The Sun in my Hair
It's GRE time. I'll catch you on the flip side. *cue impossibly cool rock music intro*
5 Comments
This year, to save me from tears, I'll give it to someone special
All is right with the universe.
I finally found a new blogger template I liked, got the widgets and third-party code running, and apparently the upgrade also restores my ability to delete spam when I need to. Don't ever end a sentence with to; every time you do, somewhere an English prof dies and that's how come we keep needing more of them. END THE GENOCIDE
I finally found a new blogger template I liked, got the widgets and third-party code running, and apparently the upgrade also restores my ability to delete spam when I need to. Don't ever end a sentence with to; every time you do, somewhere an English prof dies and that's how come we keep needing more of them. END THE GENOCIDE
Tomorrow holds such better days
This lyric provided by a playlist on this, my brother's computer. A playlist which cracks me up because of how easily Relient K and Linkin Park can coexist.
I must change this blog layout. Also, I seem to have lost the ability to moderate comments. So please, don't leave 10 pages of spam, or else I will be compelled to delete the entire post and don't go blaming me when things start disappearing from your house.
I have arrived in the frozen north, as Geoff calls it. It's not snowy but definitely cold enough. The drive up was uneventful. I have determined that driving through Arkansas and Illinois at night is better than during the day, just because you can't see the state at night. Seriously, take your pick; an endless agricultural desolation seen or a cold shroud of darkness unseen... give me oblivion any day.
I also noted that large cities, which could be construed as "cultural centers," have the best radio stations. The farther one drives into the country, the more one hears country and rap. How's *that* for your Tuesday dose of inflammatory comments? Can I have an amen from the peanut gallery?
I must change this blog layout. Also, I seem to have lost the ability to moderate comments. So please, don't leave 10 pages of spam, or else I will be compelled to delete the entire post and don't go blaming me when things start disappearing from your house.
I have arrived in the frozen north, as Geoff calls it. It's not snowy but definitely cold enough. The drive up was uneventful. I have determined that driving through Arkansas and Illinois at night is better than during the day, just because you can't see the state at night. Seriously, take your pick; an endless agricultural desolation seen or a cold shroud of darkness unseen... give me oblivion any day.
I also noted that large cities, which could be construed as "cultural centers," have the best radio stations. The farther one drives into the country, the more one hears country and rap. How's *that* for your Tuesday dose of inflammatory comments? Can I have an amen from the peanut gallery?
New Star Trek Casting!!!
OK, some of you know this, but for those who don't, I was... OK, am, a huge Star Trek nerd. As in, yeahhh.... huge nerd.
So anyway, there is a new eleventh movie coming out and it sounds *amazing*. It's a prequel to the Original Series and will contain Kirk/Spock/McCoy and that whole gang. Now most of us are thinking, "Whoa, who could ever play Kirk but William Shatner? And who could ever play Spock but Leonard Nimoy?"
Well, I am actually very impressed with the casting they have done thus far. I found a post over at the official website with links. And there's pictures! So be your own judge.
Kirk, to be played by Chris Pine
Spock, to be played by Zach Quinto (Sylar, if you keep up with Heroes, which I don't really)
To me, those are the two roles you *have* to get right and I am pleased. You can find pics of the rest of the cast here. They got the guy from Hot Fuzz to play Scotty, which actually works wonderfully well if you think about it.
Also, they are bringing back the role of Christopher Pike, as well as Spock's mother and father. Also, apparently there will be some flashback segments as Leonard Nimoy will play the part of Spock for a bit of the movie.
One of the coolest bits of news was that the main bad guy will be named "Nero," played by Eric Bana, who is simultaneously an Army Ranger in Somalia, the Hulk, a Trojan, and a Jewish assassin. Ladies and gentlemen, it really doesn't get much cooler. And with a name like Nero, can you say, "Romulan?"
I am most impressed by the choices for Spock and Uhura; I think they both look remarkably like the original actors.
The only headscratcher is Karl Urban in the role of McCoy. He played Eomer in The Two Towers and Kirill in The Bourne Supremacy... and that soul-sucking space knight in The Chronicles of Riddick. Sorry, but after seeing him ride through Middle Earth and try to kill Jason Bourne as a l33t European assassin, I don't think I will be able to hold a straight face when he turns to Kirk and says, "He's dead, Jim!" And how will he ever get the accent? But Australians are notoriously good at that. Because, as we all know, New Zealand is just the same thing as Australia. ;)
Also, I nearly want to say Chris Pine is too much of a pretty boy, but then again, Kirk *was* a stud back in the day.
So anyway, there is a new eleventh movie coming out and it sounds *amazing*. It's a prequel to the Original Series and will contain Kirk/Spock/McCoy and that whole gang. Now most of us are thinking, "Whoa, who could ever play Kirk but William Shatner? And who could ever play Spock but Leonard Nimoy?"
Well, I am actually very impressed with the casting they have done thus far. I found a post over at the official website with links. And there's pictures! So be your own judge.
Kirk, to be played by Chris Pine
Spock, to be played by Zach Quinto (Sylar, if you keep up with Heroes, which I don't really)
To me, those are the two roles you *have* to get right and I am pleased. You can find pics of the rest of the cast here. They got the guy from Hot Fuzz to play Scotty, which actually works wonderfully well if you think about it.
Also, they are bringing back the role of Christopher Pike, as well as Spock's mother and father. Also, apparently there will be some flashback segments as Leonard Nimoy will play the part of Spock for a bit of the movie.
One of the coolest bits of news was that the main bad guy will be named "Nero," played by Eric Bana, who is simultaneously an Army Ranger in Somalia, the Hulk, a Trojan, and a Jewish assassin. Ladies and gentlemen, it really doesn't get much cooler. And with a name like Nero, can you say, "Romulan?"
I am most impressed by the choices for Spock and Uhura; I think they both look remarkably like the original actors.
The only headscratcher is Karl Urban in the role of McCoy. He played Eomer in The Two Towers and Kirill in The Bourne Supremacy... and that soul-sucking space knight in The Chronicles of Riddick. Sorry, but after seeing him ride through Middle Earth and try to kill Jason Bourne as a l33t European assassin, I don't think I will be able to hold a straight face when he turns to Kirk and says, "He's dead, Jim!" And how will he ever get the accent? But Australians are notoriously good at that. Because, as we all know, New Zealand is just the same thing as Australia. ;)
Also, I nearly want to say Chris Pine is too much of a pretty boy, but then again, Kirk *was* a stud back in the day.
I seen you an' little stephen and joanna round the back of my hotel
So, this has been a most un-postful month. Thanksgiving was teh awesome, as hopeless denizens of the Tubes, the intertron, would express it. See Fjord's post for what was at the time a live update.
Today's cool BBC article involves a new high-res mosaic of Antarctica, soon to come to Google Earth, which sounds really cool.
Also today's Day in Pictures was particularly cool.
Cool cool cool I thought this post needed that word a few more times.
And other than links to other websites, seems I have precious little to say.
Today's cool BBC article involves a new high-res mosaic of Antarctica, soon to come to Google Earth, which sounds really cool.
Also today's Day in Pictures was particularly cool.
Cool cool cool I thought this post needed that word a few more times.
And other than links to other websites, seems I have precious little to say.
Love, love is a verb
Typo of the day! Writing an essay for one of my grad school apps and this sentence slips out. Oh, the importance of a few little letters...
"In addition to that semester's introduction to international policy, I taught two sections of conversational English through the university's English department, and privately tortured a man preparing for an English proficiency exam."
Well, it wasn't so far off the truth. He bought my lunch that one time...
"In addition to that semester's introduction to international policy, I taught two sections of conversational English through the university's English department, and privately tortured a man preparing for an English proficiency exam."
Well, it wasn't so far off the truth. He bought my lunch that one time...
A cracked, polystyrene man
So, I'm not an Oprah fan at all, even if Brad Pitt and George Clooney try to make it cool. It just doesn't do it for me.
However, one of the "Galactic Oprah Legion's" writers put up a simultaneously sad and hilarious article at CNN, which, if for no other reason, deserves mention for the story highlights just beside the title.
Also, this weekend, I played Guitar Hero III, ate a pita out of a metal stand, and saw Bolt sing in a pinstripe suit. What could be better.
However, one of the "Galactic Oprah Legion's" writers put up a simultaneously sad and hilarious article at CNN, which, if for no other reason, deserves mention for the story highlights just beside the title.
Also, this weekend, I played Guitar Hero III, ate a pita out of a metal stand, and saw Bolt sing in a pinstripe suit. What could be better.
The Busker?
This man is a champ. My new life ambition. ;)
If my car were a baby, it'd pretty much be needing a diaper right now. I'll let ya know.
If my car were a baby, it'd pretty much be needing a diaper right now. I'll let ya know.
Will you do the fandango?
I have never thought myself a TV junkie but there are about 5 good TV shows going recently. I only keep up with The Office and Prison Break (they will never be forgiven for taking away Sara Tancredi), but House has looked really good recently. I used to catch snippets of it at LETU and now NBC puts all their shows online. I'm kind of holding it off, so I can use it as a reward at some future reward-worthy time. ;)
The Office, in particular, has been brilliant recently. I am amazed at how many serious issues they can touch in the show, usually with Michael Scott's character. He takes political correctness to the extreme and, in his comedic way, shows some very real problems people have, and their ways of dealing with them.
In this last episode, the whole office staff have an impromptu discussion about the proper use of the word "whoever" and "whomever" and it is absolutely hilarious and brilliant. Also I love Youtube.
And then, there are the Youtube fangirls who will religiously catalog all of the Jim/Pam scenes into one Youtube clip. Icky mushy! And for some reason I can hardly keep myself from spelling catalog as catalogue. I think it's the English way? As usual, it seems the Americans scratched their heads, looked at a word of French descent, and said, "These here hum letters ain't necessary!" Snip snip.
I'm pretty much a Steve Carell fan because of the Office and after seeing Evan Almighty. Evan wasn't an especially awesome show, but he at least helped out the movie a lot. And actually I am looking forward even more to his upcoming film Dan In Real Life. And it will have Dane Cook! We'll see how that is.
Aaaaaand we have a cool snap in Texas! I pulled out a hoodie for the first time in months this weekend and it was wondahful. After several weeks off of coffee, I magically seem to want it again and it just tastes better when the morning is cool.
I went to a church retreat with Geoff-Geoff this weekend (that's really how I have him written in my cell phone). The theme was our hearts as the temple or house of God. A number of people from the congregation spoke and it was a good time to talk and think.
I didn't feel tip-top after dinner on Saturday so I skipped the last of the men's small group discussion. One of them came by afterwards, and, with a wink, told me that God had come down in a pillar of FIRE and that it was a once in a lifetime thing and I had missed it. That'll teach ya not to miss the meetings. ;)
The Office, in particular, has been brilliant recently. I am amazed at how many serious issues they can touch in the show, usually with Michael Scott's character. He takes political correctness to the extreme and, in his comedic way, shows some very real problems people have, and their ways of dealing with them.
In this last episode, the whole office staff have an impromptu discussion about the proper use of the word "whoever" and "whomever" and it is absolutely hilarious and brilliant. Also I love Youtube.
And then, there are the Youtube fangirls who will religiously catalog all of the Jim/Pam scenes into one Youtube clip. Icky mushy! And for some reason I can hardly keep myself from spelling catalog as catalogue. I think it's the English way? As usual, it seems the Americans scratched their heads, looked at a word of French descent, and said, "These here hum letters ain't necessary!" Snip snip.
I'm pretty much a Steve Carell fan because of the Office and after seeing Evan Almighty. Evan wasn't an especially awesome show, but he at least helped out the movie a lot. And actually I am looking forward even more to his upcoming film Dan In Real Life. And it will have Dane Cook! We'll see how that is.
Aaaaaand we have a cool snap in Texas! I pulled out a hoodie for the first time in months this weekend and it was wondahful. After several weeks off of coffee, I magically seem to want it again and it just tastes better when the morning is cool.
I went to a church retreat with Geoff-Geoff this weekend (that's really how I have him written in my cell phone). The theme was our hearts as the temple or house of God. A number of people from the congregation spoke and it was a good time to talk and think.
I didn't feel tip-top after dinner on Saturday so I skipped the last of the men's small group discussion. One of them came by afterwards, and, with a wink, told me that God had come down in a pillar of FIRE and that it was a once in a lifetime thing and I had missed it. That'll teach ya not to miss the meetings. ;)
Maybe we don't want to be found
I came across this picture and cracked up
Also, apparently I have lost the ability to write opening paragraphs (or at least ones without a link to the BBC), so here is something I thought really interesting about the Chinese economy.
Yeah, you probably don't leap out of bed and skip the cereal every morning just to read about the Chinese economy, but the tagline of the article definitely caught my eye: "Shanghai is the ultimate poster-child for the effects of globalisation on cities and regions."
Twice the foreign investment flows into the city of Shanghai alone than to the entire country of India. A million people have been displaced from the city center because of rising real estate values. And they're planning the world's largest container port on an island thirty kilometers off the coast... a thirty kilometer highway out into the sea to access it.
These are issues we see in other places in the world, but the sheer scale of the Chinese economy and population is what makes it amazing to me. It's a city of 21 million people. The mayor of Shanghai regularly makes decisions that affect far more people with far more consequences than the highest leaders of many countries.
OK, well, *I* thought it was cool anyway.
********************
Went to the Texas State Fair this Saturday. For a mere $12.50 ticket, I was given the privilege of paying $4 for a corndog and $2.50 for a root beer. I saw a man shot from a giant cannon, and I saw a hot air balloon basket containing a cow and sheep, sculpted in butter. I saw Charlie Brown quilts and wooden cowboy hats and ceramic Popeyes and oil paintings of Guinness and kittens and signs for things like fried funnel cakes, fried cookie dough and yes, fried Coke.
********************
My latest pet peeve with the GRE is the word comparisons. They pick words with completely disparate meanings and leave it up to you to figure out which definition they intend.
For example, I am supposed to figure out the relationship between "pluck" and "fawn."
Well, pluck can either be a verb about pulling feathers from a bird, or a synonym for courage. And fawn can be obsessed, twittering flattery, or a baby deer, or even the *color* of a baby deer.
And I am expected to conclude that we are speaking of courage and groveling, while completely engrossed with this new concept of pulling feathers off a baby deer...
Also, apparently I have lost the ability to write opening paragraphs (or at least ones without a link to the BBC), so here is something I thought really interesting about the Chinese economy.
Yeah, you probably don't leap out of bed and skip the cereal every morning just to read about the Chinese economy, but the tagline of the article definitely caught my eye: "Shanghai is the ultimate poster-child for the effects of globalisation on cities and regions."
Twice the foreign investment flows into the city of Shanghai alone than to the entire country of India. A million people have been displaced from the city center because of rising real estate values. And they're planning the world's largest container port on an island thirty kilometers off the coast... a thirty kilometer highway out into the sea to access it.
These are issues we see in other places in the world, but the sheer scale of the Chinese economy and population is what makes it amazing to me. It's a city of 21 million people. The mayor of Shanghai regularly makes decisions that affect far more people with far more consequences than the highest leaders of many countries.
OK, well, *I* thought it was cool anyway.
********************
Went to the Texas State Fair this Saturday. For a mere $12.50 ticket, I was given the privilege of paying $4 for a corndog and $2.50 for a root beer. I saw a man shot from a giant cannon, and I saw a hot air balloon basket containing a cow and sheep, sculpted in butter. I saw Charlie Brown quilts and wooden cowboy hats and ceramic Popeyes and oil paintings of Guinness and kittens and signs for things like fried funnel cakes, fried cookie dough and yes, fried Coke.
********************
My latest pet peeve with the GRE is the word comparisons. They pick words with completely disparate meanings and leave it up to you to figure out which definition they intend.
For example, I am supposed to figure out the relationship between "pluck" and "fawn."
Well, pluck can either be a verb about pulling feathers from a bird, or a synonym for courage. And fawn can be obsessed, twittering flattery, or a baby deer, or even the *color* of a baby deer.
And I am expected to conclude that we are speaking of courage and groveling, while completely engrossed with this new concept of pulling feathers off a baby deer...
Feed the hex on the country you love
Hahahahah!
The reason I find that so humorous is because Dr. Watson very nearly did the same in Visual Literacy, though under doubtless more innocent circumstances. On the other hand, *that'll* teach him never to assume a Youtube search will provide "that video" he had seen the night before. (Dangling preposition strike two! Slaaaaaay the heathen!)
If I start *one* more post with a link to a news site, I will start a separate blog for such things. Don't hold me to that.
So today I went to see good sir Evan (of the Yerkes clan) in jolly old Nac. We had good times swinging in Pecan Park and chatting in Java Jack's, discussing shoes and ships and sealing wax, and cabbages, and kings. Actually that's a fairly accurate list of topics, probably minus the ships and sealing wax though.
It was Evan's first day working at Micky D's on University, so I dropped him off and headed for the cinema. I had already seen 3:10 to Yuma with Pebble, so I got a ticket for The Kingdom. I really liked it.
I had read a review beforehand that primed me for the show, which probably helped a lot. The movie has a good action-packed beginning and ending, but the heart of the show is about US/Saudi cooperation and politics, investigating a bombing.
One definite prop for the movie is the intro. They intersperse the opening credits with a news-narrated collage of media cuts, covering the modern history of US/Saudi relations. It's probably not even two minutes long but I felt it really put things in perspective and set a good stage for the rest of the show.
The surprise best actor is the Arabic state police chief, a character named Al-Ghazi. Jamie Foxx's performance also stood out. Both characters expressed the complications of the movie's issues.
My GRE book came in the mail, a harbinger of doom normally causing peasants to panic, but for some reason I am strangely psyched. The book claims the test is a 4+ hour ordeal but I wish I could take it tomorrow.
Soon though.
The reason I find that so humorous is because Dr. Watson very nearly did the same in Visual Literacy, though under doubtless more innocent circumstances. On the other hand, *that'll* teach him never to assume a Youtube search will provide "that video" he had seen the night before. (Dangling preposition strike two! Slaaaaaay the heathen!)
If I start *one* more post with a link to a news site, I will start a separate blog for such things. Don't hold me to that.
So today I went to see good sir Evan (of the Yerkes clan) in jolly old Nac. We had good times swinging in Pecan Park and chatting in Java Jack's, discussing shoes and ships and sealing wax, and cabbages, and kings. Actually that's a fairly accurate list of topics, probably minus the ships and sealing wax though.
It was Evan's first day working at Micky D's on University, so I dropped him off and headed for the cinema. I had already seen 3:10 to Yuma with Pebble, so I got a ticket for The Kingdom. I really liked it.
I had read a review beforehand that primed me for the show, which probably helped a lot. The movie has a good action-packed beginning and ending, but the heart of the show is about US/Saudi cooperation and politics, investigating a bombing.
One definite prop for the movie is the intro. They intersperse the opening credits with a news-narrated collage of media cuts, covering the modern history of US/Saudi relations. It's probably not even two minutes long but I felt it really put things in perspective and set a good stage for the rest of the show.
The surprise best actor is the Arabic state police chief, a character named Al-Ghazi. Jamie Foxx's performance also stood out. Both characters expressed the complications of the movie's issues.
My GRE book came in the mail, a harbinger of doom normally causing peasants to panic, but for some reason I am strangely psyched. The book claims the test is a 4+ hour ordeal but I wish I could take it tomorrow.
Soon though.
Your journey's been etched on your skin
This is the coolest thing I saw on the BBC, about a bear hanging on for dear life to a bridge.
I really like the BBC's habit of telling small, interest stories like that with pictures and captions in a slideshow. It's a neat and fast format.
Also, I have never been one for political blogs and someone please shoot me before this becomes one, but I was very interested in this CNN article about the year's upcoming cases before the Supreme Court.
I was in Dallas on Friday for another interview. I kinda enjoyed this one. Interviews used to give me the same jitters I got before a difficult test in school. But with interviews, you can't really study ahead of time, so it's more an opportunity to see stuff and ask questions rather than wrack your brains for answers. I will say I'm a bit tired of I-20.
I was eating dinner with Granny and the power went out for three seconds. I fired on my computer after I'd finished eating and no screen. Just a long annoying system beep from the CPU. Turns out I think my video card is fried. I'm operating now on the motherboard's integrated video output, but somehow this video adapter isn't installing correctly, so I am typing this post in blotches of 16-bit color in glorious 640x480. You know it's bad when you look at your cell phone and think, "Whoa, the graphics are so smooth."
I have my laptop but it kinda threw up a little the last time I turned it on this summer.
The curious thing about all this, I thought, was that assuming I get the resolution on my desktop working, the only true loss I have suffered is that I can't play games anymore. That's technically all I need my video card for. (Kill me now, dangling participle.)
So, tonight a very brief, surgically precise power outage killed just my video card and left everything else in my computer untouched. God telling me to stop playing too many video games? Maybe so. I won't be buying a new one, that's for sure.
So my current job search seems to be a curious mix of wanting to make a decent salary and wanting to be close to friends. I'm beginning to think the two are mutually exclusive, and maybe even mutually impossible.
I really love my Granny, and staying with her for free is awesome, but I still get cabin fever after a couple days of not seeing anyone.
So that's life and I'm trying to think of a way to make this post less bleak and depressing, because that's not the way I think about it. I occasionally get on a kick where I make lists of varying kinds, sometimes just for the fun of it, and the "things to be thankful for" list is a never-ending one.
When I write, I habitually think of using words that I only vaguely know, so I'm always looking them up. Thus, cabin fever from two paragraphs ago:
Well, that description is a bit harsh on the thriving metropolis of Alto. :D
I also love sleeping but I hate getting in bed. I put it off every night and then finally climb in and wonder why on earth I waited so long. And that's all the stunning revelations I can stand to impart in this resolution, so maybe I'll be more talkative in 1280x1024.
Night folks.
I really like the BBC's habit of telling small, interest stories like that with pictures and captions in a slideshow. It's a neat and fast format.
Also, I have never been one for political blogs and someone please shoot me before this becomes one, but I was very interested in this CNN article about the year's upcoming cases before the Supreme Court.
I was in Dallas on Friday for another interview. I kinda enjoyed this one. Interviews used to give me the same jitters I got before a difficult test in school. But with interviews, you can't really study ahead of time, so it's more an opportunity to see stuff and ask questions rather than wrack your brains for answers. I will say I'm a bit tired of I-20.
I was eating dinner with Granny and the power went out for three seconds. I fired on my computer after I'd finished eating and no screen. Just a long annoying system beep from the CPU. Turns out I think my video card is fried. I'm operating now on the motherboard's integrated video output, but somehow this video adapter isn't installing correctly, so I am typing this post in blotches of 16-bit color in glorious 640x480. You know it's bad when you look at your cell phone and think, "Whoa, the graphics are so smooth."
I have my laptop but it kinda threw up a little the last time I turned it on this summer.
The curious thing about all this, I thought, was that assuming I get the resolution on my desktop working, the only true loss I have suffered is that I can't play games anymore. That's technically all I need my video card for. (Kill me now, dangling participle.)
So, tonight a very brief, surgically precise power outage killed just my video card and left everything else in my computer untouched. God telling me to stop playing too many video games? Maybe so. I won't be buying a new one, that's for sure.
So my current job search seems to be a curious mix of wanting to make a decent salary and wanting to be close to friends. I'm beginning to think the two are mutually exclusive, and maybe even mutually impossible.
I really love my Granny, and staying with her for free is awesome, but I still get cabin fever after a couple days of not seeing anyone.
So that's life and I'm trying to think of a way to make this post less bleak and depressing, because that's not the way I think about it. I occasionally get on a kick where I make lists of varying kinds, sometimes just for the fun of it, and the "things to be thankful for" list is a never-ending one.
When I write, I habitually think of using words that I only vaguely know, so I'm always looking them up. Thus, cabin fever from two paragraphs ago:
Boredom, restlessness, or irritability that results from a lack of environmental stimulation, as from a prolonged stay in a remote, sparsely populated region or a confined indoor area.
Well, that description is a bit harsh on the thriving metropolis of Alto. :D
I also love sleeping but I hate getting in bed. I put it off every night and then finally climb in and wonder why on earth I waited so long. And that's all the stunning revelations I can stand to impart in this resolution, so maybe I'll be more talkative in 1280x1024.
Night folks.
And Not One Speck Will Remain
So today my Aunt Kate had much-needed back surgery. Granny and I spent last night at my cousin's house and got them to school today. Her surgery went fine and should hopefully restore more mobility to her leg and even ease some pain.
I have not been in a hospital for quite some time and today was mostly spent in one. For some reason, the whole experience only reminded me of Death Cab, probably because of their song "What Sarah Said." In fact, most of the day was spent not trying to hum:
Sorrow drips into your heart through a pinhole
Just like a faucet that leaks
and
there is comfort in the sound
But while you debate half
empty or half full
It slowly rises
your love is gonna drown
Not the most uplifting lyrics for surgery day, but then again, when exactly *is* a day for a Death Cab.
Health is a blessing, and to a degree, we all have it.
I have not been in a hospital for quite some time and today was mostly spent in one. For some reason, the whole experience only reminded me of Death Cab, probably because of their song "What Sarah Said." In fact, most of the day was spent not trying to hum:
Sorrow drips into your heart through a pinhole
Just like a faucet that leaks
and
there is comfort in the sound
But while you debate half
empty or half full
It slowly rises
your love is gonna drown
Not the most uplifting lyrics for surgery day, but then again, when exactly *is* a day for a Death Cab.
Health is a blessing, and to a degree, we all have it.
Hunting Bears
This weekend was glooooooorious.
Friday, I went to LETU and Spork had saved me a free ticket to see the great Phil Keaggy in concert! He performed in a very polite yet off-the-cuff manner, which just added to everyone's awe at his playing. My favorite bits were the way he used all his pedals and loops to build completely amazing songs with just his guitar and voice. I got no pictures, but good stuff.
Next day, Pebble and I went to Bubble/Geoff's house and played DDR and ate large amounts of pizza, and went to a Muse concert the next night.
It was at the Nokia Theater, which was a new Dallas venue for me. It was really nice to have a seat at a show for a change, though everyone stood the entire time Muse played.
The two opening acts were nothing special. The first group was entirely forgettable, mostly due to the songwriting in my opinion. I feel like that is a harsh thing to say about them but that's what I thought.
The second act had some distinctive moments. I believe they were called the Licks and the lead singer woman was absolutely the most enthuasiastic/explosive singer I have ever heard. She gave it 300% and had a pretty good voice considering all her prancing and swinging all over the stage (and even in the crowd).
I am convinced the best way to describe her would be a 21st century rock 'n rool Janis Joplin, which might be a huge compliment. She had that kind of charisma and passion for every second of the set. I'm not sure I'll go back and listen to more of their stuff, but certainly not because they didn't try hard enough.
As for Muse... yeah, what shall we say. Amazing.
The concert basically just proved that everything you hear on their CDs -- yes, Matthew Bellamy can do that live. I think one good thing that any band can learn from the big British acts is how to put on a good light show. Muse's equipment and light fixtures looked like a satellite had landed on stage.
Live camera footage was fed through a bunch of swirly colors, so the screens behind the band showed live images synchronized with the music. There was smoke and flashy lights and eight stage hands even finished one song by tossing eight confetti-filled balls into the crowd. It was splendiferous.
The band spoke very little. There was no political commentary, aside from the decidedly pointed juxtaposition of a JFK quote about tyranny followed by the very anti-Bush opening song "Take A Bow."
After that, it was a late drive back to LETU so Pebble could get to class like a responsible kiddo. That drive back was one of the hardest I've done, for keeping my eyes open, but we didn't die. I slept hard and then returned to Dallas next day for some job-hunting-related stuff. I'll let ya know how that goes.
Anyway, after I was through with that, I was right by the National Scouting Museum, so I thought I'd see it. It wasn't huge but it was a very nice museum with theaters and a couple of mannequin demonstrations and arcade style games.
Here's old Baden-Powell himself, with a sweet quote from Euripides.
There was a cool little arcade shooter that I liked.
And that would be 27 hits out of 25 shots. Yes, bonus challenge shots are *that* awesome.
There were other things that I liked, such as a display of every Boy Scout handbook ever made, as well as a nice little gallery of original Normal Rockwell paintings related to Scouts. I'd seen most of them in various bits of literature so I enjoyed seeing the real deal.
And then I drove back towards Alto, taking it easy and not caring too much how I got there. I got a bit tangled up in Tyler but eventually I found the IHOP by about 3 PM or so, since I hadn't eaten all day.
I think I was just getting used to some cooler weather but then Texas went back into summer mode. Ah well, fall will be that much sweeter when it arrives.
Friday, I went to LETU and Spork had saved me a free ticket to see the great Phil Keaggy in concert! He performed in a very polite yet off-the-cuff manner, which just added to everyone's awe at his playing. My favorite bits were the way he used all his pedals and loops to build completely amazing songs with just his guitar and voice. I got no pictures, but good stuff.
Next day, Pebble and I went to Bubble/Geoff's house and played DDR and ate large amounts of pizza, and went to a Muse concert the next night.
It was at the Nokia Theater, which was a new Dallas venue for me. It was really nice to have a seat at a show for a change, though everyone stood the entire time Muse played.
The two opening acts were nothing special. The first group was entirely forgettable, mostly due to the songwriting in my opinion. I feel like that is a harsh thing to say about them but that's what I thought.
The second act had some distinctive moments. I believe they were called the Licks and the lead singer woman was absolutely the most enthuasiastic/explosive singer I have ever heard. She gave it 300% and had a pretty good voice considering all her prancing and swinging all over the stage (and even in the crowd).
I am convinced the best way to describe her would be a 21st century rock 'n rool Janis Joplin, which might be a huge compliment. She had that kind of charisma and passion for every second of the set. I'm not sure I'll go back and listen to more of their stuff, but certainly not because they didn't try hard enough.
As for Muse... yeah, what shall we say. Amazing.
The concert basically just proved that everything you hear on their CDs -- yes, Matthew Bellamy can do that live. I think one good thing that any band can learn from the big British acts is how to put on a good light show. Muse's equipment and light fixtures looked like a satellite had landed on stage.
Live camera footage was fed through a bunch of swirly colors, so the screens behind the band showed live images synchronized with the music. There was smoke and flashy lights and eight stage hands even finished one song by tossing eight confetti-filled balls into the crowd. It was splendiferous.
The band spoke very little. There was no political commentary, aside from the decidedly pointed juxtaposition of a JFK quote about tyranny followed by the very anti-Bush opening song "Take A Bow."
After that, it was a late drive back to LETU so Pebble could get to class like a responsible kiddo. That drive back was one of the hardest I've done, for keeping my eyes open, but we didn't die. I slept hard and then returned to Dallas next day for some job-hunting-related stuff. I'll let ya know how that goes.
Anyway, after I was through with that, I was right by the National Scouting Museum, so I thought I'd see it. It wasn't huge but it was a very nice museum with theaters and a couple of mannequin demonstrations and arcade style games.
Here's old Baden-Powell himself, with a sweet quote from Euripides.
There was a cool little arcade shooter that I liked.
And that would be 27 hits out of 25 shots. Yes, bonus challenge shots are *that* awesome.
There were other things that I liked, such as a display of every Boy Scout handbook ever made, as well as a nice little gallery of original Normal Rockwell paintings related to Scouts. I'd seen most of them in various bits of literature so I enjoyed seeing the real deal.
And then I drove back towards Alto, taking it easy and not caring too much how I got there. I got a bit tangled up in Tyler but eventually I found the IHOP by about 3 PM or so, since I hadn't eaten all day.
I think I was just getting used to some cooler weather but then Texas went back into summer mode. Ah well, fall will be that much sweeter when it arrives.
The question now, ladies and gentlemen, is whether it is better to go to bed hungry, so that one can wake up and eat a healthy breakfast, or to eat more of tonight's chili, thus forestalling any desire to eat until noon the next day. The prospect of "more chili" lends itself to blind action rather than any sort of nutrition debate, unless one accounts for the Cinnamon Roll Factor. Now there lies a question for the ages...
So, as you can see, the blog is undergoing an identity crisis. I found a sweet new layout that I liked, but the XML made the blog explode entirely. It was completely inaccessible, so the tired and trusty standby lies before you.
Every so often I pause from an aimless side click on the internet to see an image that really strikes me. I should keep a catalog of these images because they would look sweet as posters. I think I really like pictures/art that feature famous people because I invest perfectly normal/casual pictures with additional meaning, knowing about the person's work.
I can't even remember what the last several pictures were, but the current one is on my desktop, beneath a flurry of icons, and it looks like this.
That's a 1964 picture of college-age Freddie Mercury (far right) helping some friends home. Even without the name, I like the picture as a picture. It's happy and the buildings are very English.
It wasn't until rather recently that I realized several of my favorite songs from when I was small were actually written by this man and his band (Queen) -- songs like "Bohemian Rhapsody," "Who Wants to Live Forever," and "Barcelona." He had an amazing voice.
His compositions remain some of the most complex hits ever to be recorded, though he claims he hated his piano playing and never really learned the guitar, and even never read much music.
So, I just thought those were interesting random facts I learned recently.
This weekend, I get to see these fine fellows...
So, as you can see, the blog is undergoing an identity crisis. I found a sweet new layout that I liked, but the XML made the blog explode entirely. It was completely inaccessible, so the tired and trusty standby lies before you.
Every so often I pause from an aimless side click on the internet to see an image that really strikes me. I should keep a catalog of these images because they would look sweet as posters. I think I really like pictures/art that feature famous people because I invest perfectly normal/casual pictures with additional meaning, knowing about the person's work.
I can't even remember what the last several pictures were, but the current one is on my desktop, beneath a flurry of icons, and it looks like this.
That's a 1964 picture of college-age Freddie Mercury (far right) helping some friends home. Even without the name, I like the picture as a picture. It's happy and the buildings are very English.
It wasn't until rather recently that I realized several of my favorite songs from when I was small were actually written by this man and his band (Queen) -- songs like "Bohemian Rhapsody," "Who Wants to Live Forever," and "Barcelona." He had an amazing voice.
His compositions remain some of the most complex hits ever to be recorded, though he claims he hated his piano playing and never really learned the guitar, and even never read much music.
So, I just thought those were interesting random facts I learned recently.
This weekend, I get to see these fine fellows...
He was killed by a cellular phone explosion
I love the internet. The resizing distortion of my profile pic has made me a perfect gremlin. People pay money to have this kind of fun...
I write this blog from the confines of no interconnectivity. Since you are reading this, my problem has obviously been resolved. Just try and cram three days of minor frustration and wrestling bouts with a modem between here and the next paragraph.
Currently listening to "Napalm Love" by Air. It's awesome background music for writing/reading provided you don't listen too closely. I can't imagine any musician wanting their music relegated to the subconscious. So on to David Bowie...
This last weekend I hung out with Sporker, Miki, Craggles, Bolt, Schmorgan, Sydney, Aduma (!), Bubbles, and Erin at the Dallas symphony in the Meyerson. Fjord was also there and is getting his own sentence, which no one else does, because I forgot to mention him the first time. The most memorable piece for me was a modern work by some guy with the last name of Adam. I am entirely too lazy to look up his first name, but you already have enough information to find that out for yourself if you want.
He wrote a very modern concerto for violin which focused (I thought) almost entirely on a single feeling of wild, free-spiritedness. The violinist took certainly the most obscure, atonal concerto I have ever heard and filled it with almost bipolar sweeps of emotion.
Nearly everyone in our party agreed that the composition left some things to be desired (such as use of the orchestra, emotional breadth, and structural variety) but I can honestly say it was the finest bit of violin playing I have ever seen. To do what she did with that piece and to play it so well from memory was simply an amazing feat of virtuosity.
The only thing to top that off would be the addition of a fine steak omelette, so we settled on IHOP. By settled, I mean that Aduma and Bolt drove erratically into the night while I tried to keep up. A good weekend, despite growing progressively more sick with a cold. I nursed myself back to health with a dietary regimen of root beer and cheeseburgers. No joke.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
I picked up one of my old textbooks from Visual Literacy, The Non-Designer's Design Book, so now I'm inspired to make a website or something. Instead, I should probably fix this blog. After this post, if I'm still awake.
I came across one quote in there that I immediately liked, which doesn't mean that I agree or even fully understand it... but it made me think. Seewhatyathink.
"There is no quality in this world that is not what it is merely by contrast. Nothing exists in itself." -- Herman Melville
So, I like Melville. I don't think Melville is honestly saying that big important philosophical ideas lack meaning on their own. I think he means that *we* understand them because we know their opposite.
For example, C.S. Lewis made the point in Mere Christianity that good and beauty are the more fundamental qualities, rather than their opposites. (I believe he used the example of light and dark, if memory serves). People see ugly things and think of them as something beautiful that went very wrong, but no one ever looks at something beautiful and thinks of it as something ugly that went very wrong.
So, now we've critically discussed modern symphonies and Melvillian philosophy (and invented a new word, Melvillian). Can we possibly get any nerdier here? GUILD WARS! Nevermind.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
I filled out a couple of job resumes today. They take so long because I get distracted, because I want them perfect, and because they better be perfect since I am typically applying to editor/proofreader type positions and it wouldn't look so good to have a rogue extra space in there. Disconcerting, isn't it? I think I did exactly that in this morning's first iteration of the redesigned resume. Ah well, some things just aren't meant to be...
Which brings me to my next point. Perhaps you heard (or I might even have told you) that I'm headed off soon to a foreign country. Not so much. At the very end, it became clear to me that it wouldn't work financially in a way that satisfied me, so I turned down that job offer and have decided to remain somewhere in the great state of Texas. Now, whether that involves becoming an oil tycoon in Houston or chasing stray cows on a 4-wheeler near El Paso, who can say?
If you've never swam in the rain, I recommend it. The drops make the coolest sound.
I write this blog from the confines of no interconnectivity. Since you are reading this, my problem has obviously been resolved. Just try and cram three days of minor frustration and wrestling bouts with a modem between here and the next paragraph.
Currently listening to "Napalm Love" by Air. It's awesome background music for writing/reading provided you don't listen too closely. I can't imagine any musician wanting their music relegated to the subconscious. So on to David Bowie...
This last weekend I hung out with Sporker, Miki, Craggles, Bolt, Schmorgan, Sydney, Aduma (!), Bubbles, and Erin at the Dallas symphony in the Meyerson. Fjord was also there and is getting his own sentence, which no one else does, because I forgot to mention him the first time. The most memorable piece for me was a modern work by some guy with the last name of Adam. I am entirely too lazy to look up his first name, but you already have enough information to find that out for yourself if you want.
He wrote a very modern concerto for violin which focused (I thought) almost entirely on a single feeling of wild, free-spiritedness. The violinist took certainly the most obscure, atonal concerto I have ever heard and filled it with almost bipolar sweeps of emotion.
Nearly everyone in our party agreed that the composition left some things to be desired (such as use of the orchestra, emotional breadth, and structural variety) but I can honestly say it was the finest bit of violin playing I have ever seen. To do what she did with that piece and to play it so well from memory was simply an amazing feat of virtuosity.
The only thing to top that off would be the addition of a fine steak omelette, so we settled on IHOP. By settled, I mean that Aduma and Bolt drove erratically into the night while I tried to keep up. A good weekend, despite growing progressively more sick with a cold. I nursed myself back to health with a dietary regimen of root beer and cheeseburgers. No joke.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
I picked up one of my old textbooks from Visual Literacy, The Non-Designer's Design Book, so now I'm inspired to make a website or something. Instead, I should probably fix this blog. After this post, if I'm still awake.
I came across one quote in there that I immediately liked, which doesn't mean that I agree or even fully understand it... but it made me think. Seewhatyathink.
"There is no quality in this world that is not what it is merely by contrast. Nothing exists in itself." -- Herman Melville
So, I like Melville. I don't think Melville is honestly saying that big important philosophical ideas lack meaning on their own. I think he means that *we* understand them because we know their opposite.
For example, C.S. Lewis made the point in Mere Christianity that good and beauty are the more fundamental qualities, rather than their opposites. (I believe he used the example of light and dark, if memory serves). People see ugly things and think of them as something beautiful that went very wrong, but no one ever looks at something beautiful and thinks of it as something ugly that went very wrong.
So, now we've critically discussed modern symphonies and Melvillian philosophy (and invented a new word, Melvillian). Can we possibly get any nerdier here? GUILD WARS! Nevermind.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
I filled out a couple of job resumes today. They take so long because I get distracted, because I want them perfect, and because they better be perfect since I am typically applying to editor/proofreader type positions and it wouldn't look so good to have a rogue extra space in there. Disconcerting, isn't it? I think I did exactly that in this morning's first iteration of the redesigned resume. Ah well, some things just aren't meant to be...
Which brings me to my next point. Perhaps you heard (or I might even have told you) that I'm headed off soon to a foreign country. Not so much. At the very end, it became clear to me that it wouldn't work financially in a way that satisfied me, so I turned down that job offer and have decided to remain somewhere in the great state of Texas. Now, whether that involves becoming an oil tycoon in Houston or chasing stray cows on a 4-wheeler near El Paso, who can say?
If you've never swam in the rain, I recommend it. The drops make the coolest sound.
All We Want to Do is Eat Your Brains
Wow I can't update this thing without getting all distracted with pictures from my flickr bar.
The current soundtrack is radiohead, life in a glasshouse.
I'm going to try updating here more often rather than writing the occasional novel. *smirk*
On to business!
I went to PAX! It was sweet. I got to see chums of yore.
That would be Shroud, Gecko, Schmorgo, and Fuego in one place! Unprecedented. Or not.
Essentially, PAX is a gaming expo. There was an exhibition hall from a lot of developers, and I got to play several unreleased titles.
Rock Band is similar to Guitar Hero, except add a microphone, bass guitar, and faux-drum kit to the lineup, and you have Rock Band. Four people take an instrument and it rates you according to accuracy. It was reallllly fun; I sang, Gizmo played drums, Fuego played guitar, and Shroud handled bass.
The track listing looked top-notch too. We played Weezer's "Say It Ain't So" and Nirvana's "In Bloom." I was particularly happy to have sung a Nirvana song in Seattle, of all places.
I also played the beta copy of Warhammer Online. I was a huge Dark Age of Camelot nerd back in the day, so seeing Mythic's next MMO was cool. It looks good, and I wish them all the best in burying World of Warcraft, if anyone can.
I also played a Nintendo Wii for the first time. Interesting, interesting concept. I can see why it is an awesome party platform.
That would be me and a random guy playing Rockstar's Table Tennis. We're holding a remote, the Wii's main controller, which contains a motion and infrared sensors. You swing it as you would a normal ping-pong paddle, and the game interprets these movements on-screen. It's actually much more intuitive than it seems. Schmorgan and I also had a great time playing a few rounds of absolutely madcap soccer on the Wii's Super Mario Strikers title.
Beyond the exhibition hall, there were some panels. I saw a Canadian guy from Ubisoft present on Assassin's Creed, a very impressive game set in the 1100's in a fictional Jerusalem and Damascus.
There was also a keynote speech from Wil Wheaton. I did not get my picture with him as I'd hoped because the line was stinking long -- but I did stand about six feet from him before being waved off by one of his publicists! So close. Whatever.
There were also concerts! The Minibosses were awesome, but a new guy this year was Jonathan Coulton. I'd heard of him several weeks ago so it was a real treat to see him live. Here's his most popular song, recorded that night live at PAX.
We played in a Battlefield 2 tournament and got schooled by a pair of semi-professionals. If you can call in UAVs, keep track of the enemy movements on the command screen, AND commandeer a tank, AND kill me while I am specifically wielding a kit to destroy you, AND do it with ease, then yeah, you pretty much deserve to win.
Of course, the best times were the talks with the guys. I really enjoyed the drive down to Seattle with Fuego in his sweet rental car, talking about all kinds of stuff.
Shroud and I had some good random conversations, and playing 4-player Mario Kart on our little Nintendo DSs in the hotel room was good fun.
One of my best memories was escaping the Seattle convention center during a bored moment, by myself, and just walking up the street, looking at the city and finding a delightful little coffee shop that played Iron & Wine.
We capped the Seattle experience the same way we did last year, by driving down the coast to this awesome little pizza place called the Pegasus. It serves quite possibly the most amazing pizza I've ever had -- seriously, it's that good. We walked around on the beach and ponded Aduma since it was his birthday weekend.
Note the Space Needle in the background.
And then it was back to Dallas. A great weekend all around. Thank goodness it's only once a year or we wouldn't have cash for much else. ;D
The current soundtrack is radiohead, life in a glasshouse.
I'm going to try updating here more often rather than writing the occasional novel. *smirk*
On to business!
I went to PAX! It was sweet. I got to see chums of yore.
That would be Shroud, Gecko, Schmorgo, and Fuego in one place! Unprecedented. Or not.
Essentially, PAX is a gaming expo. There was an exhibition hall from a lot of developers, and I got to play several unreleased titles.
Rock Band is similar to Guitar Hero, except add a microphone, bass guitar, and faux-drum kit to the lineup, and you have Rock Band. Four people take an instrument and it rates you according to accuracy. It was reallllly fun; I sang, Gizmo played drums, Fuego played guitar, and Shroud handled bass.
The track listing looked top-notch too. We played Weezer's "Say It Ain't So" and Nirvana's "In Bloom." I was particularly happy to have sung a Nirvana song in Seattle, of all places.
I also played the beta copy of Warhammer Online. I was a huge Dark Age of Camelot nerd back in the day, so seeing Mythic's next MMO was cool. It looks good, and I wish them all the best in burying World of Warcraft, if anyone can.
I also played a Nintendo Wii for the first time. Interesting, interesting concept. I can see why it is an awesome party platform.
That would be me and a random guy playing Rockstar's Table Tennis. We're holding a remote, the Wii's main controller, which contains a motion and infrared sensors. You swing it as you would a normal ping-pong paddle, and the game interprets these movements on-screen. It's actually much more intuitive than it seems. Schmorgan and I also had a great time playing a few rounds of absolutely madcap soccer on the Wii's Super Mario Strikers title.
Beyond the exhibition hall, there were some panels. I saw a Canadian guy from Ubisoft present on Assassin's Creed, a very impressive game set in the 1100's in a fictional Jerusalem and Damascus.
There was also a keynote speech from Wil Wheaton. I did not get my picture with him as I'd hoped because the line was stinking long -- but I did stand about six feet from him before being waved off by one of his publicists! So close. Whatever.
There were also concerts! The Minibosses were awesome, but a new guy this year was Jonathan Coulton. I'd heard of him several weeks ago so it was a real treat to see him live. Here's his most popular song, recorded that night live at PAX.
We played in a Battlefield 2 tournament and got schooled by a pair of semi-professionals. If you can call in UAVs, keep track of the enemy movements on the command screen, AND commandeer a tank, AND kill me while I am specifically wielding a kit to destroy you, AND do it with ease, then yeah, you pretty much deserve to win.
Of course, the best times were the talks with the guys. I really enjoyed the drive down to Seattle with Fuego in his sweet rental car, talking about all kinds of stuff.
Shroud and I had some good random conversations, and playing 4-player Mario Kart on our little Nintendo DSs in the hotel room was good fun.
One of my best memories was escaping the Seattle convention center during a bored moment, by myself, and just walking up the street, looking at the city and finding a delightful little coffee shop that played Iron & Wine.
We capped the Seattle experience the same way we did last year, by driving down the coast to this awesome little pizza place called the Pegasus. It serves quite possibly the most amazing pizza I've ever had -- seriously, it's that good. We walked around on the beach and ponded Aduma since it was his birthday weekend.
Note the Space Needle in the background.
And then it was back to Dallas. A great weekend all around. Thank goodness it's only once a year or we wouldn't have cash for much else. ;D
Protege Moi
Nothing like starting off your day with a little sunshine! Obscure as it may be.
random link time!
Good luck to the EU convincing Texas to give up the death penalty.
Well, I am at Granny's and that is wonderful. The most exciting thing to happen today -- AND YESTERDAY -- was that today I got my car oil and transmission fluids changed! CAN YOU FEEL THE EXCITEMENT?!
Seriously though, I am always a fan of, as Saturday morning cartoons used to say, chillin' like a villain.
So what else to do on a long summer day but write emo songs!
Here's the prerequisite (always humorous) vocal warm-up and mic test, consisting of whatever song happens to be in my head, whether or not I've played it before, and capoed to a moderately ambitious key. Today that song is Avril's When You're Gone.
Followed by this reflective, button-all-your-cardigan-buttons little number called Rubber Boots. It's about not wanting to take risks and playing it too safe.
Recording is a never-ending struggle against my aging headset. I apologize for the static and for the completely random beeps, which was why I faded out the ending of Rubber Boots, a technique I normally detest in favor of actual resolve. If someone doesn't like it, then I will gladly accept if they rent me out a couple days at Abbey Road. ;)
I am always hungry
Facebook is not addictive. Nevah.
I randomly looked through some of my old posts (they are weird!) and found this statement dated September 2005, on the subject of Facebook.
"Now that I've clicked around and seen it, I don't anticipate it ever sucking a half hour of my time again."
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA roflwoops
"Now that I've clicked around and seen it, I don't anticipate it ever sucking a half hour of my time again."
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA roflwoops
My bat lightning heart wants to fly away
Hellloooooooooo august! Goodbyyyyyyyye paragraph breaks!
I am away from Longview for good! No worries; I shall visit you daft punks after school starts. I moved out and am currently living with granny in alto. Life is good. The job at IQ was really good and a big learning experience. Granny and myself are currently in Indiana seeing the Kokomo folks. The temperature is much the same. I have no pictures. The chocobunny, bless its semisweet heart, is consumed. With sufficient quantities of Mountain Dew, Coffee, and the occasional burst of juice, food is desirable though largely unnecessary. Much like proper grammar. And antiviral protection for your pC. PAX approaches. My goal is to not leave Seattle until I have a picture of me and Wil Wheaton. The Vanessa Carlton Song "1000 Miles" has renewed meaning after having actually traversed this distance by car yesterday. "Hey There Delilah" is the only song I think I have played correctly on the first attempt ever, which is a shame, though a nice song. I dislike posting without pictures, because everyone likes pictures. The battery on my Nintendo DS just ran out, so I cannot be a nerd and play FF3 anymore. Instead, here are some sweet action figures of the game. They look just like them. The Japanese are awesomely random.
I am away from Longview for good! No worries; I shall visit you daft punks after school starts. I moved out and am currently living with granny in alto. Life is good. The job at IQ was really good and a big learning experience. Granny and myself are currently in Indiana seeing the Kokomo folks. The temperature is much the same. I have no pictures. The chocobunny, bless its semisweet heart, is consumed. With sufficient quantities of Mountain Dew, Coffee, and the occasional burst of juice, food is desirable though largely unnecessary. Much like proper grammar. And antiviral protection for your pC. PAX approaches. My goal is to not leave Seattle until I have a picture of me and Wil Wheaton. The Vanessa Carlton Song "1000 Miles" has renewed meaning after having actually traversed this distance by car yesterday. "Hey There Delilah" is the only song I think I have played correctly on the first attempt ever, which is a shame, though a nice song. I dislike posting without pictures, because everyone likes pictures. The battery on my Nintendo DS just ran out, so I cannot be a nerd and play FF3 anymore. Instead, here are some sweet action figures of the game. They look just like them. The Japanese are awesomely random.
For A Lonely Soul, You're Having Such a Nice Time
Summer update! Wooo. Guess I should actually post this month. This post's title brought to you by Keane. Only the English could make depression so catchy.
This is my delicious chocolate bunny. His head is now gone. RIP
I'm still working at IQ and that is going swimmingly. The end is in sight, though, which makes me happy because for a little while at least, I can again join the ranks of the gainfully unemployed. (My theory on life: the surest way to cut expenses is not to have any expenses to cut. OK, so it doesn't really work.)
Speaking of expenses, I'm going to Seattle in four weeks. I'm so excited! PAX is a yearly gaming convention put on by the writers of Penny Arcade, a popular web comic on the same subject.
Over 20,000 nerds converging in a single location. An arch of alumnus greatness shalt be formed across the sky, in the form of such monolithic 41 personages as Shroud, Bubbles, Fuego, Gecko and Gizmo! Geoff too! But he needs a cell phone before he can join the pantheon. ^.^
Phil got a really nice digital piano! And there was much rejoicing in the apartment.
I have looooooved playing it and making up songs.
This is my delicious chocolate bunny. His head is now gone. RIP
I'm still working at IQ and that is going swimmingly. The end is in sight, though, which makes me happy because for a little while at least, I can again join the ranks of the gainfully unemployed. (My theory on life: the surest way to cut expenses is not to have any expenses to cut. OK, so it doesn't really work.)
Speaking of expenses, I'm going to Seattle in four weeks. I'm so excited! PAX is a yearly gaming convention put on by the writers of Penny Arcade, a popular web comic on the same subject.
Over 20,000 nerds converging in a single location. An arch of alumnus greatness shalt be formed across the sky, in the form of such monolithic 41 personages as Shroud, Bubbles, Fuego, Gecko and Gizmo! Geoff too! But he needs a cell phone before he can join the pantheon. ^.^
Phil got a really nice digital piano! And there was much rejoicing in the apartment.
I have looooooved playing it and making up songs.
Hides my true shape, like Dorian Gray
Yesterday's Chinese buffet fortune cookie reads:
"Be direct, usually one can accomplish more that way."
The run-on sentence in this pearl of wisdom may be pardoned due to its Far Eastern origin. Oh wait! The cookie comes from Wonton Foods in... Houston, Texas. Ouch.
Texas will not make up its mind whether to rain or shine, so it is doing both.
Let us speak of food!
Vanilla Coke is very good, and strangely, present only in Brookshire Brothers.
Speaking of coke, a gala of my recent summer meals...
That would be fish and fries baked together in a pot. It works. Wow. I had ice cream for dinner and this pictures makes me want fish and fries again.
That would be pancakes with enough butter to clog the Chunnel... which is a ridiculous notion besides being the biggest tunnel I could think of.
So, you can see, I am eating healthy and can expect to take up sumo wrestling by the end of the summer.
Geoff (of Dallas fame) and I went to San Antonio to see Dave and Karen last weekend. The river walk is fantastic. And my shoulders are still peeling from too much sun in the pool, which is a sign that summer is going better than expected.
"Be direct, usually one can accomplish more that way."
The run-on sentence in this pearl of wisdom may be pardoned due to its Far Eastern origin. Oh wait! The cookie comes from Wonton Foods in... Houston, Texas. Ouch.
Texas will not make up its mind whether to rain or shine, so it is doing both.
Let us speak of food!
Vanilla Coke is very good, and strangely, present only in Brookshire Brothers.
Speaking of coke, a gala of my recent summer meals...
That would be fish and fries baked together in a pot. It works. Wow. I had ice cream for dinner and this pictures makes me want fish and fries again.
That would be pancakes with enough butter to clog the Chunnel... which is a ridiculous notion besides being the biggest tunnel I could think of.
So, you can see, I am eating healthy and can expect to take up sumo wrestling by the end of the summer.
Geoff (of Dallas fame) and I went to San Antonio to see Dave and Karen last weekend. The river walk is fantastic. And my shoulders are still peeling from too much sun in the pool, which is a sign that summer is going better than expected.
This is the Sound
Not much today, kiddos.
But there are two completely bizarre BBC articles you should read...
wheelchair man
"I'm fine... I think I spilled my drink"
and
bear medic rescue robot
"fuzzy wuzzy will saaaaaaave youuuuuuuu"
Have fun and laters
But there are two completely bizarre BBC articles you should read...
wheelchair man
"I'm fine... I think I spilled my drink"
and
bear medic rescue robot
"fuzzy wuzzy will saaaaaaave youuuuuuuu"
Have fun and laters
Apartment Life...
...in addition to being the title of a delectable Ivy album, is splendiferous!
The 30-second apartment tour of doom!
Let me say that have a living room is soooo nice. I am here on-campus at good old LETU all summer as the folks were kind enough not to kick me out (yet).
Carpicturewooooo
There she is folks, a '99 Ford Taurus. Having a vehicle = win, ladies and gentlemen!
I am working at IQ Integrated Systems, and their website is rather out of date, but that is OK. I pull wires and crawl in attics and screw lots of screws and drill lots of holes and put up cameras and anything else they tell me to do. I enjoy it.
Today we put up a 1080p HDTV in a guy's home. They are a lot to take in. ;)
The other news of the week is that I passed the insanely large colored bust of Bo Pilgrim in front of his chicken factory in Mt. Pleasant, Texas -- and even got a picture -- but I don't have a cable to get phone pics off my phone. You will have to take my word for it.
Tomorrow is Friday, and I'm going outside before the sunset.
The 30-second apartment tour of doom!
Let me say that have a living room is soooo nice. I am here on-campus at good old LETU all summer as the folks were kind enough not to kick me out (yet).
Carpicturewooooo
There she is folks, a '99 Ford Taurus. Having a vehicle = win, ladies and gentlemen!
I am working at IQ Integrated Systems, and their website is rather out of date, but that is OK. I pull wires and crawl in attics and screw lots of screws and drill lots of holes and put up cameras and anything else they tell me to do. I enjoy it.
Today we put up a 1080p HDTV in a guy's home. They are a lot to take in. ;)
The other news of the week is that I passed the insanely large colored bust of Bo Pilgrim in front of his chicken factory in Mt. Pleasant, Texas -- and even got a picture -- but I don't have a cable to get phone pics off my phone. You will have to take my word for it.
Tomorrow is Friday, and I'm going outside before the sunset.
Go Lay Your Money Down
I don't feel like ordering my thoughts into a cohesive essay.
Randomness!
Pomegranate blueberry V8 Fusion is amazing and overpriced.
My wee little brother is seventeen today. :D
Wow, that list of randomness was shortlived. I depart, leaving you with this comical though actually quite cool map that I randomly found...
Randomness!
Pomegranate blueberry V8 Fusion is amazing and overpriced.
My wee little brother is seventeen today. :D
Wow, that list of randomness was shortlived. I depart, leaving you with this comical though actually quite cool map that I randomly found...
Well Folks...
I'm all gradgumicated! LeTourneau had me for four years, and after much gesturing and headscratching, the process was pronounced complete! A paper was given, chocolate was devoured, and somehow, this was all made to cost in excess of a good home, yet I pronounce the University and myself equal because I off-roaded with their nicest golf cart.
Let the partay begin.
And don't forget kids, like Dr. Austin said, today is the first day of the rest of your life. And tomorrow will be too. And the day after. And the day after. And the day after....
EDIT:
random thought... one year ago on this day, I did this
yay for graduation reminiscing
Let the partay begin.
And don't forget kids, like Dr. Austin said, today is the first day of the rest of your life. And tomorrow will be too. And the day after. And the day after. And the day after....
EDIT:
random thought... one year ago on this day, I did this
yay for graduation reminiscing
Praise God
for...
Spanish
green tea
chocolate
rain
mercy
Texas
the Shins
bandanas
post-its
croissants & Doritos
new beginnings
health
notes in striped envelopes
family
lots of grace
love
Spanish
green tea
chocolate
rain
mercy
Texas
the Shins
bandanas
post-its
croissants & Doritos
new beginnings
health
notes in striped envelopes
family
lots of grace
love
flick flick flickr
I resubscribed to Flickr, so all my wonderful sets are back and available in all their ineffable glory.
And the adoring fans said yaaaaaaaaayyyyyyy
And the adoring fans said yaaaaaaaaayyyyyyy
Are We Going Up, or Just Going Down
The campus trees of LeTourneau University are very brittle
and
could
break... potentially.
Don't ask.
and
could
break... potentially.
Don't ask.
I'll Be Your Respirator, Be Your Pressure Suit
Job applications. Take. A. Long. Time. To Fill Out.
But it gets better. And faster. And now, after doing it for several hours, I have this unusual craving to play piano. The only good one on campus stays locked up in the Assembly building all the time. I like music because it's a completely different part of the brain than all this writing. It's creative recharge.
In other news, I really like Ecclesiastes 9. It's about life, and death, and it has wisdom, sarcasm, poetry, proverbs. There's even a story in there.
goodnight
But it gets better. And faster. And now, after doing it for several hours, I have this unusual craving to play piano. The only good one on campus stays locked up in the Assembly building all the time. I like music because it's a completely different part of the brain than all this writing. It's creative recharge.
In other news, I really like Ecclesiastes 9. It's about life, and death, and it has wisdom, sarcasm, poetry, proverbs. There's even a story in there.
goodnight
When It's Late, and It's Hot, And a Date With the Late Show Is All That You Got
On Friday, the Visual Literacy class went out for its much-heralded field trip to Austin. We saw the Ransom Center Galleries and a forum about the impact of the Watergate scandal, both on the University of Texas campus.
We left campus at 5 A.M. (bleh) and got to UT about 10 A.M. The Ransom Center had an exhibit focusing on all sorts of artifacts from American pop culture in the 1920s. Silent movies, Art Deco, bohemians and babbits, flappers, Ogden Nash, F. Scott Fitzgerald, flowery bathing suits, dozens of political parties, balloons, the first airmail letter, and muckrakers. Good stuff. It was like an art museum tailored to the inner history major.
The highlights of the galleries were the first photograph (yes, THE first one) and an original Gutenberg volume of the Bible from the 1400s.
The first photograph was taken in 1824, a simple countryside view out the French inventor's window. It has mostly faded by now, though if you hold your head at just the right angle, you can make out the edges of the fences lining the road.
The Gutenberg Bible was probably my favorite thing in the gallery. It was just a gorgeous work of art. Dr. Watson and I had a good time just huddled over the Latin for several minutes, trying to make it out. We had both decided the open pages were somewhere around Genesis 25 or 26, only to learn later that the open pages were of Exodus.
It was interesting to note that the vellum of the 600-year old Bible had held up far, far better through time than the yellowed, flaking pages of a 1920's paperback. Soooo cool.
And then, we ate lunch and then got in line for a forum about Watergate, attended by none other than Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. I had seen both of these guys on the covers of their books and on the national news, so it was really cool hearing them in person.
They are amazingly knowledgeable about American government and the presidents, and not simply the Watergate scandal that made them famous.
Woodward is obviously a personal acquaintance of the past several presidents, and has interviewed President Bush a few times for his books on the Bush administration. Bernstein was a good deal more forward with his criticisms of Bush, and was warmly applauded by the audience for those comments.
The talk itself was fascinating, and I took a couple of bad notes, but it was about the impact of Watergate on the powers of the president and how Congress and subsequent presidents reacted. Two other panelists were historians at UT and also had some interesting points to make.
And then, the field trip came to an end; more fun ensued. Sydney and I took her car downtown and saw the Capitol building, which was neato to see again. We didn't take any pictures, and the traffic was crazy, and we got lost several times that day, but it was great fun.
We ate at Spaghetti Factory, and walked up and down 6th street, just watching some of the live bands. We happened upon a sweet NIN listening party at one venue. There wasn't as much good live music as I had hoped, since last week was South by Southwest, but it was still sweet just to be there.
Then we crashed at my aunt and uncle's place (thanks y'all!). And then we slept really late and came back to Longview the next day. woooooooooo
Five weeks until graduation. Iiiiiit's straight-jacket time!
We left campus at 5 A.M. (bleh) and got to UT about 10 A.M. The Ransom Center had an exhibit focusing on all sorts of artifacts from American pop culture in the 1920s. Silent movies, Art Deco, bohemians and babbits, flappers, Ogden Nash, F. Scott Fitzgerald, flowery bathing suits, dozens of political parties, balloons, the first airmail letter, and muckrakers. Good stuff. It was like an art museum tailored to the inner history major.
The highlights of the galleries were the first photograph (yes, THE first one) and an original Gutenberg volume of the Bible from the 1400s.
The first photograph was taken in 1824, a simple countryside view out the French inventor's window. It has mostly faded by now, though if you hold your head at just the right angle, you can make out the edges of the fences lining the road.
The Gutenberg Bible was probably my favorite thing in the gallery. It was just a gorgeous work of art. Dr. Watson and I had a good time just huddled over the Latin for several minutes, trying to make it out. We had both decided the open pages were somewhere around Genesis 25 or 26, only to learn later that the open pages were of Exodus.
It was interesting to note that the vellum of the 600-year old Bible had held up far, far better through time than the yellowed, flaking pages of a 1920's paperback. Soooo cool.
And then, we ate lunch and then got in line for a forum about Watergate, attended by none other than Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. I had seen both of these guys on the covers of their books and on the national news, so it was really cool hearing them in person.
They are amazingly knowledgeable about American government and the presidents, and not simply the Watergate scandal that made them famous.
Woodward is obviously a personal acquaintance of the past several presidents, and has interviewed President Bush a few times for his books on the Bush administration. Bernstein was a good deal more forward with his criticisms of Bush, and was warmly applauded by the audience for those comments.
The talk itself was fascinating, and I took a couple of bad notes, but it was about the impact of Watergate on the powers of the president and how Congress and subsequent presidents reacted. Two other panelists were historians at UT and also had some interesting points to make.
And then, the field trip came to an end; more fun ensued. Sydney and I took her car downtown and saw the Capitol building, which was neato to see again. We didn't take any pictures, and the traffic was crazy, and we got lost several times that day, but it was great fun.
We ate at Spaghetti Factory, and walked up and down 6th street, just watching some of the live bands. We happened upon a sweet NIN listening party at one venue. There wasn't as much good live music as I had hoped, since last week was South by Southwest, but it was still sweet just to be there.
Then we crashed at my aunt and uncle's place (thanks y'all!). And then we slept really late and came back to Longview the next day. woooooooooo
Five weeks until graduation. Iiiiiit's straight-jacket time!
We Are The Angry Mob, We Read the Paper Every Day
I've never heard of this group before, called Naturally 7. However, they are amazingly talented.
This YouTube clip shows them busting out a song acapella in the Paris Metro. That's about the toughest crowd in the world but they actually got some people jamming with them. I just thought this was so cool.
peace
This YouTube clip shows them busting out a song acapella in the Paris Metro. That's about the toughest crowd in the world but they actually got some people jamming with them. I just thought this was so cool.
peace
Spring Break
Well I don't know where the last week went but I suppose that means mission accomplished.
See y'all in Texas
See y'all in Texas
We Should Get Jerseys, Cuz We Make a Good Team
After a few days of riotous revelries on 41 (Guild Wars + pizza + caffeine = stereotypical male college student heaven), I made it safely to Indiana.
I intended to take pictures, which is another way of saying that I didn't. I thought it would be cool to take pictures of the state border signs as I passed them since the states themselves are nothing much to behold, at least along the interstates.
I couldn't sleep the night before and was tired all along the drive, but never dangerously sleepy. I deal with tiredness pretty well, except that it usually makes everything seem worse than it actually is. The low point was about southern Illinois, where I stopped for a chicken sandwich at McDonald's.
The lady behind the counter asked me if I wanted my chicken grilled or crispy. I was not prepared for the sudden import of this query.
Had I not simply asked for a sandwich? Could she understand that I just wanted to eat anything and not discourse at length the subtleties of my culinary poultry? In all honesty, I nearly broke down and cried.
But, after that, I turned up the music and rolled down the window. The weather was good for the entire trip (minus the nasty rain between Alto and Carthage.)
Indiana warmed up nicely just as I arrived. It's about 60 degrees for most of the day, though rain is coming tomorrow.
Common Grounds Flickr-age! Many thanks to Fargo.
Last night I went bowling with the cool kids from the Sycamore RP church. It was an off night for me, but on the upside, Jacob Fisher taught me to dance-walk backwards like Michael Jackson. Don't you love it when people mix ridiculous metaphors... I had an off night, as opposed to an on one, but on the upside of what coin does one learn to dance like Michael Jackson? More mysteries of the universe...
So life is currently a wonderful mix of bran muffins, light breezes, conversations with long-time Handong friends (word, Jakhongir!) and smooth, black coffee from Mom's new french press.
Candace and Ben and I also started watching Elizabethtown last night, which is a pleasant surprise of a movie. We finish it tonight...
I intended to take pictures, which is another way of saying that I didn't. I thought it would be cool to take pictures of the state border signs as I passed them since the states themselves are nothing much to behold, at least along the interstates.
I couldn't sleep the night before and was tired all along the drive, but never dangerously sleepy. I deal with tiredness pretty well, except that it usually makes everything seem worse than it actually is. The low point was about southern Illinois, where I stopped for a chicken sandwich at McDonald's.
The lady behind the counter asked me if I wanted my chicken grilled or crispy. I was not prepared for the sudden import of this query.
Had I not simply asked for a sandwich? Could she understand that I just wanted to eat anything and not discourse at length the subtleties of my culinary poultry? In all honesty, I nearly broke down and cried.
But, after that, I turned up the music and rolled down the window. The weather was good for the entire trip (minus the nasty rain between Alto and Carthage.)
Indiana warmed up nicely just as I arrived. It's about 60 degrees for most of the day, though rain is coming tomorrow.
Common Grounds Flickr-age! Many thanks to Fargo.
Last night I went bowling with the cool kids from the Sycamore RP church. It was an off night for me, but on the upside, Jacob Fisher taught me to dance-walk backwards like Michael Jackson. Don't you love it when people mix ridiculous metaphors... I had an off night, as opposed to an on one, but on the upside of what coin does one learn to dance like Michael Jackson? More mysteries of the universe...
So life is currently a wonderful mix of bran muffins, light breezes, conversations with long-time Handong friends (word, Jakhongir!) and smooth, black coffee from Mom's new french press.
Candace and Ben and I also started watching Elizabethtown last night, which is a pleasant surprise of a movie. We finish it tonight...
A Hundred Thousand Architectural Disasters She Calls Homes
So tonight Trizzle gave me a new network card and Fjord gave me a new keyboard. World, I present to thee Lud-Puter 2.0!
Alright, so she's not much to look at, but she's got it where it counts. I am tinkering fairly constantly with the insides. The sides are gone, so the interior power cables hang out like a mess.
This is like the Millennium Falcon of computers: dependable, but not something you want to be caught with around Mos Eisley's spaceport.
My new keyboard is black, instead of white. THIS IS SIGNIFICANT. IT'S LIKE A STEALTH BOMBER KEYBOARD.
Alright, so she's not much to look at, but she's got it where it counts. I am tinkering fairly constantly with the insides. The sides are gone, so the interior power cables hang out like a mess.
This is like the Millennium Falcon of computers: dependable, but not something you want to be caught with around Mos Eisley's spaceport.
My new keyboard is black, instead of white. THIS IS SIGNIFICANT. IT'S LIKE A STEALTH BOMBER KEYBOARD.
Kill the Waaaabbit
So, what of PEEPS? Preposterous.
Refined sugar or marigold marshmallows or... the worst possible food? Yellow, bunny-shaped confections of questionable substance!
Our plan of action? Into the microwave! Of course.
Devilishly grinning Grey, and poor, bloated bunny...
OMINOUS
This entirely verb-free post brought to you by... Insomnia(tm)! Because it's better for the kiddos than Red Bull.
Refined sugar or marigold marshmallows or... the worst possible food? Yellow, bunny-shaped confections of questionable substance!
Our plan of action? Into the microwave! Of course.
Devilishly grinning Grey, and poor, bloated bunny...
OMINOUS
This entirely verb-free post brought to you by... Insomnia(tm)! Because it's better for the kiddos than Red Bull.
Your Love, It Gets Lost in Translation
I have always wondered about the media's strange fascination with the ridiculous Hollywood party girls/actresses (mostly Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears, Paris Hilton.)
They simply don't do anything newsworthy.
Do we really care that Lindsay is drinking again? Big deal. Britney shaved her head? That's just life-changing. Paris was caught driving with a suspended license? Scandalous.
Paris Hilton is one of the easiest to pick on. She is insanely rich, has probably not worked an honest day in her life, and literally bounces around southern California going to party after party.
And yet, she and Britney are some of the most popular searches on Yahoo!. Every single week, there is a headlining story on my CNN RSS feed about one of these people. They should stop reporting on them entirely because it is irrelevant dribble.
Imagine my joy when I found this...
For an entire week, the Associated Press told their people not to cover any stories about Paris Hilton.
People do not, in fact, miss news about these people, these so-called "celebutantes." These girls are famous for fame's sake. They are very good at getting publicity without any justifiable reason.
People were mostly shocked that AP would issue an internal memo banning Paris coverage for one week, rather than being shocked that they didn't have their weekly fix of celebrity gossip.
This is something I'd wondered about for a long time, and that article interested to me to no end, because an AP editor turned around to look at the reporting of his own organization and found that, really, it was all rather frivolous and unfounded.
Bravissimo! Give us something relevant and enlightened to read.
They simply don't do anything newsworthy.
Do we really care that Lindsay is drinking again? Big deal. Britney shaved her head? That's just life-changing. Paris was caught driving with a suspended license? Scandalous.
Paris Hilton is one of the easiest to pick on. She is insanely rich, has probably not worked an honest day in her life, and literally bounces around southern California going to party after party.
And yet, she and Britney are some of the most popular searches on Yahoo!. Every single week, there is a headlining story on my CNN RSS feed about one of these people. They should stop reporting on them entirely because it is irrelevant dribble.
Imagine my joy when I found this...
For an entire week, the Associated Press told their people not to cover any stories about Paris Hilton.
People do not, in fact, miss news about these people, these so-called "celebutantes." These girls are famous for fame's sake. They are very good at getting publicity without any justifiable reason.
People were mostly shocked that AP would issue an internal memo banning Paris coverage for one week, rather than being shocked that they didn't have their weekly fix of celebrity gossip.
This is something I'd wondered about for a long time, and that article interested to me to no end, because an AP editor turned around to look at the reporting of his own organization and found that, really, it was all rather frivolous and unfounded.
Bravissimo! Give us something relevant and enlightened to read.
A Little Help From My Friends
Sometimes I check my post box or hit Send & Receive on my e-mail over and over when I am bored. When I don't get anything, I cry out, "Nobody loves me!" My roommates then give me a hard time about it. There is an established order to these things.
Once, on just such an occasion, Coda ran back into his room and sent me this. It's good to be loved.
If you know Coda, then you can detect the sinister undercurrent to that e-mail. It's there... seething... waiting to strike...
Kinda like Frisbee and the noodle...
Once, on just such an occasion, Coda ran back into his room and sent me this. It's good to be loved.
Dearest Ludwhig,
I love you; therefore, I am showing it by sending you this e-mail instead of oppressing you by walking across the hall and interrupting the valuable things I know you are always doing. I know how much you hate hitting the send/receive button to no avail - but not this time - I hope you realize how special you are now.
Love,
Coda
If you know Coda, then you can detect the sinister undercurrent to that e-mail. It's there... seething... waiting to strike...
Kinda like Frisbee and the noodle...
BIFRONTISMO!!!
What follows is my transcription of a Spanish song entitled Me Cuesta Tanto Olvidarte, for my Spanish class.
And now, my AWESOME translation. Frisbee (my Chilean Jedi Master) and I died laughing at this...
And now for something completely different...
Entre el cielo y el suelo hay algo
con tendencia a quedarse calvo
de tanto recordar
Y ese algo que soy yo mismo
es un cuadro de bifrontismo que
solo da una faz
la cara vista es un anuncio de signal
la cada oculta es la resulta de mi idea genial
de echarte
me cuesta tanto olvidarte
me cuesta tanto olvidarte
me cuesta tanto olvidar quince mil encantos
es muchas ensensatez
y no se si sere sensato
lo que se es que mi cuesta un rato hacer
cosas sin querer
y aunque fui yo quien decidió
que ya no mas
y no me canse de jurarte
que no habra segunda parte
me cuesta tanto olvidarte
And now, my AWESOME translation. Frisbee (my Chilean Jedi Master) and I died laughing at this...
Between the sky and the ground there is something
with a tendency to stay bald
So much to record
And this is something that I am the same
It's a square of bifrontismo (multi-facets?) that
only gives a face
the seen face is an announcement of signal
the hidden face is the result of my great idea
to throw you out
It costs me to forget you
It costs me to forget you
It costs me to forget fifteen thousand delights
It's very insensitive
And I do not know if I will be sensible
What I know is that it costs me a little while to do things without wanting to
Even though it was me who decided
that no more
and I don't get tired of cursing (swearing?) you
that there will be a second part
It costs me to forget you
And now for something completely different...
Stilled My Soul
I studied for a test in Management this morning while listening to the Sons of Korah.
College is so in-your-face and self-driven and go-go-go that I was blown away by this delightful little acoustic retelling of Psalm 131. Here's the lyrics (which, like all their songs, is straight from the Bible.)
My heart is not proud, Lord
My eyes not haughty
I do not concern myself
With things too great
Or wonderful
For me
But I have stilled, Lord
I've stilled my soul
Like a child weaned in its mother's arms
So I am still, so still
In my soul
In me
Oh, Israel!
Hope in the Lord
Hope in the Lord
College is so in-your-face and self-driven and go-go-go that I was blown away by this delightful little acoustic retelling of Psalm 131. Here's the lyrics (which, like all their songs, is straight from the Bible.)
My heart is not proud, Lord
My eyes not haughty
I do not concern myself
With things too great
Or wonderful
For me
But I have stilled, Lord
I've stilled my soul
Like a child weaned in its mother's arms
So I am still, so still
In my soul
In me
Oh, Israel!
Hope in the Lord
Hope in the Lord
The Wheel is Turning the Machine that Kills
Two posts in one day! I am bored and in a writing mood. You're here, so you must want to read it! Brilliant.
I took this picture for Visual Literacy.
We were to create our own still life using multiple objects and then critique it like art. Now, I'll be the first to say this is kind of retarded; I actually related this picture to cross-cultural values. I'll... just let you guess how.
I took Andrew and Fjord on a date to Outback Steakhouse on Valentine's day, but there was a two-hour line, so we went to Bodacious instead. It was pretty much the best date ever?
We discussed the light-up organs on deep sea squids and how the internet works. Fjord even drew a diagram on a napkin. I'm sure we discussed other less nerdy things but those are the two that I remember.
What is up with late night headaches? I'll see you folks tomorrow
I took this picture for Visual Literacy.
We were to create our own still life using multiple objects and then critique it like art. Now, I'll be the first to say this is kind of retarded; I actually related this picture to cross-cultural values. I'll... just let you guess how.
I took Andrew and Fjord on a date to Outback Steakhouse on Valentine's day, but there was a two-hour line, so we went to Bodacious instead. It was pretty much the best date ever?
We discussed the light-up organs on deep sea squids and how the internet works. Fjord even drew a diagram on a napkin. I'm sure we discussed other less nerdy things but those are the two that I remember.
What is up with late night headaches? I'll see you folks tomorrow
Family Portrait circa 95
for my non-letu folks. My reviewer didnt send me back a final edit of my shins review, so you shall have to suffer through the unedited draft. ooo hoooh.
The Shins are a retro band with '60s sound. They were formed in 1997 after lead singer James Mercer's previous band had ended. "Wincing the Night Away" is their newest album released in January 2007.
The Shins' quiet, retro sound was first introduced to a wide audience when their first hit "New Slang" was used in a McDonald's commercial and in Zach Braff's film "Garden State."
The follow-up album "So Says I" contained an ambitious array of great songs, expanding the band's repertoire while staying true to their distinctive "flower power" sound.
Some fans thought the band's continued success would mean a more commercially-appealing, attention-grabbing sound. The songs on "Wincing the Night Away," however, directly contradict this assumption and actually hearken back to the sounds of the band's earliest work. This is a quiet album with unassuming songs that reveal deeper beauty with repeated listening.
The album begins with the hushed synth scales of "Sleeping Lessons." The instruments quietly enter one-by-one, beginning the album with a humble tune that is yet very soothing. The electric guitars eventually arrive two minutes into the song, before it relaxes back into the perfect soundtrack for watching Lava Lamps.
The following song, "Australia," is an album highlight with its pleasant melody, banjo section, and echoing, bouncing guitars.
The first single, "Phantom Limb," has fascinating, though enigmatic lyrics. The chorus speaks of an alienated desire to be a part of someone's life, rather than simply watching it like a fly "skirt[ing] the hallway sides."
The song's video depicts a lavish grade school historical production, in which the band features prominently as musicians and actors. A tribe of South American natives presents gifts to a party of conquistadors, and drops dead after a casual handshake. A war ensues, an angel assists a band of lost settlers, and a young girl is set to be burned at the stake as the video fades. Even if the words do not mean anything, Mercer's enunciation blends perfectly into the song.
"Red Rabbits" has a spritely synth background, layered beneath a melancholy strings section during the bridge.
The album's closer, "A Comet Appears," sounds exactly like it could have come from their first album, showing how carefully the Shins have crafted a comfortable sound that is all their own.
To see some of the band's older videos and for tour information, visit their website at http://www.theshins.com/.
At the time of this writing, the band had not put the Phantom Limb video on their website, though it can be found at YouTube.com. In addition, a number of small, hidden videos can be found by playing with the band's rather mysterious home page.
The Shins are a retro band with '60s sound. They were formed in 1997 after lead singer James Mercer's previous band had ended. "Wincing the Night Away" is their newest album released in January 2007.
The Shins' quiet, retro sound was first introduced to a wide audience when their first hit "New Slang" was used in a McDonald's commercial and in Zach Braff's film "Garden State."
The follow-up album "So Says I" contained an ambitious array of great songs, expanding the band's repertoire while staying true to their distinctive "flower power" sound.
Some fans thought the band's continued success would mean a more commercially-appealing, attention-grabbing sound. The songs on "Wincing the Night Away," however, directly contradict this assumption and actually hearken back to the sounds of the band's earliest work. This is a quiet album with unassuming songs that reveal deeper beauty with repeated listening.
The album begins with the hushed synth scales of "Sleeping Lessons." The instruments quietly enter one-by-one, beginning the album with a humble tune that is yet very soothing. The electric guitars eventually arrive two minutes into the song, before it relaxes back into the perfect soundtrack for watching Lava Lamps.
The following song, "Australia," is an album highlight with its pleasant melody, banjo section, and echoing, bouncing guitars.
The first single, "Phantom Limb," has fascinating, though enigmatic lyrics. The chorus speaks of an alienated desire to be a part of someone's life, rather than simply watching it like a fly "skirt[ing] the hallway sides."
The song's video depicts a lavish grade school historical production, in which the band features prominently as musicians and actors. A tribe of South American natives presents gifts to a party of conquistadors, and drops dead after a casual handshake. A war ensues, an angel assists a band of lost settlers, and a young girl is set to be burned at the stake as the video fades. Even if the words do not mean anything, Mercer's enunciation blends perfectly into the song.
"Red Rabbits" has a spritely synth background, layered beneath a melancholy strings section during the bridge.
The album's closer, "A Comet Appears," sounds exactly like it could have come from their first album, showing how carefully the Shins have crafted a comfortable sound that is all their own.
To see some of the band's older videos and for tour information, visit their website at http://www.theshins.com/.
At the time of this writing, the band had not put the Phantom Limb video on their website, though it can be found at YouTube.com. In addition, a number of small, hidden videos can be found by playing with the band's rather mysterious home page.
I'm Bouncing Off the Walls Again
Our Brit Lit presentation was about Darwinism. We thought it went well, and we did get an A.
Andrew was kind enough to take four very bad pictures, which is mostly the fault of my camera and the ambient lighting.
Sydney and I as a modern and then Victorian couple in a skit composed by the Dave. That's him off to the right as the waiter.
There's a snowy-bearded Annie on the right as Charles Darwin. And Miki as a frog! Wondahful.
Aaaaand there's Annie again, this time with Sydney in her supremely attractive shark suit. Too bad the picture is from the back. I'm sure Sydney must love this picture. :D
And yours truly, looking ragged and dumb and playing my part as a caveman. mehehe
It's over. That's the best part. The seniors in our group are going to write 5 journals, take the midterm next week, and then sit back and cruiiiiiise for the rest of the semester. It will be great.
Andrew was kind enough to take four very bad pictures, which is mostly the fault of my camera and the ambient lighting.
Sydney and I as a modern and then Victorian couple in a skit composed by the Dave. That's him off to the right as the waiter.
There's a snowy-bearded Annie on the right as Charles Darwin. And Miki as a frog! Wondahful.
Aaaaand there's Annie again, this time with Sydney in her supremely attractive shark suit. Too bad the picture is from the back. I'm sure Sydney must love this picture. :D
And yours truly, looking ragged and dumb and playing my part as a caveman. mehehe
It's over. That's the best part. The seniors in our group are going to write 5 journals, take the midterm next week, and then sit back and cruiiiiiise for the rest of the semester. It will be great.
The Suiteness
We started a power suite blog. Here's the clicky and it's on my sidebar. I can take only a fraction of responsibility for what shows up there, as I account for only a fraction of All That Is the Power Suite.
No, Mr. Bond, I Expect You to Die!
The question of the day is, not, in fact, do you expect me to talk, but rather...
Would you have your forehead tatooed for a million dollars?
I think so.
Would you have your forehead tatooed for a million dollars?
I think so.
When You're 21, You're No Fun
It's Heritage weekend again! I went to Gregg County Airport for the first time ever yesterday to pick up some folks flying in. It's a real airport, except tiny.
The guys I was driving had a great time telling me how to lower the windows and turn on the defrost since I had never driven the vehicle before. Good times...
And now, random picture time. I took 6 whole pictures over the Christmas break and this is the best of them.
Dr. Watson has been showing us a video in Digital Literacy about How Art Made the World. It's interesting but our projector stinks so we can't actually see all the statues. Dr. Watson let the class out early, promising to have "a long talk" with the media folks.
There was one lonely previewer visiting our class, and I rather felt disappointed for her, that rather than hear the wondrous Dr. Watson lecturing, she watched him fiddle with a computer and remote before letting out class early in frustration.
And of course, having our last Heritage brings to mind my Heritage weekend, back in the day. Katy and I recollected sitting through Dr. Watson's Brit Lit. She had a legitimate reason for being there, but I was the random engineer wanting to see what these fuzzy liberal arts were like. It was a harbinger of things to come. Aaaaaah, huzzah for being seventeen.
Anyway, this time around, I am on one of the interview committees so I will be sure to shaft all these high-schoolers just like I got shafted. OK, so I won't actually be that cruel, because many of them are scared. It's really sad, actually. :|
I am also becoming increasingly paranoid about commas, due to my English review tutoring. Am I putting commas in the right places? Worlds hang in the balance!
I have seen Pan's Labyrinth twice now, and it is quite probably my favorite movie that I have seen in a long, long time.
It's a Spanish film with subtitles. It takes place during the Franco regime in Spain at the end of WW2. A small band of military officers is trying to quell the last of a group of resistance fighters, who are desperately holding out for the Allied arrival.
A little girl and her mother come to visit the Captain, who has helped them in the past, and after that, the girl has all these crazy adventures. It's something of a fairy tale for adults. It has fantasy elements, but the movie is very dark, and has brief, brutal violence.
It's just creepy enough to be interesting without making you worry that the boogy man will jump out in the next scene. Not to mention the soundtrack is amazing.
I should start taking more pictures of stuff, to put it here.
The guys I was driving had a great time telling me how to lower the windows and turn on the defrost since I had never driven the vehicle before. Good times...
And now, random picture time. I took 6 whole pictures over the Christmas break and this is the best of them.
Dr. Watson has been showing us a video in Digital Literacy about How Art Made the World. It's interesting but our projector stinks so we can't actually see all the statues. Dr. Watson let the class out early, promising to have "a long talk" with the media folks.
There was one lonely previewer visiting our class, and I rather felt disappointed for her, that rather than hear the wondrous Dr. Watson lecturing, she watched him fiddle with a computer and remote before letting out class early in frustration.
And of course, having our last Heritage brings to mind my Heritage weekend, back in the day. Katy and I recollected sitting through Dr. Watson's Brit Lit. She had a legitimate reason for being there, but I was the random engineer wanting to see what these fuzzy liberal arts were like. It was a harbinger of things to come. Aaaaaah, huzzah for being seventeen.
Anyway, this time around, I am on one of the interview committees so I will be sure to shaft all these high-schoolers just like I got shafted. OK, so I won't actually be that cruel, because many of them are scared. It's really sad, actually. :|
I am also becoming increasingly paranoid about commas, due to my English review tutoring. Am I putting commas in the right places? Worlds hang in the balance!
I have seen Pan's Labyrinth twice now, and it is quite probably my favorite movie that I have seen in a long, long time.
It's a Spanish film with subtitles. It takes place during the Franco regime in Spain at the end of WW2. A small band of military officers is trying to quell the last of a group of resistance fighters, who are desperately holding out for the Allied arrival.
A little girl and her mother come to visit the Captain, who has helped them in the past, and after that, the girl has all these crazy adventures. It's something of a fairy tale for adults. It has fantasy elements, but the movie is very dark, and has brief, brutal violence.
It's just creepy enough to be interesting without making you worry that the boogy man will jump out in the next scene. Not to mention the soundtrack is amazing.
I should start taking more pictures of stuff, to put it here.
The Milk From the Window Lights
Today was, without noticeable reason, one of the best days of the semester.
I tested in Principles of Management and felt moderately pleased with how it went. I also showed that class' teacher my revamp of her syllabus, and was pleasantly surprised when she gave me not only a response, but a positive one.
I could show you a few pages of it here, except that I don't own Microsoft Publisher on my PC. Instead, it shall go into my portfolio. Oh yes, I have a portfolio now. Wooooo.
Then I worked my section of English Review with Kelly and Annie. It's funny, that class. It's full of engineers and flight science majors who don't care at all about writing, and because of this class they have to think about grammar harder than most English majors do.
On some level, though, I actually enjoy explaining stuff to them. And inevitably, our "conferences" end with a casual talk about the paper's subject, which is usually some hobby or happening that they think about passionately. It's cool.
And then Andrew took me to Starbuck's to use his gift card. It's overpriced and a lightning rod for rich, snobby businessmen and high school girls, but it sure is fun.
And then homework and then dinner and then a long talk in the cafeteria with quality people, and then an unnecessarily risque episode of The Office!
And then our reading group read the final act of Hamlet, littering the floor with bodies as the poison flowed and messengers bid the soldiers shoot.
More homework and then a Taco Bell run with my suite mates, which started a Mountain Dew-fueled conversation about tasers.
And now I am *not* writing my music review on the new Shins album.
I normally try to include a picture with these posts, and I've grown more conscious about how to do that in a good way because of Visual Literacy class, but I couldn't find a good or recent picture of something.
So instead, I point your attention to the picture behind my sidebar, which has been there for some time, except to say, that I was there, in Botswana, taking that picture on almost this exact day one year ago.
I tested in Principles of Management and felt moderately pleased with how it went. I also showed that class' teacher my revamp of her syllabus, and was pleasantly surprised when she gave me not only a response, but a positive one.
I could show you a few pages of it here, except that I don't own Microsoft Publisher on my PC. Instead, it shall go into my portfolio. Oh yes, I have a portfolio now. Wooooo.
Then I worked my section of English Review with Kelly and Annie. It's funny, that class. It's full of engineers and flight science majors who don't care at all about writing, and because of this class they have to think about grammar harder than most English majors do.
On some level, though, I actually enjoy explaining stuff to them. And inevitably, our "conferences" end with a casual talk about the paper's subject, which is usually some hobby or happening that they think about passionately. It's cool.
And then Andrew took me to Starbuck's to use his gift card. It's overpriced and a lightning rod for rich, snobby businessmen and high school girls, but it sure is fun.
And then homework and then dinner and then a long talk in the cafeteria with quality people, and then an unnecessarily risque episode of The Office!
And then our reading group read the final act of Hamlet, littering the floor with bodies as the poison flowed and messengers bid the soldiers shoot.
More homework and then a Taco Bell run with my suite mates, which started a Mountain Dew-fueled conversation about tasers.
And now I am *not* writing my music review on the new Shins album.
I normally try to include a picture with these posts, and I've grown more conscious about how to do that in a good way because of Visual Literacy class, but I couldn't find a good or recent picture of something.
So instead, I point your attention to the picture behind my sidebar, which has been there for some time, except to say, that I was there, in Botswana, taking that picture on almost this exact day one year ago.
Oh! Gravity.
Here's my review for the current issue of the LETU YellowJacket, to hit CPO's near you* very soon!
* (If you live at LETU.)
"Oh! Gravity." is the sixth LP album from Switchfoot, one of the most successful Christian bands. They are best known for past hits "Meant to Live," "Dare You to Move," and "Stars." Their newest album was released on December 26, 2006.
Switchfoot are a southern California band well known for their clean, radio-friendly rock sound, as well as their love for surfing. Some of Switchfoot's detractors say that their sound is very much like a Christian contemporary praise band.
However, Switchfoot have distanced themselves from the remainder of Christian rock to achieve wide success on secular music charts. "Oh! Gravity." takes them even further from typical Christian rock and into fresh, exciting musical territory.
The album has very cohesive lyrics, dealing primarily with the fleeting nature of wealth and material happiness. The second track "American Dream" says, "Sucess is equated with excess... I want out of this machine, it doesn't feel like freedom, this ain't my american dream."
Even with six albums behind them, Switchfoot are bringing this uncommon and very fresh message to the radio.
Musically, the album has the heavier, ringing guitars of Switchfoot's last album, "Nothing is Sound." Lead singer and songwriter Jon Foreman quite obviously has more fun and freedom with not only his lyrics, but his vocal delivery on this album.
The best new introduction is a surprising and very fitting Rolling Stones influence on a few of their songs, notably "Dirty Second Hands" and "Amateur Lovers." This is demonstrated not only in the guitar playing, but in the use of sitars and Foreman's improvisational, stuttering passages. The effect sounds strange in writing but works great on the album.
First single and title track "Oh! Gravity." features a psychedelic video to match the album's cover art. The song muses about how strange it is that people's lives fall apart in a world governed by laws like gravity. The song has a great sense of movement as the band rips through the track in two and a half minutes.
"Awakening" is a power ballad about rebirth and new life. Previous fans of "Dare You to Move" would especially enjoy this song. The Rhapsody music service features an acoustic version of the song with a very nice harmonica introduction.
"Dirty Second Hands" has a mysterious, meandering verse tune, punctuated with hand claps. The chorus explodes into a very finely produced channel of sound, using several different guitars and a backup choir of Foreman's vocals. The song deals with the passage of time and its effects on our journey through life, illustrated as the hands on a ticking clock.
Some of the album's best lyrics occur in the contemplative "Faust, Midas, and Myself," about a man who dreams that everything he touches turns to gold. Again, Foreman's vocals are spot-on and fit well with a background of strings.
The album's best song is "Amateur Lovers," a Rolling Stones sounding song about how inept people can be at expressing their love for one another. A sitar introduces the song as it settles into a first verse over a solo bass line with tamborines. Foreman hardly sings the chorus but yells it instead, providing not only a memorable moment for the album but a nice contrast with basically all their previous work.
A brief synth strings bridge leads into the ending of the song, where Foreman stutters and whispers the word "professional" while the band builds into a rollicking climax. This is a song that deserves to be seen live.
Switchfoot fans at LeTourneau might have that opportunity soon. The band is currently on tour and will come through Houston, Austin, and Dallas at the end of March 2007. For more information about the band and to see their videos, visit http://www.switchfoot.com/.
* (If you live at LETU.)
"Oh! Gravity." is the sixth LP album from Switchfoot, one of the most successful Christian bands. They are best known for past hits "Meant to Live," "Dare You to Move," and "Stars." Their newest album was released on December 26, 2006.
Switchfoot are a southern California band well known for their clean, radio-friendly rock sound, as well as their love for surfing. Some of Switchfoot's detractors say that their sound is very much like a Christian contemporary praise band.
However, Switchfoot have distanced themselves from the remainder of Christian rock to achieve wide success on secular music charts. "Oh! Gravity." takes them even further from typical Christian rock and into fresh, exciting musical territory.
The album has very cohesive lyrics, dealing primarily with the fleeting nature of wealth and material happiness. The second track "American Dream" says, "Sucess is equated with excess... I want out of this machine, it doesn't feel like freedom, this ain't my american dream."
Even with six albums behind them, Switchfoot are bringing this uncommon and very fresh message to the radio.
Musically, the album has the heavier, ringing guitars of Switchfoot's last album, "Nothing is Sound." Lead singer and songwriter Jon Foreman quite obviously has more fun and freedom with not only his lyrics, but his vocal delivery on this album.
The best new introduction is a surprising and very fitting Rolling Stones influence on a few of their songs, notably "Dirty Second Hands" and "Amateur Lovers." This is demonstrated not only in the guitar playing, but in the use of sitars and Foreman's improvisational, stuttering passages. The effect sounds strange in writing but works great on the album.
First single and title track "Oh! Gravity." features a psychedelic video to match the album's cover art. The song muses about how strange it is that people's lives fall apart in a world governed by laws like gravity. The song has a great sense of movement as the band rips through the track in two and a half minutes.
"Awakening" is a power ballad about rebirth and new life. Previous fans of "Dare You to Move" would especially enjoy this song. The Rhapsody music service features an acoustic version of the song with a very nice harmonica introduction.
"Dirty Second Hands" has a mysterious, meandering verse tune, punctuated with hand claps. The chorus explodes into a very finely produced channel of sound, using several different guitars and a backup choir of Foreman's vocals. The song deals with the passage of time and its effects on our journey through life, illustrated as the hands on a ticking clock.
Some of the album's best lyrics occur in the contemplative "Faust, Midas, and Myself," about a man who dreams that everything he touches turns to gold. Again, Foreman's vocals are spot-on and fit well with a background of strings.
The album's best song is "Amateur Lovers," a Rolling Stones sounding song about how inept people can be at expressing their love for one another. A sitar introduces the song as it settles into a first verse over a solo bass line with tamborines. Foreman hardly sings the chorus but yells it instead, providing not only a memorable moment for the album but a nice contrast with basically all their previous work.
A brief synth strings bridge leads into the ending of the song, where Foreman stutters and whispers the word "professional" while the band builds into a rollicking climax. This is a song that deserves to be seen live.
Switchfoot fans at LeTourneau might have that opportunity soon. The band is currently on tour and will come through Houston, Austin, and Dallas at the end of March 2007. For more information about the band and to see their videos, visit http://www.switchfoot.com/.
I Have
I have Spanish homework.
I have heartburn.
I have brown eyes.
I have a glass mug.
I have shown four different uses of the word have.
I have better things to do.
I have heartburn.
I have brown eyes.
I have a glass mug.
I have shown four different uses of the word have.
I have better things to do.
To Fight or Not
I subscribe to CNN, BBC, and Al-Jazeera and scan the headlines a few times a day, but consistently my favorite of the three is the BBC.
This is one of the most even-handed, historically informed analyses of the Iran situation that I have ever read. I really wish I had this sort of insight. Just beware all the liberal British comments lambasting the writer at the bottom of his article. ;)
This is one of the most even-handed, historically informed analyses of the Iran situation that I have ever read. I really wish I had this sort of insight. Just beware all the liberal British comments lambasting the writer at the bottom of his article. ;)
To Get Home Late
Two weeks since my last post. I'm back at LETU for another semester, taking four classes and working a few hours for two jobs (Admissions monkey and English tutor).
It's biting cold since late last week and the puddles are only beginning to melt and disappear. I'm with the newspaper again and have a muic review written for the next issue.
I am also writing a story about the exchange students here from Handong. One of them happens to be a fellow in one of my English discussion labs there, so I was really happy to be here to see him.
My Admissions work is the same old same old exactly as I left it. The brochures are new but the office and all the little equipment is the same. It feels good to be making money again.
The tutoring job with the university's Owlet program is a bit more exciting to me, not just for the work but because I'll learn better how to teach others to write well. I've helped people with this before but nobody's ever sat down to tell me how.
I am still terrified of Spanish but it will be OK. The teacher is really hitting us hard at first but that's exactly what we need. My Watson classes are going to be great. I am especially excited about Visual Literacy.
From just an introductory class, I believe the class focuses on how layout and images work in conjunction with writing to communicate a message. Our first assignment, due tomorrow, is to find a picture representing each decade of the 20th century and to briefly describe why we chose each picture.
It's biting cold since late last week and the puddles are only beginning to melt and disappear. I'm with the newspaper again and have a muic review written for the next issue.
I am also writing a story about the exchange students here from Handong. One of them happens to be a fellow in one of my English discussion labs there, so I was really happy to be here to see him.
My Admissions work is the same old same old exactly as I left it. The brochures are new but the office and all the little equipment is the same. It feels good to be making money again.
The tutoring job with the university's Owlet program is a bit more exciting to me, not just for the work but because I'll learn better how to teach others to write well. I've helped people with this before but nobody's ever sat down to tell me how.
I am still terrified of Spanish but it will be OK. The teacher is really hitting us hard at first but that's exactly what we need. My Watson classes are going to be great. I am especially excited about Visual Literacy.
From just an introductory class, I believe the class focuses on how layout and images work in conjunction with writing to communicate a message. Our first assignment, due tomorrow, is to find a picture representing each decade of the 20th century and to briefly describe why we chose each picture.
BURN THE GOAT
OK, this is one more BBC News article I just had to post... absolutely hilarious...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6225869.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6225869.stm
20 Questions about the Year 2006
This stolen from Abigail's blog...
1) Where were you when 2006 began?
Kokomo, Indiana, with me folks.
2) What was your least favorite moment of the year?
OK, just a warning... probably most of these answers are going to involve traveling, because those were some of the best (and worst) moments of the year. My least favorite moment was staying awake all night on the sidewalk at Gimpo Airport in Korea so that no one would steal my suitcases.
3) What was your favorite moment of the year?
Wow, so hard to decide. My first ascent of Mt. Lajuma was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen (a few pictures are on Flickr.) Also, probably the best feeling of 2006 was actually catching a flight from DC to Indianapolis that, by all accounts, I should have missed. I cannot begin to describe that feeling of relief. :D
Wow. My favorite and least favorite moments both involve airports. hahahah
4) What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 21 this year. It was just a normal school day at Handong, and nobody knew it was my birthday until someone happened to randomly ask that evening, and then my good pal Jin went and bought me a pizza and a few bottles of Pepsi.
5) Were you in a relationship in 2006?
Nope.
6) Did you breakup with anyone in 2006?
Nope.
7) Did you make any new friends in 2006?
Tons. But I don't speak to a lot of them any more. :(
9) What date from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Well, specific dates get into my head because they are flight dates, but other than those, I suppose the word August was in my thoughts a lot, because it was the month I would get to see my LETU friends after 8 months away.
9) Did you travel outside of the US in 2006?
Oh yes.
10) What was the best book you read?
I read a number of books I enjoyed. Probably my favorite was Casanova, by Andrew Miller. It is something of an historical novel. But I would say I fell in love with the author even more than the book. I am convinced that good writers just see the world in different terms and conceive ways to express that in terms most people enjoy, but cannot themselves create. Grammar and all that is secondary. Miller's writing is filled with things like that.
11) Did you miss anybody in the past year?
Yeah. Pretty much everybody I wasn't actually with. :D
12) What was your favorite movie that you saw in 2006?
I can't even remember the movies I've seen this year. I just found a list of 2006 movies, let me see... a lot of movies weren't particularly great for me, but there were a few a cut above the rest. I liked Crash and Inside Man. Cars was also pretty good. Oh, and seeing V for Vendetta in Pohang with Korean subtitles was pretty funny.
13) What was your favorite song from 2006?
Wow, way too many to pick one. But... just for the sake of picking something, I'll say Other Side of the World by KT Tunstall. I first heard it on the way to South Africa. I loved the sound and the words really clicked with where I was at the time... I forgot about the song until the flight back, and then I heard it again on the flight to Korea. So, for a month and a half, it was this wonderful little sad song that I only heard on airplane flights, until I got it in Korea.
14) Who were you most thankful for in 2006?
Probably the same answer as something like this I did last year... lots of people, my family of course. I also really appreciated andrew spencer this last semester, because he is one of the very, very, very few people who sticks with me and cares about how I'm doing even when I'm in a rotten mood.
15) What did you do in 2006 that you'd never done before?
Eat at McDonald's multiple times in a week. :D
17) What was your most embarrassing moment of 2006?
I know I must've had some, but to be honest I can't really think of one. I think embarrasment comes when you are putting on airs, or trying to be someone you're not. If you are honest, then you apologize for mistakes... and then most embarrasments become mere misunderstandings.
Having said that, there was this time a month or two ago when I was talking to this girl I'd just met, and she said a few things that I interpreted to mean, she was pregnant. I never told her I thought this, but her friend found out and laughed at me to no end about it. But I thought it was more funny than embarrasing.
18) What valuable life lesson did you learn in 2006?
The best food and the most beautiful women of the world live in Uzbekistan.
19) What are your plans for 2007?
Compared with last year's plans, surprisingly little.
20) What were you doing when 2006 ended?
Laying on a chair beside my granny's pool, watching stars and listening to the fireworks and gunshots.
1) Where were you when 2006 began?
Kokomo, Indiana, with me folks.
2) What was your least favorite moment of the year?
OK, just a warning... probably most of these answers are going to involve traveling, because those were some of the best (and worst) moments of the year. My least favorite moment was staying awake all night on the sidewalk at Gimpo Airport in Korea so that no one would steal my suitcases.
3) What was your favorite moment of the year?
Wow, so hard to decide. My first ascent of Mt. Lajuma was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen (a few pictures are on Flickr.) Also, probably the best feeling of 2006 was actually catching a flight from DC to Indianapolis that, by all accounts, I should have missed. I cannot begin to describe that feeling of relief. :D
Wow. My favorite and least favorite moments both involve airports. hahahah
4) What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 21 this year. It was just a normal school day at Handong, and nobody knew it was my birthday until someone happened to randomly ask that evening, and then my good pal Jin went and bought me a pizza and a few bottles of Pepsi.
5) Were you in a relationship in 2006?
Nope.
6) Did you breakup with anyone in 2006?
Nope.
7) Did you make any new friends in 2006?
Tons. But I don't speak to a lot of them any more. :(
9) What date from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Well, specific dates get into my head because they are flight dates, but other than those, I suppose the word August was in my thoughts a lot, because it was the month I would get to see my LETU friends after 8 months away.
9) Did you travel outside of the US in 2006?
Oh yes.
10) What was the best book you read?
I read a number of books I enjoyed. Probably my favorite was Casanova, by Andrew Miller. It is something of an historical novel. But I would say I fell in love with the author even more than the book. I am convinced that good writers just see the world in different terms and conceive ways to express that in terms most people enjoy, but cannot themselves create. Grammar and all that is secondary. Miller's writing is filled with things like that.
11) Did you miss anybody in the past year?
Yeah. Pretty much everybody I wasn't actually with. :D
12) What was your favorite movie that you saw in 2006?
I can't even remember the movies I've seen this year. I just found a list of 2006 movies, let me see... a lot of movies weren't particularly great for me, but there were a few a cut above the rest. I liked Crash and Inside Man. Cars was also pretty good. Oh, and seeing V for Vendetta in Pohang with Korean subtitles was pretty funny.
13) What was your favorite song from 2006?
Wow, way too many to pick one. But... just for the sake of picking something, I'll say Other Side of the World by KT Tunstall. I first heard it on the way to South Africa. I loved the sound and the words really clicked with where I was at the time... I forgot about the song until the flight back, and then I heard it again on the flight to Korea. So, for a month and a half, it was this wonderful little sad song that I only heard on airplane flights, until I got it in Korea.
14) Who were you most thankful for in 2006?
Probably the same answer as something like this I did last year... lots of people, my family of course. I also really appreciated andrew spencer this last semester, because he is one of the very, very, very few people who sticks with me and cares about how I'm doing even when I'm in a rotten mood.
15) What did you do in 2006 that you'd never done before?
Eat at McDonald's multiple times in a week. :D
17) What was your most embarrassing moment of 2006?
I know I must've had some, but to be honest I can't really think of one. I think embarrasment comes when you are putting on airs, or trying to be someone you're not. If you are honest, then you apologize for mistakes... and then most embarrasments become mere misunderstandings.
Having said that, there was this time a month or two ago when I was talking to this girl I'd just met, and she said a few things that I interpreted to mean, she was pregnant. I never told her I thought this, but her friend found out and laughed at me to no end about it. But I thought it was more funny than embarrasing.
18) What valuable life lesson did you learn in 2006?
The best food and the most beautiful women of the world live in Uzbekistan.
19) What are your plans for 2007?
Compared with last year's plans, surprisingly little.
20) What were you doing when 2006 ended?
Laying on a chair beside my granny's pool, watching stars and listening to the fireworks and gunshots.
happy new year
It's 2007, folks! Here's what some folks in Nantes think about it...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6222153.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6222153.stm
