The Basics: When you just need someone....

UPdate

2008-07-29T13:05:00.000-07:00

I passed the basic skills test for the police department. I've still got, background, psych evaluation, polygraph, and medical evaluation.

In other news: I have descovered some new online communities, one in particular I'm fond of is Plurk (plurk.com) Pretty fun, like twitter but I feel like its more intuitive and more fun.

I've gotten re acclimated to home now and I've been having some fun. My parents ride motorcycles so we all go out on the weekends to have a few drinks and some good food.

This past weekend I went up to Maryland International Raceway, watched some drag races, and headed up to 911.

A job, but not for money

2008-07-22T11:38:00.001-07:00

Recently I applied for a police department. In preparation for a call back I started a new workout regiment consisting of cardio, weight training , and circuit training. All is going well so far and I can feel the extra energy the exersise is giving me. This job (working out) isn't one I'm getting paid for, but my body feels great and I fell much more healthy already :) I highly recomend the Men's health guide on getting in shape and eating more healthy.

Other then that I have also been able to write a few more tobacco/spirit reviews then usual. Not because im drinking more, but because I have more time to write. I was even thinking about sitting back down to write a few poems. The days go buy fast and I'm trying to hold on to them as long as possible :) No point in hastening my time and missing out on something new.

Path

2008-07-10T17:10:00.000-07:00

I'm .. back. Woah it's been quite a while. Seems to be the story of my blog ;)
I've graduated believe it or not but unlike the uncertainty I was facing before graduation.. I have a new certainty that I will never find a job :) Hard stuff to find a good one let me tell you.

Lets run down my stats:
Degree: B.S in psychology
Minor: Political Science

Experience: 1 year as a research assistant
Interviews: 3
Accepted: 0
Applied: 1 billion :)
Time since graduation: nearly 2 months

Any words of wisdom?

It's been a while

2007-09-04T09:20:00.000-07:00

In my ongoing battle against exerting energy of any kind at any level I stopped writing to this blog. But I have returned with renewed vigor as if the change of scenery from ... my lackadaisical vacation of a home in Maryland .. to the quickening pace of Chicago.. has incurred a change in me as well.

Updates:

It is my last year of college. Well of undergraduate college. I will start my crusade for graduate school this upcoming weekend. If I am unable to procure a graduate psychology program before I complete my bachelors I will be applying for a position at a few police departments. I believe my background in psychology could help me there and in time I could make enough money to go back to school for my PhD.

This will be my hardest semester. I am enrolled in biology and chemistry and both are my weakest subjects. I do however have a ray of hope.. and that is my most excellent psychology professor in psychological testing.

I have a girlfriend. Who I am very much In love with. We have our problems as do all couples but were still together and we made it through a summer apart (barring our visits to each other). I'm proud of her and I am excited that she finally decided to change her major to something she has a passion for.

Lent?

2007-02-28T21:50:00.000-08:00

It's lent. I was looking through my old poems to get a feeling for what I would like to submit into a new contest at IIT. I found one that startled me. I had written, long before I decided to even look to god hear him or try to follow him, a poem about sin. I was shocked to find the truth in it. I thought certainly I couldn't have accurately portrayed sin without fully understanding it. .... I'll let you be the judge.. be sure to pay attention to the date...my trademark has always been to include the date and time the poem was written.

Sins
[Oct.30, 2005 |7:10pm]

In those blackest of nights
Where you stumble over your self and others
Griping at the promise of sunrise, the edge of the world

There will be no comfort there.
Because the things that haunt you
Are not those of night and day but eternity.

They can not be paid for.
They can not be sold.
They can not be lifted

No matter how long you have them, how old.

They can never catch you but
Always have their hold
Of your heart, mind, and soul.

In your final breath they float through the moisture in your lungs
Dancing on your death bed.
Jumping on your heart.

And the deep lines in your face, the memory of their chase.
The quickening of your breath, their reward.
But really, you brought them here.

You gave them shelter in your soul.
And as ungrateful tenants they tore down the walls.

On my silence

2007-02-10T11:44:00.000-08:00

In response to a few questions I got about when I would write again:

Yes.
In due time.

One reason why:

I'm working on a new poem.

Nostalgia

2007-01-16T08:38:00.000-08:00

I had dropped my biology class second semester of college because I needed all A's to bring my GPA up enough to remove a particular academic probation. I'm back and the stadium seating, large class size, weather, and even the smell of the room, have taken me back to my first year here. Now I have classes with 10-15 people not 100, I have circle seating not stadium, and people without their schedules written on post-its. But its somewhat nice to be back. Now, in the eve of my college career, I have the chance to go back in time, an opportunity not many get in any situation. So instead of making it a bother, I'll try to enjoy it.

Winter Series Four

2006-12-29T16:25:00.000-08:00

Introduction

The history of the Martini is quite the tale. Slowly, over decades the cocktail that we now know as the Martini came to be. It would have many transformations, variations, names, and gain generations of loyal followers. Its creation would be widely disputed and even now there is no definitive answer. It wasn’t hard to find a history of the Martini. The problem was I found too many. There are four drinks deserving of the spot this week: The Martinez, the great grandfather of the Martini, The Martini (Classic), a drink that holds a special place in the hearts of purist, and The Martini (Contemporary), and the Vodka Martini the Martini that holds the name MARTINI now. For good or for bad these are the three lives of the Martini.

Cocktail(s)

Martinez

2oz sweet vermouth

1oz Old Tom gin (a sweetened variant)

two dashes maraschino cherry liquid

one dash bitters

Shake with ice, strain, and serve with a twist of lemon

Martini (Classic)

1 ½ oz gin

½ oz dry vermouth

Stir with ice cubes, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with an olive or a twist of lemon.

Martini (Contemporary)

1 2/3 oz gin
1/3 oz dry vermouth
1 olive

Stir gin and vermouth with ice in a mixing glass. Strain into a cocktail glass, add the olive, and serve.

Vodka Martini

1 1/2 oz vodka
3/4 oz dry vermouth

Shake vodka and vermouth together with several ice cubes in a shaker. Strain into a cocktail glass, garnish with an olive and serve.

History

It is rumored that it all started with the Martinez. The Martinez is an older sweeter cocktail most likely invented in Martinez, California. A commemoration to the Martini is found there at the corner of Alhambra and Masonic. It was said that Jerry Tomas, also known as the “professor”, created the drink for a buddy of his to keep him warm on his daily trip from the hotel Occidental to Martinez, the old state capitol of California. It is believed that the classic martini sprang from this drink and contrary to popular belief actually had a slice of lemon in it, not an olive. The popularity of the olive that is found in most Martinis today is still unexplained. In time the Martini raised the gin content and lowered the vermouth to obtain a dryer drink. The contemporary Martini is much dryer then its father the Martini and no where near as sweet as his great grandfather, the Martinez. This is probably because the classic Martini was big in the time of prohibition because bathtub gin was considerably easier to make then whiskey which took time to age and a bigger facility to create. When prohibition ended gin could be made in a higher quality and so vermouth’s role was diminished as the sweetener of the drink. The hipster crowd of today would not be satisfied by the change though and recently The Vodka Martini has become the premier Martini. The Vodka Martini is what most people think of when they order a Martini from a bar. The taste is smoother and considered sweeter. Martini enthusiasts don’t believe a Vodka Martini should be a Martini at all. They claim that a Martini must have Gin. Perhaps the Martini of the old days will rule once again in a backlash against the current hipster society. One thing is for certain though. The Martini has transcended time and changed with society. It will always hold a special place in the history of the United States. H.L Mencken once called the Martini “the only American invention as perfect as the sonnet”.

Updates

2006-12-27T17:17:00.000-08:00

My goals for this Christmas break:

Read (Catechism, Manga)
Study (DSM 4 text revision)
Research (alcohol related history and cocktail recipes)
Exercise (dear God just anything)

My completed Goals this Christmas Break:

Yes, None.

I decided to start the catechism over from the beginning and so I am only on page 53. I haven't been able to memorized the creed yet. I have only read one book of one manga. It wasn't even the one on my list, it was called the explosive delivery man I believe. Its about this guy who will deliver mail through any situation. Those Japanese come up with the most unique ideas. The story is set in the past.. probably dark ages. I have only just cracked the DSM 4 and I barely remember anything I read. My research into alcohol was going well but I took a break around the 25th. Three drinks worth of information is hardly research no mater how much time it took. When it comes to exercise, I have worked out all but two days. I would say thats good but I have also eaten more due to the holidays.

So with all my goals half assedly done. I am left to wonder what one goal if any I will accomplish during break. I really see my self as someone who likes to read and become educated but I feel as though I'm slacking in everything by trying to do everything. It is a frustrating ordeal.

I'm currently researching my next cocktail and I hope it will be a surprise to everyone. Look forward to it !

-Chris Jones

Winter Series Three

2006-12-20T15:03:00.000-08:00

Introduction

The margarita is a popular drink with a Mexican flair. I can still remember our family trip to Florida four years ago it was the first major vacation that my dad went on with us. We didn't get to do much down there because of the storms. I loved that my dad was there but I was sad that maybe the only vacation he would go on with us would be botched. When we were there he let me try a margarita. The bittersweet taste was the picture perfect image of our situation;

Cocktail(s)

The Margarita:

Tequila
Triple Sec
Fresh Lime Juice

Common ratios:
2:1:1
3:2:1
3:1:1

Mix in a shaker with ice. Strain into a salt-rimmed cocktail glass, and garnish with a lime or lemon slice.

History

The history of The Margarita is widely disputed. There are literally to many stories to count. The story I would rather tell though is the one of love, loss, and the bittersweet memories similar to the one I think of when I drink it. John Durlesser presented his drink The Margarita at the 1949 All American Cocktail Contest. He named it after his girlfriend who he had lost twenty three years prior in a hunting accident during a expedition he had suggested. His regret gave birth to the cocktail. She was from Mexico where tequila was a very popular drink and the most popular way to drink it was to take a shot, lick salt from your hand, and bite a lime. He managed to emulate this in one drink by mixing lime juice, orange liqueur, and tequila together in a glass and garnishing the rim of the glass with salt.

Winter Series Two

2006-12-19T16:15:00.000-08:00

Introduction

On this addition of my winter series I'm taking a look at a drink I have always been curious about. In particular I was curious about the name;

Cocktail(s)

The Dewar's (Traditional) High Ball:

1.5 oz Dewar's Scotch Whiskey (White label)

4.5 ounces seltzer water

Lime Juice to Taste

Fill a glass with ice, pour the scotch and seltzer water in the glass, garnish with lime or spray lime juice in the drink to taste.

History

The origin of the High Ball is disputed but is rumored to come from the mid-west. Particularly, St. Louis. On rail lines in this area train conductors would use large posts as signals. If they saw a ball sitting high atop the post they knew to speed up. As the name implies this cocktail is a quick one to make. There have been numerous changes to the High Ball. Different types of Alcohol, juice, and even soda, have led to countless variations of this classic drink. The original recipe has not been as popular recently, in fact it has become almost buried beneath some of the newer "more sexy" cocktails.

Winter Series One

2006-12-18T01:16:00.000-08:00

Introduction

I have been far to busy with college work and upkeep. I have hardly had time to post here. Now that I have a small break in between the hectic world of school and work, I have gotten the strange Idea in my head that I should study more about liquor. In my new winter series I will explore the world of cocktails and their often fascinating stories. The ingredients, the preparation, the lives, and the stories that make up the rich history of alcohol;

Cocktail(s)

The Hemingway Daiquiri:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 oz light rum

1/4 oz maraschino liqueur

3/4 oz lime juice

1/4 oz grapefruit juice

Just mix them in a shaker with chipped ice. Serve in a chilled cocktail glass.

History

Hemingway was known first as a poet but he was more then that. He won the Pulitzer Prize for his poem The Old Man in the Sea. He won the Nobel Peace Prize for his contributions to writing in 1954. It was widely known that Hemingway was a diabetic. Because of his popularity, Hemingway’s struggle with diabetes fostered an international movement that would eventually lead to increased awareness and better treatment for people with the disease. In his later years Hemingway succumbed to alcoholism but because of his condition he couldn’t have much sugar. Hemingway was known to frequent a bar called El Floridita located in Havana, Cuba. Daiquiris were a popular drink of the time, an easy way to cool off. It is said that here is where the Hemingway daiquiri was created, but there is some confusion about just who created it. Some say that because of his condition, Hemmingway created a daiquiri for him self that would have less sugar, and therefore, less effect on his system. It was also reported that Hemingway was not a fan of overly sweet things and so he replaced sugar with maraschino liqueur. Still others claim that the daiquiri now known as the Hemingway was actually made by the bartender, Constanine Ribaldi, and named Daiquiri #3. The drink was then renamed because Hemingway often ordered the drink and was revered in Cuba.

The easy way?

2006-12-07T23:11:00.001-08:00

I tried gray
I tried yellow
Why was the last thing I turned to white?

The white of this entry?
no

The white of a bulb?
no

Light

Guardian Angel Recruitment :)

2006-11-27T00:02:00.000-08:00

Spurred by a friends blog about their guardian angel I decided to see If I couldn't find out about mine. I wasn't sure where to start and the internet probably isn't the best place. According to one site my guardian angel is Uriel. That is just based on the day of the week I was born I suppose. He is the angel that holds the scales to divine justice.

"scale in his hand, [he] reminds us of divine justice that weighs according to its true worth whatever good we do and whatever doings we commit in relation to God, to our neighbors or to ourselves, both as individuals and as a community of nations. He also reminds us of the terrible judgment of God upon the world for the human pride and godlessness with which human affairs are conducted. These are now fast bringing mankind towards the throes of its own destruction. (Book of Henoch and IV Esd. 4, 1)."

It does seem fitting though:
While I don't see my self as a perfect catholic/Christian/or even citizen.. I would say that the values I hold up above everything else are truth and honesty.

I tend to be an honest person.. at least I believe so.

Sometimes to the point that it gets me in very much trouble with a very many people.

I'm very up front about what I believe and will follow it until my undoing.

While I don't believe in zodiac signs it just so happens that mine is Libra.. which is also the scale. A symbol of balance and justice.

My parents and family have often seen me as a rational one.. able to weigh things objectively. They have often turned to me for advice. Many of my family members have often said that I was the best one to turn to in times of indecisiveness.

I have often been accused of being overly critical about the state of current society and culture. In some circles anyway. I'm often disgusted by how things have degraded. Though I wouldn't count my self free of that degradation at all.

Still I don't know If I can trust a website to tell me who my guardian angel is. Can anyone offer some advice?

A Change of Pace

2006-11-22T00:46:00.000-08:00

That is right folks. Hear it Here first. I usually post poetry on Deviant Art first. This however, is experimental. Really it's more of a journal and I don't know if I will keep it as part of my poetry works. At any rate this is dedicated to some new found friends. One likes the alphabet a colorful choice, one likes to write... she has some interesting works, two like airplanes.. the paper kind :) One likes not to shave, and one likes to copy me ... wears pea coats. Thank you. I needed a change of pace.

Changing Pace
[Nov. 22, 2006|3:08am]

As if the curtains have shut
and opened
The setting's changed
for a new play

New actors draw their lines
and broken is
silence unchanging
unbottled after years

Knowledge shares it's secrets
and moving are
gears ever winding
opening up my ears

As If curtains have opened
not shut
on new actors in a play

I wont forget their words
not forever
and even a day.

Toast and Diet Coke

2006-11-20T07:40:00.000-08:00

I'm up earlier then I have to be this morning. My class was canceled this week but I have to go and argue a test with my professor. He's already proclaimed that there in no way I'll squeeze one point out of him. It should be fun.
So I woke up and went to the post office to pick up a necklace I had ordered. I'm not sure if it looks alright on me or not... its kind of small. The chain is a bit thin and the charm not heavy enough. I can't say that its bad.. just not what I had expected. Note to self: Read dimensions and get a ruler instead of guessing how big it is :)
All that aside I'm ready for the day. I have work for a bit then defending my test. After those two I have cognitive and social psychology classes. I'm ready to go :)
Have a good day everyone :)

The Quiet

2006-11-18T03:33:00.000-08:00

Which do you want first? The good news or the bad?

The Bad News:
I need to get more sleep. I'm not so sure it is a lack of sleep so much so that I take it at the wrong times.

It has been a while since I've felt this way. No not that its been a while.. but that it has been to long. I'm glad I'm moving on though.. I'm still my chipper self. It's just that sometimes when I have enough time to reflect on anything (not busy studying, drinking, partying, or socializing) I remember what miserable is.

I usually consider my self a loner. Not in the fact that I don't like to be around people.. but that I don't fit very well into any particular social category. It has its perks.. and I have never had a problem not getting close to people. It's just the way I am. I am picky about friends.. a friend is someone who has proven to be a good person in my eyes. Someone who I can trust.. and through all trials has not let me down. My biggest complaint with most people is that they don't do what they say they will. So it's not that I don't have friends ... or that I don't want them.. or that I can't get them.. just that I hold friends on a high level. I call many people acquaintances.. but very few friends.

So I continue to surround my self with people and continue to meet my daily responsibilities. I guess what I mean to say is.. I have fun and I'm still healthy. I have but one complaint.

I am so very tired of most of the people I meet on a daily basis. I'm trying to find companionship that is worth time and effort.

Don't get the wrong Idea... I don't put people off, treat them cruelly, ignore them, turn them away, or refuse to help them because they aren't friends. I do everything in my power to prove the contrary. It's just that for me.. while I may be a friend to many.. I can't classify the many as friends.

The Good News:
I haven't lost heart. I will continue to give everyone 1st.. 2nd.. 3rd.. and 4th chances. I will keep an open mind when I meet new people. I will be open to the love people offer. I will open my heart to anyone. I will forgive as many as I can. To these goals I have resolve. That while I am upset.. I am not jaded. I will not give up on people.

But I will not be alone in my endeavor I know. There will be people like me, people unlike me with the same purpose, and God.

-Gzer0

Lazy Day

2006-11-16T11:49:00.000-08:00

Today feels like a lazy day, though I have done so much. I was supposed to give a participant interview today for a Mood study. They were a no show and I ended up just giving phone screenings for an hour. I have to admit it was turning a way out into a chore. So after a few dozen calls to potential participants I ended up with one eligible participant to make an appointment with.

In an hour or so I'm headed back to class.. the class that had me screening in the first place. The class is an Inter-Professional Project. Basically a way for people in different majors to take on a real world task. Even though the college uses this as a selling point for people that need real world experience, often IPROS just end up being a way to get a grade. Our IPRO is a bit different though. We were all hand picked for this one (by the professor running it), we are all psychology students (some were just in a psyc. class and showed potential), we had to actually apply for our positions, and we are actually running a study that will be used as our professors dissertation for his PhD. It is a great opportunity for all of us and luckily the team is solid.

In any case I was saying it's a lazy day. I suppose I feel that way because of the weather. It's cold, cloudy, windy, dark, and rainy. I wrote a poem about Chicago weather a while ago. I don't mind sharing it.

The Chicago Rain
[Nov.6, 2005|2:15am.]

Rain fell on Chicago tonight.
The rain poured
The lighting burned my eyes
And the thunder roared.

But the rain was not enough
to wash my soul clean
or to mark from existence the blood on my hands

And the lighting not bright enough
to distract me from the glow of my cigarette.
Or make me realize the value of breathing the air.

And no amount of thunder it could amass
would drown the thoughts in my mind.
Or still them from their attempt to scream out:

You’re Alone.

-Gzer0

The First.

2006-11-15T01:56:00.000-08:00

Yes... a fresh blogspot indeed. Worry not though stumbled reader because this won't just be an introduction.

As a start... and though it may be a bit overdone... I will post a poem, a little something about me, and... well whatever else comes to mind.

First is the poem. A little about my poetry: I like to make an impression with a smile. In that I mean that I hate so much how hard it is to leave a message with a smile; How easy it is to leave one with things so unhappy. So in looking for a poem to introduce my self I picked one.. from a time when I was more happy then I had words. I hope any of you out there... enjoy it as I enjoyed the time I wrote it.

"Lower case Z's"
[Mar. 29th, 2004|04:16 pm]

Echoes fill the night air
Whispers of sleep in "lower case z's"

One sleeps
One watches
Two lost in love

Eyes light the night on fire
lips cool the hand

One sleeps
One watches
Two lost in love

Passion sleeps
Love looks on sleepless

One sleeps
One Watches
They are both lost in love.

Surrounded lovers by whispers in "lower case z's"

A little something:
I'm a Catholic/poet/fisherman/Psychology major/male from Maryland living in Chicago to attend college.
I'm 21
I'm always eager to meet people
I'm typically very happy
I've lived a good life so far and I won't be someone to tell you any different
I'm open minded, honest, and friendly

So... Tell me a bit about yourselves. I look forward to it.

-GZer0