inbetween

And so, after two weeks of fighting with overworked, understaffed tech support, I have my laptop back. And Athena is again missing RAM.

Lovely, I suppose.

They suppose that an entire batch of RAM from Kingston was faulty. I suppose that any other tech support department in a commercial enterprise doing warranty repairs wouldn't take two weeks to determine the problem (suppositions confirmed with a few phone calls). They're just way to busy to deal with my puny problems, even if it means not doing homework or writing papers for two weeks that I can't afford in the middle of a semester. Probably the most insulting bit is that, as a student, my computer repairs (under warranty) are the lowest priority.

I even asked about that, and was told that they could have diagnosed it much quicker if I was an employee.

I never knew I was a second class citizen, just thought I was a paying customer. Guess faculty money is "better" than student money.

Georgia Nicols Daily Horoscope: March 5, 2004

Aquarius (Jan. 20 - Feb. 18)

You're going to want to make your home more attractive. Suddenly, you need to express your inner Martha. Real estate deals can be profitable in the next month to six weeks. All domestic relationships become more loving -- even the ones that are currently tense.

I think I'll start by painting, and then some gardening. I'll follow up with a quick nine course dinner with creme brulee for desert. I've never liked the asphalt shingle roof, so that'll be replaced by cedar by tomorrow.

Where did I put my tool belt?

Athena is all better now. She's still missing the RAM for which I paid in November, but the lovely people at the Computer Store (catchy name, eh?) are sending away for the replacement RAM for the replacement RAM. This will be the second RMA replacement we've had to file for replacement RAM. I hope it gets here PDQ and ASAP.

While the computer was in the shop, Mike the technician replaced the screen too, so I don't have blotches any more either. Athena is really becoming a pleasure to use again, what with not having to worry about crashes or freezes. And she's beautiful and bright again.

Things are improving in more parts of my life too. I managed to take a taxi home last night all by myself. I didn't even get thrown out of the taxi. The driver and I were laughing and stuff... Odd.

I was at a post-election party (Congratulations to Joanna and my new girlfriend Penny! We bonded, how odd.) I chose not to go to the bar for the first time in a long while, and chose not to smork-up. (Like the engrish? I've been contemplating writing a smorking engrishizer plugin for MovableType.) Tried some yucky coffee, creamy liquory thing, and realized that I'd be rather ill if I had another drinkypoo.

Of course, the drinkys started before the party at the ballot counting. I scrutineered and buccaneered, in the most swarthy of democratic functions. I even volunteered for it, to help out Joanna. Yes, volunteered. The times, they are a changing.

Someone, a friend, has a virus. Don't know who the someone, a friend, is. I can tell that the someone, the friend, is using Telus.net's DSL service.

The virus on that someone's, that friend's, computer is sending emails, and it's forging who the email came from. It's using my email address. My private one, the one that has never been posted on the internet. The one that's been spam free for a long, long time. Nearly two years, infact.

Grr...

Argh. My head hurts. It hurts a lot. Too much. Ouch.

I have a sinus infection. Lots of sinus pressure and headaches. It was so bad on Tuesday that my right eye was tearing up. Now is the winter of our discontent, with the runny nose and bastardized Shakespeare. I've missed all of my classes this week (ouch) because I hurt too much to do anything.

I was planning to go out last night, but then I cut myself while making soup. There's a lovely, albeit smallish, chunk of thumb missing (don't worry, it didn't make it into the soup. ick.). It has almost stopped bleeding and the throbbing is done.

Argh, what a week it's been.

My father was alive and talking. I wish I could remember what he said.

Alas no, before I could write it down, I was a superhero. I think my dreams morph to heroic when I can't deal with the reality of the dream-situation. Sad. I bet the subconsious representation of my father would have said something interesting.

I've never really been one to blog current events. "I went to a party. Bobby bitche slapped Brittany" (note the extra e. that's for the gayness of the bitch slapping). It's really not my style. Maybe tonight though...

Went to the bar with the visiting Stephen the Superqueen. Lovely time, got to bond (in that fag-to-girl way) with Denise. I really like her. I can't imagine what happens when she meets Penny. Oh dear lord, please let these two meet. I wanna be at that party.

On an unrelated note, what is the correct response when someone attractive walks into the washroom with vomit hanging from his mouth? "Excuse me, is that rabies hanging from your mouth?" No, that's not right. Maybe it should be, "Oh. All of a sudden, your as attractive as rabies." Too bad I said, "You look like something I vomited last week. You should really catch up."

And then Denise and I left the toitee and I think I may have danced. They tell me I danced, but I don't believe them.

I've noticed in the last week:

1. I get sick all too often.Time to start taking better care of myself. See #4.
2. Girls are really cool. I wish I'd known these girls (Joy, Jo, Penny, Denise, Holy, Rochelle) in highschool. I'd probably still be gay though, no offense girls.
3. I hate school.
4. I'm not terribly motivated at the moment. In fact, I'm terribly unmotivated. If you happen to be reading this, and want to send me some motivation, please do. See #1.
5. My dreams are reallly screwed up lately.
   • The dead father was alive and we had a conversation. I'd give almost anything to know what we talked about.
   • Vanilla ice cream. I could taste the sweet, smooth vanilla. It was subtle and intoxicating.
6. Not enjoying the bar isn't a bad thing. I used to think there was something wrong with me because I don't like that stupid place. I figured that one out last night at the bar.
7. I don't have to hate myself when I drink, and I can be nice to people. I know, surprised me too!

Teachers wants raises despite freeze

Teachers wants raises despite freeze

WebPosted Mar 15 2004 08:05 AM PST

VANCOUVER - The B.C. Teachers Federation says it's seeking a wage increase despite government demands for a three-year pay freeze in the public sector.

A headline written by little Ralph Wiggum? No, just a simple typo; the kind of thing that could get a copy editor fired. This is the CBC though, so we can't expect too much.

Please give the teachers a pay raise and end the Headline Madness.

After wondering why a full backup of my computer (15Gb, porn and music included) was taking so long (around six or seven hours) I decided it was time to make some changes.

First try: Switch from backing up the computer onto an USB external drive to backing up the computer to an internal drive in another computer over a network. Result: Faster backup, but still about four hours.

Second try: backing up the computer over the network to a Non-Windows computer. Result: Faster still, but three and a half hours is still too much.

Third try: rewrite portions of the backup script to leave out unimportant bits (porn and music are still considered important) like temp files and such. While I was digging through the script, I decided to look into just how fast USB should be. 480 Mb/second. That's rather fast, but I was only getting about 10Mb/second. Hmm...

"Oh, that's a rather sucky little USB hub there, isn't it. What happens if I connect the USB drive to the computer directly?" Apparently my Powerbook has USB2.0, so does the USB drive, but the USB hub doesn't. Sucky.

Now I'm getting backups as fast as possible, but still taking about an hour for a complete backup. I can live with that, actually. Incremental backups are ridiculously faster now.

I'm a happy camper.

• 1 cup coffee
• 20 donut holes
• one glass water
• one bottle vanilla coke, bought by accident. Coke should really change those labels.
• fifteen small clams
• four crantinis, 2oz each
• two gibsons, 2oz each
• far too many cocktail onions. yummy.
• a glass of water
• two chocolate martinis, 2oz each.
• one corona. i wanted something fizzy.
• a glass of water.

I seem to note a definite lack of actual food.

The Westminster Dog Show is on TV. On ESPN (my mother pays for cable; sadly, I may be addicted), the same channel that shows football, hockey, and women's golf. And the dog show is littered with Budwieser, IBM laptop, and Canadian history advertising. Very odd combination indeed.

The Reqular French Poodle has won Best in Show seven times!

Who would have thought that filling Madison Square Gardens with sixty dogs, beer, laptops, and strange women copping feels on the dogs jumblies would be so fascinating. I wonder how many, "You look like your dog!" jokes will be made.

I want a puppy, but if I ever get a poodle, shoot me. Please.

I'm impressed that the pooper-scooper-guy is so agile. He can get to it before it hits the faux-grass.

Afgan Hounds are particularly obidient. And they run funny.

I should be doing homework right now, but the Bassenji (sp?) can yodel! This is really difficult not to watch.

Yesterday I figured out how to play a DVD on the laptop (Yay! Athena Rocks) and have it show up on the TV and still use the laptop for other stuff. Trés cool!. Maybe I should do that. Ben Kingsley is so much more interesting than a beagle anyway.

Beagles are cute, and great for tracking rabbits and squirrels. First mentioned in the USA in 1683! Fifteen Inch Beagle is really beagle #18. I want one. They're called the big beagle.

Anyone want to send me a beagle? I'd like that.

2:00pm Friday. We enter the bar. That bar. The one I said I'd never enter ever again. We did.
2:05 - The beer begins flowing. After the second one, I decide that the car is staying where it is for a day or two. It's safe, and probably happy to be where it is.
3:00 - Still in the bar, with beer. Half the drinking buddies leave. I stay. Branden stays. The beer really starts to flow.
3:30 - Conversations turn deep. Politics vs. social activities vs. activism.
4:00 - Darts. And beer. Darts and Beer. Darts vs. beer -- beer won.
4:30 - Well, that's really more of an estimate of the time. It could have been later, but I'm not too sure. Wait, definitely before 5:30. I'm certain of that one at least.
4:30 - Lets go with 4:30. Memories are a little hazy now. The beer continues. Continué á la Français!
4:30 - crap. Am I still on 4:30?
4:30 - Friends and the most beautiful man in the world arrive, refuse an offer of beer, and remind me that I'm shirking my responsibilities. And they're right. I did shirk my responsibilities.
4:00 - rewind - Did I mention that the darts were with the people in the office next door? I think I forgot. Sorry.
4:30 - more darts and beer and some of the new staff of the old store (really cool people, actually) arrive and invite demand that I crash yet another of their staff parties. It's been nearly two years since I worked there. Only one person that I hired still works there. Ah well...
5:00 - the old store closes and more staff start arriving. I like them. They're fun and interesting. Beer seems to have stopped flowing and turned into more of a theme for the evening.
5:30 - All the staff show. And there's more beer.
6:00 - 7:00 - 8:00 beer continues. Who knows what time is really?
Later - we leave. We head to BBJ's. More fun than BJ's was when BJ's was BJ's. We can't get in. Stupid bouncer thinks that one of us (not me, surprisingly. It seems like something I would do) was tossing peanuts last time they were there. They disagree, and digress.
Some other time, before BBJs - We go to Hunters. Genevieve and I go to the washroom. She amazes me with her rather super-heroic abilities to use the urinal. In a lovely restaurant. Joy, Jess, and Steph and I are there. It's lovely. I'm given *virgin* crantinis. Really just cranberry juice in a fancy glass. All the people who didn't shirk their responsibilities at 3:00 pm are there, including my boyfriend. Yay. Then we left for BBJs. I guess there should have been a rewind and fast-forward thing there. Ah well. Perhaps the Internet gnomes will do it for me.
8:00 - 9:00 - ? Well... it was after trying to get into BBJs. We went to the Sticky instead. Jess and I bonded.

Sudden memory moment: I think Joy and I bonded on the bus. We discussed religion and such. I think it might have just been the two of us. Very bonding though. I hope. I remember feeling like it was a special moment on the bus. Perhaps I'll remember what we talked about.

8:00 - 9:00 - ? Well... it was after trying to get into BBJs. We went to the Sticky instead. Jess and I bonded, but I mentioned that. It was super cool. We need to do more stuff like that. And the beer played on...
After BBJs, but before BJs. Well... it isn't really BJs anymore. But I've digressed. Who has a sense of time really? Brickyard. Pizza. Beer. We stayed there for what seemed a rather long time. The Hunters folk joined us. I'm not sure how they found us. And there was much beer.
And then BJs. But it was later. Perhaps midnight, although it seemed rather more like a blue. What an odd thought. Blue isn't a noun. Or is it?

Or is it?

There was beer at BJs that isn't BJs anymore. And I don't mean in that existential sort of "beer happens at BJs" thing. Beer happened at BJs. We were all there. I almost didn't make it. Had to stop for a moment or two and make a bit of a mess on the side of a building. I think it was the same building as Dec. 19th. But yes, I did make it to BJs. And there was drink. And my boyfriend was there. And then, I had a panic attack and left. With Branden. Don't remember when he showed up the second time, but we walked for a while, until I insisted that we either play pool or take a taxi. How very odd. He went home. I went home. Ben went home. Everybody went home, or at least I presume they did.

1:33 - I arrive at home, and start writing a blog entry. Not this one though.
1:45 - Write this blog entry and drink copious amounts of water.

The morning after the night before isn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I feel a tad ill, no headache. I wrote that last night. For those of you keeping score: that is 10 hours of beer and drink. And some wonderful bonding moments. And yes, I did forget to mention that I fell off a chair somewhere and hurt my arm. Wonder where that was, and if I can go back.

eSushi. If Apple made sushi, it would be the iSushi, with iChopsticks and iTempura. When the Japanese Village makes sushi, it's frickin wonderful.

Chiko was so cute and lovable. I wanted to take her home! I must make miso soup soon. It has such subtleties, and gentle flavours. Tempura made my day. Spicy tuna rolls are spicy and tasty. And of course, what better way to clear a hangover than raw fish and wasabi?

Ben and Michelle and I had a lovely time.

Before me lies what will soon been the empty remains of a delicate and perfectly ripe avocado. Yum.

I stare at the avocado. "How shall I eat you?" I ask in my best vampire voice. No response from the avocado, and I suddenly notice that they never respond to me when I speak to them. Then I notice the three people looking at me funny, and decide to play with it a little more.

Avocados ripen quickly in the presence of bananas. And much more quickly in the presence of over-ripened bananas.

"Well... If you aren't going to tell me your secrets, you cute little green minion, I'll just have to cute you open and eat you." Someone at the table next to me gets up to leave. "I bet you're an alien. That's why your green isn't it?" I wipe short knife on a napkin. "Well... don't worry. This'll hurt you more than me."

I don't like bananas as much as I like avocados.

I'm getting a bit of a crowd now, or perhaps the coffee shop is starting to fill up. "I'll go easy on you if you tell me where you came from." I offer, not expecting a response. Some guy from the crowd yells out, "California, I can see the sticker fruitcake." I assume that he would vote Republican, no sense of humor.

To grow an avocado plant from the pit, one must first allow the pit to dry completely. Then, suspend the pit in some shallow water until the pit cracks open. Plant the pit, and wait a year for a single avocado sprout.

The knife slides into the soft skin of the avocado, point first. Somewhere, someone sighs. I slide the knife all around the avocado, just gently pulling on the shaft and twisting the fruit.

Avocados don't want to be anthropomorphized.

I've given up on the crowd-pleasing dialog with the inanimate food. The two halves twist apart easily, and the pit falls to the floor. The inside is perfect, shades of yellow and green, not even a hint of brown. "I can see your innards now!" just slips from my mouth as I pick up the balsamic vinegar.

Guacamole turns brown due to enzymatic reaction with oxygen. You can keep it green by submerging it it water, but then you get soggy Guacamole. Plastic wrap works too.

Splish, splash, and a dash of salt; time for the spoon to do its thing. The flesh tastes like butter: smooth and fatty. Scoop after scoop of tasty, sweet avocado meat leap down my belly and make me happy. People are still looking at me weird, but that's because I'm getting alien-green avocado goo on the keyboard.

BIZARRE ATTRACTIVE FORCE FOUND IN MAYONNAISE

BIZARRE ATTRACTIVE FORCE FOUND IN MAYONNAISE
Rice Engineers Find Evidence of Little-understood Force in Everyday Emulsions

Scientists at Rice University have discovered that a little-understood tensile force, which was previously thought to be an oddity found only in the types of plastics used to make bulletproof vests, occurs in everyday emulsions like mayonnaise and salad dressing.