Today I am proud to announce that my very good friend Kevin has joined the Dark Side and setup a blog of his very own! I can only assume that this is because he idolizes me and wants to be just like me—hey you can’t blame the guy! He just set it up today, so obviously there isn’t tons of content yet.

Anyway, Kev is awesome, so everyone should go check it out and send him encouragement so that he does more with his site. Woohoo. :)

Posted at 1:16 PM | (1)

Even though I relate to them far better than most females, sometimes I really just don’t understand guys. This is especially the case when it comes to bathroom etiquette. I live with 3 intelligent males—2 of whom are engineering graduate students. As I have discovered, intelligence is not directly correlated to cleanliness.

These guys get the bathroom so dirty that we had to hire someone to come in once a month and clean it for us. There is no way I’d clean up a mess that I don’t make—especially when the mess reappears mere days after it was eradicated. I must point out though, that for the majority of the mess, I am really not sure which guy(s) is to blame.

Anyway, it was amazing how disgusting the sink got before it was finally cleaned on Saturday morning. The entire basin was caked in this mysterious yellow, grimy substance, tinged with left-over razor stubble that didn’t make it down the drain. The metal drain was somehow cultivating a veritable mold garden, which only added to the sickening array of colors found in the sink. I can’t even imagine how it got to this level, and in such a short time. All I know is that my little bit of blue toothpaste that only touched the middle of the sink could not be responsible for the grime that consumed the basin.

The basin does not even take into account the dirt that accumulated on the sink counter. Somehow the guys manage to splash water ALL over the counter when they wash their hands or shave or whatever it is they use a lot of water for. This leads to puddles which sit there for days, accumulating all the dirt and grime that is attracted to bathroom countertops. The puddles eventually dry, leaving a thin film of dirt, water spots, hair, and other random particles that are gross and grimy when combined. As a result, I find that I try to have as little physical contact with the sink as possible.

Common sense would dictate that if you make a mess, you should clean it up. This is obviously not the case, or else the sink would not reach such disgusting proportions. This also leads me to the second disgusting thing I’ve encountered recently.

On Monday, a mere 2 days after the shower was wiped meticulously spotless, I opened the shower door to discover a bunch of brown smudges on the bottom of the tub (we have one of those shower/tub combinations). I can only hope that it is mere dirt and not something even more repulsive, but I still can’t imagine how this substance got all over the tub. I attempted to wipe some of it off with a cloth, but it didn’t seem to budge, so I just left it. Why couldn’t they do this right before the cleaning lady came, instead of when we will have to wait at least 4 weeks for her to come again? Also, what the hell was the guy doing to get so dirty?!

I guess I should be glad that with these habits, the guys bathe at all! However, one of the guys has some shower fetish and takes at least 2 showers a day. I know this because his showers always happen to coincide with my ritual morning shower and/or whenever I really really have to go to the bathroom. For the entire time I’ve lived in this residence, I have taken a shower every morning—generally around 7am. When I got my car, I started showering at 6:45am so that I could arrive at work earlier and find a decent parking space. For the last month or two, the guy has decided to take his shower whenever I get up—it seems that if I want one at 6:45am, he is already in there, and if I wait until 7am, same story. I can’t win!

What I don’t understand is what he does between 10pm when he takes his evening shower, and 6:40am when he takes his morning shower! Perhaps even more disturbing is that his showers typically last at least 15-20 minutes, which is sometimes more time than I spend in there. What could he be doing in there for so long when he is shorter than I, thus having less surface to wash, less hair to shampoo, and doesn’t shave multiple body parts (at least I don’t THINK so) while showering? I have some speculations, but for the sake of decency, I won’t mention them here. Feel free to draw your own conclusions though, because I have none.

I suppose the most logical question is, why don’t I talk to him about this situation and perhaps work out a schedule where we can both shower without conflicting schedules? Well, I’m hoping that this is only temporary—due to having an early class this quarter or some other equally logical and short-term reason. Plus, I think I secretly get more satisfaction out of ranting than I would if the problem was rectified. The other major reason though is that I’m not really sure I’m justified in dictating shower times—we both get done in time, so I guess it’s not technically a problem. Plus how do you bring it up? “I’m sorry, but you shower too much. Please only shower once a day, and only during times that are convenient for me. Thanks.”

All I can say is, thank god I don’t have to pay the water bill!

Posted at 3:41 PM | (4)

This is my 100th entry, woohoo! Today also happens to be This-or-That Tuesday again. So without further adieu, I present:

Personal Habits, Quirks, Routines, etc.

Posted at 8:56 AM | (4)

This weekend my sister came up to visit, which is something she has done at least once a year since I’ve lived in SB. She came up on Friday evening and left this afternoon.

I think she had a good time, though I know I’m not quite as exciting as her friends. We mostly just caught up, although we also partook in such activities as going out to eat, shopping (where I ended up with a new pair of jeans and she with flip flops and a Britney Spears-esque hat), and catching the sneak preview of The Italian Job.

Even though I have tomorrow off, she was unable to stay. She just got a new job and has to go in for training in the afternoon. Oh well, it was still nice that she came up to visit—it’s so rare that I actually hang out with another female (even if it is my sister).

Posted at 10:41 PM | (4)

Upon coming home this evening, I checked to see what snail mail awaited me. There was only one item for me today, and it just so happened to be a Jury Summons.

Yay.

The Jury Commission of the Santa Barbara Superior Court has summoned me to appear for Jury Duty on June 2. Of course, I could get lucky and not have to go in at all. This is my first time being summoned in SB County. I had to go to Jury Duty once in LA County and was sent to COMPTON of all places!! I was afraid I might die or something, but luckily SB is a MUCH better place.

On the other plus side, the system is a bit different from the last time I went. Last time I had to show up the first day and see if I was put on call, selected for a case, or told to come in every day for a week. Here you just call in for 5 days to see if you have to come in. If you are told to come in, then you go one day and that’s it—if you don’t get picked, you’re done. If you ARE picked, then you are finished when the case concludes—which could of course be way longer, although possibly shorter than 5 days. I think the rules might have changed a bit for LA County since I went, but I’m not sure. Kevin informed me that the rules vary by county.

We’ll see what happens. I can’t wait (yea right)!!

Posted at 5:57 PM | (3)

I think that every blogger eventually has this experience: pissing someone off because of something you have written. The New York Times published a story on Sunday (you may have to create a username to view the article) that probably sums up most people—be they readers, writers, or subjects of blogs. It’s a pretty interesting article if you want to take the time to read it. To read my take on it, click the “More…” link below.

The basic gist is that no one is really safe from the blogging phenomenon. The tales accounted in the article are some of the more horrific examples of blogging-gone-wrong, but that doesn’t make them any less relevant to the average person. I myself have had some of the things I’ve written burn me a bit. Like some of the people in the article, I assumed that most people either wouldn’t take the time or weren’t savvy enough to find my online ramblings.

I was wrong.

I’ve had my sister get angry at some of the too-personal details I describe and had friends and significant others get upset by what I did or did not write about. There is a very fine line, I’ve discovered, between detailing events in my life, and respecting the privacy of others. As a result I found myself editing some of my posts to remove offending content. With each offending post I now find myself more and more inclined to keep my dealings with people I know to a minimum. If I write about them, they of course want it to be positive; if I don’t write at all, in order to avoid possible negative portrayals, they may wonder why I chose to exclude them. Perhaps one should just stick to random observations and encounters with strangers? According to the article, I am not alone in my experience, and prudence seems to be the key to averting disaster.

Luckily, I have not really gotten any negative comments from strangers. I have, however, received emails from people who either aren’t too bright or don’t read carefully. Many people know of my ordeal with WLI Travel Values, and how I spent time researching who they are and what they do. I have even included a link to another person’s page where they documented the process they went through to learn the truth and get their money refunded. Despite the fact that every mention of them is negative and that I state how pissed off I was, I have received at least 3 emails from people wondering how I obtained their credit information and took their money! Fortunately, many more people were able to ascertain the truth—that I was in the same boat as them—and sent me notes giving thanks for the information on this shady company.

Anyway, as insignificant as these events are in comparison to those of many other people, they have still reinforced the notion that one should think before writing—you never know who may stumble upon your site! With the freedom to write whatever one chooses comes the consequence of alienating the people one cares about.

Posted at 2:59 PM | (8)

It is time again for This-or-That Tuesday!

Today’s edition is Even More Potpourri…

It’s been awhile since I’ve last posted and I still don’t really have anything new to write about. This being the case, I just thought I’d mention that, for those of you who haven’t already noticed, I have finally put up my “About Me” page. Click on Biography if you are interested in learning more about yours truly.

Posted at 11:35 AM | (5)

Tonight at 10pm I was supposed to go to the advance screening of The Matrix 2. The tickets were purchased in advance via the theater’s automated phone system. However, for some reason, the theater decided to cancel the transaction and mysteriously refunded the money. By the time this was noticed, tickets were already sold out.

Anyway, I’m pretty bummed because I don’t get to go anymore. I guess on the bright side, I don’t know how good it is going to be. For all I know I’m not missing much. Still kinda sucks, but oh well.

Posted at 6:39 PM | (4)

I’m not sure what sort of things interest the readers of my site, but I stumbled across this site called This-or-That Tuesday, which posts a new mini-questionnaire every Tuesday (Kev should like that…Tuesdays rock). Maybe if people seem to like it, I’ll do it when I remember. It does help pass the time at work. :)

Anyway, here is this week’s *Potpourri Edition*:

Posted at 2:07 PM | (1)

Last night as I was watching Jeopardy, I saw one of my favorite commercials—advertising a Ford Focus. The latest Ford spots kick ass because they sport none other than Laker Forward Rick Fox! How can you not want to buy a car from this guy when he smiles and says:

“This baby’s got it all.”

Cheesy, I know, but they are amusing ads. We get to see Rick Fox at the beach, the San Diego Zoo, the carnival, etc. Always smiling. Always loving his Ford product.

Speaking of Lakers…they play tonight. They’ve got the series tied 2-2. I hope they win, even though Rick Fox doesn’t get to play—he’s still out with his broken foot.

Posted at 10:24 AM | (3)

I don’t think I’ve mentioned how cool w.bloggar yet, so since Kevin needs something to read in his boredom, I’ll write about this. For the uninitiated, w.bloggar is a desktop program that allows one to post to Moveable Type without using the web interface. This was one of the features I missed when I switched from Blog, because there are times when either you can’t connect to the internet and just want to write something down, or you just don’t desire doing all that page clicking. Of course, I also like the option of the web-based posting because that means I can post while I’m at work (as evidenced by the time stamp on my last few posts, heehee).

There are some other benefits as well, like a spell check. I am a very good speller, but there are times when my fingers type too fast and I invert a letter or something. Being able to check my spelling is a good option, and also something that Blog had that the web-based MT does not (perhaps in future releases. There are plug-ins people have made, but I haven’t installed them).

Writing this entry also gives me the excuse to try out on of the newest features of w.bloggar v.3.01—the ability to add what music you are currently listening to. Windows Media Player recently came out with a plug-in that allows you to do this, and someone decided to make such a plug-in for Winamp, which happens to be my preferred mp3 player.

Using this plug-in gave me the excuse to post that I am listening to “Die Da”, which happens to be a German Rap song from the early ’90s. I am not sure why, but I like this song immensely. Normally I am not a fan of rap, but I think I am drawn to the fact that it sounds so happy. Despite the fact that the guys discover that they are dating the same girl and that she is dating other guys as well, they still manage to sound so happy. If this were an American rap song, the dudes would be threatening to bust a cap in their ass or something. It’s cheesy, but cool to listen to—and it features whistling in the opening of the song! If any Germans visiting my site would like to recommend some of their favorite music, I’d really appreciate it. I’m always looking for an excuse to practice my German language skills.

I don’t think I’ve mentioned how cool w.bloggar yet, so since Kevin needs something to read in his boredom, I’ll write about this. For the uninitiated, w.bloggar is a desktop program that allows one to post to Moveable Type without using the web interface. This was one of the features I missed when I switched from Blog, because there are times when either you can’t connect to the internet and just want to write something down, or you just don’t desire doing all that page clicking. Of course, I also like the option of the web-based posting because that means I can post while I’m at work (as evidenced by the time stamp on my last few posts, heehee).

There are some other benefits as well, like a spell check. I am a very good speller, but there are times when my fingers type too fast and I invert a letter or something. Being able to check my spelling is a good option, and also something that Blog had that the web-based MT does not (perhaps in future releases. There are plug-ins people have made, but I haven’t installed them).

Writing this entry also gives me the excuse to try out on of the newest features of w.bloggar v.3.01—the ability to add what music you are currently listening to. Windows Media Player recently came out with a plug-in that allows you to do this, and someone decided to make such a plug-in for Winamp, which happens to be my preferred mp3 player.

Using this plug-in gave me the excuse to post that I am listening to “Die Da”, which happens to be a German Rap song from the early ’90s. I am not sure why, but I like this song immensely. Normally I am not a fan of rap, but I think I am drawn to the fact that it sounds so happy. Despite the fact that the guys discover that they are dating the same girl and that she is dating other guys as well, they still manage to sound so happy. If this were an American rap song, the dudes would be threatening to bust a cap in their ass or something. It’s cheesy, but cool to listen to—and it features whistling in the opening of the song! If any Germans visiting my site would like to recommend some of their favorite music, I’d really appreciate it. I’m always looking for an excuse to practice my German language skills.

Yesterday in the Daily Nexus, UCSB’s school newspaper, was this story about some not-too-bright frat guys and their antics. Find out what happens when you combine belly flops and dead catfish! I am so proud to call UCSB my alma mater in times like this. Go Gauchos!

In non-fish related hijinks is this guy who is determined to become the greatest Jedi with a light saber. Watch the remixed version in which someone added special effects. I know this video has been all around the web and you’ve probably seen it, but it’s still funny. Plus, if you haven’t seen it, it’s worth checking out.

And in other George Lucas related news, INDIANA JONES IS COMING TO DVD!!! It just so happens that the box set will be released just 2 days before my birthday—it makes a great gift you know! ;)

In an attempt to save myself from Internet obscurity in the gap between the time Google stops indexing content on my old site and starts indexing any of my content on Icyshard.com, I have decided to whore myself out to blog list sites. My hope is to get more traffic as well as gain new adoring (though hopefully not stalkerish) fans.

To implement this I have enabled MT to ping both Weblogs.com and Blo.gs. These sites are cool because they both list recently updated blogs. Blo.gs is especially cool because it has a feature to search for specific blogs regardless of update.

I have also signed up for two independent blog lists. The first is Globe of Blogs. This site allows you to search by title, topic, age/gender, birthday, name, and location. How cool is it that you can find bloggers who share your birthday?? :)

The other list I signed up for is BlogWise.com. This site allows you to search by country or keyword, but also provides a search box so you can search by any term. It also has a list of recently updated blogs as well as a link to a random blog.

Basically I like how these sites function and are laid out and that is why I signed up with them. In addition, they all provide different functionality and also allow more people to see my site—not everyone out there searches all of these lists. I will stay with them for now and see how it goes.

Posted at 1:05 PM | (1)

I have a grasp on the basic concepts of CSS, having learned mostly through trial and error; however, I want to learn the aspects in a more organized fashion. So far I have taken the style sheets that came with some templates and reworked them to achieve the effects I desired. This method isn’t ideal though, because it means that if I haven’t seen it done, I won’t know how to implement a particular feature.

This is where written guides come in. I have looked at several websites that offer tutorials and guides such as:

I also decided that while these online resources are extremely helpful (and free!), they don’t provide the benefit that comes with reading something in printed form. For that reason I went out yesterday and purchased Cascading Style Sheets: The Definitive Guide. Even though this book is a little old—having been written in 2000—people still give it very good reviews as a reference and learning tool. The only thing this book lacks is in-depth discussion of CSS2—something I’m not ready to delve into anyway. So far I’m just sticking with learning all I can about CSS1. I will find resources for CSS2 when that time comes.

My hope is that with the help of all these resources I will gain a full understanding of CSS and be able to do really nifty things with it—clean up my code and maybe even get rid of those tables! I’ll be reading for awhile I suspect, so changes aren’t going to happen right away. Hopefully in the near future… :)

Posted at 11:38 AM | (2)

Have I ever mentioned how cool Jon Stewart is? Not only is he kinda cute for an older guy, but he is pretty darn funny. I know there are some people out there who disagree with me and don’t find him funny at all, but I for one am glad that he will remain the Daily Show’s host through at least the next presidential election.

Anyway, the reason I am mentioning Jon Stewart is because of his recent segment entitled Bush vs. Bush. As I’ve said, I normally don’t venture into the political aspect of things, but this clip is pretty funny. For those of you who don’t know or haven’t seen it, it basically pits Bush the Governor of Texas against Bush the President of the United States. It’s amazing how the things one says while running for an election differ from those said once that person enters office. Check it out and see hypocrisy at its best—along with funny “moderating” by Jon.

I should remember to watch the Daily Show more often.