WAG - Ah…Today is New Year’s Eve Eve. It means we're one more sleep before we celebrate hitting midnight, which is such a big deal... Sure...
In college, staying up until midnight is nothing. Nobody brings out noisemakers or streamers or plants a kiss on a loved one just because it hits 12:00 am.
If we did, we’d go through a lot of party hats.
On no other holiday is there as much attention paid to the beginning of a new day. We don’t count down the hours until President’s Day, Arbor Day, or the Fourth of July (though I know some fun lovin’ pagans who count down the exact moment of Summer Equinox, that hits in the afternoon and it doesn’t get half as much the attention).
Granted, I know some children who can’t wait till Christmas. In a packed house where the oldest grandchildren end up in the living room, I have many memories involving other grandkids starting their Christmas celebration at 4:30 am ("At least they slept in early THIS year...").
Personally, in year’s past I remember creeping out to Grandma’s living room (at a time when I was granted a real bed at Grandma’s house - when you get to a certain age, you get couch status so the younger ones can bed down. I'm told I'll evenutally regain bed status someday.) sometime after 1:00 am because that meant I could legally get look in my stocking. Doing so any earlier was against the law and could potentially upset Santa. Present opening would come hours later, when the last relative stumbled out of their bed (often with the help of an anxious grandchild). But until then, in the blackness of the living room lit only by the hall nightlight, red lights in the windows, and the neon green glow of the VCR, I could start begin my Christmas celebration.
This year I started my Christmas trying to finish a chapter in a book on Giant Squid. I glanced up at the clock around 12:07. I remember quipping something like “Merry Christmas to me” before marking my spot and turning out the light. How things change….
Nevertheless, excepting the early Christmas celebrated by excited, red-eyed children (who needs dreams of sugar plums when Santa leaves real, desirable candy in your stocking?), no other holiday besides New Years gets as much attention.
The only other case I can recall where people got excited by the fact it was after midnight was the “Good Morning, Good Morning!” song and dance number from “Singing in the Rain.” Real life examples are non-existent, I am sorry to say.
The start of a new year… Exciting, I guess. Of course it will mean I’ll make lots of mistakes when recording dates for the first couple weeks. I envision many headings where the 2003 will look strangely like a 2002 with an extra loop hanging below the line.
The dateline 2003 will appear strange to me, like 2002 once did. To me, it looks like the title of a crazy sci-fi TV series put together in the 1950’s (The “1950’s,” coincidentally, looks likes the title of a crazy nostalgia themed mini-series put together in the 21st century [staring Judd Nelson, Sarah Louise Parker, and Ed Harris as Dwight D. Eisenhower]).
I suppose in time we’ll adapt, we’ll conform, we’ll get used to the whole thing.
Just in time for 2004, I’d bet.
Repeat as necessary.
Enjoy your New Year’s Eve Eve.
Monday, December 30, 2002
1:38 PM -
Sunday, December 29, 2002
11:34 PM -
WAG - Pardon my lateness in remounting this online soapbox. As you all know, the holiday season can be a very busy time.
That and I’ve been eating lots of candy. You know how it goes.
College final exams, desk work, and then a flurry of family functions have all hit in a quick succession.
It is a common occurrence in the first week or two for my connection to the outside world to go dead. My email inbox is filled with unwanted online offers and numerous updates telling me my inbox if full (and that if I really cared, I should purchase their option to expand my inbox so I’ll have more room for such crap before becoming reprimanded once again) as I neglect to check it. My only news magazine reading is TV Guide. And I get so far removed from the news Russia could invade America and I’d be the last one to question why everyone keeps calling me “Comrade.”
As a media junkie, it is kinda nice.
As a replacement, I have the time to read a lot and watch movies. Being away from MU means I no longer have a lightning fast internet connection, so I rarely get on, because I get depressed as I subconsciously make comparisons. I also don’t watch much TV because being in college means one is rarely watching TV. CORRECTION: Being in college means one is rarely watching TV PROGRAMING. One may spend a lot of time in front of the TV, but it’s more often displaying a DVD or video game than a regular show.
Nevertheless, it’s been a good holiday season. I’ve picked up a decent stack of DVDs and books (because discounting a random sweater or new pair of socks, that’s really all I get for presents).
I’ve spent lots of time with family; which in most cases is a good thing. I’ve had time to relax, to unwind, to just crash, and though I haven’t had as many chances to sleep in as I’d like, life isn’t too bad.
In fact it’s pretty good. May your holidays be going the same or even better.
If you’d forgive me, I can hear the siren call of peanut butter fudge in the distance. I must answer. Good bye.
That and I’ve been eating lots of candy. You know how it goes.
College final exams, desk work, and then a flurry of family functions have all hit in a quick succession.
It is a common occurrence in the first week or two for my connection to the outside world to go dead. My email inbox is filled with unwanted online offers and numerous updates telling me my inbox if full (and that if I really cared, I should purchase their option to expand my inbox so I’ll have more room for such crap before becoming reprimanded once again) as I neglect to check it. My only news magazine reading is TV Guide. And I get so far removed from the news Russia could invade America and I’d be the last one to question why everyone keeps calling me “Comrade.”
As a media junkie, it is kinda nice.
As a replacement, I have the time to read a lot and watch movies. Being away from MU means I no longer have a lightning fast internet connection, so I rarely get on, because I get depressed as I subconsciously make comparisons. I also don’t watch much TV because being in college means one is rarely watching TV. CORRECTION: Being in college means one is rarely watching TV PROGRAMING. One may spend a lot of time in front of the TV, but it’s more often displaying a DVD or video game than a regular show.
Nevertheless, it’s been a good holiday season. I’ve picked up a decent stack of DVDs and books (because discounting a random sweater or new pair of socks, that’s really all I get for presents).
I’ve spent lots of time with family; which in most cases is a good thing. I’ve had time to relax, to unwind, to just crash, and though I haven’t had as many chances to sleep in as I’d like, life isn’t too bad.
In fact it’s pretty good. May your holidays be going the same or even better.
If you’d forgive me, I can hear the siren call of peanut butter fudge in the distance. I must answer. Good bye.
Friday, December 20, 2002
5:51 PM -
WAG - I'm at the start of the final regular desk shift.
The staff is excited, people are rushed to finish moving out, and I feel like I'm strangely positioned between the two.
I'm not quite a main staff member and I'm not quite a regular resident. I'm the only Desk Attendant who volunteered to stay a little bit longer. I feel a little bit weird now. I know that when I'm done, I'll be the only one in my wing. Sure, there will be other people close by, but it still is kinda creepy at this point.
Ah well...I have music, tv, and the internet to comfort me.
Interesting things in the news:
Yes kids, for those of you who have been worried about his resting place, Ted Williams WILL remain cryogenically frozen. Originally this was disputed because his in 1996 he said he wanted to be cremated. A handwritten statement made in 2000 said he'd gone in the opposite direction and decided to be frozen in stead.
From the frying pan into the freezer. Now there's a flip-flop!
The updated will was contested by a daughter who hadn't been included in the certification of the newest will. She said it's not what her father truly intended.
Financial strains, however, put an end to the suit, since her funds were becoming pinched.
Today she released the statement: "I'm at peace with the decision and I know that my father will understand."
It's rough to give up the fight when one is lacking the funds to continue on. Of course, it's rough to give up the fight in just about any case.
Ted Williams, the "Splendid Splinter," will now join the growing ranks of the people who are called the "temporarily dead," at least by those who are still living.
What they call themselves is beyond my range of knowledge.
I personally hope that I, and any one the 3 people reading this thing out there, don't find out anytime soon.
The staff is excited, people are rushed to finish moving out, and I feel like I'm strangely positioned between the two.
I'm not quite a main staff member and I'm not quite a regular resident. I'm the only Desk Attendant who volunteered to stay a little bit longer. I feel a little bit weird now. I know that when I'm done, I'll be the only one in my wing. Sure, there will be other people close by, but it still is kinda creepy at this point.
Ah well...I have music, tv, and the internet to comfort me.
Interesting things in the news:
Yes kids, for those of you who have been worried about his resting place, Ted Williams WILL remain cryogenically frozen. Originally this was disputed because his in 1996 he said he wanted to be cremated. A handwritten statement made in 2000 said he'd gone in the opposite direction and decided to be frozen in stead.
From the frying pan into the freezer. Now there's a flip-flop!
The updated will was contested by a daughter who hadn't been included in the certification of the newest will. She said it's not what her father truly intended.
Financial strains, however, put an end to the suit, since her funds were becoming pinched.
Today she released the statement: "I'm at peace with the decision and I know that my father will understand."
It's rough to give up the fight when one is lacking the funds to continue on. Of course, it's rough to give up the fight in just about any case.
Ted Williams, the "Splendid Splinter," will now join the growing ranks of the people who are called the "temporarily dead," at least by those who are still living.
What they call themselves is beyond my range of knowledge.
I personally hope that I, and any one the 3 people reading this thing out there, don't find out anytime soon.
Thursday, December 19, 2002
7:15 PM -
WAG - The dorms are almost empty. By this time tomorrow, there should be only about 18 people left in the floor, 3 people left on this floor, and only one person in my wing: me.
Yes folks, the University of Missouri-Columbia Fall 2002 Semester is almost at it's end.
We have less than 24 hours to go.
I'd celebrate, but a big, gigantic, monster of a final stands between me and the end.
Humanities 103: The Modern Era.
Don't let the title fool you... it's scary!
Excuse me, I must study now... after this TV program is over...
I'm working on it.
Yes folks, the University of Missouri-Columbia Fall 2002 Semester is almost at it's end.
We have less than 24 hours to go.
I'd celebrate, but a big, gigantic, monster of a final stands between me and the end.
Humanities 103: The Modern Era.
Don't let the title fool you... it's scary!
Excuse me, I must study now... after this TV program is over...
I'm working on it.
Saturday, December 14, 2002
11:00 AM -
WAG - Note: This will be a brief, sober update.
I don't have much to say. There's been a lot of studying going on in the build-up to finals week (and I was sorry to see that the continuous run of updates halted after three-in-a-row), but there is one more noteworthy thing to mention.
Megan Heidemann and I, a couple for over two years, broke up tonight after a debate over how poor our communication had become. No, I am very sorry to say it was not amicable.
If you know Megan personally, you may want to give her some comforting words. Even if you don't know her, please pray both for her and for me. It's gonna be a rough go for a while.
If you have to make a comment, email me. Forgive me if I'd rather not have that in the guestbook.
I hope your Friday the 13th went better than mine.
Also forgive the morbid, semi-fatalist humor. You know it's one of my coping methods.
I don't mean to broadcast this to get sympathy, but if this is to be an accurate online journal I thought I should mention this (and some people are going to be asking anyway).
I'm very thankful for the good times Megan and I had. I'm sorry we let the lines of communication deteriorate to the point where the relationship was no longer healthy, but I think it's what needed to be done.
I don't know what is ahead. God may bring us back together, God may put other people in our paths, God may have one find somebody and the other remain single, God may have us both remain unattached until he comes.
As usual, I don't know.
Of course, that goes for everybody.
I'm sorry if this sombre post wasn't entertaining or knee slapping. It is true, and I do want to be honest here.
The short-run will be hell (TRUTH). We did not want to break up (TRUTH). I think it's what we needed to do (TRUTH). I made the right decision (BEATS THE CRAP OUT OF ME, WE'LL SEE).
This is longer than I expected, but at least writing this makes it easier to deal with. I hope readers might be able to learn a bit from this, or at least become a little bit wiser by going through the mindset of one who has loved and lost.
Yes, it is still better than never having loved, but it also hurts worse.
That is the pro, that is the con.
Que sera, sera.
I don't have much to say. There's been a lot of studying going on in the build-up to finals week (and I was sorry to see that the continuous run of updates halted after three-in-a-row), but there is one more noteworthy thing to mention.
Megan Heidemann and I, a couple for over two years, broke up tonight after a debate over how poor our communication had become. No, I am very sorry to say it was not amicable.
If you know Megan personally, you may want to give her some comforting words. Even if you don't know her, please pray both for her and for me. It's gonna be a rough go for a while.
If you have to make a comment, email me. Forgive me if I'd rather not have that in the guestbook.
I hope your Friday the 13th went better than mine.
Also forgive the morbid, semi-fatalist humor. You know it's one of my coping methods.
I don't mean to broadcast this to get sympathy, but if this is to be an accurate online journal I thought I should mention this (and some people are going to be asking anyway).
I'm very thankful for the good times Megan and I had. I'm sorry we let the lines of communication deteriorate to the point where the relationship was no longer healthy, but I think it's what needed to be done.
I don't know what is ahead. God may bring us back together, God may put other people in our paths, God may have one find somebody and the other remain single, God may have us both remain unattached until he comes.
As usual, I don't know.
Of course, that goes for everybody.
I'm sorry if this sombre post wasn't entertaining or knee slapping. It is true, and I do want to be honest here.
The short-run will be hell (TRUTH). We did not want to break up (TRUTH). I think it's what we needed to do (TRUTH). I made the right decision (BEATS THE CRAP OUT OF ME, WE'LL SEE).
This is longer than I expected, but at least writing this makes it easier to deal with. I hope readers might be able to learn a bit from this, or at least become a little bit wiser by going through the mindset of one who has loved and lost.
Yes, it is still better than never having loved, but it also hurts worse.
That is the pro, that is the con.
Que sera, sera.
9:19 AM -
WAG - After a night of restless turning (and most of the morning under a blanket to keep the light out), my mind has boiled it all down to one question:
Does a 2-year relationship deserve a 4th go even if the odds are terrible and so much damage has been done?
We've tried to overhaul/fix our relationship 3 times in the 3 preceeding months though there's been little talk in December.
I really need some feedback here. Please email me.
Does a 2-year relationship deserve a 4th go even if the odds are terrible and so much damage has been done?
We've tried to overhaul/fix our relationship 3 times in the 3 preceeding months though there's been little talk in December.
I really need some feedback here. Please email me.
Tuesday, December 10, 2002
2:07 PM -
WAG - Hey readers! {Pause for "Hey Caleb!" response before continuing}
Hey...? {Try welcoming once more)
Oh... {Realize it's not coming, decide to curse mildly}
Crud! {Curse mildly}
Oh well. {Resign myself to my current lot in life and choose to move on}
Anyway... {Continuing on...}
One new thing for today. I finally took the 2 minutes required for me to add links to certain websites I mention within the body of the rants.
Now, you can directly recheck what I propose to be fact without having to go through some messy search engine.
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
Enjoy!
Hey...? {Try welcoming once more)
Oh... {Realize it's not coming, decide to curse mildly}
Crud! {Curse mildly}
Oh well. {Resign myself to my current lot in life and choose to move on}
Anyway... {Continuing on...}
One new thing for today. I finally took the 2 minutes required for me to add links to certain websites I mention within the body of the rants.
Now, you can directly recheck what I propose to be fact without having to go through some messy search engine.
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
Enjoy!
1:51 PM -
WAG - Jeez! Sometimes the idiots in the world today make it too easy...
In the news today an article detailing an interesting lawsuit concerning CBS's 60 Minutes and a 2 former jury members.
Here's the setup:
60 Minutes aired a report on a Mississippi's Jefferson County; an area said to be notorious for rewarding victims with multi-million dollar settlements.
Though this behavior might be more expected from a Californian county located on the West Coast, but this little hamlet is getting a reputation for dolling out what 60 Minutes called "jackpot justice."
Roughly a month after the program aired, 2 members of 2 different juries are suing 60 Minutes as well as a local newspaper owner for, get this, SIX BILLION DOLLARS!
That's a 6 with nine 0's behind it!
Breaking it down, they say they're calling for $597 million in actual damages and $5.9 billion in punitive damages.
This is crazy, and the details get nuttier!
The two men said they have been defamed by the charge they are giving ridiculous amounts of money away.
Coincidentally, both men sat on juries that awarded $150 million dollars (one in an asbestos case, one in a diet pill [Redux] case). While not debating the justice in the amounts doled out to the victims, these two seem to be proving the charge they are attempting to refute with their actions.
During the contested 60 Minutes broadcast, Beau Strittman, a woman who had once won a nonjury settlement in a lawsuit over the obesity drug Redux, was interviewed. She said juries "awarded these people this money because they felt as if they were going to get a cut off of it."
Strittman has since said he was joking and thought he was off camera when he made the comment.
Sure you were joking Mr. Strittman, right. I'm sure people always joke about the intentions of juries.
This totally cracks me up.
Americans like to make fun of lawyers, or at least point out the stupid things we do (I blame it on the OJ Simpson trial, mainly), but I think he's doing the standard routine of denial since he got caught.
We've all heard the some make the claim that THE COMMENT wasn't supposed to be heard, and even if it was, THE COMMENT shouldn't have been taken seriously, so let's just pretend THE COMMENT was never said. Can't we? Aw man....
I do admit that the newspaper man included in the suit, Wyatt Emmerich, did give some sound bites that were pretty harsh.
Quote: "The African-Americans feel like it's payback for disenfranchisement. And the rednecks, shall we say, it's like, `Hey, you know, get back at' -- revenge for the Civil War. And it's very easy to weave this racial conflict and this class conflict into a big money pot for the attorneys."
He has since said his remarks were aimed at the jury system in general and not specifically Jefferson County. I personally think this is more of the backpedaling routine we saw with the CBS interviewee.
Still, I don't believe this is a story that contained malice and was pointedly aimed at destroying the jury members' reputations. I wish people would stop denouncing people for telling the truth and labeling it an attack.
Still I have to say “Six Billion Dollars? C’mon!”
According to the Bill Gates Net Worth Page, last updated August 1, 2002, Uncle Moneybags is worth $33.92 Billion. We're taking 1/6 of the person deemed Richest Man in the World for 8 consecutive years (1995-2002, Forbes Magazine).
In Summary...
The former jurors are idiots whose wild claims are going to get them more of the disrespect they say they want to avoid, CBS is being criticized for simply presenting facts (and people making comments) to the nation at large, and somewhere, there's a very happy law firm knowing they get paid well whether or not their clients win are not.
Project losers: Two former Mississippi residents who won't have to worry about jury duty ever again.
Probable winners: Journalists, a bunch of lawyers, and the greater public for getting a kick out of such a crazy story that could only develop under the United State's legal and media systems.
Bottom Line: God bless America!
In the news today an article detailing an interesting lawsuit concerning CBS's 60 Minutes and a 2 former jury members.
Here's the setup:
60 Minutes aired a report on a Mississippi's Jefferson County; an area said to be notorious for rewarding victims with multi-million dollar settlements.
Though this behavior might be more expected from a Californian county located on the West Coast, but this little hamlet is getting a reputation for dolling out what 60 Minutes called "jackpot justice."
Roughly a month after the program aired, 2 members of 2 different juries are suing 60 Minutes as well as a local newspaper owner for, get this, SIX BILLION DOLLARS!
That's a 6 with nine 0's behind it!
Breaking it down, they say they're calling for $597 million in actual damages and $5.9 billion in punitive damages.
This is crazy, and the details get nuttier!
The two men said they have been defamed by the charge they are giving ridiculous amounts of money away.
Coincidentally, both men sat on juries that awarded $150 million dollars (one in an asbestos case, one in a diet pill [Redux] case). While not debating the justice in the amounts doled out to the victims, these two seem to be proving the charge they are attempting to refute with their actions.
During the contested 60 Minutes broadcast, Beau Strittman, a woman who had once won a nonjury settlement in a lawsuit over the obesity drug Redux, was interviewed. She said juries "awarded these people this money because they felt as if they were going to get a cut off of it."
Strittman has since said he was joking and thought he was off camera when he made the comment.
Sure you were joking Mr. Strittman, right. I'm sure people always joke about the intentions of juries.
This totally cracks me up.
Americans like to make fun of lawyers, or at least point out the stupid things we do (I blame it on the OJ Simpson trial, mainly), but I think he's doing the standard routine of denial since he got caught.
We've all heard the some make the claim that THE COMMENT wasn't supposed to be heard, and even if it was, THE COMMENT shouldn't have been taken seriously, so let's just pretend THE COMMENT was never said. Can't we? Aw man....
I do admit that the newspaper man included in the suit, Wyatt Emmerich, did give some sound bites that were pretty harsh.
Quote: "The African-Americans feel like it's payback for disenfranchisement. And the rednecks, shall we say, it's like, `Hey, you know, get back at' -- revenge for the Civil War. And it's very easy to weave this racial conflict and this class conflict into a big money pot for the attorneys."
He has since said his remarks were aimed at the jury system in general and not specifically Jefferson County. I personally think this is more of the backpedaling routine we saw with the CBS interviewee.
Still, I don't believe this is a story that contained malice and was pointedly aimed at destroying the jury members' reputations. I wish people would stop denouncing people for telling the truth and labeling it an attack.
Still I have to say “Six Billion Dollars? C’mon!”
According to the Bill Gates Net Worth Page, last updated August 1, 2002, Uncle Moneybags is worth $33.92 Billion. We're taking 1/6 of the person deemed Richest Man in the World for 8 consecutive years (1995-2002, Forbes Magazine).
In Summary...
The former jurors are idiots whose wild claims are going to get them more of the disrespect they say they want to avoid, CBS is being criticized for simply presenting facts (and people making comments) to the nation at large, and somewhere, there's a very happy law firm knowing they get paid well whether or not their clients win are not.
Project losers: Two former Mississippi residents who won't have to worry about jury duty ever again.
Probable winners: Journalists, a bunch of lawyers, and the greater public for getting a kick out of such a crazy story that could only develop under the United State's legal and media systems.
Bottom Line: God bless America!
Monday, December 09, 2002
9:06 PM -
WAG - Ah... The post-Thanksgiving season...
This is the time in college where there is a slight break in homework, assignments, and tests before the killer Category 6 FINAL HURRICAINE!
For readers at home, and by that I mean Sullivan High School students (or anyone else who is not sentenced to a college dorm; there's a few of you out there), it's like the SHS final crunch, only it occurs in mid-December rather than late-January. The benefit being I've only had one holiday break to forget everything I once new versus two breaks in High School.
I guess helps to make up for the fact that sick days in public school are great and sick days in college are rarely an option.
One takes their benefits where they can...
Anyway, I now find myself with a handful of deadlines interspaced with long spaces of free time. It's nice, but I feel like I'm suffering from a Bi-Polar condition:
I'm free!
I'm dead!
The chains are released!
I don't think I'll ever escape!
I have the time to watch TV again!
I'll never make it off this campus alive!
It's a real pyschological rollercoaster.
The good news is that with finals week comes extra hours at the desk. I should be making a noticiable amount extra this next paycheck. Hopefully enough to fill the hole dug during Thanksgiving.
Of course, I believe I'll have to go sell my blood at the local plasma center to make it through Christmas (It's no coincidence that the Columbia Plasma Center is located right next to MU's campus [it's $15 bucks your first donation that increases $5 every additional time you give again not counting bonuses for returning to sell your blood within a small amount of time... Don't ask me how I know... don't ask me to describe the freaky looking people in the waiting room of the place either... don't look at me like that... Okay I was looking for a story idea, but it was not to be found there. I hope you're satisfied...]).
Money isn't really that tight, and it's not like I'm bursting with blood (I appologize for that mental image), but don't mind the extra cash flow. Especially the things one can buy with said cash.
I'll probably use it all to purchase $10 and $15 DVDs from Wal-Mart, but it certainly beats an addiction to cocaine. Not that I have any official comparative data on that.
I'm working the last regular Hatch shift Friday, December 20 (6 p.m. to 8 p.m.) and the first unofficial shift (we're not open, but I'm sitting behind the desk just in case) 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. It's a stretch, but it pays extremely well to do nothing much at all. Friday evening, it also gives me access to an unincumbered internet access that will help me nurture my neglected mp3 collection. Maybe I'll add some music videos too. It's all good.
I'll also be able to crank my music to fill up the entire wing, since I'll be the only one there (though I'll have to compete with Frank Sinatra, an artist favored by my friend RJ who is the staff member who lives in the other boy's wing on the 5th floor. I don't know what I'll blast to counter him, but we shall have "Dueling Speakers" to entertain us).
I'll also have the added bonus of playing "Disaster Movie: Plague" where I pretend that a virus has killed off most of the human race and I'm left alone on a deserted campus (One doesn't have to wait till commencement to this game at Mizzou. You can also play that game Sunday morning, because most people are either hung over, or have gone to church, so there is practically zero traffic no matter where you go on campus).
Life is slow/busy/okay by me. I know money is coming, I know rest is coming, and I know I only have to type 20 more journal entries in the next 32 hours for Hummanities 103.
No sweat!
Considering how fast I crank out these rants, I'll be done in no time.
I'm off to go rant for grades now.
Life is good.
This is the time in college where there is a slight break in homework, assignments, and tests before the killer Category 6 FINAL HURRICAINE!
For readers at home, and by that I mean Sullivan High School students (or anyone else who is not sentenced to a college dorm; there's a few of you out there), it's like the SHS final crunch, only it occurs in mid-December rather than late-January. The benefit being I've only had one holiday break to forget everything I once new versus two breaks in High School.
I guess helps to make up for the fact that sick days in public school are great and sick days in college are rarely an option.
One takes their benefits where they can...
Anyway, I now find myself with a handful of deadlines interspaced with long spaces of free time. It's nice, but I feel like I'm suffering from a Bi-Polar condition:
I'm free!
I'm dead!
The chains are released!
I don't think I'll ever escape!
I have the time to watch TV again!
I'll never make it off this campus alive!
It's a real pyschological rollercoaster.
The good news is that with finals week comes extra hours at the desk. I should be making a noticiable amount extra this next paycheck. Hopefully enough to fill the hole dug during Thanksgiving.
Of course, I believe I'll have to go sell my blood at the local plasma center to make it through Christmas (It's no coincidence that the Columbia Plasma Center is located right next to MU's campus [it's $15 bucks your first donation that increases $5 every additional time you give again not counting bonuses for returning to sell your blood within a small amount of time... Don't ask me how I know... don't ask me to describe the freaky looking people in the waiting room of the place either... don't look at me like that... Okay I was looking for a story idea, but it was not to be found there. I hope you're satisfied...]).
Money isn't really that tight, and it's not like I'm bursting with blood (I appologize for that mental image), but don't mind the extra cash flow. Especially the things one can buy with said cash.
I'll probably use it all to purchase $10 and $15 DVDs from Wal-Mart, but it certainly beats an addiction to cocaine. Not that I have any official comparative data on that.
I'm working the last regular Hatch shift Friday, December 20 (6 p.m. to 8 p.m.) and the first unofficial shift (we're not open, but I'm sitting behind the desk just in case) 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. It's a stretch, but it pays extremely well to do nothing much at all. Friday evening, it also gives me access to an unincumbered internet access that will help me nurture my neglected mp3 collection. Maybe I'll add some music videos too. It's all good.
I'll also be able to crank my music to fill up the entire wing, since I'll be the only one there (though I'll have to compete with Frank Sinatra, an artist favored by my friend RJ who is the staff member who lives in the other boy's wing on the 5th floor. I don't know what I'll blast to counter him, but we shall have "Dueling Speakers" to entertain us).
I'll also have the added bonus of playing "Disaster Movie: Plague" where I pretend that a virus has killed off most of the human race and I'm left alone on a deserted campus (One doesn't have to wait till commencement to this game at Mizzou. You can also play that game Sunday morning, because most people are either hung over, or have gone to church, so there is practically zero traffic no matter where you go on campus).
Life is slow/busy/okay by me. I know money is coming, I know rest is coming, and I know I only have to type 20 more journal entries in the next 32 hours for Hummanities 103.
No sweat!
Considering how fast I crank out these rants, I'll be done in no time.
I'm off to go rant for grades now.
Life is good.
Sunday, December 08, 2002
1:49 PM -
WAG - For those of you who semi-frequently hit this site and have been watching the recent back and forth on the comments page (and from judging from the number of people who have made comments recently, there's at least 2), I'd like to try to clear this up once and for all.
There's always the risk of having a snafu or mistake creep into a site that is mainly composed of rants as based on my perception of reality. Since I've been told, and also frequently admit, my point of view is somewhat skewered, mistakes on my part sometime are passed on.
And doing late night updates (after I've finished all the homework I care to do for the date) only increases the probability that I'll be more off than usual.
And since Blogger doesn't have any type of Gramar/Spell Check, I also apologize for the frequint speling erors.
Anyway, a frequent "whoopsie" popped up recently when I put down 2nd amendment (The NRA's beloved right to bear arms, the right to arm bears, whatever the hell you want to do with as long as it requires providing live ammunition to anyone who asks) when I meant to say 1st amendment (What most people recall to be freedom of speech, religion, and press as well as freedoms to petition the government or have non-violent demonstrations, but who remembers THAT?)
My good friend Keith was quick to point out that error by asking "Did I have guns on the brain?" I'll comment more on that briefly.
Anyway, I quickly corrected my oversight, figuring I was just tired when I attempted to transcribe my thoughts.
My darling sister, who's entertaining Blog can be reached by clicking the links just to the left of your screen (BUT NOT NOW, I'D RATHER YOU WAIT AND FINISH THIS FIRST [of course, that's totally up to you]), reviewed my site after I'd edited myself and corrected Keith for correcting me.
Keith was ranked second in my graduation class and was only held back from first due to a B in choir due to a slightly unfair ruling by the teacher due to the fact he told her the truth about something that I'm not going into because it's not really that big a deal unless you're Keith (forgive me for not having too much sympathy for my friend. I was stuck with third ranking due to one science teacher my Junior year, not that I'm bitter about it or anything).
Where the crap was I going with this...
Oh yes! Keith is a really smart guy who knows a lot of stuff and it catch him making a mistake.
My sister couldn't resist what seemingly was an easy, impossible-to-resist shot.
Sorry Keith.
I quickly addressed this on the board and which prompted another comment from my sister saying she understood. I have yet to hear from my friend Keith.
Now, in my defense...
Did I have "guns on the brain?" Maybe... I think I figured out where 2nd amendments got into my subconscious, and onto the screen.
Being the news junkie I am, I read dozens of articles a day over the course of several news sites (even though I'm no longer required to cram for self-esteem crushing News Quizzes in J-105).
The Ninth Circuit Court has been in the news lately regarding 2nd Amendment rights. Yes, the same 3 judges who brought you the "'Under God' Doesn't Belong in the American Pledge Ruling" are at it again.
They recently ruled that the second amendment only applies to States' rights to have an organized militia and doesn't apply to private individuals.
I'd hate to be anywhere within shooting range of a NRA clubhouse when that came out over the news.
Anyway, though the ruling announced at the end of the week, I believe the decision was mentioned in article reviewing many of the constitutional conundrums facing courts this last week.
I think that's how it got there and how I screwed everything up. That's me, Caleb Michael Smith, "Finding new and improved ways to mess up since 1982!"
I'm flawed, but I'm human too.
That isn't an excuse, but it is an explanation.
I now leave you all to go to the comments page and congratulate Hannah and Keith for the keen insight, to add comments of your own to potentially instigate new controversies (and give me more things to write about), and point out my numerus speling misteaks.
Have a great week.
There's always the risk of having a snafu or mistake creep into a site that is mainly composed of rants as based on my perception of reality. Since I've been told, and also frequently admit, my point of view is somewhat skewered, mistakes on my part sometime are passed on.
And doing late night updates (after I've finished all the homework I care to do for the date) only increases the probability that I'll be more off than usual.
And since Blogger doesn't have any type of Gramar/Spell Check, I also apologize for the frequint speling erors.
Anyway, a frequent "whoopsie" popped up recently when I put down 2nd amendment (The NRA's beloved right to bear arms, the right to arm bears, whatever the hell you want to do with as long as it requires providing live ammunition to anyone who asks) when I meant to say 1st amendment (What most people recall to be freedom of speech, religion, and press as well as freedoms to petition the government or have non-violent demonstrations, but who remembers THAT?)
My good friend Keith was quick to point out that error by asking "Did I have guns on the brain?" I'll comment more on that briefly.
Anyway, I quickly corrected my oversight, figuring I was just tired when I attempted to transcribe my thoughts.
My darling sister, who's entertaining Blog can be reached by clicking the links just to the left of your screen (BUT NOT NOW, I'D RATHER YOU WAIT AND FINISH THIS FIRST [of course, that's totally up to you]), reviewed my site after I'd edited myself and corrected Keith for correcting me.
Keith was ranked second in my graduation class and was only held back from first due to a B in choir due to a slightly unfair ruling by the teacher due to the fact he told her the truth about something that I'm not going into because it's not really that big a deal unless you're Keith (forgive me for not having too much sympathy for my friend. I was stuck with third ranking due to one science teacher my Junior year, not that I'm bitter about it or anything).
Where the crap was I going with this...
Oh yes! Keith is a really smart guy who knows a lot of stuff and it catch him making a mistake.
My sister couldn't resist what seemingly was an easy, impossible-to-resist shot.
Sorry Keith.
I quickly addressed this on the board and which prompted another comment from my sister saying she understood. I have yet to hear from my friend Keith.
Now, in my defense...
Did I have "guns on the brain?" Maybe... I think I figured out where 2nd amendments got into my subconscious, and onto the screen.
Being the news junkie I am, I read dozens of articles a day over the course of several news sites (even though I'm no longer required to cram for self-esteem crushing News Quizzes in J-105).
The Ninth Circuit Court has been in the news lately regarding 2nd Amendment rights. Yes, the same 3 judges who brought you the "'Under God' Doesn't Belong in the American Pledge Ruling" are at it again.
They recently ruled that the second amendment only applies to States' rights to have an organized militia and doesn't apply to private individuals.
I'd hate to be anywhere within shooting range of a NRA clubhouse when that came out over the news.
Anyway, though the ruling announced at the end of the week, I believe the decision was mentioned in article reviewing many of the constitutional conundrums facing courts this last week.
I think that's how it got there and how I screwed everything up. That's me, Caleb Michael Smith, "Finding new and improved ways to mess up since 1982!"
I'm flawed, but I'm human too.
That isn't an excuse, but it is an explanation.
I now leave you all to go to the comments page and congratulate Hannah and Keith for the keen insight, to add comments of your own to potentially instigate new controversies (and give me more things to write about), and point out my numerus speling misteaks.
Have a great week.
1:49 PM -
WAG - For those of you who semi-frequently hit this site and have been watching the recent back and forth on the comments page (and from judging from the number of people who have made comments recently, there's at least 2), I'd like to try to clear this up once and for all.
There's always the risk of having a snafu or mistake creep into a site that is mainly composed of rants as based on my perception of reality. Since I've been told, and also frequently admit, my point of view is somewhat skewered, mistakes on my part sometime are passed on.
And doing late night updates (after I've finished all the homework I care to do for the date) only increases the probability that I'll be more off than usual.
And since Blogger doesn't have any type of Gramar/Spell Check, I also apologize for the frequint speling erors.
Anyway, a frequent "whoopsie" popped up recently when I put down 2nd amendment (The NRA's beloved right to bear arms, the right to arm bears, whatever the hell you want to do with as long as it requires providing live ammunition to anyone who asks) when I meant to say 1st amendment (What most people recall to be freedom of speech, religion, and press as well as freedoms to petition the government or have non-violent demonstrations, but who remembers THAT?)
My good friend Keith was quick to point out that error by asking "Did I have guns on the brain?" I'll comment more on that briefly.
Anyway, I quickly corrected my oversight, figuring I was just tired when I attempted to transcribe my thoughts.
My darling sister, who's entertaining Blog can be reached by clicking the links just to the left of your screen (BUT NOT NOW, I'D RATHER YOU WAIT AND FINISH THIS FIRST [of course, that's totally up to you]), reviewed my site after I'd edited myself and corrected Keith for correcting me.
Keith was ranked second in my graduation class and was only held back from first due to a B in choir due to a slightly unfair ruling by the teacher due to the fact he told her the truth about something that I'm not going into because it's not really that big a deal unless you're Keith (forgive me for not having too much sympathy for my friend. I was stuck with third ranking due to one science teacher my Junior year, not that I'm bitter about it or anything).
Where the crap was I going with this...
Oh yes! Keith is a really smart guy who knows a lot of stuff and it catch him making a mistake.
My sister couldn't resist what seemingly was an easy, impossible-to-resist shot.
Sorry Keith.
I quickly addressed this on the board and which prompted another comment from my sister saying she understood. I have yet to hear from my friend Keith.
Now, in my defense...
Did I have "guns on the brain?" Maybe... I think I figured out where 2nd amendments got into my subconscious, and onto the screen.
Being the news junkie I am, I read dozens of articles a day over the course of several news sites (even though I'm no longer required to cram for self-esteem crushing News Quizzes in J-105).
The Ninth Circuit Court has been in the news lately regarding 2nd Amendment rights. Yes, the same 3 judges who brought you the "'Under God' Doesn't Belong in the American Pledge Ruling" are at it again.
They recently ruled that the second amendment only applies to States' rights to have an organized militia and doesn't apply to private individuals.
I'd hate to be anywhere within shooting range of a NRA clubhouse when that came out over the news.
Anyway, though the ruling announced at the end of the week, I believe the decision was mentioned in article reviewing many of the constitutional conundrums facing courts this last week.
I think that's how it got there and how I screwed everything up. That's me, Caleb Michael Smith, "Finding new and improved ways to mess up since 1982!"
I'm flawed, but I'm human too.
That isn't an excuse, but it is an explanation.
I now leave you all to go to the comments page and congratulate Hannah and Keith for the keen insight, to add comments of your own to potentially instigate new controversies (and give me more things to write about), and point out my numerus speling misteaks.
Have a great week.
There's always the risk of having a snafu or mistake creep into a site that is mainly composed of rants as based on my perception of reality. Since I've been told, and also frequently admit, my point of view is somewhat skewered, mistakes on my part sometime are passed on.
And doing late night updates (after I've finished all the homework I care to do for the date) only increases the probability that I'll be more off than usual.
And since Blogger doesn't have any type of Gramar/Spell Check, I also apologize for the frequint speling erors.
Anyway, a frequent "whoopsie" popped up recently when I put down 2nd amendment (The NRA's beloved right to bear arms, the right to arm bears, whatever the hell you want to do with as long as it requires providing live ammunition to anyone who asks) when I meant to say 1st amendment (What most people recall to be freedom of speech, religion, and press as well as freedoms to petition the government or have non-violent demonstrations, but who remembers THAT?)
My good friend Keith was quick to point out that error by asking "Did I have guns on the brain?" I'll comment more on that briefly.
Anyway, I quickly corrected my oversight, figuring I was just tired when I attempted to transcribe my thoughts.
My darling sister, who's entertaining Blog can be reached by clicking the links just to the left of your screen (BUT NOT NOW, I'D RATHER YOU WAIT AND FINISH THIS FIRST [of course, that's totally up to you]), reviewed my site after I'd edited myself and corrected Keith for correcting me.
Keith was ranked second in my graduation class and was only held back from first due to a B in choir due to a slightly unfair ruling by the teacher due to the fact he told her the truth about something that I'm not going into because it's not really that big a deal unless you're Keith (forgive me for not having too much sympathy for my friend. I was stuck with third ranking due to one science teacher my Junior year, not that I'm bitter about it or anything).
Where the crap was I going with this...
Oh yes! Keith is a really smart guy who knows a lot of stuff and it catch him making a mistake.
My sister couldn't resist what seemingly was an easy, impossible-to-resist shot.
Sorry Keith.
I quickly addressed this on the board and which prompted another comment from my sister saying she understood. I have yet to hear from my friend Keith.
Now, in my defense...
Did I have "guns on the brain?" Maybe... I think I figured out where 2nd amendments got into my subconscious, and onto the screen.
Being the news junkie I am, I read dozens of articles a day over the course of several news sites (even though I'm no longer required to cram for self-esteem crushing News Quizzes in J-105).
The Ninth Circuit Court has been in the news lately regarding 2nd Amendment rights. Yes, the same 3 judges who brought you the "'Under God' Doesn't Belong in the American Pledge Ruling" are at it again.
They recently ruled that the second amendment only applies to States' rights to have an organized militia and doesn't apply to private individuals.
I'd hate to be anywhere within shooting range of a NRA clubhouse when that came out over the news.
Anyway, though the ruling announced at the end of the week, I believe the decision was mentioned in article reviewing many of the constitutional conundrums facing courts this last week.
I think that's how it got there and how I screwed everything up. That's me, Caleb Michael Smith, "Finding new and improved ways to mess up since 1982!"
I'm flawed, but I'm human too.
That isn't an excuse, but it is an explanation.
I now leave you all to go to the comments page and congratulate Hannah and Keith for the keen insight, to add comments of your own to potentially instigate new controversies (and give me more things to write about), and point out my numerus speling misteaks.
Have a great week.
Monday, December 02, 2002
11:27 PM -
WAG - Yep, as I check the page to make sure today's massive update is posted, I realize it's a bit longer than usual. It's no big deal, but I though I'd warn you. It's split in two halves for those of you who want to take it in baby steps. For the rest of you, plunge right in, enjoy, and maybe you'll learn a bit from my thoughts (though if you're lucky, you won't)
11:22 PM -
WAG - It's December folks!
Now retailers no longer have to feel guilty about pushing Christmas items (even though I've seen them on shelves since before Halloween).
For those of you still more interested in goblins, and ghosts, and things that go bump in the night, don't fret, there are some major spooky things going down.
Can you hear the ominous music, slowly increasing in volume, getting ready to hit peak Janet-Leigh-in-the-Bates-Hotel-shower levels.
Anthony Perkins isn't about to leap out with a knife, but a potentially more sinister threat lies in wait close by...
Okay, enough scene setting/chewing, here it is: This week, the Constitution of the United States is facing some of it's biggest challenges ever this week.
Questions about the Miranda rights may alter the way the 5 and 14th amendments are interpreted, and a clause in the Campaign Finance Reform Bill may put limits on the 1st Amendment.
We associate Miranda Rights with the "Right to be silent...speech often repeated in on film and TV. In actuality, it's a little bit altered than the form most people can recite, and after each you have the right__, one is suppossed to ask if the person understands. There's no official way of reading one their rights, but one is suppossed to cover all their bases (though I've always enjoyed the scene in Police Academy 2 where Steve Guttenberg adds "You have the right to sing the blues...).
Putting aside the debate over how they are read, there is a push by some groups of people to not require all the Miranda rights to be read and not remind a person they have the right to remain silent.
This may seem like a duh, and I'll skip the obvious jokes here, but it's a Constitutionally granted right. The 5th amendment says you don't have to incriminate yourself and the 14th amendment promises due process of law.
Please keep in mind, these rights are not there to keep lawbreakers out of jail, but to protect the innocent.
This is to remind shaken people to keep from making foolish comments that may be misinterpretted, as well as help protect people from a forced confession.
If the challenge is turned down and the current practice upheld, I'll miss the entertaining stories where an idiot confessed everything, and then later tried to sue because they "didn't know they wasn't 'spossed to talk." Those stories write themselves and leave the reader with a smile on their face. Still, keeping it in practice avoids the scenario where a guilty man's shock-induced rants are misunderstood and put him behind bars.
Miranda rights are there for the innocent, and there they should stay.
The First amendment contains what I believe to be the most tried and frequently challenged rights Americans enjoy: Freedoms of Speech, Press, Religion, peaceful assembly, and to petition the government.
Speech is challenged once again. A rule in the Campaign Finance Law Recently Passed would limit speech over the airwaves before political primaries and general elections.
Can you imagine Jay Leno not making fun of Bush's mispokenables? No Conan O'Brien conversing with a politician and superimposed lips? No SNL Weekend Update making fun of everybody?
It could happen. Forums likes TV or radio broadcasts, all legally part of the public domain, could be held to the strict, silent standard.
If upheld, can you imagine the lawsuits prosecuting violaters?
The United States vs. David Letterman, The Late Show with David Letterman.
Everyone vs. The Daily Show and Especially that Jon Stewart Punk
This is nuts, and this isn't what people who wanted campaign finance reforms to be made.
The system needed changes, few honest people doubt that. Money loop holes, questions about contributors, and other questionable activities have been worked on (not fixed, but they're working on them).
Silencing people, however, won't level the playing field as most of these reforms intend to do. It instead tilts it in favor of incumbents who can call a press conference and get easy coverage. Meanwhile,his oponent, who has a much smaller draw, won't get as much attention even if he calls a conference, and at the same time couldn't have pay for ads to combat misrepresentations.
I hate mug slinging ads as much as anyone else (and being in a Key State race as Missouri in the last election, didn't help any Missourian's attitude as we were flooded with an even greater deluge than normal). They're annoying, bothersome, and a bummer.
Still, we need them too; not only to keep people well informed but also to help us keep laughing (which is just as important).
Law students of the future may be thankful for two likely benchmarks cases being held so close together (MEMORY AID FOR FUTURE WANNA BE LAWYERS: In December of 2002, first lawmen, and later Lettermen, were told what not to say, and when.)
Remember your rights. When we forget to look after things, that's when they're most likely to be left behind, or forgotten.
That goes for your rights and your wallet!
It's late and I have a lot to do tomorrow. I'd tell you what I have to do, but I'd like to remain silent because I still remember I have the right.
Besides, I use that right so rarely, it would do me some good.
Now retailers no longer have to feel guilty about pushing Christmas items (even though I've seen them on shelves since before Halloween).
For those of you still more interested in goblins, and ghosts, and things that go bump in the night, don't fret, there are some major spooky things going down.
Can you hear the ominous music, slowly increasing in volume, getting ready to hit peak Janet-Leigh-in-the-Bates-Hotel-shower levels.
Anthony Perkins isn't about to leap out with a knife, but a potentially more sinister threat lies in wait close by...
Okay, enough scene setting/chewing, here it is: This week, the Constitution of the United States is facing some of it's biggest challenges ever this week.
Questions about the Miranda rights may alter the way the 5 and 14th amendments are interpreted, and a clause in the Campaign Finance Reform Bill may put limits on the 1st Amendment.
We associate Miranda Rights with the "Right to be silent...speech often repeated in on film and TV. In actuality, it's a little bit altered than the form most people can recite, and after each you have the right__, one is suppossed to ask if the person understands. There's no official way of reading one their rights, but one is suppossed to cover all their bases (though I've always enjoyed the scene in Police Academy 2 where Steve Guttenberg adds "You have the right to sing the blues...).
Putting aside the debate over how they are read, there is a push by some groups of people to not require all the Miranda rights to be read and not remind a person they have the right to remain silent.
This may seem like a duh, and I'll skip the obvious jokes here, but it's a Constitutionally granted right. The 5th amendment says you don't have to incriminate yourself and the 14th amendment promises due process of law.
Please keep in mind, these rights are not there to keep lawbreakers out of jail, but to protect the innocent.
This is to remind shaken people to keep from making foolish comments that may be misinterpretted, as well as help protect people from a forced confession.
If the challenge is turned down and the current practice upheld, I'll miss the entertaining stories where an idiot confessed everything, and then later tried to sue because they "didn't know they wasn't 'spossed to talk." Those stories write themselves and leave the reader with a smile on their face. Still, keeping it in practice avoids the scenario where a guilty man's shock-induced rants are misunderstood and put him behind bars.
Miranda rights are there for the innocent, and there they should stay.
The First amendment contains what I believe to be the most tried and frequently challenged rights Americans enjoy: Freedoms of Speech, Press, Religion, peaceful assembly, and to petition the government.
Speech is challenged once again. A rule in the Campaign Finance Law Recently Passed would limit speech over the airwaves before political primaries and general elections.
Can you imagine Jay Leno not making fun of Bush's mispokenables? No Conan O'Brien conversing with a politician and superimposed lips? No SNL Weekend Update making fun of everybody?
It could happen. Forums likes TV or radio broadcasts, all legally part of the public domain, could be held to the strict, silent standard.
If upheld, can you imagine the lawsuits prosecuting violaters?
The United States vs. David Letterman, The Late Show with David Letterman.
Everyone vs. The Daily Show and Especially that Jon Stewart Punk
This is nuts, and this isn't what people who wanted campaign finance reforms to be made.
The system needed changes, few honest people doubt that. Money loop holes, questions about contributors, and other questionable activities have been worked on (not fixed, but they're working on them).
Silencing people, however, won't level the playing field as most of these reforms intend to do. It instead tilts it in favor of incumbents who can call a press conference and get easy coverage. Meanwhile,his oponent, who has a much smaller draw, won't get as much attention even if he calls a conference, and at the same time couldn't have pay for ads to combat misrepresentations.
I hate mug slinging ads as much as anyone else (and being in a Key State race as Missouri in the last election, didn't help any Missourian's attitude as we were flooded with an even greater deluge than normal). They're annoying, bothersome, and a bummer.
Still, we need them too; not only to keep people well informed but also to help us keep laughing (which is just as important).
Law students of the future may be thankful for two likely benchmarks cases being held so close together (MEMORY AID FOR FUTURE WANNA BE LAWYERS: In December of 2002, first lawmen, and later Lettermen, were told what not to say, and when.)
Remember your rights. When we forget to look after things, that's when they're most likely to be left behind, or forgotten.
That goes for your rights and your wallet!
It's late and I have a lot to do tomorrow. I'd tell you what I have to do, but I'd like to remain silent because I still remember I have the right.
Besides, I use that right so rarely, it would do me some good.
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