A gentleman and a scholar

Election Stuff

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 18:00:08 GMT

So it has been a while since I've posted. You're more likely to find an update for myself at my twitter http://twitter.com/dickardo than you are to find an update here. But I wanted to come out of the shadows before the election, to weigh in on it, like everybody else.

Now I know that most people are sick of this election junk, so it's under the cut.

From yesterday's tomorrow, for a better today!

If you know me at all, you can't be that surprised. Shatner and Hasselhoff are two forward thinking individuals that this country deserves in its hour of great need.

Vote Shatner/Hasselhoff 08!

Barack Obama is now following you on Twitter!

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 19:38:38 GMT

Guess who's following me on Twitter? That's right: Barack Obama.

Hi, dickardo.

Barack Obama (BarackObama) is now following your updates on Twitter.

Check out Barack Obama's profile here:

http://twitter.com/BarackObama

Best,
Twitter

--
Turn off these emails at: http://twitter.com/account/notifications

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 02:44:10 GMT

Hey everyone, it's been a long time, but let me catch you all up on what's happening in my life. First, apologies for not getting the word out to everyone, but anytime I see someone, I try to tell them exactly what's going down, so if you don't know, I must not see you very often! You should try to do something about that.

The news is that I'm moving to Virginia. I officially leave the wonderful land of New Jersey on February 15th.

Why? To be closer to normajean, of course! She's doing the school thing down there, and if you want more information, you'll just have to ask her.

However, I'm not leaving New Jersey forever, because I'm keeping my job at Datacor, as a telecommuter. Which should be fun, I hope! But this means that I'll have to occasionally make my way up to the lands of New Jersey, it seems like once a month or so, depending on schedules. So that should be fun, and allow me to do lunches and whatnot while I'm in the area.

So right now my apartment is a mess, and I'm tearing it apart and throwing everything away that I didn't have time to go through when I moved out from Drew University. It's crazy. But on the plus side, I found some fun things. For example, my passport, a digital Drew University phone (shhhhh), tennis balls, and Fargo on DVD.

I also found a stack of pictures from prom, high school graduation, and college. Lots of good memories, and they were nice to find, even if it means I'm probably a replicant.

So that's what's going on with me. Oh, I have some random stuff to give away. I have a briefcase that looks virtually new, and a 15" CRT monitor, and maybe some more stuff. If you want any of it for some reason, please let me know!

So....We Meet again...

Thu, 12 Apr 2007 13:08:27 GMT

Dick left himself logged in on my computer (silly, silly man.) Perhaps he forgot about the previous times he's done that. The pictures of John Calvin and the cast of Everwood should have made him realize that perhaps it wasn't such a good idea. I guess it didn't.

But perhaps this will:

I just think this is hilarious. :)

So I'm a dork

Tue, 21 Nov 2006 04:51:32 GMT

Hello everybody, I figured it was time for me to update with something, especially since I have something to talk about! I managed to get myself one of those new-fangled Nintendo Wiis everybody's talking about. Yes, I was one of "those" people standing in line in the cold outside of the local Target. But it wasn't that bad. I was fortunate enough to show up at a Target that didn't have a lot of people standing in line when I rolled around at 4:30am, and had around 80 Wiis in stock. Everyone was orderly and nice, and there was a minimal amount of gunfire and muggings. And by minimal amount, I mean none, unlike what happened at some PS3 releases I hear.

I just have the Wii Sports game so far, I decided to wait and see what games would be good. I was hoping to get a fun multiplayer game, but I couldn't find a good one so I just decided to hang out for a bit and see what happens.

Playing the Wii itself is a ton of fun, as almost anyone that has played one can tell you. It took normajean and I a few minutes to realize that to serve the tennis ball, one has to actually SWING the Wiimote, instead of pressing random buttons on it. After that, we got the hang of it and normajean managed to get an amazing 164 in Bowling, while I got a lousy 40 or 50. When I played it again later, I still didn't do near as good, so I think she must be a Wii Bowling Prodigy.

There is one problem with my Wii: I got an error when trying to connect to my wireless router. I called Nintendo today, and they said that the Wii would have to be replaced, BUT all I had to do was give them my address (and a credit card number) and they'd ship me a new Wii (within 10 business days) and then I'd have 3 weeks to ship the broken one back. If I didn't ship it back, they'd charge the credit card.

Seems to me that this has the potential for abuse, what with all the Wii shortages...

Recap!

Tue, 22 Aug 2006 18:49:34 GMT

So syrian_sun said to me that it seemed like the last time I updated my livejournal it was about grape juice or something, and that she had no idea about what was really going on with my life. So I figure that in the spirit of a recap, I'll try to fill some of you in on what's going on with my life.

I graduated college, BA in Mathematics and another one in Computer Science. It's strange to know that an ungodly amount of money spent on my education is represented in a cheap laminated wallet-version of my diploma.

The Monday after graduation, I started my first "real" job at a chemical software company. That is, a company that makes software for chemical companies. I program in VB6 (woooo!) and I do a lot with Microsoft Access. Eventually I'm going to do training on our software, in addition to my current support and customization duties. When I start doing more training, I get to go on business trips, with an expense account and everything! I like what I do, and the people are really nice here. It's a small company, and I'm working in the smaller department. It's cool.

Since my job is so close, and since another Math/CS grad got a job in the same area, we went together and signed a lease on an apartment in Madison! With real keys and everything! If you want to visit or crash on my floor, I have two queen sized air mattresses, so just drop me a line and you're more than welcome.

I also got an NJ drivers license, and NJ plates for my car. Next up: having my car inspected!

Nowadays I'm trying to teach myself C# and playing more video games, since I now have more time.

Maybe now that I got this out of the way I'll actually try to do a semi-ish regular update, but I'll probably forget and just leave comments in other people's lj entries.

Mon, 03 Jul 2006 00:48:49 GMT

I suck.

How much do I suck?

I maintain that Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom was okay, that Kate Capshaw was alright, and that Short Round was the best sidekick ever. I lose at life because I do not fully understand the intimate relationship that a movie's coolness shares with the existence of Nazis to fight in the name of truth, justice, and the American way.

UPDATE:

So _yggdrasil got a hold of me and we decided that we needed to see Superman Returns today. Now since she showed up a wee bit early at my new apartment, we hung out beforehand, when the topic of Indiana Jones came up (and we decided that Nazis are the best villans ever, because they are so one dimensional). I admitted that Temple of Doom was the worst of the three, but I still say that its an Indiana Jones movie, and that Short Round kicks ass. "No time for love Dr. Jones!" I still stand by that.

It seems that while we were talking about this, she found her way onto my still-logged in lj account, and decided to update for me.

Thanks a lot!

:-P

I have a new default LJ icon

Tue, 11 Apr 2006 21:44:42 GMT

... your shadow, the dark side. C.G. Hume writes about it, in terms of the fact that every one of us has a dark side. And my dark side, my shadow, my lower companion is now in the back room blowing up balloons for kids' parties.

Grape!

Thu, 06 Apr 2006 02:29:39 GMT

So right now I'm sorta delaying working on my Number theory paper on Fermat and I realized that this is the perfect place to extol the virtues of my new favorite non-alcoholic beverage: Capri Sun.

You might ask me why I decided to put up an image of a GRAPE Capri Sun rather than a more traditional Fruit Punch, or even Wild Cherry. It's because I just LOVE Grape Capri Sun, and I have no idea why. Usually I hate artificially grape flavored things, like grape jolly ranchers or carbonated beverage. But Grape Capri Sun somehow transcends those limitations.

I've been asked by kingfox to tell more traumatic stories about why I don't like certain types of food (When I was about 8 or so, I had a bad experience with Ham at a wedding in Omaha, and I've avoided the stuff since). I can't think of any other food stories right now, so I'll just mention that I used to buy a pack of Gushers and a Grape Capri Sun at lunch during High School, for a lot of my High School career. After High School, I had no ready supply of Capri Sun or Gushers, so that habit was replaced by chicken patties at the Commons.

But now that I've given up all non-diet carbonated beverages for Lent (I'm not Catholic, just doing it for solidarity with normajean) I've rediscovered my love for Capri Sun, as a non-carbonated sugary beverage.

I was going to leave this entry at that, but mentioning giving up stuff for Lent has reminded me of a weird story about my dad, and deciding that the family needed to give up TV for Lent, while I was in middle school. Someday I need to write an entire entry about my Dad (middle) and tell stories about how weird he is, but for now, I'm going to end it here.

Fri, 31 Mar 2006 02:02:26 GMT

So today I got this email thing, and it said

Hey dickardo, Your mutual friend kingfox has noticed that you last updated your journal on LiveJournal 50 weeks ago! Be a friend and go post. (http://www.livejournal.com/update.bml) Sincerely, The LiveJournal Team

And I thought to myself, 50 weeks? Has it really been that long? And then I think about it, and I look at my last post, and I go "Yup."

So here I am, rectifying my mistake. I think I'm just avoiding cleaning my room and preparing for my interview tomorrow morning. If I remember, livejournal is good like that. It's good at letting me avoid doing the things that I really should be doing.

I think I'll read my friends page.

Next semester of classes

Mon, 11 Apr 2005 20:43:12 GMT

Results of your official registration:

CSCI*105*001 Registered
CSCI*133*001 Registered
CSCI*141*001 Registered
MATH*129*001 Registered

Am I crazy?

I have joined the 21st century

Sun, 06 Feb 2005 22:03:00 GMT

I know I've been bad about posting here, but I finally have something to post about:

I finally got a cellphone. Verizon. And now I will play with it.

Once again, more quizzes

Sat, 27 Nov 2004 23:44:26 GMT

You're Iowa!

You are very concerned with hawks and their nature. Particularly, the eye
of the hawk has always captivated you, drawing you in with its piercing stare. It
frankly doesn't take a lot to get your attention, but once it's been gained, your
attention is unflinching. Though your influence appears minimal, a meeting you hold
at your place every few years is monumental in its implications. At that meeting, you
don't discuss where the monks came from, even though you want to know.

Take the State Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

I'm not sure how accurate this is, but I like it

Sat, 27 Nov 2004 23:21:50 GMT

You're The Great Gatsby!

by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Having grown up in immense wealth and privilege, the world is truly at
your doorstep. Instead of reveling in this life of luxury, however, you spend most of
your time mooning over a failed romance. The object of your affection is all but
worthless--a frivolous liar--but it matters not to you. You can paint any image of the
past you want and make it seem real. If you were a color of fishing boat light, you
would be green.

Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

More sap than an IHOP

Tue, 23 Nov 2004 00:38:28 GMT

One year ago today, at around 10:00 PM, Jordan (or normajean) and I started dating. I really can't summarize the entire year in one entry, but suffice it to say, it's been the best year of my life. I truly love her, and I don't know what I'd do without her. I can honestly say that I envision many more years with her in my life, and I look forward to where we go from here.

Jordan, I love you

Sun, 21 Nov 2004 22:26:42 GMT

Yeah, I know it's been a while since I've last updated. I'd like to say that I've been busy, but I haven't. I'd also like to say that I haven't really had anything to say, but that'd also be a lie. I think it's more of a "I'm too lazy to articulate what I've been thinking/feeling/doing" sort of reason.

I really should be studying for Real and Complex Analysis, but I'm just being really bad and procrastinating. I have the book open in front of me, and I'm wondering whether or not studying Complex functions is worth my time, because it seems rather trivial.

If I had posted about 2 weeks ago, I could have been like "dude, everyone's into this whole thefacebook.com scene" but I think that with a few exceptions (like The Christopher Walken Appreciation Society), it's grown and died. Sadly, I think the most fun people have had with it is looking up people in their high school, but the only person that has it from my highschool is jubernerd and I told her to get it, and I'm her only friend, last I recall. So I don't know how much longer I'll be using thefacebook.

ACK! I want thanksgiving break to start! I hate that I have a Real and Complex exam tomorrow. I just want to relax!

I think I had something more to say, but I've lost it. I'm going back to studying.

Later

Mon, 01 Nov 2004 01:32:33 GMT

Sorry, folks. No cool pictures from me today.

(that's because I don't have access to any, stupid Dick deleted ALL of the pictures that I had on here. Damn.)

But I would like to say that Dick's entry in my LJ does not count, for I do not have anything against Christapher Walken. I actually like him.

So, just like that entry, this one will not count either, for it does nothing to bother Dick, just lets me take advantage of the fact that I can do this.

So, until next time Kiddies...

I'm having too much fun

Mon, 18 Oct 2004 23:47:18 GMT

(The following conversation is about Time Cube.)

Dickardo: I've decided that now I'm always going to debate in the "Time Cube" style
Matt: how's that?
Dickardo: "You are most evil because you are so stupid. It is so simple, and I offer you $10,000 if you can prove me wrong"
Matt: hmm
Matt: well
Matt: evil and stupidity are not inherinetly linked
Matt: rather, to be evil shows a heightened intelligence due to the consious choice towards evil
Matt: for to be evil is to chose to do so
Matt: otherwise it wouldn't be evil
Dickardo: True
Matt: just ignorant
Dickardo: I agree
Matt: give me $10,000
Matt: bitch

I'm baack...

Wed, 13 Oct 2004 12:43:43 GMT

Just. Stolen. Dick's. Computer.

Hehe.

John Calvin everyone!

Bye!

PS, this is Jordan if you haven't figured it out yet.

Thu, 30 Sep 2004 20:31:53 GMT

Remeber how I said it was a war? Well, this, if you haven't figured out, is normajean and dickardo left himself logged into my computer this morning. I had to seize the opportunity. :)

Your move, dickardo

I hope you enjoy the Everwood!

Tue, 21 Sep 2004 06:28:16 GMT

hello

Thu, 16 Sep 2004 06:28:16 GMT

If LJ Was a Bar by Karen_Walker
Username
Bartender	dariabat
Bouncer	dickardo
Dancing Badly	jenniever
Playing Pool	utini2
Playing Darts	diziara
Singing Karaoke	aquamoonshadow
Got in with a Fake ID	jayel40
Guy with a Mullet	agent179
Too Drunk to Stand	tank_n_zanna
Hitting on Everyone	yoursoulismine
Hot Chick	periol

Quiz created with MemeGen!

I feel special?

Tue, 14 Sep 2004 23:38:23 GMT

I just have to post something about this. normajean and I are working on our respective math homework in my room, when my phone rings. It's someone on campus, and I pick it up. The conversation went something like this:

"Um, hello?"
"Yo, hey man, it's me, Tim, from last year, and I've been stalking you for a while. I remember you're like a comptuer guru, and I have a quick question for you"
"um, okay"
"I'm playing comptuer games, right? and I have like, 900 ping, and I was wondering you knew any way to hack into it, so I can lower that"

...

I first say I don't have time to play comptuer games anymore, and I then explain that there's a packet shaper at Drew, which looks at every packet and limits it if it's "bad." He asks me what the name of it is, and if there's a way to get around it, and I just say "No."

All I have to say is "WTF, mate?"

Start of Semester like Woah

Thu, 09 Sep 2004 04:48:25 GMT

I'm kinda in a weird place now. I really don't know what to do with the rest of my college career. I thought I had most of my college schedule worked out, and all I needed to do was follow it. I even made up a nice, nifty spreadsheet with color coded boxes and all sorts of stuff. I was like "finally, I know what I'm doing." and I just had to stick to the spreadsheet, and bug the head of the Math/Comp Sci department to make sure I could take all the classes I needed to graduate.

Well, this semester, that schedule has me with 2 upper level Comp Sci classes (Operating Systems and Programming Languages) and 2 upper level Math classes (Linear Algebra and Real and Complex Analysis I [I've heard it's the hardest class in all of Drew, and I believe it. Ugh]).

With that schedule, plus working at the CNS Helpdesk (Desk Network Shifts), and babysitting the Math/Comp Sci comptuer lab, I'm thinking I should lighten my load a wee bit, before this all comes crashin down on me.

Oh, did I mention my 4 classes right now are all MWF? :-D

But there is good news: I think I have this more or less figured out. I think I don't even need to take Operating Systems, because it's one of the "Additional 2 upper level CSCI classes," and I think I'm already taking 2. So major-wise, I'm set. I still have the Arts/Lit/Theater requirement to go (8 credits) and a Spanish language in context to knock off.

With my major, and the classes I have now, I should have completed 114 credits out of 128 (If I don't take Operating Systems). Then if I take a combo Literature/Spanish context class (Don Quixote baby) then I just have 10 more credits to get rid of, and one more language breadth requirement to meet. So after my breadth requirements, I have 6 credits in limbo.

You follow that? Good. Because I'm way confused.

I'm actually thinking about just taking Operating Systems Pass/Fail, and just tacking those credits to toward the goal of 128. And then, I have 2 credits to get rid of.

I'm meeting with Prof. Ginsberg tomorrow at 11 (my advisor who teaches Operating Systems) so I'm hoping to make sure that all of this is right. And then, go from there.

Anywho, does anyone have any suggestions for easy lit/art classes, or a random easy 2 crappy credits? Oh wait! I can TOTALLY take tennis! I wonder how many credits it's worth...

<EDIT>So I met with Prof. Ginsberg, and I think I'm going to drop Operating Systems, but I'm going to keep going for a bit, and maybe drop it down to pass/fail. Or just take Tennis. Depends on how hard tennis is, and when it's offered. </EDIT>

Mon, 06 Sep 2004 20:28:17 GMT

Dick, you really need to change your password, because people can come in to your account, and write things like this, and then post them for the whole world to see...