Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Strange Tidings

Alice who lives around the apothecary
has never been quite as scary
as Ben, the neighbor's boy.
Chuck, who carries cats into his cheap, hot oven,
has baked Dante a dirty dozen
of them, in purest joy.
Each of them eat either the tongue or the eyes,
topped with frosting from Frank's pies
from Eden, a house down town.
"Golly Gee!" said Geminee, "These cats sure taste juicy."
Chuck just smiles and says "You see,
their heads weigh half a pound."

And such are the kids of Strange Tidings B,
the medieval town across the sea,
Where the alphabet runs and the cat's aren't free,
and Strange Tidings A is home to you and me.

Sunday, November 19, 2006

Wii

After a very long week of waiting semi-patiently, I finally got my Wii. I shoulda got it on 11.19, but the preorders did not get delivered to FYE like they should have. They still do not have them, actually. I got mine from inside info at Best Buy. I showed up early and was eighth in line, and Keisha was there with me. I shoulda bought her Cracker Barrel like I told her I would, but I was worried that there would be no spots left, so instead she went to McDonalds. But I got my Wii. Sports is great. Twilight Princess (Zelda) is absolutely gorgeous. Oh so much fun and interaction. I enjoy it very much. Hmmmmmm. I recommend that other people at least play one, because it does involve movement and it is very unique.
Anyway, I just wanted to put it out there.
I got my Wii. And it is fun.

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Prologue--An Olde Prophecy

And it was shown to me in a vision
That a new Hero would arise,
And with his birth the clouds would darken
And the sun would eclipse,
And the child would cry not.

And he would be marked upon his left hand
With a dead finger, broken off in the womb.
Dragons and scorpions - all manner of beasts -
Will strike at his birth.
But he shall be delivered into the world.

And in those days the world will be dark,
But hidden by a brilliant array of lights,
With automation everywhere.
And the child will grow, taught by his father,
Loved by his mother.

And the world will reject its hero,
But he will fight for them.
And I saw a great battle too glorious to tell,
But it brought bloodshed and death to many;
Corpses covered every street.

And the Hero shall receive a talisman of great power,
And with it he will wage war against the Dark.
And with it, he will defeat the darkness,
And light will reign forever.

**Translated from the 20th century prophet San-Sha ta Nek

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

negative cam'pains'

"Bob James...He's got a kid screwed up on dope and got pulled over. But ole Bob James, he's a cop, and so he got those charges dropped. Why vote for Bob James? He's just gonna drop you, too....I'm Ed Jones, and I support this message."

Well, election is over. Finally. And I'm glad I don't have to see another one of those stupid, warring commercials until next election. I honestly don't care about their past. What's past is past. I want to know what they're gonna do if elected. That's it. Forget the past.

To be quite honest, though, I didn't really follow the election very closely. I voted absentee three weeks beforehand, and I knew about half of the people running (perks of a small township). Nationally, I don't care who has control of Capitol Hill. Democrat and Republican are just words, just like Religion is anymore. They are adjectives that don't quite necessarily describe a person very well. I prefer to say I am a Jesus follower, not a religious person, not a Christian. I want a house full of people that truly care about the nation and its people, not one who cares about its pockets.
I would like to see a campaign where people say what they're gonna do in office and why you should vote for them, not why you shouldn't vote for their opponents. It's true for advertisements as well. "This is Subway, where your food is healthy, not like McDonalds and BurgerKing." Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh! I am glad that I typically average ONE hour of television per week, and that is only devoted to Lost. Seriously. I do, however, spend about ten+ hours with my nose stuffed in a book or two or three... Books, better than tv anyday....
Foreverthemore, who cares about negative campaigns. I don't have much of an argument except that I just am one of these people that let the past be forgotten, regardless of how serious it may seem. That probably comes from my faith and my loving nature.

May your days be long and your nights pleasant...

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

simply put:

happy halloween.
i didn't have no candy to give nobody.
i didn't hear anyone say a "trick or treat"
i think ee cummings invented the microwave,
or maybe T. S. Eliot found gold in the wastelands.
this is the way the world ends, not with a bang but a whimper!
there were no ghosts or goblins prancing around in the gloom,
there was one kid that came to my door, but
i didn't have no candy to give to nobody, ('at's a trip negative)
so i stood in the shadows and looked through the peephole until he was gone.
i shoulda opened the door just to hear "trick or treat".
i woulda been tricked, kinda like Hemingway, poor fellow.
the only bridges worth crossing are the ones that lead to the future,
or the ones that mend the past,
or the spooky one that the Headless Horseman sometimes crosses in Sleepy Hollow.
are bones hollow?
it was definitely Eliot who wrote of the Hollow Men,
but it was Abrams & Lindelof who wrote of the Others.
night wanes. i tire. work comes early. sleep comes slowly. r..aammbl...ee cummings?

the second post

The first post concerned itself with Pain, namely that of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
The second post deals with my other love, that of my fiancee, Keisha L Miller.

I've known Keisha for much of my life, both being from a small town (a hamlet, if you will). And we've lived less than a mile apart for the past years. Somewhere along life's way she developed an attraction for me. I do not know why, but she did. And one year she asked me to go to a dance with her. Foolishly, as all young boys are, I said no.

It may have been there that I first started falling for the girl that I rejected. I thought it amazing that someone as cute as her would like me, but as a shy one, and a devoted one to studies, I said no. Infatuation somehow works itself into the mind, though, and my studies eventually became second. But I get ahead of myself.

My senior year of high school I decided that I finally was going to let her know how I felt. It had been a while since I said "no", and so I hoped that her feelings had not changed. So one morning I found her alone (a terribly hard way to get a high school girl) and pulled up a chair by her. My whiskers were rough; my hands shook; my voice wavered. "Do you wanna go to Winter Ball with me?" Or something of that nature. Luckily she said aye. Which, honestly, my memory doesn't let me remember much of that, unless, of course, you call Keisha my memory.

Since then we've dated. Practically. I never did technically ask her to be my girlfriend. I did, however, ask her to be my wife. She agreed. And so, Cinco de Mayo, 2007, we are to be wed. And she still loves me, and I still really have no reason why. She is beautiful and sweet and smart and funny and good and I really don't deserve her love, but I am so thankful to have it. God truly is a good God. He loves me. He showers me with blessings abundant. All of my praise goes to Him.

May your days be long and your nights pleasant, amigo...

Thursday, October 19, 2006

Pain

I was at a concert the other night (Third Day, David Crowder Band, HyperStatic Union) and Mac Powell said a peculiar quote.

"Love is not the universal language. Pain is."

He said that this was told to him by his mentor when he was younger. I've thought about this a bit. Now I ask you to think for a second. Not everyone in the world is going to experience love. Some people probably won't even know what the word means. Many (delah) will not even know what an act of love is. There will only be those innate actions of goodwill, but are they altruistic? Can altruism exist? This is not the point I want to write about. The point I want to expand on is how blessed I am to know Love/love. (By the way, I say aye, altruism does exist.)

There are many loves in my life, but I want to focus on two. The first, and most important, is the Love of Jesus Christ. He came down to this earth, shedding His heavenly glory to take on the roll of a mortal man. He was tempted as we are, yet he succeeded. He lived a life that required work to survive. He had to eat. He had to rest. Through it all He never shirked His purpose: Proclaim God as God as God as Father. He was His Son, divine, immortally mortal, and the Godman. He faced hardships but never failed. He was beaten beyond recognition. His beard was plucked. He was spat upon. He was mocked. Flesh was torn from His body. His blood flowed freely from the countless wounds. His hands were nailed to some wood. His feet were nailed into more wood. Placed upon a cross He was raised toward the heavens. He looked out from His vantage point, vision undoubtedly hampered by blood, and He saw me. He knew me before I was. He knew everything that I would be. He knew all the things that I would do. He knew that my flesh and mind and body would want to be away from Him. Yet, even though I was rebellious, He died for me.

Jesus Christ, Son of God, Man, died in utter agony on a rough cross, bearing the terrible burden of sin. Of our sins.

And He did this because He loves us. He wants us to be with Him in Paradise. He wants to cleanse us from our sins. He will wash our black, rebellious souls with His red/white blood. He will be our Advocate before God and grant us permission to enter into heaven with Him. We can be with Jesus forever.

All that we need to do is to simply confess Jesus as our Lord. This does not necessarily mean that there has to be a big public ordeal. It can simply be done at the privacy of your computer. You can ask God to forgive you of all your wrongs and ask Him to live in your heart. He will. It's that simple. Seriously.

Once this is done, obviously your outward life is going to change, and that is where the world will know. There will be a joy in your heart. And they--the Black-- will hate the White. But God will be there, always. He will never leave. He's never left me. I need Him everyday.

And that is the First Love. Jesus Christ, Son of God, who died for me and you, for us all, who died so that we might live. He loves me forever. His mercy endures forever. He is always there. He will always be there. And He's always gonna want us to live with Him forever.

My second love will come on the words of my next post. Until then, may your days be long and your nights pleasant.

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Co-op update

time: 9:10 post meridian

i'm sleepy. co-op's busy. i don't know why i have a blog. i don't write on it. i don't really even read other people's blogs, either. i kinda don't do much internet stuff, except play minesweeper flags with my roomie from louisville and keep up with my email and order books off half.com.

so, co-ops busy. i got to go to bed.

long days and pleasant nights.

Sunday, August 20, 2006

co-op II

Start: co-op term II
Location: Princeton, IN
Time: 10:19 pm

I've moved in today. Back to the small town. Not quite home. Smaller than Louisville. Tomorrow I start my co-op with the best automotive comany in the world: Toyota. I really like my job, working in the environmental department. Everyone knows I'm in over my head, over my head...

I will be here until the end of the year. Making money. Lots of reading. Lots of writing. Lots of stuff. I really don't know why I have a blog. Maybe cause it's the cool thing to do. Maybe cause I really like writing. Maybe I like experimenting. Maybe, maybe she says somethin' I'm so, I'm so tired...

Cause, you see, Brick is to high school as Gotham City is to New York. 'Twas a good movie. About drugs being ran in high school and people getting caught. Strange. I think maybe I have fleas. Or maybe there's only eight seconds left in overtime, she's on your mind, on your mind...

I gotta go. Long days. Pleasant nights.

Friday, August 11, 2006

getting married

i'm getting married next year. just thought that it should appear on my blog. should be derby day, maybe a week earlier or later, pending on circumstance. but, one things a fact, and that's that i'm getting married next year. God truly has blessed me beyond measure and words. summer is very busy and not a time for computers, especially blogs. perchance i'll update when i get back into a regular semester. perchance i'll be too busy to update very often (as i've been). narytheless, next year, aye, i'm getting married.

long days and pleasant nights

Thursday, August 03, 2006

Lucky! Lick the Downtrodden!

God has been good to me. Merciful. Gracious. Forgiving.
He has been good to the ones I love. Kind. Comforting. Strong.
Yet it seems, no matter what, people are conflicted. I've said before that drama does not really happen to me, but to the ones I love. Many of my friends and relatives have been beset by problems that lead to a deep sadness, and though no great tragedy has happened to me, I feel like I am to be a help. And so I try. I remind that God is always there and that He knows what is going on. He is in charge, after all.
But the downtrodden are given a choice: stay down or rise. Bravo to those who rise, and prayers to those who do not. Perserverance is vital for this life. As is God. He is a loving God and an omnipresent God. He does not forsake. He will never forsake. Prayer and a Bible are essential tools to press on.
And, of course, being around friends and just people in general usually makes bad feelings (loneliness, for example) go away. We are somewhat like leeches, feeding off the khef of others. And if people don't work, dogs usually always do. Go up to a dog (make it a friendly one) and cry around it; I would almost bet a limb that it will lick you and make you feel better. My fiance felt down the other day, and I wanted her to feel better, so I summoned the dog to lick the downtrodden. I think it worked. At least it got her sticky.

Friday, July 21, 2006

Radiator Problemo

So two days ago I was driving back to my apartment with my roomate in the car. We pulled in and got out and immediately noticed the acrid smell and pouring steam/smoke rolling from under my hood. Which is where things technically started going wrong.
The radiator had a crack that some epoxy somewhat fixed. But then there came the gash in the radiator hose, hence the smell/steam. So, after letting the stuff cool down, we cut off the part where the hole was and reclamped the tube down. Which worked fine for two days. And then tonight, I'm going to my friend's uncles and I notice that the temperature begins to rise very, very quickly. By the time I pull in it looked like my hood was on fire beneath, and the smell was terrible. So we poured water into the radiator. Which, I thought, would be a good idea. When I left and came back to my apartment, the same problem again.
The predicament: I'm leaving the Big Town tomorrow for a while to return home. I'm longing for home. For peace. For less stress here and for my fiancee (I think it's with the ee). However, it looks like I'm gonna have to be concerned about making it home in one piece for the 120 mile trek, as well as getting it fixed. And all this with little money. But I know that God will provide for me. He always has, and He always will.
Knowing little about automobiles, I hope that there is nothing too wrong. Or too expensive. I hope that by buying a new hose that my problem will be fixed. Hopefully. I'd like to be home. Once the car's there I won't let it bother me. But until then, I'll just depend on Jesus to get me through, and my car.

If I never post again, mayhap my car blew up.

Long Days and Pleasant Nights, amigos...

Thursday, July 20, 2006

Exodus & finality


All my bags are packed (mostly), I'm ready to go,
And my belly's aching of buffalo,
cause spicy garlic and hot wings make me sick.

so i ate at bw3's.
and i probly shouldn't have.
but when i've only got two nights left in the big town i can afford a lil extravagance.
see, i'll be leaving for home saturday, not to return to louisville (potentially) until january of 2007. that means i'll be on co-op again. which means that i'll be making money again. which means that i'll still be farther away from my fiancee. argh.

and so the title become applicable. sorta. i'll be taking an exodus (hopefully spiritually) when i leave here. i plan on using my co-op as time to get closer to God and His Will. i read His Word daily, but i don't really read it. i'll be in a foreign land (i.e. Indiana), and across a river (the Ohio). and when i come back to the big town there may not look to be an outward change, but inward there will be. and of that i am certain. God has provided for me always, and He always will. for that I am most thankful.

and who knows, my plans for marriage may be more developed. and mayhap my tennis skills will have increased. and i might start working out more. but, for certain, I will be closer to my Father and Savior. i will persevere. and with that, i retire.

Long Days and Pleasant Nights, amigos...

3:13 a.m.

This late/early the mind seems to be thinking much clearer than usual. It is finals week. I am finished, yet here in town for another few days. Primarily I've been cleaning and organizing (mostly music on my computer). Finals were actually pretty easy. Wolves of the Calla is pretty good so far. I've not had too much time to spend reading here of late. However, I have been practicing my piano and guitar e'en more. Which, there is a song called "Boston" by Augustana. Me gusta mucho.
Which reminds me. Augustana opened for a concert I went to last week. The Counting Crows (best band ever to have lived) and the Goo Goo Dolls. The concert was in Cincinatti and was awesome. First time I e'er saw the Crows or the Dolls, and both were great. Plus, my favourite song was the second one that the Crows sang ("Mrs. Potters Lullaby"). I'm not really sure whether or not it can top the Nickel Creek concert I went to last fall, though, in Louisville. 'Twas amazing, especially since tickets landed us on the third row.
It's now 3:16. I should go to sleep. But I imagine that I'll lay awake and pray. Or think. I like doing both. Until...

Long Days and Pleasant Nights, amigos....

Thursday, July 06, 2006

Wizard and Glass

There is that feeling when you finish a long book. It's the one that's saying There should be more, I just know it, but... Argh. So, I finished Wizard and Glass just a little bit ago. Of course it was good, and it's technically not over (because of the three sequels) but the book was good. Maybe it's not the There should be more feeling. Maybe it's Huh, I'm through. Now what to do?

Obviously the answer is to pick up the sequel--Wolves of the Calla--and start right away. But, I have STAR WARS books to read, and Frankenstein, and Absalom! Absalom!, and a William Golding. There are definitely way, way too many books out there to choose from. Way too many. Perhaps someday I'll have read e'erything that I wanted to e'er read, but I doubt that. That'll only happen if books become banned. And that's certainly not e'er gonna happen. Unless we live in a Farenheit 431 world.

Long days and pleasant nights, amigos...

Tuesday, July 04, 2006

wild eyed beast

and so the man sometimes finds himself subject to askant, glaring views.
his back hurts from hauling in hay.
his mind is still sleepy, so why's he staring at the screen?
there's the test thursday to study for,
e'en though environmental seems eccentric.
argh. pirates comes out this weekend, and i still gotta finish reading the Wizard and the Glass.
sometimes being a rodeo clown is almost too much.
but, through all the depression of the clown business,
the frowns and ridicule,
omnipresent is Jesus, to offer His love and grace,
His forgiveness for failure,
and His salvation for sin,
all free of charge to us, but His life was the price.
Jesus is truly the answer to everything,
with 42 following at a very distant second.

Long Days and Pleasant Nights, amigos...

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Tea & Probability

So I've been sittin' here doin' my probability & statistics for the past while and I'm not really sure how many cups of tea I've consumed. Currently a Counting Crows song blares on my roomates computer. My mind also runs so that while I'm trying to study and do my homework, I find myself thinking about other things. Camping this weekend should be fun, with all the fireworks and swimming and all. Mountain Dew will most likely be the substitute for tea this weekend.

O but only if I could get a few problems done I would be a li'l happier with myself. I mean, who really cares about the T distribution and the Chi-squared distribution? Is there some sort of application to my life? "How much tea would you have to drink in order to see the true colors of the American flag?" I mean, c'mon, c'mon, have you seen me lately? I just read all the time. That's pretty much it. Whether its the Bible or the Dark Tower, STAR WARS, or maybe T. S. Eliot, life goes on. Oh yeah, long after the thrill of living is gone...

Know the difference between mean and x-bar? I think x-bar is equivalent to average, which is slightly different from mean. And so I stare absently at my P & S textbook, thankfully that the homeworks not technically due for a week or so, but actually due the day after tomorrow. Red Hot Chili Peppers now. Come to think of it, my tea's nearly empty. I guess I should buckle down and hammer to it. Just a few problems. Or I could go read or take a shower or play my guitar or practice piano or do anything but this blasted probability. Argh. It's time...

Long days and pleasant nights, amigo...

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

The Dark Tower

Recently I began reading Stephen King's Dark Tower series. I had heard of the books, but I'm not much into King. However, after reading book one, The Gunslinger, I was enthralled. King creates a world of magic and terror and gunslingers and magicians and doors and riddles and enough coincidence/fate to keep me page turning. The books are quite amazing, to say the least.

King says that he loved The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, as well as The Lord of the Rings, and this book is kind of a twisted story containing both. The gunslinger, Roland, is on a quest for the Dark Tower, and after book one, the reader still knows very little at all. Book two, The Drawing of the Three, is much better than The Gunslinger. I highly recommend this series for everyone who loves fantasy, sci-fi, etc. Beware, though, there is some vulgarity and profanity along the way to the Tower, but pay it no heed.

Monday, May 15, 2006

Lost: I

This is a new series on Lost.
I realize that my last series over answers to general questions was short lived, and this one could be, too, quite possibly, but I shall try nontheless.

I will not take the time to explain in detail the scenario. If you watch the show, then you know it. If not, I'll be brief. An airplane, Oceanic Flight 815, crashed for unknown reasons on an unknown island. There are many survivors, including a doctor, a con artist, a rock star, a fugitive (not Harrison Ford), a mobster, a multi-millionaire lottery winner, a walking cripple, and many others. Ah, yes, there are the Others. The Others are the ones that were already on the island. They are the ones that everybody is trying to get to to find out exactly what is going on. The Others may hold the secrets of the island. Or maybe they hold the answers.

Many of these characters are interwoven through their past, yet few of the survivors realize this. And that presents the purpose of this post.

Problem: What harm would it bring if the survivors told their personal stories to the rest of the survivors on the island? What if they shared their past instead of harboring it inside?

Answer: Granted people are not going to be comfortable talking about their past. Let's take Sawyer for example. Sawyer is a con man. In his life he killed at least one person we know of, he stole large amounts of money, and he lived outside and above the law. Generally people do not share this kind of information and they want their secrets to remain buried. But, why?
The old life is over. There is no hope of rescue. Most likely the survivors will remain on the island for most of, if not all, their lives. The island presents the survivors with a chance at renewal. The island also presents the survivors with many questions and mysteries, and these could best be solved by combining their backgrounds and learning. The characters should step outside of their comfort zones and open up. Ultimately they'll win back the trust of the masses.
Trust? How much can one trust the other? Who on the island hasn't killed a person?

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

Easter time has gone


It was Easter just the other day. While many were celebrating the bunny and such, there were many that were at church, as well. Sadly, many of those people only go to church on Easter and Christmas. I don't know why that is. I had an interesting Easter weekend, as I did get a new guitar and found out some of my uncles were in jail. The guitar does not relate.
the weekend before i volunteered to be the easter bunny at the company that i work at's picnic. and the sevens just kept wylin. some kids were terrified of the six foot tall bunny. others embraced me and said "i love you, easter bunny." and one guy wanted me to set on his lap. and a couple of grown ladies sat on mine. 'twas strange, indeed. but in the end, it was fun. the kids made for a great afternoon snack. mmmmm....chocolatte covered youngsters....mmmmm....hansel and grettel...
And so my guitar is pretty nice. Alvarez. Acoustic electric. Sweet sound. Me gusta mucho.
Adios for now.

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

long time comin'

It's definitely been a while since I posted. Sorry about that. Not that anyone's really reading this anyway. But just in case there is someone, I apologize. What have I been doing?
Since January 5 I have been employed by Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana, and because of my job, I've not actually had too much time to devote to the internet. Unless you count facebook and a dual challenge of minesweeper/backgammon against the harlequin. At TMMI I work in the Environmental department, but other than that, I've not done too much.
I have bought a few cd's and movies. And I still watch Lost. And I still love Star Wars. But mostly I just read. Which is practically what I do when I get home from work. I read. And I've read quite a bit. Quite could be a drastic understatement. All the time. I dunno how many books I've been through since I've started working. I do know that my backgammon skills have increased. And so has my communication with other skills. And I've started writing again. Not just the blog thing. This is somewhat stupid. Though the idea behind a blog is amazing, it just seems ridikulus. But I am writing on a new story, with a real outline and ideas and everything. And I've been writing songs, too. And I've been to a NickelCreek concert, as well as a John Mellencamp comcert. Sevens are still wylin out at the waterfront.