Even though I don't say much nearly enough, I just wanted to wish everyone who comes by here a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
With Peace and Love,
Jeff Watkins
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Monday, December 01, 2008
Ny New Car: 2005 Nissan Altima 2.5 S (Smoke Grey)
I did it.
I finally bought a car. It was a long and difficult process. Finding the right car. Getting said car to the right price. All of my efforts feel necessary given the condition, mileage, and options of the car. It was not easy. There was a lot of frustration throughout the process. If you need any tips, I can help. I did a lot of research. I waited a month and a half, but it paid off. My new car is a 2005 Nissan Altima 2.5 S. I bought it with 29,200 miles on it. Just from my drive back from Florida to New Orleans and it now has 30,000.
Features:
175-hp 4-cylinder engine
4-speed automatic
4-wheel disc brakes
16-inch alloy wheels
8-way power driver seat w/lumbar adjustment
Leather-wrapped steering wheel w/radio and trip computer controls
Front anti-Lock brakes
Cruise Control
Driver and passenger air bags
Rear Window Defroster
Power door locks
Power mirrors
Power windows
Sunroof (with moonroof option)
Tinted windows
Periscope and tilted wheel
Keyless Entry
Anti-theft security System
Bose 6 speaker stereo system with 6 disc CD changer
I got it from a wholesale lot, but at a private seller price. Bill of sale price $12,949 ($13,761.94 with tax, tag, and title transfer).
I finally bought a car. It was a long and difficult process. Finding the right car. Getting said car to the right price. All of my efforts feel necessary given the condition, mileage, and options of the car. It was not easy. There was a lot of frustration throughout the process. If you need any tips, I can help. I did a lot of research. I waited a month and a half, but it paid off. My new car is a 2005 Nissan Altima 2.5 S. I bought it with 29,200 miles on it. Just from my drive back from Florida to New Orleans and it now has 30,000.
Features:
175-hp 4-cylinder engine
4-speed automatic
4-wheel disc brakes
16-inch alloy wheels
8-way power driver seat w/lumbar adjustment
Leather-wrapped steering wheel w/radio and trip computer controls
Front anti-Lock brakes
Cruise Control
Driver and passenger air bags
Rear Window Defroster
Power door locks
Power mirrors
Power windows
Sunroof (with moonroof option)
Tinted windows
Periscope and tilted wheel
Keyless Entry
Anti-theft security System
Bose 6 speaker stereo system with 6 disc CD changer
I got it from a wholesale lot, but at a private seller price. Bill of sale price $12,949 ($13,761.94 with tax, tag, and title transfer).
Friday, November 28, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Weird
I graduate with my Masters Degree in 25 days...
It doesn't feel like that big of deal. I've graduated before. Kindergarten, High School, and College. What's one more garb rental fee?
I guess because I want to do a Ph.D., I know I'm not done. Perhaps I won't even get in. I still have to take the GRE. That alone may keep me from getting into a legitimate university.
I attend a seminary, as you may or may not know. And those in control wish for us to abstain from the drink. I do my best to abide by the rule. Yet, once I cross that stage, I will be hitting up the local drive-thru daiquiri establishments (oh yes, they do exist; search good for New Orleans Original Daiquiri).
It doesn't feel like that big of deal. I've graduated before. Kindergarten, High School, and College. What's one more garb rental fee?
I guess because I want to do a Ph.D., I know I'm not done. Perhaps I won't even get in. I still have to take the GRE. That alone may keep me from getting into a legitimate university.
I attend a seminary, as you may or may not know. And those in control wish for us to abstain from the drink. I do my best to abide by the rule. Yet, once I cross that stage, I will be hitting up the local drive-thru daiquiri establishments (oh yes, they do exist; search good for New Orleans Original Daiquiri).
Saturday, November 15, 2008
I Guess 2Pac was Wrong -- ("Changes")
"I see no changes,
all I see is racist faces.
Misplaced hate makes disgrace to races, we under.
I wonder what it takes to make this one better place,
let's erase the wasted.
Take the evil out the people they'll be acting right,
'cause both black and white is smokin' crack tonight.
And only time we chill is when we kill each other,
it takes skill to be real time to heal each other."
"And although it seems Heaven sent we ain't ready, to see a black President."
all I see is racist faces.
Misplaced hate makes disgrace to races, we under.
I wonder what it takes to make this one better place,
let's erase the wasted.
Take the evil out the people they'll be acting right,
'cause both black and white is smokin' crack tonight.
And only time we chill is when we kill each other,
it takes skill to be real time to heal each other."
"And although it seems Heaven sent we ain't ready, to see a black President."
Monday, November 03, 2008
On Presidential Elections and Logic
Voting is not only a responsibility, but also a privilege. I have been legally able to do so for a decade now. Yet, I have only voted once. Four years ago, because the election seemed to have a clear, superior candidate (and I stress seemed), I took up my civil liberty and rocked the vote.
This year, however, proves to be a much more difficult decision.
Does one wonder with whom I am lending my support for the presidency? If so, pause please, there's a story. I have been studying logic this semester in one of my philosophy classes. Even at my elementary level, I have quickly realized that very few people actually think 'logically'. On the surface, there are three laws of logic: the Law of Non-Contradiction, the Law of Excluded Middle, and the Law of Identity. I will focus on one particular element for this discourse.
The Law of Excluded Middle states that something either is or is not. Every proposition is either true or false; there is no gray area or in-between.
An example:
A or ~A
Aristotle said, "There is nothing between asserting and denying."
The main point to the Law of Excluded Middle is that any claim has to be either true or has to be false. Please keep this in mind, and again, follow a tangent.
I am still a registered voter in Florida, not Louisiana. This is problematic. I got an absentee ballot. Issue resolved! I looked at my choices. Complications revived.
I like Obama, but disagree with his ideas about health care and tax breaks. I am unmoved by McCain, but actually agree with his tax policies. I kept looking throughout my other choices. Would I go Libertarian with Bob Barr? What about Ralph Nader? Who is Chuck Baldwin? This is not going to be easy.
Because I felt my voice had not been heard in the primaries, and there was not a single candidate I could support, I put a stamp on my ballot, left it blank, and mailed it back. This would be my protest that, at least, the Supervisor of Elections in Jackson County would see. Since I had no choice, I would not choose the ‘lesser of the two evils,’ but I would choose to make no choice.
Remember the law of logic I introduced earlier? A or ~A. Something either is or is not. That’s the catch, and the reason I mention it. This story is true. But, I forgot to reveal an important facet of the story. While I did go to the post office, I only put the absentee ballot mailer and envelop on the scale to make sure it did not need any additional postage. I then accidentally and unconsciously dropped it in the outgoing mailbox, and it was mailed back to Florida. Because I mailed it, they could not send me another one (you know, because it would look like I was voting twice). Something is or is not. I did or did not vote.
I did not...
Yes, I wasted my vote. Am I mad? Yes and no. Do I care, not really. While one vote does not change much, we will see after tomorrow how close this election will be. I am annoyed I didn’t get to vote, but no matter what, we are stuck with whomever we get for the next four years. I think everyone should educate themselves by learning the platforms of the candidates, and then vote. Do not vote ignorantly! That is almost as bad as doing what I did.
This democratic republic we celebrate as the United States of America is built on the ideology that everyone should have a voice. Yet, if you forsake your chance to air your thoughts, you are not going to be heard. The process we call voting is more than simply punching a hole in an index card in a booth with a curtain. It’s showing the government who the people choose to speak for them in Washington D.C.
If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it.
"Elections belong to the people. It is their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters." - Abraham Lincoln
This year, however, proves to be a much more difficult decision.
Does one wonder with whom I am lending my support for the presidency? If so, pause please, there's a story. I have been studying logic this semester in one of my philosophy classes. Even at my elementary level, I have quickly realized that very few people actually think 'logically'. On the surface, there are three laws of logic: the Law of Non-Contradiction, the Law of Excluded Middle, and the Law of Identity. I will focus on one particular element for this discourse.
The Law of Excluded Middle states that something either is or is not. Every proposition is either true or false; there is no gray area or in-between.
An example:
A or ~A
Aristotle said, "There is nothing between asserting and denying."
The main point to the Law of Excluded Middle is that any claim has to be either true or has to be false. Please keep this in mind, and again, follow a tangent.
I am still a registered voter in Florida, not Louisiana. This is problematic. I got an absentee ballot. Issue resolved! I looked at my choices. Complications revived.
I like Obama, but disagree with his ideas about health care and tax breaks. I am unmoved by McCain, but actually agree with his tax policies. I kept looking throughout my other choices. Would I go Libertarian with Bob Barr? What about Ralph Nader? Who is Chuck Baldwin? This is not going to be easy.
Because I felt my voice had not been heard in the primaries, and there was not a single candidate I could support, I put a stamp on my ballot, left it blank, and mailed it back. This would be my protest that, at least, the Supervisor of Elections in Jackson County would see. Since I had no choice, I would not choose the ‘lesser of the two evils,’ but I would choose to make no choice.
Remember the law of logic I introduced earlier? A or ~A. Something either is or is not. That’s the catch, and the reason I mention it. This story is true. But, I forgot to reveal an important facet of the story. While I did go to the post office, I only put the absentee ballot mailer and envelop on the scale to make sure it did not need any additional postage. I then accidentally and unconsciously dropped it in the outgoing mailbox, and it was mailed back to Florida. Because I mailed it, they could not send me another one (you know, because it would look like I was voting twice). Something is or is not. I did or did not vote.
I did not...
Yes, I wasted my vote. Am I mad? Yes and no. Do I care, not really. While one vote does not change much, we will see after tomorrow how close this election will be. I am annoyed I didn’t get to vote, but no matter what, we are stuck with whomever we get for the next four years. I think everyone should educate themselves by learning the platforms of the candidates, and then vote. Do not vote ignorantly! That is almost as bad as doing what I did.
This democratic republic we celebrate as the United States of America is built on the ideology that everyone should have a voice. Yet, if you forsake your chance to air your thoughts, you are not going to be heard. The process we call voting is more than simply punching a hole in an index card in a booth with a curtain. It’s showing the government who the people choose to speak for them in Washington D.C.
If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it.
"Elections belong to the people. It is their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters." - Abraham Lincoln
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Voodoo Music Festival
This past weekend, my wonderful girlfriend Andrea and I attended two of three days of VooDoo Fest. Voodoo is an annual rock festival here in New Orleans that has grown largely over its ten-year history. It was great this year, despite Death Cab For Cutie bailing out on the event before it even happened, and N*E*R*D* canceling without any prior notice to expectant fans. 
We got a couple weekend passes from Leo @ ANTIGRAVITY , which was really nice of him to do. This means the only money I spent was on a t-shirt, food, and drinks. Saturday night we caught part of local favorites Rotary Downs set, and the vaudevillian antics of the New Orleans Bingo! Show. Whilst the close of the evening brought the once-huge industrialists Nine Inch Nails to the stage. We watched most of their performance from afar on a screen. I did walk up toward the stage between masses of people to view NIN performing "Closer". Hearing 10,000 people sing aloud, "I want to F you like an animal" is awkward in any setting.
I did not expect to go to Voodoo on Sunday because I had to work. But, my boss texted and said I had the day off (and I would get paid since she took my shift!), so Andrea and I booked it down to City Park to catch 25 minutes of Dashboard Confessional. I saw Chris and crew back in 2002 when everyone still sang along. He performed "Vindicated," a cover of that new Pink song, and closed with "Hands Down". He sounded good. We headed over to see N*E*R*D* (before we knew they cancelled) and ended up seeing most of Lupe Fiasco's show, which was actually quite good with the live band. Next, we sat down, and again, watched a band (Panic At The Disco) play on a screen. Although I did stand up at some point, and was impressed by how tight their harmonies were live, these guys are overrated in my book. Finally, as the picture above denotes, we saw R.E.M. play a fantastic set to a very eager crowd. Stipe’s political views may not be mine, however, he can perform very well. Besides his blatant support for Obama, he spoke a lot about his love for our city, and I thought that was nice. They played some songs I knew, and some I had never heard of, but it was good nonetheless. We were eight rows back so it was a great experience, both visually and musically.
This weekend was a lot of fun. I cannot wait until I get to see live music again. I love music. I want to be in a band.
P.S. I got the picture of R.E.M. from Tamera, and you can see her photography here.
We got a couple weekend passes from Leo @ ANTIGRAVITY , which was really nice of him to do. This means the only money I spent was on a t-shirt, food, and drinks. Saturday night we caught part of local favorites Rotary Downs set, and the vaudevillian antics of the New Orleans Bingo! Show. Whilst the close of the evening brought the once-huge industrialists Nine Inch Nails to the stage. We watched most of their performance from afar on a screen. I did walk up toward the stage between masses of people to view NIN performing "Closer". Hearing 10,000 people sing aloud, "I want to F you like an animal" is awkward in any setting.
I did not expect to go to Voodoo on Sunday because I had to work. But, my boss texted and said I had the day off (and I would get paid since she took my shift!), so Andrea and I booked it down to City Park to catch 25 minutes of Dashboard Confessional. I saw Chris and crew back in 2002 when everyone still sang along. He performed "Vindicated," a cover of that new Pink song, and closed with "Hands Down". He sounded good. We headed over to see N*E*R*D* (before we knew they cancelled) and ended up seeing most of Lupe Fiasco's show, which was actually quite good with the live band. Next, we sat down, and again, watched a band (Panic At The Disco) play on a screen. Although I did stand up at some point, and was impressed by how tight their harmonies were live, these guys are overrated in my book. Finally, as the picture above denotes, we saw R.E.M. play a fantastic set to a very eager crowd. Stipe’s political views may not be mine, however, he can perform very well. Besides his blatant support for Obama, he spoke a lot about his love for our city, and I thought that was nice. They played some songs I knew, and some I had never heard of, but it was good nonetheless. We were eight rows back so it was a great experience, both visually and musically.
This weekend was a lot of fun. I cannot wait until I get to see live music again. I love music. I want to be in a band.
P.S. I got the picture of R.E.M. from Tamera, and you can see her photography here.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
About A Car
The Altima, just shy five miles of 229,000, is slowly dying. Rob said I have until the end of the month. I'm not driving it at all just so I can drive it to a dealer or a junk yard, and get the little cash they will inevitably give me. I rented a car for work this week. I'll do the same next week. Who knows about the week after that.
Anybody, anyone attention, please: If you know of a car for sale, tell me. I'm interested in another Nissan (Versa, Sentra, or Altima) or Honda (Civic or Accord). Probably less than 10K for a used vehicle. Any help will be appreciated.
Love...
Anybody, anyone attention, please: If you know of a car for sale, tell me. I'm interested in another Nissan (Versa, Sentra, or Altima) or Honda (Civic or Accord). Probably less than 10K for a used vehicle. Any help will be appreciated.
Love...
Monday, October 06, 2008
I Spent $179.65 This Weekend...
...but it was well worth it!
A local video store, Major Video (from whom I have rented hundreds of films), closed this weekend because the owners lost their lease. This ultimately saddens me because I love the stuff you can get there, and no other place else in town, especially Blockbuster and Hollywood, are as nice as the staff there. Major is also cheaper than it's competitors (everyday is rent two, get one free). I love it. There will still be one location open on the Eastbank that I will assuredly frequent.
This brings me to the closeout sale. As you know, I sell things online. I also like deals, personally. It's my thing (it's every one's thing hopefully). What happens when these two things mix? I make four trips to the video store (once, Friday and Saturday, and twice Sunday). All of the trips included an hour stay, with the first Friday totaling over two hours, which does include standing in line to check out.
What happens is that I own a lot of stuff now (all DVD's and games), some of which I have no use for other than to make money. The highlights:
Star Trek - The Next Generation: Season 6. Paid $13 for it used, hoping to get $40
Clerks. X (3 Disc special edition). Paid $5, hoping to get $10
Jane Eyre (BBC) - 2 volumes. Paid $8, hoping to get $20
I also bought several Xbox games at different times (Raw, Burnout Revenge, Mortal Kombat Armageddon). While I am only selling the latter, I got $12 for it. They only cost me $6 in all).
Also:
Pimp My Ride: Season 1. I paid $4
Miami Ink: Season 1. I paid $5
Wonderfalls: Complete Viewer Collection. I paid $5, will sell for $20
In a strictly capitalist move, I bought five HD DVD's in anticipation of selling them to someone who isn't ready to get rid of the now-defunct HD DVD library. I got five for $2 each (Ocean's Thirteen, Happy Feet, Babel, Feast, Talk To Me).
I got two documentaries tonight, Jesus Camp, and Street Fight, for $2 each, used, and have them selling for $12 or so each.
I paid $4 each for Starsky & Hutch and American Wedding new.
I picked up Friday and The Simpsons movie for $6 each new.
Jersey Girl was only $2 new.
I got The Darjeeling Limited for $2 tonight as well (new) and Grind for $4 new too.
The best deal is to buy cheap and sell in lots on eBay: Men In Black II, Against The Ropes, Stuck On You, Miracle, Blue Crush all for $1 each.
Finally, the deal to end all deals. As I was walking out, the guy working told another guy that Blu-Ray DVD's (which are $30 new) were just $4 each for used ones. I grabbed ten. I hope to sell them on eBay. I should get around $100 for the lot, of which, I only paid $40. Those were: King of California, The Other Boleyn Girl, Little Chenier: A Cajun Story, Hairspray, Witless Protection, In the Valley of Elah, The Brave One, Hostel, Part II, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, and Vantage Point.
I like finding deals and store closings. I hope to reimburse my expenses soon. Since Friday, I have sold six things and made a decent profit. There's no point in saying how much I paid for all of these. While they weren't the cheapest things or the best deals I found, the sale does deduct from what I spent, which is my goal.
American Hardcore: The History of American Punk Rock 1980-1986. $7.50
Jesus of Nazareth (new): 2 Disc. $16.58
Halo 3 Xbox 360 [paid $13]: $32.21
Babel HD DVD. $5.03
Jesus Camp. $11.30
Mortal Kombat. $12.04
Total = $84.66
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