Monday, Dec 22nd   Keeping occupied..    02:41pm 22/12/2008   Gee, Drew, why haven't you posted to your livejournal in ages? Oh, right. School.        4 people actually read this post!  This link is just Six Words Long.   Monday, Jun 16th       09:41am 16/06/2008   Here I am, at work. La-dee-dah. Ho-hum. My boss? Oh, he's on a cross-country trip with his daughter all week. So... what am I doing this week? No freakin' idea. -Welah!         This link is just Six Words Long.   Thursday, May 29th   A good cause, kinda.    10:59am 29/05/2008          1 people actually read this post!  This link is just Six Words Long.   Tuesday, May 27th   Banks?    12:53pm 27/05/2008   I need to find a new bank. My current bank, Wells Fargo, is sorta good enough, but too far away. I have to mail in any checks I get, so depositing money takes several days. Always wanting to be the informed consumer, I started poking around online to find a "good" bank. Apparently, such a thing does not exist. In fact, from one site that offered a cross section of user reviews, it was apparent that the more reviews posted, the lower the rating, to the point that no bank with over 50 reviews achieved more than 1 out of 5 stars. This highlights two facts: One: Banks, (like insurance companies, utility companies, and telcoms [esp. wireless!]), are at best tolerated evils. Nobody likes any of them, we just try to find the one that screws us the least, or perhaps the most gently. Two: Voluntary review systems, especially online ones, invite 95% negative criticism. Q: Why do you go online to tell others how you feel about a company? A: Because you have a beef with them. And as you might predict, most of those reviews were by people apparently incapable of keeping their own finances in check, and blaming the institution that penalizes them for their own idiocy. Not that these criticisms are unfair or untrue, just imbalanced - and that can be just as bad. *Sigh* I will most likely just return to my parents' credit union, or perhaps the EMU credit union, sketchy as though they may seem. -Welah!        3 people actually read this post!  This link is just Six Words Long.   Thursday, May 15th   Apples Rotten in the state of Emich    11:22am 15/05/2008   I just discovered that all six computer labs belonging to Eastern Michigan University's Computer Science Department are entirely apple computers. Seriously. I feel sick to my stomach - did I pick the wrong University? Did I manage to select a school that doesn't know the meaning of the term computer science? Look out, world: here come the classes of computer science graduates who will receive a nasty shock when they discover the business world is not made by Fisher-Price. Now all you apple drones can stay quite for once. I know you like them, and I know why. But as of 2008, Apple still holds only 14% market share. Just over 1/8th of the market. Sure, there should be some macs on campus. And students should definitely be exposed to them. But at the end of the day, mac exclusivity is irresponsible. And I know why they do it - a few short-sighted dullards on staff (one in particular - the man knows nothing about computers and yet administrates all CompSci labs) have agendas. They like macs, so everyone else must use them. You know what we do? We go into class, sit down at our shiny-glossy-macs, and start up Parallels - a program to allow you to imitate Windows on the Mac. Last semester we had perfectly wonderful Dells. I can't tell you how many problems we encounter now that just weren't an issue with the old machines. How much did they pay for this? How much did they pay - out of my tuition - so our computers could be SHINIER?! Oh, god. I'm at the wrong school. What am I going to learn? -Drew        4 people actually read this post!  This link is just Six Words Long.   Friday, May 9th       01:04pm 09/05/2008   Vault is my Slurm.         This link is just Six Words Long.   Wednesday, Apr 30th       09:47am 30/04/2008   I really got it! I now have a Spring/Summer job that is not WalMart. I haven't figured out how I'm going to handle WM yet, I might work for a week or two so I can properly give my resignation (and collect some back sick pay). But here's the zinger! I'm getting a raise here at EMU, and the option to work full-time (actually, I just work as much or as little as I want.) It's not quite as much $$ as walmart, but it's now a pretty negligible difference. And Zenu knows, I would take anything to get out of there. -Welah! P.S. I (heart) my bike, but it kinda broke, now it's kinda working again... we'll see how that goes.        1 people actually read this post!  This link is just Six Words Long.   Friday, Apr 25th   Well, golly me!    03:31pm 25/04/2008   Oh lawdy, I think I have a pretty good time of it, at least some times. Just heard from my boss at EMU (the job I luuuuurve) that I may (no promises!) get to stay on for the summer, making a near-living wage! Walmark might still pay more, but this would be more than I'm getting from EMU now, doing the same thing. Plus, just finished my last final. It was sheer hell, but I got through. *sigh* Awwww-yeah. -Welah! P.S. I also have a really cute boyfriend. Just rubbin' that in.         This link is just Six Words Long.   Thursday, Apr 24th       10:05am 24/04/2008   to quote Freddie Mercury: I want to ride my bicycle I want to ride my bike I want to ride my bicycle I want to ride it where I like. I gots a new bike! A black Miyata 310 race/touring bike. After the $100 walmark special I've been riding, this thing is amazing. Sooo fast! I'm still entirely unused to the diving-board riding posture. I feel weird leaning so far forward with my ass up in the air (don't even say it.) But I think it's a pretty bike, and it actually fits me. I might actually resign myself to getting a helmet after all. One thing's for sure - I plan on doing a lot more riding. (Oh, and a side note - the frame is very tight, so I can't wear loose-legged pants. I guess I have an excuse to buy more skinny jeans!) I should post pictures but I am lacking camera and webspace. I suppose I could use my phone and flikr like everybody else, but since when have I been anything like everyone else? Finals almost over. Still love my job at EMU. I will probably slink back to walmart when this job dries up, tail betwixt legs. But what the hell, it pays well, right? I mean, I only die inside a little bit each time I walk in that store. But at least the pay's pretty good. Sure, another turn of the thumbscrew on my spirit. But it pays the bills, and that's what matters. Right? -Welah!        5 people actually read this post!  This link is just Six Words Long.   Wednesday, Apr 9th   On the internet, everybody can hear you scream.    10:47pm 09/04/2008   Long meme is loooooooooong 1. A body of water, smaller than a river, contained within relatively narrow banks? Fjord 2. The thing you push around the grocery store? Paraplegic 3. A metal container to carry a meal in? Meals on Wheels 4. The thing that you cook bacon and eggs in? Deep Frier 5. The piece of furniture that seats three people? Your mom 6. The device on the outside of the house that carries rain off the roof? Viscosity 7. The covered area outside a house where people sit in the evening? Trailer Park 8. Carbonated, sweetened, non-alcoholic beverages? Faygo 9. A flat, round breakfast food served with syrup? Crepe 10. A long sandwich designed to be a whole meal in itself? Falafel 11. The piece of clothing worn by men at the beach? Speedo 12. Shoes worn for sports? Slippers 13. Putting a room in order? Mary Poppins 14. A flying insect that glows in the dark? Barack Hussein Obama Jr. 15. The little insect that curls up into a ball? Hillary Rodham Clinton 16. The children's playground equipment where one kid sits on one side and goes up while the other sits on the other side and goes down? BDSM Sling 17. When private citizens put up signs and sell their used stuff? Bankruptcy 18. The evening meal? Gin 19. The thing under a house where the furnace and perhaps a rec room are? Hell 20. The thing that you can get drinking water out of in public places? Herpes 21. How do you eat your pizza? Hot'n'Ready -Welah!         This link is just Six Words Long.   Sunday, Mar 30th       11:58pm 30/03/2008   Why do I handle difficult situations so badly? I just keep getting more and more frustrated until I blow up or walk away completely. I really need to learn some temperance and moderation. -Welah. UPDATE: Apologize. Be honest. Life will be a little better. UPDATE UPDATE: Add alcohol to that list. ;-)        1 people actually read this post!  This link is just Six Words Long.   Monday, Mar 24th   Gawrsh.    08:03pm 24/03/2008   It's weird being a sophomore (Junior by next semester), and yet having no idea how college works. I mean, what's up with Spring semester? It's all weird. I went to look up classes and, thanks to avacadobravado, finally understood that spring isn't a "real" semester. Nobody tells me these things! Not that it matters, turns out I don't have any financial aid left? I don't know. Look, I just want to get through college! *sigh* -Drew!        3 people actually read this post!  This link is just Six Words Long.   Monday, Mar 3rd       01:24am 03/03/2008   I just watched Grey Gardens the other day. I honestly expected to be bored out of my mind, but wrap me in a drape and call me Edie, I love it. I'm entranced. Captivated. I had another good word, and it started with a 'C', but I forgot. It meant something like 'drawn in'. I need to see the musical. And I will be watching Grey Gardens many, many times. -Welah! P.S. What do you think of my fontage?        3 people actually read this post!  This link is just Six Words Long.   Thursday, Feb 21st       11:12am 21/02/2008   Update on the scooter: I rode it today! Just from one room to another, but hey - it moved, which is finally an affirmation that it does in fact work. Unfortunately, since I don't yet have the proper charger, it took 3 days to charge it. I just didn't want to invest in the charger until I was certain it worked, so I'll get on that now. It needs to be completely re-wired. Whomever worked on it last completely f'ed it up, so I have my work cut out for me. I'll probably strip it down completely, if only to clean up the myriad of cables being used. There's also a vestigial unit on the steering column, it houses the key-lock and a small battery indicator (or rather, a place for one, since there's none there) meaning the entire unit is just housing a tiny lock unit. Get rid of that! I have some crazy ideas for it, too. It runs two 12v batteries in series, which is why I don't have a charger. 24v chargers are hard to find. I'd love to permanently mount two 12v chargers so I can quickly charge it anywhere, but that would require a lot of rewiring, and a heavy-duty switch. The other crazy idea is an inverter. I figure I could run my laptop for days on those batteries. Of course, with all those modifications comes a general cosmetic clean-up. It's kinda dirty, and I think it could look really pretty. It needs a name, don't you think? I'll ask my mom. She's really good at that. Of course, it's cute, fun, and green, so she might try to steal it from me. -Welah!        2 people actually read this post!  This link is just Six Words Long.   Wednesday, Feb 20th       01:06pm 20/02/2008   I GOT IT! I got the job I applied for, with EMU's College Arts & Science Technology Support. Okay, so it's going to be a lot of moving computers and cleaning projectors with a little tech support on the side. I'll take it! Oh my god, after 3 and a half years I WON'T BE WORKING FOR WALMART! Haha! No more averting my gaze and mumbling when asked where I work! Think what you will, but the idea of leaving that shithole behind makes me happier than anything has in a long time. WHY the fuck didn't I do this earlier? What was wrong with me that I stayed there for three and a half years? It's even a cut in pay and hours, but I really don't care. I will gladly live in peaceful squalor. Here's the problem: the job only lasts until the end of the semester, mid-April. That means I can't stop looking for jobs. But that fact will not kill this buzz. -Welah!        3 people actually read this post!  This link is just Six Words Long.   Tuesday, Feb 19th       11:18am 19/02/2008   Sad: I broke my little coffee press. :( It served me well. It will be replaced. It must be replaced. Happy: I was at the Savá* for a shirt - that's all, just a shirt for a show - and found something unexpected but much wanted. $50 later, I am now the owner of the most adorable little electric scooter. Fifty bucks! I know, right? Seriously. It's missing its charger, and it needs to be cleaned up, but everything seems to be in order. Sooo excited. This is the closest picture I can find. Mine's green. I'm kinda dumb, though. I'm working on this scooter, seeing if there's any life left in Theresa's old laptop, rebuild my LCD, modifying and finishing my dancing ribbons, and repairing my printer. That's not to mention school work, and I'm sure I've missed some projects. I wish I didn't have to sleep, there are so much more interesting things to do! -Welah! *Salvation Army, for the uninitiated.        2 people actually read this post!  This link is just Six Words Long.   Saturday, Jan 26th       01:33pm 26/01/2008   Well, golly. It's been a long time since I've felt this sick. I don't know what it is, and I'm going to wait until Monday to see a doctor, but that doesn't mean I'm not worried. It's a tough line to walk - since I have Marafan, every little thing could be indicative of something much, much worse, but I can't let myself run around like Chicken Little every time I cough. I mean, what am I supposed to do? Aortic dissections and aneurysms have symptoms very like the flu or bronchitis. Anyway, I'm too young to be at that much risk. I got my new empeetree player yesterday, the Sansa Express. It has pretty much every feature I want: cheap, small, rechargeable, expandable, direct (non-proprietary!) connection, OLED display, good controls - it's almost perfect. The one annoyance is that it defaults to MTP mode, meaning you have to install the latest Windows Media Beast to use it. I mean, iTunes was bad enough when I had an iPod, but Media Player? Eeeeew! Luckily, I found out it only takes a few clicks to convince windows to attach it as a standard Mass Storage Class (MSC/UMS) device, so I can drag'n'drop to my heart's content. To end on a positive note, I just found out that Comcast once again changed their minds about my cable service. They seem to randomly decide I either get 20 channels, or 120. And since I'm not actually paying for them, the 120 channels should be fun, at least while I'm sick. -Welah!        3 people actually read this post!  This link is just Six Words Long.   Thursday, Jan 24th       11:31am 24/01/2008   I switched from Office 2003 to Office 2007 today. Mere words cannot express how I feel about Word 2007. I think my feelings are best described by a song from the hit musical Wicked. What is this feeling, So sudden and new? I felt the moment I laid eyes on you; My pulse is rushing; My head is reeling; My face is flushing; What is this feeling? Fervid as a flame, Does it have a name? Yes! Loathing Unadulterated loathing For the interface You're showing; Let's just say - I loathe it all Ev'ry little trait, however small Makes my very flesh begin to crawl And I will be loathing Loathing you My whole life long! It's almost as bad as MacOS. Okay, yes, I'm being silly. ( But I do have some actual, factual criticisms. ) -Welah!         This link is just Six Words Long.   Saturday, Jan 19th       12:35am 19/01/2008   Well, damn. His Dark Materials is good Great indescribable. This trilogy, frontispieced by The Golden Compass, is easily a new favorite. So, yeah, read it and junk. -Welah!        2 people actually read this post!  This link is just Six Words Long.   Thursday, Jan 17th       11:49am 17/01/2008   I hate those people who answer every question in class. You know the ones - a question is asked and their hand is the first up; they spout their response and sit back smugly. If the instructor disagrees, well, she just didn't understand your answer. You can just tell they're the kind of person who stands around at parties, correcting everyone and assuming they must know the truth and everyone else is mistaken. Of course, by these standards, I hate myself. -Welah!        1 people actually read this post!  This link is just Six Words Long.

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