didn’t realize that Fridays could EVER feel like mondays, but I guess there’s something new to learn every week.

between being irritated and being angry. I am constantly irritated. Constantly. You don’t even know. True facts. But do I get angry? I’d say rarely. Irritation has to do with impatience. I’m a very impatient person, one might say, and consequently, I’m very irritated.

I looked up irritated, and impatience is listed right there, with anger OR displeasure. So, then I looked up anger, and saw that “a strong feeling of displeasure and usually of antagonism”.

What brings this on? Well, I worry about how I look to people when I have outbursts, and I worry about how I feel esp. during traffic. Oh man, do I get irritated. I worry that people would peg me as a very angry person…and that troubled me, because I’m not really that mad whenever there are outbursts. I’m IRRITATED for sure, but that irritation certainly lacks that element of antagonism. I mean, driving, I don’t drive up right behind someone who cuts me off and make threatening hand gestures, I just get annoyed.

Long story short, it’s a fine line between irritation and anger, but I’m pretty sure I’m not angry…just irritated.

What brought this on? Constant irritation with one of the tech companies at work. I thought that maybe I shouldn’t be so angry, and then I realized I’m not really angry, just irritated.

Now, you should all be able to sleep better that you realize I’m not angry. Honestly.

since august, I’ve been dealing with an increasingly crappy monitor monitor that I got off craigslist. Looking at it now, over time it got worse and worse. It had always been much more dim than my other monitor, which was a real bummer, because the difference between a bright monitor and a dim one is pretty horrendous, esp. when they’re next to each other.

So, it was getting worse. It wasn’t too blurry in the beginning, but after a while it was horrendous. I couldn’t do an IM’ing on that monitor, I’d have to slide the screens over to the primary so I could read it. It was bad. Yes, yes, not starving-child-in-africa-bad, but I do count my blessings that my problems are so very minor.

Anyhoos, I got a new (read different) monitor yesterday for $30. It’s a Gateway EV910, which is the exact same monitor I had on my very first desktop. It’s fantastic. Bright, clear, everything that the viewsonic monitor was not. I can read on the other monitor now, it’s great. Now that I’ve got the screen stretched across both monitors, they are performing equally as well. It is a huge relief.

Anyway, here’s a picture for you. The other monitor is now on my futon, taking up roughly half of it. I’ll have to run that down to a recycling center this weekend probably.

So last night after bible study we were sitting around discussing little babies. Someone brought up the fact that there are just some plain dagnasty ugly babies (not quite in that language). Someone else asked whether or not the parents knew.

I can’t speak for the ladies, but I’m REASONABLY certain that guys know. They know very well that the baby is dagnasty ugly. But seriously, you think that they’re going to say anything? Not only is it the fruit of his loins (so it’s HIS fault just as much as anyone’s) but with the mother right there…I’d imagine it’d be similar to stepping between a mother bear and her cubs. It’s something no sane person wanting to live longer would say.

But like I said, I’m pretty sure that guys know when their kids are dagnasty ugly. They just know better than to say anything.

PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A FICTITIOUS POST MEANT FOR PARODY PURPOSES ONLY!!!!!

My little brother has started a facebook group announcing his candidacy for the presidency. This of course will never work due to his age, but if we get started now, his name will have household recognizability by the time 2020 rolls around. So, in preparation for that, I prepared some campaign quotes:

I think it’s clear in this time of uncertainty and confusion that there is one choice that gives us the clarity and confidence to go forward…that choice is for Merlin Froyd.

If it’s change you’re looking for, look no further than Merlin Froyd…he always carries a good number of dimes.

As you can see, the pictures below go from beginning to where I am now. It kinda gets better. Sort of. I guess.

to finishing this chapter. I feel the almost overwhelming need to clean my apartment rather than work on the paper.

And trust me, if you see this apartment, you know that this need comes very very rarely. One of the downsides of not having papers due for class, I suppose, is that I never feel that need to clean house when I’m almost done wtih a paper.

It’s all right though, I can (as they say) dig it.

I’m not really sure who says that, but that is immaterial to it being said, as it just was.

There’s some book out there that’s being talked about on a listserv that I’m on, what would the six words be that made up your memoir…so if you were to write your life story, what would those six words be?

I think mine would be:
You must be very very bored.

yeah, it’s pretty much like this.

keeps your commies running longer than the other guys.

Ok, so Castro is stepping down (or more appropriately shuffling away) from presidency. I’m not even sure if I should give a damn.

One thing I constantly find amazing is how someone who hasn’t changed anything in his country in 49 years can still be described as a “revolutionary”. 49 years, folks. I believe things stop being “revolutionary” after like 5-10 years at the most, but definitely after those things become successful and then the status quo.

I (heart) turbotax. Honestly. As long as you have ALL the “important tax documents” that places have mailed to you, all it takes is entering numbers into the boxes they give you.

That being said, I DO NOT (heart) minnesota and california tax systems. They made me pay in this year. It was made up for by getting fed income tax back (while I DO NOT (heart) paying back student loans, I do (heart) the tax credits that the interest nets me), it is still an annoyance.

And really, it’s one of the few annoyances I have (outside of stupid stupid people (whom I do not (heart)), so I shouldn’t complain too much. At least I got some back.

Also, honestly, if you didn’t find a bit of enjoyment out of the constant (heart)s, then I don’t even know what to say. Wordplay on the interweb gives me quite a bit of enjoyment.

In space, no one can hear your german techno music!

Yes, that is one of the benefits of space.

I felt that, in the spirit of the “holiday” that this was the best valentine’s comic yet.

I have a class teaching next year.

Not sure what the class is, I will find out this afternoon when I go in to sign some form for one of last fall’s wayward students.

it’ll help pay the bills, but it means that by August, I’ve got to have my dissertation about 4 months ahead to make up for the disruption.