Don't Let's Start

I'm still around.

So, here I am. I'm 21 years old now. Things feel a bit different as I'm sure they should. Take this moment as an example. I'm drinking (and have been for a while. pardon any typos) the Guinness Extra Stout that I was permitted to buy when the man asked for my ID. Strange feeling. No more asking elder friends for their assistance so that I can commence alcoholic indulgence.

My 21st birthday was great. I had a wonderful time. Typically, people will go out with their friends and end the night in a toilet, or curled up in a bed soaked in their own bodily excrements. Not I, though. I spent the evening with my ever-so loving girlfriend who knew JUST how to make my birthday memorable. Wonderful times that I'll never forget.

On an unrelated (but much more important) note, my application for photo-lab manager has been completed and turned in. I'm not expecting a response until later this week, so any mojo you fabulous net-wanderers can throw my way would be greatly appreciated.

Oh oh OH! Another thing. For some reason, I've been overcome with this astounding fondness of Texas Hold-Em. Don't ask me why, how, or when (not that 'you' would, because 'you' doesn't really exists since no one reads this)...Because I couldn't really tell you. Well, actually, I take that back. I think I may have gained an interest in the game after seeing Rounders. I don't think I'll grant that movie the title of "Sole Inspiration" though. A couple of the other weblogs I read have featured articles about the game. Naturally, the "hmm, maybe I should try this" everyone gets from ANY form of media influence found a place in my head. But, I digress. I've been into all types of poker games for a long time (since I was about 10), so I think the Texas Hold-Em interest was just a natural evolutionary step to fix my poker crave. What can I say? I love to gamble.

I've been playing online Hold-Em over at holdempoker.com. It's interesting how they can make Play Money games feel stressful like a real money game.

Anyway, it's drunk and I'm very 2 AM. Until next time.

I Never Really Gave it Much Thought

In my younger years (not really saying much, as I'm only 20), July 4th was always about fireworks.

"DAD! When are we gonna let off the fireworks?!?! It's frickin' dark already!"
"(slightly irritated)We gotta wait for it to be completely dark. That way we can see 'em better."
"*sigh* Fine..."

Since I was about 16, though, the magic of fireworks never really found a place in my head or heart. July 4th just became any other day of the year. Sure, it's Independence Day, a great day in America's history, but I was mostly apathetic.

Tonight, right around dusk, I was driving down by the Ohio River, with Cincinnati in the background. I was on my way back home from some errands I had to run, when I was greeted by the very first, of what is sure to be a magnificent fireworks display all over Northern Kentucky and Southern Ohio. When I saw those first shells rise up and explode, with the Ohio River reflecting every glorious shimmer they had to offer, I was taken aback with an amazing feeling of pride. I was reminded of the history lesson we all learn in grade school: When Francis Scott Key was aboard the American ship in the Chesapeke Bay watching as the British Army attacked Fort McHenry from their ships. Then, after 25 hours of bombardment, the royal navy ceased their attack and Francis Scott Key peered across the bay to see the American Flag still flying high in the air.

The combination of twilight, the river reflecting the wonderous fireworks displays, and the reverie I was in, led to an emotional high I hadn't experienced in a long time.

I feel compelled to post the words that have been repeating over and over in my head tonight.

The Defence of Fort McHenry AKA The Star-Spangled Banner

O say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore dimly seen thro' the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected, now shines on the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner: O, long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wash'd out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O thus be it ever when free-men shall stand
Between their lov'd home and the war's desolation;
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land
Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserv'd us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust!”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

I thought today was going to be just another day, but I was very wrong.

Happy Independence Day everyone.

I’d Rather be Whistling in the Dark

I just finished uploading the VERY early version of Eric's Music Library v2.0. Check it out if you'd like. There isn't any real content up yet, but I plan to fix that by the weekend, or during the weekend.

With that site, I'm actually TRYING to get the minimalistic look. I don't want it all overblown like it was before. If you don't like simple sites, then you won't like that site. I can't really see a reason why someone wouldn't like a simple site, unless they just don't like reading without a lot of pretty graphics to keep them occupied as their simple mind wanders. But, you're not one of those people. You're here reading a weblog. So, I suggest you look at my site, and throw some suggestions at the e-mail address posted in the left sidebar. My main battle with the design was: Should I go with black sidebars, or dark blue? I settled on dark blue, but, like I said before, this is a very early version. Many things are going to change.

Moving along...

In my last post, I spoke of my first day at a new job. Well, aside from the fact that I got VERY little sleep due to a fit of anxiety (no, not an anxiety attack), coupled with a sinus headache, things went pretty good. My manager and I worked together on a short-term strategy for getting the lab back up to decent condition. It was brought to my attention that I am the unofficial assistant manager. Factor in a slight ego boost, adjusted for inflation of the self-esteem, and you have me feeling pretty damn good about myself. I still make the same pay I did before, and I can't really boss anyone around (in a non jack-ass way), but my manager is confiding in me for the success of this "transformation."

It's a simple message, and I'm leaving out the whistles and bells

Tomorrow is my first day at a new job.

I have the same title, and work for the same company, but I'm moving to a different location. This is unfortunate, as I was just getting comfortable with all the people I worked with at the last place I was at. I suppose my previous post will be tested in this new environment. Hopefully I'll live up to the resolution I made at the end of it.

Ultimately, I'm really looking forward to it. I'm being sent in so I can help straighten the place out. Apparently my supervisors feel I'm a good worker, and will be able to get them back on their feet. Then again, perhaps they just didn't want me working for them. Who knows? Either way, if I prove myself there, I've been told that I can be in a good position to make the jump into management. One can only hope, but I know that I would be ecstatic if such a title was bestowed upon me.

Two smaller points that don't deserve full entries:

Note 1: Eric's Music Library is back up and running. The layout is still there, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to redo it and make it less...overwhelming?

Note 2: I've always liked the idea of a person adding, at the end of a journal/weblog entry, what music their listening to (a la LiveJournal/DeadJournal). Since I'm one that constantly listens to music while I'm at my computer, I like keeping track of my listening trends. So, in an effort to do that here, I'm going to link each title to the lyrics of a song that most would put in the little "Currently Listening to" spot on their LiveJournals. I despise the typical LiveJournal crowd (Belv and Sara excluded), but that's one thing they have going for them.

Self Assessment

Last week I was reading a thread on the MajorGeeks forums which posed the question: What are you bad at?

I was intrigued by the question. All too often do we ponder what we excel at; perhaps as a way of emphasizing our redeeming qualities. This tends to force most into stuffing their shortcomings to the back of their mind, and out of sight of their precious well-being. I fancy this type of question because it forces me to think about me. How do I REALLY behave? How do I REALLY feel about certain topics? I know how I'd LIKE to answer those questions, but ideal situations and reality are seldom the same. Insight and exploration into one's self can often be a very uplifting, and goal-forming experience.

My initial response was one that came rather quickly. I didn't think very long on the question. I simply said "I'm bad at the opposite of procrastination." Which, ultimately, is true. I tend to procrastinate when it comes to insignificant tasks I need to accomplish. Take, for instance, this weblog entry. I told myself to start writing it on Saturday, and here I am, on Monday evening, finally sitting down to write it. Though my response to the question was true, I still kept the thought in my head. Eric, what the fuck are you REALLY bad at? I knew, in the back of my mind, that procrastination was just a cop-out.

I thought about the question, off and on, for two days until Friday the 10th. I was going with my girlfriend to a party that one of her friends was having. This was the second time I was going to meet a few of the people there, and the first time I was going to meet most of the people there. On the way to the party, my stomach was in knots and I felt like throwing up. I had no idea what was wrong with me, until it dawned on me; Jesus God, I'm fucking nervous.

Why the hell am I nervous? I'm about to get drunk, jam to some music, and probably have great drunk sex with the most beautiful girl ever.

I had no reason to be nervous (unless you jokesters want to say something about sexual insecurity, which, I assure you, was non-existant). But, there was still a sour feeling tugging at me. There was something else in the equation I hadn't consciously acknowledged. Then it hit me.

Holy fuck...I have to meet ALL of her friends.

As an aside: We've been dating for 3 months, and I've only met one of her friends. Her self-proclaimed best friend. There was no nervousness in that situation. Meeting her was simple, as it was a "double-date" scenario. I warmed up to her quickly and came to accept her as a friend. At the party, though, I knew I was going to be inundated by the presence of 20+ strangers immediately; all of which knew each other. I was the new guy. Being the new guy sucks. Plain and simple. No one knows you, and you know no one, and everyone else but you has their place firmly established in the hierarchy of the social clique. As the new guy, it is your job to work your way into the system, or you face exile from her social network.

In a huge whirl of epiphany and nausea, I realized that I am ABSOLUTELY terrible at meeting a lot of new people in social situations.

I specify "social situation" because the work environment is completely different. At work, everyone has their job, and socializing is what's done in between tasks. Being the new guy at work isn't so bad. Conversation at work tends to slowly grow from the goal-oriented get-this-done-or-we're-fired sort of talk until people are more comfortable with each other. Then comes the "So what'd you do this weekend" kind of questions. It all grows from there. Smooth, effective, and comfortable.

Social situations are no-holds-barred "Let's get drunk, yell at nothing, and take pictures of our cocks" type situations. Okay, I don't really look at social situations like that, but the guys at the party must because that's what they did. Different strokes, I guess.

Social situations, to me, are actually an ability to get to know people, or just have good conversation with my already-established circle of friends. This usually only works out when it's a controlled group. It basically breaks down like this:

(The first number is the rough percentage of my current friends present, the second number is the rough percentage of new people present, and the comments afterwards are my general thoughts on the situation.)

100% | 0% :: Good times. We can just hang out and conversate, or perhaps go out and do something. Ya know. Whatever.

75% | 25% :: Yay, new brains to pick! Let's meet the new faces and see if we can welcome them into our group.

50% | 50% :: Usually happens at big parties where more than one person set out with the initial invitations. Not too bad usually, but if something doesn't work out with meeting the new faces, I always have my friends to retreat to.

25% | 75% :: Same as above, but I may find myself heading for the door if the new faces aren't too welcoming. A small cluttered group of friends at a big event tends to stick out worse than a drunk's cock.

1% | 99% :: Typically, this occurs when I'm taken to a party held by someone I don't know, in a town I've never heard of. Immediate thoughts may include: Let's leave, Let's drink FAST, Let's stand over here away from everyone else. This has only happened twice as far as I can remember. The first time was fine because I was already drunk when we got there.

If I know I'm not going to be in a 50/50, or greater, social environment, I would usually do my best to stay away. Now that I've realized this little social downfall of mine, I'm trying my best to engage new people in situations I normally would not. Like I hinted at before, there's no point in recognizing and admitting a short-coming without attempting to overcome it. I feel I'm well on my way to doing just that.

Vietnam Vet and the Irish Setter

About a week ago, I was in the photo-lab working the night shift by myself. It was a slow night, as most nights have been recently. It just doesn't seem like picture processing is on the top of people's list of important things to do, anymore.

Around 7 o'clock, I see a skinny, haggard, 50-something male walk up to the counter. In his hand, a strip of four 35mm negatives. I greeted him with the usual "Hi sir, how are you today?" tone I greet most customers with. His response was a simple, yet slightly sullen "okay."

He proceeded to ask me if I could make a reprint for him, and pointed to the actual negative he wanted made. I took a look at the negative and immediately noticed an immense amount of dust, dirt, and what can be best described as "gunk" on the negative in question. I told him it was kind of dirty, and paused for a second to observe his reaction. His response can best be described as that of a child who wanted nothing more than to get that really kick-ass present for Christmas, but when the morning came, it wasn't there. My heart dropped as I was looking him over. His eyes were on the counter, staring at the negative. On the negative, a clear image of a dog. Though my observation of his behavior lasted no more than 2 or 3 seconds, I gathered a lengthy story of woe.

In the most positive tone I could muster, I assured the man that I would do what I could to ensure this negative gets cleaned up and produces a wonderful picture. The man produced a gracious smile, looked at me and said, with a great deal of relief, "Thank you." My pleasure sir.

Cleaning the negative was a chore. I had to spray cleaner on it, wipe it off, and pick at it several times before it was able to be processed. Luckily I didn't damage the negative in my cleaning frenzy. I slipped the negative into the negative mask on our printer, adjusted the color levels, and gamma corrected for about 2 minutes before I was satisfied with the outcome. Typically, for reprints, I do minimal adjustments. Usually, it's just enough to make the picture look good. Not this time, though. I was going to ensure this man was absolutely satisfied with what I produced for him.

I printed out a sample 4x6 to see if he liked what I did with the picture. When I laid it down on the counter, he replied with an astonished "Oh wow..." He gripped his hand into a fist and put it up to his mouth as if he were kissing his index finger. Wearing a hat, and staring down at the picture, I couldn't see his eyes. I stood silent for a moment.

"...this is amazing."
"Thank you very much sir." I paused. Half waiting for him to say something, and half thinking of a way to make things better. " You know, sir. We have a special going on right now for our enlargements. If you'd like, I could make you an 8x10 for just one dollar." We had no such special going on.
"Can you make it look just like this?" He spoke with anticipation, but looked at me with desperation.
"Oh, this is just something I whipped together for you to preview. I'll give the 8x10 my special touch." I replied with a smile.
"I'd like that. Thank you so much."
"My pleasure sir."

Yes, I really say "sir" that much. My days of serving made it habitual.

With the 8x10 I spent close to 5 minutes cleaning the negative, and adjusting gamma and color levels. A 4x6 typically keeps minor imperfections out of sight, but an 8x10 can bring out even the tiniest dust particle.

The 8x10 finished printing, and I placed it on the counter for his approval. He said nothing, but once again, his hand was at his mouth, and his hat was covering his eyes.

"This is beautiful...I mean...I...*deep sigh* Wow."
"Thank you sir. I did the best I could."
He paused to collect his thoughts, "Ya know, he lived 18 years."
Knowing a bit about dogs, I've learned that if they live longer than 10 years, they're lucky. That's just been my experience, "Really? Wow. That's quite a long life for a dog." I really didn't know how best to respond to that. I was doing my best to maintain the customer/employee relationship.
"After I got home from Vietnam, he was the first thing I saw. He wasn't even mine." It was apparent he was fighting back tears, but he wanted this dog's legacy to be known, "He was with me all the time, everywhere I went. No matter how I was feeling, he was there. He was the best friend anyone could ever ask for." The shear power and conviction the man's words moved me in a way I never have been. I remained silent. He stopped to reflect on the life that was laying in front of him. "How much do I owe you?"
"A dollar, six, sir."

He paid, thanked me, and exited the store.

As I sat there in the photo-lab by myself, I started thinking about the nightmare that was Vietnam. I don't know personally, but many a story has been shared regarding the hell that it was. Then I thought about this man's first sight upon returning home from that war. The Irish Setter puppy that he took in, gave a home, and shared a bond with that only he will know. I had to push the tears back for the yuppie customer that just walked up to the counter.

"Are you still doing one hour?" She said in a pissy tone.
"No, sorry." We were, but I knew I didn't want to deal with any of her shit. She scoffed, rolled her eyes, and walked out of the store.
"Probably just meaningless shots you took trying to be artistic, asshole..." She was already in her car, but I wanted her to hear my words. "Try doing something with emotion, if you know what that is."

Too many people stop to take pictures of roses, but you have to wonder if they ever actually tried smelling them.

Pseudoephedrine runs my life

Oi...I'm sick again. Sinus Infection. It hurts. My nose. My throat. It all hurts. Bad.

Today I had to work, while not really working. I get into the lab about 30 minutes early to pick up my check and grab some pain relieving medicine, only to find one of my co-workers completely frantic, and running back and forth between the film processor and the phone. She was talking to Noritsu (the company that maintains our machines) and was being instructed on how to save the three rolls of film that were stuck in the chemistry.

At the time, I had just taken a lot of medication to prepare me for my shift, so when I saw her running around all crazy-like, I just ducked past her and grabbed my check. When I got back to the lab, she was behaving more normal. Probably because she put up a sign that read "ONE HOUR OUT OF ORDER" right next to the envelopes. Hell, it made me smile when I saw it.

Apparently, a leader card got bent up at the very end of the processing cycle and jammed the rollers. The roll of film that was coming in behind the first two rolled on top of the first leader card, worstened the jam, and totally fucked our machine up.

Naturally, my co-worker left promptly at 3 o'clock, leaving me to deal with all this. Though this move was pretty shitty on her part, I'm kinda glad she called the people whose film may, or may not, be totally fucked. I didn't want to deal with THAT too.

Assured in the fact that I could turn away one hour requests, I rolled up my sleeves (figuratively) and wrestled the machine (literally) until about 6 pm. I was only interrupted twice by customers who needed reprints made (not counting the countless amount of people that came in wanting one hours done). 3 hours. 2 customers. It doesn't take a fucking degree in business management to know that we were dead. Quite fortunate if you ask me, the sick and over-labored employee. So, I got all the film out. It was ruined. Residual chemicals formed a gooey layer on either side of all three rolls. Attempting to clean them just made it worse. The only thought that ran through my head when I realized the futility in trying to clean the film: "At least I don't have to tell the customer." Is that bad?

So, there I am. 6 o'clock with nothing to do, and 3 more hours left to do it. I was reduced to humming catchy tunes, and reading decades old photography books.

I call my boss around 7:30 to see if I can close the lab down at 8 (an hour before typical closing. Not an unreasonable question, considering the circumstances). He said no.

No amount of nouns, adjectives, or verbs can describe the anger and hatred I felt toward that man, at that point in time. I sucked it up, though, and said "*Napoleon sigh* Alright." followed by a very abrupt slamming down of the receiver.

Needless to say, I made it through until 9. I rushed back to my apartment where, as sure as the Sun doth shine, my glorious computer was waiting for me.

So, here I am. 10 o'clock with just enough to do, and tonight and tomorrow (day off bitch!) left to do it.

Next time on Net_Eric: Vietnam Vet, and the Irish Setter.

A Tale of Three Browsers

Recently I made a switch from Avant Browser to Firefox. Before I get any flames from rabid Firefox supporters, I should make it known that I tried Firefox about a year ago, but it just didn't rev my engine like Netcaptor did at the time.

Tracing my alterna-browser history back to high school, I recall that I made the switch from IE to Netcaptor around my 10th grade year. It was my holy grail of web browsing. I was introduced to Netcaptor by the network administrator of our district when I would hang out in the server room and shoot the shit with him. When dry moments would pop up in the conversation, he would browse around in this foreign application I had never seen before. He would click and open up new websites, but he never added another button to his taskbar.

"What IS this glorious application," I thought to myself.

At the time, I was a bit intimidated by this guy. I mean, I was an aspiring computer geek (yeah, quite a lofty goal to set one's sights on, eh?) and this guy knew his shit. I wasn't about to just come out and ask a dumb question like: "Gee, what program is THAT?"

I wasn't about to come off as a n00b.

So, I did what seemed to be the best approach. I snuck a peek at the program title positioned top of the screen, and rushed off to hurriedly write it down before I forgot proper spelling and capitalization (NetCaptor). Impatiently waiting for that 3 o'clock bell to ring, I was anticipating a glorious monument to efficiency, or, on the other hand, a horrific awakening into my non-savvy world.

Maybe this was a program only the leetest of the leet used, and a fledgling computer user with mere months of experience under their belt (such as myself at the time) just wouldn't get it.

I hoped for the best, and I prepared for the worst.

Arriving home, and immediately connecting to the internet, I recall google taking an ETERNITY to load. Maybe it was my terrible back-woods location coupled with the agonizingly slow dial-up service we had, or perhaps it was my impatience which had grown from nervous knee-bouncing, to unprovoked, angry shouting.

"LOAD GODDAMNIT!"

Google hesitated, but soon complied. I frantically entered my search query and hit enter. A deluge of blue links graced my screen, but I only needed one. The first one. It's description read: "Internet browser for power-users that opens sites in separate tabs."

It was for times like this that the term "Eureka" was coined.

Looking around the Netcaptor site, I immediately found a "Download Now" link, and did just that. Sort of...

Dial-up is a vile mistress that I am pleased to say I never have to rendezvous with again. I (and I may regret saying this later...) would rather do without internet access than go back to dial-up again.

There was no "Download Now" option for me. No, for me, it was more like "Click this link and curse the town you live in for being too small for DSL, now."

~30 minutes later, I'm able to install my newly acquired application. Thank the heavens above and all that jazz for not disconnecting me during the download. That would've been a broken mouse waiting to happen.

Installation was complete, and now I was ready to see what Netcaptor had to offer. It didn't take long for the holy shit moment to take hold.

I was not only able to browse in a more sleek and sexy browser, I was able to do all of this while taking up one insignificant slot on my taskbar thanks to tabbed browsing. I had no way to describe the amount of freedom I felt at the time, but now that I've read more into NADD, I believe it was my earliest introduction into fast, efficient, and convenient information indulgence on the internet. Holy shit, indeed.

Flash forward 4 years. I'm in my fourth semester of college, and Netcaptor fucks up. Luckily, it was in the middle of the semester and there wasn't an urgent research project I had to attack. I thought long and hard about what to do. Should I upgrade to the newest Netcaptor and hope it gives the same pleasure as the original?

I hadn't upgraded from my initial installation version because I was WAY too content with it to give it all up for unnecessary bells and whistles the newest releases promised.

No, I wasn't going to upgrade. I felt my time with Netcaptor was well-spent, and perhaps it was a signal (No, it wasn't a fucking SIGN. The stars don't determine my destiny. Shut up.) to move on to something more suited to my taste.

So, I researched.

I shamefully admit that I used IE to perform my alterna-browser research, but, hey, what else was I going to do in that situation? Netcaptor was belly-up, and I was desperate.

First, I tried Firefox, but it's system of downloading extensions for customization just didn't suit me. I wanted everything pre-packed and ready to go. No extra work for me, buddy! I'm a busy college student! I got beers to drink, and bong hits to take.

It was through MajorGeeks that I learned about Avant Browser. A freeware application that pimped tabbed browsing. Tabbed browsing, you say?! Why, SURE I'll give it a try!

Entering into my session with Avant Browser like a SWAT team would enter a building locked down by crazed gunmen, I double-clicked the new icon on my desktop. Within seconds, I was greeted by a flashy splash screen, to which my initial reaction was "pfft...Unnecessary eye-candy." Call me a purist. Call me an idiot. Either way, I had my standards, and they were being challenged.

Avant Browser loaded; The interface was sexy. I was reluctant to admit it at first, but it was definitely more sexy than Netcaptor. Trying not to get distracted by the fluff, I started browsing. It didn't take long for me to warm up to the interface of Avant Browser because it behaved very much like Netcaptor after a few adjustments in the options menu. I realized what I was doing by making Avant behave like Netcaptor, but I didn't care. I liked my new browser, and it was going to do what I wanted it to do. Net_Eric was pleased, and the world rejoiced.

Flash forward to one week ago, or ~1.5 years after the previous incident. Avant Browser just didn't do it for me anymore. I was having trouble with javascript, and there were many other minor problems I just didn't want to acknowledge. Individually, they were benign and capable of being ignored. Collectively, they were the bane of my internet presence.

So, I researched.

This particular stint of research wasn't so much acquisition of knowledge as it was checking up on weblogs I frequent. Okay, so yeah, I was slacking. Anyway, I was reminded of Firefox while reading the newest entry on Wil Wheaton dot net. One of his links was a button which read: "The browser you can trust." Reminded of my browser woes, I clicked the link with much aplomb.

I looked around the website and liked what I saw. Essentially, it was the same browser I had experienced roughly a year prior to this, but for some reason I was intrigued. Perhaps it was the tabbed browsing...

So, I downloaded.

Upon installation, my first objective was to get a new theme. The default look of Firefox rubbed me the wrong way, and I was happy I could customize it to suit my taste. +1 point to my opinion of Firefox.

After playing around with Firefox, I quickly learned that it's tabbed browsing was foreign to that of Netcaptor and Avant. I decided to deal with it. -1 point to my opinion of Firefox. Total Score: Apathy.

For a week now, I've been using Firefox for all my browsing needs and I've come to appreciate this new system of tabbed browsing. I've also gained appreciation for the ability to customize like mad. I CAN CONTROL WINAMP FROM MY BROWSER??!!1 JESUS GOD TELL ME MORE!!

To sum everything up, though, things are going great. I honestly don't think I could be much happier with my browser than I am now. Sure, nothing will ever have the magical first impression that Netcaptor had, but I can find solace in knowing that there are programmers out there who know what I'm looking for. To show my appreciation for such a great browser, I've decided to throw a button up so I can do my part in spreading the word.

Civilization III - Recounting through 1600 AD

I've had Civilization III for a while, probably since '01 or '02, but haven't really played it much in the past few years. Sure, I played it a lot when i first got it, but it became just another disc in the pile before long. Today, however, my interest was re-kindled after a talk with Scott. I don't quite recall the twists and turns our conversation took, but after ~25 minutes of random "catching-up" talk, we were talking about Civ III. Before long, he had his disc in his CD player listening to the soundtrack, and I had my disc in the CD-ROM preparing a new game.

"Scott, what size map should I pick?"
"How many GHz you have?"
"Uhhh, well, no GHz really...Well, I guess you could say .7 GHz"
"*laughing* Just pick the one below Gigantic."
"Huge?"
"Yeah."
"Okay. Now the tough one...What should I pick for my land distribution?"
"*thinking* Why don't you just play the Earth map?"
"(minor Holy Shit moment) ...good fucking idea."

I picked the Greeks, because I ALWAYS pick the Greeks. I've had a perpetual hard-on for Alexander the Great's epic life since my latter years of high school. It just seems natural to have an inclination for taking his role in my fictional conquest of the planet.

I set 5 random opponents, adjusted some of the victory conditions, and started the game.

When you start the game, you have a settler (used for establishing towns/cities) and a worker (basically a slave laborer who builds roads, mines, and cuts down forests...among many other things), and you're surrounded by blackness (AKA the Fog of War). I like the idea of not being able to see everything because it forces you to explore the terrain around you, while also keeping you oblivious to the actions of your "opponents". Overall, though, this is really just another facet of realism in a fictitious environment.

Before I go into more detail, I have stop and do a small commentary on my general playing style. I move slowly. I'm not a n00b, but I have n00bish qualities in that I'm not out for complete domination from the get-go.

Back on topic.

I did some exploring, and I ended up in fucking South America. Of all the places in the world I DIDN'T want to establish myself, this was at the top of the list. Nothing against South America, but on the map in Civ III, the Andes Mountains are motherfuckers.

After some exploring, I ran into the Romans. They were pretty cool, a little too close to my civilization, but they were still cool. We exchanged territorial maps, and I was on my way.

The exploration of South America was complete, so I set my sights north. Not long before I made it through Central America I ran into the fucking Carthaginians. I hate these guys, and I don't know why. A part of me thinks it's due to the absolutely wretched looking leader I have to be diplomatic with. I wish there was an option when I was choosing the computer players that would allow "Random - EXCEPT THE FUCKING CARTHAGINIANS." Anyway, we exchanged territorial maps, and I set my warrior to auto-explore because I didn't feel like seeing Hannibal chase the poor bastard around.

I scroll down to the southern border of my now thriving empire. It appears as if the Romans recognize my little "anti-make-your-civilation-grow" tactic.

Allow me to elaborate.

When I spawned (that's a First Person Shooter term, I know...Not sure what to use for Strategy games like this), I ended up on the eastern edge of South America right in the heart of Brazil. After some exploring, like I said, I encountered the Romans on the southern tip of Argentina. IMMEDIATELY, I started expanding my culture west and south. My primary goal, obviously, was to eventually deny them the ability to expand.

Well, it worked.

Roman settlers were being denied passage left and right, and I was loving it. It was all fun and games until Ceasar refused to move his units from my territory THREE TIMES.

Typically, when I start a game, I tell myself "Okay Eric, we're going for a diplomatic win here. There's no need to fight, because you can just smooth-talk your way to victory. Be the liberal. Be the liberal." It never seems to work that way though.

Caesar was pushing my buttons, and I didn't like how he was pushing them. He ended up moving the units out of my boundaries, but only because he was headed north to establish a settlement.

Awww hell naw!

Needless to say, the settlement soon became rubble, and the Greeks and Romans were at war. The entire time leading up to the first battle I was sure to stay buddy-buddy with Hannibal up north (I saw the impending war coming on a few turns in advance) because I knew it would be very bad to get gangbanged when you're pinched between your enemies, and one of them is a very furry, un-kept man. MORE MONEY, HANNIBAL?! SURE, WHATEVER YOU WANT BIG GUY!!

So, Hannibal was happy and Caesar was crying something about a peace treaty after the first 5 towns were taken over. I ignored him and mumbled something to myself about how Caesar should thank his settlers for the demise of his empire. Overthrowing an empire isn't something I step into lightly. I'm very meticulous, and when things don't go how I expect them to, I get angry.

I produced all of the necessary attacking units and positioned them outside each one of his key cities. When the time was right, I attacked them all on the same turn, and then moved my campain toward the southern tip of Argentina until I'd overthrown every city. Caesar et al (HAR!) were no more, and I now have several kick-ass locations to vacation in.

After overthrowing Caesar, I decided to kick back and develop my newly acquired cities. Things are going great for them, and I'm slowly advancing north. Don't worry though, I fortified an army and choked off the majority of Central America so Hannibal can't get his fat hands on my territory. I don't care how much of North America he has control of. I'll deal with that later.

Well, here we are at 1600 AD, and I haven't even sailed the fucking ocean blue yet. Damn those Romans for forcing me into a conflict so early on.

Tune in next time when we attempt to answer the age-old question: WTF is Hannibal thinking?!

So the syndication feed didn't work.

Well, it worked, but for some reason any part of the page after the feed wouldn't load.

Wave bye-bye to it.

Watch out. I'm href crazy right now.

Well, after a short research period, and through a combination of del.icio.us and RSS Digest, I was able to get those syndicated feeds I was talking about. Now, anytime I'm browsing, all I have to do is right click on a page I find interesting and select "Post link to del.icio.us" and boom, it shows up here too.

Goddamn, I love the internet.

More Shit Goin' Down

Alright. The majority of renovations are over. Most notably:

• Added the Trackback indicator. I doubt anyone ever has any interest in my posts, let alone enough interest to actually fill up their weblog space with stuff I say, but I'm prepared JUST IN CASE PEOPLE READ MY SHIT AND LIKE IT. HI EVERYONE.


• Changed the domain from gottheit.blogspot.com to interneteric.blogspot.com. It's longer, but it's a better representation of what I got going here. I tried to pick neteric.blogspot.com but someone already picked it. Through years of dealing with already-taken screen names when signing up for many a site, I've grown used to this. However, in this situation, it's a member who isn't active anymore. His first post was at the tail end of August 2004, and his second post (AKA, his LAST POST) was at the beginning of September 2004. I, on the other hand, make it a point to stay active with it. I deserve that fucking name. RALLY BEHIND ME EVERYONE. NETERIC.BLOGSPOT.COM MUST BE MINE!


• I added that quote by Rands (top of the sidebar to the right) to kind of say "Hey, I'm just here to be me. If you don't care for what I have to say here, you probably wouldn't be my friend in real life." Now that I look at past commenting statistics, it doesn't seem like anyone cares. Oh well. I still do, and that's who I'm writing for.

I'm still looking into that syndication-type listing of headlines from weblogs and news sources I read. I may very well have to break down and e-mail someone for tips.

To be quite honest, though. I'm never really satisfied with a layout. I'll probably continue tweaking and moving shit around until I end up with an entirely different layout. It's a vicious cycle, but it fuels my need to create.

Some Much Needed Mojo

I'm not going to give too much away just so I don't jinx anything, but I'm going to be applying for a position I'd love to have at a place I'd love to work at. Any and all positive energy you care to send my way, please do. When I find out either way, I'll post with more info.

On a happier, less stressful note, I've contracted littledeviltoo, one of my chronies from DeviantART.com to put together a nice little piece to replace that sky over there. I'm eager to see what she comes up with.

Also, you'll notice the links to the right are gone. I did this as a quick fix to a problem with the CSS that I couldn't figure out (I admit, I'm not too savvy, but I can do SOME things). So, my solution was to put them in a post, and just put a link to the individual post they're in. Hey, it works. Anyway....The problem I ran into with the links placed on the right side was that, anytime the main body was too short (like looking at an individual post's page), all the links would push to the far left side of the page. I'm sure fixing it would have been simple...Probably just forcing some right justification or something...But, again, I'm a moron. Besides, I think my solution made things a bit more tidy. Also, this way they're much easier to edit than sifting through the code for the weblog. Now I just have to edit the post. Very simple stuff. See...Yeah. That's what I had in mind all along. It was all an attempt to make things more efficient. yeah...

I'm retarded.

Links

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Spring Cleaning -OR- Some Shit Be Goin' Down Here

I've obviously been playing around a bit with the layout. Call me lazy, or uninspired, but the layout you're looking at isn't a custom made design. It's a template I ran across and decided it was very much the look I wanted for this weblog. Other than the obvious, though, I'm going to be changing some more things in an attempt to make things more in tune with my tastes.

• Changing that default picture to something more representative of myself. Although, the sky is pretty cool, it doesn't really fit the scheme if you ask me.


• I'm probably going to change the domain. I'm not sure what it's going to be yet, but "got the it" is getting old and idiotic (well, it's always been idiotic, but I just ignored it). Once I decide what it is, I'll email my 4 or 5 readers and let them know what it is.


• I don't know how, but I'm going to look into adding a constantly refreshing list of links to headlines from weblogs and new sources that I read frequently. Again, just another attempt at making this weblog more personalized.


• Removing the "Music" portion from the links section. It kinda felt like it was rather unnecessary as they aren't sites I visit; They're just bands I listen to. So what, eh?


• Plus, any number of little things I decide to change while I'm thumbing through the CSS and HTML for the template.

Stick around and see what happens. I don't even know for sure, yet.

Blogger's Bungle

I have the inspiration; I have many ideas in my head. All would be excellent pieces of writing if only they could be rustled together into cohesive thoughts. Unfortunately, all I seem to have are flaky ideas. Like little kids who get joy out of smashing pennies, these ideas are meandering on and off the railroad tracks and leaving distinguishable artifacts of their presence. Once my train of thought arrives, however, these artifacts look nothing like the originals.

...

Eh, I never was one for metaphors. My apologies.


On a completely unrelated note, May 5th marks 2 important events this year:

Happy Birthday Will.
AND
Happy Space Day.

A Matter of Utmost Importance

I never thought petitiononline.com was worth anything. Now I see the error in my assumption. I present to you, the fine readers of my glorious weblog, a cause actually worth fighting for in these "war against terrorism" times.

Reinstate the "Walker, Texas Ranger" Lever on Late Night with Conan O'Brien

Bring back the "Walker, Texas Ranger" lever! We are all devoted fans of the comedic genius, Conan O'Brien, and we would would greatly appreciate it if Mr. O'Brien and his writers would seriously consider reinstating the hilarious "Walker, Texas Ranger" clips and aforementioned lever, perhaps in a permanent, re-occurring weekly segment, or at at least just once in a while.

Sign the petition, and you will be rewarded with 72 virgins (or sluts, if you prefer) in the afterlife.

Must See Movies

Okay, granted, I don't go out to the movies very often. For some reason, though, I've found myself in a theater twice this week. First, to see "Sin City," a fast-paced, bloody, and emotional film ported from a comic of the same name. There are some big names involved in this movie. The two that stand out above the rest are Bruce Willis, and Quentin Tarantino. Willis plays a huge part in the movie as a end-of-his-line police officer trying to track down a guy who's kidnapped and killed several little girls. Tarantino's part in the movie was only as guest director. Which parts he helped with, I'm not sure. Probably all of them, at least inspirationally, because the entire movie has his style plastered all over it. Knowing that, people will either be immediately turned off or on depending on their Tarantino stance. Personally, when I saw Tarantino's name in the opening credits, I sat up in my seat and readied myself for a quality film.

The most recent movie I saw was "Sahara." I only decided to see this one because I liked the little plot synopsis I read at the theater, and I kinda dig Matthew Mcconaughey's acting. I've seen him in some movies that weren't too popular (Glory Daze being the one that immediately comes to mind), and he does a good job. I must make it known, however, that I ALMOST didn't watch Sahara simply because Penelope Cruz has a major role in it. It seems almost preposterous to imagine her in any role other than Sofia in "Vanilla Sky." I suffered through all of her mis-pronunciations of large words (she plays a WHO doctor who has to say some big words. Her articulation is terrible at best) to see what this movie had to offer. Overall, it was an effective cohesion of history, comedy, action, and drama. Not the greatest movie ever, but certainly not the worst.

Also, I should probably note that BOTH of the above movies featured previews for "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy". You better believe I'm going to see that when it comes out.

I never knew Benadryl could be so potent

So, I was supposed to work today. I went in for about 2.5 hours, and the store manager (not department manager...I'm talking about the big whig of the place) told me to go home. I didn't really want to because they cut me back to just 16 hours this week, but there's something about not being able to walk comfortably that makes you want to just get home and rest.

Yeah, that's right. Rather than the usual 40 hours I work, I've been cut down to 16 (well, about 10 now since I left early today). Apparently there were some budget issues, and employees have to reap the seeds which the figure heads have sown. Not only are we slashing prices, but we're slashing hours too.

Also, I've come to the conclusion that only rich people will be able to drive in about 6 months. $2.35/gallon? Oi. I remember thinking that 1.35/gal was outrageous. Oh well. Times'r a changin'...These changing times seem to leave me with less and less change in my pocket, though.

So I called Zach the other day, and he told me he was staring at the Atlantic Ocean. Jealousy ensued. Apparently, pictures were taken. Re-reading that post of hers, I realize that I have to nail her for the "haven't posted in light years" comment. Just so you all know (yes, all 3 of you), a light year is a measure of distance. Not time. pwned

So, like, yeah...I've got some good medicine running through my body, and I'm kinda (for lack of a better word) loopy. My arms are like Jell-O, and my head is the collective confusion of 10 monkeys trying to screw in a light bulb. I think I took too much.

Apparently, my Unitarian Jihad Name is: The Shuriken of Looking at All Sides of the Question. Thanks SkyTigress

If you're a gamer, and you have some bandwidth the spare, check out Pure Pwnage. There's, like, 6 episodes ranging in size from 60-120 megs, or something like that. Anyone who knows me and my friends in real life, tell me if you think FPS Dave reminds you of Dylan at all. He's introduced in the third episode, and plays a big part in the fifth as well. But you should probably watch them all in order so you can get a feel for what's going on. Belv, if you haven't already seen these, I _highly_ suggest you check them out. You'd appreciate them, I think. Especially the last one, but don't jump right to it. Watch them in order.

I'm rambling. Time to go.

vbr

Amour Propre

In my last post, I spoke of my horrific experience with H&R Block. While this remains true from a financial stand-point, I must say, the man who helped me out had some amusing/interesting things to say. He was an elderly gent full of trivial information. The sort of tidbits that can only be amassed through decades of observation and mental note-taking.

One such tidbit came out when we were discussing my job at Olive Garden (remember, when getting you taxes done, past jobs tend to be the focus of conversation). He went on to give me the usual spiel I've heard a hundred times or more: "Oh, I love the food there." "My wife and I go there all the time." "The (insert appetizer/entree/dessert here) is the best you can get around these parts."

The interesting part of the conversation came about when he confessed that he could never finish any of their entrees. This, too, has been said to me many times. I offered up my usual response: "Yeah. They give you enough for a meal at the restaurant, and lunch the next day."

To which he responded (totally paraphrased obviously, but the point is still here):

"Well, a long time ago, back in the 20's or 30's, it used to be considered unsophisticated to take food home from a restaurant. So then people started saying they were taking the food home for their dog. That's where we get the name for a 'Doggie Bag'. [and he actually said this next part] But you have to wonder how much of that food actually made it to the dog."

It was one of those things that kind of force you to say "Wow. You learn something new every day."

Vanity has never been so interesting.

My Journey to the Edge of the Planet

So, yeah, I didn't fall off the face of the planet.

Mahnamahna (After you first realize what you'll be watching, just give it a chance . It's funny.)

btw, I got raped by H&R Block. 116 dollars of un-lubricated ramming action. I do believe I'll take my business elsewhere, kind sir.

Is it apathy, or just a lack of musical knowledge?

Either way, I guess I'll just give you the answers to the 20 songs from 2 posts ago.

Here they are:

1) Rob Zombie - Never Gonna Stop
2) Man Pain - Down By Texas
3) Chuck Berry - Johnny B. Goode
4) Orgy - 107
5) Madonna - Hollywood
6) Mr. Bungle - The Girls of Porn
7) Misfits - Skulls
8) Big Dumb Face - Duke Lion
9) Murder By Death - A Caucus Race
10) Group X - Good Girl Yes, Bad Girl No
11) Kittie - Paperdoll
12) Rammstein - Spiel Mit Mir
13) Radiohead - Optimistic
14) Paddy's Irish Clan - Fuck the British Army
15) Mr Bungle - Ars Moriendi
16) Phish - Wonderwall (yeah, I know some other crappy band made the original, but Phish made it better)
17) Sublime - Santeria
18) Beck - Tropicalia
19) Bad Religion - You
20) Phish - Back on the Train
21) Spinal Tap - Stonehenge

That wasn't a very complicated list...You people need to listen to more (read: better) music.

An Imaginative Mind, or an Extreme Case of OCD

My current job requires me to do things which are, how should I say...less than fun?

Perhaps that is an under/over-statement. You decide: I arrange things on shelves to make them look more presentable to the public, while fooling them into thinking we have more product than we actually do. Some shifts require that I do this for eight hours. This is the kind of job where it's necessary to have an imaginitive mind (or an extreme case of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) for one to leave at the end of their shift without being gripped by hysteria.

A quick recap about the job (not that it's necessary): I arrange things on shelves. Easy enough, right? Exactly! It's so easy that I finish the job in 3-4 hours, and am left with about half of my shift to make it look like I'm working.

Now, for the few hours of real work that I do, it's easy to tell that I'm doing what I'm supposed to. I move up and down the aisle looking for product that's out of place and I return the stray merchandise to it's rightful position. There's nothing that can escape my clutches when I'm conditioning the shelves. Managers walk past, and say "Hey Eric, how's it going?" To which I always reply, "Oh, pretty good." *shuffle* *arrange* *shuffle* I'm in the zone.

When I finish my initial round of the store, though, I'm left with hours to pursue other objectives. At this stage in my shift, I make frequent trips to: the breakroom, the bathroom, the photo-lab, and other areas of the store where I find products that interest me. Most of all, however, I'm given the opportunity to do what I do best. Think. The deep thought and reflection I achieve during this phase of work is comparable only to that point where you're just about to fall asleep and EVERYTHING makes perfect sense. You can tell I'm deep in thought when I'm moving randomly through aisles without any apparent destination. I may also be sitting down on the floor, removing objects from the shelf, putting them back on, and repeating this process. I usually do this until I feel that someone's on to me. Once I feel the managers are peering down on my progress from the security cameras, I get up, move down the aisle a bit, and continue the process. Paranoia, or instinct? I'm not sure, but it works.

I suppose the most notable period of thought was when I devised the skeleton for my new calendar system. I'm still working on it, but I will post it when it's complete. I'll just say that it's highly efficient when compared to the hackneyed system currently in place. I'm still working out some kinks because the original model required that I completetly modify linear metric measurement.

How did I go from keeping track of days, to affecting the length of measurements in the metric system?

Well, because the meter is a set length which was determined by the distance light travels in a certain amount of time, and since this entire model is out to restructure time, I would have to restructure the metric system. Or just modify the amount of time required for light to travel that specific distance, given my new model for time. Not sure yet, but I'll do my best to make my thoughts coherent when I post the complete model.

But, yeah, that's what I do at work.

Good Shaith

Stole this from Belv-ah.

Step 1: Open up whatever MP3 program you use and add every song in your collection.
Step 2: Put it on random.
Step 3: Pick lines from the first 20 songs that play. (I addded an extra one though)
Step 4: Post and let everyone you know guess what song the lines come from.
Step 5: Cross out the songs when someone guesses correctly.
Step 6: DON'T RUN THEM THROUGH A SEARCH ENGINE.

1 - Use my body to keep you alive
2 - Gonna drive my lady. Goin and goin insanely.
3 - He never ever learned to read or write so well,
but he could play the guitar just like he's ringin' a bell
4 - It's about this constant addiction, about this greater demand.
As I reach for the life with only seconds left, I'm getting deeper.
5 - Shine your light now. This time it's got to be good.
6 - The urge is too much to take. All I can think about is playin' with myself.
It's time to masturbate. I got my Hustler and I don't need nothin' else.
7 - I want your soul. I need your soul.
8 - He's the son of man and god and lion
9 - She touches your wrist, you start to sweat, but it's just drinks
10 - I said to you, "How to tie a shoe?" You said you didn't know so you wear the velcro.
11 - They try her on for size, she fits nice.
12 - Vor dem Bett, ein schwarzes Loch
13 - Vultures circlin' the dead, pickin' up every last crumb.
14 - If I had a face like you, I'd join the British army.
15 - He who wafts on the red winds. In extrimis.
16 - Today was gonna be the day they were gonna throw it back to you.
17 - If he knows what is good for him, he'd best go run and hide.
18 - You wouldn't know what to say to yourself. Love is a poverty you couldn't sell.
Misery waits in vague hotels to be evicted.
19 - It's made of candy canes, and planes, and bright red choo choo trains.
20 - When I jumped off, I had a bucket full of thoughts.
21 - Won't you take my hand. We'll go back in time to that mystic land.
Where the dew drops cry, and the cats meow.

The Lion, The Witch, and The Warzone

Don't ask me, but that was the name of the performances Saturday night.

Sorry for the delay. I was hoping to get some pictures from the shows so I could post them, but Amos has yet to deliver.

This is how it all went down:

Pre-Show

On Friday, I was taking a nice, pleasant little nap in my oh-so comfortable apartment when I got a ring-ting-ting-a-ling from one Zachariah Smith. Apparently some people were at Dylan's and they were just jamming. After some persuasion on Zach's part, I agreed to come down. When I got there, we just kinda hung out and goofed off with various instruments. Soon enough, we all piled in Zach's car and rode to Hinkle's (it's a small town burger place. Open 24 hours. Best coffee ever). Nothing really happened there, but it was good times nonetheless. After Hinkle's we went back to Dylan's and did nothing until about 2 am. Arriving at my house, I stayed up until 4, yet again, doing nothing.

7 am is not the time a person expects to wake up when they go to sleep at 4 am. At least, I don't. The hustle and bustle of my family's morning rituals brought my fairy tale dreams to an abrupt halt, as I had been sleeping on the couch in the living room. Since I wasn't going to Dylan's until 2, I knew something had to be done to pass the time. What did I do? Ate leftover KFC, watched City Slickers, Toy Story 2, and two random shows on the History Channel.

So, it's 2 pm, and I'm at Dylan's. No one is here but me. The bastard went to get drinks. 15 minutes pass and he shows up. Fortunate for him, I was there to help him move crap out the "jam room" to make room for the show that night. We needed as much room as we could get too, since we were expecting about 40 people. With all that done, Zach shows up. Man Pain unites!!!...but we need coffee. Zach and I head over to Hinkle's where we drink our coffee (about 4 cups a piece I believe), and discussed our show. We outlined about 10 songs to play. 9 originals, and one cover.

Back at Dylan's, we begin to actually practice. Think about this for a second: We have two hours to prepare 10 songs for a show, and the last time we actually played together was back in November. Zach had no problem getting his guitar parts back in line, but the lyrics (i.e. My part) was not so simple. Since all of our songs are improv, and we never perform for people, I have no need to memorize the lyrics. This horribly twisted rationale came back to bite me in the metephorical ass on Saturday.

Enter Chris

He shows up, and we learn that his lead guitarist is sick with some rare tropical disease or something. By some weird stroke of luck, there was some dude there who can play a ukulele.

The Show

Chris was the first to play. Him and the ukulele guy busted out a few songs. None of which I'm familiar with, but they did them with a style and class that can only be summed up as "sweet ass." I sat in awe (and borderline intoxication) as the ukulele guy just busted out some riffs to songs he hadn't even practiced. Skill is a word that can't even describe what they laid down that night. While only playing 3 or 4 songs, they definitely made a killer impression on the important folks in the crowd (important folks being defined as those who have an appreciation for fine acoustic-type music).

Man Pain takes the stage. Eric is slighty intoxicated, and Zach is tearing it up on guitar. We never really got around to playing all the songs we intended. I don't even think we played half of them actually. I'll try to relay the ACTUAL set-list as best I can:

Stealing Money From Metallica
Captain Morgan
Western Jaw-Breaker
Down By Texas

Now, for the amount of practice we had, I feel we did pretty good. As I recall, Down by Texas went pretty good; as did Captain Morgan; I think people laughed at Stealing Money From Metallica a few times; and Western Jaw-Breaker got the biggest applause (probably because it's an instrumental, and they didn't have to listen to my dying-cat of a voice). So, overall, what we lacked musically, we made up for comically. Not a bad trade-off I guess.

After our set, Zach and Chris traded places, Jess grabbed her Cowbell, then Chris started the opening lick of Don't Fear the Reaper. I started singing, but there was no cowbell. I needed some cowbell. I requested, in song, for Jess to give me some of that sweet, sweet cowbell. She complied. It was glorious.

Then comes Seventh Story (improper semi-colon use coming up); the trio consisting of Dylan, Smalley, and Jess. While I can't comment on each song individually, I will say that their cover of April 26, 1992 was fucking awesome. I didn't think they could pull it off in a way that would be worthy of a Sublime song, but damn...They nailed it. The bass, the drums, the sweet ass guitar. All of it. Amazing.

I may be biased in saying this, as they're all friends of mine, but Seventh Story has some true potential. I hope they start looking into playing some local gigs around the area. I know they would find a fan base very quickly. For some reason, the town of Madison has this intense craving for grit-your-teeth, bang-your-brain-around-in-your-skull kind of metal, and Seventh Story can deliver. The Sublime song I mentioned is obviously a more mellow song, but they found a way to incorporate Dylan's love for his distortion without fucking the song. I don't know how, but it happened.

Post-Show

Afterwards, a few people (nine) went up to Pizza Hut for some food stuffs. I went for some Mountain Dew, but I was the minority. I rode up there with Belv and we had some good conversation. While we're discussing Belv, I feel I should restate the fact that Mariachi Spirit WILL be played the next time Man Pain performs and Belv-ah is present. I will dedicate it to him, and wink in his direction. It will be awkward.

Wrap-Up

It was fun, and we should do it again with more advanced notification to Zach and myself.

Okay, Here's the Deal... (part duex)

It doesn't seem like I'm going to finish that glorious entry I spoke of in my last post by tonight, so I just wanted to throw a few things out there in the mean time.

• I got a job (w00t++). Not really my ideal place of employment, but it'll do as a temporary source of income. It's the old photo lab I used to work at. I called them up and the deal was sealed on the phone. It's nice to have connections.


• I'm going to a party/mini-concert/I-don't-know-what. Zach and I (AKA Man Pain) will be playing. We have a rough set-list, and here it is:
  
  -Imposters
  -Stealing Money From Metallica
  -Captain Morgan
  -Down by Texas
  -Why?
  -Skyy Blue
  -Aviso
  -Camel Song OR Please Don't Litter
  -Western Jaw Breaker
  -Westminster Chimes
  I keep telling people to expect their asses to get blown out, but few believe me. Anyway, those are mostly just choice songs we've recorded in the past few months. I doubt any of you have heard them, unless Zach or myself has given you a CD. If you want some mp3's, I have no problem sending them via some IM client or email. There are a number of ways to get ahold of me concerning such things. Check around the weblog for your preferred method.
  
  Expect an entry about the party upon my return.



• I'm way too tired to be awake right now. I'm backspacing every few keystrokes due to my inability to control my finger muscles in such a way that promotes a ginormous wpm count.


• Unordered lists rule.

Okay, Here's the Deal...

It's obvious that I've been making it a point to update more often. So, to keep with that, I'm just updating to let you know that I've been working on an entry that involves a more in-depth approach. Therefore, I've been focusing more on it than a run-of-the-mill post.

I'm not going to tell you what it's about, but I'll tell you that it's going to be glorious.

The Run-Around

Just called the potential employer about 30 minutes ago. Apparently (please put as much stress on that word as you can) the big man in charge of decision's is out for vacation starting yesterday, and he didn't bother to make a decision on who to hire. I was told to call back next Tuesday to find out for sure.

I'm very behind in the job search, and slightly behind with a few bills. My stomach is in knots, and the only thing I can think of is that line in Fear and Loathing: "What's the score here? What's next?"

Well, my day is planned for me. More job hunting. Gonna try online first, and then do the field work later.

And, Amy, thanks for the call. Honestly, your timing was immaculate.

Wait! Don't Go!

The title of this weblog has changed. Welcome to "Got the It?" formerly known as "A Walk in the Park." Salutations!

I'm of the impression that I actually have to put thought into this here weblog's structure for people seek me out. I don't know, maybe I'm wrong.

I'm still tinkering around in the template code trying to customize it a bit. I'm not entirely certain what is left to be done, though. After all, I am satisfied with the look of it now. Perhaps all that matters is my satisfaction. Mmm, yes, perhaps. Then again, there've been many times where I've found my contentment totally disrupted by someone else's declaration of bullshit/hogwash/what-have-you.

So, in the coming days, expect: minor (or major, depending on what I fuck up) adjustments in the look of the weblog, more links added to the appropriately named "Links" section, and more of these "Hey, I just did this to my weblog! Cool, huh?" type posts.

A Few Things to Points Out

I suppose the most obvious thing I need to point out is the new page design. What do you think? Nice, eh?

Also, you may want to take a gander to your right (you may have to scroll down a bit) and notice all those links sitting there. I figured if I'm to have an online monument to myself, I should include links to sites covering a wide array of subjects that strike my fancy. Make no mistake of it, though...That list is far from complete. I mostly just wanted to get a general layout for the section, and then add to it as I go.

AND!!!

(this is the good shit coming up)

Syndication feed! Now, rather than tediously thumbing through the vast internet just to find your refuge here, I can be delivered to your screen in a very tidy and convenient manner. As of right now, I have the link to the feed with the title up there. I'm trying to find a better place to put it, but that seems cool for now.

So, you're asking yourself: "Self, what's a syndication feed?"

Ask no longer, weary traveler. For, I have your answer right here in a passage ripped from the blogger FAQ:

When a regularly updated site such as a blog has a feed, people can subscribe to it using software for reading syndicated content called a "newsreader." People like using readers for blogs because it allows them to catch up on all their favorites at once. Like checking email—without the SPAM.

Now that we have that lined up, I suppose the wise thing for me to do is recommend a reader. Well, the one I use (for Windows) is SharpReader. It works quite well. For Mac users, I've heard many good things about NetNewsWire. If you're using Linux, I don't need to recommend anything, because I'm sure you already have the aggregator of your desire.

So, remember, just click the link in the title up there for the feed.

Free subscriptions while supplies last.

Awake With the Rest of the World

It's 5:30 a.m. and here I am. Greetings to those who skim through these words.

A lot has been on my mind lately, among them (and I'll make this part quick and painless) is my lack of occupation. I was fired from OG for eating a bowl of soup, and not IMMEDIATELY paying for it. Long story short, I found out later from ex-co-workers that the stunt was pulled just so they could use me as an example for the rest of the employees. I feel used and (perhaps, most importantly) broke. Funds are tight, and inner-tension is even tighter. I'm eeking through these days, but there is a nice shimmer at the end of this tunnel. In a few days I expect to receive a call from a potential employer. Hope is high, but expectations are buried in the ground somewhere.

Moving on, cause I dare not think about it, at the risk of mental destruction.

In other news, I'm listening to some Astral Projection remix tunes. Not too shabby. I'm surprised I hadn't heard them before tonight. If you like Goa/Psy Trance, and have the ability, be sure to check out their albumn "Ten." It'll make you move your body in a way that was not intended by the catholic church.

_________________________________________________________

(quick note: That little line above this text indicates that what you're about to read is lengthy, and focused on one thing. If you read the beginning of it, and don't care about what's said, just do what any normal person would do, and skip it. You'll find the rest of this weblog entry after the other line way down there somewhere.)

Yes, it's true, I've been playing Tribes a lot. Too much, probably. It's fun though. I've learned some things about online gaming via Tribes. Let me preface this little passage with a few notes; it'll set the tone much better than simply telling you what I've learned.

- Tribes is a game many years old. Probably 6 or 7, but I'm not sure.
- Tribes has many active participants. Most of whom have been around since the beginning.
- Tribes is intense.
- Tribes will determine your daily schedule without consulting you first.

Now, what I've noticed...Since Tribes is my first full-blown thrust into online gaming, it is naturally the first chance I have to observe what the community is like. Conseqeuntially, I've noticed there are 3 main types of people in Tribes:

- The n00bs/newbs/noobs
- The elitists
- The laid-back, "Yeah man, whatever." guys.

The n00b/newb/noob

We all know this player. He's the one who runs around and tries to kill people on his team because he honestly believes that is who he's supposed to kill. That phase usually lasts about 10 minutes, and it ends with them dropping from the game probably because they're frustrated they can't kill anyone. Sorry guys, this isn't a deathmatch. It's capture the flag. We work together here.

As this player progresses, they become more of a nuisance because now they're running around shooting objects that don't need to be shot. Like their teams generator. There's no better way to say "HEY! I'M THE NEW GUY! LOOK A' ME!!" than trying to kill your own gen. This is also the same phase in which the player camps in his base for no apparent reason other than to put mines in the weirdest places.

Fast forward about a week, and you have a player who is now roaming the vast landscapes of Tribes, typically as a sniper. Don't ask me why, but all players go through a sniper phase (If you didn't, then good for you. Have a lolli-pop.). They fumble around with their sniper rifle, and have trouble hitting anything other than air. This is just an adjustment period where they have to get familiar with leading their target. However, you are not to, under any circumstances, confront a noob sniper when he's camping on a far away hill. If you do, he becomes erratic and can cause serious harm to himself. All too often do I see noob snipers fall to their death because they flip-out way too hard when I approach them.

As the noob learns the tools of the trade, and excels at some particular area of Tribes, he will more-than-likely evolve into one of the following players.

The elitist

This is the guy who: picks on noobs just for being new to the game, trashes bases when there are only 5 people total on the server, kills people right when they spawn, complains (read: blames his team) when his side is losing, is too competitive for anyone's benefit...You know, the list really does go on, but I'll sum it up with one statement: The elitist, while generally good at the game, provides nothing positive for the gaming atmosphere.

The laid-back, "Yeah man, whatever." guys.

This guy. Yeah. He makes the game fun. He doesn't care who wins or loses (he may get a little competitive, but, hey, who doesn't?). He just wants to get from the game what it's developers intended. Fun. You'll probably find yourself wanting to be on his team because he's good, and provides some decent conversation when there's down-time.

---------------------

Okay, I guess this is the part where I sum up some loose-ends...

I know I didn't cover everything...This is all just randomly coming out of my head, so be cool. People are gonna play how they're gonna play, and what I outlined above are the basic extremes I've noticed.
_________________________________________________________

If you've read this far, relax, it's almost over.

If you skipped to the end of that little Tribes tangent, then shame on you.

Now, back to the weblog entry....

I've come to the conclusion that I'll never fully understand what the hell I'm doing when it comes to relationships. Not friend-like relationships. I'm talking about the "hugging, saying 'I love you' and meaning it in thatway, giving flowers just cause, and kissing upon the brow when parting company" kind of relationships. Emotions run high, as does the temperature of the person's skin when it's next to yours, and you're left with a feeling that very closely resembles crawling into a nice warm (or cold if that's your thing) bed when you're dead tired. It's a feeling that, when you attain it, you want to forever keep it in a place that only you can find so that no one else can taint it. Maybe in your deepest, most inner-thoughts.

Wishful thinking, though, as reality often forbids such actions.

I refer to a portion of the final stanza of Edgar Allan Poe's piece, "A Dream Within A Dream"

I stand amid the roar
Of a surf-tormented shore,
And I hold within my hand
Grains of the golden sand-
How few! yet how they creep
Through my fingers to the deep,
While I weep–while I weep!
O God! can I not grasp
Them with a tighter clasp?
O God! can I not save
One from the pitiless wave?

We, us, our attempts, our actions, our lack of action, our apathy...That is the grasp.

The love, the bond, the essence of the relationship...That is the sand.

Time...That is the pitiless wave.

Now, I'm left to determine if I should piece that together like I have it in my mind, or if it is better left to the reader to determine my meaning. I suppose if you have questions, just ask...


Hmmm...I've been writing this for an hour now...I suppose I'll wrap it up.

*wrap*
*wrap*
*wrap*
*tape*
*tape*

Music Recommendations for Me

I take a lot of online quizzes more or less to entertain myself during times of boredom, and very rarely do i actually post them on here (because, c'mon, how cliche is that?). However, once in a blue moon, a quiz will hit the nail right between the eyes. I present to you, My Music Taste (circa Jan. 28th, 2005).

You scored as Indie.

Indie		92%
Indie Rock		83%
Classic Rock.		83%
Punk and Pop Punk.		83%
Britpop		75%
Ska		67%
Industrial		63%
Hardcore		58%
Emo & More		54%
Hip Hop and Rap		33%
Mainstream		8%
Country		8%

Music Recommendation
created with QuizFarm.com

lmfao @ LiveJournal!!11

Haha...seems the blogging hegemon bit the dust recently:

From: http://www.livejournal.com/powerloss

Our data center (Internap, the same one we've been at for many years) lost all its power, including redundant backup power, for some unknown reason. (unknown to us, at least) We're currently dealing with verifying the correct operation of our 100+ servers. Not fun. We're not happy about this.

That's funny shit...I don't care who y'are. ;)

Hark! Our Hero Returns!

Granted, I haven't had (nor do I now have) anything very interesting to say. I've been stuck in a perilous work/sleep/repeat phase that I'm destined to deviate from soon...hopefully. Otherwise, all is well in the world of Me.

Here. Look at this:



That means I'm better than 93% of everyone. That's something you're just gonna have to deal with.

Sorry to upset my "loyal readers" with such a short and unfulfilling post, but the time will come when Eric rises high above the obstacles, and peers down onto his goal of writing the best blog entry in the world. Thusly, he will grapple at this objective with an astronomical amount of fury. The day will be glorious. The day will be soon.

Until then, don't hate the player. Hate the game.