A Few Thoughts

Nothing especially important happened to me today so I think I’m gonna make some brief comments on some stories I’ve read over the week.

• A 25 year old teacher has been arrested in Australia for messing around with her student. She wanted him to treat her like a sex slave. The lucky SOB. She’s good looking too. I would have had her on all fours with a ball-gag and leash. I’m not sexist or anything, I just find that hot. Link
• “Swedish teen girls have more sex with one another.” Do I really to say more? Link
• Chimps are not people. It’s not that hard to figure out the difference. I for one am 6 feet tall, sparsely covered in hair (as opposed to furry), capable of speech, and I don’t have opposable thumbs on my feet. Link
• Congratulations Nepal! You have finally abolished your monarchy! Welcome to the 19th century! Link
• It looks to me like the newest green technology will soon be making a visit to Iraq. I guess this does kinda make sense given how often we bomb the shit out things. Link
• God damn I hate conservatives. Am I the only person who thinks it’s stupid that Michelle Malkin got Dunkin’ Donuts to pull an ad because a black and white scarf kinda looks like a Palestinian headdress? How do conservative bloggers come up with this bullshit? It’s stuff like this that makes me think half the country needs to die in a fire. Link
• When scientists talk about a planet being unable to support life, do they mean life as on Earth? Of course the water on Mars wouldn’t support life as we know it, ITS ANOTHER PLANET. Evolution lets you do some pretty crazy shit. For all we know, life on Mars could have thrived in salt water. Hell, it might have been able to eat salt and crap gold for all we know. Life on Earth has been documented as living in some pretty crazy places before so Martian life would be extraordinarily crazy. Link

Those are just some of the things that I’ve wanted to talk about this week. I hope you all enjoy this slice of crazy.

Currently listening to: “Mornington Crescent” by Belle and Sebastian

Now I’m LOST

Tonight was the season finale of LOST. I love that show. This episode had everything from jungle-ninjas to teleportation and time-travel. The Dharma people were operating a time-machine hidden under a green house. There is an old wooden wheel in a frozen chamber deep beneath the island that controls it’s teleportation. Alot of the people from the plane are still on the island including Sawyer but now it’s somewhere else. Jin was probably killed by the bomb in the freighter. The guy in the casket was Locke who apparently came back from the island only to “commit suicide”.

I was hoping that this episode would have some answers about just what the island is exactly but no such luck. I think there is some sort of spaceship in the middle and everyone has just some sort of jury rigged control over it’s abilities. I’m kinda bummed that I’ll have to wait a couple of months to see what happens next. How is Jack going to get the 6 and Locke’s body back to the island?

I sent my resume in for a part-time job as a bank teller in the student center. I probably not that appealing of a hire so I hope there is not alot of demand for the job.

I Need Help

I spent money today on shit that I don’t need. I went to the comic book store and bought a bunch of stuff. I wasn’t even new comic day. I am weak. I hate that I am unable to control some impulses like money and masturbation. I have a tendency to surrender myself to my id for brief periods which fells good for a little while. Afterward, however, I find myself racked with guilt at my own pathetic weakness. Tonight, when I’m done writing, I know I’m going to just lie on my air mattress and worry myself to death over my upcoming expenses. I shouldn’t spend money. I say that now but I know that tomorrow, I’ll do it all over again.

I wish that I was a stronger person. I know that it is possible for me to change because I’ve done it before. When I was in elementary school I swore like a freakin’ sailor but I made a conscience decision and really cut down on it. I don’t know if it’s still possible for me to do that. I want to so bad.

I’m going to try and take this one day at a time. I won’t jerk it tomorrow. I will only buy the 2 new comics that I want tomorrow. I will look into getting another job. Maybe tomorrow or the next day I will send in my resume for that part-time teller position at the bank in the student center. For all the good intentions and planning though, I will still be laying here in the dark. Scared.

I need help

Constricting My Creativity

This afternoon I wrote a paper for my History of Virginia class. I had a list of possible topics to choose from but it all came from one book, Anne Orthwood’s Bastard. I think I might have mentioned it before but I don’t remember. Anyway, I wrote my paper on the influence of tobacco within the colony with a specific focus on it’s use as a currency. I could have really sunk my teeth into that as a subject but I was limited to 500 words. Now I think my paper is stunted and incomplete. It will have to do since points would be deducted for going over the limit. I wonder what the teacher values more, a well thought out argument and presentation of evidence, or a smaller word count? I guess I’ll find out soon. Anyway, here is my actual paper. I hope you enjoy.

The Influence of Tobacco in 17^th Century Virginia

During the 17^th century in Virginia, currency was a scarce commodity. Most transactions and business at the time were conducted not in money, but in barter for pounds of tobacco. This had a profound impact on the social and legal systems of Virginia; Wealth was measured in lbs of tobacco as with William Kendall, the court operated with it as the basis for punishment, and the county was funded with taxes paid in tobacco.

At this time period in Virginia, there was a very strict social hierarchy in place. The best way to advance within this structure was to accumulate wealth. William Kendall’s rise from indentured servant to powerful figure is a prime example. He proved to be excellent in business once he gained his freedom but his wealth did not really grow until he was given land in a will. Within a few years he was able to export huge quantities of tobacco such as in Nov 1656 when he “… shipped to Amsterdam between 80 and 100 hogsheads, containing roughly 500-600 pounds of tobacco apiece.”[1]Within a relatively short time of this, he was a major land holder and speculator with an appointment to the county court. Over his lifetime, he at one point or another held title to tens of thousands of acres in tobacco country, all while his wealth and power increased.

Tobacco played an important role in how the legal system functioned in the area. According to Pagan, the county court would convene on a schedule based partially around crop schedules (58). However, the real role of tobacco in law was as a punishment. Nearly all the cases mentioned in the book use tobacco fines as a punishment. One magistrate, John Stringer, collected of “…pounds of tobacco,…, 50 pounds each (for three people),…, 100 pounds” for perceived insults and slander[2]. Another case mentioned, Jones v. Selby (1658), had the defendant’s punishment “took the form of 1,000 pounds of tobacco in damages rather then the rescission of the transaction”[3] Even within their ecclesiastical duties, punishment could be a tobacco fine or corporal punishment depending on circumstances. This is shown in the 1658 statute against fornication which read that “’every person,’ male or female, had to pay a fine of 500 pounds of tobacco,…, or be whipped.”[4] This system favored the wealthy landowners as opposed to the servant who could never expect to raise that much independently.

The various county governments also depended on tobacco paid as taxes in order to function. For example, “the overall tax rate,…, was 100 pounds of tobacco for every …”[5] These funds were used for everything from government operation to poor relief and church expenses. The level and uses of these taxes often caused conflict given the value of the tobacco.

Tobacco was the lifeblood of early Virginia. It was the first cash crop of the state and affected every realm of life in the colony. Without it, the history of Virginia would be extremely different.

496

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[1] John Ruston Pagan, Anne Orthwood’s Bastard: Sex and Law in Early Virginia (New York: Oxford University Press, 2003), 30.

[2] Ibid., 59.

[3] Ibid., 75.

[4] Ibid., 121.

[5] Ibid., 83.

I’m surprised that the formatting cooperated with this. I’ll be interested in seeing how it looks on the actual page. I guess that if my paper went over the word limit, I wouldn’t be able to post it here.

Currently listening to: “Recycled Air” by The Postal Service

Disconcerting

Since today was Memorial Day, I didn’t have class. I had intended to go eat lunch and then ride my bike on the huckleberry trail. Things didn’t quite go as I planned. I ended up sleeping to late to go eat lunch so I had to make due with a jar of peaches. I figured that would be ok as a meal since it was fruit and everything. By the time I actually left to ride, It was way later then I wanted. The ride itself was also terrible. Almost immediately, I was out of breath and panting for air and I’m not entirely sure why. I was pretty good on my way out but on the way back I started panting like an asmatic. I couldn’t catch my breath and was having a horrible time. To make matters worse, once that got better, my back started to kill me because of my seat. I had to stop and rest.

Once my ride was done, I came back and got cleaned up to go to dinner. I had added money to my meal card on Sunday but it wasn’t available yet so I had to pay with cash. If the money still isn’t there when I leave tomorrow, I’ll have to go to student services and ask about it.  The only really good thing about today was I got to see people I know. I saw Jen while I paying for my food. I don’t like her but it was a few minutes of small talk. Then one of the guys from the dining hall was working so I got to talk to him for a few minutes. Lastly, I ran into Andrew from the anime club. I guess that the benefit of only having one dining hall open; you get to see everyone.

Tomorrow I have a test in History of Virginia. It shouldn’t be hard, just 25 multiple choice history questions. The big challenge is that I have to write a 500 word paper tomorrow. I don’t expect a challenge given that i’ve already wrote over 350 words on this, I just don’t really want to do it.

Memorial Day

As I write this, it is Monday. That means Memorial Day. I don’t usually reflect on things like veterans but Memorial Day is a good time to do so. I may not like our current war but I respect the men and women fighting it. I salute all those who have taken up arms to fight for our country, past and present.

I really just don’t have anything personal to talk about.

I’m Offended and Entertained

This afternoon I went and saw the latest Indy movie,  Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I love the Indiana Jones movies with the exception of Temple of Doom but this was just stupid. I enjoyed it, sure. There is doubt that it was an entertaining and fun two hours but my brain took a bit of a beating. I won’t really go into any plot points because they are available everywhere but here are some of my problems with the movie:

• The Soviets are able to gain control of area 51 by killing only a half dozen guards at the gate. The place has not only alien artifacts but the Ark of the Covenant (it does make a reappearance) but nobody seems to find it worth protecting.
• Indy survives a nuclear bomb by ducking inside a lead-lined fridge. I can excuse him not getting irradiated, but the blast seems to throw him miles. The physics of his landing should have liquefied him.
• The crystal skull is magnetic but seemingly only at certain points and to certain things. It can at one point suck gold coins (non-magnetic) across a room but doesn’t do jack in a room full of the stuff. It seems to alternate between rare-earth magnet strength to completely powerless. This could have been fixed with a little consistency.
• Cate Blanchett (who is incredibly sexy in this movie in a dominatrix type role) apparently has psychic powers but only attempts to use them once in the first 10 minutes. The writers seem to have forgotten about them.
• Mutt (Shia Labeouf) playing Tarzan by swinging from vines. My brain actually hurt from the stupidity of the scene. Also, he seems to be able to swing faster then a speeding car.
• The cars have machine guns mounted right on the front but instead of shooting the people in the other car, they feel like standing and sword fighting.

Those were just my biggest problems with the movie. I do like the anti-red paranoia and the effect it has on Indy’s teaching. That was probably the most interesting part of the movie but they abandoned it fairly quickly too. Indy seems to be on the brink of black-listing but nobody seems to have a problem when he flies to HAVANA. I mean come on.

This movie is great if you are either dumb or can shut of your brain for a couple of hours but there is nothing remotely realistic about it. It’s enjoyable but you won’t learn anything about mezoamerican cultures or the red scare. Then again I’m probably the only person who is disappointed by that. This movie will earn a mint at the box office.

Currently listening to: “On The Other Side” by The Strokes

Poked and Prodded

Today after lunch, I went over to the campus health center and saw a doctor. I’m not sick or anything but it was something that I had been meaning to do for a while now that I have student privileges again. I told them about my last fainting incident and they took my blood pressure and temp and all that standard stuff. Then the nurse led me over to the lab and took two vials of blood. One of them was for STD testing on account of my trip to Amsterdam. I don’t think I caught anything but I wanted to be sure. Anyway, the second vial of blood they took was to test my liver and kidneys. I thought I was all done until they told me to pee in a cup. That could have been much messier then it ended up. Lastly they took me into a room and hooked me up to an EKG which I’ve never had done before. Everything apparently came out ok. That wasn’t too bad except for the two milf-ish nurses assisting while I had my shirt off. I think some parts of my body look good but my pectorals aren’t one of them. The doctor’s prognosis was that I passed out as a result of a spasm that affect a nerve cluster in my chest. It is common and can be triggered my anything from sneezing to pissing. I didn’t think it was a serious reason, I just needed a pretext to go and get tested. I should be fine.

Don’t Feel Like Writing

It’s just after midnight and I’m tired. Nothing especially interesting happened to me today. I think I’m just going to go to bed.

A Bad Idea

I’ve been flirting with a dangerous idea recently. I’ve been looking at escorts online. I don’t even remember how I found the first website but that one led to another and to another. At first it was like my reading craigslist for fun; More to see what was around then to actually use it. Now I keep thinking about it and considering the possibilities. “That girl is hot”, “The Asian one can bring a friend”, “Maybe it’s not such a bad idea”. Today I communicated with a girl who claims to be in the Blacksburg area. The pictures look hot, the rates are good, and she provides alot of different services. I might have given into temptation and set something up if she didn’t use a sketchy system.

After my last trip to Amsterdam, I promised myself that I wouldn’t engage in those sorts of activities any more. I had some good times, sure, but the risk on catching something just scares me shitless. Unfortunately, I’m not usually thinking with my head when these things are on my screen. My biggest reason for not doing anything is probably going to turn out being that I have no money. I’m just scared that I’m succumb to temptation and do something that not only will I regret, but will be major-league illegal.

Actually I’m surprised by the number of review and advice sites out there. Apparently, people who visit these girls on a regular basis call themselves “hobbyists”. Some of these people write about meeting the same girl over and over again. They have personal, friendly relationships with some of these escorts and I think that incredible. These guys are either seriously ballsy or seriously pathetic. I wonder what the average hobbyist is like. Probably old, creepy, and alone.