Panglossian Thoughts

Review of Strangers Vol. 2 - Derek Porter

2011-04-20T17:55:00.000-05:00

I recently got a hold of my friend Derek's new album Strangers Vol. 2. (you can get it here). I loved Vol. 1 and I was really excited to see where Derek would go with its companion. The album picks up where Vol. 1 ends. A mix of sounds that slowly become melody in The Rabble part 2. This up paced start gives way to upfront piano, distorted vocals and chorus. All of these will be recurring themes in Vol. 2.

On Derek's last album the guitar was the center piece, but it is the piano that stands out on this album. If Vol. 1 was wilting and dreamy then Vol. 2 is a staccato and scary dream. Dreams and memory were the focal point of Vol. 1. There was a contemplative take on these themes in Vol. 1 but this album demands more. It is not a rhetorical question but one that needs answers. (look at When I Forget my Name). In Vol. 1 these questions seemed personal, often through the voice of Derek, but Vol. 2 features more choruses. It seems that these questions are to be asked by all of us. Vol. 1 used multiple vocal takes to make a disjointed feeling. In Vol. 2 Derek distorts his voice, cutting out bits and adding a creepier feeling at times. The songs on this album build quite a bit, much like a Sufjan track. Again always placing the piano at the front. The piano is the driving force, especially in the the hits on songs like When I Forget my Name and Tongue in Cheek. The lyrics are a bit more playful in this album, and more interesting. Sometimes Andrew Bird-like. Make no mistake this is obviously a Derek Porter album. This may be easy for me to recognize. I heard Roger the Engineer for the first time almost three years ago, but could not have guessed how the song finally worked out. And songs like I've Been Walking seem like a bit of a change for Derek.

So what did I think of the album? Well, up until the final track I was forced to settle with the fact that I liked Vol. 1 just a bit more. Then the final track came on. Chestnut Tree is the perfect end for the album. Not just Vol. 2, but for Strangers as an album. A song that has the slow and melodic attributes of Vol. 1 and a stronger, more epic chorus in the middle from Vol. 2. This is all tied up beautifully when the build and repetition of "love I feel you pulsing in the tree" breaks. There is no need to listen to this album as competition to Vol. 1 but completion. Strangers is a great album and Derek has really stretched himself sonically. If you haven't listened to Vol. 1 get a hold of it and listen to both of these albums.

Christmas in Dublin

2010-12-28T14:43:00.000-06:00

I was lucky enough to spend my Christmas with my friend Paul. His family lives about 45 min. outside of Dublin in a town near Drogheda. Paul's family was very nice to invite me, and I was very excited to visit Ireland.

The Journey,
As most people read, travel in Europe around Christmas was nuts. The snow meant that most flights were being cancelled. I was taking a train and a ferry, so I knew I would be fine. This did mean that the train stations were packed. At about 8 pm I had a train out of London to the ferry port in Whales. I was shocked by the method for catching the train. An announcement is made, and everyone runs. It is crazy, and truly survival of the fittest. I was lucky enough to get on the train and leave (roughly) on time. My train had some problems so we switched to another train at Wolverhampton. That made us about 15 min. late for our ferry, but luckily there was another one waiting for all of us that were late. The ferry ride was nice, and lasted about 3 hours. I arrived in Dublin at 6 30. After taking a bus from the port I found a train out to Paul's house. 45min. later I saw Paul waiting for me at the station, and I knew Christmas was beginning.

Christmas time,
Being at Paul's was great. His family welcomed me and I really felt at home. Most of the time before Christmas was spent relaxing. We did some last minute shopping and ate tons of food. Paul and I went for a walk on the beach when I first arrived, and spend our nights playing Mario Kart with his friends. I was pretty much doing what I would want to do if I was back in the States. On Christmas Eve we visited Paul's aunt and her family. After visiting for a while we then went for mid-night mass. The church was amazing and it really put me into the Christmas spirit. After mass most of us went to bed, and Paul woke me up in the morning to see if Santa had come. He had come, and the morning was spent opening our gifts. There was even a stocking and a present for me. It was a great Christmas morning. Paul, his sister, his father, and myself went for a walk on the beach after opening presents. Paul and his sister even jumped in (with their feet). I could not be persuaded. It was cold. That night was Christmas dinner, and I have never eaten more in my life. There were a lot of potatoes, ham, and turkey. There were tons of deserts that were all new to me. It was great food. We took a break after eating to relax, and watched "The A Team". It was a terrible movie, but we had a great time laughing at it.

My last day in Ireland was spent in Dublin. Paul showed me around town, and I was able to check out his old university (Trinity). It was a beautiful campus and I see why Paul loves it so much. Dublin has a really great feel. Everything is very close, but there is still a bigger city feel. Not as busy as London, but not a tiny town. After checking out his uni we stopped by the Guinness brewery. That was a great tour with lots of information. It ended with a pint on top of the building. On the 9th floor Guinness has a bar with one of the best views of Dublin. I was able to see almost all of the city and I could see the mountains outside of town too. It was very nice.

At 8 I said good bye to Paul and set out for my ferry. I thought the trip home would be easier than the trip out to Dublin. The ferry was alright, but when I got to the station in Whales(12:30 AM) I found out the next train wasn't until 4:48 AM. It was cold in the station, but I made some friends and we chatted for a bit. I was even able to get about 2 hours of sleep on the floor. I got the train, and after about 4 hours of drifting in and out of sleep I was back in London. It was great to be back after the long journey home.

I am so thankful for Paul's family opening up their house to me and making me feel so welcome. It was one of my favorite Christmases yet. I can not thank them enough.

(it was hard to decide what photo's to include. Here are two. One from Dublin and the other of Paul on the beach by his house.)

The End of the First Term

2010-12-18T15:30:00.000-06:00

So my first term in grad. school is over. The lectures at least. These past two weeks have been crazy. I have been going to work, classes, and tons of parties. There were parties for the end of term, and Christmas parties. All around, a very busy time. I now have about a month off from school, but unlike in the states, I still have work to do. There were no finals, but I have two essays to write over break. I hope I can get motivated.

London is covered in snow today, which is bad news for most of my friends who are trying to travel home today. A lot of flights got cancelled, and when we ordered a pizza it took 2 and a half hours. I don't think there is a single plough in London, so the whole city kind of shuts down. This is strange because it normally snows once or twice every year. You would think they would figure it out.

For the next few days I get to work and then come home and work on essays. I leave for Dublin on Wed. I will be there for Christmas and about two days after. I will use that time as my break, and come back to London ready to work on my essays.

That is all for now. I am sure I will post some pictures of Dublin when I get back. Merry Christmas.

Trip up North.

2010-12-12T17:12:00.000-06:00

Last weekend my friends Sam and Mike and I went up to Edinburgh, Scotland. Sam used to go to school there and she had some friends that let us stay in their flat. We took an overnight bus up on a Thurs. night. The bus ride was very long but we survived. Edinburgh is beautiful. It had snowed that week and the entire city was covered in about 6 in. of snow. I mean the entire city because they don't shovel anything. It feels really small, but there are a lot of places to check out. It is a very old city and it has a wonderful character. We walked all through the city and found some really nice art museums. I guess I would describe Edinburgh and "cozy". One of the highlights of our weekend was a church we stumbled into. As we checked it out choir practice was being held. We got to look around with some wonderful music filling the chapel. The trip ended with another overnight bus trip. This one was awful. There was no heat in the bus and no one slept. It was one of the worst experiences of my life. All I can say is that I am glad it is over. I won't let the chilling bus ride ruin that weekend though. It was filled with wonderful sights, Sam's even more wonderful friends, and a small break from the goliath that is London.

Thanksgiving abroad.

2010-12-06T13:21:00.000-06:00

So about two weeks ago was Thanksgiving. This was my first major holiday outside of the states. (I did spend New Years in Tokyo, but I think Thanksgiving is more important). Some of my ex-pat friends and I decided to cook a dinner ourselves. Since we did not have time to cook a turkey we just bought some chicken and cooked some of the rest ourselves. It actually turned out pretty well. We had rolls, cornbread, asparagus, green beans, mashed potatoes and of course pumpkin pie. We invited some non ex-pats as well for their first Thanksgiving. All and all it was really great.

Something I am very thankful for, besides my family, is my new job. Along with the Thanksgiving pic (minus Mike, he was taking it) there is a shot of my new shop. Dose Espresso. I have been working there about two weeks and I love it. I am sure there will be more about that in the future.

Getting into the flow of things.

2010-11-19T09:39:00.000-06:00

Here is a quick update. My reading week was a success and I finished my essay and turned it on time. It was a lot of work, but it feels great to get it done. I have been looking for a coffee shop job, but nothing has worked out yet. I have found some good shops near my school. There is hope for coffee in my life.

My knee is getting better after my ACL surgery. I have been working out and trying to get back into form. The Doctor released me to start running on a tread mill. Today was the first time I have ran since Jan. It felt pretty awesome. I will be back to playing soccer soon. On my way back from the doctor I walked through Hampstead Heath. It might be one of my favorite spots in London. On the edge of the park I found this wonderful door in a wall. More to come. Enjoy.

Autumn and Guy Fawkes Day

2010-11-14T06:01:00.000-06:00

Most of the leaves have fallen here. Autumn took longer to start here than in Central IL, and it lasted for about 2 or 3 weeks. I am now over half way done with my first term at UCL. I just finished my first essay and I have 4 weeks of lectures left before the winter break. I really missed my Autumn rituals of corn mazes and haunted houses, but I was able to celebrate my first Guy Fawkes Day. That was a lot of fun and about 8-12 or my fellow Human Rights colleges meet in a park to watch the bonfire and fireworks. Now that Halloween is over everything is starting to turn to Christmas here. I am not sure what I will do for Thanksgiving, but a few of my fellow ex-pats might try to cook something traditional up. Well, after a week of working on my essay I am exhausted, and ready to go back to just attending lectures. Enjoy these pictures of a park by my campus and the bonfire on Guy Fawkes Day. Laters.

Quick review of the month.

2010-11-07T12:53:00.000-06:00

Well, I have not been that good of a blogger. My first month as flown by. I have been very busy with school, but I have been able to have some fun too. I am include some images of what I have been up to during the month of Oct. I made sushi for the first time with some of my flatmates. That was great. I was able to go see Mark Ronson and the Business Int. one weekend. I have included a picture of his stage set up. There were about 6 Keyboards and a lot of drum pads. It was a great show. I was able to interview with Monmouth Coffee. The interview went pretty well, but there were no permanent positions available. I am waiting to hear back from them about seasonal work. Well, that is it for now. I hope to have a little longer of a post up soon. I have some pictures from Guy Fawkes day to show off. Until next time....

Travel to London

2010-09-25T07:43:00.000-05:00

So my posts might be a little delayed while I am settling in / don't have a computer. Just for anyone who has not heard I arrived safely in London on Tues. the 21st. The entire trip took somewhere around 18 hours. I flew from Chicago to New York first. That was painless, and Geetha met me at the airport so my 5 hour layover was a lot of fun. The next leg was not so good. I could not sleep or get comfortable on the 5 hour flight to Iceland. We landed at about 6AM local time. The airport in Reykjavik was beautiful, but not handicap accessible. I was able to watch the sunrise. Iceland looked amazing, and I will have to go back there soon. Then came the 3 hour flight to London. I slept for most of it. At Heathrow I had a difficult time with my luggage and huge bike box. I somehow made my way to the express train that took me to central London in 15 min. I then got in a cab and in about 20 min was in front of my dorm. Hawkridge House (where I live) is pretty hidden. It is on a tiny street that comes to a dead end. I live on the 6th floor with 5 others. All of my room mates seem to be pretty cool.

So that is my account of the first few days. There will be more entries to come (hopefully with pictures, once I get a phone) about my neighborhood and my campus. Look for entries about British culture, not just queuing, but also signs are receipts. I am sure all of you can barely wait.

FOR---EV-----ERRRRR

2010-03-09T23:06:00.002-06:00

That is how long it has been since I have last updated this. A couple of months ago I thought I would post the best albums of 2009, but after being made fun of by Nick and Brittany I decided not to. Last night I was hanging out with Angie and I remember that I had a blog. Taking her advice I am going to try to update this thing more often. Reason why coming up...

So what the hell has been going on with me? Well, after a long process of deciding where to go to graduate school (one that took me out to Seattle) I have decided to attend University College London in the fall. It is about 95 percent certain that I will be there. I was accepted into their program last summer but I decided to defer my enrollment until this year. I am just waiting on the official letter that should be arriving soon.

To waste time until then I am back to working at the Coffee Hound in Bloomington, IL. I live in Bloomington as well (Franklin Park, what what). If you are a friend from far away, still call me if you are going to Chicago. Sometimes I can make it up there to meet you. Also I have started attending a house church. It is very loosely based on Neo-Monasticism (see older posts) and I think it is a great step in my personal faith. Please talk to me about it sometime. I would love that.

Part of why I am starting this blog up again is for my friends who do not live near me. This will be a way to keep everyone posted, as well as my usual rants. I think this communication will become more important next year when I move to London.

I guess that is it for now. I am sure there is some kind of rant brewing, so stay tuned.

Best Albums of 2008

2008-12-22T20:30:00.002-06:00

I break my silence to give you my favorite albums of 2008. You do not have to agree with me, but this is what I liked. So let's get this going...

I will start with number 10 and count down.

10. My 10th fav. album of 2008 is Oracular Spectacular by MGMT (pronounced management). This album beat out all the honorable mentions I will list later. I just recently started to listen to the album, and other than maybe 2 tracks I love all of it. It has all the synth I could ever want and the lyrics are witty. This album is great to play at a party and makes a wonderful headphone record. I appreciated the subtle things they do while listening to this album while on the train. Tracks to Listen to: Time to Pretend and Kids.

9. Number 9 is The Stand Ins by Okkervil River. I loved The Stage Names and this album was a continuation. Okkervil River is one of the best bands playing right now and this album was amazing. It is definitely a huge step musically from previous records, but I still think Black Sheep Boy is their best. Never the less great album. Tracks to Listen to: Lost Coastlines and Pop Lie.

8. This one goes to Max Richter. He is a classical composer that makes beautiful instrumental music. He is heavily influenced by Brian Eno and adds many different sounds to his already complex and awe inspiring arrangements. Tracks have additional white noise and radio static added to give a very different feel. The really neat thing about this album is the concept. He wrote these short, between 1 to 3 min., songs to be played on cell phones. That is right, songs meant to be ringtones, and these would never ruin a movie. This is an album I can listen to anytime of the day. Check out his older albums too, they are just as good. Tracks that would be my ringtone: In Louisville at 7 and Lullaby from the West Coast Sleepers.

7. Evil Urges by My Morning Jacket is my pick. A lot like Okkervil River I liked their previous albums more, but their new one is such a great step forward as well. The mixing of styles they provide on this record is amazing. They sound tighter and more representative of what a live show is like. Very solid record, and who can beat Jim James' voice. Some can imitate (more on that later) but there is no other frontman like him. Tracks to Listen to: Evil Urges and Highly Suspicious.

6. Rounding out the bottom half is a great band from portland called Portugal, the Man. Their album is Censored Colors and has a wide range of feels from song to song. I love the gang vocals that are in almost every song and the huge sound that is on this record. I heard of this band from the Song of the Day on NPR and I am very happy that I got the album. I think it may start stronger than it ends, but it is an album you can get lost in. Tracks to Listen to: Lay Me Back Down and Colors.

5. The first album in the top half is Furr by Blitzen Trapper. This is a really fun band that Derek saw open for Iron and Wine. According to Derek the front man is very Bruce Springstein like. I love delivery of the lyrics and the fun jam sections. It uses some great organ parts and just seems very complete. I expect great things from this band in the future so look forward to seeing them in 2010 or maybe even 2009. Tracks to Listen to: God and Suicide and Gold for Bread.

4. Coming to the business end brings Fate by Dr. Dog. I am a huge Dr. Dog fan and I love their sound. It is very classic 1950's sounding at times maybe even 1920's, like vaudeville. The lyrics are great a catchy, this spells success in my mind. There songs change as they progress and they are one of the few bands consistently making interesting music album after album, and even song after song. One of their best albums to date, if not the best. Tracks to Listen to: The Old Days and The Rabbit, The Bat, and The Reindeer.

3. Bronze metal goes to Fleet Foxes and their self-titled debut. The front man has a very similar sounding voice as Jim James, but the way it mixes with the lush orchestration on this album is what sets it apart. A great album for sure with great track after great track. I love when albums have a general feel from song to song (a theme you will notice with the top 2 as well) and this albums has a great feel. They are going to have to great things to follow this album up. Tracks to Listen to: White Winter Hymnal and Oliver James.

2. The first loser is 3 Rounds and a Sound by Blind Pilot. Another Portland band that is making great music. I found this album in late 2008 but it is an instant classic. Earlier I had been listening to the Dodos a lot and for Blind Pilot is a better version of the guitar and drummer band. They add other sounds when needed, such as keys, horns, and strings, but the base is acoustic and drums. It has a very loose feel but every song hits me. Great song writing and style overall. There are so many songs to choose from for this album but, Tracks to Listen to: One Red Thread and The Bitter End.

1. And the Best Album of 2008 is by far Bon Iver. One could argue that For Emma, Forever Ago is a 2007 album but I count it as 2008. I saw him play at Pitchfork and it was completely moving. The story of this album is Justin Vernon (the man that is Bon Iver) moved to a cabin in Wisconsin following the break up of his band. The plan was to just take some time off and live for a while. While living alone he wrote nine of the most beautiful tracks I have ever heard. The sounds is very bare bones and honest. This is what sets this album apart from the rest, the sheer gut wrenching feelings one gets from the beginning. Bon Iver takes you to a place instantly. It may not be healthy to stay there for a while, but it is magic that he can take you there. Everything he does is perfect on this album so please take a listen if you have not. Tracks to Listen for: Skinny Love (and amazing song) and For Emma.

So if you take my Tracks to Listen to and mix them up anyway you like you get my mixtape for the year. Honorable Mentions (or albums just not as good as MGMT's) are I Can't Go On, I'll Go On by The Broken West; In Ghost Colous by Cut Copy; Narrow Stairs by Death Cab for Cutie; Visiter by The Dodos; Re-Arrange Us by Mates of State and Parc Avenue by Plants and Animals.

Feel free to disagree with me, but this is what I think.

Who is he really?

2008-10-17T23:54:00.002-05:00

Here is a video of Barack Obama explaining who he really is at a fund raiser. I loved this. I can't wait until he is our next president.

Raping our Churches and Burning our Women

2008-07-28T19:47:00.002-05:00

This is the best argument for gun safety laws ever.

Just an idea.

2008-07-01T14:47:00.003-05:00

Dear Apple,
I am writing you to request a favor. I have a suggested business venture for your company. If you could, I ask that you become the jersey sponsor for the San Jose EarthQuakes. They are a terrible team and are in great need of good news. So what is in it for you one might ask. Well, there would be the tons of advertising. Your logo would be in every MLS game that is shown on t.v. Not to mention the jersey itself. anytime someone bought a San Jose jersey they would be a walking billboard for your company. There would be the bigger ideas of having MLS games on itunes. There is some added revenue. Plus, you must respond to Microsoft. They are sponsoring their home team, the Seattle Sounders FC. Why should you not be guarding your hometown? The main jersey colors are already white and black, so that is consistent with your image. Let's look at the target audience as well. A soccer fan is a possible apple fan. Most soccer fans are upper-middle class. They are either sub-urban families or urban young adults. This is already your audience. Why miss an opportunity to advertise to them as well. Let's think about the future as well. Buying the space on the jerseys would be cheap right now. Very cheap in fact. But there is so much possibility for growth. An apple sponsorship could make San Jose the "cool" team. Your logo alone could lure a superstar like Luis Figo, or someone else. How could any player turn down a free iphone? Hell, I would practice to make the team just to get one. And lastly, it would just look good. If these arguments are not convincing you, just photoshop your logo on their jersey and see how bad ass it looks. Well, thank you for your time, now make it happen.

Nathan.

Book Review: Starbucked by Taylor Clark

2008-06-18T22:59:00.002-05:00

This was a fun and educational read. Clark is a young author (this is his first book) from Portland. He has a dry wit that had me laughing while reading. His book goes into many in aspects of Starbucks, as well as coffee culture here and around the world.
I enjoyed the telling truths about Starbucks as a company. There are many reasons not to like this coffee chain, but many of the reasons you hear every day are BS. Towards the end of the book Clark makes the a comment, really more of a questions, is starbucks a global homogenizing force, or just a product of global homogenization. The fact is Starbucks is not forcing anyone to drink their coffee. People are choosing to do that. We can mourn the loss of culture in places like China and London, but people there are still buying starbucks.
Another key point I took away was the false idea that Starbucks is bad for the mom and pop coffee house. The opposite is actually true. Starbucks is a gateway coffee company. A person begins with a vanilla latte, but will later branch out. Also their coffee is not that good. So when drinking coffee is socially "cool" why not drink good coffee. Starbucks needs the milk in lattes so no one taste what their coffee really is. This leads many to find a local coffee shop and enjoy coffee how one should. (A side note for anyone in Normal, do not seek out Coffee House, its name is misleading. It should be called "Hang out of Patchouli wearing vegetarians that are anti-everything and elitist, but despite how well educated they want you to think they are, can still not tell that they are drinking horrible coffee, House". That place has the worst coffee I have every had, second only to instant). So basically this was a great book for a coffee nerd like me, and Clark writes in a way that even a non-nerd would enjoy it. Check it out if you have some time.

Whoring out the Faith. (reposted)

2008-05-16T09:17:00.001-05:00

I originally wrote this for my other blog.

You know I don't think people ever learn. After being fully embarrassed to call myself a christian as the Creation Museum was being built, I now find another reason to blush. In Tennessee there is a Bible theme park proposed. This would be "historical" as the men in charge of the project say. I just say this is ridiculous, and I think all the readers know why. The article even quotes the supports as comparing people who do not support the project to telling a bookstore to stop selling the bible because they are making money off of it. This is crazy. Selling a manuscript that is a crux to a faith is very, very, VERY different than a million dollar theme park that will probably be poorly done, and a financial disaster. I say wait ten years, and if the creation museum has not been turned into the headquarters for an insurance company, or the largest strip club in Ohio, then talk about this. But even then I say this is a stupid idea.

As if Owning a Moleskine didn't Make Me Pretentious Enough...

2008-05-02T15:19:00.004-05:00

This is one of my favorite pieces from the website 'skine art. There a lot of different styles, so I am sure you will find something you like. I mainly use my moleskine for writing things down; ideas, lists, directions, but I wish I used mine in this way. Check it out.

Frontline on healthcare.

2008-04-15T13:00:00.001-05:00

Tonight on PBS is a frontline report on healthcare. I watched the reporter on Charlie Rose today and it interested me. He makes points that Japan and Germany do not have "socialized" medicine, but they have much better healthcare than here in the US. I hope even you right aligned readers take time to watch this and learn that there are ways to have functioning healthcare here in America. Here is a trailer. There are multiple air times, so check your local listings, and I think you can watch it online after that.

Marrying for Love is Not the Whole Story.

2008-03-21T08:27:00.002-05:00

I found this article in The Star very interesting. It essentially says that in mixed marriages someone of a minority ethnicity "marries down" with a white partner. I don't know what group this is most offensive to, but either way it is a little offensive. The article also talks about how little romantic love actually plays into marriage choices, instead suggesting that a better indicatior is social class. This makes sense when one thinks that a person is normally attracted to someone who has similar experiences to themselves. Being from a social science background, I can really point out that there are too many factors interacting with one another to really say anything concrete, but again I though this was interesting.

So much Faith.

2008-03-19T15:43:00.001-05:00

After having a great conversation about some specifics of differing worldviews with a friend, I decided to post somethings on the blog I contribute to. I posted a review of a book a read and a link to a long, and very thought provoking, article about evangelistic atheism. Check them out.

New Monasticism

2008-03-02T15:03:00.003-06:00

This article from the Boston Globe caught my eye. I would love to look at this more in depth. The basic ideas are something that I, and I know some of my friends, have been thinking about for a while. I do not think that the mega-church is the devil, but to me this is a more real faith. I just went to a church today that I liked, but it was not where I feel I should be. To find a community like this is something I wish I had in my life. Well anyway, take time to read this article, it is not that long.

Where you always get a free onion.

2008-02-24T23:27:00.001-06:00

I was talking with a friend about this commercial. This was a huge part of me growing up. The difference is when I first saw this commercial it was an old man (his father?) breaking the sticks with him. I am glad that you still get a free onion. Keep it up big Mike.

Money is not everything.

2008-02-18T08:07:00.004-06:00

This story from 60 min. is interesting. I am sure there are problems in Denmark, but living there is looking more appealing than here. One of the danes interviewed is getting paid to stay at home for 6 months with his child. Now that is something I could get behind. I love how this story points out that money is not everything. In a side note, this story also mentions positive psychology. This is something I have done a bit of study on, and I am not a big fan. It makes sense to study good aspects of a person, but healthy people don't need doctors. Of course I could just be angry at a professor I have right now that loves pos. psych and is one of the worst teachers I have. Anyway enjoy this clip.

A Gift for all of You.

2008-02-14T08:14:00.004-06:00

Today is the arrival of the new album by Derek Porter. I am proud to say I helped in small way, getting writing credit on one song. It is a very good album and if you were a fan of The Ways I'm Going Blind, this will not disappoint. The best part is it is FREE. You can download it for free and enjoy the music now. What are you waiting for. Have a good V-day.

Yellow Card for Stupidity.

2008-02-06T22:45:00.000-06:00

Tonight was a fun night of soccer. My room mate (Nathan) and I (also Nathan) went to watch the match between U.S. and Mexico. I have been looking forward to this game for this whole week. The game started and the U.S. went up, then Mexico struck back. Then the U.S. went up again followed by a third goal by Dempsey that was called back. Then Mexico tied it up, and that was how the score remained until the end. The real loser was me. I went to Maggie Miley's, an Irish pub. This should be the most soccer friendly place in town, however at the end of the game a I was greeted by an idiot.

With about 10 min. left in the game a guy sat down under the T.V. He was wearing a camouflage coat, so I could barely see him. He began his contact with me and the 3 other soccer fans by saying, "what does a yellow card mean". After starting on the right foot he waited for about 2 min. and then asked "Does Pele still play." I tried to keep my head from exploding. I instantly said no and then started doing the math, yes about 25 years ago he retired. that would make him about 60 years old. I caught a glance of a soccer fan next to me and we shared a "what the hell is that guy talking about" look. The man next to me then leaned over as said "I bet he would be offended if we asked if Dale Earnhart was still driving."

After a good laugh at NASCAR the game was over. Two soccer fans left and it was down to me and my room mate again. NASCAR then came at sat by me. He asked if it was ok that the U.S. was playing Mexico because of NAFTA. Yes, this should keep these two teams apart? I said it was fine, and then in my mind noted that NAFTA would probably aid international games, given that NAFTA and soccer made any sense being put together.

I digress, the main point is not that I was not really the loser, but that U.S. soccer was. The most famous soccer player to your regular American is still Pele, yes the old Brazilian star is still more famous than Landon Donovan, or Clint Dempsey, or Jozy Altidore, or even Freddy Adu. But who am I kidding most people reading this (assuming anyone is) don't know who they are either.

Super Tues.

2008-02-04T11:59:00.000-06:00

In a run up to Super Tues. I have learned of another supporter for Obama. The artist Shepard Faireys has made some posters for the Obama camp. I vote tomorrow and as I said in 2006, Obama 08. Let's hope it works out tomorrow. Until then enjoy the art.

Mistaken Identity.

2008-02-04T11:41:00.001-06:00

Today I get onto the elevator in DeGarmo and start going down to the basement. At the first floor a 40 year old woman who wants to go up, but doesn't see that I am going down gets on. After I inform her of our direction, she inhales and says what I haven't heard for a while, and was beginning to be thankful of. "You look like Josh Groban." I thanked her and said "I get that a lot." And I do. Too much. Yes I have curly hair and a large nose and squinty eyes. Why is this always Josh Groban? The only good thing was that she did not ask the question that I hate more than being told I look like Josh Groban. "Can you sing like him?" Yes, yes I can sing like him and I look like him but I choose to waste my life at ISU rather than singing to adoring fans. Yes I like ISU more than 40 women speechless at how I sing "Silent Night" Christ on crutches! No, I can not sing like him. Why do I have to look like a guy that attracts 40 year olds, and not my peers? Why can't I look similar to Brad Pitt or who ever the hell that guy from the OC is. Why can't 20 year old women find me attractive? Why me?

Staying Current?

2008-01-27T18:30:00.000-06:00

well, after my last post getting 2 comments (the most yet) i have decided, since people are reading what i put up here, I will try to post more often. I have no good story this time, my life is full of homework, watching primary returns, and most recently touring a over 100 year old boat with my dad. But this is something that caught my eye. I liked the first one. Props to Geetha for pointing me to it.

Creating the wrong Scene.

2008-01-21T11:36:00.000-06:00

So last night began in a pretty regular way. I went to a show that my room mate's band was in. I haven't been to shows in a while so I was a little excited. We get to the Coffee House and there is a line out the door, already a little strange for this type of a show. We get in and I start to look around.

The first thing I notice is that the mean age in the room is roughly 15.7. And as one of my friends said, the average height was about 5 flat. Men in girls jeans and scene hair cuts everywhere. If I saw another androgynous person flip his/her hair one more time I was going to through up.

Feeling out of place and old, I was eager for the show to start, and start it did. The first act was a 17 year old girl on piano. She covered such classics as "Jumper" by Third Eye Blind, as well as songs about high school and one called "22". She also ended every phrase while singing with the ever-appealing "aahhh" You know what I'm talking about, the way people just let all of their breath out, as if each line is a punch in the gut. You might know that sound from places such as but not exclusively to Blink 182, Damien Rice, Paramore, Taking Back Sunday, and de-inflating a beach ball.

My friends band played next. They were good. Big Ace eyed the 15 year olds.

The band after that was a blast from the past. Seriously, it was a SKA band. I thought high school would have changed since I left, but apparently not. This band was good at what they did, but the last time I heard those kind of songs was 2000, you know the time ska died. There were such annoying kids there skanking as the guy with a plastic pumpkin on his head. Seriously, how much can someone yell for attention. There were all of those kids, pushing each other around. It got especially rowdy with the fan favorite, and deep revealing lyrics of "Hey, Fuck You". Yes those were the only words to the song, and yes it moved me.

The last band was a dance/techno/same one song repackaged bank. They were ok, at least they were somewhat current. The joy of them only have one real song is that I liked their whole set.

Now don't get me wrong, I was one of those kids, but that was about 4 years ago, and am I really that old. In like a gave a look to pumpkin head and his friend comment "that guy up there just looked at you like you were an idiot". Well, I did and he was. But that is not the real point, when did this group stop being like me. I am sorry I am not a vegan for personal reason, but do nothing real to stop hunger, I'm sorry I don't go to shows 4 nights of the week and "let the music take me over". I don't have time for the shit, I am busy. I am sorry I don't think I am better than everyone else because I took way to long to get my look down for whatever the hell I'm doing that night. When did I get to old for this?

Fw: No more hate mongering

2008-01-16T20:36:00.000-06:00

Forwards are from Satan. I hate getting forwards, and the person that sends me the most is my mom. Most of the time they are just pictures of dogs or a lame fart joke. Sometimes they are the most ignorant things (and often fake) that I have read. My mom's forwarding brought me the email that Obama is a Muslim. On a related note she sends me one about the Islamic population in Denmark. The email is obviously pandering to hate. It states how most of the government services are being used on immigrants. It makes large claims and is missing something, you can never guess what, REFERENCES. No links to the New York Times or UN statistics. I tend not to believe large claims without facts. Well, anyway, this email claim that the fear of radical Islam cause the government of Denmark to make it harder to become a citizen. This discounts the it makes perfect sense for a Government with tons of social programs would want to give those programs to its citizens. I thought there was nothing wrong with that, and why does that mean they are afraid of Muslims? I just don't get it.

It has been a while.

2008-01-11T23:32:00.001-06:00

I am breaking my silence to bring you this. two of my favorite things, Jimmy Carter and the Onion.

I Got What America Needs Right Here

The Darfur Night (Batman)

2007-11-26T00:03:00.000-06:00

I think this sums up what most Americans think, sadly enough. I love the onion.

How Can We Raise Awareness In Darfur Of How Much We're Doing For Them?

Hijacked Christianity

2007-10-27T16:18:00.000-05:00

This rant was started in my head by over hearing a conversation near me. I was at my local coffee shop reading for class when someone else's conversation caught my ear. Next to me sat two 40 year old women with nice three ring binders in front of them. They could have been on a lunch break from State Farm, and the tone of this casual business meeting point to something like that. Instead they were discussing a worship service at the church they no doubt worked for.

I was listening them discuss which songs would be best for what part of the service. A large part of the discussion was based on if two instrumental songs in a row was a bad idea. The conversation then centered around the "worship team" and how to properly tell a person that for that we they were not going to be playing.

Now let's get some things straight, I like Jesus, I like church, I like people, and I understand that it takes work for a church to run (including some people being on the pay roll). What bothered me was the tone, a discussion of how to manipulate people, what would "set the mood". When did my faith move from an everyday action to a manipulative service, complete with distracting lights. When was the body of Christ holier when moved by the song "I am a friend of God"?

Church is about a commonality, and a sharing of life with others. Maybe I am aesthetically challenged, but I don't really care what songs I sing, I care what people are in my life and how I am used. If we take Christianity seriously why are we not caring about what Christ cared about? When I see a large church I don't thing "there is what God likes to see" . It is the hijacking of my beloved faith that has always made be sick, and made me love devout Christians more.

This is the reason I have a problem finding a home church, and why I left CCU. I hate the hypocrisy. I hate playing the game of Christianity. God's love is unconditional and I think money muddies the water of what we should be doing. It is this outward hypocrisy that turns people away from Christ at a faster rate then sending the 3 percent of offerings to Africa to "save souls" Authenticity is the goal and it is time people strive for that, me included.

This is Dead On...

2007-10-16T23:41:00.001-05:00

Poll: Bullshit Is Most Important Issue For 2008 Voters

I'm Just Waiting for My Turn.

2007-10-16T23:31:00.001-05:00

Reaganomics Finally Trickles Down To Area Man

This is the future.

2007-10-10T20:59:00.000-05:00

Amazing

More Wind

2007-10-08T07:50:00.000-05:00

I dont know why we cant just put tons of wind farms in Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota. There isn't anyone there. Well, this is what the Australians are doing.

Read for yourself
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7033568.stm

Huge Thoughts

2007-10-04T21:50:00.000-05:00

Swing over to my other blog and check out some huge discussions about god from Jeph Porter and myself (along with some help from our friends)

www.thestrangecase.blogspot.com

U.S. Women's World Cup

2007-09-27T23:32:00.000-05:00

Early this morning the U.S. women's soccer team played Brazil. The number 1 U.S. fell in this semi-final match. But what really needs to be said is something missing in what the news is covering on this (if the news even covers this).

Let's go back to when the men's teams played eachother. One of my first posts was about that game, that I was lucky to see. In the first half the U.S. men's team had an own goal. Nothing special at the time, but now I am rethinking my original hypothesis that, it was not the U.S.'s fault(Onyewu especially) but a sun glare off the large cheshire grin of Brazilian star Ronaldinho.

In the Women's game today there was another own goal by Leslie Osborne. Two own goals from the U.S. against Brazil in less than a month. This seems strange, and I think there must be something going on here larger than Ronaldinho's dientes. There must be some kind of talisman that the Brazilian National Team keeps hidden to throw off the U.S. I say we check Marta' shoes or maybe Kaka was hidding it. Either way there is foul play and I demand an investigation.

Fun with stats.

2007-09-26T13:10:00.000-05:00

I watched this in class, it is great. This guy is funny, smart, and has a grand accent. Am I in love?

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/92

China sends troops to Darfur

2007-09-17T08:35:00.000-05:00

A little bit of good news, China plans on sending U.N. peace keeping troops to Darfur. This is a huge change for China, and can only be good for the reigon of Darfur. Maybe the U.S. needs to send more, we can't have China one uping us. Maybe this will be the start to a humanitarian Cold War?

Read/Listen for yourself.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14453538

I Want to Ride my Bicycle

2007-09-16T11:13:00.000-05:00

Here is a small article from NPR about rental bikes in Pairs. The idea is simple, you pay a small fee and ride a bike rather than driving. This program was started by the mayor of Pairs, along with making more bike and bus lanes. The article even tells of Chicago Mayor Daley checking it out and taking notes. Living in Normal has showed me how much I miss a good bike lane, and the ease of getting from point A to B with out relying on anything motorized.

Read/Listen for yourself
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14429468

Remember to Floss

2007-09-14T10:10:00.001-05:00

I was walking to class today and I saw a guy brushing his teeth while driving. It made me smile slightly. All I know is that I hope my life is never so busy that I have to bursh my teeth while driving. I would probably just chew gum on my way out the door, but this little scene reminded me how great my life is, that I have time for dental hygiene. If you had time to brush your teeth today, take a min. and be happy that life is not all torture and downward spirals to death and probably torment in hades.

Gen. Petreaus in favor of "cutting and running"?

2007-09-13T17:08:00.000-05:00

Gen Petreaus was on NPR's Morning Edditon today. I encourage you to read the transcript or listen to it yourself. There were some positive things I read, in the begining Petreaus talks about how the surge is working, but then goes on to say there needs to be a reduction in troops by mid-2008. Some will say this proves the surge is woking, but there are some underlying problems that I think should be addressed. After Petreaus said the troops should decrease, Steve Inskeep asked if the military could even hold up troop levels at this rate, and he said he didnt even know. Many analyist say we dont have the man power to keep the surge up. Then Petreaus talked about violence going down, but there still being "pockets" of violence. He spoke as if this now directs where to improve, but I wonder, if more miltary are in one violent are, what stops people from just moving to another area? It seems like keeping an eye on a 3 year old. They will be on their best behavior while you are there, but the moment you leave it is whatever they want to do. How can we assure that wont happen in Iraq? I'm just glad Petreaus seems sensible. He admits when he doesnt know what the hell is going on and talks about what he does. It is good for Bush to have him (i think that puts Bush at 7 pos. attributes and 485 neg. ones). Only time will tell what will/needs to be done, but for now let's all feel good that someone over there is saying we need to bring some troops home. This is good news indeed.

Read/Listen for your self
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14369678

A Better Plan

2007-09-12T21:44:00.000-05:00

I just read a small article about Sen. Obama's plan for Iraq. I know tons of people will say that he is "cutting and running" but i still beleive that its better than "staying the course and dying". I am reading this after just recently after seeing video of Gen. Patreas saying he "doesnt know" if what we are doing in Iraq is working. To me that says that something needs to be done. Obama's plan is different, and I like that. He wants to involve the international community, and that is exactly what Iraq and the Iraqi government needs. His plan seems like the safest "do over" possible. I disagree that all the troops will be able to be out by 2008, but i think that idea is just in there to raise some eyebrows, remember this is all still politics not policy, at least not yet

read/listen for yourself:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14359099

Flight of the Conchords

2007-09-12T20:29:00.000-05:00

A friend once said that if we picked up women in a bakery it would look like this. He may be on to something...

Soccer

2007-09-12T20:15:00.001-05:00

This past Sunday I went to Soldier Field to see the US National Team. Unlike most things national, I was filled with hope. The US was playing multi-world cup winning Brazil, and the team this year may be the best yet. So expectedly I was hoping for a huge upset from the no.17 ranked US over the no. 1 ranked Brazil. I did not get to see a win, but I saw something else.

The score of 4-2 would not spell out a close game, but it was a close game. The US was the first to strike, with a corner resulting in a goal by Bocanegra. The US was of to a good start. Then in the 33rd min. an own goal from the US tied it up. Brazil then scored off a header by Lucio. Then in the 73rd min. Dempsey (one of the US players with the most promis) scored. So in the 73rd min. US and Brazil were tied. I (and the rest of the croud) began chanting "U-S-A" It may have been the most American I have ever felt. This is the true power of sport. Then 2 min. later Ronaldinho scored brining it to 3-2.

This game was tight, the only way Brazil was up was the own goal from the US. Then came stoppage time and in the first min. a terrible call was made by the Mexican ref. (probably sore over the domination the US put on the tri-color). He called a penalty kick for a foul half as bad as the one Brazil gave the US in the 67th min. I was in shock. Of course the goal was good and the story was over there.

The lesson from the story is more than "we lost". It is "we lost, but looked great doing it" This may not seem like much, but after the overhyped and underpreformed team of the 2006 World Cup, it was nice to see a team worth playing internationally. In my mind that game was played more like a 2-2 tie. Either way I have hope that the US will soon be showing the international community that we deserve some respect.