Merry Christmas

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

ConnectU

So here's another site that's similar to TheFaceBook and Friendster. Supposedly the guy that started TheFaceBook worked for ConnectU before TFB and then started TFB while working for them instead of working on the actual ConnectU site (does that make sense). Anyway I've signed up on there so you should too.

Click here to ConnectU me.

What if...?

Stolen from Katie

If I were a month, I’d be: October
If I were a day of the week I’d be: Saturday
If I were a time of day, I’d be: 8:00 AM
If I were a planet, I’d be: Mars
If I were an animal, I’d be: an eagle
If I were a direction, I’d be: south
If I were a piece of furniture, I’d be: comforable couch
If I were a historical figure, I’d be: Brian Oxford
If I were a liquid, I’d be: water
If I were a tree, I’d be: a variant of oak
If I were a bird, I’d be: an eagle (birds are animals too)
If I were a tool, I’d be: a Maglight
If I were a flower/plant, I’d be: green grass
If I were a kind of weather I'd be: sunny and cool fall day with a slight breeze
If I were a mythical creature, I’d be: beats me
If I were a musical instrument, I’d be: drum
If I were a wild animal, I’d be: dolphin
If I were a color, I’d be: blue
If I were an emotion, I’d be: comfortable
If I were a vegetable, I’d be: carrot
If I were a sound, I’d be: beat boxing
If I were an element, I’d be: carbon
If I were a car, I’d be: a hybrid H1
If I were a song, I’d be: a good one
If I were a movie, I’d be: Rookie of the Year
If I were a book, I’d be: read? what's that? ;)
If I were a food, I’d be: pepperoni pizza
If I were a place, I’d be: a mountain
If I were a material, I’d be: nanotubes
If I were a taste, I’d be: sweet
If I were a scent, I’d be: manly
If I were a word, I’d be: consciencious
If I were a body part, I’d be: legs
If I were a facial expression, I’d be: tongue out with blown up cheeks and ears pulled out
If I were a subject in school, I’d be: social studies
If I were a shape, I’d be a: sphere
If I were a number, I’d be: 3
If I were an article of clothing, I’d be: khaki cargo shorts

What does your name mean?

BRIAN
B	is for	Bold
R	is for	Romantic
I	is for	Irresistible
A	is for	Astounding
N	is for	Neat

What Does Your Name Mean?

Computers

Fixing one's computer is a long and boring task. That's all.

Champs Sports Bowl a.k.a. Tangerine Bowl

It's official, Tech is going to the CSB. It's our first bowl game on the east coast in 3 years and hopefully we'll fill up the Citrus Bowl. So, who wants to go? I'm planning on driving down for the game so that leaves 3 (or 4 if you want to be crowded) seats in the explorer. Let me know.

From what planet are you?

You Are From Saturn

You're steady, organizes, and determined to achieve your dreams. You tend to play it conservative, going by the rules (at least the practical ones). You'll likely reach the top. And when you do, you'll be honorable and responsible. Focus on happiness. Don't let your goals distract you from fun! Don't be too set in your ways, and you'll be more of a success than you ever dreamed of.

What Planet Are You From?

Good Songs

I'm taking a page from Melissa's blogging habits and posting song lyrics.

I'm changing lanes
I'm talking on the phone
I'm drivin' way to fast
And the interstate's jammed with
Gunners like me afraid of coming in last
But somewhere in the race we run
We're coming undone

Days go by
I can feel 'em flying
Like a hand out the window in the wind as the cars go by
It's all we've been given
So you better start livin' right now
'Cause days go by

Out on the roof just the other night
I watched the world flash by
Headlights, taillights running through a river of neon signs
But somewhere in the rush I felt
We're losing ourselves

Days go by
I can feel 'em flying
Like a hand out the window in the wind as the cars go by
It's all we've been given
So you better start livin' right now
'Cause days go by

We think about tomorrow then it slips away
We talk about forever but we've only got today

And the days go by
I can feel 'em flying
Like a hand out the window
As the cars go by

It's all we've been given
So you better start livin'
You better start livin'
Better start livin' right now

Cause days go by
I can feel like 'em flying
Like a hand out the window in the wind as the cars go by

It's all we've been given
So you better start livin' right now

Cause days go by
These days go by

So take 'em by the hand
They're yours and mine
Take 'em by the hand
And live your life
Take 'em by the hand
Don't let 'em all fly by

Come on, Come on now
Don't you know the days go by
- Keith Urban "Days Gone By"

In a little while surely you'll be mine
In a little while I'll be there
In a little while this hurt will hurt no more
I'll be home, love
When the night takes a deep breath and the daylight has no air
If I crawl, if I come crawling home will you be there

In a little while I won't be blown by every breeze
Friday night running to Sunday on my knees
That girl, that girl, she's mine
Well I've known her since
Since she was a little girl with Spanish eyes
When I saw her in a pram they pushed her by
My how you've grown
Well, it's been, it's been a little while

Slow down my beating heart

A man dreams one day to fly
A man takes a rocketship into the skies
He lives on a star that's dying in the night
And follows in the trail, the scatter of light
Turn it on, turn it on, you turn me on

Slow down my beating heart
Slowly, slowly love
Slow down my beating heart
Slowly, slowly love
Slow down my beating heart
Slowly, slowly love
- U2 "In a Little While"

The Explorer

Here are the pictures as I promised of my new-to-me 1995 Explorer XLT 4x4. I have joined the ranks of yuppie SUV drivers.











To see bigger versions click here. Better pics to come eventually.

New States!

Well now have a new to me vehicle, a 1995 Ford Explorer XLT with 4wd! Pictures will be added soon. To get my new Explorer I flew up to my uncle and aunt's in Indianapolis and drove it back through IN, OH, WV, VA, and NC. While I already had been to the Dayton airport I have now officially been in the state. Indiana and West VA are also new states. I really need to head west.



create your own personalized map of the USA
or write about it on the open travel guide

Yes! Wait! Uhh No Uhh Hold on

At this point the winner hasn't yet been decided Bush is up 249 to Kerry's 200. The most entertaining part of this evening of watching CNN is Wolf Blitzer's constant precautionary warnings.

My Blitzer impression:

CNN can authorize a projection wait uhhh uhhh no wait that's just a prediction no wait let me be clear CNN is not calling this state uhh oh oh yeah eehhh nope no prediciton yes finally a projection.

P.S. It sounds better in my head.

Football as Rocket Science

After the 4th quarter debacle last night this is a good article to read about sports and academics at Tech. Props to ESPN, although it exagerates that nobody cares about sports it gets the part right about academics.

Football as Rocket Science

Modern Technology

Isn't modern technology great? I'm sitting at Gate 19 in RDU right now and bit the bullet and bought a connection to the wireless access since my flight is supposedly delayed from 3:33 to at least 5:00 due to the weather in ATL. I could be doing work or reading for clas but no I'm posting on here and surfing the net just to spite my homework and that's on top of skipping my urban design class that is right now.

Up with the White and Gold!

The election

Check out Shaun's blog, he never updates but finally decided to with an entertaining post about the upcoming election.

Shaun's Blog

Lunar Eclipse

Tonight is a lunar eclipse for the "Blood Moon" which causes the moon to turn read. Here's a website with the basics about time, etc... Lunar Eclipse

For you east coasters totality begins at 10:23 pm and ends at 11:45 pm. Enjoy!

Field Trips and Computers

First let me say I was told to update so if this post isn't too interesting you can blame somebody else (SGB).

My week thus far:
Sunday and Monday was church then a bunch of coloring
Tuesday: Construction law paper, field trip to old warehouses and train depots in Hillsborough, and a field trip to Carter-Finley Stadium for construction law.

Now I'm working on trying to get my new external Maxtor hard drive set up so I can back up both my desktop and tablet so I can finally reformat and install SP2.

See my field trip pictures here.

Edited to say I GOT TO WEAR A HARD HAT! One day that probably won't be cool but at this point it is pretty cool. Maybe one day I'll get a hardhat that's like a cowboy hat.

Virginia Tech Game

If any of you WCF people out there reading this out of boredom aren't using your ticket for the game on Thursday night I'd be glad to take it off your hands. However, if you know of a current student that would be a good recipient let him or her have it before me.

Thanks,
Brian

P.S. I'll be in town because of my high school class reunion this weekend. Yes I'm old.

School Work

I'm burned out, and thus I'm taking offers for anyone willing to do my work until the end of the semester. If you do a good job and get me all P's then you might be even allowed to stay on and do the spring work as well! Let me know if you want the job.

Git r done!

Take that Yankees!!! Go Sox!!!

If I didn't have enough reasons to not move to NYC, tonight further backed up my feelings. Here are tonights transgressions:

1. Dumb fans throwing junk on the field and thus requiring police in riot gear to line the sidelines. What's up with that? It's just a game. Lame!

2. A-Rod = cheater. It's a good thing they busted him for that swipe.

3. Add any disparaging comment about New York here.

That's my rant. Go Sox!!!

P.S. Props to the umpire crew. I'm not usually a fan of the umps or refs but they had two difficult calls tonight and both were overruled with the correct call. I'm all for the new umpire conferences.

The World Series

Wouldn't it be interesting if the Red Sox win the ALCS and the Astros win the NLCS? The World Series would be Texas (Bush) vs. Massachusetts (Kerry).

It's Good to be in D.C.

There's a new Jib Jab cartoon out smilar to the "This Land is Your Land" from a couple of months ago. Pretty funny but not as good as the original.

Jib Jab "It's Good to be in D.C."

Enjoy,
Brian

Facebook.com

All you Georgia Tech people out there can now join The Facebook.com (UNC people should have already joined but since I don't have any UNC friends linked to me apparently you haven't). It's similar to friendster but a lot better. Click the "Facebook Me!" link in my links section to see my profile and to join.

Brian Oxford has invited you to join thefacebook.com, where
you and Brian can see each other's friends and many other members
of your college community.

Thefacebook is an online resource that connects you to other people
within your college through courses, organizations, and friends.

Thefacebook is for people who want to see a universal facebook at
their college, and who want to share information with the rest of the
community.

Once you register for Thefacebook, you can browse through everyone's
profiles and even create your own if you'd like.

To register, follow the link below: http://www.thefacebook.com/register.php

Good times!

Further proof that Chapel Hill is a strange place…

On my pedestrian commute to class today as I walked down Franklin Street I saw a lady dressed in shorts with a button up shirt tucked in and wearing a tie. She was standing next to her bike which had panniers and thus drew my attention. She noticed me and the ensuing conversation commenced:

Strange Woman: Can you spell Coca-Cola?

Me: Yeah

Strange Woman: Spell it.

Me: c-o-c-a hyphen c-o-l-a

Strange Woman: Ok, now you can work for them.

Then she walked off.

Amaizing adventures (If you build it they will come)

Yesterday Susanna surprised me with a belated birthday adventure. Arriving at E4 around 9:30 AM with bags in hand she had brought breakfast and other goodies. Our breakfast consisted of awesome blueberry muffins, eggs, Nantucket Nectars OJ, and mixed fruit. She even got me two presents and both were thoughtful and useful. I know am the proud owner of a waterproof electronics pouch and some new fishing lures. After breakfast we watched a Cosby show episode that I recorded. After that it was time for our amaizing adventure.

You might be wondering why I'm spelling amazing "amaizing." No I haven't gone crazy, it's because we went to a corn maze north of Hillsborough. We were going to go last fall but Hurricane Isabel messed up the maze so we decided to finally make the trek over there. When we arrived we saw 12 acres of corn and most of it was taller than me (no cheating allowed). Unfortunately it wasn't really Autumnal weather yesterday so it was kind of humid and warm which made for a sweaty trek through the maze. Upon paying for admission and talking to the owner we were informed of the record time for this season (1 hr 15 mins for those keeping track). Confident in our maze solving and checkpoint finding skills we declared that we'd easily beat that time. Ha ha, what we didn't know was that we aren't too good at human size mazes. Our strategery involved staying together which didn't work too well, splitting up and calling back and forth a la Marco Polo which had some success until we go split up and promptly lost. After much wondering around the maze and wondering were Suze ended up I made may way back to the entrance because I couldn't find the exit and there she was chatting with the McKees. As you probably figured out we didn't succeed in breaking the record and took almost 30 minutes longer and we didn't even find all of the checkpoints.

After filling out our ticket to have a chance to win $100 at the end of teh season we checked out the animals and saw a big honking Rooster, some chickens, goats, ducks, a rabbit, and a donkey. Thanks to modern camera phone technology we shot these pics to make our heads look like corn.



I'm crazy corn head, give me some candy.


After some rope swinging we decided it was time to eat some lunch and Susanna yet again provided food in her real deal picnic basket. We went to downtown Hillsborough and found a picnic table next to the Eno River and the native american interpretive village and had an excellent lunch of pb&j sandwiches, apples, chips, and Coke in glass bottles. After lunch we headed back to Chapel Hill because Susanna had to head back to Raleigh to get ready for work.

Overall an excellent day filled with surprises, adventure, and awesome company.

If you're near Hillsborough, NC check out McKee's Cedar Creek Farm for corn maze fun.

Oh yeah, today I've been lazy.

I am Charlie Brown

You are Charlie Brown!

Which Peanuts Character are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Where have I been?

I know I've done this before but I've been to more states since the last time I did it. According to the map I've visited 16 states or 31% of the country. Looks like I need to go out west sometime soon balance out the map.



create your own personalized map of the USA
or write about it on the open travel guide

Comments:

Katie
yaaay it's an update from brian!! i did mine again, 41% for me. can't wait to see ya this weekend!
2004/09/14 @ 06:38:50

Political Compass

I saw this, the political compass, on Katie's Blog and took the test.
I ended up in the third quadrant which is classified as left and libertarian. My scores are as follows:




Also, here's a pretty cool site that my dad sent me The Degree Confluence Project. The project's goal is to take pictures at the intersection of each integer intersection of latitude and longitude lines.

The First of the Last

Well today was the first day of class of the last year of school for me (at least in the foreseable future). Quite a concept don't ya think? I didn't really think about it until just now when I started writing this and I think I'll try to avoid thinking about it as much as possible otherwise I'll go crazy worrying about getting a "real job" as I like to call it. That's all for now.

Which "Friend" Are You?

You’re Chandler Bing!
Or Chanandler Bong, whichever. You’re the wittiest of your friends, but also sometimes the nerdiest. When your relationship is going well, your job stinks, and vice-versa. Your parents have messed up your life, but you try not to take it personally.

Take the Quiz

Survey time

The
Last Cigarette: Yeah right...never

Last Alcoholic Drink: You should know the answer to that one

Last Car Ride: From Carrollton to ATL at 10:30 PM on Tuesday July 20, 2004

Last Kiss: Still waiting

Last Good Cry: Beats me

Last Library Book: Beats me

Last book bought: A book for a fathers' day present about Larry Elison, the CEO of Oracle

Last Book Read: My real estate finance book

Last Movie Seen in Theatres: Fahrenheit 9/11

Last Movie Rented: Detroit Rock City

Last Cuss Word Uttered: The A word the summer before 11th grade at scout camp and it was mumbled (Yes I'm a loser)

Last Beverage Drank: Vanilla Coke I made at QuikTrip during my last car ride

Last Food Consumed: Small M&M Blizzard

Last Crush: Top Secret

Last Phone Call: To Mark telling him when I'd be picking him up for the last car ride

Last TV Show Watched: I don't remember

Last Time Showered: 6:45 AM July 20, 2004

Last Shoes Worn: Clarks boat shoes

Last CD Played: Beats me (that's not the name of the cd)

Last Item Bought: Vanilla Coke I made at QuikTrip during my last car ride

Last Download: The webpage with this survey

Last Annoyance: Trying to bind the easement packages at work today, dumb comb bindings were too small.

Last Disappointment: Not making it home in time to vote.

Last Soda Drank: Vanilla Coke I made at QuickTrip during my last car ride

Last Thing Written: Ride

Last Key Used: tab

Last Words Spoken: I don't remember

Last Sleep: 10:30 PM July 19, 2004 to 6:45 AM July 20, 2004

Last Ice Cream Eaten: Vanilla in my M&M Blizzard

Last Chair Sat In: My blue desk chair

Last Webpage Visited: http://amaryllismagicshpot.blogspot.com

Take the Survey

Comments:

Jaclyn (IP: 66.245.82.208)
You have an obsession with vanilla coke. And you're very percise on times. My last movie was Detriot City Rocks too. Oh wait that's because we gave up going to the movie store after that one!
2004/07/21 @ 22:46:17

katie ( / ) (IP: 193.48.224.208)
you have lots of comments on other blogs... sooo you should update more here too! i miss blizzards...
2004/07/27 @ 14:32:41

I'm Beaker

I'm Beaker. Which muppet are you?


"Me me me me me me"

Take the quiz

Also for today, check out this nonpartisan flash animation. Pretty funny stuff.
This Land is Your Land

I haven't seen many movies

>

IMDB's Top 100 Best Movies of All Time generate this HTML for your own page at ObeytheFist.com

Rank	Movie	Didn't See It/ Started It/ Finished It/ Hated It!
1	Godfather, The (1972)
2	Shawshank Redemption, The (1994)	Finished It
3	Godfather: Part II, The (1974)
4	Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The (2003)
5	Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The (2002)	Finished It
6	Casablanca (1942)
7	Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The (2001)	Finished It
8	Schindler's List (1993)	Started It
9	Shichinin no samurai (1954)
10	Star Wars (1977)	Finished It
11	Citizen Kane (1941)
12	One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
13	Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
14	Rear Window (1954)
15	Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)	Finished It
16	Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)	Finished It
17	Memento (2000)
18	Usual Suspects, The (1995)
19	Pulp Fiction (1994)	Finished It
20	North by Northwest (1959)
21	12 Angry Men (1957)
22	Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain, Le (2001)
23	Psycho (1960)
24	Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
25	Buono, il brutto, il cattivo, Il (1966)
26	Silence of the Lambs, The (1991)
27	It's a Wonderful Life (1946)	Finished It
28	Goodfellas (1990)
29	American Beauty (1999)	Finished It
30	Vertigo (1958)
31	Sunset Blvd. (1950)
32	Matrix, The (1999)	Finished It
33	Apocalypse Now (1979)	Started It
34	Pianist, The (2002)
35	To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)	Finished It
36	C'era una volta il West (1968)
37	Some Like It Hot (1959)
38	Third Man, The (1949)
39	Taxi Driver (1976)
40	Paths of Glory (1957)
41	Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (2001)
42	Fight Club (1999)	Finished It
43	Boot, Das (1981)
44	Double Indemnity (1944)
45	L.A. Confidential (1997)
46	Chinatown (1974)
47	Singin' in the Rain (1952)
48	Maltese Falcon, The (1941)
49	M (1931)
50	Requiem for a Dream (2000)
51	Bridge on the River Kwai, The (1957)
52	All About Eve (1950)
53	Se7en (1995)
54	Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)	Hated It!
55	Saving Private Ryan (1998)	Finished It
56	Cidade de Deus (2002)
57	Raging Bull (1980)
58	Rashômon (1950)
59	Wizard of Oz, The (1939)	Finished It
60	Sting, The (1973)
61	Alien (1979)
62	American History X (1998)
63	Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
64	Léon (1994)
65	Vita è bella, La (1997)
66	Touch of Evil (1958)
67	Manchurian Candidate, The (1962)
68	2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
69	Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The (1948)
70	Great Escape, The (1963)
71	Wo hu cang long (2000)
72	Reservoir Dogs (1992)
73	Clockwork Orange, A (1971)
74	Amadeus (1984)
75	Modern Times (1936)
76	Ran (1985)
77	Annie Hall (1977)
78	Jaws (1975)	Started It
79	On the Waterfront (1954)
80	Braveheart (1995)	Finished It
81	High Noon (1952)
82	Apartment, The (1960)
83	Fargo (1996)
84	Sixth Sense, The (1999)
85	Aliens (1986)
86	Shining, The (1980)
87	Strangers on a Train (1951)
88	Blade Runner (1982)
89	Metropolis (1927)
90	Duck Soup (1933)
91	Finding Nemo (2003)	Finished It
92	Donnie Darko (2001)
93	General, The (1927)
94	City Lights (1931)
95	Princess Bride, The (1987)	Hated It!
96	Toy Story 2 (1999)	Finished It
97	Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
98	Great Dictator, The (1940)
99	Sjunde inseglet, Det (1957)
100	Lola rennt (1998)

---

Which movies have you seen?

This is how one makes a Brian

I guess that extra 3 parts can be anything you want it to be.

How to make a Brian

Ingredients: 5 parts pride 1 part self-sufficiency 3 parts

Method: Add to a cocktail shaker and mix vigorously. Top it off with a sprinkle of lovability and enjoy!

Username:

>
From Go-Quiz.com

Comments:

Jaclyn (IP: 66.245.9.80)
3 parts...nothing, nobody, loser, boring...you know their all the same
2004/07/08 @ 16:12:27
[ Edit - Delete ]

katie ( / ) (IP: 192.93.8.122)
yay you updated... haha...
2004/07/12 @ 00:36:18
[ Edit - Delete ]

I wasn't conscious during the 80s

I wasn't conscious during the 80s. I only scored a 28.



Comments:

katie ( / ) (IP: 193.48.224.208)
boo hoo... i got a 75, cause 80s music is my guilty music; yeah southern girls!
2004/06/15 @ 12:25:58

Solemn Times

Having just watched the President Reagan funeral rebroadcast I was contemplating the beauty of the National Cathedral. The only other time I remember seeing the inside was during the Sept. 11th service the friday after the attacks. It seems like such a beautiful place shouldn't only be engrained in American's minds during times of grief. My thoughts also turned to the formality of all the proceedings. It must be emotionally draining on the family. Every time the casket is moved and arrives it is greated with the same formality that the president would have received if he had been alive. Music, 21 gun salutes, and a color guard all great the family. The funeral of family member is bad enough but going through the cermonial processions each step of the way must be horrible. I wonder if they just become numb to the ceremony and just remember their family member. It's a great burden to be the head of state, one that I don't think I could handle.

Comments:

Adam Edwards ( / http://thefro.net ) (IP: 4.153.252.6)
I think they have probaly become pretty imune to the ceremony, because not only are they getting it all right now but they got ceremony all the time for 8 years strait while he was in office, and to a lesser extent for the rest of his life.
2004/07/04 @ 11:47:09

OBX Outing - Taking a Deep Breath

I'm writing you to
catch you up on places I've been
You held this letter
probably got excited, but there's nothing else inside it

didn't have a camera by my side this time
hoping I would see the world with both my eyes
maybe I will tell you all about it when I'm
in the mood to lose my way
with words

Today skies are painted colors of a cowboy's cliche'
And strange how clouds that look like mountains in the sky
are next to mountains anyway

Didn't have a camera by my side this time
Hoping I would see the world with both my eyes
Maybe I will tell you all about it when I'm
in the mood to lose my way
but let me say

You should have seen that sunrise with your own eyes
it brought me back to life
You'll be with me next time I go outside
just no more 3x5's

Guess you had to be there
Guess you had to be with me

Today I finally overcame
tryin' to fit the world inside a picture frame
Maybe I will tell you all about it when I'm in the mood to
lose my way but let me say

You should have seen that sunrise with your own eyes
it brought me back to life
You'll be with me next time I go outside
just no more 3x5's
no more 3x5's
- John Mayer "3x5"

Group Projects

ARRRGGGGHHHH!!!!!!

I absolutely despise group meetings. We've already worked over 20 hours on the project with some members working more than that. Two Saturdays ago (the Saturday before Easter) we met from 9 AM to 5 PM, yes 8 hours on a Saturday. Last Saturday we met from 9 AM to 1:30 PM not as bad as the previous week but entirely too long on a beautiful Spring weekend. This brings us to the present. We worked a lot this week for our presentation which we did on Thursday, so I'm ready for a restful and work free weekend after GIS presenting, a case study, and paper due this week. So I'm thinking, the weather is beautiful again this weekend, I've been to the mountains twice this semester and I want to go fishing. I think I'll go to the coast. I thought and thought about it, where to stay, yes I want to camp. Thought against not going, decided to go and flopped back and forth last night and this morning. So I finally decided that I should just let go of my risk adverse and control freak nature and go and see what happens. I went to REI and bought a MSR WhisperLite Stove, a fuel bottle, MSR pots, a packtowel, and a small Nalgene bottle. Before that I straightened out all of my tackle and saw what tackle I needed to get at Wal-Mart. After REI I went to Wal-Mart. When I got home I returned to this e-mail:

Brian,
Lindy wants to meet tomorrow (saturday april 23rd, 2004) at 10:00 AM EDT... any objection?

Jeff

I thought "What tha?!?" Having a jovial group I thought it may be a joke and sent this response:

Are you being serious? I had planned on taking a road trip down east to go fishing but if we must meet that's fine, I can go after school is out.

Brian

In the mean time I was looking over my new gear and realized that the pot holder didn't come with the pots, so after eating some frozen pizza I headed back to REI to exchange the pots. Well after returning and getting all my camping stuff out which is now in a pile on the floor (see figures 1 and 2).

Figure 1 - Gear on the floor

Figure 2 - Tackle on the bed


I figured out how to use my stove and after only setting the porch on fire for a few seconds I'm getting psyched about my road trip. I come upstairs and check my e-mail here's what I found and brought on this rant:

I am serious. If this time does not work for you, suggest another. I need to do some work this weekend because on monday, they are going to implement that quota system. I am not sure how this will affect all of our crap on the K: drive, but I'm not sure I want to find out on monday.

If you do not think we need to meet at all, that's fine with me. We should probably work out some course of action and finish this thing off.

Jeff

This was my response:

Whatever, that's fine. I'll be at NE at 10.

Brian

UUUUGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!
Yeah I thought I'd feel better after writing that but I don't yet so I'll keep writing. I realize that I have been the type of group member that I hate for this project...the kind that doesn't pull his weight the whole time. Jeff is very good and knowledgeable about GIS so both Lindy and I pretty much defer to him for the GIS part of the project. I know Jeff is frustrated with me but hopefully after this weekend we won't have to work next week. Also another problem is that the UNC IT people are enforcing the file space limits on the campus servers as of Monday, the limit is 500 mb, we have well over 1 gig of data. Why must they delete and/or move our files on Monday the 26th? School is over in just over a week and then everything would be fine, freakin studip OASIS. Still not feeling better. Well I guess I'll have to stuff all my junk back in the half-closet and still have the lingering desire to go camping. I can always go right after school gets out and even next week if I hadn't already promised to help Jeff and his wife move to their new apartment. UGHHHHHHHHHHHH. Ok enough ranting, I'm going to put my frustration and distaste of group projects into putting up my stuff. ARGHGGHHHH

Comments:

Jaclyn (IP: 66.245.97.72)
You got to go camping though! I'm happy for you! Schools almost done I'm with you on wanting it to be over. Talk to you later kid. Feel free to vent to me anytime you want you know I do it to you all the time I'm awful
2004/04/25 @ 17:17:47

Fantastic Voyage

It's been an amazing ride. Surpassing all expectations, you have brought pride to yourselves, your families, the school, and the state. Your actions on the court acting as one, as a team, epitomize what college athletics should be. Thanks for the memories!

-- Brian Oxford, Carrollton, Georgia
AJC Online thank you to the Beeketball team

As basketball just ended baseball begins. It's Opening Day for the Braves!!! Hopefully I'll actually be able to figure out who's on the team before the All Star Break.

Game Day!!!!

It's about that time. Having class today helped keep the nerves calm, but as the clock ticks closer to 9:21 my heart has started to beat faster and faster. It's amazing being able to watch Tech as they've progressed through the season and tournament. I admit that I was a Boshwagoner last year but this year I'm a legitimate fan. The buzz on campus must be electric, wish I was there but my couch and www.stingtalk.com/chat will have to do again. I'm wearing my long sleeve button up shirt, khaki cargo shorts, and Adidas Response Trails that are 3-0 the last 3 times I've worn them after the shirt went 0-3 with jeans last fall and early winter. No matter the outcome tonight the beesketball team has far exceeded expectations this season and I think all Yellow Jackets out there will be more than satisfied with the season. That said, I really hope Tech can shut the mouths of all the pundits and win it all. LET'S GET IT ON!!!

Looks like I know at least something about music.

Good. You know your music. You should be able to
work at Championship Vinyl with Rob, Dick and
Barry


Do You Know Your Music (Sorry MTV Generation I Doubt You Can Handle This One)
brought to you by Quizilla

Happy Half Birthday to me

It's my half birthday today. I don't know if that's a good thing or not since it means I'm halfway to 24. If you didn't know, 24 is old. It's almost 25 which is half way to 30.

Here are some pictures from spring break.





Comments:

Jaclyn (IP: 66.32.110.16)
You're old...just lettin' ya know that.
2004/03/19 @ 23:41:15
[ Edit - Delete ]

EMILY ( / ) (IP: 149.130.187.215)
15 IS HALFWAY TO 30
2004/04/09 @ 21:07:28

Today's Snow

On my way home from GIS lab this afternoon:


Snow on a tree at my apartment on February 16, 2004:

The wonders of computers

I'm taking an Advanced GIS class this semester and no I'm not advanced because this is my first GIS class and I should be classified a novice or tyro for you Word Power Made Easy folks out there. Here's a 2d version of a 3d model I made for this week's homework that depicts areas of "leftover" residential density (units/acre) that could be used for infill in Silver Springs, MD. The higher the column and darker the color the more density that is available for infill. It doesn't look that great because for this assignment we didn't have to make a nice map but if I figure out a way to easily make it look better I will.



On another note I took a quiz at Match.com that I saw posted at MyStupidMouth.com tonight that supposedly tells you the type of person to which you are attracted. Here are pictures of my "types."

My Type:

Maybe my type:

Not my type:

Second time doing the survey.
My type:

Maybe my type:

Not my type:

Comments:

Ben ( / www.benshead.blogspot.com ) (IP: 167.192.8.9)
Looks like you like older women
2004/02/26 @ 08:03:14
[ Edit - Delete ]

katie ( http://ktbeal.blogspot.com ) (IP: 128.61.58.77)
that is really weird
2004/02/26 @ 11:25:19

What Jack Sparrow Quote am I?

'Now..Bring me that horizon.'- You've gotten what
you wanted, but you still seem a bit
melancholy. Maybe what you really want is for
things to just keep changing.


Which of Captain Jack Sparrow's Quotes are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Is that snow or do you have a dandruff problem?

Well this weekend I went on the WCF Transforming Vision Retreat at Woodruff Scout Reservation in Blairsville, GA. It was definitely worth the 12+ hrs of driving there and back. I hadn't been to Woodruff since 8th grade so it was great to see the camp and the changes that have been made for the better. The drive there was interesting because it rained for about half the trip and then when I got to the W. NC mountains it was just fun driving until it got dark. After dark the wet roads caused a bunch of fog and I soon realized I need better headlights. After a freak wrong turn I ended up on some really curvy road that apparently paralleled the Nantahalla River because there were a bunch of rafting companies along the road, though it was dark so I couldn't see what was on the other side of the guard rail. I followed the road, occassionally checking the gps and map while trying not to crash. It was definitely an adventure and thankfully I didn't see any slow moving rafting busses that the road signs warned me about. Eventually I found my way to WSR and drove around a little because I didn't see anyone then Laura and Lauren found me since they had been driving around for awhile too. After getting stuck in wet grass and getting pushed out by L and L the rest of the group arrived. As always it was great to see everyone since I only get to seem them every few months now.

When everyone got there it seemed that there was some tension, maybe due to the drive, school stress, or a general lack of communication. However, the tension was quelled soon after and everyone got settled in.

Saturday brought a day full of flurries and fun...at least for me. It was really cold but thankfully I was prepared whereas most of the retreaters weren't (more to come below). We did the COPE course under the guidance of really good and entertaining scouting volunteers. The course was really difficult and the cold didn't help at all. After a morning of COPE we had lunch and a devotional and then free time. During free time I walked around the camp and realized that my legs are longer now and things didn't seem as far away as they used to feel. Dinner prep went well and with the help of some people Jake and I cooked Shark Patrol chicken and dumplings and strawberry shortcake for 24 people. I'd vent about the dinner cooking and initiative of the group in general but I don't really feel like it and I'll blame it on the cold. It was definitely nice to have my mummy bag and I actually used the cinch cord around the hood so I slept well after the tiring activities of the day.

Sunday brought a beautiful sunrise and more tension as we were getting ready to leave. Communication and thoughtfullness seems to be the key to having a successful retreat.

The drive home was more fun than the drive down. The weather was perfect and the roads weren't icy. I saw ice climbers and frozen tree tops in the national forests. It was my first time really driving in the mountains and it was great fun.

From my outsider perspective WCF seems to have grown cliquish. It may have been that way for awhile and I'm just now noticing it since I'm not there all the time anymore. With any group there will be subgroups, especially in a school setting where you have cohorts by grades and more importantly personalities, but this was very prevalent this weekend. With 24 people attending the retreat there was bound to be some conflict but this time it seemed more malicious than normal and thus wasn't easily forgiven or forgotten. While it's easy for me to say forgive and forget it is an essential quality to possess when working in and being part of a group of people and especially friends. I'm chalking up most of the problems this weekend to the weather and people's school stress. I just hope that people can get along better and talk out their problems or it's going to be a long semester at WCF.

Now for all of you that have read this far and don't want to be cold in future outdoor pursuits here's a list of suggested clothing. Take in mind that, yes being prepared gets expensive, but if you shopping wisely and over a period of time it's not that bad. Plus quality gear will last you a long time. This was my clothing that kept me warm this weekend, that has been accumulated over a period of over 5 years.

The key is synthetic materials. Cotton is the enemy. This is the order of materials you should try to wear.

Synthetic: polyester, nylon, etc

Blends: poly/cotton and some natural fiber such as wool

Cotton (boooooo)

Undergarmets:

Cotton boxers

Poly/cotton undershirt

REI MTS Midweight Bottoms

Outerwear:

Cotton t-shirt, yeah yeah I know it's cotton

Gramicci Quik Dry Pants (Not warm but dry really quickly)

Columbia Fleece Shirt similar to this

Bridgedale AT Plus Socks

Fox River X-Static Liner Socks

REI Hurricane Ridge Jacket (out of production) similar to today's softshells but not breathable

Asolo 535 I have an older version

I wore a baseball hat but Ashley wore my Mountain Hardwear Micro Dome so you can ask her how it was.

The North Face Pamir WindStopper Glove

Outdoor Research Basic Shell Mitts

Outdoor Research Crocodile Gaiters I didn't break them out but was ready if we got more snow.

Sierra Designs rain pants (couldn't find a link)

Sleeping:

REI Down Time +15 - Long

Now if you've made it this far you're ready for some cold weather camping.

Comments:

katie ( / http://ktbeal.blogspot.com ) (IP: 128.61.58.77)
wcf has definitely changed. sometimes change is hard to accept if you were there before the change. i just wonder if i came to wcf now if i would feel the same acceptance that i did freshman year. sadly, i think with a few notable exceptions of people who are really welcoming, i would not get as warm of a reception. maybe it's just me being cynical. school stresses everyone out, but to the point that we are not even civil or considerate of each other anymore. to me that is a problem. i don't know how to solve it. i just wish people would step back from their own problems for a moment. the people at wcf have stepped back from themselves and helped me many times. i never want that to go away, and i'm scared that it is.
2004/02/12 @ 13:33:47
[ Edit - Delete ]

Melissa ( / http://amaryllismagicshpot.blogspot.com ) (IP: 67.33.108.229)
The tension was so thick this weekend that sometimes it seemed you could cut it with a knife...for once I wasn't in either group of people- I wasn't mad, nor was I one of the people they were mad at...being outside it all was a completely different perspective than I usually have, and it really showed me how silly it can all get. I know I was cliquish, since I stuck to Susan or Plinkey the entire weekend, but I know I just needed a break from my usual crowd (I love my girls, but I need my space sometimes) I have felt the difference around WCF lately...and it scares me sometimes...but there's so many factors that are contributing- it's hard to pin down what's really changed/changing. The biggest thing I notice is that people don't seem to trust each other...I'm including myself when I say that we tend to do things behind others backs and without always considering how our attitudes and actions affect the group as a whole. WCF means so much to me, and I have made some of my best friends there...it hurts to see things falling apart the way they have been...
2004/02/13 @ 20:11:16
[ Edit - Delete ]

Adam Edwards ( thefro.net ) (IP: 128.61.107.112)
I have noticed a lot of the group thing too, but I am not at all sure of how much of it is real. It could largly a change in perspective, kinda alike in your being away from the group in effect, but from about the oposite cause. Mine is from coming in knowing not that many people, and I have never been one that can really tell the interactions of groups that easily, especialy when have not been around them that much. So I am wondering how much of this groupishness is new in the past half year, and how much of it I was just not seeing when it was there before. Another thing is the retreat coulda been pretty atypical, I was not in the best condition to pay attention cause of the sick thing, so didn't much. Just some thoughts and observations, I waited a day or so for them to coalesce into something more coherent, but it didn't happen, so you got what you got.
(the guy with really big hair who got sick on the retreat)
2004/02/16 @ 23:30:10

Where in the world was Brian Oxford?

Where have I been? Well now you know. I've been to the red places.



create your own visited states map
or write about it on the open travel guide

WTF, MATE!?!

Ok this is just messed up. Here's the link and the text.

One disturbing story

Man Lives with Dead Brother for 18 Months
Thu February 5, 2004 07:39 AM ET

LONDON (Reuters) - A British retiree did not notice his brother had been dead for 18 months despite sharing a mobile home with him.
When Herbert Silver, 72, finally called police and told them his brother George, 75, had died, they went to the bachelors' home expecting to find a body. Instead they found a skeleton, British newspapers reported Thursday.

"I admit that I didn't go into his room for a few hours, a few days...well quite a while actually," Herbert Silver told the Daily Telegraph.

Silver said he had thought it a "bit odd" when his brother failed to emerge from his bedroom in the tiny home they shared in Blissford, southern England, but told the Daily Mirror:

"George liked to keep himself to himself, and to be honest so do I." A postmortem indicated George Silver had been dead for up to 18 months.

Tribes.net

I've been messing around with Friendster recently and then found out about this site, Tribes.net. I think it's a lot better and definitely runs faster than the slowness that is Friendster. You all should sign up and be cool computer nerds. The site is based on the premise that people in our generation tend to form "tribes" instead of one on one relationships, ex. the mailgoat. I think it's a cool idea and you never know to whom you are connected.

Also if you signed up for Friendster you should check it out again and see to how many people you are connected. I'm connected to over 150,000 which is pretty strange when I think about it.

Get connected!

Comments:

cameron ( http://www.cameronlawrence.com ) (IP: 24.99.120.111)
another good one, just started by google and subsequently free of ads, is orkut.
www.orkut.com

way faster than Slowster.
2004/02/03 @ 23:15:02
[ Edit - Delete ]

katie ( / ) (IP: 199.77.154.101)
i signed up but it still doesn't list you as my friend. won't you be my neighbor?
2004/02/04 @ 12:25:49

Politics

I saw a thread on a message board I frequent and it was regarding websites that suggest which presidential candidate for whom you should vote. Realizing that I should start paying attention to the race I took the quizes at both websites and here are my results.

President Match
1. Kerry Score: 100%
2. Kucinich Score: 99%
3. Dean Score: 93%
4. Sharpton Score: 93%
5. Edwards Score: 91%
6. Clark Score: 87%
7. Lieberman Score: 79%
8. Bush Score: 29%

Select Smart
1. Your ideal theoretical candidate. (100%)
2. Dean, Gov. Howard, VT - Democrat (73%)
3. Sharpton, Reverend Al - Democrat (73%)
4. Kucinich, Rep. Dennis, OH - Democrat (69%)
5. Kerry, Senator John, MA - Democrat (63%)
6. Edwards, Senator John, NC - Democrat (62%)
7. Clark, Retired General Wesley K., AR - Democrat (59%)
8. Libertarian Candidate (49%)
9. Lieberman, Senator Joe, CT - Democrat (38%)
10. Bush, President George W. - Republican (25%)
11. Phillips, Howard - Constitution (18%)

While it's not a surprise that I Bush was located close or at the bottom of both lists, I'm by no means a democrat. I'm an independent with democratic leanings. I'm not a fan of voting the party line. One should select the candidate that he or she feels will do the best job. As for the online political selectors, my jury is still out. It's difficult to determine if they are skewed one direction or another but given that the incumbent is a Republican and there's a majority of Democratic candidates it's obvious that more Dems will pop up. I do think that the internet benefits the political process by just getting the word out and making politics accessible. Just as the candidates did in the 1800s by rolling a giant ball around the country for people to see, the internet presents the issues in a dynamic and updated forum.

One final link that presents the current administration in an interesting light is Bush in 30 Seconds.org. Sponsored by Moveon.org, a nonpartisan, interest group the website presents entries in a commercial contest regarding the administration. Several interesting, entertaining, and creative commercials can be found there.

Comments:

katie ( / http://ktbeal.blogspot.com ) (IP: 66.32.132.19)
although they might claim it, i might have to argue with the fact that moveon.org is non-partisan. look at their name. move on from.... bush maybe? um yea. those videos are really funny though.
2004/01/30 @ 11:30:19

What movie am I?

Fight Club!


What movie Do you Belong in?(many different outcomes!)
brought to you by Quizilla

Comments:

cameron ( http://www.cameronlawrence.com ) (IP: 24.99.120.111)
The first rule about Fight Club is...
2004/01/29 @ 11:16:17
[ Edit - Delete ]

Jaclyn ( ) (IP: 66.32.132.19)
Don't talk about fight club!

And Brian's coming, Brian's coming, Brian's coming camping....there's a dance that goes with that too
2004/01/29 @ 21:52:32

Snow and stuff

Back at school and almost done with two weeks. I like this 4 days of class per week and the current lack of group projects. Monday and Wednesday I have two real estate classes and get my exercise making the 20 min trek to the B-school from New East and then 35 min trek to my apartment after class. Tuesday and Thursday are planning theory and GIS with a 4 hr break in the middle. Overall the classes seem pretty interesting and will actually give me some job skills.

Went to the GT vs. UNC bball game on Sunday and it was an interesting experience. It was a strange feeling being one of the few Tech fans there, especially sitting in the student section. The Dean Dome was insanely loud. I've never been to a sporting event that was that loud. I had fun even though Tech lost.



After a full week of using my tablet pc for note taking I really like it. I've gotten a lot of comments from people that have never seen such a thing which is cool. Though I do have a bad feeling when walking down Franklin Street passed the homeless guys asking for money knowing I have an expensive computer on my back. Did I need to buy a laptop, essentially an expensive notebook, instead of a spiral bound notebook?

On the weather front, it snowed about 2 inches last Friday and it mostly stuck around until Tuesday. I like the snow but I think that comes with not getting it much.



Having friends up north is interesting because they leave varying thoughts about the snow in their away messages. Here's two from today.

Mark in Michigan: "can i offer you any SNOW? I have too much and am willing to get rid of some."
Jessica at Penn State: "reading and watching the snow fall...4 inches and counting!!"

Definitely two different perspectives from people from Carrollton.