I Don't Know

I will level with everyone tonight, I don't really know what I am writing about here. I just felt the need to try and hammer something out.

It seems to me that no matter how hard I try to prod my brain into producing something intelligible, I am completely unable to come up with anything of substance. Meanwhile, the second I do come up with something, I'm in no situation whatsoever to either post or make note of it. It is really quite frustrating. I want to be able to get all of these thoughts out of my head, but it just feels like there is this nagging feeling that something isn't right, and it's distracting me.

Well, I guess instead of having an intelligent posting about my thoughts, or a well thought out but meaningless guide to chair leaning, I shall give you all the normal updates into my life.

Not much is happening on the social front, I have been going out less as of late, trying to keep up with the schoolwork. I'm hoping to do something next weekend, but time will tell, as it frequently seems to.

On the academic front, I'm keeping up. After a few minor blips in physics, I think I'm going to be alright, and with regards to calculus, I only wish I had paid attention the first time through.

On the home front, my uncle has returned from Vancouver, and is temporarily staying with us. I don't see the problem, but there seems to be an general feeling of tension in the air. I'm sure it's just normal family stuff, it is just that I am unaccustomed to having my uncle around this much, so it is more just the 'weird newness', to quote Corner Gas.

And on the western front, all seems quiet.

That's all I suppose.

Until next time...

Blogger Beta

Well, I have relented to Blogger's incessant nagging me to update my blog to the beta version, so here you all go, I have changed it. Over the next few days, I will be adding the appropriate labels to all of my posts, which I hope will have some sort of impact in the end. In all likelyhood, the following labels will be used primarily: Rants, Thoughts, School, Life, Creative Writing, Blogging and News.

I'm not completely sure how all the labeling works, so bear with me, I'm sure I will get the hang of it within a few tries.

In other news, I am going to try to go back to a slightly more active role in blogging. I have a post written out to this effect, and I shall post it sometime soon. Also I have something that would definitely qualify as news.

So what I am trying to say is to stay tuned. There will be some changes, and a glorious return to activity.

Until next time...

Wisdom

You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.
You’re out on your own, and you know what you know.
You are the one who’ll decide where to go.

This one life is yours. It is yours to be had.
You must find your way through the good and the bad.
So you see, you must see it through to the end.
Cause no one can know what is just 'round the bend.


Haven't written any creative type stuff in some time, so I thought I'd try my hand at something again, and here is what I came up with.

Until next time...

Semester One Recap

Well, as my first semester at UOIT draws to a close, I have learned a few very important lessons.

The first and most important thing that I have learned, is that you have to... HAVE TO take notes, regardless of whether or not the lecture notes are posted online. Writing down the stuff you are learning, allows you to learn it, rather than to be screwed when you are sitting in a midterm and realize that you are doomed.

The second thing is that you need to get sleep. This is also very important, as without sleep you are never going to be able to focus, as well as eating right. If you don't eat right, again you will not be able to concentrate on anything but the pain in your stomach.

Finally, the last lesson is to eat your meals at home if at all possible, meals at the university are really expensive, and add up quick. They drain your cash faster than you may think, and should be avoided if you are able to.

There is so much more that I could go on to say, but I do not see the point of turning this into one of my rants. So I shall close with this, Eat right, get some sleep, turn on some music and STUDY!

Until next time...

The World is Making Less Sense than Usual Today

Hello, faithful bloggers and blog readers, today I will be referencing something that would appear to have no sense whatsoever.

Now, I have never claimed that the world is a rational, logical, or sane place to reside, but usually there will be some sort of cosmic explanation behind the weird crap that is thrown in our collective way. I will point out now, that I have been known to engage in some highly random behaviour, which includes searching for some highly random stuff.

Due to its nature, I love Wikipedia, highly editable, easy to learn its format, and for the most part, credible. Today however I take issue with its search function. I am currently using Mozilla Firefox, just because of its search function and tabbed browsing, as well as its heightened security, and I typed into the search bar at the top of my page "The ironing is delicious".

This was a reference to a conversation my friend and I were having at the time, and mostly done randomly. I wondered if it would pull up something on the Simpsons, or possibly an entire topic, possibly devoted to some sort of internet meme.

It pulled up as its first link, Marshmallow Alpha-Bits.

...

Yeah. At this point, I'm imagining that all of you have either seen that, and done the search yourself, or have just sat there thinking 'What the hell?'. Trust me, the feeling is mutual. It makes no sense whatsoever.

Just in case you are in doubt, here is a link for you all. What the hell is Wikipedia thinking?

Well there you go, if that is not proof that the world gets stranger by the day, I'm not sure what is.

Until next time...

Happy Hallowe'en

It is that time of year again, time for candy and costumes, ghouls and goblins, witches and warlocks, and of course more candy.

I'm just not feeling it this year...

I mean don't get me wrong, I'm gonna celebrate it all of course from my doorstep handing out the treats, but to be perfectly honest, it just isn't feeling like Hallowe'en this year. I suppose it may have something to do with the fact that I am a little too young to go to Hallowe'en parties, but way too old to go trick or treating. It is a really sucky age range.

Next year I can do a little drinking.

In any case, Happy Hallowe'en all, and to those celebrating Samhain... Blessings of this sacred night be upon you and yours... and may the memory of those who lie beyond the veil fill your heart with gentle joy.

Until next time...

One Year Anniversary

Wow... Just wow...

I was looking at my front page and I realized, I have hit the year marker. It was last week on the twenty-fourth.

I have written some poems, a short story, some guides on how to do things, and I don't know how many rants over this past year, and I look back at it all, and I must say, while I have said some things I may not agree with now, I am proud of it.

So what is in the future?

Lots of stuff. I am currently writing "1001 Ways to be an Asshole", and if all goes well, I'll get to 1001 someday, I'm currently in the early 100's. Also up, are some thoughts on university, and the craziness of the system, though to be honest, I am impressed so far. Finally, maybe if you guys are lucky, you will see some more creative work.

So keep watching guys, there is more to be had.

Until next time...

Live From the Principal Awards

I am currently sitting, watching the so-called 'Principal Awards' at the elementary school that I currently volunteer at.

This is a joke.

I am not asking for the school to live up to an adult's standard of what consitutes something worth rewarding, but how about a logical estimation for a child's standard. These are not achievements for the most part, and certainly not something worth calling a school assembly for.

An actual award given... "For writing in her agenda real fast". That was how they said it too, real fast. Not really fast, or very quickly. Real fast.

Oh look my brother's friend is going up and is receiving an award for "reviewing his math test and learning from his mistakes." Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't that the point of school? Should an award not be given for somethign exceptional?

We are celebrating, not only mediocrity, but in fact, failure. There is a word for that... asinine.

Certificates celebrating making mistakes and learning from them, getting organized and making friends, MAYBE deserve a classroom award. To call an entire school assembly, seems wasteful to me.

Why are we celebrating achievements such as these, celebrating improved math skills at a time like this anyways. The class I was with, was in their math class when we got called down. It just seems ironic to me.

I guess it may be me, but I find this to be a little over the top. Why can the teacher not take a second out of their class, take the child of to the side and say something like "You have been doing a really good job lately, and I have noticed it. Keep up the good work."?

It seems to me, that it would feel more heartfelt, and a lot less patronizing.

Yet it all keeps going.

Until next time...

Welcome

A hearty hello as I report live from the world of Linux. Let me say this to you all... This operating system is horrible!

I hope that none of my computers ever have to have this on it again. I am currently running Linux from a program installed on my computer known as Fedora. This allows me to keep my sanity by keeping Windows, and not having to rely on Linux.

For those of you that do not know, Linux is an open source operating system. This means that you are able to program how your computer runs yourself. Sure this may sound good, but unless you are a programmer, you would be surprised at how very aggravating this can be. Imagine being able to disassemble your car. You would have your car's body, it's engine, disassembled out in front of the car. The battery, the cylinders, carburetor all lying out on your driveway.

This would look cool, I'm sure. Any person can take apart an engine, with the proper tools. This is what Linux is. This is also where you need a mechanic to put it all back together again. If one is lucky, or has an idea of what they are doing, they could get it back to how it was, but there is a potential to screw up, and you will have a difficult time doing so. You really need a mechanic to put it back together correctly.

You see though, it is not the idea of Linux to just take it apart and put it together unchanged... The idea is to improve upon it, and for that, you need to understand exactly how to use Linux's programming language.

Sure, Linux is more reliable, more stable, and free in most cases, but do you honestly feel like going through and design this thing to your own specifications? I think it would be prohibitively difficult.

Or not, and I'm just being lazy... One or the other, methinks.

Until next time...

Biology Lecture

Hello, I am now reporting from my biology lecture at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, located... in a giant tent.

They call it the university pavillion or UP1500 as it seems to be better known. Before class, I thought it was a portable-like structure just north of the library. I was annoyed enough about having to attend class in a portable, but this is simply ridiculous.

The tent I am currently sitting in looks from the outside like a giant igloo. From the inside, it is a concrete floor, with a small stage at the front for the professor. Above is a mess of metal beams, lights and an air conditioning system.

I would like to point out that this is completely unfair, as we are all paying a ridiculous amount of money. The university should build additional lecture halls, rather than spending our money laying down additional sod. There is an excellent spot just north of the UB building, where a permanent lecture building could be built, and this is just one solution.

My point is that it is ridiculous to stick students who are paying tens of thousands of dollars to go to school, in a tent outside. It is wrong, and it is robbing us of our right to proper resources, as we have paid for

This has been Robert Clark, reporting live, from UP1500.

Until next time...

Parking Hell

Well I had a hell of a day…

I am of the opinion that if you paid several hundred dollars for a parking pass that there should be parking spots available. Sadly this is not the case and I am forced to put up with the crap of the University of Ontario Institute of technology. For some asinine reason they have seen it fit to make parking free for the first week and in the meantime make the drivers who have paid good money to pay for their spots in advance, scrounge for parking spots while those who are lazy or procrastinate get their spots for free, ahead of those who have paid.

Now I can understand that the university cannot be responsible for me being able to find a parking spot every day, but the university should at least make sure that those were not paying, should not be getting parking spots. I had to look for a half hour in order to find a parking spot across the road next to the athletic center rather than right next to the university buildings as I paid for.

This is wrong. This is quite simply in my opinion breach of a contract. I paid over four hundred dollars in order to guarantee me a parking pass. Therefore every single student at the university should have to pay the exact amount.

It’s patently ridiculous. It really is…

On another note, this is my first post dictated using speech recognition software. It works!

Until next time...

Class the First

Well, my faithful readers, I now sit waiting for it all to begin. I have attended my orientation, I have my laptop, and I am now just waiting for my chemistry professor to open the door to my first class, so that I may start my learning. Wait, people are lining up, I shall return shortly. The doors have been opened!

...

Well, I return now, connected in the midst of all my classmates. Someone is setting up at the front, and is lowering a screen, so I assume that this is the professor of who we have all come to listen to, so I shall leave you all at this point. Enjoy all of your days, I hope I shall find this to be some sort of enriching experience. At the price we are all paying to be here, it damned well better be.

Until next time...

University has Come at Last

Well, my faithful readers, university is finally upon me. After years of waiting, nearly six months of erratic posting, and many, many weeks of anticipation, my post-secondary education experience is finally about to begin.

For those of you that do not already know, I will be attending the University of Ontario Institute of Technology this coming fall. I will be going there for their honours science program with concurrent education. I will be majoring in physics, and minoring in math. At the end of my five years in university, I will have a bachelor of education and an honours bachelor of science. I will be a high school teacher.

Preparations have begun to allow me to be ready for this experience. The university has issued me a laptop for the year, which I type upon now. It has come preloaded with all the programs that I will need for the year. In the next few days, I will begin my back-to-school shopping. Everything is shaping up for a great first year of university.

My course load is heavy, but it will all be worth it in the end.

Until next time...

Damn!

Damn, I did not win the forty-two million dollars! What insolent freak took my money? Give it back! I know what you did, you took my ticket, which was clearly the winner, and switched it with your own. I don't know how you did it, but I'm sure you did.

That's call theft buddy, and of forty-two million dollars. Give it back, or I will find you. I do not know how I will, but I will track you down, and I will find you, no matter what it takes.

I frankly think that it was someone at the service desk, or perhaps an inside job from the OLGC. I vow that I will not rest, until I either have my forty-two million dollars, or at least enough money to pay for my university tuition.

Again I say... DAMN!

Until next time...

Telemarketers

It's official, people are just not getting it. The other day, as I was sitting at home with my brothers, I was phoned by MasterCard. Allow me to explain to you the details of my telephone conversation with MasterCard.

As I said, I was called and asked if I would be interested in a MasterCard. I made a decision right there to be polite to this person, just to see if it would work on a telemarketer. I responded to this by saying "No, thank-you, I am happy with my Visa, and I do not want another card."

You would think that this would have let him know that I didn't really want the card, but no... He persisted.

"But have you heard about our new low interest rate?" Okay I thought, he thinks I'm just a tough sell, I can respect that. So I told him again that I did not want a MasterCard, and explained to him that I like my Visa because it is compatible with my bank, and that MasterCard is not.

So I continued to be polite, thinking that if I explained why I was happy with my Visa, he would back off.

Wrong.

"Oh, but our new low interest rate is only..." I interrupted him politely here, "Alright" I said. "I'm going to explain to you why that is no good for me." I proceeded to explain to him that I do not allow myself to be charged that interest, as I pay my credit card off online as soon as I can. I told him that I would actually be a bad cardholder for them as I would just cost them money.

Now. You would think that any reasonable person would stop now, but no, he continued. It was only my call waiting that allowed me to politely hang up on him.

This experience proved two things to me. One, that you can not be polite to telemarketers and expect results, and two, that there are more idiots in the world than natural selection should really be allowing.

Until next time...

Journey to the Centre of the Computer

It was a mistake that lead me to the centre of the computer, let me tell you my story... It all started when I offered to help my youngest brother in his trials with his music. I was to supplement his collection... It was then that I realized that it would not be as simple as I would have hoped.

It was a perilous trek, there were many wires to pull out carefully. It took much time to safely remove them to delve deeper into the realm of the digital. Once these were dealt with, it was simply a matter of moving the box to a safer location.

Now, in what may have been the most labour intensive part of the job, we removed the side panel from the box. This took careful turning of the keystone in order to access the inside of the digital fortress. After an ingenious solution pulled from my brother's trusty leather pocket pack, we were in.

As we slid of the metal coverstone, we were in awe at what we saw. It was like a different world. I cannot even begin to describe the wonders of what I saw, wires of all sorts leading everywhere. It was breathtaking. After several minutes of searching we found what we were looking for, and after a small faltering, we were on our way to fixing the problem.

We traced the problem back to its source, reinserting the wires where they should lead. It was at this that we slid the coverstone back into place, sealing it once more. We reconnected the wires and slid the box back into place, now working.

I am happy to inform you all that my brother now has the music he needed, and now he will have no future problems.

Until next time...

Boredom

Well faithful blog readers, while my life does seem to be a hotbed of activity lately, I just cant seem to get in the writing mood about it, so I shall write about the time I have been spending sitting in front of my computer screen.

As you may or may not know, I have recently all but stopped playing Puzzle Pirates. I have also broken out of my shell, something I have been trying to do for years. I have basically done all that I have set out to do.

Now the problem is that I have nothing to do on my computer other than chat with people, listen to music and play trivia on Afternet. What is a guy to do?

So, I now open it to you my readers. Post me the links to your blogs, your livejournals and your Spaces, be they yours or MSN's. I shall read to kill the boredom.

Until next time...

Workspace

I hath reclaimed my workspace. I have cleared out the crap from my dresser and have made room on my dresser for the game set my parents bought me for my birthday. Now I have room on my desk for space not only to work, but to write as well.

At long last, my desk is clean. I have been meaning to do this for months.

Huzzah, my creative spirit is free to flow freely onto the page.

Until next time...

Everything's Changing

Things are changing here. Things are going amazing.

I have new music to up my moods. This really helps when just sitting here at my computer.

I have a G2, so I can drive myself about.

Most importantly, I have been going out with my friends much more in the past three weeks.

As I said, things are going amazingly. Just thought I would let you all know.

Until next time...

LT3M

Well, I have never actually included an image on this blog, but I thought that this website deserved it. As I type I am listening to the electronic style of LT3M. It is an internet radio station that delves heavily into electronic music, one of my favourites being trance.

LT3M is short for less than three music, or <3 Music. I recently started listening to this station, and since then have grown to love the electronic style. I highly recommend it to all that read this.

In conclusion, I now like electronic music. It is amazing.

Until next time...