Freedom (<--say it like a gospel choir would)

Getting out of math class twenty-five minutes early makes you feel alive. I think everyone should take a math class so they can experience this joy. Instead of questioning which are prime or natural numbers, I can struggle through a set of much more interesting questions:

Should I read Calvin and Hobbs or National Geographic?
Should I listen to Phil Keaggy or The Fleet Foxes?
Should I eat this box of pop tarts or just one?
Should I draw a picture of a smartly dressed alien or a piano-bird?
Should I do my Greek homework or do my napping homework?

Actually, I guess life increases in complexity outside of math class. Instead of a kind, deaf old man sitting in front of me telling me what to write, I have in front of me the world. and we live in a big world.

I realized last night the enormity of the world. At very early o'clock in the morning, I walked outside to get away from people. This is not because I do not love the people. I just needed some quiet.

I started looking at the moon. It was blindingly bright so much so that I could barely believe it. I started thinking about how far away from me it was. But dad gum it, It looks so close. Then I walked back back to my room feeling smaller and smaller. The whole trip back my eyes were glued to the moon.

x. If you wish to dance- Little Secrets by Passion Pit
y. If you wish to cry- Smile by Chris Rice
z. If you wish to be nestalgic- Listen to a musician you used to love.

Outline of my classes

1. New Testament Survey
a. The classroom is actually auditorium.
b. It is the only class I have ever taken where I have been fully engaged for a hour and a half lecture on history. Brilliant!
c. There are four hundred and sixty three of my friends in this class.

2. Greek (In Poetry form)
a. Greek is boring yes it is,
b. But I know most of the kids
c. in the class, which is great
d. learning Greek it is my fate.

3. Concepts in Math
a. Kind, old teacher.
b. Does not know very much about math.

4. Intro to Sociology
a. Because they do not have time to say "sociology", Many people call this class "Soesh class."
b. This is a pet peeve of mine.
c. The class is quite interesting.

p.s. Listen to "Who I Am" by Michael W. Smith. This old school Christian music phase I am going through rules.

Spring Fever

I say unto you, the wind and rain and fog, be gone! I have seen sunny days (that I thought would never end) many times this week. But its just to tempt us. The world is a big ball of heavy fog. This reminds me of that scene in "The Fellowship of The Ring." The one where the horseriding rainwraith steps in the view of the four trembling hobbits who are swallowed in a large patch of mist. It is quite creepy.

This weekend, the campus of Covenant College was flooded with high school kids milling about campus in poor taste suits. I was excellent. My pal, Mr. Justin Arrell, arrived here a couple days ago for the business scholarship. I certainly hope he gets it. One of the main reason I like Scholarship weekend is the higher excellence of food quality in the Great Hall. Gotta impress those kids.

1. Town to Town- Phil Keaggy

2. I realize that the word "rainwraith" is supposed to be "ringwraith." It was so cool, I could not bring myself to correct it.

The first half of an essay.

Calvin the Great, the Beautiful and the Ridiculous

When the name "Calvin and Hobbes", is mentioned the reaction of the crowd is almost always positive. Phrases like "What a wonderful comic" and "That Bill Watterson was a genius" spread through the crowd until everyone is in an almost irritably pleasant and nostalgic mood. Are they to be blamed for their giddy state? Absolutely not. Calvin and Hobbes is the greatest comic of its kind in the world. (And I have no reason to believe that a better one will present itself in the future) But why is it that this strip is always commended above all others? Because Calvin and Hobbes is perfectly, maddeningly balanced.

Cartoonists other than Watterson can be quite accomplished in one area. Some are filled with quality slapstick humor while others are fantastically witty. One cartoonist may be a spectacular artist while still others display thought provoking themes. In one sense, every cartoonist must have all of these elements running through his cartoon to be a successful strip. However, almost every cartoonist has his forte and his weak point. Not so with Mr. Watterson. When was the last time you finished a Calvin and Hobbes collection feeling as if you have wasted time? Never. Bill has painted a beautiful picture, told a wonderful story, written an essay on religion and sociology, and preformed a wonderful comedy sketch, all within those four confining panels. Here it is broken down:

First, The art of Calvin and Hobbes is spectacular. Watterson's style varies most between Sunday and weekly strips, but both have their own wonders. In the weeklies, the art is simple, usually only introducing one or two characters. But the beauty is plain to see. The edges of the characters and the scenery can be soft or distinct. But the wonder of it all is in the facial expressions. In many strips, you can cover the diologe with your hand and be able to guess almost word for word the characters conversation. The sighs of relief, shouts of surprise, and contortions of anger are imparted to the audience vividly, When you see the faces of Watterson's creations the corners of your own mouth almost automatically mimic those on the page.

Sunday's are the grand finale of "Calvin and Hobbes." After a story spread out over six days, the author takes a break and all hell breaks loose. Breath-taking action scenes on the planet Mars and wonderful vistas of Wattersons hometown envelop the audience, taking them to new places. Calvin and Hobbes can fly back in time to the Jurassic Age or look into the endless stars pondering life. With color in the mix, the author has so many more options. And boy does he take full advantage of them. Some of my favorite comic strips are when Calvin and Hobbes take a walk in the woods. The silent greys, browns, and greens speak volumes.

(more to come)

p.s. I wrote this many days ago when I had an hour to kill. One day, I will finish.
p.p.s. Packt Like Sardines in a Crushd Tin Can- Radiohead

Fresh

Today started out like any normal day on break. Wait.... actually i did not. Instead of the usual 11:00 a.m. wake up time, I woke at five in the morning. Instead of leisurely healthy breakfast, I shoved two pieces of white bread in my mouth as scrambled around the house looking for my possessions. Instead of spending the day doing something productive(rarely), I spent most of it cramped in a tiny car. And off to college I went.

It is great to be back. The hugs, smiles, high fives, complex handshakes, etc...

This semester is going to be fantastic. I can just feel it.

Tea and Sympathy-Jars of Clay

Chilly

There are a few things in the world that I enjoy less than having cold feet:

-Having my feet on fire.
-Eating a mountain of plain white rice.
-When people say, "My life flashed before my eyes... and it was so boring."
-Getting lost in the city. (Though this happens quite often)
-The Cowboys. By this I mean the football team not the enemy of Indians.

Not only do I dislike having my feet the temperature of icicles(that can't be spelled right) but I also dislike the other meaning of the phrase "Having cold feet." For example, I got cold feet before riding the Super-Duper-Looper at Hershey Park. Instead of experiencing the exhilarating feeling of being spun and whirled at six hundred miles an hour, I sat on a bench. I remember watching a large man eating two hot dogs and wishing I wasn't. Curse those cold feet!

In greater news, I have begun to enjoy Crime and Punishment in earnest. I think it is because someone died. That usually gets things moving literarally speaking but much less so literally speaking.

Still Fighting It- Ben Folds

The Power of Advertising

Sometimes I watch Arrested Development. Sometimes during this process, a Indian man tells me that I should download Google Chrome. No, he does not tell me in person because yes, he is an add. I think I have seen it close to nine thousand times but today I decided I mind as well try it. And guess what? It is fantastic. The power of advertising is mighty. Please do not underestimate it.

So here I am, taking it upon myself to step in for the Indian gentleman: You should try Google Chrome. It is really speedy.

-Happiness Is A Warm Gun- The Beatles

Two quotes. One with a story behind it.

The first quote comes from (quite possibly) the most hilarious television show ever created: Arrested Development. I retell this conversation so often that it becomes irksome to a few individuals, i think.

"What's her first name?..quickly"
"Crindy!"
"Her names not Crindy, Job"
"Ah, Saul Zentsmen!... nope that's her lawyer. Well she's got a name and I'm gonna find out what it is and make a pun on it and that's what I'll call her. Bad example: if her name is Amy i will call her "Blamey."
-Job and Michael

Quote number two is found at the end of this story.

I decided today to go to the library to read (supposedly) and found myself bored. I again plowed through the dense and dark chapters of Crime and Punishment. As I neared the end of chapter seven, my eyes were weary and my heart heavy. Then my tired eyes rested on a book several rows away. It was not the actual book that peaked my interest, for it was a three million page book describing the life of Mr. Clinton, but a word. This word was "Bill."

It reminded me of a book I have previously mentioned called "The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid" by Billy Bryson. I had a yearning to read it. Zounds! By sheer luck, I was in a room filled with all manner of books. It might be here!

"Crime and Punishment" lay abandoned in a dark corner of my chair as I leaped up to find the novel. And, after a frantic twenty seconds of searching, I found it. Then I read it. Reading a funny book in a place where you are supposed to be quiet is a recipe for disaster. Laughing, chuckling, spluttering disaster.

Everything is fifty times more hilarious when you are trying not to make any noise. It is sort of like when you open a shaken soda bottle. No matter how hard you try, fizz goes everywhere and makes your hands sticky. In this case, there was a man (roughly 109 years old) sitting across from me. He disliked smiling and even less laughing. So of course, I had to. One particular line in Bill's book tickled my fancy. (<--- The weirdest phrase I know)

"I once took part in an ice hockey game at the lagoon in Greenwood Park that involved four thousand kids, all slashing away violently with sticks, and went on for at least three-quarters of an hour before anyone realized that we didn't have a puck."

I laughed so hard that I had to leave the library. If I hadn't, the old man would have stared hole through my forehead.

Giving Up The Gun- Vampire Weekend (Oh January 12 come quickly)

A little bit about football - More about other things

I. I enjoy watching football with my dad. Its a wonderful ritual we have started:from around 1:00 in the afternoon to roughly midnight, our thoughts are mainly on football. Sometimes we can't watch the game because of a trivial things such as church or homegroups. But that doesn't mean we can't think about it.

II. A slightly cheesy sentence or two concerning friendship:

I can barely believe the caliber of the friends I have. At my church, my school, and my old school, God has placed wonderful individuals in my life who encourage and look after me. I am so very blessed.

III. Can it be done? I wonder if someone could function normally in today's culture without a computer. Without email, facebook, the web. Some days I wish I could throw away my computer and just go read a book. Then I start blogging, Gahh!

IV. I have been increasingly impressed with the "Seven Swans" album by Sufjan Stevens.
-That Dress Looks Nice on you
-He Woke Me Up Again

Summary: I went to Prince Street Cafe with some of my favorite friends and we had a good time playing super-charades and drinking coffee.

Everyone needs to visit Prince Street Cafe once in their lifetime. Maybe that is not true. Maybe everyone should drink coffee? Again, no. Maybe everyone should play super-charades. Yes! I think it is my very favorite game to play with friends. Do you know the rules? I won't explain them, but I will dissect the title. Through this you may be able to catch the (super-charades) fever.

Imagine charades. And then, imagine things that are super such as: SUPER man, bowl, mario brothers, natural. And then, take the element which makes those things grand and combine it with charades. There you have it.

Play it sometime and let the laughter and fun begin. (I think I should market super-charades)

Grinnin In Your Face- Son House
Go Tell It on the Mountain-John Work

Loud

Posting twice in the span one day seems like overkill. But I gotta talk about this.

I just finished watching the Documentary called "It Might Get Loud."
Three guys: Jack White from the White Stripes, Jimmy Paige from Led Zepplin, and The Edge from U2. They all got together and talked about electric guitars and their musical backgrounds. I am so happy I was allowed to watch.

Jack particularly impressed me. He plays beat up no-name guitars made of plastic that rarely stay in tune. He could most certainly afford a room full of expensive guitars but all he wants is the beat up Silvertone. Jack said music for him is a struggle because he wants it to be so. His lyrics and music flow from discontent and difficulty. He wants to work for it!

I think most people (including myself sometimes) believe music is the easy way out. If you become a professional musician, your life should be easier. Tonight, Jack told me differently and it made me glad. As I watched this movie, I realized it was one of those times. One of those open-eyed times.

In one scene, Jack White is seen strumming a guitar so hard that blood is covering his hand and his guitar. But his face seemed to say otherwise. I saw a smirk which said, "I'm getting it." It was beautiful.

Any White Stripes Album.