Bad Days

Some days, I am sure, I am only going to fail. Those days--the Bad Days--are the days that leave me feeling hollow, contemplative, wondering exactly why I am the way I am. Is there a conspiracy against me, or am I truly stupid for the day? Usually I am a thinker, that is I like to think well ahead before speaking; I truly believe the tongue is a beast unable to be broken. On those days, days like today, I screw up and the world screws up around me. I make a list of things to do for the day, early in the morning, and I accomplish two out of the ten, and those were the easy ones, like make a pot of tea and do the dishes. And then, somehow, I wind up being stupid and feelings get hurt and then nothing productive happens for a while, which is okay, but stressful. And then things are going good, but I open my mouth and say something and feelings get hurt and still nothing productive happens. We go and grill out, which is great, cause it's nice feeling outside, and we are visited by a self-proclaimed hobo. The man, Lee, had just been kicked off a train and was walking around when he said he could smell our food, which he asks if he can have or buy a burger off of us. We give him two, but we have no buns with us outside, but he's thankful. Tells us about his travels and all he has on him is a light jacket and a plastic bag full of odds and ends. And then supper's all done and we bid Lee a good night, head in and eat with some old friends and talk about times back in the dorms, back when we lived on the 4th floor of Threlkeld. We talked about the time a water balloon was dropped and hit that man in a suit. We talked about blowing up water bottles in the microwave. We talked about filling a room with somewhere around thirty life-size cut-outs of ARMY men. But still nothing productive. Me and Keisha leave and go get gas, which is productive, but not in the sense I need to be productive. We get home and I sit down, here, still contemplative. See, I'm an engineer, and so I think about things differently than the layman. I want to do things efficiently and productively, I like to budget and plan, and these things lead me to being less stressed. I like spontaneity, sure, but just as long as I've made time for it. And my mind still thinks back to things said and actions done earlier, and I still feel slightly hollow, even if I'm full from the burgers. What do I have to show for the day? A gallon of tea and some clean dishes. That's it. I've got a billion projects to finish for school and homework to complete and papers to write, but I just don't have the motivation to do it. Instead, I find myself typing my thoughts here, on my blog, for no apparent reason but to put my mind onto paper, albeit an electronic pad. But who cares? I'm young, right, so I should do this kind of stuff. Stay up late and procrastinate. I hate procrastination, friends. I hate it with a passion. But I fear that I am one of the only ones left on this planet with that attitude.

Some days I just feel like a cynic. On the Bad Days, though, I feel like a ghost.

Lost Recap

This season of Lost has been very exciting for me. I've watched the show since it started, and I've loved it ever since. Sure the series has had its poor episodes, but there have been far more interesting and great episodes than otherwise.

Season 5 started out pretty rough, but it has consistently been very entertaining. With the survivors finally back on the Island, albeit in 1977, things are getting very interesting. We finally see some of the history of the Island being explained, especially between the Hostiles and the Dharma folk. The mystery of the Island is still very much alive, constantly growing.

The last episode, "Whatever Happened, Happened," was one of my favorites of this season. Although it was a Kate-centric episode, and I'm not a fan of Kate, everything that was going on On Island was pure entertainment. The flashbacks served to provide some insight to Kate's On Island actions, which currently is to save Young Benjamin Linus from a gunshot wound. Ben was dying, and Juliet requested for Jack to help her, but Jack's pride prohibited him from helping. As such, Jack's inaction led Kate to taking Ben to the Hostiles for help. While there, Richard Alpert warned Kate (and Sawyer) that by helping Ben he would be forever changed. He would lose his innocence. Kate and Sawyer agreed, and Ben was carried off into the Temple by Alpert.

The next scene was beautiful. The Old Ben wakes up from his injuries and comes face to face with John Locke, the very man Ben murdered. Locke says, in his kindly voice, "Hello Ben. Welcome back to the land of the living." The episode ends, and we are given a preview to next week's episode, which looks like it may be one of the greatest of the shows history.

Lost is such a great show for many different reasons. I love the allusions to pop culture, to literary classics, to philosophers, to mythology, and to religion. The mystery of the Island perpetuates the shows success, but also the mystery of the characters. Each person has their own story and their own mistakes, and the Island forces the person to make choices. Have faith and change, or stick with logic and remain unchanged. These ideas, while not original, are still fun and entertaining.

For an excellent blog to read on Lost, which is updated weekly, check out this site. These guys blog about all different sorts of things on television, but I particularly like what is said about Lost every week. For a wiki site of Lost, which I find myself referencing quite often, I recommend checking out this site.

As I've said, I am really enjoying this season of Lost. It's not as intriguing as the first season, but it still is top quality television, unlike Heroes, which seems to be taking a turn for the worse.

Comics You (Really) Should Read [Conclusion]

The final comic/graphic novel that you (really) should read is Blankets, written and illustrated by Craig Thompson. Blankets is a memoir, and as such it tells the story of the authors early childhood, growing up in a Christian home and coming to terms with himself, God, and his first love. I read this novel a few months ago, but I still remember a lot of the story contained therein. In fact, Time magazine has listed Blankets as one of the ten greatest graphic novels of all time.

Part of the reason I liked this book so much is the fact that it is real. It's raw. It's something that I easily related to. Thompson has a brother close in age, I have a brother close in age. Thompson grew up in a Christian home, I grew up in a Christian home. Thompson wasn't the cool kid at school, neither was I. We've done things differently in our lives, and I would not have done the same things he did, but I easily related to the story.

The art was also simple. Beautiful. Real. There were no spandex super heroes or any mystical gods, just simple, normal folks. And that was refreshing. To read something so personal, something by someone with questions and without definite answers. It was a great trip, journeying with Thompson and his life.

I typically am a fiction reader, but this was different. I don't think I would have enjoyed the story had it been a novel, but as an illustrated novel (i.e. graphic novel) the pages were richer and more enlightening. I highly recommend Blankets to you. Yes, you. Why you, you may think? Because I know you have questions about life, you have thoughts about things that Thompson has, and you've never read anything like it. You may have some of the same fears Thompson has. You may have a similar first love experience. Whatever the case, this graphic novel is wonderful.

************

There you have it, three comics that you (really) should read. You can find Sandman in TPB form, or in the Absolute forms, but these are very expensive. My library had them, actually. Fables is also out in TPB, but there is also the monthly edition published. Blankets will be available at your nearest Borders, Barnes & Noble, or wherever you usually buy your books. If you typically do not read comics, but think that they are something you would enjoy, I easily recommend starting with these. These three represent some of the best out there, but there are plenty more.

Perhaps in the future I'll post more on some of my favorite comic classics, like Batman or Spiderman, but for now this is concluded. Enjoy these recommendations if you decide to read them.

Comics You (Really) Should Read [Part 2]

Yesterday's post focused on the wonderful series of the Sandman. Today's post will examine Bill Willingham's Fables series.

Fables began in 2003. The comics, which are still in production, are produced by Vertigo, the same folks that brought us the Sandman. The series features prominent and puny fables from all over the world, including Prince Charming, Snow White, the Big Bad Wolf, Hansel & Gretel, King Cole, the Three Little Pigs, the Three Bears, and many, many others. The cast is enormous, and many characters are constantly in action.

The basic plot of Fables is simple. Each fable lives in a magical, faraway world, and each of these worlds are connected to other worlds. All was well in the worlds until one day the Adversary rose up, conquering and claiming worlds as his own. Many fables died under the oppression of the Adversary, but many others survived, fleeing to New York City. The refugee fables have lived in America for hundreds of years, their little town (Fabletown) constantly growing larger and larger, but always magically hidden from the mundane common folk. The fables are living their lives as normal as they can, but they still yearn to return to their Homelands.

Of course, not all things are perfect at Fabletown. There is a murder, that of Rose Red, Snow White's sister, in the series opener, and sheriff Bigby Wolf must get to the bottom of the caper.

The series has several smaller story arcs, but many are linked to the encompassing story, that of destroying the Adversary and returning home. Each story arc is unique, fun to read, and entertaining to look at. The shear magnitude of the story is worth the read.

For instance, we all grow up hearing various tales and legends. Everyone knows the story of Sleeping Beauty. She was magically awakened by the handsome Prince Charming and they got married and lived happily ever after. However, in the world Willingham has created, ever after wasn't too long. Charming, a Casanova-type, has been married and been unfaithful to Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and who knows who else. Each fable has their own back story, and these stories may not match up to your expectations.

The creativity and freedom Willingham has taken with the characters is beautiful. In fact, it is a hard choice to pick whether or not I like Fables or Sandman better. Both are wonderful, and I think my opinion would change depending on what comic was in my hands.

A comic would not be worth the read if the art wasn't appealing, and Fables has excelled in that department. In fact, there is a collectors hardcover issue containing all of the monthly comic covers for retail, available here.

I can highly and easily recommend Fables to anyone interested in mythology, folklore, or a general good story. Be warned, the comics contain some adult language and situations, so I wouldn't advise them to a young lad or lass, but for you fine, mature folks, I can say read on.

Comics You (Really) Should Read [Part 1]

I've recently finished the entire series of Neil Gaiman's Sandman. This is by far one of the best comic series I have ever read. Gaiman, a masterful storyteller, chronicles the actions of Dream of the Endless, the Lord of Dreams. The epic begins with Morpheus, the personified Dream-Lord, held prisoner by a cult, and he soon escapes and seeks his revenge. Once satiated (as much as an eternal one can be) he begins repairing his kingdom, returning the Dreaming to its glory. Dream is of the Endless, a group of immortals that are brothers and sisters. His family includes Death, Destiny, Despair, Desire, Delirium, and one other, but the last identity was not revealed for a while, so I shall keep it secret. The Endless each fulfill their roles and obey their rules, and Dream often interacts with his siblings.

The Sandman ran for 75 issues, with a few extras. I loved each and every issue. The artwork is simply amazing. Many different artists contributed to the beautiful pages, and each issue clearly has its own style. Part of the fun with the art is the fact that Morpheus' outfit will change with his surroundings, as dreams are never constant and this is only fitting.

But it wasn't just the captivating artwork that compelled me to read the series. The story is crucial, and the depth behind the story is grandiose. Gaiman's brilliance in mythology, philosophy, religion, and pop culture show up throughout many story arcs. For instance, Loki, the Norse god behind mischief and trickery, makes a few appearances throughout the stories, as does William Shakespeare. The story is addicting enough the keep the reader staying up well into the night.

Finally, the deeper thinking behind the comic series urges me to even write this post. I cannot say much about this aspect, as I feel that it would be a spoiler. Suffice it to say that these comics are very well written, and written by an author that is smart and wise enough to leave the reader pondering.

Overall, I have thoroughly enjoyed the Sandman comics. The series concluded aptly, and I do not feel like I've wasted my time reading rubbish. If you like a well crafted, beautiful story, then I highly recommend reading Neil Gaiman's Sandman. You won't regret it.

My 100th Post! A Composition

This is the 100th post here on the Rememorandom, and as such, it should be special. Just how special, you may ask?

Special enough to look at a few things. First, the evolution of a self-portrait.



This was done a few months back. I do wish that I would have taken one photo in the earliest stage, but, this shows the appropriate evolution. Soon, I think, I shall construct one of my lovely bride. I already have the paints, brushes, and canvas, and now all I need is the confidence to create something as beautiful as she on a piece of canvas.

Next is a link to something I found rather absolutely profound and simply wonderful. My friend Bill told me of this image, and indeed, it is beyond words. Click here to view it in its glory, or simply click below to enlarge.


Next, a video I found that made me smile a bit. Some of you may know, but I am an avid Star Wars fan. My love affair with this universe is extensive. I have Star Wars memorabilia of all kinds, and I'm thankfully getting my young brother-in-law quite interested. Below are two videos we both enjoyed. The first is quite humorous, the second is just cool.





Next to lastly, a link back to my cd I put out for the world to hear. I've had a few downloads, which makes me happy a bit, and I hope everyone enjoyed the tunes. I've gathered courage from my wife and my friends from the blogworld to step out and push myself. Thanks folks.

Finally, a thank you to all the readers of Rememorandom. This blog started out as just another medium to play with, but to me it has grown. I enjoy posting and communicating. I enjoy reading each of your comments, and I enjoy reading each of your blogs. Thank you for continuing with me, and I hope you stay on.

Trouble comes, and Trouble goes, and Trouble has a key to my front door.

On Gadgets

First off, I recommend you reading this article. It's titled "Gadgets That Make You Look Like A Jerk."

If you're too lazy to do so, the article lists 7 gadgets that you might just look cooler without. The aforementioned technologies are:

1. Blackberry
2. Bluetooth Earbud
3. TiVo
4. Apple's MacBook Air
5. iPod accessories
6. Linux
7. Segway

Personally, I don't own a Blackberry (or an iPhone), and if I did I don't think I would get much use out of it. My schedule, while busy, is not that complex and labyrinthine. As for the earbuds... well, I think those people look ridiculous. Sure, they're safer while driving, but probably not as safe as driving without talking on the phone at all. Sure, they let you free up your hands, but you still look like you're talking to yourself. TiVo? I don't know anyone that has TiVo, but I know people with satellites where they can record their shows and do all the stuff TiVo can. I have no qualms with TiVo. The MacBook Air is too light, too thin, too Apple-y, too sleek, too superfluous, and too much of a let down. I do own an iPod, which I listen to quite often. I don't, however, own any accessories, unless you count my awesome iPod cover. Linux is powerful, but cumbersome, and I'm not that tech savvy to get it. And the Segway. When I hear that word, I immediately think of Gob from Arrested Development, which makes me smile. There's no way that the Segway will ever succeed, unless everyone suddenly gets a crippling disease an prohibits walking.

Anyway, I just thought that I would share that with you. The list was interesting. The original article was, too. Good luck, folks. Be careful while you're shaving.

A Personal Goal

I am starting on a new goal for myself. I do not intend to drink pop (that is, sodas) for one month, and quite possibly much, much longer. A friend of mine gave up drinking sugar-drinks for New Years, and he still is sticking true to his resolution. My senior year of high school I gave up carbonated beverages for over 200 days. I think I can do it again.

However, I am a huge Mt. Dew drinker. All people from Kentucky are huge Mt. Dew drinkers. The fall of 2007 I got a job marketing Mt. Dew on campus. Mt. Dew was doing this throughout the nation, involving around 50 campuses to see who could promote Dew the best. This was decided by having students submit Dew inspired art, in fashion, visual art, and Dew Games, and the best students received monetary prizes from Mt. Dew. I had around 60 cases of Dew to pass out on campus, plus any that I wanted for myself. At the end of the semester I hosted a campus wide event to attract folks to the new artsy aluminum bottles. There was even a giant ice sculpture!

Overall, though, I hated the job. It was marketing, and it required a lot of work. We had to set up booths and pass out fliers and Dew to students. We had to put up posters all around campus. We had to meet with campus officials in order to even set up stuff and have events. There were two of us working that semester, but my partner did not do much at all. Seriously. I don't want to moan and complain about it, but suffice it to say that my wife and I did practically everything in order to fulfill our contract. Sure, I could have told my manager about my partner's nonchalance and lackluster attitude, but I didn't want my partner to lose out on making money. So I stuck with it. I would not have gotten through without the extraordinary help from my wife and my great friends, and I still say thanks.

In the end, the University of Louisville came in around 4th or 5th out of all the campuses, which was just shy of making extra money. However, I made my dough and said I would never work in marketing again.

Another bummer about the job: taxes were not taken out of my lump sum from Dew at the end, which totaled around $2500 or so, and so I wound up owing quite a bit in when it came tax time.

I realize that this post evolved from my personal goal of not drinking pop to a revelation about me working for Mt. Dew. Regardless, Dew or not, I shall abstain henceforth.

Time flies like an arrow, but fruit flies like a banana.

Rubber Cement

The fact that we're just soft tissue and blood speaks a lot about us.
If we were, for instance, a harder tissue, then we would be invincible.
At least physically.
If we had no need for blood, we would have no need for a heart,
and we would be invincible.
At least emotionally.
But the fact remains that we're simply breakable flesh and hearts.
To be human is to walk and fall, to profess and to be hurt.
Every person makes mistakes,
over and over again.
To live is to learn from these mistakes and continue on,
but it's also to make the same mistakes and continue on.
It's like there's some rubber cement on us and our problems,
and no matter how hard we pull, we can't break it.
But, with help, the glue will come off.
It may leave a slight residue, but it will no longer bind.
It may have a stink, and others may wrinkle their nose, but smile on.
Over and over again, we march.
Despite what others say, despite our mistakes, we press on.
It's to be human. To love,
it's to be human. To fail,
it's to be human.

And so we must stay true to ourselves and true to others,
especially during trials. Forgive. Love. Trust. Help.
God, who gives us our soft tissue and blood, does the same for us.
He forgives, and so must we.
Ourselves.
Others.
He loves, and so must we.
We must live this life our best, and that's all we can do.

Yesterday

Yesterday was quite a day. Stella got spayed yesterday morning, and the poor pup's been sluggish all day. She'll probably be a bit slow for the next week or so. For the procedure, they had to shave a part of one of her front legs for an IV to go in, and the picture is pretty cute.


Also, last night Clint spent the night with me and Keisha and we all sat down and watched Bolt. The movie was pretty funny, and the story was fun to experience, too. The themes of the movie are quite applicable to life, and it's so easy to relate with the super-dog. Clint fell asleep during the movie with a Jolly Rancher in his mouth, and once we woke him up, I had to take a picture.












I had to clean up the large blue, drool stain on the couch. Furthermore, he was quite reluctant to spit out the candy once we woke him up and told him to get ready for bed.

Remember to brush 'em every night, cause if you don't they'll probably fall out.

Songs For The Dark

I have officially posted my cd up on the internet now. It's available here. The cd has taken a long time to work on, but I'm proud of the final product. I hope you all enjoy.

And let me know what you think once ye've given it a listen to.

http://www.mediafire.com/?n5zgmwndon5

Oh, and by the way, my favorites are "Mourning's Melody", "Midnight Dance", and "If Hollywood Don't Need You (Honey I Still Do)".

(I'm not really sure about the grammatical way to put punctuation inside quotes.)

Confession of a Fantasy Reader

I have a confession to make. You all know, if you follow my blog, that I am an avid fan of the fantasy novel. I've read fantasy books and science fiction for as long as I can remember, but there are two major series' that I am missing from my "Have Read" list.

The Wheel of Time
The Sword of Truth

I realize that both of these have had a rather large impact on the fantasy world, and I think that I should probably read them at some point. See, I know your not supposed to judge a book by it's cover, but I've never really been attracted to the covers of the Wheel of Time books, and so I've never picked them up. As for Mr. Goodkind's novels, people have told me they're great, but I've not had the chance there, either.

Have you fine folks read them? Should I definitely do so? Do they deserve to move up the ranks of my "To Read" list, or can they sit comfortably somewhere on the list?

That's all for today. Maybe. I might get a chance to express myself more later, but if not, I bid you all a humble farewell.

A Few Things

It's late, and I should be getting to bed. My period button is not working properly. Stella is getting spayed tomorrow. She sure has grown a lot. Spring Break is mostly over, as I've got a lot of work to catch up and do before Monday. Plus, we've been looking for our first home, which we've possibly found, but I still have no job. Been praying and praying that that'll come through soon, as I've applied to a few, but the situation requires more of an explanation than I care to elaborate on right now. Instead, I think I'll go read my Bible and then go to bed. Goodnight everybody.

Joe Purdy New Album Released

The cd is finally out. I've not yet managed to listen to it completely, as internet connection is fickle whilst on break, but I just had to post it. I'm sure it'll all be fantastic. Take care folks. The blog will be updated around the weekend for those of you who care.

A Brief Respite

I'm off, friends. I'm heading to the wilderness of western Kentucky. I'm going to take it really easy and only do a little homework. I think I'll do a bit o' resting and reading and maybe even some writing.

Farewell for now. And remember, let the Wookie win.

A Little Miscellany

Next week, I'm excited to write, is Spring Break. My very last Spring Break ever. I'm going to soak up all the sun I can get back in the western part of Kentucky. Even though it's forecasted to rain for several days and be 60 degrees-ish, I don't care. Even though I'll be doing homework out the wazoo, I won't care. It'll be spring break, which means that I won't physically have to endure class and lecture for a week. And after the break I'll only have five weeks or so left of classes and then I'll be graduating! May 9th is when I'll officially, ceremoniously, graduate, but my semester will end April 28 or some time around there.

Since I've been hit pretty hard with spring fever, I feel like listening to the Beach Boys. Almost. Really, that doesn't hit until it consistently stays above 85-90 degrees for a while. Then it's Beach Boys time.

But, really, I'm more of a Beatles man. And an Old Time/ Folk/ Bluegrass/ Acoustic man. I noticed that itunes changed its genre classification of folk music; now the folk category is reclassified to Singer/Songwriter. I like Steve Earle, too. And Johnny Cash. Iron & Wine. My Morning Jacket. I don't want to give the false impression that I'm totally obsessed with the Counting Crows and Joe Purdy, because I'm typically not one to obsess, unless it's over a video game I can't put down.

By the way, Marky, I beat Fallout 3. I'm not sure whether or not you have yet, but I did, and I was disappointed. I don't really know what I expected, though. It seems that all games where you can completely control and choose your path has a certain branch of endings to which you are confined. I want to play a game that is truly unique, one where that if you kill the ArchEnemy early in the game, someone else rises up and takes his place. Or one where there really isn't a conclusion. I almost would prefer a non-conclusive conclusion to a crappy resolution.

And when I'm in an aggravated mood, or when I've been working for several hours on a project or something and I feel ready to die from school, I like to play Linkin Park, the White Stripes, System of a Down, or something loud like that.

The White Album or Abbey Road. It's really hard to choose between the two. A lot of folken really like Sgt. Peppers, and I like it, too, don't get me wrong, but I just don't enjoy it as much as the aforementioned. And The Band. That's another great one. Of course, as a folk connoisseur, I have to like Bobby D, the Zimmerman, the legend and master of folk, Master Dylan. And Simon & Garfunkel, who I got to see in concert my senior year of high school in Nashville.

If I could take Print Screen of my life, it would be a nice mosaic to see. Unfortunately, I don't have a Print Screen button. In fact, I don't have any visible buttons, only those ones that are internal that people like to push on sometimes.

I'm still searching diligently for a job. Still looking for a civil engineering position or an environmental engineering position. And Keisha and I are also beginning to search for our first house and to get out of the apartment lifestyle, but before we can commit to a home, I must first find a job.

I do hope you all are having a fantastic day, a great week, a blessed month, and a wonderful year. I hope the music never stops playing in your head, especially if it's anything like mine. Sorry for the rambling, but the pump don't work, cause the vandals took the handles.

Arrested Development

I've just started watching Arrested Development. All I can say is that I've been very non-productive for the past couple days, and I finished Season 1 last night. Several of my friends have recommended the show to me, but for some reason it kept slipping my mind to check it out until about a week ago. I don't know if there has ever been a show to rival its humor and I'm not sure if there ever will be again. The entire plot, the demise of the Bluth family, is so twisted and awkward, and somehow driven by love and selfishness, that I can't help but laugh several times each episode. There have been several moments where I've had trouble ending the laughs. Even as I write this I can think back to certain situations and bust out laughing (and I'm sitting in the middle of my computer lab on campus!)

It's hard to pick a favorite character, as they all have an amazing uniqueness and charm about them.

Michael: The good son of George Sr. Michael is motivated by love for his family, to provide for them and keep them safe (and usually out of jail). The protagonist of the show, but not the funniest character.

Gob (George Oscar Bluth, II): The eldest son of George, he is a magician, and definitely one of the funniest characters on the show. He is driven by selfish desires, namely that to succeed and be better than Michael, or anyone else in his family. He has the funniest quotes and memorable lines, in my opinion.

Buster: The awkward son of George, Buster lives with his mother off-and-on, and he is not exactly solid in the head. Buster is motivated by his mother and his desire to make her happy, but also to find acceptance and sugar. Buster provides slapstick comedy to the show, and the awkward humor as well.

Lindsay: The only daughter of George, Lindsay is typically driven to make sure that she is in the spotlight. She is an avid protester and picketer, though she often does not care what she's protesting or picketing. Lindsay has some funny moments.

Tobias: The son-in-law of George, Tobias is married to Lindsay and he is as awkward as Buster. Tobias is heavily played to portray homosexual tendencies, which is typically obvious to everyone except himself. Tobias is a nevernude, which is exactly what it implies. Tobias has several very funny moments and quotes.

George Michael: Michael's son. George Michael fell in love with his cousin, Maeby, during the first episode when she kissed him to get even with her parents. George runs the Banana Stand and is mostly motivated to gain Maeby's attention and to get his dad's approval.

Maeby: Daughter of Tobias & Lindsay, Maeby is driven to get her parent's attention/ to not have her parent's attention. Maeby is constantly scheming to get even or to not get even with her parents. She's not necessarily a funny character, but she provides an impetus for George Michael to get into funny situations.

George: The paterfamilias of the Bluths, George is serving time in prison for so many reasons it's hard to pick one. He is motivated by selfishness, corruption, and love for his family. George provides several memorable quotes and funny situations.

Lucille: The mother of the Bluths, Lucille is often cold, sharp-tongued, and intoxicated. She loves her children, though it is rarely seen.

Onyong: The adopted Korean child in the Bluth family, his name is actually Korean for hello, though the Bluth's do not realize this.

In all, the entire Bluth family is best taken together. They live and feed off of each other, and the comedy is layered and ingrained with them all. As a family, they are extremely dysfunctional, but they provide wonderfully funny situations for laughter. I'll end with a funny quote by Gob.

"The zero hour, Michael. It's the end of the line. I'm the firstborn. Sick of playing second fiddle. Always third in line for everything. Tired of finishing fourth. Being the fifth wheel. There are six things I'm mad about, and I'm taking over."

Stepping off the Edge

Well, friends, you've convinced me. I apologize for the images, but I didn't want to just put no images, so I added a few random ones. I really like the way the music sounds with the song. You can hear the original here. The video may need to take a moment to buffer and load for it to play correctly. If not, you can download the mp3 here.



Again, recognition goes to Don Williams, the original singer & songwriter. Thanks for listening, folks. Feedback is encouraged....gulp. Splat.

Indecision and Artists

I'm not big on indecision. I used to be pretty indecisive, but I soon realized it was a waste of time and really didn't matter anyway. For instance, back when Keisha and I were dating we would play the "What do you...?" and "I don't care, whatever you want..." game back and forth. This continued for a while.

Somewhere down the line I realized how pointless being indecisive is. Now it's like "What do you want for supper, Logan?" "I don't care, whatever you want to fix." "I don't care. It's up to you." Pause. "I think I want tacos then."

I give the window of opportunity for one considerate indecisive moment, and if the choice has not been made, then I pick. Or, at least this is my goal. Furthermore, apathy is death according to Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II, and so I try to limit it.

But I've reached a point where I'm not sure about something. I've been toying with a few ideas about some posts, but I don't know if I want to do it or not. In a way it's like stepping off the Grand Canyon and hoping the impact isn't too rough. See, I've recorded a song with vocals and I think it sounds okay. I kind of would like some feedback on it, but I'm not sure really if I really want any or not. I've also got several stories I've been writing on, and I'm thinking of posting a prologue here, too, for similar reasons.

I consider myself an artist. I like to draw/paint/etc. I like to sing and play music. I like to write creative and sometimes thought-provoking pieces. I love theatre, but I'm too busy and too big a chicken to try out, so I watch it instead.

The way I see art is like there is something inside of me, needing to get out in the form of expression. There are times when I simply feel that I have to pick up my guitar and put something out. There are times when I feel that I must write something, anything. These are times when I feel particularly creative. Then there are times when I just want to express my feelings and ideas, and they take the form of song or canvas or prose.

Artists are fickle folk, I think. In that I mean that we're typically subject to our creative whims. The introvert doesn't want to put their stuff out there for the world to see, while the extrovert longs for global fame and recognition. I'm also an engineer, which tends to make me a bit pragmatic and realistic, which tends to fight against the artistic whims.

Ah, well. My rant is over. I've got to get to class. Perhaps I'll reach my decision soon. Lord knows I hate being indecisive.

Getting Over the Quasi-Flu

My beloved, Keisha, has been sick for a few days now. We went to the doctor last week and he said that if she had a few more symptoms then she'd have the flu. The following day, she got more symptoms. However, since it wasn't diagnosed by a doctor, I call it the quasi-flu, as it is most likely the flu but we're not 100% sure. She's really been in a weak state, exhibiting signs such as headaches, fatigue, hot/cold switches, soreness.

Being a good husband, I went to Wal*Mart and bought some Minute Maid orange juice and some Theraflu. Minute Maid cause OJ is the way to go when you're sick; Theraflu cause Keisha didn't like Nyquil. I also made some homemade chicken noodle soup, using my own recipe and making do with what I had available.

12 cups water
1 bag egg noodles
2 thawed, boneless chicken breasts
2-3 sliced carrots stalks
2-3 sliced celery sticks
10 chicken bullion cubes
2-4 tsp parsley
2 tsp thyme
2 tsp basil
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp rosemary
<1tsp ground sage
salt, pepper, garlic pepper, chopped onion to taste

I realize this looks like a lot of bullion cubes, but I didn't have any chicken broth. Furthermore, I found a recipe that said to make chicken broth, equate 1 cup water to 1 bullion cube. Anyway, mix all ingredients but noodles, bring to a boil, let boil for about 15-20 minutes, stirring, then add noodles and drop heat to low-med and stir occasionally for about 15 more minutes. Serve and eat and enjoy.

Now, a few days later, she's feeling better, and her throat still sounds hoarse/weak, but over all she's much better. In fact, she's going to go to her Girls Bible Study here pretty soon, braving the crowds.

I just wanted to document this. I don't like it when she's sick, but unfortunately it's something we have little control o'er. You can pray that her blood pressure will go down, as it was 139/108 the other day, which is pretty high.

Don't let the world move on without ya, may it do ya fine.

The Midnight BINGO Story

I won $100 last night playing midnight BINGO. It was a $500 game, but there were 5 winners on my same number, so it was split between us all. This was the first time I've ever won playing midnight BINGO. It's really an interesting setup.

The BINGO hall is a very large building, separated into a smoking and non-smoking. You walk into the hall on the smoking side, pay your $10 for 3 hours worth of BINGO cards, and find a seat. The environment is unlike anything I've ever been in before. First off, there are a lot of older folk there, many of whom are ladies. These ladies carry their custom BINGO dauber bags, equipped with daubers of every color from metallic green to dark deep blue. There are also some shady looking folk, too, dressed as miscreants and possibly up to no good. There are the lonely looking folk, sitting by themselves and hoping for the big win. There are the addicts, people who go several nights per week and use the lottery as their career. There are the volunteers that work, too, and they are a different breed all together.

I sit in the non-smoking side, as I'm a non-smoker. I go with my friend William and we play from midnight til about 3 in the morn. The room is very fluorescent white, the bright lights reflecting dimly off of the cream/white tiled floor. There are tv monitors all over the walls, displaying the current BINGO ball called. There are grids up across the wall showing what numbers have already been called.

All around there are some sort of crazy games going on along with the BINGO. I'm not sure how these games work, but I think they work like pull-tab lottery cards. People will randomly shout out "Flash on Kings" or "Ham and Eggs." There's a horse race game, too, but its too complex to describe currently. (Or maybe I'm too lazy to think how to accurately describe it. It is, after all, after midnight.)

All the while I'm looking around at the people I'm competing with. Do I really deserve to win? By me winning, am I taking inadvertently hurting someone else? Are most of these lonely people and older people folk that are widows? Did she just call out G-51? Do I want to get an appetizer boat? "Flash on Kings." What the heck does that even mean?

I don't play midnight BINGO too often, as it is a draining experience on the body. There are several ways to get a BINGO, such as a coverall (the entire card is covered), a double BINGO (you have to get 2 regular BINGOs on one card), hardway BINGO (where the Free Space doesn't count), and many more. The process requires an intense focus because of all the options. Then, there's also the strain of second guessing yourself. See, you don't want to call out a false BINGO. For that, well, let's just say you really don't want to call out a false BINGO. The society that reigns there will exile you at a minimum, the mob will form and throw you out on your butt, or you'll look like a red butt baboon. Oh, and the death stares of Medusa from the old lady is not pleasant, either.

Regardless, playing midnight BINGO is always interesting. It leave you dragging the following day, but if you win it's well worth it. Actually, one game is worth $1000. In total there is over $4000 given away at the midnight BINGO session. There are several sessions throughout the week, and not all of them are at midnight. There is a lot of money passing through this system, and I'm guessing it's all legit, and I would have no reason to think otherwise except for the stereotype associated with a place like the BINGO hall. It's a fun night, especially if you win, and the atmosphere is intriguing and thought provoking.

Tonight

I'm going to play midnight BINGO.
I did a lot of homework.
My wife is sick and probably has the quasi-flu.
I made her homemade chicken noodle soup.
I finished Mistborn.

Tomorrow
I'm going to do some land surveying for my Capstone project.
I'm going to do more homework.
I'm going to be cold. And tired.

Wish me luck.

Sometimes

I just feel overwhelmed.

An Olde School Website

Today's post is very simple. I recently found a link to a website that I created about 6 or 7 years ago, back when life was simple, philosophy was beginning, and curiosity was king. It's got a lot of problems, such as holes and circular links, but there are things there. Some very old writings. But, more so, the site was a testament to friendship. Me and my two best buds, the former Senator Clay and the Good Pope, formed an imaginary Council of friends. Mostly I think I just thought the silliness in my head, but it was fun while it lasted. I betrayed our council with mysterious emails etc. and ultimately confessed. The Senator turned into the Whiskey Priest, the Pope into the Harlequin. I converted from the Godfater Don Logeon to Rapscallion. Ahh. Precious memories. How they embarrass.

http://www.geocities.com/don_logeon/the_watchtower.html?1039134248640.html

On Mistborn (spoiler free)

I'm currently reading Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson. This book received a whole lot of praise, as did its author, and so I decided to peruse its pages. It didn't take very long for me to understand why this book got the attention it did. The main characters, Vin and Kelsier, are extremely believable and lovable. The depth of the world, the Final Empire, is steeped in an almost dystopic society. I particularly love the beginning of each chapter, but I cannot say why for fear of any possible spoilers.

I think one reason why I like this book so much is similar to the reason why I loved the Name of the Wind: these books, though fantasy, are believable. The fantasy works very well for the setting.

I can't really say much about this book, as I'm not finished, but I can tell you that I am enjoying it very much. And knowing that the entire series is out there in print makes it even more appealing. If you're looking for a good book to get sucked into, Mistborn is it.

For now, friends, don't let the Smurf's find ye.

The Legend of Zelda

Friends, I've been negligent to my favorite game series of all time. It started back in 1986 with the original Nintendo platform. The Legend of Zelda features a constant overhead view of the hero, Link, as he searches for the Triforce in order to rescue Princess Zelda from Ganon. Simple, really, and nothing really overly original to the story, but amazing and hypnotizing.

I've been playing Zelda games since I was a wee lad, and I've always enjoyed them. In particular, I loved the complex puzzles that had to be solved in order to progress the game. In fact, I remember when I first played The Legend of Zelda and was looking for Ganon that I had to find Spectacle Rock; I didn't know what spectacle meant at the time, and so I looked it up and grew my vocabulary. Zelda II: The Adventure of Link was dreadfully difficult, and I honestly cannot remember beating this game, though I know I must have. The advent of the SNES brought A Link to the Past, which is one of the greatest games ever made. The story grew more complicated and the puzzles a bit more challenging, as well as enhanced graphics and a larger weapons inventory made this game remarkable. Plus, being able to travel to the Dark World was pretty sweet, too.

And then 64bit graphics hit the media and the best game of all time was out: Ocarina of Time. There are so many things I enjoyed from OoT that I can't think to list them all. The soundtrack was beautiful. The deeper storyline was emotional and passionate. The graphics was astounding. This game frequently tops lists of best games ever, and I wholeheartedly agree. Ocarina's sequel, Majora's Mask, was not as interesting as its predecessor, but still a fun and cool game. The idea of collecting masks and stopping the destruction of the world was interesting.

Wind Waker is a beautiful game. The cell shading concept is visually appealing and makes for an interesting point of view playing. Also, "Link" was a small boy in this game and the legend of the Hero of Time were intriguing, and the explorable world was huge.

Then came Twilight Princess. This game was enormous and the expectation for it huge. The new controls offered by the Wii were exciting and testing the capabilities of the Wii would be interesting. The storyline was now deep and the familiar characters were legends in their own right. The new Twilight Realm was reminiscent of the Dark World from a Link to the Past and the quest was humongous.

I've left off the gameboy games--Oracle of Seasons, Oracle of Ages, Four Swords, Minish Cap, and the Phantom Hourglass--but the ones I've played are just as puzzling and fun.

Overall, the Zelda franchise has long been hailed as one of the greatest ever, and I completely agree. I eagerly await the next installment on a major platform, and I'll certainly love it, too. Link will always have a special place in my heart, like Cloud, MegaMan, Luigi, and Sephiroth.

The Importance of Time Management

Setting priorities are important in life. For example, is it better to do homework or to play a little Wii? The careful balance of these things is crucial, and I think I fair fairly well with time budgeting, but I could certainly do better. For instance, I don't spend enough time with my wonderful wife, and she deserves better than that. In fact, spending time with Keisha is something I supremely enjoy doing, but unfortunately engineering school is not the best environment for this. The fact that I'll get to spend time at home without worrying about homework and studying and instead spend time hanging out with my wife makes me even more ready to graduate.

The silence here on the blog o'er the past few days has largely been attributed to an overwhelming amount of projects and travel. Several projects are converging a bit too quickly for my comfort, but I'll manage. The light shines brighter and brighter everyday, and my attitude shifts subtly daily to reflect the ever-approaching conclusion to my formal education.

However, I never would have made it through school if I did not learn how to budget time. Time management is something people must learn to do or they will drown in the bustling waters of life. My freshman year I goofed off quite a bit and procrastinated with my work, often staying up late doing last minute homework and studying. That lifestyle quickly grew tedious and stressful, and I realized it was all my own fault. Now, as a graduate student, I still must stay up late, but not as often and usually not because of procrastination.

Living a mostly time managed life provides a less stressful environment. I don't carry an iphone or blackberry and so I don't use much technology to budget, except for Google calendar. I can urge you all, good folks, to budget your time the best you can. I've found that with effective time management then you actually have plenty of extra time left to do whatever you want, provided you don't have an extremely overwhelming amount of homework. Best of luck.

The Wild Eyed Beast

Late, again, and about time, too.
It's at the point where things blur,
where the same Radiohead song's been stuck in my head for weeks
and I'm not getting enough sleep.
I'm the wild eyed beast, best to be left alone like this.
I have to ask myself: Self, why do you do this?
After three days, the end is nigh, but it's only a partial conclusion;
The denouement comes within seventy-five days.
"Self," I answer myself. "It's because you must. You can't switch things off."
The best description is the constant turn on, turn off,
turn on, turn off,
turn on. Pause. Crash, or more like I'm drowning
in an endless ocean of work and life.
But we're all in this thing together, and so we all must drown from time to time.
I guess it's just better that way.

Last Clock On The Wall

As I mentioned in my earlier post today, I cannot wait for the new Joe Purdy album to come out. As luck would have it, I received an email from the Joe Purdy folk asking me to embed this link on my blog, etc. Being a huge fan, I'll oblige.

If you check back within the next week the song should update to include the full album, which means that the album should come out within the week (I hope)!

Enjoy.

Things About Logan (Part 2)

As promised, here's more.

2. The number 1 is not considered a prime number.
3. I've recently started eating oatmeal for breakfast, but only brown sugar flavor.
5. I use my TI-83 Plus all the time.
7. I clip my fingernails weekly, or more so if I think I need it.
11. The Data Analysis Toolpack addition to Excel is really pretty cool.
13. I keep my thermostat on 68*F for the winter.
17. I've been waiting and waiting for Joe Purdy's new album to come out.
19. The square root of 19 does not exist. It's real weird. Just a blank spot.
23. Rainfall does not follow a normal distribution pattern. It's all random, baby.
29. Rules regarding the number 0 did not come into existence until 628 AD.
31. Zero is an even number.
37. A man walks down the street, says "Why am I soft in the middle now? Why am I soft in the middle when the rest of my life is so hard."
41. I'm OCD. Sorta. Or, more accurately, I do certain things OCD, like popping my knuckles. There's a certain pattern I follow when doing this. Or washing my hands and touching door handles.
43. I have a Blue-Green personality type: I am a people pleaser and an analytical person.
47. Alison Krauss & Robert Plant's cd is really quite pleasant.
53. I'm from a coal mining state, where the air smells like warm rootbeer and the cloudmaker machines are always blowing.
59. I hit the "Next Blog" link at the top of the page quite frequently.
61. I've always enjoyed cartoons, especially the old ones, like Tom & Jerry, Loony Toons, Tiny Toons, The Flinstones, and Scooby Doo. Most of the new ones are stupid, but I do like Sponge Bob and Dexter's Lab.
67. My favorite song: Mrs. Potter's Lullaby, by the Counting Crows.
71. One dream: Build a music room in the home we design, large enough for a piano, some guitars, mandolins, banjos, and whatever other fancy is tickled.
73. My love: Jesus first. Keisha second.
79. I push back the cuticles on my fingers a lot.
83. I can independently control my second toe on my right foot.
89. There are 25 prime numbers between 1 and 100.
97. I wonder when we'll get out of this economic turndown. Will the rest of the world fall with us?

The hills are alive, folks. And they have eyes!

My First Wreck

Today's been an interesting day. Today was a special day for me. Today I got to experience my first wreck. By experience I mean that I was riding shotgun and only involved in it, not driving one of the vehicles, but it was still a near head-on collision.

We were on our way to our stream for class, traveling eastbound around 40 mph and approaching a green light. Another vehicle, a small car facing westbound, decided to left turn in front of us, right into our lane of traffic. To minimize damage, my friend, the driver, swerved left and the passenger front ends collided. (I could go into the mechanics and dynamics of the wreck, like I did in my sledding accident post, but I do not wish to repeat myself there. Instead, now would be a good point to make an aside about the Large Hadron Collider. This thing is so cool, but I don't fully understand it. But I've always been fascinated by black holes, and space in general. In fact, the only point in this aside is to point out some subtle things you may not have noticed before, but I can't point them out to you. If you notice them, kudos; if not, say sorry and move along. Like in STAR WARS where the stormtroopers tell Luke, Obi-Wan, C-3P0, and R2-D2.)

So, anyway, the wreck was very fast. Firstly, no one was injured, for which I thank the Lord. I have a pretty stiff and sore neck and shoulder and a small bruise on my chest from the seatbelt, but nothing serious. Secondly, the wreck wasn't my friends' fault; it was the other guy who ran the YIELD ON GREEN sign. Thirdly, the truck was totaled, roont. Fourthly, and finally, we still went on to class, even though we were about 30 minutes late.

And in the stream we finished surveying our reach. We also shot a cross-section of our channel and will be plotting it soon for homework. We even got to do a pebble count, but this time it wasn't as cold as before. Still pretty cold, just not as cold.

For the long of it, today's been an interesting day. An automobile accident, a stiff neck (no pun intended), homework, 45 minutes of Fallout 3, more homework, and then Heroes. Actually a pretty good day, except for the whole wreck thing.

Brothers: Conclusion (And Something Else)

I sat out to write a piece on brothers and our relationships. In actuality I think I've just written down some of my memories about my childhood and growing up with a brother. What have I learned?

I have always thanked God for my family, and I still do. We might have argued and bickered some, but there was always the omnipresent love. That love is still there, and that love will always be there.

I enjoyed my childhood tremendously. I have friends that will be friends for a lifetime. I found my wife within a few miles from where I grew up, even. I have a community I will always call home.

In short, my friends and family are cherished, and I feel honored to call them friends and family. This series has been scattered and really more for me than anything else, but I felt the need to do it. It's like my mind flickers from thing to thing so fast that I don't have time to sit down and actually focus and think on past experiences. My typical day for the past four years has been do homework and study mostly, and this leaves little room for thought and reflection.

To be fair to the title, my brother Jake is a great brother. If ever he reads this, I want him to know how much he means to me and how much I respect him. I love my stepbrother, Adam, too, and I also have tremendous respect for him. Thanks for all the good memory's to you.

*****

There you have it. Scattered memory flashes, focusing on my childhood. It's been a thoughtful process for me, and reading back I think my organization is amiss. Oh well. In other news, I went to a concert today, the Sparrow Quartet, a group of two banjos (one of which is played by the world famous Bela Fleck), a cello, and a fiddle (or violin for those of you that are inclined to think that way). The concert left me feeling a bit inspired, as all concerts seem to do, and I really want to grab my mandolin and guitar and start playing, but unfortunately I'll be chained to the table tonight working on homework.

Brothers: Part Two

As I said in my post yesterday, my brother in a member of the Army. He joined the National Guard when he was seventeen, did boot camp the summer of his junior year in high school, graduated high school and went straight to his training at eighteen. He's now twenty-one, soon to be twenty-two, married, and expecting his first child soon. He bough his first house a few months ago, and Keisha and I were a bit jealous of their beautiful home.

Jake was asked to be my best man for my wedding, but he was going to be out of the country at the time. In fact, he was going to be twelve miles from Baghdad serving his country. At our wedding we decided to group everyone together and hold signs saying "We Miss You," get a few pictures, and send one to Iraq. We communicated through email and phone calls, both of which were very sporadic.

Now we don't seem to see each other except for holidays. We talk on the phone for a few minutes every once in a while, and the same is true for him and mom, too. The point in people's lives where they become completely independent is a great point, but it also is a sad stage, too. Like Holden Caulfield, we all step out into society and face disillusionment. As we get older we think back to when we were young and wish we could go back to better times. We look back at our past when things were easier and less complicated, when we had no burdens, when our only worries were what color popsicle to choose.

I think back to when I was little and me and Jake and Mom would get in the car and go to Sonic for drinks. We didn't have much money, but we had enough to get treats and enjoy our time together. We were raised in church, thus we spent Sunday's and Wednesday's there. We spent most of our time together and shared the same friends, most of whom were family or church family.

This same group of friends--Me, Jake, Chris, Jordan, Adam, Spenser, Nick--spent a lot of time together, playing tennis between church services, going camping many nights during the summer. Once we got in high school, William and Adam Graham became my best friends (and they still both are two of my best), and our normal group expanded. Still we all went camping together, and we all loved to burn stuff.

Friends, like brothers, are something to thank God for. I think back to when we were younger and those times we all shared together, and again it makes me a bit nostalgic. I don't want to go back in time, however; I want to continue our friendships into the future. I want to hang out with these same folks when I'm fifty, still camping and still playing tennis. Sadly, though, my brother doesn't seem to be hanging out with the group much anymore. And this sucks because the group does not get together much anymore.

A big part of this is because of the Army. Jake is so busy with the Army that he does not have the time to hang out with us, or he's busy working and can't. I have respect for the Armed Forces, but I do wish I could have my brother back sometimes. Again, like Holden Caulfield, my brother served in Iraq, and I'm sure he saw things he would rather have not. The horrors and effects of war are not envied, and I do not wish them on anyone, especially not my brother.

I want to extend a "Thank You" to all of our brothers in the Armed Forces out there. Those of you that serve our country, we would not be where we are today without you. You will always have my respect, support, and appreciation. May God bless you.

Brothers: Part One

This is the first part of a brief series on brothers. I will explore the fraternal relationship through personal experiences. This is written mostly for me, but you may learn and love, too.

I have two brothers. Jake, my blood brother, is one year and fifty-four days younger than I am. Adam, my step-brother, is a few years older than me. Jake and I have been close our whole lives. We both look alike, and because of our closeness in age, we were each others' best friend. Needless to say, we have always loved each other dearly.

There is something about brothers, particularly young brothers, that want to get into trouble. Being the elder brother, I was usually the one punished more severely, though I like to think I was being protective. One time when we were around 5-6 years old we got caught playing with fire under the bed. We lighting things on fire and watching them burn, awed and amazed. That was the only time I was ever whipped by my Uncle Brian. Suffice it to say it was not pleasant.

Me and Jake would ride our bikes to town and we had our own code language for staying safe on the roads. A "Code Red" was a car coming from in front of us, and a "Code Blue" was a car coming from behind. We would ride around and yell out our Codes, and we were always safe.

We spent many hours in the woods behind our home. We would choreograph lightsaber battles and perform them to our mom. We would dig holes. Giant, monstrous holes. One measured 10'x6'x4', and it was all dug with a shovel. That was our burning pit. We blew up everything we could there. We built a two story structure out of our neighbor's surplus timber (he owned a saw mill) and burned it to the ground.

It may seem that my brother and I were just mischievous pyromaniacs, but that's not entirely representative. We were both actually good kids. We had a good name in the community, especially once we got old enough to work in the tobacco, hay, and straw fields.

Me and Jake have always been close. Once I went to college, though, our relationship faded a bit. We were 120 miles away, and I had a girlfriend, now my wife, that I was infatuated with. Jake, too, was busy, and so our time together was not as much. I miss our closeness, and if I think about it too much I get a little emotional. I cannot describe how much I love my brother, but I would do anything for him. As the older brother, I think it is my responsibility to look after him, but I'm pretty sure he could take me any time he wanted. He has always been stronger and a smidgen taller.

There is a distance between us now, but it comes from me being in college for 5 years straight and Jake being in the Army since he turned 17. I wish we had the opportunity to hang out and play Nintendo like we used to, to go camping back in the woods, to go to the movies, to stay up and watch tv until 4 in the morning. I hope that in the very near future we are able to get together more and do stuff like brothers should.

Brothers are more than blood related kin. Brothers are more than best friends, even. A brother is someone you grow to love, respect, and worry about, someone you can spend time with easily, and someone you enjoy being around. If you have someone like this in your life, thank God for this person and spend time together.

Fun With "Reply to All..."

My wife just exclaimed, "I wonder why people reply to all on emails when they don't need to address everyone?" I found this humorous, and it got me thinking back to one particular instance of "Reply to All" for me.

Back when I was taking Chem 201 there was a lot of nervous freshmen and sophomores in the class. I was a junior, and I was rather knowledgable about chemistry, so I didn't worry. Furthermore, these nervous freshmen would miss classes constantly, and in their despair, they would send out emails to the class all the time, begging for help, for notes, for clarification, for anything, really. I found this rather annoying. This went on for most of the semester, and my frustration at people missing classes and wanting help/handouts was building.

One day I decided to type a message and Reply to Everyone in the class. My message was short and simple.

Did you all see our professor lick the chalkboard today?

Of course, this was completely made up, but I thought it was rather funny. One or two people replied to me, curious and wondering about it, but I didn't reply back.

The point of this post: when replying to an email, make sure it's directed at who you intend and not at everybody. Everything is much better this way.

Brisingr Review

I cannot tell you how happy I am to be done with Brisingr. For those of you that don't know, this book is the third book in the Inheritance Cycle, which begins with Eragon and Eldest. These books are written by Christopher Paolini, and these are his first major works. I read Eragon years ago when it first came out. I was a younger lad then with a different outlook on books, particularly the fantasy genre. Needless to say, I enjoyed the first book, and I was immensely satisfied with the sequel, too. Brisingr was to be the conclusion of the series, but the story grew too large and Paolini needed to add a fourth book to tell his tale, which, at the time, was fine by me. If you haven't read these books, particularly Brisingr, then be warned that there may be plot revealing statements below.

)))LOOKOUT FOR SPOILERS! THEY'RE LURKING BELOW(((

This book starts on the heels of Eldest. Eragon is learning to live with his family problems--Morzan, Murtagh--and also grappling with his role as Alagaesia's savior. In this book, Eragon and Roran must save Katrina from the vile Ra'zac, Eragon must travel to Farthen Dur to secure the Dwarve's position with the Varden, he must travel back to Ellesmera to learn more from Oromis & Glaedr, he must find a true Rider's sword. The novel also focuses on Roran Stronghammer, Eragon's cousin and friend, and his travels with the Varden.

There are points in the story that I really enjoyed. For example, I love the close relationship Eragon and Saphira share, and it makes me wish I could have that sort of close contact with someone or something. I liked the mini quest of searching for a Rider's sword, particularly under the Menoa tree. I like the nuances of the languages spoken in the land, but sometimes I feel they're a bit ridiculous.

A couple years ago I thought the Ancient Language mechanics to invoke magic was unique, but now I think it is a very complicated, complex, and messy system.

Honestly, the only reason I read this book was because I was (and still am) a little interested as to how Galbatorix will die and his reign end. He will most definitely die, of that I have no doubts. The story is too "young adult" and light for there to be a plot-twist where Galbatorix wins. I also hold the belief of starting a book means finishing a book, and in this case, starting a series means finishing a series.

)))END OF SPOILERS(((

Overall, I give Brisingr a 2.5/5.0, or a 50% positive review. The story did not have enough Realism for my liking. After reading Pat Rothfuss' brilliant work, The Name of the Wind, and George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire books, I enjoy the realistic approach to fantasy as opposed to the cliche fantasy. Don't misunderstand the previous statement: I enjoy some of the atypical books in the fantasy realm, but others are too akin to each other for my liking. I appreciate uniqueness and creativity, which Brisingr employs, but not enough for my satisfaction.

On Posting (Part 2)

I'm really too tired to post tonight, but I feel obliged to, as per yesterday's post. Today's been very busy for me. I spent around 5 hours in our stream today, doing general land surveying and walking the creek. We worked just downstream the confluence of the streams and then upstream until the road.

View Larger Map
Then I went to Kroger and picked up some things for Valentines Day. Then my landlord came o'er and fixed our water in the bathroom. Then Heroes came on. Then I bathed. Now I sit and think about all the stuff I have to do tomorrow, like get up really early and dress business appropriate, since I'm going to a Career Information meeting and meeting a potential employer. And I finished reading Brisingr tonight, too, which was a relief. Later, either tonight or tomorrow, I am going to start on Mistborn. I'm thinking tomorrow's post may be more coherent and will probably be about my thoughts on Christopher Paolini's book I just finished reading. Stay away from the green peppers, folks; they'll get you every time.

On Posting

I've had this blog since December of 2005. I remember hopping onto the blogwagon, but really unsure why. For a while I posted on weird, odd things, like "Why?", but I also posted some of my original poetry and reviews and books and Jesus. In short, I've had a pretty normal blog. However, my posting was, at best, subject to a high variance. For example, look at the (crude) table below:

Back a few months ago I decided that I would try to update this daily, and if not daily, then at least 5 days per week. So far, I think I've done pretty well at this. I feel obligated to no one but myself to do this. For one, it's a source for me to put a little of myself out there in the world. For two, it's provided an opportunity to get to know other folks (Matt, Marky, Cap'n Joe, and others that read through Facebook) and for them to know how I think on some things.

And this is the interesting point. Why do we want to know what other people think about things? Are we not confident enough in ourselves and our opinions, or do we find it entertaining to know how other's think? Perhaps we feel a connection with someone who shares a similar belief, or mayhap we feel intelligent reading someone else's obviously uninformed opinion. Whatever the case, we are attracted to other people's opinions like iron to a magnet. These musings make me want to delve into an intense Psychology or Sociology book, or at least talk to a scholar about these reasons and why modern thought tells us these obvious truths. What causes human attraction and a desire for relationships? What causes a moth to want to fly into an open flame? Why are chestnuts roasting over it?

Back to posting. I try to post regularly. I don't limit myself to any single topic on which I post, but I do take suggestions if anyone has any. My thought pools are very deep, and sometimes I forget there are other people reading this besides me. To me, my blog serves as a record of my daily thinking, and I can go to it and read my thoughts any time I choose. If Blogger decides to can and erase my archives, then I'll have to accept that. Until then, I'll continue to use Blogger and to write my thoughts on whatever I'm feeling. I mean, this blog's named Rememorandom, a portmanteau of Remember, memory, memorandom, and random, and so I should post my random thoughts about random subjects onto this free site so I can remember them when I'm older.

XKCD

Two funny ones:

Things about Logan (Part 1)

A good thing, I think, to throw into the mix is a little about me. I've tried to select a few things about me that describe my character, my personality, my likes, my dislikes, and my hobbies. Plus, there's a lot of links!!!

0. I love Jesus Christ and Keisha most of all.
1. I typically put others before myself.
2. I love dark chocolate. Absolutely love it.
3. My favorite color is green.
4. STAR WARS is the greatest movie of all time, and by STAR WARS, I mean all of them.
5. I enjoy listening to sad, violent music, like old folk and blues songs.
6. I've always wanted to go to the United Kingdom.
7. Italy would be nice, too. Or, maybe, just tour all of Europe.
8. I enjoy math and calculus.
9. I won 4th place in a regional chess tournament in high school.
10. I wish you could buy Mt. Dew Baja Blast somewhere other than Taco Bell.
11. I used to have Dumb & Dumber memorized.
12. I've been playing Fallout 3 for the past 2 or 3 weeks.
13. I had a back massage today.
14. I cannot wait until May gets here; I'll graduate in May.
15. I worked for Toyota in their Environmental department for 1 year, and also for Sud-Chemie for 1 year in their Environmental department.
16. The only biography I've read was Bob Dylan's.
17. The Beatles > The Rolling Stones
18. I want to see the Northern Lights. (Southern's okay, too.)
19. Parenthesis are my favorite punctuation marks.
20. I manipulate the rules of grammar to my liking, or you could say that I do not give obeisance to the rules of grammar.
21. My dream job would be for people to pay me to tell them whether or not I liked something. Kind of like a critic, where I could watch or read or play or test something and then offer my opinion. Or I could just be a professional stayer-at-homer and play with my toys.
22. I don't have a favorite version of the Bible. KJV, NIV, ESV, NASB, HCS...
23. This is a prime number.
24. I wake up nearly every morning burning up, even if I keep the heat on 68 and sleep only in my boxers.
25. I'm sure the world would fail if Microsoft Office no longer existed.
26. I despise peanut butter & jelly.
27. My closet is full of plaid. And sweaters. And STAR WARS tees.
28. Aladdin is the best Disney movie. Period.
28. I am taking too many hours this semester and looking for a job for when I graduate.
29. When I'm hungry I like to snack on small children.
30. Close ups of weird eye things make me squeamish. And seeing someone puke makes me wanna start PukeFEST. And I don't watch gory things. And blood....
30b. I want to design my home for the future, using green technology and sustainable designs, such as geothermal heating, low-flow water systems, natural lighting, solar panels, rainwater catchment, and other things.
34. I think my dog, Stella, just had a nightmare.
41. I'm balding, sadly.
42. My favorite food is taco stuff. But I also like Chinese, Indian, and homestyle American cooking. Oh, and fast food, too.
43. This semester I'm taking Advanced Hydrology, Stream & Wetland Restoration, Advanced GIS (Geographic Information Systems), Green Engineering & Sustainable Design, and Capstone Design for Civil Engineers.

That's all for now, good people. Part 2 will come some point after now along the timeline, but probably before 10 years from now. Don't drink the water.

Wayfarin' Stranger

This is me playing Wayfarin' Stranger on my Alvarez F style mandolin. For this track I overdubbed myself playing with my Alvarez guitar, too. I tried to structure the timing just off of each other. Enjoy. Below is a few pictures of my mandolin with the song playing, too.

Sledding Is For Kids

As mentioned a few posts ago, Kentucky was hit with a severe winter storm. The storm surged through Missouri, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Arkansas, and Tennessee and resulted in many deaths, most from carbon monoxide poisoning or fire. This said, the county I am from, Muhlenberg, was devastated, and much of the county is still without power. Cell phone towers were down, too, and so there really was no way to communicate with anyone from back home.

Here in Louisville we got around 6 inches of snow and ice in varying layers. Layers stacked so perfect that we just had to go sledding. The first night of sledding was down a rather steep, mostly ice-hardened hill, containing several downed tree limbs, a few large tree trunks, and a monster dip in the middle of the hill that would propel the sledder off-ground a piece. This was awesome. The thrill of sledding as a 23 year old brought back memories of sledding as a teenager. In fact, I had so much fun I agreed to go sledding again the following night.

The second night was sledding down an intimidating hill in Louisville's Cherokee Park. My wife was feeling better on this particular night and so she decided to tag along for the sledding. While there I realized that I forgot to take my glasses off, so I took them back to the car before I started sledding. My wife walked with me and she said she was a bit hesitant to go down first, so I offered to head down and show her it was okay. BAD IDEA. I was on a round sled and so naturally I was rotating as I flew down the large hill. At the bottom everything happened really, really fast.

From what I can remember the ground disappeared beneath me, quite suddenly, and a wall appeared before me. I collided and doubled over and felt pain across my back like I've only known once before. At first, I honestly thought I wasn't going to be able to get up. I remember saying "no" and groaning, but I couldn't raise myself off my hands and knees. I wanted to throw up. My face was sweating. I couldn't see anything but black. Two strangers was yelling and asking me if I was okay. I said, honestly, "NO!" My wife was waiting atop the hill for my "It's okay," but I hollered "Don't come down." She walked down to where I was and helped me walk back up the hill. I came to realize that I had hit a ditch that had been created at the bottom of the hill we were on, and I must have collided with the opposite bank side.

Dynamically, I think I obeyed the laws of momentum, gravity, and conservation of energy pretty well. See, let m1 be the weight of me and v1 the velocity in which I was traveling downhill. Let m2 be the mass of the earth and v2 the velocity it was moving. Adding these terms, m1v1 + m2v2 = (m1+m2)v, where final velocity, v, equals sudden death. Furthermore, all kinetic energy from me traveling down the hill, .5m1v1^2, was instantaneously transferred from my body into potential energy that the ditch bank would hold, i.e. too much for my liking.

Regardless, and nevertheless, I am thankful my wife and I didn't go down the hill together, lest we both received painful injuries. I've basically been doped on Excedrin Back & Body since Thursday, resting on a heating pad, and using my massage chair. I'm strongly considering visiting a chiropractor or a professional masseuse. In short, sledding was very fun, but regrettably, I don't think I'll be going back for a while. Hope you all are warmer than I am.