Kim is at lunch with some friends of her's so I am sitting here and doing this. I had been hearing about this really nice Asian market, and we finally went to check it out yesterday. It really is awesome--great prices and an excellent selection of...well...lots of...things. I wanted to ask questions about some of the stuff, but was unable to locate anyone who spoke english. Oh well, I figured most of it out by myself. I got a nice new bowl there for $2.45. They also had a dead flounder lying on some ice in one of the aisles. The whole place reeked of dead fish---kind of gross I must say, yet between the fish smell and the incredibly cramped aisles I must say I found the place to be one of my new favorites---strange, I know it. They are moving to a much larger store very soon. It will actually be located on Broad St., as oppossed to it's current location down a tiny side street, and will be occupying the building which once housed a Rite Aid Pharmacy. I cannot wait to see all the interesting items they stock that much space with.

I got a 92 on my Mid-Term today. I am clearly a genius. The class average was a 77. How can you not get an A when the teacher basically gave you almost every question and answer at the 'Review' class last week. The scariest part is that the AVERAGE is 77, that means people got lower than that. The American educational system truly frightens me. Here's an example: I get to class and the kid who sits near me says 'Did you study?', I said 'Yeah.' and he seemed kind of surprised. I wanted to look at him and say 'Motherfucker, I am here to learn. This often involves doing work outside of class. In fact I actually studied more than I probably needed to, so yeah---I studied.' His Dad is a VP at Circuit City so I am sure that he won't have much of a problem getting an extremely high-paying job basically whenever he wants.

The weekend is over and it is the work-week again. Of course I work on Sundays and have multiple days off during the typical 'work week' so what I am saying is that Mondays really don't mean anything to me. I sympathize with the rest of you, but I am at this point unaffected by the monday morning blues. In fact Monday is actually one of my days off and on this particular monday the temperature will reach a high of 70 degrees here in Richmond. Unfortunately I have to study for tomorrow's mid-term today. I have been avoiding it like the plague. Probably because I do not truly care all that much. The test is multiple choice. I figure that since she already 'reviewed' for the test (i.e. told us what questions she is going to ask), so I will just focus on that info. I have already re-read all the chapters for my own benefit so I think I will be OK. If I get stumped I will simply cheat off one of the morons who sit next to me and know less than me. I won't get the correct answers but at least I will have someone else to blame it on. Sort of.

My copy of 'Coming To America' on DVD finally arrived. 'Put your hands together one more time for Sexual Chocolate.' Damn that movie is funny. I also picked up the book "Our Band Could Be Your Life". I could not help myself, and skipped ahead and read the section on Big Black. Here is what I learned: Steve Albini used to go to Northwestern University. Before Big Black was even truly a band, he was dating a girl who went to Northwestern and ended up being featured in Playboy's 1985 college girls issue. How did this happen? He is known to be an asshole, at that point he wasn't successful, he is certainly funny looking, and in closing really wouldn't seem to have too much to offer a playmate. The book continuosly amazes me with it's useless trivia.

Last night a friend of mine at work gave me a copy of the first Geto Boys album that he had burned for me. I am a gangsta now. In other non-related gansta news; Sarah Hughes, the girl who won the Olympic Figure Skating Gold Medal last night is from Great Neck, NY. Great Neck is the next town over from New Hyde Park where I grew up. The high school she attends (Great Neck North) used to have an awesome BMX track that ran through the woods on the school grounds. They also used to have an area in the woods littered with satanic grafitti and the remnants of Devil Worshipping Ceremonies. I think she sold her soul. Just a theory. But seriously, congratulations to her--Long Island Represent!!!!

I just looked up the Summer semester schedule and I can't take any of the classes that are being offered due to work. Oh well. I think I will just go through the rest of my HTML/Frontpage books myself.

OK kids, you can thank Corey for the nice new header graphic. I have my first Mid-Term coming up next week. I was nervous until the teacher pretty much gave us all the questions and answers at the 'Review' class today. Turns out community college is easier than Mary Washington was. Who would have guessed?

Looks like Robert is moving to Richmond. Congratulations on an excellent decision.

Our landlords have finally decided to fix everything that was wrong with the building. I am very glad that they are doing this but it is still a major pain in the ass. Last week they replaced the hot water heater. Of course they didn't bother to tell us that we wouldn't have hot water for a day--Why? you ask, because they had the wrong phone number for us--they were given the correct one 10 months ago but I guess it must be harder to keep track of things than I thought. Our kitchen light fixure also burned out so they came to fix that, but only after they called and said they didn't have a key to our apartment. I had given them one 5 months ago because the old landlord never gave them the key he had. I called up and went nuts on them. They of course had the key in their posession, it just wasn't labeled properly. When the guy came to fix the light I labeled it for them since they can't seem to do such things correctly themselves. On Monday they came and replaced the thermostat and managed to get plaster dust all over one of our tables, and not clean it up. Now they are fixing the front entryway and replacing the entire back fire escape simultaneously. The noise is unbelievable. There are workmen out front and out back all I here are powertools. They even nailed a 2 x 4 over our back door so we can't get out that way--understandable but pretty ugly nonetheless. Like I have said I am glad that they are doing all of this but it is still a pain. It is amazing how bad most landlords truly are to deal with.

I have to study too. I really don't see that happening.

Everytime I have tried to post for the last 3 days something has happened and I have lost the post. I wrote a really long post this morning and then my computer in class crashed and shut itself down for no reason whatsoever. They have Gateway computers at school so I guess that explains part of it. I can't stand all the cow print in their stores---so I automatically feel that they suck based upon that alone.

We went up to Fredericksburg yesterday in an effort to locate some cheap DVDs. I found The Shining at a pawn shop in like new condition for $12, and I also got a new t-shirt at the Goodwill as well as three VHS movies for $1 each they were Creepshow 2, Altered States, and The Jerk. I don't care too much for VHS but for $1 each you can't go wrong. Creepshow 2 was one of my favorites as a kid. I do have one comment to make about The Shining DVD, turns out that a home video/DVD version of the film does not exist in Widescreen format. Kubrick refused to allow the film to be released with a Widescreen transfer. He apparently was perfectly satisfied with the standard transfer and felt no need for Widescreen. This probably lies in the fact that the film itself was not shot in Widescreen but rather 1:66 1 so you really wouldn't gain much from the Widesscreen transfer since you are only losing a very small amount of the picture with the 1:33 1 standard format. Here is a little more useless information for you; Kubrick called Stephen King in the middle of the night during filming for The Shining and asked him: 'Do you believe in God?'. Stephen King replied 'Yes.' and Kubrick responded with 'I thought so.' and then hung up the phone.

Hope all is well out there.

Here's a tip for you; when placing an order on half.com feel free to create a new account for each purchase (using a new/seperate email account of course) that way you can use any 'first time user' coupons that you may uncover on the web. For example Coming To America on DVD has a list price of $29.99. Best Buy sells it for $25.00, Deep Discount DVD has it for $23 but using my coupon at half.com I just bought it for $13.80 (including shipping) and it is factory sealed. Sweet. Now I can go directly to the 'Sexual Chocolate' scene and laugh my ass off. Here is a bit of Coming To America trivia for you--the film was shot in 2 weeks and came in under budget. Incidently, the film-makers were later sued for plagiarism and lost in court--they had to pay a very large settlement to the writer whom they had 'borrowed' the story from. Perhaps this is the reason that the list price of the DVD is as high as it is. Unfortunately there are no special features to speak of on the disc, but still an excellent film regardless.

My staff meeting is rapidly approaching--it's at 2pm and then I have to work tonight. Should make some money regardless. The hourly wage is higher at any rate. Besides that it is extra money either way. I have been cleaning up this week. My thanks go out to Hallmark for helping to make Valentine's Day what it is currently. Kim and I celebrated the 'holiday' last night with some nice China Panda Mock specials. Yummy as always. We also watched Natural Born KIllers. Well, it is kind of a love story. Also to celebrate Valentine's Day, I took the day off from hitting her and allowed her to remain at home instead of 'turning her ass out' on the street.

I really don't have much to say. This week was pretty rough and I even picked up a shift tomorrow night so it is fixin' to continue in the current path. I just bought Natural Born Killers on DVD for $14 used at Plan 9. I am pretty excited about it too.

I gotta go to work and don't want to. I am feeling sad and tired. Not a good combination when one's occupation requires them to put on a happy face and talk to people who can financially buy and sell him. At least they make sure that I know how much more money they have than I do, so I guess that's something. All I want to do is stay at home but that is not going to happen. We are already booked up for tommorrow night so that will certainly be crazy. Good money, but I am dreading it anyway. This Saturday (one of my days off) we have an employee meeting. Lots of people are pissed about a wide variety of things so I am sure that the sparks will be flying and I just don't see myself being in the mood for it. Can this week please be over now?

So I ordered my copy of Zombie from Deep Discout DVD today. It is coming out next Tuesday. The total cost for me is $9.90. I bet that the people who up until about 3 weeks ago were spending $80 for a used copy on Ebay feel pretty stupid right now. Good things come to those who wait, however more often than not you end up waiting too long and get fucked on the deal. At least that's what usually happens to me.

My teacher 'helped' me with my project today. She handed out a correct version of the code which I was able to use to troubleshoot my own and locate the exact nature of the problem. $126 well spent for this class.

I just called my landlords and asked them why the work order that we called in 3 weeks ago has yet to be completed? They said that they didn't know but that they would get right on it. I'll believe that when i see it. Of course we are getting used to cooking in near darkness (the work order is for our kitchen light--the wiring shorted out).

In other news, we did laundry today.

I just got my grade back and I got a 100. She complemented me on my color combination too. I guess I stacked up OK after all. I currently have a 100 everage in this class. Pretty cool.

I just presented my project. I shook like crazy and thought I was going to vommit. For someone who used to thrive on being the center of attention, I now seem to prefer annonymity--how times change. Many of the other projects are less original but better done than mine. I was kind of embarrassed by mine after seeing some of the others. I guess that I should learn to be a bit easier on my classmates and their perceived abilities.

Four things for you to not care about:

1. So I am having trouble with my HTML assignment that is due tommorrow, and I emailed my teacher for help. She responded that she did not do this over email, but will help in class tommorrow. That's fine--I guess, at least my ass is covered and she knows that I need her help (for the first time) tomorrow. I paid my money and now it is all about principal. She can help me dammit. Maybe she is better at that than teaching class.

2. Go to your local library/bookstore and pick up the new issue of Guitar World magazine. Please don't buy the magazine as it is generally pretty crappy overall. It is really good if you can't wait to get the tablature for the new Creed song or perhaps an old Eagles tune, it's just not really worth it for those with-----taste. Anyway, I don't know how they did it but Ian Mackye of Fugazi etc... is interviewed in this issue. It is an excellent interview filled with lots of neat little facts. I definitely recommend going someplace where you can read it. Hell even buy it, if that's your thing.

3. I am presenting my first Photoshop project tonight. It looks damn good (for a first class project anyway), I can't wait to see some of the other projects. There are a lot of morons and there will be lots of laughter on my part. I wish that I had an offensive t-shirt to wear while I presented my work to the class. Perhaps I will make one.

4. Why is DC's Rites of Spring so damn good? Something about a young Guy Picciotto singing his heart out that really gets me going. In addition, Here's a really strange R.O.S. site for you. Gotta love Guy's hair.

Man, it's my day off and I've gotta do homework---this really sucks. I wish I had an exciting story to tell you, but I don't. Kim is making me some coffee. That's all I've got. Take it or leave it. I am sure that you would all prefer to leave it, but much like methamphetamine, once you have gotten a taste of Paint A Vulgar Picture you have to keep coming back for more. This may work out for you though. Let us now look at Lou Reed, his career began in the late 1960's with the Velvet Underground and has continued up through the present day. The last time he wrote anything I would consider wothwhile was sometime in the mid 1970's. It is my theory that methamphetamine has given him special powers. While his powers are not as impressive as say those of Superman or Aquaman, his 'super-power' is the ability to continue to make money off of songs he wrote a very long time ago. I know that you are saying:'Where the hell is this diaatribe going?' well the answer as usual is----nowhere.

I need to give out a big thanks to Ryan for posting a couple of links to my post regarding Tuesday's incident with the poultry truck. If you haven't already doe so, you can check out Tuesday's post right here. Not only did Ryan put a link on the Vegblog, put he also put one up over at Ryan's Journal. For those of you not keeping up with things. Ryan's Journal is part of Eric Marcus' website,Vegan.com. Mr. Marcus is the author of 'Vegan: The New Ethics Of Eating', and quite honestly an inspiration to vegetarians and vegans evywhere. Anyway, I just hope that the folks who check out my post and visit my little corner of the web can find inspiration through my story.

I needed to find a phone number today so I attempted to look it up in the Richmond White Pages. I was unable to find what I needed but while looking in the K's I did notice that The Ku Klux Klan is actually listed, complete with a telephone number. How many prank phone calls do you think that those guys get? You think that they would prefer a number of the unlisted variety. I didn't even think that they existed anymore.

I am really tired. The combination of working nights and having a 9:30 AM class is really not working out for me all that well. I don't even know why I go to class. The teacher reads from the book for 10 minutes and then gives us time to work through the leson. It has gotten to the point where I go, stay until after role is called and she is done 'teaching', then I come home and do my work here. I want a fucking refund.

I really don't have anything to say, but I am racked with guilt if I don't post something. So hear you go. You've got your pound of flesh. I hope you are all satisfied. Bastards. All of you. The way you touch me hurts. Can't you just accept the fact that sometimes I just want to be held? Why does it always have to be about your needs? What about my needs? You are all bad boyfriends and girlfriends.

The cat has a case of what is commonly referred to as 'Kennel Cough'. The vet gave us some antibiotics and only charged us $45 total so I think we got off relatively easy.

Last night I got my Photoshop test back and I got a 100. Amazingly enough (and I am sure that it will change), I have yet to get a grade of less than 100 on any assignment/test this semester. Turns out I am not nearly as dumb as everyone initially believed. I have my first Photoshop project due next Monday. I actually started it and finished it this afternoon. It looks pretty good i think, I am sure that it will change before then though.

Daiquiri is sick and is going to the vet at 11:15 AM. Not a very good start to the day. I left the house to head to class and promptly manage to get on 195N directly behind an open bed truck which was transporting live chickens to the slaughterhouse. I tried to speed up to pass him but was unable to so. I tried to slow down and drop back behind, then due to traffic he had to slow down as well. The feathers were falling on the road like snow. I can not even imagine how cold those animals must have been. As I merged onto 95N I noticed a chicken on the side of the road which had just fallen off of the truck and had been hit by a car. A site which almost brought me to tears. It got worse. Another mile up the ride I actually saw a chicken fall off the truck and land on the side of the road. The animal had a look of amazing fear in it's eyes, and I could see by the way she had landed that her legs had been broken in the fall. I hope that she has been hit by a car and put out of her misery by now. I had to pull off at the next exit just to get away from the truck. I almost went home but I got back on the road and made it to class, where I am now. Now I get to sit here and not learn anything while I think about what I saw this morning. I have never been so glad to be vegan in my life. Right now all the crap I have ever had to take for my beliefs and dietery choices was worth it. None of those animals will be on my plate this evening or probably ever again. I don't contribute to senseless killing. Oh yeah and I was even listening to The Smiths when all this was happening--not Meat Is Murder, but close enough.

Work was super slow last night which means I didn't make shit. My boss brought in a small television so I actually watched parts of the Super Bowl for the first time in years. I mainly watched the 'Halftime Show' starring U2. I don't really like them but I have to admit that they put on a good show. I still don't know who won and I didn't even know who was playing until the start of the game. I just found out who won.

I am about to go to work. Kim is at a play with her friend Jim. I don't want to go to work but I don't have much in the way of a choice. I have a wart on my finger which I am currently attempting to remove via a rather obscure (but suppossedly effective) method. I have a piece of garlic on top of the wart and then the finger is taped up--to protect the wound that is forming as well as keep the garlic in place. Apparently this should work like the common medical procedure--spraying the wart with liquid nitrogen. The garlic should be kept on for 24 hours and then the area will blister and the wart will fall off. Let's hope this works, because if it doesn't I will have spent 24 hours smelling like a Brooklyn Pizzeria. Oh yeah--it burns really bad,guess that it is working.

David Lowery used to piss me off.

I am currently listening to Cracker for the first time in about 5 years. I used to listen to them constantly when I was with my ex-girlfriend and as a result, I was unable to listen to them for an extended period of time. While I still liked their music the sound of one of their records playing made me very, very angry as bad memories re-surfaced. Much better now though.

Last weekend Kim and I went to Carytown and I saw this ring at a sidewalk vendor. A former co-worker of mine had one just like it, and though I tried for a while to locate one I was unable to do so. I finally found one and neglected to buy it. All week long I have been thinking about going back to Carytown this weekend and picking one up. Of course by Tuesday the neuroses kicked in and I was completely convinced that the vendor was not going to be returning this weekend (even though I have seen him there many times before) or that the ring that was my size would be gone. I went back last Sunday to try and purchase the ring--but nothing. I tried again on Wednesday, but no vendor. Anyone who knows me well is chuckling right now at this particularly 'Scott Moment'. Finally we went over there this morning and as I walked down the street (Carytown is only about 10 blocks away) I was convinced that he would not be there, and was already preparing myself for the inevitable 'bad luck'. Finally he came into view and I was very excited. He had just arrived and was in the process of setting his booth up--I would have to wait (of course thinking that 'my' ring would be gone the entire time). We wasted some time time in Plan 9 and then walked down to this trendy over-priced store called Mongrel. He was still not set up. I could see the space where the rings were usually located but the table was empty. We stood on the corner in the cold like a couple of 14th Street hookers waiting for him to start putting the rings out but instead he went into the Chinese Takeout/Chicken and Ribs joint next to his booth to get himself a Lipton iced tea. Finally I walked over and asked about the rings, which through my prompting he proceeded to put out. The ring was still there and 15 dollars later it was mine. I am happy. It was one of those rings which is a band but in the center is another 'band' which spins freely. Hard to describe--but cool.

Our new cat is an attention hog. I sat down at this here computer about 20 minutes ago and she has been rubbing up against me ever since. No matter how many times I pet her it doesn't seem to be enough. Of course we really like this sort of thing. She finally laid down behind me just now. That is the 9 AM cat update.

I am hungry but I do not know what I want to eat.