October 2006

In New York

moocowinthecity 2006-10-22 No Comments

Subject: In New York

Date: Sunday 10/22/06 2:38:00 AM

Howdy All,

I’m in New York City/Long Island resting at the moment, glad to have

power and heat (which my apartment in Buffalo still doesn’t have). I

finished the skateboard park behind our house with my dad today (The

thing is sick…it’s really, really awesome) so I’ll take pictures of

that shortly (and of course, a real post, once I’ve had more sleep).

Not having power in Buffalo all week has been a major drag.

Anyways, I leave you with some of my favorite quotes before I go to

bed (mostly so I can save them on my laptop when I get back to

Buffalo, but I think you’ll all enjoy them too):

“Monolingualism is a disease with a cure.”

What greater stupidity can be imagined than that of calling jewels,

silver, and gold ‘precious,’ and earth and soil ‘base’? People who do

this ought to remember that if there were as great a scarcity of soil

as of jewels or precious metals, there would not be a prince who would

not spend a bushel of diamonds and rubies and a cartload of gold just

to have enough earth to plant a jasmine in a little pot, or to sow an

orange seed and watch it sprout, grow, and produce its handsome

leaves, its fragrant flowers, and fine fruit. It is scarcity and

plenty that make the vulgar take things to be precious or worthless;

they call a diamond very beautiful because it is like pure water, and

then would not exchange one for ten barrels of water.

– Galileo Galilei

“If you are out to describe the truth, leave elegance to the tailor.”

– Albert Einstein

“We think the cross to bear is not for those who are gay, but those

who believe in crosses in the first place.”

– Jon Armstrong

“Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and

I’m not sure about the former.”

– Albert Einstein

“The release of atomic energy has not created a new problem. It has

merely made more urgent the necessity of solving an existing one.”

– Albert Einstein

“To punish me for my contempt for authority, fate made me an authority

myself.”

– Albert Einstein

In New York

moocowinthecity 2006-10-22 No Comments

Subject: In New York

Date: Sunday 10/22/06 2:38:00 AM

Howdy All,

I’m in New York City/Long Island resting at the moment, glad to have

power and heat (which my apartment in Buffalo still doesn’t have). I

finished the skateboard park behind our house with my dad today (The

thing is sick…it’s really, really awesome) so I’ll take pictures of

that shortly (and of course, a real post, once I’ve had more sleep).

Not having power in Buffalo all week has been a major drag.

Anyways, I leave you with some of my favorite quotes before I go to

bed (mostly so I can save them on my laptop when I get back to

Buffalo, but I think you’ll all enjoy them too):

“Monolingualism is a disease with a cure.”

What greater stupidity can be imagined than that of calling jewels,

silver, and gold ‘precious,’ and earth and soil ‘base’? People who do

this ought to remember that if there were as great a scarcity of soil

as of jewels or precious metals, there would not be a prince who would

not spend a bushel of diamonds and rubies and a cartload of gold just

to have enough earth to plant a jasmine in a little pot, or to sow an

orange seed and watch it sprout, grow, and produce its handsome

leaves, its fragrant flowers, and fine fruit. It is scarcity and

plenty that make the vulgar take things to be precious or worthless;

they call a diamond very beautiful because it is like pure water, and

then would not exchange one for ten barrels of water.

– Galileo Galilei

“If you are out to describe the truth, leave elegance to the tailor.”

– Albert Einstein

“We think the cross to bear is not for those who are gay, but those

who believe in crosses in the first place.”

– Jon Armstrong

“Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and

I’m not sure about the former.”

– Albert Einstein

“The release of atomic energy has not created a new problem. It has

merely made more urgent the necessity of solving an existing one.”

– Albert Einstein

“To punish me for my contempt for authority, fate made me an authority

myself.”

– Albert Einstein

You might be wondering why there’s a tampon, up my nose…

moocowinthecity 2006-10-20 No Comments

I’ll tell you.

Ever since I was nine, and then again my sophomore year of college when I fell six feet into a cement floor, lacerating my lip, smashing in my teeth, and breaking my nose…my nose has gotten, shall we say, progressively flatter and damaged.

So, I took a nap after Toronto and woke up with my nose bleeding…and it just. wouldn’t stop. So I called Candie (covarla) who was wonderful and she and Mikey drove me to Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital (you might recall MF as the place I went when I fell out of bed a few years back)…I walk in, with a tshirt in a ball over my face, covered in blood and the nurse was like “You’re next!” and this security guy comes up to me and goes “do you think ice would help” and I was like “Yes, I think ice would be wonderful, thanks” so I get an ice pack.and then the nurse starts doing Triage like things (like, asking me if a kindergartner beat me up) and she provided me with my diagnosis (“you have issues”). Then, a few moments later, I’m brought in to the O.R. where the Physicians Assistant and a Nurse attempt to stop the bleeding…and attempt, and attempt…

So they finally mix Neosenephrine with Lidocaine, remove the 4 inch long clot that was semi-forming, instill the mix with some cotton, then wait a bit, remove the cotton and they take another look and he says “I can’t cauterize your nose, because it’s pumping so hard, so we need to put in a nose-tampon” (I’m assuming nose-tampon is the non-technical term). So they do…and there it still is…a tampon, in my nose (currently all the fashion, or at least I’m trying to make it a trend). I’m told to come back in 24 hours to have the tampon removed…Shirah (stoicdaydreamer) is driving me over at midnight so I can get this thing out of my nose.

I now have an appointment with an ENT on Wednesday on The Island.

Anyways, so I call Alice (maleficentseyes) and she says I can come over and sleep there in case, you know, I start bleeding again and we need to go back to MFSH (this is the option we’re NOT going for…not the sleeping over, that’s fun…the going back to the hospital bleeding part, I really *do* try and avoid it).

On a side note, every time I *do* go to MFSH I get a cute, male doctor, and every time I go (to myself) “ohh, I wonder if he’s Jewish/Gay/Single” and then every time my left side of the brain smacks my right side of the brain and goes “now is not the time.” I have to stop meeting people like this.

Also, I’m told whenever I have some kind of accident that ‘you need a better story’ – apparently my accident stories aren’t exciting enough. I don’t know how I feel about that.

So at the moment, I have a tampon sticking out nose, one side of my nose just looks weird, and I’m eating waffles.

I’m loads of fun.

You might be wondering why there’s a tampon, up my nose…

moocowinthecity 2006-10-20 No Comments

I’ll tell you.

Ever since I was nine, and then again my sophomore year of college when I fell six feet into a cement floor, lacerating my lip, smashing in my teeth, and breaking my nose…my nose has gotten, shall we say, progressively flatter and damaged.

So, I took a nap after Toronto and woke up with my nose bleeding…and it just. wouldn’t stop. So I called Candie (

covarla) who was wonderful and she and Mikey drove me to Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital (you might recall MF as the place I went when I fell out of bed a few years back)…I walk in, with a tshirt in a ball over my face, covered in blood and the nurse was like “You’re next!” and this security guy comes up to me and goes “do you think ice would help” and I was like “Yes, I think ice would be wonderful, thanks” so I get an ice pack.and then the nurse starts doing Triage like things (like, asking me if a kindergartner beat me up) and she provided me with my diagnosis (“you have issues”). Then, a few moments later, I’m brought in to the O.R. where the Physicians Assistant and a Nurse attempt to stop the bleeding…and attempt, and attempt…

So they finally mix Neosenephrine with Lidocaine, remove the 4 inch long clot that was semi-forming, instill the mix with some cotton, then wait a bit, remove the cotton and they take another look and he says “I can’t cauterize your nose, because it’s pumping so hard, so we need to put in a nose-tampon” (I’m assuming nose-tampon is the non-technical term). So they do…and there it still is…a tampon, in my nose (currently all the fashion, or at least I’m trying to make it a trend). I’m told to come back in 24 hours to have the tampon removed…Shirah (

stoicdaydreamer) is driving me over at midnight so I can get this thing out of my nose.

I now have an appointment with an ENT on Wednesday on The Island.

Anyways, so I call Alice (

maleficentseyes) and she says I can come over and sleep there in case, you know, I start bleeding again and we need to go back to MFSH (this is the option we’re NOT going for…not the sleeping over, that’s fun…the going back to the hospital bleeding part, I really *do* try and avoid it).

On a side note, every time I *do* go to MFSH I get a cute, male doctor, and every time I go (to myself) “ohh, I wonder if he’s Jewish/Gay/Single” and then every time my left side of the brain smacks my right side of the brain and goes “now is not the time.” I have to stop meeting people like this.

Also, I’m told whenever I have some kind of accident that ‘you need a better story’ – apparently my accident stories aren’t exciting enough. I don’t know how I feel about that.

So at the moment, I have a tampon sticking out nose, one side of my nose just looks weird, and I’m eating waffles.

I’m loads of fun.

It’s October 12th…and It’s a blizzard…

moocowinthecity 2006-10-12 No Comments

Subject: It’s October 12th…and It’s a blizzard…

Date: Thursday 10/12/06 9:21:00 PM

Mood: sort of amused

No, seriously, it’s a blizzard…as in, it’s October 12 (not even freaking Halloween yet), and there’s more snow TODAY than I’ve seen since I started University oh…five years ago…power lines and tree lines are down everywhere (I have power on and off in my apartment) and my backyard neighbors – behind my apartment complex – had their house go on fire…the fire was then promptly put out by the snow as it fell…I was calling 9-1-1 while I watched out of my kitchen window and hung up as it was put out by the snow…which was good, because it saved Amherst F.D. the time and trouble it would take to get here when they could be responding to more serious calls…Mother Nature did her job, way to go Mom.

There’s trees falling on the power lines that I can see outside my kitchen window…my lines haven’t been hit yet (knock on some serious wood there).

My power is flickering something fierce. I’m charging my cell phone as we speak…and I have my strand bag (authentic from Strand Books in NYC) packed with:

• a nalgene bottle of iced tea
• a flash light with new batteries
• condoms and lube (be prepared)
• snacks
• Tide-to-Go (I really hate stains)
• Passport (in case I decide to say screw it, I’m going to warmer climates)
• emergency cash
• I.D.
• My datebook (I might meet someone and want to set a coffee date)
• my first aid kit…just in case

Yes, this is what I pack for an emergency. Though I don’t think I’ll have to leave my apartment…those power lines outside sparking, however, do give me slight cause for concern like “oh damn…hope we don’t go on fire too…boy howdy, that’d suck.”

Updates as required, though I have to say, this is some fucked up shit right here.

It’s October 12th…and It’s a blizzard…

moocowinthecity 2006-10-12 No Comments

Subject: It’s October 12th…and It’s a blizzard…

Date: Thursday 10/12/06 9:21:00 PM

Mood: sort of amused

No, seriously, it’s a blizzard…as in, it’s October 12 (not even freaking Halloween yet), and there’s more snow TODAY than I’ve seen since I started University oh…five years ago…power lines and tree lines are down everywhere (I have power on and off in my apartment) and my backyard neighbors – behind my apartment complex – had their house go on fire…the fire was then promptly put out by the snow as it fell…I was calling 9-1-1 while I watched out of my kitchen window and hung up as it was put out by the snow…which was good, because it saved Amherst F.D. the time and trouble it would take to get here when they could be responding to more serious calls…Mother Nature did her job, way to go Mom.

There’s trees falling on the power lines that I can see outside my kitchen window…my lines haven’t been hit yet (knock on some serious wood there).

My power is flickering something fierce. I’m charging my cell phone as we speak…and I have my strand bag (authentic from Strand Books in NYC) packed with:

1. a nalgene bottle of iced tea

1. a flash light with new batteries

1. condoms and lube (be prepared)

1. snacks

1. Tide-to-Go (I really hate stains)

1. Passport (in case I decide to say screw it, I’m going to warmer climates)

1. emergency cash

1. I.D.

1. My datebook (I might meet someone and want to set a coffee date)

1. my first aid kit…just in case

Yes, this is what I pack for an emergency. Though I don’t think I’ll have to leave my apartment…those power lines outside sparking, however, do give me slight cause for concern like “oh damn…hope we don’t go on fire too…boy howdy, that’d suck.”

Updates as required, though I have to say, this is some fucked up shit right here.

Oh, in other news…

moocowinthecity 2006-10-12 No Comments

Subject: Oh, in other news…

Date: Thursday 10/12/06 9:21:00 PM

Mood: sort of amused

(btw, it’s lightning and thundering…I was not aware that was possible, during a snow storm…)

I received a 112% on my Sociolinguistics/Fieldwork Mid-Term so that’s cool.

I have more to post about today, but I’ll do that later…right now, I’m just weather watching.

Oh, in other news…

moocowinthecity 2006-10-12 No Comments

Subject: Oh, in other news…

Date: Thursday 10/12/06 9:21:00 PM

Mood: sort of amused

(btw, it’s lightning and thundering…I was not aware that was possible, during a snow storm…)

I received a 112% on my Sociolinguistics/Fieldwork Mid-Term so that’s cool.

I have more to post about today, but I’ll do that later…right now, I’m just weather watching.

Updating on the Move

moocowinthecity 2006-10-11 No Comments

Subject: Updating on the Move

Date: Wednesday 10/11/06 6:23:00 PM

Wow, what a day (I’m totally exhausted and it isn’t even 7pm yet…my body just isn’t ready for the season change, with darkness falling as early as 5pm). Anyways, a quick update before class:

I awoke this morning to a giant clap of thunder, turning to look outside my window (at around 6:30am) I found an ark of animals floating by, slightly concerned, I rolled over and went back to bed.

Reawaking at 9:30am I realized that the ark of animals was now making another pass by my apartment…I waived at the baby giraffes and wombats and came to the realization that perhaps, just maybe, today was not the day to walk to south campus and take the bus. So I got dressed and called the cab company and shelled out the 14.95 required to get to North Campus from my apartment…money well spent, I arrived nice and dry.

I went to class, where really, as days go by, I just want to hit the smirk off the face of our teaching assistant. I mean, I’m cocky, I’ll freely admit that…he just takes pompus to a whole new level. I did however, receive my second assignmeng grade 97.5% – which now means that I have an A in the course.

Which means that my grades, thus far are:

Ling Analysis I: A (97.5%)

Ling Analysis II: A (95.0%)

Sociolinguistics/Fieldwork: A (107.0%)

Arabic: who knows, probably a B+

If I can get Arabic to an A…I’ll be very happy. It’ll be nice to have straight A’s this semester.

I have class in around 40 minutes (Ling Anal II) with Kang…I need an I.V. of Caffeine before hand though if I’m going to make it through awake and as pleasant as possible.

More updates later…possibly after I pass out.

Ohh…I get assignment II back from Kang today…we’ll see how that one went.

Peace out all.

Updating on the Move

moocowinthecity 2006-10-11 No Comments

Subject: Updating on the Move

Date: Wednesday 10/11/06 6:23:00 PM

Wow, what a day (I’m totally exhausted and it isn’t even 7pm yet…my body just isn’t ready for the season change, with darkness falling as early as 5pm). Anyways, a quick update before class:

I awoke this morning to a giant clap of thunder, turning to look outside my window (at around 6:30am) I found an ark of animals floating by, slightly concerned, I rolled over and went back to bed.

Reawaking at 9:30am I realized that the ark of animals was now making another pass by my apartment…I waived at the baby giraffes and wombats and came to the realization that perhaps, just maybe, today was not the day to walk to south campus and take the bus. So I got dressed and called the cab company and shelled out the 14.95 required to get to North Campus from my apartment…money well spent, I arrived nice and dry.

I went to class, where really, as days go by, I just want to hit the smirk off the face of our teaching assistant. I mean, I’m cocky, I’ll freely admit that…he just takes pompus to a whole new level. I did however, receive my second assignmeng grade 97.5% – which now means that I have an A in the course.

Which means that my grades, thus far are:

Ling Analysis I: A (97.5%)

Ling Analysis II: A (95.0%)

Sociolinguistics/Fieldwork: A (107.0%)

Arabic: who knows, probably a B+

If I can get Arabic to an A…I’ll be very happy. It’ll be nice to have straight A’s this semester.

I have class in around 40 minutes (Ling Anal II) with Kang…I need an I.V. of Caffeine before hand though if I’m going to make it through awake and as pleasant as possible.

More updates later…possibly after I pass out.

Ohh…I get assignment II back from Kang today…we’ll see how that one went.

Peace out all.