subject: sticky
deadline: monday, february 6th at 9pm ET
guidelines: you may post any picture that you like, be it taken by you or not. however, image quality (crispness, pixelation, size) will be taken into consideration by the judges. that's not to say that the largest file size will win, but thumbnail size shots are highly looked down upon. other judging categories will be creativity and relevancy to the subject. and as always, the public votes will be considered. best of luck!

i wasnt going to share this until a little later, but i went to the doctor the other day, for a cold.  but when i got there it turns out that i was the 1 millionth patient at the columbia university student health union... so instead of curing what was ailing me, they all yelled: surprise!!! and then we partied down real hard for a little while and then, by that time, i had forgotten what i came to the office for in the first place, so i just went home... then later, when i was laying in bed i noticed that my throat hurt real bad, but i couldnt tell if it was from a cold or it was just from all the hooting and hollering that happened at the party... oh well...

This weekend was really windy here in Oregon City - which is not where I live.  On Sunday, I was sitting downstairs and I thought I heard someone knocking on our front door.  When I answered the door, nobody was there.  It turns out, a dead person had blown up against the door and that's what was making the knocking sound.

so, much to my displeasure, or not, i have found a way to, if you will, include as many commas, as possible. in fact, i may start using them instead of periods, if you know what i mean. yet, i restrain, myself, for, there are so many ways to use the comma...as a break, a pause, a transition, a segue, and so many more. anyhow...

time for admin to get his shizznit in order...funny haha for all you haters out there that thought the volp bar was a fad like the pet rock (creator of which made over a mil) but seriosuly, check out the bottom post here: http://www.indocilis.com/archives/archive_2005-m10.php because someone is gonna have to back me up in court...because, yes, the volp bar is now a nationaly sydicated item. and the corrporate release that was posted in the back of my shop (where customers can't see it) said: NEW FROM THE INNOVATION DEVELOPMENT TEAM...blah blah blah...basically my recipe was pirated by my boss with no props to me but a yellow sticky that reads something like...thank alex for this...so all the other scoop monkeys at the uptown shop now know that i am making ben and jerry's a dollar off eleven cents..yes...i am in fact the closest you'll ever be to some one who squeezes a dollar out of a dime...or something just about. anyhow...a picture will follow soon. sleep tight.

this is a long story... but i'll try and make it short...

so, now that my school isn't so insanely busy, ive been able to focus my attention towards more marketable skills... its also given me a chance to try out my new video camera.  i put it on google so you can all see it hassle-free.  check this out!

also, jeff... i hate to single you out... but, i think you should become more like terry around the office... just a suggestion... and, also, i really dont hate to single you out, i rather enjoy it.

they say that new york city can make a person hard... (even baz said so back in '99). well, today i partook in something that i later realized was a piece of evidence to support this theory. while we all know that i'm not the world's most philosophical thinker, gregarious socialite, or deepest intellect, occasionally i do have thoughts that interest me (and sometimes others) in unusual ways. in what i'd like to call my "random thought of the day," i reminisced about an an old quote that we've all heard before.... "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade." this quote is meant to be inspirational... telling us to make the most with what we're given... or saying that we can turn any sour situation into something sweet and caloric. however, my random thought was not the classic quote itself, but what immediately followed. (*note: being "random" simply means that this thought came to me not by conscious deliberance, but by an unpredictable subconscious that simply shoved itself into my conscious state of being). and of course what came to mind was my own version of the quote (becuase its only natural that after endless repetition, all quotes become a bit cliche. which means that the only thing left to do with these trampled quips is find ways to improve them, adding our own personal touch). so what personal touch did i add to this classic quote?... "when life gives you lemons, squeeze the juice in its eyes." you've got to admit that there is something a little hardened about that... its a bit confrontational for someone such as myself. i guess the reason i bring this random ramble to you doorstep is so that the next time you see me, you won't surprised if not only my hair is longer, but my fists are also swinging.

What would you do if you had a 3 meter by 3 meter by 4 meter block of snow? Let me ask this in another way: What would you do if you had a 9.84251968503937foot by 9.84251968503937foot by 13.123359580052493foot block of snow.

I have one. It is very big. Surprisingly bigger than it sounds. So big that when you look at it you kind of think "oh dear!" It is also very hard (stop giggling Corey), and difficult to manipulate. I have some ideas, but I would like to utilize the creative genius of you... my peers, before I unveil them.

So again, what would you do?

Subject: HOT

Deadline:  THURSDAY NIGHT

Indocilites: Call/IM/Email me for instructions on how to upload pics.

so, if you've really been on the ball lately you may have noticed that i mentioned that i failed the DQE (or PHD qualifying exam) at columbia.  this is a disappointment to me.  i would have liked to pass the test, and honestly, felt that i could have.  that, however, is not to be, this time around leastways.  so, im sure you are all like, "so what the heck does it all mean neal?"  well, ill tell you.  it doesnt really mean a whole lot, except that its now more unlikely that i will jump right into the PHD program here in new york.  i see some of you in the back with looks on your face that might be you puzzling over this question: "is that all it means?"  well, ill address that very question right...  .... now.  this also means that im hoping more than ever that the interview i had in beaverton turns into something, hopefully an internship over the summer, and then a sweet job... but... i still wont know about that for a couple of weeks, so, its back to hurry up and wait...  if that internship doesnt turn out, i will try to find another internship.  there is only a very very small probability that that internship will be in oregon, and only a slightly higher probability that the internship will be anywhere in the NW... so, keep your fingers crossed for us.

lastly, i was right earlier when i said i thought this term was going to be sweet.  though it is off to an ominous start, i still firmly believe that it really is going to be sweet. so that is... sweet.

here is a neat link for you photoshoppers out there... if you do anything neat, make sure to post it... or if you cant/wont email it to me so i can/will.

***note: there are about 1 million sweet photoshop tutorial sites out there... just google "photoshop tutorial" and you can have fun for days!!!

its that time of year again folks

you know that it's the start of a good day when the forecast for the afternoon is "blowing snow" and for the evening, "blustery." how often is one able to witness bluster? not often, i tell you. therefore i plan to make the most of it and thoroughly enjoy myself while doing so.

yesterday we ate dinner at a fine establishment that served hamburgers on pita bread and baskets of deliciously greasy french fries. while the rain pattered against the window by which we were sitting, i was struck by the footprints left on the wet sidewalk by the umbrella yielding sets of legs passing by. most of these footprints lasted about 5 seconds before the falling rain refilled them, removing all traces of the passerby. but there was one footprint that remained for the entirety of our meal. what was it that made this footprint special? was it a reflection into the life of the individual from which it came? simply a flaw in the concrete? regardless, it was there for a reason. it had a purpose. maybe it was just there to make me think. and if that was the case, mission accomplished, mystery footprint.

i think if one so chooses, there is a certain art to making the perfect cup of tea.

lastly, if you are wondering how much time it takes to maintain a handlebar moustache, or hope to someday find comradery in your lip bling, search no more.

new years resolution #2: drink more tea

so basically this whole post is devoted to a description of how and why i am so ding-a-ling-ingly angry.

first of all, the holidays were frigging sweet, and whatnot.  saw all the fam, a few friends, kissed some babies, played some ping-pong, and then made the voyage back home.

second of all, school is looking pretty good this next term, so thats super lame.  only taking 2 classes, both good ones, and some audio research.

third of all, i had an interview for an internship in beaverton over the break.  i think it went pretty good, but im not sure if i landed the gig or not.

fourth of all, after a couple of weeks i finally feel unsick.

fifth of all, had a great time on new years eve.

sixth of all, back in new york, i get the feeling that no-one noticed we were gone.  strange.

seventh of all, i took the PHD qualifying exam.  it went ok, could have been better, could have been worse.  its over, anyway, and i feel like i did my almost best.  now its hurry up and wait.

eighth of all, it all might come down to a old-western-style shootout between a PHD and an immediate career.  hard to say who will win.  the career is known to be the fastest this side of the mississippi,  but the PHD is crafty, and never misses.  so, it will probably come down to a coin flip.

ninth of all, hollye is back to work, school doesnt start til tuesday which leaves me sitting in a wet and quickly chilling puddle of guilt until i can get busy too.

tenth of all, i really am mad, i just lack the necessary vehicle and medium to express myself.

eleventh of all, good day to you all.

two of my strongest weaknesses in this world are hershey's kisses with almonds and grilled cheese sandwiches.

well, there are about 34 hours until we officially take off in the jet plane that will return us to the land of large apples and sardine subways. our time in oregon has been busy, relaxing, and overall quite enjoyable. its been great to see you all, for those of you that we saw, and we look forward to many more visits in the future. a future which is in fact fairly unknown. there is a chance we will be in oregon for the summer... so cross your fingers for that (unless you just couldn't stand to have us around for that long). but for now, we look forward to a new semester of school and an opportunistic few months of work.

i hope everyone's year is prosperous and plentiful... happy 2006!!