ok...so on the down side, I am going to have to keep going to drill and all that.
on the plus side...well...fact is, I really like being a Marine and I am good at it. So, I 'll just keep at it for another six months. But now I have to get a shit ton of paperwork together to go to Annual Training for three weeks in Morocco with my unit. They've been getting everything ready for the last several months and I've been thinking I didn't have to....so I didn't do any of it. Now I have five days to get what they took three months to do, done.
Worked a long week...most of it at the end. I put in a little more than fifteen hours on Friday, causing me to miss the Obama rally while he was in town. I don't really mind that much. I see it sort of the same way I see sporting events and concerts...most of the time I'd rather just catch it later, recorded. I don't like crowds or cold weather.
so yeah. fifteen hour day to cap a 55 hour week and then had to work a few hours today too. need to catch up on bills and this is going to help.
media consumption-wise, I am working my way through Only Revolutions which is a great book, but takes a bit of effort.
Just watched The Wind that Shakes the Barley. It was pretty damn good. It was interesting to see the dynamic change between the two brothers over the course of the movie. And it's an interesting watch for the political aspect and the whole commentary on occupation and how far people will go to fight for something...sometimes beyond what's reasonable. And it was filmed in Country Cork, Ireland which makes for a gorgeous setting.
game wise, I'm playing XIII which is fun. I knew the main character was voiced by David Duchovny, but I didn't know Adam West was also in it. I think Adam West is great. It's difficult not to imagine the mayor from Family Guy whenever he speaks though. Actually I just finished the game...and I am a little bit disappointed. They did the "to be continued..." deal. and I don't know if there even is a squel. I'll have to look. Anyway, what makes the game so fun is that it's animation is done entirely in a cell shaded comic book sort of way. Even the action is comic book. If you shoot a bag guy standing on the edge of a cliff, rooftop, ladder, he falls with a drawn out "aaaaaaaaaahhhh" and is shown to fall frame by frame inset into the screen where you see him falling in normal time with a nice "THUD" written out where he lands. Or when you fire a missle at a helicopter or something you actually get a big sharp lined "KABOOM" balloon around where the missle hits. I thought there would be more to figuring out the mystery, but it's more just background for a first person shooter action game. But I only paid $7 for it, so it was more than worth it.
edit to add: checked wikipedia and it's based on an actual comic...and no...there was no sequel. too bad.
AND Eve was also one of the major voices...and they are making a movie. Val's in it, so it might be good. but the amnesiatic super spy hero/ failed assisination plot has already been done, and done really well in the Bourne movies. not sure what they could add to it, UNLESS they rotoscope it ala Waking Life and keep it animated. that would be interesting.
also, I have found myself more than slightly addicted to this fun little geography test thing. It's fun AND educational *cue dancing cartoon characters and PSA music*
on the plus side...well...fact is, I really like being a Marine and I am good at it. So, I 'll just keep at it for another six months. But now I have to get a shit ton of paperwork together to go to Annual Training for three weeks in Morocco with my unit. They've been getting everything ready for the last several months and I've been thinking I didn't have to....so I didn't do any of it. Now I have five days to get what they took three months to do, done.
Worked a long week...most of it at the end. I put in a little more than fifteen hours on Friday, causing me to miss the Obama rally while he was in town. I don't really mind that much. I see it sort of the same way I see sporting events and concerts...most of the time I'd rather just catch it later, recorded. I don't like crowds or cold weather.
so yeah. fifteen hour day to cap a 55 hour week and then had to work a few hours today too. need to catch up on bills and this is going to help.
media consumption-wise, I am working my way through Only Revolutions which is a great book, but takes a bit of effort.
Just watched The Wind that Shakes the Barley. It was pretty damn good. It was interesting to see the dynamic change between the two brothers over the course of the movie. And it's an interesting watch for the political aspect and the whole commentary on occupation and how far people will go to fight for something...sometimes beyond what's reasonable. And it was filmed in Country Cork, Ireland which makes for a gorgeous setting.
game wise, I'm playing XIII which is fun. I knew the main character was voiced by David Duchovny, but I didn't know Adam West was also in it. I think Adam West is great. It's difficult not to imagine the mayor from Family Guy whenever he speaks though. Actually I just finished the game...and I am a little bit disappointed. They did the "to be continued..." deal. and I don't know if there even is a squel. I'll have to look. Anyway, what makes the game so fun is that it's animation is done entirely in a cell shaded comic book sort of way. Even the action is comic book. If you shoot a bag guy standing on the edge of a cliff, rooftop, ladder, he falls with a drawn out "aaaaaaaaaahhhh" and is shown to fall frame by frame inset into the screen where you see him falling in normal time with a nice "THUD" written out where he lands. Or when you fire a missle at a helicopter or something you actually get a big sharp lined "KABOOM" balloon around where the missle hits. I thought there would be more to figuring out the mystery, but it's more just background for a first person shooter action game. But I only paid $7 for it, so it was more than worth it.
edit to add: checked wikipedia and it's based on an actual comic...and no...there was no sequel. too bad.
AND Eve was also one of the major voices...and they are making a movie. Val's in it, so it might be good. but the amnesiatic super spy hero/ failed assisination plot has already been done, and done really well in the Bourne movies. not sure what they could add to it, UNLESS they rotoscope it ala Waking Life and keep it animated. that would be interesting.
also, I have found myself more than slightly addicted to this fun little geography test thing. It's fun AND educational *cue dancing cartoon characters and PSA music*
for the fourth time, I've gotten conflicting information about my GI Bill money.
and finally it turns out I was right to be upset the first time. If I stop actively going to drill every month (even though that portion of my contract ended last year) I will be denied the education benefit I earned for being activated twice after September 11th, 2001.
So I guess I'll be a Marine for a little bit longer.
even better, at the end of my contract in September, if I choose to stay in and reenlist as a non drilling Reservist, I'll still lost my money. So after September I have to leave the Marine Corps, even if I don't really want to.
Fuck You, Uncle Sam.
and finally it turns out I was right to be upset the first time. If I stop actively going to drill every month (even though that portion of my contract ended last year) I will be denied the education benefit I earned for being activated twice after September 11th, 2001.
So I guess I'll be a Marine for a little bit longer.
even better, at the end of my contract in September, if I choose to stay in and reenlist as a non drilling Reservist, I'll still lost my money. So after September I have to leave the Marine Corps, even if I don't really want to.
Fuck You, Uncle Sam.
Feeling a little ticked off and confused by the VA...I know join the club.
ok...long rant about how I thought I was going to lose all my educational benefits despite fulfilling my military contract.
ok...long rant about how I thought I was going to lose all my educational benefits despite fulfilling my military contract.
turns out I get to keep my benefits as long as I stay "on the books" in the IRR and available to individual call up. which means I would have to reenlist in the IRR, but that's ok with me.
ALSO: got home from going out for coffee last night to find out that my apartment complex is raising my rent about $150/month. $1800 more a year to live in the same apartment I was before? that's unsane.
so now I am having to look for another place. I even went and talked to the people in the office. basically I was told "sorry. your rent is going up $150 a month" and when I asked about possibly moving into one of the small apartents I was told that that would cost me even more a month. Am I the only one who thinks that that makes absolutely NO sense?
on a good note: watched Across the Universe last night. Very Moulin Rouge. There were times when the dance numbers were a bit much, but overall I thought it was beautifully done. REALLY liked Eddie Izzard's scene in it.
Off to dress up in green and run around in the woods...well Ft. Hood..so mostly scrub brush and thickets....for the weekend.
thankfully it won't be freezing.
thankfully it won't be freezing.
really should be sleeping. instead watching election coverage, holding my eyes open. it's times like this when I support one single Universal Time Zone. besides it'd be just funny as hell.
bear with my page folks. not that anyone else is likely impatient....anyway...my OOOOOOOOOOLD account that I got locked out of back in 2002 was merged with my curent one...so things are a little wonky. that's right I'm so old skool, I've got an old account that's even more old skool...or whatever.
anyhow. busy busy. when I get back I'll try to fix it all up again.
anyhow. busy busy. when I get back I'll try to fix it all up again.
Home from work today. being lazy. added some photos in my places folder from my New York and Europe travels last year. maybe add a few from Puerto Rico as well. I haven't added photos in quite a while. guess i just tend to put them on flickr instead.
opening a fresh can of Cafe Du Monde coffee with chicory this morning. I miss New Orleans.
opening a fresh can of Cafe Du Monde coffee with chicory this morning. I miss New Orleans.
another day in the life...another potential mutiliation.
so anyway... I was actually at work today. I was cutting some very old ductwork loose in an attic (it's basically the tubing that carries the air from your furnace or a/c to the vents...anyway the stuff holds its shape by a spiral of steel wire, about 14g that is the wall of the duct.
so I cut some of this wire to tear the old duct off the vent and it snapped back towards me and hit my hand...so I thought. I looked down and the end that I had cut had actually smacked right onto my finger..the back of my right ring finger....so I thought. actually it had cut me a little, so go to pull it away from the cut and check out what I just did to myself.
that's when I got a more than slightly unplesant tingle all along my first knuckle. It seems this mean little piece of 14g steel wire had shot about 2 inches INTO my hand so that when I pulled it out it dragged along the knuckle and fingerbone.
ugh. now that side of my hand is a bit swollen and I can't comfortably close my hand.
but the duct job turned out real nice.
I need a new job.
so anyway... I was actually at work today. I was cutting some very old ductwork loose in an attic (it's basically the tubing that carries the air from your furnace or a/c to the vents...anyway the stuff holds its shape by a spiral of steel wire, about 14g that is the wall of the duct.
so I cut some of this wire to tear the old duct off the vent and it snapped back towards me and hit my hand...so I thought. I looked down and the end that I had cut had actually smacked right onto my finger..the back of my right ring finger....so I thought. actually it had cut me a little, so go to pull it away from the cut and check out what I just did to myself.
that's when I got a more than slightly unplesant tingle all along my first knuckle. It seems this mean little piece of 14g steel wire had shot about 2 inches INTO my hand so that when I pulled it out it dragged along the knuckle and fingerbone.
ugh. now that side of my hand is a bit swollen and I can't comfortably close my hand.
but the duct job turned out real nice.
I need a new job.
I very much dislike being awake at 6am on a day when it is 34 degrees and drizzling. I believe there is a law that makes this "stay the fuck in bed" weather.
edit: day made better. don't have to work today. could use the money, but this weather is such crap. I don't mind coming home, changing back into sweats and just having some coffee.
this presidential primary has gotten rather interesting.
edit: day made better. don't have to work today. could use the money, but this weather is such crap. I don't mind coming home, changing back into sweats and just having some coffee.
this presidential primary has gotten rather interesting.
Long weekend. Another short week because of NO WORK. It's getting ridiculous. No work again today. I only worked one day last week. how do they expect me to make even a meager living this way?
Had drill over the weekend. Was mostly an administrative thing. Not much of it pertained to me. The unit I'm with is preparing for thier three weeks of Annual Training in Morrocco this coming summer. I will not be going with them. I haven't been obligated to actively drill since February of last year, and my contract is completely up this coming September. I'm going to stop drilling, probably in April unless other goings on cause it to be sooner. It'll give me a chance to try out real civillian life for a few months to see how I like it.
I don't expect that it will be much different. As a reservist, it's not like military life is a constant intrusion...even if it occasionally manages to be a mild annoyance (extra paperwork and chasing down people I only actually work with a couple days out of every month).
Drill did about kick my ass this time around though. We didn't go out to the field because of all the aformentioned admin required activities. We did PT (that is physical training...that is potentially torture) though.
Ran a total of about 8 miles or more in two days. I managed it, but with very sore legs. I guess I need to up my exercise regimen.
Just finished All Tomorrow's Parties by William Gibson. A really great novel. perfectly paced. It's written as a squel to Idoru, which I read so long ago....I didn't remember any of it and had to just take this book as it was....and it still worked out just fine.
really enjoyed it.
I potentially have a very good friend who may be needing a roommate in a city I'd really like to move to. I wonder if I could find work there.......
Also watched the movie Perfume the other night. It is visually very beautiful and it has an interesting story....but it's pacing was just about the opposite of All Tomorrow's Parties. It seemed to just lag on and on. It doesn't really strike you at first. The movie seems like it's supposed to have a slow, sensual buildup...but then you look and you are still only half way through the movie. It's also a weird mix of whimsy and macabre. Not in a well blended Tim Burton sort of way...it's more quiltlike. A bit patched really. But still I think it's worth watching. I'm sitting here now waiting for my last two Ergo Proxy discs. a rather beautiful animation series that.
Had drill over the weekend. Was mostly an administrative thing. Not much of it pertained to me. The unit I'm with is preparing for thier three weeks of Annual Training in Morrocco this coming summer. I will not be going with them. I haven't been obligated to actively drill since February of last year, and my contract is completely up this coming September. I'm going to stop drilling, probably in April unless other goings on cause it to be sooner. It'll give me a chance to try out real civillian life for a few months to see how I like it.
I don't expect that it will be much different. As a reservist, it's not like military life is a constant intrusion...even if it occasionally manages to be a mild annoyance (extra paperwork and chasing down people I only actually work with a couple days out of every month).
Drill did about kick my ass this time around though. We didn't go out to the field because of all the aformentioned admin required activities. We did PT (that is physical training...that is potentially torture) though.
Ran a total of about 8 miles or more in two days. I managed it, but with very sore legs. I guess I need to up my exercise regimen.
Just finished All Tomorrow's Parties by William Gibson. A really great novel. perfectly paced. It's written as a squel to Idoru, which I read so long ago....I didn't remember any of it and had to just take this book as it was....and it still worked out just fine.
really enjoyed it.
I potentially have a very good friend who may be needing a roommate in a city I'd really like to move to. I wonder if I could find work there.......
Also watched the movie Perfume the other night. It is visually very beautiful and it has an interesting story....but it's pacing was just about the opposite of All Tomorrow's Parties. It seemed to just lag on and on. It doesn't really strike you at first. The movie seems like it's supposed to have a slow, sensual buildup...but then you look and you are still only half way through the movie. It's also a weird mix of whimsy and macabre. Not in a well blended Tim Burton sort of way...it's more quiltlike. A bit patched really. But still I think it's worth watching. I'm sitting here now waiting for my last two Ergo Proxy discs. a rather beautiful animation series that.
