My personal braindump

Police were following me

...So tonight I went to a movie with some of my friends. On the way home, I  stopped into Bailey's to meet with a few other people for a little bit of karaoke. And that's when I started to hear how much the police were out in force tonight trying to bust drunks. From the karaoke DJ, Metro Mike: "Please drive carefully if you're headed toward Pineville.There's a sobriety checkpoint out that way."
Quick note: I had some wine earlier this evening, but wasn't anywhere close to getting a DUI even if I got pulled over. The entire time I was at Bailey's, I was only drinking water. But I digress...
So on the way home, I get stopped at said checkpoint since it's along the way. They check my license and lean in to smell my breath. No problem, and I'm shortly on my way.
But a cop car pulls out of the line there and pulls in behind me. Still not thinking of it, and being careful not to go over the speed limit, I'm on my merry way. Forgot my wallet at Bailey's, had to go back. The cop circled and continued following me until I pulled into the parking lot. That was kind of weird, but I ignored it.
On the way out of the parking lot, a police van turns out to be the first thing behind me. Still no big deal. I took a road around the checkpoint this time because I didn't want to wait in line again. The police van continued, just behind me, through all of it. (Pineville-Matthews onto Park Rd,  left on Sharon Lakes Rd, then a right onto South Blvd.) until I finally moved into the turning lane to get off of South onto Arrowood. As I pull into the turning lane, the van passes, though I saw the cop glance at me on his way by.
Just as he's passing me, ANOTHER cop car is coming from the opposite direction. In my rearview mirror, I see him suddenly pull into a parking lot and turn around, coming up behind me in the turning lane. I finished my drive down Arrowood with him behind me, and as I pulled into the Sun Valley apartment complex, I see him turn BACK around in my rearview mirror and drive off.
I guess it's just a series of coincidences, but having them happen that many times in close succession sort of makes me feel like the cops were following me for some reason tonight. Not that I would have any reason to worry if I got pulled over. I could blow in a tube, pee in a cup, or whatever, and it wouldn't have bothered me. At least, the results of said tests wouldn't have bothered me.  :)

A funny letter from my sister

Okay, I haven't updated this thing in a while, mostly for lack of content. My life these days revolves around playing computer games, drinking coffee, working, and watching a little Japanese animation. But today, I got an email from my sister overseas, who happens to be a missionary. It was as funny as ever, and well-worth posting here. This is a typical exchange between us:

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

dear andrew,

    yesterday i woke up at 6:30, walked down a muddy trail, crossed a log bridge over raging rapids, and peed behind a rock all while wearing a skirt.  then, i climbed in a 206, flew back to ukarumpa and had dinner with my friends.  today i 'slept in' until 8. i had lunch with an australian, nearly had my arm taken off by a german shepherd, spoke in 2 languages, and discovered the floor in my classroom is getting refinished (so i can't work until friday...)

    what have you done? 

    just kidding. 

    i was visiting a village and i arrived back yesterday.  i'm pretty wiped out and sick of staring at this computer screen.  i thought of you today and hope you're doing well. 

    update on guys in my life:  *insert sound of crickets*  absolutely nothing.  am still holding out for *** EDITED IN CASE SOMEBODY SHE KNOWS SEES THIS ***

need some sleep.

LOVE YOU!  abby

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...And this is what I sent back:

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Abby:

Thus far this week:

(1) I have spent a total of six hours battling giant bugs and spaceships in Earth Defense Force on the XBox 360.
(2) I have wiped out 16 civilizations in Age of Empires III.
(3) I've networked things together in ways that would make your head spin.
(4) I've driven 150 miles and relieved myself in eighteen different restrooms.
(5) I've had approximately 48 cups of coffee and other caffeinated beverages.
(6) I've showered three times, brushed my teeth six times, and slept for a grand total of seventeen hours (three days combined).

...Yeah...the muddy trail sounds a bit more adventurous. Basically, I work, drink coffee, play computer games, hang out with friends, and read. That's my life for the most part. But I HAVE started singing karaoke periodically.  :)

LOVE YOU!!! STAY SAFE!!! OH, AND KICK *** EDITED *** IN THE NADS!!! IT'S THE BEST WAY TO COMMUNICATE YOUR INTEREST TO NERDY, DENSE, CHRISTIAN DUDES!!!

~Andrew Farmer

P.S. If he breaks your heart, I will SWIM there just to kick his ass.

Virginia Tech students - RIP

The Columbine high school shootings meant very little to me. I didn't know anybody there, and I paid about as much attention to that situation as I do to an accident on the highway. Look, shrug, say "that sucks", and drive on. Unfortunately, that is not an option in this case.

I graduated from Virginia Tech in 2002. Since then, I have grown a tad distant from the school. Most of my friends have graduated and left Blacksburg by now. The only remaining people I know there decided to start careers and stick around. Of the people who were killed, I have not heard the names of anybody I know yet. Despite these things, though, I can't help but be disturbed by the terrible events yesterday. First, this happened at a place I have many fond memories of. Second,  I can't help but feel sorrow for those who HAVE lost someone they were close to. The reminders are all around; every time I see the news, every time I go online, every time I talk to somebody on the phone who knew one of those that was gunned down. "This sucks" is more true than ever, but things have been brought to a personal level.

Some thoughts:
1. I don't understand what could possibly have been going through that guy's head. I've been angry enough at situations and people in life to see red before, but I never wanted to hurt anyone past the person who I was angry at. And I certainly never acted on that anger. To go out and gun down 32 innocent people is just freaking insane.
2. Before yesterday, I never knew what it was like to want somebody dead. The only thing running through my head as I watched the body count on Fox News grow was "I hope that guy dies. But before he dies, I hope he suffers. And I hope the bullet that kills him is not his own."
3. Blaming this on video games is just stupid. You can't generalize the acts of one insane person into a campaign again video games, yet that's just what Jack Thompson and Dr Phil have come out and started to do.

Closing thoughts:
Fuck you, Cho Seung-Hui. I hope you enjoy your just rewards.

...And for those that have tried talking to me about this, please excuse my distance. It's actually very upsetting, and I would rather deal with it on my own. Save your sympathy and prayers for those at Virginia Tech who need them.

A minor update

This is a post for the sake of post, mainly so people know I'm still alive. I'm looking at a life change sometime in the near future, job-wise. It can be broken down into two bullet points:

(1) I interviewed last week for a position with Verizon tech support in Raleigh. The pay increase would be good. The downside...it's in Raleigh, not Charlotte, and I don't know a whole heck of a lot of people around that area.

(2) When my current company got wind that I might be job-hunting, they approached me about a position change. If that happens, it might be a good enough situation to keep me around. I'm waiting for the meeting to happen, so we'll see.

...And not much else is going on. For now, the rest of my life revolves around work, video games, and hanging out with people. And perhaps a little anticipation.

A minor update

This is a post for the sake of post, mainly so people know I'm still alive. I'm looking at a life change sometime in the near future, job-wise. It can be broken down into two bullet points:

(1) I interviewed last week for a position with Verizon tech support in Raleigh. The pay increase would be good. The downside...it's in Raleigh, not Charlotte, and I don't know a whole heck of a lot of people around that area.

(2) When my current company got wind that I might be job-hunting, they approached me about a position change. If that happens, it might be a good enough situation to keep me around. I'm waiting for the meeting to happen, so we'll see.

...And not much else is going on. For now, the rest of my life revolves around work, video games, and hanging out with people. And perhaps a little anticipation.

New studies under way

Well, I finally tired of the status quo...and now I'm gearing up for another bout of anti-sociability. Is that even a word? I supposed it doesn't matter. Anyway, I just purchased some study materials last week for the first of 4 certification tests toward earning a "Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator" title. Last time I decided to get certified in something, a lot of my friends didn't see me for 2-3 months straight. The goal is to get this test done before May, but we'll see...

In other news, I still don't understand women. But I suspect they only have a slightly easier time understanding themselves than I do, so it's all good.

Finally, I had a talk with my ex last week. Things were not going to work out between us as friends, so we've agreed to cut off contact entirely. We've got our reasons and I still wish her well in the future.

Nintendo Wii

Okay...for those that saw that incredibly short entry last night...

After a month of searching, I finally found a Nintendo Wii gaming console last night.My initial impressions are extremely good. The Wii has a small form-factor; much smaller than the XBox 360 or the Playstation 3, and does not seem to have any overheating issues like it's bigger console neighbors. Unfortunately, the graphics will never have the detail or resolution of its bigger neighbors either. However, this is a great console. The things I liked the most after a few hours of playing:

(1) Wii Sports: Included with the console currently. Finally, a game that gets you out of the ass-groove you've worn into the couch. The five games that make up this package (Bowling, Golf, Boxing, Tennis, and Baseball) offer simplistic, but intuitive controls. Trying to hit a baseball? Hold the controller like you would hold a bat and swing it. Bowling? As you swing your arm forward, you can twist your hand to place spin on the ball. Some of my coworkers have reported that their muscles actually ached after playing for several hours.

(2) The "Internet Channel": Free download for the next few months. Powered by the Opera browser, Typing in a web address using the onscreen keyboard is predictably slow, but works. This browser is currently labeled a "trial version", All normal web-surfing functions work, but you don't have access to a full range of plugins. For instance, it only seems to support Flash 7. Videos from YouTube work just fine, but MySpace videos will not be viewable, as they require Flash 9.

(3) A small but workable amount of built-in memory: You don't have to purchase a separate memory card to be able to save games.

(4) There is a limited library of games that you can download from the "Wii Shop" channel from classic gaming systems (Sega, NES, N64, etc). Presumably, this will be expanding as time goes on. Currently, you can get things like the original "Legend of Zelda", "Super Mario Brothers", "Simcity", and "Altered Beast". Those are just a few from the list. I have not purchased the "Classic Controller" yet, but will be doing so in the near future. Each game is a few bucks, but you only have to pay once.

I think I've said my piece for now. Better to get it out in this blog. I think I bored the will to live out of my girlfriend last night when I wouldn't shut up about this system.

blogging from a Wii

Typing on Wii's is a pain in the butt so I'm going to stop now.

My Early Holiday Vacation is OVER

Well, I'm back in Charlotte after a week up in Pennsylvania. Ordinarily, I would have waited another week or two to go home. This time, I had a funeral to attend in Delaware, and figured I might as well just take the whole week off as long as I was that far north already.

The funeral was good, as far as funerals go. I stayed with Shelley's parents for the weekend, and they were possibly the most hospitable people I've ever met. I wish I could have met them under different circumstances. Being asked to act as a pallbearer for the funeral was perhaps a bit uncomfortable, but I was glad to serve in any way I could.

The time I spent with my family in PA this year was gloriously restful, yet complicated, as always. Restful in that I wasn't doing a whole lot of work and could wake up a noon every single day if I felt like it. Complicated in that I have a hard time giving each person his or her own slice of one-on-one time with me. It seems like everybody wants to get some alone time with me so they properly spell out everything that's been going on without interruption from other family members.

Oh yeah...if anybody didn't know, I just moved to a different apartment with my roommate. Townhouse style. Same price as the last place, with a few hundred extra square feet and a much quieter neighborhood. I'm loving it so far. And since I have the ground floor, I can play Dance Dance Revolution as much as I like, whenever I like, and I won't bug a single stinking person. w00t!

Rest in Peace

Rest in Peace Shelley. You're in a place where cancer can't hurt you any more.

Shelley with her fiance, Mike Hunter.

Mass Photo-whoring extravaganza: A few high school friends

For part 2 of this photo-whorage, I bring you pictures of a few high school friends I saw that same week up North in Pennsylvania and Maryland.

Patrick. He currently manages his familie's pool table business. Expressions you might find on his face: impassive, and impassive with smile. I think that covers about 90% of it. Definitely an excellent guy to hang out with.

Sam. Always cracking a joke, always fun to hang out with as well.

Sam posing with Mary Hoang.

Me with Bergan and Mary. Unfortunately, I blinked. Otherwise this might have been another good "pimp shot".

Dan napping. Laura napping, and using Dan as a full-body pillow. AAAAAAaaaawwww...

Dan with his parents. Those two can cook. I'm drooling right now thinking about the marinade they used with the beef. Dan...I still need that recipe.

Mass Photo-whoring extravaganza: The family

Okay...I realize it's been weeks since I updated this thing. There was a bunch of stuff I intended to stick in here, but I've been too dag-gone busy. So I'm going to post a whole bunch of photos ALL AT THE SAME TIME.

First, my family. Nobody I know in Charlotte has ever met my family. So here's a few pictures of the people I grew up with from my last trip home:

Martin. Not sure why he was flashing the peace symbol in a library. However, if he's not at the volunteer fire department or building decks on houses, he's probably here.

A quick pic of my dad at the House of Kobe. Sushi-loving may be a genetic thing in my family...but only on his side.

My mom. I think I inherited my sense of humor from her. That is to say, things me and my siblings find funny are commonly considered "unfunny" in all other circles of society. But to us, they're a riot.

My sister Elizabeth. Currently works with kids who have autism and wants to get a Masters degree at some point.

My sister Abby. She's currently in Paupa, New Guinea teaching kids. This was a recent shot she sent me of her getting a motorcycle license over there. Yes, those are jeans under that skirt. It's true...she really doesn't care what you think.

Back from PA

I just finished up a week-long vacation in PA and MD. It was the least-productive week I think I've ever had. The general breakdown of my activities can only be described as "laziness":  Went to sleep between 2 AM and 3 AM every night. Played several hours of computer games a day. Read. Visited friends. Ate out and watched movies.

There's a fact that I re-discovered on vacation that I had nearly forgotten: It can be meaningful just to be with your friends and family, without a constant flurry of conversation or activities.  Three examples: (1) I watched She's The Man on DVD with my sister Elizabeth one night. She fell asleep halfway through the movie and didn't wake up until it was over. (2) While I was at my friend Dan's place, he loaded up the game Resident Evil on his Playstation. All I did was chill in the background, occasionally offering an observation about some item he might have missed in a room, or a suggestion on what he might try next. (3) Another night, my dad was practicing his violin five feet away. I just sat and absorbed the sound while I played computer games.

The common denominator in all three situations was an utter lack of words and activities. But despite that, it was comforting just to be with the people I hadn't seen in a while.

Pictures from the last week will be posted once I get a chance to unload them from my camera to my laptop. :)

Very, very sad Panthers fans

This will be short and sweet. Sunday, I was watched the Falcons beat down the Panthers 20 to 6. Here are two of my coworkers who I was watching the game with. Both were Panthers fans. Click the pictures to get the full-size images.

Granted, this was a pose. But what an articulate pose! Cry more, n00b.

Dan...we appreciate how you hosted the party. We also appreciate what a good sport you are in wearing a Falcons hat since your team lost.

Urban Sophisticates

Before you start to think that I'm referring to myself or people I know as "Urban Sophisticates", I want you to put that out of your head. No...the Urban Sophisticates are a band from Greenville, NC that I went to see with some friends tonight. And their musical style is TIGHT. Combine a hip-hop group with a few band members who used to play Jazz, and you get a group that is GREAT for listening to as you chill with a drink in your hand.

 

There was a moment earlier on in the evening that I thought was rather amusing. My friends Matt, Daniel, and David are three people who can truly be called members of the mobile generation. We were hanging out at Matt and Daniel's apartment. Suddenly, I realized that everybody there was using their cell phones at the same time. Well, with one exception. The girl named Rachel there WOULD have been on a cell phone except Daniel happened to be using hers at that particular moment. Anyway, here's a shots of a few guys I hang out with. Rachel got included in this mix, though I hardly ever see her.

David. No, that's not a real gun.

Daniel using Rachel's phone.

Matt. Intrepid video editor extraordinaire.

Rachel as she expounded upon something. The photo-op was too good to pass up.

The limitations of cell phone cameras

I'm starting to discover a key functionality limit to using digital cameras, especially the ones in camera phones: blur. When I take pictures with my normal 35mm camera, they come out perfect almost every time. It doesn't matter if I jiggle the camera just a bit. With my camera phone, if just a little motion is introduced in the time it takes you to snap a picture, the motion blur is transferred to the picture itself. I guess I'll have to practice keeping my grip on the thing steady if I decide to keep using it. That's not just a problem with the camera phone. I have the same issues with my regular digital camera as well.

One note: I think I'm going to engage in one more round of photo-whoring if I go out to play volleyball with people on Sunday, but after that I'll probably stop for a while.

Here's a few shots taken tonight while hanging out with my friends Ani and Amy at Bailey's on Friday night. Originally, they were in 640x480, but I shrunk the size down to 320x240 to hide some of the motion blur. Other than that, I made a few tweaks to the contrast and saturation so we didn't all look sunburnt.

Me, Ani, Amy together.

Amy looking goofy.

Ani gracing the only blur-free photo of the night.

 
A terrible shot of us from earlier in the evening. There was nothing I could do to fix this picture....

New round of photo-whoring

My old cell phone bit the dust HARD on Labor Day. Today, I came into possession of a new cell phone. One that has a built-in camera. And in honor of my new toy, I performed some photo-whorage tonight at dinner tonight with friends. Why do I insist of keeping a lense pointed in other people's faces from time to time? Because by being a picture-slut, I can give visible proof to the world that I have a life, and actually INTERACT with most of the people listed as "friends" under my online profiles. Well, that and I like to take trips down memory lane fom time to time.

Enjoy!

Jill, Abby, and Bryan.

Me and Juan attempting to look tough (and blurry).

Big Pimpin'. I forget whether it was Ani or Mekenzie who told me this had to show up as my profile pic on Myspace, but it's there now. My Myspace Profile for your viewing pleasure 

Get away from me Toby! (BTW...in the way of a shameless plug...if anybody wants to pay a visit to Toby's music store, it's in the  Ayrsley complex in Charlotte off of South Tryon.)

Juan getting his pimp on as well. Unfortunately, this picture came out blurry. Sorry Juan!

Class Reunion Pictures

I finally found enough time to edit all my class reunion pictures. Unfortunately, my disposable cameras took horribly grainy photos. Here are a few of myself. The others can be found on my homepage.

A quick note about the hair: the day just previous to this little mini-class-reunion, I had hair. But the day OF the reunion, I decided to try and give myself a little trim. After screwing up my haircut royally, I finally had to use a disposable razor to remove absolutely everything. Ah well...next time I'll leave well-enough alone.  :P

 

Back from the North Part 2: Class Reunion

I meant to update this thing two days ago, but I've been completely tied up. I'll create the post now and probably upload some of the pictures from this event tonight.

There were only a couple people from my high school at the class reunion, but it was still a blast. We met up at my friend Patrick's place around 4 PM on Saturday. Patrick's house was ideal: it was big, but more importantly, it was equipped with a hot tub and a pool. Most of the day revolved around sitting at a table, drinking continuously, and catching up on everyone's lives. The pool and hot tub didn't come into play until much later. Besides the high school people, there were a few others present: sisters, girlfriends, wives, college classmates, and so forth.

You know, this post could be longer. I could explain to you where each and every attendee's life has gone since graduation. I could tell you how cool it was hanging out with friends I hadn't seen in nine years. But I won't. Most of it would be meaningless to the majority of my readers. Instead, wait until a little later tonight, and I'll slap up a few pictures. In the meantime, thanks for reading a somewhat boring post...  :P

Back from the North Part 1: Debbie in DC

Alright, the last couple days have been a bit overwhelming, so I think I may have to spread out the coverage over a couple different entries. First part: visiting Debbie in DC.

Truth be told, I didn't know WHAT to expect when I made last-minute travel plans to catch up with my competing blogger in the nation's capital. All told, the trip was fun and very well worth it.

First, my three strongest impressions of Debbie after hanging out with her for a couple hours:

1. Debbie strikes me as a person who is surrounded by a hurricane of activity, all the time. My normal mode of hanging out is to choose one locale and chill. Debbie's is to run maniacally from place to place, trying to be everywhere at once.
2. Definitely the independent type. After hearing a bit about her mother and her background growing up, I can understand why.
3. Extremely easy to talk to on a variety of topics. That was sort of surprising. Ultra-liberal meets semi-conservative Christian, and we never even pissed each other off.  :)

Second, a quick overview of the trip:

1. Arrived. Needed some guidance from Debbie to navigate to her apartment. On the phone, I told her that DC's traffic "blows goats". Those words were tame compared to some others that I wanted to use.
2. Went with Debbie to a GREAT pizza place called "Pizza Paradiso" or somesuch with her friends Giani and Paul.
3. Hit "The Octopus Lounge", a Japanese bar of sorts with lots of weird lighting. Had a Sapporo (Japanese beer).
4. Went with some people from the Octo Lounge to the Hilton. Supposedly there was a party of some kind there. Upon arriving, we found out otherwise. Retreated in a hurry.
5. Wandered the streets of DC talking a bit, and eventually decided to enter a bar that is also one of DC's landmarks, "Madam's Organ". Sat, talked, drank.
6. Things were quieting down by this point, so we returned to Debbie's condo. Talked some more. Eventually I got to the point where my eyes wouldn't stay open. Debbie pulled out a roll-up from the closet. I crashed.
7. Didn't wake up until 2 PM the next day. Took a shower, departed for Frederick. End of visit.

And finally, some pictures Debbie was kind enough to provide since I had left my digital camera in Charlotte:

A quick shot while we were hanging out at "Madam's Organ"

Me doing what I do no matter WHAT city I'm in. I kinda like the way the picture turned out though.

Debbie at "The Octopus Lounge". Note the trippy lighting.

Coming up as soon as I get my disposable camera pictures developed: the class reunion.

Off to Maryland

Late Thursday morning, I'll be headed up to Maryland. As usual, any trip north becomes hopelessly complex way too quickly. Here's the way things are SUPPOSED to happen for those that actually care:

Thursday: Leave Charlotte in the morning. Drive 7-8 hours to my first stop in Washinton DC where I'll be meeting up with my fellow blogger Debbie for the first time.  :)

Friday: Up to Frederick to visit my friend Dan.

Saturday: Miniature high-school reunion. See all those classmates I've barely seen for nearly the last decade.

Sunday: Hope to God I don't get called back down to work for Monday. If not...

Monday: Visiting my family. Fixing six months' worth of computer problems at my dad's office, grabbing a drink with my brother Martin, eating out with my sister Elizabeth, figuring out something to do with my parents that DOESN'T involve computer problems.

Tuesday: Driving back. Maybe if I get back early enough, I'll be able to catch some fireworks with friends or whatever. More realistically, I'll drive in at 11 PM and play video games until I fall asleep.

I expect this trip to be as exhaustingly relaxing as every other trip I've taken recently. But when I'm done, I'll be parking my rear end in Charlotte for at least a couple weeks before I head out again. In the meantime, I've already washed all my laundry. Tonight, I'll stuff a suitcase with a bunch of wrinkled clothes that I didn't feel like folding when they came out the dryer last night.

Video games and "having a life"

UPDATE SINCE PREVIOUS POST:

True to my word, I haven't gone out all day except for a brief run to McDonalds and Best Buy. The majority of my day was spent playing a new game, "Hitman" for my 360. It's a good game, if a bit challenging. Maybe I've completely lost my edge these last couple years, but even on the easiest mode was still frustratingly difficult in sections.

I don't really know how I feel about video games anymore. On one hand, I grew up in BFE, where the majority of my entertainment after school revolved around playing  endless hours of video games. Since very few kids my age lived nearby, I replaced them with "X-Wing", "Railroad Tycoon",  "Red Baron", "Civilization", "Pirates" and "Sim-Ant, Earth, Life, City, Tower, whatever". That was all well and good at the time.

Now, I think my life-long obsession is starting to wane a little. Usually, the biggest amount of gaming I can do in a single sitting these days is about three hours, and only if I'm in a tired, withdrawn, and/or antisocial state like I was today. Maybe one day I'll sell off all those electronics laying around. For now, I guess I'll keep using my 360 as the most expensive DVD player I've ever owned, and occasionally play games on it.

Oh...and since I'm turning into a photo whore, here's a shot from this weekend of me and my high-school friend Bergan who was in town:

Long Saturday

Well, it's 11:30 AM on Sunday, and I just woke up. The second part of yesterday turned exhausting by the time I finally got home. Here's a rough timeline on what happened from 6 PM onwards yesterday:
(1) 6:00 PM - Went over to check out a Luau party my friend Abby was throwing nearby.
(2) 7:30 PM - Got a call from my friend Bergan who was in town. Ran up to the Marriott in Charlotte. Had a glass of wine with Bergan and her mom there at the hotel. We'd been trying to get in a bit of hangout time all weekend.
(3) 9:00 PM - Bergan wanted to meet up with some other wedding people to hang out. I shuttled her and her friend Kelly out to Hooters to grab some more food and drink on their request. While we were there, two other wedding party members showed up and joined us.
(4) 12:30 PM - Everybody was getting tired. Dropped off Bergan and Kelly at their respective hotels again. Started driving home.
(5) 1:00 AM - Was passing by the place where the Luau was held yesterday. Based on the general makeup of the drinking crowd earlier that day, figured they'd still be awake, which they were. Besides, I had been hanging around drinkers all day and had barely touched the stuff myself. Wanted to make up for it just a bit.
(6) 2:00 AM - Headed home, crashed.

The only bad thing that came out of yesterday: Some of Abby's friends at the Luau seemed to be looking at my strangely for showing up again so late. Oh well...I guess it WAS kinda weird in a way, and they didn't really know me all that well. Next time there's a party at someone's place, I'll make sure there aren't any other places I need to run off to.

As for today, I don't think I'll be going ANYWHERE, except maybe to the store for food. Just too tired...

Nunchuk master James-Michael

Normally, I don't create a post merely to link to another blogger's post...but this is hilarious and impressive at the same time. My friend James-Michael pulled out some Nunchuks the other day, then got his roommate Nick to snap a few pictures of him swinging them around. Two notes:
(1) James-Michael, last I checked, won a martial arts divisional championship of some sort a few months ago. The boy knows what he's doing.
(2) It appears he is performing a bit of "white-boy overbite" style in the second photo, which is part of why I found this funny. It's hard-coded in every caucasian male's genes that at points of intense concentration, their upper teeth will suddenly occasionally end up on their lower lips.

You can check out the photos in his blog at http://blog.myspace.com/jms7327. Enjoy!

Swimming

After paying a visit to the pool at my apartment complex today, I realized just how out of shape my body has gotten. In my younger days, I spent nine years on a division one swim team, cranking out a ton of laps 4 times per week year-round. My body back then was sculpted: 185 lbs, 5 percent body fat, 6 pack. Now I'm riding at about 240 lbs and staring at a 1-pack in the mirror no matter how hard I flex. Not that I bother trying to flex much in the mirror any more.

The muscles are all still there  fortunately, buried under the cushioning. And swimming, as it turns out, never ceases to be an awesome workout. It forces you to control your breathing. It engages your entire body. It's aerobic and anaerobic all at the same time; You're pushing, pulling, and trying to move as fast as possible. And when you stop for a breather, your heart is pumping so hard that you can practically feel new capillaries forming in your arms and legs. To all that, add the fact that swimming is one of the lowest-impact methods of working out possible. Case in point: you rarely hear a swimmer complaining about shin-splints or bad knees.

If I can find the time to do this 2-4 times a week, I am definitely going to keep it up, weather allowing. Maybe I'll pull out my copy of Dance-Dance-Revolution too. Or maybe I'll give up and start deepening the butt-groove on the couch. We'll see in a week or two.

Back from the wedding in Tennessee

The following is a slightly modified version of an email I just sent to a friend. It was as good a recap as anything else I could have written, so I just "de-personalized" for everybody else to read. Enjoy!  :)

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I just finished an 8 hour drive back from that wedding in Tennessee. The last four days have been a blast.

On Friday, the wedding itself was outdoors, though mercifully short. The reception was pretty much what you would expect: food, cake cutting, toasts, and dancing. However, the night didn't really take off until AFTER the reception. The parents of the bride hired a Hummer stretch limo that drove us to a bar in downtown Nashville. Between the reception, the 1-hour limo ride, and the bar, every person present got pretty stinking drunk, including the parents and under-age people.

Besides the wedding itself, I spent most of my time at the groom's house. He's got a big place with a huge hot tub out back, and housed the entire wedding party along with several guests for the last 4 days. Every day except the day of the wedding, we went out to eat, played video games, watched movies, or whatever. Every night we drank, hot tubbed for at least two hours, then passed out on our respective couches and guest beds. We all knew each other from Virginia Tech, so nobody had any of the problems associated with getting to know each other.

Anyway, I'm happy to get back to my mundane existence. It was fun, but I'm tired as hell right now.  It's time for me to veg out for the rest of the night, eat simple stuff like fruit, crackers, and cheese, then go to sleep WITHOUT alcohol in my system.

Congratulations Anne and Travis!

Charity: My friend from Virginia Tech who came with me to the wedding. This was also our "let's hang out one last time before Charity runs off to LA, a place I don't plan on traveling to" weekend.

One random shot from the bar after the reception.

This picture was taken of me on Friday morning around 11 AM or so.

Back from Myrtle Beach

I rolled in from Myrtle Beach about an hour ago. Just an FYI: Sunblock is a good thing. That's a lesson I need to apply more to my outdoor time. Right now, my shoulders feel EXTREMELY burnt. With that said, this weekend was pretty fun, though a bit interesting. My old roommates Scott and Jess are married with a 1-year-old down there now. I got to help with some of the things like feeding the baby.

Did you know there's an ART to actually getting food into a baby's mouth? I had to get Scott to demonstrate before I started getting the swing of it. The technique could best be described as "painting the roof of the baby's mouth." You wait for them to open wide (assuming they're being cooperative). Then you get the spoon in far enough that it won't smear everywhere when he or she closes her mouth. At this point, you have to lift the spoon just a little so it catches his or her upper lip, and wipe it clean.

Having the baby also seems to have a calming effect on people's lifestyles. I used to play beer pong until 2 AM and run rampant with Scott, Jess, Chase, and Katie while I was living with them. Now, Scott and Jess are asleep much earlier; usually by 10:30 PM. Hangout time was "let's take Catelynn to the park", or "let's get together my friend Melissa, and go with her to Broadway at the beach. With TWO babies in tow." Mind you, I'm not complaining. This weekend was extremely relaxing, not to mention educational. But it I really don't think I'm mature enough for kids yet. Though I wonder if ANYONE ever really feels ready before the first one arrives.

Back from Maryland

I popped up to Maryland this weekend to see my friends Dan, Bergan, and Laura. Dan and Bergan were from my high school. Laura is Dan's girlfriend. Unfortunately, I guess she got a little camera-shy while we were taking pictures. Oh well, we'll rope her in next time.

Dan is what you might call a good motivator by example. In the three days I was up there, Dan got me to do a pretty decent amount of exercising. I lifted weights one day, ran (well...more like jogged) the next, and finally got in a pretty good amount of swimming the final day before I Ieft. In the meantime, he and Laura demonstrated how to turn ordinary foods like chicken and chili into some DARNED good culinary delights. If the weather stays nice this week, I might try to swim some midget laps in the undersize pool at my apartment complex to continue the groundwork he helped me lay. Aside from exercising and experiencing chicken-induced salivary orgasms, we saw a movie with Bergan, hung out at his place, and did a small amount of drinking. Though those Martinis were kinda strong...

I am a technophile...and a best man!

Technophile: a person who is enthusiastic about new technology. Not to be confused with "technophiliac." A technophile loves playing with new gadgets. A technophiliac will try to dry-hump them.

This week, I bought a new XBox 360 and a 32-inch LCD TV with a built-in HD tuner. Granted, I haven't had much time to play with the new toys yet, but the weekend is coming. Oh yes...the weekend is coming.

For non-geeks, I think it can be a little hard to understand the draw of new technology. "I have a TV. Why would I need a new one?" For those people, I recommend that you take a trip to Best Buy. Find the TV aisle, and gaze upon the wonder that is high-definition television. Pictures so clear, so crisp, that you feel you might actually fall into them if you look too closely. That's the power of DIGITAL you're feeling.

And when you're sitting at home, looking at the static overlay on the analog cable channels, suddenly your comprehension of terms such as "1080i", "720p", and "HDMI input" will take on new meaning.

In other news, my friend Mike is getting married in October. And I just got asked for the first time in my life to be a "best man". Only six months left to write that embarrassing, feel-good and congratulatory speech. Should be fun...

When did I become a Japanese schoolgirl?

I was watching some anime at a friend's house tonight. And suddenly, I realized something: I am developing the spirit of a Japanese schoolgirl. Let me qualify that a little...

First, anybody who watches anime usually starts with series about guys with swords and/or giant robots with guns. Examples: Neon Genesis Evangelion, Cowboy Bebop, or (ugh) Dragonball Z. But as the introductory anime begins to run out, a true fan begins to seek out other series. And as this path is traveled ever deeper, an appreciation for other types of storylines begins to develop.

I think I'm arriving at the culmination. Right now, I am watching three series actively: Bleach (heroes with swords), Fate Stay Night (more heroes with swords), and Ai Aori Yoshi (a love story). Granted, I get a good fix of testosterone with the first two. But then there's Ai Aori Yoshi. Basic premise: a guy and a girl are engaged at a young age in what is to be an arranged marriage between two powerful families. But the guy leaves his powerful sponsors (the Hanabishis), and the engagement is called off. The problem is, the girl really loves the guy and finally seeks him out years later. The rest of the plot revolves around them sorting out personal and political issues as they strive to come together.

Okay...not so bad so far...but tonight, I realized what I had come to during a very emotional scene. The guy and the girl are staring into each others' eyes, and he tells her that he loves her. She starts to cry because she's waited so long to hear that. And I hear myself saying "AAaaaaawwwww..." But this isn't the only series that's happened with. In the last three months or so, I have watched several series to completion. Among these, almost every single one was a love story. They're highly addictive to me.

Sometimes I have to look down at the old cajones, and ask "Where did you GO?"

Saikano

"Saikano: The Last Love Song On This Little Planet"

I am still in a state of utter shock and awe 45 minutes later. Thus was my reaction upon seeing the closing episode of a Japanese animated series called "Saikano".

The general breakdown:
STORYLINE: 10/10
CHARACTER TREATMENT: 10/10
EMOTIONAL IMPACT: 10/10
ENDING/WRAPUP: 10/10
OVERALL IMPRESSION: 10/10, with a nice heaping of Shock and Awe.

Saikano takes place in the near future, in a time of all-out world war. Shuji, one of the main characters, is a high school senior in one of the few peaceful places left on earth. He comes to find out that his girlfriend,  Chise, has volunteered for a military experiment, and is gradually turning into the most powerful killing machine the world has ever seen. Thus begins one of the most genre-defining pieces of animation that has ever been produced.

CAUTION: Spoilers ahead. If you want to find out some of the following stuff on your own, stick with my original statement: "Shock and awe". Otherwise, read on.

If that part about "The Ultimate Killing Machine" strikes you as a bit cliched, don't write off the series just yet. That portion of the storyline is merely part of the overall picture. And it's definitely NOT a series in which the sole purpose of the animation is ass-kicking and fan service.

Saikano goes to work on several levels:

(1) The horror of war. Starting in the very first episode, one of Shuji's classmates is killed in a bombing run on his hometown. That little incident clued me in that I was NOT watching a normal Japanese cartoon about giant robots with big guns. These characters were mortal.

(2) Love gained, and love lost. Shuji stays deeply in love with Chise, despite what she is becoming. The love of Shuji helps Chise retain her humanity, even as she becomes more terrifying in her powers. While I have seen various plays on that particular plotline before, this series depicts it in an EXTREMELY good way. If that doesn't ticke your fancy, try this one out for size:

Shuji is holding a longtime friend, Akemi, in his arms as she slowly bleeds to death. In their final conversation, Akemi tells Shuji a secret she has been holding back from him for a very long time: "I have loved you all my life." This definitely WASN'T your average "utter a stirring line and die" type of scene though. Their conversation goes on: Akemi's dreams that would never come true, her lifelong hope that someday she would share he life with Shuji, and so forth. In the course of this scene, I nearly cried twice over. Heck, writing this, I still want to cry.

(3) The end of everything as we know it. I can't say anything here, without ruining one of the best parts of the Saikano experience.

Make no mistake: This anime can only be described as an "experience". It skips over "entertaining" and "addicting" , and moves straight to "Shock and Awe". The first 5 episodes are a bit slow, but when this thing takes off, it takes you with it until the end.

I may not be able to view any other anime in quite the same way for several weeks now.

UPDATE: It should be noted that the review from below comes from a guy who was once offered a position as a reviewer by Anime Academy. My original review was written after getting utterly "WOWed" by Saikano, especially during the last three or four episodes. In light of the opposing review, I have revised my position a bit. True, there was room for improvement. However, viewing how the series worked as a whole, I'm still still giving it an 8.5/10. In my opinion, the The last couple episodes made up for any weak points the series may have had earlier on.

I was hax0red

Anybody who saw the previous posts in this blog, please disregard them. I DID leave the one entry in here to remind myself of the dangers of leaving my Friendster account open in a web browser on a friend's computer.

john was here

hax

Absolutely HILARIOUS blonde joke

Dude...whoever is reading this...you need to check out the blond joke in this guy's blog. It's GREAT.

Online Dating and that perfect someone - finale

This post attempts to explain how I look at the dating scene these days, and how I arrived at my present mindset. Part 1 is mainly a brief history of my love-life and a few rules I apply towards potential relationships. Part 2 is miscellaneous junk and my brief conclusion. Sorry if this runs long. I don't intend to write on the topic of love and dating for a while after this.

PART ONE: THE BIRTH OF A MINDSET

In a way, I sort of miss elementary school. Girls had cooties. That was all I needed to know. Dating in high school wasn't so much of an issue for me either. In my extremely small class of about 50 people, everybody pretty much paired off freshman and sophomore year. With a few exceptions, those couples stayed together all the way thru graduation. There was one girl I was really good friends with named Beth, and everybody kept expecting us to pair up, but it never happened. The first two years of high school, I was too much of a wuss to really ask her out. The second two years of high school, I finally developed the confidence, but a funky love triangle got in the way. She dated a good friend of mine named Matt for a few months. After they broke up, I never tried to intitate a relationship because I didn't want to compromise my friendship with Matt.

My freshman and sophomore years of college were also largely uneventful on the dating scene because of a book by Joshua Harris called "I Kissed Dating Goodbye." The main premise was that you didn't have to go looking for a significant other. God would bring her to you, and your only responsibility was to become the best person you could be, and keep praying. My junior and senior year at college, I finally ditched that mindset. Periodically I would ask girls out, but didn't date much. There were a few brief relationships in there, but I don't think any made it past the three month mark.

College graduation and my entry into the workforce marked the birth of my current mindset toward just about everything: It takes ACTION to achieve things in life, including relationships. Very few things just HAPPEN. Case in point: Looking for a job. If you need a job, you can't just pray "God, send me a job" and expect it to happen as you munch on chips in front of the TV. You have to actually APPLY a few places before things are going to start happening. Substitute the word "relationship" for "job" in the last few sentences and it should come out roughly right. Statistically speaking, if a guy never asks women out, their chance of initiating a relationship is somewhere around ZERO.

One more thing I apply toward just about everything in life - again, including relationships - is this: Always be prepared before you get into something. During the two weeks prior to my last CCNA test, I studied like a fiend to make sure I was completely, utterly, and undeniably as prepared as I could possibly be for the moment that I walked into the testing center. Looking at things from a dating perspective, I'm not the sort to up and ask a girl out that I just met. In my opinion, it is not wise to initiate a relationship without knowing something about the girl in question. I would rather get to know somebody for a while, and make sure there are a few basic things that line up. Obviously there has to be a mutual attraction, but I also pay particular attention to the beliefs of a girl before I ask her out.

SEX, MISCELLANY AND CONCLUSION:

Perhaps the biggest thing that impacts my dating life at present: I think some things need to change in my own life before I try to involve somebody else in it. First and foremost: smoking. Most girls, especially the kind that I would like to go out with, aren't big fans of smoking. Second, I want to get my career in line and achieve some financial goals. When you think in terms of long-term relationships like I do, it's not really worth initiating a relationship with someone when I may end up jumping cities in another year or two.

Another thing that impacts my relational status: my virginity. Mainly because I want to keep it. There have potential relationships that could have started in the last year and a half, such as a woman I met while hanging out with my roommate Chris at a bar, but I put the brakes on THOSE before they ever got started. It didn't take a great deal of imagination to see where continued interaction with some women would lead. If I was pursuing sex, I could have lost my virginity two or three times over since moving to Charlotte. THAT is something I've spent most of my life trying to avoid.

All this is not to say I'm a perfect saint. I HAVE tried to overstep my own boundaries twice in the past; once with a girlfriend in college and once since then. In both cases, my advances were turned down by the girls in question. While my pride may have been injured a bit, I am EXTREMELY thankful for those rejections now. And after re-grouping, my resolve to remain a virgin until marriage only became stronger.

There is a balance of sorts in how I treat potential relationships these days: 20% my effort and 80% God's timing. Since I have been to Charlotte, I have gone out with four different women, all from match.com or EHarmony. While I haven't been out with any single girl more than four times, I figure I'm still fulfilling my side of the equation by making my chances somewhat better than ZERO. The rest is up to God.

As stated a few months ago: If all this works out and I meet Ms Perfect, people reading this will be among the first to know.

And now it's time for Farmer to hit the hay. Or bed. Whatever.

More about online dating

Judging from Debbie's last comment, I think I need to clarify my thoughts from the previous post a bit.

First, I will admint there is a whole lot more to the dating scene than how a person looks. For the sake of time and space, I was focusing on one area. However, I still think my original point holds true: If a guy expects to score an attractive girlfriend, I think he vastly improves his chances by paying some attention to the details of his personal appearance. Talking with my sisters, or listening to women anywhere from age 18-35 talk about guys, I have NEVER heard them comment that they want to hook up with a fat, hairy, badly groomed guy.

That said, Debbie did raise some good points with her comment, especially about money. Most of the women's profiles I looked at on various websites said their ideal dates had at least two of the following attributes: "funny, buff, able to have a good time, knew how to be serious". These profiles listed the ideal age for their match at roughly -1/+6 years, give or take a bit. The women who specifically mentioned fairly strong earning power in a match also listed the age of their ideal date at roughly 6 - 10 years older than they are. Apprently, age is associated with wealth. Perhaps for good reason. But I don't see many demands for "hot" guys a decade older than the girl in question.

Fortunately for men, women do not feed us thru a grinder of perfection anywhere NEAR as harsh as the one we feed women thru. And fortunatly, as both men and women get older, we learn to look past the exteriors of those around us.

Yes, ugly but rich men can end up with hot women. Yes, women are more objectified than men. Yes, when two people get to know each other, far more things than physical appearance or money can spark a relationship. I definitely won't contest those points. But if I ever set out to win a girl's heart, I WILL be hitting the gym. Oh...and I should probably quit smoking too.

A quick test of this theory: look at the pictures I just posted of myself in my profile. They represent the lowest point of fashion in my life: the Saturday shift in the Network Operations Center at my company, surrounded by nothing but guys. In fact, one of my co-workers just did me a favor by snapping those photos about an hour ago, strictly for this post. I even made sure to include a side view so you could see what I affectionately refer to as my "gut".

And if you're a girl, ask yourself: "would I REALLY click on his profile on  match.com/yahoo/whatever?" You don't need to answer that here; I am NOT fishing for compliments. Besides, I'm pretty sure I already know the answer. This body needs an overhaul before it goes public again.

Thoughts on find that perfect someone

I was talking to my dad at length tonight, and he thoroughly blew my mind in much that same way my mom did a few months ago. A little background: people in my family don't talk about love and relationships. It just doesn't happen. But tonight, amidst a conversation about fixing a computer on his office network, he said "I'm praying that you'll meet a nice girl." I told him not to worry about something that I'm not especially worried about, and we got back to business. But my mind, in it's infinite ability to fixate on one topic and stay there, was already locked on. The end result was this brief entry.

In my very first blog entry, I waxed negative about online dating and Ms Perfect. Tonight, in an experiment similar to the one I performed before, I grabbed a random sampling of "what girls were looking for" off  Yahoo! Personals. You know what? Not much has changed. Nearly every single girl was looking for a guy who was (a) funny, (b) in good shape, (c) knew how to be serious, and (d) but knew how to have a good time. Since my first entry on this topic, though, my thinking has changed somewhat. You see, some girls appear to make unrealistic demands, but in most cases, the girls were themselves in decent shape, judging from the pictures they posted.

I'm a tad overweight, a tad hairy, and a tad in need of a haircut. I tend to wear jeans that belong on the backside of someone 33% larger than I am.  But I'm not currently on the hunt for a significant other, so it doesn't matter. But for any guy who IS on the hunt, I offer up this common sense: Don't demand effort from someone else when you aren't willing to put forth yourself. Or to state this another way: You want an athletic girlfriend? Then get off the butt-groove you've worn into your couch. Go shave. Work out. And when you've whittled about 25-50 pounds off the tub of lard you call a body, THEN try asking girls out again.

I'm not giving anybody advice that I wouldn't expect to be given. One day, I will in fact rise from my computer chair (accompanied by a loud suction noise as the vacuum beneath my rear is released). I will lay off the desserts and soda. I will get back to the gym, and I will put in the 2-3 months effort it takes me to release a couple pounds of flab. I probably won't get a wax job done, but I also won't rule out the possibility. But that's for later. First, I have a few things to take care of in other parts of my life.

Ballet and Rodeos

     This weekend has been somewhat of a culture-expanding experience for me. At 11:30 PM tonight, I got back from a Rodeo. Yup, an honest-to-God "yee-hah, woo-doggies" rodeo. You know: the kind where insane guys in hats with big brims try to stay on the backs of enraged livestock for as long as possible. Surprisingly for me, the whole thing was a lot of fun. On Friday night, I was watching a dance/ballet performance for a few hours. Again, it was a lot of fun.

     I would never have experienced the things I did this weekend without my friends here in Charlotte.  And that's one more reason I like the people I've found down here. They are such a varied group, that there is never a shortage of new things to do, places to go, or topics of conversation. The following is a brief set of new "shout-outs" to just a few of the people I hang with: 

-Cathy and Jill: as the de-facto organizers of nearly every social activity in existence, you add a lot of excitement to many lives, especially my own. Thankyou for showing me how interesting life can be outside my little box.

-Jess: You danced really well last night. That center of gravity is absolutely freaking amazing.

-Toby: When I just don't feel like I've fulfilled my nerd quotient for the day...you're there. I will NEVER misspell "Castle Grayskull" ever again. Good luck with that new music store you're opening.

-James-Michael-If anyone has any questions dealing with God, the Bible, or the nuances of Greek and Hebrew verb structure, I know where to send them. You're great at what you do.

-Daniel: Comedic Philosopher Extrordinaire. If I STILL haven't fulfilled my nerd quotient for the day...

-John K, and John A.: Good friends, good co-workers. It's nice to have some people around that like to geek out on obscure Japanese animation. People nearly as weird as I am sometimes. If my nerd quotient hasn't gone beyond measurable quantities for any given day, you guys help it get there.

Selfishness and Selflessness

     In his classic book "How to Win Friends and Influence People", Dale Carnegie makes a point about basic human nature: almost every act in our lives is motivated by something we hope to gain. He states that even the greatest of philanthropists hope to gain a sense of self-worth from their charity. I can't say that I disagree, especially since the point he was making describes me perfectly.
     I hadn't thought about all this for a while, but a comment from one of my friends kicked my thought processes into overdrive about two nights ago, and has kept them going ever since. This was basically what he said: "The selfishness of people is why I left Christianity. Everybody talks about loving others, but most Christians don't really care about people any more than anybody else." At the risk of sounding pessimistic, those sentences shook me badly, because I couldn't disagree. Not truthfully anyway. Sure, Mother Theresa was great, but for every Mother Theresa in this world, there are thousands of self-centered individuals that rarely get outside themselves. I am, unfortunately, part of this group far too often.
     Can we ever break free of our basic humanity and do something truly motivated by nothing more than love for others? I have been trying to do just that for years. Every time, I have failed. During the course of my brief life however, I have come to realize something: I will not be perfect until the hour I die and go to be with God. Does this mean I should give up trying? Absolutely not.
     Life is a journey. (How's THAT for a hackneyed phrase?)  I'm far from perfect in the present, but there's always hope that with God's help, I will be better in the future. Maybe one day I'll perform  a truly selfless acts. Or maybe not. But it never hurts to TRY. Even selfish individuals can do a world of good.

certified at last!!!

Today, I finally went to take my CCNA certification test, and passed with flying colors. Don't know what CCNA certification is? Just think of it like an associates degree in networking. What's it good for? (1) Helping people new to the field to get job interviews, and (2) getting a raise (which is why I took it.) Now that I'm finished, I have no intention of picking up a textbook again until at least December. Instead, I'm going to resume some hobbies that I didn't have the time for. Maybe I'll dust off my beat-up acoustic guitar again.
For now, I have to go single-handedly fix all the computer and network issues at my dad's doctor's office. This is an AWESOME "vacation" in Pennsylvania I'm having. Studying, testing, working...Oh well, no complaints.
Peace out for now, y'all.

Live as if it's the last hour at work

     An old saying that a lot of motivational speakers, people who have had near-death experiences, and the just plain elderly use a lot is "Live each day like it's your last." I thought up a better phrase to suit my own life: "Life each day as if it's the last hour at work." I'll explain in a minute.
     First though, I'm going to explain why I don't like the phrase "Live each day like it's your last." First, there's not enough TIME in one day to do all the things that I want to do in life. If I had to pick five of the top twenty, I think I'd probably spend at least one of my precious remaining 24 hours in indecision. Second, most of the things I want to accomplish in life happen over a long period of time: owning a house, getting debt-free, and so forth. Even short-term goals require a certain amount of planning and preparation (read: TOO MUCH TIME). Third, if I knew that I only had 24 hours left, I probably wouldn't go to sleep because there was so much left to DO. As a result, I'd spend at least half my remaining day tired out of my mind. Unless, of course, "take a nap" was on my top 20 list. Which it's not. Last, it would be kind of hard to have a good time if everybody you're hanging out with starts sobbing as you're having "fun" together. Them: "I'm going to miss you so much." Me: "Shut up! I'm going to have a good time if it kills me. Uh...earlier than expected."
     Back to my original point: I think that "living like you're in the last hour at work" makes much more sense. This occurred to me two days ago. It had been a bad day for everyone at work. Starting the second we all walked in the door, NOBODY was in a good mood. It only got worse as the day progressed and the problems on clients' networks became ridiculously numerous. But lo and behold, four o'clock rolled around. My boss smiled for the first time all day. Somebody cracked a joke. And suddenly, despite the heavy workload, we all started having a good time. Why? The day was almost over. Sweet RELEASE. 
     Every day, most of my readers go to work. Some love their jobs. Some hate their jobs. Most are indifferent. But everybody who works full-time has something in common: In that last hour on the job, we keep watching the clock. The evening holds a world of possibilities. And as we step from the workplace, life opens up before us, ready to be lived. Or possibly slept through. Whatever floats your boat.
     The point of this whole thing is NOT "Life sucks so much that death looks absolutely grand." The point is that life is more enjoyable when we realize that better things are on the way. So relax, enjoy the moment you're in, whether good or bad. Things are only going to get better. If they don't, just keep looking forward with hope for a better day, a better hour, a better minute. It's on the way. And there's time to enjoy it.

Knowledge and Anger

     One of my coworkers named John made an observation about two weeks ago that I started to watch out for: the more a person knows in the realm of Information Technology, the more easily that person gets angry. And after observing my coworkers, and thinking about some of the tech support people I have worked with in the past, I am finding this to be true.
     For an example, I'm going to trace my own moods as I have grown in knowledge about my chosen speciality, networking.
* Stage 1: The n00b: When you first enter a field, it's hard to get angry. You're too busy feeling stupid to really have any TIME to be angry. Any self-righteousness you have gained over the years is quickly stripped away to reveal you for the 90-lb weakling of technology that you really are. Coming into this stage, the general feeling for me was "I know how to network a few computers together and make them share an internet connection. I'm hot crap." One week into my new job, I still felt like crap...but definitely not hot.
* Stage 2: The nerd: You break out the taped-up glasses you never thought you would wear again. For me, there was a genuine EXCITEMENT to this stage. I had finally learned the ropes, and could operate semi-independently again. With growing confidence came a surge of curiosity. I absorbed as much as I could on a daily basis, and always found an appetite for more the next day. Anger at this stage comes only in small doses. Like when I had to deal people who were so technophobic that their brains ceased to function. If you think READING through the following is bad, just imagine DEALING with these types:
     "Can you unplug the power cord for me?"
     "Power cord?"
     "Yes, the power cord. It plugs into the power outlet."
     "Power outlet?"
     "Yes, the power outlet. Like where you would plug in a vacuum cleaner."
     "I don't understand."
     "The electrical outlet."
     "I don't know what that is."
     "Three holes in the wall. Like where you put the plug for a lamp."
     "Oh. You mean THIS cord."
     "Do you have it unplugged yet?"
     "Just a sec. This thing is screwed in really tight. It won't come off the back."
     "WAIT! Don't touch that! Just take the power cable out of the wall, please. Leave the back of that box alone for now."
     "Okay...what was it you wanted me to do again?"
     "Can you unplug the equipment from the power, please?"
     "Can you please stop being so technical? I don't understand what you're talking about!"
     "I don't need you to be technical. I just need you to unplug the power cord from the wall."
     ...and so it goes. On, and on, and on.
* Stage 3: The plateau: After several months to a year, you hit a point somewhere along the line where you could do most of your job in your sleep. Anger has not become a predominant part of your day, but you notice yourself getting irritated at the stupid n00bs that seem to lack any common sense about fundamental concepts. Until you realize how little time has passed since you were in that stage yourself. Then you start being a little easier on them.
* Stage 4: Knowledge is power: At several points, your plateau stage is interrupted by highly technical, and immensely frustrating problems. Not knowing enough to fix these problems, you turn to people more knowledgeable than yourself. Observing them as they fix your previously insurmountable difficulties with a few mouse clicks and key strokes, you learn a LOT in a very short time. With newly acquired knowledge, you start to feel like hot crap again. ESPECIALLY when you find that you can diagnose and fix stuff that once was way beyond you.
* Stage 5: Knowledge is a pain in the arse: This is where I feel I'm currently at. You start to think you may have learned TOO much. I don't have many days that I can just spend on autopilot for 8 hours any more. Knowing that my knowledge level is reasonably advanced, people are beginning to expect more from me.  If I ask the NOC director or one of the network engineers a question about something beyond my experience level, the response is sometimes "I don't know. YOU figure it out." Anger is much easier to come by at this point, mainly due to frustration.
* Stage 6: Engineering: At this point, you have gained enough knowledge and experience to warrant a better job title, and command a much better salary. The tradeoff: Most of your problems are pretty freaking difficult to fix. The frustration and anxiety levels reach a new high. If you're not one to watch your language, expletives come hot and fast.
* Stage 7: The final stage. Your knowledge level ensures that you are faced with only the most  stressful, mission-critical tasks. You are almost ALWAYS surely and bad-tempered on the job. People will rarely question your instructions and explanations. Most people I know in this category seem like arrogant bastards, but they command an extreme amound of respect from me as well. Pity the poor tech who thinks too much of himself and disagrees with what they say.
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My analysis is done. Short version: The more I know, the more I have to deal with. The more I have to deal with, the more I'm faced with frustration and anger. But I like networking too much to stop reaching higher. One day, I trust that hard work will bring a better career and more opportunities.

Living in the Present

     Today it struck me how hard it is just live in the present. It seems like my entire life can be described as one of anticipation. Going back as far as I can remember, there has always been some major life-changing event that I was looking forward to. In middle school, I couldn't wait to get to high school. In high school, I couldn't wait to get to college. In college I looked forward to getting that first job. After a few months at my first job, I couldn't wait to find something better. And now that I'm with a better company, I can't wait to advance into more technical work with the engineers there. I'm sure that when I get into Network Engineering, I'll have something else that I'll be looking forward to.
     While all this anticipation DOES add flavor to life, I am beginning to wonder where the endless cycle finally stops. Thinking about the lives of my friends, I have only been able to come up with two things: marriage and/or children. When my friends arrive at the point where it's not just themselves they're looking out for, they tend to settle down pretty quickly. Of course, being single, I'm on the outside looking in, so to speak. Maybe the endless anticipation I'm speaking of is something that all humans endure until the day they die.
     What is the point of all this? Well, I think we need to try and slow down more often, and just be thankful for what we have. We may never get to a point where we truly feel we have "arrived". But if we take a quiet moment here and there along the way to just relax, we'll be a lot less winded if we ever get there.

Family

As a followup to the "friends" post two days ago, I decided to create a new entry, "Family." Here's what I have learned from my family members in the last 26 years or so:
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-From my mom and dad...It's okay to admit when you are wrong. Raising children is a team effort. If you're going to have kids, be prepared to make a LOT of sacrifices for the next 20 years or so. Even loving couples fight. The words "I love you" are essential to family's longevity. Praying and trusting God to take care of you in tough times works.
-From my sister Abby...Having a few good friends is better than having a lot of mere acquaintances. Make a point of surrounding yourself with good people.
-From my sister Elizabeth...Living frugally enables you to save a LOT of money over time. Let me put this in perspective: I swear Elizabeth has saved every nickel she ever made since she was nine years old. She buys all her clothes at Goodwill and never eats out. But today, she went out and paid 100% of the cost of a rather nice used car with cash, and still has plenty left over in savings. And I know for a fact that she has never made more than $9 per hour.
-From my brother Martin...How to change the oil in my car, and fix anything I care to ask how to fix.
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My family isn't composed of a lot of saints. But the good qualities in each and every person far outweigh the bad qualities. I thank God for giving me the family he gave me.

Friends

Today, I had to cancel a trip to Blacksburg to see my old roommates. Sorry guys/girls. Circumstances beyond my control...
But the real subject of tonight's entry is friends. I don't really know what brought this on, but it occurred to me tonight how thankful I am for all the people that have made a difference in my life. The old "friends" entry got inadvertently deleted, but this is an updated, expanded list.
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To Dan, a friend since childhood...Without your help and the friendly competition we engaged in throughout our school careers, I would not have made the grades I did. You continue to be a source of inspiration.
To Beth, another friend since childhood...we've been friends for so long, I can't see it ever stopping.
To my old roommates Chase, Katie, Jess, and Scott...you were the best roommates I've ever had. You will continue to be some of my closest friends. Good luck to you, Scott and Jess, in your married life as you raise your beautiful baby. Ditto to Chase and Katie as you move toward graduation and a life together as well.
To Andy Goldfinger...Despite how myself and others deliberately irritated you by calling you "the red-headed Jewish kid", you've always been one of the biggest supports in my life in good times and tough times. Thankyou for everything.
To Mike Hunter...another awesome ex-roommate, and continuing good friend. I wish you luck with your army career.
To Charity...another good friend from my college days. Thankyou for all the good times hanging out, watching movies, and the long talks about anything and everything life threw at us. Good luck as you slowly migrate from Arizona toward a career in Hollywood.
To all the people in the "Fusion" group from GSUMC...You were some of the first friends I made when I got to Charlotte. Old and new members alike have been a great inspiration, and have always been welcoming. While there are too many people in the group to mention individually, I still want to say "thankyou" to you all.
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I can be very close-mouthed and withdrawn most of the time when it comes to this kind of stuff. Perhaps some of these people will only know what they mean to me if they happen to glance at this blog one day. But for everyone on this list, if you see this...if you need help with anything, you have only to ask. Good friends mean more and more to me the older I get. I would do anything for any one of you. All you need to do is ask.
...And now that my nostalgic entry is done, I have to get down to studying for my CCNA certification test. I should finally be taking the final portion in September, and have a lot to go back over.
~Rock on.
~Farmer

"Four Brothers", Relationship books

I went to see the new movie "Four Brothers" tonight with a group of friends. One word: AWESOME. This is the only movie I've seen in a long time that had all the right ingredients: a semi-believable storyline with no glaring inconsistencies, good characterization, good action scenes, and good plot twists that I actually DIDN'T see coming. I whole-heartedly give it a 5 out of 5. SEE IT!

In other news, my friend Brandy is now a non-smoker. She recommended a book to me called "The Easy Way to Quit Smoking". It was written by a dude who smoked two packs a day for 30 years or some-such. I have considered picking up books about how to quit smoking written by non-smokers before, but thought better of it. I think I'm actually going to buy this one.

Pet peeve of the day: relationship books. I was browsing the selection at my local Barnes and Nobles in a fit of boredom earlier this week, just wanting to see what was out there. You know what? Most relationship books, at least the ones I grabbed, seem to be written by people who can only tell you what DOESN'T work. If I'm going to ask somebody for advice, I don't just need to know what NOT to do. I need to know a better alternative. For instance,  If I'm training a new guy at work and catch him/her making a mistake, I don't just tell them what's they're doing wrong. I tell them a better way to handle things. Tying that into the subject of self-help books, which one do you think I'm going to buy? The one written by some woman who has gone through four divorces, or the one written by a guy with ONE successful relationship going?

Maybe it's just me, but the latter seems to make a LOT more sense.

What is the point of life?

I was reading the most excellent blog of Debbie the other day, and she had a really thought-provoking entry called "What is the point of life?". I liked it so much, that I decided to write on the topic myself. I even ripped off her blog entry's title. Sorry Debbie...
Without further ado, here are my somewhat rambling thoughts on the topic...
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Call me optomistic, but I think life DOES have a purpose. Everyone wants to be remembered for something when they're gone, and I think everyone would like to think that their brief lives here on earth MEAN something. Considering that there are a lot a facets to "life", I'm going to have to compartmentalize this a bit.
(1) MAKING A DIFFERENCE. People are inherently selfish. The entire western economic system is based on that fact. Unless you're famous enough to deserve a biography, the way most people will remember you is for what you have done for them. But selfishness aside, I have found that peronal fulfillment is always easier to come by when