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Hopping in a near stranger's car didn't even crack the top ten list of crazy things I had done in the past month.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn December I had been living in downtown Phoenix in a condo I'd owned for six years, working at a job that I'd held for nine.  Life in my thirties had become more or less stable and all together predictable when, in a the span of a couple of weeks, I traded in my hand for a new one.  By early January I was living in Seattle, 1250 miles from most of my friends and all of my family.  I spent my days working for a new company and my nights struggling to find furniture for my near empty apartment.  Save a few key items, most of my possessions had been sold or given away.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhen Samantha, a friend of a friend offered to show me around town, I jumped at the chance.  As I hopped in to the passenger seat I took a moment to gather myself.  I hadn't really taken the time to think through what was going on tonight.  Was it a date?  Was it just some girl throwing the new nerdy kid a bone and hanging out with him once?  Was she just doing a solid for Mandi, our mutual friend and then I'd never hear from her again?  It was best that I didn't over analyze.  The more analyzation that takes place, the more likely I am to say something disastrously stupid(See: This entire blog).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhile eye contact has never been a staple of the nerd repertoire, I took a moment to greet her and do my best not to look like a complete shut in.  Her pictures hadn't done justice.  Samantha was super cute.  Her face showed her expression like a teleprompter, and right then that teleprompter read, \"I'm a little nervous, this is slightly awkward\".  After a quick hello, she shifted in to first and we were off.  Her eyes stayed fixed straight ahead as she drove, and the new lack of eye contact made me slightly self conscious.  I double checked my zipper and made a mental note to check my breath next time I found myself alone.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Chr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs of May 5th, we will have been dating for exactly one year.  In 365 days, Samantha has:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMade the somewhat gloomy and constantly overcast city of Seattle one of the happiest times of my life.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESurprised me in new and exciting ways, every day.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMade me seem social and somewhat personable at times, despite my best efforts.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EListened to all of my terrible stories. \u0026nbsp;Most of them more than once. \u0026nbsp;The ratio of times that she's heard my, \"And that's how I met Shaquille O'Neal\" to the number of times that I've heard her, \"And that's how my band ended up opening for Weezer\" is ridiculously lopsided in the wrong direction.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ERegularly sat and played a video game with me that she had no real interest in playing, just to spend some time with me.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PenelopePicklesTheDog\"\u003EConvinced me to buy a dog\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EListened as I explained some ridiculously nerdy concept(Programming, Star Wars, Video Games, etc)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EHad this entire blog bound as a book.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMade me a better person.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Chr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EA lot of people ask me why I stopped writing in this blog. \u0026nbsp;There are a lot of reasons I guess, but I think the easiest thing to say is that I just don't have time to write life anymore. \u0026nbsp;I'm too busy living it.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-tvQgH69-X7o\/UYXbIR1_GBI\/AAAAAAAAF04\/pCf9j6jJemU\/s1600\/459303_10151601312695873_1790198633_o.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"320\" src=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-tvQgH69-X7o\/UYXbIR1_GBI\/AAAAAAAAF04\/pCf9j6jJemU\/s320\/459303_10151601312695873_1790198633_o.jpg\" width=\"199\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/9190251559064958238\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2013\/05\/one.html#comment-form","title":"6 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/9190251559064958238"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/9190251559064958238"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2013\/05\/one.html","title":"One"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-tvQgH69-X7o\/UYXbIR1_GBI\/AAAAAAAAF04\/pCf9j6jJemU\/s72-c\/459303_10151601312695873_1790198633_o.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"6"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-5651600262088555011"},"published":{"$t":"2011-11-20T00:14:00.006-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2011-11-20T01:54:09.940-07:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Oh You Crazy Google(A Puzzle)"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"A couple of years ago my sister asked me what phone to get next.  She was locked in to Verizon, and had been using Windows Mobile.  Microsoft had mostly given up at that point, so I suggested she get the new Droid everyone was talking about.  I sat down to help her set up her email and things, and was so taken by the phone that later that day I went and bought one myself.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETwo years have passed, and while I find myself rather anxious for the upcoming \"Galaxy Nexus\", my sister is in dire need of a new phone.  Her Droid recently gave out on her.  So, when Google's twitter announced they were giving away 10 through a contest, I decided to jump in and try to win her a new phone.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMany of the competitions were out of my realm of expertise, but when contest 8, a puzzle showed up, I jumped on it and spent more of a Saturday than I'm willing to admit completing it.  I wasn't the first one to finish, but I'm happy to say that I did finish it all on my own.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe original puzzle is laid out here:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/t.co\/Epv3OcwV\"\u003Ehttp:\/\/t.co\/Epv3OcwV\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe instructions were:\u003Cbr \/\u003ESubmit Challenge 8 response as: \"#ICS \u0026amp; @googlenexus let you [answer]\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnd a hint was later given:\u003Cbr \/\u003ELots of responses so far to Challenge 8! Hint: Apply message from path to the Androids. Use 6 independent passes through the grid\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHit the comments button for the solution\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI started off by following the arrows and going round and round in circles, so I knew I was doing something wrong.  Eventually I realized that you had to follow the arrow of the droid you were leaving, maintain a straight line, and end up at the next.  Since we can only turn when we land on the \"x+1\" droid, finding the path from #1 to #3 was rather simple.  It has to be this:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/farm7.staticflickr.com\/6107\/6367626221_3b67b5d77f.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"500\" width=\"492\" src=\"http:\/\/farm7.staticflickr.com\/6107\/6367626221_3b67b5d77f.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThrough a decent amount of logic and trial and error, I found the final numbers to be the following:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/farm7.staticflickr.com\/6099\/6367626305_dc2f755984.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"500\" width=\"492\" src=\"http:\/\/farm7.staticflickr.com\/6099\/6367626305_dc2f755984.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIf you follow the path from number to number, crossing off the letters you pass, you get:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/farm7.staticflickr.com\/6098\/6367626387_4fdab55b8f.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"500\" width=\"492\" src=\"http:\/\/farm7.staticflickr.com\/6098\/6367626387_4fdab55b8f.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EReading the letters gives you:\u003Cbr \/\u003ENOWUSEBRAILHE\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI originally assumed this was an anagram which I unscrambled to get:\u003Cbr \/\u003EBrowse in Lehuna\u003Cbr \/\u003EUse Whole Brain\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThat was when the second clue came in from google:\u003Cbr \/\u003EHint: Apply message from path to the Androids. Use 6 independent passes through the grid\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI believe at this point that google made a mistake and the last H should have been an L, making it read:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENow Use Braille.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt still took a lot of different guesses, but what finally made it click for me was, \"6 Independent Passes\" combined with the 6 androids at the bottom that had been sitting there the whole time:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/farm7.staticflickr.com\/6101\/6367626415_ab76097d26.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"86\" width=\"500\" src=\"http:\/\/farm7.staticflickr.com\/6101\/6367626415_ab76097d26.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EEach of these androids represents one \"pass\".  A normal braille letter is 2x3 squares, and if you divide the board in to a grid like this, you get 6 spots for braille letters:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/farm7.staticflickr.com\/6229\/6367626481_68d2ffb550.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"500\" width=\"492\" src=\"http:\/\/farm7.staticflickr.com\/6229\/6367626481_68d2ffb550.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFrom here you take 6 \"passes\" and cross off any android that is similar to the android from the key on the bottom.  For example, using Android Key #1:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/farm7.staticflickr.com\/6225\/6367626499_bff7972ce0_o.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"112\" width=\"119\" src=\"http:\/\/farm7.staticflickr.com\/6225\/6367626499_bff7972ce0_o.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWe now cross off anyone with a hat, pipe, vest thingie, bird, watch, or alcoholic beverage, giving us:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/farm7.staticflickr.com\/6212\/6367626603_a41d051ca4.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"500\" width=\"492\" src=\"http:\/\/farm7.staticflickr.com\/6212\/6367626603_a41d051ca4.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIf you already know braille then you're set.  Otherwise, look \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.pharmabraille.com\/assets\/images\/braille-alphabet-letters.gif\"\u003Eat a key\u003C\/a\u003E and turn each box in to a letter to get:\u003Cbr \/\u003EUnlock\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFor Android Key #2:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/farm7.staticflickr.com\/6097\/6367626701_81a1f4bcdf_o.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"112\" width=\"102\" src=\"http:\/\/farm7.staticflickr.com\/6097\/6367626701_81a1f4bcdf_o.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWe now start over and cross off any android with hair:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/farm7.staticflickr.com\/6225\/6367626671_98705e88c3.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"500\" width=\"492\" src=\"http:\/\/farm7.staticflickr.com\/6225\/6367626671_98705e88c3.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIf we take that and consult a braille key, we get:\u003Cbr \/\u003EYour Ga\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAfter continuing this pattern through all six \"Keys\" you get the phrase:\u003Cbr \/\u003EUnlock Your Galaxy Nexus Phone With a Smile\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis is a reference to the new Android feature that allows you to unlock the phone with the camera and a picture of your face.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI was pretty late to the answer so I won't be winning any phones, but I had a fun time playing.  I enjoy a good puzzle."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/5651600262088555011\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2011\/11\/oh-you-crazy-googlea-puzzle.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/5651600262088555011"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/5651600262088555011"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2011\/11\/oh-you-crazy-googlea-puzzle.html","title":"Oh You Crazy Google(A Puzzle)"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-3573987451044246939"},"published":{"$t":"2011-11-05T23:30:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2011-11-05T23:30:41.411-07:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"There's a Time and Place to Flirt"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"A few weeks ago I got really sick in the middle of the day.  I was working at home, and suddenly had the worst headache of my life.  I laid on the ground in pain, and for a few minutes I thought I might actually be dying.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThey say people see their life flash before their eyes when they are about to die, but all I could think about was how Arrested Development was finally coming back on the air and I wasn't going to be around to see it.  I was pissed.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhen the pain finally died down I drove myself to the ER where I was subjected to various tests. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFirst there was the blood work.  Even in my weakened state, I couldn't help but notice the nurse taking my blood was exceptionally cute.  She lead me to the next room where another ridiculously cute nurse started hooking me up to an IV.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"This might make you feel like you're peeing your pants.  Well, it'll make you feel pretty warm downstairs anyhow.\" she said with a bit of a smile.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EReliving a particularly painful third grade memory wasn't exactly at the top of my to do list, but I figured I should just go along with it.  By this time I was feeling a bit out of it, and the doctor finally came in.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"So, how are you feeling Mr... Bearden?\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"This wasn't exactly what I had planned when I woke up this morning.\"  I was interrupted by someone screaming in pain down the hall, \"but I guess it could be worse\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe doctor looked a shocking amount like Scarlett Johansson, and now I was starting to wonder if someone was screwing with me.  A few hours later the tests had all come back negative, and Scarlett told me that she wanted to do a spinal tap.  I was not enthused, but eventually gave in.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe nurse took me to a different room and \u003Ci\u003EI thought\u003C\/i\u003E told me to take my top off and lay face down.  I did as instructed and a few minutes later Scarlett came in to the room.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"What are you doing?\" \u003Cbr \/\u003E\"I thought the nurse told me to lay down\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Uh... no.  You'll be sitting up for this.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMy face warmed in embarrassment to match my personal area.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs the doctor iodined up my back and searched for the spot to thrust a needle in to my spine she explained what I should expect.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Well, you're young and skinny, so I don't expect any complications\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn my pumped-full-of-drugs-raging-headache'd brain I thought that this was the perfect time for a joke.  In my mind I decided to say, \"Look, you're a beautiful lady and I can see where this is going.  I'm flattered.  Really, I am.  But don't you think we should fix me before we talk about this?\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhat actually came out was a little closer to, \"I... think.... you're just... being nice... because you're... about to stick me\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt also either came out so quiet that she didn't hear me, or she chose to ignore me.  It's probably for the best."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/3573987451044246939\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2011\/11\/theres-time-and-place-to-flirt.html#comment-form","title":"9 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/3573987451044246939"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/3573987451044246939"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2011\/11\/theres-time-and-place-to-flirt.html","title":"There's a Time and Place to Flirt"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"9"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-241496395380414882"},"published":{"$t":"2011-10-16T19:44:00.001-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2011-10-16T19:44:39.104-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Nerd Word(s)"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Nerd Word(s): I'm flattered"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cb\u003EI'm flattered\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #009900;\"\u003E- Response\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. A negative response to a statement that was clearly not intended as a compliment or come on\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #990000;\"\u003E[ Origin: I don't actually remember when I started saying this ]\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #009900;\"\u003E- usage\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. \"You like the Phoenix Suns?  I like them too!\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Look... I can see where this is going.  And I'm flattered.  I really am.  But you?  Me?  I think we can both agree that it just wouldn't work out baby.  But I promise you there's someone out there for you\""},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/241496395380414882\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2011\/10\/nerd-words-im-flattered.html#comment-form","title":"3 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/241496395380414882"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/241496395380414882"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2011\/10\/nerd-words-im-flattered.html","title":"Nerd Word(s): I'm flattered"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"3"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-5450983692874809304"},"published":{"$t":"2011-09-29T11:18:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2011-09-29T11:18:14.273-07:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"DJ Jazzy Jesse: Part 2"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2006\/10\/my-brief-stint-as-dj.html\"\u003EOne of the first posts I ever wrote\u003C\/a\u003E was about how I share my name with a DJ in Oregon, and occasionally get his emails.  I hadn't gotten one in a long time, so when one from \"Nicole\" arrived, I decided to reply.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EHi Nicole!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFirst of all, congratulations on your wedding.  What a truly magical time in your life, and I appreciate you sharing the schedule with me.  I just broke up with my girlfriend, so I feel like you're rubbing it in a little.  I'm going to let that slide because I know it's been a busy time for you, and keeping up with what's going on in my life probably hasn't been your number one concern.  (Side note, are any of your bridesmaids in to short nerds?  I'm just saying, you could do me a solid )\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESecondly, I'm not sure how I feel about playing \"Big Green Tractor\".  Be honest with yourself, is that really a wedding song?  How would you feel about throwing out the whole mix and just going with Journey's greatest hits?  I'm an expert in these kinds of things, and I guarantee that by the time \"Faithfully\" hits, there will be so many people crying that you could get Kleenex to sponsor this wedding.  You'll think you were at an onion cutting convention.  People will talk about it for years to come.  Everyone loves Journey Nicole.  Everyone.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAlso, you won't have to waste time burning copies of those wedding CD's that everyone hands out these days, but nobody listens to.  You can just hand them a copy from the store.  Guests will appreciate that extra level of effort and class.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThird, what are you guys serving?  I hope it's crab cakes.  I love crab cakes.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn closing, I believe you've reached the wrong Jesse Bearden.  I'm a software engineer from Phoenix, and the only DJing I do is DJ Hero on the Xbox.  Not to brag, but I once got 300,000 points on \"Intergalatic\", so maybe you \u003Cb\u003Eshould \u003C\/b\u003Ehave me do it.  Do you really want some schmuck running your dollar dance who couldn't even break 200k?  You ask that guy for his high scores.  Anything under 250 is bush league and you deserve better.  Remember, it's your day Nicole.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIf you wouldn't mind, could you tell me which email you were trying to reach?  I get emails about weddings somewhat regularly and I'd like to be able to forward them on the the right place.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EJesse\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EP.S. I'm serious about those Bridesmaids.  Anyone cute and in to nerds?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EP.P.S All jokes aside, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Greatest-Hits-Exp-Dig-Journey\/dp\/B000G7PNKO\/ref=sr_1_1?s=music\u0026ie=UTF8\u0026qid=1317279157\u0026sr=1-1\"\u003Ehere's a link\u003C\/a\u003E to that Journey album.  If you don't already have a copy, let me know and I'll send you one as a wedding present.  \u003C\/blockquote\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/5450983692874809304\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2011\/09\/dj-jazzy-jesse-part-2.html#comment-form","title":"6 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/5450983692874809304"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/5450983692874809304"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2011\/09\/dj-jazzy-jesse-part-2.html","title":"DJ Jazzy Jesse: Part 2"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"6"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-7460861753850192228"},"published":{"$t":"2010-09-20T20:15:00.002-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2010-09-27T20:36:24.785-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Sean N"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The Pizza and Taco Diet: Sean Gets Skinny"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Sean and I used to constantly make jokes about each other's weight. I'm not even sure where it started because we were both only about ten pounds overweight, but we still teased each other unmercifully.  It was just \u003Ci\u003Eour thing\u003C\/i\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Oh. A second donut, eh fat ass?\" I'd ask, as I passed him on the way to the office kitchen, secretly hoping he hadn't taken the last one.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Would you like the eight or the twelve piece?\" the Chick-Fil-A worker would ask.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Oh, I'll take the twelve\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Yeah, look at him. He's only ordering the twelve because you don't have a twenty piece.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Do you guys want to walk to lunch or drive?\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Well, I'm down to walk, but I doubt Size Large over there has the stamina to walk half a mile unless there's a park bench between here and there.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn August Sean decided that enough was enough. His kids were getting to the age that he was chasing them all over the place, and he took this as a sign that it was time to get in to shape. He wanted me to join him in his quest to get thin, but two things stopped me. First, I truly believed that losing ten pounds would just result in putting back fifteen once I stopped. Second, I was coupled and happy. If Rachael accepted me chubby, why bother getting skinny?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe thing about Sean is, when he starts something, he doesn't start small. He researches. He focuses. He dedicates himself. Normally this dedication lasts about a week until something new and shiny has come along, but if the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/02\/liang-prank.html\"\u003ELiang Prank\u003C\/a\u003E taught us anything, it's that when he really sinks his teeth in to something, \u003Ci\u003Ehe doesn't screw around\u003C\/i\u003E. Within a week he had a diet web page set up with the following mission statement:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EI want to be skinny enough that I can call Jesse Bearden a fat ass without him being able to respond.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Ci\u003EGood luck with that tubby,\u003C\/i\u003E I thought as he droned on about calories and shoe-less jogging in the office.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETo my surprise, three months later Sean had dropped twenty five pounds and seemed to be keeping it off. Even more surprising, he wasn't spending every waking moment rubbing it in my face like I would have done were the roles reversed.  Of course by that time I was no longer coupled, and feeling less than emotionally fantastic. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhen I get down emotionally, stage one is wallowing in it.  This is followed shortly by stage two which is, \"As long as you're going to be worthless, you might as well work on \u003Ci\u003Eyou\u003C\/i\u003E.\"  With that in mind, I soon joined Sean's diet crusade..."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/7460861753850192228\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2010\/09\/pizza-and-taco-diet-sean-gets-skinny.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/7460861753850192228"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/7460861753850192228"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2010\/09\/pizza-and-taco-diet-sean-gets-skinny.html","title":"The Pizza and Taco Diet: Sean Gets Skinny"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-1558296842385651055"},"published":{"$t":"2010-07-13T13:46:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2010-07-13T13:46:23.795-07:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Sesquipedalis 2.0"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"I fully intended to be \"done\" with the new blog layout and everything by this time, but I realized something: Writing regularly \u003Ci\u003Eis hard\u003C\/i\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThere are still a few things left that I need to fix, but for the most things \"work\" now, and I'll continue to fix them up as I try to get back in the habit of writing.  You'll notice a few tabs at the top of the page.  Hopefully those will be living documents that I update and perfect as I go.  There are a few more coming that aren't quite done yet, but I am working on them. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPlease let me know if you find something that isn't working, or if I've totally screwed something up.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe biggest change is to the commenting system.  It may seem a bit unnecessary and overwhelming at first, but I was really getting tired of trying to keep spam off of the Shaq post, and I went looking for something new.  Definitely let me know if you have issues with it, and if you completely hate the new comment system and don't want to use it, you can always email me at sesquipedalis@gmail.com.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E- Jesse"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/1558296842385651055\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2010\/07\/sesquipedalis-20.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/1558296842385651055"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/1558296842385651055"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2010\/07\/sesquipedalis-20.html","title":"Sesquipedalis 2.0"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-6256333972152690968"},"published":{"$t":"2010-06-24T23:16:00.001-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2010-06-25T00:15:42.401-07:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Under Construction"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"So, I've been meaning to change a few things on the layout of the blog.  I'm going to spend the next week, or two weeks, or year fixing it up.  Hopefully I won't break anything in the meantime, but you'll be seeing some changes for a while.  I'll post when I'm done, and maybe talk a little about what's happening.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI should note that the commenting section is being worked on as well.  Right now, if you leave a comment, there's a chance it'll disappear, so if you've got something important to say, hit me up at my email.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESesquipedalis@gmail.com"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/6256333972152690968\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2010\/06\/under-construction.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/6256333972152690968"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/6256333972152690968"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2010\/06\/under-construction.html","title":"Under Construction"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-9217187505545125626"},"published":{"$t":"2010-06-20T13:50:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2010-06-20T13:50:18.320-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Nerd Word(s)"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Steve"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Nerd Word(s): Don't Take My Shoelaces Away"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cb\u003EDon't Take My Shoelaces Away\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #009900;\"\u003E- Statement\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. \"I'm fine\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #990000;\"\u003E[ Origin: I believe that when prisoners or mental health patients are suspected of being suicidal, their shoelaces are taken away, or they are given shoes without them for fear of strangulation by shoelace.  ]\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #009900;\"\u003E- usage\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. \"Man, when Ron Artest got that rebound and put back, that had to be one of the worst moments as a Suns fan.  Are you going to be okay?\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"So long as Steve Nash is a Sun, you don't have to take my shoelaces away.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E2. \"There's a rumor that Miyamoto won't be directing the next Zelda game.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"You don't have to take my shoelaces away until we at least see how it turns out.\""},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/9217187505545125626\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2010\/06\/nerd-words-dont-take-my-shoelaces-away.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/9217187505545125626"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/9217187505545125626"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2010\/06\/nerd-words-dont-take-my-shoelaces-away.html","title":"Nerd Word(s): Don't Take My Shoelaces Away"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-7266160994950198294"},"published":{"$t":"2010-06-15T23:24:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2010-06-15T23:24:28.759-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Rachael"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Good Mourning Rachael: Part 3"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"After a few months of being together, things got a little bumpy.  While I tend to lead a carefree and easy life, Rachael was working six days a week, and putting in a lot of effort to make sure all the ends met up at the end of the month.  On top of that, she was now putting up with my dumb ass eight or more hours a day.  All of this added up to one stressed out monkey who had been uncharacteristically unhappy.  For me this was just a hurdle that we'd get over together and continue on our way.  After all, her problems were now my problems, and if there's one thing I can do in this world it's problem solve.  I saw it all as a speed bump on our road to forever.  Unfortunately, as I often do, I underestimated what was really going on.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI did my best to assist with the small things.  I tried to help with the laundry, and when she refused, I went and found a laundry service.  I sent flowers to her work, and when she accidentally spilled wine on her carpet, I rushed out to find an appropriate cleaner.  It wasn't much, but she was a tough person to take care of.  I'd screwed up before in my life by not putting enough effort in.  This time, I wasn't letting that happen.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOne day Rachael left on a trip to visit her sister in Chicago.  There had been a little emotional distance between us, and I hoped that the physical distance would make her miss me and maybe bring back the good times.  I also thought that a little time away from every day life would do her some good.  I dropped Rachael off at the airport.  What I didn't realize at the time was that I was saying goodbye to my girlfriend Rachael.  The girl who came back was just my friend.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EStress and responsibilities had overwhelmed the girl that I cared so much for, and in the end something had to give.  In this case, I was that something.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnd just like that, the girl who this very blog brought to my door and I were no longer a couple.  While the story of how we met was, in my opinion, quite remarkable, the story of how we parted was typical in most regards.  There were a few attempts at reconciliation, a few distraught late night calls, and a few sappy emails.  In the end though it wasn't enough, and one day she was just gone.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EWere you expecting a better ending?  Sorry about that.  The extra U in the title wasn't because I was feeling particularly British or anything.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhen you write a blog that's basically a sitcom representation of your life, you tend to leave the bad things out and therefore some stories never get their proper ending.  The truth is that sometimes \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rachel_Green\"\u003ERoss and Rachel\u003C\/a\u003E just don't end up together.  But that doesn't mean it's the end of the world.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFor me, this blog is a lot about perspective.  My people, the nerds, tend to be an overly emotional and sad lot.  That's a little bit of self fulfilling prophecy.  It's probably easy to see this as a sad tale of the nerd who didn't get the girl, but you'll notice that a solid two thirds(Or more) of the story are about how much I truly cared for her(And still do).  I've spent my whole life wanting to spend a decent portion of it alone, so to enjoy someone's company that much was honestly groundbreaking for me.  While the story itself doesn't have a perfect ending, there are really a lot of positives to take away.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESo, hopefully I didn't bum anyone out.  I've already had two people tell me this story was utterly depressing, and I hadn't even gotten to the bad part yet.  Don't worry about me, I don't write about things until I'm cool with them.  There's no need to take my shoelaces away.\u003C\/i\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/7266160994950198294\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2010\/06\/good-mourning-rachael-part-3.html#comment-form","title":"3 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/7266160994950198294"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/7266160994950198294"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2010\/06\/good-mourning-rachael-part-3.html","title":"Good Mourning Rachael: Part 3"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"3"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-8342642145493551578"},"published":{"$t":"2010-06-11T01:43:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2010-06-11T01:43:14.447-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Rachael"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Good Mourning Rachael: Part 2"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Despite my first failed attempt at romance, two weeks later Rachael and I were inseparable.  Every morning was a struggle on my part to get her off to work, followed by a day of exchanged emails and texts.  The day was broken up with lunch, and the afternoon of work was just a break in the action before some night time event.  It didn't really matter if it was Sushi and a night out or curling up on the couch to catch up on True Blood, a show I didn't even like.  So long as Rachael was there, it was the perfect evening.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFor the first time in my life, I wanted to hold hands.  I wanted to skip through the park and have picnics.  I was completely cheesy and I couldn't have cared less.  When Rachael wasn't around, I missed her like a fat kid on The Biggest Loser misses cake.  I talked about her to the point that people told me to knock it off.  Even I knew it was annoying, but I couldn't help it.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI was \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/07\/nerd-words-that-guy.html\"\u003Ethat guy\u003C\/a\u003E.  I was in love.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETo the outside world, the relationship was probably completely nonsensical.  There were times that a look was enough to induce pants-wetting laughter.  We practically spoke our own language, and rarely discussed anything serious.  We didn't have time for that.  We were too busy cracking each other up and joking around.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOne morning the alarm went off.  Rachael had to be up three hours before I did, but I always made an effort to get her up and going.  I am a morning person.  She is not.  Rachael is not a morning person like I am not a Lakers fan.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe alarm went off, and as I reached to silence it, I was mauled by the tiny girl to my side with a cry of, \"I missed you!\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt was a silly moment the likes of which you'd see in Rachel McAdams movie.  The girl proclaims to have missed the guy while she was sleeping in the same bed.  Normally I'd have been the first to call bullshit, but truth be told, I kind of missed her too.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThat day I realized that this was it.  This was how I wanted to wake up every day for the rest of my life.  We had only known each other a few months, and I knew it was far too early to become so emotionally invested, but I didn't care.  I was all in."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/8342642145493551578\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2010\/06\/good-mourning-rachael-part-2.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/8342642145493551578"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/8342642145493551578"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2010\/06\/good-mourning-rachael-part-2.html","title":"Good Mourning Rachael: Part 2"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-4231320940874388473"},"published":{"$t":"2010-06-06T21:45:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2010-06-06T21:45:45.876-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Nerd Word(s)"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Nerd Word(s): White Picket Fence Syndrome"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cb\u003EWhite Picket Fence Syndrome\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #009900;\"\u003E- Affliction\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. An overconfidence in life\/fate.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #990000;\"\u003E[ Origin: In my teenage years, I seemed to be the confidant to many members of the opposite sex.  Despite being straight, I was essentially their gay boyfriend.  A number of people, especially women in their youth, think that life's journey will be a complete storybook, without bumps along the way. ]\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #009900;\"\u003E- usage\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. \"She wants to date for two years, then get engaged.  The honeymoon is going to be in Hawaii.  Then we get married, and move out to the suburbs by her parents.  She wants to have two kids, and she already has their names picked out.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Man, sounds like a weird second date.  Total White Picket Fence Syndrome.\""},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/4231320940874388473\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2010\/06\/nerd-words-white-picket-fence-syndrome.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/4231320940874388473"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/4231320940874388473"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2010\/06\/nerd-words-white-picket-fence-syndrome.html","title":"Nerd Word(s): White Picket Fence Syndrome"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-5380586040645164795"},"published":{"$t":"2010-06-02T00:32:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2010-06-02T00:32:23.042-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Rachael"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Good Mourning Rachael: Part 1"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003EIf I'm guilty of one sin throughout the writing of this blog, it's most definitely of not finishing a story.  Now now, I know what you're thinking. \"One sin?  You also suck at spelling, grammar, character development and...\" Yeah yeah, I get it, but just roll with me here.  The problem is that hope and newness is easy to write.  Disappointment is just, well, sad.  Still, it seems that if this blog is to be the narrative of my life(Or some representation of it), then I could serve it well by finishing a story. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-size: x-small;\"\u003E If you need to catch up on the first part of this story, you can do so by clicking \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/search\/label\/ATDITM\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E and reading from the bottom up.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI was pretty excited after meeting Rachael.  I don't think I've ever had such a good first impression in my  life.  It felt like I had just met my best friend again for the first time.  She was smart, funny, personable, and everything just seemed to \"click\" in a way that hasn't happened since I was too ignorant to realize that there was something other than \"clicking\".  Oh yeah, she was also breathtakingly gorgeous.  My worry, as always, was that I had said something stupid or scared her off.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EShould I call and ask her to lunch again?  Should I play it cool?  Will that come across as needy?  Should I be aggressive?\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI was shocked two days later when the phone rang and it was Rachael, asking me to lunch again.  Another hour long meal passed in the blink of an eye, proving that the first meeting wasn't just a random aligning of the stars.  We parted ways, but this time my fears were put to rest.  One time might be lucky, but twice in a row was \u003Ci\u003Esomething\u003C\/i\u003E right?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe meals and good times continued on for a couple of weeks, and despite the fact that she was one of the most amazing women I'd ever met, I was steadfast in my romantic stance.  I was not getting a crush on a girl who was so ridiculously out of my league.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESpurred on by either my frequent disappearances around noon, or the new ear to ear grin that was permanently plastered to my face, Sean decided to question me as to what was really going on. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"So... are you interested?  Are you going to make a move or what?\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"I don't know.  You know how when you first meet a crazy cute girl, and there's all this sexual energy you hold back?\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Sure, I guess\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Well, it's nothing like that.  I mean... I'm attracted to her, but that's so secondary.  I just really want to spend all of my time with her.  When she's around, we're constantly laughing and... I don't know.  It sounds cheesy, but just happy.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"That's not the girl you date bro,\" he said, pausing for dramatic effect.  \"That's the one you marry.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnd that's when it sort of hit me.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELong time readers may find this hard to believe, but I had never been dumped in my life.  In fact, every romantic relationship in my life had ended for the exact same reason: I just always  enjoyed my personal space too much.  I'm fond of saying, \"I don't know how guys cheat on a woman.  Who needs 2?  I only want a girlfriend 3 days a week.  I need a time share woman.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBut it wasn't that way with Rachael.  Every meeting left me hungry for the next, and every joke made me laugh a little more.  She was like Zpizza.  I never got tired of her.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFinally I decided I had to make a move.  I didn't \u003Ci\u003Ewant her\u003C\/i\u003E so much as I just always wanted her around.  The medium hotness rule was thrown out, and one night as we lay next to each other discussing something silly I decided it was time.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EA million things raced through my mind.  \u003Ci\u003EWhat should I say?  What should I do?\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhat \u003Ci\u003Edidn't\u003C\/i\u003E race through my mind was the fact that we were laying in complete darkness, and since I have yet to develop super power night vision or obtain retinal implants from a secret government experiment, \u003Ci\u003EI couldn't see a thing\u003C\/i\u003E.  I had never been more nervous in my life as I leaned slowly over, inching closer and closer.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI puckered up, and landed squarely... on the nose. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EShit\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn a feeling that would soon become common for me with Rachael, nervousness quickly turned to embarrassment.  She would respond with what would become the cornerstone of our relationship.  She doubled over in laughter."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/5380586040645164795\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2010\/06\/good-mourning-rachael-part-1.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/5380586040645164795"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/5380586040645164795"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2010\/06\/good-mourning-rachael-part-1.html","title":"Good Mourning Rachael: Part 1"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-1650281881926991078"},"published":{"$t":"2010-05-31T00:16:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2010-05-31T00:16:56.453-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Nerd Word(s)"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Nerd Word(s): Medium Hotness Girl"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cb\u003EMedium Hotness Girl\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #009900;\"\u003E- Noun\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. A girl who is a great catch, but not completely out of your league.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #990000;\"\u003E[ Origin: After years and years of dating and being surrounded by ridiculously beautiful women, I announced to Sean one day that I was just looking for someone who wasn't out of my league. ]\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #009900;\"\u003E- usage\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. \"You should meet my sister, she's single\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Your sister? \u0026nbsp;I've seen her on facebook. \u0026nbsp;She's not medium hotness, she's a ten. \u0026nbsp;Pass\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #009900;\"\u003E- see also\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/08\/nerd-words-1-to-10.html\"\u003E1 to 10\u003C\/a\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/1650281881926991078\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2010\/05\/nerd-words-medium-hotness-girl.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/1650281881926991078"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/1650281881926991078"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2010\/05\/nerd-words-medium-hotness-girl.html","title":"Nerd Word(s): Medium Hotness Girl"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-5355871625500449361"},"published":{"$t":"2010-05-16T21:43:00.002-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2010-05-16T21:48:30.788-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Nerd Word(s)"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Nerd Word(s): Pardon"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cstrong\u003EPardon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E- Interjection\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. Excuse me\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#990000;\"\u003E[ Origin: A few years ago my coworker Marloue and I got sent to Vancouver for work.  The Canadians didn't have much of an access, but there were two points that stood out.  First, they said the word \"Process\", \"Pro Sess\".  Second, instead of \"Excuse Me\" they always used the word \"Pardon\".  Marloue and I decided to bring the word back from America's Hat as a souvenir.  ]\u003C\/span\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/5355871625500449361\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2010\/05\/nerd-words-pardon.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/5355871625500449361"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/5355871625500449361"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2010\/05\/nerd-words-pardon.html","title":"Nerd Word(s): Pardon"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-9036102716107809585"},"published":{"$t":"2010-05-16T20:33:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2010-05-16T21:48:45.749-07:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Jesse Gets Jumped"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"I've been sick for the better part of two months now.  First it was the ear infection from hell.  That was followed shortly by a sinus infection.  There's a solid chance that I'm dying, so if you're from that Make-A-Wish foundation please send a scantily clad, short, nerdy girl over to my house as soon as possible.  Bonus points if she's in to short nerds, or gets a discount at zPizza.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOne day the ear was so bad that I took the morning off from work and just slept in.  I awoke at noon to find the phone all abuzz with work emails detailing various problems, and finally decided to haul my sorry ass in.  The thing with being a software engineer is that when you're not around, it's all your fault.  \u003Ci\u003EEverything\u003C\/i\u003E.  Even in my weakened state, I wasn't going to stand for that, so I cleaned myself up, threw on a fresh set of clothes, and headed in to the office, prepared to kick some nerd ass.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs I rounded the last stairwell in the parking garage I heard a voice.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Excuse me... um... excuse me?\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI hadn't seen anyone in the garage, so the voice took me by surprise.  I searched around and eventually found a head hanging over from the floor above.  This head happened to belong to a particularly cute girl and it was staring back at me.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Um... could you jump me?\" \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EHoly crap, am I still sleeping?  Did I accidentally walk on to the set of a porno?\u003C\/i\u003E  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI considered taking my pants off and doing my sexy time dance, but instead opted for something less.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"\u003Ci\u003EPardon\u003C\/i\u003E?\" \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENormally I'd have put two and two together, but my brain still wasn't functioning yet.  I stared back at her questioningly.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"My car... the battery is dead.  I think I left dome light on.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EOh... of course...\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMinutes later I'd be helping her with her car and trying to awkwardly make small talk.  It wasn't my usual D+ game, but I was sick so I'm giving myself a pass.  Later in the month I would find out that the girl actually lives on my floor a few doors down.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhile I haven't talked to the girl since, I like to think that we're just taking it slow.  At our current pace, I fully expect to tell this story at our wedding in 2054.  Save the date cards coming soon!"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/9036102716107809585\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2010\/05\/jesse-gets-jumped.html#comment-form","title":"3 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/9036102716107809585"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/9036102716107809585"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2010\/05\/jesse-gets-jumped.html","title":"Jesse Gets Jumped"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"3"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-274569270050057656"},"published":{"$t":"2010-04-19T15:39:00.002-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2010-04-19T15:50:27.009-07:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Nerd Word(s): Literally"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cstrong\u003ELiterally\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E- Adverb\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. Often misused on purpose as a means of mocking a person who overuses the word, or uses it incorrectly.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#990000;\"\u003E[ Origin: For some reason, the incorrect usage of literally has always rubbed me the wrong way like a stripper at a club in the bad part of town. ]\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E- see also\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. Figuratively\u003Cbr \/\u003E2. Totally\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E- examples\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. \"I literally drank so much that I should have died.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Literally?\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Yeah, literally\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E2. \"He's literally the greatest basketball player in the world\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Your cousin Tommy?\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E3. \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/evohno.blogspot.com\/2010\/04\/lets-never-go-back.html\"\u003Ehttp:\/\/evohno.blogspot.com\/2010\/04\/lets-never-go-back.html\u003C\/a\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/274569270050057656\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2010\/04\/nerd-words-literally.html#comment-form","title":"4 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/274569270050057656"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/274569270050057656"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2010\/04\/nerd-words-literally.html","title":"Nerd Word(s): Literally"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"4"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-7092895485830510935"},"published":{"$t":"2010-04-19T15:35:00.011-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2010-04-19T16:18:55.673-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Rose"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"That Must Have Hurt"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003EI started off writing this story in the comment section of Extensive Vamping as a response to \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/evohno.blogspot.com\/2010\/04\/lets-never-go-back.html\"\u003Ethis\u003C\/a\u003E post.  In the end I figured it was decent enough to post here.  Enjoy.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOne day my friend Rose and I were walking in to Pei Wei when a guy and girl walked out.  He had on one of those button up shirts on with the big collar, which was basically the \u003Cspan onmouseover=\"Tip('Who am I kidding?  I\\'m just jealous that he was getting ass back then and I wasn\\'t.')\" onmouseout=\"UnTip()\"  style=\"color:#000099;\"\u003EEd Hardy first date shirt of 2001 for frat boys across the globe\u003C\/span\u003E.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt was obviously early in the relationship because despite looking like a total ass, the guy held the door open for her and actually seemed interested in the conversation, despite the fact that \"I just want to get laid\" was written all over his act.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs he walked by he said to his date in that triumphant end-of-my-story-you-should-laugh-now kind of way, \"and it was so good that I literally ate my ass off.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAt that point Rose and I both turned to look and see if his ass was still there.  Thankfully it was.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThen we both literally laughed out loud."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/7092895485830510935\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2010\/04\/that-must-have-hurt.html#comment-form","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/7092895485830510935"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/7092895485830510935"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2010\/04\/that-must-have-hurt.html","title":"That Must Have Hurt"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-6560247122591790358"},"published":{"$t":"2010-04-15T18:47:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2010-04-15T19:08:48.769-07:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Are You Coming or Going?  (A note from the author)"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003EI originally wrote this on December 2nd.  I didn't publish it though because I still had some hope of getting my mojo back, and it seemed a little too self serving.  Tonight I went back to take a look through my half finished posts to see if anything sparked my interest and found this post.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI realize it's been quite some time since I've written here.  The truth is that there's a very specific emotional state that I need to be in to write what I call, \"A Sesquipedalis Story\", and that state and I just haven't been able to find each other lately.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI was telling someone about my blog tonight and getting a little excited when I realized it's not really fair to call myself a blogger if I don't, you know, actually blog.  The problem lately is that I feel like I've said everything I could possibly ever have to say, and then some.  I'm just really a quiet guy who's not all that opinionated.  This isn't a case of writer's block, it's just the repetitive nature of life.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI said something absolutely idiotic to a girl in the lobby yesterday.  I was excited to have a small story to blog about until I sat down to write it and realized, \"Been there, done that.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI'm still around, and I plan on blogging again sometime in the near future.  I've been kicking around the idea of taking the blog in an entirely new direction, or starting a different one.  I'm not really sure though.  If you have any suggestions, feel free to let me know.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhile I'm gone, I hope everyone is well.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EJesse"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/6560247122591790358\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/04\/are-you-coming-or-going-note-from.html#comment-form","title":"4 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/6560247122591790358"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/6560247122591790358"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/04\/are-you-coming-or-going-note-from.html","title":"Are You Coming or Going?  (A note from the author)"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"4"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-5534964746763538179"},"published":{"$t":"2010-02-09T14:15:00.007-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2010-02-10T13:40:11.463-07:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Still With the Elevator"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003EI never really planned to have an entire section of my blog devoted to elevator stories, yet here we are again.  I guess the thing about it is, elevators are awkward no matter what.  When sharing a ride your choices come down to forced social interaction, forced social avoidance, or playing with your phone and pretending to text\/check email\/avoid eye contact.  I normally go for choice number three, but sometimes the elevator has plans of its own.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI woke up late today, and found myself rushing through the morning routine.  There isn't really a \u003Ci\u003Elate\u003C\/i\u003E per se at my job, but I was intending to leave at a reasonable hour, and as such I really should have been in earlier than I was.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI got to the building around nine and grabbed the elevator that was open.  It's a simple procedure that I've managed to perform correctly for the past five years, but today when I pressed the button labeled \"15\", the elevator did something different.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EIt didn't move\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI waited a moment, but nothing.  A quick step out and glance at the other elevators gave no clue as to how to solve my predicament.  I decided that before going to talk to someone I should give the elevator one last try.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe \"Door Close\" button was feeling my frustration when the elevator finally relented and the doors began to close.  At the same time I looked up to see a woman who resembled a thirty-something year old Kim Kardashian trying to get on.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI caught the door just in time.  She thanked me, and in turn I explained why I had been so focused on the button panel. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"The door wouldn't close for the last three minutes.  I guess it just wanted to wait for you.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI was fairly pleased with myself for making what seemed to me, an appropriate comment that was at least slightly amusing.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EKim apparently didn't share my amusement.  She looked at me as if I had just asked her for her sign in some Scottsdale bar and dryly said, \"\u003Ci\u003ECharming\u003C\/i\u003E\""},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/5534964746763538179\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2010\/02\/still-with-elevator.html#comment-form","title":"4 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/5534964746763538179"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/5534964746763538179"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2010\/02\/still-with-elevator.html","title":"Still With the Elevator"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"4"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-7999362805305001470"},"published":{"$t":"2010-01-19T09:43:00.003-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2010-01-19T09:53:38.716-07:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Jesse gets Zugged"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"A few months ago I was reading an article at \u003Ca href=\"www.zug.com\"\u003Ewww.zug.com\u003C\/a\u003E about the best office pranks ever.  I'm a big fan of the site, and the creator John Hargrave, but with all due respect I felt \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/02\/liang-prank.html\"\u003Ewe had done it better\u003C\/a\u003E.  I left a comment on the entry with a link back to our prank, and left it at that.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESoon after I got an email from John asking me to rewrite the story so he could host it on Zug.  I double checked with Sean since it was, after all, his prank, and then agreed.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EUnfortunately life got a little busy, and I never got around to writing the article.  John emailed me again after the holidays, and I finally got off my ass and wrote it.  It's now one of the featured articles on the site.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.zug.com\/live\/83619\/shr5\/The-Office-Prank-My-CoWorker-Will-Never-Forget\"\u003Ehttp:\/\/www.zug.com\/live\/83619\/shr5\/The-Office-Prank-My-CoWorker-Will-Never-Forget\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EEnjoy!"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/7999362805305001470\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2010\/01\/jesse-gets-zugged.html#comment-form","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/7999362805305001470"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/7999362805305001470"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2010\/01\/jesse-gets-zugged.html","title":"Jesse gets Zugged"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-165280162415489146"},"published":{"$t":"2010-01-18T20:38:00.001-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2010-01-18T21:16:44.758-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Agnes"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"J.R."},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Kendall"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The Valentine's Day Wrap Up Part 1:J.R. Wins"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003EI realize it's been an exceptionally long time since I last \"blogged\".  I had a whole post written out explaining why, but then I realized, nobody cares.  I've decided to kick off my (semi)return to blogging with a few stories that have been sitting in the vault for a while.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis particular story is probably one of the bigger ones of my life, but then 5 days later I met Shaq at a diner, and that story sort of occupied my time for a while.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBack in February I \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/01\/nerd-games-free-flowers-year-2.html\"\u003Eran a contest\u003C\/a\u003E to send flowers out on Valentine's day.  The Valentine's day contest has become a bit of a tradition around here, but last year I took it to a whole new level sending all manner of prizes and gifts.  Despite the fact that there were numerous entries deserving of flowers, and despite the fact that no inmate received flowers, I still feel like J.R. was really the winner.  He took upon himself to not only enter the contest and provide insightful comments on the other entries, he also did a little work of his own.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFriday was the day before Valentine's, but most of the \"prizes\" were scheduled to arrive that day.  Only for the \"big winner\" did I actually pay the extra ten bucks for Saturday delivery.  As I strolled in to work, I was mentally making notes of what was going where, and double checking to make sure I hadn't missed something.  For 2009 it wasn't just a contest, it was \u003Cspan style=\"font-style:italic;\"\u003Ean operation\u003C\/span\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI entered my office and became the envy of every extremely myopic drunken 22 year old female.  I had received flowers from the Baller himself.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/4280317019\/\" title=\"Flowers from a baller by jessebearden, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg src=\"http:\/\/farm5.static.flickr.com\/4055\/4280317019_1c651ccdbf.jpg\" width=\"375\" height=\"500\" alt=\"Flowers from a baller\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EJ.R. didn't just send me flowers for Valentine's.  He took it one step further and included the following, heartfelt poem:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EBitches Ain't Shit,\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EBut Tricks And Hoes.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EMaybe It's Time You Give Up\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E On Girls, And Switch to Bros.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EHave A Bro-Mantic\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EValentine's Day!\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EBaller\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003EBy noon things were on trucks and \"out for delivery\".  All told there were 3 sets of flowers, 5 gift boxes from \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.thepopcornfactory.com\/\"\u003EThe Popcorn Factory\u003C\/a\u003E, and one set of two dozen long stemmed Roses.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI hate sitting around to see how a plan unfolds, and since I had no particular Valentine of my own, when Kendall, my 6'1 modelesque friend, invited me to L.A. to hang out for the weekend I took the rest of the day off work and headed home to pack.  As I walked in to my building I ran in to \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/search\/label\/Agnes\"\u003EAgnes\u003C\/a\u003E, my ninety-two year old building crush.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"So, any Valentine's day weekend plans for you?\" I asked.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Valentine's?  Love?\" she looked at me like I was crazy, \"I'm too old for that stuff.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI reached the eleventh floor, and minutes later I had a weekend's worth of clothes packed in to a travel suitcase.  I was about to leave when I spotted J.R.'s flowers.  I didn't think they'd do much good in my place since I'd be in L.A., so I took them with me.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs I walked out of the Landmark I handed them to the guy working the front desk.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Could you give these to Agnes for me?\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"And who should I say they're from?\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Oh.  Just tell her they're from a secret admirer.\""},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/165280162415489146\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/01\/valentines-day-wrap-up-part-1-jr-wins.html#comment-form","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/165280162415489146"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/165280162415489146"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/01\/valentines-day-wrap-up-part-1-jr-wins.html","title":"The Valentine's Day Wrap Up Part 1:\u003Cp\u003EJ.R. Wins"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/farm5.static.flickr.com\/4055\/4280317019_1c651ccdbf_t.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-2351091662302403073"},"published":{"$t":"2009-12-31T17:15:00.002-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-12-31T18:19:12.612-07:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"On Being Witty"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"I was in a mad rush to finish up my Christmas shopping last Monday.  Every year, mid-November I think, \"I'll just buy a few things for the family and call it done\" and every year, by December 20th, I've gotten gifts for tons of people, and spent way too much money.  The thing is that I get an idea in my head, and then it's a mini-project that I have to finish.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI was still missing a few items, but I had a moment to stop in to Best Buy and pick them up.  It was probably my fourth trip in as many days. At Best Buy, there is one long line, and when you get to the front, the next available person takes you.  I approached the front of the line, items in hand and gave the various lines the once over.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThere was the kid who's so weird, standing next to him would make me Steve Urkel look like George Clooney.  I remember once reading that the key to women was to always hang with a friend who is uglier than you are.  I considered asking him if he'd like to go to a Christmas party, or just hang sometime.  He'd be my ringer.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENext to him was overly enthusiastic girl.  She seems nice, but I can only be asked so many times if I found everything okay.  \u003Ci\u003ECome on lady, you know me.\u003C\/i\u003E  I practically have your website memorized.  My visits to Best Buy are more regular than a 26 year who eats well and takes Metamucil. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENext to her...  Next to her was the cute short girl who I find intimidating despite the fact that she can't possibly be taller than 4'11 and is probably no older than 25.  She'd been my cashier at least twice before, and somehow it was always very friendly, but not to the point of being weird.  For me, a conversation with a stranger that isn't a complete train wreck comes around about as often as the Cardinals going to the Superbowl, but somehow it always manages to happen with her. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENaturally her line opened up first.  I dumped my arm full of items on to the counter and began awkwardly digging through my pants for my \"rewards card\".  As I did we discussed our holidays, the shopping, and how things had been.  As she scanned the last item she said with a surprise, \"Oh.  It says here you get a 10 dollar gift card.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E30 seconds later I would realize that a fun reply would be, \"Oh.  Wow... Um... How embarrassing.  I didn't get you anything.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EUnfortunately for me, I didn't wait 30 seconds to reply, I waited 2.  What came out was closer to, \"Oh.  Um...  Cool?\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAfter I left, I went straight home and mailed Santa a new letter with a brief description of the girl and a request for one, \"Ability to think on my feet\".  While either of those items would have been fantastic, Santa instead brought me a new pair of jeans.  I'm sure those will work out just as well."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/2351091662302403073\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/12\/on-being-witty.html#comment-form","title":"6 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/2351091662302403073"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/2351091662302403073"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/12\/on-being-witty.html","title":"On Being Witty"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"6"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-1851644329557228746"},"published":{"$t":"2009-11-05T22:50:00.007-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-11-05T23:35:06.965-07:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Now Accepting Applications"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003EOne of my personal rules is to not blog about video games if possible.  It just doesn't seem that the general population would have any clue what I'm talking about, but I think this is a special occasion.  This isn't just any video game.\u003C\/i\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGrab your biggest red marker and throw a circle around next Sunday on your calendar.  On November 15th, 2009, it is on.  If you're someone who has bladder control issues I suggest you go grab a spare pair of chonies right now because the news I'm about to drop on you is pee-your-pants exciting. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThat's right, \u003Ci\u003ENew Super Mario Wii\u003C\/i\u003E comes out next Sunday.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESo what's the big deal you ask?  \"New Super Mario\" is a new line of Mario games designed in the image of the original Mario game(s).  You know, the one from your childhood(Assuming your childhood encompassed 1986).  There's a run button, a jump button, and not much else.  This is the closest you can get to reliving your past without a Delorean, a crazy doctor, and one point twenty one jiggowatts of power.  In this iteration of the beloved series, creator Miyamoto is giving the game multiplayer action: Four nerds simultaneously galumphing \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.mariowiki.com\/Goomba\"\u003EGombas\u003C\/a\u003E, kicking \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.mariowiki.com\/Koopa\"\u003EKoopas\u003C\/a\u003E, bouncing off \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.mariowiki.com\/Bob-omb\"\u003EBob-ombs\u003C\/a\u003E and hating on \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.mariowiki.com\/Hammer_Bro.\"\u003EHammer Bros.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFor that reason I've decided to open the floor and accept applications for my Mario Team.  I'm currently looking for 3 people skilled in the arts of \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.mariowiki.com\/Bowser\"\u003EBowser\u003C\/a\u003E bashing and \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.mariowiki.com\/Peach\"\u003EPeach\u003C\/a\u003E protecting to form one Mario super group(pun intended).  Please see the following job posting.  If you feel you are qualified for the position, please respond in the comments, or send your resume and cover letter to \u003Ca href=\"mailto:sesquipedalis@gmail.com\"\u003ESesquipedalis\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Cobject width=\"480\" height=\"295\"\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"movie\" value=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/v\/LLPyvkTUF0w\u0026hl=en\u0026fs=1\u0026rel=0\"\u003E\u003C\/param\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\"\u003E\u003C\/param\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"allowscriptaccess\" value=\"always\"\u003E\u003C\/param\u003E\u003Cembed src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/v\/LLPyvkTUF0w\u0026hl=en\u0026fs=1\u0026rel=0\" type=\"application\/x-shockwave-flash\" allowscriptaccess=\"always\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" width=\"480\" height=\"295\"\u003E\u003C\/embed\u003E\u003C\/object\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003ESesquipedalis is currently seeking a highly motivated individual well versed in the workings of the Mushroom Kingdom.  The ideal candidate will be familiar with traversing pipes and navigating treacherous castles.  Must enjoy mushrooms and have an ability to rise to the occasion.  Calloused thumbs, strong jumping skills, knowledge of botany, and a desire to play with fire all considered a plus.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPlease indicate the following in your submission:\u003Cbr \/\u003E1) What is your favorite Mario game?\u003Cbr \/\u003E2) How many Mario games have you personally played through?\u003Cbr \/\u003E3) Daisy or Peach?\u003Cbr \/\u003E4) If you were a \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.mariowiki.com\/Yoshi#The_Legend_of_Zelda_series\"\u003EYoshi\u003C\/a\u003E, what color would you be, and why?\u003Cbr \/\u003E5) What's your favorite Mario power up, and why?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFeel free to add any personal information that the recruiter should know to assist in ensuring the right candidate gets the job.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/1851644329557228746\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/11\/now-accepting-applications.html#comment-form","title":"9 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/1851644329557228746"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/1851644329557228746"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/11\/now-accepting-applications.html","title":"Now Accepting Applications"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"9"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-6525932652396637516"},"published":{"$t":"2009-10-22T15:49:00.004-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-10-22T18:23:22.930-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Anna"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Josh"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Spare Some Change?"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"I handle change about as well as a fingerless bum with a hole in his cup, but lately it seems like I haven't had much choice in the matter.  There have been changes with work, personal life and my friends.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe biggest change of all though has been in my status.  No, not \u003Ci\u003Ethat\u003C\/i\u003E status.  I've been a brother and a son forever, but today, for the first time, I became an uncle.  \u003Ci\u003ELet the Stamos\/Dukes of Hazard jokes begin.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMy sister Anna went through 26 hours of labor, but eventually Adrian relented and came out to meet the world.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/4035484441\/\" title=\"Adrian by jessebearden, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg src=\"http:\/\/farm3.static.flickr.com\/2786\/4035484441_71d1b4fed1.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"498\" alt=\"Adrian\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhat's the appropriate amount of  time to wait before I start training him to help pick up on cute girls?  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECongrats to Josh and Anna.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EI promise to return to blogging some day soon.  It's not that I haven't been writing, it just hasn't really been Sesquipedalis type material.  Maybe A can be my new inspiration.\u003C\/i\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/6525932652396637516\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/10\/spare-some-change.html#comment-form","title":"4 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/6525932652396637516"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/6525932652396637516"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/10\/spare-some-change.html","title":"Spare Some Change?"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/farm3.static.flickr.com\/2786\/4035484441_71d1b4fed1_t.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"4"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-2850246459463661490"},"published":{"$t":"2009-10-11T19:44:00.002-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-10-12T14:42:33.221-07:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"A Step In the Right Direction"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003ECrap, I need water.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis was supposed to be a rush trip to the grocery store, but it suddenly occurred to me that the basket I was holding in my right hand would be insufficient.  I was out of bottled water.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003ENow now, before you start writing one of the following responses, hear me out.\u003Cbr \/\u003E1.  Bottled water?!?!  What about the earth?  Plastic waste is responsible for blah blah blah.  Al Gore said blah blah.\u003Cbr \/\u003E2.  Bottled water?!?!  You pay money for water, tool?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI had never paid for water until I moved in to the Landmark 3 years ago.  It's a neat building, but it's also 40 years old and has very bad plumbing.  If the faucet has been off for a while, then the water comes out with a rather orange tint that I learned the hard way doesn't have a matching orange flavor.  I switched to a Brita filter and a few water bottles, but for guests I try to keep some bottled water stocked.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt had been a pretty crappy week in general which, in my small circle of friends, included: a break up, a break down, a sixty hour work week, a case of the swine flu, and an odd request from an old friend.  Oh yeah... the company had also scheduled an all hands meeting for the day after our third quarter results were announced.  It wasn't the Worst Week Ever, but were there a list, it probably would have made the top ten.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI had a few items in my basket and the karts are kept outside, so I stashed my groceries and hurried for the exit.  As I came out, a woman who had just dislodged a kart from the group noticed me heading her way.  Normally the sight of me moving hurriedly towards her is cause for a woman to reach for the pepper spray in her purse. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"You need one too?\"  She said with a surprising smile, \"Here, take this one.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt was a pretty small gesture in the grand scheme of things, but in the moment it hit with an unexpected weight.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Thank you\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"No problem\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETwenty minutes later I was on B2 of my building's parking garage.  The trip from my parking spot to my apartment is a flight of stairs up to a door that unlocks with my building fob.  The door leads to a long hallway that goes to the laundry mat and an elevator which requires the fob yet again.  The elevator takes you to the eleventh floor.  One more long hallway leads to my door.  I was making the trip with two cases of water, a bunch of groceries and a backpack.  Needless to say my hands were full.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI managed to get the keys out to open the first door, and down the hallway I could see an extremely cute building resident doing her laundry.  The cute blond also spotted me from down the hallway and rushed out to get the elevator.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"You look like you've got your hands full\" she said with a smile.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003ECute and considerate?  I think I'm in love.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHad I a ring on my person, it surely would have been hers.  Instead I opted for a simple, \"Thank You\""},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/2850246459463661490\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/10\/step-in-right-direction.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/2850246459463661490"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/2850246459463661490"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/10\/step-in-right-direction.html","title":"A Step In the Right Direction"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-8838237082592267086"},"published":{"$t":"2009-10-03T17:02:00.001-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2010-06-01T19:47:39.185-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"ATDITM"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mandi"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Rachael"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"A Thousand Days in the MakingPart 6: The Thousandth Day"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Two weeks passed without a word from Rachael.  I was already planning a formal apology to the whole family and a blog entry about how I had, \"Scared off Mandi's sister\"  It had only taken me six months too!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EDay 999(July 5th) -\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe IM window popped up.  Rachael explained that life had gotten crazy, and she had retreated from certain social aspects.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EShe needed her own special alone time?  She's prefect!\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERachael and I spent a few hours IMing back and forth, and then another two hours on the phone.  I felt like a 15 year old talking to his first girl on the phone.  It was fun.  It was funny.  It was exciting.  An enjoyment of phone conversation wasn't something that I had felt in a very very long time.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EUp until this point in our relationship, everything had been very nice and cordial, but for whatever reason, the gloves had finally come off.  The girl I knew as always being the polite sweet girl from Kansas threw me a few zingers.  She made a few off color jokes.  I went from being interested in meeting this Internet friend to being \u003Ci\u003Einterested\u003C\/i\u003E in Rachael.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWe agreed to get everything out of the way and just meet for lunch the next day.  There would be no backing out this time.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EDay 1000(July 6th) -\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe phone rang at my office at ten as if on cue.  It was Rachael and she began rather slowly.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Here's the thing...\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"You have got to be kidding me\" I interrupted.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\"I am.  I just wanted to freak you out.  And, I wanted to change the location\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAn hour later I was waiting outside of Pei Wei.  As the moments passed I grew more and more nervous.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EWhat if I don't recognize her?\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhat if she thinks I'm weird? \u003Cbr \/\u003EWhat if....\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERachael hopped out of her car wearing the biggest smile I'd ever seen.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"You're not \u003Ci\u003Ethat\u003C\/i\u003E short\" she said as we approached each other.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt was at this moment that I realized I had no idea what was appropriate.  Was this a hug situation?  Was it a hand shake situation?  Was it neither.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBefore I had a chance to screw it up Rachael threw her arms around me and told me that it was great to finally meet me.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWe took our seats, and before I knew it two hours had passed!  I hadn't even finished eating because I was so entranced by the girl sitting across from me.  One more hug, and we went our separate ways.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI wasn't completely sure if she had had as good a time as I had, but for my part I couldn't wait to see her again.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EStay tuned for the exciting epilogue, \"2000 days in the making!\" coming to Sesquipedalis 4\/1\/2012!\u003C\/i\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/8838237082592267086\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/10\/thousand-days-in-making-part-6.html#comment-form","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/8838237082592267086"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/8838237082592267086"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/10\/thousand-days-in-making-part-6.html","title":"A Thousand Days in the Making\u003Cp\u003EPart 6: The Thousandth Day"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-1309808865467871745"},"published":{"$t":"2009-09-30T17:42:00.003-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2010-06-01T19:47:33.467-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"ATDITM"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mandi"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Rachael"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Sean N"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"A Thousand Days in the MakingPart 5: Rachael Returns the Favor"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"In April\/May I was going through one of my special alone time phases.  When I'm in one of these phases, the first thing to drop off the map is my ability to respond to emails.  The inbox was piling up at a steady rate, and every glance at it prompted a begrudging thought of, \"Wow.  I really need to reply to some of these.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EDay 939(May 6th, 2009) -\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI was at home avoiding the world when the little mail icon popped up on my computer.  It was a Facebook friend invite from Rachael, the girl I had been meaning to write back for the past 3 weeks.  I accepted the invitation and opened up the chat window to apologize.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"I thought I had scared you off with my last email\" she began.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EHer?  Scare me off?  What had that email said?\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI quickly switched back to my email and began reading. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EJoke about me being silly.\u003Cbr \/\u003EWork talk\u003Cbr \/\u003EBlog talk\u003Cbr \/\u003EMore jokes.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\"  style=\"color:#CC0000;\"\u003EInvitation for coffee\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EShit\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI went about cleaning up my mess as well as I could by apologizing profusely and simultaneously trying not to sound like a complete tool.  It probably wasn't working, but eventually we agreed that we should meet up sometime.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EUnfortunately both of our schedules were busy, and we spent the next few weeks unable to agree on a date until our schedule's aligned and we decided to meet on June 2nd.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EDay 965(June 1st) - \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERachael called to let me know that work had gotten extremely busy, and she just couldn't make it.  We rescheduled for the following Monday(The 8th).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EDay 968(June 4th) -\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERachael called again to let me know that she had book club on Monday, and needed to reschedule for Tuesday(The 9th).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EI got ditched for books?\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EDay 973(June 9th) -\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERachael and I had spent the past week with a flurry of emails, but the day had finally come.  By this time I was really excited to meet my new virtual friend.  I had gotten to know her over email and blogs, and the idea of meeting her in person was a little intimidating.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs our six o'clock meet up time grew closer, I started to get nervous.  Sean was the only person at work that I had told, and he was taking this opportunity to turn my seed of doubt in to a full blown issue.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Man.  What if you fart or say something stupid?  You'd better not screw this up.  That girl is way out of your league.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"It's not like that.  It's just friendly.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"She's too good for that too.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAt 4 I got an email with a huge apology explaining that Arlene, a coworker of Rachael's had fallen and been injured.  We would have to reschedule again.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERachael and I had a few more emails, but they soon faded and I stopped hearing from her.  I had assumed that something had \"Red Flagged\" me and that she had decided to get rid of me in a polite manner.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EDay 987(June 23rd) - \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI sent one last email in an attempt to make sure everything was okay.  I had made a joke about being an e-stalker in my last email, and felt like a total creepo.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EHad I scared her away?\u003C\/i\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/1309808865467871745\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/09\/thousand-days-in-making-part-5-rachael.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/1309808865467871745"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/1309808865467871745"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/09\/thousand-days-in-making-part-5-rachael.html","title":"A Thousand Days in the Making\u003Cp\u003EPart 5: Rachael Returns the Favor"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-8271721157592687376"},"published":{"$t":"2009-09-27T22:58:00.005-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-09-27T23:08:42.652-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Erik"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Nerd Word(s)"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Nerd Word(s): Special Alone Time"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cstrong\u003ESpecial Alone Time\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E- Noun\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. My semi-annual need for a lot of alone time.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#990000;\"\u003E[ Origin: A few times a year I become a hermit and shun the outside world.  Erik has been known to refer to this as my \"Special Alone Time\" ]\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E- examples\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. December '08\u003Cbr \/\u003E2. October '07\u003Cbr \/\u003E3. Summer '04"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/8271721157592687376\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/09\/nerd-words-special-alone-time.html#comment-form","title":"3 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/8271721157592687376"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/8271721157592687376"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/09\/nerd-words-special-alone-time.html","title":"Nerd Word(s): Special Alone Time"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"3"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-1400691382557782832"},"published":{"$t":"2009-09-10T23:58:00.009-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-09-11T00:30:01.753-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Adam"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Nerd Rule(s)"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Nerd Rule(s): Female Naming Conventions"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"When discussing any female, whether there is a possibility of romance or not, she should be referred to by a geographical location until such a time that her real name is suitable, or an alternative nickname has been set in place and is agreed upon by all parties.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#990000;\"\u003E[ Origin: My good friend Adam is currently living in Germany.  Through the miracles of modern technology(Instant Messaging), we've been able to keep in touch and talk on a near daily basis.  One popular topic is women, and due to my bad memory, it was necessary to develop an alternative naming scheme that was easy to remember. ]\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E- examples\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/search\/label\/Ana\"\u003EAna\u003C\/a\u003E - Chile\u003Cbr \/\u003E2. \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/search\/label\/Jo\"\u003EJo\u003C\/a\u003E - Chicago\u003Cbr \/\u003E3. \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/search\/label\/Ruth\"\u003ERuth\u003C\/a\u003E - Ohio\u003Cbr \/\u003E4. \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/search\/label\/Mandi\"\u003EMandi\u003C\/a\u003E - Montana\u003Cbr \/\u003E5. \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/search\/label\/Rachael\"\u003ERachael\u003C\/a\u003E - Kansas"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/1400691382557782832\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/09\/nerd-rules-female-naming-conventions.html#comment-form","title":"3 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/1400691382557782832"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/1400691382557782832"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/09\/nerd-rules-female-naming-conventions.html","title":"Nerd Rule(s): Female Naming Conventions"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"3"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-7049792567128506310"},"published":{"$t":"2009-09-10T23:46:00.010-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2010-06-01T19:47:26.418-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"ATDITM"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"J.R."},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Liang"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mandi"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Rachael"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Sean N"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"A Thousand Days in the MakingPart 4: Jesse Delivers the Triple No No"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003EI know, I know.  I'm a bit behind on all this.  No excuses, I've been busy.  We're finally getting to the meat of the story though.  If you've followed the blog for a while we're introducing a new Rachael in this story.  Fortunately, she spells it differently than the \"other\" Rachel.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAlso, I should point out that I took the link to her blog out because it's now private.  And before you ask, yes it's because she didn't want you reading it(Kidding).\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EDay 828(January 16th, 2009) - \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMy phone buzzed around lunchtime to let me know that I had an email.  Oddly enough it wasn't work related, or even a personal message.  It was an email to my Sesquipedalis account.  Before the Shaq piece, that account got about as much email as \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Isaiah_Washington\"\u003EIsaiah Washington\u003C\/a\u003E gets gay fan mail.  Even more odd was that it was from a girl, identified in the \u003Ci\u003EFrom\u003C\/i\u003E field of the message as Rachael.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EHi there,\u003Cbr \/\u003EI found your blog in a round about way through my sister Mandi's. She convinced me to start one at Christmas and I did.  Not sure that it is so fabulous, but it entertains her and my mom so I guess it serves a purpose.  Anyways, I thought yours was pretty funny.  When I have some time I will read more of it.  If you're interested mine is \u003Ci\u003Eremoved\u003C\/i\u003E.  I live in Phoenix too oddly enough.  Happy blogging :) Rachael\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI immediately went and spent some time reading through her blog.  One of the first entries I came across pertained to her penchant for giving pet names to the peeps in her life.  Oddly enough, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/07\/thousand-days-in-making-part-1-my-new.html\"\u003Ethe first comment her sister Mandi ever made\u003C\/a\u003E was about my tendency to do the same.  I was pretty amused by the whole thing, and since it had relatively few entries at the time, I breezed through it.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn the upper right hand corner of the blog was a picture of Rachael.  I throw words like \"Cute\" and \"Pretty\" around on this blog like Steve Nash dishing assists, but I find them insufficient in regards to describing this girl.  She was \u003Ci\u003Egorgeous\u003C\/i\u003E.  And for my part I was having none of it.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/09\/swan-song.html\"\u003Eonce wrote\u003C\/a\u003E that after the twins, I was tired of pretty people.  You need to be a 6 or less to hang out with me, and Rachael had missed the cut by about 4 points.  I sent her a very polite response and thanked her for reading, but when I received a response the following Monday, I just let it go.  In my mind, no girl \u003Ci\u003Ethat\u003C\/i\u003E attractive was out on the Internet interested in talking to me.  She probably didn't care if I wrote back or not.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDay 890(March 9th, 2009) - \u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI was surprised when Rachael left a comment on one of my blog entries, and even sent me an email to let me know how amused she was.  I had assumed that her initial letter was just an attempt to gain more readers, or just a friendly hello.  Even more surprising was that within 30 minutes of her leaving the comment Liang was in my office.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Who's Rachael?\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Huh?  Uh... Ruth's sister?  The twin?  You've met h...\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"No... the one who left a comment on your blog.  The super cute one in the beanie.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003ELeaving a comment on my blog had lead him back to hers.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Oh... \u003Ci\u003Eher\u003C\/i\u003E.  That's Mandi's sister.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Who the hell's Mandi?\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAn hour later I got an IM from J.R.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Who the hell is this Rachael?\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI was doing my best to keep expectations low, but by the end of the day Rachael was the talk of the office.   The common question became, \"What are you going to do?\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMy plan remained the same.  \u003Ci\u003EI was going to do nothing\u003C\/i\u003E. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Have you seen that girl?\" I'd ask, \"I'm not taking my whiffle ball bat and trying to hit in the National League.  I'm not doing \u003Ci\u003Eanything\u003C\/i\u003E.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMost of the nerds let it go fairly quickly.  Most of the nerds except for Sean.  Sean has been happily married for a while, which somehow gives him carte blanche to screw with the rest of us when it comes to women.  Had he not metaphorically won the lottery by meeting his wife, he'd be just as spineless and lame as the rest of us, but since fate had dealt him a royal flush he took this opportunity to mess with me while we planned his \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/03\/totally-totally-nerd-party-2009.html\"\u003Eannual St. Patty's day party\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"You should invite Kansas.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Let me get this straight... Some girl who I only know because I know her sister, in fact, I don't really even know here sister, I should ask her to a party with a bunch of you dorks?  Yeah, that won't be creepy.  \u003Ci\u003EPass.\u003C\/i\u003E\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Do it.  If you don't, I'll write a comment on her blog and ask her for you.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EFine\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDay 892(March 11th, 2009) -\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI sent Rachael a long email, and tried to casually work it in that she could come to our party.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDay 893(March 12th, 2009) -\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERachael sent me a long email and casually worked it in that my invitation to a party with a bunch of people she didn't know was sort of weird, and that she would not be attending.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERachael and I continued to correspond for the next month.  The letters were always quite lengthy and amusing, but eventually I decided that she was most likely just being nice.  Pretty, funny, smart girls probably have better things to do with their time than email me.  Right?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDay 926(April 14th, 2009) -\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERachael sent me a lengthy email that I had thought was quite typical.  The email sat in my inbox for quite some time.  I had intended to respond, but never got around to it.  I would later find that I should have read the email more carefully..."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/7049792567128506310\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/09\/thousand-days-in-making-part-4-jesse.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/7049792567128506310"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/7049792567128506310"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/09\/thousand-days-in-making-part-4-jesse.html","title":"A Thousand Days in the Making\u003Cp\u003EPart 4: Jesse Delivers the Triple No No"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-3294578320007638673"},"published":{"$t":"2009-08-20T21:11:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-08-20T21:24:35.965-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mory"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Nerd Word(s)"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"NerdMory Word(s): My List"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cstrong\u003EMy List\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E- Noun\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. The list of people(normally five) that you can have sex with and not be considered a cheater.  The list is usually comprised of celebrities or famous people.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#990000;\"\u003E[ Origin: I think there was an episode of Friends about it, but the idea has been around forever. ]\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E- example\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. Shirley Manson\u003Cbr \/\u003E2. Felicia Day\u003Cbr \/\u003E3. Tina Fey\u003Cbr \/\u003E4. Rue Mcclanahan\u003Cbr \/\u003E5. Steve Nash"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/3294578320007638673\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/08\/nerd-mory-words-my-list.html#comment-form","title":"5 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/3294578320007638673"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/3294578320007638673"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/08\/nerd-mory-words-my-list.html","title":"\u003Cs\u003ENerd\u003C\/s\u003EMory Word(s): My List"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"5"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-6952656675140984831"},"published":{"$t":"2009-08-20T20:07:00.004-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2010-06-01T19:47:18.842-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"ATDITM"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mory"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Rose"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Todd"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"A Thousand Days in the MakingPart 3: Geremy Saves the Blog"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"The second half of 2008 was a rough one for the blog.  After two and a half years of writing, I had completely run out of ideas.  I was repeating jokes and stories, and nothing felt new.  I decided to branch out and try some different things.  I wrote fiction stories based in reality, or posts with a comedic slant.  Some of it worked, and some of it didn't, but after really \u003Ci\u003Etrying\u003C\/i\u003E for a few months, I was kind of tired of it.  As the year drew to a close, it again felt like the blog was dying.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EDay 823 (January 10th, 2009) -\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Cardinals were playing the Panthers in the second round of the playoffs, and the gang had decided to meet up at our typical watering hole to watch the game.  The Cards doing well happens once, maybe twice in a lifetime, so we were all fairly excited.  My sister even decided that Fitz was on her list.  Her boyfriend Andrew decided that Fitz might be on his list too.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"A friend of mine that I haven't seen in a while is coming up to meet us\", \u003Cs\u003ETodd\u003C\/s\u003E Geremy said nonchalantley during the first quarter.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EEither I hadn't been spending enough time with Geremy, or I was too enthralled with the game, but I didn't immediately question who this friend was.  As the second quarter started, a girl who was far too pretty to be hanging out in our dive bar walked in the door.  Geremy waived his hand to get her attention.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"There's Anna-Jeanne.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EOf course.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI'm not sure why it surprised me, cute girls flock to Geremy like fat kids to a half off donut sale.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnna-Jeanne took a seat between me and Geremy and did her best to keep up with the game.  While Miranda was practicing writing \"Mrs. Larry Fitzgerald\" and everyone else was completely focused on the Cards, I was now sitting next to a cute girl, and slightly nervous.  What made it worse was that she kept talking to me.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI attempted to calm my nerves and actually carry on a conversation.  I explained a few things about the game and made a few jokes which she actually laughed at.  This would have been a very normal night for me, had it included an introduction from \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rod_Serling\"\u003ERod Serling\u003C\/a\u003E, but it hadn't.  And it was about to get weirder.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAfter one joke she laughed loudly before stopping and saying, \"Wait, what was your name again?\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Uh... Jesse?\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"OH. MY.  GOD!  You're the one with the blog, right?  I remember reading a story about you hiking.  You're \u003Ci\u003Ehilarious\u003C\/i\u003E!\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI honestly thought for a moment that maybe Geremy had hired her to come in and lift my spirits.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EJanuary 10th also happens to be my good friend Rose's birthday.  There was a party at Heidi's house which I was already late too.  I stalled for a little while longer, but I figured it was best that I leave before I had a chance to say anything stupid.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003ERose's birthday party is a grand tradition.  Even though Rose was in Iowa, Heidi wasn't about to let something as minor as 1700 miles spoil \u003Cspan onmouseover=\"Tip('The confusing pronoun reference here is on purpose.')\" onmouseout=\"UnTip()\"  style=\"color:#000099;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Eher\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E day.  The plan was a \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3410\/3186200839_57c911f21b_o.jpg\"\u003Ewebcam based party\u003C\/a\u003E with all of the Phoenix residents meeting at Heidi's.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EDay 824 (January 11th, 2009) -\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMiranda called me early in the morning to discuss the game, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=tP3evsV1jRE\"\u003Ehow awesome Fitzgerald is\u003C\/a\u003E, and the previous night.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"I think that girl was in love with you.  You shouldn't have left so early.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Yeah.  I thought maybe that was just all in my head, but she actually seemed to find me amusing.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"You blew it.\""},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/6952656675140984831\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/08\/thousand-days-in-making-part-3-geremy.html#comment-form","title":"4 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/6952656675140984831"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/6952656675140984831"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/08\/thousand-days-in-making-part-3-geremy.html","title":"A Thousand Days in the Making\u003Cp\u003EPart 3: Geremy Saves the Blog"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"4"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-347249958537381793"},"published":{"$t":"2009-08-19T13:23:00.003-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2010-06-01T19:46:49.347-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"ATDITM"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"A Thousand Days in the MakingSupplementary Writings"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"This is the story I told at my Grandmother, Dean Martin's funeral:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EMy Grandmother was a pretty great woman, but anyone who's here probably already knew that.  She always wanted the best for her grandkids, and did a lot to look out for us.  I'm sure if she was here right now she'd be straightening my tie, and licking her thumb and trying to get the little spiky part in the front of my hair to \"lay down\".\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGrandma obviously influenced the three of us in a lot of ways, both directly and indirectly, and I'd like to share one story of how she changed who I am today.  She made me promise that I'd never tell anyone this, but I think it's probably alright if I share this with everyone now.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhen I was about 12 years old I decided that what I really \u003Ci\u003Eneeded\u003C\/i\u003E was a computer.  I also decided that I needed one by the time I went to High School.  I saved almost every penny I could for 3 years, but as the summer before High School came, I still didn't have the money saved that the computer cost.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMost of my immediate family here knows that I did get that computer.  What they don't know is where the rest of that money came from.  One day when everyone else was out, my Grandmother pulled me aside, put her hand in mine and said:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"I don't really understand this computer thing you keep going on about, but it seems really important to you\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EShe pulled her hand away but left in my hand a substantial sum of money.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EShe then leaned in close and gave me that serious Dean Martin look to let me know she wasn't fooling around and she said, \"Don't tell Leon.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn High School I took every computer class I could, and at night I spent my time learning all I could.  I eventually went off to college to study Computer Science, and today I make my living as a computer programmer.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/347249958537381793\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/08\/thousand-days-in-making-supplementary.html#comment-form","title":"3 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/347249958537381793"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/347249958537381793"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/08\/thousand-days-in-making-supplementary.html","title":"A Thousand Days in the Making\u003Cp\u003ESupplementary Writings"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"3"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-6723863026967343519"},"published":{"$t":"2009-08-05T20:36:00.002-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2010-06-01T19:46:43.584-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"ATDITM"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mandi"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Rachel"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ruth"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"A Thousand Days in the MakingPart 2: Mary Saves the Blog"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003EPop Quiz.  Jesse has been absent from blogging because:\u003Cbr \/\u003EA) He was commissioned by the state of AZ to paint a mural in the courtroom of downtown Phoenix.\u003Cbr \/\u003EB) He's been sick.\u003Cbr \/\u003EC) His mathlete team advanced to the finals and he had to go on tour.\u003Cbr \/\u003ED) He's been busy with various peeps.\u003Cbr \/\u003EE) He's lazy.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENo matter the answer, I apologize for the delay.  This story is long enough as it is(Somewhere between 23 and 27 parts), and the last thing we need is a long break in the middle.  So, back to blogging.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis part of the story hits a bit of a downturn, but I think it's important to fill in some of the gaps for anyone who's been reading for a while.  It's important to note why the blog needed saving.  Despite the language used here, no need to worry about me.  Things only get written about once I'm okay with them.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMy condo was one of the few in the building that wasn't remodeled, and as such I had moved in much earlier than anyone else.  I'd spent months a bit worried that I'd end up with some pain-in-the-ass person next door and we'd fight forever.  This wasn't like renting an apartment and having a bad neighbor.  I was here indefinitely.  For better or worse, this place was \u003Ci\u003Emine\u003C\/i\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn early October, I could hear my new neighbors moving in next door.  I really wanted, all day, to peek out and introduce myself, but I wasn't sure how awkward it would be, so I spent most of the day cleaning and running errands.  On my final trip home for the day I would finally run in to the two girls who would end up changing my life forever.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe encounter was nothing more than a brief passing in the hall, but even then I knew it was something more.  The next day I would sit down and \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2006\/10\/i-think-im-in-love.html\"\u003Ewrite about it\u003C\/a\u003E.  At the time I even started a new series of blog entries called \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/search\/label\/Nerd%20Word%28s%29\"\u003ENerd Word(s)\u003C\/a\u003E\" in an attempt to help document and explain the stupid crap that comes out of my mouth.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EDay 31 (November 10th, 2006) -\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn one of the boldest moves of my life, I walked across the hall and knocked on the pink door of 11-L.  I had hoped to invite Ruth and Rachel hiking with me, but I ended up with a lot more than a simple hiking trip.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAn hour later I had been whisked away, and found myself on a balcony talking to Ruth, who I was immediately enamored with.  While I joked that it was hard to tell them apart, it wasn't.  Not really.  Rachel was an instant best friend who could make me laugh or smile without effort, but when Ruth looked at me, my little nerd heart lept out of my chest.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe feeling never made sense to me.  It couldn't be a physical attraction difference.  They're identical, and Rachel was the twin that seemed best matched to me.  She is the loud, crazy, obnoxiously funny one.  I spent some time trying to figure out why I felt the way that I did about Ruth.  I asked their friends what they thought the differences were between the two.  I paid attention to the way they acted.  I looked for anything that could be the cause of these feelings, but eventually I relented and just gave in to it.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt didn't matter if the connection made sense.  It was there, and it was obvious to me.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhen I was sad, she was there with a hug.\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhen she was cold, I was already taking off my hoodie and putting it on her.\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhen I needed reassurance in a social situation, her hand would slide towards mine under the table.\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhen she was hungry, I was already making dinner.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThere was no need to verbalize a want, it was already done. The connection was so strong for me that for the first time in my life I was confident with a woman.  I didn't need to rush anything with her.  It all seemed so inevitable.  That confidence would prove to be my undoing.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EDay 45 (November 24th, 2006) -\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMy Grandmother passed away on her 88th birthday, which also happened to be the day after Thanksgiving.  She had long been fighting dementia, so her passing was a bittersweet ending to an exceptional life.  My mother spent the week making the arrangements for her mother's funeral, and I told her that I wanted to say something.  Public speaking ranks as one of the last things that I ever care to do, but in this case, I had a story to share.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERuth's boyfriend was in town for Thanksgiving, and they spent a good portion of the week arguing and fighting.  It was a relationship they both seemed to know was over, but neither had yet verbalized it.  His trip seemed, in my eyes, a goodbye (for both).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EDay 54 (December 3rd, 2006) -\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI found myself in Arkansas for the funeral.  We visited with relatives, and stopped by Grandma's school.  She had been the principal for her small town for many years, and when they built a new elementary school, it was named after her (Dean Martin Elementary).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI made up my mind on that trip.  It was time to tell Ruth exactly how I felt.  It was time to make something happen.  I returned and entered their condo with my newfound confidence.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI was greeted with a hug and an excited statement, \"I met some guy at Sheri's party on Saturday!\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EWell, shit.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"That's... great\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EDay 74 (December 23rd, 2006) -\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe rest of December passed by without major event.  Living next to Ruth and Rachel was like living next to the Spice Girls.  What once would be described as a \"major event\" had become quite common place.  There were models, singers, ballet dancers, blue men, and actors stopping by on a regular basis, and I quickly learned to take it all in stride. It was quite the departure from my friends who's diversity ended at a Canadian, and that one guy with \u003Ci\u003Etwo\u003C\/i\u003E level seventy characters in WoW.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETwo days before Christmas, Kendall had what she named \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/01\/urban-family-christmas.html\"\u003EThe Urban Family Christmas\u003C\/a\u003E\".  It was a dinner with friends, and I was had been invited!  It was at this party that Ruth would meet the man who would win her heart.  He was a pre-med student,, and like most men, he was enthralled by the twins.  More specifically, \u003Ci\u003Emy\u003C\/i\u003E twin.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAt this point in time, Ruthie had numerous suitors, and her main objection to me seemed to be the fact that I was not a member of the Jewish faith.  He had that on me, and for that reason I actually encouraged her to go out with him.  I was still ridiculously overconfident in my relationship with Ruth, so a small delay couldn't matter.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EDay 115 (February 2nd, 2007) -\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFor my thirtieth birthday, the twins threw me the biggest party of my life.  I usually shy away from crowds, but I actually found myself having a good time.  At the end of the night, after most people had left, I found myself alone in my room with my neighbor crush.  Despite the fact that she lived 5 feet away, we never found ourselves alone.  It was time to make my move.  It was time to tell her everything.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnd then there was a knock at my door.  It was \u003Ci\u003Ehim\u003C\/i\u003E, and he was looking for Ruth.  I would soon realize that aggressiveness has it's advantages, and that I had no aggressiveness.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EDay 308 (August 14th, 2007) -\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERuth's boyfriend was accepted to medical school in Ohio, and she informed me that she was considering moving with him.  The last six months had been a whirlwind romance for her, and she told me that she would spend the next two months deciding.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMaybe it was selfish, maybe it was foolish, but I couldn't bear the thought of her leaving.  For the first time, I decided to take action.  For the next sixty days I wrote a reason every day for her to stay and posted them in a private blog for her and her alone.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EDay 341 (September 16th 2007) -\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe new blog ended on Day #34 when Ruthie told me she was moving.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EDay ~417 (December 2007) -\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs 2007 came to a close, I was broken.  I wasn't sure where to go next, but the last thing I wanted to do was write positive, humorous things on a blog.  My writing limped along for a while, but eventually I decided it was over.  The story I had convinced myself that I was writing had gone the other way.  Like a spoiled brat who hadn't gotten his way, I was tired of writing it.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EScrew you guys, I'm going home\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhen I had convinced myself that I didn't care if I quit writing, I got an unexpected letter from Mandi.  It was a brief message to let me know that she was still reading and enjoying my blog.  It ended with an surprising remark, \"My mom reads it too and really likes it!\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003ESomebody else's mom reads my blog?\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt was the mother's guilt trip that I needed.  I couldn't possibly quit now."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/6723863026967343519\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/08\/thousand-days-in-making-part-2-mary.html#comment-form","title":"4 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/6723863026967343519"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/6723863026967343519"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/08\/thousand-days-in-making-part-2-mary.html","title":"A Thousand Days in the Making\u003Cp\u003EPart 2: Mary Saves the Blog"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"4"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-4210910522174626989"},"published":{"$t":"2009-07-22T22:00:00.002-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2010-06-01T19:46:37.457-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"ATDITM"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mandi"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"A Thousand Days in the MakingPart 1: My New Blog Buddy"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EDay 1 (October 10th, 2006) - \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAfter a few weeks of working my nerdy little ass off, I had finished a very major project at work in the eleventh hour.  This project had kept me at my desk until midnight more often than not, and I found myself suddenly relaxed and free of stress.  On this particular day, the clock struck three and I was done.  I had given the company my time, and while it was best that I stay till five, all work stopped and my attention drifted to my new writing project.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt occurred to me that I hadn't actually read other blogs.  It was time to look out and see what the rest of the world was writing about, and to do that I started clicking the \"Next Blog\" button at the top of the page.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI was more disappointed than the guy who financed \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_U.S._and_Canadian_box_office_bombs\"\u003EThe Adventures of Pluto Nash\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E.  I constantly joke about being a bad writer, but the average blog makes me look like William Shakespeare.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESpanish Blog - \u003Ci\u003ENext Blog\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPicture Blog - \u003Ci\u003ENext  Blog \u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESpanish Blog - \u003Ci\u003ENext  Blog \u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAdvertisements - \u003Ci\u003ENext  Blog \u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhat was supposed to be English, but failed to achieve anything close - \u003Ci\u003ENext  Blog \u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPortuguese Blog - \u003Ci\u003ENext  Blog \u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESomeone that I don't know's baby blog - \u003Ci\u003ENext  Blog \u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESome girl in Montana with a nerdy glasses, Tina Fey sorta thing going on who's studying to be a nurse.  - \u003Ci\u003ESolid grammar.  Decent number of posts.  Let's see what she has to say.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOver the next few days I would read Mandi's entire blog from start to finish.  In some ways it was simple.  She wasn't necessarily trying to tell a giant story, or cover a specific topic.  It was just a keyhole view of someone else's life.  It was well written and engaging, and in the end I had some new ideas on blogging.  It was just what I had been looking for.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EDay 4 (October 14, 2006) - \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI sent Mandi a message on Myspace which in retrospect probably read like a letter from a creepy dude on the Internet.  Where a simple, \"Hey, I read your blog and really liked it, thanks.\" would have most likely been sufficient, I wrote a page long email.  Jesse 2009 realizes that reading an entire blog gives one a false sense of relationship with the writer because that relationship is inherently one sided.  Jesse 2006 did not.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EDay 6 (October 16, 2006) -\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELuckily for me, Mandi wasn't too creeped out.  She wrote back to thank me for reading her blog.  She quickly became my first official \"blog buddy\" and her's would become the first blog linked on the side of mine.  In her email she also mentioned the odd coincidence of having a sister who lived in Phoenix.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHad I known Mandi better, my first question would have been, \"Is she in to short nerds?\", but since I had probably already over stepped my bounds I let it go.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EShe even left a comment on \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2006\/10\/jesse-climbs-high.html\"\u003Eone of my blog entries\u003C\/a\u003E about a hiking trip with Geremy and a girl whom I had nicknamed, \"Harold\".  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EI like the name game. It's fun! Geremy is Todd, and Amy is Harold... can I be someone else? (Not that you particularly know me, or that there is any foreseeable reason I should turn up in your blog. I just want to be part of the party...)\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EIt's been almost three years, but I'm finally prepared to answer this question.  The in office nicknaming scheme for all females is to call them by a geographical location.  In this case you'd probably be \"Montana\", but I think we're just going to have to go with Mandi until a more suitable nickname can be found.  I'll have my people call your people.  We'll work on it.\u003C\/i\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/4210910522174626989\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/07\/thousand-days-in-making-part-1-my-new.html#comment-form","title":"7 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/4210910522174626989"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/4210910522174626989"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/07\/thousand-days-in-making-part-1-my-new.html","title":"A Thousand Days in the Making\u003Cp\u003EPart 1: My New Blog Buddy"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"7"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-2897505703855085705"},"published":{"$t":"2009-07-19T23:45:00.001-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2010-06-01T19:46:07.879-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"ATDITM"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"J.R."},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Todd"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"A Thousand Days in the MakingThe Prologue"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003EThe plan was to write this entry later on, but since it ties well in to my last one, and I find it interesting, I've decided to push some other ones back.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETime wise this story takes place over a 1000 day period of time.  Yes, I did the math, and that's accurate give or take about 5 days.  A few of the emails that had the exact dates are gone because myspace is lame.  If you're involved in this story, and can correct me, feel free.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESince this story is rather lengthy, and completely related to the blog itself, I decided to start with a little history of Sesquipedalis and how it came to be.  I hope you enjoy it.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOne of the very best parts about writing an autobiographical story blog is to see the butterfly effect in motion, and how the smallest things in your past affect your present.  You get to see snapshots in time of your life, emotions and opinions.  You get to see how those things change with the gift of hindsight.  In this particular story, the part of the butterfly is played by a small button on this web page that looks like this:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv align='center'\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/3738316870\/\" title=\"Next Blog by jessebearden, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg src=\"http:\/\/farm3.static.flickr.com\/2523\/3738316870_c9d9ec19e1_o.jpg\" width=\"103\" height=\"40\" alt=\"Next Blog\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe summer of 2006 was an important one for me.  I was finally coming out of my post-break up malaise, and I was just starting to become a functioning member of society again.  One important step in the recovery process was writing a blog.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOf course I didn't start off writing a blog.  I wrote two or three posts on myspace, and never planned on writing more.  Then one day, Sean's friend J.R. left a comment on an entry.  It was pretty cool that someone I didn't know all that well (at the time anyhow) had taken a moment to read something that I had written.  It was even more astounding that he actually enjoyed it.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAround that time I started hanging out with my sister and her friends on a regular basis, which normally consisted of trips out to bars.  Miranda and I were always good friends, but since she is seven years younger, and way cooler than I, we didn't hang out too often in a social setting.  That changed in 2006 when she took me under her wing and gave me a social personality makeover.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOne night Miranda's friend Geremy came out with us.  I had known \u003Ci\u003Eof\u003C\/i\u003E Geremy for quite some time, but didn't really \u003Ci\u003Eknow\u003C\/i\u003E him.  While Geremy would later become the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2006\/11\/second-base-with-aunt-sharon.html\"\u003ERobin to my Batman\u003C\/a\u003E, at the time I saw him as my polar opposite.  He was tall, fun and charismatic.  \u003Ci\u003EWe couldn't possibly have anything in common.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Oh my god!  I love your blog!\" he shouted one night above the bar noise.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EReally?  What's this guy know about screwing up with women?\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnd just like that I had my second blog reader.  The problem was that I didn't really have a blog, anything to write about, or any idea how to write.  Since \u003Ci\u003Esomebody\u003C\/i\u003E seemed to care, and I needed a creative outlet, I decided to put some effort in to it.  I moved the few stories I had over to Google's Blogger.  Unlike myspace, Blogger required a unique name for the blog.  By this point in time Geremy was introducing me as, \"Jesse - The guy with the blog.  You know, the one I had you read.\"  The response was quite often, \"Oh, that was funny... and long.  Really long.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESesquipedalian means \"long and ponderous\".  The word was originally used by Homer to make fun of another writer saying that he used \"foot and a half long words\", so the connotation is a bit insulting.  Sesqui - One and a half.  Ped - Foot.  Unfortunately that name was taken.  I switched it to Sesquipedalis and was officially a blogger."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/2897505703855085705\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/07\/thousand-days-in-making-prologue.html#comment-form","title":"7 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/2897505703855085705"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/2897505703855085705"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/07\/thousand-days-in-making-prologue.html","title":"A Thousand Days in the Making\u003Cp\u003EThe Prologue"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"7"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-1221639365290090182"},"published":{"$t":"2009-07-13T13:39:00.001-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-07-13T22:08:16.414-07:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Three"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003EI apologize that this post is a little serious and self serving.  I allow myself one every now and again, hopefully you will too.  I promise, we'll get back to stories of me being an idiot soon enough.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThree years ago Saturday, I posted a poorly written story on my \u003Ci\u003Emyspace\u003C\/i\u003E blog about my mother trying to set me up with a lesbian.  Somehow that story snowballed, and while the myspace profile is all but abandoned, I've now published over 200 stories that mostly deal with me striking out with women.  At least that's what it is on the surface.  Behind the scenes, at least for me, the blog is a little bit of therapy.  It's a lesson in not taking myself too seriously.  It's a chance to be creative for someone who's completely uncreative.  Most importantly, it's a reminder that life is fantastic.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI actually kept a private journal for about a year's time.  That was 6 or 7 years ago.  I keep it around as a remind of just how lame I truly can be, but I haven't looked at it in a long while because, quite frankly, it's embarrassing.  It's a lot of whining and bitching from a kid who had a pretty good life.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhen I started this blog, I decided to make it very public.  I knew if nobody else read it, my good friends Adam and Rose would, and they'd give me a solid nut check every time I turned in to a whiny ass.  Rule number one of the blog was to always keep things light hearted and happy.  At the time I was a little down, and while I didn't look at everything with rose colored glasses, it was easy enough to write it that way.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBut something happened that I didn't see coming.  Over the last three years the way I live my life has changed because of the blog I've been writing.  I started taking risks where I wouldn't before.  I started being social where I wouldn't have before.  I started being positive where before I'd have been negative.  While I've always written myself as a happy-go-lucky, laugh in the face of embarrassment kind of nerd, over time I've slowly become that guy, at least to some extent.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESo, to everyone who's given me a little encouragement, sent an email, or even left a comment, thanks for keeping me at it.  It's been a solid few years, and hopefully there's more to come.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EI realize that I now have at least a reader or two who doesn't know me in real life.  If you've got any questions or comments, feel free to comment or email. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"What ever happened between you and so-and-so?\"  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Did you really...?\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Learn to use a comma properly, jackass\"\u003C\/i\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/1221639365290090182\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/07\/three.html#comment-form","title":"7 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/1221639365290090182"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/1221639365290090182"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/07\/three.html","title":"Three"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"7"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-6243104317872315155"},"published":{"$t":"2009-07-11T01:49:00.013-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-07-11T03:27:30.488-07:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"When a Celebrity Asks if you Want a Picture, You Say Yes"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"My #1 \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/02\/nerd-words-pretend-girlfriend.html\"\u003EPretend Girlfriend\u003C\/a\u003E Sarah sent me a text this afternoon asking if I wanted to go to the Improv tonight.  My schedule was relatively free, and a quick check of the calendar showed that \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Iliza_Shlesinger\"\u003EIliza Shlesinger\u003C\/a\u003E was headlining.  I don't remember watching much of the last season of Last Comic Standing, but I do remember Iliza from the show.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EA quick Google search revealed that she was actually the winner.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EGood for her.  I remember her being funny.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETickets were purchased, and a few hours later Sarah and I found ourselves waiting in line to enter.  As we approached the door, Iliza walked by.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"There's your girlfriend\" Sarah said, slightly snickering.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Huh?  Oh.\" I turned and saw the comedian coming up the steps.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"She's kind of tiny.\" Sarah pointed out, \"You're so in love with her.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESarah was probably right.  Short, cute, energetic, and funny?  If that sounds familiar, you've either been reading my dream journal, or you peeked at last year's letter to Santa.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/3709635454\/\" title=\"Iliza Shlesinger by jessebearden, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg src=\"http:\/\/farm3.static.flickr.com\/2660\/3709635454_ce68632f83.jpg\" width=\"400\" height=\"500\" alt=\"Iliza Shlesinger\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe show was fairly amusing, but in a bit of an odd way.  It was more like hanging out with your really funny friend than it was a comedy show.  It was somehow a little more accessible I guess. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs the show wrapped up, much like a 70 year old man with diabetes, Sarah rushed to the bathroom for trip #2 while I stood in the entry way.  There were a few members of the wait staff there and one or two other people, but it was still relatively empty when Iliza walked by and headed for a little place from which to greet the fans.  In a minute or two, the small area would be flooded with people, but for now it was just me, two other dudes, and one super cute comedian.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"You want a picture or something?\" she asked, to nobody in particular.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnd for once I actually had something to say.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"I don't know... If I take a picture with you, I'm going to have to upload it to my facebook.  That's all fine, but that also means my mom is going to see, and that means she's going to be calling me at 8:30 tomorrow morning asking me who you are, how we met, and if you want to have children or not.  And I gotta be honest Iliza, I like to sleep in on my Saturdays.  But what the hell, let's be dangerous and just go for it, shall we?\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAt least that's what I thought would be amusing, \u003Ci\u003Ein my head\u003C\/i\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn reality I decided to go with a different tactic.  If you remember, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/02\/finally-use-for-twitter.html\"\u003EI had the balls to ask an ultra famous 325 lbs. man if he'd mind posing for a picture with me\u003C\/a\u003E, but the hundred pound white girl was just way too intimidating.  I stood for a moment actively \u003Ci\u003Enot\u003C\/i\u003E making eye contact before retreating a few steps and hoping Sarah would finish up quickly.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELike all good nerds, my confidence rose when I was back behind the safety of the Internet.  She mentioned twitter a few times during her act, and she's doing two more shows, so I sent her a tweet asking if she wants to have lunch tomorrow.  I'll keep you posted, but if it works out, you're all invited to the wedding."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/6243104317872315155\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/07\/when-celebrity-asks-if-you-want-picture.html#comment-form","title":"3 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/6243104317872315155"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/6243104317872315155"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/07\/when-celebrity-asks-if-you-want-picture.html","title":"When a Celebrity Asks if you Want a Picture, You Say Yes"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/farm3.static.flickr.com\/2660\/3709635454_ce68632f83_t.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"3"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-6887388477332757091"},"published":{"$t":"2009-07-01T23:47:00.007-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-07-02T00:07:14.468-07:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Elevator Humor.... part 3?"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"This evening I had a \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/02\/nerd-words-pretend-girlfriend.html\"\u003Epretend girlfriend\u003C\/a\u003E date with my friend Sarah.  We hit up the CPK, did a little shopping, grabbed some fro-yo, and watched a little Tivo back at my place.  It was a solid evening, and at the end of the night we found ourselves in my elevator heading towards the parking lot.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESarah and I regularly trade long winded stories, and on this particular evening I had interrupted her a few times.  As we descended in the elevator she pretended to be upset with me.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"You never let me finish!\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAt this point the elevator reached the first floor and the doors began to open.  Sarah and I had been play fighting all night, and we know each other well enough to take things a bit far at times.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"I don't care if the ladies finish.  It's all about me.  That's my move,\" I responded.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs the last word came out of my mouth I exited the elevator and noticed a blond girl standing to the left waiting to get on.  I believe it was the Cardinal's cheerleader that I've bumped in to a few times who lives in the building.  I say \"believe\" because I of course was too embarrassed to look her in the eye.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhen we were just out of ear shot Sarah burst out laughing and started on me.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Just so you know, you've got no chance with that one now.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Now?  She was out of my league already right?\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Oh, totally.\""},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/6887388477332757091\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/07\/elevator-humor-part-3.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/6887388477332757091"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/6887388477332757091"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/07\/elevator-humor-part-3.html","title":"Elevator Humor.... part 3?"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-3483330340542847583"},"published":{"$t":"2009-07-01T16:45:00.001-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2019-04-10T19:23:50.996-07:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"My Recent Trip to Court"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003EWe're going to completely shift gears for a second and I'm going to post something completely serious about my recent jury duty.  I wrote this out for someone else, but I've decided to post it for now.  It's by no means polished or amusing.  I may edit it as I see fit, or remove it all together.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI had to serve on a jury this week.  A lot of people seem to be interested in the case and how it turned out.  It's odd how something this serious can affect you emotionally for a few days.  It's the same feeling I had when my work was raided by ICE and the ATF a few years back (for those who know that story).  Maybe it only affects me in this way because being completely serious for two days straight is almost impossible for me.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Prosecution story started off like this:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EBack in 2006 an officer sees a car driving around 9 at night with its headlights off, doing about 10 miles an hour as it approaches a light.  At the last minute it jerks suddenly in to the left hand turn lane.  He finds this suspicious, pulls up behind it, and after the left hand turn, pulls the car over.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs he's asking for license and registration, etc. the officer notices that the driver is a bit flush, and has a faint odor of alcohol, so he asks her to step out of the vehicle and performs the horizontal gaze nystagmus test(The, \"Follow this pen\/light with your eyes\" deal).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EApparently the officers look for 6 specific cues in this test.  3 or more indicate neurological impairment(Most often from consumption of alcohol).  She had all six.  The officer asks her to submit to some field sobriety tests and she says that she has arthritis and some long time physical injuries that may give inaccurate results.  He asks her to take a breathalyzer and she readily agrees.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHe was on a motorcycle.  They transport her to a van where they can do the test, and she blows a .126.  In AZ it's .08 or higher and you're not supposed to be driving.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAt this point I was thinking, \"Wrap this one up and we can all go home early.  She's guilty.\"  The defense hopped up and broke it down like this:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EThe lady had just left a restaurant where she had sampled a glass of wine, but ultimately decided not to order it.  Her car had been valeted here.  She has automatic headlights, and isn't really sure how they got to the off position. \u0026nbsp;She didn't notice until the cop pulled her over. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe section of town she was driving through had a tremendous amount of confusing construction at that time.  (I personally know that to be true because it's about 2 miles from where I live).  They were also working at night, so they had a bunch of huge lights out there.  The area is next to one of the bigger shopping centers in Phoenix, so it's already very well lit.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EShe explained that she wasn't sure if it was \"this left\" or \"the next one\" to get to the Fry's grocery store she intended to go to.  (Again, I know the area, makes sense to me.  It's confusing)  That's the explanation for the sudden jerking to the left hand turn lane.  She also doesn't normally drive at night because of a previous injury, and therefore was a little overly cautious.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThirty years ago she was in a really serious car accident where her car was \"run over\" by a semi truck.  She spent a decent amount of time in a coma, and months in physical therapy.  She has some lingering physical issues and nerve damage.  Both sides seemed to agree that this could possibly cause failure of the eye test, although the prosecution obviously thought it was much less likely than the defense.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOne of the cues that officers use to test if you're drunk is to ask you questions while you get your license and registration.  Apparently the ability to multi-task is one of the first things to go normally.  She passed this just fine.  She never slurred any speech, or had a loss of balance, or any other visual indications of being drunk.  During the time the officer was following her, he noted nothing other than perfect driving.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHe then went on for about 4 hours challenging the breathalyzer test itself.  Apparently this particular machine had exceptions starting one week after the incident.  Within a month it was sent back to the manufacturer for two months of repair.  A few months after that, the head of the company that makes the machine came out to perform repairs on the machine and did something that neither side knew to the machine.  Six months after the DUI arrest, that machine was decommissioned.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe defense also called as an expert witness, a toxicologist.  This guy also happened to be the man who worked for the city of Phoenix in the crime lab in 2006, and he quit because he was upset with the department and their records keeping.  He said that he felt the results in this case were \"Scientifically Questionable\".  The company that made the breathalyzer has never agreed to testify in a case and has constantly refused requests to view the source code to the machine.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe driver asked for a blood test.  The officer, even though qualified to give one, refused.  Apparently it wasn't police policy to give one unless the case was serious.  If it was \"serious\" then a blood test was always given.  Since 2006, city of Phoenix has switched to only using blood tests.  The police told her that she could go somewhere like a hospital and get an independent test.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EShe said she had a friend take her to 3 different hospitals, but the soonest any would see her is 5 hours.  She gave up at that point. \u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThere are, obviously, a lot of other facts to the case, and I'm sure I've forgotten to mention a few.  In the end, my gut feeling was that she had done it.  She was most likely a wealthy lady.  She got a really good lawyer, and was trying to get out of it.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThat being said, I still had reasonable doubt.  I work on software.  The chances of there being a bug seem possible.  The breathalyzer was done an hour and a half after the pull over and she blew a .126.  .1 is when the average person is supposed to lose fine motor skills.  .15 is where you lose major motor skills.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt seemed odd to me that she had no other visible signs of being drunk.  No stumbling, no bad driving, no issue retrieving her license\/registration.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe other 5 jurors didn't see it that way.  The most vocal was a 60 year old republican looking dude whose basic argument was, \"Test says she did it.  She did it\".  I remained firm with, \"If there was something else to back up a 'scientifically questionable' test result, then I might be inclined to agree.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThere was one dude who was most upset that the \"Expert in toxicology only had a masters degree.\"  It was his feeling that to be an expert on anything required a Phd.  That seemed to be his strongest argument that the test was in fact valid.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe other 3 jurors seemed to have sort of succumbed to mob mentality, and just went along with the pack.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn the end I stuck to my guns and we wound up with a hung jury.  The old dude seemed really pissed off at me, bordering on yelling towards the end.  The more upset he got, the more calm and logical I got.  This seemed to piss him off even more.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHe basically told me that I was calling the police officers liars, and discrediting them and their many years of experience. Oddly enough, that's part of what sold me on the not-guilty. All 3 officers who testified were specifically trained in DUI, and not a single one noticed anything else to indicate she was drunk? It just seemed odd. I held everything they said to be true.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs we walked out he mumbled under his breath something like, \"I don't even want to think about the amount of tax payer money you've just wasted on this\""},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/3483330340542847583\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/07\/my-recent-trip-to-court.html#comment-form","title":"9 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/3483330340542847583"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/3483330340542847583"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/07\/my-recent-trip-to-court.html","title":"My Recent Trip to Court"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"9"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-2343087652867937277"},"published":{"$t":"2009-06-25T23:31:00.004-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-06-25T23:51:51.878-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Nerd Word(s)"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Nerd Word(s): The Tuck and Roll"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Tuck and Roll\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E- technique\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. Literally: A method of egress from a moving vehicle.\u003Cbr \/\u003E2. Figuratively: Dropping a friend off without turning the car off, and using a very quick stop. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#990000;\"\u003E[ Origin: Unknown. ]\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E- usage\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1.  I need to drop him off at his girlfriend's house.  That woman scares me though, so I'm just giving him the tuck and roll.\u003Cbr \/\u003E2.  That's a busy street.  I can't just stop in the middle.\u003Cbr \/\u003ENo worries man.  I'll just tuck and roll."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/2343087652867937277\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/06\/nerd-words-tuck-and-roll.html#comment-form","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/2343087652867937277"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/2343087652867937277"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/06\/nerd-words-tuck-and-roll.html","title":"Nerd Word(s): The Tuck and Roll"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-1032048644600285993"},"published":{"$t":"2009-06-25T23:11:00.017-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-06-26T00:14:56.419-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Jo"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Valley D"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"My Partner in CrimePart Four: The Heist"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003EThis is part four of a multi-part story. If you'd like to read the whole thing, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/search\/label\/Jo\"\u003Eclick here\u003C\/a\u003E and read from the bottom up.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESaturday morning Jo and I woke up and quickly set out in search of adventure.  There was much to do, and the Jo-cathalon 2009 was already half over!  The day would include the following activites(both planned and unplanned):\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EA trip to the Tempe Center for the Arts\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ELunch at the Fatburger\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDiscussion of designer jeans with a store clerk(Jo discussed.  I mostly just stood there looking like a lump on a log)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EA walk by Tempe Town Lake\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EA picture(Or two) with a cactus for Jo\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EA Harley Davidson store visit for dad gifts\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EScooter shopping\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDinner with Jo's friend Christine and my sister\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003EDinner finished up, and by nine we were back on the road to my house feeling both full and extremely tired from the day's events.  I was out of planned events, and beginning to worry.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EIs this the moment she finally figures out how lame I really am?\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EJust as the panic began to set in, it was Jo to the rescue.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"You know,\" she began with a bit of mischief in her voice, \"We could go steal Dave's trophy and take pictures with it all over town.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIf I had a ring with me, I might have considered proposing on the spot.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"You can print out the pictures and decorate Dave's office with them after I leave.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWe grabbed the trophy and took a few pictures before calling it a night.  \u003Cspan onmouseover=\"Tip('I won a the bowling.  Jo won at the story telling.')\" onmouseout=\"UnTip()\"  style=\"color:#000099;\"\u003EBack at my house we took turns making each other laugh with ridiculous stories and even played a couple of games of wii bowling.\u003C\/span\u003E  The very first email I had ever sent Jo included a wii bowling challenge, so despite the fact that we were quite tired, at least one game had to be played.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe following morning Jo and I walked through downtown Phoenix taking pictures of Jo with the trophy in front of anything that seemed even remotely interesting.  As we did, people would stare and ask questions.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"What's your trophy for?\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Oh this?\" Jo would say cooly and motion to the boxer on top of the trophy, \"Boxing.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EShe's got a trophy.  That means it has to be true, right?\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"She's a feather weight\" I'd add.  \"Best in her class.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAfter breakfast and a ton of photos, I reluctantly took Jo to catch her flight.  When dropping people off at the airport, I normally give them the tuck-and-roll, but this was sort of a special occasion so I parked and walked her to the gate where we shared a \u003Cspan onmouseover=\"Tip('It\\'s not normally a good sign when a hug ends with the girl placing her hands on your chest and pushing you away, but I just wasn\\'t ready for it to end.')\" onmouseout=\"UnTip()\"  style=\"color:#000099;\"\u003Egoodbye hug\u003C\/span\u003E and parted ways.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe next week Dave(AKA \"The Safety Dance Developer\") came to work to find his office very \u003Ci\u003EJo-tastic\u003C\/i\u003E.  I even made a little slide show out of it so he'd never forget.  I recommend pressing the \"Full Screen\" button for the full effect.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\"  style=\"font-size:x-small;\"\u003ESpecial note for mom:  If the video is all jittery, hit the pause button and wait for it to fully load.  You can tell by the little red bar at the bottom.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Cobject width=\"425\" height=\"344\"\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"movie\" value=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/v\/eDyIBgz1FR0\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;fs=1\u0026amp;rel=0\u0026amp;hd=1\"\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\"\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"allowscriptaccess\" value=\"always\"\u003E\u003Cembed src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/v\/eDyIBgz1FR0\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;fs=1\u0026amp;rel=0\u0026amp;hd=1\" type=\"application\/x-shockwave-flash\" allowscriptaccess=\"always\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" width=\"425\" height=\"344\"\u003E\u003C\/embed\u003E\u003C\/object\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/1032048644600285993\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/06\/my-partner-in-crime-part-four-heist.html#comment-form","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/1032048644600285993"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/1032048644600285993"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/06\/my-partner-in-crime-part-four-heist.html","title":"My Partner in Crime\u003Cp\u003EPart Four: The Heist\u003C\/p\u003E"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-9204467103634919075"},"published":{"$t":"2009-06-25T23:00:00.001-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-06-25T23:51:44.330-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Jo"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"My Partner in CrimeThe Epilogue"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003EPart four was supposed to be the ending to this story, but last week Jo and I had the following conversation via text(Because I'm afraid to talk to girls on the phone).  I thought this made a fitting ending to the story.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFor those wondering, yeah, I'm wordy in text messages too.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMe: I've had like 10 people ask me about me and you now.  I didn't even know 10 people read my blog.  Everyone wants to know how this story ends.  I think you're the Sesquipedalis ringer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EJo: We need a better ending.  Something with jazz hands.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMe: Next time I see you, I'll get drunk for the first time ever and hit on you.  You can throw a drink in my face, plant a big kiss on my sister, and then I \"Never heard from her again\"\u003Cbr \/\u003EEither that, or we could drive to Vegas and get Married.  I'm good either way.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EJo: You're on to something there.  She's totally my type"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/9204467103634919075\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/06\/my-partner-in-crime-epilogue.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/9204467103634919075"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/9204467103634919075"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/06\/my-partner-in-crime-epilogue.html","title":"My Partner in Crime\u003Cp\u003EThe Epilogue\u003C\/p\u003E"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-4020464599253265645"},"published":{"$t":"2009-06-23T21:15:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-06-23T22:10:26.374-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Sean N"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Valley D"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Nerd Games: Hide and Go Trophy"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"If you've been keeping up with the blog for a while, you'll remember that back in March Sean and I threw the St. Patty's day party to end all St. Patty's day parties.  If you don't remember, feel free to \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/03\/totally-totally-nerd-party-2009.html\"\u003Eclick here\u003C\/a\u003E and read all about it.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe party was a huge success.  There was beer pong, rock band, and boxing.  I even took a little time out for some \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/lowlifebastard.blogspot.com\/2008\/06\/larry-vs-photobombing.html\"\u003EPhoto-Bombing\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/3563993010\/\" title=\"n27705770_33610460_5619494 by jessebearden, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3384\/3563993010_1d20ebab61.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" alt=\"n27705770_33610460_5619494\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI myself had no intention of participating in the boxing, but once I was challenged by a few women, my hands were tied.  I'm pretty sure that I ended the night with the best record, but when it came down to it, everyone had been beaten by the most unlikely person. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMy co-worker Dave(AKA \"Valley D\", AKA \"The Safety Dance Developer\") destroyed everyone in the ring.  It's odd because Dave is basically the real life version of Shaggy from the Scooby-Doo cartoons.  He's a peace loving hippie who's famous quote is, \"It's cool man\".  Unfortunately for the rest of us, after he had downed a few beers and crawled in to the ring, it was not cool.  It was very not cool, man.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/3563165741\/\" title=\"DSC00428 by jessebearden, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3619\/3563165741_c56c936490.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" alt=\"DSC00428\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe next day Valley D brought his trophy in to the office, and set it out for all to see. Sean and I decided that this was unacceptable and when Dave's back was turned, we stole it and hid it.  Dave eventually found it, it mysteriously disappeared again.  This soon turned in to a new way to pass the time at work, and I'd guess that at this point the trophy has spent more time lost than it has found."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/4020464599253265645\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/06\/nerd-games-hide-and-go-trophy.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/4020464599253265645"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/4020464599253265645"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/06\/nerd-games-hide-and-go-trophy.html","title":"Nerd Games: Hide and Go Trophy"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3384\/3563993010_1d20ebab61_t.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-5034199117534536880"},"published":{"$t":"2009-06-15T09:10:00.003-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-06-15T11:18:24.055-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Jo"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mory"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"My Partner in CrimePart Three: The Arrival"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-style: italic; \"\u003EThis is part three of a multi-part story.  If you'd like to read the whole thing, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/search\/label\/Jo\"\u003Ego here\u003C\/a\u003E and read from the bottom up.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThey say you don't get a second chance to make a first impression, and with that in mind I planned a little something extra for Jo's arrival.  She had once given a very accurate description on her blog of what kind of man she was after(\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/chicagojo.net\/2008\/09\/03\/according-to-the-bbc\/\"\u003Eclick here to read\u003C\/a\u003E).  I'm about as close to the description of starting center for the Phoenix Suns as I am to Jo's description of the perfect man, but a quick trip to \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.easleys.com\/\"\u003EEasley's costume shop\u003C\/a\u003E would fix that.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/3624498116\/\" title=\"Beard by jessebearden, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3656\/3624498116_d8edc2e653.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"400\" alt=\"Beard\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhile I found the costume amusing and knew that Jo would get the reference, what didn't occur to me until I arrived at the airport was that security wouldn't be in on the joke.  At first the stares and pointing were amusing, but my mind quickly started imagining scenarios where I end up in a windowless room explaining why I'm dressed in a disguise as a South American.  The last thing I needed was to be detained, so I wussed out and took the hat and beard off.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI still had about 10 minutes before Jo arrived, and the nerves quickly spiked to an all time high.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-style:italic;\"\u003EWould I recognize her?  What if she was just kidding and isn't actually coming?  What if she's actually a 300 pound dude?  What was I thinking?  Did I have the right time?  Was I at the right terminal?  What if...  \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnd then she came out of the gate...\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI'm really only afraid of three things in this world: Smart Girls, Funny Girls, and Pretty Girls.  Jo happens to be all three.  While my first instinct was to run and hide, I decided to stick it out.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI called out to her, and after a brief hello we were soon on the road to my house.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EJo had previously joked that after months of talking on the Internet, we'd find ourselves in person with nothing but uncomfortable silence, but fortunately that wasn't the case.  In fact, it was almost dissapointing how \u003Ci\u003Enot weird\u003C\/i\u003E it was.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EHow can I blog normal?  I can't do anything with \"good\"\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWe had dinner, and then stayed up late, talking and gossiping like two girls at a slumber party.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe next day we went to see my one true love in the world: Steve Nash.  Despite not being an NBA fan, Jo was a good sport.  She even wore the Nash jersey I had bought for her and cheered for the Suns.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/3416425023\/\" title=\"IMG_1661 by jessebearden, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3544\/3416425023_ee955d8bbb.jpg\" width=\"375\" height=\"500\" alt=\"IMG_1661\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAfter the game we met Mory and her boyfriend Anew on the West side for a late night snack.  Miranda is always a good judge of character, so I often find myself deferring to her opinions.  She has a way of pointing out things that I never would have noticed.  I also figured that after hanging out with me for a day straight it was time to call in some backup to keep Jo entertained.  It had only been 24 hours, I couldn't let her figure out how lame I really am.  Not yet anyhow.  With a little help from my sis, I could keep the illusion up a little longer.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EJo and Mory immediately hit it off.  Jo even invited Mo out on Saturday for our dinner plans.  We got home late, and stayed up even later gabbing again.  Later in the night I would receive a text message from Miranda.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EI like her.  She's fun\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/5034199117534536880\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/06\/my-partner-in-crime-part-three-arrival.html#comment-form","title":"3 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/5034199117534536880"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/5034199117534536880"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/06\/my-partner-in-crime-part-three-arrival.html","title":"My Partner in Crime\u003Cp\u003EPart Three: The Arrival\u003C\/p\u003E"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3656\/3624498116_d8edc2e653_t.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"3"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-8111032516686684253"},"published":{"$t":"2009-06-08T07:45:00.001-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-06-15T10:29:42.136-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Jo"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mory"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"My Partner in CrimePart Two: The Realization"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003EWhen we \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/04\/my-partner-in-crime-part-one-invitation.html\"\u003Elast left our hero\u003C\/a\u003E, he was happier than Kirstie Alley after Luby's opened an all you can eat buffet near her house.  His current \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/11\/nerd-words-crush.html\"\u003Ee-crush\u003C\/a\u003E Jo had recently agreed not just to meet him, but to stay with him for an entire weekend.  It was like Christmas in April, and his mind was naturally racing.  We now return to this week's episode already in progress\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Wait wait wait.  The redhead?  The one you showed me the picture of?\" my sister attempted to make sense of my ramblings from the other side of the phone.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt was too early in the morning for a real explanation, but I had to talk about it with someone.  The only person in the office at this hour was Liang, and I just wasn't ready for that yet.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Yes, that one.  Jo.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Oh.  No, she's too hot to even be talking to you.  You sure this isn't just some elaborate set up to steal your crap?\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Well.  I mean... no.  But it seems like a lot of effort for a couple of video game consoles and a bean bag.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"I tell you what.  If I don't hear from you by Sunday I'll head on over, untie you from the bed, and take the ball gag out of your mouth.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn my family, we show we care by making fun of each other.  Right now Miranda was caring a lot.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EShe continued her support, \"Let's assume for a second that this turns out to be legit, and this girl actually wants to hang out with you.  What the hell are you going to do with a cute, smart, funny girl for four days?\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EShit\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI hadn't really thought this through.  Much like a one handed Luke hanging from cloud city, I quickly realized that a little more planning was in order.  Luckily for me, I realized it before it was too late.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI figured if I hadn't scared the girl off yet, it was time to up the ante.  I soon had a to do list of considerable size that included the following:\u003Cbr \/\u003E1.  Purchase two Sun's tickets.\u003Cbr \/\u003E2.  Clean the car.\u003Cbr \/\u003E3.  Get a fake, grey beard.\u003Cbr \/\u003E4.  Make a dinner reservation for that Saturday at a place in north Scottsdale.\u003Cbr \/\u003E5.  Clean the house.\u003Cbr \/\u003E6.  Purchase one sombrero.\u003Cbr \/\u003E7.  Purchase one child's large size Steve Nash jersey. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETwo weeks later the date had arrived.  I found myself driving towards the airport to pick Jo up.  Internally I was a wreck, but on the outside I did my best to keep it cool."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/8111032516686684253\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/06\/my-partner-in-crime-part-two.html#comment-form","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/8111032516686684253"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/8111032516686684253"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/06\/my-partner-in-crime-part-two.html","title":"My Partner in Crime\u003Cp\u003EPart Two: The Realization\u003C\/p\u003E"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-3091003763554449881"},"published":{"$t":"2009-06-04T16:26:00.002-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-06-04T16:38:35.023-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Adam"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Chair Building"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Back in August of last year I made a silly video about a chair.  That story can be found \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/08\/how-to-build-chair-in-twelve-easy-notes.html\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWell, last night my friend Adam suggested I submit it to iReport.  They were looking for Tetris related content for the 25th anniversary of Tetris.  I followed Adam's advice, and awoke to an email from someone at turner.com. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.ireport.com\/docs\/DOC-266717\"\u003EMy video\u003C\/a\u003E was tagged with an \"On CNN\" mark, and I later found it here on the cnn video site:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cnn.com\/video\/#\/video\/ireports\/2009\/06\/04\/irpt.tetris.chair.build.cnn\"\u003Ehttp:\/\/www.cnn.com\/video\/#\/video\/ireports\/2009\/06\/04\/irpt.tetris.chair.build.cnn\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI haven't gotten any other feedback from them, so I don't know if it's airing on TV or not.  I find the whole thing fairly amusing, because without any explanation the video makes no sense.  Hell, it makes no sense even with explanation."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/3091003763554449881\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/06\/chair-building.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/3091003763554449881"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/3091003763554449881"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/06\/chair-building.html","title":"Chair Building"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-4216487155379313156"},"published":{"$t":"2009-06-03T22:00:00.004-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-06-07T23:48:27.089-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Nerd Games"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Reader Participation"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The results are in!"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"You'll have to forgive me a bit for dragging my feet on determining a winner to \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/05\/nerd-games-free-lunch-year-two.html\"\u003Ethe free lunch contest\u003C\/a\u003E.  The past few weeks have been a bit hectic, and just as I went to finish this off, my laptop died.  For me that's a kick in the junk the size of which you wouldn't believe.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EJust like last year, we'll take a look at the guesses before we get to the answer:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\"  style=\"font-family:'courier new';\"\u003E$41.38 \u003Cspan class=\"Apple-tab-span\" style=\"white-space:pre\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E- Exzavier\u003Cbr \/\u003E$65.87 \u003Cspan class=\"Apple-tab-span\" style=\"white-space:pre\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E- Anna\u003Cbr \/\u003E$68.43 \u003Cspan class=\"Apple-tab-span\" style=\"white-space:pre\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E- Servant\u003Cbr \/\u003E$83.17 \u003Cspan class=\"Apple-tab-span\" style=\"white-space:pre\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E- Dave\u003Cbr \/\u003E$87.53 \u003Cspan class=\"Apple-tab-span\" style=\"white-space:pre\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E- Ghedoicy\u003Cbr \/\u003E$95.96 \u003Cspan class=\"Apple-tab-span\" style=\"white-space:pre\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E- TR\u003Cbr \/\u003E$104.00  - Matt\u003Cbr \/\u003E$110.50  - Liang\u003Cbr \/\u003E$111.38\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-tab-span\" style=\"white-space:pre\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E- Motz\u003Cbr \/\u003E$111.69\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-tab-span\" style=\"white-space:pre\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E- Nikki\u003Cbr \/\u003E$122.12\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-tab-span\" style=\"white-space:pre\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E- Miranda\u003Cbr \/\u003E$136.00\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-tab-span\" style=\"white-space:pre\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E- Jo\u003Cbr \/\u003E$141.67\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-tab-span\" style=\"white-space:pre\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E- Adam\u003Cbr \/\u003E$152.37\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-tab-span\" style=\"white-space:pre\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E- Jesse\u003Cbr \/\u003E$158.00\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-tab-span\" style=\"white-space:pre\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E- Megan\u003Cbr \/\u003E$169.69\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-tab-span\" style=\"white-space:pre\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E- Beadle\u003Cbr \/\u003E$191.43\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-tab-span\" style=\"white-space:pre\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E- Rose\u003Cbr \/\u003E$202.00\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-tab-span\" style=\"white-space:pre\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E- Andrew\u003Cbr \/\u003E$212.00\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-tab-span\" style=\"white-space:pre\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E- Stacy\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnd the grand total was....\u003Cbr \/\u003E$140.13\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EJust like I predicted, a cute girl who is in to short nerds won it all.  Everyone congratulate Adam on his win.  I'll get with you later on how we manage to get you a free lunch from 5600 miles away(That's 9100 Kilometers for you Adam)."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/4216487155379313156\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/06\/results-are-in.html#comment-form","title":"3 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/4216487155379313156"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/4216487155379313156"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/06\/results-are-in.html","title":"The results are in!"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"3"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-129699636741714023"},"published":{"$t":"2009-05-26T22:54:00.003-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-05-27T11:14:12.502-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Basketball"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mom"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Please make this product"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"I was about 12 when it first hit.  And it hit in a big way.  I was watching a Sun's game with the family.  We were set to play the Portland Trail Blazers that night.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMom walked in to the TV room in the back of the house and asked, \"Who are we playing?  Oh... Porkland\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EPorkland?\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI brushed it off.  We all make mistakes, and my family is from Arkansas.  The fact that we can speak and know how to read puts us a cut above the rest.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn the first half she would scream, \"AJ threw the ball away!\" after then point guard \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kevin_Johnson\"\u003EKevin Johnson\u003C\/a\u003E made a bad pass.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EI think they call him KJ mom...\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELater in the evening mom would announce, \"Chamberland is having a good night, but the Sun's really need to find a way to stop Drixoral.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EShe was of course referring to then Power Forward\/Center \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Tom_Chambers_(basketball)\"\u003ETom Chambers\u003C\/a\u003E and Portland star \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Clyde_Drexler\"\u003EClyde \"The Glide\" Drexler\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAt this point the gloves came off, and the entire family started giving mom some good natured ribbing that has continued to this day.  I realize the following is a joke by SNL, but if Sony, or some other electronics manufacturer could make this product, I'm not sure there's a price that I wouldn't pay for it.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPlease.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cobject width=\"512\" height=\"296\"\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"movie\" value=\"http:\/\/www.hulu.com\/embed\/VEOwhtHzcXPNH44JcyZaXQ\"\u003E\u003C\/param\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\"\u003E\u003C\/param\u003E\u003Cembed src=\"http:\/\/www.hulu.com\/embed\/VEOwhtHzcXPNH44JcyZaXQ\" type=\"application\/x-shockwave-flash\" allowFullScreen=\"true\"  width=\"512\" height=\"296\"\u003E\u003C\/embed\u003E\u003C\/object\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/129699636741714023\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/05\/please-make-this-product.html#comment-form","title":"3 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/129699636741714023"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/129699636741714023"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/05\/please-make-this-product.html","title":"Please make this product"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"3"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-738531052131871166"},"published":{"$t":"2009-05-17T19:54:00.007-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-05-17T20:11:48.083-07:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"At Least I'm Not the Only One"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cspan style=\"font-style:italic;\"\u003EGreetings from lovely, slightly overcast, San Diego.  I'm currently midway through packing things up for the return trip home tomorrow, but thought I'd duck out to sit on the patio overlooking the ocean for a minute with my best friend in the whole world, the laptop.  While you're here, don't forget to enter the free lunch contest \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/05\/nerd-games-free-lunch-year-two.html\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI was walking through Carlsbad Village today enjoying two of my favorite vacation sports: food and people watching.  I was exiting a local restaurant, sandwich in hand, when a girl with bright blue hair walked by.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EWow, that's cool.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EApparently I wasn't the only one who noticed.  A guy sitting at an outside table commented, \"I like your hair\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Thanks\" she said without really turning, and continued on her way.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EShe was almost out of earshot when the guy, undaunted tried again, \"Where'd you get it done?\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"My husband's a hairdresser.  We do each other's hair.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EOuch...\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Um... well... uh... where do you guys cut hair?  Do you have a card?\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EWow, not taking no for an answer.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHe continued, \"Because I'm a hairdresser too\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003ESure you are, buddy\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"No\" she ended the conversation and finally walked off.  I felt like going and giving him a pat on the shoulder, but instead found a seat and ate my sandwich."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/738531052131871166\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/05\/at-least-im-not-only-one.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/738531052131871166"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/738531052131871166"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/05\/at-least-im-not-only-one.html","title":"At Least I'm Not the Only One"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-7828474209579881117"},"published":{"$t":"2009-05-10T19:43:00.009-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-05-10T23:01:49.570-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Nerd Games"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Reader Participation"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Nerd Games: The Free LunchYear Two"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003EMe going on vacation is about as frequent as a \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Comet_Halley\"\u003EHalley's Comet\u003C\/a\u003E visit, but I'm going to be out in Cali for almost a week coming up.  With that in mind I figured it was time to toss up the Free Lunch contest for this year.  I don't think change accumulated as fast this year as it normally does, but then the contest ran a little long.  That means this year it's anyone's game.  Good luck, and see you in a week or two!\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EJust like \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/01\/nerd-games-free-lunch.html\"\u003Elast year\u003C\/a\u003E I'm inviting everyone to guess how much money is in my change jar.  The closest to the exact dollar amount gets a free lunch from\/with me.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFeel free to comment, email, IM, or even tweet your guess to me.  A winner will be picked in roughly 10 days.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size:78%;\"\u003ERules:\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. The location of the dinner must be mutually decided upon, and the value per meal not to exceed 25 dollars.  If the winner lives out of state, then some alternative prize will be awarded.\u003Cbr \/\u003E2. I reserve the right to kick anyone out of the competition for any reason.\u003Cbr \/\u003E3. Results may be modified to ensure the winner is a cute girl who is single and in to short nerds.\u003Cbr \/\u003E4. Non-US currency in the jar will not count towards the total.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis year, for comparison's sake, we'll use a standard sized Coke can and a half built Lego Minstorms NXT Robot, since everyone should know the exact size of that.  Feel free to click on the images for a bigger picture.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/3520961862\/\" title=\"DSC00510 by jessebearden, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3318\/3520961862_c208b8478c.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" alt=\"DSC00510\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/3520961862\/\" title=\"DSC00510 by jessebearden, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/3520961872\/\" title=\"DSC00511 by jessebearden, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); \"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/3520961872\/\" title=\"DSC00511 by jessebearden, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3340\/3520961872_321bb2613d.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" alt=\"DSC00511\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\"  style=\"font-size:x-small;\"\u003EI'll give you a hint.  Guess more than twenty bucks.\u003C\/span\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/7828474209579881117\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/05\/nerd-games-free-lunch-year-two.html#comment-form","title":"16 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/7828474209579881117"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/7828474209579881117"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/05\/nerd-games-free-lunch-year-two.html","title":"Nerd Games: The Free Lunch\u003Cp\u003EYear Two"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3318\/3520961862_c208b8478c_t.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"16"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-5149615626849152226"},"published":{"$t":"2009-05-06T22:17:00.005-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-05-06T23:09:56.365-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Jo"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"My Partner in CrimePart One: The Invitation"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"In early 2009, as they are wont do, plans changed.  At first Jo's move to Phoenix was delayed for a month, but soon that delay was put on indefinite status.  It was \u003Cspan onmouseover=\"Tip('Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace')\" onmouseout=\"UnTip()\" style=\"color:#000099;\"\u003EEpisode One\u003C\/span\u003E all over again.  Huge excitement.  Big let down.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI had other things going on though, so I took the disappointment in stride.  Jo and I kept up with our online back and forth, and somehow it just worked.  It was odd to have someone who got all my jokes and weirdness without much effort, and I enjoyed the long distance pen pal.  She quickly became my go to girl for all things Internet.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOne night in March I picked her brain about all of the attention my blog had been receiving and how I should go about handling it.  We cracked jokes and swapped stories while each preparing our dinners.  I mused over the fact that we were eating dinner together from a thousand miles away.  Out of my last few meals with a member of the opposite sex, this had by far been the best.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EDoes that say something about me?\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EJo went to bed, but the feeling stuck and I decided it was time to put a face to the ten point Times New Roman font that had been making me laugh for the past four months.  The clock read 9:54pm, but I threw caution to the wind and began typing out an \u003Cs\u003Eemail\u003C\/s\u003E novel.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAn hour later it was done.  It was done, and long.  It included bad jokes, predictions of the future, wussy moments, stupid stories, and most importantly an invitation to stay at my house.  I even went so far as to offer to pay for the air fare.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EThe goal for 2009 is to be a little more forward in all aspects of life.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI mulled it over once more before clicking the send button.  It was time to be assertive.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe next morning I awoke and could see the light on my phone flashing in the mirror next to the bed.  I had yet to shake off my early morning grogginess, and assumed that someone from work had emailed me.  As I clumsily clicked through the menus the previous night's online adventures came rushing back.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe email was from Jo.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EUgh... what did I do?  Why did I send that email?  At least she responded.  That means she's still talking to me.  Right?\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI hesitated for a moment, but finally clicked to open it.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EA simple, \"You should come hang out,\" would have worked.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/5149615626849152226\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/04\/my-partner-in-crime-part-one-invitation.html#comment-form","title":"4 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/5149615626849152226"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/5149615626849152226"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/04\/my-partner-in-crime-part-one-invitation.html","title":"My Partner in Crime\u003Cp\u003EPart One: The Invitation\u003C\/p\u003E"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"4"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-7658693616535546758"},"published":{"$t":"2009-04-28T17:27:00.009-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-04-28T18:05:03.280-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Basketball"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mom"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Steve"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"This is Not the Post You Were Looking For"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EYesterday the swine flu hit the Internet.  No, I don't mean the actual flu.  I mean the general pandemonium of it.  Twitter was on fire with messages about it.  News sites were running reports.  At the end of the day, what good did it all do?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELet's keep in mind that roughly 155,000 people die each day for various reasons.  It's really not time to freak out yet.  That being said, I find it amusing that while the whole world was in an uproar, someone at the U.S. Department of Health was finding my blog by searching for Shaq:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/3484061871\/\" title=\"Dept of Health by jessebearden, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3307\/3484061871_2fa2b6b446.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"139\" alt=\"Dept of Health\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EToday I went to the Podiatrist.  Apparently I have a very mild case of Plantar Fasciitis if anyone really cared.  The fantastic part is the location of the doctor's office.  It resides right here on the second floor of this building.  Anyone see the problem?  Two points if you do.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/3484061855\/\" title=\"Podiatrist by jessebearden, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3613\/3484061855_8c16a3d6aa.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" alt=\"Podiatrist\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/PhoenixSunsGirl\"\u003EAlexis Gentry\u003C\/a\u003E, the new Twitter voice of the Suns, and head coach Alvin Gentry's daughter recently asked the fans for nicknames for Goran Dragic.  I posted a reply, which \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/PhoenixSunsGirl\/status\/1632255036\"\u003Eshe actually mentioned\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMy family's nickname for Dragic comes from both his resemblance to my man-crush Steve Nash, and from my mother's tendency to mix up basketball players.  Many a night we would walk in to the living room to hear Mom screaming, \"Nash you fool!\"  A quick glance at the court would reveal that Nash was actually on the bench.  Dragic's nickname soon became \"Not Nash\".\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Oh man.  Not Nash is on fire tonight.\"\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/3484094899\/\" title=\"Nash Dragic by jessebearden, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3601\/3484094899_edf65f1b41.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"351\" alt=\"Nash Dragic\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESearching Google for: Best Story on Blogger has me as the #1 or #2 hit right now.\u003Cbr \/\u003ESearching Google for: Babe of the Day puts me on the first three pages.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/7658693616535546758\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/04\/this-is-not-post-you-were-looking-for.html#comment-form","title":"5 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/7658693616535546758"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/7658693616535546758"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/04\/this-is-not-post-you-were-looking-for.html","title":"This is Not the Post You Were Looking For"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3307\/3484061871_2fa2b6b446_t.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"5"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-7275490115583763556"},"published":{"$t":"2009-04-24T20:43:00.002-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-04-24T23:38:29.856-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Jo"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The Blog Serves a Purpose"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cspan style=\"font-style:italic;\"\u003EI feel like I've been taking more crap than a Dutch porn star about my blog lately.  People aren't happy with this post or that post, or they're not happy with the frequency of posts.  Well, there's a lot going on, and it's sort of hard to distill it all down to a manageable story for the blog.  I realize in retrospect that I posted the last \"Nerd Words\" a bit early, since this entry doesn't use the term.  I just double checked though, and it turns out that I don't care too much.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI'd like to take the time to write out this entire story before posting it as this story sets up the base for a few more, but I feel the need to post something.  So, let's just wing it and see how it goes, shall we?  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn the mean time, if anyone out there would like a job ghost writing for Sesquipedalis feel free to email me.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn 2007 I somehow ended up on a \"Social Networking\" site.  I believe I was lured in by a test that promised to either tell me \u003Cspan onmouseover=\"Tip('Purple')\" onmouseout=\"UnTip()\" style=\"color:#000099;\"\u003Ewhich light saber color I am\u003C\/span\u003E, or \u003Cspan onmouseover=\"Tip('Kaylee Frye')\" onmouseout=\"UnTip()\" style=\"color:#000099;\"\u003Ewhich Firefly character I would be\u003C\/span\u003E.  A few months later I figured, \"What the hell?\" and filled out my profile. .\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAfter the initial rush of talking to a few girls online, I mostly forgot about the account.  The thing with these online sites is that single, sane women are jumped on like the last Miller Lite at a frat party about two seconds after they sign up.  As a guy, you have to do something to set yourself apart from the crowed and selling \"Jesse\" isn't exactly my strong suit.  With that in mind, I threw up a brief description of myself and a link to the blog.  I figured if anyone had a genuine interest in me, a glance at the stories here would relieve them of the ailment.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBack in November I took a glance around to see if there was anyone new and interesting in the area, and to my surprise there was.  Near the top of my match list was a girl named Jo.  She was short, redheaded, slightly nerdy, and funny.  \u003Cspan style=\"font-style:italic;\"\u003EReally funny\u003C\/span\u003E.  She even mentioned playing Wii in her profile.  For a short kid with big feet this was like finding a ring in a cave that makes you invisible.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDespite the fact that I had only viewed an online profile, I was already too intimidated to talk to her.  I spent a week working up the sack to send an email.  I read and reread her profile thinking of witty things to say.  A few self affirmation speeches, a prayer service, and a pep talk from Mory later and I finally landed on something resembling, \u003Cspan onmouseover=\"Tip('Plan B was passing her a note in gym class that read, \\'I like you.  Do you like me?  Check Yes or No\\'')\" onmouseout=\"UnTip()\" style=\"color:#000099;\"\u003E\"Will you marry me?\"\u003C\/span\u003E.  I immediately regretted sending the email and cried myself to sleep assuming I'd blown my chance with the girl.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe expectations were low, and the e-crush at a manageable four until a few days later when I received a rather lengthy response including the statements, \"Wii bowling is rad\" and \"The other day I applied for a job with the Obama administration, saying that I should be the Secretary of the Internets.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe e-crush was now climbing at an alarming rate.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt turned out that Jo had not only viewed my profile, but also spent a decent portion of an afternoon reading through the blog.  Even more surprising is that she still chose to respond.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EJo was living in Chicago, but had plans to move to Phoenix.  She explained that she had changed her profile to say \"Phoenix\" in hopes of meeting some decent peeps to hang out with after the move.  I read through her blog(Which you can now find linked on the side of mine), and we were soon exchanging emails on a semi-regular basis.  To say that I was excited for her \"early 2009\" move to Phoenix would be an understatement."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/7275490115583763556\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/04\/blog-serves-purpose.html#comment-form","title":"8 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/7275490115583763556"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/7275490115583763556"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/04\/blog-serves-purpose.html","title":"The Blog Serves a Purpose"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"8"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-3044716202869369758"},"published":{"$t":"2009-04-21T13:59:00.007-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-04-21T14:14:12.549-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ana"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Nerd Word(s)"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Nerd Word(s): The Ten PM Rule"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003EThe Ten PM Rule\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"color: rgb(0, 153, 0);\"\u003E- words to live by\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. No writing personal emails after Ten at night.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"color: rgb(153, 0, 0);\"\u003E[ Origin: I used to go visit Ana a lot, and it was a long drive back to my house from Chandler. I had a major crush on her, so the drive home was usually spent thinking about her and how the evening had gone. When I got home I'd generally have a whole new set of things that I wanted to talk to her about so I'd write an email that was usually overly wussy and emo.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAfter a while I had to make a rule: \"No more emails after 10 pm\". ]\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"color: rgb(0, 153, 0);\"\u003E- usage\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1.  Yeah, I almost wrote you a reply, but I had a lot to say and it was after 10 so I figured it could wait till the morning."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/3044716202869369758\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/04\/nerd-words-ten-pm-rule.html#comment-form","title":"5 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/3044716202869369758"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/3044716202869369758"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/04\/nerd-words-ten-pm-rule.html","title":"Nerd Word(s): The Ten PM Rule"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"5"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-8406653205242373820"},"published":{"$t":"2009-04-13T22:13:00.004-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-04-14T00:21:09.727-07:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Call Me Sweet Pea"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"One of the more interesting parts of high rise living is the diversity of the neighbors.  At first I took it upon myself to get to know everyone I could, but with over 200 units in the building, I quickly found that my efforts were futile.  In the down economy, the residents rotate on a regular basis, and by the time you've learned a person's name, they're gone.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETo combat this phenomenon the twins and I devised a simple \"Friends\" like naming scheme to facilitate in the necessity of passing building gossip.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"So, I ran in to Psycho Blond Chick today\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Wait... Is she the one across from Scary Racist Dude?\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"No no no.  That's Angry Fighting Couple.  Psycho Blond chick is one unit over\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe interesting thing about Scary Racist Dude's unit is that it's always occupied by someone who is just \u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003Eoff\u003C\/span\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAfter Scary Racist Dude it was Pot Smoker Pete.  PSP was then replaced by the most recent occupant, Crazy Witch Lady.  I'm not saying that CWL practices black magic, but if this was 1692 I'd be \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Trial_by_ordeal#Ordeal_of_cold_water\"\u003Edunking her in the pool to see if she could escape with her hands tied\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs I opened my door a few days ago I was surprised to find a small dog running up to greet me.  I looked down the hall and a moment later a door off in the distance opened.  CWL would emerge, covered in henna, her hair in that oh so trendy Albert Einstein do, and a general look that said, \"I'm somewhere else right now.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EShe didn't even glance in my direction as she shouted, \"Let's go Sweet Pea.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003EWithout hesitation I responded, \"Be right there \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=BV0RL7vK44E\"\u003ESugalump\u003C\/a\u003E\" and it was then that she finally reacted to my presence.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Oh.  She's the ambassador of the floor\" she explained the dog greeting me.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Oh.  The dog.  I thought you were talking to me\" I feigned ignorance, explaining my joke.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"You're the ambassador for the floor?\" she asked, somewhat confused.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003EHuh?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe eleven floor elevator ride was taken in complete silence save a few socially awkward whimpers from Sweet Pea."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/8406653205242373820\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/04\/call-me-sweet-pea.html#comment-form","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/8406653205242373820"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/8406653205242373820"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/04\/call-me-sweet-pea.html","title":"Call Me Sweet Pea"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-6843497600566358975"},"published":{"$t":"2009-03-25T07:00:00.004-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-03-26T10:07:34.230-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Rant of the Day"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Top 5"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Top 5: Worst Casting Decisions"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-weight: bold; \"\u003E5.  Shia Labeouf as Harrison Ford's son in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull -\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELet's first examine the possibility of Indiana Jones actually having a kid.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBy now you should have the opening scene of \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0082971\/\"\u003ERaiders\u003C\/a\u003E memorized.  If you don't, go watch it and come back.  I'll wait.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cobject width=\"425\" height=\"344\"\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"movie\" value=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/v\/fbmfv_Y9WIc\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;fs=1\"\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\"\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"allowscriptaccess\" value=\"always\"\u003E\u003Cembed src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/v\/fbmfv_Y9WIc\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;fs=1\" type=\"application\/x-shockwave-flash\" allowscriptaccess=\"always\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" width=\"425\" height=\"344\"\u003E\u003C\/embed\u003E\u003C\/object\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis scene proves without a doubt that Indy couldn't possibly have a child that he didn't know about; He never goes anywhere without a hat, and he always gets out in time.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003E4. Marlon Wayans as Snails in Dungeons \u0026amp; Dragons -\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/3292473990\/\" title=\"Snails by jessebearden, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3549\/3292473990_449fe9d3b4_o.jpg\" width=\"410\" height=\"229\" alt=\"Snails\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIf I had ten readers, nine of them would think I was joking around right now, but rest assured I'm being serious.  In 2000, there was a Dungeons \u0026amp; Dragons movie made, and playing the part of the sidekick was none other than Marlon Wayans, star of 75% of the shows on the WB for the first 3 years it was a network.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETwo words for Petr Brodsky and the rest of the four member casting team:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Target_market\"\u003ETarget Demographic\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt took four of you to cast that piece of crap?  \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/02\/nerd-words-mory-edition-really.html\"\u003EReally?  Really!?!\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EYou could have dressed up a bunch of six year olds and it would have been more amusing.  I think \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0110366\/\"\u003EThe Little Rascals\u003C\/a\u003E proved that.  You know what?  Never mind.  I give up.  Next.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003E3.  Keanu Reeves(In any role other than Ted Theodore Logan) -\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELook, I get it.  You really liked the Matrix.  You know what?  I did too, but I'd argue that it'd be just as solid of a movie if the part was played by someone else.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EJohnny Mnemonic is the only film I've ever walked out on.  What's worse is that I was 18 at the time, when that seven bucks I'd just spent actually meant something to me.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI'm not even going to argue with you on this one.  Roll the clip that pushed me over the edge:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cobject width=\"425\" height=\"344\"\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"movie\" value=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/v\/PJmKLzmPMso\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;fs=1\"\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\"\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"allowscriptaccess\" value=\"always\"\u003E\u003Cembed src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/v\/PJmKLzmPMso\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;fs=1\" type=\"application\/x-shockwave-flash\" allowscriptaccess=\"always\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" width=\"425\" height=\"344\"\u003E\u003C\/embed\u003E\u003C\/object\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003E2.  Shia Labeouf as Sean Connery's grandson in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull -\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EA lot of people forget that in his portrayal of Mutt, Shia was not only playing Indy's son, but also Sir Connery's grandson.  Look, Shia seems like a cool kid.  I'll give you that.  He hangs out with \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Optimus_Prime\"\u003EOptimus Prime\u003C\/a\u003E on a regular basis, and even made out with Megan Fox.  On the cool scale, that's up there.  Way up there.  But you're asking an Olympic pole vaulter to jump over the Empire State building here.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe only person bad ass enough to play this part was Jesus Christ himself, but I heard the producers couldn't get him to come out of retirement for a second time.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003E1.  Jennifer Connelly as Janine in He's Just Not That In To You -\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EJennifer Connelly is a fantastic actress, but for this year's \"He's Just Not That in to You\", the brilliant team of Baddeley and Davis decide to cast her in the part of Janine.  In the movie, and I hope I'm not spoiling this for you, Janine is cheated on by her husband.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI've watched Dinosaurs come to life and a little alien named Yoda get in to a light saber fight with a real person.  I've sat through flying cars and skeleton pirate attacks.  I even bought it when Matt Damon played a genius, but if you expect me to believe that any man could cheat on Jennifer Connelly, a Jennifer Connelly who spent half the movie in pig tails no less, then you're about 40 IQ points below Forrest Gump.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIf the stork delivered you from the factory between the years 1969 and 1982 with the \"Daddy Parts\" option selected, then an absolute, unfaltering adoration of Jennifer was installed by default. It's impossible for this movie to have taken place.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"But maybe she was all they could get?\" Some not-as-astute-as-they-think-they-are readers are currently thinking.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EYou don't even have to look outside of the cast list to see where they went wrong.  The correct answer should stand out to you like Shaquille O'Neal at a white midget convention.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EDrew Barrymore\u003Cbr \/\u003EJennifer Connelly\u003Cbr \/\u003EScarlett Johansson\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\"  style=\"font-size:large;\"\u003EJennifer Aniston\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGinnifer Goodwin\u003C\/blockquote\u003EOut of this list, not one of these names stands out as the perfect person to play a girl who gets cheated on by her husband and left for a younger, more sexual woman?  Huh."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/6843497600566358975\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/03\/top-5-worst-casting-decisions.html#comment-form","title":"9 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/6843497600566358975"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/6843497600566358975"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/03\/top-5-worst-casting-decisions.html","title":"Top 5: Worst Casting Decisions"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"9"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-5068254805781393872"},"published":{"$t":"2009-03-11T18:54:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-03-11T18:54:00.152-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Nerd Word(s)"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Sean N"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Nerd Word(s): The Project"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003EThe Project\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E- noun\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1.  Something that a nerd is currently devoting most of his time, energy, or thoughts to.  Normally this involves building, wiring, constructing, programming, or a combination of many different nerd schools of expertise. \u003Cbr \/\u003E2.  The single most attention consuming thought for any true nerd.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#990000;\"\u003E[ Origin: Since the dawn of time, nerds have worked on \"The Project\" ]\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E- usage\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. \"Dude, we're all getting together to watch the Sun's game tonight.  You in?\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Nah, I think I'm just going to stay home and work on The Project\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E- see also\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/05\/nerd-words-60.html\"\u003E60%\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E- examples\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1.  \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Flying_machine_(disambiguation)\"\u003EThe Flying Machine\u003C\/a\u003E - The Wright Brothers(And others)\u003Cbr \/\u003E2.  \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/08\/how-to-build-chair-in-twelve-easy-notes.html\"\u003EHow To Build a Chair\u003C\/a\u003E - Me\u003Cbr \/\u003E3. \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/cannuk\/sets\/72157594548987191\/\"\u003ECale's Bedroom\u003C\/a\u003E - A project by \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/cannuk\"\u003ESean\u003C\/a\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/5068254805781393872\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/03\/nerd-words-project.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/5068254805781393872"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/5068254805781393872"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/03\/nerd-words-project.html","title":"Nerd Word(s): The Project"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-3921902871531787005"},"published":{"$t":"2009-03-11T18:17:00.005-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-03-11T19:40:40.557-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Sean N"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Totally Totally Nerd Party 2009"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cspan style=\"font-style:italic;\"\u003EI normally wait till after the party to write a story about how I said something stupid to some girl I don't know, but since this party was sort of The Project for the week, I thought I should advertise a little.  If I've neglected to invite someone, let me know and I'll fix that.  Also, if you'd like to apply to be the girl I say something stupid to, send an email to: Sesquipedalis@gmail.com.  \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-style:italic;\"\u003EAll of your favorite Sesquipedalis stars will be there, including \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/search\/label\/Sean%20N\"\u003ESean\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/search\/label\/Liang\"\u003ELiang\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/search\/label\/J.R.\"\u003EJ.R.\u003C\/a\u003E, and even \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/02\/valentines-day-follow-up.html\"\u003EFlip Cup\u003C\/a\u003E.  I for one will be hiding in the corner and making awkward conversation.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESean recently purchased a new \u003Cs\u003Ehouse\u003C\/s\u003E mini-mansion, and to celebrate decided he'd \u003Cspan onmouseover=\"Tip('Apparently having a huge star like me in attendance wasn\\'t enough.')\" onmouseout=\"UnTip()\" style=\"color:#000099;\"\u003E add a little something extra\u003C\/span\u003E to his annual St. Patty's day party.  This year he wanted to get some oversized boxing gloves.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/3347446117\/\" title=\"Gloves by jessebearden, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3448\/3347446117_55c0e8a1a1_o.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"207\" alt=\"Gloves\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI upped the ante and suggested he rent an inflatable ring as well.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/3345715560\/\" title=\"boxing by jessebearden, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3631\/3345715560_603484fd27.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\" alt=\"boxing\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENaturally, we soon found ourselves at a trophy store picking up a trophy that reads, \"Drunken Cartoon Boxing Champ 2009\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/3344873105\/\" title=\"Trophy by jessebearden, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3608\/3344873105_02dfe66ff5_o.jpg\" width=\"141\" height=\"385\" alt=\"Trophy\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe plan was set: Boxing in the backyard, Sun's game downstairs, and Rock Band in the upstairs loft.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBut with all of the hubub over the boxing I felt it necessary to up the ante on the Rock Band as well.  Following the instructions \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/docsrockbandmods.netforums.us\/viewtopic.php?p=1938#1938\"\u003Efound here\u003C\/a\u003E, I wired two stage kits together for a super nerdy Rock Band experience.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cobject width=\"480\" height=\"295\"\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"movie\" value=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/v\/Sjq1BaSZYt0\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;fs=1\"\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\"\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"allowscriptaccess\" value=\"always\"\u003E\u003Cembed src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/v\/Sjq1BaSZYt0\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;fs=1\" type=\"application\/x-shockwave-flash\" allowscriptaccess=\"always\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" width=\"480\" height=\"295\"\u003E\u003C\/embed\u003E\u003C\/object\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/3921902871531787005\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/03\/totally-totally-nerd-party-2009.html#comment-form","title":"5 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/3921902871531787005"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/3921902871531787005"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/03\/totally-totally-nerd-party-2009.html","title":"Totally Totally Nerd Party 2009"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3631\/3345715560_603484fd27_t.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"5"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-6427396776430403671"},"published":{"$t":"2009-03-06T16:39:00.001-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-03-06T23:02:41.344-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Todd"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Do It For Harley"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\"So I have this friend, named Stephanie, and she's super cute. You should meet her sometime,\" Mary's IM began abruptly.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Uh huh...\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt wasn't that I wasn't interested.  Far from it.  It was more the fact that Mary's a bit crazy, and doesn't even know me that well.  Not really.  Besides, if this blog has shown us anything it's that first time meetings aren't really \u003Cspan style=\"font-style:italic;\"\u003Emy thing\u003C\/span\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMary isn't actually crazy.  She's well within the acceptable range of crazy for anyone born a female.  She's just a bit of an overachiever and trends towards the higher side of that scale.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWe met over a year ago when Geremy brought her to Rock Band night at a local bar.  Mine and Erik's band Metallic Brainstem were set to do a two song set list, and she filled in on bass.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGeremy had met Mary in class, and I believe was attempting to set the two of us up.  Mary's a lovely girl, but the meeting was a bit like remedial science class at the local high school: Not a lot of chemistry.  The feeling was mutual, and while the real life relationship floundered a little, we transitioned nicely to online buddies.  We took to IMing one another on the slow days at work.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOn this particular day, either work was extremely slow, or Mary was just over eager.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Well, she's a bit young\" she continued, \"Twenty to be exact, but she turns 21 in September\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-style:italic;\"\u003EStrike one.  Are we really counting months? Is this some sort of set up?  \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Chris_Hansen\" onmouseover=\"Tip('Chris Hansen is the dude from Dateline NBC\\'s \\'To Catch a Predator.\\'')\" onmouseout=\"UnTip()\" style=\"color:#000099;\"\u003EChris Hansen\u003C\/a\u003E, is that you?  \u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\"  style=\"font-size:small;\"\u003ENo I will not have a seat over there\u003C\/span\u003E.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"I met her in the Miss Arizona pageant.  She competed with me\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-style:italic;\"\u003EA beauty queen?  Me?  Really Mary?  Strike two.  Why don't I just pick her up on my flying Pegasus and spend the evening slaying dragons and dancing with the faeries?  I mean, if we're living in fantasy land why not jazz it up a tad?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"A twenty year old beauty queen?  Have you read my blog at all Mary?  Even a little?  I feel like you haven't been paying attention\" I began to protest.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"There's a pageant coming up.  You should go cheer her on.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Yeah, I don't know if...\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"She does ventriloquy for her talent\" Mary continued, undaunted.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"I'm in.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELast Saturday I found myself outside of a large auditorium wondering what I'd gotten in to.  Apparently jeans and a white T-shirt aren't appropriate attire for a beauty pageant, so I made an attempt at dressing nicely.  I felt a bit like a kid who's mom had dressed him in a tie for the first day of Sunday school, but I put on a brave face as we entered.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe competition was surprisingly \u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003Enot bad\u003C\/span\u003E.  Sure, there were a few off moments.  Some of the answers during the Q\u0026amp;A portion were a bit less than fantastic(Not quite \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lj3iNxZ8Dww\"\u003EThe Iraqs\u003C\/a\u003E, but still amusing).  A few of the \"talents\" were a little more  \u003Cspan onmouseover=\"Tip('I\\'m not completely sure that I understand this joke, but I think Sanjaya was sort of a joke contestant on American Idol that a lot of people voted for to sabotage the competition.  Kelly on the other hand is the season 1 winner.  If someone knows for sure if this joke works or not, let me know.')\" onmouseout=\"UnTip()\"  style=\"color:#000099;\"\u003ESanjaya than they were Kelly\u003C\/span\u003E, but as a whole it was entertaining.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnd then came Stephanie.  The tiny girl walked out on stage in her flowing white dress, and \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=LT-PfoUatIo\" onmouseover=\"Tip('The only link I could find that explains this joke was in German, but I sorta think it makes it more amusing.  Skip to 2:10 in if you want to see the reference.')\" onmouseout=\"UnTip()\" style=\"color:#000099;\"\u003EDream Weaver\u003C\/a\u003E started playing.  After a brief, and entertaining introduction she pulled out her dummy \"Harley\" and went in to her act.  It was \u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003Eactually funny\u003C\/span\u003E.  For the first time in the evening I was laughing, and it was an acceptable time for me to be laughing.  It was fantastic.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/3332721968\/\" title=\"n1410218385_30292363_4656677 by jessebearden, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3599\/3332721968_fc882d1c14_o.jpg\" width=\"316\" height=\"480\" alt=\"n1410218385_30292363_4656677\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\"  style=\"font-size:x-small;\"\u003EIt was at this exact moment that I leaned over to Mary and whispered, \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2006\/10\/nerd-words-i-think-im-in-love.html\"\u003EI think I'm in love\u003C\/a\u003E\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\"  style=\"font-size:x-small;\"\u003E\"I told you\"\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAfter the pageant was over, Mary, her friend Kevin, Stephanie and her friend Quinn and I all went to Applebee's.  The three cute girl to two nerd guy ratio completely threw me off so I spent the entire night hiding in the corner.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs is often the case when women congregate, the topic of boys came up, and from my corner I heard Stephanie say, \"I really like an assertive guy\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-style:italic;\"\u003EStrike three.  And I'm out.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003ESince Stephanie was gracious enough to let me use her picture for this blog entry I'm going to go ahead and post a link to her \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.missamerica4kids.org\/m.aspx?i=1033096ED3A58EF54\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003EMiss America donation page\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003E.  You don't have to kick in on my account.  Do it for Stephanie.  Do it for the tax break.  Do it for the kids.  Most importantly, do it for Harley.\u003C\/span\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/6427396776430403671\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/03\/do-it-for-harley.html#comment-form","title":"9 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/6427396776430403671"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/6427396776430403671"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/03\/do-it-for-harley.html","title":"Do It For Harley"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"9"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-2808889932446425901"},"published":{"$t":"2009-03-04T06:37:00.001-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-03-04T13:50:06.430-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Josh"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mom"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mory"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Roseann"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Dad steps up to the plateMom knocks it out the park"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"My dad is a Harley riding, tequila drinking man's man who was in the Air Force for 20 years as an F-15 simulator bad ass.  He grew up on a farm, and mostly spent his time stirring up trouble.  My mother on the other hand is an ex-principal who works for community services, and was raised in a very strict baptist family.  She was a stay at home mother for a few years, and the main caregiver for the family.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENow that I write it out this way, it makes complete sense that my dad is the one constantly reminding us to watch our language, behave, and drive carefully.  When I say \"us\" I generally mean, \"my mother.\"  It's not that she curses like a sailor or gets out of hand.  It's just that when it comes to a game of \"How far are we going to take this joke?\", my mother is the champion.  The undisputed champion.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhile everyone in my family loves to push the limits without crossing the line, my mother is the proud owner of property far \u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003Efar \u003C\/span\u003Eon the other side.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAbout 2 years ago my dad, brother and I were going to Quizno's for dinner. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Just use this door over here\" my brother said, pointing to a closer, easy to miss side door.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Oh.  Back door huh?\" I quipped, quoting the great Han Solo from Return of the Jedi.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Back in my day we called that the old dirt road\" dad added without missing a beat as he walked up to the door, now by himself.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMy brother and I had stopped dead in our tracks.  While my dad is very quick witted and amusing, he never ever makes jokes that are dirty, or sexual in nature.  It was something I'd never seen from him, and something I haven't seen again since.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI've never been more proud in my life.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBack in June of 2008, I had been dating Roseann for about 2 months.  Despite the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/05\/tmi-three-alarm-fire.html\"\u003Einitial hiking trip\u003C\/a\u003E, things were going well and we had progressed to a point where I was ready to introduce my family to her.  More importantly I was ready to introduce \u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003Eher to them.  \u003C\/span\u003EMy family tends to get a bit silly when everyone is together, but I figured she'd have to face them eventually if things were to work out.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe typical meet the parents jitters were in full effect for Roseann and she spent the majority of the time quietly listening, and answering the onslaught of my family's questions.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENobody seemed to care too much, except for my mom.  She pulled me aside midway through dinner and asked if she had embarassed me in any way.  I reassured her that everything was fine.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-style:italic;\"\u003EI write a public blog about every stupid thing I've ever said to a woman.  What could possibly embarrass me?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAt this point some friends came in and surprised us.  They had come through the side door.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Oh, the old dirt road?\" Miranda said, barely able to get her joke out through her own laughter.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERoseann looked confused, and I quickly launched in to the story of \"The Old Dirt Road\".  My dad was out of earshot, but mom, now 2-3 glasses of wine in to the night followed along intently.  As I hit the punch line and everyone began laughing, a wistful look of rememberence washed over mom's face.  She leaned back in her chair, lifted up her glass of wine, as if toasting to a higher power and said, \"Oh... the back seat of that old '57 Ford\""},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/2808889932446425901\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/03\/dad-steps-up-to-plate-mom-knocks-it-out.html#comment-form","title":"6 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/2808889932446425901"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/2808889932446425901"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/03\/dad-steps-up-to-plate-mom-knocks-it-out.html","title":"Dad steps up to the plate\u003Cp\u003EMom knocks it out the park"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"6"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-6224866358407278858"},"published":{"$t":"2009-02-24T21:14:00.001-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-02-24T21:15:51.297-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Liang"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Sean N"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Steve"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The Liang Prank"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Back in October, my coworker Liang was sent to Romania for a one month assignment.  For him it was an opportunity to check out Europe and try out a new work place.  For Sean it was the opportunity to pull the prank of a lifetime.  We quickly assembled a team of super nerds from around the office and began plotting.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/3299641088\/\" title=\"DSC00325 by jessebearden, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3410\/3299641088_67ebdbf11c.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" alt=\"DSC00325\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\"  style=\"font-size:x-small;\"\u003EThe \"Plan\" as viewed on Liang's new \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Apple_Newton\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\"  style=\"font-size:x-small;\"\u003ENewton\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\"  style=\"font-size:x-small;\"\u003E.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELiang is the very proud owner of a three monitor set up.  As I noted in \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/12\/developer-trap.html\"\u003EThe Developer Trap\u003C\/a\u003E, monitors are at a premium around the office, and Liang loves to point out that he has three. We began by taking all of the technology out of his office and filling it with old and antiquated equipment.  Whenever possible, something made by Apple was used since Liang has a bigger \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/11\/nerd-words-crush.html\"\u003Eman-crush\u003C\/a\u003E on \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Steve_Jobs\"\u003ESteve Jobs\u003C\/a\u003E than I do on Steve Nash.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/3298816379\/\" title=\"DSC00334 by jessebearden, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3365\/3298816379_170e74d038.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" alt=\"DSC00334\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELiang also owns a large stuffed rabbit that sits in his office. We once considered an intervention, or at least investigation, but eventually decided that it's better to just not ask questions.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/3298813241\/\" title=\"DSC00330 by jessebearden, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3298\/3298813241_51d0a823b8.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" alt=\"DSC00330\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFor my part of the prank, we stole the bunny and hid it in a ceiling tile.  I then made several ransom note style newspaper cutout messages to lead him on a scavenger hunt from one point to the next.  A cardboard X was taped to his window, and at 3 PM, the X would cast a shadow on the floor of where he should search.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/3298839775\/\" title=\"DSC00371 by jessebearden, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3627\/3298839775_957a218577.jpg\" width=\"281\" height=\"500\" alt=\"DSC00371\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELiang hates having the windows in his office open.  You'd think having an office in one of the few Phoenecian sky scrapers would be incentive enough to look outside, but Liang stays true to his nerd roots and avoids the sunlight like the nosferatu.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWe were going to steal and hide the blinds, but eventually decided that leaving them open with a surprise waiting would be a better decision.  We printed out a large photo of us holding the bunny, cut it in to tiny strips, and placed it on his blinds so that when they were opened the picture wouldn't be noticed.  When the blinds were then closed, the picture would reveal itself.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/3299671370\/\" title=\"DSC00373 by jessebearden, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3022\/3299671370_a2ff08413e.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" alt=\"DSC00373\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESean wanted Liang to take it in the face like \u003Cspan onmouseover=\"Tip('Alternate Joke: like Ron Jeremy\\'s co-star at the end of the scene')\" onmouseout=\"UnTip()\"  style=\"color:#000099;\"\u003Ea boxer who doesn't know how to block\u003C\/span\u003E, so we took a large, battery operated nerf gun and rigged it to go off when the door was opened.  This would also trigger an 80's style tape deck which would then beging playing \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/tinyurl.com\/2g9mqh\"\u003Ethis song\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/3298836879\/\" title=\"DSC00367 by jessebearden, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3057\/3298836879_09b1b29e85.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" alt=\"DSC00367\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EA bungee cord was then secured to the door to make sure he wouldn't immediately shut it to block the oncoming nerf barrage.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/3298864551\/\" title=\"DSC00408 by jessebearden, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3654\/3298864551_d8b57673e5.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" alt=\"DSC00408\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe final part of the plan was packing peanuts.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/3299690080\/\" title=\"DSC00402 by jessebearden, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3369\/3299690080_fe27b8fb44.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" alt=\"DSC00402\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELots and lots of packing peanuts.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/3298857283\/\" title=\"DSC00398 by jessebearden, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3443\/3298857283_13000e06ed.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" alt=\"DSC00398\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt took two full nights after work to set up the joke.  A webcam was placed inside of Liang's office, and on the morning of his return from his long trip it was set to broadcast to the our 50+ coworkers who were all \"in\" on the joke.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs he turned the handle and the door flew out of his hand I could hear a loud obsenity shouted from the general direction of his office.  He immediately jumped back and out of range.  Like a newborn baby, he stood for a few moments, his brain not fully registering what his eyes were seeing.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAfter inspecting and cleaning for a few hours, he finally had a path made to his desk.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"At least I can finally get some work done, maybe answer some emails\" he told me as we returned from lunch.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt was at this point that he shut his blinds.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs I walked back towards my office I heard an exasperated nerd sigh, \"You got the bunny too?\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\"  style=\"font-size:small;\"\u003EA few notes:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\"  style=\"font-size:small;\"\u003EThe webcam feed was saved, but unfortunately the sound was not.  You can view it \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.ustream.tv\/recorded\/828373\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\"  style=\"font-size:small;\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\"  style=\"font-size:small;\"\u003E, although there's not much to see.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\"  style=\"font-size:small;\"\u003EThe packing peanuts were a bit of an optical illusion.  The illusion can be seen \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/3299673440\/\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\"  style=\"font-size:small;\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\"  style=\"font-size:small;\"\u003E.  Still, it was about 100 dollars worth of packing peanuts.  Were you fooled?  He certainly was.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\"  style=\"font-size:small;\"\u003EYou can see the full set of pictures on my flickr account \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/sets\/72157614282423840\/\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\"  style=\"font-size:small;\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\"  style=\"font-size:small;\"\u003E.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\"  style=\"font-size:small;\"\u003ENext to Steve Nash, Sean is my vote for Canadian of the year.  Make sure you \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\"  style=\"font-size:small;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/cannuk\"\u003Elet him know\u003C\/a\u003E if you enjoyed the prank.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/6224866358407278858\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/02\/liang-prank.html#comment-form","title":"14 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/6224866358407278858"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/6224866358407278858"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/02\/liang-prank.html","title":"The Liang Prank"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3410\/3299641088_67ebdbf11c_t.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"14"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-6904169166809706623"},"published":{"$t":"2009-02-20T23:59:00.004-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-02-21T23:09:22.541-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Basketball"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Shaq"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Re-Shaq-ulous"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cspan style=\"font-style:italic;\"\u003EYou'll have to excuse the slightly self serving nature of this post. I'd like to have something better put together, but today has been go-go-go nonstop, and yet I feel the need to say something.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI've re-written this post about three times now, but how do you follow something like Shaq?  When I sent the story to \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/basketbawful.blogspot.com\/\"\u003EBasketbawful\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.truehoop.com\/\"\u003ETrue Hoop\u003C\/a\u003E this morning, I thought maybe I'd get a few extra hits, and maybe someone would enjoy the story.  Turns out I did get a few more than my typical 30-70 hits:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/3296369862\/\" title=\"Shaq Effect by jessebearden, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3345\/3296369862_66ae2c6ca3.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"194\" alt=\"Shaq Effect\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI wanted to take a minute to thank everyone for the emails, nice comments, and \"tweets\".  I hope to spend some time this weekend responding to everyone I can, but no promises.  Despite \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/08\/rant-of-day-twitter.html\"\u003Emy tongue-in-cheek bitching\u003C\/a\u003E, I figure maybe I'll give this thing a shot.  Feel free to follow me and tell me I'm a dork:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/jessebearden\"\u003Ehttp:\/\/twitter.com\/jessebearden\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnd please tell Sean he has a big head:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/cannuk\"\u003Ehttp:\/\/twitter.com\/cannuk\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMy email is on the right(As is my twitter now), so feel free to say hi.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGoodnight to the nerd-o-sphere, and congrats to Shaq and the Suns on the win.  The Big Diesel's line for the night?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E22 points, 9 boards, 36,986 hits."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/6904169166809706623\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/02\/re-shaq-ulous.html#comment-form","title":"8 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/6904169166809706623"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/6904169166809706623"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/02\/re-shaq-ulous.html","title":"Re-Shaq-ulous"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3345\/3296369862_66ae2c6ca3_t.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"8"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-8655840024077386980"},"published":{"$t":"2009-02-19T21:29:00.009-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-02-23T16:17:35.232-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Basketball"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Sean N"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Shaq"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Steve"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Finally, A Use for Twitter"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Sean informed me a few days ago that he had been following \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/THE_REAL_SHAQ\"\u003EThe Real Shaq\u003C\/a\u003E\" on twitter. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"You realize that 'The Real Shaq' is probably a 5'4 White, 14 year old emo kid who's getting his jolly's from the attention, right?\" I asked him.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"I don't know.  I think it's really him\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EToday Sean and I were discussing rumored trade situations over IM, and the possibility of Shaq being traded to Cleveland.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Well, I just got a twitter from The Real Shaq, and he's at 5 \u0026amp; Diner right now,\" Sean informed me.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Let's go then\" I said, assuming that I'd finally put this \"Real Shaq\" crap to rest.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETwenty minutes later we were pulling up to the restaurant and looking for the big black truck that he's rumored to drive around town.  \"Maybe that's it\" Sean said, pointing at an older, but nice Van and laughing.  As we pulled up I saw the Superman symbol on the grill.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-style:italic;\"\u003EMaybe that is it?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWe went in, and to my surprise the MDE(Most Dominant Ever) was sitting in the corner booth by himself.  We gave the man a nod and \"Hey\" as we walked to our table and were soon whispering back and forth like 12 year old girls at the 7th grade dance.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"You go talk to him\" I said, while tugging nervously on my dress.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"No, you go talk to him\" Sean replied while flipping his hair.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWe placed our order, and spent 10 minutes trying to work up the sack to go say something.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Should I tell him I'm glad he's sticking around?\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Go tell him you're his twitter buddy\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Should I ask for a picture?\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGiven another 2-3 years, I'm sure we would have worked up the nerve to go talk to him, but before that could happen Sean's iPhone buzzed with a \"tweet\" from Shaq.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EI feel twitterers around me, r there any twitterers in 5 n diner wit me, say somethin\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Hey\" Sean said, with a slight bit of confidence.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EReturning to our hushed whispers I asked Sean, \"Should we go talk to him now?\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"I don't know, should we?\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Yes, you should\" a very deep voice entered our conversation from 2 booths over.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWe quickly hopped up and rushed over like like two eight year olds who had just heard the ice cream truck pass by.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"I know it's dorky man, but can I get a pic with you?\" I asked, slightly intimidated.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Of course\" he said, \"Pull up a seat\"  The behemoth slid over and patted the booth next to him.  As I pulled out my phone to take a picture he snatched it out of my hand and inspected it.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"What's this got?  Windows Mobile?\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Um... yeah\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/3294553238\/\" title=\"Jesse and Shaq by jessebearden, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3379\/3294553238_88d8e480f6.jpg\" width=\"375\" height=\"500\" alt=\"Jesse and Shaq\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\"  style=\"font-size:x-small;\"\u003EDoing my best to look tall.  Thanks for slouching, Shaq.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHe gave it the once over before handing it back and showing off his Google Phone.  We talked for a bit, and snapped a photo for both Sean and me before shaking hands and returning to our table.  I almost got the feeling he wanted us to hang out, but we didn't really want to push our luck.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Make sure you put that on your web page\" he said as we walked away.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAfter he'd left, our young waiter came over.  We asked if Shaq had actually eaten anything since his table was empty when we'd gone over.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"He ordered like 20 dollars worth of food\" the kid stammered out, obviously thrilled to be talking about it, \"And he left me a 160 dollar tip.  Then he asked for a Sprite and gave me forty bucks for it.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/3294657982\/\" title=\"Sean and Shaq by jessebearden, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3415\/3294657982_ccdd4e96c7.jpg\" width=\"375\" height=\"500\" alt=\"Sean and Shaq\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\"  style=\"font-size:x-small;\"\u003ESean and the big Shaq-tus.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWe got back to the office, and saw that Shaq's last twitter was basically calling us a bunch of panzies:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003ETo all twitterers , if u c me n public come say hi, we r not the same we r from twitteronia, we connect\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENot to be outdone \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/the_real_nash\"\u003EThe Real Nash\u003C\/a\u003E\" wrote:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EDiesel, 5 n diner has great chili and milkshakes but i know you're on a diet so you had a salad!!\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\"  style=\"font-size:x-small;\"\u003ETwitter accounts for: \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/cannuk\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\"  style=\"font-size:x-small;\"\u003ESean\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\"  style=\"font-size:x-small;\"\u003E and \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\"  style=\"font-size:x-small;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/jessebearden\"\u003EJesse\u003C\/a\u003E.  Feel free to follow us.\u003C\/span\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/8655840024077386980\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/02\/finally-use-for-twitter.html#comment-form","title":"213 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/8655840024077386980"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/8655840024077386980"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/02\/finally-use-for-twitter.html","title":"Finally, A Use for Twitter"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3379\/3294553238_88d8e480f6_t.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"213"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-6011539854005713405"},"published":{"$t":"2009-02-11T01:07:00.004-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-03-01T03:04:30.370-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Reader Participation"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Valentine's"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Five Lines or Less"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"You're currently reading this post for one of a few reasons.  Please read the appropriate section, and only the appropriate section, for a personalized message just for you!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003EYou're a loyal supporter of the blog, and read everything I post-\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EMom,\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHow's your work day going?  I'm considering going out of town this weekend, but if I don't, wanna hang out and maybe catch a movie?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EJesse\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EYou received something in the mail with this web address-\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EDear Sir\/Madam,\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI'm sorry.  You were probably hoping it was some romantic gesture from that boy\/girl you've been crushing on for the past few weeks, and it turns out to be a gift from a short nerd living in Phoenix.  I would have fully explained on the card, but they only give you 5 lines to use on those things.  How ridiculous is that?  Asking me to write something that short is like asking Tim Burton to direct something bright, shiney and fluffy.  It's just not possible.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe reason you received something in the mail is most likely because someone entered you in my contest (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/01\/nerd-games-free-flowers-year-2.html\"\u003Eclick here to view the contest\u003C\/a\u003E).  I'm sorry to say that you didn't win the grand prize, but as I'm currently not paying girlfriend tax I thought it appropriate to send out some consolation gifts.  I hope you enjoy them.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EJesse\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EYou did a Google search for anyone famous I've written about and the word \"feet\"-\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EDear Sir\/Madam,\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe number of hits I get each day for \"Felicia Day Feet\" and \"Shirley Manson Feet\" is getting out of hand.  My blog name has the word \"foot\" in it and apparently Google is smart enough to translate that to \"feet\".  I respect that everyone has their \"thing\".  I myself like short nerdy girls, but I'm not out constantly Googling around looking for them.  Knock it off.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EJesse\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOkay okay, kidding aside, the contest is over and the stuff has been sent.  I'm surprised by how many people were curious about it, so I created this mini-faq:\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003EQ. Did I win?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EA. Short answer: No.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ELong answer: Nobody actually won.  Somebody will receive the \"big prize\" though.  That person gave me a very solid reason to send him\/her flowers, and as such I did.  It just wasn't necessarily contest related.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-weight: bold; \"\u003EQ. So you ran a contest, got everyone to enter, and then changed the rules?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EA. Not exactly.  I stuck to the letter of the rules, and one of the entrants will receive flowers.  Others may receive a consolation prize.  I hope that everyone is happy in the end.  That's the point after all.  \u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-weight: bold; \"\u003EQ. So who did get the \"big prize\"?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EA. I'm not telling.  If he\/she wants to discuss it publicly here be my guest.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003EQ. But I got flowers.  That means I'm the winner?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EA. Not unless there's an absolutely horrible poem attached to them.  \u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003EQ. Did you send that poor inmate something?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EA. No.  While the whole thing was rather amusing, even I have limits as to the amount of potential crazy I'll invite in to my life.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003EQ. So when does this \"consolation\" prize arrive?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EA.  Having something arrive on Saturday was like 15-25 bucks more, so \"prizes\" should be arriving between now and Friday.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003EQ. The consolation prize is probably something crappy right?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EA. Probably\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EHappy Valentine's day everyone.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/6011539854005713405\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/02\/five-lines-or-less.html#comment-form","title":"4 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/6011539854005713405"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/6011539854005713405"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/02\/five-lines-or-less.html","title":"Five Lines or Less"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"4"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-1091785706022071073"},"published":{"$t":"2009-02-10T11:34:00.002-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-03-01T03:04:56.354-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Nerd Word(s)"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Nerd Her Word(s): Boyfriend Tax"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003ENote from the editor: My friend Nikki posted this as a response to my entry about Girlfriend Tax.  It's pretty solid, so I'm cleaning it up and posting it.  \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003EIf I'm reading it correctly she's saying the average woman will oftentimes willingly trade sex for money.  I believe there's a word for that, but I don't recall at the moment.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003EBoyfriend Tax\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E- noun\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. The physical activities that a woman feels obligated to perform as repayment of girlfriend tax.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#990000;\"\u003E[ Origin: Nikki, apparently ]\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E- usage\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. “OMG…you will not believe how tired and sore I am this morning”\u003Cbr \/\u003E“Why? Did you stay up late again last night?”\u003Cbr \/\u003E“Yes, Tommy still thinks that I owe him BF tax to pay him back from the trip to New York last month”\u003Cbr \/\u003E“Really? I thought he did that to be spontaneous and romantic?”\u003Cbr \/\u003E“Please, you should know that he only spent the GF tax just to get some BF tax”\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E2. “I’ve had to go to the chiropractor 6 times in the last month because of the BF tax I’ve been putting out”\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"color: rgb(0, 153, 0);\"\u003E- see also\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/02\/nerd-words-girlfriend-tax.html\"\u003EGirlfriend Tax\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/1091785706022071073\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/02\/nerd-her-words-boyfriend-tax.html#comment-form","title":"5 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/1091785706022071073"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/1091785706022071073"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/02\/nerd-her-words-boyfriend-tax.html","title":"\u003Cs\u003ENerd\u003C\/s\u003E Her Word(s): Boyfriend Tax"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"5"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-7317403600777431418"},"published":{"$t":"2009-02-08T23:28:00.009-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-03-01T03:05:47.596-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Nerd Word(s)"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Nerd Word(s): Girlfriend Tax"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003EGirlfriend Tax\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E- noun\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. The extra amount of money spent just by having a girlfriend.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#990000;\"\u003E[ Origin: I have no idea.  I'm thinking Marloue though ]\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E- usage\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. \"How come Liang didn't want to come to lunch with us?\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"He's been trying to cut down on costs.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Oh, that's right.  He's got that trip to NY, and then that trip to Miami next month.\"\u003Cdiv\u003E\"Yeah.  Girlfriend tax is hitting him hard.\"\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E2. \"You know I'd kick in on the keg bro, but February is the worst month for GF tax and I'm tapped\"\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/7317403600777431418\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/02\/nerd-words-girlfriend-tax.html#comment-form","title":"3 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/7317403600777431418"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/7317403600777431418"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/02\/nerd-words-girlfriend-tax.html","title":"Nerd Word(s): Girlfriend Tax"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"3"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-7303619160369975275"},"published":{"$t":"2009-02-04T16:32:00.004-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-02-04T16:57:56.150-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Josh"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mory"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"A Very Bailey Birthday"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003EOkay, this entry got a little out of hand length wise.  I cut a bunch out, but I'm leaving a decent amount in.  I can't tell you how thrilled I was to find someone who actually laughed at a joke I made.  I probably should have proposed.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EThe thing about my family is that we all like joking around and being funny.  And we're really funny.  \u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003ETo each other\u003C\/span\u003E.  On our own, we're all a little bit obnoxious, but when we hang out together we Voltron our obnoxiousness into something else entirely.  In private I'm usually the most vocal, but in public I tend to take the back seat and make sure it doesn't get too out of hand.  I am, after all, the responsible one.\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe other night my siblings, their respective others, Stacy(\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2006\/10\/introducing-cast-of-sesquipedalis.html\"\u003EWithout an e\u003C\/a\u003E) and I went out for my birthday.  I chose P.F. Chang's because I love the Mu Shu Chicken.  I don't speak Chinese, but I feel quite confident in my assertion that Mu Shu is Chinese for \"Burrito\".  The fun part is that they come out and make the burrito in front of you.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMy brother Josh made sure to let our waitress Bailey know that we were going to be \u003Cspan style=\"font-style:italic;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/07\/nerd-words-that-guy.html\"\u003Ethat table\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E as soon as she came and introduced herself.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"We're all celebrating\" he told her, \"We lost our jobs today\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Well, as long as you can still tip\" she joked back.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Tip?\" I asked as if the word was new to me.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Whoever runs the slowest gets to pay\" Miranda's boyfriend Andrew added.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBailey was freakishly cute, so I immediately hid under the table to avoid any accidental eye contact.  The rest of my family kept up with the \"funny\", but she handled it well.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Wow, you're a pro at this\" my brother complimented as she wrapped my Mu Shu in to a nice little pocket.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Don't call me that.  I don't want to be a professional waitress\" she said with a smile.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Okay fine\" I said, rolling my eyes and holding up my hands to make air quotes, \"Actress\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ESince she had other tables waiting I offered to help, \"Want me to take care of those?  I can't do the fancy fold, but I can roll them in to tacos\"\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\"If you \u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003Erolled\u003C\/span\u003E it in to a taco it'd be a burrito\" she shot back without missing a beat.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\"Yeah, stupid\" my ever-supportive sister chimed in.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EBy the time dessert came around Bailey had been putting up with our crap for quite some time, so I offered to let her have my complimentary birthday dessert.  She declined so I asked her to surprise me with something and got up to use the restroom.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhen I returned, the not-professional waitress was standing over my seat and lighting a green candle in a thing of cheesecake.  She didn't see me come back so I pulled up a chair from a neighboring table and sat down beside her.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Oh, it's got green stuff all around the bottom now\" she said, referring to the wax that had been melting.\u003Cbr \/\u003EShe still wasn't aware of my presence when I responded, \"Don't worry, I've got some pills that will fix that up.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Oh.  \u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003EYou're a quick one\u003C\/span\u003E\" Bailey laughed.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EAfter she left I asked my sister, \"Do you think I should tell her to hold on to the candle?  You know, for her scrapbook.  For when she tells the story of how we met to our kids.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EShe returned a few minutes later and asked, \"Do you want that last Mu Shu boxed up to go?\"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI don't normally take leftovers because I have a tendency to just let them stink up my fridge for a week before finally relenting and throwing them out.  She didn't give me a chance to answer though.   \u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\"I worked hard folding those things up.  It's going home in a bag with you, or in your belly.\"\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\"You know what.  I think I \u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003Ewill\u003C\/span\u003E take that home after all.  It \u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003Eis\u003C\/span\u003E a lovely Mu Shu.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EI felt pretty bad about the amount of crap we had put the girl through, so after everyone left I slipped another twenty on to the table and headed for the parking lot.  By that time the Chang's was empty, and there were just employees left.  \u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EOne of the cars in the parking lot was empty but had its headlights on, so I walked back in to let someone know.  The hostess was long gone, and the front deserted, so I walked back towards our table to find Bailey clearing it off.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\"You forgot something\" she said before I had a chance to speak.  \u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-style: italic; \"\u003EMy heart?  How did you..  \u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-style: normal; \"\u003EShe held up the doggie bag of Mu Shu.\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-style: italic; \"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-style: normal; \"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003EOh yeah\u003C\/span\u003E.  In my attempt to be decent and leave an extra tip I'd completely spaced on the leftovers.\"Thanks.  Someone left their car lights on by the way.  I would assume it's an employee here since the place is empty.\"\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\"Oh, I'll let them know.  You didn't have to leave the extra tip.  Thank you though\"\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\"Well, you didn't have to put up with our shit.  Thank \u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003Eyou\u003C\/span\u003E.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\"Happy Birthday\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EI told my sister the postscript to the story over the phone while driving home.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\"You know,\" she explained, \"if you had grown a set and asked her for her number, worst case, you'd be driving home alone right now.\"\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/7303619160369975275\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/02\/very-bailey-birthday.html#comment-form","title":"5 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/7303619160369975275"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/7303619160369975275"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/02\/very-bailey-birthday.html","title":"A Very Bailey Birthday"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"5"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-5591942023922263235"},"published":{"$t":"2009-02-02T00:07:00.006-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-07-15T13:40:30.777-07:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"25 things"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003EIn my post Super Bowl depression I decided to do something I've never done before.  I filled out an Internet survey\/meme.  I'm usually very much against these kinds of things, but as many people on Facebook that I know did it, and I found them interesting, I decided to go ahead and participate. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn my general fashion, I wrote more than most do, but I tried to add things that not many people know about me.  There's at least one item that I don't think anyone knows, so hopefully someone enjoys this.  Maybe some of these will turn in to real blog entries some time, but probably not.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1.  I spent ages 3-7 in Germany.  While I forgot the language over the years, my mother claims that I spoke German in my sleep for many years after the fact.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E2.  One summer in my youth, faced with no new Nintendo games, or money to purchase them, my best friend and I started making video game challenges to each other.  In one of these challenges, I successfully beat Super Mario using only my big toes. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EYes, I realize how big of a dork I am.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E3.  I once ran a half mile through downtown Phoenix half naked with big goofy hat on for a bet.  I lost the bet, but Matt was decent enough to buy me an Ultimate Cheeseburger at Jack in the Box as a consolation prize.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E4.  a.  I once fit 6 oreos in my mouth at once and successfully ate them without spitting them out on a bet.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E      b.  My entire fist will fit inside my mouth.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E5.  I'll do almost anything on a bet for laughs.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E6.  In my college years I decided to write a screenplay.  One of the key figures in my movie was to be a character who's parents died in a horrific accident.  He wins a huge insurance settlement and promptly heads to Vegas.  During a comedic hypnotist show, the hypnotist dies.  The character is left changing personalities whenever a bell rings or whistle blows throughout the movie.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHalfway through writing this movie, Office Space by Mike Judge came out.  In it, the main character is hypnotized to relax, and the hypnotist dies.  I quit writing movies after that.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E7.  My arms and hands are double jointed.  I can place my hand on a table and rotate it a full 360 degrees.  My thumbs and wrist bend funny as well.  I can clap with one hand(In two different ways).  I'm also able to lick my elbow, which some claim is \"impossible\".\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E8.  In a doubles ping pong tournament at work I was paired up with the owner of my company, \"Buzzsaw\".  I convinced him that we should dress up in tights and bumble bee outfits to \"throw our opponent off\".  We would be the \"Buzzsaw Bumble Bees\"  Eventually he agreed.  We ended up pitted against a team that wasn't easily shaken and lost 21-19.  We promptly signed the outfits and \"retired\" them on the wall in his executive office.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHe's since left the company, and my bumble bee outfit hangs on my office wall to this day.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E9.  For 3 years I wrote flight simulator software for fighter jets for the Air Force.  While I did get to do some cool things in that time, it was overall a far less exciting job than writing printer software, which I do now.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E10.  From ages 11-14 I saved 1000 dollars to purchase my first PC, which was really the catalyst for my current profession.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E11.  As a child I had a terrible temper.  My brother drove me absolutely crazy.  Since growing up, the exact opposite is true.  I've only yelled at someone once in the last 15 years that I remember, and I don't think I've lost my temper in that time.  It's so bad that most of my friends are thrilled when they see me even mildly upset.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E12.  I've never been drunk in my life.  I only drink under very very special circumstances.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe most I've ever had to drink was an entire beer on my friend Stacy's birthday.  Her friend Megan had passed out in the restroom, and after the fact someone ordered her another round.  I decided it wasn't a good idea for her to have another, so when she was distracted and looking the other way I drank the entire thing.  She never noticed.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E13.  There is absolutely no reason for #12, although #12 and #11 are probably related.  In my adulthood the idea of losing control is a bit scary, and something I'd rather avoid.  I do however like to make up stories as to why I don't drink, since \"I don't want to\" is unacceptable for most.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E14.  I'm usually more amusing when consumed in digital fashion.  While I'm a fairly smart little dude, my brain is more of the \"slow and steady\" kind.  I usually get to the right answer, but I'm not nearly as quick witted as most.  I compensate for this by having most situation\/jokes planned out ahead of time.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E15.  I once found myself face to face with my long time crush Shirley Manson(Lead singer of Garbage) before a concert.  In my complete shock, the best I could come up with was to offer her the hamburger I was about to eat.  Of course I even failed at saying this as I said it so low under my breath that she didn't even hear me.  It was probably for the best.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E16.  In college, tired of people asking what kind of girl was \"my girl\", I started replying that all I wanted was a \"Little Redheaded Girl\".  This was a reference to Charlie Brown.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOddly enough, a few months later I wound up with a crush on a short redheaded girl.  Somehow, the joke has stuck.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E17.  I'm a huge Nintendo fan, but not crazy enough to wait in line for many things.  When the Wii came out, I found a target distribution list online, and went to a Target in the north valley that for some reason was getting over 100.  I arrived 30 minutes before the store opened, and got one with plenty of room to spare.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E18.  I wrestled my sophomore year in high school, but was unable to get my weight over 93 lbs.  The lowest weight class 103, and I lost every match.  At one match, the opposing team didn't have anyone in my weight class, and they offered to let me wrestle a weight class up, against a girl.  When I saw her snarling and hitting herself in the head before the match, I declined to wrestle the girl who out weighed me by over 20 lbs.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E19.  I was a lifeguard\/cashier for 3 years during the summers of high school.  Despite my small size I was an exceptionally strong swimmer, and enjoyed besting the big strong jocks at most of the life guarding challenges.  After those 3 years, I don't really enjoy the pool that much.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E20.  I delivered pizza for 2 years, and still consider it one of, if not the best jobs I've ever had.  Since that time, I don't really enjoy Pizza Hut pizza.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E21.  As a kid I had numerous tests run on me to figure out why I was so short.  This included monthly examination of my little boy parts, and frequent blood drawing.  After years and years of this they finally told me, \"You're just short\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E22.  In high school I designed and built a hovercraft that didn't completely function.  After I got a real job and had the money I purchased a gas powered blower and made one that worked.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E23.  I was born a month early with a double hernia, which wasn't repaired until I was a year of age.  My mother says I have a big chest due to the constant crying.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E24.  When I was very young we had an Atari, and one night my dad forgot to tuck me in because he was busy playing Pac-Man.  I was quite upset and on that day decided that I hated video games and would never play them myself.  Boy was I wrong.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E25.  I tend to write a lot when I sit down to write on the computer.  I jokingly say it's because I type really fast, but the real answer is probably that I'm overcompensating for my height.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI'm sorry."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/5591942023922263235\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/02\/25-things.html#comment-form","title":"4 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/5591942023922263235"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/5591942023922263235"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/02\/25-things.html","title":"25 things"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"4"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-5557126323024031669"},"published":{"$t":"2009-01-27T17:17:00.007-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-01-27T23:23:29.470-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Nerd Games"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Reader Participation"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Valentine's"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Nerd Games: The Free Flowers (Year 2)"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Given that it's now almost February, the chances of me having a Valentine reside statistically in the \"Not Probable\" range.  I believe I've given or sent flowers for at least 7 or 8 years running now, and it seems a shame to let the streak end.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGiven that, and my motto that every girl deserves flowers on Valentine's, I've decided to open up the free flowers competition again.  The rules are the same as \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/02\/nerd-games-free-flowers.html\"\u003Elast year\u003C\/a\u003E.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E1. Nominate someone to get flowers. Write a reason\/explanation, or don't.  I don't care. A good reason helps your chances though.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E2. I'll pick a winner and pay for and send flowers. I'll also write a very crappy poem which you can help with if you'd like.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E3. Contest ends on the 9th.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\"  style=\"font-size:x-small;\"\u003E*I reserve the right to half ass it like I did last year if I get a slight case of death again.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHere are some sample entries that I just made up to get you started:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EI think you should send flowers to my wife, because her husband is a jerk.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EA dozen roses to \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/search\/label\/Ruth\"\u003ERuthie\u003C\/a\u003E that read:\u003Cbr \/\u003EDear Ruthie,\u003Cbr \/\u003EPlease move back to 11-L so that Jesse has something to write about.\u003Cbr \/\u003ELove, Sesquipedalis Readers\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003ESend flowers to \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/01\/nerd-words-e-flirting-update.html\"\u003ELeyda\u003C\/a\u003E with a card that reads, \"Happy Valentine's - James Franco\"\u003C\/blockquote\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/5557126323024031669\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/01\/nerd-games-free-flowers-year-2.html#comment-form","title":"27 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/5557126323024031669"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/5557126323024031669"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/01\/nerd-games-free-flowers-year-2.html","title":"Nerd Games: The Free Flowers (Year 2)"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"27"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-6739549163157747215"},"published":{"$t":"2009-01-25T22:00:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-01-25T22:11:32.031-07:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Par for the Course: Part 2"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Last Thursday I found myself in need of a quick lunch.  The other nerds let me know that they were going to \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.phxbluefin.com\/\"\u003EBlue Fin\u003C\/a\u003E\", a semi-well known downtown Japanese Restaurant.  My problem with Blue Fin is that it has the worst chicken I've eaten in my life.  On the up side, there are no stray cats in the area.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGiven my dislike of the BF, I grabbed the iPod and headed off to ZPizza.  It was, after all, Italian pizza day, and I love the Italian pizza(Without tomatoes).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs I stepped in I noticed the cute girl was behind the counter, which usually causes me to over think the next few moments, and how they will play out.  Before I had time to think of something \u003Cs\u003Ewitty\u003C\/s\u003E stupid to say she jumped a bit, threw her arm behind her head and did a slight ants-in-the-pants kind of dance.  Or maybe it was a jig.  I'm not sure.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAt 31 years of age, there's not a lot that surprises me, but this definitely did.  Combined with my complete fear of women I stood for a moment, perplexed.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Uhm...\" \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAbout 30 seconds later I realized my head was now rotating itself slightly to the left, much like a puppy that stares at you and obviously doesn't understand.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Hmmm...\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"That was the weirdest thing,\" She finally took the lead, \"A bobby pin just fell out of my hair and down the back of my shirt.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003EWell that makes some sense.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Oh...\" I responded, \"I just thought you were excited that I was here\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnd nothing.  No chuckle.  No laugh.  Nothing of the courtesy variety.  Nothing from the pity family.  Just nothing.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe best part was I had yet to place my order."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/6739549163157747215\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/01\/par-for-course-part-2.html#comment-form","title":"4 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/6739549163157747215"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/6739549163157747215"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/01\/par-for-course-part-2.html","title":"Par for the Course: Part 2"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"4"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-244115924225500767"},"published":{"$t":"2009-01-19T11:22:00.004-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-01-19T11:22:00.976-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Nerd Word(s)"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Nerd Word(s): E-Flirting UPDATE!"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"A while back I wrote a Nerd Word(s) entry for \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/04\/nerd-words-e-flirting.html\"\u003EE-Flirting\u003C\/a\u003E\" and used some pretty piss poor examples.  I mean really, one of you should have punched me in the gut and let me know that that sort of D- effort wasn't okay.  A real friend would have.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EToday I have a better example.  Click for the full image:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3264\/3192065548_c67da8d459_o.png\" title=\"Leyda on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3304\/3192065612_7f91577822_o.png\" width=\"398\" height=\"233\" alt=\"Leyda2\"\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/244115924225500767\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/01\/nerd-words-e-flirting-update.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/244115924225500767"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/244115924225500767"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/01\/nerd-words-e-flirting-update.html","title":"Nerd Word(s): E-Flirting UPDATE!"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-3381035429994085298"},"published":{"$t":"2009-01-14T21:40:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-01-14T22:54:29.894-07:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The Double No-No"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Meeting girls is a bit tough for me.  I approach women with the eloquence and articulation of (soon-to-be-ex) President Bush giving a \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=hORaebYWDwk\"\u003Espeech on nuclear power\u003C\/a\u003E.  Sure, I get the basic idea across, but in the end I just end up looking like an idiot.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOne of my (many) issues in the dating scene is that I approach all new relationships as a potential friend.  Despite evidence to the contrary in this blog, it takes me a while to actually form a real desire for someone, and I tend to keep it on the level longer than the average guy.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis can be quite off putting for the women of my age who have spent the past decade and a half fighting off drunken party boys like \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Battle_of_Hornburg\"\u003EAragorn to Orcs at the Battle of Helm's deep\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWith that in mind I put up a profile on a \"\u003Cspan onmouseover=\"Tip('Read: Dating')\" onmouseout=\"UnTip()\"  style=\"color:#000099;\"\u003ESocial Networking\u003C\/span\u003E\" website.  I'm somewhat wittier when taken in digital form, and it's more or less impossible to take an online relationship at the wrong pace.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAbout a month ago I exchanged a few emails online with a girl named Maureen.  She was a super cute girl who seemed smart, age appropriate, and above all else pleasant.  And that was the issue.  There was no real spark.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMaureen seemed very much to be looking for a significant other where I was looking for a friend, possibly a hiking buddy, and maybe somewhere down the road something more. While my daily thought process usually doesn't extend past lunch, I have a feeling that she was the girl who had most of her wedding already planned.  You know that girl.  She already owns the dress and has yet to get the ring.  In some rare cases she's already picked out a school for the kids.  By the way, you're having two.  Their names are Addison and Fuller.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHer insistence on being serious made the conversation difficult - getting off the island in \u003Cspan style=\"font-style:italic;\"\u003ELost\u003C\/span\u003E difficult.  The emails consisted of her asking \"deal breaker\" type questions and me responding with jokes and smart ass comments.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EMaureen,\u003Cbr \/\u003EI gotta ask up front what you have against divorced guys.  Bad experience in the past?  Is it a blanket rule?  I myself have never been married.  I'm just curious why the strict rules.  Seems like you might have a hard time finding a guy who's never married, no kids, and doesn't drink a little on a regular basis.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThat being said, I'm a 31 year old guy who's never been married, doesn't have kids, and I've actually never even been drunk before in my life.  Most people who meet me think I must be Mormon or super religious since I'm a bit on the straight and narrow on those sorts of things (if you catch my meaning).  I'm not though.  I'm Agnostic.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESoon enough she asked if I'd like to meet, and as she seemed \u003Cspan onmouseover=\"Tip('You know, except for the possible restraining order Google reported.')\" onmouseout=\"UnTip()\"  style=\"color:#000099;\"\u003Emostly harmless\u003C\/span\u003E, I agreed to meet her at the Starbuck's at the local out door mall.  I arrived promptly at the arranged time to find the the Starbuck's both closed and deserted.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMy nerdy side was beaming as I whipped out the phone and Google reported another Starbuck's a solid 150 feet to the East.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-style:italic;\"\u003EKarma is getting you for that \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Z9iMgSNrwv4\"\u003ELewis Black\u003C\/a\u003E article.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI arrived at the second Starbuck's five minutes later to find it... both closed and deserted.  I waited another 20 minutes before calling it a loss and heading home.  I had given Maureen my phone number, but as she had not reciprocated, I was out of options.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-style:italic;\"\u003EI had been stood up.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe phone chirped with an email from Maureen as I was on my way home.  She had forgotten my number at home, but was still in the area.  A phone call and 10 minutes later we met at the gelato place down the street.  She was slightly looser in real life than the emails had been, but the conversation was still overly formal and therefore quite difficult - \u003Cspan onmouseover=\"Tip('From the wiki article: Solomon\\'s Key is generally recognized as one of the most difficult games to appear on the Nintendo Entertainment System')\" onmouseout=\"UnTip()\"  style=\"color:#000099;\"\u003ESolomon's Key\u003C\/span\u003E difficult.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWe parted ways an hour later, and I left realizing that the evening had not gone well.  For good measure, the next day I sent an email offering to take her hiking or some other activity.  It was my hope that maybe something a little more active would loosen the tension, but her reply read simply:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EJesse,\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EYou're a really nice guy, but not the one for me.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-style:italic;\"\u003EI had been stood up and shut down by the same girl.\u003C\/span\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/3381035429994085298\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/01\/double-no-no.html#comment-form","title":"6 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/3381035429994085298"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/3381035429994085298"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/01\/double-no-no.html","title":"The Double No-No"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"6"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-8442151392524495164"},"published":{"$t":"2009-01-12T09:32:00.003-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-01-12T11:43:28.838-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Erik"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Nerd Word(s)"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Nerd Word(s): The No-No"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003EThe No-No\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E- noun\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. A denial or shutdown\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#990000;\"\u003E[ Origin: While I'm sure the saying is common in sports vernacular, it was brought to my lexicon by Erik]\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E- usage\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. \"Manu Ginobili went up for the shot, but Amare gave him the no-no and knocked it 6 rows in to the crowd.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E2. \"I finally beat Bowser on world 4-4, but instead of the princess, all I got was the no-no\"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"color: rgb(0, 153, 0);\"\u003E- disambiguation\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ENot to be confused with the no-no naughty-spot.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/8442151392524495164\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/01\/nerd-words-no-no.html#comment-form","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/8442151392524495164"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/8442151392524495164"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/01\/nerd-words-no-no.html","title":"Nerd Word(s): The No-No"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-3194030593456299133"},"published":{"$t":"2009-01-01T14:52:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-01-01T23:53:27.774-07:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Postpartum: Part 1"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003ESo, I decided to try something a little different.  \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\"I have one of your old stories from high school\" my good friend Laura said to me a few months back.  \u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003EMy what?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\"It's something called the Gumshoe Detective.  It's funny\"\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003EOh, that.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EI had all but forgotten.  I had written a few comical type short stories in school and given them to my friends.  I couldn't bring myself to read it now.  I can't imagine what 15 year old Jesse thought was amusing.  In retrospect, it was probably more mature and well written than what 31 year old Jesse writes.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThree years ago I wrote a long and drawn out email to a friend about my mom introducing me to a girl who turned out to be a lesbian.  I thought the story was sort of amusing so I posted it where some friends could read, and then to my myspace account.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EAt the time I was badgering two of my best friends(Rose and Adam) to each start a blog.  I find them both extremely amusing, and writing just wasn't my thing.  When they wouldn't get on board, I finally decided to do it myself.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ETwo and a half years later I've got 169 entries in a blog that's changed a lot, but at the same time stayed mostly the same.  Over the years I've come a long way in my writing ability, but I'm still a long ways from anything resembling \"presentable\".\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EWhen I think about it, it all goes back to that cheesy story I wrote half a lifetime ago.  Mostly real, with a bit of a drama.  Too much inner monologue.  Too many bad similes.  Lots and lots of bad jokes.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EAfter having written out a story about my mom and my umbrella, I decided it needed a little \"something more\" and decided to go back to my roots.  Surprisingly, that relatively short entry became three bloated entries with very little content.  In a way it seemed fitting.  \u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EPart 2 also had the worst joke I think I've ever written.  Bonus points to those who found it.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThanks to everyone who's stuck with me over the year(s).  Hopefully I'll think of something exciting to write about soon.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EIn the meantime I recommend you check out the following blogs from people who are far more talented than I am -\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E1.  \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/lowlifebastard.blogspot.com\/\"\u003ELow Life Bastard\u003C\/a\u003E - Larry hasn't written in a while, but if you haven't read through the archives, you're really missing out.  Stop by and tell him to get his ass back on the blog.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E2.  \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/evohno.blogspot.com\/\"\u003EExtensive Vamping\u003C\/a\u003E - The \"day to day\" blog from Stefi, the writer of Bores and Whores.  She has a dryness and sarcasm that often leaves me questioning which part of the joke is funny, and which part of the joke is actually on me.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E3.  \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/chicagojo.net\/\"\u003EChicago Jo\u003C\/a\u003E - One of my latest blog crushes.  Despite evidence to the contrary, I'm convinced that Jo is a 45 year old bald fat man wearing a cheeto stained wife beater surfing the Internet and up to no good.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/3194030593456299133\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/01\/postpartum-part-1.html#comment-form","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/3194030593456299133"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/3194030593456299133"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2009\/01\/postpartum-part-1.html","title":"Postpartum: Part 1"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-8216274130638240488"},"published":{"$t":"2008-12-04T00:29:00.001-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-12-04T14:47:05.106-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mom"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Jesse B and the Case of the Missing Umbrella(Part 3)"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003EAugust 25th - EXT Bearden Household - Noon\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs I pulled up to the house I had spent many of my high school years in I noticed Liz outside.  She was midway through unloading her car, which was filled with the week's groceries.  Her face lit up to see me.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EShe'd tell you it was because she was happy to see her son, but any chump who wasn't born yesterday would  tell you she was happy to have someone to chip in on the chore.  It's a little known scientific fact that when the doctor cuts the umbilical cord to a woman's first born, she is immediately endowed with the knowledge of \u003Cspan onmouseover=\"Tip('Legend says that this power is doubled if the woman is Jewish')\" onmouseout=\"UnTip()\"  style=\"color:#000099;\"\u003Ehow to lay a guilt trip\u003C\/span\u003E.  They don't teach that in high school biology class, but there's a lot they don't teach you in school.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWe exchanged pleasantries, and I was soon unloading \u003Cspan onmouseover=\"Tip('And that was just for half the week.')\" onmouseout=\"UnTip()\"  style=\"color:#000099;\"\u003Eenough red wine to drop a circus elephant\u003C\/span\u003E.  As the last item was lifted from the trunk of her car I turned and paused.  Out of the corner of my eye I had noticed something shiny and white in the back of the garage.  Further investigation revealed that it was the umbrella.  \u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003EThe\u003C\/span\u003E umbrella.  The one that this woman claimed to have never seen had been resting 3 feet from where she parked her car every night.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EA lesser man may have exploded at this revelation, but that's a rookie mistake.  Throughout my career I had learned that situations such as this call for a certain finesse.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Are.  You.  Kidding me?\" I stammered as I put down the box I was holding and picked up the item in question.  \"Remember last week when I asked you if you'd seen an umbrella?\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Oh\" she said innocently, with a genuine look of surprise, \"That umbrella?\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003EUm yeah.  We live in a city where it rains -2 inches a year.  How many umbrellas have you seen?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Uh.  Yeah.  That's the one.  Have you seen the other?\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Of course!\" she replied, suddenly perky and happy to be helpful.  She walked to the car and pulled the umbrella's twin from the back seat.  \"You know... I thought it was odd that it didn't have a handle\""},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/8216274130638240488\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/12\/jesse-b-and-case-of-missing.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/8216274130638240488"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/8216274130638240488"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/12\/jesse-b-and-case-of-missing.html","title":"Jesse B and the Case of the Missing Umbrella(Part 3)"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-8085651879912576153"},"published":{"$t":"2008-11-18T22:34:00.001-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-11-18T22:35:27.810-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mom"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Jesse B and the Case of the Missing Umbrella(Part 2)"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003EAugust 19th - INT Bearden Household - Dusk\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Well, I don't know where they possibly could be\" the woman stated without hesitation. If she did know the location of the umbrellas, she wasn't telling me. I had ransacked the entire house and found both the lights and the bulbs, but the umbrellas, the final pieces to the kit, were nowhere to be found.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMy only lead was the woman standing in front of me. She was a middle aged dame with a mother's face. It'd seen joy, laughter, good times and bad. Her birth certificate read Elizabeth Ann, but around these parts she was known as Liz, AKA Lizzy, AKA Dizzy, AKA Big L. This broad had more handles than a broom shop, but to me she was known simply as \"Mom\".\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnd today \"Mom\" was fresh out of answers.  I had grilled her for a good twenty as to the whereabouts of the umbrellas but she was steadfast in her argument that she hadn't seen them.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EShe wasn't lying.  At least not to her knowledge.  I know lying.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EJesse B and the case of the Fortunate Cookie\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt was back in aught six when I got an urgent telegram from a Mr. and Mrs. Ying.  Their daughter had been missing for a month and they wanted me to find her.  Sure, it seemed odd that a well to do Chinese family would offer me a sizable amount to find their daughter, but times were tough and the heat still had to get paid.  When you ain't got two pennies to rub together for warmth it's time to get off your ass and make something happen.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI spent two weeks searching Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi looking for Lai.  Turns out the sassy skirt had run away from dad's overbearing discipline and turned up working wangs for a few Yuan at a local gentleman's club.  While a decent number of the men in that town had gotten their happy ending, the Yings never did get their's\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe trail had run cold.  I had given up and gone to price replacements, but with economic times being what they were I wasn't ready to drop 60 clams on a pair of rain shields for a small project about a silly chair.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDejected, I took the top down on the car and went for a drive.  Maybe it was out of habit, or maybe it was 20 years of following my gut, but I ended up back at my parent's house."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/8085651879912576153\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/11\/jesse-b-and-case-of-missing_18.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/8085651879912576153"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/8085651879912576153"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/11\/jesse-b-and-case-of-missing_18.html","title":"Jesse B and the Case of the Missing Umbrella(Part 2)"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-5488066390854027944"},"published":{"$t":"2008-11-12T06:58:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-11-12T11:00:27.384-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Nerd Word(s)"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Nerd Marloue Words: Metro-Grub"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EMetro-Grub\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"color: rgb(0, 153, 0);\"\u003E- restaurant\/verb\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1.  A downtown restaurant, particularly one with a trendy or hip style to it.  \u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"color: rgb(0, 153, 0);\"\u003E- distinguishing marks\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EMost Metro-Grub places will turn in to a bar late at night, and tend to have a wide assortment of food.  A sure fire way to know that you'reMetro-Grubbing is the interesting choice of furniture(Such as a couch in the middle of a restaurant) and the abundance of feta.  If the waiter asks what kind of bread you want your sandwich on and then lists \"Pita\" \"Wrap\" and \"Panini\" as your choices, then there's a good chance you're at a Metro-Grub restaurant.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"color: rgb(153, 0, 0);\"\u003E[ Origin: My coworker Marloue used the word once to describe \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.switchofarizona.com\/\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"color: rgb(153, 0, 0);\"\u003ESwitch\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"color: rgb(153, 0, 0);\"\u003E, a new downtown eatery. ]\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"color: rgb(0, 153, 0);\"\u003E- usage\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1.  I'm thinking something light today.  Wanna Metro-Grub?\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"color: rgb(0, 153, 0);\"\u003E- examples\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1.  \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.switchofarizona.com\/\"\u003ESwitch\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E2.  \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.zoeskitchen.com\/\"\u003EZoë's Kitchen\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E3.  \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.fezoncentral.com\/home.aspx\"\u003EFez\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E4.  \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.maiziescafe.com\/\"\u003EMaizie’s Café \u0026amp; Bistro\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E5.  \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.deluxburger.com\/\"\u003EDelux Burger\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/5488066390854027944\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/11\/nerd-marloue-words-metro-grub.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/5488066390854027944"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/5488066390854027944"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/11\/nerd-marloue-words-metro-grub.html","title":"\u003Cs\u003ENerd\u003C\/s\u003E Marloue Words: Metro-Grub"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-6346214111062377858"},"published":{"$t":"2008-11-12T05:36:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-11-12T11:00:47.541-07:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Par For the Course"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"A few days ago I had lunch at \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.zpizza.com\/\"\u003EZPizza\u003C\/a\u003E.  Z is a cool little Metro Grub Pizza joint that defies the MG stereotype by actually being priced somewhere in the affordable range.  The mile distance from my office to Z is taken up by the \"historic\" Willo district of Phoenix, which is one of the few green and peaceful areas in the city.  I generally grab the iPod and walk the distance on a day where the temperature is less than scorching.  \u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EMy head was still back at the office as I ordered two slices of the daily special, but I quickly snapped back to the present after paying.  As I turned around I realized there was an exceptionally cute girl behind me.  She'd been there for a while, and I had surprisingly been too lost in my thoughts to get nervous and do something stupid.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EI stepped outside for a moment to check for table availability on the patio and then back in after spotting the perfect seat.  As I walked over to the bar where they set the orders I noticed the cute girl was standing over two slices of the daily special, patting them down with a napkin to remove any excess grease on the top.  Since she had ordered after I did, it seemed likely that it was actually my pizza she was patting down like a TSA agent, but I was too busy wondering if we'd serve ZPizza at our wedding to be bothered.  It would all be \"our\" pizza once we were married. \u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThe girl looked up at me for a moment as if to say, \"What are you staring at?\" to which I just nodded.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\"Catherine!\" a Z employee announced as she set another plate with two slices of the delicious Italian pizza on the bar.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThe cute girl, somewhat surprised, stared at the new plate for a moment.  She then looked at me, and then back at the plate her left hand still clutched.  I nodded again.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\"Um... do you just want to take that one?\" she asked, with a little bit of demand in her voice as she motioned to the new plate.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\"I don't know.  That one looks like it has less grease\" I deadpanned and pointed at the other.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\"Well... \" she sighed with frustration, \"You can have it if you want.\"\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EI gave up and went back outside to eat my lunch.  As I walked past on my way back to the office I considered asking her how my pizza was, but decided to just drop it.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/6346214111062377858\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/11\/par-for-course.html#comment-form","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/6346214111062377858"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/6346214111062377858"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/11\/par-for-course.html","title":"Par For the Course"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-603265847885560143"},"published":{"$t":"2008-11-04T05:08:00.001-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-11-04T19:15:53.209-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Adam"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Jesse B and The Case of the Missing Umbrella(Part 1)"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"There comes a time in every P.I.'s life when he ends up his own client.  My pal Murray used to say, \"Better a gumshoe who's his own client than a heart surgeon\".  Of course that was before Murray went to jail.  A leggy blond with a huge rack hitting on a scrawny kid from Sausalito is about as out of place as Michael Phelps at a public pool wearing a pair of orange floaties, but Murray always did think with his lower brain.  Until the cops fished her out, the blond spent the better part of a week at the bottom of the East River with a knife in her back, a gag in her mouth, and Murray's finger prints all over her like Amy Winehouse at a free meth handout.  Murray?  Well, Murray ended up getting a double life sentence despite the fact that it was an obvious set up.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe point is, when it's your ass on the line,  when push comes to shove, that's when the real detectives are separated from the kids with the Fisher Price action detective play set.  It's the time when the Holmes of the world show their stuff.  The Columbos.  The Magnums.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMy first self client case wasn't anything quite so serious as a murder rap, but that didn't make it any easier.  Any sleuth worth his salt will tell you that even the smallest mystery carries with it a certain urgency.  Every folder you place in the U filing cabinet under \"Unsolved\" is reminder of your own failings. They weigh you down. They keep you up at night.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis particular case revolved around a unique missing item, or I should say set of missing items.  Umbrellas in fact, but not just any umbrellas.  These were those special white umbrellas they use when you go to a professional photog. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EYou see, in my younger days my associate Adam O and I had fancied ourselves pioneers in the independent movie market.  We were young and full of dreams.  It was a time of innocence, before the real world had chewed me up and spit me out a hardened man.  Back then, every day was a new adventure and the world was my oyster.  I don't see Adam much anymore.  Not like the old days anyhow.  He was seduced by a frisky frau from Berlin and has since taken up residency across the pond.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn our youth we'd saved and bought some doodads that we were sure would assist us on our way to our directorial destiny.  Adam had a fancy Japanese made microphone, and I had purchased a professional lighting kit complete with umbrellas.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI had all but forgotten that lighting kit until an August afternoon many years later I had need of it once again.  With the economy in a downturn and most people turning to Google for their answers, work had been slow.  I found myself working key grip on the set of a motion picture titled, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/08\/how-to-build-chair-in-twelve-easy-notes.html\"\u003E\"How to Build a Chair\"\u003C\/a\u003E.  It was a small job, but it filled the space in between cases.  Everything was ready to shoot except for the lights.  The fluorescent\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"line-height: normal; \"\u003E bulbs of the set just weren't cutting the havarti, and we need something a little better.  Something a little more professional.\u003C\/span\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/603265847885560143\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/11\/jesse-b-and-case-of-missing.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/603265847885560143"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/603265847885560143"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/11\/jesse-b-and-case-of-missing.html","title":"Jesse B and The Case of the Missing Umbrella(Part 1)"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-7223299988224125080"},"published":{"$t":"2008-10-27T14:34:00.005-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-10-27T20:03:48.581-07:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"When You Were Young"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003EYeah yeah, sorry I've been slow to post.  I'm still working on it, but in the mean time enjoy these photos.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EI recently went through and scanned some old yearbook photos and thought I'd share.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/2970536584\/\" title=\"myYearbookPhoto1988 by jessebearden, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3071\/2970536584_f17348c138_o.jpg\" width=\"225\" height=\"320\" alt=\"myYearbookPhoto1988\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EMe in 1980.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/2978831309\/\" title=\"1970 by jessebearden, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3006\/2978831309_9ebe3d3a0e_o.jpg\" width=\"225\" height=\"320\" alt=\"1970\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EMe in 1970.  I look a little like Austin Powers here.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/2979687600\/\" title=\"1968 by jessebearden, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg src=\"http:\/\/farm3.static.flickr.com\/2167\/2979687600_f2b3f90b22_o.jpg\" width=\"225\" height=\"320\" alt=\"1968\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E1968.  I was actually up for the part of Davey Jones in the Monkees\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/2979687560\/\" title=\"1952 by jessebearden, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3171\/2979687560_36a4bb76db_o.jpg\" width=\"225\" height=\"320\" alt=\"1952\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E1952.  Before I won the big drag race against Kiniki.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/2979687638\/\" title=\"1984 by jessebearden, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3048\/2979687638_f151321de6_o.jpg\" width=\"225\" height=\"320\" alt=\"1984\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E1984\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EYou can see the full set \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/sets\/72157608339774110\/\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGo to \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.yearbookyourself.com\"\u003Ewww.yearbookyourself.com\u003C\/a\u003E and make your own.  Send me the pics!"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/7223299988224125080\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/10\/when-you-were-young.html#comment-form","title":"4 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/7223299988224125080"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/7223299988224125080"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/10\/when-you-were-young.html","title":"When You Were Young"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"4"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-3601965217172503257"},"published":{"$t":"2008-10-02T10:58:00.002-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-10-02T11:04:44.215-07:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Good Lines for the First Date"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"I recently went on a date with a girl.  The date itself didn't go that well.  Generally speaking people are a little reserved when getting to know someone, but as the date mostly seemed like a bust my inner jackass came out.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe girl had mentioned that she had tried dating a girl in college, but it wasn't for her.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs we walked back to my car I used the remote to unlock the doors.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Wow, that has really good range\" she commented.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Oh, well it's RF.\"  I explained to a blank stare.  \"You know?  RF?  Radio Frequency\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Oh.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003EI wasn't sure if \"oh\" meant she got it or not so I decided to explain further, \"Yeah, the car can send it a message if the alarm goes off.  It goes both ways, kind of like you back in college.\""},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/3601965217172503257\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/10\/good-lines-for-first-date.html#comment-form","title":"7 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/3601965217172503257"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/3601965217172503257"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/10\/good-lines-for-first-date.html","title":"Good Lines for the First Date"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"7"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-3268199635540024900"},"published":{"$t":"2008-09-30T18:14:00.001-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-10-01T15:35:56.872-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Rose"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Rose Gets Married"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"FONT-STYLE: italic\"\u003EI've been on a bit of a hiatus lately, but today I realized that I had 0 posts in September, and that's just not cricket.  So with that in mind I decided to buckle down and deliver a solid D- effort.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBack in late July I flew to Chicago to attend the wedding of Rose and Zach.  I've known Rose since I was 20, and while we've had our ups and downs over the years, she's one of my best friends in the world.  Zach I've only known for a few years, but if Rose hadn't snatched him up I'd have considered switching teams and making a move.  I'm just saying Zach rocks.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe weekend itself was absolutely amazing. It was great to hang out with friends and spend some time relaxing. It was a little weird feeling like the 5th bridesmaid\/gay best friend(Especially considering I'm straight), but I got over it quickly.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs there was no major, embarrassing story for the weekend the highlights will be presented in list format, partially because I'm lazy, partially because Rose loves lists.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EI ended up sharing a hotel room with Sara which was awesome.  Sara's pretty low key and easy to get along with.  While the rest of the couples were running around doing couple-y type things I pretended Sara and I were dating.  She may have been offended or put off, but much like my normal girlfriends, I didn't care what she thought. This is how she looked when she found out I'd be her roommate:\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"TEXT-ALIGN: center\"\u003E\u003Ca title=\"P7260171 by jessebearden, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/2716281414\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"500\" alt=\"P7260171\" src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3245\/2716281414_c78f978ff5.jpg\" width=\"375\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWedding Bingo was actually a big hit. Rose ended up winning by bingo-ing first, but I feel like she may have stacked the deck a little. To be fair, Rose is a little like a Wookie in that sense and it's usually best just to let her win. I did however manage to come close to a black out.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"TEXT-ALIGN: center\"\u003E\u003Ca title=\"2687221586_cc6d07aaf2_o by jessebearden, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/2714588815\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"497\" alt=\"2687221586_cc6d07aaf2_o\" src=\"http:\/\/farm3.static.flickr.com\/2027\/2714588815_d712dc4dc3_o.png\" width=\"497\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EI'm sort of amazing in a suit.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"TEXT-ALIGN: center\"\u003E\u003Ca title=\"DSC01350 by jessebearden, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/2715483272\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"375\" alt=\"DSC01350\" src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3216\/2715483272_7c724107c1.jpg\" width=\"500\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EI kissed the bride before the groom did(Don't tell Zach)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"TEXT-ALIGN: center\"\u003E\u003Ca title=\"DSC01298 by jessebearden, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/2714641517\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"500\" alt=\"DSC01298\" src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3047\/2714641517_317155cf34.jpg\" width=\"375\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThere were a few spelling snafu's during the pre-wedding which many thought would push Rose over the edge.\u003Cbr \/\u003EDuring the reception a few of us were outside by the marquee when I commented, \"Funny. The Ampersand is backwards\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"The case is open. You could, you know, fix it if it's bothering you so much\" someone teased.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"I could... \u003Ci\u003Efix\u003C\/i\u003E it\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"TEXT-ALIGN: center\"\u003E\u003Ca title=\"P7270384 by jessebearden, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/2716538152\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"375\" alt=\"P7270384\" src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3016\/2716538152_fea41b6e35.jpg\" width=\"500\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"TEXT-ALIGN: center\"\u003EFixed:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca title=\"DSC01409 by jessebearden, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/2714829601\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"375\" alt=\"DSC01409\" src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3028\/2714829601_79f415ab1e.jpg\" width=\"500\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWe invented another new game called \"Wedding Photo Bomb\". The objective of this game is to get yourself in to as many pictures as you can that you're not supposed to be in. You'd have known that if you'd \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/08\/homework-assignment.html\"\u003Edone your homework\u003C\/a\u003E. While I'd like to say that I did well in this game, it's obvious to anyone that Anthony won hands down. You can view the entire set \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/tags\/photobomb\/\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E, but here are a few to give you a good idea of how the game is played:\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"TEXT-ALIGN: center\"\u003EThe lovely Bride and Groom(And Anthony)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca title=\"DSC01369 by jessebearden, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/2715609104\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"375\" alt=\"DSC01369\" src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3101\/2715609104_a6168b9f4e.jpg\" width=\"500\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"TEXT-ALIGN: center\"\u003EA very cute couple dancing(And Anthony)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca title=\"DSC01389 by jessebearden, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/2715629154\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"375\" alt=\"DSC01389\" src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3138\/2715629154_7e1f42739f.jpg\" width=\"500\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"TEXT-ALIGN: center\"\u003ERose And I(And Anthony)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca title=\"P7270244 by jessebearden, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/2716482334\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"375\" alt=\"P7270244\" src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3159\/2716482334_fcc7eb690c.jpg\" width=\"500\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E \u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"TEXT-ALIGN: center\"\u003EAnd last but not least, Rose. (And Andy, her brother)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca title=\"P7270277 by jessebearden, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/2715684317\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"375\" alt=\"P7270277\" src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3287\/2715684317_f7e8dd8c05.jpg\" width=\"500\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EBy the end of the weekend I had no less than 4 new man crushes, 2 new games, and almost 1000 wedding pictures(Rose had asked us to take as many pictures as possible since she didn't have a professional photographer). Feel free to browse the collection \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/sets\/72157606442655616\/\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"TEXT-ALIGN: center\"\u003E\u003Ca title=\"P7270226 by jessebearden, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/2715501075\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"375\" alt=\"P7270226\" src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3250\/2715501075_3698469d7c.jpg\" width=\"500\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/3268199635540024900\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/09\/rose-gets-married.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/3268199635540024900"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/3268199635540024900"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/09\/rose-gets-married.html","title":"Rose Gets Married"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3245\/2716281414_c78f978ff5_t.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-7874401808132684707"},"published":{"$t":"2008-08-28T15:53:00.021-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-10-02T11:17:52.160-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Rant of the Day"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Rant of the Day: Twitter"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"In the past few months I've had numerous run ins with the website twitter.com ranging from \u003Cs\u003Estalking\u003C\/s\u003Ereading \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/feliciaday\"\u003Epeople\u003C\/a\u003E's twitter page to being at a bar with a person who was oblivious to their surroundings because they were too busy \"twittering\" to people questioning why I wasn't \"on it\".\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFor those who don't know, Twitter is the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cousin_Oliver#Oliver_Martin\"\u003ECousin Oliver\u003C\/a\u003E to the Facebook Wall and Myspace status. It's the new hotness. It's fresh. All the cool kids are doing it, and to be quite honest, I just don't get it. If I understand it correctly(And I'm quite certain that I don't), the concept behind twitter is that you update it very regularly and write what you're doing. This process is known as \"Micro-Blogging\".\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EEach \"Tweet\" is limited to 140 characters and can be done via text messaging. Now don't get me wrong. I support any form of messaging that doesn't involve me actually having to talk to your dumb ass on the phone, but have we hit the point in our society where we need to know what everyone else is doing at every moment of the day? I promise you that you don't want to know what I'm doing\/thinking all the time. My twitter would quickly turn in to an update of my regularity and obscure reference to things that I'm not even sure that \u003Ci\u003EI\u003C\/i\u003E care about.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca title=\"twitter by jessebearden, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/2806523871\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"519\" alt=\"twitter\" src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3003\/2806523871_534fd2f126_o.jpg\" width=\"559\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI guess my question is, \"At what point did you become so important that anyone gives a crap what you're doing right now?\". I can't convince half the people I know to read the blog that I write once a week, \u003Cspan onmouseover=\"Tip('The painfully obvious answer is, \\'Because at least then you\\'d be limited to 140 characters\\'')\" onmouseout=\"UnTip()\"  style=\"color:#000099;\"\u003Ewhy would they check something I update every hour\u003C\/span\u003E?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBut here's the thing. \u003Cspan onmouseover=\"Tip('I know what you\\'re thinking, \u0026quot;Impossible\u0026quot;, but it\\'s true. ')\" onmouseout=\"UnTip()\"  style=\"color:#000099;\"\u003EI've been wrong before\u003C\/span\u003E. For the sole purpose of this blog entry I invented a phone that lets me call people from the past and here's what I found.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOn the subject of myspace, Jesse from early 2005 had this to say:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMyspace? Christ. I'd sign up, but I just checked and it turns out that I'm not 15, and my parents actually do understand me.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI'm just glad someone created a place so that all the emo kids could get together and express their uniqueness and individuality with the exact same crappy 5 themes that everyone else has.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Wow, you like that band too?!? That's so crazy. I'd go to their concert tonight, but I'm busy setting up a tripod to take profile pictures from the ceiling so it hides my double chin and fat ass.\" \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf I ever sign up for that crap, you have my permission to kick me square in the junk.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003EOn the subject of blogging, Jesse from 2006 had this to say:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBlogging? There are 3 blogs in the entire world.\u003Cbr \/\u003E1) Some hack's crappy photos over and over again.\u003Cbr \/\u003E2) A dork writing about technology that nobody will ever read. Nobody cares about your feelings on USB versus the new 1394 spec, jackass.\u003Cbr \/\u003E3) Stories about someone's family that I've never met.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn the rare case that you find something that's a real written piece, it's generally just someone who finished up that English degree a few years ago and is still clinging to the idea of being a writer while he teaches Sophmore English at a High School. Stop pretending man. There's nothing wrong with being a teacher, but stop being a pretentious ass and selling yourself as a writer. You don't have a couple of things \"in the works\", and 2 comments(One from your mom) doesn't mean that one of your \"pieces\" is \"in discussion\".\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf I ever write a blog, it had better be because I lost a bet or something.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003EI realized two things from my conversations.\u003Cbr \/\u003EA) Old Jesse is sort of an angry jackass\u003Cbr \/\u003EB) The phone had to be destroyed. It could be an instrument of evil if it fell in to the wrong hands.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnyhow, feel free to follow my twitter. I don't plan on actually using it, but the same could have been said for my \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.myspace.com\/jessebearden\"\u003Emyspace\u003C\/a\u003E, my \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\"\u003Eflickr\u003C\/a\u003E, my \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/jessebearden\"\u003Eyoutube\u003C\/a\u003E, and my \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/\"\u003Eblog\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/jessebearden\"\u003Ehttp:\/\/twitter.com\/jessebearden\u003C\/a\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/7874401808132684707\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/08\/rant-of-day-twitter.html#comment-form","title":"4 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/7874401808132684707"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/7874401808132684707"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/08\/rant-of-day-twitter.html","title":"Rant of the Day: Twitter"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"4"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-875705742305276542"},"published":{"$t":"2008-08-27T09:20:00.014-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-08-27T16:08:31.984-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Adam"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"How to Build a Chair (in twelve easy notes)"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv align=\"center\"\u003EWhat people are already saying about Jesse's smash new short film:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Wow. You're a huge dork. You know that right? Just Wow\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Did you consider editing yourself out and adding a girl? Maybe a cute one?\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"You seriously need a girlfriend\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Uh... how long did you spend making that?\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv align=\"center\"\u003EFirst, the movie. Then the long boring explanation. \u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cobject height=\"344\" width=\"425\"\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"movie\" value=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/v\/5sX9WLhdMmU\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;fs=1\"\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\"\u003E\u003Cembed src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/v\/5sX9WLhdMmU\u0026hl=en\u0026fs=1\" type=\"application\/x-shockwave-flash\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" width=\"425\" height=\"344\"\u003E\u003C\/embed\u003E\u003C\/object\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI can't complain too much about my job. The hours are flexible, I spend a lot of time screwing around, and I've got a pretty neat office all to myself. The rub though, is that I don't have any office furniture. There is furniture to be had, but it never seems to end up in my office. Aside from my desk and a crappy old chair, I've got nothin. Sean got a free couch for god's sake, and all I've got is a big wide open office.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt works like this. There is a set amount of furniture. If you have a piece, it's yours forever. When you quit, everyone swarms on your office like kids at fat camp to a Snickers and picks the room clean. I'm non-confrontational in nature, and small, which has hurt me in the furniture gathering process.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOne day, in protest, I decided to build a chair out of some old mailer boxes that we had lying around. Jim, a coworker and I spent a while arranging and rearranging boxes until we had what vaguely resembled a chair. At lunch I was showing off the chair and announced my idea of shooting a small stop motion film of it coming together when another coworker, Jeremy Cheek added, \"You should set that to the theme from Tetris\", and that's when the idea started to spiral out of control.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI ran the idea and some of my thoughts by Adam one night. He lives in Germany now, but growing up, he was the \u003Cspan onmouseover=\"Tip('Except I\\'d actually be the Martin Lawrence')\" onmouseout=\"UnTip()\"  style=\"color:#000099;\"\u003EMartin Lawrence to my Will Smith\u003C\/span\u003E. Adam is sort of a master of taking projects from \"Silly Idea\" to \u003Cspan onmouseover=\"Tip('His fictional imdb page would credit him as being the engineer on a hovercraft, the camera tech on a movie about a guy playing basketball vs. himself, the lead producer on a incomplete tv series that revolved around a radioactive squirrel, and a host of other projects.')\" onmouseout=\"UnTip()\"  style=\"color:#000099;\"\u003E\"Silly Completed Project\"\u003C\/span\u003E, so it was good to have him on my side, and the collaboration from around the world was interesting.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAfter kicking back and forth a few ideas we decided on a Pied Piper sort of idea where I'd play the guitar in a split screen to control the blocks. Adam had a great idea about a top to bottom split(See his storyboard \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/2803721408\/\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E), but I wasn't sure that I could get that done solo.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThere are a bunch of mistakes, but I don't think they're too noticeable any more. The low quality of youtube actually hides most of them, and I did some fancy editing to try to remove as much as I could.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHopefully people recognize the \u003Cspan onmouseover=\"Tip('The theme from Tetris')\" onmouseout=\"UnTip()\"  style=\"color:#000099;\"\u003Esong\u003C\/span\u003E that I'm playing (quite horribly), and the \u003Cspan onmouseover=\"Tip('The intro is a nod to the boot up of the original gameboy, with the blocks being cut outs of the original Tetris')\" onmouseout=\"UnTip()\"  style=\"color:#000099;\"\u003Ereference of the intro\u003C\/span\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EEdit: \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.vimeo.com\/1613674\"\u003EYou can now watch the video in HD also\u003C\/a\u003E."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/875705742305276542\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/08\/how-to-build-chair-in-twelve-easy-notes.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/875705742305276542"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/875705742305276542"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/08\/how-to-build-chair-in-twelve-easy-notes.html","title":"How to Build a Chair (in twelve easy notes)"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-4025811615533240722"},"published":{"$t":"2008-08-14T09:14:00.004-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-11-02T08:39:03.759-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Robo-babe of the Day"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Robo-babe of the Day: Felicia Day"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"My friend Krol used to say, \"Redheads are our most precious natural resource.\" Had I been capable of arguing with him(He's now a lawyer), I would have said, \"While redheads are in fact rare, the female nerd is just as rare, if not more so.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn this day and age of Geek Chic, many would side with Krol. Everyone is a nerd these days, or at least that's what they'd have you believe. I could write a novel length dissertation about what it takes to be a real nerd, and why most of the Johnny Come Lately's to the scene are not in fact real nerds, but it's sufficient to say that having made a web page once for a class, or having a WoW account do not make you a real nerd.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca title=\"Venn Diagram by jessebearden, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/2737009885\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"300\" alt=\"Venn Diagram\" src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3188\/2737009885_a51728122d_o.png\" width=\"500\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size:78%;\"\u003EThe space x represents the Nerdy Redheaded Girl, a rarity normally reserved for four leaf clovers, unicorns, and \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/T206_Honus_Wagner\"\u003EHonus Wagner Baseball cards\u003C\/a\u003E. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size:78%;\"\u003E(The X is not only the center of the diagram, it's also the center of my heart.)\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBut I digress. No matter who you side with in this imbecilic argument, you can agree that the intersection of this Venn diagram, the Redheaded Nerd Girl, is quite rare indeed. One could easily argue that this intersection would be so rare that it could very well not exist. In this case, \"One\" would be wrong because \"it\" does exist, and \"it's\" name is Felicia Day.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. Felicia is the creator, producer, and star of the web based series \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.watchtheguild.com\/\"\u003EThe Guild\u003C\/a\u003E\", a show about a bunch of nerds who play a video game together. While it's absolutely hilarious if you're familiar with the subject matter, it's probably still amusing if you're not.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E2. Felicia starred in the previously mentioned \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/08\/what-you-should-be-watching-right-now.html\"\u003EDr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog\u003C\/a\u003E, which, if you haven't watched by now, don't bother. You're already dead to me.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E3. On a scale of 1 to 10 I'd say she's absolutely adorable.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca title=\"2662824520_d89db0468d by jessebearden, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/2737829422\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"500\" alt=\"2662824520_d89db0468d\" src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3062\/2737829422_03da16f476_o.jpg\" width=\"356\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E4. She made her own \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.feliciaday.com\/\"\u003Ewebsite\u003C\/a\u003E, where she also keeps a \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/feliciaday.com\/categories\/blog\/\"\u003Eblog\u003C\/a\u003E. Read the following snippet and tell me you're not in love(Ignore the fact that she spelled usability wrong. Felicia is a busy girl, far too busy for what you mere mortals call \"spell check\"):\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EIf PayPal were a man, I would punch him. I would cold-cock him into tomorrow, even if I had to break my hand. I think this is a perfect example of a monopoly gone wrong. The useability of the site is a nightmare: The documentation, laughable. Combine this with a Brother Q500 label printer that is bundled with software that was created on Fortran, and you have the perfect storm for driving a girl over the edge to a day job, abandoning web video forever\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E5. She started college at 16 and got a mathematics degree from the University of Texas. Nothing says nerdy like math.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E6. She's an honest to goodness nerd. And how's this for a coincidence? She even hangs out on the \u003Cem\u003Esame Internet that I do! \u003C\/em\u003EI know, right?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESo, like Link with 3 hearts and a wooden sword I've begun my quest to win her heart. I regret to inform everyone that this will be the end of the blog. I've sold my laptop to pay for a ring and as you're reading this I'm probably on my way to L.A. to propose. Wish me luck!"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/4025811615533240722\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/08\/robo-babe-of-day-felicia-day.html#comment-form","title":"10 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/4025811615533240722"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/4025811615533240722"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/08\/robo-babe-of-day-felicia-day.html","title":"Robo-babe of the Day: Felicia Day"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"10"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-7832912146178354723"},"published":{"$t":"2008-08-12T08:34:00.002-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-08-12T16:46:22.702-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Nerd Word(s)"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Nerd Word(s): 1 to 10"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cstrong\u003E1 to 10\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E- rating system\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. A way of judging \u003Cem\u003Eanything\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#990000;\"\u003E[ Origin: About 12 years ago I started rating random and odd things on a scale from 1 to 10. ]\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E- alternatives\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EA to F\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E- usage\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. \"On a scale of 1 to 10 I'd call this dinner about a 7\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E2. \"How was the movie last night?\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"6 with a bonus point because it had Jennifer Connelly in it\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E- addendum\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAfter a certain period of time, the rating practice caught on with many of my friends. At that point it was time to jump ship and change it up. It was time to keep them guessing.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"On a scale from 1 to 10 I'd say Steve Nash is pretty awesome\""},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/7832912146178354723\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/08\/nerd-words-1-to-10.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/7832912146178354723"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/7832912146178354723"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/08\/nerd-words-1-to-10.html","title":"Nerd Word(s): 1 to 10"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-1704062394072159363"},"published":{"$t":"2008-08-06T08:57:00.001-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-08-06T09:22:30.319-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Adam"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"What You Should Be Watching Right Now"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"My main man Adam recently sent me a link to \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.drhorrible.com\/\"\u003EDr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog\u003C\/a\u003E. Despite the fact that Adam has been hiding out in Germany, on the lam for a crime of passion, he still has his finger closer to the pulse of American pop culture than I ever will. I'm not really sure how something as big and amazing as this project got on to the Internet, \u003Cem\u003Emy Internet,\u003C\/em\u003E without me discovering it first, but it did.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDr. Horrible is a little web only, 3 episode show \u003Cs\u003Eby \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Joss_Whedon\"\u003EJoss Whedon\u003C\/a\u003E. If you don't know who Joss Whedon is, then you probably don't belong on this blog. It also stars \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Neil_Patrick_Harris\"\u003ENeil Patrick Harris\u003C\/a\u003E(Doogie!\/Barney!) and \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Malcolm_Reynolds\"\u003ECaptain Maclom Reynolds\u003C\/a\u003E himsef, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nathan_Fillion\"\u003ENathan Fillion\u003C\/a\u003E. Not to mention the absolutely adorable... \u003C\/s\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cs\u003E\u003C\/s\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cs\u003E\u003C\/s\u003EYou know what, never mind. I'll shut up. Cancel your plans for tonight, take a long lunch, or whatever. The next 45 minutes are about to be 132% more awesome for you than they would have been. You can thank me later.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Cobject height=\"296\" width=\"512\"\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"movie\" value=\"http:\/\/www.hulu.com\/embed\/Z4kt7M5Uta51JuIDJV6HeQ\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cembed src=\"http:\/\/www.hulu.com\/embed\/Z4kt7M5Uta51JuIDJV6HeQ\" type=\"application\/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"512\" height=\"296\"\u003E\u003C\/embed\u003E\u003C\/object\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/1704062394072159363\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/08\/what-you-should-be-watching-right-now.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/1704062394072159363"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/1704062394072159363"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/08\/what-you-should-be-watching-right-now.html","title":"What You Should Be Watching Right Now"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-5889103625255319588"},"published":{"$t":"2008-08-04T10:11:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-08-04T10:23:27.660-07:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"A Homework Assignment"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Life has been busy as can be lately, but hopefully times they are a slowing down.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI've got a veritable cornucopia of new blog posts in the chamber, but I need some free time to fix them up before I can pull the trigger. Until that happens though I've got a homework assignment for you, and that is to go here:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/lowlifebastard.blogspot.com\/2008\/06\/larry-vs-photobombing.html\"\u003Ehttp:\/\/lowlifebastard.blogspot.com\/2008\/06\/larry-vs-photobombing.html\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELarry Jenkens is sort of a friend of a friend, and his post on photobombing will be required reading for an upcoming entry. There may be a pop quiz, so make sure you read thoroughly. Feel free to check out the rest of his blog too as it's quite amusing."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/5889103625255319588\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/08\/homework-assignment.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/5889103625255319588"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/5889103625255319588"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/08\/homework-assignment.html","title":"A Homework Assignment"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-6197179269738978254"},"published":{"$t":"2008-07-20T16:06:00.003-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-07-20T16:34:10.529-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Nerd Games"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Rose"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Nerd Games: Rose Wedding Bingo"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Rose, one of my best friends in the whole world gets married next Sunday. We had a pact that if neither of us were married by the time she hit 30 we'd just marry each other. Rose turns 29 in January, so I'll let you draw your own conclusions about her upcoming marriage. I'm just saying that fear is a powerful motivator.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWith Rose's wedding I've decided to start a new tradition. I've invented a game that I call \"Rose Wedding Bingo\". The rules are simple.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERose Wedding Bingo\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. Think of as many humorous things that could happen as possible and write a list.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E2. Randomly pick 24 things from the list and lay them out on a 5x5 grid. The middle square is the \"Free Square\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E3. As the things happen at the wedding, cross them off from your bingo card. The first person to form a line wins.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESample List(The * indicates ones that I picked for my card):\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EJesse hits on a bridesmaid*\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERose calls Zach \"Jesse\"*\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERose calls Jesse \"Zach\"*\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EJen knocks a flower girl out while the bouquet is being tossed*\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EJesse knocks the ring bearer out while trying to catch the garter *\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHeidi makes an inappropriate(Albeit hilarious) joke in front of Mr. Halterman*\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERose says Jesse's name during the ceremony\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAt least two members of Zach's family get drunk and say something inappropriate\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERose throws a fit and leaves for 20 minutes*\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EJesse tries to bring her back by telling her her hair looks pretty.*\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERose yells, \"FINE\" at least twice\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERose yells, \"WHATEVER\" at least twice\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERose says, \"I don't even care anymore\"*\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERose tells Jesse to \"SHUT UP\"*\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EZach gets drunk and tells everyone how much he loves them*\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERose gets drunk and tells everyone how much she hates them*\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERose refuses to do the Chicken Dance\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERose cries at the end because she doesn't want everyone to leave.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERose reminds everyone that it's her day.*\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAndy sings a song for the \"Love Birds\" *\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAndy (unintentionally) lands the bridesmaid that Jesse hit on*\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDawn(Rose's mom) says, \"RRRROOOOOOOOOOOSSSSEEEE\"*\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDawn sings a song for Rose(How do you solve a problem like Rose)*\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EA member of the bridal party throws up.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERose gets fed up with her hair before the wedding and does something rash.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERose wears teal makeup.*\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERose misses the something old, something new or something borrowed, but way over does it on the something blue.*\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESara asks for a new roommate after the first night.*\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EJesse wears a tuxedo shirt at some point during the weekend.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EJeff says something so dry it's arid.*\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGroomsman shows up drunk or hungover\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESomeone misplaces the rings\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFlower Girl cries\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERing Bearer throws a tantrum.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EJesse quotes wedding crashers\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERose says, \"GROSS\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERose shoves cake in Zach's face as he's saying something nice like, \"I could never do something like that to you\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERose mentions mouth herpes*\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EZach accidentally breaks something insignificant and Rose gets very upset.*\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERose considers eloping the night before the wedding.*\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESample Card(Click for full size):\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca title=\"BingoFinal by jessebearden, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3009\/2687221586_cc6d07aaf2_o.png\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"240\" alt=\"BingoFinal\" src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3009\/2687221586_2ff137b44d_m.jpg\" width=\"240\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIf you'll be attending the wedding feel free to make your own card and\/or comment on things to add to my list. I'll update the post if I get any new good ones. If you won't be attending the wedding feel free to make a card up for a wedding that you will be attending in the near future."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/6197179269738978254\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/07\/nerd-games-rose-wedding-bingo.html#comment-form","title":"3 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/6197179269738978254"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/6197179269738978254"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/07\/nerd-games-rose-wedding-bingo.html","title":"Nerd Games: Rose Wedding Bingo"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3009\/2687221586_2ff137b44d_t.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"3"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-7881077555537846397"},"published":{"$t":"2008-07-18T17:53:00.002-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-06-14T00:51:24.465-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Dad"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"TMI"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"A Series of Open Letters"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/name\/nm0634240\/\"\u003EChristopher Nolan\u003C\/a\u003E - Writer, Directory, Producer of Batman Begins and \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0468569\/\"\u003EThe Dark Knight\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFirst of all. Wow. Just wow. You nailed it. Very very awesome movie. From the bottom of my nerd heart, thanks.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDid it really have to be 2 and a half hours long? \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/name\/nm0001392\/\"\u003EPeter Jackson\u003C\/a\u003E called, he wants his shtick back. There are those of us with small bladders in the audience who have issues with a 150 minute long movie, and in the case of yours there was never a \"Man this would be a good time to get up\" moment. Considering the entire 150 minutes was like 6 hours worth of awesome I can forgive you, but why not kick it old school and throw an intermission in there? I'm just saying.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThanks again, and I hope the day is treating you well.\u003Cbr \/\u003EJesse\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EMy Future Self,\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESure, that 32 oz slushy at the gas station on the way to the movie seems like it'll be the perfect pick me up to get you through that midnight showing, but you're a little dude. 32 oz is a bit much. We both know you're going to get a drink at the theater too. Let's not over do it next time. Okay?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EYou're looking good today by the way. Have you been working out?\u003Cbr \/\u003EJesse\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EErin - The cute girl behind the counter at the AMC 20 concession stand,\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWas it really necessary to remind me that I could upgrade to a large soda for only 50 cents more? Of course I knew that going in. I can read and do math in my head. But you were aware of that. You took one look at me and knew that the perky way you asked me with a slight tilt of the head and cute grin would be more than my nerd heart could resist. You'd sold that 44 ouncer before I had even ordered.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI think I might love you despite your manipulation.\u003Cbr \/\u003EJesse\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EThe Manager of the AMC 20 at Westgate,\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI applaud you for opening up extra theaters to accommodate all the people wanting to see The Dark Knight on opening day. Here's the deal though... You've got 20 theaters that are normally staggered with show times. When one movie lets out there's a rush to the bathroom, but it's not so bad because there's only one or two movies letting out at a time. When all 20 theaters start playing the same movie at 12:01, then all 20 theaters let out at the same time. When this happens it's a running of the bulls type situation that is only exacerbated when it's a long movie. It's pandemonium. Come on baby, you're better than that.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAll I'm saying is you could stagger them just a little. Have your 12:00, but also throw some 12:15's and 12:30's out there. If people didn't buy their tickets ahead of time, then they should be happy with the 12:30.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EJesse\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EHonda,\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThank you for making my S2000 capable of 0 to 60 in under 6 seconds and even bigger thanks for making it able to corner well at 40 miles an hour. Much appreciated.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EJesse\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EThe Manager of the Mobile on the Run at 91st and Camelback,\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EScrew you. Who closes a gas station from 1am to 3am? \"On the Run\" my ass.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EJesse\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EDad,\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis morning you may have noticed what appears to be a tire skid mark where someone e-brake slid their car into your driveway. You may also notice that someone \"watered\" one of the trees in your back yard in a non-traditional way. I can't imagine who would do such a thing, but I personally suspect one of Miranda's friends. Those kids have no respect.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThanks for always being there and especially for living close to the theater.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EJesse\u003C\/blockquote\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/7881077555537846397\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/07\/series-of-open-letters.html#comment-form","title":"4 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/7881077555537846397"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/7881077555537846397"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/07\/series-of-open-letters.html","title":"A Series of Open Letters"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"4"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-6842439129408178505"},"published":{"$t":"2008-07-16T10:31:00.003-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-07-16T10:53:03.906-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ana"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"From the Inbox: How to End a Blog"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"On Saturday as the clock struck midnight my phone \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/07\/ana-vs-j-random-nerd.html\"\u003Eonce again\u003C\/a\u003E chirped at me. \"Ana's 23rd Birthday\". Two years ago to the day had been both the peak and end of our \"Relationship\", but for some reason I never took the time to finish that part of the story.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELast year I bumped in to her one day, and then a few months later a bunch of pictures of her in Guatemala showed up on my flickr friend list.  The meeting was very short and awkward.  We emailed a few times, but that too was somewhat awkward.  She asked me what had happened to us, which was odd since she had decided to cut off all contact.  She had started dating someone, and to my surprise that meant we could no longer see each other.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EInstead of answering the question and playing the game I decided to instead write her the end of our story the way I had wanted to.  She was the original inspiration for this blog, so it only seemed fitting to write an end to the story.  The first half of this email is complete fact, but it soon takes a few liberties.  I'll leave the separation of fact from fiction as an exercise to the reader.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe other day the guys asked me to go to lunch with them.  I've had a bit of a falling out with some of the other nerds as of late, so I hadn't been going to lunch with the gang.  For some odd reason though, I decided to go.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"What!?!  You guys want to drive all the way to In-N-Out?  That'll take forever\" I protested when told the destination of choice.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"It's all freeway, it'll be quick.  Quit your whining\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Meh, it's not like I was getting any work done anyhow\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThere's just something about going back to the old stomping grounds that I spent my young adult life( Tempe ).  It seems like I generally run in to someone, and more often than not it's someone I don't want to run in to.  As we entered I did a quick glance around and didn't notice anyone familiar.  With a sigh of relief I placed my order and like a herded cow moved my way slowly through the people towards the drink dispenser.  As I did, the people parted like a wave and from across the room I saw a familiar set of eyes.  A dark pair of eyes that I had missed and tried to forget for some time.  Her hair had changed.  The way she held herself had changed... \u003Cem\u003Eit had only been six months right\u003C\/em\u003E?  The one thing that hadn't changed was the smile.  It was Ana... It was the Chilean princess of yesteryear... And I was... \u003Cem\u003Escared\u003C\/em\u003E?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt had been almost 3 years since this girl had intimidated me, but the feeling was quickly familiar.  It had been a while, and things hadn't exactly ended in the most optimal aways.  I suppose it was the only way they could have ended, but it still seemed far from perfect.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EShe got up from her table and we politely exchanged hello's.  I asked about her job, and she introduced me to her co-workers, but their names quickly evaded the grasp of my memory as my focus was on her.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAfter the typical small talk that everyone has and no one\u003Cbr \/\u003Eremembers, I got brave.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Maybe we should do lunch or something sometime.  I'll by you Subway\" I asked in reference to how we met.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"I'd like that\" she said coyly.  \"You still have my number?\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Of course\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E3 days later we met and had Turkey Breast sandwiches at a Subway in Mesa .  The ice quickly melted and it wasn't long before I remembered all the things that had drawn me to her in the first place.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E2 years later I proposed on a beach in Hawaii on vacation.  She said yes, and we were wed on a Cliff overlooking the ocean in Chile the following year.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWe now keep both my condo in Phoenix, and a small house in Guatemala where we spend the majority of our time.  We started a website that helps match nerds with girls who need a good man.  It provides feedback and helpful hints.  She does the content, I do the administration.  Luckily, we're able to work abroad and still afford to live happily and care for our five children.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe End.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/6842439129408178505\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/07\/from-inbox-how-to-end-blog.html#comment-form","title":"3 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/6842439129408178505"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/6842439129408178505"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/07\/from-inbox-how-to-end-blog.html","title":"From the Inbox: How to End a Blog"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"3"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-4295990325798388650"},"published":{"$t":"2008-07-11T14:44:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-07-11T14:45:42.507-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Nerd Word(s)"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Nerd Word(s): THAT (guy)"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETHAT (guy)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cfont color=\"#009900\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003E- proper noun\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/font\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. A person who fits well in to a (generally negative) stereotype or cliche.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cfont color=\"#990000\"\u003E[ Origin: The first time I remember hearing the phrase was Jeremy Piven in PCU(1994) when he says, \"What's this? You're wearing the shirt of the band you're going to see? Don't be that guy.\" I'm sure it was seen much earlier than that though. ]\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/font\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cfont color=\"#009900\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003E- usage\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/font\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. \"You were \u003Cem\u003Eso\u003C\/em\u003E THAT guy for her. You bought her flowers. You met her mom. You totally \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/03\/nerd-words-playing-role.html\"\u003Eplayed the role\u003C\/a\u003E just to get in to her pants.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E2. \"I got totally hammered at the party after my ex showed up and was THAT guy all night\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cfont color=\"#009900\"\u003E- examples\u003C\/font\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. Anyone over 21 who has asked other people to kick in for gas on a trip that was less than 100 miles.\u003Cbr \/\u003E2. Anyone over 24 who has gotten in an argument over who was \"more fucked up\".\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E3. Anyone who gets angry enough during a sporting event to make his or her companions scared.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E4. An iPerson who is just salivating for the new \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3034\/2659698664_52bb74b465_o.gif\"\u003EiProduct\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E5. Any guy who has ever said, \"The band is going to make it\"\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E6. A nerd with a blog that mostly focuses on his failures with women.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/4295990325798388650\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/07\/nerd-words-that-guy.html#comment-form","title":"3 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/4295990325798388650"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/4295990325798388650"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/07\/nerd-words-that-guy.html","title":"Nerd Word(s): THAT (guy)"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"3"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-5895114832540699872"},"published":{"$t":"2008-07-11T14:43:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-07-11T14:45:27.057-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Anna"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Dad"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mom"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mory"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Max's Birthday"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"I have a long standing tradition of recording odd dates in my phone so that I remember them the following year and surprise people. It's a generally good idea to know birthdays and such, but at times I take it to slight extremes just for the humor involved.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Hey dude, your anniversary is next week. Don't screw it up this year\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Hey, isn't it your ex-baby sitter's birthday? You should get her something\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn early March the phone let me know that Max's birthday was approaching. Max is my mother's Silky Terrier, constant companion, and fourth child. I'm not saying she loves the dog more than her children, but I am saying she's one dog sized Gucci handbag and owner-dog matching sweater set away from being \u003Cem\u003Ethat\u003C\/em\u003E lady.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWe hadn't had any fun with mom in a while, so I called my sisters Anna and Miranda and got the plan set in motion. Dad was supposed to distract mom while we decorated the house and prepared.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMiranda Baked a cake and bought small \"Doggy Bags\". Anna decorated with streamers. I bought party favors and made a mixed CD:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=He82NBjJqf8\"\u003EWho Let the Dogs Out - Baha Men \u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E2. \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=tUwnOsTm96A\"\u003EWho Am I? - Snoop Doggy Dogg\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E3. \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=We8P_Ww27hY\"\u003EHound Dog - Elvis Presley\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDad's distraction didn't last quite long enough, but asking someone to keep mom from home after work day is like asking a midget to tackle Barry Sanders in the open field. Sure, it might happen, but the odds aren't in your favor.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EEventually she got home and we had our little party. As lame as it was, the dogs really seemed to enjoy themselves, and so did mom.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca title=\"l_ef7a6884591f2a5a99096c7351dd7cec by jessebearden, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/2611130497\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"299\" alt=\"l_ef7a6884591f2a5a99096c7351dd7cec\" src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3002\/2611130497_51b02dc837_o.jpg\" width=\"448\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size:78%;\"\u003EMax \u003Cs\u003Eslobbering on\u003C\/s\u003E blowing out the candle.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca title=\"l_d90dea2c6f6bc36e23780109468b2d91 by jessebearden, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/2611964414\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"299\" alt=\"l_d90dea2c6f6bc36e23780109468b2d91\" src=\"http:\/\/farm3.static.flickr.com\/2172\/2611964414_d3e2b72002_o.jpg\" width=\"448\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size:78%;\"\u003ETonka rocking the birthday hat. Pepper desperately trying to get in a picture.\u003Cs\u003E\u003Cs\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/s\u003E\u003C\/s\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca title=\"l_1e112ee634b708004998d183a4094263 by jessebearden, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/2611130483\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"299\" alt=\"l_1e112ee634b708004998d183a4094263\" src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3060\/2611130483_95d9b59058_o.jpg\" width=\"448\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size:78%;\"\u003EAnna and Jack showing off their hats. Pepper still trying to get in a picture.\u003Cs\u003E\u003Cs\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/s\u003E\u003C\/s\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca title=\"l_3075bf2c4c5dc46b92b2be4fc1570ce3 by jessebearden, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/2611130459\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"299\" alt=\"l_3075bf2c4c5dc46b92b2be4fc1570ce3\" src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3189\/2611130459_a5f6de6440_o.jpg\" width=\"448\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size:78%;\"\u003EMax being restrained by mom(It's the only time he's still)\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/5895114832540699872\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/07\/maxs-birthday.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/5895114832540699872"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/5895114832540699872"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/07\/maxs-birthday.html","title":"Max's Birthday"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-5163517947931203904"},"published":{"$t":"2008-07-01T15:49:00.005-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-07-01T16:14:33.615-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Rose"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"How To Introduce Yourself With Style"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"This is my #1 girl Rose, and her fiance Zach:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca title=\"Rose by jessebearden, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/2629568024\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"242\" alt=\"Rose\" src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3018\/2629568024_80e0d58ed0_o.png\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003EZach is basically Jesse 2.0. He's shorter. He's calmer. He's got better hair. He's all together a pleasure to be around. So, it's with little reluctance that I give this union my blessing. Sure, I feel a little like a Hugh Hefner girlfriend who just turned 35. Nobody wants to be replaced by the newer, fancier model, but in this case it's okay.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe wedding is this summer in Chicago. Money has been a little tight, and as I was budgeting for the trip I was coming up a bit short. Rose mentioned that some of her friends were looking to share a room and pointed me to her friend Teresa. Rose sent Teresa an email and at the same time I got one from another mutual friend, Sara. Now I was in a bit of a predicament since I had two possibilities on the table. I decided to go straight to the source and straighten things out with an email to Teresa.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMeeting someone face to face I have a crippling amount of self consciousness, but in a digital medium I overcompensate for that with too much writing. \u003Cem\u003EIf you haven't figured that out by now, you haven't been paying attention.\u003C\/em\u003E Any normal human being would sit down and write a short letter explaining the situation.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003ETeresa,\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERose mentioned you might want a roommate for the weekend of her wedding. I too am interested in sharing a room. Please contact me at: 555-555-5555 if you are interested.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EJesse\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis letter probably would have worked out wonderfully. Unfortunately it's not the one that I sent.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis one is:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003ET Money Money,\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI think Rose may have sent you an email about room sharing on my behalf. This latest economic crunch has finally hit me, and I find myself trying to make a dollar out of a dime and a nickle. Being the good Christian that I am, I wouldn't normally consider sharing a room with a member of the opposite sex (pre-marriage), but times are hard and I'm sure the Gee Oh Double Dizzle will forgive me.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOn a (somewhat) serious note... I'm looking for a roommate for the weekend and Rose said you don't snore and might be interested in shacking up with a short nerd for the weekend. I know what you're thinking, \"I could probably room with any number of people, why choose this guy?\". Well, I'm glad you asked Teresa. We asked 100 people that question and the top 7 answers are on the board.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. I was a lion tamer in the circus for over 8 years. In the event of a lion attack you can rest assured that you're safe.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E2. If I'm not drinking, I'm a perfect gentlemen, so need to worry about some creepy guy hitting on you all night while you're trying to catch your zzz's.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E3. I have a top secret security clearance in case the FBI gets involved and you need someone to handle the situation.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E4. I always leave the toilet seat down.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E5. I only drink at weddings.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E6. I know some awesome card tricks that are sure to impress, and unlike most magicians, I'll actually tell you the secret.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E7. You already live with Rose and tolerate her. Rose is basically just like me except she's funnier and has prettier hair. On the plus side I'm less cranky.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIf you'd like to be my roommate for the weekend all I need is a 300 word essay describing why you'd like to spend a weekend in Chicago sharing a hotel with me. The winner of this contest will be selected based on total whim and is not subject to any rules or laws.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAlso.... Rose's friend Sara recently emailed me asking about room sharing. Let me know your status as soon as possible so we can work everything out. I personally wouldn't be opposed to splitting a room 3 ways, but I don't know where you guys would sit on that idea. (The French have a word for that, but I don't remember it off the top of my head).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFeel free to email me back, or call(555-555-5555).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EJesse\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EP.S.\u003Cbr \/\u003E4 of the 7 bullets above are true.. I'm not telling which ones though\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENeedless to say, Teresa will be staying with Peggy.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFeel free to stop by \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.thisblogisbetterthanyourblog.blogspot.com\/\"\u003ERose's blog \u003C\/a\u003Eand say hello, or just give her a congrats on the wedding. It's an okay blog, but I think we can all agree not as good as mine.\u003C\/em\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/5163517947931203904\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/07\/how-to-introduce-yourself-with-style.html#comment-form","title":"5 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/5163517947931203904"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/5163517947931203904"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/07\/how-to-introduce-yourself-with-style.html","title":"How To Introduce Yourself With Style"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"5"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-2764770660429891001"},"published":{"$t":"2008-06-25T15:28:00.002-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-06-25T15:34:13.259-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Erik"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Nerd Word(s)"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Nerd Words: My Main Man"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cstrong\u003EMy Main Man\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E- nickname\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. A close friend\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#990000;\"\u003E[ Origin: In the Engineering program at ASU Erik and I had a lot of Indian classmates.  One of Erik's classmates always called him, \"My Main Man\".  Erik stole the saying from him, and I stole the saying from Erik. ]\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E- see also\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMy homie\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E- usage\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1.  \"What is up my main man?\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E2.  \"Erik.  My main man.  Get over here.\""},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/2764770660429891001\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/06\/nerd-words-my-main-man.html#comment-form","title":"3 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/2764770660429891001"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/2764770660429891001"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/06\/nerd-words-my-main-man.html","title":"Nerd Words: My Main Man"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"3"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-1455275486997204963"},"published":{"$t":"2008-06-25T14:54:00.003-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-06-25T15:27:58.677-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Maya"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Jesse Fails at Friendly"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"About a year ago Maya and I had a set date of hanging out once a week which has since turned in to \"once a month... if time permits\" as both of our schedules have gotten more busy.  After our weekly dinner we'd watch Heroes or Firefly or some other nerdy TV show and gossip about boys, twins, and bands.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOne particular Monday evening we found ourselves walking in to the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.peiwei.com\/\"\u003EPei Wei \u003C\/a\u003Enear my house for some fine \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/stuffwhitepeoplelike.com\/2008\/01\/31\/45-asian-fusion-food\/\"\u003EAsian Fusion\u003C\/a\u003E dining.  Like a true gentleman I opened the door for Maya and entered behind her.  I was surprised when a blond girl from across the restaurant's hand flew up and waved to me.  There was a small wall between us, and I must have been tired because I didn't immediately recognize her.  I checked the surrounding area for other, better looking guys who would have a cute girl waiving to them, but it was just me.  I returned the motion with some hesitation and went to order.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Who's that?\" Maya asked\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Um.  I'm not sure\" I started, but as we got up to order my brain decided to start working and the answer finally clicked, \"Oh, that's Megan.  She lives in my building.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMegan was a very cute resident of the fourth floor who always seemed nice and personable.  I'd bumped in to her a lot since she was friends with my main man Allen, and due to the fact that she was often seen walking her dog Brownie.  She was one of the people in the building I'd always wanted to get to know better, but never had the confidence to initiate more than a friendly hi with.  She had a very warm aura that was attractive on a personal level, but for a shy nerd such as myself also somewhat intimidating.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBy the time I'd put together who it was a few minutes had past.  More importantly the \u003Cem\u003Emoment\u003C\/em\u003E had passed, and I found myself unsure if I should walk over or just go about my business.  In times past when I've chosen the former I normally end up saying something absolutely brilliant.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\"So... uh... what are you doing here?\"\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\"It's a restaurant.  I'm eating\"\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\"Uh.... yeah... see ya round\"\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESo in this case I settled on the latter and left it at an uncomfortable wave.  An uncomfortable wave is better than saying something uncomfortable and stupid I surmised.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EA few months later my extended family was in Phoenix for my brother's wedding and I was showing them my condo.  There was a huge moving truck outside being loaded up and I was surprised to see Megan walking towards it carrying a box. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"You... You're moving out?\" I asked.  It was that last day of school when you find out someone won't be returning next year after Summer break.  His or Her dad took a job in upstate New York, but you'll keep in touch.  At least that's what you wrote in each other's year books.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EYou didn't keep in touch.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Yeah\" she replied, \"It's been nice, but I just don't think people are very friendly here.\""},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/1455275486997204963\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/06\/jesse-fails-at-friendly.html#comment-form","title":"3 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/1455275486997204963"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/1455275486997204963"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/06\/jesse-fails-at-friendly.html","title":"Jesse Fails at Friendly"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"3"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-5127918169124743964"},"published":{"$t":"2008-06-16T15:53:00.004-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-06-16T16:07:01.064-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Reader Participation"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Where we're going.  Where we've been."},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"It's been a while since I've posted. I'd like to say that it's because I've been working on some amazing and humorous stories, but that's not necessarily the case.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESesquipedalis Year 2 is drawing to a close, and I find myself in need of a new direction for the blog. The amusing thing about writing a blog is you start off thinking, \"Man I've got some funny stuff to write\", but then 3 weeks later you've written those 2 stories that were really \"money\" and you're left winging it for the remainder of the blog, which for most people is about 4 entries in.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EYear 1 was all about me and my inability to function socially, especially when relating to members of the opposite sex. Through the significant efforts of a few people, most notably a couple of fantastic neighbors, I've worked through the majority of those issues.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EYear 2 I branched out a little and tried to share more of my people(Nerds) culture, and do some more off-topic type pieces like reviews and such.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFor Year 3, I'm at a total loss. I could easily turn this in to a day by day status update. There's nothing wrong with those blogs, but it's just not what I want this to be. Others have done that and do it better than I ever could.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI've had a few ideas, but nothing has jumped out and grabbed me.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI considered taking a fast food joint job once every month and seeing how quickly I could get canned. How fun would it be to work at Pizza Hut again, but not care about anything? The issue here is that I'm quite lazy.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI considered turning the blog in to a piece of fiction. Adam had told me to just start making things up. Base them slightly in reality, but never let the audience know. Unfortunately, I don't think I'm that creative.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMy last idea was to \"get involved\" with something, anything. The big stumbling block here is that I'm the least opinionated person you'll ever meet.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn the end so far I've resorted to not writing anything. Maybe I'll put the nose to the grindstone and finish up some other stories and wait for inspiration. This blog has more loose ends than a gay cowboy rodeo at an abandoned tampon factory, and maybe I should tie them up some day.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHang in there kids, and stick with me. We're gonna get through this together. Feel free to leave suggestions and tell me what sucks\/what doesn't.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size:78%;\"\u003ECredit goes to the lovely and talented Kendall for the tampon joke.\u003C\/span\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/5127918169124743964\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/06\/where-were-going-where-weve-been.html#comment-form","title":"6 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/5127918169124743964"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/5127918169124743964"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/06\/where-were-going-where-weve-been.html","title":"Where we're going.  Where we've been."}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"6"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-2013189154963945461"},"published":{"$t":"2008-05-20T11:11:00.012-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-03-04T10:10:27.987-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Roseann"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"TMI"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"TMI: The Three Alarm Fire"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cem\u003ENote to the reader: This story is a bit detailed in unsightly ways. If you have issues with poo or my butt, then I recommend not reading it. In fact, I recommend not reading any of this blog. This story is possibly my longest ever, but as my friend Adam reminded me, these are the \"long winded stories of your average nerd\". So suck it up.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOn Saturday I had a date. That's right. Go back and read it again if you want. Double check the spelling. I didn't stutter. Even more amazing is that it was in fact the second date. Oddly enough, the forecast in hell for this week was still \"Hot, with a chance of hot\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELongtime readers of the blog should put this day down on their calendar, or at the very least bookmark this post. It wasn't a \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/02\/nerd-words-pretend-girlfriend.html\"\u003Epretend girlfriend\u003C\/a\u003E. It wasn't some \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/search\/label\/Ruth\"\u003Eneighbor twin\u003C\/a\u003E randomly crawling in to my bed. It wasn't some \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/search\/label\/Ana\"\u003Eweird Chilean girl\u003C\/a\u003E stringing me along. It was an honest to goodness date. And before you ask, yes she even knew it was a date, and no I didn't have to tip her afterwards.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI met Roseann a few months ago when we were both swimming with the dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico. She told me she was there on vacation. I was on a Top Secret mission for CONTROL, a government agency dedicated to stopping KAOS from world domination. It turned out she was actually a KAOS agent, but we realized too late... far too late for our hearts.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOkay, that might not be entirely accurate.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI met Roseann where all good nerds meet, on the Internet. She had a profile picture of herself dressed up as a zombie. What nerd can resist a girl who dresses up as a zombie? We exchanged a few messages and hit it off pretty quickly.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca title=\"p89643501_jpg___150_500_150_600_08a9f2db_ by jessebearden, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/2511837990\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"375\" alt=\"p89643501_jpg___150_500_150_600_08a9f2db_\" src=\"http:\/\/farm3.static.flickr.com\/2387\/2511837990_41d007a827_o.jpg\" width=\"500\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size:78%;\"\u003EWhen Hollywood buys the rights to this story and makes a movie, the tag line will read, \"She was a zombie and he was a brain. It was love at first bite.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERoseann lives in Tucson which is about a hundred miles from Phoenix. She met me for gelato one Friday while she was on her way to Cali, and then dinner the following Monday on her way back.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EShe's short, cute, and possibly even nerdier than I am(Read: Awesome, Awesome, Awesome). Things progressed well, and after a few meetings and one official \"date\", it was my turn to go down to Tucson this past weekend.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003EWhen I was 17 I was having some serious stomach issues. Almost every day, first period study hall was spent with a trip to the restroom. It was bad enough that I finally visited the doctor who told me it was stress. I protested the diagnosis and demanded pills, but he stood firm, unlike my stool.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI would later find that two things set it off. First was lack of sleep, and second was being nervous. \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI woke up early on Saturday. I hadn't slept well the previous night due to the fact that I was a bit nervous\/excited, and also because the guy 2 floors down was having a party until about 4am. I packed a change of clothes and some other things, and set out. 2 hours later I arrived in Tucson, and that's when my stomach fired the first warning shot. It grumbled loudly as if to say, \"You got me out of bed at 8am for Tucson? \u003Cem\u003EFor Tucson?\u003C\/em\u003E\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAfter silent pact with God, Allah, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.venganza.org\/\"\u003EThe Flying Spaghetti Monster\u003C\/a\u003E, and a stop off at the CVS restroom, I was back on the road.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERoseann and I had planned to \"hike\" a trail near her house. I use the quotes because I don't really consider it a hike. It was a paved path, and clocked in at just under 2 miles. She had spent the previous week making fun of me for being a nerd who wouldn't exercise or be in the sun, and I had been playing in to it by complaining about the possibility of a hike and anything that would involve me sweating (Mind out of the gutter, \u003Cem\u003EMom\u003C\/em\u003E). Due to her incessant teasing I was determined to not show an ounce of weakness, to tackle the hike like a champ.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe hike was quite easy and we soon found ourselves at the end. We relaxed for a moment on a bench before the second warning shot was fired. Like a woman 8 months pregnant my stomach kicked again, \"You got me out of bed at 8 am on a Saturday, \u003Cem\u003Eand made me hike?\u003C\/em\u003E\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAt this point I took a moment to use the restroom that was conveniently located near the bench. Everything again went fairly well, but it was the beginning of the end.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI was a few steps back down the path when I realized I had contracted fire ass.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003EI've done an opinion survey of several of my friends to discuss this phenomenon in preparation for this story. Over 90% of men surveyed immediately knew what fire ass was. \"Oh yeah.... like when you feel like your stomach acid is somehow burning your ass from the outside in? But you know you wiped. You double wiped,\" one anonymous reader named Sean said. The number of women who were familiar with this term, however, was significantly less.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFor those not familiar, and thank your stars that you aren't, The Journal of the American Medical Association describes fire ass as: \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAn affliction, most often found in men, which arises after a particularly rough trip to the restroom(See Also: Assplosion). Common symptoms include an ass that feels as though it's on fire. There is no known cure for fire ass although some preliminary experimental Australian research has shown a positive reaction to ice cream. No further details are available at this time and it is important to note that this research is still considered highly experimental. If you or someone you know suffers from fire ass, \u003Cstrong\u003Eit is best to limit walking as friction is known to aggravate the issue.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe problem for me at this point was that I was still roughly 2 miles from the car, and on a second date. The \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Emily-Posts-Etiquette-16th-Peggy\/dp\/0062700782\"\u003EEmily Post Etiquette guide\u003C\/a\u003E states that Fire Ass is to be discussed no sooner than the third date, so at this point my hands were tied.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENecessity is the mother of invention, so more accurately, my hands were placed firmly in the back pockets of my pants providing a slight lift and separation that was hopefully unnoticed by my date. I was quite pleased with myself for this maneuver, but more pleased with the relief that it gave. We made it back to the car without too much effort and I was relieved to be heading back to her place.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAfter we showered (We took turns! I don't give up my flower that easily, \u003Cem\u003EMom\u003C\/em\u003E), we set off to \"Hotel Congress\". It's one of Roseann's favorite places to eat, and a nice \u003Cem\u003Esit down\u003C\/em\u003E restaurant seemed like a great idea to me at the time.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe meal was fantastic, and the company better. We soon found ourselves walking around downtown Tucson. I did my best to ignore my ailment and focus on the lovely night, but I must admit that by the time we returned to my car the friction had worked the small burning in to a full blown fire. Luckily it was late and we were returning to her house. I hoped the end of the night would involve hanging out on her couch and some light \"conversation\". I use quotes because I don't mean conversation.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EJust as we sat down and began to \u003Cem\u003Etalk\u003C\/em\u003E, her dog Reina threw her toy across the room. \"Oh, she probably needs to go out\" Roseann told me. \"If we take her for a walk she'll leave us alone for the rest of the night.\" Reina is a lovely little Terrier, but she's also 11 years old. She's none too active, so I assumed a short walk around the block would be easy. Besides, the conversation had rejuvenated me, and I was still trying not to show any weakness.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"So how long of a walk do you normally take her for?\" I asked nonchalantly as if I didn't really care.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"About a mile or so through the neighborhood\" she replied.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Oh, that's nice\" I said, but deep inside my stomach was laughing, \"Ha! I told you not to screw with me. Guess we're getting up at 10 next Saturday, aren't we? AREN'T WE?\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBy the time we returned I was doing my best to just walk straight. Things were not going well, and my stomach had made it's point. It had won.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELuckily we spent the remainder of the evening inside, and I had a great time.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EA few hours and a hundred mile drive later I was back at my condo. Without the date time nerves deadening the pain, the walk from the elevator to my door was very difficult. \"I've got to do something about this\" I thought as I searched my bathroom for something, anything to help relieve the issue. I then spotted the bottle of lotion. My very naive and tired mind imagined the cool cool lotion and the light bulb went off.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003EIt's worth noting at this point that I told this story to my friend Sarah over lunch today. Sarah is my sounding board for a lot of things, and I was curious if she thought the story was inappropriate for my blog. It was at this exact moment in the story that she covered her mouth and gasped , \"Oh... no\". She's a nurse, and apparently knew what was coming. Unfortunately, I did not.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI mused for a moment as I oiled up my buttocks that I was finally fitting in at my condo building which sits right in the middle of the gay section of Phoenix.. There was a moment of cool relief that was everything I thought it could be. It was heaven. It was joyous. This was replaced quickly by some form of chemical reaction that, much like the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sarlacc#Description_and_characterization\"\u003ESarlacc Pit\u003C\/a\u003E gave me a new definition for pain.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003EWhen I was 20 I had a kidney stone. The doctor asked me to measure my pain from 1 to 10. \"I don't know. I've never felt this bad, but I've got a feeling it could be worse, so I'm going to give it a 7.\" He responded with a snort, \"7? I would think that if it was a 7 you wouldn't be able to talk\"\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI had found 8.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI stumbled to the shower and threw the water on full blast. In my haste I had forgotten one important piece of information about living in a condo. The position that you set the dial for \"warm\" water in the morning, when I and most of the tenants normally shower, is quite different from the position of \"warm\" at 3am.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E9\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI kicked the water off with my left foot and jumped out of the shower in pain. I had now achieved 3 very distinct levels of burning, and at this point gave up and went to bed. I laid in silence in the fetal position for a good while before finally sleeping.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003EYes, there's a \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ring_of_Fire_(song)\"\u003EJohnny Cash\u003C\/a\u003E joke in there somewhere, but like a sixteen year old nerd after prom, I just couldn't figure out where to put it in.\u003C\/em\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/2013189154963945461\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/05\/tmi-three-alarm-fire.html#comment-form","title":"4 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/2013189154963945461"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/2013189154963945461"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/05\/tmi-three-alarm-fire.html","title":"TMI: The Three Alarm Fire"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"4"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-6701091179999799803"},"published":{"$t":"2008-05-19T11:19:00.002-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-05-19T11:24:43.395-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Nerd Word(s)"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The Real Nerd Word(s): TMI"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cstrong\u003ETMI\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E- acronym\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. Too Much Information\u003Cbr \/\u003E2. Any fact or detail that would have been better left unsaid.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#990000;\"\u003E[ Origin: Nerd Shorthand ]\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E- usage\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1.  \"No, I shave that off.  The ladies love it!\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Woah woah woah... TMI\""},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/6701091179999799803\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/05\/real-nerd-words-tmi.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/6701091179999799803"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/6701091179999799803"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/05\/real-nerd-words-tmi.html","title":"The Real Nerd Word(s): TMI"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-3561094059974615429"},"published":{"$t":"2008-05-08T11:17:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-05-08T11:17:00.845-07:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"TV Show Reviews: LOST"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca title=\"Lost-season2%20mynd3 by jessebearden, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/2471704242\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"454\" alt=\"Lost-season2%20mynd3\" src=\"http:\/\/farm3.static.flickr.com\/2315\/2471704242_0c87e58886.jpg\" width=\"454\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003EWhen I was in Junior High they used to sell these lollipops for $1.25. They were grossly over priced, but sold pretty well since all the guys used to buy them for this girl Crystal who was in my science class.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EClass would come screeching to a halt as the boys, with hormones running wild, would watch intently and completely ignore the teacher. At that age, I doubt half of the kids knew why it was exciting, it just was.  It didn't really matter though, most of us still watched."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/3561094059974615429\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/05\/tv-show-reviews-lost.html#comment-form","title":"5 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/3561094059974615429"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/3561094059974615429"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/05\/tv-show-reviews-lost.html","title":"TV Show Reviews: LOST"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/farm3.static.flickr.com\/2315\/2471704242_0c87e58886_t.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"5"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-5202266312745558688"},"published":{"$t":"2008-05-07T16:18:00.006-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-05-08T04:30:24.956-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Reader Participation"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Ratings?  What do you think?"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"If my past few posts didn't clue you in, I'll let you know. I rarely, if ever actually look at my own blog. Proof reading is for sissies and people who want to be \"accurate\" or \"grammatically correct\". That's not what I'm about.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESo it came as a surprise today when I accidentally checked it and saw this new \"rating\" system. How long have these little stars been on my blog? I'm not sure how I feel about them. Feedback is good, but only when it's positive.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELet me know what you think. I spent a good 10 minutes trying to figure out how to turn them off if I decide to.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis message will self destruct.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EEdit: Since JMNLMAN asked, here's how you remove them, if anyone is curious:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003EClick on the pictures for full size.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFirst, click the \"Layout\" tab of your blog on the dashboard.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESecond, click the \"Edit\" button on \"Blog Posts\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca title=\"Ratings Fix by jessebearden, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/2474126491\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"235\" alt=\"Ratings Fix\" src=\"http:\/\/farm3.static.flickr.com\/2066\/2474126491_d9d0b881ef.jpg\" width=\"500\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThird, deselect the ratings. I think that should do it\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca title=\"Ratings Fix2 by jessebearden, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/2474942464\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"500\" alt=\"Ratings Fix2\" src=\"http:\/\/farm3.static.flickr.com\/2335\/2474942464_8a07e88bf9.jpg\" width=\"426\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003EEdit Again: They appear to be gone again.  Maybe blogger is just acting up today?  Who knows.  I'll leave this post here for a while at the very least.\u003C\/em\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/5202266312745558688\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/05\/ratings-what-do-you-think.html#comment-form","title":"8 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/5202266312745558688"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/5202266312745558688"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/05\/ratings-what-do-you-think.html","title":"Ratings?  What do you think?"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/farm3.static.flickr.com\/2066\/2474126491_d9d0b881ef_t.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"8"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-7349380756556476853"},"published":{"$t":"2008-05-05T10:27:00.004-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-05-05T10:41:09.640-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mory"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Mory Gets a History Lesson"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Miranda and I get along pretty well, and there's usually not too much friction despite having been born 7 years apart.  I think having 2 older brothers helped her keep in touch with the previous generation which now makes her seem very knowledgeable.  There are notable exceptions to this however.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"OH.... MY..... GOD\" Miranda yelled as I walked in the door.  It was 1997 and I was at home from college visiting on the weekend.  \"Did you hear?  Will Smith is trying to rap now!\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Will Smith?  The Fresh Prince?  Trying to rap?\" I sarcastically replied.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"I know!  He should seriously stick to acting\" she bit.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"It's not even the \u003Cem\u003ESumma Summa Summa Time\u003C\/em\u003E\" I continued. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EShe was used to me saying things nobody understood and gave me that, \"God you're lame\" look that every 13 year old female has etched in to her DNA.  She dismissed me with a final roll of the eyes and took off down the hall.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"I've gotta go call Katrina and tell her about this.\""},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/7349380756556476853\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/05\/mory-gets-history-lesson.html#comment-form","title":"5 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/7349380756556476853"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/7349380756556476853"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/05\/mory-gets-history-lesson.html","title":"Mory Gets a History Lesson"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"5"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-4592569133226884263"},"published":{"$t":"2008-05-04T13:07:00.001-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-05-06T11:13:00.271-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Nerd Word(s)"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The Real Nerd Word(s): Epic Fail"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cstrong\u003EEpic Fail \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E- noun \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. Failure on the highest level.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#990000;\"\u003E[ Origin: The internet ] \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E- antonym \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/em\u003EEpic Win\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E- usage \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E1. \"And then after she kicked me in the balls she said she'd been sleeping with my best friend the whole time\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Wow.... Epic Fail\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca title=\"failboat2 by jessebearden, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/2465434906\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"378\" alt=\"failboat2\" src=\"http:\/\/farm3.static.flickr.com\/2100\/2465434906_b80dbf3d06_o.jpg\" width=\"500\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca title=\"epic_fail by jessebearden, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/2465434840\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"375\" alt=\"epic_fail\" src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3273\/2465434840_e7d347748a.jpg\" width=\"500\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/4592569133226884263\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/05\/nerd-words-epic-fail.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/4592569133226884263"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/4592569133226884263"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/05\/nerd-words-epic-fail.html","title":"The Real Nerd Word(s): Epic Fail"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3273\/2465434840_e7d347748a_t.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-1395460013952880014"},"published":{"$t":"2008-05-04T12:43:00.006-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-05-06T16:10:02.860-07:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Epic Fail: Jesse Clarifies"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cem\u003EEdit: How did I fail at a post about Failure? The original intro to this post I mixed up the names Mandi and Misty. I apologize, and will never post again when absolutely and completely drunk. Thanks to J.R. for pointing out my error.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI've received a few comments about \"that girl Misty\". The only Misty I've ever known was a girl I worked with at Pizza Hut, and that was 10 years ago. In case you're wondering, she was cute, red-headed, and I was in love. I struck out with her too. Enough about that though...\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EApparently my series of \"How To Sesquipedalify Your Life\" entries were a bit confusing, and in need of explanation.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOne of the biggest issues with the way blogger works is that the older posts are lower on the page, so if you don't read them as they're published, and instead read from the top down(The more intuitive way), then you read them out of order. So, I apologize for the confusing nature of the story. I try to break them down sometimes to make them easier to read, and easier for me to write, but on a number of occasions it gets a little confusing.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThat said, I'll go back and try to make it more clear of what I was getting at, but for the time being(This post may self-destruct eventually), I'll go ahead and explain it here too.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI had the idea to write a post about how I write a post. It was supposed to be a story about how I take something very small in my life and turn it in to an entire entry. A \"How To Make Your Life Sound Exciting\" even though it's not so to speak. As an example, I wanted to use a story from someone else's life. I'd had the idea a long time ago, and once J.R. told me about this girl Misty he had met, I thought I'd found the perfect opportunity. I would take his story, and present it as he did to me. Then I'd take the same story and present it how I would present it on this blog.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI've gone ahead and reordered the blog entries so that they're all in the order that they should be read now, from top to bottom, but you can also find the proper order here.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/04\/nerd-words-reset-timer.html\"\u003ENerd Words: Reset the Timer\u003C\/a\u003E - A \"Nerd Word\" accompanying the introductory entry, \"Sesquipedalify your life\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E2. \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/04\/how-tos-sequipedalify-your-life.html\"\u003EHow To's: Sequipedalify Your Life\u003C\/a\u003E - What was supposed to be an introduction.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E3. \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/04\/jrs-weekend-jr-version.html\"\u003EJ.R.'s Weekend: The J.R. Version\u003C\/a\u003E - J.R.'s version of the story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E4. \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/04\/nerd-words-e-flirting.html\"\u003ENerd Words: E-Flirting\u003C\/a\u003E - A \"Nerd Word\" accompanying the Sesquipedalis version of the story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E5. \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/04\/jrs-weekend-sesquipedalis-version.html\"\u003EJ.R.'s Weekend: The Sesquipedalis Version\u003C\/a\u003E - The Sesquipedalis version of he story."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/1395460013952880014\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/05\/jesse-clarifies.html#comment-form","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/1395460013952880014"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/1395460013952880014"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/05\/jesse-clarifies.html","title":"Epic Fail: Jesse Clarifies"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-3508045196465769945"},"published":{"$t":"2008-04-25T09:53:00.005-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-04-25T14:03:03.181-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Sean N"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Steve"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"West Side Story"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"My co-worker Sean is a pimp. If you know him, then that's no surprise to you, but it bears repeating. While my programmer free time is spent writing a half finished video game that would have been \"slightly behind the times\" had I finished it in 1995 when I started it, his free time is spent writing kick ass websites that will change your life.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhen he was younger he wrote \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/skateboardspots.com\/\"\u003ESkateboardSpots\u003C\/a\u003E, and then the now infamous \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/04\/ballers-use-tide-evolution-of-joke.html\"\u003EBallersUseTide\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Man,\" he commented over IM a few weeks ago. Sean always starts deep and insightful conversations with the word Man. \"I should make a flip book of the standings in the West this year where they all switch places as it happened.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI almost feel bad for the guy. I pulled him back in to the exciting and inevitably disappointing world of being a Sun's fan about 2 years ago. Since then he's watched most every game with the enthusiasm of a 5 year old who thinks that Steve Nash is a superhero.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBut he was right. If you paid attention to the NBA this year you know the top 8 spots flipped and flopped more than Ginobili and Bowen combined. Every day someone different was in first place, and a loss could easily take you from 3rd to 6th, and a win could take you back again.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Maybe you should make a website?\" I asked. He is a web developer after all.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E2 weeks later he was done:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/ign.oram.us\/nba\/\"\u003Ehttp:\/\/ign.oram.us\/nba\/\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI'd like to say I helped, but truth be told, about 99.5% of the work was done by Sean.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/digg.com\/basketball\/West_Side_Story_2\"\u003EDigg It\u003C\/a\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/3508045196465769945\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/04\/west-side-story.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/3508045196465769945"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/3508045196465769945"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/04\/west-side-story.html","title":"West Side Story"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-5205198775621870040"},"published":{"$t":"2008-04-25T09:43:00.004-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-02-23T10:31:28.023-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Basketball"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Even the Internet God Hates The Spurs"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"If you use the Google toolbar you know how it will predict what you're going to type and offer suggestions. I'd assume these are based off of the most searched for items. More importantly, you should know that \"Google\" is basically God as far as the Internet is concerned. It's amusing then, what it suggests when you search for \"Ginobili\" or \"Tony Parker\", two of the Spurs players(And our current rivals).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca title=\"Parker by jessebearden, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/2440539955\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"350\" alt=\"Parker\" src=\"http:\/\/farm3.static.flickr.com\/2165\/2440539955_68d8b5a77c_o.png\" width=\"350\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca title=\"Ginobili by jessebearden, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/2440539913\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"350\" alt=\"Ginobili\" src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3254\/2440539913_700ba091ca_o.png\" width=\"350\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Tony Parker Cheating\" and \"Ginobili Sucks\" - I couldn't have said it better myself Google.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/digg.com\/basketball\/Even_Google_Hates_the_San_Antonio_Spurs\"\u003EDigg It\u003C\/a\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/5205198775621870040\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/04\/even-internet-god-hates-spurs.html#comment-form","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/5205198775621870040"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/5205198775621870040"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/04\/even-internet-god-hates-spurs.html","title":"Even the Internet God Hates The Spurs"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-7507468482597540835"},"published":{"$t":"2008-04-24T09:50:00.008-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-04-24T13:39:07.227-07:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"What You Should Be Watching Right Now"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv align=\"left\"\u003EAside from you, and I really mean this, the greatest thing that ever happened in the world was a little show called Arrested Development.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENow, I'm normally not one for thrusting my opinions on people like a drunk guy with his libido at a bar, but in this case I'm \u003Cem\u003Eactually right. \u003C\/em\u003EIt's hands down the funniest TV show ever made. If you've already seen it, don't you think it's time you brushed up a little? Did you really catch \u003Cem\u003Eeverything\u003C\/em\u003E last time you watched it? \u003Cem\u003EEverything?\u003C\/em\u003E Come on, don't fool yourself. And if you haven't seen it then open your mouth baby bird, because mama's got a tasty treat for you.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"I would, but I'm not running out and buying some DVDs just because some nerd on a blog told me to\" a great number of you are thinking.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWell, put the kids to bed, grab a soda and throw a bag of popcorn in the microwave because you're pulling an all nighter on the Internet tonight, which for once doesn't involve surfing for naked ladies or googling your crush from High School and dreaming of \"what could have been\" while your current, less desirable significant other lies passed out in a drunken stupor as reruns of Mash play on TV and you try to hold back the tears. (Oops, maybe I'm projecting again)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.hulu.com\/\"\u003Ehttp:\/\/www.hulu.com\/\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThere are other TV shows on there, and some movies too, but going there and watching anything other than Arrested D would be getting the golden ticket, going to the Willy Wonka factory and then telling him, \"Nah, no chocolate for me. I think I'll just have a hamburger or something.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI'll be expecting a two page, single spaced report on how much you love Arrested D on my desk in two weeks. No excuses. \u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/7507468482597540835\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/04\/what-you-should-be-watching-right-now.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/7507468482597540835"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/7507468482597540835"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/04\/what-you-should-be-watching-right-now.html","title":"What You Should Be Watching Right Now"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-6033025092814899961"},"published":{"$t":"2008-04-20T22:35:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-05-04T11:55:07.412-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"J.R."},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Nerd Word(s)"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Nerd Words: Reset the Timer"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cstrong\u003EReset the Timer\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E- euphemism\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. Sexual relations, especially after a long period of no sexual relations\u003Cbr \/\u003E2. Humping\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#990000;\"\u003E[ Origin: While I'm sure that the saying has been around for a while, I was introduced to it by my friend J.R. ]\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E- see also\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESlumpbuster\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E- usage\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. \"How'd your date go on Friday?\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Somebody reset the timer\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E2. \"It's been over a year since I reset the timer\""},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/6033025092814899961\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/04\/nerd-words-reset-timer.html#comment-form","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/6033025092814899961"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/6033025092814899961"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/04\/nerd-words-reset-timer.html","title":"Nerd Words: Reset the Timer"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-1312496329664212455"},"published":{"$t":"2008-04-20T22:00:00.003-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-05-04T12:05:26.454-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"J.R."}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"J.R.'s Weekend: The J.R. Version"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cem\u003EI'll be cleaning up this story as told to me over IM by the awesome and talented \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.myspace.com\/jrb_m3\"\u003EJ.R.\u003C\/a\u003E Seriously ladies, ask him to be your myspace friend. Don't be intimidated by his ballerness. \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis is a continuation of the \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/04\/how-tos-sequipedalify-your-life.html\"\u003EHow to Sesquipedalify Your Life\u003C\/a\u003E\" entry. If you haven't read it yet, I recommend you do so now.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003EPlease note that this is a story from his life, not mine.  I'm just posting it here for reference.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI could tell you the whole story, but there's no way I come out looking anything other than the chump.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI met this girl... Misty through a mutual friend, Chris. He had known her for months, but never really got anywhere with her, either due to lack of effort or her not being interested.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI met her one night when we all went out. Chris told me he was done trying with her and that by all means I should go for it if I wanted to.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWell, after that she was really flirty with me, Myspace, text messages, etc. Last weekend was the first night we all went out again, and basically she was all over Chris(And he all over her). I think she was just being flirty with me to make him jealous.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESo, while they went home together, I went home alone. It just sucked after having my hopes up."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/1312496329664212455\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/04\/jrs-weekend-jr-version.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/1312496329664212455"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/1312496329664212455"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/04\/jrs-weekend-jr-version.html","title":"J.R.'s Weekend: The J.R. Version"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-2601737003131113227"},"published":{"$t":"2008-04-20T22:00:00.002-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-05-04T11:55:43.092-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"J.R."}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"How To's: Sequipedalify Your Life"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\"Who's the cute girl who suddenly got bumped up to your #1 on Myspace J.R.?\" I asked over IM one particularly busy day at work.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EJ.R. is basically a cooler me with better stories. Better in this case meaning slightly less self-deprecating. For example, in the two or so years that I've known him he's been in a major motion picture, owned an Acura NSX, and learned to fly an airplane. It doesn't take a panel of judges and a network TV reality show to tell you that he soundly beats my resume of being in a home made move(\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/12\/developer-trap.html\"\u003EDeveloper Trap\u003C\/a\u003E), owning an \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/03\/what-does-your-car-say-about-you.html\"\u003ES2000\u003C\/a\u003E, and working on flight simulators for a living. Apparently this hasn't translated in to success with the ladies and J.R. often states that he could give me a run for my money in the \"who's worse with women\" contest.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Just some girl I met. Nothing there yet, but we're going out on Saturday with a group of friends.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Awesome dude. Maybe you'll get to reset the timer.\" I joked.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"We'll see how it goes.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMonday rolled around and since there wasn't a 3 page novel waiting on my IM I assumed the worst. \"I'm going to retain my last shred of dignity and just say that it didn't really pan out\" he said, letting me know that he didn't really want to discuss it. Unfortunately for J.R. I'd had nothing to write about in months, and I needed a story. Like Lois Lane on speed I continued to ask questions.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"You should blog about it dude! Guest blog for me!\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI have a habit of trying to get people to write for me. They make the funny, I get the credit. As of yet I've only had one taker. My job would be a lot easier if people would help me out, and the stories would probably be more amusing.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"It really wasn't that exciting\" he replied.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"I've had 2 exciting moments in my entire life and I've still managed to come up with a hundred and twenty entries. If I can do it, you can.\" I pleaded, but J.R. wasn't budging.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPart of the point of the blog has always been that I'm the biggest dork on the planet, and aside from a gift from god in the form of two gorgeous twins living beside me I have a fairly boring life. While the stories contained here are 90-100% fact, they do tend to be slightly sensationalized for the public.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWith that in mind I thought I'd point out the few easy steps to \"Sesquipedalify Your Life\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. Start with a small story. It works best if it's a story where you do something stupid, but usually any story will do. Bonus points if it involves a member of the opposite sex(Or same sex if that's your persuasion, not that there's anything wrong with that)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E2. Pick a tone and stick with it. You either think you're a bad ass, or you're a complete dork. There's not much room to be both.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E3. Write the story out to the best of your memory. It doesn't need to be accurate. Nobody is fact checking. People will accept anything that is on the Internet as fact. On the off chance that some jackass calls you out on an error, that's what the edit button is for. Change the story, and then tell him \"It never said that! Learn to read dummy!\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E4. Have at least one tangential point. If it's not a strong point, feel free to put it in the middle of the story. The average reader just skims that part anyhow.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E5. Throw in a few similes. In a pinch, a metaphor will do.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E6. Use at least one pop culture reference. Bonus points if it's embarrassing that you're making it(ie a 31 year old man who knows the names of both of Britney's kids)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E7. Spell Check. Or don't, I don't care.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E8. Remember, the average reader likes a short entry, and enjoys pictures. In general, be long winded, and forgo the pictures. Screw the reader this is your blog!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E9. Hit the publish button and watch the hits roll in.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E10. Bug your friends, \"Hey, did you see that awesome shit I just posted?\""},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/2601737003131113227\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/04\/how-tos-sequipedalify-your-life.html#comment-form","title":"3 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/2601737003131113227"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/2601737003131113227"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/04\/how-tos-sequipedalify-your-life.html","title":"How To's: Sequipedalify Your Life"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"3"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-4887542809450127515"},"published":{"$t":"2008-04-20T21:32:00.002-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-04-21T15:00:50.180-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"J.R."},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Nerd Word(s)"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Nerd Words: E-Flirting"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cem\u003EThis entry and the following are my version of how J.R. should tell his life's story. I'll be writing them as if I were him.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EE-Flirting\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003E- verb\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E1. To flirt via an electronic form of communication, especially via myspace.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EE-Flirt\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E- noun\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. Someone who partakes in E-Flirting\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#cc0000;\"\u003E[ Origin: I originally used the term to describe a series of myspace messages that I had with someone who was probably too young for me to be seriously consiering anything more than a myspace friendship with(10 years my junior) ]\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003E- usage\u003C\/em\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. \"So is this something serious?\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Nah, it's just a little harmless E-Flirting\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E2. \"Dude, this girl has 342 myspace friends, she's a huge E-Flirt\""},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/4887542809450127515\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/04\/nerd-words-e-flirting.html#comment-form","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/4887542809450127515"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/4887542809450127515"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/04\/nerd-words-e-flirting.html","title":"Nerd Words: E-Flirting"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-700844941994181350"},"published":{"$t":"2008-04-20T21:10:00.002-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-04-21T15:01:17.652-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"J.R."}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"J.R.'s Weekend: The Sesquipedalis Version"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cem\u003EThis entry is my version of how J.R. should tell his life's story. I'll be writing them as if I were him. I've taken a few liberties with his story to \"fill in the blanks\"\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EA couple of weeks ago I met this super cute girl Misty through a mutual friend of ours, Chris. We were all hanging out at a bar one night and her and I hit it off pretty well. We had a little back and forth going that night, and she immediately told me that she wanted to be number one on my myspace.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis was a tough one because, as anyone who knows me will attest, I've got about as much ability to say no to a cute girl as Eddie Murphy does for turning down a crappy movie roll. For once I played it pretty cool and did the hard to get bit with her. She's a nice girl, but like Jenna Jameson and Hulk Hogan both learned early on in their careers, if you wanna finish on top, you gotta work for it. The same rules apply to my myspace.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EEventually, after a little prodding, I bumped her up to #1. I pretended that I forgot about it, but between you and me you don't catch a fish by immediately jerking it into the boat. You gotta slowly reel it in. Within a week or two the myspace comments and messages were rolling in. I was looking for an opening since I only \u003Cem\u003Esort of\u003C\/em\u003E knew her, and if anything she was still Chris's friend more than mine.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI bided my time until suddenly things fell in to place. One weekend she asked if I wanted to go hang out with her and bunch of friends. I had a talk with Chris, and he said he's not interested and gave me the bro thumb's up. Alcohol, flirting, and a green light from the closest competition... Even \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/profile.myspace.com\/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile\u0026amp;friendid=44597396\"\u003EJesse\u003C\/a\u003E, my very handsome and awesome friend(seriously ladies, ask him to be your myspace friend) couldn't screw this one up... or so I thought.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe night started off well enough. I met everyone, and everything looked good. I had just started talking to her and was having an inner monologue argument with myself over what kind of eggs I should make her in the morning when Chris arrived. That's when the night took a toilet bowl swirl in the wrong direction. Misty was all over him like Britney Spears on the last doughnut at a Circle K.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThat's when reality sunk in. Had I been a decoy? Was I the stool pigeon this entire time? A couple of drinks later it didn't really matter.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI actually ended up having a pretty good night, but it wasn't at all what I had dreamed up. At the end of the day I guess it's better to have E-Flirted and gone home alone than to have never E-flirted at all."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/700844941994181350\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/04\/jrs-weekend-sesquipedalis-version.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/700844941994181350"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/700844941994181350"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/04\/jrs-weekend-sesquipedalis-version.html","title":"J.R.'s Weekend: The Sesquipedalis Version"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-1503317490973352140"},"published":{"$t":"2008-04-03T14:59:00.004-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-04-03T15:09:10.273-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Kendall"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Nerd Word(s)"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"NerdKendall Words: Man-tourage"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cstrong\u003EMan-tourage\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E- a group\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. A group of men who follow a girl around even though none of them have a snow ball's chance of hooking up with said girl.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#990000;\"\u003E[ Origin: A Kendall original ]\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E- usage\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. \"Party? Yeah, of course I'll be there. I'll bring the Man-tourage\""},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/1503317490973352140\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/04\/nerd-kendall-words-man-tourage.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/1503317490973352140"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/1503317490973352140"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/04\/nerd-kendall-words-man-tourage.html","title":"\u003Cs\u003ENerd\u003C\/s\u003EKendall Words: Man-tourage"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-7596485451462979815"},"published":{"$t":"2008-04-03T14:28:00.005-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-04-03T15:09:04.228-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Kendall"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Apparently I'm a Pervert Now"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Last weekend the amazing and wonderful Kendall was in town. As such it was time for a trip to the Roosevelt followed by an evening of Rock Band at my house. She was excited because she got to show off Dino, the boy who she'd been allowing to hang out with her lately.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt was my first time meeting him, so I was looking forward to a chance to check him out before I gave him the thumbs down, but he actually seemed alright.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs I entered the Roosevelt and greeted everyone, the peeps were mid-discussion of Jed, another member of Kendall's Man-tourage. Jed is the lead singer of a \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.myspace.com\/thebittersweetway\"\u003Eband\u003C\/a\u003E who has an.... \u003Cem\u003Einteresting\u003C\/em\u003E voice.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"He sounds British when he sings kind of, right?\" I asked.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"It sounds like he's trying to hold it in his throat\" Dino responded.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENow normally, 2 minutes in to meeting someone, I'd let an opportunity like this fly by. But in this particular case, the kid really slow pitched one right across the plate for me.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"I used to date a girl who did that.\" I said rather dryly. \"Man, it was awesome.\" I don't think anyone heard the latter half of the sentence as I had suddenly become aware that all of the conversations in the room had simultaneously ceased and everyone was now looking at me. Most everyone erupted in laughter. I shrugged my shoulders and found a seat in the corner to hide.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELater Kendall would inform me that Dino had called me the \"Perverted guy\".\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOh well, you win some you lose some."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/7596485451462979815\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/04\/apparently-im-pervert-now.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/7596485451462979815"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/7596485451462979815"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/04\/apparently-im-pervert-now.html","title":"Apparently I'm a Pervert Now"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-4865674669519855643"},"published":{"$t":"2008-03-28T18:32:00.003-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-03-28T13:15:04.106-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Nerd Word(s)"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The Real Nerd Word(s): DO NOT WANT"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cstrong\u003EDO NOT WANT \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#33cc00;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E- statement\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. An expression of severe dislike for something.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#990000;\"\u003E[ Origin: Once upon a time Star Wars Episode 3 was translated to Chinese, and then subtitled in English. Instead of using the original English text though they went ahead and translated the Chinese back to English. The produced subtitles were not an \u003Cem\u003Eexact\u003C\/em\u003E 1 for 1 of the original movie and when it found it's way to the Internet, much hilarity ensued amongst the nerds while watching the newly titled, \"Star War - The Third Gathers - Backstroke of the West\". In one of the final scenes Anakin(Now Darth Vader) is told that Padme is dead and he screams, \"NOOOO!\" which when translated to Chinese and back again became, \"Do not want.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe phrase quickly grew in popularity as it spread to \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.ytmnd.com\/\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#990000;\"\u003EYTMND\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#990000;\"\u003E and eventually \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/icanhascheezburger.com\/\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#990000;\"\u003EI can has Cheezburger\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#990000;\"\u003E, and eventually in to the heart of every nerd.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#990000;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#990000;\"\u003EThe offending piece can be seen near the end of \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/youtube.com\/watch?v=FYlAk1VlDE4\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#990000;\"\u003Ethis youtube clip\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#990000;\"\u003E ]\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#33cc00;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E- antonym\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. DO WANT\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E- usage\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. \"Fry's has NIC cards on sale for 10 dollars. Let's go\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"DO NOT WANT\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E2. \"Here's a picture of me and my mom at the Grand Canyon\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Dude, she's got her clothes on in this one - DO NOT WANT\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E3. \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com\/2007\/04\/do-not-want.jpg\"\u003EClick Me\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E4. \"I was hanging out with Amy and her sister yesterday and...\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"DO WANT\""},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/4865674669519855643\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/03\/real-nerd-words-do-not-want.html#comment-form","title":"5 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/4865674669519855643"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/4865674669519855643"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/03\/real-nerd-words-do-not-want.html","title":"The Real Nerd Word(s): DO NOT WANT"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"5"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-3188099371038770439"},"published":{"$t":"2008-03-28T17:17:00.001-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-03-28T13:19:24.729-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Sean N"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Nerd Talk: SPAM - DO NOT WANT"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\"Man\", the little IM notification popped up with Sean's typical greeting that let me know there was something more coming. \"Non technical people are dumb.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Yeah\" I agreed without taking a moment to consider what was spurring this attack on the \u003Cs\u003Enon-nerds\u003C\/s\u003E socially adept of the world.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"My sister just sent me some forwarded email about a ZOMG virus that was apparently verified by \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.snopes.com\/\"\u003ESnopes\u003C\/a\u003E, but when I went to \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.snopes.com\/\"\u003ESnopes\u003C\/a\u003E it says it's a hoax. Looking at the email it had been forwarded to the entire staff at her office.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Yeah, I had to shut a few people down on the forwards a while back\" I explained. \"It's a hard subject to broach at times depending on the person. I felt really bad telling my mom it was all BS. I mean... she really wanted that \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.snopes.com\/inboxer\/nothing\/applebees.asp\"\u003E50 dollar Applebee's gift certificate\u003C\/a\u003E\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Well, did she at least get that \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.snopes.com\/inboxer\/nothing\/billgate.asp\"\u003Ebig check from Bill Gates\u003C\/a\u003E for forwarding you the message?\" he asked.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Shockingly no. I'm assuming it was a postal error though.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Man, I think some people just get dumb when they're on the computer.\" he continued the original thought, \"Nobody would fall for this crap in real life\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Yeah, if somebody called and said they were a wealthy \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.snopes.com\/crime\/fraud\/nigeria.asp\"\u003ENigerian Prince\u003C\/a\u003E and needed your help, most people would reply, 'And I'm the queen of Sheba asshole' and hang up. I guess when it comes in email form it must be true though.\""},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/3188099371038770439\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/04\/nerd-talk-spam-do-not-want.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/3188099371038770439"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/3188099371038770439"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/04\/nerd-talk-spam-do-not-want.html","title":"Nerd Talk: SPAM - DO NOT WANT"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-5040375992112779038"},"published":{"$t":"2008-03-26T18:05:00.001-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-03-26T14:28:12.363-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Nerd Word(s)"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The Real Nerd Word(s): The Internets"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cem\u003EToday's nerd word is an \u003Cstrong\u003Eactual\u003C\/strong\u003E word that normal nerds use, and not just some crap that I tend to repeat until it no longer has actual meaning.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Internets\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E- a prize\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. The prize for winning an argument or making a particularly amusing statement(Generally on the Internet).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#660000;\"\u003E[ Origin: The Internet ]\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E- synonyms\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. The Internetz\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E- usage\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. \"Oh my god, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.escapistmagazine.com\/articles\/view\/editorials\/zeropunctuation\"\u003EZero Punctuation\u003C\/a\u003E just won the Internetz with their review of \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.escapistmagazine.com\/articles\/view\/editorials\/zeropunctuation\/2694-Zero-Punctuation-Assassin-s-Creed\"\u003EAssassin's Creed\u003C\/a\u003E\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E2. \"Your post on the thread about Liang's mom was awesome. I award you two Internets\""},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/5040375992112779038\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/03\/real-nerd-words-internets.html#comment-form","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/5040375992112779038"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/5040375992112779038"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/03\/real-nerd-words-internets.html","title":"The Real Nerd Word(s): The Internets"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-2610869103119906293"},"published":{"$t":"2008-03-26T18:00:00.001-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-03-26T14:27:12.990-07:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Jesse wins the Internets"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"I know I already discussed all the google hits I've been getting, but today I got one for \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/images.google.com\/images?sourceid=navclient\u0026amp;ie=UTF-8\u0026amp;rlz=1T4DMUS_enUS224US225\u0026amp;q=teen+nerds\u0026amp;um=1\u0026amp;sa=N\u0026amp;tab=wi\"\u003ETeen Nerds\u003C\/a\u003E\". Apparently google image searching for it puts a picture of me somewhere on the first or second page(As of this writing). For this, I've been awarded one internets.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHonorable mention: J.R. is on the fourth page if you image search for \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/images.google.com\/images?q=ballers\u0026amp;ndsp=20\u0026amp;um=1\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;rlz=1T4DMUS_enUS224US225\u0026amp;start=60\u0026amp;sa=N\"\u003E\"Ballers\"\u003C\/a\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/2610869103119906293\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/03\/jesse-wins-internets.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/2610869103119906293"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/2610869103119906293"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/03\/jesse-wins-internets.html","title":"Jesse wins the Internets"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-9119271780955774553"},"published":{"$t":"2008-03-16T23:14:00.008-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2010-01-18T20:59:49.594-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Agnes"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Contrary to popular belief, I'm still around"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"I've just been busy with completely uninteresting things. But just to let you know I thought I'd drop a few random bits on you.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMaybe I need to consider older ladies...\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOn Saturday there was a big party down stairs. It was \"featuring\" 3 different DJ's, or so the fliers that were taped to every visible spot of the buildings would have me believe. I'm not much for social gatherings with people that I do know, let alone complete strangers, so I was of course not in attendance.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBesides Sean's annual St. Patty's day part was that night, and 2 parties on one day and they might revoke my nerd card.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs I returned from work(On Saturday no less!) I bumped in to \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/12\/ufadar-swings-both-ways-jesse-gets-new.html\"\u003EAgnes\u003C\/a\u003E walking in to the building. My 90 year old building crush greeted me with a smile.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"How come ya not at the partay?\" She asked while the techno blasted around us.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003EUn tis un tis un tis\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Eh, you know... Just not my scene\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"I hear ya. I think I'm too young to go there.\" she chuckled a little.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003EMaybe I really do like this girl?\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMy favorite joke\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDespite the fact that it's not that amusing I love being a party and asking people, \"What comes before Part-B?\"\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFun with Google...\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMy blog keeps track of a few things, like how people end up here. Here's a few interesting things I've learned...\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIf you go to Google images and enter \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/images.google.com\/images?sourceid=navclient\u0026amp;ie=UTF-8\u0026amp;rlz=1T4GGIH_enUS263US263\u0026amp;q=tina+duh\u0026amp;um=1\u0026amp;sa=N\u0026amp;tab=wi\"\u003ETina Duh\u003C\/a\u003E\" a picture of Ruthie and I shows up 4th.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/images.google.com\/images?sourceid=navclient\u0026amp;ie=UTF-8\u0026amp;rlz=1T4GGIH_enUS263US263\u0026amp;q=Chilean+girl\u0026amp;um=1\u0026amp;sa=N\u0026amp;tab=wi\"\u003EChilean girl\u003C\/a\u003E\" and \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/images.google.com\/images?q=i+crush+you\u0026amp;um=1\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;rlz=1T4GGIH_enUS263US263\u0026amp;start=18\u0026amp;sa=N\u0026amp;ndsp=18\"\u003EI Crush you\u003C\/a\u003E\" will both lead to the same picture although the latter doesn't show up till page 2.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAn inordinate number of people hit my blog after searching for \"Shirley Manson Feet\"\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERandom Recognition... sort of.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/blog.standoutjobs.com\/the-best-way-to-recruit-developers\/\"\u003ESomeone\u003C\/a\u003E randomly found the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/12\/developer-trap.html\"\u003EDeveloper Trap\u003C\/a\u003E movie and posted it on their own blog. It spread to a few different blogs. I think some people believed it was a movie I made as a way to help recruit developers. Little did they know, it was just me not wanting to actually work at work.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESomething more interesting than this\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe very sexy and interesting Rose, who happens to also be Sesquipedalis's second biggest fan writes in to say:\u003Cbr \/\u003EDear Sesquipedalis. You're white, you should check out the following site:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/stuffwhitepeoplelike.wordpress.com\/\"\u003Ehttp:\/\/stuffwhitepeoplelike.wordpress.com\/\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOkay, it happened nothing like that, but she's at home blushing as she reads that, and I'm nothing if not kind to my 3 readers.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAlright, this post is proof that the well has gone completely dry. My mom did mention, \"I've got a cute new girl who works for me. Her name is Hope.\" Chances are there won't be any good stories there though, so if you need to swing the bat and hook me up with a cute, slightly nerdy girl so I can embarrass myself with her and then write about it, that'd be swell... Not for me you know, for the readers."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/9119271780955774553\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/03\/contrary-to-popular-belief-im-still.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/9119271780955774553"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/9119271780955774553"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/03\/contrary-to-popular-belief-im-still.html","title":"Contrary to popular belief, I'm still around"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-1168511993855508920"},"published":{"$t":"2008-02-28T18:17:00.001-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-02-28T14:25:53.002-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Top 5"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Top 5: Rock Band Nerds"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Last November the greatest video game ever created was released... Rock Band. I didn't have an XBOX or Playstation 3 though, so I wasn't really planning on buying it. Sean and I went to Best Buy just to see if they had it, and wouldn't you know there was only one copy left... \u003Cem\u003EOne copy left\u003C\/em\u003E. It was like a sign from the gee oh double dizzle.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E700+ dollars later I was the proud owner of Rock Band, an Xbox 360, and an extra guitar for bass(Because 3 piece is for losers).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhat I didn't immediately realize is the effect this purchase would have on my social life. I was suddenly more popular than the kid in high school who had failed and therefore turned 16(And had a car) Freshman year.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca title=\"Graph by jessebearden, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/2297952865\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"291\" alt=\"Graph\" src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3244\/2297952865_93f54cc7ab_o.jpg\" width=\"483\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cem\u003EEverybody\u003C\/em\u003E wanted to play Rock Band. It was an epidemic. My Rock Band parties were being broken up by other groups of friends showing up to play Rock Band. I was soon the lead guitarist for: Metallic Brain Stem, The 18th St. Bitchezz, AEAA, Donkey Saturday, Love Survivors, and a host of other bands. I'd occasionally also be featured on lead vocals or drums. Life was good, but as the graph above shows, eventually you get tired of the cocaine and groupies, and the Rock Band had to settle down a little.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca title=\"DSC01167 by jessebearden, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/2077011580\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"375\" alt=\"DSC01167\" src=\"http:\/\/farm3.static.flickr.com\/2219\/2077011580_08dad92e24.jpg\" width=\"500\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size:78%;\"\u003EKendall's Band: The 18th St. Bitchezz\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003ENow, almost six months later, a veteran of the scene, I know how things go. If it's one thing I've learned out there on the road(Rocking you like a hurricane), it's that no matter what Rock Band party you show up to, there's always going to be a few of the following people there:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Guitar Zero\u003C\/strong\u003E -\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Guitar Zero is the guy who's played way too much Guitar Hero and tries to apply the same philosophies to Rock Band. He's the guy who immediately tries to play \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/...And_Justice_for_All_%28song%29\"\u003E...And Justice For All\u003C\/a\u003E on expert mode and promptly gets the entire band booed off stage, ruining the fun.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOkay, we get it buddy. You've played countless hours of Guitar Hero in some hope that in the future that will translate to popularity with members of the opposite sex. It's not happening, and if you pick expert one more time and get kicked off before I get to sing the chorus, I'm throwing you off the balcony.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe \"I don't know any of these songs\" singer\u003C\/strong\u003E -\u003Cbr \/\u003EThere's always someone who claims to be a good singer, but unfortunately doesn't know any of the songs in Rock Band. With the downloadable songs, I'm now up to 92 different tracks ranging from the 60's to today. Surely you've heard of one of them?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI hate to break it to you, but nobody is buying it. First of all, the words scroll across the screen like karaoke. This is normally followed by the protest, \"But I don't know the medley\". Look, unless you were born post 1990, pre-1960, or have lived in a cave your entire life you've heard \"In Bloom\" by Nirvana. The words? Hell, Kurt Cobain probably never sang the song the same way twice, but you can at least give it a try. Make up your own words, or if you're that lame, puss out and hum the lines.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe \"I Can't Play Bass on Easy\" nerd\u003C\/strong\u003E -\u003Cbr \/\u003EIf you've tried to play the bass on easy on \"Say It Ain't So\" by Weezer more than three times and still can't \"get it\", then it's time to pack it up buddy. Sorry. There are untrained chimpanzee's that can match the green note and green button. Hey, at least you tried, which is better than...\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe \"Too Cool for School\" guy - \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThere's always one person who's afraid of embarrassing themselves, and therefore opts to not play. Two people holding ukulele sized plastic guitars just jumped off the couch doing a leg split. Then the \"lead guitarist\" did the thing where he sang in to the mic at the same time as the singer a la Bon Jovi\/Richie Sambora circa 1990, and you're worried about embarrassing yourself? Have another wine cooler and sack up a little Nancy or get the hell off my stage.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI found this motivational poster for your wall:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca title=\"ATT00014 by jessebearden, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/2230512867\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"384\" alt=\"ATT00014\" src=\"http:\/\/farm3.static.flickr.com\/2014\/2230512867_e3d62e2a01_o.jpg\" width=\"480\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe THAT guy -\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBy far the worst Rock Band stereotype is THAT guy. You know him. His catch phrase is generally something like, \"You know if you spent half the time you do playing this stupid game practicing a real guitar you'd....\" blah blah blah. He also sometimes adds such insightful comments as, \"No thanks, I know how to play the real guitar\".\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWell holy crap! Let's roll out the red carpet for a middle aged guy who can play a couple of hits from the 70's and 2 Nirvana songs on the real guitar, but never quite made it because the band that he had was \"too experimental\" and \"the industry wasn't quite ready yet\".\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EYou're about as common as the English 101 teacher who's \"still working on his novel\" and has been for the past 20 years. You know what? I can play a real guitar too along with 90% of the other lonely guys who couldn't talk to girls in college. It's a plastic controller with 5 colored buttons, NOT A REAL GUITAR. That's the point jackass. It's about having fun goofing off with friends, not a showcase for your emo-ness."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/1168511993855508920\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/02\/top-5-rock-band-nerds.html#comment-form","title":"11 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/1168511993855508920"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/1168511993855508920"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/02\/top-5-rock-band-nerds.html","title":"Top 5: Rock Band Nerds"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/farm3.static.flickr.com\/2219\/2077011580_08dad92e24_t.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"11"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-7455277646613834790"},"published":{"$t":"2008-02-20T22:20:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-02-20T23:13:25.357-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Sean N"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Valentine's"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Valentine's Day: Follow Up"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cem\u003EPeople keep asking me how V-day went. Unfortunately there's just not much to tell. I wish I had a good story for everyone, but instead you get the truth.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDespite my lack of a significant other, Valentine's went over fairly well this year. I started the day off with the perfect V-Day mixed CD, which can purchased: \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Journey-Greatest-Hits\/dp\/B0000026NF\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E(Why mix a CD when the perfect one has already been made?). I went to work, and tried my best to be \"over\" the plague that had been haunting me all week.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size:130%;\"\u003EThe Contest -\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI had planned to do more for the contest, but I spent most of the weekend sick in bed and therefore took the \"easy\" way out and decided to just send flowers to a few people. I chose 3 winners for the contest.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERose won because she had some fairly valid points. Normally I'd follow those points up with some sarcasm and making fun of her, but I relented this year. You can read about how excited she was on her blog \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/thisblogisbetterthanyourblog.blogspot.com\/2008\/02\/my-funny-valentine.html\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnastacia won because she's a completely random girl that I know nothing about, and my Final Fantasy character is named Anastasia(How's that for odd coincidence?). I also figured anyone who puts up with Ben's crap on a regular basis deserves flowers. She probably deserves a lot more, but that's not what the contest was about.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFinally I chose a random email that I got from someone I didn't know. When I followed up with the girl though she said she didn't want the flowers. I assume she was worried I was a creepy stalker guy. I maintain that I'm only slightly creepy. Oh well, no flowers for her.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size:130%;\"\u003EThe Bear -\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAround 5:30 Amy and Flip Cup picked Sean and I up from work and we headed off for \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.fourpeaks.com\/\"\u003EFour Peaks\u003C\/a\u003E in Tempe. They were having a four course meal special type thing for Valentine's day, and Sean had planned on going there for a while. There was a bit of issue since FC is only 20 years old.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs a side note, they said it was fine for her to be there if one of us was her legal guardian or husband. Does being married make it okay for you to go in to a bar\/brewery that you wouldn't otherwise be allowed to go in to?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESean worked his Canadian charm and eventually they said it was cool for her to go which was good because I was working on Plan B at the time(Shopping for a ring).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI gave her Steve(The Bear) as we got in to the car, and she seemed to really like it. I didn't make her carry it inside the restaurant since there was already issue with her age and I didn't want to draw anymore attention to us.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDinner was good, albeit enough to feed a small army. The only time I'd seen Amy and FC together they were both drunk, which I assumed was what lead to the constant silliness. I was wrong. The silliness is a naturally occurring phenomenon that is some how related to proximity. For that reason it wasn't hard to have a good time.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBy the time we got to the game I was exhausted. The dinner, lingering cold, and fact that I'd been laughing my ass off all night all added up to one tired nerd. Luckily the Sun's won 109-97 despite the fact that their new center still has yet to play a game.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI ended up getting home after midnight and falling in to bed.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI'm going to give this Valentine's Day a B+"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/7455277646613834790\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/02\/valentines-day-follow-up.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/7455277646613834790"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/7455277646613834790"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/02\/valentines-day-follow-up.html","title":"Valentine's Day: Follow Up"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-5186414385088316785"},"published":{"$t":"2008-02-15T10:04:00.003-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-02-15T10:10:02.366-07:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Pop Quiz"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Watch the movie clip below and then answer the questions that follow.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cobject id=\"uvp_fop\" height=\"327\" width=\"400\"\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"movie\" value=\"http:\/\/l.yimg.com\/cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com\/up\/fop\/embedflv\/swf\/fop.swf\"\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"flashVars\" value=\"id=6441610\u0026amp;rd=eyc-off\u0026amp;ympsc=\u0026amp;postpanelEnable=1\u0026amp;prepanelEnable=1\u0026amp;infopanelEnable=1\u0026amp;carouselEnable=0\"\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"wmode\" value=\"transparent\"\u003E\u003Cembed height=\"327\" width=\"400\" id=\"uvp_fop\" allowscriptaccess=\"always\" src=\"http:\/\/l.yimg.com\/cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com\/up\/fop\/embedflv\/swf\/fop.swf\" type=\"application\/x-shockwave-flash\" flashvars=\"id=6441610\u0026rd=eyc-off\u0026ympsc=\u0026prepanelEnable=1\u0026infopanelEnable=1\"\u003E\u003C\/embed\u003E\u003C\/object\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. Rate your excitement level from 1 to 10.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIf you answered anything other than 10 and don't have a valid excuse such as, \"My doctor has me on Xanax\" then you failed the pop quiz. Get the hell off my blog.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESee it large \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/movies.yahoo.com\/feature\/indianajones.html?showVideo=1\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/5186414385088316785\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/02\/pop-quiz.html#comment-form","title":"3 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/5186414385088316785"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/5186414385088316785"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/02\/pop-quiz.html","title":"Pop Quiz"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"3"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-5541275181421485648"},"published":{"$t":"2008-02-06T13:44:00.002-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-02-19T20:55:39.360-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Sean N"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Steve"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Valentine's"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Valentine's Day Plans"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"A few months ago, before Sun's general manager Steve Kerr decided to metaphorically punch me in the balls* and trade Shawn Marion for Shaq, I bought tickets to a few of this season's Sun's games. One particular game just happened to be on Valentine's day. It wasn't so much the day as it was the fact that we'd be playing the Mavericks, one of our biggest rivals.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI bought 4 tickets to the game assuming I'd find some other peeps who'd want to go too and Sean quickly jumped on 2 of them. Apparently he won the lottery when marrying Amy because 2 tickets to a Suns game is a good Valentine's day date for her.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMiranda naturally assumed the fourth ticket was hers. \"You know you're not going to get a date\" she repeatedly told me, but I held out hope.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"You want me to ask FlipCup?\" Sean asked me one day. FlipCup is Amy's ridiculously cute and ridiculously too young for me sister Rachel. She got the nickname one St. Patty's day after a particularly heated \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Flip_cup\"\u003Edrinking game\u003C\/a\u003E. \"You know, just in a friendly way.\" he continued, but I could already see his eyes aglow at the thought of he and I being brothers-in-law.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Sure\" I replied, \"It's better than taking my sister on a Valentine's date and she seems like fun.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EA few text messages later she was on board, and the evening was mostly planned out. I didn't know much about Rachel except that she seemed like fun, had a penchant for silly hats, and was short(Read: win, win, win).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"I need to do something obnoxious and cheesy since it's Valentine's day\" I told Sean, \"You know, like buy a huge stuffed teddy bear and make her carry it around all night.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Yeah, freak her out. That seems like a good way to go.\" he replied, but Amy thought Rachel would be amused.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EToday, like two cowboys who can't quit each other, Sean and I made our way to Wal-mart to look for bears. After searching through what seemed like miles of Dickie's and generic products we found the Valentine's section and picked out the biggest bear. Sean suggested I go find one of the kid's Sun's jerseys and put it on the bear.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca title=\"IMAGE_00002 by jessebearden, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/2246505237\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"640\" alt=\"IMAGE_00002\" src=\"http:\/\/farm3.static.flickr.com\/2064\/2246505237_b03702abe4_o.jpg\" width=\"480\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Wow, you really commit to a joke\" my co-worker Anne commented after questioning me about the bear that now sits in my office.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Uh, yeah, that's me in a nutshell\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDon't worry peeps, there's still a week and a half for her to come to her senses and back out of this.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size:85%;\"\u003E*Seriously, unless this trade includes plans to a working time machine to go get Shaq from 5 years ago, what were they thinking? I'm sad. I'm scared. I'm confused. Somebody call Steve Nash and ask him to hold me.\u003C\/span\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/5541275181421485648\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/02\/valentines-day-plans.html#comment-form","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/5541275181421485648"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/5541275181421485648"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/02\/valentines-day-plans.html","title":"Valentine's Day Plans"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-3833884333630823312"},"published":{"$t":"2008-02-05T17:59:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-02-06T14:57:30.672-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Nerd Games"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Valentine's"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Nerd Games: The Free Flowers"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"I debated posting this, but after Geremy threw a fit like a 7 year old who's mom wouldn't buy him the green Power Ranger, I decided to give him another chance at winning a prize.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnyone who's read my blog for a while will recall that two years ago I sent a lesbian flowers for Valentine's day with the following poem:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESome women like diamonds\u003Cbr \/\u003ESome women like pearls\u003Cbr \/\u003EI wish you liked boys\u003Cbr \/\u003EInstead of girls\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI thought it was pretty funny at the time. Everyone had told me her girlfriend was mean and wouldn't give her flowers, and I thought, \"Every girl deserves flowers on Valentine's day right?\". You can read the full story by starting at the bottom \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/search\/label\/Angela\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E and working your way up.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELast year I told Rachel, \"I should send someone else flowers for Valentine's day this year.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Leyda!\" she replied without hesitation. Apparently Rachel thought it was a good idea that I send her friend that I barely knew a dozen roses, and that was reason enough for me.(You may remember Leyda from \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/08\/sesquipedalis-year-in-review-top-5_27.html\"\u003Ethis post\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESo, with V-day quickly approaching I've got a bill from proflowers.com waiting for a destination and I'm drawing a blank. The rules for this contest are simple:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. Nominate someone to get flowers. Write a reason\/explanation, or don't, I don't care. A good reason helps your chances though.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E2. I'll pick a winner and pay for and send flowers. I'll also write a very crappy poem which you can help with if you'd like.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E3. Contest ends on the 11th.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs before, feel free to email, comment, ask questions, etc. As an added bonus, if it's a female who's single and in to short nerds I'll buy you a free lunch for the tip.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI promise no more lame contests after this."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/3833884333630823312\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/02\/nerd-games-free-flowers.html#comment-form","title":"15 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/3833884333630823312"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/3833884333630823312"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/02\/nerd-games-free-flowers.html","title":"Nerd Games: The Free Flowers"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"15"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-3270651950956578666"},"published":{"$t":"2008-02-04T16:54:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-02-04T14:26:22.382-07:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The Hat Collection: Origins"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cem\u003EI've had a collection of goofy hats since at least High School. I'd like to think this story is where it all got started, but as a friend pointed out recently, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/11\/jesse-through-ages.html\"\u003Ethis post\u003C\/a\u003E has evidence showing that maybe it started much much earlier. I almost never actually wear ther hats; I don't want to be \u003Cstrong\u003Ethat nerd\u003C\/strong\u003E. This begs the question though, \"why own them?\". I'm not entirely sure, but maybe by the end of this entry I'll have it figured out.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhen I was young I had a Curious George book entitled, \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Curious-George-Rides-Bike-Rey\/dp\/0395174449\"\u003ECurious George Rides a Bike\u003C\/a\u003E\". (For my readers south of the border I believe it was circulated under the title \"Jorge el curioso monta en bicicleta\")\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt was a riveting drama about a monkey and his bicycle and the mis-adventures that one can have on a paper route. Okay, I actually remember almost nothing about the story except that there's a part where he gets bored and takes the newspapers, folds them in to boats, and floats them down a river. The exciting part for a kid of around 7 years of age was the included instructions on how to make these boats.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca title=\"George by jessebearden, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/2176726272\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"263\" alt=\"George\" src=\"http:\/\/farm3.static.flickr.com\/2123\/2176726272_67b0c98f83_o.jpg\" width=\"353\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003EAbout 10 years later I was a junior sitting in calculus class when either boredom or an overwhelming need to impress Robin, the cute girl sitting in front of me, took hold(You might remember Robin from \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/10\/and-now-for-something-truly.html\"\u003Ethis post\u003C\/a\u003E). For some inexplicable reason the Curious George book popped in to my head and I started folding a piece of paper in to a boat. When completed, it resembled a small sombrero(\"Hat\" for my readers north of the border).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt was obviously too small for a human head, so with Erik's help I soon had 9 pieces of paper taped together and began folding. The completed product fit perfectly and we were quite pleased with ourselves until moments later, in the school hallway, an authoritative voice boomed, \"You know the rules, no hats on campus. Take it off or I'll take it away\".\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENever ones for authority, Erik, Sean S and I devised a plan and that evening fashioned 2 new hats. One was bright red, and one bright blue to match the existing white one. Friday was school pride day, and they couldn't possibly get upset with us for wearing the silly paper hats constructed out of the school colors.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe hats were kind of a hit, and we even made a few for some of our favorite teachers. Looking back, it's surprising that I didn't get picked on more in High School.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003EJust for everyone's amusement I went ahead and folded a new hat and took a picture with my laptop's webcam. Now that I look at this picture, it's surprising thatI don't get picked on more now.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/2229805694\/\" title=\"IMG00006 by jessebearden, on Flickr\"\u003E\u003Cimg src=\"http:\/\/farm3.static.flickr.com\/2116\/2229805694_7aa7fc5f43.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" alt=\"IMG00006\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/3270651950956578666\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/02\/hat-collection-origins.html#comment-form","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/3270651950956578666"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/3270651950956578666"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/02\/hat-collection-origins.html","title":"The Hat Collection: Origins"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/farm3.static.flickr.com\/2116\/2229805694_7aa7fc5f43_t.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-2867051294649450447"},"published":{"$t":"2008-02-01T20:05:00.002-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-06-03T22:00:16.939-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Nerd Games"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Reader Participation"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The Free Lunch - The results are in!"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Right after work today I drove my bucket of change down to the Fry's to get the results of last week's contest. But before we get to the results let's take a look back at everyone's guesses.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#cc0000;\"\u003EGeremy 1.00\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnne 12.00\u003Cbr \/\u003EJim 15.00\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#cc0000;\"\u003EAndrew 23.67\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#cc0000;\"\u003EMisti 28.00\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENeeds 33.00\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#cc0000;\"\u003EMike 34.21\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#cc0000;\"\u003EMom 34.56\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#cc0000;\"\u003EKendall 37.54\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#cc0000;\"\u003EBen 42.37\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#cc0000;\"\u003EJosh 43.00\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EJason 50.00\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#cc0000;\"\u003EBeadle 50.69\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#cc0000;\"\u003EJenn 52.85\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#cc0000;\"\u003EMikele 58.63\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#cc0000;\"\u003EPatty 59.25\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#cc0000;\"\u003EAdam 66.83\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#cc0000;\"\u003EAnna 67.57\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELiang 71.13\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#cc0000;\"\u003EChase 75.00\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#cc0000;\"\u003ERose 76.11\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#cc0000;\"\u003EHolly 77.77\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#cc0000;\"\u003ETroy 85.07\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#cc0000;\"\u003EMonique 88.00\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#cc0000;\"\u003EJ.R. 90.00\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPollack 100.00\u003Cbr \/\u003ERachel 100.00\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#cc0000;\"\u003EMandi 105.00\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EErik 120.00\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#cc0000;\"\u003ENikki 139.69\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EScot 150.00\u003Cbr \/\u003EJesse 157.42\u003Cbr \/\u003ETom 183.10\u003Cbr \/\u003ERahul 240.00\u003Cbr \/\u003EBruce 300.00\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI've highlighted in red the people who only saw the coin jar via pictures, and the people in black are the ones who saw it in real life. It's somewhat interesting that people who saw it through photos tended to guess significantly lower.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThere were 35 total entries(If I counted correctly).  I have to say that I'm overwhelmed by the number of responses that I've gotten. I've asked for ideas with regards to women, help getting a date, and thoughts for presents before.  At the most I've gotten 1 or 2 responses, usually making fun of me, but as soon as there is free food on the table(har har) everyone figures out where the reply button is.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI was questioned on rule #3 specifically once or twice. In case you've forgotten rule #3, it was the following:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EResults may be modified to ensure the winner is a cute girl who is\u003Cbr \/\u003Esingle and in to short nerds. \u003C\/blockquote\u003EFor anyone who knows me, it should have been obvious that this was a joke. I'd pretty much buy any cute girl who was single and in to short nerds a free lunch any day of the week. Heck, she doesn't even have to be all that cute, or all that in to short nerds. I'm pretty firm on the single part though.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOkay, enough Howey Mandeling this, it's time for the results...\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAccording to the coinstar there was a grand total of.... $162.57 in the jar(Before the coinstar deduction).  Which looking back over the results(since I can't win) means Scot won the free lunch.  Scot's my boss and the former drummer of my non-existent band.  He's also notoriously thrifty with concerns to lunches and free stuff, so despite the fact that he's a manager at a software company, this win for him roughly equates to me being invited to have a sleep over with \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Shigeru_Miyamoto\"\u003EShigeru Miyamoto\u003C\/a\u003E for a night of Smash Bros., so I gotta be happy for him."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/2867051294649450447\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/02\/free-lunch-results-are-in.html#comment-form","title":"6 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/2867051294649450447"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/2867051294649450447"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/02\/free-lunch-results-are-in.html","title":"The Free Lunch - The results are in!"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"6"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-8435392907871392757"},"published":{"$t":"2008-01-29T17:59:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-01-29T15:44:15.950-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Liang"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Sean N"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Ro Two Oh"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\"I've got the girl for you\" Sean N announced as he burst in to my office last Monday morning. Monday mornings with Sean usually involve mom jokes and him farting in my office* so the possibility of female interaction for me was a welcomed change.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Yeah?\" I responded, pretending not to be half as interested as I was.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"That girl from Romania is cute.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Yeah, I remember her from last time she was here. She was cute... in that Cold War kind of way, if you know what I mean.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"No, not that one. It's a new one. She's even cuter. She's Ro Two Oh(2.0)\" he said, obviously pleased with himself for the joke.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"She seems friendly. I said hi to her and I think she smiled.\" he continued, now beaming as any nerd would after a cute girl had smiled at him.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Well, I guess I'll have to check that out\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMy interest was now piqued. Erik recently married a Brazilian girl, and Adam a German. Maybe I could make it a clean sweep? Maybe the nerd pot of gold lays outside of US borders?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESoon, like news of a blog contest for a free lunch, the word had spread and half of the office was going to try to \"hook Jesse up\"(Aside from Liang who was trying to hook Liang up despite the fact that Liang is married).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI decided to have a little fun with it and marched in to Jim's office. Jim was the Romanian's contact while they were here(There were 2 guys and the girl).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Why you gotta block Jim? Why haven't you introduced me yet?\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMuch to my dismay, Jim was in to the idea too and decided to help. By Thursday a plan was set up where some people from the office would take the Romanians out to Mill Ave. over the weekend. A trip to Mill on the weekend for me is generally about as uplifting as \"Bring Your Parents to School Day\" for Bruce Wayne, but I decided to tough it out.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFriday Sean came down with Bronchitis, and other people started bailing. I found out that two of the Romanians were going to Vegas for the weekend, but the one guy (Mihi) still wanted to go out. Then Jim told me that the girl (Andrea) had a boyfriend anyhow.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI ended up showing him downtown Tempe and it was a cool experience getting to hang out with a Romanian dude for the night, but it was still no Ro 2.0.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E* \u003Cspan style=\"font-size:78%;\"\u003EIt's not just Monday mornings, that's pretty much every day. \u003C\/span\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/8435392907871392757\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/01\/ro-two-oh.html#comment-form","title":"4 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/8435392907871392757"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/8435392907871392757"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/01\/ro-two-oh.html","title":"Ro Two Oh"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"4"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-4306883572318890581"},"published":{"$t":"2008-01-25T00:08:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-01-25T00:51:22.071-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Nerd Games"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Reader Participation"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Nerd Games: The Free Lunch"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Generally, sometime around the New Year, I take my coin jar and cash it's contents in for the much more convenient paper form. Three years ago I started offering a free lunch to the person who came closest to guessing the value of the coins in the jar. I would also place my guess.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EUnfortunately(for everyone else) I've won three years in a row. This leads to me having a celebratory lunch by myself, which isn't as exciting as it could be. This year I've decided to extent the contest to.... well, anyone who wants to wager a guess. If you don't live in Phoenix and\/or I don't know you, then we'd have to work something out, but we'll burn that bridge when we come to it.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe winner will be decided sometime next weekend, so feel free to comment a guess, email a guess, call, web cam, carrier pigeon, or however you choose to contact me.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca title=\"DSC01190 by jessebearden, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/2218453334\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"375\" alt=\"DSC01190\" src=\"http:\/\/farm3.static.flickr.com\/2362\/2218453334_596465ed1e.jpg\" width=\"500\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca title=\"DSC01189 by jessebearden, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/2217658057\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"375\" alt=\"DSC01189\" src=\"http:\/\/farm3.static.flickr.com\/2376\/2217658057_165f41c054.jpg\" width=\"500\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size:78%;\"\u003ERules:\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. The location of the dinner must be mutually decided upon, and the value per meal not to exceed 25 dollars.\u003Cbr \/\u003E2. I reserve the right to kick anyone out of the competition for any reason.\u003Cbr \/\u003E3. Results may be modified to ensure the winner is a cute girl who is single and in to short nerds.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EEdit: After two guesses now in the 20 dollar range I feel it's impotant to state that the jar is apparently larger than the photos give it credit for. Therefore I took 2 more pictures of it comparing it to a normal sized coke can. It still looks small for some reason though :\/\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca title=\"DSC01191 by jessebearden, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/2218501402\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"375\" alt=\"DSC01191\" src=\"http:\/\/farm3.static.flickr.com\/2368\/2218501402_00299a41c4.jpg\" width=\"500\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca title=\"DSC01192 by jessebearden, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/2217705875\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"375\" alt=\"DSC01192\" src=\"http:\/\/farm3.static.flickr.com\/2140\/2217705875_494e067c4f.jpg\" width=\"500\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/4306883572318890581\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/01\/nerd-games-free-lunch.html#comment-form","title":"21 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/4306883572318890581"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/4306883572318890581"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/01\/nerd-games-free-lunch.html","title":"Nerd Games: The Free Lunch"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/farm3.static.flickr.com\/2362\/2218453334_596465ed1e_t.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"21"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-7754462270129349016"},"published":{"$t":"2008-01-16T11:46:00.001-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-11-02T08:39:27.932-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Robo-babe of the Day"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Robo-babe of the day: Shirley Manson"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"For well over 10 years now I've had a slight crush on \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Shirley_Manson\"\u003EShirley Manson\u003C\/a\u003E. She's cute, slightly emo, red headed, and has a thick Scottish accent, what's not to love? She's also in one of my favorite bands(Garbage) with Butch Vig, one of the biggest producers of music in the 90's.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI didn't find out until recently that she was also a fan of mine. Exhibit A:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca title=\"image77 by jessebearden, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/470468436\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"434\" alt=\"image77\" src=\"http:\/\/farm1.static.flickr.com\/190\/470468436_be812b8a43_o.jpg\" width=\"313\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size:78%;\"\u003EWhen was the last time your celeb crush wore a shirt declaring his\/her love for you?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003EI actually met her once(sort of), and pulled my usual nerd\/turtle move and didn't say anything, but this isn't about me, it's about her."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/7754462270129349016\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/01\/robo-babe-of-day-shirley-manson.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/7754462270129349016"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/7754462270129349016"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/01\/robo-babe-of-day-shirley-manson.html","title":"Robo-babe of the day: Shirley Manson"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-6375714538381147472"},"published":{"$t":"2008-01-10T01:31:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-01-11T15:38:23.457-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mom"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mory"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Stacey"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Christmas Traditions: New Undies"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cem\u003EMuch like a head cheerleader after prom, I'm about three weeks late here, but never fear. I'm getting back in to the swing of things. I had an interesting, albeit completely unblogable Christmas break, and therefore the blog gets another mediocre story where the leading lady is my mother, and not some cute girl that I've managed to embarrass myself with. (And much like that cheerleader, that last sentence had to wait a long time for a period.) \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt all began with a novelty pair of boxers that had glow in the dark Christmas elves that I received as a present. Until that point in time I had worn strictly \"tighty whities\". It wasn't necessarily by choice, but as a young boy you kind of just wear whatever mom buys. The Christmas boxers were intended to be a joke, but one day either out of curiosity, or lack of clean briefs I tried them on.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETo quote \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Garth_Algar\"\u003EGarth Algar\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EAt first it's constrictive, but after a while it becomes a part of you.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBy the end of the day, like Jessica Simpson presented with a horrible movie role, I was sold. The freedom, the excitement, the ability to live the way god had intended... I was a new \u003Cs\u003Eman\u003C\/s\u003Eboy.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EApparently my mother also thought it was cool(Every other male in my household wore the TW's as well). Either as a means to encourage my new found undergarment love, or to drop a not so subtle hint to my dad and brother, she thought it wise to buy me boxers the following Christmas, and the Christmas after that, and so on and so forth.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EUnfortunately for her, they never picked up on the hint.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca title=\"DSC01188 by jessebearden, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/2182742958\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"500\" alt=\"DSC01188\" src=\"http:\/\/farm3.static.flickr.com\/2415\/2182742958_28cb921776.jpg\" width=\"375\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size:78%;\"\u003EA traditional x-mas outfit\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003EIt soon became my tradition on Christmas day to wear these boxers on the outside of my clothes for entirety of the day. Sometimes I'd receive more than one pair, and wear them all. They generally complimented my traditional Christmas hat well, and it was an absolutely silly thing to wear all day. (More on the x-mas hat soon.)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/75616539\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"500\" alt=\"DSC00016\" src=\"http:\/\/farm1.static.flickr.com\/38\/75616539_2311fe3f2d.jpg\" width=\"375\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size:78%;\"\u003EThe goal is generally to hike them up as high as possible\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003EEventually my mom must have gotten bored because the undergarment choices for Christmas became more and more outrageous. On one fine Christmas day I found myself wearing a pair of boxers(over my clothes) that felt a bit... \"stiff.\" Stacey, my girlfriend at the time, sat watching me for a while before commanding, \"Come over here\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"There's something funny about these\" she said as she grabbed the top of them and then gave a stern tug.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMuch to my surprise, and that of my mother and surrounding family, the boxers ripped completely off. The \"stiff\"ness that I had felt was the Velcro pieces holding the break away boxers together.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"You bought him stripper underwear?\" Miranda shouted.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWe all had a good laugh at my mother, and while I haven't gotten any more \"stripper\" underwear, the tradition continues to this day.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/2174892636\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"500\" alt=\"n607815617_1899644_5907\" src=\"http:\/\/farm3.static.flickr.com\/2183\/2174892636_8e8d3ac142.jpg\" width=\"375\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size:78%;\"\u003EThis year's boxers... now with more class\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size:85%;\"\u003EInteresting note: While checking the Wayne's World quote for accuracy I stumbled upon a wikipedia page that claims that Wayne's World is the first known usage of the classic phrase, \"That's what she said.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENow you know. And knowing is half the battle. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/6375714538381147472\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/01\/christmas-traditions-new-undies.html#comment-form","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/6375714538381147472"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/6375714538381147472"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/01\/christmas-traditions-new-undies.html","title":"Christmas Traditions: New Undies"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/farm3.static.flickr.com\/2415\/2182742958_28cb921776_t.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-8003447253244227545"},"published":{"$t":"2007-12-18T20:18:00.003-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-01-14T12:47:09.077-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Liang"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Sean N"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The Developer Trap"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"About two months ago there was a huge box sitting in one of the spare rooms at our office. I work for a large format printer company so there are always rolls of paper around, and therefore always large cardboard tubes around. Apparently John saw fit to put these two together, combined with an electrical cord, and make a trap.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAfter some time Sean came across the trap and added a sign, and a nearby empty flat panel monitor box to the trap as \"bait\".\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI'm really not sure how I was \u003Cem\u003Enot\u003C\/em\u003E involved in the trap building process. I must have been hard at work that week, but that hardly seems possible. Eventually Sean decided he needed to take pictures of his creation, and wanted a \"test dummy\" to pose with it.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI'm sure Liang was first choice to trap in a box, but I'm equally sure that he was cranky and argued that he wouldn't do it, so Sean came to me. \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/04\/ballers-use-tide-not-tide-pen.html\"\u003EAs is often the case\u003C\/a\u003E, it didn't take much persuasion to get me to make an ass out of myself.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESean had the photos for a while, today I finally decided to sit down and throw them together. I hope you enjoy \"The Developer Trap\", and apologize for the fact that it's mostly inside jokes and nerd humor.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Cembed src=\"http:\/\/youtube.com\/v\/NzSZan8I0-E\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" type=\"application\/x-shockwave-flash\"\u003E\u003C\/embed\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/8003447253244227545\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/12\/developer-trap.html#comment-form","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/8003447253244227545"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/8003447253244227545"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/12\/developer-trap.html","title":"The Developer Trap"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-5395653649481174701"},"published":{"$t":"2007-12-10T10:47:00.002-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2010-01-18T21:00:09.262-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Agnes"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Allen"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Liang"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The UFADAR swings both ways\/Jesse gets a new building crush"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cem\u003EI really wish I had the writing ability to do this story justice, but you'll have to take my word for it that the real version of this was far more amusing than what I've managed to detail here. That being said, sorry it took so long. For some reason I just couldn't finish it. Sorry for the length. Feel free to stop in the middle and make yourself a sandwich, or some homemade lunchables. If that doesn't work give me a call and I'll read it to you.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Someone in the building was looking for help with their computer.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Uhm... yeah...\" I responded with a bit of hesitation.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt was Allen, former doorman and now resident of my building, on the other end of the phone. He's the all around good Samaritan kind of guy, so I didn't want to come right out and say it, but normally helping people with their computer ends up being a pain in my ass that I'd rather avoid.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"It's Agnes, do you know her?\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Red hair? About 4 feet tall?\" I asked, now somewhat guilty for being hesitant. \"Feel free to give her my number.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI'd run in to Agnes a few times in the lobby over the past year. She was an older lady(I'd assumed in her 70's) who always had a smile and a \"Hello\" as she ran off to her job, volunteering at the hospital. She's the kind of lady that makes you feel like you should hug her goodbye and say thank you for the cookies when she leaves.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAfter a bit of phone tag we finally arranged a date and time for me to come down and assess the damage. From what I could gather she and her sister had bought condos next door to each other so that Agnes could take care of her. When her sister recently moved in to a retirement home, Agnes moved across the hall to live in the bigger unit.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"When I bought the computa, the... the Geek. You know the Geek from tha Best Buy? He set it up for me\" she informed me with her New York type accent and a certain amount of innocence reserved only for children and the elderly when dealing with technology. \"I asked the man from Qwest if I needed to call the Geek back, but they said they could do it. He moved the computa for me. And... and now the thing doesn't work!\" Her voice perked up at every use of the word \"Geek\".\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESome quick investigation revealed that qwest had really done a number on her computer. I'll save the nerdtastic explanations for offline discussions if anyone is interested, but about an hour later I had most everything fixed except for her email.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Okay, you need your name and password to sign in here\" I told her as I attempted to fix the email issue and moved aside to give her access to the keyboard.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Oh, it's agnesbridget and the password is...\" she revealed what most people consider \"private\" without hesitation.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"You really shouldn't tell anyone y...\" I began to protest, but gave up at the futility of it.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe login didn't work, and after a half hour conversation with qwest we found that they had disabled the account and it couldn't be recovered. I had some choice words for them over their treatment of a customer, but eventually I gave up and decided to sign her up for a free account at yahoo.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI began to fill out the registration information when I got in the kind of situation that I always seem to screw up despite my best intentions.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Uhm... it uh... wants your birthday\" I asked hesitantly. Was it rude to ask? Should I have just put in a fake date? Would that have been more rude?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Oh. April 11, 1917\" she said with a big smile. \"I'm an old bag\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI was soon done with the necessary changes. The printer was working again so she could write her niece. \"She never writes back anyhow. I don't know why I botha\".\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe shortcut to her recipe site was placed on the desktop. \"It's the only thing I use tha Intenet for.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EEverything else that could possibly be distracting was placed away in a nice folder. \"I don't have time for all that nonsense\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EShe offered to pay me for my time, but I was more than happy to do it, and didn't feel right taking money from a 90 year old woman, especially one who's more proficient with the computer than half the people I know.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Chr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAbout a week later Liang was supposed to come over to watch the Sun's game. I had hung up the phone with him less than 5 minutes before when I heard a knock at my door. I thought maybe he had tricked me and called from the lobby so I threw the door open and jumped outside only to find Agnes standing there, now somewhat startled.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Oh... uh hi\" I stammered as she simultaneously announced, \"Ya... Ya got no room unda ya door!\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI looked at her somewhat puzzled until she pulled a card out. \"I tried to shove this under it, but it doesn't fit. Ya got no room unda ya door\" she repeated.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"I wanted to say thank you for helping me out the other day. I was at the Biltmore. That Apple store. I don't know what they do there. My son... he... he's got one of those... what do you call em? A tripod. He loves the thing.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Oh, an iPod?\" I asked.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Yeah, it plays tha music or whateva.\" she commented with a dismissive wave of her hand. \"I got no use for all that. But he seems to love it.\" At this she handed me a card. After another thank you or two she left and I went back inside to open the card and find a 50 dollar Apple Store gift card.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELiang showed up minutes later and I related the whole story to him. My pure amusement at the whole ordeal was enough for him to start ribbing me about my 90 year old crush. The teasing continued until half time came and we decided to leave for dinner.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Well, I always did want a short red headed girl.\" I relented as gathered our things to go. \"And besides, a sweet, cute girl brought me a card. That's better than you've done in a while\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWe were half way down the hall when the door to 11-N flew open and Agnes came bounding out with an energy normally reserved for those a tenth of her age. \"Oh! I got distracted. I met this nice lady and decided ta chat for a while. I think I'm stuck on the 11th floor!\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWe smiled, nodded and said our pleasantries as we made way to the elevator.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOnce out of earshot Liang turned to me with a huge grin on his face and finally gave in, \"All right. I see it\""},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/5395653649481174701\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/12\/ufadar-swings-both-ways-jesse-gets-new.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/5395653649481174701"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/5395653649481174701"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/12\/ufadar-swings-both-ways-jesse-gets-new.html","title":"The UFADAR swings both ways\/\u003Cp\u003EJesse gets a new building crush"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-7410292099209897436"},"published":{"$t":"2007-12-05T17:03:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2007-12-18T00:45:01.355-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Nerd Word(s)"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Todd"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Nerd Word(s): UFADAR"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cstrong\u003EUFADAR(Universal Formula for Acceptable Dating Age Ranges)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#33cc00;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E- acronym\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. A formula for deciding whether a person is acceptable for dating based off of their age(Half your age plus seven)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E- pronunciation\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOOF DAR(Somehow the middle A became silent)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#cc0000;\"\u003E[ Acronym Origin\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#cc0000;\"\u003E: Me - \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2006\/11\/tales-from-top-week-2.html\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#cc0000;\"\u003Ethis post\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#cc0000;\"\u003E, but credit goes to Geremy for taking it from a bad blog joke to a normal piece of the nerd lexicon through repeated use. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#cc0000;\"\u003E]\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#990000;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#cc0000;\"\u003E[ Formula Origin: First told to me by my friend James, and he's now an MD, so that basically makes it fact. ]\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E- usage\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. \"Wow, that girl is cute\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Woah, back up dude... way off the UFADAR\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E2. \"Is his new girlfriend UFADAR compliant? She seems a bit \u003Cem\u003Eyoung\u003C\/em\u003E\""},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/7410292099209897436\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/12\/nerd-words-ufadar.html#comment-form","title":"4 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/7410292099209897436"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/7410292099209897436"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/12\/nerd-words-ufadar.html","title":"Nerd Word(s): UFADAR"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"4"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-2380350398980496332"},"published":{"$t":"2007-11-16T21:26:00.002-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-09-01T16:33:30.905-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Basketball"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Steve"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Is Nash taking shots at AI?"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"I was recently searching for movies on youtube featuring my man-crush Steve Nash. I stumbled upon a few which made me wonder if he was purposely making fun of Allen Iverson or if it was just a coincidence. Since it appears to be Magic Media Month here at Sesquipedalis I decided to share the movies with you(Or is it Awesome Annual Alliteration day?).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETo fully understand what I'm talking about you should first watch the now famous footage of Iverson in a post game interview. If you're a basketball fan of any kind you've probably already seen this, but even if you have seen it you'll probably still find it amusing.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Cembed src=\"http:\/\/youtube.com\/v\/eGDBR2L5kzI\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" type=\"application\/x-shockwave-flash\"\u003E\u003C\/embed\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENow watch these two videos of Steve Nash\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Cembed src=\"http:\/\/youtube.com\/v\/AXoiEDs_a0E\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" type=\"application\/x-shockwave-flash\"\u003E\u003C\/embed\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Cembed src=\"http:\/\/youtube.com\/v\/8VwiRnQ0M4M\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" type=\"application\/x-shockwave-flash\"\u003E\u003C\/embed\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/2380350398980496332\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/11\/is-nash-taking-shots-at-ai.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/2380350398980496332"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/2380350398980496332"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/11\/is-nash-taking-shots-at-ai.html","title":"Is Nash taking shots at AI?"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-4541368161331431561"},"published":{"$t":"2007-11-15T13:56:00.001-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-08-14T10:38:17.966-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Nerd Word(s)"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Nerd Word(s): ______ Crush"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cstrong\u003E_____ Crush \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#006600;\"\u003E- Proper Noun \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. An attraction (generally to) a member of the opposite sex segregated by a specific domain(\u003Cem\u003Eie Work Crush)\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#660000;\"\u003E[ Origin: In my youth I gave up on finding a woman, and therefore gave up on crushes all together. After breaking up with Stacey I decided I \u003Cem\u003Eneeded\u003C\/em\u003E a crush, and forced myself to have one on a cute Chilean girl in my class. Little did I know it would open the floodgates and I soon found it necessary to label my crushes so as to differentiate them. ]\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#006600;\"\u003E- examples\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. (ex)Neighbor Crush - You'll have to guess:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca title=\"DSC01052 by jessebearden, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/427616435\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"500\" alt=\"DSC01052\" src=\"http:\/\/farm1.static.flickr.com\/175\/427616435_05931809b7.jpg\" width=\"375\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E2. Building Crush(At work) - \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/search\/label\/Linda\"\u003ELinda\u003C\/a\u003E?(\u003Cem\u003Eeditor's note: I need a new work crush and will be accepting applications\u003C\/em\u003E)\u003Cbr \/\u003E3. Famous Crush - \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Tina_Fey\"\u003ETina Fey\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E4. Man Crush - \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Steve_Nash\"\u003EDuh\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E5. Lesbian Crush - \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/search\/label\/Angela\"\u003EAngela\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E6. Reader Crush - You. Seriously."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/4541368161331431561\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/11\/nerd-words-crush.html#comment-form","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/4541368161331431561"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/4541368161331431561"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/11\/nerd-words-crush.html","title":"Nerd Word(s): ______ Crush"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/farm1.static.flickr.com\/175\/427616435_05931809b7_t.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-2765761047479845688"},"published":{"$t":"2007-11-14T23:13:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2007-11-15T10:17:23.154-07:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Jesse through the ages"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"My most recent blog crush did an entry with pictures of her in the past. I enjoyed the idea and since my mom recently had me scan in some pictures I thought I'd do the same.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca title=\"scan0032 by jessebearden, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/337879860\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"385\" alt=\"scan0032\" src=\"http:\/\/farm1.static.flickr.com\/138\/337879860_9b0624c6f1.jpg\" width=\"500\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThat would be me in the front and Josh in the back. We were(are) rednecks from Arkansas, so I'd assume this is just how things were done. (I thought it best to start with a naked pic to keep the ladies interested)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca title=\"scan0033 by jessebearden, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/337880260\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"500\" alt=\"scan0033\" src=\"http:\/\/farm1.static.flickr.com\/163\/337880260_d1f37912d7.jpg\" width=\"373\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhen I was four we moved to Germany. One of the big things I remember from the time was going on \"walks\". We would do these long organized walks(Like a team hike, only not so much mountainous). I think I wore that silly hat all over Europe.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca title=\"scan0016 by jessebearden, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/337875029\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"500\" alt=\"scan0016\" src=\"http:\/\/farm1.static.flickr.com\/135\/337875029_ad16ca561c.jpg\" width=\"330\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAt seven years old we returned to the United States to a little place called Arizona and I haven't left since. As we were about to leave Germany my mom and dad sat us down for a family talk.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"How would you feel about having a little brother or sister\" they asked.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Great!\" Josh said realizing he'd have another minion to assert his will over.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Quite frankly I don't think we need one\" I replied after careful consideration of the monetary responsibilities that another child would bring.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs usual mom sided with Josh on this one. It probably helped that she was already pregnant.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnd thus Mory(Miranda, featured in pink) was born.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003ENote: This appears to be the point where the size of my head started spiraling out of control\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca title=\"scan0004 by jessebearden, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/337870515\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"500\" alt=\"scan0004\" src=\"http:\/\/farm1.static.flickr.com\/164\/337870515_3f4d20a71e.jpg\" width=\"313\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EYeah, I used this picture earlier, but it bares repeating. This is my best friend James and I at 8th grade graduation. Important things to note in this picture:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EI'm standing a step or so in front of James to give the illusion of height.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EJames was by no means \"tall\" \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EI've got my official \"huge nerd watch\" as proof that I'm no Johnny Come Lately to the dork scene.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThat's probably one of only 5 times I've had a tie on in my life.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca title=\"scan0034 by jessebearden, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/337880516\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"500\" alt=\"scan0034\" src=\"http:\/\/farm1.static.flickr.com\/125\/337880516_8218b4abd0.jpg\" width=\"402\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHalf way through high school I finally looked like I was about 12. Note the ears had finally reached critical mass.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca title=\"P1000129 by jessebearden, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/75376854\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"500\" alt=\"P1000129\" src=\"http:\/\/farm1.static.flickr.com\/43\/75376854_184de3c270.jpg\" width=\"375\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn college I grew the hair out to give the illusion of age and hide the ears. As much as people make fun of me for it now, it apparently worked. I had also hoped that the long hair would make me a better guitar player. That part unfortunately did not work.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca title=\"DSC00317 by jessebearden, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/75376667\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"375\" alt=\"DSC00317\" src=\"http:\/\/farm1.static.flickr.com\/41\/75376667_6113ce4783.jpg\" width=\"500\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EEventually the hairline started receding, and much like Luke facing Vader I finally found my destiny and got chubby.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI hope you've enjoyed this walk down \u003Cs\u003Ememory\u003C\/s\u003Eembarassment lane as much as I have. If you're a fellow blogger feel free to do the same."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/2765761047479845688\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/11\/jesse-through-ages.html#comment-form","title":"4 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/2765761047479845688"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/2765761047479845688"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/11\/jesse-through-ages.html","title":"Jesse through the ages"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/farm1.static.flickr.com\/138\/337879860_9b0624c6f1_t.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"4"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-1611110166015483973"},"published":{"$t":"2007-11-05T15:35:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2007-11-07T14:30:00.854-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Nerd Word(s)"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Nerd Word(s): You see what I did there?"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cstrong\u003EYou see what I did there?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E- question\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. A way of (re)pointing out a particularly obvious joke so as to give it more emphasis.\u003Cbr \/\u003E2. A way of pointing out a particularly obscure joke so as to enlighten someone else.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#990000;\"\u003E[ Origin: Unknown ]\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#009900;\"\u003E- usage\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. While watching Star Wars:\u003Cbr \/\u003EHan Solo: \u003Cem\u003EShe may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMe: I'm going to start calling your mom the Millennium Falcon.\u003Cbr \/\u003ESean: *cries like a girl*\u003Cbr \/\u003EMe: Yeah, you see what I did there?"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/1611110166015483973\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/11\/nerd-words-you-see-what-i-did-there.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/1611110166015483973"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/1611110166015483973"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/11\/nerd-words-you-see-what-i-did-there.html","title":"Nerd Word(s): You see what I did there?"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-8518976358751155757"},"published":{"$t":"2007-11-02T16:00:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2007-11-07T14:33:21.081-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ruth"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Steve"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"See what I did there?"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cem\u003EGeremy(Todd) mentioned to me that he was surprised I hadn't written about this yet. To be honest I just wasn't sure if I was ready to or not, but I think the time has come. I'm ready to talk about it.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESometimes things just fall in to place out of nowhere, and you think they're perfect. An unexpected love seems like it could never falter as if some invisible hand is writing \u003Cem\u003Eyour \u003C\/em\u003Estory. You put faith in this \"thing\" because the only logical explanation is that it was fate. This perceived perfection removes even the possibility of things ever \"turning sour\".\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThen you hit the inevitable bump in the road. Suddenly fear takes over. Doubt rushes over you like a tidal wave that you can't possibly stand against. Soon all the things you held to be true in this world are questioned. Was it real? Was it a lie? Is the world truly round?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EEventually we deal with these wounds. It's life. Either they heal, are displaced, or the rift is mended with the once \"true love\".\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe above of course describes my past year. The excitement came to an abrupt close over the summer in a way that I wasn't particularly prepared to deal with. At first I thought maybe it was time to move on, give up the ghost, stop carrying the torch, but when that little Canadian hit his first pull up three pointer this season I was hooked again and realized I had been fooling myself.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGo Suns.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Cembed src=\"http:\/\/youtube.com\/v\/tMblYzDUZO0\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" type=\"application\/x-shockwave-flash\"\u003E\u003C\/embed\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/8518976358751155757\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/11\/see-what-i-did-there.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/8518976358751155757"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/8518976358751155757"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/11\/see-what-i-did-there.html","title":"See what I did there?"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-7483260984908790215"},"published":{"$t":"2007-10-18T22:04:00.001-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2007-10-22T17:40:25.875-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Reader Participation"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"What do you do?"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Long before she (re)skyrocketed to fame with such great hit shows as American Idol Season 1 and American Idol Season 2, Paula Abdul was a multi-platinum recording artist who's philosophical and thought provoking lyrics helped to shape a generation.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWith great lines such as \"Oh I Love what ya do when ya do what ya do\", how could you not love the 5'2 half Canadian songstress?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe question at hand then is do you love what you do(when you do what you do)? It's a conversation that I seem to be having a lot lately. Enjoyment of one's employment seems to be a rare quality these days, which is somewhat surprising to me. Some don't \u003Cem\u003Edislike\u003C\/em\u003E their job, but in my mind that's a far cry from enjoying it.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESean said it best when describing his wife's attitude towards her job, \"She feels about the same as I did when I worked at the dollar store in high school. Collect a paycheck and go home.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESo, what do \u003Cem\u003Eyou\u003C\/em\u003E do for a living? How did you come to do it, and how do you feel about it? What would you rather be doing with your time?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMy Answer:\u003Cbr \/\u003EAt age 7 I felt I had some positively brilliant and original concepts for video games. There was the Voltron video game, the G.I. Joe video game, the other Voltron video game, etc. In the absence of anyone who wanted to create these video games for me I decided it couldn't be that hard and decided to do it myself. Years later I still hadn't done much more than write a program that would print out, \"\u003Cspan style=\"color:#ff0000;\"\u003EJ\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#339999;\"\u003Ee\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#333399;\"\u003Es\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#ffccff;\"\u003Es\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#ffcc00;\"\u003Ee\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Cspan style=\"color:#990000;\"\u003Ei\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#006600;\"\u003Es\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Cspan style=\"color:#666666;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color:#33ff33;\"\u003Ec\u003C\/span\u003Eo\u003Cspan style=\"color:#996633;\"\u003Eo\u003C\/span\u003El\u003C\/span\u003E!!!\", but that didn't stop me from trying.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENow some 20 years later I've written websites, printing applications, and flight simulators. The amazing part is that someone paid me to do something that I probably would have been doing anyway. I can't really imagine doing anything else for a living, and can't imagine a job more suited towards me.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI sleep in until 8:30 in the morning. Get to work where I read the daily nerd news, solve some problems, and spend half of my day \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Incubation_%28psychology%29\"\u003Eincubation thinking\u003C\/a\u003E my way through issues(Read: Making fun of the Seans and playing practical jokes)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI don't say this to gloat. There are certainly other areas of life that require my attention enough that this one can be considered marked off the list(For the time being). I'm just curious what others are doing."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/7483260984908790215\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/10\/what-do-you-do.html#comment-form","title":"4 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/7483260984908790215"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/7483260984908790215"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/10\/what-do-you-do.html","title":"What do you do?"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"4"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-5735646503817292851"},"published":{"$t":"2007-10-05T17:07:00.001-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-05-20T20:16:11.416-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"TMI"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"And now for something truly embarrassing"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"When I was in fourth grade I had a huge crush on this girl Robin Meyers. I really have no idea why I had a crush on her, but at the time it seemed like I needed to have a crush on someone, and she was cute, and there. At that age I was just fully coming in to my nerdiness, and about the size of large 4 year old. By contrast, Robin was probably the most popular girl in school, and would go on, years later, to be the prom queen of my high school, so my chances with this girl were about as good as Michael Richards giving the keynote speech at the next NAACP banquet.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI'm by no means \"huge\" now, but back then I was so short that I used to see a specialist just to make sure there wasn't something seriously wrong with me. To give you an idea, I remember getting \"up to\" 70 lbs. my freshman year in high school. The worst part of the specialist visit was a close inspection of my personal area(s), which would suck for anyone just going through the pre-teen years, but was especially troublesome for me because it always happened immediately after the exceptionally cute nurse had taken my vitals.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EEventually they decided they needed to do extensive blood work, and I was admitted to the hospital for an overnight stay. Over the course of 24 hours they would draw two vials of blood every 20 minutes. Needless to say I was none-to-thrilled with the concept, but then I found out they had an Atari (with Pitfall!) in the children's wing and decided maybe it wouldn't be so bad.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003ESide note: Pitfall was a game where you had 20 minutes to explore a jungle in search of ancient treasures. You never got to the good treasures until about 18 minutes in, and it took me about 3 minutes to get from the place where they took my blood to the Atari, and 3 minutes to get back. I was one frustrated, low on blood, short nerd.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBy night time they had started tying my arm up like a heroine addict, and were alternating arms just to get blood. I believe this is as close in my life as I've ever been to being drunk, and I spent most of the night half asleep, and completely out of it.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI woke up midway through the evening needing to use the restroom. They had told me that if I needed to get up I should call someone, but aside from a slight headache, I felt okay. And then I stood up.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe room started to blur, and the floor started tilting left and right. \"No problem, just follow the wall\" I thought as I leaned against it. I made it safely to the bathroom and went about my business. I was a smart kid, but in my drunken stupor it never occurred to me that sitting down might be the best way to tackle the problem presented to me. The problem being that there appeared to be either 2 or 4 toilets that also seemed to be moving.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EA few minutes later I stumbled out, and as I headed for my bed, fell flat on my face.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESome time later I awoke, now even more out of it. My mother was at the foot of the bed talking to the nurse. Apparently the night shift of nurses was different, and the one that I was familiar with had been gone for a while.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"... he's in the 4th grade...\" I pieced my mom's words together, \"very smart... goes to school at...\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Oh... odd coincidence... daughter... Robin... goes there too.\" the nurse responded.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI strained to concentrate and focus on this new nurse. Eventually after much effort the name tag came in to focus, \"Nurse Meyers\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn my 4th grade mind she ran home immediately and told her daughter, \"One of your school mates was in today... Yeah, the one who can't seem to grow. Well, he peed all over the place and guess who had to clean it up?\""},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/5735646503817292851\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/10\/and-now-for-something-truly.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/5735646503817292851"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/5735646503817292851"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2008\/10\/and-now-for-something-truly.html","title":"And now for something truly embarrassing"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-381678175980672055"},"published":{"$t":"2007-10-01T22:23:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2007-10-03T17:04:10.675-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Rachel"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ruth"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Top 5"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The Swan Song"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Over the past couple of months, I've gone through the gamut of emotions. Ruthie's boyfriend had moved to Ohio for medical school, and I knew it was but a short time until she followed.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAt first I tried to make sure she knew what she'd be giving up here by keeping her entertained and laughing. It's not in my nature to \"convince\" someone to do something. I generally think people should make decisions on their own, but in this instance I wanted to make sure that I wouldn't regret not having tried.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EEventually I realized the efforts were fruitless and sat, watching the grains of sand fall slowly, like a patient who just received a bad diagnosis and no longer wants to fight. I tried to push her away, and retreat to my condo, but that plan didn't work so well either.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHad I written this entry two weeks ago, you may have gotten more of the latter emotion, but luckily, fear of reader(Read: Rose) backlash, and a little time led instead to this entry. As I sit here on the eve of Ruth's departure I turn instead to the silver lining of the dark cloud that hovers over our collective condo.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe past year has in fact been great. I've had fun. I've learned a lot. I've \u003Cem\u003Egrown\u003C\/em\u003E(Emotionally speaking. Despite what that email in my spam box said, the pills and the contraption didn't work at all). But, with all this said, what are some of the things to look forward to with them being gone?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. More normal looking people - Since I've met the twins there's been a veritable parade of good looking people(Both male and female) marching through 11-G\/L, and quite frankly I'm tired of always being the goofiest looking person in the room. Day 1 after they move out I'm asking a few friends over and having an \"Average Looking Person\" party. Most of you know who you are. If you're a 6 or less, start checking the mail box for an invite.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E2. Less confusion - Most people who meet the twins can't tell them apart. I believe I suffered from this affliction for less than two days, but for many it lasts much much longer. Not only is it frustrating when they're around, but also later when I'm talking about them. Many is the time I've been mid-awesome story and been interrupted with, \"Wait, Rachel was which one again?\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E3. Long distance pen pals - Anyone who's read this blog and met me in real life will vouch for the fact that I'm much more amusing when put in to digital format. It's hard to believe given the crappy jokes I've used lately(See bullet #1), but it's true. For that reason, the Jesse that Ruthie knows is about to get a whole lot funnier.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E4. Less lame guys\/My guitar is finally mine - \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/02\/my-piano-okay-my-guitar-maybe-my-flute.html\"\u003ENo explanation needed\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E5. New neighbors - Sure, I totally dig my neighbors and can't imagine anyone being better, but before they moved in, I couldn't imagine anyone as great as them, so that proves that my imagination sucks.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAny good poker player knows what beats a pair of aces, and that's three of a kind. Sure, the chances of amazing triplets moving in next door are really slim, but someone has to move in there, and if I've learned anything from the great philosopher\/truth teller Kenny Rogers it's that you've gotta know when to take a new hand. Well, that and that just because it's fast food doesn't mean chicken can't still be delicious.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOkay, the original intent was for this to be 10 reasons, but I think I ran out of things to write. Quite frankly it's tough to find my silver lining. The two girls are an absolute pain in the ass, but for the past year they've been \u003Cem\u003Emy \u003C\/em\u003Epain in the ass, and I've enjoyed every minute of it."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/381678175980672055\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/09\/swan-song.html#comment-form","title":"4 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/381678175980672055"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/381678175980672055"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/09\/swan-song.html","title":"The Swan Song"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"4"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-8072077010335975316"},"published":{"$t":"2007-09-16T12:21:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2007-09-17T14:29:29.431-07:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"AMF YO-YO"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"I've been at this blog thing for a bit now(100 posts to be exact), and while I've enjoyed the creative outlet, lately it's become more of something I feel like I need to do rather than something I want to do.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis phenomenon can most likely be attributed to the fact that I haven't had a lot of stories to tell, but such is life.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWith that said, the goal for \u003Cem\u003ESesquipedalis: Year Two\u003C\/em\u003E is to focus more on the quality, and less on the quantity. I'll be taking a break for a bit, but fret not. As luck would have it, two of the funniest people know in the world(That's right, with Adam moving to Germany we're international!) have decided to take to the blogging and put me to shame.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. Adam - Adam was my neighbor from age 15 on(I have good luck with neighbors apparently), but he recently relocated to Germany. He claims the move was due to a female relationship, but we all know it was really because of his love of David Hasslehoff and desire to be with like minded people.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EYou can find Adam's blog on the side panel of mine, or here:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/theadhocproject.blogspot.com\/\"\u003Ehttp:\/\/theadhocproject.blogspot.com\/\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E2. Rose - Rose is basically what I'd be like if I was a girl, prettier, constantly cranky, and slightly funnier... Oh yeah, and if I was a better writer. While she doesn't have the crazy stories of lesbians, twins, and other such nonsense(I mean does anything really happen in Iowa?), she's much better at making funny out of nothing.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EYou can find Rose's blog, which is slightly inferior to my blog, here:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/thisblogisbetterthanyourblog.blogspot.com\/\"\u003Ehttp:\/\/thisblogisbetterthanyourblog.blogspot.com\/\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI've got a few stories left in the works, and a few loose ends to wrap up here, but I'm not sure when I'll get around to them. Maybe soon, maybe never, but until such time, keep faith alive, you are somebody."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/8072077010335975316\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/09\/amf-yo-yo.html#comment-form","title":"3 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/8072077010335975316"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/8072077010335975316"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/09\/amf-yo-yo.html","title":"AMF YO-YO"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"3"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-7507359918078638047"},"published":{"$t":"2007-09-12T10:45:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2007-12-18T00:45:31.848-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Allen"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Kendall"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Laura"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Maya"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Rachel"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ruth"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Sean N"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Todd"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Year In Review"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The Sesquipedalis Year in Review: Superlatives"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size:130%;\"\u003EBest Joke:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThere are many to choose from, but for some reason this one really stuck with me.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAbout a month or so ago, Ruth, Allen, Kendall and I took a walk down to Genny's for some late night snacking. If you're not familiar with Arizona, Genny's is the \"Gay Denny's\".\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAt any rate, while discussing funerals Kendall announced, \"When I die I want someone to sing \u003Cem\u003EDon't Stop Believing\u003C\/em\u003E by Journey at my funeral.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"That's a good one.\" I said, \"Journey is one of my favorite bands\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Except I want an Asian person to sing it\" she finished the joke.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt took a few moments for it to sink in, but once it did I couldn't stop laughing. (If it hasn't clicked for you yet, just let it percolate for a bit)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHonorable Mention: \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/06\/mom-makes-funny.html\"\u003EMom\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size:130%;\"\u003EBest Pretend Girlfriend Date\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELaura recently let me come to her house and she painted while I blogged. I was hopeful that her artistic chi would rub off on me and some how result in a better blog. I, much like Britney when she said yes to the VMA's, was sadly mistaken.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHonorable Mention: Maya for \"Sewage Waterfall and Chinese food - A Winning Combination\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size:130%;\"\u003EBest New, \"You know how I know Jesse's Gay?\" fact\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWell, you could easily write a novel for this one, but the winner is, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.myspace.com\/aqualung\"\u003EAqualung\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHonorable Mention: After hearing recently that our offices might get moved(Separated), Sean told me, \"I can't quit you\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESecond Honorable Mention: Anything involving Geremy\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThird Honorable Mention: Anything involving Ben\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size:130%;\"\u003EBest Sandwich\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EJesse Sandwich. As created by Ruth and Rachel(Yeah baby!)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size:130%;\"\u003EBest Wall Art\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETwins and Dolphin\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca title=\"Photo Sharing\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/312936055\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"400\" alt=\"IMAGE_00003\" src=\"http:\/\/farm1.static.flickr.com\/121\/312936055_71ed6a023a.jpg\" width=\"500\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHonorable Mention: \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/blarrg.com\/2007\/05\/21\/liang-shot\/\"\u003ELiang Shot\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size:130%;\"\u003EBest Blog Post\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI don't know, probably something Stefi wrote, but for the sake of self promotion, I'm going to say the on that cracks me up the most looking back is \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2006\/10\/i-think-im-in-love.html\"\u003EI Think I'm in Love\u003C\/a\u003E\" mostly because I wrote it and then really was more or less in love. I'm usually not quite so prophetic with the positive stuff.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size:130%;\"\u003EMost Embarrassing Moment\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMany of my \"embarrassing\" moments really aren't that bad, but the one that really did hit home was the infamous \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/01\/lessons-in-personal-contact.html\"\u003Ehand shake\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size:130%;\"\u003EMost Recent Blog Entry that I \"Phoned In\"\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis one."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/7507359918078638047\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/08\/sesquipedalis-year-in-review.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/7507359918078638047"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/7507359918078638047"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/08\/sesquipedalis-year-in-review.html","title":"The Sesquipedalis Year in Review: Superlatives"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/farm1.static.flickr.com\/121\/312936055_71ed6a023a_t.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-127242173712314305"},"published":{"$t":"2007-09-05T19:23:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2007-11-07T14:34:52.898-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Laura"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Top 5"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Year In Review"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The Sesquipedalis Year in Review: Top 5 Stories You Never ReadStory 5: Laura's Art Show"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"One might assume from the writings in my blog that many of my friends, like myself, are uncultured and untalented. In this particular case, One would be very wrong. Despite the fact that my talents are limited to video game mastery and crappy puns, many of my friends have \u003Cem\u003Eactual artistic ability.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI've known Laura so long that I can't exactly remember how we met. I do remember a particular event that seemed to set off the friendship, but that's a story for another time.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI was quite happy earlier this year when she informed me that she'd be having a showing at her house and I was invited. Laura has been a artist\/painter(As opposed to house painter) forever, but seems to have dedicated herself to it more in the past few years, and after what seemed like an eternity of her saying, \"I'm not ready yet\", it was nice to finally hear her say, \"I'm ready\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI invited Ruth and Rachel to go with me since I know as much about art as I do women, and having someone there to keep me in line seemed like a good call. They agreed, but Ruth ended up being out of town so Rachel ended up being my keeper for the evening.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe night went well, and I was both impressed and proud of the body of work that Laura had created. You can view her work at her website, but here's one of my personal favorites(Even though it seems to bother Laura that \"Everyone likes that one\"):\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca title=\"Laura Rocks\" href=\"http:\/\/www.lauramariestudios.com\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"195\" alt=\"Laura Rocks\" src=\"http:\/\/lauramariestudios.com\/images\/Asylum.gif\" width=\"600\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.lauramariestudios.com\/\"\u003Ehttp:\/\/www.lauramariestudios.com\/\u003C\/a\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/127242173712314305\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/09\/sesquipedalis-year-in-review-top-5.html#comment-form","title":"4 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/127242173712314305"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/127242173712314305"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/09\/sesquipedalis-year-in-review-top-5.html","title":"The Sesquipedalis Year in Review: \u003Cbr\u003ETop 5 Stories You Never Read\u003Cbr\u003EStory 5: Laura's Art Show"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"4"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-5285589539999335086"},"published":{"$t":"2007-08-27T10:46:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2007-09-04T14:22:08.940-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Rachel"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ruth"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Top 5"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Year In Review"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The Sesquipedalis Year in Review: Top 5 Stories You Never ReadStory 4: Twin Parties"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"While Ruth and Rachel had a lot of get togethers and parties over the past year there were two of considerable note.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe first party was the annual LRLR New Year's celebration extravaganza. The twins have a tradition that they have kept since they were in fourth grade of getting together with their two best friends, Lauren and Leyda(The love of my life), and spending New Year's Eve together. Although the four have gone their separate ways and now live all cross the country, they still manage to reassemble once a year like the Super Friends or the Avengers.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI'd like, in vast detail, to describe this celebration to you, but unfortunately this estrogen based Voltron is \"no boys allowed\". I will however, to the best of my abilities, describe the few details I was able to glean as the the pre-party was at the Twin's house, which means the pre-party was at my house.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EQuote of the evening:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERachel has a tendency to joke, so I have no idea if the following was a true statement, or an attempt to give me a heart attack. We were at Target shopping for party supplies. Rachel wanted to get silly string while Ruth and Leyda were against the idea. I decided to try to help Ruth and Leyda out before quickly realizing(As often happens with Rachel) that I had bitten off more than I could chew.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Yeah, you don't want that stuff, it's a mess.\" I said, \"Besides, it'll get all in your clothes and be sticky\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Oh, we're normally all naked by that time anyhow\" she said as she grabbed the can out of my hand and walked away.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E30 minutes later I had scraped my jaw off the ground and returned home where Rachel was busy making a balloon\/float\/drop type apparatus and the other girls were cutting confetti.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOther important details(\u003Cspan style=\"font-size:78%;\"\u003ENow with pictures!\u003C\/span\u003E):\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. At one point in the night they decided to attempt a dance they had choreographed in their youth. (\u003Cspan style=\"font-size:78%;\"\u003ENot Pictured\u003C\/span\u003E)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E2. I was asked to take pictures to commemorate the occasion.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca title=\"Photo Sharing\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/341250576\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"375\" alt=\"DSC01033\" src=\"http:\/\/farm1.static.flickr.com\/129\/341250576_f3fdd2ddb5.jpg\" width=\"500\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E3. I got out my extensive hat collection to help with the photographs.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca title=\"Photo Sharing\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/341245307\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"375\" alt=\"DSC01023\" src=\"http:\/\/farm1.static.flickr.com\/162\/341245307_d34c87ae8b.jpg\" width=\"500\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E4. Rachel does a good impersonation of a ninja.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca title=\"Photo Sharing\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/341242284\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"375\" alt=\"DSC01018\" src=\"http:\/\/farm1.static.flickr.com\/132\/341242284_248af03320.jpg\" width=\"500\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E5. Ruth tried to steal my camera to take pictures of me\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca title=\"Photo Sharing\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/341246150\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"375\" alt=\"DSC01024\" src=\"http:\/\/farm1.static.flickr.com\/144\/341246150_6008f8a292.jpg\" width=\"500\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E6. But I punched her\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca title=\"Photo Sharing\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/341247009\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"375\" alt=\"DSC01028\" src=\"http:\/\/farm1.static.flickr.com\/157\/341247009_9fd8350726.jpg\" width=\"500\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E7. Eventually we made up.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca title=\"Photo Sharing\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/341248364\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"375\" alt=\"DSC01030\" src=\"http:\/\/farm1.static.flickr.com\/134\/341248364_87eed346c3.jpg\" width=\"500\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E8. It's quite possible I should spend the rest of my life trying to convince Leyda to marry me, but true to form, I think I freaked her out.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca title=\"Photo Sharing\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/341243758\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"375\" alt=\"DSC01020\" src=\"http:\/\/farm1.static.flickr.com\/141\/341243758_2dcff5e7c3.jpg\" width=\"500\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe second \"Twin Party\" this year was my birthday. The girls took it upon themselves to throw me a bash of epic proportions. Truth be told, had I been given a choice I probably would have asked for a quiet evening alone since I don't enjoy being the center of attention. Although to stick with the theme of truthfulness, I'm sure that it's impossible for anyone to be in the same room as those two and be the center of attention. At any rate, I ended up quite pleased with it, and I'm sure it's a birthday I'll never forget.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca title=\"Photo Sharing\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/382307445\/\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"375\" alt=\"DSC01047\" src=\"http:\/\/farm1.static.flickr.com\/152\/382307445_2a86625ae2.jpg\" width=\"500\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size:78%;\"\u003EErik trying to steal my neighbors\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/5285589539999335086\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/08\/sesquipedalis-year-in-review-top-5_27.html#comment-form","title":"4 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/5285589539999335086"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/5285589539999335086"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/08\/sesquipedalis-year-in-review-top-5_27.html","title":"The Sesquipedalis Year in Review: \u003Cbr\u003ETop 5 Stories You Never Read\u003Cbr\u003EStory 4: Twin Parties"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/farm1.static.flickr.com\/129\/341250576_f3fdd2ddb5_t.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"4"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-1839497550886958417"},"published":{"$t":"2007-08-24T22:42:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2007-08-24T15:42:26.894-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Maya"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Top 5"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Year In Review"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The Sesquipedalis Year in Review: Top 5 Stories You Never ReadStory 3: Awake and Alert"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"I pretty much lost my \"edge\" about 4 or 5 years ago. I remember being at a concert and looking out across all the emo kids in the crowd and thinking, much like gym class in high school, \"I don't belong here\".\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI immediately took off my black T-Shirt, got a hair cut, turned my hat around forwards, and went and bought every album by Kenny G. With a signed contract from \"The Man\" in my pocket, I more or less gave up on live music unless it was main stream, or live music recorded on a CD.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt took a bit of convincing, but I finally made it to one of Maya's band's shows. Luckily her audience is more of the happy teenage kids than the emo \"my mom just doesn't get me\" variety that I rolled with as a kid. They're the type that wouldn't judge me on my polo shirt and slacks.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI've now seen Awake and Alert a handful of times, and am pleased to report that they're not bad. The best show featured Maya doing a few solo acoustic songs beforehand. I'm not sure if she'll be doing it again, so if you missed it, too bad sucker.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESo anyhow, as much as I hate plugging music, check them out on myspace and do Maya a solid and pick up the album when it comes out in Sept.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.myspace.com\/awakeandalert\"\u003Ehttp:\/\/www.myspace.com\/awakeandalert\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size:85%;\"\u003EYeah yeah, I lied. I've never worn a polo shirt in my life.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/1839497550886958417\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/08\/sesquipedalis-year-in-review-top-5_22.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/1839497550886958417"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/1839497550886958417"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/08\/sesquipedalis-year-in-review-top-5_22.html","title":"The Sesquipedalis Year in Review: \u003Cbr\u003ETop 5 Stories You Never Read\u003Cbr\u003EStory 3: Awake and Alert"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-4022681003259804657"},"published":{"$t":"2007-08-19T20:23:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2007-09-05T20:41:41.177-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Top 5"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Year In Review"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The Sesquipedalis Year in Review: Top 5 Stories You Never ReadStory 2: James Gets Married"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"When I was in second grade I was on a soccer team. I don't remember much about the soccer team. We had blue uniforms, and didn't win a lot. I played defense, and our goalie was a kid who slightly resembled Luke Skywalker, and probably for that reason, I thought he was a cool guy.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs luck would have it James and I sat next to each other the following year at school, and he spent his afternoons with his Aunt Linda who lived about 10 houses down from me. It wasn't long before we were \"Jesse James\", a joke that every adult thought they were the first to make, and we were forced to laugh at.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBy the time eighth grade rolled around, we had done everything together. We were the two stereotypical nerds from every teen movie you've ever seen(See Superbad). We graduated junior high, and one day while outside riding our bikes or throwing ball or whatever James told me he was moving to Tennessee.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/337870515\/\" title=\"Photo Sharing\"\u003E\u003Cimg src=\"http:\/\/farm1.static.flickr.com\/164\/337870515_3f4d20a71e.jpg\" width=\"313\" height=\"500\" alt=\"scan0004\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size:78%;\"\u003EJames and Jesse at 8th grade graduation. Oddly enough, both single at the time\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETime passed, and like many do, we lost touch. I eventually found him by use of the Internet a few years later in college. We'd hang out when he came back through town, and though we hadn't seen each other for many years, it was like nothing had changed. He went on to medical school and is now a doctor.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI was slightly surprised when he called a few months back to ask me to be in his wedding, both by the fact that someone had agreed to marry him, and by the fact that he had asked me to be in it. It wasn't that I didn't still consider him a good friend, but a long time had passed since we were major components of each other's lives. Besides, I assumed the possibility of me embarrassing him weighed heavily on his decision.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI of course agreed. If Wedding Crasher's taught me anything it's that Weddings are the place to be. The date was set(7-7-7). I of course was late making my plans. After my dad's health issues I considered not going, but he seemed okay, and I was soon on my way to Jackson, MS.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EJames is simultaneously the most over prepared and most nervous person on the planet, which made for a fair amount of harassment from me, and his best man David(Jesse 2.0). Everything seemed to be going according to plan until about an hour before the wedding when James's face froze up in that \"OH SHIT\" kind of look that you don't want to see out of someone who's a doctor. His face didn't relax, and no sound came out. Eventually David pieced it together.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/803334525\/\" title=\"Photo Sharing\"\u003E\u003Cimg src=\"http:\/\/farm2.static.flickr.com\/1359\/803334525_a5207c9f0e.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" alt=\"124708330503_0_BG\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size:78%;\"\u003EJesse, James, David, David, Katie - Groom + 4 Groom's Persons\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\"You forgot the rings\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EJames nodded the affirmative, and to live up to his best man title, David quickly headed back to the hotel while I tried my best to lighten the mood.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/911880217\/\" title=\"Photo Sharing\"\u003E\u003Cimg src=\"http:\/\/farm2.static.flickr.com\/1218\/911880217_e039c01fe6.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"337\" alt=\"Wedding Group 9 (2)\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size:78%;\"\u003EBasically how I'll look on my wedding day in case any of the ladies were wondering\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003EIn the end James and Amanda had a storybook wedding, and I'm sure the marriage will be nothing less. It's interesting to see my childhood chum all grown up, but to be honest in 15 years he hasn't changed much really, and that's a good thing.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jessebearden\/912137939\/\" title=\"Photo Sharing\"\u003E\u003Cimg src=\"http:\/\/farm2.static.flickr.com\/1083\/912137939_1e0a2b3481.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" alt=\"Wedding 073 Toast\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp align=\"center\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size:78%;\"\u003EJames and Amanda. I think he likes to keep short people around. It's good for the self image\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/4022681003259804657\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/08\/sesquipedalis-year-in-review-top-5_17.html#comment-form","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/4022681003259804657"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/4022681003259804657"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/08\/sesquipedalis-year-in-review-top-5_17.html","title":"The Sesquipedalis Year in Review: \u003Cbr\u003ETop 5 Stories You Never Read\u003Cbr\u003EStory 2: James Gets Married"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/farm1.static.flickr.com\/164\/337870515_3f4d20a71e_t.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35407821.post-4550526496008490762"},"published":{"$t":"2007-08-17T09:58:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2007-08-17T10:22:22.251-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ana"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Top 5"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Year In Review"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The Sesquipedalis Year in Review: Top 5 Stories You Never ReadStory 1: A date with Milka"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cem\u003EWow, that has to be the longest title ever. I originally wanted to do an entry containing 5 smaller stories that I never wrote since they would have ended up being rather short. But I'm always told that I write too much anyhow, and the network has been on my ass about lack of content lately, so I guess I'll split them up. \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"No, I'm just really tired and don't want to go out tonight\" the little voice on the other end of the line said.  Ana had been pulling away for months, so I really expected nothing less from the phone call, but I had to try.  \"Oh, my sister says hi.  She'd probably want to go do something\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Yeah?  Alright, ask her if she wants to go get gelato.\" I said half jokingly. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\"She said okay\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"I'll be there in 30 minutes\" I said with an uncharacteristic spontaneity and quickly hung up the phone.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI had known Ana's sister Milka for a few years and always gotten along well with her.  In some ways she was the \"Jesse\" of their family.  She was the responsible one, the one who took care of herself.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe date went well.  We spent the majority of the night talking about Ana and being silly.  She told me that I should make up an extravagant story for my blog where her and I end up making out on my couch or some other such nonsense just to see how Ana would react, but I just didn't have it in me."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/feeds\/4550526496008490762\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/08\/sesquipedalis-year-in-review-top-5.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/4550526496008490762"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/35407821\/posts\/default\/4550526496008490762"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/sesquipedalis.blogspot.com\/2007\/08\/sesquipedalis-year-in-review-top-5.html","title":"The Sesquipedalis Year in Review: \u003Cbr\u003ETop 5 Stories You Never Read\u003Cbr\u003EStory 1: A date with Milka"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jesse"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04381457446900279511"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nVWCCvGNWQI\/T1bZC2CS4RI\/AAAAAAAAA4I\/KU6RcONJCVE\/s220\/222535_10150257085995873_587225872_8984115_8352164_n.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}}]}});