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Wow, so much has happened in the past three days you have no idea. Lets just say that I am currently in Los Angeles, and am on my way to Guatemala, so its a long story. It gets longer. I can't go into details, because I am just at starbucks using their wireless network, but I am going on the same medical mission my parents are going on, because there was a free spot at the last minute. I wont be in school again, or at home again for that matter, until the 14th of March. Periodic updates as necessary, and when I can get a hold of a satellite phone... I will post my entire journal when I return, in *.doc format.
I wont even go into details about the guy my dad and his friend saved at LAX by doing CPR on him for a while...
Hey, its been a while. The lan was pretty lame (not the worst), i got my liscence, and still no job. Thats about all there is to say about now, other than i hate school even more. I should just drop out and get it all over with. But i get a laptop... :) Oh well, there are some sacrifices we make. My life is a bit kafkaesque at the moment, so don't mind me. I bet 88% of the people who read that will look it up. I know I did when I first saw it today. More later, im just beat. sick. tired. don't talk to me.
jim is rad
Having a lan this weekend. Tomorrow, actually. A few people coming over, nothing big. Should be fun, though. If you want to show up, IM me, or call me first.
Hey, watch 60 minutes tomorrow at seven, also. Good ol redding is gonna be on it, for you guessed it, the two doctors at redding medical center. I am recording it, so if you want a dvd copy, i could arrange it if you want ;) Funny, I've been online all day, and haven't blogged except for this once...
That is straight out of the Merriam Webster Collegiate Dictionary, tenth ed.
I have had to deal with this word alot in the past few weeks, as many of you know (and many, I'm sure, don't). The only two definitions I am worried about are the last two. I would like to consider myself a hacker, by definition number three. I ejoy programming a whole lot, and though I may not be considered an 'expert', I am getting there, learning; plus I enjoy 'solving problems' with computers. However, the definition I have been pestered with is the fourth one. The ONLY one that even mentions the word 'illegal' or 'sometimes' tampers with evidence. Whether I admit to being categorized under this definition or not is not my point; my point is is that you can be one, and not the other. When someone claims to be a hacker, especially in a newsgroup or bbs, think about which they are referring to, number 3 or number 4.
Which brings me to the next topic I wanted to shed some light on in this post: what makes someone a hacker (definition 4, the 'bad' one)? Well, you are NOT a hacker if you download warez, cracks, keygens, patches, etc... Hell, my mother could open up that little *.nfo file that has the ascii art someone labored over, look for the serial number, type it in, and 'unlock' the program. Programs as expensive as photoshop and maya can be 'bought' in less than 30 seconds. This, my friend, I hate to burst your bubble, is not hacking.
So now what, you ask? You probably think that I am going to claim to be a hakcer, a true hacker. No, actually, I'm not. For one, I don't nearly have the heart of a hacker. I crack under too much pressure. Plus, I would brag (as you may know...). A true hacker (definition 4) would only brag using a fake name on some bbs or ng out there. However, he is not hacking to get noticed. He is the one redirecting microsofts homepage to some linux site, or the one changing a headline on a unisys website claiming that anyone can create .gifs without having to pay a hefty fee (don't believe it?) So I gained unauthorized access into a school server for a few weeks. It eventually (as it was bound to do) came back to me, and I had no excuse. That may be considered 'hacking' according to americas definition, but I don't personally look upon it as anything like it. It is something I never wish to repeat (unless completely necessary, but I have learned my lesson :))
My grandparents had their fiftieth wedding anniversary yesterday. We all (the family; 12 of us) went to a nice resaurant where we had the entire back room reserved, so that was insane. My grandparents are the cutest couple in the world, its so funny to watch them! It was a great time to gather with family and all that, and went off without a hitch.
Yesterday I called and scheduled my behind the wheel driving test (at last) and so that is going to go down on the nineteenth of february at two-fifteen in the afternoon. It will be cool and all, but I still won't have insurance, or a car, so I will still be stranded. It's the thought that counts, eh?
day three.
Well, here goes day three of my three day suspension. A lot happened today, seems like. Well, my dad and I went to see the 'counselor' again. I don't know if it helps or not, but all I know is that i am beginning to hate people who study other people for a living. Its the way they look at you, monitoring your every move... but don't let me go there. I will be typing all night.
ANYway, we also went to a few places in preparation of my grandparents fiftieth wedding anniversary. Wow, that is a lot of years to be together. And it is tomorrow. Wow. We have this whole dinner planned at a fancy restaurant, and all that sort of fun stuff.
Also in the exciting list is we went to washington mutual to get me a checking account! I now have money, and a wannabe credit card that deducts from my checking account (or my savings account if i overdraw), so you know what?! I can manage my own money now!!! Who knows, maybe getting a job will not be all that bad anyway. Plus if i get that job at sunset, that will be way cool. We shall see.
day two.
I am on day number two of my three day suspension from school. It is bad, but not horrible. It could be worse. Much worse. I am not being forced to do anything, so I have pretty much lived in my room with my computer at my side. A bad thing: my dad has the week off (coincidence?). However, just when I though I was going to have to kill something, he had to go to our house in trinity center and fix a broken water pipe up there. He was supposed to be gone till tomorrow, but showed up today by suprise a little after 1 or so. Well, we went out and turned in the subway application, and picked one up from round table pizza and the local supermarket. (sunset). I really would like to work at Sunset over any other choice I have. Im not too down with the whole food preparation thing, or fast food for that matter.
In other jobs, I am making a website for a local group my mom is associated with, and that may pay $500, to who knows who. On top of that, my dad wants me to make one for his anesthesia group, AND my mom knows someone who wants a personal page and is looking for someone to do that. I might just want to become a web designer. But i also need insurance before I can get a car, so that sucks.
Bad news: my dad scheduled another appointment with that shrink for tomorrow at ten am. <sarcasm>Should be fun, considering the circumstances. Yeah, lots of fun.</sarcasm>
Wow. Parents came home from their trip on saturday night. Went to school today. Not tomorrow. Or Wednesday, or Thursday for that matter. I am officially going to die this week. My dad, as I found out so sweetly, has the week off. Not a good thing when I am suspended. I like to think of it as cruel and unusual punishment. Shit, this is going to be the worst week in probably all of my days as a human being. They are also making me get a job, my parents are. They picked up a whole lot of applications today hoping that I am going to fill them all out. Not that I necessarily mind having a job or anything, its just that they wont let me obtain my liscence until my grades come up. I am basically going to live hell for the next, oh, 2 or 3 months. In the words of my good friend Mr. G.: K+R=F.
I woke up this morning to the people staying with me looking sorrowful and asking, "have you heard?" Wow. This is a tradgedy for NASA surpassed only by the Challenger explosion in early 1986. I don't even know what so say other than my heart goes out to the families and the people at NASA who are going to have to head up the investigation, causing huge delays in all their programs. Plus the one Israli on board, the first ever to go into space from that nation, how hard that must be on his family, and his entire country. Wow. What more can I say?
+ abc news' report as of this typing
+ google news