I have the uncanny ability of possessing several uncanny abilities that I have no real reason for possessing. Among these is constructing sentences that have a low unique word count, are ambiguous and vague, and contain no major grammatical errors. As of this evening I can safely add the standing back tuck* to this list.

The coaches at my gym more or less told me I should quit gymnastics because I was getting too tall (5' tall at 10 years old). Then I got kicked out of the gym, so it didn't much matter.

In any case, training is clearly for chumps, I am awesome, and now I have to figure out a back handspring just for completeness.

*A standing back flip with no hands and the body in a curled/tucked position for those who are bad at guessing and/or unfamiliar with gymnastics terms.

Edit: And I still need to learn to juggle. :\

I don't know how many people actually remember my good friend Adventure Bear or his ridiculous antics and adventures, but he seems to have started a blog and invited me to the staff.

http://adventurebearblog.blogspot.com/ for anyone interested. I don't know when he'll start updating with adventures (he's on vacation, apparently), but I'll make another update when things start moving.

Apartment hunting with Karen tomorrow.

Happy belated Pi Day. I was a little busy yesterday with the whole "being in Georgia" thing.

I suppose the aquarium trip was pretty decent. We (Karen, Josh and I) saw a lot of cool marine life - including four whale sharks, one of the four manta rays in captivity world wide, and all sorts of other skates, rays and sharks (zebra, great hammerhead, etc.)

Oh yeah, and I proposed to Karen.

And she said yes.

Because I'm amazing.

And so is she.

And people are fat.

Met up with Discoman and Jeff for a celebratory dinner at Red Lobster (ironically). It was good times, but the dinner itself could have been better - in the sense that our waitress could have failed less and Karen could have eaten her food.

Still, absolutely outstanding weekend.

So every couple of months I post a picture with me having a ton of hair and an unkempt beard, and then another picture after shaving nearly all my hair off (1 guard) and trimming my beard down to a length that matches. Today, for the first time in about nine years, I actually got a different haircut.
( Pictures )
I also manage to look angry/creepy in most pictures. I swear I'm making the same face in both pictures, but only one looks anything like a smile.

Georgia Aquarium with Karen and Josh this weekend; should be excellent.

I have no idea what's going on, but I have been completely unable to focus the past few days.

I cannot fully describe how deeply I am disgusted by people who are not capable of thinking. I know I have a bad temper, and I've done a lot over the years to get myself under control. Overall I feel I've done a pretty remarkable job. When confronted by these types of people, though, I find myself almost instantly over the edge and ready to cause massive head trauma so that I can justify to myself why they aren't capable of thinking.

Josh posted something asking about religion and such. I felt like I may as well post my response in my own blog. I encourage you to comment on his entry if you haven't. Feedback here will still be appreciated, I just hate cross-post discussions.

Most people are fairly familiar with my stance on religion, but a very short synopsis/summary of my thoughts and the reasons for them follow...

I was raised Catholic (come on, big Irish family), traded in my faith for atheism, cynicism and spite when I was about ten or eleven.

I believed in God because my parents told me to. I sort of assumed religion was based on fact, with evidence. I mean, so many people all across the world believed essentially the same thing.

Then I found out a few things.

1. Religion is not based on fact and has a severe lack of evidence.
2. Other points that I earnestly believed about my religion turned out to not be true.
   • I'm talking about Santa Claus. Seriously.
3. People all across the world really had a lot of very different ideas about their god(s), none of them seemed like belief systems that allowed the other systems to be right, none of them had any evidence, and the most likely scenario seemed to be that they were just all wrong.

The belief systems of the Native Americans and ancient Greeks and the Norse are all written off as mythology and mysticism. The other religions, with their more unified God theory are all still widely accepted as perfectly reasonable beliefs, though. Just because their God was bigger/better/faster/stronger doesn't make it any more believable or reasonable to me.

For a long time I thought, "Well, if it gives people something to believe, some sort of direction, then it doesn't really matter if there isn't a God."

Turns out I was still too naive. Religion isn't all about making people nice, there were (and are) tons of horrible things done in the name of religion. If people sin it's either because they aren't saved and can't help it, or it's not really sinning because it's justified by their god. Thou shalt not kill [except for when you have to kill heathens in my name]. God is such a fucking lawyer. When people don't sin, it seems to be less of a personal sense of what's right and wrong and more of the blind following and a fear of going to Hell. The threat of Hell/promise of Heaven seems a ploy to keep people in line and moderately well behaved (unless you have to torture/kill heathens).

So aside from dictating morality for themselves (and others!) and a certainty that their religion is the only correct religion they (any religion/religious institution) get to decide what is and isn't true about the world.

The Catholic Church is particularly guilty of this.

"Hey, guys, I think the Earth isn't the center of the universe. Here's a bunch of math that backs it up."
"WTF? Somebody set this douche bag on fire."
[paraphrased]

Thanks, Pope. You've always been so understanding. Religion has very nearly always stood in the way of progress of some form or another - primarily knowledge.

Religion is really convenient in the sense that it's the only theory (see: fairytale) that explains ALL OF EXISTENCE. It's just that the version it explains doesn't seem apply to reality.

People fault science because we don't have a perfect understanding of everything in our universe. They seem to forget, though, that if there were a God, and their religion explained everything so nicely that not only would The Bible (and other creation stories) have gotten a thing or two right (they don't), but we'd have all the information we needed. God and his Perfect Knowledge really seem to be lacking at a lot of key points.

Science is making progress. It updates itself as it finds flaws and admits them.

Religion can't do this (without cheating). If you update a religion some (or all) of the following must be true:

1. The doctrine was wrong to begin with.
2. The doctrine was designed by someone without Perfect Knowledge (see: man).
3. You're breaking the doctrine to suit your needs and are no longer truly following the same religion.

Anything that encourages people to not think and/or ignore facts is pretty much a load of garbage, in my opinion.

Behind the Neck Pull-Ups	10
Chin-Ups	10
Pull-Ups	10
Push-Ups		2 Sets	20 Reps
Underhand Pull-Downs	70 lbs.*	3 Sets	10 Reps
Overhand Pull-Downs	70 lbs.*	3 Sets	10 Reps
Lat Pull-Downs	70 lbs.*	3 Sets	10 Reps
Bench Press	80 lbs.	3 Sets	10 Reps
Curls (Both Arms)	45 lbs.	3 Sets	10 Reps
Leg Lifts (Bent)	100	5 Sets	20 Reps
Leg Lifts (Straight)	100	5 Sets	20 Reps
Jack Knifes	20 Seconds	6 Sets	1 Rep
Treadmill	1 Mile	7.5 MPH	8'00"
Lunges (Each Leg)		1 Set	30 Reps

That's +10 lbs. an all my pull-downs and a 1 MPH improvement on my run (taking off 1 minute 14 seconds). I need to figure out what's up with my bench press, I feel like there's something fundamentally wrong with my form because it's killing my right triceps and my elbows don't feel like they're moving the same way. I feel like I can push a bit more on my mile, but that's a pretty marked improvement. We'll see how the next few runs go.

By far the hardest part of today's routine is choking down this protein bar.

Kelly's wedding in two weeks.

Since I'm starting to make changes to my routine again I feel like I really need to write it down. This is what I'm doing every day.

Behind the Neck Pull-Ups	10
Chin-Ups	10
Pull-Ups	10
Push-Ups		2 Sets	20 Reps
Underhand Pull-Downs	60 lbs.*	3 Sets	10 Reps
Overhand Pull-Downs	60 lbs.*	3 Sets	10 Reps
Lat Pull-Downs	60 lbs.*	3 Sets	10 Reps
Bench Press	80 lbs.	3 Sets	10 Reps
Curls (Both Arms)	45 lbs.	3 Sets	10 Reps
Leg Lifts (Bent)	100	5 Sets	20 Reps
Leg Lifts (Straight)	100	5 Sets	20 Reps
Jack Knifes	20 Seconds	6 Sets	1 Rep
Treadmill	1 Mile	6.5 MPH	9'14"
Lunges (Each Leg)		1 Set	30 Reps

Class today was all around good. Dr. House (my graphics systems professor) made an amazingly outstanding observation today.

"Any problems with the homework?"
crickets
"Oh wow, none of you have started."

First day of class we definitely had the same hair and beard style, so I'm digging this guy. I also managed to avoid getting my picture taken just long enough to get a haircut and look totally different. Furthermore, I remembered to ask the girl at Great Clips when I was there last so I could finally pin down the answer to, "How long does it take for my hair to go from gone to omfgwaytoomuch?"

( Two months and no shirt, apparently. )

Working out is making me happy and Fiesta the Gorilla is the best personal trainer ever. Maybe I'm delusional, but I think I'm starting to see some results since the beginning of summer. I need to post my routine at some point so I can monitor that progress, too.

I made a last.fm account after sorting a ton of the music I've been sitting on for ages and am finding that there's still much more music I want. An exciting dilemma to be sure.

The WoW expansion (Wrath of the Lich King) is shaping up pretty nicely from the looks of it.

I was pretty serious about working out most of the summer, but it wasn't until a few weeks ago I started taking it really seriously.

No, I didn't put on a bunch of weight I need to lose. I'm still the same lean Irish everyone remembers. I've been hovering around 130 lbs. for the past four years or so and I finally decided that I wanted an upper body badly enough that I'd do something about it; and while I'm at it, I may as well work on everything else, too.

When Thomas visited he helped me refine my routine and I feel like it's much more effective now. Talking to Tara gave me a new idea for my ab work (which has doubled thanks to said idea), but I need something more for it - abs are too easy.

I'll probably be posting several shirtless pictures in the coming weeks as I feel less scrawny, so you may want to turn down the brightness on your monitor before clicking on my LJ cuts - because I'm definitely not tanning.

I owe Clemson roughly $5,500.
I have roughly $1,200.

This is where student loans come in.

Turns out you aren't eligible for most student loans when you have shitty grades (which I do). So long story short, I had to jump through some hoops to hopefully get things worked out and get my loan stuff taken care of. I didn't exactly get as much time for all this as I needed because I was on the verge of academic suspension, but I had a really productive and successful summer here at Clemson and they're not giving me the boot.

Great, except I haven't been able to get money together because I couldn't get a bill or official enrollment stuff due to the looming suspension. So money is due, I don't have it, I'm waiting on my loan, and they're dropping classes by the end of the day if we still owe money.

I won't know about my loan until Monday. I talk to people in Financial Aid and at the Bursar's Office and am basically told...

FinAid: "Get a deferment until we can get your loan stuff handled."
BursarBitch: "You give me five and a half grand right now or we drop your classes."
Me: "I was told to get a deferment while my loan stuff is handled."
BursarBitch: "Has your loan been approved."
Me: "I won't know until Monday."
BursarBitch: "That's not right now."
Me: "No, it isn't."
BursarBitch: "But I need the money right now."
Me: "Well I don't have it right now, if I didn't I wouldn't need the loan."
BursarBitch: "Oh, you're getting a loan?"
Me: "Yes."
BursarBitch: "Has it been approved?"
Me: /facepalm
FinAid: "Ask them about the tuition payment plan, that should work."
Me: "What about the tuition payment plan, can that help me?"
BursarBitch: "Sure, give me three and a half grand right now and another three grand later."
Me: "That's a shitty plan. Can't you just... not destroy my schedule for a few extra days and I'll get you the money early next week?"
BursarBitch: "Oh, yeah... I can keep your schedule intact."
Me: "Great! How do we do that?"
BursarBitch: "Pay your balance."
Me: /doublefacepalm

*SOME AMAZING PERSON FROM THE BURSAR'S OFFICE THAT ISN'T A SACK OF SHIT SUDDENLY APPEARS!*

SweetLady: "I can put a hold on your schedule so it stays protected and they won't drop your classes while you wait for your loan to be approved."
Me: "I... thank you?"
SweetLady: "You're welcome."
Me: "What do I need to do? Is there a catch? Do you need my blood or firstborn?"
SweetLady: "Just give me your ID number, I'll do it now. The catch is that you won't officially be enrolled until you pay, so you won't receive credit for any of your classes until you pay your balance."
Me: "That's perfect. Anything else?"
SweetLady: "Nope, you?"
Me: "I'm good, thanks. Have a great day!"
SweetLady: "You, too."

So I think that's all taken care of now, I just need to get approved for my loan.

Note: I know my problems are at least 99% my own damn fault, but that doesn't make them go away.

The CATbus system is something Clemson University seems to be very proud of. They added a new route this semester: The Tiger Route. I have to admit, it sounds a bit better than the Blue Route that I used all last year to get from the Commuter Lot (P1/Kite Hill) to the East side of campus.

This morning, a CATbus bigwig of some sort got on the bus and talked about how fucking super cool the Tiger Route is and that we'll be able to hop on one of the Tiger Route buses every eight minutes to get too and from the parking lots. Wow! I'd be really impressed if the Blue Route didn't pick-up every six minutes. Oh, but there is no more Blue Route. Not a big deal, an extra 2 minutes isn't likely to kill me, or even inconvenience me, really. It's just not as good as it was.

So how was my first experience with this Super Fucking Cool Tiger Route of Amazing Sweet Shit That Nobody Can Believe Because It's Just That God Damn Cool? I got out of class and thought, "Oh man, this SFCTRoASSTNCBBIJTGDC bus schedule is so much better than the Blue Route because those extra two minutes makes it line up with when I actually get out of class better and I don't have to run to the stop." I also thought, "I wish I could park behind the P&A building still, I don't mind walking to my car, but the 20 minute trek to Kite Hill is just unreasonable in this heat."

The bus picked me up after a leisurely stroll (about two minutes) to the stop (where I waited only one minute) and I was on my way with air conditioned goodness. A quick thirteen minute bus ride followed by the two minute walk to my car and I was on my way back to the apartment. For those of you not keeping score: that's 20 minute walk vs. 18 minute bus encounter. If I ever have to wait on the bus for the full eight minutes I'll really have to do some serious reconsideration of my transportation and travel arrangements.

I can, however, say with some certainty that the Tiger Route can't front on the glory of the Blue Route. GSO, Tiger Route.

To everyone who left me messages about my anniversary with Karen: thanks. :D She's coming up again this weekend. I'm seeing more of her in the past month or so than I have all summer.

To everyone who plays WoW: M'uru down tonight, and I'm probably not going to BlizzCon.

Financial aid stuff seems to be pretty much taken care of so I'm going to be able to attend class in the fall. I'm actually close to graduating, finally.

Three years ago today I made a bumbling idiot of myself in lieu of the calm, collected, cool Irish that most people see and managed to eventually ask you out. You eventually said yes, and the rest, as they say, is history.

I love you, Karen.

So not posting might imply that I have nothing going on, nothing worth posting about... or that I have so much going on that I don't even have time to talk about it. Where's the equilibrium point for stuff to do vs. time to talk about it?

I had a crap semester last spring: big surprise, I'm still a fuck up.

I was going to be put on academic suspension and not be allowed to come back in the fall.

I opted to stay in Clemson over the summer and take courses and actually pass them so I could keep going to school and eventually graduate.

I found that classes are very easy if I want to pass them, so things are going well.

I gave a persuasive speech on facial hair for my public speaking class.

Living with my sister until fall semester when I'll move in with a former roommate (Chris).

I miss Karen and Josh, but not working makes affording travel a little more difficult than I'm used to.

WoW drama is about as hilarious as dance game drama, but involves less sweaty people.

Speaking of dance games, I might be able to start playing again because there's once more a machine in Anderson.

LPSG has been... interesting lately.

Been serious about working out lately. Muscle mass is hard to build, but I'm super fucking toned.

In keeping with the trend that absolutely nothing about me is even remotely close to normal: one of the first jobs I ever had was as a computer repair technician. I started with Seaside Computers when I was 15 and stayed on for about three years. I eventually quit because I was being drastically underpaid and I didn't really like the way the business was run. Five years later...

spencer_best is the best Spencer I know. Happy birthday! :D

I haven't seen you guys in awhile. How have you been?

So I really feel like this whole counseling thing has been, for the most part, a Good Idea™. I definitely have Issues that I need to Work Out and other Proper Nouns that are Important for Some Reason.

Of course, I can't truly be happy (probably need more counseling for that, still) so while I feel like I'm making progress I can't help but notice that there are a lot of things I really don't like about myself. I mean, who would I be if not the oh so lovable elitist asshole that is so quick to critique I have had no less than four insurance claims filed against me for whiplash? I have mastered both of the Great Intimidation Factors: Cold Wrath and Fiery Rage, why would I want to lose the charming anger?

I decided some time ago that feeling things really wasn't so bad and opened myself up to a lot of new experiences, I don't regret this, but I still can't help but feel my emotions make me weak and am always so ready to just shut down whenever things start getting difficult for me. I'm really not expecting any sudden major changes, but he's offering a very different perspective on some things and allowing me to look at things in a totally different way.

I also can't help but notice that a handful of people keep coming up when I talk to my counselor about how I deal with things - or try to. So to all of you who have listened to my problems and put up with my bitching, moaning, complaining, personal crises and what not: thank you. I really do appreciate it and I really do feel like things would be a lot worse if I didn't have such a phenomenal group of open-minded and caring friends.

On a somewhat related note my dreams have been taking a more bizarre twist as of late.