Something significant happened to me last night. I got beat up. I got jumped by one of my neighbors who was high and drunk at the time. It’s a really long story, so I’ll try to sum it up. I came home around 2am, and my neighbors were throwing a party, and there was pot and beer, and naturally, a neighbor pissing on my porch. this isn’t the first time this has happened, and so I got mad and started yelling at the guy. Everyone was yelling at me, too, and I started to head to my apartment, when one of the guys right by my door threatened me and Deedee. Said if deedee called the cops, then I’d get “ass whoopin’ of [my] life.” I turned and looked at him, and he used the opportunity to start throwing punches. I blocked the right, but the left caught me on the side of the head, and I got knocked back into my apartment. The guy came into my apartment, knocked me over my couch, through my speaker stand, into the dining room table, and on the floor. He ran around the overturned couch and started wailing on me. I blocked several punches, but about six good ones landed on my nose, mouth, head, etc… He finally got tired of hitting me, and got up and went outside to the roaring cheers of the crowd of people congratulating him. Deedee slamed the door shut before I could get up, and we called the cops.

The guy’s name was Eric Pelletier or Eric Pelleter, btw. He was not arrested, and went home fine that night. The cops wouldn’t arrest him because “the jail is full, and if we arrest him, we’d have to take him to another county, and since he’d be out in the morning anyway, there’s no point.” I digress.

Everyone I’ve talked to has said the same thing:
them: “you only got hit once, right?”
me: “nope, many times.”
them: “there must have been a bunch of them.”
me: “nope, just one.”
them: “he must have been HUGE!”
me: “nope, he was a skinny runt.”
them: “man, you must have torn him up,” or “I’d hate to see your knuckles right now,” or “he’s lucky you didn’t kill him.”
me: “actually, I never got to throw a single punch.”

I got beat up by a little punk. 10 years… Ten years of martial arts, and what did I get? not a single swing. Sure, I blocked his first punch, and only about six of his dozen or 20 punches hit. In the end, I couldn’t do anything. I let a strange, little man threaten my wife, come into my house, and beat me like the rolly-polly fat kid I used to be. I haven’t had such a shock to my self-esteem since 8th grade. Everyone’s reactions just confirms what I’ve been thinking. This should never have happened. I feel so….

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m sick and tired of being offended by literature. Why do we keep these books on the shelf? What exactly are we telling our children? It’s not enough that we simplly burn every copy of Mark Twain’s historically accurate portrayal of the south, Huckleberry Finn. No, we need to go one step further. Not just content that is offensive to the morbidly stupid… No! we must ban novels that even have titles that might be offensive. That’s why I’m proud to announce that as of today, I am launching a campaign to fix this injustice. I’m calling it Operation “Moby Richard.”

As indicated by the name of Operation “Moby Richard,” I aim at changing this most foul of book titles first. Anyone can see the true meaning behind this book. Great White Whale, indeed. I mean, just look at the most quoted lines from the book: “… I stab at thee; …I spit…” ** and who can forget, “there she blows!”

Maybe we should just rename the book “Moby Cigar!” The more I think about this book, the more I think we should just burn it… yes… burn it, but only AFTER we change the name to Moby Richard… or Moby Cigar… either way.

Quote of the Day:
“Ignorance is the parent of fear…” –Herman Melville, Moby Dick

** I feel compelled to repost that quote which I so badly butchered: “”…from hell’s heart I stab at thee; for hate’s sake I spit my last breath at thee.”

I’m brushing my teeth, and all of a sudden it hits me: “holy crap, the old guy from Boy Meets World is the voice of KITT in Knight Rider!”

This has absolutely no significance, and it really makes me wonder what my mind does when I’m not using it…

p.s. This is, in fact, true, as per IMDb: William Daniels

I feel like crap. Should I? you tell me… I got this offer, more or less, from my boss… he basically says he’ll pay me to go work for NASA for a summer. It could lead to a more permanent employment in two years, he says. Said it could lead to my PhD on NASA’s bill… sounds good so far, right? So I met with the guy in charge of this project. He told me, “we basically need someone to become an expert in solid rockets.” Bad thing #1: Then he tells me the project is only for one year. Bad thing #2:

so let me back up… got a friend up at the ERC that I’ve worked with for years (you know, the years when I wasn’t in Colorado)… Even lived with the guy for a summer, actually. He’s been talking for months about rocketry. He has read books on rockets, and genuinely wants experience working with rockets… He currently is working on a numerical method project, but, for the kicker, he already works for the guy in charge of this project. He’s miles ahead of me when it comes to rocketry… I mean, I really don’t know much about it… Dr. Koenig kinda skipped that part of our propulsion class cause we had got so caught up in turbojets…

I’ve always been a very strong believer in using the best person for the job. Normally I’m egotistical enough to believe that that’s always me. This is an exception. In this case, I do not believe I am the best person for this job. For that reason, I went to my boss and asked him why he wouldn’t put this other person on this project. His answer was short and fairly harsh. In the end, he told me that it’s none of my concern what happens to anyone else but me. Going back to bad thing #1, he also told me that this project IS only for one year, but I should be able to take what I learn and apply it towards a PhD.

so now I feel like crap. I have a project that is not my PhD project that could lead to me working with NASA if I can stick with it for that long… AND I am NOT the best person for this job. I’m just doing this job because it’s my best option. My friend would be doing this job because he’s dying to do it. I mean, really… who would you want working for you?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for working at NASA… but not like this. screwing over a friend to get a job that you don’t really want just so you can work for a department that you plan on transferring out of as soon as you get there… This is not on my list of “Things I Would Do To Work For NASA”…

Quote of the Day:
“Of course I make you pay a lot for me; that way you don’t forget how much I’m worth.” — Deedee, on birthday presents

I promised an educational entry… so I’ll do that real quick.

Did you know that hippos have very interesting tails? They are very short, but very thick, and all muscle, apparently. They can move incredibly fast. Just fast enough, actually, to fling poo at exactly the rate it comes out of their behinds. Flying hippo poo. And lot of it! These guys fling poo everywhere! We thought the walls of the hippo enclosure were covered in dirt… ooooohh no. poo. Deedee had a camera pointed right at the hippo when he decided to demonstrate this supernatural poo-flinging ability, but we were both so shocked at the efficiency of the poo-distribution that neither of us thought to push the button.

So there you have it. Education. No longer should you be afraid of monkeys that can fling poo. It was determined that “the number one phrase you would never hear Chad say” would be perfectly acceptable and understandable if I ever find myself standing behind a hippo at a bad time. Which brings up my next point, actually…

Deedee is compiling a list of the Top Ten Things You’ll Never Hear Chad Say… I am curious what people think might go on that list. So feel free to leave a comment below and vote for your favorite

ok… gotta run for now…

yeah, I know I don’t write quite as much anymore as I used to, but hey, life is funny like that. I’m getting close to finishing one degree (graduate in May, actually), and my research is picking up. That makes me sound real busy, but there’s a lot more to my life than just school. I’m working on a bunch of business ideas, and I’m in Phase 1 of a project that could actually solve my debt problems. I’m really excited about it, but I don’t want to jinx it just yet. There’s 4 phases, and if it actually works, I’ll be telling everyone about it, don’t worry. If it fails, well… that would suck… a lot.

Important news from my life (you know, for the two of you who still read this…):

My grandmother passed away last Thursday. It was a tough time for the family. My dad’s side of the family has been matriarchal for a while, with Grandma at the head of the family. We have had Christmas Eve at her house since before I can remember. She used to spend days (literally) fixing food for Christmas Eve dinner, and your status in the family was reflected by which table you were allowed to eat at. Sadly enough, I think I only got to enjoy one year at the adult table. In recent years, the food was switched to store bought as Grandma’s health faded, and last year for the first time ever, we didn’t go to Grandma’s on Christmas Eve. That side of my family is so diverse, and I only got to see everyone really on Christmas Eve. It makes me wonder what’s going to happen to the family now that Grandma is gone. I really don’t see my oldest Aunt taking over the family. She’s kinda too wrapped up in her own business. I kinda have a feeling that that side of the family is going to go the way of every other family in America these days. Just get split up and out of touch. sad…

Anyway, I really have to go to bed, but I have a lot I’d like to write about… perhaps later. My next post should be educational, so don’t miss that one… I learned an interesting fact about hippopotomi that I would like to share

So I had a test in econ the other day, and right before the test, I realized I couldn’t think of a very good definition for multicolinearity. So I googled it… I found the following conversation on a forum at a math and statistics site:
—
E1st:
The reasonably attractive math girl described a statistical situation as exhibiting a “multi-colinearity”. Upon further review, I don’t even really know what that implies, but I do think it means that I want her now. Any female that spits out words like that either scares me or allures me. And I can’t tell which is which.

Also, the prof used the phrase “less than useless” to describe a certain variable. Within the next 24 hours, I will be termining someone “less than useless”.

It could be you.

Bess:
I doubt that any woman smart enough to be in a high-level math/science course would be dumb enough to like a boy who’s surprised when women exhibit intelligence.

E1st:
Ahh, Bess, how quickly I’ve soured your opinion of me! Fickle, just like a woman! And sassy to boot!

It wasn’t intelligence, it was math competence. They are much rarer breeds, and if you don’t believe me, it’s a friggin observation, based on experimental data. Argue with the numbers, not me.
—

I guess it was just funny to me… but I thought I’d share it, anyway.

In other news… I have nothing else to say… Sad, no?

A mere 10 hours later, I remember what I sat down to write earlier. It was a dream. Quite possibly a nightmare, if it weren’t so funny. (it weren’t… I’m southern).

So I was in dire need of surgery. Apparently needed a new organ of some sort, two if I remember correctly. Only… I don’t have insurance, and surgery is expensive. So… when we all need something cheap, where do we go??? yup, that’s right… Walmart. Walmart! It was in the future and Walmart had expanded to the point that they had a mini-hospital inside! I think it was by the craft section. Or maybe it was automotive… either way. It’s just sitting out in the middle of no where… an operating table with lights, a doctor in scrubs, and a nurse.

So I’m running up to the counter with an organ in my hand… Well, in a ziplock bag, actually. Two ziplock bags, because there were two of them. Probably bought two cause one looked like it was going bad. No, I’m not entirely sure I bought the organs at Walmart, but, ya know… it would fit with the dream here. Oh, and I was running because the organs were going to go bad if I didn’t hurry.

So I run up to the counter and check in. I’m late, but that’s ok… The doctor’s still cleaning up from his last patient. I’m talking to the nurse as she is getting me ready and hooking me up.. .and it’s all rushed… takes about 3 minutes. I remember the last thing before she stuffed the thing over my nose and I passed out was saying to the nurse was something to the effect of, “darnedest thing… can’t believe I’m having surgery at Walmart!”

the end

I might have had something interesting to say when I sat down at the computer to write a blog… but that was an hour ago, and now I don’t remember.

I am busy, which sucks. I have realized I simply don’t have enough time.. TIME! I called a certain pregnant woman last week, and when she answered the phone I couldn’t remember why I called ::coughcoughAlzheimer’scough::… I just remembered… I was going to ask her since she’s just using her time to wait for a baby if I could borrow some of that time to get done all of what I need to get done! HA! I remembered… Which begs the question (A la Deedee’s memory class), Did I ever really forget in the first place?

So here’s my list of stuff I’m working on:
-the equivalent of 16 hours of graduate classes
-an engineering analysis for stupid project
-engineering research (which my boss just told me I might be presenting a paper in January)
-D&D monday nights
-WhiteWolf two weekends a month
-(maybe) be DC for the only official whitewolf domain in mississippi
-starting a student organization on campus
-Business Research for a $1/2 Million business we’re trying to start
-Web server support for a tiny business idea (currently on hold)
-quality time for my wife
-reading a book
-some smaller stuff not worth mentioning

Things I would like to do but simply cannot find the time:
-Teach tae kwon do – seriously… I have students asking me to teach self defense classes, and I just don’t have the time…
-Work out more – swim, or just go back to doing martial arts… nope… no time
-play games online
-play games at all
-watch FarScape & MythBusters
-watch any one of the movies I have bought in the past 6 months, but haven’t been able to open
-shave… really… shave. I haven’t shaved in three weeks because I can’t give up the 45 minutes it takes to properly trim my beard… If you have seen me without shaving for a week, I look like a lumberjack… x3, it’s bad… one of my professor used me as an example in an impromtu speech about appearances in the business world… between my hair and my beard, he basically said I was worthless, business-ically speaking. (businessically… adv. – in a sense pertaining to business. etymology: Chadian, early 21st century.)

I can’t complain too much, though… I did get to play Risk 2210 last night. gotta love risk… great quotes come out of risk… especially with 2210, where the countries are renamed… For example, Djibouti (pronounced, Ja Booty)…

Quote of the Day:
“I go into Djibouti from my happy place” – Kyle

Yeah, I haven’t been posting a lot lately. Partly because school has kept me busy, and partly because I’ve been using my blog as a test for new websites, so I haven’t wanted to make a lot of changes to it. I’ve actually got my web server up and running now, which is a good thing… If I can get passive ftp to work, then I’ll probably move all the websites over to our server… That’ll be kinda neat. Anyone need any web hosting services?

In other news, I’m working on starting a business… Been working on the basic idea since about November, and we’re getting into the gritty details now… Business plans suck, btw. Crunching the numbers is slightly intimidating, and shows up that we don’t have a lot of margin to work with. It wouldn’t be so bad if we were just rich… Anyone want to spot us about half a mil? We’ll get it back to you… eventually.

In unrelated school crap, you know, I dislike smug people. I mean, it’s one thing to make a 100 on a test and be proud of it… It’s another thing to make a 100, then get up in front of the class and parade it around and rub it in with a smug, arrogant smile on your face. It’s a long story, but let’s just say the prof gave his little pet plenty of opportunity to show off by letting her go up to the front of the class and give the right answers for the test questions… She then took it upon her self to “teach” things that were totally unrelated to the test questions she was answering. She called on me to answer a question… Went something like this…
her: (blah blah blah) …so who’s trust did she violate, Chad?
me: the general public’s
her: yes, but what’s another way to say that? How about… the public’s trust???

no kidding… she actually did that. I’m not exaggerating. seriously. seriously pissed me off is what it did… I don’t think I need to explain why I felt extremely annoyed at her arrogence… turns out it’s not just me, either. After class a few people were talking in the MBA lounge, and every really felt she went too far and was too egotistical. annoying… do I annoy people like that?

ok… gotta sleep.

p.s. CSI is extremely addictive.