Just Call Me Murphy

Murphy's law states that if anything can go wrong, it will. Murphy planned my trip to Florida.
If I started getting into what the flights and everything were supposed to be, I will just get more frustrated and keep typing incessantly until my hands fall off. Therefore, just read the rest of this with the knowledge that it was originally simpler. Not by much, but two modes of transportation were added that weren't part of the original plan.
Wednesday:
Airport Shuttle picks me up at 7:15 AM. Got on an America West flight from Sac to Phoenix, then Phoenix to Tampa, FL. Before boarding in Phoenix, they told our flight that they were offering $400 America West dollars, and two nights hotel in Vegas to take the red-eye from Vegas on Friday night. If I had more flexible plans and I hadn't already gone through so much, I TOTALLY would have taken it up and probably flown someone in to keep me company, 'cause that'd be awesome. Anyway, didn't take it and went to Tampa. I got to the airport, checked into the Howard Johnson(yeah...don't talk about it...) and ate at Wendy's. I mention it because on the way to Wendy's and back, I saw the strangest things. First, the liquor store next to the hotel was called "ABC Liquor" with ABC in child blocks style. Their sign also said "Special order no problem". Okay, so you want to go to the liquor store for your favorite spirit, and they special order it. You still walk out that night without your booze. I thought it was amusing...then again, I'm only on a few hours of sleep. Second, there was a Sweet Tomatoes restaurant (ie: Souplantation for places where "Soup" or "plantation" have bad connotations). Kinda random, but nothing more than that. Third, as I crossed the street, a Ford Ranger burned rubber and sped off when the light turned, leaving a plumb of smoke. I wasn't so much confused about the burning rubber and dragging as much as I was confused that it was a Ford Ranger. I mean, I'd expect a Mustang to do that, or some other sports car. But a Ranger? Dude, go off-roading or something if you want to fuck up your tires. Fourth, I was in line at Wendy's and a girls high school tennis team was ordering. They were in town for a tournament. Again, not too odd, but just kinda random. Fifth, as I was walking back to the hotel, a car turned and I noticed it was dragging something. It was caution tape. The car got caught up with some caution tape and it was now dragging it. Rather awkwardly too. So random.
Thursday:
Ally and I woke up and took the hotel shuttle to the train station to get to Miami. This shuttle was the most unorganized thing ever. It says in the hotel literature, it's 8 dollars and runs often. I asked the woman at the front desk the night before when I checked in, and it was as if I had just made the shuttle up; she had no clue. The next day, there was a little less confusion, but we eventually got to the station. When I asked the driver how much it was, he replied that I only need to tip. Awesome. More money in the pocket. I tipped well though. Long story short, the train was an hour and a half late getting into Tampa, and we got into Miami over two hours later than originally scheduled. This means that we were on the train for just about 6 hours. Not that much fun. I mean, it kinda was...we had movies and such to watch...but yeah...I think long train rides can only be good if you know you're going to be on the train for a really long time and it runs on schedule. So that was Thursday's traveling.
Sunday:
Bus from Miami to Tallahassee. Supposed to be 8 hours. Long enough as is. Flat tire. 2 hour delay. 10 hour bus ride. And they wouldn't play Blazing Saddles because, and I quote, "it was a western shoot-em-up movie and no one wants to watch that." Dear Jesus, in honor of your resurrection, can you make sure that people realize a satire when they see one? Especially when the director is MEL BROOKS? Thanks. Love, J.
Tuesday: I'm just gonna go by times(all local times btw)
3:30 AM - picked up by cab to get to Greyhound station
4:30 AM - bus is supposed to leave
5:20 AM - bus actually leaves Tally
11:30 AM - bus arrives in Tampa, an hour late
12:00 PM - Jeremy gets to the airport, checks in, and waits
4:45 PM - flight to Phoenix leaves (yeah, that's right. 4 hour wait)
9:30 PM - Jeremy arrives in Sac, takes Super Shuttle to dorm
10:30 PM - Jeremy posts this and crashes.

Total time spent traveling this trip(including wait time for delays, etc.): 50 hours, 22 of which were from Tuesday alone(1:30AM-10:30PM Western time)

Total highlights of today

1) DMB summer tour dates came out...the dates of interest:
Sat / Aug 12 / SBC Park / San Francisco, CA
Sun / Aug 13 / SBC Park / San Francisco, CA
Wed / Aug 16 / Sleep Train Amphitheatre / Sacramento, CA
Fri / Aug 19 / Gorge Amphitheatre / George, WA
Sat / Aug 20 / Gorge Amphitheatre / George, WA
Sun / Aug 21 / Gorge Amphitheatre / George, WA
Thu / Aug 25 / Coors Amphitheatre / Chula Vista, CA
Sat / Aug 28 / Home Depot Center / Carson, CA
Sun / Aug 29 / Home Depot Center / Carson, CA
Tue / Aug 30 / Cricket Pavilion / Phoenix, AZ

I'm debating about which one(s) to go see:-) Maybe visit the UA? Maybe go right before camp ends? Maybe wait 'till they're in SD? So many choices!!! Woot!

2) The Pat Metheny Group will be performing tonight at Jackson Hall at UC Davis!!! And I just bought Orchestra seats!!! Ah! So excited! It's my first time seeing him in concert and I couldn't be more excited to see really good live music(if you didn't already know, I'm kinda a sucker for really good live music, nonetheless Pat Metheny).

iPod Shuffle Review

Like many Apple products, it started as a rumor. At least in public. The Mac rumor web is constantly filled with information relating to possible new products and features.
In the past, about two-thirds of the rumors have been right, or at least on the right track. For example, On August 31, 2004, Mac Expo Paris was where Phil Schiller, Apple’s VP, would give the keynote speech. This speech is usually done by Steve Jobs, Apple CEO, and is where he announces the new major products and company updates. The rumor mill had been churning about Mac Expo Paris. What would be released and announced? Among the rumors was the possibility that the iPod would receive new Bluetooth or Airport compatibility so that users could sync their iPods without plugging them in. The speculation was founded on information from a job listing at Apple. The listing was looking for an iPod engineer possessing the skills for these functions, but there was no more proof than that. In hindsight, this rumor has never seen fruition. Instead, Apple used those engineers to develop an iTunes Music Store on certain Motorola phones. Who would have thought? More often than not, though, the rumors can make some good guesses. The iPod Shuffle was one of them.
Again, it started as a rumor. The “Mini iPod Mini” was first alluded to by Phil Schiller in a Mercury News article on January 7, 2004, who also said Apple had not ruled out making an iPod at capacities smaller than 4GB. The first actual rumor about the new MP3 player was posted on October 1, 2004 and it said that the “flash-based” iPod would be in stores for Christmas. 22 days later, another rumor came out that the new iPod would start at $99. By the end of October, news.com, a technology news site, added some credibility to the rumors by posting some analyst suggestions. The analyst said after meeting with Apple executives, he could see the new iPod in the $149 range. The two prices were right.
On December 7, 2004, a Mac News site, themacmind.com, posted “confirmed details” on the new iPod. The specs they posted were exactly right. But because their site was not very credible, no rumor site gave this information the light of day. This rumor also included the date of entry: Mac World Expo 2005, exactly one year after the introduction of the iPod Mini. As the day of Steve Job’s keynote address at Mac World Expo arrived, much about the iPod Shuffle was known, including the name. The US Patent office, which posts information relating to new patents, posted that Apple had received two new patents; among them, the name “Shuffle”. The rumor mill worked perfectly and Apple supporters and information leeches, myself included, were not overly surprised, but very impressed with the iPod Shuffle.
The iPod Shuffle. It is the newest member of the Apple iPod family and the smallest. For comparison, it is about the size of a pack of Trident. Take out four quarters. Hold them in your hand. You’re holding more weight than the iPod Shuffle (it weighs in at .78 ounces). There are two models: one that holds 512 MB, and one that holds 1GB of music and files. In other words, Apple claims you can hold about 120 and 240 songs, respectively. (I tested my music library to see how much of my music I could fit on each model: about 125 and 235 respectively) The 512MB model retails at $99 and the 1GB model at $149, and while there is no education discount for the 512MB model, the 1GB is only $139 with this discount. The rechargeable battery lasts an incredibly long time: about 12 hours before it needs more power. If you are going on a flight longer than 12 hours, for example, or just will be away from power for a while, there is an accessory battery pack that uses two triple-A batteries for 20 extra hours of music. The battery pack retails at $29, and $26 with educational discount.
It has an incredibly simple interface. On the front side, there are 5 buttons, all arranged in a circle: play in the middle, left and right buttons for next and previous track, and up and down buttons for the volume. The top has a jack for headphones, and the bottom has a cap that covers the built-in USB jack for easy synchronization to your computer. The back has a slider controller with three settings: shuffle, standard play, and off; there is also a battery level indicator.
I have heard many arguments against the iPod shuffle saying that “you can no longer listen to your playlists.” This is just not true. The slider controller has three settings, two of which control whether you want your music to play straight through or you want the music shuffled. If, for example, you want to listen to a new CD you just got, just bring it onto the iPod Shuffle. If you don’t care what you listen to, you can use a feature called “AutoFill” within iTunes where it will fill the iPod Shuffle with the maximum amount of music it will hold.
Linking the iPod Shuffle to a computer is also incredibly simple. Take the USB cap off to reveal the USB connector, and just plug it in to your computer. It will automatically link up to your iTunes software and charge itself at the same time. Incredibly cool. It looks like a USB “thumb drive” when you plug it in, and you can use it as such. In the iPod Shuffle preferences, you can allocate a certain amount of the space to storage of files instead of playable music. For comparison’s sake, I just went onto compusa.com, and for the same amount of storage space, thumb drives were $60 and $100, respectively. So for 40 dollars more, you can play music with your thumb drive. Awesome.
So, who is Apple targeting with the iPod Shuffle? Why would someone want to buy this? Well, the iPod Shuffle is not for people who want to store their entire music library. That’s why someone would buy a normal iPod with 20 or 40 GB of storage. One might even get the upper-level iPod Photo with 60 GB of storage for their whole music library. But those are much more expensive. With the iPod Shuffle, Apple is taking on the low priced, flash-based music industry, which is the one area of music players they have not affected. This player is for someone like my family friend Holly. She wants a portable music player at the gym. She doesn’t need to carry her whole library, just a few CDs worth. The iPod Shuffle is for her. The player is for someone like me. I’m a college student on a short budget. I listen to most of my music in my dorm room on my computer. I want to listen to some music when I go to and from class, and I want to be able to select what I listen to a few minutes before I leave for the day. The iPod Shuffle, with its sleek integration to iTunes and quick data transfer (it employs USB 2.0, which runs at 480 Mbps; in other words, really fast), is for someone like me.
Some argue that the iPod Shuffle is missing something: a screen. This is not an argument; it is fact. There is no screen. Then again, when you were listening to a CD (remember when we had single CD players?), how often would you look down at your display and expect to see the title and artist? Never, because most standard CD players only have screens that show time elapsed or remaining. And do you really care that much about that kind of information when you’re just listening to music for the sake of listening? No, the iPod Shuffle does not have a screen. And no, I do not think it is a big problem.
When the iPod Shuffle was released, the first store to carry them was the Apple Store in San Francisco (interestingly enough, right up the street from where Mac World Expo was held). People swarmed to the physical and online stores. As of today, January 22, 2005, 11 days after its release, there is a 2-3 week wait for the 512MB model, and 3-4 week wait for the 1GB model. If I had been in San Francisco then, I would have been with the mobs. Overall, I think the iPod Shuffle is great for Apple. Apple has finally realized that if they want to expand their market, they need to make their products more affordable. They showed they learned this at Mac World Expo with the iPod Shuffle and the Mac Mini. That review will come later…I’ll need a long flight for that…good thing that’s coming up!

Life Update

It's been a while since I've updated, and it's been a while since I rode the Yolo County bus. So now, I'm on the Yolo bus, on the way to the airport to purchase my spring break plane ticket:-). Good thing about flying standby: free flights. Bad thing: you have to go to the airport to redeem them(at least for America West...Continental was much better...yes, I have to fly both for this trip...) Where to start?
Classes. Classes are really pretty good. I can't complain about them. In every class, there's at least one thing that entices me to pursue my studies in that course. In Macroecon, our lectures are pretty bad. She goes over almost exactly what the book says, but does not speak very clearly. I usually zone out and do something else between powerpoint slides. Like today, for example: I wrote an AppleScript(mini-application, basically) that will launch my mail program, weather reports, and the first five web sites I always go to in the morning. (okay, you REALLY want to know what they are? You're gonna think I'm a dork. But if you are reading this, you probably think that already. 1) facebook, 2) NFTY mail, 3) NYTimes, 4) MacUpdate(software stuff), 5) macrumors.com) This way, I'll not only wake up to my favorite music, courtesy of iAlarm, I also will get my mail, news, and weather! stellar. woot for being bored in Econ. Anyway, the part that actually makes the class worth while is our discussion section. The TA is awesome. Last week, we looked at why it would be more profitable for a poppy grower in Afghanistan to make seeds than heroin. Awesome. Poli Sci (comparative politics) is pretty good. Horrible discussion section(the teacher thinks she's giving out her own grade on a 100 point scale...when it's only 10 percent of our grade, and being there each time gets us 5 percent of that. participation in discussion is another 5 percent. so she's giving stuff that doesn't matter in her scale. oh well.), but the lectures are really interesting. The way I learn a topic is that I try to relate it to something I already know. Like NFTY. I've been using NFTY as a way of comparing governments. It's kinda weird to explain. For example, it's difficult to classify NFTY into a particular class of government because we don't really have districts. We do have regions, but it's not equal member-to-delegate distribution. Also, in NFTY, the representatives are more like trustees than delegates. Point is that I learn about governments by using the NFTY general board as an example. I'm thinking of doing my senior thesis as an analyzation of NFTY as a case-study of a government. More on that in a few years. Back to classes. Intro to Judaism is pretty entertaining. I'm learning a lot more about the history of the Jewish people and getting a better foundation on which to make my cases. All in all, not too bad. Pretty easy, but I'm okay with that. Last, my favorite class: Intro to Music Literature. I really think I'm one of the luckiest guys on campus. I get to start every monday, wednesday, and friday learning about classical music. It's such an awesome class. We've been learning about very basic elements of music (texture, dynamics, overall sound, instrumentation) and I'm now able to get so much more out of music. I just hope these lessons will carry over to my song writing. Speaking of which...
I recently uploaded my music to a web site. As of earlier today, people had played these four songs over 200 times. I've never been so happy about my music. I'm really excited that now, I have a really good portal to get my music out to the public. The ease of this has inspired me to write and record more. So expect to see some new songs on there soon. Hopefully, I'll be compiling an album by the end of the school year. (of course, I say this now...)
NFTY is fantastic. I just went to NY for a meeting and am very excited to go to my first travel region, NFTY-MI at the end of this month. I'm spending Thursday night with the Rolnicks which should be fun, then working the event the rest of the weekend. I'm so excited! Also, my project for convention is coming together REALLY well! If you're going to convention and want an awesome workshop, come to "Putting the 'C' back into RCVP." No idea who's teaching it, but I heard it's gonna be a lot of fun;-) Can't wait.
Besides that, I'm more smitten than ever. I get through the days because I look forward to the evenings. Sometimes, I even get lucky and I don't have to wait 'till evening. It's great though. Every time I look at my desktop, there's a picture that just makes me smile. I am so content with life because of this.
Alright, back to the bus. Hope everyone's been having a wonderful few weeks!
Also, just because I'm a nut, check out the ipod shuffle and mac mini. Now, no one can say "I can't get a mac...they're too expensive..." because you can get an equivilant mac for the same price as a PC. Boo yah. The ipod shuffle is just damn cool. I'll explain why it's great in another post.
Deep breath, and I'm off.

My cousin's toys...

So glad I'm in a family that appreciates Apple products...

http://homepage.mac.com/greendesert/iblog/C1676615283/E1365317995/index.html

(btw, that's my cousin Justin. He's about 1 and a half. He's not usually so faceless...)

First Day of Class

Today, UC Davis had our first day of classes in our Winter 2005 quarter. Woot.
My first class of the day is Music 10, Introduction to Music Literature. It seems like it will be a really great class. It forces me to listen and study classical music to start my Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Awesome. Today, we looked at Aaron Copland's "Fanfare for the Common Man". We looked at it in a very broad sense, not getting into too much detail; basic rhythms, reasons for various notes and intervals, and instrumentation.
After a break at home, I went off to my second class: Religious Studies 23, Introduction to Judaism. First off, my professor isn't a great group leader, and the class seems SOOOO easy. Beyond one of the books being a repeat from a class last quarter, one of the assignments for an upcoming class is "Be able to define mitzvah and halakhah." Please sir can I have some more? Should be an interesting tongue-biter. Oh man...I could go on, but it'd take way more energy than the class is worth.
Fortuantely, because of my schedule, I have a one hour break between Judaism and Poli Sci. So I just used that time to get some emailing and this entry done. Off to Poli Sci!
First off, the class room reminds me of the class room in "Young Frankenstein." It's almost eery. I keep hearing Gene Wilder shouting "My Grandfather's work was DOO DOO! I am not concerned with death! I am only concerned with the preservation of LIFE!"(Said, of course, as he jabs a scalpel into his thigh) Ah observation. Good times. The professor kinda looks like my middle school English teacher, Mrs. Moore. I know it's not her, but it's still pretty weird. It's like how last quarter, my English teacher looked like my Aunt Patty. Weird. It's a continuing theory/fear of mine: that I'm living something similar to "The Truman Show." I know I'm not, but there are times when people just look too alike. Looking around, I don't recognize anyone in the class. New faces are always good. Stark contrast from Intro to Judaism, where I knew just about 15% of the class; and in a class of about 40 or 50, that's a considerable amount. She started talking, and she doesn't remind me of Mrs. Moore anymore. Class was kinda cool...it was like my last poli sci class: the Prof. explained the powerpoint slides in more detail, and I did random organizational stuff on my computer...awesome. Should be in an interesting class...we're going to be covering the rise of democratization in a post-cold war world. real chill. haha...that was a good one.
The good news about my schedule this quarter is that my day ends at 4 every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. No night classes!!! I think I might do some good reading, or go to dinner at a normal hour, or maybe, just maybe, indulge in the resurection of Iyun T'fillah...eh, who am I kidding? it won't happen for a few years...gotta start somewhere though, no?
All in all, good first day. Too bad it was so gloomy outside, but it's Davis. Kinda goes with the territory between November and late February. Woo Ags!

Ally's Visit

Saturday, 25th
•Ally arrived
•Drove to In-N-Out, but it was closed (stupid businesses closed on Christmas...)
•Becky picked up Eric
•Dinner with family(Jer, Ally, Becky, Eric, Mom, Dad, Aunt Iris, Uncle Dave, Adam, Jessica, Nana, Marion[Iris' Mom], Chaime, Lora, Elisa)

Sunday, 26th
•Walking around La Jolla Cove
•Brunch at IHOP
•Nap at home
•Christmas decorations at Hotel Del
•Visiting Mount Soledad
•Dinner at Hotel La Jolla
•Scrabble game (teams of couples: Ally/Jer, Becky/Eric, Mom/Dad)

Monday, 27th
•Sesame Street with Ruben Studdard
•Lunch with Holly/Kayla(family friends)
•UTC, met up with Seth and Joanna
•Coffee shop in La Jolla, met up with Sarah
•Dinner at In-N-Out in PB
•Back to Alexa's, met up with Jordyn, went outside and talked to Stacy for 1:15

Tuesday, 28th
•Lunch at Onami
•Hall of Champions, Automotive museum, Aerospace museum
•Back home to watch "Love Actually"
•Dinner with fam and watching Keeping the Faith

Wednesday, 29th
•Breakfast at Jamba Juice
•Auto show (fell in love with Acura TSX, disappointed with Honda Accord)
•Lunch at Greek Palace (Jer, Ally, Dad, Iris, Jessica)
•Nap to Rules of Attraction
•Dinner at Rubios
•Walking around Old Navy and Ross (Ally found stuff in the kids section, Jer found a nice shirt at Ross for $7.45)
•Seth's get together

Thursday, 30th
•Holiday bowl parade (Cookie Monster balloon)
•Battle of the bands
•Lunch at In-N-Out
•Watched Holiday Bowl at home (Nana and Jess stopped by)
•Mom/Dad & Becky/Eric played Scrabble, Ally/Jer watched, talked to Ellie, and watched Pat Metheny

Friday, 31st
•Bruch with Grandma Doris at Coco's
•Visiting Nana
•Went to Vons for pizza making stuff
•Services (Friday Night Chai)
•Made/ate pizza
•Jordyn/Sarah's party
•Came home to watch new years countdown

Saturday, 1st
•Watched part of Rose parade
•Breakfast of apple pancake
•Took Ally to airport:-(

Thoughts on the Eve of December 24

        First, I must give a warning to all of those who do not celebrate Christmas: Christmas doesn't start until the 25th; it does not start at sundown. Good job.
        I'm watching Midnight Mass on WGN right now, and I thought I'd provide some commentary to it...
• They're singing songs in English and I recognize some of the lyrics as from the Old Testament. I know this because these same lines are used in certain Jewish songs; "Sing a new song unto God(aka: Shiru l'Adonai shir chadash)", and "let the heavens be glad".
• There are two cantors singing. If they were Jewish, the only change that would need to be made is the language used. I don't particularly care for that. I understand the purpose of sacred music, I rather enjoy it. What I don't understand is why it must take a form so similar to that of the church. Please don't read too much into this comment as I really don't know what point I'm trying to make. Just a thought.
• The Archbishop is giving a sermon. It's so simple. But it teaches. He's talking about his religion, not politics. I think I might understand why Christianity has such a big draw: simple lessons and values that are easy to understand, and these lessons are taught over and over again. That is also, however, why I love Judaism. I love the nuances of our faith and how so many people can take these same texts and get so many different ideas and conclusions. I just wish the pulpit was used more for the purpose of teaching, rather than politicking.
• The podium being used by the Archbishop is made of wood. On the front is a carving of the body of Jesus on the Cross. The top vertical post, however, is not there. So it looks like Jesus is carrying the podium.
• They're prostrating. It reminds me of Yom Kippur.
• They're talking about his death. I thought this was his BIRTHday? I need to study this religion more...
• There's a guy speaking in Latin with an American accent. It's like "Spanglish", but more like "Latinish"
• I find it fascinating that above all, Jews and Christians pray for the same thing: (as quoted from a song during this Mass) "Oh Lord, hear our prayer." It's so simple; we all just want to make sure that there's someone/something listening.
• Now they're passing baskets attached to poles for collecting money. It's kinda in your face giving. I hope that money goes to a homeless shelter.
• Funny shot: cups of wine, and a mic cable sticking up. Awesome.
• The people leading the service keep bowing to each other. I'm confused. Again, I need to learn more about this religion.
• The Archbishop is doing an adaptation of the Priestly benediction for the congregation. Mos def an adaptation...but still close...

That was really interesting. It made me want to learn more. Happy holidays to all.

The Weekend That Was

Note: This was refering to Thanksgiving weekend...a little delayed I know...

"I don't want my love to go to waste, I just want you and your beautiful soul."

This weekend was unique. I think that's the best way to describe it. There weren't any earth/relationship shattering events, but nothing of exceptional positive significance either.

Wednesday: I left Davis on a shuttle and wrote. It was awesome. The thanksgiving thoughts from the previous entry were written on that ride. I sat in front of a girl and the conversation she had was really interesting. She was describing a problem she was having in the dorms: her roommates talked to her about cleaning up her dishes in the sink. She was so distraught that they would have the gaul to ask her that request. I found it really amusing.
I got to the airport and realized that I had just about 3 and a half hours until my flight left. I also noticed that three flights were leaving before mine. So I requested to be put on the stand-by list for one of the earlier flights. Not only did I get on the earlier flight, I was in group A, and the flight was more than half empty. Crazy. I guess Southwest had too many flights to San Diego or something. Either way, I got home earlier than I thought I would. I got home and spent some good time with my parents.
Thursday: Early in the morning, my dad and I got up and went to Seaport Village for a 5k walk/run for Jewish Family Service. While it was nice to spend time with my dad, I think the best part was hearing the live bands along the way. There were some blues and rock groups, there was a DJ along the way, and two Blues Brothers and an Austin Powers impersonator. The walk went around about 15 blocks downtown. I was able to see the area in a way I hadn't seen before: slowly. Usually, I am driving through the area, but it was really interesting to see downtown up close and personal.
After the walk, we went to Jamba juice, went home, and got the house ready for Thanksgiving dinner. Before dinner, there was an incredible sunset. When I saw it, I remembered how beautiful the sunsets are in California and San Diego. I'll let the picture speak for itself.
Friday: After some much needed sleep, my parents and I went out to get some clothes. For those who know me well, you know that I don't get new clothes very often. So this was a significant occasion. We went to Old Navy and I got...well, your probably don't care.
Friday evening was a lot of fun. I went to Sarah's and random people showed up, and most seemed to be in pairs. Catherine and Kevin, Taryn and Amy were there for about 5 minutes because Taryn thought that we thought something about her. I didn't really understand. Alexa and Jordyn, Ben Lieberman and Mike Feldman, Dusty and Joanna, Yve, Seth, Sarah, and her Brother Ben. It was really nice to see everyone, especially Dusty. I hadn't seen her since February and I realized that this was the first time we'd seen each other where we didn't hook up, and it also wasn't incredibly awkward. After some good times, I went home content from a really fun evening. There was no drama, just good fun.

A Eulogy

"These days, these days.
These days I seem to think about
How all the changes came about my ways
And I wonder if I'll see another highway." -Nico

These lyrics come from the song "These Days" by Nico and I came across them in the movie "The Royal Tenenbaums." Tonight, the only thing I can reference is that movie.
Today, I learned that my step-aunt, Marsha, passed away. She had been struggling in a battle with Crohn's disease, and I'm fairly sure complications relating to that are what caused her death. I'd like to think that her death was untimely, but the unfortunate truth was that we lost touch years ago, so her death could have happened years from now and it would have made just about the same impact it does now.
I think the best way that I can characterize Aunt Marsha was that she was a female version of Royal Tenenbaum. She was bright, but was never really able to hold a job for too long. She loved her family, but seemed to mistreat them in a way that only she could sympathize with. She didn't bring our family together based on a fake disease, like the movie version of Royal did, yet she had incredible talent and vibrance, like the movie version of Royal did.
It's hard to describe what I'll miss the most about my aunt. The last significant time I remember seeing her was many years ago. What is significant is that the battles between our families have left two dead. We're not a huge family. And two is a large number. What I will miss about my aunt is that there is now no chance for the two sides to make peace with Marsha being a player in the negotiations. I will miss her presence. Though, I will miss that side of the family getting together for holidays and occasions more than just the physical existence of Aunt Marsha.

Whether some will admit it or not, you will be missed, Aunt Marsha.

Thanksgiving Thoughts

"This morning, there's a calm I can't explain.
The rock candy's melted, only diamonds now remain."
-John Mayer

        Who would have thought it was true? Thanksgiving, as my Jewish Studies professor David Biale explained, is a Jewish holiday! In Hebrew, Chag haHodaya is a holiday of thanks, and Chag haHodu is a holiday of Turkey. The similarity of these words is so striking, that it is obvious that thanksgiving is a holiday derived from the Jews. With a joking lecture aside, it is curious to note that the kids in the Religious school I song-lead for also thought tried to convince me that Thanksgiving was a Jewish holiday. Their rational was that Thanksgiving was just the goyisha version of Sukkot, one of the Jewish harvest festivals. Regardless, the argument that the secular Thanksgiving derives from a Jewish holiday has just about as much validity as if one were to argue that Christmas was created so that store owners could increase business. In any case, this year, I have much to be thankful for.
        First, my family. This year, my cousin Laurie had her second child, Samantha. Since last thanksgiving, Becky has met and fallen for Eric, and I have a hunch that they'll be together for a long time. I'm really happy for her. My parents FINALLY completed the remodel, and my mom just had a very happy, accomplishing birthday. I know it means a lot to her that she was able to get to this point and it is something I give thanks for. My dad is always continuing his pursuit of the business which allows him to retire, and I think he's found it. I'm thankful that he found it, but I will be much happier when he finally does. He deserves it. He defines "workaholic," and I see where I get my work ethic from.
        Second, my friends. My friends are a special breed of people. They inspire, discover, learn, grow, and they cause me to do the same. I am so happy to say that I have remained close with many friends, despite the distance of college. There are two which I feel are necessary to specifically mention because of their contribution to my life: Stacy and Ally. I do not mean to say that these two are the only ones who have contributed to me and kept me sane in the last year, but they are the two that I could not say the same about last year. Joanna, Sally, Ben, Sarah, and Molly have made such an impact on me, I am forever grateful, yet this year I add Stacy and Ally to the list of who keep me true to myself and others.
        Stacy and I met in June of 2003 at Mechina, but we didn't really get to know each other that well. We also didn't really keep in touch. This past summer changed that. Stacy and I were able to maintain a great support system for each other that rivaled friends of many years. I don't know what I would have done without her listening and helpfulness since we reconnected. She's also someone who I'm incredibly proud of. She has overcome some very trying times incredibly well and has matured so much in a short amount of time. I'd like to think that I had as much impact on her as she has on me, but regardless, I am thankful that we are as close as we are and I hope our relationship stays exactly the same.
        Ally. It takes a lot for me to get butterflies in my stomach. Yet Ally is the kind of person that I get so excited to speak to, that it happens almost every time I even think of her. I also don't know what this summer would have been like without her. There are a few people who read me really well. Ally's one of them. Ally does more than read my emotions, though, she knows how to deal with them and how to handle a situation. This summer, for example, she could tell when how on the last night of camp, I was incredibly frustrated with a situation. She read this and took me outside for a few minutes. We just went outside and breathed. She could tell that I needed to not be in that room and acted on that instinct. There are moments like that which bring such joy and comfort to my life. I am so thankful that she is a part of my life and I only wish that we could live closer together.
        I have a lot to be thankful for when I look back on the last year. I couldn't have imagined I would be where I am now: on NFTY board, a brother of AEPi, incredible friends with a mutual feeling of love, on a bus going from UC Davis to the airport to fly home for Thanksgiving. I only dreamed of this moment. To quote Edwin McCain, "I could not ask for more."
        Yet something bothers me about Thanksgiving. I understand how one can be thankful, I can understand how one can be appreciative, but how does one give thanks? It is going up to someone and saying "thank you"? Is that giving thanks? Or maybe it derives from a sacrificial ritual from the early Temple days which would prove that Thanksgiving is REALLY a Jewish holiday. Maybe. It's something to ponder, and maybe there is no right answer. All I know is that life is good.

On a Cloud

Things are really looking up!

Last night, I recorded the bass line for "A Ballad" and I got really excited, so I posted some of the lyrics on LJ. Today, someone quoted them. Awesome. It's such an amazing feeling to know that you're words have a positive impact on someone else.

Today: I'm writing a paper. Which brings me back to earth from my cloud, but also keeps me elevated. I really enjoy writing, so it shouldn't be too bad.
This afternoon, I'm going to get two shots so I can get my academic holds taken off and I can take more than 13.5 units next quarter. Then, it'll be back to writing the paper for sociology.
Tonight should be good. I think we're getting initiated into the Chi Delta Chapter of the Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity. Putting up with everything has DEFINITELY made it a worth while experience. I'm so anxious for it to be official.
That's the update from the farm. Back to describing the socially constructed identity.

Deep breath, and I'm off. Havn't done that in a while.

Why didn't this happen in High School?

I got my first Jewish Cultures paper back: A-
I just got my first Sociology paper back: 99 out of 100

How did this happen?!? I just hope I can keep it up.

Yaaaaaaaaaaaay I-WEEK

People Watching

I really enjoy people watching. Not that I'm a stalker, but sometimes it's incredibly rewarding to just observe other people. Right now, for instance, I'm on a bus heading to the airport. A mother and her two daughters just got on at a mall. The curious thing about them is that they appear to be the stereotypical southern family: stringy hair, always trying to make themselves more beautiful, but generally content with themselves. They're very friendly, though, as is the bus driver. I can tell the driver does this shift regularly by the way that she knows more than half of the passengers that come on and off by name. Back to the family, it makes me wonder where, at 8:00 AM, they came from and where they are going. It does not seem like they are going to school, as they don't have backpacks. Do schools get this Friday off too? I guess it's only a real-world situation where people only take Thursday off for Veterans day.
Another girl just came on. She looks like she's in middle school, talks like she's from Texas, but has the maturity of an adult. (Just as I was typing this, she mentioned a Texas area code, which makes me think that she is actually from there, as opposed to the other family who appear to just be Woodland-ites) She obviously has become accustomed to West Coast society, where the social scene permits anyone to speak as if they were from the ghetto without needing to be in a minority. For example, when talking to the bus driver about cell phone plans, she mentioned that the plan her parents wanted to set up "fuckin' ain't worth shit." It always amazes me what people do and how they change when they attain different levels of independence. I don't really know why it is, but I think the amount of independence one receives -- rather, the amount of dependence on oneself that is required -- as a child is one of the most influential factors on that person.
We just went to the other side of the 113 and the fog here is very thick. I hope it won't impair the airport.
Earlier, we were leaving the mall and I noticed a very funny sign. It was on the other side of the street, said "one way", and pointed to the left. But it was a two way street. There was a divide between the sides of the street, but not a major one. So we turned right anyway. It was a pointless sign. At the next stoplight, there was a sign that showed how each of the two lanes could turn one way or the other, yet right next to that sign was another: "one way." I was amused. I wanted to take a picture, but alas, no such brevity came.
I'm pretty excited to be going home, but I'm glad it's only for the weekend. I really enjoy Davis, but I am very glad to get to see my family before this next week. I'm really glad to see that my has passed and is living past her mother's age. Despite everything, she really is a good woman.
I just had the oddest experience sitting in the airport. I was sitting, looking out at the planes, and an elderly couple sat down next to me. There were other open seats, but for some reason, they chose those seats. I had the strangest urge: I wanted to ask them about their history. I was curious to hear how they met, what their lives were like before they met, and how their lives have changed since they've been together. It was weird. I wanted to know about them for no real rhyme or reason. Not sure what to make of it, but I didn't ask them.
Now I'm home. Should be fun!

Some thoughts I've had and been too busy to compile and post:

I voted. Go team. Too bad we couldn't pull Ohio...and those 20 some-odd other southern states...

There was a demonstration on campus with a wall being pulled by a mini-van representing the wall/fence/etc in Israel. It was sponsored by SJP(Students for Justice in Palestine), and they were promoting a speaker that was coming in. He, obviously, must have been knowledgeable in peace negotiations as -- no, not a member of the PLO, K'nesset, some other organization involved with peace negotiations -- a hydrologist. His talk was about the "devastating environmental impact of Israeli aggression on the people and the land of Palestine." Oh please. Gotta save the land, but fuck our children. Let them blow themselves up. This will be a fun four years! I can't wait to start showing up to Cross Cultural center meetings and the like and throwing this kinda shit at them. Just to see them squirm. I really should stop typing before it gets me in trouble. And it has just become a private post. BTW, I'm all for civilized talks with the anti-Zionists, so long as they are.

I got groceries: TP, Jello pudding, ritz crackers, albertsons brand pop-tarts, and gatorade. Yum.

Quote of the day(a few days ago)
"If you want to find a Rabbi, you’re going to go to a synagogue. You’re not gonna go to the [coffee shop], you’re going to go to a synagogue."-Prof. Biale of Jewish Studies

i think that's it for now...awesome weekend at kesher convention! oh debauchery.

Takin' A Break From Politics

So I got bored in English class (shocker) and wrote this blues song. Pretty much true to life, but names are changed. Guess who's who and get 10 points.

He hops into bed
All alone
It's 10 o'clock, he's thinkin' of her
He can't go to sleep
But he's dreamin
'Bout every word he's gonna say
Ben's been around
Not in this town
But now there's someone that he has found

She hops in her car
All alone
10 o'clock, she not thinkin' of him
She sleep easily
No chemestry
But when to tell him what she's got to say
She's been around
Ben's new in town
Throw me a quarter and I'll keep playin'

That's all I've got so far. At some point I'll write a third verse, but I can't really do that until more of the story plays itself out.

The Continuation of "The Acceptance of Diversity, or As You Like It"

Today, I recieved an e-mail back from Prof. Cramer:

Jeremy,
Does it seem odd? In a cynical way, no. I can readily imagine that the Chancellor is quite sincere but that people in Housing had no idea that Saturday was Yom Kippur (or felt they had no options to do otherwise given a tight schedule). More cynically, I can even imagine that the Chancellor put out his announcement for PR purposes but didn't intend to follow it exactly; but knowing the Chancellor personally, I very much doubt this.
Question: you say there were two move-in days. Did students have a choice which day to move in, or were half assigned one day and the others assigned the other day? If students were assigned, did they have an option to request the other day?
Jim Cramer


And this was my response:


Dear Dr. Cramer,
On the school's calendar, it only listed Sept. 25th as a move-in day, however, I later learned that there were two move-in days. Half of the housing had the 25th as a move-in day, and the other half moved in on the 26th. I do not know whether or not they had the option of requesting the other day. The students were assigned a specific day that their dorm was having their move-in day. For example, in the Cuarto Area, two halls moved in on the 25th, and two moved in on the 26th.
While I doubt the Chancellor put his announcement out for PR purposes, and also while the dates did not affect me personally, I still find the message to be ironic. I also think there could have been ways around it and completely avoid the situation. For example, UC Santa Barbara and UC Santa Cruz, also on the quarter system, moved in the week before. This difference in dates only changes their academic schedule slightly.
Obviously, I don't think anything can be accomplished about this year's move-in date, however, it is something that I believe the administration should take into consideration when planning school-wide events.
Respectfully,
Jeremy Gimbel

The Acceptance of Diversity, or As You Like It

Yesterday, Tuesday the 5th of October, I began a new class. It is a sociology class called "Multi-Cultural Societies" and we will be studying diversity on campus and in macro-sociological environments. I received a forward from professor, Jim Cramer, today that read, "Here's an example of how the University takes diversity into account - - FYI." The attached memo is from our Chancellor, Larry N. Vanderhoef, and the Chair of the Academic Senate, Daniel L. Simmons.

The first half of the memo reads:
"UC Davis is committed to providing students, faculty, and staff with an
environment that furthers their educational and career pursuits. Each year
we write to remind all members of the UC Davis community of our commitment
to avoid, when possible, the scheduling of campuswide events, retreats, and
meetings that conflict with religious holy days. The precise dates of these
holy days may vary from year to year, but they are usually indicated in
contemporary datebooks and calendars and may be found at
http://diversity.ucdavis.edu/html/calendar_holiday.html. We ask you to be
mindful of the Academic Senate resolution stating that "UC Davis seeks to
accommodate any student who, in observance of a religious creed, encounters
an unavoidable conflict with a test or examination schedule...." That
resolution may be found in the 2004-2006 General Catalog on page 63.
"In addition, as an educational institution, we can play a role in fostering
an awareness of, and respect for, the various spiritual and cultural beliefs,
practices, and needs of our community."
The second half of the memo describes how to tastefully decorate for the December holidays without offending anyone.

I decided that this hypocriticalism should be pointed out. So I wrote the following e-mail back to Prof. Cramer:

Dear Dr. Cramer,
This year, like every year, there were two move-in days for those living in the dorms. The first of those two days fell on Yom Kippur, arguably the holiest day of the year for the Jews. On this day, those observing the day are required to fast and some very observant Jews won't do labor of any sorts. That means no driving, lifting, etc.
For those with the move-in day of Saturday, September 25, they moved in on Yom Kippur. Does it seem odd to you that the University would put this message out after it had violated the policy itself?
Respectfully,
Jeremy Gimbel


We'll just have to wait and see what happens.

Gotta Love It!

I love it when a question mark turns into an exclamation point! Hopefully I'll have some more moments like that in the next few days! Good times in Poli Sci:-)

I've posted pictures!

If you'd like to see pictures from my college experience so far, go to this photobucket site:

http://photobucket.com/albums/v480/JerAtCollege/

the password is "davis" without the quotations.

Enjoy!