If you somehow found this, my old blog, then kudos to you! Not even a change of URL will stand in the way of your blog reading! But now updates happen at ludwhig.blogspot.com. Ciao!
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The Sun in my Hair
It's GRE time. I'll catch you on the flip side. *cue impossibly cool rock music intro*
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
