The · Vagabond · Society

But...

This web endeavor is being carried out that I think is useful.
It's generally dominated by 1 specific party ...but I'd rather see people from all parties participate, since it is supposed to be a multi-party endeavor.

http://www.RateTheDebates.org

This site wants citizens to weigh in on the 4 presidential/VP debates.

I think we should...before spin and before it starts the brainwashing.

Thanks, Guys!

Current Mood:

busy

Stupidity, I've come to realize, is not just "what stupid does", but is rather one who believes what they themselves have not perceived for themselves.
I can't say that one must experience something to truly understand it, but I can say that no two people have exactly the same experiences. (This isn't a political statement, but a statement of fact--both based on fact and probability as well as the human biology and psychology).

If you want a political statement, then I say to you all--as fellow sentient entities:

--When you expect others to do for you, what you should do for yourself, then you are weak. If you build some machine to accomplish this goal, then it is your creativity that has done the work.
But when you expect a government to take care of you, to feed you, to do for you, then you are not only weak, but failed. Kill yourselves now...because you'll never get where you think that government is going to take you. It's over.

Those who survive...that perceiver...that  stand up with dirt on their faces and blood still flowing, those are the ones that have succeeded.
If they are "rich", they made themselves rich. If they are famous, they worked at that themselves.
It doesn't mean that they have any more intelligence than a flea...but they did DO for themselves.

Don't expect them to do for you. Don't cry and say that those people should pay you or respect you. Don't as for a handout if you aren't willing to earn it for yourself. Laziness, sloth, lack-of-giving a damn are not excuses.

Don't blame others for your failures. As those above, get up, dust yourself off, and persevere.

Do for yourself.

Stand up for yourself.

Always, and forever remember one important lesson, and it will point out your own errors as it will others:

TANSTAAFL!

Current Mood:

annoyed (and being honest)

anyasm

Let me make my last few months recap...as short as possible.

I finished another semester in Electrical and Computer Engineering...and still feel that I know very little.

I spent more time planning a wedding and getting Sveta here.

Then Sveta came, finally on the 21st of April. Then her mother and aunt came on the 30th of April.

This all led up to shopping, and not enough studying for my final exams...but that culmination ended in a wonderful wedding in the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens, and more specifically the Japanese Gardens there.

It was quite nice...then a reception after, then another reception...then a small Russian reception at the hotel...so it was a lovely time.

Some pictures from our photographer can be seen here: http://www.ericajoyce.com/blog/

Other pictures, I'll try to get here.

Now...back to summer school this week, and lots of paperwork for Sveta.

Hell of a process!

Current Location:	Home again!
Current Mood:	busy

I pointed out to many that it would cause a lot of trouble...and obviously the trouble has only started.

Still...this YouTube video is hilarious!

Those who know some Russian might catch some of what they are saying and for you...it will be even better. (No, they aren't speaking Russian, but it's always fun to see how much of another Slavic language you can understand.)

OK...here you go!

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=5VWZoKWBYXE

These nice ladies were taking advantage of the situation to steal a few nice handbags and, of course, like any Eastern European woman...SHOES!
So they say these ladies are trading Kosovo for some nice free shoes.

Whatever folks...

While it may be wrong...so is the situation and other countries sticking their nose where it doesn't belong (other people's business).

So, enjoy your shoes ladies.

Current Location:	Dallas/Forth Worth for a short time.
Current Mood:	amused

I hereby advocate for the new and independent nation of TEXAS!!!

Long live the Lone Star!

Now, we'll have equal rights for Yankees, of course. Just like Kosovo claims to give the Serbs there.
(Well, Texas will be a lot more honest about that.)

So...I'm glad that US is giving out independence like candy...cause I plan to take it up!

TEXAS!!! TEXAS!!! TEXAS!!! TEXAS!!! TEXAS!!! TEXAS!!! TEXAS!!! TEXAS!!! TEXAS!!! TEXAS!!! TEXAS!!! TEXAS!!! TEXAS!!! TEXAS!!! TEXAS!!! TEXAS!!! TEXAS!!! TEXAS!!! TEXAS!!! TEXAS!!! TEXAS!!! TEXAS!!! TEXAS!!! TEXAS!!! TEXAS!!! TEXAS!!! TEXAS!!! TEXAS!!! TEXAS!!! TEXAS!!!

Current Mood:

discontent

It wasn't even a busy one!

Guess I'm ready for a nice relaxing time on the couch with the SciFi channel.
(Yeah, I shamelessly watch the Friday night stuff.)

Current Mood:

tired

Basically, they take a ring of solar panels and focus the enervy from the array to break up molecules.
(The basis is heat, you can make something similar at home....just not this cool. Well...maybe some people could if they had the cash.)

Anyway, they can seperate water into O2 and H2. That's pretty cool.

They can then take that H2 and some CO (broken up from C02--the primary gas blamed for greenhouse effects that you produce when you breathe) and make other things..

Other things in the end like Methanol, Ethanol...gasoline, etc.

Want to know more (like about it or how it works)...click here: or here: http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/jan08/5866.

But this is really cool.

Though, if you don't read it, I should point out now that they don't think it will be a commercialized process for 15 to 20 years.

So...you'll all have to wait for the prices to go down.

[I love being a member of IEEE...we learn about such cool stuff.]

Current Mood:

busy

Have you read these yet?

http://darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin2007.html

Current Mood:

busy

You know what...my LiveJournal sometimes takes me to the Russian version. It didn't even do that when I was in Russia. (And at least then I had more of my system in Russian).

But I'm around....been off the radar trying to relearn calculus and everything else I haven't studied in 10 years. I've studied since then, but nothing higher than cal 2...and just completed cal 3 and soon begin my class on differencial equations.)
It's not near as bad as it sounds...but worse sometimes.

As for everything else...well...forgotten a lot of physics too....and jumped in a little deep there too.

Did that with programming at first..but then put that back off for a while since I have some difficult classes coming this semester. (Collegues say they are the most difficult, but I doubt that...just have to learn the basics.)
Anyway...I do enjoy it. I seems to be learning years of stuff in only months, which is always nice for me.

But...haven't been here in a while.

I'll have to remedy that too.

And then visas...I knew this system was fucked up, but I'm learning more. I mean, two federal departments suddenly requiring the same paperwork for the same process...and after this "Department of Homeland Security" thing where they are supposed to share information?
Oh, well...what's new. As if you can actually stop inevitability anway.

Christmas and New Year were OK though.
Sveta can't be here because she has to do this 9+ months of paperwork...
but I got to be alone and no one bothered me.
I love that.

[I'll wait for my attention...and a visa other than the visitor one she has already and is still valid.]

Current Mood:	blah
Current Music:	whirrr of the HDDs...of the CPU fans...and the ticks of an old handmade clock from Italy

I'm not so sure everyone knows this yet...but I decided to try going back to university for yet another degree.

If I don't write too often and don't get around, please understand that I'm busy trying to catch up.

My example of catching up:
I took my last calculus course back in 1998...that was calculus 2...I haven't used it since.
However, currently, I need calculus 3...so I'm taking calculus 3 and trying to keep my head above water.
Actually, the same goes for most all of my classes...I jumped in deep and am trying to just do well enough to be happy. (I'm not going for A's when I know I'm starting from way behind...but maybe I can use this first semester to catch back up.)

Anyway...I'm actually having a lot of fun and learning a lot. (No parties...but then, I didn't party last time really either.)

I will be around and I'll see what I can do about writing.

Thanks, Guys!

Current Mood:

busy

http://www.simpsonsmovie.com/main.html

Current Mood:	amused
Current Music:	TeXtra (video podcast tech news)

mynameisnotreal

Anyway, this thing claims to deduce the real life AD&D stats of a person.
Here was the output on mine:

STR: 13
INT: 17
WIS: 16
DEX: 15
CON: 13
CHR: 17

http://www.thehaws.org/add_quiz.shtml

So I have to at least comment on that.
I don't think that my CHR is that high. In reality, I'm just lucky with some people and situations that are in the test. (I'm just as much of an asshole as I am a nice guy...thank goodness for the asshole part becuase people walked all over me before it developed.)
Next, I think my CON would be higher if I were even in shape...yes, I do very little. Luckily, I do have some endurance. It also asks if I've done anything extraordinary. Well, as for endurance and constitution, I did once push a car for 3 miles...took an hour and wasn't enough of it downhill...but that didn't take 5 hours so it doesn't count.
Yeah, my STR sucks...I do nothing and don't get out and work on that...haven't in years. Like to start kayaking but damned if there isn't any real water to do that in around here. Loved it in the sea in Sweden. Guess those things that I did help on the dex...don't miss the trash, still OK at football (soccer), not bad at kayaking on a choppy sea loch. Ha, yesterday I was demenstrating an acrobatic throw-in.
[I don't believe in flipping or summersaulting to throw a ball onto the field or around the field...especially for kids. But my neice is learning how because she plays football (um...soccer) and is a gymnist. Her coach and her mother both insist that she learn. Fine, now she needs to keep momentum and learn to be a little more accurate. Go figure, she has to choose one of the two to focus on right now.]

So basically...I suck. Well...I knew that. :-D

Anyone else?

Current Location:	Post-Generational Domicile, my side of the house, bedroom...dry land
Current Mood:	geeky
Current Music:	crap on MSN videos via WMC

I still have things for mynameisnotreal and valyazhnaya sitting on my shelf, и не только на полку.

Damn my Russian still sucks. :-)

Anyway, after she left, my father and I got some stuff to kill some tree saplings and then went to eat at an Arby's.
[I don't like fast food that much. In Russia it was only if I needed to be fast--or if Sveta wanted it. We were actually trying to be fast here too.]

Then, on the way home, my mother and sister called to say that they had a flat tire.

Here's the kicker: My mother and sister are on their way to Memphis, Tennessee. My niece and nephew are participating in the national tumbling and gymnastics meet there on Monday. Of course, my mother and the kids wanted me to go...but my sister didn't (for a few reasons). Sveta said it would be better if I stayed home ...I'd have less to worry about.

Anyway, we had all left my parents at the same time, us to the airport and others to Tennessee. Well, after 4 hours, they had only gotten half way to the next small city. (They made a few stops--too many in my opinion.)
They couldn't get the spare tire down from beneath my mothers Ford Explorer SporTrac. While that sounds pathetic, actually they had never had a flat on that truck and the tool to get the spare down had been left lying on top of the spare...and hoisted to the bottom of the truck. (Dumbasses at the dealership, we suppose.)
Anyway, we ended up getting home and then having to turn around and travel for about 1.5 hours to go help.
By the time we go there, someone else had helped them and we were still about 8 minutes away...so we met up with them to see what was up and then came back home again. Long day!...so we came home and played Call of Duty 2 on my Dad's GameCube.
[I suggested that they take my sister's car on this trip...as it would save gas. Well, about 35 m/gal in the car vs. about 25 m/gal in the truck. BUT...my sister wouldn't have it and found a million reasons to take the truck--as she did with not wanting me to go. (And after the flat, the kids were certain that I should go from there on...where I certainly said no, too late.)]

Anyway...I'm still down without having Sveta around. It's our 2nd time apart in 3 years and the first time for more than 2 weeks. Honestly, it sucks.
Then again, with no one around, I'm more than self-sufficient. I just like having her with me.

I did find out that she made it home. That's good. But still no phone at her mom's...so I'll have to wait until she gets to work (just before midnight my time here).
In the mean time, my Dad says that when she comes back (or if) that we can have some things and just set up for a while wherever.
We'll see...I have more things to worry about before that. And, of course, I have to wait on other people before that stuff can get done.
(Being a boss for a while has made me even more annoyed with poor efficiency...and sadly, university systems are highly inefficient.)

Thus I wait...on many different people.

Current Location:	Home...The Texas one.
Current Mood:	anxious
Current Music:	the air-conditioning turning on

America is a bit strange...but it's home and I still love it.

Now I'm getting used to things again. Actually, where I'm from, it's not so much different from Russia--to me anyway.

We haven't stopped since we go here.

Today I got to slow down--but not for long.

I don't watch TV much...that helps...but miss a few cartoons. ;-)

We went to Las Vegas last week. NO, I didn't get married. [That's the question of the day from everyone we talk to.]

I'd been to Vegas before. Sveta hadn't, obviously. So, I wore her out with walking down the strip in 110 degree F weather (42 degrees C).

She was ready to leave early...but she liked it.

We were supposed to return by Saturday because an aunt and uncle were coming down to meet Sveta.
We were told that we then had until Sunday.
We returned Saturday after only a 4 day trip.
That part of the family didn't come...canceled last minute.
Annoying.

BUT, my Aunt Helen and Uncle Jan came down and visited for that week (and were here while we were gone to Vegas too). That was great. Sveta likes my Aunt and she had a good time. She was excited to see here. I was too. It was a nice week.

Busy with baseball and softball and cookouts and old friends...I'm worn out. After 2.5 weeks, I haven't really slowed down.

Sveta leaves Saturday to go back to Russia for a while...I'll stay.
Second time in 3 years that we've been apart....
the last time was only 2 weeks, then she came to stay with me on that business trip.

Anyway...we'll have to see what the future holds.

Current Location:	Texas
Current Mood:	drained
Current Music:	Silence

SORRY!!!

I'll be like this for this next week for certain...and maybe most of June.

You see, first of all, I'm quiting a nice cushy, sit on my butt and think for 50 other people while keeping track of the world, talking, and doing nothing job.
Well, it doesn't actually pay that much in relation to a nice Western salary anyway.
It could...within the next year or two even...but I'm going to try one more education. (Go figure!)

Thus, for the last 2 weeks, I have been moving my girlfriend's things to her mother's (the famed 'MIL').
We finished the major load over last weekend.

I updated my overpriced calculator (that sometimes doubles as a computer, GPS, phone, modem, and translator among other things) to the new Windows Mobile 6 (yes, legal upgrade from ETen). It was a little bit sluggish at first and I had to put all my programs back in. Then decided to change the language. I got some help from the ETen Users Forum and changed the ROM (including the OS) to the English version. [Interestingly, it is basically just a skin that is in Russian...so I also gained some space and speed from the system.] Regardless, my GPRS is a little annoying...so I miss the data access that I had before. I don't think I'll waste time trying to figure that out though...as I'll be leaving Russia in 2 days!

OK...so...I'm moving back to the States for a while. I don't know how long...but uni sounds like a good idea.
I have work there too...but I doubt that I take it. I have been the 'big boss' for a little too long. I cringe at the idea of going back to being the subordinate of inept managers who think 'business' is just a buzz word. But hell, it's America; we seemed to have lost that capitalistic and inventive ideal that made us great. [Ironically, capitalism is thriving better than ever in Russia--but it's not really so inventive, it's just mostly recreating or reinventing western ideas and products.]

Enough for the commentary--other than on my general situation.
Sunday, early in the morning, I have to have my whole damned life packed up and ready to take home. (Gee...I hope LJ doesn't delete my post for saying 'damn'...damn the freedom of speech robbing...) REGRESSION!!!
So...going home. We'll be on the road for a while. I know for sure that we'll be in Dallas for a few days. Then we're back to where my parents live (6 hours west of Dallas at 70 mph). There, I'll unload.
Thus, BIG BAR-B-QUE happens on my birthday...yeah, that's the 6th...DON'T COMMENT ON IT! [I don't care about age, just don't find it worth celebrating or worshiping...just a day.]

Then, the girlfriend and I are looking at traveling around the country a while. She's interested in LA, NY, Vegas....all places I've been and foreigners think are places to see. [Is that culture? Is that what we are? Well, if it's true, then yes, we're done for. I think real American culture isn't in the city...that's where they import other cultures.]
I'm bucking for visiting friends and landmarks. She's up for the Grand Canyon. I'm up for visiting mynameisnotreal. If I have to go to NY, I'll only want to visit suaiden because I've been there and find it busy and lackluster (like Moscow). It's just a place. I like to see things and friends. Niagara...now that's worth visiting in NY! [Yes, I've seen it...and at sunrise and sun set...even slept in the park and saw sunrise from Canada--better view with their socialist workers cleaning streets at 6:45 am.]

Any suggestions? Those are welcome.
We'll see what Sveta wants to see.
She has to come back to Russia for some months...so I'll be busy after that...and going to Memphis, Tennessee, with my mother, sister, niece, and nephew. The kids are participating in a national gymnastics competition...so it's worth going to see.

I'm sure I'll hate a month of vacation....I've been so busy and responsible for so many things that I'll miss work even.
Worst...I'll miss my life and friends here. I'm so pampered and spoiled here--and the boss.

OK...this is getting long (as usual)...gotta go pack more crap. (I have a whole life to pack into 3 cases...damn me and the LJ sensors both.)

Current Location:	my posh little apartment that I'll miss the view from
Current Mood:	busy
Current Music:	Jetsons and later New Captian Scarlett (по-русский) on 2x2

This can suck in Saint-Petersburg during this time of year...when we have nearly 20 hours of sunlight in a 24 hour day.

Ouch.

I'll see her in 2 weeks...ironically, just before my birthday.

Current Mood:

grateful