Monday, December 30, 2002 :::
...back from a one week absence, it's
TOG's semi-official weekly honors
Phrase-of-the-Week: "windage and elevation"
Explective-of-the-Week: Horseradishes!
Politician-of-the-Week: Trent Lott
Triangle-Member-of-the-Week: Iqbal Ahmed
what do you think?
::: posted by Kyle at 1:18:00 AM
Saturday, December 28, 2002 :::
Would you like a little cheese with that whine
I'm not trying to be an ungrateful brat or anything, but my mother is the worst gift-giver I have ever seen. For Christmas among other things I received: a 4-foot-tall mini-refrigerator, 36 AA batteries, a glove box organizer, and a 250-Watt power supply. As normal Christmas gifts go, that’s some pretty nice loot for anybody...except me.
I don't have the space for a little microwave in my room, let alone the largest "mini-fridge" in all the land.
I don't own single thing that uses AA batteries, I own about 90 that use AAA's and AAA batteries were on my X-mas list, but low and behold 36 AA batteries are now mine.
I don't have a car, and contrary to popular belief, glove boxes only appear in automobiles.
The power supply for my existing computer works fine. Sorry I don't need a less powerful power supply for a computer I'm quickly getting rid of, sorry.
And as a pre-emptive strike against my will to live, last Saturday, on my way back from Lawrence, she decided that we should stop and go shopping, and suggested that I get a CD Laser lens cleaner for Dad, because he had it on his X-mas list. After pointing out that the family already owned one, she said, and I quote, "oh, well I think that it got broken at some point", so I took her word for it and bought the disk, only to discover upon entering the house a mere two hours later, the "broken" Laser lens cleaning CD sitting at the front of the CD tray on Mom's desk, fully functional.
I informed her that she had a "Mucci Parental" moment, and left it at that.
what do you think?
::: posted by Kyle at 3:45:00 PM
(There needs to be a better word for epic)^2
I finally finished Atlas Shrugged a few days ago, and all I have to say is "Holy Crap!" If you've never heard of Ayn Rand before, read this book and your hair will literally be blown back. If this story was ever put into a movie, it would have to be like 5-6 hours long. I really enjoy these oddly epic psuedo life changing books. Up next... A People's History of the United States fun, fun!
what do you think?
::: posted by Kyle at 3:14:00 PM
Saturday, December 21, 2002 :::
Via con Dios
Godspeed to all my friends and family travelling home and away for Christmas. I enjoyed your company while you were here, so come back safe and sound in January.
what do you think?
::: posted by Kyle at 11:26:00 AM
Keep on keeping on
Today I leave the confines of my of the Triangle House to travel home. Last night I gave my Christmas gift to "The Girl" ('m rather proud of this one, becuase it's actually got some meaning behind it). I will try to keep the site updated throughout my holiday break from my new home.
what do you think?
::: posted by Kyle at 11:21:00 AM
Friday, December 20, 2002 :::
with melancholy reminiscence
According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, The Boeing Sonic Cruiser has been cancelled no word yet on the Boeing Website but I expect it shortly.
Please a moment of silence for my future job hopes......thank you
what do you think?
::: posted by Kyle at 12:09:00 PM
There needs to be a better word for Epic
I just got back from watching LOTR: The Two Towers, and damn! I'm utterly speechless. You MUST see this movie. If you need convincing, I pity your sole.
what do you think?
::: posted by Kyle at 12:41:00 AM
Thursday, December 19, 2002 :::
Who is done with finals? that's right me!
and to those of you who are still studying, I have but one thing to say to you...
Screw all, y'all!
what do you think?
::: posted by Kyle at 1:01:00 AM
Tuesday, December 17, 2002 :::
Happy 22nd Birthday to Nathan Betzen, official western neighbor of TOG
what do you think?
::: posted by Kyle at 10:33:00 PM
Yet another example of the fact that governments can't produce anything, they merely redistribute the wealth.
what do you think?
::: posted by Kyle at 9:47:00 AM
Monday, December 16, 2002 :::
His genius knows no bounds!
How to Ruin American Enterprise - Ben Stein
via Forbes via Yahoo via Slashdot
what do you think?
::: posted by Kyle at 7:34:00 PM
Fortune 500: Scapegoats Unlimited
Did anybody else notice that the businessmen are apparently the bane of mankind's existence? They are supposedly to blame for nearly every problem we face.
High prescription drug prices? "Price gouging" pharmaceutical companies
Rampant obesity? “Profit-hungry” fast-food chains
Political corruption? Rich business “special interests”
Personal bankruptcy? “Greedy” credit card companies
Declining moral standards? “Debased” movie studios
Lung cancer? “Evil” tobacco companies
Murder? “Unscrupulous” gun manufacturers
Floss your brain with that one
what do you think?
::: posted by Kyle at 7:17:00 PM
anybody else smell a reoccuring segment?
Phrase-of-the-Week: Who needs pants when you've got a good hat?
Explective-of-the-Week: Mahnahmahna!
Politician-of-the-Week: Trent Lott
Triangle-Member-of-the-Week: Brandon Barrientez
what do you think?
::: posted by Kyle at 1:06:00 AM
Sunday, December 15, 2002 :::
Common Sense V. Insanity
In the Florida case Access Now v. Southwest Airlines, a "Visually Impaired" guy sued Southwest under the ADA because his audio text reader couldn't read their website. Recognizing the ramifications of this lawsuit, TOG quickly put together a crack legal team to fend off any potential lawsuits. But luckily common sense won by decision, and TOG sent those dirty blood-sucking leech-lawyers on their way.
Whew...disaster averted...for now
what do you think?
::: posted by Kyle at 12:38:00 PM
Saturday, December 14, 2002 :::
Yummy
"Being in Iraq is like creeping around in someone else's migraine. The fear is so omnipresent you could almost eat it."
-John Sweeney BBC correspondent
what do you think?
::: posted by Kyle at 3:18:00 PM
Friday, December 13, 2002 :::
That's totally sweet
If you have already checked out Google News you really should. It's a news page generated entirely by the Google search engine. Yeah, that's right, it's an automated editor, it goes out and searches the internet for articles like only Google can and comes up witht he top stories of the day. It's choices sometimes odd, but it's definately worth looking at.
what do you think?
::: posted by Kyle at 12:58:00 PM
Here is one of the better articles concerning Bakke vs University of California Board of Regents and reverse-discrimination that I've seen in a while.
what do you think?
::: posted by Kyle at 12:52:00 PM
So dear friends as classes end,
to each his own picked poison.
The world of man must take a stand,
for finals loom on the horizon.
what do you think?
::: posted by Kyle at 2:03:00 AM
Wednesday, December 11, 2002 :::
because it's the American way. That's why.
what do you think?
::: posted by Kyle at 1:44:00 PM
Tuesday, December 10, 2002 :::
So I was just "accidentally" started the Official TOG p2p software and "accidentally" went looking for acoustic versions of song I already "accidentally" downloaded at an earlier point in my life, when I discovered something else that annoys me.
I hate it when people list a song and put the words "acoustic" or "unplugged" in parenthases next to the title, when the standard version of the song is acoustic already. (ex. Ben Folds Five, Brick) or when they list a "rare acoustic" version of a real good song by a real good band when it's really just a rip they illegally recorded with some crappy mini-cassette recorder while attending the one of the aforementioned band's concert.
what do you think?
::: posted by Kyle at 11:49:00 PM
TOG's Semi-Official Pointless List:
Phrase-of-the-Week: Damn the Man, Save the Empire
Expletive-of-the-Week: Blarg
Politician-of-the-Week: Al Gore
Triangle-Member-of-the-Week: Rob Szymula
what do you think?
::: posted by Kyle at 5:33:00 PM
Monday, December 09, 2002 :::
The following is a recount of actual events; the events are real, the names are real, damn the innocent
In Triangle, there is a house position called Sergeant-at-Arms. The position basically has two jobs, one is to check house duties twice a week to make sure that they are being done properly, the second is to oversee the judicial board (j-board hears all appeals about whatever fines were levied, it's big and complicated so I won't get into it).
All of the positions (Pres, V.P., Secretary...etc) turn over at the semester, so we will have all new officers in January, with the exception of the President, which is switched over at Thanksgiving.
S@A is an position appointed by the Pres. The standard procedure for appointments is pretty complicated, but is normally just a formality, suffice it to say: I had every indication that the President, Matt Wishon, would appoint me to the position, I have even been the acting S@A for the last few weeks, as a sort of On-the-job training thing with the current S@A.
Unfortunately, pre-empting all sense of normality, Jarod Poplin (a.k.a. Matt's best friend), was appointed LAST WEEK, unbeknownst to everyone including me. So I woke up last Thursday morning to a fine in my mailbox for not doing my house-duty properly, which struck be as a little odd, seeing as how I was the one that was supposed to do the fining.
Since then, lots of people have been mad, and lots of people are considering doing some very drastic things. But this is basically what it all boils down to:
1.)Matt and Jarod have instituted buddy-politics into the house.
2.)I'm pissed because of the way the appointment went down.
3.)Every active member of the house is pissed off because they know Jarod isn't capable of doing the job right.
4.)Everyone with the exception of Matt and Jarod is convinced I've been screwed over in Gore-like proportions.
what do you think?
::: posted by Kyle at 7:36:00 PM
Sunday, December 08, 2002 :::
The real big brother awaits his time to shine.
what do you think?
::: posted by Kyle at 3:32:00 PM
Saturday, December 07, 2002 :::
Your TOG prescribed daily dose of Haiku is as follows:
Good old boys on top?
Opposition, dissention
Will be no cakewalk.
what do you think?
::: posted by Kyle at 12:16:00 PM
Friday, December 06, 2002 :::
Random thoughts and questions
How come when you use the "caps lock" on your keyboard, it only works on the letter keys and not the numbers or punctuation keys?
I don't know if this happens to you, but reading the word Beijing makes me think my vision has been blurred.
Saying frozen tundra is redundant. Tundra by defination is frozen.
what do you think?
::: posted by Kyle at 1:59:00 PM
Thursday, December 05, 2002 :::
Today version of UnDoubtably Krap had a article on Blogs in the Jayplay. And TOG's friendly neighborhood computer guru known simply as The Mooch was interviewed and has a couple of quotes in there. As soon as the UDK's webpage is updated, I'll give you all the link.
UPDATE: here's the link enjoy!
what do you think?
::: posted by Kyle at 2:07:00 PM
Wednesday, December 04, 2002 :::
Today episode of "Smart People Saying Stupid Things"
Some really smart people at Penn. State figured out a way to cool foods using sound waves. That's really smart.
Explaining that they did it to "end reliance on gases that can contribute to global warming" That's really dumb.
electricity is electricity is electricity. It's doesn't matter what you use to power the fridge, it still requires power. You did not event a perpetual cooling machine. Your refrigerator doesn't run on solar, nuclear, wind, geothermal, hydroelectric, or any other power. You merely managed to invent a new way to cool things, which has nothing to do with power consumption. I don't know what they’re complaining about anyway; today’s standard fridge uses 457 kW/h per year. That's less than a 60-watt light bulb uses in 6 days!
It's a shame to see such smart people feel the need to justify their invention to the hippies of the world.
what do you think?
::: posted by Kyle at 4:39:00 PM
Hey! You there! I've got my eye on you!
what do you think?
::: posted by Kyle at 4:07:00 PM
Survey says...
The results are in from Long Bet poll, and absolutely no consensus was reached. 52% of you said yes, someone alive in 2000 will be alive in 2150, 48% of you said no. I really don't know what this means, so interpret it as you may.
what do you think?
::: posted by Kyle at 1:06:00 PM
Tuesday, December 03, 2002 :::
Now here's a guy from the main-stream media that makes some sense, and here is an article from tomorrow's main-stream media that has absolutely no point.
what do you think?
::: posted by Kyle at 12:16:00 PM
Monday, December 02, 2002 :::
You people need to vote in my poll, it's not that hard, just click on one of the 3 options presented to you. The more you vote, the faster I'll change the question and put some variety into your drab little lives.
what do you think?
::: posted by Kyle at 11:43:00 PM
Sunday, December 01, 2002 :::
The simple-minded person’s guide to parade viewing:
1. It is not necessary to proclaim to the world what float is coming next. They are only moving 3 miles/hour, I’m pretty sure that I’ll be able to see each one before it’s beyond my visual range.
2. When it’s 13 degrees outside, everyone is going to be cold. Just because someone isn’t bundled up like an Eskimo doesn’t warrant a comment on how chilly they must be.
3. When you see a float coming down the street 3 blocks away, and all that you can make out on their banner is “Valley Falls Band” don’t turn swiftly to everyone in the area and ask “Where are they from?” Your fellow parade viewers are busy looking at the Float in front of them, not what will be coming along in 10 minutes. And even if they were pyschotic like you, they don't have any better vision, so just down some more ritalin and wait it out.
4. Complaining about not being able to see clearly to total strangers is useless, they don’t care and neither do I.
5.You don’t have to read every banner and bit of text you see out loud, the world is neither impressed with your reading skills nor your public speaking ability, and you don’t need to prove that you can do either.
6. No, you can’t cross the street in-between floats; the police barriers and armed officers should have given you a hint. And calling the officers “coppers” won’t help you cause, deal with it.
7. It’s not essential to use the presenting/providing companies name when describing any float. I don’t care about the “Holiday train by Coca-Cola” or about the “'a Santa Claus Thanksgiving' float presented by Target” The TV annoucers are required by contract to say these things, and they get paid to do it. Unless you're getting some sort of corporate kick-back I don't know about, shut your yapper
8. I don’t care what your favorite float/band/famous person/song thus far is, and neither do the 300,000 other people out here, so stop analyzing and dissecting the parade when it’s only been going for 20 minutes.
9. Your comments are never witty; don’t try. I don’t care if you think that helium-ballon Paul Bunyon’s axe could cut down lots of trees. Neither do I care if you think a 40 foot-long Alligator needs a really big toothbrush. Think about it, you sound like you’re three years old.
10. No, they aren’t waving at you, they don’t know you exist, they don't care that you drove 10 hours just to see them. They’re probably thinking about the money they’re making for being in this stupid parade, or how numb their butt is or how tired their face is because they have been sitting on the back of a convertible and smiling at idiots like you for the past 3 hours.
what do you think?
::: posted by Kyle at 6:26:00 PM
For those of you who didn't know (a.k.a. just about everybody) I was in Chi-town with the 'rents to see my little brother march in the Massively Incorporated, Internationally Conglomerated, Mass with Class Thanksgiving Day Parade.
...also it will take some serious recounting and I'm just not ready for that kind of commitment yet
what do you think?
::: posted by Kyle at 4:33:00 PM
