After posting my last entry, I thought it would be interesting to calculate the distance my package will have traveled versus how far it actually had to go.

For the record, the package had about 35 miles to travel. The actual distance it will have traveled is 4,352 miles! Go UPS!

On Friday I made a purchase from Amazon.com. What was sure to be a nondescript event is quickly turning into something very interesting. When going through the "Checkout" process on Amazon's web page, I was given the option to have the item sent Standard (Free), Ground, 2 day or Next Day. The few times that I have used the free shipping method the package was inevitably shipped from the east coast and took three weeks. Not wanting to risk it, I initially opted for "Ground" shipping. Seeing that the cost was only a few dollars, I priced "2 day" shipping and found it to be only a few dollars more. I checked "Next Day" and found it was also very inexpensive. I finally decided on Next Day, hoping that the package would be sent out more quickly so that it could begin the trek from Fernley (I hoped).

I lucked out and found that my order was indeed coming from Fernley, which surely meant for speedy delivery. Alas, I was mistaken. Since I chose Next Day (and paid extra, mind you) the package had an alternate route. The package went from Fernley to Sparks to Oakland and then to Louisville, KY! It then went to Commerce City, CO before going back to Oakland, which is wjere it rests as I type this entry. Presumably, the next stop is Sparks. I have created a crude map illustrating the path that my package has taken. NOTE: The top part of the picture is a screenshot of the actual tracking page, lest you call me a liar.

I think the thing that impresses me most is that I would have the package tomorrow (Monday) if I had chosen Ground shipping; however, since I chose Next Day it will actually take two days (Friday to Tuesday). DEVELOPING...

First, an update to the ground-breaking story about the Swedish Fish® phenomenon. It has been discovered that DOTS® exhibit the same reaction when illuminated with a laser beam. This is a relatively unknown bit of information, so keep it secret! Keep it safe!

HOUSE UPDATE: There is no house update. Since the house was rained on for several days straight, they cannot resume construction until everything is dry. It's mostly dry now, so we expect work to start again soon. Yip-yip-yip-yahoo!!

I know you'll think I'm a liar, but trust me on this one. One of the most truly amazing things in the world happens when you shine a laser beam on a Swedish Fish®. I can't describe it to you - you'll just have to see it for yourself. Don't have a laser? Don't have Swedish Fish®? Ask me the next time you see me and I will amaze you (assuming I have the necessary items)!

For some masochistic reason I decided to go to the John Kerry rally at Lawlor Events Center. I left work about an hour and a half early to go stand in a very, very long line that stretched around Lawlor and doubled-back on itself. There were a lot more people there than I expected. They filled Lawlor and then there were quite a few people that had to stay outside and listen. Of course, the Kerry supporters couldn't contain themselves about how many people were there. I wanted to remind them that they were at a rally on the UNR campus at 5p on a Friday night. Bush attracted 16,000 people in the middle of the day on a Thursday.

Anyway, I didn't get in. The doors were closed right in front of me because maximum capacity was reached. They people around me were saying typically ridiculous anti-Bush things and I think they were starting to suspect that I didn't belong there. One guy told me that he thought it was "exciting to see the next president of the United States before he's actually elected." I overheard another person say, "I'm not so much a John Kerry fan as much as I am a Michael Moore fan." Yikes! To keep from being found out I had to start making comments to keep the suspicion down. As I was making my way to the end of the line I noticed a sign that read "DISABLED" and had an arrow that was pointing to the protestors. I know the sign reffered to a parking area for disabled individuals, but it seemed suspicious that it was placed where it was. I related this bit of information in a joking manner and they all laughed; however, I found it curious that they had a designated area for "disabled" people since there was no way that all the Kerry supporters would have fit there anyway (I did not relate this thought).

It's been easy to decide who to vote for this year. With all the contention between Bush and Kerry supporters we're seeing more signs up than usual. When I see a Kerry-Edwards sign I just make a note of what other signs are up and make sure I don't vote for those people. An example is Chuck Weller. I wouldn't vote for him anyway, but seeing his sign next to so many Kerry-Edwards signs makes it even easier to decide.

Another thing that confuses me is people that vote for the "best candidate". I don't think it makes any sense to vote anything other than a straight line. Someone may be a good person, but the fact that they associate themselves with the Democrats is a big problem. Democrats openly support abortion and are on the wrong side of several other hot issues. To run as a Democrat you have to be willing to accept abortion. Can a good person support abortion? I don't think so.

Another reason to vote a straight line is because of the balance of power. A good example is Harry Reid. It's obvious that Harry Reid puts the Democrats first and Nevada second. Harry Reid is in a position (minority whip) that does not allow him to go against the trends of his party. To vote Harry Reid in because of Yucca Mountain is to enable the Democrats to keep abortion legal. Yucca Mountain is a smokescreen for Harry Reid's real goal, which is to make sure Democrats get power and keep it. Republicans, although not perfect, tend to be on the right side of issues (such as abortion). To elect a Republican candidate is to give more power to the Republican party to stop practices such as abortion.

I'm sure you're wondering what my theory is about why the race is so close. It can partially be explained by Newton's third law of physics, which can be summed-up as "Every action has an equal and opposite reaction". It is also partially explained by the relationship between good and evil. The better a candidate, the more evil his opponent must be. Bush is a good, honest person, which means that the "minions" must come out in full force to oppose him. This is obvious by looking at the types of people who protest Bush - these are the people who compare him to Hitler. Is Bush perfect? No more than Kerry is perfectly evil. Kerry must have a tinge of goodness, just as Bush must have have some flaws. Good must triumph and Kerry must fall.

Finally, why do I think Kerry is evil? Because of his opinion on personal beliefs. He said that he personally opposes abortion, but he doesn't feel that he has the right to force his beliefs of people not of his faith. This is WEAK! It shows no morality and no personal conviction. A person who votes to keep partial-birth abortion legal is absolutely morally bankrupt. He said in the debate that he couldn't support the partial-birth abortion ban because it didn't provide an exception for when the life of the mother is at risk. I guess he forgot that partial-birth abortion is called that because the baby is already partially born! How can it possibly help the mother to kill the baby after it's already out? It's nothing more than murder. Can you tell yet that abortion is a big issue for me?

I think I've got most of it out of my system. Only a little more than a week before Bush is elected and Kerry begins the lawsuits and recounts. I can't wait!

Most of this week was rainy and gloomy. Personally, I love that kind of weather. When I was leaving for work a few days ago I noticed something extraordinary - pigeons flying in the rain! It warmed my heart to see these filthy flying vermin do something to clean their disease-ridden bodies. Given the opportunity, I'd still kill pigeons en masse in order to make the word a safer, cleaner place, but it was still nice to see. Too bad for the house across the street that now has the remnants of the pigeon's rinsings on it.

Friday is finally here. The week seemed long, but went by fast. I don't know what the weekend plans are, but rest assured that Pepsi will be involved.

I know it's been snowing outside, but what I'm referring to is the little snowstorm that's happening on my forehead. After my recent "baking" at the Bush rally, my skin is disassociating itself from my head in tiny flakes. People at work stare at me like I'm a freak, but they've always done that.

The sad news is that my save game for Astro Boy: Omega Factor was accidentally deleted (most likely due to my haste). I had to start over again from the beginning. That stinks!

Anyway, the weather is crazy! It's been windy, cold, rainy and even snowy! Moutain biking season seems to have come to a sudden halt. We rode the Tahoe Rim Trail on Saturday. It was a little bit cold, but mostly smoky. Not too bad to ride, but bad enough that I coughed up a lump of ash when I got home. It was a fun ride, but next time I think I'm going to go from the meadows over to Spooner (via Tahoe Rim to the Flume Trail) and have someone pick me up on the other side. That'll will probably be next year since the mountains are looking pretty snowy these days.

House has windows! Pictures to be posted tonight!

I'm evidence that if you support Bush you will be burned! I went with Mike to the Bush rally over at Rancho San Rafael park. We got there around 9:30a, went to our spot in the park by about 10a and then proceeded to wait in the hot sun (not the cold one) for several hours to see the president. Our experience was riddled with adventure and intrigue - more than what I could ever blog about completely (perhaps Mike will be more ambitious). The most lasting impression (thus far) is the incredible sunburn I have on my face.

We were fortunate to be next to some very verbal and outspoken Bush supporters, who worked hard to make sure the party wasn't ruined by any "crashers". Any person who tried to invade our space was greeted with strains of "keep on moving" and "you're not stopping there!" They also worked hard to make sure people stayed "OFF THE FENCE!!" The only event that broke the momentum of the "crash protectors" was when an older woman in front of us passed-out and collapsed. We wanted to continue to cheer and clap for Bush, but it seemed awkward considering the circumstances.

Once Bush left, the party was just starting! Virginia St. was littered with truly psychotic protesters. I was glad they were there because it exposed the Kerry supporters for who they really are - absolutely insane psychopaths. Really. They were yelling out "Republicans are fascists!" and had many signs adorned with swastikas. To compare Bush to Hitler is so disturbing that I can't even comprehend it! These people would prefer to have hundreds of thousands of people in mass graves with bullet holes in their heads to freedom. Regardless of what you think about the WMDs and the war, there is no sane argument against taking out Saddam.

On the way back to the car I started to think we might have a few wackos of our own. We ended up behind a guy and his son who kept tossing some interesting comments back to us. The dad was okay (screw was loose, but not missing), but the son was a hyper-goober. I don't know how else to describe him.

Anyway, we survived. Bush is awesome. It was exciting. It's time to go put on some more Solarcaine.

To get a new license at the DMV you need to present three forms of picture ID. Once you lose your license it seems that you've lost a significant portion of your picture ID collection. I was able to coax them by presenting a credit card with my picture on it, my work badge and my car registration. My photo wasn't on the registration, but I just told them it wore off. Just kidding! So, I now have my license. Any day now I'll find my old license. The last time I saw it I thought, "I should put my license away because I'm going to forget that it's here." And I did.

I've decided that I have mild eczema. I've got one dry, red patch on one knuckle, as well as the tiny bumps. I don't want to go to the doctor because I'm afraid he'll tell me that I only have a week to live or something and I don't want to die that soon.

I went to Target to get some cream for my newly acquired "condition". They had a generic Target brand cream, which read, "Compare to Cortizone 10!" I did compare and quickly discovered that the generic brand was more expensive than the name brand. Cortizone 10 was just under $6 and generic was $3.12; however, Cortizone 10 was 2 oz. and generic was 1 oz. What a rip! I'm going to write to Harry Reid about this.

No update on the house - nothing new has been done. I may swing by and snap a picture after work, but I'm not holding my breath (literally!).

I'm addicted to video games.

It's finally here - that which you have been secretly longing for! A page for house updates can now be accessed via the "House Update" link at the top of the page. The page currently has a picture that was taken last Sunday and I've set a modest goal to provide weekly updates. As my work schedule permits I'll provide more information and photos in the future.

Speaking of work, the past couple of weeks has been bitter. I think I hit about 80 hours last week. This week has been busy, but not nearly as bad as last week and the end of the week before. The clincher was Friday night when I worked from 8a Friday morning until 9a Saturday morning. Yuck!

Speaking of yuck, I got one of the most devious e-mails that I've received in a while. I own a domain name, which we've used for personal correspondence between friends (you know what I'm talking about). I always thought it would be nice to own the ".com" version of the domain, but some numb-brain registered the domain just days before me and then never used it. He used it, but it was a lame site. Yesterday I received an e-mail from Dommerce.com stating that the domain was available for purchase from them for just $89.95. I just needed to pay them and they would transfer the domain to my name.

I went to the page and browsed around a few minutes. I wanted the name, but that was just too much to pay. I looked at where the business was located and saw that they were in the Netherlands. Although the business may be legitimate, I was wary about giving my credit card number to a business there.

I searched a bit on Google for this company, but couldn't find anything. I searched a bit more and finally found a message board that mentioned this business. There were very few specifics, but one poster suggested checking to verify that the domain is already registered. I looked it up and it wasn't! Apparently this company takes your money, registers the domain name and then transfers it to you. You end up paying $90 for something you could register for about 1/8 the price. I doubt it's legal to do that in the United States, but who knows what the laws are there.

Not that I need yet another web page to work on, but you can watch for another hobby page for me soon. I may toss my geocaching info there for personal stuff. I may not.