The is where Phil talks about insane plays and crappy things that happen

[Moxlotus]

So I guess I'll start one of these.  I don't get to play IRL Magic too often, so a lot of my insane plays and whining will be about real life situations. 

However, today I get to start off with a Magic gripe.  I was all pumped to go to a tournament on the 13th.  The plan was to drive with Fisher and Endress.  However, Fisher blows because he never reads when tournaments are so he didn't get the day off.  Endress works at Applebees and when he requested the day off they basically laughed at him since it's their busiest day.  Apparently they put up a sign that says "if you call off, you will be fired.  only exceptions are hospitalization or death."  So that blows.  There is no way in hell I'm driving 3 hours round trip by myself.

On the bright side of things this is my first day of summer break.  Unfortunately, I am currently unemployed.  I didn't get rehired as a pool manager at the Country Club I worked at because of general complaints.  The General Manager has now worked there for a year and doesn't know that random complaints are the norm.  I worked 5 summers and can guarantee that there were many less problems than in the past.  But since he wasn't here in the past he doesn't know that.  Or he doesn't know that some of the problems we have are annual and there's nothing that we can do about it.  The best example of that is what I call The August Problem.  To start, we have 10 employees-can't have any more or people will only get like 2 days a week.  We can make due somewhat comfortably with 8, and 7 minimum if everybody works like 5 days a week.  Keep in mind these are high school sophomores and juniors and a number of them are members of the country club so they don't really like to work often.  Well, August comes around and 1 or 2 people leave for college.  That's ok, we still have the minimum needed.  However, August is when sports camps start and since everybody is in high school around 2 or 3 of them can only work like 2 days a week.  Crap, we're short people.  This isn't counting the 2 or 3 other people who you want to fire because they are worthless, but you are already short people.  And you can't hire anyone new because its the end of the summer and nobody wants to work for 3 weeks at a new place.  He said in my interview a few months ago that he didn't see any reason why I couldn't be hired back as a normal life guard.  However, I still haven't gotten a call with the pool opening Memorial Day weekend.

Then I put my application at an agri-chem lab.  I'm starting Dental School next year and have had 3 years of undergrad with my major being biochemistry.  I called them a few months ago and asked if they had any internship  positions.  They said they hadn't decided if they were going to yet.  I can understand--it is a really small place with only 1 Ph.D scientist working there.  About a week later they called me back and told me to give them a resume and cover letter.  Sweet.  Unfortunately, they haven't called back.

Now I have my application in at a larger plant that makes pretty much everything from corn (high fructose corn syrup, various other things including the caramel color for pepsi).  Well, I found out about that job on April 30th.  The problem was that the applications were due April 14th.  But since they went to the government department of employment of whatver its called on the 29th, it seems to me that would mean they still needed people.  Got my ap in on May 2nd, but still haven't heard anything yet.

So I'm starting my summer unemployed, despite 3 years of biochemistry with a 3.9 GPA and getting into Dental School a year earlier than 95% of the other entries.

I can't even look at my grades because they are online and I can't access the college's e-mail from home because I for some reason they make you type in like 6 other letters/numbers which change every year in addition to your password.  And obviously the Help Desk decided to take Friday off, despite this annual problem.

Severe lack of insane plays today.

EDIT:  On another note, I hate Future Sight.  I hate Ichorid with a passion.

[Moxlotus]

Well I found out I would have gotten a job at a chem lab if I had heard about the job a month earlier.  Then it turns out that there was a job at the nuclear power plant.  You test fish and frogs from the area and make sure they aren't all screwed up from the nuclear plant.  It turns out that since it is funded by federal grants, they did the hiring for that in February (why the fuck they still had signs up for the job is beyond me).  They were so desperate for people they hired people who have never taken a chemistry or biology class.  Sucks to be me on that one.

However, randomly at like 4:55 on Friday I got a call at the agri-lab I initially applied for.  I have to call them back tomorrow.  Hopefully I get that job, or else I start at some packaging plant for $6.25/hr on Wednesday.

Oh, and I get my LASIK eye surgery tomorrow.  I'm pretty excited about that.  Except it is on the same day that WWE Raw is in the area, so I can't go to that.  Kinda blows, but I'll be able to watch the 2 hour 24 season finale.

Gotta give a congrats to my teammate Paul for making top 8 in the GP.  Nice job Paul. 

Got my grades earlier this week.  Goit  an easy A in accounting and scraped my way up to a B in Gross Anatomy w/ Cadaver Lab.  Somehow I managed a A in Cell Biology.  I must have rocked the final.  Still have no idea how I only got a B+ in Physics 2.  Kinda pissed about that one.  The first semester I got an A, and this semester I had better homework scores and better lab scores.  The 2 non-final test grades were exactly the same.  WTF.

Got to congratulate my little bro yesterday on getting a 33 on his ACT.  Smart ass.  He's wondering if he has a chance at Cal-Tech with that.  Apparently the average is a 34, so he might get in.  He's not taking it again--probably doesn't want to take the chance of doing worse and feeling like crap.  If he doesn't get in he'll probably go to Iowa STate, Iowa, or Illinois.  He wants to major in Astronomy, whatever the hell job that will get him.

Oh, and I still hate Ichorid.  Possibly more than Dragon.

[Dante]

Got to congratulate my little bro yesterday on getting a 33 on his ACT.  Smart ass.  He's wondering if he has a chance at Cal-Tech with that.  Apparently the average is a 34, so he might get in.  He's not taking it again--probably doesn't want to take the chance of doing worse and feeling like crap.  If he doesn't get in he'll probably go to Iowa STate, Iowa, or Illinois.  He wants to major in Astronomy, whatever the hell job that will get him.

I was a physics major.  Everyone I knew who was into Astronomy (we didn't have that as a major, you were just a physics major and then spent all your free time freezing in with the telescopes) went into Academia and got/are getting PHD's.

If he's interested in Astronomy, he should look at Carleton College - they have an excellent physics programs and an Astronomy dome with 2 telescopes.  Lots of research while still getting that small, liberal arts feel.  I had a 32/1350 FYI.  Of course that was in 1995 (when I graduated HS), I have no idea how the ACT/SAT scores have been changed since then...

[Moxlotus]

I can't believe I didn't notice that Jeff Folinus got 11th at the GP.  Great job dude!

haha, this is my blog and I'll put as much or as little as I want

Oh.  And the slops for today.  For some reason neither of my computers can access sites like wizards or google.  My fiance's house can get them though using the same ISP.  WTF.  /pissed

[LotusHead]

Oh, and I get my LASIK eye surgery tomorrow.  I'm pretty excited about that.  Except it is on the same day that WWE Raw is in the area, so I can't go to that.  Kinda blows, but I'll be able to watch the 2 hour 24 season finale.

Lasers hitting your eyeballs?  You cool with that?

I am too terrified of permanent "oops I loose" senarios to go through with that, but then again, I don't know what I'm talking about other than assuming lasers hit your eyeballs.

[Moxlotus]

Oh, and I get my LASIK eye surgery tomorrow.  I'm pretty excited about that.  Except it is on the same day that WWE Raw is in the area, so I can't go to that.  Kinda blows, but I'll be able to watch the 2 hour 24 season finale.

Lasers hitting your eyeballs?  You cool with that?

I am too terrified of permanent "oops I loose" senarios to go through with that, but then again, I don't know what I'm talking about other than assuming lasers hit your eyeballs.

Turned out perfectly fine.  Back when school was still in session I was taking my junior seminar which was basically researching anything involving chemistry/biochemistry and then give a half hour presentation.  Kinda like a "hey, this is the stuff you'll be reading and doing next year for your thesis--here's practice".  Well, someone chose LASIK, so I didn't even have to do any research on it myself!  The laser only hits your eyes for like 30 seconds is all.  If you move your eye the laster automatically shuts off.  But you don't move your eye since you feel nothing (topical anesthetic and the fact that your cornea doesn't have pain receptors) and you are given a Xanax to relax. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LASIK#Procedure

Currently manufactured excimer lasers use an eye tracking system that follows the patient's eye position up to 4,000 times per second, redirecting laser pulses for precise placement within the treatment zone. The energy of each pulse is usually in the milliwatt range [4] Typically, each pulse is on the order of 10–20 nanoseconds.

Psychologically the craziest part was when they have this machine that slices open a flap in the conjectiva (the clear outer "bag" holding everything in your eye).  It wasn't painful, just annoying with the pressure they had to have on my eye.  Kinda like at the dentist when it doesn't hurt getting a tooth pulled, but the pressure he has to use is still uncomfortable.

I now have 20/20 vision.  Before, my contacts read -4.0 diopters.  I couldn't see the top line on the chart.

[Matt]

Both my eyes are -4.25, but I can read the top line. What gives?

[Moxlotus]

Both my eyes are -4.25, but I can read the top line. What gives?

My contacts probably needed updating

[Moxlotus]

A mix of insane plays and being sacktapped today.

So I got a job at the agri-chem lab.  It turns out its a lot bigger than I ever thought.  They are currently analyzing specific sugar contents of grains to see the optimal ratios that absorb into cow stomachs so the cows can produce more milk.  I know it doesn't sound like fun to probably anybody on this forum, but oh well.  I find it somewhat interesting.  Sure as hell more interesting than watching a bunch of country club brats at the pool like I have for the past 5 years.  Unfortunately, I can only get like 15-20 hours a week there.  That kinda sucks.  But I'll be learning to use instruments that the seniors used in their thesis projects.  Now, I'm skipping my senior year and starting dental school, but I have a job doing research.  The research project titles I read from last year all sounded like things that a thesis would be on--so I might be giving myself a head start on knowing how to use instruments.

Found out there is a tournament saturday.  Unfortunately, its my cousin's graduation party.  Its also the first time my fiance will be around my family with the status of fiance.  Its ok,  I was able to weasle my way out of that.  I just need 1 person to go with because I won't drive 5-6 hours in a day by myself for a magic tournament.  Turns out saturday is Fisher's last day at his job.  And he's not exactly leaving on the best terms.  Sweet--I tell him to blow it off.  However, if he does he will not be able to receive cash for the 70 hours of vacation time he has built up.  Owned. 

[Hydra]

Ouch, sucks for Fisher.

[Moxlotus]

Man, my alliance got totally destroyed in Cybernations.  (www.cybernations.net) I was so pissed.  If you haven't heard of it, it is a free nation building game.  It's pretty sweet.  The politics of the game is insane.  However, it has taken a turn for the worse with a huge group of alliances all teaming up they pretty much rule the game and are starting to take out anone they don't like on trumped up charges of espionage and whatever.  Regardless, the game is still cool.

[Moxlotus]

So I realized I've spent an assload of money at the local movie theatre this summer and thought I'd share some of my experiences:

Spiderman3:  B+.  I thought the movie was pretty sweet, but not as good as the second one or even the first.  The effects were amazing, but I think they tried to cram too much in.  Also, the ending was kinda lame.  However, Gwen was introduced and she was hot.  Kirsten Dunst was pretty as always and Tobey McGuire had a hilarious dance scene. 

Shrek 3: C.  Nothing new here.  Same old jokes as the first 2.  I felt the same after this movie as I felt after watching Austin Powers 3.  Some things can only be retold once.

Pirates 3: B+.  I would give the first 2 an A+.  The effects were amazing and some awesome scenery and costumes, but WTF Was up with the infinite Johnnys?  Also, Calypso was hella lame.  I thought she would, you know, do something--anything besides turn into a bunch of crabs.  Keira Knightly being hot is what gave this the "+"

Knocked up: B.  It would have got an A- if it wasn't for the language and drugs.  Not that those are inherently bad in movies, but they seemed totally unnecessary for this one.  Besides that, it was a pretty funny movie.  Kathering Heigl=hotty.  Even though it was directed by the same guy as 40 Year Old Virgin, it felt very Wedding Crashers to me.

License to Wed:  B+.  Robbins Williams is doing what he does best.  Funny one liners mixed with Williams rambling rimshot after rimshot.  Movie was well put together and the ending put everything together--gotta remember each random part of the movie to appreciate the extent of everything tying together.  Mandy Moore was also strong and so was the little kid, but the husband was kinda off.  Great movie

1408: A-.  This movie scared the shit out of me.  Not a lot of horror movies do that.  Usually I find horror movies funny, but this one was legitimately scary.  It would have gotten a solid A, but there was a 10 minute or so patch that kinda dragged.  The ending freaked the hell out of me, but not others.  Think of the ending of Carrie--some think it is the scariest scene in a movie they've ever seen while others think it isn't anything at all.  If you want to be scared, I suggest this.

Harry Potter 5:  A+.  This movie rocked.  I think it might be the best in the series.  Now I haven't read the books so I don't know how close/not close it follows and frankly I don't care.  I was entertained start to finish.  Effects were sweet and it made me leave wanting to immediately see the next movie.  Must See.

Hair Spray.  A+.  I've never seen a musical I've liked this much.  In fact, I've only ever seen one other musical I didn't hate--The Producers.  My fiance drug me and i bitched and whined and moaned in the car the entire way.  I can admit I was compeltely robbed.  There wasn't a minute of the movie I didn't like.  Brittany Snow is a hottie.  Amanda Bynes looks like she's 12 until the last 5 minutes of the movie when she turns into mega hottie.  Michelle Pfiefer is an evil bitch--something I didn't know she could pull off.  Christopher Walken proves again that he is amazing at everything ever.  The lead girl will win a bunch of Golden Globes and might even get nominated for an Oscar, despite the bias against comedies and musicals.  It's unfortunate that she will probably not find another acting job for a long time.  The real reason the movie is awesome os John Travolta.  He/she had me in stitches every time he/she opened his/her mouth.  I missed half of a song and dance number because I was laughing so hard I was crying.  There is a very short list of people who could have pulled that off as well as he could.  Actually, Robbin Williams is the only person I can think of.  This movie is amazing.

I've had good luck this year with movies.  Or I just blocked out the bad ones I"ve seen.  Either way works.

[Moxlotus]

Long time no post.

So I just watched The Mist.

It is the best movie I have seen all year.

Here are some of the key themes that I could identify

Dangers of :
intellectualism w/ no faith
Faith w/o reason
Believing literal interpretations of religious writings
blind emotion
being overly analytical

some others:
Might makes right (in more ways than one)
technology and science will save us and doom  us (but is it in that order or is it doom then save?)
Sometimes blind emotion is right
Sometimes overly analyzing is right
Humanity is more dangerous than anything else.
The power of the Plebs


Oh, and the ending is different than the book--it is even better.

A++

[Anusien]

I don't know that I give it A++ but it was a very good movie.  Depressing though.  This, by the way, is why all heroes should know social manipulation, so they don't lose to the politically savvy villains.

[LotusHead]

So I just watched The Mist.
It is the best movie I have seen all year.

Thanks for the brief endorsement for the movie.  I'll try and see it in the theaters soon.

From your list of themes, the movie "Cube" comes to mind (a microcosm of personalities, beliefs, fears, etc. Technology, Gov't, military industrial complexes, etc...).

[Moxlotus]

Dark Knight >Spiderman 2 > Iron Man

Go fork over 9 bucks and see the movie.  Immediately.  Nothing beats front row seats at a super hero movie.  And this is the best one yet.  Silly me, I didn't think any movie was going to top Iron Man this summer.

In other news:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXnELk6pZVk

[Anusien]

Is it that amazing?  Good.  My work bought out a showing.  $10 for food and ticket is a pretty unbeatable deal.

[Zherbus]

Bale as John Connor? Wow, I didn't see it coming but I approve.

[Moxlotus]

Started my second year of dental school this week.  In September I get to see my first operative patient, so that should be exciting.  Univ of Iowa really gets us into the clinic freaking fast compared to other schools.  This should be a much more exciting year than the first.  Last semester was awful, 29 credits was a bitch.  This year we end up with 8 hours of clinic/week from september to the end of june (which gives us 5 credit hours) plus another 40 in classwork.  No 40 hour weeks of lecture this semester.  Those were awful.  Then I had the 14 hours of lab work plus studying for didactic classes.  That sucked.  This year it doesn't come until April-June unlike last year which started in January.  Times like that are when I wish I tried being an M.D. or a pharmacist.  Dentists take the same if not more hours of class work as doctors, but we have to do it in 2 years.  Our third year is rotations and our 4th year is essentially an internship compared to a doctor whose 4th year is rotations and then has to do bonus years of residency.  But once I graduate, I will be glad with the profession I chose   4 day work weeks suckas!  I get to take Boards Part 1 this winter which is basically a final exam for the first 3 semesters of dental school.  8 hour tests to determine if you wasted $150,000 and 2 years of your life...fun times.

I bitched a lot during my undergraduate work.  Wow, I was an ignorant jackass.  In professional school, you get twice as many classes, each class with 3 times the information, and this time you can't just learn the info and forget it 5 minutes after the test is done. 

Oh, and professional schools really do listen to teacher eval forms.  I heard we got one of our instructors booted from his course director position for a course.  Guess that happens when for 2 years in a row you have 100% negative feedbacks and people opt to bring in multi paged typed criticisms instead of just quick jotting down something on the eval sheet.  Unfortunately, he is an assistant in a different class we have him with this year.  Class director for us this time is the head of the department, so he can't be a jackass to us either.

[LotusHead]

.  But once I graduate, I will be glad with the profession I chose   4 day work weeks suckas!  I get to take Boards Part 1 this winter which is basically a final exam for the first 3 semesters of dental school.  8 hour tests to determine if you wasted $150,000 and 2 years of your life...fun times.

I did much the same (pay dues in public highschool, work hard in College, get skills/that piece of paper that says you are qualified...)

My job doesn't pay the big bucks (I currently work 25 hours a week at an after school tutoring place, plus being Mr. Neilson the Substitue teacher), but at least I get to do what I want to do...

Good luck!

[Moxlotus]

Fringe.

The series premiere is on again Sunday at 8 eastern I believe.

Watch it.

[Moxlotus]

First time I've ever drilled on someone's teeth today.  An experience I will never forget.  2 hours (1 putting on a rubber dam) to fill a tiny cavity in someone's molar

[hauntedechos]

Congratulations Phil.  It's good to hear that things are moving along well with your career.  How was the patient after the work was done?  How was the exp as you were doing the work, like how did you feel and what were you thinking.


Haunted.

[Moxlotus]

Congratulations Phil.  It's good to hear that things are moving along well with your career.  How was the patient after the work was done?  How was the exp as you were doing the work, like how did you feel and what were you thinking.


Haunted.

He was great.  Quite possibly the best patient I could have had.  I'm fairly certain I could have dropped the syringe needle into his nose and he would not have complained.  The experience was also good.  The actual prep/restoration was cake.  It was everything else that made things crazy.  Oh crap, can't go in that drawer with gloves on.  Oops, can't put that floss container on the tray since it's not clean/sterile.  Now where is this instrument I need located?  Stuff like that.  Ugh, dropped the mirror on the floor, gotta interrupt my groove to to the dispensary to get a new one.  It will get smoother each week. 

[ErkBek]

He was great.  Quite possibly the best patient I could have had.  I'm fairly certain I could have dropped the syringe needle into his nose and he would not have complained.  The experience was also good.  The actual prep/restoration was cake.  It was everything else that made things crazy.  Oh crap, can't go in that drawer with gloves on.  Oops, can't put that floss container on the tray since it's not clean/sterile.  Now where is this instrument I need located?  Stuff like that.  Ugh, dropped the mirror on the floor, gotta interrupt my groove to to the dispensary to get a new one.  It will get smoother each week. 

Glad to hear it went well. It seems like all that little stuff you wouldn't even think to prepare for. I'm sure all the little things will be easy with some practice.

[Moxlotus]

My GenCon honeymoon fell through due to my cousin's wedding being on that weekend.  Puerto Rico is looking like a fine Plan B.  Has anyone been to Puerto Rico?  Good experience?  Where did you stay?  Super expensive or no?  My budget is roughly a set of power   Looking around I"ve found some deals, but I'd like any additional info about people's experience that I can get.

[Moxlotus]

Twilight might be the worst movie in the history of cinema.  I was expecting crap and it did not even come close to achieving that benchmark.

[Moxlotus]

My thoughts on college football

Looks like Ohio St. is going to be picked over Boise St. for the Fiesta Bowl.  OSU has already shown that they can't hang with the big boys.  They lost to Penn St.  They lost to USC.  And they didn't just lose to USC.  They got buttraped.  35-3.  35-3 Texas is better than both of those teams, yet they are going anyway?  That isn't going to be a game.  I'm picking Texas by 21+ points.  I'd rather see Boise St. just to see how they would do.  Chances are they'd get killed, but we don't really have anything to gauge that on.  We have OSU's failures against other top teams to gauge that they will get fing crushed.  It will be an embarassment to the Big 10.  Not that they need much help in that department this year.

And the Orange Bowl.  What a shitter.  Virginia Tech v. Cincinatti.  That might as well be called the "Nobody gives a shit about either of these teams because they are both terrible Bowl"  That doesn't fit onto a logo really well though. 

At least the National Championship game looks pretty even on paper.  And just to be clear, the country would shit bricks if the game doesn't turn out to be Florida v. Oklahoma.

[Smmenen]

The Ohio State team that lost to USC is VERY different.  Our best player, running back Beanie Wells, was injured two weeks earlier and didn't see a snap.  He's now healthy.   Second, that was the first game for our freshmen QB, Tyrelle Pryor, and he only started in less than half the game.   He's gotten ALOT better.    Our team is a very different OSU team than it was when we played USC several months ago. 

I think the National Championship should be Texas and Florida.   FYI.  SEC can't lose.  Like ever. 

[Moxlotus]

The Ohio State team that lost to USC is VERY different.  Our best player, running back Beanie Wells, was injured two weeks earlier and didn't see a snap.  He's now healthy.   Second, that was the first game for our freshmen QB, Tyrelle Pryor, and he only started in less than half the game.   He's gotten ALOT better.    Our team is a very different OSU team than it was when we played USC several months ago. 

I think the National Championship should be Texas and Florida.   FYI.  SEC can't lose.  Like ever. 

I agree that Texas should have been picked over Oklahoma.  And I know that OSU is a different team than the one a few months ago.  But the season still stands that OSU has lost to both teams playing in the Rose Bowl and Boise St. is ranked higher than OSU.  OSU's quality wins include a team who finishes 21 and another that is 22.  Boise St.'s quality win is at 19th.  So neither is too impressive in the quality win category.  At least the teams OSU has lost to are good, but they did lose twice.  I'd lean toward giving Boise St. a chance to prove themselves.  OSU had their opportunity twice.  If you can't beat Penn St (who lost to my school-a mediocre Iowa), how are you going to take on the juggernaut of Texas?  OSU would at least probably beat whoever Michigan State is paired up against in the Capital One Bowl. 

And I can't believe how bad Big 12 defense is.  Now its clear that the conference has ridiculous offenses.  Oklahoma is giving up 20 points a game almost every game of the year.  Texas did for most of the year.  Florida and Alabama are not giving up nearly as many points.  I am very excited about the National Championship.  It will be the test of how great the Big 12 offense is and how poor its defense is.