Monday, August 29, 2011

Ending Notes

     It's the anniversary of this blog. Three years ago I had some spare time, but that is in no way the whole story. Here's the compiled posts of August 13th, by Treat, aka Nemo. The unedited versions are still available, all I've done is made them easier to read chronologically, and linked parts of the same posts.





America sucks and adventures are not so great and rem albums are not worth collecting and i may contradict this in the past or future but this is my true opinion. I can never take this back. Furthermore treat is not greek and i think hes dreamy

Sop

This is bryan. I am being held hostage in a closet. Everything you have read on this since late 2008 has been the work of an imposter. He is keeping me here and the address is oh god here he comes send help

THIS IS REAL BRYAN I AM DOING BRYAN THINGS SUCH AS ENJOYING THE FILM DARK KNIGHT THE FILM NO CAUSE FOR CONCERN WHAT YOU HAVE READ ON THIS BLOG IS A FUNNY PRANK HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Disregard all previous posts i am the real bryan . A ten foot tall superman born in a cabin in tenesee, i am more myth than man. I am a mirror of what we all hope to see in ourselves

Pardon me while i wage existential warfare against my dissociated personalities

If elected as primary bryan i will exhibit such eccentricities as believing in space aliens and bigfoots

Congress of bryans is now in session

Congress of bryans resolves that fight club is a fucking rad movie

Congress of bryans resolves six more weeks of winter. It has been a poor day for politics

Congressman bryan introduces cats are fuzzy resolution. Motion is soundly defeated because in his own tortured mind nothing is truly fuzzy

Bryan can now think of nothing but cats

As his mind sinks further and further into delerium, his childlike preoccupation is the only solace from the darkening down of his mind

Congress now suspended, all that remains is the reptilian side of his brain. Society has created a monster

Fixated on cats, monster Bryan lurches out in to the world. All he ever wanted was to be understood, but now hugs from adorable kitties are unattainable. Cats flee his horrible visage. Sad and alone, he finds his way to a local zoo

For one moment he feels the warm embrace of the lion. The cruel machinations of society tear him from love once more

And as he looks over this great land from the folklorish status his exploits have attained, he feels a great emptiness. One to which nothing can relate

The shattered man realizes he has a new purpose now. The time has come to walk the earth

Every animal shall be liberated, every family vacation turned off the main roads, every soul-sucking job brought to a grinding halt. For this shell of a man saw what we could not. The truth we could not face, he bore down on with all the heroism this modern world could afford. If life was a void this would be the idea of a sunrise. Life would have meaning. Kitties would reciprocate hugs. This is the true story of this blog. Powers beyond our understanding want it to be silenced, but the world will know. For these are the lives, and these are the times...of a stupid ginger








Wednesday, August 17, 2011

New Projects, New Days

       I don't think I'm going to be posting on this blog a whole lot anymore. At least for the time being most of my effort will go into talking to actual people, and the Cartbike Chronicles. (It was initially the Cartbike Diaries, but I like Chronicles more. Alliteration!) I debated with myself for five minutes whether or not to put a period or an exclamation point after "alliteration", but I decided to keep the same tone as the rest of this blog.
       I'm leaving because of a couple reasons. this blog has served it's purpose, and I don't need it for the time being. Maybe someday I'll call on it. Maybe. I've got to concentrate more on Cartbike, and that Treat effectively finished it. Things are going really well, which is part of the reason I don't need it anymore, but I can't help but feel a pang of sadness that I'll be leaving the Life and Times of a [Stupid] Ginger.

If you want to see me, in the future visit http://cartbike.blogspot.com , in the present, there's 350-odd posts on this blog.

Love you.

Saturday, August 13, 2011

(3/4) the idea of a sunrise. Life would have meaning. Kitties would reciprocate hugs. This is the true story of this blog. Powers beyond our understanding want
(4/4) it to be silenced, but the world will know. For these are the lives, and these are the times...of a stupid ginger
(2/4) man saw what we could not. The truth we could not face, he bore down on with all the heroism this modern world could afford. If life was a void this would
(1/4) Every animal shall be liberated, every family vacation turned off the main roads, every soul-sucking job brought to a grinding halt. For this shell of a
The shattered man realizes he has a new purpose now. The time has come to walk the earth
And as he looks over this great land from the folklorish status his exploits have attained, he feels a great emptiness. One to which nothing can relate
For one moment he feels the warm embrace of the lion. The cruel machinations of society tear him from love once more
(2/2) Cats flee his horrible visage. Sad and alone, he finds his way to a local zoo
(1/2) Fixated on cats, monster Bryan lurches out in to the world. All he ever wanted was to be understood, but now hugs from adorable kitties are unattainable.
Congress now suspended, all that remains is the reptilian side of his brain. Society has created a monster
As his mind sinks further and further into delerium, his childlike preoccupation is the only solace from the darkening down of his mind
Kitty!
Bryan can now think of nothing but cats
Congressman bryan introduces cats are fuzzy resolution. Motion is soundly defeated because in his own tortured mind nothing is truly fuzzy
Congress of bryans resolves six more weeks of winter. It has been a poor day for politics
Congress of bryans resolves that fight club is a fucking rad movie
Congress of bryans is now in session
If elected as primary bryan i will exhibit such eccentricities as believing in space aliens and bigfoots
Pardon me while i wage existential warfare against my dissociated personalities
(2/2) all hope to see in ourselves
(1/2) Disregard all previous posts i am the real bryan . A ten foot tall superman born in a cabin in tenesee, i am more myth than man. I am a mirror of what we
(2/2) PRANK HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
(1/2) THIS IS REAL BRYAN I AM DOING BRYAN THINGS SUCH AS ENJOYING THE FILM DARK KNIGHT THE FILM NO CAUSE FOR CONCERN WHAT YOU HAVE READ ON THIS BLOG IS A FUNNY
(1/2) This is bryan. I am being held hostage in a closet. Everything you have read on this since late 2008 has been the work of an imposter. He is keeping me
(2/2) here and the address is oh god here he comes send help
Sop
(2/2) opinion. I can never take this back. Furthermore treat is not greek and i think hes dreamy
(1/2) America sucks and adventures are not so great and rem albums are not worth collecting and i may contradict this in the past or future but this is my true
On the way over here, I was biking at speed with a .SmartCar to make the driver feel self concious.

Friday, August 12, 2011

Oh Google...

Why would I be looking for Weather Reports? Also, I need to program a hotkey for screenshots. That took far too much effort...

     Also, it's the Return of the Bike Moustache Pictures (an allusion to the fact that I'm watching all six Star Wars.) thanks to some Google App called Instant Retro!




Tuesday, August 9, 2011

So, um...

Why is it that "Cowboys and Woolly Mammoths" is the most-viewed post on here? I'm actually really confused and curious to find out.

Separation, Humanity, and Cynicism

     I'm not sure why she cut our friendship off so quickly. I want to say bluntly, it was frank and abrupt, but it was concise, and quick, and sharp. You can't cut through something so cleanly with a blunt knife, it has to be honed to a razor's edge. But truthfully, I don't blame her at all. Clearly I did something to offend her, and I'm man enough to accept the repercussions for my actions. The thing that worries me is how easily I'm letting it go. I don't have some personal problem with her, she never offended me, but I understand that she wants to end it, and I'm letting go too, because it's the "adult" thing to do. Why? Why is letting someone go with whom you'e shared so much what society demands of us? Because to me, not letting those close to you leave you over some trivial matter seems like the mature action. I'm not losing a book or a set of keys, so why do I care less than if I were? I'm losing a human being for God's sake. Why is it that we can't run back and tell them how much they mean to us, how important they are, and how we truly value them? Because we're supposed to respect their space and opinions? I understand that, and I guess that's why I'm so okay with letting go. Because any further attempts would look childish, that I'm too insecure and vulnerable to let her move on. Or worse, that I'm invading her space, refusing to recognize her boundaries. But that to me seems childish. Under the vast majority of circumstances, at least the tiniest bit of the brain longs for those you've shunned to come back, and try to get you to take back what you've said and done. Why do we have to ignore, and forget all of good inside of a person you know and love to accept the stone cold exterior, and the words coming from it.
     But I understand that I have to move on. I can't keep dwelling on pain or sadness, and I have. It's our natural defense function, but it's scaring me how efficiently it works, especially recently. It's that part of me that knows it's my life to live, and I can't get hung up on what someone said, even if they are a close friend. I'm not going to waste my life striving for some unrequited affection or attention. Part of me wishes that I could, that human interaction is what the human experience is about. But I also know that there will always be people I can turn to, people that can help get my mind off of things, at least for a little while. As far as that goes, I could go out and meet new people, gain new experiences and become a part in more people's lives. The part of me that knows it's my life, is too often confused with some belief that tells me that no one is looking out for me as  much as I am. That's not true. I know there are people looking out for me, who love me just as much if not more than I love them, but it's a consolation. Though it is a childish consolation. I may be the one living my life, but that by no means means I'm the center of it.
     Part of me wants to have her come back, and we'll forget about it, and move on. The other part of me wants to hold a petty grudge and refuse to let us be friends again. I'm not going to let something silly ruin this any more than it has, but I'm not actively hoping for anything. It's part that I don't let myself, and I realize that it may well never happen, and part just moving forward. Not putting energy into a wish upon a star, or wasting money on the lottery. It could pay off well, but I have better things I could be doing with my time and energy, even my hope.
      I went through a stage of bewilderment, and I asked myself, "why?" I know that digging won't help with anything, or change what's already happened. So I ended that stage, glazed myself over with apathy. But I feel that it's a legitimately based ignorance of that question. It won't do any good, and it doesn't matter. It's not like History, the circumstances that caused the collapse are impossible to replicate, so learning from my mistakes, however wise, won't apply in the future. Part of me wonders if it was karma coming back to bite me, if it is, I've paid for it duly, maybe even thricely with this.
     I feel as though society is training us to be outrageously cynical. It demands it even. We think that people trying to take us back are rude and annoying, and if they are sincere, than it's only for some personal gain of theirs. I feel like it adds more power to when people do show honest emotion and sensitivity. Look at politicians for instance, we expect them to be emotionless, we demand them to be "professional" and "sophisticated", which really means restrained and cold. (Also, look at the first Thesaurus entry for Sophisticated.) But then, when under duress, their exterior facade cracks, and politicians show genuine emotion, the power of it is staggering. Should this come at the price of shutting ourselves off to the people around us? I understand that there is a time and place for it, and that there are some things that require us to be calculating and disavow emotions, if only for a short time. I accept that. However, the way we talk to each other the rest of the time. A little compassion couldn't possibly affect 90% of the jobs out there, so why is so much of the talking we do with our co-workers disingenuous small-talk? Why are we supposed to trust someone before we can talk to them about meaningful things? I can't imagine harm coming to me because I told someone how I really feel about someone, especially it was in a positive light, or what I plan to do after School, or how I feel about myself. But I restrict myself,  because it's just not what people do, and for some reason I let that control me. I shouldn't, and I can't, but I do anyway. I let those people go, and I feel bad for how easy it is, even though I know it would feel worse if I didn't. Part of me just wants to feel anything at all.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Not-So Angry Redhead!

 Hey, I would just like to show point you all to another red-headed blog, it's gardening, and it's super awesome. She has gardening shenanigans and adventures, and some awesome DIY, which you can also find on Instructables. Speaking of Instructables, I guess I'm doing the hype because of this, no charitable act, eh?

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

BAT MAN

Freehand symbol, first time trying it, and in my defense
it looks amazing from 30 feet away. 
That said, clearly I need more practice


Monday, July 18, 2011

No Sleep. Ever. Again.

Today was the best!
Or at least these past like, 48 hours
I got home, and got a call from my friend asking for directions onto the roof
So I just biked there as fast as possible and walked out of an alley right in front of them and they were surprised as hell Then we went to the roof
got a game of mousetrap and started to play it in the middle of the sidewalk
Ran across some lanes of traffic
got noodles and company, won the claw game
Saw harry potter
went to my fiends house and watched futurama and movies and listened to the replacements all night, combines with a three am ice cream run (possibly later) and the best pint of ice cream ever, and by best I mean we covered more surface area than anyone could imagine.
didn't sleep
left to jeffrey's house in the morning, had an amazing jam sesh
watched aaron's friend lay down a track
jammed
then squashbuckled
We played animal crossing, then decided we needed to link it to the gba, so we checked and saw the gamestop at ballston had a cable, so we ran there, and then as we walked into gamestop, we saw hunter, so we ran across the store and hid behind a pillar for ten minutes, then when he walked closer to us, we ducked out and he never saw us
then went to cvs and got goldfish

went back inside gamestop
, and asked the guy if they had the cables, and he just pulled a bunch of GameCube cables out of the trash and gave them to us for free, then I came home and saw my brother for the first time in forever, and played animal crossing for like, five hours
It's amazing

Thursday, July 14, 2011

"We got booze, we got candy, we don't need anything else!" -Julia

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

My heart's beating at a mile a minute, and I'm not sure why, I know it's not the 30 foot drop on either side of me.

Friday, July 8, 2011

Is There Such a Thing as a Free Lunch?

     At essentially every school in the United States, hats that aren't part of the school uniform, or are important as part of a student's religion, are not allowed in the school. This rule has been taught to us since age five, but still, I know far too many people who constantly whine about how "unfair" and "dated" the rule is. Really people? Come on. Honestly, most of what pisses me off about it is people who pride themselves on their maturity and intelligence start acting like five-year-olds about it. The ones that they constantly back-sass teachers who tells them to take their hat off. teachers who are, as a matter of fact, doing their job. Further, they can't provide any real reason to why we should be allowed to wear hats in school, other than how it's a relic of a bygone age, and how they don't want to take their hat off.

     Get it together people. First off, why on Earth is it so important for you to wear a hat inside school? If you go to school anywhere below the snow line, you won't freeze to death in the classroom, honest. For me, I 90% of the time I wear hats is when it's near or below freezing, and my ears will fall off if I don't. I take them off as soon as I get inside because of respect for wherever I am, showing that I don't plan to run out, and because my head just gets too hot, and it's uncomfortable! The other 10% of the time, it's when I'm in scorching Nevada-like (Or plain old Nevada) sun, and I don't want my eyes to be burnt out. School's fluorescent lights will not blind you (I sincerely apologize if I offended anyone with that, if you have a medical condition that necessitates wearing hats and are offended, please email me and I'll buy you lunch or coffee or something). And truth be told, as far as warm-weather headgear goes, it would just make your head hotter in class. If you want to wear a baseball cap to represent your favorite team, there are tons of other ways to do so, and much better times as well. I assume that a fair amount of people want the "toughness" or "anonymity" that comes with wearing a hat. Sure, you see lots of gangstas doing it, and hats sometimes make it harder to identify you, but two things, first, you know who liked anonymity? This guy. Secondly, this may shatter your entire world view, but you have to see your teachers almost every day for an entire year. They will know who you are. The most common thing I see however, is that people want to look fashionable. Honestly? At the most basic level, hats really aren't in fashion anymore. When I see a young person wearing a hat for the sake of wearing a hat, nine out of ten times I look at them and think "Asshole" to myself. I will just put it out here now, that you look fine without a hat, hair is an astonishingly beautiful thing, and most hats are rather unbecoming. I'm not going to pretend that fashion isn't important in school and all, but if a hat is that essential to impress your friends, wear it outside of school.
     Hats really are distracting. I'll say it now. Not because people will get their attention drawn to it or whatever, I don't give a damn, but because they get in the way of me seeing the front of the classroom. That's not only a jerk move, but that's impeding everyone else's ability to do well in a class, all because someone decided to wear some ridiculous hat to class one day.
     Moreover, hats are the easiest article of clothing to knock off or steal, and allowing hats in school hallways would undoubtedly lead to more guys trying to start fights or show that they have the most testosterone by knocking each other's hats off and stealing them and such. Not good.
     Lastly, it's a matter of respect. I truthfully don't care if people aren't expected to wear hats whenever in public anymore, it is still a sign of respect in western culture to take your hat off before entering a building. That is just a matter of showing that you are grateful to be there and appreciate whoever is hosting you. People will always take their hats off when the star spangled banner is played, out of respect for the flag, what it stands for, and how many people have died for it. Now think about our schools, without them, and our education, America would not resemble the country we are today. We wouldn't have any of the knowledge that makes us functional members of a society, and allows us to import so many engineers for all over the world. We would be back in the Stone Age, and I'm certain most of us (myself included) wouldn't make it. So show so damn respect and take your hat off before you enter school.


*Please Note: None of that was addressed to people whose religious convictions require them to wear a hat, I personally think that that's pretty awesome. Also not addressed: Active Military Personnel, People who have medical conditions that require them to wear a hat, Capelad, and Pirates. If you fall into one of those groups and were offended by this, please send me an email, we can grab some tasty coffee and/or tea and get to know each other.

Sunday, July 3, 2011

One Hundred and Eighty Part Two

     One Hundred and Eight Days ago, I posted a post entitled One Hundred and Eighty. This post you are reading now, was written One Hundred and Eighty days ago, on January 3rd, 2011. 
    
     The inspiration for One Hundred and Eighty came from the song "Old Hazel Eyes is Back", track Eight on One Night Stand in North Dakota's album Dissatisfactions. Singing, "I saw myself through your eyes for One Hundred and Eighty Weeks. Now I'm trying to learn how to see again, looking through to what's underneath." 

     One Hundred and Eighty Weeks, near three and a half years. In that time, it'll be winter again, just like it was when this began. Except it'll be 2014. I'll have graduated by then, and be away in college, my life having made another One Hundred and Eighty Degree turn.

      But One Hundred and Eighty isn't a full circle, just getting there. In Three Hundred and Sixty Days, doubtless I'll have changed from who I am now. In Three Hundred and Sixty Weeks, who knows where I'll be. 

     One Hundred and Eighty Words.

Thursday, June 30, 2011

I'm really disappointed that I was the only one in the entirety of the Kennedy Center wearing a bowtie, other than the Ushers.

Monday, June 27, 2011

Hipsterdom, Part 6

It's taken far longer than it should have, but my bike finally has a moustache.


If you want to see the Instructable, it's here.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

New Record Player!

     I just got a new record player! There are now two things I ask my mom for advice on; how long to Nuke food, and awesome Old Jazz Records. Thanks mom!

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Thank You Nemo! Again!

All of the props to Treat for showing me this video:


Also for catching a bat without looking in his bare hand. Just kidding, that hasn't happened yet, though it will, and it will be an Eulogy and an Epitaph. Someday.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Goodnight and Good Luck!

Well, I am going to get some sleep, because tomorrow is the firt day of the rest of my life, for better or for worse.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

I cried today for the first time in a long, long time realizing how fucking lucky I am that she's still alive and I got to spend today hanging out with her

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Quite a Remarkable Day

     Well, today was pretty interesting. During school, some shenanigans involving "filming" and skipping the second half of World History and going to second lunch. Then in Bio, the shit paper I did last class entirely as a joke (Name three carnivorous reptiles: DINOSAURS, and What noise to tortoises make? Nothing, they're tortoises and weirdos and have a very very small circle of friends, generally consisting of other tortoises.) didn't get turned in, and most of the class heard my teacher say she anted to talk to me about it, but I never talked to her about it, and I have no intention to if she did say that. I biked to HB in 100 degree weather, and pondered why no one was out on such a beautiful day. Then I gave some advice, and contradicted the hell out of it with my actions.
    We then had our band concert, and it was the last time I'm going to see most, if not ll of the seniors. I'll probably end up remembering my final conversation with Scott forever.
    "Hey Scott, I was kinda disappointed with your senior quote. I expected it to be silly, but it was really deep and meaningful."
    "Haha, it was from Mass Effect 2."
    "Oh."

     While my feelings at this point could be best summed up in a concise and catchy manner by Fake Problems lyrics (More related to the first paragraph than the second.), this one sums it up the best.

In Labyrinths, Idiots Know Everything, Yet Overestimate Unimportance.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Against Me!

     Thursday night was my second Against Me! concert in a year (just barely!), and it was much louder, much more punk, and was far more awesome. Treat and I took the Metro down, then waited a solid half hour for our tickets (whoops!). We went up and Treat bough some groovy red vinyl. Then, we got prepared by an aural onslaught by Screaming Females. We waited through the sound guy's, "Lettuce, Eric, Scott, Lettuce, Lettuce," and the man right of us informed us that, "If I violate you in any way, I'll let you touch my wife's boobs."
      My hearing was gone by Pints of Guinness Make You Strong, as was my voice (which caused Tom Gabel to sound like a pixie), which was probably due to using every molecule off air in my body to belt out the lyrics, and "sing along with every record, fuck that, every song!" There were a great many people who hopped on the stage and sung with Tom Gabel, I wish I could say I was one of them. Then, as the speakers turned off, I heard everyone's voices swirling around me, as I can describe it in no better way, and realized what it's like to be insane. As we went out of the door, some people were handing out flyers, I looked over to grabe one or two, and the person handing them out was Spoonboy! I shouted, "I love you Spoonboy! (It wasn't a robbery)." Then after figuring out how we were going to get home, I walked up and asked, "Does it mean something bad if 'Stab Yer Dad' is one of my favorite songs ever?"
     I never heard his response, and my ears are still ringing...


     In completely unrelated news, I bit it on my way to school today, but I am uninjured, and wasn't even the least bit angry about it. Further explanation in a future post.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

8:45 and there's still some light left in the sky. Awesome.

Friday, May 27, 2011

Lying down on train tracks. Man, today is just a showcase of safe behavior.
Driving thorugh a Tornado, keeping an eye out for any cows, or witches. This sure isn't Kansas anymore.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Wishes and Favorites

     Right now, I just kind of wish that I could talk to everyone I know people honestly and openly, instead of the handful I can now, and they wouldn't be appalled at me for shattering the Victorian rules of euphemisms or hiding your true feelings or whatever the hell. But I suppose I'm the main person at fault here, being too afraid of scaring people away if I actually say what I mean and mean what I say. That's not to say that everything I say is a pack of lies and deceit, but I could be more forward, and I could risk telling people the things that are most important.

     Mosquito Hawks (apparently called Crane Flies) are some cool bugs. Though they don't prey on mosquitos, as I had been led to believe, they probably scare the hell out of those punks. They look like massive mosquitos! It's terrifying! But they're not actively trying to eat me, so I am cool with mosquito hawks.

     Right now, I'm watching the Pursuit of Happiness, don't ruin it for me!

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Nobody Can Sing the Blues Like Blind Willie McTell

     So I apologize for ever whining about my emotions, I shall kill them promptly. That was a load of bullocks, emotions are what make life worthwhile, good or bad. I know that hurt feels better than apathy (I was going to use "guarantee" there, and spent a good five minutes figuring out how to spell it properly, but oh well).
     Right now I'm on a blues binge, I don't know how, but that music right now is just cutting straight to my soul, and it just blew up the dam of emotion, and it feels damn good. For me, music has helped clear my mind, only by calling to my attention all the emotions I've been feeling. or, at the very least, clouding my judgement enough for me to decide to partake in something huge to solve it. That's what you really need when you're down in the dumps, something totally ridiculous and huge. A little project won't do, you'll just finish it and be back where you started. Putting your body and mind in a situation where they're totally devoted to the goal, then abruptly switching back, watching the chains fall, and being able to step back for once and look at the stars and see how beautiful they are. That's what you need to do. I have yet to do it, but come 30-odd days, I'm going, and not looking back.
     What if it's all for not, surely you'll have shit happen in the future? But I'm still coping, and getting better every day. And I'm not going to say that I'm only happy on the outside, I'm happy on the inside too, but there's that peach pit lodged back in my mind, and it keeps trying to grow. And I can cope, but having a feeling of loss and disbelief, and hopelessness when I lie down to go to sleep just isn't where I want to be (I don't care if that last sentence seemed to contradict the rest of this, just don't think about it too hard. Spend your hard thinking trying to make the rain go away, or at the very least the humidity that has smothered DC).

     Anyway, here's Blind Willie McTell by Bob Dylan, pretty awesome if you ask me.

    Also, check out this album by American War if you haven't already, if not the entire album (It's Free!) at least "Old Love in Young Hearts", which is stuck in my head right now. (Though I hope that these songs never get stuck out of my head.)

Saturday, May 21, 2011

If the world ends before I get my salmon, I will not be giving this restraunt a favorable review.
And I feel fine
Tell me about the rapture and the rabbit and the right. Patriotic patriotic slam dunk fight, feeling pretty psyched, it's the end of the world as we know it,
I am [dramatic pause] Lobsterman! Owwww.
Finish each day and be done with it...
- emmerson

Friday, May 20, 2011

Off!

Off to the beach I go, in the name of adventure, and y'know, relaxation.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Would anyone like to be my rockettandembike-sidekick so I don't look like a loser by riding a rockettandembike alone?

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Completly accidently showing up properly dressed on white t thursday: success!

Monday, May 9, 2011

Falling asleep listening to the band who's shirt I'm wearing; almost as awesome as the glowing coke bottle on the other side of the room.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

I'm not living in fear of death, but I'm cognizant of it as a possibility, so I'm going to do my best not to die, because I refuse to lose the game so soon.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

"Here's two middle fingers to Donald Trump. He can kiss my black ass!" - Lupe Fiasco
If we think really hard, maybe we can stop the rain!

Saturday, April 30, 2011

I just woke up, and I was asleep in my chair with my guitar in my lap and a pick in my fingers.
Great day. Got pink handlebar tape, and went to a roller derby!

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Hey Dad

Hey Dad,

     You need to chill out, because right now you're giving off the vibe of a terrible person. I can't listen to anything you say, because ten minutes later you're blatantly ignoring what you just said or shit-talking everyone that does not share your "perfect" image, and as it turns out, my love for the family is larger than my love for you, so when you talk about "how fucking selfish" we all are, that's a personal insult. For one thing, you're near-OCD makes you organize everything in a way that it's not actually usable. Then when someone, I dunno, uses said item, and puts it back in a convenient place, you go on a 30 minute rant about how nobody in the house cares for anyone else, and how we're all so selfish and "pieces of shit". Dad, no one in the house cares about how the mustard shelf is organized, and we would find the baloney if you just left it alone. You demanding that everyone who isn't perfect like you spend their time just to please you isn't us being selfish, it's you.
     I can't count how many times that I've heard you say that it's not your job to pass judgement on people, and that judging people is wrong. But hey, coming downstairs everyday to hear you yelling about how much mom is a "selfish bitch" really helps me value your opinion, and complaining about how everyone else you have to deal with so obscenely ignorant that they shouldn't be able to tie their shoes makes you seem the bigger man. Yep, going and criticizing everyone around you, including me, sure helps build my respect for you, no question there.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Great Scott! I drank the entire gallon of milk over the course of today.

Also I just shocked the hell out of myself with a wall socket. Ow.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Who ever decided on the names for groups of animals was an awesome dude. A crash of rhinos? That's amazing!

Thursday, April 21, 2011

By 2067 redheads are supposed to go extinct. I plan on living until 2070, so clearly not.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

I looked at my face and thought "That's a lot of blackheads, wait, no. That's more than 20 thorns stuck in it."

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

My Bike Lock Just Growled at Me

     I got a new bike lock, 20 mm Thick, 3 and a half feet long, nearly five pounds. It is terrifying. I unlocked it, and it just sprang out of my hands, and tried to break my nose, twice. It just looks angry to be coiled up, like a rattlesnake ready to strike. If you don't believe me, here's some pictures:



     I just hope thieves are as scared as I am.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

This and That, but Mostly This

     Red hair is (to my knowledge) the most vibrant mammal hair can get, color-wise, there's no blue deer or pink cattle, so I am confident in that statement. But, I also think that it's really weird how humans have basically the entire range of mammal hair color, in our one species. We have every shade from flaming orange to jet black, and it all fades to grey and white given enough time. But no other animals have that variation, except I suppose cats and dogs. You don't see grizzly bears with black hair, and you don't see brown orangutans. Yet humans go and take up the entire spectrum, that is pretty neat.

     Here is why I don't like Marijuana. First off, I have never smoked it, and don't plan to, partially because West Point is pretty high up on my college list, and partially because I have my life fairly well mapped out, and drugs don't have a place in there. That said, I don't have anything against anyone who smokes, at least based off of them smoking. It isn't my place to pass judgement on whether or not a person does or not. That said, mos of the people I know who do copious quantities are assholes, and I have a thing against that. I suppose that it boils down to what they do when high. Carl Sagan himself acknowledged that it opened your mind (He's said a lot to that effect), and in turn made you more creative, so why would you waste that extra mental energy sitting, eating, and watching TV? It's like carbo-loading for a marathon, but then sleeping all day, it's just counter-intuitive. You could make fantastic things, but you just ignore the possibility. I suppose that's what angers me most, although I have noticed that the people that do pot do it mostly to look cool, and aren't the most creative folks to begin with, at least with respect to art and creating things. There are many ways to make yourself look cool, and most involve more creativity than buying drugs. I guess it all roots down to my belief that the only way to show that the system hasn't squeezed the life out of you and made you into sheeple is by going and doing something, and making, creating, writing. Even further, I guess that I believe that sentience really lies in an ability to create, not just fill a mold with learnt words. And that's why I don't like Marijuana.

     Woo! Pictures!

It's Difficult to see, but there's a contact lens
 placed over the lens of my camera.
I thought I could get some really neat pictures,
Alas, not so much.
Damn! It's sideways, but this was taking with a contact lens.
Not super cool as expected.


He's less blue in this picture than the other one.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Here's To You Ms. Robinson

At lack of anything better to post, here's a recap of my past week, in BULLET FORM!


  • I got the Forrest Gump soundtrack on cassette. 
  • I crawled through a half mile of pitch-black tunnels with no light at all. 
  • I found a super duper awesome park! 
  • Climbed a tree
  • Had a pretty good time, while feeling fairly mediocre.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

E.T. Revealed the fundamental problem with Earth, our spaceships don't shoot rainbows.
We are now in Code Red Rover

Sunday, April 3, 2011

So, Inception made sense to me, I am disappointed. But, it was fantastic.
I saw a Government Billboard on the highway saying "Creativity is Life, Support it" Considering that so much of society tries to kill it, Government Included...

Thursday, March 31, 2011

I want to be there.

John Williams

As it would appear, Indiana Jones has the best theme, and is the best John Williams theme (out of Star Wars, Cantina Theme, Indiana Jones, Jaws, Jurassic Park, and E.T.). Woohoo! I personally would not have been able to make that call, although I would probably say a tie between Star Wars, and Jurassic Park, but they're all some of the greatest movie themes ever, in my humble opinion.

ihop

     If someone had told me back in November, that three months later I'd be sitting net to her in ihop, eating pancakes, but it would take getting your heart as close to broke as ever, would I be happy? Damn right I would. Am I? Not so much, but I try not to dwell on it, not wipe it from my memory, but keep it lodged there. Because I don't regret it, regardless of how shitty I may have felt, because it made me who I am now, and I'm the better person for it, or at least I like to think that.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Dichotomy

     Is it better to fix the past, and right the wrongs, or to move on and change the future? Should I let bygones be bygones, and make sure I don't make those mistakes again, moving forward, and making the future my own? Or should I figure out what exactly happened in the past, but in doing so, lose precious time that I need to change the future? Should I try to reroute the train of time, even though it's already passed the junction, trying to correct my mistakes in the past, and clear my mind? Should I let their weight rest on my mind, and move on? Should I talk and figure out what happened then, or move on, and try to make something happen?
     I suppose it's a question of whether you want to become a product of your environment, or have your environment become a product of you. More so, whether you want to adapt and thrive in your current environment, or have your environment adapt to you. I guess there's two arguments really, accepting the way things are, and not risking ruin yourself trying to change them, or ignoring what's happened, and changing it for the future. Should you have to choose between the two, I can't make the choice for you, but I know what I would do should the situation arise:
     I should accept what happened in the past, and keep that weight with me, but not let it drag me down. I should accept the events of the pat at face value, and realize I acted foolishly, but learn from that, and not make the same mistakes again. I should accept that nothing I can do will rewrite the past, it's already been published, but the future is a blank page, and I hold a pen. I will go forth and reroute the path of time, and steer it towards my destination. When I am tired I shall go along for the ride, but only once I've laid the tracks true. Because my past belongs to memories, and my present belongs to instinct, but my future belongs to me.
     In the words of Jack Nicholson, "I don't want to be a product of my environment, I want my environment to be a product of me."

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

When I see people next to me using facebook on the metro, I have to supress the urge to ask if they'll add me as a friend.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Bridge

     We were driving back from the Iwo Jima Memorial on Friday, after being frozen to the bone by the unexpected cold and wind. I gazed out the window for the half mile home, and when we passed under a bridge, I saw a man. Granted, I only saw him for a second as we zoomed down the highway, but that glimpse sent chills down my spine, and not the negative connotation that we usually give to chills, but a feeling of wonder, understanding, and a glimpse at fully understanding the world I suppose. The man was sitting with his back to the concrete, two black trash bags to either side of him, a massive graffiti tag taking up the concrete bridge support behind him. I couldn't see his face, the hood cast it in shadow, but that didn't seem like a bad thing at the time, it made sense, especially in the context.
     I'm not going to lie, I can tell when someone is homeless, and I have no delusions about why and how they got in that condition, but something about this man struck me. He's someone who knows more hardships than we can imagine, and endures more pain in a week than most of do in a year. But he still manages to survive. When the disaster happens, and our society collapses, he'll live, and will probably have a thing or two to teach us about survival. I suppose I viewed that man as the mountaintop hermits, living in remote areas, at the top of mountains, but still possessing wisdom beyond our own, and imparting it on those willing to make the pilgrimage to the top. Now, I'm not going to go digging around under bridges looking for hermits, but I feel as though I ave a better sense of understanding, albeit misplaced.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Thank You Nemo!

This thing Nemo showed me inudge, which is super duper neat. You should definitely try it out, here's something that I did in a few minutes. It's not very good, but it doesn't take a whole lot of time and it is super fun!


Nosebleeds

    So, for those of you that didn't already know, I get nosebleeds a lot, especially in the winter, where they're as often as two or three times a day. Now, it nowhere near that often regularly, but I get nosebleeds more than your average person. I just went and cleared out a quart of blood just now, and thought I should write a little bit about it.
     Personally, they're not that bad for me. Well, they are bad, it's just I don't mind them a whole lot. Other than the awkwardness of it, because most people are inherently made uncomfortable by the sight of blood, the time consumption, and the clothes stains, which eventually get washed out, it's just an irritating part of day to day life. But I personally think that I get a lot of good things from it. I am totally fine at the sight of blood, especially my own, I know how to get stains out really well, and I'm used to still functioning, even after losing a good bit of blood.
     Well, that's all, just wanted to share a little bit, and if you tell me you learned from First Aid that you should keep your head down so you don't choke, I'm just going to look at you condescendingly.

    Three posts ago was post 300!! Woohoo!

Friday, March 18, 2011

Isn't it funny how our canines are our biggest and pointiest teeth, but Dog's pointiest teeth are their fourth pair, not their third pair.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Whenever I visualize Satan talking, he always has the voice of Mick Jagger. Singing.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Automobiles.

Hmm, so, considering that the Nissan Versa and the Nissan Cube share the same engine, I just can't understand why the Versa has so much better mileage than the Cube. Oh wait...

Also, Best Dinosaur?

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Went to an awesome concert, can't really say anything more.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

I figured out how to make my bestseller. Iterview Paranoid Schizophrenics about DC architecture.

Friday, March 11, 2011

How many emergency calls do you think Life Alert gets about Commies breaking into people's houses?

Saturday, March 5, 2011

The Zoo

    Today was spent chilling in DC. First, me and two sweet bros went to Chinatown! And after rising up on an escalator to the fanfare at the top, we wandered around for a while, until we found stores that weren't restaurants! It was amazing, we wandered around a good amount, before I got a jade elephant and some ginger tea, for next to nothing! Then we went next door and I got some Medicine Balls! Then, we went to the Zoo, and proceeded to wander around, call out animals, and other antics. Some pictures to boot!









Why are Flamingos so weird?

See above question.





Bourgeois


Plants! In the Metro!


Giant Salamander!


Cuttlefish.

Friday, March 4, 2011

I love Die Hard 2, but jesus, just land the plane at Reagan National, or BWI, you've been circling for hours, Reagan is half an hour away, by car!
On a lighter note, the flag of the revolts in Lybia is infinitely better than their current one.
Iwo Jima: A god-forsaken spit of land beyond the end of the world, but was won by outstanding heroism.
Taffy 3, you were American Heroism at our best.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

And After All...

     If someone had told me in November that three months from now, you'll be sitting next to her in iHop, eating pancakes, but it'll take getting your heart as it'll ever be, would I be happy? Of course I would. Am I, not really, but there's no use getting sad about it, that's life, and it made me who I am today. Life's for living, not dwelling on the past so you can't enjoy the future, and not caring about the future so much that you forget to enjoy the present.

Monday, February 28, 2011

Ginger

     So, I think that I have concluded why people in South East Asia are so good at keeping their cool and being hardened to violence and such, and it's not due to the near-constant conflict for the last 70 years. It's because of their candy!

     So,  I'm not sure if you've ever eaten pure ginger, I hope you have, because it's pretty tasty. That said, it is more spicy than most hot sauces I come in contact with. (Dave's Insanity Excluded) It is really hot if you eat it straight. Now, think about replacing your snickers with Ginger. I realize that there are hot tamales, but they haven't got jack on pure ginger. This stuff is coated with confectioner's sugar, but is just ginger, and it is intense. And it's a whole lot better, albeit less filling, than your snickers bar.

     Also it makes for a superb cure for nausea and colds!

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Finished!

Here's some pictures, for lack of better words. Although I am a bit disappointed that I didn't take a picture of it before, for comparison.





Wednesday, February 23, 2011

While My Guitar Gently Weeps

     Today was super fantastic! I was initially going to post some nonsense about my opinions and ruminations about names, but today sure took that plan and smashed it into a rock!

     After school today, I took the bus back to my house, and was able to hang out, since I did my homework for tonight last night! (Wacky Huh!) This put me in a situation where I was hanging out with my friend Hunter. We were walking around the neighborhood, when we saw a massive pile of trash. And us, being the gutter-children we are, went to check it out. And it wasn't nasty food garbage or anything! It was the contents of someone's basement, thrown out in cardboard boxes on the absence of a curb. We began to dig through it, but it was mostly the stuff that one would find in their grandmother's living room, minus the candy of course. There were old books, sewing thread, and tiny bottles of perfume. But, as we moved on, the stuff got more interesting, if only a little bit. There was a VHS chest, a lamp, doorknobs, antique hairdryers, and more, then I saw the corner of a guitar! I nearly threw the box on top of it into the street and pulled the guitar out. It was beautiful, a blonde finish acoustic guitar with dark brown fretboard and a maroon pick guard, but it was in two pieces. The neck wasn't attached to the body where it should've been at all. The only thing that held it to the body was the six rusted strings and a black nylon strap. I carried it home in one hand, holding the neck and the sound hole to each other, trying to avoid running the strap along the ground.
      I got home, and destrung the guitar, finally separating the neck and the body. I looked over it meticulously, and got an idea of the shape it was in. The fretboard was coming off, a huge crack ran through the neck, and the body panels were popping out in a few places, but none of that is beyond my ability, I hope. I took the neck to my basement, and poured wood glue into the cracks, and clamped it with all the Qwik-Clamps I could find, and a few slow clamps. Then, while in clamps, I got a toothbrush, put some 3 in 1 Oil on it, and started scrubbing away at the tuning pegs, which were clad in rust. Rust gone, I took that toothbrush and scrubbed the fretboard clean, then put some walnut stain on. The stain and the glue are drying, and the body is full of rosemary because it smelled funny. Tomorrow, I'll work on the body, and Friday, I will reunite the two.
     So if you come by and see a sad-looking guitar in my room, keep in mind its a rescue.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Not only did I wake up earlier than I do on weekdays, but I woke up to Patti Smith's "Wave", which was honestly one of the most terrifying moments of my life.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Maybe the man who blacks out New York just wanted to see the stars.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Going to sleep listening to John Willliam's greatest hits. Needless to say, my Star Wars/Indiana Jones/Jurassic Park/etc. Dreams will be the best of all time.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Time is a Fickle Temptress

     Well, first off, some horrible, good-for noting asshole drew a pirate ship battle on the Biology desks. I mean, what kind of careless person would so willingly deface school property like that? My goodness. Oh, wait...






Anyway, time is a slippery thing. It's a fundamental unit of daily life, that not only we constructed ways to measure, but also proved to be relative. And there's always too much when you don't need it, and never enough when you do. Every day I spend all of first and second periods counting the minutes until lunch, then fourth and fifth counting down until the end of the day, but lunch and my afternoon both disappear in the blink of an eye. Not just school either, I'm counting the days, with a fervor usually reserved for the end of a prison sentence, until this weekend, where there will be not just one, but two dances! But I know that those dances will be excruciatingly short, just like the last one I was at (complicated by the fact that y watch stopped an hour in.). But I suppose that you've just got to embrace the good times and enjoy them to their full extent, and take the tedious ones with a grain of salt, and continue looking for a good middle ground.

And that's why I wear a smiley face watch.

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Corks! (And a Salt Shaker Monster)

Here are some pictures I took at some absurd hour in the morning last night, most of which contain corks.