Different Perspective

Sometimes it is fun to just see how different cultures view something as simple as a birthday.

It was actually only a recently in my life that I found out I was a Rooster in the Chinese Zodiac. Up until then, I just always thought I was a "Dog" because it corresponds to 1982. Though, I recently realized my birthday still technically fell within the year of the Rooster.

Anyway, this is all moot.
I was trained to believe I was born in 1982,
but that is just a western view.
According to the Hebrew calendar, I was born in Tevet in 5742.
Egyptians... I was born in the month of Famenoth.
I am a Goose in the Native American Zodiac.
My astrological zodiac sign is Capricorn.

On the Islamic calendar, I was born in Rabi'u'l-Awal in the year 1402.
On the Mayan calendar? This is my birthdate: 12 baktun 18 katun 8 tun 11 uinal 1 kin
I have no clue what it means, but it looks neat.

Yeah, I know I am weird. Big deal.

Horrible Emotions

Jealousy is a bad emotion.
Depression is a bad emotion.
Jealousy with a hint of depression is very bad.

I need cheering up.

....
I'll figure something out.

Farewell, Shepherd of the Garden Sanctuary

Though those than knew you would prefer that you stay,
the One with the authority to take you made His decision.
Alas, His decision is final, and in this case, it came swiftly, without warning.
Knowing you were right with Him, the ones you leave behind
can be comforted in the fact that you are now with Him,
and your purpose in life was fulfilled.
We might not know what that purpose was,
but we know that you now do.

You were a wonderful leader.
You were a true friend.
You were quick to comfort,
you never passed judgment.
You loved all you met,
you had no mortal enemies.

To every thing there is a season, and a time for every purpose under Heaven.
A time to be brought into this world, and a time to be taken from this world.

Farewell, friend. You will be missed.

Mark Jacobs
1950-2006
Passed to Heaven this 23rd Day of December, Two-Thousand Six.

December 21st

Well, it is Thursday, and I am off work.
I go to work again tomorrow, then I am off until January 2nd.
I went to a Christmas Party last night for the company for which my Julz MacGuyver works.
I met several interesting people. I distinctly remember responding to one person by saying...
"Oh, I don't actually work for [company name], I am just crashing the party."
--"Well, you've got a date, so you are legit. Enjoy the night!"

So anyway, when I finally got back to Arielle, I was still slightly intoxicated and extremely tired...
so I just locked myself inside and took a nap for a while.
I eventually got home. I was extremely tired..... but for some reason I could not sleep very well.
I kept waking up. Around about the time I would normally wake up to go to work, I woke up.
I tried going back to sleep, I tossed and turned for a while.
Eventually, about the time I would normally arrive at work, I just gave up trying to sleep.

I got my sister's present mailed off to her. My mom was going to be shipping them out today, so I just threw mine in with hers.

I shall eventually go to the mall and see if I can buy one final cheap gift. I may also mail out something else.

On a different note, as I was watching the Price is Right, I heard an interesting sound. A VERY low plane flew over my house. It was low enough to shake everything. It was quite interesting.

I may try to clean up the yard some later, or take care of some yard trash. I do not know yet. The day is mine.

Well... I am only about a fourth of the way through this day thus far. I may have more info to share later, but for now I shall end this post.

Guitarmageddon!

Weird Habit

I have a strange habit.
I am ashamed of it, but I am actually not certain if I have ever done it in public.
Whenever I get excited about something, I clench my fingers together, and I rub the bases of the palms of my hands together briskly.
Now... you may be asking yourself.. "If he is ashamed of it, why is he admitting he does it?"
Well, as it turns out, the reason I am ashamed is because I do not seem to have any control over it.
It just happens.

It happens if an awesome action sequence is about to start in a movie I like.
It happens if I am about to kill a huge creature in WoW.
It happens when something seemingly amazing is supposedly happening in a film.
It happens when the washing machine is almost filled with water.
It happens if my food in the microwave is about to be done.
It happens if I start installing a new program or video game on my computer.
It happens if I print something to my printer.
It happens if I set pinestraw on fire...
or pine cones...
or random bunchs of scrap paper...
or dryer lint....
or fireworks...
or pretty much anything else.
It happens if I put in a DVD.
It happens if I am about to go walk out the door to go shopping, exercising, or hanging out with friends.
It happens if I press button in an elevator.
It happens if I press the start button on a large movie projector.
It happens if I turn on my space heater.
It happens if I pay a bill online.
It happens if I am about to make a purchase online.

Ok... so perhaps now you are saying, "Wow, he gets excited about some weird things."

Yes, I do.

Quick Conversation

I went to a Christmas party last night.
I cannot really share many details about the evening because I was told later in the evening that "What happens at the _______ Christmas Party stays at the _______ Christmas Party".

But I would figure I would share this.
One of the conversations I had with a person last night....

Girl: "Oh hey! How are you?"
Me: "I'm alive. No too bad. How are YOU doing?"
Girl: "I'm great! How are you?"
Me: "....the same as I was 3 seconds ago."

That was the entire conversation.
She gave me one of those weird looks that was cross between "I'm confused" and "You're a jerk".
Not sure exactly what was going through her mind. I did not feel compelled to ask.

All in all, though... it was a good evening.

New Generation of Toys

I decided to go out Christmas shopping today after I had some maintenance done on Arielle. I headed to the mall and walked around for a bit. I got gifts for my niece, nephew, and my sisters. However, I was actually looking for a specific gift for my niece and nephew and did not see it, so I decided to hit Toys R Us.
While looking around the store, I noticed that pretty much all of the toys I would have had when I was younger, have had some sort of technology boost.

Then... I saw the Power Wheels section. I decided to look through some of these, just for fun. There it was... a Corvette. $300. a 2-Speed Manual Transmission, duel motors, Radio, headlights, turn signals, horn.

I seem to remember playing with one of these when I was younger... it had one speed, and that was it. Not other features.

Today's kids are spoiled even more so than we were.