Friday, November 22, 2002
If you want to know how my dad is doing then you can just talk to me. E-mail, AIM, phone, whatever.
For something to read, here is the Presbyterian stance on abortion.
"Abortion
Presbyterians have struggled with the abortion issue for more than 25 years, beginning in 1970 when a General Assembly statement declared that "the artificial or induced termination of pregnancy is a matter of the careful ethical decision of the patient, . . . and therefore should not be restricted by law . . ."(1) The latest major statement on abortion by a Presbyterian General Assembly came in 1992. Here's an excerpt from that position statement:
. . . There is [both] agreement and disagreement on the basic issue of abortion. The committee [on problem pregnancies and abortion] agreed that there are no biblical texts that speak expressly to the topic of abortion, but that taken in their totality the Holy Scriptures are filled with messages that advocate respect for the woman and child before and after birth. Therefore the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) encourages an atmosphere of open debate and mutual respect for a variety of opinions concerning the issues related to problem pregnancies and abortion.
Areas of Substantial Agreement on the Issue of Abortion
•The church ought to be able to maintain within its fellowship those who, on the basis of a study of Scripture and prayerful decision, come to diverse conclusions and actions.
•Problem pregnancies are the result of, and influenced by, so many complicated and insolvable circumstances that we have neither the wisdom nor the authority to address or decide each situation.
•We affirm the ability and responsibility of women, guided by the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit, in the context of their communities of faith, to make good moral choices in regard to problem pregnancies.
•We call upon Presbyterians to work for a decrease in the number of problem pregnancies, thereby decreasing the number of abortions.
•The considered decision of a woman to terminate a pregnancy can be a morally acceptable, though certainly not the only or required, decision. Possible justifying circumstances would include medical indications of severe physical or mental deformity, conception as a result of rape or incest, or conditions under which the physical or mental health of either woman or child would be gravely threatened.
•We are disturbed by abortions that seem to be elected only as a convenience or ease embarrassment. We affirm that abortion should not be used as a method of birth control.
•Abortion is not morally acceptable for gender selection only or solely to obtain fetal parts for transplantation.
•We reject the use of violence and/or abusive language either in protest of or in support of abortion . . .
•The strong Christian presumption is that since all life is precious to God, we are to preserve and protect it. Abortion ought to be an option of last resort. . . .
•The Christian community must be concerned about and address the circumstances that bring a woman to consider abortion as the best available option. Poverty, unjust societal realities, sexism, racism, and inadequate supportive relationships may render a woman virtually powerless to choose freely.(2)
In a subsequent action, the 209th General Assembly (1997), while refusing to call for a ban on the late-term procedure often called "partial-birth" abortion, did offer the following "moral guidance" regarding this procedure:
That the 209th General Assembly (1997) offer a word of counsel to the church and our culture that the procedure known as intact dilation and extraction (commonly called "partial birth" abortion) of a baby who could live outside the womb is of grave moral concern and should be considered only if the mother's physical life is endangered by the pregnancy.
In addition to offering personal counsel, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has a long history of public policy advocacy. This tradition includes public stances on the abortion issue. The 1992 policy statement included these public policy recommendations:
There is diversity of opinion in the church as to whether or not abortion should be legal and on the extent to which the government should be permitted to regulate or prohibit abortions. The church acknowledges that many of its members find fault with the philosophical basis of Roe v. Wade and its division of pregnancy into three trimesters, preferring that the state be permitted to regulate and even prohibit abortions throughout the pregnancy, rather than just at the stage of viability. Others feel that Roe's framework effectively safeguards the constitutional liberties of pregnant women while also recognizing the state's interest in protecting the unborn child and the woman.
The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) also recognizes that if fetal development is no longer the standard by which the government measures the extent of its involvement in abortions, then our lawmakers must find some other acceptable standard by which the rights of the mother to terminate her pregnancy will be balanced against the state's interest in protecting the unborn child. Based on prior experiences of the courts and legislatures, it will not be easy to present a standard that will balance the competing interests in such a manner that will not lead to additional litigation. Courts and legislatures have not always well represented the interests of the economically disadvantaged, the undereducated, and women. Some among these groups historically have had greater difficulty in circumventing the obstacles posed by restrictive abortion legislation than have the more affluent.
The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) concedes that we cannot respond definitively to every legal aspect of the abortion issue in a manner that will garner consensus among the church constituency. We believe that in the shaping of the future law, the following affirmations are of vital consideration.
a. The state has a limited legitimate interest in regulating abortions and in restricting abortions in certain circumstances.
b. Within this context of the state's limited legitimate interest, no law should impose criminal penalties against any woman who chooses or physician who performs a medically safe abortion.
c. Within this same context of the state's limited legitimate interest, no law should deny access to safe and affordable services for the persons seeking to terminate a problem pregnancy.
d. No law or administrative decision should provide for a complete ban on abortion.
e. No law or administrative decision should
(1) limit access to abortions;
(2) limit information and counseling concerning abortions; or
(3) limit or prohibit public funding for necessary abortions for the socially and economically disadvantaged.
f. No law should prohibit access to, nor the practice of, contraceptive measures.
g. No law should sanction any action intended to harm or harass those persons contemplating or deciding to have an abortion.
h. No law should condone mandatory or forced abortion or sterilization. Such laws should be abolished where they do exist.(3) "
Stick that in your pipe and smoke it.
For something to read, here is the Presbyterian stance on abortion.
"Abortion
Presbyterians have struggled with the abortion issue for more than 25 years, beginning in 1970 when a General Assembly statement declared that "the artificial or induced termination of pregnancy is a matter of the careful ethical decision of the patient, . . . and therefore should not be restricted by law . . ."(1) The latest major statement on abortion by a Presbyterian General Assembly came in 1992. Here's an excerpt from that position statement:
. . . There is [both] agreement and disagreement on the basic issue of abortion. The committee [on problem pregnancies and abortion] agreed that there are no biblical texts that speak expressly to the topic of abortion, but that taken in their totality the Holy Scriptures are filled with messages that advocate respect for the woman and child before and after birth. Therefore the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) encourages an atmosphere of open debate and mutual respect for a variety of opinions concerning the issues related to problem pregnancies and abortion.
Areas of Substantial Agreement on the Issue of Abortion
•The church ought to be able to maintain within its fellowship those who, on the basis of a study of Scripture and prayerful decision, come to diverse conclusions and actions.
•Problem pregnancies are the result of, and influenced by, so many complicated and insolvable circumstances that we have neither the wisdom nor the authority to address or decide each situation.
•We affirm the ability and responsibility of women, guided by the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit, in the context of their communities of faith, to make good moral choices in regard to problem pregnancies.
•We call upon Presbyterians to work for a decrease in the number of problem pregnancies, thereby decreasing the number of abortions.
•The considered decision of a woman to terminate a pregnancy can be a morally acceptable, though certainly not the only or required, decision. Possible justifying circumstances would include medical indications of severe physical or mental deformity, conception as a result of rape or incest, or conditions under which the physical or mental health of either woman or child would be gravely threatened.
•We are disturbed by abortions that seem to be elected only as a convenience or ease embarrassment. We affirm that abortion should not be used as a method of birth control.
•Abortion is not morally acceptable for gender selection only or solely to obtain fetal parts for transplantation.
•We reject the use of violence and/or abusive language either in protest of or in support of abortion . . .
•The strong Christian presumption is that since all life is precious to God, we are to preserve and protect it. Abortion ought to be an option of last resort. . . .
•The Christian community must be concerned about and address the circumstances that bring a woman to consider abortion as the best available option. Poverty, unjust societal realities, sexism, racism, and inadequate supportive relationships may render a woman virtually powerless to choose freely.(2)
In a subsequent action, the 209th General Assembly (1997), while refusing to call for a ban on the late-term procedure often called "partial-birth" abortion, did offer the following "moral guidance" regarding this procedure:
That the 209th General Assembly (1997) offer a word of counsel to the church and our culture that the procedure known as intact dilation and extraction (commonly called "partial birth" abortion) of a baby who could live outside the womb is of grave moral concern and should be considered only if the mother's physical life is endangered by the pregnancy.
In addition to offering personal counsel, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has a long history of public policy advocacy. This tradition includes public stances on the abortion issue. The 1992 policy statement included these public policy recommendations:
There is diversity of opinion in the church as to whether or not abortion should be legal and on the extent to which the government should be permitted to regulate or prohibit abortions. The church acknowledges that many of its members find fault with the philosophical basis of Roe v. Wade and its division of pregnancy into three trimesters, preferring that the state be permitted to regulate and even prohibit abortions throughout the pregnancy, rather than just at the stage of viability. Others feel that Roe's framework effectively safeguards the constitutional liberties of pregnant women while also recognizing the state's interest in protecting the unborn child and the woman.
The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) also recognizes that if fetal development is no longer the standard by which the government measures the extent of its involvement in abortions, then our lawmakers must find some other acceptable standard by which the rights of the mother to terminate her pregnancy will be balanced against the state's interest in protecting the unborn child. Based on prior experiences of the courts and legislatures, it will not be easy to present a standard that will balance the competing interests in such a manner that will not lead to additional litigation. Courts and legislatures have not always well represented the interests of the economically disadvantaged, the undereducated, and women. Some among these groups historically have had greater difficulty in circumventing the obstacles posed by restrictive abortion legislation than have the more affluent.
The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) concedes that we cannot respond definitively to every legal aspect of the abortion issue in a manner that will garner consensus among the church constituency. We believe that in the shaping of the future law, the following affirmations are of vital consideration.
a. The state has a limited legitimate interest in regulating abortions and in restricting abortions in certain circumstances.
b. Within this context of the state's limited legitimate interest, no law should impose criminal penalties against any woman who chooses or physician who performs a medically safe abortion.
c. Within this same context of the state's limited legitimate interest, no law should deny access to safe and affordable services for the persons seeking to terminate a problem pregnancy.
d. No law or administrative decision should provide for a complete ban on abortion.
e. No law or administrative decision should
(1) limit access to abortions;
(2) limit information and counseling concerning abortions; or
(3) limit or prohibit public funding for necessary abortions for the socially and economically disadvantaged.
f. No law should prohibit access to, nor the practice of, contraceptive measures.
g. No law should sanction any action intended to harm or harass those persons contemplating or deciding to have an abortion.
h. No law should condone mandatory or forced abortion or sterilization. Such laws should be abolished where they do exist.(3) "
Stick that in your pipe and smoke it.
Thursday, November 21, 2002
My Dad had a stroke on Tuesday night. He is in Kaiser Woodland Hills. Not sure how he is going to recover yet.
Saturday, November 16, 2002
So it turns out that the California Highway Patrol had okayed the use of cell phones while driving based on faulty data. Turns out cell phones caused way more accidents and deaths than they had thought. The initial report had 913 accidents in 2001, while the new report puts the figure at 4699 for 9 months. Studies have also shown that cell phone use of any kind, handheld or hands free, impairs decision making ability. Also, cognitive engagement has the same effects. So, keep your mouth shut and stop thinking! Don’t THINK and drive!!! And slow down people. 65 is plenty fast enough. Cell phones are also expensive, although there are long distance benefits in some cases. There was a time not long ago when cell phones gave people brain tumors. It’ll take some more time to figure out what the new breed is doing to hurt us. Finally, I can’t understand people on either end of a cell phone very well. To conclude, cell phones can be a very useful tool, but don’t overdo it. I’m taking the Presbyterian stance on this one, Moderation.
Americans in general are fat. They eat too much meat and refined sugar and grains. They also watch a lot of TV and sit around a lot. The TV then tells them that it is great to be thin, but they don’t have to give up their current eating and sitting regimen. They in turn don’t lose the weight and they feel bad for not being like the TV tells them to be despite doing what the TV tells them to do. All the refined and modernized foods also cause more and more pollution, thus compounding their problems, and those of others. My advice to America; don’t eat too much crap, don’t sit around too much, and don’t listen to the media too much. Again, doing all these in moderation is fine. I mean, who doesn’t enjoy eating crap every once in a while, being lazy for the occasional weekend, and adsorbing a little pop art? Moderation people. Moderation.
Americans in general are fat. They eat too much meat and refined sugar and grains. They also watch a lot of TV and sit around a lot. The TV then tells them that it is great to be thin, but they don’t have to give up their current eating and sitting regimen. They in turn don’t lose the weight and they feel bad for not being like the TV tells them to be despite doing what the TV tells them to do. All the refined and modernized foods also cause more and more pollution, thus compounding their problems, and those of others. My advice to America; don’t eat too much crap, don’t sit around too much, and don’t listen to the media too much. Again, doing all these in moderation is fine. I mean, who doesn’t enjoy eating crap every once in a while, being lazy for the occasional weekend, and adsorbing a little pop art? Moderation people. Moderation.
Thursday, November 14, 2002
There are few things that I really enjoy. One of these things is map reading.
I don’t know why, but there is something about just staring at a map that keeps me enthralled. Right now I currently have two maps hanging up in my room. One is of the Valley and another is of Southern California. It is actually a map of the entire state, but the state is split in half and put on opposite sides. I got the Valley map last year. Roman, my roommate, had put up a bunch of posters on the walls of our room. On the Road, Chemical Brothers, Usual Suspects, etc. So I decide I need something of mine on the wall. I called Woo and had him bring up a map of the Valley. I got many a student to gaze upon it with me. Unfortunately, it is like 10 years old, so some of it isn’t correct anymore. Rinaldi ends at Tampa, Mission College is in its old location, etc.
The map comes in useful now that I bike almost everyday. I’m doing about 150 miles a week. My legs have gotten a bit thicker and I’m beginning to take on a bit of a sagging pear shape. By Friday they are very tired. This excessive amount of riding has also caused my IBS, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, to start acting up a bit more. Well, it’s a good thing I’m not lookin’ to impress anyone right now... a very good thing.
I don’t know why, but there is something about just staring at a map that keeps me enthralled. Right now I currently have two maps hanging up in my room. One is of the Valley and another is of Southern California. It is actually a map of the entire state, but the state is split in half and put on opposite sides. I got the Valley map last year. Roman, my roommate, had put up a bunch of posters on the walls of our room. On the Road, Chemical Brothers, Usual Suspects, etc. So I decide I need something of mine on the wall. I called Woo and had him bring up a map of the Valley. I got many a student to gaze upon it with me. Unfortunately, it is like 10 years old, so some of it isn’t correct anymore. Rinaldi ends at Tampa, Mission College is in its old location, etc.
The map comes in useful now that I bike almost everyday. I’m doing about 150 miles a week. My legs have gotten a bit thicker and I’m beginning to take on a bit of a sagging pear shape. By Friday they are very tired. This excessive amount of riding has also caused my IBS, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, to start acting up a bit more. Well, it’s a good thing I’m not lookin’ to impress anyone right now... a very good thing.
Wednesday, November 13, 2002
Here is a link to a nice little filmstrip of the Magic Foofie Box. Brad and Carlos came up with the idea. Michelle, Carlos’ girlfriend and Cal student, made the strip. She is a Bio major, but not MCB, so she is only half crazy. Apparently she is also taking German, as am I. The strip is in German. “Hausaufgaben” means “homework”. As mentioned before German nouns are capitalized.
Mike has taken a stab at those of us who enjoy lowbrow humor, specifically “Jackass”. I saw almost every episode of said show back to back in Davis while I was waiting for my ride down for Spring Break last year. As I was watching I realized that not only did I find it insanely and moronically funny, but I had a strange sense of respect for those acting stupid and moronically. I mean, in a nation where most people are killing themselves with food, television, and automobiles, we chose to pick on the small segment of society that does “stupid” things and remain blind to the real problems at hand. “Wedgie Bungee Jumping” may seem like a pointless and idiotic thing, but what about eating excessive amounts of meat and talking a on a cell phone every waking hour? The only real difference I can see is that when you do the “idiotic” thing you are more likely to suffer short lasting acute injuries, but build fun memories and entertain yourself and others. The “normal” things in our society just seem to make our lives worse and separate us from the rest of society. Are you more likely to treat a fat person or someone with a broken arm worse? Whatever. I’ve lost my train of thought. Anyway, next time you judge something as idiotic and disgusting just stop a second to take a look at your own actions, you might find that a little “Rocket Skate” action might do you some good.
Mike has taken a stab at those of us who enjoy lowbrow humor, specifically “Jackass”. I saw almost every episode of said show back to back in Davis while I was waiting for my ride down for Spring Break last year. As I was watching I realized that not only did I find it insanely and moronically funny, but I had a strange sense of respect for those acting stupid and moronically. I mean, in a nation where most people are killing themselves with food, television, and automobiles, we chose to pick on the small segment of society that does “stupid” things and remain blind to the real problems at hand. “Wedgie Bungee Jumping” may seem like a pointless and idiotic thing, but what about eating excessive amounts of meat and talking a on a cell phone every waking hour? The only real difference I can see is that when you do the “idiotic” thing you are more likely to suffer short lasting acute injuries, but build fun memories and entertain yourself and others. The “normal” things in our society just seem to make our lives worse and separate us from the rest of society. Are you more likely to treat a fat person or someone with a broken arm worse? Whatever. I’ve lost my train of thought. Anyway, next time you judge something as idiotic and disgusting just stop a second to take a look at your own actions, you might find that a little “Rocket Skate” action might do you some good.
Tuesday, November 12, 2002
I haven’t posted since the last “T” day, and you know that there can only be one explanation for that…
Wars!!!!!!!
Well, indirectly at least. I celebrated our Veterans in a variety of ways.
Friday I went to dinner with my GP’s from NC. BW came along too. On the way to the restaurant his IR ran out of gas. He had to restart it like 6 times to get to the GS. Pizza was had by all. It was also one of the rare occasions when I actually got home quite early on a Friday evening. I spent the rest of the night studying polar patterns.
Saturday I worked. It was my first day on the floor. Hoo-rah (sarcastic). Tim came down and surprised me. He tried to by a towel from me, but another cashier got him. Thus he bought a towel for no reason. We then proceeded to walk almost entirely around the Mall in the rain to get to his car. Carlos Menor was then consumed. The fries that were had were incredibly salty. A new gesture was then born.
The body gesture for “salt”, or “assault” depending on the situation, is the left arm bent upwards with a fist about level with the eyes. Other gestures include “Kahn”, same as “salt” but with right arm, “English Muffin”, similar to “Kahn” but with fingers pointed upwards and waving/flailing, and ”Screw You/Kill Me”, same as “English Muffin” but with left arm. Gestures can be combined for a variety of statements. “Salty English Muffin” for example.
After quite a bit of waiting for bobbywoo, the whole band left for Geetha’s partay. This partay actually turned out to be 2 segregated partays: One with brown/UCLA students and another with mainly white people. Yup. What was even worse than this great step backwards in racial harmony was that Peter brought his NES and bones were dropped. Awful… Awfully entertaining!!! Shiri also said that I look like Harry Connick Jr. Needless to say, this comes as a great surprise to me (more sarcasm). Whether she liked that or not was not stated though.
I worked on Sunday. I still have not read the comics yet. I should do that when I’m done here. I also attempted to eat some chicken sandwiches. I made some Grands buttermilk biscuits and then proceeded to stuff breaded chicken patties into them. I only made it through 1 ½ before I became incredibly full.
I worked again on Monday, wearing the same exact clothes as the prior day. I had to put someone’s information into the computer and they gave me a 555 number. I made no objections. Band practice was then had. We turned “Cane Toads” into a funk song and played about a 20 minute long “Ballad” with several instrument swaps. Woo, Tim, Glenn, and I later went to see “Jackass” with some free passes that Woo got because he is THE MAN or something. We enjoyed it, but I’m not sure about the couple of FIVE YEAR OLD CHILDREN!!! that sat in front of us.
I hope I’ll be a good parent.
I finished the weekend with going to see 3/5 of Peter’s band play at a coffee house in Pasadena. Go to www.splace.cc for a review straight from the horse’s, i.e. Peter’s, mouth.
Time for the comics. It’s good to see “Crankshaft” back in the Times. Uhhhhhhhhhhhh… affirmative.
Wars!!!!!!!
Well, indirectly at least. I celebrated our Veterans in a variety of ways.
Friday I went to dinner with my GP’s from NC. BW came along too. On the way to the restaurant his IR ran out of gas. He had to restart it like 6 times to get to the GS. Pizza was had by all. It was also one of the rare occasions when I actually got home quite early on a Friday evening. I spent the rest of the night studying polar patterns.
Saturday I worked. It was my first day on the floor. Hoo-rah (sarcastic). Tim came down and surprised me. He tried to by a towel from me, but another cashier got him. Thus he bought a towel for no reason. We then proceeded to walk almost entirely around the Mall in the rain to get to his car. Carlos Menor was then consumed. The fries that were had were incredibly salty. A new gesture was then born.
The body gesture for “salt”, or “assault” depending on the situation, is the left arm bent upwards with a fist about level with the eyes. Other gestures include “Kahn”, same as “salt” but with right arm, “English Muffin”, similar to “Kahn” but with fingers pointed upwards and waving/flailing, and ”Screw You/Kill Me”, same as “English Muffin” but with left arm. Gestures can be combined for a variety of statements. “Salty English Muffin” for example.
After quite a bit of waiting for bobbywoo, the whole band left for Geetha’s partay. This partay actually turned out to be 2 segregated partays: One with brown/UCLA students and another with mainly white people. Yup. What was even worse than this great step backwards in racial harmony was that Peter brought his NES and bones were dropped. Awful… Awfully entertaining!!! Shiri also said that I look like Harry Connick Jr. Needless to say, this comes as a great surprise to me (more sarcasm). Whether she liked that or not was not stated though.
I worked on Sunday. I still have not read the comics yet. I should do that when I’m done here. I also attempted to eat some chicken sandwiches. I made some Grands buttermilk biscuits and then proceeded to stuff breaded chicken patties into them. I only made it through 1 ½ before I became incredibly full.
I worked again on Monday, wearing the same exact clothes as the prior day. I had to put someone’s information into the computer and they gave me a 555 number. I made no objections. Band practice was then had. We turned “Cane Toads” into a funk song and played about a 20 minute long “Ballad” with several instrument swaps. Woo, Tim, Glenn, and I later went to see “Jackass” with some free passes that Woo got because he is THE MAN or something. We enjoyed it, but I’m not sure about the couple of FIVE YEAR OLD CHILDREN!!! that sat in front of us.
I hope I’ll be a good parent.
I finished the weekend with going to see 3/5 of Peter’s band play at a coffee house in Pasadena. Go to www.splace.cc for a review straight from the horse’s, i.e. Peter’s, mouth.
Time for the comics. It’s good to see “Crankshaft” back in the Times. Uhhhhhhhhhhhh… affirmative.
Thursday, November 07, 2002
So I talked to my friend Jeni for a while last night, longer than I have in quite a long time. Among other things, we ended up talking about the repercussions of my fear of social interaction, and my fear of helmet hair. Anyone with advice on either subject will be greatly rewarded, possibly with better social interaction and a better head of hair to look at. So, you may ask, what else is Andrew James Price afraid? Well….
•People
----Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate people. Most of my friends and family are people. I’m just scared of them. This either leaves people with a bad first impression of me, or no impression at all. My actual relating with a person is greatly affected by whether they find me funny or not. If I’m doin’ my regular shtick and they aren’t phased at all, I often feel like I’m being a jerk, just throwing stuff over their head to seem smart. Smarmy is the description that comes to mind. “Smarmy” is actually a pretty disgusting word.
•Helmet Hair
----When I have helmet hair and I haven’t shaved in a few days, I look like a stoner, which I do not like.
•Homeless Guys that Punch Me in the Stomach
----This has only happened once. What makes it really weird is that it was behind the old UA Theatre in Northridge. Somehow I managed to find one of the only homeless guys in Northridge, and he punched me in the stomach. But I love Berkeley bums.
•War of the Worlds and by extension The Front Bathroom in My House
----I saw the War of the Worlds movie when I was like 6 years old, and it scared the crap out of me. I wouldn’t go into a room without turning on the light first for years. What’s worse is that the heater in my bathroom looks exactly like the head thing of the alien spaceships in the movie, and it produces red light!!! I still don’t like going in there at night with only the heater on.
•New Things
----New things have the potential to be horrible, whereas old things are almost all great because you have ignored and forgotten the many of the crappy ones.
•Salad Dressing
----Anything that could turn something as healthy as a salad into a slimy ball of fat and vinegar is pure evil.
•The American Independent Party
----I’m not explaining that one
•Being Alone in My House
----My house is pretty much the only place where I can convince myself that something unexpected and bad can happen.
•Moving in the Dark
----I can’t see very well.
•Hordes of other Things
----By this I mean other stuff that I have not listed here, not just hordes. But I guess that I might be scared of hordes too.
P.S.
Me, Tim Bonbrake, DJ Bonebrake, Ray Manzarek, Jim Morrison.
•People
----Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate people. Most of my friends and family are people. I’m just scared of them. This either leaves people with a bad first impression of me, or no impression at all. My actual relating with a person is greatly affected by whether they find me funny or not. If I’m doin’ my regular shtick and they aren’t phased at all, I often feel like I’m being a jerk, just throwing stuff over their head to seem smart. Smarmy is the description that comes to mind. “Smarmy” is actually a pretty disgusting word.
•Helmet Hair
----When I have helmet hair and I haven’t shaved in a few days, I look like a stoner, which I do not like.
•Homeless Guys that Punch Me in the Stomach
----This has only happened once. What makes it really weird is that it was behind the old UA Theatre in Northridge. Somehow I managed to find one of the only homeless guys in Northridge, and he punched me in the stomach. But I love Berkeley bums.
•War of the Worlds and by extension The Front Bathroom in My House
----I saw the War of the Worlds movie when I was like 6 years old, and it scared the crap out of me. I wouldn’t go into a room without turning on the light first for years. What’s worse is that the heater in my bathroom looks exactly like the head thing of the alien spaceships in the movie, and it produces red light!!! I still don’t like going in there at night with only the heater on.
•New Things
----New things have the potential to be horrible, whereas old things are almost all great because you have ignored and forgotten the many of the crappy ones.
•Salad Dressing
----Anything that could turn something as healthy as a salad into a slimy ball of fat and vinegar is pure evil.
•The American Independent Party
----I’m not explaining that one
•Being Alone in My House
----My house is pretty much the only place where I can convince myself that something unexpected and bad can happen.
•Moving in the Dark
----I can’t see very well.
•Hordes of other Things
----By this I mean other stuff that I have not listed here, not just hordes. But I guess that I might be scared of hordes too.
P.S.
Me, Tim Bonbrake, DJ Bonebrake, Ray Manzarek, Jim Morrison.
Tuesday, November 05, 2002
Voted in my first election today. No on 48!!! Woohoo!!! Unfortunately, not many other people followed my lead on that one. But most of the people I talked to about it did end up casting a negative vote. I stumbled upon it in my attempt to find a Proposition that I thought everyone could and would agree on. Within about 5 minutes of learning about it, I had jumped the fence. Politics are crazy. It seems that many did concur with me against 52. Tim will probably scoul at me for a while for that one, or he will at least throw his "Yes on 52" frisbee at my head. Also, the Valley will not become Camelot. 'Tis a shame.
The Sears training program will occasionally display the message "This picture is not exist." Technology am grate.
And nothing happened today in my quest for an equal and opposite partner. That is probably due to the fact that I am much more comfortable in being stuck on someone great yet unattainable rather than opening myself up to someone else but possibly settling for quite a bit less. I am an lame. Poor grammar and vocabulary like that probably only hurt my cause. Now I must go wallow in my mire. There are only 4 degrees of separation between me and Jim Morrison. Probably more between me and Van. G!!! L!!! O!!!........
The Sears training program will occasionally display the message "This picture is not exist." Technology am grate.
And nothing happened today in my quest for an equal and opposite partner. That is probably due to the fact that I am much more comfortable in being stuck on someone great yet unattainable rather than opening myself up to someone else but possibly settling for quite a bit less. I am an lame. Poor grammar and vocabulary like that probably only hurt my cause. Now I must go wallow in my mire. There are only 4 degrees of separation between me and Jim Morrison. Probably more between me and Van. G!!! L!!! O!!!........
Monday, November 04, 2002
So aobut 2 weeks ago I wrote an entry for Woo on his blog, and he has just now edited it. Here it is.
"[10/17/2002 3:08:53 PM | Bobby Woo]
Sorry, I haven't posted in a while, and actually, Andrew was the last one to post to my site. Ridiculous. In the interest of interest, I have deleted some of his blog, leaving the most important parts for your consideration, and adding helpful, Blind Date - like captions. I have removed all the filler and comic timing so that you can get right to the creamy nougat center.
Creamy nougat? What the...
[10/17/2002 3:08:53 PM | Andrew Price] - ABRIDGED AND CAPTIONED
What's up with sub-par?
The most often use of the word "par" is the whole golf thing, where being "sub-par" is the the whole point of the game. "Sub-par" should mean that something is superior. Stupid english. I bet this problem doesn't exist in ESPERANTO. [A FICTIONAL LANGUAGE]
Kio aro vi, stulta? [AN ESPERANTO PHRASE MEANING "WHAT ARE YOU FOOLISH?"]
And why is having your cake and eating it too such a big thing? Don't people who own cakes usually eat them with little or no resistance? Maybe it's some diabetic thing. [NO OFFENSE, DIABETIC PEOPLE.]
Bill O'Reilly is the finest example of a human being ever. [WHAT THE?...]
Tim has an amazing grasp of Romance languages. He also wears bird shirts alot. Today it appears to be some sort of duck.
Norman Greenbaum is the second greatest example of a human being ever. [I HAVE NO IDEA WHO THAT IS.]
posted by Bobby at 8:19 PM"
That's three generations of one entry. Wierd. In another hand...
It has been recently been brought to my attention that the Blogs of my contemporaries and myself seem to lack any mention of the opposite gender. I'm not sure about the others, but this is because I lead an awful, awful life that is devoid of any real human contact or emotion. Any attempts to rectify this situation have been shot down in some way or other, probably my own doing most of the time. So, thank you, Marie (it's hard to do that "say the name while you cough into your hand" thing with a keyboard), for pointing out this giant void in my life. Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh....... pathetic.
"[10/17/2002 3:08:53 PM | Bobby Woo]
Sorry, I haven't posted in a while, and actually, Andrew was the last one to post to my site. Ridiculous. In the interest of interest, I have deleted some of his blog, leaving the most important parts for your consideration, and adding helpful, Blind Date - like captions. I have removed all the filler and comic timing so that you can get right to the creamy nougat center.
Creamy nougat? What the...
[10/17/2002 3:08:53 PM | Andrew Price] - ABRIDGED AND CAPTIONED
What's up with sub-par?
The most often use of the word "par" is the whole golf thing, where being "sub-par" is the the whole point of the game. "Sub-par" should mean that something is superior. Stupid english. I bet this problem doesn't exist in ESPERANTO. [A FICTIONAL LANGUAGE]
Kio aro vi, stulta? [AN ESPERANTO PHRASE MEANING "WHAT ARE YOU FOOLISH?"]
And why is having your cake and eating it too such a big thing? Don't people who own cakes usually eat them with little or no resistance? Maybe it's some diabetic thing. [NO OFFENSE, DIABETIC PEOPLE.]
Bill O'Reilly is the finest example of a human being ever. [WHAT THE?...]
Tim has an amazing grasp of Romance languages. He also wears bird shirts alot. Today it appears to be some sort of duck.
Norman Greenbaum is the second greatest example of a human being ever. [I HAVE NO IDEA WHO THAT IS.]
posted by Bobby at 8:19 PM"
That's three generations of one entry. Wierd. In another hand...
It has been recently been brought to my attention that the Blogs of my contemporaries and myself seem to lack any mention of the opposite gender. I'm not sure about the others, but this is because I lead an awful, awful life that is devoid of any real human contact or emotion. Any attempts to rectify this situation have been shot down in some way or other, probably my own doing most of the time. So, thank you, Marie (it's hard to do that "say the name while you cough into your hand" thing with a keyboard), for pointing out this giant void in my life. Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh....... pathetic.
Sunday, November 03, 2002
So the Halloween festivities began a week ago yesterday with Peter’s party. Peter has kind of a monopoly on the whole party thing in our nice little clique. Actually, they began much earlier with the production of Woo’s costume. He was Dr. Wiley, the one from the Mega Man games. He spent many, many hours making the costume, and I spent many, many hours with him, taunting him for putting so much effort into something so nerdish. But in the end, it turned out pretty cool, except for the lights. Word of advice, don’t use speaker wire for light wiring. Peter was supposed to be Mega Man, but it was more work than he was willing to put in, so he was a half wrapped mummy or something. Tim and David were the Blues Brothers. Tim just look like Tim until David showed up with the hat, handcuffs, and brief case. He then was magically transformed into Elwood. When David got into costume it was scary how much he looked like the late Mr. Belushi. Someone also dressed up as a tree, and Zeke was dressed up as the Puma Man. For background on that I suggest that all of you with fast internet connections download the episode of MST3K with the Puma Man. Highly recommended. Zeke, being Zeke and all, showed up at like three parties before Peter’s, parties where no one had any idea who the Puma Man was. Way to go, Zeke! I don’t think there were really any other costumes, except mine…
So the theme of Peter’s party was the Electronic Nightmare, so like a month prior when I heard this I made the decision to go a Bill Gates, possibly one of the scariest and greatest geniuses of the electronic age. But as the party approached I realized that I could not pull off a convincing Bill Gates and that even if I did no one would care because I would just be some guy in a sweater. I also didn’t have a convincing sweater. Bill Gates was out. What to do now?
So I’m sitting around at like 3 in the morning watching Bobby make his costume and it hits me. I have a cop uniform shirt and silver pants. There has to be something to do with those. I’ll give you a second to think. What could I be? Tick tock and such………… The T-1000!!!
I saw Terminator 2 for the first time like two months ago, so I guess it was fresh in my head, but the movie came out 11 years ago. This fit perfectly. I could make a costume that perfectly fit who I am. It would be thrown together at the last minute, not really make sense, not at all timely, totally hilarious, and completely brilliant, just like me. So I found a picture of a police badge online online, LAPD to remain true to the movie, printed it out and stitched it to my shirt. I put on the shirt an tucked it into my pants, the silver ones that were supposed to look like I was turning into liquid metal. Then I downloaded the Terminator 2 theme and made a tape of it that just repeated over and over. I put the tape into a tape player and stuck it in my shirt pocket. Then to finish it off I printed up a picture of the back of Tim’s head and stuck it in my other pocket. The act was to walk up to people, hit the play button, let that sink in a bit, and then pull out the picture and ask, “Have you seen this boy?” Peter bestowed upon me the genius award for the lameness and brilliance of the costume. I also found out I could fill dead gaps in conversation with hilarity just by playing the tape.
And kudos to Peter for a good party. Started out a bit slow, but picked up a lot later on. For about two hours there, there was something that I don’t think I’ve ever seen at a Peter party… a whole heck of a lot of people. And nothing really happened on the actual night of Halloween. I just worked. Anyway, I’m gonna wrap up my Halloweenieness with the Simpsons. Adieu.
So the theme of Peter’s party was the Electronic Nightmare, so like a month prior when I heard this I made the decision to go a Bill Gates, possibly one of the scariest and greatest geniuses of the electronic age. But as the party approached I realized that I could not pull off a convincing Bill Gates and that even if I did no one would care because I would just be some guy in a sweater. I also didn’t have a convincing sweater. Bill Gates was out. What to do now?
So I’m sitting around at like 3 in the morning watching Bobby make his costume and it hits me. I have a cop uniform shirt and silver pants. There has to be something to do with those. I’ll give you a second to think. What could I be? Tick tock and such………… The T-1000!!!
I saw Terminator 2 for the first time like two months ago, so I guess it was fresh in my head, but the movie came out 11 years ago. This fit perfectly. I could make a costume that perfectly fit who I am. It would be thrown together at the last minute, not really make sense, not at all timely, totally hilarious, and completely brilliant, just like me. So I found a picture of a police badge online online, LAPD to remain true to the movie, printed it out and stitched it to my shirt. I put on the shirt an tucked it into my pants, the silver ones that were supposed to look like I was turning into liquid metal. Then I downloaded the Terminator 2 theme and made a tape of it that just repeated over and over. I put the tape into a tape player and stuck it in my shirt pocket. Then to finish it off I printed up a picture of the back of Tim’s head and stuck it in my other pocket. The act was to walk up to people, hit the play button, let that sink in a bit, and then pull out the picture and ask, “Have you seen this boy?” Peter bestowed upon me the genius award for the lameness and brilliance of the costume. I also found out I could fill dead gaps in conversation with hilarity just by playing the tape.
And kudos to Peter for a good party. Started out a bit slow, but picked up a lot later on. For about two hours there, there was something that I don’t think I’ve ever seen at a Peter party… a whole heck of a lot of people. And nothing really happened on the actual night of Halloween. I just worked. Anyway, I’m gonna wrap up my Halloweenieness with the Simpsons. Adieu.
Saturday, November 02, 2002
So I went to my first Granada High football game today. It was Cleveland's homecoming game. I went with bobbywoo. His name is now one word, almost only one syllable long, thanks to Tim, the Braker of Bones, Bonebrake. GHHS was down zip to 21 at half-time but came back to steal the one point win. I have lost quite a bit of my voice, although I can still pull off my folk Green Day covers. on an unrelated note, Hooray!!! for communication with old friends. I'm gonna cut this short and finish out a full entry tommorow after work. It shall be the belated Halloween edition. Oooohhhhhh... spoooookyyyyy....
