It looks cool...
It looks so cool....

I woke up around 3PM Christmas Day to my Birthday/Christmas gift to myself from myself. I had my Christmas music for a couple of hours before I was called to dinner, which was lamb and potatoes. It was so funny, because I slept around 2 in the morning after "pulling my brother's leg..."

After eating up much of the cheesecake, I jammed to my music some more, then around 2AM, I slept again. Waking up around 12PM, I ate breakfast for the first time since last Friday. Today again, I miss that opportunity. But at least I got paid.

Right now, I look at my $400 bundle of joy and harmony. It's so shiny, so great, so small, so cool. And after all my music (and after erasing my Christmas music), there's about 4GB of space left. I couldn't get past the scratches on the screen, so I leave the iPod with the backlight screen on. In the daytime, I turn it off, but it looks so much better with the backlight on. After I programmed my kliq on the iPod (they all feel so special; they, and you, have a special place in my heart if your name is on my contact list; moreso, if your playlist is on my iPod); I yearn to have a PDA to type my notes in. Then I realize that all I have to do is write them, type 'em up here, then transfer it to my iPod. A few extra steps, but all worth it to save me from spending $100 on a Palm Zire. I just wish there could be better synchronization between the iPod's time and my computer's time, which is also connected to the network time. And I wish there was a calculator of some sorts; you know, use the jog dial to acquire the numbers, then click to get to the function, that sort of thing. But that was too much to ask, eh Apple?? No matter, I love it anyway.

Yo! Whatever happened to...

... The Perez siblings?

I'm not sure if Mikey remembers, but two years before we graduated from high school, we all were good friends with Carolina Perez. In fact, her brother Jonathan graduated with us in '99. But I haven't seen them since I can remember. That was of course, until today. While at Blockbuster paying for an overdue tape, I come across this short and thin girl on the cell phone, who looks at me, looking at her, looking at me as though she knows me, looking at her trying to remember her name. Then she laughs, and I automatically remember when I asked her out. It was my first time asking anybody out in high school, and naturally (so much for self confidence) she rejects me. We used to hug and chill, and joke, and everything was cool. But as we went to greet each other, she seemed very stoic; I got just a handshake (very interesting), and nothing really happened. Sure, her being in the military for some time has something to do with it. But I expected just a little bit more than that. God forbid if that were Thaisha, I wouldn't know what to do with myself. So I did my best, and wished her happy holidays; and I found out that Jonathan's married in the Marines, and that her pop is shorter than her. And that's short!
Okay okay, enough with the jokes. All in all, it was nice seeing her again. Even if her short and stoic behind couldn't muster more than just a handshake.

I'm glad Tavie enjoys her new watch. And of course, my giving her the watch didn't come without question. "Is this to say you're tired of the pleather bands?" "Is this for me because I'm always late?" That last one was my favorite. But knowing her, she would probably hold on to it, and keep wearing her Pooh watch, if she hasn't given it away as a gift already...

I sure wish I saw Mikey again before he goes back. But if by chance I do find him, I would probably be without his Christmas present. But since I know I won't see him anytime these next few months, I'll settle for his sister Tiffany...

I need a new DVD player. Nothing's wrong with the one I have now, except that it is very old and doesn't play VCD's and MP3 CD's. I need a decent one that doesn't burn my wallet to smitherines. And now that I finally acquired the English dubbed version of John Woo's A Better Tomorrow, I definitely want a new DVD player. What will I do with the old model? Probably connect it to the PSone combo screen, and watch On Her Majesty's Secret Service in my bedroom...

In any case, that's all before the weekend starts. I celebrate my 17 "day"versary of my iPod acquisition. It's not an anniversary, becomes the head of anniversary connotates annual. And since we deal with annis in years, I call it my day-versary. To celebrate my first month, I plan to go to...
an iPod convention.
Have fun!

Good.
I was reminded.

Merry Christmas to all! And before I go and enjoy my festivities, I leave you with another freelance. This one may be a little disjointed, but in time, will get better. In any case, happy holidays from the other side...

The Freelance Before Christmas

Tis the freelance before Christmas; & before I go to bed,
let me tell you the thoughts dancing in my head.
The finals are finally over, and just in time...
So somebody crack a bottle and pass me the wine.
I turned 21 a week ago, I am in the legal age
Big, tall, smart and cool making a reasonable wage.
The jovial mood I'm in, as all my shopping is through
and if you didn't finish yours, well shame on you!
All the bills are paid, school for the fall is done;
now's the time to catch up on lost sleep and fun.
Bring on the Christmas Party; I'm going, you'd best believe!
And you already know what I'm doing New Year's Eve!
Bring on the tatti dance! Bring on the electric slide!
And all I'll need is a girl to rock with at my side.
My iPod in my hand, and I under my cap
will just about settle on a long January nap.
Then a whistle of wind; a snowstorm about to blow,
now there's a much louder noise coming from the window
I shut it closed, turn around, and what do I see?
Huge Christmas presents underneath the Christmas tree.
I shuffle through the stuff, asking "Anything for me?
Perhaps a brand new stereo or a color TV?"
I'm trying to remember, was I good or was I bad...
'cause the only presents there were for mom and dad.
Wait, I had to be someplace... I don't know where
Ah, here comes my ride to take me there.
I'm gonna get some digits before the night is through;
My dad wishes me luck, and to be back by two.
And they heard us exclaim before we drove out of sight...
"Happy Holidays to all... And rock on all night!!"

Breathing fresh air...
and yet again, more fresh air...

I am aware that I kinda cut my birthday post a tad bit short. But now that finals are over, and now that I have had a decent nine hour rest, I am ready to go. I gotta say that I feel good now that the finals are over. I'm pretty certain (and not so certain on the Brinberg front) that I passed them all. But time will reveal.
Tomorrow is Sunday, and two weeks away from my last day as a seasonal employee of Crate & Barrel. Luckily, I'm still there. But I'm pretty satisfied with my time there. Good friends, great women, cool bosses, that sort of the like. Also, I got my iPod, which was THE most important thing. And I've done so much showing off, there are little scratches on the screen. No problem though, because it represents my iPod. And like it, I too have scratches here and there.
As far as that girl I was supposed to be talking to @ C & B; well, she's got a man. And her man's got a car. A very nice one, by the way. So there went that one. I felt pretty heated and let down about that too. On the long bus ride home, I heavily depended on my music library (4GB's and growing) to lift my spirits back up again. It worked, but not before my rest came in. But now, all's cool in the front.
Before I continue, let me close the chapter on the Mrs. Bert front. If you haven't guessed it, I never got around to the confrontation. She came to the final after me, "game face" and all; and left the room before me, with the same face. This is the final Business Law class at Hunter College; there's no level after 480 that one can pass. Perhaps this will be the last time I see her anyway; she's had to have been there for some time. So, I'll never know the method of her anger. It doesn't matter anyway; all I can say is, best of luck to her in all her endeavours...

Now, the Christmas season has officially arrived! And everyone's getting caught in the rapture! I was sure not to forget everyone special. I caught my livery driver off guard with a present (I've only known him 6 months, but when you can chill in his apartment, you're family). The secretary from the Hunter College economics department was in a state of shock (with Godiva, of course). Tomorrow, all the C & B associates will be treated to some cookies (Entemann's, of course). And Tavie (who had THE biggest shock of 'em all) got a new watch from me. The look on her face pretty much said it all.
Ah, now that I brought that up, remember the discussion of the Hunter Block?? Well, like a ghost of the past, one of those kids who went AWOL on me showed up that day I gave Tavie her Christmas present. Helen, the Asian who was suffering from so many internal problems, has returned to Hunter College!! And she couldn't wait to tell us all what has happened in her life for the past two years. How she developed a knack for fashion; and the men in her life, which is all cool. But she wouldn't stop talking! Tavie and I left her with another friend of Tavie's, and Helen decides to continue chatting away with her!! We had to go back to rescue her! All in all, it feels real good to see her alive and well again. And...
She works at MACY'S. Cool, very cool...
Also, I met Kitana for the very first time that day. Crosses over from Canada to New York a lot; at first she looked like she came from Trinidad. In fact, if no one said anything, I wouldn't have guessed that she was with Tavie! I guess it's that thing us black folk have, where you would suspect your white friend's friends are usually white. Maybe I'm just blowing hot air again. In any case, Kitana looked very nice...

Someone must remind me to post a freelance before Christmas.

I didn't get to see Lord Of The Rings II, and nine times out of ten may never get to see it until it comes out on DVD. All my frineds saw it while I was at work, and my other buddies were either too busy, too far away, or too drunk to watch it with me. Sigh.

For now, that's it. Unless you want to celebrate my 11 day anniversary of my acquiring my iPod. So, what am I gonna do now, you ask? I'm going to...
Get my car & driver's license!!

Ah. It feels good to finally breathe some fresh air...
Even if it is only for six hours.

In any case, I am three finals down, one more final to go. And with work tomorrow as well, there's no way I'm gonna be able to catch Lord Of The Rings II opening night; that is of course, if I don'tgo by myself. Knowing me, to ring in the big 2-1 (yes katz 'n' kittens, the ordinary shy-guy turns 21 today) with a bang, I'll probably see the movie by myself tomorrow.

First up, let me say happy birthday to Alyssa Milano and Jennifer Beals, who both share my birthday today (that's so cool...). Second, thanks to Tavie for the gift (of brownies). I hope to return the favor soon. Also, congrats on her setting up and maintaining the Christmas tradition all by herself.
Third, I would like to say good riddance to bad rubbish to Professor Brinberg. Now that her final is over (Thank God, because only he would allow me to retain anything from that class), I would like to say that The Genius Of Modern Theater with Professor Sybil Brinberg was by far and large, the most depressing class I've taken. The works that I've read (despite the marvellous fashion that it was written in) were some of the most dark accounts of life I've ever read. No Afro-American writer wrote such depressing crap. A loving husband and father declared insane by his own wife.

Before I go, I should do something I have not done in a long time: post a freelance. So before I study my brain away and work my ass off, here's a Christmas freelance I wrote some years ago. The situations had a little to do with me (you'll catch on to which parts very quickly), while some I borrowed from other members of the kliq. It's kinda like The Christmas Story, but a little more modern. In any case, I hope you'll like it. Without further ado, from the other side...

The Christmas Bitterness... (Grudgingly)

'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house,
The little ones are tossing, turning, and squealing like a mouse.
Mother's stocking was hung and filled with care...
Because all of money put those goodies there;
Hangin' with Nat King Cole; chillin' in my crib;
Baby Jessica is mumblin' and fumblin' with her bib;
The Christmas tree hung beautifully through the night,
those little lights blinking with the star shining bright;
the carols being sung, everyone filled with glee;
I can't smile though, I fell and broke my knee.
Grudgingly I stood, making the attempt to sing,
looking out the window, seeing lovers do their thing.
"Gee, I wish that were me," as I watched the wind blow
While treetops glisten, & children listen to sleigh bells in the snow
Damn that stupid train, as it scraped my feet
I'm going to the kitchen to my brother I will beat
"Leave him alone," mother said, striking me with the spoon;
I wish I could take that spoon and smack the big buffoon
Woe is me, as I close this rap
This Christmas season... what a load of crap!

Oh yeah, what happened to Mrs. Bert??? Well, like the change in weather, she had another attitude change that Thursday. She must have saw me coming with my camcorder a mile away, because she avoided me (at all costs, it seemed) at Business Law class. Frown, and all.
So what's next hotshot, you ask?? Well, the final is this Thursday. And I have some time that day until Brinberg's final (which I've yet to study for). So I will open commuincations then. No breakfast (since she would probably eat it before the finals), but I'll ask her how it went (if she listens to me, anyway) and find out the ultimate answer to the question: why she doesn't smile!

Ah. Another day in the new life.
And I've been blogging for 238 days. That's 127 days away from the first ever anniversary of the mind/blog merger. Cool!
In any case, in case you haven't figured things out, the real reason I've been away from you guys is because of my newly acquired iPod. As planned, I got the 10GB model from the Apple store at Soho (at $30 educational discount!) It's so cool. So small. And so convienient. I have only borrowed my CD player to check out new CD's I bought and am going to buy (including the Nemesis Soundtrack, more on that later). Other than that, it's been all iPod! I will admit, it took me awhile before I used all it's features. I wanted everything in the box to stay there, with the exception of the iPod of course. I just finished using the earphones for the first time. Yesterday, I finally had enough of searching for a new case that I already have, and decided to use the Apple case. And on Friday, I finally got around to using the remote control (and think, I bought this on Wednesday!) But don't mind me, I'm just having fun...
Oh man, you should've seen it! Since you didn't, I'll get Tavie (oh yeah, kudos to Tavie for getting back her iBook) to send you the photos...

Okay, on to some more interesting stuff. CnB sent me home for the first time today. This is a disappointing story in itself, but one I can't help but tell. Around 3:45, I arrive to work for a 4PM-9:30 shift, and decide to do my shopping at the time, before it was too late. You know the details; you gotta get a manager to ring you up and all that; well I waited some time, and around 3 minutes after 4, the order was done. Thinking that I was already late and shouldn't work without something in the system, I stop for quick bite before I punch in. Around the same time, a manager shows up asking to talk with me. After finding out what happened, she decides to send me home. At first I thought, "aw, c'mon. At least I wasn't on the clock." Then I decided, "hell, I can use some more shopping time. Why not?" As for whether I'm leaving for good, I don't think my actions were that drastic, especially after all I've been doing at that store. And the consequences shouldn't be that drastic either.
Now that I give it some more thought, had I not been sent home, I would be working 5 days back to back to back to back. From last Saturday, til this Wednesday, I would be going back to that same place (thank God the whole transit mess is over; see I told ya God works miracles!) doing the same thing. 9 to 5, 11 to 7, and 4 to close the next three days. And the strange thing is, I don't even know the manager who sent me home! I had two or three conversations with her before, but all about time cards and who gets to go to lunch first (in which I opted to go last). I don't know her name, nor will she know mine until everyone asks where I've gone. If I remember, the first time I met her, I was having a 15 minute break (ah, where those breaks went) and she said some smart remark about it. I remember showing her my time card several days later because it was all screwed up. She just happened to catch me being 4 or 6 minutes late one Sunday shift ago. Flabbergasted, I said, "it's a long story." Then last Sunday, some workers and I were discussing who goes on break and who stays behind. The lady again shows up to try and resolve the situation. Since the last encounters we've had weren't that great, I went off saying that I'll go last, hoping I wouldn't look like an idiot arguing over break. And now, today. At this point in time, all I can say is... whatever.

Next up, Nemesis. The movie, despite Mike's comments, was one of the most awesome movies Star Trek has done to date! I mean, it was so good, I plan to buy the soundtrack on Tuesday! Yes, it was that good. Tom Hardy did a nice job as Picard's antagonist. Well, maybe I'm saying it was good because everyone had a decent part in the film. Maybe it was because of the striking resemblance it has to Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (one of the best films ever). Maybe it was the music. Maybe it was the space battle. Or Data's death (that's all I'm saying about that one!) was the key. I don't care, it was everything! What more can one put in there? If you haven't seen the flick, go see it. And oh yeah, Maid in Manhattan wasn't too bad either.

Also, I forgot to mention that I saw Friday After Next some time ago. That too, was a funny movie. Not as funny as the first Friday flick (with Chris Tucker, but then again, nothing beats the original), but it does have its moments. After Ghetto Santa robs them of their Christmas gifts (and rent money), the duo pose as security guards to get the rent money. That's all I'll say about it, but it was an alright film.

Okay, that's all I write for now. Be back soon.

Hey, remember Mrs. Bert??? She did a puppet turn on me and my friend, because for the first time ever, she smiled, and laughed, with us!!! All is even better now @ da crib!! Now, at least for today, we'll call her Mrs. Ernie!!
So what's next hotshot, you ask?? Well, this Thursday, the review day, I intend to invite her for breakfast, to sort of get to know her a little bit, learn a thing or two (or three) about marriage, and find out why she doesn't smile!

Ah, so much ahead...
After receiveing an 100 on my Intermediate Accounting II exam, I am feeling a lot better about life, and a lot worse. Because now I have the last paper to rewrite before the dreaded finals. At least I'll have an edge going in. Business Law III won't pull any punches on the 19th, Intermediate Accounting (the 18th) will have more of the same stuff, and one more steady increase in grade will ensure that I pass Money and Banking (occurs on the 20th)...

This all leads to Brinberg's Genius of Modern Theater. Though I expect and will gladly receive my B in stride, there seemingly are more hurdles to jump to arrive there than I thought. A paper that I have to procrastinately write, yet again, another final exam; it never seems as though I will get my feet firmly on the ground. Perhaps the upwardly scholar will do much better this time around.

On the workfront, the guys upstairs are making small blunders with my scheduling. On my availability, I request Wednesday mornings, not nights. But leave it to the beavers to schedule me for Wednesday nights, for the next two weeks. Now I gotta hope they'll allow me to come at 6PM instead of 4PM. Other than that, I'm seriously talking to one of the females now, and hoping, I'm getting all the right signals. Christmas nights are especially lonely...

But nothing, and this jabroni means nothing, will get in the way of my good spirits. For the hot item of the year is coming in but near two days. What? Yup, you guessed it...
The iPod arrival is two days away!!
And when I met Tavie, she seemed a little more enthusiastic about it than I did at the time! But all fears were calmed by the fact that soon, I will feast my eyes, hands, and belt on the most innovative product Apple has ever created. This inner peace did hit several boulders, though. First, 10GB or 20GB? Well, the 10GB is thinner than the original, and holds 5GB more than the original. That's cool, but it only holds 10GB of music and anything else I put on it. Then there's the 20GB model, which holds a lot more (that's cool), but is not only thicker and heavier than both the 5GB and 10GB models, but it's also $100 more (that's bad)! The ultimate battle of size vs. SIZE. In this battle though...

The 10GB iPod for $400 wins.

Second, where am I gonna get this unit from? I look at the top contenders: The Apple Store, J & R, and The Wiz. I was at The Wiz today, and the whole setup was alright, service was something to still long for; but overall, they're not have bad. The only advantage they've got is their extended warranty. On the J & R front, I stop there to exchange the defective MP3 CD player for a new one with the replacement warranty (which expired a few days after I went for the exchange.) Not only was service excellent, not only did I get the new unit the same day, but I got smiles. They must've read my blog!! They have a big chip on their shoulder which knocks out The Wiz 10-1!!
Then finally lies The Apple Store @ Soho. Location is closer to the college, which is cool. Atmosphere is awesome and inviting, that's a definite plus. But what will definitely win this race for Apple is a possible discount. Online, one can buy stuff for $20 to $30 less because they have something to do with school. If the same holds true in the actual store, I could spend less than necessary!!
It really wouldn't matter though, I'll probably buy from them anyway.

In any case, the iPod is coming in two days!!
And Nemesis on Friday!!

Ah, what a day it's been today! The 6 to 8 inches of snow we've been getting has been awesome, despite those who really hate the snow. After my Intermediate Accounting exam, which I aced by the way, I took the 4 back to Brooklyn and indulged myself in some snow fights with the local kids. Nothing big, just a bunch Crown Heights' finest in a good 'ole snow fight.

After stopping at J & R, I realized that I might get the run-around for a replacement CD player. I have to call the Warrantech company, then they give me a repair number, then I go back to J & R, then I get my CD player. Somewhere along that picture, I see something going wrong. In any case, I'll be optimistic about it all, and prepare my eBay search for a RioVolt CD player...

You know, just to have a CD player, just in case...
But nothing will compare to the iPod.

Ah, another day. and six more days until the arrival of what everyone considers the best mp3 player on the market, the iPod. I admit that I have been beating this one around so much; in fact, it is said that within three months time, I will find it obsolete. To clear that up, I can get a firewire hard drive and a mp3 player in one with this deal. Both items will have life in themselves, and they will sure as hell last more than three months. I believe they'll last as long as firewire does.

Interestingly, Mikey inquires on how mp3 players work. This in turn makes me inquire if he has one, or plans on getting one in the near future. In any case, my Mac-knowledge-fueled assumption is that you turn it on, and you set it up to play according to your taste at the time. Of course, you organize your playlists with the program that transfers the music to your player first. Then you transfer your music to the player, and it works from there. The only question is how to get the music from the player to your computer if necessary. On my front, I've been visiting this site, learning all that others go through. I have come to these conclusions:
1. Download a program that transfers music from iPod to Mac.
2. MusicMatch Jukebox + iTuner = great music encoding combination
3. 10GB and better is the way to go.
I kinda find it funny that I might spend $400 for a firewire drive that only holds less than 10GB of music, when I can spend $300 for a 20GB USB hard drive that serves the same purpose. But when I think about that 'ole & slo' Zip 650 CD burner and the fact that I haven't used my firewire ports since I bought my iMac DV+, I think $400 is well worth it.

Ah yes, before I forget to mention it, my semi-new firewire burner just came on Wednesday, and it freakin rules!! I've burned 3 CD's (one mp3, two regular audio) since it's arrival, and it was fast (14 minutes for all three CDs to burn, that's fast for me!) I remember it would take 37 minutes to burn one CD! Those were dem dayz, days that will not be missed!! QPS makes some noisy and loud, yet fast and sleek, drives! Long live eBay!!!
And what a way to complement my new burner than with some new CD labels! TDK has some glossy ones, 20 for $10.99 at J & R, which I thought was a pretty decent deal; so decent, I bought two. Making CDs isn't the problem anymore, it's creating cool labels on Photoshop which is the hard part.

Speaking of Photoshop, my experimenting with 6.0 has increased my knowledge and expertise a little bit, and just enough to pass on to some MEDIA 180 students in the ICS room. Though ICS lacks Eye Candy plugins, I was still able to help create some new advertisements based on the current ones available. For example, this lady walks in the Mac section of the ICS room, and notices that I'm sitting at the Mac with the scanner. Automatically thinking I work there (I call it the ScannerCurse, because everytime I sit in that spot, I automatically "assume" the duties of someone who works in the ICS Mac Labs), she asks me for help in scanning an ad of JLo's new perfume "Body." I performed the task thinking it that would've been it; but no, now she needs help rearranging the picture and creating a brand new ad. I jokingly say, "well, there should be some fine print that says 'great body sold separately'!" Thinking of it as a pitch, the woman starts typing "If you want my body, buy my 'Body'," with the fine print stating "extensive diet plan and Ben Affleck not included." Now that's advertising...

Okay, in response to Mikey's $30 and less gift ideas, all I can say is, it depends on who you are getting it for. Aside from the GAP turtlenecks, CD's, video games, and other tops that one can acquire for less than $30, there really isn't much left. Unless you are talking about Crate & Barrel for Christmas shopping, which isnt so bad, that's another story. Perhaps at C & B, you can buy mugs and holiday dinnerware for your parents or something. Maybe a nice little Christmas ornament, but that's as far as my imagination wants to take me right now. Perhaps I'll stop buy when I'm not working and give you some more ideas.
Until then...

...we are at 20 days until Christmas, 14 days until the big 2-1, 8 days until Nemesis & the last day of class, and only 6 days until the iPod! Happy December!

Hey, y'all!

Dunno why I'm startin like this, but the winter is FINALLY here, and I'm lovin every minute of it. I want to get some things out my system before I go to bed tonight. So here goes, everything...

This week begins the week of countdowns. The week of countdowns is just a system that's set to countdown until the day something very big happens. Very simple, unnecessary, yet cool. And our countdown begins with:
7 days until the iPod arrives! To think, it will be one week before I am done away with the walkman. And already my walkmans aren't liking it. The cassette player is giving me reception trouble, and the MP3 CD player is recognizing MP3 CDs like it's supposed to. In fact, it's been giving me trouble recognizing regular CDs too! Now I gotta go exchange the unit with my replacement warranty at J & R Music World later on tomorrow. But I swear, if my audio components cannot get along, they all will be replaced! But enough on that, it's 1 week until the iPod arrival, and to say I'm ecstatic is an understatement; I'm overjoyed!!
9 days until the last day of class! And coincidentally, it is also 9 days until Star Trek: Nemesis. I plan to celebrate the final day of class around 8PM with a date with Loewe's on the opening night of Trek. Another date with destiny I cannot wait to meet. Also, it is 9 days until I register for Spring 2003 classes at Hunter College. And looking at the schedule, I might be at that place everyday next semester...
15 days until the Marathon Man turns the big 2-1!! Do not ask what I intend to do, because unfortunately, it is also 15 days until my big set of final exams. Boo. Exams on my birthday? That's the most yuckiest way I know to start it off. Of course, I also could be working that day; but that would just be the pits. The only silver lining I can find is that my chances of passing are slightly greater because it's my birthday. Well, let's just hope and see...