I feel smug
You know that quiet, smug satisfaction you get like when someone detonates a nuclear bomb and you say "See, I told you not to press the red button." I feel that same satisfaction when I see the impending doom upon the west brought on by the sexual revolution in conjunction with the culture of death. For the sake of our western nations and way of life, no worse combination of ideologies could have come together.
You can read these troubling predictions of the future by Mark Steyn at Power Line. In reference to the growing Islamification of Europe, Steyn writes:
''As a general rule, when 600 octogenarians are up against 200 teenagers, bet on the teens. In five or ten years’ time, who precisely is going to organize mass deportations from French cities in which the native/Muslim youth-population ratio is already - right now - 55/45?''
''As I’ve said innumerable times, the native European population is split three ways: some will leave, as the Dutch (and certain French) are already doing; some will shrug and go along with the Islamization of the continent, as the ever-accelerating number of conversions suggests; and so the ones left to embrace Fascism will be a minority of an aging population. It will be bloody and messy, as I write in America Alone, but it will not alter the final outcome. If you don’t breed, you can’t influence the future. And furthermore a disinclination to breed is a good sign you don’t care much about the future.''
And with reference to the "better educated" and those who do "not use more than their portion" when it comes to having children:
''Here's the question for Bishop Kate (of the Episcopalian church): If Fatma An-Najar has 41 grandchildren and a responsible "better educated" Episcopalian has one or two, into whose hands are we delivering "the stewardship of the earth"? If your crowd isn't around in any numbers, how much influence can they have in shaping the future?''
And then this article arrived on HotAir Sunday night (11/27/06):
Russia may let husbands veto wives’ abortions
''The draft text of the bill says that an unmarried woman can have an abortion on her own but both the married woman and her husband must both consent to the abortion in the case of a married couple.''
''Krutov also said that the bill would help reduce the number of abortions at a time when Russia is facing sever underpopulation problems. The use of abortion as birth control has caused the nation's population to plummet and the country will eventually have a hard time finding enough workers and supporting its elderly citizens.''
''The number of abortions in Russia is now about 1.5 million annually, just under the number of births there, which number 1.6 million per year.''
''Russia's birthrate has been on the decline for decades and, in 2004, was just 1.17 babies per woman.''
''The result of these dynamics put together is seen in a recent UN report which shows the Russian population shrinking by one-third by 2050. That could leave the nation unable to field an army to defend itself, man factories and other labor-intensive businesses and provide for older Russians in their retirement years.''
So what do I predict this all means? I see a dying off of western secularism to an orthodox few in the west. Then I see a clash of epic proportions between a smaller Christian people against a communist empire (China) and hordes of Muslim oppressors. And yet I feel a smug, "I told you so" attitude.
Monday, November 27, 2006
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
WHY WILL NINTENDO ALWAYS BE BETTER THAN MICROSOFT AND SONY?
ANSWER: Because they are interested in what's fun and not hardware specs. (See Business Week)
The only bummer for me about the Wii is that I don't have children old enough to justify/rationalize the investment (yet).
(Editor's note: edited because url was too long and causing formatting problems in Firefox.)
ANSWER: Because they are interested in what's fun and not hardware specs. (See Business Week)
The only bummer for me about the Wii is that I don't have children old enough to justify/rationalize the investment (yet).
(Editor's note: edited because url was too long and causing formatting problems in Firefox.)
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
I Feel Dumb.
TEEN GOES NUCLEAR: He creates fusion in his Oakland Township home
What were you doing when you were 17?
TEEN GOES NUCLEAR: He creates fusion in his Oakland Township home
What were you doing when you were 17?
Happy Birthday FU-News!.
Yesterday was the third birthday of FU-News! Yay me for sticking with something for so long!
You can read the very first post here.
Yesterday was the third birthday of FU-News! Yay me for sticking with something for so long!
You can read the very first post here.
Monday, November 20, 2006
More from the Department for Studying the Obvious.
Well, at least it's obvious to me.
Young people in developed countries unhappy, survey says.
Key quote: "The happier young people of the developing world are also the most religious," the survey said.
Duh. You mean God brings happiness? No kiddin'.
Of course, if you don't believe in anything, there isn't much to hope for, is there?
Well, at least it's obvious to me.
Young people in developed countries unhappy, survey says.
Key quote: "The happier young people of the developing world are also the most religious," the survey said.
Duh. You mean God brings happiness? No kiddin'.
Of course, if you don't believe in anything, there isn't much to hope for, is there?
Sunday, November 19, 2006
New Contest!
I will give a bag of marshmallows to whoever can jog my memory furthest as to where the heck I put my binder with the Young Indiana Jones collector cards, The Rocketeer collector cards (and comic book) and all my baseball cards (Nolan Ryans and all. No I still have my George Brett card via Divine Providence). Its a white binder. It has cool stuff inside. It's mine. No, I'm not kidding. Last time I remember seeing it (for certain) is in my dorm room back in Steubenville. Ileana says she doesn't know what I'm talking about, so I don't know if it ever left Marian hall. I'm not accusing anybody, and I don't care if I gave it somebody. I just want anyone to shove my memory forward past freshman year in reference to this binder. Were the heck is it? Seriously, big bag of marshmallows.
-Tom Adams
I will give a bag of marshmallows to whoever can jog my memory furthest as to where the heck I put my binder with the Young Indiana Jones collector cards, The Rocketeer collector cards (and comic book) and all my baseball cards (Nolan Ryans and all. No I still have my George Brett card via Divine Providence). Its a white binder. It has cool stuff inside. It's mine. No, I'm not kidding. Last time I remember seeing it (for certain) is in my dorm room back in Steubenville. Ileana says she doesn't know what I'm talking about, so I don't know if it ever left Marian hall. I'm not accusing anybody, and I don't care if I gave it somebody. I just want anyone to shove my memory forward past freshman year in reference to this binder. Were the heck is it? Seriously, big bag of marshmallows.
-Tom Adams
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
WHAT DO COCKROACHES AND HEARING LOSS HAVE IN COMMON? MORE THAN YOU THINK
By Olive Nughs, Arkansas Republic Journal
Arkansas(AP)–Ever wonder what the difference is between snakes on a plane and cockroaches in an ear? Well, one is a movie, while the other is real. Just ask Arkansas domiciliary Paul Harold. Mr. Harold was having an ordinary evening Monday night. He laid down to sleep after putting his daughter to bed and chatting with his wife. He was rudely awakened at 12:40PM, however, by America’s latest health scourge: a cockroach climbing into his ear. After unsuccessfully attempting to pry the little bugger out of his ear, Mr. Harold gently awoke his wife and asked her to try. After several unsuccessful (but very gross) attempts at removal by his wife, Mr. Harold proceeded to the emergency room of the local hospital, where trained medical professionals removed the roach before it did any permanent hearing damage.
According to Mr. Harold, when the bug was removed it was still alive. "He was just wiggling around in there the whole time. It was pretty painful. I had trouble driving to the hospital with it wiggling. The whole time I was driving I was thinking, ‘How do I explain this to a police officer if I get pulled over?’" It was a big roach, too. The hospital staff admired its size after pulling it from Mr. Harold’s ear. "I couldn’t believe it fit in my ear," said Mr. Harold.
Mr. Harold is but the latest victim of a disturbingly common health problem. C. Chandrassakan Lupta, the Ear Roach Specialist at the University of Arkansas for the Medical Sciences, places ear roaches as the fourth most threatening health condition to modern Americans, behind smoking, obesity, and lighting one’s underpants on fire. "Ear roaches or aurae roachae are much more common than people think: last year alone over 1 in 25 Americans suffered from this disease. And it can do serious hearing damage if not treated medically." Dr. Gupta said that efforts have been made to raise the public’s awareness of auraue roachae, "but nobody is listening." Well, maybe that’s because people have roaches in their ears.
As for Mr. Harold, he considers himself lucky: "I would have to say that I’m blessed. At least it [the roach] didn’t go up my nose."
By Olive Nughs, Arkansas Republic Journal
Arkansas(AP)–Ever wonder what the difference is between snakes on a plane and cockroaches in an ear? Well, one is a movie, while the other is real. Just ask Arkansas domiciliary Paul Harold. Mr. Harold was having an ordinary evening Monday night. He laid down to sleep after putting his daughter to bed and chatting with his wife. He was rudely awakened at 12:40PM, however, by America’s latest health scourge: a cockroach climbing into his ear. After unsuccessfully attempting to pry the little bugger out of his ear, Mr. Harold gently awoke his wife and asked her to try. After several unsuccessful (but very gross) attempts at removal by his wife, Mr. Harold proceeded to the emergency room of the local hospital, where trained medical professionals removed the roach before it did any permanent hearing damage.
According to Mr. Harold, when the bug was removed it was still alive. "He was just wiggling around in there the whole time. It was pretty painful. I had trouble driving to the hospital with it wiggling. The whole time I was driving I was thinking, ‘How do I explain this to a police officer if I get pulled over?’" It was a big roach, too. The hospital staff admired its size after pulling it from Mr. Harold’s ear. "I couldn’t believe it fit in my ear," said Mr. Harold.
Mr. Harold is but the latest victim of a disturbingly common health problem. C. Chandrassakan Lupta, the Ear Roach Specialist at the University of Arkansas for the Medical Sciences, places ear roaches as the fourth most threatening health condition to modern Americans, behind smoking, obesity, and lighting one’s underpants on fire. "Ear roaches or aurae roachae are much more common than people think: last year alone over 1 in 25 Americans suffered from this disease. And it can do serious hearing damage if not treated medically." Dr. Gupta said that efforts have been made to raise the public’s awareness of auraue roachae, "but nobody is listening." Well, maybe that’s because people have roaches in their ears.
As for Mr. Harold, he considers himself lucky: "I would have to say that I’m blessed. At least it [the roach] didn’t go up my nose."
Monday, November 13, 2006
Yet Another Sign of the Decline and Fall of Western Civilization.
Outcry as clinic offers 'designer baby' embryo screening for 200 diseases | the Daily Mail
This one has all the key excuses and rationalizations of men who do evil for the sake of good.
"The alternative is testing at 16 weeks when they may choose an abortion or, in many cases, seeing their baby die from some of these horrendous diseases." That's right! We can prevent abortions this way! Those Christians would have to be hypocritical to be against something that prevents abortions! And we can save people from hardships of horrible diseases! And all that we need to do is destroy human life before it gets old enough for us to care about it! But of course, where does this end? If we can justify killing in the earliest stages of life to end disease, what about the end of life? Why not bring on all-out euthanasia? And why stop with old people? And why limit it to diseases? Why not justify mercy-killing of those who are living in misery not brought about by disease, but by causes such as poverty or other social hardships?
Of course, 'mercy'-killing is a misnomer, as Dr. Harold the Elder pointed out in philosophy class because, "justice is giving someone his due. Mercy is giving him more than his due. Everyone deserves life, so 'mercy'-killing is not just against mercy, it is against justice because it gives someone less than their due."
"In my opinion, it is unethical not to offer couples the chance of a disease-free child." That's right, it would be wrong not to do it, to stand in the way of all the good that can be done! And think of all the diseases we can end through embryonic stem cell research! Why, it would be criminal to oppose that! And the only cost is we have to destroy a few things that don't even look like people. But I suppose if one doesn't believe in anything one cannot see, then it would be easy to justify the destruction of embryos, since they don't look like a person.
It reminds me of the end of Minority Report, where the Bad Guy who had created the Department of Pre-Crime is trying to justify to himself the murder of the mother of one of the psychics and says to himself "think of all the good you've done, the lives that have been saved."
"When I explained, the manager said, 'So this technique means we spend £20,000 and avoid the possibility of having to spend between £1 and £2 million caring for a disabled child. It's a no-brainer.'" That's right! We can save money this way! It would be cheaper and easier on not just the parent's pocketbook, but on that of the British taxpayer, who in the end foots the bill for the socialized healthcare that pays for the diseased baby. But of course, this is justifying desctruction of human life for economic reasons, essentially putting a monetary value on human life.
"I realise some people have concerns this is all going too far but quite apart from the regulators overseeing our work and ethical guidelines, we are governed by our desire to alleviate suffering." That's right! We only want to help! Our noble goal is to make the world a better place by putting an end to suffering and disease! But of course, such has been the excuse of all evil men throughout history.
*Joe's Idea for a Science Fiction Story*
Feel free to use this as long as you credit me/pay me royalties.
In the not-too-distant future, all babies are selected in a manner similar to this and screened not just for diseases but for physical traits such as eye and hair color, beauty, and physical abilities (for instance, parents pay $35,000 for a baby that will be 7' tall and an NBA star; Considering the amount of money the kid will make, that's a pretty good ROI). There might even be government mandates for why babies have to be pre-screened to save on national healthcare costs. Or maybe insurance companies won't cover non-screened babies.
Anyways, after some nuclear war/cataclysmic asteroid impact/apocalyptic event, technology reverts and the ability to screen babies or use IVF is lost, buried under piles of rubble. It is then discovered that women have become sterile, as there is no longer a natural or evolutionary reason for a woman to be able to conceive. Perhaps all women have damaged fallopian tubes, since they are not necessary to IVF. Or perhaps the cervical mucus no longer sustains the sperm so they can live long enough to fertilize the ovum. Whatever the cause, no one is able to have any babies and the human race dies out. The end.
©2006 Joe Belland. All Rights Reserved.
If you want a happy ending, perhaps the Catholics and a few other traditional Christians survive because they have been secretly having real babies all along. But I prefer my tales of foreboding to have dark and depressing endings, like "The Boy Who Cried Too Much and Was Left Out in The Woods To Be Eaten by Wolves - You Get My Drift, Little Timmy?"
Outcry as clinic offers 'designer baby' embryo screening for 200 diseases | the Daily Mail
This one has all the key excuses and rationalizations of men who do evil for the sake of good.
"The alternative is testing at 16 weeks when they may choose an abortion or, in many cases, seeing their baby die from some of these horrendous diseases." That's right! We can prevent abortions this way! Those Christians would have to be hypocritical to be against something that prevents abortions! And we can save people from hardships of horrible diseases! And all that we need to do is destroy human life before it gets old enough for us to care about it! But of course, where does this end? If we can justify killing in the earliest stages of life to end disease, what about the end of life? Why not bring on all-out euthanasia? And why stop with old people? And why limit it to diseases? Why not justify mercy-killing of those who are living in misery not brought about by disease, but by causes such as poverty or other social hardships?
Of course, 'mercy'-killing is a misnomer, as Dr. Harold the Elder pointed out in philosophy class because, "justice is giving someone his due. Mercy is giving him more than his due. Everyone deserves life, so 'mercy'-killing is not just against mercy, it is against justice because it gives someone less than their due."
"In my opinion, it is unethical not to offer couples the chance of a disease-free child." That's right, it would be wrong not to do it, to stand in the way of all the good that can be done! And think of all the diseases we can end through embryonic stem cell research! Why, it would be criminal to oppose that! And the only cost is we have to destroy a few things that don't even look like people. But I suppose if one doesn't believe in anything one cannot see, then it would be easy to justify the destruction of embryos, since they don't look like a person.
It reminds me of the end of Minority Report, where the Bad Guy who had created the Department of Pre-Crime is trying to justify to himself the murder of the mother of one of the psychics and says to himself "think of all the good you've done, the lives that have been saved."
"When I explained, the manager said, 'So this technique means we spend £20,000 and avoid the possibility of having to spend between £1 and £2 million caring for a disabled child. It's a no-brainer.'" That's right! We can save money this way! It would be cheaper and easier on not just the parent's pocketbook, but on that of the British taxpayer, who in the end foots the bill for the socialized healthcare that pays for the diseased baby. But of course, this is justifying desctruction of human life for economic reasons, essentially putting a monetary value on human life.
"I realise some people have concerns this is all going too far but quite apart from the regulators overseeing our work and ethical guidelines, we are governed by our desire to alleviate suffering." That's right! We only want to help! Our noble goal is to make the world a better place by putting an end to suffering and disease! But of course, such has been the excuse of all evil men throughout history.
*Joe's Idea for a Science Fiction Story*
Feel free to use this as long as you credit me/pay me royalties.
In the not-too-distant future, all babies are selected in a manner similar to this and screened not just for diseases but for physical traits such as eye and hair color, beauty, and physical abilities (for instance, parents pay $35,000 for a baby that will be 7' tall and an NBA star; Considering the amount of money the kid will make, that's a pretty good ROI). There might even be government mandates for why babies have to be pre-screened to save on national healthcare costs. Or maybe insurance companies won't cover non-screened babies.
Anyways, after some nuclear war/cataclysmic asteroid impact/apocalyptic event, technology reverts and the ability to screen babies or use IVF is lost, buried under piles of rubble. It is then discovered that women have become sterile, as there is no longer a natural or evolutionary reason for a woman to be able to conceive. Perhaps all women have damaged fallopian tubes, since they are not necessary to IVF. Or perhaps the cervical mucus no longer sustains the sperm so they can live long enough to fertilize the ovum. Whatever the cause, no one is able to have any babies and the human race dies out. The end.
©2006 Joe Belland. All Rights Reserved.
If you want a happy ending, perhaps the Catholics and a few other traditional Christians survive because they have been secretly having real babies all along. But I prefer my tales of foreboding to have dark and depressing endings, like "The Boy Who Cried Too Much and Was Left Out in The Woods To Be Eaten by Wolves - You Get My Drift, Little Timmy?"
Tuesday, November 7, 2006
We've Moved!
Ok, so for those of you who haven't heard, we've moved.
Our new place is really nice. It's a 3 bed, 2 bath condo, around 1500 sq. ft. (more than twice the size of our previous apartment). It has an attached two car garage, washer and dryer, and remote-controlled ceiling fans in every room.
And in what I'm sure many of you will consider a highly, highly controversial move, we've taken on a roommate. Jason White is a friend of ours and a co-worker of Rie's and I've linked to his photo site a couple times: the Dork Knights of Dumbshire. He has some pictures of the condo there that you can check out.
Part of the reason we moved in with him is because he was the one who discovered the condo. He was at a housewarming party for another friend and was in a conversation with one of the IT managers at Blizzard when it came up that the manager had a condo he was trying to sell. Jason told him he couldn't really afford to buy, but the manager said he was also willing to rent as well, since he was having a hard time selling it with the housing bubble popping. Jason told us about it (since he new we wanted to get out of our apartment) and we went to look at the condo with him. After a couple months, and much thought and prayer, we moved in.
The other reason was to save money on rent. $2100 a month, while cheap for the condo and area, is a little high for us. But at least it's better than the $500,000 asking price on the condo, which again is a good deal considering the area.
Now before you post comments about what an idiotic move we made, let me just say that this was a very carefully considered decision and after much thought, Rie and I decided that the pros outweighed the cons. Yes, there are drawbacks. We won't have as much privacy so we can't have wild sex on the couch anymore (not that we ever did), and we do have to worry about, as mom put it "what other people can hear" (but how is that any different than living in an apartment with paper-thin walls?). But those really weren't my main concerns. I really had only two concerns, which are detailed below.
1) Loss of the "Fortress of Solitude". Being an introvert, I can only tolerate being around people for so long. Eventually, I just need to retreat to my fortress of solitude and avoid all human contact for a while. With a roommate, that will be slightly less possible. Where do I go when I just want to sulk in a corner? I have to put up with some one else invading my space. Fortunately, I think I'll be able to live. Something we all agreed on before we moved in was that this would only really work because we had 3 bedrooms (one of which is used as a computer room). What it essentially means is that no matter where the other two people are, there will always be a room to retreat to for privacy.
2) Loss of "The Bubble". One of the things I've missed the most since graduating from Steubenville is "The Bubble". This was an invisible field that surrounded the campus and kept the good influences in and the bad influences out. Within the bubble you could be yourself and live by a Christian value system and not be thought of as quaint, out-of-touch, or radically out of the mainstream. When I moved out into "the world" I suddenly lost the protection of "the bubble". Suddenly, you find yourself surrounded by a culture that does not just think of you as outdated, but out-and-out despises your values. (Don't believe me? Read this recent post from The Pickles.) But the one place you could be safe (aside from at church) was in one's home. There I could set my own rules and live as I believed was right with no one telling me I was hopelessly out of touch, except for the TV of course, which can very easily be turned off. But with a roommate who is not Catholic, what becomes of my own, personal bubble? It's something that has yet to work itself out and gives me a fair amount of anxiety.
Now the Pros.
1) Our own Domicile. The major drawback to the last two places we lived was that neither one really felt permanent, or really like a home. They really only felt like the place we went to play WoW and sleep. This new place really, really feels more like a home. For the first time since we've been married we've actually unpacked most of our boxes. The crucifix that mom and dad gave us for our wedding has actually been hung up. The new place really just feels like someplace we can settle in.
2) Unpacking. This goes along with the previous point. Those of you who visited us at our previous apartment know how woefully small it was and we never had any hope of being able to unpack. This place is large enough that not only can we unpack, but we can move around! We've been able to sit down at our dining table and have a meal there for the first time in a year. Also, one of the reasons I've played so much WoW in the last year is because all our books were still packed away, and we never got the TV hooked up. I would sit around and be bored, not really wanting to play WoW, then I'd think to read a book, but didn't want to have to dig through the five heavy boxes, and I couldn't watch TV, so I just defaulted to playing WoW. After we moved, we didn't have internet for a week, and I ended up not playing WoW for 3 weeks. What amazed me was how little I missed it. Now when I'm bored and not really in the mood to play WoW, the bookcase right next to my desk starts to look a little more inviting.
3) Domestication of the Murloc. I think part of the reason that Rie hasn't been domesticated yet is because she hasn't had a place to be domesticated in. It was really her idea to move to this new place (I was against it until I saw how much she wanted it) and I think part of that is because of her nesting instinct kicking in. She's told me that she's now ready to quit her job and stay at home, but I need to be making enough money first. So if anyone knows of a job in the Irvine area that pays $60k+ a year, please let me know.
So, now if any of you think that we're still making a horrible mistake and are inclined to post or e-mail me why think so, I'll just tell you now, STFU! I DON'T WANNA HEAR IT! Actually, Rie's mom called her a little while after we moved to tell us as much and that she was disappointed we didn't ask her opinion first. Good thing it was Rie talking to her. My response would have been "of course we didn't ask you. We already knew what you would think."
Ok, on to the pictures.
A couple days after we moved in, the power went out while Southern California Edison switch the account from the landlord's name to ours. The landlord SCE to tell them that we would be calling to put the electric account in our name and somehow SCE heard that as "turn off the power until the new tenants call." I can see how a minimum wage or government worker might confuse the two. It did give me a good opportunity to take some cool pictures thought. The previous picture and the next four were all taken with a 10-second exposure.
Living room. This was before we had unfinished unpacking so there are still a few boxes.
The fireplace.
...with Rie's lightsaber turned on.
The coffee table centerpiece.
The real reason we moved in with Jason: he has a big-screen TV. The toilet paper stacked on the coffee table is so we don't have to leave the living room when we gotta go.
The picture above the fireplace is a map of Azeroth.
Jason's trophy case, filled with swag, mainly Blizzard swag that he swiped when Blizz was closing their offices in Northern California.
Our new place has stairs, but thankfully only the entry and garage is downstairs. All the bedrooms, living room, and kitchen are on the same level. Kittens love the stairs! It's fun to stick Bastet to the bottom of them and watch her cling on and crawl around to the top.
What could be more fun that putting a kitten in a hanging fruit bowl?
Putting two kittens in hanging fruit bowls! Isis is trying to chew through the chains while Bastet is contemplaiting a jump to freedom.
Bastet has a new favorite place. On the towel on top of the cabinet in Jason's bathroom. Apparently she was there watching him while he was taking a shower once. Voyeuristic kitty.
She likes being up and she can't get on top of the refrigerator any more.
A week after we moved in we threw a Halloween party. This was actually a really good idea as it forced us to unpack an clean up quickly rather than dragging it out. Rie went as a Pirate.
Tine was a punk pixie.
Jason went as, um, a drinking skeleton. There was a hole in the mouth just large enough to fit a straw through.
Rie went all out decorating for Halloween.
Cool little candle things on the coffee table.
Apparently Shelob got to Grom Hellscream and Tychondrius.
The hallway.
In case you hadn't noticed, we have a very WoW-themed home.
Jason also has a barbecue and grilled some hotdogs for Christine's birthday party.
A row of lighted eyeballs along the balcony railing.
The dinner table.
The chandelier. Shelob's been active.
Our wine "cellar". Shelob was here too. That might even be her in the background.
Kitties like stairs. Shelob likes kitties.
We do actually have a dungeon. A door in the garage leads to an under the beneath that resembles a dungeon.
Isis has it out for that Monkey. She's like the Coyote constantly plotting and planning how to get it. The ACME bills that we keep getting are huge.
Boo! This is what you saw when you came in the front door.
This is the front door. Rie cleverly placed the spider web just right so that she could walk under it but I would walk into it. Maybe she's Shelob.
Happy birthday Tiney!
The cake was actually made out of cupcakes.
And lastly, I give you. Rie's toes.
Ok, so for those of you who haven't heard, we've moved.
Our new place is really nice. It's a 3 bed, 2 bath condo, around 1500 sq. ft. (more than twice the size of our previous apartment). It has an attached two car garage, washer and dryer, and remote-controlled ceiling fans in every room.
And in what I'm sure many of you will consider a highly, highly controversial move, we've taken on a roommate. Jason White is a friend of ours and a co-worker of Rie's and I've linked to his photo site a couple times: the Dork Knights of Dumbshire. He has some pictures of the condo there that you can check out.
Part of the reason we moved in with him is because he was the one who discovered the condo. He was at a housewarming party for another friend and was in a conversation with one of the IT managers at Blizzard when it came up that the manager had a condo he was trying to sell. Jason told him he couldn't really afford to buy, but the manager said he was also willing to rent as well, since he was having a hard time selling it with the housing bubble popping. Jason told us about it (since he new we wanted to get out of our apartment) and we went to look at the condo with him. After a couple months, and much thought and prayer, we moved in.
The other reason was to save money on rent. $2100 a month, while cheap for the condo and area, is a little high for us. But at least it's better than the $500,000 asking price on the condo, which again is a good deal considering the area.
Now before you post comments about what an idiotic move we made, let me just say that this was a very carefully considered decision and after much thought, Rie and I decided that the pros outweighed the cons. Yes, there are drawbacks. We won't have as much privacy so we can't have wild sex on the couch anymore (not that we ever did), and we do have to worry about, as mom put it "what other people can hear" (but how is that any different than living in an apartment with paper-thin walls?). But those really weren't my main concerns. I really had only two concerns, which are detailed below.
1) Loss of the "Fortress of Solitude". Being an introvert, I can only tolerate being around people for so long. Eventually, I just need to retreat to my fortress of solitude and avoid all human contact for a while. With a roommate, that will be slightly less possible. Where do I go when I just want to sulk in a corner? I have to put up with some one else invading my space. Fortunately, I think I'll be able to live. Something we all agreed on before we moved in was that this would only really work because we had 3 bedrooms (one of which is used as a computer room). What it essentially means is that no matter where the other two people are, there will always be a room to retreat to for privacy.
2) Loss of "The Bubble". One of the things I've missed the most since graduating from Steubenville is "The Bubble". This was an invisible field that surrounded the campus and kept the good influences in and the bad influences out. Within the bubble you could be yourself and live by a Christian value system and not be thought of as quaint, out-of-touch, or radically out of the mainstream. When I moved out into "the world" I suddenly lost the protection of "the bubble". Suddenly, you find yourself surrounded by a culture that does not just think of you as outdated, but out-and-out despises your values. (Don't believe me? Read this recent post from The Pickles.) But the one place you could be safe (aside from at church) was in one's home. There I could set my own rules and live as I believed was right with no one telling me I was hopelessly out of touch, except for the TV of course, which can very easily be turned off. But with a roommate who is not Catholic, what becomes of my own, personal bubble? It's something that has yet to work itself out and gives me a fair amount of anxiety.
Now the Pros.
1) Our own Domicile. The major drawback to the last two places we lived was that neither one really felt permanent, or really like a home. They really only felt like the place we went to play WoW and sleep. This new place really, really feels more like a home. For the first time since we've been married we've actually unpacked most of our boxes. The crucifix that mom and dad gave us for our wedding has actually been hung up. The new place really just feels like someplace we can settle in.
2) Unpacking. This goes along with the previous point. Those of you who visited us at our previous apartment know how woefully small it was and we never had any hope of being able to unpack. This place is large enough that not only can we unpack, but we can move around! We've been able to sit down at our dining table and have a meal there for the first time in a year. Also, one of the reasons I've played so much WoW in the last year is because all our books were still packed away, and we never got the TV hooked up. I would sit around and be bored, not really wanting to play WoW, then I'd think to read a book, but didn't want to have to dig through the five heavy boxes, and I couldn't watch TV, so I just defaulted to playing WoW. After we moved, we didn't have internet for a week, and I ended up not playing WoW for 3 weeks. What amazed me was how little I missed it. Now when I'm bored and not really in the mood to play WoW, the bookcase right next to my desk starts to look a little more inviting.
3) Domestication of the Murloc. I think part of the reason that Rie hasn't been domesticated yet is because she hasn't had a place to be domesticated in. It was really her idea to move to this new place (I was against it until I saw how much she wanted it) and I think part of that is because of her nesting instinct kicking in. She's told me that she's now ready to quit her job and stay at home, but I need to be making enough money first. So if anyone knows of a job in the Irvine area that pays $60k+ a year, please let me know.
So, now if any of you think that we're still making a horrible mistake and are inclined to post or e-mail me why think so, I'll just tell you now, STFU! I DON'T WANNA HEAR IT! Actually, Rie's mom called her a little while after we moved to tell us as much and that she was disappointed we didn't ask her opinion first. Good thing it was Rie talking to her. My response would have been "of course we didn't ask you. We already knew what you would think."
Ok, on to the pictures.
A couple days after we moved in, the power went out while Southern California Edison switch the account from the landlord's name to ours. The landlord SCE to tell them that we would be calling to put the electric account in our name and somehow SCE heard that as "turn off the power until the new tenants call." I can see how a minimum wage or government worker might confuse the two. It did give me a good opportunity to take some cool pictures thought. The previous picture and the next four were all taken with a 10-second exposure.
Living room. This was before we had unfinished unpacking so there are still a few boxes.
The fireplace.
...with Rie's lightsaber turned on.
The coffee table centerpiece.
The real reason we moved in with Jason: he has a big-screen TV. The toilet paper stacked on the coffee table is so we don't have to leave the living room when we gotta go.
The picture above the fireplace is a map of Azeroth.
Jason's trophy case, filled with swag, mainly Blizzard swag that he swiped when Blizz was closing their offices in Northern California.
Our new place has stairs, but thankfully only the entry and garage is downstairs. All the bedrooms, living room, and kitchen are on the same level. Kittens love the stairs! It's fun to stick Bastet to the bottom of them and watch her cling on and crawl around to the top.
What could be more fun that putting a kitten in a hanging fruit bowl?
Putting two kittens in hanging fruit bowls! Isis is trying to chew through the chains while Bastet is contemplaiting a jump to freedom.
Bastet has a new favorite place. On the towel on top of the cabinet in Jason's bathroom. Apparently she was there watching him while he was taking a shower once. Voyeuristic kitty.
She likes being up and she can't get on top of the refrigerator any more.
A week after we moved in we threw a Halloween party. This was actually a really good idea as it forced us to unpack an clean up quickly rather than dragging it out. Rie went as a Pirate.
Tine was a punk pixie.
Jason went as, um, a drinking skeleton. There was a hole in the mouth just large enough to fit a straw through.
Rie went all out decorating for Halloween.
Cool little candle things on the coffee table.
Apparently Shelob got to Grom Hellscream and Tychondrius.
The hallway.
In case you hadn't noticed, we have a very WoW-themed home.
Jason also has a barbecue and grilled some hotdogs for Christine's birthday party.
A row of lighted eyeballs along the balcony railing.
The dinner table.
The chandelier. Shelob's been active.
Our wine "cellar". Shelob was here too. That might even be her in the background.
Kitties like stairs. Shelob likes kitties.
We do actually have a dungeon. A door in the garage leads to an under the beneath that resembles a dungeon.
Isis has it out for that Monkey. She's like the Coyote constantly plotting and planning how to get it. The ACME bills that we keep getting are huge.
Boo! This is what you saw when you came in the front door.
This is the front door. Rie cleverly placed the spider web just right so that she could walk under it but I would walk into it. Maybe she's Shelob.
Happy birthday Tiney!
The cake was actually made out of cupcakes.
And lastly, I give you. Rie's toes.
I Declare Myself to be a Woman.
New York Plans to Make Gender Personal Choice - New York Times
Screw my Y chromosome. Fact and Truth are what I say they are.
Key quote: "In reality the diversity of nature is such that there are more than just two [sexes]."
Really? So what are these sexes then? Male, Female, and, um, Glorpmale? And what exactly are these sexes' roles in procreation?
New York Plans to Make Gender Personal Choice - New York Times
Screw my Y chromosome. Fact and Truth are what I say they are.
Key quote: "In reality the diversity of nature is such that there are more than just two [sexes]."
Really? So what are these sexes then? Male, Female, and, um, Glorpmale? And what exactly are these sexes' roles in procreation?
Saturday, November 4, 2006
Wednesday, November 1, 2006
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