"An Era and other myths"

So here it is Sunday, the 8th of August. The end of my last free week. The first day of the rest of my life, so to speak. Tomorrow I start my new job for Apple. That still seems weird to talk about like that. Me? Apple? It'd be a twist if it were a movie.

And what did I do this weekend? Yesterday I went to a recently opened Wal-Mart to see if I could find some good parts for my VCR project. The only thing I found I may have wanted was a "Walkman" style audio cassette player for only $5. And here I thought $8 was pretty cheap. But the line was too long and I could only pay for it at one register (which a helpful employee standing guard at that section informed me of when I tried to leave with it). So I left and come back that evening figuring most normal people would be having dinner. But nope still a long line. God forbid you open a second register or let people pay for things elsewhere. So I left once more.

Today I went back to that flea market I was frequenting around five weeks ago. I have plans of significant disfiguring of an Atari 2600 ya see. And as long as I was there I bought a walk-man style audio cassette player for only $2. Unless you count the $2 parking. It was still worth the no line. I also bought an Atari 2600 just with the TV-hookup. I do already own one, however that one is the 6-switch system and I wanted the newer 4-switch type system. The 4-switch is a little smaller and used in the example for the "Portable VCS" mod that turns a 2600 into a portable game system (and it keeps taking the 2600 cartridges). Also I have big plans for a 2600 on another project I'm working on. I haven't told any one yet so I may as well wait to announce it :).

But some how I got distracted. I was talking about starting Apple tomorrow and how today is essentially the end of an era in my life. That can be either a good thing or a bad thing depending on how I take it. To have a better first day I have been trying to ware my self out today so I can actually go to bed and sleep around 9p.m. tonight (I'm getting up at 5a.m.). I usually go to bed much, much later than that. Now this could be all for not. Could be I'll only last a few weeks at Apple and I'll be right back where I started from looking for more work. So this may not be the end-of-an-era but rather a brief-interruption-in-an-era, the same era, whatever era that is. I think I like the word 'era'. To era is human? I need to run a quick era? Ah forget it.

I must of done something right just to get to this point really. So I'm just hoping tomorrow isn't so bad I don't make to much a bad impression. Or that I at least make a semi-good impression. I can remember a week ago the proverbial class I'm in all seemed pretty nice. And the dress code is pretty lax.

So as would be natural I'm feeling a little nervous about starting tomorrow. It's only the start of a class I realize, but I still feel a little pressure to start it all out correctly. I'm also dealing with my Dad who's infamous as a demotivational speaker. Well demotivating me anyway. I don't know why he enjoys that so much or if he even realizes it. But I really don't need the mind games and shit while I'm trying to start the new job. So generally I'm going to try to avoid him if I can. I have money now so I can eat out a lot more. I would try the direct confrontation approach but I don't think I could stop myself once I got going and then I could be without a place to live rather quickly. The alternative approach would be to gently suggest a hobby or getting a fish or something else to otherwise amuse himself. Healthier I'm guessing than bottling up frustrations of work and venting via verbal abuse on me. If nothing else I am feeling rather motivated to save money and move out as soon as possible. I hate dealing with head games and/or senile parents.

On the election front I'd like to talk more generically for a moment. For instance in the last 50 or so years in the incumbent vs. senator races very few senators have won. Furthermore in any of the elections in which there's a "anybody but" line that person running as the "anybody" usually loses. I can give you at least three examples in recent history, in reverse chronological order: Republicans railing against Grey Davis in the recent election (anybody but Davis), Republicans railing against Hillary for Senate in the year 2000 (anybody but Hillary) and the Republicans railing against Bill in 1996 (anybody but Clinton). In all these cases the "anybody" portion, as I said, lost the election. So, generically speaking, in any case of incumbent versus a Senator the incumbent has won and in any case of an "anybody but..." motivated campaign the "anybody" has lost.

Now more specific: Kerry still hasn't done any thing to reach to the middle or those who may not have otherwise looked his direction. Further he still seems really left wing and his wife is extremely scary. Nothing has been done to rectify such a perception as far as I can tell. Kerry's campaign seems more like a war veteran-themed costume party than a real candidacy. Keep in mind I did not watch Kerry's speech at the convention but I hear it didn't go over too well. Something about it going too fast because he was afraid the TV networks would cut him off early.

  ¶ 3:30 PM