Longklaw.com

I fixed one of the links on the right. It was pointing to GameTrailors.com when it should have been pointing to GameTrailers.com.

Over the years I have avoided getting hooked on Everquest. I’ve been tempted a few times to buy it, but always decided against it. I played the beta of the PS2 version for about an hour but never got into it. Yesterday, I reserved my copy of Everquest II. When I reserved it, I got the Starter Kit, which has a character creation tool and an account key that gives you boots for extra speed when you start the game. It also has discounts on PC upgrades and some videos and mp3’s. The guy at the store gave me a box like the ones that most PC games come in and a separate CD sleeve. It looks like they both contain the same thing except that the box has an extra card that gives you access to some information on their website. I don’t know if the guy did that on purpose because I’m in there all the time or if he didn’t realize that they contain almost the same thing. Or maybe he’s supposed to give everybody 2 kits. Anyway, I’ll probably work on creating my character sometime soon. I told myself that if I ever played another MMOG I would be a healer. There never seems to be enough of them around.

It’s about that time. Last November was the first time I didn’t vote on Election Day in years. I blame Oktibbeha County for not getting my registration changed. I filled out the form 3 times before they finally got it right. It’s also partially my fault for not following up in time for the election.

I was wondering why Election Day is always on a Tuesday when most people have to work. I did a little research and found the following information on the Federal Election Commission website.

The Tuesday after the first Monday in November was initially established in 1845 (3 U.S.C. 1) for the appointment of Presidential electors in every fourth year. 2 U.S.C. 7 established this date for electing U.S. Representatives in every even numbered year in 1875. Finaly, 2 U.S.C. 1 established this date as the time for electing U.S. Senators in 1914.

Why the first Tuesday after the first Monday? Lawmakers wanted to prevent election day from falling on the first of November for two reasons. November 1st is All Saints Day, a holy day of obligation for Roman Catholics. In addition, most merchants were in the habit of doing their books from the preceding month on the 1st. Congress was apparently worried that the economic success or failure of the previous month might influence the vote of the merchants.

I had a pretty good weekend. It was one of those weekends where you have a good time, but you feel bad for not making much progress on all the work that you have to do. Maybe that’s just me. Oh well, I shouldn’t complain.

I went to Jackson for my cousin Kim’s wedding. It was nice going back and seeing so many of my relatives, but I also hate being away from home. Until I move, the apartment I rent in Starkville is my home. I had to leave it for about 2.5 months over the summer, so that may be why I’m not eager to stay away for very long now.

I had fun at the wedding and reception. Why do people say I look like a preacher every time I wear a suite? My sister was the matron of honor. She and the bride have known each other for longer than I’ve been alive (over 30 years).

Weekends are never long enough.

Jeanne is here. I used to think it would be cool to live in FL after I graduated. Now I’m not so sure.

Is it a coincidence that this is happening shortly before the presidential election? Probably so, but at this rate FL won’t be around to cause any controversy in the election.

Ivan didn’t aggravate enough people the first time around, so he came back for more. The storm went down the Atlantic Coast, passed over Florida, and is now once again in the Gulf of Mexico. It regained some of it’s strength and is now back up to tropical storm status. I think it’s supposed to reach land over Texas or southwest Louisiana later today.

President Bush gave a speech before the UN today. I didn’t pay attention to what he was talking about, but I started thinking about some of his famous quotes, otherwise known as “Bushisms”. Now I’m at work waiting for a build to complete, so I decided to search the net for some of them.

Who could forget this one?
“Too many good docs are getting out of the business. Too many OB/GYN’s aren’t able to practice their love with women all across the country.”—Sept. 6, 2004, Poplar Bluff, Mo.

Or this one?
“Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.”—Washington, D.C., Aug. 5, 2004

Did you even hear about this one?
“[B]y the way, we rank 10th amongst the industrialized world in broadband technology and its availability. That’s not good enough for America. Tenth is 10 spots too low as far as I’m concerned.”—Minneapolis, Minn., April 26, 2004

Thanks to The Complete Bushisms for the above quotes. DubyaSpeak.com has mp3’s of a lot of his quotes.

from the Starkville Daily News

taken by me near my apartment

Ivan came, saw me, and ran. All joking aside, it wasn’t all that bad here. We got some strong winds gusts (up to 75 mph) and lots of rains. I heard that parts of the county and the campus lost power temporarily, but I didn’t experience any of it. I got drenched whenever I went outside and had to drive around some street cones that had been blown into the middle of the street, but other than that I wasn’t too incovenienced. There are pictures in today’s Reflector of people playing in the rain. I almost wish I had done that instead of working inside all day.

I know that many areas are a lot worse off than we are. I wonder how long it’ll take them to get the collapsed section of I-10 back up.

I’m starting to get tired of all these hurricanes. It looks like we’re going to feel the effects of this one all the way up here in Starkville. They are expecting tropical storm strength winds, a lot of rain, and possible flooding. A lot of schools in the area are closing, but of course MSU will be open. They didn’t even give us a day off when a tornado hurt the town pretty badly a few years ago. Anyway, I hope everybody that I know in the path of the storm makes it through ok.

If anybody is actually reading this and wants a Gmail account, send me an email at longklaw@longklaw.com . First come, first serve.