Archive for February 23, 2009

I swear I have calendar pages

February 23, 2009 matt Personal Ideas

I really do.

But I always seem to type this stuff up when I’m on campus and I forgot the pages at home.  So today, a quick talk about hair.

I have very little hair and my mom cuts it for me most times.  The last time she got a little sloppy and I had to fix it up afterwards but that’s not her fault because I had more hair than usual.  Since I have very little hair, I have nothing left to say.

In my calculus class, which is where I am writing this right now, I have watched several girls twist and twirl their hair in the middle of lecture.  One girl just made a sort of bun thing and crunched it in the hopes of keeping it balled up on her neck.  I’m going to say she has healthy hair because it didn’t work.  That’s all fine and dandy except a few weeks ago she started french braiding it.   Admittedly, it was sloppy and it eventually fell out but I was impressed.  For those of you who have no idea what I am talking about, a french braid involves looping and twisting three bundles of hair into a braid.  It usually takes some talent to do it well and the relaxed fashion in which this one was done was really impressive.

I guess I was stupified by it only because I have no hair and am destined to go bald.  I’ve pretty much given up on trying to do anything with my hair because it takes time and I just want to leave the house ASAP in the morning and not worry about it.

My point is, pay attention to the bored people around you.  They can end up being really entertaining.  I promise the next entry will be a calendar page.

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Friends, Staying calm, Lasagna, Common decency

February 21, 2009 matt Personal Ideas, Reactions

Basically I am writing in reaction to another blog I read earlier.

As a society there are certain acts that we just expect and shrug off.  But that is conforming.  I thought we were all supposed to be unique and stand for what we believe in.  Well, sometimes people do.  They just get fed up with all the bullshit from the fast paced day-to-day life.  There is no point in just letting out your personal stress on random strangers you may be riding the subway with or walking behind on the street.  I have great respect for those people.  A few years ago someone told me that it is important to always consider the other side and think about the other person.  As cliche as that sounds, it works.  It keeps me pretty calm.  And even though there are people out there who just look like they want to crush the world, there might be a story behind it.

Someone who works all day to come home, make dinner and go to bed cannot really enjoy their time.  So most nights I come home from school and kick back until someone suggests what to do for dinner.  The other day my mother called me in the middle of the day and asked what I wanted for dinner, suggesting lasagna.  Now, as a side note, I love my mom’s lasagna and macaroni and cheese.  You cannot beat it.  Don’t even try.  So when I came home I was really hungry because I spent the last three hours thinking about this lasagna.  My mom was out shopping and running errands and stuff so she was just getting to making it.

At this point I had two options.  Get all up in a huff because dinner wasn’t ready or sit and watch Law and Order because it didn’t really matter, I knew I was going to eat and my dad wasn’t home yet.  I went with option 2.  It takes much less energy to sit and relax than it does to get all pissed because of something small.  When the lasagna was ready, my mom gave me some without waiting for it to really cool off because “I’m glad you’re like this, you’re usually very calm.”  HA!  I got the lasagna faster being calm.  If I stormed off to my room, I would have no idea what the lasagna status was.

So that’s a small story with two people that ended well.  What if we flipped it.  This time I chose option 1.  Since the noodles had just finished and I am walking in the door ready to eat I flip on my mom.  She turns off the water and puts the sauce away and storms out of the house ranting about how she is never appreciated for the things she does.   I storm up to my room mumbling about how she only cares about herself.  I put on music and play some games.  My mom goes to Stop and Shop.  There she grabs a basket and goes over to the frozen foods section.  She throws a few frozen lasagna dinners in the basket and quickly gets to the check out lane.  The cashier is working alone and just dealt with a really big order by herself.  My mom throws the frozen lasagnas on the conveyer belt and fumbles through her purse looking for her Stop and Shop card.  By the time she found it the cashier has finished the order and already swiped her card for my mom.  My mom looks up and just grabs the lasagnas in a plastic bag and storms off now mumbling how she got short-changed because the cashier rushed her.  She comes home and makes the lasagnas in the microwave and calls me down.

Ok, I’ll stop there.  Too much unnessecary anger.  It is much simpler to step back for a second and ask yourself, “Is it really worth it to get angry about this?”  And sure, sometimes it is good to put your foot down and take a stand but if it won’t really accomplish anything then what’s the point?

So the big point here… just extend the common courtesies and decencies that you would like to have.  Oh crap, I’ve gone back to the Golden Rule.  I guess the Big Guy in the Sky really knows his stuff.

“Do unto others as you would have them do to you”  And if something really gets under your skin, call someone on it.  But ask why, that’s the important question.

Together we can make this world a better place to live in. (That one may be from Captain Planet.  “The power is yours!”)

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So much to say so little time

February 19, 2009 matt Uncategorized

So little time before class that is…

This weekend was Valentine’s Day.  I went to NYC to hang with Holly and stopped in to see UP.  The part about UP is important because we had spaghetti with lobster meat.  For a while I ate with the assumption that shellfish did not sit well in my stomach.  I could have been wrong.  I did not get sick this weekend.  Well, I did get congested but that had nothing to do with the shellfish.  Woo!

So this weekend was also a long weekend which meant no school on Monday and all day Diablofest.  Yes, I play Diablo 2.  It is the greatest game developed and I am patiently waiting for the release of Diablo 3.  I just hope it comes out after I graduate college because I might have to drop out.

But now I’m back in classes and bored again.  More importantly, class is starting so maybe I will edit this later.

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Interviews

February 12, 2009 matt Personal Ideas

Part of being a student of Northeastern University is going out on co-op.  Co-ops are six month internships at companies that have developed relationships with the university.  We have to do it all in the process.  It starts with developing a resume, finding jobs that appeal to our interests and skills, interviewing with the job, and all the office stuff that goes along with that.

I had one interview yesterday and one today.  They are pretty bizarre.  You go into an office and market yourself to people.  Sometimes these people are very technical and sometimes they have no technical background whatsoever and you have to give them stories and personal qualities you think would be appropriate for the position.

I had two pretty decent interviews and both places feel like a good fit so now I’m waiting to see who gives me an offer first.  I think I can prioritize them but the experiences would be different so it makes my decision very difficult.

Anywho, going away tomorrow  for the weekend so there may be something good next week.

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Roads, homework and more BSTs

February 9, 2009 matt Personal Ideas

Driving into Boston is always an adventure.  One moment you are crusing along at a comfortable 65 MPH and all of a sudden you hit a sea of red lights.  Red brake lights, of course.  Unless you are on Route 2.  Don’t ever drive on Route 2.

So this morning I was driving along with my music playing lower than usual and was thinking of the conversation I had a few minutes before leaving the house with my dad.  He told me Storrow Drive collapsed.  I don’t know what he meant by that or if it is at all true but I don’t take Storrow Drive on Mondays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays because it’s usually backed up even at 10 and it’s a mess.

So now I’m coming up to the Storrow Drive exit and the lanes go from three to two (plus the stupid carpool lane) and everyone is braking like there is no tomorrow.  All of a sudden the braking stops and we’re off again.  This section of 93 is disgusting.  There are cracks everywhere and potholes and if you are in the carpool lane, stay to the right!  the left part of the lane is a minefield.  The middle lane, between the carpool and right lane, is ok so I stick to that one, avoiding the one long crack.

Next, we approach the tunnel.  The five lane, but don’t stay in the right because it exits and then comes back again, tunnel.  Every day I drive through this tunnel I see one driver stay in the far right only to relize he/she needs to cross two lanes of traffic to stay on the highway.  I can see the reasoning behind it but would someone please make a sign that shows this?

Now I’m next to not one, not two, but three BSTs.  Aw nuts.  All right in a row.  I remember that scary state trooper from Drivers Ed telling us about the different ways we can die from an 18-wheeler.  I really don’t like that guy.  But these trucks seem pretty harmless so I poke along and get in front of them with enough time to signal and move over to get off at the Mass Ave exit.

Cruising along Melnea Cass Blvd, I see that pesky sidewalk in just enough time to make sure I avoid it again.  I swear the thing jumps out at you if you aren’t looking.  But after that it is smooth sailing to NU’s parking lot.  I take Storrow Drive home so I’ll pop back in here and edit if a section of road seems to be missing.

In other news, I have FiOS and it is awesome.

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Because I feel the need…

February 5, 2009 matt Personal Ideas

Nothing is ever easy.  I wrote this a while back and I feel like I need to post it again.  No guarantee that all the links work but if they don’t I’m sure all you intellectuals out there can figure something out.

What’s so wrong with the world that we can’t just look at ourselves and be happy with what we have been given?

Why do people care so much about what others think of them?

I try to live as if only my opinion of myself matters to me.  I wear what I want to, I think what I want to, I do things when, where and how I want to.  This world is so messed up.  We have this idealist notion that to be sucessful we have to look good.  Sure it helps if you don’t smell like ass but what’s to stop the most horrid looking person from being the most sucessful person around?

Cause everyone knows we’re strange
So why do you feel ashamed
Everyone knows we’re different
So why do you feel ashamed
We love you all the same

This country is done for.  We have over extended ourselves through warfare and now there has been some question of corruption in just about every part of the government.  Was this always happening and I was too young/uninformed to know it or is this new?  More importantly, what are we to do about it?

Run away?  I’d rather not.  All these issues and no one to stand up for what’s right and tear the public away from their couches to take action?  Anarchy?

Guess not.

The Feeling makes me feel pretty good.  The Feeling is a British rock band.  British rock bands make me feel good?  I wouldn’t mind traveling.  I would totally go to Britain.  I definitely think that would be pretty fun.

Working in London as an up and coming computer specialist?  Yeah, something like that would be fun.  Maybe Australia if I really feel inspired and crazy.

Nothing is simple any more.  We’re all competing.  Which is fine, it’s good to give people a reason to excel at what they do but at the same time everything needs to be taken in its context.

Not everyone is the same.  But, with enough work and determination any person can do any thing.  Pigs can fly, monkey’s can write Hamlet and I can make a time machine out of a Delorean.  It can all happen.

Speaking of that, I want a Delorean too.  Some guy started making them again with parts he found online.  Someone pass me his number, I’m going to have to ring him up.

Christmas is coming up.  That’s fun times.  No school for a few weeks, presents, family, friends, hot chocolate?  Yeah, I’m all for that.  After that, New Year’s.  Always fun times.  Probably just have some peoples over to chill and play games and watch the ball drop.

So all in all, the world is a crazy messed up place and if I can do something about it I’m sure gonna try.  Apart from that, things would be so much more awesome if I had a helicopter.

Everyone take a good look at yourself and forget anything anyone else has said and judge yourself on how you feel.  If after that, you don’t like what  you see then find out how to make it better.  The only person who can judge you is you.  People who don’t get to know someone and just determine that they aren’t worth a second glance aren’t people I want to be associated with.

And if things get you down, just smile.  Be happy you are alive.

Ok so maybe part of me was just too far into making no sense but there was some good stuff in there.  We have to make the best of what is given to us.  We all have skills and talents that we discover or create.  Let’s make the best of it.  I ask every person who reads this to wake up every day and look themselves in the mirror.  Ask the following questions of yourself.

Do I like what I see?  – this can be either physical or something deep down.  I prefer the stuff underneath.
What can I do today to smile? – because I believe being happy makes us successful, this is incredibly important
Can I make someone else smile? – why only spread cheer to ourselves?  Share and enjoy.
When I go to bed, will I be ok with what I’ve done? – the end of the day offers time to reflect.  Truthfully, you don’t have to be happy to accept what you’ve done.  It’s just important to know that the things you do are what you consider to be right.

It’s 230AM and I watch way too much Knight Rider.  May you all find your peace.  I have mine.

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Dogs and John Madden

February 4, 2009 matt 365 Stupidest Things Said

Sunday, February 1, 2009

“Wow… if only a face could talk” – sportscaster John Madden, during the Packer-Patriots Super Bowl XXXI

Monday, February 2, 2009

“FOUND. DIRTY WHITE DOG.
Looks like a rat.  It’s been out awhile.  No collar. Better be a reward.
Call…” – classified ad in a Baltimore newspaper

Now why in the world would I put these to entries together?  The answer is quite simple.  John Madden is a dirty rat.

The man does not know a single thing about football.  Maybe he did at one point but now he’s up there with Tim McCarver and Joe Buck as the worst sports announcers in the history of me watching sports.  They disgust me to the point that if a Boston/New England team is playing I will mute the TV and put on the radio.

The super bowl this year was pretty epic.  I was rooting for the Cardinals because I’m the sort of underdog fan who would want to see them win.  Even with their horrible defense, they kept the game close and my attention was 100% on the game.  The commercials were a set up from last year.  Nothing as epic as the Budweiser frogs or the Blockbuster hamsters but I laughed and was intrigued by most of the upcoming movies.

Ok back to dogs.  My girlfriend is a fan of dogs.  Small dogs, handbag dogs, sneak into the workplace and hide in a filing cabinet (*cough* Angela from The Office *cough cough*) sort of dogs.  These dogs are useless to me.  I apologize ahead of time to anyone who may be hurt by this but I want a dog that will play with me.  The sort of dog that can jump on me and dance with its hind legs.  I’m thinking a black or yellow lab.  I had a chocolate lab and she was awesome so I wouldn’t mind another chocolate one but why should it be all the same?

So anyway, we decided that I’m getting a (what I like to call) “real” dog and she will get a little, nothing, eternal puppy thing.  And, although I hope it never happens, if she loses the thing, I will be keeping my eye out for an ad like the one above.

Edit:  Um, my girlfriend wouldn’t abuse a dog in the manner addressed above.  She is also ok with a big dog.  Basically it’s a girl thing to have a little dog.  I just hope it wouldn’t be a mop.

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