and my next great challenge is on its way

stuff is getting harder but i believe it’s making things better

taping cardboard onto a mirror and you’re supposed to not see it

equality under law

almost backup time. i purposely skipped this month.

nethack & stuff, maybe capture the flag. opengl makes things so much better.winamp & k-lite

i remembered my friend, a real “natural-only” type of person, had done feng
shui on her house. i didnt know much about it other than it was about putting
like stuff together.

so i looked up quite a bit. the “official” ways involving astrology, charms,
and other creepy stuff, which involved the earth’s magnetic poles and was
more about construction of the house rather than decorating and arranging
furniture, making claims that stuff like cancer clusters are caused by “bad
feng shui” rather than pollutants.

what i was referring to were two “western” ways.

the most popular one was called “BTB” and was developed by a new age cult
leader (Black Sect Tantric Buddhism) in the 80s. it laid the room out like a
grid, with stuff based on the front.

There was another one, similar to “BTB”, called “eight aspirations”, but rather
than a grid, it lays out a room like the tai chi symbol and the areas are
based on the earth’s magnetic poles. i thought that was a lot cooler, and with
two exceptions it isn’t a problem for me. it also involves a color scheme, so
that things don’t look out of place.

i kept in mind relics from school and what my mind might interpret souvenirs,
and stuff like that which hangs around, and was able to for the most part
organize my room according to the tai chi symbol. (my window faces almost
exactly west, and certain times of the day i can’t use the computer because
the sun is in my eyes). i cleaned up lots of crap, put lots of stuff away
and have two boxes of stuff to throw away whenever.

this took me two days or so, and i still got a bit to do, but for the most part
keeping things separate and themed seems to be making me less depressed. (that
and a messy room too)

–

i’ve also been busy this month with other things. i got the “easy” stuff done
and have the rest of the month for the “hard”.

–

and with all this, until writing this blog entry i have completely forgot about
fly papers volume ii. don’t worry, i just need to put in may and june (from the
output of the mediocre wordpress plugin i use) and clean things up for the
final book. but then volume iii starts, of course.

–

my dvd drive finally went. i have another one on the way from newegg. it has
lightscribe and wasn’t too much money. i have two dvd drives but the one
that broke was the first computer part to break from my current 3-year-old
dell machine. the machine consists mostly of parts i added myself, and
i’ll probably go back to building computers again. i know a bit more and
will probably get the heating stuff right this time.

–

off to dalnet and/or freenode. l8rz

Political buttons will still remain on the side, but this blog will contain various stuff like poems, short stories, photos, art, etc (like my short story about the Red Herring).

also thinking of another one too.

From AP via the Repeal the 17th Amendment Blog:

Legislation to turn down the volume on those loud TV commercials that send couch potatoes diving for their remote controls looks like it’ll soon become law.

The Senate unanimously passed a bill late Wednesday to require television stations and cable companies to limit the volume of commercials and keep them at the level of the programs they interrupt.

The House has passed similar legislation. Before it can become law, minor differences between the two versions have to be worked out when Congress returns to Washington after the Nov. 2 election.

Ever since television caught on in the 1950s, the Federal Communication Commission has been getting complaints about blaring commercials. But the FCC concluded in 1984 there was no fair way to write regulations controlling the “apparent loudness” of commercials. So it hasn’t been regulating them.

Managing the transition between programs and ads without spoiling the artistic intent of the producers poses technical challenges and may require TV broadcasters to purchase new equipment.

I think Congress is the real joke here.

Blogthings: What Flavor Pudding Are You?

Your Brain is Conceptual

You can’t help but look at the big picture. You’re good at putting things together. You think long term. You always have a vision for the future and an idea of how you want things to be. You are a very intuitive person. Even though you are constantly thinking, it feels like answers just appear for you. You enjoy a challenge, especially an intellectual one. You are constantly taking the initiative and pushing yourself.

Blogthings: What’s Your Brain Like?

You Are a Cat

You are agile and mysterious. You have you own way of navigating the world. You enjoy exploring new ideas and places, but you also like to be able to retreat quickly. You are a bit standoffish and aloof, but you aren’t shy. In fact, you are brave and courageous. Always resourceful and fearless, you can handle any situation. You are a survivor.

Blogthings: What Origami Animal Are You?

You Have a Hippie Soul

You are free as the wind, and you don’t like following rules. You’re open minded and nonjudgemental. You just enjoy the journey of life. You’re neither a leader nor a follower. You’re own your own blissful path. You believe that people should love more and hate less. It’s really that simple.

Blogthings: Is Your Soul Hippie, Punk, or Goth?

You Should Be Elected US Senator

You have a strong interest in political issues – both on a state and local level. You love to debate for debating’s sake. You could argue for hours. You are dignified and well spoken. People naturally want to give you authority. You are a wheeler and dealer. You are willing to compromise a little to get what you want.

Blogthings: What Office Should You Be Elected To?

You Are a Thoughtful Artist

You may be creative, but there’s nothing messy about your approach to art. All of your art is well thought out and planned. You art ends up being close to how you initially imagined it. Your work tends to be quite deep and complex. You know how to produce something that appeals on many levels. Your art may take a long time to create, but your patient. And as a result, you tend to love everything you make.

Blogthings: What Type of Artist Are You?

You Are A Creative Dreamer

You dream big, and you often are willing to think of ideas that others wouldn’t dare dream about. You don’t just think outside the box – you’re not even aware of the box being there! You can solve problems that other people think are impossible. You always explore all options. Where others see nothing, you see possibilities. For you, the world is rich with potential.

Blogthings: What Kind of Dreamer Are You?

Meanwhile, here are some quizzes:

You Like Names That Are Classic and Timeless

You prefer quality names that have stood the test of time. You don’t like anything that’s trendy today and outdated next year. Names are important to you, and naming someone should not be an social experiment. You are the type most likely to name someone after a family member. Some female names you might like: Andrea, Elizabeth, Hannah, Julia, Marie, Nicole, and Victoria Some male names you might like: Aaron, Benjamin, Christopher, Jonathan, Matthew, Thomas, and Zachary

Blogthings Quiz: What Kind of Names Do You Like?

You Are Why

You are a very philosophical person, and you’re happiest when you’re able to sit and think for long periods of time. You’re interested on everything on a deeper level, and you aren’t content until you’ve thought about something thoroughly. You believe that often we act too quickly without taking time to reflect. You can learn a lot if you sit with your thoughts. People may think you’re a bit slow moving, but they don’t realize how quickly your mind is racing.

Blogthings Quiz: Are You Who, What, Where, or Why?

You Are Somewhat Agreeable

You enjoy getting along with others, but not at any cost. You are all about compromise, but sometimes it’s important to stand your ground. You are interested in other people to a point. At the end of the day, you’ve got to put yourself first. You’re the first to admit that being agreeable has its limits.

Blogthings Quiz: How Agreeable Are You?

Some more quizzes for you:

Your Creative Power is Your Logic

You’re the type of person who is great at execution. You don’t just dream about ideas – you make them happen! You are idealistic and determined, but you are also a realist. You only undertake projects you’re pretty sure you can finish. You are a natural problem solver, and you actually think better when you’re being challenged. You do best when you work by yourself or when you’re in charge. You ideas are big, dramatic, and the best.

Blogthings Quiz: What’s Your Creative Power?

You Are a Creative Worker

You are a very personally expressive person, especially outside of work. Your individuality matters to you. You draw a lot of inspiration and energy from the outside world. You get bored easily if you spend too much time alone. You like to edit and revise. You are always improving your work, and you never turn in the first draft. You are down to earth and practical. You achieve success one step at a time, by paying attention to details.

Blogthings Quiz: What Does Your Desk Say About You?

I’m doing a lot more quizzes now, doesn’t mean I’m out of ideas, just always liked doing them, and would like to do more. (Maybe I’ll up my “Survey Whore” on the Blogger Code to 50% someday

I’m not getting into politics as that just gets me very angry, blogging about the same stuff that just pisses me off, and after a while writing the same angry commentary. I’ve done it before, had a political blog for a year which was quoted by other news sites once or twice. Not a fun time.

Your Late Bedtime Says You’re an Oddball

You like to do your own thing, even if you have to make sacrifices for your lifestyle. You are extremely creative and inspired. It’s easy for you to lose time in your projects. You tend to live hard and not take as good of care of yourself as you should. Sleep often comes last for you, if it comes at all… and you’re always hurting in the morning.

Blogthings Quiz: What Does Your Bedtime Say About You?

You Should Work with Art

You are a very visual and creative person. You couldn’t stop making beautiful things, even if you tried. You are constantly inspired and driven to create. It would drive you crazy to follow too many rules at work. You have to do things your own way. If you’re given room to be yourself, you come up with amazing things. You never stop making art, so you might as well get paid for doing something you love!

Blogthings Quiz: What Should You Work With?

Your Spring Sense is Sight

You can’t help but be moved by the beauty of spring. The whole world changes in front of you. You love every green shoot and every blooming plant. It’s like a picture is being colored! You are artistic and very visual. If spring hasn’t inspired you to paint or draw yet, some day it probably will. You always give yourself time to stop and take it all in. Nature is truly an amazing thing.

What’s Your Spring Sense?

You Are Compassionate Toward the World

You are a true humanitarian. You care deeply for everyone on this planet. If you were independently wealthy, you would be a huge philanthropist. Since you’re not rich yet, you do what you can to help everyone around you. It’s likely that you are active with charities and always willing to help a friend.

Blogthings Quiz: How Do You Feel About the World?

You Are Brilliant

You are a very talented person. And it’s likely that your talents span many different areas. You are probably also very well educated – whether you’ve had a lot of formal education or have educated yourself. You spend a lot of time developing your skills. Practice means perfect, and you sure like to practice. You can be a bit of a perfectionist at times. You like to get things exactly right.

Blogthings Quiz: The Retro Pattern Test

You Are “Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness”

You don’t just think that honesty is the best policy, you think it’s the only policy. You believe that it’s important to be truthful, especially with yourself and the ones you love most. No doubt about it, the truth is sometimes quite ugly. But we need to face how ugly it is before we work to change it. You think the world would be a better place if all the lying and deception stopped. Let’s lay the cards out on the table.

Blogthings Quiz: Which of the Ten Commandments Are You?

You Have an Active Imagination

Your mind is churning and producing new thoughts all the time. You are definitely good at imagining. You can visualize events pretty easily, and you’re not bad at thinking up new ideas. Believe it or not, you could be a bit more imaginative. All you have to do is give yourself permission Spend a few minutes each day daydreaming. It’s good for you, and who knows what might come of it?

Blogthings Quiz: How Active is Your Imagination?

Also removed “Pages” from the sidebar, it’s unnecessary when the same thing is at the top.