Ten non-comedic movies Current mood: satisfied Category: Blogging
I see that I promised top ten comedic movies for today, but looking at my schedule, its actually top ten dramatic movies on the hook for today. I think you'll all somehow find the way to cope.
Before we start the listy goodness, I wanted to say I have good news. Well, it's news whether it's good or not will have to be decided later, but anyway, I have another job interview. This one's with the public defender's office in Macon, GA. The interview is on Friday the 21st, at 10:00AM, wish me luck, because, as we've seen so far, I need it.
Now, on with the movies that don't fit into the category of comedy! ('s 1 & 2 on this list are so close together it was really hard to pick. Ask me on another day, and I might inverse them. Onward!)
10.Braveheart I'm sure most of you are familiar with this movie, so I'll just say that before Mel Gibson went crazy, he could sure play a mean Scotsman. Just enough violence, action and history to make an excellent film.
9.Pulp Fiction This was an odd choice for me, but as I was sitting trying to come up with this list, I couldn't leave it off. I love the non-linear storytelling, and Sam Jackson is one bad mamma jamma, and this might be his best role.
8.The Departed Belinda and I have a thing were we end up renting the movie that wins best Oscar the week before the Oscars. Well, we've done it the last two years anyway, and last year it was this movie. Considering it dealt with a topic neither of us are particularly a fan of, this movie was 100% engrossing throughout the 2+ hours. It may not be Scorsese's best, but it's the only one of his films I've seen, so it fits in here.
7.Sin City A comic book movie the comic of which I've never read, I was still very impressed with this movie. Telling a few different stories from the City, taking scenes from the comic and recreating them scene for scene, certainly the best movie ever to come from a comic book. Gives me hope for the upcoming Watchmen movie.
6.The Matrix I'm just talking about the first one here. Seeing this movie in the theatre, the moment when they do the reveal and show what the Matrix really is, was truely eye opening. While it is mainly remembered for its special effects, its the timeless story of man v. machine that really stays with you long after Neo flies into the sky.
5.The Lord of The Rings Really, these three movies redifined epic. If anything gives me hope for a movie or movie series based on Stephen King's Dark Tower books its these movies. One of the grandest adventure stories ever told, and told well, with amazing special effects and staying true to the heart of the books.
4.The Shawshank Redemption Hope is a good thing. Maybe the best of things. This movie also gives me hope for the Dark Tower movies as this is the best movie from a Stephen King story. A lot of people don't realize that King's works go beyond monster movies. Basically, this is a story of true friendship in extremely harsh conditions, and the story of how hope never dies.
3.Fight Club A most unconventional buddy movie. One I wish I'd seen in the theatre, it remains powerful on the small screen. A movie about what it means to be a man, as well as what it means to live in modern society. The movie led me to the book, and while they're both good works, I prefer the movie, maybe because I saw it first, but probably also because of the visual effects and tricks possible which are hard to do in a book.
2.Garden State I've mentioned my Zach Braff man crush before, so this movie shouldn't be a surprise. Zach wrote, directed, and stars in Garden State. While at times its hard to get past the JD from Scrubs image he puts forth, this movie is really amazing. A coming of age/finding love story... This movie involved Matthew Largman (Large) coming home to NJ from LA to attend his mother's funeral. He meets up with old friends, and makes new ones, and along they way realizes that his troubled past wasn't what he thought it was, and begins to truley see the world around him for the first time. Excellent movie, one I wish more people would/could see.
1.Rounders This movie has a bit of a cult following, and it along with Garden State is one of the two movies I can watch over and over again. Rounders stars Matt Damon as a law school student who plays poker on the side, early in the movie he loses $30k and decides to stop playing poker. An old friend of his, (played by Ed Norton, aka the main guy in Fight Club) gets out of jail, and talks Matt back into playing cards. This starts Matt on a path of realization, that cards really is his life, not the law, and that maybe just because you have old friends, maybe you shouldn't loan them a ton of money. My favorite movie today, with a fun cameo by John Malkovich as the underworlds' Teddy KGB. Tomorrow I might be more in the mood for a sadder more love oriented story, then it'd be Garden State. Can't go wrong with either one.
Currently watching : Election Release date: 19 October, 1999
Weekends are for resting, right? Current mood: artistic
Well, I've decided to wait until Monday for the next installments of my lists. I think its better for everyone. We're in the home stretch now, where every choice on every list is heart rending.
Belinda and I went to the Mall of Georgia yesterday (I think its the biggest mall I've ever been to) and I picked up the new Eldar Codex, and I wanted to get the Chaos codex, but it doesn't come out til the 22nd. That's life. I also picked up a Rune Priest. Hooray. (if the preceeding paragraph made little to no sense to you, forgive me, I'll explain it in detail if you want, just lemme know)
There's another football game in town today. South Carolina. Football game days are crazy here in Athens, but at least the team didn't lose to Appalachian State.
Oh, while at the Mall of Georgia we saw Superbad again. My goodness, but that movie is hilarious. (hmm and top ten comedies is on Monday? Hmm I say hmmm) Let's see, what else? Painting is going well, and ritz crackers + cheese = crazy delicious. I think I might be losing my mind, so I'm gonna head out to play video games. Look for the lists starting again on Monday.
Top Ten Television Shows Current mood: artistic Category: Blogging
So, my day has been spent applying copious amounts of boltgun metal over a black undercoat of my Grey Hunter's bolters, while watching The Dark Side on the Sci-Fi channel. The Dark Side is not on this list.
This list was a fun one, and I've left some really great shows off of it. I thought about doing top ten per category, but no one would really care about top ten reality shows, top ten game shows, or top ten soap operas. There are none of them on this list anyway. However, I do believe that 1 on this list is/was the greatest television show of all time. Looking it over, the top three shows are from Fox, and 4/10 total. Pretty amazing. In Fox's early years they were willing to take risks with shows other networks wouldn't touch. I think it shows through. Enjoy the list; wish me luck with the continued painting.
10.Sports Night
If only more people had watched, I wouldn't have been left with the stupid cliffhanger series finale. I choose to believe that CSS was bought by the employees and they continued their misadventures in the newsroom for years to come. This show really hit its stride mid-way through the first season, and the fast paced dialogue+social message+hilarious situations make it a perfect choice for number 10. Could have been much higher had it been aloud to continue.
9.Good Eats
Alton Brown is a personal hero of mine. A combination of Mr. Wizard and a tv chef, he combines science, comedy, and food to make the only cooking show I regularly watch. (His other series, Feasting on Asphalt is more of a traveling show than a cooking show, and is excellent in its own right.) Alton Brown makes learning how to cook fun and he makes the recipes easy to understand and educational.
8.Seinfeld
A few years ago this would be much higher on the list, but having seen every episode about 20 times, its slipped a little. Not its fault, as the show is still hilarious, and it set the ground work for the future shows. Never have the adventures of 4 horrible horrible people been more entertaining. George Costanza is one of the funniest characters in TV history.
7.Family Guy
Thanks to the selling power of DVDs this show came back from the dead. Lucky for all of us. So many of this show's jokes come out of left field, which plays directly into my sense of humor. Stewie is simultaniously offensive, sweet and annoying. Hard to pull off, but Seth McFarland has pulled it off.
6.Lost
This show could be much higher, and one day it will be. There are just too many unanswered questions for me to put it higher now. Of course, the unanswered questions are a large part of this show's appeal. Belinda and I picked up the first season even though we had never seen it. We were hooked from the first scene and haven't missed a 'sode since. A lot of people get frustrated because they feel the writers don't have a plan, or that the writers haven't revealed enough secrets. Niether of these bother me. When I start to write, I often know the ending but not how I'll get there. And sometimes it changes before I get there, so I can't fault that. As for the secrets there have been so many revealed, but each one comes with two more. As I said, that's part of the appeal for me.
5.The Office
I'm talking about the American version, as I consider the British version more of a movie than a TV show. This show is hilarious as Steve Carrell plays the dimwitted boss to a T, Rainne Wilson as Dwight is hilariously akward, and John Krasinski as Jim plays the 20-something wise-cracking everyman better than anyone. The cast of characters are all real, and each serve a purpose, even if its just to yell "Back of the Line... BOOOO!" or "visit my web page www.creedthoughts.gov.www/creedthoughts" the characters make you laugh. Great show.
4.Scrubs
I have a bit of a man-crush on Zach Braff, so Scrubs takes the 4 spot. This show is extremely well written and laugh out loud funny. JD and Turk's relationship is hilarious, and Dr. Cox is just the right mix of mean+condesending+caring to be right up there with George Costanza as funniest tv show character of all time.
3.The X-Files
The truth is out there. I want to Believe. The truth is a lie. Trust no one. The X-Files was way ahead of its time. Even so, it is clearly one of the greatest TV shows ever. The early seasons were the best, combining episodes of "monster of the week" with the "conspiracy" episodes, leading viewers deeper into the mythos of the show. Fox Mulder and Dana Scully had great chemistry and the upcoming movie has me very excited for the future of this show. (Maybe a Family Guy style revival? We can only dream)
2.The Simpsons
The clear number one choice a few years ago, alas, the Simpsons has been eclipsed, but it hasn't dropped far. The quality of episodes aren't what they once were, but it would be impossible to expect a show to maintain that level of excellence over the years. And the new episodes are still better than 90% of what's on TV these days. The mid-90's shift of focus from Bart to Homer signaled the golden years for these guys, and, if we're all lucky, this show will be on the air for 20 more years. (You all realize this show has been on TV for-basically-ever? There are people in college now that have never lived in a world without the Simpsons. To think my mom used to not let me watch it because it was 'dirty.' Don't have a cow, mom. )
1.Arrested Development
Without a doubt my favorite TV show of all time. I believe the greatest ever. I'm willing to hear arguments for other shows, but I don't think anyone will be able to convince me otherwise. This was the disfunctional family to end all families, the humor was off the wall, from out of no-where and right in your face. David Cross's character, Tobius Funke, a repressed homosexual analrapist(Pronounced a-nal-rep-ist... a hybrid of an analyzer and a therapist, obviously) is the highlight, but absolutly every character is hilarious. Each episode ties in with seemingly every other episode, and as someone who's watched every episode dozens of times, I can say that each time I see something new that I somehow missed before. Steve Holt! If you haven't seen this show, I implore you to give it a chance, preferably with me with you, 'cause I don't want to miss you awakening to the light. (A good starter episode would be the one with the Church and State fair (the state was losing money, and accepted a donation from a local church in order to have a fair) where George was taken from prison to talk to troubled teens about staying out of jail... unfortunatly, they took him to the wrong "Scared Straight" tent. Muwhaha.. Seriously watch this freakin' show.
Oh, one reason A.D. might have stayed good is that with the limited episodes they never had a chance to get bad. That may be true, but I still really really miss this show, and I wish it could come back. At least it didn't end on a total cliffhanger like Sports Night.
Top Ten Books Current mood: groggy Category: Blogging
Well, after a few days off, I'm back to the grind of top ten lists. Top ten novels sounds straight forward, and it is... generally. You'd think as an English major I'd have some classics on this list, but there isn't an As I Lay Dying, or The Old Man and the Sea on my list. Though there are at least three, numbers 9, 8, and 4 which are generally thought of as great works. In any event, what follows are my top ten books. Enjoy.
10.World War Z, by Max Brooks This is the follow up to Brooks's Zombie Survival Guide, which is an excellent read in its own right. While that book concerned itself with instructing the reader how to survive after the dead rise, this book describes, via interviews with survivors, the aftermath of the Zombie War after the humans work to reclaim the lands from the walking dead. Funny, at times gross, suspensful, certainly worth a read.
9.Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe A classic story usually taught in universities' world literature class. Things Fall Apart tells the story of Okonkwo, a prominent member of a African tribe. It deals with his life before and after European settlor's come. It is an amazing look at how trying to force religion or "civilization" onto a culture leads to destruction.
8.Slaughterhouse 5, by Kurt Vonnegut Perhaps Vonnegut's best known work, I've found it to be his best. It involves time travel, aliens, and a semi-autobiographical account of the firebombing of Dresden during WWII. This story is an indictment of war, told from the point of view of someone going through it not only while the war is happening but even when put into an alien zoo.
7.The Stand, by Stephen King Most view this as King's best book, but its only his third best on my list. Even so, it is an amazing tale. Armageddon is a good place to start a story, and The Stand shows exactly how the world got into the shape it ends up in. Of course, that's only the background. King introduces so many characters in this book, but keeping up with them is easy as they feel alive. Two factions emerge from the rubble, one obviously good, one evil... Setting up a final confrontation of Bibilcal proportions...
6.Salem's Lot, by Stephen King One of King's earliest books, and it is one of his best. This is the only book I've ever read that has scared me, and the thoughts of little baby vampires still give me the creeps. Oh, this book is about vampires. At first only one, then many more taking over a small Maine town. The house in this story is one of the creepiest buildings ever constructed. Recommended, if you don't mind being a little scared.
5.Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card Andrew Wiggin, Ender, is one of the smartest most tactically gifted people in the world. He's also six. He's taken from his family and enrolled in "Battle School" where he's forced to play a game of super laser tag to prove to those in charge he's gifted enough to lead a fleet to fight the aliens that attacked earth years before. Ender finds out a lot about himself, and the meaning of the game by the end of the story, and readers are left to wonder how they'd feel in the same situation.
4.1984, by Orson Welles George Orwell (because I'm an idiot). This book was ahead of its time. Written in the middle of the 20th century, the fears that form the major portion of this book are almost constantly true in today's society. One thing to mention here that I latched onto, is the weakening of language that Big Brother uses in the story. Without language, thought is lessened, and Big Brother would perfer as little thinking as possible. One of the characters in the novel notes that eventually they'll get everything down to one word. Chilling. Of course, the most chilling part of this book are the final four words.
3.American Gods, by Niel Gaimen An adventure story unlike most others. The main character, Shadow, in prison at the beginning of the book learns his wife has died, gets out of prison and tries to get on with his life. Moving across America helping the mysterious Wednesday, he realizes something is up when his wife visits him, dirt still under her fingernails from digging herself up. From there it gets weird. A story of birth and rebirth, of findng yourself when you were pretty sure where you already were, and of seeing Rock City this is a book you're only hurting yourself for not reading.
2.The Dark Tower Series, by Stephen King This is seven books, but the story is one long continuous work. King's masterpiece it ties together virtually every other story he's ever written. (Including major characters from both the Stand and Salem's Lot making major appearences here.) A Lord of the Rings type adventure with a western/magical flair, Stephen King himself makes multiple appearences and serves as a key plot point as the characters realize that they need to protect him or else they will never exist. Great stuff, and well worth the time and effort required to work through it.
1.The Watchmen, by Alan Moore The greatest story ever told in comics. Some of you might say that doesn't mean much, but between Mark Waid, Frank Miller, and other Alan Moore work, this story fought through some stiff competition. There's a movie coming out soon based on this, and I can't imagine it will do it justice. The story takes place in the near future, super-heroes have been outlawed unless they work for the government. Suddenly an old retired hero is murdered and one of the few renegade heroes still working starts investigating. It leads him places he never expected. Along the way we learn how these former heroes got to where they are, and why they chose this in the first place. Eventually a vast conspiracy is unveiled leaving the characters with a very difficult choice. The characters have real depth, and readers end up caring what happens to them. Perhaps that's what makes the ending so poignant and thought provoking.
Still recovering... Current mood: sleepy Category: Blogging
I'm still recovering from this last weekend, which was a ton of fun, but very draining physically. Also, I didn't have a lot of free time to post here, let alone figure out what my next top ten list was going to include. Look for it tomorrow, I'm sure you'll be able to survive until then.
To tide you over, check out my pics section, I've uploaded a few fun pics from this weekend. (Dragon*Con folder...) Enjoy.
Currently listening : Icky Thump By The White Stripes Release date: 19 June, 2007
There's not going to be a list today; probably not tomorrow either, as Dragon*con is apparently going to take up a lot of my time. I'm sure you'll all figure out a way to pass the time until Tuesday. Take care.
Top Ten Websites Current mood: complacent Category: Blogging
Before I get into this list, I want to mention that as I write, I'm watching Diff'rent Strokes on TBS, and this show is way ahead of its time. I can't help but laugh, it has really held up better than most early 80's TV shows, makes me wonder how many of the jokes I got when I was little. Anyway, on to the show... Ahh, top ten websites. This was one of the easier lists, as its something I interact with everyday. I mean, I don't listen/watch comedians or play all my video games everyday, but the internet? Hell yeah, I got that.
That said, it wasn't 100% cut and dry. I spend most of my time online at various baseball sites, (And during the winter, its hockey.) so I boiled those down to just the one. Even so, four of my top ten are owned by the same company, but it was unavoidable. Oh, and most of you probably know alot of these already but I encourage you to check out the ones that sound mildly interesting.
10. Cockeyed.com The most obscure of the sites on my list, Cockeyed.com is run by Rob Cockerham. Rob's an interesting guy, and he began writing an blogging a long time before the rest of us, and he always brings his camera, which is a big draw. Currently, Rob has covered an old TV dish with mirrors and uses it to destroy things with the heat of the sun. The archives are the real treasure here though, as Rob has done tons of crazy things, (like walking around his town's downtown with a wheelbarrow full of trophies to give away, or measuring how many pumpkin pies he could make out of a huge prizewinning pumpkin, and his never ending crusade against Herbalife) and it's the pictures and humor behind these articles that really make the site shine. You're sure to find something here you'll enjoy.
9. MySpace.com A month ago, this isn't on my list, but I've become a believer. The simple fact that this website has brought me back together with people I hadn't seen in years was enough to do that, the ability to write top ten lists puts it over the top.
8. Amazon.com/ imdb.com I linked these together because they're owned by the same company. I know I didn't do that with some others, but it's my list. Basically, if I'm buying a book, or dvd or whatever online, its coming from Amazon. Its the free shipping for items over $25 that gets me, everytime. IMDB is also an amazing resource, when you just really have to know the actor's name on that episode of the X-Files you just watched. Of course, you all know these things already.
7. Maps.google.com Google makes its first appearance on the list in a big way. Google maps is the best. True dat; double true. I trust Google maps more than Mapquest, especially now that you can drag the route to create custom maps. Whenever I need to know where something is in the real world, I check here. Plus the satellite images are just clear enough to really creep you out.
6. Gmail.com Another Google site, who's name made Belinda's mom think that it was called G-Mail just because of my name, but that's neither here nor there, G-Mail is revolutionized e-mail with its essentially unlimited storage, search features, and conversation way of organization. I've been involved in a 7 person e-mail conversation over the past few days, and without G-mail's system of organization, it'd be impossible to tell who's said what, when, and it response to what. Thank you Google. Oh, and the chat client that's on the webpage is great to, as I have a horrible aversion to Instant Messaging systems.
5. Wikipedia.org Whenever I want to know something, this is where I go. You can't believe everything written here, as anyone can edit pages, but by and large things are usually correct. There's a tightnit community of editors that really care about what goes into wikipedia pages, and very often you can find links to more appropriate sources. And as Stephen Colbert says, you have to respect an institution that has a longer article on Truthiness than on Lutherans.
4. Youtube.com Youtube has really taken the internet, and this list, by storm. It amazes me the videos you can watch now. Basically any music video from any song you can think of, crazy moments from TV and movies.... Classic television shows, hilarious commercials you vaguely remember from 1986. AskANinja. Wonderful creation, it can only get better from here.
3. BaseballThinkFactory.com One of my first, and longest stops on my internet day, the former BaseballPrimer.com is alot like 2 above, in that it links to a variety of site's news stories and articles. Of course, every article/news-story is baseball related. There may be better sites to get baseball research, baseball stats, or baseball news, but if you want everything in one place, there's no contest. Oh, and I'm a fairly regular poster in the Braves' game chatters (which is where fans go to post online during the games); if you do a search for "LatNam" I'm the first 5-6 hits, and they're all from BBTF.com.
2. Fark.com This is a site that's broken into the mainstream over the last few years. Basically just a link site, but its where I get most of my news. And I manage to stay very informed about things I care about. Go figure. A good place to go for a laugh, or to find out news before the major news outlets pick it up. Oh, also, the comment threads can be hilarious at times.
1. Google.com Really how could this not be 1? Google took the search engine and made it an unescapable part of everday life. Without Google, could I have found any of the above sites? Maybe, but it wouldn't have been as easy/fun. Soon, Google shall overun the Earth, enabling one to search for lost keys or pets. Seriously, though its hard for me to think of a compelling reason to not put Google in first place.
Well, I don't have time/energy to give you the top ten websites today, look for them tomorrow. My computer is driving me crazy by locking up for a second every 5 seconds or so. Really hard to type. I'll use my laptop for the next entries here.
Anyway, there is a "But" if you click on "pics" I've added a new category called recent additions, which is where I'll put new pics that don't fit anywhere else until I think they're not "new" anymore. There are some fun ones today I think. Oh, and I also uploaded a video, though I have no idea if it work/works, but check that out too.
This was an incredibly difficult list to come up with. I mean, do I do top ten of all time? Or top ten of the moment? Or just something like the top ten games I like to play? I mean, Super Mario Bros. is probably one of the top ten games ever. Maybe the best, but its not on this list, because I just can't play it and get into it like I can some of the others. Of course, this same list 20 years ago (holy hell that's a long time ago) would've had SMBs at the top. (Of course I was 6, so what did I know?) And that's not to say that the games on this list are the ones I play the most. My methodology is really scattered on this one, and I'm sorry.
Also, because so many games have sequels or various versions, they are gonna be lumped together for purposes of this list. It just makes it easier for me, so deal with it.
10.2K Sports MLB games: I had to include a baseball video game, and 2K's line is the best. Though, honestly, its still not very good. Baseball video games amost always suck. Its just the way things are. There's always a few days of eeking out 2-1 and 3-2 wins before you get the hitting and pitching system down and roll towards 14-0 games everytime. Still, baseball's my favorite sport, and these games are great fun against other people.
9.Madden: The only NFL game on the market, Madden continues to slip as far as greatness go, but still its a very entertaining game. I'm having a lot of fun in the new superstar mode, even if I was drafted by the Jags and not the Titans. I figure I'll be the all-time leading rusher in a couple of weeks. Also an excellent game to play with others, 'cause sometimes you can pass a ball right through their guy.
8.Halo: I was late to the Halo party, but I'm there now. I hadn't been able to get into a FPS since Goldeneye, but Halo delivers. The health system was really a stroke of genuis, as having a self recharging force field makes much more sense than having to find a first aid kit or two that would take you from death's door to fully healthy by walking over them.
7.Dead Rising: A game I wanted to play for a while, but kept putting off. I wish I hadn't. Excellent, excellent game. An idea so simple I'm amazed it hadn't been put into game form before. A guy stuck in a mall full of zombies. Fun enviornmental combat, with zombies getting more powerful at night. Oh, and unlike most games of this nature, I didn't get completely freaked out by this game. I mean Resident Evil 2 gave me nightmares, but not this game. I think its because this fits more into an adventure game format than a survival horror game. Fun times.
6.Tekken: The only fighting game on the list. Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat are both better known, but Tekken is the fighting game I had/have the most fun with. I remember house rules forbiding the use of Eddie Gordo and epic Jin v. Hwoarang battles. This list needed a fighting game, and Tekken is probably my favorite, so there you go.
5.Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic games: Wow, these two games were instant classic. Without a doubt the best Star Wars video games of all time. The stories were well put together, taking place years before the movies. The wide range of playable characters, and powers available, mean that one never plays the same game twice. My only criticism is that once a character gets to a certain power level, the game becomes much to easy, as the force powers are simply too powerful for a balanced game. Still, highly recommended games.
4.Oblivion (not necessarily other Elder Scrolls games): I've never played any of the other Elder Scrolls games, but Oblivion was amazing. The open-ended nature combined with the excellent story allows for almost unlimited gameplay. I spent most of my time doing the sidequests before I ruined the game for myself. I hate cheat codes that give you god-mode type things, but I brought it upon myself when I got to making magic items giving me Camo. At more than 100% you get all the benefits of invisibility without any of the drawbacks. Monsters just don't attack you back. I could never play the game after that, so I've logged around 80 hours, and I'm only about 1/3rd of the way through the main story. Hopefully for Elder Scrolls V they'll take that away and not let me cheat myself.
3.Guitar Hero: I'm including I & II here, as both are great games. They cross over to non-game players too, as even Belinda enjoys playing these. If you've never played these, then you don't understand how addicting they can be.. "Just one more song..." turns into another 5 songs. One also gets a sense of accomplishment after you nail a song that'd been giving you trouble for a while. Almost impossible not to have fun on this one, highly recommend this no matter what your feelings are towards video games.
2.EA's NHL Games: My favorite sports game is EA's take on the NHL. The latest version has a true stick control that makes it feel like you're really in control of the puck at all times. Sure, it can be pretty easy to score once you figure things out, but the AI of the goalies is getting better all the time, and against a human who knows how to use his D-Men, the game is hours and hours of fun.
1.Final Fantasy: Really what can I say? Almost never a unentertaining game. VII is my favorite, but any number of others are amazing games as well. If I didn't combine them, the top 3 games at least would be FF games. (Including the often overlooked Final Fantasy Tactics.) I saw Princess Diana's fundral because I had it on in the background as I grinded through FFVII. (I was at the part in the snow where you get Alexander.) FFXI was my reintroduction into MMORPGs and my White Mage was a lot of fun to mess around as. FF3 was the first RPG I played all the way through, and it's probably my second favorite in the FF series, really an amazing game all the way around. I wish the FF creators would do direct sequels more often, as I've always wondered what happened to Locke and Terra and the rest after defeating Kafka... But maybe that's just me?
Top Ten Stand-Up Comedians Current mood: contemplative Category: Blogging
These lists seem to be popular. Well, as popular as anything I've done at any rate. I'm still sorting out a lot of things' places in my head, but the Stand-Up list is below, and it's turned out pretty well, if I do say so myself. For each Comic, I've included a joke or two, enjoy. If you like what you see, type their names into Youtube to see more.
10. Patton Oswald: "Here are some facts about midgets some of you don't know, I found this in Discover Magazine, don't dispute me! If you hit a midget on the head with a stick he turns into 40 gold coins, did you know that? 40 glittering gold coins you can take to the market and buy a fine fat goose for your goodly wife. Also, if you throw a midget into a tub of hot water, he makes sleepy-time tea! Aww, isn't that great? A big tub of camomille, thanks Mr. Scoops. Also, if you kick a midget in the balls, he turns into eight squirrels and they run off into the forest. But here's the thing, be careful because if you lose a fight to a midget, you become one, did you know that? In the beginning of time there was one midget and everyone was like 'Come on, motherf*cker!' and now look around, they're everywhere! Let that be a lesson: just walk away. Be the bigger man, LITERALLY."
9. Mike Birbiglia: "I think [my girlfriend's cats] were gay too, cause they were always licking each other and spooning in the window and criticizing the way I dress. I don't think it's a biological thing, like they're gay by birth. I think it's an environment thing, like they're prison gay. They don't see any female cats ever, and after awhile it's like "look, Tony, we ain't getting any younger, buddy. This may be the catnip talking, but I really like the way your belly matches your paws.'"
8. Ellen Degeneres: "Yes, we're lazy. Yet we also can't seem to sit still. So we've started making things like GO-GURT. That's yogurt for people on the go. Let me ask you, was there a big mobility problem with yogurt before? How time-consuming was it, really? [pretending to be on the phone:] "Hello?...Oh, hi, Tom...oh, I've been dying to see that movie...Umm, no...I just opened up some yogurt...Yeah, I'm in for the night...No, not even later-it's the kind with fruit on the bottom. Well, have fun. Thanks anyway."
"I remember one day I was coming home from kindergarten I—-well, I thought it was kindergarten, it turned out later I'd been working in a factory for two years... I was wondering 'cause it was always really hot and everyone was older than me, but, um, what did I know?"
7.George Carlin: "Here's another bunch of ignorant sh*t: school uniforms. Bad theory. The idea that if kids wear uniforms to school it helps keep order. Don't these schools do enough damage makin' all these kids think alike? Now they're gonna get 'em to look alike too? And it's not a new idea. I first saw it in news reels from the 1930s, but it was hard to understand 'cause the narration was in German!"
"Here's a bumper sticker I'd like to see: "We are the proud parents of a child whose self esteem is sufficient that he doesnt need us promoting his minor scholastic achievements on the back of our car."
6. Demetri Martin: "I wonder what the most intelligent thing ever said was that started with the word 'dude.' 'Dude, these are isotopes.' 'Dude, we removed your kidney. You're gonna be fine.' 'Dude, I am so stoked to win this Nobel Prize. I just wanna thank Kevin, and Turtle, and all my homies.'"
"I like parties, but I don't like piñatas because the pinata promotes violence against flamboyant animals. Hey, there's a donkey with some pizzazz. Let's kick its @ss. What I'm trying to say is, don't make the same Halloween costume mistake that I did."
"Swimming is a confusing sport, because sometimes you do it for fun, and other times you do it to not die. And when I'm swimming, sometimes I'm not sure which one it is. I gotta go by the outfit. Pants - uh oh. Bathing suit - okay. Naked - we'll see. Should I be swimming faster, or am I getting laid?"
5.Lewis Black: "Michael Jackson is a punch line to any joke you want. If you forget the punch line of a joke, all you gotta say is Michael Jackson. Two Jews walked into a bar... Michael Jackson. Why'd the chicken cross the road? Michael Jackson. And so the farmer brought his daughter to the dinner table; Michael Jackson."
"They've gotta stop reporting wind chill. That's nonsense. It really is. I don't know where they came up with it, why they came up with it, but it's a lie. They come on, 'well, it's 27 degrees today, but with the wind chill, it's minus 3.' ... well, then it's minus 3, @sshole! I don't need to know what the weather was like if the conditions were perfect!"
4. Flight of the Conchords:
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"The day time... of the night!"
3. Jim Gaffigan: "I get such an attitude with spellcheck. "No! That's a person's name, spellcheck! You are so dumb, spellcheck! I was right, you were wrong!" "...Oh. That is how you spell Wednesday. Thanks, Spellcheck."
"E-mail has made sending regular mail such a chore. "Wait, I stick it in an envelope and now I gotta go outside? What am I, a triathelete?"
"Nowadays, when you get a handwritten letter in the mail you're like, "What? Has someone been kidnapped!?" "Well, I'm not opening it, it's probably filled with anthrax."
2. Zach Galifinacas: "I don't mean to be gross, but the only time it's ok to say, 'I have diarrhea,' is when you're playing Scrabble....... because it's worth a sh*tload of points."
"You know what I like to do when i'm making out with a woman? I like to whisper in her ear "Would you like to touch my vagina"...and she's like "WHAT!?!" and I'm like "That's what you're supposed to say"."
"I live in Los Angeles and I had been drinking one night. So I was on the walk of fame and I saw Tony Danza's star and I started urinating on it. Yelling out, "Who's the Boss now!""
1. Mitch Hedberg R.I.P.: "I had a neighbor, and whenever he would knock on my wall I knew he wanted me to turn my music down, and that made me angry because I like loud music, so when he knocked on the wall I'd mess with his head. I'd say: "Go around! I cannot open the wall. I don't know if you have a doorknob on the other side, but over here there's nothing. It's just flat.""
"Whenever I walk people try to hand me out flyers. And when someone tries to hand me out a flyer, it's kinda like they're saying "Here, you throw this away.""
"Some people think I'm high on stage; I would never get high before a show, because, when I'm high, I don't wanna stand in front of a bunch of people I don't know. That does not sound comfortable. Like, when you're high, and a joke doesn't work, it's extra scary. It's like,"Whoa, what the hell happened there? I am retreating within myself. Why have all these people gathered? And why am I elevated? Why am I not facing the same way as everyone else? And what is this electric stick in my hand?""
August 27, 2007 - Monday
Top Ten Superheroes. Current mood: silly Category: Blogging
OK, I couldn't wait to get started, and I'm driving myself crazy already trying to think of the top ten songs. Of course, that's 1 on the list, so I'll have plenty of time to sort that out. Before I get into the list, I also want to relay an interesting event that happened to me today. I went out to Schlotzsky's to get Belinda and I some dinner, and at the pick up window I actually had a conversation with the kid handing out the food. I say kid, he was probably 16 or 17, though he barely looked 14. He started the conversation as he saw my Strong Bad and The Cheat stickers on my window. He asked if I watched, and then if I knew the Trogdor song... Then he asked if I played Guitar Hero II's version of the song. The fact that I did, and that I could have this in depth conversation with him made me feel old. I know that it should be the other way around. I guess I just feel like I'm pretending to be young. Whatever, enough of this, on to the super-heroes! (Note: This is Super-heroes, not comic book characters, which means that the characters need not come from a comic-book, but also that any comic-book characters that aren't super-heroes are also left out. And away we go, oh, this list isn't supposed to be a ranking of power or who'd win in a fight, just a personal preference.)
10. The Hulk We start with the Hulk. I'm assuming everyone is basically familiar with him. He's big, he's strong, he's green. Madder he gets, the stronger he gets. Bruce Banner, the guy who changes into the Hulk, has some serious father issues. His dad was an alcoholic, and beat his mother. The Hulk is all of Banner's rage personified, an unstoppable blind wrecking ball. The Hulk has actually had a lot of different incarnations, originally he was gray and would change at the turning of the moon. Eventually he became the character depicted on the television show, which most people are familiar with. My favorite incarnation was when the Hulk had the intelligence of Banner at all times. Good enough for 10th on my list.
9. Batman Batman is one bad mamma jamma. Again, I assume everyone's good on the basics, parents killed, swears revenge on criminals, takes in a young vulnerable ward to help him fight crime. Yadda yadda. What makes Batman worthy of number 9 is his intelligence. He's probably the smartest superhero ever, and I'd bet on him beating just about any other character in a fight. Not a fair fight, mind you, Batman would win because Batman would cheat. He's also got the whole dark, brooding, mysterious thing going for him, which helps with the cool factor.
8. Martian Manhunter I doubt many of you are familiar with him. J'onn J'onz (John Jones) is the last Martian. Seems easy enough right? He's also insanely powerful. He's a telepathic shape-shifter who can fly and become invisible or insubstantial. Oh, and he has super strength, invulnerability, and telekinetic eye blasts. He has one weakness: Fire. But even that is a psychological limitation, not really physical. I never understood why he wasn't a more popular character. Tons of potential here.
7. Dr. Strange Another lesser known character. Dr. Stephen Strange is the sorcerer supreme, basically the best magic user in the Marvel universe. He's also a medical doctor, surgeon to be precise. He was drunk driving one night, and he crashed his car, ruining his hands. Seeking a way to regain his career and playboy lifestyle he treked to the Asian mountains and sought out the Ancient One, who put him through trials and eventually made him his apprentice. Dr. Strange was changed by his time in the mountains and takes his position and its responsibilities very seriously. Always entertaining.
6. Superman *Yawn* Kypton, go boom, yellow sun gives powers beyond those of mortal men... Superman is really great not because of his power, but because of his conscience. He's easily the most unrealistic superhero ever. He's basically a living god, but spends all his time helping people. Gave his life once actually. Superman always does the right thing, for the right reasons, which might make him as unrealistic as his powers do, but its comforting in a way I can't put into words.
5. Spider-man The movies have given a good overview of his origins. So I won't get into those here. Basically, Spider-man is great because he's close to the people who read/watch his adventures. He's smart, he's a smart alek, and he's a social outcast. He learns early on that his actions or inactions can harm people, so he feels constant pressure from his own conscience as well as pressure to live a normal teenage/young adult life.
4. Captain America If you combined Batman's will and Superman's uhh... "goodness" you'd get Cap. Captain America wanted to serve the US in WWII, but he was 4F, which meant he was rejected from the army. They took him aside and administered drugs to him, in order to improve him. It worked, and Cap helped bring down Hitler. He was later frozen in ice and revived years later to form the Avengers, but that's neither here nor that, basically Cap wins. You want Cap's side to win. Originally it was a way to instill patriotism in America's youth, but as the world has changed so has Cap's point of view. His early 90's battles with USAgent marked a turning point...
3. Wolverine Wolverine. Thanks to the X-Men movies, I can skip the introduction and just say that Wolverine might be the coolest superhero of all time. He's nearly impossible to kill, has 12" claws sticking out of the backs of his hands, and he's Canadian. I'd use gritty to describe him, but it doesn't seem adequate. He's the best at what he does.
2. Flash Flash, and here I'm talking about the Wally West version, is pretty amazing. His origin is exactly the same as the Flash before him (Barry Allen), he was standing in front of a case of chemicals when lightning hit him. Barry Allen was even there when it happened. Wally was a big Flash fan, and meeting his idol was cool, but getting his powers was better. He was a sidekick for a while, taking over when Barry died in Crisis. Flash's identity was well known, at one point he'd won the lottery, but perhaps his defining moment was when he breached the "speed force" finding himself in a kind of heaven no other super-speedster had ever returned from. Wally came back for the love of his life, Linda. Giving up paradise for the woman you love? That's a story anyone can get behind, right?
1. Green Lantern Really, since there are (or will be) 3,600 Green Lanterns, this section could go on forever. Green Lanterns are basically the universe's police force. They have rings that can do anything their wielders desire. As a science fiction fan, I appreciate that aspect of Green Lantern mythos, as well as the pure fantasy of it all. I mean, anyone could have a Green Lantern ring, right? Green Lanterns just feel right in a way no other superhero does. I guess that's a silly way to end this entry, but its true. Oh, I have a better way to end it...
In the Brightest Day, In the Blackest Night, No Evil shall escape my sight, Let those who worship Evil's might, Beware my Power, Green Lantern's Light.
Pot Net Stsil... BACKWARDS! Current mood: accomplished Category: Blogging
Ok, I don't know what that subject line really means, but there it is. Basically I want to do a top ten list, or series of lists, but I know that that seems reallty cliche, so I decided to trick you all into reading this by making a headline that wasn't a lie, but also mainly nonsense in order to get you to click through to this. Really that's all I need. I know I had 9 people read this today, so even if you people aren't commenting, I know you're here. So hah! OK, as for my first top ten list, its a top ten things I'm going to make lists about. This is actually going to be hard because there aren't really ten things I care about enough to make lists about. (At least not enough to list ten items...) But we'll worry about that when it happens. Without further B.S., here's my top ten things to make lists about:
10. Top Ten Super-heroes. 9. Top Ten Stand-Up Comedians 8. Top Ten Video Games 7. Top Ten Websites 6. Top Ten Books 5. Top Ten TV Shows 4. Top Ten Dramatic Movies 3. Top Ten Comedic Movies 2. Top Ten Bands 1. Top Ten Songs
Now, obviously, this list will be personal, but I'll also try to be fair. Also, things listed are subject to change, as obviously good movies and books and songs etc come out all the time. Plus my personal taste can change as I grow even older than I already am. Enjoy. (And yes I know that splitting movies into two categories is kind of cheating, but I expect a few to be on both lists, and its really hard to compare them otherwise.) Stay tuned as the first of the lists should be up today or tomorrow.
Currently listening : Queen - Greatest Hits By Queen Release date: 15 September, 1992
I never mentioned... Current mood: indescribable Category: Jobs, Work, Careers
I just realized, I never mentioned how my interview went the other day. Well, it actually went pretty well, I think. Of course I've only had a couple of interviews that I didn't feel that way about, and I still don't have a job, so that's not that much of an indicator. The attorney that interviewed me was a cool guy. Someone I could really see myself working for. That's actually a big deal, as there haven't been too many of those I've met so far. He was a younger guy, maybe 35? And he had a goatee which is a plus in my favor, as Anuj always told me I should shave. And he's seen my clean shaven, so you'd think he'd know better. The town of Tifton was cool. Reminded me a lot of Springfield/White House, TN. Smaller than a big city, but not Cross Plains small. The case load is decent sized, 300 or so. Which, they tell me, sounds worse than it is. But it's still a lot. I wouldn't have to do interviews with the recently arrested. Which is just fine with me. Also I wouldn't have to handle any felonies, so again, hooray. Basically it seems like a job I could really enjoy, and be successful at. I just hope I get the chance. Wish me luck, I'm supposed to hear by the end of the month, and hopefully Belinda and I will be really packing up and moving by mid-September. Athens is pretty empty right now, but Shawn and Dix have both called, and I've talked to Goose a bit through GMail, so its not too bad. Plus I should have some old old friends visiting next week, so that'll be nice. Umm.. I'm distracted from my point now, basically wish me luck, and I'll let everyone know how it turns out.
Thoughts ’n things... Current mood: awake Category: Blogging
Random thoughts as I watch the Braves lose again... 1. If alcohol tasted like chocolate, everyone would drink, like all the time. 2. The only reason we use cows for milk instead of rats or cats or whatever, is because only cows are large and docile enough to provide the milk humans demand. That's why I don't drink milk. 3. I know a lot about the law. Hopefully in a couple of months I'll have a piece of paper that will allow me to sell my knowledge to those who need it. Hopefully before then some company or agency will decide to pay me so I don't have to find people on my own who do need me. 4. People who fall for phishing e-mails shouldn't be allowed to operate a computer connected to the internet without supervision. 5. It is hot as heck outside. 6. I don't understand where trash comes from. But sure enough every week, there's like 3 bags of it I have to take out. 7. Packing up stuff sucks. 8. Improv Everywhere is hilarious. This is really the best. 9.
What's the internet for? Shopping? News? Fantasy Sports? Pornography, Communication? All of the above? Of course. But it's also for more. Obviously, I've known about MySpace forever. I do watch "To Catch A Predator" everyone once in a while you know. But I never saw the point. Well, never until everyone I know moved away from where I'm living, and a friend who I hadn't seen in 4-5 years messaged me to say hi. I logged in, amazed at myself for not having thought of it before: All my friends, who I've ever known all in one place. I found my best friend from Kindergarten. He has a kid now. He remember the last time we saw each other (August 15, 2000). I've found other friends who I hadn't seen in longer than that, and others I just lost touch with after law school.
Anyway, I've been posting over there a lot lately. (MySpace.com/latnam)There's a ton of pictures and a few "blog" entries. I'll do my best to cross post the blog entries here, but no promises. Below is a cut and paste job of the last few. See you out there. (Oh, and if you're not there yet, and I know you, which I should since you're reading this, you should head over. My long term goal is to get everyone I know into one room to hang out. I mean you all obviously have great taste in friends.)
Friday, August 17, 2007
The great question has been answered....
The question of course was this: "Superbad, great movie, or greatest movie?" The answer: Greatest movie! I'd been looking forward to this movie since I saw that Micheal Cera (Arrested Development's George Michael) was going to co-star. He's excellent in his role as Ethan, slightly nerdy/shy high school student, which is basically the same character he played on AD. I cannot recommend a movie more than Superbad, though you will see a lot of penises. Hilarious, hilarious penises.
Oh, and there's also a trailer for Harold and Kumar which 90% of the people in the theatre were surprised to see. Can't wait for that one either.
Oh, and as if Superbad wasn't Bad@$$ enough, they mention a Granville Rd. I'm like totally in the movie. OK, I'm out.
Currently listening : Minutes to Midnight By Linkin Park Release date: 15 May, 2007
Sitting in a parking lot. (updated) Current mood: melancholy Category: Life
Hey all. I made it to my interview early, and I don't have anything else to do, so I'm writing. Of course, I don't have a computer,(if only I had an IPhone!) so I'm writing by hand, and I'll type this up later. This is so slow, it's making me crazy. I don't know how some professional authors do it this way. Either way, by the time you all read this I'll have edited I'm sure.
The whole way down here I was left w/ only my thoughts and the latest Barenaked Ladies' CD, so of course I did a lot of thinking. I always have likd music, and I used to always say every song was depressing. I mean, read between the lines and even "Shiny, Happy People" is practically suicidal. Anyway, I like to analyze song lyrics and I've discovered that this latest CD has a great many songs tied directly into my recent MySpace reconnections. Well, except for the song about robbing a bank that happens to be filled with nuns. That's just funny. I'll throw in some lyrics some other post. I used to always end e-mails with song lyrics. Often with double meanings. I thought I was so clever.
James added me yesterday. Or "Ken" I suppose. I mean I know it is his name and all, but when you know somone one way, its hard to change it in your head. I'll try. He has a birthday coming up at the end of August. 30 yet? I feel old, so it's nice to have some of you around who are older than me. Of course, Wesley is 23, and looks 14 so that makes me feel older.
There are many people here I neer thought I'd see again, and a few others I know I won't. At least now I can stay in touch electronically. I wrote yesterday that I was (am) good at making friends, which is true, but I'm not very good @ keeping them. Usually from the moving, but sometimes for other reasons. There's always something.
I miss everyone in very specific ways. Whether it is seeing your face in the hall, beating/getting beat by you in various video games, talking over the phone, watching you post horribly inflammatory comments directed at Mets' fans, going bowling in the middle of the week, playing lazer tag, working together, talking before during or about class. Even if its just one specific memory, you've all shaped who I am. Yet... Oh, phone, gotta go.
Edit: As promised, some lyrics:
"On the path of life, I wish you well/Divergent journeys, but we will meet again in Hell/I kept my head down and moved on/Til every friend I'd known was gone/Then, one day, I was not alone/Everything had changed, everything was strange " -BNL "Everything had Changed"
"I'm a kid in a candy store/I'm a bull in a china shop/I'm a tired old metaphor For everything you can't afford/And everything you can't afford to be I'm a public embarrassment/I'm a bottle of diet poison I'm a walking advertisement/For everything I never meant And everything I never meant to be" -BNL Bull in a China Shop
"If you are leaving then I wish you luck/I hope someone can make your heart warm/I was a baby when I learned to suck/But you have raised it to an art form Yes I'm out of line/But you're out of your mind" -BNL Wind it up
Currently listening : Barenaked Ladies Are Me By Barenaked Ladies Release date: 12 September, 2006
About Me. (Cross-posted from Bulletin) Current mood: thoughtful
Note: This is going to be all about me. So if you don't want to know about me, it is best if you not read this, because you're gonna be disappointed. Though I will say, I've led a pretty interesting life, believe it or not.
Hello, all of you reading this.
People always do those "about me" forms, and those forms actually do a decent job of letting people know who one is at the moment as well as key moments from one's life.
I personally just don't like them. Clarification: I like reading them, not writing them.
So, I thought I'd try to do a little free form writing to fill in some gaps that might be in your knowledge about me. All of you will learn something about me from this. Well maybe not Belinda, but the rest of you will, I'm sure. Even you Wesley. Some of you know me extremely well (Belinda, Wesley, Ricky); some of you were best friends I lost contact with (Jason "Johnny" Fromm, Paul "Cardinal Stump," Phillip); some of you I knew well in law school (Anna, Amy (if she ever adds me hah!); some of you I was just acquaintances with in law school, (Kimberly, Jennifer, Chris, Katie, Rachel); some of you I knew through RA work at APSU, (Scotty Dale, Naydia, Jason, David); some of you I was good friends with at APSU (Nicole, Michelle, Jessica); some of you I know almost exclusively through the internet (Ben, Kayte); some of you I only know through mutual friends (Nick "Capt. Lame," Erica, Elizabeth, Greg, Amanda, Nick, Devin); some of you I'm not sure how I met(you know who you are, oh, unless you weren't on my friends list when I wrote this, in that case I may know how I know you, but this is all I have to go on right now).
The best part to start with any story is the beginning. (I have an English degree, so I'm pretty sure on this point. And don't go throwing Pulp Fiction or American Beauty at me, they're exceptions.) Ahem, anyway, I was born Dec 16, 1980 in Newport News, VA. Shortly thereafter I was adopted by Lawrence and Anna Powers. My grandparents. Now, my mom, Anna, wasn't my biological grandmother, but had married my biological grandfather Lawrence. I've always considered them my parents, even though they told me "the truth" at a very young age. (4-5? I can't remember not knowing.) The fun thing about this, is my biological mother is my legal sister. Her other biological son is my brother and my nephew. Freaky! My mom and dad were living in Detroit when I was born, and that's where I spent my first 6 months of life. Shortly thereafter the decided to move to middle Tennessee. I have no idea why they chose that area. (My mom was from East Tennessee, dad was from the Virginia mountains. They were married in Miami, Oklahoma, and lived in Michigan. I guess the job market was good.) Anyway, we settled in Cross Plains (30 miles north of Nashville). My dad was a long haul truck driver, I'd only see him a weekend every couple of weeks, while my mom stayed at home, and even ran a little babysitting ring where I got to know a lot of other kids. I went to East Robertson Elementary, until 2nd grade, when I guess the job market wasn't that good anymore, because we moved to East Tennessee in 1988. I've moved a lot in my life. Including college moves and everything, its.. umm 13 different residences I can remember. (Belinda has had 3, oh and we're getting ready to move again.)
All the moving made it hard to keep friends (no MySpace back then. Also, I've found that people I remember, and who've had a big effect on my life don't remember me. A bit disheartening. I don't know if that's just a good memory on my part, or the fact that after I've left a place, the other people stay, so they're just missing one thing, while I'm missing my whole world, which leaves a bigger impression? I don't know. More on this later.) So, while it was hard to keep friends, I was pretty good at making them. I'd like to think those of you who know me with any degree of depth think of me as funny, affable, and generally nice to be around. Seriously, to know me is to love me. In school I did well, but I hated it so much. (I still hate the school system, and I'd say just scrap it and start over if it was at all feasible.) Eventually, the job market got better in middle Tennessee and we moved back. This would have been in 1993, 94? Somewhere around there. We ended up moving back to Cross Plains and I ended up going to the same school. It was very surreal seeing all these familiar faces, just a bit older. None of who remembered me. (Except Paul and Philip, of course, thanks guys.) All of whom I remembered. Though it was fun telling people personal information about themselves I remembered (middle names, birthdays, etc) and them thinking I was psychic. Everyone had changed so much, but I felt the same. This period of my life was hell. Walking around people I knew that didn't know me. I recently had a thought that Heaven was just a big party, and everyone you ever knew was there to talk about old times, if that's heaven then hell would have to be being surrounded by people you know who don't know you, or don't care to know you. Like that Green Day song: "Nobody likes you/everyone left you/they're all out without you/having fun." I ended up talking my mom into homeschooling me, just to escape that place. Of course, my mom wasn't in the best of health, so we never actually did any of the home-school work. I officially became a middle school drop-out leaving in the middle of the 8th grade. After dropping out, life was good. I didn't do anything except play video games and goof off on the computer. Eventually I made my way to a comic book store, and started buying and reading comics. Then Magic: The Gathering came out, and boom, friends fell from the heavens. JasonF, JasonT, Chris, and a cast of dozens at the comic book store nearly everyday. Still the Jasons, Chris and I were the core, and we spent a lot of time hanging out and playing video games and what-not. I was the youngest, as the rest of them had just graduated High School or were about to. My second job ever was at the comic book store, and the 30% discount on comics was very helpful. Soon, it was 1999.
Nineteen Ninety-nine was a big year in my life. I took the GED in the Spring. (I wasn't allowed to take it before I turned 18, or else I would've. I think at least 40% of high school freshman could pass that test on the first try, but society feels the need to have them waste 4 years learning stuff they already know or don't need. Sorry, tangent.) My mother also passed away in the summer of 1999. That sucked. She was the one who wanted me to get my GED, and I'm glad I did. She had gotten hers when I was younger, and she was very proud of it. My dad at this point was trying to force me into work. I mean, it makes sense. I was 18 and didn't have a real job. Wanting to avoid hard labor, I talked him into letting me look at colleges. The closest one was APSU, and after taking the ACT, I was in. I had to take remedial English and math, as well as 2 years of Spanish to make up my "high school deficiencies." Eh, it wasn't too bad, though I'm still not good at math.
My best friend in college was Brian Curtis, and though he's on MySpace, I haven't added him yet because of how he treated a mutual friend. I may add him one day, but that's neither here nor there. Brian was the greatest roommate ever, because he was never there, but when he was there he'd clean. Brian became an RA, and Jason and I shared a room for one very odd semester, before I became an RA. Becoming an RA happened at the right time, because during the summer between rooming with Jason and becoming an RA, my dad passed away. (This would be 2002, we're almost caught up!) Being an RA meant a free room, plus a paycheck, and that was extremely needed. David Baron, thanks for taking a chance with me. I know Brian recommended me, so thanks to you to, even if you're not reading this.
As my APSU time was winding down, I started thinking about what was next. I had no idea. An English degree? What the hell was I thinking? Anyway, Belinda was working with someone at the time who was a law student at Vanderbilt, and listening to Belinda tell her stories, I thought I'd give it a whirl. I applied to three law schools. Vanderbilt, University of Tennessee, and University of Georgia. I was wait listed at Vanderbilt, offered a scholarship to UT, and ended up choosing UGA. I used to worry that I'd made the wrong choice, but based on the friends/experiences I've had down here, I didn't. (This logic fails to account for the friends/experiences I've missed in Knoxville, but don't cry over schools not attended, or something).
Belinda and I got married in January of '04 as she was finishing up her Masters in Social Work, and I was playing a lot of FFXI. We moved to Athens in June of '04, and I've lived in the same apartment ever since. (I think that puts this apartment into 2nd or 3rd place all time in length of time in one place for me.)
Graduation was in May, the first graduation of mine I'd attended. (no high school, and skipped APSU.) Eh, it was ok. I tend to think of graduation ceremonies as a waste of time and resources, but whatever, it makes a bunch of people happy. Besides it got Wesley and Nicole to visit, and I got to meet Greg, so it wasn't all that bad. After graduation, I started freaking out over the bar. A lot of you know what I mean. Honestly, I felt good going into the test, and afterwards I was ok, but the further away from it I get the more worried I am. Its not like I have a job I'll lose if I don't pass, I just don't wanna be the guy everyone knows who didn't pass. If I do fail though, Belinda and I are going to move back to Tennessee where I'll start studying for its bar, and looking for a job up there. And that's pretty much where I am.
Oh, a few random facts: I love baseball, if I was better with numbers I work on baseball stuff all the time. Braves are my favorite team. Hockey its the Predators, and football its the Titans. I don't really pay attention to college sports, but I'll watch college football if its on, but I don't have an attachment to any team. People are usually surprised when they find out my musical taste. I actually like Heavy Metal/Hard Rock. Angry music some call it. I don't know I guess it doesn't mesh with my personality. I can remember getting angry only once in the last 10 years. Of course I could just being having rage blackouts. Haha. OK, wow, I've written a lot. If you've made it this far, I owe you a Coke. Come pick it up whenever you want. If you need directions, send a message, or if you have any questions send a message. If you were involved in any of the above anecdotes and want to make a correction, send a message. If you think you just wasted a big chunk of your day reading this, don't send a message. Why waste my time too?
Currently listening : Year Zero By Nine Inch Nails Release date: 17 April, 2007
Wish me luck everyone... Current mood: optimistic Category: Jobs, Work, Careers
Well, everyone, I've got an interview tomorrow, and I'm hoping it'll go well. I've had good interviews before, but things just haven't worked out. This is a job I'd really like, and I hope that things work out. So wish me luck! If things go well, I'll finally have to become an adult, which isn't too horrible I guess.
Is it horrible? Shh, don't tell me if it is. Let me find out for myself.
I don't have enough time to write out the blog entry I want to, so I'm just putting this here to remind me to write it when I get a chance. Tentative title: "Episode Two, the Beginning"
So, I never update this place. However, I still think that its an important thing for me to have available. Since talking about it with Gussio at lunch the other day, I've been trying to think about what the purpose of this is. I always tell anyone who asks about it that the reason I don't update more often is because nothing really has happened. Which is always a lie. Well, not technically a lie, but a misstatement of the truth (that's the Bar/Bri training kicking in).
Tons have things have been happening. I graduated law school for one. You can check Belinda's blog for the pictures. I'd put some here, but I'm tired. I'm tired because even though I've graduated I still have to learn, oh, the law in order to take the Bar in July. I'm more mentally exhausted than I've been in a long long time, and its only the second week. Plus, I'm not even doing that well on the multiple choice questions (though I'm very close to the "national averages" that the DVD guy gives us...), and I only feel somewhat confident in my essays. I spot almost all the issues in each question, but I leave things out of my analysis. I've got to train myself to write down everything I know about a topic, even if it feels redundant. So it goes.
That reminds me. Kurt Vonnegut died. That sucks. He got a little wacky towards the end, but he was a great writer. I don't understand how one becomes a great writer. Or even a mediocre one. Kurt Vonnegut though... he was great. See how much that sucked? I've got a long way to go to get to mediocre. I always identified with Twain and Vonnegut, and I guess I've always harbored fantasies of becoming the next great misanthropic writer.Probably won't happen, but that's something to strive for, right? So it goes.
The Predators are being sold. That sucks. I mean, the team finally got good, and the owner, who always swore that no matter what he'd never sell/move the team, decides to sell. The new owner will move the team to Canada ASAP. It'll be horrible for Nashville's economy, not to mention my psyche. The fans who care, care a lot, but there just aren't enough of them in the business community to make the team a viable option in Nashville. If the team would try to reach out to the music industry, it'd be something, but it's a lost cause now. I'll miss the team. I'll reduce myself to just cheering for players at this point: Timonen, Legwand, Hamhuis, Radulov, Weber, Sullivan, Suter, and of course Vokoun. Maybe in a Canadian market these guys will get the respect a team with the 3rd best record in the league deserves. (Tied with Cup winning Anaheim)
I still don't have a job. That sucks. I've given up hope on the Douglas job. People want me to call, but I past that point a long time ago. If they were going to hire me, they'd be in touch by now. Belinda and I are just going to stay here in Athens until I do get one. (Which shouldn't be too much longer, right?) I'm willing to go anywhere in the state and do any kind of work. Anyone reading this have an opening?
I've started watching SportsNight again. It doesn't suck. Of course, I only used to get to watch it because Wesley would come down to my room and we'd watch it when APSU got hit by a freak snow-storm or something. Knowing how much I miss those days, Wesley, as a graduation present, got me the complete series. I highly recommend the show, but know it can be a bit didactic at times, though when you agree with it you don't notice it. There are more than a few memorable quotes, one of which had me laughing uncontrollably for about five minutes straight. Ahhh "many, many people."
One of my old friends got in touch with me the other day. Chris Freeland. When I say old it has many meanings. First of all, dude is 30 and will turn 31 in August. Hah. Secondly I knew him when he was 19, which means I was.. uh... 15? That sounds about right. First of all, how cool was he at 19 to be hanging out with me? Haha. I was shorter than him back then. And I had more hair them him. (Of course if he's going through his shaved head phase again, I still might.) We used to get together to play Magic during the week (as his work schedule had him have days off/on during the weeks). Chris introduced me to Metallica, so I thank him for that. After Magic there were the days of the four of us (Chris, Little Jason, Big Jason, and Me... occasionally James and Delane, though they were never core members I guess. When I think of those days, its always the four of us...) Roleplaying games, video games, MMORPGs, Q-Zar, movies, Warhammer 40k, etc. I spent most of my time with JasonF(Big Jason) back then. We lived the closest together, and we were the two that didn't work. Of course, I was like 15-18 he was 18-21. And I actually had a job there for a while. Hah! Anyway, I spent most of my time with JasonF, and we were pretty close. But Chris and I really had to most in common. Chris had (has?) a lot of issues, and so did I. We would talk pretty freely with each other about all kinds of crap... I think we helped each other, if only having someone to talk to. Then there were the late night conversations in Jame's car. Something about driving around at 1:00AM would just lead to all kinds of weird crap coming out of our mouths. Those were the days...
That chapter of my life ended when I started to college. JasonF and JasonT(little Jason) followed me there after a semester or two. Chris had a good job, and didn't join us. JasonT actually graduated, while JasonF got married, so it wasn't a total loss for him either. I did both. (though JasonT might be married by now.. I have no way of knowing) School worked to tear us apart I guess. We all had less free-time, and Chris was further away. We all made independent friends, spent more time apart. I became good friends and roommates with Brian, and when he became an RA JasonF and I were roommates for a semester. I don't really remember that semester that way, because we never saw each other. That was when he first got with Melissa and Belinda and I were spending most of our time together, so it was the ending of the end, I guess. Though all of those guys were 4-5 years older than me, we all kind of grew up together. Chris got in touch with me, I'm guessing, because I sent him a graduation announcement. I would have sent them to the Jasons as well, but I have no idea where they are. I hope they're both well. I'm going to do my best to go see Chris the next time I'm in Nashville, I hope it won't be weird. Though I know it will be. The last few times I saw JasonT it was. All we had to talk about were the things we used to do. "Remember the firemen at Q-Zar who wanted to kick our butts for beating them so bad?" "He strip mined the Oasis!" We just don't know each other anymore. I called JasonF on his birthday two years ago, and it was very similar. Its sad to think that people who were so close can become strangers. (Not enemies like Brian and I, but that's another blog entry... and besides that was his fault. haha.) Despite the years and miles between us, I still consider those three guys as the best friends I've ever had. Just like "The Wonder Years," I can't help but remember those days fondly (well, except the time I tried to choke JasonF with a baseball bat, but that's another blog entry). Those days sucked, but they were also awesome.
I regret nothing more in my life than growing up.
Of course, I also wouldn't change a thing about my life now. I have a wife I love more than anything else in this world. Great new friends. A brain I've taken out many loans to fill with information which hopefully will provide me with a decent income one day. A Wii, an X-box 360 and TiVo. That last sentence was a joke. Have I mentioned my immaculate sense of humor?
I think, in my ramblings, I've found the purpose of this blog. It's my psychologist. I always work better through writing than through talking, and I always feel like I'd be cheating talking to a shrink because I'd know what they wanted me to say, and I'd just say it. But here I can just write down what I'm thinking, and even explore episodes from my past. (As the above baseball bat choking incident, along with the Brian is my enemy bit.) My life has been very episodic, and the one I'm in right now is coming to a close soon. I hope I do a better job keeping up with my law school friends than I have the other friends in my life. (Another future blog entry will concern Belinda and how even though she came into my life during my 'undergrad part 2' episode it feels like we've been together forever, and she fits in with all my other groups. That's love for you.)
Well, I've been writing for freakin' ever, so I'll stop now and go look over some more never-ending Bar review stuff. I'll leave you with this video. Its more just the song as the video doesn't go anywhere, but I like it. From the new Linkin Park CD.
This is how/where we went. We had a stop in Niagara Falls which isn't on there. And our nightly stops aren't listed either. Head over to Belinda's blog to see pictures if you haven't yet. It is good to be home.
satisfied 
artistic 
groggy 
sleepy 
complacent 
blah 
contemplative 
silly 
accomplished 
indescribable 
awake 
melancholy 
thoughtful 
optimistic 
