Catching up

Something to look at while learning how to use i.e.

So, this time of year is around again; that is, the school-year, and I for one am feeling like a platypus on the moon without the proper breathing apparatus (the platypus is for all intents and purposes irrelevant for the context of the simile, it simply adds a certain amount of bizarre humour to the mental picture). Don't get me wrong: it's not that classes are not good, or that the homework is unbearable, or that there is an infinite amount of   banjos playing cosmic tether ball with my mind, or even that I'm not enjoying myself. I am the positive of all of those things (except the banjos). I just keep getting this sneaking suspicion that three things are indelibly true:

1: I'm forgetting or missing something important. Chances are I know what this is but haven't realized it yet. Chances are also, that if I stopped focusing on the fact that I don't know what it is and start focusing on what it could be, I would figure it out.

2: I keep getting the feeling that this year is just treading water. Maybe it's the "senioritus," but I could've swore I had that last spring even...and this is different. This is more....malign. Or is it? I can't really tell. But I have this horrible suspicion that no matter what I do, I'm just waiting for next year to come around, which I think is dangerous.

3: Any amount of Banjos over the prescribed 4 to build up a tolerance the machinations of modern pop-country twang (simply for survival purposes in malls and Indiana-style "festivals") is simply ungodly. It's obvious that the banjo, and pop country in general is descended from indiscreet pairing of darkspawn and dragonsblood.

But more to the second point (but also a sort of side point, as side points go). Everyone is getting married, or so it seems. And it's dastardly annoying. I'm doing my best to hold myself back from thinking about this in the ways I want to...but it is really annoying. Everyone else seems to be off and getting married, and usually to someone they met way before I met my girlfriend. Gah! And what's worse: I have really no excuse for being annoyed, because, simply put, they're in a better position to get married (usually, from all angles, the right position), and all of that. So, I guess I'm being taught patience. At the moment, patience is probably my least favorite virtue..... But still, I will hold fast. Anyway. All this to say, sorry for the personal pity party....I will stop now. On to the rest of the blog!

I've found recently, that anything I can level up in, or earn trophies for, or rank in, is super-addicting and needs to be kept far away from me. Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 is one such example. I couldn't put it down for a week, and still at nights I think about picking it up again.... But far worse! Playstations use of Trophies when it comes to Single Player RPGs is simply wicked. I recently started playing Dragon Age: Origins (which is a wonderful game, btw), and within a few (30+) hours, realized I became addicted. And not only that, but with their darkly insidious trophy system, I feel almost bound to pursue the "platinum trophy" which is gained by earning all of the other gold, silver, and bronze trophies.....worth a couple+ breakthroughs. You conniving video game imp, you! In other news, I attempt to have both a social life, and a good school/homework life.

A few random thoughts of the week:

Neither of my baseball teams this year did anything worth getting excited about (The Brewers discovered Doug Davis is done, which I thought was a given, and the Red Sox discovered that with 5 bajillion injuries, it is hard to win games consistently.....another given).

The Packers future is looking up for this year though, and not least of all because A. Aaron Rodgers is awesome, but also B. Brett Favre is playing terribly, and the Vikings so far are doing a better job impersonating a gimpy dachshund in a dog-fighting ring than the fearsome Norseman who terrorized northern Europe, slaughtering babies and priests on a whim. I think the world is better off, honestly.

Speaking of pillaging bastards, the Fall Election is right around the corner, and here's hoping US politics will be filled with a lot less of them (the pillagers, that is). Let's hear it for fiscal responsibility and smaller government! Anybody? No? Am I alone in Amsterdam? Though this libertarian edge to the teaparty movement is intriguing to me. I certainly applaud the fact that it is not simply a party-line movement (which I cannot stand). Anyone who claims to be conservative or liberal but is really just a Republican or Democrat should be shot in the knee and instructed what they really are....but that's a bit harsh. In other words, if you want to engender yourself to me, tell me what you really are, not what I want to hear. There is a big difference between Conservative and Republican (hint: one is actually conservative, and the other one is for big government with conservative rhetoric), for instance. And it pays not to compare the two. Case in point: I am ridiculously libertarian. I even refuse to own bumper stickers that say as much, because that would be less libertarian. I do, however, consider myself conservative (as conservative, as you can get, without being an anarchist). I DO NOT, however, in any way, consider myself Republican. To call me such would be as much of an insult as to call me a moderate (ugh!). Republicanism is Fascism-lite, just as Democratism is Socialism-lite. Anyway....enough of a rant. Just call yourself by what you are and stop posturing! Posturing will not win my vote.... If you want my vote, I don't care what party you're from: I just want you to uphold libertarian values. If you're Republican and hold them, I'll vote for you. If you're democrat and hold them, I'll vote for you. But you'd also darn well better keep your position once in office, or you'll lose me quicker than Obama is losing poll numbers--and that's not a joke.

That was longer than I anticipated, but that seems to be a running theme for this blog. Nothing, nothing, BLAM, nothing....

Keep in touch, I'll be around. And in the meantime, here's something to look at while contemplating unemployment.