A (sort of) delayed return

I just returned to deviantART, if anyone wants to view my profile (although nothing new is up yet, I removed a bunch of old stuff), here is a link.

Right now, I am just sort of zoned out, as I have been for the past week or so. I am sick and it's kind of taking a toll on me. I just finished the (web-?) book Bartender by Dan O'Brien. Despite its many grammatical and contextual errors, I really got a kick out of that one. Also, I just got back my ACT score yesterday, and I was definitely happy with a 33. It was my first time taking it, and I took the SAT again this past weekend (shooting for 1500+ on the combined math and critical reading score, last time I got a 1350 on those two sections, 2050 total). I think I killed that one too.

I am looking forward to seeing "The Men Who Stare At Goats" on Friday, it looks hysterical, but I am not as excited about my full day of work Saturday.

I hope everyone is having a great week!

Just discovered something today that really pissed me off, so I wasn't really in the blogging mood. But justice will be had, I guess. I just have to wait a few weeks. I felt like crap all day (think I am coming down with something, just like everyone else I know) so I pretty much came home and slept for two hours then tried to sleep for another two with a lot of noise and lights and stuff around me. But I guess things always work out in the end, I'm sure I'll feel better soon.

Anyway, I guess I can't really think of anything to blog about today. Oh, except this:

Two of my favorite humorists from Cracked.com, Dan O'Brien and Michael Swaim (who is also from the Comedy group "Those Aren't Muskets") have made a mini series, the first episode of which will air Monday. Here is the trailer, along with a word from DOB. I think it looks pretty promising, with Cracked's typical immature yet witty humor. If you don't already know about the site that they blog on, here is a link. You don't know what you are missing out on.

In related news, I finished reading David Wong's (editor-in-chief of Cracked) book, called John Dies at the End. It was just the right mix of funny and interesting, and some would even call it terrifying (although I, a huge fan of the likes of Stephen King, thought it was sillier than it was scary). This is another little piece of media that I would recommend everyone who happens to read this blog checks out. Although the ending kind of surprised me (read it; maybe you'll see what I mean, but I don't really want to post a spoiler), it was definitely one of the better books I have recently read.

So to sum up this post, check out this trailer, this site, and this book (which, apparently, is in the process of being made into a movie, and I think that is pretty cool).

Check this out

Some friends of mine over at this site came up with a little game that I just thought I would share with anyone who stumbles across my blog. Basically, you take captcha images (for those of you who don't know what captchas are, just look at the images I'll made and you'll instantly recognize them) made up of two words and make funny pictures with themes based on those words. For example, one of mine:














As you can see, a fairly simple game, but it really gets addicting once you see the hilarious pictures some people can come up with. Mine may not be that good, but I saw a few hilarious ones posted on the site linked above. Give it a try if you are bored and looking for something to do online!

Procrastination

Let's face it: almost everybody we know procrastinates in one form or another, and nobody really even wants to do it. Well, most people don't want to. I consider myself a champion procrastinator, but am not necessarily proud of it. I have a lot of potential that gets wasted because of my tendency to get distracted, and I have lost out on certain opportunities because of my habit of putting things off until the last minute, most of the time not getting to them at all. The way I see it, the only time I really feel like doing something is if I am getting something for it in the short term (a paycheck, for example). This is a terrible way of thinking, and I really should stop, but there seems to be something programmed in my brain that just doesn't want to do anything that requires the least bit of work.

One of my long-term goals is to be a writer (fiction preferably), and I read constantly and consider myself an above-average writer, and I think I am a creative person. However, my laziness is getting in the way of things. So I decided that I am going to start writing on this blog as often as I can think of something to write about (but only one post per day for now). I guess it is to help me practice writing and getting past writer's block, although that has never really been a problem for me. Another reason is just pure boredom. I have so much to get done, yet it somehow never seems to be quite finished. And yet I STILL find time to be bored. So why not find something productive like writing to do in my free time? I am headed into college next year, and even with my aspirations of writing, I am planning on being a math major (something else I just happen to be good at). The way I figure it, it is tough to support yourself as an author. The way I have planned my future, it won't be as difficult. I want to be an engineer to earn a living and challenge myself, and to write fiction as a hobby on the side (at least until someone actually decides to buy something I have written, at which point I guess I have become a professional). This way I have a safe future, and am capable of raising a family while still having time to do the things I love. And some day, who knows, I may have an early retirement if I can earn some extra cash through my books.

Those are my dreams. For college, I am hoping to get into some pretty prestigious schools, even though I know the odds are slim. I know it isn't necessary to go to a school that is Ivy League or a top school in the nation, but the thing about those schools is these days they are offering pretty much free degrees to those who need them and are eligible to get into the schools. Yale, Columbia, and the Macaulay Honors College, my three top choices, would all be free for me to get a four year degree. So why not try?

The only thing that really is holding me back from achieving greatness is my aforementioned procrastination. I am only applying Early Action to one school of the eight or so I am applying to, and it isn't even necessarily one I want to go to all that much. Want to know why? Because I waited until the last minute. And that is a problem. So my goal for this year, before I head off to get a higher education, is to really strive to be the best I can be. Why let something as stupid as laziness get in the way of my chances?

Just a Thought...

Before I start my rant, understand this: I do not consider myself to be "emo" and do not even listen to emo music. In fact, I consider myself a fairly normal person, conforming to the cookie cutout music lover standards that exist in society today. I listen to a broad selection of rock music mainly, with emphasis on classic rock. I think music should be defined by those who listen to it, which brings me to my point:

Is "emo" a legitimate genre for music? I mean, emo stands for emotional, and it started out as meaning just that: raw vocals, with the singer pouring his or her heart out for the audience. When did it turn into this whole thing about complaining and slashing wrists? Isn't there a GOOD kind of emotional? Not this whiny, bad connotation that we give it today? Is this our macho-centered society's fault? I mean, when it comes down to it, couldn't ALL music be considered emo? Think about this: Robert Plant, had he began singing in current times, could be considered emo. Bob Dylan, if he just started out last year, could be another. Anyone who really even sings about issues they really care about could be considered emotional, when we think about it. So what happened to turn it into this whole deranged lifestyle, with its own fashions and everything? Just because you are emotional doesn't mean you are non-conformist. It just means you have feelings and aren't afraid to express them. Doesn't the term "emo" itself give power to those who consider themselves a part of it? They want to be a part of something, and they want an excuse to vent, so why not just get a particular haircut, begin listening to a certain type of bands and conform (yes, conform) to a new standard which has been set?

I say it's bogus. Music can't be classified into any kind of particular genre BUT emotional, when it comes down to it. And when you contort it and twist it around, then you are destroying its original purpose: to entertain. It isn't the theme song for you hurting yourself and thinking about how you are so much better than everyone else but have a worse life than all of them. Instead of calling it "emo," couldn't we just call it "whiny, self-indulgent crap?" It'd make it a lot easier for us legitimate music lovers to pick and choose what we really want to listen to, some of which is currently classified under such a broad term. The term emo scares off anyone who doesn't want to be a part of the scene, and it turns on anyone who does. So it is just helping to stereotype. And it sucks. And I am someone who doesn't even listen to any music that some people would consider emo.