Ross passed this to me, so I pass it to you!
If you haven't already done so, you should really take advantage of early voting. First, because you don't like standing in lines and second because I want to know if anybody saw any questionable things happen w/ their voting computer, thats for all my florida voters. I want to compare notes w/ somebody who has used Florida's new computer system to vote and see if the process went the same I saw it work.
I lived in Florida during the 2000 elections and because of pure laziness, I didn't vote. So I considered myself to be sorta separated from those involved in the chad conspiracy. Shawana and I went after our last baby doctor visit to put our votes in at the elections office in St. Petersburg. Now I'm not going to tell you who I voted for, because thats personal.
Anyways, I'm waiting for the old people to move along w/ their voting. My main plan is to get in-get out and be counted. I thing I witnessed some random button pushing being done, but thats just observation. To the point at hand, the lady before me at the machine I voted on had the same plan as me to leave quickly. She quickly grabbed her voting card after it popped out of the machine. The screen is still displaying a message that its recording to her card. But she is out of the building by the time the next message pops up that it didn't finish recording her vote, please put the card back in.
I'm watching this w/ an "Oh No! Not again!" face, wait for all the messages to disapper and start my voting. When I get done the card pops out again while the recording message is displayed. I leave it in there until the screen changes back to the regular menu, take my card and drop it in the box.
Shawana hasn't finished yet, so I ask one of the poll workers about what I witnessed. She tries to assure me that all votes are being counted, and that the card won't eject from the machine before its put the votes on the flash drive in the card. I told her the events that happened and again she said the machines are working fine. I could just be a little paranoid, but its not too outrageous to believe that another voting disaster could happen in Florida.
Sharifa Forrester, Mary Kay consultant
My sister has a new gig as an independent consultant for Mary Kay products. So this past weekend Shawana was invited to Sharifa's first "official" spa day, where customers can get a free facial, manicure and check out products from the brand. Of course to ensure that I didn't live the remainder of my life through pure hell, I agreed to attend this gala w/ no fuss or fight. I would have went anyways to show support for my sister, but when Shawana promised emminent doom if I didn't, it seemed the right thing to do was be there. Overall it was a great time.
So I was totally prepared for all the jokes about being "that guy" showing up at a Mary Kay fair, but I stood strong feeling ever confident because I was attached to Shawana at the hip. I had visioned it would be a room of white haired ladies talking about the good old days and how much make-up they could apply to their face. Or even worse, like a barage of those annoying makeup/perfume pushers you find in the department stores. Those types are the reason I stopped cutting through stores when going to the mall. My nose can only take the scent of flowers stuffed at midnight only for a sec before I feel light-headed and nauseated
I only agreed to get a facial cleansing, and damn it! The products felt wonderful. Now, this in no ways means I'm partial fruity for liking my face feeling smooth and sexy. But it was different and it didn't smell like rose puke or something. It was a light and fresh smell. I told Sharifa that we were surely going to buy some products. You know, for the kids! Shawana tried out the makeup. This was a major step, because I've never seen her apply any makeup before. One of the ladies there assisted her in trying some not-so-drab colors. It was cool and strange to see Shawana w/ extra shimmer on her face, but it was wonderful.
I left the spa day a little less close minded about Mary Kay products and what their whole spiel is about. And no my sister didn't promise me a free velocity moisturizer for talking about her new job, but she should. I'm joking!
what a treat! I'm a small time anime fan, the japanese-style animation that has migrated over here to seek fans in America. I only wish they wouldn't push Pokeman and Dragonballz so much because I hate those series w/ every ounce of bone I possess.
Anyways, one of the anime films I enjoyed was Ghost in the Shell. I learned that Production I.G. was working on the sequel and thought I'll be glad to see that when it finally makes it to the dvd market in America. But last week I found out the film was showing in the veterans24 theater in Tampa. Sweet! I quickly told Kris, he's a bigger anime fan than I and he owns the first Ghost on dvd. So we planned to watch it yesterday evening. He got the Brokaws to attend and I brought along Shawana. Now Shawana isn't a big fan of anime at all. One of our first outings together was to another anime film on the big screen, Cowboy Bebop. She fell asleep through it and I watched it 3 times, just to share what level of love we have for anime, of course I also own the whole Bebop series. So back to the current film. The veterans theater is a great place for movie watching and we all met there and I was eager to enjoy this film. Its also a significant event because this is one of the last times we'll go to see a movie that isn't marketed towards kids because we'll be parents in less than 2 months!
All the trailers roll through and the intro starts, some crazy japanese song, sweet an anime in a theater what a treat. But my world begins to crash down as subtitles begin to roll. OH NO! Now when I checked the info on this film there was nothing to say it was subtitled. When you are buying anime dvds they clearly mark what the spoken and subtitle languages are. I felt so bad for the people I invited to watch this that aren't big fans of foreign, subtitled films. All in all it was a spectacular film as far as visuals, which was really hard to see when paragraphs of text were flying across the bottom. But the hundreds of 3d rendered scenes left me inspired to make my own films. Like the first Ghost, this one also had alot of philosophy dealing w/ humans and their thoughts towards controlling technology. There maybe more to that but you can check it out for yourselves. Ghost in the Shell 2:Innocence - good stuff!
I don't get to go the theatres to watch movies much these days. Their getting expensive and its easy to enjoy movies at home. Well, thanks to a 65" tv, but anyways we do get into Blockbuster every now and then and rent some new releases. Last night I watched Eternal Sunshine of a spotless mind, long title but a great independent film. Shawana didn't last very long in watching the film and I understand because it starts off slow and confusing. Soon though you realize what is truly happening and bam, I'm thinking great work. Of course I'm a huge sucker for tastefully done special effects and down right "weird & artsy" films. So I recommend this to the masses who haven't watched it. Great stuff.
And no, I'm not going to tell you the movie. I'm too tired to do that. But I will tell you its got that weird song from the rainbow spree people or whatever they call them selves. Something like "follow the day, and reach for the sun" Anyways, that song just bugs me. Its that oh-too-gleeful 60's sound, and the fact that its become popular enough for MTV to play their video, has me squirming everytime I hear it.
Last week we watch the boys make Shawana's belly dance and yesterday we found out that it paid off. Both twins did complete 180 degree turns in her belly. On yesterday's ultrasound we were so excited because we could see hair on their heads. Of course I would expect them to have lots of hair, because I was a hairy beast as a child. There is still a picture my mom carries around where my from at 7 months is so big, it still baffles me why I'm bald up top now.
The week countdown is down to 7. It could be sooner or it could be later, but for the best health of our boys, Shawana is forcing her will and body to hold the boys to their 38th week.
Its very easy to believe in the whole "big brother is watching you" paranoia these days. Alot of society has accepted that having vast amounts of technology in your day-to-day is essential to a modern lifestyle. Just today I realized how dependent I am on my check card, the government could literally burn all the cash in the world right now and I would stupidly be happy as long as my card still worked. And that scared me, because I've seen what happens when my bank protects themselves and screws me outta my money, and its all digital, they don't even have to slap me across the head to get there fees outta me.
But back to the main point, I saw the news that Google has launched a search tool for your personal computer. Now adding the google way of finding things to your personal isn't a bad idea, but you wouldn't see me using it. Not to seem like an alarmist, but that sounds all like Google, and whoever gives them money, trying to have a back door to your computer. And there's no telling of how many have installed this tool. I've seen the Net, just call me concerned. Not that I believe that movie was great, but it would be very easy for the average computer user to be feeding his personal info out to the public without even knowing.
Ah this sucks. Its been a very long time since I've gone to the dentist and now I have to go because the pain is getting worse. Years have passed since an oral surgeon told me that I should have my bottom wisdom teeth pulled out. Of course what ticked me off back then, was when he told me that it didn't matter how much my insurance company covered because they were going to charge me $300 above that. Thieving bastards! was all that ran through my head.
So fast forward to today. I was chatting w/ my boss about me taking some time off to go to the worst place in the world, The dentist office. Just talking about it brought up my first horrifying experience to involve a dentist. I was very young and my mom took me to our dentist in Brooklyn to get a cavity filled. I was a pudgy kid who liked candy so it was bound to happen. Now I didn't hate getting cleanings or getting x-rays and stuff, but when the dentist told me that the gas machine wasn't working and they were going to use a needle just to give me a local I said "hell no."
I don't hate needles or anything, but as a child the needle he pulled out looked bigger than my head. I started shaking, so much that he could sense my fright. But he was nice and said, he'll just wait until next week. I thinked I bounced out of the office that day.
Alright, I never thought the original segway was cool, or actually necessary. I did rationalize that if I was a warehouse worker in some nicely air-conditioned facility, that scooting around on a segway would be cool. I mean all day long, I'd just ride up and down the aisles looking for stuff to pull off the shelves, or randomly "lose" items so I will spend the afternoon looking for it. And that's just not going to happen because I kinda hate the physical labor and I also classified the segway as ridiculous because I don't live in the heart of a big city and need this thing to commute the 100ft from my domicile to my work place. Plus who wants to feel like a pharmacist, riding inches higher than everybody else while making yourself an easy target for the drive-by egging.
So while browsing, I happen upon this concept from the makers of Segway. Concept Centaur is wickedly cool. It uses the same self-balancing Segway tech but puts it in a much cooler presentation. Seriously check out the videos of what this thing can do. The makers though are totally lame though, because they have no plans to bring it into production. I would consider buying this thing, you know, for the kids.
On the drive to work I heard about a nasty thing that I'm glad wasn't on my way to work. But for many commuters on the Tampa side of the Gandy bridge from where we live, they had to endure the horrible smell of thousands of gallons of rotten milk as it spilled from the back of a dump truck that was hauling the expired dairy product to the waste. Nasty I mostly drive up US 19 to work up in Dunedin, and sometimes you can smell the waste left on the road after the pinellas county's waste management truck passes by. Only once was I close enough to see what happens when this truck is driving down the highway. Obviously liquids always end up trash, and when you have a significant amount of county trash then alot more liquids and rotting foods are added together. When this truck is driving, and I mean several trucks because there is alot more than one, this rotting ooze drips out slowly and even after the truck has gone the smell is on the roadway. argh... I know some poor fool has been stuck behind that truck cursing nonstop.
1st of October. Wow this year is moving fast. Watched the debate last night between the president and Kerry. It was great to see them go head to head. Nothing I heard has changed my voting decision, but I really do hate politicians. Its a great ole battle of advisors, speech writers, and assistants. Bush did look like he was flustered, or more annoyed by Kerry's comments, and that was good cause for the rules to state that no debater shall leave their position behind the microphone. I was sure Bush was going to handle Kerry in the Texas Way, whoop his butt up and down the stage. Now that would have been political entertainment.
So where do I stand, hmm.. I believe the war has gotten way outta hand. My brother, at anytime now, will be going over there to do "god knows what". This war is at a point where it can't end today, hell it can't end for another 4 years probably. Everyday the media covers some crazy story of suicide bombers doing what they think is right. Now I understand that not everybody in Iraq feels that the U.S. being in their country is bad, but there are enough w/ intentions of killing every foreign soldier or civilian in their country. I'm no politician, but I am tired of this war.