609

"I'm a big fan of the boob. I'm not a fan of the big fake knockers, but of the larger variety of boob... I really like them."
-Corby

"Umm...I just, I like them big. I mean, hey. Above a C. A D is good. I don't want a D on a fat girl. It's gotta be in proportion."
-Corby

"I'm not a fan of the faker. Last time I felt one, it felt like a Nerf football. A brand new Nerf football."
-Corby

"The point is...I never really grasped...the functionality of the boob. I always thought they were for' hugging and loving and squeezing,' to quote Steve Perry."
-Corby

"It is interesting because when one first encounters 'the boob,' it is for sustenance. And then later on, it becomes an erotic plaything."
-Rhyner

"Well if you've had a kid, and you got a woman who breast feeds, then, boy, they take on a whole new meaning. And I'm telling you, I am amazed by it. I'm absolutely in awe...that those things do what they do. And now I can't look at anyone's boobs...I just think of them as feeders now. That's it."
-Corby

"Yes, they have a job. The job is not to prop them up in a Wonderbra or make sure they don't sag or whatever or stuff them full of silicon or steel or Nerf footballs or whatever."
-Corby

"They have a function, and that function is amazing."
-Corby

"I think they're multi-purposeful"
-Greggo

"I think they're multi-purpose gadgets too."
-Rhyner

"For a couple of months after you have a baby and you're breastfeeding, they're that. But after that, they go right back to a plaything. Or I'd like to think that anyway."
-Greggo

"Do you have a pump? See, that's what intrigues me."
-Greggo

"I've heard that's a two-person operation. I've heard it's hard to get those things on."
-Greggo

"On? It's not like a lawnmower."
-Corby

"I know it's not like a lawnmower!"
-Greggo

"Why don't you just use your Echo leafblower and put it on reverse?"
-Danny

[Cue long awkward silence]

"Because the hippies, they really like to walk around those parks and flop out a jug to feed a kid."
-Greggo

"We're you're friends though, we'd like to see it."
-Rhyner

Ahh, The Ticket guys are so refreshing. Absolutely hilarious.

Well, it's been nearly a month since I've logged into AIM. I think I'm finally going to do it. Just for a night. See what happens. Hopefully nothing.

Either way, I'm going to bed early so I can get to campus early and practice a bit before my lessons.

608

Today was rather interesting.

In CS 349, the prof wondered out loud if we would ever find a way to increase our intelligence. Then he asked if we would really want to. What if we learn everything there is to know, realize that existence is pointless, and end up killing ourselves? Are we better off not understanding some mysteries?

I skipped my discussion section and decided to come home. I spent some of this time by working on my Unit 12 Lab. I hope to have my design approved tomorrow morning so I can simulate it later in the afternoon.

There's a french horn choir concert a week from Thursday. If anyone wants to go, it's free. Haha. Like anyone in Austin reads this.

Eh, I think I'm going to call it a night. Sleep sounds so good right now.

Oh, and there is now a ban on gay marriages in Texas. Just thought I'd share that with everyone.

607

Alright, I don't really have much to say tonight. I finished my paper and even wrote more than the minimum! Finally decided to take my Unit 11 test, which I passed, and now I have to do a lab assignment. Had some nice alfredo for dinner. I don't know, what else is there?

If you're big into Google Maps, and you have a nice phone with a nice plan, then you should get this Google Maps application for your phone. It's not available to everyone, but you should find out. Watch your battery though, because it will eat up whatever's there.

Class and a discussion section. I might go to the discussion section. I don't know yet. It's kind of boring, but it could be really helpful for this project coming up. I've written a Sudoku solver in Java, but this one has to be done in Haskell, which is a stupid language! I hate it!

I need a haircut.

Alright, that's enough. I need to get some sleep. If I go to bed now, I'll get a little over 7 hours. Oh, and I could take a nap in the afternoon! Not a bad idea.

In case you're wondering, Jester has unisex bathrooms on it's first and second floors. With locks.

606

Oh! I just have to write about this.

"I glanced over and, whatever, I just let him continue on with his business."

Wow. That's how we reported it back when I was in high school. 'Taking care of bidness.' Damn straight.

"In this case, two girls and three boys engaging in oral sex or intercourse on school property while three other boys watched, according to sources familiar with what happened."

Alright, that's what I call a sausagefest. The boy-to-girl ratio is totally wrong. High school kids just don't know any better.

But what's the appeal? "Just being rebellious," [Jessica] said. "Coming back to class and saying, 'Ooh, guess what I just did? I just had sex in the auditorium.' "

I never heard that line once in all my high school years. Wish I had. Because that would have been awesome!

But getting a handle on the reasons students are emboldened to risk having sex at school is as tricky as figuring out how many are doing it.

Oh, I can give you an answer for both. They do it because school is boring! Rougly 7 - 8 hours of their weekday are spent on campus. That makes for pretty good odds. Do they think they'll get away with it at home if there are parents in the next room? No. Now, how many are doing it? I would estimate that 10% of the school has. That's based on the proven fact that 10% of all high school students can be classified as 'hot.' Kids who aren't hot aren't getting any.

"I would just wonder, like, what's going through their heads -- like, 'Okay, guys, let's meet at 3:30 behind the curtain?' " [Emilie] said.

Yea, that is what goes through their head. Seriously. Although, 3:30 sounds a bit late for some quickie action. The best time was always during lunch.

School administrators are drafting a rule that bans sex on school property.

You would figure that there would already be a rule like that.

"I'd become very unaroused at the sight," [Alex] added. "Nine hundred out of 901 people would not want to be involved."

You liar.

"Can't you just wait till you're at home?" [Matt] asked.

Remember, kids have parents. And sometimes, you just can't wait. Especially when there's this hot piece of tail sitting in front of you, and chemistry is boring, so, right after class you find your girl and a quiet place to 'take care of bidness.'

605

Alright. Today sucked also.

Mornings have been really tough for me lately. I'm betting it's another ulcer. Looks like I'll have to see a doctor or something.

Lessons went well. I think I'm going to take more lessons next semester. During the fall, I'll probably be in the concert band. CS 349 went well. We're allowed one page of notes for the test in CS 337, so I spent an hour on that. Plenty of info on there.

Eh, my plan right now is to get some sleep and hope everything goes well tomorrow.

And go give littlestninja some love.

For some reason, I really want some chocolate chip cookies. Fresh out of the oven. And made with real butter. Oh, how I love butter! Fake spread just isn't the same.

604

Today was the longest day ever!

We were supposed to have a review in CS 337 for the test on Friday, but the prof decided to continue on with the material since he fell behind. Didn't review at all. Oh well, now I have motivation to rip that test a new one. I'm going to break from EE 316 for the rest of the week. I really do have to focus on this test alone. It's a tough course, and I don't want any doubt heading into the last test.

I'm posting earlier than usual because I have my lessons tomorrow morning. I've decided that 8 1/2 hours of sleep would be pleasant. I haven't been feeling well in the mornings, and I hope this fixes everything.

My parents aren't going to El Paso for Thanksgiving. My dad can't take those days off because some of his co-workers are injured. This means that I will be in Dallas for Thanksgiving. I don't know about the day after though.

Eh, I've got nothing else.

Audioslave - #1 Zero

603

Firstly, Gordo always comes up with great stuff on holidays. Here's his list for Halloween. Careful though, it is not for children. (I like numbers 1, 3, 5, 10, 11, and 14.) Gordo even has his own Wikipedia page! (I wish I had one...)

Wow. Kevin Pereira just put a picture on his moblog that is incredibly offensive. And yet, I think it's funny. Does that make me a bad person? (I am NOT going to post a link to it, because it REALLY is offensive. But so hilarious!)

I was on the bus like usual when it hit me. Again, like so long ago, I have that smirk. I was just thinking about some things I did way back when. I am 2 people rolled into one. I can be the nice guy. I can be the 'less-innocent' guy also. Oh, the trouble I could get into!

Turned in my Unit 10 Lab and took my Unit 10 test. 10 more to go. It isn't that bad though.

I also talked with my advisor today. We mapped out the rest of my degree and it looks like I have 6 more CS classes, 1 more Spanish class, and 1 more Math. I can take a full semester next spring, and go part-time during the summer and fall. That's all that is left. Amazing really. Honestly, I could go part-time during next Spring, but I don't want to. I'm going to add some 1-hour classes to put me over. The 2 that I'm looking at are a class on PERL and a PE class. Yes, PE. But more specifically, basketball. I'm looking forward to it.

Ugh, today's weather was weird. It was midly warm at 1PM, it started raining around 2PM, and it was cooler than cool right afterwards. It was a very sudden drop in temperature. Still, I thought it was nice.

Either way, I don't have much else about today.

602

Yea, I haven't posted in a while. Oh well.

Nothing new really. Enjoying the nice weather, although I would love it more if it were colder. Crap, it's supposed to rain tomorrow. I don't like that at all. Especially since I can't skip my 3 - 4 class for the rest of the week. I have a test coming up in that class.

Yea, it's Halloween. I don't really care though. The best thing is the day after. All of that candy at half of the price. That's something to look forward to. Oh, I really love those mellowcreme pumpkins. So, so good.

Charging up my shuffle for the bus rides. Every morning that I wake up, I always ask myself if I should just stay in bed. Honestly, if attendance wasn't part of my final grade for any of my classes, I would sleep all day.

Well, except for CS 349. I really like that class.

The West Wing was awesome tonight. They're going to have a live episode next Sunday. I can't wait. Oh, and the Cowboys won. That was pleasant.

I think I need to find more hobbies. Now that outdoor basketball is coming to an end, I'll have to pass time in another way. I should seriously work on my poker face and start gambling.

Was telling Brandon that when we go to a Mavs game, I'm going to drink. I've waited long enough. Everything should work fine.

I had a crazy dream. I beat the crap out of a guy that tried to steal from me. I chased the guy down and started wailing on him. I kept going until my fists felt heavy. Then I woke up.

Either way, time for sleep.

I know I have a link to Gordo's Blog already, but here's a link to some columns he writes for some Dallas/Fort Worth site. His dark humor is greatness.

601

Today was interesting, I guess. Class was kind of 'meh' because no one could form any intelligent opinions on privacy and the internet. I have an opinion, and some would call it a 'half-assed' opinion.

When I decide to get online and view material, I understand that the web site I am visiting may be monitoring my actions. I'm fine with this, because it is their content I am using. If they sell it to another company, that is their decision, but I at least hope that they use the data to improve their web site. For instance, I always go to ESPN's web site. If they find that I like basketball and football more than hockey, and they use that and other information to change the layout to the majority of users' preference, then I'm very happy with their actions.

If I go to the Finish Line, and one of their employees notices that I like T-Mac's shoes, that's fine. Most likely, this information will be used to order more of T-Mac's shoes. Or possibly place those shoes at the front of the store. I'm totally fine with this.

However, when a company monitors my actions while on a web site that they do not own, I disapprove. I don't think it is right for ESPN to watch how I use CNN.com. This is why I have several spyware detecting applications and a few spyware removal programs. I am not saying ESPN hands out spyware, but plenty of free software comes with spyware. Always look into a download before you even place it on your computer.

In other news, tropical frogs may prevent HIV transmission?

Oh, and here's a list of podcasts of lectures. Many of them are from Purdue, but the topics are interesting.

Visual patterns of Mathematics. Some of them are kind of cool.

And last but not least, a link to a video that I think is hilarious. Careful though, because there is an f-bomb or two. (I admit, I play these kind of games. I'm a guy. I like shooting things, playing football, you know, typical guy stuff.)

600

Ugh, I'm stressed out. I missed a question on one of my Unit tests and now I have to do some stupid homework. Had to write a poem in Spanish and that was just weird. Then came home and worked on a program up until deadline. Well, 8 minutes past deadline. I don't even know if it works. And then my lessons have been pushed back to some unknown time, although I'm alright with that.

I should really read my book for tomorrow.

Oh, so close to the weekend. I can't wait.

There are 66 days left in the year. If I post once a day, I'll start the new year with an interesting post. (Have I mentioned that 3 different popes died on my birthday?)

I haven't been on AIM for over 2 weeks now. And honestly, I don't miss it. I still have Google Talk on, but that's just so I can keep track of my Gmail.

Wow, Facebook has gotten real crazy. I saw a picture of a chic I went to high school with, and she might be a whore now. Oh, that might have been offensive. Oops. (Honestly, my high school had a bunch of them. I guess it really doesn't surprise me.)

Speaking of offensive, this one is for you, Brandon.

Hooker.

599

I'm going to be updating constantly as the day goes on.

First, this is shocking and disturbing. Young girls spreading racism through music has left me speechless. I would never expect something like this.

For all of you drinkers out there, here's a cool site. I guess a cool game would be nice, too.

Speaking of alcohol and such, J has an interesting MSN Spaces blog with stories from her workplace - a real bar! Here is a link and I'll be sure to add a permanent link soon.

Now, about links, if you didn't know, Jamie has switched from Blogger to Xanga. That link was updated a while ago, but I wanted to mention it again just in case.

On Nip/Tuck, they used Radiohead's Everything In Its Right Place. Awesome stuff. Boston Legal was great except for the ending. The hot chic was hot and all, but then it got serious and that was a major bummer. I don't like to see hot chics cry, whether its right in front of me or on a show.

598

Sorry it's been a while. I've been rather busy due to the parents being in town. Had a mid-term. Had a presentation in Spanish.

I think my mid-term went well. I actually read the book, so I knew most of the questions. The prof is cool, so I think it'll be fine.

My presentation in Spanish was good, and bad. It was good because the prof told the class, "This is what the presentations should be. He gave important information, his spanish was polished, and this is the bar you all should aim for." Why is this bad? Because that's not cool. No one likes the kid who always gets the highest score on every test. No one. So as he said that, I stared at my desk and hoped everyone in that class would forget. And by everyone, I mean the females.

My family and I went to a park to have a picnic. The Kid (my nephew) was having tons o' fun. He really likes basketball. And he's friendlier towards the ladies. My influence has already taken effect.

Saw Doom tonight. It's alright. I mean, if you liked Resident Evil, you'll like Doom. If you don't know anything about it, wait until you can rent it. I found that there were more funny moments than 'make you jump out of your seat' moments. Ugh, and there were a bunch of high schoolers out. That was annoying.

Alright, I'm tired. I'm off to bed.

597

Ah, CS 349 was awesome today! The prof watched the episode of South Park where Cartman gets revenge on Scott Tenorman. He made two references to it during class. Great stuff.

Came home and ate some ice cream. Blue Bell has a Banana Pudding ice ceram that's just awesome. It has whipped cream, vanilla wafers, and pieces of bananas in it. It's only in season for a couple of months out of the year. People thought I was crazy when I first mentioned it. That's because it disappeared for a year. Well, I couldn't find it again. By the which, I swear I saw Milky Way ice cream once before. Someone back me up on this.

I still spend some of my time on the bus trying to determine what type of person I am. I am a theist, but I value the sciences. I am quick to help people, but I'm also the first to laugh at misfortune. I can be devilish one day, and angelic the next. I won't get into politics though. Let's just say that I am stuck in the middle on many issues. It's not a lack of certainty or conviction. It's the consideration of circumstances.

The Devil's Workshop Big Band covered Radiohead's Morning Bell. You can find it on iTunes. It's amazing really. Well, only if you're into Big Band. Other jazzy covers of Radiohead songs can be found by searching for Brad Mehldau. Hell, even if you don't know anything about Radiohead, Brad Mehldau is good stuff to listen to.

After going through my 2-month Audioslave kick, I've rediscovered the greatness of A Perfect Circle. Orestes is just such a great song. And their covers of "What's Going On" and "When The Levee Breaks" are just amazing. Seriously, if there are 2 songs out there that I would recommend, those are it. Especially the latter.

Another long day of classes. Ugh, I'm tired. I might go for 8 hours of sleep tonight. Maybe more. I've been bored lately anyway. Maybe I should do some of my school work.

Oh, and in case you're bored like me, here is a link to a logic puzzle I do nearly every day. It's called SuDoku.

596

That's right. Screw the EE TAs! That guy doubted my ability and talent. So, I proved him wrong. Last Monday, he told me that I had to take my Unit 5 test, my Unit 7 test, and turn in my Unit 8 Lab by today. I said, "Sure." He said, "It's a steep climb." Whatever. So, I completed it all. The suggested rate has us finishing about 1.5 Units per week. I just did 2 weeks' worth of material in 1 week. Once again, do not doubt me. Tell me I can't do it, and I'll make a believer out of you. Stupid EE TA.

I have a Spanish presentation on Friday. I have to do some research on Uruguay. Eh, won't be too hard. 5 minutes of speaking and I'm done.

I really have to go to my CS 337 discussion section. I need to ask about the program due in a week. I understand how to get the row-reduced echelon form of a matrix, but the encoder and decoder functions don't make sense. Eh, I won't get into specifics.

My parents are coming down Wednesday night. That'll be cool. From what I've heard, my parents would really like to move to Austin. Of course, this would be after my Dad retires. I forget how much longer he has. I know it's not much. If they were to move down here, I would definitely put Austin at the top of my "where I'll live after graduation" list. Currently, I would rather live in Dallas.

Austin is nice and all, but the things that make it great are things I can't appreciate. The live music scene doesn't interest me. Only having two major highways sucks. The radio stations here suck.

All of my fond memories (the few remaining) are of Dallas. The lights, the roads, and the buildings. And I'm also talking about Farmer's Branch, Addison, Garland, and others.

I really wish I was done with school, had my degree, and had a good job. I want my life.

Ugh. I'm tired now. Off to bed I go.

595

Eh, nothing new today. I've been working on my Unit 8 Lab, and I'm close to finishing. I'm not going to bore you with the details, but I have to minimize my circuit and I can't find what I can cut out. I'm just going to bug a TA and get them to tell me the answer.

7 friends on MySpace. Yea!

Ugh, another long day of classes. I feel like taking another vacation already. I'm hoping to make the most of Thanksgiving and just sleep 12 hours a day. Will probably do the same during Christmas break. Oh, how I love to sleep!

I know of some people who should read this. Handwriting is very important.

I think about changing my sleep schedule. You know, the one all of the great inventors used. You stay awake for 4 hours, sleep for 30 minutes, repeat. Maybe some day I'll give it a try.

Oh, now things are getting boring. Someone send me entertainment!

Eh, I'm off to bed.

594

I went outside to throw away some old pizza. As I looked at the street, I realized that I really wanted to go for a walk. The air was cool and the lights had that tint of orange to them. I remembered being in a neighborhood that had the same appearance. Deja vu, or something. The only problem is that I can't remember where or when. I think of North Dallas, but I could be wrong.

I know I bad-mouthed MySpace, but I keep signing in. I now have 6 friends! I guess I'm climbing society's ladder. As far as Facebook goes, there are still 4 friends invitiations that I haven't declined yet.

Yes, I have an account on ModBlog and Xanga. I'm thinking about posting on all 3, but then what was the point of buying my domain name? The 1-year contract runs out later in December. I think I'm actually going to get hosting for fbombandy.com. That would be awesome.

If you go to the movie theater all of the time, this site would be handy for you.

Not much else that I really want to talk about. I'm pretty pissed about the USC-ND game.

593

Well, today was just full of fun!

I skipped my Theories in Programming class. Instead, Erik and I went to some sushi bar. I love Philadelphia rolls! Erik convinced me to try a certain item he ordered. It was salmon eggs. Did not like it at all.

Yea, more college football when I wake up! This is the best time of the year. The basketball season is warming up. The baseball season is nearing an end. Football is everywhere.

I have this pile of clean clothes that I should really fold. I'm too lazy though. I've also been too lazy to record another podcast. I'm just not happy with the sound quality. I have a cheap microphone. And the sound card is beginning to show its age.

Sweet! I haven't been on AIM for 4 days now! I haven't received any calls or emails, so I guess it's safe to say that AIM is no longer necessary on my computer.

Oh, sleep sounds so good right now.

592

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. Waking up early sucks!

McDonald's is doing their Monopoly game. It's leading to some hilarious action on eBay. People are selling pieces of the game board, and bidders are thinking that these pieces are actual stickers. Some are going for $50. It's amazing really.

Well, I'm going to eat a snack and then take my Unit 7 test again. Ugh, I hate that class so much.

591

Took my Unit 7 test. Didn't get all of the questions right. So, I have to do homework over the chapter and then take the test again. Sucks. I hate homework. It took away 3 hours of today that I'll never get back. Oh, and there's 2 hours tomorrow that it's going to steal from me also. Nice. Real nice.

I have lessons tomorrow, so I actually have to wake up about an hour earlier than normal. That's why I'm posting right now. I want to get some sleep since my stomach isn't doing too well. I guess I ate something I shouldn't have.

Apple is now showing trailers in HD. Nice. I like it. But I wouldn't bother unless you have a higher-end computer.

And yea, Apple announced a new iPod. It can play video. It has a TV output. And it comes in 30GB and 60GB versions. But eh, I'm not really interested. I'm a music guy, not a video guy. Although, having Desperate Housewives on the go does sound nice.

Ugh. Time for sleep.

590

About to study for my Unit 7 test. There isn't a lab, so I won't have to worry about that. I also have a test in Spanish, and that will be followed by a written assignment. Tomorrow looks like tons o' fun!

The Mavs won their preseason game against the Kings. That makes me happy. Yea, it may not matter much since it's preseason stuff, but basketball is basketball to me. I can't wait until November 1st.

There's a new Audioslave DVD out. I really want to pick it up. I might do that tomorrow or I could wait until my parents come down. They both like Audioslave now.

Oh, this could come in handy. I do procrastinate like crazy. (I should be studying right now.)

And this looks like a bunch of fun. It's called Sketchplanet. I think I'm going to sign up and start sketching. Way back when, I was good at drawing. And writing scripts. Dirty scripts. Ha!

Oh, speaking of my rant on Facebook, I received another friends invitation. But it's this chic that I barely know. Maybe talked to her once, but by 'talk' I mean "Hey." I just don't get it.

Well, I'm going to get crackin' on those books. But first, I'm a bit hungry. I better snack on something.

589

Well, my EE TA told me that it would be a ton of work to catch up to the 'suggested' pace. The guy even offered the idea of dropping the class. So what did I do? I took my Unit 5 test, got my S (for satisfactory), and left. I don't care how far behind I am. It doesn't matter. The best way to get me to do something is to tell me I can't. Tell me I can't catch up, and I'll bust my ass to shove it in your face. Stupid EE TA.

Last night was interesting. I stayed up, went with 6 hours of sleep, and actually felt fine in the morning. I usually suffer if I get less than 8 hours because then my stomach gets all lava-like and I get grumpy. But, my alarm clock was fierce, I took my shower, and I felt fine. Seriously, my alarm clock was on steroids or something.

I've added a new link. Check out her blog. (Which, by the way, I might switch to modblog if it offers more features. I'm happy with blogger right now, but everyone seems to be leaving.)

The weather is slowly improving. It wasn't raining, but there was some mist going on. Not quite drizzle, but just a mist. It's supposed to be the same tomorrow. Highs in the low to mid 80s. It's quite nice. I still prefer 60 degree weather, gray clouds, and no sunlight. Oh, how the sky was gray today! I'll have to take a picture to post on my moblog.

My test in CS 337 was kind of tough. I don't think I made a 100, but then again, I don't think anyone did. There was a question on Hamming codewords, and I didn't know anything about that. I also didn't know anything on Reed-Muller codes. But I feel confident about everything else. Thankfully there's 2 more tests. And 3 more projects.

Ugh, my CS 337 prof posts the class slides in PDF format. There's nothing worse than clicking on a link and having to wait for Reader to load up.

I haven't been able to think of any good questions for Attack of the Show. I usually come up with awesome questions, but not lately. It'll come back eventually.

I should really read my book for tomorrow. I think I'm behind by a chapter or two. Eh, I'll catch up before class starts. Afterwards, I'll come home and study for my Unit 7 test. Or do the lab for Unit 7 if there is one. I haven't checked yet. What else do I need to do tomorrow?

Alright. Time to get some sleep.

{Added on around 1:04AM}

I just read an old friend's blog and now I feel like an ass. I always talk about how I'm there for everyone I know. But I'm not.

I'm tired of it. I can't keep saying those things.

Why do I even log onto AIM? I talked with Brandon about it. I don't IM people. People don't IM me, except for Brandon. So, what's the point? I log on at night before I go to sleep only to put up an away message.

What's the point of having a MySpace account? The person who talked me into signing up isn't even someone I talk to anymore.

And why am I on Facebook? I have 3 people wanting to add me as their friend, but I don't even know them.

No one talked me into starting a blog. That was my choice over 2 years ago. And because it was my decision, nothing has stopped me. Rather, no one has stopped me.

I'm starting to think that this should be the only proof of my existence on the interweb. I should forget everything else.

Come to think of it, I should sort out my numbers on my phone. I have about 30 numbers, but only 10 of them are important.

588

Wow, my 4th post in 9 days. Not good. I'll pick it up tomorrow.

So, it's past midnight and I plan on being awake for quite some time. I have a test in CS 337: Theories in Programming. I sucked on the 1st project, I missed a week of class, and I'm just now feeling 82% healthy. But, after informing the TA of my situation, I now have a list of things to study and links to old tests. This is the first semester that I've actually asked for help from a TA or a prof. I now realize that it isn't such a bad thing.

However, I have to have a conference with a TA for my EE 316 class. It's the self-paced one. I've missed a week of that class as well, so I have an excuse for not being on the suggested pace. But I hate having to talk to EE TAs. Anything about EE pisses me off, even the building. But, I pass it this semester and I don't think I'll ever have to step foot in there again. That's motivation enough. Can I pass 15 tests in 1 month? You betcha. Will I? Probably not. I'll spread it out over 2 months. I procrastinate. What else can I say?

I was thinking about changing my template once again. I'm a bit bored with the blue. Maybe I should go back to black. I'll think about it. Any suggestions or comments are welcome.

Oh yea, the Longhorns beat down the Sooners. Awesome stuff. I knew they would. This is a special year.

And the Cowboys beat down the Eagles. Amazing. If the offense and defense are at the top of their game, no one can beat them. But it's a 'once in a blue moon' kind of thing.

So, as you all know, I watch Attack of the Show every weekday. Well, here are some links to two hilarious bits they did last week or the week before. You'll need Flash, but you probably do, and the videos are work-safe, as long as the word "jerkass" is ok.

Kids are jerkasses!

Hilarious bedroom PC bit.

587

Well, I just woke up 30 minutes ago. I think I got 11 hours of sleep. The doctor said to rest this weekend and take it easy. I have a doctor's note, so I think I'm fine for whatever assignments I miss.

I just had a dream that felt like a 3 hour long movie. And don't worry, it's only PG-13. The only bad thing is that I don't remember much. What I do remember is...

I was at the mall looking for more pants. I love khakis, but not dress khakis. JNCO made some that were everything to me, and I still have two of those. But I don't think they make them any more. Well, I saw C.T. wearing some really cool pants, so I went to the store he told me about and picked some up. Then I was back home, where my relatives were visiting my parents. I quickly bailed and ended up at some school. There, it was C.T., Sam, and I. I can't remember, but Brandon may have been there as well. Either way, we were changing for some big event.

Next thing I know, I have my band pants on. If you don't know, marching bands have special black pants with no pockets and built-in suspenders. One minute I had a tank top on, the next I have no shirt on at all. Well, I look around and realize that I'm at a football game and I'm in the stands. Well, it's more like an auditorium with a wall knocked out, and it's next to a football field.

Anyway, I look around for a place to sit and I see a chic I recognize. She had a very mischievious smile. I went to her and she told me to sit next to her. Well, the chic kept changing. It was all of the chics I've had a thing for in the past two years or so. Whomever she was, she was adjusting my suspender straps and fixing my hair when I realized that I didn't have the upper half of my uniform. So, I run down the steps to the rack of uniforms and try to find my jacket. I eventually do, but when I get back up to my seat, the chic was gone. I didn't want to sit by myself, so I looked around for another inviting seat.

By the time I found one it was almost half-time. I don't know whether I'm supposed to be playing or conducting, so I pick up a French Horn and try to figure out what the song is. I get a couple of notes right and then that scene is over.

There was one more segment. Something about catching an alligator or hippo that had escaped. I have no idea what that was about.

It was a really weird dream. I don't know if it's the medicine or something else. Well, it has to be the medicine since there is nothing else.

I feel better than I did on Wednesday. The one thing that sucks about having a runny nose or a stuffy nose is when your nostrils crack. That hurts like hell, and there's not much you can do about it.

Alright, I need to go downstairs and eat.

586

Sinus Infection. Sucks.

585

Well, today just sucked.

I arrived on campus with the expectation of taking my Unit 5 test, passing it, and then going to my Spanish class. Unfortunately, I was in such a hurry this morning that I forgot to bring my Unit 5 Lab. So, I walked into the class, muttered a four-letter word, and left. I can't remember anything.

So, after Spanish, I decided to come home. The bus ride was something else. I spent most of the time staring out of the window and just analyzing everything in my life right now. I'm sure it has to do with the weather. Two days ago, the high temperature was 105 degrees. Today, I think it was 85 degrees. The skies are gray and the wind is cool. I can feel winter coming. Oh, I love winter so much. For me, there is nothing more refreshing than a cold breeze hitting my face. There's only one thing bad about winter. I stop talking, I start thinking, and I go into my emotional hibernation.

So, when I finally made it home I worked on a program that is due Monday at 8PM. Then I got bored with that, so I picked up some tools for learning Ruby. Ruby is a programming language, like Java or C++. Well, it's closer to Java. I've already written a program in Ruby, so I think I'll know it fairly well by the end of this month.

My parents might go to El Paso for Thanksgiving. My bro and my sis-in-law are thinking about going back to Dallas to spend that time with her family. I'll end up staying in Austin most likely. I don't really celebrate Thanksgiving. I just see it as a reason to not have school, eat a ton of food, and watch a Cowboys game. And honestly, all I'm looking for is a break. I haven't had a meaningful vacation in 2 years. I think I might find a nice hotel and spend a few days there. That would be perfect.

Alright, I'm going to sleep. I need sleep.

584

Alright, I'm going to need a bunch of input over the next week or so. I have a paper due and I don't know when or what the topic is yet. Well, I know that it's due next week, but I don't know if it's Tuesday or Thursday. Anyway, it has to be 5 pages, double-spaced and all of that goodness. If someone hands me a topic, I can write 5 pages easy. But such is not the case.

I have to talk about morals, ethics, and such. I could ramble on about how you can't have free will and fate. Or I could write about the many, many bonds between morality and religion, and how both evolved. That's right, I used 'evolved' and 'religion' in the same sentence.

Now, I usually don't like talking about religion, politics, or anything controversial. But I have to put my ideas somewhere.

Religion is the basis for the most basic of morals. In christianity, just read the ten commandments. Every religion or teaching out there has some interpretation of these laws. Even so, people who do not believe in God, or any supreme being, are still very capable of being decent human beings, if not better. Are all religious people good? No. Are all atheists evil? No. I have met people from both sides of that issue, and I can honestly say that not one group as a whole is good or evil.

Are morals programmed into our genetics? Is our process of determining right from wrong embedded into our DNA? If so, does that mean our manner of choosing also originates from our DNA? And if that is true, are we merely puppets acting out a part written by our parents, their grandparents, and so on? If the choices we make are based on chemical reactions within our brain, then we really don't have free will. But before we get to that last part, let's analyze some of the previous questions.

Where do morals come from? Some might argue that we pick them up as we mature from an infant to a toddler. Others might say that we are constantly changing our perception of what is acceptable and what is not, even if we are middle-aged. But, if a child is given the most basic of necessities (milk, water, food, and a diaper change), what will that child amount to as an individual in society? Will he understand that killing is unacceptable? Will he know to scratch someone's back if that person scratches his? How much will he understand?

Yes, I am interested in getting answers to these questions. I'd like to think that I have an unnatural ability to place myself in someone else's shoes and understand why they think a certain way, or why they do certain things. With the answers, I'll be able to know people better than they know themselves.

{Added on around 12:31AM}

Oh, if you want some insight on why I switched majors out of Electrical Engineering, here is a testimonial from another who got out of engineering.

583

I can't believe this.

Yesterday was Monday, September 26th, and the high here in Austin was 107 degrees. In late September! I hate this weather so much. That's why I want to move to the northeast. Maybe I'll find what I'm looking for there.

I took my Unit 4 test, but not before I muttered many a dirty word at a crappy computer. I did the work on my computer and burned it on a CD-RW. I don't have any floppy disks, because come on, who does? So I get to the lab and I prepare to load up my work when I discover something shocking. These lab computers, in the Electrical Engineering building, don't have CD drives. What the hell? Even the Spanish lab has CD drives. I hate EE.

Then I went to Spanish, where the prof decided to mention his love for Monica Bellucci. Then, in Spanish, he asked random people what celebrity they were in love with. Guess who got called on first! Me! So, because I didn't think of anyone right off the bat, I just gave up and said Monica Bellucci also. What made it so uncomfortable was that the two cute chics who sit in front of me turned around to watch me answer. Very awkward. But then I realized something.

Do I have a thing for any celebrities? I mean, is there one out there that just blows me away? I'm probably not remembering someone, but I can't think of an answer. Jessica Alba is the flavor of the week, although it is a good flavor. Jennifer Aniston is just a bit overrated. Angelina Jolie is too crazy.

Crap. Now I know.

Elisha Cuthbert. She was so awesome in "The Girl Next Door."

Who am I forgetting?

Either way, I'm tired. I'm going to bed.

{Added on around 1:12AM}

OMG, how could I forget!?

Eva Longoria.

Oh, and she has some tough competition. Elizabeth Hurley.

582

Alright, I'll confess. I've been rather lazy about posting. There are more days in between updates and substance is wearing thin.

I just don't know what to talk about anymore. I could talk about my new fear. Now, when I'm walking on a sidewalk, I'm always paranoid about cars going past me. I just keep walking, but each sound makes me feel more tense.

My EE class is self-paced. I'm behind. Yea, that figures. I procrastinate, and then I don't want to catch up. So, I'm going to take my Unit 4 test tomorrow morning. The TA wants me to finish Unit 5 by Wednesday. I don't know if that'll happen, but I'll try. Trying is worth something, right?

I updated my links section. All links are current and what-not.

Do I want to get philosophical? Do I want to be border-line offensive? I don't know.

I guess, some days, I just don't see the point.

581

So I'm off on the blues for the links. I'll fix it tomorrow. I'm going to sleep. Bah!

580

Ugh, what a terrible day.

I woke up early to go to my French Horn lessons. I got out to the bus stop, and waited. Waited some more. 20 minutes went by. The bus I take runs every 15 minutes. So, I jump on a much slower bus and just try to make it on campus.

[Warning: You may not want to read the following paragraphs. The content may be graphic and disturbing. If you wish to read it, highlight the text.]

Well, there was an accident further up ahead on the bus route. It bothered me a bit. From what I could tell, it had just happened when I stepped out of the door. Oh, I just found the story. But the reason it bothered me was that an ambulance wasn't there. The person was still laying on the road. Only a blue tarp prevented everyone from seeing his identity. You could see the bent bicycle and the person's backpack. Seeing a motionless figure on the road kind of freaked me out.

My dad works for the Physical Evidence Department. He does all of the stuff you see on CSI, if you watch that show. He deals with death everyday. And it weirds me out that this is what he sees.

Now, I considered myself to be desensitized. The only emotion I ever show is anger. And that takes a bit. But actually seeing death outside of natural causes just turned my body cold. I've never felt that before.

When I hear about high school students having heat stroke or a heart attack, I worry about my own life. Seeing obituaries for 18 - 20 year olds scares me. This kid was 17. I was a senior in high school when I was 17. I didn't think about death or anything.

In the past two nights, I have had dreams where a family member or a friend has died. And in both of those dreams, I reacted with anger.

I didn't make it to campus. I just decided to come home and relax. I had to clear my thoughts.

579

Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!

I watched Nip/Tuck. I watched Rhona Mitra make out with Kelly Carlson. Best episode ever!

Slept in today. I spent most of the day just working on homework. In fact, I'm still working on it.

I guess I've been rather boring lately. Not much is going on I guess. School is going alright, but I still hate EE 316. EE classes are the children of the Devil. Oh crap, I just remembered that I have a quiz tomorrow in Spanish. Oh, I should probably shave.

I've got nothing else.

578

Yea! Got my question in on AOTS. Sweet.

Yea! No class tomorrow. Sweet.

Crap! I have homework to do.

577

Well, this weekend has been interesting.

Let me start by saying that AXE is the best. Shower gel, body sprays, they are all awesome. There are plenty of products that promise the same effects, but only AXE is legit. 'Touch' and 'Phoenix' are definitely my favorites.

Also, Apple has some great people working the counter at their stores. I went to get my Shuffle fixed or replaced, whatever they could do, and the guy was real nice about the whole thing. If they would have had one in stock, he would have switched mine out with a new one. So awesome. But they didn't have one, so he filled out some online form and I can just send it to Apple directly.

I haven't had a soda since I left Dallas. That's going to be a month pretty soon.

I'm still working on my surprise. It might take me a bit longer than I expected.

Hmm. Now that I think about it, I don't have much to say. I guess I'm really tired. My eyes are doing weird things. Can't really focus.

576

Is this a headline you want to read?

{Added on around 11:08PM}

Well, it looks like I'm gonna have some basketball to play tomorrow! Awesome. Ryan said there's a 90% chance, so I just gotta hope.

I felt terrible today. I don't know if I slept on my elbow or I just ate something bad. I went to my French Horn lessons and then went home. I'm hoping to feel tons better tomorrow. But I do hate that I missed CS 349. I really like that class. The prof in there is hilarious. And he gets real passionate about each topic.

Well, tomorrow is the deadline for completing Unit 3 in EE 316. I hope I get it done in class. I might wake up early and study beforehand so I can ensure meeting the deadline. Then it's off to Spanish, where I have to come up with 4 questions that ask someone about their worst date. What really sucks is that I might have to answer those questions.

Wow. TCU beat Oklahoma, lost to SMU, and beat Utah. Weird.

Otherwise, I don't have much else. My parents are coming down tomorrow night. That should be good times. Oh, and I'll have a surprise for all of the people I've linked to on the right. I don't know when I'll unveil it, but soon.

575

New blog search feature from Google.

I put a new picture up on the moblog. It's a picture of the apartments I want to live in. They're so nice.

I'm tired. I have lessons tomorrow morning. I'm going to bed.

574

Ugh. Today sucked.

The book I needed at the library was checked out. I had to reset my password for my account at the CS computer labs. My CS 337 prof went over, so I missed my usual bus. I didn't get home until 5:05PM.

While I was walking from the bus stop to my door, I took some pictures of the damage that drunk driver left. You can find it on my moblog. I also saw some people playing basketball at the apartments' court. So, I changed and headed over there. I recognized one of the guys. He whips my bro and I everytime. Well, he had 2 friends with him. They were good too. Way better than me. I didn't want to walk away with my tail between my legs, so I played a game of 21 with them.

I know when I'm beat. I know when someone is just better than me. These guys were in a class of their own. I'm not there yet. I missed all 3 of my shots, but I had a steal and a decent defensive play. But wow. They were all 4 or 5 inches taller than me, had about 60 pounds on me, and 2 of them might have been quicker than me. Amazing really.

I went back home and told my bro about how these guys were good. He played it off as though he would have been good out there too. Nope. He must still be under the impression that he's the best player in the world. He's not. Not even in the apartment complex. Not even in this apartment.

He's quite the sore loser. In fact, the last time I won, I walked away with that elbow scrape. The pic is in my moblog also. There's still a big scar. The last time we played, I walked off the court because he threw an elbow. So, I just play half-ass offense and defense while he goes after his own rebound and tries to muscle in a shot. Whatever. If it means that much to him...

Given my size, I'm not a physical player. I have to rely on finesse and quickness. If an opponent wants to win by playing dirty, I'll let them. I'll get out of the way. I like my games nice and clean. I don't have to resort to elbows and slaps to win.

And honestly, I'm not nearly as competitive as my bro. I don't care if I lose. If I shoot terrible, I'm going to accept it. I might get frustrated, but I won't act that way. If I have a good game, I'll smile. But I'm not going to do victory dances.

I guess it all boils down to having control over your emotions and attitude. I wish everyone could have that kind of control.

573

I'm bored.

572

Well, Brandon wanted an interesting post. I'm guessing he was wishing for one pretty hard because I just had a crazy experience.

My bro, my sis-in-law, and I all heard a car's brakes and then a loud noise. So, we wanted to see what was up. We couldn't all go, because my nephew was asleep. So it was just my sis-in-law and myself. We walked across the street, and wow. Somehow, a car drove off the road, up a hill, and into an apartment complex. Now that I think about it, I wish I had my phone with me. I'll take a picture tomorrow.

Well anyway, we got to the truck and the guy who was driving was standing outside. Some other people approached him before us. He started talking and then he decided that it was best for him to run. He got about 75 feet away when people started saying, "Oh, someone should go after him!"

Well, guess that someone was me. So, I chased him down. I kept up with him until he started walking. That's when I walked, so that way I wouldn't burn all of my energy should I need to run again. He slowed down and looked behind him. He saw me. Crap. So he started running again. So I started chasing again. Right about 2 seconds later, a cop car pulled up through the alley and I pointed him towards the guy. The guy jumped a fence, but so did the officer.

They caught him. The police officer asked us to get in the back of his squad car so we could identify the suspect. Let me tell you, it sucks back there! The seats are hard and the A/C doesn't get back there!

We got back to the scene and fortunately someone saw the entire thing. So, they didn't need our information. Some chics came up to us. They talked about "Yea! You're fast! Great job!" But I'm a humble person. (My sis-in-law said that one looked like a hooker, and the other looked like a hippie. I think the 'hooker' one was kind of decent though. That's saying alot.)

So either way, that got my blood pumping. And it was fun. Oh, the guy was drunk too. He's not going to be happy when he realizes what happened. Sucks to be him.

Other than that, my day sucked! I picked up my French Horn, and it's the same one from last semester. That helps a bunch. I don't have a name for it, but soon enough.

I don't think I did much else today. Was boring. but hey, I won the admiration of some chics, so I guess it wasn't a total loss.

571

I just subscribed to the NPR: Tech podcast. So far, so good. Oh wait, now it's sucking. Baleeted!

I've decided that for a week, I'm going to use iTunes to play all of my mp3s. Even while I sleep. I have to hear music as I fall asleep. So, with iTunes taking care of it, I can get the stats I want to know. How many times have I listened to this song? When was the last time? What did I rate it?

Ugh, it's hard to make a new playlist. I want songs that generate a calm, but that's hard to do when your favorite groups are A Perfect Circle, Tool, Queens of the Stone Age, and Audioslave. It's hard to fall asleep when there's harsh tones or powerful singing.

I bought a new book. The Science of Good & Evil. So far, I like it. I've read The Lucifer Principle, and Why We Don't Talk To Each Other Anymore, and this book fits in nicely. The book is represented accurately by the title. It's all about ethics and how they came about, how they evolved, and other things like that.

It's slowly cooling down around Austin. It's 83 degrees downtown right now. It might drop below 80 before the night is over. Oh, on Wednesday when I woke up early, the weather was perfect. I forgot how great mornings are. But, I'm still not going to wake up early for no reason. I love sleeping.

Oh, I was mentioned again on Attack of the Show. That makes 2 times in one week. I hope to become a regular mention eventually. They added me to their myspace account. That makes 4 friends for me! Woo!

And other than that, I've got nothing. I'm going to be on campus for a while tomorrow. I think I'm going to do some after-school stuff, like undergrad research. I don't know yet. I'm not doing anything else with my time.

Alright. I'm going to read some more of my book, write down some ideas for stories, and go to bed.

570

Well, I'm tired as hell right now. I didn't take a nap this afternoon. I really wanted to.

At least I only have one class tomorrow. Afterwards I'm going to see The Transporter 2. It might be good, or it might suck. I'll find out and let you know.

I don't know what's going on.

I'm happy to start a new semester. I just feel like something is missing.

Also, it's time to clean up AIM. I have names on there that I don't talk to, so I'm dumping them. In fact, I don't know why I even sign on. Away message up. But I guess for now I'll just promote people and demote others. You see, my new categories are Friends, Known, and Never On. Some people from the Friends list are being bumped down, while people on Known might get an upgrade.

I also need to update my email list. If I don't have your email and you want me to have it, then click "Email Me" to the right.

You know, Episode 6 is awesome. Even today, it's still greatness.

569

New iPod nano. Pretty sweet. I don't think I'll get one yet, but eventually. I'll probably give the Shuffle to my dad.

There's also going to be a release of iTunes 5. I don't have link for that though.

Oh, and this looks fancy too.

That's all for now.

568

Ugh. Today has sucked pretty bad.

I missed a discussion section. I just forgot about it. I'm going to email the TA tomorrow and let him know. I just spent the past 3 hours working on some homework. This EE 316 class sucks! You take a test over a chapter, and if you miss one question, you have to do all of the questions at the back of the chapter. So, I got every question right, except for 2 parts of 1 question, and I have to do homework over stuff I got right on the test! That's incredibly stupid and it wastes my time! Make me do the problems over what I missed and let's move on! Stupid TA...

Oh, and I have to wake up early tomorrow. I have to get my French Horn and meet up for my lessons. Then I have to drag my horn around campus since all of the lockers are in use. That sucks! A French Horn doesn't weigh a ton, but it wears you out after carrying it for 20 minutes. I think I'm going to skip my 3 - 4 class so I can just get home with it.

Alright. I don't have much else to say. I really just want to go to bed. Maybe do some light reading. I don't know.

567

You know, I wanted to post and all, but then I was distracted. And because I was distracted, I forgot what I was going to write.

So yea, Happy Labor Day everyone!

566

There's plenty of news going on. It was just announced that Chief Justice William Rehnquist died earlier tonight. Hurricane Katrina has damaged more than just physical structures, but also mental strength.

On less serious notes, Oklahoma lost their season opener. The Seattle Storm were knocked out of the playoffs (I like basketball. That includes the WNBA, even though I don't watch it. I just keep up with the Storm because they have Sue Bird. Remember, she was the one who said on radio that a DJ could spank her if some conditions were met.) Texas has 3 solid running backs. That 6'3 270-pound Melton is awesome!

But really, I want to focus on the hurricane stuff.

So, refugees are coming from Louisiana. They have already filled up Houston. Dallas is running out of shelters. So now it's up to Austin. As I type this, Erik is volunteering at a shelter. I know, I should probably be doing the same.

But I am worried. You see, my sis-in-law works for the sheriff's department. My dad works for the Dallas Police Department. If things should turn for the worse in Austin or Dallas, both of them will have to work extra hours in possibly unsafe conditions. Considering that my dad just had surgery on his ankle and is still on crutches, this could be bad for him. And considering that my sis-in-law is a petite woman, it could be bad for her.

Austin and Dallas are expecting crime to increase because people get desperate. They do not mean to imply that New Orleans produces a bad crowd. It's just that when someone loses their home, or worse, their family, desperate actions are taken. And while some might condemn them for 'looting' and what-not, they must try to imagine being in the refugees' shoes.

While no one I know has suffered through the hurricane, I still have great sympathy for those who have.

565

Yes, it's 4AM. And no, I haven't had a nap today.

Classes went fine today. I'm thinking about switching my Spanish section. It's from 12 - 1 right now, and I would rather have it from 1 - 2. If I can work my magic, then I'll do it.

I also saw an undergrad advisor today. Not the typical academic advisor. This person is legit. He looked at my classes and such, said that if I take a class or two during the summer, then I should graduate in December. Definitely makes me happy. Damn electrical engineering! Set me back a semester.

Other than that, not much else happened today. Haven't had a soda in a week or so. Haven't had much candy lately either. I love my Reese's Fastbreak. I'm surprised I've gone this long without one.

Oh, the Racetrac, which I love, is being bought out. That sucks!

OK, honestly, I'm friggin' tired. Time for sleep!

564

Eh. I'll update in a sec. I gotta fix my desk.

{Added on around 12:40AM}

Well, I fixed my desk. The drawer that supports my keyboard and mouse wasn't fully extending, so I went in and fixed it. Now I can type freely again.

CS 349 went well. The prof is hilarious. And I actually stayed fully awake during the entire class. I might not have been paying attention, but I was awake. I think I'm going to like this class a bunch. There are only 2 books for the class, and the first is one I'm really interested in. I forgot what the title is.

So, back to my 11 - 4 schedule tomorrow. I'll be able to handle it better since I know where all of the classes are. I spent 10 minutes in one building looking for a room number, only to find out it was right outside the building. At least it's air-conditioned.

I'm going to start looking at a laptop. Preferably one where I don't have to make payments until 2006. If I can get that, I'll be happy. The one negative that everyone brings up about doing a payment system on a computer is that when you're finished paying, the computer will be obsolete or close to it. I don't mind this, because by that time I'll be able to buy a new one and give the old one to my dad or nephew.

I can't wait until I graduate. I want my job! I want my salary! I want to get started on building my life. Apartment, home theater system, awesome clothes, and then a woman. I won't look at buying a home until I'm engaged. If that should ever happen.

Hahaha! I'm a 21-year old senior at UT. I should be able to pick up any freshman I want. I should soooooooooo abuse that fact.

And in case you want to know, it is 12:52AM and the temperature is 84 degrees. Yea, that bites.

OK, if a woman does this and someone uses their camera phone, I don't think that person is going to the police...

Alright, I'm out for tonight. Sleep!

Oh, I just got my first spam comment, so word verification is now on. Sorry if it becomes a hassle. Online ad bots can suck it!

563

Well, let's just get down to business.

First, I hate the Spurs. I said I wanted Finley to go there, and he did. But I didn't want Nick Van Exel to go there. I wanted him to be a Maverick. Now I have no choice but to jinx the defending champ and say they'll run away with the West.

Yao got a contract extension, so there goes every teams' "soggy dream" and plans to get under the cap.

3 classes today. EE316 (Digital Logic Systems) is going to be do or die. It's self-paced, so I'm either going to do all of the work in the next month, or I'm going to procrastinate like always and make things hard towards the end of the semester.

CS 337 (Theories in Programming) is huge! Well over 100 people. It's not the biggest class I've ever had, (EE 306 was about 480) but it is nice. I can sit in the back of the auditorium and sleep. Awesome!

SPN 312K (Third Semester Spanish) isn't as nice as I would have hoped. It's a small class in a room without air conditioning. But, there are some really cute chics in there. Yea!

Oh, my name was read on Attack of the Show again yesterday! My parents watch it now because I forced them to watch it while I was home, and my mom recognized my screen name. So my Dad called and was like, "Yea! Cool!" At least Sarah said it right this time. (It's F Bomb Andy, not F Bomb Bandy.)

I have just one class tomorrow. CS 349 (Contemporary Issues in Computer Science) might be OK, as long as I don't have to do a ton of reading. I'm sure I will.

Baby, I'm going to make you healthier, more cheerful, stronger, more beautiful, and sleepy, all in an hour.

562

Well, school starts on Wednesday. I had to change my schedule, but it worked out for the better. CS 337 is only offered from 3 - 4, so I couldn't avoid being on campus during the afternoon. This also allowed me to drop my 10 -11 class, so I don't have to wake up as early. Well, except for Wednesdays. I scheduled my French Horn lessons for 9:30, so I'll have to wake up early. I'll have a 2 hour lunch break on Monday, Wedneday, and Friday. I'm done at 2 on Tuesday and 12:30 on Thursday.

Overall, I think it's nice. I like have a long lunch break. And if I can't make lunch last 2 hours, then I can do homework or something. I'm sure I'll have some days where I don't eat lunch and instead have a power bar and play basketball or work out. I'll still be home before 5, so I'll be able to watch Attack of the Show like always. I don't have to wake up until 9 on 4 days, so I can stay up until 1 and still get 8 hours of sleep. That's awesome!

I looked at what all I have left to take before I graduate, and it's not much. I'm still going to be set back by a semester or two because of damn electrical engineering, but I guess it's OK. If EE offered a minor, I would have it. Oooh, I should talk to an advisor and see if I can make that my science area. If I can, then that'll be great. If not, then I have 8 hours of physics done, so that will be my back up.

I still have to do some research on receivers with up-conversion and subs. I'm going to piece together a home entertainment system for Brandon. Man is already talking about buying a house. Ladies, you should really set your sights on him.

Also, I created my first mIRC script. I plan on making more.

I'm also going to learn about networking. Considering what all I have learned in CS 336 and PHL 313K, I should be able to comprehend concepts fairly easily.

Alright, that's all I have for now. I'll try to post on a daily basis again soon.

Oh, in response to Rowdielou's comment on the previous post:

I hope I do create something with that type of impact. I'm completely serious when I say I want to change the world. I just have this feeling that one day, I'll come up with a great idea. I've had that feeling for years now. But I'm lazy.

The one thing that still scares me a little bit, and I've mentioned this once to somebody, is that when I try to picture myself in 5 years, I can't. Most people can, but I see nothing. So if I'm going to have an impact, it better be soon.

561

I was in the car with Brandon, finally on my way back home, and we had an interesting conversation about traits that we inherit and characteristics that we learn.

When I analyze both of my parents, I can see what I've inherited from each. I have the natural kindness of my father. I have his martyr complex, only mine is a bit worse. I share his occasional desire to be alone. But, I have the quiet attitude of my mother. I am introverted just like her.

Characteristics or reactions that I've picked up start with my ability to tune someone out if they just keep repeating the same thing, or if they aren't open-minded. Instead of calling someone a 'moron' to their face, I'll wait until I'm alone. If I feel like someone doesn't care about me, I can easily stop caring about them.

I was with my dad and he talked about me while I was sitting next to him. He pointed out that I've picked up qualities from both my brother and my sister, but more from my sister. The one thing that he said that I cannot disagree with was his statement, "You can't get him to do something he doesn't want to, and he knows exactly what he wants."

I am very self-destructive. I tend to criticize myself more than I should. I stress myself out to the point that I'll need someone to take me to the ER. When I'm mad at someone, my first instinct is to punch something inanimate. I have the scars to show. When I don't have control over something, I ask myself why I don't.

I have a cousin who joined the Marines a while back. He's going to be shipped out on Sept. 5th. He's 20. He says that there's just nothing for him at home. He's younger than me, but he's about to do things that I would be too scared to do. And this is where I just don't know what to think. Yes, I'm about to get a Computer Science degree. He's about to be part of a war. And while both are admirable in their own ways, I feel like he's accomplishing more than I ever could.

I'm losing contact with people I've considered 'true friends.' I see people I knew years ago and realize that I don't know them anymore. And I can't do anything about it except blame myself for it.

Ugh. I'm going to sleep.

560

This is really odd.

So back in March, I mentioned my use of AXE Shower Gel. Today, I got an email from someone who works at AXE. It says something about thanking me for mentioning it on my blog. They also want to send products to me before they become available in stores. I've done a ton of research to see if this is legit or not, and I haven't found anything discouraging. Very cool.

I don't think I did anything today. My dad and I relived the old days by playing some old video games. Very fun.

I'm not sure what the plans are for tomorrow. I know I'm having lunch at Joe's Crab Shack. I think I might go watch Brandon play basketball. Otherwise, I'm going to relax some more.

Once again, if you want Gmail, let me know. I really want to get people on Google's IM client.

Milk chugging! Oh come on MLB, lighten up! In fact, these contests would probably bring better ratings if you placed them during the 7th Inning Stretch!

Oh, and if you didn't know, the NBDL is putting new teams in Fort Worth and Austin. I don't know what the mascot is for Fort Worth, but I know the team from Austin will be the Toros. I'm real excited about this.

I read some stuff last night and it almost inspired me to write a short story on here. But, I didn't. Original ideas aren't flowing, and I want to put more effort into it than just one post.

I had a very pleasant dream last night. I remember there being rifles, people to shoot at, and some chic helping me shoot them. A very cute chic. She might have been hot...

Alright. I'm going to get some sleep now. I hope I get at least one more dream like that last one.

559

Well, I just downloaded Google's new IM client. It's very simple with the appearance. I'm liking it so far. Not only does it just handle IMs, it also does VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) communication. If you have a mic and speakers, you're set.

So please, I need more contacts on my list. If you don't have Gmail, let me know and I'll send you an invite. 2.5GBs of storage and 10MB attachments allowed!

I got my hair fixed up today. Put in some reddish-copper color. I also had to buy new earphones since my mom's little dog chewed on my iPod earphones. I hate that dog. But the new earphones are pretty good. The frequency response is better than I could imagine.

Maybe I'll post more in just a bit.

558

Ugh. I turned on the Alternative Digital Music channel that's part of my parent's cable plan, and they're playing a song I have memories attached to. Wheatus' Teenage Dirtbag. The song sucks. But someone I knew liked it. Oh well.

Blogger has a new feature that puts word verification before someone can post a comment. I won't turn this on until I have to. The second I get SPAM comments, I'm flipping the switch.

I'm getting another haircut tomorrow (Tuesday). I'm also getting some color put in. It's going to be winter soon, so I think I'm going to go with red. I keep telling my mom that I'm going to put in platinum, but it's just to freak her out.

I need to upgrade my computer. I'm just going to look at getting a new processor and a new video card. I'll probably have to get a USB TV Tuner thinger, but that won't be too bad. The problem is picking the parts. I could go to Fry's, but they didn't have what I wanted last time I checked. Looks like it'll be all online.

I'm about ready to head back to Austin. I've enjoyed my time here, but I'm missing my room. I miss the convenience of having a Racetrac within walking distance. And apparently my nephew has been calling out my name ever since I left.

I guess this has been a vaction. I haven't worried about school or anything. But I can't say my stress level is down. I know that when I get back, I'll have a few days to adjust and then get back into 'school' shape.

I've decided that starting in September, I'm going to cut sodas out of my diet and exercise more. While I can play basketball for hours on end, I know that I'm not at my peak physical condition. If I improve my health, I'll improve my game on the court.

Either way, that's all I can think of for now. Or, all I want to write.

557

Big thanks to Brandon for taking me out and showing me a good time. Honestly, if I were in Austin, I would have stayed home and worked online.

Things went well. Met up with Krista and Lish, went to the Manhattan Bar, and just hung out there. A bit loud for my taste, and a bit crowded. It was cool though.

I don't feel any different. And I guess that's to be expected.

I still have another 3 hours of being awake. I don't know what to do to kill the time.

"I dare you to make less sense." - Dean Venture

556

Well, my last day with an excuse to not buy alcohol is here. In less than 24 hours, nothing will be between myself and a bottle of Paulaner.

As I look back on the past 20 years and 364 days, I realize that up until now, every day has been the exact same. Wake up, do some stuff, eat some food, go to sleep. I've wasted so much time doing nothing, or meaningless activities. I've met people that I don't even speak to anymore. People from high school or my first 2 years here at UT. I've learned things that I will forget over the next year. I have not accomplished enough yet.

While most people look forward to being 21, I do not. The prospect of buying alcohol whenever one feels like might be exciting for most, but not for me. I could care less right now about buying a 40 or a bottle of Malibu Rum.

I wish I could skip 21, 22, 23, and 24. I want to be 25. I want to have my degree and a job. I want my own place and my own car. A Computer Science degree. Some software company. A nice apartment like this one. I don't know what type of car I want. I'm the type of person who would choose a nice apartment and a decent car over a decent apartment and a nice car.

I imagine walking downtown on a cold night with a nice black leather jacket (3/4 length) and stopping inside a bar for a quick drink. Then walking up to my apartment and unlocking the door. Next, I would sit on my couch and turn on some ESPN. There, I would pull out a laptop and do all of my usual online stuff. You know, post on the blog, check the email, check the news, and get on some sort of IM. Unless I'm married by that age. Then it'll be more like walk home, unlock the door, find my wife wearing some nice lingerie, and so on.

But I can't do all of that at 21. Not right now at least. My degree is going to take another year at the least. I'll have to pay back college loans before I can get a fancy apartment in a great location. Things aren't in place yet.

Unless I find a cute, rich chic, I'll have to wait a few years. So what do I care about being 21? I'd much rather be 25.

555

Yea, today was OK. Nothing new.

I bought my dad a PSOne. We were at Gamestop and I know my dad gets bored sometimes. So, I saw one and decided, "What the hell?"

I spilled some spaghetti sauce onto my favorite pants. Damn.

Sorry. No new links today.

According to Marc Stein, of ass-like quality, it's been said that Finley will go to Miami, Detroit, Phoenix, or San Antonio. Considering I hate Michael Finley so much, I hope he goes to San Antonio. That way, wins over the Spurs will be twice as nice. The Mavs better beat the Spurs all 4 games in the regular season.

Alright, my headache is kicking in. Time to take some Tylenol.

554

Well, I just got online and checked the usual news sources.

Wooooo! No more Michael Finley! Woooo!

Yea, I know Brandon will be pissed because I did that, but oh well. He needed to go. Overpaid and old. That's business.

Nothing happened today either. Now that I think about it, I really didn't get anything done. Watched Attack of the Show like I do every weekday. I didn't do anything else. I'm boring.

Imagine the faces on those kids!

I don't care, I'm still not buying one.

Good to know if you're a Windows person.

Other than those, I don't have much. Hope everyone has a good night. If there's any requests out there, let me know.

553

Another fun-filled Sunday!

Woke up at about 1PM and did the usual morning routine. I actually ate cereal today, milk and all. And then I got the call for some basketball. It was just my bro, Brandon, and I, but that's more than enough for an entertaining game. We all won a game. There were some arm slaps and such. No one ended up bloody or with a broken bone, so it was alright.

My bro and his wife left for Austin at 5:30PM or so. Then it was just my parents and myself. My mom likes to watch Six Feet Under, and it was OK. This is supposed to be its last season and I can see why. We also watched that Roast of Pam Anderson. It was funny, but it could have been better. And whatever she was wearing wasn't leaving anything to the imagination. Then again, she did pose in Playboy, so I guess it's nothing new. Fun to stare at though.

No news is good news.

I've already determined that I'm going to see all of my doctors when I get back to Austin. I'm getting migraines now and that's new for me. I also need to get my index finger checked out. I jammed it on Friday and it's been swollen since. I can still move it but something doesn't feel right.

Not going to sign onto AIM tonight. I just don't feel like it. This is my time off and besides, I don't talk to anyone anyway. The people who read this know I'm in town, and those are the same people I'll try to hang out with while I'm here. Good enough for me.

Thought about visiting the ol' high school. I haven't decided if that would be fun or embarassing. There are a few teachers I want to see. Everyone who was a freshman when I was a senior has already graduated, so I don't have to worry about getting recognized by some student. Unless it's a younger sibling or whatever.

School starts Monday around here. I remember hating it when someone would ask me if I was happy that school was starting. Now that I'm in college, I want to go around asking kids, "Hey, are you happy to go back to school? Better go to sleep now."

That reminds me. The first day of school is the best and the worst at the same time. It's the best because everything is new and you have an excuse for showing up to class late. It's also easier to meet people on the first day. The bad thing is that you stay up late all summer and it throws off your sleeping schedule. When I was in high school, I would stay up until 4AM every night during the summer. Then school starts (or for me, band practice) and you have to wake up at 6AM. It's a tough transition.

Ugh, the weekend before sucks too. All of the kids go to the mall and try to find clothes and such. We have a crappy mall and I bet it was packed today. I'm not going to the mall for a while. And when I do, it'll be while school is in session. I really don't want to be recognized while I'm here. I don't need one of my exes spotting me and trying to catch up. Well, maybe one.

Crap. I have to get an outfit for when I go out on Saturday. I didn't bring any fancy clothes. Not even a button up shirt. I'll have to figure something out.

Alright, I could write more, but I have a killer pain in the back of my neck. I'm going to lay down and see what's on the cable.

552

Got my haircut today. It's a little long on top, but that's fine since I'll get another haircut before I head back to Austin.I uploaded a pic, but I'm starting to hate the camera feature on my phone. Not the best quality.

F.L.C.L. is a great anime. I know, anime. On the Cartoon Network. But check it out and see for yourself. Very entertaining.

AC adapters from Radioshack suck! I got a multi-purpose adapter with a bunch of different plugs and it doesn't fit anything I have. That's a suck product.

Other than that, I don't have much else going on. I downloaded GAIM last night so I could at least be online with an away message. I've fixed up this computer a bit, but I have more work to do. My mom wants to get a new video card, maybe some more RAM, and I don't know what else. Gonna be fun.

551

Well, I made it to Dallas in one piece. The trip went well, but I didn't get much sleep last night. Oh, and I played basketball today. My elbow scrape still isn't healed, but oh well. I know, it's just a scrape. The problem is that it's on a joint, so everytime I bend my arm, the wound reopens. Yea, sucks. I played through, had some nice plays, but nothing spectacular. I think I'm going to play tomorrow. I just need to wash my basketball clothes and what not.

I'm also getting my haircut tomorrow. It's been about 6 weeks and it's getting real long. I don't like it. So, I figure I'll get a haircut this weekend, and during the weekend I leave I'll get my highlights. It's almost winter time, so I usually go with a dark red. I figure I'll do the same this year.

Ugh, I would be posting links and such, but I just spent a couple of hours working with this computer. My parents are exactly computer-literate, so I have to make things nice again.

By the way, whomever set up the cable for my parents is an idiot. It's not hard to plug things in. But apparently it was hard enough for that guy. "The ethernet card has been deleted from the system." Moron.

Well, the way the sleeping arrangements worked out is that I get the room with the computer. Awesome! This means I should be able to post like normal. And since there's a small stereo in here, I can listen to my music. If I don't have my music going, I can't sleep. Even when I stay the night at a friend's I have to bring my iPod Shuffle. And I can fall asleep to any type of music. Lately I've been on an Audioslave kick. I haven't listened to Radiohead in a long time. And Radiohead is much softer for sleeping and such. I don't know. Hell, I can even fall asleep while listening to Tool.

Otherwise, I don't have much else to report. Oh, wait, one more thing.

I hate Doug Christie, but whatever. I'm not the GM.

Oh, and about NBA trades. Sam Cassell is old, so anything where you get rid of him is a good trade. Abdur-Rahim is a good player, but Sacramento's window has been shut for a while and I don't see them making it out of the first round.

I don't like to toot my own horn, but read last year's summer analysis.

550

Alright. One more post from my computer. Then I'm off to Dallas to spend a couple of weeks with family and friends.

What do they all have in common? Stare long enough, and you'll find out.

What every guy has probably already learned...

Some of these look cool, but I won't ever ride a bike again. On a related note, I hate fire hydrants.

Alright, Mozilla doesn't like me right now, so I'm going to get some sleep. I'll still post while I'm in Dallas, although I don't know if it'll be every night or what. Oh, and I think Brandon and I are going to do another podcast at his place with fancy recording equipment. Hopefully it will be just as good as the last one, if not better.

{Added on around 3:33AM}

One more, for my drinking buddies. Or for anyone who drinks.

549

Alright. One more day. I'm going to post early so I can finish studying and go to sleep. And by 'studying' I mean 'doing nothing.'

If you can't please your woman, learn how to solder!

Makes me wonder...

I just got an email from my CS 310 TA about one of my homework assignments. I need to fix some issues and send it back to him. Sorry there isn't many links, but I'll try to find some real good ones tomorrow.

548

Not much on the ol' news front.

Kenny Rogers is going to be reinstated. I'm rooting for him because you have to look up to a guy who doesn't contain his anger. Give me an annoying news reporter, and I'll give you a quiet news reporter. Very quiet.

A rotating globe of light. It's weird to think that there are spots of light coming from way up north.

Build your own USB IR receiver. Yea, that's a bunch of letters. Could be cool if you can make your TV remote compatible with it. Guess I have a new project.

Lemurs are cool, I guess. I don't know. (Seriously, it's really slow today.)

I overheard something rather interesting and entertaining while I was walking out of class. Some girl mentioned that she "had to tell her Mom that she got pink eye and that it was from dirt or something." (I know one person who is laughing right now.)

As far as the world of FBombAndy goes, there's nothing new to report. I have a test on Thursday, a final project due on Friday, and then I'm done. I've finished about 80% of the final project. So I should have everything done by Thursday at noon. From what I can tell, I'll be in Dallas Friday afternoon. Going to take care of my Dad, relax for a while, go to some bars, and then relax some more. I'm finally going to have a vacation.

Go listen to my latest podcast! (Right-click, Save As. It's the one with Brandon as a guest host.)

Oh, and I still hate dreams.

547

I'm really starting to hate dreams.

Really cool site that helps you decide what to pack for a vacation or whatever. I think it will come in handy.

A computer that can learn languages? That's awesome, if it can do my Spanish homework.

A guy makes moonshine using the heat from an AMD processor. Linking this for all of my friends who love alcohol.

For those of you who use your cell phone for everything, here is an article that has links to a bunch of mobile search engines.

I consider myself to be an audiophile. Sure, I don't have a $10,000 turntable, but I'll get there eventually. I hope. Well, Creative is making some new sound cards that blow current ones out of the water. The best technology, tons of memory built onto the card, and it's black! All four cards in the line will be available at Best Buy this month.

Mornings have been great lately.