Ok, so - I know lot of people out there have this little program called "Stumble Upon". If not, get it for your browser now.

So, tonight - I'm 'stumbling' and come across a speech given by Patton Oswalt. If you don't know the name - perhaps you know the face...



So, anyway - I'm reading it and thinking - oh man - this is terrible. These jokes are bad - does this get good at all?

Then, it does. And its not funny at all. Its a really nice, warm, informative, life lessons speech.

I'd suggest you read it: http://www.pattonoswalt.com/index.cfm?page=spew&id=83

So, I went to College for 4 years - I finished my degree program but not university requirements in order to graduate. I think I probably had 1 more year or so to finish it all up. I forget how many hours I thought I was short.

Well, anyway - I got a post card in the mail from my school a couple weeks ago urging me to finish my degree and how easy it was to get started again and how they'll work with my schedule and some can be taken online and blah blah blah....well, I went to the website - filled out the appropriate information and submitted it.

This morning I got an e-mail back from my school telling me thank you for your interest. We'll get the stuff together you need to figure out what you need to do to get your degree and e-mail you all the stuff. We should have everything together in the next two weeks...etc etc

During that time they told me that I should take care of any holds on my account existing with Western (where I went to school - Western Ky University).

I look at the holds - and there is one. RA - Appl for Graduation.

What the hell does that mean? I'm so confused. I mean, I know I didn't finish my degree, right? At last count I didn't have everything I needed - but did I somehow really have it and just never file my paperwork to get my degree?

If I did - I'll be pissed. I could have had that 8 years ago!

I'm sure there is a explanation for it - and I'm sure it doesn't mean I finished - but if I did, even though the chance is super slim - I'll be super upset!

Grrrrr...

Does anyone have any odd habits? I know I have a few that are odd.

Like, for instance - I count things a lot. Basically when I'm bored. And I try to make everything even. For instance - this sign on my desk says "Printers to Sell" - its 14 letter - so its even. It's ok. And if you count spaces - its 16. Then - another one says "Software Licensing Contact Sheet" - its 29 - so its odd. But if you count the spaces between the words - its 32! So now its even.

I don't know why I do that - I just count things when I'm bored and see how I can make it even. Weird, right?!

Also, I have a couple things that get on my nerves. And the first thing is dishes not put in the sink (or dishwasher) or dishes not cleaned out.

Let me give an example. My roomate - for whatever reason - likes to just leave dishes on the counter. And the worst part - he rarely cleans the food off his plate. Like, one time - his plate was covered with chicken bones - just sitting in the kitchen.

And it also gets on my nerves when he'll cut open a popsicle and leave the cut off end on the counter.

I really just hate having stuff out on the counter. I want it picked up and put away. It drives me crazy!

I guess my question today is - are there weird things that you do or stupid things that get on your nerves?

Was feeling a little lonely last night. Yeah, being single sucks sometimes - but, the last guy I dated - although he was a great guy - he didn't live here - so I still felt lonely sometimes. Anyway - I'm feeling a little better today...but I thought I might share. Not sure what I'd call it...it just came to me in bed so I texted it to myself.



Alone.
Again Tonight.
Crickets chirp loudly
Cold Sheets. Cold Skin.
Can't seem to find sleep.
Missing the heat from your body.
The gentle breeze of your breath.
The scent of your skin.
The feeling of US.
It's all gone.
Again tonight.
Alone.

Well, Goodbye to Estelle Getty - the actress that played Sophia Petrillo on "The Golden Girls". Apparently she died today. :-(

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25801336/



LOS ANGELES - Actress Estelle Getty has died at the age of 84.

Her son, Carl Gettleman, says the co-star of the TV show “The Golden Girls” died early Tuesday at home in Los Angeles. Gettleman says she suffered from advanced dementia.

The diminutive actress spent 40 years struggling for success before landing the role of a lifetime in 1985, playing the sarcastic octogenarian Sophia on “The Golden Girls.”

Ok, so - work has been crappy for the past 6 months. I'm pretty much out of money now and I have to figure out what I'm going to do now. I haven't hit my quota in 6 months (which is why its been crappy) and I have to turn it around this month or risk being put on the chopping block next month and then fired after that if it doesn't get better. So yeah, is pretty serious.

So, anyway - since I have no money right now - I am reduced to finding something to do with my evening - so, I decided to start watching a little TV - and the show "Chelsea Lately" came on E! and I watched. Now, I'm not sure if people remember the short lived "Chelsea Handler Show" they did for a while. It was pretty funny to me and I remembered one of the funniest segments on that show she did (at least I thought) was this one where she goes and talks to old people and shows them pictures of famous people and asks them questions.

The most astounding part to me was one actually knew who Flava-Flav was! LOL

You have to watch it!!

Wow - just -- WOW! This video made me laugh.

Ok - seriously...I guess it just caught me off guard. But my brother sent me the link to this today and I was on the phone watching it with him and I was laughing so hard I couldn't breathe. Seriously - it was one of those high pitched can't breathe no real noise laughs!!

hahahahaha!!

On LJ a couple years ago - a friend of mine let the world know that he didn't have much longer on this earth.  It was a very sad moment for me and for others both here and across the country.  Steven Mackin touched so many lives.

Now, his mother along with his sisters and a friend formed a not-for-profit organization to support research for the disease - since it is one of the least researched cancers out there.

I would love to have my friends on here to donate to this cause.  Any amount you can give...even 1 dollar.  Every single dollar helps.

If you can donate - please go here.  They take paypal - http://www.stompoutcancer.com/blogger/?page_id=75 ;

You can even buy a cd on there that will support cancer.  I got one myself recently and the music is pretty good.  My favorite song is the second track.  It made me cry actually.

Please help out.  His mom is pretty much funding this out of her own pocket and she's doing everything she can to attract attention to her cause.  I'm giving some money myself and trying to tell everyone about it. 

And, if you'd like to help as well - why not talk about it in your blog too?

Thanks guys!

Much Love,

Joshua Barker


*NOTE*  - Some people are having problems donating.  If you go to www.stompoutcancer.com and look for one of the tabs that says "donate" - you can do it there.  Not sure why its not working for some people - but try that if it isn't.  Thanks to everyone who has helped so far.

01. Bought everyone in the pub a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said I love you and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Done a striptease
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long, and watch the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Touched an iceberg
20. Slept under the stars
21. Changed a baby's diaper
22. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
23. Watched a meteor shower
24. Gotten drunk on champagne
25. Given more than you can afford to charity
26. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
27. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
28. Had a food fight
29. Bet on a winning horse
30. Called in sick when you were not ill
31. Asked out a stranger
32. Had a snowball fight
33. Photocopied your bottom on the office photocopier
34. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
35. Held a lamb
36. Enacted a favorite fantasy
37. Taken a midnight skinny dip
38. Taken an ice cold bath
39. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
40. Seen a total eclipse
41. Ridden a roller coaster
42. Hit a home run
43. Fit three weeks miraculously into three days
44. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
45. Adopted an accent for an entire day
46. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
47. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
48. Had two hard drives for your computer
49. Visited all 50 states
50. Loved your job
51. Taken care of someone who was shit faced
52. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
53. Had amazing friends
54. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
55. Watched wild whales
56. Stolen a sign from uncle sam
57. Backpacked in Europe
58. Taken a road-trip
59. Rock climbing
60. Lied to foreign governments official in that country to avoid notice
61. Midnight walk on the beach
62. Sky diving
63. Visited Ireland
64. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
65. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
66. Visited Japan
67. Benchpressed your own weight
68. Milked a cow
69. Alphabetized your CDs or DVDs
70. Pretended to be a superhero
71. Sung karaoke
72. Lounged around in bed all day
73. Posed nude in front of strangers
74. Scuba diving
75. Got it on to "Lets Get It On" by Marvin Gaye
76. Kissed in the rain
77. Played in the mud
78. Played in the rain
79. Gone to a drive-in theater
80. Done something you should regret, but don't regret it
81. Visited the Great Wall of China
82. Discovered that someone who's not supposed to have known about your blog has discovered your blog
83. Dropped Windows in favor of something better
84. Started a business
85. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
86. Toured ancient sites
87. Taken a martial arts class
88. Sword fought for the honor of a woman
89. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
90. Gotten married
91. Been in a movie
92. Crashed a party
93. Loved someone you shouldn't have
94. Kissed someone so passionately it made you dizzy
96. Had sex at the office
97. Gone without food for 5 days
98. Made cookies from scratch
99. Won first prize in a costume contest
100. Ridden a gondola in Venice 

Yesterday my friend Steven Mackin would have been 29. That is had he not died of cancer almost 2 years ago. I can't believe its been that long. I remember when it happened. I had just started the job I have currently - hadn't been here but a month or two in this role - my house was just finished and I had remembered talking to Steven that when my house was finished he could come and stay here instead of some hotel room. Afterall - the cancer treatments were rough and anything to help him feel better I would have done. But, sadly, things went downhill pretty quick once he was re-admitted to the hospital. In fact, after they did all that they could do for him at the hospital they released him to his family on a tuesday. By that weekend he was gone. The only thing I could do was cry. Here was one of my very first gay friends - one of the people who told me it was ok to be me. He showed me that I could live my life without regrets. Without apologies. Steven was a great friend for sure.

Well, a couple months ago his friend Marciano asked if he could come for a visit here so we could go visit his grave and family. He didn't have to say anymore - I was totally in for doing this.

So, we decided it would be best to have him fly into Louisville so we could sleep there and get up the next morning and just drive to his parents (which live 30 minutes from Louisivlle) and then fly out of Nashville monday morning. So, that's what we did.

I picked him up saturday evening at 5pm from the Louisville airport. He didn't get a hotel room because he was so busy - he forgot - so we spent the next 30 minutes or so trying to get a wi-fi signal so we could get on priceline.com and get a hotel room. We finally did - we checked in - rested a little then went out for dinner and drinks and then to bed later.

Sunday morning we got up - checked out of the hotel - and made our way to lunch at Lynn's Paradise Cafe and then on down to Bardstown, where Steven's family is from.

Neither one of us really knew where we were going - but figured it wasn't that big - so we couldn't get too lost. Thankfully we were correct. Upon pulling into town the cemetary was right there on our right - so we pulled in and paid our respects. Then we both decided we wanted to leave a little something there at his grave for his birthday so we went to the closest store to find a little something. Marciano got him a teddy bear and a balloon - I got him a card where I wrote down my feelings to him.

After we picked up the stuff we didn't go right back to the grave - we wanted to find out where his family lived. We looked it up in the white pages - but forgot that his mom was no longer "Mackin" - so that made it hard. Finally, I remembered Steven had sent out his address to us a long time ago and I found it in some archives and we looked it up on Marciano's GPS enabled phone. Luckily we were just a couple miles from his home.

We pulled up to the house and got out of the car and a few seconds later his family bounds out of the doors and runs at Marciano and myself. They couldn't believe that we were there. His mom was especially excited to see us. So, we went in and sat for HOURS talking about Steven, about cancer, religion and life. It was a very nice talk that we had. And his mom gave us a few things before we left. A CD that was dedicated to his memory for both of us. A blue bracelet for his memory for both and a teddy bear for each of us that we picked out. She wanted us to have some of Steven's things since she felt that we really cared about him.

One of the things that really made me so happy and so sad at the same time was when I was talking to his mom. She said when she first found out Steven was gay she was upset. But she was more upset because she was losing HER dreams for him. She said that she was sad because he'd never have kids of his own, he'd never have a big weddings, etc etc...the same things most mom's say. But her ex-husband set her straight on that quickly she said. He said to her "Those are YOUR dreams. Not his." And she felt better about it - realizing she was being selfish.

But the thing that almost made me cry was that she was so happy to know her Son so well while he was here. And to know that he was loved. That was what made her happier than anything. That he was loved. And not just 'kinda' loved. Really, fully loved. I know I loved him. He was an awesome guy and a great friend.

I do want to ask everyone of my friends on Livejournal - if you are reading this - PLEASE do me a favor and go to www.stompoutcancer.com and buy a CD or donate to that website. All the proceeds go to cancer research. And not just any cancer - Ewings Sarcoma. Its a rare cancer and really not well researched at all. It has become Steven's mom's goal in life now to get this more attention. She even has the attention of the Ellen show now - she hopes she'll hear back soon - because that attention could really help. She is doing most everything herself with the help of a friend or two as well. She's mailing out CD's to everyone that wants one. She's doing everything she can to let everyone know about this disease and how they can help. Every dollar helps.

Well, after we finally left his parents house - we still had to go back to the grave to take our presents for him. She also asked if we would take a gay pride flag out there. We did. And put it on display. I think Steven would have liked that.

I really miss him.

Below the cut are some photos from this weekend:

( Read more... )

Well, after Martha and I take him out of the smoldering crater - we'd probably name him Clark. We'd make sure we'd raise him on our farm in Kansas. I imagine one of these days that he'll grow up and fly around the world all the while working in Metropolis for a major newspaper. Or McDonald's. I'm sure he'll be good friends with the Luthor's down the road. They have a small child Clark's age. Who knows?

Gotta Love Daft Punk. I remember when I first discovered them back in College. I was a DJ for our college radio station and also the music director. I really loved the song "Around the World" at the time and put it on our playlist - along with it "Rollin' & Scratchin'" was another fav of mine. Back in 2001 I heard there was new Daft Punk and I had to hear it. That is when I first heard "Harder Better Faster Stronger". Although lots of people know the hook from Kanye West's song "Stronger" - you still can't get better than Daft Punk.

Well, I was on Stumble Upon tonight and came upon some french site where these girls had put together a whole dance thing with the words painted on their bodies and giant boxes on their heads. Weird, yes. But it gets pretty awesome when things start to pick up and the song really gets to moving. I had seen something similar with just some guys hands...and while it was neat it was cool watching these girls dance together...I included both videos under the cut...tell me which one you liked better.

( Read more... )

I've lost the keys to my house somewhere between my desk and the second floor. They were on this new keychain this girl at work got me when she visited Vegas. I knew it was in my pocket when I left to go to lunch and meet Mike downstairs. Somewhere - between my desk and his desk my house keys were gone and so was the keychain. DAMN IT! Now I have to get my roomates keys and get the copied. I had a floor wide e-mail sent but no one has seen them. :-( Damn it!! Grrrrrrrrr

****EDIT**** Mike found my keys. SOMEHOW they flew off my keyring in the CAR and I lost the rest of that keyring later in the day...?!?! Weird - but that's what happened. Mike walked out to my car with me and I was going to drive him to his - and there they were - in my car seat. Weird - but I'm grateful!!

Ok - I gotta bitch a little here. A guy from high school whom I hadn't talked to in - oh, 13 years - since I was in high school I guess - found me on facebook. So, we have made small talk back and forth - and I figured what came next would probably set him off - and sure enough, it did. Here is the conversation copy and pasted from Facebook - Question - does this make anyone else as angry as it made me? I guess not "angry" - just - how, for some reason, if I'm gay I must not be happy and my life must be in shambles because I'm not going to church?!?! I dunno - just rubbed me the wrong way. See what you guys think...:

Kenneth Pelfrey
8:30pm May 3rd
I was wondering, who your girlfriend was? Did she go to school with us, man? You work at Dell Computers, wow impressive! Good going on getting that job! Do you like and wha do you do there?

Josh Barker
12:05pm May 4th
Hey there - btw - I do remember you. Just FYI. And I don't actually have a girlfiend - I'm gay. I had a bf up until about a month and a half ago or so - we had dated for about 1.5 years but it just wasn't working. Yeah, I work fro Dell Inc as a software specialist for small and medium businesses. Been there nearly 4 years. I was on the radio in Lexington for a long time on K93, Z103, Arrow 101.5 and Groovin' Oldies 102.5 - now they have all changed...lol. Then I moved to Richmond and ran all the radio stations out there - 100.7 The Coyote, The Fox and The Tri-City AM Network. I moved to Nashville for another radio job but hated after 2 months - so thats how I ended up at Dell - it was going to be 'until i could find something else' - but I made more in 6 months at dell than I ever did in an entire year in radio - so I'm still there! LOL What are you doing now?

Kenneth Pelfrey
Today at 1:43pm
Cool buddy! I glad you are happy in your career, but sorry in your personal life! Life has a way to throw you a curve ball. Thats the reason I put a full time person watching over me in charge of my life! He is the best and life has sunshine in it everyday. Life is alot easier!

But, anyway buddy! So you was in radio here! I didn't know that? But, I think after high school! Everyone seemed to drop off face of the word and soon I was alone. That is until the night, I picked up the bible and read how someone is always there for me! I would o share the info that changed my life. But, I hate to force it on others. I would love to hear back from you. I work here in Lexington at a hospital. I am a unit secretary & switchboard operator. It isn't the best job, but it pays my bills and food on my table, and great benefits!

I stole this from fellow LJ'er Adam_Zapple -- I thought it was fun!!


IF YOU'RE ON MY FRIENDS LIST, I want to know 36 things about you. I don't care if we never talk, or if we already know everything about each other. Short and sweet is fine ... You're on my list, so I want to know you better!


BE HONEST! COPY FROM HERE THEN SEND DIRECTLY TO ME IN A COMMENT THEN, REPOST THE EMPTY QUESTIONS

Questions are under the cut!
( Read more... )

Yeah, they didn't spell everything correctly - but who cares.  I like to see that just because you are older doesn't mean you have to be close minded about everything.  Just proof that 'the times' they grew up in isn't an excuse for hate or bigotry!