Happy New Year

Yup, Rosh Hashanah. New year. Time to think about how things could be different, how last year was, all those great things...
At this point in the year, I'm frustrated. Mostly frustrated with my social life, frustrated with my dating life (lack thereof), frustrated with those sorts of things. There's always a point where you can't see anything resolving, you honestly can't think of a way things will get better in the near future. And that's really disheartening.
I'm not cut out for this whole thing. I can't stand the game that gets played surrounding interactions with the opposite sex...but it seems like it's a prerequisite for getting anywhere, and that frustrates me. No one is comfortable with being honest and out there a bit, and, admittedly, I'm not either. But still...
The fact that the only way I can see myself improving with respect to this is by graduating and moving on is, well, to say the least, depressing.
So I have to think of some way to make it better. All I can think of is to keep doing what I'm doing, putting myself out there, and taking more risks. It's the only way things will improve, in the long run.

They are reading my blog.

From Statcounter:
Location: Arlington, Virginia, United States
IP Address: Booz, Allen, And Hamilton (156.80.83.161)
Entry Page: blackpool2020.blogspot.com/2008/09/it-has-begun.html
Exit Page: blackpool2020.blogspot.com/2008/09/it-has-begun.html
Referring URL: No referring link

They're reading my blog. Maybe it's because I mention them in my last entry...or maybe someone Googled me when I got put on their interview list, or checked Facebook. Either way, they're doing their homework. This blog isn't particularly interesting or revealing, but still...I wonder how it reflects on me.

It has begun...

I just scheduled my second job interview. It's with Booz Allen Hamilton on the 6th of October.
Next Wednesday, I'll be told if I get two more. The true storm is really beginning.

Revolve - The Melvins

Freedom on like stems from walk away.
You gotta hold your time,
You gotta hit it with the right of way.
Maybe black too far for any like the one seen.
In a way it's sane,
Either way it's gotta mean.
Red sister might be chokin'
But I ain't about that kind.
Answer me with the rhythm of a body that was born to lose two times.

Hey big Bodie
He says deny but your for tin lie.
Head my shoulder
Big boat deloves, big boat deny.

They might try to hide
But they have to have some more dead sense.
You might be right
Like a ball in the wind.
Poison dandy lifeforms crime.
Mix both down cross,
Sticky pedal the line.
The flavor might be missin'
But he acts to cross that anyway.
You can bet he can diddle with the promise in the power of another day.

*Chorus*

Two of you sold my wallet.
One of you stole my tie.
Didn't you say that you're watching?
Do or die.
Venomous strange appears.
Three of you standing by.
Didn't you say that you've got it?
Watch me eye.



You see, I like posting lyrics that pertain to my life, of songs I like. I wanted to find something pertaining to relationships, and I was listening to this song (which, by the way, kicks ass). And I realized something:

What the fuck does that even mean? I don't understand what this means at all.

I'm deep. And hey, the song doesn't even use the word 'Revolve'.

Why must it always be so... accurate?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hfl9e53LX_U

AAAAAAAAHHH.

I'm doomed.

Another sleep-inducing edition of...

Stealthy/Pious Fun Facts!

Over the summer, my old tracking provider, Tracksy, kind of disappeared/died on me. So, I switched to a different provider, StatCounter. StatCounter provides a lot of information, though you're limited to your 500 most recent hits. Even so, the trend tracking is very interesting, and it does a better job pinpointing ISP based on email address. Additionally, cookie-based tracking means individual user tracking is much easier.
Now, a lot of weird random people visit this site. I still get a fair amount of traffic from Google image search, and every once in a while, someone from my brother's blog will wander over here. However, the majority of traffic is from people I know. There are many hints, but the biggest ones are referral links (or lack thereof) and the number of hits in a given month. When the random guy from Brazil decides to look at the X-Runner picture (again), he'll usually do it once, after getting referred from Google image search. All you wonderful friends of mine click straight to the site, or click on it through Facebook. And, you tend to visit 10-20 times a month, though sometimes multiple times a day (I don't get it, I definitely don't update that often).
So, tracking, as well or as poorly as it's done, is still little more than a novelty. That being said, I do know who reads this, and if it's ever sounded like I directed an entry specifically at you for some reason, I probably did.

Well, probably not, but I do love making people paranoid.

Everything is a trial...

...but running keeps me sane.

There never seems to be any rhyme or reason behind it, either. Sometimes I wish that I got more explanation than bad luck or a gut feeling. Guess it goes to show the type of person I am. Engineering lends itself to those who are more interested in the cause than the symptoms.

Even when it's the symptoms that are ultimately driving you up a wall.

Go With The Flow - Queens of the Stone Age

She said "i'll throw myself away,
They're just photos after all"
I can't make you hang around.
I can't wash you off my skin.
Outside the frame, is what we're leaving out
You won't remember anyway
I can go with the flow
I would say it doesn't matter (with the flow) matter anymore
I can go with the flow (I can go)
Do you believe it in your head?
It's so safe to play along
Little soldiers in a row
Falling in and out of love
Something sweet to throw away.
I want something good to die for
To make it beautiful to live.
I want a new mistake, lose is more than hesitate.
Do you believe it in your head?
I can go with the flow
I would say it doesn't matter (with the flow) matter anymore
I can go with the flow (I can go)
Do you believe it in your head? X3

This song is so good.

I win at eBay

So, thanks to both the inconvenience of it being in Massachusetts, as well as the warped neck and misadjusted action making it kind of 'broken', I needed to get a new bass, especially since I'm the bassist for the Hillel klezmer band, in theory.

So, I won at eBay. We'll see how this works out, but it is an Epiphone bass, and I bought it for about a hundred bucks. Nice.

In other news, I'm hopefully going to get out a bit this weekend...I really need to be more social, and meet people. If I don't continue to practice now, I'll be dead in the water next year when there's no college campus and no fraternity to rely on. And, just to mix everything up a bit, I'm on a hormonal bender. That's right, a bender. Don't know if it's seasonal, triggered by recent developments, or if it's being provoked by the exercise, but my mind is swimming in so much testosterone right now that I want to explode.

Interpret that as you will.

The weekend

So, I went to a rally this weekend. You know, the kind of rally for cars.

It was sick.

Dexter and I competed in his Buick Roadmaster, an ungainly station wagon with terrible brakes and no muffler. Due to an accurate digital speedometer in the center console, we were able to place 5th in our category, which had a field of 14 competitors. Had we not been stuck behind another team with a not-so-accurate speedometer in two out of the four stages, we probably would have even done better.
The roads we took were amazing, twisting through mountains in Pennsylvania's Laurel Highlands. This, for the most part, was lost on us, because navigating the huge car down these roads was an exercise in terror and mechanical strain. Trying to keep the speed down to the instructed pace was so tough that Dexter cooked his week-old brake pads down to the wear indicators in one day. Next time I'm doing this, I'm bringing a more well-suited car.

All in all, it was a fun weekend, and we got to see a lot of really cool cars. For more on that, I have photos on Facebook.

Should have saved the onomatopoeia for this week

In summary:
I want to hit something really hard with something really hard. I am very, very, very frustrated right now.

But, on the sane half of my brain:
So, I sent out an email, and am actually going to start a campaign sometime soon. I've done some very interesting planning, and already have four responses from interested people. I'll probably send them out more detailed instructions regarding character creation at the end of the weekend

Speaking of weekend, I'm being Dexter's navigator for a road rally this weekend, going from Uniontown PA back to Pittsburgh. It should be a lot of fun, especially if I have some wheel time, as driving is one way I can take out my frustration.

Well, that was ADD all over. I'll try to be coherent next week.

What a Horrible Night for a Curse

Comin' like a moon over the hill
Laughin', god damn, you saw
Freight train gonna come tonight
You're holdin' all the questions, tip of your tongue
Standin' on your tip toes, and a
Sun Devil and an Angel, makin' you whole
Waitin' in a raining pile of love
You're waitin' there forever, never gonna come

Comin' like a reason over the hill
Laughin', god damn, you saw a good kill
A thousand sailors couldn't make you sail
Holdin' out the rains, you know you're gonna fail
Standin' on your tip toes, and a
Sun Devil and an Angel, makin' you whole
Waitin' in a raining pile of love
You're waitin' there forever, never gonna come

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, S-U-N-D-A-Y M-O-R-N-I-N-G

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, S-U-N-D-A-Y M-O-R-N-I-N-G

I see the light that's sittin' on the eve, it's alright, it's alright
Grass comin' up on top of the street, there's gotta be somethin' underneath

I see the light that's sittin' on the eve, it's alright, it's alright
Grass comin' up on top of the street, there's gotta be somethin' underneath

Sometimes you listen to a song, and for whatever reason, you feel it really deep inside you. For whatever reason, this was that song today. It just feels...sad.

FOAM.

That was the best party ever. So many people, so much foam, so much awesomeness.

For the house, and for myself.

Rush is off to a roaring start. Oh man. These next two weeks are going to be crazy. BBQ tomorrow, then school on Tuesday and all the events start in earnest.