Skippy's World

2005-12-28T23:57:00.000-05:00

From the season 7 simpsons episode "Summer of 4 Ft. 2"

Homer: "Hi... ummm... let me have some of those porno magazines... large box
of condoms... a couple of those panty shields... and some
illegal fireworks... and one of those disposable enemas. Ehhh... make it two."

Clerk: "My apologies, sir, but the sale of fireworks is prohibited in this
state and is punishable by a f...
[the last customer leaves]
Follow me."

The clerk shows Homer into his stockpile of fireworks.

Clerk: "Any red-blooded, flag-fearing American would love the M-320.
Celebrate the independence of your nation by blowing up a small
part of it."

Later, Marge goes through Homer's purchase.
Marge: "I don't know what you have
planned tonight, but count me out."

2005-12-28T23:52:00.000-05:00

adam: fyi - if youre wondering what to get me for xmas, i just saw a commercial and you can get me a queen latifah walmart gift card
erica: cool. where should i send it to?
adam: queen latifah is awesome
adam: make sure you get me the one of her from "bringing down the house"
erica: i don't know... are these in every store
erica: i wodner if they're selling them in upstate ny
adam: it may be a niche market

2005-12-28T23:51:00.000-05:00

i hated this movie (mission to mars)

adam: did you SEE mission to mars
adam: it was kinda like contact only they got eaten by red dust
adam: and there were somehow dinosaurs
adam: i dont remember how
evan: yes.
evan: yes i did
evan: it sucked.

2005-12-28T23:50:00.000-05:00

On Ali's new ipod

adam: how full is yours
ali: not at all
ali: its got like 20gb left
adam: put some porn on it
ali: i tried
ali: its gotta be a particular movie fomrat

2005-12-28T23:48:00.000-05:00

this article from the washington post is fucking ridiculous. it's about how a virginia city, in an effort to quash illegal immigration, redefined family so that only a certain number can inhabit a house.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/27/AR2005122701216.html

my favorite line? "Your nephew, under our law, is considered unrelated,"

2005-12-28T23:42:00.000-05:00

umm...

From a friend's blog who I haven't spoken to in a few years (to be fair she did go to vietnam).

Saturday, December 24, 2005
Eh hem...

I'd like to make an official announcement, please.

I am getting married.

This is how I find out? I mean not that we're that close...but a blog? Weird.

2005-12-28T23:41:00.000-05:00

serious blog slacking lately, sorry the holiday season got to me. will correct with a flurry of posts before i leave to go back to new mexico tomorrow morning.

adam

2005-12-13T05:55:00.000-05:00

"To be nobody-but-yourself -- in a world which is doing its best night and day, to make you everybody else--means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting."
- e. e. cummings

2005-12-13T05:54:00.000-05:00

"America isn't easy. America is advanced citizenship. You've gotta want it bad, 'cause it's gonna put up a fight. It's gonna say, "You want free speech? Let's see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who's standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours." You want to claim this land as the land of the free? Then the symbol of your country cannot just be a flag. The symbol also has to be one of its citizens exercising his right to burn that flag in protest. Now show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your classrooms. Then you can stand up and sing about the land of the free."
-President Andrew Shepard (Michael Douglas), "The American President"

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/MovieSpeeches/moviespeechtheamericanpresident.html

2005-11-16T02:16:00.000-05:00

"Hope unbelieved is always considered nonsense. But hope believed is history in the process of being changed…Hope is believing in spite of the evidence and watching the evidence change. And hope is a sign of transformation."
- Jim Wallis

2005-03-21T21:45:00.000-05:00

This is the coolest thing ever

2005-02-17T20:51:00.000-05:00

BRUSSELS...WHAT WHAT!

Some of you may have heard scattered reports about the experience that was my rather amusing first trip onto Continental Europe to the wonderful city of *cough* Brussels, Belgium. I hadn't gotten around to updating everyone about it but my traveling comrade Grant did a wonderful picture/storyline of the entire trip that I could never do better so I'm just going to link you to that. ENJOY! A few pics below of Adam contemplating Brussels.

http://theulysses.blogspot.com/2005/02/summarizing-unsummarizable.html

Brussels stands in awe of me.

As the Brussels skyline emerges behind me, I gingerly contemplate the inherent beauty of it all.

2005-02-09T20:55:00.000-05:00

The Tale of the Refrigerator of DEATH

Anyone remember Nickelodeon show "ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK?" Well from my own travels in Ieper, Belgium I have my own tale of fear, tragedy, and ancient food storage pit from which there is no escape. Submitted for the approval of the midnight society...THE TALE OF THE REFRIGERATOR OF DEATH!!!

It all began on a fairly normal and mild-mannered class trip to tour historic Ieper, Belgium. A midnight tour of the town's ancient defense fortificaitons led us here...to an ancient food storage pit. Little did we know it would turn out to be the storage pit...of our nightmares.

This is the doorway to the Refrigerator of Death. It looks ominous doesn't it?

We approached the entrance to the old pit that had once been used as a food storage site in ye olde times. Our guide fiddled with a switch at the entrance. Drat. It seems the lights were out. No seeing the it in the midnight darkness.

Getting closer and looking at it confirms, it's a fucking spooky doorway to evil.

That's the point where any normal and sane group of kids would've turned back. The guide let us know it was about 10 meters deep aka 30 feet down in the dark abyss from which there seemed no possible return. But then those truly committed to the thought process doesn't describe us. Evan realized he had a flashlight on his cell phone, a feature that, incidentally, he never thought he would find a use for. But its day had come.

This is the 25 ft stairway that descends into the darkness that was the Refrigerator of Death. Please note that while it doesn't look so bad from here it was 100% dark save for the minimal amount of illumination provided by the flashlight built into Evan's cell phone.

Despite repeated warnings about the dangers of descending into the ancient pit of eternal no return, we ignored him as only a collection of hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of American education can and embarked on a descent into the unknown armed only the with mini-LED flashlight on Evan's cell phone.

It was dark. Really fucking dark. As in...there was no light. None whatsoever. Save the scare illumination of the Nokia. We immediatly encountered a staircase that sharply curved and led us down. Down. Down.

Evan handling the situation of stiffling, crippling, panic inducing darkness with grace and aplomb. Actually he was holding our only flashlight to his face and making ghost faces.

And then someone got the genius fucking idea of taking pictures to see what was in the room. Which would've been a good idea had we NOT BEEN CLIMBING DOWN THE STAIRS IN THE DARK. Nothing ruins night-vision like multiple flashes from a digital camera.

Greg looking cofused in the Refrigerator of Death.

So there were, at the bottom of the Refrigerator of Death. It didn't really do anything. We took pictures of us down there, which seemed cool at the time since we had the adreneline flowing from giving common sense the finger. But in retrospect...it just kind of looks like a hole.

Screw it. When in Rome...or the refrigerator of death...take pictures!

So we took more pictures. More then we had any right or business too. And eventually we left.

Pamela. Grant. Pame-grant. Grant-ela. Whatever. Inseperable and hilarious. In the Refrigerator of Death.

Exiting the Refrigerator of Death.

We left via the same route we entered...and we never saw it again. But we all know it was moment that forever changed us. Wow this blog was pretty pointless except to showcase the fact clearly that both I, and my colleauges, are retarded.

BONCH

2005-02-08T08:11:00.000-05:00

The History of A Continent Written in Blood...

I don't know much about World War I, it's always been treated as a forgotten war by American History, since we only showed up for the end of it. But here in Europe there is no war that rings louders then the tragic senselessness and inhumanity of the War to End All Wars. Almost every British family lost a relative in battles that becames black holes of death, sucking in millions of men to never be seen again. Our class tour of the massive WWI battlefield at Ieper was very moving and opened up a new world a lot of us had been unfamiliar with. My new camera allowed me to snap some amazing shots, so I'll let them speak for themselves.

Possibly the greatest photograph I have ever taken. It's from a WWI cemetery outside of Ieper, Belgium and is home to thousands of British casualties. I captured the engraved memorial, the large cross, and two roses between them against the background of a clear February day in Belgium.

What seems like an endless sea of Graves, row after row of tombstones that seemingly strech as far as the eye can see.

Even some of the unkown soldiers are memorialized with a tombstone.

Just a fraction of the price of war...

The toll taken on both sides, a shot from a German cemetary.

Simple wooden crosses mark the spot where upwards of 40 soldiers buried in a single plot.

Inside the British Memorial arch preparing for the Last Post ceremony.

With the last post buglers.

A restored WWI trench. It smelled like rank ass.

Fully equipped to storm No Man's Land with my iPod, Red North Face Gore-Tex, Livestrong, and my Red Sox hat. I would've made an awesome doughboy.

Professor Julian Potowski bravely leading the charge over the wall and into the killing fields.

Professor Potowski explaining his speciality, military discipline during WWI, this is the spot where deserters and others were executed.

A testament to the inhumanity of the war.

The Belgian City of...ok well it wasn't really a city and i forget it's name. But they all pretty much look the same and it was very nice.

2005-01-20T19:34:00.000-05:00

Liter of Strongbow Hard Citer...3.10 pounds.
Student Tickets to the London Philharmonic Orchestra...5 pounds.
Unplanned Ticket for Weekend in Brussels...100 pounds.
Discovering Adam...Priceless.

Where the streets have no name...

A couple of days ago I was chatting with an old friend from home who asked me why I came to London. And the truth of the answer isn't what most people think, like fleeing the country after Bush won or an unusual attraction to bad teeth. Some people in life are thrill-seekers, seeking out cliffs to jump off or big mountains to scale. I've always thought of myself as a challenge-seeker, never wanting to grow complacent and always worried I was missing out. And at times that trek has brought me around the country and now...across the sea.

I guess the best way to put what I'm hoping to find from this can be summed up, in a curiously unsuprising way, by a television commercial I've never really forgotten. It's one of those campy and cheesy Mastercard commercials about a college kid backpacking through Europe.

The finals shot in the commercial is a long shot of "Steve" on a train with Europe wizzing by in the background. The biggest smile breaks out on his face and it says simply...

"Discovering Steve...Priceless."

I haven't had a "Discovering Adam" moment yet but my quest for one brought me here. Where I'll find it in the next few months, I have no idea. But I've rarely had any idea where the path would take me when I started down a road and it hasn't worked out too badly so far.

What will your cheesy mastercard commerical be?

2005-01-19T21:55:00.000-05:00

Curious Adam Goes to Parliment

It all begins with the Big Clock thing, right as you step out of the Westminster tube station.

And of course the requisite "Adam in front of as many things as possible" picture.

A beautiful soaring shot of Big Ben against blue skies. Honestly I have no idea where those blue skies came from, I never saw them.

The West-minster-izzle looking skyward.

Seriously I don't know where these blue skies came from, but they sure do make Westminster look pretty.

Finally one of my favorite pictures of all time. A statue overlooks Westminster abbey as the moon shimmers ever so slightly above. Beautiful.

2005-01-19T21:49:00.000-05:00

Stonehenge. Mi amigos y yo. 'Nuff said.

This is me...taking advantage of a statue of Jane Austen outside of her tourist center in Bath. She said yes...I swear.

2005-01-17T21:06:00.000-05:00

This is why people like me should not be allowed to have Photoshop.

2005-01-16T06:38:00.000-05:00

IMPORTANT LINKS!!!

Remember that Adam's vast web empire spans far beyond this blog, though you can use this as central stopping point for all your one-stop Adam's adventure needs. But I highly recommend that you bookmark (and often check) these other approved websites.

The first is my roommate's blog, aptly entitled "An American Jackass in London." You can see a shot of him mugging near parliment below.

Be sure and visit his blog at http://theunusualsuspect.blogspot.com/

This is Evan Haas, my roommate and PIKE brother, FYI. He's a Haas-hole. And a fan of Haas-elhoff. Yuk Yuk Yuk.

Also make sure to stop by my new webshots photos page, specially created for the Study Abroad experience. The link for that is below. Check back often because I'm always out there snapping pics of us having a good time.

Adam's Webshots London Photos.
http://community.webshots.com/user/londizzle

2005-01-16T06:11:00.000-05:00

Stonehenge is a large pile of rocks.
And it doesn't actually DO anything.

Alas our weekend trek to Bath began with a stop off at awe-insipiring Stonehenge. The awe lasts for a few minutes before it wears off and you question the actual UTILITY value of the pile of rocks. In my mind I can see the big party the people who built Stonehenge had when they were done. "So that's it? It's nice...you know not without it's charm. But what does it do?" My new theory is that Stonehenge was a showroom model from an ambitious entrepreneur who underestimated the market for massive stone monuments thousands of years ago.

Yes, Evan and I are THOSE GUYS at Stonehenge. Hide your children.

Adam Conner. Delightfully tacky and unrefined.

Oh man, what are Matt, Jess, and Katie looking at?!?

OH MY GOD!!! ADAM IS CRUSHING STONEHENGE!!!

This is "Scrumpys" or as I like to call it "Scrumpy Jacks." It comes in 2 liter bottles for 3 pounds and has 7.5% alcohol by volume. It also tastes somewhat like a combination of boxed red wine and milwaukee's best. That's Grant and I consuming a liter apiece.

Grant finishing off the Scrumpys. This was necessary because we were going to a pantamime show in Bath. The highlight of the show became the IES kids in the audience who discovered that the show wanted you to yell at the cast...AND the main character's name was Dick.

Scrumpy's SUPERIOR and cheaper brother "Strongbow." A personal favorite of Evan and I, wonderfully modeled here by the lovely Seth Russel.

Well...well...well the game's afoot. Lunch for a pound with a ton of G-Dubbers in Bath?!?! Sign me up!

2005-01-10T03:25:00.000-05:00

Some IES Kids and I in front of Buckingham Palace...note small British child fleeing from me on the right.

If I stop thinking, I stop thefore-ing.

In front of Parliment across the river Thames. "Does the right honorable gentleman plan on agreeing that Oasis is the best band in the world?!?!"

2005-01-07T04:02:00.000-05:00

London (aka Lon-dizzle) Departure

T-Minus: 8.5 Hours

Wow. I guess it really is true when they say that more things change the more they stay the same. Back, what seems a lifetime ago, I was sitting at this same computer at my parent's house in Dallas at 3am the night before I left to go to Israel, pecking away at the keyboard writing in my blog as to extend my packing procrastination. That was almost a year and a half ago, a lifetime before the "What the Hell was I Thinking-Gate" (aka the saga of the ex-girlfriend) and the election of a lifetime (which I guess also makes it the disappointment of a lifetime).

I took a moment earlier to glance back at the old livejournal that served me ably as I blogged my way across Israel. It's so amusing to look back and remember the memories that those entries trigger, including this gem.

I am an honorary member of the Israeli Navy Seals.
For the record yesterday I was invited to become a member of the Israeli navy seals by the vice admiral of the Israeli navy. Apparently I would've had to "enlist" and then had to "get in shape" and "learn to speak Hebrew." So we scrapped that plan. But I did (briefly consider it).

If you get a chance check the old girl out at http://livejournal.com/users/adamconner7)

And so now we arrive on today, January 7th, 2005. The day I depart for London, a new location, a new year, a new experience. Noted my earlier look back, I realized that the best part of this ride has really been not knowing that hell was going to come around the next corner. There was a time in my life when that bothered me, but I got over it pretty damn quick. I once told someone "You can't spend your life worrying that you'll have regrets, you'll have them no matter what decisions you make, that's just the nature of choice. It's once you realize that you can't escape them that you're free from them." She never understood my sentiment, but then again, she never really understood me.

And so away I prepare to go, never quite knowing what to expect and rarely, if ever, even somewhat adequately prepared. But life would be a terrible bore if you knew what was coming or if it went to plan. And so a new toast, to start 2005 (the year of the BONCH) off right.

So here's to chucking the playbook right out the window.
Here's to flying by the seat of your pants.
Here's to the things that bite you in the ass and the lessons you'll never forget because of it. (Fucking Swift Boats)
To all the friends from the past, the ones here with you now, and the ones you've haven't yet met because they're no less important, you just don't know it yet.
To trashy television, sonically unrefined music, and all the life-altering attitudes that "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" introduced us to.
And to "The Audacity of Hope" that sustains us all. (courtesy of Sen. Barack Obama)

There's a favorite quote I have from a favorite television show, the short-lived but award-winning "Sport's Night" from West-Wing creator Aaron Sorkin.

Casey: "I have a plan, it's napoleon's plan."
Dan: "Who is Napoleon?"
Casey: "The 19th century French general and emperor."
Dan: "You're getting snippy now? What's Napoleon's plan?"
Casey: "It's a two part plan. First we show up...and then we see what
happens."
Dan: "First we show up and then we see what happens? That was Napoleon's
plan?"
Casey: "Yes."
Dan: "Against the Russian army?"
Casey: "Yes."
Dan: "Almost hard to believe he lost."

Little could some up my sentiments on the adventure that is my life better then that. First we show up...and then we see what happens. Keeping winning G-Dub B-Ball, stay classy USA, and don't stop thinking about tomorrow.

OUT!

ADC

2004-12-27T01:10:00.000-05:00

"The future is for the passionate."

Rolling Stone named Bruce Springsteen as one of its "People of the Year" for his advocacy for Sen. Kerrry. His words were among the most inspirational spoken on the campaign trail and his song "No Retreat, No Surrender" became the campaign's theme song. Below are the words from the last Springsteen/Kerry rally on November 1st, the day before America went to the polls.

I remember watching Springsteen speak on a television mounted high above the former Kerry War Room, which had been transformed into the Democratic Boiler Room, on the night before E-Day (as we called Election Day). It was a moment I'll always treasure, as I stared at the embodied hope to better America we had all been working so hard for. I've said before that I often wished I could bottle that nearly indescribable feeling...but you can't and all you can do is go back at it again. And we'll be back, don't you worry.

We made a promise we swore we'd always remember,
No retreat, no surrender...

http://www.rollingstone.com/poyspringsteen

As a songwriter, I've been writing about America for thirty years: Who we are, what we stand for, what we fight for. I believe our American government has drifted too far from American values: the human principles of economic justice, healing the sick, health care, feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, a living wage so folks don't have to break their backs and then come home and not be able to make ends meet, an open American government that's unburdened by unnecessary secrecy, protection of our environment, sane and responsible foreign policy where we take our place amongst a community of nations, civil rights and the safeguarding of our precious democracy here at home.

Now, nobody's got all of the answers to all of America's problems. I got involved in this election because I saw the opportunity to have somebody in the White House with a heart, that would honestly ask the hard questions, that would respect our most struggling citizens -- and a spirit that would seek the solutions to bring us closer to fulfilling America's promise for everybody. I believe that John Kerry honors these ideals and that he'll work for them. He's lived our history over the past fifty years; he has an informed and adult view of America and her people. And he's had the life experience and understands that we as humans, we are not infallible, that we make mistakes. And as John Edwards said during the Democratic Convention, that struggle and heartbreak will always be with us, and that's why we need each other. That's why we need to be able to depend on and keep faith with one another through hard times and good times. That's why "One Nation Indivisible" and "United We Stand" can't be empty slogans but need to remain guiding principles of our public policy.

I was speaking to Senator Glenn from Ohio the other night, and he said that politics is supposed to be the Personnel Department of the Constitution. It is supposed to be shining service. And that's why we need good, wise and trustworthy servants to put our ideals in action. Senator Kerry, since he was a young man, has shown us by having the courage to face America's hard truths, both the good and the bad, that that's where we find a deeper patriotism, we find a more complete view of who we are; we find a more authentic experience as citizens, and that's where we find the power that is embedded only in truth to make our world a better and safer place for our kids to grow up in. These are the things that have brought me here tonight.

Paul Wellstone, the Minnesota senator, said, "The future is for the passionate." That's right -- and those that are willing to fight and work hard for it. Well, the future is now. It's time to roll up your sleeves and let your passions flow in the service of a more just and equitable society. That's why I'm here to stand alongside Senator Kerry and to tell you that the country we carry in our hearts is waiting.

2004-12-21T05:06:00.000-05:00

"To Strive, To Seek, To Find, And Not To Yield."

"Tho’ much is taken, much abides; and tho’
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."
-Ulysses, Alfred Lord Tennyson

It's hard to believe that it's already almost over.

I'm sitting in the remnants of my room, the remains of my belongings strung haphazardly around my room, a constant reminder that he who would blog at 4:30am is not someone whose packing model should be emulated.

Who would’ve ever imagined the changes this year would bring to my life. From first love and heartbreak to inspired hope and electoral loss, it was a year whose events and outcome would’ve been dismissed as fantasy on January 1, 2004.

But it happened. It was what it was and for better, and certainly for worse, I survived. Actually, while I might have come out of it bruised and somewhat broken there’s no doubt I’m stronger and certainly still kicking.

You couldn’t write an entry about the last year without a poignant note about friendship. The camaraderie I have known in the last year have been unlike anything I have ever known in my life, the companionship and virtue that have brought me to this point has been something that I recognize as extraordinary.

It the same bond of friendship stretched from the kiddie pool on the corner of 22nd and F to the research closet at Kerry HQ, the treasured shared experiences that cement a lifetime of connection. So thank you to everyone who has been part of this extraordinary adventure that I am lucky enough to call my own.

And now it’s time to take this madness across the ocean, London bound and hell bent on making the most of my limited time there. So here’s to the next time I see you around, promise me we’ll get in some trouble.

Signing off,

Adam Conner

Until Next Time...

2004-12-19T03:40:00.000-05:00

This op-ed originally appeared in the Baltimore Sun on December 5, 2004. It was written by the former chief speechwriter for the Kerry Campaign Terry Edmonds and I think it's feeling sums up a lot of my feelings about this election. "No Retreat...baby...No Surrender."

Original Link
Drawing hope from Jefferson

By Terry Edmonds

December 5, 2004

IRECENTLY visited what is perhaps the last clear-thinking Democrat in Washington.

As I hustled up the white, sloping steps of the Jefferson Memorial that cool, blustery evening, I kept wondering if what we Democrats needed most was to simply revisit the cornerstone of what it means to be a Democrat in our modern democracy. I was not completely sure what that should look like after two straight demoralizing defeats, but I was sure it had less to do with playing swing-vote politics and more to do with being clear about our core values.

Jefferson was certainly sure about his. And so was Karl Rove.

Jefferson's values encompass the ages: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

As a proud African-American who worked his way up from a childhood of poverty, I certainly know what those words mean to poor people and many people of color who are still considered "special interests" or "second-class" citizens by too many who should know better. My great-great-grandparents tilled the soil and built the bridges to the strong and vibrant America we know today. And a new generation, in new ways, is taking their place. African-Americans are as much special interests as the descendents of Jefferson - and we won't even talk about Sally Hemmings here.

So, the first bolt of clarity that hit me as I twisted my neck to decipher the Romanesque inscriptions circling the Jefferson dome was that Democrats ought to stop being timid about being the party of those who for too long have been left out - and, yes, that means women and people of color and gay people and the poor.

As Sen. John Kerry and Bruce Springsteen reminded us during the presidential campaign, when it comes to who and what we stand for, there can be "no retreat, no surrender."

Mr. Kerry was right when he boldly stated that when the attack boats are charging straight at you is when you swing your boat head-on into the fight. Democrats are the party of one America, and we should never run from that. I am not so sure the gaggle of swing-vote consultants and pollsters who run modern elections like least-common-denominator advertising campaigns would agree.

The second bolt of clarity that hit me while facing the gusts of the Tidal Basin on my way back down the memorial steps is that to be a Jeffersonian Democrat means believing in a democracy that is alive and ever-changing, not frozen in some strict constructionist lock-box.

Jefferson's words should be inscribed in our hearts: "We might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy as civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors."

Amen to that. Without such a commitment to change, there would never have been an end to slavery or Jim Crow or prohibitions against the female vote or a woman's right to choose. And without a commitment to change in the future, there will be, at worst, the loss of some of those hard-fought gains, or, at best, no further significant expansion of equal opportunity. And there will be no embryonic stem cell research or other life-saving medical breakthroughs.

Finally, as I drove away with the Jefferson Memorial's lights fading into the distance, I remembered one more quote sent around to the erstwhile Kerry speechwriting team by our crack researcher, Adam Frankel:

"A little patience and we shall see the reign of witches pass over, their spells dissolve, and the people recovering their true sight, restore their government to its true principles. It is true that in the meantime we are suffering deeply in spirit, and incurring the horrors of a war and long oppressions of enormous public debt. ... If the game runs sometimes against us at home, we must have patience till luck turns, and then we shall have an opportunity of winning back the principles we have lost, for this is a game where principles are at stake."

Thank you, Mr. Frankel. Thank you, Mr. Jefferson. I feel much better now.

Terry Edmonds, a Baltimore native, was chief speechwriter for the Kerry campaign and the first black speechwriter for a U.S. president, serving as chief speechwriter for Bill Clinton from 1999 to 2001.

2004-12-12T05:05:00.000-05:00

It's almost 5am and for some reason I haven't gone to bed yet. So I decided to take a moment and blog again. Now there's a part of the past I don't like to revisit, it's locked away with the plethora of bad memories from some certain ex-girlfriends. I'm talking about the events of November 2nd and losing the Presidential election. Never an easy thing, particularly when you pour your heart and soul into something so important. But our system is designed with a winner and a loser and there's no way around such a system meaning there will be some who are disappointed by the outcome. It's the acceptance you make with democracy.

I remember walking to the campaign HQ at 5am on November 2nd, not knowing the day would bring, but full of an incredable hope and feeling. I remember saying to myself, God how I wish I could bottle this amazing feeling of anticipation and hope, the culmination of this long journey.

Now things might not have worked out the way I wanted but it doesn't change the importance of the things we fought for this time around. Or the amazing trip it was for me. In tribute of that moment, my little trip back in time, here's the away message I had up on election day.

ELECTION DAY IS HERE.

first off...VOTE if you haven't already *and vote KERRY

and for all my friends who've been a part of this journey for the last six months, from florida to boston, ohio to nevada, north carolina and beyond, let's bring this one home for John Kerry. Win this one for us.

And for my friends here and everywhere, thanks for putting up with me for these last six months. I heart the gritty too.

NOW it's time to BRING IT ON. From 4am to victory...

In Kerry's own words, our journey, your stories.

2004-12-09T03:03:00.000-05:00

From my AIM Profile a new favorite quote to reflect the last few months of my life and also 2 AIM conversations of comedic value.

"Keep fighting for freedom and justice...but don't forget to have fun doin' it. Let your laughter ring forth. Be outrageous, ridicule the fraidy-cat, rejoice in all the oddities that freedom can produce. And when you get through kickin' ass and celebratin' the sheer joy of a good fight, be sure to tell those who come after how much fun it was."
-Molly Ivins

ME: you think you know anyong, but you have NO IDEA
SCOTT: you're so fucking anyong and you don't even know it

ME: man i got a little sauced last night. 100% by myself
LENORE: the democratic party: no we're just fine, thanks

2004-12-09T02:31:00.000-05:00

"In Good Company" Movie Trailer

This new movie coming out looks really really good. Looks like a pretty good take on life movie in the mold of "Garden State" (only funnier). It takes me back to a conversation I had long ago with a girl whom, at the time, I was fairly sure I was in love with (OK so you can't be right ALL of the time). But I remember talking about what's to come after college, careers and the like, and how I remember saying that whatever I did it couldn't just be about work, that I would need something else to sustain me. Something to come home to at the end of the day. Anyway, after my campaign trail experience of long hours (and this was just my first one) has only reaffirmed that notion in my head. So I guess I'm looking for some sort of companionship and affection (lets not call it love). Anyway looks like a good movie.

2004-12-09T02:24:00.000-05:00

Intelligent Conversations with Scott Sobelman

On my fluency in Hebrew.

Me: shalom
Scott: you're leaving?
Me: no i wanted to say something in hebrew
Me: and my options are pretty limited

Scott: i'll teach you a new hebrew word every day until i run out
Me: for every day of chanukah?
Me: do you know 9 hebrew words?
Scott: yea
Scott: today's Hebrew word of the day is....
Scott: (drumroll)
Scott: hasheeshnik
Scott: pothead
Me: this is like the most amusing IM conversation ever

2004-11-22T02:32:00.000-05:00

And we're back. I know it's been a while (some would say far too long) and I'm sure my readership has, as ever, declined. But it's been 20 days since the election and I'm starting to get back in the swing of things they way they used to be and I really should get in the habit of updating this blog again. I guess a brief update for those who don't already know, the election didn't really turn out the way I wanted for my candidate and landed me in the unemployed category (not that I was getting paid in the first place) and now I'm in that place that seems terrible (and loss is). However...doing nothing after several months of 15-16-17-18+ hour days...is pretty damn nice. In fact, while I know I can't do it forever, I definitely need a break.

And that break is coming up as I hope on a plane in a few weeks destined for London and a semester of the wonderful college experience known as Study Abroad. It's every college student's dream and despite the dollar falling fast against the Euro and the Pound (clearly to the disappointment and despair of my parents) I'm looking forward to experiencing a place I've only heard about from others or read in books.

More then anything I want the kind of experience that everyone talks about in Europe, out traveling, is it backpacking in Ireland or taking the train in Russia, just gazing out the window and the realization that you've discovered more about whom you are and what you've become. That kind of content, the quite smile that comes from the abrupt understanding that whatever adventure you're on at the time in life, from Emergency Management Centers to Political War Rooms, whatever you're up to, that things become just a little bit clearer.

An email just came into me from a dear old friend for whom I have been out of touch with for some time, just noting that it's been too long since he's talking to so many of us but how he regrets that. It's that web of people we are all connected to, that rich tapestry of contacts that we are all a part of, which makes our lives so much more. I've become the biggest fan of, and student seeking to understand, networks. The concept and their inception, from the internet to six degrees of separation is a fascinating example of how we are all interconnected.

As long as this stream of conciseness is going, I'm reminded of a passage from the book "One Car Caravan" about Dick Gephardt’s announcement speech for his second quest for the presidency. He had insisted upon a line and thematic closing about the "interconnectedness" of us all, how we were all interconnected and, to some extent, interdependent. Now the Washington consultants hated the line and wanted to have it cut so they assembled a focus group of "normal people" (how all politics works in the world of professionals, much to the bane of many) and discovered, much to their surprise, that it was the most popular line in the speech.

It's something to ponder and draw from it what you will. But we're all in this one together and we'll see how that goes. Till then I'm going to get back in the habit of posting here in preparation for my upcoming London adventures.

2004-09-17T15:20:00.000-04:00

I was asked by a democratic colleauge asked me to help "punk" her boss by making up an fake email asking for them to have a new song for the campaign. My genius is below.

Dear Misters Kerry and/or Edwards,

My name is Hakmil Urtakizarvi and I am an immigrant to your very good country. I come from Bratislava, but at a young age I was taken from my home by the Soviets and forced into a junior athletes camp to train me for the Olympics. The Russians thought I could win gold in diving board but I was no good and they sent me to another camp, one run by the KGB. They taught me there to hate pig-dog Americans and to fight for the glory of the motherland, but I never believed them.

I am writing you today now as a citizen of your very very good country to tell you about the moment and the man that brought freedom and love into my life. It was November of 1989 and the Berlin Wall was falling. My commander had ordered us to shoot the facist westerners, but we all ran to see the wall fall. It was there that I saw him for the first time.

They whispered that his name was, and I forget never this…

David Hasselhoff. And he sang this song about freedom that touched me in a way that I had never been touched. And I liked the way that Mr. Hasselhoff touched me.

Now in a time of great evil with the Bush man, I look at Mr. Kerry and see him as new David Hasselhoff. Please tell Mr. Kerry to sing the song “freedom,” to bring it to my new country as Mr. Hasselhoff once brought it to my old one. Please let Mr. Kerry touch me in the same way Mr. Hasselhoff once touched me.

I have been looking for freedom…

Sincerest Kindest Regards,

Hakmil Urtakizarvi

2004-09-13T01:19:00.000-04:00

Every night should legally be required to end with a skate like this...

The midnight monument skate is a hallowed GW tradition...the Lincoln Memorial at night as seen from the new WWII memorial. Note the palne flying overhead in the upper right corner...

Tonight's skating crew at the infamous "PERFECT MAKEOUT SPOT." Kara, Bert, and Kailynn...now don't get any ideas. ;)

What a weekend, but the perfect way to end it all was with a great skate out with a new midnight skating crew. Don't worry old skate crew you're not being replaced, though one of you is busy skating the streets of Paris for a semester, it's ok we're showing your sister the ropes.

2004-08-22T03:46:00.000-04:00

My facebook profile

2004-08-19T00:29:00.000-04:00

Here's a new segment for your enjoyment, fun Anti-Bush quotes from the Research Interns closet.

(On removing American troops from Europe)
"Bush, you idiot, when we said end the occupation and bring the troops home we didn't mean GERMANY!"

(On John Kerry's Intelligence Committee attendence record)
"At least John Kerry's intelligence failures have nothing to do with his IQ."

2004-08-19T00:14:00.000-04:00

So of course, my internet has stopped working...like that's a suprise. In an irony that's...you know...really ironic, we've had another internet problem. If you're not aware, Will and I have had some pretty terrible luck with Resnet, the interweb, and our computers in general. In fact, we haven't had two functional computers since about May. But no matter (I HAD INTERNET LAST NIGHT DAMMIT!) because as it turns it, it's my birthday. That's right 20 years ago today I was born...or so I'm told. Keep in mind I am adopted and that the early records of my first days on this earth are extremely sketchy, for all I know this only my birthday because they told me it was (I could even be 21...that's totally what I'm going to tell the bouncers from now on). As a child it used to bother me that I didn't know what time I was born at and I think my parents finally just arbitrarily decided on a time to shut me up (ironically we've all forgotten what time we decided, so now I don't even know when the FAKE time I was born was).

Anyway so this is your birthday blog. I hope some of you got to see the Olympics tonight, it was amazing to see Paul Homm grab a gold medal by 12/1000 of a point and come back from 12th place to 1st. That's the kind of thing you see made into a movie later, it was that impressive. Tack that on to the American men's swimming 800 medley relay last night that saw the Americans hold off the Thorpedo for the gold by 130/100s of a second, and tonight's shattering of the women's 800 medley relay world recond 17 years to the day after it was set, and it's shaping up to be a pretty exciting Olympics. The ratings have been pretty good too, finally something worth watching on TV.

Well that's about it for this birthday blog, feel free to explore the ability to leave comments at the bottom of my entries (there should be a link below), be nice to know if anyone was reading this.

Happy birthday to me...

2004-08-18T00:06:00.000-04:00

Howard Dean in the process of ROCKING THE VOTE!

On Sunday night at the convention, after the Congressional Black Caucus Cruise, BBQ, and Clam Bake, we made our way over the hot party of the night. Located at the largest club in Boston, Club Avalon (home of my first experience with heartbreak, clubbing, and sketchiness. Good times) the price of admittance was spending a two days in grassroot training from a group called GAIN. The reward? A rocking party with Bill Clinton (and Hillary), Jon Stewart, Al Sharpton, Biz Markie, and many others...the line? Only FOUR HOURS LONG. For those of you who don't know Avalon is located next to Fenway, and the Sox were playing the Yankees. Actually, John Kerry (JK for short) helicoptered in to throw out the first pitch, pretty cool eh?

Jerry Springer giving a surprisingly inspirational speech. Ladies and gentlemen, the next democratic candidate for the governor of Ohio (no really).

So back to the line. After waiting in line for an hour we say "screw it," proceed to the VIP line, cut literally 3,000 or so waiting people, and walk in. Were we VIPs? Hell no. The trick is to act as if you belong and be extremely put-off and pissed-off if anyone gives you shit.

Natalie Portman caught in a moment of clear angst as she informs us that, yes, young people DO have the power.

Once inside it was a long list of political celebs; Dean, Natalie Portman, Jerry Springer, Biz Markie DJed, Mission to Burma played a set, Terry McAuliff, Alex and Vanessa Kerry, Kate Edwards...and more.

A picture that I will treasure for the rest of my life, Aaron Banks and I with the honorable Jerry Springer. This picture will also come back to haunt me one day.

Be still my heart. Alex and Vanessa Kerry make an appearance at the concert...Alex and I shared a moment...she just didn't know it.

Kate Edwards, a recent graduate of Princeton, also made an appearance. Not the dual wristbands on her arms, which means she's...42 years old.

In one of the more surreal moments of my life, the Revered Al Sharpton raps while Biz Markie DJs in the background.

IN a memory that I will never forget, Terry McAuliff, the chairman of the DNC, introduced "A GREAT DEMOCRAT...BIZ MARKIE!" DJing an amazing set (he knew his whitebread crowd) Biz introed the REVERED AL SHARPTON who then sang along to a James Brown song...remixed courtesy of Biz Markie. Surely the most surreal moment of my life.

Of course as it turns out, GAIN (the ones that threw the party) forgot to INVITE Bill Clinton...AND Jon Stewart. And then they forgot to tell us...so we waited while a crappy smooth jazz band set up and played a warm up set for two hours before Lauren Hill ascended the stage. And played one song.

After Bill Clinton and Jon Stewart, the party's headliners, were no shows, they placated the crowd with a brief one song appearance by Lauren Hill. Pretty badass though.

After which we were all promptly told to get the hell out because Boston closes down at 2am. Only after the crowd threatened to riot (partially inspired by me) did some squirrelly looking guy come out say that Clinton wasn't coming and for us to leave.

But it wasn't ruining our food, it was a great party! More convention stories and pics to come!

2004-08-17T02:28:00.000-04:00

Your random photo of the day. A sign from the subway in Boston. "Outbound to Wonderland," doesn't it sound like some sort of old song from the "Who?"

2004-08-17T02:10:00.000-04:00

On the floor of the Fleetcenter at the Democratic National Convention

Some of you might not know that I somehow managed to sneak my way into the Democratic National Convention in Boston last month. Let me make it clear that I had absolutely no right to be at the convention and it was only through the grace of the good lord above that I was able to wrangle my way in with two of my co-workers at the Kerry Campaign. We were assigned as interns to staff the war rooms for the campaign in Boston (since we essentially moved our entire operation to Boston for the Convention).

Over the next few posts I'll share some funny stories, pictures, and lessons I learned from what really is the biggest (to use an uber-poli comm term) Political Spectacle in the land (Entman eat your heart out!).

Anyway it's a little late so I don't really have anything exciting to put down before I pass out, but stay tuned, there's definitely more to come.

2004-08-15T23:24:00.000-04:00

The Proud Residents of 526 22nd St, NW...aka "The Gritty"

Where shall the future take us? Thataway...

It's nice to know that our maturity survived the summer intact.

So that's that...my summer comes a close and a new chapter in my life is set to begin. For those of you who I haven't been keeping in the loop (and for that I apologize) I will be taking the fall semester off from school to work full time on the Kerry-Edwards campaign where I have been working all summer. By the way, when I say take a semester off I mean I somehow managed to sweet-talk housing into letting me live in Ivory Towers if I took one class. So it's kind of like getting to go to school WITHOUT actually going to school.

Some of you may notice this is my first post in a good long while, I apologize this summer got so crazy that I didn't have time to keep up with blogging duties. Over the next few weeks I'm going to post stories from my crazy adventure of a summer (Kerry campaign, living in "The Gritty," the Democratic National Convention in Boston, etc.) to share with all of my loyal readers (Hi Dad).

Anyway, check back often because I'm now back on the blogging track.

Adam

2004-06-17T00:52:00.000-04:00

My parents and I on the beach

For those of you who have been wondering what the Conner parental units look like here's a picture from our recent vacation in Mrytle Beach. Yes they're white, my last name IS CONNER.

2004-06-17T00:33:00.000-04:00

This is my ridiculously cute cousin Sydney Kieft.

I spent the last on vacation with my ridiculously cute cousins. Emma (2 months old), Cassidy Grace (2 years old), Sydney (3 years old), and Noah (4 years old). So basically I spent all week as a big teddy bear. Only the kind that they love to beat up. But I did teach them how to make sandcastles in the same old way that I was tought so many years ago by my cousins. And the circle continues...

In a more artistic moment

2004-06-07T00:43:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday Jenna!

2004-06-06T22:53:00.000-04:00

"And whatever else history may say about me when I'm gone, I hope it will record that I appealed to your best hopes, not your worst fears, to your confidence rather than your doubts."
-Ronald Reagan's 1992 address to the Republican National Convention

The man was a damn good speaker and I sure as hell respect him as a speechwriter. And as a President. Below is the exerpt from his 1992 speech.

And whatever else history may say about me when I'm gone, I hope it will record that I appealed to your best hopes, not your worst fears, to your confidence rather than your doubts. My dream is that you will travel the road ahead with liberty's lamp guiding your steps and opportunity's arm steadying your way.

My fondest hope for each one of you -- and especially for the young people here -- is that you will love your country, not for her power or wealth, but for her selflessness and her idealism. May each of you have the heart to conceive, the understanding to direct, and the hand to execute works that will make the world a little better for your having been here.

May all of you as Americans never forget your heroic origins, never fail to seek divine guidance, and never lose your natural, God-given optimism.

And finally, my fellow Americans, may every dawn be a great new beginning for America and every evening bring us closer to that shining city upon a hill.

2004-06-06T22:41:00.000-04:00

I will never trust another human being with my camera (you can see a sliver of my head)

I hate people. I HATE PEOPLE. God has seen fit to always assign the most ironic punishment possible to me. So take a look at the picture above. Or as Evan put it:

Adam: you see me in the first pic right?
Evan: yes
Evan: and i can imagine the rest of you

Somedays you just can't win...

My pathetic attempt to get another picture

2004-06-06T13:42:00.000-04:00

Sir. William Fredrick Hitchcock

Will's Wisdom

We're introducing a new segment here at "Skippy's World" know as "Will's Wisdom" (Yes, I know it's kind of an oxymoron). William (pictured above in his finest hour) occasionally dispenses wisdom and quoteable wit that bears repeating. *this feature will also be located on our sister site, Quotes of the Day. So without further adue, we proudly present the first segment of "Will's Wisdom." Enjoy.

(On discussing where to go to lunch and narrowing it down to Hooters or the burger place Five Guys)
Me: "So what will it be? Hooters or Five Guys?"
Will: "Dude how GAY would we be if we choose FIVE GUYS over Hooters?!?"
(laughter follows)

(In the CVS Deodorant asile)
Randy: "I hate sweating."
Will: "Yeah I hate sweating too."
(random guy also in the deodorant asile)
Random guy: "Dude I hear you, I'm sweating up a storm in this!" (points to sweater)
Will: "Well it is a SWEAT-ER. Duh."

*more wisdom from will to follow

2004-06-03T20:21:00.000-04:00

Blogging LIVE from my yard

Well we have a new wireless hotspot in Washington, D.C. It's one that got through the prohibitation of personal wireless units by Resnet. So now I can blog LIVE from a lawn chair on my lawn while Alex and Will play lacrosse in F Street. What a life.

2004-06-03T02:17:00.000-04:00

To a friend who is graduating HS and going on to college

"The most important thing to know is that college is about 4 things. In order of least to most important they are, book learning, people/friends, life, and yourself. You'll learn things from books, make the kind of 24/7 friends you've never had before, and learn all the things about life that you have to learn sometime on your own.

But MOST importantly,
You're gonna learn more about yourself then you ever thought possible. and youre gonna learn, love, and grow. and it's gonna be the best years of your life."

College.
We Learned. We Loved. We LIVED.

2004-06-03T01:27:00.000-04:00

Where's the best place to live in America?

Los Alamos, New Mexico does have the most beautiful sunsets in the world, I'll give them that.

Where's the best place to live in America?

APPARENTLY the answer to that question is LOS ALAMOS, NEW MEXICO. WTF.

Once again. WTF.

Yeah it's a beautiful place and I love New Mexico, but BEST PLACE TO LIVE IN AMERICA?!??!??!

Wow I really dont know what to say.

2004-06-03T00:52:00.000-04:00

*Erica is girl on the front right.

If there's anything we hate here at "Skippy's World" it's losing good friends. It's not something most people enjoy. But sometimes your friends have to do what they have to do and all you can do is support them. That's why while we are saddened to lose one of this website's good friends (and a frequent contributor to our sister site, http://quotesoftheday.blogspot.com).

Erica Finkle has been with us since our freshman year comparative politics class, through almost getting arrested at Tequila Grill at the end of Freshman year, and has been a staple of the Dakota party existance. That's why we hate to lose her to Cornell University. But we know that our loss is their gain.

Erica, Tim, and I with former Democratic Presidential Candidate Sen. Bob Graham, D-FL at last years Democratic Presidential Candidate's debate.

BTW, and I don't say this very often, Erica was right. She called Kerry as the Democratic nominee last May or so and it turned out she was right. I remember the night we went and saw the Democratic Presidential Debate together she saw Kerry and said, "He looks so Presidential!" She would later fight her way to Kerry's side to get a picture with him.

Erica and her best friend Binky with Alex and I.

So like I told you earlier Erica, you'll always have a home with us here at GW. And while I'm not empowered to speak for everyone here, you know we'll support you in whatever makes you happy. We wish you the best.

And this final thought goes out not only to Erica but to all who care to indulge in my wisdom.

"No matter how hard you try you'll always have regrets. The sooner you realize that, the sooner it stops holding you back."

Godspeed.

2004-06-02T21:46:00.000-04:00

Katooooooooooooooooooooo

Here was Kato's response to my away message.

Kato: of ALL the pictures you have of me, you put up the one of me with no pants hanging out your window with a cheeseburger and will's stupid hat?

If you know me at all Kato then you know that...yes, yes it was. Boo-yah.

2004-06-02T21:33:00.000-04:00

Memorial Day weekend out by the pool. Our pool. Yes we have an $80 kiddie pool. No we're not 5 years old. But yes, we do have the maturity level of a 5 year old. And NO that is not a gut, it's just the reflection of the sun off the water. :)

2004-05-18T01:17:00.000-04:00

Our new digs, 526 22nd St, NW.

IF ANYBODY IS READING THIS BLOG LEAVE A DAMN COMMENT!

Supplies already scavenged from others and trash cans for our new house.

2 futons
1 wheelchair
3 shopping carts
2 Clorox Bleach Mops
4 Brooms
1 dustpan
11 bottles of windex
4 big knives, part of a knife set
20 pieces of silverware
1 silverware drawer organizer
1/2 of a bartending kit
9 red bulls
1 red bull bartending pad
1 martini shaker
7 TVs
2 Xboxs
1 Directors Chair
1 Keyboard
1 7ft tall inflatable bunny

Our giant 7ft tall easter bunny

It's gonna be a hell of a summer...

2004-05-18T00:53:00.000-04:00

MY FIRST DAY ON THE KERRY CAMPAIGN (A RECAP)

*got myself a badge with my picture on it (yes I do look retarded) on my first day (gets me past Secret Service, does not open doors). The other 2 interns who got them had been working there for like 6-8 weeks and were just now getting them.

*Discussed the miracle that is TiVo with not one or two, but THREE democratic operatives at Kerry HQ. My department, research, has 2 TiVos. SWEET. (for those of you who have not seen my TiVo article that I wrote for the hatchet, see it HERE)

*Got invited to a reception with John Kerry for workers and volunteers tomorrow (Tuesday). Not going to work tomorrow because I have to move in but I am still showing up for the reception. Free food too.

*Met former Georgia Sen. Max Cleland, a personal hero. Sen. Cleland lost his legs and his right arm in Vietnam and the Bush administration ran ads comparing his to Saddam Hussein. All because he opposed a twisted version of The Homeland Security department that he had FIRST COME UP WITH. As Bill Clinton put it best, "shame on them, what more could Max Cleland give to his country that he hasn't already given?" One of the TOP reasons the Republican Right makes me sick to my stomach. For shame.

Anyway my grandmother went to chuch with him and his parents at the Methodist Church in Lithonia, Georgia. Mentioned this to him and he gave me a hug and told me to pass it along to her. Fucking awesome.

Me and Paul Begala during the live Hurricane Isabel Crossfire broadcast.

*Paul Begala was planning strategy and rapid-response in the conference room when I walked in (it's glassed in and I could see it. Very cool, though I do get to see him in my SMPA building regularly. Still Cool.)

Stoked to go back on Wednesday and start up with Research. B.I.O. Bush (Bring It On).

2004-05-17T11:06:00.000-04:00

First day of work at the Kerry campaign, they weren't really ready for me to start though. So I'm kicking around the volunteer arena with some other interns who showed up early. I did walk in to see Paul Begala and John Podesta through the glass in their main conference room having a strategy session, that was pretty cool. I'm getting a picture ID today to get me past secret service, getting myself positioned to stand head and shoulders above the other interns who are gonna come pouring in over the next few weeks, and getting myself settled. I found out where the speechwriting office is, I really want to get an in there and move over from research where I'm going to start. But I gotta pay my dues with bitch work first, but this is exciting. Oh and I already got invited to reception with John Kerry for tomorrow night. Pretty cool.

Adam

2004-05-17T03:02:00.000-04:00

Someday. Maybe sooner then you think.

2004-05-17T02:46:00.000-04:00

My first day of work for the Kerry Campaign is tomorrow morning. Or I guess, technically, this morning. It's nearly 2:45am and I haven't yet gotten to bed, though you would think I would want to be in peak shape for my first day of work at a Presidential campaign. I'm pretty much hoping to rely on adrenaline and excitement to get my through the first day (before coming home, packing, and PTFOing).

Someone asked me if I was excited for tomorrow and I am, though not like I thought I would be. Don't get me wrong this is the opportunity of a lifetime and I'm going to take every advantage of it, but the last few weeks I've just been in one of those moods where you need something to SNAP you out of the rut you're in. What do I mean by rut? That's not at all a diss on all of the wonderful people who I am lucky enough to surround myself with her, my friends have given me memories (and 1500 pictures from this year) that I will never forget.

But when you're a wounded heart, the world turns slower then you would like. And while dawns come, they never come in quite the fashion you want. I've been told this kind of thing takes time to get over, and I'm of course hoping the thrill of embarking on my dream job (and hopefully dream career) will be just the thing I need.

When you've recovering from love you realize things about yourself and the relationship you had. I'm lucky because I'm that much better for having had her in my life and I'm a bigger, and better, more complete person. But now I understand how falling love means and having your heart broken means that it's that much more difficult for you to do it the next time. It's a gradual system you see, it happens a couple of times, and when there's someone who finally breaches the wall you've built (out of bricks, and mortar, and the third thing *yah sport's night) then that's how you know.

I'd like to thank you all for your well-wishes. Today, I went to commencement on the mall (WTF?!? WE'RE HALF DONE WITH COLLEGE?!? WTF!) and got to thinking about the line I wrote for my high school graduation speech. (Which I may post later)

It's a lyric that has always rang true for me...

"Every new beginning comes from some other beginnings end..."

Tomorrow morning the sun's gonna rise on a new day. Time to seize it.

101 THINGS TO DO AT GW
#21: "Fall in love, fall out of love, fall in love again."
*well this one is 2/3's completed, but I've got 2 more years to finish it off.

-Adam

2004-05-17T02:11:00.000-04:00

Blogs De Mi Amigos
"The Blogs of my friends"

So some of my friends maintain blogs too and I would be terribly remiss if I didn't throw them a bone or two. Some of these aren't blogs but just web pages.

Chris "Rez" Miller
"Quid me nutrit me destruit - What nourishes me also destroys me"

Aaron "Chicken Biscut" Bock
"The English Way"
-Live from London, England

Caitlin Harvey
"kittycatcaity's Journal"

Sigberto Garcia
"Siggy's Site"
-Home of the infamous "you know you go to GW if..." list!

Evan Haas
"Haas-ism"

Ryan McGlone
"Ryan's live journal. Holy Shit." aka "Nodecencyleft"

If anyone else has a website/blog you want me to add just let me know.

2004-05-17T01:59:00.000-04:00

THE BUZZ

You know those music compilation CDs you see advertised on TV? Well I've found one that's really, really good. It's called THE BUZZ and normally I'm hesitant to recommend CDs like this, but take a look at the songlist below and I think you'll agree it's a great 90s mix. I always resisted the label that I was any one type of music, but this hits my favorites (minus DMB and the Smashing Pumpkins) about dead on. Check it out...or do what I did and bootleg all the songs and make an iTunes playlist of it.

Disc 1

01 What I Got | Sublime
02 What's The Frequency, Kenneth? | R.E.M.
03 All Mixed Up | 311
04 How's It Gonna Be | Third Eye Blind
05 Zombie | Cranberries
06 Inside Out | Eve 6
07 Take A Picture | Filter
08 Shine | Collective Soul
09 Closing Time | Semisonic
10 Good | Better Than Ezra
11 Far Behind | Candlebox
12 You Get What You Give | New Radicals
13 What It's Like | Everlast
14 Cumbersome | Seven Mary Three
15 One Week | Barenaked Ladies

Disc 2

01 Mr. Jones | Counting Crows
02 Hey Jealousy | Gin Blossoms
03 Sex And Candy | Marcy Playground
04 Breakfast At Tiffany's | Deep Blue Something
05 Runaway Train | Soul Asylum
06 All I Want | Toad The Wet Sprocket
07 Little Miss Can't Be Wrong | Spin Doctors
08 Brick | Ben Folds Five
09 Everything Falls Apart | Dog's Eye View
10 Lump | The Presidents Of The United States Of America
11 The Freshmen | Verve Pipe
12 No Rain | Blind Melon
13 Pets | Porno For Pyros
14 Pepper | Butthole Surfers
15 Steal My Sunshine | Len
16 Fade Into You | Mazzy Star
17 Mother Mother | Tracy Bonham
18 Save Tonight | Eagle-Eye Cherry

2004-05-16T22:57:00.000-04:00

I’m packing up my books in anticipation of my upcoming move on Tuesday, and I’ve stumbled upon some greats books that I absolutely loved enough to keep. Here’s a rundown of some of the best ones on my shelf.

"Da Vinci Code"
By Dale Brown

-Good and intriguing, but don’t give it TOO much credit. But keep an eye out, Dan Brown is a tricky guy and there are some hidden codes in there that you DEFINIETLY missed.

"Angels and Demons"
By Dale Brown

-Ok well it turns out that Da Vinci Code isn’t so original, it’s just a better written version of what appears to be Dan Brown’s formula. A decent read but nowhere near as satisfying as Da Vinci Code.

"The Cheese Monkey"
By Chip Kidd

I can not say enough good things about this book. Amazing. About a kid who starts off college and studies art, the whole book is gut-bustlingly funny, highly original, artistic, and outside of the box all in one. One of my FAVORITE BOOKS and one that is tough to describe. Pick it up (Jamie and Garrow recommend reading it aloud with a reading buddy).

”Too many freaks…not enough circuses.”
-The new motto from The Cheese Monkey adopted by Jamie, Garrow, and I.

"The Milagro Beanfield War"
By John Nichols

The bestselling novel that captures the pure essence of the kooky insanity that is New Mexico, The Milagro Beanfield War’s tale of a man name Joe who manages to incite a New Mexican town into hysterical antics is the best descriptor of my home state that I have ever read. Any out-of-state New Mexican who is feeling homesick should pick up this book.

“Yet Milagro was a town whose citizens had a penchant not only for going crazy, but also for precipitating miracles. Take, for example, an early nineteenth-century sheepherder named Cleofes Apodaca and the scruffy sheepdog he irreverently called Pendejo, which, translated loosely, means ‘idiot’ or ‘fool’ --- or, translated more literally, means ‘public hair.’ Today Cleofes Apodaca might qualify for the Patron Saint Crazy of Milagro.”

"Black Hawk Down"
By Mark Bowden

Essential to understanding the post-Cold War environment in which the U.S. military now operates, a world of police-operations, urban warfare, and anti-insurgent operations. The book from which the movie was based, it is the most heroic war story of the 90’s. Black Hawk Down is a stunning narrative of the October 3, 1993 battle in the streets of Somalia that involved a hundred U.S. soldiers fighting the entire city of Mogadishu. Thrilling.

More books to come…

2004-05-16T08:20:00.000-04:00

Congrats to all the graduating seniors. Adam Greenman and Laura Catzif, both former poli commers and EMDA-140 classmates, will be bidding farewell to this $40,000 a year institution today in a nice little ceremony on THE WHITE HOUSE LAWN (booyah GW). Congrats again kids.

"Every new beginning comes from some other beginnings end..."
-Semisonic, "Closing Time."

2004-05-13T05:02:00.000-04:00

Political Time.

Politics at its finest has a new home here at Skippy's World.

To start you off, here is simply the greatest website ever. Having doubts about Kerry but don't like Bush? This will help you make up your mind.

http://www.johnkerryisadouchebagbutimvotingforhimanyway.com/

(Kerry shaking hands when he came to GW.)

Once again that's,
http://www.johnkerryisadouchebagbutimvotingforhimanyway.com/

Topics of essays include the following.

Instances of Doucheitude and Why it Doesn't Matter

How Fucked We are Right Now

How Fucked We will be With 4 More Years of George W. Bush

Why This is Not the Time or the Place to Vote for a 3rd Party Candidate

Why Every Conservative Should Seriously Consider Voting Democrat this Fall

And here is a wonderful quotes from the new GQ piece on Colin Powell. The quote is from his Harlan Ullman, Colin Powell's mentor from the National War College and a well known military scholar.

"Ullman said, "I can tell you firsthand that there is a tremendous barrier between Cheney and Powell, and there has been for a long time. It's like McCain saying that his relations with the president are 'congenial,' meaning McCain doesn't tell the president to go fuck himself every time." Then he added, "Condi's a jerk.""

Read the rest here.

2004-05-13T01:15:00.000-04:00

L to R: My little Josh Rudawitz, and the men of the hour, Sigberto Garcia and Ryan Boivin. Both will be getting "into the blue" tomorrow when they leave for Air Force ROTC boot camp. The thoughts of all of here at "Skippy'w World" are with them and we will support them with copious amounts of gay porn. Good luck boys, knock them dead.

2004-05-12T15:22:00.000-04:00

Behind the Scenes: The now INFAMOUS Livingston Geneva Fax Prank

By now many of you may have heard the tale of the Poli Comm Professor tracked around the world. For those of you who have not, let me fill you in on this NOW APPARENTLY LEGENDARY Prank.

It began with at 2am email late Sunday night (well technically early Monday morning) on May 2nd. Our professor for intro to political communication, Professor Steven Livingston, sent out this email to us.

“I have decided that it makes more sense and is more convenient to ask you to address the following questions outside the formal classroom setting. In other words, let’s make it a take-home exam.”

Perpetually suspicious of Poli Comm prankster Kyle Stoneman, one of our fellow enterprising students, Jordon M., decided to do a little investigating to make sure that everything was on the level with this “take home final.”

Stoneman, the PRANKSTER who turned out to be innocent. This is a pic from Kato’s party during his magic show.

And he found THIS.

Jordon's detective work turned up THIS.

The properties of the word document showed that it had been typed on a computer whose company was registered as the mysterious sounding “Hotel Mon Repos.”

A quick google search of the “Hotel Mon Repos” uncovered this website. This is the “Hotel Mon Repos” a very nice hotel in GENEVA, SWITZERLAND.

The Hotel Mon-Repos' website in Geneva, Switzerland.

Now of course no self-respecting political communication student could let this realization go unfounded without causing mischief. So how did we decide to capitalize on it?

Well after a group meeting, 2 international phone calls to confirm Professor Livingston’s presence in Geneva we decided to send him a little note. A trip to the Kinkos at 2020 K. St. and $6.35 to send an international fax and…viola! Our prank was complete.

The fax and the link to view the full .pdf is below.

The now INFAMOUS Livingston fax. Click to view the full size .PDF file.

Of course the best part was playing a prank on a professor on another continent, who didn’t know that we knew he was in Switzerland and sure as hell hadn’t told us what hotel he was staying at (or that he was in room #37). And then he woke up to a sweet fax from us…

Good times. Good work Deanna, Jordon, Ryan, Kato, Kyle, Ed, and the rest of the crew.

2004-05-12T05:07:00.000-04:00

My toast to the loss of Johnny Cash earlier in the year.

In that tradition, and in the spirit of Bert's ingenious toast, here's one of my own that's been gracing my profile for the last week or so. Enjoy.

So here's to taking every advantage of every opportunity that knocks.
To not fearing the unknown, but exploring and embracing it.
Here's to the discoveries about yourself that change your life.
To waking up to new possibilities instead of old problems.
To one day at a time and living every day that comes.
To no regrets...and to accepting that no matter how hard you try you'll always have them.
To the one that got away...and the one you haven't yet met.
To all the places you'll go, especially the ones you never expected.
To chasing your dreams.
To life the life in your days and time of your life.
This toast goes out no matter if you're here nor there, this one is for everyone anywhere.

2004-05-12T05:03:00.000-04:00

This night gets a little fuzzy...but view the GREATEST VIDEO CLIP EVER here. Thanks to Jenna for the pics and the video clip.

2004-05-12T04:58:00.000-04:00

Hear no evil, see no evil, um...monkey face no evil? From top to bottom and left to right, Matt, Johnny, Ali, Alex, me, and Mike D. pose for a goodbye shot. Faces that'll haunt you forever.

2004-05-12T04:55:00.000-04:00

Move-out day means one last photo opportunity for some of the old HOVA crew. From hurricane football to belting out 80s hits, this year has been unforgettable. Erica, Jenna, Carey, Alex, and I smile on Jenna's couch one last time. For more great pics from this year check out Erica's photo site.

2004-05-12T04:38:00.000-04:00

"I fear that I am ordinary just like everyone...my life has been extraordinary, blessed, and cursed, and won."
-The Smashing Pumpkins, "Muzzle"

Welcome to Adam's return to introspection, interweb style. For those of you who have missed the updates on the zany antics of my life, well you need to long for their return no more. Here, at "Skippy's World," my humiliations, inner thoughts, and adventures will all aired to billions on the internet. I have returned in full force…and with pictures too. It’s been a wild year since I stopped blogging, I can’t even begin to explain all that went down.

For example, it turns out that love really is the most powerful force in the universe. And having your heart broken really does make you want to pick up a guitar and write a country song about it. But that’s not here nor there.

Because now I’m halfway through college and I’m perched on the edge of the greatest summer of my life.

So it’s time for everyone to rejoin me so that you can track my days via this blog.

Because in the coming weeks and months I’ll be starting my dream job at the Kerry campaign, living an incredible summer in a townhouse with 4 of my best friends, and eventually studying abroad overseas. You just know I’m gonna have some fun along the way.

Because if you thought what came before was exciting…let’s just say that you ain’t seen NOTHING yet. Because the best is yet to come.

So I have three words for life right now that I know this President will understand. Bring. It. On.