[05-21-02] 10:53 AM  Listening to: "Let Me Be With You" (the Chobits opening theme), "Pure Snow" by/from Himiko-den(?), and "Funny Funny Little Girl" (the Galaxy Fraulein Yuna opening theme.) Oh man, Life has been throwning more and more curveballs at me as of late. A few words of advice from a gradually wisening individual: No matter how complacent or natural daily life and processes might become, something will always intervene to keep eternal boredom from setting in. Case in point, this evening, after work, my parents handed me a letter from our county's circuit clerk, stating that I had been randomly selected as a candidate for jury duty. Two weeks ago, I was fingered for a robbery crime. Go figure. And it's just bizarre that I would receive one this early in life. My mom is at least 45 years old (I know exactly how much, but so as not to embarrass her... ^-^) and she still hasn't been randomly selected for duty. My dad has, in a state court no less, but that was only a year ago. Here I am, at twenty years old, and I'm already in the running to sit behind that short wooden rise, separating the rational judicial body from the rest of the courtroom. If I'm selected, the greatest irony of the entire situation would be if I'm actually judging the crime I was fingered for two weeks ago. Also, if the above scenario applies, I'm afriad I'd be unable to offer an impartial verdict. ;) Anyway, tonight I spent a couple hours helping the head of the K-Mart electronics department rearrange all our shelving in anticipation for the locking cases we'll be receiving tomorrow. They're finally encircling the entire department and providing only a single entrance, in the hopes that the number of CD and DVD thefts will decrease. To that end, the management decided to place all the DVDs inside the cases, as well as all of our computer games. Also, I'll be entirely unable to leave the department, unless I scrounge another employee who is familiar with the Electronics department to cover for me. It'll be like a prison, and I'm the sole guard. ^-^ Brrr... feeling the power... Yeah, right. I don't have much power at all. But I can dream. Anyway, I've got nothing new to report. Only eight more days until the beginning of the A-Kon excursion, and I'm getting more and more excited. I'm gonna hafta set aside how much money I'm willing to spend over the course of the trip. I'm not worried about DVD sales so much as the rest of the merchandise. There's going to be a Megatokyo stand there, and I'll be damned if I don't buy some "Capture the Bear" shirts or something. It's high time I purchased some merchandise from my favorite webcomics anyway. I also can't wait for the yearly music videos contest. Ever since discovering the medium, I've tried to locate as many files as I could (my favorites now include "Dude Looks Like a Lady" played to various series but mostly Slayers, "She Blinded Me With Science" starring Washu, "Iris" starring Keiichi and Belldandy, "You Don't Know How It Feels" played to Cowboy Bebop, "Everlong" starring Tenchi and Ryoko, and "Material Girl" starring Nabiki.) I hope they have another good crop this year, though the modern choices in music might just turn me off as well. That's a wrap. Back to my book, I suppose. I'll talk to y'all later, hopefully, if my friends are reading this. Ja ne. - JR

[05-18-02] 2:53 AM  Listening to: the hum of the computer fan. Holy fourth dimension, Batman! It's pretty damn late. And my brother's graduation is tomorrow. I should be asleep, making sure I'm awake for this monumentous occasion... but I'd rather put some stuff online just for the sake of posting it. Besides, I haven't talked to my regular friends in over a week (since they've all gone home and lost their prized Ethernet connections... at last! I'm ahead of the rest of 'em! Of course, I can't even talk to 'em to gloat about it... *sigh*) Anyway, I guess this is also for Ling, who expressed some unfounded interest in checking my blog every once in a while. Heaven knows why; she's got more things to worry about than some nerd-boy living two or three states away, and merely a fellow internet friend. Anyway... There's nothing really to expand upon the past week. I've been cycling my sleep schedule every day this week. Sunday, wake up early and go to work. Monday, sleep until noon. Tuesday, wake up early and go to work. Wednesday, sleep until noon. Thursday, wake up early and take car to shop (no work, at least!) Friday (today), sleep until noon. And every night, I stayed up until around 2 or 3 in the morning. This can't be good for my metabolism... of course, since I've never given a shit about my metabolism, or weight, or whatever, I won't be fretting about it later anyway... well, after I've gotten all my sleep back. (Yeah, yeah, despite what I say sometimes about getting in shape, honestly, I really don't care. Or at least, I don't care to expend the effort required.) Right, anyway, I've had the past three days off, and did practically nothing, which is really saddening. I could have been working on a cosplay outfit (that's practically out of the picture now, oh well...) or on fanfics or sketches. I guess I just haven't had the urge. But I need to find something to do. I'm gonna get bored in a hurry, having beaten Majora's Mask already, with 100% of the items. Maybe I'll just watch Chicken Run again and then see what anime I haven't rented from Hasting's yet... I would chatter about the Star Wars movie, but there oughta be plenty of reviews online all over the place. And each one will have a different slant about the pros and cons about this latest SW flick. Personally, I enjoyed it. I didn't go to the theater, expecting a mind-bender, or a deep psychological thriller, or even anything with any real powerful emotion behind it (well, not entirely.) At any rate, the Star Wars movies have never really been about explaining the purpose of the universe or discussing the intricacies of the human experience (which, granted, won't always apply in the SW universe.) It's all been about action, and telling a space adventure using state-of-the-art special effects for an enhanced experience. Nothing more. People who read too much into the series will of course find "flaws" with the setup of the entire universe, or will simply be turned off by the nature of the series itself. I've always been a big fan (I own 18 novels inspired by the series, plus 6 posters, and a hardback technical guide) and I probably always will be. Heh. I don't even know why I explained what I did just a moment ago. It must be really early I suppose. Thoughts aren't coherent enough. Must get sleep... But before I do that, I'll follow Ling's lead (again), who was actually following another's lead as well...   ME -- THE BORING STUFF Full Name: Well... John Robert Albert Rossmaier. Albert is technically my Catholic confirmation name, inspired by St. Albert the Great, patron saint of scientists. What does your name mean? "God is gracious" or "God is merciful." Can also mean "gifted." Nickname: Rossmage, Rossmonkey. Nothing else. Considering my first name, I don't have a number of options. Thank goodness I've never been called John-boy. What's the dumbest/meanest nickname someone has ever given you? Rossmonkey, simply because a much more annoying... peer of mine (also named John) had the nickname Monkey while at ASMS. I didn't like the hint of association. DOB: January 23, 1982 Birthplace: Tulsa, Oklahoma. Didn't stay long. Zodiac Sign: Aquarius, the water-bearer. Means I'm intelligent, unorthodox and inventive. *big grin* Siblings & Their Ages: Jason, 18; Jana, 16; Jack, 14. Pets & Their Names: Sadie, a 10 year old halfbreed -- a Peek-a-Poo. Any accent? Only when I'm mimicing an actor/actress. Jobs: You should know this by now... K-Mart, Electronics Service. Car: A '90 light blue Chevy Lumina (the car.) Currently has a VERY flat tire. Dream Car: Uh... I suppose a deep hunter green truck (company/model doesn't really matter, though newer would be better), with a regular sized cab and bed... and a kick ass awesome CD deck and speaker system. (Kinda telling, that I care more about electronics than the car itself.) Do you like the neighborhood you live in? Hell yes. Quiet, out of the way, and the neighbors leave you alone (so long as you provide the same benefit.) What are the last four digits of your phone number? Why do you care? It'll do you no good without the others anyway. Sex: Male, and no, I haven't. Yet. Height: 6' Eyes: Blue. I've got plenty of recessive traits. Hair: Brown. No lights, no darks, just brown. Damn boring color... why could't it be a spikey black with shimmering blue highlights? Whatever. Piercings: Hell, I don't even have full sized ear lobes. 'Course, there are more places for piercing, but I think the whole practice is sick (apart from standard ear piercings.) I couldn't stand the actual act of piercing anyway... which is also why I'll never donate blood. And unfortunately, I'm a universal donor. Recessive blood type... a-heh. What is your shoe size? 11 Do you wear contacts? Nope, and I never think I ever will. I've worn glasses far too long. How would you describe your fashion sense? Casual, cool (as in color -- you know... blues, greens, etc. Of course I don't mean trendy...), T-shirts 'n' jeans, and promotional. There's nary a shirt I own that doesn't have some sort of corporate logo, anime/cartoon character, or movie/comic inspired scene. Well, apart from that solid white heavy shirt. Oh, and everything's short sleeves. So, I guess "relaxed" and "go-as-you-please" would fit the bill. What color do you wear the most? Probably blue, 'cause of the jeans. Do you consider yourself handsome/beautiful? Not particularly. Just average, I suppose. ME -- MORE PERSON-ALLY/ITY ORIENTED Do you have any good luck charms or rituals? Just my regular "online update search" routine. Just checking for new material. Do you have any obsessions? Um... definitely anime. Also music (soundtracks and oldies in particular.) Do you sleep with a stuffed animal? The stuffed reindeer never sleeps. Brown and regal, the Unnamed One remains perched atop my computer monitor, willing the bad spirits away from my machine... always watching... always searching... never sleeping... ... ...I need to go to bed now... If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? Either fix my vision or give me that perfect physique, provided no effort is involved. People say you're: Very weird, strangely endearing, witty, and pretty funny. They'll also say I'm a goober (well, mostly my dad will; but he's a geezer, so his opinion doesn't count.) Things you collect: MP3s, anime DVDs, and Star Wars novels, though I'm never in a hurry to complete any of the three collections. Things you hate to do: Read/study anything pertaining to history; deal with anyone lacking common sense or public decency; feel inadequate or untalented; hurt another's feelings; miss a large group gettogether. Things you like to do: Eat; watch anime/movies with friends (or girlfriend... when I have one); explain complex differential equations; play the piano; listen to classical music, orchestral soundtracks, or oldies rock while relaxing atop my bed, cradling a bottle of Meteor Snapple, and amusing myself with mental movie reels, more often than not of my original imagination (i.e., daydream.) What cartoon character do you most relate to? Probably Kensuke Aida from Neon Genesis Evangelion. C'mon, he's practically a double of me. Where I shop the most: Hmm... either Best Buy, AnimeNation, Suncoast, or Hasting's. All for anime. Words or phrases you overuse: "'Sup?" "*clears throat*" "Stupid shower door..." "What's for dinner?" A non-sport game at which you excel: Super Smash Brothers and Smash Brothers Melee. A non-sport game which you enjoy: See above. Little-known talent you possess: Annoyingly long attention span and long winded conversationalist.     UPDATE: Later portions added on 5/20/02. FRIENDS Character Traits You Look For Most In A Person: Possessing a manner of common sense, a work ethic balanced with a desire for play (though most of my friends still linger towards the latter end of the scale), an openminded approach and interpretation to life and the human experience, and an interest in more than merely commercial benefits. Funniest People You Know: my ASMS buddies Jon and Adam, and especially my younger brother Jason and my uncle Randy. Who do you admire most? I honestly have no idea. And trying to answer this question will take more time and effort than I wish to expend. Who makes fun of you the most? My dad, for sure, the old codger; my friend Sarah. ABOUT THE OPPOSITE SEX Honestly, what do you notice first? Considering that visuals usually come before everything else... honestly I probably notice the overall figure first and foremost; and then the face, breasts/waist/hips, and general stance/gait secondly. If the other happens to be chattering as well, then voice inflections play a big factor in first impressions as well. What's the nicest thing you find about the opposite sex? Apart from being a possible completion of me? My mate, my partner, that which my Father has graciously provided for our mutual fulfillment? I'm not sure if I can identify a nicest "thing" about women in general. Essentially, the only thing separating men and women (during this day and age, in this country) is genetics. There isn't hardly any personality trait that is restricted to men or women, and if there is, it's never a particularly desirable one at that. But if the question is asking what traits I like about women... Their tenacity, and definitely their levels of emotion. Thing you hate most about them? Fickleness, those who "play the field," and any staunch believer that "women are more equal than men," (i.e., the feminists who want to have their cake and eat it too.) Are you too shy to ask somebody out? Unless I'm certain how the other feels. I'm a bit timid about new meetings. SCHOOL Schools: Umm... I can't remember earlier than 2nd grade. St. John's Catholic School, Russellville Middle School, Gardner Jr. High School, Russellville High School (10th grade), Arkansas School for Math and Science (11th and 12th grades), University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, and Arkansas Tech University. Special Awards You've Won: Lots of math awards for participating in the Mathcounts and ACTM math competitions, a 4.0 GPA award for every year from junior high and up, National Merit Semi-Finalist (my younger brother is a Finalist/Winner; my parents bred smart kids, I suppose ^-^), a horde of solo & ensemble awards, high placement in the 9th Grade All-Region II First Band, and some Honor Society related stuff. Have you taken the SAT (or PSAT)? Taken both. Got a 213 on the PSAT and a 1390 on the SAT. Managed to swing a 34 on the ACT, too. What is the name of the weirdest, strangest, or craziest teacher you've ever had (not including subs)? Dr. Richter, our German physics instructor at ASMS. Had a penchant for covering chapters in weeks, while assigning massive amounts of homework and possessing a type of exuberance best defined by that of a child in a candy store. His German accent was still strong, despite living for 19 years outside the country. PAST How many concerts I've attended: Very few. Unless you count band concerts, and then, a whole lot. Either 4 or 34, depending on what constitutes a concert. How many countries I've been to: Just the US. Most romantic thing that's ever happened to me: *sigh* Nary a bit. I guess I just don't look like a romantic kind of guy. Or else, not one that has lots of romantic things happening to me. I guess it would have to be my first full kiss (the actual scenario involved me going to kiss her on the cheek, and she turned to catch me full on... and that kinda surprised me.) Name a movie that you've cried at: "The Shawshank Redemption." The part in the middle concerning Brooks' release always gets to me. Scariest Thing You've Ever Done: Oh geez, I don't know. Probably confronting my parents about my bad grades in Fayetteville. What is the worst sickness you ever had? Hmm... well, I had a seizure when I was less than one year old. That doesn't really constitute sickness, though. I suppose it would be my bout with a bad case of Poison Ivy. Ever had a case bad enough to coat the inside of one leg, mangle half your face, and get between your fingers and toes? That sucked. I missed most of a summer camp because of that. And it's the first time I'd ever had to take pills for a case of Poison Ivy. Aside from that, I rarely ever get sick (thanks to my mom letting me play in dirt when I was younger. I've got an awesome biodefense system.) What is the worst thing you did that got you grounded? I've never been grounded. What's the latest you've ever stayed out? Overnight, at least three different occasions, three different friends' houses, and my mom needed her car back the next morning, too. Didn't get grounded for it, either. ^-^ Are the last 2 items related? Only in the absense of the first from the second. What's your oldest memory that is still vivid to you? Probably watching the movie Tron in a darkened room when I was about 3 years old (loved those little motorcycles.) Another strong memory was trying to run away during the evening with my brother when I was 4 or 5 (we even had a tiny pair of packed suitcases, but we only got to the end of the block before some dog started barking like mad, both of us froze completely, and my mom came pounding down the sidewalk after us. When we got home, we decided to at least try my mom's casserole. ^-^) What was the best gift ever given to you? My second chance at college, thanks to my mom. When was your worst school picture taken? I thought my 10th grade picture was quite... bleech. Who was your first crush? Probably Rebecca Rowlands. RIGHT NOW KIND OF QUESTIONS How are you today? Tired, with a slight run of headache. I worked yesterday, then threw my schedule out of whack by actually getting in bed before midnight. The shift has set me off for today. How's the weather right now? Very pleasent, sunny and warm, possessing a light breeze. In And Around The CD Player: Nothing. My CD player is dead, essentially. Last person you talked to? Jason, who told me he was headed towards Taco Bell with my sister for some lunch. Who is right next to you? No person, and no thing, really. What color are your pants? Blue (wearing jeans again.) What is the last thing you said? "Alright" to my brother. What kind of clothes do you sleep in: White T-shirt and mesh shorts. What mood are you in right now? Detatched, mildly contemplative, and maybe even a bit lonely. What song are you listening to right now? "Every Breath You Take" by Police. What time is it? 1:54 PM What was the last thing you ate? Coco Puffs for breakfast. When was the last time you showered? 9:45 AM this morning. What did you do last night? Attended church, watched the last of Survivor with my mom (I've got NO excuse for this one; and I didn't even watch any of the other episodes), and crawled into my room to read about 50 pages of Neuromancer by William Gibson. THE FUTURE Do you think you will ever be famous? I'll be completely surprised if it ever happens. Future Goals: Fall in love, marry, raise four children, and live at least in a middle class setting. What are 2 things you want to do before you finish high school? Too late. What will your first son's name be? John, just like me, my dad, three of my uncles, and both of my grandparents. It's a Rossmaier family tradition. First daughter? No earthly idea. I'll consider the situation with my spouse when the situation arises. (My firstborn son's name will be non-negotiable.) What You Want To Be: Content. Oh, career maybe? Then a Jack-of-all-trades. When you're 18, will you buy a pack of smokes because you can? No I didn't, and still haven't, because I think smoking is a disgusting and perverse habit. Where do you want to go on your honeymoon? I have no preference, as long as my beloved is with me (which is, of course, the entire point of a honeymoon.) Who do you want to spend the rest of your life with? If I knew that already, my life would be a lot easier, wouldn't it? RANDOMNESS Do you have a lava lamp? No, but my brother does. Do you have a "secret box?" Yeah. It's my PC. How do you eat an Oreo? One of two ways, depending on mood. Note: I only eat double stuffed. 1) Dunk until soggy, eat, repeat. 2) Twist two cookies evenly, eat the sides without frosting, and then create a quadruple stack. Then, either dunk, or use a knife and another quadruple stack to make a frosting tower. Repeat as desired. How would you spend a million dollars: Invest $800,000; donate $50,000 to my parents; donate another $50,000 to the rest of my kin; donate a third $50,000 to my local parish; and spend the rest on a low cost truck w/ awesome sound system, a new computer, and all the anime related merchandise I could afford. If you could change your name, what would it be? Despite having the most often used male name in history, I wouldn't want to change it. The bizarre and rare last name (at least in America) kinda makes it unique anyway. If you were a cereal, which one would you be? No freakin' idea. I don't even like most cereals. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? A really really dark blue or green, just because I like those colors. What I'm Addicted to: Definitely anime, though caffeine can count as well. What I could never live without: Aside from physical necessities, I'd have to say my car and my computer. And of course, my family and friends. COMPUTER STUFF Do you save emails? Hell yeah. Half my saved messages (in volume, at least) come from Ling. How many buddies do you have on your list right now? Geez, don't make me say it! It's depressing... 19 on MSN Messenger, 14 on ICQ, and 26 on my email account. Some from one might appear in others. What is your desk made of? Plywood and metal. It folds up, too! HAVE YOU EVER Been in a car accident? Only twice. One a fender bender many many years ago, and another involving the big ice spill in Fayetteville two Christmases ago. The latter was my fault. Been on stage? Oh yeah. Twice in grade school productions, about fifteen more times in concert and jazz bands, and once last summer in the local production of "The Wizard of Oz." Broken a bone? One bone in my hand (and possibly a toe, just last week.) Eaten an entire box of Oreos? Yeah, actually. Can also finish a medium pizza, a large bag of popcorn or Doritoes, a can of chili mixed with a box of macaroni and cheese, and even a giant size bag of Skittles or Reese's Pieces (not altogether, of course.) Eaten Sushi? Never, unfortunately. I want to try it. Had cosmetic surgery? Hell no, and never will. I'll age like I was meant to. Hiked a mountain? Well... yeah, or what constitutes a "mountain" in Arkansas. Never hiked a really tall one, though. Made a Lenten sacrifice? Every single year of my life. Made homemade cookies? Whenever I'm in the mood. They're just as good as my mom's too. Moved? About 5 times before coming to Russellville about 13 years ago, and two more times inside of Russellville (the first after living here for one year, the second just seven months ago.) Also moved back and forth to ASMS four times (twice each year) and moved to Fayetteville for two semesters. Seen the White House? Not in person. Skinny dipped? Technically... no. Watched the Smurfs? I was a cartoon monger when I was younger. Every day for a good portion of my youth. Been called a Smurf? Yup. My uncles and dad are real kidders, you know... Witnessed a crime? Moral crimes, yeah. Punishable by light reprimand, yeah. Punishable by prison confinement, no. DO YOU... do drugs? Hell no. drink? Not yet. I'm still only 20. Yeah, yeah, you don't have to be legal to drink... but I was raised on strong morals. smoke? Again, hell no. currently like/love someone? If you mean romantic interest, then no. have lots of friends? Not lots, but they're all GOOD friends. like jewelry? Never on myself, and if it's within good taste. like to dance? If I have the energy and the urge. like to take walks in the rain? Depends on the season and the company. DO YOU BELIEVE IN... God? Yes. Heaven? Again, yes. And Hell, and Purgatory. Luck? In my experience, there's no such thing as luck. Although sometimes I forget. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT... the Florida re-count? Someone needs an ass-frying. Shit like that shouldn't ever happen in our governing system. That's why people are educated, fer cryin' out loud. FAVOURITES Actor/Actress: Tom Hanks, Bill Murrey, Sean Connery, Tim Robbins, Harrison Ford, Jim Carrey. Sorry, but I can't pick out many favorite actresses. Alcoholic Beverage: From what I've had, Strawberry Daiquiri. Animal: Dog Animated movie: Toy Story, Monsters Inc., Shrek, The Prince's New Groove, and various old Disney films. Book: Really liked "The Icarus Hunt" and the "Heir to the Empire" Trilogy, both written by Timothy Zahn. Book that you were required to read for school? "Fahrenheit 451" Candy: Skittles, Three Musketeers, Snickers, Reese's Pieces. CD: Preferably, a burnt CD, but otherwise I love the Cowboy Bebop OST 1. Color: Dark green. Concert: Can't remember. Country singer/artist: The closest I get is the soundtrack to "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?" The rest of country thoroughly sucks. Day: Saturday Disney character: Hmm... I'm really stumped on this one, due to the vast number of Disney movies and shows I've seen in the past. One that comes to mind, though, is Mr. Potato Head from the Toy Story movies. Do I believe in aliens? I believe that extraterrestrial life is possible, though I doubt it's close to being the supreme intellegence we've always experienced in the movies. Drink: Either Dr. Pepper or the Ocean Spray blend of Strawberries and White Cranberries. Flower: The rose. Food: Burritoes w/heavy spices; fried catfish, boiled shrimp, and hushpuppies; baked ham, mashed potatoes w/white gravy, and green bean casserole; apple fritters, apple dumplings, or apple crunch; fried or grilled chicken breasts and thick, flaky rolls; double stacked cheeseburgers w/fries; Chinese buffet; Canadian bacon deep dish pizza; white or lemon cake with thick, sugary icing; banana splits; chocolate chip ice cream w/added M&M's, Hershey's chocolate sauce, and caramel. In other words, I like all kinds of foods, and have all kinds of favorites, provided that everything's been made by accomplished chefs (or even decent ones.) Girl's perfume: I honestly don't like perfume. Holiday: Christmas How much $$$ I have in my pocket: $36, but it's technically in my wallet and not in my pocket. ^-^ Ice cream: Chocolate chip cookie dough. Also, the above mentioned "favorite." Kind of M&M: Plain. Used in making the above mentioned "favorite." Least Fave Food: Cooked spinach or carrots (both are good when raw); okra, asparagus, or cabbage. Magazine: I don't read magazines anymore. Old favorites were National Geographic, Nintendo Power, and... something I can't remember right now. Men's cologne: Nor do I like cologne. Movies: "The Shawshank Redemption" would be in the top running, along with "The Empire Strikes Back." Month(s): September, October, November. Music: Classical, soundtracks (movies, anime, and videogames), big band, jazz, blues, oldies rock, parodies ("Weird Al" Yankovic), some pop, and a little alternative. Pair of Jeans: My Route 66 carpenter jeans, including holes and frays due to the job. Phobias: A favorite phobia? Well, the only one I've got is a semi-phobia of very high places. Quote: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Quote from a movie: "Who is more foolish: the fool, or the fool who follows him?" Restaurant: La Huerta. Salad dressing: Ranch. Of course with the fat. Sesame Street Character: The Count! Shoes: Whatever's still holding together. Socks: Whichever ones that don't have all the lint balls collecting in the toes. Song That Couldn't Be Improved Upon: I don't know. A song is a song. You can't "improve" a song, lest it become another song entirely. I guess one of my favorite songs would be "Longtime" by Boston. Sport(s): Soccer or tennis. Sport to watch: None. Watching sports sucks (unless you're watching your friends.) I'd rather be playing. Store: Best Buy. Subject: Any math higher than Calculus II. Actually, band and art classes are fun as well, provided you get to perform as opposed to learning history and technique. Thing To Do In The Fall: Enjoy the beautiful fall weather, whatever I'm up to. Thing To Do In The Summer: Family vacation! Location depends on funding and what we all feel like doing. Thing To Do In The Winter: Splatter siblings with snowballs (if it snows.) See pictures for evidence. Toothpaste: I use what I get. TV Show: I really don't watch a lot of TV anymore. I would have to say "Whose Line is it Anyway?" TV show that was made before you were born: At a loss. Again, I don't watch enough TV anymore to have a strong opinion. Vacationing Spot: Either Las Vegas, Cedar Point, or Gulf Shores, depending on the mood. Video Game: Super Smash Brothers Melee kicks ass!!! Website: I would pimp my own page here, but since I know of other better websites... http://www.sluggy.com. EITHER/OR AC or Windows Down? AC during the heat of the summer. Windows down during cooler seasons. Backstreet Boys or N*Sync? Kill them all! Load a missile and destroy all boy bands (plus Britney Spears) in a single cosmic explosion. Baths or showers? Showers for the speed, baths for the soak. Bold or Italics? Italics. Or both. Bridges or Tunnels? Tunnels. Freudian, maybe? Chocolate or Vanilla? Vanilla cakes and cookies. Chocolate candy. Cold or Hot? Cold, if I can help it. Hot, if I can't add more clothing. Colorful or Dull? I'd say colorful, though I don't like the brighter colors as much as the cooler ones. Croutons or Bacon Bits? Both, but croutons if I'm at gunpoint to pick one or the other. Half full or half empty? Half off. Hugs or Kisses? Both, each for different reasons. Leno or Letterman? Letterman all the way. Leno sucks. Loud or Shy? Depends on the mood. I'm reserved in a foreign crowd, but put me close to friends... Night or day? We have to have both, don't we? Why make me choose? On the phone or in person? In person is best. Phone is merely a necessity due to physical distance, and sometimes time constraints. One pillow or two? Two, plus a body pillow. Pools or hot tubs? Both, alternating. Cool down, warm up, cool down, warm up, cool down... Rose or Daisy? I'm not really a flowers person, but I like roses better. Scary or happy movies? I personally don't like scary movies. Skydiving or Bungee Jumping? Haven't tried 'em yet, so I can't give an opinion. Spring or Fall? Fall definitely. Similar weather, but less rain. Plus the brightly colored leaves. Subway or McDonald's? Subway all the way. McD's totally sucks. It's holding the bottom rung on my list of burger places. Rain or Snow? Snow! But we don't get much down here... TV or radio? TV, though I spend less than an hour a week watching. TV or reading? Reading, because words are more fulfilling. Besides, you get to use your own imagination. Wool or Cotton? Cotton. Lighter and non-itchy. WORD ASSOCIATION Blue: Ocean Book: Bible Cloud: Thoughts Cry: Unhappy Happy: Smiles Hay: Ho Merry: Christmas Paper: Cut Rock: Oldies Wet: Drenched   And that's all she wrote. (Actually, I did this in two afternoons.) Until next time. Ja ne. - JR

[05-17-02] 1:12 AM  Listening to: the Star Wars theme playing repeatedly in my head. It was a day of days, I suppose. Put the car in the shop, swept the nation in "Lords of the Realm II," ventured to the house of an old teacher of mine, trekked to Clarksville (a good 30 minute drive -- and I had to use the restroom the whole trip), and finally caught the late showing of "Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones" (met my relatives inside the theater between movies! Wild, ne?), and then drove home, got pulled over for speeding (my friend did, actually -- I was a passenger, and he ended up getting a warning only), and finally made it home. I'm otherwise tired, and will have to expound upon certain items of note later, but I will tell you this... ... YODA TOTALLY KICKS ASS!!! ... That is all. ...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz... - JR

[05-11-02] 11:47 PM  Listening to: the "Forest Temple Theme" from the Zelda Ocarina of Time OST. A-heh... I guess I left a number of people in the dark, there... (Yeah, right. The only people who read this blog, I've already spoken to about the incident.) At any rate, the next evening (the 8th) the police issued a warrent for another individual in regards to the case, so I suppose my fingerprints cleared. Anyway, nothing else of interest has happened lately. I took a trip to Little Rock on Wednesday, hung out in the Barns 'n Noble for a while reading manga, then trekked to Best Buy and purchased the second season of Ranma on DVD, as well as the second Love Hina DVD. I guess I'm warming up to the series again (the night I first watched the series kinda found me at a bad time, I suppose.) Anyway, I can't wait until the third DVD now. Unfortunately, since I bought DVDs now, I won't be spending as much money at A-kon (yeah, right. I'll keep THAT promise...) Blasted through my Diff Eq test, then smashed the Chemistry test last Thursday afternoon. Then, I became a full First Knight of the Knights of Columbus. Also got a kick ass $10,000 life insurance plan! Whoo! I'll never be able to use it myself, but I'll be able to pull stored money later in my years. It'll be awesome. Kinda like an insurance plan crossed with a savings account. Then I wormed my way through the Philosophy final (thank goodness I'm outta there now...) And after that, I worked Friday evening. Then, I went to a friend's house and played Smash Brothers Melee and Resident Evil until about... 5:30 in the morning. It was awesome! RA kicked ass, and though I don't think I'd really want to play it myself, it was hilarious watching Stat get mauled by the evil dogs. And now... I slept until about noon today, then worked from four to ten. And I'll be working tomorrow morning again, too. *sigh* But there's not much to do anyway, so at least I'm being paid to stay busy. Oh, and I agreed to help with behind the scenes work at a local play this summer. I'm not participating, like in last year's Wizard of Oz (all hail the head Winky! The witch's guards at her castle, for those who don't know. And if you're a REAL idiot, you wouldn't have guessed that I was the head Winky.) I'll be running set crew and behind the scenes setup for this year's production of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. I may even get to do lighting crew, if they need it. That'll be a lot of fun. And that's that. I'm out. Sorry for the short run, but it's late, and I need to work tomorrow. Besides, I don't have a lot to say right now. Ja ne! - JR

[05-07-02] 9:43 AM  Listening to: white noise. Oh lord, I'm jittery as hell right now, and I've got absolutely no reason to be. About an hour and fifteen minutes ago, two cops showed up at our front door, asking to see me about a bank robbery on May the 2nd at the Simmons branch on the other side of town. Apparently, one of the clerks at the bank fingered me out of an assortment of pictured suspects, and the two cops needed to question me and gather fingerprints. Of course, I DIDN'T DO IT... but I can't remember what I did last Thursday afternoon, either. And I'm sure my floundering in response didn't help any. I remember getting up at about eleven o'clock, going to Introduction to Engineering from 12:30 to 2:30 or so, and then I think I went home, but with the amount of time I spend here, I'm can't actually picture what I was doing last Thursday. Certainly not robbing a bank, but it would make me feel so much better if I knew for sure. Damn, I'm just getting too worked up about the whole damn thing... Well, it's been my first time being accused of wrongdoing, especially of the law-breaking kind, so I think I'm understandably off-key. Need to distract my brain... I've been rummaging through the computer, trying to find files which recorded that I was actively using this file or searching the internet at that time of day, but to no avail. It's all for peace of mind. Maybe I should just watch something to forget about it all... This is not going to be a good day... - JR

[05-06-02] 11:02 PM  Listening to: "Yellow Alert" from the Trigun First Donuts OST, "Confrontation" from Disc 3 of the Tenchi Muyo Ryo-Ohki Hi-Ho-Kan OST (long title...), "Too Good Too Bad" from the Cowboy Bebop OST 1, "Separation Anxiety" from the Evangelion OST 3, "Cataclysm Over Paris" from the Giant Robo OST 1, "Punk It Up" from the BGC Tokyo 2040 OST 1, "It's Time for Action!" from the Slayers Next Sound Bible 1, "Destruction" from the Ranma OAV OST, "Power Booster" from the Tenchi Muyo in Love soundtrack, "Intrusion of the Vicarious Substitute" from the End of Evangelion soundtrack, and "Never Could Have Been Worse" from the Trigun First Donuts OST. Sounds like a soundtrack night! Oh, and as if you haven't figured it out already, I list all the songs I'm listening to *while* writing up each blog, not just to start with. Anyway, I'm feeling much better since I got at least nine hours of sleep last night. Played Majora's Mask again after midnight for a couple hours, but this time I still got to sleep in this morning... and sleep in I did, until about a quarter after one in the afternoon! But that was fine. Saved me the trouble of having to eat any pathetic breakfast; honestly, I only like my breakfast hot, and preparing the kinds of breakfasts I enjoy -- (biscuits and sausage gravy; ham'n'cheese omelettes w/mucho toast; pancakes/waffles, scrambled eggs, and sausage links; or, Texas-sized French toast and bacon... whoa baby! That's the good stuff...) -- anyway, preparing any of that stuff would take too long, be too messy, and probably leave too much leftover food... (I don't eat THAT much, usually on the scope of only 8 biscuits/gravy, a half an omelette, 4 pancakes / 3 waffles, or 6-8 pieces of French toast. Nope, light eater, really.) Plus, the mess. I don't actually mind doing dishes when it's my turn, since there are a number of other chores requiring more effort and whatnot. (Note: I hate dusting.) But anyway, that's almost too much work for breakfast. Call me a whiner, but I guess I just don't feel like putting that much effort into a warm breakfast for just myself. Geez, and you know what else? I could only sell 2 out of 6 books back to the Tech bookcenter! That sucks, majorly. I don't remember how much I shelled out for those suckers, but I only got about $26 in return (which I promptly spent at Hastings for a Spidey poster and a rental.) What am I going to do with a Cultural Anthropology book? I swear, the universities discontinue books just so they can make an additional profit. Honestly, how could you improve any of that old outdated material? History and facts aren't going to change or need updating! And if they do, who really cares? You don't have to buy a whole new freakin' textbook just to correct one misconstrued fact! Sheesh. I'd like to burn it, but it'll probably just end up collecting dust beneath my entertainment center. Oh, and as for the other books, it's not so bad. Though I'll probably never use them, I don't mind having the AutoCad books. I could do without the graphics one, though... Bleech, I fairly sucked tonight in bowling. I need more practice, or I gotta sign up for the bowling class sometime here at Tech. Yeah, bowling for PE credits... hey, it's better than track. Anyway, I bowled a pathetic 129 and 124. For me, at least. I consider my skill to be at least moderate, if not a hair higher. I try to shoot for at least 130 or 140 with each game, and this afternoon, I really stank up the alley. In my opinion, again. Yous people out there might complain that you'd kill to have at least a 124, but I'm rating on my own personal scale. Heh, it's always the matters of little importance that I worry about. *sigh* Oh well. The weather's been really nice lately, though. I'd really like to take a trip out to Mount Nebo nearby and just sit on the cliff and watch the sun set. It'll probably be windy whenever I go, and being up the hill a ways, it should be a lot cooler, too. Maybe after a good game of tennis or something? My family went sometime last summer, doing this same thing, and the experience was great, even though I was apprehensive at first. My youngest brother and I faced off against my parents in a tennis match. It was semi-evensided. I actually had tennis lessons for one summer when I was much younger, so I have a reasonable amount of talent saved up for the sport. I could beat any of my family members on a one-on-one, though that's not such a massive feat in the first place. ^-^ Anyway, then I had a match against my dad and won (though we weren't keeping score.) By that time, it was pretty dark outside, and since the lighting system on those courts wasn't working, we decided to catch the sunset and lounge around until my sister's concert was finished. (Oh yeah, she was attending a Christian concert that night, which is why the rest of us decided to head up the mountain and wait for her.) Well, actually since it was already dark outside, we'd missed the sunset, but that was perfectly alright. Instead, we all crawled upon this large rock and stared at the stars for at least an hour, making idle small-talk and trying to spot shooting stars. If memory serves, together we saw at least 17 that night. It was truly a beautiful thing. That's the kind of environment I'd like to share with a close girlfriend sometime... ^-^ Heh. Stop it, John, yer gettin' all dreamy again... ^-^ My uncle stopped by tonight, and my mom convinced me to show him the sketches I've made thus far. They really like my artwork, despite the fact that they don't watch anime. Probably has to do with some attention to detail and the amount of shading and whatnot. They also were impressed by the fact that I sketched those two off the top of my head. Well, I took the praise and all, and I do think I'm a pretty good artist... I just need more practice. That's the problem with me, I've got a number of talents, but since I haven't enough time to perfect them all, I'm merely above average with a large number of things. If only I could figure out what exactly I wanted to do with my skills, then I'd be in business, and not be wondering about my future and career plans and whatnot. *sigh* Having too many options makes life difficult, you know. Then again, this is somewhat close to the limitless freedom concept from the last episode of Evangelion. I suppose I should appreciate my good fortune. ^^;; Oh well. Honestly, I don't think I'll be getting into any writing or drawing projects in the near future. I just don't have any urges at the moment. I guess the lifeblood of an artist or writer really doesn't run through my veins. It'd probably just be something to do in the meantime, or a project to share with others, and not my career. That's alright with me. *sigh* I really hope that engineering will be a fulfilling and likeable profession for me... Well, gotta get back to goofing off, which I do so well. Time to put in Majora's Mask again... ^-^ Ja ne! - JR

[05-05-02] 9:45 PM  Listening to: "Eye in the Sky" by the Alan Parsons Project, "Just You and Me" by Chicago, "Every Breath You Take" by Police, "All Star" by Smashmouth, "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" by U2, and "Spirit in the Sky" by Norman Greenbaum. Ever had one of those times where your brain's long been reduced to primordial goo, both shins are screaming in agony (although aforementioned brain lacks the proper capacity to process the muscular complaints), and the rest of the voluntary musculature is merely obeying exterior commands in the chance hope that a break from operation might wait in the near future? Well, my whole weekend was like that. Of course, my stupidity and lack of discipline helped the problem along, but still... Thursday, a friend told me via MSN Messenger that he and a group of old friends from Russellville were gonna get together, party the weekend away, and have a good ole bitch/rant fest, in which a majority of the comments would target the opposing gender and these things called "relationships" that supposedly exists between the two halves of humanity. There would be lots of caffeine (it wasn't one of those parties; you know, the typical "get drunk off yer asses!" kinda party), and lots of videogame play, and lots of manly movies, and Spiderman! It was going to be a real hoot. And I would have liked to party along with 'em... despite the fact that I have absolutely nothing to bitch about concerning the feminine half of our race. Nah, I really mean it. Women, men, humanity in general doesn't ever piss me off, only certain individuals... and that happens quite seldomly. I don't carry grudges, just experiences. Anyway... I would have liked to go, but work decided to intervene. I already had to work Friday night from four to ten PM. Now that was quite typical, since I oftentimes have classes in the mornings which prevents me from monitoring the Electronics department in the morning. And after coming home that night, believing that my next shift would begin the following day at four in the afternoon again (as it says on the master schedule), I decided to begin playing "The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask" for the Nintendo 64, since I'd never had the chance earlier. The game only has two save files, and both my brothers beat me to 'em. Anyway, I stayed up until four in the morning on that game, then crawled into bed. My mom woke me up again at a quarter to nine, telling me that the K-Mart head of personel had called, asking if I could come in that morning and work an earlier, longer shift (from 10:30 to 7) than my 4-10. I adamantly refused, being that I'd had only about four total hours of honest to good sleep, and nestled down into my comfortors. Okay, I actually only mock-whined about it (I know, I'm a pansy), putting on the front that I couldn't work due to lack of sleep... not that I actually couldn't haul my ass outta bed, shower, eat some omlettes (definitely worth it; my mom makes some mean omelettes), and get over to work by 10:30PM. Of course, I did. But I felt miserable all morning, headaches and all. At least the omelettes went to work after awhile, and later I actually had energy and was kinda pepping around. Very odd, in my opinion. Then, instead of working a standard 8.5 hour shift (which includes a 30 minute lunch break), I put in an additional hour and 45 minutes. All that, because someone started working this week in electronics, worked one day, and then quit. Geez, and I had to help fill in the holes he left in the schedule. Of course, I didn't anticipate that I'd get bitten in the ass two days in a row because of someone else's "hit and run." Alright, so having worked all that time on four hours of sleep due to excessive videogame playing getting in the way of a night's rest, I should have learned a lesson and promptly crawled into bed at about ten o'clock, since I had to work a 7:30 to 4PM shift the following morning (today.) So, like an idiot, I got back to playing Majora's Mask and didn't quit until about three thirty. Went to sleep, woke up three hours later, showered, crammed down some Frosted Mini-Wheats (cereal... bleech... gimme a hot breakfast any day!), and limped back to K-Mart to pull another long shift. And, of course, since the other guy was supposed to work Electronics after me, and there was a shortage in labor, I volunteered to stay another couple of hours -- a couple hours of fixture battling, flower arranging, table arranging torment. Sheesh, I should have gone home like a smart person would have... but I kept reminding myself that I wouldn't be doing anything anyway. Had that not been the case, I probably would have left, too. Besides, the extra hours yesterday and today will more than cover the second Love Hina DVD, as well as working towards the Ranma Season 2 DVD Box Set. It's all in a matter of perspective. Of course, after I crash tonight, it'll all be even better. Need sleep... but need to finish updating all this first. Alright, this week's battle plan. Tomorrow, I'm gonna sleep in late, fix myself something good for lunch, vacuum the living room, give the stinky little rat-dog of ours a bath (she's actually kinda cute, but she really does look like a rat after she gets her hair sheered off; she's a Peek-a-Poo, by the way... I swear, that's what she really is! ^-^), and probably play some more Majora's Mask. There's plans of a bowling face off between my middle brother Jason and his friend versus my youngest brother Jack and I. Don't know what really spurred the recent bowling craze of my brother's, or the need to compete, but I'm always up for some bowling. And I'll probably get my car set up for some maintainance later in the week... maybe plan an endeavor on Wednesday, do a little writing... just kinda hang out around the house. Everyone else I know in town is knee deep in studying for the exams, while my exams are simple enough (for me) not to require any manner of heavy study. Case in point... Differential Equations: sure it's advanced math, but it's my second time to take it (first time was in the 12th grade), and even so it's only remembering techniques. There's not a lot to actually study in math. Either you learn it or you don't. Next, Chemistry: alright, maybe a bit more difficult than math, since there's a number of theories and properties you have to remember too, but it's all the same. Just memorize the material, that's all there is to it. And last (haha, I only have three final exams!), Philosophy: which sucks fairly major A. I don't care much about Philosophy. It was kinda cool to begin with, but I relearned rather quickly that there's still no social science that I actually like other than Psychology. Still, it's just a bunch of memorization again, only involving people, times, places, and associated events/theories/whatnot. Less practical material, but memorization nonetheless. It'll all be kinda easy. I think. I'm definitely not worried about the Diff Eq. I've got a 100% in there. I should have a high A in Chemistry, or at least, a solid one. Philosophy should be a solid B. I could do better, but I don't really care. A bad attitude about learning, yes, but I just can't seem to get rid of it. At least I care more about the other classes. Then Tuesday, hopefully get car oil changed, break pads replaced, back wheels checked/replaced(?), and overall checked out. Maybe play a game of Scrabble with my G-ma while I'm in Clarksville (she loves to play, and I love to beat her. ^-^ Actually, our past few games have been really close. The best one thus far has definitely been G-Ma: 302, Me: 308. That game was awesome.) That's about it for Tuesday. Wednesday, maybe take a trip to Little Rock, check out Suncoast and Best Buy and see if I can purchase the above mentioned DVDs on my current priority list. Look over Chemistry notes. That's about it. Thursday, two exams (Diff Eq and Chem, in that order) and my Knights of Columbus First Level Induction. Very cool, if I must say so myself. Friday, the last exam and my first day of weekend work. And thus, the cycle continues. Hopefully, they've got the other guy off the schedule so I won't have a repeat of this past weekend... And that's a wrap. Feeling kinda... blah. I did sit on our back porch after coming home, enjoying the evening breeze and a can of Dr. Pepper. I'd have preferred some lemonaid, or fruit drink, or maybe even a Strawberry Daiquiri, but I'll take what I can procure without undue effort. Besides, the evening was grand enough. If only it could stay that cool all day long. Ja ne. - JR

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