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12
November
2009
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There's a flood warning in effect for Chesterfield county starting at 8pm tonight, and there's currently a flood watch in effect for my area. It's supposed to rain through tomorrow and FINALLY stop tomorrow night, maybe.
update: There's now a flood warning from Friday to Sunday for the James River just a few miles from where I live.
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11
November
2009
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Right now we're getting the remnants of hurricane Ida, which is just a huge cluster of thunderstorms with a radius of probably 500 miles or more. We've gotten a lot of hurricanes' leftovers that've been more severe but ended quickly. This rain is just constant without any sign of letting up. Our yard and the neighbor's yard are starting to flood; I can see the moonlight reflecting off the water. My cats are crazy; they want to be outside but I'm afraid they'll drown. One of them, the bolder of the two, was actually outside in the rain for more than a half hour; she came from the woods behind our house, and I kept calling her for at least 10 minutes until she finally sauntered up to the porch and inside. They're not going back out again tonight, and depending on tomorrow's conditions, I may not let them out until Friday or Saturday. My dad's supposed to be driving home in this rain tomorrow from West Virginia. I hope he makes it home alright.
I've never been scared of a flood before; it's happened in low-lying downtown but that was during hurricane Gaston in 2004, and it wasn't much better when hurricane Isabel hit in 2003 and I got a week off school due to the damage. Those hurricanes lasted MAYBE a day and it didn't rain the entire time but it was windy as hell; the power was out after Isabel for two or three days. It's not really windy right now, and there's no thunder or lightning and the rain isn't even heavy. It's just a lot of steady rain that's been falling since yesterday afternoon, around 4:30. I do NOT want to go to work in this tomorrow.
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11
November
2009
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The Dow Jones has been hovering around 10,000 for weeks now, and the Nasdaq recently topped 2,000 for the first time in I can't even remember. Anyone who thinks Obama doesn't have some positive effect on our economy is living in a strange republican fantasy land, or WANTS Obama to fail so they can say that they were right. It was our beloved George W. Bush who got us into this economic mess to begin with, and left it for his successor to clean up. It would've been a problem for anyone who took office, so I don't know why so many people are still using Obama as a scapegoat for the state of our nation at the end of the Bush administration. It's nutty.
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10
November
2009
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I really want to see Brand New and Thrice tonight, but I just don't think I have the energy. I'm still recovering from the worst case of the flu I've ever had and I have work at 3:45am tomorrow. I was looking forward to it for so long but this morning I woke up exhausted and as the day went on, I just felt worse. I know I'll regret not seeing them tonight, especially Brand New 'cause I haven't seen them before and I love all their songs. But they'll be back, I'm sure. Plus I'll regret it even more tomorrow at work if I DO see them tonight. I told everyone I was going, but now I just don't know. I hate having a job. Well, kinda...because if it weren't for my job, I wouldn't have any money to see Blink 182 and Fall Out Boy and 311 and Rise Against and Third Eye Blind and Atmosphere...I guess I better tell Patrick that I'm not going. I hope he won't be too disappointed because I'm still coming over to his house today.
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08
November
2009
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I don't want to go to work tomorrow. I had the week of my birthday off and I was sick Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of last week so I've only been back Thursday and Friday and then I had the weekend again so I'm not ready for a full week yet. I've been at UPS for over a year and every day my stomach churns with anxiety. I used to work hard but now I just want the day to end so I can go home. But then the next day I worry about having misloads because I didn't care about doing a good job the day before.
Sundays in particular are hard because I had the entire weekend to forget about work and now I have to worry about getting readjusted to the work week after I had two days off, which doesn't end up feeling like that long. It does on Friday; it feels like Monday morning will never come, but on Saturday night, work anxiety starts to creep up on me again. I really hate what I do.
Today is especially difficult for me; I'm crying right now because my dad isn't here; he won't be back until Wednesday. He went to West Virginia to clean up my grandma's house and my mom is being more of a bitch than usual. She's being really antagonistic and abrasive over nothing. She's been bitchy all weekend, and now I'm worried about work and my dad's not here to comfort me and I just don't want to go to sleep because when I wake up, I'll have to go to work. My mom's never cared about me so my dad's the only person I have that I can talk to who doesn't make me feel bad. I've been wondering for months now when I'll be content or at least comfortable with work, but I never seem to be. I worry every day
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05
November
2009
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I just watched "By the People: The Election of Barack Obama" on HBO2. It had just started so I missed a few minutes of it but it chronicles the campaign and election of Obama starting when he was virtually a nobody. I saw so many young people working for him on the campaign trail as volunteers and they were invested in every moment of it; they cried when they won a caucus, and they cried when they lost a primary. One Korean-American guy in particular caught my attention because his parents came over from Korea to get married in America, and he lived his first couple years of life in a car, and now he's working for the next president of the United States (who, by the way, couldn't even vote less than 50 years ago). It made me wish I'd volunteered for his cause as well, and regret that I missed him speak at the Coliseum here in Richmond last year.
The documentary brought back overwhelming pride and I remembered how I felt that night a year ago when I fell asleep counting the electoral votes and waking up to hearing, "Barack Obama is the 44th president-elect" and when he began his speech from Grant Park in Chicago, I fell to my knees and sobbed tears of joy. I couldn't go back to sleep that entire night. Obama has so much poise, professionalism, and class; and so do his wife and daughters. He knew all of his volunteers by name and was so personable and friendly to them, giving them hugs, talking to them, joking with them, etc. I wish so badly I could've experienced that.
In the penultimate segment when Obama's grandmother died and right before Election Day, he gave a speech in here memory where he was crying, but you couldn't tell just by hearing his voice or looking at him, unless the light hit his face just right. Only then, could you see a lone tear streaking down his face but there was no quiver in his voice, and no breakdown. In the same speech when the crowd booed upon the mention of George W. Bush's failed administration, he said, "you don't need to boo, you just need to vote." He has such poise and grace, it's truly amazing.
At the very end, when the two campaign managers left the main Chicago headquarters, the security guards and maintenance staff were the only ones left because it was so late, but they applauded them for their work for the entire two-year campaign. The Korean guy called him mom, crying because he was so happy that it was over and all his hard work along with everyone else's vote, meant something and changed the world. It's so sad that people my parents' age think young people don't care about politics, but it fills me with a huge sense of pride to know that last year Stephanie and so many other college-age students and old people who could barely move WITH assistance waited for hours in the cold and rain to vote because they knew it was the right thing to do and they wanted change. And they wanted to be that change.
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| Top 5 reasons you can't blame the BCS for the lack of a playoff in division 1-A college football: |
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04
November
2009
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Reason #5: "The U.S. Supreme Court" Basic Rundown: The U.S. Supreme Court signed off on allowing schools to negotiate television contracts, blocking the NCAA's stranglehold over who gets to be shown on TV. This, as SEC Commish Roy Kramer puts it, indirectly gave conferences the power to control how the Bowl system plays out. I really don't understand it completely, but I got the gist.
What's wrong with it: As far as not blaming the BCS, this one is legit. However, the show pointed the blame at the wrong guy. Blaming the Supreme Court for the problems that the TV contracts have caused is like blaming a parent when a kid breaks a toy she let him play with. Sure, they enabled, but it's the fault of the colleges and their money-grubbing ways. I still don't get how the TV contracts block a playoff, but I don't see how this one could be on the BCS
Do I blame the BCS: No, this is on the schools.
Reason #4: "It's better than before" Basic Rundown: It's better than the previous system.
What's wrong with it: IT IS NOT A GODDAMN REASON, THAT'S WHAT WRONG WITH IT. IT'S "BETTER", THAT DOESN'T MAKE IT GOOD.
Do I blame the BCS: N/A, as this has absolutely nothing to do with a playoff in the least.
Reason #3: "A More Suspenseful Regular Season" Basic Rundown: Every week is a playoff, makes it more exciting.
What's wrong with it: This old tired argument was a piece of shit when it was first spewed out of someone's asshole of a mouth. Every week is NOT a playoff, and it never was. A playoff doesn't allow for undefeated teams to have no shot at the national title, a playoff doesn't allow for a team to not win their conference and go to the National Title. A playoff is a PLAYOFF, and the regular season isn't that. As far as making the regular season more exciting, anyone who makes that their reason for liking the BCS is a terrible human being. These college kids spend half the year working harder than any regular person, blood, sweat, and tears, to go out and play football, and you want a system that might deny them of a National Championship FOR NO REASON just to amuse you? Fucking disgrace.
Funny shit on this one, though. One guy said "Every week is a playoff. If you lose one, you could be out of it. If you lose two, you're definitely out of it". First off, in what conceivable playoff can you ever say "Could be out of it"? In a playoff, you're either out or in. Never a could. But the funny shit is that this dude was proven completely and utterly wrong two years later, when two-loss LSU strolled their way into the National Championship, and #1 USC had to settle for co-champions after they defeated Michigan. I thought the BCS was supposed to decide, without a doubt, who is #1. Well, it didn't, did it?
Do I blame the BCS: Yes, but not just the BCS. I blame every single son of a bitch who's ever said that the "Regular season is so exciting" or "It's a playoff".
Reason #2: The Bowl System. Basic Rundown: The (Money-making) Bowls would die out if there were a Playoff.
What's wrong with it: It's speculation, and it's speculation that I do not personally agree with. Why would bowls die out? I mean, I realize that the playoff would get the most attention, but is the PapaJohns.com Bowl really making that big of a splash? I like the smaller bowls, I think the majority of fans like them, and I think the fans of a team would go to see their team play in a bowl game no matter what. Basketball has a play-off system. Soccer, lacrosse, pro football, division 2-A football ALL have play-offs. But 1-A doesn't?! Why NOT?
The BCS formulas change year to year, mutate like a virus, leaving the previous BCS champions irrelevant; would they be champions if the BCS looks like it does now? No. It needs to set a standard. It needs to be durable, steadfast, perennial.However, if I act on the hypothetical idea that it WOULD happen, then I can perfectly blame the BCS. The BCS is a system in place to make sure that the NCAA and Colleges (Who already make an obscene amount of money) can make more money. The BCS is a weapon used by these people so that they can stuff their wallets. The BCS is not a system that respects and cares about the game of football at all. The BCS is a cancer, and the only people who like it are those profiting from it.
Do I blame the BCS: Yes, its existence as a money machine is what's blocking a playoff, but you definitely could have a bowl system in place alongside the BCS.
Reason #1: "University Presidents" Basic Rundown: University Presidents, who supposedly control the true decision making, do not want a playoff.
What's wrong with it: Capitalism. When the presidents were proposed by Swiss company with a 3 Billion dollar playoff plan, the presidents of the big schools blocked it. Why? Because it would spread all that 3 Billion dollars around to every member of the FBS, instead of lining the pockets of the bigger schools. I am American, I believe the freedom and greatness that Capitalism brings, but this is Capitalism at it's very, very worse. This is absolute and nontransparent greed. These are not people who are working to achieve a dream, these are people who sit around while college kids, who they do not pay a red cent to, earn them their money and then don't give all those college kids a fair chance at what they are all playing for: A Championship.
The presidents of the universities claim that they don't want to make college football a two-semester sport. I've got a couple solutions, and some reasons as to why it doesn't have to be that way: Most colleges schools don't start until late January anyway, and students play REGULAR SEASON football during exams as well. The schools could make it work, the conferences could make it work, the fans could make it work. The presidents of the schools just don't WANT to make it work. But they should, because the alumni will come after them eventually. The BCS jews at least one team over every year, and right now the 7 teams sitting atop the standings at this point are all undefeated. It wouldn't be so bad if the presidents would just come out and say the real reason they don't want a play-off system, which is obviously money. They aren't fooling anyone. But to lie about it is bullshit. We all know that. They could even make more money with a play-off system than they are right now with a bowl system, as as I previously stated, the two CAN co-exist.
Do I blame the BCS: Yes, for the same reason as #2.
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04
November
2009
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I'm a straight 25-year-old native Virginian. I still live in Virginia, one of the most ruthlessly extreme right-wing states in the country and I will never understand why anyone would wittingly deny equal rights under the constitution. If any homophobe can give me a straight answer for once, please, I'd love to hear it.
Maine would have been the sixth state in the country to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry, but instead becomes the 31st state to oppose the unions in a popular vote.
I think that it may be fair to say that America doesn’t oppose gay rights, writ large, or gay rights as a notion, but at the same time I think it’s hard to argue against these results making clear the electorate’s opposition to equal rights. And I think that it is exactly is about letting gays marry, and that ‘banning’ gay marriage does affect straight people—straight people who have no interest in losing status as privileged citizens.
Excuse me, but straight people are NOT privileged citizens, nor should they be. This issue is all too clearly one of inequality under the law, and that's so obviously unconstitutional. First California, now Maine...I thought these states were liberal! Hell, fucking IOWA passed gay marriage into legality via popular vote. That's a moot point considering this is neither a government nor religious affair.
The government and the church have no place within the other and neither has a place in who people love and want to marry. People have no more choice in who they love than what race they are or what color their hair is. Love requires no definition nor standard. It just IS. Love should be a beautiful thing, something you just feel, and know. And it was until Christians and the United States government came and bastardized it, regulated it, gutted it. It almost seems as if the government and Christian church are in league at this point.
The Constitution does not explicitly recognize any separation between church and state, but now more than ever, we need it. Because if they are working together, this country is doomed. We're headed for the likes of Saudi Arabia and other extremist governments. America is becoming a Christian nation. Anyone who isn't a Christian or who doesn't practice Christian ideals will be persecuted to the full extent of the law, the law which is now decided by right-wing conservative Christian voters. But any sinful behavior described in the Bible that applies to THEM is simply ignored and discredited. When will people stop being such hypocrites? Let's make EVERY sin illegal, since America is becoming such religious zealots. How about divorce? No, I don't think that would go over too well. Hypocrites!!!
A majority vote cannot be constitutional if it denies the very basic, inalienable rights to some, but extends them to others. That is the very definition of unconstitutional. And yet, no one can ever give a straight answer as to why they think this behavior is RIGHT.
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04
November
2009
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I'm feeling a lot better, but I'm still not even close to 100%. I promised I'd be back at work tomorrow, though. It does not look good taking a whole week of sick days immediately after I had a whole week of vacation. I stick have productive (phlegm producing) coughs; I was up almost all night coughing. My nose is drying out but last night when I got up to call in sick, I got really dizzy and nauseated, and everything got really dark and quiet. If I still have a fever, it's probably because of my industrial piercing; I haven't been cleaning it. But I got antibiotics so I'll just take those.
I found a sweet pipe I want to buy soon:
I also need a new screen for my bong.
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