Teh Matthew J

2006-07-10T06:39:00.000-07:00

another post

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This video was originally shared on blip.tv by MatthewJ with a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.

2006-04-21T19:05:00.000-07:00

Moved

2005-10-27T12:45:00.000-07:00

I think I'm going to take over all my blogging and vlogging from my new site. Check it out.

LINK: http://matthewjvlog.com

Quick Update

2005-10-20T07:34:00.000-07:00

As Nick and Che` pointed out, I'm a moron and can't remember where I live. So, I fixed the picture. Also, you may noticed that some of the comments are gone. In fact, all of them are gone. I switched the comments over to a seperate account from Teh Geeks. So, yeah, they still work, but they are starting over from nothing.

Video blogging. Vlogging. I'm going to start vlogging and see what I think about it. Maybe I'll keep doing it. I haven't decided yet if I am going to do it on this page, or if I'm going to start a new page for it. I guess I'm drifting from the name Teh Matthew J and going for more of a plain Matthew J. So, we'll see. I already shot some video, probably good for two or three posts, so I should get them up soon. Keep watching. Cheers.

States I've Been

2005-10-19T16:06:00.000-07:00

create your own visited states map

Saddest Comic Ever

2005-10-18T12:07:00.000-07:00

LINK: Four Gigs of Goodbye

Be safe. Paypuh skizzah.

Some Postman

2005-10-18T11:54:00.000-07:00

Who remembers the band The Presidents of the United States of America? They have this new song about the postman stealing all the love letters or something. Anyway, the cool part is the music video. It is the first music video shot ENTIRELY with video camera phones. Sony Ericsons, I believe. Just watch it, it's pretty cool how they put it all together.

VIDEO: PotUSoA Music Video

Fuck You, Jack Thompson

2005-10-18T07:45:00.000-07:00

Best. Buddy icon. Ever.

OK, so here are some links to different sites with some Jack-related news. Just read them and be baffled at his stupidity.

You Have Bad Taste In Music

2005-10-17T10:28:00.000-07:00

So there's this guy who goes to concerts wearing some kind of robe and a helmet and sporting a megaphone. He rises on top of his soap box and begins to tell people why they have bad taste in music. Even if you like these bands/groups/artists, this is pretty funny. The guy presents his opinion in a very scientific-sounding manner and doesn't flinch when yelled at or harrassed. This guy is cool.

VIDEO: Linkin Park
VIDEO: Hoobastank
VIDEO: Justin Timberlake/Christina Aguilera

UPDATE: This guy has his own website. Check it out.

LINK: You Have Bad Taste In Music.com

Pinging Bookmarklet

2005-10-17T07:53:00.000-07:00

So I got with the bookmarklet craze and wrote my own. Ever use ping-o-matic to send out pings for your recently-updated blog? Well, now you can do it for any site with any title just by clicking a single bookmark. How does it work? Just right click the following link and select "Add Bookmark". Then, just click that bookmark, follow the prompts, and you're done. Cheers.

BOOKMARKLET: Ping-O-Matic

HP:GoF Trailers

2005-10-13T09:53:00.000-07:00

First of all, I will see this movie. That's all there is to it. I don't know if I'm going to see it on opening night, as it opens on Che`s birthday. As it is her birthday, she gets whatever she wants. At the least we could go see it the next day. I thought that, if we do go on opening night, that we could, well, let's just say that I've been told I bear a resemblence to one Harry Potter. Maybe I need to find a robe and some glasses? Cheers.

LINK: HD WS Movie Trailers

My Phone Company

2005-10-12T08:05:00.000-07:00

The Digg Search

2005-10-10T13:26:00.000-07:00

First, I want to preface this rant/whine by saying that I love what Kevin is doing. He's providing not only free entertainment to the geek community, but also free services, such as Digg.com. I love everything about Digg, save for one massive downfall: the search. Most of you have noticed this or at least heard someone ranting about it. I understand, sometimes an article isn't named the way you think it should be and you dupe it. But what happened to me today took the cake. I mean... well, you'll see. Check out these screenshots. Click for larger view (in new window)

The Search

The Attempted Post

Unsolicited Materials

2005-10-08T18:05:00.000-07:00

You know how annoying it is when you get unsolicited mail from cable companies trying to get you to sign up for their premium-this service and high-speed-that package? You know how much more annoying that is when you already have cable? You know how much more annoying that is when you already have cable from the company who sen tyou the mail?! I can't believe that I signed up for cable not three weeks ago and they are already sending me offers to sign up. Again. It just really grinds my gears.

So, when not being pissed at cable companies, I have spent the better part of today trying my first image-based CSS layout. I've been testing all my CSS layouts over in my sandbox. I know that the blue one that is up right now is not all that spiffy, but I feel that it is a good start. Soon, Nick, Taylor, and I hope to get our own webspace from B-One hosting and I will then put up a much cooler layout for our new site. Also, we're going to (hopefully) record our first episode of Teh Geeks: The Podcast. Less like a podcast and more like a radio talk show. If nothing else, it should be a lot of fun.

So I'm watching the movie "Sahara" and later, Che` and I may be watching "Lords of Dogtown". I've been watching a lot more movies lately. Must be having my own TV again. Anyway, I'm going to go get back to that. Catch you hip cats next time. Cheers.

An Old Russian Proverb

2005-10-07T10:08:00.000-07:00

I believe I found the movie where my dad got the quote "Go west young man" from. I was way off. It's not a western, it is some Russian movie. The quote was spoken by the character Peripetchikoff, played by the late Leon Askin. I'm not sure of the context of this quote, but it is labled as an old Russian proverb. Good advice if you ask me. Cheers.

LINK: IMDb Quote Search

Vloggers

2005-10-07T10:03:00.000-07:00

I want to do this. These people are vloggers, or video bloggers. I have a video camera, and if I get a Mac, then video editing will just be stupid easy, so why not? I'm interesting, right? Right... Anyway, here are just some links to these peoples' websites. Check them out. Cheers.

Political Videos

2005-10-05T12:54:00.000-07:00

Every day I check Spike Humor for all sorts of videos, pictures, news stories, and more. Recently they have been posting a lot of politically-charged material, especially in the video section. Here is a roundup of some of my favorites from their archive.

In no particular order; links take you to their respective SpikedHumor.com page for embedded viewing.

Worst Disaster

2005-10-04T12:34:00.000-07:00

Best. Picture. Ever.

Stewie For Governor

2005-10-04T12:15:00.000-07:00

Don't worry; the governor part will tie in at the end. This was just funny. You all know how I feel about the grammar and sentance structure of modern day rap and hip-hop artists. Here is one of my favorite cartoon characters, Stewie Griffin from "Family Guy", in a clip from the MTV Music Awards. In this clip, he discusses one of 50 Cents' songs. The whole toast part made me laugh. Cheers.

LINK: Stewie at the MTV Music Awards

Thank You Governor

2005-09-28T11:00:00.000-07:00

Good news for Michiganders: Granholm is finally doing something to HELP the state. She called a meeting with the VP of Marathon Oil and asked him to drop the wholesale price of gasoline by forty cents. He complied and so did almost every gas station in the state. Now most prices for unleaded gasoline is below the $3.00 mark in most of the state. This almost makes up for that idiotic stunt she pulled with the "violent" video games. Bitch.

LINK: News Article

TMJ for 2005.09.28 : Weird And Dirty

2005-09-28T05:14:00.000-07:00

Don't get use to this frequency of comic posts. I put one up on Mondayish just to get the new grey style started, but I plan to update regularly on Wednesdays. That's today. So, there's a new comic up. Check it out. Cheers.

LINK: 2005.09.28 : Weird And Dirty

Teh Matthew J Is Back!

2005-09-25T12:04:00.000-07:00

I have brought back my comic, Teh Matthew J. It's going to get a minor face lift so it fits in with the new format of my blog and Teh Geeks. That's right, I'm moving away from the bright green on black to the cool blue on white/grey. Other than that, all the classic geek shennanigans that you have come to know will be just the same. The comic will not be my first priority any more though, taking a back seat to Teh Geeks, but I will still update it. It may slip back to just one update a week, but hey, it's better than nothing. So look forward to more comic goodness in coming weeks. Cheers.

Mike And Tracey

2005-09-24T00:53:00.000-07:00

Tracey called me up yesterday at work after she saw my timeline post. She asked me if I could put up some more picutres of her and Mike. So, because I'm just that nice of a guy, I will happely do so. Tracey, this is for you and Mike. I miss you guys. Cheers.

Oh, Sweet Irony

2005-09-23T11:30:00.000-07:00

Just a funny, ironic picture I found today. I wanted to share it with you. Click the image for a larger view (in new window). Cheers.

Pictorial Timeline: Epilogue

2005-09-22T07:16:00.000-07:00

Here are just the pictures of me in chronological order, just so you can see how I have changed in looks over the years. It's pretty surreal when I look back on them. I not only remember what I looked like, but also how I acted, what I felt, and what was going on around me at the time. So, here's some pictures. Click on these and all other pictures to see them in a larger view (opens new window).

Just for the hell of it, here's Nick's timeline. Nick: if you want this taken down or put on your site, just shoot me a note or an email. -out.

Pictorial Timeline

2005-09-21T10:20:00.000-07:00

Welcome to this very special post. Over the years I have maintained several websites. My first, all those years ago in high school, I had a site on Geocities. It wasn't much, but it was a good learning experience for me. I hosted mainly photo galleries that were populated with the many pictures I took with my new (at the time) digital camera. Pictures of my friends, band mates, and class trips. After Geocities grew old, I moved on to Freewebs. I liked the admin console a lot more and the file size was greatly improved; 15MB at Geocities versus the monsterous 100MB of Freewebs. Needless to say the site started off pretty much the same as my Geocities account. This time, however, I began my very first webcomic. Thus, Teh Matthew J was born. He was the comic version of myself, saying all the things that I silently thought during class. Then I began wondering what I could do with a webcomic. A little searching led me to Comic Genesis, then known as Keenspace. It is a virtually limitless web hosting service just for webcomics. Teh Matthew J got a new home and a greatly improved site. This was when I started using CSS and made my sites look very schway. Then I moved on to doing a tech/geek blog and (someday) podcast with my brother and some friends. That is where I'm at today.

What does this all have to do with now? Well, I got curious as to what files I still had stored at some of these sites. I went back and checked the file managers for Geocities and Freewebs and found all sorts of cool stuff. What really got me was all the pictures. Friends I don't keep in touch with as much as I'd liked to have, friends I was glad to say goodbye to, and some people who just happened to be in the shot. That is the real motive behind this post. I wanted to show you a picture timeline (as complete as could be made from old site digging) of my past years, namely the years I had websites. Now let's get to the pictures. A short paragraph at the beginning of each section and captions, of course. If you ever saw one of my old sites, I put captions under every picture. It was a staple, albeit a really dumb one. Anyway, here is my picto-timeline of the last four-ish years of my life. Cheers.

High School Part I : Band
These are the people I knew from high school band. Out of all these people, and the many, many more I don't have pictures for, I keep in touch with just a hand-full. That's how high school works.

	This is my fat self in high school. I think this was taken my junior year. I was sixteen-ish.
	This is my brother Nick. Only two years younger, he looks like a baby.
	Kris is really the only high school friend I keep in touch with. He's in Iraq right now.
	Mike was my bestfriend. Was. Amanda was his girlfriend. Was.
	My "black" friend Tony. I guess he got me into computers. Cool cat.
	I fell in with CJ because he was "cool". He's now a registered sex offender in Michigan.
	Dan became the youngest drum major at my school. He's cool.
	Lisa J. and I were good friends. She dated CJ. Now she has a kid.
	Lisa and Dave. Lisa is engaged to Kris now and Dave called me Governor Homestyle.
	Kate was my first "girlfriend" back in elementary school. Alex was Tony's girlfriend.
	Eddy was my tennis partner. Todd is an awesome drummer.
	Corrine was a free spirit. I learned a lot of sex slang from her.

High School Part II : Everyone Else
There are some people I knew outside of band, but their numbers are far less. Here are a few of them that I managed to find pictures of.

	I liked Rachel, but she drinks way too much and likes bad boys. She dated CJ.
	The junior class in Chicago. In the top ten best moments of high school list.
	Some guy, Stephanie, Alex, Carly, Me, and Bailey. Most action I got in high school.
	Alex is from Germany. Chick magnet. Steve was a friend of mine.
	Beautiful.

College Part I : First Year
During my first year of college, things were very confusing. I began to blossom sexually. Family members may want to stop reading right now and skip to the pictures. There were a number of failed attempts at courting ladies, ladies which included my band drum major, a lesbian, and a punk chick. I have no pictures of any of them, and I can't say that I wish I did. Here are some other pictures though.

	Here's my goofy ass again. I'm not drinking, but I do look it.
	Shopping for college was funny. Chicken bites?
	Here is a sample of my early comics. I drew them by tablet in Flash MX.
	Here's what I drank. It's apple juice, grenadine, and a cherry. Delish.
	Kris and I took a road trip to the Indiana border. We got lost.
	We eventually made it and we bought explosives.
	Here's me towards the end of my first year. All the walking has thinned me out a bit.

College Part II : Second Year
My second year of college, including the summer prior, started off just like the last one ended: heartbroken and alone. I did make some friends though, and I met the girl that I would someday move across the country for. It started off rockier than hell, but it became the best year of my life at the time. Now the years are only getting better.

	I'm growing up a bit. The green couch is at my apartment.
	Here's the newer comic that I did. Same plot, new art. Photoshop.
	Che` is the single greatest thing that ever happened to me. I love her.
	Mike and Tracey. I met them in Film & Video class. Both really awesome people.
	Mike is an actor/writer. Tracey is a director. Neither have much luck with love.
	Nick plays the guitar now. Him, Taylor, and I rock out.
	Taylor's been around for years, but I really became his friend while I was at college.
	The second love of my life. Music. I play bass. I got Rosie for my birthday.
	Taylor and Nick at Nick's graduation. Look how they've grown.
	My mother and Nick. We've fought more than I can remember. Now we're OK.
	Nick with Mom's parents. Tall and skinny. Bastard.
	Me with Mom's parents. Is that really me now?
	I finally got to hold her. I love her so much. This is where I am now.

Other Misc.
Here are some other pictures that I can't remember when they were taken. Just some cool stuff that I happen to photograph.

	My cat at my mom's house. Lizzie, I called her Liz, Lizard, or Cat.
	A mast of a tallship in Grand Haven, Michigan. I was there with my father.
	Another picture with Dad in Grand Haven. I miss him so much.

So that is it. Sure, there are many hundreds of other pictures that I have on hard drives and backup CDs that aren't here, but I wanted to just do a web-based timeline. I found these all (almost all) yesterday in random web hosting file managers. These were some of the forgotten pictures that show you where I cam from and where I am. I once was a fat, insecure, and unloved reject, and now I am a confident (moreso anyway), loved, and proud geek. This is where I am now. Where will I be in four more years?

Writer's Note: This post is dedicated to all the people who helped me get where I am today. All the band members from Comstock Park Public Schools (1994-2003), all my friends at the same school (1990-2003), all the friends and peers at Grand Valley State University in Michigan (2003-2005), my family, my mother, my father, my brother Nick, my brother Joe, all of my assorted relatives, my remaining high school friend and best friend Kris, my college friends Mike and Tracey, all of my teachers and professors, Mr. Hofmeyer (Hof), Mrs. Bolthouse, Mr. Moore, Prof. Lange and the Computer Science department of GVSU, my wonderful girlfriend Che`, her wonderfully supportive parents Susan and Joe, all my coworkers, and all the people I have yet to meet on my journey to infinity. Thank you all for all the love, hate, criticism, gossip, confidence, secrecy, lies, truths, support, belittlement, shunning, accepting, flirting, teasing, and everything else that shaped me into the person I am today. You are the reason I am me. Thank you all. Cheers.

Pathetic Parents

2005-09-20T09:58:00.000-07:00

LINK: Article

Some people should not be allowed to have children, or for that matter, even be around children. This four-year-old was out with his mother's boyfriend. He pulled a bag of "candy" from the guy's pocket and ate it. It turns out that the bag contained a powdered mixture of cocaine and heroin. Now the boy is in the hospital in critical condition. The police later found over $14,000 worth of drugs in the bathroom of his home. How much drugs is that? These are the people who should not be allowed to have or even be near children.

Also, watch the video on the news link above. The local police officer sounds all PC and nice, and then tells it like it is. This guy and I would probably get along pretty well.

Another Break

2005-09-18T17:55:00.000-07:00

I'm at my new apartment now. Well, right now I'm at Che`s, but I live at my new apartment now. So, for now, there is no internet or even TV. I'll still be able to update and check stuff at work, just like always, but on nights and weekends, my internet use may be limited. Also of note, I should be switching my phone plan over to my new camera phone, so I'll be able to update my photoblog a lot more often.

I. Got. A. PSP. Yup, that's right, I got a PSP. How much you ask? $150. No scratches on the screen, just a few dents on the side. Who the hell cares; I probably would have put them there myself. Besides, $100 off for a few dents is a good deal for me. Right now all I have to play with is Untold Legends: Brotherhood of the Blade. It's a decent RPG. You get two levels of third-person view: close and closer. You have to position the screen so you are always walking to one of the top corners so you can see when something is about to eat your face. For anyone who liked Diablo and has a PSP, this game would probably be worth a rent at least.

I'm also thinking about getting a new computer in the not too distand future. I might break down and get a Mac. I don't have anything against Macs, I just worry that I won't be able to do my school work (coding, etc.) However, the bulk of my school coding is going to be Java anyway, which is a cross-platform language, so it won't matter. Also, the Mac would be great for all the audio and video editing I hope to do in the future. I don't know, I just think it's time that my Dell, which is about four years old, is ready to retire. I'll either set it up as a server or something in my apartment or (more likely) give it to Che` so she has her own computer.

If you feel sorry for me right now, and you should seeing as I only have seven dollars in the bank right now, you should send me something. Maybe a little money or some canned foods? Just a thought. I'll give you all more to read later. Cheers.

Phone Update

2005-09-14T11:07:00.000-07:00

Due to a change of billing type, my mother has an outstanding balance on the cell phone plan. Due to an outstanding balance on the cell phone plan, I can't switch my plan to my new phone. So, until the 23rd, I just have to deal with my phone for a little longer. Damn.

Um, there isn't really much else going on since last time. I'm moving in to my apartment this Saturday. So, that's cool, right? Yeah, I'm just grabbing at topics to talk about because it's not even noon and I'm at work.

Oh, here's something fun. Under my desk, right now, is cardboard box. In this box are four plastic bottles. In those bottles is water, sugar, and pieces of Red Vines, in different amounts. I'm trying to find a way to make a (possibly carbonated) fruit drink just using common every-day items. I read somewhere that to make home-made beer carbonated, you put sugar in it and let it sit. I'm hoping I get the same effect. It's only day two, so not much has happened. I figure I'll give it about two weeks and then crack those babies open. Pictures and info to come. For now, hack up your own drink and let me know how it turns out. Maybe I'll host a contest for the best homebrew drink. We'll see how mine go first. Cheers.

Moblog Madness

2005-09-13T11:37:00.000-07:00

So I have set up a moblog (wikipedia entry) with TextAmerica. You can see the little flash app in the side bar, somewhere in

------------------------->

that general direction. Each little image is a link to that entry, but just click "index" and you can get to the main page. Or just click the link that says "matthew j @ TA". Either one works. So yeah, that is where I'll be posting pictures from my new camera phone. There's a picture of it, but mine is black. I'm thinking if I find a cool faceplate, I may buy it. We'll see. Anyway, I really thought it was time that you all see what I see. I've been here in Washington for over three months now and not a single picture of the mountain or the water or anything. Well, that's going to change. Soon you'll see all the splendor of the great American North West, or at least the dump of a school I'm going to this year. Either one. Cheers.

Some Updates

2005-09-12T11:45:00.000-07:00

Here are some quick updates from my life. First, I got a new camera phone on eBay for cheap(er than it was in the store), so I'll be doing some moBlogging soon. For those who don't know, as I didn't about two weeks ago, it's like a blog, but the entries are pictures, some with captions, to show you what it's like to be me. Anyway, I'm in the process of getting "proper autorization" from my mom (aka. the family plan holder) to switch my piece of the plan to my new phone, and then sign up for picture messaging. Should be fun.

I found that buying stuff cheap on eBay and then reselling it for slightly more can make you money. Sure, it's nothing to live on, but it brings in a little bit extra. Call it retail. Anyway, I have a used PSP coming, and I got a UMD copy of "House of Flying Daggers" that I plan to resell. Soon though, I would like a PSP and/or an iPod Nano. Mmmm, sweet technology.

Soon I'll be in my new apartment. What does this mean for the internet community? Well, now that I have my own space to put stuff, I'm working with someone here at work to set up a Linux box. I'm doing most/all of the work, but he is going to sell me an old box for cheap and, because he works with it every day, help me learn how to Linux. It should be fun, and if it works out, I may start my own web server and get my own domain. We'll see.

My girlfriend got a car! She has only to get her license and she will be totally mobile. This means I don't have to bum her parents' car if we want to go out. She likes to drive, so this will allow her to do that when we go out. Yay for internal combustion!

Other than that, business as usual. More to come as the weeks go by. School starts on the 26th of this month, so I hope to meet some more geeks to hang out with. I seriously want to do some kind of vid/podcast in the near future. So, look for that. Cheers.

Dark Side of the Moon

2005-08-31T13:22:00.000-07:00

So I was without internet for a very long while. OK, so it was only a week. At any rate, I posted this from my phone just to let everyone know that I had no internet for a while. Yeah, that's about it. Cheers.

Working Man

2005-04-25T19:58:00.000-07:00

Wednesday at nine PM EST marks the end of the last commitment I have to GVSU. Then, I'm in the minivan heading for my mother's house. I have a job, which is almost completely in the bag, working at IHOP, and another job working as a secretary at a car sales place. Two jobs... should be a fun month. It's OK, because it's all for my baby. I can't wait to see her again. I miss her more than most of you will ever miss somebody.

So, that's work. Other than that, nothing much is going on. Work is pretty much going to take over my life for the next month, pushing upwards of sixty hours of my week. That's quite a bit. Nick and I are going to work on a game in our free time. Get this: 3D Tic Tac Toe. How's that sound for interesting? Well, we're going to do an alpha test with just our friends, and then put it into beta test for anyone that wants it. Maybe it will become a shareware game, just to get our names out. Even though I'm not specifically going to be studying game design, it is still a program and it is always good to have a publically-known program to boost a resume`. So, look for a link to download that game to test sometime later this summer. Cheers.

Miss

2005-03-17T20:39:00.000-08:00

My brother has "officially" found the place him and Taylor are going to live in when they get to Chicago. I wasn't planning on going to Chicago. Well, I was, but that was before Che` and my desire to go West. At any rate, now that it is official, I find myself a little sad. I know he was leaving; going his way while I went mine. Was I waiting for him to decide to follow me out West? I don't think so... It is just a sad thing that us brothers and friends have to part ways as we are. I know it has to be this way. He needs to get that education, Taylor needs to go with him, and I need to be with Che`. We can't all have what we want and stay together. We'll stay in touch. I think I should start hanging out with as many of my friends and family as I can before I leave. This is no small task as my car just broke down. Well, Taylor just got a car, so hopefully he will repay some of my past ride-givings with rides home and back. I'm going to miss them.

In happier news, my Film/Theater friend, Mike, is shooting a short film this weekend. I'm not sure what the title is. I won't be in it, nor did I have a hand in its creation, but I will be helping out. Maybe as a grip, a gopher, or just audience. Either way, I don't hang out enough with Mike, so it will be some quality time. I'm going to have to find time for Mike, and Tracey as well, since they are both staying here next year and I'm heading West. I'm going to miss them.

My dad use to quote some movie. "Go West, young man." Some western movie, I assume. I can't for the life of me remember that title now. It was always just sort of a joke or something. I had no real plans to move West. Now, so many years after the fact, here I am going West. I'm not really a young man anymore, being on the verge of my twentieth birthday, but I still feel young at heart. I look back on all the subtle and not-so-subtle advice my father gave me. It will be hard being so far away. I guess really, I'm far away as it is. He is now serving his sentance ten hours north of where my mother lives. That is just half of the trip. So really, I'm still going to be far away, just farther. I still miss him.

My mother has been acting a lot more civil towards me lately. I found out that most of my family, namely my mother's side, didn't believe I was really leaving. They all thought I was joking, or that I would chicken out. I guess my mother has just finally realized that I am far from joking. This is something very important to me. I have to, need to do this. I assume she has realized the inevitability of my leaving and has decided to take advantage of these last couple of months. I'm glad, because despite our differences, I still love her. I will miss her.

I love all of my friends and family members. They have all had a profound impact on my life, for better or worse. I willl miss them all.

Movies

2005-03-14T18:25:00.000-08:00

There is so much wisdom in the earlier movies of Kevin Smith. I have recently watched Clerks (1994) and Chasing Amy (1997) and they are great films. I am also a big fan of his movie Mallrats (1995). You should all check out these movies! Cheers.

Insomiamotional

2005-03-11T01:02:00.000-08:00

It is four am. Sure, I don't have school or work or any other commitment tomorrow, save for talking to my girlfriend before she leaves for school. So, I guess I really don't have any reason to get to bed early. On the other hand, I could use the sleep. I only get five or six hours during the (normal) week. Back to the first hand, if I only get five or six hours of sleep, maybe it is good that I stay up late. So, when my girlfriend calls me at ten, I'll have only slept for six hours, thus not throwing off my usual sleep schedule.

I played a lot of Halo 2 on Xbox Live today. I also watched a movie. Disney's The Kid. It was good. It made me cry just a little. Even if a movie has nothing really to do with love, emotional movies always make me think of her and miss her.

Part of me can't wait to move to Washington this summer. Another part of me is scared shitless. Still another part of me just wants the waiting part to be over; for it to be June right now. I'm very conflicted. If you were to ask all my old high school friends if they thought I would move across the country before my twentieth birthday to be with a girl I love, they most likely would have laughed. If you would have told them I have been a relationship for eight months and change, they probably would have laughed. I wasn't a very popular kid.

I'm now going to start playing my sleep music. I need to get more, though. The sounds are few, so they get repetative. I'm thinking maybe some Dave Matthew's Band, Barenaked Ladies, and possibly some Norah Jones needs to get incorporated in with my current Avril Lavigne, John Mayer, Switchfoot, and Yellowcard. Well, I guess I'll do that later. For now, good night.

Premarital Sex

2005-03-05T09:08:00.000-08:00

Some people wait until they are married to have sex for the first time. Virgins getting married. It sounds so honorable and pure and all that. However, I have learned something in my short yet educational sexual life. Some people are not sexually compatible. No matter how much they love one another, they might just not do it for one another. I think sex should definately be a part of the dating process. At some point when the relationship gets serious, there should come a point where the couple tries sex. That's what dating is; a test to see if the relationship works. The same should go for sex. Alas, living in west Michigan, this message falls on deaf ears. There are more Catholics and Christians here than I can handle. I have nothing against them, it is just that we don't get along. I have much more liberal views than this place. Just another one of those reasons why I'm going to Washington this summer. Comments on this, for either side of the argument, please feel free. I'd love to hear what you think. Cheers.

Opportunities

2005-03-01T07:17:00.000-08:00

Some news first: I was accepted to Washington State University the other day. I applied there, at the University of Washington, and at the University of Puget Sound. I am hoping for U of W or UPS. There is nothing wrong with State, it is just that it is between five and six hours away from Che`. She's part of the reason I'm moving. I can't be so close and yet so far away from her. That might hurt even more than it does now.

I have been dinking around in C++ programming lately. In fact, I have made my first game. It is just a simple two-player tic-tac-toe game. I'm working on a three-stage AI to go with it, so you can play by yourself (hehheh). If you want to check it out, you can find it in the linkage section below.

LINKAGE

Washington State University
University of Washington
University of Puget Sound
Tic-Tac-Toe Game

Ten Hour Tour

2005-02-18T17:02:00.000-08:00

I got the really strong urge to say "babe" to one of my high school friends today. I don't know why. I thought about it afterwards: "I'm not a surfer. Knock that off!" I had just got off the phone with Che`, and we call each other 'baby' all the time, so maybe that was it. I'm not really sure.

Anyway, I'll be going out of town tonight with my family. We'll be leaving around ten pm tonight and driving ten hours to the bright, white north of Michigan. We are going to see Daddoo (my father) who is currently located in the middle of Michigan's famed Keweenaw Peninsula (pronounced: Key-weh-naw). Yeah, it is really a crappy place to be, especially since we are still technically in winter here. They get an annual average of about 70 feet of snow. That is a whole fuckin' lot of snow. I just can't wait to see what it looks like this time of year. Probably cold as sin. I'm taking the camera, so I'll get some scenic shots for you. For now, cheers and have a good weekend.

Potato = Love

2005-02-17T17:09:00.000-08:00

"That potato chip looks like a heart! I potato chip you."

"I potato chip you too, baby.

Things : A List

2005-02-16T23:21:00.000-08:00

Here is a list of things that I want to do in the near future. Say, over the summer. Although, I'd be happy with sooner or later, just as long as I get to experience them.

1. Visit an alternative art gallery. For once in my life, I want to mingle with the fake, the posers, and the insane. I'm not saying everyone at art galleries fits into these categories, but I think that an art gallery is a good place to start looking for them. Also, art is good.

2. Sleep in a sleeping bag with Che`. No, on the living room floor doesn't count. I want to go camping with my girlfriend. I know, she isn't really the outdoorsy type, mainly attributed to her allergies, but I think it would be awesome to wake up in the "wild" with her, snuggle by a fire, and watch the sunrises.

3. Have gay friends. I have a few right now, but I'm talking really gay. Like the stereotypical gay guy you see in movies. You know, the one that co-owns an art gallery, fights with his boyfriend constantly, and reads a lot of obscure authors. That's the kind of gay friend I'd like to have.

4. Swim in the ocean. 'Nuff said.

5. Not have to make every minute count. I'm not saying that when I get to Washington I'm going to stop caring about Che`, but it will be nice not to have to cram as much stuff into every minute. Sure, I probably still will, just because I love her so freakin' much, but I'd like to be able to know that if we don't get to everything today, we'll both be there tomorrow.

6. Act in something. Don't really care what, don't really care when, don't really care about anything. I feel like I have talent in acting, but my shyness has kept me off the stage. I think I should. I most likely won't, but at least now I can say that I had thought about it.

7. Attend a comic convention. Penny Arcade has a convention in Seattle. Seattle is in Washington. Hey, I'll be in Washington, also! Hi, Penny Arcade Convention! Maybe we should, I don't know, get together sometime. Maybe look at some comics or talk with the artists or something.

Oh, I C

2005-02-16T07:43:00.000-08:00

I waited until Wednesday to finish doing the homework that was due on Wednesday. I had it done. Well, at least my first class's homework. I just didn't print it out. It's a C programming class, so there is a lot of code to print. After that class, I have an hour break, so I knew I could finish up the little bit of Java I had left. I hate the tutorials, especially the parts that say "Take out this vital piece of code and watch your program fuck itself in the asshole." Well, of course it's going to suck, you told me to turn my code into shit. He teaches like we are three year olds. Not many three year olds I know can create a Java main class to instantiate objects and then call methods to modify and report on them. Hmm... I'm really hungry. I should never make myself get up this early again. I know, it's only a nine am class, but that is still early as far as my body is concerned. I am not, I repeat, I am NOT a morning person. I like staying up until three am. I like the dark, for the most part. Ugh. I'm going to go see what the vending machines have to offer me. Cheers.

Happy Valentine's Day

2005-02-15T15:47:00.000-08:00

Hot Pursuit

2005-02-13T00:33:00.000-08:00

Well, tonight was quite interesting, to say the least. In minor news, Nick, my brother, and I brought all of the drum and PA equipment to my mother's house. Nick's room, which is in the basement, is now a make-shift recording studio. It is very hobo, but it works. We started working on and recording a song tonight called "Running From The Inside Out". I'm not really sure what it's about, but I like it. Sounds in between punk and rock, but more towards rock. More to come on that.

The big news of the night: I was pulled over by not one, not two, but THREE Kent County Sherifs this evening/morning. It was about 0200 to 0230. Kris, my best friend who is on leave after a tour in Fallujah, and I were out on the prowl. We were out driving around, planning some shenanigans, when we pulled into the local Steak'n'Shake. It is open twenty-four hours a day, and there was a local high school dance tonight, so it was fairly busy. We drove around the parking lot about fifteen to twenty times. When we saw a car with some youngsters in it, we pulled out after them. We followed them out of Comstock Park, across the Grand River, and all over that area. We must have followed them for a half of an hour. They were most definately on to us, as they were trying to pull all sorts of manuevers to evade us. They even got behind us a few times, but I always managed to get the best of them.

They eventually lost us. So, we just drove to the local Meijer, and then were getting ready to head home. We were on the East Beltline, a very major boulevard on the east side of Grand Rapids. Suddenly, a familiar set of tail lights emerges in front of us. After nearly fifteen minutes of evading out pursuit, we had found them again. I almost shit myself out of laughter. We followed them some more. Finally, we pulled into a residencial area and were soon tailed by a row of cars. My first thought: they called their friends and we were in the middle of a road block. I was not in the mood for a fist fight, and I didn't want to see Kris kill anyone, so I pulled an evasive left turn. No sooner did I straighten the wheel when all the lights on the three cars start spinning. A short questioning, pat-down, and a seat in the back of a cop's cruiser, and we were on our way. No bid deal, really. I told the guy the truth. I didn't really know the people, just that they were most likely from Kenowa and out after the dance. We meant no harm and were just playing a dumb joke. He believed me, as he should have. Me, stupid? That's hard to fathom. Anyway, the moral of the story is, if you are me or Kris, you are destined for trouble. The end.

Kris's Account

I Are Cultured

2005-02-11T12:11:00.000-08:00

Fumed Oak. That is the name of the play I will be going to see on Sunday. One of my new college friends, Mike, will be playing the role of the crazy, yoga-ing grandmother, complete with facial hair. That is a pretty good indication that this play is going to be a bit crazy, and most likely hurt my brain. I'm going to go see it with my other friend, Tracey. I bought the ticket just before coming to work, where I am now. I told my coworkers, Jon and Amia, about it, and they said they would love to come see it with us. So, it's a foursome for the production on Sunday. It should be fun. I'll let you all know when I get back.

Here is a little link I stumbled across today. Take a look.

Late To Bed, Never To Rise

2005-02-10T10:51:00.000-08:00

How does a night person, such as myself, manage to get through two nine am classes and one eight am? He doesn't. I managed to miss half of my lab and one whole lecture this week, and I didn't want to get out of bed to go to work today. Is there something wrong with me or are people just not suppose to be up that early? Well, I suppose I'll be playing a bit of Zelda : Ocarina of Time when I get home, since I don't have anything else to do until my girlfriend gets home from school (six pm EST). I also work tonight at nine pm, and close at midnight. It is not as fun as some may think. It is boring, and very labor-intensive, since we are packing up a lot of books for storage. Guess who is in charge of all the bitch work! Me. Cheers.

Internal DST

2005-02-09T06:50:00.000-08:00

So lately I have been having a problem with going to classes. For some reason, I hit the snooze, go back to sleep, and wake up to my alarm. Repeat for about an hour or so. By the time I get up, class has already started. However, in my mind, I still am up an hour early. It doesn't register that the clock says 9:30, rather than the appropriate 8:30. Yesterday I showed up at my lab an hour late and didn't realize it until I had walked in and sat down. Today, I didn't realize it until my girlfriend called, which she never usually does today, because I should have been at class. It's like my body is stuck in some weird Daylight Savings Time mode and I don't know how to reset it. Well, I have a break after this morning's class, so I'm going to have a bowl of cereal or something.

So, my bottom-left wisdom tooth is coming in... I think. It has been kind of swollen and sore since yesterday. Last night it actually went away. Just totally stopped hurting and everything. Now, it is back though, however much less severe than yesterday. Now it is just a mild annoyance. Well, I hope this doesn't mean I have to get it pulled or something, because I hate doctors, hospitals, dentists... all of it. Wish me luck. Cheers.

Gratitude

2005-02-07T22:49:00.000-08:00

On my way out of work tonight, a man asked me for a light for his cigarette. Since I carry a Zippo around with me, I did. After his first puff, he thanked me by saying, "You are a gentleman, a scholar, and a man of great wisdom." Whether I am any or all or none of these things, I couldn't say. Man is not qualified to qualify himself. So, I guess in the short forty-five seconds I knew this man, he thought very highly of me. I wonder what those who have known me for almost twenty years think.

First First First

2005-02-07T20:07:00.000-08:00

As I have been starting many new projects lately online, I have had to make a lot of blog posts that included the word "first" in them. So, instead of trying to be creative, I'm just going to cop out and say "first" a few times.

So, this is what will be my actuall, personal blog. I have blogs for my Photoshop tutorial site, n00b FRIENDLY, and also for my webcomic, Teh Matthew J. I'm sure I'll get links of both of those up here soon. For now though, I am at work, so there will be no editing of the template just yet. Perhaps later this week. Thursday is always a lazy day for me, so maybe then. We'll see. For now, just accept the crappiness of this premade template. Things will get better.

OK, so now that I have ranted a little bit, perhaps I should tell you a little about myself. I'm nineteen. I'm in college. I'm a CS major. I don't have many friends, but the friends I do have are awesome. I have a wonderful girlfriend of seven months (tomorrow!) who I love more than anyone in the world. She is my everything; the reason I get up in the morning. Oh, one minor detail that you might find interesting: she lives 2,200 miles away from me. Yup, other side of the fucking country. I'm planning on moving out there this summer. Stay tuned for that. OK, where was I? I swear a lot. I like punk, emo, ska, rock, and some hard rock music. I like to read, write, watch movies, and hang out in places like Applebee's (ABs), or Buffalo Wild Wings (BW2) with my friends. I'm just your average webmonkey. Well, my staff person in charge is giving me orders, so I'm off. Cheers.

UPDATE: 2005.09.11
I have since started a new blog for my newest project. It is called Teh Geeks. It is myself, my brother Nick, and some of our friends talking about geek stuff, tech stuff, game stuff, etc. Check it out, there's a link in the main nav bar. Also, I have since given up the n00bFRIENDLY blog, I don't post but haven't abandoned my webcomic, and I don't post much on my old Xanga. I am now working on putting together a Linux server of sorts and running my blogs from there. We'll see though. Cheers again.