Thursday, December 29, 2005
Gross domestic wha?
Seriously, shut up. Go back to listening to Limbaugh, watching O'Reilly, or reading Ann Coulter, and for the 'liberals', whatever it is you like to watch, listen and read. I personally can't think of anyone as pervasive as Limbaugh or O'Reilly - and by the way there's your proof that the 'liberal media' is a myth - but whatever.
Morons.
One of these days, I'll make a coherent political post. Pace, you ready to play guinea pig again? ;)
Edit: Looks like I've found my fodder. Yay. More tomorrow or in a couple of days maybe.
Now Playing: Goo Goo Dolls - Up, Up, Up
Monday, December 26, 2005
Greetings from sandtown
So Dubai is hot. Too hot. What's up with ~28C during the day this time of the year? I know it was a LOT colder this time around last year. Since I haven't really done anything since I got here and I have nothing more to write, I'll leave with this 'meme of four' thing I've been seeing on a lot of other blogs....
Four jobs you've had in your lifetime: Part time tech consultant, summer intern who did reports and other odd jobs, video game promotion, and with any luck I'll be grading math classes next semester
Four movies you could watch over and over: Not a big movie person but Thirteen Days, Minority Report, Memento and The Shawshank Redemption come to mind
Four places you've lived: Bombay (India), Sharjah (UAE), Dubai (UAE), Austin (and I guess you could put Houston down there too) in that order
Four TV shows you love to watch: The West Wing, The Daily Show, 24, Seinfeld
Four places you've been on vacation: Where to begin.... Australia, New Zealand, Kenya, Bahrain - not an exhaustive list by any means
Four websites you visit daily: NYTimes, Daily Kos, Penny Arcade, Altercation (on msnbc.com)
Four of your favourite foods: Barbecued anything, some very specific types of Penne, cake/cheesecake (this is food as far as I'm concerned), steak
Four places you'd rather be: Dubai fits the bill nicely for now, but if I really had to choose... Seattle, Queenstown (NZ), a U2 concert just about anywhere (what, you didn't think I'd finish this without mentioning them at least once did you?), the south pole (because that's the only continent I haven't been to yet)
Now Playing: Coldplay - Amsterdam
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Semester Closing
Left out? A year ago I'd just spend some time with myself and that would be that (and no, that's not what I'm talking about you dirty perverts). There was no 'left out' because there was no 'left in' in the first place. Now, more often than not I'm finding myself around people. It's... disconcerting. (Hey Melissa!)
Nah, I kid. It's been a good semester on the whole. I know I enjoyed it. Between all the studying, the all nighters, the times when everyone but I got drunk, the games of Smash Bros, getting to know all the people I did this semester (and that doesn't only go for the people here at UT), the apartment life where you actually have responsibilities, it was fun.
I'm looking forward to going back. I land in Dubai at about 10.30 pm local time, December 23. Expect to be called. I'm STILL not sure whether or not I'm going to Bombay at all, though I'll be posting for once I know for sure. Screw the jetlag, we should definitely do something on the 24th. Clear your schedules. I mean it.
So the semester is done. Fourth 4.0 in a row - it was looking pretty close there for a little bit, what with MIS and Accounting. But now that pretty much everything's done with, this semester's special mentions go out to...
Nikhil for being a good sport and doing the dishes every damn time.
Sanju for coming over and pretty much living here the entire semester, giving us very bored people some company.
Aeris for keeping me company on MSN all those late nights. We're still on for May I hope.
Pace for getting online less times than half the number of fingers on my hand this whole semester. You'll be the first to hear from me when I get back! (And no, just because you got a mention doesn't mean it's a good thing.)
(Edit: How could I forget, Puns the cooking beast for all the chicken. Now go learn some 30 minute meals.)
And last, but definitely not the least:
Dan, Melissa and Emily for chauffering me around. I really, really appreciate it.
That'll be all for now. I'll see you on the other side.
Now Playing: Green Day - Jesus of Suburbia
Monday, December 19, 2005
The Freeman excels in all things
Oh and we watched Syriana earlier. I personally liked it, even if the plot lines were a bit loose - and I was a bit loud. Which is weird because usually I never talk in movies. But anyhow, I could totally see everything being played out the way it did. And if you look at US-Middle Eastern history, a lot of it's incredibly familiar. I might not be as cynical as some people in that I believe that there is such a thing as a 'good politician', and yes I can in fact think of a few off of the top of my head, but incrementalism and the status quo basically kill any chance of reform the Middle East has as a region. And the views held about the region in general by the US as a country, and Americans as a people (I'm generalizing, I know), are - I don't want to say misinformed - but rather not in perspective. And how.
I can say this as a person who has lived in a Middle Eastern country, and been to a lot of others. It is NOT one region. Iran is just about as similar to Saudi Arabia as Russia is to the US. Yes, there are major religious and social issues to be resolved in the region especially with regard to Islam in government. I'll be the first to say it. Yes, there are any number of political and economic issues to be resolved. But what people, and so called 'experts' will never understand is that it is NOT going to happen overnight.
And you know what? Killing them is not going to make them love you. I don't care what you think about Saddam. Who do you think put him there? What about Mr. Bin Laden? Oh wait, it was "in our interest" at the time. Just like it is now with Iraq, except things aren't as rosy as Cheney, Rumsfeld and the boys at PNAC would have you believe.
That's what irks me.
So now I just realized this post was supposed to be a sort of 'end of semester' closing post, but I'll do that one tomorrow or the day after. Kind of got sidetracked there.
Now Playing: Radiohead - Lucky
Sunday, December 18, 2005
Meh
Now Playing: Radiohead - Fake Plastic Trees
Saturday, December 17, 2005
Friday, December 16, 2005
2
Only two finals to go, MIS - which happens to be tomorrow and I really need to get started already - and stupid physics.
So I think I'll get started on MIS. More later maybe.
Now Playing: U2 - An Cat Dubh, Into The Heart (Live)
Monday, December 12, 2005
Almost two years of procrastination....
Now Playing: U2 - Crumbs From Your Table
Sunday, December 11, 2005
H-town
I'll say this right off the bat: American sucks. Do not fly them. I wouldn't if I didn't have to. (And right now I'm considering forgetting about all those miles and just switching to Southwest for good)
So let's see... got to Houston yesterday on a delayed AA flight on which the service sucks (even by American standards, and when I say American I'm not just referring to the airline). Went to the mall - I now have a new coat, shirt, jeans, and some other stuff from GAP, Banana Republic, and Express - and I'm short $250. and it looks like I might actually get this whole driving thing done Tuesday. But seeing as how I've been procrastinating for a whole year now as far as that's concerned, I'm not guaranteeing anything.
That's about it for now. I think I'll watch my U2 dvd on the (huge ass 60 something inch) TV they have here.
Now Playing: -
Friday, December 09, 2005
How do you want to freeze today?
More when I get there. I'm about to pass out. And damn this song is a lot better than I thought it was when I first heard it a year ago....
Now Playing: U2 - An Cat Dubh, Into The Heart
Thursday, December 08, 2005
Can they not do ANYTHING right?
Witnesses aboard an American Airlines jetliner say that Rigoberto Alpizar's wife pursued him, saying he was mentally ill, just before federal marshals shot and killed him. "She was chasing after him," said fellow passenger Alan Tirpak. "She was just saying her husband was sick, her husband was sick." Air marshals said Alpizar had announced he was carrying a bomb. No explosives were found.Discretion anyone? I'm really trying to decide whether the paranoia in this country is funny or just plain scary....
Now Playing: U2 - Even Better Than The Real Thing
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
Larry Mullen Jr., Adam Clayton, The Edge, Bono
Now Playing: U2 - 40 (Live in Chicago 2005)
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
My life is complete
Now Playing: U2 - The Electric Co. (Live in Chicago 2005)
Monday, December 05, 2005
Wanker of the day: Bill O'Reilly
We're at war, there's Darfur, there's an AIDS crisis and you're worried about whether people should say Merry Christmas? What world do you live in? - Neal Gabler, Fox News Watch
Now Playing: Goo Goo Dolls - Iris
Saturday, December 03, 2005
Indecent exposure?
And by the way, have any of you seen this man lately?
He goes by the moniker 'Dudemandan', and was spotted last night doing some very strange things. I present to you....
Now Playing: Foo Fighters - Times Like These
Thursday, December 01, 2005
Someone shoot me
Now Playing: Paul van Dyk - Autumn