welcome to chai-na town

a couple posts ago I revealed the one-way first-name basis that I have with some of the employees at my friendly neighborhood starbucks.

Today it got one step better.

It's been a few days since I last patronized starbucks . . . i was due for my drink of choice.

I pulled off and drove up to the drive through intercom . . . the conversation went a little something like this:

(des pulls up to intercom and rolls down the window accustomed to the typical, "Hi, How are you today?" question.)

starbucks: Hey - can we get a grandé non-fat chai latté started for you?

des: (shocked) . . . . why . . . yes . . . .that's it. Thanks.

starbucks: We'll see you at the window.

WHAT??

I mean, I guess it only makes sense that if they know my name then they would remember what drink I have ordered LITERALLY every time that I have been there. It just sort of takes this chai addiction to the next level, don't you think????

It was extra good today by the way.

I like being a regular. I'm starting to feel like I belong.

Des

chai lattés

so, not so far off the beaten path to my office (probably even close enough to be considered "on the way") is a friendly neighborhood Starbucks. I like it. I've warmed up to this crown-jewel of corporate america.

I have two things to say:

1) Grandé Non-Fat Chai Lattés are the best
2) The barista today greeted me at the window by saying "Hey Desmond"

What does THAT tell you?

Grace,

Des

White and Nerdy?

I've recently begun to enjoy the lyrical styling of one Weird Al Yankovic. I have also begun to realize how much I can relate to some of his songs.

So, here I break down "White and Nerdy" and argue that it indeed could have been written about me. Please see my comments in red.
-----------------------------

They see me mowin' my front lawn (Don't have a lawn, N/A)
I know they're all thinkin' I'm so white and nerdy
Think I'm just too white and nerdy
Think I'm just too white and nerdy
Can't ya see I'm white and nerdy
Look at me, I'm white and nerdy (Yes, Probably)

I wanna roll with the gangstas (Yes, I would like to roll with the gangstas)
But so far they all think I'm too white and nerdy
Think I'm just too white and nerdy
Think I'm just too white and nerdy
I'm just too white and nerdy
Really really white and nerdy (As above)

First in my class here at M.I.T. (Not at M.I.T. but otherwise true)
Got skills, I'm a champion at D&D (Never played D & D)
M.C. Escher, that's my favorite M.C. (I have a special place for M.C. Escher . . . he's good)
Keep your forty I'll just have an Earl Gray Tea (Never had a "40" but plenty of tea)

My rims never spin to the contrary
You'll find that they're quite stationary (My rims are definitely stationary)
All my action figures are cherry (I have a Sigmund Freud "Action Figure" unopened)
Stephen Hawking's in my library (No . . . but he is on my wish list)

My MySpace page is all totally pimped out
Got people beggin' for my top eight spaces (I hate myspace . . . )
Yo, I know pi to a thousand places (not a thousand . . . maybe 6)
Ain't got no grills but I still wear braces (No grills, never had braces)

I order all of my sandwiches with mayonnaise (I do)
I'm a wiz at Minesweeper, I could play for days (Minesweeper is so passe)
Once you see my sweet moves you're gonna stay amazed
My fingers movin' so fast I could set the place ablaze

There's no killer app I haven't run (run) (I have a lot of killer apps)
At Pascal, well, I'm number one (one) (No, but I know what it is)
Do vector calculus just for fun (No, but I know what it is)
I ain't got a gat, but I got a soldering gun (what) (Does a dremel count?)

Happy Days is my favorite theme song (It's a nice jingle)
I could sure kick your butt at a game of ping-pong (Everyone but Charlie Fisher so far)
I'll ace any trivia quiz you bring on (I had a subscription to Mental Floss magazine . . . nothing but trivia)
I'm fluent in Javascript as well as Klingon (Not a Trekkie at all, but I know me some javascript)

Here's the part I sing on...

They see me roll on my Segway
I know in my heart they think I'm white and nerdy
Think I'm just too white and nerdy
Think I'm just too white and nerdy
Can't ya see I'm white and nerdy
Look at me, I'm white and nerdy

I'd like to roll with the gangstas
Although it's apparent I'm too white and nerdy
Think I'm just too white and nerdy
Think I'm just too white and nerdy
I'm just too white and nerdy
How'd I get so white and nerdy?

I've been browsin', inspectin'
X-Men comics you know I collect 'em
The pens in my pockets I must protect 'em
My ergonomic keyboard never leaves me bored (Nothing in this section is true thankfully)

Shoppin' online for deals on some writable media (Yes)
I edit Wikipedia (Yes)
I memorized Holy Grail really well (Yes)
I can recite it right now and have you ROTFLOL (Yes)
I got a business doin' websites (Yes)
When my friends need some code, who do they call? (Yes)
I do HTML for 'em all (Yes)
Even made a home page for my dog (Not yet)

Yo, I got myself a fanny pack (NO)
They were havin' a sale at The Gap
Spend my nights with a roll of bubble wrap
Pop, pop, hope no one sees me gettin' freaky (NO)

I'm nerdy in the extreme and whiter than sour cream (Yes)
I was in AV Club and Glee Club and even the Chess Team (Would if I could)

The only question I ever thought was hard
Was do I like Kirk or do I like Picard? (Again, not a Trekkie)
Spend every weekend at the Renaissance Fair (No)
Got my name on my underwear (No)

They see me strollin', they laughin'
And rollin' their eyes cause I'm so white and nerdy
Just because I'm white and nerdy
Just because I'm white and nerdy
All because I'm white and nerdy
Holy cow, I'm white and nerdy

I wanna bowl with the gangstas
But, oh well, it's obvious I'm white and nerdy
Think I'm just too white and nerdy
Think I'm just too white and nerdy
I'm just too white and nerdy
Look at me, I'm white and nerdy

That's me. I'm white and nerdy. Yo! Me! Nerdy!

Got some time to Kill?

If you've got some time to kill, there are 4 videos here that you may want to watch. These are two projects of the Carolinas' Music and Arts Conservatory video class from the summer of 2006. Basically, these students had to write and direct these scripts and I pieced the footage together at the end of the summer. Since YouTube limits me to 10 mins of video, I had to break both into two pieces.

So, enjoy

JohnBoree Part 1:


JohnBoree Part 2:


James Q. Liger Part 1:


James Q Liger Part 2: