Change
It is time for a change. This blog has been a kind of experiment for me and it is time to wrap this experiment up. I will be taking a little break to reorganize things, do a little house cleaning. I might do a little remodeling... maybe.
I have had a project that I have been working on and it just might end up here.

Song of the Day: "The Song Is Over" by The Who

Go Over The Barricade
What goes through people's minds when they go into an area that is so obviously "Off-limits"?
The computer lab was still not working properly, so we closed it down. Since there are office adjacent to the computers area, I could not simply lock the doors. There are handrails that surround the computers area and there are four entrances to get to the computers. I had placed 5 computer chairs (2 deep) to block each entrances. Yet every so often I find that I have to call out to students trying to move the chairs to get to and obviously empty computer lab.
I gave them the benefit of the doubt (a lot of benefits) and then placed signs written in bright red marker ink that the "Lab was closed for maintenance" on one of the chairs at each of the entrances. Again, I had to tell students that the lab was closed...
I have the feeling that if I were to put up neon signs and sounds, the students would still ignore it and "run the barricase". What are they thinking? Is it that they just don't think it applies to them personally? Or they just don't care? Are they really that un-observant? Blind? Or better yet, a sense of entitlement?

In a greater scale, I believe that these are the same people that are usually caught on tape doing insanely stupid and dangerous stunts on those funny video shows or written about in articles such as the articles on this page...

Song of the Day: "Everybody's Fool" by Evanescence

First Day
Today was the first day of the first summer session here at the college. Computer Services closed the labs down since Friday of last week. This morning, we find the lab was left with the imaging incomplete. So, since 7:30 this morning the open labs, the only open labs on campus have not been working...


Song of the Day: "Evil Ways" by Carlos Santana

Memory Fart I
I was just remembered when I used to work for Super Shuttle. I bowled for one of their 4 bowling teams. A bus took us to Vegas for the final game. The bus driver had about 20 shuttle drivers telling him 20 different ways to get to Vegas, he was not liking that trip.
I did not do so well when it came time to the last game...

Song of the Day: "Land Of Confusion" by Genesis

Let's Dance!
Went to a concert/dance at the LAX Mariott with some friends. The name of the band was Carry On. They put on a pretty good show. They played a very good set and the venue was nice. The only "complaint" I had was the size of the dance floor. Whoever was in charge of the setting up the venue, concentrated too much on a "sit-down, pseudo wedding set up". There were too many dining tables set up for an event that didn't have food.
It was a lot of fun. The people I went with saw to that. I had never even heard of this band until Hank and Derrick told me about them. Berda, Grace and I taught Tony, Catherine and Benny how to cha cha. Oh the comedy!

Song of the Day: "Rock And Roll Never Forgets" by Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band

Laundry Day
I really dislike laundry day. It usually takes up the whole day and you never really catch up. Maybe I shouldn't wait so long between laundry days and let everything pile up the way I usually do.
Oh well... now where's that fabric softener?

Song of the Day: "What's The Use" by The Carpenters

Let's Shoot
Went and played a little pool with some guys from the lab. It has been a while since I played with them. I always do very well against these guys, except for one, they are the "hit it as hard as you can" variety players.
Even so, I was not happy with the way I was shooting. Don't get to play as often as I'd like.

Song of the Day: "Break On Through" by The Doors

Where Do We Go From Here?
"The path to hell is paved with good intentions"
-Samuel Johnson

We meant to free Iraq from Saddam.
We meant to give Iraqis freedom to form their own government (as long as it isn't based on their religion).
We meant to improve our relation and image in the middle east.

Where are we going wrong?

Song of the Day: "Peace Of Mind" by Boston

What Is Offensive?
There was a little debate at the college today among the computer services nerds about school policy regarding what is "explicit materials". It has been a long standing policy that if someone is viewing pornography and it is in plain sight of everyone in the open computer lab, that the person will be told that it is "not allowed".
Now the policy does not specify "pornography" it reads "explicit materials". Apparently, there is a question about the legalities of specifically saying pornography in the "Use and Conduct Policies" of the open computer lab. Personally, I believe it is the college brass covering their... uh... "brass".
Anyway, there were a group of students downloading and watching the video of the beheading of Nicholas Berg. Some were saying, "there's nothing wrong with that..." and others were saying that should fall under the "explicit materials" policy.
What is worse? Looking at naked bodies or the gruesome beheading of another human being? Why has it become a choice of one or the other? Has society gotten so de-sensitized that sex and violence is "no big thing"?

I weep...

Song of the Day: "Give Me Some Truth" by John Lennon

Apple?
List of things that come to mind when people hear "apple"?

1. food
2. computers
3. pie
4. "... of my eye."
5. Big -

Now, they have something else. Now, is it just me or does anyone else see the jokes/ torments that's headed that way?

Oh by the way, took another quiz...


Heavy metal! You rock! It's mostly about the
music instead of lyrics for you...but you
channel most of the emotion through the lyrics!
Mosh pit for you! Just be careful you don't
give yourself a concussion with so much
headbanging...


What genre of rock are you?
brought to you by Quizilla


Song of the Day: "One Bad Apple" by the Jackson 5

Too Troy, Or Not Too Troy?
I was watching A&E's presentation of Troy: The Passion of Helen last night. They showed some outtakes from the movie that is now in the theaters along with commentaries from certain stars from the movie, Arianna Huffington (she wrote a book "The Gods of Greece"), the director of the movie and Camille Paglia ( I guess because the A&E presentation was made from Hlen's perspective).
Anyway, from the "reviews" I received from people who have seen the movie already, the reasons for watching this movie are:

Orlando Bloom (not a good enough reason, for me)
Brad Pitt (definitely, not a good enough reason, for me)
Eric Bana (don't even know who he is)
Peter O'Toole (Him I might go see)
Diane Kruger (who?)
The Achilles vs Hector fight scene (I hear it would be the only reason to watch the movie)
Soundtrack (laughable)
Dialogue (I am told very bad)

I wonder if Orlando (Paris) and Bean (Odysseus) meet in the movie, would they recognize each other and leave to Greece and return to Middle Earth to help Frodo?

Album of the Day: "The Fox" by Elton John

Dancing, Dancing, Dancing!!!
Well, not really. Today was Steve and Stephanie's wedding. It was a nice ceremony and the reception was a lot of fun. I just don't get it when music and a dance floor is provided and people do not take advantage of it. I'll admit that the music was not the best, but it is a wedding. People!
People are invited to the ceremony because the bride and groom want to share their love for each other with people they care about.
People are invited to the reception to help the bride and groom celebrate their marriage and start the "party" that is their marriage.
If you eat and run, you are not doing your job!

Oh yeah, Sammy you pop locking fool! You rock!

'nuff said...

Song of the Day: "You Should Be Dancing" by The BeeGees

We Can Make It Happen
Sure you've seen this, most of us have...

but take a closer look.
We can make it happen...

Song of the Day: "Duality" by Slipknot

Didn't Need My Passport
I was assigned to teach a new class tonight. Usually, it isn't a big deal but I sort of knew that tonight's class was going to wear me out. Not so much because it will be my biggest class to date, I can deal with that, the problem is the distance! When i got home, my odometer read 92.6 miles round trip! Ouch!! This the furthest I've ever had to go to teach a class.

Song of the Day: "A Million Miles Away" by The Plimsouls

I Want To Order One Too
Came across this article today. A while back i was researching and comparing a bunch of different MP3 players. I bought a number of them to see first hand how they handled. I think I bought 4 different makes and models. Not once did I get a gun! Someone out there is not doing their job!

Song of the Day: "Give Me A Gun" by Guttermouth

Memory
My memory is sooo haywired, I don't see how I function the way I do.
Example 1: A professor that I work with every week came by and for the life of me I could not access the file in my brain that had his name...

Example 2: A girl I haven't seen in almost a year comes by to visit and though I couldn't remember her name I remembered her email address. Oh yeah, I remembered her last name...

Example 3: Yesterday after work, I forgot where I parked my car...

I think I am going to need a bunch of that Gingko biloba drink thingie... I think that's what it is called...

Song of the Day: "Roses" by Outkast

How Narrow Is That?
Our President Bush was quoted in this article in the Washinton Post that people who have skin that is "a different color than white" are capable of self-government

In itself there isn't anything wrong with that statement but add to that what he goes on to say...

"There's a lot of people in the world who don't believe that people whose skin color may not be the same as ours can be free and self-govern," Bush said.

And then on top of that...

"I reject that. I reject that strongly. I believe that people who practice the Muslim faith can self-govern. I believe that people whose skins aren't necessarily -- are a different color than white can self-govern."

Is he saying that America's skin color is WHITE? Or is he just refering to his America?

Song of the Day: "What's The World Coming To" by Fleetwood Mac

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day everyone! Spending the day with mom and the rest of the family.

Song of the Day: "But It's Alright" by Huey Lewis & The News

Taking It To Heart

"Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord."
Lamentations 3:40

In other words, look at the way WE are living and reorder our lives under God.

Song of the Day: "What's The World Coming To" by Fleetwood Mac

Not Again...
Our last conversation scared me. It really frightened me and it still does. I've seen how it could end and it broke my heart. I don't want to go down that road again.

Song of the Day: "Any Time At All" by The Beatles

Water Fight!!
I remember living in GUAM. Hot days were pretty much the norm, hot days or hot and wet days. It was not unusual for waterfights to spontaneously break out. Waterfights were much more involved there than any of the waterfights I have been part of here. Water hoses were used, buckets, rooftop attacks weren't uncommon (if you can manage to get the water up there), saturated pillows became bombs and indoors were not off-limits.
I got home early today and was watering the front lawn when I saw some of the kids in the neighborhood having a little waterfight with their water guns and water grenades. The ones who were running out of water too quickly had to keep running towards the garden hose and were sitting ducks for the others who still had ammo. Some of them ran over to me for a quick refill. I told them they shouldn't waste their time on the "puny" water guns they were using and get a real water gun. This is where my friends usually roll their eyes, because they know I am about to get involved...
I went inside and came out with this...

and this...

Mouths dropped, tongues drooled and the rest ran for cover...
The arms race just began for the summer games...

Song of the Day: "Ghost Of A Chance" by RUSH

Vietnamese Challenge
I teach an ESL class in an Adult school down in Orange County. I have a pretty mixed group of learners and quite a few of them are very quick on the uptake. I have one learner who is really having a hard time of it and is starting to get discouraged. She does not know a lot of English and the little she knows she is afraid to use. She has been using some of the other ladies in the class as a crutch, by having them translate for her. The thing is they do so much translating that it slows the class down considerably. I asked the other ladies that they should stop translating for her, otherwise she will have a harder time learning on her own.
Last week, she gave me the challenge. She told me through the other ladies that I don't know how hard it is to learn English because I grew up with it. That if I were to try to learn Vietnamese, I would have as much trouble, if not more, as she is having now. I had to tell her that English is actually my 2nd language also.
So, I told her that I will give her a vocabulary list of 20 words that she has to study and learn. I would have to try to learn the Vietnamese equivalent of the list. The "contest" would be oral and the rest of the students would quiz us. There would also be points for pronounciation.
Well, I won. As it turns out, she admitted to be a bit on the lazy side of things...

Song of the Day: "King Of Nothing" by Seals and Croft

Flag is Molting!
My dog, Flag is really hating this weather. Being a Siberian Husky, he was made for cooler climates and he is really hating the heat. He has been searching for the coolest spot around the house and he's not doing too well. The patio is pretty much the best place since the floors are made of tile and it is shaded. the problem is by mid afternoon, about 3:00 pm, the sun is at an angle that his shade gets saller and smaller. He has to keep retreating further and further back against the wall. I was thinking of a bunch of things to do from extending the shade coverage to putting a small fan out there for him.
An annoying side effect of this heat on him is that he is shedding... I mean bigtime shedding. I've got fur flying all over the place. My sister took him out for a run last night when it got cooler and I guess they stopped for a while on the front lawn. This morning, as I was leaving for work, I saw a bunch of fur on the lawn. At first I thought a cat caught a bird or that a bird just popped, I thought it was a bunch of feathers. It turned out to be fur.
Maybe I should just put air conditioning in his dog house... hahahaha How is that for spoiling one's dog?

Song of the Day: "The Heat Goes On" by Asia

Question 1
This time you guys tell me...

If time and money was not a factor, is there a hobby that you don't do now that you would want to start?

Leave me your answers in the comments.

Song of the Day: "Message In A Bottle" by The Police

You Amateurs!!
I am not what some people call a Party Animal and I don't think I am anywhere near that status. I would like to think I have at least a average or slightly below average rating but after this weekend, compared to the other guys (remember this is a comparison earned rating) I should be given the San Diego State Honorable Mention Award.
Hey John! Thanks for egging me on at the club, I would not have asked her if you didn't "guilt/shame" me into it. I have to say I am glad/relieved when she wanted to stop, I didn't want to be the one to quit (yeah, yeah... stupid male macho hang ups), but I was ready to drop.
I am glad these party binges do not take place often, I am no longer the young man I never was...
Weekend Tally:
Hotel room: $299 a night (shared)
Round of drinks: $80
Asking an attractive girl, who dances like a whirlwind, to dance on an empty dance floor in front of your friends and making her drop her jaw when you start dancing: PRICELESS!!
Again, thanks John!

Song of the Day: "Do You Wanna Dance?" by The Ramones

Plan A: Sleeping Should Not Be An Option
When it comes to bachelor parties, there are certain rules or at least there should be. One rule should be Participation. The party starts when you arrive and ends when you leave or when the groom to be throws everyone out. So when a bachelor party is held out of town and spills over a couple of days... sleep should not be an option that should be encouraged.
The purpose is to put the groom to be through the "wringer" so that when it is over, the new groom would hate the bachelor life so much that he can really appreciate the married life even more so (this theory is is of course very sketchy and should only be taken in the spirit of... well... it sounded good when trying to justify coming out all the way to Vegas for a party).
Anyway, back to the sleeping thing... Sleeping schedules should be suspended when at Vegas. Regardless of the reason for visiting. There are just too many things to do there that you don't get your money's worth and your time's worth by sleeping. Even just in the hotel there are things to DO. There is the pool, casino, shows and yes even shopping. Sleep is for when you get back.
Well, that's my rant for now, I think it's time for these guys to wake up... heh heh heh heh...

Song of the Day: "Let's Party" by The Moffats