The Carefree Drunk

I'm Moving

2006-06-23T22:26:00.000-07:00

That's right ladies and gentlemen, I'm moving again. I've been at this address for about two years, and the problem is, the url just doesn't describe me anymore. I don't play poker anymore, and it's time for a more logical url.

So...here ya go, I'm at http://boydrinksbeer.blogspot.com. The title is Boy Meets Beer, Boy Drinks Beer. I think that gets me pretty well :)

Otherwise, take care, and I'll see you at the new site!

PS. Hopefully, I'll have a custom template for the new site eventually...I'd love to see that happen.

Cheers,
Matty D

I'M GRADUATED!

2006-06-19T19:02:00.000-07:00

All I need now is to wait for my diploma to arrive in the mail in 6 to 8 weeks. Yeah, the University of California takes their time doing this kind of thing.

For now, I'm at my parents' house, helping out until I move into my new place back in Santa Cruz. The main issue I'm dealing with right now is taking over my mom's duties since she left for Boston - she's there with my brother in the hospital. He plays in the elite Cape Cod college baseball summer league. He was pitching a good game, when someone hit a line drive directly into his right eye. It broke his face, and he lost some of his sight. However, it's getting better, he already had one surgery, and the doctor said it went as good as it possibly could have - no torn eye tissue, only a couple scratches, which ointment should fix.

He has another surgery in a couple days to fix the broken bones in his face. But, for the next two weeks, he can't bend over. They only told him this after he was caught walking through the hospital in just his robe, towing his IV stand along with him. A nurse caught him, and his only response for why he was out of his room was that he was bored. I guess nobody had told him not to leave his room...he is an adrenaline-filled 19 year old athlete.

All seems to be getting better. As for me, I got nothing. Hahahahaha...

Cheers,
Matty D

Almost Done With College

2006-06-15T13:58:00.000-07:00

I have one more final to go and then I'M DONE WITH COLLEGE! Two more hours, two more hours...come on let's just get it done with...

Bored and Procrastinating

2006-06-08T19:05:00.000-07:00

So I took a couple of stupid quizzes. Here we go...

You Are a Freedom Rocker!

You're stuck in the 70s - for better or worse
Crazy hair and tons of groupies
Your kind showed the world how to rock
Is that freedom rock?... Well turn it up man!

What Kind of Rocker Are You?

By the way, I don't do pot. That's for hippies.

Your Summer Ride is a Jeep

For you, summer is all about having no responsibilities.
You prefer to hang with old friends - and make some new ones.

What's Your Summer Ride?

You Are Guinness

You know beer well, and you'll only drink the best beers in the world.
Watered down beers disgust you, as do the people who drink them.
When you drink, you tend to become a bit of a know it all - especially about subjects you don't know well.
But your friends tolerate your drunken ways, because you introduce them to the best beers around.

What's Your Beer Personality?

The Beer Prayer

2006-06-03T23:43:00.000-07:00

Our lager,
Which art in barrels,
Hallowed be thy drink,
Thy will be drunk,
(I will be drunk),
At home as I am in the tavern.
Give us this day our foamy head,
And forgive us our spillages,
As we forgive those who spill against us,
and lead us not to incarceration,
But deliver us from hangovers,
For thine is the beer,
The bitter and the lager,
Forever and ever,
Barmen.

I Know I'm Evil

2006-06-03T20:26:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to Me

2006-05-30T11:23:00.000-07:00

Yeah...I'm getting old. I'm 22 today. Sigh.

At least it's a reason to party!

Hopefully I'll get some pictures taken and post one or two of them.

Have a drink on me,
Matty D

Watsonville Fly-In

2006-05-27T23:23:00.000-07:00

Went to the Watsonville Memorial Day Weekend Fly-In on Saturday, and took a couple pictures. I love airplanes, always have since as far back as I can remember. Unfortunately, the event has gotten smaller each year, and these were some of the only interesting planes there. I was also volunteering at a booth (which is how I got in for free), so I didn't have much time to do a lot of exploring. There were at least 10 other planes I wish I could have taken pictures of, but it obviously didn't work out that way for me. Sigh.

Cheers,
Matty D

Sincere Thanks :)

2006-05-24T13:45:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everybody who wished me luck...things have worked out for good ol' Matty D!

Enterprise Rent-a-Car offered me a position with their Management Trainee program. I am going to accept it.

Most people will put the job down as beneath them, but when I look at the facts, everything points me toward this company. CollegeGrad (a job publication) has ranked them the #1 entry-level employer in the country for the past 4 years consecutively (best opportunities, etc.), and they have the highest percentage of employees under 30 making six figures annually. I won't be making that much to start, but the opportunity to get there is just so wide-open, I'd be a fool to not take this opportunity.

There are all kinds of other great things about them that would take a whole essay on my part to explain why I want to work for them, but all I have to do now is call Enterprise to accept the job, and then call Hertz to turn them down.

Now I just need to find a place to live, and I need to do it pretty damn quick.

Cheers,
Matty D

Done With the Interviews

2006-05-23T13:51:00.000-07:00

So I had my last interview with the #1 company today, and I should hear back from them by the end of the week. I look forward to hearing from them - at least I hope they'll be a little more professional than State Farm was.

I'll let y'all know the news.

Cheers,
Matty D

Offers and Rejections

2006-05-16T14:14:00.000-07:00

So the job search is still going. I have an offer from Hertz for their management training program, another pending offer from a political campaign (we will be working out the details shortly), and I just got through another round of interviews with a third company, who I will name once the process is complete (either offer or rejection).

I got my first rejection today though - State Farm Insurance decided not to go with me. That's fine, I just wish they would have called me to tell me about it. Instead, I called them today, after waiting 5 days past the deadline for them to call me. The woman was quite terse, said they weren't selecting me, and that was it. Oh well...I've come to realize that while they may have paid me the most right at the start, other places I am speaking with have the best opportunity for advancement, and that's what I'm realizing I want.

I should post in about a week or two with some more information on this front.

Until then, more beer-inspired posts are on the way!

Cheers,
Matty D

"Double Fisting Means You Can Cheers Yourself!"

2006-05-15T00:02:00.000-07:00

That's my good friend, a girl who I've nicknamed Beer. I nicknamed her that because she's a really cool kid, and the coolest thing I know is beer...so it's all logical. The best part is that she loves the name. She's that cool.

Basically, a group of us went on a road trip to Salinas to do some precinct walking (we volunteer for the occasional political campaign), and of course, we did some drinking. The campaign bought us one too many rooms, but let us keep it on the condition that we made it into a party room (I LOVE this work!), and we did not fail that in the least. A few drinking games, 3 bottles of wine, one bottle of champagne, and countless empty beer bottles later between about 6 of us, Beer is double fisting a couple beers and exclaiming "DOUBLE FISTING MEANS YOU CAN CHEERS YOURSELF!" and then chugging what is left in each bottle.

I proposed to her on the spot. I even found a cigar band to put on her finger. Too bad it didn't mean anything...hahaha.

DoubleBarrel was there, luckily he didn't throw up in the party room. Not like it would have mattered. Nobody was sleeping in the room. Although, I did feel bad for the maids working there...we did leave a bit of a mess.

Saturday night we went to a comedy club in Monterey on Cannery Row. I can't remember having so much fun in such a long time. DoubleBarrel and I decided we'd go into business together in a few years and start a comedy club. The comic was pretty good, although my buddies DoubleBarrel and Montecristo (he's a cigar lover, hence the name for this blog) said he ripped off some of Chris Rock's work. I didn't notice - maybe because I don't know Chris Rock's material. I'm a Blue Collar Comedy Tour fan, mixed in with some Dane Cook and Dave Attell.

Anyways, once the comic was done, a cheap live cover band played for a while, and despite my self-promise that I would never dance in a club, I did this time. It wasn't hip hop...they played actual music. Good stuff that I recognized, but maybe that's because it was music from the 1970s (and yes, I'm only about to turn 22 at the end of this month). I'm old school like that. The other reason I felt fine dancing was that a female friend of mine made me. I didn't mind though...she's a good looking girl. She at least made me look somewhat decent on the dance floor.

Unfortunately, this post doesn't even begin to do justice to the weekend fun, but in the interest of brevity, I must be going.

Cheers,
Matty D

There's a First Time for Everything

2006-05-11T13:23:00.000-07:00

I got thrown out of a bar last night...first time it ever happened to me. The interesting part was that I wasn't drunk. It was my buddy's fault. I was the designated driver, of all people.

Anyhoo, it's my buddy's 23rd birthday, so we're taking him out to our favorite bar in town, The Red. It's got a nice, cozy feel to it, it's not a dive, but they mix the strongest drinks in town - and also have a decent beer selection.

Anyways, I drive my buddy there, and I start drinking water, and the occasional Coke. I will allow myself one drink, but I know that we'll be doing a round of Irish Car Bombs later, so I save it for then. My buddy (let's call him DoubleBarrel) immediately gets to work. Someone buys him a line of 3 shots of Jack Daniel's Whiskey. He downs them. He has more drinks that I don't remember, like at least 8 more of them, before he downs 3 Liquid Cocaines, declares that half the people in the bar are bitches, and need to get knocked out.

Time to do some Irish Car Bombs.

First of all, I HATE whiskey. I can't even take the smell any longer, let alone the taste. The only way I've drank whiskey that I've been able to stomach is in an Irish Car Bomb. For those of you that don't know, a Car Bomb is a half glass of Guinness, and a shot of 90% Bailey's Irish Cream, and then the shot is topped off with a little Jameson Irish Whiskey. You take the shot, drop it in the beer, and then chug it before the Bailey's curdles in the Guinness. It's a creamy drink, and not too bad.

Anyways, the barmaid lines up the Car Bombs, only she did the shot a little differently (which I didn't notice until I drank the damn thing). She filled the shot glass with Jameson, then topped it off with Bailey's. I didn't see this, I chug the drink, and almost hurl on the bar just because I now realize how much whiskey I downed.

On a side note, I am a beer drinker, and my main cocktail is the White Russian. It's like chocolate milk with a kick, sort of.

Anyways, after much of these shenanigans, and I'm skipping an awful lot of them, I look over and DoubleBarrel has left the bartenders a little present on the floor in front of the bar. Time to get him to the bathroom. Nothing more happens there, but it was at this point that two bartenders walk in and say that we're no longer welcome there for the night, please leave. No problem...except DoubleBarrel doesn't want to go, and shouts quite loudly that all the bartenders in the place are bitches and that he'll kick the bouncer's ass if they have anything to say about it.

Time to go.

I come close to rolling DoubleBarrel down the stairs, but luckily Dudette-friend #1 and Dudette-friend #2 help me stumble him down. He's incapable of walking at this point. We get him to my car, Dudette-friends hug and depart, and now I get to drive DoubleBarrel home. There's some good news.

I buckle the guy in, start driving his drunk ass home, we're almost there, and luckily I rolled his window down, because I look over just in time to see him get the glazed look in his eye and start turning toward the window. Luckily, it got cleaned out of the car nice and easy, and the end result was a mostly good night, and my car didn't smell bad today.

I guess that's the definition of being a bro.

Beer Lesson I: The Basics

2006-05-05T16:37:00.000-07:00

As promised in a comment I made recently, I have decided to give my own small lessons on different styles of beer. This will allow me to accomplish two things:
1. Educate those who wish to know more about the wonderful world of beer.
2. Write about something other than my life, because I don't seem to have one as exciting as other people (witness Brianne).

So, without further adieu, I shall write about the styles of beer, as best as I can give short synopses on them here. There will be plenty more information to come, these are just VERY short blurbs on the bare basics.

The most important thing to remember is that there are two basic categories of beer: lager and ale. The fundamental difference is that lager is bottom-fermenting, and best served at about 38-40 degrees Fahrenheit, while ales are top-fermenting, and best served (in general) at around 48-50 degrees Fahrenheit. However, I serve all my beer at about the 40F range, and have never had a problem.

Lager is typically light in mouthfeel, light in color, and lighter in taste sensations. This is why light beer (always a lager, as far as I know) tastes like water - you can't get much lighter in the main taste/mouthfeel characteristics for lager without watering it down. Pilsner (also spelled Pilsener) beer is a lager - the most famous example of this is the original: Pilsner Urquell from the Czech Republic. It is called Pilsner because it was first brewed in the town of Pilsen...go figure.

Budweiser, Coors, MGD are all lagers. They are crap. But there are good microbrewed lagers, such as Kona Longboard Lager. I recommend giving it a try.

Ales are so far across the board...there are many "subdivisions" of it. These include Stouts, Porters, India Pale Ales, Pale Ales...I believe Hefeweizen is also an ale. Ales have the most variety in beer, from light (hefeweizen and witbier) to dark (stouts and porters).

Finally, there is one exception to this rule: Steam Beer, also known as California Common Beer. It is only brewed by Anchor Brewing Company based in San Francisco. Basically, when you brew lager, it must be done so at a cold temperature. Ale is brewed at room temperature (I have brewed a few ales in my day at home). The history of how Steam Beer came about is simple: the Gold Rush of 1848-1849 caused it. Miners missed their lager from the East Coast, and couldn't brew it in the heat of the California summer, so they used ale techniques to brew their lager. Nobody really knows the full story of how they would do it, but Anchor Steam Beer is now the closest approximation to it that we know of.

Well, my fingers are almost typed out, so for now, Cheers!

Sorry for the Delay

2006-05-02T17:55:00.000-07:00

So I got back from the weekend, and I still haven't posted any photos - I have a good reason.

First of all, I didn't even get to take many pictures because my batteries died in my camera and I didn't have a way to buy new batteries. But I did take a few, and I'll see which ones I can get to this site.

Secondly, my computer has been out of action for a couple days. I actually had to post this from the office...w00t.

Anyhoo, with regard to the NFL Draft, I'm pretty happy. The 49ers drafted according to their needs (practically everywhere), but the addition of Vernon Davis at TE will give Alex Smith a good short-range target, and Manny Lawson (DE/LB from NC State) will be a good rookie with potential to fill Andre Carter's role. He was on the same D-Line as the first overall pick of the draft, Mario Williams.

Speaking of the first overall pick, I'm not even going to try...everybody and their grandmother is talking about how dumb the Texans are, and how much of a steal the Saints got because Reggie Bush fell to them at number 2. Until Williams was announced, I figured the Saints would trade out of their pick, considering the fact that they didn't have #2 overall needs for this draft.

The Titans were a bit of a surprise to me - I (along with a lot of other people) figured they would take Leinart, because of their Offensive Coordinator Norm Chow's excellent history with him. But, alas, they took Steve McNair's protege, Vince Young, and I believe they will remain near the bottom of the league for at least two more years as he develops.

The best part of the weekend though, was stopping at the Firestone Brewery on Highway 101 on the way home. If you have ever seen the movie Sideways (which, by the way, is a GREAT comedy), most of it was filmed right at this exit where the brewery is located. The Hitching Post is a central location in the film, as is the Motel 6 (where the main characters stayed in the film). These two locations and the Firestone Brewery are all within a one-mile radius of each other. Naturally though, being a beer-drinking guy, I spent all my time at the brewery.

This also means I got to try some fantastic beer, fresh from the factory. Their best beer? Firestone Walker's Reserve. It's an English Porter, which means it's very dark, and this one in particular has hints of espresso and chocolate. Boldly flavored with good malts as well. I'm a huge fan, and it is now my tied with Anchor Porter for my favorite all-around beer. If you ever make it to Santa Barbara County in Southern California, I highly recommend this place be a stop on your itinerary. More than the wineries in the area (who the fuck needs wine, anyways? It IS for the French...those surrender monkeys).

Cheers!
Matty D

ROAD TRIP!

2006-04-28T12:42:00.000-07:00

I'm about to leave in an hour or two for Anaheim...I'm going to a big political convention. But, truth be told, I'm going for the parties. Yeah, there will be two big parties, one with a $4000 open bar tab, the other with a $6000 open bar tab. I plan on using about $100 from each one of them.

I'll bring my camera to see if I can get any of the fun captured for all eternity. Then again, I might be too drunk to hold the camera right.

The only thing I'm dreading is the ride back on Sunday...it's about a 7 hour drive. Could be a lot of fun when hungover...we'll see what happens.

Cheers,
Matty D

Not Gonna Miss This...Part I

2006-04-26T22:28:00.000-07:00

It's week 4 of 10 for this Spring Quarter, and I'm already sick of two of my three professors (UCSC non-science/engineering students usually take 3 classes of 5 units each in 3 quarters each year).

One in particular - he's usually pretty funny, but occasionally says stupidly funny shit like this in complete seriousness:
"If you graduate and don't know what's going on in Nepal, then you're not getting educated."

Chalk part of this up to some degree of senioritis, also to my resentment at his short-sightedness with regard to most political issues (you'd think he'd be more knowledgeable...he sits on the Santa Cruz City Council, his family owns Bookshop Santa Cruz, and he was a lawyer in Washington DC for a number of years).

Maybe if he started ranting on hippies a bit, I'd be more satisfied with his class. I'm just realizing how much of his material is bull.

Cheers,
Matty D

Gonna Miss This...Part I

2006-04-23T20:16:00.002-07:00

Since this is my last quarter here at UCSC, and I got a new digital camera, I figured I'd take some pictures around campus of things I'd miss. Here's one of the views from campus of the Monterey Bay which I've grown used to seeing for the past 4 years. Too bad it wasn't as clear of a day as I'd like.

This is facing southeast from the campus, and you can see part of Santa Cruz past the tree that was kinda in my way. If only I had a better camera, instead of the normal basic model...it would look a lot better. Oh well.

Cheers,
Matty D

Losses and Gains

2006-04-19T10:17:00.000-07:00

My uncle passed away Monday night. It was a two-week fight for him. I'm doing alright though, I made the decision/realization when he entered the hospital that (despite my general non-statement of religious beliefs) God had already decided what his fate was, and that my main worry would be my aunt, who now has a hard time ahead of her. So basically, I trust that he's in a good place, wherever he is, and now I'm going to keep worrying about my family that's still here.

I don't feel like saying much more about the matter, other than not to worry, I've dealt with losses like this before in a detached way, and I guess it seems to work for me. Either that or I haven't had to deal with something that close yet. So, I'm doing pretty darn good, considering the circumstances. No need to get emo over it. Deal with it and move on, and that's what I've done.

I took my pre-interview exam with State Farm insurance yesterday. If they call me in 3 days or so, then that means they want me to come in for some interviews. If they don't call me, it means they're sending me a letter to ask why the hell I even applied to work for them...hahaha. But that's pretty much what it is.

We'll see what happens. I've got my fingers crossed. I need a job. Let's hope my personality, communication, and leadership skills can make up for the shortcomings I've experienced in school.

Wanna Get Depressed?

2006-04-17T11:14:00.000-07:00

Watch the 49ers blow the 2006 Draft. I can feel it coming. We signed a couple good people during free agency, but I can just see the 49ers drafting some wrong people.

On another note, but still relating to football, I recently admitted to my buddy that if I had to choose a second-favorite team in the NFL, it would probably be the Cincinnati Bengals.

He didn't want to hear any of it, saying I might as well be a Raiders fan (I HATE the Raiders), because the Bengals are one of our AFC rivals. I personally don't see it...just because we outplayed the Bengals hardcore-style in two Super Bowls (can anyone say Joe Montana and THE GREATEST SUPER BOWL DRIVE OF ALL TIME) doesn't mean I can't have a soft spot for them in my heart. I feel bad for them. As soon as things start looking good, Carson Palmer gets injured in the playoffs, and there's a chance he'll never be the same.

I get the impression he was going to be one of the few Heisman Trophy winners to actually have a good NFL career.

The jury is still out on our franchise QB, Alex Smith though. He's going to have a hard time.

Anyhoo, I haven't been out drinking in a while, but I did just set up Audioblogger for this site, so I might call in a post or two while out. Yeah, you read it right, I might be such a loser as to drunk-dial my own blog.

Cheers,
Matty D

The Bad Part of the Job Fair...ON NATIONAL NEWS TONIGHT

2006-04-13T15:06:00.000-07:00

Yeah, that's right. Apparently O'Reilly and Hannity/Colmes will be handling stuff regarding the job fair at UCSC.

Basically, what happened was a bunch of anti-war protesters blocked people from being able to talk to the military recruiters. Whatever. Have your opinion about the war. It's fine by me. But DO NOT block people from choosing their own destiny - this includes employers that they are interested in. They are taking rights away from other students, and they have no place to do that. I'm pretty pissed over it.

Anyhoo, a professor I've had (Dan Wirls) just confirmed he'd be going on air, and my best friend here at UCSC will be going on either tonight or tomorrow night (first name is Chandra, and he's a dude). Depends on what the producers decide.

Anyhoo, I was invited for the next interview with Enterprise, I just have to tell my contact which market I want to work in, and then do some more paperwork online.

Wish me luck...this next round is going to be tough.

Cheers!
Matty D

I Got an Interview!

2006-04-11T10:52:00.000-07:00

So I went to the job fair on campus today, talked with a few companies...and I GOT AN INTERVIEW TOMORROW MORNING!

I'm so freaking stoked...for a long time I've convinced myself that I don't have any real skills that were applicable to the market (Politics major's depression, I call it). Now I'm about to interview for the Management Training Program at Enterprise Rent-a-Car. Sounds low-brow, but from what I've heard, their program is one of the best in the management business. Many work for Enterprise just to go through this program, and then take the skills they've learned and work elsewhere.

I don't know if I will want to leave Enterprise, we'll just have to see how much money I can make at it.

Other prospective employers (those that sounded more positive, or the ones that I didn't bomb) include Hertz, State Farm Insurance, and GraniteRock (a construction sales company).

I'm definitely interested in the sales route.

I will also be applying to work here at UCSC upon graduation, the benefits package from the University of California is pretty decent.

But, the Job Fair was not without controversy...more to come in a soon-to-be-published post (hopefully with pictures).

Cheers,
Matty D

Another Drunken Card Shark Endorsement!

2006-04-06T18:02:00.000-07:00

Tanked for the Troops is my new charity of choice, if you could call it that.

The tagline: You get drunk. Our troops get packages. Everybody wins!

This was created by Tucker Max, self-described asshole; but if you don't mind extremely vulgar humor, his website is hilarious. Or maybe you're able to censor the reading to yourself as you peruse the material.

Cheers!
Matty D

BEERBLOCKED!

2006-04-03T20:59:00.000-07:00

Yeah, not cockblocked. I have too little game to get cockblocked. Besides, the one-night stand thing ain't how I swing, y'dig?

Although, I do have my midget girlfriend (I have a midget girlfriend, because 2 inches is really big to a midget)...maybe a phone call?

I actually told that joke to a girl (a friend) once, and she says "I HOPE for your sake that you're joking." I told her that I HOPED they didn't give her the wrong IQ score and falsely inflate her ego, and yes, I was joking.

Ok, I've gone a little over the line with this post already...let's drop it and get back to normalcy.

But BEERBLOCKED! Just about to go out for some drinks with the buddies, when they cancel. Sonsabitches. Oh well. I'm getting hungry though. This is exactly what I thought I had gotten away from last quarter. Maybe I'm just missing the night out.

Not-so-cheery Cheers,
Matty D

On the Bandwagon

2006-03-28T21:22:00.000-08:00

No worries, faithful readers. I did not quit drinking (or is that off the wagon?)...

Indeed, I could hardly be drinking more. w00t.

Instead, today I just ditched my old Nokia cell phone (similar to this one, still running on AT&T Wireless GSM technology (their version of it was inferior to their now-owner-company Cingular's GSM network), and switched over to the Motorola V3 RAZR.

It's not too bad...I got it at the right time...about 18 months after it came out. This way I only paid $50 after mail-in rebate, instead of waiting another 3 months for the new RAZR to come out with iTunes and all that, and pay an arm and two legs.

I don't care much about the extras on phones, I see it as a tool. Not a toy. So I take the basic 450 rollover minutes, pay-as-you-go text messaging and such, and so forth. It would have been even better if the phone didn't have a camera - I think it's useless.

Although, I did use the camera to make a wallpaper for the phone of the dog that loves me at home. I couldn't resist that one. Now, I just need to figure out how to send it to my computer, and I should be set. I still don't know how to use half the regular features on the phone, but quite frankly, that's fine by me. I'm a fairly minimalist guy when it comes to phones. I don't think society needs all this input from every electronic device possible. Not only that, but downloading music to your phone is pretty dumb, and way too expensive to boot.

On to other things.

Now that I'm home for spring break (yeah, I'm a loser like that), my mom told me another funny story about my youngest sister. At six years old, she already loves shoes, so this interaction took place:

Sister: Mommy, I need new shoes.
Mom: Why?
Sister: I need new wedding shoes, my old ones are too small.
Mom: What do you need wedding shoes for?
Sister: For Matt's wedding.
Mom: Matt's wedding?
Sister: Yes. Matt's about to graduate from college, so it's time for him to get married.
Mom: Doesn't he need a girlfriend for that?
Sister: Well, he can just call his old girlfriend and she'll know it's time to get married.

If this girl is 6 years old, and comes up with schemes like that already, I worry for whoever she dates when she's older. She's too conniving already.

Cheers!
Matty D

P.S. For the record, my little sister didn't know that my old relationship ended on very bad terms, which makes it even funnier to me. :)

Finals Are Over!

2006-03-24T00:32:00.000-08:00

Thank gawd, finals are finally done with. This is why I haven't posted in just over a week, so apologies go out to my loyal fanbase (Brianne, RT, Jenn, and Sandmich, this means you). And whoever happens to read the blog every now and then but doesn't comment.

So I naturally went to the local watering hole, 99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall, for some post-finals celebration. I just happened to sit down next to an old professor of mine, who I've never liked. I literally didn't notice him until I had already ordered my first round with my buddies. Oh well, just glad he didn't try to say hello. Haha.

It was a fun night though. I might have tossed off, OK I did toss off a line on my philosophy regarding gun control (that I support it, but only in the sense that I consider gun control to mean knowing how to properly aim your firearm). Yeah, I definitely pulled a redneck line in a non-redneck town. Oh well. Alcohol was involved. Besides, we all know I've done (and said) stupider shit when drunk. I don't think I owe anybody an excuse for that :)

This is what happens when Politics majors get drunk together. We say stupid shit like that, in a bar.

In the meantime, my residents made me happy by buying me food, since I have to stay here over the weekend and be on duty. It just means I handle lockouts. But since the dining halls will be closed for the break, some of them bought me food. I love them.

Well, now it's time for me to watch some random movie as I drift off to sleep...

Cheers!
-Matty D

Hate Mail Counterattack!

2006-03-15T10:46:00.000-08:00

No, I didn't get any hatemail. But my favorite sports columnist, Bill Simmons, gets it all the time. What makes it better are his replies, which he publishes in just about every column.

Anyhoo, for this particular excerpt (which I laughed at so hard that beer came out of my nose, even though I hadn't consumed any...it WAS 7am at the time), a student journalist wrote Simmons that he was getting hate mail for his 'unfavorable depiction' of his university's crew team. By the way, SG = Sports Guy, which is his own self-given moniker. Here it is:

Q: Hey Bill, my name is Jon and I'm a writer for The Daily Collegian at UMass-Amherst. Last week I wrote an article that had to do with the crew team here and I seem to have pissed off a lot of people. I was wondering what you do when your fans get pissed off at you and send hate mail and death threats. Also, if at all possible, since the crew team has given me such grief, try to work them into your next article. Maybe something about how much rowing sucks and how it's not even a sport. Just make 'em hurt. I'd appreciate it.
-- Jon B., Sharon, Mass.

SG: Come on, it's the crew team. Settle down. What are they going to do, attack you with a broken Zima bottle? Keep in mind, this is a sport that is (A) huge in Britain, and (B) allows for the everyday use of the word "coxswain." And if you're rowing crew in college, this usually means one (or more) of four things:

1) You suck at every intramural sport, as well as every video game and every drinking game, so this is really the only way you can find a competitive outlet -- by participating in a sport that's not even remotely fun to do (so the odds have been decreased because anyone with any semblance of coordination would rather be doing something else).

2) You're looking for an acceptable excuse to get up at 5:30 a.m. on weekends so you don't have to be out drinking, partying or doing anything else that might result in you having a memorable experience in college.

3) You were looking for an activity in which you need to be in phenomenal shape and routinely throw up, but for no real reason.

4) You really, really, REALLY liked "Oxford Blues."

(And by the way, if rowing is a sport, then "playing Madden while walking at 3.8 miles per hour on the treadmill" should also be considered a sport. So don't worry about it, Jon B. Stick to your guns. It's a free country.)

And the Nosepicker Award Goes To...

2006-03-10T15:35:00.000-08:00

Whatever his name is, this is pretty harsh for a boss to do (it's a WMV video).

Cheers,
Matty D

Endorsement of The Drunken Card Shark Goes To...

2006-03-04T17:25:00.000-08:00

and...

By the way, the Japanese have unintentionally given me the best name possible for the crap we call Budweiser...in this picture

Cheers,
Matty D

SOUTH PARK!

2006-03-03T16:17:00.000-08:00

I unfortunately can't get away from it. The humor is pretty crude, yet the creators (Trey Parker and Matt Stone) find a way to satire just about every angle in today's sad society.

On another note, I saw this commercial. I figured since it's a good, beer-related commercial, it was worthy of note, especially on a Friday.

TGIF.

Cheers,
Matty D

Fresh Back from Another Drama Weekend

2006-02-26T20:10:00.000-08:00

So I went to San Jose over the weekend for a political convention...I went to do some networking and find potential employers. I was fairly successful on that front. However, I also went with at least 18 other kids my age from my school to volunteer for a politician's campaign (that's how our 4.5 star hotel room got paid for).

Anyhoo, the girls caused drama, and I got slightly bombed, but lucky for me that actually works out well in the political arena. Just make sure you're less bombed than the people you want to work for, and they'll think you're the most responsible person in the room.

Or, like this one guy I met, start yelling all over the hotel lobby "MATTY DEEEEEEEEE!!!"

But that's another story that I probably shouldn't post online; I don't want to hurt this guy's career. Let's just say that he's pretty high up...he's a high official in Governor Schwarzenegger's administration. I'll just leave it at that.

But I have come to this conclusion: girls are too much drama. I realized that not only have I been single for over a year, but I've been HAPPILY SINGLE for almost the same amount of time. Where does a happily single bachelor go for a date? Should this happily single bachelor risk his happiness?

Standup Comedy for Everybody!

2006-02-23T22:19:00.000-08:00

I went down to Borders today and picked up another Tom Clancy book (Without Remorse), since he's my favorite author. There's nothing like mindless entertainment to keep me going.

I also got Ron White's new standup comedy album. I'm a huge fan of the Blue Collar Comedy boys, of which Ron is one. The others are Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall, and Larry the Cable Guy.

Anyhoo, Ron White's new album's got some good stuff on it (it's called "You Can't Fix Stupid"). I recommend checking it out sometime; I don't want to ruin any of his jokes for you though.

I do want to say though, that these four comics are among my favorites because of their blue-collar appeal. There's something in their comedy that I find appeals to just about anybody. Larry the Cable Guy is the ultra-redneck, Bill Engvall makes fun of the married like just like Jeff Foxworthy does, but their taglines are a little different, and Ron White is the sarcastic small-town Texan with impeccable delivery.

Check 'em out sometime.

A good quote:
"I got kicked off my high school debate team...some guy made a point against me, and I just said 'Yeah, well FUUUUUCK YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!'"
-Ron White

Other comedians I like:
Mitch Hedberg (unfortunately, he died about a year ago)
Dave Attell
Dane Cook

The Beauty of the 252

2006-02-19T19:11:00.000-08:00

Again, I initiated someone into the great fraternity we know as "Those of the Age 21 or Older." And again, I paid it forward and gave this newest inductee the 252. For those who still don't know this drink, it's a shot; half Bacardi 151, half Wild Turkey.

This guy downed it like a champ, after having hardly ever touched a drink in his life. I was proud of him. He does those who embrace the name Matty right (yeah, he also goes by Matty, but he'll never replace THE MATTY D). Although I was thoroughly impressed with this guy's abilities considering he'd never really drank before. First thing we get him was an Adios Motherfucker (just like a Long Island, but instead of Coke, you put in Curacao Blue), which came in a pint glass. The bartender told him to take a big swig, to which Matty complied by downing the whole thing in about 3 seconds. We were all impressed.

Anyhoo, I had an early class the next day, so I only had one drink after sitting out a couple bars, but I did hear that my boy Matty hurled on Pacific Street (the main drag downtown) right in front of a police cruiser. Luckily, my other buddies bailed him out by letting the officer know that it was his 21st, and that they were taking him home (which they were doing).

I guess I'd like to take credit for putting him away for the night with that shot.

Happy Faux-Love Holiday!

2006-02-13T20:33:00.000-08:00

Here's my Valentine's Day last year in a nutshell.

THE GOOD: I have a valentine, first date thing.

THE GOOD: She cooks dinner.

THE BAD: She can't cook.

THE GOOD: She's single, and so am I.

THE BAD: She had just broken up with her boyfriend a month ago.

THE UGLY: She knew he was a jerk, but she can't get over him.

THE WORST: I didn't know this part until the climactic end of the "date."

THE GOOD (sort of): She gave me a good night kiss (and I didn't try for it).

THE END: She kisses me, then runs out crying and won't come back out of her room.

Funny thing, all that bad stuff about her ex and such was news to me...but I didn't get the news until after February 14th. Go figure. So I got to sit on my ass for a couple days wondering what happened, because as far as I knew, she was just psycho.

That's kind of a moot point now that I've known her for longer, and decided (along with numerous friends of mine) that she is officially wacked out in the head and has become one of the most annoying people we've ever met.

I sure know how to pick 'em, eh?

Cheers,
Matty D

At This Rate, I'll Need New Pants in a Week

2006-02-09T23:15:00.000-08:00

Just got back from doing some lower-body weightlifting, and weighed myself. I've now lost 12 lbs. Granted, I'm having a semi-hard time seeing it just yet, but I still feel better than ever.

Anyhoo, on to other topics.

Too bad I don't have any.

Cheers,
Matty D

Look Out Wives of America

2006-02-07T17:04:00.000-08:00

There's going to be a new 'real' aphrodisiac on the market...a soda. It will retail for $3.50 a can.

Cheers (and now that has new meaning, thanks to this soda!)
-Matty D

I Notice a Trend...

2006-02-06T21:32:00.000-08:00

I get the feeling I tend to post fairly frequently when I'm supposed to be working on a paper. That means that as I write this, I'm semi-procrastinating on a Philosophy of Science paper that I should be working on. Instead, I'm doing this. Next week I'll be procrastinating on an American Lit essay, which is way too open-ended.

Speaking of which, I happen to know at least one Lit major reads this blog. Would this person happen to have read all of these (or at least most?) of these books?

1. Where I Was From, by Joan Didion
2. The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne
3. Go Down Moses, by William Faulkner
4. Benito Cereno and Bartleby the Scrivener, by Herman Melville
5. Puddn'head Wilson, by Mark Twain

I'm trying to think of a good theme running through these (or at least, most of these) books that can make for a good essay as relates to politics. The class is my senior seminar; American Politics through American Literature.

Sigh,
Matty D

I Hope I Didn't Do a Bad Thing...

2006-02-04T19:33:00.000-08:00

So I made a bet with one of my residents...I bet him that the Steelers would win the Super Bowl, and that if the Steelers lose, I'd be his slave for one day. He made the same bet against me, only he said the opposite thing.

Oh well, let's see what happens. Wish me luck.

The Best Video EVER

2006-02-03T00:16:00.000-08:00

Now, we all know that I am one to typically avoid political discussions on this site, but I saw this video online, and I think it's just about one of the best things I've ever seen.

I can only link to it, I don't have the net know-how to make it appear on the page, so the link is right here.

Cheers,
Matty D

Prog Rock Sucks

2006-02-02T18:39:00.000-08:00

In other words, I have nothing else to rant on, other than prog rock solos are so long, they just get boring. Ever listen to Dream Theater - before they got REALLY big? They were so prog it hurt.

Now they're just commercialized.

But either way, their solos are still too long, and bore people to death. Everyone, that is, except my buddy Mr C. He says prog rock is "musician's music." Sigh. Whatever.

Anyhoo, for now I'm sitting here, procrastinating, watching Everybody Loves Raymond reruns on TBS. Sick and bored. Makes me semi-angry, because I can't go to the gym sick. Oh well, I'm sure I'll get over it pretty soon.

Saturday I'll be working Family Day, the first one at Crown College (my living area at UCSC). But the way I look at it, it's 6 hours of work before SUPER BOWL SUNDAY.

By the way, I'm picking Pittsburgh to win, by one score (either FG or TD, I am undecided on that one, but it really doesn't matter unless I was betting on the game...for which I don't even know the spread).

Cheers,
Matty D

Best Pickup Line of All Time

2006-02-02T16:29:00.000-08:00

Hey, does this rag smell like chloroform to you?

My Pants Won't Stay On

2006-01-31T23:53:00.000-08:00

Love the title.

Anyhoo, I've been noticing my pants are getting bigger.

Ok ok, I'm getting smaller. I started this diet/exercise deal about 3 and a half weeks ago, didn't tell too many people about it, but I did start noticing some changes. For example, I put on some jeans I hadn't worn in about a week and a half, and they're definitely loose.

Then, I go to the dining hall for lunch today, and the manager (who I used to work with, and I haven't seen in 2 weeks) asks me "Are you alright?" I reply, of course, why do you ask...she says "You're losing weight aren't you?"

So, I'm a happy camper. I wasn't really noticing any difference until today, and then suddenly I get compliments from people who don't know my situation, and I just feel that much more encouraged.

End result, I'm in a pretty damn good mood right now.

Cheers,
Matty D

Toying Around Again

2006-01-30T23:41:00.000-08:00

So I toyed with the sidebar yet again. I decided I didn't have enough alcohol stuff on this blog. That is a cardinal sin, in my book. So I now have a "Beer of the Week." I'll start off by saying the Anderson Valley Winter Solstice is now one of my favorites. Creamy, but not too much so. An unfiltered amber color gives it a nice look, the nose isn't too shabby, and pours a good head if you know what you're doing.

Hopefully I'll start posting real reviews as a corollary to my new sidebar addition.

I also got rid of the WeatherPixie, I think. She was pointless.

Anyhoo, it's almost midnight and I only got 3 hours of sleep last night, so I'm feeling the effects of sleep deprivation yet again.

Cheers,
Matty D

Seattle or Pittsburgh?

2006-01-23T18:04:00.000-08:00

I really would have been much happier with Cincinnati in the Super Bowl, but despite Carson Palmer's injury, I still doubted their ability to win it. I think they next year, providing Palmer returns full strength, they'll be in better shape. Yeah, they'll be back to the playoffs again, only to eventually lose to the 49ers four or five years down the road in the Super Bowl =P.

As for Super Bowl XL, I'm leaning towards picking Pittsburgh to win. I really like the way they're playing lately, but I do believe that it will still be a 3-point difference in the end, one way or the other.

Thoughts?

Cheers,
Matty D

Hittin the Gym, and Hittin it Hard

2006-01-16T20:14:00.000-08:00

So I'm now in the gym 6 days a week, creating yet another time-consumer on my day. But it's actually a lot better. I feel SO much more energized. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays I show up no later than 7:15am (6:30am on Wednesdays) for a run on the elliptical trainer. I do the hill climb thing. It's intense.

Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, I lift weights. I switch each time between upper and lower body. I usually show up in the afternoon or evening for these workouts though. I can already feel the need to increase some weights I've been lifting, so I'm happy about that.

Along with this goes a change in the food I eat. Now, I've hardly touched fast food for the past 3 years or so, but with this new workout regimen I've also had to cut back on the coffee. Beer - my favorite beverage on the planet - is getting a cutback as well. Oh, not to worry, my readers, I still drink beer. I just don't have as much as I used to. This way I can appreciate it much more, right?

Moreover, I also have to change how I eat. Now, instead of 3 squares a day, I get 6 small meals a day. Portion of protein and carbs at each meal, 2 meals get a portion of veggies on the side.

Oh, did I mention how much water I'm drinking? I've never had to run to the bathroom so much.

But like I said above, I feel SO much more energetic now than as far back as I can remember. It's absolutely fantastic. Even without the coffee. I recommend it.

Good news though, I can keep inhaling the black tar heroin like a mofo in heat. (Disclaimer: I don't do black tar heroin.)

Time for the Job Search to Begin

2006-01-08T18:47:00.000-08:00

And I have no idea where to start. I know I'm going to the Career Center here on campus, that'll help. But then I should probably know what I want to do. I was thinking of teaching at a private school since I don't want to go to grad school right away (private Catholic schools don't require a credential, and I am Catholic, so it makes it easy for me to teach Religion if they need it).

I am also interested in working in the non-profit sector. I know that it won't pay nearly as well as possibly getting a job in the "real world," but then neither will teaching. Besides, if I do choose this route, it can open up doors further down the road in terms of the experience it will give, especially in the political arena.

Regardless of all this, I already know what I want to do when I near retirement. I am going to open a sports bar and grill. A pub. It will be fantastic. I'm thinking maybe 100 beers, Budweiser being expressly prohibited. Full liquor bar to accompany it. My liquor license is going to be expensive, but it will be worth it...I hope.

Anyhoo, more of the troubled college senior's worries to come.

Cheers,
Matty D

I Really Wanna Keep Posting, I Swear I Do

2005-12-29T21:32:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night. Happy Chanukah as well. Kwanzaa is fakery, as far as I am concerned. And I don't care so much about winter-solstice celebrating pagan-ship.

Ok, insensitive, perhaps.

But I've been doing some thinking lately, especially after a Christmas party during the campaign I just finished working for (the election happens on January 10, though). Anyhoo, when you work on a political campaign, conversation at group gatherings will tend to turn towards politics.

I overheard one conversation between two campaign workers for our side (we did employ in a bipartisan style). Whereupon, one worker said to the other that he believed that some cultures are better than others, and that he believed our (American) culture was among these higher cultures.

I found myself agreeing with this, to a point. But what I wonder, is whether this reaction I had was a gut reaction to the diversity training given to Resident Advisors (I am one myself, this year) based on multiculturalism, that I wanted an alternative for some unknown reason?

Or are my thoughts that a hierarchy of cultures exist correct/right/even acceptable? I am not one to say that race makes a difference, otherwise I might be found at the local klan meeting. But when I think of a hierarchy of cultures, I think of backyard barbecues in America, fine wine in France (despite my hatred of France), German beer, all this against primitives in the Amazon.

Just an example of my thoughts on the topic. Maybe y'all can point out some stuff I may have missed.

Been a While; I'm a Busy Politico

2005-12-17T22:09:00.000-08:00

So, since my last post on December 3rd, I've been busy. I finished finals, and now I have driven down to San Diego from my hometown north of Santa Cruz to work on a City Council campaign.

Nine hour drive, I got here at 530 in the evening and I went straight to work. Now what I do is get to the office at about 11am (the campaign HQ) and do some letter-writing, then around 1pm I get briefed on where I'll be precinct walking, then head out and do that until dark (around 5). Once that's done, I go back to the campaign HQ, drop off anything I have to leave there (campaign materials, responses from constituents, and etc) and go to the campaign consultant's office in the downtown area. From there I work for a couple hours, usually getting out around 830 or so, and then hit the downtown area, specifically the Gaslamp Quarter, for dinner.

It's a beautiful downtown area, but I especially give my Drunken Card Shark endorsement to The Yardhouse. They offer traditional pubfare as well as excellent other dishes. But the best part is the bar, where they have ONE HUNDRED THIRTY FIVE beers on draft. However, I spoke with the waitress who told me that their Long Beach location is their largest, with TWO HUNDRED FIFTY beers on draft. I was in heaven in San Diego's location (apparently their smallest), but now I am considering a pilgrimage to Long Beach just to enjoy the taste sensation available there.

Anyhoo, I go back to my hometown just north of Santa Cruz on Thursday (in time for Christmas!), so I'll be singing "I'll Be Home for the Holidays" for the whole 9 hour drive through Los Angeles and the Central Valley.

Now all I need to do is start my Christmas shopping...

Cheers!

-Matty D

When The Butterflies Have Gone

2005-12-03T19:08:00.000-08:00

So the girl I was dating for a short bit and I have decided to be friends. Sort of a mutual decision; she's more academic, and I'm trying to be. LOL.

I'm doing good though. Just part of the game.

Finals are this week, although I've already completed two of them. My last one for Fall Quarter is on Tuesday, and I'm not really worried about it. But still, wish me luck.

Anyhoo, just thought I'd drop by for a short note.

Cheers,
Matty D

Change in Time-Wasting

2005-11-28T11:41:00.000-08:00

After Thanksgiving, I came back to Santa Cruz on Friday to get some hardcore studying and other work done. Instead I ended up watching both seasons 2 and 3 of Cheers. Really super funny stuff, and also quite well-written, but unfortunately, I have now lost quite a bit of time. Not the best predicament, but not something I have not been in before.

Back in the Saddle Again?

2005-11-21T21:59:00.000-08:00

So I guess I'm back into the dating thing. Went on the first date with this girl on Sunday night, it went fantastic. Not to sound emo again, but the butterflies in the stomach still haven't gone away. So I guess that's a good thing.

Football Takes Too Much of my Life

2005-11-20T13:03:00.000-08:00

So I have this total football obsession this year. It's never been this hardcore. Last night I was at one of the local bars (99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall, my usual spot) watching the USC-Fresno State college football game. A damn good game. Not quite as good as the Notre Dame-USC game, but this time Reggie Bush got 513 all purpose yards. Un-fucking-real.

Anyhoo, as I write this, the 49ers/Seahawks game has just started, and it looks like the Seahawks might have their way with the Niners. Sigh. What else is new. I still give the Niners credit for playing hard every day.

Sigh. Work Work Work.

2005-11-08T11:59:00.000-08:00

So I should be writing an essay on the work of Hannah Arendt's "The Human Condition," and its possible commentary on Karl Marx's "The Jewish Question." I think that's the topic.

I forget.

It isn't due until Thursday either way, and it's only a 4 page minimum. Cakewalk for a senior Politics major (this assignment is for a lower division class).

So the sad thing for me lately is that I've started watching a little too much daytime court-television. Judge (insert name here) type stuff. Like the People's Court genre. It's bad stuff, but I've been bored. Sigh.

My car broke down again. It needs a new radiator and a new clutch. I knew the clutch was going, but the radiator was a surprise; it's what made me do some emergency work, but it still isn't driveable. I won't be able to fix it until I have more money either.

Helping a Friend With Her Walk of Shame

2005-10-28T22:57:00.000-07:00

So Friday night (the 21st) at midnight, my good friend turned 21. Naturally, I had to pay it forward and go along with her on her Santa Cruz-style Walk of Shame. Only thing was, it seemed so much shorter than my walk, until I realized A. she’s a lightweight, and B. she’s a she; girls don’t usually have as high a tolerance as a heavyweight like myself does.

Anyhoo, we hit some of the same bars which I hit, we just went down Pacific Street in a different direction. We didn’t even touch 99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall; I am now a regular at the location, but nonetheless it was the place where I coated the walls of the bathroom with, uh, 21st birthday cheer.

First was The Red, where I think the bartender made a Liquid Cocaine, but I couldn’t tell.

Then came Clouds, where I think it was some raspberry flavored shot, and then I stepped out (I don’t like Clouds at all), and someone else bought the friend a drink.

Then was Rosie McCann’s Irish Pub, where the bartender was an absolute bitch. Basically, we all get in, and about 8 of us decided we were all going to do an Irish Car Bomb race. Alright. Cool. Fun. First we made sure the birthday girl got her shot, which she downed quite nicely. Then, at $7.50 a pop, we all ordered ourselves an Irish Car Bomb. But before we could take them from the bar, the bartender (remember the bitch?) stopped us cold, pulling this shenanigan, saying: “I can’t tell you guys how important tipping is around here. We get taxed on every alcoholic drink we serve. So, make sure you tip us.”

So eight of us (I think) ended up having an Irish Car Bomb chugging contest, and I took third. My buddy Big Dave finished it in literally one gulp; the guy can just open his throat and let it go. Then a girl named Sharla finished hers, and I was right behind, just barely beating another buddy, Special K (as we call him).

Then we went to the Asti I think, and that would turn out to be the last place on the itinerary, and I can proudly say it was my doing. We go to the Asti, and my friend gets her free drink, and I tell her I have to buy her a drink as a birthday present. I go to the bartender, and get her a 252. If you remember my post on my 21st birthday walk, another friend of mine got me a 252, which is a shot; half Bacardi 151, half Wild Turkey.

I bought one of these for my friend doing the walk this night, and don’t tell her what it is. I say “you have to down this all in one gulp” and she agrees. She takes the shot, downs it quick, then runs out half-screaming because it burned. The burn went away, but as soon as it did, she was BEYOND drunk. I was so proud. Hahaha. And no, I wasn’t getting her drunk to try and get some, this is a good friend who I have drank with many a time before, so there was no risk of any hanky panky going on.

After that drink, she now remembers nothing. Damn, I know how to work it. Muahaha.

A Small Primer

2005-10-25T01:22:00.000-07:00

THINGS THAT ARE DIFFICULT TO SAY WHEN YOU'RE DRUNK:
Indubitably
Innovative
Preliminary
Proliferation
Cinnamon

THINGS THAT ARE VERY DIFFICULT TO SAY WHEN YOU'RE DRUNK:
Specificity
British Constitution
Passive-aggressive disorder
Loquacious Transubstantiate

THINGS THAT ARE DOWNRIGHT IMPOSSIBLE TO SAY WHEN YOU'RE DRUNK:
Thanks, but I don't want to have sex
Nope, no more booze for me
Sorry, but you're not really my type
Good evening officer, isn't it lovely out tonight
Oh, I just couldn't. No one wants to hear me sing

And I Thought my Hometown 49ers Had Issues...

2005-10-13T14:12:00.000-07:00

The Minnesota Vikings players allegedly had a boat party recently featuring the typical sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll. I was worried about my 49ers having issues dealing with their defensive injuries (75% of the starting secondary is out, and now one of our best linebackers is gone for the season (Ulbrich)).

Class Project

2005-10-05T10:52:00.000-07:00

An elementary school class started a class project to make planters to take home to their parents.
They wanted to have a plant in it that was easy to take care of, so they decided to use cactus plants.
The students were given green-ware pottery planters in the shape of clowns which they painted with glaze.
The clown planters were professionally fired at a class outing so they could see the process.
It was great fun!
They planted cactus seeds in the finished planters and they grew nicely, but unfortunately, the children were not allowed to take them home.
The cactus plants were removed and small ivy replaced them and the children were then allowed to take them home instead.
The teacher said cactus seemed like a good idea at the time!

The RA Lifestyle Has Caught Up With Me...

2005-10-01T02:10:00.000-07:00

I have been so busy over the past 2 or 3 weeks that I have hardly had a chance to even think about blogging. I miss doing this every couple days...it was a good relaxer for me.

So I have been spending a lot of time at my favorite bar/pub downtown, 99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall. Yes, there are 99 bottles on the wall. Better yet, they have 99 types of beer (beers change seasonally), so as long as you fill up on 99 types of beer, you get a plaque put on the wall for all eternity with your name on it, and a short quote. It's a goal of mine. After 4 weeks of living in Santa Cruz and being of legal drinking age, I have done 14 beers at the wonderful joint we call 99 Bottles, or even shorter, just 99.

If you remember my birthday post, 99 is where I ever-so-gracefully threw up all over the bathroom at the end of the night.

Recommendations from what I've tried thus far:

Do Not Drink:
Red Seal Ale
Flying Dog "Doggie Style" Ale

Worth a Try:
Hofbrau Oktoberfest
Chimay White Label
Orval Trappist

Damn Good:
Humbolt Hemp Ale
Firestone Double Barrel
Fat Tire Amber Ale
Kona Longboard Lager

Weatherman: Hurricane Katrina Started by Japanese Yakuza

2005-09-23T14:00:00.000-07:00

That's right, this weatherman is leaving his news forecasting job to pursue his research that led him to believe that Hurricane Katrina was started by the Japanese Mafia, by using some electromagnetic device procured from the Russians; all this was done in some grand attempt to get even for Hiroshima.

His website that he runs can be found here.

National Talk Like a Pirate Day is Coming...

2005-09-11T12:08:00.000-07:00

September 19 is International Talk like a Pirate Day, so I found a quiz to get my Pirate Name :)

My pirate name is:

Bloody Sam Rackham

Every pirate lives for something different. For some, it's the open sea. For others (the masochists), it's the food. For you, it's definitely the fighting. You have the good fortune of having a good name, since Rackham (pronounced RACKem, not rack-ham) is one of the coolest sounding surnames for a pirate. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from fidius.org.

As Part of My Job

2005-09-06T10:02:00.000-07:00

I am having very little free time. We are about to launch into one of the longest near-nonstop training periods we will have. We're going to have a couple 12 hour days in a row. w00t. All this just after a team retreat to SF, where we practically walked the whole city in about 4 hours. Not the most fun I've had.

But besides the long walk through SF, and the subsequent shin splints, bad knees, and aching feet (I think I'm getting too old for this stuff, unlike all you young'uns who read my blog), I had a good time. We stayed at the hostel at Fort Mason, which is not too far from Fisherman's Wharf, and has some old school naval cannons as well as a nice view of Alcatraz.

But, alas, I must go...more training starts in less than 20 minutes.

Cheers!

Drunk Blogging, Part I

2005-09-02T00:02:00.000-07:00

Drunk blogging...something I've never triend, but i'm going to not edit this post beceause i don;t feel like making it look like i;m sober. had a good night tonighrt, plated the drinkign game hockey, and it wsa good. But either way, drink bnloging is still for people who got buzzkilled by some girl who was a ltitle too loud.

Gnight.

Disenchanted Giants Fan, Part Deux

2005-08-30T21:20:00.000-07:00

So I landed row 5 tickets to last night's Giants game an hour before the first pitch. I didn't pay a damn thing to get the expensive fuckers either. So, no loss, right? Well, after I made the usually-hourlong drive in 30 minutes, they got me for parking. TWENTY FIVE BUCKS, THE BASTARDS!

Whatever. I got myself an overpriced cup of one of my favorite craft brews: Anchor Steam Beer. They got me again on the price of that, but the tickets were free. AND IN THE FIFTH ROW for a damn good game, although the Giants still reliably lost to the Colorado Rockies 2-to-1.

As for upcoming events, I move back to UCSC on Thursday, for the start of staff training. Should be real fun. I'm really looking forward to this year...I and a partner get to watch 60 freshmen and make sure they don't all die of alcohol poisoning. Makes me feel sorry for my old RAs back from when I was a young freshman.

I Think They're a Waste, But Others Use Them Well...

2005-08-28T21:56:00.000-07:00

Some dudette named Thao Nguyen got flashed in a Manhattan subway, so she did the best thing she could think of...take a picture of him with her camera phone and then tell the cops.

I always figured the camera phone was a total waste of money, but if this works, then to each his/her own.

NEW FEATURE: Bash.org Internet Chat Quote of the Day!

Jakefeb3: do you know a turtles only weakness?
AvatarOfSolusek: no
AvatarOfSolusek: well
AvatarOfSolusek: thier slowness
Jakefeb3: there weakness is they cant roll over when they are on their backs
AvatarOfSolusek: lol
Jakefeb3: now i have a plan
Jakefeb3: if i duck tape 2 turtles together they are unstoppable

Just My Freaking Luck

2005-08-27T18:03:00.000-07:00

So earlier in the month, I accidentally deleted my old blog.

Then...on Sunday night, my car got broken into. It isn't anything special, just a sun-damaged, formerly navy blue 1987 Jeep Cherokee with a non-functioning AC. But, nonetheless, it was broken into. Luckily, my dogs started barking in the middle of the night, and we saw a couple teenagers in the car, we called the police who are now investigating.

Well, I figured that would be that, until the events of last night, which I missed because I and my dogs were completely asleep. Turns out my car was broken into a second time, only this time they siphoned the gas tank nearly dry. Nothing else was taken as far as I can tell, but I just feel so invaded.

This is a car I got a job in high school and spent a year and a half saving up to buy for myself. It's not in the best shape, but it's what's gotten me from point A to B for 4 years now.

I guess what just buggers me the most is the fact that it's now happened twice in one week; it just does wonders for the sense of security, ya know?

Word Verification

2005-08-27T16:41:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Brianne for teaching me how to do word verification for comments. Now, I expect to not get spammers, the arseholes.

So, hopefully it won't be annoying to the commenters on my blog...I just don't want spam.

Cheers!

Disenchanted Giants Fan

2005-08-24T20:03:00.000-07:00

So, for the larger part of my teen-to-adult life, I have been a San Francisco Giants fan. So, naturally, I went to a couple games over the past two nights. The Phillies were in town, and since they serve alcohol at the games, I figured I'd partake. I swallowed the $8/beer price and enjoyed the small serving sizes of Guinness, Gordon Biersch, and Anchor Steam beer.

I even rode CalTrain to the ballpark; I mean, how can you be more of a fan than to ride public transportation to the game?

Anyhoo, the first night, the Giants beat the Phillies 5-0, largely thanks to a standout performance by starting pitcher Noah Lowry. 8 and 2/3 innings of shutout ball, but was pulled at the end because by that time he'd thrown about 130 pitches. That's hardcore.

But then, last night (Tuesday), they keep their winning momentum going by getting blown out. They just gave up after the second inning. It was terrible.

Argh, there goes too much of my money down the drain in a week.

I Got a New Computer!!!

2005-08-20T23:47:00.000-07:00

W00T!!! Well, performance-wise, it doesn't stand up to my trusty 3 or 4 year old Gateway desktop, which I spent a lot of money on over time adding new hardware to, but I like this one because it's a laptop. I'll finally have some degree of portability around campus!

Although, there are drawbacks to the situation. Circuit City ran an ad in the paper this past Sunday for an HP laptop with AMD Sempron 2800+ processor, 60GB HD, and 512 MB DDR-SDRAM. All for $650. To the layperson, lemme just say, that's a DAMN good deal. I talked with an HP employee who remarked that his employee discount wouldn't get him that computer for that cheap. Unfortunately, I waited until the end of the week, and they were all sold out along the entire peninsula. Minimum wait for special order, at least 3 weeks. Needing a laptop, I found a comparable Acer model for $50 cheaper, and an AMD 3000+ processor instead of 2800. I figure that has to count for something, right? So, for the techies reading the blog, it's an Acer Aspire 3003LCi.

So yeah, I traded an HP for an Acer (some Chinese company that probably ripped off HP), but it's working pretty well thus far. For $600, there ain't much that can go wrong with this computer that would make me mad at it.

When You Know You're Going to Fail...

2005-08-19T20:20:00.000-07:00

You might as well propose to your girlfriend mid-exam. That's exactly what Edin Smailovic did in the middle of his law final. According to him, he got bored, so asked the professor if he could address the class mid-exam. The professor acquiesced to his request, so he got up and proposed to his girlfriend, who accepted.

While not as original, my personal favorites for when you know you're going to fail are:
1. Tear the exam into confetti, throw it up into the air, and yell out, "Happy New Year, Fuckers!"
2. And then one that a friend did - Skip all the questions, and at the end, write "See you next year, assholes!"

Terrorize This!

2005-08-18T00:06:00.000-07:00

The United States Navy is doing just about the best thing I've ever heard: they're using 10 tons of steel from the former WTC Twin Towers in the construction of a San Antonio class amphibious transport dock. It will be commissioned the USS New York in 2008.

An example of the San Antonio class:

Change to More of the Same

2005-08-17T13:31:00.000-07:00

So I fooled around with the template a lot, and finally decided just to stick with a regular template. CSS is too much stress for me right now to figure out how to fully get through all the color stuff and get everything color coordinated to my liking. Mostly has to do with the comments section matching up with the actual post.

Yargh. Too much.

In other news, Eminem has been playing voicemail messages left to him by Mariah Carey and then pseudo-throwing up into a prop toilet after the audience hears Mariah's 'intimate' calls. Then, he immediately goes into his song "Puke."

I guess from a rap standpoint, this makes Eminem a helluva stage show. But then, it's my take on things that there's a reason it takes RAP to spell CRAP. :)

Gone Camping

2005-08-15T10:09:00.000-07:00

Leaving in about 15 minutes to go camping with the buddies. Just an overnight deal, but should be fun. I think the place is called Portola Redwoods State Park, or something like that. Nice place, been there once before, but the raccoons at night are just terrible. They'll come right up to the tent and scratch at it all night. That's why I think airsoft guns should be permitted in the park for that reason alone :o)

Guess the Celebrity!

2005-08-11T21:10:00.000-07:00

And don't cheat by going to the website!

Just Fucking Beautiful

2005-08-10T14:04:00.000-07:00

So I accidentally deleted my Beer Thoughts blog.

That's right, beerthoughts.blogspot.com is now officially dead.

This is the new replacement.

I'm so pissed at myself for this shit.

DAMMIT.

Well, normal blogging activities will resume at this location now.