Party and Ebay

So the party this weekend was a success, except for the fact that our neighbor yelled obscenities out of his window at us. Apparently he sleeps with his window open even when it's absolute zero outside. He's done this before and called the cops AND our management without asking us to quiet down. The thing is that we make people go outside to smoke and they talk. Nothing was rambunctious or anything, but apparently it warranted him yelling obscenities, calling the cops and our management again AND chewing out Chris after he went over there to tell him that all he has to do is ask and we'll make people go inside. What a jackass. So the cops showed up with only Chris and me sitting on the front porch in silence. Our neighbor went up to them and started talking to them etc. Then it was our turn to talk to them. The cops said since they didn't see anything like what our neighbor said that it technically didn't happen. We told them the situation and he said it was pretty childish (which it is) and we apologized for wasting their time and asked how we could avoid things of this nature in the future. He told us to stay away from our neighbor since he may be crazy (i'm leaning toward this) and that it's ok if people are smoking outside, but to keep the noise level at a minimum. Next, we get to talk to our management.
In conclusion, I hate how our neighbor acts.

I'm going to put 2 things for sale on Ebay. One is one of the best point and shoot film cameras ever made and the other is a decked out Dell Laptop. I'm hoping I can sell the first for around $100 and the second for around $1,000. I need Chris' help in this as I don't have an Ebay seller's account. I don't like that fact that they keep all of your information on a central server which I'm sure isn't very secure. I hope my laptop at least goes for several hundred so I don't end up losing everything I put into it.

Google and the Oil Companies

Lately Google has been in the news several times. Once they were in the news for refusing to give the overbearing government random information about searches for pornography. You can't tell me the government wouldn't take a foothold and exploit it. Anywho, the other reason Google has been in the news is because they agreed to censor information that they provide to China. This is the only way they could continue to be accessed by people in China since their government controls all of the gateways in China. Google usually takes the high road.. but I don't know about this time. Their stock should probably fall a bit.

The oil companies are at it again with records profits.... again. The American public thinks that there is an oil shortage and OMG that's why prices are so high.... well think again. First off there is no oil shortage to the extent that it would raise prices this high and secondly how would the oil companies be making record profits if there really was an oil shortage. Lastly, if there was really an oil shortage and you hear it in the news the shortage doesn't actually reach America for quite some time. The only reason gas prices would raise immediately is because of the people fearing that it will run out. This stuff makes me go insane. Stupidity of people in large groups. Arg!

Partay

Tonight there's a party for our friend Ryan (Spaceman Spiff) on MySpace. I don't know how much longer he'll be in town, but he's definitely coming back for the summer. He'll be attending the U of M this coming fall. It's a byob party and there will be plenty of fun to be had.

Finally work has lightened and next week I'm sure I won't have too much to do. In other work news, I will be able to do some project management work on the new scanner manuals that have to be updated for the new scanner models that are currently being deployed. So hopefully this will give me some good experience. I really can't wait to have some sort of permanent responsibility other than helping (incompetent) Don out. (His name has been changed to protect the innocent, but the story is real.) Today I think I'm going to get to leave shortly after a conference call at 1PM. We will see. Yay!

Tonight I am also taking Diana out on a date. It should be fun, though I'm not sure where we're going yet. I will be going over to her place beforehand to run around with her puppies who are the cutest puppies I've ever seen in my life. I'll have to take some pictures and post them online pretty soon.

The News and Training

These two topics have nothing to do with each other really. Anyway, I'll start with training.. I've been in training all this week learning how to use a tool called Quality Center and Quick Test Professional. These two tools are provided by Mercury and provide a way to keep track of business specifications and link them to specific tests of a certain GUI. The Quick Test Professional is designed similar to Visual Basic and allows you to record and test certain features in your GUI. Of course you can add variables, if then statements, etc. This tool really makes testing easy. We're just now getting into the good stuff and it comes really easy to me since I have a background in programming.

Ok, so to the news and what I think about it. Today I read that Iran is basically cornered as far as the United States, France, Germany, etc. wanting them to cease enrichment of uranium for the fear that they may be trying to produce nuclear weapons even though they have said again and again that they just want it for nuclear power. We (those countries mentioned above) have threatened economic sanctions against Iran (4th largest producer of oil in the world) and if that happens, then the world's oil prices will skyrocket. I mean even the talk of it has made gas prices jump the last couple of weeks. Russia offered to enrich Iran's uranium for them which to me seems like a compromise that should be considered. If I were Iran, I would be sick of these other countries telling me what to do. It seems that no one ever puts themselves in the shoes of those they are speaking to anymore. If talk about future gas price hikes can create one itself, then I would hate to see the actual economic damage that would come from Iran cutting us off from their oil. Then again it's completely our fault for not coming up with more environmental friendly solutions to personal transportation. Even the efficiency of the car has been hindered in order to keep those with influence with the oil companies in power and control. Greed has really taken over this nation to a point just about beyond repair. I've started to feel ashamed of being part of this country and what the powers that be are doing. Really, it's sad. That's my rant on oil for now. Stay tuned for more later. ;)

US Senate

So I was told about this woman running for US Senate against Harold Ford Jr. since Frist wasn't going up for reelection. Her name is Rosalind Kurita. I believe that she has some interesting ideas and the only idea that I do not necessarily agree with on her website is about the "war on terror". You and I should know that there cannot be a "war" on terror since terror isn't a country and congress has not declared war. That being said, I have to say that everything else covered on her website in the issues section falls under what I feel is important and what should be addressed. I don't like being uneducated about candidates running in an election, especially when I may be voting for one or the other. I recently decided to check out each candidate's website and cmopare them issue by issue. I started at Kurita's website. I read the entire issues section and then decided that to be fair I would read Harold Ford Jr.'s website since my mother seems to be a supporter of his for one reason or another. Well, it turns out that in Harold Ford Jr.'s issues section, which I find to be the most important section on a candidate's website, is "coming soon". He does, however, have a blog on blogger.com. I found this blog to be next to worthless in my quest to find out if Harold Ford Jr. is a good candidate. It's mostly finger pointing.

Now here I sit wondering what kind of candidate one is and only having read the other's website. Luckily, I may get to talk to or at least see Kurita at an event in Memphis. I'm really looking forward to this. I know almost next to nothing about politics and I have never been interested because I have seen so much corruption and greed that it gives me no hope that there can be a straight and intelligent candidate for any position. I think I would like to be more involved. At least to know which candidate I should give my support to and perhaps in the future I can make some sort of impact for the better.

The Book Boat

There's a lot of money to be made in books. Well at least that's what a friend told me. He has created his own book buying and reselling business that could theoretically be perfect for him and his partner. (Business, not gay/sexual) They even create competition that drives down prices which is why we all love this country. Their creation is the Book Boat. They visit colleges around Nashville, TN and buy books off of students for more than the bookstore or the creepy man in the van will pay. This is good for the students and for them, but bad for the creepy van guy and the schools.

Allow me to retell the tale of their book buying adventures. Once upon a time (several months ago) when people were finishing their classes at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN there appeared the regular sketchy guy in a van who buys books. No one expected to see what came behind him. A medium sized sail boat with music blaring and a captain and his mate aboard. Eyes began to stare in wonder at the towering boat. That first day few ventured to the boat, but many noticed it. They were offering to buy books for cash. Not only that, but they were undercutting the sketchy book guy in a van's prices. The first day at the college was a minor victory. Our two heroes were using their life savings to buy books to resell later. Arriving a bit earlier the following morning, the Book Boat was able to slip into the sketchy guy's parking space and they began to buy. More books that day than the previous. More people ventured to the now closer Book Boat to see what all of the commotion was about. The next morning played out the same, except this time the sketchy guy in a van had had enough! This time he called the police to report a boat that was buying books in his spot! The nerve! He was shouting at the Book Boat. The police arrived on the scene only to laugh at the spectacle that was the Book Boat. The parking meters were paid and the Book Boat was fracturing no law. The buying of the books continued and on the fourth day the Book Boat was finally out of money. The two entrepreneurs had made their investment. It was then time to sell the books back. The two lived off of almost nothing for a week's time before they saw any of their money return. After 11 days they had made half of their money back. Book sales are still continuing to this very day and if you're lucky, purchase a book, live in Nashville, and request expedited shipping, you may get a personal visit from the crew of the Book Boat.

Relax the Back

Lately my back has been killing me. It hasn't been a problem until maybe several months ago.. roughly the time I started work. I don't have enormous breasts so that can't be the problem. I kept wondering why my back was hurting until someone said that my bed felt like a solid rock. So there in lies the problem. My bed is a rock. I decided to get some memory foam to lie on top of my mattress. I just can't decide whether to get the 3" or 4". I can't wait! I hope this cures my back problem.

I think I'm going to start reading again tonight. I need to save money instead of going out and wasting it all in bars and the such. (By bars, I mean almost exclusively the Blue Monkey) I'm off to fix some cheap dinner.

Cheney Hostpitalized... Again

I don't know if it's just me, but every time I see Vice President Dick Cheney's name in the news it is due to a heart attack or some such related occurance. If you remember back in Clinton's presidency, Al Gore (Yes, he invented the internet) would actually participate in extra curricular events in order to get his name out there and support the administration at that time. Honestly, I cannot for the life of me remember when the last time I read in the news that Cheney was doing anything other than having a heart attack or triple bypass surgery. But don't just take my word for it.

The Blue Monkey

Last night was a lot of fun. I went to eat dinner at my mom's and then shortly after went to the Blue Monkey. Several different people showed up last night including Chris, Ryan, his girlriend, Barbara, her brother, James, Zach, Jenny, Scarlett, Nick and Leila were working, Kelly, and Parker. Good people and good times. I managed to run up quite a bit of a tab, but it was worth it. That night was a liquor only night. I'm completely over my cold now which is a relief. I didn't want to go back to work sick.

Yesterday I checked out several books from the library including Murder in the Cathedral, The Importance of Being Earnest, The Last Tycoon, and The Wasteland. I should be able to finish them all before the end of the month. I've started reading again. I've scanned a couple of pictures that I may add on myspace soon.

I've been thinking a while about getting a video iPod. I don't know if I would really use it. So I'll continue to think about it. We shall see. I got two books and a CD for a late xmas present. The books are Hardening Linux by James Turnbull and the O'Reilly MySQL Cookbook. Rock. The CD I got is pretty good. It's called Wherever You Are by David Mead. Worth checking out at least. That is all for now. Perhaps it's time for some Perfect Dark.

Still sick, left work early

Today was awful. I got up a little bit later with the hopes of overcoming whatever sickness I have (I think a sinus infection with a hint of a fever). I did not. I went to work with good intentions and finished the work that I had to do, but then I started feeling even worse and took the second half of the day off. I still feel bad, but I've been drinking plenty of liquids and taking a pill or two. That being said, I have nothing but time, hence the blog.

I read today that the French Police switched their personnel over to the Firefox Web Browser and Thunderbird Email Client, both of which happen to be open source. They had already switched to Open Office. This is great news. And in related news, Wisconsin requires the use of open source software in their electronic voting machines. The world could be turning over a new leaf as far as open source software goes.

Getting Sick

Last night I started feeling under the weather and today I feel like I just want to go home and sleep for about 14 hours. I did, however, manage to work before feeling too bad. Tonight there is no way I'm going to trivia at the P&H Cafe. Tonight will be a staying in, eating soup, watching last night's epidsode of Arrested Development, and taking some Nyquil. Also, before I pass out Annabeth is supposed to come over to return my movie L'Auberge Espagnole and I'm going to show her some tips on how to work sudokus. Tonight will be a recovery night hopefully.

Online today I read that Google may be planning on selling their own computers with their own operating system(OS) on them in Walmart. This should be good for the public in that hopefully the operating system will be much more secure and better than Microsoft Windows and it will FINALLY get some real competition. EDIT: However, I just read that it was just a rumor. Oh well. :(

Comedy Shorts

So Chris, my roommate, and I have decided to make either a DVD or a CD of some funny short films that we have found on the internet. It's turned into me downloading them and gathering them. So far we have the following:
GI Joe Public Service Announcements
Heat Vision and Jack
Sock Baby
Homebase
And several shorts from http://www.channel101.com and http://www.channel102.net
We are at approximately 719 megs, so if you know of any more that we should add, please let me know.

Lately I've been doing a lot of sudokus in a book I got for christmas. You can do them too online at http://www.websudoku.com. I also downloaded some technical e-books mostly on internet security and I've started reading them. I'm glad I have today off.

I saw Wolf Creek the other night and it was horrible. It wasn't worth the $4. Quite possibly the worst horror film of all time. Anywho, I'm off for some food.

The Protomen Site is Up!

The Protomen website is up for the new year! Take a look around: http://protomen.com
Their forums are at http://protomen.com/comm
This band is now based out of Nashville, TN and they tell the story of Megaman in rock opera format. Their shows are obsolutely amazing. I suggest trying to see them in or around Nashville on April 22, 2006. I know I'll be to at least one of their 3 shows that weekend. They also have MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/theprotomen