New Background to hopefully act as some sort of a reminder. We'll see if it works.

It's a bit like my Jalapeno background at work.

I decided it was time for a new background.

I browsed around for a long time on 4chan's background section but it was full of fail and aids. I usually get much better quality there.

Then I remembered a great source of quality:

Deviant Art




Also, big changes around here in the theme for both Serendipity and the Forum.

I want to quote something from Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig

There's this primary America of freeways and jet flights and TV and movie spectaculars. And people caught in this primary America seem to go through huge portions of their lives without much consciousness of what's immediately around them. The media have convinced them that what's right around them is unimportant.

And that's why they're lonely.

You see it in their faces. First the little flicker of searching, and then when they look at you, you're just kind of an object. You don't count. You're not what they're looking for. You're not on TV.

He goes on to talk about a secondary America you see on the back roads off the main highways. He talks about how you see the real country driving through the back roads.

I had a bit of experience with this driving up to New York taking some crazy back roads thanks to my GPS. It really is a completely different experience.

This touches on two things that I believe are important

1. I hate the negative impact TV has.

Reading this as well as "Bowling Alone" paints a pretty dark picture about what TV can do.

It's not limited to TV either. It's any medium that has the ability to destroy social bonds and turn people into solitary creatures. It kills ambition to go socialize. My ambition to do so is low to start with so it would be particularly devastating for me. In a way I think my addiction to Internet entertainment may be somewhat similar to TV that Putnam mentions in Bowling alone. Different technology, same effects. Here I sit alone.

Maybe the nature of this is slightly different though. At the moment I am less of a passive consumer than TV would have me be. Most times on the Internet though are spent in read only mode for me.

2. I like the idea of traveling around and seeing lots of different things.

Who knows if I'd like it in practice. Maybe I'll find out.

I enjoyed my trip to San Francisco a while back. I liked seeing NYC and Boston. Going through the back country in PA was beautiful. Driving through DC on an early Sunday morning was interesting.

Just some randomness for you. Trying to figure out what this is all about.

There was a party, it was awesome. Everyone was there.

Pirates vs Ninjas

Jason came down to visit with his girl Ashley. It was the best time I've had in a while. Interesting and memorable events unfolded as always.


Since the party I bought a GPS for my motorcycle and have been thinking about that Touring NC goal. It's within reach. I am looking at buying a taller windscreen and a more comfy seat to hook my bike up for longer rides.


I also had an interesting realization about girls, or at least what I'm looking for.

I would not classify myself as a happy person. If left to my own devices by myself I would pursue interesting activities, and I would be immersed in them completely. I would have intense focus.

I would be content.

I realize I will fall for pretty much any girl who I smile around. This is my tell tale weakness. If I am involved in a conversation with a girl and there is laughing, smiling, and me being happy, I am pretty much done for. This satisfies almost all of my requirements. It is a completely different sort of contentment. The positive interaction with a person (especially of the opposite sex) fulfills something I didn't even know I needed. Now going without is painful.

It is this social interaction and sharing that moves me from a content person to a happy person. There is a line that is crossed where I go from full, to overflowing


For now I will focus on non-people activities, but watch for me to smile.. You'll be able to tell when something is up

I passed my CCIE Voice certification.

After three grueling attempts I am finished. I managed to come out passing with CCIE # 20707.


This last test I really destroyed. I walked out of there a few minutes before the exam ended because I knew it was done.

I put as much brain power into it as I had with me. The lab was finished to the best of my ability. Apparently my ability is enough to get a CCIE.

Awesome.

I now am free to focus on anything I like. The burden of unfinished responsibility is no longer mine to bear.


I am going to celebrate. After that I am going to figure out what to do with $5000 dollars. Something shiny with an engine might be in order.

And now.. on to the rest of my goals:

1. Tour NC on my motorcycle
2. Get pilot license again
3. Write google calendar integration plugin for pidgin
4. See a motogp race
5. Rebuild web server / mail server for hosting

I just finished my third attempt at the Voice CCIE today.

My first impressions:

1. Wow, I've never seen any of these questions before.

2. Wow, I can do all of this.

3. Man, I kicked that tests ass.

Things went much better than the first two attempts.

And now... Cinco De Mayo!!!

I have to wait to get my results back tomorrow. I hope like hell that I passed. The grading can be a real bitch on this test and it's completely possible that I'll fail again... even though I think I've done everything correctly.

I'll post again when I have results tomorrow.

I had a few extra minutes today and installed PHPBB.

I was hoping we could use this forum software to coordinate trips and events and post randomness.

You can get to the forums here.

And also in a new link I've added at the top right of the page you're looking at now at least if I haven't changed the blog style.

Register and let me know what you think. I think we need some way to organize all of our thoughts and plan a trip out. A forum could be a nice way to collectively solidify plans. I hope.

House Party on Friday May 9th.

Ninjas Vs Pirates

Free Rum and Beer

Come dressed as a Ninja or Pirate and fight your rival faction. Get drunk doing it.

Facebook Event

Here is some inspiration for costume choices ladies

Words you say never seem
To live up to the ones inside your head
The lives we make never seem
To ever get us anywhere but dead

Soundgarden - The Day I Tried To Live

Do you ever get the feeling that your thoughts are grand and composed in your head, but when you try to express them it all falls to pieces?

I get this a lot.

Perhaps there is nothing but a pile of broken pieces to start. I'm not sure.

It's been a while since I've played Portal, but I still think about how much I enjoyed it.

I found a pretty awesome background to remind me of this.

Edit: Grabbed new version from creator's Deviant Art page. Looks like the problem with the hollow corner (which i had never noticed) was fixed.