On Jobs

Ok, so I must have hit a lazy streak in my life because at this point I dont feel like doin shit. I mean absolutely nothing! As in, I literally want to go home sit on my couch in sweats and a wifebeater, sprawl out with a pillow and/or comforter and stare at the little unevenlly painted spot on my ceiling above my coffee table. I especially do not want to go to work. I am accustomed to having at least 2.5 jobs at all times...and until now its never really bothered me. But as we speak I grow increasingly more annoyed at the fact that each day I am bent over by the interstate traffic I fight every morning and evening. I guess it's because between my two jobs I work 12 out of every 14 days, drive about 23 hours to and from work every two weeks, and spend $230 in gas per month...RIDICULOUS this is a waste of my time, youth, and money. The problem is not that i need 2 jobs but that i need 2 jobs to live comfortably, which would not be the case had i not had to participate in that silliness known as taxes. I mean really is it necessary for them to commandeer 34% of my paycheck. Plus the price of gas is high as the fuck...who pays this much for gas...i remember when gas was 99 cents a gallon.....................OMG i will close my blog entry on that parental sounding statement.

On Election '08

C'mon guys get off Hilary's nuts everyone seems to be in an uproar about her support from the latinos or the fact that she cried on TV. She gotta get in where she fit in she's a politician I'm surprised she aint bussin' the "Mexicans" to the poles. She's not the president yet and despite the fact that she has lived in the white house she is unfamiliar with the stresses that it is to be the ACTUAL president...she can cry if she wants, she just needs make sure she gets it out now.
Now having said all that I am in NO way interested in politics nor am i pro Hilary. I actually despise the entire thing and if it werent for the struggle that was made to allow black people to vote I would just as soon toss this whole business to the side. I just dont like the whole lets sling shit at the other candidate. I'll be voting for Mr. Obama just because he seems to make good sense when he speaks, he seems to understand the issues, he's against the war, he does drugs so perhaps he'll legalize it finally, he's a plain guy, and he may or may not be a kappa.(clearly some of those reasons were tossed in there just to be silly)

On Birthdays

Birthdays are great. The whole idea about buying gifts, having surprise Parties, eating cake and icecream...GREAT! What I am having a problem managing is all the birthdays. I always know when a person's birthday is coming I just find it hard to pinpoint when exactly these special occasions occur. Soooooo if you be so kind to leave your birthday as a commentI'll put it on my calendar(make sure to leave ur name and how I would kno you)

T

On Bartending

In my pursuit for quick cash I have come across bartending. I have been wanting to be a bartender for a MINUTE!!! I just never had the initial cash to fund the classes.
My friend found a great school that seems to have a very good reputation in the area and also nationwide.(Maryland Bartending) They have a new classes that start every week and the program is 10 classes. In which, you cover all the good stuff including glassware, garnishes, customer service, and of course start you off with a healthy library of drink recipes. They even let you sit in on a class before you register. I recommend a Tuesday or Wednesday since those are the days they show how to make a lot of the drinks.
My classes dont start till August 1st but I did go to the intro class which really peaked my interest. I cant wait till I'm done so I can actually get behind a bar. Dont get me wrong the "school" has a full bar but I want to deal wit real people...ok ok I mean I want to be making money. I'm interested in working at a hotel, bar, or restaurant. I know someone that knows someone that is a manager at a hotel so I'm sure I can get that job. I like restaurants because usually you get to wait tables too. The other thing with that is you also make the drinks for the whole restaurant meaning you get tipped out by all the servers and I guess you wont have to tip anyone out except the busboys. I'd work at a bar that was privately owned so that there wouldnt be a whole lot of bartenders so I could have the bar to myself.
Anyway lets hope I can get through these classes.

On the Wine Tasting

The new sophisticated event is to drink wine instead of just hard liquor or beer. It just says something to be able to tell someone about the robustness, aroma, color, and taste of a bottle of wine before you pop the cork.
I'm really interested in going to a wine tasting festival where I can get a better feel for different types and brands. So far I've tried Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Shiraz, and White Zinfindel. The order of preference from the above list is White Zinfindel, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and Shiraz. I'm sure the list could change since we are sampling cheap wine just to get used to it.
This new endeavor will help me out when I start bartending since I know very little about wine right now and I'm sure bartenders need to know about wines fine and otherwise.

On the Circular Logic in Arguments

So here is the scenario you are sitting at the dinner table. You are both quietly eating your meal while discussing what happened over the course of the day. When you slowly realize the statement just made is incorrect. So you decide to correct the individual when they fire back that in fact they didnt really say what you just corrected. Then they feel the need to tell you "exactly" what they did say, but what that is clearly not the truth.

The above scenario is wrong in two ways
1. It is clearly from the point of view of only one person meaning that it has several words and key phrases that are biased toward the party that corrected the original comment.
2. The other reason is this conversation is well on the way to a circular argument where both people are just gonna try and tell the other what they said when in reality there is no way to prove any of this.

The way to rectify the condition is to just take a step back and realize that this argument is going absolutely nowhere and if the conversation continues on this course both people will eventually end up pissed.
So if you find your self in, or creating, this situation, just be easy and let it go.

On Traffic

Sooooo I finally got a real job. I am happy that I'm finally doing something. What I am not happy about is that I now work in Suitland, meaning that my commute to work has been extended from 15 minutes to an hour. It's not just the distance it's really the ridiculous traffic that I have to deal with that makes me hate the ride to and from work.
Traffic kills me because I really hate driving to begin with and the fact that I'm creeping at like 45 mph for 60 miles doesnt help. I have become so impatient that I am constantly looking for the lane that is moving the fastest. Traffic bores me so much that sometimes I have to turn the stereo WAY up just to kee from drifting off.
The next thing about traffic that I really hate is that sooooooo many people can not drive.You got people that dont look when merging, people that dont look when changing lanes, people that drive 20 mph under the speed limit in the fast lane, and people that cut you off cuz they didnt realize that they were about to miss their exit. The bottomline is, people really just need to pay attention when driving.

On Kids Today

It is my opinion that kids today are SPOILED. This conclusion is spported by none other than my younger sister. Precious is 9 years old and in the third grade. Apparently my grandparents have been doing her school work for her and then rewarding her for her good grades. Now first of all NOONE was around to help me when I was in school I had to do everything my self and, I was expected to get straight A's. There were no rewards for getting good grades except that I wouldnt get my ass whooped that night. So I find this out because my grandmother sends me an email requesting all this detailed information about pandas. I ask her why and come to find out Precious has a project due on March 1st about pandas. I immediately fly into a fit of rage over the fact that she is not doing her own research and project. So I set out to have her do her own project. Throughout the course of two days I have heard this child say some ridiculous things.When asked "Why would you let gramma do your work?" she responds "Well she has nothing else to do."
She asked me "Brother...why cant you just finish the project on your own?"
She told my gramma "I'm not gonna eat this roast beef [that she made for dinner]because I dont like it I want hotdogs instead."
She called my grandma from the other room to get her arthur the aardvark tape that was directly under the bed she was sitting on.
After finishing the project "YES!! I'm done now what are you going to give me."
Needless to say she got "a stern talking to" after each comment.

The next topic is my 13 year old cousin who got a cell phone...yes a cell phone...for christmas. I got my first cell phone my self when I got to COLLEGE...what the hell does a 13 year old need with a cell phone?! Who is she calling?!!! Anyway she ends up running the phone bill up to $100 with ringtones, text message, and goin over her minutes.(and she still has the phone today) There aint no way that would have flown if it was me.

Of course I'm sure the adults before us think that we are spoiled. This means we are desceding down a never ending spiral and only dicipline can correct this error.

On the GRE

So yes the time is upon us...well not so much us but me. I am studyin for the GRE. I hate standardized tests or anything that has a vocabulary list for that matter. If only my grades were better then I wouldnt have to do so well on it. I decided to apply to schools with graphics programs...namely UMBC and GW.I'm also applying to Hopkins but it's not probable that I will get in. Anyway my last few days have been spent goin over strategies...reviewing vocab...doing practice tests...etc. (Fun right?)Anyway wish me luck.

On Taxes

Taxes...Fuk U Uncle Sam. When did it become a bad thing to be a hard working individual. It's like how come U can sit down on ur ass and get paid with the money I'm working for. So apparently since I have had multiple jobs this past year I made enough money to travel through a couple of tax brackets. Now I recall the paychecks that I was getting over this period and it seemed to me like more than enough was coming out. Especially since I never recieved a paycheck from Damon's that was over 48 cents. So not only do u take my money while I'm working u decided that you didnt take enough so I have to pay again after I have already allocated the funds left ova from you raping me the first time...GREAT. And yes I'm sure someone will tell me that I'm paying taxes for this and that and that I should be glad it's not more and that I get all kinds of stuff from this country. But this pisses me off...take what you need then and there dont have me waiting around till the end of the year to find out if u want some more. Again Fuk U Uncle Sam with a sick one.

On my Stat Counter

Thanx Frat!!!!!

On the Lunch Time Trap

Sooooo I am convinced that lunchtime is a trap that is put in the middle of my day just to get me in trouble. First if you dont bring your lunch then you have automatically signed up to spend at least $7 a day. Which amounts to...$140 a month...and $1680 a year. Thats only if you go to a fast food restaurant. Dont have co-workers cuz they are gonna wanna go to a real restaurant which means you're prolly shellin out at least $20 + tip(you gotta tip) a day which is $4800 per year. Also the next problem is right now my lunches arent regulated...so 2 hour break in the middle of the day just makes me wanna go home. That's not good for business, cuz then I might get fired and then I wont be able to eat at all. I guess it just boils down to maybe I shouldnt be so cheap or maybe I should just pack a *shudder* "sac lunch"(gross). Anyway I didnt take a lunch today so I saved a little ;)

On Car Trouble

Yes I have finally completed my car sound system installation!! So I decided I was gonna test out my new system by going on a ride with one of my friends. Just as I decided to turn around and come home my car decides that it no longer feels the need to respond to my accelerator. I pull over to the side of the road and immediately assume that my system has sucked all the power outta my battery. So I call one of my friends to get a jump, problem solved right. Not so. The car still wont start so I call triple A to come and tow my car. I proceed to wait...Three triple A reps, a supervisor, and a little over 3 hours lata the tow truck arrives and tows my car to the shop. When the mechanic calls me about my car the next day he is talkin about timing belt failure and that at minimum it will cost me $700 for the repair, provided that no internal engine damage has been done. However that wont be determined until after the timing belt is in place. So essentially I have to pay $700 to see if my car has any more damage. I am "eagerly" awaiting the phone call from my mechanic right now...
While I'm waiting it has given me time to contemplate.
I recieved my car about a little bit over a year ago to replace my Gold 1989 Toyota Cressida Stationwagon. Now I kno what you may be thinking but I loved that car. It was fast(V6), roomy, and comfortable not to say I didnt hate it when I originally saw it.(I mean who wants to drive a stationwagon, right? and I never really got used to the color) I never had a problem fitting anything in it, the seats were soft and comfy, and damn if that car couldnt get up.
When I originally saw my new car I was thrilled it wasnt a stationwagon but not so happy with the color. It's a four cylinder car so it has minimal pickup. And it looks kinda like a car I would drive 3 kids around in. So it had dissappointed me slightly since I wanted to to pimp out my first car after the stationwagon. But now I dont really have much to work with. So my initial reaction was one of appreciation but slight dissappointment.
However looking back on my ungreatful ass, cuz I hadnt paid for either vehicle, and also on my current careless state I realize that I love my car and that I need to put a little more into and make it my car rather than just like all the other ford contours out there. The stereo was the first step...next will be regular washings...maintence schedules(rather than just relying on the grandfather)...keyless entry...maybe a car alarm...Hell, I might even throw some tint on the windows. Hopefully I will bring the contour up to the same status of "likeability" as the stationwagon held(may the Gold Bullet rest in peace)
I know I might be going overboard but it's all I got till I purchase the good BMW or whateva other car I set my sights on when the Contour decides to desert me.

On growing Pains

Soooooo I'm 23 and reality is setting in. Career, Financial, Educational, and Health decisions have all got me down. All these things are clearly a part of transitioning from a semi-independent adult to a fully-independent adult.
Lets talk about the financial situation...Bills, Bills, Bills is all I have to say. We got the Cable, Electricity, Water, Phone, and Cell Phone. Next we have auto insurance which I dont even have to pay just yet. Then I have my credit cards I wont even go into that list but there are several. I have implemented a plan that has worked pretty well in beating down the credit card debt I have accrued over the last 5 years. Then I have student loans...AHHHHHHHHHHHH. I will never take out a loan for this much again...EVER!!! This has to be one of the least responsible things I've done thus far in terms of financial decisions. What was I thinking? I wont even divulge how far I am in debt to Sallie Mae...I'll just say that I'm probably paying someone's salary there.(Ridiculous) I mean I guess in many ways it is an investment in my future...blah..blah...blah. It still looks like a gross number on paper and the thought that I owe that much money to anyone is very unsettling. However, I do like the way Sallie Mae offers incentives, in the form of interest rate reductions, for those of us that pay bills with recurring payments from a bank account and also for successful consecutive payments. And then on top of the "outflux" of cash I'm supposed to be saving for a "rainy day". Then we got Taxes...really how much money can the IRS take. I really dont have an issue with the IRS cuz I usually get most of that back it's really the state of MD that concerns me. I know we have a lot of benefits and that we all have to pull our weight in terms of the economy but Geez.
Healthcare Decisions...PPO's...HMO's...AETNA...Kaiser Permanente...Vision...Dental. Man what is goin on. I heard a phrase once..."If ur body was a car u wouldnt buy it" and Y? Maintenance is a bitch. It's really not the maintence that is the concern it's more so all the choices you have. Picking the wrong choice between a PPO and an HMO can leave you out in the cold or at least with a large medical bills if you need any type of care. Or leave you without the option of seeing a specialist unless ur "doctor", who changes everytime, thinks you should see one. Also my eyesight is pretty good right now but what happens when I do need glasses. I'm gonna have to wait until the next time I am allowed to change my benefits plan to get coverage...yet I dont wanna pay for something I dont need right now.
Educational and Career Decisions kinda go hand in hand seeing as tho the way to advance my career requires either education or massive amounts of experience.Soooooo where do I end up? Right back in school when I just fought so hard to get out.As soon as my little break is ova it's right back to school for me.I also have no real idea what I wanna do. Because I have to find something that I like a lot so that it holds my interest and attention. I guess I'm just a little worried because graduate school is going to be so different. One I will have a job that I cant be like hey I gotta study for my test and they will just give me the day off. The client is NOT going to wanna hear that. Two, study groups will probably be non-existent since noone will be on the same schedule and the fact that I'll be in class with adults with kids and families. Three, It's just gonna be plain hard...I have to MASTER a subject. The only thing that I feel can remotely hold my attention that long is something that has to do with graphics or videogame programming. (but that topic pretty fun and very challenging)But hey my job has so graciously volunteered to pay sooooooo, as one of my friends say "Milk the System".

On the Glory that is Chipotle

CHIPOTLE!! Is the name that should be on the tips of everyone's tongue when lunch or dinner is mentioned. It is pretty much the greatest fast food restaurant ever and furthermore pretty much the only one that is actually fast and accurate. You can get a burrito made from start to finish in like 3 minutes. The only complaint I have is that sometimes the line runs out the door but at least it's quick. The meal they prepare for you is great because it's compact yet filling. My personal favorite is a burrito with Chicken, rice, pinto beans, a little bit of green peppers and onions, cheese, lettuce, and tomato salsa. Mmmmmmm...Great!
Now for the bad news. Nutritionally you should only eat probably two chipotle burritos per week. This is not as easy as it sounds since everyone I know either loves Chipotle or Hates it. Those of us who love it are addicted to the point where we can eat a whole burrito to eating a single burrito a little at a time for several Days. One Chipotle burrito apparently has anywhere from 800 to 1300 calories. This is almost equivalent to the Hardee's Thick Burger. GROSS!! In any event I am a recovering chipotle addict and have been known to consume 2 burritos in a sitting.(I was really hungry man!) I am also known by face at my local Chipotle. Now I try to limit myself to two a week. Anyway I bet you can guess what I'm having for lunch today.
;)

On the Blog

This Blog thing is catching on...

Chris
Jameelah

I never knew that writing about pretty much nothin could be so entertaining nor, did I kno that so many people have so much of nothing to write about.

On TV today

Even tho I dont get to watch TV as much as I once used to I still enjoy a program here or there. Here and there is starting to be more often now that I only have two jobs and since I'm not in school right now. But it is my opinion that TV has become a shell of it's former glory and I have several complaints...
1. The Reality shows have GOT to stop. I mean they have me watchin anything from two families switching moms("Switching Spouses") to a spoof on American Idol where they pick the worst singer but tell the contestants the whole time that they are the best singer("American Superstar"). I mean they are making people eat disgusting stuff like blended magots and dead flies to win $50,000("Fear Factor") and jumping off cliffs to become top executives at Fortune 500 companies("The Rebel Billionaire"). They even have shows that place washed up actors/actresses, singers, and just other generally famous people in a house and harass them with random stuff to do("Surreal Life") to shows where only past members of certain shows can participate and try to survive not being voted off to win fabulous prizes("Real World Road Rules Challenge")....wtf
2. What is going on with the game shows of today. Not only have I seen them remake gameshows of yesterday that should have been allowed to die gracefully but, I see them trying to create new shows where you are distracted from answering a series of questions("Distraction") or where you are allowed to call a friend or a family member to help you out if a question stumps you. ("Who wants to be a Millionaire")
3. I'm not sure if it's just me but the educational programs made for kids these days suck what the hell is Bananas in Pajamas or Teletubbies that play the exact same movie clip several times.
We need to go back to the time where great sitcoms dominated. I'm talking about Seinfeld...The Simpsons...The Cosby Show...The TGIF shows. Where Cartoons were real cartoons...The Disney Afternoon(Darkwing Duck, Gummi Bears, Rescue Rangers)...X-Men...Voltron...Transformers...GI Joe...Looney Toons...Dino the last Dinosaur...Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The classic gameshows...The Price is Right...Jeopardy...Wheel of Fortune...Double Dare...Family Fued...Concentration. And kids shows that didnt make me sick...Sesame Street...The Elephant Show...Mr. Wizard. And lest we forget...Are you Afraid of the Dark...In Living Color...U can't Do that On television. I mean where did they all go. Actually Looking back on this slightly dated list I realize that I'm just old and need to get with the times. I still miss my shows tho!!!

On The Car Stereo Installation

Yes!!...I LOVE new gadgets. They are the greatest. This stereo thing has been a long time coming. I have gotten so used to my factory installed radio that I prolly wont even kno what to do with myself once this is all said and done. I have purchased or acquired several items that will be used to build my new mobile sound system. First I have the JVC Arsenal KD-AR5000 CD/MP3/WMA receiver. The main thing that sold me was the touch screen interface that can show uploaded images and short "movies". Next are Kenwood KFC-C6889ie threeway speakers. Then I got my amplifier for my birthday, and I'm using a subwoofer and box that Chris no longer needs. I have also had to purchase a few miscellaneous items like a wooden board, screws, angle brackets for mounting my amplifier in my trunk
Finally I actually have all the stuff on hand but the next task is actually installing it. This will be most challenging seeing as tho I'm not at all handy with any type of tools nor do I kno anything about running wires. You'd think, being a computer engineer, installing stereo equipment would be right up my alley. Not quite. So I've been trying to follow the step by step instructions provided by Crutchfield with massive amounts of help from Chris. (Step by Step my ass) Also what doesnt help my effort is that it's cold as the f*** outside so me staying out there too long is not fun. Needless to say not too much progress has been made. But...this experience is supposed to make me appreciate my system while also allowing me to make repairs myself rather than paying best buy.(Please believe I need to be all about saving money, even tho I just bought all that stereo equipment)
Minimal progress has been made thus far but I plan to finish this process pretty soon. Anyway hopefully I dont blow up my car.(the grandparents wouldnt at all be happy about that)

On the First Post

I just heard about this "blog" idea today. Sounds interesting so I'm gonna try it out for a while starting with this first post. But, like most things I'll prolly just forget it's even here. I guess we'll have to see.