, her superiors in the Marines would definitely notice the boobs. I'm mean, you don't jsut walk into a room filled with men and not have at least one of them notice big breasts. If there is one thing men notice, its breasts (trust me; I know). Maybe she was hoping the new boobs would cause people to...overlook the other purchases. Of course, after she bought the house they'd have to do something.
As anybody who reads this site knows, I'm heading off to school soon. Although I can't wait, its still kinda sad that I have to leave all my old friends behind. I'm gonna miss you guys! I hope you all stay in touch with me and read this blog! I'll try to keep in touch w/ you all while at the same time debating whether the Lakers this year are gonna be a huge bust or talkng about the Simpsons with some of the people I meet at UVA. I hope to see you all again some day...even if it's at a college basketball game or randomly in a club...
Mood: Pretty good, thankye very much
Music: Bottom of a Bottle by Smile Empty Soul
written by Dan@ 11:20 p.m.
Friday, August 15, 2003
My first review
Hi everybody (hi dr. Dan!) The major news is my life right now, apart from the mass exodus to Madison (gonna miss you guys!), is that I have just finished The Man in the High Castle by Philip Dick. Let me just put it this way: this book is awesome. Great. Superb. Easily one of the top five science fiction books I have read.
What makes this book so great? Well the idea is intriguing: what if the United States had lost World War 2 and was divided between Nazi Germany and Japan? What would life be life here and how would the world be different? I won't give it away by saying what is different but Dick definitely is imaginative. The book also talks about a book written by the title character, which is about an alternate reality where America and England won the war.
The book starts slowly (my only real complaint) but this is mostly to establish setting. Once the backdrop is set, the book becomes a fast and interesting read. Dick inserts lots of sarcastic (and sometimes morbid) humor that makes the book a real treat and more than just some sci-fi novel. For example, Hitler is locked up in an insane asylum, suffering from syphilus. The Japanese are obsessed with pop culture items from the former American culture, like bottle caps and comic books, and pay hundreds of dollars for such items.
The books also tackles some interesting issues but I won't mention them here. The joy of the book is that it keeps suprising the reader and looking at things at a slightly sckewed perspective. I urge everybody to read it.
In other news, I read an article on religious faith and how America is one of the most religious industrialized countries in the world. I'm not gonna talk about that though, just this: "God defeated armies of Philistines and others with confusion. Dimpled and hanging chads may also be because of God's intervention on those who were voting incorrectly. Why is GW Bush our president? It was God's choice." -from dutyisours.com/gwbush.htm. I'm still trying to figure this one out...how is defeating armies of Philistines the same as God throwing an election to a President who seems to be less than forthcoming with the truth. Why would God throw an election? I mean, if God is perfectly moral wouldn't throwing an election to a less popular candidate not be..well...moral? Wouldn't it destroy the universe to have God contradict Himself, and thus prove Him to be fallible (like in Dogma). Ow...head hurts...
Anyways, I'm all done for the night. Sorry for less humor, but a there is more to blogging than being mercilessly satirical...
Music today: Bandages by Hot Hot Heat
Mood today: Kinda bored actually...
written by Dan@ 10:30 p.m.
Thursday, August 14, 2003
A priest, a rabbi, and a minister...
Hello everybody (all 3 people who read this journal....)! I promise to stay off the soapbox today and write about something non-political. I may actually get to describing my life but who knows...
For the uniniated, I work at Fox Mill Foot and Ankle Center as a receptionist and the guy that files charts. Answering the phones is usually painless, but sometimes someone calls and doesn't understand this simple phrase: "The earliest appointment is..." Some people just don't seem understand that. I'm pretty sure they follow the same train of logic that led Superman to wear that outfit w/ the panties over his tights...
The other interesting bit of news today is the blackout throughout the Northeast. Its kinda freaky but I just have one problem with the whole story. Thats all the tv talked about for 3 hours!!! Seriously, whenever something remotely important happens, the network and cable news stations tend to overdo it. Very few stories deserve more than 15 minutes of airtime and usually those are world-changing events. This was surprising, but its still just a blackout. How can you possibly add any new, relevent information to the story after the first 10 minutes of reporting? How long does the news team have to be on the screen saying nothing new has happened? How long before I can come back from my UT2003 match and watch The Simpsons? The only thing that would've made the story worthwhile after the first 15 minutes was if FOX News had said that the blackout was caused by liberal Democrats...
Well, most of my day consisted of working and running errands...if i didn't make fun of things, this blog would be very boring...Till next time!
Music of the Moment: Behind Blue Eyes by The Who
Mood: Not bad...
written by Dan@ 08:25 p.m.
Wednesday, August 13, 2003
I wonder about people's mental health sometimes....
I try not to be cynical but some times someone just says something that makes even Lewis Black's "stupidest thing ever said by a human being" look smart.
I just read an interview w/ Ann Coulter, the right-wing writer whose books sell well enough to get on the New York Times Bestseller List. Why this is, I don't know. Even though I'm a staunch liberal, I don't have problems with the right's attacks on my beliefs but Coulter's stuff is just stupid. She says that the Democrats demonized McCarthy (the guy in the 1950's who ruined many peoples' careers b/c of his accusations) and then said that McCarthy was an American hero who got a bad rep from Democrats. Apparently, you can ruin people's lives w/ no evidence of wrongdoing and be a hero... She also said the solution to this countries problems was to dissolve the Democrats and create a one-party system b/c the Democrats are "unpatriotic." Apparently, a one-party system in America is...
*steps down from soapbox*
On to other things... This is hopefully the last time I make jokes about the California recall election but the whole thing is too good to pass up. I'll just say this: I want a three-way debate between gary Colemen, Ahhnold, and Mary Carry (the porn star, for the uniniated). That would almost be worth this entire mess. I can see it now... gary and Carry debating wildly while Ahhnold only stares at Carry, uttering something in German....And, in the backround, Gray Davis sits alone in the dark, wondering what will happen to him and why people don't like him. Go figure.
Just a note for the future, i will do stuff other than politics. There just isn't anything funny going on that isn't in California.
Anyways, I'll probably post more later (and hopefully not be so political...). At least when i feel the urge to. Or wake up in the middle of the night and write something indecipherable on my little notepad for bits in my..oh wait, thats Seinfeld...
Mood: Pretty Good
Music:In Utero by Nirvana
written by Dan@ 01:00 p.m.
Tuesday, August 12, 2003
Hi Everybody!
Hello, and welcome to my blog. I just figured I'd make a post detailing what will be on this page (since I really don't have anything to post right now and just having a test is kinda boring...). Nothing is sacred here; I will poke fun at anything and everything I wish, since this is my corner of the internet. I may get on my soapbox from time to time and make some political statements (probably just makin fun of our chimp president Bush). I'll also have movie, book, and game reviews as I watch, read, and play. I'll also have exciting updates(read: finding humor in boring stuff) about my everyday life, especially once college begins. I'll also change the page from time to time and add more crap. To summarize, anything goes here. Hence the name.
written by Dan@ 08:16 a.m.
Monday, August 11, 2003
This...is a test
The whole point of this is to see if my page even works to begin with. I want to be up and posting things to tick people off and...what? we're on now?
written by Dan@ 04:43 p.m.
