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31 dec 2003 Finale

Well, this will be the last entry this year, which is kind of nice. I survived another year and put in at least one entry a month. My Christmas/Birthday was good, I got some great games (Mario Kart, Simpsons Hit & Run) and so did Abe (Mario Golf). We bought lots of IKEA stuff in leiu of buying Christmas presents for eachother. We also found out yesterday that the move-in date for the new apartment will probably be towards the end of February as opposed to the beginning. It will be absolutely fantastic to be in a place twice the size of our current one. I can hardly wait. Also fantastic is the fact that MacWorld San Francisco is only a week away. I really hope the 12" Powerbook gets some updates. I wish for a larger amount of non-removable base RAM (512 Mb would be nice) and maybe the 1.25 Ghz G4. Those two things alone would make me very happy. So, we'll see.

8 dec 2003 Cars

I like cars alot, and I figured since I haven't ever done this on this site, I'll make a list of the 10 new cars I'd most like to own. Here goes:

  1. Aston Martin V12 Vanquish Well, before this car I can't honestly say that I was a big proponent of Aston. But this really changed my mind. Its shape is absolutely gorgeous, and what's more, it's the James Bond car. You really can't go wrong.
  2. Audi S4 Avant I think this car is a contradiction in and of itself. Audi has taken a big, immensely powerful V8 and put it in a station wagon the size of my Accord. Considering the 1.8T version of the A4 is fantastic to drive, this can only be better, right?
  3. Honda S2000 I feel, as a Honda owner, that it is requesite to include a Honda on this list. Although I've never driven an S2000, I certainly long to, due partially to it's glove-like fit and back to basics attitude, and partially because it's just so damn cool.
  4. Infiniti FX45 It took me awhile, but I've really come to dig the FX. At first I wasn't sure about it because it was neither German nor made by Honda, but the more I see them and hear that great V8, the more I want one. If I had to buy an SUV, this is one of the very few I'd consider.
  5. Land Rover Range Rover Given the other vehicles on this list, you may not have expected to see the Range Rover show up here. However, the sheer class that the Rover emits, in addition to that air of mystery that surrounds it, puts it on my list.
  6. Mercedes Benz E55 AMG This would be the obligatory cruising sedan. Give me one in black and send me on my way. Seriously, though. The old E55 was OK, but never really did it for me. This new one, though, is just killer. I love both the interior and exterior, and I think M-B is headed in the right direction.
  7. MINI Cooper S Works What's not to love about a 200 hp MINI? I think that combination of power with the MINI's disarming look and easy to live with size makes for a fun drive.
  8. Porsche 911 Carrera 4S Coupe I have a thing for the Porsche 911. I am in love with that shape. I would like to someday own a late 60's 911 as a secondary car (because I could never afford a new one). But why this 911? True, it's not a turbo. But it is a fantastic looking car nonetheless, and you have to love the light strip across the tail.
  9. Toyota MR-2 Three words: keep it simple. Toyota does just that. I think the MR-2 is minimalism at its finest. It's one of those cars that you just want to drive for the sake of driving.
  10. Volvo V70 R C'mon, a 300 hp AWD Volvo wagon? Exactly why I like it. Back when Abe had his Volvo, I'd take a stab at the gas and it would take a moment to respond. Alas, that's just not the case with the R. Like that's a bad thing.

7 dec 2003 Snowless

It is the 7th of December today, and still no snow. Normally I wouldn't be even remotely disappointed by this (because of commuting), but since my drive each day has been reduced from 45 minutes to, well, 4, the snow is now OK in my book. It's kind of disappointing and weird to get up and think "hey, it's December," but then look outside and not see any snow. We had a little bit very briefly in November but it's gone.

Also, being that it's December and almost Christmas, here is my 2003 Want List:

  1. Herman Miller Aeron PostureFit Chair : $850
  2. LaCie d2 160 Gb : $200 (ed. discount)
  3. Apple PowerMac G5 dual 2Ghz maxed out : $10400 (ed. discount)
  4. Sony Grand Wega 42" LCD Projection Monitor : $2800
  5. Sony PS2 : $180
  6. Mario Kart Double Dash : $50
  7. Infiniti FX45 : $50000
  8. $$$$$ : $?

6 nov 2003 On The Fly

First, an observation about Friends: in the beginning, the theme song fit, but now doesn't seem to be very appropriate - I think it deals very much with people getting their lives together, whereas the cast now has their life together. Just a brief observation.

Second, I just got Sunny 16 from iTunes, and I have yet to get past the first song. I think I like it but we'll see whether it can compare to Speed Graphic.

Looking back at that paragraph I'm convinced that nobody will know what I'm talking about. Constantly on my mind as of late is the PowerBook. I am trying to figure out what to do - and I have a feeling that, while I originally was planning to buy it in December, I will be waiting now until January since there is word that upgrades are afoot. I am also really anxious to see what future awaits the Cinema Display. Now I'm done with that paragraph - time to move on.

On to VW commercials. The new one has a guy with uneven feet and blah blah blah. At the end though, there's always the car shot. You know, the one that has the car in a sort of serene setting (a bowling alley, which is about as serene as a bowling alley can be). It's parked the way normal cars don't park, as though it's on display. I find that interesting.

OK! Now I am seriously done.

4 nov 2003 Yes, I Do Like Ben Folds

AS of last count I'm currently in possession of over 100 Ben Folds/Five songs. This is rather exciting and I'm willing to go so far as to name him my favorite artist. I am infatuated by his piano skills, and all his music is darn fine in my book. I got Ben Folds Live today, much to my surprise (I ordered it on Friday) and enjoyment. I bought it off of Half because, rather surprisingly, it was less that it would have been from iTunes. But iTunes - have I mentioned how much I love that program? I hate to sound like an ad (well, not really), but everything clicks with the iPod and iTunes, something that absolutely could not be said about MusicMatch. It's not a bad program (yes it is) in and of itself but there's just no comparison. As usual, I probably thought I was going somewhere with all of this but I am, once again, out of stuff to say (no I'm not).

Interestingly, or perhaps not, it snowed yesterday, all day. That was real fun. I probably would have been way more upset about this if I still had my 45-minute commute to Point, but fortunately, those days are behind me, and so I can be happily apathetic now. I would imagine that, were I still in school and taking the classes I registered for, I'd be really strung out and frustrated. But alas, it was not to be, and so instead I sit here with nothing to do but write (yes! yes! yes!).

2 nov 2003 It is Definitely Not Halloween Today

Well, the dog never made it out last night, but the horse did, again. It was a fun time, I went to the theatre where Abe works, and hung out with Lucille Ball.

Anyway, it is definitely November. I am not sure how I feel about this - November is one of those months that is not one you wait for in and of itself so much as one you have to wait through. In this case, that wait is obviously for Christmas and other holidays that December brings. Once again (this seems to be common as of late) I have no idea where I'm going with this.

Instead, let me tell you about the atmosphere. Currently, I'm sitting at my desk and staring at my 19" Viewsonic as I write this. Dashboard Confessional's Hands Down (non-acoustic) is playing in iTunes which runs out of the computer and to a Sony surround reciever, which, incidentally, is also attached to a 300-disc changer, a Gamecube, a Dreamcast, and a Panasonic TV. My computer used to sit under my desk but after many episodes of me having to crawl down there to play with cords I have moved it to the top of a two-drawer file cabinet to my left. This also makes for easy plugging in of my iPod. On my desk right now is a tag from a Gap jacket, the April 2003 issue of Automobile magazine, a remote, my cell phone and keys, a reindeer candle holder (it's better than it sounds), as well as catalogs from American Eagle and Eastbay. I also have a bill sitting on my keyboard so I don't forget to pay it when I am paid tomorrow. Abe's desk is in this room as well, facing the wall. His laptop is closed and sitting atop his Alienware tower, which has been in a non-working state for about two months because he's too busy to worry about it. His chair is rolled into the middle of the room for God knows why, although I probably did that. My bag is sitting on the floor to my right and later tonight I will more than likely put my wallet and iPod in there so I don't forget to take them to work tomorrow. If I look slightly left of center, I can see a map of the city in which I live, as well as polaroids from Halloweens 2001 and 2002, where I am dressed as a horse. There's also a picture of an old Mini Cooper as well as an ad for a 1971 Toyota Celica. The shelf to my left is filled with things, from school books to models of cars to an old Canon camera whose lens I need to have looked at (it's stuck on full-open). I have a three-whole punch that I don't use and broken pedal from my bike. There is a multitude of Fossil tins from assorted watches and sunglasses that I own, as well as a Bulls-eye toy from Toy Story 2 who really neighs and kicks when you push a button. I don't know why I'm writing this, but maybe it will give some insight as to who is actually writing here.

1 nov 2003 I Guess it's Still Halloween But Not Really

First of all, Abe is right - Maroon5 really does sound kind of like Jamiroquai. But that doesn't have anything to do with anything. I'm thinking right now of pictures I could post but I got nothin'. I don't remember whether this was mentioned or not - I like iTunes for Windows lots after using it a bit, and I've become a Music Store addict. I'm sure other stuff is happening. I may end up being a dog later but I don't really know yet.

PS: I still like CSI.

31 oct 2003 Halloween

A couple of things - first of all, I am now a dot com. I figured that was a no-brain decision. The second-of-all thing is that today is halloween, so I went to work. It was exciting. Conveniently, someone was Pippi Longstocking, who happens to have a horse whose name I have forgotten. Anyway, that's it.

22 oct 2003 On Apple

Timeline:
So, I guess part of this was inspired by an article on Penny Arcade. Since the beginning of my computing life, I've been a Windows user. While I agreed that Macs (iMac and on) were pretty to look at, I just never saw myself being able to switch.

Then I started designing.

At first, not much. I didn't really dig the whole Mac thing. Consider that I was learning Photoshop on beige boxes running Mac software, and using a stylus. It sucked, and it was tedious. I interned after that, on a blue PowerMac G3. It had the little round mouse. It didn't suck as much, and it was pretty. Then I transferred to a new college for more design stuff. It had G4's, and some had the flat Apple displays. Again, very pretty. Really pretty. Crappy mice, still, but at least they were optical. Sometime in this whole process, I started telling myself that I'd get a Ti Powerbook G4 when I had the funds. Not because it was a Mac, but because (you guessed it) it was pretty and slick - pretty slick. Then I interned again. For a couple weeks, I was on the newest G4. Not as pretty but very fast. Then, as the lowly intern, I was displaced back to what I believe to be the very same G3 when new people were hired. Neither fast, nor pretty anymore. Just old. By some miracle, I was given a (slightly newer) G4, which was a little prettier, and a little faster. Not perfect, but acceptable. Now, in the midst of all this, I talked to a lot of coworkers. Since it was a design department, you can bet that most of them were just flabbergasted that I was a PC owner. I felt a little out of place in that respect, since Apples are essentially the design standard. Then I was hired full-time. I continued to use my G4 in the back corner (space shortage) for a couple weeks.

Then in one magical day, I was handed both a real office and a G5. Yes, OS X. Pretty and fast and slick, one hundred times over. OS X. Amazing. The first day, there was quite a bit of me just staring at the screen, a little bit dazed. It was a big difference. Yesterday, I used a G4 running 9, and it was strange. I was a little dazed and I missed my big G5. Oh, somewhere in all of this, I started using a Logitech mouse, and that makes a huge difference. It is actually functional. And there's all the other stuff, iTunes, iPods, Cinema Displays, high metal content, and so forth. And so I've decided it's time to make good on that promise I made and become a Mac user. I'm looking at the new Powerbook G4 15". And for the first time ever, I'm ready for one.

Design:
I like Apple's computers. That's no secret. The G4 Powerbook was the first one I fell in love with. It seemed to depart from Apple's colorful blob designs of the early Powermacs, iBooks, and iMacs. It was slick, businesslike, and minimalist. Only now, with the new G5, has Apple's product line come full circle. Colors have been done away with and the focus is, again, minimalist. I like the heavy (pardon the pun) use of metals on their higher end stuff, and the simple white on their more accessible models. They've taken the essentials and stripped off the colored plastics and racy vents and everything mundane and useless. I suppose a perfect example of this counter-Apple thinking would be Alienware. Not the initial models, which were basically your standare big computers, but have you seen the newest ones, with the alien-head design? It's interesting, but which is going to be weird in a couple of years (and is weird now?), and which is going to be a classic? Now, looks have always been Apple's department. But only recently, as I said before, have I really begun to enjoy using them as much as looking at them. The OS X interface is absolutely superb. I had heard good things about it but you really have to use it to believe it. And I mean in an everyday environment. So lately I've really begun to long for that at home. The attention to detail is wonderful. The faint lines in the menu bars that tie it all together, the drop shadows and the way the background windows go opaque, and the custimization options for the dock. All of this makes for a very pleasant environment. Overall (I've found that if I run out of things to say, "overall" is a good place to start), Apple presents a very appealing package. I'd like to point to an article that really emphasizes the quality of their products, and the general Apple experience.

5 oct 2003 The Wal-Mart Experience, pt II

So anyway, where was I? Right, Wal-Mart. Just not for me. While it may be convenient in that it has many things, and also cheap, it just is trying to be too many things to too many people. I mean, is there anyone who will go and get their oil changed, tires rotated, get a family portrait taken, buy some groceries, and have their hair cut. I guess they'd want their hair cut first but that's not my point. Point is, I feel guilty buying things at WalMart and I don't even know why. It's not that I feel bad for small, independent stores--I feel bad for other franchises, like Best Buy and, well, Best Buy.

I'm going to change the subject now because that was becoming a fairly long and nonsensical. I think that 3409lkd ajflewklkvjaspopdfawse. No, I'm spent.

5 oct 2003 The Wal-Mart Experience, pt I

We went to Wal-Mart yesterday, for photo developing services, tissue, orange juice, gum, and TV dinners. I find it very unsettling to be buying my groceries in a place that also sells a full line of automotive services. I have the same feeling about this as I do about combinations of other things - it may be convenient but at the same time it's just weird, and I just can't enjoy it as much. Other things in this category include vcr/dvd players, department stores in general, and gas stations with restaurants in them. I'd just rather have it separate. I really get worn out if I'm looking for a shirt in a department store because there's so much looking involved. You go into like, Gap, or something, and it's like, boom, shirts - they're good or they're not. With department stores I'm always wondering whether there's some secret rack I've missed or there actually is nothing there that's good. I'm going somewhere with this, I just have to find it, but now I have to go to work.

3 oct 2003 AND One More

Also, did I ever mention that I have a G5 at work now?

2 oct 2003 More Things

I am the biggest slacker ever, perhaps. Not really though. I have a real job and that counts for something. I'm sure there have been a lot of things that have gone on recently. I picked up a coupla GC games (Legend of Zelda, Wario World, Star Fox Adventures) for fairly reasonable prices. I like the first two; I have yet to play the third one. It also occurs to me that Abe hasn't written anything for like, a year so maybe I can convince him to do so. Right now he's working on more edumacations from Phoenix online. I think it's effective albeit boring. Hey, we saw Urinetown this past weekend and I think it would have to be the best musical I've ever seen, ever. It was great. I would definitely see it again. Also, I found this Danger Mouse guy in a Spin magazine, and was rather enthused. Although I have yet to listen to his music, I really like his costume.

3 sep 2003 iPod

I got the iPod. It's greeeat. How was your Labor Day? I watched Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and therefore, it was all good. So yeah, the iPod is awesome. It will be a nice replacement for the stubborn cd player I have at work currently. And this thing is slick. Everything is run throu firewire, meaning you only have one cable to plug in for data/power, and then another for audio. And the clever thing is that not only is there a headphone jack on the pod itself, but it has a line out on the cradle, meaning all necessary cables can be run behind. The only thing I wish it did was sort by file name instead of using the tags for mp3 files. That would have saved a bit of headaching on my part, but hey, it's good. Oh, and work was good too.

24 aug 2003 ...For This

Back in July, I applied for a job as an Internet Designer. Rather than go back to school, I would work. I was working in an internship with this same company at the time, and interviewed for the position in mid July. As it turns out, I was offered the job on Friday and I accepted it. I am very excited about this--it's absolutely fantastic. I ordered an iPod, you know, for fun. The 15 GB. And wow, is that G5 great, or what?

14 aug 2003 Still waiting...

But for what?

3 aug 2003 Record-setting amounts of nothing

I think, honestly, that has to be some sort of record. Only one entry in July? Come on.

11 jul 2003 July

Yep, so I haven't written in a month. I'm a graphic designer now, at least until the end of August; that's an advantage. I have applied for a full time position with the same company; we'll see where that goes. I just watched a thing about RV's which convinced me that I don't want an RV. I wanted a GTI for awhile, until I relized that it was really small, and it does the stupid VW hatch doesn't unlock with the doors thing. I think that a Passat is a viable option...not the current one, but the new one looks spectacular. I would put in a link but I am really lazy right now. Anyway, thought I would try not to look like such a slacker and maybe actually be in the current month. OK bye.

9 jun 2003 See

Now this is what happens when I just don't have anything better to do.

8 jun 2003 Door County, again...

...was not bad at all. We went over there Friday night and got back about two hours ago. It was quite enjoyable, and even more crowded than last year. Aside from myself and Abe and Abe's parents, there was Abe's brother and his fiancee, her mother and sister and husband and their son, his dad's sister and aunt, brother, his wife, two of their daughters and a grandson, and, well, is that 17? I'm done now. Except that I bought a book, Meet Mr. Product. That's good. Abe got some wood book. ANDY.I need a new car. June 2nd, 2003 // 10:39

So, Abe's parents got an Audi A4, I guess. That sucks even more than his brother buying the same car last year. I am not happy about this at all. Even their old 940 was a better car than the A4 will be for riding in. Nobody ever listens to me. I said that the V70 would be a better choice. Abe agreed with me. Even his mom agreed with me. But I guess I should've known--his dad's mind was made up and it wasn't even worth it to bother. Crap. Now they have a Saab 9-3 and an Audi A4, both of which are fairly lackluster when it comes to rear seat comfort. And if they are so concerned about safety, why would they buy the Audi? The Volvo has more safety features, most specifically the Whiplash Protection System, which is incredibly beneficial considering the fact that his mom was specifically worried about being rear-ended. I think that Volvo's overall design direction, externally at least, is a whole lot more solid than where Audi's going. And Abe's dad claimed that the CVT on the Audi was the best transmission available. I'm not going to argue with that, except that it's not even an option on the car they bought, because it's currently only offered on front wheel drive cars. Originally, after riding in Abe's CR-V, his mom wanted either a CR-V or an Odyssey for her next car. Apparently that went out the window, as did the whole idea of having a car at least as big as their old one. This whole issue is just stupid, and I hate it, and it's making me sick. Two people now, in the past year, have bought Audi A4 Avants, which is the car I used to want (until yesterday). Now I certainly don't want it, because I don't want the same car everyone else has. I like the S4 still, I guess, but it's wholly impractical, what with its V8 and all. The A6 is old-looking, and the A8 too expensive. BMW and Mercedes also suck, BMW on the outside and Mercedes on the inside, so they're out. Volvo's interior design currently isn't the best but I think it's getting better (the XC90), so that's a possibility (how about that V70 R?). Saab--well, no hatchbacks anymore, plus they're a GM company so they're way out. Porsche is way too expensive, VW too boring (right now, except for the Touareg), and MINI too small. Land Rovers are all SUV's which just won't work. I don't trust any Asian companies save Honda, who currently (not at all wisely) doesn't sell a wagon here. Basically, I'm at a loss now for a new car to desire, and that just sucks.

1 jun 2003 Man, I Love to Update

I am very happy with this new thing going here because updating is so much incredibly faster than before (not so much individual posts as month additions). I am also wondering where my car finder went. I should locate that.

23 may 2003 4!

So if you're seeing this, that means that you've discovered the new site, which is now almost completely up and running. Slight adjustments may still be made, but overall, I'm happy with it and Abe says he likes the color. The news section is completely converted, but others may still show the old page design until I completely finish updating.

PS. Welcome to version 4.0

23 may 2003 Birds Are So Stupid

They really are. Yes, I suppose that is kind of a harsh viewpoint to adopt, but I'm pretty fed up with birds. Really. For awhile, only caged birds were annoying, because they make noise and you can't really do much with them, and I guess I just don't see the point of having a pet you can't play with. But now I think it's all birds, at least the smaller ones. Perhaps, though, it wasn't the birds making noise at 4AM this morning while I was trying to make myself go to sleep. See, we stayed at a friend's house and therefore were sleeping on the floor. Maybe it's just that I'm really bad at sleeping on the floor. And so we left at 7:00 this morning because Abe had to work, and I'm thinking, well, I'll just go to sleep when I get home. But instead I decided not to, I'm not sure why. This is the last chance I'll have to sleep in my bed until we get back from Minneapolis Sunday.

Also, we got a cat.

12 may 2003 Sorry

I haven't written in a month. An entire month. What is the deal with that? I am the laziest person I know, quite possibly. I don't know necessarily that it's due to lack of things happening so much as lack of motivation. However, all this lack of writing gives me a great theme for my writing, as I basically spend a whole paragraph then trying to figure out why I'm not writing. I guess I should be glad that I'm not a writer because I'd never make any money. Seriously though, I have some things going right now that I'll gladly share if I ever finish them. Like a website and perhaps another thing. But here's a mother's day thing.

15 apr 2003 ...On Being One of Them Artists

Thus far in the semester, I've spent about half the time complaining about my classes and the other half really enjoying them. But to put that into perspective, I don't think I could handle any other major, and I realized that regardless of how much time I spend complaining about this program and all the things I have to do for it really doesn't matter because I am, in fact, so fond of it. This is my favorite thing to do and that's why I'm here, because I want to make a living doing my favorite thing.

12 apr 2003 A Long Time Coming

After working on it for the longest time and then not working on it for the longest time, I finally sat down and did a website type of dealie. I am kind of really liking it. You should really probably go see it.

7 apr 2003 What Time is It?

You know, it occurs to me that I really should write more, partially because my lack of content makes me look like a slacker. But also, writing provides me with a creative outlet almost as much as art does. I like to write, when I have stuff to share. I need to write to get it out of my system. Anyway, you may wonder why I haven't written in a week, or rather, what has kept me from writing, and the answer is, of course, nothing. I don't know why, but I'll just hit a cold spot at times (which seems to be happening a lot lately), and maybe it can be attributed to the fact that I'm actually busy this semester. If you take into account that the last time I had as many credits as I do now was over a year ago (before I started writing all this stuff) it kind of makes sense. Or, it could just be the video games.

I found out today, also, that we only have 6 weeks left of class, which blows my mind. It felt as though the semester was going to be really long (it always feels like that), but now it's almost over. I have a lot of photo work to do, so I'm a little worried. Of course, I'm not actually doing anything about that, but that's not the point. At least, at least, at least, I feel as though I'm with or ahead of my other classes, maybe. Also, I really had some fun advising for my classes. I started out with four: art history, image use in graphic design, intermediate graphic design, and technical drawing. However, that got changed and added to, and my current schedule includes art history, image use in graphic design, technical drawing, typesetting (or something), and intaglio printmaking. I'm not sure what to expect; however, I should be able to keep well ahead in all the graphics classes, so I'm happy. I will be happier when I'm done, but even before then, I will be happier when I find out I'll be done early. Ha, early. This is my fourth year of school, and I won't be done until my sixth. Geez. If you consider that early, there's something wrong with you.

30 mar 2003 Finally

I actually finished Metroid Fusion like an hour ago. It's good. I'm also almost done with Prime--that's an ending I'm really looking forward to. I've now gained the ability to play the original Metroid on the Gamecube, but I have to buy a link cable for that. I'm not too eager, since I already have a real copy of the original.

Also, thanks partially to iMesh and Abe's computer, we've been seeing lots of movies lately. And Adult Swim. Lots of Adult Swim.

Also, I pre-advise for classes tomorrow for next fall. Whee!

12 mar 2003 My PC Clicks in Surround Sound

Which, I suppose, may or may not be a benefit of having it connected to the reciever. Anyway, some more stuff:

10 mar 2003 Wow, I Sure Am Lazy

I think the above statement pretty much sums it up. A list of things that have happened since I last wrote:

27 feb 2003 Sick Like a Dog; Free Like a Bird

Or perhaps, those are both just slight exaggerations. I have a cold again. I don't really like colds, but it is better than a migraine. I just thought I'd make that clear. Yesterday, I printed photos. It was kind of exciting; I was in the darkroom for 3 hours. This would've been fine except I had a class at 11:00. I kind of thought it was at noon and so I was an hour late for it. I got there at 12:03, and then 12 minutes later the class ended and I had no idea what was going on. I need that not to happen again. Also yesterday morning I was listening to Ragtime and it was good. I liked it so much that I just wanted to close my eyes and hear the music. Problem was, I was driving so I couldn't do that. Shortly thereafter, I thought it might be better to listen to something else. On Monday (?) I was buying something in the bookstore, and they were having a textbook sale again. I couldn't resist looking, and ended up buying a book about architecture for $5. But it is from 1973. This has the most amazing and tacky interior designs I've ever seen, and they're touted in the book as being "original" or "beautiful" or "modern." We're talking excessive usage of yellows and oranges and avacados and so on and so forth. And of course, Abe thinks they're the greatest things ever. Oh my God I'm so tired good night (it's only 1:00PM)_

19 feb 2003 The New Best Game

Yeah, so I am totally awexome at this game. You should be too.

16 feb 2003 What We Learned in Chicago:

...absolutely nothing.

13 Feb 2003 Fashions of the Congress Club

I am glad to say it is less cold today. I am supposed to be stretching a canvas and gessoing it, but I am lazy and there is no one else there. I don't even know where to start. Yes I do. But anyway, the big car show is this weekend. It will be a romantic getaway. Yeah. So anyway, someday, there may actually be pictures from that, but it's really pretty hard to say at this point. *yawn*

8 feb 2003 What?

It's 2003. Why am I still watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? And it occurs to me that I am now older than they are.

6 feb 2003 Slacking (Again)

I left home today at 9, with the specific intent of getting some actual work done here at school before class at 11. I need to wash off my palette for painting and also I need to buy more things. But I think I decided that maybe that wasn't necessary because I'm not doing it. I don't feel the least bit guilty, which is kind of sad. Also kind of sad is the sudden disproportionate wave of guilt I felt when I parked too close to someone this morning. As I was on my way to campus (from the car), I was so overwhelmed with guilt and worry that this person would come back to their car and not be able to leave and would maybe run into my car or my car would be towed that I had to actually go back and move it. So I did, which meant a little more walking but a lot less worry.

Sadder yet: Discover apparently thought that I needed another credit card. I'm not sure why, but I recieved three letters from them that had come to my parents house. I think we looked at Discover's offerings on the internet and I liked the cards, but I'm not going to go and apply for a credit card because I like how it looks. OK, that's a lie, but I'm not going to apply for a Discover card because I like how it looks. I didn't even apply for this one, it just came, after two other letters, one of which stated that "my lost card would soon be replaced and the account number would remain the same." I have never had a Discover card, ever. I don't know why they think I lost one. And furthermore, the one they sent me had, of all things, an American Flag pattern. It was all I could do to keep from cutting it up and throwing it away then and there because I wanted Abe to see it first (he's still alive, by the way). And even further more further further more more, I am strictly Visa. I've vowed not to use anything else. Abe likes Mastercard. This is an issue we often argue about, as far as which is better, even though they're exactly the same except for the name. But seriously, "Visa." That's about as good as names get, right there.

5 feb 2003 I Want to Spend All of My Money!

And that's why I've decided that I should take a bunch of art this semester. Photography, I think, is going to take the most work and the most money of any of the classes I'm in. I will be glad when it's over (keep in mind that we haven't actually started taking pictures or anything yet so that will likely (hopefully) change). Anyway, I guess I have to just hunker down and commit to spending the money. I hate spending money on art stuff. I do like painting, though, which truly is a shock.

On the subject of all things art, Planet Propaganda is currently exibiting in the campus gallery; that's kind of fun, they have some great stuff. I don't really have anything else to say now, I've pretty much run out of words.

4 feb 2003 Well, it's February Now

Yeah, that's about all I know. I'm in the midst of preparing for painting and also just fixed a bug on the site that made it bad. I've been playing lots of Mario Sunshine to the point where it's getting a) hard and b) on my nerves. Regarding b), the camera angles are absolutely ridiculous at some points of the game, to the point where it impairs judgement and also removes some of the fun. But anyway, I am glad not to be able to say the same about Metroid Prime. It has the classic scary "what's going to happen to me?" atmosphere shared by all the other games of the series. I like it. I want to play it now. I also feel like I should be starting Fusion sometime soon.

Also, I recieved my final item ever from BuyRite, the memory card, which I'll soon be trading in for a nice black 251.

29 jan 2003 I'm Just Not Hungry at 6 AM

And I think that's why I can only eat one bowl of cereal and have to resort to Twinkies (or Goldfingers, as some might call them) between photography and art history. So anyway, I ate some of those this morning. Not much else is happening except guess what? I FINALLY HAVE A GAMECUBE. I am so happy, not so much in the elated sense as in the relieved that it's over sense, sort of like I was back when I had my portfolio review. And so ends the Buy-Rite dilemma, after some quick thinking. I will post the whole experience at some point, but I don't have time right now. It is positively ridiculous, and just kept building and building in a the runaround they gave us which finally culminated in them sending us the wrong color again. So anyway, I am happy (see above) to say that that is, indeed, that. Three "that"s in a sentence are two too many. Notice my mastery of the written word, all of which will now be negated by my exclaimation of "wooooo!" That's it.

>20 jan 2003 school resumes tomorrow

Notice, if you will, the navigation bar update.

17 jan 2003 I Have Gone Completely Insane

Or at least judging from this, one might assume so. That's right, it's a cardboard GameCube.

Anyway, that's enough of that. Hamtaro arrived yesterday. That's pretty freakin' amazing, since it only shipped two days prior and I ordered it regular ground. So obviously, I cannot give EB Games a higher recommendation. If you need a game (and can't find it locally, of course, look there).

And finally, I actually watched "Must-See TV" last night. Does that make me mainstream? And that brings about another thought. I think they should make it mandatory to watch, since it certainly sounds like that already, and punish people who don't watch it by drawing mustaches on them. Yeah, I don't know where that last part came from but I'm gonna leave it there because it's silly.

13 jan 2003 Large Things, and Smaller Things

Titan is a cool word. Because of that, I tend to become biased about things that have that name, even if they are not great (but they usually are). I was reading Discover this morning, and Saturn has a big moon called Titan. I think it's my new favorite. There's also the new Nissan Titan, as well as a set of Titan (link to be added) wheels for your Volvo. And then, of course, there's titanium.

Now onto the small things. Hamtaro. He is a hamster. I don't know why we like him but we do. Abe, about a month ago, had brought home a catalog for Nintendo products, and one of the featured Game Boy games was Hamtaro. He was all like, "oooh, Hamtaro!" and I was like, "what?" But then I read a bit about the game, and it sounded pretty fun, so I thought maybe I'd pick it up sometime. Somewhere between then and now, though, it became an obsession to find this game. I saw it at Circuit City awhile ago, but neglected to buy it at that time. Then we were in the Twin Cities over the weekend so I had thought, hey, I'll just pick it up there. Wrong. 5 stores later, we were still Hamtaro-less. So we checked everywhere locally, and probably ended up looking at about 15 or so physical stores, total. The Appleton Circuit City, which is where I saw it before, still has it, but it's a two-hour drive. I also looked on the internet where it's either a)not available or b)at least $35. Then, by some twist of fate, I came upon EB Games, who actually had it in stock at a normal price. So now, Hamtaro is on his way via UPS Ground.

Also, I have a copy of Metroid Fusion sitting here, and I am trying to figure out a good time to actually start playing it. I feel as though I still have some issues to resolve with Yoshi's Island.

10 jan 2003 High Time I Mentioned Cars Again

Well, to begin with, take article from the New York Times. It's about a guy named Chris Bangle, also known as the person who's ruining BMW's. But that's not why I know who he is. I know who he is because I saw him in the catalog for the first school I went to. I remember being really excited because I wanted to go into automotive design and here was a guy who went to the same school as I was going to and now he had the job that I wanted. But now, after seeing some of his work, I'm kind of ashamed to even be familiar with him or to ever have wanted anything to do with BMW. I'm also kind of jealous of his power over bringing this crap to production. I had originally thought of BMW, as a company, as a sort of sanctuary. They'd already had a well-established design direction, and there was no possible way to screw it up. But somehow, they did. That makes me sad, and thinking that perhaps my new sanctuary will be Audi, except that now they've got that new Pike's Peak thing, which for all the world looks like a Touareg from the back.

But anyway, back to Bangle. He's a dork. That's harsh. I don't suppose he's actually really a dork. Probably more like a misdirected designer, or something like that. Slate has this article about him. Or the Z4, rather. I think that's probably pretty accurate. I don't really know about that car. I mean, it almost looks ok in pictures, but I just don't get it, I guess. It's pretty homely, and I have seen it in person. I cannot honestly believe that Automobile actually awarded Bangle and the Z4 man and design of the year, respectively. It hurts me inside. Speaking of the inside, I have no qualms with that. I really like the "layering" effect BMW has been doing with their newer vehicles, like the 7 and Z4. But the outside (of the Z4 especially) just asks "why me?" On a final note, there's this petition to apparently keep Chris Bangle from designing any more vehicles, or something like that. I'm not sure if that's going to be effective, but I do know that "flame surfacing" is really a strange phrase.

9 jan 2003 So...Wanna Buy a Game Boy?

Let's just make a quick note of this. My Game Boy Advance was purchased on 123102. Fine. One week and one day later version is announced, for release in March. And it's actually good-looking. This is actually what I was picturing when I was thinking about what I'd really want a Game Boy to be. So I am kind of sad but kind of not. I don't think I could've held out for it anyway, because, as I mentioned below, Yoshi's Island has kept me from going insane, and I've decided to blame this whole ordeal on Buy Rite rather than my lack of foresight. So anyway, if anyone is wondering, the GBASP (that's not a very good acronym) would make an excellent gift (for me), especially if the US of A eventually gets it in black.

In other news, according to the Planet Gamecube release list, I guess that Grand Theft Auto 3 was originally slated to be available on the Cube, but, to my dismay, it's apparently been cancelled. That makes me sad. Unlike the cancellation of Banjo-Threeie; that makes me laugh. Apparently, this is because of Rare's sale to Microsoft, so this crap for crap game will be available to all you lucky X-box owners out there.

6 jan 2003 I Really Like Stuff. I Mean, Really.

I do. And so does Abe. I think that's why there's so much in the apartment. I could actually put together a "stuff list" if you really wanted one, and if I'm bored enough later on I may actually do so. Anyway, how was Christmas? And New Years? Mine were ok. I got, of course, more stuff, something that I'm very proud of. Seriously though, I somehow actually got most of the stuff on my list, with the exception of numbers 7-9. All I can say right now is, I like the tires, and I am really glad I picked up the Game Boy Advance when I was in Schaumburg (we went to the big IKEA again). I haven't played any of the games on the list at this point, because I am in the middle of Yoshi's Island. That game is so freakin' cute, and if I didn't have it, I think I'd be insane right now. Anyway, sitting next to my TV are Metroid Prime, Sonic, and Mario Sunshine, and also a Memory card 251 and a black controller, but no Gamecube. Abe and his parents went together and got it for me for Christmas, whish was awesome, and I was totally off guard, but there was a problem with it, and we had to send it back to Buy Rite, which is being a real bastard about it. They recieved it two days after we mailed it (on 12/26) and refused it (on 12/28). So now, it is somewhere between North Carolina and here, maybe it will come back to day, at which point I can send it out again. Yay. I'm hoping it gets lost so I can get the insurance from it and get one from Best Buy. Pain in the ass. So I guess I am a little irritable about having to wait, but I'm really looking forward to actually using it. Some times I take the controller that I have out and just press buttons on it to pretend I'm playing a game. No, that's not really true. I bought a game for the ol' Playstation, of all things, that's been helping me take my mind off the situation. It's called The Italian Job. It is worth 8 dollars, possibly more. So yeah, that's what the story is. Yoshi is calling me now.