A New Chapter Begins

As of this past Monday I am officially a broke college student. After some 17 years (not counting the semester I did in 2000 before Brian was born) I have enrolled in college. While I have something like 100 credit hours already, I’m not going for a “quickie” degree. No, my dumbass has decided to go for an Electrical Engineering degree. This means math and lots of it, not to mention chemistry and physics.

They have this thing called a math placement exam that you take online before you register. It’s designed to tell you what level of math class you’re ready for. After viewing the practice test, I quickly learned that I don’t remember anything past very basic algebra, so I opted not to take a math course this term in hopes of finding some type of refresher course or perhaps even doing some self-paced learning. My adviser, however, strongly suggested I start with Calc I. In fact he was the instructor of my intro EE course yesterday and pretty much made me drop his class and replace it with a Calc class that meets at the same time. I followed his advice and went over to meet with my Calc prof so I could see what I missed. On the board I could see that they dove right in and it might as well have been ancient sanskrit. The only thing I could discern from the scratchings was that the f(insert hieroglyphics here) meant that it had to do with functions. Let the good times roll!

In addition, I’m taking Phil 103- The Committed Life (don’t ask me why my phil 101 from UK didn’t count toward this requirement. Somehow it counted somewhere else but not here). CS-170, an extremely basic intro to programing class since my previous computer science classes are too old to be useful. AMS 180, Architecture and Civilization, don’t ask me what requirement this fills, my advisor just added it yesterday. And last but not least, Safety & First Aid that counts as a health and wellness credit (read advanced PE). Unfortunately the times for all the cool stuff like whitewater rafting, bowling, or mountaineering didn’t fit.

Because my town sucks and has no college offering a 4 year degree program in anything technical, I’m driving an hour (each way) everyday to go to Western Kentucky University. Such is the sacrifices one makes when one has kids. One a positive note, I ordered a kick ass laptop yesterday, but it won’t be in for a couple of weeks. Once it does, I should have time between classes to keep you all abreast at the goings on at WKU. And no Steve, I am not a hilltopper, I’m still a Wildcat.

Jahm

Sometimes a Picture Really is Worth a Thousand Words

What could possibly go wrong?

Disclaimer: This entry is in no way intended to construed as The Commuter of The Day as trademarked by Fritz. It is to simply show the lengths some dumbasses will go to in order to get beer money.

Jahm

5=36 (Kentucky Math)

As most of you know, my ex was recently sentenced to five years in pound-me-in-the-ass prison for breaking and entering, and theft of a prescription medication.  As expected, she did a grand total of 36 days.  The only good thing is that they actually took her from the county jail to prison, but only for about a week.

Foolishly, I thought that the experience had made a profound impact on her, but without warning I was served with a notice to appear a mere 7 days after her release.  It seems she wanted the judge to make me keep them in school in Henderson when the kids and I live in another town, in another county, 30 miles away.  Who would have the balls to stand before a judge and try to impose anything on their ex less than two weeks out of the pokey?  What was her argument, you ask?  She felt that with all of the change the kids have had to endure over the last year, that they just needed some consistency.  Really?  First of all, who caused that?  Second, thanks for providing me with the best argument to use against you ten months from now when you’ve completed rehab and want to go back to the 50/50 split or next year when we’re back in court because you’re trying to get them in school over here.

At least I was able to point out, on the record, how poorly they were doing in school under her care, and how much better they did with me.  After several minutes of contemplation (I think this was for show because she kept “reading” the same page and her eyes weren’t moving), the judge looked up and simply said, “they live in Owensboro, they go to school in Owensboro.”  I’ve only got ten more years of dealing with this 

Jahm

Rock Festivals Gone Bad

It seems big business has finally taken over the Jam Band scene and no one has learned a damn thing from the dangers of consolidation as our economy has illustrated.  The big thing now is the mega festival.  While there have always been music festivals, particularly in the Jam Band world, every since this first Bonaroo, the trend has been changing.  Originally, the idea was simple:  let’s get two or three headlining acts and support them with smaller, similar bands and then fill in with newer bands and a little variety to provide exposure.  Wrap this up into a three day event with camping and they will come.   I’m on board, I like it.  Then, when promoters saw that they could get between $150-$400 per ticket and sell 100,000 tickets, the greed kicked in.  Now, instead of selecting bands that fit a certain scene they mix in wildly different acts.  Stay with me here, I know you’re thinking that this sounds like a fantastic opportunity to see some really great music of different types, but it’s not.  It’s simply a way to get more people to pay $150 instead of instead of $50 to see a band they really want to see.

The beginning of the end started with Bonaroo ‘06.  In addition to the usual suspects, one of the headliners was Tool.  Now, don’t think that just because I don’t like Tool, that I’m a hater.  The thing is, the VAST majority of people who listen to music like Widespread Panic, The Dead, Phish, etc. don’t listen to, nor care to listen to bands like Tool and vise -versa.  That year Tool played the early show on the main stage and Widespread played the headline show.  As the Panic goers were heading to the show from the campground the Tool fans were heading back.  It was like two completely different worlds, moving in opposite directions, separated only by the unwritten rule of walk on the right.

In recent years, more and more festivals have popped up and existing ones have gotten larger.  The result the bands I like no longer have the time to play at the smaller venues around here.  Gone are the days of Widespread at the Palace in Louisville, and the $25 Soundtribe shows at Headliners.  Now it’s three days of repressive heat and too many people all in the name of the all mighty dollar.  For the first time in years, I don’t have shows planned for the summer.  What’s the world coming to?

Jahm

Facebook Friends

I know some of you detest facebook while others, like me, embrace it.  It has it uses.  When it comes to accepting a friend’s request, I tend to error on the side of caution.  If I know you’re name or we have at least two mutual friends, I’ll accept you.  However, it turns out that there were two Benji Duvall’s who grew up in this area and we’re the same age so I have a whole group of friends that I don’t even know, but that’s a minor issue.  A bigger problem with facebook friends are the ones who don’t understand the etiquette involved.  We all have those foul-mouthed friends but shouldn’t they know not to post their filth on your wall for your kids and your pastor to read?  Some people just don’t get it.  Just because they were raised in heathen house-holds where it’s perfectly acceptable to talk about playing with your balls or some such nonsense, they assume it’s that way for you too.  Perhaps I need to choose my friends more carefully in the future.

Jahm

USA USA USA

Try is they might, the ref’s couldn’t screw us this time!  After a blown offsides called disallowed another goal, USA kept pounding away until Landon Donovan scored one minute into injury time.  USA held on for the remaining three minutes and will advance to the next round!  USA USA USA

Jahm

Fourth of July

No, this isn’t going to be a post about how great our country is or how the division in politics is bringing us down.  This is about on of my favorite things:  Fireworks.  My love of fireworks started at an early age.  My family would dread June when all the fireworks stands would pop up because I would beg, relentlessly, to stop at everyone we passed.  In thirty years not much has changed except, now I can and do stop and the fireworks I buy are much better.  In Kentucky, any firework that shoots, launches, or explode is illegal.  This means you’re pretty much stuck with sparklers, smoke bombs, and fountains.  Luckily, while it’s illegal to posses fireworks in Indiana, they can sell them.  I’ve always liked that law.  Those type of fireworks are illegal in all of the bordering states but Indiana will sell them as long as you promise to take them out of state.  Luckily, I live on the border of Indiana and there are at least three fireworks places within a mile of every bridge across the Ohio River.

Even before I could drive, we would ride our bikes across the bridge to buy bottle rockets.  Then would would head to this state park that has some woods and a nature walk.  There we would divide into two teams and have bottle rocket wars all through the woods.  Now I’ve progressed to the mortal shells.  If you haven’t seen these things, you’re missing out.  They come in a box with a tube and 12-24 shells.  You drop the shell in the tube, light the fuse, and with a wondrous explosion the shell is propelled high into the air where another explosion occurs with a burst of color much like professional fireworks.  The concussion from the launching charge is simply amazing.  So every year we gather at my parents’ house, cook-out, and set off fireworks.  This year should be particularly spectacular.  I’m using my sister’s cancer to con more money for fireworks from the folks.  What?  She said I could.  So between my own substantial contribution, my brother’s and donations from various family members once they hear “you know, this could be Robin’s last 4th” (remember that she is in no danger of dying from her cancer, although she is going to have to have chemo & radiation when we thought she wouldn’t), we should have good $400-$500 in the fireworks fund.  There is no way we’ll be outdone but those uppity people on Navajo this year.

Jahm

Summertime

First a few updates:  The last few weeks have been wonderful.  It occurred to me the other day that I have had a strange feeling of peace the past few weeks and couldn’t quite figure out why.  Then it dawned on me that with Jen tucked safely away in her jail cell, I haven’t had to deal with her in a few weeks.  I’ve made my peace with her for the most part and in someways, I’m kind of thankful.  I mean what other ex would actually file for a custody & child support modification while facing felony charges?  Also, thanks to her, I am much, much closer to my kids now, and we were close before.  They’re doing great and I’m reminded almost daily how unique and wonderful each of them are.

Last weekend we went to Holiday World.  Holiday World is a smaller theme park that’s been around forever but over the last few years it’s been working hard to gain national recognition.  It’s supposedly been voted the cleanest and most family friendly theme park in the world.  They don’t have as many good rides as a Six Flags or a King’s Island but the water park is pretty decent.   The nice part is because it’s not as big as some of the other parks, you can set up in the water park and let the kids roam a bit.  Since it was like 98 Saturday, we spent the whole day in the water park.  I’m planning a trip to King’s Island in Cincinnati towards the end of the summer.   All and all, things are going pretty well.

Jahm

Happy Birthday Ros

Happy birthday to a kind lady always tries to keep the peace around here.  I always enjoy your perspective and how you never pass judgment on anyone.  You’re always the first to see both sides.  I hope you have a wonderful birthday.

Jahm

Dear Ben

Honestly, you confuse me sometimes.  In your post you seem to be blaming people leaving on a group attacking their opinions, but that’s exactly what you do.  In fact, you often write your opinions in such an inflammatory way as to guarantee such attacks.  Not to mention, I highly doubt anyone left because people were attacking their views, though there were three or so people whose hatefulness was being attacked, and I’m glad to see them go.  I still remember the first time I commented on one of your left-wing, radical rants, supporting all of my disagreements with the reason why.  You wrote back that I was a guy you could have a beer with, so I assumed that, like me (and like you say) you enjoyed a good debate.  A few weeks later I was the first of many people you’ve expressed a strong desire to skull fuck.   Btw, that’s an obsession you might want to have checked out, it’s kind of creepy; but I digress.  So, tell me please how you can say a blog is supposed to inspire debate, then shun those who debate you?  Now, I admit that several people do attack you pretty aggressively, but why do you think that is?  In this case, their is no chicken or egg debate, it’s obvious, you receive in kind what you put out.

As for the rest of your rant, I had never blogged before so I can really only comment on KCL.  Perhaps it’s lost a bit of it’s luster, or perhaps it’s just changing some of it’s personality.  Being a small community, it doesn’t take much for the entire site’s mood to change.  Many of the key players here have had job changes/life changes that have cut into their time online.  Others, like me, have just been going through a period where they don’t have much to say.  You know how when you’ve just run into an old friend and they ask what you’ve been up to and you respond with, “nothing much?”  Sometimes that’s true, nothing much has been going on.  The beauty of the site is that it’s open to anyone to change that.  If you want to write about what’s going on in your life, then feel free.  No one attacks that.  If people want to write satirical stuff like your entries on your dogs (which I loved), go for it.  Everyone enjoys a good laugh.  If you write about political stuff, that you know you have different views on than others here, have at it, but don’t be surprised when people write back; and when you take shots, you shouldn’t be surprised when people shoot back.  The same goes for everyone else.  Write what you want.  Don’t attack others and you won’t be attacked, or as the lovely EF would put it, act like an ass an get treated like one.  In short if you don’t like the content, change it.  If all of these people who felt the same as you did then the four or five of “us” that you like to mention wouldn’t even have a voice that could be heard.

Anyway, that’s it, my two cents on this issue.  I will close with the sentiment I’ve had toward anyone who has written an “I’m leaving/This place sucks” post:  There’s plenty of other places to blog, if you don’t like it here, then, bye.

Jahm