I got a new desktop microphone. It's pretty cool. I'm going to mess around with it some more tomorrow. I have a project in mind.
In the meantime, have you checked out my YouTube profile recently? Lots of fun stuff going on over there.
There are two new promotional flavors of Mountain Dew. Tried them both today. Good stuff.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Getting out of the house and doing stuff rocks.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: New stuff. Woot.
Song addiction of the day: Once again, the same song. I'll get over this phase, I promise.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 2.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009: A Peek Into Dreamland
I had a bizarre dream last night. I'm fuzzy on the details by now, but I have the basic jist of it. I somehow woke up on an small island inhabited by some humans, but a large percentage of the population was animal-human hybrids. There were varying degrees, anywhere from people with a simple pair of horns to people that looked like minotaurs to people that were more animal than human. The whole island was controlled by a ruling class of about 8 people. The ruling class, unfortunately, had gone insane and turned evil, and everyone was too afraid to do anything about it. So I rounded up a team of warriors, and with a combination of martial arts, guns, and a few well-placed explosions, we were able to kill the evil rulers and restore peace to the islands. The only part that didn't go so well was when one of the team members got shot halfway across the beach and he died in his daughter's arms. We comforted her as the sun set over the horizon. That was when I woke up. It was like being in a really bizarre, disjointed action movie. You know, the kind where all the characters take it really seriously despite how profoundly ridiculous the movie is? That kind.
Well, that's about it. Nighty night.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: I got a good amount of school work done.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: I slept too late.
Song addiction of the day: Still the same song. I'm telling you, it rocks.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 1.
Well, that's about it. Nighty night.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: I got a good amount of school work done.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: I slept too late.
Song addiction of the day: Still the same song. I'm telling you, it rocks.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 1.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009: Comment Joy, Brownie, and Burgers
I made a promise to explain my exuberance yesterday, and I'm a man of my word. For those of you not plugged into the YouTube universe, the Vlogbrothers, more commonly known as Hank and John Green, are a well-known YouTube channel, and I've been a big fan for a long time. Under suggestion from a YouTube friend of mine, I took the concept of the "five second movie" and applied it to a famous YouTuber, in this case, Hank and John. So imagine my glee at seeing that John Green has not only seen that video, but also thinks it is funny! That's pretty cool.
Today we had my grandparents' dog Brownie come and visit us. Our dog Jake was very happy to have a playmate for the day. I also made some mini burgers with my dad. It was pretty cool. I plan on learning to cook a lot of different things this summer. I need to know how to make things otehr than breakfast foods.
Good night, folks.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: I learned how to cook something new.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: The rain was kind of annoying.
Song addiction of the day: Honestly, it's the same song as yesterday. It's really great.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 1.
Today we had my grandparents' dog Brownie come and visit us. Our dog Jake was very happy to have a playmate for the day. I also made some mini burgers with my dad. It was pretty cool. I plan on learning to cook a lot of different things this summer. I need to know how to make things otehr than breakfast foods.
Good night, folks.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: I learned how to cook something new.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: The rain was kind of annoying.
Song addiction of the day: Honestly, it's the same song as yesterday. It's really great.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 1.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009: Oh. My. God.
So I created a video. A vlog wherein I took care of a few simple items.
From that video, came this video.
From that video, came comments.
In those comments, this particular comment sat.
Excuse me for a moment.
YEEEEAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!! WHOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOO! YESYESYESYESYES!!!!!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!
*breathes*
If you don't understand why this makes me so happy, I promise that I will explain tomorrow. Right now, I simply wish to bask in the glory of this day.
*basks*
Good night.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: ...Seriously? You need to ask?
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Nothing. Today is wonderful.
Song addiction of the day: "Think Who is Your Friends" by Distemper. Unfortunately I cannot find a video for this song. That's a real shame.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
From that video, came this video.
From that video, came comments.
In those comments, this particular comment sat.
Excuse me for a moment.
YEEEEAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!! WHOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOO! YESYESYESYESYES!!!!!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!
*breathes*
If you don't understand why this makes me so happy, I promise that I will explain tomorrow. Right now, I simply wish to bask in the glory of this day.
*basks*
Good night.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: ...Seriously? You need to ask?
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Nothing. Today is wonderful.
Song addiction of the day: "Think Who is Your Friends" by Distemper. Unfortunately I cannot find a video for this song. That's a real shame.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Sunday, June 14, 2009: I Suck
I was getting back into the swing of this blogging thing, and then I started slacking again. I am disappointed in myself. It's just so easy to not do it, and I don't like that. I will do more. I will get back to daily, with a few breaks interspersed. I also need to make more video blogs. I owe some people on YouTube a few special thanks, and I will start working on them tomorrow. I won't have them finished tomorrow, but they will be in the works.
I took my second online test on Saturday, and the deal was that I would get a new laptop if I got an A. I got an 89 percent. GAAAAAHHHHHHH!!! I am hoping that once the teacher goes over everything, she will find a mistake in the system and my grade will go up. One point. One. Freaking. Point. Fingers crossed.
This past week, we got a few members of the old daycare gang back together. My mom, David, Emily, Sean, and I all went to this cool little place called Kristof's. It's got a huge arcade, a bowling alley, pool tables, mini golf, batting cages, and go-karts. It is all very cool. We opted to do the mini golf thing followed by a round of go-karts. The highlight of the mini golf was David's ball hitting mine and knocking it into the hole, giving me a hole in one on a technicality. Pretty funny. But the best part was the go-karting. My mom sat out of the go karts, God knows why. I accidentally spun Sean out once, but otherwise it went smoothly. I did soundly better than everyone else, but honestly, that's probably because I've been driving actual cars over 2 years longer than David, and Emily and Sean are too young to drive at all. I love go-karts. There is something thoroughly therapeutic about them, and I miss them. I will make attempts to go back several times throughout the summer.
Speaking of vehicles, I have outgrown my old bike by a long shot, and even it still fit me, it does not accept storage devices. Therefore, I've been looking at bikes and saddlebags for bikes, because I do not plan on owning a car for a very long time, and I need something to do errands in this coming school year. Being in an apartment means more things to be done, but it will be totally worth it. Plus, there's the exercise to be had. That's groovy. We think we have a good idea of what I will need, and there are some reasonably priced things e have in mind. I will let you know when we have made a decision.
Sorry about the slacking. I will get better. I will.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Got out of the house. Finally.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: I've been lazy. Need to work on that.
Song addiction of the day: I've been reading all day. Thus, I have no music for you this time.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
I took my second online test on Saturday, and the deal was that I would get a new laptop if I got an A. I got an 89 percent. GAAAAAHHHHHHH!!! I am hoping that once the teacher goes over everything, she will find a mistake in the system and my grade will go up. One point. One. Freaking. Point. Fingers crossed.
This past week, we got a few members of the old daycare gang back together. My mom, David, Emily, Sean, and I all went to this cool little place called Kristof's. It's got a huge arcade, a bowling alley, pool tables, mini golf, batting cages, and go-karts. It is all very cool. We opted to do the mini golf thing followed by a round of go-karts. The highlight of the mini golf was David's ball hitting mine and knocking it into the hole, giving me a hole in one on a technicality. Pretty funny. But the best part was the go-karting. My mom sat out of the go karts, God knows why. I accidentally spun Sean out once, but otherwise it went smoothly. I did soundly better than everyone else, but honestly, that's probably because I've been driving actual cars over 2 years longer than David, and Emily and Sean are too young to drive at all. I love go-karts. There is something thoroughly therapeutic about them, and I miss them. I will make attempts to go back several times throughout the summer.
Speaking of vehicles, I have outgrown my old bike by a long shot, and even it still fit me, it does not accept storage devices. Therefore, I've been looking at bikes and saddlebags for bikes, because I do not plan on owning a car for a very long time, and I need something to do errands in this coming school year. Being in an apartment means more things to be done, but it will be totally worth it. Plus, there's the exercise to be had. That's groovy. We think we have a good idea of what I will need, and there are some reasonably priced things e have in mind. I will let you know when we have made a decision.
Sorry about the slacking. I will get better. I will.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Got out of the house. Finally.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: I've been lazy. Need to work on that.
Song addiction of the day: I've been reading all day. Thus, I have no music for you this time.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Wednesday, June 10, 2009: I Got Nothing
I'd really like to write a blog today. Honestly, I would. But I have a problem. I have nothing to talk about. Nothing. At all. Totally drawing a blank. I wish I wasn't. But such is life, I suppose. I should have more by tomorrow.
To apologize for today's lack of content, here's a kitten.
See you tomorrow.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Relaxed day.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: I'm boring today.
Song addiction of the day: I got nothing. Sorry.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 1.
To apologize for today's lack of content, here's a kitten.
See you tomorrow.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Relaxed day.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: I'm boring today.
Song addiction of the day: I got nothing. Sorry.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 1.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Tuesday, June 9, 2009: Lawn Mowing Gripes
I want our lawn mower to get fixed. Now. Bagging all that grass is not only a hassle, it's not as good for the lawn. For those of you who may not know, there are two basic types of lawn mowers: Those that have the ability to mulch and those that do not. The thing about mowing the lawn is that if you just cut off the top layer with a normal blade and don't bag the grass, it leaves a bunch of long grass clippings on the lawn, which chokes the healthy grass and makes it not so healthy. Mulchers have specially shaped blades that keep the clippings inside the lawn mowers slightly longer. This chops up the clippings more so that they can be left on the lawn to re-fertilize it. The lawn mower we are currently borrowing does not have the ability to mulch, so we're wasting perfectly good grass clippings. It sucks.
On a much more pleasant note, I have a new video up on my channel. Just a few short items, and some clips from Saturday's wizard rock show. Good stuff, check it out.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: I had chicken pot pies. Yum.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Bagging grass stinks.
Song addiction of the day: Pretty much anything in my latest YouTube video.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 1.
A few bonus still photos!
Lauren and Nina, a.k.a. The Moaning Myrtles:
Lauren and I:
Nina and I:
On a much more pleasant note, I have a new video up on my channel. Just a few short items, and some clips from Saturday's wizard rock show. Good stuff, check it out.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: I had chicken pot pies. Yum.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Bagging grass stinks.
Song addiction of the day: Pretty much anything in my latest YouTube video.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 1.
A few bonus still photos!
Lauren and Nina, a.k.a. The Moaning Myrtles:
Lauren and I:
Nina and I:
Monday, June 8, 2009
Monday, May 8, 2009: Catching Up
I'm sorry. I have really slacked on my blog lately. I promise to get back into it.
I've befriended a pretty cool vlogger who goes by the name of I, Jethrobot. You should all check out his channel here.
This past Saturday, I saw my first wizard rock show. I drove 211 miles to see Justin Finch-Fletchley, the Whomping Willows, and the Moaning Myrtles perform, and it was totally worth the trip Unfortunately, I missed JFF because of some directional confusion, but I got there just as Whompy was starting. It was very cool. I got both the Moaning Myrtles CDs and got them signed. I have a few short video clips for the tubes, and I will have pictures uploaded later. Lauren and Nina were quite nice. Not only was it my first experience with wizard rock, it was also my first time meeting a YouTuber IRL.
On Sunday, I spoke at church. Our Director of Religious Education, Bette Rotert, was retiring and our service was in honor of her and her accomplishments as the DRE. We will all miss her very much. Well done, Bette. We salute you.
That's about it for now. Stay frosty.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Fairly relaxing day.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: I slept wrong and hurt my knee. But it's fine now.
Song addiction of the day: "And Then I Died" by the Moaning Myrtles.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
I've befriended a pretty cool vlogger who goes by the name of I, Jethrobot. You should all check out his channel here.
This past Saturday, I saw my first wizard rock show. I drove 211 miles to see Justin Finch-Fletchley, the Whomping Willows, and the Moaning Myrtles perform, and it was totally worth the trip Unfortunately, I missed JFF because of some directional confusion, but I got there just as Whompy was starting. It was very cool. I got both the Moaning Myrtles CDs and got them signed. I have a few short video clips for the tubes, and I will have pictures uploaded later. Lauren and Nina were quite nice. Not only was it my first experience with wizard rock, it was also my first time meeting a YouTuber IRL.
On Sunday, I spoke at church. Our Director of Religious Education, Bette Rotert, was retiring and our service was in honor of her and her accomplishments as the DRE. We will all miss her very much. Well done, Bette. We salute you.
That's about it for now. Stay frosty.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Fairly relaxing day.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: I slept wrong and hurt my knee. But it's fine now.
Song addiction of the day: "And Then I Died" by the Moaning Myrtles.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Wednesday, June 3, 2009: A Fun Standard Day and a Recall
Pete and I went to Woodfield Mall today. Had A&W. Good root beer. mmm...
...yeah, that's pretty much my whole day. Poked around stores, didn't buy anything. Pretty standard for us.
I did remember something I forgot to mention in my last blog. I went to Red Robin with my parents, where I acquired a balloon. I inhaled the helium, and then we had an idea. At the next red light, I inhaled a large amount of the helium, leaned out the window towards the open window of the car on our right, and asked the lovely young lady driving the car if she could provide me with directions to the lollipop guild. My mom couldn't stop laughing. I'm just glad that at the age of 19, I am still willing to make myself look really stupid for the sake of comedy.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Good day at the mall.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Slept too much today too.
Song addiction of the day: "Mr. Crowley" by Ozzy Osbourne.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 1.
...yeah, that's pretty much my whole day. Poked around stores, didn't buy anything. Pretty standard for us.
I did remember something I forgot to mention in my last blog. I went to Red Robin with my parents, where I acquired a balloon. I inhaled the helium, and then we had an idea. At the next red light, I inhaled a large amount of the helium, leaned out the window towards the open window of the car on our right, and asked the lovely young lady driving the car if she could provide me with directions to the lollipop guild. My mom couldn't stop laughing. I'm just glad that at the age of 19, I am still willing to make myself look really stupid for the sake of comedy.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Good day at the mall.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Slept too much today too.
Song addiction of the day: "Mr. Crowley" by Ozzy Osbourne.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 1.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Tuesday, June 2, 2009: More Or Less Awake
Okay, so let's get to yesterday's Navy Pier business.
Navy Pier is a pretty cool place. It appeals to a wide variety of age groups, but the section that we spent our time in was the children's museum there. They have a lot of fun stuff, such as giant dominoes, giant checkers, giant chess, a fake dinosaur dig, a waterworks area, an art area, a music area, a construction area, a firefighting exhibit, a big boat to play around in, and a system of nets to climb on. It's really quite cool. And so ended my weekend adventure with my godson. Long and fun as always.
As for today, we have a different lawn mower to temporarily use in place of our broken one while it gets repaired. It belongs to my aunt and uncle, and it operates differently then our lawn mower. The thing about it is that it does not have the ability to mulch the grass that it cuts, so the grass must be bagged as you mow. This makes the mowing process take significantly longer than usual. But at least the lawn got cut today.
Pete is staying over tonight. This is actually the first time it's been just the two of us since the school year ended. We were hoping to have Conor over as well, but it ended up not working out. Oh well. We've got an entire summer ahead of us. There will be plenty of time for the Trifecta of Doom to assemble.
So ends another one.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Having Pete stay over is pretty cool.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: I'd have to say I slept too much today.
Song addiction of the day: Once again, I have listened to no music today.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: o.
Navy Pier is a pretty cool place. It appeals to a wide variety of age groups, but the section that we spent our time in was the children's museum there. They have a lot of fun stuff, such as giant dominoes, giant checkers, giant chess, a fake dinosaur dig, a waterworks area, an art area, a music area, a construction area, a firefighting exhibit, a big boat to play around in, and a system of nets to climb on. It's really quite cool. And so ended my weekend adventure with my godson. Long and fun as always.
As for today, we have a different lawn mower to temporarily use in place of our broken one while it gets repaired. It belongs to my aunt and uncle, and it operates differently then our lawn mower. The thing about it is that it does not have the ability to mulch the grass that it cuts, so the grass must be bagged as you mow. This makes the mowing process take significantly longer than usual. But at least the lawn got cut today.
Pete is staying over tonight. This is actually the first time it's been just the two of us since the school year ended. We were hoping to have Conor over as well, but it ended up not working out. Oh well. We've got an entire summer ahead of us. There will be plenty of time for the Trifecta of Doom to assemble.
So ends another one.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Having Pete stay over is pretty cool.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: I'd have to say I slept too much today.
Song addiction of the day: Once again, I have listened to no music today.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: o.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Monday, June 1, 2009: Sleepy...
Today I went to Navy Pier with my godson. I am far too tired to write about it today. Tomorrow. Promise.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Being so exhausted from having dun that I have no energy for blog writing.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Being exhausted.
Song addiction of the day: I was too busy playing to have a song addiction today.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: o.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Being so exhausted from having dun that I have no energy for blog writing.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Being exhausted.
Song addiction of the day: I was too busy playing to have a song addiction today.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: o.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Sunday, May 31, 2009: Assorted Items
Today was pretty groovy. I did very little, but it's the kind of inactivity that is relaxing, not boring. We all had a really awesome dinner. Baked potatoes, pork chops, watermelon, grapes, salmon, baked beans with meatballs, corn on the cob. Good stuff. I don't eat around a table with family very often, since my mom, my dad, and I are on totally different sleeping and eating schedules. It's nice to be able to do it every once in a while.
Today, we watched Transformers and Iron Man back-to-back, which was pretty cool. After consuming microwave popcorn, I decided we need a professional popper. Microwave popcorn is by no means bad, but it simply cannot compare with the popcorn they have at the movie theatres. I don't know exactly what it is that makes movie popcorn so much better, but it's got to be something.
I've only just noticed that Blogger.com says that "theater" is an acceptable spelling, but "theatre" is not. For some reason, I have a big problem with that. Blogger, you need to fix this. If it's good enough for the dictionary, it's good enough for you, damn it.
I got two Ultimate X-Men volumes today. I figured I need to start getting caught up sometime. Might as well be now.
I want to draw something. But I have no idea what, and nothing has really satiated me yet. Hopefully I figure it out soon.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: New comics are fun.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Artist's block is sucky.
Song addiction of the day: "Rapper's Delight" by the Sugar Hill Gang. This, in my opinion, is rapping at its best. This is only one version of the song, but there are tons. All of them great.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 1.
Today, we watched Transformers and Iron Man back-to-back, which was pretty cool. After consuming microwave popcorn, I decided we need a professional popper. Microwave popcorn is by no means bad, but it simply cannot compare with the popcorn they have at the movie theatres. I don't know exactly what it is that makes movie popcorn so much better, but it's got to be something.
I've only just noticed that Blogger.com says that "theater" is an acceptable spelling, but "theatre" is not. For some reason, I have a big problem with that. Blogger, you need to fix this. If it's good enough for the dictionary, it's good enough for you, damn it.
I got two Ultimate X-Men volumes today. I figured I need to start getting caught up sometime. Might as well be now.
I want to draw something. But I have no idea what, and nothing has really satiated me yet. Hopefully I figure it out soon.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: New comics are fun.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Artist's block is sucky.
Song addiction of the day: "Rapper's Delight" by the Sugar Hill Gang. This, in my opinion, is rapping at its best. This is only one version of the song, but there are tons. All of them great.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 1.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009: The End of a Brief Hiatus
I put my blog on a two-day hiatus to concentrate on studying for an online exam, but I am back now, and I'm enjoying it.
So my godson and his mom are staying the weekend, and that's pretty dandy. What's not dandy is the fact that they went to see the Harry Potter exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry without me. Not. Okay. In what universe does my mom exist that she thinks leaving me asleep at home while they go to what is probably the coolest museum exhibit in the history of cool museum exhibits ever? Oh well, at least it's going to be here all summer.
Today we saw back-to-back movies in the theatre. First, it was Pixar's newest movie, Up, and then it was the new Star Trek movie. Avid readers of my blog will know that I have already seen Star Trek. This is my third time seeing it, and it has not lost any of its novelty. As for Up, it's a very different sort of Pixar experience. It's a bit darker, and it's got a fair bit of violence, but it continues the proud tradition of taking every main character on some sort of journey and personal growth. It presents itself very well, and makes a lot of really funny references. The ones that stuck out to me were a reference to a famous painting and a Star Wars reference. It was very funny, and also very heartwarming, but also a bit more grown up than previous Pixar works. This is not to say that Pixar has not had some very grown up stories, but Up is grown up in a different sort of way than its predecessors. To say any more would be to cross into the realm of spoilers, which I refuse to engage in, so I will move on.
Today I also went to the driving range with my dad. I don't really golf much, but I hit a few balls. Mostly, I sat in the shade drawing and watching my dad hit balls.
And now you're all caught up.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Good movies.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Didn't get to go to the exhibit. ...mrrrrggggh...
Song addiction of the day: "ABC" by the Jackson 5. It's just fun. And makes for a great Clerks II dance scene.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
So my godson and his mom are staying the weekend, and that's pretty dandy. What's not dandy is the fact that they went to see the Harry Potter exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry without me. Not. Okay. In what universe does my mom exist that she thinks leaving me asleep at home while they go to what is probably the coolest museum exhibit in the history of cool museum exhibits ever? Oh well, at least it's going to be here all summer.
Today we saw back-to-back movies in the theatre. First, it was Pixar's newest movie, Up, and then it was the new Star Trek movie. Avid readers of my blog will know that I have already seen Star Trek. This is my third time seeing it, and it has not lost any of its novelty. As for Up, it's a very different sort of Pixar experience. It's a bit darker, and it's got a fair bit of violence, but it continues the proud tradition of taking every main character on some sort of journey and personal growth. It presents itself very well, and makes a lot of really funny references. The ones that stuck out to me were a reference to a famous painting and a Star Wars reference. It was very funny, and also very heartwarming, but also a bit more grown up than previous Pixar works. This is not to say that Pixar has not had some very grown up stories, but Up is grown up in a different sort of way than its predecessors. To say any more would be to cross into the realm of spoilers, which I refuse to engage in, so I will move on.
Today I also went to the driving range with my dad. I don't really golf much, but I hit a few balls. Mostly, I sat in the shade drawing and watching my dad hit balls.
And now you're all caught up.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Good movies.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Didn't get to go to the exhibit. ...mrrrrggggh...
Song addiction of the day: "ABC" by the Jackson 5. It's just fun. And makes for a great Clerks II dance scene.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009: A Full Day, Finally
I finally got out of the house today, and it was great.
Today I went to a children's museum with my godson, his mom, the boy she nannies for, and my mom. For those of you who may not be familiar with the concept of a children's museum, it's not really a museum in the traditional sense. It would be better described as a building full of imagination exercises and giant puzzles in disguise. They teach children about anything from basic colors to how different things are put together. They typically feature a giant house that is "under construction," which children can attach siding, shingles, and things of the like to. Often times there are face painting stations, something to do with cars, someplace to make all sorts of art projects, a waterworks station, and interestingly enough, play supermarkets. Yeah. Full of plastic fruit, boxes of cereal, bread, shopping carts, even checkout stations with fake money. It's really cool stuff, and it was a lot of fun.
After the museum, we went to Steak N' Shake. I was rather ravenous, being that I had eaten nothing besides a bowl of cereal that day. I consumed the following: Chicken strips, french fries, a mini burger, baked beans, a glass of Sprite, and a scoop of ice cream with two chocolate chip cookies, hot fudge, whipped cream, and a cherry. I also nibbled on some fruit. Yeah, it's a lot of food. I usually don't eat that much, I promise.
My dog Jake had a good thorough grooming today. He is very fluffy at the moment, and has had a nice trim. He's a snazzy looking guy.
Yahtzee released a new Zero Punctuation review today, and I think it is one of his funniest yet. If you are involved with video games at all, you should be watching this guy. Warning: Very bad language.
And that'll be all.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Seeing my godson is always a big plus.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: I didn't get much practical work done today.
Song addiction of the day: "Hey There Delilah" by The Plain White T's. What I love about the song is that finally, finally, there's a ballad that I really love to sing that also transfers well to a bass octave. Oh happy day.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
Today I went to a children's museum with my godson, his mom, the boy she nannies for, and my mom. For those of you who may not be familiar with the concept of a children's museum, it's not really a museum in the traditional sense. It would be better described as a building full of imagination exercises and giant puzzles in disguise. They teach children about anything from basic colors to how different things are put together. They typically feature a giant house that is "under construction," which children can attach siding, shingles, and things of the like to. Often times there are face painting stations, something to do with cars, someplace to make all sorts of art projects, a waterworks station, and interestingly enough, play supermarkets. Yeah. Full of plastic fruit, boxes of cereal, bread, shopping carts, even checkout stations with fake money. It's really cool stuff, and it was a lot of fun.
After the museum, we went to Steak N' Shake. I was rather ravenous, being that I had eaten nothing besides a bowl of cereal that day. I consumed the following: Chicken strips, french fries, a mini burger, baked beans, a glass of Sprite, and a scoop of ice cream with two chocolate chip cookies, hot fudge, whipped cream, and a cherry. I also nibbled on some fruit. Yeah, it's a lot of food. I usually don't eat that much, I promise.
My dog Jake had a good thorough grooming today. He is very fluffy at the moment, and has had a nice trim. He's a snazzy looking guy.
Yahtzee released a new Zero Punctuation review today, and I think it is one of his funniest yet. If you are involved with video games at all, you should be watching this guy. Warning: Very bad language.
And that'll be all.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Seeing my godson is always a big plus.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: I didn't get much practical work done today.
Song addiction of the day: "Hey There Delilah" by The Plain White T's. What I love about the song is that finally, finally, there's a ballad that I really love to sing that also transfers well to a bass octave. Oh happy day.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009: A Horticultural Inconvenience
So I had more issues mowing the lawn today. I encountered another dead bird, which was admittedly not nearly as unpleasant as a dead squirrel, but still not a lot of fun. But the bird was not the main thing that bothered me this time. It was the fact that the dang lawn mower broke.
Our lawn mower is adjustable, capable of leaving 5 different lengths of grass. You have to adjust each wheel independently, and one of the wheels broke, leaving it moving freely between all 5 lengths. Of course, it didn't do this as I was adjusting the wheels to start mowing. It did this about halfway through the mowing of the back yard, leaving me with the task of mowing the lawn with a constantly adjusting lawn mower. Fun.
On the brighter side of things, I got a cheap subscription to Game Informer (a gaming magazine), with the added benefit of a 10 percent increase on the return of any games, systems, or system accessories that I sell to GameStop, and a 10 percent decrease on prices for purchasing used games. So that's pretty cool.
That's all for now, home slices.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: The subscription's groovy.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Mowing issues. This lawn has it out for me, I swear...
Song addiction of the day: "How To Save A Life" by the Fray.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 1.
Our lawn mower is adjustable, capable of leaving 5 different lengths of grass. You have to adjust each wheel independently, and one of the wheels broke, leaving it moving freely between all 5 lengths. Of course, it didn't do this as I was adjusting the wheels to start mowing. It did this about halfway through the mowing of the back yard, leaving me with the task of mowing the lawn with a constantly adjusting lawn mower. Fun.
On the brighter side of things, I got a cheap subscription to Game Informer (a gaming magazine), with the added benefit of a 10 percent increase on the return of any games, systems, or system accessories that I sell to GameStop, and a 10 percent decrease on prices for purchasing used games. So that's pretty cool.
That's all for now, home slices.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: The subscription's groovy.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Mowing issues. This lawn has it out for me, I swear...
Song addiction of the day: "How To Save A Life" by the Fray.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 1.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Monday, May 25, 2009: Quick Time
This is going to be a fast one, there's good conversation to be had at the Ning right now and I don't want to miss it.
Today I had dinner with my grandparents. It was tasty, as always. We also visited a few graves and payed our respects. I'll be taking care of the lawn at an apartment they own around the end of June. Should be groovy. Good Memorial Day.
Told you it was a short one.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Good times with family.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Commuting.
Song addiction of the day: "The Big Show Theme." Really simple, but it appeals to me.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
Today I had dinner with my grandparents. It was tasty, as always. We also visited a few graves and payed our respects. I'll be taking care of the lawn at an apartment they own around the end of June. Should be groovy. Good Memorial Day.
Told you it was a short one.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Good times with family.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Commuting.
Song addiction of the day: "The Big Show Theme." Really simple, but it appeals to me.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Sunday, May 24, 2009: Anniversary Present
Okay, I can tell you now.
Yesterday was my parents' anniversary, and I gave them this video as a present, and they loved it. I ended up with 246 views, and I couldn't have done it without everyone's help. I'd like to thank all my friends and family who helped me spread the video around. Thanks also go out to everyone on the Ning and all the YouTubers who left comments. Special thanks go out to Jim MacDougal, for all his support on the message board thread, and Jethro for his awesome response video. You guys are all made of awesome, and this would not have been the project it was without your support. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: I'm really glad my mom and dad enjoyed the present.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Everything was great.
Song addiction of the day: "We're Gonna Miss You, Carla" from the Scrubs musical episode.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
Yesterday was my parents' anniversary, and I gave them this video as a present, and they loved it. I ended up with 246 views, and I couldn't have done it without everyone's help. I'd like to thank all my friends and family who helped me spread the video around. Thanks also go out to everyone on the Ning and all the YouTubers who left comments. Special thanks go out to Jim MacDougal, for all his support on the message board thread, and Jethro for his awesome response video. You guys are all made of awesome, and this would not have been the project it was without your support. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: I'm really glad my mom and dad enjoyed the present.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Everything was great.
Song addiction of the day: "We're Gonna Miss You, Carla" from the Scrubs musical episode.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Saturday, May 23, 2009: A Delay
Okay, I was going to talk about something today, but that something now has to wait until tomorrow. This will all make sense then. Promise!
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Being lazy was nice.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: In a way, being lazy was also not nice.
Song addiction of the day: "The Anglerfish Song Regarding the Human Mentality In Respect To How To Interpret Perpetually Felt Emotions While Educating You On The Subject Of Anglerfish."
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Being lazy was nice.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: In a way, being lazy was also not nice.
Song addiction of the day: "The Anglerfish Song Regarding the Human Mentality In Respect To How To Interpret Perpetually Felt Emotions While Educating You On The Subject Of Anglerfish."
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Friday, May 22, 2009: Horticultural Unpleasantry
Warning: This blog is a bit gross.
So I finally mowed the lawn today, and it sucked. It didn't suck because I don't like mowing the lawn. It didn't suck because it was hot outside. It didn't suck because I missed part of Scrubs because of it. No, it sucked for a very different sort of reason.
It sucked because there were corpses in my backyard.
Specifically, the corpse of a squirrel and the corpse of a bird. The squirrel was fresh, and the bird was picked clean, presumably by flies. I'm actually rather glad that I happened to look down when I did, because if I had looked down a few seconds later, a squirrel frappe would have been a real possibility. Of course, I had to dispose of said corpses, and let me tell you, that squirrel felt like it weighed a million pounds as I used the poop scooper to transfer it from lawn to bag. I threw the corpses away, went inside, scrubbed my hands and forearms, and put on Scrubs to avoid thinking about the events that had just taken place.
Many don't know this, but I am terribly squeamish when it comes to dead stuff. This is the reason that I don't do well at funerals, and also the reason I would like to be cremated. I would like to spend as little time being dead stuff as I possibly can.
Well, I'm going to go spend some time on the Ning. Good night, everyone, and may your days be free of dead stuff.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Getting out of the house to buy food for the weekend.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Dead stuff. Not fun.
Song addiction of the day: "YMCA" by the Village People. I just love these guys. I also love the fact that when people think of the Young Men's Christian Association, they immediately think of the Village People. Makes my acceptance feel tingly.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 1.
So I finally mowed the lawn today, and it sucked. It didn't suck because I don't like mowing the lawn. It didn't suck because it was hot outside. It didn't suck because I missed part of Scrubs because of it. No, it sucked for a very different sort of reason.
It sucked because there were corpses in my backyard.
Specifically, the corpse of a squirrel and the corpse of a bird. The squirrel was fresh, and the bird was picked clean, presumably by flies. I'm actually rather glad that I happened to look down when I did, because if I had looked down a few seconds later, a squirrel frappe would have been a real possibility. Of course, I had to dispose of said corpses, and let me tell you, that squirrel felt like it weighed a million pounds as I used the poop scooper to transfer it from lawn to bag. I threw the corpses away, went inside, scrubbed my hands and forearms, and put on Scrubs to avoid thinking about the events that had just taken place.
Many don't know this, but I am terribly squeamish when it comes to dead stuff. This is the reason that I don't do well at funerals, and also the reason I would like to be cremated. I would like to spend as little time being dead stuff as I possibly can.
Well, I'm going to go spend some time on the Ning. Good night, everyone, and may your days be free of dead stuff.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Getting out of the house to buy food for the weekend.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Dead stuff. Not fun.
Song addiction of the day: "YMCA" by the Village People. I just love these guys. I also love the fact that when people think of the Young Men's Christian Association, they immediately think of the Village People. Makes my acceptance feel tingly.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 1.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Thursday, May 21, 2009: A Presence of Furry Ones
Today I reached level 70 on my mage in World of Warcraft. Maybe some people don't see this as a worthwhile accomplishment, but I do. WoW is a good, fun thing to do with my dad, and it's got a lot you can do with it. This is the first character I've gotten to level 70. Now I just have to get to 80, and I'll be at the maximum level. That'll be cool. At least, I think so.
My cousins' dog Tate and their chinchilla Yoda are staying with my family for a bit. If you're not familiar with chinchillas, I would describe them as kind of like rabbits without ribcages. And yes, they actually lack ribcages. They're also quite possibly the world's fluffiest animal. So fluffy, in fact, that if they get wet, it kills them, since the water can't evaporate from their fur and it causes medical problems for them. To keep clean, they bathe in dust. If you've never seen a chinchilla taking a dust bath, it's adorable. Here, check it out.
Well, that's that. DFTBA.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Level 70, baby.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Should have mowed the lawn today.
Song addiction of the day: "The Climb" by Miley Cyrus. Yes, more Miley. Deal with it.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
My cousins' dog Tate and their chinchilla Yoda are staying with my family for a bit. If you're not familiar with chinchillas, I would describe them as kind of like rabbits without ribcages. And yes, they actually lack ribcages. They're also quite possibly the world's fluffiest animal. So fluffy, in fact, that if they get wet, it kills them, since the water can't evaporate from their fur and it causes medical problems for them. To keep clean, they bathe in dust. If you've never seen a chinchilla taking a dust bath, it's adorable. Here, check it out.
Well, that's that. DFTBA.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Level 70, baby.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Should have mowed the lawn today.
Song addiction of the day: "The Climb" by Miley Cyrus. Yes, more Miley. Deal with it.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009: A Well Made Purchase
I am now the proud owner of an Xbox 360. Along with it, I bought the game Saints Row 2. The system, the hard drive, and two controllers, all cost me a grand total of 100 dollars, and everything works fine. The game was 45 dollars. I am very happy about this. I got it through a friend of my friend Conor. His name is John, and he's a pretty cool dude. He also agreed to refund me if it bricks before I go back to school in August, since the warranty is up. Even if it breaks afterward, GameStop buys Xboxes for 80 dollars, so I'm only out 20 dollars if that happens. The only two technical problems still covered by the warranty are the E73 error and the three red lights. That part of the warranty lasts until October of this year. I almost hope it gets one of those errors so they have to send me a new one. That'd be cool.
In other news, I began work on my online class today. I have a plan set out for how to do well on it, and as long as I stick to it, I shouldn't have too much trouble in the class. I'll spare you the dull details.
I'm also posting all this stuff on my blog widget on the Ning, starting tonight. Hooray, Nerdfighter participation!
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Saints Row 2.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Not getting much time with my dad on World of Warcraft.
Song addiction of the day: "Pour Some Sugar On Me" by Def Leppard
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
In other news, I began work on my online class today. I have a plan set out for how to do well on it, and as long as I stick to it, I shouldn't have too much trouble in the class. I'll spare you the dull details.
I'm also posting all this stuff on my blog widget on the Ning, starting tonight. Hooray, Nerdfighter participation!
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Saints Row 2.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Not getting much time with my dad on World of Warcraft.
Song addiction of the day: "Pour Some Sugar On Me" by Def Leppard
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009: Just A Short One
All continues to go well with the project.
I'm finally starting to participate in the Ning, and it seems pretty cool so far. I'll talk more about it once I've gotten it farther underway.
I really don't have much else to say today. Nothing has really happened. Bye bye.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Textbooks finally arrived.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Not having much to do.
Song addiction of the day: "Welcome To Sacred Heart" from the Scrubs musical episode. There seems to be a pattern developing here.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 1.
I'm finally starting to participate in the Ning, and it seems pretty cool so far. I'll talk more about it once I've gotten it farther underway.
I really don't have much else to say today. Nothing has really happened. Bye bye.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Textbooks finally arrived.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Not having much to do.
Song addiction of the day: "Welcome To Sacred Heart" from the Scrubs musical episode. There seems to be a pattern developing here.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 1.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Monday, May 18, 2009: I Love It When A Plan Comes Together
I began a super special secret project today. I began it in the late morning, and so far it is going quite swimmingly. Suffice it to say, it involves a whole lot of people, and will hopefully involve many more as the project goes on. I cannot divulge the details of this project here on this blog just yet, because any information I put here can be too easily compromised. As soon as this project is completed, I will tell you fine readers all about it. If any of you have already become involved in the project, thank you very much, you're making it awesome.
Today I had dinner at Pete's house with him, his mom, his dad, Conor, and Meagan. Cheese tortellini was the dish, and it was rather tasty. Pete made a dessert consisting of a special thin cake rolled up with home-made raspberry whipped cream. All I can say about this dish is that I am glad I am sharing a kitchen with him next year. We all hung out for a while doing not a whole lot, and then I got the "get the hell out of here so I can can have Pete all to myself" vibe from Meagan, so I took my leave and encourage Conor to do the same.
A simple day, but a very good one.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Roll cake. Dear God, it's great.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: The remote broke and I had to go buy a new one. That was frustrating.
Song addiction of the day: "Everything Comes Down To Poo" from Scrubs. Man, I love that show.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
Today I had dinner at Pete's house with him, his mom, his dad, Conor, and Meagan. Cheese tortellini was the dish, and it was rather tasty. Pete made a dessert consisting of a special thin cake rolled up with home-made raspberry whipped cream. All I can say about this dish is that I am glad I am sharing a kitchen with him next year. We all hung out for a while doing not a whole lot, and then I got the "get the hell out of here so I can can have Pete all to myself" vibe from Meagan, so I took my leave and encourage Conor to do the same.
A simple day, but a very good one.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Roll cake. Dear God, it's great.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: The remote broke and I had to go buy a new one. That was frustrating.
Song addiction of the day: "Everything Comes Down To Poo" from Scrubs. Man, I love that show.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Sunday, May 17, 2009: An Unambiguous Chunk of A Whole Lot
My friend Meagan came to Illinois to visit!
Yes, that was the surprise.
Okay, so first, let's talk about Saturday. Meagan got here around 6:30 or so, and I introduced her to some family and we went to the mall near my house. We went around looking at all sorts of stuff and buying nothing, because we're both stingy and all that good stuff. Eventually I took her to McCarthy's, which is a chain Irish pub in the mall. There, I introduced her to the king of all sandwiches, the Monte Cristo. It starts with sliced turkey breast and ham with Swiss cheese on sourdough bread. This is then dipped in batter and deep fried, dusted with powdered sugar, and served with lingonberyy sauce for dipping. If you don't know what lingonberry sauce is, it's kind of like cranberry sauce, except cranberry sauce is made out of cranberries, and lingonberry sauce is made out of hope. Then we went to see the Star Trek movie. First time for her, second time for me. Rocked, of course. Funny thing, it was the fourth day in a row that she had been to a movie theatre to see a movie.
Then today, we went to the Civil War Days in Naperville to see Pete and Conor in the re-enactment. And here comes the surprise part: Pete didn't know Meagan was coming. (For anyone not filled in on this yet, they're a couple, and a good one at that.) It was priceless. We ran up to the side of the tent, and I walked out and said simply, "Hey, Pete, I brought something." I gestured behind me to Meagan, Pete's eyes followed hy hand, and then he stopped working. I don't mean he stopped performing a task. I mean he ceased function for a few seconds. He just kind of stared for about two seconds, and then his brian turned back on, Meagan's presence computed, and he jumped up and yelled "Oh my God!" and hugged her. It was pretty darn great.
So it was a fun time at the Civil War Days. There were all sorts of shops, with some really cool stuff. I bought a really unique pocket knife, and Meagan bought shoes, gloves, and a snood. Pete and Conor did great on the cannons, as always. North won, for the record. There were amazing home-made corn dogs and home-made root beer there, and they were totally worth the buy. Eventually I drove Pete and Meagan to Pete's house, where Meagan is staying until Tuesday. I'm glad to see them having such a good time together.
That's all for now, sports fans.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: The visit. Whoo!
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Darn it all, I fell asleep downstairs again. I seriously need to get to my actual bed more often.
Song addiction of the day: "The Steak Night Song" from Scrubs.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
Yes, that was the surprise.
Okay, so first, let's talk about Saturday. Meagan got here around 6:30 or so, and I introduced her to some family and we went to the mall near my house. We went around looking at all sorts of stuff and buying nothing, because we're both stingy and all that good stuff. Eventually I took her to McCarthy's, which is a chain Irish pub in the mall. There, I introduced her to the king of all sandwiches, the Monte Cristo. It starts with sliced turkey breast and ham with Swiss cheese on sourdough bread. This is then dipped in batter and deep fried, dusted with powdered sugar, and served with lingonberyy sauce for dipping. If you don't know what lingonberry sauce is, it's kind of like cranberry sauce, except cranberry sauce is made out of cranberries, and lingonberry sauce is made out of hope. Then we went to see the Star Trek movie. First time for her, second time for me. Rocked, of course. Funny thing, it was the fourth day in a row that she had been to a movie theatre to see a movie.
Then today, we went to the Civil War Days in Naperville to see Pete and Conor in the re-enactment. And here comes the surprise part: Pete didn't know Meagan was coming. (For anyone not filled in on this yet, they're a couple, and a good one at that.) It was priceless. We ran up to the side of the tent, and I walked out and said simply, "Hey, Pete, I brought something." I gestured behind me to Meagan, Pete's eyes followed hy hand, and then he stopped working. I don't mean he stopped performing a task. I mean he ceased function for a few seconds. He just kind of stared for about two seconds, and then his brian turned back on, Meagan's presence computed, and he jumped up and yelled "Oh my God!" and hugged her. It was pretty darn great.
So it was a fun time at the Civil War Days. There were all sorts of shops, with some really cool stuff. I bought a really unique pocket knife, and Meagan bought shoes, gloves, and a snood. Pete and Conor did great on the cannons, as always. North won, for the record. There were amazing home-made corn dogs and home-made root beer there, and they were totally worth the buy. Eventually I drove Pete and Meagan to Pete's house, where Meagan is staying until Tuesday. I'm glad to see them having such a good time together.
That's all for now, sports fans.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: The visit. Whoo!
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Darn it all, I fell asleep downstairs again. I seriously need to get to my actual bed more often.
Song addiction of the day: "The Steak Night Song" from Scrubs.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Saturday, May 18, 2009: An Ambiguous Hunk Of Not Very Much
Okay, so my day was awesome. unfortunately, I can't say anything about it, because it involves surprises. The person that this surprise is for pretty much has no chance of seeing this blog before the surprise is carried out, but I am not taking any chances. So this will be a short one, but I will make up for it with a long one on the morrow. Promise.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Mmm, can't tell you that.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Not being able to tell you guys anything.
Song addiction of the day: "Imaginary" by Evanescence.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 1.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Mmm, can't tell you that.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Not being able to tell you guys anything.
Song addiction of the day: "Imaginary" by Evanescence.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 1.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Friday, May 15, 2009: Men's Ritual
I made some omelets this morning for breakfast. Well, not exactly. First, I made a pile of scrambled eggs, sausage slices, and shame. Then I made an omelet. It was tasty.
Today was the men's ritual at my church. Every year, when the young men go through their Affirmation and come of age, we have a special gathering. (Affirmation is my faith's equivalent of confirmation, for those of you not versed in Unitarian Universalism.) It's not for all the men in the church, pretty much just for the relatives, mentors, and close friends of the boys who are coming of age, as well as a few of the men who do it every year. My cousin Kenny is going through his Affirmation this year, so myself and my father went this year. It was the first time going to the ritual since my own Affirmation year, and it was cool to experience it from the other side of the ritual. Congrats to my cousin on this time in his life, and good luck to him in all things.
Tomorrow will be a good day.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Morning omelets. Yum.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Not getting Long John Silver's. I've been craving a chicken plank from there for some reason, and I was hoping to get it tonight, but I didn't. Oh well.
Song addiction of the day: "Chacarron." It's so very weird, but I can't quit watching it.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
Today was the men's ritual at my church. Every year, when the young men go through their Affirmation and come of age, we have a special gathering. (Affirmation is my faith's equivalent of confirmation, for those of you not versed in Unitarian Universalism.) It's not for all the men in the church, pretty much just for the relatives, mentors, and close friends of the boys who are coming of age, as well as a few of the men who do it every year. My cousin Kenny is going through his Affirmation this year, so myself and my father went this year. It was the first time going to the ritual since my own Affirmation year, and it was cool to experience it from the other side of the ritual. Congrats to my cousin on this time in his life, and good luck to him in all things.
Tomorrow will be a good day.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Morning omelets. Yum.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Not getting Long John Silver's. I've been craving a chicken plank from there for some reason, and I was hoping to get it tonight, but I didn't. Oh well.
Song addiction of the day: "Chacarron." It's so very weird, but I can't quit watching it.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Thursday, May 14, 2009: Technological Rejoicing and Missing Bread Buddies
So, I've got the TV and the PlayStation hooked up in my room now. Watched two stand-up comedy DVDs on it to celebrate the occasion. Jeff Foxworthy and Jeff Dunham, if you're curious.
And by the way, yes, it is "PlayStation," not "Playstation." Failure to capitalize mid-word when appropriate annoys the crap out of me, I don't know why. Grammar pet peeves...nobody likes them. Please, folks, remember your PlayStations and YouTubes.
Dad and I went out to get groceries today. I bought lots of juices and fruits and vegetables and healthy things and was proud of myself for it. Then I bought a large loaf of hard-crust wheat bread and missed my friends from school. We would periodically buy a big loaf of bread just like that one and pass it around, breaking it and sharing it. It was a very cool, Old World kind of bonding experience, and as I ate some of that bread today, I couldn't help wishing I was back in Ohio with them. Hopefully I will get to see them at some point this summer.
I think that's all for today. Stay frosty.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Getting some good food in the house.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Falling asleep on the couch and waking up late in the night, groggy, and realizing I still have to write this blog.
Song addiction of the day: "Citizen Soldier" by Three Doors Down. Another one from my power ballad phase.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
And by the way, yes, it is "PlayStation," not "Playstation." Failure to capitalize mid-word when appropriate annoys the crap out of me, I don't know why. Grammar pet peeves...nobody likes them. Please, folks, remember your PlayStations and YouTubes.
Dad and I went out to get groceries today. I bought lots of juices and fruits and vegetables and healthy things and was proud of myself for it. Then I bought a large loaf of hard-crust wheat bread and missed my friends from school. We would periodically buy a big loaf of bread just like that one and pass it around, breaking it and sharing it. It was a very cool, Old World kind of bonding experience, and as I ate some of that bread today, I couldn't help wishing I was back in Ohio with them. Hopefully I will get to see them at some point this summer.
I think that's all for today. Stay frosty.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Getting some good food in the house.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Falling asleep on the couch and waking up late in the night, groggy, and realizing I still have to write this blog.
Song addiction of the day: "Citizen Soldier" by Three Doors Down. Another one from my power ballad phase.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009: Another Good Day
Well, I'm finally unpacking all my stuff from the move. Looking for a place to put it all. Thing is, my room at home is roughly the size of my dorm room at school, but you know, my dorm room came empty. My room has stuff in it already. Plus, I'm probably going to be moving a TV in there so I can use the PlayStation (and hopefully, the Xbox that I will probably be getting) in my room. So, this is going to be quite an adventure in space management. And in case anyone's wondering, yes, I will be storing things under the bed. I don't get why that particular method of storage gets such a bad rap. I think it's a perfectly legitimate way to store things.
In other news, my uncle ran out of gas about ten minutes from my house today. We went there with a gas can and bailed them out, so I got to see my uncle and two of my cousins. That was awful nice. Gotta do that again soon.
I'm almost done ironing out the details for my D&D ninja character. Gonna be a fun one.
Well, that's about it. Night, everybody.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: I was very relaxed today. I think that makes today a pretty good day. Small mercies.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Realizing that unpacking is going to be an ordeal. I was hoping that it...you know...wouldn't.
Song addiction of the day: "The Reason" by Hoobastank. Fell in love with this one during my power ballad obsession.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
In other news, my uncle ran out of gas about ten minutes from my house today. We went there with a gas can and bailed them out, so I got to see my uncle and two of my cousins. That was awful nice. Gotta do that again soon.
I'm almost done ironing out the details for my D&D ninja character. Gonna be a fun one.
Well, that's about it. Night, everybody.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: I was very relaxed today. I think that makes today a pretty good day. Small mercies.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Realizing that unpacking is going to be an ordeal. I was hoping that it...you know...wouldn't.
Song addiction of the day: "The Reason" by Hoobastank. Fell in love with this one during my power ballad obsession.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009: A Good Day and a Blogular Resolution
I don't believe I've mentioned this on my blog yet, but I'm in the market for an Xbox 360. And I may be getting one for 120 dollars. That comes with the system, a controller, a hard drive, and a game. Awesome.
So I spent some time with my friend Conor today. I met a bunch of his friends, and then we went back to his house and watched a few movies. Oh, a little fun fact for you: The movie Dodgeball was edited by one guy. Seriously. Watch the credits. Under "film editor" there is only one name. That's actually pretty damned impressive. Kudos.
Mowed the lawn today. Got money. That was cool. Bought Dairy Queen for my family. Good stuff. Not much else happened today.
Geez, remember back at school when I had friends, and I would do stuff and think about things? That was cool. I really need to get myself engaged in something again, or this blog is going to stagnate real fast. I'll work on it. That's my bloggy resolution. Bloggy? Bloggish? Blogular? I like "blogular." Let's go with that.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Got to see Conor again. That was pretty sweet.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Realizing that my phone's battery has rapidly decreased in efficiency. It now lasts 3 days on one charge, instead of the 8 days that it used to. Dang it.
Song addiction of the day: "To Be Loved" by Papa Roach. It just catches my fancy today.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 1.
So I spent some time with my friend Conor today. I met a bunch of his friends, and then we went back to his house and watched a few movies. Oh, a little fun fact for you: The movie Dodgeball was edited by one guy. Seriously. Watch the credits. Under "film editor" there is only one name. That's actually pretty damned impressive. Kudos.
Mowed the lawn today. Got money. That was cool. Bought Dairy Queen for my family. Good stuff. Not much else happened today.
Geez, remember back at school when I had friends, and I would do stuff and think about things? That was cool. I really need to get myself engaged in something again, or this blog is going to stagnate real fast. I'll work on it. That's my bloggy resolution. Bloggy? Bloggish? Blogular? I like "blogular." Let's go with that.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Got to see Conor again. That was pretty sweet.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Realizing that my phone's battery has rapidly decreased in efficiency. It now lasts 3 days on one charge, instead of the 8 days that it used to. Dang it.
Song addiction of the day: "To Be Loved" by Papa Roach. It just catches my fancy today.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 1.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Monday, May 11, 2009: An Exercise in Playful Parody
I've got nothing to talk about today. Seriously. I have done nothing today. At all. So how in the world am I supposed to make this interesting? Hmm...I've got it!
Rorschach's Journal.
May 11, 2009.:
Woke up this morning in haze. Didn't sleep well. Often don't these days. Realized I'd lost track of entries. Promised to enter twice today. This is second time.
No real meals to speak of in first half of day. Ate what I could when I could. Sat in front of brainwashing box absorbing all the advertisements and mindless activity masquerading as entertainment as I could. Spent some wasted time on the computer. Wonder what the point of it is sometimes. Must remember to investigate further.
Father came and followed suit on computer. He and I collaborated, as we are often prone to do. Ate again soon after, if one can call what happened true ingestion. Hardened bread, covered in pasty tomato derivative, cheeses, and meats of all sorts, drenched in more grease than the sweating back of a man running for his life in the dead of a hot summer night. Not fit to call itself nutrition.
Enjoyed creating a new persona for the role I will soon play in a group of others like myself. Did not care for my lack of productivity. Found myself lacking time for the frivolities of beats and notes today. Managed to avoid self-medicating myself with the sleeplessness drug I find myself having such trouble kicking.
Rorschach's Journal.
May 11, 2009.:
Woke up this morning in haze. Didn't sleep well. Often don't these days. Realized I'd lost track of entries. Promised to enter twice today. This is second time.
No real meals to speak of in first half of day. Ate what I could when I could. Sat in front of brainwashing box absorbing all the advertisements and mindless activity masquerading as entertainment as I could. Spent some wasted time on the computer. Wonder what the point of it is sometimes. Must remember to investigate further.
Father came and followed suit on computer. He and I collaborated, as we are often prone to do. Ate again soon after, if one can call what happened true ingestion. Hardened bread, covered in pasty tomato derivative, cheeses, and meats of all sorts, drenched in more grease than the sweating back of a man running for his life in the dead of a hot summer night. Not fit to call itself nutrition.
Enjoyed creating a new persona for the role I will soon play in a group of others like myself. Did not care for my lack of productivity. Found myself lacking time for the frivolities of beats and notes today. Managed to avoid self-medicating myself with the sleeplessness drug I find myself having such trouble kicking.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Sunday, May 10, 2009: Finally Getting Around to It.
Well, I fell asleep last night before writing this, so I'll be writing two blogs today. This first one will be in the morning, and will be dated as posted on Sunday, since that's what I'm going to be talking about. I'll write another later in the evening about whatever happens today.
Okay, the moving-back-home experience is here. Told you I'd write about it eventually.
It was a two-day ordeal. On Thursday, my roommate Pete and I had gotten a good chunk of our packing done. We finished our last finals that day, and my dad arrived right around 3. My dad and I made trips to the storage space and back that we rent out during the summer, so as not to have to move everything from Ohio back to Illinois. While my dad and I moved stuff, I simply told Pete to pack the rest of his stuff and then go hang out with Meagan. This served the dual function of letting my roommate spend some of the last few hours in Ohio with his girlfriend and getting him out of our hair. If there's one thing Pete's always hated, it's moving in and out of that dorm room, and I figured it would be better for him to just go have fun instead of have him standing around complaining. And I think it worked out well for both parties.
The next morning, after a final evening with my friends, I woke up, showered, then told Pete to shower and get the hell out again. Go get breakfast, spend more time with Meagan, just don't be here. Because if there's one thing that's worse that Pete during moving time, it's Pete during moving time when he's tired. So Dad and I did most of everything else. I called Pete when it was time to finish the last bits, like vacuuming the room and de-lofting the beds, signing out, all that. Finally we finished, loaded the last bits into the car, and got on the road. About 4.5 hours later, we had made it home. We got Pete unpacked and into his house, and then went home ourselves. We got my stuff into the house, and then I dashed over to my high school to see the final performance I loved so much.
So that was my moving experience. The final time I'll ever have to move out of that residence hall. Next year, it's an apartment. Wish me luck.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Seeing some people from church that I haven't seen in a while.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: I forgot to charge my phone. Again. Dang it.
Song addiction of the day: Just for fun, this one is going to be a surprise. Here's the song. No, it's not a Rick Roll. Promise.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 1. Okay, seriously, I was going for like, days at a time earlier. Time to step it back up.
Okay, the moving-back-home experience is here. Told you I'd write about it eventually.
It was a two-day ordeal. On Thursday, my roommate Pete and I had gotten a good chunk of our packing done. We finished our last finals that day, and my dad arrived right around 3. My dad and I made trips to the storage space and back that we rent out during the summer, so as not to have to move everything from Ohio back to Illinois. While my dad and I moved stuff, I simply told Pete to pack the rest of his stuff and then go hang out with Meagan. This served the dual function of letting my roommate spend some of the last few hours in Ohio with his girlfriend and getting him out of our hair. If there's one thing Pete's always hated, it's moving in and out of that dorm room, and I figured it would be better for him to just go have fun instead of have him standing around complaining. And I think it worked out well for both parties.
The next morning, after a final evening with my friends, I woke up, showered, then told Pete to shower and get the hell out again. Go get breakfast, spend more time with Meagan, just don't be here. Because if there's one thing that's worse that Pete during moving time, it's Pete during moving time when he's tired. So Dad and I did most of everything else. I called Pete when it was time to finish the last bits, like vacuuming the room and de-lofting the beds, signing out, all that. Finally we finished, loaded the last bits into the car, and got on the road. About 4.5 hours later, we had made it home. We got Pete unpacked and into his house, and then went home ourselves. We got my stuff into the house, and then I dashed over to my high school to see the final performance I loved so much.
So that was my moving experience. The final time I'll ever have to move out of that residence hall. Next year, it's an apartment. Wish me luck.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Seeing some people from church that I haven't seen in a while.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: I forgot to charge my phone. Again. Dang it.
Song addiction of the day: Just for fun, this one is going to be a surprise. Here's the song. No, it's not a Rick Roll. Promise.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 1. Okay, seriously, I was going for like, days at a time earlier. Time to step it back up.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Saturday, May 9, 2009: In Defense of a Film
Okay, talking about the moving process and family and everything is going to have to wait again, because I want to talk about the movie X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
So I saw the movie with my parents, my godson, and his mother today. It was pretty darn cool. I'd like to spend the bulk of this blog talking about a few common complaints that I've heard. The main one is that I've heard people say that they take far too many creative liberties with Deadpool's appearance. Admittedly, going from this to this is a pretty big leap. But I don't have as much of a problem with it as most do. The Marvel movies are establishing their own unique universe, separate from the other Marvel universes that have been created. Creating a Deadpool that looks like the original version just wouldn't work within the context of the rest of the Marvel movies. Yeah, maybe it's less than true to the source material, but for the interconnected world that Marvel is creating with the movies, I think it works, and that's what matters to me.
People also complain that a lot of mutants have been marginalized by this movie and the other X-Men films. Well, duh. You can't devote loads of screen time to every single mutant in the franchise, there's a ton of them. I'm pretty much just happy with the cameo roles. Personally, I'd rather have ten minutes of Gambit than no Gambit at all. More Gambit would have been nice. God, would it have been nice. But you can't expect everything from these people.
Overall, I like the movie. I like the story and the characters, and I love the action. If you praise nothing else about the movie, you have got to admit that the action scenes kick butt. I recommend the movie to any fans, and would definitely see it again.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: The movie, of course.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Nothing, really. This was a pretty groovy day.
Song addiction of the day: I've listened to no music today. Really. None. That's very odd for me. But it does mean that I have no song addiction today. Sorry. We will return to your regularly scheduled program tomorrow.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
So I saw the movie with my parents, my godson, and his mother today. It was pretty darn cool. I'd like to spend the bulk of this blog talking about a few common complaints that I've heard. The main one is that I've heard people say that they take far too many creative liberties with Deadpool's appearance. Admittedly, going from this to this is a pretty big leap. But I don't have as much of a problem with it as most do. The Marvel movies are establishing their own unique universe, separate from the other Marvel universes that have been created. Creating a Deadpool that looks like the original version just wouldn't work within the context of the rest of the Marvel movies. Yeah, maybe it's less than true to the source material, but for the interconnected world that Marvel is creating with the movies, I think it works, and that's what matters to me.
People also complain that a lot of mutants have been marginalized by this movie and the other X-Men films. Well, duh. You can't devote loads of screen time to every single mutant in the franchise, there's a ton of them. I'm pretty much just happy with the cameo roles. Personally, I'd rather have ten minutes of Gambit than no Gambit at all. More Gambit would have been nice. God, would it have been nice. But you can't expect everything from these people.
Overall, I like the movie. I like the story and the characters, and I love the action. If you praise nothing else about the movie, you have got to admit that the action scenes kick butt. I recommend the movie to any fans, and would definitely see it again.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: The movie, of course.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Nothing, really. This was a pretty groovy day.
Song addiction of the day: I've listened to no music today. Really. None. That's very odd for me. But it does mean that I have no song addiction today. Sorry. We will return to your regularly scheduled program tomorrow.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Friday, May 8, 2009: Coming Home, Feeling Home
I'm back at one of my two homes. My other is in Ohio, but this one is here in Illinois, with my family. I'll talk plenty about the moving experience and seeing my family in my next blog, but right now I want to talk about what happened tonight.
I used to be in my high school's Show Choir, and I went back this evening to see the final performance for the year. It was amazing...more than amazing, I can't really think of an adequate adjective. I just love those guys so much, and I am really proud of all of them. They sounded beautiful and the dancing was fantastic. I saw so many people that I have missed a lot. A number of my old SoundFX (the all-male division of the show choir) boys were there, along with many of the lovely ladies, including her, but that's a subject for another blog.
I guess I'm just really high on the experience, and I'm just kind of incapable of adequately expressing it all right now. Oh well, maybe I'll be more eloquent next time around.
Once again, sorry about the lack of fun links. I'll get on that soon.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Seeing the people I cared about most in high school.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: The long car ride. Not that it was the worst thing in the world, it just stiffened my legs up a lot.
Song addiction of the day: Mmm...In the spirit of moving out and getting away from somewhere, I'm going to say "Bugger Off." That particular rendition is my favorite, by The Real MacKenzies, but a lot of Irish and Scottish bands perform it. Warning: Lots of bad language in that one.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 1.
I used to be in my high school's Show Choir, and I went back this evening to see the final performance for the year. It was amazing...more than amazing, I can't really think of an adequate adjective. I just love those guys so much, and I am really proud of all of them. They sounded beautiful and the dancing was fantastic. I saw so many people that I have missed a lot. A number of my old SoundFX (the all-male division of the show choir) boys were there, along with many of the lovely ladies, including her, but that's a subject for another blog.
I guess I'm just really high on the experience, and I'm just kind of incapable of adequately expressing it all right now. Oh well, maybe I'll be more eloquent next time around.
Once again, sorry about the lack of fun links. I'll get on that soon.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Seeing the people I cared about most in high school.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: The long car ride. Not that it was the worst thing in the world, it just stiffened my legs up a lot.
Song addiction of the day: Mmm...In the spirit of moving out and getting away from somewhere, I'm going to say "Bugger Off." That particular rendition is my favorite, by The Real MacKenzies, but a lot of Irish and Scottish bands perform it. Warning: Lots of bad language in that one.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 1.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Thursday, May 7, 2009: A Fulfillment
So I saw the new Star Trek movie.
There are two basic kinds of movies based on old TV series. First, there are the kinds primarily made for money. These are the ones that, ironically, never make much dough. This is because they suck. They're pretty much slapped together in the hopes of capitalizing on something that people loved, and the stories, acting, and cinematography suffer for it.
Then there are kinds made for fans. These are usually good and make tons of money, because they are made to make people happy, not just to take their money. They're typically full of references to the old shows, both visually and auditorially. They've usually got good actors and decent budgets to their names, as well.
I am pleased to say that the new Star Trek movie is in the latter category.
The acting is great, the actors actually look like younger versions of the characters they play, the story is well-constructed, with compelling characters and a well-motivated villain. I won't give away who, but I will say that one of the original actors from the show makes an appearance in the movie. And it rules. The visuals rock, and despite being a lot more realistic-looking, it still feels like it takes place in the Star Trek world. There's all sorts of references to the series, including some of our favorite catch phrases. Once again, I won't give away which ones. If you're a Star Trek fan, go see it. In fact, even if you're not, go see it.
That's all for tonight. Wish me luck on moving out tomorrow. Sorry there's not many fun links in this blog, I just don't have the energy for it tonight.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: The movie. Duh.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Packing and moving. God, it's boring.
Song addiction of the day: Honestly, I've listened to zero music today. But for the purposes of this, I'm going to recommend "If U Seek Amy" by Britney Spears. It's really funny, and just gleefully aware of its own lack of subtlety. Easily my favorite song by her. Younger audiences, exercise discretion. This is Britney Spears we're talking about here.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0. I'm on a roll again.
There are two basic kinds of movies based on old TV series. First, there are the kinds primarily made for money. These are the ones that, ironically, never make much dough. This is because they suck. They're pretty much slapped together in the hopes of capitalizing on something that people loved, and the stories, acting, and cinematography suffer for it.
Then there are kinds made for fans. These are usually good and make tons of money, because they are made to make people happy, not just to take their money. They're typically full of references to the old shows, both visually and auditorially. They've usually got good actors and decent budgets to their names, as well.
I am pleased to say that the new Star Trek movie is in the latter category.
The acting is great, the actors actually look like younger versions of the characters they play, the story is well-constructed, with compelling characters and a well-motivated villain. I won't give away who, but I will say that one of the original actors from the show makes an appearance in the movie. And it rules. The visuals rock, and despite being a lot more realistic-looking, it still feels like it takes place in the Star Trek world. There's all sorts of references to the series, including some of our favorite catch phrases. Once again, I won't give away which ones. If you're a Star Trek fan, go see it. In fact, even if you're not, go see it.
That's all for tonight. Wish me luck on moving out tomorrow. Sorry there's not many fun links in this blog, I just don't have the energy for it tonight.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: The movie. Duh.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Packing and moving. God, it's boring.
Song addiction of the day: Honestly, I've listened to zero music today. But for the purposes of this, I'm going to recommend "If U Seek Amy" by Britney Spears. It's really funny, and just gleefully aware of its own lack of subtlety. Easily my favorite song by her. Younger audiences, exercise discretion. This is Britney Spears we're talking about here.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0. I'm on a roll again.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Wednesday, May 6, 2009: Praise for the Voice of a Clown
Oh, no. I don't have anyone else's blog to tell me what to write about today. Whatever shall I do?
Well, it's back to the rambling on about whatever catches my fancy for today. First of all, I am officially dedicating a portion of my free time to perfecting my impression of Mark Hamill's Joker voice. It's so freakin' cool. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of cool Joker voices out there. We all know that Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger did great Joker work, but Mark Hamill probably did the best voice work, especially for the portrayals of Joker he worked with. He really knew how to combine gleeful insanity and psychotic rage into one performance. One of my particular favorite mood swings takes place in Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, where Joker, his voice dripping with contemptuous anger, says, "Don't touch me, old man!" He then immediately switches to his gofiest voice possible, saying, "I don't know where you've been!" If you'd like to see it, it's 2 minutes and 40 seconds into this video. And just listen to Hamill's Joker laughs and try not to have nightmares. His success as a voice actor is far-reaching, but his Joker work is probably his best. He's voiced the Joker in multiple Batman-related series and movies, and some other Joker voice actors are clearly inspired by his work. If Nicholson and Ledger are the best live-action Jokers of all time, Mark Hamill is clearly the best animated Joker of all time.
Now that I've nerded myself inside out, it's back to studying.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Getting a really good night's sleep. That was cool.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: As is the norm this week, all this friggin' packing. It's such a pain.
Song addiction of the day: The Alvin and the Chipmunks cover of Daniel Powter's "Bad Day." The song sounds great in their style, the key they sing in rocks, and I just love it.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
Well, it's back to the rambling on about whatever catches my fancy for today. First of all, I am officially dedicating a portion of my free time to perfecting my impression of Mark Hamill's Joker voice. It's so freakin' cool. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of cool Joker voices out there. We all know that Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger did great Joker work, but Mark Hamill probably did the best voice work, especially for the portrayals of Joker he worked with. He really knew how to combine gleeful insanity and psychotic rage into one performance. One of my particular favorite mood swings takes place in Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, where Joker, his voice dripping with contemptuous anger, says, "Don't touch me, old man!" He then immediately switches to his gofiest voice possible, saying, "I don't know where you've been!" If you'd like to see it, it's 2 minutes and 40 seconds into this video. And just listen to Hamill's Joker laughs and try not to have nightmares. His success as a voice actor is far-reaching, but his Joker work is probably his best. He's voiced the Joker in multiple Batman-related series and movies, and some other Joker voice actors are clearly inspired by his work. If Nicholson and Ledger are the best live-action Jokers of all time, Mark Hamill is clearly the best animated Joker of all time.
Now that I've nerded myself inside out, it's back to studying.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Getting a really good night's sleep. That was cool.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: As is the norm this week, all this friggin' packing. It's such a pain.
Song addiction of the day: The Alvin and the Chipmunks cover of Daniel Powter's "Bad Day." The song sounds great in their style, the key they sing in rocks, and I just love it.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009: Answering AlanDistro
Another one of my frequently-read-blogs, AlanDistro, has listed three basic different types of blogs and asked readers to tell him what kind of blogs they write. The three types are as follows and I quote:
"The Cat Blog: this is a blog about your cat, your boyfriend, your plant cactus. This is a blog you write for yourself, a diary. Cat blogs (unless preceded by 'lol') are typically only interesting to the blog's author and the blog author's pets.
The Boss Blog: this is a blog written for a pre-defined circle of readers. Not necessarily your employees, but a pre-defined social circle or ethnicity, or community. Boss blogs are rarely interesting to readers outside of this social circle.
The Viral Blog: this is a blog that exists to get retweeted, linked, dugg, bookmarked, etc. Most blog authors begin thinking they are writing a viral blog before settling into either cat blogging or boss blogging."
Okay, I'm definitely not a viral blog. I have no intention of becoming famous or having a bunch of people read this, and I think it would be arrogant to assume that I'll get recognition for anything I do on this blog site. I just like to participate in online communities, and I like to talk. This blogging thing fulfills both desires.
On some level, this could be thought of as a cat blog, because it's sort of about my daily life and what's on my mind at any given time, but I'm not really writing it for myself, and I think it could be interesting to some people.
I think I'm probably a boss blog, because of how it started, which I will tell you about here. So I was watching a video that Hayley made in which she mentioned the "Blog Every Day in April" project, aka BEDA. I started out by reading Hayley's blog, read a few others, and thought it might be fun to do one of my own, though I didn't really think anything I would have to talk about would be interesting. Then I thought of my family, who rarely get the chance to hear from me anymore because I go to college 5 hours away. I figured that daily blogs would be a good way for my family to get updates on how I'm doing and what's on my mind, so I started there. By the time I made my actual blog, I had already commented a few times on Hayley's blog, and so I pretty much use this blog in two ways: to participate in the blogging community, and to let my family and however many of my friends are interested know how I'm doing on a day-to-day basis. Given that intention of writing for a particular group of people, I'm going to say I'm a boss blog.
Thanks, Alan, for the awesome blog topic; I enjoyed writing about this a lot.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: The massive Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal marathon in which I watched my friend and future housemate Alex play the game practically all the way through.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Having to pack up so much stuff in preparation to move back home. It's so very boring.
Song addiction of the day:"A Song About An Anglerfish" by Hank Green. It's just...great. Watch it. Yes, you.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0. Hey, that's good!
"The Cat Blog: this is a blog about your cat, your boyfriend, your plant cactus. This is a blog you write for yourself, a diary. Cat blogs (unless preceded by 'lol') are typically only interesting to the blog's author and the blog author's pets.
The Boss Blog: this is a blog written for a pre-defined circle of readers. Not necessarily your employees, but a pre-defined social circle or ethnicity, or community. Boss blogs are rarely interesting to readers outside of this social circle.
The Viral Blog: this is a blog that exists to get retweeted, linked, dugg, bookmarked, etc. Most blog authors begin thinking they are writing a viral blog before settling into either cat blogging or boss blogging."
Okay, I'm definitely not a viral blog. I have no intention of becoming famous or having a bunch of people read this, and I think it would be arrogant to assume that I'll get recognition for anything I do on this blog site. I just like to participate in online communities, and I like to talk. This blogging thing fulfills both desires.
On some level, this could be thought of as a cat blog, because it's sort of about my daily life and what's on my mind at any given time, but I'm not really writing it for myself, and I think it could be interesting to some people.
I think I'm probably a boss blog, because of how it started, which I will tell you about here. So I was watching a video that Hayley made in which she mentioned the "Blog Every Day in April" project, aka BEDA. I started out by reading Hayley's blog, read a few others, and thought it might be fun to do one of my own, though I didn't really think anything I would have to talk about would be interesting. Then I thought of my family, who rarely get the chance to hear from me anymore because I go to college 5 hours away. I figured that daily blogs would be a good way for my family to get updates on how I'm doing and what's on my mind, so I started there. By the time I made my actual blog, I had already commented a few times on Hayley's blog, and so I pretty much use this blog in two ways: to participate in the blogging community, and to let my family and however many of my friends are interested know how I'm doing on a day-to-day basis. Given that intention of writing for a particular group of people, I'm going to say I'm a boss blog.
Thanks, Alan, for the awesome blog topic; I enjoyed writing about this a lot.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: The massive Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal marathon in which I watched my friend and future housemate Alex play the game practically all the way through.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Having to pack up so much stuff in preparation to move back home. It's so very boring.
Song addiction of the day:"A Song About An Anglerfish" by Hank Green. It's just...great. Watch it. Yes, you.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0. Hey, that's good!
Monday, May 4, 2009
Monday, May 4, 2009: Thoughts Spurred by Hayley
First of all, if you're not reading The Hayleylujah Chorus, why? Quit reading this right now and go read her blog instead, she's far better at this blogging thing than I am. But please, do come back once you're done. I enjoy having you around. :)
So anyway, my favorite blogger, hayleyghoover, mentioned in one of her recent blogs that there are lots of different versions of herself that different people know her as from school, family, the Internet, et cetera. This got me thinking about different ways that people know me. Most of the people in my hometown know me as I was two years ago in high school, my family knows me pretty much as I am, my best friends Pete and Conor know me as only best friends can, friends at college know me as my family knows me, except with less historical context, more swear words, and a more off-color sense of humor. There's my YouTube self, which is basically me, just a more well-edited and articulate version. Then there's this version of me, the one you're reading right now. My "blogself," as it were. I think I am fairly honest with the readers of this blog about who I am. I like to talk about whatever happens to be on my mind, I like to talk about my day, and I like to go off on random tangents. I think that as far as the Internet goes, my blogself is the most like my IRL self. I am quite honest about who I am and what is going on with my life, and these blogs are rather like my thought process: constantly differing, all falling off as many drops into the ocean of cranial leakage. See what I did there? Referenced my own title? Yeah, baby. It's interesting to think about all these different versions of myself that exist out there. I like being able to honestly say that they are all pretty much the same.
And now it's bedtime.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: My very easy Canadian Studies final, and coining the term "blogself."
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Not getting a shower this morning or my laundry done this afternoon. Now I have one more thing to do tomorrow, and I feel icky and smell a bit. (See? I'm really honest with my readers.)
Song addiction of the day: "Word Disassociation." It is weirdly pleasant to listen to.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 1. Wow, my discipline is slipping a bit. *slaps hand*
So anyway, my favorite blogger, hayleyghoover, mentioned in one of her recent blogs that there are lots of different versions of herself that different people know her as from school, family, the Internet, et cetera. This got me thinking about different ways that people know me. Most of the people in my hometown know me as I was two years ago in high school, my family knows me pretty much as I am, my best friends Pete and Conor know me as only best friends can, friends at college know me as my family knows me, except with less historical context, more swear words, and a more off-color sense of humor. There's my YouTube self, which is basically me, just a more well-edited and articulate version. Then there's this version of me, the one you're reading right now. My "blogself," as it were. I think I am fairly honest with the readers of this blog about who I am. I like to talk about whatever happens to be on my mind, I like to talk about my day, and I like to go off on random tangents. I think that as far as the Internet goes, my blogself is the most like my IRL self. I am quite honest about who I am and what is going on with my life, and these blogs are rather like my thought process: constantly differing, all falling off as many drops into the ocean of cranial leakage. See what I did there? Referenced my own title? Yeah, baby. It's interesting to think about all these different versions of myself that exist out there. I like being able to honestly say that they are all pretty much the same.
And now it's bedtime.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: My very easy Canadian Studies final, and coining the term "blogself."
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Not getting a shower this morning or my laundry done this afternoon. Now I have one more thing to do tomorrow, and I feel icky and smell a bit. (See? I'm really honest with my readers.)
Song addiction of the day: "Word Disassociation." It is weirdly pleasant to listen to.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 1. Wow, my discipline is slipping a bit. *slaps hand*
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Sunday, May 3, 2009: A Loss For Words
So we didn't see X-Men Origins: Wolverine today. Yeah, just didn't happen. That stinks.
But I did get to eat actual food at an actual restaurant with Meagan. So that was cool.
Um...I went to the recycling center today with my friends Meagan, Kelsey, and Pete to get boxes for packing our stuff up in. That was a fun little short adventure.
Um...God, I've got so very little to talk about today; I really didn't do much. I did a bit more work on some D&D stuff, which took a bit, but was fairly amusing. I got some truly epic spells, and I can't wait until...next fall to use them. Crap. Oh well, they're still pretty darn cool.
But I did get to eat actual food at an actual restaurant with Meagan. So that was cool.
Um...I went to the recycling center today with my friends Meagan, Kelsey, and Pete to get boxes for packing our stuff up in. That was a fun little short adventure.
Um...God, I've got so very little to talk about today; I really didn't do much. I did a bit more work on some D&D stuff, which took a bit, but was fairly amusing. I got some truly epic spells, and I can't wait until...next fall to use them. Crap. Oh well, they're still pretty darn cool.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Watching Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal being played by my friend Alex. It's so amusing.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Not seeing the Wolverine movie. Seriously, I was really looking forward to that.
Song addiction of the day: "I'll Be Your Everything (Inspector Gadget Version)" from the end credits of the live-action Inspector Gadget movie. Yeah, I like the song, and what's more, I like the movie. Deal with it.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 1. Yeah, I had four this weekend, but come on, I'm not going to see these people for a long time.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Saturday, May 2, 2009: Essentially Still Saturday
Okay, it's technically Sunday now where I am. But you know how your "day" kind of begins when you wake up and ends when you go to sleep? Yeah, I'm going by that logic with this blog. The clock says "Sunday", my sleep schedule says "Saturday." Dispute if you like. I won't listen.
So tomorrow I will probably seeing X-Men Origins: Wolverine. That should be excitingly awesome, and I look forward to it greatly.
Last night we had a session of Nerf Wars, which is kind of like paintballing with Nerf guns and different types of missions involved. It was the first time I had done it, and it was great fun. I look forward to future games.
Today, we got bored during the evening and played an impromptu one-session D&D game, and it was awesome. Simple, fun, lots of slices and kabooms. I essentially played an evil version of one of my characters, and by doing so, was able to create an explanation for the good version of that character's existence. That was pretty friggin' awesome.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: All the awesome stuff I have been doing with friends. It makes me happy that I am getting some final fun times with them before leaving for the summer.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Trying to build a Nerf Maverick from spare parts taken from old, broken Mavericks, and being one friggin' piece short.
Song addiction of the day: "John McCain and His Vegetable Friends." Okay, this one is just as much about the video as the music, maybe more so. But I like it. Watch it.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 3. Yeah, I was bad today.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Friday, May 1, 2009: Getting Older with your Inner Child and Superheroes
As a friend of mine on Facebook said this afternoon, "It's May already? WHERE IS THE YEAR GOING?" I am inclined to wonder the very same. It's astonishing to me how fast the years are starting to go by, and I think it's one of the many things that come to you with age.
I remember at a younger age, I would be in awe of the many details that my parents could recall about my early years, when I could barely remember a day of anything before 6 years of age. But ever since my godson was born, I understand how easy it is to recall things like that when you're older and looking at the life of another. When I was younger, the years seemed to drag on forever, and getting to the next year felt like trying to move a Snorlax uphill with a chopstick. But now, they're just seeming to fly by, and I can only imagine the years will get shorter as I get older. I hope that as I age, I will get wiser, and more importantly, retain my ability to connect with my inner child.
So there are real superheroes out there. Okay, so none of them have actual super powers, but still, there are freakin' superheroes running around! Citizens who put on costumes and use legal weapons to fight crime. You can click on this sentence if you don't believe me. They're out there, and they're organized. I have two thoughts on this. One, I think it's really cool that people are trying to help out. I approve of it wholeheartedly. Two, these people need some better costumes. A costume should induce fear and respect, not make you look homeless.
Hey, I managed to get through this blog without mentioning Miley Cyrus! Oh wait...DANG IT!
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Chocolate fountain in the Loft, plus going to the
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: The final exam scramble.
Song addiction of the day: "Bathtime in Clerkenwell." Seriously, just...go watch it. I don't know any adequate adjectives to describe this song.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the last 24 hours: 0
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Thursday, April 30, 2009: Rain, Alternative Sleeping Quarters, and Men's Chorus
Rain is irritating.
Especially when you have to shoot film for a student project where your attire just happens to involve an button-down shirt and suit coat. And when the rain doesn't stop all day. Did I mention it's also warm and humid? Ugh. Well, at the very least, I looked pretty awesome, and all my filming is now done. Hooray.
Tonight I will be spending a good deal of time in the art building finishing some stuff before I have to turn in everything at noon tomorrow. Should be fun in a weird sort of way, though it is likely I will not be sleeping tonight. Which is fine; tomorrow's Friday anyway. By then the rain might have stopped. I hope so.
I've been thinking a lot about Men's Chorus and how it's over for the year, and of course, how our director is moving on and we will have a new one soon. It's a very sad time for all the guys, but I remain faithful. I believe we can and will get through this time of transition, if we are only willing and committed. Here's to a new year and a new time, gentlemen.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: The final brunch of the school year with my friends.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Rain. Have I made it clear? Rain.
Song addiction of the day: "Friends in Low Places" by Garth Brooks. I would undoubtedly drool over this man, were I attracted to men. As it stands, I merely drool over his voice.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the last 24 hours: 1
Especially when you have to shoot film for a student project where your attire just happens to involve an button-down shirt and suit coat. And when the rain doesn't stop all day. Did I mention it's also warm and humid? Ugh. Well, at the very least, I looked pretty awesome, and all my filming is now done. Hooray.
Tonight I will be spending a good deal of time in the art building finishing some stuff before I have to turn in everything at noon tomorrow. Should be fun in a weird sort of way, though it is likely I will not be sleeping tonight. Which is fine; tomorrow's Friday anyway. By then the rain might have stopped. I hope so.
I've been thinking a lot about Men's Chorus and how it's over for the year, and of course, how our director is moving on and we will have a new one soon. It's a very sad time for all the guys, but I remain faithful. I believe we can and will get through this time of transition, if we are only willing and committed. Here's to a new year and a new time, gentlemen.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: The final brunch of the school year with my friends.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Rain. Have I made it clear? Rain.
Song addiction of the day: "Friends in Low Places" by Garth Brooks. I would undoubtedly drool over this man, were I attracted to men. As it stands, I merely drool over his voice.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the last 24 hours: 1
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009: Musings on Lives and More Miley Cyrus
Before I start, I just want to say, that all the random links I post in my blogs are safe. You know, the ones that have the purple text that you can click on and go places? None of them take you anyway disgusting, I promise. I know some of you worry about that sort of thing a lot, so yes, you have my word. Nothing icky. now, on to the actual blog.
I'm leaving school in about a week to go home for the summer, and it's made me think a lot about my two lives.
I have a life in Illinois. While I have some friends there, it is primarily a family life. Almost everyone in my family is located in the same general Illinois area. It's a big part of who I am, and I know how very blessed I am to have such a wonderful, loving, and accepting family. My family has always been good to me, and I wouldn't trade them for anyone else in the world.
But then there's my other life. My social life. Almost all my friends live in Ohio, and I can't deny that it's really hard to leave every summer and Christmas knowing that I won't see them for so long. We've been to a lot of high places and low places, but I think it's really all been worth it. This summer I am going home, but next summer I am staying in Ohio, and it's a weird sort of feeling. I've already made the choice not to live with family next year, and what about the future? What if my career takes me out to California? I wouldn't see my family or friends for extended periods of time.
It's something I know I will have to decide eventually. But I think, for now, I'll just take it all one day at a time and see where life takes me.
On a completely unrelated note: Miley Cyrus is not half bad. There, I said it. It's certainly not good, and I will always despise the Hannah Montana persona, but it is reasonably entertaining. To me, it's sort of reminiscent of an early Avril Lavigne, with just a bit more pop thrown in. In the music video for the song "7 Things," I just have to point out how much her eyes pop. Seriously, they are like, supernaturally blue.
Shah.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Finishing Watchmen. The book freakin' rocks.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Being up late working.
Song addiction of the day: "7 Things" by Miley Cyrus. (Seriously, just give it a chance. If you hate it and get angry, I'll give you a cookie. If I can manage to find you.)
Number of caffeinated beverages in the last 24 hours: 0
I'm leaving school in about a week to go home for the summer, and it's made me think a lot about my two lives.
I have a life in Illinois. While I have some friends there, it is primarily a family life. Almost everyone in my family is located in the same general Illinois area. It's a big part of who I am, and I know how very blessed I am to have such a wonderful, loving, and accepting family. My family has always been good to me, and I wouldn't trade them for anyone else in the world.
But then there's my other life. My social life. Almost all my friends live in Ohio, and I can't deny that it's really hard to leave every summer and Christmas knowing that I won't see them for so long. We've been to a lot of high places and low places, but I think it's really all been worth it. This summer I am going home, but next summer I am staying in Ohio, and it's a weird sort of feeling. I've already made the choice not to live with family next year, and what about the future? What if my career takes me out to California? I wouldn't see my family or friends for extended periods of time.
It's something I know I will have to decide eventually. But I think, for now, I'll just take it all one day at a time and see where life takes me.
On a completely unrelated note: Miley Cyrus is not half bad. There, I said it. It's certainly not good, and I will always despise the Hannah Montana persona, but it is reasonably entertaining. To me, it's sort of reminiscent of an early Avril Lavigne, with just a bit more pop thrown in. In the music video for the song "7 Things," I just have to point out how much her eyes pop. Seriously, they are like, supernaturally blue.
Shah.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Finishing Watchmen. The book freakin' rocks.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Being up late working.
Song addiction of the day: "7 Things" by Miley Cyrus. (Seriously, just give it a chance. If you hate it and get angry, I'll give you a cookie. If I can manage to find you.)
Number of caffeinated beverages in the last 24 hours: 0
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009: Webcomics
I'm going to start off by saying that every comic I hyperlink in this blog, I enjoy and read, despite the complaints I level against them. Right then. Off I go.
I love webcomics, and I intend to create my own eventually. I think they're a great way to express yourself without too much pressure from deadlines, and if you find a writer you like, they don't often disappoint. But I do have my issues with webcomics.
The most frequent problem I have is with male leads. The problem is that so many of the male leads in webcomics are snotty, arrogant douchebags who achieve astronomical levels of success and fulfillment and never get what's coming to them. It gets offputting after a while. I understand that part of the humor of these characters is the fact that people in the real world would never put up with that sort of shit, but sometimes I gt really sick of it. I just prefer my main characters to be likable, that's all. And while I'm on the subject of male leads, I want more webcomics where the primary character is female. Yeah, that would be nice.
Another problem I have with some webcomics is that the drawings are too simple or there's too much text. This is, of course, not universal. Sometimes, a simpler drawing style works well for a comic's overall tone and humor style. In fact, when a writer isn't always concerning himself/herself with perfect art, it can often lead to some of the more well-written comics out there. But too much text, I believe, is almost never a good idea. The best comics in the world are written succinctly and get straight to the point.
Another problem I have with webcomics is when webcomics don't freaking update. I don't think it's much to ask for more than one comic every month, is it? I sincerely believe that every webomic should update at least once a week, and ideally more.
With that said, let me tell you about my favorite webcomic: Questionable Content. It has none of the problems I've mentioned above. First off, there's the writing and characters. The writing is both humorous and realistic, with very well-rounded characters to go with it. (Okay, so maybe the robot characters aren't technically "realistic," but the whole comic is so bloody immersive that it never causes problems.) Most of its characters are female, in fact, the only male character who could really be considered a "lead" is Marten, and he is very human. His sense of humor is snarky, but not arrogant, and he's pretty much the antithesis of overconfident, and as for douchebaggery, it's done in the right sort of way. Once in a while he says something really stupid, but it works because doing stupid stuff isn't his whole character, it's a flaw. You know, like a real person. And when he does do something stupid, he actually has to deal with repercussions. Again, like a real person. This is how a male character should be written. Most of the lead characters (and even most of the secondary characters) are female, and they each have their own distinct and compelling personalities, and they're all likable in some way while being very humanly flawed. The art is also great. It's a fairly simple, cartoony style, but each character looks distinct and recognizable, rather than just being the same character over and over with different hairstyles, eye colors, and clothing tacked on. And if you're reading all the comics from start to current, it's really cool to see the drawing style slowly evolve into its current form. Also, it updates five days a week, which is awesome. I'm not saying that every comic can update that much. After all, QC is how the creator makes a living. I'm just saying, it's pretty nice. Anyone reading this blog, go read QC once you're finished. You will not regret it.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Playing Super Smash Bros. Brawl with my friends, and looking back over all the amusing photos we've captured in-game.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Being so bloody tired.
Song addiction of the day: "Go The Distance," as performed by daniscool99. Multitrack barbershop is so cool.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the last 24 hours: 0
I love webcomics, and I intend to create my own eventually. I think they're a great way to express yourself without too much pressure from deadlines, and if you find a writer you like, they don't often disappoint. But I do have my issues with webcomics.
The most frequent problem I have is with male leads. The problem is that so many of the male leads in webcomics are snotty, arrogant douchebags who achieve astronomical levels of success and fulfillment and never get what's coming to them. It gets offputting after a while. I understand that part of the humor of these characters is the fact that people in the real world would never put up with that sort of shit, but sometimes I gt really sick of it. I just prefer my main characters to be likable, that's all. And while I'm on the subject of male leads, I want more webcomics where the primary character is female. Yeah, that would be nice.
Another problem I have with some webcomics is that the drawings are too simple or there's too much text. This is, of course, not universal. Sometimes, a simpler drawing style works well for a comic's overall tone and humor style. In fact, when a writer isn't always concerning himself/herself with perfect art, it can often lead to some of the more well-written comics out there. But too much text, I believe, is almost never a good idea. The best comics in the world are written succinctly and get straight to the point.
Another problem I have with webcomics is when webcomics don't freaking update. I don't think it's much to ask for more than one comic every month, is it? I sincerely believe that every webomic should update at least once a week, and ideally more.
With that said, let me tell you about my favorite webcomic: Questionable Content. It has none of the problems I've mentioned above. First off, there's the writing and characters. The writing is both humorous and realistic, with very well-rounded characters to go with it. (Okay, so maybe the robot characters aren't technically "realistic," but the whole comic is so bloody immersive that it never causes problems.) Most of its characters are female, in fact, the only male character who could really be considered a "lead" is Marten, and he is very human. His sense of humor is snarky, but not arrogant, and he's pretty much the antithesis of overconfident, and as for douchebaggery, it's done in the right sort of way. Once in a while he says something really stupid, but it works because doing stupid stuff isn't his whole character, it's a flaw. You know, like a real person. And when he does do something stupid, he actually has to deal with repercussions. Again, like a real person. This is how a male character should be written. Most of the lead characters (and even most of the secondary characters) are female, and they each have their own distinct and compelling personalities, and they're all likable in some way while being very humanly flawed. The art is also great. It's a fairly simple, cartoony style, but each character looks distinct and recognizable, rather than just being the same character over and over with different hairstyles, eye colors, and clothing tacked on. And if you're reading all the comics from start to current, it's really cool to see the drawing style slowly evolve into its current form. Also, it updates five days a week, which is awesome. I'm not saying that every comic can update that much. After all, QC is how the creator makes a living. I'm just saying, it's pretty nice. Anyone reading this blog, go read QC once you're finished. You will not regret it.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Playing Super Smash Bros. Brawl with my friends, and looking back over all the amusing photos we've captured in-game.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Being so bloody tired.
Song addiction of the day: "Go The Distance," as performed by daniscool99. Multitrack barbershop is so cool.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the last 24 hours: 0
Monday, April 27, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009: Giant Buckets, Computer Troubles, and Miley Cyrus
So my friends and I make giant buckets of things.
Edible things, the sum of which has been Jello and pudding so far. We have a 5 gallon bucket that we use to make these things, so we typically amount to about 4 and half gallons of whatever it is that we are making. We have, for now, decided against the 5 gallon bucket of Ramen, since people would probably die from the sodium. We are considering Kool-Aid. Today we had to throw out the pudding, even though there was about 3.5 gallons left. What I like is that we didn't care, because we didn't make a 5 gallon bucket of pudding to eat. We made a 5 gallon bucket of pudding for the sake of making a 5 gallon bucket of pudding. It was the same case with the Jello, although we ate all of the first bucket. The second bucket, we made so Chad could put goggles on and submerge his head entirely in Jello. Trust me when I say that there are not many things funnier than hearing a young man yell the phrase "I'm going to Disneyworld!" with his head immersed in Jello. I am very happy that my friends and I do this sort of thing just for the sake of fun. People need to throw away money, time, and dignity for the sake of fun once in a while. It's so important.
On the subject of fun, you know what's not fun? A broken computer. As I said in my last blog, my Macbook's fans are on the fritz, and the thing is just getting too old. Sometimes when I log in, the keyboard will stop working for no reason. All I need to do is restart and it works fine again, but it's such a pain in the butt, especially since this is the week before finals week for my college. When I get home, it needs to be put to bed and replaced.
So you know what I like? Miley Cyrus' music video for "Fly On The Wall." It's very tasteful. It's got a definite Thriller-inspired thing going on, and the dancing she does is great. What I love about the choreography is that it is done with an emphasis on talent, not sexuality, which I like a lot. When she's dancing, she comes off not as someone being sold as a sex object, but as a girl who is just a really good dancer. It's a step away from the typical pop video nowadays, and I like it a lot. Good going.
I think that's pretty much all for now.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Posting hyperlinks for different phrases on my blogs. It's fun.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: My computer torturing my mind.
Song addiction of the day: "Fly On The Wall" by Miley Cyrus. Seriously, check out the music video.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the last 24 hours: 0
Edible things, the sum of which has been Jello and pudding so far. We have a 5 gallon bucket that we use to make these things, so we typically amount to about 4 and half gallons of whatever it is that we are making. We have, for now, decided against the 5 gallon bucket of Ramen, since people would probably die from the sodium. We are considering Kool-Aid. Today we had to throw out the pudding, even though there was about 3.5 gallons left. What I like is that we didn't care, because we didn't make a 5 gallon bucket of pudding to eat. We made a 5 gallon bucket of pudding for the sake of making a 5 gallon bucket of pudding. It was the same case with the Jello, although we ate all of the first bucket. The second bucket, we made so Chad could put goggles on and submerge his head entirely in Jello. Trust me when I say that there are not many things funnier than hearing a young man yell the phrase "I'm going to Disneyworld!" with his head immersed in Jello. I am very happy that my friends and I do this sort of thing just for the sake of fun. People need to throw away money, time, and dignity for the sake of fun once in a while. It's so important.
On the subject of fun, you know what's not fun? A broken computer. As I said in my last blog, my Macbook's fans are on the fritz, and the thing is just getting too old. Sometimes when I log in, the keyboard will stop working for no reason. All I need to do is restart and it works fine again, but it's such a pain in the butt, especially since this is the week before finals week for my college. When I get home, it needs to be put to bed and replaced.
So you know what I like? Miley Cyrus' music video for "Fly On The Wall." It's very tasteful. It's got a definite Thriller-inspired thing going on, and the dancing she does is great. What I love about the choreography is that it is done with an emphasis on talent, not sexuality, which I like a lot. When she's dancing, she comes off not as someone being sold as a sex object, but as a girl who is just a really good dancer. It's a step away from the typical pop video nowadays, and I like it a lot. Good going.
I think that's pretty much all for now.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Posting hyperlinks for different phrases on my blogs. It's fun.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: My computer torturing my mind.
Song addiction of the day: "Fly On The Wall" by Miley Cyrus. Seriously, check out the music video.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the last 24 hours: 0
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009: Heat
I don't much care for heat. I'm very much a furnace by nature. I produce tons of body heat, and this time of year SUCKS for that. It's currently 81 degrees outside, and my residence halls have this lovely thing called "no air conditioning." Unless it's the middle of the building where all the offices are. Then you have AC coming out the wazoo. This is not helped by the fact that for most of every day, my window is in direct contact with sunlight. Also, for some reason, the fans on my computer have gotten weaker, so while it doesn't get hot enough to overheat and cause problems, it does get hot enough to make my room hell. And later today, I have to go to the art building and work on my animation in a room filled with high-powered computers and very little air circulation. I hate summer. SO much. If I had my way, the temperature would never go above 50 degrees.
It is very hard to resist the urge to buy far too much ice cream.
I can't wait until next year, when we have an apartment. Then we can finally control our own temperature. Seriously, they don't even give us the option to turn off our own heaters.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: D&D. It keeps me sane, and our characters just leveled. Hooray!
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: This bloody heat.
Song addiction of the day: "It's Too Hot" by Hank Green
Number of caffeinated beverages in the last 24 hours: 2
It is very hard to resist the urge to buy far too much ice cream.
I can't wait until next year, when we have an apartment. Then we can finally control our own temperature. Seriously, they don't even give us the option to turn off our own heaters.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: D&D. It keeps me sane, and our characters just leveled. Hooray!
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: This bloody heat.
Song addiction of the day: "It's Too Hot" by Hank Green
Number of caffeinated beverages in the last 24 hours: 2
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Saturday, April 25, 2009: Thoughts on the Internet
So I just finished watching all the fiveawesomegirls videos all the way through for the second time. I also recently began watching the fiveawesomeguys for the first time, and that is going well. I've also watched the vlogbrothers four times through now, I believe.
This makes me think about my life on the Internet and how different it is from my life outside of the Internet. What I like so much about my two live is that they offer two totally different experiences. IRL, I focus my energy mostly on becoming very tight-knit with a small group of people, but the Internet is more about being a small part of something huge. I love the Nerdfigher community, I love the YouTube community, it's all really great fun. I think the reason that I spend so much time watching and re-watching all these videos is that I like to remind myself why I put time into the Internet and why it's really quite worthwhile to me. I hope that I can be a part of these great communities for a long time, and I hope I continue to achieve balance between Internet life and my existence IRL.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: My friends and I making a 4.5 gallon bucket of pudding, which was a sequel to the 4.5 gallon bucket of Jello. Next project: possibly Ramen.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Walking all the way to the storage space company office, only to find out it is not open.
Song addiction of the day: "The Bad Touch" by the Bloodhound Gang
Number of caffienated beverages in the past 24 hours: 1
This makes me think about my life on the Internet and how different it is from my life outside of the Internet. What I like so much about my two live is that they offer two totally different experiences. IRL, I focus my energy mostly on becoming very tight-knit with a small group of people, but the Internet is more about being a small part of something huge. I love the Nerdfigher community, I love the YouTube community, it's all really great fun. I think the reason that I spend so much time watching and re-watching all these videos is that I like to remind myself why I put time into the Internet and why it's really quite worthwhile to me. I hope that I can be a part of these great communities for a long time, and I hope I continue to achieve balance between Internet life and my existence IRL.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: My friends and I making a 4.5 gallon bucket of pudding, which was a sequel to the 4.5 gallon bucket of Jello. Next project: possibly Ramen.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Walking all the way to the storage space company office, only to find out it is not open.
Song addiction of the day: "The Bad Touch" by the Bloodhound Gang
Number of caffienated beverages in the past 24 hours: 1
Friday, April 24, 2009
Friday, April 24, 2009: Material Things
So my scooter just broke.
And it sucks.
But it got me thinking about the stuff we own. Some of our stuff is practical. Some is fun. Some is a miraculous melding of the two. My scooter was a melding. I used it a lot, and I believe I have had it for somewhere in the ballpark of five years. So I really shouldn't be surprised that the thing broke. But it really was a cool little thing to have. It's weird how we get attached to certain items. Often times, it's really not about the item itself, it's about what it represents. I have a Wile E. Coyote plush toy in my room, and I simply can't bring myself to give it up. It's not because I like the toy so much, it's because my younger self liked the toy so much. I used to literally take the thing everywhere, and it was probably my favorite toy for many, many years. It's the same with my baby blanket; it's all about the memories attached to the object. So I say goodbye to my beloved scooter, and I thank you for all the fun times we had going around campus.
Readers, what items do you treasure? Why? Let me know in the comments.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: The good reception that my mock trailer got in my Great Ideas class.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: My scooter breaking.
Song addiction of the day: The Oprah Over 9000 Pedobear Remix **CAUTION: 4chan Content
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0
And it sucks.
But it got me thinking about the stuff we own. Some of our stuff is practical. Some is fun. Some is a miraculous melding of the two. My scooter was a melding. I used it a lot, and I believe I have had it for somewhere in the ballpark of five years. So I really shouldn't be surprised that the thing broke. But it really was a cool little thing to have. It's weird how we get attached to certain items. Often times, it's really not about the item itself, it's about what it represents. I have a Wile E. Coyote plush toy in my room, and I simply can't bring myself to give it up. It's not because I like the toy so much, it's because my younger self liked the toy so much. I used to literally take the thing everywhere, and it was probably my favorite toy for many, many years. It's the same with my baby blanket; it's all about the memories attached to the object. So I say goodbye to my beloved scooter, and I thank you for all the fun times we had going around campus.
Readers, what items do you treasure? Why? Let me know in the comments.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: The good reception that my mock trailer got in my Great Ideas class.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: My scooter breaking.
Song addiction of the day: The Oprah Over 9000 Pedobear Remix **CAUTION: 4chan Content
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009: Explanations and Dreams
Okay, time to explain a few things. First, the explanation of the name "Cranial Leakage." I love this phrase. What it means is that sometimes ideas are leaking out of my brain, and they end up here. This is pretty much just the free-flowing content of my mind. Hence the name, "Cranial Leakage." If you'd like, you can click here to watch one of my YouTube videos that explains in video form the concept of "cranial leakage."
Then, there's the bit I'll be including at the end of every blog. The things I like/dislike is just in an effort to find something worthwhile in every day, and hope that for me, it outweighs the thing I dislike. An experiment in optimism, really. The song addiction of the day is just my attempt to spread some fun music that I like. I'm also attempting to give up, or at least minimize, my intake of caffeine, so that's the final bit. I'm actually going to change the phrasing a bit to make it more clear.
I'd like to talk about dreams. I've noticed that the types of dreams I have seem to change with age. When I was a kid, I had mostly crazy, whacked-out psycho crack fantasy dreams. When I hit puberty, I began to have the sex dreams. Now that I'm 19, past the threshold of adolescent hormones, I have fulfilling relationship dreams. At the moment, the dreams are about my current Internet crush, but I've often heard that the importance of dreams is what's happening, not who's involved in what's happening. I like having these dreams, because they make me optimistic for the future. I have to admit, though, the initial few seconds when I wake up from them kind of sucks. But I am glad that's what's important to my subconscious is a genuine relationship, and not something more vapid.
See you tomorrow!
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Being silly at Wal-Mart. There's something very, very therapeutic about it.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Being hungry this morning and not getting food until 11 at least.
Song addiction of the day: "Time Only Knows," from the ending of Prince of Persia: Sands of Time.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
Then, there's the bit I'll be including at the end of every blog. The things I like/dislike is just in an effort to find something worthwhile in every day, and hope that for me, it outweighs the thing I dislike. An experiment in optimism, really. The song addiction of the day is just my attempt to spread some fun music that I like. I'm also attempting to give up, or at least minimize, my intake of caffeine, so that's the final bit. I'm actually going to change the phrasing a bit to make it more clear.
I'd like to talk about dreams. I've noticed that the types of dreams I have seem to change with age. When I was a kid, I had mostly crazy, whacked-out psycho crack fantasy dreams. When I hit puberty, I began to have the sex dreams. Now that I'm 19, past the threshold of adolescent hormones, I have fulfilling relationship dreams. At the moment, the dreams are about my current Internet crush, but I've often heard that the importance of dreams is what's happening, not who's involved in what's happening. I like having these dreams, because they make me optimistic for the future. I have to admit, though, the initial few seconds when I wake up from them kind of sucks. But I am glad that's what's important to my subconscious is a genuine relationship, and not something more vapid.
See you tomorrow!
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Being silly at Wal-Mart. There's something very, very therapeutic about it.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Being hungry this morning and not getting food until 11 at least.
Song addiction of the day: "Time Only Knows," from the ending of Prince of Persia: Sands of Time.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009: Introductions and Nice Things
I've been reading blogs a lot lately, and even getting into the whole commenting thing, so I figure I might as well make one of these too.
So I've rediscovered the value of small random acts of kindness. I'm not talking about big things that have big impacts; I'm talking about little stuff. Today, a woman, who I presume was a teacher or an office worker, was walking around our classroom during work time. She was in search of two quarters, because she was thirsty and vending machines don't take half dollars. Most of the students were pretty much ignoring her, but when she got to me, I got out my coin purse (yes, I have a coin purse, shut up, it's a convenient way to store change) and checked. I did not have two quarters. What I did have was a few pennies and a few dimes and a nickel. I gave her two of my dimes and a nickel, telling her, "There, now you only have to find one quarter." She looked at me as though I had just given her a bar of platinum, said "Thank you, bless you," and walked away in search of the final quarter. It only cost me a quarter to brighten her day. Damn good deal, if you ask me.
I also helped some people from the Honors Program at my school bring a bunch of stuff in quickly from the rain. Even though I really hate rain. And despite that, it felt really good.
I think I need to do this more. I'm plenty nice to people I know, but I need to be more actively nice towards strangers. I used to do it more, and I liked it. Time to get on that.
And now, for the daily checklist I have devised for myself, which I will elaborate on tomorrow:
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Free vegetables. Tasty.
Thing I don't like about the past 24 hours: Watching other people cuddle. Grumble.
Song addiction of the day: "Looking for Alaska," both Liane's original and Hank's cover.
Number of caffeinated beverages: 0.
So I've rediscovered the value of small random acts of kindness. I'm not talking about big things that have big impacts; I'm talking about little stuff. Today, a woman, who I presume was a teacher or an office worker, was walking around our classroom during work time. She was in search of two quarters, because she was thirsty and vending machines don't take half dollars. Most of the students were pretty much ignoring her, but when she got to me, I got out my coin purse (yes, I have a coin purse, shut up, it's a convenient way to store change) and checked. I did not have two quarters. What I did have was a few pennies and a few dimes and a nickel. I gave her two of my dimes and a nickel, telling her, "There, now you only have to find one quarter." She looked at me as though I had just given her a bar of platinum, said "Thank you, bless you," and walked away in search of the final quarter. It only cost me a quarter to brighten her day. Damn good deal, if you ask me.
I also helped some people from the Honors Program at my school bring a bunch of stuff in quickly from the rain. Even though I really hate rain. And despite that, it felt really good.
I think I need to do this more. I'm plenty nice to people I know, but I need to be more actively nice towards strangers. I used to do it more, and I liked it. Time to get on that.
And now, for the daily checklist I have devised for myself, which I will elaborate on tomorrow:
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Free vegetables. Tasty.
Thing I don't like about the past 24 hours: Watching other people cuddle. Grumble.
Song addiction of the day: "Looking for Alaska," both Liane's original and Hank's cover.
Number of caffeinated beverages: 0.
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