Balo's Life Blog

Save The Internet

2006-04-29T15:00:00.000-07:00

No kidding. In Congress, as of now, there is a bill being pushed to effectively end Network Neutrality. Net Neutrality is, to borrow a phrase from savetheinternet.com, "The First Amendment" of the Internet, ensuring that giant companies like AT&T and Verizon can't restrict your access to some websites. Without this, any sites they don't like will load slower, or not at all. Therefore, this would end the Internet as we know it, changing the greatest free speech mechanism the world has ever seen into little more than a corporate pigsty. I do not believe this dire threat can be ignored. But there is hope. On Capitol Hill, more than 1,500 bloggers have spoken out, and for the first time, Congress is listening. (Source: http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0429-28.htm, a Common Dreams news article.) by going to www.savetheinternet.com, you can sign their petition to let your congressmen and -women know what you think of the COPE Act (Which effectively reduces Net Neutrality to a meaningless hinderance). The fate of the Internet is in your hands.

Say no to Midi (At least on your Homepage)

2006-04-28T15:15:00.000-07:00

What is your problem, sir? I ask you, as you seem to have an inordinately large one. I have arrived at your webpage, seeking only information, to find... Midi. What stain on your soul is so great that you feel the need to defile the already-polluted internet with 8-bit, terminally annoying music? Sir, I ask only out of compassion. I cannot imagine the horror of what has been done to you. The way you send faux-piano Midi music winging through my speakers, is, I believe, a cry for help. May I assist you in overcoming this illness? Perhaps by beating you repeatedly over your head with this keyboard. Why, I'd do that until my arms are sore, just for you. That's how much pity I have for you. I would find out where you live, drive there, beat the stuffing out of you with a shovel, and then hide your body in the sewer, all on my own time, all for you. So now I ask this: How may I help you?

The Podcast is here!

2006-01-18T15:05:00.000-08:00

So, in a fit of activity, my dreams of podcasting were realized last night when Jesse and I, in a fit of boredom, created a podcast on my Ipod (with the iTalk attachment I bought with my Christmas money!), set up a website, and proceeded to forever immortalize our voices. And Arlo's. We sent the url to lots of our friends, and everybody likes it, despite what we thought was terrible quality. The website is dylan_and_jesse.podomatic.com.

Quizilla, yay!

2005-12-17T10:04:00.000-08:00

So, today, being bored, I decided to go and visit a rather interesting website, Quizilla.com. Anyone who wants can sign up and make quizzes. I too a couple, and check them out:

This one was called, "What color is your soul"

Your soul is White! You are very different and you
love it. You always have a different way of
looking at things and like to think rather than
talk. You're anything but predictable. Some
people see you as cold, but that's only because
they don't know you. You tend to hide your true
self, even from your family and friends. You
may seem emotionless, but you actually feel
more than most do. You just hide it.

People are drawn to:
your mysterious aura

People are pushed away by:
your cold exterior

Quotes:
"When life gives you lemons, make grape juice,
then sit back and let the world wonder how you
did it."

"I'd much rather be hated for who I am, than
loved for who I am not."

What colour is your soul? - anime pics
brought to you by Quizilla

Posting again, verily

2005-05-21T09:23:00.000-07:00

W00t! Hello again, faithful nonexistent readers, I am back with news of joy. SCHOOL's OUT!!!! Well, considering I am a homeschooler, I guess "home's out" would work better. Nonetheless, I am finished with all my classes, except for my Biology test. (Hella hard, by the way) I am gonna quit fencing for the summer :-( but I will keep unicycling. Still listening to my Ipod, waiting for IpodLinux to make a version that works with 4G Ipods. The DnD group has shrunk, as I expected, and now only 5 people are showing up with any regularity. I have to go to fencing really soon, so I'm off again.

New Group

2005-02-03T22:16:00.000-08:00

Hey all you nonexistent readers of my blog. I haven't posted in like a gazillion years. (Actually, I did try to post a really long and insightful musing but then the stupid blogger thingy logged me out automatically. Grrr) Anyhoo, Lot's of new stuff has been going on. First of all, I saved up a ton of money and bought myself a new 20gb Ipod!! I love it! I have 330 songs right now (I would have more but my computer is pretty incompatible), including four Beatles albums and the best of Three Dog Night. I just got a new case for it, and I listen to it every day. I also found out about podcasting, which is a cool new phenomenon. People make their own radio shows, and then post them on the net to be downloaded onto your Ipod, to be listened to whenever you want. I really want to do one, but I don't even have a half-decent microphone. So, in conclusion, Ipods really rule. All you people who don't like them, I respect your opinion, but STRONGLY disagree.

Now, for the bad (or not-so-good) news. I got upper braces and a retainer 10 days ago. They pretty much suck. For the first few days the retainer hurt so bad I could barely talk, but then I went back into the orthodontics office and they cut it down. I still have trouble eating hard foods. (plus, there are tons of different kinds of stuff I can't eat) But now I'm living with them. I have to brush four times a day and floss at least once. I also have to brush my retainer. Interestingly, two of my friends got braces at the same time I did.

I got Sea-Monkeys recently. I love them. I have this one big one that has horns half the length of his body. I named him Rhino. It is fun to watch them swim around. I also found a Sea-Monkey song on the Itunes music store. So that's another happy thing.(and also random)

I also started playing in a new DnD group! It currently has seven members and usually about four show up. I almost always do. It is pretty fun. Our characters are so cheap that they can survive nearly anything. I did some pretty weird stuff. I found a gigantic weasel, nearly killed it, and convinced it to be my friend. Talk about messed up.

All my classes (Latin, Greek, Biology, Algebra) have started up again from winter break. I also have a new class, Quakerism 101. I am one of only three teens in the 45 person class. The class is ok, but has a lot of reading every week. Combined with all my other classes it's nearly overwhelming. But I have Biology off this week, yay!

I found a new (to me) online game called “Runescape”. It is an graphical RPG which is free. I only play it sometimes, but there are about 70,000 users on at any given time! I suggest checking it out, unless you have dial-up: http://www.runescape.com.

I have been so busy that I have not been able to take any Balo pictures!! Hopefully I will get some soon. However, I can tell you that Violet the bunny in some of the most recent pictures will be featured more.

A new cafe opened quite near us. It is called Blondie's, and it is incredible! They have amazingly good food!! We (my brother and I) also are some of their most frequent customers. We bring all our friends there, and sometimes they give us discounts! We went there yesterday and today, and today we even got to see where they make the food (such as seven-layer bars, and blondies) a little bit! It is the best cafe in the world.

I have not posted for so long, so I don't know if I already said this, but I have a job! I work at a supermarket, as a bagger and stocker. I have worked for 5 months, and so far it rules! Yesterday one of the workers I know found some damaged (but not broken) cake frosting. So, out of the blue, he just decided to bake a two cakes! They tasted really good.

Ok, I highly doubt that anyone reads this, and they probably won't read the whole thing anyway, so, adieu until next time! I am off to bed!!

Yay! Bemidji!

2004-08-19T17:05:00.000-07:00

I'm going to Bemidji this weekend! I am gonna play my didge all the time! Only a 9 more days till NBTSC! I am going to take some Balo pics tonight. Look for them tonight or tomorrow! Gotta go write a poem. Bye!

Work, Computers, and other Ramblings

2004-08-14T19:32:00.000-07:00

Wow! I have not written here for so long! I have been quite busy. I went to FGC and my birthday is in three days! I am gearing up for NBTSC. I can't wait! Balo is doing well, although I need to take more pics. Hopefully I will start "Balo: The Movie" when I get home from NBTSC. I am applying for my first job! I bought the DnD books (Finally) and am glad of that. Sadly I will not be having a birthday party this year. :-(
But, I am having cheesecake with my aunt and uncle and cousin! I love cheesecake.

Rain

2004-06-23T16:11:00.000-07:00

Dang, it's raining again. This has been the coldest summer I can remember. I am gearing Balo up for his comic, and am thinking about buying a Balo-sized sword. I can't use the computer very much these days.

Today

2004-06-15T22:35:00.000-07:00

I've been reading the DnD boards. I'm planning on buying a new DnD book soon. I hope my frinends/players will pitch in some money. We are catsitting our neighbor's cat, Pesa. She is tiny. She loves to tease our other cat, Luke.

The Return Of The Computer

2004-06-13T09:40:00.000-07:00

My little Mac that I used to use for a journal returned today. It was being used in a history display! My Mac is a "Mac Plus", which was made in 1986 and has 1 Mb of memory. I also have a 30 Mb external hard drive for it. This hard drive is slightly smaller than an X-Box! I posted an emoticon version of it on the Balo's musings and poetry webpage. I will start writing my journal in the Mac again, but I'll still put stuff on here. Today is the block party!

Poll!

2004-06-12T18:49:00.000-07:00

I have decided to get a new domain name for the balo picture page. So, please vote!

Thanks!

Block Party!

2004-06-11T14:55:00.000-07:00

Every year our block gets together, blocks off the street, and has a party! This year it's going to be on June 13.

There's always lots of food and drink. And the block party is the best time of year for water fights. However, I am worried because for the last week it has been cold and rainy. I hope the weather will improve in time for the party.

Policemen have come and had some food almost every year so far. This is the 13th annual block party.
I can't wait!

Back! (Finally)

2004-06-06T18:21:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm back. The trip ruled. Even though it rained every day, we did lots of fun stuff. We went to a museum, on another road trip, and saw four movies in three days. We watched "Shrek 2" (Which is awesome, by the way), "Scary Movie 3" (Also cool), "In America" (OK, I guess), and "The Triplets of Belleville" (Way psychedelic). I got some cool pics of Balo, and a couple times I used the camcorder. I met a new dog, Thor. He was a bit jumpy. Did I mention that I am really afraid of dogs, almost a phobia? Well, I got along OK with this dog, but I was still a little nervous. I am finally lazing now that summer's here.

Road Trip!

2004-05-28T09:22:00.000-07:00

Yay! We're going on a trip to my uncle's over Memorial Day! This will be our first trip with our new car. Even better, my uncle doesn't know that we have a new car, so it will be a big surprise. We will probably see "Shrek 2" while we are there. I am bringing the camera and the camcorder. And Balo! I think I will get lots of pictures. I have added some new Balo pictures on balo.servepics.com. They are pictures of Balo working to be a Bridge caddie. I will not write again for at least five days, while I am away. However, I will keep notes and post them when I get back.

Working Hard

2004-05-25T17:40:00.000-07:00

Once again, I'm sorry for not posting, blah blah blah. Anyway, the journalism class that sparked this blog is finally over, which is ok. Found a way to make some easy cash. I'm caddying for a bridge tournament. $20 for three hours! Some of my friends are doing it too. I got another friend to start a blog. I'll probably take Balo and the camera to the tournament. I'm so sick of people dissing Balo. I'm not going to give names. You know who you are. The play ended, and we danced for 2 hours after the show. The cast party was annoying. We had it outside in a pavilion and it was raining the whole time. The temp was about 40f. Finally we had to retire to a nearby cast members house to watch the show on tape. Thankfully. I am so sick of the cold. And the rain. Did I mention the cold and rain? I've had a headache all weekend. I watched another movie, "Win a date with Tad Hamilton". It was the same old stuff. Girl likes guy, guy likes girl, other guy who has loved the girl for a long time and never told her gets left in the dust. And ends up winning in the end. I haven't been using seperate paragraphs. I think it's because my thoughs are so jumbled. So, naturally, my posts come out jumbled too. I want to write a fantasy book. I've been taking a break from fencing for a while. Did I reveal that I fence? I like it, except for the hulking guys. They can't quite figure out that it's a sport, not a medieval duel to the death. I fence foil. I got a new book, Summerland. Actually, I've been re-reading some of my books. A few days ago I read three books in a day. I like Magic the Gathering. But not as much as some people. I am a slow writer in real life. That is why I like the computer so much, because I can write so freely. However, this means that my habit of medieval capitalization must be kept under control. Medieval capitalization is capitalizing words that seem important to you in the middle of the sentence. Like this: "Susie Ran along the Field without a Care in the World."
Well, at least I used proper writing there, cutting off the row after the quotes. I think this is more than I have ever written before. (In one go)

Camera!

2004-05-21T23:05:00.000-07:00

Well, we finally got the new camcorder, a Canon ZR-70. It's pretty cool. It has lots of features, like fader and lights. Maybe I will be able to make a vlog sometime. We had our best show yet tonight. People are dissing Balo a lot. I heard of an interesting site today: quizilla.com. More and more of my friends are getting blogs!

Busy as a Bee

2004-05-21T11:43:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm getting backed up more and more. The play is moving at a breakneck pace, we have two more shows to go. I finally got some pictures of Balo at the play, and added them to balo.servepics.com. Yesterday the play went well, except for a few accidents. The camcorder that we ordered will come sometime between today and tuesday. The writing class that promted me to start this blog is ending on monday, and I have to have a Piece de resistance then. I don't think I've posted this link before, but anyway, it's a pretty cool site: Game Garage

General Stuff

2004-05-17T21:29:00.000-07:00

Well, we finally did buy a new car. It is a yellow 2004 Toyota Matrix. I think it is ok. I have been really stressed out. I have my grandparents over. (But they aren't the reason I'm stressed)
They are really cool. I am possibly going to the MOA soon. I have my class ending in a week. I'm sorry that I'm way behind on everything.

Sleep.....Must Have......More

2004-05-16T09:57:00.000-07:00

Well, my sleep deprivation is finally catching up with me. I have not been posting as much as I would like. I was trying to post two posts every day, but now that's busted. I think I'll post some links. These are my favorite internet comics:
Fuzzy Knights
Penny Arcade
Anyway, I'm trying to get more Balo pictures, but things just keep coming up. The play last night went ok. The sound people didn't mess up once. I got a couple notes, but nothing serious. Overall, it was way better than the day before that.

BZflag

2004-05-15T22:40:00.000-07:00

BZflag is a computer game. In short, Halo for Linux. You play a tank that can get cool upgrades like invisibility and guided missiles. There are thousands of terrain possibilities, and best of all a terrain generator so you can build your very own world. It is only multiplayer, but online there can be up to 40 players in one game. The tanks are different colors, which signify different teams. There are also Rogues, which are yellow tanks with no team. Even if you have a slow computer, you can change the settings so the graphics aren't as good. All in all, this is a suberb game, available for Linux, Windows, and Mac.
Check out the web page:
BZflag Homepage

Showtime, Part 4

2004-05-14T23:45:00.000-07:00

Well, this was our mess up show. Everything that could go wrong did. The lights dimmed, the curtain broke (!), people forgot their lines, people forgot their props, but the audience still loved it. Afterwards, we went to Formal Night. I got engaged to mor than ten people. I had a grilled cheese sandwich and a poppyseed muffin. Zack and Lee and I sat together. I had some cool rings stocked up, and I used all of them but the coolest one (Which I like). We didn't leave until 12:30!

Political Activism For Kids

2004-05-14T12:50:00.000-07:00

Last night I went to a talk for teenagers on how to become politically active even if you can't vote. The speaker was Mattie Weiss, who helped to write the book "How To Get Stupid White Men Out Of Office". She told us about helping to make changes by getting people in your community to vote, writing letters, giving talks, giving people voting registration cards at places where you hang out, and going door to door. There were about 20 homeschooling teens there. Most of us bought her book. We are planning to do some door to door stuff later this year.

Showtime, Part 3

2004-05-14T10:17:00.000-07:00

Well, we have another show today. Afterwards we are going to a Perkins restaurant for a tradition called "Formal Night". This is where everybody dresses up nicely and we all go to Perkins. Then the strangeness begins. Everybody starts asking each other, "Will you marry me?"
If the answer is yes (Which it usually is), the questioner gives the questionee a ring, and goes on to the next person they want to ask. unlike real engagements, one can have as many as one wants. It's pretty cool.

Showtime, Part 2

2004-05-13T21:37:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm back from the show. It wasn't bad for a first show. The auditorium was about half full, which means we didn't have to worry about making mistakes as much as normal. There was only one medium mistake in the whole 2 act, 20 scene show! I accidentally had a slip of the tongue once. Overall, it was an exellent show. I should probably say now that the show was "Tom Sawyer". A good friend of mine is Tom Sawyer in the play. We have another play tomorrow, and the next day, and then we get to rest untill next weekend.

What should the new domain name be for balo.servepics.com, my balo picture site (just "balo" is taken)?
baloland commanderbalo ilovebalo baloslife balopics balothesheep whattheheyisbalo whogivesaratsfanny bts none of the above

Free polls from Pollhost.com