March 31, 2011

I fell asleep toward 1 am, and had very odd dreams. I dreamt I was in a strange parallel version of MA that had wide expanses of wooded areas infested by inbred degenerate Klansmen. Naturally I armed myself with a high powered assault rifle and several grenades and went into the woods to exterminate the savages. I came upon an especially ugly fat barbarian who started with a rant about Jews and Mexicans and I completely neglected my heavy arms and walked right up to him in full view of his fascist scum cohorts and proceeded to brow beat him. I believe my exact words were, “shut up you disgusting inbred hick! Get out of here!” He and the rest of his filth then ran away like a pack of frightened goats.  I then walked home triumphantly and told everyone how I saved the region with my mouth.

It was a fun dream, but I wish I’d have remembered kill them. I woke up a 8, went in early at 9 and met with my professor. She was very understanding and told me not to work on it today, (she actually told me to rest and let my head clear up, she’s really very nice.) I then went to class, we went over extrema. It was extremely easy. I also got my letter of recommendation.

I returned home, had left over’s for lunch, and pasta with bacon for dinner.  I also had several glasses of tea, juice, and one glass of hot cocoa.

I spent the evening resting and watching the news, its become quite apparent to me that conservatives have decided anarcho capitalism isn’t reactionary enough as they seem to be supporting a 21^st century version of feudalism, with large transfers of wealth and power to a ruling elite at the expense of the landless poor coupled with a generalized program of decentralized authority. On that basis, liberals could now properly claim to be defending free market capitalism, as that has been dropped almost entirely from the conservative program, though to be fair, they still pretend to themselves that their feudal policies are capitalist, in the same way that they pretend to themselves that Obama was born in Kenya.

It’s now more than half past midnight, and I intend to go to bed. 

A few thoughts on Libya.

Gaddafi is a terrorist; however he is not a jihadist. The Saudis, who fund salafism and wahabism in fundamentalist madrassa’s around the world, hate him. As does al Qaeda… he is in many ways much like Saddam Hussein, who also funded terrorism and used it, both domestically and internationally, but was ideologically more of a fascist than a theocrat. That’s not to say fascism isn’t heavily based on religious fanaticism, it always was, but there is a minor ideological difference that leads many people to argue the liberation of Iraq was unhelpful to the overall aim of crippling al Qaeda. To an extent this is true but it’s certainly more true than the idiotic claim that the result was empowering Iran which is then conflated with al Qaeda, and which unlike Saddam wasn’t just iffy on the subject of Sunni Arab jihad, but is openly hostile to and at war with it. The Iranian regime is a fundamentalist Islamic state, that is not a democracy, and supports terrorism both domestically and internationally… however it’s not the same kind of Islam, they are Shiite Persians, not Sunni Arabs. The anti war movement conveniently forget this detail when they claim to have been against the war for this reason. They of course, are also against doing anything to trouble the Iranian theocracy, so really the hypocrisy here is obvious.

My point here is important because there are parallels between the current conflict and the 03 escalation of the war with Saddam, which started in the early 90s and never truly ended.  One, a no fly zone, primarily supported by nato with the tacit consent of the Arab league, which is essentially just Egypt and Saudi Arabia. When we stepped up the war in Iraq and made it about regime change, that support collapsed and the UN started posturing over its legality. Hence the whole, Bush is a war criminal nonsense that we are still subject to… By the standards of international law there are precious few regimes that aren’t guilty of war crimes, technically Obama already was from the moment he initiated drone strikes in Pakistan, (again with the covert off the record but now proven consent of the Pakistani government.) Well we are already stepping up our efforts in Libya, there are unconfirmed reports of cia operatives on the ground assisting rebels, and the president is considering arming them. Two, allegations of al Qaeda being in the opposition, and thus the old cry of, “we are helping the enemy with this war” has returned.   The Pat Buchanan’s and Ron Pauls on the right and the Michael Moors and Cindy Sheehan’s of the world are already on the war path and Obama is going to find himself very quickly having to justify a 180 degree policy shift from his 08 campaign.

Now there are important distinctions, Bush first sold his war to the American people, and then tried to get the UN to come along, (they did not.) Obama went the other way around, first consulting the UN, then coming before the American people, only time can tell how effective this will be, while I was deeply moved by the speech given by Obama on this subject I must express a certain level of concern over his absurd claim that this is not a war. By any standard military action of one regime against another is a war, in this case it’s a war against a tribal oligarchy run by a lunatic hated by virtually everyone in the world, and especially by the majority of the people living under his regime. However it’s still a war and we had best start calling it that. In addition Obama made it clear that this is not, “an obama doctrine” well why the hell is that? By any standard of statesmanship it’s certainly a good starting point for a sane, stable, and ethical policy in the middle east, not to mention a popular one. Sadly realism trumps ethics and the fact that we are still allied to the tyrannies of Yemen, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia makes any ethical foreign policy sporadic at best, cynical at worst. That’s not to say we shouldn’t still support the government when it does something right, but that does mean we need to keep the pressure high on what it does wrong. We owe that much to the brave men and women risking life and limb against these despots… who have our weapons and our money to use in their suppression of human rights and dignities.

Another key distinction is that unlike with Saddam, we did not wait until well after it was “too late” we barely saved the Kurds and left the country to rot for ten years of Saddam, plus sanctions. Which is why it is barely governable now. In Libya we acted before, not after the genocidal repression of a population by a despotic lunatic.

We have to be clear, despite what the racist scum on the right, the Glen Beck’s of the world… say, al Qaeda is not behind the opposition and this has nothing to do with Israel. Its true there are al Qaeda sympathizers and anti Semites among the opposition, then again there are theocrats and anti Semites in the GOP, and I have a lot more faith in the Libyan opposition than I do in say… the tea party caucus. They are fighting for freedom from a dictator; if we step in to help we will insure that any anti American segments of the movement remain fringe elements and that the movement itself takes on a pro western view that will endear our two countries for generations to come. If we don’t, then where else will they turn for help? Well al Qaeda are known to involve themselves in fighting all our pet dictators, and earning popular support in the process. This isn’t the fault of the people in the middle east for going with the obvious lesser of two evils, (the dictator you know vs. the one you don’t know) it’s our fault for supporting evil in the first place. By siding with democracy we disarm our enemies and endear ourselves to the people.

Ultimately, we must understand human nature and act in the way which is most likely to win the support of the people in those areas in which we have an interest; our interests can only be served by people, not dictators, not kings, not despots.  If we want peace in the Middle East, we must first amend our behavior, then seek to mend the behaviors of those that would do us harm, as they will always draw strength and undeserved credibility from our mistakes. 

March 30, 2011

I woke up at 8 am, had granola with milk and a breakfast shake for breakfast, as well as several glasses of tea, both green and spiced. My headache returned so stayed relatively inactive until my doctors appointment at one, I went, then returned home at 2. I then had  a late lunch, a bit of left over pasta from last night, and then my mother asked me to make her some instant udong noodles that she got from market basket, I agreed when she promised to split it with me, (I was still quite hungry from my small late lunch.) the noodles were surprisingly good for instant.

My headache continued and got worse; eventually I had to take painkillers. They helped somewhat but I didn’t get anything done at all, I have emailed my professor asking for an extension. I see no reason why she will not grant it, given what my peers get away with, and given my good standing and reputation, its more than reasonable. I plan to meet her tomorrow during office hours go mull over a problem I’ve been struggling with. Migraine headaches make calculus, like most things, rather harder than it might otherwise be.

We had stuffed pork chops with apples and swish cheese and a side of green and wax beans, it was extremely good. I skipped desert, showered and got ready for bed. It is now nearly 11, and I intend to go to sleep soon. 

March 29, 2011

I woke up at 6:45, my dreams were quite odd. They revolved around an entertainment system, a strange woman, and the vicinity of the old Taverna Brother’s building. I don’t remember much but I had recovered an appliance that she had forgotten. I woke up as she was thanking me for my efforts.

I had a breakfast shake and tea shortly after waking up, I went to school at 8 am, and arrived early for an abridged class. We were permitted to leave after meeting one on one with our professor, she suggested that I was doing very well and could expect at least an A- at this rate. I’m hoping for an A, and I intend to finish up my homework over the next two days, taking the test on Thursday after class.

When I returned home I had tea and a turkey sandwich with Swiss and cheddar cheese, romaine lettuce, and mustard.

I suffered badly from a headache and was unable to get much in the way of homework done. I intend to do it tomorrow. I had pasta and pesto for dinner, and chocolate pudding for desert, as well as several glasses of spiced tea. I fell asleep toward midnight.

March 28, 2011

I went to sleep around midnight, and woke up at 8am. I had a breakfast sandwich and tea, then a muffin. And roast beef for lunch. I left for school at 1 and was greeted by a false fire alarm as I made my way to the class room. The evacuation was chaotic and no one knew where to go, I of course made my way to the nearest exit in a calm and orderly fashion, as the fire alarm at my elementary school always recommended.  As soon as the fire trucks arrived it became clear it was not a drill, shortly thereafter it became clear that there was no fire, beyond that nothing further was discovered.

In class we covered metabolism, and enzymes, and in the process we tried to ignore the mutant fruit flies infesting the room… evidently some of my more moronic peers forgot to put the lids back on their containment vials.

I had more roast beef and broccoli for dinner, with mashed potatoes. I went to sleep at 11, after conversing with a friend for a period of time. 

March 27, 2011

I slept from 2 am to 8 am, my dreams were odd and varied. I had a breakfast shake and coffee for breakfast, then later a corn muffin and two granola bars… I skipped lunch and had roast beef and potatoes for dinner with broccoli. I also had some chocolate pudding and lemon cake for desert.

I spent most of the day as I did yesterday, but with the addition of homework. I’m running behind my set schedule but I’m still well ahead of my deadlines so it’s of only minor concern.

I am disturbed by the rumblings that I have heard nothing I can put my figure on but distressing news seems the standard of affairs these days. It is all I hear from my friends. People die, are tormented, troubled, distraught, it is quite representative of the world as it is. For as we speak the dogs of war are on the prowl and death follows. One can only remember that as there are no gods, the only love is that which we have for each other. Those that remain must stay together in solidarity, as that is the only consolation obtainable, and the only course we have.

It is now 20 past 11, and I grow weary, I will go to sleep soon, as I have class tomorrow, I think perhaps a lab. 

March 26, 2011

I fell asleep around midnight, after a desert of icecrème and two squares of extra dark chocolate.  I then awoke shortly after 7, my dreams were of tragedy and chaos. I dreamt again of my pets, my cats, Alexis and tiffany, and my dog Sirius. All dead, yet ever present in my subconscious. As a materialist I know they do not exist, in any way, anymore. So as I remarked at the time, the sensation of missing them is really a selfish desire to enjoy their company once again. This extends to all loss of loved ones, and no matter how baseless it is in the purview of reason, there it remains.

For breakfast I had tea and a breakfast shake. For lunch I had left over’s, for dinner salmon upon rice with salad.  I also had an ale afterward.

The day was relatively uneventful, I was quite worn out from a week of constant studying, and as it was horribly cold out, I stayed in and rested. Remaining attentive to the news I saw the tragic plight of a Libyan woman, raped by 15 Gaddafi thugs and dragged off by the secret police, kicking and screaming in full view of the media she sought, not for protection, but to let the world know what had happened to her. I have no doubt, those slime sucking fascist thugs will torture her well past the breaking point, and then have her give a forced confession on state television, as Winston smith did at the end of 1984. She will accuse herself of all the crimes they claim she is guilty of and when it comes down to it, they can probably make her say anything they want. However I hold out hope that the righteous anger of the world will be unleashed upon Gaddafi, and as Brutus avenged lucretia when he drove out the last king of Rome, so too will the tyrant of Tripoli be driven from his homeland, never to return.

As Brutus said, “By this blood - most pure before the outrage wrought by the king's son - I swear, and you, O gods, I call to witness that I will drive hence Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, together with his cursed wife and his whole blood, with fire and sword and every means in my power, and I will not suffer them or any one else to reign in Rome.”

After dinner I undertook a bath that I quite enjoyed, amending my previous recpipy for salts I substituted starch for sucrose and found as I expected that it dissolved perfectly in the acetic acid and was considerably better. I also refined my measurements to narrow the ratio of reagents such that there were fewer unbound protons. My hapless sister of course thinks acetic acid is bad for the skin… because it smells bad. She of course doesn’t know that all acids stink, and critic acid, the thing she used, smells just as bad. Its also a much more complex organic acid, and more expensive. I think next I will try Potassium bitartrat in place of acetic acid.

I watched a documentary about Lucius Cornelius Chrysogonus, a freedman of Sulla who was tasked with overseeing the proscriptions, the reign of terror in Rome that left the equestrians living in terror of being dragged off in the night, never to be seen again. It was quite good and to be recommended, the title was, “a murder in Rome.”

I look forward to the premiere of bleach tonight, after that I will go to bed. 

March 25, 2011

I fell asleep by 11 pm last night, and I awoke a bit after 7. I had tea and an egg and cheese sandwich on whole wheat bread for breakfast, and spent the first bit of my morning studying trigonometric derivatives and getting ready for my test. After a shower I headed out the door at 10 am.

I arrived at school shortly thereafter, and went straight to the CSDL, (the main computer lab/out of class testing facility on campus.) The test itself was fairly straightforward, there were a few questions on which I know screwed up, one change of rate problem that asked for an operation, the formula of which I only half remembered as it was the last step on a 5 step problem I did on my homework 4 days prior. All and all I more than passed with a score of 87… a score… only disappointing to me. I ran into two of my classmates interestingly enough, one sat behind me in the testing room… I think she intentionally sat behind me hoping I’d help her or something… as if I would risk my reputation to help some pitiless slacker. The other was a girl who usually sits behind me in the second row, she was on the phone so I waved as I passed. It’s been surprising to me just how often I seem to be taking a test in and around the same period as all my other classmates… as to the significance of that I can’t say. Probably herd instinct or something to do with the nature of the course.  

At any rate, I made my way to the mathlab to do a few homework problems while waiting for the bus, then I went home and had left over’s from last night for lunch. My parents are still sick so I ended up having the same thing for dinner… not that I’m complaining, homemade chicken cacciatore of the quality I get isn’t something to pass up on.

All and all today was fairly productive, I’m going to finish up my homework this weekend and begin contemplating making another run at my license. I feel it would be prudent to review the necessary material prior to spending the 20 dollars.  Oh, and I also debated some feckless Romanian on a forum I frequent, the loon claimed world war two was the only war the US ever won, and I then pointed out all the wars he forgot about… he then tried to argue that they weren’t really wars… because he disagreed with them. I then found myself in the position of having to define the term “wining” as having a meaning other than “you approve.” He copped out with “have a nice weekend” and I told him to fuck off… I mean really, who does he think he’s kidding? Ah I should know better than to argue with trolls but I have two tendencies that always put me in that position. One I like to argue and two I can more or less do it in my sleep, as a result the normal cost benefit analysis that most people have when they pick a fight pretty off tilter with me.  

Oh and we are still at war with Gaddafi, and the president is still claiming it’s not a war. Seemingly contorting himself in every possible way, to disassociate his policy of regime change in a middle eastern country with an eye to removing a known sponsor of international terrorism with alleged wmd’s in the name of democracy… from the same exact policy practiced by the Bush administration. The so called “neocons” that we were constantly told were always in favor of war and did always defend the Bush administration, are for the most part now suddenly anti war and very concerned about constitutional issues and the budget.  Let me just make this clear, I love what the president is doing, I support him all the way, but I am utterly sick of this political pandering. The right can go screw itself, they aren’t a concern to me, their duplicitous whining and opportunistic posturing is to be expected. However Obama isn’t a hack politician anymore, he’s the leader of the free world, and trying to redefine military action to describe something other than war is like Clinton’s attempt to redefine the definition of sex and “is” to a degree so high it requires scientific notation to write. It’s a war, call it what it is, and let us all be very focused on conducting it properly, decisively, in accordance with all standards of national and international precedent. The mission should be obvious, help the rebels overthrow Gaddafi and then help them rebuild Marshal Plan style. I suspect that is what Obama is doing, or rather that is what I hope he is doing, and I would venture to say that, and not continued reliance on drone strikes and tin pot dictators in Afghanistan, Yemen, and Bahrain, is the real answer to terrorism. 

March 24, 2011

I wisely shut off my phone before passing into unconsciousness at around 10 pm; I then slept till 7:30. I went downstairs, had green tea, went back up stairs, checked my email, learned my professor would give me a pass for my test after class so I wouldn’t have to come in early, I then had another cup of tea, took a shower, got dressed, relaxed for a few minutes, then drank a breakfast shake and left for school at 9 am. Arriving a few minutes early for the bus at 9:15.

Class was fun, had a chat with my Bangladeshi colleague about Libya before the professor arrived. Then we went over linearizations of differentials, which essentially explained what was obvious to me from several chapters earlier, a derivative of a function is a function to one less degree and thus if you start with the graph of a quadratic equation, you get the graph of a linear equation.  It was surprisingly easy given the arcane nature of the preceding sections.

After class I got my slip, and I ran into a friend from highschool who actually goes to the same college as me. He’s a something like 2-4 years older than me… nice guy, he stopped me on my way out and asked me what and how I was doing. Also complimented me, I guess I must look better than the brooding, morose, slightly chubby recluse he used to know… I then headed home for lunch.

I had left over’s from the previous night, and a vegetable soup my father made. Apparently both my parents are sick, again, and I’m not… again. I also had three additional glasses of tea. I spent a lot of time studying, I reviewed the definition of differentiation, the rules of differentiation, and changes in rate, as well as some trigonometric derivatives, however I didn’t get too far with those.   

I had chicken cacciatore for dinner, and emailed my professor asking whether or not it would be possible for me to pick up my replacement book tomorrow before noon. I plan on taking my test 2 hours prior to closing in and around 11, which will give me close to two hours, which should be more than enough.

Haven’t heard a word from my ex, I assume she’s pissed because I took offense to being woken up at midnight, some people sadly lack the basic principles of logic and common decency. The less said about that the better, I did hear from my cousin, who was similarly vexing… she asked me what I was doing, I told her, she then told me she would leave me to it, I responded with,  “nice talking to you” and she snapped at me for being rude… You know I’m beginning to think it’s my lot in life to attract the most insane people of any group… I end up dating the least stable of my friends, and I end up being contacted by the least stable of my relatives… can I just once have normal human interaction that doesn’t end with me being reproached for no discernible reason? I swear… 

But I digress, its half past 9 and I’m going to take a shower and get ready for bed. I have to be up and ready tomorrow as I want to do some more studying before I come in for the test, primarily the trigonometric derivatives which I’m still unclear on.

March 23, 2011

Last night I was on the cusp of falling into a deep sleep earlier than I have in quite some time, when I was awakened to the sound of my phone going off. I had received yet another erratic text from my ex, evidently she did not get the last email I sent her, I responded by summarizing its content and explaining that I would really like her to refrain from calling me in and around midnight, the night after one test, and the day before another, (I did not end up taking my calculus test, as I was quite a great deal more exhausted than I expected to be.) I also attempted to call her, the call was dropped, I suspect she hung up on me… I don’t know whether I’m incredibly patient for incurably credulous but at least I can defend my actions as mature and polite. 

I fell back asleep about 30 minutes later, and slept until 6 am. I got up, had tea, and eventually got around to making breakfast. I was making myself a frittata with red bell pepper, onions, left over pork from a roast we had 3 days ago, and cheddar cheese. My mother asked me to make her some, and since she was sick I made double and gave her half. She was very pleased, as was I, as it was very good.

I then spent some time studying, had some coffee and milk and then left over pasta for lunch. I then used my new found knowledge of biological chemistry to develop bath salts from common household materials. I recall my sister going out and spending about 20 dollars on citric acid to attempt this only to find it was cheaper to buy them already made… of course she doesn’t know as much as I do about organic acids and molecules.  I used acetic acid, (vinegar) which is much much cheaper than citric acid. Which I mixed with flour which is essentially starch or polymerized glucose, this broke down into a kind of ester that I mixed with my bath water, then as the last step I added a helping of sodium bicarbonate, which then reacted with the excess acetic acid to create the necessary fizzing effect. All of the ingredients are in fact therapeutic and good for the skin. It’s all the active ingredients at a fraction of the cost, made out of things I found in my cupboard. I think I could expand the recipe and possibly sell this to make some much needed capital.  There has to be a market for homemade discount bath products given the demand for bath products in general and their prohibitive cost. When I get the basement set up as my own lab and workshop I’ll be able to give that a try, I can probably use the properties of the constituent parts to create some variation with which to create viable products. Obviously the details of that will remain secrets, but I have a very good idea of what I’m going to try next.

I had dinner, two pork chops with a side of potato al gratin and a side of Brussels sprouts fried in garlic and olive oil, and a glass of red wine. I then did 5 calculus problems and spoke to a friend who I had not heard from in a few days, (evidently she had gone on a trip.) She told me her travels went well and we caught up for a bit, I mentioned some of the things I’ve already written about in varying detail and I shared with her the link to my blog.

I replied to my professors email, she chided me on scoring higher in bio than calc and I told her I’d be in early to accept the slip I need to take the test, and that I would try to make a reasonable show of it all. Oh and she is working on getting me a new text book, there was a recall, apparently the text books lack enough glue to stay together, which explains why pages 1-238 just randomly fell out of mine. It’s nice to not have to pay for the expensive mid semester replacement item… like I had to do last semester when my graphing calculator was stolen.

Now it’s 10, and I’m going to bed, and yes… I’m shutting off my cell phone. To my ex, if you are reading this, I love you as a friend and a human being but I do not accept calls after 10pm, unless you are about to die, and I’m the only person on earth that could save you, in some bizarre post apocalyptic situation involving either mutants or zombies!

Giuliano sleep now… *falls over*

March 22, 2011

I fell asleep around midnight, slept late until 7:30, (my alarm failed to go off) I skipped my shower, got dressed, and had a glass of coffee and a breakfast shake then left for calculus. I gave my professor the forms she requested and proceeded to go straight home, have the left over fish and rice from last night, more coffee. Then I took the shower missed this morning, (I felt considerably better afterward.)

After that I got ready and left for biology, spent almost 2 hours memorizing different functional groups. Hydroxyl, carbonyl, carboxyl, amine, sulfite, phosphate groups, and methyl groups, along with the full definition of osmotic pressure from hypertonic to isotonic to hypotonic. The functions of protein’s in the cell membrane and several other topics related to the course material… at one point I felt in a trance mumbling a paragraph summery of everything on the test as if it were a Buddhist mantra, this ended up paying off as I scoured 95% and was done before anyone else finished by at least half an hour if not more. Apparently, for everyone excluding me it was a very hard test.

In that time I made it 2 chapters into no one left to lie to by Christopher Hitchens, a great book about how demented the Clinton white house was, and surprisingly informative. This is the brilliance of Hitchens, you buy a book you think states a simple case against the Clintons, and end up with a narrative of the privatization and deinstitutionalization of the new deal and the creation of a helot slave class out of the working poor by the politicians most “publically concerned” for their welfare. Trust me, buy any book by Hitchens, you will get your money’s worth and then some. Also he’s dying of cancer, and while it’s depressing as hell and a bit crude to point out, one might consider buying the books now before they become vastly more expensive with his death, which I hope won’t come for decades. Respect for illness is after all no excuse for lack of thrift.

After the break we discussed metabolism, I got my pants off about the second law of thermodynamics and anti matter, my professor then threatened to hit me with a bottle cleaner and we all had a good laugh before he let the class out ten minutes early. He’s an awesome professor; then again it’s been a while since I’ve had a lousy one. I read a bit more, until the bus arrived, then went home.

When I got home, I went straight for dinner. Ziti with red sauce and parmesan cheese. I then spent a bit of time on the computer, emailing my professor about getting me a new text book, (it’s falling apart and evidently there was a recall by the manufacturer) which she requested I do to remind her after having brought it up for class.

Being tired, I decided its long time I do something to relax and clear my head, something I haven’t done in far too long. I took a long hot bath, (after cleaning up the bathroom.) Having just gotten out, I feel so wonderful I can hardly describe it to you. Which is good because tomorrow is all calculus all day as I have a test due, either tomorrow or the day after. I’m hopeful I can get an extension on that if need be. If all goes well I’ll have this week’s work and test done by this weekend just in time for the midterm. Which is just a compilation of all the tests I have already done, which means a review, not actual studying.

Anyway, victory is mine, I’m a genius, all hail me, and I’m going to bed.

March 21, 2011

Passed out before 11, woke up at 8, had honey bunches of oats and tea for breakfast. Then I did my exercises, took a shower, got dressed and had lunch. Left over’s, from last night.

I left for school at 11 20, met with my math professor, got her endorsement for the mentor program. Then attempted to meet with my bio professor, who apparently had a meeting during his office hours. I took the time to study for tomorrow’s test then went to class at 1, then after class got my bio professors endorsement. I now have to make copies of the material and give them each the stuff tomorrow during or before class. So that mission is more or less accomplished, as I expected it would be.

I went home, began finishing my calculus, and had grilled haddock with onions, tomatoes, and spinach with a side of rice for dinner. And an ale, revolutionary rye ale to be specific.  I finished all my calculus problems on time as anticipated. I am me after all, and math comes as naturally to me as all things within the purview of my genius.

I had some ice crème and a small piece of homemade blue berry pie for desert, and 3 small glasses of pear nectar. I then showered and got ready for bed, first making copies of the forms regarding the mentor program for my professors as per their request. I shall deliver them tomorrow. Now I must be going to bed, as class starts early tomorrow. Its 10 minutes to midnight. 

March 20, 2011

I went to sleep late last night, around 2 am. I fell asleep talking to a friend which gave me some comfort as I had a rather vexing exchange with my ex a few moments prior. She wouldn’t reply to me except via text message, and was very selective with what she replied to. I feel I’ve exhausted all the conventions of good will and any expectation of politeness. This unending rudeness and contempt is not something I will long tolerate. If I have to, I’ll change my number. I really hope I don’t have to do that. I may be fooling myself into thinking this hostility is based on a mutual misunderstanding and not some grievance about which I am ignorant; certainly I’m innocent of any crime.

I woke up around 9 am. Had cheerios for breakfast, and two cups of green tea. Today I finished 10 calculus problems, 2 chapters of biology homework, and my chapter 6 tests. All of it was finished near, at, or above 100%, in accordance to my will and my nature. I’m quite sanguine for my prospects at school tomorrow. I believe we will be studying for the upcoming chapter 7 test and I will have questions prepared. I also intend to get the remainder of my calculus finished and I will have the test done within the next few days.
I had a turkey sandwich with lettuce, mustard, swish and cheddar cheese for lunch with pear nectar to drink. We had roast pork, broccoli, and potato al gratin for dinner. I intend to go to bed early tonight. I intend to get some work done before class tomorrow.

I also have a few words on Libya. Gadafi is a tyrant and his people are sick of him. Libya is one of the few countries to have ever been a colony of Italy, both as a kingdom and later during the fascist period. As a result the two countries have long standing economic ties. France also has vested economic interests in Libya so it’s no small thing for both countries to have entered into the allied cause. Which clearly puts their interests at risk. It must also be understood that this is a war, a no fly zone is a military action so yes we are at war, and yes its in the middle east, and in a “Muslim country” as no one in the media will allow us to forget in their vaguely xenophobic white man’s burden esk way. I have no patience for anyone who wants to call this a “war on an islamic country” or “a third war with a Muslim country” first off that’s not even true. We have had dozens of wars that took place in Muslim majority countries, hell entire sectors of world war two took place in north Africa and Egypt. The allied leaders met in Iran for pity sake! In more recent history we’ve been in Lebanon, Bosnia, Somalia, and yes Iraq and Afghanistan. We are also basically fighting a covert war in northern Pakistan, and yes this is illegal under international law, American law, and against the stated wishes of the Pakistani government, but we also know, (thanks to wiki leaks) that the Pakistani government all but begged us to go in and do it. They don’t control that part of their own country anymore than we do. Now, that being cleared up, not only would it not be the “third war in a Muslim country” its also not a war against a Muslim country or people at all. It’s a war against one lunatic and his tribe. Just as in Iraq we were fighting against one man, “Saddam” and his family and the people from his village so we are now acting the part of liberators not “occupiers” we aren’t at war with the people of Libya we are allied to them. It’s also important to note that unlike in Iraq, we didn’t wait until all the rebellions were crushed by gunships and chemical weapons, then repressed and brutalized by 10 years of Saddam plus sanctions to the level of a hobbesian state to intervene. We stepped in, on the side of the rebels, just as Gadafi was ready to carry out his threats. Now if it were up to me, the marines would have been in Tripoli on day one and Gadafis head would have been presented to the citizens of Benghazi along with the keys to the city as a gift from one republic to another. But then that’s asking far too much of our hapless commander in chief. One is hesitant to criticize his behavior given all of what he is facing… but then again I predicted it all and listed what I would have done at every step, and at every step he did something quite different. Occasionally he has impressed me but over all he’s far too conservative, he’s just another mediocre civics class president. We needed a Roosevelt or a Lincoln and we got a cross between Kennedy and Clinton. That might please some people but history tells us that both are highly overrated. Going with the Clinton analogy I hope this turns out more like Bosnia, and less like the al anfal campaign or Darfur, or perhaps Rwanda. Its going to take more than airstrikes in the end but for now I’m just happy we are doing something. Long live Libya, long live the alliance, long live the revolution, and death to the tyrant Gadafi.

Well I’m rather tired, so I’m going to bed.

March 19, 2011

Last night I fell asleep before 11:30. I had nothing for desert and my dreams were… well odd. Not disturbing but quite strange, I dreamt I was in Brookline with two Pakistani friends of mine and there was a black 80's t shirt… oh and a bridge, and mud. And at one point I was at my old orthodontist’s office. The whole thing was rather odd. Still a refreshing change of pace from the previous night. I woke up once early in the morning then again at 8 am. My father made me and my mother each an omelet consisting of cheddar cheese, red pepper, onion, and I believe capicola and two pieces of toast.

Latter he and I went to the recycling depot in east Boston to return the empty beer and soda cans. The total take was 36 dollars, of which I earned ten for my assistance… it was filthy… but worth getting rid of the cans and worth the money. I then took a much needed shower.

After I got dressed, and noticing an application to become a mentor at my college I undertook to fill out the application and write the necessary essay.  My parents were impressed by it and thought it required no changes. All I have to do now is get two letters of recommendation, which will be quite easy as I’m on friendly terms with both my current professors. I doubt highly they would refuse my request. 

I got out my summer clothes, and reorganized my dresser. The thermals were put in storage and replaced by shorts and tshirts, which will be needed eventually. However the jeans and long sleeve shirts remain, as it’s still quite cold.  

I tried to brush up a bit on my Italian, reviewing some verbs and practicing saying them.  I’m quite pleased with the sound of my voice as I speak in Italian, it feels very natural. I may undertake to begin translating my log and do a bilingual blog for practice… and I suppose for any of my relatives in the old country… if they should want to learn something about their American cousin, “So aside from That, Mrs. Lincoln, How Was the Play?” I couldn’t help myself….

I also tried to contact both my ex and her roommate… my ex to see how she’s holding up with the loss of her aunt… who was recently killed in Japan, (everyone following this should know all about Japan already) then her roommate because he is or at least was an employee for senator Scott Brown and I have a letter that I want him to pass on for me. He did not reply, abruptly going off line… that was highly rude. I suppose I’m going to have to take my chances mailing the thing.I suppose I could post the letter here as well. It may interest some people, I spent about 20 minutes on it after cleaning out my desk and finding the stupid letter his campaign office sent me begging me for money to “stop big government!”

“Dear senator

I have received your invitation to generously donate to your campaign funds in exchange for being a member of your “brown brigade” however I must decline and I feel this warrants explanation. The letter I received no doubt written by someone else though it carried what I assume to be your signature was hysterical in tone and mediocre in substance. It seemed a crass rehashing of campaign rhetoric that could just have easily been sent by the RNC, and indeed was for I received several letters from them with the same shrill tone.

It’s worth noting that you have proven to be much as expected you to be, a sensible moderate voice that echoes the views of your state even when they conflict with the views of your base. You signed onto a bipartisan regulatory reform and supported the repeal of DADT, which I had feared you would not, due to the absurdly shrill outrage of many of your most vocal supporters at the idea of patriotic Americans serving openly in the military despite their disagreement with certain religious norms only adopted by Christianity in the 12^th century ad, (long after the Nazarene was crucified.)

However all that simply can’t compel me to part with money I don’t have to begin with when the request is put to me as if I’m a card carrying member of the tea party express. It’s true I went to one of their rallies, on tax day in 2009, on the Boston common, as I went to one of your rallies in the north end the winter before your election. You surly remember the day though I doubt you remember my face out of the multitude you met that day. The fact is I went to the tea party hoping to find an organic movement of concerned Americans, and it quickly became clear that what I ended up finding was a grotesque coalition of Rothbardian libertarians, paleo Buchananite conservatives, and social conservatives. I simply couldn’t associate myself with such people for reasons I need hardly emphasize past my sensible belief in social as well as economic liberalism, (I mean that in the classical English sense of the term) and my commitment to American interests and values overseas. These are people who either opposed the liberation of Iraq from Ba’athist oppression or went along with it for all the wrong reasons, (misplaced outrage over 9-11, xenophobia, and the desire for missionary activity.)

If you continue to present yourself on balance as a lesser of evils choice to whatever DNC hack the local party decides to try next round, then you can plausibly presume to have my vote, but if you want active support of the kind I have given you in the past, then all I ask is that you repudiate the nonsense coming from the extremes in your party. The union bashing of Scott Walker, and the idiocy of Michele Bachmann, (which was enough to get my father, who also voted for you, and was a Reagan republican, to unenroll, as he is also a local union VP who respects this country’s history) does little to warm the middle class, (which is to say the electorate) to the grand conservative enterprise.  Its having the combined effect of getting young educated voters like me, (who will be the future of any party) to turn away in disgust, and the sensible elders of our country, (who always seem to trend conservative) to view conservatives as too shrill and unreliable.  If you want to survive in this state you have to remember that slogans like “stop big government” aren’t going to win in an environment of desperation and chaos. One need to provide alternatives, and yes that necessitates government intervention. It’s the character of that intervention that should be up for debate.  Whether you follow the trend of great republicans of yesteryear, such as Theodore Roosevelt who built the Panama canal and prosecuted predatory trusts, or Dwight D Eisenhower who built the interstate system, balanced the budget, and brought about the military industrial complex even as he warned about its possible excesses, or you opt for the laissez faire hands off approach of Reagan, you will have to convince Americans that what you propose will get them back to work.

Low taxes for the rich = jobs for the poor is a non sequitur that very few people are going for, and the polls with respect to this subject reflect that reality. I would advise you to follow the lead of both the national unions and chamber of commerce in endorsing infrastructure of the kind the president has proposed, which historically was something republicans from Lincoln to Eisenhower considered invaluable, and also to consider how best to spread the burden of paying off our massive deficits in a way that won’t stifle economic growth or deny the most needy the basic necessities of life and the public goods upon which they depend.  The tax rates for the top income brackets have in our nation’s history gone as high as 94%, while I’m not suggesting anything of that scope, desperate times call for desperate actions and 14 trillion dollars of debt seems to me a desperate circumstance that justifies a tax increase. This should follow a shared sacrifice policy of making similar increases across the board, with an eye to making cuts in spending where possible. Cutting a few million from NPR or NOAA isn’t a worthwhile endeavor, cutting spending on the super jet, removing farm and oil subsidies, (when neither are particularly important) and looking at reducing troop levels in western Europe, (seeing as the cold war ended quite a while ago) would probably make a lot more sense, and also have much more of an impact.  We should also be open to entitlement reform, not limiting benefits mind you, but making sure they only go to those truly in need, and prosecuting fraud and eliminating waste where and when possible. We also shouldn’t cut the IRS… since that’s the only arm of government that generates revenue. Income tax reform, however, is something we should look at. A simple graduated progressive income tax that increases percentage with income such that everyone contributes an amount proportionate to their means without needing a team of lawyers to figure out just how much that is. A simple linear equation should be sufficient. You make X, so you pay Y.

In conclusion Senator I respectfully decline your request and offer my best wishes for your political success, I hope your decided course of action brings about the vision you have of our future, for I’ve no doubt it is well intended. I also hope I will find myself satisfied enough to vote for you again, as you can rest assured, I never miss an election, be it local, state, or federal.”

I didn’t get much done in the way of school work today, but I will finish up my biology and math tomorrow. I have a few days which are enough. I believe my enterprise will thrive this week, the sun is out, school is back in, and I have many things with which to occupy my efforts.

Oh I had left over’s for lunch and we had fish and chips for dinner. I was less than enthusiastic but I can’t complain.  I may have some wine later, I also intend to catch adult swim, as they are airing premiers tonight. I have a lot to say about Libya as well, but I'll save that for tomorrow. 

March 18, 2011

I had some pound cake for desert, and went to bed shortly thereafter. I had dreams disturbing enough to drive the sane mad and inspire sanity in the insane.   My dead dog was alive again, I had a certain woman in my arms, and I was alone upon a beach. The dog died and rotted in front of me, the woman vanished, and the sea turned red and was about to sweep me away in a tsunami just as I woke up with a cold sweat at some unholy hour. I took a moment to regain my composure, (about 3 seconds) and then rolled over and fell back asleep. I’m inclined to suspect my subconscious is trying to tell me something. However it’s a whiny bitch and needs to quiet the fuck down. I’m tired and I need my sleep! Without soul destroying insanity dreams! Thank you!

Anyway… I finally got up around 7, went for my usual tea and cereal, honey bunches of oats this morning. Then gradually made my way to the exercise room and increased my repetitions from 10-15 with an extra 15 of strait bench raises in addition to my normal tri and bicep curls.  I’m beginning, I think, to note positive effects; I believe I have lost 5 pounds. My doctor said I shouldn’t go below 175, and at present I’m a comfortable 10 pounds away from it with 185, I was 190… due primarily to months of hiding from the cold and not doing much of anything. At any rate my goal is unrelated to weight, I’m trying to become even more freakishly strong and overbearing than I already am… the loss of a few pounds is just a sign that it’s working.

After my exercises I showered, got dressed, had left over’s for lunch, and thus proceeded to finally do the one calculus problem I’ve been stuck on all week. I then did several more before calling it a day. I then went for a walk up and down eastern ave, (would have gone to the beach but it was very windy and I was somewhat overdressed and getting rather sweaty in my jeans and leather jacket, which I chose because the combination of jeans and a windbreaker left me rather cold two days prior, as I already recorded.)

After getting back I did 2 chapters of biology homework, had the same left overs for dinner, (my father made far too much of that Irish stew…) and an ale, this time it was a spring blend, noble pils, I found it quite good. I finished an additional chapter of bio homework… with a higher score than the prior two assignments in spite of mild inebriation and extreme sleep deprivation. But it was easy, just categorizing various organelles with respect to eukaryotes vs prokaryotes. The only pain was distinguishing the various parts of the cytoskeleton, which are virtually identical to one another aside from some minor differences in composition and function, microtubes being hollow for example.

I then logged on only to be greeted by some horribly obvious bot trying to get me to take an IQ test, I reported it, what fools are so stupid as to actually fall for this nonsense? It defies even my low opinion of my fellow featherless bipeds.

I also spent some time reading various “last words” of famous people; it drastically improved my mood, which may be a bad sign.  But now I am tired, my eyes have burned all day, and I am quite confident that I will retire early. In the words of Napoleon ''One needs to go to sleep and not wake up for a year or two" If only human beings could voluntarily hibernate… But alas, I have so much more work to do. It’s a good thing I’m me, I’ll be done well before my deadlines. The question is will I be able to get a decent night’s sleep? Well I suppose I will find out. 

March 17, 2011

Well I retired late last night, around midnight. I woke up around six thirty. I had green tea and multi grain cheerios for breakfast. I went out and lay in the sun this morning, it was actually warm enough for me to go shirtless without freezing to death… at least in strong direct sun light protected from the wind by my house. I spent 20 minutes, 10 on each side. I then started dealing with the tree that my next-door neighbor finally took down… which he decided to leave on my side of the property line… I got rid of half of it. The half I could break with my bear hands as the chainsaw needs a new chain.  I broke it up and piled it on the far side of my house in the space I prepared earlier by clearing it of leaves.  After that I went in, had left over ravioli for lunch, and an ale, (Sam Addams Irish red, I thought it appropriate given that it’s saint Patrick’s day.)

For dinner we had an Irish boiled stew of corn beef, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, and parsnips, with which I had a bottle of hard cider.  Needless to say, we only had that because of the holiday.

I did not, however. wear green today… I’m not Irish, and even if I was my eyes are Hazel and thus green enough. Besides, I didn’t go anywhere, my mother invited me to a bar party… promising cheep beer with green food coloring and tuna fish sandwiches served by geriatric drunken Chelsea people… It goes without saying that I turned down the invitation.

I was very pleased to hear the most recent news from the UN and from Japan, the workers at the stricken nuclear facility have restored power to the coolant system, which while it wouldn’t reverse the meltdown that has already occur, it might prevent further meltdown and save the capital, which I had almost become convinced was doomed. That would have been a terrible blow dwarfing this horrific natural disaster, I do not know yet if Tokyo will be spared nuclear oblivion, but I hope that it will, and now I have reason to hope. The UN has also voted unanimously for a no fly zone over Libya and for airstrikes targeting Gaddafi’s African child solider mercenaries. I only hope it’s not too late for the beleaguered patriots in Benghazi who have been so gallantly struggling for the basic principles to which all civilized peoples aspire. My thoughts are with the people of Japan and Libya, as well as those of Bahrain who are suffering with no signs of foreign intervention.  Whether it helps Iran or not is of no consequence to me, the King must fall. 

March 16, 2011

I had my wine and an ale which did quite a lot to sooth my stomach, and improve my mood. I ended up having dinner with my mother and I explained what I had said earlier and we came to an understanding.

Later that night I had some more icecreme and left over cake. I fell asleep by 1 am.

I woke up at 11, got some coffee, and had some left over pasta for lunch. I also had some icetea because we were out of spring water; my father brought more home when he got back from work.

My mother asked me if she could keep 10 of the twenty she owed me, since she spent it on a birthday present for herself; I told her I was fine with it since it was her birthday.

I also spoke to my ex for the first time in several days; she was noticeably shaken by the tragedy in Japan which she disclosed had affected her personally. I told her what anyone reading this blog already knows, that my thoughts have been on the victims of this tragedy since it began and that I would make myself available to her for support if needed.  It’s a terrible thing to lose loved ones so unexpectedly and so suddenly in the context of disasters of this magnitude. It’s often hard to reconcile with any world view, and indeed damaging to the very core of an individual’s peace of mind. For these reasons I am sympathetic, perhaps more so than one would expect given the circumstances.

Further musing on the devastation of Japan by earthquakes I’m reminded of a line given by the God Vulcan, legendary cause of earthquakes in Homer’s Iliad. It provides a useful allegory to the indomitable forces of nature against which we are ultimately powerless.

“Goddess (he cried), be patient and obey. Dear as you are, if Jove his arm extend, I can but grieve, unable to defend. What god so daring in your aid to move, Or lift his hand against the force of Jove? Once in your cause I felt his matchless might, Hurled headlong down from the ethereal height; tossed all the day in rapid circles round, Nor till the sun descended and touched the ground. Breathless I fell, in giddy motion lost; The Sinthians raised me on the Lemnian coast”

I had left over ravioli and a glass of wine for dinner; I also spoke to another friend. I told her what transpired between me and my ex, (because she asked me about it) and she reciprocated with a similar story of her own, we also exchanged blogs and she complimented me on my prose. It was nice catching up, she also echoed the view of my mom and one of my other friends that it was more a loss for my ex than me. I don’t disagree with that sentiment except that it matters very little who loses more in the end, the fact is she knows not what she has lost, and I know what I have lost, and that helps neither of us. However time heals all wounds as surely as it devours all things, which will happen sooner is up for debate, what is not is that I will continue on as I have.

That’s a warranted conclusion for the day, if more transpires I will expound upon it tomorrow. I think my father is making cookies again, but shan’t have any for quite a while; I’m not at all hungry. 

Thoughts on Japan

The devastating earthquake and tsunami is by itself tragic beyond description. One cannot help but grieve by proxy for the tens of thousands who grimly search the rubble for their loved ones.

 However a manmade disaster now looms in the form of nuclear meltdown. This means massive amounts of radiation, a nuclear scourge that will burn the skin off its victims as it literally cooks their innards. Those spared that will suffer abnormally high rates of cancer and possible genetic damage. Japan is a small country, but a populous one; as such this devastation will impact the entire country, as will the radioactive fallout. It’s somewhat reassuring to know that the international community and the Japanese government seem to be doing all that they can, but that is of little conciliation to the victims of this nightmare. 

I think everyone should take some time to consider this tragedy, to contemplate the thousands who died over the course of this week, and to consider the consequences of cutting back on our safety regulations, infrastructure, and geological and meteorological research. These are things that all proved to be less than adequate yet very helpful and there are those who would lessen their effects even more. 

I for one think we should honor the dead by taking steps to ensure far fewer people die the next time a massive earthquake strikes. Which, may very well be on the west coast of this country. The entire surface of the earth abounds with seismic faults and any of them could bring about similar devastation at any time. If you see mountains, volcanoes, or island chains, more often than not, that means a fault.  

March 15, 2011

It’s the ides of March, and my dreams were as disturbed as those of Calpurnia in Shakespeare’s play. I won’t go into the details as I scarcely remember them myself, the theme was of recent loss and tragedy caste with the grand betrayal I suffered recently of which I have spoken little, for such things only inspire within me the utmost contempt. I woke up with a dry mouth craving juice at 2 am, I had only fallen asleep 3 hours prior just before midnight. My midnight snack is most likely to blame; it consisted of the remaining leftover meat loaf, 2 squares of dark chocolate, and a bowl of icecrème… with nothing to drink. This was done to ease my hunger, which it did not do, but then nothing ever does. Dry of mouth I fled down to the kitchen, grabbed 3, 2 serving sized bottle of ice tea, then drank the first in one go in a fit of animalistic thirst. The second I placed in my fridge next to my bed, the third remained on my desk. I then fell asleep, waking up again at 6, at which point I drank half the bottle in the fridge and fell back asleep until 8, and then I got out of bed and got some coffee.

My mother greeted me as she always does, by immediately begging me to do some absurd favor for her. This morning it was to clean the bathroom and mop the floor. Reminding her that I had cleaned the entire first floor yesterday and lent her 20 dollars of money I can scarcely afford to lend and that I had just woken up I refused. My stomach has been paining all day. My malady has grown nearly intolerable and the constant pain is beginning to wear on me. In an attempt to ease my suffering I had a proper breakfast of cereal, then I under took to clean my old weight support that I had brought up from the basement on Sunday. I did so in the other room which is on the east side of the house and thus rich in sunlight which I require for vitamin d synthesis. After I was done I cleaned my bathroom in preparation for a shower, then I used the equipment and exercised vigorously before taking my shower.

After I was done I got dressed and lazily made my way outside. It was sunny but cold, still the sun was warm and I sat for a while on my front stoop. I then decided to take a walk to the old naval hospital and back. It was beautiful and I took a few pictures. I sat for a while on the bench overlooking the port of Boston and the Tobin Bridge, as well as the ancient landing that predates the republic by nearly half a century. I thought about Sirius my loyal loving dog that died today exactly one year ago. Again… on the ides of March. I miss him, and two cats Tiffany and Alexis who died 3 years prior… I can’t but weep when I think about them.

My burdens in life are heavy but it’s in my philosophy to bear them as best I can, I owe that to the dead who can’t do or think of anything anymore, I cannot shame their memory. When I have been so fortunate in life, to be born in an age of reason, order, and relative comfort while others suffered and died to get us all this far. The least I can do is bear my pains and try to smile. Though I must confess, the sheer obliviousness of everyone around me to this fact is a source of constant frustration and rage to me. When I returned from my walk my mother’s idea of a greeting was to ask me to make dinner. I told her I was unwell, then later after getting a bowl of left over pasta from the previous night as a late lunch rage overtook me and I snapped at her. I told her how infuriating she had been, how tactless it was to demand favors of me in place of a greeting and how callus she must be to not realize her own son is in total agony… as if she can’t hear me running to the bathroom right next to her seat in the living room every time the urge takes me… which has been every few minutes today. I don’t know whether she is truly ignorant or just emotionally inept. She was severely brain damaged in a car accident several years ago and that could be the cause of this, certainly victims of traumatic brain injuries are people of a nature that I am well acquainted. On that matter I will say little more. I continue smile, and maintain my composure, and I curse those whine and complain and beg and grovel for everything… were I of a servile nature I would be dead by now, the fact that I survived demonstrates my resolve to continue on, even if I do so alone, hated, reviled, feared, and not understood. I will not complain but merely accept my apportioned fate and rise to it, as my ancestors did when they built the foundation of my life. If I accomplish but one thing in my life, I would like very much to set my own foundation for my decedents and give them a legacy that they can be just as proud of.

The ides of March are come, and not yet gone, but I expect to survive today. Thriving is another matter altogether but my sickness can’t last forever and even if it does I’ll focus my efforts when it is least prominent and get by well enough. I shall stop here, and update as time passes for I expect little of note to occur. Dinner has after all already been decided, it is ravioli, made by my sister who was bribed by my mother to make it in my absence… likely the 5 dollars will come from the 20 I gave her yesterday… so in truth, I may as well have made it… I will have that, and I think a glass of wine, to ease the pains, I find it most helpful with my condition, of that I will say no more other than to emphasize the mendicancy with which I use wine in a therapeutic fashion, after all, it is not medicine.

March 14, 2011

I went to bed around 1 am, and woke up at 8 am. It was my mother’s birthday today, so I cleaned the kitchen and living room for her. I had an early lunch/oddly lunch like breakfast of left over’s from last night.  However I skipped lunch. It was cold and cloudy today so I stayed in.

I had pasta and portabella mushrooms for dinner and a glass of wine. Then caramel cake for my mother’s birthday.

My father also unenrolled from the Republican Party, I was proud of him. Evidently the combined effect of the union bashing buffoon in Wisconsin and the moronic senator from the western part of the country who confused concord New Hampshire with concord Massachusetts pushed him over the edge. He is after all a mass steel workers VP and like me grew up walking the freedom trail every 4rth of July… the so called “real Americans” from the former confederacy who pretend to be patriotic when they aren’t openly advocating secession sicken me to the core and apparently were too much for him. He expressed interest in joining the MA pirate party… I laughed and told him I intended to enroll as an independent when I go to get my license.

I’m very concerned about the situation in Japan, it seems a meltdown is likely and the Japanese people, being the only people to ever suffer a nuclear attack may end up having to suffer through another nuclear holocaust. The fallout from that, both literal and metaphoric will be of great significance to the entire world as we attempt to transition away from coal fire based energy. It seems to me unlikely that nuclear fission reactors will replace coal fire plants in light of recent events, which I’m inclined to view as a negative given what I know about their relative reliability in Europe, but I’m not wedded to nuclear power as the only solution… simply the most probable one.  Certainly, we have to do something other than continue to burn coal. Kentucky can’t decide the fate of the country, much less the world’s climate, neither for that matter can Beijing nor Bengal. Clean coal is a myth and Obama need to give it a rest… then again he needs to do a lot of things he probably can’t do anymore.

Oh and the GOP is trying to cut funding for earthquake and tsunami detection... Are they trying to lose the next election? I mean honestly, are they so out of touch that they think this nothing cut to a vital part of our national security and scientific progress is worth the political fallout, potential natural disasters, and setbacks to research and development all so that we can have a few million off our 12 trillion dollar debt? Well I suppose this ties into my next point, in 2 hours march is wasted 15 days… tis not good, beware the ides of March. 

March 13, 2011

I fell asleep after 2 last night and woke up around 11. I had left over pizza and green tea for lunch. Then went outside and raked the leaves on the side of the house. I then did some work cleaning out the basement, took the weight bench from the basement to the guest room, then had an ale before heading upstairs.

I had meatloaf stuffed with carrots, onion, mushrooms, and cheese with gravy, mashed potatoes, and cauliflower for dinner. Then black cherry ice-cream for desert.

I did my exercise regiment in full, then showered and changed for bed.

Today was relatively quiet, but I managed to get a few things done, it was somewhat cold outside. I hope it gets warmer out soon, I’d like to take my bike out and visit my grandparents again, preferably earlier than the last time so they don’t freak out.

March 12, 2011

I woke up at 8 am this morning. I had some coffee and milk but skipped breakfast. I was inactive until after lunch at which point I had left over pasta and bosa. It was nice outside so I took a shower, got dressed, and went out and raked the leaves left over from last fall in my front yard. After that I went to the liquor store with my parents and got a case of beer, a bottle of wine, a bottle of sambuca, and a six pack of hard cider.

When I got home I had some nachos for a snack, then two slices of pizza for dinner. I also organized my closet and papers, my desk, and vacuumed the floor. My mother gave me a new carpet for the side of my room.

I’m contemplating my next course of action; I may go after my license or look into my investments… I’ll probably do a bit of both and more general studying.

I also spoke with my uncle and two of my friends, my uncle is well and my two friends were informed as to my current status which is favorable.

I had some chocolate cake for desert.

I took a shower and managed to get out just in time for one of my sisters friends to see me half naked in a towel… I apologized for my momentary laps of discretion… I wasn’t embarrassed but I was afraid she might have been. To be fair my genitals and chest were covered so it wasn’t that bad…

My head aches and that’s not the least of my pains… I intend to seek medical attention for this.  Its 4 after midnight, I will be going to bed soon. I hope the weather is fair tomorrow. 

March 11, 2011

I went to sleep after 11 last night, and I woke up late at 9, had espresso with milk, a breakfast shake… and left over sausage and peppers for lunch.  I exercised and showered but did little else. My ongoing health problems were quite pronounced today and I didn’t get any work done. In all likelihood I will have to postpone my test until after spring break. I was in bed most of the day; we had pasta and bosa, (beans) for dinner. I had 3 cold glasses of pear nectar as well.

Today Japan suffered a massive earthquake, the country was devastated and tsunamis crossed the pacific striking Hawaii and the western sea board. Apparently some gawking idiots in Oregon were swept out to sea, if anyone truly deserved to die today, it was those idiots… who hears a tsunami warning and heads for the beach? That would be like hearing someone yell fire in a nearby building and ruining into not out of it! But the president promised to send aid and the nation of Japan is well accustomed to dealing with earthquakes, being that it is on a major fault line much like Italy, California, and turkey are.  So I am not overly concerned for our ally in East Asia, though I feel a great sense of sympathy for the people affected by this, excluding the idiots in Oregon who present a contemporary example of natural selection playing itself out.

Aside from that the situation in Libya is deteriorating, the rebels are being pushed back, the UN is impotent, America is indifferent, and all parties concerned seem more worried about the cost of oil than the prospects of liberty. I so hate the political class that if not for the supreme importance of politics I would shut them out of my life and instantly obtain a state of bliss. They sicken me beyond belief. 

March 10, 2011

Having gone to bed at 30 after ten the previous night, I woke up at 7 am. I dreamed that I was a captain of the guards of a lone fort beset by demons and was tasked with organizing the defense.  I woke up before the attack.

I had a glass of green tea and multi grain cheerios for breakfast.

I went to class, chatted with a friend about Libya and the next exam, and did implicit differentiation in calculus. Got home, realized I didn’t feel like making lunch, went back out and got a steak burrito from a Mexican restaurant in Chelsea square… it was extremely good, mostly authentic  excluding the economic substitution of a flour tortilla for the traditional corn one. Nothing like the garbage normal people get from chain restaurants.

I continued doing calculus, took a short break, got back and am finding myself too distracted with rage by the news conversation about Libya to focus on my work… The way in which this situation is discussed is revolting beyond belief.  It shows how utterly inhuman, brutal, short sighted, and openly xenophobic the so called “political class” pundits of both “liberal” and “conservative” slants making whinny remarks about “always having to bear the burdens of other countries” getting involved in “a third Muslim country” (Bosnia, and Somalia were both Muslim countries, I find it amusing how quickly we forget about those conflicts) and snide remarks about the French being unable to back up their claims of action… the French actually do have the military resources necessary to hold a no fly zone, as does Italy, as does the UK. All of which have been much more decided and clear on this subject than our whinny sycophantic government. If they do something I’ll applaud them but I’m sick to death of seeing that dried up hag of a secretary of state publically challenge the stated opinions of the commander of chief and actively advocate collusion with the likes of Mubarak, the Saudis, and Gaddafi when she isn’t paying lip service to the people she would betray without a second thought, the people of Libya who only want the same western weapons and resources Gaddafi already has, because he bought them with oil… that… is real “blood for oil.”

But I already have enough of a headache…  

I did some more homework, I’m up to problem 28 of 45… the differentiation of velocity was a bit too much for me after a long day of math, and headaches. I’ll finish that tomorrow and probably end up taking the test on Saturday… which means I’ll not be able to review it with my professor, but I can review it with the testing room staff… so while not ideal I could conceivably retake on Sunday if I have to. Which is the last day the testing room is open before spring break therefore my last chance to get this crap over with now. Which I fully intend to do!

We had sausages, onions, peppers and potatoes for dinner. I also had some pear nectar. I’m very tired so I think I’ll be going to bed now, its half past 10.

March 9, 2011

I woke up at 7, had a coffee and milk, a breakfast shake, and green tea. I began by playing Total War, and then began work on my calculus. 15 of 45 problems are done.

Finding myself unpained in the abdomen I undertook to repeat my crunches today. I also suffered from my gastric maladies yet again.

I had left over pasta for lunch and dinner, and a simple Caesar salad, (well if you can call it that, it consisted of romaine lettuce, parmesan, croutons, and dressing) for an after dinner snack.

I helped my mom empty the dishwasher and finished 23 out of the 45 math problems, which evidently accounts for 48.9% of my required grade.  I’ll finish the rest tomorrow and hopefully have enough time to take the test before closing at 9, that way if need be I can meet with my professor Friday for a retake before spring break… I don’t want to be mucking around with calculus on my break! That’s to be devoted to biology, my license, and investments! Oh, and maybe something fun… well aside from biology homework.

I created a blog, so this will be my first entry.