A penny for you thoughts...

Late last night during my nocturnal browsing I came upon a question:

"Should people who infect others with HIV have to help pay the costs of the drugs the people they infect are going to need to stay alive?"

It got me thinking. We make people pay reparations to victims or surviving family for many crimes committed. Why doesn't this apply to AIDS? "In most U.S. states and all of Canada, knowingly exposing someone to HIV is a felony--just like mugging little old ladies." (from the same site as the question)
Granted, unprotected sex is a choice, but if after two months of serious dating, how many people are going to ask to look at the test results before they go bare? "Excuse me honey, I'll keep rubbing/stroking it while you go out for a blood test..." If not a legal dilemma, I personally feel this is a considerable moral quandary. Establishing the fact that a person purposefully concealed their disease could prove difficult as many carriers are unaware, but if it warrants time in some states why not at least financial assistance here in MN or nationwide for that matter?

I want to hear what everybody thinks, so please comment. Also feel free to link to this topic.

Just watch, I'll get 3, maybe 4 comments. If I'm lucky.

You don't see this everyday!

Nothing new to amuse you all with today, but I did find some interesting stories, so here you go.

Exploding toads and Momsicles? You don't see that everday!

Put your hands in the air!

Ok everybody, give it up to Hardee's for keepin it real(damn that looks good), and for white boys wit some mad skills! (for whitey click on the video montage)

And after listening to this on my way to school I did some research, and I think Hanoi might qualify for the "City with the most names ever" award.

Ok, you can put em down now, I ain't gonna rob you, aight?

Break it down, Shotgun Style.

Now there's a nice Marine saying for you! And I will do just that for you. I have reported that there have been some recent advancements with the judicial appointees but I realize that this still is a confusing issue. For a simple but in-depth look at filibuster and all things pertaining, check out this article on the NPR website. There is also a great point-counterpoint page on this issue here.

*Unlike most of their archives, they have converted this interview to text format so you don't have to download the file.

I can't believe...

Well, I did it. I officially cited Wikipedia for a research paper. I hope that the prof is an e-dumbass, because if she knows what wiki really is I have a feeling she will rip my paper to shreds. But what was I really to do? I needed a definition of adware, spyware, and malware, and I couldn't find any reputable sources. What should I have done, cited Urban Dictionary?! But anyway, after I got my quote I read on and somehow got directed to Wiki's troll/trolling/flame wars definitions. While I found them all hugely entertaining, I couldn't help but say to myself, "I can't believe I'm actually reading this shit..."

What would we do without cyber-nerds?

FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!

Sweet, it looks like we just might see some action in Washington after all... We have the judicial filibuster issue in the Senate coming to a head, and across the way in the House they're donning the gloves over DeLay and the Ethics Committee.

Unfortunately the battle for ANWR is going poorly. Read about the bill they passed today.

I lived... Here!

I can't remember if Dan already blogged about this, but while at school I decided to explore Google Maps, and they are amazing. Unfortunately I couldn't zoom in on my house, but I did find the exact spot I lived in California. I was kind of surprised I could zoom in since it's a military base and all, but here it is.

It is probably from this last summer. It looks kind of empty because everybody is in Iraq...

I lived here for a while too... And this is the wonderful hospital I spent more time at than I care to remember.

Correction:

It would appear that one of my statements yesterday was misinterpreted, and I would like to clarify. In my complaint about the Pope I was in no way wishing that the insurgents in Iraq carry out an attack (after all, many of the people over there are my personal friends). What I was making a statement about is the apparent singular focus of the media. Once they (reporters/editors) have their sights on a particular story, all else in the news will be abandoned. Example: First we had the Jacko deluge, then we were drowned in Teri Schiavo, lately it's been the Pope... Meanwhile, all kinds of news stories that quite possibly will have a monumental impact on our lives are being ignored. Basically, I'm saying, "Who really gives a flying *@#! about the pope?" We all know it happened, and now I want to move on and actually hear what's happening in our world.

I'm blogging this!

For a change, today I'm going to blog the entire day. No political ranting and raving, just what the day brings. (if it's political stuff, though, get ready.)

Woke up at about 6:45 this morning, (really didn't want to) and for some bizarre reason my gums were all swollen... It hurt like a SOB. I can't figure it out. I flossed last night before I went to bed, so I know there wasn't any crap in my teeth. (Yes, I'm one of those people who actually DO floss regularly.) I thought that maybe I had missed something though, so I flossed again, but nothing. Just bright red swollen gums. They hurt.

Drove to school. The radio was crap, as usual. I tried NPR, but they're still talking about the Pope. That's getting kind of old now. I was tired and hungry so I stopped at a gas station I frequent to get some Sobe and a granola bar. And you know what? It was no longer there! I went across the street to one I've never been to before. Luckily they had Sobe. There was a petition on the counter against a highway expansion that's going to close down all kinds of businesses. I didn't sign it, but I feel like I should, so I'll probably go back. (oops, politics...)

I came early so I could study for a history test I have today on WWI. I wanted to review the study guide, and the library is usually empty and quiet early in the morning, so I went there. I went to the back corner that I usually go to, and there was this person there listening to music at the table next to the one I was going to sit at. I glared at them, and then went to the entire opposite side of the library. They were wearing an Eminem shirt and had medium long hair. It was weird, but I absolutely could not tell what sex they were. There was definitely some kind of growth on the chest, but it was a rather, shall we say, "rotund" person? So I couldn't tell if they were man boobs or boob boobs. I should have just asked, "Excuse me, but what are you?" It was weird though...

Anyway, I went across to the other side of the library, and I could still here their shitty music! I couldn't believe this! I'm sitting in the library at 8 frickin 45 in the morning and some woolly he/she is already polluting that place with their noise! What a fucktard.

unrelated topic: Some chick just walked by in this little purple business suit. She was workin it.

original topic: I tried to just block it out. Chewbacca was wearing headphones so all I could here was the base line/drums. It was annoying as hell.

unrelated topics: On another annoying topic, another fucktard's cell phone just went off here in the computer lab. What the fuck? They think they are really cool because they have their FAVORITE SONG IN THE WHOLE FUCKING WORLD! downloaded as the ring tone. It's some shit-ass cRAP/R&B song. Now personally, I don't bring my cell phone in with me to school, but if I did, I would turn it on silent as I was walking up to the entrance. Call me Emily Post, but I think that's just rude.

Original topic: So finally that song ends, and I prepare myself for another 3 minutes of the exact same beat. It comes on, and fat-ass must really love it, because they crank it for all that little mp3 playin laptop is worth. Oh yeah, I'm in for a real treat now. This time the guitars start, and I recognize the song. I'm trying to figure out what song it is, when all of a sudden Bono's voice reaches out 65 feet across the library to me and announces, "Hey Curt, It's me, Bono. Thanks to Mrss Unisex you can here my entire U2 song!" While before I was about to go say something...

Unrelated topic: Mr. "I'm so cool cause I have REAL songs downloaded as my ring tone!" just got another call. He's getting on my nerves.

Previous/original topic: to the person, all I can do now is laugh. I make it about one verse into "Where the streets have no name..." before I pack my shit and get the hell out of there.

Off to class. I'm going to fall asleep, I just know it. Hopefully she'll do a PowerPoint so the lights will be off and I can sleep in peace.

I'm changing the times around so you read today's entries from the time I woke up to the time I go to sleep.

I actually wrote this during class.

The people who sit around me are an odd variety of folks. The dude in front of me is trying to pull off the Ashton look with a new trucker's hat every day. Next to him is usually this high school chick with great hair. Daddy.... Then next to her is another dude that she apparently is old friends with. Everyday he comes to class wearing an AE beanie and talks about the drinking games he played last night. I think he's full of shit, because I've never smelled alcohol on him, but she totally wants his dick.

Unrelated topic: The workstation I sat at earlier this morning was absolutely nasty. I don't know what it was, but there was this sticky shit everywhere. It got on my palms, and now they really stink. Nasty. (they stunk all class. I immediately washed them when it was done.)

Original topic: Nope, gonna rant more.

Unrelated: Do I have ADD? I never thought about it until now with all this back and forth... Maybe they slipped some speed into my Sobe.

Original: Next to me is this dude that looks like he stepped straight out of GQ. He has a perpetual 5 o'clock shadow and wears stuff that everybody else will be paying 150 bucks for in six months. The surprising thing is that he actually gets this shit! The entire class is absolutely lost, but here he is acing it. He's going to be a graphic designer or something...

We talked about newspaper design today. She had slides of different dailies and weeklies from around the world. It was kind of interesting.

After scrubbing my hands for about ten minutes I finally deemed them clean, so I went off to study my history. I decided not to try the library as I would invariably end up pissed off. So I went to the commons which is kind of the cafeteria too. It's really loud, but usually it's loud in a dull roar kind of way. Since everybody is talking, you can't really hear any of them. So I find a table all to myself (one table can seat four) and start in. I'm able to block the noise out and get some quality work done, but then this chick comes in with her friend and they sit down right next to me. She starts to have an emotional breakdown.... She's yelling, cursing, crying, it's pretty bad. She's talking about how much life sucks and that all these guys keep dumping her for other chicks and how her Dad hates her and blah blah blah. I finally have had enough and leave. As I'm packing my shit I think, "She either needs A) a couch and a shrink for about 200 hours, B) a ten inch dildo so she doesn't have to worry about guys, or C) a razor blade." If I had had a knife on me I would have given it to her and told her to cut long-ways, not across.

Well the day is over now. Not much new to report. In math I was told more stuff that I had already learned at DHS... Then it was back to the commons for a quick 35 minutes of cramming. This time I was entertained by another loud spoken table adjacent to me, but it was more humorous than the last. Then in class we finished up WWI and took our little quiz (which I aced). So now I'm going home. Hopefully there will be something interesting on the radio, because I'm about to nod off right now... I would hope for some good music, but I know that isn't going to happen.

Oh, not quite done for the school day yet. I forgot that they elected a new Pope. Yippy. Now we can all hear about it until those freedom fighters/rebels/insurgents/terrorists get their act together in Iraq and do something news-worthy. Or maybe the sea will rise up and wreak havoc again. That would redirect the media! I'm really surprised/kind of sad that there hasn't been more coverage on the massive Marburg Virus outbreak in Africa. Since I'm talking about all that anyway, if anybody ever feels like trying to get a tax break, consider donating to Doctors Without Borders. Great organization. And if any of you can't get past the fact that it's a French organization, well then, fuck you.

I was about to leave, again, but then I noticed this dude sitting one row in front of me. He's all decked out in Zelda gear and types in short, furious spurts. Ten letters, take hands off key boards, do a little wave thing with them, then type ten more... His fingers are short and fat like little sausages. I bet they would be tasty toasted over a fire. "Ooo, barbequed digits." He also has so much curly black hair protruding from the back of his t-shirt I figure he must have a second penis hanging between his shoulder blades...

I'm almost done with this day now, and good riddance. The trip home was actually quite nice... I took a little detour to find TJ's birthday present and ended up on all kinds of back roads. When I got home I grabbed Another Bullshit Night in Suck City, set the alarm, and hit the bed. I read about two chapters before I fell asleep. I woke up at 6:30, cooked myself some food, ate, half watched tv/half putzed around, and then watched the first half of Veronica Mars. Once The Office came on I switched, and I must say, it was a great episode. I can't believe next week is already the season finale. Then at nine I listened to "A Mind of Their Own," a documentary by American Radio Works, and did some homework. It was pretty interesting, and if you want you can download the entire show. But now all that is done, and I'm ready to call it quits. I've had about 12 hours of sleep since Saturday, so I'm ready for some catch-up.

Also, Microsoft word does not recognize the word “Google.” Sounds like somebody who rhymes with "hates" is jealous…

Cornucopia

Those sneaky bastards... It looks like the GOP defeated the House Democrats attempt at restoring the old Ethics Committee rules. If anybody didn't know what's going on, the House Republicans changed the rules of the Ethics Committee in January so that their corrupt leader Tom Delay wouldn't get burned again. After this latest partisan power grab there were a number of former House Republicans who condemned the act. Read all about it here and here.

And the debate about blocking judicial nominees by filibuster continues. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist is now saying the Democrats are "Against people of faith." Well, I for one would hope that our judges make decisions based upon the law, not their faith. Call me radical... Complete story here.

In less objectionable news, NASA has finally decided to take that tale out between their legs and return to flight. Good for them, it's about time. I don't mean to be callous, but we all need to realize that space flight is a dangerous activity and sometimes tragedies happen. The International Space Station also just got a new crew thanks to a Russian Soyuz rocket. Those stories are found here, and here, respectively.

Finally, those Japanese and Chinese people just don't seem to like each other these days...

Not to be a pessimist, but...

Now this isn't a formal prediction or anything, so don't hold me to it if I'm wrong. And to be honest, I'll actually be quite happy if I end up being incorrect. But... I can't help but feel that the Twins are going to absolutely flop on their asses this year. I don't know why, but every other Minnesota team came into their perspective seasons with high hopes, and we all know how they turned out. Gophers football, vikings football, timberwolves, gophers bball, gophers men's hockey... So once again, I have a feeling that yet another hometown team with high expectations and a stacked roster will result in nothing. At least our girls can win a couple hockey games...

If you want to see what the experts say, check this out.

In other news... Been kind of slow political week. The wonderful state senate crushed Michele Bachman's anti-gay pet project a while back. I heard a recording of the speech Hillary's made in MN over the weekend, and I'm telling you, that woman can talk! I'm not sure I'm ready to jump on the Hillary for 2008 bandwagon yet, but it was good. If you want hear it go to Minnesota Public Radio's website. They're great about archiving stuff so I'm sure you'll be able to find it. If you want a link, you can find it yourself. You all are the ones with the high speed internet. Let's see, the GOP decided to make it harder for financially struggling middle class people by passing new bankruptcy laws. Oh, and if you all don't know, they're going to elect a new Pope soon.

And for future reference, since it appears I'm going to be the only one with a non-technical or science degree, you can all go to hell. Don't worry though, you'll be going there in a Beemer or Benz or Caddy according to this...

Well now,

With my right hand I reach out and grab the frozen iron railing as I take the first step. My second foot follows, and then the first again. Slowly I make my way up the dark cherry colored spiral staircase. At the top there is a small landing and a solid oaken door with an antique keyhole below the handle. Adrenaline is surging through my body, preparing for whatever may come next. With my hand on the ice-cold ceramic doorknob I put my ear to the door. Nothing. Nothing save the thump-thump of my racing heart. My left wrist turns slowly. Through the quarter inch gap I hear the unmistakable sound of a shotgun cocking. Oh shit, I freeze. My heart sends out ten thousand earth-rattling tremors in a single moment. My breath comes in short bursts as my chest tightens. With a tsunami of blood rushing to my head, I throw caution to the wind and push inwards.

KABOOM!

Framed in the now open doorway I freeze, vulnerable as the day I was born. I can't move; my fate lies completely in the hands of this shapely silhouette three feet from me. With the seconds seeming like years my mind slowly begins working again. I can see the smoking barrel of the gun right before me but I feel no pain. Did I escape unscathed? I turn slightly to look over my left shoulder. Between the middle and top hinges there is a gaping hole in the two-inch thick door. The jam behind it has disintegrated to a smoldering nothingness. It's so close I can't believe I wasn't hit. My hand instinctively begins its journey up to my shoulder to feel for sticky blood but I stop it mid-way. I don't want to know. I see the lips of the silhouette moving but I can't hear the first half of what they say over my racing heart. With it finally calming down I catch the end. "All right, I'll see you later." Then a smile. Dazed, I smile back and respond, "Great, talk to you then."

Turning around I try to make sense of what just happened. I know I wasn't invited in, but yet here I am, unscathed, and what was that invitation…? With my head spinning I reach the bottom of the stairs and walk out onto the sidewalk. Digging into my pocket I pull out a handful of keys and make my way to the car. With one step left to the door I think back to the optimistic ending and perform a quick, giddy skip.

The End.

Oh, I went to Borders today... It was a good trip, and I got some great books.

We make good things come to life...

curtis says:
did you watch The Office last night?
T.J. says:
yes
T.J. says:
brilliant
curtis says:
friggin hilarious.
T.J. says:
I really hope it doesn't get cancelled
curtis says:
it will. It's going to get SO successful that the network will bring in big names, and that will ruin it. The core audience will leave but the more mundane middle age will start watching it just enough so that everything it once stood for gets destroyed.
T.J. says:
what you just wrote sounded like it came right of a network execs mouth
curtis says:
I should publish little blurbs and sell them for millions.

ooo, pick me, pick me!

So I've finally decided what I'm going to do this summer, and it's kind of a relief. I don't know if it's the right decision, and I still kind of wish I would have picked the other option, but this sitting on the fence crap has just gotten too old so I'm taking action. For a long time I was also trying to persuade assorted people to split an apartment with me too, but since nobody wants to commit on that either I once again have had enough of that in between crap so I'm just going to get a place by myself. I guess it won't be all bad. I'll be forced to meet other people this way, and if I go to school and get a job somewhere that shouldn't be too hard. The whole new people thing worked out fairly well this last semester, so I'm optimistic. So I'm now in the market for an apartment. I've thought it would be really cool if I could find a loft I could afford. They have the coolest layouts and are usually in decent buildings. If not I'll probably just get a one bedroom somewhere. I've considered a studio if I could find a big enough one, but I won't get one of those little bitty crapholes. Some of those are HUGE and all that open space.... could be nice. We'll see. I'm definitely going to be living in the metro though. While I like ridgewater and think the profs are great, small town evangelical living wouldn't work out for me.

In other news, I hope you all realize by now that we won't be hearing anything from the media for the next week or so except The Vatican and all things pertaining to. What with Terri and now the Pope those poor terrorists in Iraq have been taking a back seat for quite some time. If they don't do something quick America might forget we're at war. Oh, and I bet Tom Delay is sweating up a storm now that the congress can focus on important matters again, like burning his ass...

Pullin the wool over yo' eyes...

I have checked out Dell before, but I cruised over there again just for fun since tj brought it to my attention. I looked at the inspiron 6000, and when I went to the page to customize I couldn't believe how many upgrades were "recommended" by Dell. 1 GB of RAM? You have to be kidding me! I decided, just for fun, I would play stupid and upgrade it with every choice "Dell Recommends." Three pages later I had added my new 'and improved' notebook to my cart and was ready to buy. The barely over $1000 price tag had grown to a measly $2943 before tax or shipping.

Damn.

Ouch, Cupid!

I realized today that there is a direct correlation between what I listen to on the radio and how much I want to blog. With the exception of the last couple of days I have recently been listening to emo-style indie rock. And also the last week or so I have not felt at all like blogging. Now the last two days I have been listening to the radio (utter crap) and also to MPR. As soon as I turned the radio from my cd changer to 91.1 FM I had a sudden urge to blog. So, the moral of the story for me is that I should listen to KNOW a little more often.

In other news, I have decided that I want to buy an iBook sometime in the near(er) future. Now whether that happens or not, well only time will tell I guess...

And a moment of silence please for the Pope.

"Mommy, what's that for?"

"Why Timmy, that's to smoke the ganja."

I was rather surprised to see that m-w.com had ganja in their dictionary. Praises go out to them for being, in my opinion, the best online dictionary.

Please forgive me for my lack of blogging lately... This entire week has been just about as unproductive as possible. I started it out with an "I'm gonna get caught up!" attitude, and nothing has happened. Yet I can't figure out where my time has gone. I haven't squandered it. I mean, I went to the thrift store on Monday... Wait, that deserves a story.

Thrift Store: I've been wanting to go to The Unique Thrift Store in Crystal for quite a long time now. Schedules finally worked out and one of my friends and I went after classes on Monday. It was a great time, well sort of... I got some great shirts, so that was really cool. She founds some cool things too (actually I think she got better things than I did. The men's shirt collection has dwindled since I have been there last and my search for brown corduroy pants still continues). The only part that bothered me was when, upon her holding up a shirt, I said, "Wow, that's really cute." And then when she said, "but I can't find anything to go with it," I proceeded to immediately pick out an awesome skirt that matched it perfectly. So not only did I use the word cute as reference to anything but a girl with a slightly innocent appeal, but I also coordinated an outfit for a girl. She looked at me and asked, "Are you gay?" and then proceeded to have me match every item she had found but couldn't get a coordinating top/bottom for. And I did it wonderfully... Never before have I felt my masculinity (hetero-style) so challenged... To ease this problem I hit on her in every cheesy manner I know.

Other than that I haven't done anything big. I have played 2 football games on my Xbox, so that used two more hours, but I can't figure out where my time went! It obviously wasn't towards my homework because I have done no more to get caught up than I had already accomplished on Monday. The only other thing I did was on Tuesday, or wait... was it Wednesday? Whatever, I watched Garden State. Now, in that movie there are several scenes where they smoke a little reefer. And they smoked it by using a bong. Now, leading the straight and narrow kind of life that I do, I have never used a bong or even seen one being used. Then this morning in the shower for some unknown reason I wondered what all the bubbly water is for. So the question to my readers is: What is the purpose of bong water?

Disclaimer for the future possibilities of a political career: If for any reason this entry somehow gets archived somewhere and pulled up and used against me in any possible future scenario, This blog entry does not exist to encourage or condone the use of any illegal substance. This entry and any comment left is on the basis of innocent second or even third-hand knowledge of the subject and is in no way an admission of guilt or an intentional association on my part with people who habitually or recreationally use marijuana or other illegal controlled substances. This entry is merely an effort on my part to further understand a film I have enjoyed and to answer a question it has caused me to consider.

Is that thorough enough?

I would also like to congratulate Gmail on it's effort to provide a storage capacity of "infinity + 1." They have a humorous diagram so you should all stop by and check it out. Oh, and happy birthday gmail. On a more random note Microsoft Word corrects the word xbox to Xbox, and that it does not recognize blog, blogging, blogger, or the word Google. Blogger's spell check does not recognize either xbox or Xbox.