Chaos Terminal

Ok, now I have a bit of time to talk about my weekend. Thursday, I ended up going out with Jamie and Chris. I really think we have coalesced and get along great as a threesome now. That is depressing because Chris officially moves to Chicago on Wednesday. But anyway, we had a good time. We ended up going to Scorekeepers because of the enticement of $3 pitchers of Coors Light. We were surprised to find out that before 10 PM, there were $1.50 pitchers of both Coors and Killian's. Needless to say, we finished off four of them between 9 PM and 10 PM. Since it was a Thursday, the place was packed like Chinese in the SARS treatment office. I saw at least four people that I knew, possibly more.


Friday was the Compulsive Lyres concert. I hadn't been to an a cappella concert in quite some time, even though I went often in my first few years here. The Lyres put on a great performance, as did the Friars and the Maine Steiners. Not so great was the Indigo dance team. After being introduced, they were late getting on stage, couldn't find their places, had to reorganized everything on stage and then the music problems kicked in. First, there was a boom box on stage that was used as a prop by the Lyres. For some reason, the dance team thought their music was going to be played on said boom box. First they couldn't figure out how to turn it on, then they noticed that there was no CD in it. They looked around confused, got into their dance positions just as their music started blaring over the auditorium speakers. This was just the beginnings of their problems. Two of the girls just could not stay in sync which threw everyone off. Though there were many little kids in the audience, most of their music was about sex and filled with swearing. Needless to say, even though they were scheduled to dance during two portions of the show, they didn't return.

After the show was the Lyres after party at Colonial lanes. It was a Rock 'N Bowl night, which actually turned out to be quite fun. Jamie, Alissa, Bri and I bowled a couple of games and none of us broke 100. Somehow, Jamie found a way to bowl that required her to clench her left butt cheek for balance. Her butt was sore for days afterward. We all had fun while bowling, but things got a bit tense early in the morning.

Saturday, Chris and I hung out for most of the day. His back is pretty messed up, so we went to the doctors first. The rest of the day was spent playing video games (Tekken 4 and NWN). That night, Jamie, Zig, Eric, Matt, Kristin and I went to Charlie's and then back to Jamie's place. Things got a bit crazy at Jamie's since I ended up putting Crisco in Zig's mouth at one point. I thought it was maybe 1 AM when I finally went to bed but Jamie informed me later that it was closer to 5 AM. Whoops. Anyway, here are the pictures from that night.

Posted by Mike at 7:53 AM | Permalink | Comments

THE CONTESTANTS:

350Z





RX-8





RSX





WRX





Evo VIII





THE RAW DATA

	350Z	RX-8	RSX	WRX	Evo VIII
Horsepower	287	250	200	227	271
Torque	274	159	142	217	273
0-60 Time	5.5	5.9	6.1	5.6	5.3
EPA City	20	18	24	20	18
EPA Highway	26	23	31	27	26
Price	32136	29900	26907	28540	30529
Seating	2	4	4	4	4
Transmission	6	6	6	5	5
Wheelbase	104.3	106.3	101.2	99.4	103.3
Weight	3188	2933	2775	3140	3263
Wheels	18	18	16	16	17
Looks	10	9	8	7	7
Power/Weight	0.0900	0.0852	0.0721	0.0723	0.0831
Torque/Weight	0.0860	0.0542	0.0512	0.0691	0.0837

THE NORMALIZED DATA

	350Z	RX-8	RSX	WRX	Evo VIII		WEIGHT
Horsepower	10	8.710	6.969	7.909	9.443		0
Torque	10	5.803	5.182	7.920	9.964		0
0-60 Time	9.636	8.983	8.688	9.464	10		8
EPA City	8.333	7.5	10	8.333	7.5		5
EPA Highway	8.387	7.419	10	8.710	8.387		4
Price	8.373	8.999	10	9.428	8.814		7
Seating	5	10	10	10	10		6
Transmission	10	10	10	8.333	8.333		3
Wheelbase	9.530	9.351	9.822	10	9.622		2
Weight	8.705	9.461	10	8.838	8.504		0
Wheels	10	10	8.888	8.888	9.444		1
Looks	10	9	8	7	7		11
Power/Weight	10	9.468	8.006	8.030	9.225		10
Torque/Weight	10	6.307	5.954	8.041	9.734		9
TOTAL	600.0	571.2	569.7	561.8	583.3
RANKING	1	3	4	5	2

Looks like I am going to buy a 350Z!

Posted by Mike at 8:04 PM | Permalink | Comments

I don't have much time to tell you all the details about last night, but here is the image gallery.

Posted by Mike at 12:22 PM | Permalink | Comments

Hmm, let's see which is nicer:

ANN ARBOR, MI


ALPHARETTA, GA


REDMOND, WA

Posted by Mike at 5:45 AM | Permalink | Comments

Only in Michigan is a 26 degree temperature drop normal!

Posted by Mike at 5:38 AM | Permalink | Comments

Refused are everything Rage Against the Machine wanted to be.

Posted by Mike at 8:33 PM | Permalink | Comments

Deadly Sins



ANGER

1. Who did you last get angry with? I guess I would have to say Chris Payne. He was acting very out of character last Saturday night.

2. What is your weapon of choice? First choice is words, second choice is the fist.

3. Would you hit a member of the opposite sex? Under 99.99% of circumstances, never. The only reason I would ever hit a female would be to protect someone. In all reality, I would probalby just hold them back if possible.

4. How about of the same sex? Of course I would rail on a dude. Dudes are made to be hit.

5. Who was the last person who got really angry at you? Jamie. Kids say the darndest things.

6. What is your pet peeve? When people bite their fork. It sounds like nails on a chalkboard and it seems so trashy.

7. Do you keep grudges, or can you let them go easily? It depends on who it is against. If it is with someone I am close to, it is usually quickly resolved. Against someone I do not know well or do not like, it can last indefinitely.



SLOTH

1. What is one thing you're supposed to do daily that you haven't done in a long time? Use my teeth whitener. All those years of drinking nothing but coffee and Diet Coke did a number on them.

2. What is the latest you've ever woken up? 5 PM. I once pulled an all nighter and ended up going to bed around noon.

3. Name a person you've been meaning to contact, but haven't? Hmm, my maternal grandmother.

4. What is the last lame excuse you made? Not really an excuse, but just tonight Megan and I were at Borders. There was a book called Why Paint Cats (yes, it's as weird as it sounds). She actually bought a book called Why Cats Paint for her dad, so I said that this must be a sequel thus she must buy it.

5. Have you ever watched an infomercial all the way through (one of the long ones...)? Never. I don't watch TV, other than 24.

6. How many times did you hit the snooze button on your alarm clock today? I didn't. I don't need an alarm clock anymore. When I quit drinking caffeine, my sleep requirements went from 8.5 hours a night to just about 5 hours a night.

7. How many times have you skipped work/classes this month? Since I have a completely flexible work schedule, I cannot techincally skip work. I think I've skipped two classes total.



GLUTTONY

1. What is your overpriced yuppie beverage of choice? SoBe green tea... drool...

2. Meat eaters: white meat or dark meat? White meat.

3. What is the greatest amount of alcohol you've had in one sitting/outing/event? Probably about 14 drinks in a single evening.

4. What's the most you've ever weighed? 188, the weight I am at now. Ever since I started working out almost every day, I've gained about 10 pounds. Hopefully I've actually lost some fat and gained more than 10 pounds in muscle.

5. What have you eaten so far today? Breakfast was a bowl of cereal, a bagel and a can of mixed fruit. Lunch was a veggie sub from Jimmy John's. Afternoon snack was crackers with peanut butter and jelly. Dinner was another sub, this time a ham one from Potbelly. I am sure I will eat the equivalent of another meal before I go to bed. Working out has dramatically increased my metabolism.

6. When was the last time you ate so much you felt sick? The last time I got two subs from Jimmy John's after working out. My stomach couldn't handle it, but my body was craving nutrients.

7. When was the last time you got drunk to the point of throwing up? That time I had 14 drinks in an evening. Playing poker with the guys and going shot for shot isn't a good call.



LUST

1. How many people have you seen naked (not counting movies/family)? 3 plus naked mile plus however many people were on the wrestling and football teams in high school

2. How many people have seen YOU naked (not counting physicians/family)? 3 plus the teams

3. Have you ever caught yourself staring at the chest/crotch of a member of your gender of choice during a normal conversation? Yes.

4. Have you "done it"? Yes.

5. What is your favorite body part on a person of your gender of choice? Eyes.

6. Have you ever been propositioned by a prostitute? No.

7. Have you ever had to get tested for an STD or pregnancy? No.



GREED

1. How many credit cards do you own? I personally have 2 in my name and then there is a card that is a joint account of myself and my aunt and a debit card.

2. What's your guilty pleasure store? I guess J. Crew.

3. If you had $1 million, what would you do with it? I would move out of my crappy apartment, buy a few cars and try to invest the rest.

4. Would you rather be rich, or famous? Rich. Being famous is pointless.

5. Would you accept a boring job if it meant you would make megabucks? Aren't all jobs inherently boring to some degree?

6. Have you ever stolen anything? Yes. I vividly remember taking Vaseline lip balm when I was 6.

7. How many MP3s are on your hard drive? Currently, 3,898.



PRIDE

1. What one thing have you done that you're most proud of? I am not really proud of anything yet. I will find pride when I have a happy, stable family.

2. What one thing have you done that your parents are most proud of? Anything academic. They've been proud of me so far in all aspects though.

3. What thing would you like to accomplish in your life? Other than the happy, stable family, I would like to make some lasting contribution to whatever field I end up working in.

4. Do you get annoyed by coming in second place? Of course! I am more competitive than almost anyone I know.

5. Have you ever entered a contest of skill, knowing you were of much higher skill than all the other competitors? Again, of course. It's so easy to crush people that way, and crushing makes me feel whole.

6. Have you ever cheated on something to get a higher score? Of course.

7. What did you do today that you're proud of? I set a new max on my bench press. I'm only at 250 pounds though.



ENVY

1. What item (or person) of your friends would you most want to have for your own? Currently, Zig's car would be nice. I want something faster though.

2. Who would you want to go on "Trading Spaces" with? Kristin Happ, since she is the only person I know that watches that show more than my parents.

3. If you could be anyone else in the world, who would you be? No one.

4. Have you ever been cheated on? Actually, I don't know. I may have been cheated on with two different girls, but I have no proof.

5. Have you ever wished you had a physical feature different from your own? Yes, I wish my skin was clearer and I was less hairy.

6. What inborn trait do you see in others that you wish you had for yourself? Complete confidence.

Posted by Mike at 6:58 PM | Permalink | Comments

Today while I was working out at the CCRB, a girl actually hit on me. This has happened maybe three times in my entire life. Here are the details: The wrestling mats were laid out in the martial arts room because a session of aikido had just concluded. I had just finished my cardio and lifting and was walking around a bit to cool down. When I saw the mats, I decided to do some of my wrestling rolls just as a cool down. I started off walking on my hands because that was the most fun and was the most strenuous. A girl that was stretching at the end of the room started watching me. I ignored it, since she was just watching because who walks on their hands? Thirty seconds later, she came up to me and asked if she could join me.

At this point, I was a bit confused. I hadn't been hit on in a very long time so I didn't know what to do and I also have a very serious girlfriend. I didn't want to blow this girl off just for the sake of being rude, but I couldn't lead her on in any way. Anyway, I said of course she could join me and she asked if I did gymnastics. I explained that I used to walk on my hands when I wrestled in high school. She asked if I wrestled for Michigan and I just laughed. We introduced ourselves and she then said that she does hand stands because she used to do gymnastics in school and that now she likes to breakdance. She started to show off by walking on her hands and then doing single handed dismounts. At this point, I either had to commit or bail. Instead of committing by asking about her dancing, I simply said that I had to get going. She laughed out of obvious nervousness, probably because she didn't want me to leave. I simply grabbed my water bottle and headphones and ended that encounter.

Posted by Mike at 6:24 PM | Permalink | Comments

Leah will be in Miami from now until Sunday. Sigh. I should have time to fill in that survey soon.

Posted by Mike at 7:54 AM | Permalink | Comments

I will fill in this survey later today.

Deadly Sins



ANGER

1. Who did you last get angry with?

2. What is your weapon of choice?

3. Would you hit a member of the opposite sex?

4. How about of the same sex?

5. Who was the last person who got really angry at you?

6. What is your pet peeve?

7. Do you keep grudges, or can you let them go easily?



SLOTH

1. What is one thing you're supposed to do daily that you haven't done in a long time?

2. What is the latest you've ever woken up?

3. Name a person you've been meaning to contact, but haven't:

4. What is the last lame excuse you made?

5. Have you ever watched an infomercial all the way through (one of the long ones...)?

6. How many times did you hit the snooze button on your alarm clock today?

7. How many times have you skipped work/classes this month?



GLUTTONY

1. What is your overpriced yuppie beverage of choice?

2. Meat eaters: white meat or dark meat?

3. What is the greatest amount of alcohol you've had in one sitting/outing/event?

4. What's the most you've ever weighed?

5. What have you eaten so far today?

6. When was the last time you ate so much you felt sick?

7. When was the last time you got drunk to the point of throwing up?



LUST

1. How many people have you seen naked (not counting movies/family)?

2. How many people have seen YOU naked (not counting physicians/family)?

3. Have you ever caught yourself staring at the chest/crotch of a member of your gender of choice during a normal conversation?

4. Have you "done it"?

5. What is your favorite body part on a person of your gender of choice?

6. Have you ever been propositioned by a prostitute?

7. Have you ever had to get tested for an STD or pregnancy?



GREED

1. How many credit cards do you own?

2. What's your guilty pleasure store?

3. If you had $1 million, what would you do with it?

4. Would you rather be rich, or famous?

5. Would you accept a boring job if it meant you would make megabucks?

6. Have you ever stolen anything?

7. How many MP3s are on your hard drive?



PRIDE

1. What one thing have you done that you're most proud of?

2. What one thing have you done that your parents are most proud of?

3. What thing would you like to accomplish in your life?

4. Do you get annoyed by coming in second place?

5. Have you ever entered a contest of skill, knowing you were of much higher skill than all the other competitors?

6. Have you ever cheated on something to get a higher score?

7. What did you do today that you're proud of?



ENVY

1. What item (or person) of your friends would you most want to have for your own?

2. Who would you want to go on "Trading Spaces" with?

3. If you could be anyone else in the world, who would you be?

4. Have you ever been cheated on?

5. Have you ever wished you had a physical feature different from your own?

6. What inborn trait do you see in others that you wish you had for yourself?

Posted by Mike at 6:56 AM | Permalink | Comments

There are enough MP3s on my computer to listen for over a week straight and never hear the same song twice. Winamp says 183 hours, 14 minutes and 1 second worth of musical goodness is available. Since it is all on Kazaa, it is available.

Posted by Mike at 8:39 PM | Permalink | Comments

If you have a second, do a search for my last name in Kazaa. Over 259 files showed up all because I embedded my name in the ID3 tag of some MP3s I ripped. These songs were ripped my freshman year of college and then placed on my FTP server. At the peak, this server got over 100,000 hits in a single weekend. It's fun to see that my files have spread across the globe.

Posted by Mike at 8:33 PM | Permalink | Comments

When I get older and I own a home, I will have a personal library. I'm not talking about a den that has a large shelf of books. I'm talking about a room devoted solely to housing books. If my (or my wife's) affluence accounts for it, the books will all be bound in the same color and style (not necessarily leather).

Posted by Mike at 7:53 PM | Permalink | Comments

The waters choppy, but it doesn't cut me, no

'Cause I ain't sinkin', no I ain't goin down below

I don't think that way, you know I never have

Well I cant slow down now just because you lag



You're always pulling, keep on trying to bring me down

I'm going to show you that I don't like to fuck around

You show your face and I'll look the other way

You blink your eyes and you've got no friends to play



Pick up the slack

I won't carry your monkey on my back

Save the world

Got no time, I've got to save myself today



I've got a mission to fulfill the things in life

I've got a lot of things to see before I live to die

All this negativity tries to bring me down

As you get worse, I turn my life around



Death By Stereo - Looking Out For Number One

Posted by Mike at 6:24 PM | Permalink | Comments

Just so that everyone knows and that I do not forget, Eric is playing at the Blind Pig on April 1st, 2003. Also, it's a shame that I already have two sets of plans for this upcoming Friday because Athletic Mic League is going to be at the Pig.

Posted by Mike at 5:30 PM | Permalink | Comments

Benadryl = bad.

I've been taking Claritin for years now, at least since high school. Just recently, they came out with an over-the-counter form of Claritin. Now my health insurance doesn't cover perscriptions to Claritin and the OTC version costs $13 for ten doses! When my prescription to Claritin had run out at school and I needed something to tide me over until I made it to the doctor next, I would just get an off-brand antihistamine/decongestant.

When I went to the store to pick some up, they were all out so I decided to try the Benadryl version. Not at good call at all! Some people take Benadryl just as a sleep aid and now I know why. I took two in the past few days and my sleep needs have gone up at least 25%. I even fell asleep in the car when Leah's mom was driving us back to Ann Arbor! I had to take a nap from noon until 2 PM today even though I got more than my normal amount of sleep last night. Does anyone need a sleep aid? I'm not taking anymore of these.

Posted by Mike at 4:46 PM | Permalink | Comments

I am definitely not a big fan of Star Trek, but I've been known to watch quite a bit of The Next Generation and some Deep Space Nine. Slashdot had an article about Enterprise and how Rick Berman is going to try to salvage it. The discussion about this article ranged from how Berman needs to be executed to reasoning why the first series were much better. Out of the blue comes this comment. It is an idea for a new Star Trek show. The basic premise is of a cadre of special ops members of the Federation that take care of the dirty work. Read the comment. If it was shot in a dark, plodding, almost psycho manner, it could be a hit. If it turns into another wild cowboy show, it could fail.

Posted by Mike at 11:34 AM | Permalink | Comments

Current Reading: The Feminine Mystique, by Betty Friedan. I've just barely started reading and I'm already hooked. She describes the plight of the 1950s/1960s housewife so spot on and with such clarity, it borders on prescience.

Posted by Mike at 3:24 PM | Permalink | Comments

A quagmire of concrete, brick and sod, that is all a suburban home seems to me now. I need to live in a big city, at least until I have kids.

Posted by Mike at 3:17 PM | Permalink | Comments

Jamie, Alissa and I just tried Potbelly for the first time. Not bad! The sandwiches are tasty and hot and cheap ($3.79). Alissa tried the ice cream and that got a thumbs up, Jamie and I tried the cookies and they got a thumbs up. Big thumbs down on their fountain pop though. The cup was probably only 12 ounces yet it cost $1.39! For $1.39, you get a 32 ounce cup at Jimmy John's. I guess they have to make up costs somewhere.

Posted by Mike at 3:20 PM | Permalink | Comments

Newest albums added to my collection:



Drive Like Jehu - Yank Crime

The Hives - Barely Legal

Sahara Hotnights - Jennie Bomb

Sarah Slean - Night Bugs

Eminem - The Eminem Show

Alkaline Trio - Goddamnit

Apples In Stereo - Velocity Of Sound

Descendents - Everything Sucks

Built To Spill - Ultimate Alternative Wavers

Aerogramme - Sleep And Release

At The Drive-In - Vaya

Belle And Sebastian - If You're Feeling Sinister

Posted by Mike at 3:15 PM | Permalink | Comments

This has been a crazy week. The craziest part is trying to organize one of my interviews. When they initially contacted me a couple of weeks ago, they asked for 8 possible interview dates. I gave them 8 and then realized a few days later that one of those dates was the same as my AI final! Murphy's Law in full effect, they chose that day. I emailed my contact back immediately and asked if it could be rescheduled to any of the other days. The best she could do was to push it back a day, to April 25th. I have finals on the 22nd, 23rd and 24th and then commencement is on the 26th. Bad timing, eh? So, here is a rough estimation of my schedule for those three days:


April 24th


10:30 AM - 12:30 PM: Final

Between 3 PM and 6 PM: Fly out of DTW

Between 6 PM and 9 PM: Arrive

Afterward: Crash at hotel


April 25th


6 AM: Wake up, get ready, find office

8:30 AM: Interview, interview, interview

Between 9 PM and Midnight: Fly out


April 26th


Between 5 AM and 8 AM: Arrive at DTW

9:15 AM: Commencement



I can't believe I am taking the redeye from an interview to catch commencement.

Posted by Mike at 11:29 AM | Permalink | Comments

The Gulf War Two Drinking Game.

Posted by Mike at 9:19 PM | Permalink | Comments

Current Music: "Bombs Over Baghdad" by Outkast

Posted by Mike at 9:19 PM | Permalink | Comments

I've fallen in love with two older games lately: Gran Turismo 3 and chess. Yeah, chess is just a wee bit older.


Basically, Joe tossed GT3 into the PS2 earlier this week for the first time since we've owned it. He has only played the rally races (since he hates all of the races on pavement). Matt and him scrapped for awhile and I tossed my hat into the ring. I was under the impression that to correctly navigate a turn you had to be turning the whole time. In rally, this couldn't be farther from the truth. You turn well before the actual bend in the road and then power slide through almost every one. I got smoked in those first few races. After they had left, I gave the course a few more runs. I just barely beat the course on "Easy" mode *then* I figured out turning. Each run saw my times improving after each iteration. Eventually, I was beating the CPU car by 10 seconds in "Hard" mode. That is when I got hooked.


GT3 is an extremely deep game. Even the simplistic "Arcade" mode has 30+ tracks and too many cars for me to count. The simulation mode has a depth I haven't quite fathomed yet. You start off with a meager amount of money and no cars. My first car had a whopping 116 HP to start, which was pretty depressing since Zig had a car that was pushing 1048 HP. You can customize your car, earn driving licenses (that allow you to enter the more difficult races), and obviously race. I've just started, but I'm sure I am going to be hooked.


On to chess. For some reason, Zig decided that all of his programming buddies should have a contest. He will write a basic GUI that allows people to plug-in two chess engines and have them go at it. I doubt I will participate (since writing a chess engine would take hundreds of hours, at least), but that got chess on our minds. After dinner (a Tuesday night tradition with the guys), Chris and I ran to the chess store at Briarwood and picked up a chess clock. We went back to my apartment and played four games: Chris versus Matt, Matt versus Joe, Joe versus myself and then Joe versus Chris. None of the games ended with a checkmate since we were playing with the clock. The first game gave 15 minutes per person then we pulled that down to 10 minutes per game when Joe was playing. I just didn't pay attention to the clock and I ran out of time with the game probably only half way through. Speed chess just isn't my thing, but I at least didn't lose in less than 20 minutes total.


Hopefully I stick with both of these games.

Posted by Mike at 5:47 AM | Permalink | Comments

I *knew* I was using that word incorrectly. Whenever I feel like I am giving up and letting someone else have their way, I might say something about "subjugating my will" to them. In all reality, I have been meaning to say abdicate! I could say something like "I'm just allowing you to subjugate my will", but that doesn't have the same ring to it. Say it with me: "abdicate my will", "abdicate my will" and "abdicate my will".

Posted by Mike at 6:43 PM | Permalink | Comments

Google supports wild card searching! Type in something like "give me * or I'll kill you" and Google will find all results that start with "give me ", end with " or I'll kill you" and have a single word in the '*' location. Sweet.

Posted by Mike at 10:58 AM | Permalink | Comments

Jamie, Joe and I hung out yesterday. We just absolutely had to enjoy the weather! The diag wasn't the most verdant place (the snow washes away yet everything is so dirty) but it was enjoyable nonetheless. We grabbed Jimmy John's on the way then sat by the flagpole. We mainly talked about the night before and how we wished it turned out just a little bit less dramatic. As always, we also discussed the future. I finally realized that Joe is going to be moving out of state no matter what happens. We didn't know each other too well until this year, but I feel we've gotten close. I'll miss him.


Jamie and I discussed how cool it would be if we both do end up staying in the Ann Arbor area. I now have an official job offer from a company around here, so it just might happen. Of course I am still going to have my fly-out interviews. We shall see.

My camera got some more use; check out the pictures from the day here.

Posted by Mike at 10:25 AM | Permalink | Comments

Over the years, a few people I have known personally have started weblogs. Those are always the best because you know most of the basic information about their life anyway. The weblog is just another glimpse into their psyche. Well, just recently, Eric started his own weblog. Another one of my good friends started one as well, but that is NOT for public consumption.

Posted by Mike at 7:51 AM | Permalink | Comments

Last night, Joe and I had planned a little gathering. It was going to start with pizza, then drinking/euchre/video games and then finally going to see the midnight showing of Batman at the State Theater. Well, the plans quickly changed. We started off playing spades, chowing down snacks and drinking beer. Eventually more people showed up so we got pizza, played some GT3 and broke out the hard liquor. When it was time to leave for the movie, we voted and decided it would be more fun to stick around.


This is when the night started to break down. Somebody started getting pretty upset when we played Never Have I Ever, then another got upset because of sexual comments and then finally someone got violently ill. There is still a huge mixing bowl filled with puke and a blanket covered in puke in our bathroom. Other than that, it was great! See the pictures here.

Posted by Mike at 4:53 PM | Permalink | Comments

Just the other day, an ex-girlfriend told me that she got married early last year. Just tonight, I heard that a friend from work last summer just got engaged. I'm a little freaked out.

Posted by Mike at 12:39 AM | Permalink | Comments

PROTECTION



Lock your door

Zip up your jacket

Take your vitamins

Pull into your shell

Load your gun

Put on your sunscreen

Arrest your terrorists

Check your engine

Pay your insurance

Pop the pill

Censor your media

Cool your reactor

Put on your life vest

Buckle your seat belt

Sterilize your tools

Pray to your god

Sign your contract

Set your alarm

But open your heart and mind

Love is its own protection

Posted by Mike at 7:50 PM | Permalink | Comments

Homework can wait. Tonight was the Sarah Slean concert! While I was checking out other concerts, I saw that she would be playing at The Ark tonight. I knew that Jenn was a fan, so we decided to go. I had only heard a couple of her songs quite a while ago, but I figured it would be good to go to a concert anyway. I'm damn glad I went. Not only was it a good time with Jenn (and seeing Beth wasn't half bad), but the concert itself was so good it was inspiring.

I really had no idea what to expect. When a gorgeous redhead (though fake, I think) took the stage with a vivacious and humorous stage presence, I knew this was going to be good. She has a good command over the piano, ranging from full-yet-harsh wailing to soft and melodic. Her voice takes a bit of getting used to, but she has some power when she wants to use it. Her lyrics were a bit obtuse for a first time listener, but that will surely correct itself over time. Interestingly enough, her guitarist was actually the most talented person on stage. He played four different instruments total, two electrics, one acoustic and one that could only be described as an electric tweleve-string ukulele. With the help of at least 12 different pedals, he added a depth to the music that would have left the piano naked without.

All in all, a pretty kick ass show. Jenn bought her newest CD and quickly sent me MP3s of all the songs when she got home. This is definitely going into my permanent rotation.

Posted by Mike at 9:18 PM | Permalink | Comments

I hate that fweakin' marshmallow.

Posted by Mike at 5:10 PM | Permalink | Comments

Another good workout followed by consuming way too much damned food. The last time I did this I ate a bowl of tomato rice soup, a ham and swiss on sourdough, a granola bar, a yogurt and two oranges. Today was another bowl of tomato rice soup, a veggie burger, three pieces of cheesy bread, two huge oranges and a bag of pretzels. For lunch! I am glad that my goal of working out is better physical fitness and health, not overall weight loss...

Posted by Mike at 4:15 PM | Permalink | Comments

Haven't heard much from/about these guys lately. Here is an image gallery from their latest tour in Japan.

Posted by Mike at 4:04 PM | Permalink | Comments

Sigh, so many concerts I want to see. Either there is no one to go with, or I can't get a ride, or they are just too pricey. Here is the short list:

• Sparta (March 15th @ State Theater)
  
• Rocket From The Crypt (March 17th @ Magic Stick)
  
• Kodo (March 24th @ Michigan Theater)
  
• Sahara Hotnights (March 31st @ The Shelter)
  
• Adult. (April 4th @ Institute of Art)
  
• The White Stripes (April 15th @ Masonic Temple)
  
• The White Stripes (April 16th @ Masonic Temple)
  
• Adult. (May 17th @ Magic Stick)
  

Posted by Mike at 1:45 PM | Permalink | Comments

As I mentioned previously, I signed up for EMusic recently. In the first few days, I downloaded upwards of 1.8 GIG of music. If they are going to offer unlimited downloads, I'm going to take advantage. I've pulled down 49 albums so far. Some of the highlights:


Adult.

Apples In Stereo

Belle And Sebastian

Built To Spill

Etta James

Pavement

Sahara Hotnights

The Hives


More will be coming. Maybe I should keep a list of all my MP3s since that list is growing so incredibly fast. But anyway, for only $9.95/month (for 12 months) or $14.95/month (for 3 months), EMusic is a great deal if your tastes are broader than mainstream.

Posted by Mike at 1:08 PM | Permalink | Comments

When it rains, it pours. I got an email today from a local Ann Arbor company in the medical field asking if I wanted to interview with them. The email said nothing about the position so I inquired about that. We shall see.

Posted by Mike at 12:56 PM | Permalink | Comments

Speaking of money, I just got an email saying I have another fly out interview. I don't want to say who it is with, but they are a computer company in the top 100 of the Fortune 500, in the top 20 of the Best to Work For and in the top 10 of the Most Admired...

Posted by Mike at 6:44 PM | Permalink | Comments

Just this morning I told myself that I would stop spending money. In the past month, I've bought a new digital camera, work out shoes, a bunch of work out clothes, some regular clothes (but no more blue shirts because Leah says I have too many. Not possible!), and a subscription to EMusic. I spent a lot of money going out, especially on food. So, I said no more. Then, I got a gift certificate in the mail for $15 at Express Men. Jamie and I went today and I said I was only going to spend enough to use up the gift cert. Not so much. I ended up spending $80 there and then $40 at Fields buying some new cologne (Pleasures for Men). I promise, no more.

Posted by Mike at 6:38 PM | Permalink | Comments

Hmm, speaking of working out, I never explained how accident-prone I've been over the past few weeks. I cut myself twice, once on a bagel when I was in a hurry and once when chopping up peppers and I wasn't paying attention. The pepper cut, which is on my left thumb, was so deep that I probably needed stitches. I'm a dumb boy, so I just put a butterfly bandage on to seal it up. When working out at the beginning of spring break last week, I was walking on my hands (a relic from my pre-wrestling work outs) and stretched out my ACL in my right knee when I landed. Being a dumb boy, I played racquetball with Joe later that evening. I was attempting a spinning return when I realized there was no way I could land and put that much pressure on my right knee. I stopped midway but my racquet kept going. I smashed myself in the left eye. I should have taken pictures right when it happened, but here are a couple pictures from over a week after it happened:

Normal coloration

Photoshopped coloration to show bruise beneath the eye

Posted by Mike at 12:54 PM | Permalink | Comments

My two hour American Values discussion just got cancelled, woohoo! I get to work out instead. Sitting in an overly-warm classroom discussing the people's reaction to the FDR fireside chats or lifting and getting a huge endorphin rush, you make the call.

Posted by Mike at 12:32 PM | Permalink | Comments

Texas toast does not taste like ass. Here is a quick recipe for cheesy bread I just whipped up:



Cheesy Texas Bread

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 8 minutes



Ingredients:

Texas toast, sliced thick (3 slices)

Shredded mozzarella or sharp cheddar cheese (1 cup)

Grated parmesan cheese (3 tablespoons)

Butter

Garlic powder

Italian seasoning

Red pepper flakes



Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2) Lightly butter the bread.

3) Sprinkle a tablespoon of parmesan onto the buttered side of each slice.

4) Season with garlic powder, italian seasoning and red pepper flakes to taste.

5) Cover each slice with 1/3rd cup of shredded cheese.

6) Place onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

7) Cook for 8 minutes.

Posted by Mike at 10:36 AM | Permalink | Comments

Dannon Light n' Fit Creamy yogurt tastes like ass. Avoid it much like the polar bear avoids the Miami sun.

Posted by Mike at 10:28 AM | Permalink | Comments

Crazy dream #2: Just a few days ago I had a dream that involved moving down to Georgia. Since I don't know anyone down there, I had to find housing by myself. All of the apartments were full or something so I ended up subletting a room in a mansion. The details of the mansion itself were fuzzy but there definitely was a pond in the back with some odd stones surrounding the perimeter. (It reminded me of a Mandelbrot set, now that I think of it. Do you dream in fractals? Thought not.) The owner of the mansion and (what could only be) his young daughter showed me to a room. They said there was only one problem, the bed had been in the pond earlier. Eh, whatever, I took the room anyway.


I fell asleep (in the dream) and woke up with two leech-like beings on my left hand. I immediately started to swat at them, trying to get them off. The owner and daughter (who must have been watching me sleep) yelled at me to stop and that these leeches would keep sucking until either they filled with blood or died. On closer inspection, the leeches had these coiled bodies that could expand and hold a LOT of blood. I had to get to the hospital, so I called Eric (who knows why he was in Georgia). He picked me up in some weird Dodge Neon-SUV hybrid (which can be explained by the fact that I fell asleep reading Motor Trend) and we tried to ask for directions to the nearest hospital. Everyone would give us directions, but different directions. Just as we got on the highway, I woke up. My entire left arm was completely asleep which explains the leech bit.

Posted by Mike at 10:26 AM | Permalink | Comments

Crazy dream #1: Just after Leah and I started dating, I had a dream that I was MCing a talent show. It was held in downtown Detroit in a dingy, 70's-styled theater. I don't remember how it happened, but I ended up on stage and was told to MC the entire affair. I didn't know who was supposed to be in the show so I just talked to the crowd and made a game out of it. Rob Shereda was in the audience and I was under the impression that he was supposed to be the MC but decided to let me run it. After introducing the first act, I hopped down from the stage into the crowd. Everyone seemed to be dressed as if it was the 70's, but in that updated-yet-still-retro style. Leah was there and just as I was about to talk to her, I woke up.

Posted by Mike at 10:11 AM | Permalink | Comments

I have a new digital camera. I haven't gotten many chances to use it, but it was put into full effect to capture a typical night out. Check out the rest of the galleries here. Hopefully that will quickly fill up with galleries from my tenth and final semester here. Last week was spring break and mostly it was spent at work. For those of you that haven't been dragged into the Daily by now, here is a quick run down of the important areas. The really big black server in that gallery is the old database server that I replaced last weekend. Other than work, I hung out with Leah as much as possible. We went up to State for a night and that would have been a prime candidate for picture taking, but I hadn't met 90% of those people yet. It's just better to not be "that guy that always has his camera" just yet.

Posted by Mike at 10:06 AM | Permalink | Comments

Here is some background as to what has been going on in my life the past 5 months. First, I am seeing someone new. Her name is Leah and to try to explain how perfectly the relationship is developing would be to spoil it. Expect to hear more about that later. Second, and related to the first, I'm no longer with Laura. Things were a bit rough at the end of last semester and she decided to end it. No hard feelings, on my part. Third, I will be graduating come April 25th. Fourth, I have no idea where I will be after said graduation. There is a job possibility down in Alpharetta, Georgia, but I won't be saying any more about that until I know for sure.

Posted by Mike at 9:56 AM | Permalink | Comments

Crazy euchre story: Leah (on the other team) was dealing and turned up a bower. I was three-suited and called it up with NO TRUMP. We won that hand and won the game 10-0. Am I lucky or what?

Posted by Mike at 9:34 AM | Permalink | Comments