The fifth of July

For the Fourth of July, I went to my friend Nick's house for a barbecue. His whole family was there, as usual. And it was pretty crazy, as usual. There are a lot of kids in that family.

First, Nick and his cousin were playing Rock Band. I don't understand the appeal of it. If I could play a game that would actually improve my guitar skills for real, that would be awesome. More people (and kids) arrived, so we went out to the cul-de-sac to play ball. Some of the kids started shooting bottle rockets, but it wasn't dark yet. After the food was served, there was some more video gaming inside. It was raining, so Nick and I played some songs on the guitar, and everyone sang along. As the rain let up, we went outside to shoot a bunch of fireworks. Then, it was getting late, and people started to leave. I had a fun time.

I've been trying to synthesize everything people have been telling me about basic communication and relationship skills that everyone is supposed to have. Hopefully this is the last I'll have to say about this for a while.

As previously stated, I am cool. I just have a hard time showing people how funny, insightful, and suave I am. The other problem is that (as Casey said), by indiscriminately asking girls on dates, I am creeping them out. I even began to notice this myself with the last one. I need to be more attuned to whether they like me and not rush to date them. So that leaves a few simple steps:

1. Show her how great I am. (Actually contribute to a conversation, including talking to her. Be outgoing.)
2. Recognize when she believes it. (Watch for subtle verbal cues, body language, and/or unsolicited sexual acts.)
3. Ask her to "hang out." (Not a "date" because those are scary.)

I feel good about breaking this process into simple steps. Am I on the right track, normal people?

Wal-Mart is now Walmart. They have a new logo to boot. It makes me forget that they're a horrible company!

Mouse Print is a blog that examines the "fine print" in ads and packaging to catch businesses in the act of deceiving potential customers.

Finally, check out some cool prehistoric cave paintings.