Pages of random insanity

Traveling!

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 12:43:15 GMT

Go check out our travel blog at acrossusa_rl community!

Beginnings of Travel

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 01:51:23 GMT

Bags packed, mascots chosen, tickets printed, and awake. OK, not so much that last one. It's 3:15 AM and we are setting off on our adventure. Had a muffin with some strange things in it that Liz's housemate made and some water. Soon we will head out to the train station, dragging our luggage down the empty streets of Leiden. Then we get on the plane and fly to Frankfurt, then on to Portland (like any good travel, we need to go the wrong direction first!)
Two sleep zombies are ready to roll!

-Rick

Rick in the Lab With Brain Scans

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 15:57:11 GMT

So here I am, again, sitting in the lab typing with rubber gloves on (which is more dificult than CSI makes it appear!)
I'm thinking about starting a picture journal, but I don't know how to put pictures into my posts, and I'm too lazy to figure it out by clicking on the link of FAQ's. Actually, this idea just occured to me as I typed it, so I'll probably do just that.
On the plans for life side:
Thinking about taking a big trip to the states in May. First to Florida and then to Oregon, since I have cruise tickets I need to use soon.
Mandy, Thomas (my current roomate for those not in the know), and I are trying to get a house together. Mandy may get another person to join us too. Mucho house, (min?)cho money. Equals good times.

From the lab

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 12:33:38 GMT

Hey all!
I'm sitting here, in the lab, running those fun brain experiments.
So far:

Person one (hereafter referred to as Blinkie):
She, well, blinked. A lot. So much so that her data is nigh unusable.

Person two:
Perfect data, read the question list, asked a few questions about it, didn't fill it out at all. Who does that?
Nickname: Ink-Phobia girl

Person three:
Perfect answers, perfect data, no problems, all the things were great. Went to turn off the recording after the test (one and a half hours) was over... was not recording.
Nickname: We're-a-bunch-of-morons girl.

So that was day one.

Day two:
No shows, all around, except for stolen-girl, which is the girl we stole from another experimentor since she was sitting there with the EEG on already. Good data.

This is Day Three, and so far we have one no show. Bored, I translated the entire test (all four versions) into English so I can get the English only crowd as well. Yay me and creative boredom!

Hopping on the Revival Wagon

Sat, 21 Feb 2009 17:31:03 GMT

Ok, it does seem strange that the three members who actually posted quite seldomly are doing the reviving, but what the heck. Let's do it.

Sad news first: my grandfather died last week. He was going badly for a while, and then he just had enough. So he died on thursday with doctors standing by to make sure there was no pain.
I found out on friday, as I was riding a train to Hoofddorp to go visit him. Yeah, wow irony, right? I also found out from Mandy, who had just found out through my mom, who had not included me in her email by accident. Then Peter, of the in the USA variety, called to talk to me about it too. Again, he was surprised I didn't know. Turns out my family had been calling my old phone number for days, trying to get a hold of me. Damn.

I put the week on hold, aka, I canceled every appointment and plan I had. My mom flew in on Saturday, and I went to pick her up and spontaneously went with her to Lochem, across the country. Then we were back the next day to pick up my brother, who had pulled some strings and was released to fly here. Then back to Lochem. Then the next day back to Hoofddorp, to clean up in Opa's room, and to visit a few friends including Mandy and the Warmerdams, since Jet would not be staying long.
Then back to Lochem.
The next day was the ceremony for Opa, back to the west side of the country. It was a bit intense. I've been to funerals, but none with the people so close to me. It was nice to see all of Opa's friends there and meet so many faces I'd only heard him speak of. And it was good to see the family.
Then back to Lochem.
Tired of all the traveling, I stayed in the house all day on wednesday.
In Lochem, just to be clear.
The next day, Mom, Jet, and I went to Hoofddorp to finalize Opa's room, removing everything, including the carpet, which was a bit much for Mom. We left most of the things with another family member, but took some token things with us as mementos. Then Jet and I had dinner with Liz and then hit the bars, starting with a spendy bar for groups (not much fun when you are just with your brother) and then heading to MY bar, at SSR. Many, many, many drinks later, we headed home (after several mix drinks and a hot dog eating contest, which I got 2nd in, which just goes to show how bad the Dutch are at hot dog eating contests!). This was, of course around the good time of 5 AM.
Woke up at 10, went to Amstelveen to see my cousin Mandy, chatted with her and her grandparents for a while and then headed to Amsterdam to meet up with the other Mandy and Fiona, Jet's eternal (and eternally unfulfilled) love interest. Oh yeah, Jet's divorcing Desirae, so bad times there.
So that's my update. See yall in later posts.

Rick lives to write another day!

Sun, 18 Jan 2009 17:27:19 GMT

Hello dear fans, or whoever is left. I am eschewing Myspace and Facebooks to write updates here, to my loyal fans, the ones who can actually read long entries without flashy images and ads all over the place, who did not know (or believe) that Bush has an IQ of 123 and wish to see if they could score higher, are not looking for love or a "fun, safe" environment to meet singles, and do not want to have a ringtone telling all those in the vicinity to be silent and that they will be killed by said phone (which is not to demean or in anyway refer to the fictional cell phone horror movie made by Sarah Marshall).
I am currently residing in the great land of Hol, or as it is more commonly (and accurately) known, the Netherlands. I'm going into my second semester of Leiden's Social Psychology Master's program, and I have been working steadslowely (yes, not a word, but I refuse to refer to it as fast, even within another word!) toward my thesis proposal completion, after which I will burn every copy and clean my laptop's keyboard of all the evil amassed over the last few months. Then I will feel silly, as I could use some of the material to write my thesis. Wow, the future me is an idiot.
Ok, I'm going back to work now, so I leave you with a puzzle:
What person or thing, historical or fictional, killed 1/4 of the human population?
Bye!

Oh my god they did it

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 14:13:12 GMT

They actually surpassed the fox news:
"Obama is a muslim! Now let's talk about his Evil Christian Pastor!"
line. CNN website today, just now:
"Can Palin Factor save John McCain?" followed by "Palin charges Alaska for her kids' airfare."
Wow. Unbelievable.
More unbelievable: Why is ANYONE THINKING ABOUT VOTING FOR HER AT ALL? Corruption, total divisiveness, a lack of knowledge of foreign policy and a record State Debt? That's what people see as "real Americans?"
oye

Wow

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 08:32:28 GMT

I just read the best (worst?) ad on facebook:
"My dream was to travel the world. Mcdonald's made it a reality. Mcdonald's: It's not just a job, it's a career."

Seriously? This is the best damn thing they can do? Why the hell does everything have to be about being the absolute best in everything? Why can't people be honest like this:

Ï dreamed of smelling like fries and seeing massively obese people slowly kill themselves. Mcdonald's gave me that opportunity. Mcdonald's: Helping fulfill every cynic's dreams."

Now that would get my attention!

ELECTION NEWS TIME!

Sat, 20 Sep 2008 13:41:26 GMT

Ok, I need motivation to write more, so here it is:
TOP ELECTION HEADLINES:

Obama pulls ahead in Ohio
Obama pulls ahead by three points in national poll.
(7 to go!)
Wall Street Journal editorial board skewers McCain
-Apparently he got 894th out of 899 students in his economics class.

Good times!

First week in Leiden

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 10:06:38 GMT

I'm BACK!
That was a fun but exhausting week. I don't think I could do that for very long.
Monday:
Arrived at the dormitory the day before, so I woke up here. I made a few friends the night before, and went out and had a beer with the newspaper, who were talking photos. Amazingly enough, it was good beer, beer I could actually stand to drink!
Anyway, woke up at about 8:00 and went to the meeting place for our groups. There where 162 of them and we were number 152, a group of 9, so you can imagine how busy this was. We were also a smaller group than the rest. All of us were masters students, including our mentor (leader) Marco. We were supposed to go on a bit of a city tour, but we didn't get very far before we had to stop and change our route because people had forgotten things. So we ended up chatting and playing ice-breaker games at Marco's house and a garden where we had lunch. Got to know my group, three of us were going into psychology. Good people.
Had an introduction from the mayor and the hoofdrechtor (University president approx.) in a giant church. Huge church. Where the introduction began with a Brazilian dance group in bikinis. Now I know what blasphemy feels like :)
We ran off to do a bit more looking around at the various student groups (like frat/soror but without separating the genders) and had dinner at the snooty one, the one all the rich kids go to. Decided that that one was definitely not my style. I did enjoy the history of the organization though, and I thought it was a nice place, just not a place for someone like me.
After that we went to a theater for a cultural evening, which ended up being a bunch of foreign films. After four of them, we decided that was enough and went to a place called the Q bar and listened to one of the best rock bands I've ever heard (the flying martinis). To round out the evening we went and took some tango lessons at a student group, confirming my belief that I can't dance to instructions. Marco showed off his samba skills, which I have to say are considerable, and then we all headed for bed. Slept about 2:00.
Tuesday:
Woke up (8:00) and had a bite to eat (and I do mean a bite; having had some money problems with the bank and the ATM eating my card I was left with 15 euros for the entire week. It was quite an experience) then went to a museum to wait for my group. Had some time so I watched the ducks in the canal and did a few puzzles, and chatted with another early bird from my group until the others arrived. The museum was pretty nice, but we didn't have much time so we didn't get to see it all. Luckily it's free to students.
Later we all went to a student fair, which was a bunch of lectures on random topics. I listened to a lecture on creative innovation and model united nations. It was somewhat hard to answer the questions in the creative class since he used a lot of words I didn't recognize. Guess I'm still learning.
After that we were supposed to have a facility tour and introduction to our respective study programs. Instead we got a presentation on the study group for psychology (Labyrint) which I joined for the 15% off my books and free tea and cookies every morning. : ) The rest of the time was a talk on studying abroad, which is kinda not useful for me, so I ditched and went to the student complex the Plexus and looked up housing and sent an email. Didn't have much time, seeing as the Plexus is across town and I had walked there in the first place. When the Dutch say University city, they mean the university is throughout the entire city!!!
Had dinner and then went to a Cabaret (stand up comedy) at a student group called SSR, which is a social group. They have really good food and drink there, so this may be one of my hangouts in the future. The stand up guy was very funny, and we hung out there until everything closed and I had to run to make it back to the sleeping dorms on time.
Slept at about 2:30.
Wednesday:
Woke up (8:00, why so damn early people?) and headed for a riverside park to grab some free breakfast and join in on the watersport activities. A couple of us from the group actually arrived on time; the rest slept in. We got to go kayaking through the Leiden canals, and even went through a very narrow, very low tunnel during. It was very cool and a lot of fun.
After that we watched the presentation of the sport groups, which included bridge jumps by the diving team and kayak teams, swimming by the (gasp) swim team, sailing for beers by the sailing team, and stripping by the rowing teams (guess they were too hot?).
For some reason the group wanted to visit the rowing team afterwards (hmmmm) so we went rowing, which was actually kind of fun, but not something I want to do a lot of all the time. One of our group did join them so we all got special treatment from them the rest of the week (tours, free drinks, games, etc.)
From there we biked to the sports center, which is huge and encludes an actual fencing hall, full of equipment and lanes. Made me very happy : ) Also played some tennins and was roped into another samba lesson by Marco and the group. OK, samba isn't so bad and it's easier than tango, so I enjoyed it.
Had us some dinner and chatted around with more groups, then went back to the rowing team for some late night texas hold em. I won the last round, but didn't have the most money (Liz kicked all our asses) and then Donna said she won because she stole everyones chips, claiming she had the right to them since it was now her student group. : )
We were invited to go a huge party a bit outside of town so we joined in, riding a bus out to another watersport center. Had some drinks and lots of dancing, and then we all were tired so we went to a lounge and relaxed for the rest of the party upstairs and talked a lot.
Got to sleep at around 5:30.
Thursday:
Woke up 8:30 (ugh) and had a leisurely (and by that I mean very sleepy) breakfast then went to the sailing club for lunch. Discovered I can eat dutch melted cheese without retching! Yay!
We then proceeded to a huge festival with lots of organizations, groups, and random advertisers. Got a lot of free stuff and sumo wrestled in one of those huge suits with Marco (he won 2 out of three). Wandered a bit, then signed up for the SSR group and managed to lose sight of my group in the process. Spent the next hour looking for them, then sighed and walked the 5 km back to the city (no bike for me...). After this week I think I could walk anywhere!
Didn't know where the group had gone for dinner so I went to our next activity, sailing, and chatted with the folks there. Very nice people, even gave my some of their dinner, and one of them knew Marco's phone number, so he knew where I had gone.
Went sailing, which was amazing and I still remembered everything from before, so it went very well. I talked with them a bit about their group, then joined them as well (that's three groups... gotta stay busy!). Now I can go sailing anytime I want!
Docked, then ran back to town for the pub crawl (yeah, they have an actual event encouraging you to get drunk off your ass; I love this culture) We visited a lot of bars, one of which was a gay bar where we all took turns pole dancing and Marco had a dance off with a gay guy and held his own pretty well, which led to much teasing later of course. It was definitely good times. Went back to the dorms and chatted with lots of very drunk people (no, I actually wasn't very drunk) and then crashed into bed at about 2:30.
Friday:
Woke up about 9:00 (yay, thirty more minutes!) and had a brunch at a local park. We wanted to go swimming afterwards, but some of the gals didn't have suits, so they went shopping while Marco and I tagged along and chatted. I taught him some Chuck Norris sayings and he gave me a nickname (Jack, as in jack of all trades, a term which they apparently don't have in the Netherlands).
Went swimming in the big pool center, which wasn't quite big enough to keep from bumping into other people all the time, but it was still fun. The hot tub had something to be desired (like hot water...) but we had a great time playing catch and trying to keep Marco from tipping over our floating tubes (inner tubes) that we were riding on. One time he tried to flip me and ended up flipping over himself instead. Victory! : )
Went to the final barbecue, where I learned some Australian sayings (by the way, they don't say shrimp they say prawns) and didn't burn all of the food. : ) We talked about the week and then went to prepare for the last night's party. Danced a lot and got a lot of drinks from friends I had made throughout the week. Poured one over Marco's head per a gals instructions (it's ok, he got me back with one and ended up leaving with her... those loose Dutch!). Lots of dancing and singing later, walked the group to their respective homes and said goodbye, deciding to meet up in a few weeks for a dinner when we all got settled in. Got to the dorms at around 3:30 and crashed.
Saturday:
Woke up at 9:30 and packed all my things, then dragged them to the bus station and took an hour and a half ride back to Hoofddorp (no money for the train). Walked with all my stuff from the town center to the Warmerdam's house, so they all think I'm crazy for not calling and asking for a ride. Probably would have been a good idea, but it was kind of fun to see just how far I could push myself before collapsing. Yes, I know I have a strange sense of fun. Spent the rest of the day writing this, only to have it disappear when I went to save it. : (
Hope you are all well and I'll talk to you all later!

In Which Rick Decided To Be An Advice Columnist

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 00:53:04 GMT

I'm part of a community called The question Club, where people post questions and get feedback from others. Needless to say, people there answer less questions as they make fun of the questioners. So I decided to bring something nice to the table. Here are a few snippits:

Creepy or concerned?
My 'SO' and I have been dating for a few months now. We both have myspace (lame, i know) and I recently noticed that he just added his ex to his friends. I know that they dated junior year in high school (4 years ago) just for a short while.
I asked him about it and if they still talk. He said they talked over christmas. I asked why they needed to be friends or talk at all. He told me I was being creepy and ridiculous and ended the conversation. Then said no, he doesnt talk to her.
Am I out of line to be concerned? I know how great he is to me and I trust him. It's just the ex I worry about.
Why do they have to communicate at all?

(Several scathing and utterly useless remarks later)
ME: Men do not like it when their SO's get concerned over exes. To them it indicates a lack of trust, not jealousy. Jealousy is when you have something to be jealous about. This should not be that situation. If he spends more time with her than you, then it's a concern. Otherwise, let him be friends.
And hey, if he finds her friendly, maybe you and her can get together and tease him mercilessly as a team (as my SO and my ex do! :)

(Girl Who Writes and Looks Surprising Like Mandy but is from Illinios):
Men don't like it, but women think it rules?

ME: Not at all, it works both ways. This situation was directed towards a male, however, so i chose to put it in that context.
Oh, sorry, were you trying to pick a fight?

GWWLSLMFI:
Eh, but when you specify that men feel a certain way, it carries a certain implication that not-men will feel not-that-way.

ME:
My bad, then. It's hard for me to think in terms of people not realizing that the genders have more alike than they are different. Of course we all feel hurt when we are not trusted. Thank you for calling attention to it, because there are people who only see one side or the other

Several comments later, actually talking to the poster:
ME:
You all know, making fun of her and chiding her is not going to help her feel more secure about herself. If you want to help, just answer the question. If you want to bash people with your vaunted knowledge of relationships, this probably isn't the section for you.

HER:
Thanks. a lot. this is my first love. i dont want it to go wrong. ever.

Me: (slightly creepy)
I know how wonderful it feels to be in love, and how we never expect it to go bad. Don't focus to much on worrying about it going bad, however, or that's all you'll see. Enjoy the time you spend together, and live it for what it's worth. Being bothered by actions of a SO is not wrong, but try to look at it from all sides before making a judgment. Ask him how he would feel if you talked to your (hypothetical) exes, then find a good common ground.
Don't be afraid to work through issues. A good relationship is not one without conflicts, but one in which you learn how to deal with conflicts.
Above all enjoy.

Her:
i think it's just jealousy. i mean this girl is a fucking super model. and skinny and beautiful. me? not so much. im just jealous.

Me:
You want to know the number one rule of attraction (for both sides)? Confidence in who you are. Celebrate it, love it, and remember, she is his EX, meaning that for all her looks, she couldn't hold on to him.

Her:
:) :)
siiiiigh of relief. thanks for keeping me sane.

GWWLSLMFI:
You're new, aren't you?

Me:
Not so much new, no. Just don't post often. I also would like to see questions actually answered, rather than questioners bashed, but I guess everyone watches to much political theater these days and gets a horrible example.

GWWLSLMFI:
Here's the thing:
Your teacher lied about there being no stupid questions.
Stupid questions lead to bitchy answers.

Me:
Only from people who have no business teaching.
We are not all at the same levels of awareness and understanding about anything.

(Several comments ensue)
Person who just called GWWLSLMFI stupid:
Hapalion, you are right.. I mean not everyone is the same age or on the same level indeed.. I mean we all went trough jealousy at our first loves and all, she happends to be new in relationship and she has lots to learn.. people always pretend they know it all..

Me:
Even people like us. Doesn't mean it does a lick of good to call others stupid. ;)
They are right, but being right is not everything.
Thanks for seeing my point, however. Good to know there are people who want to actually answer questions as well.

More ridiculousness: http://community.livejournal.com/thequestionclub/33216994.html#comments

So I think I should be an advice columnist.
You?

The Rick Quiz

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 22:44:35 GMT

So it's come to my attention that even my closest friends don't actually know all that much about me. Sure, they know what is important to them, such as how I treat people and what I think about issues pertaining to them, but how many of you know what makes me tick or what little things to you are important to me?
I'm not very good at telling people about myself, honestly. Most of it comes out through conversation, and a lot of it doesn't, as I like to learn about others so much I sometimes set aside my opinions and thoughts so that I don't derail their stories. Other times, I tell the same story so many times it sets people on edge just to hear me reference it. And a few times, I don't tell things about me because people would not like what I had to say.
So I'm curious: what do my friends know about me? How well do we really know what goes on behind the scenes, behind the masks, and behind the "fun, fluffy" conversations? And what are they curious about?
So, to adapt a line from Frankie, it is now "Rick Time." If you want to let me know and help me, or if you are just plain bored and want something to do, answer these questions, and/or ask me some of your own.

The Basics:
1.How old am I?
2.When is my Birthday?
3.What color are my eyes?
4.Where do I work?
5.Where do I live?
6.Do I have pets?
1.If so, what are their names?
7.Where was I born?
8.What is my nationality?
9.What car do I drive?
10.What town did I grow up in?

Favorites: (some may have more than one answer, just write what you think)
1.Color?
2.Food?
3.Hobby? (two actually)
4.Sport?
5.Sport to watch?
6.TV show?
7.Actor/actress?
8.Alcoholic Drink?
9.Non-alcoholic drink?
10.Quote?
11.Writer?
12.Book?
13.Movie?
14.Cartoon?
15.Country?
16.Video Game?
17.Non-video game?
18.Sports team?
19.Super hero?
20.Kind of music?
21.Animal?
22.Season/Weather?
23.Language?

Family:
1.What is my brother's name?
2.What is my mother's name?
3.What is my father's name?
4.Where are they now?
5.What's my brother's job?
6.Mother's job?
7.Father's job?
8.How many of my grandparents are still alive?
9.How do I feel about my family?

Friends:
1.Name four of my closest friends.
2.What do I value most in friendships?
3.What is my friends' favorite activity towards me?
4.What clique do my friends fall in (could be more than one)?
5.What is the most hurtful thing a friend can do to me?
6.Is it easy to become friends with me?

Education:
1.Where did I study (k-12?)
2.Where did I study (college?)
3.What did I major/minor in?
4.Where am I getting my masters degree?
5.What do I think about schools?
6.What do I think about teachers?
7.Who is my Arch Nemesis at Sherwood High School?
8.Name or describe a few seminars I've been to.

Job:
1.What was my first job?
2.How do I feel about that job?
3.What's my philosophy on jobs?

Goals:
1.What do I want to do with my life?
2.Do I want to get married/have kids?
3.What's the one major goal I have that I want to do before I die?

Politics:
1.Liberal or conservative?
2.Party?
3.My thoughts on:
1.socialism
2.health care
3.economy
4.environment
5.war
6.terrorism
7.gay marriage
8.abortion
9.immigration
10.budgets
11.Politicians
4.Who is my ideal candidate?
5.What is my ideal candidate (as in, what kind of person are they?)
6.What do I think of George W. Bush?

Ethics:
1.Do I believe it is ok to:
1.steal
2.lie
3.cheat
4.kill
5.be proud
6.idolize
7.criticize leadership
2.What are my thoughts on:
1.Poly-amorousness?
2.Drugs?
3.Prostitution?
4.Helping the poor?
5.Assisted Suicide?

Beliefs:
1.Do I believe in God?
2.Do I believe in Heaven?
3.Do I believe in Hell?
4.What is the purpose of life according to my beliefs?

Love:
1.What do I look for in relationships?
2.What are some ideal traits of a good girlfriend for me?
3.What is my body type preference?
4.Do I believe in love at first sight?
5.Do I believe in singular or multiple loves/soul mates?
6.Am I a romantic?

Miscellaneous:
Ask me things! : )

Because I want to Stop calling people for my Job.

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 00:42:40 GMT

I mean, I'm not a bloody telemarketer!

1. Who was your FIRST prom date?

Kim Grant, and I was a Junior.

2. Do you still talk to your first love?

Not to, yes about, and no, I don't hate her.

3. What was your FIRST alcoholic drink?

Champagne, at my mom's wedding.

4. What was your FIRST job?

Cashier at Bullwinkles

5. What was your FIRST car?

Volkswagon Jetta, Wolfsberg edition. I think I might have run it into the ground.

6. Who was the FIRST person to text you today?

No texts today,

7. Who is the FIRST person you thought of this morning?

Jordan, as he is on his way to Philly.

8. Who was your FIRST grade teacher?

Mrs. Emerson, who got pregnant and was replaced by Mrs. Sovince, who in some way or another followed me throughout Elementary school. (2nd grade, we switched classes around and another teacher got pregnant and was replaced by Mrs. S, 3rd grade Mrs Mgee got pregnant and was replaced by sovince, later by Mr. Emerson (husband of first teacher). Skipped half of third, half of fourth, and fifth grade was taught by, you guessed it, Mrs. Sovince!)

9. Where did you go on your FIRST ride on an airplane?

Gran Canaria, the canary islands.

10. Who was your FIRST best friend and are you still friends with them?

Mandy and Mickey, and yes.

11. What will be your FIRST thought when you wake up tommorrow morning?

why so early?

12. Where was your FIRST sleep over?

My friend Michael's house, it really reeked of cigarettes.

13. Who was the FIRST person you talked to today?

Jordan.

14. Whose wedding were you in the FIRST time?

Alex and Margriet.

15. What was the FIRST thing you did this morning?

At 0:00, I probably was playing a video game with friends.

16. What was the FIRST concert you ever went to?

Greenday (big concert anyway. I was IN most of the other concerts I've attended!)

17. FIRST tattoo or piercing (if applicable)?

It MIGHT be someday, but not right now.

18. who was your FIRST kiss from?

Brandi Palmbland, but i was TRYING to get it from Kara! (stupid bottle!)

19. who was your FIRST boss?

The first boss I had that I actually respected was Tom, and he was a supervisor, so I don't know if it counts.

20. What was the FIRST state (or country) you lived in?

Colorado

21. Who was the FIRST person to really break your heart?

Me. I did an act which was designed to hurt a person and break a relationship. If i can have one thing blotted from the universe of my life, that would be it. On the other hand, it needed to happen, and to this day i see no other way. Doesn't mean it doesn't suck though.

Here to report on the state of the USA...

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 02:02:38 GMT

The biggest, loudest voice wins the most arguments. If that is not a famous quote already, cite me in the future. : )
America has long thrived on its pride as the land that invents all the new, freedom-loving progress and all the best things come from us. Well, while most of that is malarkey, they do have a point: America has taken ideas and expanded them to include things other nations never dreamed of. The industrial revolution, Einstein's theories, and civil rights movements were fostered and promoted from America.
However, the thing we need to remember is that none of these things were originally FOUND in America. Civil rights movements happened all throughout History, from religious freedom to French revolutionaries. Einstein was German, Leonardo De Vinci designed the first engine, and England built the first prototype.
What America is good at is IMPROVING ideas already brought forth. So the number one thing holding us back at this point is conservatives' infuriating attempt to get us to all look at "European" ideas as wrong and evil.
If we take what works in other nations, and improve it, meld it to suit our needs, America can rise above its recent isolationist movement to once again lead the world. That's what a leader does: s/he doesn't have all the answers, but is best at gathering answers putting the answers where they are needed. Leadership is about delegation and strategy, not extensive, in-depth knowledge of everything. So if you want to elect a leader, look for someone who is open, who listens, and who does not feel every little idea has to come from his/herself. Only that type of leader can recover our badly spent image and bring us back from the brink of bankruptcy and endless war.

Letter to Lieden

Thu, 03 Jan 2008 20:30:06 GMT

So as most of you have now heard, I got into Leiden at last. It took only two years and the full stubbornness of the Tracy/Easton family. Here's the letter I wrote them (minus additional information) that got me in:

To The Appeals Board:

I have received and reviewed your decision to deny admission to me. There are some sections I take exception to, and I shall do my best to present them to you and explain them as I see them.
Firstly, I find that the degree audit report (transcript) sent to you was not complete with classes from Portland Community College. I've discussed this with PSU, and they say they did send a complete transcript to you, though it does not appear in the packet sent to me. Thus I assume that the transcript reviewed was incomplete and doesn't include my classes taken at PCC. I've included a copy of my PSU and PCC full transcript.
Secondly, there seemed to be a confusion about which specialization I was pursuing, even after we corrected it after the first denial letter.
Thirdly, I have a Bachelor of Science, not of Arts. There is a large difference to be considered here, specifically math/statistics classes and number of science-related psychology courses I passed.
In the letter to Mr. P Janse, I noticed there were no results shown from PCC, which were on the unofficial transcript I included to show those (no degree from PCC; it was a transfer directly to PSU through an internal system they have together). I graduated from PSU in a year and a half (three years total) with 63 credits in psychology, not 40 as stated in the letter.
Also, the letter states that a 3.6 GPA is equivalent to a 7 in NL. A 3.6 means I got a majority of A's (90-100%) in my classes, which would mean I have the equivalence of a 9.
Reviewing your website, I've created a comparison chart of what I've done to what is offered at Leiden for a bachelor’s degree, which I've attached to this letter.
Lastly, I take serious issue with your declaration of Portland State University as “not a very good” school. Of all the Universities I've been to or visited in Oregon, this is the best one I've found. I've never had a class with more than 30 people in it, which is unattainable at any other (bigger) university. Smaller classes mean I've been able to get direct instruction from the Professors at my University. Better-known, better-reputed schools cannot offer that. Their classes fill up to and over 300 students, with many being taught by Graduate students attempting to achieve their Master's degrees. Papers are most often graded and reviewed by teacher aides, not the professors themselves.
At PSU, the professors I was taught by taught me directly and graded my work personally. In this way I learned more from more educated people than those who went to larger universities with “better” reputations. Attached to this letter is a sampling of professors I was taught by, including Mo Wang, a double PH.D Social/Organizational psychology professor, and Jagdish Ahuja, a Mathematics Professor who is featured in The 1000 Greatest Minds of America for his work in statistics.
To call Portland State a “not very good” school is unfair to the students who cannot afford more expensive schools, unfair to those who learn best in a smaller classroom environments, and insulting to the instructors who choose to teach there rather than better known universities.
I hope that we can clear up the miscommunications and misunderstandings and reach a point where I could be a part of Leiden University. As frustrating as the process has been, my reasons for wanting to learn more about Psychology and learning it at Leiden have not changed. If there is a way to reach this goal, please let me know what I can do (i.e. take a supplemental class at Leiden). I am confident in my abilities as a student, and if you give me the chance, I will show it.
Sincerely,
Donald “Rick” Tracy

In Which Tech Support Loses Easily To Mom Powers

Mon, 24 Dec 2007 00:40:29 GMT

So yesterday I called Tech support for HP, thinking maybe they could figure out how to fix the problem I've been having with my laptop (aka, it's not working). They ask me all sorts of questions, then ask me for the individual serial number of the laptop. Well, it's been refurbished, and they removed tyhe serial number sticker. Not that they needed the bloody thing anyway, since I had a HARDWARE question and that only needs the model number (which I gave them twice). The lady keeps saying she can't pass me on to tech support without it, and it goes something like this:
Me: Look, I don't have the number and I don't see a sticker.
Her: (In a distinctly Indian accent) Sir, I cannot pass you on to tech support without the serial number.
Me. Mam, you do not need the number to address my problem.
Her: I cannot pass you onto tech support without the serial number.
Me: Ok, mam, then pass me on to someone who will.
Her: Sir, I cannot pass you on to Tech support without the serial number.
Me: Transfer me to your supervisor or manager please. I need to work with someone who will get me to tech support.
Her: One moment, hold please.
(Ten minutes go by)
....*dial tone*.....
Me: Useless creatures.

So I went back to, trying to fix the contact problem, when my mom comes back home (I'm in beaverton area right now) see's me frustrated as hell, and makes a suggestion that I try to balance it from the other side (kind of a see-saw effect to push the contacts down). I try it, and it actually works. So my mom, who needs my help to hook up her computer almost every time, fixes a complex hardware problem I worked on for two weeks and HP couldn't be bothered to try to figure out.
Yeah for Moms!

So now I have a working lappy, and I am happy!
Merry Chrismas (Solstice, Kwansa, what-not) all!

Update Time!

Sat, 15 Dec 2007 07:17:35 GMT

Long time, yadda yadda, promise to be better, etc.
To the good stuff:
I am now once again living in eugene, with Her Frankiness and my best buddy Jordan. Some rough patches, but we got over that after several shouting matches. Now we have a fairly good system (no complaints) and things are settling down, at least as far as maintaining the house goes. Much drama still goes around, but I've learned to take things as they come, and just relax around the rest. It's the only way to deal with the emotions that swirl around everyone. Empathy sucks sometimes.
No, I can't really complain. I like knowing what people are feeling around me. Especially if they feel happy because of something I did.
Anywho, I am now a manager (about damn time!) of my own little store, a Mr. Formal tuxedo rental shop. So far I've pulled the worst store in the state up to the best store in the region, and the third best store in the state. Take that, Mr. "I don't know if you can lead" Bullwinkles!
Things were settling in, and I'd even begun to apply for a master's degree at the University of Oregon (Leiden was being an ass, so I told them they were elitist big-headed idiots). I had plans to live with Crystal next year and go to school together with her. I had a job, a good home, and a plan that I didn't have to fight tooth and nail over.
Sure enough, I can't stay out of trouble. Leiden, after reading my letter, REVERSED its decision and accepted me into its Social and organizational psychology program. So now I have to completely revise my plans, seeing as getting into Leiden has been a goal I've had for 5 years now, and I fought damn hard to get it. Crystal was, surprisingly, the first to push for me going. She's the biggest reason not to go, and it will suck mightily to not be around her for a year and a half, so I've decided to kidnap her and steal her passport once we get there (wait, she can't read this entry, can she?)
So that's where I'm at, and I hope all you folks are well, or at least having your fair share of fun. Hopefully I'll write more later, so long as I can fix my laptop.

In Which Rick Justified His Ego

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 04:11:04 GMT

So in a bout of massive egoism and boredom, I decided to see if there where any websites dedicated to me. I figured it would be fun to pretend that I actually mattered so much that people would write about me and not tell me or talk to me about it, kind of like a celebrity or politician.
Lo and behold, I find an LJ community dedicated to me. Granted, it's dedicated to torturing me, but still, it's about me.
As if I need a bigger ego...

I'm not sure this will work out very well....

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 21:01:25 GMT

Opening Credits: Fergalicious - Fergie (why the hell do I have this? Oh yeah, my cousin downloaded it...)

Waking Up: Windwaker - Legend of Zelda (lol)

First Day At School: Nobody's listening - Linkin Park (too true)

Falling In Love: Breaking the habit - Linkin Park (ummm, is that bad?)

Breaking Up: Lost woods Remix - Zelda (ok, I'm a gamer nerd)

Prom: Nho Ahn - Nhu Quynh (no I didn't just type randomly)

Life's OK: Never an absolution - Titanic (ooooook, so life's ok when it's not...)

Mental Breakdown: Twilight Princess Theme - Zelda (now that one's appropriate)

Driving: What I've Done - Linkin Park (that's funny because this was the theme song to the Transformer's Movie)

Flashback: Everything is not Broken - John Mayer

Getting Back Together: Every Little Thing She Does

Birth of Child: what shall we die for - POTC (ouch)

Wedding song: Wordplay - Jason Mraz (ok, the speeches better be really good)

Final Battle: James Bond Techno remix

Death Scene: Faint - Linkin Park (Death - the long faint... : )

Funeral: I love rock and roll - ACDC (Party at my Crypt!)

End Credits: Hero of the day - Metallica

Ok, so not much variety on random....

Quiz before post

Wed, 15 Aug 2007 06:51:58 GMT

<td align="center">Kindness

Kindness is most important in a boyfriend/girlfriend. You want someone who will go through everything with you - the best moments and the worst, and all of those other moments in between. You love to be able to say anything to your partner, and have them say anything to you. You are able to be extremely close with your partner for that reason.

Take this quiz at QuizGalaxy.com</td>

You fit in with: Spiritualism 80% spiritual. 100% reason-oriented.
	Your ideals are mostly spiritual, but in an individualistic way. While spirituality is very important in your life, organized religion itself may not be for you. It is best for you to seek these things on your own terms.
Take This Quiz at QuizGalaxy.com

In Which Rick Takes A Mal Quote To Heart

Fri, 08 Jun 2007 02:32:27 GMT

I do the job, then I get paid.
It's really that easy.
So why the hell don't people understand that concept?
I do all the requirements to get into Leiden, and I even do extra to ensure it. No answer.
I work hard at my job, learning new things and encouraging my co-workers. I was to be given 450 dollars incentive if i pushed my product line 10% over goal. I have done so for the last three months. They want to pay me 100 dollars and tax it 40%, so I get 60.
I DO THE JOB, THEN I GET PAID!
*grumbles and flips off the stupid a&&holes*
Oh, and Paris Hilton is out of Jail after 3 days.
And Bush is still in office.

About Damn Time

Thu, 31 May 2007 05:14:43 GMT

Yes. I know. The Title says it all. Thank you. Ok. Stop hitting me with that spatula Elvy.
Updates:
Haven't quite gotten into Leiden yet. They sent me a letter saying i didn't have enough background in Psychology (despite taking every available class besides Child Psychology; not a field I'm going into BTW) and that was after they sent my application to the wrong Master's Program. So here I am, a double-Minor 3.87 GPA Psych Major who graduated in 3 years and I'm what, not good enough for them? WTF?
So I'm appealing.
Yes, I did just say I'm attractive. No Clicking Jesse, or I'll break that goddamn thing.
No housing in Netherlands yet, as see above.
Job going quite well. I was promoted to Specialist, which earns me extra $450 a month (CHING!) and gives me a section to rule with an iron fist. I also wrote (am writing) two training manuals which will be used by the company around the entire region. So I=Good.
Crystal and I are doing great. Sorry folks, no drama there. (get her to Leiden, quick!)
Still hate our government system, trying to think of ways to better it, probably by running myself for something. can't do it yet, but planning is going well.
Also planning several business ideas.
My book got a bit stalled due to lack of input by my favorite contributors: Jordan and Jacy in particular.
Car door stuck. Damn.
So that's what's what.
On another note: WHY THE HELL DO WE VOTE FOR PEOPLE TO STOP A WAR, AND THEN THEY IGNORE THAT AND CAVE FOR HIGHER MINIMUM WAGE? WE WANT BOTH, YOU MORONIC BOOTLICKERS!!!!
Sorry, had to get that out of the system.
K, more later, I have to read more political news. I hope you are all doing well, and I hope to see all of you in due time. Take care.

Because no one will believe the first two descriptions

Fri, 27 Apr 2007 02:06:53 GMT

Posting from my new internet area

Tue, 13 Feb 2007 18:36:34 GMT

Namely, the library. Seeing as the parking rules around Eugene are craptastic, I either have to move my car every two hours (with a 15 minute walk to it and then 15 back) or get a ticket. So I'm hanging at the library until about 3, then the rules are gone.

So... been a while, huh?

Updates:
Still working at Macy's, and went to a really fun holiday party (ok, a little behind schedule, but meh). I won third place at karaoke (scary thought, isn't it), and introduced Crystal to the masses of co-workers.
Recently I made a trip to the Netherlands (or Holland, as Mandy loves to hear) to visit my uncle. For those who do not know, he is dying of cancer right now. Currently, he is slipping into and out of comas, but when I saw him he was aware and still smiling. I came over to say goodbye. It's not easy.
On the bright side I did manage to get my University stuff worked out, and I will be attending Leiden in the fall of this year. I have housing planned (still needs to go through) and I am going to receive 250 euros a month from the gov.
I got to hang out with my family (including brother) a lot while I was there, and that was really a new experience. I've never really had a chance to grow close with my family, and this was a perfect (if bittersweet) opportunity. Also hung out with Mandy, which of course was utter torture (I have a bruise to prove it, thanks Jordan!)
Speaking of the traveling hippie, I haven't heard from him in a while. I'm sorry I didn't get to go over to Germany like I planned to. Things just went by far too fast, and my uncle started crashing faster than we thought. I'll make it up to you with visits later, however. Besides, how are you going to start your business without me and your pudding idea?
Well, I hope you all are doing well, and I promise (really, I really do) to update on a more regular basis. So much that you will be literally sick every time you see the spaceship icon.
Much love and fond missings,
Rick

In Which Rick Stole A Survey From Elvy

Sat, 03 Feb 2007 22:41:16 GMT

[ Current Clothes ] Jeans, Shoes, Socks, T-shirt, Sweater, and Boxers
[ Current Mood ] Waiting
[ Current Music ] Guildwars, game music
[ Current Taste ] Mint
[ Current Hair ] Blond, tangled and tamable as usual
[ Current Annoyance ]Internet working too slowly
[ Current Favorite Artist ] Da Vinci
[ Current Desktop Picture ] Crystal Nak... err, one sec, umm Crystal, Sumi And My Mom in a pumpkin patch
[ Current CD in CD Player] What's a CD player?
[ Current DVD in player] I think C&C Generals, if that counts

LAST PERSON...
[ You Touched ] Mandy, to stop her from killing my character.
[ You Talked to ] Mandy, to keep her from killing my character.
[ You Hugged ] Mandy, after delivering a birthday gift.
[ You Instant messaged ] Mandy, to keep her from killing my character.
[ You Yelled At ] Mandy, to keep her from killing my character.

BTW, my character died.

FAVOURITE...
[ Food ] Teriyaki Chicken
[ Drink ] Squirt
[ Colour ] Silver-Blue
[ Album ] safri duo
[ Shoes ] My new ones, as they do not hurt my feet
[ Candy ] Gummy frogs
[ TV Show ] Firefly
[ Movie ] LOTR
[ Dance ] flailing around desperately seeking the beat
[ Song(s) ] Anything with said beat.
[ Cartoon ] DBZ

ARE YOU...
[ Open-minded ] My brain practically oozes out.
[ Insecure ] Not really
[ Interesting ] As are all crazy people
[ Random ] your face is random
[ Hungry ] Not for a while yet
[ Smart ] Em sur tat I is smrt.
[ Childish ] I do let my inner five your old out every now and again.
[ Hard working ] I'm taking this damn survey, aren't I?
[ Healthy ] In body, sure.
[ Shy ] Not as far as I've encountered
[ Difficult ] I'm Stubborn, does that count?
[ Attractive ] Incredibly
[ Bored Easily ] What? Oh sorry, something more interesting just happened.
[ Messy ] I keep all my things meticulously clean at all times.
[ Obsessed ] I (Crystal) Have (Zelda) No (swords) Idea (possibilitism) What (people) You're (answers) Refering (Annoying surveys) To (parenthesis)
[ Angry ] Only when politics are involved.
[ Sad ] Not outwardly, and then again not so much.
[ Trusting ] Too much, usually.
[ Talkative ] Oh yes.

WHO DO YOU WANT TO...
[ Kill ] Those who thrive on ignorance and the weaknesses of others.
[ Slap ] Bush
[ Look Like ] Darcy, if it makes me more attractive to Crystal. (And I know it might)
[ Talk To Offline ] Jon Stewert (ok, it could happen?)
[ Talk To Online ] Anyone who actually listened (SNIFFLE) jk

HAVE YOU EVER..
[ Pictured your crush naked? ] Mentally or physically?
[ Cried when someone died ] No, I enjoy it (god what a stupid question)
[ Lied] Never in my life

WITH THE OPPOSITE SEX..
[what do you notice first?] Smiles, Attitudes
[last person you slow danced with] Crystal
[worst question to ask] Does this make me look fat?

WHO..
[makes you laugh the most?] That's a close tie among many
[makes you smile] Crystal
[makes you blush] Crystal
[has a crush on you?] Most people can't resist me, I know, but they have to try.
[is easiest to talk to] Crystal, Jordan, Elvy

DO YOU EVER..
[sit on the internet all night waiting for someone special to I.M. you?] Once
[wish you were a member of the opposite sex] Forever or for a day? Because that would be interesting.
[cry because of what someone said?] Yeah.