V8 can be so refreshing

Yum!

So apparently the entire techie world has already heard of this...but I haven't and maybe you haven't either so here it is in all it's hilarity.


http://www.p-p-p-powerbook.com/

Basically, this guy is trying to sell his Powerbook on ebay and someone tries to scam him. He figures out a way of scamming him back by making him pay hundreds in customs taxes for a "Powerbook" which he actually just made out of a 3-ring binder for the purpose of screwing the guy. He gets a whole following and has cohorts in England taking videos of the delivery address and everything.

I'm glad at least one person has been f***ed with. I'm sick of a few bad guys making life difficult on everyone else.

Cell phones and driving.

I feel pretty strongly about people not using their cell phones while driving. I think it's dangerous and I agree a lot with what this person has to say...
Wired News: Hang Up and Drive

When I'm in the car with people and their phone rings I always try to do the phone searching and answering for them. Some people don't get it and they're like "just get my purse, I know where it is" and they spend until their voicemail picks up searching for them. Maybe they have some sort of top-secret object in their purse. Honestly, I don't care if I find a dildo there as long as I don't die. Let me look for and answer your phone! Everything's more fun that way anyway! It's so much funnier for me to answer your phone "___'s personal assistant, how can I help you?" than if you swerve around the road half paying attention to both the phone and traffic.

You know what else gets me? When people find they need to make a call while they're driving and they refuse to let me even dial the number for them. Again, I'm perfectly capable of finding my way around both a cell phone keypad and their phonebook. Perhaps their work for the CIA is the cause for their reluctance to allow me to scroll to "Mom" but again, I promise not to tell any of your enemies that you have __'s number in exchange for my life.

I know I'm being overly dramatic. The point is that there are a lot of distractions that could be avoided on the road and I'm just trying to minimize them.

Edit on 11/27: Another article that was recently posted to CNN: Police: Text-messaging driver killed cyclist

Theresa954: I was reading my blog the other day
Theresa954: hold on
Theresa954: let me find the entry
lemen17: uh oh, this oughta be good
Theresa954:
lemen17: i've never felt more threatened than when you four or five girls found out i don't recycle
lemen17: i didn't think i'd make it out alive
lemen17: hahaha that was a long time ago
lemen17: but i still feel the same fear when i hold a can of pop around you and your friends

Birthday weekend

I had a wonderful birthday weekend. Nik spent a lot of time making sure I was happy and everything was perfect - he's very sweet. He always has the best intentions in mind...even if he doesn't come through. I feel bad for forcing him to read Harry Potter but at the same time everyone ought to read Harry Potter.

The movie was very good. I do agree with the reviews that they tried to do too much with too little. There's just too much in that book to be able to convey it in 2.5 hours. A lot of storylines started but didn't really conclude...like Hagrid and Madame whatever her name is.

Anyway, back to my weekend. Nik and I got a couples massage. I <3 massages. I <3 Nik for getting me a massage. It was so awesome.

I got a beautiful necklace, a Godiva bear, a pig book, a lovely french dinner, candy, and we played Simpsons trivia. All in all, a good weekend.

Thank you honey. I love you.

Story

So I have a story to tell.

Freshman year I took CSW with Nuveen Marwah. He was tabling for Habitat for Humanity and I saw some pretty nice shirts and asked if I could have one. He said he would give one to me if I got 100% on all of my CSW exams. One by one I got my 100%s and Nuveen got more and more nervous that he would actually have to buy me a shirt. So for the last exam I opened up the email that said my grade and it said 99%. Just so you know, that wasn't even possible because there were 10 questions each worth 10 points with no partial credit or something like that. Anyway, Nuveen cheated me out of the shirt. Very upsetting.

Here we are three years later and I got a mysterious package in the mail. It was from Nuveen and it's a nice, new, long-sleeved Habitat shirt.

Thanks Nuveen. You're a man of your word even if it takes my entire college career.

So I have something I actually want to rant about and I really care about it - commas in lists. It sounds stupid but I'll talk more about it later because roll call for initiation is in 5 minutes.

Also, I got an offer from the Vanguard Group. Woo.

Everyone else

So I've always been somewhat uncomfortable with this whole blogging thing. Reading Paloma's blog made me realize why (again). Everyone seems so much better at it than me. It's like everything in life. Why would I do it when other people have more interesting and/or insightful things to say? Caryl likes to write about political stuff every once in a while. I don't know anything about politics. I don't know anything about anything. It's frustrating to have people tell me I'm smart and talented when I really can't find any evidence to support that. I hate to be down on myself and have you read it, but I constantly find myself surrounded by people who are just generally better than me.

What follows is random thoughts...

A note to you, though I seriously doubt you read: please come back. It kills me that I'm so in the dark. Yes, it's my own fault. No, I don't deserve it but no one knows more than you that I can't deal with this.

It's happening again and I'm scared. Nearly one year later only with different people in every role except for me. Liz, Caryl, and Paloma - help.

Do weird things just happen to me or do I just sabotage myself?

Ben Harper's Roses from my Friends
But it's he who laughs last
Is he who cries first
Sometimes I feel I know strangers
Better than I know my friends
Why must a beginning
Be the means to an end

The stones from my enemies
These wounds will mend
But I cannot survive
The roses from my friends

To clarify...

I still appreciate Nik's love and effort. I'm not saying his ulterior motives were evil...I just know he didn't give to charity for the sake of giving to charity.

Anyway, it seems that almost everyone who graduated is lonely. I guess it's even harder than I thought to go from being in college to being in the real world. I suppose I'm making the transition a bit more gradually though.

The more I think about it, the more I realize that the Nickels for Katrina thing is just like something that happened in Seinfeld...

From "The Truth"...

ELAINE: O, your being audited? What for?

JERRY: Oh, I contributed money to a charity that turned out to be fraudulent. It's very boring.

ELAINE: When was this?

JERRY: Uh, Along long time ago, in a galaxy far far away.

ELAINE: I remember you donated to some volcano thing on our first date.

JERRY: Volcano? Really?

ELAINE: Oh, wait a minute. Don't tell me that that was ...

JERRY: Something to drink?

ELAINE: What did you think, that would impress me?

JERRY: You got it ALL wrong. I was thinking only of the poor Krakatoans

ELAINE: Like you make this donation for 50 bucks and I'd start tearing my clothes off?

JERRY: Those brave Krakatoans East of Java. who sacrifice so much for so long.

ELAINE: Now you're being audited because of it. You see That's Karma.


Hmmm...maybe Nik had some ulterior motive...

Nik gave to charity...for me

Check out Nickels for Katrina. Mine is the cute little orange square in the bottom right quadrant. :)

Theresa took the free ColorQuiz.com personality test! "Longs for tenderness and for a sensitivity of feel..." Click here to read the rest of the results.

I've always liked ColorQuiz.

Theresa's Existing Situation

Exercises initiative in overcoming obstacles and difficulties. Either holds, or wishes to achieve, a position of authority in which control can be exerted over events.


Theresa's Stress Sources

Has an unsatisfied need to ally herself with others whose standards are as high as her own, and to stand out from the herd. This desire for preeminence isolates her and inhibits her readiness to give herself freely. While she wants to surrender and let herself go, she regards this as a weakness which must be resisted. This self-restraint, she feels, will lift her above the rank and file and ensure recognition as a unique and distinctive personality.


Theresa's Restrained Characteristics

Clings to her belief that her hopes and ideas are realistic, but needs encouragement and reassurance. Applies very exacting standards to her choice of a partner and wants guarantees against loss or disappointment.

Circumstances are such that she feels forced to compromise for the time being if she is to avoid being cut off from affection or from full participation.


Theresa's Desired Objective

Longs for tenderness and for a sensitivity of feeling into which she can blend. Responsive to anything esthetic and tasteful.


Theresa's Actual Problem

Wants to be valued and respected, and seeks this from a close and peaceful association of mutual esteem.

So I’m on another Greyhound bus and I started thinking past Halloweens. The earliest costume I can remember is being some sort of princess witch. I’m really grateful to my parents for putting up with me even when I was unreasonable as a child. I still remember that princess witch costume and how expensive it was. I thought it was so pretty and I pretty much refused to not be a princess witch. I think that was the same year I was walking through the halls of my elementary school and a teacher (who was also dressed up like a witch) asked me how my hat was so pointy because her tip kept falling over. I think the answer was something along the lines of “I stuffed paper towels in the top” but I thought it was cool that a teacher thought I was smart for doing so.

Another costume I remember was being a cheerleader. I think I remember my cheerleader costume coming with iron on letters. I’m pretty sure I remember my mom ironing the letters on. I had little pom poms and everything. The most difficult part about being a cheerleader was that when we went and did our annual Halloween parade around the little grassy area in front of our school I had to spell Marshall Street. Marshall Street was my school and that’s what cheerleaders did in my mind – spelled the names of their schools.

One year I was a bride. I think that was in 4th grade. I told my mom I had to take make up to school because brides wore makeup. She kinda laughed at me and I guess I understand why now…but she let me take some eyeshadow and lipstick or something. Margaret was my best friend at the time and her older sister was a beautician. Margaret’s older sister helped me with my makeup. Once Halloween was over I used the costume as a dress for my teddy bear, Belle. Belle had that dress for a long time. Once I stuck Belle in the washer with that dress on and when she came out there was fur in between the layer of polyester and the layer of lace of the dress. I still have Belle but I don’t have the dress.

I don’t remember much about middle school – I don’t think I dressed up then. I remember my best friend Julia and my good friend Ally both dressed up like M&Ms along with this girl I hated at the time. It made me a little jealous but at the same time they looked ridiculous so I’m glad I wasn’t invited to join them.

In high school I remember joking that me and my friends should dress up like marching band geeks…since we had the costumes for it. Our other idea was to switch uniforms with the football players for fun. I doubt they would’ve gone for that.

One year my friend Krystal and I really really wanted candy so we took Michael and one of his friends trick or treating and I think we dressed up as babies. For some strange reason (i.e. my mom) I had this weird purple once piece pajama thing. Basically, it was footie pajamas without the footies. I guess I was a pretty convincing baby.

Freshman year of college, Helen, Vipin, and I all went out trick or treating on Beeler St (again for the love of candy). We were all dressed as angels. (pic to be added later)

Sophomore year I dressed up as Princess Peach and c j dressed up as Mario. We had pretty awesome costumes, I must admit. I had a blonde wig and a huge blue broach and everything. (pic to be added later)

Junior year I had a 272 project due so I had to code all night long rather than party with my sisters. During our Halloween party I stuck a pig finger puppet on my hand and called it my costume. I was a pig. (pic to be added later)

This year I’m determined to be a typical college girl at Halloween – short skirt and high heels. We’ll see if I get any candy.

Just call me Tink

Check out my super hot Halloween costume!

Tinkerbell

Google, here I come!

I got a second round interview with Google!!!!!!!!! Yay!!! I'll be heading out to Mountain View sometime soon!

More details to come...

AIM Bug

There used to be this AIM bug that would allow you to view people's profiles even if they had you blocked. Similarly, you could IM them even if they blocked you from seeing them on your buddy list. It was more of a loophole than a bug...

Band Geek

So I'm really lame...but I got all excited when I found out videos from my old drumline days were online.

Perkiomen Valley Music/

My former roomie is too cool...

Theresa954: you're missing out on all the fun
pookie82: i am? how so?
Theresa954: Laura, Caryl, and Jess all got blogs on blogger.com like me
Theresa954: and we're commenting on each other's posts
pookie82: i'm too cool for that

If I want your crappy software I'll download it separately, thank you

So Nik and I were just talking about how it pisses us off that when we download software it's often bundled with other software we don't want.
Examples:
Quicktime - makes you install iTunes
Yahoo! Music - tries to make you install Yahoo! Messager, Yahoo Toolbar, etc.
Google Desktop - I think it tries to get you to install google toolbar.

Anyway, my point is that I know these companies are trying to get us to use their other available software but I don't want it. I'm glad Yahoo and Google give options to not download and install the extra apps, but Apple doesn't. I've noticed that Apple is being very (old school) Microsoft with it not sharing its proprietary digital music protection format. That's not completely true though...Apple is being Apple. I don't really like Apple's 'our way is the best way and I don't care what anyone else says. I'm not sharing' mindset. Again, I understand the business reasoning behind these things but I personally believe in sacrifice for the greater good of society. That's not how the business world works though.

Laura at Cambridge

Laura at Cambridge

I have a blogger friend! Yay!