Is It Catching Up If I've Never Done It Before?

I never use this thing as a vehicle to update others as to what is going on in my life; it seems to just be a place to share things I like with others. However, I am sitting in class right now, feeling EXTREMELY bored, and I thought I would take the chance to share some of the recent and upcoming excitements of Sierra's and my life (yes, that is right...it is now a life--one, singular life--not two). Also, I am hoping for any insights that others may have, especially regarding the schooling question, found boldly italicized below.

First of all, in August I graduate from UNLV as an English major. I walk on Saturday, May 9, 2009. This thing pleases me beyond your ability to imagine (no offense to your imaginationary skills, but we are talking some SERIOUS please-age here). I initially chose English because I love reading and I wanted to both improve my songwriting skills as well as see if I had any story writing skills. I guess that for most part, I accomplished that mission; I saw drastic improvement in my songwriting, gained some experience in story writing, and read some great (and lame) books along the way. I certainly have my complaints (as I assume all students do), but UNLV has been a good school and I am pleased with the education I received here. UNLV has one of the top creative writing programs in the nation, and I felt greatly blessed to have been able to take a few poetry and short story writing classes durign my time here.

Now, the plan is to go on to law school. From August to December, I will be deeply entrenched in an LSAT prepcourse. I need to rock that test to make up for my less than stellar GPA--it's not terrible but not exactly exemplary either. I will apply to BYU, UNLV, UofU, probably a school in AZ, a couple of schools up in the Pacific Northwest, and at least one school back East. My grandfather, father, and uncle all attended the same law school in D.C.--American University's Washington College of Law--so there is some sentimentality for me in the idea of continuing that legacy. Plus, we'd get to live back East for a few years (which adventure would please me), I'd get to study law in the nation's so-called "breadbasket of law" (so called because I called it so), and, perhaps most excitingly, I'd be able to see my favorite sports team: DC United. However, the drawbacks would be: the cold during the winter (not a big a deal to me, but might matter a little more to Sierra), the higher cost of tuition, the much much higher cost of living (the big beef), the distance from family (although my sister and cousin live back East, and it would be lovely to get to spend more time with them, especially my sister who has lived in the Boston area for WAAAAAY too long--we miss you, Bec), and the high crime rate (again, more of a concern for Sierra than for me but a valid one nonetheless; I can't have my baby feeling unsafe).

Any other law schools that I should apply to? (<--notice the aforementioned "boldly italicized question" being asked here. This is the part where you get excited to post a comment and give an answer) I feel like I'm just not very aware of what is out there. I have felt so swamped with school and work for so long that I just haven't made the time to do an in-depth search. In other random news, the weekend after I graduate, Sierra and I are upgrading from the tiny one bedroom apartment in which we have lived since we got married (almost a year and 8 months), to a two bedroom right across the "road," which really literally means the building right across from us that is about 20 feet away. We'll have a lot more space for jsut a tiny bit more moolah each month, so it ought to work out well. Most excitingly (especially for Sierra--that is not a feminist comment; she really is excited) is that our kitchen will be MUCH bigger. Right now we have a walkway with a stove and a sink. The new apartment will actually have space for me to do sweet spins and counter stalls.

Well, I shall spare you from any more rambling. Thanks for joining in. Maybe I'll get Sierra to hop on here someday and chip in a little magic sauce. Also, please take me up on that offer to post a comment with recommendations on a law school. My current GPA (I still have about 27 credit hours to finish before it is all said and done, so it will change) is about a 3.5, but it will be lower when they average the grades (instead of replacing them, because the geniuses that run the law school admissions board/council decided that someone who retakes a course to replace a low grade shouldn't be allowed to have that first poor grade erased/forgotten about; ALL of the grades should be factored in. Jerks). On the last LSAT practice test that I took back in November, I got a 164. So let's pretend that my GPA stays about what it is right now, but my LSAT score goes up to a 168. What schools would you recommend for THAT range, comrades?

My Stars, What A Deal!

My father recently made me aware of bradsdeals.com about a month and a half ago, when Arby's was having a free sandwich with the purchase of any size drink. I have since added it to my Google Reader just to stay in touch with any random deals that come my way. The truth is, most of them are not deals that I am either wanting or in a position to buy (i.e. the tvs and what not), but occassionally you'll get a gem like this:

Restaurant.com is giving 80% off of their normal price for coupon/certificates to restaurants. The way this usually works is that a restaurant sells a $10 or $25 gift certificate at a discounted price. Normally a $10 gift certificate sells on the site for $3, and a $25 sells for $10. There is usually fine print, like you can't use it on alcoholic beverages, or the most common one, that there is a required minimum purchase (usually around $20 for the $10, and $35 for the $25). Well, with the added 80% discount, what it means is that the $10 gift certificate that is normally $3, now only costs $.60, and the $25 certificate that normally costs $10, now only costs $2. Not too shabby.

Still confused? Let's say that you and some friends want to go to Nikki Lee's to get some pizza. You make a $43.00 order (with all that pizza and wings). Having purchased the $25.00 gift certificate, you end up only paying $18.00. Granted, you did pay $2.00 for the initial purchase, so your totaly actually comes out to $20.00. Thus, you are getting your food for more than half off (excluding tip--one should always tip, you scoundrels).

Got it? Excellent. When you go to check out, just make sure to put in the code LUCKY and double check to make sure that the code is accepted before you check out. I just made my first purchase of coupons today. I bought 7 of them for a total of $130 in gift certificates. It cost me $9.80 (although obviously it will cost more to use them, because there are minimum purchases, and I'll have to still pay tax and tip my server). I'll try to remember to let you know how they work out.

Peace easy.

Google Analytics

Well, Steven just told me about Google Analytics. I have just installing it into my blogging system. The program is supposed to help me keep track of how many visits I get, what areas form the world those visits come from, what the search triggers used to find the blog were (speaking of the random people that stumble upon it and not the stalwarts who check it out of a desire to be close to me online-edly). It is supposed to be a pretty sweet little system. Anyway, I just thought that I'd let you all know that I am trying it out, and that I will a report on how I like it.

Peace easy this fine Monday morning.

p.s. It can be a little tricky to install if you are not familiar with html coding and what not. I highly recommend this page's step by step instructions, which simplify and clarify the whole process so that it takes hardly no time at all and is done correctly.

Lost Lookalikes

A soccer blog that I frequently read--The Best Eleven--has done another one of their "soccer player lookalike" posts. This one they decided to give a theme to: Lost. All of the players pictured (except the final one for Hurley) play or have played in MLS. Pretty fun, eh?

The Sayid/Dwayne De Rosario and Michael/Clyde Simms ones I have been saying to Sierra for a long time now. Some are a little bit of a stretch, but still fun to see.

Which one do you think is the closest?

Live And Intimate Episode 4: Matt Pryor To Catch Us

Somewhere in the back of my head is a list of a few (and I mean a very few) albums that are absolutely pivotal in the development of my musical tastes. These are not simply albums I love or listened/listen to almost incessantly, but they are the albums that permanently changed the way I listen to and approach music. The Get Up Kids' Something To Write Home About is most definitely on that list, perhaps just below Weezer's Blue Album and Jimmy Eat World's Bleed American. Perhaps someday I will actually formalize that list and put it down on cyber-paper, but for now it will suffice to say that this album means a great deal to me.

Here is Matt Pryor singing the last track of that album "I'll Catch You" on his tour after the release of his solo album Confidence Man. Matt Pryor is a special man, because he fronts another of my favorite bands, The New Amsterdams. Enjoy.


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The Hunt For Gollum Release

I've mentioned this movie before (check here and here), but now we are here at the moment of the release. On May 3rd, The Hunt For Gollum--a high quality production made voluntarily over the past couple years by fans of LOTR for fans of LOTR--will be released online. Dailymotion will be carrying it. I am very excited about this film. It covers Aragorn's hunt for Gollum, which is canonical but not gone into in the story. Check out theonering.net's write up/preview. Cheers.

New HP6 Trailer

Sweet beef am I excited for this film.

Tea Parties

It seems to me, from a few of the conversations that I have had both yesterday and today, that there is a lot of confusion as to why people were gathering yesterday for Tea Parties. Many think it is just about taxes; it is not. Some think that it is just about Obama and/or the Democrats; it is not. Some think that it is just about the "stimulus" plan or the bailouts; it is not. While these things all play into it, it is about a people who are sick to death of being ridiculed, ignored, and/or trampled upon because they are the "silent majority." These Tea Parties are about a people who love this country and do not want to mortgage the future of their posterity for "convenience" now. This is about people who are tired of politicians' selfishness, games/lies, and empty promises.

Last night Sierra and I went to a Tea Party down at the Sunset post office, and, despite what tons of media outlets are saying to paint these protesters as insane, racist, hate-mongers, etc., we found an incredibly friendly group of citizens that are just tired of being ignored. We took a picture with a guy dressed as Ben Franklin (who claims to be a 7th generation direct descendant of Ben's; that is pretty cool). She and I grabbed a couple of signs and stood there waving to cars that drove by (many honking their agreement, others intent on avoiding making any eye contact--either because they were stressed it was tax day or they were in strong disagreement to our presence there). Not only was it fun, it felt good. It felt good to take part in something we believe in. It felt good to gather with others who are similarly frustrated with the direction our government is going and not sit idly by while our nation eats itself alive.

In case, I'm not saying well enough, I leave you with a video of Glenn Beck (at the Alamo) explaining the Tea Parties. Of course there are many in the media who try to paint Glenn as an extremist, as insane, or even simply as just stupid. I'll let you judge for yourself.

Live And Intimate Episode 3: Dustin Kensrue Just Whalin'

Dustin Kensrue of Thrice plays the track "The Whaler" (from the Water disc) off of their latest album The Alchemy Index. John of the Shire likes the use of his propositions.
This looks to me to be a radio performance that he did. Not a very exciting video, but I do love this song, and it is nice to see Dustin hit it acoustic--or "tap" it as it were.


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An Amazing Skit

Big thank you to Matthew for sending me a link to this SNL video. Matthew's comments on it ran thus: "I love this one. So simple and hilarious. The calendar had me laughing so hard."
I agree. This is up there with the random brilliance of the Lawrence Welk Show skit (which if you haven't seen, please click the link after you watch this one). Excellent work SNL, Bill Hader, and The Rock.

New Incubus Single - "Black Heart Inertia"

Incubus has released the new single from their up and coming album. The track is called "Black Heart Inertia" and can be found on their website (just click the link and stay where it leads you...the song will automatically begin to play). To be honest I wasn't terribly impressed with the first or second listen. By no means did I dislike it, but it didn't reach out and grab me either. Feel free to go give it a try yourself though. I'm all about sharing these days.

A Little Update On Thrice

Thrice is at it again, recording their followup to the excellent Alchemy Index. I am very excited about this album. I have started listening to the Air and Earth discs of Alchemy again this past week (a lot I mean) and am so impressed by them both. Anyway, this is not news to anyone since I have been somewhat obsessed with this band for a long while now. So I'll just post the link to the article I stumbled upon about their recording efforts for the new album.

Thrice Interview/Article from the OC Register.

A New Career Path For Me?

Last night I had a dream that I had been asked to give a talk at a big church conference of some sort. It was like a regional conference or something, because there were a lot of people from the Vegas valley there who are not in my stake. Not too long before I had to get up and deliver my talk, I looked at the program and realized that they had changed my topic without informing me, and I started to panic. It meant that I had about 15 minutes to come up with a new topic.

I was really thirsty also, so I kept wandering around, looking for a water fountain with which to quench my thirst. I went into a side room where knew one was, but it was filled to the brim with people. I interrupted their meeting (not vocally, but with my presence) as I made my way over to the other side of the room to get a drink. In the end I caused a disturbance for nothing, because peoples' seats and bodies were just too much in the way for me to get to the fountain.

Right before I woke up (and I have left out some of the more strange details) I had a realization IN the dream of what it all meant: I was supposed to change my career. I woke up knowing what my dream had meant and what my new career path should be, but instead of being filled with excitement at the new prospect, I was afraid--it didn't sound like a job that I would enjoy very much. Sierra was about to leave to go to work (she wakes up earlier than I do the little trooper), so I looked at her and told her that I had just had a dream that I needed to change my career. She got a confused but curious look on her face and asked me what it was. I told her, "I'm supposed to become a clothing designer for the Armed Forces."

When I say clothing designer, what that means is that I am to design cool and stylish digs for our service men and women so that they all will be looking so dang the good. Do I believe that the Lord can speak to His children through dreams sometimes? Yes. Am I going to be following this one? NO.

Just thought I'd share. Have a great Friday and Spring Break (for those UNLV undergrads a-like-a myself--although I'll probably be back on here today...I just love the feel of this soapbox).

Update: It just occurred to me that I should ask for cool name suggestions for the Army Fashion Design company I'm not planning on starting (just in case Heather is right and the second half of the dream really clicks and I'm like, "Oh sweet bird, I must follow this dream"). The only one I have so far is Total Hottie Army. What would you suggest?

Encore Performance

For those who missed it (or those who want to relive it again), Jimmy Eat World will be doing an encore performance of their Clarity Live show at 4:00 p.m. 5:00 p.m. (Pacific time) at the website jimmyeatworld.com. For more info go here.

Also, this is the day that they release the live album of the show with the 13 Clarity tracks (the best ones from the shows) and the two extra tracks "What Would I Say To You Now?" and "No Sensitivity."

Sweet.

Update: Sorry, the show will be April 7th. It just realized I hadn't stated the day and that made it seem like this was happening today. My bad.

LDS Voices

There is only one podcast that I have continually followed over the past couple of years, and that is LDS Voices. The podcast is basically a massive collection of talks from General Authorities, auxiliary leaders, and noteworthy LDS scholars/professors/motivational speakers. Each day a new talk is put up (audio only). It covers everything from General Conference and BYU Devotionals/Education Week to firesides and random lectures/seminars. The talks range from 7 minutes (short Gen. Conf. talks) to over an hour (Hugh Nibley/Truman Madsen lectures) in length. They are almost always highly uplifting and I have greatly come to enjoy my morning drive to work/school when I get the chance to just listen to the talks and let the Spirit come into my life to start the day.

My recommendation (if one feels so inclined to listen also) is to search for "ldsvoices podcast" (or something similar) in the search bar in the iTunes Store. Then you can set it up to automatically download onto your compy everyday and listen to it on your iPod on the go. However, if you spend a lot of time at home with a compy nearby, then they also have a website which allows one to access these talks (audio only) for free.

I may start commenting on things I find interesting from these talks if I find myself in the mood, but there will be no structure to it. It will be all higgeldy-piggeldy, running amok with these things. That is all I can promise for now.

Here is a link to the site: LDS Voices. Enjoy.

New Show On NBC

NBC released a promo for a new TV show> I'm not sure when it is supposed to come out yet actually. If the promo said it, then I missed it.

Who Likes Rumors?

This is obviously still unconfirmed, so there probably isn't much point to me saying it, but I will anyway. There is some possibility of the currently announced two-film version of The Hobbit becoming a trilogy. Read about it here at TheOneRing.net.

I won't lie, my initial response is extreme happiness. However, the more I think about it, the more I feel like this has a lot of potential to water down the material, or at least the delivery of it. There is an amazing amount of material, so I guess I really don't mean water it down, I just wonder if it will be too sporadic or forced to try and bring in too much back story into the tale. I will try to hold off judgment until we get more information. That is the best that I can do right now.

Update: I got fooled. I now realize that this was probably an April Fools' Day joke and I got skunked by it. Ah well.

Live And Intimate Episode 2: Chris Conley In A Back Alley

How cool is this video? Here Chris Conley of Saves The Day plays an acoustic version of "Hold" in a back alley.
Some of my favorite parts (after the video):





1. The police showing up - that takes me back to the Flowells days...
2. The officer liking the music, allowing Chris to finish the last verse, and then wanting a cd.
3. The extremely goofy/nerdy fans enjoying the music and intimacy of their manly mastodon, especially the last guy who is doing hand motions to act out the lyrics.
4. Chris looks 12.

Well, thank you for coming to enjoy another edition of Live And Intimate, here on my blog. Tune in next week when we do it again.

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Raise Your Voice

If you haven't seen Hot Rod, then may I strongly suggest you stop what you are doing and go rent/watch that movie. I forgot how much I liked it until I watched it again this week. For those who have already see it: here is my favorite part.

More Wii Mayhem

Shamus Young keeps popping 'em out, so I keep linking to 'em.
Engozatelo. (<-- I think I made that word up...)

Stolen Pixels #76: Cheering You Up

Chris Farley's Secret Daughter

Update: I forgot to credit the source of the picture, so here it is: funny chuckle

Orson Scott Card

I am a very big fan of every book of his that I have read (the four Ender series books). When I have time again, I fully plan on reading the rest of his books. They are very enjoyable, deeply layered books and have inspired a great deal of inner reflection on my part. So, to begin I just want to say that I highly recommend his fiction and I think very highly of the man.

Lately, I have been discovering that I really like his non-fiction writing, too. He contributes regularly to mormontimes.com on subjects ranging from LDS music/literature (or the lack of what might be called more "quality" works in these fields) to his thoughts on how Elders Quorum might be taught to make it less boring (a fairly common problem--many teachers feel that their missions qualified them to "wing it" at a moment's notice without putting enough preparation in for some reason).

His most recent article deals with religion and politics, and while I often don't agree with his political sentiments (he leans more left than I), I always enjoy reading his take on things. I really thought that this article was spot on.

Assuming now that you have gone and read the article, I just have one thought that I'd like to share:

I find it fitting that the very people who (I feel) villify our Puritan ancestors most (my college professors and the many "free thinkers" that abhor the vice-like grip that the Puritans had over society), would now be compared to them and called the New Puritans. It is an interesting comparison, to say the least.

Will Our Children Be Prepared?

The Onion isn't afraid to ask the tough question that the rest of the mainstream media shies away from: are we adequately preparing our children for what is to come?

Are Violent Video Games Adequately Preparing Children For The Apocalypse?

Elmo's Got Comedic Chops

This is an outtake from Sesame Street (from what I can gather). Ricky Gervais and Elmo being interviewed by some random off-screen woman. I'm amazed at the improv abilities of whoever does the arm and voice of Elmo. Anyway, it is certainly random and therefore worthy of our viewing.

Goodbye Sky Harbor

The Jimmy kick is alive and rocking for me young padawans. For those who are interested, here is a video from JEW's show in L.A. when they did the (almost) full length outro for "Goodbye Sky Harbor." It isn't 16 minutes. It is actually just under ten. The sound quality is not too bad and the camera is right up in the front so you get a great view of the looping work. Fun stuff.

Jimmy Eat World - "Goodbye Sky Harbor"

Caught

Whoppers beat Big Macs any day. Hands down.

The Big 2-5-0: Live And Intimate Is Born

This is my 250th post on here. That is kind of fun. Three more of these "250th" posts and I'll have three times as many. You do the math.

I decided I wanted to try a new feature on here. I don't have any schedule in mind for it (like having it be a Tuesday thing or whatever) right now, so for a little while at least, it will just be sporadic. The idea is to find videos of slightly more "intimate" performances by the bands I love. The majority will probably be solo acoustic performances by the singers of my favorite bands, but if I come across a great acoustic performance by any band and it feels right...I'm going with it. I won't be dictated to by myself and myself won't dictate to my me. Let the art be free...

Anyway, I'm thinking of calling it my Live and Intimate series. Any thoughts on a better name?

First up: Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat World. Am I on a big JEW kick right now again? Am I bordering on obsessive with my current re-infatuation with them? Am I asking myself questions on my blog? Is it really quiet in here all of a sudden...?

I love this band, and I love this man. This is a longer video with him playing two songs (one of which I had never heard before and will be trying to locate to add to my repertoire of the musicas). Please enjoy.

Jim Adkins (Jimmy Eat World) - "Your House" and "Power"
- performed solo, acoustic, and live at the Modified Art Center in Phoenix, AZ.


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The Buck Nuts

Tommy Emmanuel:

Thou art a madman of the acoustic guitar. Thank you Adam for the heads up on this guy. All I can say is, "Wow."

Tommy Emmanuel - "Classical Gas"

Jimmy Eat World... Here I Came!

Well, Saturday night was astounding. Let me explain why:

1. They played Clarity in it entirety from front to back. This is amazing enough to make me happy for years and years to come, until I lose my sanity and can no longer remember such things.
2. Playing the album in its entirety meant playing "Goodbye Sky Harbor" in its entirety: all 16 minutes of it. It was amazing! They did all of the looping right there on stage, and that was really fun to see Jim laying down all of the voice tracks, then to have the band completely cut out and let the vocals do a "solo loop." Plus they had out the keyboards and xylophones.
3. After "Goodbye Sky Harbor," the band left the stage in order to return for the encore. The encore consisted of 8 songs: "What Would I Say To You Now," "No Sensitivity," "23," "Big Casino," "Work," "Pain," "The Middle," and "Sweetness."
4. On our drive to the theater (which was located in Tempe, AZ), we drove by the exit to Sky Harbor Airport. Ah...a little moment of clarity for us. I had no idea that Sky Harbor was an airport. It made many of the lyrics of the song make sense in a new way to me (and arguably the "correct" way).
5. I got a sweet commemorative t-shirt (shown below).
6. The Marquee Theater was PACKED (see picture below), and the crowd was amazing. I expected there to be tons of teeny-bopper girls there. Nope (although there were a few). The crowd seemed equal parts male/female/older/younger and really knew the band and its music. What a difference that makes.
7. They sounded amazing and I love them.

My shirt:


The crowd (I keep trying to find me, but alas I can't. I know that I'm somewhere on the left half and probably about halfway back. So...ten points if you can find me!):

Jimmy Eat World... Here I Come!

As many know (but most probably don't), Jimmy Eat World has been doing a ten show tour in honor of the tenth anniversary of their album Clarity--my favorite album of all time. The way in which they shall be honoring this album is by playing the album in its entirety and in order (as far as I know). This is more than exciting... this is like a dream fulfilled. Thus, if you will... a moment of silence please...
...
...
...

...

...
...

Excellent. The final show will be this Saturday in their hometown (or at least pretty close) in Arizona. Sierra and I shall be there.

Here are two of my favorite songs from the album:
First, a little song called "For Me This Is Heaven." This is the song that changed the way I listen to Jimmy Eat World (and also, in a round about way, inspired one of my songs, "Heaven's Showers"). I had already fallen in love with JEW from their album Bleed American (the album that came after Clarity), but this song didn't have the "fun/pop" feel (without being "pop/crap") that had initially attracted me to the band. This song showed me a much deeper and more complex songwriting ability possessed by this band. Also, be warned that there is some random girl playing piano and singing along with the band. I'm not sure who she is.
Jimmy Eat World - "For Me This Is Heaven"


The second song is the last track on Clarity and is called "Goodbye Sky Harbor." It is over 16 minutes in length and the majority of that is the outro--a fairly short sequence/phrase that is being repeated over and over and over with slight (and some more obvious) variations on the theme. The truth is, I don't know another song that can repeat the same basic riff/chord progression for about 8 minutes straight and not make me want to shoot myself. The fact that I will sit there and listen to this track all the way through every time without ever ever having even the slightest desire to change it, and instead sit there loving every second of it speaks very highly to me of the creative powers of this band. I'll shut up now and let you watch the song, by saying that this clip cuts out most of the outro so don't be afraid of it.

Papa's Poem Corner Episode 32: George something Oscar Bluth, Jr.

Many know him as Gob GOB from TV's Arrested Development. Others know him from other stuff. Wherever he goes, there he is: Will Arnett.

A poem:

Will Arnett,
shall we forget
the emptiness we felt inside
the day Arrested Development died?
You GOB'd us,
we liked it,
Amen.

Here he is as a special guest on Conan O'Brien.

Coheed - Neverender

I had no idea that this was happening/did happen until I got on Facebook this morning. So... I guess I missed that one. I remember Matt telling me that Coheed & Cambria were going to be playing some of the albums straight through, but I didn't realize that they were playing all four albums straight through and creating a DVD of the experience as well as a documentary of it. That is sweet.
So, here is the trailer for the Neverender concert series and DVD that Coheed did and will be releasing March 24th.
Update: Just like Matt told me they would be.

Bizkit

Thanks to Sara Young for sharing this with me (and others). This makes me so happy.

Bizkit the Sleep Walking Dog

Something I Found Cute

Weird Or Cool?

WETA Workshop (of Lord of the Rings fame) turns a legless woman into a mermaid (sort of).

You gotta love random stories like these. I never know whether I think they are cool or just plain weird. The part of me that thinks it is cool is the part that likes unique creations and explorations in art and science. The other part is the one that wonders why on Earth this woman wanted to be a mermaid so badly. That is a little creepy. Anyway, weird or not, I'm glad that WETA was able to help her fulfill that dream.

Pride And Prejudice And... Zombies!

This has been cracking me up for the past few minutes (since I saw the link my cousin Ken put up on our family website). If anyone ends up reading it, please let me know.

My favorite part? The Biography:

"Biography

JANE AUSTEN is the author of Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion, Mansfield Park, and other masterpieces of English literature.

SETH GRAHAME-SMITH once took a class in English literature. He lives in Los Angeles."

Brilliant.

The Wisdom Of Bilbo

I am not a financially intellectual being. I can't really vouch for all or any of these principles more than to say that they all seem good to me. What I really liked was that an economist used The Hobbit as source material for his article. If nothing else, it is a fun read to see Tolkien referenced in this way.

Check-a-check-a-check it out.

A Wizard Amongst Us

Man, I am so confused and outraged at what Obama has done/is doing right now. This was the guy that tons of conservatives voted for because he was the one who seemed the most likely to be able to unite the nation and bring us together. Bull. He has not done a single thing to make conservative values seem even slightly valid, let alone extend a hand of fellowship. I fear greatly for our nation.

A Man Yclept John

There were a couple of special "Super Bowl" clips that The Office aired. In case anyone missed them...
Butt Slap

The Cup

Something Fun For My Peeps

I liked this little comic and thought I'd share it with you guys.


Right after posting this I found this little video of our incredibly intelligent Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi making a brilliant statement about the dangers of not rushing into getting this stimulus package passed. Wow. That was a strange sentence.

Yes, you heard it folks. She DID in fact warn us that every month that goes by without the passing of this bill, 500 MILLION Americans (will) lose their jobs. Here is a link to Glenn Beck making fun of her (I certainly found it funny, but then I really can't stand that woman so I'm probably biased).

Stolen Pixels

Stolen Pixels is the new webcomic project of the man I was just telling you guys about, Shamus Young. The idea behind it is that he "steals" screen shots from video games and turns them into comics.
Here is today's comic, which is also Wii Fit related.

Wii Fit

Steven and Jenna have been kind enough to let Sierra and myself pretty much take over their Wii Fit when we come to visit. I really enjoy the little sucker and have gone through countless internal (with myself) and external (with Sierra) debates as to whether or not getting a Wii and the Wii Fit is worth our money (and then time, energy, time, and time). We still haven't come to a concrete decision.

I really enjoyed this little article, though. I have been following this blog for a long time now, because he used to do a comic strip involving the Lord of the Rings. Make sure to read at least the first two comments after the article, also. They are thought-provoking, humorous, and sad. So, once again, a big thank you to Shamus for his lovely blog.

Devaluation Of The Dollar.

I don't know how many of you guys follow or care about this stuff, but here is an easy explanation of why we should be VERY concerned about what our government is doing with this bailout. We are headed for some incredibly rough times, and we are doing it to ourselves by having elected morons and immoral people into our government positions over the past 50 + years. If our government is corrupt, it is because WE elected corrupt people in and then didn't hold them accountable for their immoral acts. Electing and nominating immoral people because they are the "most qualified" is not acceptable. John off soapbox...now.

The Matches

It has been a little while since I have done a good music post, so prepare yourselves for a little good old-fashioned verbosity.

Summer, 2005 -
Matthew Hanks and I are living in Sacramento, CA, working a summer door-to-door sales job. He introduces me to a band called The Matches. While I immediately love a few of the songs from the album, I don't get into their album as a whole. Why? I think that they are just another punk band (in a long line of crappy punk bands) coming out after punk is dead to me. Let's face it, punk had its heyday, died down, flared back up again, and then played itself out. Now bands have to add a subgenre to even be able to use the work punk to describe themselves (pop/punk, alt/punk, etc.) Perhaps a month or so later, Matt and I go to the Warped Tour where we see The Matches perform. Their performance helps me change my mind about them for three reasons:
First, they sound really good and do so while playing with a tremendous amount of energy. Basically, they have excellent stage presence and don't sacrifice their sound to get it.
Second, I like that they seem to be trying desperately to hold onto their punk roots. They look ridiculous, still dressing like kids I mocked while going to high school a few years earlier, but they show no shame in it. While I think that they look like absolute (prepare yourselves for a VERY un-P.C. term, boys and girls) retards, I also somewhat enjoy the unashamedness of it all.
Third, during the set, the singer or guitarist (I can't remember which) jumps up onto the drummer's bass drum to be able to gain an extra foot and a half in his rocking out (or perhaps to elevate himself so his eventual jump-off gains an extra second and a half of air time). However, things don't go as planned for said singer (or guitarist), because his foot slips up and he crashes into the drum set. Not to worry, they sort out the kit enough to keep going and continue rocking the 15 or so of us that had stopped by to listen into oblivion.
Sidenote - I'm not going to lie, it was both hilarious and also really cool to see him/them keep going after something that was both incredibly embarrassing and surely painful (not to mention the drummer was probably PISSED).
Over the months that follow that show, their first album E. Von Dahl Killed The Locals grows on me tremendously and begin to get plenty of rotation time on my Johntime Playlist.

Fall/Winter, 2006 -
Their second album Decomposer is released. I struggle with this album at first. The band is maturing, trying new things, and straying away from the pop-punk roots that had taken me so long to grow to like. They still have that punk feel, but are trying a slightly more experimental/alt/rock style. It doesn't take too long though, and eventually I come around to the new direction. Both albums find themselves in heavy rotation on my Johntime Playlist at different points over the next two years.

Now, 2009 -
The Matches release their third album A Band In Hope. For some reason, I don't even bother listening to it for at least a few months after it comes out. After I finally give it a try, I immediately fall in love with it and am still in love with it. It is obviously continuing down that road that Decomposer started them on, and it does so beautifully and with confidence. While a direct comparison to Queen would be difficult to support, there are moments when the same fearlessness and passion that drove Queen's music shines through in the music of this band. I highly recommend them.

I leave you with three videos (one from each album). The first is from their first album.
"Chain Me Free"

Next is a video from their second album.
"Salty Eyes"

The third and final video is from their third album.
"Wake The Sun"

For Those Who Missed It...

There are many different forms and styles of comedy. Some comedians get really hyper and loud to achieve their style of humor. Some are very quiet and subtle. Some humor involved language and the play of words, while other humor relies completely on a facial expression or whatever. To be honest, I am not sure what style of humor this next video would fall under (certainly there are many more than the few I have listed). Whatever style it is, I hereby declare it my favorite. It is a brilliant kind of humor and doesn't need to resort on gimmicks; swearing; dirty themes; loud noises, bangs, or pops; or anything other than comedic perfection. To those behind the SNL Digital Shorts (the Lonely Island boys), the cast and writers of SNL, Lorne Michaels, and especially to Neil Patrick Harris: I thank and salute your comedic achievement.

The Duel Deleted Scenes

If you haven't watched last night's The Office, then I suggest waiting on this clip. Otherwise, enjoy some great moments (especially the final scene between Michael and Andy).

A New Feature

I am testing out an add-on that I just installed called ScribeFire. It will supposedly make blogging easier (as though it was difficult before or something). Maybe I'll spice this up by quoting a line from Beowulf (which I am currently reading) and sharing something I found cute. Yeah, that sounds nice.

"In the end each clan on the outlying coasts
beyond the whale-road had to yield to him
and begin to pay tribute" (lines 9-11, emphasis added).

That little word there--"whale-road"--refers to the sea/ocean. But how much less interesting would it have been to say, "beyond the ocean"? I'll answer for you: much less interesting. The author of Beowulf chose instead to describe the sea as the "whale-road" which is not only more vivid; frankly, it is more fun to read. This literary device is known as a kenning. I know not where that name comes from, but I think it is cute that there is a name given to it.

English Major-types get bored easy, methinks.

The Family Soup

I don't know if I have linked to my sister-in-law's special blog creation, yet (I realize that Cal has also been involved in this project, but for some reason I think of it more as Bethany's brain-child). It is called The Family Soup. The basic idea behind the site is to have "a place where people can come (single, married, divorced, widowed, etc.) and gain strength and wisdom from other ordinary people who have ‘been there’" (taken from the 'About' section of the site). Thus, it is a place where family, friends, and even strangers can open up, be honest about life's difficulties, and share their experiences with each other. A very wide variety of topics is/will be covered on there, and it is divided into different "rooms" depending on what you are looking for. Por ejemplo, the kitchen is where people can gather to swap stories of their challenges, the family room is focused more directly on the challenges that affect families, and the sandbox is a place to talk about the strange and funny things that children do.

As far as I know there is an open invitation to all to come participate and share, and I highly recommend it. To begin with, I will direct you Bethany's most recent blog post (their own personal blog space as administrators of the site) where she shares a great idea on bringing a little more unity to a marriage and family. The Family Soup Blog.

Unskippable

Long cut scenes in video games can be some of the most annoying things on Earth if you can't skip them. It is about time someone found a way to combine the awesome power of commentary humor (a la Mystery Science Theater 3000) with something that frustrates me so. Thanks to Shamus for posting this video on his blog.

Disclaimer: yes, this is a complete MST3K ripoff in form, but that does not mean it is un-enjoyable. Just give it a little time so you can warm up to the humor. You don't need to be into video games to be able to enjoy it.

Wow.

I don't know whether or not I think that is freaking awesome or totally disgusting, so I'll spare you people the blessing/curse of reading my internal debate as I decide. I would however love to hear your thoughts on whether this is feels like an excellent usage of time and talent or a twisted way of saying "Thanks, Baby Jesus," to you. If you find the videos boring at first, please keep watching. They get spicier as they go. Trust me on this (and thank you Bethany for finding and posting these).

Amazing Grace:

Trans-Siberia Orchestra:

Hooray For LOTR!

Two very LOTR related items:

1. Today I finished listening to the BBC Radio Production of the Lord of the Rings. Sir Ian Holm played Frodo (yes the same Ian Holm that played Bilbo in Peter Jackson's trilogy). I can see where Jackson either wittingly or unwittingly mirrored the adaptation of this radio version. It worked quite well, although I admit that there are some things lost in a radio version that are so easy to show in film. I will also add that while the music was actually pretty good for it, it was nowhere near as good as Howard Shore's masterful score.

2. A more full trailer has been released for "The Hunt for Gollum." This is a fan-made film that tels the story of Aragorn's hunt for Gollum. They are obviuosly taking liberties here with material that Tolkien himself never fleshed out, but I am excited nonetheless. Visually it actually looks rather impressive (especially considering the lack of budget that an independent and assuredly non-profit production would be able to muster). Well, I think I'm done nerding out on you for today. I leave you with the trailer:


THE HUNT FOR GOLLUM - FULL Trailer 1 from Chris Bouchard on Vimeo.

The Nutcracker

last night Sierra and I took my grandma to see the Nevada Ballet Theatre's production of The Nutcracker. Before I get to the review, I will give a little back story. Grab a cup of hot cocoa, a nice warm blanket, and get ready for the tale of your life.

Actually it's not that exciting. Every year, when I was little, my grandmother would take all of her posterity to see The Nutcracker at Christmas time. I'm going to be honest, I HATED this tradition. It was this incredibly long and boring dance recital where guys would stuff their little white tights and prance around. The beginning made sense to me: the little brother and sister get gifts and then the little boy annoys the crud out of the sister for a while. That I got. After that I got nothing. Mice come running in, the dolls become real and fight the mice and mouse king, and then the magician takes the kids to magic winter and candy land. I thought it was so lame. In fact, I think I may have been instrumental in the demise of the tradition. I was too young to know if I really had that much of an effect, but one year I adamantly requested we not go to The Nutcracker and instead go to a different show. That same year we went to the Knights of the Round Table or whatever at the Excalibur. It was freaking sweet. However, The Nutcracker tradition didn't really last after that. I don't know if it was because my sisters were starting to get married and what not, but for some reason we just sort of stopped. I think I always felt a little bad like my request had made my grandma feel like no one liked that tradition.

So here we are all these years later and somehow Sierra and I get on the conversation of The Nutcracker. I told her how we used to go every year and she told me that she had never seen it before. Soon we had a plan to give back to my grandma a little bit of the tradition that I had felt responsible for ruining for a few years (I realize now that I was not responsible, so there is not some strange guilt or something). We went to it last night and it was lovely. My grandma really enjoyed it, which made me happy. Sierra really enjoyed, which made me even happier. In fact, even I enjoyed it, which confused me. The same strange men were leaping about in their far-too-tight tights and I still don't get how the story makes any sense, but for some reason I was ok with the idea that the story didn't need to be a story in the sense that there is a plot and a climax. I think that was one of the things that had frustrated me when I was younger; the climax (as near as I can tell) comes in the first act. All the rest of it is just the sights the kids see as they travel around the winter and candy lands.

I think what really made the difference (besides me being older and more mature, etc.) is that I have a much deeper appreciation for music than I did back then. The music is amazing. It is so beautiful and rich. It incorporates Russian, Spanish, Oriental, and Arabian styles and has so many different movements and moods that it sets. When my focus was the music, the dancing made sense. At times I would find myself sort of letting my eyes glaze over, so I wasn't paying attention to the specific moves that the ballerinas/ballerinos were doing, but instead just letting the movement as a whole be a blur of colors and what not. It was really cool to take it in in that way. Today, when I told my supervisor about that technique, she said it is a good thing I wasn't alive during the 60s or I would have definitely been a dead head. Haha. Except, I don't even need drugs for the psychadelic art to take its hold on me I guess.

Tickets aren't cheap, so I don't know if I can really recommend it to others. There are probably lots of other things that most would find more enjoyable than sitting through a ballet for about 2 1/2 hours, especially for the price. The cheap seats run $45 and the expensive ones run $75. We got ours for half off, so it wasn't that bad actually, but most probably wouldn't have the sentimental attachment to the show that I now do. If however, you can afford it and want to try something different than just the standard flick at the cinema (or if you are obsessed with music and dancing), then I do recommend it. I'm glad we went.

I will also add this, I actually was impressed with the dancing this time. Some of it is quite beatiful and other stuff is obviously difficult. While still not wanting to ever be caught alone in a dark alley full of ballerinos, those guys (and ladies) are pretty amazing.

I'm Sad

I just realized that a decent number of people I know have had some exciting controversy on their blogs. They've had angry people get on there and say contentious things, while I haven't been blessed with ANY of that. All I get are nice comments. So, something has to change.

I'm going to spend the next few minutes saying controversial things on here and then prepare for the violent blow back. Oh man am I excited! Ready?

- I'm not joining Obama's civilian "task" force, even if the perks are too good to pass up.
- William Shatner was the worst Captain Kirk EVER!
- Kurt Cobain didn't kill himself, nor did Courtney Love kill him--he killed Courtney Love, performed a brilliant surgery to make her look like him, and then pretended to be Courtney Love. If we dig up "his" grave all of this will be confirmed.
- Ozzy Osbourne SUCKS! (I'm stealing that one from Steven and taking it further than he was willing to go.)
- Kids SUCK at drawing. They are terrible.
- I like Asians. That is not very controversial, but what can I say? I like 'em. They are always so nice to me.
- Unions are leading our nation directly into socialism. While they started out with a good purpose, they are choking our businesses and industries to death. Current problems with the Big 3 auto companies and their need for a bailout? Unions are to blame. Down with 'em!
- Bush is the best shoe-dodging president our nation has ever seen and that in and of itself makes him a worthy leader.

Alright. Something in there has got to piss somebody off. Bring it on.

Global Warming Is A Devious Trickster...

Fact: it is snowing in Vegas. Fact: it has been snowing for the past few hours in Vegas and I am sitting at my desk, with my blinds pulled up so I can clearly view the snow falling outside, one beautiful, large flake after the other. Indisputable Fact: Global Warming is real, because not only did Al Gore (a bastion of knowledge in our ever-heating world) make an excellent film that says so; not only are the lame and stupid scientists that dispute it snickered at (and called clever names like "flat-Earthers"--get it? Like they would have been the ones that believed the earth was flat when far smarter guys were totally right about it being round) by the other real, and far more awesome scientists who don't like their guesses and predictions for the future questioned; but also it has been summarily proven that the mere act of denying mankind's involvement as the source of global warming and climate change is akin to denying the Holocaust.

Thank you science and agenda-free journalism for clearing that one up. In other news it has been snowing here in Vegas for the past few hours and it is lovely. Somehow while Earth has been steadily growing warmer over the past 100 years (we'll brush that period of time under the rug, when, a few decades back, science told us that we had to fear global cooling and maybe even another another ice age! Yikes! I'm glad science was wrong then...), Vegas has received snow three of the past 5 years. This is obviously one of Global Warming's tricks, designed to lull us into a false sense of security, thinking that it doesn't exist so that it can administer its poison to us slowly and stealthily. Don't be surprised to see Earth go through some cooling periods (like the one we have been in since 2001 or so) as Global Warming pretends to not exist. It is real, or the Holocaust didn't happen. Infallible logic.

Walmart Bingo

This was Glenn Beck's Picture of the Day today.

Papa's Poem Corner Episode 31: Jiminy Glick We Had A Live One Here!

There is something magical about finishing a semester of school: all the creative juices get flowing again. Or maybe the juices are always flowing, but I get too tired during the semester to uncork their protective sheep-bladder canteen and pour them out on the parched, desert sand that is my blog. Either way, I'm glad to have them back.


The Effervescent John

I am the Effervescent John
I bubble and I fizzle and I keep your body strong.
When colds, the giggles, and ninja emus
attack, then you'll hear my song.

La-dee-da-doo-dee-da-da-doo-dee-doo
I'll bubble and fizzle and spin kick your flu
'til all of your enemies are dead and long gone;
Effervescence, please be true.

General Conference

I don't usually bring up religious or spiritual things on this blog, because it was originally designed as a place for me to put my poetry. I originally envisioned this to be a fun place where I could be silly and others could easily access it. That original purpose has obviously somewhat changed over the years, as I have expanded the blog to basically to be a place for me to put anything I find interesting, whether it is funny or not. I even eventually caved in and posted a few politically themed posts as I felt the desire. One reason I have avoided spiritually themed posts is that I haven't wanted to turn anyone who is not of my faith away, because they feel "bombarded" by beliefs they don't share (I realize that my "reader base" is not large, but I think I always figured that it someday would be). I must admit though, that I am not the same person I was when I first started this blog. A few years will do that to you. It is still not my express purpose to wax political or spiritual on here, but I will no longer avoid those topics either; they are a part of who I am and if I feel the desire/need to say something regarding them, then I shall. Consider this my "coming out" declarative post.

This morning I listened to the talk on Christian Courage that Elder Robert D. Hales gave in the October session of Conference. I found it so helpful and reassuring, given that not even two full months after it was given the LDS church has come under heavy attack by many who feel hurt and angry at the church for its support and involvement in Prop 8. A great deal of hatred has been spewed out against the church by "news" commentators, there have been protest marches in front of and even vandalism done to our temples, misleading commercials and representations of the church's purpose for supporting it (i.e. that hatred was our motivation), some verbal threats made, and even one instance of violent retaliation. I have asked myself--sitting there in classes, listening to fellow students talk about any who supported Prop 8 as hateful and homophobes--should I speak up and defend the church (knowing that it will only lead to bitter debates and hurtful accusations)? How am I to respond? It turns out that in this case the Lord already answered that question before I asked it or knew I WOULD ask it. Thus, for any who are feeling similarly conflicted, who don't know whether or not they should "fight back," I link to Elder Hales' talk and highly recommend reading it. It can also be found in November's General Conference issue of the Ensign.

I'm Done...

...with school (at least for this semester).

In other news, I got a special fun new toy (and by toy I mean awesome responsibility that requires great skill, respect, and dedication to master). It is a Smith & Wesson Model 36 "Chief's Special" .38 Special snubnose revolver. It is used, so it only cost $250.00. I haven't shot it yet, so we'll see how it holds up, but so far not too shabby a deal. Mainly, I wanted something simple and effective for Sierra to use if the need to protect herself (and my PEZ collection) arose and I was not there. The pic to the right is not my specific gun (taking one to upload seemed like a lot of extra work tonight, so I just found one online). It seemed like it captured the essence of my gun pretty dang well though (although I would never tie some silly little string on my baby).

I Like Pain Vids

I guess you could call it a sick obsession or addiction, but videos where people get hurt just make me happy.

Papa's Poem Corner Episode 30: It's Been A While

Thanksgiving has come and gone and now I am heading into the last week before finals (when most of my essays are due). I don't have much to report, but I am sick of Angry Burke chomping at my bits. So... here is a random poem that I shall make up right now while I sit here in class.


I Am Sorry

I am sorry if my socks are just too dang green.
I am sorry for your missing spleen.
I am sorry for the space between
thy two front teeth, and all I mean
to really say is just that beans
make excellent pastes with which to clean
the cellar and a pastry queen's
Veruca Salty, hammy thing.
Come with me and we shall sing
of lovely, bubbly, hemorrhoid creams
that carry us on silken wings
to the glorious heights where Charlie Sheen
will make us delicious onion rings.
We'll hope that he remembers to bring
his pants so that no one must see
a sight most horribly obscene;
Charlie are you listening?

Some Thoughts

First of all, I apologize to all of my faithful readers who have wondered where I had gone. To you, my words are as the honey suckle to that travel-weary bee, ever-seeking that sweet succulent nectar that is my psyche. If you have felt abandoned, then I am sorry. If you have felt lost, then thy pains are my own. If thou art gassy, then know that I am that gas.

I'd like to say a word regarding the elections. To do so, I should first link to Glenn Beck's response to a caller (who felt like Barack Obama wasn't his president and shouldn't be supported) and ask you to go read that. It is a transcript from Glenn's radio show, so it isn't supposed to read like a book.

Moving forward, my own thoughts on the election are pretty well summed up by Glenn. Barack Obama, for all the views that he and I do not share (and furthermore that I oppose), has been elected as the President of the United States of America. It is premature to say anything about his presidency; it hasn't happened yet. I will support him as the elected leader of this nation, because that is what he is. He is our President. This does not mean I have changed my views on anything or that I have to. It just means that I support the Democratic process by which our nation's leaders are elected. Is it possible that President-elect Obama will do things I disagree with? Yes. The potential is great. However, it is also possible that he will go down as a President who was able to accomplish much good for the nation. It all depends on him and how he wears that Presidential mantle. So, until there is reason to distrust him, I will trust in what he has said he will do--move toward the center and not push for a liberal/leftist agenda. I will be vigilant, but I will also support.

During the election, my main issue with Barack Obama as a presidential candidate was that there was too much unknown about him. Questions regarding his birth, beliefs, views, associations, etc.: these all raised flags for me. It doesn't mean that I assumed that he was affiliated with terrorists or that he was buddy buddy with Bill Ayers. What it means was that I wasn't satisfied that he wasn't. The proof was not overwhelming for either argument. Thus, I had questions and concerns. In the end I felt like there were too many questions and concerns for me to feel capable of supporting his candidacy. In the end, the American people decided that they did not share those same concerns. I don't need to be bitter about that. Anger doesn't need to be in this equation for me. Barack Obama is my president, because I believe in our nation and our nation voted him in. I truly hope that he can be the great president that so many are hoping he can be. I truly hope that the concerns surrounding him as having some sort of either Marxist or terrorist agenda are completely false and that we will see him emerge as a good and sincere man who has America's best interests at heart. Only time will tell. Until that picture clears up, I will not bemoan his victory. I encourage others to do the same. That is all I have to say at this time. One change that will be coming is that I shall no longer feel shy or timid about sharing political thoughts on this blog. It won't be excessive, because other plans are in the works, but I too want my voice to be heard, and I too want to do what I can to help make this nation a better place to live. Also, a special shout-out to Burke for being so dang inspiring all the time. You better make your comment good.

Super Fast State Trooper

Food For Thought...

JibJab

Many probably saw the JibJab video from four years ago. I just saw this election's video today and share it with you now (you'll have to click the link my friends).

JibJab's "Time For Some Campaigning" (Set to Bob Dylan's famous song, "The Times They Are A Changin'" in case anyone is interested). Enjoy.

Also, 20/20 ran an excellent piece that covers so much of what is gong on and wrong with our nation at the moment. I will only post the first part of it on here, but if you desire to see the rest, just follow the YouTube links after it finishes.

The Office - Crime Aid

Here is the first deleted scene:

Here is the second (and I hope you like fox meat):

Update: And now the third clip of deleted scenes.

Whose Line Is It Anyway???

It has been a long, long time since I have watched this show, but I stumbled upon this clip and it is awesome.

The Second Amendment

I had a thought that some of you have already heard me share. It has recently dawned on me why it is so important to maintain the 2nd Amendment right to bear arms (which for me includes being able to own your own weapon and even being able to carry it). I used to understand it only as a safeguard against crime and violence in our communities. This election has really opened my eyes though, to how far some people would want to take the role of big government, and frankly that concerns me. The right to bear arms is not just about keeping burglars or assailants from attacking our homes, it is also a check and a balance against our government itself. In fact, it is one of the only checks and balances that directly protects the people of this nation from our government ever growing too powerful (i.e. a dictatorship, communism, etc.).
There are many who feel that our nation would be safer if we were to ban guns, and perhaps we would see less gun-related violence. However, it should be remembered that not only has violent crime existed in human history--long before the gun was invented and brought on the scene--but the fact is, if someone wants to hurt you, they will find a way. Taking away guns from the masses will eventually only take guns away from those who wouldn't use them illegally. Those who would use them illegally will.
I'll end by reiterating what was already said: taking away guns won't stop violent crimes; those that want to hurt others will still exist in this world. Taking away guns really means that the people no longer have a safeguard against government (because you KNOW that no government is going to give up its guns). I support the 2nd Amendment, because I support our Constitution's system of checks and balances against our government ever becoming too powerful for us people to control. Sadly, I fear that we are already to that point anyway, and it makes it that much more important for us to not surrender those rights that would protect us from that sad end to our liberties. That is all.

Troubled Times

Given the current state of our economy and the troubled times that seem to be looming ahead, I thought we could all use some inspiration. Let us not bow our heads and go softly into the night; let us save money on clothing by using our hair as a substitute.

The Office: "Baby Shower" Deleted Scenes

I may just make this a weekly thing friends of forest fires. Each week's episode tends to have three clips of deleted scenes and I will post them as they are released. So if you only see one or two on here, check back later 'cause I will just update this same post with the clips. Questions?

I skipped the 2nd clip of deleted scenes due to its somewhat graphic nature, but here is the third one. I am sad they took it out, because as funny as it was to see Dwight try to destroy the baby carriage, this would have made that whole scene 10x funnier.

Such Humble Beginnings

This is an older clip from Andy Samberg and Bill Hader's first year on SNL. Wanna know how out of touch I had gotten with said show? I had no clue that Horatio Sans was ever in the Weekend Update crew. Ah well.

The Onion

First, watch this video that explains the process that Disney Child Star Creation Labs goes through to create their stars (and thank you Stooph for posting this on your blog for me to find and steal and exploit on my own):

Disney Lab Unveils Its Latest Line Of Genetically Engineered Child Stars
Now, I gotta say that The Onion is one brilliant little site. I hardly ever check it, but when I do it is always so clever and generally quite funny. It is kind of sad that I far prefer fake news to the real stuff. Ah well.

Papa's World 2.0

Now that we have breached that milestone of 200 posts (201 baby), I thought we'd start off this new era of blogging with an excellent quote from Benjamin Franklin.

"An informed voter is a voter whose vote doesn't count any more than the vote of a complete idiot." - Benjamin Franklin.

I challenge each of us to find our political nemesis--the idiot whose vote cancels out our own--and somehow breed with them. What would happen? it is worth finding out. (Just kidding Sierra, I shan't breed with anyone and don't think that this means you can either).

The Big 200!

That is right folks, this is my 200th post on this blog. Considering I've had it up for over 4 years now, that doesn't seem very impressive, but hey... I'm working on it. To celebrate, what do you say we toke a trip to the roller coaster park, get some free balloons, and listen to They Might Be Giants' "Older?" Yeah! That sounds like a birthday celebration to me! (This video was made by a man named Shamus Young, whose blog I regularly read--he made the Lord of the Rings web-comic I so love. So thank you, Shamus).

Bless The Office

I have heard some critiques of this season of The Office (two episodes in, it seems a little early to think you can accurately describe any sort of "trend" into anything doesn't it?), how it feels more like a sitcom and Michael's acting is different and what not. People are lame. Watch these deleted scenes and tell me that they are not as hilarious as anything else the show has ever done. While I will admit that last night's episode wasn't the funniest I've ever seen, at not point did I feel dissatisfied with it; it was a story mover to help build for future conflicts between Michael and Holly from what I could tell, and therefore it was important. Anyway, these deleted scenes are fantastic. Oh, and in case you haven't heard of it yet, Matt tuned me in to a blog that should satisfy all of your extra-curricular The Office needs. The Office Tally. Go check it out. Seriously.

Update: Here is the second clip of deleted scenes, or Deleted Scenes 2.0. They can't be held responsible for what the first Deleted Scenes did.

Additional Update: The third clip of deleted scenes.