Acquired is Spelled With a "C"

A little problem I had with spelling today (now the other day) is the cause of this title. So before I write about what happened 3 weeks past, I have to write about what happened this last weekend. I sort of still haven't had time to sit down because it's been so crazy. First and foremost, I MET PAPA ROACH! Yes, I'm totally still all happy and crazy and stupid about it, but I don't care and no one ever responds to my posts so I can feel like this without restraint. The group in comment put on a phenomenal show and I was about 5 feet away from Jacoby Shaddix (the lead singer [before I met him]) for a small portion of the concert. The show was at First Ave. The only thing that was sort of dissappointing was that Trust Company, their opening band, wasn't there. They were replaced by some band I didn't see (we were a little late) and a band called No Warning. No Warning weren't that good at first, but by the end of their set, the music sounded good. The lead singer left something to be desired for me. All he did was scream and his vocals were a little shabby. But props to the band for actually having songs and having the balls to get up on stage and perform, unlike myself, where I have chunks of songs, lyrics that are decent and scattered, but never long enough to constitute a song, and no band other than Blue Pumpkin. It's funny how inspired I get after I meet a band. This is the second group out of my favorite bands that I have had the pleasure to meet. I realize that when archiving memories, I like to be as specific as possible. I know I have a few readers, and this makes it a little dry in terms of content, but that's the way I like it. During the show I went upstairs and bought a rather expensive domestic bottle. It was a great beer for the $4 price tag. By the way, I attended this concert with the non-g/f and our mutual friend A. We found horrible standing spots upstairs for the second opening band and watched as Papa Roach's stage crew sprayed them with what I thought was shaving cream, covering all their instruments and the people attached to them. We decided to go to the ground floor for Papa Roach because there was better viewing there. I don't really remember their first song, I think it was Dead Cell. They played a similar show last March, when I saw them at the Quest, only they played a few more newer songs this time 'round. After the show, I asked the ladies if they wanted to meet the band, thinking that they probably wouldn't come out. They showed interest, so we lined the west wall of First Ave. and waited, while the disgruntled stage crew dismantled the setup. It was fun to watch the First Ave. crew pull dumsters and small plastic garbage bins along the sidewalk and run the bins into stupid teenage girls who thought they were better than everyone. Jerry (guitar) walked outside and no one noticed, except a few of us, but by the time I snapped out of my stuttering, stammering, and idiocy, he was past me and I couldn't get a signature from him. More time passed and we waited. The tour buses were right outside parked next to the building, across the sidewalk from us. I figured, since everyone is waiting by the wall, I'll wait next the the buses because no one's there and I could get a better view of who was coming out of the building. After a few more minutes, Tobin (bass), came out. This really high girl introduced herself and her "friend" who just happened to be a professional photographer. They took one or two pictures and then she tried to put her arm around him and pull him the other direction, when some other fan asked for a signature. He shrugged the high girl off and signed a few things and took off. (I got mine!!!) Next, Jacoby (lead singer) came out and he said that the band would be out in five minutes. This couple we were standing next to were big fans, and they asked me to take a picture of Jacoby and them once he came out. I had to ask him the name of the guitar player because I didn't know. I should have asked him the name of the drummer, but I was a little embarassed since they are one of my favorite bands. I think his name is Nathan. These triplet girls who couldn't have been older than 14 were bitching about the time they had to wait for the band. "Five minutes my ass!" one exclaimed. Non-g/f and I were annoyed at their disrespect, because apparently, Papa Roach owed them something. After about 20 minutes, Jerry came out and started signing. The triplets didn't have a clue about the band, because they must have thought that Jerry was Jacoby, got his signature and left. They probably bragged about it to their friends this past week in school saying they met the lead singer and got his picture, when it was only Jerry (not that Jerry's autograph and picture are less valuable). Jacoby came out a couple minutes later, followed by Nathan and Tobin. I shook hands and got all their signatures (as well as my two lady friends). Nathan had a cold. I asked Jerry if he remember J., a huge fan that used to hang out with the band years ago when they weren't mainstream, but he didn't. He said that if he saw J., he probably would, though. I felt bad, because after everyone got the other band member's signatures, they all grouped around Jacoby, and left the other band members in the background. I was going to ask Jacoby if he remembered J., but I decided not to, and we went on our merry way. Before we entered the parking lot, I called a coworker of my non-g/f and mine to rub in how we met them and that she should've been there (she's a big fan). I also called one of my best friends and got the satisfaction I wanted when he told me, "Fuck you!" in response to my accomplishment. After that, we went to Applebee's at the U and had 241's to celebrate. That was the end of the evening on Friday. I have a smashing story of last Sat. It was J's (mentioned above) bachelor party.

Good Evening, and have a great Memorial Day Weekend!!

P-Wagz

P.S. I'm going to my cabin for the first time in a long time! Hope to see you there....lol

Ugh!

Yo! I recently came down with something, and have been very lethargic due to the disease/virus/ear infection. I just went to a minute clinic last night and got some azithromycin (anibiotics). I'm feeling much better today, which is good because I'm working 15 hours. Ok, I don't really have a whole lot of time to post, so here's one of the stories I said I was going to post.

May 5, 2005
Revelation is a Third Eye

In the midst of the hype that was the new millennium, Filter’s “Cancer” is a dose of reality. More so, it shattered the transparent glassy fear of the Y2K bug with an eye opening revelation – we should be wary of ourselves. Ignoring any and all societal criticism, “Cancer” is bold, daring, and surprisingly scary. Filter’s insight on the human race leaves the listener queasy, as the band regurgitates that the human race’s negligence and ignorance will inflict a heavy toll on the planet.
The song starts with Richard Patrick, the lead singer, hoarsely whispering, “I cross the oceans, I cross the seas, I cross the mountains, like a new disease” (“Cancer”). At this point in the song, he could be describing anything. Manifest destiny is the allusion. The song continues, “I cross the borders, I cross the line, never to see the light, till the end of time” (“Cancer”). These lyrics don’t specifically spell it out, but any listener could probably hypothesize as to where the song is headed. This last portion of the verse points to the fated future; it will be too late by the time we notice the error of our ways.
The singer then sings of the experiences he’s encountered, “I’ve seen the canyons, I’ve seen the cities, I’ve seen the prisons, that take such pity” (“Cancer”). Here, he presents us with the evils that have grown out of control. The canyons are losing their beauty, the cities are overcrowded and dirty, and prisons are packed to the brim with convicts and criminals. This is the price we pay for the age in which we live in. There is a distinct trade-off. For technology we trade natural resources, for keeping things sanitary, we trade our health, as microorganisms evolve to overcome antibiotics. For overpopulation, we trade our aesthetic landmarks.
Patrick exposes the materialistic and capitalist ways of our society with his view, “When it comes to you, when it comes to me, it’s just money, that’ll set you free” (“Cancer”). This is a reference to a plethora of situations. Buying what one desires, posting bail to get out of jail. This only scratches the skin of the demon. In our society, if you have money, you have power. Politicians could purchase laws that they want to incorporate into a country they want molded to their own image and we would never know as long as the law had subtle effects. These laws could have effects on the environment and have to do with the oil shortage, which is a huge and endangered industry right now. The profit gained in monetary value from these laws is just too much to be overlooked, even if it costs a forest or two. This corruption, if it is found, needs to be exiled from our government as a first step.
The rich and famous are thrust upon us daily on television, where they are seen buying more than one mansion, top of the line cars, and any other thing that the social classes underneath their feet usually don’t have, but want. With these images, money replaces truth. People are shown that money will truly bring happiness. How many people buy lottery tickets each week to reflect this? As a consumer society, we are devouring our world into a hollow shell that will not support us - “never to see the light, till the end of time” (“Cancer”). We need to band together toward a common goal to stop this way of thinking. Unity must be a priority!
When the chorus is first heard, it is a foreshadowing of what is to come in the song. “Hey my children, what seems important, won’t last forever” (x2) (“Cancer”). Teenagers and younger adults are the majority of the “children” being addressed here. The ones who are concerned with fads and who care mainly of popularity and their social appearance. Things like the real world are far away from them. Yes, children should have a childhood and people shouldn’t be crushed at an early age by the weight of the world, but they should have some education about reality. We are taught to recycle in elementary school because it is a good idea, and it’s environmentally friendly. Some children go as far as to get their parents to start recycling. As we grow older lessons such as this one should be supplemented so that we are quite aware of the state of the world by the time we are graduating from high school.
In considering the chorus, you can see the true dark world, where most people don’t care what happens to the planet, as is reflected by the enduring pollution, global warming, destruction of the rainforest, and intensifying weather. It is here that we are reminded that when it’s gone, it’s gone forever. When will enough be enough? Our resources are already very scarce. We need to teach the younger generations to respect the planet and themselves, and not to take things they have for granted.
The verse between the two choruses is probably one of the more important parts of the song. “Take a look at the Earth, from a plane, you’ll see the Earth, cut up and in pain, take a look at L.A., from the sky, what you see should make you cry” (“Cancer”). This is a reiteration of the earlier segments of the song, “the cities…that take such pity” (“Cancer”) is a reference to L.A. (Los Angeles), which is infamous for its smog covered streets and plastic surgeons. There are a number of surgeons there because of the demand for them. With all of the obsession about one’s exterior, the personalities of these people are that of the surgery they undergo – plastic. Appearance is a major desire in this society and usually, when there’s obsession with appearance, there’s hollow, ugly people. “What you see should make you cry” (“Cancer”), won’t even affect these types of people. They are too consumed with themselves to give a care of the state of their world. The irony of it all is that no matter how hard you try there is no way to stop aging. Is appearance what we really want our children to be concerned with? If no major overhaul is done, the Earth and its people will grow weary and old regardless of the small exterior fix up done today. If the people of the Earth are ugly, then the Earth is ugly. If those same people are beautiful, so is the Earth. It’s not only the planet that needs to change, it’s the people themselves.
“The Earth, cut up and in pain,” (“Cancer”) is a view from a plane, where one would see small patches of forest competing for land with the suburban sprawl and the towering skyscrapers of our massive cities. The concrete look to the landscape from above is enough to send a chill down anyone’s spine. The Earth is crying for mercy and again, the need for awareness and education is obvious.
As Richard gets closer and closer to revealing the cancer, the anticipation is almost too much to bear. “I’m the scum of the Earth…(repeated many times) [after 4x] I am a cancer… (repeated many times) [after 4x] I am humanity (x3)” (“Cancer”). When listening to this part of the song, you can actually feel humanity sweep over the earth like a dense black fog resembling Richard’s voice. In our ever-growing population, where everyday, children raise themselves while their parents are off consuming all of the drugs they can muster to withstand the weight of the world (the children aren’t far away from the same fate), it’s easy to see where this point of view comes from. Considering the ideas already presented, the human race is a cancer, a mass of cells reproducing out of control that eventually kill its host, the Earth. Examine a graph of the human population from its beginning to where it is now. It is exponential! The synonymy of this growth and that of a cancer is not uncanny. And just as in science now, there is no cure. We have pharmaceutics to help slow the advance, but the cancer’s defense mechanisms are too advanced, helping it find new ways to evade its demise and continue its methods of destruction. The difficulty in stopping this epidemic is enormous, and the answer isn’t in large populations dying off. However, there should be education of the people (e.g. the children from the song) and more efforts, just as there is education of the ways to help prevent cancer, otherwise, as the song says, “[we won’t] see the light, till the end of time” (“Cancer”). For every preventative measure for cancer, there is a preventative measure to save our dying earth; drink orange juice – don’t have so many children, eat healthier – stop using cows and pigs as major food livestock (in the U.S., for example [due to the amount of waste they produce and money invested in controlling their pathogens]), exercise – make new laws to protect the planet.
Alas, revelation is a third eye. Richard wrote a very dark, heavy, industrial song. As it drudges along, the song itself resembles a cancer, eating you piece by piece, until the end, where his insight “kills” you. Not many people care enough to stop these problems. “What you see, should make you cry” (“Cancer”), is an understatement. Our lives have become so consumed with ourselves that there is little chance to stop the onslaught. Hopefully Richard’s third eye of insight will awaken yours, but until then, the world will keep spinning, the population will keep growing, and we wait in the shadows of the next turn of the planet.

References
“Cancer.” Filter. Title of Record. Track 9.
Filter. Title of Record. CD. Warner Brothers, 1999.

Works Consulted
Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2005. Merriam-Webster, Inc. April, 2005. http://www.m-w.com.
Title of Page. 6/3/2000. April, 2005. http://filterpage.tripod.com/lyrics.html#CANCER
H.L.W. Personal Interview. 4 May 2005.
©2005, D. P. Wegener all rights reserved, you may not use this without my personal consent and permission!!

Slacking is an 8 Letter Word

The four F's of animal behavior
Feeding
Fighting
Fleeing
Reproduction

Hope you like that! Courtesy of one, non-g/f. I'm so slacking right now. All I want to do is sit and do nothing and that includes not blogging. I've decided to actually try and post something whilst I await my much needed break. I'm at work and my shift runs 1-10. A ten hour day isn't bad, except that I've been on my feet copying and such all day until about two hours ago. Since then, I've been dawdling. Enough of my bitching and whining, on to business.

A friend of mine, T, has some interest in hydrogen peroxide treatment. I haven't done any research on it yet, but I don’t really know what to think of it. Most people use H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide) to clean wounds, which isn't exactly a good idea. Although it does kill nasty germs that you don't want infecting your wound, it also kills your cells as well (or at least that's what I've learned in micro class last semester). RBC (red blood cells), along with certain other cells and microbes, have an enzyme called catalase that cleaves the bonds between the oxygen and the hydrogen. This creates oxygen and hydrogen gas when these cells make contact with H2O2, and results in the bubbling you see. I'm unsure if the cells are lysed (lysed means that the cells are destroyed) by this process and that is why I'm not certain if I believe if this treatment works. To delve in further, if you RBC's are lysed, it would thin out your blood, and that's why I'm thinking it has the "effects" that it does. Supposedly, you feel euphoric and in the best mood of your life after receiving this treatment. Now, T thinks it's this great idea because Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers has used it, and raves that it's one of the best things he's ever done. This treatment is not legal in the U.S. (how unfortunate), so that raises a red flag for me. T also told me that it's apparently a cure-all (something I don't believe in). I don't want to make him seem the fool, so I won't say exactly which diseases he said it's been "known" to cure, but they were a little out there. I'll check this out and report back to you on that.

I remember mentioning something about a Target pharmacy job earlier. Here's the update...I applied many weeks ago at Target for the above mentioned job. I used my roommate, Bizzle, as a reference. After they talked to him about me, they gave me a call and said that they wanted to do an interview. I gleefully set up a date. This was the first real interview I've had in my life, and it caught me a little off guard, but Bizzle and another friend D.M. told me that the interviews there were really laid back. The only other interview that I've ever had was when I worked for Pizza Hut. A man named M.G., one of the regional managers, interviewed me. I didn't know his position when he interviewed me, so I wasn't very shook up about it. He basically asked me what job I wanted and we talked shortly. After about fifteen minutes, he hired me, to my surprise (which isn't very surprising, now, considering the jobs at Pizza Hut). The Target interview was a little more in-depth, yet a little generic. I was asked about my strengths, weaknesses, life situations where I had to use proper judgment, etc. I was actually stumped on the weakness question, but I told myself that they don't like it when you just sit there and not say anything, so I made something up. Before the interview, I met B, the pharmacist, and J, who was the woman interviewing me down at the pharmacy desk. J led me upstairs to find a room for an interview; I was shocked to discover that there was an upstairs at the Target that I've been going to my whole life. It's funny, the things you remember to do and not do for interviews when you've never used the skills before. For example, I didn't sit until I was asked. Anyway, B was there to ask me questions about my schedule for the future after which he left, and J interviewed me. I shook hands with both of them before leaving. J told me that B WOULD call me for the second interview. There was no maybe about it. Later, Bizzle told me that if the first interview goes well, the second one would probably come. Unfortunately he is only talking about Target. B called me later the following week. I answered all of his questions, and he told me that I would receive more information after I took the required drug test. But before I took the drug test, J called me and notified me that I was hired, yet, you guessed it, I still had to take the test and I should grab some paper work from her before I do. I was to be hired at a less than desirable rate. I discussed this with non-g/f and she said that I should reconsider. I made my decision before I headed over to Target, but I decided to negotiate, just in case I could change my pay rate. I ended up talking to the new HR person, and she said that there was nothing she could do, because the corporate office sets their base pay. There was more. I knew that I had to start out as a cashier, because I needed certification by the state to become a pharm tech. This was quite an extraneous process. What I didn't know, was that I would have to work there for 3 months, after which I could interview to become a specialist. After THAT, I would have to wait until a current pharm tech left until I could start taking classes to become a pharm tech. The number of pharm techs at any particular Target pharmacy is based on the number of prescriptions they dispense. In other words, by the time I became a pharm tech, I would have my degree, and this was just not acceptable. I told the HR person that I would consider it and get back to them. She asked me to take the drug test since they set it up already. I went home and explained the situation to my mother. She said that I should just call them tomorrow and decline the job, that way the I wouldn't waste the company's money and anger them. I decided to take the drug test even though I wasn't going to work there, because the company already spent the money to set it up. I got the test back the other day - I'm clean. I know most of you are thinking, "With the way he thinks, he has to be on drugs." I totally understand how you feel. Two days after the test, I declined the job. Luckily, I was able to secure work at the library for this summer. Plus, I figure both of these jobs (including the one in St. Paul) require you to be a student and after I graduate, there won't be any hard feelings when I leave, because I don't have a choice!

I saw Episode III last night. I not anymore excited now as I was then. It wasn't that great. I think people hype these things up too much. My take on the newer Star Wars movies is this (mirroring a review I recently read): George Lucas, made Episode 1 to see how he would do. It didn't do as well as he planned, and after that, he was sort of expected to finish off the story line. I don't know about you, but I thought the dialogue was terrible for Episode III. The transformation of Darth Vader was poorly written. When you see the movie, come talk to me, so I don't ruin anything for you.

Yahoo! Are my posts dry sometimes, or what!

Wishing you well,

P-Wagz

Hosh Posh and the Hoolihans

Ugh, I've finished finals, and now I'm racking my brain to find an order with all the things I want to write about. Let's go back to the end of April ::vision of readers gets wavy and falls slowly away like cascading water:: Diddleydoo Diddleydoo Diddleydoo

Every year for BCQ, there is a formal recognition dinner, where all of the efforts of the student leaders are acknoweledged. This year it was hosted at the Eastcliff Mansion, i.e., the U of MN President's residence, and the theme was Hollywood. Since I don't have any costumes really, I wore my tai chi uniform. I let people assume what I was to them, but if they asked, I was either Bruce Lee or Jet Li. Before I was to head over to Eastcliff, I was asked if I could chauffer some of my fellow student leaders there, since I as one of the few college students who can afford (yeah, I'm rich) to have a car on campus. Luckily for me, my attire was somewhat formal looking, because when I arrived to pick up some of my friends, most of them were suited up and the ladies were all wearing dresses. So much for the theme... I followed two other cars there because they knew a faster way that taking the freeway at rush hour. After finding the place followed by me almost getting lost trying to find street parking, we arrived.
It was my first time there and wow, it is a beautiful place. As always when I enter mansions, I wondered if it were haunted - usually older, large buildings like that, give me that feeling. The entire first floor and basement, with the exception of a few locked doors was open to us. Downstairs was all rustic and had a wooden theme to it. Throughout the mansion, there were many books on Minnesota history, Native Americans, and politics (surprised?). We ate in a dining room filled with windows exhibiting the ground's courtyard and garden. I sat with one of the faculty advisors (he is quite prestigeous, as he used to be on the medical school board), his son, and three other leaders. We had some interesting conversation throughout dinner. The faculty advisor, C.S., is quite a friendly guy, very odd, but awesome. He asked us leaders what movies we saw recently. Apparently, he is quite an old horror movie fan. I offered that I had recently watched, "The Amityville Horror", giving it great reviews for all at the table. I was told that "Sin City" was a good movie, but you had to watch it with a grain of salt. Apparently, it has cheesy lines and such due to the fact that it's based on a comic book. I don't think I'll see it. C.S. also brought up that he wanted to bring his wife. Apparently, she asked how formal it was, and C.S. had saw the coordinators (let's say they are my boss) in jeans setting up for the dinner, and said, "Some of them are wearing jeans." To which she asked, "Well, I thought it was a formal?" C.S. replied with, "Well, they are college students, so maybe it isn't that important." He went on with the conversation, saying it was a good thing she didn't come because everyone was dressed up so nicely now. I silently sat and looked at my unironed tai chi uniform, slightly embarrassed.
I don't remember all of the conversation as it was blocked out from all the studying from finals. Dinner consisted of a pre-entre salad - very delicious; the main entre was cheese and vegetable stuffed ravioli, which had a sweet tomato sauce that complimented the pasta well; and dessert was a choice of french silk, apple cheesecake, boston creme, and strawberry pies. I chose the french silk. After dinner we were ushered into the living room, and presented with a slide show of pictures on the ceiling. Afterwards, we took some group pictures and a couple of us attempted to go into the private section, which consisted of the second floor, only to stop short because there was a t.v. on in a nearby room that could be seen from the first couple of steps. After that, I helped clean up, drove home, and that concludes our tour.

Well, I hope this whets your whistles for now!

P-Wagz

University Urban Myth

Here's a little diddy that the non-g/f and I came up with a while back (I'd say about a month to a month & .5).

Every four years one college student is deleted from the roster. As if the inner cogs of the Univeristy of Minnesota don't have enough fun, they decided that every four years they randomly delete one college student from the University records. This student won't be notified of such a deed, and will continue on taking classes until his/her "graduation". Afterwhich, he/she awaits his/her degree in the mail, but it never comes. When inquiring about it, no one at the U can seem to help him/her because the student under his/her name never existed at the U. This would lead to one of two options. The poor soul would have to retake all of his/her classes (of course if he/she had taken out loans, he/she would have to be paid in full by the U to cover up this operation), or he/she would have to prove somehow that he/she did take all of the classes. The latter choice, the often picked choice, is, of course, almost impossible to pull off. If the student is able to prove without a shadow of a doubt that he/she did attend, the board would "persuade" him/her to never tell another living soul about the incident, otherwise, he/she truly would dissapear!

A good reason to keep everything returned to you that is graded, I say.

P-Wagz

Outline of Insanity

Greetings! I'm coming from you live from no more finals land! I have a lot to do still. Fortunately, none of it involves class related things. This post is to give you a heads up for what's to come. I've had some pretty crazy dreams lately, which I've actually put down on paper. This is a rare occurance because I usually either never remember my dreams, or forget them 5 seconds after waking up. Everything else is just some things that have happened to me. I'm also going to post the papers that I revised for my english composition class, as well as update you on the pharmacy tech situation. I may post this over the next few weeks so you aren't just hit with a huge amount of material in a couple of days. I don't know how far I'll get tonight because of the amount of work I have waiting for me at work (I know you've all been chomping at the bit for my next post), but I'll try to get something down by this weekend. Alrighy, off I go into the great blue yonder! Yahoo!

P-Wagz

Zombie Like Stare at Screen

Boo Hoo* Finals are going ok. I'm just sniff* tired of them. Right now I'm running on little sleep. My brain is fried from revising papers, one of my two finals and a quiz, and interviews, and everything else I'm doing for school. I would love to post something bigger tonight, but I'm going to continue job searching. I was hired at Target, but I decided not to take the job, which I will explain in further detail later. All I have left is a final project on Monday and my only other final next Wednesday, then I'm done until next year! Sorry to leave you hanging, but I probably won't post until next Thursday, but who knows. If you are taking finals next week or this week, or any week that you would have finals that you take them, good luck! The rest of you, I have nothing to say to, you don't have finals, you wouldn't understand. I'm kidding...I wish you well even if you aren't suffering.

P-Wagz

P.S. I decided not to edit for grammar or anything so I can truly see how tired I was when I wrote this!