tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6541151629988306312024-03-12T19:19:14.701-04:00DRAGONBLOGIron Chancellorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00857136329139153894noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-654115162998830631.post-79457443687533746562008-09-26T19:40:00.002-04:002008-09-26T19:52:15.819-04:00hey now!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc11/d0uglass/sensinijump.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc11/d0uglass/sensinijump.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />first off, Is, that's awesome! unfortunately, most of the olympic sailing events weren't televised, so i had to watch a lot of em on crappy internet posts. but windsurfing is incredibly bad-ass. england won a bunch of the sailing medals, and my top pick, estonia, was unfortunately not able to beat out the kiwis in the single-handed division. oh well!<br />in other news, i have a new job! its an entry level position with an outsourced sales/marketing company. i handle small business accounts for verizon. since verizon is a big evil company, its actually way more cost-effective to send nice guys like me around to places and pitch stuff, especially cause im completely on commission right now! i know what you're thinking, but working for the man is actually turning out to be pretty fun. every morning is an orgy of pumping up, playing games, and an incredible amount of high-fiving and general w00p w00ping! i'm out in the field all day visiting businesses (setting my own hours, etc), and meeting and interacting with a whole variety of long islanders. the other day i walked into a laser hair removal place, walked up to the dude behind the counter, said hi! my names joe, verizon sent me out to check on some routine service updates blah blah blah, and he says look dude. two options. one, have a seat, i call the cops, and get you arrested for trespassing. two, you walk away, i never see you again. so that was fun! a big tattooed guy in an auto body repair place threatened to break my f-ing legs! secretaries tell me all the time that they're not allowed to tell me who they use for phone service, or even how many phones they have! plus side: sometimes you walk into an office, like a little insurance agency, talk with a nice office manager, sit down and fill out 5 minutes of paperwork, convert 12 old phone lines to an updated line type, and walk out 240 dollars richer!<br /><br />OTHER NEWS: i, and many of my kind, am in desperate need of some hot dragoncloud reunion action. let's make that happen?! i definitely wanna make another trip or two or three down to DC this fall/winter! and skiing upstate/elsewhere too! anybody wanna go to vermont to ski this season? got a buddy with a huge house near stratton! eh!? peace out kiddies!joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02451695479698049531noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-654115162998830631.post-28479948971280796352008-08-25T16:54:00.002-04:002008-08-25T17:37:17.676-04:00resuscitationHello friends.<br /><br />This is an effort to resuscitate this blog, following a conversation I had with certain important individuals.<br /><br />I wanted to write you a funny little anecdote, but unfortunately I don't really have any interesting stories in my brain at the moment. So instead I will inform you that Israel won 1 bronze medal during the Olympics, in windsurfing. I don't care how many America won. I love America, but it wins lots of medals all the time, and it is therefore not at all exciting. It is a very emotional event when Israel wins medals in the Olympics, because we don't have that many.<br /><br />The end!IShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04133046048255932514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-654115162998830631.post-23944299288470117792008-04-15T23:25:00.002-04:002008-04-15T23:30:05.273-04:00mike is dumb!Dear Friends,<br />I just read Mike's absurdly circuitous internet sex post (I believe they're called... blogs?) and was shocked, SHOCKED! well okay not that shocked, to learn that there was nothing of any value in it. Anyways, two things. One, I just played ultimate frisbee in astoria park (right under the triborough bridge) and it was sweet. it happens tuesdays and thursdays at 6ish. i forget if anyone in this glorious network of friends lives in the city, so maybe this information is not relevant. too bad!<br />Secondly, and this also applies mainly to anyone in the NYC area, is that theres a thing at a place. I'm gonna go and you should too. Look: http://www.kidrobot.com/content.cfm?section=adult_swim<br />I should bring something to be signed. T-shirt? Bender action figure? Breasts?<br />These questions and more,<br />Joejoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02451695479698049531noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-654115162998830631.post-23727600147222159262008-04-12T02:45:00.003-04:002008-04-12T03:55:49.466-04:00RivendellSorry, I can't blog and I made an extra post. I hope everyone will reply with absurdities and accusations of polygamy and none such.<br /><br />Look, I've been watching a bunch of "The Office"...look. (Ok, BSG fans, look at episode 4:11 for the office and Mike is wearing a BSG sweatshirt at the end) ....( I hate you all)<br /><br /><br />Ok, My life has been particularly eventful...even when it hasn't been. I miss everyone. I'm really hoping I get into the KTH (Random Switzerland thingie), but don't expect anything...and I miss b-day parties, and dance parties and monday trivia nights and such. Also, I miss playing Ping Pong.<br /><br />I don't remember everyone who's going to Miami, but so far.. I wish everyone could go...and it seems stupid that we all can't meet up and hang out. I know this isn't practical for everybody...and I say...ok...DAMMIT...fork dork!!!...that's unfortunate...ok...we'll work this out...don't worry people...<br /><br /><br />I hated it last time... that I couldn't hang out w/everyone and I was an idiot and screwed up my arm....psh...pheh...ok...yea...I'm dumb....I accept this fact and I wish I could have fixed it, but I couldn't... so I can't. <br /><br />Look...I will always miss you all and I will always carry you all with me in the unlikely story that is america...and I hope that we all can become..that which we dream to be...I know that you all are some of the utmost amazing people that I've ever met in my life. I know this is all heart warming and such, but if anyone tries to blackmail me, I will challenge you to a duel in any video game that there is. You will beg your gods for forgiveness when you cry for extra lives.<br /><br />I miss my relatively short encounter with you all and wish all but the best for everyone. Please don't leave me here....PLEASE HELP ME....OMG LOL ROTFL BOLBAMSC (Bob Ogle loves bagels and medium styrofoam cups.)<br /><br />-BarryBarryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06986137967535796292noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-654115162998830631.post-65963271772496484532008-04-12T02:44:00.001-04:002008-04-12T02:44:32.714-04:00RivendellBarryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06986137967535796292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-654115162998830631.post-81520432655749391842008-02-26T00:34:00.002-05:002008-02-26T00:36:02.571-05:00ohmygod!Dear Team,<br /><br />I ordered a movie on ILL today for a project I'm doing, and none other than edward james olmos is in it. I got a might bit excited, as you can imagine. <br /><br />OK thats all, just wanted to let you know.DJ Believe it or Nothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05950007423990086339noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-654115162998830631.post-37289875925294144502008-02-21T21:07:00.005-05:002008-02-21T21:12:41.904-05:00I am going to propose something....and if you don't like it, FUCK YOU. <br /><br />Once upon a time there was a concert named Coachella. It was awesome and on the other side of the United States of America. Then the people that set up Coachella wanted to do something for the the more awesome coast. Enter: All Points West (on the east?) Any way here's an article about it:<br />http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/page/news/48861-all-points-west-<br />festival-lineup-announced<br /><br /> Tell me if you smell a reunion coming on. <br /><br />CHROMEO IS GOING TO BE THERE. ALSO. <br /><br />Malloacidwashpantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13045796894260003070noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-654115162998830631.post-50039474291654703852008-02-19T20:11:00.001-05:002008-02-19T20:11:47.919-05:00Oh memories<a href="http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/video/shoes">I'm gonna get what I want!</a>Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06986137967535796292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-654115162998830631.post-49517725461072890162008-01-03T19:56:00.000-05:002008-01-03T20:15:17.761-05:00A story.Today I went to CVS to buy some soap and shampoo. After picking out said items off the shelves, I waited in line to pay. I was the last one on the line, and there was only one kid ringing people up. When I went up to pay, the kid said hi, and asked if I had a CVS card, and I said no, and then he completed the transaction and I paid and he put the products I purchased in a bag. Then, after all this completely normal stuff happened, as I was putting my wallet away, I saw him grab an almost empty bottle of mouth wash that he had next to the cash register. He opened it up, poured some mouth wash into the cap, and drank it in front of me.<br /><br />Now, I know that this particular CVS is notorious for sucking as a place of employment. It has an even worse reputation than the Shoprite located in that very same shopping center. I know this because I know several people who used to work in that CVS, and I know several people who used to work in that Shoprite, and as much as the Shoprite people say it was the worst job ever, everyone is in agreement that CVS is way worse. And I guess you gotta do what you gotta do to survive such horrible work environments, co-workers, customers, and most importantly in the cases of these two particular establishments, bosses. But mouth wash? Seriously?IShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04133046048255932514noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-654115162998830631.post-88219870047225888192007-11-22T10:58:00.000-05:002007-11-22T11:28:28.939-05:00A new Blanding bursts into the worldSo as of Sunday, I have become Uncle Mike...and soo I will get the prefix "crazy". We're very fortunate that it's not one of those, "Oh...what a........cute..baby" spawns, but one of those "Mmmmmm....baby." babies.<br /><br />His name is Andrew Wyland Blanding. Drew for short. Here are some pictures. <a href="http://www.puravidavieques.com/andrew/">http://www.puravidavieques.com/andrew/</a><br /><br />So I can't wait to spoil him rotten in the future.<br /><br />In other news, we still don't have internet at our place in D.C., but I have internet at the library of an hour per day. I really did miss you all and the halloween bash, and I expect every dirty detail to be exposed, even if they never happened. My manager at work felt really bad for being incompetent and not giving me that weekend off, so I get an extra day for thanksgiving break. psh.<br /><br />Not too much to report on the home front. Evan is trying to get a job w/americorp also, so I'll be the only one not selling out to the man. w00t. Also shoutout to my homeslice Jeff about Avatar and frackin Blood bending.<br /><br />For anyone who has any days off during the break, there's always welcome to come down and experience the joy that is the Wheaton shoppington food court. Speaking of filling our bodies with refuse and alcohol, WHENS GONNA BE THE NEXT REUNION TOUR D' STYLE CHRISTMAS EXTRAVAGANZA!!!!???!!!<br /><br />OK, Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Joe, enjoy your Turducken, I hope you burn in hell for creating and enjoying such a Chimera beast!, Jeff, I expect nothing less than the best of christmas brews from your distillery (you are the new Geneseo Ale House), Neil, I hope you lose every bet you make with joe and die a poor and miserable death. Brendan, i hope your trip across the sea's have left you jaded and callous and no more than a shell of a human being. Bob, I hope your death will be shortly followed by the extraction of your brain to be implanted into a recently slain supermodel so you will be forever pleased with yourself (and your marriage to Joe will be legit too). Andrew, my brother named his son after you, so your legacy will live on.<br /><br />And all the ladies, much love, one one..bu-ya-shak<br /><br />pce<br />BarryBarryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06986137967535796292noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-654115162998830631.post-66866556329807348662007-10-27T10:24:00.000-04:002007-10-27T10:31:15.443-04:00Cause one just ain't enoughIn an attempt to be cool like the following people:<br /><br />-Becca<br />-Zach<br />-Becca and Zach<br />- Perez Hilton<br />-<strike>Rosie O'Donnell</strike><br /><br />I have a blog. I write in it, but not everyday, so don't look at it that much.<br />Go <a href="http://www.capitolm.blogspot.com">here</a><br />See you all soon!<br /><br />Malloryacidwashpantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13045796894260003070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-654115162998830631.post-36801212527729122962007-10-14T10:20:00.000-04:002007-10-14T10:23:41.155-04:00Random!hey y'all. Friday Night I had to work at this thing called Late Nite Madness...it celebrates the beginning of basketball season here. While I was less than thrilled that I had volunteered to be there (I have many things due this week...oops), I managed to have a delightful time. <br /><br />Point of the story: Joe McManus was there!!!! He was visiting his sister, and came over to say hi while i was giving out stickers and asking people if they wanted to get their picture taken with the mascot, baxter. He is a bearcat with an extremely pleasant expression on his face. Anyhow, it was really fun to run into joe. Huzzah! <br /><br />ps. we posted again on our blog...1.5 months after the first post. we suck. <br /><br />love loveDJ Believe it or Nothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05950007423990086339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-654115162998830631.post-31484740881654929852007-10-06T12:46:00.000-04:002007-10-06T13:01:44.549-04:00stuffed eggplant?!!Things I tend to do very slowly:<br /><br /><br /><br />1) Get my stuff together after paying in stores, especially supermarkets and other grocery stores.<br /><br /><br /><br />2) Put on my shoes (at least according to Kristine. I might disagree.)<br /><br /><br /><br />3) This:<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5118267299423242434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_oaOFmK6xFpc/Rwe8_beeyMI/AAAAAAAAAAM/ku7ZSqxaxNY/s320/PA050812.JPG" border="0" /><br /><p align="left">According to the cook book, that should have taken about an hour and fifteen or an hour and a half to prepare and cook. It took me two and a half. So much work went into it, in fact, that when it was done I felt compelled to take a picture of the final product before it got eaten. And then I felt compelled to share this picture.</p><p align="left">That's all!</p>IShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04133046048255932514noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-654115162998830631.post-42799938782337308402007-10-01T19:56:00.000-04:002007-10-01T20:09:21.223-04:00Gone Cat-a-tonicSo we're adopting our neighbors cat, cause she's moving away...and it's a freakin awesome cat that's currently named mittens...but that won't suffice for our purposes. So I leave it up to you, fine folks, to give us some suggestions on what to call said cat.<br /><br />It is a Maine coon <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polydactyl_cat">Polydactyl cat</a>, and has a grey med-long coat.<br /><br />So far, we have come up with the following:<br /><br />Twelve toes, Schödinger, Pinky, Din-Din, Dog, Meatball, Main Moon, Lil' Khajit, Skooma, Arroz Gatonés, HIV, Sudoku, Lil' Bastard, Eek, Ameri-Corpse, Bilbo Baggins, Ignatius Applebottm III, Chesta da Molesta, Snarf, Voldem...."Cat who must not be named", Boner, The Clap, Thundercat, Cumshot, Mushboom, Condom, Dental Dam, Cheesemaker.Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06986137967535796292noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-654115162998830631.post-56072812924841885102007-10-01T16:18:00.000-04:002007-10-02T04:01:55.674-04:00Greetings, true believers! I am posting this blogosphere entry from my Uncle Charlie's house in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It's about nine o'clock in the morning here, which would make it approximately 1066 A.D. back in the States.<br /><br />My flight departed from Newark Airport at around ten o'clock at night local time on Saturday - after a delay of about an hour, of course. Being a red-eye flight, I hoped I'd be able to get some sleep since it would be around 8:30 A.M. Sunday when we landed in Belfast - but oh, how mistaken I was. For one thing, my seat was directly on the wing of the plane, which meant I had the rumbling of the engine to keep me company all night, even over the sound of my iPod. The legroom was practically non-existent (I was pretty envious of those bastards in first class when I got up to use the bathroom). Sooooo I think I got roughly an hour of sleep at most. After we landed, customs took about two seconds to get through the "WE WILL ASSUME AUTOMATICALLY THAT YOU ARE A TERRORIST/DRUG MULE/SCIENTOLOGIST AND FUCK YOU ACCORDINGLY" nature of the U.S. Customs (For some reason the " and @ are switched on U.K. keyboards...) My Uncle Charlie was waiting at the airport for me, and after a short drive to his house in West Belfast, I promptly fell asleep around ten o'clock in the morning local time. For ten hours.<br /><br />So, Sunday was pretty much shot. But I woke up early the next morning and we took a drive around the city to all the different neighborhoods, Catholic and Protestant, with murals on nearly every block commemorating this-and-this Republican hunger striker or that-and-that Loyalist volunteer. (Republicans want a re-joining of the entire island of Ireland and are generally Catholic, Loyalists are generally Protestant and wish Northern Ireland to remain under the yoke of the U.K.) Belfast is a nice city, much larger than I thought, with sad reminders everywhere of the violence in its past. It's quite safe nowadays, and rebuilding steadily, but sections are still decayed and decrepit.<br /><br />After lunch we went to the Ulster Folk Museum, where they've set up a miniature village of authentic and replica 17-20th century buildings from around Northern Ireland - thatched hut houses, mills, churches, you name it. Unforunately my camera batteries crapped out almost immediately so I only got a couple pics, and on top of that we arrived about an hour before closing. Ah well. I had dinner with a few of the family, Uncle Charlie, my cousin Aine and her boyfriend Patrick, my cousin Conor and his wife Kate and their children Rebecca and Charlie (quite the characters, they).<br /><br />So now I await the arrival of my Auntie Ann - more family visits and uncertain plans I guess until I officially set off on Thursday.<br /><br />I really don't know what to do with myself waking up so early in the morning. It's... just... not... natural!<br /><br />kbyeDJ Megamanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05209049387069636964noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-654115162998830631.post-74352471056660563502007-09-29T12:45:00.000-04:002007-09-29T12:55:10.329-04:00back in school...well hello hello. <br /><br />Friday I started my internship of tutoring/observing at East Middle School in Binghamton. I went to six classes, ranging from 6th grade social studies, to reading, and some spanish of all three grades. It was fairly entertaining for a number of reasons. In my first class, the teacher was all afluster and the kids were not paying any attention to him, but they were to me. All of a sudden, the four girls in the back all raised their hands, and when called all pointed and said, "WHO'S THAT!?!" Then i got to introduce myself, and the boys went for reals, for deals. I am out of touch. Anyhow, in 8th grade spanish, one of the girls turned to me and said, "Are you a new student?" kids are so cute. then she asked me if i was Iraqi, and if not what race i was. We bonded over our mutual cuban heritage. It was all kinds of fun. Also, both of the history teachers were super bitches. and one of the reading teachers graduated from geneseo and was a phig. He was very nice, and I want to set him up with either a sister or a friend, even if he is 26 or 27. ANYHOW. just thought I'd let you know that middle school is full of goofy kids and i look like i'm 12 or 13. Now we're watching Zulu. Yay!DJ Believe it or Nothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05950007423990086339noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-654115162998830631.post-86060204288808568452007-09-25T11:55:00.000-04:002007-09-25T11:58:25.558-04:00A Curious WagerAlthough this may be considered my attempt at making the life of a friend trivial, I suggest that we make predicitions on what will become of our comrade, Brendan Kelly, on his voyage to the old World. All predictions may be backed by funds and whom ever comes closest in his prediction of one event that occurs will win all wages made by other predictors. Interested?acidwashpantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13045796894260003070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-654115162998830631.post-71701358302658094242007-09-23T23:21:00.000-04:002007-09-23T23:31:59.629-04:00it's not a problem if you don't acknowledge itA Notice of Gambling Debts (So We Don't Forget About Them):<br /><br />So far, for wagers placed during the fall of 2007, Neil owes Joe $6:<br /><br />$2, Mike def. Kate in checkers<br />$2, Colts def. Saints<br />$2, Giants def. Redskins<br /><br />For the record, I'm pretty sure I also owe Joe several million euro. There are also some debated past incidents which may or may not have involved me losing a bet to Joe, including Ortiz-Shamrock and WrestleMania XXIII. Will he ever see this money? Not on my watch! As we discussed on the phone before, it will be included in my will, when my corpse hits him back on the proverbial first. I am letting this information be known to the public so that if I die in some sort of mysterious accident, Joe ought to be considered as the first and only suspect and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.<br /><br />By decree, all future gambling tabs shall be accounted for in this post.Iron Chancellorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00857136329139153894noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-654115162998830631.post-47757168913756276132007-09-20T11:05:00.000-04:002007-09-20T11:21:39.885-04:00Dear Bob,Damn it's good to have you on the internet again. Maybe you could post here, someday? As for you, Joe? Your gross and overarching proclamations of love for our tall friend have led me to the conclusion that should probably drive your zamboni of love to Bob's house and carry him over the threshold...I expect to receive the wedding invitations soon (could you imagine a more glorious wedding? Bob in white, of course, to offset his brown eyes and delicate features...Joe stumbling drunk down the aisle). <br /> Now that we all have that wonderful image in our heads, I would like to say that I have talked on the phone to a good amount of you recently due to my isolation here in connecticut and heinous lack of internet connection for my first 3 weeks...others I have snatched a few words with when bogarting on campus internet in my graduate carrell/isolation box...and I'm loving hearing about all the crazy shit that's going on with everyone now. Brendan-Europe, Becca/Mallo/Jeph-grad madness, Tina-Gallbladder, Meg, Jess-Ro-che-cha, Feesh-?, Bob-<3 and moisturizing, Andrew-park ranger, Inbal-opera, Kate, Evan, Barry-D.C., Neil-where's my diploma? Though I must say, Joe driving a zamboni is pretty much the best thing I've ever heard in my life. My latest crazy undertaking is joining the capoeira club here on campus. <br /> My friend Jill (a loud-mouthed jersey girl who used to be a semi professional ice skater with tara lapinski, whatttt? I'm friends with some pretty weird people these days) and I were going to join the kayaking club, but upon arriving at the meeting 6 minutes late and realizing that yes, we really did just miss the entire thing (also, the awkward leader of the group said soon after "if you're underage you should probably leave, we're going to watch porn now..." and then they put on this extreme kayaking video and pretty much all orgasmed at the sight of it. YEAH), we decided to try something new. My roommate, the golden god P Lombardo, runs a capoeira club, which if you have never seen/know what it is...you should youtube that shit, stat. It's this brazilian martial arts/dance thing where two people engage in a "conversation" in the middle of a circle of people singing and playing crazy instruments. The conversation involves kicks and blocks and hand stands and cartwheels and insanity, all without contact with the other person really, just this dynamic push and pull. It's bizarre, and so hard, but the guys in the club are really nice and don't mind that i make an ass out of myself. I am most definitely the least adept/graceful/strong/coordinated/balanced person there and it shows, but I'm pretty used to looking like a doofus brain so I don't really care. I am learning to do a cartwheel, which I have never known how to do before, so I'm pretty pumped! Basically, Joe, I'm learning self defense and I'm coming for you. <br /> School is good. My new friends are good (though don't yet compare to the sheer amazingness of our love and insanity). Halloween is going to be nutso. I can't wait to see you all (except for Brendan, you ass)<br /><br />Lovelovelove<br />K-bombKrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03901692491040624727noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-654115162998830631.post-29861294380910906992007-09-12T23:03:00.000-04:002007-09-12T23:51:12.162-04:00this is looonnnngggggDear Friends,<br /><br />This story is about one of the dumbest moments of my life so far, and hopefully also in my future. It is kind of long, but if you're bored or trying to avoid whatever other things you are supposed to be doing, I hope it helps you procrastinate/provides entertainment.<br /><br />I spent all of last week in the states of Washington and Oregon. This story took place on Thursday, at Mount St. Helens. There's this cave in the park that was formed by some volcanic lava, and visitors can hike/climb through the cave. Keep in mind that this is not really like most national parks, in the sense that it is not as well organized. The people at the park do the minimal amount of maintenance necessary for people to be able to access it, but there aren't tons of paved trails and signs everywhere pointing out to you exactly which trail you are on and which trail you will be on should you choose to take another path.<br /><br />Anyway, there are two different routes in this cave. One is labeled easy, and the other one is labeled difficult/very difficult. Here is a little detail that will be important later in the story- in the hard route you exit the cave at some point and you walk back to the starting point on a regular trail.<br />My dad and I plan on doing the hard trail, but before we go in my dad questions a bunch of guys that just came out of the cave and asks them how hard it really is, and if they think I can make it. They say, yeah, it's pretty challenging. You will have to do some rock climbing. There's an 8 foot wall at some point that you will have to climb. But you can do it. So, off we go.<br /><br />We start walking through the cave. It basically alternates between a semi-flat surface and huge piles of rocks. At some point we reached something that I swear was an 8-foot flat wall that we had to climb, but according to my dad that was not hard, so he is convinced that we did not yet find the wall they were talking about. And this continues for a long while. And then... I see a light. The light at the end of the cave?!<br /><br />Hmm. Maybe not. There is indeed a hole in the cave, but the cave continues on. I look at the hole and say, no way that this is the end. It is going to be really hard to climb out of this hole. Plus, the cave continues. My dad, however, thinks back to the hard wall we haven't found yet, assesses the situation, and says, no, it is totally possible to climb out of here. I convince him to continue on for a little bit, and we do, and we hit another one of those big piles of rocks, and my dad decides that no, we will not continue to find out that there is no other exit and then have to go all the way back. We will climb out the hole we passed. And this, my friends, is the dumbest moment of my life. The thing is, I was tired, and kind of sick of climbing over large piles of rocks already, and kind of wanted out of the cave already. But really, if I had just paused for 2 minutes to think about it rationally, there is just NO way that that was the exit. It was way too hard to climb, and, the fact that the cave continues without any sign or indication that it is the end of the trail, and the fact that it continues the exact same way it's been all along, should really have screamed at me that NO OF COURSE THIS IS NOT THE WAY OUT AND THE ONLY REASON MY DAD EVEN CONSIDERED IT IS BECAUSE OF THAT THING THOSE GUYS SAID ABOUT THERE BEING A WALL TO CLIMB!!!!!! Yet somehow, I just was not thinking. So, we start ascending up that wall.<br /><br />The wall had four different levels. So basically, my dad pushed me up to the next level each time and then climbed up after me. The last level was the easiest so I just climbed out of the cave and waited outside. Oh, wait. Since this is not the end, that means that... there is no trail back. But, at that point, I am all the way out, my dad is stuck halfway out and is trying to devise a way to get himself out, and is convinced that it would be nearly impossible for us to go back down into the cave without severely injuring ourselves. As a matter of fact, at that point he is not even sure if he can get himself out of this cave at all. So he sits there for 10 minutes and looks around, until a solution comes to him and he manages to get himself out.<br /><br />OK, we are out now. Now we just have to find the trail. We start walking in the general direction the cave continued. We try to find plants that were stepped on by animals or humans, assuming it would maybe lead us somewhere. I am farely confident though that humans did not walk in the area we were in. We walk for a few minutes and I start freaking out. We are lost. In the forest. We have no food or water, no way to reach anyone, no easy way for anyone to find us, and my mom was waiting for us back in the beginning/end of the trail. I don't think I've ever been so mad at my dad in my life. A few minutes later I hear this sort of growl/snort type of sound, which doesn't help the anxiety. (Later that day after questioning a ranger we would find out it was most likely a bear.) We realize we are not going to find a trail this way, so we start walking downward. There are a couple of roads relatively nearby, and if we walk in the right direction, we should be able to hit one of them at some point, and from there I guess we would just wait for a car to pass and figure out where we were and get back to where my mom was waiting. If we miss the roads, we're fucked.<br /><br />We walk down for a while, and my dad stops and says, hold on, I'm going to check something out, don't lose sight of me. And then, we actually find human shoe prints. Probably not ones from the same day, but at least we know we're in an area where humans were at some point... and I start feeling a little better about the situation. We continue walking for a while, and then, like a chorus of angels descending upon us from the heavens, a trail! A real trail! Now I feel infinitely better, knowing that it's just a matter of time until we find out exactly where we are. But wait, there's more. We get to the end of the trail, and found ourselves exactly where we needed to be, back at the beginning of the cave. And it didn't even take long enough for my mom to start asking random hikers if they've seen us and if they could please get some help as soon as they get back within cell phone working range.<br /><br />That is my story of being lost in the woods!<br /><br />XO<br />IsIShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04133046048255932514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-654115162998830631.post-39335683810409330182007-09-12T20:11:00.000-04:002007-09-12T20:20:00.306-04:0089.3 fm the no teamvanillalution<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj_YIy5NlocC5nOuEtIp6Bfgffs9whJI4LipdGXPaT8-QmFu3wUvIQwPwgdTVNpRzi2l6v7FMjDFVcxMkzjSJ9NTQ7j4ul_75ZR1_5QHNPOMCJXVYNi78fXYwA1MZnKdNQxdUrrC9O5Bk/s1600-h/n70600736_30758567_7911.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj_YIy5NlocC5nOuEtIp6Bfgffs9whJI4LipdGXPaT8-QmFu3wUvIQwPwgdTVNpRzi2l6v7FMjDFVcxMkzjSJ9NTQ7j4ul_75ZR1_5QHNPOMCJXVYNi78fXYwA1MZnKdNQxdUrrC9O5Bk/s320/n70600736_30758567_7911.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5109476857844132706" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:courier new;" >SO, HERE I AM AT MY FIRST RADIO SHOW SINCE THE LAST TEAM VANILLA SHOW. And in protest of everything that is dumb about not having my fellow team vanilla brethren here, I am playing no song under 20 minutes long, starting with "the odyssey" by symphony x. YOU SEE, instead of talking of talking for obnoxiously long periods of time, i'm playing extremely long songs that nobody but me wants to listen to. HA. YOU GET IT?! TAKE THAT GENESEO COMMUNITY. But seriously, i miss you guys.<br /><br />P.s. here's me getting ready for my first radio show<br /><br /><br /></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-654115162998830631.post-39012324206033641572007-09-07T09:35:00.000-04:002007-09-07T09:38:53.209-04:00Dragonblog?Just for fun I typed "Dragonblog" into my browser, thinking that Mozilla (being the most awesome of browers) would take me to the ultimate blog in the world, ours. But I got something else: <a href="http://www.rayndragon.com/">Dragonblog</a><br /><br />A part of me wants to post on there like it's ours.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.rayndragon.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></a>acidwashpantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13045796894260003070noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-654115162998830631.post-18438899108216131322007-09-03T22:05:00.001-04:002007-09-03T22:05:49.714-04:00Ronald Reagan...rooting for an alien invasion?<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p><object height='350' width='425'><param value='http://youtube.com/v/KhUmCthFK0k' name='movie'/><embed height='350' width='425' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' src='http://youtube.com/v/KhUmCthFK0k'/></object></p></div>Iron Chancellorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00857136329139153894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-654115162998830631.post-63455687589349024332007-08-27T16:12:00.001-04:002007-08-27T16:15:04.131-04:00An Ode to NepotismSo as of this afternoon I have a meeting set up to talk to Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), a former student of my uncle's who he has kept in touch with, on Tuesday, September 25. The plan is to ask Casey if he would be willing to put in a good word for me to one Chuck Schumer for a job at one of his offices in New York State to pay the bills while going to graduate school. Will our intrepid hero backroom-deal his way into another cushy job? More on this story later!Iron Chancellorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00857136329139153894noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-654115162998830631.post-44636673226130824192007-08-25T21:33:00.000-04:002007-08-25T21:58:00.648-04:00Only the penitent man will pass...As some of you may know, or may not know, or don't care, I have been juggling the decision to move down to DC. I think I've finally decided on going, since my father has already started moving things into my bristol apt.<br /><br />The plan is to scour craigslist for a job that will pay enough to live reasonably, while a search for a better job/grad school applications proceeds.<br /><br />I haven't set a date yet, but the great organizing of all my old junk has begun and will continue. I miss everybody and want to go and visit everyone, oh economic obligations, how I attest thee.<br /><br />I just saw Reagan on TV. It's a sign. I'm either supposed to commit seppuku, or embark on a great adventure. Eh, I'll figure it out in the morning.Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06986137967535796292noreply@blogger.com0