bluedevil180

Thoughts on March Madness: Day 1

2010-03-19T03:33:15Z

Ah, college basketball.
When I was filling out the bracket, I was indecisive on who to pick- it seems that quite a few teams were either overseeded or underseeded this year. I don't take a lot of things seriously- but I do so for March Madness.

This first day was interesting.

Baylor vs. Sam Houston State (Baylor is a much stronger team than Sam Houston- offensively and defensively.. while it wasn't exactly a landslide win-I wasn't surprised to see Baylor win. I have this team going on to the Elite Eight.): SUCCESS

Notre Dame vs. Old Dominion (Blah...this game was so goddamn close. The only disadvantage I could foresee with ND was that it seemed more comfortable playing in its own conference than out of it. However, ND just plays better overall.. I didn't think that flaw would be enough for them to lose and I know many people were putting OD on their brackets.. I guess they were right.): FAILURE

Richmond vs. St. Mary's (Totally called St. Mary's winning.. even though it was a lower seed than Richmond, Richmond was overseeded and St. Mary's was underseeded. Sure, Richmond played in a tougher conference than St. Mary's but that is such a small factor in determining how good a team is. There's NOTHING which indicated Richmond's team played better. I wasn't surprised to see the Spiders get squashed.): SUCCESS

Villanova vs. Rob Morris (Jeez.. Villanova wasn't playing well here, they just made it. I don't see Villanova as a particularly strong team and think there's a ridiculous Big East bias from the selection committee. I have Villanova losing to St. Mary's in the next round. They made it past Rob Morris by the skin of their teeth but this makes me feel more comfortable with the upset I predicted, no Villanova in the Sweet Sixteen.): SUCCESS

Butler vs. TX El Paso (This was a tough one. I know a lot of people were saying that UTEP had a stronger offense than Butler and that's why they would win. However, Butler has much more success out of its conference than UTEP and that was an important reason to why I picked Butler.): SUCCESS

Vanderbilt vs. Murray State (Another tough one, I picked Murray State. This almost seems irrational, you may say.. having a 13 seed beat a 4 seed. Vanderbilt didn't have any obvious weaknesses either. Both teams seem similar- strong offense and weak defense. The stats suggested that Murray State was the more successful team of the two offensively BUT Vanderbilt definitely played tougher teams. This was a really tough call but I felt Murray had what it took to beat Vandy and also when you're betting in a large bracket- it's a good idea to have an upset or two which seem possible.): SUCCESS

BYU vs. Florida (Two freaking overtimes!!! BYU has one of the best shooters in the country- Jimmer Fredette. Also, BYU is playing in Salt Lake City. I have the Cougars going pretty far in the tournament (Elite Eight), given their seed (#7). The only advantage Florida had was that it consistently played tougher teams than BYU due to being in different conferences. However, I wasn't surprised to see BYU give it their all during the second overtime to blow the gators away.): SUCCESS

Kansas St. vs. North Texas (This was incredibly easy to predict. Sorry to the North Texas fans out there but it just was. I still think Kansas State will have some trouble playing against BYU this weekend.): SUCCESS

At first, things seemed really good. Seven out of eight were successful. Then came the second half of the day, my bracket got fucked.

Kentucky vs. E Tenn. State (This was a slam dunk for Kentucky. They shut out any possibility of an upset. ETSU had a snowball's chance in hell of winning.): SUCCESS

Texas vs. Wake Forest (I really thought the Longhorns had this. Texas was doing so well in the beginning of the season but then began doing worse, Texas had its own problems which were hard to deal with.. but I really thought they would beat Wake. Texas has more potential to be great. It almost seemed like both teams were trying to lose but Texas was a little better at that.): FAILURE

New Mexico vs. Montana (New Mexico, in my opinion, is overrated. They should have not be a #3 seed. NM has been playing really well recently but hasn't faced particularly tough competition most of the time. However, Montana is flawed even more in the ways New Mexico is. Therefore, I had New Mexico winning in my bracket.): SUCCESS

Marquette vs. Washington (This was probably the first game to get my blood boiling. I had Marquette in the Sweet Sixteen. It was a tough call for me. I picked Marquette. It was a close game but the Huskies really played well last night, Washington seemed to struggle with away games but not in this one! I think it's reasonable to think that Washington could take down New Mexico too.): FAILURE

Kansas vs. Lehigh (It wasn't as much of a landslide win as what Kentucky had but it was very clear Kansas deserves to be in this tournament and I think the Jayhawks have what it takes to win the whole thing.): SUCCESS

UNLV vs. N Iowa (This was a tough call. A very tough call.. I figuratively flipped a coin to decide this one. I picked the wrong side. It was a very close game.. N. Iowa literally won at the last minute.): FAILURE

Georgetown vs. Ohio (LOL! I bet very few people expected this. That just wasn't Georgetown's night. I'd be surprised if Ohio does the same thing to Tennessee. If so, I greatly underestimated Ohio.): FAILURE

Tennessee vs. San Diego St (Tennessee plays a better game and dealt with a more challenging conference. A couple of people had SDSU on their brackets but I'd have been very surprised if that happened.):SUCCESS

(Going On To Sweet Sixteen: Sneak Peek)
Baylor vs. Old Dominion (I think Baylor has this in the bag. Baylor plays better out of conference and at away games AND is a stronger team overall. Notre Dame and Old Dominion were more even in ability. My bet is on Baylor.)

St. Mary's vs. Villanova (Call me crazy but I think St. Mary's will beat Villanova. Villanova barely made it past Round 1 against RMU. St. Mary's has been doing really well recently and Villanova has had its share of screw ups. I have St. Mary's going to the Sweet Sixteen in the bracket.)

Kentucky vs. Wake Forest (This should be a piece of cake, the only thing Wake Forest has going for it is that the ACC is must tougher to compete in than the SEC. However, that's not enough for me to think Wake can beat Kentucky. I think if Kentucky was competing in the ACC, it would have done better than Wake. Kentucky wins.)

New Mexico vs. Washington (Very tough call. I clearly underestimated Washington. However, where I can praise Washington (strong performance towards the end of the season), I can praise New Mexico. It's irrelevant to my bracket since I had Marquette winning- but I think New Mexico will beat Washington and later get torn apart by West Virginia.)

Butler vs. Murray St (Butler and Vanderbilt probably should have traded seeds. Butler is at a disadvantage for being in the Horizon conference when it comes to seeding but I think Murray St will have a tough time playing against Butler and will lose. Butler has played incredibly this year.)

BYU vs. Kansas St (I predict an upset. Not because Kansas St is weak but because BYU was underseeded. They have one of the best offenses in the nation. While Kansas St has a strong defense, I think Brigham Young will be able to score enough points to shock the Wildcats. I think it will be a close game.)

Kansas vs. North Iowa (No way... N. Iowa is nowhere near prepared to take on the Jayhawks.)

Ohio vs. Tennessee (This will give Tennessee an ego boost. I don't think the Volunteers are going to have much difficulty going into the Sweet Sixteen. Like New Mexico/Washington, it doesn't affect my bracket either way since I had faith in Georgetown.. I'm just happy I didn't have Georgetown going into the Elite Eight.)

That's all for now, there will be more later today or tomorrow.. good luck!

Ayn Rand: ISTJ

2010-03-08T16:18:05Z

http://www.nathanielbranden.com/catalog/articles_essays/benefits_and_hazards.html

Lots of people think INTJ- but after reading this, I'm convinced otherwise.
I've read all of Ayn Rand's fiction and I always had a problem or two with her philosophy- and I think I understand why.. she didn't have a true understanding of the human condition.

Ayn Rand is obviously very bright but she made the mistake a lot of bright Sensors tend to make.. only focusing on a small piece of the whole picture and trying to make that small piece the whole big picture.

Another reason was that Ayn Rand seemed mentally stagnant when it came to her ideas. She wasn't open to any modifications. If anyone disagreed with her, she would shut that person down and wouldn't let anyone else help her out. She was a hardcore perfectionist and didn't allow for any doubt. Not that an INTJ can't be like this but these are flaws more often associated with SJ's than NT's.

George W. Bush: ESTP

2010-03-08T16:02:14Z

Bush is not an easy person to type. In particular, because the Internet is flooded with a crapload of liberal propaganda- making Bush seem not only an ineffective president but also a despicable person. It is cool to dislike Bush and like usual.. people take it way too far.

I've looked at what Bush's successes were as President. When we were attacked on 9/11, Bush aggressively went after those who who attacked us- he put national security above everything else. He took action. He was ready to take down the terrorists. Unfortunately for him, the terrorists were much less organized than say... Nazi Germany. Bush is in many ways like Churchill, a strong wartime President and definitely an ESTP.

At this point, I've toyed with either ESTP or ESFP. However, actions speak louder than words. His words often seem "F-like".. he's the "compassionate conservative". However, what he accomplished during his presidency was definitely very objective-minded. You could argue that he is an ESTJ. However, one must also look at his past.. he was often irresponsible, reckless, and impulsive. In a sense, he still has these traits, he always seemed to rely on impulse during his presidency- which a Perceiving type loves to do while a Judging type is more often afraid of his or her impulses.

So thus... my typing of Bush.

Who is more wrong?

2010-02-24T07:22:42Z

The cheating girlfriend or the public humiliation boyfriend?

http://twiturm.com/2ju2p

What do all of you think?
I have a pretty strong opinion on this- one I'm not going to reveal at this time.
Neither person is particularly sympathetic though IMO.

Homework

2010-02-20T04:16:10Z

I've made the decision to study for midterms/work on a project tonight instead of going out.
I just wish I didn't feel so lame about it though.

Best and worst cities to find love

2010-02-18T03:54:10Z

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-02-07/best-and-worst-cities-to-find-love/full

Maybe I should move to California after college...

Craziness Of The Next Two Weeks

2010-02-16T22:15:52Z

The good news is that I turn 21 this Monday!
The bad news is that it's around when all my midterms are.

Today: Italian 1 Test (Finished!)

Thursday: Math 131 Test (Some stuff about diff. equations is really easy- other stuff is ridiculous.)

Monday: Isis 120S Project (Due date. My partner and I have to present this in class. I think we'll be done with this before midnight on Feb. 22 BUT...besides the fact that it's a bad idea to be hungover when presenting the project...)

Next Wednesday: Math 121 Exam (Prove this, prove that...)

Next Thursday: Sociology 155 Paper (Write 2,000 words about an organization- describing it. As for all humanities classes. I'm doing my paper on Pepsi Co. This isn't difficult but will probably be time-consuming, I don't think I'll be able to get away with doing little research to get a good grade on this paper.)

After that, things get a lot easier...

My Type?

2010-02-01T01:55:33Z

http://www.personalitypage.com/ISFP.html

I know I'm doing a near complete 180.
But something about this profile feels right and it sounds very accurate..
I wonder if the "ENTP" is simply what I want to be and not who I really am.
What do y'all think? Everyone is welcome to comment with his or her input.

Studying Abroad?

2010-01-26T03:55:30Z

So I just heard of this awesome creative writing program in Berlin (it's during the summer)- one which I think would be really cool to apply for. (No German required)

However, there are five problems.

1.) I'm lazy and the application looks like a lot of work.
2.) It requires a teacher recommendation and I haven't exactly been anyone's teachers pet.
3.) The application is due on February 3.
4.) It will probably be expensive.
5.) My grades, while on an upward trend, could have been better- I can see that as being a reason to reject me immediately. *sigh*

White America

2010-01-01T02:23:19Z

America (America)
*hahaha"
We love you (We love you)
How many people are proud to be citizens of this beautiful country of ours?
(Jets flying overhead)
The stripes and the stars for the rights of men who have died for to protect?
The women and men who have broke their necks for the freedom of speech the
United States Government has sworn to uphold

Yo, I want everyone to listen to the words of this song
Or so we're told...

Verse 1
I neva woulda dreamed in a million years I'd see
So many mothafuckin' people who feel like me
Who share the same views
And the same exact beliefs
It's like a fuckin' army marchin' in back of me
So many lives I touched
So much anger aimed at no particular direction
Just sprays and sprays
And straight through your radio waves
It plays and plays
Till it stays stuck in ya head
For days and days
Who woulda thought standin' in this mirror
Bleachin' my hair wit some Peroxide
Reachin' for a T-shirt to wear
That I would catapult to the fore-front of rap like this
How can I predict my words
And have an impact like this
I musta struck a chord wit somebody up in the office
Cuz congress keeps tellin' me
I ain't causin' nuttin' but problems
And now they sayin' I'm in trouble wit the Government
I'm lovin' it
I shoveled shit all my life
And now I'm dumpin' it on

Chorus(2x)
WHITE AMERICA!
I could be one of ya kids
WHITE AMERICA little Eric looks just like this
WHITE AMERICA!
Erica loves my shit
I go on TRL
Look how many hugs I get

Verse 2
Look at these eyes baby blue baby just like yaself
If they were brown
Shady lose Shady sits on the shelf
But Shady's cute
Shady knew Shady's dimples would help
Make ladies swoon baby (ooo baby)
Look at myself!
Let's do the math
If I was black I woulda sold half
I ain't have to graduate from Lincoln High School to know that
But I can rap so fuck school
I'm too cool to go back
Gimme the mic
Show me where the fuckin' studios at
When I was underground
No one gave a fuck I was white
No labels wanted to sign me
Almost gave up, I was like "Fuck it"
Until I met Dre
The only one who looked past
Gave me a chance
And I lit a fire up under his ass
Helped him get back to the top
Every fan black that I got
Was probably his in exchange for every white fan that hes got
Like damn we just swapped
Sittin' back look at this shit wow
I'm like "My skin, is it startin' to work to my benefit now?"

Chorus (2x)

Verse 3
See the problem is I speak to suburban kids
Who otherwise woulda never knew these words exist
These mom's probably woulda never gave 2 squirts of piss
Till I created so much muthafuckin' turbulence
Straight out the tube right into ya livin' rooms I came
And kids flipped
When they knew I was produced by Dre
That's all it took
And they were instantly hooked right in
And they connected wit me too because I looked like them
That's why they put my lyrics up under this microscope
Searchin' wit a fine toothed comb
It's like this rope waitin' to choke
Tightenin' around my throat
Watchin' me while I write this like "I don't like this, NO!"
All I hear is
Lyrics lyrics constant controversy
Sponsors workin' round the clock
To try to stop my concerts early
Surely hip hop is never a problem
In Harlem only In Boston
After it bothered ya fathers
Of daughters startin' to blossom
Now I'm catchin' the flack from these activists
When they raggin'
Actin' like I'm the 1st rapper to smack a bitch and say faggot
Shit,
Just look at me like I'm ya closest pal
A poster child
The muthafuckin' spokesman now for

Chorus (2x)

Outro:
So to the parents of America
I am the damager aimed at little Erica
To attack her character
The ring leader of the circus of worthless pawns
Sent to lead the march right up to the steps of Congress
And piss on the lawns of the White House
To burn the casket and replace it with a parental advisory sticker
To spit liquor in the faces of this democracy of hypocrisy
Fuck you Ms. Cheney
Fuck you Tipper Gore
Fuck you with the freeness of speech this divided states of embarrassment Will allow me to have
Fuck You!

Hahaha! I'm just playin' America, you know I love you

This song speaks the truth on so many levels!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSn9x83c3F4

I Think This Describes Me Very Well.. What Do You Guys Think?

2009-12-31T02:02:15Z

http://ocean-moonshine.net/e142857369/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=view_page&PAGE_id=9&MMN_position=33:33

This is the Enneagram which is a different personality typing system than the MBTI.
I personally prefer the MBTI way more than the Enneagram but I think this describes me really well...my main problems in life have always been related to anxiety/insecurity.

The positive traits sound like me too- funny, friendly, analytical..

The New Year

2009-12-21T17:06:31Z

Here's to hopes that 2010 is a better year than 2009 has been!

I only have two New Years Resolutions.
1.) Keep getting good grades.
2.) Focus on my future and don't let any douchebags get in the way.

"The Riversides": Part 1 (Please Review!!)

2009-12-18T02:06:30Z

I've been spending my break on an exciting novel idea I've had for a while.
It's called "The Riversides".
Here's the first chapter.

It had been two hours since the clock struck midnight. It was the year 2007. The party at Stan Rich’s house was reaching its peak. Almost everyone was drunk. Stan is a popular guy in my high school. When one looks at his character alone, it is hard to see why anyone likes him at all. Stan is obnoxious. He fights with people for no good reason. He is usually drunk. Stan is also a misogynist and a cynic. However, Stan comes from a very wealthy family. His dad is very powerful. I might as well introduce my humble self.
My name is Rick Lennox and I’m a senior at Riverside High School. Riverside is a safe suburb on the South Shore of Long Island. I like video games and partying hard. Most people in my school don’t like to do both so I end up hanging out with two distinct cliques. I attended a private school for gifted kids for many years and then starting going to Riverside in the 10th grade. I don’t think I’m that smart though, I just have a knack for test-taking. The story I’ll tell you isn’t just about me. It’s about my town.

I drank alcohol that night but I was probably one of the least drunk people there. I had to admit that I was feeling kind of awkward. My friend, Manuel Pena, who didn’t like these parties, said he would drive me home any time. Floyd Townsend walked over to me. Floyd said, “C’mon brah. If you wanna get some pussy tonight, ya gonna need to get more fucked up.” I asked him snidely, “How’ve you been doing on that?” Floyd responded, “It’s the New Year. Everyone’s been getting pussy. C’mon brah!” I raised my eyebrows and asked, “Even the ladies?”
Floyd laughed and said, “That’s why I like you, you’re a smartass. Chicks don’t totally dig us smartasses though.” I said, “Depends on the chick, you target ones like Stacy Davidson.” Floyd said with a smile, “Hey! Who’s been lusting after that bimbo Rachel Salzman for three years now?” I said, “Hey, she’s going to Duke next year.” Floyd commented, “You know, she’s a three-generation…” I interrupted, “..Yea, whatever, I know. She seems to be doing alright in math.” Floyd said, “You’re a good teacher, it’s not that she’s a good student. At least, I’m not the total pussy here.”
I said, “I have a little too much dignity to do what you do.” Steve Landry approached us.
Steve said, “Yo, dudes. We’re gonna play some beer pong in the living room if you’re interested.”
Floyd said enthusiastically, “I’m totally in on it! Which chicks are gonna be our partners?”
Steve said, “Eh.. you two will have to be on a team.”
I said, “It’s alright. Floyd’s a natural.” I slapped him on the back.
Floyd said, “Yea, let’s win this bitch.”
I got a text from Manuel. “Yo, Rick. If you don’t call by three, I’m going to sleep.”

I looked at the time, 2:30.
I said, “I’ll play pong but I’m gonna have to leave around 3-ish. That’s the latest Manuel can pick me up.”
Floyd said, “I guess even the fattest dork needs to take a break from Warcraft.”
Floyd and Manuel hate each other.
I said, “Hey, dude. Stop the Manuel-dissing. There are better things to talk about.”
Floyd said, “Yea, like how we’re gonna win this game! WOOT!”
We walked into the living room and saw we were playing against Stan Rich, the richest douchebag, and Morgan Adams, our school’s quarterback and only African American.
Stan said loudly, “Heh, we’re playing against two fuckin’ wimps! Me and Morgan are gonna beat the shit out of you!!”
Morgan said to Stan, “Don’t get too cocky now. That’s how we lost last time.”
Stan said, “They aren’t supposed to know that- you retard.”
Floyd shouted obnoxiously, “Hahahahahahaha!! You guys lost! Who do you lose too?”
Morgan said, “Stan lost. I was totally rocking shit.”
Stan said, “Hey, who’s the boss on this team? Now, let’s fucking play!”
Floyd and Stan glared at each other. Neither Morgan nor I could get us to take this seriously at all.

I threw the first ball. It landed right in one of their cups.
Floyd cheered, “Now, who’s rocking shit!!”
Stan said, “No fair! Ricky’s probably not even drunk. This game is an affirmative action in itself.”
Morgan said, shaking his head, “Jesus Christ, Stan. If you’d just shut up..”
Stan yelled, “How about we both shut up!?!? Okay.”
The game went on.
It ended with one cup on each side. Morgan was the best of the four of us but Stan was the worst. Floyd whispered to me, “I’m gonna take this shot.. I think I have this fucking in.”

Floyd threw the pong ball to the other side. He missed.
Stan pouted, “Oh, damn. I wanted to drink that! Alright, I got this last one.”
Stan threw it at our side and he missed. Both Stan and Floyd were probably too drunk to play the game right.
I had the last shot. I was definitely feeling more buzzed and couldn’t concentrate. I didn’t show it but I was nervous. I looked at the cup and tried to avoid Stan and Morgan’s grins. I threw it towards the cup. I had a 50/50 success rate. It went in this time.

Floyd roared, “YEA!! WE BEAT YOUR FUCKING ASSES!!! RICKY BOY HERE IS A CHAMP!!!”
Morgan said, “Good job guys.”
Stan said, “Good job, Rick. Floyd, go to hell.”
Floyd laughed and then ran towards Stacy who was talking to some guy neither of us recognized.
Floyd said, “Hey Stacy! I am a beer pong champion! Did you know that?”
Stacy turned around and said, “Why don’t you talk to me when you’re less intoxicated, okay. Roger and I have some business to take care of.”
Floyd said, “Yea.. business… sure… gotcha!! WINK WINK!!”
Roger laughed loudly and they walked away.

I sent Manuel a text, “Pick me up.” He responded, “Be there in 5 minutes.” It was time to go home. I felt a little pride that I did well in beer pong. I couldn’t find Rachel anywhere. She probably was sleeping with her boyfriend, Steve.
Floyd said, “Hey, you can always sleep over my place if you want.”
I said, “It’s alright. Manuel is taking me home.”
I got a text message, “Rick, I’m here. I’m not walking into that madhouse.”
I said to Floyd, “I gotta go, let me know if anything’s up.”
Floyd said, “Aright dude, later.”

I walked to Manuel’s 1989 Buick. It was equivalent to scrap metal. However, Manuel loved the thing. The Penas were saving up for college tuition.
Manuel called, “C’mon brah! I have some trolls to slay.”
I said, “I thought you were going to bed.”
Manuel shrugged and said, “I changed my mind. Let’s get out of here. I feel dumber just being in this driveway. You know your parents will be disappointed.”
I said, “Yea, I’m expecting disownment.”
Manuel said, “At least you didn’t get too drunk, buddy.”
Manuel is also my next-door-neighbor. He’s tight with my mom and dad.

We drove away. I looked at the houses in the Riverside Estates neighborhood. This area defined affluence and exclusivity. Only about 10% of Riverside’s population lived in the area. Everyone else was well-to-do but more so middle class or upper-middle-class. I envied wealthy people like Stan and Rachel whose families could afford to live there. I think that was one of the reasons why I liked her so damn much. Manuel and I were from North Riverside, which had a very different personality than South Riverside. North Riverside was middle-class, hardworking, and diverse. South Riverside was affluent, leisurely, and lily-white.

Manuel asked, “What made this party special from the others?”
I shrugged and said, “Floyd and I won a beer pong game.”
Manuel said, “Wow, we should celebrate by getting fucked up.”
I shook my head and said, “I think I had enough for the night. I noticed that you got an air freshener for your car.”
Manuel said, “Yea, it was the best Christmas present ever.”
I said, “Your mom was the best Christmas present ever.”
Manuel retorted, “I wouldn’t even consider your mom.”
I said, “Your mom jumped out of a cake.”
Manuel said, “That’s not my mom.”
I laughed and said, “I know I’m a tard.”
Manuel said, “Finally, something we agree on. No wonder we are friends!”
I said, “I can’t believe we have to go back to school tomorrow.”
Manuel shrugged and said, “School’s not so bad.”
I said, “You’ve already been accepted to Harvard. I’m not in anywhere yet.”
Manuel said, “I may not even go there. Stony Brook is letting me go for free. Dad wants me to go to Harvard though.”
I said, “I don’t blame him.”
Manuel said, “I feel so behind anyway- like Floyd says, “I’m just preparing for college”.”
I said, “Floyd’s been going through some rough times recently.”
Manuel said, “Let me guess! He’s not as sweet of a bro as he thought he was.”
I said, “It’s a little more than that. I don’t know what’s up. He’s never not drunk.”
Manuel said, “He’s a dumbass like the rest of them. It’s a shame that I’m not going to avoid these rich assholes in college. That’s why I don’t want to go to Harvard.”
I said, “Floyd’s not that rich.”
Manuel said, “Wow.. oh- so he doesn’t live on a 5 acre horse property, big fucking deal.”
I said, “I know you guys have gone through some rough times in middle school and stuff but can’t we put all of that behind us.”
Manuel said, “Dude, the alcohol’s getting to your head. You’re obviously not thinking straight. Floyd is the worst of the bunch.”
I decided to stop all of this. My reasons for trying to patch things up between the two were mostly selfish in nature. I hung out with both of them a lot and I always felt like one was trying to turn me against the other. I would never betray either of them.

I asked, “Whatever. How’s the night elf working out for you?”
Manuel responded, “I have no life. I’ve been pwning everyone. I brought him up forty levels in eight hours. It’s too easy when you just use magic.”
I said, “You could never fight like a real man in the cyberworld though.”
Manuel laughed and said, “If you mean, I’ll never go kamikaze like Toby, then sure.”
I said, “Lol, no.”
Manuel said, “Haha, you say lol in conversation. You’re a dork.”
I pointed to myself and said, “Oh no, I’ve been called a dork. Should I go cry now?”
Manuel responded, “No, you’d just look at porn instead.”
I added, “As a real man would do.”
Manuel sighed and said, “Oh yea, a bunch of us was talking about going bowling tonight. Would you want to go?”
I said, “Sure, as long as your car doesn’t break down by then.”
Manuel said, “At least I have a license.”
I responded, “I’m working on it.”
Manuel said, “The only thing you’re working on is your porn collection.”
I said sarcastically, “Dang, I know I should have never showed you that. Now, it’s the talk of the whole town. Why me?”
Manuel said, “Well, we are at your house. You should go to sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Manuel dropped me off. I opened the door with my key and saw it was dark. I heard panting. It was Rufus, my beagle.
I bent down and pet Rufus, whispering, “I can’t play now, I must sleep.” Rufus licked my hand and I went up to my room. I lay in bed. My mind was racing with thoughts and I knew I was going to have trouble going to sleep. It was a new year. I could only hope for the best.
I opened my eyes. I looked at my clock. It was only 5 AM. “Damn it”, I thought, “I’ve only been asleep for an hour.” This has been a recurring problem for me. I have some form of insomnia. I did some research online and read that it might have been the booze which was causing it. However, so many alcoholic idiots in our school seemed to have an easier time sleeping despite drinking more than me. I was nervous. I got deferred from Princeton Early Decision and I barely knew where to go now. I applied to fifteen colleges.
At least, I’d hear back from SUNY Binghamton and SUNY Stonybrook soon. I wouldn’t know about anything else till April. I was a splitter. I had 1590 SAT scores but only a 3.6 GPA. I had the highest test scores in my class but wasn’t even in the Top 20% thanks to the grade-inflated shitfest that was our school. I’ll be the first to admit that I was neither an obsessive studier nor a grade-grubbing opportunist but it was frustrating. My brother Peter got into every college he applied to- including Princeton, Harvard, and MIT. He was now attending Princeton.
Peter was the golden boy at the private school and unlike me; he stuck with it the whole way through. If Peter attended Riverside High, I would probably have not been able to hide in the shadows as well as I’ve been doing. There were too many goddamned legacies in my school. Floyd got into Dartmouth early since his father attended. Rachel got into Duke early because her mom, dad, and both of her mom’s parents attended. I hoped to get into Duke simply because Rachel was going but even she had better grades than me- but much worse SAT’s.
Even Manuel had some hooks, sure he was the Valedictorian and had a solid 1540 but he was Hispanic and the first in his family to attend college, both were things which probably made Harvard and every other college he applied to giggle with glee. Colleges weren’t eager for another Irish-Italian middle-class guy from the Northeast. I felt so narrow and so dumb. I just couldn’t help myself when it came to putting people in boxes. Oh well, that’s what everyone else does? I looked up at the ceiling and decided I couldn’t go back to sleep at this moment.
I was going to take a walk. I got on my jacket and headed downstairs. I saw my dad drinking coffee and having a bowl of cereal.
I said, “Morning, dad.”
Dad asked, “Morning. Did you just get back now?”
I said, “Not quite but happy new year. Why are you up so early?”
Dad responded, “I have to work today. Kohl’s isn’t just going to run itself. A lot of people are going to be returning gifts today. Hell, I’m returning this tacky scarf your mother bought me.”
I asked, “You’re serious! And ruin business for your own store?”
Dad responded, “Nah. She got this from Old Navy. That reminds me, I was talking to the manager of Best Buy today. He said he’s hiring. When the hell are you getting your license?”
I responded, “The road test is next Friday, pop.”
Dad asked, “Is that driver’s ed program teaching you anything?”
I smiled and said, “I learned which pedal is for acceleration and which one is for braking.”
Dad laughed and said, “You’ll do fine. If you pass, you’ll be getting a job soon.”
I said, “Gee, old man, I’m glad that nepotism can help me out sometimes.”
Dad said, “You’ll need it. We’re only paying for college for you.”
I said, “I understand.”
Dad said, “I think you’ll enjoy it, you like computers and all that jazz.”
I said, “Yea, I do.”
Dad asked me, “How was the party last night?”
I said, “It was fun- did a lot of kid things.”
Dad said, “I heard some of the brats I supervise talking about a major booze-fest.”
I said, “I came back alive, didn’t I!”
Dad said, “There’re a lot of dumbasses. Have fun. But please be careful, just promise me that.”
I said, “I promise 100%.”
Dad said, “That’s my boy. What are you doing now?”
I said, “I’m going to take a walk around the neighborhood. Can’t sleep.”
Dad said, “Booze can do that to you sometimes.”
I laughed and said, “Oh yea, and how would you know that?”
Dad said, “I have my own set of crazy stories from college.”
I said, “That doesn’t surprise me at all, I’m just letting you know.”
Dad said, “Do what I say, not what I do.”
I said, “You’re sure teaching me how to be a good father in the future.”
Dad said, “That’s my job, right?”

I said, “I’m gonna take my walk now. Have a good day at work.”
Dad said, “You have a fun down sitting on your ass now!”
I walked outside. I saw Rufus run by my side.
I said to him, “You wanna come with me, you silly dog. You don’t even know where I’m going.”
Rufus barked and wagged his tail.
I said, “Alright, just let me get your leash.”
I heard a pitiful moan from my beagle. It wasn’t worth having some asshole report me to the police for breaking leash laws. I got the leash from the garage.
I put it on Rufus and we walked around the neighborhood. It was peaceful outside, it was still dark and there was no sunrise yet. It was cold and I wished I had more than a T-shirt, pajama pants, and sneakers on. Oh well. It wasn’t that cold outside.
I saw a black cat walking on the sidewalk. It must have been Oreo. Good thing Rufus was usually good with cats. We crossed his path. Rufus barked loudly and Oreo ran gingerly in the other direction. I wasn’t superstitious at all. However, the next few days would say something different.

NOTE: I know there are no major rivers on Long Island. However, there are many towns with the name River in it. "Great River" and "Wading River" in particular..Riverside is a play on Oceanside- the South Shore town this novel is somewhat based on. However, despite its location on the South Shore- this story will probably reek of my North Shore roots. It already has.

Beard!

2009-12-13T01:20:19Z

I'm growin' a beard and am gonna get it trimmed to keep it looking nice.
For now, unless I grow to really hate having one (which I don't so far), you'll probably see me with a beard when I get back to Duke.
No one's hiring for the holidays- so I have no reason to go hardcore on the shaving.
I think I like it so far. It goes against my middle class Long Island roots where everyone's always looking like a professional if you're a white-collar sort of guy.. but w/e.. I don't care.

South Park And Personality Types

2009-12-09T02:49:49Z

"South Park" is one of my favorite cartoons.
Most of the characters are so one-dimensional and dumbed down that it's hard to type most of them.. however, I think I can do it.

I actually have to do not fun shit for abit and I know none of my readers really care that much that I'm interested in something as lame as personality typing but w/e, I don't really care that much in your lack of interest! It's on my LJ anyway, :p

To start though...
Cartman: ESTP (The earlier seasons), ENTJ (the later seasons)
Kyle: ENFP
Stan: ENTP
Kenny: ISFP
Butters: ENFP
Craig: ISTP
Mr. Garrison: ESTP
Randy Marsh: ESFP
Chef: ESFP
Mr. Mackey: ISTJ
Jimmy: ESFJ
Mephisto: INTJ
Cartman's mom: ESFP

I'll think more about all of this later- but I'm having trouble finding any INXX types on the show- maybe the geneticist guy (Mephisto?). Butters could be an INFP, Stan could be an INTP.. but they are both more likely to be Extraverts.

I Have A Better Idea!

2009-12-05T17:35:17Z

I don't know why but I just can't do sci-fi effectively.
It's not my writing realm.
However, I have a good idea for my story.

It is called "The Riversides".
For now, Riverside is an upper-middle class suburban village on the South Shore of Long Island.

The reason why it is called "The Riversides" is because Riverside is split into two.
The middle class and diverse North Riverside and the affluent and lily-white South Riverside.

I know there are no rivers on Long Island but there are many villages/hamlets which have the word "River" in it (e.g: Great River, Riverhead) and it's the name which has really stuck with me.
Nothing else fits as well for me. This story may not take place on Long Island though but the name is here to say.

From one perspective, this novel is supposed to be about the high school experience of a gifted underachiever from North Riverside who attended private school for many years but decided to transfer out.
From another perspective, this novel is meant to be a satire of suburbia in general. Some of the characters will likely seem overexaggerated but I'll tell you that they are not- these are all plausible people.

Novel Related Stuff Again

2009-11-28T18:35:23Z

Here's the beginning of my story.
"My name is Richard Lennox. I have a 174 IQ."

Richard is my protagonist. He's brilliant but arrogant. He is a young Irish-Italian American who was raised in Brooklyn and is on his way to finishing his college degree at Princeton University. He is 5'6 with light brown hair. He is sociable and has a lot of charm to him. He is a Philosophy major with conservative political views. He sees human society as something he needs to mold into his own vision of what it ought to be: a merit-based aristocracy.

He enlists the help of a cynical physics professor, a meek computer programmer, and an ambitious politician to change a nation.

My New Blog

2009-11-25T04:14:04Z

http://whattypeisthiscelebrity.blogspot.com/

I put down my first entry today.
Celebrity #1: Morgan Spurlock

Coming tomorrow: John Entwistle

I won't make any more updates about it on this Live Journal- instead, you should regularly check my blog for updates.

Feel free to leave comments if you desire!

"The Enlightened Typing Famous People Project"

2009-11-22T06:46:27Z

I think I've gotten enough of a feel for personality typing that I am better equipped to type the people around me, myself, and famous people.
For instance, I feel reasonably confident I am an ENTP at this point.
As I grow more confident with myself and with who I am, this is the 'persona' which seems most natural to me.. of course, people are more complex than four letters.
I hope that this project will show people how no two people of the same type are really the same but there are a couple of things which make them somewhat similar...
I think it'll be interesting.
You already know some of my typings but I'm going to try to argue for those in detail.

I have a list and I'm checking it twice and like always I am open to new suggestions.

If all works out.. I should get a couple out into the open during Thanksgiving break.
I have a database right now of people. I'm doing it randomly- just to make it more fun!
So I don't even know who I'm starting with yet... later!

I utilized the randomizer and the first person I'm analyzing is Morgan Spurlock.. the star of "Super Size Me".
What type is he?
FIND OUT!!

grumble Sarah Palin grumble

2009-11-20T18:49:30Z

I'm not a Republican.
But my parents are Republicans.

It always seemed to make sense in some respect.. we are a middle class family- honest and hardworking. We have to deal with pissy, stuck-up, yuppie Long Islanders every day in our lives.
The liberals are all rich "ivy tower" types who only care about the really poor and themselves and give their golden middle fingers to the middle class.
It makes sense why my family is primarily conservative.
On Long Island, it almost makes sense for us to be Republicans- since Democrats just want to tax the fuck out of us and not really make much good use of our money...
We support things like "the right to bear arms" but no one in my area owns/uses a gun unless you're a gang member.. (and believe me.. if anyone, Republican or Democrat, could crack down on the gang violence, please do so! I'm tired of hearing about what MS-13 did today..) no one in my immediate family has lived south of New Jersey..most of us don't know/understand the South where people are more active about gun use.

So before someone tells me, oh you are some high-class Northern boy who doesn't understand the merits of Republicanism.. I was raised to be a Republican. I use big words but that's because I'm smart and eager to learn, not because I'm high-class.

But I always see Fox News on the TV set at home...they make Obama seem like a power-hungry devil and Sarah Palin as a sexy, street-smart goddess. (To account for the fact that she didn't know Africa was a continent...and is clearly as dumb as bricks.)
My mom, who is far to the right, couldn't vote for McCain in the election because Palin could possibly become President.
Any criticism of Sarah Palin is glossed over as, "THE LIBERAL MEDIA IS TRYING TO HURT HER!!! SARAH PALIN IS A LADY!! HOW COULD THEY?? FORGET THE FACT THAT WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT HOW HILLARY CLINTON IS UNFUCKABLE AND SAY A BUNCH OF CRAP ABOUT HER!! PALIN IS A LADY AND WE WILL DEFEND HER WITH OUR GENTLEMANLY CHARM!!"
There are hypocrites on both sides. I'm just happy that the Democrats aren't playing the whole, "IF YOU ARE AGAINST OBAMA, YOU ARE AGAINST AMERICA!!!" card like the Republicans played. Some of the more aristocratic founding fathers like John Adams and Alexander Hamilton would probably nod in agreement... but Thomas Jefferson would have been like, "Fuck this shit!"

Okay.. I'm rambling on and am not making much sense at the moment.

“The America I know and love is not one in which my parents or my baby with Down syndrome will have to stand in front of Obama’s ‘death panel’ so his bureaucrats can decide, based on a subjective judgment of their ‘level of productivity in society,’ whether they are worthy of health care. Such a system is downright evil,”

"Death panel"!?!? She sure is twisting Obama's proposal a lot.
From what I have heard about Obama's health care plan, no one is going to be outright denied health care. Palin is basing this off the idea that Obama told some woman that there could be other options for her 102-year old mother than surgery and he encouraged her to look at those options too.. he didn't say "don't get the surgery".. he said, "think of all of your options".

Fox News has little news bits that are like, "MORE AMERICANS LIKE CAPITALISM THAN SOCIALISM AND GUESS WHAT OBAMA IS A GODDAMNED SOCIALIST SO YOU BETTER NOT SUPPORT HIM!!!"

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/political-media/obama-admin-fires-back-at-right-wing-with-detailed-rebuttal-of-death-book-claim/
For more details on why the "death panels" are not an inevitable result..

She is good with rhetoric though. She wants people to think, "WHAT IF OBAMA HURTS TRIG!?!?"

Let's analyze another one of her quotes.. this is from her interview with Rush Limbaugh.
"We don't know if those who choose not to purchase this government-mandated level of coverage will face jail time as punishment."

I know.. she is speculating here... but that's outrageous.

I couldn't find anything else which suggested that Obama would put people in the slammer if they didn't buy his "government-mandated level of coverage".

But if Sarah Palin runs for President in 2012, Obama will win.. so I guess, that may not be such a bad thing.

Schedule Next Semester

2009-11-14T21:15:52Z

I feel this was the right decision but I'm not going to pursue the Econ minor. It's not necessary and Econ 55 is just another hard class on my plate.

So my schedule

	ISIS 120S-01 (7521)	SP TOP INFO SCI/INFO STUDIES (Seminar)	MW 1:15PM - 2:30PM	Franklin Center 230/232	C. Davidson	1.00	13/13
<input ... > <input ... >	MATH 121-01 (7676)	INTRO ABSTRACT ALGEBRA (Lecture)	MWF 3:05PM - 3:55PM	Physics 235	D. Rutherford	1.00	25/25
<input ... > <input ... >	MATH 131-02 (7685)	ELEM DIFFERENTIAL EQUAT (Lecture)	TuTh 2:50PM - 4:05PM	Physics 235	S. McKinley	1.00	20/20
<input ... > <input ... >	SOCIOL 155-01 (3855)	ORGANIZATIONS/MANAGEMENT (Lecture)	TuTh 1:15PM - 2:30PM	Gray 228	K. Healy	1.00	45/45

ITALIAN 1-03
(7279)

TuTh 11:40AM - 12:55PM
MF 11:40AM - 12:30PM

Social Sciences 228
Bio Sci 113

D. Staff

1.00

7/18

Also.. I have class on all five days of the week but I really like my selection of classes!
:-(

I can't officially register for Italian 1 till next week but it looks like I'd be able to get an opening..

I Feel Worthless

2009-11-12T17:13:21Z

I don't want to feel worthless but it seems everything I do leads to failure.
Also the people around me seem to confirm that I am worthless.
I'm not just fishing for compliments here, I really do feel this way.
Can anyone give me reasons to why I'm not worthless?

Procrastinating And Novel-Related Stuff..

2009-11-11T04:33:54Z

Aargh! I have a logic exam tomorrow!!
I'm nervous.
It really isn't an issue of knowing the information or not.. it's just that sometimes the formal proofs are very tricky.
I think chances are high that there will be a proof on the exam that I'm not going to be able to solve completely...

I'm familiar with all the rules of inference and we have a review sheet.. I know what interpretations are and the difference between phi and psi and when something can be substituted.

I know I'm going to screw up somewhere.

Also I have been changing around my idea for a novel somewhat- it will have to do with high school/college.
I originally was thinking of having the story take place on Long Island but given the circumstances/location- I'm actually thinking of having it set in North Texas- in an affluent suburb of Dallas. Writing the story will probably be more fun if I have to do a little research on the setting. Dallas suburbs are remarkably similar to New York suburbs by the way..

I'm also debating whether I should add a sci-fi theme to it or whether I should keep it all real.
I'm creative in the sense that I'm able to add on to what already exists or improve it but I have trouble actually thinking of something new/zany/completely different...all my fantasy stuff turns out to be a lame copy of another fantasy story.

I don't have plans to do anything for NaNoWriMo since I'm doing a lot of stuff this semester...

Also I'm really considering law school again.. I have to see how I do on the LSAT first. According to many sources, if my LSAT is 175+ and my GPA is only around a 3.0, I can still get into an awesome law school which will help get me into an awesome law firm.

While the work in law school itself doesn't favor an intelligent lazy person over a dull hardworking person.. getting into law school itself does a little bit. Unless you're a Top 6 law school, most law schools couldn't give a rat's ass about GPA if they see you have a sky-high LSAT.. they want their ranking to be super high in U.S News. Who knows? If I do well on the LSAT, maybe I'll be back at Duke. Wouldn't that be nice? I could be an active Psi U for another three years but I imagine law school would be too much of a bitch to do that!!!

That $160K first-year associate salary is really looking good right now... really good... if you get the job, it's almost a sure deal.
Call me a dirty materialist but I want to have a lot of money. I think it would be the best thing I can do for myself and my future family.
I want my future children and future wife to have butlers and maids looking after them and for us to travel around the world with ease. I've never been out of the country before because we couldn't afford such expensive and "useless" trips.
I want my children to feel powerful and confident throughout their lives. I want them to have the life I never had.

A good portion of the alpha males/females at Duke come from very wealthy families. Most went to private schools or lived in wealthy areas but still went to public school. I think my life would be very different right now if my parents made more money. Well, I did go to a private school.. but it wasn't for 'rich kids' it was for 'brainy kids"- tuition wasn't as high compared to other schools and financial assistance was generous.

Also I feel like Jay Gatsby who is looking to impress a Daisy with his wealth/power.. I think I could do that easily if I gain the wealth/power.
I think if I do this, I will have respect for the first time in my life.

I'm Excited But..

2009-11-04T12:43:39Z

...so there are auditions for this comedy show called "The Common Room"- it's hosted by Cable 13.
It has to do about college students living in a dorm together.
I have an audition Saturday at 11:30 AM.
I even get to make up my own character, :-D

The thing that makes me a little wary though is that there are thirty audition slots and I think there are only eight parts. This means there is a 26.7% acceptance rate which is even lower than the approximately 50% acceptance rate for The Lower D's... well, we'll see what happens.

My Novel

2009-11-01T22:44:23Z

This is an idea I'm working on now.
I won't do anything with it till 2010.
Therefore, yes, I'm not participating in NaNoWriMo this month.

There are four men who decide to start up an experiment.
The experiment is to prove that human beings are primarily selfish and rotten- and that all goodness is to avoid badness from others.

The four men are
Dr. Kevin Donovan- A Physics professor at Princeton University (INTJ)
Richard Lennox- A Philosophy graduate student at Duke University (ENTP)
Scott Warner- A computer programmer (ISFP)
Steven Landry- A Virginia senator (ESTP)

The four are united by their mistrust of humanity.
Dr. Donovan creates the invention which he thinks would provide the proof humans are primarily bad.
Richard has done much of his research on the definition of "goodness" and already has a large following.
Scott is a computer programmer who is stuck with a company he hates working for and an overbearing wife.
Steven is a Virginia senator and Republican who thinks that this philosophy will help him win the 2016 Presidential election.

Thoughts? I know it all sounds a little cryptic right now but I am not sure where I want to take this story. A lot of it depends on where I think my own future is going whether I give it a happy or sad ending.

Happy ending: They are proved wrong.
Sad ending: They are proved right.