What's before 'work - slave - die'?

I'm pretty sure it's poor. People tell me that I should be thankful that I even have a job. Which I am. I still wish I actually worked, though.

Monday I worked 4 hours. I had to find a job of my own volition, because my supervisors failed to mention the clubhouse was closed for the day, although it made it a simple task to get some painting done.

Tuesday I worked 2 hours. Pretty usual stuff.

Yesterday I worked 2 hours. Once again I arrived at work at the time they asked me to come in, only to find that they had no idea what they wanted me to do. I ended up traveling out to a farm to get decorations for next week.

Today I worked 18 minutes. The work they wanted me to help do had already been done. I ended up helping to move a piano 30 ft and moved about 18 chairs 20 feet.

I may only need to work to provide myself with spending money, but it looks like I'm not going to have much. It's one thing to be frugal, but my monetary situation next year may require more drastic measures...

More on the topic of money...

So not only am I still not making that much money this summer (although it's still a bit more than last year), but tuition rates got a huge hike this year. 8.75%, which is 2% more than Ferris, the next highest state school in Michigan. Fortunately my family won't really be spending any more this year since Dan and I are living off campus next year.

Most of you know that I was never a fan of the Beatles, but that has changed. I recently acquired the entire Beatles discography and have begun listening to it. I definitely appreciate their work a lot more now, but I wouldn't quite call myself a fan yet. They're too hit and miss. "Revolution" - hit, "Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite!" - miss. "Yesterday" - hit, "Yellow Submarine" - miss. "Helter Skelter" - hit, "Magical Mystery Tour" - miss. I think I can safely say I like their earlier work better and more often, probably because the combination of eastern mysticism/recreation drug use/Yoko Ono/social activism caused too many ridiculous songs.
They have a lot to say about money, though. You have to after releasing so many songs.

So I got retested for my alergies yesterday. Turns out I'm now very alergic to grass pollen. My reaction to grass was 20 times larger than my reaction to histamine (one of the chemicals that causes the reactions). This explains why I break out in hives when I mow the lawn (which I haven't done in 3 years for that exact reason). Now I get to (have to?) start allergy vaccines to reduce my reaction. I'd rather not have my grass allergies get worse. I'd much rather simply need to avoid grass clippings than grass altogether.

"Mo' money, mo' problems" or 'more problems, less money'?

Economies of scale

120 Loratadine tablets in bottle: $0.25 each
40 Loratadine tablets in blister packaging: $0.50 each
1 Loratadine tablet in 4"x4" box: $2.50

So I was debating with several friends over what exactly constitutes a sport. Of course, it needs to be directly competetive and have a specific win condition. It also needs to be located in the physical realm. Anything digital is not a sport, just a cyber-sport. I think it also needs to be analog, so board and card games are out (they are boolean and integer based, respectively). It needs to be based primarily on player skills, so plinko and horse-racing are out (horse racing due to the primary factor determining success is horse genetics and the jockey is, strictly, unnecessary). Athletic ability is not necessary, but skill is. You don't need to be in fabulous shape to be an archer, yet it is still a sport. Also, conditions for competition must be variable, either by varying locations (home field advantage), playing area (Daytona and Infineon are very different race tracks), weather, team composition (to exploit an opponent's weakness), or player attributes (right/left handed, height, etc). Also, scoring and success should be primarily empirical (new figure skating scoring fits this criteria, old scoring didn't).

And I think that covers it. Feel free to try and correct me on anything I mentioned, but be prepared to prove it. That's the point of debate, you know, not just claiming to be right because you want to be.

One Week...

I sometimes wonder why people buy SUVs. It's not the fuel mileage, nor is it the interior room (that's what a minivan is for). And when I see an SUV drive gingerly across a short gravel patch, I wonder if they realize off-road capabilities are all that the SUV has going for it.

I continue to slowly accumulate money. I doubt it will be an optimal ammount, but next summer should remedy that. A full-time internship should do well to line my coffers and allow me to build a new PC.

So, everyone still needs to download The Few No More's music. I know that only about 5 of you have downloaded the new stuff, and fewer than than that have downloaded it all. I'm disappointed in you. Download it now, and rate us while you're at it.

Just one more week...

Can't Get Next To You

I can turn gray sky blue.
I can make it rain, whenever I want it to. Oh, I
I can build a castle from a single grain of sand.
I can make a ship sail, uh,on dry land.
But my life is incomplete and I'm so blue.
'Cause I can't get next to you.

I can't get next to you, babe.(Next to you)
I can't get next to you. ( I just can't get next you)
I can't get next to you, babe.
I can't get next to you.

I can fly like a bird in the sky.
Hey, and I can buy anything that money can buy.
Oh, I
I can turn a river into a blazing fire.
I can live forever if I so desired.
Unimportant are all things I can do.
'Cause I can't get next to you.

I can't get next to you, babe. (No matter what I do)
I can't get next to you.
uh ya

Ooooo
Ooooo
Chica boom, chica boom
Chica boom, boom, boom

I can turn back the hands of time,
you better believe I can.
I can make the seasons change, just by waving my hand.
Oh, I
I can change anything form old to new.
The things I want to do the most, I'm unable yo do.

Unhappy am I with all the powers I possess.
'Cause girl you're the key to my happiness. And I

Can't get next to you.
Girl, you're blowing my mind 'cause I can't get...(Next to you)
Can't you see these tears I'm crying? I can't get...(Next to you)
Girl, it's you that I need. I gotta get...(Next to you)
Can't you see these tears I'm crying? I can't get...(Next to you)
I, I, I, I can't get ...(Next to you)
I, I, I, I can't get....(Next to you)
Girl, you're blowing my mind....

These are the immortal words of the Temptations. So good they have been used, in whole, by Al Green, the Rolling Stones, and 98 Degrees.

Comparisons

So Italy won the cup. I'm glad. If the US couldn't win, and Germany couldn't win, and Brazil couldn't win, then Italy is the next best option. More simply put, anyone but France.

Here's why I think France lost:
Too reliant on PKs. They abuse the FIFA rule where any player on the field can take a PK. So, when their crappy forwards get tripped up in the box, they send in Zidane. So, they get a large portion of their points off of drawing fouls from situations where thy probably wouldn't have scored anyway if they didn't abuse FIFA's rules.
Zidane is a dick. He always had a scowl on his face. ALWAYS. I don't care what you were arguing about with Materazzi, you never had to get physical away from the ball. And a headbutt? That's a bitch move, Zidane. I hope you're always remembered for being headbutt guy, and are forever shamed by it.
When has France ever won anything?

I'm starting to get tired of smear ads on TV. Sure, Cable internet has a maximum speed of 5Mbps, but that's for your ntire neighborhood. When your 3 neighbors are all downloading pr0n movies you get what's left. Sure, it CAN be faster than DSL, but almost never by as much as they claim. Sometimes it is the better option, but this is just misleading.

The new Mac ads are hyperbolous to the max. They claim PCs do nothing but spreadsheets and boring stuff, but forget that every fun computer game in the last 10 years has come out for PC. Mac's can run windows now, but their hardware is still far more expensive. Assuming we can get our hands on a digital video camera, Dan and I will be making video rebuttals to these ads.

Awkward silence...

I think you'll like this...

You've been waiting a long time for this, but now you have it.

For those of you who don't trust links without a description (which you shouldn't, good for you if you haven't clicked it yet), this is the link to all the TFNM songs. Tell your friends, tell your neighbors. Download them all, they're free! If you want to throw a few dollars our way too, that's nice as well...

Deutscheland über alles

So Germany beat Argentina is a dramatic shootout, and Italy rocked the Ukraine. Everything else World Cup has been crazy. England lost to Portugal (Beckham was injured and they had a red-carded player) and Brazil lost to France. FRANCE?!

My prediction: Germany 2 - Italy 1; France 1 - Portugal 1 (Portugal winning in shootout or extra time); Germany 1 - Portugal 0.

And be expecting something you'll all like very soon...