...That I also love running? 5:51.46 for the mile. I've accomplished at least one of my goals for this year by getting my mile under six minutes. Now for those abs.
Oh, and I like the rain. Everything about it.
Sunday, January 21, 2007
So good it hurts
I'll admit it. I'm a pretty uncomplicated guy. If you take my pseudo-philosophical musings (read: bullshit) and set them aside, you'll be faced with a simple man--not in the sickeningly trite Steve Miller Band song sense, though. Just the earthy, organic, and hopefully genuine way. Lacking such complexity, it follows that my pleasures are just as simple. I've spent so long concentrating on problems I've been confronted with over the past half-year or so that I rarely mention what makes me happy. So, in lieu of faux intellectual depth, I'm going to talk about the little pleasures that I relentlessly pursue.
Music: I'm fairly certain that if humankind shook off the whole supreme-being idea, there'd be a powerful and influential church of music. With all due respect to literature and art, music is, to me at least, the single most apt medium of emotion. Something in its auditory nature invokes my muse, improving my own literary exploits. Unfortunately, I'm only a mediocre musician, but that's improving. While I'll probably never be able to sing very well, my bass-playing is improving quite a bit. Sometime this summer, I will hopefully get my hands on a Rickenbacker. It's truly the quintessence of German musical engineering. My Thunderbird is definitely adequate for what I'm doing now, but if I do start doing gigs, I'm going to need something a little more up to snuff. Which reminds me, can someone name a few good blues/blues-rock songs? Blues bass more fun to play than I anticipated.
People: I'm drifting back to my old humanist ways. I've returned to looking for goodness in others. I can't say I'm the perfect idealist; I'll admit that for every person with an ocean of good within them, there's a score of shallow wells. I'm happy to say that I've found a few of the aforementioned oceans, and they've all been valuable and true friends. For some reason, though, I don't feel like I come off as the friendly type. I think some people find me intimidating. Oh well, I'll put a positive spin on that and purport to have hidden depths. Nothing like a little self-aggrandizement, eh?
Comedy: Perhaps I'm not the joker I used to be, but I still love to laugh and make others laugh. I wrote a stand-up routine once, but I doubt its quality. Laughing has always come easily to me, even when not appropriate. Perhaps this is why I'll always pick a stupid comedy over an overwrought drama. At least I'll laugh a bit at the immature humor.
Well, that's all I feel like talking about. I have more pleasures, but I'll start getting political or philosophical. Or I'll start talking about how much I like the sins of the flesh. All of them. Tonight is not a night for such things, though.
____________________________________________________________________
Soundtrack:
DARE - Gorillaz - Demon Days
You'll Be Sorry - The Greenhornes - Dual Mono
Send Me Your Money - Suicidal Tendencies - Lights... Camera... Revolution!
Caress Me Down - Sublime - Sublime
We All Look Elsewhere - The Classic Crime - Albatross
Music: I'm fairly certain that if humankind shook off the whole supreme-being idea, there'd be a powerful and influential church of music. With all due respect to literature and art, music is, to me at least, the single most apt medium of emotion. Something in its auditory nature invokes my muse, improving my own literary exploits. Unfortunately, I'm only a mediocre musician, but that's improving. While I'll probably never be able to sing very well, my bass-playing is improving quite a bit. Sometime this summer, I will hopefully get my hands on a Rickenbacker. It's truly the quintessence of German musical engineering. My Thunderbird is definitely adequate for what I'm doing now, but if I do start doing gigs, I'm going to need something a little more up to snuff. Which reminds me, can someone name a few good blues/blues-rock songs? Blues bass more fun to play than I anticipated.
People: I'm drifting back to my old humanist ways. I've returned to looking for goodness in others. I can't say I'm the perfect idealist; I'll admit that for every person with an ocean of good within them, there's a score of shallow wells. I'm happy to say that I've found a few of the aforementioned oceans, and they've all been valuable and true friends. For some reason, though, I don't feel like I come off as the friendly type. I think some people find me intimidating. Oh well, I'll put a positive spin on that and purport to have hidden depths. Nothing like a little self-aggrandizement, eh?
Comedy: Perhaps I'm not the joker I used to be, but I still love to laugh and make others laugh. I wrote a stand-up routine once, but I doubt its quality. Laughing has always come easily to me, even when not appropriate. Perhaps this is why I'll always pick a stupid comedy over an overwrought drama. At least I'll laugh a bit at the immature humor.
Well, that's all I feel like talking about. I have more pleasures, but I'll start getting political or philosophical. Or I'll start talking about how much I like the sins of the flesh. All of them. Tonight is not a night for such things, though.
____________________________________________________________________
Soundtrack:
DARE - Gorillaz - Demon Days
You'll Be Sorry - The Greenhornes - Dual Mono
Send Me Your Money - Suicidal Tendencies - Lights... Camera... Revolution!
Caress Me Down - Sublime - Sublime
We All Look Elsewhere - The Classic Crime - Albatross
Thursday, January 11, 2007
A letter to my friends
A letter to my friends:
You are going to die.
Think about that. Think about how hard that is to accept. Oh, surely, we know philosophically and hypothetically that we will someday kick the proverbial bucket, but rarely do we consider the actual meaning of the phrase. I could list a plethora of metaphors and clichés, but I hardly think that will further the effect. Try really hard; it took me months to finally realize the fatal solemnity and truthfulness of that simple statement.
So, you don't like to think about unpleasant things? There's no reason to turn a blind eye to life's only guarantee (if you think you're cute throwing "taxes" into that statement, I'll kick you in the teeth). Accept this, and realize the importance of time. I'm not trying to guilt anyone into being a better person; we have churches and idealists for such matters. Just be aware that it's imminent and definite.
If I'm raining on your parade, allow me to offer you an umbrella. The point of me typing this is not to worry you, nor am I staying up late to tell you how to conduct your lives--rather; I want to share something positive and uplifting with you, and I hope you have the wherewithal to read what I'm saying.
Don't worry. I haven't gone all religious-y. I just want you to know that you all put far too much pressure on yourselves. You thin friends tell me you're fat, you pretty friends tell me you're ugly, you smart friends tell me you're unintelligent, and you kind friends tell me you're unthoughtful. Stop it. You are all wonderful people in your own ways.
I know some of you guys are lamenting about school, pulling your hair out over your futures, gritting your teeth over money, despairing your unresolved emotional issues, or getting migraines trying to work out some philosophical problems. Life sucks. None of these worries may ever be resolved, and you're letting them dominate your behavior.
Above that, you know, at least a little bit, that you're going to die someday. Sounds bad, I know, but think hard for me for a second. Why be afraid to die if you're afraid to live happily? Fearing life will not help you. Remember, there's nothing wrong with having a good time; as soon as got here, you started dying. Growth, maturity, improvement--all are just preparation for death in the cadence of your life. Might as well dance most of the way.
My name is Andy, and I say unto you: be happy in spite of the misery of life, and you're one step closer to conquering death.
___________________________________________________________________________
Soundtrack:
There's a Million Ways To Sing the Blues - The Features - Exhibit A
Wake Up - The Living End - State of Emergency
The Way We Get By - Spoon - Kill the Moonlight
Do What You Want - OK Go - Oh No
Overdose - Hurt - Vol. 1
You are going to die.
Think about that. Think about how hard that is to accept. Oh, surely, we know philosophically and hypothetically that we will someday kick the proverbial bucket, but rarely do we consider the actual meaning of the phrase. I could list a plethora of metaphors and clichés, but I hardly think that will further the effect. Try really hard; it took me months to finally realize the fatal solemnity and truthfulness of that simple statement.
So, you don't like to think about unpleasant things? There's no reason to turn a blind eye to life's only guarantee (if you think you're cute throwing "taxes" into that statement, I'll kick you in the teeth). Accept this, and realize the importance of time. I'm not trying to guilt anyone into being a better person; we have churches and idealists for such matters. Just be aware that it's imminent and definite.
If I'm raining on your parade, allow me to offer you an umbrella. The point of me typing this is not to worry you, nor am I staying up late to tell you how to conduct your lives--rather; I want to share something positive and uplifting with you, and I hope you have the wherewithal to read what I'm saying.
Don't worry. I haven't gone all religious-y. I just want you to know that you all put far too much pressure on yourselves. You thin friends tell me you're fat, you pretty friends tell me you're ugly, you smart friends tell me you're unintelligent, and you kind friends tell me you're unthoughtful. Stop it. You are all wonderful people in your own ways.
I know some of you guys are lamenting about school, pulling your hair out over your futures, gritting your teeth over money, despairing your unresolved emotional issues, or getting migraines trying to work out some philosophical problems. Life sucks. None of these worries may ever be resolved, and you're letting them dominate your behavior.
Above that, you know, at least a little bit, that you're going to die someday. Sounds bad, I know, but think hard for me for a second. Why be afraid to die if you're afraid to live happily? Fearing life will not help you. Remember, there's nothing wrong with having a good time; as soon as got here, you started dying. Growth, maturity, improvement--all are just preparation for death in the cadence of your life. Might as well dance most of the way.
My name is Andy, and I say unto you: be happy in spite of the misery of life, and you're one step closer to conquering death.
___________________________________________________________________________
Soundtrack:
There's a Million Ways To Sing the Blues - The Features - Exhibit A
Wake Up - The Living End - State of Emergency
The Way We Get By - Spoon - Kill the Moonlight
Do What You Want - OK Go - Oh No
Overdose - Hurt - Vol. 1
Monday, January 01, 2007
It ain't no big thing
I feel like babbling, but I don't want to philosophize. I guess I'll actually talk about my live and plans for the next year whilst keeping metaphors at a minimum. I wouldn't want anyone to think I was witty.
First off, my cravings are back. I'm jittery and irritable and cold and queasy and generally unhappy. I'm chewing on a pen now to try and trick my mind, but I don't think I'm outsmarting anyone. The patch is a little expensive for me at the moment. I just hope I don't get fat.
Other than that, I'm doing well. Christmas was great. My parents completely surprised me with a Nintendo Wii. It's awesome, but my arms and upper back are really sore. Zelda's a blast, though. Nothing like simulated sword fighting to brighten up your day. Got some nice clothes that I picked out and forgot about, too. Overall, a great day shared with my family, who were uncharacteristically tolerable.
I also got to hang out with Chris and Nicole again, which was awesome. We played Wii Sports and Guitar Hero, and all was well. I used the gift card they got me to buy Zelda. You guys are awesome! And I love your roommate's kitty.
New Year's was fun as well. More Wii playing, and even more drinking. My jager is gone now, unfortunately, but Justin got Guinness, so it made up for it. Andrew gave me a straplock system and speed knobs for my mighty axe, and Jeff got me some cool band shirts. I feel really guilty since people got me things, knowing I couldn't afford a return gift, but I could better spend that energy being grateful for my friends and their generosity. Multi gratum amorumque.
Those are the highlights of my break, but all good things must come to an end, meaning I have to go back to school. It won't be so bad; I'm digging my schedule since the only core class I'm taking is Latin. There's also quite a few things I'd like to accomplish as soon as I can.
Firstly, I'd like to get better definition on my abs. Not just normal abs either. I want to be able to stick coal in my navel and make diamonds by doing crunches. Also in fitness, I still want to get that mile time under six minutes. I'm surprised to find that I've actually lost weight despite the delicious holiday fare, so I may actually meet that goal soon after returning to Mercer.
Secondly, I want to focus a bit more on bass playing. It looks badass with the visual tweaks I've made (thanks to Andrew). I've also been fiddling around with some amp settings and pickup volumes, and I've found some good crunch on the lower notes. It's not perfect; ideally it would sound like soulless, jackbooted monstrosities crushing the bones of the damned under their iron heels, but that'll probably require a better amp. I also raised the action a little bit (just a minor bridge fix) to cut the fret buzz when playing G sharp on the G string, and it actually improved the instrument's overall intonation. Who knew?
Thirdly, I thought I was going to talk about dating, but I realized that I'm pretty happy on my own. Dating's not something I'm seeking anymore, so I figure I'll just chill and take something if it comes along and looks good enough.
Finally, I cautiously deem myself back to my old self. As in the days of yore during the long hiatus between girls #2 and #3. Other than my brain wanting nicotine, I'm in high spirits and a good mood. I'm not a whiny pseudo-emo pissant anymore. I'll be surprised if people recognize me next semester.
____________________________________________________________________
Soundtrack:
There Is a Light That Never Goes Out - The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead
LSF - Kasabian - Kasabian
Let's Talk About Spaceships - Say Hi To Your Mom - Numbers & Mumbles
Cool James - Harvey Danger - Little By Little
Kiss Me Deadly - Reel Big Fish - Cheer Up!
First off, my cravings are back. I'm jittery and irritable and cold and queasy and generally unhappy. I'm chewing on a pen now to try and trick my mind, but I don't think I'm outsmarting anyone. The patch is a little expensive for me at the moment. I just hope I don't get fat.
Other than that, I'm doing well. Christmas was great. My parents completely surprised me with a Nintendo Wii. It's awesome, but my arms and upper back are really sore. Zelda's a blast, though. Nothing like simulated sword fighting to brighten up your day. Got some nice clothes that I picked out and forgot about, too. Overall, a great day shared with my family, who were uncharacteristically tolerable.
I also got to hang out with Chris and Nicole again, which was awesome. We played Wii Sports and Guitar Hero, and all was well. I used the gift card they got me to buy Zelda. You guys are awesome! And I love your roommate's kitty.
New Year's was fun as well. More Wii playing, and even more drinking. My jager is gone now, unfortunately, but Justin got Guinness, so it made up for it. Andrew gave me a straplock system and speed knobs for my mighty axe, and Jeff got me some cool band shirts. I feel really guilty since people got me things, knowing I couldn't afford a return gift, but I could better spend that energy being grateful for my friends and their generosity. Multi gratum amorumque.
Those are the highlights of my break, but all good things must come to an end, meaning I have to go back to school. It won't be so bad; I'm digging my schedule since the only core class I'm taking is Latin. There's also quite a few things I'd like to accomplish as soon as I can.
Firstly, I'd like to get better definition on my abs. Not just normal abs either. I want to be able to stick coal in my navel and make diamonds by doing crunches. Also in fitness, I still want to get that mile time under six minutes. I'm surprised to find that I've actually lost weight despite the delicious holiday fare, so I may actually meet that goal soon after returning to Mercer.
Secondly, I want to focus a bit more on bass playing. It looks badass with the visual tweaks I've made (thanks to Andrew). I've also been fiddling around with some amp settings and pickup volumes, and I've found some good crunch on the lower notes. It's not perfect; ideally it would sound like soulless, jackbooted monstrosities crushing the bones of the damned under their iron heels, but that'll probably require a better amp. I also raised the action a little bit (just a minor bridge fix) to cut the fret buzz when playing G sharp on the G string, and it actually improved the instrument's overall intonation. Who knew?
Thirdly, I thought I was going to talk about dating, but I realized that I'm pretty happy on my own. Dating's not something I'm seeking anymore, so I figure I'll just chill and take something if it comes along and looks good enough.
Finally, I cautiously deem myself back to my old self. As in the days of yore during the long hiatus between girls #2 and #3. Other than my brain wanting nicotine, I'm in high spirits and a good mood. I'm not a whiny pseudo-emo pissant anymore. I'll be surprised if people recognize me next semester.
____________________________________________________________________
Soundtrack:
There Is a Light That Never Goes Out - The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead
LSF - Kasabian - Kasabian
Let's Talk About Spaceships - Say Hi To Your Mom - Numbers & Mumbles
Cool James - Harvey Danger - Little By Little
Kiss Me Deadly - Reel Big Fish - Cheer Up!
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