Lord Veralix

Stuff

2009-08-05T06:26:53Z

Stuff: I'd love to write about it.

Yeah...

2009-06-08T01:23:09Z

I realize when I wished life to not be boring because I was tired of boring, that I should really have been more specific.

Okay. I'm ready for life to be boring again.

lord_veralix @ 2009-03-20T22:12:00

2009-03-21T03:13:00Z

Wellp. Turns out everybody /is/ a Cylon!

Twitter.

2009-02-24T23:46:55Z

Well fuck. I'm on Twitter now.

Furry Fiesta

2009-02-19T20:17:39Z

Step 1: Arrive.

Step 2: Attain the furry equivalent of the Ballmer's peak

Step 3: Draw cocks wirelessly.

Step 4: ???

Step 5: Furry equivalent of profit.

Summer Reading...

2009-02-09T23:13:02Z

Ladies and Jellyspoons I present to you this upgrade to a literary classic:

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Classes Classes Classes...

2009-01-12T23:06:53Z

Woo! Classes start today to which I am very excited. When I was younger I dreaded school. I longed to sit at home and play video games day in and day out. Those days are passed.

This semester I'm taking 17 hours. Have I overloaded myself? Probably. But can I do it? Definately. Last semesters 4.0 really was a fluke but I'm setting out to repeat it. I'm going to try my damndest to repeat it, get my GPA up and maybe, JUST MAYBE, I could get a scholarship or two that will make my pocketbook at UTSA a little bit bigger.

Programming Fundamentals III (Java for Newbies again...), Calculus III, Elementary Statistics, General Physics II, and American Government II (Which is Texas Government) are the courses I'm taking. Already purchased my books and unfortunately my Government book was the priciest clocking in at 153 miles per ... err I mean dollars. Good grief. 2009 edition too.

But it's the fact the monotony of day in and day out work which really makes me look forward to school. It breaks it up, I get to meet new and interesting people. I get to be a student, and feel young again. Feel like I'm doing somethign with my life as opposed to just working to live. I still regret those years I didn't care about school. I could have been someone. I could have been a contender.

But now I've got everything on track, I'll just be at the end a bit later than everyone else.

I'll start University next spring. I'll most likely have to move to part time simply because of time constraint. They aren't too kind for jobs, expecting the money to come from somewhere other than yourself. So most likely I'll need to get a loan. I'm beginning to have anxiety about just how I am going to accomplish this. Coming from a family where the amount of college graduates can be counted on one hand really puts it into perspective just how many people finish college.

Still, currently I'm in the running to graduate in 2012, hopefully sooner if I can manage. 2013? I just want to have my Bachelor's before my 10 year reunion, if I even go. After that... with a Math and a Statistics degree? Looks like graduate school most likely.

Ahh well, that's way too far ahead. Who knows? Maybe the world will end in December 21, 2012 like they seem to find everywhere. (I Ching, Mayans, Nostrodamus, etc.)

Here's to a good semester. :)

Somehow... somewhere... an Angel got it's wings.

2008-12-13T20:15:40Z

 ------------------------2008 FALL--------------------------
         COSC1337001  PROGRAMMING FUNDAMENTALS II
                                           A    3.00  12.00
 020     MATH2414200  CALCULUS II          A    4.00  16.00
 040     PHIL2306200  ETHICS               A    3.00  12.00
 080     PSYC2301203  INTRO TO PSYCHOLOGY  A    3.00  12.00
 -----------------------------------------------------------
        PRESIDENT'S HONORS
 
                     AHRS    EHRS    QHRS    QPTS     GPA
      Current        13.00   13.00   13.00   52.00   4.000

Major change... literally.

2008-12-10T18:17:55Z

For the past 8 years of my life, my college major was set in stone. Computer Science. It's what I know, it's what I excelled in, it's what I was just naturally better at than anyone else in my classes.

However, I've had the most awesome chance to have used programming regularly over the past 4 years at work, and even at the short stint I had as a developer at That Web Development Firm that shall not be named.

It's not for me. At least, doing nothing but writing code day in, day out. My real passion I have realized is data. Numbers. Statistics. Algorithm. I realized I love charts and graphs and crazy plots. I looked forward to Calculus class, and get giddy when I have to figure out how to turn a giant set of data into a tiny number.

It wasn't until a lady from the Business college at UTSA came to my Calc II class a month ago until I realized this. Her reason was to steal Engineering / Math / Computer Science Majors. And I think she did, to a degree.

I've been reading more and more on Statistics and what it entails. And this is me, this is my calling. I think. I haven't had to do it as a job yet.

My crazy passion for Math will still lend me a BS in Math though. However... I can Dual Major in Statistics AND Mathematics! And it only requires an additional 28 hours.

The plan is when I am done at this community college, a few things will happen...

First: I'll get an Associates in Computer Science. Then I will transfer into the College of Business at UTSA. From there I will proceed to get a major in Statistics and Mathematics. And after? Who knows! At the very least, I should have (hopefully) my bachelors by 2013. Maybe.

Classes

2008-12-04T14:51:19Z

I am DONE with classes for the Semester. Woot.

In Computer Science II I can expect to make an A. This was a blow off course for me. It's documented as 'Advanced Object Oriented Programming' but this REALLY was Java for Newbs II. I'm not lying when I say I had a 25% attendance rate, but I turned in every Assignment / Project / Quiz and Test for an A.

In Psychology, pending the paper due Monday that i have yet to write, I should make an A. Half of the Grade for this Paper is formatting alone and all I need to make an A in psychology is roughly a 50 on the paper. Now, that's not to say I won't write the Paper, I'll put some heart in it, but again, A in Psychology.

In Calculus II I'm a bit worried. I'm out a few Quizzes in my Quiz Average, I believe it's around a 60, which is 25% of the semester Average. Test 1 I made a 133 and that too is 25% of the Semester Average. Test 2 which I took yesterday has me worried. On the Take-Home portion I made a rough 110 estimate which is 40% of the test. 44 points. However, on the In class I missed 4 out of 10 questions but got the bonus right. So if you don't include partial credit, which he gives, that gives me a 70, which gives me an 86 average on the second test. Added is 10 bonus points for a project, giving me a whopping 96 on the second Test. The least I could make on the Final for an A in the class is a high C, and that's counting on these facts. I could be wrong, and I could get a B. I'm scared of getting a B in this class.

Ethics. I hate that class. I'm tired of all the stupid religion. I'm getting a B and couldn't care less.

This gives me a 3.76 Full time GPA for the Fall Semester. This should put me on the Dean's list. :)

lord_veralix @ 2008-10-29T14:56:00

2008-10-29T19:58:16Z

At home and in pain. My new laptop bag was waiting for me at the door. Very sexy. Surgery went smooth. Said tonsils were huge. I looked in the mirror at my throat and it was a wonder I could even swallow anything, there's so much open space in it now.

Also, I can breathe again.

I love you guys.

lord_veralix @ 2008-10-28T20:24:00

2008-10-29T01:26:33Z

Well tomorrow is the day of my surgery. I have to be at the Hospital at 9:45 and an hour after that I go under. I can't eat or drink after midnight tonight and tomorrow I'll probably spend most of it sleeping. I hope everything goes well. It's just a tonsilectomy, a very minor surgery, but still I can't help be a bit anxious. How will I feel from the general? How much pain will I be in tomorrow? These are things I don't know.

I'll let you guys know when I"m back home and sentient.

Creepy...

2008-10-24T16:38:09Z

Did anybody ever see the movie GATTACA?

Hmm...

2008-10-24T14:58:07Z

If it's true that so many amino acids can come from inorganic materials... then maybe... just maybe...

Ethics

2008-10-21T13:58:29Z

I had my most risque Ethics class thus far in the class last night.

A little background...

My Teacher is an old Christian man with a Ph.D. in Philosophy and his branch of Ethics deals a lot with the 'G' word. Our first test, one of the major questions was 'Describe in detail one of the three major proofs for the existence of God, according to Aristotelian ethics.' Which, in my opinion, all three are fundamentally flawed in their logic. All three use proof of not knowing as reasoning that there obviously must be.

But his words, not necessarily his opinion, that according to Aristotelian ethics, homosexuality is an immoral act, that because it does not satisfy the Natural Moral Law, (In this case, sex is for procreation), sex would satisfy lust and thus be immoral. The whole 'choice' issue came up too. rather that people could have lustful tendencies, but it's strong people, people with fortitude who overcome them, and people who give into them are timid and fearful.

To be fair, also justified immoral are marriages not resulting in children, marriages after a woman has menopause, and marriages of people who are unable to produce children.

But the whole Gay topic was the dominant topic in the class discussion, and it seemed we had a few (strong) Christian's in the class. It was even attributed as one of the Moral Decay's of Rome that caused it to fall.

Tell me, is it Ethical to give them ammunition to fuel their distaste and hatred? Giving them reasoning?

Fuzzy Pickles!

2008-10-17T17:53:46Z

For those if you who gamers who are my age or are a bit older, you might have played one particular RPG that if you played, you would have loved.

I remember the Christmas of '95. I was 10. The one thing I wanted was that large box, the one from Toys-r-us. It was an obnoxiously sized box, mostly because it housed the game and it's Nintendo Power Player's guide. I wanted it because I had seen it, I had watched a friend play it, and I wanted too to play it. My dad came through, and under the tree, wrapped in green paper bespackled with various designes was Earthbound in all it's 1995 glory.

I remember that game, I remember it so vividly. Probably not because my memory is just _that_ awesome, but most likely because I still play that game every year. Sure, I've gone through Earthbound 12+ times, but it's still enjoyable every time.

Spoilers!!!

From Captain Strong and his Super Ultra Mambo Tango Martial Arts...
From the time you rescue Paula from the Happy Happy cult...
to giving the Bubble-gum monkey some gum, so you can cross the very short sea separating Jeff from school and his dad
...Escaping on the sky-runner...
...the runaway five!
The five third strongest moles... and that giant diamond to bail the runaway five out again!
No means yes... I mean... hello!... and goodbye!
That silly clumsy robot got bottle rocketed :3
Plague Rat of Doooooom!
Magic Cake... yumm....
Shall I tear your arms and legs off?
You... the player... yes you... right there... sitting behind the controller... what is your name?
PSI Starstorm!
Burrrrrrrrp.
Carbon Dog and Diamond Dog... Magicant! Ness gains 328384 exp. (wtf??)
And finally Ness realizes the power of PSI Teleport (omega)

And finally... with the last boss... when hope is lost... when nothing can possibly defeat Giygas... Paula prays for the groups success, and everyone you enountered in the game prays for you, but what defeats the boss is when the player answers Paula and does shit loads of damage for the coolest death sequence I've ever seen in an RPG, followed by a playable ending that lasts at least another 20 minutes, to wrap up any loose ends, and really to say goodbye. I cry every time, it's lame of me, but you know, this game is truly a story.

End Spoilers!

After 13 years, Mother 3 (Earthbound 2), which wouldn't even have seen the light of day in the US, has been translated by it's fans. It is because these people are like me.

I hope you can enjoy Mother 3 as much as I know I will.

Okay. Now... say Fuzzy Pickles!

H-E-Abortion

2008-10-16T04:12:05Z

I wonder what McCain will say about these abandoned fetuses at one local supermarket...

A fox will be gutted, and then there will be ice cream.

2008-10-07T03:37:35Z

I had my surgical consult for my tonsils today. Yep, they need to come out the otolaryngologist tells me. They have served their purpose and now it's time for them to be yanked.

A bit of Hx...

I had a nasty case of Tonsilitis this summer. Painful. Excrutiatingly. My tonsils got big and it was like swallowing razorblades even with water. Eventually it was so bad I went to the Texas MedClinic and I got steroids out the ass (and in my ass!) and felt better within days... but my tonsils never got smaller. I still have trouble breathing, and difficulty swallowing. So they need to be removed.

Originally I was going to schedule it for the 5th of November... Remember remember the fifth of November...

But I decided on the 29th instead. I have a test on the 5th.

I'm going under and soon I'll be able to breathe normally at night again. I'm scared and excited. I just hope nothing bad happens during the surgery, even bad things can happen during routine surgeries.

But then again, I suppose I won't be concious enough to worry about it when it happens. :)

TSO

2008-09-26T13:10:54Z

So I heard on the radio that TSO is coming back to San Antonio this year... well next year. They're playing January 2nd, and tickets go on sale Saturday Oct 4th. See, I had tried to win tickets from the local radio station here, but I never was able to / I got into a car accident while attempting to (I totaled my Stratus trying to win TSO tickets!)

I don't care, I'm buying a pair of Orchestra tickets. Price is not an issue. (Unless of course they're 200 a ticket. Which I highly doubt.) I'm going to fucking see TSO, do or die, and I'd reeeeeeally like to take someone with me. I have no idea who, and I'm fully purchasing them without anyone in mind, but I need to see them this year.

And his name was George...

2008-09-26T03:29:33Z

Tomorrow, a friend and former-coworker and his British wifey set out for the Queen's homeland for two weeks for various family stuff. I have been asked to be the caretaker of their rabbit:

He's cute and fucking soft. And I get to stay at their apartment, away from my parents, closer to work for two weeks! It'll be so nice to have a place to myself for awhile, I am looking forward to it.

I asked for a rubbing of Issac Newtons grave. I hope they get one for me, I'm such a god damn nerd.

lord_veralix @ 2008-09-24T16:12:00

2008-09-24T21:14:11Z

I hardly think the three major proofs for the existence of a single God and the human soul are suppose to be a major point for the first test in Ethics. I'm beginning to feel like this is an intro to Theology course.

PS: The logical reasoning is really flawed!

Furries

2008-09-16T15:12:59Z

We were discussing relationships in my Psychology class last night, and he said the number one thing in assisting attraction is proximity.

All I could think about how that does not seem to be the case at all with furries. Go figure.

School...

2008-08-26T03:35:46Z

It isn't often that I feel like this, but I am actually pretty scared of how many courses I'm taking. As I finished my day and got home, I was completely tired, just wanted to relax, eat food, and go to sleep, but I find myself worrying.

I'm taking 13 hours, or 4 classes: Adv. Object Oriented Programming (Java for newbs.); Calculus II; Ethics; and Intro to Psychology. Now, the programming course I'll be able to handle just fine, however the amount of work I'll have to put into it, to make that A is quite a bit. I know how to write these programs, and what I need to do, but I still need to write them, and there are 37 assignments over the 16 week course. (Whoa!)

As for Calculus, the Teacher doesn't assign homework or take it for a grade, for that I am thankful. I'm naturally gifted in math, it only takes me a problem or three to grasp a concept, so I don't need to take notes or study for math really. Never have.

However, Ethics will require a ton of reading. Though there won't be any homework, it's a course with just 4 tests. That's it. So each test is heavy for that course, it's a do or die situation.

Intro to Psych is the heaviest course. I have to read a chapter every school night, and from one of the books I'm required to write a chapter summary. Add on a term paper, 4 tests, on a subject I'm not familiar with, it's pretty scary.

Now, this load might seem alright to someone who's devoting all their time to school, but I have to stay full time at work. Half to. To keep health insurance I have to remain a 40 hour a week employee. (As to why I am no longer under my parents' insurance it's a complicated story involving a girl. Seriously.)

This is a lot of work, and just the thought of all of this is really weighing heavy on me. Today was just the first day and I'm already on the verge of tears. I really can't drop a course. I have to get through school someday, I need to get all of this done. I've made so many mistakes in the past, and now they've caught up to me. I could have made it much easier on myself when it came to college, but I was stupid. All I can do it move forward and do it, because it's got to be done. I don't want to be stuck in the same place for the rest of my life, being underpaid and feeling like a loser.

I don't know if I can take this, I really don't. But I have to. I'll make all A's if it kills me. Let's just hope it doesn't.

Fortune Cookie

2008-08-04T17:01:18Z

As I finished my Chicken Chow Mein, I opened that usual fortune cookie to get my typical fortune, only it wasn't that normal fortune that everyone gets that sounds really funny when you add 'in bed' in the end, and even more when you add, 'except in bed.'

On it was printed in the same dull non-toxic blue ink: "Now is the time to go ahead and pursue that love interest!" Huh. Wow. I don't suppose there has been many fortunes that caused me to think more than the time I received 'Oops. Wrong cookie.' (That was still the greatest fortune I ever received. It's laminated and sitting in my Duct Tape wallet.)

What is amusing is that after I read it, I immediately thought, "What love interests?" Which led to, "Do I HAVE any love interests?" Now, most of you who know me know that I can be a bit emo at times, spouting off typical emo phrases like, "Nobody loves me..." or "I'm going to be alone forever." Typical emo garbage. That is all (hopefully) untrue of course. But generally I feel pretty lonely, and on the whole whine about being alone and nobody liking me. It's pretty irritatingly self-perpetuating. Nobody worth having likes an emo kid.

But getting this fortune really made me realize, I'm not looking for anybody. I'm just whining about not being found. If I'm not making any effort, why should anybody else? Perhaps I'm reading way too much into this, or perhaps this fortune is more serendipitous than one would realize.

I need to get on out there I suppose and start asking people out. This fear of ruining friendships or losing people or rejection is really unhealthy. After all, quoth Alfred Lord Tennyson: "'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all."

Haha. "Oops. Wrong cookie except in bed!"