I think I have figured out why I hate packing early. It mostly is because I have a deep-seated mistrust for past selves. If I pack all at once just before I go, I can remember everything I packed, and know that it is all there. If packed a week ago, I just have to trust that week-ago-Reece remembered to pack everything. Thing is, past Reeces are usually morons. They have always done the stupidest crap and I am continuously cleaning up after their moronicness. So since I can't trust week-ago-Reece, I just pack everything over again.
This might be why I procrastinate so much also. Why do this problem set today, when tomorrow-Reece, being a whole day older and wiser, is vastly more qualified? I'll probably just make a lot of mistakes that future Reece will have to correct. Better just let him do the whole thing himself.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Overheard in Great Clips
'....so then the doctor told him that he's just one drink away from cirrhosis. He's only nineteen for christsake! And then my dumbass mother in law gets him a sixpack for graduation and I say "What are you, crazy?" So then I get my .45 pistol, bring the six pack into the front yard, and shoot about twenty holes in it and say "Yeah you try to drink that now, idiot."'
I love the south sometimes.
I love the south sometimes.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
One of Many Reasons I was Kicked out of Sunday School
So since my parents are probably selling the Raleigh house, I have to go through all my amassed stuff to decide what I want to keep. Here is a great look into the mind of 6th grade Reece: an enumeration of Christian Values I was supposed to draw up for a Sunday School class. If I remember correctly, the date puts it just before I was kicked out.
Lesson learned: Never let down your guard.
Where I've learned this lesson: Everywhere
When bored, do homework -- School
Play fair, but don't expect others to -- ???
Be prepared -- Boy Scouts
The biggest the risk, the bigger the reward -- Boba Fett
Logic is the most effective weapon -- experience (maybe the only one that I don't find true now)
Never hit people smaller than you -- brother
NEVER underestimate the little guy -- Don't ask
If you don't understand and don't need to, don't try to -- experience (I think I remember putting this down when the teach said to write a Christian value)
NEVER follow the crowd -- " "
I also remember having just learned how to do bibliographies, thus the quotation marks.
I am always struck at just how awesome 6th grade Reece was.
Lesson learned: Never let down your guard.
Where I've learned this lesson: Everywhere
When bored, do homework -- School
Play fair, but don't expect others to -- ???
Be prepared -- Boy Scouts
The biggest the risk, the bigger the reward -- Boba Fett
Logic is the most effective weapon -- experience (maybe the only one that I don't find true now)
Never hit people smaller than you -- brother
NEVER underestimate the little guy -- Don't ask
If you don't understand and don't need to, don't try to -- experience (I think I remember putting this down when the teach said to write a Christian value)
NEVER follow the crowd -- " "
I also remember having just learned how to do bibliographies, thus the quotation marks.
I am always struck at just how awesome 6th grade Reece was.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Saturday, April 12, 2008
"The Nazi Protest" or "Why Reece Should Pay Better Attention to His Surroundings"
Back story:
My Functional Analysis professor is extremely political and, I have recently heard, a somewhat controversial figure in Budapest politics. He likes to keep us updated on the hilarious political happenings of the city, which sometimes includes telling us places to "avoid" on certain days. So far I have not been let down by studiously "avoiding" these places. Long story short, a bunch of Nazis firebombed a Jewish store, then got totally owned by anti-Nazis. The Nazis were angry and swore to start a flash-mob/riot, and in response the President personally went to the store, promised police-protection there, and called on people to anti-protest the Nazis. And then the Prime Minister himself said he would appear to make a speech. For those who didn't get my facebook message, my professor summed it up pretty well: "Now Hungarian -hate- Nazis. But they are also not fond of the PM.) You can read a bit more here:
Story:
So I'm trying to decide whether or not to go, since my professor made it clear that there would be a definite possibility of violence. I figure: the worst that can happen is grievous bodily harm inflicted by a Nazi, which would in fact be pretty cool. I called it a push, and off I went.
Ok, here's the setting (not drawn to scale)
The pink dot is the store in question. The black lines are barriers. The smiley faces are friendly police officers who explain to people why they shall not pass. The frowny faces are large, angry-looking riot squad guys in full armor.
When I get there, there are a lot of people milling around 2, so I decide to see if I can get around the backside to get a better view. When I pass the park, I notice a crowd of people there. Odd, but I think nothing of it. As I'm approaching 1, I briefly walk beside a parked bus. Just as I'm about to clear it, 20 people come rushing down the street at me with cameras blazing. Confused, I clear the bus, look to my left and, bam, right there next to me, maybe three feet away is the Prime Minister of Hungary! My brain briefly ceases to function. There is a rush of people and somehow I end up 3rd in line to shake the Prime Ministers hand. Still not sure about my opinion of the man, I confusedly stumble out of line (I know I know. I still maintain that this was the right thing to do. People hate this guy.) If you look at the article above, I was right next to the camera man. So after he shakes some hands and kisses (taste-testing?) some babies, he goes and makes a speech which receives mostly cheers. This confuses me. Where are the Nazis?
I look across the sectioned off square and see that the other side has pretty much completely emptied out. That's strange. Because of where the speeches are happening I decide to go see if 2 has a better view. On my way I notice that the crowd of people from the park are all marching towards the protest sight. I think "Hey, crowds of people generally walk towards interesting things." I merge in with them, since we're going the same way anyway. I look around as the mass of people, and as I get sucked into the middle I notice some things. Now we peer in on my inner-monologue:
"Man. Hungarians sure wear a lot of leather. It's freaking hot out they muse be miserable.
Ha, I'm totally right they do all look pretty angry
...
Jeez, that's some pretty angry metal music too.
...
...
Hey what's thOHMYGODIMSURROUNDEDBYNAZIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
That's right, I was smack in the middle of maybe 300-400 chanting, belligerent, and often drunken Nazis all trying to crowd into a very narrow street. I had unfortunately not put together the fact that that the protest zone was split into two with the fact that there were effectively two protests going on. But it was too late. I was crushed in the middle of the crowd now, and trying to get out would mean stepping on a lot of angry, steel-toed Nazi military boots. Nonetheless, I hesitant a little, trying to do a quick risk/benefit analysis, and as soon as I do I am immediately shoved and angrily yelled at by a man with many spikes in his face and and on his clothing. I quickly decide that my only option is forward.
So I'm stuck on the wrong side of the protest, surrounded by angry Nazis who have now started singing very angry sounding songs and who really look like they want to have a go at the counter-protesters, who are chanting back. I eventually, after several very tense minutes, manage to escape to the goodguy side of the protest and watch the rest of the happenings from there. Fortunately nothing much else happened and the Nazis dispersed. In my defense, the flag they were flying was not one I had ever seen before (see Árpád flag) and that same design was the prominent on leather-jackets, tattoos etc. I'm guessing that the swastika is illegal here like it is in other European countries, which is why they use this instead.
My Functional Analysis professor is extremely political and, I have recently heard, a somewhat controversial figure in Budapest politics. He likes to keep us updated on the hilarious political happenings of the city, which sometimes includes telling us places to "avoid" on certain days. So far I have not been let down by studiously "avoiding" these places. Long story short, a bunch of Nazis firebombed a Jewish store, then got totally owned by anti-Nazis. The Nazis were angry and swore to start a flash-mob/riot, and in response the President personally went to the store, promised police-protection there, and called on people to anti-protest the Nazis. And then the Prime Minister himself said he would appear to make a speech. For those who didn't get my facebook message, my professor summed it up pretty well: "Now Hungarian -hate- Nazis. But they are also not fond of the PM.) You can read a bit more here:
Story:
So I'm trying to decide whether or not to go, since my professor made it clear that there would be a definite possibility of violence. I figure: the worst that can happen is grievous bodily harm inflicted by a Nazi, which would in fact be pretty cool. I called it a push, and off I went.
Ok, here's the setting (not drawn to scale)
The pink dot is the store in question. The black lines are barriers. The smiley faces are friendly police officers who explain to people why they shall not pass. The frowny faces are large, angry-looking riot squad guys in full armor.
When I get there, there are a lot of people milling around 2, so I decide to see if I can get around the backside to get a better view. When I pass the park, I notice a crowd of people there. Odd, but I think nothing of it. As I'm approaching 1, I briefly walk beside a parked bus. Just as I'm about to clear it, 20 people come rushing down the street at me with cameras blazing. Confused, I clear the bus, look to my left and, bam, right there next to me, maybe three feet away is the Prime Minister of Hungary! My brain briefly ceases to function. There is a rush of people and somehow I end up 3rd in line to shake the Prime Ministers hand. Still not sure about my opinion of the man, I confusedly stumble out of line (I know I know. I still maintain that this was the right thing to do. People hate this guy.) If you look at the article above, I was right next to the camera man. So after he shakes some hands and kisses (taste-testing?) some babies, he goes and makes a speech which receives mostly cheers. This confuses me. Where are the Nazis?
I look across the sectioned off square and see that the other side has pretty much completely emptied out. That's strange. Because of where the speeches are happening I decide to go see if 2 has a better view. On my way I notice that the crowd of people from the park are all marching towards the protest sight. I think "Hey, crowds of people generally walk towards interesting things." I merge in with them, since we're going the same way anyway. I look around as the mass of people, and as I get sucked into the middle I notice some things. Now we peer in on my inner-monologue:
"Man. Hungarians sure wear a lot of leather. It's freaking hot out they muse be miserable.
Ha, I'm totally right they do all look pretty angry
...
Jeez, that's some pretty angry metal music too.
...
...
Hey what's thOHMYGODIMSURROUNDEDBYNAZIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
That's right, I was smack in the middle of maybe 300-400 chanting, belligerent, and often drunken Nazis all trying to crowd into a very narrow street. I had unfortunately not put together the fact that that the protest zone was split into two with the fact that there were effectively two protests going on. But it was too late. I was crushed in the middle of the crowd now, and trying to get out would mean stepping on a lot of angry, steel-toed Nazi military boots. Nonetheless, I hesitant a little, trying to do a quick risk/benefit analysis, and as soon as I do I am immediately shoved and angrily yelled at by a man with many spikes in his face and and on his clothing. I quickly decide that my only option is forward.
So I'm stuck on the wrong side of the protest, surrounded by angry Nazis who have now started singing very angry sounding songs and who really look like they want to have a go at the counter-protesters, who are chanting back. I eventually, after several very tense minutes, manage to escape to the goodguy side of the protest and watch the rest of the happenings from there. Fortunately nothing much else happened and the Nazis dispersed. In my defense, the flag they were flying was not one I had ever seen before (see Árpád flag) and that same design was the prominent on leather-jackets, tattoos etc. I'm guessing that the swastika is illegal here like it is in other European countries, which is why they use this instead.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
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