Stumbles the Beerdragon

So, reading CNN... there's only a few more steps to go before we finally see Healthcare reform. As much as I think its needed, after reading the article I think the mark was completely missed.

Some things I don't understand:
--Abortion not covered... reasoning is that conservatives don't want to pay for what they don't support in taxes. News flash, a lot of us pay for things we don't support with our taxes. Like wars. Conservatives are a bunch of pansies.

This is the big one, someone PLEASE help me understand this:
--Required to buy insurance. I don't understand how this is supposed to help. What if you're on the line of the "hardship exemption" and can barely afford it? How does this keep insurance costs down?


bleh... this healthcare thing is a complete disaster.

I really want to meet more furs. I haven't been to a public meet in a long time (well, there have been the DE bowling meets, but I haven't done a lot of socializing).

Also: gauging interest for people still looking for something to do New Years Eve. Some of us can't make it to the NYFB, but maybe a smaller, more local thing?

going to south carolina. brb.

So this week I knew was going to be hectic with getting settled into the house and doing repairs and upgrades and all that (My bedroom door is currently a shower curtain).

Just to make sure all that gets more complicated, SEPTA decided to strike today! Had to take off work today because I didn't have time to plan how to get to/from work. The Mayor made it seem like everything was hunky-dory, and there was no threat of a strike... so I didn't make plans and now I'm stuck at home.

At least that gives me time to start help unpack boxes and do laundry and that sort of thing =\

Fuck TWU Local 234.

What is this picture?
Its my PC hard drive in a final attempt to recover it. It remains to be seen how much data has actually been lost, but any amount is not good. Certainly there are things I didn't want to lose, but also a lot of old files that are sometimes fun to look back at.

This Dell was my first computer (not counting "family" computers), which I got in 2000 or 2001 as a christmas present (that I paid for in part AND opened early). Nearly every part has been upgraded to the max the motherboard will allow. It has gotten me through High School, years of abuse and FFXI, and most of college. Sad to see it go this way, but now I have an excuse to get a new computer.

Mac or PC? Still haven't decided. I'd like to have a new computer by the end of the year (maybe take advantage of christmas specials) but we'll see.

then I don't know what is. EPIC.

marriedtothesea.com

Going to make this a short post...

On Thursday, after dropping off my Mac at the Apple Store to get the CD drive replaced, I sent an email to sjobs@apple.com on protocollie's recommendation.

Hours later, I get a phone call from "Apple Executive Relations". We discussed why I was upset and all the problems I had with my Mac, and that she wanted to make me happy and restore my faith in Apple. So first I got her phone number, and I can call her if anything else goes wrong with my Mac. She then offers to send me RAM (but I'm already maxed on RAM), so she sends me a spare battery.

Later that night I go out with Kiric and Turtyl for dinner. We're later doing some driving around, and accidently run over the stump of a former sign post, tearing the mud flap off the car. Mere inches from destroying the front tire. Then, while waiting at a stop light, we get rear ended! Fortunately it was a low speed collision; no humans nor machines took damage :P

Bonus Life Update:
Kiric and Turtyl recently bought a house (congrats to them!), and I will be moving in with them :) The driving around we were doing Thursday night was to look at the surrounding neighborhood XD

They will be moving in early November and will be enlisting some help. Beer and Pizza for those helpers... so take note!

Went to the Zoo for a couple of hours with whitefeet on Saturday. We got there kind of late, so we had to rush through things. I really did enjoy the bird exhibit though, the way they have them all free roaming... you can get really close to some very pretty birds!

Of course, the reptile house is always fun, hehe. Also, African Wolf Dogs are the most adorable things, ever. Why do I not see more of these?

Anyway, check below for all my pics. I managed to get quite a few, despite how short we were there.

From Philadelphia Zoo

http://picasaweb.google.com/Andyjv/PhiladelphiaZoo#

 Who's Lemon, you ask? Why its the name I gave my MacBook after having the motherboard replaced.

How is Lemon doing, you ask?
CD drive is broken, again. Refused a CD-R, and can't seem to read DVD-Rs. A movie worked, though. 
Also, Photoshop CS4 doesn't seem to be acknowledging my video card (or the very least, openGL). Googling hasn't turned anything up, and I don't have much to troubleshoot with, so it could be anything, really.

I see an angry visit to the Apple Store on Wednesday. 

Firstly... this new word "Jobless" is... ok, it dates to 1919, but sounds so uneducated. Unemployment is at 9.7%, and it makes me cling to my happy little spot at the TV station.

Still, I would LOVE for this little recession thing to be over. For all my friends to have permanent jobs... for myself to advance my career... Hang in there guys!

Edit: Slow days like today though... scare me to death

Went to Dorney Park this past Sunday with whitefeet alsaihn(Kiric) and her husband, Turtyl. As I expected, I was made to go on a steel, looping, roller coaster for the first time. We started with Talon, which I actually enjoyed a lot. We followed that with Steel Force twice, Posessed ( @_@ ), and finally, Hydra.

Hydra is a very twisty steel roller coaster where the track is below you, instead of above. Hyrda didn't think I needed breakfast. Hyrda took my breakfast from me.

Before I got on Hydra: 



After riding Hydra:



More pictures:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/whitefeet/sets/72157622200905878/

So I got Snow Leopard (OS 10.6) yesterday. There are some interface changes, some speed boosts (firefox startup time was cut from 28 to 15 seconds). There are still some problems with software compatibility, namely growl and crossover games. Whats also curious is Apple's claim to recover hard drive space. And while I did gain hard drive space.... can you spot a more subtle (some may say "dirty") change?

I haven't been posting in LJ much lately. What have I been doing? Lets take a look at Omni's past and upcoming plans...

Weekend plans:
4 weeks ago: Disc golf as usual
3 weeks ago: pool party
2 weeks ago: disc golf BBQ in philly
1 week ago: Meet at my parents place in NY
This weekend: NJ Shore
Next Weekend: Dorney Park
Following Weekend: Perhaps another meet
3 Weeks from now:  I crash and burn

Also, past couple of weeks I spent my hours after work building www.neobahumut.com, a guild for the upcoming FF14 online.

So, this past weekend I invited a bunch of peeps to my parents place for a sort of weekend-long party. Fortunately the weather was warm and sunny, which was great for all the activities: disc golf, swimming, mini golf, go-karts and more.

Using real names instead of furnames didn't last very long, as it was habit for most of us to use furnames. That seemed to leave my family pretty confused. Also, the occassional furry reference thrown into conversation here and there didn't help. Top that off with people ranging in professions from college student to lawyer (as professions came up in conversation), and you have an interesting social dynamic :P

I think everyone had a great time, and by the end of Sunday, everyone had a glazed over look in their eyes. No fireworks, as I was hoping, but there was already so much going on that we wouldn't have had time anyway.

Here are some pictures, sorry that I didn't get more. Special thanks to Kiric and Turtle for feeding us! 



UPDATE
Aftermath
So I heard through my brother that my parents asked if these people were my "Furry Friends" or some video game thing, and then asked if I would "grow out of it". Hmm.... Kind of offended at that last part, but *shrug*.

Watching CNN again...

I would really love to sit down with one of the Repubs I see spewing non-sense on CNN, and figure out how they got so ignorant, and at least attempt to slap some sense into them. Seriously... how can you be come so disillusioned with what the Healthcare bill is, what its supposed to do... why the lies? Whats the motive?

God, so irritating.

I've been watching a lot of CNN, and I don't know who sticks this misinformation in the heads of Republicans, or maybe its a disease that affects only Republicans, but somehow I feel like there is a Red Scare among conservatives.

By having a public option, which is a "Socialist" way of governing, has nothing to do with Communisim, has nothing to do with Hitler, and has nothing to do with Russia.

God. Dammit. People are retarded.

So you're thinking about coming to our Disc Golf/BBQ meet this Saturday! Great! Here's what you need to know:

Disc Golf begins at 1pm
BBQ will begin around 5 (may be later depending on disc golf).
Please bring drinks, snacks, cooler, etc.
There is no picnic table, so bring fold-up chairs if you don't want to sit on the grass.
There is a porta potty, but no water fountains.
$5 to cover food and such is appreciated.

There are discs for sale at the course, if you're interested. Price is about $15 per disc, and proceeds go to the course. We will also have some discs to lend out. There is no cost to actually play.

Address is 33rd and Oxford, right by the Zoo. (map) Free Parking at the course.

RSVPs are appreciated... I have a lot of "maybes" right now, and we want to make sure everyone can get food! Any questions... you all know how to get a hold of me.

*sigh* I guess I get to open another support ticket.

So, after getting banned from twitter yesterday, I later found out my Mom broke a rib while on vacation yesterday afternoon.

Also, Do not do business with Skullcandy. They will not honor the warranty, even after promising me new headphones. Don't even bother calling them, the phone number doesn't work.

Right now, I can't sign into AIM at work... not too sure why, but its another annoyance.