Drew's locus

Recently I’ve started taking the bus to and from work to save money, gas, be “green” and not loose my parking spot. The spinoff of that is I started frequenting a local coffee shop as I wait the 20-30 minuets for the bus. Then one Wednesday I met this girl working behind the counter who had a good sense of humor and just went with my indecisive nature when there was more than 1 option. Well as the weeks went by we would have small talk- nothing big or deep, but something nice to look forward to. 

More recently I have found myself making an extra stop just to see and talk to her at work. (Not the creepy kind.) So I finally found the courage with a little help from her, to see if she’d like to meet up at a time when work wouldn’t be involved.

We agreed on this friday. I have no shame in admitting to anyone but her, that I am nervous. Seriously. It’s probably a good nervous, but the possibility of rejection and awkward moments is a scary thing.

I am looking for any first date tips or advice. It’s been many years since I’ve been involved in the dating scene, so I’m looking for all types of advice and stories. Post in the comments (or as many of my shy readers do, email and IM me.)

Today was the first ever 20sb vlog day. This is also the first ever 20sb event that I am participating in!

The rules were as follows:

“Just film yourself answering the following questions:
  1. If you wrote an autobiography of your life in your 20s so far, what would the first chapter be called? What would the last chapter be called?
  2. Give us a tour… of anything! Your kitchen, your running route, your drawer full of mismatched socks, your favourite bar… anything goes. Just a guided tour.
  3. Tell us a story that is unique to you. It can be short or long, it can have happened today or when you were little. It has to be true and original.”

With those rules set, I took to my camera to the streets of Pittsburgh and the Duquesne incline. With a little Apple editing magic from Final Cut Studio, I came up with an interesting video blog lasting 4:55. Enjoy it on youtube: (you can watch it in high quality at youtube’s site!)

For the first time in awhile I have been working the daylight shift at work this week. I really don’t mind working the evening shift, aside from I always miss all the good shows. However, this week was not the case!

Tonight I headed over to Third Thursdays at WYEP for some free beer and a dose of local music. Playing at the show was Good Night, States. Obviously, a Pittsburgh local group. This is definitly a group that you can dance to. I think out of their entire set they only had one mellow song.

WYEP will be posting a podcast of the show at somepoint (it usually takes them awhile,) but when they do check it out! I loved the second song of the set and of-course their song “Killer Of The One” which is played on the radio was awesome to hear live. Third Thursdays Podcast Link

Links:
Good Night, States [dot] com
WYEP Third Thursdays
Third Thursday Podcasts - Check them out, you won’t be sorry!

Until the podcast is posted, here is an acoustic version of Only Thing Live:

A picture on the drudgereport this morning features the best representation of how I feel about the debates discussion tonight and the candidates speaking.

Bobbleheads.

Seriously, a debate is between several people - a discussion is between two people. The American people have a right to hear voices and opinions from other than two first class clown bobbleheads. There is no lesser of the evil, they are both pathetic excuses for candidates out of the entire American population. The presidential election debate should be between candidates from the Green, Libertarian, Conservative, Democratic, Republican Constitution, American Independent, Socialism, Reform, and Prohibition. That my friends would be a debate!

I could envision it now, set up the debate similarly to the House of Commons in British Parliament with the candidates at the floor. When a question is asked they jump up and answer it while fielding opposition with other candidates jumping in and out. Oh man… that would be a debate!! We could see true debating from candidates, hear several view points, see how strong each candidate is while being blindsided with opposition and tough questions. Yes, that would be a debate worth seeing!

There wouldn’t be rehearsed speeches and candidates making pleas to the American people. I’m tired of the sad sob stories, I want to see debates, anger, yelling, politics!, real answers and all candidates tested! And if a candidate didn’t speak up, then thats their own fault.

But sigh, instead we have mundane debate between two bobbleheads who despite their pleas are nothing more than traditional washington giving a scripted story on tv tonight.

So much for a real debate, a true debate.

I’m running for president and I have the support of an old woman who tattooed me on! Whoo!!

Press Coverage

I did something new for this Friday, I’ve guest blogged over at Free and Flawed!

Check out my guest post to find out how the bidet is going along with a cool post-it.

Rarely do I look at the play count stats on my iTunes, but as I waited on hold to cancel my verizon dsl service I noticed one of the more interesting tunes near the top. It’s called, “Every Car You Chase” and it’s a mashup by Party Ben. The song combines The Police’s “Every Breath You Take” to that of “Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol.

I’ve played this song a few times on the radio and have gotten a positive response; and out of the many mashups I collect, this is one of the better ones. So if you are in a music mood I thought I’d share:

It’s late and I’m tired. All I wanted to do was come home from work and send some email, watch some youtube or hulu and surf the web.

This is the second time I’ve tried to do that today, first when I came home from the radio station this morning… and now tonight when I came home from work.

Both times the PPPoE was down on my account causing the internet to die. The only way to fix the problem is to re-power the modem and quickly do your business on the net, as it will soon be out again. When you call tech support, you get a HORRIBLE phone automation system and people in a sweat shop half way around the world. Once someone is finally on the phone they have no way of fixing your problem except to constantly tell you to re-power everything. Re-powering is a load of bull, especially when it’s several times a day.

I guess the awesome Verizon DSL rate was for a reason, service SUCKS! So I’m done with you Verizon, and I suggest everyone avoid their DSL service. Comcast is coming first thing next week!

Oh Starbucks…. I’m afraid that I’m going to be adding you to my boycott list, which hurts me because I have some good friends who you employ. I also enjoy your drinks, luckily I live in an area where you haven’t killed the local competition!

Starbucks, you have recently been doing things that I don’t agree with. What it all comes down to is that you decided to leave your market niche in the sight of greed, and now I see you breaking apart like a used and abused coffee filter.

My main complaints of you at present are with pushing special needs workers out the door and now with your horrible waste of water. I use to really respect your organization for hiring people with special needs as part-time cleaners. It not only provided you with cheap labor, but people talked good of you for doing so. Then, out of no where you decide it’s time to start saving the couple of pennies you are paying these people who are cleaning up after everyone and washing your dishes. Seriously, not cool… especially because we know the big wigs are still getting their raises and bonuses.

Thanks for taking away a job my sister really liked and enjoyed. The sad thing is, that before the store got a new manager… the old one was even trying to set my sister up for failure, so you could save even more money when she left! So not only did you scale back the work to hardly once a month (from two to three times a week) you tried to make her working experience crap from ridiculous treatment at work. The result you had? I gave up my two or three times a week drink to once a month. 

Now thank-goodness we have The Sun doing an investigation here. You want to save some money? Try not having a big water bill. I know there are more environmentally viable solutions available. It is the year 2008 and we often are faced with droughts and water problems in much of the world… yet there you are leaving the water run and run like a kid brushing their teeth all day long.

I am a strong believer in conserving our natural resources… and I see that you are not. Just as I would not support a political candidate who believed in or supported wastefullness, I will not be supporting you till yins decide to cleanup your act.

Support local coffee shop trade! I do, and it feeeeelllss great!

Links of interest:
Starbucks Gossip
I Hate Starbucks
Sun article on water waste
BBC article featuring Starbucks rebuttal 
Find your local coffee shop 

Some places I’ve been recently lurking:

- In a basement of trash: 365 Days Of Trash - How wasteful are you?

- Considering going to my first ever vegan meetup with The Pittsburgh Vegan Meetup group, although I’m a vegetarian.

- I don’t know what the hell is so entertaining about this blog. Maybe it’s that they have a “Ringleader” or is it that I keep learning what “it” takes to be good at certain things - especially with mean girls? Who knows… it’s entertainment. 

- Considering being a plug and socket with Christi for halloween.

- Thanks to the new guy at work I’m now thinking about a bidet for the apartment: Product option 1, option 2. UPDATED: Found one on ebay for 15 dollars, bought it!

- Currently listening to: Clarity by John Mayer going on Sky High by Jigsaw. What’s on now?

And finally,
- Looking at: