Below are the 14 most recent journal entries recorded in The Angst-Avoidance Police's LiveJournal:

Saturday, May 19th, 2007
10:46 pm	Proof that advertising is effective I don't know what this insurance is for but I must have it. Current Mood: quixotic (Comment on this)
Monday, April 24th, 2006
11:41 pm	Bwah ha ha ha ha HA! So I'm in Juggling Club, and given we're all such naturally happy cheerful people, we needed to have a party for the end of the year. I received an email about said party a few days ago, and was dismayed to discover that it was at the same time as my Astronomy Lab final. On a lark, I emailed my TA and laid it out straight: Hi Nate, Just out of curiosity, is there any other time I could take the lab exam? Like, earlier in the day (before six o'clock) or with a Tuesday or Wednesday lab group? I don't have what you would call a "good reason"; the Juggling Club is having an end of the year party Monday night which conflicts with the whole exam-thing. If not that's cool and all, I'll see you Monday at 7, but could you email me back and tell me how long it's expected to take? Sorry to bug you. Thanks! Sincerely, etc. etc. He emailed me back saying, swing by my office hours that afternoon and you can take it then. What an awesome guy! And damn did I feel cool... So I was able to reassure my fellow jugglers that plans did not need to be changed on my account. (A relief - don't you always feel so bad when that happens? Well, if you're an egomaniac, maybe not.) So as planned we went to Peking for an excellent (& cheaper than the equivalent dinner at the UC or Caf) buffet of pan-Asian food. Then we went back and were entertained by the seniors and juniors playing drinking games while we watched Zoolander. All in all, an excellent night. And I did well on the bothersome exam, too. Current Mood: amused Current Music: Relax, stuck in my head. (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Friday, March 24th, 2006
3:33 pm	Possibly indicative of something... In Ireland, "dear" can mean expensive, eg. "That type of wine is much too dear to have with dinner." Interesting that a word typically used as an affectionate title can also reference money... so calling someone dear - is that a sign of how valuable they are to you, or does it hint at the basic fact of relationships: you have to pour a lot of money into them? Current Mood: tired Current Music: Smashmouth - Walking on the Sun (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Monday, March 20th, 2006
1:10 pm	HOLY FUCKING HELL. www.godhatesfags.com I would have thought this shit was one of your typical internet hoaxes, but for the fact that I followed a Google news link to it, after my mother told me about seeing it on the morning news. These sick slimebags protest military funerals. They also have a lovely little "Memorials" column listing things like "Matthew Shepard has been in hell for 2717 days. Diane Whipple has been in hell for 1880 days." This is when you start to understand why the "apocalypse" concept is appealing. Short of four horsemen (or an asteroid, nuclear war, supernova, etc.) you can always bitch at them. See below for polite, well reasoned shredding of a few choice beliefs as described in their FAQ. Message Sent Thank you for your comments! To: Questions/Comments From: comettailgc35@aol.com Subject: In response to your contact information You ask people writing in to your site to keep from sending harassing emails, to not ask the same "ignorant" questions over and over - so why do you still protest military funerals? This smacks of hypocrisy. You have no problems with rubbing your controversial remarks in the faces of those who are already in mourning. But you won't deign to deal with emails of people who are sincerely inquiring as to why you think the way you do? My main question regards your stance on the military. Your assertion that all military personnel "are lazy, incompetent idiots looking for jobs because they're not qualified for honest work" is made preposterous by the existence of ROTC programs and military academies which accept only the brightest college students. There are multitudes of people who serve in the military because they believe in patriotism - a patriotism based on the ideals of the Constitution, not those of Hollywood. Do you feel that, as these men are largely not homosexuals, and also do not fit the stereotypes you cast them in, that they deserve your respect? They were created equal, along with you, by God. And since you have no discrimination in which funerals you picket, shouldn't you cease this? Thank you for your time. Current Mood: pissed off (5 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, March 16th, 2006
11:13 am	Quick dip in the deep end... "Libertarians find many of your favorite projects "useful" and would like to see them carried out by the private sector. Libertarians are against tax funding for any project because taxation is, in essence, theft. For example, let's say you want to encourage animal research. You might invest in a company that performs such research or donate to a non-profit organization for that purpose. Your neighbors may think that animal research is unethical and won't invest in or donate to such work. Everybody gets their own way with their own resources. If such research is tax-funded, however, your neighbors will be forced -- at gunpoint, if necessary -- to support something that they don't want. (If you don't think that it happens at gunpoint, imagine what would happen if you didn't pay your taxes!) Your neighbors, in turn, will force you to pay for projects they favor, but you don't. Everyone loses, because the government bureaucracy takes a hefty "overhead" to collect your taxes and decide where they should go. ... For example, two-thirds of our welfare tax dollars go to the middle-class social workers who administer the programs. Private charities, on the other hand, deliver two-thirds of each dollar to those in need. We help the poor best through private charities, not tax-supported welfare. When we let government administer projects that we find useful, we get less for our dollar and these programs suffer." -Liberator Online 3/16 Nice idea. If we could do that, it would be awesome. Too bad that we have problems enough getting people to vote, much less voluntarily separate themselves from their money. I think they're taking on this whole thing backwards... instead of trying to get libertarians to get the government to stop taxing us, the leaders of the party should try to get libertarians to make it unnecessary for leaders to tax us. Sort of like getting privileges from your parents by proving you're responsible. Take on charitable contributions, investing in research, supporting government directed movements, and when some of the burden of paying can be lifted from tax-payers, then you do it. It'd be easier, too. Then you could campaign from the viewpoint that, 'look, the government doesn't need that much money to fund that program! Let's cut it back!' Much more effective and less controversial than, for example, 'hey, let's gouge chunks out of Medicare funding!' (As tempting as that sort of thinking is when I look at my pay stubs and see the money going into a giant black hole in Washington labeled by astronomers "Social Security.") Anyways in the more day-to-day life of Colleen: CARBON LEAF TOMORROW! Hurrah for St. Patrick. And for the Pope bowing to the rather large Catholic Mick population and giving a dispensation to eat meat. (Not that the Caf ever serves any.) I've been spending classes this week Wikipedia-ing various places I like in Ireland. I found one entry ("Blackrock": It's an area of Dun Laoghaire, pronounced 'Dun Leary,' if you're interested) that mentioned my old school. I feel special. Note to self: Buy disposable camera from the SExchange for recording St. Patrick's Day goodness. Current Mood: calm (10 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, March 13th, 2006
10:13 pm	Instead of Huntington's "Clash of Civilizations"... So it's been a busy few days. Most notable occurances were a delightful afternoon with various English teachers, mgmarauder, yllwgummibear, lessthegoddess, and of course, a long, unexpected hour with atlanteanotaku and a brief guest appearance by broadway089... this really just reads like my f'list, here... The following afternoon went from the superfamiliar walls of O'Connell to the almost-as-familiar walls of Tyson's, where kades905 stalked me unexpectedly in the parking lot, la_dauphine helped me find birthday presents and I saw yllwgummibear for the second day in a row! The next day it was time to head on back... hitching a ride with Joe's father. He took us out to Berret's, which was nice of him. He also told amusing stories about Joe which was even better. And as for today, well, everyone on campus knows what a great day it was. If you're in silly Blacksburg or Fredricksburg or N.VA or who knows where... then I'm sorry. Williamsburg, VA was the place to be today. Specifically, on the Sunken Gardens, in a giant people pile on Liz's blanket. Fantastico (or if you're Prof. Arries, superfantastico, porque con el, todo esta super). Current Mood: sleepy Current Music: Carbon Leaf's "Changeless" (5 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, March 10th, 2006
9:56 am	Needles aren't that bad once you get to know them. So the allergist appt. was either a huge waste or a very informative 4 hours, depending on how you look at it. I made the acquaintance of 46 needles, 7 of which were large and one of which was to take blood. In return, the allergist offered the conclusion that I have no known allergies and I need a CT scan? Yippee skippy. In the meantime I should stop eating treenuts so as not to develop an allergy to them, because I have the potential for that to happen. Because of this, I get an epi-pen, along with 5 other prescriptions. All of that hassle is fine with me though, because my dad made it up to me with a lunch at Logan's Roadhouse and a bribe at B&N. Dragon and Phoenix will be my first novel to tackle on return to campus. In the meantime, a little P&P is quite enjoyable for a re-reading. I'm such a dork. Did you know Irish mythology included a story about Creation that followed thusly: The high god Dagda was really, really overly endowed. So he dragged his equipment around in a cart. One day it fell, and got stuck in the mud. Dagda found the mud warm and wet, and from this encounter came grass and trees. Other features of the landscape arose as Dagda wandered, looking for some action. They're not all that bad... though they are all fairly dirty. Those crazy naked-dancing Celts. "It is now quite lawful for a Catholic woman to avoid pregnancy by a resort to mathematics, though she is still forbidden to resort to physics or chemistry." (H. L. Mencken) Current Mood: mischievous Current Music: commercial jingles (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, March 7th, 2006
9:51 am	Snapping, crackling and popping So as an over-tired Colleen, staying up to watch SNL was a big deal and would have been a complete no-go if not for Natalie Portman AND Fall Out Boy. I was disappointed, though. That show really has gone downhill, and this is coming from someone who's barely watched it. The skits were funny (mostly) but they just weren't CLEVER. Oh, chuckle chuckle, Natalie Portman as a pre-op transgender guy? It's funny, cuz they said "penis" a couple times. I'm spoiled by the Simpsons, I think. Or more likely, by reading. There's a lot more scope for subtle wit in a 300 page novel than a 30 or 60 minute show. And the novel isn't broken up by commercials. Who was it who pointed out that commercials are louder than regular shows? They're right. Anyways, so after Monday I'm up for anything anyone wants to do. Give me a call on the cell, or drop me an email. I'm planning on hitting up DJO on Thursday... DEFINITLY going to spend all 8th period bothering Mrs. Temme's journalism class. Any seniors who have an afternoon class they want disrupted :-D let me know. Any (college) freshmen who want to come with, let me know, and anyone at all who wants to go to Joe's Pizza with me afterward, let me know! In the meantime it's off to Chantilly Library to stock up for this nice week at home. Cheers. Edit: Due to being only a two car household, I think my DJO pilgramage is going to be Wednesday, not Thursday... (I hope). Also - Tyson's, anyone??? *POKE* This means you, Sarah. Current Mood: content Current Music: Let Your Troubles Roll By - Carbon Leaf (6 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, March 2nd, 2006
1:03 am	One can only think about political theory so much... So today someone shared with me the interesting view that, quote: "PMS is just a Western myth spread around by the media." (I think if I posted this alone I'd get a fair few interesting responses.) Naturally, I dissuaded him of this view. Calmly, for which I'm proud of, considering the last few days he had just dismissed as 'mythical.' *Wry grin* Even the other guys in the room just gave him this look. With the help of a biology student, I enlightened him as to the role of those lovely things we know as hormones. I wonder if anyone's ever tried to assert that horniness, aggression, and machismo are myths. Except that those are always present in creatures with testosterone... then again, plenty of girls don't need PMS as an excuse to be unstable. *'Nother wry grin* Current Mood: amused Current Music: Sunday Bloody Sunday (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Sunday, February 26th, 2006
1:14 pm	Who on Earth decided to make strawberry-flavored cigars? "We gotta hold on to what we got It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not We got each other and that's a lot for love We'll give it a shot We're half way there Ohhh, livin' on a prayer... Take my hand, we'll make it I swear..." :-) That was playing at Sigma Chi last night. That was a fun excursion... we went dancing for probably about an hour, just enjoying the music and watching everyone. Bit of an anthropological adventure. Frat guys are quite ridiculous. For all that fraternity members are usually supposed to be the most manly of all the manly-men on campus, they do rather a lot of hugging and grabbing each other. And dressing up in outfits that would probably be better on girls - for example, neon camo pants. One was even acting more girly than the girls he was with - when "Since U Been Gone" came on, he was pogoing up and down and mouthing the words, waaay more into it than anyone else on the floor. Then, of course, there were the girls draping themselves all over their dance partners. Difficult to say which was worse, the clear-minded girls doing it deliberately or the ones who simply needed the support... At least the only guys who wanted to dance with us were quite polite, and vanished sometime around when we found Rugby Dan. Amusing. And hey, at least this time there were more than 5 people on the dance floor - I don't know why Sig Chi is always throwing parties at the same time as Lambda but perhaps Lambda is the reason there were more people at Sig Chi last night. Lambda was ridiculously packed last time - imagine a can of sardines having sex. Ick. Keep in mind I hate seafood, too, so this metaphor is all the more strong and repulsive... So, on with the productive weekend. Too bad I'm pouring all my current productivity into writing a story. But it's a good story, so oh well. Maybe at some point I'll get on with writing about how American should handle China. :-) Current Mood: complacent Current Music: Bon Jovi (5 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, February 23rd, 2006
2:58 pm	"We're Back: A Dinosaur's Story" I have returned. And cleaned the site way up. So that said, moving on... An Important Public Service Announcement! March is the start of spring. As someone who is way overexcited by sunshine and good weather, I order you to take to the streets - or at least leave your laptops - and go fly a kite or climb a tree. I shall be doing much of both, complete with stories and pictures. Also I will be going about the onerous, cruel, pain-in-the-butt task of meandering around campus bugging people, bouncing around N.VA bugging people (on the TOLLROAD!), and then finding my way back down here again over the next few weeks. Sweet. Ignoring the 3 midterms next week, everything is excellent. Actually on second thought, ignoring those strikes me as possibly a flawed plan. Must go revise that notion. Cheers. Current Mood: sleepy (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, June 1st, 2005
10:20 pm	Graduation Tomorrow. National Shrine. Does this seem surreal to anyone else? Current Mood: elated (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, May 16th, 2005
1:01 pm	So FABULOUS weekend... busy as hell but fabulous. Prom was great... I've no time in the next few days to get the pictures up but at least I can relate the highlights... * Sarah the Fantastic and myself hung out at my house waiting for the los ninos to appear. Then we discovered they were still puttering around Seven Corners. Fortunately, that was right near Dianna's house, where we were meeting for the limo. * The limo driver speaks English and doesn't look like Dennis Rodman! Huzzah! We took loads of the aforementioned pictures and then proceeded in our cool limo. The coolness of the limo was only eclipsed by the fact that we didn't have a sixty-cop motorcade like the President, who overtook us by Reagan National. * Upon arriving we bounced around hugging everyone (well OK maybe that was just me). Chris and Liz - adorable... Nick - so so old fashioned with the monocle... everyone - so spiffy and pretty and such! * Tara was there! And Brickfield DID NOT tell me, damn him. * Dinner was passable. The music, also, thought the one DJ over on Marin deck had a great streak of classic rock... I think that that was one of the best parts of the night, when we were all singing. And Mr. D was dancing. Go, Jesus, go! And there's the bell... more later and if you're all lucky, pictures. (Comment on this)
Thursday, April 21st, 2005
5:00 pm	Dorky OC students: The first flight of the NHS air force was a definite success. Lauby: "Who threw that! Whoever did, go pick it up right this minute." Thank God for Marcus, who strutted over and grabbed it for his own nefarious purposes. (Insert basketball joke here). Of course being the goody-goody dork I am I was shaking in my parachute skirt that I would get caught and drummed out of the NHS. It was so worth it in the laughter-quotient, though. Current Mood: impressed Current Music: Gilmore Girls in background (2 Comments |Comment on this)