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Friday, December 11th, 2009
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joshdahl
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Today is Bekah's birthday.
We will do something special to celebrate.
No spoilers, but it will likely involve wine and food.
Possibly entertainment.
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Comments: Read 1 or Add Your Own.
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Wednesday, December 9th, 2009
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Tuesday, December 8th, 2009
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ruakh
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One of my LJ-friends, ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) bayfm, mentioned dreams in a recent entry; and that night I had a dream. I mean, technically speaking I suppose I probably have a dream every night, in fact many dreams, because everyone does, but I don't usually remember my dreams, and that night I had one that I later remembered. All of which is to say, the theme of this entry is: dreams. Which isn't really a necessary preface, since the title of this entry is "dreams", so most of you probably knew this entry would be about dreams, but I think it's nice sometimes to introduce an entry. And I really don't have many opportunities to refer to my sister as "one of my LJ-friends", because we're also friends in real life. So yeah.
One thing I really hate is when I have a dream that's set in the world of a TV show I've been watching. I'm not sure why I hate it so much, but I think a big part of it is that it feels lame. Firstly, it makes me think I've watched too much of the show too quickly, even by my standards; and secondly, dreams are like, the ultimate canvas for a fictional universe. Screw "show, don't tell"; in dreams, you just magically know, even feel whatever it is your subconscious wants you to. Even more than in real life, really; in real life everything is mediated by your senses, but in a dream, you often know things that are directly contrary to what you're perceiving. Crazy times. So all that medium to work with, and the best thing my subconscious can come up with is fan-fic? Nothing against fan-fic, of course, but just like how the movie adaptation of a wonderful book is very rarely as wonderful, well, the same thing applies to the dream adaptation of a good TV show.
Even worse is when I have a dream that's me playing sudoku or FreeCell or that one game we played in college with the undulating background where different colors try to swallow each other.
Another thing I really hate is when a TV show, or other bit of serial fiction, decides that since it's fiction anyway, it's O.K. if it goes even more fictional. For example, growing up I used to read a monthly kids' magazine called 3-2-1 Contact (since renamed Contact Kids), which for quite a while had a bit of serial fiction called The Time Time, about two kids named Sean and Jenny. (BTW, "Sean" is pronounced like "scene" or "seen". I mean, I'm sure the writers meant it to be pronounced "shawn", but it being a magazine, the pronunciation was up to the readers, and this reader didn't know how "Sean" was supposed to be pronounced.) There was one two-parter that I never found the first part of, but they had traveled into the future, and ended up on a very-high-gravity planet that they'd never be able to escape from. The "resolution" at the end was when they discovered that the natives of the planet, who spent almost all their time in a dream-state, could help Sean and Jenny to create their own dream-state wherein they were basically back in their normal lives. The implication, presumably, being that all later issues were them in their dream-state rather than reality. I could not accept this. Permanent dream-state is not a magic reset button! Even though I knew logically that all the historical fiction was still going to be historically accurate — it's not like the writers were going to use the dream-state as an excuse for historical inaccuracy — it totally just ruined the series for me. Suspension of disbelief is great, but it still requires there to be a specific "reality" that you're suspending disbelief of.
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Comments: Read 4 or Add Your Own.
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Monday, December 7th, 2009
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ruakh
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1. When I was in college, fraternities were not very friendly towards gay men. Yet you were an AEPi. How was this experience for you? Was this before you were out, or have frat boys evolved at lightspeed in the 20 years since I was a student?
( … )
2. Favorite breakfast.
( … )
3. Provided everything was fit to eat, what would be the worst meal you could imagine? (i.e., foods you don't like.)
( … )
4. What was your second choice for career?
( … )
5. Have you ever had a haircut so bad that you wore a hat to cover it up for a while?
( … )
If you'd like me to ask you five questions, reply to this entry with some variation on the theme "Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy and wealthy and wise." Cleverest variation gets a bonus question.
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Comments: Read 4 or Add Your Own.
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joshdahl
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Four years is how long it takes to go through High School.
And, in theory, college.
"Four year university" is used as a term of respect by those in two-year programs, and of dismissive derision by those in Doctor School.
Four years is also the term of the American Presidency, as decreed by George Washington and ratified by a secret assemblage of Masonic Elders in 1834 during the dread month Pentober.
It was at that very same assemblage that it was decided that the Druidic custom of adding an extra day to February every four years would be honored in the Gregorian Calendar.
Four years is cut off age for protection by Chinese child-labor laws.
Four years is the sentence handed down by a Detroit judge (also a Mason, and an actual mason) to a guy for masterminding a spam/scam network.
Four years is also how long Bekah has been my girlfriend.
Wanna read a cute story about how that happened?
Ok, well, she had just come to see me for the weekend, and after she went home I was talking to her online. She had already read some livejournal posts about her, so I think she had a good idea about what i was going to say...but I said something like.....
"I have something to tell you. Do you want it in the risky, but funny way? or the straight forward way?"
She opted for funny.
I should mention now that i had an unreliable internet connection which coudl drop out at any moment.
So I typed....
"I think I have a girlfriend."
pause....during which time my connection could have dropped out. Looking to her like I had simply logged off after making such a declaration.
Then I typed...
"and it's YOU."
And by typing it, I made it true.
Which is a power that an episode of The Twilight Zone has shown me that I must not abuse.
Speaking of Twilight Zone....the original series was amazing, the movie from the 80s was pretty cool...but the latest TV series is quite bad....and these new movies, and novels, seem to have very little to do with the original at all. What is up with that?
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Comments: Read 4 or Add Your Own.
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bayfm
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I finally finished my final paper. Only 1:30am. Not bad, I only spent... the whole day. The whole miserable day. Matt and I took 1 break for food. I took 3 internet breaks for less than 10 minutes. I don't understand what took so long. Anyhow, one stressful and boring day behind me. The paper is pretty mediocre, too, for all the time it took to write it. I guess time doesn't always equate effort.
Now I just need to do 1 more little homework assignment, then take the final, then nothing aside from planning the wedding (and work, I haven't quit my job or anything).
Feeling contemplative. Oh wait, there's probably a little dragon to go with that.
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Comments: Read 4 or Add Your Own.
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Sunday, December 6th, 2009
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bayfm
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Yesterday we figured out that Kid Cudi is playing here on Tuesday night and tickets are still available! He's our favorite right now. So that would be the awesomest, however, it's all lies to the lie-th power (times infinity ++). TicketMaster will not let us buy the tickets and this will be the downfall of society. Mark my words*!
*or for the Europeans: Marc my words! or Marque my words!
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Comments: Add Your Own.
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bayfm
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Nik doesn't want me to come hang out with him right now. So I'm updating LJ.
The ArenaNet party was pretty fun, but not super fun. Karaoke was pretty amazing. I love earnest karaoke-ers. The ones who can't sing well, and aren't very hammy, but just want to sing a song. It's really nice. I find myself super charmed by them. We sat at a time with some intensely fun seeming people. I would really like to hang out with them more. But I don't know how to ask a group of people to become my friends. The party favors in years past have been pretty cool. This year, though, coats. Coats? We opted out of the coats. Generally we pick out our own clothing. For respect. It was time to leave when a mega-drunky wouldn't stop touching my lips. Also, he told me that he made himself puke. From about 1 foot away from my face. So... it was go time. Then we got home. And now Nik uninvited me to hang out. So, friendship annulled.
Also, long form pranks are where it's at.
Long form prank suggestion (best for if your friends are approx. 12 years old):
You and your entire group of friends pick one of your friends to be pranked. Over the friendship, occasionally describe your dreams. Pretend that all your dreams are like movies of your real life. "Crazy" moments might include a vegetarian friend eating chicken in a dream, or a parent wearing a sweater that they don't own in waking life. Over years, the target friend will grow more and more concerned with the bizarre nature of their own dreams.
Point of concern: your friends dreams might turn boring. Some sort of self fulfilling prophecy thing. And then... What have you done!?!?
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Comments: Read 4 or Add Your Own.
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Thursday, December 3rd, 2009
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joshdahl
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What a day. Dang.
My boss was out sick, so I was left to handle a lot of the day-to-day stuff. No problem, i know how to do all of that. But i really did want to stay home after being out late at the concert. And as every teacher arrived, everyone said "boy, i should have stayed home." and that was before a single student showed up.
And then kids getting in to all kinds of confrontations...and me trying to help....with little or no result.
Just...all of it....dang. I was boss jr for one day and it was too much to deal with. Makes me appreciate how smooth my normal days are.
Also, Bekah stayed home sick, and it was raining like a jerk this morning. LIKE A JERK! Plus I forgot to take the garbage out last night....so I guess it piles up until next week.
But, the upside is...comics arrive on Thursday this week, so I get to go grab my comics after work.
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Comments: Read 4 or Add Your Own.
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joshdahl
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Bekah and I went to see Rob Zombie last night.
I tell you what, that dude can put on a show!
These were the two controversies of the night.
1. Bekah had read on a message board talking about earlier concerts that people were upset about Mr. Zombie using images of Charles Manson as part of his stage show. I gave them the benefit of the doubt. It is shocking to see fantasy horror mixed with real horror. But, I also gave the performer the benefit of the doubt. The man's art is shocking and entertaining people. He sings, basically, about the psychological power of the horrible and the bizarre. So, to insert a Manson in among the Frankensteins could be a troubling, but also cause you to consider the nature of what makes this so entertaining.
However, two further pieces of information removed the "doubt" needed for the "benefit of the doubt".
First, during the show, the Manson images were only shown during a song titled "Scum of the Earth"...with those words flashing over them! Essentially saying 'Dracula is fun, but this guy is the scum of the earth". Sure, it was still "sensationalized"...but it is a damn horror-metal concert!
Second, in the message board complaint, the complainer said that those Manson images were not appropriate FOR HER KIDS!!!
FOR HER KIDS????
Just look at one of his albums!
Or watch one of his movies!
How can you complain to the artist when YOU TOOK YOUR KIDS THERE!!
2. There was some guy there in an Aryan hoodie? What the hell? It has SS bolts on the front and some "aryan" stuff in gothic script on the sleeve. It is 2009. How can someone think it is ok to leave the house dressed like that? Wearing your racism on your sleeve? Where would you even get something like that? I put on a Green Lantern hoodie and I think...this is a great way to look good and let people know that i like Green Lantern!. This guy thinks... This is a great way to look good and let people know that i hate them.
What an asshole!
Apart from that.... really great show. Reminded me how much I like Rob Zombie. I wish there was more metal that i liked that much. We had a great time...and killed our feet.
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Comments: Read 2 or Add Your Own.
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Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009
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seserakh
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So... it seems I have 8 invites to google wave. I'm still not sure what it is, but hey, invites. Comment if you want one, and I'll send it your way. Then we can stare confusedly at it together.
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Comments: Read 23 or Add Your Own.
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Tuesday, December 1st, 2009
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ruakh
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Rights? Smokers shouldn't have any rights. I personally feel that it's not actually murder if a non-smoker kills a smoker, since the smoker is going to die anyway. ;-)
Seriously, though, smoking has huge negative externalities, and it's in society's interest to promote smoking cessation; but currently all we have are sticks, no carrots, and no assistance. Commercial tobacco cigarettes are one of the most addictive drug delivery systems, yet our attitude toward smokers is that we're doing them a favor by making their lives suck until they quit. For example, we have very hefty taxes on cigarettes, but so far as I'm aware, none of that tax money goes to helping people quit, except that legislators think of the tax hike itself as a way to "help" people quit. As nice perks, they get (1) lots of free money and (2) to patronize people. (I mean, seriously, "If you don't want to pay it, don't smoke"? That is just one step above "Why are you hitting yourself?")
However, laws that forbid smoking in certain kinds of places strike me as a pretty reasonable way to protect non-smokers from toxic fumes. People who work in restaurants, for example, don't necessarily have the financial flexibility to just quit and find a job that doesn't expose them to addictive carcinogens. I'm not specifically in favor of laws against smoking in restaurants, but they don't specifically bother me, either. I'm just not sure to what extent government intervention is helpful (by protecting non-smokers) and to what extent it's harmful (by curtailing freedoms that the free market should be able to provide, in the form of a diversity of restaurant policies).
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Comments: Read 2 or Add Your Own.
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suburbandilemma
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Anyone use Twitter? I find it more useful and easier to update than facebook or livejournal for just the day-to-day goings on that none of y'all care about. Add me and comment with your username. 'neptunerps' Sorry for the brevity of this post. I'm doing it from my iPhone. I'll post an actual entry soon. Posted via LiveJournal.app.
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Monday, November 30th, 2009
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bayfm
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As the Wall Street Journal asserts: Obama has no respect in the non-Western world. He has humbled himself to the middle east and accomplished nothing. India, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Israel. Everything he talked about during his campaign is scaled back, revised, or goes unmentioned. He has accomplished nothing. So, is he failure, as the WSJ suggests? (reposting my reply to the article to my family):
I don't 100% agree, but I don't disagree, either. I think that part of the promise of Obama is in his attitude, which is unchanged. It's almost like, if all president's up to this point had been Obama-like, things would be better. So, Obama isn't exactly a failure for having not fixed all the problems of the world, maybe the goal is more to not be the one causing new problems. Is it possible for a world leader to undo all the wrongs? I'm not sure that's a feasible goal..., even if he claimed he could do these things. America had unrealistic hope for/ fear of Obama and of course he won't be as bad or as amazing. So, I guess I'm saying that we have every reason to be disappointed, but also our expectations were unfair to begin with, so that's not really fair.
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Comments: Read 3 or Add Your Own.
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ruakh
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Wow. I just finished Battlestar Galactica. I realize that nothing in that entire series was ever even remotely non-shocking, but still, wow, every detail of the finale takes the cake. I almost want to watch the whole series over again now.
In other news, I almost got phished this morning by a text message. Fortunately, even though I really wasn't suspicious at all for some reason, I did have the presence of mind to call the phone number on the back of my credit card, rather than the phone number in the text message, just in case. (Though later, after I realized that it had been phishing, I did call the latter phone number out of curiosity, and I think I probably wouldn't have fallen for it; it was very unsubtle. But on the other hand, the text message itself was just obviously bogus, yet I didn't see through it. I blame the time of morning. Also, they say that old people are more susceptible to these sorts of scams, and I am getting on in years …)
ETA: the text of the message was YourUSBANK-446053300XXXXXXDebitCardHasBeenLimited. PleaseContact: 1-786-6661053. There are just so many reasons that it should have been obvious that it was a scam …
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Sunday, November 29th, 2009
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bayfm
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Twin Peaks is done! It took 3 months, but that motherfucker is finally behind us. I hope to never see Matt, Nik, Alex, Lisa or myself ever again. We can all fuck off, because getting all 5 of us in one room for a few hours at a time is almost kimpossible.
Twin Peaks is fascinating. I can't think of a modern parallel, something that is popular and mainstream, despite being completely unapproachable and difficult to digest. Can you?
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Comments: Read 6 or Add Your Own.
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bayfm
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1. Fat Princess is the fun bomb. Have you played it? No? I'm so sorry to hear that. Life isn't always fair that way. Like, poverty, for instance. Or being ugly.
2. Have you played Uncharted 2? No? Oh that's rough. I've barely played it, but I can tell you that it's really cool. The game controls are really intuitive and the game is really pretty, but super hard.
3. Tomorrow we get an internet upgrade. We went with ComCast, because they are evil without requiring a contract, as opposed to Verizon, which is evil and requires a contract.
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Comments: Read 8 or Add Your Own.
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Saturday, November 28th, 2009
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ruakh
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I have seen Jess so many times in the last month or so. I saw her when I was coming back from meeting my mother in Ann Arbor; I saw her when she came to take me out to dinner for my birthday; I saw her when she came in to see an evening of Buster Keaton short films; I saw her when she came in to run a half marathon;1 and I saw her when I was driving to K'zoo for Thanksgiving. I'm so totally going to get addicted. :-)
Another thing I've seen more than usual is movies. As noted, I saw the Buster Keaton short films with Jess and the Probsts2 (f.k.a. the Baron-Trumps). Then before the half marathon, I saw the first part of the 1977 version of [censored] with Jess off Hulu, but it was even worse than we'd expected, and Jess got bored, so we tried to find the 1996 version with Marlon Brando, but we couldn't, so we watched Shaun of the Dead off my computer. Then last night I watched Milk with my mother, also off my computer. So I'm definitely starting to make progress on the backlog of movies on my computer that I haven't gotten around to watching yet. Though I think I'll want to re-watch Milk in a few weeks, so I think I'll keep it on my computer for now, just in case.
Oh, and I've been to more brisos (britot-mila: circumcision ceremonies) lately, which is to say that I went to Abby and Jeff's son's the other week, bringing my lifetime count to four that I know of (my own, Benjamin Silk's, my cousin Reuven's son's,3 and now this one). I have to say, the ceremony itself I could take or leave,4 but I do like Abby and Jeff, and Raphy (the new baby) is cute, and a bunch of other people came in for it, so all told, it was good.
1. Which she did in under two hours! BTW, I mostly think of "marathon" as a unit of distance for running long distances, so I always want to type "run half a marathon" instead of "run a half marathon", but since that implies something quite different, I refrain. See how considerate I am?
2. If anyone can think of a weird/irregular plural that would justify making this pronounceable by mortals, I am all ears. I'm considering Cyclops ~ Cyclopes, but the problem is, I'm not sure that Probst ~ Probest is even intelligible. Well, that and the fact that Cyclops ~ Cyclopes has a stress shift, which I'm not sure how to implement when the singular is monosyllabic. Maybe the best approach is just "Probstes", on the model of "kisses", "wishes", etc. What do y'all think?
3. Which Bati hated, BTW. Reuven had twins, a boy and a girl, and of course the bris was only for the boy, or ben zachar if you will, and Bati felt that … well, I'll let her express her own feelings on the subject, in the form of a comment, if she wants.
4. I mean, I do plan to circumcise my own sons, if and when that's applicable, but I also plan to be mysteriously absent for the Biblically-mandated part of the ceremony, if I can at all manage it.
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Comments: Read 9 or Add Your Own.
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contemplative.