sunday morning sidewalk

recycled

2008-08-05T15:37:00.001-05:00

From a 2005 blog entry:

"I had lunch with my boss today. We discussed a client but we also discussed my apparent lack of enthusiam in my job. He hinted that there was room to grow in our company and that I sometimes vary from spectacular to mediocre. He sounded quite serious of some kind of management position, on the same level as our current middle manager. I gave him my ideas."

House Ideas

2008-08-05T15:20:00.001-05:00

Emilie and I are building a house in North Brookfield. We will post our prelim plans soon. Any thoughts, criticizms, ideas are welcome - but could be ignored.

2008-08-05T15:19:00.000-05:00

Professional chuppah bearers. Available for your next wedding.

2006-09-06T22:39:00.001-05:00

lazy bastard

2006-09-06T22:39:00.000-05:00

So you know you haven't posted to your blog in a while when:

-Your forget the address to your blog.

Not much has happened in the past few months:

1) Moved in with Emilie.
2) Visited Kenney on the vineyard finally.
3) Became a quasi-farmer.
4) Opened an IRA!5) Went to the Woodstock Fair.
6) Am now affectionally called "unkie non" by Jackson.
7) oh, Grandma almost died but made a miraculous recovery.
8) Emilie became by Grandfather's best friend.
9) I bonded with my dad... for a whole day.

lazy bastard.

2006-09-06T22:38:00.000-05:00

So you know you haven't posted to your blog in a while when:

-Your forget the address to your blog.

Not much has happened in the past few months:

1) Moved in with Emilie.
2) Visited Kenney on the vineyard finally.
3) Became a quasi-farmer.
4) Opened an IRA!
5) Went to the Woodstock Fair.
6) Am now affectionally called "unkie non" by Jackson.
7) oh, Grandma almost died but made a miraculous recovery.
8) Emilie became by Grandfather's best friend.
9) I bonded with my dad... for a whole day.

lazy bastard.

2006-09-06T22:36:00.000-05:00

So you know you haven't posted to your blog in a while when:

-Your forget the address to your blog.

Not much has happened in the past few months:

1) Moved in with Emilie.
2) Visited Kenney on the vineyard finally.
3) Became a quasi-farmer.
4) Opened an IRA!
5) Went to the Woodstock Fair.
6) Am now affectionally called "unkie non" by Jackson.
7) oh, Grandma almost died but made a miraculous recovery.
8) Emilie became by Grandfather's best friend.
9) I bonded with my dad... for a whole day.

2006-03-16T18:33:00.000-05:00

the joke that isn't.

2006-03-15T20:02:00.000-05:00

"I'd like to have your advice on how to live comfortably without working hard."

Universe - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

2006-03-13T23:19:00.000-05:00

Universe - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "There is disagreement over whether the universe is indeed finite or infinite in spatial extent and volume.

However, the observable universe, consisting of all locations that could have affected us since the Big Bang given the finite speed of light, is certainly finite. The edge of the cosmic light horizon is 13.7 billion light years distant. The present distance (comoving distance) to the edge of the observable universe is larger, due to the ever increasing rate at which the universe has been expanding; it is estimated to be about 78 billion light years. The observable universe contains about 7^1022 stars, organized in about 100 billion galaxies, which themselves form clusters and superclusters. The number of galaxies may be even larger, based on the Hubble Deep Field observed with the Hubble Space Telescope. The Hubble Space Telescope discovered galaxies such as Abell 1835 IR1916, which are over 13 billion light years from Earth."

FYI:

A light year is how far light can travel in a year: 5,865,696,000,000 miles a year.

2006-03-13T13:26:00.000-05:00

c. Ralph Wiggum (the simpsons)

2006-03-06T18:36:00.000-05:00

c. saturday night

Finally getting those christmas pictures off the camera...

2006-03-06T00:20:00.000-05:00

2006-03-05T13:50:00.000-05:00

Sometimes you got to squeeze,
sometimes you have got to say please.

2006-03-02T19:54:00.000-05:00

But my dreams
They aren't as empty,
As my conscience seems to be.

2006-02-28T23:12:00.000-05:00

I'm going to fulfill one of my blog duties, I am going to actually write about myself tonight.

To recap over the past few weeks:

Work has been great. I am getting more responsibility and more respect. If you haven't heard, they bought me a server for my house. It is still only half set up but it was incredibly thoughtful.

Kurt's house filled up over the past month. We now have no vacancy @ 723. When I say Kurt, I mean a different Kurt. Not Kurt Robinson. Never Kurt Robinson henceforth.

I realized every day how much I have improved from the same time last year. A year ago, I was depressed and lacking any sort of self worth. I was not respected. I was a mess.

I feel a rebirth inside me... that each day is getting better instead of each day is worse and worse. It didn't just happen, it was gradual but I've been experiencing it over the past 2 months.

I have had support from many in different ways. Some great advice, some lukewarm and some not so good. You know who you are. So harh.

And in the end, no one was right.

Anyway, more to come... I promise.

2006-02-28T22:35:00.000-05:00

"When the gods wish to punish us, they answer our prayers."

-Oscar Wilde

I wish I had all the answers.

sunday morning sidewalk

2006-02-24T13:08:00.000-05:00

Ant wrote to mention a CNet article exploring U.S. workers' productivity. People say they actually accomplish less now than they did a decade ago. Research blames technology as the culprit. From the article: "Technology has sped everything up and, by speeding everything up, it's slowed everything down, paradoxically ... We never concentrate on one task anymore. You take a little chip out of it, and then you're on to the next thing ... It's harder to feel like you're accomplishing something.'"

2006-02-23T17:44:00.000-05:00

I wanna know,
have you ever seen the rain,
coming down on a sunny day?

bloviating

2006-02-17T01:30:00.000-05:00

So I got all the pieces of my server today. It took me about 2 hours to actually build it, which is a lot longer than it probably should have. I tried really hard not to fuck it up.

It actually started up on the first try.... and immediately started to overheat. Oh well, I think it's okay now!?

No real big plans for it yet... just to kick around and get a little more experience.

Mary Alice already quit her job. Thanks for making me look like an ass, A-rod!!!! Just kidding.

If I didn't know any better, I would have thought it was Spring already.

2006-02-14T22:45:00.000-05:00

"Neither of us are big talkers..."

yo yo yo.

2006-02-09T19:26:00.000-05:00

My blog is a little stale.

The new roomates are working out.

Mary Alice got a job, thanks to me.

My work wants to get me a server for my house!!

So, have you heard about this massive snowstorm that is bearing down on us this weekend? 15 inches....4 inches... depending on who you talk to.

Never trust a bald barber, he has no respect for your hair!!

russian vodka, poisoned by Chernobyl

2006-02-02T00:21:00.000-05:00

What is it that brings all the homeless people to Noho? Are we just too nice? Or not nice enough? Ahhh, think about it....

God, I am lying here in bed, listening to Depeche Mode. Before that... Dido? Before that, Jewel? What the hell is wrong with me!!!

I go through music spurts. I have been on a Beatles / Billy Joel spurt for the past... *checks watch* 10 years.

I enjoy the idea of Depeche Mode after a long night of drinking. Not that tonight was a long, hard night of drinking. Not tonight, though. Tonight I am just f'ing crazy.

Now I've switched over to some STP. Can you say Interstate Love Song three times fast?

Can't we give it all one more chance? If you haven't guessed, I've already switched to Queen. I'm not diggin' them tonight, either.

Freshman year, when Napster was FREE and illegal, I downloaded The Hurricane by Bob Dylan and we listened to it every night before bed. That was back when I didn't know Bob Dylan was such an ass.

Eminem might just do it for me right now. A little Drug Ballad. And when it kicked in, I could hardly walk.

I need to procure a bottle of Jack Walker Black. When you've known him as long as I have, you can call him Jack.

Oh, and what the fuck is up with Bush? Addicted to OIL? Is he for real? He never gets any negative press.... it's because the media doesn't want to waste their breath or energy. He is such a waste of space.

Back to fly on the windscreen for the slow trip to the other side. I think sleeping is not far off from dying. Speaking of dying:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4469793.stm

2006-02-01T18:43:00.000-05:00

To all my critics:

If you can do better, then by all means....

liftoff

2006-01-31T23:02:00.000-05:00

Had my first taste of "respect" today. It was nice.

Felt like a team player.

Had some good news.

Dealt with some snotty customer without totally losing it. When someone asks, "I don't mean to be rude, but are you going to ring the doorbell all day or are you going to announce yourself?" It's hard to resist the kick some ass urge.

ringing a doorbell = ANNOUNCING MYSELF (in a normal society)

Tell me if I'm wrong....

Bad news for Dad.
http://www.telegram.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060131/FRONTPAGENEWS/60131008

It is quiet at 723 tonight. It seems quieter then when it was just me, Mary A-rod and Kurt.

Made marginal progress with my new legend of zelda game tonight. I have to cheat every now and then.

2006-01-30T23:32:00.000-05:00

"Romance and Cigarettes" 2005

Described as "the Sopranos meet Sound of Music..."

2006-01-29T23:04:00.000-05:00

My clandestine ways should be coming to an end soon.

A great end to a great weekend.

What I did:

Birthday party
Bars in Boston
Walking around Harvard Square
Finding Harvard Square all by myself
Spending time at home with Jackson
Watched a cool movie Saturday night
Cleaned my room
Did laundry
Had dinner made for me
Had diet coke bought for me
Heard some funny stories
Had some good times
Tried new style of pizza
Found some new tax loop holes
filed my state income tax
Spent $140 on who knows what
Got a Napoleon dynamite calendar w/ bonus poster
Bought my mom purple tulips
Had fun with Emilie

nice

2006-01-27T09:05:00.000-05:00

http://www.thewmurchannel.com/news/6490706/detail.html

medical history

2006-01-25T20:05:00.000-05:00

Very funny.

Found on top of my fridge.
Circa October, 2005.

Medical Problems -

"Crazy"

Medications -

Alcohol... 30cc of Jack and Coke

Lexapro

Frequency -

DAILY

Recent Surgery -

Heart ripped out

Date: various

Do you have a DNR form? -

What? Resuscitate bitch!!

Medical Conditions (check all that apply) -

X Hearing impaired
X Vision impaired

hungry girl?

2006-01-24T18:45:00.000-05:00

Current status:

Room is even a bigger mess. We had to make room in empty bedroom/Jon's 2nd bedroom for our new tenants. I don't have a dresser so it makes organizing clothes a bit of a tragedy.

My day didn't start until noon. I don't exactly like starting that late. It doesn't feel very productive. Everyone else is up way earlier. I think earlier is better for now on.

I didn't feel too productive today. Probably because I've been hacking up a lung again. It's hard to concentrate when your head is swimming and your lungs are burning.

honkey friend

2006-01-23T22:52:00.000-05:00

I am sick today. One nasty cough and throat soreness. It has been nice to just take it easy and hack up a lung in private.

I have taken the high road and stayed in all day. I ordered scallops for lunch and naan bread and curry for dinner. It was great.

I found a web site where I could download King's Quest 1 and 2. It is kind of the same but not really. I thought it would bring back a lot of childhood memories but whoever reworked the game changed it quite a bit. Which SUCKS. Anyway, since no one has any idea what I am talking about, I will drop it.

Some cool games of my youth:
-Kings Quest 1,2,3,4,6
-Space Quest 1,2
-Commander Keen
-Leisure Suit Larry

not abandoned.

2006-01-20T09:27:00.000-05:00

No, it's still here. I AM still here.

My blog started as a way for me to express myself. However, expressing myself only to myself seems kind of silly. Why wouldn't I just keep a journal if it was so damn important? It began as a way for me to reflect and get through some troubling times in the past few months.

So, here I am. And how am I doing as of January 20th?

-happy

That about sums it up.

And some advice for all you guys who are deciding to not file your taxes this year because you are afraid you owe money. They don't throw people in jail for not PAYING your taxes, only for failing to FILE A RETURN. Keep that in mind. And, since all my friends are poor, more than likely you will be receiving a refund.

Check out:

http://www.taxfreedom.com for federal

http://statefaxfreedom.com for state

It turns out I will be getting close to $2,000 back, which is sweet. Of course, I will never touch it.

Check out the following movie when you are bored:

Me and You and Everyone We Know

I talked to Jackson on the phone yesterday. Besides constant laughing, he managed to say ball and cracker!

Tammie is moving out. She has been AWOL for the past 3 weeks. She was having minor personal issues which have subsided with a steady dose of methadone.

me you and something...

2006-01-16T21:33:00.000-05:00

"I don't want to have to do this living. I just walk around. I want to be swept off my feet, you know? I want my children to have magical powers. I am prepared for amazing things to happen. I can handle it. "

))<>((

rad.

2006-01-16T00:35:00.000-05:00

my blog is now showing signs of life. our internet is back on.

this weekend was fun/warm/cold/alarming/happy/wonderful.

i miss summer very badly. cook-outs, swimming, wearing shorts. just a few of my favorite things.

things are good, life is grand right now. gooooo me!

for no one?

2006-01-10T00:29:00.000-05:00

I am way tired. I am also in a desperate need of increasing my vocab.

I had a monster mimmo's slice tonight. It wasnt that good. The only thing it has going for it are the freakishly large slices for dirt cheap.

I had to go back to work at around 10. That was fun. Second night in a row I find myself working past midnight. I am turning into my dad - the fricken workaholic.

Your day breaks
your mind aches
You find that all the words of kindness linger on.

2006-01-09T19:45:00.000-05:00

Work has been hard lately. I am trying to hold things together with both hands.

I did, however, fix a problem that was plagueing me for months at one client - last night at around 2am. It was a miracle!!!!!!!!!!!!

2006-01-08T19:08:00.000-05:00

Well if you haven't noticed, my blog has reached a screeching halt. The correlation between talking with Emilie and my lack of posts is increasingly evident.

This weekend was fun, productive, hurtful and hopeful. Quite a bit of "truth" was thrown around this weekend.

Kurt's parents visited and we partied hard. The hangover took about a day to depart.

The basement flooded, again.

Emilie visited.

I took a personality test. Read all about the results:

http://applejedi.org/me/types/inspector.html

CNN.com - Study: Free booze benefits homeless alcoholics - Jan 5, 2006

2006-01-05T23:57:00.000-05:00

CNN.com - Study: Free booze benefits homeless alcoholics - Jan 5, 2006

mile high club

2006-01-05T16:56:00.000-05:00

Today a couple good things happened:

I got the rest of a raise promised me a few months ago. AND it's being paid retroactively for a couple months!!

I got my W2 and basically did my taxes. I should be getting around $1500... WHOO HOO!

2006-01-04T00:16:00.000-05:00

I am neglecting my poor blog.

A lot of laughing tonight. A couple anxiety attacks thinking about junior high. Oh, and a fresh batch of pudding.

Cook and serve pudding is the only way to go. Stop being so lazy and give it a try.

I have been feeling a little overweight this week. There is a good chance I will join the gym this weekend. I need to lose, oh, 30 pounds to return to normal. Maybe I should stop making so much pudding.

half-alive

2006-01-01T23:31:00.000-05:00

Okay, my body has no concept of what time it is.

New Year's Eve was spent eating dinner and drinking with old roomates, random girls and Emilie. Oh yeah, and Christa. And my sister, briefly. We almost depleted our champagne before 7pm. We never even made it to the "reserve" beer and vodka.

The night was spent in a semi-intoxicated/tired haze. In terms of actual partying, after the big social dinner at my house, the night was spent with basically Emilie. We went to the toasted owl and the tunnel bar and fitzwillys. We then decided to do our own thing while everyone else entertained the random friends' of a friend we were with.

So in the end, I made 3 trips to town coralling everyone and bringing them home. My friends, however, managed to LOSE someone. It was one of those nightmare scenarioes where you are in a not-so-familiar town, and you do have your wallet or cell phone. You can't remember any phone numbers, addresses or even names for that matter. Then imagine, by dumb luck, getting a ride home from a cop after spending the night in protective custody. I guess the icing on the cake is that the cop decides to drive you home at 5am, waking everyone up and I have to answer the door in my boxers. The best part was, after some vague describing by this person to the cop where these completely namless people lived, "down route 66, right at the light, across the street from the church) the cop instantly said, oh, "the house that was recently bought with the techcavalry car out front all the time". Too fucking cool.

The kitchen is trashed. The living room is trashed. It feels like 8am right now. It is just a hair past 11:30pm.

Yet another holiday approaches...

2005-12-31T14:19:00.000-05:00

What a great holiday to end the year with. Completely religion-free so everyone can say Happy New Year without wincing.

So, I got Monday off!!!!!! Which was a big surprise on Friday afternoon.

Itinerary:
Fireworks at 6pm
Dinner
Drinking

Yeah, it just dawned on me that getting into a restaurant is going to be tough tonight. Oh well, it just adds to the excitement.

when in doubt, double down.

2005-12-30T18:12:00.000-05:00

I slept 12 hours last night and it was fantastic... although I couldn't really tell though today. Work has been extremely boring this week. We have been getting a lot of slack for doing nothing even though there is basically nothing to do.

So for the record, Emilie visited. We've decided talking is better than silence and friendship is better than nothing. Not much gets accomplished by no communication whatsoever. Actually, I think a lot of wars have started that way. Assumptions are the mother of all evils (and fuck-ups).

Also in the news... Becky is visiting this weekend with her "friend" Mark who is a musician/magician. Yes, you heard me right.

Some friend of a friend's profile caught my attention with a Swingers' quote - so I couldn't resist:

"All right, all right I'll ask her. Miss, miss! Do you know where the high school girls hang out around here? What? What? That's right, I'm the asshole! I'm the asshole!"

3 days until 2006. I miss Summer.

2005-12-29T19:07:00.000-05:00

So I went to the "4th worst house to fix a computer in" today.

Let's just say, the floor also doubled as the garbage... along with every other surface in the house.

I ended up just taking the computer back to the office to work on. I needed some fresh air.

I am SO tired. I am already in bed. I am going to try and read my new book, A Brief History of Time before falling asleep. By the way, the book is compliments of Emilie.

Emilie = kryptonite

2005-12-27T22:06:00.000-05:00

So tonight on my way back from Boston, I stopped and saw my dad at work. They recently bought a new press to print the New York Daily News and the Metro (Boston). They now print 3 daily newspapers, all at 11:30pm each night. Apprently, it is a rarity.

His work is pretty cool. He is the Director of Operations at a newspaper. Huge rolls of paper - the size of a VW bug. Robots that grab paper and feed the press when it runs out. He recently bought another press to compliment the 5-story high press they currently own. It has been having problems.

He has been working 18-20 hours a day. He has been sleeping in his office. He recently rear-ended someone and his boss offered to pay for it. He was driving between his two offices in the middle of the night and hadn't been sleeping at all. He has decided to take full responsibilty for all these problems and has been really worried they won't be fixed soon. Apparently, at the very end of printing the paper, it is folded twice... and that's where the biggest problem is. Anyway, he joked around about committing suicide soon, which was not funny. He was also wearing this funky sweater, which worried me even more. But, in the end, he was glad I stopped by. Even with all the turmoil i have caused him these past few months, and with the incredible burden of making his $4 million dollar press work, he was in a great mood.

2005-12-27T21:26:00.000-05:00

WOW, I think I skipped a day or two.

I am watching the west wing, waiting to go out.

"Well, excuse me, you right-wing, reactionary, xenophobic, homophobic, anti-education, anti-choice, pro-gun, 'Leave it to Beaver' trip back to the fifties."

Merry Christmas!!!

2005-12-25T11:15:00.000-05:00

We are waiting for Jackson to get home so we can high-tail it to my aunt's house for Christmas, Part II. We decided it was no fun opening presents without him so we will wait until tonight.

Just sitting here, coughing and wheezing because I am sick!

Catch ya later, blog family.

Merry Christmas!!

2005-12-24T23:20:00.000-05:00

It's in 45 minutes, but what the heck.

Here is what I've got to say about the subject:

"Where do you think you're going? Nobody's leaving. Nobody's walking out on this fun, old-fashioned family Christmas. No, no. We're all in this together. This is a full-blown, four-alarm holiday emergency here. We're gonna press on, and we're gonna have the hap, hap, happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap-danced with Danny fucking Kaye. And when Santa squeezes his fat white ass down that chimney tonight, he's gonna find the jolliest bunch of assholes this side of the nuthouse."

Wrapping presents is exhausting. So very tired.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight!

Better off Dead

2005-12-24T20:12:00.000-05:00

The Internet Movie Database (IMDb): "Ah, come on! It's Christmas Eve! I could be home right now, drinking this *monster* eggnog my brother makes with lighter fluid. "

ho ho ho.

2005-12-24T03:36:00.000-05:00

Amazon felt bad so they overnighted my package. The only thing is, I had it shipped to my office and I am not going to sit in my office all day on Christmas Eve. FUCK THEM. I am now 0/2 for online ordering this christmas. This is a four-alarm griswold family emergency.

I kind of like myspace more. People actually check it regularly, which is cool. And no, I dont have the Benz anymore JOSH. My 1985 banana yellow mercedes 380SE got sold back in 2000 because it was: 1) falling apart, 2) leaking gas, 3) burning oil and 4)overheating. My dad traded it in because he drove his then truck home from Auburn to Southbridge without any oil.

Oh, and Emilie: get a fricken oil change. It has been 2 years and 30,000 miles. Dust is not a good engine lubricant!!!

I have to spend all day Tuesday and Wednesday working in Boston. I have 9 boxes to bring with me and somehow park on Beacon St and lug them up to this law office. I'm not even sure they will fit in the truck.

Funny story which I am sure you will appreciate. Sophmore year of college, we took a liking to climbing out our window and partying on the ledge of our dorm in Southwest. One day we decided to sneak a keg upstairs and subsequently party outside on the ledge, drawing massive amount of attention to our room. Before we knew it, the director of the building has everyone from our room down in his office, yelling at us... as best he could. He told us how very "f'ing stupid" we were (exact quote... f'ing - HAHA) blah blah blah. The point is, the keg was just slightly out of view and since he never came into our room, we suprisingly got away with it. We were a breath away from a proper fuck.

And for one of the most bizarre stories of 2005:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9841877/

"Corpse mistaken as Halloween decoration"

2005-12-24T03:14:00.000-05:00

This is Colleen sitting at her computer, cleverly titled

"colleen sitting at her computer".

2005-12-22T22:48:00.000-05:00

Mother fucking AMAZON.COM is holding my Christmas presents for people HOSTAGE!!!!
I ordered a few days ago and they still haven't shipped. This means that they wont arrive for christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now i have to go to a mall. FUCKING MALL on CHRISTMAS EVE EVE!!!

Okay, tonight we had our holiday party for work. It went well. There were more people than I expected and more bonuses handed out than necessary with invariably lowered my bonus. Thank you, part-timers.

I think snowboarding would be fun to try. I hate skiing. Gravity kicks in too much. God this reminded me I have some work to do before bed. WHAT THE HELL.

I ordered nachos, fried pickles, burger, fries and 3 beers tonight. I could have had several more beers and some desert but I decided to be magnanimous. That is also my new favorite word. Too bad i can't pronounce it.

When I was in elementary school, i had to go to speech once a week. To this day, I am not sure why. I could talk just fine but they insisted I couldn't say "S" and "R" well enough. Also, they were concerned since I was 80% deaf in my right ear. Oh well, not like that's a problem. Of course, it is hard to explain to people that whispering into my right ear is a hopeless endeavor. Why is it hopeless, do you ask? Because I am fucking deaf in it! Were you not paying attention you ADHD prick?

I need to calm down. I am pissed about my bonus. It is right between butt-fucked and jelly of the month club.

best baby

2005-12-22T01:21:00.000-05:00

A Jackson video - trying to stand for longer than 5 seconds.

http://jonparent.dyndns.org/100_0994.mov

2005-12-21T23:08:00.000-05:00

"Sounds like big trouble. You're going to need plenty of legal advice before this thing is over. As your attorney, I advise you to rent a very fast car with no top. And you'll need the cocaine. Tape recorder for special messages. Acapulco shirts. Get the hell out of L.A. for at least 48 hours.

Are you ready for that? Checking into a Las Vegas hotel under a phony name with intent to commit capital fraud on a head full of acid? I sure hope so."

playlist

2005-12-21T21:36:00.000-05:00

Another good song is: Tenacious D - Tribute

POTUS - Lump

ND - thank the lord for the night time

Today is the shortest day of the year. I HATE WINTER.

Some notable events for December 21:

-1620 Mayflower landed at Plymouth
-1909 first officially recognized middle schools opened
-1913 first crossword puzzle published
-1944 Horse racing banned until WWII ends
-1945 General Patton died
-1991 USSR collapsed
-1988 Pan Am Flight 103 exploded over Scotland

digression from mediocrity

2005-12-20T23:05:00.000-05:00

My posts have been a little flat lately. Flat as all hell.

Today I recieved a gift basket from a client. It was from Josh Simpson's office staff. They filled it with little snacks and a JS glass ornament. I recieved it early this morning since I got a call from them around 7:30AM. We can't get online. NO ONE can get online. I drove the 30 minutes to Shelburne only to leave with a gift basket. No sense of accomplishment. I could NOT fix the problem, only circumvent the problem. I returned later with associates and managed to fix it.

I was greeted by a client this morning dressed like a secret service agent. He had a suit, long jacket, flag pin, USSS tie holder, earpiece and police radio, a "seal of the president" flag flying proudly in his yard and a homemade ID badge. I didn't know how to react. I would have probably done the same thing by now if I had any chutzpah. Ok, I was just looking for a reason to use that word.

Things could be worse. My blog could be called "Living with Diabetes - It makes me short with my family".

So, what the fuck is wrong with everyone today? Just throwing that out there.

Family Guy corner:

How you uh, how you comin' on that novel you're working on? Huh?
Got a a big, uh, big stack of papers there?
Got a, got a nice litte story you're working on there?
Your big novel you've been working on for three years? Huh?
Got a, got a compelling protagonist? Yeah?
Got a obstacle for him to overcome? Huh?
Got a story brewing there?
Working on, working on that for quite some time? Huh?
Yeah, talking about that three years ago.
Been working on that the whole time?
Nice little narrative? Beginning, middle, and end?
Some friends become enemies, some enemies become friends?
At the end your main character is richer from the experience?
Yeah?
Yeah!?

Intelligent Design

2005-12-20T22:31:00.000-05:00

myspace

2005-12-19T23:52:00.000-05:00

Seems to be coming along. I guess I had more friends out there than I thought. Amazingly Amanda added me to her friend list but refuses to email me back! wierdo.

I baked cookies tonight. Well, not so much *baked* but heated them up until they were cooked thoroughly. Seriously, does anyone cook anymore??

I rented bad santa and actually watched the whole thing. It holds the record for F bombs in a holiday movie. But they work so well!

I was in a pretty shitty mood today. Maybe because I spent 8 hours at one appt today or because I worked 10 hours, give or take, today. Or because I find out that next week I have to work in Boston two days in a row and will now need to stay out there. I have an appt to set up 3 new PCs, 8 hours a day for two days straight at this law firm on Beacon St. We would normally send two techs to speed things along but apparently that is not possible this time. WHAT THE HELL!!!

I did find out that Ebru dislikes unhappy people, especially if they work at bruggers. Also that she likes her office cave-like. Perhaps they will forget she is in there and not give her anything to do???

I did some christmas shopping tonight. I may need to double check and make sure I still have money in my checking account. I bought two books and some postcards. My christmas list is pretty modest this year:

-NEW BED
-condoms
-sex
-a crackin good yarn

new bad santa quote:

Kid: Santa!
Willie: Yeah.
Kid: You're bringing my present early?
Willie: No
Kid: But I never told you what I wanted.
Willie: I said I didn't bring it, dipshit.

right up there with...

2005-12-18T23:24:00.000-05:00

A Christmas Story
Grinch
Frosty

"Bad Santa" with Billy Bob (mr. ex-angelina jolie but I am too fucking selfish and had sex with my therapist, what is wrong with him) Thorton.

New favorite quote:

"Why don't you wish in one hand, and shit in the other. See which one fills up first. "

2005-12-18T02:16:00.000-05:00

c. 2004

the way the cookie crumbled today

2005-12-18T00:50:00.000-05:00

I know this isn't exactly *last minute* yet, but I decided tonight to do some Christmas shopping. I was about a 5 seconds from going to the mall at 10am today but decided the fact the parking lot was already packed was a bad sign. It's bad enough having to shop but that many people just get in my fucking way. Plus I can't park that truck worth a damn.

So I am trying to spend about $20-30 for everyone I am buying presents for. I am so far doing alright. I need one more gift for my mom, my aunt Lorrie's gift, a few cards, wrapping paper and some misc. other small stuff. For everyone else, your gift is a lifetime subscription to my blog.

This is slowly becoming old news but Jackson had to go the hospital the other day. He hit his eye on something and needed stiches, five in all. Maybe now would be a good time for Becky to get health insurance? Or a job? Or a sugar daddy?!

I had to work this morning. However, I didn't go to bed until about 4:30am. Between absinthe, vodka, scotch and the beer at the tunnel bar, I am very surprised I managed to get to work. I did however, have to sleep the day away to make up for it. Right now, it feels more like noon than midnight.

Superman is on right now. How did this become a holiday movie? Because Ebru has him on the top of her christmas tree, perhaps??

Some more things on my Christmas wish list:
-$1,000,000
-platform bed (full)
-not having to go to church on xmas

ps. Apparently MySpace is full of my old friends. Well, actually, I can't find Kenney, Brian or Jarett on there... but Larissa and Debbie and Eron all have pages. As do Colleen and Sammy Needlz. I find MySpace has a lot of problems. The interface is really klunky and pages only work half the time. Oh well, maybe one day it will become a cyber-mecca.

jumping on the bandwagon

2005-12-17T20:36:00.000-05:00

I guess I had to. I don't want to be left behind -

http://www.myspace.com/jonparent

even though MySpace SUCKS!!!

stats

2005-12-17T20:10:00.000-05:00

I eeked by with the most billable hours this week. Go ME!

For the year, 2 out of the 3 of our top billable customers were mine!

Pretty, pretty, pretty good!

2005-12-17T19:24:00.000-05:00

c. 2004

2005-12-16T18:47:00.000-05:00

The end of an era of good TV...

John Spencer died this afternoon, of a heart attack of all things. He was 58.

How will West Wing survive without Leo??

Favorite quote:

"We've got separation of powers, checks and balances, and Margaret, vetoing things and sending them back to the hill."

"Big Bird" and his Woodstock, CT woes...

2005-12-16T18:29:00.000-05:00

Apparently "Big Bird" from Sesame Street lives in Woodstock, CT, where my parents now reside.

A body of a woman has been found in a shed behind his house.

Apparently an employee of his struck a jogger and killed her. Possibly raped her as well.

He lives right on the Woodstock/Southbridge, MA line. They are unsure which state the shed is actually in.

Full story:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/13/AR2005121301945.html

If you haven't noticed

2005-12-16T09:39:00.000-05:00

God has decided to punish us today. There is about an inch of ice covering every surface. Sure does make for a great commute, even if it is only 4 miles.

Holy testicle tuesday!

2005-12-14T23:12:00.000-05:00

Johnny Cash didn't actually write Sunday Morning Coming Down.

It kind of puts a black mark next to the title of my blog. What the hell JC?

So, what else could I name it - if it came to that? How about something Beatles-related:

Strawberry Fields, A Day in the Life, Benefit of Mr. Kite, Fool on the Hill, Paperback Writer, Glass Onion.

Hell with it, I will keep the title for now.

In case you don't know where it's from:

"On a Sunday morning sidewalk,
I'm wishin' Lord that I was stoned.
'cause there is something in a Sunday,
that makes the body feel alone.
And there's nothing short of dying,
that's half as loney as the sound,
of the sleeping city sidewalk
and sunday morning coming down."

Oh, and another song on the hit parade:

The Ballad of John and Yoko.

It is a chronicle of their attempt to get married.

And how did Yoko introduce herself to John? She walked right up to him, did not say a word, and handed him a card. All it said was "Breathe".

Perhaps I should call it, Sympathy for the Devil?

"Oh, spot on, spot on."

The great Danny Vermin

2005-12-14T22:57:00.000-05:00

"Dames are put on this earth to weaken us, drain our energy, laugh at us when they see us naked."

mastication

2005-12-14T20:48:00.000-05:00

Chew on this.

Since Josh Simpson has been my client, I have met some interesting people. Tomorrow I have the opportunity to meet the guy who designed the lunar module for the Apollo moon landings!

I have also met his wife on several occasions, Col. Cady Coleman. She is an astronaut and has been in space twice. She has logged over 6 million miles in space!

More recently, I met the US Ambassador to Brunei at his house.

He has a piece of a space shuttle as a centerpiece for his dining room table. And an engine in his living room. It is a cool place.

2005-12-14T00:32:00.000-05:00

I check the list:

Rubber tubing
gas
saw
gloves
cuffs
razor wire
hatchet
Gladys
and my mitts.

Mind-blowing facts

2005-12-13T21:28:00.000-05:00

High Military Expenditure in Some Places - Global Issues

Before I forget, the first color photographs were developed around 1906. I can't believe that early! George Eastman, founder of Kodak, committed suicide.

Ok, back to military spending.

The US spends about $400+ billion (not including wars, Homeland security) on Military.

This equals approximately HALF of the money in the world spent on defense.

To put it another way: the US spends as much on defense as the rest of the world COMBINED.

We spent 6 times as much as #2, Russia.

I guess we are the only superpower left.

endless babble

2005-12-13T18:51:00.000-05:00

It's 6:38pm. You can tell Tammie just came through the door because the drama arrived slightly before she did.

I had a OK/good/great/OK day.

I seem to be running out of pictures to post to my blog. Actually, I have several hundred more pictures but many include horses.

If you go to the CNN.com site tonight, there is a link on the right hand side for color depression-era pictures. I guess color photos were around as early as 1940. And knowing me, I will probably have to find the exact date.

2005-12-13T00:27:00.000-05:00

Dear Boss,
I will be unable to make it into work today.
There is 12" of snow right outside my door!
I have enclosed proof to that regard.
Your honest employee,
Jon

Nigerian Love Triangle

2005-12-12T18:52:00.000-05:00

Okay...

How come these Nigerian scam artists can fabricate a whole story but can't lie about where they are FROM?!

___________________________
Hello,
How are you doing? hope cool , well i hope we can start as friends then we can let our friendship grow,well am looking for one that can be there for me, one that can be my backbone , well my name is simmy , people think its odd , but really i so much value the name cos it was the name my parents who are of blessed memory ususally call me with , well i think for us to know
each other we have to chat one on one and maybe sit on a table and talk personally , well ilike ur pics but i look into ur heart cos beautyfades and the mind is intact , well before i forget am not in the states anymore , i left the usaafterthe death of my dad , i left with my mom cos she is nigerian , so i left with hear on getting to nigeria we got robbed and that wasthe end the last time is
aw her caring smile, well why am trying to tell you this is just to let you know that am looking for a guy that can make me feel hapy agin , well am a good christain and i am looking for one thats down to earth,well i think have said enought now , hope to get a mail from you soon , what do you do for a living?, what are u lookign for ina girl , what are ur likes and dislikes , whats the
sadest day in ur life , who is ur mentor , and what turns you on when down , what are ur hobbies, pls when you mail i want you to get back with answers ,
keep it Real and true,
stacy cares

She was right!

2005-12-12T15:27:00.000-05:00

This blog is pretty cool:

http://theshapeofdays.com/

Kind of like your blog should be... "cool" without looking like you are trying to be cool.

Wait, you don't have a blog, do you?

You are all incredibly lucky

2005-12-11T22:34:00.000-05:00

To be reading such a cool blog.

I have checked out other blogs and found they are not worth reading. A few reasons:
-spelling mistakes
-not updated regularly
-in a language you can't understand

I take pride that this blog is always published in 100% American English, the standard language throughout the world (isn't it)? You will, of course, never find me sympathizing with any Republican causes. I am in favor of woman's rights. Gay marriage. Teaching sex education in schools. I am in favor of a powerful, central government. I feel, to quote JFK, "Our problems are man-made, therefore they may be solved by man. And man can be as big as he wants. No problem of human destiny is beyond human beings."

People can't always lift themselves up on their own. People need more than just a few extra dollars in their pocket every week via tax cuts. They need a government where no one is left behind. Just take a look at New Orleans. Less than 10% of the city remains in terms of population. The entire city is completely devastated. It's been three months and people have yet to return and see what little of a life they have left. Thousands of people are going to be defaulting on their mortgages declaring bankruptcy. Many will kill themselves to escape this harsh reality. It doesn't have to be this way. It seems that the deficit can be exploded for anything but actually helping people. Since when did the US have a doctrine against human rights, especially one against their own citizens?

I don't know what it is like to have nothing. I pray that the will to live is enough motivation to hang on when it appears all hope is lost.

14 Days until Christmas

2005-12-11T21:29:00.000-05:00

I guess it doesn't help when you wake up at 11, but this day went by incredibly fast.

I went grocery shopping with Tammie today. We managed to lose her purse for about half an hour. Somehow, we switched carriages in the middle of shopping and left her purse in the candy isle. I was dumbfounded it was still sitting there, waiting for us.

Kenney called from Florida. He asked me a few weeks ago if I wanted to go but I obviously can't pick up and go like him. He dad owns a condo in Naples and is spending the week. Lucky bastard is going to have 80'F+ weather this week.

It's Teri Garr's birthday! Who is Teri Garr, you say? Maybe you should just try to figure it out on your own.

My transition from Sunday to Monday is always tough. I tend to be really wound up, thinking about the coming week and have a hard time falling asleep.

What a fricken boring post.

Last Widows of Veterans of America's Wars

2005-12-11T10:09:00.000-05:00

Revolutionary War (1775-1783): died 1906

Civil War (1861-1865): died 2004

Tonight

2005-12-11T03:23:00.000-05:00

I typed this long-ass post but it got erased so here is the abridged bersion:

Never made it downtown but managed to crash a party until basically thrown out.

Party is still raging.

In other news, Forbes Magazine richest FICTIONAL characters list came out. Guess who is number 6:

Scrooge McDuck!!

http://www.forbes.com/lists/2005/fictional/06.html?partner=msnedit

Other notables: Willy Wonka, Bruce Wayne, Ebenezer Scrooge, Monty Burns, Santa Claus.

MySpace.com message

2005-12-10T18:38:00.000-05:00

Someone just emailed me this yesterday!!

"Hey Dude is your name Jonathan Parent?

I was wondering becasue I searched MY name and you came up. I already found another Jonathan Parent in Florida."

At HOME...

2005-12-10T18:33:00.000-05:00

In Woodstock.

Helping my dad write a business plan for school. We are modeling it after a business plan he essentially wrote for his work during the past year. His company recently bought a new printing press and spent over a year working out all the details, having meetings, getting approvals, installing equipment, etc. We are simplifying it and changing the layout a bit.

Jackson is not home this weekend :-(. He is visiting with his dad.

My dad got his license un-suspended in Mass and CT yesterday. It cost $460. All because of a faulty FastLane transmitter!!!!!!

I had to put the computer back together. My sister took it apart installed a CD burner. She was impressed that it only took me 1 minute to fix it.

Listening to Johnny Cash... trying anyway. This computer sucks.

Apparently when my grandfather was younger, he used to slick his hair back and wear a lot of black - a la Johnny Cash!

Okay, heading back to Noho.....now.

Reality Distortion Field

2005-12-09T13:46:00.000-05:00

"Reality distortion field (RDF) is both slang and computer industry jargon. The term was coined by Bud Tribble at Apple Computer in 1981 to describe company co-founder Steve Jobs's charisma and its effects on devoted Macintosh users and on others.

RDF is the idea that Jobs is able to convince people to believe almost anything with a skillful mix of charm and exaggeration. He is able to "sell" people on ideas that they know are against their better judgment or interests."

SNOW!!!

2005-12-09T13:43:00.000-05:00

The snow SUCKED this morning.

It finally stopped and now maybe I can get lunch.

I only got stuck once!

CNN.com - Iran leader: Move Israel to Europe - Dec 8, 2005

2005-12-08T23:56:00.000-05:00

CNN.com - Iran leader: Move Israel to Europe - Dec 8, 2005: "TEHRAN, Iran (Reuters) -- Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has expressed doubt that the Holocaust occurred and suggested Israel be moved to Europe."

How do people like this rise to such important positions in the world?

In October, he also said Israel should be "wiped off the face of the Earth".

CBS News | Mass. Changes Hospital Contraception Rules

2005-12-08T17:58:00.000-05:00

CBS News | Mass. Changes Hospital Contraception Rules: "Gov. Mitt Romney abandoned plans Thursday to exempt Roman Catholic and other private hospitals from a new law requiring them to dispense emergency contraception to rape victims."

2005-12-07T22:16:00.000-05:00

So I am not really sure what I want with my life. I have overcome a few things recently which have opened the doors to any life I choose.

I have a good job, but I don't think of it as a career.

I am exceptionally bright, smart and witty.

I believe greatness is just a feeling of satisfaction. A mix between self-worth and accomplishment. For some people, it is their careers. For others it's their family. For many, it's both.

I have only recently grown to enjoy my family. It is amazing sometimes how long it takes for you to realize you've always had what you've always needed.

I' m starting to feel more and more isolated out here. My greatness probably does not lie within the boundries of Western Mass.

The best thing I can do for myself is be constantly aware of what really piques my interest. To not crawl back into some dreary black hole where my imagination and my ambitions can be shadowed.

Oh yeah, and then there is Emilie.

Good Quote (ii)

2005-12-07T18:49:00.000-05:00

"Did you ever see an unhappy horse? Did you ever see a bird that had the blues? One reason why birds and horses are not unhappy is because they are not trying to impress other birds and horses."
-Dale Carnegie

ps. this quote reminds me of the movie Dumbo.

Crow #1: Did you ever see an elephant fly?
Crow #2: Well, I've seen a horse fly.
Crow #3: Ah, I've seen a dragon fly.
Crow #4: Hee-hee. I've seen a house fly.

The "head crow" was named "Jim Crow" according to IMdb.com

I guess it kinda, sorta fits with the message of the movie. An elephant seperated from the other elephants and basically his whole circus society. But, come on. How racist can you be?!

And of course, some trivia:

"In December 1941, Time magazine planned to have Dumbo on its cover to commemorate its success, but it was dropped due to the attack on Pearl Harbor."

World's smallest MP3 player

2005-12-07T17:54:00.000-05:00

mobiBLU Cube 1 GB MP3 Player (Blue) w/5 BONUS Music Downloads - Wal-Mart

Good Quote (i)

2005-12-07T17:50:00.000-05:00

"For, in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet, we all breathe the same air, we all cherish our children's futures, and we are all mortal."
-JFK

December 7th

2005-12-07T17:31:00.000-05:00

Oh yeah... Today is the 54th anniversary of Pearl Harbor.

For 50 years this was the worst attack on American soil.

Hawaii was not even a state at the time, just a territory. It did not become a state until 1959 (with Alaska).

On December 8th, War was declared on Japan.

FDR proclaimed "we have nothing to fear but fear itself". He went on to serve three terms and part of a fourth. He was elected 4 times with polio. I guess it helped it was a secret.

FDR married Anna Eleanor Roosevelt. What is her maiden name? Why, Roosevelt! She was FDR's cousin.

Truman drove himself to the White House after FDR's death.

He didn't know about the first nuclear weapons, "Little boy" and "Fat man", until after he was President.

Cell phone for dogs

2005-12-07T17:02:00.000-05:00

Slashdot: News for nerds, stuff that matters: "'A company called PetsMobility has come out with PetCell, the first cell phone for dogs. The phone will allow users to call their dogs in case the dog gets away and also includes a GPS tracking device if the dog doesn't respond to the call. In addition, the PetCell will feature GeoFence, which will alert owners whenever their dogs wander outside a prescribed area. Will the PetCell actually prove useful to dog owners or is it just another cheap gimmick?' "

wack-a-do

2005-12-06T21:48:00.001-05:00

I feel like I have been working a lot lately. I was always afraid if I put 110% into my job, I would lose control of things. I'd start to forget things or try to take on more than I can handle. I almost feel like that now, but it isn't out of control. They key is some degree of organization (which I still don't have).

I'm rediscovering the first season of the Sopranos. It's more of a comedy than anything. Very subtle. Good stuff.

So, Amanda decided to ask me for relationship advice today. It's amazing that it doesn't bother me. She is almost done school and can finally get the hell out of Burlington.

And by the way, this is all a by-product of progress.

2005-12-05T19:00:00.000-05:00

Somehow I spent 25 dollars at walmart on nothing. Not good.

My mom is back on the Internet bandwagon, it appears:

"hi jon love you too. CAN YOU GIVE ME SOME HELP IN WHAT TO GET YOU FOR XMAS? I don't have a clue I've been shopping without your dad he's been working alot talk to you soon. LOVE MOM"

Birthdays

2005-12-05T15:04:00.000-05:00

Walt Disney

1901 - 1966

hotrod manifesto

2005-12-04T21:08:00.000-05:00

This kind of thing has only been said about infinity times before.

I have had 4 girlfriends in my life. I can't tell you exactly why I was drawn to any of them; it just happens. I don't recall ever actively looking for one. Love like to surprise us when we are not looking. More to the point, it likes to smack us in the face.

This "smack" is the beginning of something great. It is also a very big warning sign. "Proceed with caution." Everyone who has been in love knows that there is a signifigant chance it will not work out. In fact, before Emilie and I got serious, I wrote her an email stating just that. I said "I don't care if we break up down the road because now is perfect...". At the time, it seems like the thing to say. You want to believe it. You want to think you are stronger than everyone else.

Well, that was quite a bit of nonsensical rambling. I guess what I am trying to get at is that we do it - fall in love over and over and over - knowing it will hurt eventually. It does not make us masochists, it makes us human beings.

2005-12-04T17:29:00.000-05:00

My first computer!!

Some key features:
no hard drive, modem or mouse
a floppy disk that could only hold about 20 emails worth of info
a printer that couldn't print graphics
384Kb RAM

We were lucky, our Tandy got upgraded to a whopping 20MB hard drive and 640Kb memory. It cost about $300 at the time.

In comparison, I found a 250GB, which is 1,000 times bigger, for $110.
No computer sold today will have less than 256MB of RAM or about 400 times more.

It's snowing

2005-12-04T11:59:00.000-05:00

Well this is unexpected! 1-3 inches predicted. It's not going to be warn anytime in the near future. Perhaps spring.

"How I did it."

2005-12-03T19:53:00.000-05:00

Turns out my boss left the keys in the car. I left for a little bit this afternoon. I might go downtown and grab a huge Mimmo's slice. I'm on a budget now - and it sucks hardcore.

I watched half of Raising Arizona. What a great movie. Reminds me of Napoleon Dynamite.... the music, the odd characters. And it is funny as hell. As you may have figured out from the last couple entries, I get too antsy during a movie and can't usually sit through the whole thing.

I-gor!

Frodrick!

How did you get down here?

Through the dumbwaiter. I heard the strangest music and just... followed it down. Call it a hunch!

Forecast is for "bad craziness".

2005-12-03T13:39:00.000-05:00

So yesterday I only ate some pretzels, a cookie and some orange juice. I took a nap last night and woke up with an amazing headache.

I got some decent sleep last night. I decided, even though I wasn't hungry, I needed to eat a lot. Me and Kurt went out to breakfast (however we need to expand our horizons beyond "Bickfords" for breakfast).

My boss took the truck today. I hate feeling stuck at home. I have no money at the moment but I wish I could go downtown or something and walk around. It is nice to be surrounded by strangers, run into people you know, people watch, etc. Too bad I don't drink coffee. Coffee drinking are pefect cover for people watchers.

I am also a little nervous because Josh Simpson's electricity should be back on by now but I still can't get to his new server. I might have to go up there this weekend so everything is kosher for Monday.

Oh what else is going on... Kurt says I complain too much on here. I'll try to work on that.

I've been watching a lot of old-school Law and Order lately - from the first season. It is the bommmmb! It is the show I was addicted to before the West Wing.

I watched part of Where the Buffalo Roam. It is a freaky movie about Hunter S. Thompson. I didn't really like it or Fear and Loathing... but I enjoyed the books.

"As your ex-lawyer, I advise you to relax!"