1. Copy the following list into your livejournal.
2. Bold the movies you’ve seen.
3. Add five more movies that you’ve seen to the bottom of the list.
4. Pass it on.

1. X-Men
2. The Craft
3. X2
4. Swimfan
5. Fellowship of the Ring
6. Finding Nemo
7. Peter Pan (Disney version)
8. Home Alone
9. Aladdin
10. The Ring
11. 10 Things I Hate About You
12. Not Another Teen Movie
13. Spice World
14. 8 Mile
15. Bambi
16. Pirates of the Caribbean
17. Edward Scissorhands
18. Stepmom
19. My Best Friend’s Wedding
20. 101 Dalmatians
21. Scream
22. Scream 2
23. Scream 3
24. Big Daddy
25. Billy Madison
26. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s / Sorcerer’s Stone
27. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
28. Heartbreakers
29. Dumb & Dumber
30. Two Week’s Notice
31. Scary Movie
32. Look Who’s Talking
33. Blade
34. Blade II
35. O
36. Titanic
37. Carrie
38. Carrie 2: The Rage
39. Daddy Day Care
40. Legally Blonde
41. Austin Powers
42. Storm of the Century
43. Oliver and Company
44. The Two Towers
45. Return of the King
46. Mighty Ducks
47. Fast and the Furious
48. 2 Fast, 2 Furious
49. A Walk To Remember
50. XXX
51. Beauty and the Beast
52. I Know What You Did Last Summer
53. I Still Know What You Did Last Summer
54. The Sound of Music
55. Mary Poppins
56. Tuck Everlasting
57. The Patriot
58. The Wizard of Oz
59. Teaching Mrs Tingle
60. Crossroads
61. Now and Then
62. Pearl Harbor
63. Just Married
64. Cast Away
65. Radio Flyer
66. Final Destination
67. Lady and the Tramp
68. Shallow Hal
69. 40 Days and 40 Nights
70. Bring It On
71. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
72. The Outsiders
73. The Matrix
74. The Perfect Storm
75. Cruel Intentions
76. Never Been Kissed
77. Clueless
78. Bruce Almighty
79. Remember the Titans
81. Girl, Interrupted
82. SWAT
83. Sixth Sense
84. Phone Booth
85. The Lion King
86. Urban Legends
87. The Night Flyer
88. The Lion King 2
89. Little Mermaid
90. American Pie
91. Center Stage
92. Scooby Doo
93. Bedazzled
94. Mrs. Doubtfire
95. Save the Last Dance
96. My Girl
97. American Beauty
98. Romeo & Juliet
99. Lost World
100. Casper
101. Miss Congeniality
102. The Rock
103. Face/Off
104. Moulin Rouge
105. Sleeping Beauty
106. Alien
107. Tombstone
108. Lake Placid
109. The Recruit
110. The Shining
111. Pocahontas
112. Win a Date with Tad Hamilton
113. Koyaanisqatsi
114. Mononoke Hime
115. Braveheart
116. Gone With the Wind
117. She’s All That
118. Heavy Metal
119. The Adventures of Remo Williams
120. Fried Green Tomatoes
121. Steel Magnolias
122. Fight Club
123. Star Wars
124. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
125. Small Soldiers
126. Clerks
127. Magnolia
128. Wild Things
129. The Nightmare Before Christmas
130. What Dreams May Come
131. Fierce Creatures
132. Frequency
133. The Others
134. O Brother, Where Art Thou?
135. Along Came A Spider
136. Annie
137. Eyes Wide Shut
138. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
139. Practical Magic
140. Down With Love
141. The Fifth Element
142. Donnie Darko
143. Majou no Takyuubin
144. Big Fish
145. Chasing Amy
146. Unbearable Lightness of Being
147. The Parent Trap
148. Great Expectations
149. Bridges of Madison County
150. I am Sam
151. Life as a House
152. Prince of Tides
153. Kill Bill Vol. 1
154. Bowling For Columbine
155. Elf
156. Spun
157. Weekend at Bernie’s
158. The House of Mirth
159. The Rose
160. Chocolat
161. Requiem for a Dream
162. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
163. Mask
164. Gia
165. Secretary
166. The Big Lebowski
167. Rushmore
168. Return to Me
169. Muppets Take Manhattan
170. The X-Files: Fight The Future
171. Moonstruck
172. Happy Gilmore
173. Mona Lisa Smile
174. Bad Boys
175. Bad Boys 2
176. The Delta Force
177. A League of Their Own
178. Murder by Death
179. The Hot Chick
180. Shrek
181. Groundhog Day
182. Liar Liar
183. House of Sand & Fog
184. Adventures in Babysitting
185. Monty Python & the Holy Grail
186. Hedwig & the Angry Inch
187. As Good As It Gets
188. Murder By Numbers
189. The Unsaid
190. 12 Monkeys
191. Igby Goes Down
192. The Mummy
193. The New Guy
194. Girl
195. And Starring Pancho Villa As Himself
196. Valentine
197. Wag the Dog
198. Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi
199. Almost Famous
200. The Royal Tenenbaums
201. Citizen Kane
202. Lost In Translation
203. Sid and Nancy
204. Empire Records
205. Suspiria
206. Niagara Niagara
207. Sweethearts (w/ Janeane Garofalo)
208. Dead Man Walking
209. My Dog Skip
210. American History X
211. The Minority Report
212. Spaceballs
213. The Last of the Mohicans
214. The Mists of Avalon (TV version)
215. The Horseman on the Roof (French version)
216. The Birdcage (with Robin Williams and Nathan Lane)
217. Peter Pan (2003)
218. Frailty
219. Men of Honor
220. Meet the Parents
221. Bend It Like Beckham
222. Speed
223. The Count of Monte Cristo (1934)
224. Highlander
225. Die Hard
226. The Goonies
227. The Last Unicorn
228. Monsters, Inc.
229. Muriel’s Wedding
230. Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure
231. Cold Mountain
232. Battle Royale
233. Tampopo
234. A Face In the Crowd
235. Tigerland
235. Road Trip
236. Better than Chocolate
237. Y tu mama tambien
238. Vertigo
239. Ordinary People
240. Plata Quemada
241. Dil Se
242. Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
243. Man with a Movie Camera (1929)
244. Some Like It Hot
245. Andrei Rublev
246. A Matter of Life and Death
247. Metropolis
248. Dawn of the Dead
249. Ed Wood
250. My Beautiful Laundrette
251. The Killer
252. The Princess Bride
253. Gallipoli
254. Black Hawk Down
255. Aliens
256. Breakfast At Tiffany’s
257. Pitch Black
258. Casablanca
259. My Fair Lady
260. Monster’s Ball
261. Death Becomes Her
262. Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
263. What Lies Beneath
264. Boondock Saints
265. Velvet Goldmine
266. Elizabeth
267. Anne of the Thousand Days
268. Doctor Zhivago
269. Chicago
270. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
275. Whale Rider
276. Victor/Victoria
277. Sense and Sensibility
278. Freaky Friday (old version)
279. Love Actually
280. The Philadelphia Story
281. Roman Holiday
282. What a Girl Wants
283. Zoolander
284. The Count of Monte Cristo
285. Amelie
286. Dave
287. Brother Bear
288. A Wrinkle In Time
289. Rabbit Proof Fence
290. Bram Stoker’s Dracula
291. Benny and Joon
292. October Sky
293. Mulan
294. Singing in the Rain
295. The Ninth Gate
296. Legend of the Blue Dragon
297. Robin Hood: Men in Tights
298. Resident Evil
299. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
300. Playing Mona Lisa
301. The Man from Snowy River
302. Ladyhawke
303. Camelot
304. Catch Me if You Can
305. Holes
306. The Matrix Reloaded
307. Cookie’s Fortune
308. Crazy In Alabama
309. From Hell
310. The Ghost And The Darkness
311. La Vita e Bella /Life Is Beautiful
312. Triumph of the Will
313. Escape From Sobibor
314. Enemy at the Gates
315. Shining Through
316. Inventing the Abbotts
317. Bridget Jones’s Diary
318. Whatever It Takes
319. Dogma
320. Mallrats
321. Hamlet (Mel Gibson version)
322. Hamlet (Kenneth Branagh version)
323. Much Ado About Nothing
325. My Big Fat Greek Wedding
326. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
327. Pump Up The Volume
328. Pi
329. The War At Home
330. The Secret Garden
331. Intermission
332. Dead Man
333. Captain Horatio Hornblower (with Gregory Peck)
334. Gangster No. 1
335. Tonari No Totoro (My Neighbor Totoro)
336. The Fox and the Hound
337. The Animatrix
338. Spider-man
339. The Empire Strikes Back
340. Seabiscuit
341. Philadelphia
342. To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything! Julie Newmar
343. The Adventures Of Priscilla; Queen Of The Desert
344. The Witches Of Eastwick
345. The Rocky Horror Picture Show
346. How to Deal
347. The Day the Earth Stood Still
348. Little Shop of Horrors
349. Freddy VS. Jason
350. Enemy Mine
351. Billy Elliot
352. Hunchback of Notre Dame
353. Return of the Jedi
354. Saving Private Ryan
355. The Emperor’s New Groove
356. Dreamcatcher
357. Con Air
358. The Neverending Story
359. Legend
360. The Abyss
361. Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life
362. This is Spinal Tap
363. The Shawshank Redemption
364. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
365. The Seven Year Itch
366. The Incredible Mr. Limpet
367. Six String Samurai
368. Tremors
369. Color of Night
370. Prince of the Sun
371. Reality Bites
372. Sweet November
373. Only You
374. You’ve Got Mail
375. Frida
376. Tucker: A Man and His Dream
377. Real Genius
378. Time After Time
379. Teen Witch
380. Electric Dreams
381. The Station Agent
382. Stand and Deliver
383. singles
384. Scotland, PA
385. Diner
386. The Rescuers
387. The Rescuers Down Under
388. Lilo & Stitch
389. The Truman Show
390. L.A. Story
391. Eve’s Bayou
392. Apocalypse Now
393. Love & Basketball
394. No Small Affair
395. Hard-Boiled
396. The Ten Commandments
397. Mahogany
398. The Italian Job
399. Batman & Robin
400. The Blues Brothers
401. Wings of Honneamise: Royal Space Force
402. To Kill A Mockingbird
403. Full Metal Jacket
404. Superman: The Movie
405. The Last Dragon
406. Interview with a Vampire
407. Lola Rennt (Run Lola Run)
408. Hackers
409. Anti-Trust
410. Ronin
411. Army of Darkness
412. Evil Dead
413. Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey
414. Tokyo Godfathers
415. Dark City
416. 12 Angry Men
417. Manos the Hands of Fate
418. Shinichi no Samurai
419. Heathers
420. Forrest Gump
421. A Clockwork Orange
422. Toy Story
423. Hook
424. The Breakfast Club
425. The Silence of the Lambs
426. The Apartment
427. When Harry Met Sallly
428. Stalag 17
429. Destry Rides Again
430. Witness for the Prosecution
431. M
432. Sullivan’s Travels
433. Gilda
434. Yojimbo
435. Charade
436. The Paper
437. Brazil
438. The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
439. The Black Cauldron
440. Memento
441. Tengoku to Jigoku
442. Il Buono, Il Brutto, Il Cattivo (The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly)
443. Cube
444. Patton
445. Stargate

LJ Archive | 3 Comments »

Ganked from on who ganked it from .

http://www.samesexmarriage.ca/equality/biblical_marriage.htm

Very interesting article.

LJ Archive | No Comments »

Now, I don’t want to get off on a rant, here*, but defining marriage is about as necessary as a five-assed monkey. President Bush declared in a sound byte heard on the news every thirty minutes while driving that he will support the legislation on a Constitutional Amendment defining marriage as a union between a single man and a single woman. I’m really glad he took the time to define the single part, because for a minute there I was worried he was about to neglect that serious bigamy problem this country is facing.

All kidding aside, folks, it seems to me that taking the time to defend what has become an idolized institution is not really what we should be focusing on in the political blitzkrieg that is Election ‘04. The national concern over whether or not to allow same-sex marriages is about as crucial to the survival of the United States as hunting down and executing litterbugs on the highway. Instead of trying to marginalize a group of citizens by taking this so-called institution and putting forth a concrete definition as an amendment and thus wasting taxpayer’s time and money toward that end, we could be doing something more important, like tending to the economy or how’s about putting a stop to our boys and girls from being killed over in a country we supposedly beat into submission. I realize that Bush Part Deux is coming under heavy fire right now amidst all the finger-pointing and mud-slinging regarding Desert Shitstorm II, but diving behind the cover of same-sex marriages is going to be about as effective as trying to prevent horny Comdex’ers from bolting across the street to Adult-dex. It just won’t work.

Here in California, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has the right idea; by obeying the California constitution in permitting access to all legal licenses to all citizens regardless of gender, ethnic background, or sexual orientation. Sure, the dumbass residents of this state did pass Proposition 24 a few years back, but to be honest, no one has had the balls to fight it until now. With the Governator supporting the “law” and “instructing” the State Attorney General to enforce the law (to which the Governor can’t even instruct the AG to go to the bathroom), they’re going to take it to the State Supreme Court and determine whether or not the proposition is unconstitutional. What does the Republican fringe choir have to say about that? “You’d better stop them from threatening marriage, or we’ll recall the Attorney General.” Give me a fucking break, you psychotic motherfuckers. I’m confident that our State Supreme Court will have the law in mind when they overturn Prop 24 and send a wake-up call to everyone: Hey, asshole, wake the fuck up. You can’t sing about the land of the free when you enforce your ass backwards single-minded bullshit on the whole state just to make sure your faith in God is secure. As Dennis Miller once said, “You know, God has no place in politics. Quite frankly, if God saw the way some Republicans invoked His name, He’d turn athiest.”

And on the note of the so-called institution of marriage, let me just admit that once, I was in a marriage. It was nice for the first year (maybe), but I wouldn’t say that my entire life is based on it. I got divorced in less than two years, and even then I wouldn’t ever look back and try to defend it. Why should only heterosexuals be tortured by the emotional nightmare that is marriage? Come on, let’s be open-minded and let the dream/nightmare be an equal opportunity! Let me also be blunt about another problem of the whole concept: it was a religious ceremony we brought over from the Old World, and used licenses to regulate it. Then, because we wanted to allow citizens the opportunity to marry without the constraints of religion, we began civil services. So, by that tone, Justices of the Peace were inclined to grant same-sex civil unions. Most people I’ve talked to about this say, “Well, they have civil unions, what more do they want?” How about breaks on things like taxes, car and life insurance, medical coverage an dother health benefits? Don’t you get it, you backwards-minded asshole? Marriage is more than just a piece of paper to some of these couples; it’s an opportunity to partake of those benefits heterosexuals take for granted. What does this mean in the long run? Homosexuals are second-class citizens. If you don’t think that benefits and perqs are a good enough basis for a major gripe, then I’d love for you to go to every union of workers in this country and convince them to give them up… you’re more likely to convince Bush that one presidential term is more than enough. If a heterosexual couple is able to catch a 20% break on anything, then a homosexual couple should reap the same benefits. End, period, paragraph.

As for this Constitutional Amendment, well, the last time we deny rights on an amendment, we gave up liquor en masse. Then once Congress sobered up, they realized what a fucking mistake they made and quickly repealed that thing so they could hit the pub and drown their miserable lives in a bottle of Jack Daniels. If same-sex marriage actually gets a slap down from the Almighty Cocktail Napkin, then don’t be surprised if in a decade or less when Congress is suddenly 51% gay, that we see another amendment getting passed to repeal it. One generation’s fuckup is the next generation’s crusade, it happens all the time in our history.

So let’s not start whipping out the pride parades or the civil rights marches just yet. So far, all I’ve seen is the incoherent mumblings of our Fucktard-in-Chief. I don’t take to heart more than 80% of the bullshit that comes pouring out of his pie-hole, so I’m not going to hold my breath until the states are asked to start ratifying this thing. Until then, write your local member of the Stonecutters to let them know how you feel. After the first 50,000 letters they get, I’m sure they’ll actually start to read them.

Of course, that’s just my opinion. I could be wrong.*

(* with apologies to Dennis Miller)

LJ Archive | No Comments »

I bought my glasses at LensCrafters roughly three years ago. Prior to that, the frames I had lasted for a good eight year before finally succumbing to the constant abuse of being worn all day. Anyway, about a week ago, the right frame arm (the part that goes over your ear) literally snapped off its joint. There’s no screw, it’s just a glued-on hinge! I tried to reglue it on, but no luck. One morning, as I got up to go to the toilet, I looked down and the frame arm fell off my ear and into the toilet… with my morning piss… ew. There are certain things I’ll do and then there’s this. I mean, even if I did fish it out of the bowl, was I going to actually put a piss-soaked frame arm back on my ear?! Fuck, no. Add to that the fact that the nose guards are now gone as of two minutes ago… ugh, what a shitty frame I chose.

Tomorrow, I go to LensCrafters to get better frames. The lenses themselves are pristine, so this should simply be a $60 frame replacement and a 5 minute wait to put the frames in… or not. If they no longer carry the frames, then I’m screwed, because I can’t afford new lenses right now.

LJ Archive | 5 Comments »

I finally opened up my WaMu checking/savings. Very happy. As soon as the 30 day new account period is over, I’ll be closing my Provident accounts out.

LJ Archive | 2 Comments »

It’s like old friends week here at the Cochrane Compound, and I got flagged down by both phone and online from a couple of old friends I hadn’t spoken to in quite some time. emerged from the shadows to say hi and we talked all weekend, while Abbie (my favorite ex-girlfriend) called up and chatted with me for a good two hours. It’s funny, but when friends call you up and ask how you’re doing, and they do it in a way that makes you reply with the same answer, sometimes it just reminds you of what you’re missing in life.

Like a job.
Anyway, nothing really exciting happened last week with the exception of my sister coming to visit me from Wyoming. I haven’t really seen her much since she moved out and we try to stay in touch through the phone or AIM (when she dares to go online). I found out she flew out to see her boyfriend who lives in the Bay Area and was using the travel excuse to also visit. She actually stayed with me here in the apartment for a few days, but she really didn’t spend much time with me so much as she did with others. I think she was pretty much using my place as a crash point, and then on the third day she was in San Jose, she moved on to another friend’s house. I guess my place isn’t really spin and span, so to speak, but it would have been nice to actually sit and talk like we used to. It’s unfortunate that my nephew could not make the trip out with her (he’s got school), because I’m sure he could have done with a prolonged visit with Uncle Cochrane and his Wall of Anime. Oh, well, maybe next time. The real downside was that had the weather been nice, we were to drive up to see my dad up near Reno, but the snowstorm that happened on the day we were to drive up prevented us from doing so. Dad was pretty explicit about us not driving through snow, and knowing especially how little faith he has in my ability to drive from point A to point B through adverse conditions, he made it a super hell no. Isn’t it great when parents display faith in their children? I was looking forward to a week of my dad’s cooking, but I guess that will have to wait until after the snow melts. I think the last time I went up there, it was April and I was certain there was no snow… but I digress.

In other news, tomorrow I’ll be heading over to Washington Mutual to deposit my latest unemployment check in a new checking/savings account. That may require getting up early, but I’m wide awake right now. Bleh.

LJ Archive | No Comments »

Revel in your singleness! Enjoy the alone time! It’s just another day that’s been horribly horribly commericalized and all about the money! A Saturday night isn’t supposed to be wasted catering to the opposite sex, it’s about having a friends’ night out on the town and having fun! Yeah!

On the other hand, and before I get the shit beat out of me by , I guess I should say that Valentine’s Day is really all about what you make of it. Like any other day of the year, it can be an excuse to be romantic (and if you’re a true romantic, you don’t need an excuse) or it’s just another day. With being unemployed, I had to admit to feeling embarrassed when she bought me a gift. She works and I don’t, but that doesn’t really stop her from buying something. Last year, our positions were reversed, so I guess turnabout is fair play. Nonetheless, I appreciated the kisses and the DVD of Lost in Translation. I had wanted to get her something, but it was not meant to happen on the day, it looks like.. though I did get to buy dinner, which is like a consolation… but it did not really matter to her that I was unable to get anything, just like I was not really expecting her to get me anything last year. Maybe next year, we’ll both have jobs and can afford to gift each other.

Anyway, Happy Valentine’s Day to those that care, and Happy Saturday to those that don’t.

LJ Archive | No Comments »

I’ve been a member of the Provident Central Credit Union for ten years. Provident used to be a teachers’-only credit union, and as the son of a teacher, I got a pretty awesome set of accounts with nice interest on them. Amazingly so, this above-average interest on my savings account does not balance out the travesty of customer service I encountered yesterday when I attempted to correct what I thought was an error…

This really all began on January 20th, when my checking account went negative. As with most debit/check-carded accounts, it happens from time to time, no biggie. However, as with most check card accounts, once you’re negative, that’s it. All future transactions will be met with the DECLINED response on the ol’ credit card machine. I’m used to that, and in fact, I’ve come to rely on it over the three years since the check card system began. Imagine my surprise when last week I received a letter from the credit union, stating that not only was I negative, but I was actually $231 in the red with them, and that if I didn’t bring the balance positive, they’d close the account and report me to Chexsystems. Well, I didn’t want that, and in spite of the fact that I did not have the money, I borrowed it from my mother against my unemployment check. On Tuesday, she deposited the amount plus 8 bucks. On Wedesday, I noticed my check card had not been reinstated, so I called them to ask what was up… and they responded with the statement that my check card privileges were permanently revoked based on abuse.

After I picked my jaw off the floor, I asked to speak to a manager, and I got transferred to voicemail. I left a polite message, asking for contact before close of business that day. When the phone rang two hours later, I got a rather rude woman on the other end of the line and she said, “I am returning that call you demanded from me.” So, right away this call was not going to be pleasant. I explained the information I received, and she replied stating that because of the massive abuse on my card, that my check card privileges were suspended until further notice. Well, I happen to rely on my check card for bill payments and the like… so I wanted to know what constituted abuse. She said, “In spite of your account being negative, you continued to charge on the card until the amount was over two hundred dollars.”

I said, “Okay, but my question is, why in hell did you guys continue to allow the charges to go through? And then on top of that, you kept charging me five bucks each time you did it?”

She said, “It’s a courtesy we extend to you. All of the charges were low-dollar amounts.”

I said, “Define low-dollar.”

She said, “Under twenty.”

Now I’m mad. I’m looking at my checking account record for the last 60 days, and I’m counting off a whole mess of charges, “$21.99, $49.99, $24.99… these are not under twenty dollars.”

“No, those aren’t.” Nothing more on that subject. “You have to understand that we extended that courtesy and you took advantage of it.”

“What I don’t understand is why you waited until the balance reached over two hundred dollars before you took action. Why did you let those charges go through?”

“That is how our system is programmed.”

“But you see, you let all of this go through and then piled on the fees on top of it. I’m not questioning the practice, merely trying to see how this can be called abuse when these are all automatic payments and have been for quite a while.”

“Our fees are clearly stated in the use policy.”

“Okay… I know this. I don’t think it’s abuse when you consider that my account was negative to begin with.” She didn’t reply to that, so I asked, “When can I get my card reinstated?”

“Well, that depends…”

“Listen, I’ve been a member in good standing for ten years. This is the first time this account has experienced this kind of activity and I did make good on the balance when I was properly notified. I need a check card to pay my bills.”

“Why don’t you just write checks?”

“Lady, I don’t like writing checks.. if you think /this/ is abuse, watch me write checks.” I happen to have this little problem with check-writing. I have to (read: HAVE TO) know that the money is gone and not in my account. I like static balances, and I hate pending balances with a passion. I don’t know why, but it’s the reason I use the check card. Pay the bill, boom, money gone from the account with a little note. I’m a happy camper.

A snort. “Well, I don’t see how that’s my concern…”

“How soon can I get a check card?”

“Well, first I need to see positive activity on the account…”

“How soon?”

“Ninety days.”

“Oh, that is so unacceptable. I need like five days,” I had a car payment due next Tuesday. This got fixed later, but at the time, it was important.

“After ninety days, we will reevalute your account and determine if we can trust you with a check card.”

“Okay, then I’m going to take my business to another financial institution.”

“You do that.” She hung up on me.

Oh. My. God. Needless to say, I was pissed, but some details had to be taken care of. I was alllll ready to go down to my branch, violently pull my cash from their bank and go shopping for another bank. But, I called Toyota first to let them know I was going to be late, and the guy misunderstood me and asked me when I was getting paid. I had my unemployment check in hand, but I was going to be damned if I was going to give Provident the money to hold onto any longer. The Toyota guy (for the life of me, I can’t remember his name) actually calmed me down when I explained about the bank situation. He suggested I deposit the money in the account, enter in the bank info into the web site and leave the money there for them to get on time. Then empty the account of the other monies I had in cash, and take it to the new bank. While the new bank held me in new account status for however long, I could use the old bank to cash checks and then take the money over to the new bank to deposit in cash. Cash is cash; there’s no hold period on it. If I cashed checks on the new account at the new bank, he said, there’s a 14-60 day hold on the check before I could touch it, depending on the bank I chose. I wouldn’t be able to pay bills, rent, car, nothing… so I did exactly as he suggested, and thanked him. I was already a Toyota fan, but this pretty much clinches it for me. He suggested Washington Mutual, by the way, and two other people I know sing their praises, so I’ll be going to the WaMu branch across the street from Westgate to open an account with the cash I withdrew.

LJ Archive | 11 Comments »

Clark Formally Exits Presidential Race

Wesley Clark’s platform, for the most part, appeared to be pretty alligned to my own. I could appreciate the man’s military experience tempered by a sense of realism. There was no way Clark would change the system completely, but he could put a little perspective that would have been appreciated by both sides. Where does this leave me on the ballot? I would never ever vote for John Kerry, because I think he’s way too middle of the road for my liking. Dean scares the crap out of me with his Quayle-like view at the world, and Edwards I don’t know too much about to say either way. In any case, right now, I’d be pissing my vote away on either a third party or a fictional character. After 2000’s dismal election, I’ve lost my taste for the electoral system.

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Yesterday seemed like it was going to be ominous; the mood going up to San Francisco certainly appeared that way, especially with the intention of confronting someone with a bit of news that was either going to make or break my future with a certain unnamed group. In either case, I would have been fine with leaving or staying under the right circumstances, and it was a case where someone lost their temper, said something that was rather broad, and didn’t realize how many people he was labelling. It was retracted, and we got down to business.

The cool part about the meeting was not the meeting itself, but rather the part that sort of evolved right after. After the meeting was over, we spent a good amount of time just chatting and talking about unrelated matters, and the party up and moved to the old Round Table Pizza on West Portal that we went to every week before last year’s little event. We finally got the free pizza we built up, and the people there remembered us and said we hadn’t been around in a long while… how’s that for scary? Anyway, suffice to say that I figured out that the reason everyone was so uptight and distant was because we lacked that which we had prior to last year’s con: the fun. A bunch of guys and girls getting together just to have fun and celebrate their interests by laughing their pants off. We were laughing so hard at the conversations we were having that it lasted a good five hours after the meeting ended. That’s what I missed from last year, and having encountered it again this year reminds me of why I put up with all the grief and stress to put on a con like JTAF. So, I’m back and in full swing. Ops people, beware.

A quotation from last night’s pizza dinner:

“What do you do with the pineapple? Smack her on the head with it and it makes it taste better?”

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