Well, supposedly some people make money on eBay.

I'm not one of them. With only one exception, I've lost money on everything I've ever sold.

It's frustrating. I can start low and hope a bidding frenzy takes it over what I paid for it... which is what I do when items actually sell. But the bidding frenzy never takes place.

Or, I can set the starting bid at a price to guarantee I won't lose any money. I've tried this method too... and as you might expect, these items still adorn my shelf.

So, now I'm wondering... how does someone actually manage to make money on eBay? At the rate I'm going... I'm going to eventually sell myself into the poor house! Not exactly the reason people sell stuff online!

Maybe everything I have is actually shit? I've considered that. However, I see other people selling the same shit... but their stuff sells for more. So, what am I doing wrong? Is it a matter as simple as poor timing? Do my feet stink?

For instance, the items I sold today... were I to perform a search a couple of results come up. The items that come up have a HIGHER starting bid than mine. I had a couple of watchers, so perhaps they didn't want to bid up the people who had bid on my stuff...

Or perhaps they watch like I do... and forget 90% of the time.

Anyway, I'd be willing to bet dollars for doughnuts that these higher priced items sell.

So, what am I doing wrong? Perhaps I just don't have that "flair" for marketing?

Or, perhaps I don't have anything that anyone actually wants. At least anything that anyone wants to buy from me.

Well, I guess since I apparently don't "get" online auctions... I should just stay away. I can't afford to keep losing money until I figure it out.

And I wonder why I get so apprehensive when it comes to investing in anything... even if the numbers work!

Finally, there's a show on television worth watching! And it comes from someone who's known for phenomenal shows... hopefully this one will enjoy a significant run!

Most people who know me, know that I've been a bit jaded towards TV since the cancellation of a little show called Wonderfalls. It was quirky, fun, and had a "fairy tale" feel to it without giving us those saccharin-sweet fairy tale characters. In fact, the characters were quite dysfunctional. The cast had a great chemistry from the start, and it was an all-around great experience.

The Nielsen families didn't think so... the ratings tanked and the show was cancelled after four episodes. However, this isn't going to be my forum against the pathetically antiquated method of recording viewership. I'll save that for later... today's a day to be thankful!

The next show to hit my radar was Dead Like Me, which was also quirky, fun, with a "fairy tale" feel with those less-than-fairy-tale characters. Showtime gave that one two seasons before killing it.

Now, Bryan Fuller brings us a wonderful romp called Pushing Daisies, which is easily the best show on television. It again breaks the traditional televion sitcom formula (dumb guy, hot wife, kids smarter than the adults), by giving us a quirky, fun, fairy tale... complete with narration from Jim Dale (from the Harry Potter audiobooks), and a wonderful cast of characters who's dysfunctions aren't immediately apparent.

Supposedly, this show's a hit! About time!

If you haven't seen it, give it a chance. There is a time line, but as long as you know the origin of the story (which is still run at the beginning of each episode), you can jump right in like you haven't missed a beat! Lee Pace plays a pie maker with a gift. With one touch, he can bring the dead back to life. However, a second touch results in immediate death... that he cannot resurrect. Also, to allow the deceased to live for more than one minute results in the sacrifice of another life.

He chooses to keep his childhood love (played brilliantly by the beautiful, charming Anna Friel) among the living, even though someone else (who turned out to be a bad man anyway) dies... and he can never "touch" the woman he loves. Quite a bit different from those unrequited love stories that create sexual tension... because she's very much in love with him as well.

There's this scene where they kiss through a sheet of saran wrap that's surprisingly pretty hot... even as innocent as the scene is.

It's on tonight... watch it! There's a lot more to the story...

I just hope the networks figure out something to appease the writers... the writers are justivied in their cause, but the bean counters are afraid of giving too much away of a pie that they are completely uncertain how it will turn out. The Internet is still a very young method of delivering entertainment! However, they need to do something, because the writers deserve a cut!

Another former favorite show of mine, as I recall, had three major stumbling blocks: production issues, infighting, and the writer's strike. Ok, four... if you count that after the strike the writing absolutely sucked.

Moonlighting was that series. I'd hate to see a significant work stoppage threaten another fantastic show!

What i'm listening to:

Sleep With Me
Angelfish
Angelfish

Or, why are music artists such assholes?

The Red Hot Chili Peppers are suing Showtime and the creator and producers of the new hit show "Californication" for stealing the name that "identifies" their band.

At least they don't want much... just EVERY CENT that the show has made and an injunction on the name.¹

What a crock of shit.

Oh, and just an FYI, Californication is NOT an original term coined by the group. In the 1940s, it was used in a derogatory way against unchecked population growth.

Similar groups [to the fictitious James G. Blaine Society]–such as The Miller Society–jokingly promoted measures like building a 16-foot high fence all along Interstate 5 to prevent exiting between California and Washington, expelling non-native Oregon born residents, and instituting a $5000 immigration fee.²

In 1972 (it was a good year...), the term appeared in Time magazine to describe the crazy development taking place in California. It appears the states of Oregon and Colorado did not want to go through the same urban growth issues. At that time anyway...

What's next? Microsoft suing over the use of Windows? That these lawsuits can even get filed just blows my mind! What is this world coming to? How do these people expect complete and exclusive rights to a play on words?

Hmmm... I wonder if there is anything they mentioned in any of their songs that can be used against them?

Sad thing is, the show title was chosen in homage to the album. Way to show support for your fans!

This is a note to anyone who might just be interested in pursuing a history degree.

The survey courses are easy. You have a textbook that aggregates several stories that particular editor thought of as important, you blow through complex topics like the settlement of North America (not about freedom of religion), the American Revolution (which wasn't that revolutionary), and the American Civil War in roughly two to three weeks each, and you escape the class with a decent grade and enough knowledge to do well on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire."

That's stuff you can pick up from the History Channel... it's for hobbyists. Being a history hobbyist is fun, you can appear to know a lot... without, um, knowing a lot.

No, a history degree is a stepping stone to becoming a historian. While a historian may possess a lot of the general knowledge of history like the hobbyist above, it makes sense to specialize.

After all, no one can know everything.

So, historians-in-training move on to the upper division courses. The subjects become refined: Religion in the United States, the English Civil War, a study of modern China.

The textbooks become samples of primary sources... some disappear altogether. So do the tests for "memorization" and "regurgitation" of facts.

This is where I am now. I'm currently enrolled in two classes. One is solely based on research for my capstone project. Naturally, a lot of reading is involved, and note-taking, and writing. Revising and editing are also a big part of this course. However, since this project will encompass more than just one semester, it is important to pick something that fascinates me... which I believe I have done, although the focus has undergone a few shifts since the project started in September.

Some were necessary, others resulted in shifts in interest, still others slid to accommodate the sources I have at my disposal.

This is where I include the note to say that the KU library is awesome. Never have I been in the presence of so many books! Truly and awesome experience to a country boy like myself!

However, since this is actually a top-level upper division course, it's actually pretty simple. I decide the topic, pick the readings, and move at my own pace toward completion.

The killer this semester is taking this course in conjunction with one that focuses on the British and their Grand Tour through Europe in the eighteenth century. Oh, you didn't think that would provide enough material for a semester-long course? Silly you, because it does... and then some.

This class has a research project of its own, where the students research five sources on a topic and kick out a ten page paper on the topic that they will present to the class.

Additionally (and this is where I'm seriously lagging), there are weekly assigned readings, ranging from 50 pages of poetry to 300 pages of journals, to which we must generate two page response papers on.

To be honest, the reading is fun... and I'm really developing a passion for research, but I'm a slow reader. I figured it out over the weekend after contemplating why I seem to be slipping further behind in my classes. I average thirty to forty pages per hour.

Now consider that universities recommend that a student spends two hours outside of class for every hour spent in class dedicated to that class. So, a three hour class should require six additional hours of work. Can I do that and still work full-time? Absolutely!

However, take a 200-page reading assignment. At thirty pages per hour, it will take almost seven hours to complete the reading... and expect to spend an hour or two on the writing assignment. We'll call it eight hours, for simplicity sake. I'm already two hours over the six I'd set aside... and that doesn't include research for the project.

So, last night I asked the professor for advise. Apparently the trick is to... not read everything. He explained that he reads the first sentence of every paragraph, which should be sufficient to understand everything if the writing is well done.

Surprisingly, I can understand that. However, I enjoy reading... taking in the words. I've always been afraid I'll miss something, which probably explains why my reading speed decreases as I age instead of increasing.

However, in doing research, I believe this will enable me to find what I need to find much more quickly... when a first sentence hits exactly what I need, then I can read the entire passage.

But, am I alone in thinking that by continously reading in this fashion... that so much is missing? Or is that just details?

Is reading like math in that respect? After all, for most applications in the real world, it doesn't matter so much if you round 3.141592654 to 3.14... or even 3 in most respects.

Do we get bogged down in the details? Is that what's happening to me now?

Quite probably... so we'll see what happens next! I'm possibly the only student who was unaware of this method of speed reading until now...

So, future history majors... be prepared!

What i'm listening to:

Say You're Wrong
Julian Lennon
Valotte

For one of my history projects, I'm writing about Lady Emma Hamilton. When the semester started, I knew nothing about her... in fact, I'd never even heard the name, or anything about Sir William or Admiral Nelson.

I knew a little about Vesuvius and Pompeii... but to be honest, not much there either.

So, I've been reading a biography of Emma by Kate Williams called England's Mistress, and I have a couple others I plan on using supplementally, if necessary.

This book is very good, and it's putting a bunch of pieces together that I hadn't put together before about what society was like in England, and how women's primping evolved. It's amazing what historians can put together by reading old accounts, letters, journals and other publications. What's even more mindblowing is that I'm preparing myself for potentially the same exciting adventure!

A friend of mine persuaded me to start including school books as ticks towards my yearly reading goals. Her point was this, the time I'm spending reading the required books, I might have spent with recreational reading.

The word "might" jumps out at me there... so as a sort of compromise, I'm including the books that I'm enjoying, and might have ready anyway.

There's this little old lady who runs a used bookstore in a small town not terribly far from here, who told me years ago that she gives a book the first page, and if she isn't hooked, there are more books than she can possibly read anyway, so she might as well grab another.

Again, a mindblowing concept... but it does make sense. Unfortunately, I cannot adopt that attitude for required reading. Some books drag on painfully slow, and part of that is because I'm just not interested in the subject matter. I guess that's why these upper level history classes are more exciting, because I get to do my project on what interests me.

And I'll be honest, some of the "boring" required books... don't get finished.

As for the books on Lady Hamilton? Her life is so fascinating! I love reading about the beautiful girl with the head on her shoulders who ascends through hardship and becomes the most famous and desired woman in England, and indeed, Europe!

And she is quite beautiful. The book has some color plates in it of few of the many paintings done of her. I intend to get one or two to hang on my barren walls at home... Nature (above), by George Romney, would look fabulous in my study.

So if you're reading this, and feeling magnanimous... ;^)

Until then, I have more reading and work to do...

Last night while I was out, the subject of dating came up. Apparently, my attitude on dating is the exception, rather than the rule.

Which boggles my mind! How can anyone be expected to find that "perfect" someone if he/she only dates one person at a time?

What is it about society's attitudes toward dating that leans toward seeing someone, as opposed to many someones?

Perhaps it is insecurity on the part of one of the parties... or maybe both parties.

My take on dating is this: there is nothing wrong with going out/hanging out with many girls. If you see one girl on one night, another on the following night, maybe stay home the third and see the first girl on the fourth night... then reserve the weekends for meeting new girls, that is what I would perceive as ideal. Or maybe it's a different girl each night of the week. But I don't think seeing the same girl more than twice a week is appropriate.

At least not in the beginning. After all, what happened to getting to know each other? If you get too serious before you really get to know each other, how do you possibly expect it to work? Why are you surprised when it all bursts into a fiery mass in a month, a year, ten years down the road?

At least by seeing more than one girl (and hopefully she's doing the same), you're getting to know many "potentials," and you have a better chance of finding that one special someone. In fact, she'll begin to stand out of the group... and you'll just naturally start spending more time with her.

That is what dating's about.

I hate this idea that you go out on a date with some girl... and you're "seeing each other" and you're suddenly not allowed to see anyone else? Who came up with that? Some needy and jealous guy/girl... I'm sure. If it's truly working and you really like each other, you'll naturally come back to each other?

Is that such an unreasonable concept?

What i'm listening to:

Rock You Like a Hurricane
Scorpions
Love at First Sting

So, now that I've had the new iPod for a bit... I thought I'd jot down things I'd like to see in future updates.

One big advantage to having something that is much more like a computer, is that Apple can dramatically change the way this device functions... without requiring new hardware. At least, for now...

So, I'm curious to see what they will change.

Anyway, without further ado... the wish list:

• I'd like to see them exclude music videos from music. They don't belong there, and if they do get sucked into a playlist, it only plays the sound anyway.
• It would be cool if cover flow reflected the current playlist instead of the entire library... like it does in iTunes. Also annoying is when choosing a song from an album in cover flow, it automatically assumes you only want to listen to songs from that album.
• I absolutely love being able to walk around with every episode of "The Office" and "Pushing Daisies" in my pocket. Even if I do have to record/encode the "Pushing Daisies" eps myself.
• I like Safari's "session saver," but I'd like the option to clear the session without resetting the device.
• I still don't like that it didn't ship with the iPhone apps on it, but that was easy enough to fix. I'm curious to see what happens when an update is released though.
• Perhaps my biggest gripe is that smart playlists don't update on the device like they do on my iPod and my nano. For instance, if I have a playlist based on play counts designed to keep the playlist fresh, I have to dock it for the changes to take effect. That sucks. It can't be too hard to fix, because it does know when a podcast or TV show is played.
• I've learned to double-tap the home button to quickly access volume/control features without unlocking... but it still seems like it could be easier. I read today that the iPhone has those features in the earbuds.
• While browsing albums, the display features a thumbnail image of the album cover to the left... which is quite unintrusive. However, I'd like to see them add this to the song browser. It would be especially useful since song titles aren't terribly unique. For instance, I have the song "Stay" by Emmy Rossum, and another by Madonna... if I forget which one is which... or what versions are on the iPod, since I do have Shakespear's Sister, Lisa Loeb and The Four Seasons at home, I'd like a better way to tell them apart.
• While for the most part the automatic joining of networks is handy... 'linksys' should not be one of these. Since the plethora of Linksys router owners out there don't rename their access point, it's annoying to have your connection jump to one that you might be "stealing" bandwidth from.
• I am very, very satisfied with the battery life on this. I can't go weeks like I do with the nano (which granted, it only exists for purposes of my workouts), but I don't run out in five hours like I did with my old iPod. I do have a replacement battery for it though if I can get past the hard drive woes.
• They should have put the headphone jack a wee bit closer to the dock connector... if only to enable this to work with the nano lanyards.

Overall, I'm very satisfied with my new toy, although there are some conveniences I enjoyed with my 3G iPod that just aren't on the touch. Namely the quick control access and updating smart playlists. It's a fun toy though, and being able to check email or hit the web from any wi-fi hotspot is awesome.

Yep, I think I'll keep it.

What i'm listening to:

Everybody
Britney Spears
Blackout

Some weirdness going on.

Today, the ex called. Just to talk... and to apologize for being such a jerk.

Her word... perhaps not the one I would have picked.

So, what do I think about this? Well, it does seem a bit odd. I don't know how long the conversation would have lasted had the snowstorm in her part of the world not zapped her cell phone reception. I would guess not too much longer.

She updated me on her life... I didn't really have a lot to say. She did ask how I've been, and I had to answer honestly. It's been pretty fabulous!

I still believe I'm better without her than I was with her. So, why did I take the call? Curiosity, I suppose.

Yes, I know what they say about curiosity... but I figure if I'm comparing myself to a cat, I've still got a few lives left in me. And maybe each time, I'll be less of a wuss! =^)

So, now this question has popped up in my head. Can we still be friends? I have fair to strong friendships with every other ex... at least the ones who have stayed in the loop. There is one I've lost track of, and I'm not terribly willing to ask the people I'd have to ask to find her.

Besides, I'm not that interested in "finding" anyone. That implies that there is some shortage of women in the world... which is absurd.

What about that lovely barista at Starbucks? The single mom in the checkout line at the grocery store? The bouncy cocktail waitress who grabs my ass?

Then there's my dance partner, my wing-girls at the club, my favorite history major who works at the gym... so many women.

So little time!

So, why work on a friendship with the ex? Good question.

There are really only three things I care about: money, the pleasures that come with money, and women. A friendship with someone who burned me so badly doesn't really fit into the game plan... but on the other hand I do need to take more risks.

Perhaps, I'll look at it like a business deal. I'll go into it with an exit strategy in mind, only after making a list of profits and losses.

Maybe I just won't put that much thought into it... and see what happens.

However, I refuse to speculate on her agenda. I have some hunches, because I have learned a LOT about women since the "before time," so it'll be crucial to keep my shields up.

And I'll have to TiVo "Pushing Daisies" tonight... as I have to meet a couple of ladies tonight. Certainly, the best show on television since "Wonderfalls!"

What i'm listening to:

Here Comes the Rain Again
Eurythmics
Touch

Please, remember me forever. Believe in me as someone who's never gonna wish you well.

There's just something about this album by Lisa Marie... I keep coming back to it. And I just love the song, "Idiot." =^)

The ex sent me an email recently. Apparently, she's getting her knickers in a twist because I just can't seem to put a priority on sending her something she decided to ask for a month ago.

Not sure what the hurry is, suddenly, after being without it for this long. Especially since I know she replaced it. She must have a gift idea in mind for someone...

But that's none of my never mind...

However, that song is incredibly appropriate when I think about her. Is that wrong? I suppose that even though I've regained solid ground underneath me, it's natural to feel some resentment, eh? Perhaps I always will... oh well.

C'est la vie! At least I can take comfort in the fact I'll probably never see her again anyway. =^D

Yes, that's comforting!

Today, I treated myself to an Italian sub at my favorite coffee house. That wasn't the highlight, however. Being invited to check out my barista's luscious ass was. =^D

Very, very nice booty!

Lately, I've been so focused on my school work that I haven't been spending any time out. No consorting with the fairer sex... there'll be plenty of time for that when my papers are turned in.

However, I never miss the opportunity to banter with the women I do encounter. That would be a crime! Besides, if I don't use my gifts... I could lose them! ;^)

Plus, it's good to lay the groundwork for whatever may happen in the future!

What i'm listening to:

Turned to Black
Lisa Marie Presley
Now What