It’s always a negative!

So, since your reading this it’s obvious I’m not in jail getting butt raped by bubba and his gang of ass pirates. As I suspected all I had to do was sign a piece of paper that says I violated blah blah blah and won’t do it again. Which is why I wasn’t all that concerned as some of my friend were. Thanks to everyone who truly were concerned and I’m happy to give the good news. Just as a word of warning, it appears they are getting people who distribute files more than download. So just watch seeding too much on your torrents. Also, don’t do it at the university if you have a permanent workstation.

On a lighter note I got my laptop back from Lenovo, they fixed the network card, although the screen seems to be the same, but possibly that’s just the way it’s supposed to be. Kinda cruddy, but that’s why I got the warranty, if it ever fails, they can go right ahead and replace it.

I finally did it, thanks to my grandparents I was able to get my new laptop. It’s an x61 tablet. 1.8 core 2 duo, 2 gigs of ram and 100 gig 7200 sata. I know you might think, that’s not much faster than your old one. You’d be wrong, my current is a 1.4 Pentium M (well over 4 years old), this one is a 1.8 core 2 duo, which includes 2 hyper threaded cores, which would be 4 1.8 processors. I’m sure I’m leaving something out, but oh well, I’d say it’s a bit of an upgrade =). Can’t wait to get it, however theres one problem. It’s on backorder for a month. *CRY!* So much for that itch to be scratched, gonna have to wait for the back scratcher to get shipped. I suppose that will make the fruit all that much sweeter.

On another note, took my first Calc 3 test, pretty positive I did well on it. However, we all know what happens when I think I did well on a Calc test. Circuits on the other hand is another story, I did craptastic on the last test. The quiz I took yesterday doesn’t seem all that promising, considering everyone i talked to got a different answer LOL. There’s a test Monday, so I’ll be study’n my ass off for this one, not that I didn’t for the last, but I need to really do well or there probably wouldn’t be any use continuing to take the class. We’ll see, wish me luck!

Being a geek comes with several down falls, one of which is the need for copious amounts of cash to buy fun gadgets we love so very much. This is hindered by life’s little bastard money suckers. This bastards can include: rent, food, cloths, car stuffs, and of course college tuition. Now if the college tuition was being paid for after college and had good job to pay for said tuition and more, this conversation wouldn’t come up. However, since I’m in college and need all the money I can get a new job was in order. Granted I love my current job at the tech center. I do my homework and get paid for it, what better job then that. However its wage is slightly lower than what’s needed for my lifestyle. Lifestyle as being gadgety goodness. So, I went on a few hunts. I got a interview @ this place in St. Louis (blogged about it many moons ago) nothing ever came of that, they just keep say’n, “Your at the top of our list, just give us a bit longer.” Blah Blah Blah BS! What ever, so I saw there was a job @ the Edwardsville Public Library. Of course I was super extra mega over qualified for the job, but hell, I could use another cake job which pays a bit more and can work me weekends (which is what I needed). Low and behold, not to my surprise, they offered me the job today. With the extra income, I figured I should be able to afford my baby after a few months, gotta pay one of the bastards for summer.

What really erks me, now that you have heard the story, is the job only pays 10 bux an hr. Now most of you may think, Wow thats a ton what are you complaining about. Well here’s the thing, I made 10 bux and hr when I was 16. Seeing how inflation is around 3%, this wage should be closer to 13 - 14 bux an hr. Funny how gas and wages generally don’t follow inflation. Although, you really don’t want me to get into the whole fuel debate, it would get as heated as a religion debate.

Oh, whats my baby.. heh.. The Thinkpad X61 laptop.. Makes me “hard” (updated for Jessica pointing out the obvious flaw in the use of the word wet) just think’n about it. Weights like 3 lbs w/ the extra super length battery, lasts about 8 - 10+ hrs on a charge, built like a tank (I have an x31 and its still tick’n). With all the options I want its around 1800.

Anyways, Just wanted to update/vent, Inflation my ass!

Those who talk to me on a regular basis know what kinda week its been for me. It all started Sunday. Got up early, 9am is early for me on the weekend, to work on homework. Leslie was wonderful enough to stay the night for in the morning she made me breakfast! After 4 straight hours of study’n physics, calculus, and economics we went to Leslie’s parents house for dinner. We played a good game of Apples to Apples, I lost hard core of course, but Leslie’s grandma topped us all. Then back home for more econ study’n. This is where it starts getting rough.

Monday started the slue of tests I had this week. First was econ. Which I though I had a good understanding of it. Apparently not, because getting back my test today proved otherwise, most of the mistakes were stupid and I was hitting myself because of them, but nothing I can do about it now. Spent the rest of my free time working on my C++ program which was due today (Friday) and studying physics. Which most of you know isn’t much this semester. I’ve been very tense, I was only able to work out once this week, and that was 20 mins of swimming. I didn’t even get in my whole 30 laps i usually do. Actually I’m starting to do more than 30. Wednesday was the physics test, that could have gone better. One problem we discussed the day before briefly and he didn’t even finish explaining it. So even after looking at the before the test, I couldn’t remember all of it. Ghay.

Thursday is when the real heat happened. Decided to drive that day because I had an interview with Cybercon, a co-lo in down town St. Louis, looking for a part time admin for the weekends to watch over the 100’s of servers they’ve got. Could be a good high paying job for the weekend. Anyways, when I got to my car, I noticed something under my windshield wiper, now here at SIUE, generally when you have a white paper under your wiper its a parking ticket. What boggled my mind was why I had one. When I grabbed the ticket and looked up at my rearview mirror, I noticed something, rather a lack there of. My tag had been ganked. I’m a frigg’n lock door natzi, so someone felt the need to shimmy my door and “borrow” my tag. Nothing else was removed, not that I keep precious items in my car. About the only thing in there are about 100 water bottles collected over the semester and some Frisbee’s. I hit the carrer development center for some orientation thingy and resume critique, as I already knew my resume was great, just a few edits. Till the interview, it was a rather normal Thursday.

The interview I had over at Cybercon was one I’ve never had before. They were really nice but the first person to interview me was keep going over the same questions, I guess making sure I wasn’t changing my answers? The next guy was the head guy there, he showed me around the data center, then went over what they did. Looks like an interesting place. I swear whiling talking to him, I about broke my neck nodding so much. I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to get the job, the only bummer/good about it is that its late night Fri and Sat. We’ll see what happens with that. After the interview, I had a hard time getting back on the interstate, they have so many signs telling where they are its not funny. Yeah I was being sarcastic there. I eventually ended up going the only way I knew, MLK drive to 70/55.

What helped my day was Leslie bought sushi for the both of us. It was really good; spicy tuna, philly roll, and she got shrimp tempora. Surprising enough the shrimp one isn’t bad, seeing how I don’t care for shrimp. After some study’n I decided to enjoy myself before my 9:30 test, so I joined Leslie, Tree (Adam), Sarah, William, and …. and….crap I always forget his name, for some beer and games. Although I only had one b33r because of that damn test. Not that I would have had too much more, its hard to wake up as it is for the 930 class, let alone while hungover. Stupid b33r, thats a rant for another day.

The Calc test didn’t go so bad, I felt I did well on it, however from my previous track record of feeling good after a test, that means I did horrible on it. But…I’m gonna keep a positive outlook on it. So then the whole Friday the 13th happens. I forgot to mention there was another ticket on my car when I was leaving for class. Balls on them! I filed a police report on the stolen tag which was a pain in the ass, only because it took forever. Then had to go to parking services, to file an appeal to the tickets, and buy a new tag, yeah buy. Cost me 25 bux total cause I had to pay 5 bucks on each ticket. Bull shit.

Although there is a brighter side of today. I got my program done on time and turned in, unlike last program which i got screwed on because of my professor being a dick head. Beside that I decided to stay at SIUE over the summer considering this will be the only summer semester I’ll be able to take classes. The upper level classes are rarely taught over summer because most students have co-op over the summer. I’ll be able to work on campus at this time, so I’ll have mostly a full time job, and if I get this other job, its that much more in my bank account. Maybe I’ll be able to get my new laptop!!!! Was helping Andy pick out a laptop yesterday, and I decided to play around with the one I wanted. It was either the x60 Thinkpad or the tablet x60. the tablet was only 300 more. How cool would that be to be able to type my notes and use the pen to draw graphs when I needed to. Plus the battery on that thing lasts 8 - 10 hrs!

Tonight is my release from this week. Getting a bunch of friends together and making my liver do its job and then some. I haven’t drank much in the past few weeks, so I think i deserve it! Well theres my update for the week. It was one helluva one, week that is.