Tranquil Madness

Animal Activists

Most of the time I don't have any problem with animal rights activists. However, every now and then, some idiot does something that makes me want to go and just start shooting animals just to piss off that person.

Cop

In my town there is really only one cop who drives around waiting to give people tickets. This cop is well known in the surrounding areas because my town is one big speed-trap.

Now, this cop absolutely loves pulling over and giving tickets to high school and college age kids. If a kid this age gets a new car, like say a 2003 Mitsubishi Spyder, you can be sure that the cop will try everything in his power to catch you doing something you shouldn't be doing in a car.

Therefore, I am taking great pleasure in torturing that asshole cop. I went to my aunt's house today and the cop saw me. On the way back to my house, he was in two different spots on the roads I have to take waiting for me to drive by at a high speed (one spot before I had to get gas, the other after I had stopped to get gas). I have been very careful ever since I got my car to drive the speed limit anywhere near my town because I was warned about this by my parents.

So, all I have to say to you, Mr. Policeman, is that you will never catch me intentionally going over the speed limit, running a red light or stop sign, or turning without using a blinker in or near town. Stop wasting your time and move on to the next kid with a new car so you can continue your God-complex.

S*P

I still don't understand how anyone can not like S*P. This comic is really funny to me for some reason.

Korn

I am back with another example of my changing musical taste.

I recently purchased Korn's newest CD Untouchables. Now, I was never a big fan of Korn. I remember hating the song "Freak on a Leash" (which I now like) and not liking whatever CD held that song. I would like to listen to that CD again now just to see if I still don't like that album or if I was just in a different musical phase.

Anyway, I bought the album because I had heard two of Korn's songs on the radio and I liked both of them ("Here to Stay" and "Thoughtless"). I found two more songs which were absolutely incredible ("Hollow Life" and "Alone I Break"), and, strangely enough, they are absolutely nothing like the first two I mentioned. There are also a few songs I really don't like ("Make Believe" and a couple other songs I can't remember the names of). I'm fairly neutral about the other seven songs on the CD, though.

Also, I think everyone should watch the music videos for "Here to Stay" and "Thoughtless," even if you have to do it with the sound turned off (although, I would suggest at least trying to catch the lyrics). Both are slightly disturbing, a little bit gross at parts, and teeming with social commentary.

Eastman, Financial Aid, and 28 Days Later

Today was a busy day.

I had to get up around 8:30 and go back to Longview to meet with the Eastman Community Advisory Board. I got to eat some decent Mexican food and listen to pro-Eastman propaganda concerning their safety procedures. Boring. For some reason, they had a Longview Transit bus come and take us two blocks into the factory to look at the computer they had been talking about in the meeting. It then took us back to the company entrance and left. I wonder how much they had to pay to get that bus out to Eastman just to carry twelve people a total of four blocks.

Then I had to deal with LU's infamous Financial Aid staff. Somehow they had it in their computer system that I chose to reject a student loan. How they got that information I do now know because I accepted all financial aid both in the email they sent to me and in a letter sent to my parents. My mother and I just got finished with the Sallie Mae people and finally got pre-approved for their loan.

After that, I finally got to watch 28 Days Later. I had been wanting to watch this movie for a while, but no theaters in Nacogdoches or Henderson were playing the movie. I was pleased with the movie, although I do believe that it was not nearly as scary as people made it sound. The movie did need better (or any) music to set the tone in several scenes. I would recommend this movie to anyone who likes horror/sci-fi movies. I will be getting it when it is released on DVD.

I think that this movie needed more character development. Yes, we learn that Selena is a ruthless woman who is deadly with a machete and willing to do anything to survive, but is this different from how she was before the tragedy happened? Yes, we learn that Jim is a fast-learner and good at adapting, but what was he like before he woke up in this nightmare?

Also, if you go see it, make sure to stay to watch the alternate ending after the credits. I think that the alternate ending fits better with the rest of the movie than the one they decided to end it with.

I think I will leave you with these opinions:

If you bring any kind of kid to any kind of movie, I don't care how you are related to them, make him SIT DOWN and SHUT HIS DAMN MOUTH! I think that it should be legal to shoot anyone who walks into a movie theater and asks loudly "Is it scary?" during a scene where you are trying to listen to what the characters are saying. It should also be legal to bound and gag anyone who will not keep his damn mouth shut so that someone can beat the crap out of him after the movie is over.

Big Brother

I have a confession that I need to make. Now, this may lower the respect you have for my opinions on certain things, but please reserve any judgement until you read everything I have to say.

I love the reality game Big Brother. I believe that it is the best reality television game out there today (which I realize doesn't say much to a large number of people).

I don't really like most of the contestants in the game, but I absolutely love the way the game is played. For those of you who don't know (probably most of you), there are thirteen contestants competing for $500,000. There is a competition each week for the Head of Household position. The Head then nominates two other contestants and the rest of the house chooses which of the two get kicked out of the game. There is also another competition in which the winner gets the ability to cancel the nomination of one person, causing the Head to nominate a different contestant.

The amount of strategy a person must use in this game in order to win is phenomenal. Relationships with the other contestants change every single day which in turn causes each person's strategy and game-plan to change. Food and luxury competitions cause jealousy and rifts in relationships. Enemies and friends are made with each competition and it is virtually impossible to select a winner before the game starts. Manipulation and lies are beneath every friendship in the game. The winner is the person who can manipulate, lie, and backstab, but not piss off the seven contestants kicked off last who vote on who wins.

Why do I like a game which appears to be another Survivor rip-off? Because I would love to get a chance to play a game like this.

I like this game more than Survivor because it focuses more on the building and breaking of relationships inside the game. It is also a "live" game, so it isn't as fake as Survivor has become. The sections which air on television have been edited in order to make it interesting, of course, but you can purchase access to 24/7 live feeds.

So, I admit that I do like some reality television. Am I alone in this confession?

Family Ramblings

Well, it is three o'clock in the morning central standard time and I can't sleep. What do I do when I can't sleep? I ramble.

I've been wandering through several different blogs simply by following links on other peoples' blogs. There is some interesting stuff out there in the world of Blogger. However, I didn't find anything I thought was interesting enough to link it. If anyone out there finds something they think is interesting, please leave a link.

I am so very ready to move back to Longview. I am so bored. Bored, bored, bored, bored, bored. My family is also really starting to aggravate me. Everything from my grandparents' spontaneous gambling trips (which might be interesting if I was 21 or older) to the constant bickering and gossipping of other family members is really starting to get on my nerves. I have discovered that my family is best experienced if you don't live in the same town as them. Less fights, more peace, less drama, more trust.

Another thing that I am just now mentioning: my parents have been in Mexico for five days now. They are coming back home on Sunday. I got my vacation earlier in the summer (Florida Keys, thanks to my cousin) so now they are getting one of their own. I would have been jealous had they gone with anyone other than who they did. I could fill you in on that, but it is just too much to try to explain.

While they have been gone I've spent a lot of time at the house by myself. I have greatly enjoyed this time. I have made obligatory visits to my grandparents and will actually be staying with my grandmother tonight. Ever since my sister's death my grandparents have become very clingy. I guess that it is perfectly understandable. However, it is still annoying.

One family member that I don't find annoying (most of the time) is my uncle. This may be because he escaped the death-clutch that East Texas apparently has on the majority of my family members. He was the dean of the English department at the University of West Florida for a few years. He is currently on a teaching hiatus, living with my grandparents, and writing a book about two "famous" authors I've never heard of: Carson McCullers and Tennessee Williams. I even helped him with some of it by transcribing a CD for him. He is one of the members of my family who can carry on an intelligent discussion without trapping himself in circular logic (My aunt once told me that people shouldn't protest a war because soldiers died to give them the freedom to do so. So people shouldn't be allowed to use rights people died to get? Riiiight.)

Another family member I enjoy speaking with is the cousin that took me to Florida with her husband and kids. She has also escaped from this horrible small town. Although, she still feels that she is trapped in Nacogdoches, also known as Nac-of-nowhere to several people. I also (usually) enjoy conversations with her mother (the aunt quoted above) despite the occasional logical fallacy.

All quirks aside, I do love my family. I just need some time away from them. Soon.

Wow. This became a family rant. Interesting...

Introspection

Have you ever just been sitting somewhere doing something inconsequential when you see/hear/think something that causes you to completely re-evaluate a part of your life? Something big enough to cause a certain piece of the great mixed-up puzzle of your mind to fall into place with enough force that it feels like you were just slapped and knocked off your feet?

I just had one of those while watching television. This realization seems to explain the reasoning behind a lot of things that I have done in the past.

If you don't look back at things you have done, I want to suggest to you to try to look at your past actions objectively. You often see things in a new light and may even be looking at yourself with a new pair of eyes. It also can be an entertaining way to spend a few minutes that would otherwise just be a boring waste of time. Of course, I may think that simply because I was almost a psych major.

Musical Taste

The opinions that I have of music are extremely fickle. It amazes me how much my taste for music changes.

Way back in elementary school I liked country music. I think the main reason I liked it was because it was practically all I ever heard on any radio. My father usually took me and my sister to school and he listened to country.

About the time I started junior high I had started to like pop and light rock. This started because a friend of mine listened to it and he usually had a radio on when I went to his house. This lasted for a few years.

Then in high school I was introduced to actual rock music. This transition was due to the Linkin Park song "Crawling," which a friend said he hoped would be a "gateway song" to other rock music. It was. I eventually liked Metallica and other "heavier" rock bands.

I think that I have always liked certain classical music as well. However, I couldn't name you any classical music.

My opinions of certain singers seem to change as well. I remember that I once almost shuddered every time someone mentioned Marilyn Manson. However, while I'm still not what I would call a fan of his by any means, I do like a couple of his songs and really like his cover of "Tainted Love." I once hated listening to anything by Eminem. Now there are a few songs of his that I can listen to without cringing.

I wonder what kind of music I'll be listening to in ten years.

The Drawing of the Three

I just completed the second novel in the Dark Tower series, The Drawing of the Three. I am confident that if you ask anyone who has read the first two books you would be told that the second in the series is much better than the first. I believe that Stephen King himself has said that if you are willing to "struggle through" the first one the second one is much more entertaining.

The second book of this series introduces three new "main" characters. Well, actually, since one of the characters is schizophrenic, I guess it introduces five new characters. Instead of naming them, I will identify them as Roland, the real center of the series, first knows them: The Prisoner, The Lady of Shadows, and The Pusher. Now that I think about, the "lobstrosities" are probably important enough to the story to be mentioned. However, you couldn't really call them characters.

On a completely non-literary note, the monitor on this POS computer at my house is starting to act all screwy. The screen has started flickering constantly and anything near the middle of the screen is blurry enough to cause headaches if stared at for too long. However, since I am practically the only person who uses this computer, I doubt anything will change soon unless the monitor finally just stops working.

Fear

An original poem by me composed at 2:45 AM.

Fear

An eight-legged monster
Scares the crap out of me,
I do hate this fear,
Arachnaphobia, you see.

The distinct quiet crawl
And the slow noiseless slink
Causes terror unfathomable
To many strange minds, I think.

Both the creation of web
And the careful, constant creep
Causes ceaseless panic
And the desire to weep.

From me it stays hidden,
But I do know it's there,
Just hiding and waiting
To time the next scare.

If ever I see it panic
And freeze in it's fright,
I'll stomp the damn bastard
And get some good sleep one night.

Stupid Dentist

I don't like the dentist. Today I was the unlucky recipient of two fillings in two teeth on my lower jaw. I don't like anesthetic because I hate not being able to control my bottom lip. I absolutely loathe getting anesthetic applied because the dentist holds a freaking two foot long needle in your gums for about thirty seconds. Yes, all of that could have been prevented if I had taken better care of my teeth. Shut up.

I was also informed that my wisdom teeth are probably going to have to be removed.

I don't like the dentist.

Dead Like Me

So I've been posting a lot lately. What's your point?

I just wanted to tell everyone that if they haven't seen or heard of Showtime's series Dead Like Me you are missing out on something I find incredibly funny. The show has a dark sense of humor I greatly enjoy and would recommend watching it to anyone who enjoys the same. I am hoping to find several episodes when I return to LeTourneau.

Animal, Vegetable, or Mineral?

I just know that one day that creativity is going to hit me and I will go and make a quiz of my own. Until then, please enjoy the one below:

You are a vegetable.

You are senseless, stationary, and autotrophic.

You probably like sunlight and water; it is
wonderful people like you that keep Miami Beach
in business. Unfortunately, not being able to
move more than a few inches unassisted, you
probably cannot get to Miami Beach. If you are
lucky, though, you may be able to contribute to
your local economy by providing food for the
animals. Everyone respects you for your great
humility. That is to say, no one notices you.

The Ultimate 10-Question Quiz to Determine Whether You Are Animal, Vegetable, or Mineral
brought to you by Quizilla

Nascar

It is with great shame that I complain about what I will today. I hate admitting part of this about a family member, but I feel that if I do not vent this somewhere I will go on a murderous rampage.

You see, my father has, for some unknown reason, become a Nascar fan. He will gladly sit in front of a television and watch cars you can barely see under advertising drive several hundred circles around a long track. When this happens, the television is taken for an hour or two and my mother and I are forced to find other means of entertainment.

I was informed today that the Nascar "season" is halfway finished. I was both extremely delighted and extremely annoyed.

I have come to hate Nascar with the burning passion of a thousand suns. The fact that it is the choice "sport" of many hicks is bad enough, but I can't stand that every single person involved with broadcasting has a deep southern accent.

If my father continues at this rate, I will soon be unable to say "Nascar" without the same great disdain that the Cynic uses when speaking of "happy people."

WMDs

Please do the following:

1. Go to Google.
2. Type in "Weapons of Mass Destruction"
3. Click "I'm Feeling Lucky!"
4. Read carefully and enjoy.

Dark Tower

The works of Stephen King are just full of great quotes. Who else would write, in the foreword of a book no less, that "most of what writers write about their work is ill-informed bullshit"?

The book I got that little gem from is the revised and expanded edition of The Gunslinger, the first book of the Dark Tower series. The book is revised and expanded because King has finally completed the entire series (book 5 of 7 will be released soon!) and has gone through the all of the books in it in order to revise the series as a whole.

Needless to say, I will now have to read the first four of the series again.

However, I am slightly disturbed by the fact that King finished the series so quickly because, after he was hit by a van, he did not want it to be included with The Canterbury Tales by Chaucer and The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens. For those of you who don't know, neither of those works were completed by the author because the author died.

July Edge

I'm back from LeTourneau. I can't wait to move back to LeTourneau.

For those of you you do not know, I made the epic hour-long journey to LU in order to help out with July Edge. For the most part I enjoyed myself. I met a good number of incoming freshmen, met some returning students I hadn't met before, and, I think for the third time now, met Doug Wilcoxson for "the first time." Of course, I can't really say that I am a difficult person to forget, but after he introduced himself to me once he learned I was going to be in student senate I am surprised he forgot again.

I had the pleasure of staying with the Cynic, Gecko, etc., in their apartment. While I have known who Gecko was, this has been the first time that I have ever interacted with him.

Anyway, it was a good time and I am hoping to go back for a little while before I actually move back in August.

More News

Go and read this. I'm serious. I thought it was rather funny.

And say good-bye to the gamer stereotype.

True Story

True story I just heard that I thought I would share.

Remember a few posts back when my seven-year old cousin stayed over at my house? Well, my mother took him to his house the following morning when she had to go to work at the hospital. He was exhausted since he stayed up half the night playing video games. My mom decided to bring the pillow he was using with her and let him sleep in the car. When she met his mom, she transferred him over to her car and let him keep using the pillow. Well, the next day his mother called and asked if that was Jessica's pillow. My mom told her that it was and asked why she wanted to know. It turns out that my little cousin could smell Jessica on the pillow and had been using the pillow to lay on, sleep on, etc., since he had returned to his house and he doesn't want to give it back. My mom told his mom that it was fine if he kept the pillow.

When I heard it the first time it almost brought tears to my eyes.

Anyway, just thought I would share that.

Country Music

I would just like to take this time to assert an opinion of mine.

I hate country music.

I really, really loathe the song with the chorus that goes:

The sign said Beer, Babes, and Ammo.
They had everythin' in between.
They had everythin' any ol' beer-drinkin', hell-raisin', bonefide redneck needs.
They had fishing hooks and girlie books and a rebel flag on the wall.
The sign said Beer, Babes, and Ammo,
To me, they got it all.

I also hate the song probably titled something like "America can Survive" and I am ashamed to be able to tell you that it is sung to the same general tune of the song "A Country Boy can't Survive."

Both of those "songs" were sung by men who sounded drunk.

I hate country music.

Strange News

Recent news headlines that caught my eye:

Man gets life in prison for spitting on cop

Airlines should warn people that sitting frequently in small cramped spaces for several hours at a time is bad for health

Smile, damn it!

Lovecraft

I have just completed a book titled The Best of H.P. Lovecraft: Bloodcurdling Tales of Horror and Macabre. This book is a collection of stories written by the person Stephen King calls "the twentieth century's greatest practitioner of the classic horror tale."

Most of the people who read this blog probably wouldn't care for most of the book. It holds sixteen stories which, as one would naturally assume from the title, are considered his best works. The majority of them, in my opinion, are very good.

Possibly his most famous story, "The Call of Cthulhu" did live up to what I had heard of it. It was a very good story and, from what I have seen at the bookstore, is the "first story in the Cthulhu mythos." If you haven't read this story I am going to insist that you borrow this book from me and read it just so you will understand any reference to Cthulhu.

However, my personal favorites in this book are "The Rats in the Walls", "The Colour Out of Space," and "The Thing on the Doorstep." I would highly recommend any of those three tales to anyone seeking out a good horror story.

This collection of tales impressed me so much that I have also purchased two other collections of his works: The Dream Cycle of H.P. Lovecraft: Dreams of Terror and Death and The Transition of H.P. Lovecraft: The Road to Madness.

I will update on these two collections when I have finished with them.

One other thing. All three books have, for lack of better words, uniquely macabre/morbid illustrations which wrap around the cover. From observations made by carrying the first collection around with me, these illustrations are disturbing enough that I am cautious about who I let see them. I know some people who would be rather upset by them. You can see about half of the illustration by clicking on the links on the books.