tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90608132011-04-21T19:41:42.578-05:00Seppuku for people who can't be bothered to do itMustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.comBlogger1841100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-41617746343118021012009-04-23T17:15:00.002-05:002009-04-23T17:17:52.510-05:00

Blind people on the subway are really fucking annoying. They should just stay home with their fucking dogs. Maybe train some monkeys to do their shopping.

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-78450899227693823822009-04-09T10:09:00.002-05:002009-04-09T10:27:21.014-05:00

TVYouTubeThe OnionEsquire MagazineAstrologyWomen between the ages of 18 and 25DreamWorks EntertainmentThe Decembrists, Arcade Fire, and all similar whiney shitRecyclingThe MTAThe Obama administrationMy dishesChinese foodSex columnistsSUVs and minivans, but not semis and RVsSleepOwning a catFailure to signal a turn while drivingWinterCouponsBank of AmericaDeal 3 SolitaireMotorcyclists under the

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-32505399206483788452009-03-16T16:27:00.003-05:002009-03-16T17:20:53.080-05:00

I hate Facebook and MySpace, but, even though it's still evil social networking, I am so far enjoying Twitter. Username = Mu sta pha Mon d. (sans spaces. can you believe I'm getting spam on that shit?)

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-84443597699932524252009-03-14T12:33:00.002-05:002009-03-14T13:06:45.258-05:00

Because she's got thin lips. She's clever. Witty, even. Her lips say fun things. And she is otherwise pretty. So how unfair is it to give her these thin, non-inviting lips? My lips would like totally smother her lips. Her lips just aren't competitive in the juicy kissing arena. It's unfair. But it's also my biological imperative to seek out fuller and fleshier playgrounds.Thus I am stalking the

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-64232592919300698582009-03-14T12:17:00.004-05:002009-03-14T12:33:33.257-05:00

People have said, Say something about the teaching! In response, I have so far said nothing about the teaching. It is a mixed bag, the teaching, and I don't want to talk about it, except to say that it is consuming my brain since grades are due Friday and I have procrastinated so much on them that the anxiety of facing the mountain of papers that must be read has become a nearly physical barrier

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-68561906777367022792008-06-15T21:30:00.003-05:002008-06-15T21:32:52.727-05:00

is the name of the business I would start if I were vegan or in the food industry.

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-89383262533824675592008-06-15T20:21:00.002-05:002008-06-15T21:10:01.164-05:00

I forget who, but someone pointed me to meetup.com, which is a cool place for finding groups of people in the city to, uh, meetup with and do stuff. So today I met up with some peeps doing a demo of the new D&D 4E rules. The meetup was held at this cool store in Brooklyn called King Games. The place runs on a clever business plan: provide a huge space full of tables for D&D and MtG and other nerd

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-90330179832122472212008-06-09T13:48:00.002-05:002008-06-09T14:01:49.352-05:00

I'd use these two sites in a lesson: (1) Classics in LEGO ; (2) Far Side made real.Since I'm not an art teacher, I can't offer a sound pedagogical justification for why I'd use those in a lesson except to say that I think "imitation by variation" is a great way to start learning stuff. I guess you can think of it as the equivalent of an English lesson where students rip off Holden Caulfield's

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-78713709168700502312008-04-06T15:17:00.003-05:002008-04-06T15:46:32.823-05:00

Arrive alone. Do not make eye contact with anyone except the bartender. If the bartender is female, smile at her, but never smile at anybody else. Order whiskey. But do not order "whiskey" -- order by name. For example, say to the bartender, "Maker's Mark." Order it neat. No water on the side. No soda within five feet of you. Do not answer your cell phone. The ringer should be off. Do not check

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-24986123229322995072008-03-30T11:50:00.002-05:002008-03-30T12:22:41.812-05:00

What to do with my lazy day? I have not showered and I have not been out of the apartment yet today. I'm also low on food, so at least one of those two things is likely to change before long. School Report:Last week was my first week at the Middle School. My cooperating teacher has only 7th graders. They're awesome. They don't hate everything yet, and they still do goofy shit (like sneaking

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-48253398658953201532008-03-19T21:08:00.002-05:002008-03-19T21:56:32.082-05:00

Five minutes ago I finished commenting on the last of the papers for my half-semester of student teaching at a high school. Ninth graders. What a fucking nightmare. I now know what it's like to teach in a school where the teachers and administrators have no idea how to handle the students. No rules are enforced and there are no consequences for anything. Everything is punishment oriented, and the

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-82930474009835054872008-01-02T16:33:00.000-05:002008-01-02T16:51:40.415-05:00

I am planning to do my student teaching in the city. The paperwork is filled out, I've been accepted to the SUNY Urban Teacher Education Center (SUTEC) program, and all I have left to do is find an apartment. It's the apartment that's killing me. Because I don't live in the city, and because I have shit to do and can't travel into the city every day, I can't successfully do the Craig's List thing

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-75941920690771093282007-11-16T14:07:00.000-05:002007-11-16T14:10:34.090-05:00

I was picking up my Little Brother from his group home the other day, and one of the other kids came up to me and said, "You're a good Big Brother, Nick never stops talking about you." I said, "That's great to hear." And then one of the staff who runs the group home said, "You're definitely Nick's favorite person." And it's not even Christmas yet!

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-9214167189225028252007-11-13T20:28:00.000-05:002007-11-13T20:39:40.322-05:00

I'm not sure what the deal is, but I'm annoyed with school this semester. Maybe it's from doing so much of it so quickly. I've been drowning in assignments, getting sick every ten seconds, and half-assing my work. My GPA is taking a pounding. I don't think I'll wind up with anything below a B+, put my GPA until now has been 4.0. It would have been nice to keep it up there, but I'm completely

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-69802458711560347912007-10-25T20:55:00.001-05:002007-10-25T21:03:49.940-05:00

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock is one of my favorite poems. But it's not the kind of favorite poem that I really want to tell people is my favorite poem. As favorite poems go, it's unremarkable. So many English teachers assign Prufrock to so many students, so many of whom learn to love Prufrock and then go on to become English teachers assigning Prufrock to their students who become Prufrock

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-89062046662099444962007-10-20T16:07:00.000-05:002007-10-20T16:20:46.006-05:00

Ran my first 5K this morning. It was pretty awesome. I placed 165 of 303(ish -- I forget the exact number already), with a time of 27:30 (just under a 9 minute mile), 11th place (probably last) for my age group (30-34). Many of the people there were Serious Runners, coming in with times 10 minutes or more faster than me. Still, I'm pleased with my performance. In fact, I think I could have shaved

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1621411522583486882007-08-31T09:51:00.000-05:002007-08-31T10:02:33.163-05:00

I am planning to break up with the current woman. I am going to wait until a little bit after her birthday (on Monday, the 4th), and then that's going to be it. Reasons for the breakup essentially come down to her cooling off on me way too fast (though things in the beginning were unexpectedly hot, so clichés about candles apply)--she's become non-expressive in terms of both affection and

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-83347838783486913422007-08-30T20:37:00.000-05:002007-08-30T20:46:44.627-05:00

Presently, I have a cold. It's an annoying cold because it's not bad enough to keep me drugged up and bedridden, and not tame enough that I can go about my day feeling only minor inconvenience. Instead, it's lingering in this middle zone of distracting illness. Every time I move, my nose runs. If I stand up, my sinuses drain and it runs worse. If I sit down, my sinuses clog and I can't breathe.

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-55876596275193779142007-08-26T06:54:00.000-05:002007-08-26T07:07:09.667-05:00

I'm almost finished with the first disc of the first season of The Office. The show trades a little too heavily on people being stupid, which is what I dislike about Seinfeld. (I blame Seinfeld for all the sins of our current administration. Americans, apparently, love to watch people be mean and idiotic, so no wonder we get 8 years of Dubya -- one year shy of the full Seinfeld run.) Slowly, but

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-82782169988013746342007-08-20T16:33:00.000-05:002007-08-20T16:58:25.549-05:00

Last night I saw The Invasion, which is supposed to be an update of The Invasion of the Body Snatchers. I saw Body Snatchers when I was a kid, and I found it freaky, creepy, and scary. The Invasion, however, was none of those things. It was dull. No suspense; not even a good "Boo!" It was also a bizarre vehicle for a right-wing political message. See, what's happening in The Invasion, is that

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-31958548118111291512007-08-10T10:59:00.000-05:002007-08-10T11:00:41.504-05:00

Did you know this was a word? I did not. It is an awesome, awesome word.

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-6252955331425665472007-07-25T20:57:00.000-05:002007-07-25T21:11:56.775-05:00

Now for the obligatory Harry Potter review. In a nutshell, I was unimpressed, borderline unsatisfied. I don't feel like ranting on too long about it, and I don't want to give away any spoilers for those still reading. Basically, I think the first 500+ pages are boring and largely unnecessary. The last 250 or so are where the good stuff is, where the things we've been waiting to have addressed

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-47001468724652241202007-07-18T15:19:00.000-05:002007-07-18T15:27:56.061-05:00

Today I weigh 215 pounds. This is not the first time I've achieved this weight. In fact, I think I've been lighter. But, for the most part, this is where I usually start to eat a lot of junk food and go back up to around 218. I yo-yo three to five pounds pretty consistently. However, I have gained a lot of muscle, so I'm betting my actual body fat percentage is significantly down from, oh, let's

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-57761363877386807402007-06-06T12:12:00.000-05:002007-06-06T13:08:04.297-05:00

On Saturday (the 9th) I am going going back back to Cali Cali, this time to the north instead of the south. The trip to the south (Palm Springs, Lake Arrowhead, and some other places), was fantastic. I stayed in some incredible houses (courtesy of friends of friends), met a lot of great people (said friends of friends) ate a ton of fattening food (re: friends of friends and the occasional Mexican

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-74261018011698997462007-05-17T14:32:00.000-05:002007-05-17T15:02:54.133-05:00

For those who don't know, the LAST is the Liberal Arts and Sciences Test, which is something all wanna-be NY teachers have to pass in order to get certified. I took it in January and got my scores today: 267 out of 300, which is passing (minimum passing score is 220). The test is composed roughly of five sections: Science/Math/Tech, History/Social Science, Art/Humanities, Communication/Research.

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-69313811447853140012007-05-11T05:55:00.000-05:002007-05-11T06:02:06.602-05:00

I'm off to California. (Leaving in about 20 minutes.) I can't wait. Going to see some sights, get some sun, drink some booze, and abuse some Mexicans. All I have to do is survive the plane ride. Planes terrify me. But I have some plane pills that are supposed to make the flight more endurable if not downright fun. The best thing about these pills, however, is that every time I try to write about

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-46796897815655736552007-05-03T12:47:00.000-05:002007-05-03T13:12:12.322-05:00

[I think this is at least the second post where I've punned off the title of Kundera's book, and I didn't even like it that much. Go figure.]I don't want to count my chickens before they're clichéd, but I'm feeling really good right now, so at the risk of jinxing myself, I'm going to cliché myself on the back for kicking serious grad school ass this semester. First, there is a good chance that

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-8371374722437347282007-04-25T19:04:00.000-05:002007-04-25T19:26:51.613-05:00

For those of you who want to know (which should be all of you), my little brother's band Fortress of Attitude has a new song up on their MySpace page. It's called Ring Tone. Go check it out. Also, FOA and Barky will be playing four shows (two each) in NYC in late May. Expect me to hassle you to attend once I have more details. In other little brother news, my other little brother (the one who I

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-919431508216782012007-04-12T09:55:00.000-05:002007-04-12T10:11:03.440-05:00

Speaking of school and Vonnegut and victories and defeats, I've let myself indulge in some personal writing lately -- mostly during spring break since I was bored beyond the ability to be productive otherwise. My two books ("the memoir" and "the young adult novel") remain in motion. The memoir is still a mess. In fact, I can't see it as ever being finished. And, as a joke on myself, it's working

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-82637953768174725222007-04-11T23:36:00.000-05:002007-04-11T23:39:01.775-05:00

Kurt Vonnegut is up in Heaven now.

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-48304080641462651932007-04-11T22:48:00.000-05:002007-04-11T23:20:14.164-05:00

Today I received an A on a paper that I was terrified (literally was having nightmares) that I'd get a C on. I'm psyched because I consider it the first major grade of my graduate education. On the flip side is that, for that same class, I've basically stopped reading the assigned novels. And I think most of the class has, too. A novel a week (on top of all my other work, which includes other

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-34197804418930931002007-04-08T16:39:00.001-05:002007-04-08T16:40:52.418-05:00

Just got done with family Easter dinner. We basically ignored Passover this year, but most of the family has been here most of the week, which has been a lot of fun. I don't get to see my siblings as often as I'd like. And, basically, I blame God for that. It's because he insists on us having no other gods before him that we don't get to have family dinners more often. What a selfish asshole. He

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-15867210145400497822007-04-02T14:49:00.000-05:002007-04-02T14:51:17.317-05:00

Blog blog blog. Blog blog blog blog. Blog blog blog blog blog blog. Blog blog. Blog blog blog. Blog blog blog. Blog blog blog blog blog blog blog blog. Blog blog blog blog blog. Blog blog blog blog. Blog. Blog blog. Blog blog blog blog blog blog.

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-9049695737123519072007-03-29T13:54:00.000-05:002007-03-29T13:59:33.877-05:00

At 4:30 I will leave for my last class of the week. After that, Spring Break commences. I have no idea what to do with myself. I was planning (and should still plan) to do a lot of homework. But I really don't want to spend my whole break working. I just can't think of anything else to do. I'm dependent on my classes to create the illusion of having a life. Maybe I can make a short road trip to

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-17996614069699234722007-03-26T21:03:00.000-05:002007-03-26T21:50:31.042-05:00

Yesterday, my little brother and I went to a BBBSLI free roller skating event. It was tons of fun. I tried roller skates for the first time and slipped and slid around the oval for two hours, terrified the entire time that I would fall and break my wrist. Sponge Bob Square Pants was supposed to be there but wasn't. This was disappointing because I wanted to see some dude in a Sponge Bob costume

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-54272978933954933462007-03-23T13:59:00.000-05:002007-03-23T14:11:04.262-05:00

I'd like to run a half marathon. I don't know where or when a local one might be, and I don't know how to train for one, so these are things I'll have to research. But I do know that Lance Armstrong ran the New York Marathon in about three hours, and I can run six miles in about one hour, which means I can probably run 12 in two and a half to three (assuming I'm gradually slowing down). In

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-66306563415404398242007-03-20T09:06:00.000-05:002007-03-20T09:09:56.325-05:00

Have I told you lately that I love you? Because I do. I woke up this morning and my heart was full of blue birds, Velveeta, and maple syrup. Who wants a hug?

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-72136575654502582332007-03-13T10:05:00.000-05:002007-03-13T10:11:09.143-05:00

Chinese foodChinese finger traps (not a double entendre) Also:The new Nine Inch Nails albumComplete Mage (for the D&D)Sunny days and warm breezesSailingMotorcycle superiorityA tax refundDrunken karaoke

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-77946408922661695142007-03-08T15:14:00.000-05:002007-03-08T15:15:28.605-05:00

Totally sucks. He was 17, and his name was Happy, which he totally lived up to. Great cat. But he got sick really fast and we just found out he had cancer and kidney problems and was anemic and was having a hard time breathing, so it looks like this was for the best. But it's fucking sad. I kind knew it was coming for a long time, just cause of how old he was getting, and lately he'd gotten very

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-49779523935494443072007-03-07T13:50:00.000-05:002007-03-07T14:11:28.065-05:00

I've been watching the L Word on DVD. It's awful. First, it's soft-core lesbian porn, which raises the lingerie debate, which is, does one prefer to be teased, or does one want to cut straight to the uncensored version? I've never been good at answering that debate. In fact, I prefer to have it answered for me. Which the L Word does. Which leaves me wanting more but regretting when I get it.

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-42376277550304192532007-03-01T15:43:00.000-05:002007-03-01T15:56:22.175-05:00

On the down side, I did not finish reading In Cold Blood by Wednesday. I also have not finished Bodega Dreams. My work load is pretty fucking retarded, and the first place I slack is on the readings because there's nobody checking to make sure I've done them. On the up side, I'm half finished with Stoner and Spaz (a quick read) and I finished the first section of Joan Didion's The White Album (

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-85927814709445573452007-02-27T23:29:00.000-05:002007-02-27T23:30:51.252-05:00

My dad noted the other day that "Full" has become the opposite of "Self." The existential implications of this cannot be underestimated.

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-61824116516340470382007-02-23T12:22:00.000-05:002007-02-23T12:24:04.125-05:00

Beyond all this, the wish to be alone:However the sky grows dark with invitation-cardsHowever we follow the printed directions of sexHowever the family is photographed under the flagstaff—Beyond all this, the wish to be alone.Beneath it all, desire of oblivion runs:Despite the artful tensions of the calendar,The life insurance, the tabled fertility rites,The costly aversion of the eyes from

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-24007431131235208062007-02-22T16:07:00.000-05:002007-02-23T12:16:53.560-05:00

Americana: finishedVineland: finishedThe House on Mango Street: finishedIntelligence reframed: finished (in a blur, don't remember much)Universal Baseball Association: half finished (ETA Sunday)Bodega Dreams: started (ETA next week)Go Ask Alice: half finished (ETA tonight)In Cold Blood: not started (ETA Wednesday)School and Society: one-quarter finished (text book; ETA late April)Weight: 211

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-41148801191842522632007-01-10T22:42:00.000-05:002007-01-10T22:44:21.347-05:00

I have in my hands a check for $30,000. It's loan money. And it's supposed to get me through at least the next year of school. $30,000. I can't imagine I'll ever see a check this big again in my life.

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-2698140100998353322007-01-08T18:02:00.000-05:002007-01-08T18:03:28.481-05:00

The downside to this moment is that I have a cold. The upside is that I sound like Barry White.

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-73596591053030690222007-01-06T08:43:00.000-05:002007-01-06T08:55:53.074-05:00

Roger and Annamarie (students at the tutoring center) are 14 and 12 respectively. They have been flirting with each other. In the looks department, Roger ranges between geeky and plain; Annamarie is quite cute. Cupid has armed Annamarie with a machine gun. By the time she is 16 she will have an alligator for a heart. I want to tell Roger to get her phone number now, to go wherever it is that

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1164309256332641662006-11-23T14:08:00.000-05:002006-11-23T14:14:16.356-05:00

It takes the boredom of Thanksgiving to bring me back to the blog. Which is not to say that I am bored of the blog, but that I am otherwise too busy to find my way here. Today has been quiet. It's the first day in many days where I don't feel compelled to do some sort of work. The only person working today around here is my mom who is busy cooking all the grub. Anyway, I was thinking about mom

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1158604989137850582006-09-18T13:38:00.000-05:002006-09-18T13:43:09.160-05:00

I'm not sure what's up with this, but the other day I left two packs of KitKats in my car and they got all melted. I was going to throw them out, but then I realized I could chuck 'em in the freezer to try to salvage them. So I let them freeze overnight and then opened one to see what the results were. And the results were delicious. The KitKat had melted and reshaped itself from four individual

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1158252636397529202006-09-14T11:19:00.000-05:002006-09-14T14:57:01.786-05:00

I've been reading a lot lately. Actually, I've been reading a lot for the past year. This comes after a multi-year post-undergrad hiatus of not wanting to read anything at all. Now the pendulum has swung back and I can't go through books fast enough. A lot of what I've been reading are kids- and young-adult books -- everything from the Phantom Tollbooth to the His Dark Materials trilogy. I've

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1157987357291800682006-09-11T10:08:00.000-05:002006-09-11T10:09:17.313-05:00

The ads at the top of the page are sensitive to the blog's content. If I write "butt spelunking" often enough, will they change to something cool?

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1157944652719825712006-09-10T22:16:00.000-05:002006-09-10T22:17:32.753-05:00

As much fun as it would be, I'm looking for more than some butt spelunking.

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1157671999785761362006-09-07T18:05:00.000-05:002006-09-07T18:33:19.870-05:00

Seems I am most inclined to update my blog when I'm sitting outside in the gazebo. Being out in the warmth and sun helps fire my inspiration, gets the creative juices flowing. Even still, there's not a whole lot exciting going on in my life right now -- things are moving along at their eternal "too fast yet too boring" pace -- and there's not much happening that merits a blog entry (which is

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1154737753841724462006-08-04T19:28:00.000-05:002006-08-04T19:32:49.210-05:00

that sybchronized treadmilling shouldn't be an olympic sport.

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1154206230075274942006-07-29T15:31:00.000-05:002006-07-29T15:50:30.093-05:00

About a week ago, my sister and I finished replacing the gazebo's busted screens. We then swept all the crap out and did a thorough debugging (though we're still gonna get some outdoor bug spray because we suspect there are things nesting inside the gazebo's nooks and crannies). Then, today -- just a few minutes ago, actually -- we got the wireless Internet working out here. So even though it's

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1153935329870273172006-07-26T12:02:00.000-05:002006-07-26T12:35:30.033-05:00

At long last, the FBI finally gave Big Brothers Big Sisters of Long Island the green light on me not being a psychopath, sex offender, or terrorist, which means all systems are go for me to enter the BBBSLI program. So today, BBBSLI called to tell me about a Little Brother they had in mind for me. The first words out of my case worker's mouth were, "He's one of our more challenging children," and

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1153707239986116462006-07-23T21:11:00.000-05:002006-07-23T21:18:54.693-05:00

Maybe you've seen Daimler-Chrysler's new "Ask Dr. Z" commercials. You can thank me.

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1153706265565032872006-07-23T20:50:00.000-05:002006-07-23T20:57:45.586-05:00

I've changed health insurance three times in less than a year. There's no point in going into the details why since it will just give me an ulcer to relive it, but presently I have MDNY, and I was very happy with them, until a few weeks ago when I started getting letters from all the doctors I've seen in the past few months telling me that MDNY has inexplicably been refusing to reimburse them for

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1153243679893786422006-07-18T12:22:00.000-05:002006-07-18T12:27:59.923-05:00

Those of you who have my home address should feel free to send me personalized M&M's. Those of you who would like my home address for the purpose of mailing me personalized M&M's should email me.

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1153225163155633092006-07-18T07:17:00.000-05:002006-07-18T07:19:23.183-05:00

I got your postcard. The weather is not beautiful, but I still wish you were here or I were there.

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1151112356015203292006-06-23T19:52:00.000-05:002006-06-23T20:25:56.053-05:00

Since my blog will never rule the blogosphere if I don't update it daily with blazing wit and self-depracating introspection, let me tell you about my new gazebo project.My parents have a gazebo in their backyard. Once upon a time, the gazebo was lovely -- it was screened in, bug free, stained and water-sealed, and just an overall great place to sit with a glass of iced tea and watch the sun set.

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1150372700710094852006-06-15T06:35:00.000-05:002006-06-16T14:24:50.896-05:00

As the sun plays upon my face like cotton-footed children, and the harbor air, freckled with salt, moseys across my street, my thoughts turn to nuclear waste. "Is it really so bad?" my thoughts wonder. On a scale of one to ten, with one being Christmas and ten being Islamic jihad, does nuclear waste deserve to rate any higher than a six? Surely six is pretty bad, but what about nuclear waste's

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1149699262859416562006-06-07T11:23:00.000-05:002006-06-07T11:54:22.976-05:00

I used to follow politics pretty closely, but paying attention has gotten harder and harder as the country continues to show that it prefers to keep its head up its ass. Today's case in point is Busby's loss to Bilbray in California. The Daily Kos post-game is all about how Busby's strategy lost her the race, but I'm beyond blaming Democrats at this point. I'm sure there are a million things to

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1149264295016550722006-06-02T10:47:00.000-05:002006-06-02T11:06:26.776-05:00

On June 15th I meet with the kind folks at Big Brothers Big Sisters to have an interview for becoming a Big Brother. I originally started thinking of joining BBBS almost a year ago because it would look good on my resume when I apply for teaching jobs, but I wasn't truly motivated to do it until my success as a tutor showed me that, gosh darn it, kids love me. So now I'm psyched about the

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1148959517490276242006-05-29T22:14:00.000-05:002006-05-29T22:25:17.670-05:00

Well, it wasn't complete crap. Had I not read the book, I think I would have enjoyed the movie since the visuals add a lot of what the book is lacking; but the characters were still flat and there isn't anything beyond the puzzle to keep one involved. And since pretty much everybody knows how it ends...The irony, though, is in the fact that the story revolves around the power, importance, and

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1148875921411434532006-05-28T22:55:00.000-05:002006-05-28T23:14:38.733-05:00

is the ability to suck the life out of a perfectly good movie franchise. X-Men 3 sucked. It sucked bad. There are so many structural flaws in the story, it would fail Screenwriting 101. I won't go into detail here since doing so would require lots of spoilers, but I will say that if you do see it, be prepared to endure pointless scenes, a pointless plot, empty characters, and lame action

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1148578545355516882006-05-25T12:34:00.000-05:002006-05-25T12:35:45.376-05:00

This post over at This Modern World is priceless. Go give love.

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1148444906543306452006-05-23T23:27:00.000-05:002006-05-23T23:30:16.500-05:00

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1148105826881169812006-05-20T00:19:00.000-05:002006-05-20T01:17:07.023-05:00

She wasn't even one of the people who cleans my bathroom. In fact, I met her in a library (surprise!). Ultimately, our relationship was doomed (me being a capricorn and her being insanely tardy all the fucking time, I had to fire her ass), but as it ended I was shocked to discover that I'd developed some feelings for her. I was unprepared for the fact that her being black didn't get in the way of

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1148088455564213512006-05-19T19:58:00.000-05:002006-05-19T20:27:35.606-05:00

Hoot Gibson has is own blog. Show the man some love.

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1147348483541249022006-05-11T06:29:00.000-05:002006-05-11T06:55:59.736-05:00

This is a post I've been wanting to write for a while now, but it just gets me so pissed off I haven't done it. But I'm awake now, much to early, and its on my mind, so I'm figuring maybe if I write it I can get back to sleep.Over the past several months, assorted businesses have nickeled and dimed me out of nearly $1000 dollars. Really this has been going on for my entire life -- I'm used to get

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1147288241267387682006-05-10T09:41:00.000-05:002006-05-11T14:59:21.116-05:00

Just for Olman Feelyus, I went running in the rain today. The cold cold shitty shitty rain rain. It was fun, if wet. Very Eye of the Tiger. And, while running, I got to think about things, which is what I do while running, and so I thought about all the same things I've been thinking about for days: Who am I? Where am I? Where am I going? Where have I come from? Where have I been? I think about

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1147123974820757662006-05-08T16:05:00.000-05:002006-05-08T16:32:55.526-05:00

My homepage has been set to show the weather in Hawaii ever since I spent a month there in 2002. Every fantasy life I concoct for myself is set in Hawaii. And whenever the weather on Long Island is beautiful I remind myself that in Hawaii the beauty isn't fleeting. In Hawaii I could ride my motorcycle pretty much 24/7. If I bought a jeep, I could leave the top off all year 'round. If I met a girl

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1147097190792277772006-05-08T08:27:00.000-05:002006-05-08T09:06:30.916-05:00

My sister graduated from Buffalo State this weekend, so my whole family trekked up there for the ceremony. Graduations are interesting things. You're filled with love and pride for the person you're celebrating, yet also tremendous physical discomfort because you've got to sit in the bleachers for three hours surrounded by gigantic fat people who take up so much room that airlines would charge

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1146759927468104762006-05-04T11:23:00.000-05:002006-05-04T22:16:35.930-05:00

I just made that up. Clever, right? It's where my mind goes when I jog -- into the jogosphere, where I am Superman.That's all I have to say about jogging.Now I will talk about: Life's Path!You see, I need to make some decisions. Mostly about grad school. I need to pick a program, and since I will almost definitely be attending Hofstra (if they reject me, I'll buy a gun and join a militia), I'll

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1146597812524612662006-05-02T14:20:00.000-05:002006-05-02T14:23:32.573-05:00

Not that I really thought I did have glaucoma, but I got new glasses at LensCrafters a month or so ago and the dude there who did my eye exam said he was "concerned about [my] pressure." So I finally got to an opthamologist this morning and had it confirmed that not only do I not have glaucoma, but I am at low risk for glaucoma. Three cheers for something not being wrong with me for once. Now

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1146506522935909722006-05-01T12:58:00.000-05:002006-05-01T13:02:02.953-05:00

Salami is good. So so good. It's greasy and fatty and spicy and you can wrap it around cheese and crackers and hard bread, and even enjoy it with wine. Fucking incredible. And where does it come from? Pig parts? I don't believe it. More likely there is a magic salami palace in the sky and if you do the magic salami dance magic salami rains down upon you. Salami must come from the heavens. It is

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1146170035950017392006-04-27T15:02:00.000-05:002006-04-27T15:36:14.010-05:00

I just read about the "plagiarism scandal" surrounding Harvard sophomore Kaavya Viswanathan, and it's actually made me feel a lot better about not getting into Harvard or Stanford. I don't want to seem like the guy who's just bitching because he's got some sour grapes (though maybe that's what I am). I definitely liked both Stanford's and Harvard's programs best of all the ones I looked at, and,

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1146040268235723072006-04-26T03:16:00.000-05:002006-04-26T03:31:08.260-05:00

In the interest of counting my financial chickens before they've hatched, it looks like I've nearly gotten myself out of debt. I have (or will imminently have) paid off my Amazon.com card, my WaMu card, and my Kohl's card. A few months ago I polished off my Apple Loan. And I've paid my motorcycle insurance for the year as well. This leaves me with college loans to repay, and my motorcycle

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1145987568301854412006-04-25T12:45:00.000-05:002006-04-25T12:52:48.330-05:00

Just finished reading the Da Vinci Code. Huge disappointment. I was hoping to have another Harry Potter experience, where I come late to the party but still find myself caught up in all the excitement. Instead, I found the book completely bland. The characters are flat, the mechanics of the quest aren't particularly interesting, and the payoff is poor. However, the history and research that Dan

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1145796899898521522006-04-23T07:49:00.000-05:002006-04-23T07:54:59.920-05:00

I could be out jogging. Or biking. Or riding my freakin' motorcycle. But noooooooooooooo -- it's freakin' raining. Again. Two days in a row. Three, almost, since Friday was crappy also. What the fuck, man? We don't even need rain anymore. Rain is obsolete. Between global warming, in-ground sprinkler systems, and bottled water, it's time for rain to realize that its day is done. It's over. Time to

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1145230185658994312006-04-16T17:58:00.000-05:002006-04-16T18:36:47.340-05:00

To recap: Several weeks ago, I had my first wipe out. Among other things, this resulted in a broken shifter lever, which meant I couldn't ride until I got a replacement. Though many people recommended assorted online retailers, I decided to order the part from the dealer since I'd just gotten the bike and was feeling the goodwill that comes from a positive shopping experience. Well, that goodwill

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1145148007400667892006-04-15T19:28:00.000-05:002006-04-15T19:40:09.020-05:00

I didn't know that dogs (or any animal) had an anal gland; nor did I know these precious little nodules needed to be "cleaned." Alas, the things I learn when my parents come home from the vet. Which is where their wiener dogs went for their annual checkup this morning. And when they came home they stank like shit and burnt fur. Which is not exactly the smell I'd expect an anal gland to make (I

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1144936913757338402006-04-13T08:50:00.000-05:002006-04-13T09:01:53.776-05:00

To answer the inquiries, the blog is not dead. Merely taking a little break. From which I have now returned. At least for as long as the weather is lame. When the weather is not lame anymore, blogging might once again become sporadic. Also, I wasn't off sulking over the Harvard thing. The hiatus began before the letter even showed up. But I do appreciate everyone's concern. (The internets are

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1143696650781421472006-03-30T00:30:00.000-05:002006-03-30T00:30:50.803-05:00

Rejection letter received today.That is all.

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1142544186881762772006-03-16T16:21:00.000-05:002006-03-16T16:23:28.540-05:00

Just had my first crash! Fortunately, I was going slow enough that I didn't kill myself. My right arm is sore, and I suspect I would have broken it had been going faster (I think I just pulled some muscles or something -- it doesn't hurt when I move it or squeeze it, which is what I suspect would happen had I broken it), and I scraped up my knees (just got my new JR Alter Ego jacket today, but

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1142351716056083472006-03-14T10:19:00.000-05:002006-03-14T10:55:16.156-05:00

At my lightest, I was about 215. Presently I am 226. This was disheartening until I got one of them fancy scales that measures body fat as well as weight and saw that my body fat has actually decreased (by about 1 percent), which means most (perhaps all) of the weight gained is muscle. And I am feeling quite pumped these days. You should see my guns! Two tickets to the gun show! Everywhere I go I

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1142118641927096842006-03-11T17:55:00.000-05:002006-03-11T18:13:49.386-05:00

After a total of 3 hours of practice, I am now permitted to drive my motorcycle to and from the beach. Formerly, the routine was that I followed pops down and then he let me ride around the parking lot. But today I managed to get the bike into third gear, and even did a whopping 40 mph for a little bit. And so far I still haven't crashed (or killed myself or lost a limb or become paralyzed). I

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1142067365836967222006-03-11T03:53:00.000-05:002006-03-11T03:56:26.063-05:00

Ignore for a moment (or don't) that this post at Absorbascon starts out being about comics; it is a perfect analysis of the human condition and the role of art therein. Now go fight some crime.

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1142065442896695072006-03-11T03:17:00.000-05:002006-03-11T11:18:46.856-05:00

Special thanks to special people for the anecdotes below. Heart.Americans remain thankless for being Americans:Guy behind me in line, I swear to God: "I want a coke." "Oh, well sir the Pepsi Fountain is right over ther--" "Fuck Pepsi, Pepsi gives people AIDS. I want coke." "Well, they uh... have Mountain De---" "Same shit, different color." I think he wound up getting some Dr. Pepper, going

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1141749325758273042006-03-07T11:33:00.000-05:002006-03-07T11:35:25.800-05:00

In honor of the new motorcycle, I've bumped Tron (fun!) and Torque (cheese!) to the top of my NetFlix que. I suppose I should add Easy Rider (old school!) to the list also, but somehow that feels like I'd be taking myself too seriously.

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1141680123361804042006-03-06T16:12:00.000-05:002006-03-06T16:22:03.363-05:00

Got the rejection letter from Stanford today. Kinda pissed, but not surprised. I was hoping to at least be accepted there even if I might not have been able to afford it in the end. This also gives me serious doubts about whether or not I'll get into Harvard. And since I foolishly missed the application deadline for Hawaii, I will most likely wind up at Hofstra. Which isn't bad, though I really

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1141672265911489622006-03-06T14:10:00.000-05:002006-03-06T16:05:14.673-05:00

It just arrived and is in my garage and I'm going right now for my first lesson on it! Psyched! If I can dig up a working digital camera I'll post pics later. In the mean time you can look here, though it looks much nicer in person. Keep your fingers crossed that I don't die! (Or that I do die if you don't like me. I'm good either way.)

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1141657694426483872006-03-06T10:07:00.000-05:002006-03-06T10:08:14.456-05:00

Dear Red Bull USA,I am writing to let you know that your commercials are so bad I refuse to buy your product until you change them. I am also starting the TV Watchers Against Suck-Bag Commercials non-profit activism group to organize a nation-wide boycott of your product until our demands for non-sucky commercials are met. Sincerely,Mustapha Mond---What commercials do you hate?

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1141077414551750922006-02-27T16:25:00.000-05:002006-02-27T16:56:54.640-05:00

What began as a crazy dream on January 14, came to an end today when I went to the Suzuki dealer and bought my first motorcycle! I got a deal on an '05 SV650 naked, in blue. It's totally sweet and I am totally psyched. I'm also totally terrified.The reason I am terrified is, before buying the bike, I went to the DMV to get my permit, and that's where I learned that everybody else on the road is

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1140996936394167342006-02-26T18:14:00.000-05:002006-02-26T18:35:36.513-05:00

Am I too old to learn to rollerblade? Is there an age when one stops being able to learn to do stuff? This is something I've been thinking about a lot with my impending motorcycle purchase. What if I can't learn to ride it? What if I'm too old to learn to coordinate the shifting of the gears? What if I don't have the ability to keep my balance while making turns? Probably this won't be the case

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1140968461586335322006-02-26T09:44:00.000-05:002006-02-26T10:52:27.656-05:00

Fifteenish years ago, when I was a wee lad, it was just becoming cool to be goth (or maybe it had been cool for ages and I was at last aware of it, but whatever). I had friends who were goth, and I even owned a few goth-ish clothing accessories, like black tights (which are surprisingly warm and comfy). It was fun, even though I was never really into The Cure or emo or punk rock or whatever it

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1140830129043542662006-02-24T20:07:00.000-05:002006-02-24T20:16:23.870-05:00

I often wish that I could broadcast my brain to the world on one of the FM channels so everyone who wanted could tune in and hear what's going on in there. You'd like it. Often there's a pretty bitchin' sound track, plus, a full third of my interior musings happen in Sean Connery's voice, and probably one percent happen in a racially insensitive Indian accent. The Indian accent is actually my

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1140633577850509802006-02-22T13:37:00.000-05:002006-02-22T13:39:37.893-05:00

The last of my dental work was finished today, and for the first time in my life (sorta) I have a smile I like to see in the mirror. I am now terrified that I'm going to fall down the stairs or something and knock all my teeth out.

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060813.post-1140467707246156072006-02-20T15:01:00.000-05:002006-02-20T15:35:07.343-05:00

Tom Wolf -- or Tobias Wolf, or Virginia Wolf, or one of the other Wolfs, most of whom don't actually spell their name "W-o-l-f" -- once said that you have to suffer for style. He was talking about why he chose to sleep in vinyl pajamas. Or maybe it was velour pajamas. Or whatever. The point is that they were some uncomfortable fucking pajamas that he chose to sleep in because he would look cool

Mustapha Mondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763165524438673266noreply@blogger.com2