Foofadilly

The Thing

2008-12-08T01:26:53Z

I'm getting married. More details and probably a rare treat of photos to come.

Obama

2008-11-06T02:54:09Z

I remember four years ago, after the rickety canoe we called a campaign collapsed and George W. Bush was actually re-elected to our infinite shock and dismay. It sucked. A lot. We pushed and pushed and pushed, but Ohio did not budge. Ohio was totally comfortable putting GEORGE W. BUSH (?!) back in the white house. What a mess. John Kerry was the best we could do, and no one cared. We really didn't care. He wasn't Bush, and that was all that mattered. Big mistake. When your candidate's biggest asset is the fact that he is not his opponent, you have nothing. We lost everywhere. Rob and I went out to Tuffy's and sat in silent disappointment, occasionally making a casual suggestion that we should probably start up that socialist revolution soon.

But then there was that one guy. That Barack Obama guy. He won in Illinois. A big upset, too. Unseated a pretty comfortable Republican, even though his name rhymes with Osama. Wouldn't it be great if something like that happened on a national level. Yeah, right. I honestly believed that the American people would not be able to get past the fact that his name was so similar to public enemy #1. I mean, we did just re-elect GEORGE W. BUSH(?!).

I heard Obama on NPR, as a guest on "What do you Know?" He was funny. He talked about all the mean bullying things senior senators did to junior senators. Funny.

Then there was some talk. Barack Obama may run for president. Hah! Wow! That would be funny. I can just see the responses of the unwashed hoards. "His name sounds like Osama! He's a terrorist!" Already, there were people on the Internet saying he wasn't an American citizen. There are so many stupid people out there. There's really no way. Plus he's black. That's an automatic no-go for the presidency.

Then he announced it. Then there were primaries. Oh my god. He's doing pretty well. You know, maybe we would elect him. Assuming he wasn't facing a really strong candidate...and what do the republicans have to throw at us, Giuliani? Right. Fat chance. But Hillary...People already know and hate her. A bit more like this went on in my head, and finally I decided I wanted Obama to win. He just might have a shot. A long shot, but a shot.

Long, bitter battle ensues. The party is cleanly split down the middle. Damn it. There we go again. And they've got McCain. McCain! Mr. Bipartisan-war-hero-actually-compassionate-conservative McCain. A guy who really believes what he says, and yet is in politics. Not looking good. But hang on...Obama wins the primaries, and now McCain is starting to shift. He's drifting into a locked party line. Are people going to see that?

Yes. They are. Obama is polling ahead. And what is this Palin shit?! Really, McCain?! What a stupid move!

But people actually like her. Is it truly possible to watch her interview with Katie Couric and actually believe that she could function in politics on a national level?

Apparently not. A brief boost, and then Obama's ahead again. My mom goes slowly and steadily insane over the campaign, and probably secures hundreds of voters all by herself. But...she's in Ohio. Stubborn Ohio. Always letting me down Ohio. Passed a "gays are icky" proposition last time Ohio.

Last night, we had our neighbors over for the first time. We had our friends over. When Ohio popped up....BLUE....on the TV....

Did that really just happen? Did we really turn Ohio BLUE?! Oh my GOD! We could actually win this thing!

Two years ago, when the Democrats took over the Senate and several gubernatorial spots, Thad and I celebrated with a few shots of Grey Goose Vodka. Last night, I did the same thing - I was thinking of you over in Africa, Thad. The second polls closed on the West coast, they called it, and we cheered.

It felt like a weight had been lifted. Suddenly I was no longer tied down. Suddenly I don't have to say I'm American, or even that I'm from Ohio, apologetically. I'm proud of my home state for the first time in eight years. I walked outside this morning and thought, In a few months, we will have a black president. I saw it happen in Deep Impact. I saw it happen in 24. They were complete fantasies. I saw the blatant, horrible racism directed at Obama the candidate. I saw the racism in general - let's face it, America doesn't have the best track record, and Cincinnati...anyone remember 2001? Not the best track record. And yet, here we are.

Oh my god. It's surreal. Everything I was so positive just couldn't happen, because America, frankly, just wasn't there yet and wouldn't be for probably decades, happened. There really is something remarkable about Barack Obama. I was cynical, sure, but for good reason. So many people were. So many people wondered if we were "ready for a black president." His response was a constant, "Yes we can." And we did. And suddenly, I don't feel quite so cynical about our country anymore.

I'm not naive enough to think this is going to be the miracle that cures America. There's a lot of shit to wade through now. But damn, this is a big step.

And for the record, I think I actually liked McCain's concession speech more than Obama's acceptance speech. Not that Obama's wasn't amazing. But McCain seemed to suddenly switch back into his good old "I really do care" mode. It was refreshing. If he had won, and had not let himself get caught up in the demands of the Republican party, I would have been okay with that. We just really needed someone respectable in the White House. Someone who occasionally tells the truth.

So basically, I'm proud to be an American. And I'm proud to be an Ohioan. I truly cannot remember a time when I felt so proud to be both. It's unreal. It feels great.

faschwaa @ 2008-08-26T14:40:00

2008-08-26T18:45:46Z

I got me a real grown-up job! Starting tomorrow, I am an acquisitions editorial assistant at the State University of New York Press. I've been waiting to hear about this for quite some time, and it comes at quite a convenient moment - I just lost my job at Jos. A Bank Clothiers because they were forced to let all non-sales staff go (stupid economy). Anyway, Now I'll be making a bit of money instead of continually sinking slowly into more and more debt, so I'm pretty damn thrilled. Also, I really love the press and I've already made friends there. Go me!

faschwaa @ 2008-07-06T10:55:00

2008-07-06T15:07:14Z

Had a great time in the city this weekend. We met some really great people, mostly friends of ringrrl416, but also valjean615 (finally!). We also saw the Manhattan skyline at night for the first time, and there were huge, pretty fireworks in it! I really had fun, and the people we met were all so friendly and inviting and we felt like we've always been part of the group, and it made us very happy. Damn, were we tired, though. We waited until this morning to watch the DW finale and Holy crap.

I'm really not sure what to say about it. I was actually a touch disappointed, particularly with how they wrote off Rose. I think I would have preferred them just being separated again to this whole half-human other-doctor boyfriend thing. It felt wrong.

I was more sad about Donna's departure, actually. She went all Doctor-Donna and then she became the same (somewhat annoying) person she was before it all happened. Of course, I can't think of any better way they could have had her leave the show, so I can't say I would have done things differently. Still, it made me a little depressed.

As much as I geek out on love for the Daleks sometimes, I kind of hope they're gone for good this time. Or at least for a long time. They're great enemies, but there are only so many times I can suspend my belief for an extinct race suddenly appearing again.

That's all for now.

GOOO!!!

2008-06-29T01:06:58Z

Did anyone else see tonight's Doctor Who and wet themselves repeatedly?

Baaah!

2008-06-06T12:27:53Z

Things were going rather swimmingly. The internship is great, I finally had my first day of work at a clothing store where they pay me, and I've turned in my application for the English M.A. program. Then today started. It started very poorly. It started at around 3 am. We woke up to rain. No, not the sound of rain. Rain falling on us. Just a few drops, so we decided we'd do something about it in the morning and just move the bed and put a towel down for now. About an hour and a half later, we woke again to a veritable torrent of raindrops coming in from the ceiling. It seems there is a patch just above my head at night that was replaced a while back and is now deciding it would much rather be a hole, thank you very much. We called the emergency number, and the landlady got a hold of our upstairs neighbor (who had apparently not noticed the buildup of water on his floor) and he's plugged up the leak for the time being. I'm now waiting to hear about a roofer, and I may have to call in on my second day of work. Bah.

faschwaa @ 2008-05-17T15:49:00

2008-05-17T19:50:32Z

I should add that I've become a huge friend of Dr. Who thanks to our friend Lindsay from Washington. So if anyone wants to discuss that....

Wow, a real entry!

2008-05-17T19:49:15Z

It's been a while. I buried myself in video games and grad school work for a while there and didn't really have much time for anything else. Mandi's family is coming to visit starting tonight, so I just got done cleaning the crap out of the apartment to the extent that I had forgotten how much space we actually have here. It's really not bad.

Anyway, year one of grad school is done, and it went pretty well. The Liberal Studies program here leaves something to be desired for a Western grad. It's not really a fair comparison, I suppose. I visited Western over Spring Break and it made me sad and happy. It's changed a bit, but it's really the people that make the program, and lots of great people are still around. So I decided that, as I'm practically finished with the Liberal Studies requirements and I have a few English credits that can transfer, I'm going to apply for an M.A. in English on top of my current Liberal Studies one. By my calculations, I can still be done by the spring if I can manage a thesis and two classes at once.

The summer is gonna be a bit hectic. Mandi has an internship at the Schenectady County Historical Society which pays so well that, no matter what I end up with, she's probably gonna be the bread-winner. I've got an internship as well, at SUNY Press, the school's academic publishing firm. I also have an all but certain job at a men's clothing store thanks to the UPS guy I worked with every day at Pearl Grant Richman's. Really nice guy. I'll know all this stuff for sure come next Wednesday, at which point I hope to have finished my application for the English program and have all the sources I need for my first Master's Thesis, which I am also doing this summer. Oh, and in July I'm starting a four-week class on Hemingway. That's about it, really. Aside from that I'll probably play more video games.

Okay. Back into the nether world of scarce updates. Bye!

faschwaa @ 2008-01-12T01:29:00

2008-01-12T06:40:51Z

We're back in Albany after a long holiday in southwest Ohio. We came back with a lot more junk than we left with. It's been quite a task finding a place for it all, especially considering how much of it was kitchen stuff. Our kitchen can fit two average people in it if the refrigerator is closed. Anyway, I worked my magic in there and somehow it looks tidy.

We've spent much of the past week doing acrobatics and collecting star bits in Super Mario Galaxy, which is the best game I've played since Twilight Princess. The controls suffer due to awkward camera angels and general gravitational wonkiness here and there, but overall it's spectacular.

Oh, we've also watched all of The Flight of the Conchords season one and several episodes of Jack of All Trades. The latter took me on a trip down memory lane with Bruce Campbell as my guide.

I also brought back some files from the old computer - mostly high school papers and such, but I found the folder containing all the comic strips Lawler and I made back in the day. They're not of the highest quality where web comics are concerned, but they're also nothing to blow your nose at. I'm proud to say that I have made myself chuckle some five or six years after the fact.

Maybe I'll take up drawing obnoxious doodles that originated in class while I was bored again sometime soon. We'll see.

faschwaa @ 2007-12-20T22:49:00

2007-12-21T03:53:53Z

Been a while, eh? Well, I've survived my first semester of living in Albany and being a grad student. Grades should be up tomorrow, so we'll see how that went. I'm currently in my Cincinnati home, having just celebrated my older sisters 1/4 century birthday. We had a little party at my aunt and uncles house. I mentioned to my uncle that I've been searching for two old Lucasarts adventure games (The Dig and Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis) for a long time, and he went upstairs and fetched both CDs in perfect condition. I nearly wet myself.

Also, I found my old comic book collection. I had pretty good taste considering I barely even remember my comic book phase. I wonder why it ended. I never stopped liking comics, I just stopped keeping up with them. Anyway, I may bring some of those back to Albany with me.

So that's about it. Happy Holidays and all.

Manly

2007-09-18T14:29:51Z

My mom sent me 6 pints of Graeter's Ice Cream, and I squealed with joy. Also, this:

Sure, it's silly, and sure, it's Donny Osmond singing, but damn...what a song. It's at once epic and vaguely satirical. It brings me joy.

faschwaa @ 2007-08-20T10:32:00

2007-08-20T14:36:10Z

Don't worry, I'm not dead. Mandi and I have moved into our pretty new Albany apartment and we've been getting settled over the past couple of weeks. I've been searching for a job, mostly, but we've also explored much of the city, found a few good restaurants, hiked a painful mountain in the Adirondacks, gotten library cards, and introduced ourselves to the bus system. I like this city a lot, and we live right in the awesome part of it.

The fine people of Western will be moving back in and getting settled this week, I think? I'm sad that I'm not with them, but I'm in a great place and I'm happy. School starts next week for me. Wish me luck.

faschwaa @ 2007-07-30T01:22:00

2007-07-30T05:28:22Z

I'm leaving for Albany on Friday, and that's weird. I feel like it's slowly starting to hit me that I'm going to be gone, and very gone, for at least two years. I'm really excited to be living with Mandi again. We had a lot of fun last Summer. But still. Albany. That's far. Saying goodbye to Western and my hometown from which I've never lived more than a half hour drive all in a few months is kind of terrifying.

Also, having recently read the last and first Harry Potter Books (in that order), it occurred to me that Western was essentially my Hogwarts, from the characteristics of the people I met there to the strange rituals and practices that enchanted me.

faschwaa @ 2007-07-12T08:56:00

2007-07-12T13:08:06Z

Eric's wedding was awesome. We got to PA on the fourth and had plenty of quality time to spend with Eric and Beth before the weekend. Eric and I saw Transformers, which was everything I expected to be and didn't attempt to be more (which would have surely been disastrous - it's a movie based on toys). We also did some go-carting, food-eating, and Smash Brothers-playing, and that made up the bachelor party. It was very fitting.

The wedding itself was beautiful, and I'll have some pictures up sometime in the near future. Beth looked beautiful, and Eric looked very sharp and manly. They wrote their own vows, which were as cheesy as can be, but coming from them you couldn't even notice. Any shred of reservation I had about them getting married (which wasn't much, mind you) was wiped away when I saw them reading their vows. It wasn't so much a look of pure love as of pure compatibility. They really are perfect for each other, and I'm proud of and happy for both of them.

After the wedding, we went to Albany and started apartment hunting. This started out stressfully, as it is much easier to see the downside of an apartment in person than online. With the help of my resourceful mother, we were able to find the ideal neighborhood (the Washington Park area, for those who are familiar), and get a few appointments to look through the best places within our budget. We had it narrowed down to two; one that was half in the bad neighborhood but was very cute and had lots of space, and one that was smaller and more enclosed but in a better place and tucked away in a secret garden. We were about to decide on the former when I saw a sign that hadn't been out before on a really cool looking building.

That one turned out to be the one. We even got to talk down the price a bit. it's a beautiful building, right down the street from the SUNY downtown campus, very spacious apartment, and we have a friendly and helpful landlady, to boot. We're moving on the first weekend of August. Wish me luck.

faschwaa @ 2007-07-04T03:33:00

2007-07-04T07:33:58Z

Soo...if I haven't gotten to sleep by now and I'm supposed to leave at 6:00, I might as well stay up all night, eh? Stupid sleep schedule.

faschwaa @ 2007-07-03T22:38:00

2007-07-04T02:39:31Z

Tomorrow I depart for Pennsylvania-land (though I'll be staying in Delaware) for my best-good-friend's wedding! After that, we're going to peruse some apartments in Albany, and then perhaps have a trip up to Maine to see Acadia National Park. Should be a fun trip. Bye!

faschwaa @ 2007-06-30T17:01:00

2007-06-30T21:02:48Z

Do yourself a favor and go see Once as soon as you possibly can. It's a brilliant movie, and the soundtrack alone can break your heart. I went out and bought it immediately after seeing the movie.

faschwaa @ 2007-05-16T15:22:00

2007-05-16T19:22:30Z

Peter Mulvey on Friday at the Canal Street Tavern in Dayton. Who's with me?

faschwaa @ 2007-05-10T09:31:00

2007-05-10T13:34:37Z

After exhausting my gaming options at home (I'm bored of the games I have at the moment), I have begun to sink into the same mood I had during Spring Break. No one's around during the day, there's nothing to do around here, and I'd really like that to change.

I've started reading the New Testament during the day to pass the time. I don't think I've actually sat down and read it, at least not since I've been able to really comprehend it. I think I'm still in scholarly mode, and I'm approaching the bible as such.

faschwaa @ 2007-04-27T11:58:00

2007-04-27T16:08:39Z

I've been listening to a lot of break-up music lately. I was a bit concerned until I realized why. Western is basically breaking up with me. I've spent the past four years of my life in the best (student to school) relationship I've ever had, and in a week and a day it'll be over.

I was accepted to SUNY Albany. I'll be in New York in a few months, and Western will start to be assimilated into the College of Arts and Sciences. I don't care what the sarcastic student speakers say - these really are the best years of my life. Full of friends constantly at arm's reach, wonderful professors, beautiful woods to hike through, and an unending supply of support, whether its emotional, scholarly, or recreational.

This really is the end of an era for me. The end of the golden age. The fact that two of my cats died in the past year underlines it.

Okay, I'm done whining. Sorry.

faschwaa @ 2007-04-23T11:16:00

2007-04-23T15:18:01Z

The weight of this weekend and the impending end of undergraduate college just hit me last night. I'm leaving most of my friends, I got real sick this weekend, and my cat (Pig) died. I'm sad.

Big sigh of relief

2007-04-11T15:58:34Z

I finished my senior project. Now I'm a 5 page paper, three presentations, and one exam away from graduation. That's frightening.

!!!

2007-03-21T16:13:35Z

NEW OZMA ALBUM?!?!?! MAY 15?!!?!

Every time you close your eyes

2007-02-13T15:22:26Z

The Arcade Fire is coming out with a new album, which kind of made me realize that they're my favorite band. That is all.

I am a busy bee.

faschwaa @ 2007-01-18T21:48:00

2007-01-19T02:49:31Z

I think the random encounter/separate battle screen thing was a major obstacle for the Final Fantasy series. Now that they fixed it with Final Fantasy XII, exploring the various locales in the game is infinitely more engrossing. Well done.