The trailer for Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End:

Supposedly this "pirate player" will update automatically with new clips from the movie as the release draws closer (May 25), we’ll see what happens.

Quick update today, I added a couple (around five I think) book reviews to the site and I’ll be adding more in the next few days as well.  I also added the summer sessions pamphlet to my portfolio, so if you haven’t seen a hard copy of it yet floating around SVC’s campus (if you see some extra, grab me a few please!) check out the digital version.

I’m very excited the Pens are sticking around in Pittsburgh.  Not looking forward to the construction though, since the arena is so close to Flag Plaza, hopefully things won’t be too bad.  I do find it a bit funny thought that I first found out they were staying through someone’s status on Facebook.  Sigh.

I am a bit disappointed in Mario though.  It seems he was playing unnecessarily rough, and I (and Myron Cope) expected better from him.  Yes, he was a phenomenal player and he saved the Pens by buying them, but he should have know better.

I’m doing ok in the basketball poll, about the same that I always do.  Of course, I picked the teams by which name sounded cooler, like I always do (a few exceptions in there), so I’m never really disappointed with how I do, seeing as I don’t really follow basketball anyway.

I started using a Sonicare toothbrush and my teeth are really really clean.  It feels really weird though, it moves a lot faster than I thought it would, but after a day or two I got used to the feeling.  If you ever use one, make sure to close your lips around it, like when you’re at the dentist and there is the suction thing to get the spit out of your mouth, it helps a lot with the vibrations.  It still feels really strange if I bump into some areas of my mouth, but overall I’m really happy with it.

Heading out to the airport to pick up Cat tonight and tomorrow we’re going out to celebrate Brad’s Birthday (and Happy Birthday Alandra! – you should come with us, although we’ll be in Monroeville).  I’m hoping to maybe go to Damon’s, since it’s a hockey night they have a wing special and besides, Cat would like to go back.

Some musings and a quick check-in I suppose. I happened to see a TV spot for Duquesne, and I was really impressed. It spoke to incoming students, not their parents, not benefactors, but to the people they should be trying to reach. It didn’t sugarcoat college too much, and actually showed the real aspects of long hours studying and minimal sleep. Duquesne really should be commended for it.

I went to Ikea for the first time ever today. Had a good time, saw some cool things, was a little unimpressed with the layout of the store (even with the map, some departments were just laid out very oddly).

Also on the list of "firsts" today was my trip to Half Priced books. Pretty cool store, although I didn’t find any books, it was nice to finally go there. I was expecting the store to be bigger, but really, it didn’t make a whole lot of difference, there were a lot of books crammed into that space.

There are two more episodes of Dirt (on FX) left until the finale, and I do have to say, it’s gotten better with each episode. Last week’s and this week’s shows were really good, and I’m excited for what we have left in the season. Hopefully it will be picked up again next year. I missed The Riches, but I want to check it out when FX plays the "encore episode."

I watched the movie Clue, which was really great, and then played two games of the board game the next night. Both times it was Mrs. White…And for your viewing pleasure, a short (but funny) clip from Clue (be sure to watch Mrs. Peacock as she flails about):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cV_dm_oY7KY&NR

I’m currently reading book two of the Dark Nest Trilogy, and it’s so strange (yet fitting): I made a comparison that works very well. In these books, there is a colony of sentient insects that have a hive mind and completely believe themselves to be perfect and right in every way and that everyone else is out to get them and all of their problems can be blamed on others. And I realized how much they are like a (larger than I sometimes like to admit) group of people I interacted with in some way at SVC (and of course through other ways, such as Scouts). A bit sad, funny and scary all wrapped up in one nice package complete with pincers, six limbs and thoraxes.
 

Nothing too much to talk about, more or less a short update. I headed to SVC to fill out paperwork for the completed Summer Sessions brochure, so look for that soon to be added to my portfolio. It is spring break this week, so I got to see a bunch of professors and administrators while they were working. I also visited with Jan for a while (she’s student teaching and doesn’t get to take the time off with everyone else).

I picked up two more freelance projects while I was there (both for the summer), so those will be a lot of fun. I’ve also been checking out a lot of freelance websites, the one I found has barely any projects on it (and most of them web development projects, which I don’t know enough to successful complete) and the other, for whatever reason isn’t really working out for me (also, most of the bids seem to be from large companies looking for work, which makes it that much harder for individuals like myself), but I’ll keep trying (although I only get 15 bids a month unless I pay the subscription fee).

On a side note that I’ve thought about in the past (but I don’t think I’ve written about here), I always feel bad for the actors in the commercials for perscriptions that treat the more "sensitive" diseases. Case in point, the new Valtrex commercial has a couple riding bikes (he has genital herpes, and she doesn’t…and they want to keep it that way). Anyway, I feel bad for the actor, especially when he hangs out with his friends or sees his family at holidays or whatnot…must be awkward (even if he doesn’t have herpes, and then, he’d have to convince everyone that he really doesn’t, and auditioning for other jobs would be tough to, since he’s the guy with herpes from the commercial).

I did some cleaning around the house today, so I feel accomplished, and I’m planning on adding some more book reviews soon, so that is good as well. In the meantime, You Don’t Know Jack came out with their first episode (a lot longer than the other one’s I’ve posted), give it a shot if you have a few minutes, and enjoy:

Just a quick post to pass along some goodies:

St. Vincent’s rodent problem

The reaction to the media finding out about the rodent problem

While I do like the idea of a mousse party (I think the pun is great), rodents were seemingly always a problem, it’s just sad that they only really took action once it was brought out by the media. I personally never had any rodents, but I do remember lots of people with glue traps while I lived in Gerry for two years. Oh well, it’s an old dorm, it’s bound to happen. Although, I do wonder why the girl from the first article didn’t try washing her jeans before throwing them out, I know I would have.

I put up a new skin for my site today, now it’s green.  Hopefully that can coax spring to come out and play.  I hope you like it!

And a fun game from You Don’t Know Jack:

The above quote and title of this entry comes courtesy of Nom Anor.

So many things have happened since my last entry, and I really don’t have time for an entry, but wanted to write another one for February while I had the chance.

Work is quickly coming to a close on the wedding invitations (they are due/will be done for the first of March), which will be good to finally free up some room. They have been fun, but a lot of work. After a quick break, I’m going to make up a set for me and put up a picture of the set in my portfolio (with addresses and dates smudged out so as to discourage creepy stalkers).

The APO section 65/66 conference that I was the adviser for was last weekend, and it was great! There were a few things out of the hands of the staff (non-working elevator and chapters not really doing roll-call), but otherwise it was great. The conference planner and her staff handled everything with poise and stride and I was very pleased with how they pulled everything together.

I always feel a little bit out of place at these things though. I was there to do a job (to advise the planning committee and be an additional layer of support) but otherwise, I didn’t really feel necessary. I think it was more of a feeling out of place: I don’t necessarily know a lot of the people "everyone knows" so on those accounts I’m kind of on the outskirts, which doesn’t really bother me too much I suppose, just makes me feel a bit awkward when I’m trying to advise (which, aside from a few things, was really minimal really, everything was handled well). And I know APO is a great program, I just see it from a different perspective I suppose, and see where it could be even better (but mostly from a level I couldn’t even begin to imagine influencing), but really, any organization that offers students service and leadership opportunities is a good thing.

The business meeting seemed to go on for a long time (because it did), and sadly I did see some of the uglier side of the politics that are inherent in any organization (little league comes to mind as the general organization to compare to), which also diminished the wish for me to become more involved. That’s not to say I don’t want to keep helping out, I love the work I do, I just really don’t have any desire to become tangled in the crazy webs that could be woven, so I’ll keep doing what I’m doing: helping out where people ask me to and where I see I can lend a hand.

I was given a really nice certificate (Thanks Ka3ytl!) at the banquet which was nice, I wasn’t expecting it at all, so that was very nice, I was glad to know I did (I think) a good job helping out (sometimes I really can’t tell if I’m doing a good job with some of these things, especially since I feel like I was asking as many questions as I was answering). After the banquet I headed back to visit Matt and Nick (I stayed at their apartment on Friday night so I didn’t have to drive all the way back to Oakland from Monroeville) and we hung out for a bit before I headed home and promptly fell asleep for a good long while (that’s why you didn’t get me Tim, I was asleep, for once it wasn’t networking problems!)

The Summer Sessions pamphlet is off to the printers, which is really exciting. For the past who know how many years, the St. Vincent summer sessions pamphlet has had the same cover: two professors walking behind Prep during the fall. So I was asked to come in and update it. The whole thing is very bright and cheerful and actually shows summer-y scenes (what a concept!). Although I don’t think Zach knows he’s on the back cover yet…but it was such a great photo I couldn’t not use it. Once it’s all printed, I’ll put a copy in my portfolio as well, so look for that in the near future.

I’m still waiting to hear back from Public Safety about their pamphlet (also one of my favorites), but hopefully I’ll hear soon.

I just finished two Star Wars novels (although out of order) by Timothy Zahn and of course, they were excellent. I’ll have the reviews (along with many others) up soon, as soon as I have some time (read: hopefully next week). They were confusing and had character twists around every corner that only Zahn could deliver. The first (in the timeline came first, but actually written second, but I read first) was Outbound Flight, which tells of Thrawn’s first encounter with the Republic/Empire/Republic. It also lays out some groundwork for the New Jedi Order saga as well as the Thrawn trilogy. The second book, Survivor’s Quest, finishes up the story from Outbound Flight and again leaves more details for the NJO and ends with an absolutely phenomenal closing scene, leaving a lot of things hanging for the reader to ponder.

I always wonder whey I put myself through so much sometimes. The amount of crap the staff at UO takes sometimes is just incredible (in a bad way). I guess I’m just frustrated with some trends I see in the Myst community, and as much as it was crazy to be basically away this month, the few times I popped in, it seemed like I got hit with examples of all the horrible things wrong. Who knows, things always work out, and besides, we have some great things coming down the pipes for UO (only one of which the general public knows about, and one of which was suggested by me!), so onward we plunge (into the land of snow in even more Ages apparently…)

Ok, I think I’ve been rambling since the second or third paragraph, so I’m off for now, have a great start to March (I’ll be doing training at round table for the OA: the symbolism and symbolic progression of the Pre-Ordeal Ceremony) and I’ll catch everyone soon!
 

The title of this post comes from the Daily Show. I believe it was John Oliver, discussing the weapons and structure of various terrorist cells, he mentioned that the head and shoulders were strong…head and shoulders, knees and toes. knees and toes. He then went on to say the teapot quote.

Random musings: Last week on Dirt, Adrianne and Chris from "My Fair Brady" did a guest spot as celebrities trying to get back into the spotlight by concocting these wild schemes including "the first triuple." It was entertaining, possibly because I watched the second season of "My Fair Brady," but humorous nonetheless.

Because of the announcement of the release date of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (July 21), I decided to listen to Mugglecast again, thinking maybe it improved. Nope, I was wrong, it’s still crap. The "hosts" (and I use that loosely because there are a few that only agree with the others and never really contribute) spent 10 minutes trying to figure out and relate to the listeners what a fiscal year was.

The following video is from My Chemical Romance. I like the song a lot! The video is pretty much a rip off of a Greenday video though, but the song is enjoyable.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDWgsQhbaqU

The actor (Nathan Fillion) who played Mal in Firefly/Serenity (and Caleb from Buffy) is in the new movie Drive. I really don’t have any desire to see it, but it did make me notice the commercial for it. On a related note, I’ve been listening to the Wicked soundtrack and I looked up a video, the actor that played The Wizard played Doc in Buffy season 5. Also, Dr. Cox from Scrubs was one of the Bobs in Office Space (happened to see it on Comedy Central and I hadn’t noticed it before).

I keep knowing the answer to the 100.7 Road Warrior Trivia Questions, but can never get through to tell the operator my answer. But it does make me feel a little better about my random trivial knowledge.

And now, more random funness in the form of two You Don’t Know Jacks (both very funny, give them a shot!):

Valentine’s Day Themed:

Chinese New Year and Lost (yes that’s right, you’ll just have to play it to find out):