Ok...this was uncalled for...

There ain't that much I can say that everyone doesn't know already...today was a very tragic day in American history. I don't think words can really describe the horrible act of violence witnessed in our country today.

We can go on and on trying to find solutions. Todays actions prove that even our national megapower has it's own weaknesses. We aren't invincible, no matter how technologically advanced we may think we can be. In fact, we have many weaknesses. I hesitate to say that our country is a "time bomb", but the sad truth is that even the simplest of problems can sometime bring our great nation to it's knees. Our economy is finding itself in a world of hurt right now...although probably the least of our concerns right now...

I have never experienced such an extreme tragedy in my lifetime...at least that I am conscious of at this time. If nothing else, we can see it as a "wake up call" to all those who still believe that we're invincible. We learned when Shakespeare wrote "Security is mortals' chiefest enemy".
Anything can happen at any time.

Our country is fairly peaceful. You don't see too many acts of violence in everyday life, but many times in the news we hear about violence in the city and stuff. It really makes you wonder why we're killing ourselves. Disarm yourselves. Give peace a chance.

In memory of all those who have perished this morning; the passengers and the pilots on the USAir and AA flights, the workers in the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and all the innocent bystanders. Our prayers go out to the friends and families of the deceased. Send this to five people to show your support. DONT BREAK IT

-Chris

ZA Report September 9, 2001

Ah yessss....another ZA e-mail in as many days! Here it goes:

What is a chocobo?
-Chocobos are really large chickens that you can ride around on. Some are built for racing and others stay on a farm for transport. Most believe that chocobos are the safest method of transportation.

What is a fat chocobo?
-One in 16 chocobos are fat. The fall to the ground and crush anything underneath. Very useful when someone is trying to bite your ear off.

What's up with Alena these days?
-Princess Alena is set to be coronated as queen of Alexandria in 3 days, following the unfortunate death of Queen Brahne. Cristo is in shambles, since the new queen will be unable to talk to mere commoners. His undying love for such a beautiful girl will have to end.

So what is Cristo up to then?
-Not much. Trying to avoid the charms of Mara the child prodigy. She's only 6 for god's sake!

What's new at the rink?
-Watching old videos of Cristo and Alena

What's new at the Za Shack?
-Downloading videos of Cristo and Alena

What videos did they appear in?
-U2 Elevation, Linkin Park - In the End, Metallica - Enter Sandman, and a random Japanese Coca Cola commercial

What's the weirdest thing about this e-mail?
-Everything I wrote is 100% TRUE. Find out for yourself, or come to the next ZaFest to find the answers!

-Chris(to) -- it makes sense, doesn't it?

ZA Report Septermer 7, 2001

The E-ZA Weekly has temporarily been renamed the E-ZA Report. I have been threatened for gimmick infringement by the Penguin Weekly so I fear I will lose my court battle if I insist. Also, the new name sounds more professional anyways.

What's new in the Life of Za?
-Not much, as usual. This week saw the return of Eddie to Cleveland, which offered a nice change of pace. A few mini-fests here and there, ended with a very syrup-filled pancake dinner at Denny's. MMmmmm.... Does it get any better than that? In a word, NO!
-I also started the rink last week, and I have to say that I'm glad to be back! I just received my first paycheck today and although it was very tiny
($72) it's what I really need right now.
-I got a haircut earlier today.

Do you have any new hobbies?
-Well, besides picking up guitar in the past month, I've been doing much of the usual. Magic, Diablo and the occasional social outlets that no one else knows about :) I'm talking about dreams! Don't ask what they are about...I don't really remember many details...except most of them were good. Forget that, actually. I am considering 'Job Interviews' as a full-time hobby as well :) I've sure been to enough of them!

What do you think about all this new music?
-Glad you asked. I have to thank Joe and Alex for getting me into all this new cool 'modern' rock that's been filling the airwaves. I really like a lot of it. So much of the new music is upbeat and intelligent. (well, about as intelligent as music can get in this day in age). I could give a full list of great new songs to download, but I'll leave that up to my fellow colleagues for that.

What is the best thing that happened to you in the last couple weeks?
-Good things always happen to me...even though they don't appear to be. I always try to take any situation (even if it appears to be horrible) and turn it around to have some sorta positive meaning. Alas, I was unable to do this recently :) I did get my Static IP address FINALLY. I did get my first paycheck in 4 months. I got to see Eddie FINALLY and got to hang out with a lot of friends I haven't seen in awhile. I got to spend a great day down in Akron with Joe and seen him make the Top 8 of the Magic Pro Qualifier. I've been doing very well with my guitar. I found some great items in Diablo 2. And...I get to bother everyone on Instant Messenger!

What's the worst thing that happened to you in the last couple weeks?
-I had to clean plexiglass at the rink for about 2 1/2 hours last Thursday.
My hands smelt like cat urine afterwards from the herendous smell of the cleaner. Uncle Ralphie should have paid me double for that. Boo.

What is one thing you want to accomplish in the next couple weeks?
-Beat Final Fantasy 9 already! I've had the game since last November but I put it on the shelf after experiencing a breakdown in personal interests.
I'll have to find time some way or other!!!

What is the funniest thing that happened in the past couple weeks.
-The Lev conversation. 'nuff said!

What changes/enhancements will the Za Shack see in the near future?
-Nothing is planned yet. The fall/winter arrangement is near full completion, although I will make some minor adjustments, most likely. I'm satisfied with everything for now. I have very few dollars to do many things right now. And until I learn how to spruce stuff up for free, things will remain the same for now.

What about all these job interviews/resumes you've been having?
-It doesn't bother me anymore. Which is very nice, since I've been turned down so many times that I really have no reason to worry. I just don't get my hopes up as much as I did anymore. But it still doesn't keep me from trying, and if something comes along in the meantime, I'll *POUNCE* on the opportunity!

You are such a hermit. Get out of your hole in the ground.
-As much as I would like to, I really don't have too many options right now.
If you have any ideas, let me know -- I'd be glad to find stuff to do once in awhile!

Life sucks...how can you possibly be positive about stuff all the time?
-Let's put it this way. Even if you hate your situation just *pretend* it's the coolest thing ever. Eventually you'll start to believe it. And that's when nothing can deceive you.

Nothing can deceive you, eh?
-Ok, maybe I'm naive but at least I admit it up front. I can look at anything straight in the eye and understand.

What keeps you going all this time?
-Colon Blow. And racing Chocobos too.

Another year of college v3.0

Ahh yes, another session of learning has commenced. Bells are ringing, children singing. Parties everywhere, and weird stuff in my hair. Ok maybe not but it was an idea at least.

BTW ppl, sorry for the lack of e-mails in the past couple weeks. I'm in my little "transition" period here myself where I just need time to get everything in order. Or maybe just to get my head straight again. I've been keeping busy with little things here and there...

I've also started the rink as well. My 5th year. Yay. It's $$$ so I really can't complain...for now. I sent out about 12 resumes in the past week so the job hunt has accelerated somewhat for me. I'm pretty focused right now at finding any sort of job in my field -- my parents are starting to get on my back about it, and I thank them for that 'cause at least it's a motivating factor.

So the past summer has been a lot of fun -- I accomplished just about everything I wanted to (well, except for getting a job and moving out :) Other than that, every day was very enjoyable, and I had a great time with all my friends. I admit the tank was nearing "E" near the end of the summer. But now I'm just trying to relax and re-coop and continue to progress over the autumn months. I guess you can say I was ready for a "change of scenery" -- and I only mean that in a good way :) I'm very motivated to get back to work and try to be PRODUCTIVE for once! Well, I just want to keep focus -- at least until I get through this whole job ordeal.

But this summer has definitely been the best I've had in the past couple years (well, summer '98 for anyone who is counting). Life is good and stress is low. Maybe too low. Then again, maybe not. That's what happened last fall, with nowhere to go. No more bitching, ok?

Although now is the time to make preparations. I enjoyed what I did this summer. It would be even better if we could do something neat and productive while we do what we enjoy. The entire website thing is a start.
What else can we do? Now that I have a full cast of computer techs in Cyberpalace, it may be a good idea to think about doing something in that department. We also like Magic. Another idea. And music. Another idea.
And everything. Many many many many many ideas. And then a big problem.
No direction. Or is there? My magic 8-ball says that we'll never find it unless we look. To quote Procol Harum, "Although my eyes are open, they might just as well have been closed" Nuts. Ratties. Arrrrgh. But there's no one to blame. We're young, we're just starting out and in all honesty we don't know two shits about where to start. Is that a motivating factor?
Possibly. I hope it is. We need to figure stuff out. One by one. Ok fine enuff talk let's do something :)

-Chris

Some final thoughts to wrap-up summer...

Well ladies and gentlemen, the weeks have come and gone sooooo fast...it's that time of the year once again to pull out the pencils and calculators (and kool-aid mix) and start another fun year at school. A lot of things happened this summer...some good...some bad.

I got screwed out of countless jobs -- that wasn't good...unless you are a fan of myself not working. I was not particularly fond of getting a job. I don't know why I never really liked the idea myself :)

At the ZA shack I cloned a computer. WAIT A SECOND I'M NOT GOING HERE!!!

But overall I think everyone had a very enjoyable time off to pursue different hobbies and interests. My hobby was simple: do nothing. That's right. I did nothing. At first I sorta felt bad about it, but after awhile I really felt kinda good. The only problem is the fact that it will be a fairly rigorous task to do any sort of work after being idle for 4 months straight. Such is life. I'll find solutions. I always do.

We also played lots of Diablo II and other various computer-related activities. We also played softball and music like the stars we are. We are all stars in my mind...and yours. We can be heroes -- for just one day.
And to quote Sean Connery "My day will come". Ok that wasn't quite exactly what he said but you get the picture. Enjoy life while you can: keep it nice and simple. And always look at the brighter side of things.

Oh -- and I also went on a 2-week vacation. I know I don't mention it much at all, and maybe that's because words cannot possibly describe the value of my experinces out there. It's true I didn't do anything too "spectacular"
but to say that I learned little is a complete understatement. I am very happy that my right-brain has matured to enjoy the intangibles that I received. Yay.

So...where do we go from here??? The topic has come up dozens of times in the past few weeks, and in a sense I really never developed a full answer.
That's probably because there's no 'definite' answer. What's the point of life if you have answers to everything? There's plenty of opportunity out there. TRY AND GRAB THE WORLD BY THE TAIL! But be realistic. As much as I'd like to -- I'm not gonna be some big rock star that deserves a song by Wesley Willis anytime soon. But that's fine. I want to continue my passions.

Maybe it still doesn't make any sense at all. Maybe life is senseless...but...that attitude just doesn't make sense. Maybe some of us are just soooo confused right now that we need to take a step 'backwards'
and re-assess our priorities. Why are we soooo afraid to do this? I've
seen a couple of my friends do this already, and have really made significant improvements. I want everyone to be happy. I want everyone to be satisfied. I want everyone to get a meaningful experience out of life.
If there was ever one thing my sister taught me...it was to make the most out of your experiences. I've tried and tried. At times I've succeded...in others I've failed. But I am finding that the more I try to make situations more positive -- the more I learn from them. Just like my vacation. I could have been miserable for 2 weeks. But I'm sure everyone doesn't want to hear about that again.

Let me be the first to say -- today's society wants to make everyone dissatisfied. We don't have the "feel-good" post-WWII baby boom attitude anymore. Instead we feel the need to get the biggest house and the biggest car and the most expensive clothes and if we don't then we're a failure. Or else we've been deprived. But then, something bigger and better comes along and we can't be satisfied with what we've got. In the meantime we leave behind everything that IS important to us (in reality, such as family, etc.) in an attempt to keep feeding our egos. It's like our society preaches that our main goal in life is to become bigger than Jesus. WAIT A SECOND -- WHAT DID WE LEARN IN THE BIBLE ABOUT THOSE WHO WANTED TO DO THIS??? Is society inherently evil? No. But we are easily tempted into forgetting our main purpose in life. If you don't know what that is, gimme a call and I can help discuss that with you.

I really feel bad for the generation directly following ours -- actually the
'87 -> group. A lot of them are growing up on Nintendo (although we're probably just as guilty of that one), pure GARBAGE TV, pure GARBAGE Music (well, not everything, but some of it is just very disheartening) I don't have a problem with my 11-year-old cousing listening to BSB or N'Sync. But when I see an Eminem CD in their posession I can only feel the dagger twist inside my stomach. And don't get me wrong -- I think that Eminem has some very REAL messages that mature audiences can relate to (actually they're probably very similar to what I'm writing here now except for the lack of profanity), BUT it definitely isn't appropriate to ANYONE of such a young age. Young kids don't need to be corrupted by this type of ****. They have a hard enough time already. I was fortunate enough to be raised without any of these disturbances. But seriously...we've got problems. I don't want to whine about them all day and NOT take action. I have waaaay too many family members that I love that I cannot just sit on my hands.

Although I have been doing a very small part, at least. I work with pre-teens and young teenagers everyday while I'm at the rink. I see a large number of them who have a large number of behavioral problems either with peers or authority. I try to do my part in acting as a good example for these kids; and many times I can do something to help settle conflicts between them. In a sense, I see myself as a "big brother" to a lot of the youngsters. In my 4 years of service at the rink, I believe I have gained an invaluable learning experience. At first I would just 'YELL' at everyone. All the kids were monsters. Now I see that a lot of them respect me. A lot. We joke around all the time. I try to see that everyone has a good time. If I see a lonely kid on the ice I'll try to communicate with them. Even a smile here and there is encouraging to a young person. I love kids. I would never want any harm to any one of them. And I feel that I can reach some of them in ways that no others may be able to.

While I write this -- I think if I want to change my college major. I don't really think I'll major in child psychology (but the idea persists).
Instead, I could always lean towards the philosphy/sociology major. Then of course there is religion (which I actually have a very large interest in, since it crosses over soooo many different topics). The possiblities seem endless! I just feel so fortunate that I can support myself through my computer knowledge to allow studies in other fields. I sometimes 'joke'
about getting 6 Ph.D's or something like that. Who knows...it may happen.
I need to find something I truly enjoy. I'll figure it out eventually.
Until then, I think I'll think about getting some sleep!

-Chris

A few MORE words from ZA

Sometimes I wonder how I can write so much but rest assured I'm a perfectly healthy human being. It's no surprise, really. I've done this for years and have enjoyed it enough that I continue onward.

I figure since a lot of people are preparing to go back to school, this would be an opportune time to plan a final "ZaFest" for the summer.
Actually, there's a pretty good chance that it won't be at my house (a big picnic or something) to accomodate everyone. Basically, everyone on this mailing list is invited -- maybe more, so if you've got any ideas let me know so I can make plans soon. This may mean we have to do this sometime during the week next week (if everyone goes back on the weekend), so I'll plan strategically.

Other than that, if there is anything else going on next week (sorry I'm going camping this weekend) let me know as well. I'll try to call everyone later either today or Friday and see what is a brewin'.

Until next time,
-ZA Rhox

A few words from the ol' Za Meister

Ok guys...right now I just need to let off some steam and maybe find something positive out of this whole ordeal.

Actually I don't feel that bad anymore, though. This morning was different...one of the very few times I was well, sorta pissed off about something. But that's immaterial right now. To make a long story short, I was once again screwed out of yet ANOTHER job. That's right -- no $$$ in budget to hire me for 3 weeks. To add insult to injuiry, the temp agency assured me there was no problem with their budget last week.

But so what -- another freaking setback. How cool is that? It's ok, though. I think over the past year I have become immune to personal setbacks. I don't know how many of them I have had in the last 12 months.
I don't expect anything anymore. I fear nothing. I just do whatever I want and be happy with what I got. And maybe someday I'll get my "big break".

And I don't really think it's that bad of an attitude at all. A few months ago I wrote a whole bunch of stuff about how I *expected* a "big break" or something to that order. But many famous people have said that the best things in life come to you when you "least expect" them. So over a natural progression, I have taken this stance. At least I'm happy with it. There were times before when I was dissatisfied with myself, and knew I could do better. I still can, BUT...I know from my past experiences that the best things in life come naturally and are usually spontaneous. Oh yeah -- I'm not "giving up", either. I NEVER GIVE UP. I'm just saying that the door is open to just about anything right now. It's like I'm in a boat floating down a calm river and if anything happens along the way -- fair enough.

But what do I know? It could turn out disasterous...that boat may find itself into Class 6 rapids and I'm thrown out into ROCKS! Oh no, not that!!! The chances of that are highly unlikely.

One thing is clear now, though...at least I'm *satisfied* with where I'm at...even if it's being a "first class bum" or something to that order. As long as I continue to work hard at my goals and experience what life has to offer, there's no doubt I'll come out OK.

So really, it goes back to my main attitude of having a positive outlook on things. When the going gets tough, the tough get going. But even that is sort of irrelevant here as well. This is a personal endeavor. Anything that tries to make it otherwise will cause you to graduate from the school of Magna cum lousy. Enuff Mr. Briggs quotes. I think I said everything I wanted to.

Thanks and Bye everyone!
-Chris A. Czaplicki
"Grandmasta ZA"