One of my very good friends who I have known since 3rd grade just got married to her boyfriend of nine years. That's right, she's my age and they've been dating since she was a freshman in high school. Now here's the weird part . . . until Sunday night they were both virgins. Yes, virgins.
I find this unbelievable. I respect their decision and commend them for being 100 times stronger than myself in terms of self-denial - but NINE YEARS? They both come from very religious families and the groom has actually just landed a job as a youth pastor, so I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. After all, if they were to have sex God would be angry. But holy crap.
Nick thinks this isn't so odd - he thinks that at some point your sexual frustration peaks out, and it doesn't become any harder not to take it all the way. It's still tough, but you accept the way it is and move on. I think it's just plain nuts. I waited over a year the first time around - I too was once very religious - and it got harder every day.
If it weren't for God I would have to say that waiting is positively not worth it - sure, you have something new to try on your wedding night, but come on, everyone knows the first time isn't anything to write home about. I suppose that people who don't have a strong religious conviction probably don't go through this kind of self-abuse for something otherwise so insignificant. And no, I'm not saying sex is insignificant, but once you've shared your heart and soul and done just about everything else physically, intercourse really isn't going to change much or deepen your connection to one another.
I guess there's no accounting for faith and it's charges.
Last time we did flavor text submission, they actually chose my submission (or something exceedingly close) ... perhaps it'll happen again, though I'm less happy with what I sent in this time. I only submitted one for Shock - "It was the last thing she felt before it killed her." (Or perhaps I ended up going with "he" and "him" - I can't recall anymore). I like the ambiguity between the two meanings of the word "shock" in both parts of that submission, but it somehow still feels a little hollow...
--Nick
Okay, time’s up. I can’t do this for much longer. My job is thankless, nearly mindless, and could be done by someone who didn’t graduate from high school. Why did my parents pay for me to get a degree, and why did I start grad school and shell out $13,000 if I was going to be a fucking copy wench? This is not starting at the bottom to move up, this is just plain garbage. I try to convince myself that it’s Zen . . . I find it meditative to make 8 copies of specs – punched and bound (1600 pages worth) and then do it again the next day because I failed to notice some of them were double-sided. I like that, right? And that fact that I forget to lock a particular drawer and occasionally let us run out of, I don’t know, paperclips, clearly means that I am mentally deficient – or at least those are the looks and the inferences I get from others. Why, oh why did I take AP classes, how could I have even considered retaking the SAT’s when I got a 1480, what possessed me to take on the responsibilities of Drum Major or News Producer in college, why did I write scholarship essays and move myself to LA? Did I do these things so I could take shit from people with half my intelligence when I don’t rise the occasion of ordering paperclips?
I have to go back to school. I have 1/3 of a Masters Degree and I’m sure my credits will transfer into at least a few different programs. I want to run a writing center, or teach Poli Sci 201; for the love of god I will work at the Sylvan learning center . . . just something where I can use my skills. Yes! Skills! I have some. I’m a talented leader, a talented teacher, I’m creative and resourceful and crafty. I have an eye for style, a love and sense for music. I said I’d do this for a year when I transferred (that apparently made me “worth” the training time), but I don’t know if I can make it. I didn’t spend 18 years being a dedicated achiever and cultivating my talents for my biggest challenge to be double-sided copies.
Mike Celizic pretty much has it right. Think of it as an even bigger version of Phelps' gracious act, which I think has engendered a more lasting legacy than all of his success would alone.
That said, I would make the same argument for the Hansen/Kitajima situation and that's pretty much disappeared off the face of the planet (though it was obvious to me even watching from above the surface that he did use an illegal kick). Which makes Celizic's a tough argument ... who's to say that the whole thing won't blow over and that the color of the medal you hold won't be the only thing that's remembered?
Still, it seems obvious what the right thing to do is, whether you call it a matter of ethics or just pure sportsmanship. And the fact that Phelps made a gesture even when there was no reason to have to and Hamm didn't when he had a good reason is why I think Phelps is already being remembered in a better light.
--Nick
Edit: Spell Celizic's name right. :P
Edit: So, apparently there's more to the argument than I thought - according to tonight's (Monday night's) broadcast, even if the Tae-Young's start value had been correct, the judges actually forgot to count a deduction from doing too many holds on the same routine, so actually he should have gotten an even worse score. So I guess it's too simplistic to just say he should give up the medal. That said, I'm sure there are so many mistakes judging everywhere that they should probably cancel out, and somehow it still feels worse when something that is supposedly objective (start value) goes wrong instead of the subjective parts. Something still feels screwy. Either way, it seems like the judging was pretty crappy - I know I don't know exactly how it works, but seriously seems fubar. And what's with changing the scores when the crowd protests?
Edit: Added link to ESPN article about the too-many-holds issue and I find myself changing my mind ... he has a pretty good point in that article.
Edit: Bah. I'm stupid - obviously the deduction for having too many holds is also objective, so really, Paul was pretty much right from the beginning - you stick to the rules and if they're screwy, you fix them. And he's totally right ... just like tests, if you want a regrade, you have to expect your score may go either way. Poor guy - getting vilified for something he's not responsible for. I tell you, I doubt the South Koreans will ever see it this way ...
Like Eric and Alexei, I've switched onto a new host on a shiny new (and fast!) machine. While the old URL should redirect, http://www.qualarius.org/ is what you want for the direct link.
It should be worth noting that this server's been ready for us for some time now, but only Alexei had the get-up-and-go to do it as soon as it was installed. For Eric and myself, it took MT Blacklist breaking on the old host to get our asses in gear. Yay for forced change.
Man, I'd forgotten just how much assinine spam you get without (thanks Eric!) MT Blacklist. Hopefully the comments should be under control again, for any of you that were offended.
--Nick
Edit: Fixed typo above.
There are some signs in our cafeteria right now advertising specials that they're running every other Tuesday. For some reason, though, they read:
Join us on "Tuesdays" in August for ....
What's with the quotes around Tuesday? Are there only specials when it's Tuesday, but not really Tuesday? Or do I get a special if I call it Tuesday when it really isn't?
Very confused ...
--Nick
That's right, the devil. And I think gyms in general are a racket. They make their bureaucracy so damn thick that you want to give up and give them the money they are trying to steal from you rather than keep pursuing them - and they most certainly do this on purpose. Rather like how Comcast plays offensive rap as their hold music and has 15 different menus, none of which offer an operator. Damn. Why is there no decency?
Apparently there is some question out there as to whether I'm still alive, or whether or not this is still even remotely my weblog.
Yes to the former ... the jury's still out on the latter.
As it turns out, I have no real content to add, but Kara thinks that I need to start reasserting my presence. So, I'll pose my question du jour and be off. If you get to have a giant LoveSac, does it really matter if you don't have any floor space left in your living room?
--Nick
Yes, that's right, toner.
One of the project assistants was printing something on our super-powered Canon copier and discovered a white stipe down the middle of her copies - she automatically assumed this was a result of low toner. Once we find some fresh toner (which was laying right there, but she assumed it was for the color machine) she tips it, pulls out the stops, and starts beating on it. Assuming I don't know how to use it she says "but I'm going to let you watch me do this one so I don't ever have to get dirty again." I already know how, and I've done it without so much as a smudge on my hands, so I offer to take over.
Now I've been beating on this thing for five minutes and the toner isn't moving out of it very quickly. Could we perhaps not be low on toner? Pretty soon it starts spitting toner out the edges - that insanely fine black powder. Pretty soon it's on the floor, my feet, my legs (I'm wearing all black or I would have quit long ago) my hands, the machine, 50 paper towels, etc. I call Diane back "okay, this thing is stuck, something is wrong". I've already determined for myself that there was plenty of toner and assuming it was low was a really bad idea. She decided I'm probably right and fortunately takes the blame for her string of assumptions.
Well, now I've called Ikon and basically said "we're dipshits, come help", and to add insult to copier injury, I have discovered toner up my nose.
Let it be known that I have taken one for the team.