Everyone should do it at least once.
Go out late. Long after you should be in bed. Go by yourself, or take a friend with whom you can share a comfortable silence. Find a favorite song that is good for driving. Turn up the volume. Put it on repeat. A string of different songs would provide a way to measure time, and time is irrelevant right now. Ignore its passage.
Head out to the back roads, somewhere that you don't know well. Break the rules. Run stop signs. Shatter speed limits. Drive on the wrong side of the road. Take turns faster than you should. Mash the accelerator into the floor. Top out your car. Pass another car with a siren on its roof and watch it turn around in your rear view mirror. Break line of sight, pull into a driveway, and hide until the other car passes. Sing loudly with your song, even if you're not a singer. Turn off your headlights and drive by the light of the moon.
Think. Or don't think.
Enjoy the freedom and solitude.
Cruise.
Everyone should do it at least once.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Friday, February 26, 2010
Resumes
I really hate resumes.
The faculty mentor for my floor is an instructor in the communication department, so he decided he would put on a resume program to help out people who were looking to learn about resumes or to make their existing resumes better. Naturally, as an RA, I was there. I had a resume, but it was a one page deal that I had done for a class last year, so it was out of date and not real extensive. I brought it along and let him tear it up so that I could make it better. And honestly, it really did need to be better.
In order to have a good resume, you really have to work at it. You have to use all the right words and all the right places, all the right formats and all the right phrasing. (OneRepublic reference for the win!) Worse still, what is required changes from job to job, and it's not like companies tell you what kind of resume you should give them. You have to kinda guess. For instance, if you are submitting a resume to an engineering firm, you'll probably want your resume to be more heavily informative and less creative than one you might send to a television studio.
And to top it all off, this piece of paper that you've spent hours and hours carefully tailoring and fine tuning gets, on average, glanced at for less than a minute. Oh sweet ungratification, thy name is resume. Go burn in a fire.
In case you hadn't guessed it already, I spent the last couple hours working on my resume. There must be a better way. Like bribery. Or seduction. This bears thinking on.
The faculty mentor for my floor is an instructor in the communication department, so he decided he would put on a resume program to help out people who were looking to learn about resumes or to make their existing resumes better. Naturally, as an RA, I was there. I had a resume, but it was a one page deal that I had done for a class last year, so it was out of date and not real extensive. I brought it along and let him tear it up so that I could make it better. And honestly, it really did need to be better.
In order to have a good resume, you really have to work at it. You have to use all the right words and all the right places, all the right formats and all the right phrasing. (OneRepublic reference for the win!) Worse still, what is required changes from job to job, and it's not like companies tell you what kind of resume you should give them. You have to kinda guess. For instance, if you are submitting a resume to an engineering firm, you'll probably want your resume to be more heavily informative and less creative than one you might send to a television studio.
And to top it all off, this piece of paper that you've spent hours and hours carefully tailoring and fine tuning gets, on average, glanced at for less than a minute. Oh sweet ungratification, thy name is resume. Go burn in a fire.
In case you hadn't guessed it already, I spent the last couple hours working on my resume. There must be a better way. Like bribery. Or seduction. This bears thinking on.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
How Deep The Father's Love
My father always told me that when God has a message for you, you'll get it two or three times.
Tonight, as I was doing my devotions, I was especially struck by Ephesians 3:17-20.
"... And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."
It reverberated with the lyrics of the beautiful Stuart Townend hymn that we sang during Campus Crusade tonight.
How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure
As both the verses and the hymn declare, God's love is utterly beyond the scope of anything else we can imagine. Think about it! Paul was praying that the Christians in Ephesus would just to be able to grasp the full extent of God's love! That's how great it is!
This reminded me that God's love should be the sole foundation of my life. It is the one thing that will always remain solid and constant. I shouldn't look to build my life and worth on my academic or financial successes, my friends, my significant other, my possessions, or any other worldly thing. Only God's enormous love can make me whole.
I'll finish the same way Ephesians 3 does:
"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."
Tonight, as I was doing my devotions, I was especially struck by Ephesians 3:17-20.
"... And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."
It reverberated with the lyrics of the beautiful Stuart Townend hymn that we sang during Campus Crusade tonight.
How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure
As both the verses and the hymn declare, God's love is utterly beyond the scope of anything else we can imagine. Think about it! Paul was praying that the Christians in Ephesus would just to be able to grasp the full extent of God's love! That's how great it is!
This reminded me that God's love should be the sole foundation of my life. It is the one thing that will always remain solid and constant. I shouldn't look to build my life and worth on my academic or financial successes, my friends, my significant other, my possessions, or any other worldly thing. Only God's enormous love can make me whole.
I'll finish the same way Ephesians 3 does:
"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."
Monday, February 22, 2010
Characterization
I've noticed that as I've worked more and more on my writing, I've begun to take notice different things that I didn't pay much attention to before. One thing that caught my attention was the characters of a video game I played through called Infinite Undiscovery, a fairly recent title by Square Enix. Specifically, what caught my attention was they way they were developed.
Sadly, they were developed very poorly.
One problem I found was that the cast was too big. New characters were constantly being introduced, so much so that by the end of the game, the pool of characters you can pick from for your party (of 3) consists of 17 people. No form of media short of a very long book series has enough time to develop 17 different stories, motivations, and personalities. A lot of the characters in Infinite Undiscovery felt like they were just kind of there without a purpose.
For instance, you get the last two characters of your party about an hour or two before you beat the game. Those two characters have no role and no clear use. During cutscenes involving those two, I found myself thinking "Why are you talking? Hurry up and let me go beat the big boss baddie." They were nothing but dead weight.
The main characters were also somewhat poorly done. They never developed strong voices or personalities. The protagonist seemed to be downright stupid more often than not. All but one of the supporting characters were flat and transparent, if not downright annoying. The main baddie's past was non-existent and his motivation was murky. My feelings at the end of the game consisted mostly of "I guess I'm supposed to kill this guy, because apparently something bad will happen if I don't. I think."
By contrast, I started thinking about some other games I've played. Final Fantasy X, another title Square Enix, jumped to mind. That was a game worth playing.
Each one of the seven characters in your party was so well developed. The last time I played the game was a couple of years ago, but I can still list each of the characters and explain their motivations, their personality quirks, and why I liked (or, if the character was evil, disliked) them. From Tidus's broken relationship with his old man, to Yuna's dedication to following in her father's footsteps, to Auron's promise to his friend, to Seymour's twisted yet almost understandable logic; every story is believable and impactful.
Personality quirks, history, motivation, goals, emotions.
I want to learn to write characters with these things. I want to have readers crying, laughing, and rooting for my characters every step of the way. Infinite Undiscovery failed to do that, but by looking at what it did wrong, hopefully I can pick up some lessons on how to avoid similar pitfalls.
Sadly, they were developed very poorly.
One problem I found was that the cast was too big. New characters were constantly being introduced, so much so that by the end of the game, the pool of characters you can pick from for your party (of 3) consists of 17 people. No form of media short of a very long book series has enough time to develop 17 different stories, motivations, and personalities. A lot of the characters in Infinite Undiscovery felt like they were just kind of there without a purpose.
For instance, you get the last two characters of your party about an hour or two before you beat the game. Those two characters have no role and no clear use. During cutscenes involving those two, I found myself thinking "Why are you talking? Hurry up and let me go beat the big boss baddie." They were nothing but dead weight.
The main characters were also somewhat poorly done. They never developed strong voices or personalities. The protagonist seemed to be downright stupid more often than not. All but one of the supporting characters were flat and transparent, if not downright annoying. The main baddie's past was non-existent and his motivation was murky. My feelings at the end of the game consisted mostly of "I guess I'm supposed to kill this guy, because apparently something bad will happen if I don't. I think."
By contrast, I started thinking about some other games I've played. Final Fantasy X, another title Square Enix, jumped to mind. That was a game worth playing.
Each one of the seven characters in your party was so well developed. The last time I played the game was a couple of years ago, but I can still list each of the characters and explain their motivations, their personality quirks, and why I liked (or, if the character was evil, disliked) them. From Tidus's broken relationship with his old man, to Yuna's dedication to following in her father's footsteps, to Auron's promise to his friend, to Seymour's twisted yet almost understandable logic; every story is believable and impactful.
Personality quirks, history, motivation, goals, emotions.
I want to learn to write characters with these things. I want to have readers crying, laughing, and rooting for my characters every step of the way. Infinite Undiscovery failed to do that, but by looking at what it did wrong, hopefully I can pick up some lessons on how to avoid similar pitfalls.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Scars
Scars are unique. To be honest, I kind of like them. No need to worry, I'm not a cutter or anything. It's just that scars tell stories.
Some scars tell happy or hilarious stories. Some scars tell sad or painful stories. Some are the result of decisions that you wish you would never have made. Some are the result of decisions that you'd make over again in a heartbeat. Some are on the outside. Some are on the inside. All stand testament to the actions or events or people that created them.
In the end, though, I like that God designed us to carry the marks of our past with us wherever we go.
Some scars tell happy or hilarious stories. Some scars tell sad or painful stories. Some are the result of decisions that you wish you would never have made. Some are the result of decisions that you'd make over again in a heartbeat. Some are on the outside. Some are on the inside. All stand testament to the actions or events or people that created them.
In the end, though, I like that God designed us to carry the marks of our past with us wherever we go.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Death's Head Grin
Emoticons need some type of standard.
I was posting a comment on a friend's blog just a bit ago, and I wanted to put a smiley at the end of my post since, if I were actually there, I would be grinning as I said what I had said. Colon, parenthesis, good to go, right? Click post.
Ahhhh!
The emoticon that popped up for a smiley face looked like it was grimacing, at best. It had all these weird eyebrows and teeth and creepy bits that smiley emoticons just shouldn't have. I'm fairly certain if I had made that face at my friend, they would have run away in terror.
I'm pretty sure the Bible agrees with me. Let's see... ah yes, here it is: "Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No', and your smiley emoticon be a smiley emoticon; anything beyond this comes from the evil one." See? Satan's emoticon. Err... something like that anyway.
I was posting a comment on a friend's blog just a bit ago, and I wanted to put a smiley at the end of my post since, if I were actually there, I would be grinning as I said what I had said. Colon, parenthesis, good to go, right? Click post.
Ahhhh!
The emoticon that popped up for a smiley face looked like it was grimacing, at best. It had all these weird eyebrows and teeth and creepy bits that smiley emoticons just shouldn't have. I'm fairly certain if I had made that face at my friend, they would have run away in terror.
I'm pretty sure the Bible agrees with me. Let's see... ah yes, here it is: "Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No', and your smiley emoticon be a smiley emoticon; anything beyond this comes from the evil one." See? Satan's emoticon. Err... something like that anyway.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
I Would Dig A Hole All The Way To China
I've got quite the story for you all! Guess what?
I met my dream girl!
Crazy, right? This all happened yesterday... lemme tell you how it went.
So I was in the dining center, attending a program (that's RA speak for an event) that they had put on there. I'm not sure why the program was in the dining center... maybe just because it was a big space with lots of chairs and tables. Anyway, we had a speaker who would talk and then we would break into small groups and discuss what he had talked about.
After he had finished speaking one time, I was headed to the part of the dining center where I normally sit and I ran into this girl. Quite literally. I managed to knock her off balance and almost send her to the ground. However, I was able to salvage the situation by catching her before she went down. Oh yeah, my middle name is Suave.
Surprisingly, she wasn't too bothered by the fact that I'd just nearly taken her out. In fact, we both ended up laughing pretty hard about it. She had an awesome sense of humor, very witty. She was also ridiculously cute. Like, cute enough for any three girls. Short, medium length brown hair, smile to die for, and dark, intelligent eyes. And she was wearing a bright red dress that was positively jaw dropping.
Anywho, we laughed and I apologized and we kinda hit it off. We only talked for a minute or two, but she was a ton of fun. I needed to go meet up with my group and continue the program, though, so I told her I'd see her during the next session. She agreed and we parted ways.
I continued to the other section of the dining center and sat down with my group. They were laughing and wanted to show me a YouTube video. I sat down and started watching. The video was a couple of guys lighting a big brush pile on fire. Next thing I know, I'm actually inside the video. There's lots of fire. Suddenly, I'm back in the the dining center, but the computer and a ten foot section of the wall is now on fire. Nobody seemed too concerned about the fact that the building was on fire.
Then I woke up.
I was late. I had to get up and get going to meet my lab group so we could work on our lab report. I guess that sometimes, your dream girl is a bit too dreamy for her own good. Or for her own existence.
:)
I met my dream girl!
Crazy, right? This all happened yesterday... lemme tell you how it went.
So I was in the dining center, attending a program (that's RA speak for an event) that they had put on there. I'm not sure why the program was in the dining center... maybe just because it was a big space with lots of chairs and tables. Anyway, we had a speaker who would talk and then we would break into small groups and discuss what he had talked about.
After he had finished speaking one time, I was headed to the part of the dining center where I normally sit and I ran into this girl. Quite literally. I managed to knock her off balance and almost send her to the ground. However, I was able to salvage the situation by catching her before she went down. Oh yeah, my middle name is Suave.
Surprisingly, she wasn't too bothered by the fact that I'd just nearly taken her out. In fact, we both ended up laughing pretty hard about it. She had an awesome sense of humor, very witty. She was also ridiculously cute. Like, cute enough for any three girls. Short, medium length brown hair, smile to die for, and dark, intelligent eyes. And she was wearing a bright red dress that was positively jaw dropping.
Anywho, we laughed and I apologized and we kinda hit it off. We only talked for a minute or two, but she was a ton of fun. I needed to go meet up with my group and continue the program, though, so I told her I'd see her during the next session. She agreed and we parted ways.
I continued to the other section of the dining center and sat down with my group. They were laughing and wanted to show me a YouTube video. I sat down and started watching. The video was a couple of guys lighting a big brush pile on fire. Next thing I know, I'm actually inside the video. There's lots of fire. Suddenly, I'm back in the the dining center, but the computer and a ten foot section of the wall is now on fire. Nobody seemed too concerned about the fact that the building was on fire.
Then I woke up.
I was late. I had to get up and get going to meet my lab group so we could work on our lab report. I guess that sometimes, your dream girl is a bit too dreamy for her own good. Or for her own existence.
:)
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Doody
I was coming back from a friends house late at night and swung by the bathroom to do my manly business before I went to bed. One of the other RAs, Suyi, was in the bathroom as I came in, so I said hi. He was laughing and told me to go look in the shower room.
Sigh. I instantly knew that I should just turn around and walk back out.
Instead, I went to see what he had found. It couldn't be good, whatever it was. As it turned out, someone had decided to take a big dood right on one of the shower drains. Cute. I got to spend the next 15 minutes helping Suyi clean it up. Luckily, since he was the one on duty, all I really had to do was show him where the cleanup kits were and stand by as he did the dirty work. Really, though, who does that? All the guys who came in and out of the bathroom as we worked were pretty disgusted by it as well.
At least we were able to laugh about it as Suyi worked. It made it bearable, although Suyi still almost hurled at one point. I left a little while after the other RA on duty got there. I guess I wasn't that eager to see the exciting conclusion. What a night...
Sigh. I instantly knew that I should just turn around and walk back out.
Instead, I went to see what he had found. It couldn't be good, whatever it was. As it turned out, someone had decided to take a big dood right on one of the shower drains. Cute. I got to spend the next 15 minutes helping Suyi clean it up. Luckily, since he was the one on duty, all I really had to do was show him where the cleanup kits were and stand by as he did the dirty work. Really, though, who does that? All the guys who came in and out of the bathroom as we worked were pretty disgusted by it as well.
At least we were able to laugh about it as Suyi worked. It made it bearable, although Suyi still almost hurled at one point. I left a little while after the other RA on duty got there. I guess I wasn't that eager to see the exciting conclusion. What a night...
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Singles Awareness Day
Guess what (as of about an hour ago) day it is? That's right, Valentine's Day! Exciting, right?
Well, not for many people. For those who are single, this day can serve as a pointed reminder that they don't have anyone. Some of my friends like to use the term "Singles Awareness Day" to describe the holiday. And in fairness, it can be kinda rough to watch so many people around you enjoying a holiday for couples and romance when you have no significant other and no viable prospects. But...
Being single isn't all bad.
There are some nice benefits to being single. I know, I know, some people like to go on about all the so called "benefits", yet are in a relationship or (even worse) already married. Kinda makes you want to slap them. Well, I am actually single. So hear me out...
As a single, you pretty much have free reign over your time. Especially as a college student, you have no one to tell you when to go someplace, when to come back, when to meet, when to eat, when to sleep, etc. Significant others tend to limit this freedom, as you will have to try to work your schedule around theirs so that you can see each other.
You also have a lot more free time as a single. Relationships take time, there's no way around it. You may enjoy most of that time, but it's still time you can't spend on other things. So as a single, enjoy the extra free time and find something fun or useful to do with it.
When you're single, you don't have to deal with the fights and emotional bullshit, at least not often. Inevitably, couples will have fights and disagreements, some more than others. Singles generally don't, or if they do, their fights are less severe and cause them less trouble.
Singles get more social freedom, too. A single guy could go out with one of his ladyfriends and hang out all night with her, and the most trouble he'd get would be people giving him sly looks as they asked him what was going on. That's a lot better than accusations of cheating.
Single people get to focus more on growing and maintaining friendships. By contrast, we've all seen the guy who finds a girl and ditches all of his friends to hang out with her 24/7. Even in less extreme examples, couples generally spend time apart from everyone else. As a single, enjoy being able to spend all the time you want making and hanging out with lots of good friends.
These reasons, I feel, are some pretty good ones to appreciate being single. I'm not trying to say that being single is better than being in a relationship, because I myself am not always happy being alone. I'm just saying, flying solo isn't all bad.
Keep that in mind as you suffer through this overcommercialized and nausea-inducing excuse for a holiday. And look forward to the clearance priced candy on Monday. Woo hoo!
Well, not for many people. For those who are single, this day can serve as a pointed reminder that they don't have anyone. Some of my friends like to use the term "Singles Awareness Day" to describe the holiday. And in fairness, it can be kinda rough to watch so many people around you enjoying a holiday for couples and romance when you have no significant other and no viable prospects. But...
Being single isn't all bad.
There are some nice benefits to being single. I know, I know, some people like to go on about all the so called "benefits", yet are in a relationship or (even worse) already married. Kinda makes you want to slap them. Well, I am actually single. So hear me out...
As a single, you pretty much have free reign over your time. Especially as a college student, you have no one to tell you when to go someplace, when to come back, when to meet, when to eat, when to sleep, etc. Significant others tend to limit this freedom, as you will have to try to work your schedule around theirs so that you can see each other.
You also have a lot more free time as a single. Relationships take time, there's no way around it. You may enjoy most of that time, but it's still time you can't spend on other things. So as a single, enjoy the extra free time and find something fun or useful to do with it.
When you're single, you don't have to deal with the fights and emotional bullshit, at least not often. Inevitably, couples will have fights and disagreements, some more than others. Singles generally don't, or if they do, their fights are less severe and cause them less trouble.
Singles get more social freedom, too. A single guy could go out with one of his ladyfriends and hang out all night with her, and the most trouble he'd get would be people giving him sly looks as they asked him what was going on. That's a lot better than accusations of cheating.
Single people get to focus more on growing and maintaining friendships. By contrast, we've all seen the guy who finds a girl and ditches all of his friends to hang out with her 24/7. Even in less extreme examples, couples generally spend time apart from everyone else. As a single, enjoy being able to spend all the time you want making and hanging out with lots of good friends.
These reasons, I feel, are some pretty good ones to appreciate being single. I'm not trying to say that being single is better than being in a relationship, because I myself am not always happy being alone. I'm just saying, flying solo isn't all bad.
Keep that in mind as you suffer through this overcommercialized and nausea-inducing excuse for a holiday. And look forward to the clearance priced candy on Monday. Woo hoo!
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Destination: Nowhere
So this weekend, I was planning on going to visit some of my friends at the college I used to attend before I transferred. Unfortunately, my ride bailed on me. Not only that, but he did so without telling me. I didn't find out until the night before, when I called to double check what time we would be leaving.
I considered making the trip solo, but the money, driving time, and amount of homework I have to do this weekend made it too hard to for me to manage.
I was really looking forward to seeing all my friends there again. Now I'm stuck in Fargo for the long weekend. Sigh...
I considered making the trip solo, but the money, driving time, and amount of homework I have to do this weekend made it too hard to for me to manage.
I was really looking forward to seeing all my friends there again. Now I'm stuck in Fargo for the long weekend. Sigh...
Monday, February 8, 2010
You Deserve More, Girl.
The longer I live, the more often I see it, and the more it pains me. A girl sleeps around, hunting for love and affirmation in the arms of a guy. Maybe she only sleeps with her boyfriend(until they break up and she starts sleeping with the next one), or maybe she sleeps with nearly anyone. Either way, she sells herself short.
Because here's the thing. You won't find love and affirmation that way. You'll just sell your heart away, one bloody chunk at a time. You might not even realize you're doing it until it's all gone and the only think left inside of you is an empty, hollow spot that screams to be filled but isn't.
Ultimately, love and affirmation come from God. A good man and a good marriage should emulate that love. And that's why it's worth waiting til you're married to have sex.
You see, God didn't make sex feel really really good and then put restrictions on it because he's a sadistic bastard who likes to mess with people. He designed sex to be a beautiful and powerful expression of love. And when you treat it casually and sleep with anyone, it'll take pieces of you with it.
So hold off. Giddy hormones and "I love you" are worth next to nothing on their own. A marriage, though, a guy's commitment to try to love you in a way that imitates God's perfect love... that's something solid. And when you have that, sex will be a true affirmation of love instead of a cheap imitation.
I feel like the more I say, the worse job I'm doing of explaining everything.
I just know that when I see girls I know (some of whom are close friends, some just passing acquaintances) sleeping with guys, or dating worthless guys because they feel like they can't be without one, I get a sad, twisting feeling in my gut. Because I know that they're only hurting themselves in a desire to fulfill their own longing for love. Don't sell yourselves short, girls. You deserve more.
Because here's the thing. You won't find love and affirmation that way. You'll just sell your heart away, one bloody chunk at a time. You might not even realize you're doing it until it's all gone and the only think left inside of you is an empty, hollow spot that screams to be filled but isn't.
Ultimately, love and affirmation come from God. A good man and a good marriage should emulate that love. And that's why it's worth waiting til you're married to have sex.
You see, God didn't make sex feel really really good and then put restrictions on it because he's a sadistic bastard who likes to mess with people. He designed sex to be a beautiful and powerful expression of love. And when you treat it casually and sleep with anyone, it'll take pieces of you with it.
So hold off. Giddy hormones and "I love you" are worth next to nothing on their own. A marriage, though, a guy's commitment to try to love you in a way that imitates God's perfect love... that's something solid. And when you have that, sex will be a true affirmation of love instead of a cheap imitation.
I feel like the more I say, the worse job I'm doing of explaining everything.
I just know that when I see girls I know (some of whom are close friends, some just passing acquaintances) sleeping with guys, or dating worthless guys because they feel like they can't be without one, I get a sad, twisting feeling in my gut. Because I know that they're only hurting themselves in a desire to fulfill their own longing for love. Don't sell yourselves short, girls. You deserve more.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
WHOOOO ARE YOU?
Tonight was the Superbowl. Kinda a big deal in most circles. I went and watched it in a buddy's room while I did homework. I'm not an avid football fan, so I just looked up for the commercials and the plays that got everyone screaming.
I was planning on ignoring the halftime show. Every halftime show I can remember has been bad. Most just aren't entertaining, some are downright awful. Needless to say, I wasn't expecting much out of this one.
Holy crap was I wrong. The Who blew my mind! First off, they didn't mess around with lots of pseudo-artsy themes or lines of scantily clad cheerleaders dancing around on field. Instead, they had the coolest stage known to man. Lines of LEDs ran from the middle of the stage out to form a big circle. They used this giant light ring for all kinds of cool effects. Ripples of light in time with the music, guitar playing silhouettes, lyrics, you name it. They also had great fireworks and lasers that they used well. The overall effect was really clean and looked absolutely incredible.
Along with a sweet light show, they played a phenomenal medley of songs, many of which everyone, no matter their tastes in music, can recognize and sing along with. The crowd went wild at the blissful opening notes of Baba O'Riley (aka Teenage Wasteland), and during Who Are You, the audience was singing along so loud that they were clearly audible, even over the air. That is how you know you have a good halftime show.
If you missed it, there are some decent videos up on YouTube. You really have to see the stage to appreciate how cool it was. Take a look:
Part 1
Part 2
I was planning on ignoring the halftime show. Every halftime show I can remember has been bad. Most just aren't entertaining, some are downright awful. Needless to say, I wasn't expecting much out of this one.
Holy crap was I wrong. The Who blew my mind! First off, they didn't mess around with lots of pseudo-artsy themes or lines of scantily clad cheerleaders dancing around on field. Instead, they had the coolest stage known to man. Lines of LEDs ran from the middle of the stage out to form a big circle. They used this giant light ring for all kinds of cool effects. Ripples of light in time with the music, guitar playing silhouettes, lyrics, you name it. They also had great fireworks and lasers that they used well. The overall effect was really clean and looked absolutely incredible.
Along with a sweet light show, they played a phenomenal medley of songs, many of which everyone, no matter their tastes in music, can recognize and sing along with. The crowd went wild at the blissful opening notes of Baba O'Riley (aka Teenage Wasteland), and during Who Are You, the audience was singing along so loud that they were clearly audible, even over the air. That is how you know you have a good halftime show.
If you missed it, there are some decent videos up on YouTube. You really have to see the stage to appreciate how cool it was. Take a look:
Part 1
Part 2
Whaoooaaa!
So the other night, I was standing around talking with some of my friends and something incredible happened. Before I can say exactly what happened, though, I have to set the scene. *dramatic music*
The halls on each floor of my dorm are set up like a digital 8, the kind you might see on a microwave clock or a car dashboard. Two long hallways connected at the ends and in the middle. In the empty part of each 8 are bathrooms, janitors' closets, etc.
So as I was saying, my friends and I were standing in the middle crossover point of the 8, right where a figure skater would crisscross her skate tracks. All of a sudden, one of the guys on my floor, Kory, runs into the middle section waving a big metal ruler (he's an architecture major) and yelling martial arts-esque war cries. As I whirl around identify the source of said cries, he spins and dashes back down the hallway, crouched low with his ruler held high behind his head. I peak around the corner in confusion, just in time to see him vanish into the bathroom.
*blink blink*
"Huh??"
I'm still staring down the hallway in confusion when Kory suddenly blurs past me again, this time tearing down the opposite long hall, still in the same ridiculous position, still yelling like an 80's movie kung fu master. I promptly broke down into fits of laughter.
Just goes to show you... big metal rulers will, without fail, make guys fantasize about being knights or ninjas or some other form of sword-wielding warrior. It's in our blood.
The halls on each floor of my dorm are set up like a digital 8, the kind you might see on a microwave clock or a car dashboard. Two long hallways connected at the ends and in the middle. In the empty part of each 8 are bathrooms, janitors' closets, etc.
So as I was saying, my friends and I were standing in the middle crossover point of the 8, right where a figure skater would crisscross her skate tracks. All of a sudden, one of the guys on my floor, Kory, runs into the middle section waving a big metal ruler (he's an architecture major) and yelling martial arts-esque war cries. As I whirl around identify the source of said cries, he spins and dashes back down the hallway, crouched low with his ruler held high behind his head. I peak around the corner in confusion, just in time to see him vanish into the bathroom.
*blink blink*
"Huh??"
I'm still staring down the hallway in confusion when Kory suddenly blurs past me again, this time tearing down the opposite long hall, still in the same ridiculous position, still yelling like an 80's movie kung fu master. I promptly broke down into fits of laughter.
Just goes to show you... big metal rulers will, without fail, make guys fantasize about being knights or ninjas or some other form of sword-wielding warrior. It's in our blood.
Friday, February 5, 2010
The Last Airbender
Later this year, The Last Airbender hits theaters. The movie is based on the TV series Avatar: The Last Airbender.
The TV series is one of my favorite shows, and probably the best cartoon series I've seen. It combines great humor, beautifully done action sequences, awesome elemental powers, heart warming moments, and an epic sized storyline.
The show is drawn in a somewhat anime style, but instead of explosively exaggerated (and poorly drawn) emotions and actions scenes that consist of cool poses on a light show background, you get expressive faces and masterfully choreographed and rendered fights.
The movie, based on the series, has me both nervous and excited. It's being done by M. Night Shyamalan, who a lot of people think is going to drop the ball. The clips I've seen for it so far (mostly action) look spectacular, but I've heard mixed reviews regarding acting and tone. I figure that the live action movie will have to be different from the animated show, but I'm hoping that it will be a well done different. I guess we'll find out in a few months.
The main point of this post, though, is this. New trailer was leaked, go check it out. Looks like there's the potential for some seriously BAMF fight scenes.
The TV series is one of my favorite shows, and probably the best cartoon series I've seen. It combines great humor, beautifully done action sequences, awesome elemental powers, heart warming moments, and an epic sized storyline.
The show is drawn in a somewhat anime style, but instead of explosively exaggerated (and poorly drawn) emotions and actions scenes that consist of cool poses on a light show background, you get expressive faces and masterfully choreographed and rendered fights.
The movie, based on the series, has me both nervous and excited. It's being done by M. Night Shyamalan, who a lot of people think is going to drop the ball. The clips I've seen for it so far (mostly action) look spectacular, but I've heard mixed reviews regarding acting and tone. I figure that the live action movie will have to be different from the animated show, but I'm hoping that it will be a well done different. I guess we'll find out in a few months.
The main point of this post, though, is this. New trailer was leaked, go check it out. Looks like there's the potential for some seriously BAMF fight scenes.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Shout Out!
A shout out goes to the guy that invented the suit.
It's pretty difficult for a guy to look bad in a suit. Or even just a blazer. I wore a blazer and jeans today, and I had several different people comment on it. It's not like it took a lot of work to throw it on. They just look good.
Seriously, look at fashion. Has the suit changed much over the years? Nope. You know why? Cause it's hard to improve on perfection.
Bottom line: well done, suit-man.
It's pretty difficult for a guy to look bad in a suit. Or even just a blazer. I wore a blazer and jeans today, and I had several different people comment on it. It's not like it took a lot of work to throw it on. They just look good.
Seriously, look at fashion. Has the suit changed much over the years? Nope. You know why? Cause it's hard to improve on perfection.
Bottom line: well done, suit-man.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
A Heartbeat
A heartbeat isn't much. Just a little thu-thump, not even audible unless you're in very close proximity.
But at the same time, it's so much more.
I know that science says that the brain is the happening part of the body and that the heart is just an engine, the heartbeat just a tachometer. I also know that science isn't as omniscient and important as it likes to think it is, and I refuse to give it the final say.
A heartbeat is a reminder, a constant, a comfort.
A heartbeat is not the sound of cold, clean machinery. It is vibrant and visceral. It signifies muscle and blood and sinew. Signifies another being. Signifies that you are not alone.
A heartbeat doesn't stop for anything short of death. It may quicken during excitement and slow during sleep, but it's always there. Where there is a heartbeat, there is life.
A heartbeat means that someone cares about you enough and trusts you enough to allow you close enough to listen. It is an audible reminder of the love (of whatever form) that flows from the same place.
A heartbeat is something that I can't entirely describe. Whether this is because I am not eloquent enough to capture it, or because science and language fail to fully encompass it, I don't know.
But I do know that a heartbeat is one of the most beautiful sounds in all of Creation, and one that I haven't heard in a long time. Here's to you, heartbeat, wherever you are. Keep beating.
But at the same time, it's so much more.
I know that science says that the brain is the happening part of the body and that the heart is just an engine, the heartbeat just a tachometer. I also know that science isn't as omniscient and important as it likes to think it is, and I refuse to give it the final say.
A heartbeat is a reminder, a constant, a comfort.
A heartbeat is not the sound of cold, clean machinery. It is vibrant and visceral. It signifies muscle and blood and sinew. Signifies another being. Signifies that you are not alone.
A heartbeat doesn't stop for anything short of death. It may quicken during excitement and slow during sleep, but it's always there. Where there is a heartbeat, there is life.
A heartbeat means that someone cares about you enough and trusts you enough to allow you close enough to listen. It is an audible reminder of the love (of whatever form) that flows from the same place.
A heartbeat is something that I can't entirely describe. Whether this is because I am not eloquent enough to capture it, or because science and language fail to fully encompass it, I don't know.
But I do know that a heartbeat is one of the most beautiful sounds in all of Creation, and one that I haven't heard in a long time. Here's to you, heartbeat, wherever you are. Keep beating.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Bright Nights Dark Days
The first time I heard Cavo was sometime during the beginning of last year. Their first single "Champagne" was on the radio quite a bit, and I heard it and liked it quite a bit. Their second single from the same album was the song "Crash", which I heard recently and liked even more than I did "Champagne". Curious, I went and tracked down their newest album (the made-of-metal kind) and bought it today.
They're really good stuff! The entire CD is quality music, even if it's only 11 tracks long. Aside from the two songs that I mentioned, I also really am enjoying "Let It Go", "Cry Wolf", "Ghost", "Blame", "Over Again"... there's really not a song on this album that's not worth listening to.
They remind me a little of Theory of a Deadman or 3 Doors Down. A lot of great rock songs with a nice variety of tempos and moods. I'd recommend their album highly to anyone whose music tastes are even a little similar to mine. Or at least, go listen to their songs on YouTube. Here's a link. Go!
They're really good stuff! The entire CD is quality music, even if it's only 11 tracks long. Aside from the two songs that I mentioned, I also really am enjoying "Let It Go", "Cry Wolf", "Ghost", "Blame", "Over Again"... there's really not a song on this album that's not worth listening to.
They remind me a little of Theory of a Deadman or 3 Doors Down. A lot of great rock songs with a nice variety of tempos and moods. I'd recommend their album highly to anyone whose music tastes are even a little similar to mine. Or at least, go listen to their songs on YouTube. Here's a link. Go!
Monday, February 1, 2010
Time to Spare?
Strip Settlers of Catan? That sounds hilarious... and really lengthy.
Also, for those of you who are a little nerdy and/or have a sense of humor (which is probably all of you, unless a lot more people read this blog than I think), this is my official endorsement of xkcd. It's one of the greatest webcomics I've ever seen. It's gold. Look into it if you haven't already.
Also, for those of you who are a little nerdy and/or have a sense of humor (which is probably all of you, unless a lot more people read this blog than I think), this is my official endorsement of xkcd. It's one of the greatest webcomics I've ever seen. It's gold. Look into it if you haven't already.
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