Stats of the Week (Updated)

Internet Explorer, Microsoft's browser, took in 44% of all my blog 'hits' this week.
Google's Chrome, a rival to Explorer, hauled in 22% of all hits.
Mozilla's Firefox came in third place with 20% of all blog 'hits'.

I am taking an Honors Statistics course and I am actually enjoying it. It is not as tedious as my regular stats class, and we get to use tools that will help us be more able to use statistics in our future endeavors.

Back to the stats between the rival browsers, I am surprised that Explorer dominated so thoroughly. I HATE Explorer and much prefer Chrome over the other two. I know Mozilla has a few other web browsers, and I think I am going to try one out over the week or so.

Hold on! I have more. I decided to take the weekend off and have been enjoying every second of it. I haven't had a weekend off that didn't involve a funeral or other family function in over a year. I am finally able to enjoy the finer details of Santa Cruz weekend life, and I have absolutely loved wandering around downtown and people watching.

I ended up going to SubRosa, an anarchist bookshop and cafe, for some free vegan tamales and browsed the book selection there. The type of anarchists that dominate the scene there are of the left-wing variety, and I got a kick out of the price tags that they put on their products. I didn't say anything, though. Instead I went over to the downtown Border's and picked up a book on the Dutch Republic that I've been lusting after for quite a while. Since it is going out business, I got a hell of a deal.

I have recently been drawn to the republics of the Netherlands and Switzerland, as well as the pre-Bismarkian republic of the German states (two of Bismark's most successful tools for centralizing power were war and "social security" programs like providing "free" goodies for old people and subsidizing medical costs) because of the nature of their political institutions. A little-known fact is that these three examples of peaceful republics had an extraordinary influence on the Founding Fathers of this country, and I would argue that they influenced them at least as much (if not more so) as the United Kingdom of England and Scotland did.

I am still stuck on Step 1 of my program, but I know I'll eventually get through it. I'm not in a hurry. The whole process still sucks, by the way, but I am starting to open up and I even went out to Santa Cruz Diner (a local landmark known for slow service and extra greasy food) last night with a bunch of people from the program.

Still waiting - quite anxiously - to hear back from the Honors Symposium committee as well as the various UC's.

I have been talking with a bunch of friends lately, and everyone seems to be in agreement that Santa Cruz is one of those places that is great to live for about two years, but after that things just get depressing. There is too much partying and "keeping it real" and not enough young people wanting to get out and make a difference in the world.

I am looking forward to the challenges ahead and moving to a much bigger city. I am thankful for all of the people that have come into my life over the past two years. Santa Cruz has been a truly awesome experience: I lived with a high-maintenance girlfriend and a higher maintenance old man sub-leaser for the first five months of my time here. Their clashes were onerous.

So I spent that summer traveling across the country to participate in libertarian seminars that were absolutely fantastic. I followed up by coming back to Santa Cruz, living on the streets, breaking up with high-maintenance girlfriend, shacking up with an old crazy lady and then getting thrown out by the crazy old lady because I wouldn't wear the "outfit" she bought for me.

Another month on the streets, though by this time I had a car I could live out of. This month also happened to be the coldest month on record in Santa Cruz for at least a decade, and I eventually found a place to live in Live Oak - one of the more dangerous neighborhoods in Santa Cruz county.

The bros there were funny, but I couldn't take the beer pong tournaments and bro hos that dominated the house. I eventually found the Pink House and the kindest, most strangest bunch of people in the whole city. It was the epitome of what Santa Cruz represents to the rest of the country. I lived the typical Santa Cruzian lifestyle! So I now I sit here blogging, thinking of my family, my future girlfriend, my schoolwork, my job, and my friends and I smile.

Love y'all!

[Ok! Ok! There is a lot more to my last two years than this: I learned how to cope with a broken heart. I learned how to give when I didn't want to - Big Brothers Big Sisters and the family shelter have been so good to me. I started drinking again. I slutted around. I buried my grandfather and my uncle. I let my ex and her family down. I had to kick out a roommate. I did some drugs again (and not just weed either). I have learned that people change, and you have to accept that. I have realized that my family will always be there for me, even when nobody else will be. I have fallen in love with the ocean. I had to go back to Anonymous programs - without the coercion of the state. I had to learn how to accept help. I have had to learn how to get rejected by women. I have had to learn how deal with the disappointment of life. I have had to write letters to prison for an old friend. I have had to let old friends go. I had to do this all on my own, but also with the help of everybody important. I have become an adult. An adult in Santa Cruz...HA!]