I bring tidings of great joy and happiness.  hear me, readers, for while channel surfing today, I discovered something wonderful.  it is all I can do to contain my excitement.  dave no doubt tires of my frequent glee-squeels and other such happy noises.  you see, my hero and mentor (and by mentor I mean "person Ive never met but would stalk if he lived closer") jhonen vasquez now has a cartoon.

I am incredibly lucky to have found it.  I knew he had mentioned working on some animation project, but that was a long long time ago, and I had forgotten all about it.  and then, as I flipped past nickelodeon, there it was.  they were showing a scene from the new show that was to premier next, and I couldnt believe it.  I knew it had to be jhonen's show.

and it was.  I could hardly sit still.  the creator of such comics as "Johnny the Homicidal Maniac" and "SQEE!" now has his own cartoon.  and it is funny and good.  (also the art is excellent.  hes my hero.  seriously.)  it is called "Invader Zim."  it is on nickelodeon on fridays at 8:00 piem.  but theyre rerunning tonights episode tomorrow at 8:00, so you should all watch.

and yes, I know how it sounds.  it sounds like Ive just asked you to stay in on a saturday night and watch nickelodeon.  but it really is a good show.  really.  you can even ask dave.

Comments: 0 Posted by michael on 30 March 2001 at 9:05 PM

It's a good thing that I am getting my braces off soon, as I think they are beginning to affect me.  Primarily, I have developed an almost uncontrollable urge to bite my orthodontist's fingers whenever I go in to have my wires changed.  I think this may because the rubberbands I've been wearing recently have limited how wide I can open my mouth, which means that Dr. Klarsch's fingers come in contact with my teeth more often than in the past.  I then feel like biting his finger because of some animal instinct about eating.  Of course, I could just be really, really sick of these braces, and that is manifesting itself in my desire to hurt my orthodontist.

I forgot to post to -273 last night, so to make up for it, I created this.

Comments: 0 Posted by david on 30 March 2001 at 11:15 AM

santa came yesterday.  I got back from the library, and there, sitting on my keyboard was a brand new copy of photoshop 6.  one can only wonder where it came from.  needless to say, I am very pleased to have it.  I really feel this software upgrade is going to change my life.  having an undo-queue has already greatly reduced my occurrence of suicidal thoughts, and the moment I learned I was now able to make noncontiguous pixel selections with the magic wand tool was probably the closest Ive ever come to feeling truly happy.  in short, my bitter and jaded heart is alive again with love and passion for photoshop 6.

I would go on more, but Im sleepy and my back hurts.  so, committed as I am to negative273.com and its readers, I think its bed time.

Comments: 0 Posted by michael on 29 March 2001 at 3:34 AM

Last week I ordered an MP3 player for the springboard slot on my Visor, and it arrived today.  Or at least it was supposed to arrive today.  I received a package from the people that I ordered the MP3 player from, but instead of containing the $149 MP3 player (I got it for more than $100 less than it retails for) that I ordered, the package contained a $30 battery pack (called an "Energy Clip™") for the MP3 player (designed so that you can use your MP3 player apart from your Visor).  Needless to say, I was not amused.  I emailed the people at palmgear.com and they promised to ship the actual product that I ordered tomorrow.  I am waiting with bated breath for it to arrive.  They also claim that they will include postage for me to use when I return this damn Energy Clip™.  I hope they do, because if they don't, they won't be getting their Energy Clip™ back.

The sad thing about this incident is that it ruined the fun I got in receiving my Escaflowne wall scroll in the mail today.  I was so caught up in this Energy Clip™ bullshit that I didn't bother to hang up the wall scroll.

I realize that I've been in a rather bad mood these past few days.  I blame it on michael.  (Of course, I blame just about everything, from the failing economy to the bland and disgusting food served at the campus eateries, on michael, so my evaluation of this situation may be slightly biased.)  Tomorrow I'm getting a haircut.  God knows I hope nothing happens then that will leave me upset.

Comments: 0 Posted by david on 28 March 2001 at 11:43 PM

I watched about an hour of "The Beach" (a movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio and some other people I didn't recognize) tonight.  It was on HBO or whatever channel 14 is on our cable package.  I fully understand why the critics panned it.  It was horrible.  It had a very attractive girl wearing almost no clothing in it, and that wasn't enough to make me want to tough it out until the end.  (This statement is even more telling when I mention the fact that I routinely watch Cinemax during the weekends.  As all of you who are familiar with Cinemax know, its late-night weekend broadcasts aren't really known for their interesting plots or great cinematography.)

In other news about me being disappointed with things, I went to Best Buy with michael today, but they didn't have the CD I wanted, despite the promises made on their website.  This wouldn't bother me too much if Best Buy weren't 30 f***ing minutes away from WashU.

All things considered, today was not the best of days.  (Did I mention I fell asleep at the end of one of my classes, and consequently missed a good portion of the following class?)  If you have any happy words of encouragement for me, please send them here.

Comments: 0 Posted by david on 28 March 2001 at 1:14 AM

Work.  Work.  Work.  That basically sums up my day.

Have you ever felt like you're just going through the motions?  I've felt that way for awhile now.  I'm hoping something will shortly jar me loose and let me regain control.  I can't wait for summer.

(michael is going to post about me not going to the Bright Eyes concert with him tonight.  Before he does, let me take some preemptive action and explain to you why I wasn't able to go to the concert.  I wanted to go see Bright Eyes, but I couldn't get out of work.  I sent multiple emails trying to get someone to cover my hours, but no one would.  Consequently, I had to cover my own hours, which were inconveniently timed to coincide with the Bright Eyes concert thing, so I couldn't go.

(Anyway, I'm sure michael is angry with me for making him go to the concert by himself, but it wasn't my fault.  Your honor, the defense rests.)

Comments: 0 Posted by david on 28 March 2001 at 12:42 AM

I have a test in half an hour.  if any of our readers happen to live in the st louis area, are about 5' 9", have short dark hair, and know anything at all about hashtables, skip lists, or merge/counting/radix sorts, please contact me.  soon.

Comments: 0 Posted by michael on 27 March 2001 at 12:23 PM

so the bright eyes concert was tonight.  I couldnt get into the one at blueberry hill, but the appearance at vintage vinyl turned out to be a performance after all.  (dave had convinced me otherwise.)  so you can go ahead and disregard my last post; everything actually worked out very well.  they did a five song set including three unreleased songs.  and unlike other concerts Ive attended, I got to stand ten feet from the stage, it was not crowded or smokey, and it didnt cost me anything.  so it was basically the best concert Ive ever been to.  and I even got to say hi to conor afterwards, which I thought was pretty cool.  he was very polite.  sadly he wont be coming out with a new cd for a while.  he said he is going to start recording sometime in november.  in the meantime, I guess Ill have some time to kill, and I find myself giving more and more thought to becoming indie.

I know what youre thinking, but hear me out.  I really think I might enjoy the music.  I mean, even though angst isnt in anymore, there are indie bands out there making complaint rock like it was still 1995.  isnt that great?  secondly, I have a feeling indie rock shows are never very crowded or expensive, and it would definitely give me something to do.  and most importantly, indie rock girls are hot.  (Im sure mine wouldnt mind giving me advice on how to get into that scene.  a couple of trips to thrift stores and a visit or two to napster is really all it would take, dont you think?.)  also, if my favorite band is someone youve never heard of Im obviously much cooler than you are, right?

sigh.. now if only I didnt hate polo shirts.

Comments: 0 Posted by michael on 27 March 2001 at 3:03 AM

Good afternoon.

We've made some improvements to our webcam here on -273 which we think will make for a more enjoyable viewing experience for you.  Basically, what we have done is remove the meta tag refresh from the header of the webcam page and replaced it with some javascript that updates the images on the page, but does not refresh the entire page.  This makes our webcam seem smoother and more movie-like.  Should you experience any technical difficulties with the webcam, please send us an email that describes the problem, and we'll try to correct it.

In other webcam news, michael has rigged together an apparatus that allows us to hook my webcam up to a pair of binoculars.  I don't really know what real purpose this serves, but I'm sure we'll think of something (legal) to do with it.

Comments: 0 Posted by david on 26 March 2001 at 12:01 PM

so I was looking into the bright eyes concert on monday, and I found out it is a 21+ show.  of course, I dont have a fake, because I never had much use for one, so Im out of luck.  whatever.  this world isnt really mine.

anyway, Ill still visit vintage vinyl before the show.  maybe I can get conor to sign my forehead.  and I read theres a new cd coming out in september, or something like that, so he might come around st louis again in the fall.

until then I will have to just settle for the concert footage they have on www.digitalclubnetwork.com.  just like seeing them at a real concert, only pathetic.  sigh..

Comments: 0 Posted by michael on 25 March 2001 at 1:24 PM

The last meal I ate before getting braces was at BoBo's Chinese Buffet in Evansville.  It was conveniently located across from my Mom's office, and we didn't yet know about the mice and roaches that infested the restaurant, or about the unsafe temperatures on the buffet.  By the time I went in to eat lunch with my Mom I had already been to the orthodontist and had spacers put in.  I would be returning to his office shortly to to have braces put on my upper teeth.  All of this took place in June 1999, almost 2 years ago.

I recounted these events to you because of the news I received on Monday from my orthodontist.  In as little as four weeks, he will remove my braces.  All of this comes as a great relief to me.  I can't wait for this long ordeal to end.

Comments: 0 Posted by david on 22 March 2001 at 5:11 PM

negative273.com, the worlds second largest provider of michaeldixon-related online content, has decided that what its readers really want is not content so much as pointless information about michaels life.  thats why Ive decided to tell you all about my day.

I woke up around 10:30.  then I worked on my cs241 homework.  then I turned it in and got some lunch.  then I took an econ quiz.  then I picked up my exam (Im very happy.  I got an A-.  I am like some kind of econ genius).  then I came back and decided to write a post.

sigh.. actually, Im very sorry about this.  I know you dont care about my day, but I didnt have anything to post about, and I wanted to hurry and post something before dave got back from work.  its been a long time since Ive had two posts in a row, and I was afraid dave would post soon, so I had to do something.  Im afraid I dont think very quickly on my feet.

god Im bad at keeping a weblog.

Comments: 0 Posted by michael on 22 March 2001 at 3:26 PM

"discover the unsolved mysteries of our universe with Alex Chiu.  Full of graphics and explanations to make sure that you understand completely."

this girl I know pointed me to a great website the other day: www.AlexChiu.com.  Alex Chiu has apparently discovered the secret to eternal youthand health.  in addition, he has plans for world peace, a teleportation device, and he offers some very interesting insight into science, philosophy, and god.  its really quite fascinating.

in other news, Ive learned (from that same girl, incidentally..  shes very handy to keep around) that one of my favorite bands, bright eyes, is coming to st louis and is doing a show at vintage vinyl next week.  Im quite excited.  dave even said he may attend.  I cant wait.

a bright eyes concert and the promise of life everlasting.  not a bad week at all.

Comments: 0 Posted by michael on 20 March 2001 at 11:14 PM

Someone eagerly wishes to talk to me by telephone tonight.  Sadly, I do not know the identity of this person.  You see, I like to screen my phone calls.  That way I can avoid embarrassing conversations with my numerous creditors.  Also telemarketers and other people that I don't like or don't want to talk to.  This process of screening is made possible by an answering machine, or in my case, the WashU voice mail system (314/935-9200).  This system will answer my calls for me, and allow the people who are calling me to leave a message.  I can then review the messages and return the calls when I find it convenient.

The intelligent among you will have spotted the fundamental flaw in this system: if someone does not leave a message, I cannot review the messages and return the call.  Unfortunately, this is what happened tonight.  Someone (I assume it was only one person because I get very few phone calls) called approximately ten times in one half hour period, but never left a message.  Therefore, I cannot return this unknown person's call.

Let me close by urging everyone who uses the telephone, especially those telephone users who call me, to leave a message if your call goes unanswered.  Working together, we can eliminate this rash of calls without messages.

Comments: 0 Posted by david on 19 March 2001 at 9:58 PM

a violent potato chip, fighting until the end, recently stabbed me in the roof of my mouth.  it hurt very much, and I was struck with grief and anger.  I wanted to retaliate, to show that offensive potato chip that I would not abide, that I do not meet injury meekly, nemo me impune lacessit, and he would be made to pay.  but then I realized that I was the brutal one.  he watched as I ruthlessly devoured his companions, guiltily praying at each grab of my hand that I would claim some other chip.  and when his time came, he courageously and hopelessly fought, clinging desperately to his life until the end.

I feel like an ogre.

(if you ever wonder why Im so skinny..)

Comments: 0 Posted by michael on 18 March 2001 at 11:36 PM

Do you know what's worse than waiting for an hour in a doctor's waiting room?  Waiting for an hour in the exam room.  Everytime I go see my oral surgeon, they take me back to an exam room as soon as I get there, and then I wait for forty-five minutes to an hour before the doctor gets around to seeing me.  If they let me wait in the waiting room, I would at least have something to read.

Spring break is going pretty well for me, and I may post again, but the odds are against that, as posting these things via telnet is a less than ideal situation.  I'll resume posting this coming Sunday.

Comments: 0 Posted by david on 12 March 2001 at 3:39 PM

I saw a commercial today advertising a book entitled "how to pay your bills supernaturally."  I wish I had written down the telephone number.

okay, Im off for spring break now. Im sure you wont even miss me.

Comments: 0 Posted by michael on 8 March 2001 at 6:42 PM

In just a few short hours, my Spring Break (odd that it's called that, since it isn't spring) will begin.  I can't wait.  I really need a week away from classes, work, and michael (just kidding about that last one).  Anyway, I don't have any plans for spring break, and I'll probably just spend the week watching TV at home, but it will be very relaxing.  The only downside to my quickly approaching Spring Break?  I have a test to take before it starts.

Comments: 0 Posted by david on 8 March 2001 at 10:55 AM

michael says that he feels very "disconnected from our audience because they never email us."  In order to remedy this situation, I am announcing the first of what will be a weekly series of contests here on negative273.com.  The winner will receive an arbitrarily selected prize of nominal value.  The rules for this weeks contest are simple.  Email us. Your email can be about any topic you choose.  The first person who emails us will receive a prize.  Other may receive prizes if we deem their entries to be very cool.  Send your entries to zero@negative273.com by Tuesday, 13 March 2001.  Winners will be notified shortly after the contest ends.  If you have any questions, please email us.

Comments: 0 Posted by david on 6 March 2001 at 11:55 PM

Happy Birthday, Dad!  55!  Wow.

Today is also an anniversary of a different kind of event.  On this day in 1982 John Belushi was found dead in his rented Hollywood bungalow, apparently of a drug overdose.  Take a few hours off today and watch "Animal House," it's a classic.

I've been working on a new project recently, but I'm not really sure if it's suitable for public consumption.  I think it's very, very funny, which should (in my opinion, anyway) be a mitigating factor if it hurts some feelings, right?  I'll think on this and post a link if I decide it's appropriate.

Comments: 0 Posted by david on 5 March 2001 at 11:31 PM

I visited my orthodontist today.  It was not a fun trip.  I knew things would be bad as soon as he asked the assistant to "steel-tie" my bicuspids.  She has steel-tied my teeth in the past and it almost always ends in disaster.  [Steel-tying involves wrapping a thin steel thread around one of the appliances on my tooth, and twirling it around with a special device to make sure it is very tight.  Disaster with steel ties involves getting part way through the twirling phase, and then having the steel thread slip out of the twirling device, which requires that the steel tie be cut off, and the procedure repeated.]  Today the nice assistant girl managed to mess up the steel tying twice.  I was not happy.

Then came my attempts to find out from the orthodontist when he foresaw removing my braces.  I was curious because in mid-December he told me I only had 90 days left, and we're rapidly approaching that time.  The best response I could get out of him was that "we're in the home stretch."  I would feel a lot better about this if he hadn't been saying that since August.

All things considered, this is not how I like to spend my Fridays.  (Did I mention that I now wear four rubber bands at all times, a 100% increase over when I was last in to see the orthodontist?)  Not a good visit at all.

Comments: 0 Posted by david on 2 March 2001 at 11:31 AM