Wow, it’s been a while

November 6th was the last post here?

 

I guess that wouldn’t be a long time to some, but with the whole (usually) “daily update” thing over at Random Ramblings, a month and a half – almost – feels like a really long time. I suppose I should update you on how things are going in the life of Barlow, eh?

 

• MOVING – I don’t remember if I mentioned this in the last post, since I’d’ve just found out about it a day or two prior, but my mother (who I’ve been supporting for a while) and I had to move out of the house that we were in and into a new place. The new place is a lot smaller, and it’s a bit of a pain in the ass to pack a five-bedroom, two-story house into a one-story, two-bedroom house.
  
• NEW HOUSE – The new place may be small, but its got a lot of potential, which is why we chose to move into it. When we first looked at it, it looked like hell, and the neighbor has since informed us that the people who lived there were heavily into drugs. Since then, we’ve done a LOT of cleaning, and it’s looking a lot better. I planned to take pictures before we moved stuff in, but that ended up being impossible. When we’re fully set-up in there, I’ll snap some pictures for you folks.
  
• BEARD – The beard abides.
  
• RANDOM RAMBLINGS – There is a cool article over on the main site today, from one of my writers, Em. She’s got a cool (albeit not-recently-updated) blog of her own, and wrote a good article about all the bullshit with Wikileaks and Julian Assange that’s been going on, and if you checked this today, then her article’s right there on the front of the page.
  
• FITNESS – So my plan at the beginning of this year was something of an EPICFAIL. Sort of, anyway. If I remember right, I didn’t limit myself to having it in place this year, and I have finally started to work towards it. I’ve been eating healthier (salad almost every day for lunch, smaller portions, and healthier breakfasts and lunches), and plan to start a modified version of the Couch To 5K program at the beginning of January (to keep it even).
  
• WORK – As always, there are issues at work. I’m getting by, though, and continuing to do the best that I can. I don’t mind most of the people that I work with, but I am looking around for other work. I’ve got a possibility on the horizon, with a bank, so that’s cool. I’ve also got hope of being a paid blogger, possibly as soon as the first half of next year. In the last month, my AdSense totals have jumped from 90 cents to a little over $9, which means I’m (almost) 10% of the way to getting a $100 check from AdSense. It’s not much, but once you start getting paid for writing, the confidence inspired from it will help generate a forward momentum to the point where I will be earning a living with my writing.

 

That’s really all that I can think of for now, I suppose. You guys are always welcome to ask anything you want, though!

It’s a nostalgia type of day

 

Fellow 90’s kids, do you recognize why that wrapper would’ve been as good as gold to any of us, back in the day? If you don’t, be ashaaaaaamed.

 

Tootsie Roll Pops were what I was SO EXCITED about when I was a little kid, even though I didn’t like very many of the flavors. Because if you saw that star-shooting Native American, YOU COULD GET ONE FOR FREE! All you had to do was take the rare, prized wrapper to a store and BAM! Free Tootsie Roll Pop!

 

I saw one of these at work, when a guest asked me to throw away their kid’s wrapper. It made me chuckle, so I looked up pictures on Google Images and found that one somewhere, don’t remember where.

 

The last few days have been really nostalgia-filled anyway. I’ve seen people talking online about all sorts of shows that I used to watch way back when, like Are You Afraid of the Dark? and Secret World of Alex Mack, and the SNICK line-up. Oh, and the always unforgettable Legends of the Hidden Temple. Not to mention a recent crack-fic idea I had for Green Lantern to be mixed with Captain Planet…

30 Days Of Truth: Hate

So yesterday was the first day of my not-too-sane idea to do NaNoWriMo, 30 Days Of Truth and more, all in one month. Yesterday's was SUPPOSED to be "Something you hate about yourself", but I just remembered, so that's why you're getting the first Day Of Truth now.


What is something I hate about myself? I'll take this opportunity to say 'forgetfulness'. I have a really bad habit, and always have had it, of forgetting things or getting really off-topic, really bad.


When I was a kid and later, a teen, I would be asked by my grandparents to get something from another room. I'd agree, walk out of the room, pause and realize that I'd forgotten. Those were, I'd wager, largely due to not paying that much attention, but it's always been a pain, to have memory issues.


It's only recently that I've started remembering REALLY early things, mostly brought to mind by external stimuli like a family member asking if I remember things. But there are things later than that, that I only know happened because someone else swears it's how it happened, and it seems likely.


That one is how things are with my closest and longest-term friend, a guy named Tony. I've known him longer than I remember, and with his account of how we met, details put that at almost 20 years ago, when I was 4 or 5. But if he's wrong, I have noooo clue.


Anyone else have memory issues? Or, hell, want to share something that you hate about yourself?
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

In consideration of others, please check your sanity at the door…

… because I sure as hell have.

 

While I would have previously considered myself on the edge of sanity – despite statements of my own, my peers, and three licensed professionals that I was well past the edge – I can now agree with them, that I must be, in a few vulgar words, fucking batshit crazy. ‘Why change your mind now?’, you may ask, and I have an answer. Or, more accurately, three answers.

 

1. National Novel Writing Month
2. Random Ramblings
3. 30 Days of Truth

 

All of that is going on in November, which means that I will be [A] working on a 50,000-word (minimum) novel, [B] writing reviews and other blogs for my main site, and [C] blogging on this site with a “30 Days of Truth”, where thirty days of posts follow a specific list, sort of a series of ‘honesty prompts’.

 

On top of all of that, I have also started up a third blog called LOLitics and ReligiFAIL, where I’ll be discussing any/all things related to religion and politics. I predict that the majority of my posts will be rants, either at things that are happening, or things that could happen, or against religious retards, like the “Rants Against Religious Stupidity” that I’ve done a few times on Random Ramblings.

 

If I’m not crazy now, then I fully expect to be at the end of November, when all this shit (should be) over and done with. So hop on the ride and watch me lose my fucking mind! =]

In Defense of the Beard

“Why do you let something grow on your face that grows wild on your ass?”

Those are the words of one of my grandfathers, when talking to someone about their beard. Yes, my blunt (and brutal) honestly does have a familial predecessor – or a few – but on this one… I SAY THEE NAY!

There is power in the beard that cannot be harnessed by those without. Older (wiser?) civilizations such as the ancient Greeks wouldn’t even consider someone to be a man until they could grow a beard! An ancient Greek saying even stated that there are two types of people that walk around without beards: women and children.

Join me in rebellion against those who hate the beard!










NOTE: I am not as glowy white as that picture makes me look. Poor lighting and shitty 2-megapixel camera, not a good combo.

Nerdery is hereditary; Parents (and guardians) get it from their children

If you read my main site, you probably saw my post on Thursday morning talking about the new Earth-like (and likely inhabited) planet, Gliese 581g. In it, I go for some humor by proclaiming it to be Krypton, and declaring that “the Superman” will eventually come along.

 

I decided to have a little fun with it after that, too. When I thought that someone that I knew offline would find it funny, I told them, with a little bit more excitement and humor in that rendition. A few of these people read my site, and were already aware of my crazy idea, but one person guessed before I got to the end of it: my grandma.

 

Keep in mind that this woman is 60 years old and is not a nerd. She raised me, and used to think my oddities were ridiculous, and has slowly gotten more reasonable with time. I didn’t realize that the reason she was getting more accepting of my nerdiness was because it was turning her into a nerd! NERD is like a set of radioactive waves, mutating those around the nerds!

 

ME: This planet is Earth-like, but bigger. It’s in a constellation visible from Earth. And since it’s very likely inhabited, the would-be aliens would call their red star a sun…

GRANDMA: Isn’t that like where Superman is from?

 

I have never been so proud of this old woman. NERDS REPRESENT! :D