What do these things have in common? Not much...but they all share a part of my evening. I'm going to go in reverse order. As with most days recently I've had so much to think and process that I have a hard time centralizing on a single thing to write about. I've tried just writing about everything at once, but that usually ends in disaster.
I'm currently listening to Fugazi while writing at the Metro coffee shop type place (24 hours and very bright, which is good for studying so I think I've found a good study spot, it would be nicer if I went to UT but that's a topic of another entry)
That knocks out two of the things in my title, well, three. I've also established my location across the street from the dynamic campus known as UT. It's a facinating place...I interact with hundreds of UT students a day when I'm at work...but that interaction rarely goes beyond "what can I get for you, small or large, did you say you want that decaf?, would you like whipped cream on that, yea it's really good with it, here's your change, thank you very much/take it easy/thanks man etc..." I don't really know very many of then, yet I live in Austin. The issue there of course is I attend another school...in the same area, but in a way detached. For the purpose of my plans and my life I have attached the two, and so have thousands of other people.
Did I mention that UT is dynamic? There are many uses for that word, and almost all of them describe the school. Such a diverse population, literally the entire planet is represented here. The ideas here are progressive, perhaps too progressive for the real world. So many people, searching. It's not unlike Texas State in that respect, but where the students are looking for answers are though more varied means here. Right next door the Church of Scientology attempts to answer those questions for students, and some students believe that the answers are next door. My uncle did, and he disapeared for two years, reappeared, moved to LA, got married, has a succesful job and a seemingly happy life. I guess he found those answers, or mabye not...no now that I think about it no amount of outward visable success can guarantee true happiness. In fact, now that I think about it, virtually nothing in the physical world can. However there are 6.4 billion people on this planet that spend their lives trying to find it...some do, but it's almost never found in a gated community, in the polling place, behind door number three or in a shoe contract.
Our "manifest destined" material drivern unfettered mega-capitalist society...for all of his precedent shattering enormity and hype, has never made a single person truly happy. I know that is the truth, but it's hard to imagine, as a human with a human brain wanting to do human things, how that is. For many people, what we have is the theoretical secret to life. The "American Dream", which, as far as I can tell, includes at least most if not all of the following: A house in a safe suburban neighborhood with a fully occupied two car garage and another slightly used but good looking car for the oldest of your 2.3 kids that just turned 16 parked out on the street, nearby schools that are ranked "above satisfactory" by state standards, a green lawn that in certian parts of the country takes gallons of water from a seemingly infinite supply to maintain, closets full of more clothes than will ever be worn, plenty of entertianment oriented objects displaying the latest distractions from pop culture in a liquid crystal display with surround sound, membership in a nice church that meets in a shiny new building with a huge electronic sign out front that attracts the attention from other typically nice looking suburbanites who are commuting on what is...of course...the outermost loop around the city...a church where you can go and feel good about yourself and not have to worry about sin or the poor or being generous and honest without expecting something in return, season tickets to at least one local pro sports team, a couple of yellow ribbon car magnets kept in a drawer so that in the event that the one on the Chevy Tahoe falls off it can quickly be replaced before a member of the family begins to feel unpatriotic and guilty for not doing more to support the troops...wherever the hell they are...while at the same time being thankful that they won't have to worry about either of their kids going off to some who knows where country because that's what poor kids are supposed to do because they have no other option."...that, in a nutshell, is the image I think of when I think of the "American Dream"...but nothing I listed above has the power to make someone truly happy. Some of the most unhappy and suicidal teenagers grow to be that way when they realize that the suburban promise of the "American Dream" doesn't do anything beyond making their pointless lives more generally physically comfortable than the immigrant family that just moved in fifteen miles down the freeway toward downtown.
Thursday, March 31, 2005
Monday, March 28, 2005
Moderation
Is a good thing and I've decided to embrace it. More on this later I'm just putting this here so I remember to write about it.
- Jordan
- Jordan
Saturday, March 26, 2005
26 things I don't like about Texas
A couple of disclaimers here:
One - I generally like Texas, and often talk about the things that I like about the state
Two - Texas is a huge state, very few things can be true of the entire state so alot of what I'm saying are extreme generalizations.
Here goes:
1) People driving ridiculiously huge vehicles
2) Too many people claiming that it's the best place on Earth (it's not)
3) So many people who claim to hold "conservative" political views...mainly because their parent's do...and George W. is their "homeboy".
4) A culture that makes, in a lot of places, Christianity a "thing to do" and nothing more.
5) The hyper-suburbanization of the State...espeically in Dallas-Fort Worth and double-espeically in Houston.
6) Houston
7) In general the Eastern fourth of the State...the one part of the state that tries hard to identify itself with the awful, backward, ignorant, closed minded phenomenon that is/was the "old south"...while the rest of the State strives to allign itself with the progressive vision of the modern Southwest.
8) Texas A&....DAN KINIRY IS AN AWESOME HUMAN BEING!!!
9) The utter disreguard for the environmental future of the State (this of course excludes Austin).
10) Tom Delay
11) The marrage of academics and athletic preformance, as well as people measuring schools purely on the proformace of their athetic teams...espeically in football...and giving academics very little reguard when choosing a school
12) The Houston Texans and the illegitimate arrogance of their fans...I mean, they're the last people in the sports world that should be arrogant about anything.
13) Truck commericals by Detroit-based Domestic auto manufacters that all but insult the state's intellegence and appeal to the lowest common hick denominator
14) The people who buy all of the huge trucks that make those annoying commericals a "success"
15) People buying huge trucks when they don't need them...espeically common among East Texans, but prevelent in any rural area of the State
16) Waco, the worst city in Texas over 100,000 people (I've been to all of them except Beaumont...from what I've heard about Beaumont though it might give Waco a run for this title).
17) Legalism in many of the state's churches
18) The frightening marrage of politics (The Republican Party) and religon (The church in Texas).
19) The idealogical homogeniety that dominates many parts of the state.
20) The crappy states that border Texas (I mean, when New Mexico is the best state that borders your state...that really sucks)
21) The lack of any semblence of good mass transit systems (exceptions are the DART light rail in Dallas and the good bus system in Austin)
22) The archaic rules that shape the State's government.
23) The disgustingly political redistricting plan that made Austin the largest city in the U.S. without true congressional represntation just because it votes a way that Tom Delay doesn't agree with.
24) The lottery, damn you Ann Richards for unleashing this plague on our state and lying to us saying that it would exclusivley fund the state's school system.
25) Texas Tech fans.
26) The outright worship of High School Football...I'm as big a football fan as the next guy...but it gets just too ridiculous here.
One - I generally like Texas, and often talk about the things that I like about the state
Two - Texas is a huge state, very few things can be true of the entire state so alot of what I'm saying are extreme generalizations.
Here goes:
1) People driving ridiculiously huge vehicles
2) Too many people claiming that it's the best place on Earth (it's not)
3) So many people who claim to hold "conservative" political views...mainly because their parent's do...and George W. is their "homeboy".
4) A culture that makes, in a lot of places, Christianity a "thing to do" and nothing more.
5) The hyper-suburbanization of the State...espeically in Dallas-Fort Worth and double-espeically in Houston.
6) Houston
7) In general the Eastern fourth of the State...the one part of the state that tries hard to identify itself with the awful, backward, ignorant, closed minded phenomenon that is/was the "old south"...while the rest of the State strives to allign itself with the progressive vision of the modern Southwest.
8) Texas A&....DAN KINIRY IS AN AWESOME HUMAN BEING!!!
9) The utter disreguard for the environmental future of the State (this of course excludes Austin).
10) Tom Delay
11) The marrage of academics and athletic preformance, as well as people measuring schools purely on the proformace of their athetic teams...espeically in football...and giving academics very little reguard when choosing a school
12) The Houston Texans and the illegitimate arrogance of their fans...I mean, they're the last people in the sports world that should be arrogant about anything.
13) Truck commericals by Detroit-based Domestic auto manufacters that all but insult the state's intellegence and appeal to the lowest common hick denominator
14) The people who buy all of the huge trucks that make those annoying commericals a "success"
15) People buying huge trucks when they don't need them...espeically common among East Texans, but prevelent in any rural area of the State
16) Waco, the worst city in Texas over 100,000 people (I've been to all of them except Beaumont...from what I've heard about Beaumont though it might give Waco a run for this title).
17) Legalism in many of the state's churches
18) The frightening marrage of politics (The Republican Party) and religon (The church in Texas).
19) The idealogical homogeniety that dominates many parts of the state.
20) The crappy states that border Texas (I mean, when New Mexico is the best state that borders your state...that really sucks)
21) The lack of any semblence of good mass transit systems (exceptions are the DART light rail in Dallas and the good bus system in Austin)
22) The archaic rules that shape the State's government.
23) The disgustingly political redistricting plan that made Austin the largest city in the U.S. without true congressional represntation just because it votes a way that Tom Delay doesn't agree with.
24) The lottery, damn you Ann Richards for unleashing this plague on our state and lying to us saying that it would exclusivley fund the state's school system.
25) Texas Tech fans.
26) The outright worship of High School Football...I'm as big a football fan as the next guy...but it gets just too ridiculous here.
Bombarded with Thoughts
I came back from the break overwhelmed with so many ideas, thoughts, musings and what have you. I was excited, because I had so many things to write about.
But I'm realizing that they're all so jumbled in my mind that I can't possibly focus on one of them...and it's frustrating, because so much is going on in my head right now and I need to share it.
I had a good talk with a friend the other day about many of those thoughts...but even still I'm lost in the fray.
So much to think about, I can hardly concentrate on a single thing.
- Jordan
But I'm realizing that they're all so jumbled in my mind that I can't possibly focus on one of them...and it's frustrating, because so much is going on in my head right now and I need to share it.
I had a good talk with a friend the other day about many of those thoughts...but even still I'm lost in the fray.
So much to think about, I can hardly concentrate on a single thing.
- Jordan
Monday, March 21, 2005
Post Trip: I Saw So Many Freakin Trees That My Retina Nearly Exploded
I'm back, I landed last night. A few things are very apparent...Central Texas is much flatter than the Pacific Northwest, and there are fewer trees, far fewer...and they are not nearly so huge.
Also, it's a lot warmer here.
I digress...alot, so I would not be able to talk about the whole trip in a single post. I'm planning on writing several of them based on my experences.
Not counting airport stopovers I visited 4 states, two (Canadian) provinces, and we drove 2,037 miles on our hardcore roadtrip of rockage 2K5.
I made the trip with my good friend Dan Bakken who grew up with me in Temple, Texas but now lives in Idaho where he goes to school at New St. Andrews College...in Seattle we stayed with his very nice and hospitable grandparents who happened to live right next to the airport.
Places visited:
Seattle - Rocks without question, except people drive much much slower there than I'm used to. Nice town, very green, lots of trees and water and more trees and nearby mountians. The city has a great vibe, not unlike Austin in that respect. everything is developed with space in mind which I like. My friend and I were walking and just randomly walked by the Sub Pop office. Very cool. It was suprisingly hard to find a good independent coffee place...I guess Seattle is more of a mecca for Corporate coffee than coffee in general now. The Space Needle was an expensive trip but worth the view.
I was doing cool stuff from the moment I landed. Dan picked me up and ferried me around town to give me a sense of the place, which it did. We went back to his grandparents house and they fed us dinner. Dan's grandparents are awesome to say the least...they had plenty of hospitiality to share. We went out and drove around town again, hanging out and stuff. We went downtown. Saw a street fight involving a couple dozen people. Seattle is surpsingly not a very active town at night, everything closes really early, that was suprising.
Seattle Day 2 - So much stuff on day 2, too much to write about: We parked downtown and spent the day on foot. It was an unseasonably beautiful day there (or so the locals said...the weather was definitely nice) We went up in the Space needle, found some coffee at this really good place on 4th street, found the Sub Pop office (randomly...which made it even cooler), lunch at Unconventional Pizza...pretty good, visited the Seattle Library which is easily the coolest library building, mabye the coolest building, I've ever seen, met up with some of Dan's friends, went to the Seafood market, the first Starb***s (it was interesting to see where the Evil Empire began), The Waterfront along Puget sound (very cool). For dinner Dan, this cool dude Ryan and I decided to splurge and enjoy life so we went to this place downtown called McCormick and Shmicks...yea it was the most I had ever spent on a single meal but the food was incredible...we had really good times that day. We walked around downtown some more...it was 8 PM and most things were already closed so we decided to call it a night. It had already been a really awesome day.
Vancouver - I've read a few times that Vancouver is considered to be the most beautiful city in North America. After vising, based on the other cities I've visited, I have to agree.
Without question Vancouver lived up to the hype that it recieves. The city is extremely beautiful. Stanley Park is a jewel and West Vancouver is a really cool area. Downtown rocked, that's where our hotel was. The view from just about anywhere there was incredible. The people were VERY nice and friendly. It was like a really beautiful place with people at least as nice as people in Texas.
Dan and I drove up early that morning. Ryan decided to come along and followed along in his car. We had a minor delay at the border, you know, Canadians...just kidding it was pretty routine and it was my first time into Canada and I'm from Texas...I would have stopped myself too. We at first had a hard time finding a bank (to get some Canadian bills)...well, we found a few but they were downtown and parking there is pretty lousy. We got those Canadian bills and went to Stanley Park...we walked around there for a couple of hours, it was pretty enrapturing (is that a word, I think so). Then we drove over to West Vancouver and hung out there. It's a really cool part of town that has a small town feel. Vancouver is beautiful...did I mention that? Mountians right next to the coast, beautiful trees...and for the most part beautiful buildings. The city is very dense by North American standards and fits into it's environment really well. For dinner we went to Boston's Pizza, really good stuff, had some Canadian beer (also good stuff). Ryan decided to stay the night there and we looked around downtown Vancouver. Dan bought a cigar from a certian country that Americans aren't allowed to buy cigars from. Some guy tried to size us up for a good mugging (asking us if we had change to see how much money we had...which wasn't a whole lot and the shop onwer tipped us off as to what he was doing). The shop also sold more bongs and various other paraphenlia than I could possibly have imagined. I'm comfortable in cities, even somewhat rough areas like downtown Vancouver at night. Dan seemed to be much less so but that's understandable we live in very different areas....Vancouver is a beautiful town but it has some problems. Most noticably a major drug/heroin problem. The city is the site for a controversial iniative to give free heroin to addicts in hopes that they won't do dangerous things or O.D. or anything like that...I'm wary of the idea, I will write an entry on it later. It's a city of contrasts, a very diverse city. Overally a very nice city. At least two people asked us if we were looking for weed (which is plentiful and not as criminalized there, but still illegal)...something that I'm used to but Dan wasn't. Interesting times. We went back to the hotel and crashed there. The next morning we left early, but not as early as we wanted to.
British Columbia - We drove right across the place. The Cascades, Kamloops, Revelstoke, Glacier National Park. It rained most of the way but changed to snow at times. B.C. is an extremely beautiful place...probably the most overall beautiful place on the continent.
Calgary - We drove across the Canadian Rockies at night in the snow which was fairly adventurous to say the least. Calgary looked like a nice city but it was cold (8 F).
The Canadian Rockies/Banff National Park - Words cannot describe the incomprehensible beauty of this place.
B.C./Montana/Idaho - We cut though Eastern British Columbia and re-entered the States in Northwest Montana...we drove along this lake there, I forget the name, but it was snowing and everything was white and it was incredible. We cut over to Idaho, stopping to watch an amazing sunset over a large lake, to the quaint little college town of Moscow (Idaho) where my friend goes to school and stayed the night there.
Washington/Oregon/Mt. Saint Helens - Yes, the Mount St. Helens. We drove across the mostly empty expanse to the columbia river. We drove along the Oregon side of the river and things got beautiful again past this town called The Dalles. Oregon struck me as an interesting place, with interesting people (emphasis on interesting), they don't allow you to pump your own gas there. All stations are self-serve, I think it's to promote job creation, I'm not sure...but it was really strange because I've always pumped my own gas. I guess it goes against my independent minded Texas mentality. We drove on to Portland. I would have loved to stop there it looked like a really nice city but we were short on time. We crossed the Columbia (again) and drove up these really beautiful but really windy roads to the St. Helens area. We saw this forest service road on the map that was "closed in winter" but since it had been a dry warm winter we decided to chance it. Well, about 20 miles (and 50 minutes later) down the road a guy from the Forest Service waved us over and told us the road was closed. But, he stopped us right were the best view of the volcano, the side that exploded in 1980, could be seen. It was awesome, beautiful, amazing, watching the sun set there. We took lots of pictures. There was a layer of volcanic ash on the road from recent mini-eruptions, along with snow and some large rocks. We drove back down the road and got on I-5 to Seattle, finally ending a really long road trip.
Vashon Island Washington - The last day we took a ferry with my friend Dan's grandparents to their little cottage on the shore on Vashon Island. Vashon is a beautiful place, a good sized island in Puget Sound. It was a great retreat and a great way to unwind after the eventful stuff from the road trip. I could describe what the Northwest is like but it's hard to if you haven't been there. Not much in Texas gives you a base for visualizing it. Everying is so green. So much stuff grows. I kept asking Dan if certian plants grew there naturally and of course the answer was yet. I was espeically intrigued by the ferns and moss...moss grows everywhere there. We hung out along the shore there even though it was raining pretty consistently and it was colder than I am used to. We took the ferry back, had dinner and I began to pack for the airport.
Seattle Tacoma International Airport - My flight was overbooked. Delta was offering a $400 travel voucher, a free hotel stay, and some other hookups for anyone willing to fly out the next day. I really didn't want to get on the plane that night and I didn't have anything to do in Austin the next day so I volunteered and they put me up in a nearby hotel. My thinking was with all of the adventure on the trip, why not have a little more. I flew back to Austin the next day with no problems...oh, I forgot to mention one part of the deal was that I got to fly first class. That was an unreal experence, something I never thought I would do. Definietly good times.
Very good times.
- Jordan
Also, it's a lot warmer here.
I digress...alot, so I would not be able to talk about the whole trip in a single post. I'm planning on writing several of them based on my experences.
Not counting airport stopovers I visited 4 states, two (Canadian) provinces, and we drove 2,037 miles on our hardcore roadtrip of rockage 2K5.
I made the trip with my good friend Dan Bakken who grew up with me in Temple, Texas but now lives in Idaho where he goes to school at New St. Andrews College...in Seattle we stayed with his very nice and hospitable grandparents who happened to live right next to the airport.
Places visited:
Seattle - Rocks without question, except people drive much much slower there than I'm used to. Nice town, very green, lots of trees and water and more trees and nearby mountians. The city has a great vibe, not unlike Austin in that respect. everything is developed with space in mind which I like. My friend and I were walking and just randomly walked by the Sub Pop office. Very cool. It was suprisingly hard to find a good independent coffee place...I guess Seattle is more of a mecca for Corporate coffee than coffee in general now. The Space Needle was an expensive trip but worth the view.
I was doing cool stuff from the moment I landed. Dan picked me up and ferried me around town to give me a sense of the place, which it did. We went back to his grandparents house and they fed us dinner. Dan's grandparents are awesome to say the least...they had plenty of hospitiality to share. We went out and drove around town again, hanging out and stuff. We went downtown. Saw a street fight involving a couple dozen people. Seattle is surpsingly not a very active town at night, everything closes really early, that was suprising.
Seattle Day 2 - So much stuff on day 2, too much to write about: We parked downtown and spent the day on foot. It was an unseasonably beautiful day there (or so the locals said...the weather was definitely nice) We went up in the Space needle, found some coffee at this really good place on 4th street, found the Sub Pop office (randomly...which made it even cooler), lunch at Unconventional Pizza...pretty good, visited the Seattle Library which is easily the coolest library building, mabye the coolest building, I've ever seen, met up with some of Dan's friends, went to the Seafood market, the first Starb***s (it was interesting to see where the Evil Empire began), The Waterfront along Puget sound (very cool). For dinner Dan, this cool dude Ryan and I decided to splurge and enjoy life so we went to this place downtown called McCormick and Shmicks...yea it was the most I had ever spent on a single meal but the food was incredible...we had really good times that day. We walked around downtown some more...it was 8 PM and most things were already closed so we decided to call it a night. It had already been a really awesome day.
Vancouver - I've read a few times that Vancouver is considered to be the most beautiful city in North America. After vising, based on the other cities I've visited, I have to agree.
Without question Vancouver lived up to the hype that it recieves. The city is extremely beautiful. Stanley Park is a jewel and West Vancouver is a really cool area. Downtown rocked, that's where our hotel was. The view from just about anywhere there was incredible. The people were VERY nice and friendly. It was like a really beautiful place with people at least as nice as people in Texas.
Dan and I drove up early that morning. Ryan decided to come along and followed along in his car. We had a minor delay at the border, you know, Canadians...just kidding it was pretty routine and it was my first time into Canada and I'm from Texas...I would have stopped myself too. We at first had a hard time finding a bank (to get some Canadian bills)...well, we found a few but they were downtown and parking there is pretty lousy. We got those Canadian bills and went to Stanley Park...we walked around there for a couple of hours, it was pretty enrapturing (is that a word, I think so). Then we drove over to West Vancouver and hung out there. It's a really cool part of town that has a small town feel. Vancouver is beautiful...did I mention that? Mountians right next to the coast, beautiful trees...and for the most part beautiful buildings. The city is very dense by North American standards and fits into it's environment really well. For dinner we went to Boston's Pizza, really good stuff, had some Canadian beer (also good stuff). Ryan decided to stay the night there and we looked around downtown Vancouver. Dan bought a cigar from a certian country that Americans aren't allowed to buy cigars from. Some guy tried to size us up for a good mugging (asking us if we had change to see how much money we had...which wasn't a whole lot and the shop onwer tipped us off as to what he was doing). The shop also sold more bongs and various other paraphenlia than I could possibly have imagined. I'm comfortable in cities, even somewhat rough areas like downtown Vancouver at night. Dan seemed to be much less so but that's understandable we live in very different areas....Vancouver is a beautiful town but it has some problems. Most noticably a major drug/heroin problem. The city is the site for a controversial iniative to give free heroin to addicts in hopes that they won't do dangerous things or O.D. or anything like that...I'm wary of the idea, I will write an entry on it later. It's a city of contrasts, a very diverse city. Overally a very nice city. At least two people asked us if we were looking for weed (which is plentiful and not as criminalized there, but still illegal)...something that I'm used to but Dan wasn't. Interesting times. We went back to the hotel and crashed there. The next morning we left early, but not as early as we wanted to.
British Columbia - We drove right across the place. The Cascades, Kamloops, Revelstoke, Glacier National Park. It rained most of the way but changed to snow at times. B.C. is an extremely beautiful place...probably the most overall beautiful place on the continent.
Calgary - We drove across the Canadian Rockies at night in the snow which was fairly adventurous to say the least. Calgary looked like a nice city but it was cold (8 F).
The Canadian Rockies/Banff National Park - Words cannot describe the incomprehensible beauty of this place.
B.C./Montana/Idaho - We cut though Eastern British Columbia and re-entered the States in Northwest Montana...we drove along this lake there, I forget the name, but it was snowing and everything was white and it was incredible. We cut over to Idaho, stopping to watch an amazing sunset over a large lake, to the quaint little college town of Moscow (Idaho) where my friend goes to school and stayed the night there.
Washington/Oregon/Mt. Saint Helens - Yes, the Mount St. Helens. We drove across the mostly empty expanse to the columbia river. We drove along the Oregon side of the river and things got beautiful again past this town called The Dalles. Oregon struck me as an interesting place, with interesting people (emphasis on interesting), they don't allow you to pump your own gas there. All stations are self-serve, I think it's to promote job creation, I'm not sure...but it was really strange because I've always pumped my own gas. I guess it goes against my independent minded Texas mentality. We drove on to Portland. I would have loved to stop there it looked like a really nice city but we were short on time. We crossed the Columbia (again) and drove up these really beautiful but really windy roads to the St. Helens area. We saw this forest service road on the map that was "closed in winter" but since it had been a dry warm winter we decided to chance it. Well, about 20 miles (and 50 minutes later) down the road a guy from the Forest Service waved us over and told us the road was closed. But, he stopped us right were the best view of the volcano, the side that exploded in 1980, could be seen. It was awesome, beautiful, amazing, watching the sun set there. We took lots of pictures. There was a layer of volcanic ash on the road from recent mini-eruptions, along with snow and some large rocks. We drove back down the road and got on I-5 to Seattle, finally ending a really long road trip.
Vashon Island Washington - The last day we took a ferry with my friend Dan's grandparents to their little cottage on the shore on Vashon Island. Vashon is a beautiful place, a good sized island in Puget Sound. It was a great retreat and a great way to unwind after the eventful stuff from the road trip. I could describe what the Northwest is like but it's hard to if you haven't been there. Not much in Texas gives you a base for visualizing it. Everying is so green. So much stuff grows. I kept asking Dan if certian plants grew there naturally and of course the answer was yet. I was espeically intrigued by the ferns and moss...moss grows everywhere there. We hung out along the shore there even though it was raining pretty consistently and it was colder than I am used to. We took the ferry back, had dinner and I began to pack for the airport.
Seattle Tacoma International Airport - My flight was overbooked. Delta was offering a $400 travel voucher, a free hotel stay, and some other hookups for anyone willing to fly out the next day. I really didn't want to get on the plane that night and I didn't have anything to do in Austin the next day so I volunteered and they put me up in a nearby hotel. My thinking was with all of the adventure on the trip, why not have a little more. I flew back to Austin the next day with no problems...oh, I forgot to mention one part of the deal was that I got to fly first class. That was an unreal experence, something I never thought I would do. Definietly good times.
Very good times.
- Jordan
Saturday, March 12, 2005
The Northwest
I probably won't make any entries for the next week or so. I'm going to the Pacific Northwest to take a road trip that my friend Dan Bakken and I have been planning for years. I'm flying to Seattle, staying with his family, then we're driving up to Vancouver British Columbia (Canada), across the Canadian Rockies (weather permitting) to Calgary (where the low temperature is forcast to be -2 F), down though Western Montana to Idaho (where Dan goes to school and we again have a place to stay). And then back to Seattle. Much is planned and I'm very excited. It's the first Spring Break trip I've ever taken.
See you guys next weekend.
- Jordan
See you guys next weekend.
- Jordan
Sunday, March 06, 2005
10 Random Opinionated Thoughts On Life
1) The new Trail of Dead album is disapointing --
It's not that it's bad...but it's just not them and it doesn't really measure up to the greatness of their previous albums. It's more crass, less passionate, more conventional, less loud (in a bad way), more lethargic. I dunno, mabye I'm just too picky when it comes to my favorite bands. Madonna and Source Tags are amazing...so was the EP that came out between Source Tags and this album, it gave me some hope that this album would be part of a contenual improvement.
2) Garden State (the movie) Is overrated --
It's not that, again, it's a bad film, it's pretty good. However, I do not see how it is the greatest film ever made...as some people in a fit of blind obsession have claimed it is. It's simply another movie about another twenty-something guy who doesn't know who he is or where he's going and is trying to find out what those two things are. It's no different than the Graduate in that sense. The film never really resolves, and honestly really isin't that deep. It has some really funny moments, but as an overall film I didn't get into is as much as seemingly everyone else did.
3) The Texas Department of Transportation is absoultely ridiculously stupid for knocking down the Westbound entrance ramp to Ben White between Congress and I-35 --
I guess this is one of those "you have to be there to understand" things.
4) Texas State University students need to start caring more about the school's athletic teams --
Instead of wearing other more prominient athletic school's stuff, we should concentrate on going to our own games, cheering for our own teams, and supporting the program so that someday mabye we can compete with Texas and Texas A&M instead of dreaming or pretending while treating our school like it's a second class instituion...when it's not.
5) Antibiotics leave a weird taste in my mouth --
Everytime I've taken them, I've had the same weird taste. It's weird
6) People seem to use wet weather as an excuse to drive in an unbelievably and irrationally bad way --
Everytime it rains, more people pull in front of me, run red lights, and run stop sings, things that you can't blame on the rain, only on just being thoughtless and careless.
Hey Chris, good to see you in the Blogosphere
7) The "Blogoshpere" is a stupid name, for anything. Blogging is overrated...that could be point 8...
8) Blogging is overrated. Yea, sure it's a new medium where "everyone has a voice"...but a lot of those voices are crappy and full of...well, crap. To think that the average blogger has the same media power as Peter Jennings is just wrong. Peter Jennings is Canadian...who would have thought.
9) Conan O'Brien is a genius and should already be hosting the tonight show instead of Leno.
10) The gas price hikes are purely being manufactured by business and investment instrests to make a profit. Even with increased consumption in China, there's no reason for prices to jump like they have except for the fact that investors are focing them up and holding the economic growth of the U.S. hostage. I would like to think that the Bush Adminstration would do something about it but who am I kidding.
It's not that it's bad...but it's just not them and it doesn't really measure up to the greatness of their previous albums. It's more crass, less passionate, more conventional, less loud (in a bad way), more lethargic. I dunno, mabye I'm just too picky when it comes to my favorite bands. Madonna and Source Tags are amazing...so was the EP that came out between Source Tags and this album, it gave me some hope that this album would be part of a contenual improvement.
2) Garden State (the movie) Is overrated --
It's not that, again, it's a bad film, it's pretty good. However, I do not see how it is the greatest film ever made...as some people in a fit of blind obsession have claimed it is. It's simply another movie about another twenty-something guy who doesn't know who he is or where he's going and is trying to find out what those two things are. It's no different than the Graduate in that sense. The film never really resolves, and honestly really isin't that deep. It has some really funny moments, but as an overall film I didn't get into is as much as seemingly everyone else did.
3) The Texas Department of Transportation is absoultely ridiculously stupid for knocking down the Westbound entrance ramp to Ben White between Congress and I-35 --
I guess this is one of those "you have to be there to understand" things.
4) Texas State University students need to start caring more about the school's athletic teams --
Instead of wearing other more prominient athletic school's stuff, we should concentrate on going to our own games, cheering for our own teams, and supporting the program so that someday mabye we can compete with Texas and Texas A&M instead of dreaming or pretending while treating our school like it's a second class instituion...when it's not.
5) Antibiotics leave a weird taste in my mouth --
Everytime I've taken them, I've had the same weird taste. It's weird
6) People seem to use wet weather as an excuse to drive in an unbelievably and irrationally bad way --
Everytime it rains, more people pull in front of me, run red lights, and run stop sings, things that you can't blame on the rain, only on just being thoughtless and careless.
Hey Chris, good to see you in the Blogosphere
7) The "Blogoshpere" is a stupid name, for anything. Blogging is overrated...that could be point 8...
8) Blogging is overrated. Yea, sure it's a new medium where "everyone has a voice"...but a lot of those voices are crappy and full of...well, crap. To think that the average blogger has the same media power as Peter Jennings is just wrong. Peter Jennings is Canadian...who would have thought.
9) Conan O'Brien is a genius and should already be hosting the tonight show instead of Leno.
10) The gas price hikes are purely being manufactured by business and investment instrests to make a profit. Even with increased consumption in China, there's no reason for prices to jump like they have except for the fact that investors are focing them up and holding the economic growth of the U.S. hostage. I would like to think that the Bush Adminstration would do something about it but who am I kidding.
Big College Werds
Today at work I used the word "frenetic"...but not only did I use it, I used it in context, in a normal situation, in a normal nonchalant fashion and I used it with the full knowledge of what it meant.
My statment: "The past few Sunday afternoons here have been really frenetic".
This brought me to an epiphany of sorts. I realized that the farther along my college "Career" has progressed, the more propensity I have had to use big words to describe things in normal situations where smaller, easier spelled words would have sufficed. I could have just said, "the past few sundays have been freakin' crazy", but nope, I had to drop another big "college word"...as I call them.
It is almost as if my life has become entangled in the strange linguistic world of the "Daily Rice" (see link).
Of course the casual use of an extended vocabulary is a normal thing to me...or at least it seems like it should be. I'm a very verbally minded person pursuing a very verbally oriented degree. The funny thing is that I often try to limit my vocabulary when I'm talking to other people, not because I think they're not as smart, but because I don't want to come across as a "smart ass". I dislike the akward feeling of saying a word that I understand, in context, only to get a weird confused look from the other (often younger) person that I'm talking to. The same thing happens at work when talking to customers...espeically since a good deal of them are from other countries and have somewhat limited (allthough they do a good job with what they have) English skills.
A good example is this entry...I've used some big words in a casual fashion. It's not because I'm trying to in order to sound smart, it's because I'm not putting the usual brakes on the words I use. I'm writing in the way that seems "normal" to me. Often, in order to feel included, I will speak or write in a way that is really not reflective of myself, but of the common denominator of intellectualism that I feel I need to maintain in order to acheive the level of "popularity" or acceptance that I want. I did not realize, until just a few months ago, that I look at intellegence, particularly mine, in an often not so positive light. I think however, that this is a sign of a deeper spiritual problem that I have in the area of self-acceptance and self-image. I'm sure that I will write more on this in the future. Hopefully, I will write about it in a way that more truly reflects the verbally gifted person that God as created me to be.
I just want to be vulnerable. I don't want to worry about what others think of me anymore. I'm tired of it. It's a horrible and restrictive prison.
- Jordan
(p.s., I know that some words that appear in my blog are misspelled, that's because I'm actually just an average speller and I don't run a spell check on my entries. Not sure why, I just don't.)
My statment: "The past few Sunday afternoons here have been really frenetic".
This brought me to an epiphany of sorts. I realized that the farther along my college "Career" has progressed, the more propensity I have had to use big words to describe things in normal situations where smaller, easier spelled words would have sufficed. I could have just said, "the past few sundays have been freakin' crazy", but nope, I had to drop another big "college word"...as I call them.
It is almost as if my life has become entangled in the strange linguistic world of the "Daily Rice" (see link).
Of course the casual use of an extended vocabulary is a normal thing to me...or at least it seems like it should be. I'm a very verbally minded person pursuing a very verbally oriented degree. The funny thing is that I often try to limit my vocabulary when I'm talking to other people, not because I think they're not as smart, but because I don't want to come across as a "smart ass". I dislike the akward feeling of saying a word that I understand, in context, only to get a weird confused look from the other (often younger) person that I'm talking to. The same thing happens at work when talking to customers...espeically since a good deal of them are from other countries and have somewhat limited (allthough they do a good job with what they have) English skills.
A good example is this entry...I've used some big words in a casual fashion. It's not because I'm trying to in order to sound smart, it's because I'm not putting the usual brakes on the words I use. I'm writing in the way that seems "normal" to me. Often, in order to feel included, I will speak or write in a way that is really not reflective of myself, but of the common denominator of intellectualism that I feel I need to maintain in order to acheive the level of "popularity" or acceptance that I want. I did not realize, until just a few months ago, that I look at intellegence, particularly mine, in an often not so positive light. I think however, that this is a sign of a deeper spiritual problem that I have in the area of self-acceptance and self-image. I'm sure that I will write more on this in the future. Hopefully, I will write about it in a way that more truly reflects the verbally gifted person that God as created me to be.
I just want to be vulnerable. I don't want to worry about what others think of me anymore. I'm tired of it. It's a horrible and restrictive prison.
- Jordan
(p.s., I know that some words that appear in my blog are misspelled, that's because I'm actually just an average speller and I don't run a spell check on my entries. Not sure why, I just don't.)
Saturday, March 05, 2005
itunes Top 25 (Response to Paul Wheatley's Entry)
"Ok. I want everyone who reads this to be vulnerable. No editing. No kidding. Post your Top 25 Most Played from your iTunes in the comments section. Just do it. Remark on mine as you deem necessary. I'm ready. Be brutal. Ask questions. Let's make it a dialogue."
Extremely good idea...if you have itunes on your computer...which I do...I've always had it hoping to get an Ipod or something similar...which I haven't...that will be the title of a future entry.
My top 25, as of 03/04/05, no editing:
1. Every Double Life* - The New Amsterdams - Never You Mind - 31 - 12/30/04
2. Transistor - 311 - Transistor - 27 - 2/15/05
3. We Laugh Indoors* - Death Cab for Cutie - 25 - 12/2/05
4. Cosmonaut* - At the Drive In - Relashonship of Command - 24 - 2/9/05
5. 405 (Accoustic) - Death Cab for Cutie - 24 - 12/30/04
6. One By One All Day - The Shins - Oh, Inverted World - 23 - 2/11/05
7. Lockdown - Less than Jake - Losing Streak - 22 - 2/4/05
8. Pretend to Be The Same - Slick Shoes - The Biggest and the Best - 22 - 12/2/04
9. Mistakes and Regrets* - And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead - Madonna - 21 - 11/21/04
10. In Spite of the World* - The Ataris - Blue Skies, Broken Hearts, Next 12 Exits - 21 - 3/1/05
11. Company Calls - Death Cab for Cutie - We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes - 21 - 2/7/05
12. What Happens Next - Slick Shoes - Burnout - 21 - 2/7/05
13. All My Best Friends Are Metalheads* - Less than Jake - Hello Rockview - 20 - 2/4/05
14. Pepper - Millencolin - Pennybridge Pionners - 20 - 1/17/05
15. San Francisco - Mu330 - s/t - 20 - 2/28/05
16. Responsible - Slick Shoes - Burnout - 20 - 1/24/05
17. A Better Place, A Better Time* - Streetlight Manifesto - Everything Goes Numb - 20 - 2/28/05
18. Look What Happened - Less than Jake - Borders and Boundaries - 19 - 2/9/2005
19. Food (A.K.A. Aren't You Hungry - Reggie and the Full Effect - 19 - 10/27/05
20. For Better, For Worse* - Slick Shoes - Burnout - 19 - 2/4/05
21. A Movie Script Ending - Death Cab For Cutie - The Photo Album - 18 - 12/8/04
22. Erin With An "E"* - The Impossibles - Anthology - 18 - 1/31/05
23. Sugar in Your Gas Tank - Less Than Jake - Losing Streak - 18 - 1/17/05
24. Consequential Apathy* - RX Bandits - Progress - 18 - 12/5/04
25. Fighting In A Sack - The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow - 18 - 2/11/05
*Appears on my all time favorite songs mix...see earlier entry
Some preliminary notes:
It is importiant to remember that I do not have an ipod...this list only represents songs that I've listened to while at my computer. When I'm at my computer I am either studying, blogging, or making mix cds. Thus, my list is biased towards good study songs or songs that are on mix cds that I have made. I occasionaly get "obsessed" with a single song, but most often that happens while I am listening to a cd in the car or on my portable cd player, and not at the computer. However, this does explain why "Tranistor" is at #2, I was just sitting at the computer, putting it on a mix, and I ended up playing it for an hour straght because I was rocking out.
Because I listen mostly to cds, some bands that I listen to more than others are way underrepresented (RX Bandits highest song is #24, but I listen to them as much as anyone, no Mars Volta yet I spent the whole summer listening to them last year). But, if you keep the limitations in line, then this is a pretty good representation of the music I listen to while at the computer. You'll also note that many of the songs are also on my all time favorites mix cd...which can be explained both by the fact that I was listening to them to put on in the right order on the mix, as well as the fact that I can listen to those songs over and over again and not get tired of them.
Extremely good idea...if you have itunes on your computer...which I do...I've always had it hoping to get an Ipod or something similar...which I haven't...that will be the title of a future entry.
My top 25, as of 03/04/05, no editing:
1. Every Double Life* - The New Amsterdams - Never You Mind - 31 - 12/30/04
2. Transistor - 311 - Transistor - 27 - 2/15/05
3. We Laugh Indoors* - Death Cab for Cutie - 25 - 12/2/05
4. Cosmonaut* - At the Drive In - Relashonship of Command - 24 - 2/9/05
5. 405 (Accoustic) - Death Cab for Cutie - 24 - 12/30/04
6. One By One All Day - The Shins - Oh, Inverted World - 23 - 2/11/05
7. Lockdown - Less than Jake - Losing Streak - 22 - 2/4/05
8. Pretend to Be The Same - Slick Shoes - The Biggest and the Best - 22 - 12/2/04
9. Mistakes and Regrets* - And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead - Madonna - 21 - 11/21/04
10. In Spite of the World* - The Ataris - Blue Skies, Broken Hearts, Next 12 Exits - 21 - 3/1/05
11. Company Calls - Death Cab for Cutie - We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes - 21 - 2/7/05
12. What Happens Next - Slick Shoes - Burnout - 21 - 2/7/05
13. All My Best Friends Are Metalheads* - Less than Jake - Hello Rockview - 20 - 2/4/05
14. Pepper - Millencolin - Pennybridge Pionners - 20 - 1/17/05
15. San Francisco - Mu330 - s/t - 20 - 2/28/05
16. Responsible - Slick Shoes - Burnout - 20 - 1/24/05
17. A Better Place, A Better Time* - Streetlight Manifesto - Everything Goes Numb - 20 - 2/28/05
18. Look What Happened - Less than Jake - Borders and Boundaries - 19 - 2/9/2005
19. Food (A.K.A. Aren't You Hungry - Reggie and the Full Effect - 19 - 10/27/05
20. For Better, For Worse* - Slick Shoes - Burnout - 19 - 2/4/05
21. A Movie Script Ending - Death Cab For Cutie - The Photo Album - 18 - 12/8/04
22. Erin With An "E"* - The Impossibles - Anthology - 18 - 1/31/05
23. Sugar in Your Gas Tank - Less Than Jake - Losing Streak - 18 - 1/17/05
24. Consequential Apathy* - RX Bandits - Progress - 18 - 12/5/04
25. Fighting In A Sack - The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow - 18 - 2/11/05
*Appears on my all time favorite songs mix...see earlier entry
Some preliminary notes:
It is importiant to remember that I do not have an ipod...this list only represents songs that I've listened to while at my computer. When I'm at my computer I am either studying, blogging, or making mix cds. Thus, my list is biased towards good study songs or songs that are on mix cds that I have made. I occasionaly get "obsessed" with a single song, but most often that happens while I am listening to a cd in the car or on my portable cd player, and not at the computer. However, this does explain why "Tranistor" is at #2, I was just sitting at the computer, putting it on a mix, and I ended up playing it for an hour straght because I was rocking out.
Because I listen mostly to cds, some bands that I listen to more than others are way underrepresented (RX Bandits highest song is #24, but I listen to them as much as anyone, no Mars Volta yet I spent the whole summer listening to them last year). But, if you keep the limitations in line, then this is a pretty good representation of the music I listen to while at the computer. You'll also note that many of the songs are also on my all time favorites mix cd...which can be explained both by the fact that I was listening to them to put on in the right order on the mix, as well as the fact that I can listen to those songs over and over again and not get tired of them.
Girls Part I
Girls...so many songs (and albums) have been written by frustrated males on the subject. Among them: Blue Skies, Broken Hearts by the Ataris is a good summnation of my feelings at the moment, mainly because certian songs are about the frustrating part of not getting the girl, rather than just breakup songs. Since I don't have any songwriting tools (or the lack of self-conciousness) at hand, writing a few entries about the subject will have to suffice. Of course, the last thing that music needs is more Carraba-esque girl songs anyway, so God may be sparing the world a favor by limiting my "talent" in this area.
I've come to a young, yet transitional point in my life where I have realized that girls have become such a frustrating subject, an incomprehensible consternation filled subject that my mindset towards the female sex is quickly becoming sharply more masogyinistic (anti-female). This frigtens me, one, because I am not gay, and two, because I'm called to love people, including girls, even the girls that treat me like I'm worthless, won't give me the time of day, think I'm not good enough for them, etc...at least this is the perception that I have of the perception that girls in general have towards me. The problem, while this may not be true, I have yet to see any hard evidence that it is not.
I'm sure the problem ultimately is my fault...due to my personal inadaquacies, failings, weaknesses in my spiritual life...but then of course I often see people with the same failings have success with girls and wonder why I can't have the same.
I've come to a young, yet transitional point in my life where I have realized that girls have become such a frustrating subject, an incomprehensible consternation filled subject that my mindset towards the female sex is quickly becoming sharply more masogyinistic (anti-female). This frigtens me, one, because I am not gay, and two, because I'm called to love people, including girls, even the girls that treat me like I'm worthless, won't give me the time of day, think I'm not good enough for them, etc...at least this is the perception that I have of the perception that girls in general have towards me. The problem, while this may not be true, I have yet to see any hard evidence that it is not.
I'm sure the problem ultimately is my fault...due to my personal inadaquacies, failings, weaknesses in my spiritual life...but then of course I often see people with the same failings have success with girls and wonder why I can't have the same.
Monday, February 28, 2005
Great Oden's Raven! (Weird Week Pt. 2)
Wed...normal day, again. I was pretty tired but otherwise nothing unusual...actually, being tired isin't unusual either. I went to class, worked the crew for the "Bobcat Beat" newscast at Texas State (which went off smoothly even though it was our first time)...went to 242 Group...then it got a little weird. Mike and I went back to Austin right afterward (instead of the usual trip to Commons for dinner) to meet our friend Sarah and a friend of hers. We got some food and went to Mozart's, expecting to meet up with Mike Hagen, Stephanie Jiminez and some random people. I called Mike about 8:30, he said he was on his way he just had to walk to his car. I called him back at 8:45...he hadn't found his car...again at 9:00...still no car...15 minutes later he called and said he was pretty sure it had been stolen. And it was...freakin stolen, right off of the UT campus. I was pretty mad about it, and so was Mike of course. Freakin crap, that was his car...no car I knew could be more identified with it's owner than Mike's SI. Oh well, it's gone and his insurance is going to take care if it, but it's still a definite bummer.
We still got to hang out because Mike wanted to. We went downtown but decided to go back to near UT and we ended up chilling with at the Spider House (a coffee shop near the Drag) for a long time. It was Mike H, Mike C., Stephanie J., this girl Candace and a couple of her friends (they're from A&M). I had a lot of fun at the expense of their school and in Mike's words "stole the show" with my wacky attention grabbing antics. Yeah, I was full of crap but had them all laughing. I was also really tired but aside from that, the car theft thing, and the sheer weirdness, it was an allright night.
Thursday was weird because I worked, instead of going to CRU, which is what I usually do, that threw my entire time frame off.
Friday I watched Dan Reiter, Matt Luna, and J.P. plunge into the San Marcos River in 45 degree weather while riding an H.E.B. shopping cart. Safe to say, that was weird.
- Jordan
We still got to hang out because Mike wanted to. We went downtown but decided to go back to near UT and we ended up chilling with at the Spider House (a coffee shop near the Drag) for a long time. It was Mike H, Mike C., Stephanie J., this girl Candace and a couple of her friends (they're from A&M). I had a lot of fun at the expense of their school and in Mike's words "stole the show" with my wacky attention grabbing antics. Yeah, I was full of crap but had them all laughing. I was also really tired but aside from that, the car theft thing, and the sheer weirdness, it was an allright night.
Thursday was weird because I worked, instead of going to CRU, which is what I usually do, that threw my entire time frame off.
Friday I watched Dan Reiter, Matt Luna, and J.P. plunge into the San Marcos River in 45 degree weather while riding an H.E.B. shopping cart. Safe to say, that was weird.
- Jordan
Friday, February 25, 2005
Knights of Columbus! This Week has been Freakin' Weird
I used to write about personal experences more in my old journal...I've gotten away from that lately but this week is too interesting not to write about.
A breif chronicle of one of the strangest weeks that I have experenced in a long freakin time:
Monday - No class in the morning, so I drove to school in the afternoon which was nice, to say the least. The day was pretty typical for a few hours, I worked on stuff, went to class, went to work. It was upon my arrival for work at Mozart's that things got weird. It was Heather (a cool shift leader). I was walking to clock in when Heather said: "ok Jordan, here's what's going on, we're closing the store (first time in six years that Mozart's has had to involuntarily close)...there was no one in the building and a couple dozen people on the deck who seemed almost as confused as I was. The confusion was probably brought on by the cloud of freon gas that had filled the front part of the store about twenty minutes earlier. Apparently the compressor for the bakery case essentially blew up, and a white cloud of gas filled the area, enveloping Heather...weird...it was her last night and she gets a cloud of freon in the face. A minute later the store was evacuated and my boss was on top of things. We waited outside for over an hour for the stuff to clear out (both Heather and my boss were really dizzy)...it would have probably been safe to reopen the store but in the interest of being safe we didn't...good thing. We got to chill out on the deck telling people that we were closed. I was pleasantly suprised at some of the reactions of people when they found out we were closed (ranging from genuine consternation to yelps of angish)...Mozart's is a very popular and well-loved place. We had a good conversation about that (my boss is a really cool guy)...I'll probably write about Mozart's itself, and mabye even my boss, in a future post. But yea, not an ordinary day at Mozart's and the first day in a weird week.
Tuesday - I ran...weird enough, but it was the distance, and where I ran which was really messed up. Tuesday had, once again, been fairly normal (apparently the weirdness likes to wait until around sunset to kick in), I got home from school. Mike went to work. I decided to take another attempt at jogging, where, as Ron Burgandy pointed out, you just run, for extended periods of time. I downed some gatorade and drove to the Congress Avenue Bridge (parking in the Statesman parking lot). I took off running down the town lake trail hoping that mabye, for the first time ever, I could run three miles without stopping. I ran along, managing to control my pace and breathing I made good progress as I admired all of the other people out trying to add an element of fitness to their lives, or at the very least enjoying the twilight hour in the beautiful city of Austin. Then it got weird...I crossed over the pedistrian bridge and was almost to Mopac when I realized that I still had alot left in the tank. So I kept running...I made it up a hill past Mopac and I realized that if I made it all the way to Mozart's I would have run around five miles...a seemingly impossible feat (but not so impossible...I just lack confidence in my physical abilities)...I had around two miles to go down Lake Austin Blvd...a long and fairly straght street that made the distance longer. I pushed and pushed myself and made it to the traffic light at Redbud Trail...just a few blocks more...I could do it...and I did...disproving myself. I love disproving myself...I was generally proud of myself. For me, running five miles is an olympian feat for me. I stumbled onto the deck at Mozart's...much to the suprise of my co-workers Becky and Matt who were sitting at a table. "I just ran here...*heavy breathing*... from the Congress Avenue Bridge...*more heavy breathing*..." I blurted...then I spent the next 30 minutes just walking around and doing some much deserved panting. Running to Mozart's was a surreal experence...it's out of the way, a place I could never image running to.
To be contenued...
A breif chronicle of one of the strangest weeks that I have experenced in a long freakin time:
Monday - No class in the morning, so I drove to school in the afternoon which was nice, to say the least. The day was pretty typical for a few hours, I worked on stuff, went to class, went to work. It was upon my arrival for work at Mozart's that things got weird. It was Heather (a cool shift leader). I was walking to clock in when Heather said: "ok Jordan, here's what's going on, we're closing the store (first time in six years that Mozart's has had to involuntarily close)...there was no one in the building and a couple dozen people on the deck who seemed almost as confused as I was. The confusion was probably brought on by the cloud of freon gas that had filled the front part of the store about twenty minutes earlier. Apparently the compressor for the bakery case essentially blew up, and a white cloud of gas filled the area, enveloping Heather...weird...it was her last night and she gets a cloud of freon in the face. A minute later the store was evacuated and my boss was on top of things. We waited outside for over an hour for the stuff to clear out (both Heather and my boss were really dizzy)...it would have probably been safe to reopen the store but in the interest of being safe we didn't...good thing. We got to chill out on the deck telling people that we were closed. I was pleasantly suprised at some of the reactions of people when they found out we were closed (ranging from genuine consternation to yelps of angish)...Mozart's is a very popular and well-loved place. We had a good conversation about that (my boss is a really cool guy)...I'll probably write about Mozart's itself, and mabye even my boss, in a future post. But yea, not an ordinary day at Mozart's and the first day in a weird week.
Tuesday - I ran...weird enough, but it was the distance, and where I ran which was really messed up. Tuesday had, once again, been fairly normal (apparently the weirdness likes to wait until around sunset to kick in), I got home from school. Mike went to work. I decided to take another attempt at jogging, where, as Ron Burgandy pointed out, you just run, for extended periods of time. I downed some gatorade and drove to the Congress Avenue Bridge (parking in the Statesman parking lot). I took off running down the town lake trail hoping that mabye, for the first time ever, I could run three miles without stopping. I ran along, managing to control my pace and breathing I made good progress as I admired all of the other people out trying to add an element of fitness to their lives, or at the very least enjoying the twilight hour in the beautiful city of Austin. Then it got weird...I crossed over the pedistrian bridge and was almost to Mopac when I realized that I still had alot left in the tank. So I kept running...I made it up a hill past Mopac and I realized that if I made it all the way to Mozart's I would have run around five miles...a seemingly impossible feat (but not so impossible...I just lack confidence in my physical abilities)...I had around two miles to go down Lake Austin Blvd...a long and fairly straght street that made the distance longer. I pushed and pushed myself and made it to the traffic light at Redbud Trail...just a few blocks more...I could do it...and I did...disproving myself. I love disproving myself...I was generally proud of myself. For me, running five miles is an olympian feat for me. I stumbled onto the deck at Mozart's...much to the suprise of my co-workers Becky and Matt who were sitting at a table. "I just ran here...*heavy breathing*... from the Congress Avenue Bridge...*more heavy breathing*..." I blurted...then I spent the next 30 minutes just walking around and doing some much deserved panting. Running to Mozart's was a surreal experence...it's out of the way, a place I could never image running to.
To be contenued...
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
Dear God What a Tangled Web we Weave
I just sent the following letter to the Univeristy Star in response to the unfortunte example of (not) Christ's message that was presented at Texas State last week. I'll have more to say about Jed Smock and his kind later, but for now look over my letter and respond with any comments. I had a lot that I wanted to say, but was limited to 300 works.
Thanks,
- Jordan
---
This past week, many Christians, including myself, had to defend our beliefs from a man who spread a perverted message of hate while claiming to represent Jesus Christ.
The image that the “reverend” Jed Smock presented was not of Jesus Christ, but of a hateful, judgmental and bitter man who has apparently ignored Christ’s message for the sake of his ego. Many at Texas State are already distrustful of the Biblical message. Jed Smock only serves to add to the confusion of people searching for truth, and increase that distrust. Christ invoked a message of love for humankind, regardless of any variables, giving the command: “love your neighbor as yourself”. Christians are supposed to follow Christ’s example of love above all else. During his ministry, Jesus reserved the vast majority of his harsh words not for the people that are most likely perceived as “sinners”, but for the religious elite, the Pharisees, who claimed to be morally perfect, just as Smock does. They are the people who received the brunt of Christ’s judgment. Smock professes that he is a morally perfect person. This is not possible according to the Bible, which teaches that “all sin and fall short of the Glory of God”. Romans chapter 3 says: “there is no one righteous, not even one”. It is though faith and God’s grace, not by works or actions, Mr. Smock, that we are saved. Only God is without sin. By claiming to be sinless, Smock is not only being un-biblical, he’s being outright blasphemous by claiming moral equality with God.
I can only hope that students will see past Smock’s self-righteous display, and that their perception of God (whether they believe in God as real, or merely a man-made concept) will not be shaped by such a un-Christ-like person.
- Jordan
Thanks,
- Jordan
---
This past week, many Christians, including myself, had to defend our beliefs from a man who spread a perverted message of hate while claiming to represent Jesus Christ.
The image that the “reverend” Jed Smock presented was not of Jesus Christ, but of a hateful, judgmental and bitter man who has apparently ignored Christ’s message for the sake of his ego. Many at Texas State are already distrustful of the Biblical message. Jed Smock only serves to add to the confusion of people searching for truth, and increase that distrust. Christ invoked a message of love for humankind, regardless of any variables, giving the command: “love your neighbor as yourself”. Christians are supposed to follow Christ’s example of love above all else. During his ministry, Jesus reserved the vast majority of his harsh words not for the people that are most likely perceived as “sinners”, but for the religious elite, the Pharisees, who claimed to be morally perfect, just as Smock does. They are the people who received the brunt of Christ’s judgment. Smock professes that he is a morally perfect person. This is not possible according to the Bible, which teaches that “all sin and fall short of the Glory of God”. Romans chapter 3 says: “there is no one righteous, not even one”. It is though faith and God’s grace, not by works or actions, Mr. Smock, that we are saved. Only God is without sin. By claiming to be sinless, Smock is not only being un-biblical, he’s being outright blasphemous by claiming moral equality with God.
I can only hope that students will see past Smock’s self-righteous display, and that their perception of God (whether they believe in God as real, or merely a man-made concept) will not be shaped by such a un-Christ-like person.
- Jordan
Sunday, February 13, 2005
Let's Get Physical Pt. 2
I took my own advice and went for an 11 p.m. run around my mostly commercial South Austin neighborhood. I started by running around my apartment complex once (1.1 miles, I live in a huge Complex), and then over to 35, up to Stassney, and back to my building (or, around the neighborhood for those of you who have never been to my place, another 1.4 miles). 2.5 miles isin't bad I guess, it proves that I can't use being out of shape as an excuse. I got a bad stitch in my side that kept me from going farther...I'm sure the Dr. Pepper I downed at 10 p.m. had something to do with that. I need to work on my pre run routine.
It's boring, but it's my life.
- Jordan
It's boring, but it's my life.
- Jordan
So Sick and Tired of these Pictures of Me
I'm trying to figure out how to post pictures on my blog. The picture icon doesn't work for me. If anyone (*cough*...Michael Rice...*cough*) can share their knowledge with me I would appreicate it.:)
Americans Have Too Much Money and Misplaced Priorities
Americans spend $34 billion a year on their dogs.
I guess Bush asking for $87 billion to fund rebuilding and military efforts in Iraq dosen't sound so bad in comparison.
Well, anyway this isin't about politics, it's about...well...the question of "why?" People always ask how many people could be fed with the money spent military operations. Where are the people asking people to spend their billions on feeding the poor instead of giving their dogs a lifestyle that a vast majority of the world's human population doesn't have a chance at.
Yes, "animal people" really get under my skin. The story in the link explains why. If you don't think there is something wrong with that...then, man. I dunno. Many people will protest the way the Government spends a lot of money on the Military, but they won't take the iniative in their own lives with their own pocketbooks to make a differece.
"Tiger travels with her everywhere and has inspired Travels with Tiger, her business in high-end luxury goods for dogs, including a $5,700 green crocodile leather travel bag, sold at Bergdorf Goodman on Fifth Avenue in New York. You can buy the matching human purse, too. “It's like playing grown-up Barbie dolls,” she says of the little sweaters with fur trim ($295) and other clothes for dogs that she features."
How ironic, some animal died to make fur trim and $5,700 bag.
"Owners are spending tens of thousands of dollars on their dog's veterinary care, too, including kidney transplants and MRIs.
“We've seen invoices that run from $10,000 to $30,000 to treat a variety of conditions,” says Peter Weinstein, medical director for Veterinary Pet Insurance in Brea, Calif. The company has sold more than 360,000 pet insurance policies, vs. 157,000 in 2000. And about 1,100 U.S. companies offer VPI's pet insurance as an employee benefit".
40 million or so Americans do not have health insurance. Oh well. Life isin't fair. I guess that's the way it's going to be. I guess. Because people are that out of it.
- Jordan
I guess Bush asking for $87 billion to fund rebuilding and military efforts in Iraq dosen't sound so bad in comparison.
Well, anyway this isin't about politics, it's about...well...the question of "why?" People always ask how many people could be fed with the money spent military operations. Where are the people asking people to spend their billions on feeding the poor instead of giving their dogs a lifestyle that a vast majority of the world's human population doesn't have a chance at.
Yes, "animal people" really get under my skin. The story in the link explains why. If you don't think there is something wrong with that...then, man. I dunno. Many people will protest the way the Government spends a lot of money on the Military, but they won't take the iniative in their own lives with their own pocketbooks to make a differece.
"Tiger travels with her everywhere and has inspired Travels with Tiger, her business in high-end luxury goods for dogs, including a $5,700 green crocodile leather travel bag, sold at Bergdorf Goodman on Fifth Avenue in New York. You can buy the matching human purse, too. “It's like playing grown-up Barbie dolls,” she says of the little sweaters with fur trim ($295) and other clothes for dogs that she features."
How ironic, some animal died to make fur trim and $5,700 bag.
"Owners are spending tens of thousands of dollars on their dog's veterinary care, too, including kidney transplants and MRIs.
“We've seen invoices that run from $10,000 to $30,000 to treat a variety of conditions,” says Peter Weinstein, medical director for Veterinary Pet Insurance in Brea, Calif. The company has sold more than 360,000 pet insurance policies, vs. 157,000 in 2000. And about 1,100 U.S. companies offer VPI's pet insurance as an employee benefit".
40 million or so Americans do not have health insurance. Oh well. Life isin't fair. I guess that's the way it's going to be. I guess. Because people are that out of it.
- Jordan
Let's Get Physical
Once again I've failed myself. Well, more specifically, my body. I'm LAZY when it comes to doing more physical activity than my daily life requires. Sure I'll play ultimate, I work on my feet, I walk several miles a day when I'm at school, but I don't do more than is really required. Meaning I don't have a consistent habit of working out, running, anything besides sitting around and not doing much. Let's just say I make a lot of excuses for myself, and then complain when I weigh myself and the scale reads 160 (I'm 6 feet 3 inches tall, I'm definitely underweight). Well, there's nothing I can do about it I guess...that's what I tell myself anyway.
I live in a fantastic apartment complex with a great fitness center. I go to a good school which has a rec center that is more than adaquate. But until I stop making excuses, I'm not going to accomplish anything.
I make way too many excuses for myself.
I live in a fantastic apartment complex with a great fitness center. I go to a good school which has a rec center that is more than adaquate. But until I stop making excuses, I'm not going to accomplish anything.
I make way too many excuses for myself.
Friday, February 11, 2005
Big Trucks Pt. 2
Following my last post I got an e-mail from a good friend of mine named Dan Bakken. He brought up a very interesting and valid point, some people buy large vehicles for safety reasons.
My answer is that is a reason for buying one...espeically if parent's are buying one of their kid because they want them to have the best chance in an accident. However, I think it is a pretty dangerous trend...what happens when more people start buying hummers, then a Ford Explorer is no longer that safe...vehicles get larger and larger while the people who can only afford to drive small cars (i.e., myself) are put at more and more risk. I wish we could get out of this "bigger is better" mentality, especially in Texas. Oh well.
p.s. I didn't mean to sound as if I was targeting people who drive moderately sized trucks or S.U.V.s...I was mainly talking about huge jacked up trucks, hummers, huge S.U.Vs and the like. So yea, no offense meant to Derek or Sam...you're guys cars (a Jeep and a moderately sized truck) are not the kind of cars I was ranting about. Take it easy,
- Jordan
----
The e-mail:
Good post about the big gas guzzling trucks, just one thought:
What about the folks that buy larger vehicles for safety reasons? A
gigantic SUV or truck has a much better chance of surviving a crash
with an 18 wheeler than a Geo Metro.
Dan
My answer is that is a reason for buying one...espeically if parent's are buying one of their kid because they want them to have the best chance in an accident. However, I think it is a pretty dangerous trend...what happens when more people start buying hummers, then a Ford Explorer is no longer that safe...vehicles get larger and larger while the people who can only afford to drive small cars (i.e., myself) are put at more and more risk. I wish we could get out of this "bigger is better" mentality, especially in Texas. Oh well.
p.s. I didn't mean to sound as if I was targeting people who drive moderately sized trucks or S.U.V.s...I was mainly talking about huge jacked up trucks, hummers, huge S.U.Vs and the like. So yea, no offense meant to Derek or Sam...you're guys cars (a Jeep and a moderately sized truck) are not the kind of cars I was ranting about. Take it easy,
- Jordan
----
The e-mail:
Good post about the big gas guzzling trucks, just one thought:
What about the folks that buy larger vehicles for safety reasons? A
gigantic SUV or truck has a much better chance of surviving a crash
with an 18 wheeler than a Geo Metro.
Dan
Wednesday, February 09, 2005
Big People in their Big Big Trucks
Prepare for a rant of biblical proportions.
I've been thinking a good deal lately about American culture as it relates to material consumptions. I often tend to single out my home state of Texas when I think about the problems I see, but honestly the case is pretty similar everywhere I go (allthough my travels have primarily been in the Western half of the U.S.). It's the same case, the best visable example, people driving really unessicarily large vehicles and using ridiculous amounts of gas to power their gigantic hunks of metal as they fly down the freeway at eighty-whatever miles per hour.
The question I ask every time I see a college student driving a Ford Excursion or a Tahoe, or a guy with a pick up track that is so huge and jacked up so high that if it ran over you it would just mess up your hair is.......why...why...I mean, there are a lot of things in life that I do not understand, but this transcends any possibility of me ever understanding...WHY? I mean, there is a compensation factor...the shortest guy that lived in my dorm last year drove the largest truck. The irony was not lost on me...but seriously, where in the world does the money come from for buying an expensive large vehicle, gas for that vehicle, and huge tires and whatever else is needed to give that vehicle more power to kill.
Then there's the amount of energy wasted on all of those extra seats. We have an "oil crisis". Who is really at fault for it? OPEC, terrorists? Nope. It's every good ol' boy, sorority girl, soccer mom or hick that is rushing to car lots across America (many younger people doing so with their parents money) to buy a vehicle that is bigger than the guy's next door. Do you think we would have a gas shortage if the people who didn't need gigantic vehicles bought Honda Accords? Think of how much cheaper gas would be...the difference would be staggering. This alone would cut U.S. gasoline consumption severely. But are people are selfish, so damn selfish, do damn intent on proving something, whatever it is, by owning a gigantic killing machine, not thinking about what this does to the economy or, more importiantly, the environment.
Of course I'm not blind to the fact that for some people these large autos are necessary, or at least serve a very practical purpose. Farmers and ranchers need trucks, however, Joe Suburban White Guy from the suburbs of Houston who attends college in Dallas doesn't...but in spite of that we have thousands of Joe White guys driving around in their 15 m.p.g. trucks with dozens of cubic feet of wasted space and untold gallons of wasted gas. Yeah, my friend Michael's family needed their Chevy Suburban, they had 7 kids. They would spend a lot on gas anyway. However, Jane Suburban White Girl doesn't need to use an entire gallon of gas to drive her freakin Chevy tahoe 10 minutes to school with room for her and six of her invisable friends.
This isin't just an issue of consumption, it's a reflection of a huge American cultural flaw. Americans are too selfish and self centered to think about others, or practicality, or waste, or the environment...people who drive Hummers (something that there is no reason for anyone to own unless you're planning on driving across enemy territory to plant a bomb to blow up an enemy supply line) should be sent 50 years into the future to see the havoc that this over consumption may potentially reek on our planet and mankind...then they should be flogged...okay mabye that's too harsh...I think being forced to drive a Geo for the rest of their lives might be more humane...but just barely.
Mabye that's what these people should do. Instead of plastering their hummers with yellow and flag colored ribbons and pretending to support the troops, mabye they should really support them by excercising their second amendment right to buy whatever massive assualt weapon they choose, ship their hummers over to Iraq, and go after insurgent strongholds. That's what I call supporting the troops. At least their hummers will already have more armor than some of the ones that our soldiers have been using for the past few months.
I have a lot more I could say about this...more complaining I could do. However I'm going to just stop for now and contenue this at another time. Please respond with your comments. If I was too harsh or inflammitory, well, I'm pissed about this, so I'm going to be, until people stop being idiots...allthough that's not something I'm really counting on happening for a while. I'm looking foward to getting my 2 door Honda Civic back from the shop this week and driving it with the satisfaction that, as I drive down the freeway, the guy to the left in his huge truck and the guy to my right in the Hummer are spending three times as much money on gas as I am. But then again, that's probably because they either have way too much money, or their parents don't mind footing the bill.
Can the craze over huge automobiles get any more ridiculious? The answer is found in the link, which can be accessed by clicking on the title of this post. I think it is a good example of what I'm saying.
Enjoy,
- Jordan
I've been thinking a good deal lately about American culture as it relates to material consumptions. I often tend to single out my home state of Texas when I think about the problems I see, but honestly the case is pretty similar everywhere I go (allthough my travels have primarily been in the Western half of the U.S.). It's the same case, the best visable example, people driving really unessicarily large vehicles and using ridiculous amounts of gas to power their gigantic hunks of metal as they fly down the freeway at eighty-whatever miles per hour.
The question I ask every time I see a college student driving a Ford Excursion or a Tahoe, or a guy with a pick up track that is so huge and jacked up so high that if it ran over you it would just mess up your hair is.......why...why...I mean, there are a lot of things in life that I do not understand, but this transcends any possibility of me ever understanding...WHY? I mean, there is a compensation factor...the shortest guy that lived in my dorm last year drove the largest truck. The irony was not lost on me...but seriously, where in the world does the money come from for buying an expensive large vehicle, gas for that vehicle, and huge tires and whatever else is needed to give that vehicle more power to kill.
Then there's the amount of energy wasted on all of those extra seats. We have an "oil crisis". Who is really at fault for it? OPEC, terrorists? Nope. It's every good ol' boy, sorority girl, soccer mom or hick that is rushing to car lots across America (many younger people doing so with their parents money) to buy a vehicle that is bigger than the guy's next door. Do you think we would have a gas shortage if the people who didn't need gigantic vehicles bought Honda Accords? Think of how much cheaper gas would be...the difference would be staggering. This alone would cut U.S. gasoline consumption severely. But are people are selfish, so damn selfish, do damn intent on proving something, whatever it is, by owning a gigantic killing machine, not thinking about what this does to the economy or, more importiantly, the environment.
Of course I'm not blind to the fact that for some people these large autos are necessary, or at least serve a very practical purpose. Farmers and ranchers need trucks, however, Joe Suburban White Guy from the suburbs of Houston who attends college in Dallas doesn't...but in spite of that we have thousands of Joe White guys driving around in their 15 m.p.g. trucks with dozens of cubic feet of wasted space and untold gallons of wasted gas. Yeah, my friend Michael's family needed their Chevy Suburban, they had 7 kids. They would spend a lot on gas anyway. However, Jane Suburban White Girl doesn't need to use an entire gallon of gas to drive her freakin Chevy tahoe 10 minutes to school with room for her and six of her invisable friends.
This isin't just an issue of consumption, it's a reflection of a huge American cultural flaw. Americans are too selfish and self centered to think about others, or practicality, or waste, or the environment...people who drive Hummers (something that there is no reason for anyone to own unless you're planning on driving across enemy territory to plant a bomb to blow up an enemy supply line) should be sent 50 years into the future to see the havoc that this over consumption may potentially reek on our planet and mankind...then they should be flogged...okay mabye that's too harsh...I think being forced to drive a Geo for the rest of their lives might be more humane...but just barely.
Mabye that's what these people should do. Instead of plastering their hummers with yellow and flag colored ribbons and pretending to support the troops, mabye they should really support them by excercising their second amendment right to buy whatever massive assualt weapon they choose, ship their hummers over to Iraq, and go after insurgent strongholds. That's what I call supporting the troops. At least their hummers will already have more armor than some of the ones that our soldiers have been using for the past few months.
I have a lot more I could say about this...more complaining I could do. However I'm going to just stop for now and contenue this at another time. Please respond with your comments. If I was too harsh or inflammitory, well, I'm pissed about this, so I'm going to be, until people stop being idiots...allthough that's not something I'm really counting on happening for a while. I'm looking foward to getting my 2 door Honda Civic back from the shop this week and driving it with the satisfaction that, as I drive down the freeway, the guy to the left in his huge truck and the guy to my right in the Hummer are spending three times as much money on gas as I am. But then again, that's probably because they either have way too much money, or their parents don't mind footing the bill.
Can the craze over huge automobiles get any more ridiculious? The answer is found in the link, which can be accessed by clicking on the title of this post. I think it is a good example of what I'm saying.
Enjoy,
- Jordan
Supermix 2K5 Pt. 2 (The Tweak)
Well, just as I posted that, I decided to tweak my tracklist again. I like "Tiny Cities Made of Ashes" enough to justify replacing "The Stars Are Projectors" (which I'm listening to right now and is an amazing song) and thus freeing up a few minutes so I can add "Promise" by Pedro the Lion, a song that means way too much to me to leave off.
I also have, I think, finally settled on "Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt" as my favorite Mars Volta song. It's amazing, that album is amazing. That's why I've had such a hard time picking a favorite song because the entire album is so complete and awesome. The same goes for MewithoutYou. As much as I like the new album, I've decided to go with Silencer which is off their first album. It's an unreal song. I love it.
The updated tracklist:
1. Slick Shoes - For Better, For Worse (2:53)
2. The Get Up Kids - Ten Minutes (3:12)
3. Death Cab for Cutie - We Laugh Indoors (4:58)
4. And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead - Mistakes and Regrets (3:46)
5. RX Bandits - Consequential Apathy (2:36)
6. Less than Jake - All My Best Friends are Metalheads (3:41)
7. The Impossibles - Erin with an "E" (3:27)
8. Thrice - Ultra Blue (3:02)
9. The Mars Volta - Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt (8:41)
10. Modest Mouse - Tiny Cities Made of Ashes (3:41)
11. The Shins - New Slang (3:51)
12. The New Amsterdams - Every Double Life (2:05)
13. Jimmy Eat World - Ten (3:48)
14. The Weakerthans - Song for an Elk's Lodge Last Call (2:44)
15. Streetlight Manifesto - A Better Place, A Better Time (6:28)
16. The Ataris - In Spite of the World (3:37)
17. MewithoutYou - Silencer (3:49)
18. At the Drive In - Cosmonaut (3:24)
19. Pedro the Lion - Promise (2:19)
20. Five Iron Frenzy - Every New Day (4:10)
If you want a copy just ask and I'll burn you one. Most of the people who read this should have my AIM s/n but just in case you don't it's: thriceshoes
Take it easy,
- Jordan
I also have, I think, finally settled on "Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt" as my favorite Mars Volta song. It's amazing, that album is amazing. That's why I've had such a hard time picking a favorite song because the entire album is so complete and awesome. The same goes for MewithoutYou. As much as I like the new album, I've decided to go with Silencer which is off their first album. It's an unreal song. I love it.
The updated tracklist:
1. Slick Shoes - For Better, For Worse (2:53)
2. The Get Up Kids - Ten Minutes (3:12)
3. Death Cab for Cutie - We Laugh Indoors (4:58)
4. And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead - Mistakes and Regrets (3:46)
5. RX Bandits - Consequential Apathy (2:36)
6. Less than Jake - All My Best Friends are Metalheads (3:41)
7. The Impossibles - Erin with an "E" (3:27)
8. Thrice - Ultra Blue (3:02)
9. The Mars Volta - Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt (8:41)
10. Modest Mouse - Tiny Cities Made of Ashes (3:41)
11. The Shins - New Slang (3:51)
12. The New Amsterdams - Every Double Life (2:05)
13. Jimmy Eat World - Ten (3:48)
14. The Weakerthans - Song for an Elk's Lodge Last Call (2:44)
15. Streetlight Manifesto - A Better Place, A Better Time (6:28)
16. The Ataris - In Spite of the World (3:37)
17. MewithoutYou - Silencer (3:49)
18. At the Drive In - Cosmonaut (3:24)
19. Pedro the Lion - Promise (2:19)
20. Five Iron Frenzy - Every New Day (4:10)
If you want a copy just ask and I'll burn you one. Most of the people who read this should have my AIM s/n but just in case you don't it's: thriceshoes
Take it easy,
- Jordan
Monday, February 07, 2005
Supermix 2K5
I spent some time over the second half of last year, compiling and putting together a cd with my all time favorite songs...limited to one per band so I could represent more of my favorite bands. I did several editions but after a few tries and re-tries I finally settled on a cd that, as of now, best represents my favorite music and contains some songs that really mean alot to me in a lot of ways. If any of you guys want a copy of it I'll be more than happy to burn one for you. It's the best way for me to answer the question "what kind of music do you like?". Also, it is a chance to share a part of my life and I feel that the cd gives a really good sense of who I am and what I'm like. Without further flatulation...here's the tracklist:
---
1. Slick Shoes - For Better, For Worse (2:53)
2. The Get Up Kids - Ten Minutes (3:12)
3. Death Cab for Cutie - We Laugh Indoors (4:58)
4. And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead - Mistakes and Regrets (3:46)
5. RX Bandits - Consequential Apathy (2:36)
6. Less than Jake - All My Best Friends are Metalheads (3:41)
7. The Impossibles - Erin with an "E" (3:27)
8. Thrice - Ultra Blue (3:02)
9. The Mars Volta - Eriatarka (6:20)
10. Modest Mouse - The Stars are Projectors (8:46)
11. The Shins - New Slang (3:51)
12. The New Amsterdams - Every Double Life (2:05)
13. Jimmy Eat World - Ten (3:48)
14. The Weakerthans - Song for an Elk's Lodge Last Call (2:44)
15. Streetlight Manifesto - A Better Place, A Better Time (6:28)
16. The Ataris - In Spite of the World (3:37)
17. At the Drive In - Cosmonaut (3:24)
18. MewithoutYou - January 1979 (3:26)
19. Five Iron Frenzy - Every New Day (4:10)
---
The hardest parts of putting together a cd like this are deciding which song to use (which is hard with some of my favorite bands), deciding what order to put them in, and, hardest of all, cutting some songs from the list in order to fit it all onto one cd.This is still definitely a work in progress, but it's much close to being a finished product than it's ever been. Then again, I don't think I'll ever have a finished product as far as this is concerned. That's what's so great about good music.
- Jordan
---
1. Slick Shoes - For Better, For Worse (2:53)
2. The Get Up Kids - Ten Minutes (3:12)
3. Death Cab for Cutie - We Laugh Indoors (4:58)
4. And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead - Mistakes and Regrets (3:46)
5. RX Bandits - Consequential Apathy (2:36)
6. Less than Jake - All My Best Friends are Metalheads (3:41)
7. The Impossibles - Erin with an "E" (3:27)
8. Thrice - Ultra Blue (3:02)
9. The Mars Volta - Eriatarka (6:20)
10. Modest Mouse - The Stars are Projectors (8:46)
11. The Shins - New Slang (3:51)
12. The New Amsterdams - Every Double Life (2:05)
13. Jimmy Eat World - Ten (3:48)
14. The Weakerthans - Song for an Elk's Lodge Last Call (2:44)
15. Streetlight Manifesto - A Better Place, A Better Time (6:28)
16. The Ataris - In Spite of the World (3:37)
17. At the Drive In - Cosmonaut (3:24)
18. MewithoutYou - January 1979 (3:26)
19. Five Iron Frenzy - Every New Day (4:10)
---
The hardest parts of putting together a cd like this are deciding which song to use (which is hard with some of my favorite bands), deciding what order to put them in, and, hardest of all, cutting some songs from the list in order to fit it all onto one cd.This is still definitely a work in progress, but it's much close to being a finished product than it's ever been. Then again, I don't think I'll ever have a finished product as far as this is concerned. That's what's so great about good music.
- Jordan
Why Can't We Be Friends? Why Can't We Be...
I’ve come to the conclusion that I really do not like the month of February. It’s hard to spell, school is dragging on but it’s too early to think about Spring Break, the weather usually sucks (by Texas standards), there are practically no good shows going on even in Austin (the calm before the storm of music that is South by Southwest), things are slower than usual at work, not a lot of people seem very happy. Stuff like that is why I just don’t see much to like about this month. One bright spot is the birthday of Derek Eacho, but there’s not too much else to cheer about...like the full cup of coffee that I just spilled all over the (fortunetly) coffee colored carpet at Mocha's and Java's. Good times? Not really. But what I really need to do is make the best of it.
Work, school, work, school, work, school. Thank God for relationships. They really save life from being extremely dull. Family, friends, and (allthough I don't often prioritize correctly) most importiantly, God. Where would I be without relationships? That thought is what drives me to cherish them and value them highly. That is why I put so much time and effort into building them. Of course, I seem to value close relationships greatly and more distiant relationships not nearly as highly. I seem to prefer a small close group of really good friends to a larger group of not so close friends. When I look at friendships I see them on different levels...of course this holds me back when I'm in a new group or meeting a new person.
Of course it's nothing personal, at least I don't intend it to be. I just seem to have a sense (that is usually proven right) when I am first getting to know a person of how good of friends I will end up being with that person. With almost all of my good friends in Austin, San Marcos or Temple, I knew within just a few minutes of knowing them that I would eventually be good friends with them. There have been (see post on negitivity) however, a few friendships that defied that. My intuition was proven wrong, usually because of a certian unfair bias that I mentally had. Sometimes I wonder if this "intuitive sense" is merely a self-fullfilling prophecy, mabye I have great potential friendships that I just torpedo because I think that they're not going to work. I often wonder if I do this when it comes to potential relashonships with girls. I see certian girls that I could have potential feelings for, but I always seem to find some reason not to take the iniative to...well, iniate.
But the whole girl topic is for another post. I have a hard time addressing it or thinking about it.
Work, school, work, school, work, school. Thank God for relationships. They really save life from being extremely dull. Family, friends, and (allthough I don't often prioritize correctly) most importiantly, God. Where would I be without relationships? That thought is what drives me to cherish them and value them highly. That is why I put so much time and effort into building them. Of course, I seem to value close relationships greatly and more distiant relationships not nearly as highly. I seem to prefer a small close group of really good friends to a larger group of not so close friends. When I look at friendships I see them on different levels...of course this holds me back when I'm in a new group or meeting a new person.
Of course it's nothing personal, at least I don't intend it to be. I just seem to have a sense (that is usually proven right) when I am first getting to know a person of how good of friends I will end up being with that person. With almost all of my good friends in Austin, San Marcos or Temple, I knew within just a few minutes of knowing them that I would eventually be good friends with them. There have been (see post on negitivity) however, a few friendships that defied that. My intuition was proven wrong, usually because of a certian unfair bias that I mentally had. Sometimes I wonder if this "intuitive sense" is merely a self-fullfilling prophecy, mabye I have great potential friendships that I just torpedo because I think that they're not going to work. I often wonder if I do this when it comes to potential relashonships with girls. I see certian girls that I could have potential feelings for, but I always seem to find some reason not to take the iniative to...well, iniate.
But the whole girl topic is for another post. I have a hard time addressing it or thinking about it.
Super (Insert Pun Here)
I gathered with some friends at a San Marcos apartment last night for the annual American ritual of watching the Super Bowl while eating various grilled meats. I'm a pretty big football fan and I had a vested (non-monetary) interest in the game. I've liked the New England Patriots ever since I was a kid (I remember rooting for them against the Packers in Super Bowl XXXI for example), on the other hand, The Dallas Cowboys are my favorite team which all but requires me to hate the Philadelphia Eagles.
Thus, I was extremely pleased with the game. I can't stand the Eagles...espeically Terrell Owens...what a jerk. Anyway it was a good time with some people that I hadn't seen in a long time. The various meats were good. The commercials were very average. The game was pretty good toward the end. It appeared as if the Eagles didn't realize that they could still win until after the two minute warning. It was pretty funny to watch. Anyway yea go football.
Thus, I was extremely pleased with the game. I can't stand the Eagles...espeically Terrell Owens...what a jerk. Anyway it was a good time with some people that I hadn't seen in a long time. The various meats were good. The commercials were very average. The game was pretty good toward the end. It appeared as if the Eagles didn't realize that they could still win until after the two minute warning. It was pretty funny to watch. Anyway yea go football.
Saturday, February 05, 2005
Discs of Fury
One of the hardest tasks that I have ever undertaken in my life is trying to learn how to throw a Frisbee. It is, for me, unbelievably difficult to learn how to throw it with both distance and accuracy. I have both for about 15 feet and then after that my accuracy drops considerably. I watch so many of my friends effortlessly toss the disc, almost as if with their minds, to travel hundreds of feet with perfect balance and evenness, right to their intended target. For me however, I often miss targets that are 20 feet away.
I won’t go into the suspected reasons, or theories (almost all of my friends have a different explanation as to what I’m doing wrong) for why I have so much trouble with those little round things, it’s enough for this post to say that I have immense amounts of trouble with them and leave it at that.
My inability to make significant process throwing the Frisbee has led to significant displays of visual frustration and borderline rage on my part. Sure it “doesn’t matter”, and it’s “not a big deal”, but as a hyper-competitive person, whenever I see a bunch of people that I know doing something well, I want to do it just as well, or better, even if it is something as inconsequential as the ability to hurl a disc for more than 30 feet in the same direction.
So of course the embarrassment of my often frustrated actions only adds to the angst surrounding this constant struggle between man and disc. It seems to bring out the worst in me, a category previously reserved for Bowling. But, a conversation that I had with a good friend this past week helped me come to the conclusion that my struggle with the inanimate plastic disc has not been completely in vain. I am learning an important lesson though it.
I’ve often thought that I was learning a number of lessons during my now two-year-long endeavor, “life sucks”, “you can’t be good at everything”, “you suck at throwing the Frisbee and always will”…but none of those were the real lesson. The real lesson has always been one that I have had a difficult time learning and grasping. The lesson that there are many areas in my life where purely relying on myself only leads to fruitless results and frustration. Ultimately (no pun intended), I must be surrounded by, and immersed in community, reaching beyond myself to seek help in growing in all areas of life, otherwise I will stagnate and become frustrated, wondering why I am still in the same place, and situation.
I began to consider this on a cool night late last semester. I was warming up with some of my best friends before our Thursday night ritual of midnight Ultimate Frisbee. I enjoy Ultimate much more than throwing the Frisbee normally, or playing disc golf, because you can actually have a big impact in the game without ever having to toss the Frisbee more than 20 feet.This night I was having a particularly hard time remembering the 20 or so ways that I’ve been told are the correct way to throw the Frisbee. I have always lamented these reasons because I have an extremely difficult time transmitting verbal instructions into physical actions. The way I learn doesn’t facilitate that. I learn very differently than people who seem more athletically inclined than I am.
This night however, one of my good friends, Derek Eacho, got it. Agreeing with my protests that I needed to be physically shown how to throw the disc, not just watch someone throw it while they say something that I completely don’t understand to explain what they just somehow did. He physically moved my arms in the correct throwing motion and for the first time ever I actually significantly improved at throwing the Frisbee after someone else’s instructions. And there is my lesson, it was not until I had submitted to have someone else physically help me throw it that I finally grew in my ability to do so. I feel that is an important thing that I need to apply to my everyday life. Because of my fallen and imperfect nature, anything that I try to do on my own is ultimately flawed and doomed to fail. However, when we seek after God, we have less room for error, and those flaws are less prominent, when we do so in community. It is in community that we are best suited for growth. Fellowship and accountability are two of God's greatest gifts to mankind, I think. No, I'm sure. They're so important.
If this is the only major less I learn from my months of often extreme frustration with the disc, then I will consider it to be worth it. This is a huge thing that I need to learn. I've got to end the belief that I can acheieve anything on my own and I don't need the help of others. It's just not true and it's gotten me into a lot of holes in my life.
- Jordan
I won’t go into the suspected reasons, or theories (almost all of my friends have a different explanation as to what I’m doing wrong) for why I have so much trouble with those little round things, it’s enough for this post to say that I have immense amounts of trouble with them and leave it at that.
My inability to make significant process throwing the Frisbee has led to significant displays of visual frustration and borderline rage on my part. Sure it “doesn’t matter”, and it’s “not a big deal”, but as a hyper-competitive person, whenever I see a bunch of people that I know doing something well, I want to do it just as well, or better, even if it is something as inconsequential as the ability to hurl a disc for more than 30 feet in the same direction.
So of course the embarrassment of my often frustrated actions only adds to the angst surrounding this constant struggle between man and disc. It seems to bring out the worst in me, a category previously reserved for Bowling. But, a conversation that I had with a good friend this past week helped me come to the conclusion that my struggle with the inanimate plastic disc has not been completely in vain. I am learning an important lesson though it.
I’ve often thought that I was learning a number of lessons during my now two-year-long endeavor, “life sucks”, “you can’t be good at everything”, “you suck at throwing the Frisbee and always will”…but none of those were the real lesson. The real lesson has always been one that I have had a difficult time learning and grasping. The lesson that there are many areas in my life where purely relying on myself only leads to fruitless results and frustration. Ultimately (no pun intended), I must be surrounded by, and immersed in community, reaching beyond myself to seek help in growing in all areas of life, otherwise I will stagnate and become frustrated, wondering why I am still in the same place, and situation.
I began to consider this on a cool night late last semester. I was warming up with some of my best friends before our Thursday night ritual of midnight Ultimate Frisbee. I enjoy Ultimate much more than throwing the Frisbee normally, or playing disc golf, because you can actually have a big impact in the game without ever having to toss the Frisbee more than 20 feet.This night I was having a particularly hard time remembering the 20 or so ways that I’ve been told are the correct way to throw the Frisbee. I have always lamented these reasons because I have an extremely difficult time transmitting verbal instructions into physical actions. The way I learn doesn’t facilitate that. I learn very differently than people who seem more athletically inclined than I am.
This night however, one of my good friends, Derek Eacho, got it. Agreeing with my protests that I needed to be physically shown how to throw the disc, not just watch someone throw it while they say something that I completely don’t understand to explain what they just somehow did. He physically moved my arms in the correct throwing motion and for the first time ever I actually significantly improved at throwing the Frisbee after someone else’s instructions. And there is my lesson, it was not until I had submitted to have someone else physically help me throw it that I finally grew in my ability to do so. I feel that is an important thing that I need to apply to my everyday life. Because of my fallen and imperfect nature, anything that I try to do on my own is ultimately flawed and doomed to fail. However, when we seek after God, we have less room for error, and those flaws are less prominent, when we do so in community. It is in community that we are best suited for growth. Fellowship and accountability are two of God's greatest gifts to mankind, I think. No, I'm sure. They're so important.
If this is the only major less I learn from my months of often extreme frustration with the disc, then I will consider it to be worth it. This is a huge thing that I need to learn. I've got to end the belief that I can acheieve anything on my own and I don't need the help of others. It's just not true and it's gotten me into a lot of holes in my life.
- Jordan
Wednesday, February 02, 2005
Irresistable Change
There's a sign along Interstate 35 between Austin and San Antonio that boldly proclaims a community that, for decades, has been "Gently resisting change". Well, of course that is a facade, the community changed a lot when an investor purchased most of the buildings in the hamlet and turned it into a small tourist center full of manufactured Texas "culture". This story is not about that community, it is about my life...how I resisted change, change to my plans, my life, change that came from anywhere besides myself. However, while I was strongly resisting, I was on the path being changed regardless.
Of course I resisted...who likes change? Who wants to admit that their plans, lifestyle, the entire personal code of ethics that they have lived by are ultimately inadequate. I never wanted to entertain the idea that, no matter how hard I tried, I could not control my life.
I grew up assuming that I was saved...not really knowing what I was saved from. I just assumed that, on my own, I could do whatever I wanted, achieve whatever I wanted, that I could do the things necessary to save me from whatever. I had plenty of "knowledge" of the Bible, of Christian thought, but I never really believed it. I would often reject truthful things because they conflicted with my plans, with my beliefs, with my selfishness.
Oh man, selfishness, what a horrible thing, but it was my best friend growing up. I was selfish, every action, every thought, "good" or bad, was done with the intention of bringing the most benefit possible to myself. I cannot recall ever doing something for someone without first making sure that I would benefit in some way, that it was "worth it". I wanted to look good, I wanted other people to think highly of me. It didn't matter what the consequences were for everyone else. I was extremely competitive, but, because of my family's persistent financial difficulties (I spent most of my childhood below "middle class", my sports activities, were limited. So, I expressed my competitive nature in many other ways. I was a very "bad sport", but not only that, I was a chronically argumentative and angry kid.
My story of growing up is far from a "Sex, Drugs and Rock N' Roll" story. However, I didn't drink or do drugs for any reason other than to benefit myself, that is, make myself look as much like a good moral person as possible. I was just as sinful as anyone (still am of course), but I didn't look at it that way at the time. I was "better" than people around me because I did the "right" things. I had some experience with church, but my family stopped going when I was 12, further hampering any spiritual input into my life. I didn't grow up with spiritual leadership or strong guidance in this area of my life. I wasn't around consistent fellowship and so I sank further into a spiritual quagmire of, well, nothing.
Being filled with nothing, I was a very unsatisfied teenager. I was always depressed, nothing could cure that it. On top of that my parents (who are vastly different now and I love them greatly) were fairly strict and overprotective. The oldest in a family often has to deal with this to some degree. I naturally became more rebellious (inwardly and in a passive agressive way) and self-focused. I often hated life, hated others, hated myself. I had friends but only a couple of them ever discussed spiritual stuff with me. I played along, assuming that I had already done enough and didn't have to worry about God. God was off doing his own thing, saving people so that they could be legalistic, make up a lot of extra-biblical rules, tell others to live by them while they spend their time judging others, as well as being hypocrites. That was the representation of God that I got from most of the "christians" that I encountered in life.
At age 15 I came as close to killing myself as I ever will. I had been grounded for a very long time and, faced with this new level of "tough love", I sank further into my negative hateful thought process. I think it was that summer that I hit my low point...although on the other hand I think every second of my life before I came to truly know Christ were equally low points. I remember, walking near the house on another 105 degree day (1998 was a hot year), trying to think of the best way to finish myself off, when I saw am image of my father crying at my funeral. It was a look of such stunning anguish, it broke my heart. It was the most realistic thing to ever flash into my mind. If I were to have a gun in my hand at that point I would have dropped it, just as quickly I dropped the thought of killing myself. From then on, I realized that my life had some purpose.
That purpose would remain lost on me for the next several years. My sense of purpose would be a confused and ultimately self-twisted idea that my purpose in life was to be successful, rich, powerful, and awesome. I saw every person on Earth as placed in a system where we were all ranked, 1 though 6 billion. My goal was to be number one and I needed to, and could, do whatever it took to reach that spot.
To be continued...
Of course I resisted...who likes change? Who wants to admit that their plans, lifestyle, the entire personal code of ethics that they have lived by are ultimately inadequate. I never wanted to entertain the idea that, no matter how hard I tried, I could not control my life.
I grew up assuming that I was saved...not really knowing what I was saved from. I just assumed that, on my own, I could do whatever I wanted, achieve whatever I wanted, that I could do the things necessary to save me from whatever. I had plenty of "knowledge" of the Bible, of Christian thought, but I never really believed it. I would often reject truthful things because they conflicted with my plans, with my beliefs, with my selfishness.
Oh man, selfishness, what a horrible thing, but it was my best friend growing up. I was selfish, every action, every thought, "good" or bad, was done with the intention of bringing the most benefit possible to myself. I cannot recall ever doing something for someone without first making sure that I would benefit in some way, that it was "worth it". I wanted to look good, I wanted other people to think highly of me. It didn't matter what the consequences were for everyone else. I was extremely competitive, but, because of my family's persistent financial difficulties (I spent most of my childhood below "middle class", my sports activities, were limited. So, I expressed my competitive nature in many other ways. I was a very "bad sport", but not only that, I was a chronically argumentative and angry kid.
My story of growing up is far from a "Sex, Drugs and Rock N' Roll" story. However, I didn't drink or do drugs for any reason other than to benefit myself, that is, make myself look as much like a good moral person as possible. I was just as sinful as anyone (still am of course), but I didn't look at it that way at the time. I was "better" than people around me because I did the "right" things. I had some experience with church, but my family stopped going when I was 12, further hampering any spiritual input into my life. I didn't grow up with spiritual leadership or strong guidance in this area of my life. I wasn't around consistent fellowship and so I sank further into a spiritual quagmire of, well, nothing.
Being filled with nothing, I was a very unsatisfied teenager. I was always depressed, nothing could cure that it. On top of that my parents (who are vastly different now and I love them greatly) were fairly strict and overprotective. The oldest in a family often has to deal with this to some degree. I naturally became more rebellious (inwardly and in a passive agressive way) and self-focused. I often hated life, hated others, hated myself. I had friends but only a couple of them ever discussed spiritual stuff with me. I played along, assuming that I had already done enough and didn't have to worry about God. God was off doing his own thing, saving people so that they could be legalistic, make up a lot of extra-biblical rules, tell others to live by them while they spend their time judging others, as well as being hypocrites. That was the representation of God that I got from most of the "christians" that I encountered in life.
At age 15 I came as close to killing myself as I ever will. I had been grounded for a very long time and, faced with this new level of "tough love", I sank further into my negative hateful thought process. I think it was that summer that I hit my low point...although on the other hand I think every second of my life before I came to truly know Christ were equally low points. I remember, walking near the house on another 105 degree day (1998 was a hot year), trying to think of the best way to finish myself off, when I saw am image of my father crying at my funeral. It was a look of such stunning anguish, it broke my heart. It was the most realistic thing to ever flash into my mind. If I were to have a gun in my hand at that point I would have dropped it, just as quickly I dropped the thought of killing myself. From then on, I realized that my life had some purpose.
That purpose would remain lost on me for the next several years. My sense of purpose would be a confused and ultimately self-twisted idea that my purpose in life was to be successful, rich, powerful, and awesome. I saw every person on Earth as placed in a system where we were all ranked, 1 though 6 billion. My goal was to be number one and I needed to, and could, do whatever it took to reach that spot.
To be continued...
Monday, January 31, 2005
My Testimony
I've been meaning to write this for weeks, but I've procrastinated. My good friend Derek Eacho has encouraged me by posting his own. http://derekeacho.blogspot.com/
...coming soon....
...coming soon....
Sunday, January 30, 2005
Random and Belated Best of 2K4
This is late, and all in my humble opinion.
Best Album - MewithoutYou - Catch For Us the Foxes
Best Song - MewithoutYou - Seven Sisters
Best Often Played Radio Single - Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out
Best Mainstream Music Album - Franz Ferdinand - s/t
Best live show (that I saw) - The Get Up Kids - Emo's 3/22
Best Movie - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - (honorable mention to The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou and The Passion of the Christ)
Most Importiant Media Figure - Mel Gibson
Funniest Comedy - Napolean Dynamite (h/m Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgandy)
Man (most importaint figure) of the Year - George W. Bush
Most Influential Non-Politican - Michael Moore
Biggest Winners of the Year - George W. Bush and the GOP, USC Football
Biggest Losers of the Year - Howard Dean, OU Football, The National Hockey League
Best Album - MewithoutYou - Catch For Us the Foxes
Best Song - MewithoutYou - Seven Sisters
Best Often Played Radio Single - Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out
Best Mainstream Music Album - Franz Ferdinand - s/t
Best live show (that I saw) - The Get Up Kids - Emo's 3/22
Best Movie - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - (honorable mention to The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou and The Passion of the Christ)
Most Importiant Media Figure - Mel Gibson
Funniest Comedy - Napolean Dynamite (h/m Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgandy)
Man (most importaint figure) of the Year - George W. Bush
Most Influential Non-Politican - Michael Moore
Biggest Winners of the Year - George W. Bush and the GOP, USC Football
Biggest Losers of the Year - Howard Dean, OU Football, The National Hockey League
Mix CDs Pt. 1
I love making mix cds...everything about the process is enjoyable. It's an art form of sorts, or a lousy excuse not to be truly artistic. I make mixes often, whenver I make one I'm going to post it on here. I just finished one to play after we close (Mozart's)...many of the songs are songs that just seem to pop in my head after we close, others are just songs that I really like.
Track list:
1. The Weakerthans - Our Retired Explorer (Dines with Michael Foucalt in Paris)
2. Fugazi - Caustic Accoustic
3. The Shins - One By One All Day
4. The December Drive - 1422
5. And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - It Was There That I Saw You
6. RX Bandits - Decrescendo
7. Five Iron Frenzy - Oh, Canada
8. Modest Mouse - Out Of Gas
9. Death Cab For Cutie - Song for Kelly Huckaby
10. Cursive - The Recluse
11. At The Drive In - Transatlantic Foe
12. Less Than Jake - Lockdown
13. Millencolin - No Cigar
14. Slick Shoes - We Were Young
15. The Get Up Kids - I'm A Loner Dottie, A Rebel
16. Saves The Day - At Your Funeral
17. MewithoutYou - Paper Hangar
18. Neutral Milk Hotel - Ghost
19. Lagwagon - Lullaby
20. Streetlight Manifesto - Everything Goes Numb
21. The Impossibles - Erin With an "E"
22. Thrice - The Beltsville Crucible
If you're not familar with any of the bands on the list, I highly recommend checking them out.
- Jordan
Track list:
1. The Weakerthans - Our Retired Explorer (Dines with Michael Foucalt in Paris)
2. Fugazi - Caustic Accoustic
3. The Shins - One By One All Day
4. The December Drive - 1422
5. And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - It Was There That I Saw You
6. RX Bandits - Decrescendo
7. Five Iron Frenzy - Oh, Canada
8. Modest Mouse - Out Of Gas
9. Death Cab For Cutie - Song for Kelly Huckaby
10. Cursive - The Recluse
11. At The Drive In - Transatlantic Foe
12. Less Than Jake - Lockdown
13. Millencolin - No Cigar
14. Slick Shoes - We Were Young
15. The Get Up Kids - I'm A Loner Dottie, A Rebel
16. Saves The Day - At Your Funeral
17. MewithoutYou - Paper Hangar
18. Neutral Milk Hotel - Ghost
19. Lagwagon - Lullaby
20. Streetlight Manifesto - Everything Goes Numb
21. The Impossibles - Erin With an "E"
22. Thrice - The Beltsville Crucible
If you're not familar with any of the bands on the list, I highly recommend checking them out.
- Jordan
Clouds
Overcast/prolonged rainy weather is rare in Central Texas, and for that I am thankful. On the occastion that it is rainy and cloudy for a prolonged period of time, like today, I always tend to feel a little down, mainly because I love sunny weather and am not generally used to other forms of weather.
I've learned however that it is not a good thing to allow my emotions to be directed by something as simple as a weather pattern. I am sure there are logical reasons for the fact that it is easier for me to be in a cheerful mood, and more focused on God, when the weather is great (sunny)...but am I so weak that I cannot overcome this simple emotional barrier?
Of course not, but sometimes I give into the lie that I am. I often buy into the lie that my emotions and, more importiantly, my personality, and more importiant than that, my spiritual condition, are subject to my environment and situation. Whenever I subscribe to that notion it becomes a self-defeating prophecy. I cannot overcome any given situation if I declare defeat in advance. So this weekend, in the midst of some purely nasty weather, I am learning to break out of the easy yet destructive pattern of tying my personal condition in many areas of life to my situation, using it as an excuse to be apathetic and unmotivated. This is a battle, but it is one that I am finally willing to take on.
- Jordan
I've learned however that it is not a good thing to allow my emotions to be directed by something as simple as a weather pattern. I am sure there are logical reasons for the fact that it is easier for me to be in a cheerful mood, and more focused on God, when the weather is great (sunny)...but am I so weak that I cannot overcome this simple emotional barrier?
Of course not, but sometimes I give into the lie that I am. I often buy into the lie that my emotions and, more importiantly, my personality, and more importiant than that, my spiritual condition, are subject to my environment and situation. Whenever I subscribe to that notion it becomes a self-defeating prophecy. I cannot overcome any given situation if I declare defeat in advance. So this weekend, in the midst of some purely nasty weather, I am learning to break out of the easy yet destructive pattern of tying my personal condition in many areas of life to my situation, using it as an excuse to be apathetic and unmotivated. This is a battle, but it is one that I am finally willing to take on.
- Jordan
Friday, January 28, 2005
Lost In Negitivity.
I am currently lost in a sea of thoughts, many of them negitive. I struggle often when my overall keen sense of optimism is turned off and replaced with negitive thoughts. These thoughts are often about other people, not just people I know, but people in general. I see people and make judgements about them without even meeting or talking to them. Often I am best at this behind the wheel...judging people by the way they drive or the bumper stickers on their car (Nascar stickers = drunk idiot douchebag redneck etc...)...I am also good at making quick baseless judgements about people based on the clothes they wear, the greek letters on their shirt, their accent, the music they listen to cours this isin't right but it appeals to my ego.
My ego, in this area, is often taken down a peg everytime I actually meet someone that I have made a preconcieved negitive judgement against...and that person actually turns out to not only be a cool person, but a good friend. This also proves to me that just because I think something, that doesn't make it true, accurate or right. This is a major issue for me, one that consistently holds me back in social circles, and in life overall.
The problem in this area, among many, is that I have absolutely zero accountability in it. I never have any checks on these thoughts, no one is inside my head while I think them and I am very good at hiding them, and acting nice. If I voice them, I come across as a jerk, so I often keep them to myself. I do not have the apparent ability to deal with them on my own, to fight them, to tell myself that it is wrong to be egotistical and judge other's weaknesses or differences in light of my falsely percieved strengths. It's wrong, but I am often too weak and I eagerly accept the fact that "it's the way I am and I cannot change".
So there is the quandry of my situation. I am too weak to change on my own, too spiritually weak to trust God with them, and at the same time no one can help me with them because I do not have anyone that I can really talk about this with. I have no accountability in my thought life. Thoughts are not just an issue of lust or misplaced affection for me, they are what shape how I view everything...they affect every aspect of my life...so I hide them. I don't want to hide them, I want help. I can't fix this issue on my own. I need help. I don't know where to turn with them. I'm afraid that if I go to people with what I'm really thinking that I'll be thought of as a jerk, a bad person, an unlikable person...rejected. I fear rejection...it is my absolute greatest fear.
The friends, who also served as spiritual guides in my life, that I've had from the past few years that I could talk about stuff like this with are gone...married, in the army, moved back to another country etc...The friends I have now with which I can discuss things like this openly are spiritual peers, they have problems in their own life that they have to figure out and me trying to use them to fix my own (which I have sometimes done) would be (and is) wrong...and would make it harder for them to deal with the problems in their life. I need a spiritual leader in my life but I have such a hard time accepting leadership.
So I'm stuck...at least in my mind I am, and I don't know what to do I feel hopeless. All of my negitivity only leads to a hopeless feeling.
- Jordan
My ego, in this area, is often taken down a peg everytime I actually meet someone that I have made a preconcieved negitive judgement against...and that person actually turns out to not only be a cool person, but a good friend. This also proves to me that just because I think something, that doesn't make it true, accurate or right. This is a major issue for me, one that consistently holds me back in social circles, and in life overall.
The problem in this area, among many, is that I have absolutely zero accountability in it. I never have any checks on these thoughts, no one is inside my head while I think them and I am very good at hiding them, and acting nice. If I voice them, I come across as a jerk, so I often keep them to myself. I do not have the apparent ability to deal with them on my own, to fight them, to tell myself that it is wrong to be egotistical and judge other's weaknesses or differences in light of my falsely percieved strengths. It's wrong, but I am often too weak and I eagerly accept the fact that "it's the way I am and I cannot change".
So there is the quandry of my situation. I am too weak to change on my own, too spiritually weak to trust God with them, and at the same time no one can help me with them because I do not have anyone that I can really talk about this with. I have no accountability in my thought life. Thoughts are not just an issue of lust or misplaced affection for me, they are what shape how I view everything...they affect every aspect of my life...so I hide them. I don't want to hide them, I want help. I can't fix this issue on my own. I need help. I don't know where to turn with them. I'm afraid that if I go to people with what I'm really thinking that I'll be thought of as a jerk, a bad person, an unlikable person...rejected. I fear rejection...it is my absolute greatest fear.
The friends, who also served as spiritual guides in my life, that I've had from the past few years that I could talk about stuff like this with are gone...married, in the army, moved back to another country etc...The friends I have now with which I can discuss things like this openly are spiritual peers, they have problems in their own life that they have to figure out and me trying to use them to fix my own (which I have sometimes done) would be (and is) wrong...and would make it harder for them to deal with the problems in their life. I need a spiritual leader in my life but I have such a hard time accepting leadership.
So I'm stuck...at least in my mind I am, and I don't know what to do I feel hopeless. All of my negitivity only leads to a hopeless feeling.
- Jordan
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