Journal Entries
I'm soliciting suggestions
Posted Apr 10, 2006
Specifically, for a band name. We play modern rock and consist of two guitars, a bass, drums and an electric violin (that's me!).
I know it's probably difficult to come up with suggestions if you don't know us, our names, what we look like, anything like that. But we're pretty stuck and so if you've ever thought, 'If I had a band I would name it...' then this would be a good time to bring that suggestion forward.
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Latest reply: Apr 10, 2006
Quizbowl on drugs
Posted Mar 20, 2006
Some of you may know that I play quizbowl for my school. If you don't, the basics are that I'm pretty damn good (if I say so myself) and that it's the most important thing in my life.
In any case, I was at practice for novice, the beginners' level, today, and my coach decided to ask a series of math questions from a Los Angeles math placement test for inner-city high school students. Fair enough. But ... the subject matter was a bit, well, odd.
One question went something like this: 'If Damian pimps three ho(e)s (sp?) and each ho(e) can turn three tricks in one week for $50 an hour, how long will Damian have to pimp for in order to support his $3,000 crack habit?
I don't remember what the exact numbers were, but the other questions featured drugs (cocaine in particular), sex, stealing stuff like cars and going to prison. Oh, here's another one:
Ramón was sentenced to prison for six years for peddling cocaine, but before he was caught he made $10,000. His common-law wife spends $100 of that money a month. How much will be left when Ramón gets out of prison?
Teaching math in inner-city LA is not a job I'd like to have. But as a friend pointed out afterward, how many of our sheltered quizbowl team are ever going to 'pimp a ho(e)', develop a cocaine addiction, steal a BMW or go to prison for six years?
Cheating on a test, though? No problem.
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Latest reply: Mar 20, 2006
I have another new life philosophy
Posted Mar 5, 2006
I just saw this movie ... it was called 'Sullivan's Travels', and it's from 1941. The story goes that there's this movie director called John Sullivan who's making a tragic movie about the homeless folk of America, so he decides to go out and experience their lifestyle for himself. Accompanied by a ditzy blonde, he travels around the country, though often ending up back in Hollywood. Finally, while everyone back home thinks he's dead, he winds up sentenced to six years' hard labour. While there, he discovers that laughter is the way his fellow inmates overcome their problems. So when he gets rescued (and I'm giving away the ending, here) he decides that instead of making the serious movie he's going to make movies that make people laugh.
And wow, I agree. I admit that I have a habit of laughing at importune moments and at things that no one else thinks are funny (for example, when I failed my last math test, or when I was travelling with a school group and we missed our plane back home). But sometimes there are things so terrible and frightening and awesome (in the negative sense) that you can't do anything but poke fun. Allow me to give an example: the Holocaust isn't, as a rule, an amusing subject, but 'Springtime for Hitler' or Monty Python's 'Mr Hilter' sketch are both hilarious.
Laugh - it's good for you. I'll start the ball rolling:
Oh, and at risk of possible embarrassment, I think I'll post this anyway. If one was convinced that one was in love, what would be a wise course of action?
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Latest reply: Mar 5, 2006
Proof that Hitchhiker's has been co-opted
Posted Mar 2, 2006
We got an advertisement in the mail for Target - it's an American chain store ... I don't know quite what the UK equivalent is, but it sells pretty much everything, from clothes to electronics to food to car and kitchen supplies. The advert was for the girls' clothes department and was titled 'A Girl's Shopping Guide to the Galaxy'. It came with a quiz to 'find out your style' and an entry form for a drawing to win Hello Kitty stuff.
Disgusting.
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Latest reply: Mar 2, 2006
Happy birthday to me!
Posted Feb 7, 2006
Yesterday was my 16th birthday. I'm still trying to tell if I feel any different. I feel like I should, at 16, but the biggest deal is that I am now able to use all the BBC messageboards. I can't drive or anything.
Got some nice presents, though. Some cool books, CDs, DVDs, etc. including Pink Floyd's The Wall. This is my first rock album and I shall treasure it, especially because it's *awesome*.
Have some cake, everyone!
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Latest reply: Feb 7, 2006
echomikeromeo
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