Signs of the apocalypse

Sign one: I got a cell phone about a month and a half ago.

Sign two: I joined facebook three days ago.

Sign three: I have a personal trainer for four sessions at the gym I just joined (not one of the signs, I can exercise with out the world coming to an end) and we were supposed to meet today for the second session, but he texted me to cancel till tomorrow. Instead of calling him, so help me, because I didn't really want to talk to him, I texted him back moving the session to monday, since I'm busy all day tomorrow and sunday.

Three things a year a go I thought I'd never do. Things I kinda regret having done (not the gym thing though, I've been meaning to do that for ever).

The four horsemen must not be so far behind.

also, unrelated, I still owe robin a mix cd and the bracelet I bought her in Hong Kong. I sent the CD once and apparently to the wrong address because it came back to me. I was going to do it again, but then didn't. So if Robin (who has since quit blogging) still reads this, I know I owe you these things, they'll come eventually.

lost for lost

My hand is still killing me, but I'm not so worried about it anymore. It stopped bleeding, and I can type, but I don't think I need a doctor (which i kinda did last night).

Anyway, watched Lost last night and was disappointed, Jin was my favorite character and without him on the show I really don't care to follow the other characters and their stories. Maybe Sayed, but not really enough. Jack, Kate, Sawyer, and Hurley have gotten stale to me. I really couldn't care less about them and what happens to them. Locke is insanely annoying, and the other side characters are just mediocre. Jin and Sun had the most interesting storylines to me. Jin just isn't interesting enough without her husband. Unless it's relvealed that he's really alive next season, I'm done with Lost.

Though I must admit if they killed Jack I'd probably start watching again. He's turned into such a whiny bastard. And someone should just walk up to Ben and put a bullet in the back of his head, then nuke the island.

The End.

I should hold onto my thoughts

So I was thinking about a political entry, only I realized I just put down all my ideas in a comment on Rawbean's blog and putting them up here would be redundant. So I was going to do a food blog instead, talk about the food system in this country, but then I realized I ranted about that not so long ago in a comment on Amber's blog, leaving me with very little to write about now.

So, instead of what could have been well thought out essays on current events you're stuck with my less well thought out rants on those previously mentioned blogs, and a bit of the rest of the random thoughts that are currently floating through my head.

I am getting totally burnt out of working at Starbucks. All my energy is just gone. Like a zombie going through the motions. And it doesn't help that I've been getting mostly closing shifts and that just kills the entire day.

Was invited to an underwear party that I couldn't go to because of my previously mentioned gripe. I probably wouldn't have gone to said party if I was able because I don't so much like people, especially strangers, and I would have known no one at said party save the hostess. And though I wouldn't mind seeing the hostess in her underwear (she's crazy hot and she knows it), I don't know how comfortable I would have been letting everyone else see me in my underwear. But it became a moot point, which is the part that's bothering me.

I liked the Iron Man movie. It was kinda predictable (who is he gonna fight but another big Iron man?) but was fun anyway. Not too keen on Gwenneth Paltrow, liked how they changed Jarvis from a human butler in the comic to a computer ai system in his house. Am interested to see where they go with the Ten Rings terrorist group and how they link it to The Mandarin without seeming racist in the next movies. Also think it's funny that Samuel L Jackson played Nick Fury as Nick Fury in the Ultimate Universe is modeled after Sam Jackson. Weird meta-fiction post-modern stuff going on there.

Can't wait for Indiana Jones. Am a little worried about it though. The previous movies are so good (Well the first and the third ones are) and it's been so long and so much build up that if this one is anything but amazing it's gonna be a disappointment.

Weired out a bit after talking to a co-worker about the batman movies. It turns out that the first michael keaton batman film came out a year before she was born (she's only 18). I remember seeing that in the theater.

Got a new computer a while ago (a macbook pro laptop) and having been having fun using it. Only I don't really need all the applications that it comes with and don't do music or movies, and feel like I should have just bought a regular macbook instead. On the plus side it was about 600 dollars cheaper because I was able to get one on clearance (only 2.2 ghz instead of the newest model which is 2.4) through the NYU computer store using my brothers student discount. I spent what I was planning on spending on a regular macbook, but could have definately saved a lot more money (and I really don't have that much to spare).

Another brother just got engaged. I don't remember if I posted bout this or not, and am too lazy to go back and check. I'm happy and excited for him. I just wish people stopped assuming this would make me unhappy for some reason as he is younger than me (they assumed the same thing when my other brother who just got married about two months ago, who is also younger - I have three younger brothers, I am the eldest). What kind of ass hole do people think I am that I'd be sad because my younger brothers found happiness first? I'm a bit jealous (not that I want to be married, but it'd be nice not to be single) I won't lie about that, but it's not an angry jealous, it's more like a be inspired jealous to make me get off my ass a bit more. And compared to the happy, the jealous is infinitesimal. And I'm psyched for the wedding. The last one was just so much fun.

In the same vein, I wish people would stop asking me when it's going to be my turn to get married. It's like they want to depress me by dredging up my singleness (this goes double for the people that mention J_ in the same sentence, as if talking about my ex who I was crazy, madly, head over heels in love with and who broke up with me, is supposed to somehow make me feel good about myself and my life? Assholes).

I just finished a short story that I'm kinda proud of and want to maybe send it out to literary magazines. But I'm still looking for some readers to give me some feedback. So if you are interested in helping me out, and reading it and letting me know what you think I'd be happy to send it to you. I'm not posting it in my fiction blog because I want to do something with it and that's just for random ideas and work I don't care as much about.

That's it I guess. Thanks for reading

Suckers.

Going, going, gone.

So tired. Worked over fifty hours last week and am not eating right (too tired to make myself healthy food when I get home from work). I don't know how other people do it. Haven't had the energy to blog, write, or search for a new job.

Gotta get off my ass and do it. I'm just a bit burnt out.

I wish I wasn't a moron

So:

Today at Starbucks I'm working, making drinks, making small talk with customers, doing what I'm paid to do. It's a bit busy but no big deal.

There are these two girls who have started coming in. A white girl and an asian girl. They seem nice. Both studying to be, well, I don't know the official scientific term, but basically foot surgeons. Apparently they've asked about me when I wasn't around, and now I get teased by my fellow co-workers when they come in. I'm not interested in either of them, but it's nice to know there are people out there in the world who find me desirable.

The two girls in question came in, and of course I make small talk (which is how I learned about their studies and their intended career). When their backs are turned my manager Danny teases me a bit, all in good nature, and I'm feeling pretty cool.

Feeling cool is always what leads me into trouble because I am never, in no way, cool.

Later, still feeling cool, a man, say in his mid-thirties walks in, a professional look about him even though he's wearing a Superman t-shirt. Of course, being the comic book dork I am, I talk up a bit about superman, and we this man says that a few years ago he dressed up as Clark Kent for Halloween.

Anyway, a bit later I catch him reading what I think is a Justice League comic, mostly because it has Superman on the cover.

Ok, in reality, maybe an hour total has passed since the girls walked in and then this fellow with the superman shirt. I punch out to leave and the man with the Superman shirt asks if I'm the manager. I'm not the manager but maybe I can help him. He asks an innocuous question about the furniture but there really isn't anything we can do to help because we get all the furniture from Starbucks corporate and know nothing about it.

Then I ask him about the comic book, which turns out to be the Justice Society, not Justice League. Those of you not into comics are probably thinking, who cares, right? Well, no one really cares. I tell him the only reason I asked was I wanted to know what he might have thought about the new Justice League writer. He didn't really answer but said that the Justice Society comic was good. I responded that the writer of the Justice Society, Geoff Johns, never really thrilled me. I liked his run on the Flash, but outside the Flash it was just ok and I didn't think I was going to pick it up.

What's the big deal with all of this? I felt cool so I engaged a customer after I was off the clock. Had I not felt cool I probably would have directed his question to someone still on the clock and made my exit. The cooler I feel the more likely I'm to interact with strangers.

I came home and something about the whole exchange niggled me in the back of the head. Not so much a voice, but a general uneasiness, which kept biting the corner of all my thoughts. I decide, because this is how fate works, to look Geoff Johns up on the internet.

I've never seen Geoff John in person or in any photograph before today, but after seeing his image just a few moments ago on the internet, I'm about 85 percent sure that the man I spoke with at Starbucks was Geoff Johns himself, and I told him I wasn't thrilled by his writing. First off, as a writer I know how much that really sucks. Secondly, I would love to write comic books someday. And if it was Geoff Johns (which I'm now pretty sure he was), he'd be an amazing contact to have. I can't imagine, in my stupid, look how cool I am fanboy mode, I gave a good first impression. "Hey, yeah, remember me? I'm the idiot barista who said you weren't such a good writer to your face. How'd you like to help get me a job?" I don't think that will go over very well.

Next time I just have to remember that I'm not cool and to keep my big mouth shut. Or at least ask for a name first.

I'm boned

I think I might have broken my foot last weekend when I was in Philadelphia. Well, maybe more fractured than out and out broken as I have been able to walk on it all week. Not a serious fracture, but still, it hurts and isn't completely symetrical with the other foot (there is a bump on the left foot - the potentially fractured foot - that isn't on the right) and the bruise isn't healing as fast as I would like.

Thing is, I have no health insurance, I don't work enough hours at Starbucks to get it through them, and I can't afford it on my own. So I have to try and find a free clinic or something much cheaper than a regular doctor. My mom suggested just going to the emergency room.

My response (sarcastically): Yeah, because the emergency room doesn't charge a tremendous amount of money.

Her: Then what to people without medical insurance do when they go to the emergency room?

Me: They go into debt, which is why many people don't go to the doctor, they pay their rent and buy food instead.

Her: Oh.

So here I am about to try and find a free clinic or something that I can go to, because I don't want my foot to be screwed up for the rest of my life. And if I have to go to a regular doctor (not that I'm not saying free clinic doctors aren't real, because they are), I will. It's just that I probably won't be able to afford going to a doctor and getting all the x-rays and casts and everything, and then fly out to Winnipeg for the wedding I plan on going to.

So either way, I'm boned.

Being too good at the mundane

At my internship there are the cool jobs I have to do, and the much less cool jobs.

The cool jobs aren't really that cool, just by comparison they are cool. For instasnce, calling up agents to see which famous actor, actress, director, or writer is available for a certian project and when they are available. Or reading a book, comic book, screenplay, or what have you and writing up some coverage for the boss. And even compiling lists of older movies with similar themes and plots as ones currently in development.

Jobs that aren't so cool involve the making of the coffee, compiling master lists of actors, writers, and directors, photocopying screenplays, and especially photocopying novels.

The problem being, I'm pretty good at the not so cool stuff. I know how to use excell pretty well, I actually make coffee professionally (well if you consider starbucks professional), and for some reason, I am the fastest photocopier - especially when it comes to novels. You see, when copying screenplays, plays, teleplays, or manuscripts, those just get fed quickly into the machine. Novels, published novels to be precise, come bound so one can't just feed it into the machine, one must go page by page, flipping through the book, to make a copy. I seem to be able to do this faster than my fellow interns. Not that much faster, but enough that I wind up the one doing it to save time.

The down side, not only do I hate the monotony of the photocopy machine, but when I'm out making copies, my fellow interns get to do the cool stuff (comparitivly anyway). Thus, I am penalized (of sorts) for being good at my job.

It's a really lame thing to complain about, especially as I like my fellow interns and wouldn't want them labouring away in the dark recess where the copy machine lies. But it's a pain and I'm in a complaining mood. So there.

My passover post (which I have been working on, put far more time and effort into a blog post than probably healthy) will drop sometime early next week, after the craziness that is passover has, er.. passed.

stuck in Funke

Arrested Development is over. Done. Kaput. Finito. And so forth.

For those of you who watched what was one of the smartest and funniest show on TV, a moment of silence.

For those of you who didn't watch it, what's wrong with you people?

Since I'm basically snowed in (the weatherman predicted 10-16 inches, and as it's been coming down since yesterday, we are well on our way) I shall console myself with the previous two seasons I have on DVD and the third season I still have on the DVR. I'll probably follow that with a chaser of Scrubs Season 2 also owned on DVD. Scrubs by the way, another hilarious show that will probably be cancelled at the end of this season.

I know it's only television, and no my life doesn't revolve around it, but still... What kind of backwards country do I live in that funny shows like those are being cancelled, but Freddie Prince Junior's show keeps on going?

Don't mind me though, I was up late, and was woken up with a call letting me know work might be cancelled due to snow. That's a positive "Yay! I don't have to work today!" And a negative "Ahh! I need that money to pay off loans and to buy stuff." Still waiting for a call back with the final info.

Uhh... carry on then.

Why Europeans are Stupid

I don't know if you've been following the news but apparently, last September a Dutch Newspaper printed a series of twelve political cartoons satirizing the prophet Mohamed and the nations of Islam (by which I mean the real Muslims, not the American organization that gave Malcolm X the boot). The cartoons show Mohammed in various poses, the one that the New York Times keeps referencing is of Mohamed with a bomb shaped turban about to go off. It is against Islamic religious law to create an image of their holy prophet Mohammed. Muslims world-wide (at least Muslims in the Middle East) are up in arms, demanding, well demanding something anyway. They always are demanding something. Just once I would like to see them in ask politely in some sort of calm diplomatic context. That being said, this is not a diatribe against various Islamic countries.

Since the Newspaper doesn't follow an Islamic doctrine they shouldn't be penalized for drawing an image of the Prophet. That being said, what the fuck did they think would happen by publishing demeaning images of a important religious icon? It's like publishing an image of a bunch of crooked nose Jews counting their money while drinking christian or muslim blood, or those really bad Japanese caricatures that were so prevalent in the US around World War Two. People will get very angry. I know all that blood libel crap gets my blood boiling.

According to the New York Times (Sunday, February 5, 2006 page A10) the Danish paper (Jyllands-Posten) claimed it had asked cartoonists to draw the pictures because the media was practicing self-censorship when it came to Muslim issues. Now this is a load of grade A bullshit. The difficulty to assimilate and be accepted in European culture (there was just a big write up about this about Muslims and other ethnic immigrants to Sweden and the racism they face in many aspects of Swedish culture in the most recent New York Times Magazine), or perhaps an article about the strife between the secularists and the religious Muslims in Muslim countries, or even the various political conditions that led the Palestinians to vote to power a terrorist organization; those are Muslim issues. Publishing racist cartoons of the prophet Mohammed is not a Muslim issue, it is a perception of the "Muslim issue", which is nothing other than inherent racism in occidental culture, and says much more about the publication and perhaps Denmark than it does about Islam.

Denmark, like most free countries believe in the Freedom of the Press. I believe firmly in this freedom. The Jylands-Posten should have and has the right to publish anything they desire, and I support their right to do so, even if they are publishing garbage. That being said, just because you can print something doesn't necessarily mean you have to print that thing. We pick and choose all the time what we feel is worth while to print or write about. If all the images do is create hate and animosity (and maybe reinforce ethnic stereotypes) what is their worth for publication? Freedom of the press is not a mandate to the press, you needn't publish everything that comes across your desk. Choosing such obvious inflamitory images reflects poorly on the publication itself, and as I understand it, newspapers live and die based on their reputation.

When you boil everything down, this would be a non-story; in September a single newspaper printed something stupid, it happens all the time (Fox News ring a bell to you Americans out there?). The fact that due to the controversy other Newspapers around Europe picked up the cartoons and ran them in their newspapers in some sort of feeble minded attempt at solidarity. As if having the right to publish also gives you the right not to have people get angry at what you publish. Again, just because something can be published does not mean it should be published. And if what was published was crude and racist it might be smarter not to publish it. This is a very much "What the Fuck?" moment. What the fuck where they thinking? It's February, September was five months ago. FIVE FUCKING MONTHS AGO. Only now are the riots starting. If the rest of fucking Europe wasn't so goddamn uppity and would let a really stupid decision fade into the background, there wouldn't have been a riot in Lebanon and Syria, and who knows where else, in front of the various Danish Embassies.

Freedom of the Press only means that you can publish what you will, it does not mean you can be exempt from the consequences. (And cheers to England, because I'm pretty sure they haven't run the cartoons in questions).

The Arab nations are not blameless, and I don't mean to intimate that they are. But my rant about the Arab nations is, well, it's a completely different sort of rant. I find they don't really have a leg to stand on as in Syria, Egypt, and others, they have a television adaptation of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, a proven forgery many times over, and quite possibly the most anti-Semitic book ever written which has also done tremendous harm to the Jews over the course of the last century and even still today. There is a word called hypocrisy and another called over reaction and lastly an exacerbated motivation towards violence, but I'll let those lie - for this post anyway.

I'll end with my sincere plea to Europeans, stop being idiots. It's not doing anyone any good, and publishing hate and claiming freedom of the press only makes you guys look like douche bags. As far as foriegn relations go, America has been getting shit for years, and most of it deserved. It's Europe with it's hollier than thou attidute, that really gets my goat. As if they haven't made and are still making the same fucking mistakes we make over here. Publish whatever the hell you please, just don't expect your shit to come out smelling like roses. Next time if you use a little common sense and actually stop being so freaking racist (recent riots in France anyone?) this won't happen in the future, and then you can go back to blame America for all your problems.

Jackasses.

A day and a bad excuse in a few paragraphs (with far too many parentheses)

I kinda promised a post yesterday but I spent most of the day cuddled up in my room with the electric heater on. The heat in the house broke down. That is to say the heat worked, but the circulating pump (the pump that circulates the heat to the rest of the house - for those like me who aren't so mechanically inclined) decided to make the annoyingly loud sound as if a jackhammer was going off in the walls instead of circulating the heat as it is supposed to do (see previous parenthesis). To my good fortune the pump decided to start with the loud jackhammer-ish noise at approximately three o'clock in the AM. Waking up in a house sans heat (read: very cold) by the jackhammer of the circulating pump coming out of the heating vent instead of the heat I expected is quite possibly the worst way to wake up; ever (save some sort of horrific torturous experience involving toothpicks, super glue, hot sauce, and a digital camera).

I was so cold, and so very tired (I had to wake up early to drive a sibling to the train and then stay up in a stupor waiting for the heating repair man to arrive) I quickly curled back up into bed around 11:30 AM and fell promptly back to sleep until 2:30PM. I woke up cold and sniffling, head aching due to sinuses. The rest of my day was spent first in bed reading, a quick run to drive brother number two to the LIRR so he could get into Manhattan to pick up cookie dough he left in his dorm room fridge (also hang out with his friends); then back in bed where it was warm until my folks came home from an extended weekend away. Along with my folks came an unassembled entertainment center from Ikea I then assembled with the help of the first sibling who had since come home from work. By then it was warm in the house, but I was too tired to go online and fell asleep early to get to work on time to open the Starbucks this morning.

It wasn't a very busy day yesterday, but it was one that was the quite the opposite of being conducive to writing.

Chanukah (or Hanukah, or whatever - I never know how to spell it in English, so Amber, you're one up on me) is going fine I guess. Received no presents so far, but did not expect any. We aren't a big present giving family. The only reason presents are exchanged on Chanukah is due to its proximity with Christmas Jews wanted to get gifts too. Ever since Rebecca (Roni's Girlfriend - Roni being a brother of course) mentioned to my mom that she buys her folks a gift, my mom has been dropping a few hints. Thus, the four of us (from oldest to youngest: Me, Hillel, Roni, and Asaf) all chipped in and purchased them (the parental units) an ice cream maker. We figured it's a gift that they would enjoy (they do) and something we could partake from as well. They way I figure it's far better than a bowling ball with "Homer" inscribed on it (anyone who gets that is just as big as a dork as I am - so there).

The sweet spicy smell of hot sweet potato Latkes (for those of you who speak Yiddish), Levivot (for those of you who speak Hebrew) potato pancakes (for those of you who speak neither Yiddish nor Hebrew) that my father has made is slowly wafting its way to my desk. Hence I shall sign off here, sweet potato latkes and home made ice cream are both in my immediate future. Take care kiddies.

Post script: I saw The Chronicles of Narnia and my review will be posted on TheNoyse.com as soon as I write it. I'm just a lazy bastard.

new blogs that I like

So it's Saturday night and I should go out and have fun. I haven't actually gone out and had fun in a long time (at least two months). Lily (my brothers girlfriend), as I mentioned two posts previous, just turned 24, and tonight she is celebrating her birthday. First, dinner at some vegi chinese place in chinatown then drinks at some dive bar (which as a prerequisite must have a photobooth - as per Lily's birthday wishes) somewhere in alphabet city (on avenue B or D, I can't recall). Granted I would hang out with all my brother's frieds (I have no freinds in Manahattan yet - or queens for that matter), but that will most likely be fun. I do have a tendancy of being incredibly awkward at all times (those who know me personally can back this up) and that might not be such a good thing amungst strangers. Regardless I don't even know if I'm going as I am coming down with a cold. I either got it from my father or a different brother, both of whom are sick. Today is the first day and I know it's just going ot get worse tomorrow. I ache like nobodies business (as if someone lubricated all my joints with battery acid) and my head just started pounding. I took some tylenol, which has eliminated my symptons, albeit temporarily. The scary thing is I can feel my heart beating. Psuedophedreine (sp?) causes your heart rate to increase. I took an anti-histamine pill and though it's probably just my hypochondria, I think I can feel my heart beating much more quickly in my chest. It's not a big deal as it often happens when I take anti-histamines, but it isn't very comfortable.

I'm also very poor, as in quite literally broke (well more than just broke since I'm in debt up to my eyebrows - damn expensive college loans) so I don't even know if I can afford dinner and drinks, let alone just dinner, or just drinks. I would very much like to celebrate Lily's birthday but I think destiny is forcing me to do otherwise and once again stay home and watch TV (maybe with a nice bowl of soup and copius amounts of tea).

Regardless, tonight I have decided (inspired by lady hearteater) to throw out some links to other blogs I read. Some in fact I just started reading, while others I have been reading for a while. None of which are linked in my sidebar. I should probably do that too (at least with some of them) but I'm sick and far too lazy to really go into my template and do the additions. When I feel better....

But until then:

Lunatic Fringe just news and stuff, but I like how he writes it.

Ten Minutes Older a clever hopeful british film maker who has described herself as over educated and under employed - and I can completely relate to that.

Clandestine Call Girl This one really blew my mind. I'm pretty sure it's legit. It's the online diary of a woman who lives a normal life like all of us, yet on the side she's a proffessional escort. I actually took a day to go through and read all her old entries. From a psychological standpoint it's riviting (also she has a nice writing style that makes the blog very accessable).

XoTessamarieoX I love Jazi Fizzle!. Two blogs from two forteen year old girls. It's not riviting, or even that interesting, but I never had sisters, and there is something very interesting getting into the head of a someone who is so alien to me.

Friday's Web Most people who read my blog probably read hers first so there isn't much I need to say. If you haven't read it, you should check it out.

Lady Hearteater. Ditto with what I said about Friday's Web. Another fun lady with a fun weblog.

Now don't say I never gave you anything.

most people suck

As mentioned in previous posts, I am a member of Triggerstreet.com. It's an online forum and workshop for screenwriters and filmmakers created by Kevin Spacey in order to weed out new talent from outside Hollywood. There are over 2000 members and it is free to join. I post under the name Chrysalis because I joined before my epiphany.

Anyway, the dork that I am, I read and post on various threads on the message boards, usually the ones devoted to specific aspects of writing. One such thread was a discussion as to how much one should focus on format when reviewing and rating other people's scripts. There were some complaints that some members are sticklers when it comes to "proper format". I put that in quotes because the main arguement against said sticklers is there is no completely standard screenplay format.

Thing is, there is a stanard format, it's just much more fluid that we give it credit for. In my opinion, format is important (bad formating says almost as much about the writing as it does the writer and distracts from the story) but shouldn't come close to over shadowing the story or the characters in regards to importance in reviewing. A happy middle ground.

But that's all background for this next bit. Because there is some arguement as to what is or is not proper format one member wrote:

"ironically, even the farmat Nazis can't agree on what format is."

First off, that's his misspelling on format, not mine; so there's that. But I let that one slide. What really bothered me was the usage of the word Nazi. And in response (and I guess the fault really is mine because I started this whole stupid thing) I wrote:

First this is my little side rant, (my pet peeve if you will), I know it wasn't meant this way, and this isn't a dig towards the writer, but I really can't stand it when the term nazi is used so loosely. To compare someone who is strict in regards to grammar, spelling, or the sales of soup (regardless as to how funny it is - and that was a funny seinfeld episode) to an ideology of genocide, never sits well with me. One would never call someone else a "spelling klansman", it sounds silly, and that's basically what I hear when I read the word nazi thrown around as such. But that's my thing and this is the end of my rant.

You can judge, but I tried to be civil whilst still getting my point across. My next paragraph (which I won't bore you with) was basically a summery of my thoughts on format, as previuosly discussed in the beginning of this post.

The responses I recieved? Damn did they get my blood boiling. The first basically said (boiling down to the essentials) that I justified the terms usage in my own paragraph because,

But isn't one writer comdemning another writer for being outside their parameters a form of literary genocide?

Not only was that one of the stupidest things I've ever read, I don't know what literary genocide is, save perhaps the wholesale slaughter of authors and poets then burning their work. And I'm pretty sure that's not what this person meant because said member went on and wrote about writers as artists and thinking out of the box and such while not worrying about the little bits and peices. It was a shame really as before I read this post I had some respect (via prevoius posts on different matters) for this member.

The second response - and god, I hope there will be no more - quoted my work then wrote:

wow, you're the biggest semantics nazi I have ever seen.

I've never wanted to kick anyones front teeth in more than I did to this member after reading the post. The term annoying monkey molesting stupid fucking douchebag bastard (commas omited intentionally) is one I rarely dust off, but in this members case the moniker fits because said member really is an annoying monkey molsesting stupid fucking douchbag bastard (and I have the pictures to prove it).

where to go from here

So...

I've only been here for a week and already I'm sick of the place. I love my family and all but I gotta get a place of my own. It's been a freaking year of this stupid job search and getting absolutely bubkis. I say I want to write but I don't really do anything about it. Thing is, I don't really know where to start. I write, mostly fiction, so I guess what I really need to do is look for small magazines that publish fiction, build a portfolio. I should probably do the same with some non fiction, only I don't know where to send my stuff. Research. I write for The noyse but that can't be it. I need a real paying gig. Trying to figure out how to accomplish this. Anyway, that's enough for now. I think I'm good enough, I just need to actually go out and do it now. We'll see what happens. All I know is my allergies are really killing me and I have to get out of Queens.

this is such a pain in the...

For a while (as in this past month) I've had a pain shooting down the right side of my neck. As the time has passed it's dimmed to a dull throb, or disapears completely letting me forget about it, that is until I tilt my head up. Then the sharp pain kicks into gear. It's one of those things I'd like to think will just go away by itself. I should probably see a doctor, but I am poor and uninsured, so maybe a free clinic. If I was insured I still probably wouldn't see a doctor, because I'm just that sort of idiot.

a pounding not unlike the energizer bunny

I don't really like my father's computer. I'm a mac person, and he used to be, but has since (to be compatible with work) switched over to the dark side. I'm staying at his place until Tuesday - got here Friday - and it was a mistake to come. It was a mistake because my life is full of cruel ironies. For instance, I'm a cat person. Can't stand dogs. Dogs smell funny, take up too much time and energy, and can never be left alone. Cats only smell funny around the litter box, and if you are smart and buy good cat litter the smell is negligble and in an area of the house you infrequently visit. Cats are much more independent, but good ones will respond when spoken to and also love playing (and this playing induces a minimal energy expendature on the owners side of the equation). Not only that, you can't curl up with a dog and read a book or watch TV. A cat, however, couldn't be more content sitting on your lap as you read, watch TV, or even sleep. And cats don't bark obsessivly everytime someone walks by your house.

My father has two cats. Oscar and Felix; brothers named after the odd couple (one has fluffy bright orange fur, the other has black, grey and white peppered short fur). I have cat allergies. We had a cat when I was younger and I didn't have a problem, I shared a cat with my roomates in my first apartment four years ago (he is currently living with one of my former roommates in New Orleans - lucky bastard)and I still didnt' have a problem. But they were short hair cats and it wasn't a big deal. Felix - the fluffy bright orange one - is too much for me. His dander is everywhere and I need to be on a constant regiment of antihistamines to breath. In the winter it wasn't so bad, most of his fur stayed on his body. It's summer now and he's shedding like a made man (er, cat). It's hot, incredibly and incredibly humid in Queens and his fur is everywhere. I can only breath standing up. Once I lie down at least one nostril clogs up and I feel sinus pressure building behind my eyes and in my ears. Thus, I can't fall asleep. I was up until 7 in the AM when - thank the lord - it rained, temporarily relieving the humidity and much of my nasal pressure. I slept for a total of three and a half hours before I was forced awake by the unbareable sinus pressure building beneath my face. I'm just thankful I'm not a big enough dork to get random nose bleeds. Thank heavens for small favors

My neck hurts too, but I don't know why, and it's been hurting all week. It's kinda scary actually, but I'm too poor and unemployed (lacking health insurance) to see a doctor. C'est la vie.

So I'm beat, have a bit of a sinus headache, my stomachs doing the weird thing it does when I don't get enough sleep, and I'm home alone for the day (folks and a sibling went off to a wedding for the day, a wedding I was not invited to, bah, humbug). I have a car but am too tired to drive anywhere for fear of getting in an accident - also I don't really know my way around even in optimal conditions. My big plan is to go the the movie theater around the corneer and watch at least one really stupid movie (the Fantastic 4 is in my immediate future, that or Mr. and Mrs. Smith; I promised my Mother I'd see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with her so that'll have to wait).

Enough complaining. I'm going to try and come up with a clever title for this entry and then hopefully collapse into a bed and sleep for a few more hours.

That's all for now so be good little boys and girls, and remember to eat all your vegitables.

Oh yeah, since this is my pops computer I'm to lazy to figure out how to spell check this, so any words that are misspelled will remain that way until I get back home on Tuesday or Wendseday.

**NOTE** 1:15 PM
I finally updated my blog including Amber's life weblog. I check it frequently and have been meaning to add a link but was jut too lazy or forgetful. Anyway, it's up now in the link section. Feel free to check it out. As noted hers is far more intersting than mine.

Carry on then....

graaah

I am the most awkard man alive!!!!!!

I'm Boned

I can't be much clearer than that. More to come in a few days as it all unravels.

I hate writing cover letters

see title for more info.

Some sort of pun with knows and nose

It's a little after 3:30 am and I can't sleep. My nose is congested and the pressure is keeping me awake. I don't have medical insurance and I can't afford a doctor so I did what any rational person would do. I rolled up into a ball and cried in frustration (I'm awfully tired), then checked Webmd.com to see if maybe I can self-diagnose my problem. Based on my reading I've decided I'm ok, only my nasal lining swells (not an excess of mucus so there is nothing to blow out) restricting my air passages. This is exacerbated due to allergies and I think over use of nasal sprays like afrin (well in this case specifically afrin). I never use Afrin more than three days in a row. What these sprays do is reduce the nasal lining to increase air flow. the down side, when you stop using said sprays the nasal lining becomes more swollen than when you started. Maybe I'm just more susceptible than most, or maybe though I think I'm being frugal with the spray I still use it too frequently. Either way, I have to avoid allergic reactions (cats, well really fluffy cats - so I probably won't be going to my father's house this weekend) take over the counter decongestants, and drink lots of water. Also I have to eat healthier, but I should do that anyway.

I'm far too tired, congested and cranky to come up with a closing catchphrase.

House for sale

The painters finished yesterday and now the house smells like paint. I can't really smell it though becaues my nose is all stuffed up. Graah! If it's not one thing then,....Well it usually is just one thing.