Great news, right?

Well, for you. But not for me. Tuesdays and Thursdays I have class this fall. So I’ll be missing Frightened Rabbit again.

For those keeping track at home, this will be the fourth time this year I’ll be missing Frightened Rabbit.

I don’t think it was ever meant to be. Surely, me seeing Frightened Rabbit live will trigger an extinction level event.

Here’s some tour video to keep myself warm

Well after the disappointment of the Lone Star Comics warehouse sale, Long informed me of this and we headed over.

And I can see why the store is closing. It’s a very shallow store. It’s all store front. There is no depth to the store, literally. There is no “back room”, only a “front room off to the side”. Stepping in to the store feels unnatural. You’re put on display like a mannequin. I mean, if i was to see a mannequin that looked like me in a store window, I would head the other direction. Kidrobot should’ve made a test store. That is the lesson they should learn from this.

Anyways, it was now my chance to buy a case of Futurama blind boxes! But unfortunately, they only had 2 individual blind boxes. So I picked them up. You cant go wrong with everything 30% off.

There are 12 characters in the Futurama series. All I really wanted was Zoidberg. He is my favorite character from the show. And you know what, I got him! He was in my second box. In the first box, I got what nerds call a “rare chase” – Sal.

So yeah, if anyone wants to take me to Vegas, I’m on a hot streak.

So far I’ve gotten one reply from a David Woodgate, woodgate962@gmail.com It’s so obvious a scam, it’s a cliche.

His first email

Hello, I am very much interested in buying your item which i see on craigslist list.Is the item still up for sale?

What stands out? The terrible English? Maybe this person doesn’t speak English as his first language, so let’s ignore that. How about he doesn’t ask anything about the Dell? He refers to it by “item”.

Anyways, I reply. Maybe this guy is just an idiot.

Hi David, Yes the item is still up for sale.

His reply is even better

Thanks for your mail. i really appreciate your response to my mail. like i said i will like to buy this item from you and i want you withdraw the advert from craigslist. i’m using this opportunity to inform you that i wont be able to come and inspect the item or pay by cash cos i have been advice by craigslist never send payment via bank transfer ,check, money order or sending cash by post,that is why it will be safe and secure for us to complete this transaction through PayPal though i am a us citizen and i am willing to buy this item as a valentine gift for my cousin and i would appreciate it if i can pay through paypal.mean while i’m willing to offer you the sum $150 for the shipping.However if you don’t have paypal account you can just log on to www.paypal.com and set up an account it is easy and secure to pay and receive money through paypal.pls get back to me asap Thanks

My favorite part from that? Playing cautious by following best practices from Craigslist regarding money. Yet, Craigslist recommends dealing locally to avoid scammers. Also, I don’t know about you, but I constantly mention to people I’m a US Citizen. And I love that he’s paying half of my asking price in shipping.

So yea, anyone wants to buy a Vostro A90? It runs Mac OS X and (if you insist) XP.

For this New Year’s Eve, I packed my bags and headed east to the great city of Miami Beach.

So this is what happened from December 30th to January 4th

Travel

That jerk off just had to try and blow his dick off before my trip. And what’s that? David Finfrock is predicting Freezing Fog the morning of the flight. What’s happening? Why am I being punished for wanting to go on vacation?

Well, it turns out that the universe isn’t out to get me, things went smoothly. There was no ice that morning, and security wasn’t any more of a hassle than it usually is. And apparently there was even some sort of airport lockdown on the Tuesday I returned.

Hotel

The Chesterfield Hotel is a ‘not good’ hotel. The “deluxe suite” was just a larger than average room. I’m pretty sure the lighting was dim so that way you wouldn’t realize how dirty the room is. The staff, front desk and cleaning, did the minimum work required. And the bathroom shower was terribly unsatisfying.

Would I stay there again?

Depends. If I was going on business, no. If I was going for pleasure, maybe. It would depend on the type of pleasure. Because what the Chesterfield has going for it is location, location, location. And the front stoop.

The Chesterfield is where you want to be in South Beach. You’re on Collins one block away from the beach, Wet Willie’s, Pizza Rustica, and Groovy’s Pizza. And the Stoop? It was the place to be in South Beach from December 30th to January 4th.

The Stoop

It deserves it’s own subheading. The Stoop was essential to a fun trip. It’s where we would go after a long day or at the start of a long day. Hell, even during the long day. You could relax with drink in hand, people watch, and lime. And when the weather turned, it got you out of the wind (mostly).

James

We made the Stoop ours, but really it belonged to James.

One night Drona came back late and thought he saw one of use sleeping in the Stoop. But nope, we were in the room. Who was this mysterious stranger?

The next night, I looked out the window and saw Nikko, Surren, and someone else sleeping in the chair. I asked Drona if Nikko and Surren had made a new friend, but nope it was that same mysterious stranger.

The next day, it rained. When we returned to the hotel, the mysterious stranger had returned. But this time during the day. That’s when Surren noticed that he had a Lebron James jersey.

He was a stranger no more. He had a name, James.

But he was on our Stoop. So we had to move to the other side.

NYE

For New Year’s Eve, I had made no plans. I figured, it couldn’t be too difficult to have fun in South Beach. So after wandering around Ocean Drive, we found ourselves at The Clevelander. And it was a fun night. There were 4 venues – ground floor, lounge on 2nd, roof of building 1, and roof of building 2. I heard Black Eyed Peas – Tonight three times, but I didn’t let that get me down.

A personal highlight: I took a piss while smoking a cigar. Awesome!

Food

What did I enjoy eating the most? If you guessed cuban sandwiches, you’re wrong. It was Pizza Rustica and Groovy’s Pizza. They were both open 24/7 and both delicious. If I had to choose, I would go Rustica. But it was nice to have them both. That way you wouldn’t get tired of pizza. Too much Rustica, go to Groovy’s. Too much Groovy’s, go to Rustica. You can’t lose.

I also enjoyed La Moon, Colombian food in downtown. It was after a long day of seeing the Heat suck it up and wandering downtown, and the Crazy Chicken Moon Burger was astounding. It was a chicken breast combined with breakfast stuffed in a hamburger bun.

Sunglasses

I have a nice pair of Ray Ban’s. I only wear them when I’m driving. I don’t really have a use for them otherwise. I didn’t take them to Florida because I didn’t want to break or lose them. After all, they’re a really nice pair of Ray Ban’s. I figured when I got there, I would buy a knock off pair if I needed any shade.

Turns out, sunglasses are a necessity in Miami. It’s the sun. It’s everywhere. I ended up buying a cheap pair of aviator’s and later breaking them.

Nikko bought a nice pair of Ray Ban’s. He didn’t lose or break them.

Art

I wasn’t going to South Beach for culture, but culture found me.

Close to our hotel was The Wolfsonian. No, it’s not The Smithsonian from an alternate universe where wolves rule the Earth. But it’s a rather nice design museum. My favorite thing I saw was a Ford ad from the middle of the 20th century. Unfortunately I didn’t take a picture. But here’s a toaster:

Art also pounces on you when you’re shopping. In the Lincoln Road Mall, the city had an artist studio/gallery. Apparently the city rents studio space. And you’re free to walk in. Just look at this guy using an eMac.

I bet he’s brilliant.

And in the gallery they were featuring Romero Britto. I’m pretty sure he’s the official artist of Miami. His work is all over the city when you look at signs and sculptures. It’s fun

Fudge

I love fudge. Fudge from Trinidad that is. Regular “American” fudge is okay, but it’s not Trinidadian fudge.

I was quite surprised to find Trinidad fudge in Swiss candy store on Lincoln Road Mall. So surprised and delighted, I bought 2 lbs of it. You can too, they sell it online.

Frommer’s

Frommer’s is shit. Why? This sentence

“Opened in 2005 by 70-year-old-grandmother Naomi Wilzig, the museum features Wilzig’s collection of more than 4,000 pieces of erotic art, including Kama Sutra temple carvings from India, peek-a-boo Victorian figurines that flash their booties, and a prop from the sexual thriller A Clockwork Orange.”

Sexual Thriller? A Clockwork Orange? Sexual Thriller = A Clockwork Orange?

Let Downs (and hanging around)

No cart food. I was kinda hoping there’d be cart food. There are tons of West Indians in Florida. I wanted to buy some doubles. Missed business opportunity.

No guys selling Roy Ban’s and Folex’s on the beach. I wanted to be iced out. But there was no one. You go on vacation to the beach, you kinda expect people to be selling counterfeit goods. You’re crushing dreams Miami Beach.

Conclusion

Would I go back? Most definitely. I’m owed more beach time. It got cold and that wasn’t fair. It isn’t supposed to dip down into the 40s in South Beach.

I’ve been meaning to write this entry for a long time. Anyways…

So, how /do/ you throw a successful BBQ for 55 people? The same way you get to Carnegie Hall – practice.

The BBQ I had on Memorial Day was #3. BBQ #1 was a small affair – 10 people at the most. And to be honest was just a BLC Happening. BBQ #2 doubled in size, but there were still mistakes. We overestimated the food and probably could have fed 50 people easy.

BBQ #3

People

You need guests at your BBQ. You have to invite people and give them enough notice so it doesn’t seem you sprung something on them last minute. But then you can’t invite people months in advance, because no one knows what they’re doing a month from now. I ended up inviting people 2 weeks before. I figured that would be a good balance. Not too far, not too soon.

But don’t forget, people are bums. The invited will take their time responding, and you’ll be wondering – is no one going to show/is this going to get out of control/does everyone hate me? And it’ll drive you crazy. Because if you don’t have an accurate guest list, how are you going to know how much food to buy? How much drinks? How much plates? How much chairs? All these things and more depend on an accurate guest list. And don’t forget to account for extra. People will bring friends.

So for BBQ #3, 91 people were invited. (Wow, that is a lot!)

Let’s go to the breakdown

So I could’ve theoretically had (52 + 20) 72 people showing up plus any additions. But the actual count was 55.

Food

So how do you feed all these people? With lots of meat

20 lbs of Chicken (Drumsticks + Wings)
20 lbs of Lamb
6 lbs of Ground Turkey
4 packs of Turkey Bratwurst
2 packs of Turkey Dogs (24/pack)

Also on my receipts

1 Bag of Rolls
2 Bags (Costco) of Hamburger Buns
2 Bags (Costco) of Hot Dog Buns
1 Bag of Chips
Ketchup
Mustard
BBQ Sauce

People also brought

Cheese & Crackers
Eggrolls
Corn
Bratwurst
Salad
Lemon Bar Cake (Extra Delicious)
Cookies
Pies

And I had my mom make

Fried Rice
Potato Salad

Drink

To wash all that down, you need lots of beer. Surren and I decided it might be more cost effective to just get a keg. And you also need beer for beer pong. In addition you need coke.

So all together, we had

1 Keg of Shiner
1 Case of Keystone
3 Cases of Coke
3 Bottles of Wine

People also brought more beer and coke.

But, sadly we didn’t finish the keg. We did come close, but in the end I did have to empty it out down the drain. I think if we used the Keg for the beer pong, it would’ve finished.

Entertainment

If you put people together with food and drink, they’ll find a way to entertain themselves. But to get that started, you need music. It’s there to fill the silence.

For BBQ #1, I ended up buying an iPod boom box. I’m really happy with it. It’s able to produce a nice sound at a loud volume without too much distortion. I could’ve just stuck my iPod in there and considered ‘music’ taken care of, but I wanted to try something different.

Apple has a program for the iPhone – Remote. It allows you to use your iPhone as a remote for iTunes. Apple also has a router/print server called an AirPort Express that has a speaker jack on it. It’ll let you remotely connect speakers to your computer. So if you add all these things together, you can wirelessly stream music from your pc to a remote pair of speakers and let your guests control/vote for music. It’s a great idea.

And my execution was almost perfect. I had a spare AirPort Express that I decided to use. It would create a network, and I would have people connect to that – isolated from my main network. Well, the AirPort Express ended up choking. It couldn’t handle the number of clients. So I had to have it connect to my main network, and have everyone connect to my main network as well.

I also had this bright idea of outdoor Wii/movies. I bought a projector. I made a screen. And I was ready to impress. But, by the time it was dark enough to use the projector, I was too drunk/tired to be bothered to set it up. And I think that if I did, it would have detracted from the atmosphere.

Post Mortem

So what did I learn from BBQ #3?

I should stop worrying so much. I freaked out about chairs. I had 18 chairs, and I ended up borrowing a few. And I think it was the perfect amount.

Do as much setup as possible before. I should’ve put the tiki torches up beforehand.

I needed one more table. The food table kept on running out of space.

Bugs are everywhere, and there is nothing you can do about it. Buy a can of Off and put it out.

It’s a lot of work.

It’s also a lot of fun.

Another semester is finished. And just like that, I have my nights and weekends back.

This last semester I took CSE 5324 – Software Engineering I. And at the end of the semester, I have to say I did like the course. I didn’t agree with the professor on some things, and I didn’t like the way he treated the students on the distance education section (me and most of my team). But I did like the term project, mainly because my team was amazing. It was definitely the best team I’ve worked with in my graduate career. Compared to the other teams in the class, we were giants. The team experience just made the class better.

But it’s tough. Working full time and going to school. I don’t know how much longer I can last. It feels like my soul is being scooped out. Like I know it’s the responsible thing to do. But all through out this semester, I felt like ‘Why am I doing this?’. I know that if I quit, I’ll never return. So I keep on. Though I am taking this summer off. I need it to recharge.

My Residential Gateway has been resetting sporadically for the past 2 months. Note the word sporadically.

sporadic |spəˈradik|adjectiveoccurring at irregular intervals or only in a few places; scattered or isolated

UVerse phone support seem to have trouble with this word.

I’ve called UVerse an innumerable amount of times complaining about this problem. And the tech on the line will rattle off the same steps – have you checked the power cable/have you reset the residential gateway/is the problem occurring now. And I indulge them. After all, I did the same job. And I know they’re just referring to a knowledge base. Sometimes this will result in an offer for a call back. This is when I have to explain to them the meaning of the word sporadic – “Yes, you can call back tomorrow. But it might be fine tomorrow and the next day, and the next, but then it’ll reset. Anyways yes, you can call me back.” Because really, it’s a very rare occurrence if they do follow up.

Twice now I’ve had a technician make a house call. The first time was a few weeks ago. That guy said it was a problem with the line and he’d schedule a line tech. I don’t know if that happened. But I do know that after his visit, I was fine for some time.

Yesterday, I had another visit. This visit was primarily to replace my DVR. Last week it deleted all my recordings and refused to record anything afterwards. I mentioned the RG problem to this guy, and he said it was a problem with the “bridge tap on my line”. And he would schedule a line tech to remove that. I don’t know if that happened. But a half hour ago, my RG reset.

UVerse is now up to “really, really, really”. I’ve started logging everything now. I know I should’ve started keeping track weeks ago.

UVerse, don’t make me switch to Road Runner or Dish or DirecTV – I love the guide too much.

It’s a book. All you really need to do to send it in the mail is stick it in an envelope, padded if you feel like splurging.

That is pre 4/7 thinking.

What you need to do, is stick it in a padded box and roll it 3 sheets of bubble wrap.

Some of those people love radiohead.

And of those people who love twitter and radiohead, they also like woot.

The Evidence:

Today’s Woot is a radiohead box set. As of 9:51AM CST, it’s sold out.

Head on over to TwitterSheep and search for radiohead

These are the results

As an aside – I didn’t purchase this, because I have all of the albums offered in the box set.

I have the special editions of Amnesiac (Library Book), Hail to the Thief (Road Map), and In Rainbows (Awesome). And my non special edition of Kid A has a hidden booklet.

My one regret in life is not purchasing the special edition version of Kid A when it came out. But I was in high school and didn’t have $30 to spend on a cd.