Been a Long Time Since I Rock 'n Rolled...

Greetings. Well some of you expressed concern after my last two sentence entry. I appreciate it but I will not go into detail. Let's just say my goal this spring is to get my mind back and it is a very daunting task. Some things need to be dealt with mentally, emotionally and spiritually. I don't think people really understand the toll it can take on people. Some demons needs to be slain, and I am not talking about Dungeon and Dragons here folks. But that is TMI and while this is a journal of sorts, it's also as much as I am willing to say right now. However, yes Kelly, there are things worse then trying to pick up Michael Moore. Listening to him is worse and watching one of his propaganda films is definitely worse.

I have been listening to Led Zeppelin's album Led Zeppelin, also called Led Zeppelin 4 among the true fans. I have some good Led Zepplin trivia for you but I will save it for another entry. This is a phenomenal album. Every now and then I just want to say screw all the angst ridden, please-kill-me-now emo crap, I just want some guitar jamming, drum smashing good ole' fashioned F#$@ing rock 'n roll! Is that to much to ask for? (Please forgive my pretend bad language mom and dad.)

Ok seriously, this has to be one of the top five rock albums of all times. Every song but one or two was a hit. It has Black Dog, Been a Long Time Since I Rock 'n Rolled, Misty Mountain Hop, Going to California, Stairway to Heaven and When the Levee Breaks on it. Can anybody think of a better rock album? Now remember, we are talking pure rock here, not better albums as whole. Certainly Sgt Pepper or Pet Sounds may be better, but they aren't really rock. Somebody suggested Exile on Main Street , by the Rolling Stones. I know it is considered one of the best albums ever but alas, I have not listened to much of it. Maybe Tommy by the Who? (or of course Deliverance) Please discuss amongst yourselves. Some of you might suggest Kiss or some one else from the 70's, but I don't dig kiss. There is one option that stands out. U2- Joshua Tree, is this considered a rock album? Which brings us to my next topic.

The Grammys-

The Grammys were on the other night and I watched part of it. Unlike, the Oscar's, I actually kind of like the Grammys. For one, they can actually put together a good music act, unlike the Oscar's who do lame things like a musical montage of Pulp Fiction and Evita, performed by Paul Anka, Neil Young and the Vienna Boys Choir. The Grammys have the ability to be witty and clever but also edgy at times as well. The can hire Dave Chappelle and not have complaints unlike the stuffy, pretentious Oscar's which has Sean Penn getting mad at Chris Rock. No the Grammys aren't too bad, and once again U2 raked it in.

U2 is performing at a new level all together. Not only are they at the top of their game, but they have created an entire new sport. Seriously, is there anybody bigger then them right now? Is their anybody cooler then them? Not the Stones, not even Coldplay. Did you see them accept the Grammy for best song? They didn't get excited, or energetic or anything, they just got up, strolled up to the stage and took their award, all with a look that said -"yeah, that's right, we just won another Grammy and we'll be back up here later tonight. Oh, and if we feel like it we'll do it again next year." I love them.



"See how cool they are?"

On another note. Did anybody see the story that came out last week about how in 2002 the U.S. Government thwarted a terrorist attack in Las Angelas? Apparently it was another attempt to crash a plane into a building and they found out about it and stopped it. It was in L.A. so I think we all know who was really at work here.



That's right, it looks like Jack Baur was at it again.

Well that is about all for now. Peace out Napoleon.

Demon Slaying

I'm not ready to face the battles that lie ahead.
How could I ever be?

The Sith and I, Spiritual Insights from Star Wars.

Well, it's Monday 23 January, 2006 and all is quiet on the front. It is strange how I resolved to blog more and on the 3rd I had an entry and I look up and it's 20 days later. My apologies. If you're wondering what's new in my life I am sick with a cold. I hate being sick, except when it lets me off work, but I should be better soon.
I am now completely moved out of Denton and back in with Ma and Pa. Many people ask me how it is. To you I would have to say that 1.) Life just got a lot slower and 2.) The food just got a heck of a lot better. I hear people often say they couldn't move back in with their parents after being on there own so long. That their parents' authority and what knot would bother them. For me it is not an issue. My parents are cool about letting me do my own thing, they always have been. It's not like I'm 15 and they are going to put a curfew or something on me. Anyways, it is good to spend time with the folks and be closer to the nursing home for my grandmother. Was it the best decision? I guess. It's where I am so I guess it's where I'm supposed to be, right? I do miss my cat though.


The Sith and I:
By now you are probably incredibly curious as to the title of this entry and I shall delay explanation no longer. The other day I was thinking about how cool it would be if we had some sort of Force like powers in Star Wars. Then I realized that if we did have these kinds of powers I would undoubtedly be a Sith Lord.
Now for those of you who know me, I am sure this comes as no surprise. You are probably thinking to yourself, "Well duh, it's about time he realized that." This holds especially true for my friends in Memphis. Yes this is true, but I have discovered it from a new angle. Let me explain.
To sum it up in two words: total depravity. Yes, the idea that man in and of himself can do nothing pleasing to God or know Him. I was thinking about my own inability to overcome sin, my own appetites, my own dark desires and how much of a struggle they are. I know from my own personal experience that man cannot overcome these things on his own. I realized that if it were left up to me I would fall every time. Not only fall every time, but I woul look for and create ways to fall.
The Light side teaches balance through self-discipline and self denial. This is impossible for me. I would give in to my own lusts, selfishness, hatred, jealousy, arrogance and every other sin I might struggle with every time. There is no way to balance these things or overcome them on my own. I would have been a Sith Lord by junior high. That's right, Darth Jefferson, sitting in his class room, getting ready to force choke the bullies who picked on me and then zap the jocks with lightning. I know Darth Jefferson isn't as sexy as Vader or Sidious but it's the truth all the same.
I think maybe the biggest lie in the Star Wars philosophy isn't the Pantheistic, New Age, mystical spirituality that is easy to see through. I think that maybe it is the idea that man can balance his walk through life on his own. That he can be good all by himself. It is quite obvious to me that I need somebody from the outside to reach in and save me. Fortunately as a Christian I have just that. Now if I could just get that light saber.

Well guys, that's one for the road. Catch you later.

On the Road Again.

Its 10:52 on Tuesday and I have been listening to Coldplay's X & Y. You're in luck tonight because I am blogging once more. That's twice in two weeks and the pleasure is all mine. I have recently been visited by one of my old friends. I like to call him Dezy but you might know him by his more formal name; Despair. Yes, it's that old sinking feeling that I have absolutely no ability to live this life in any capacity at all. Am I making right decisions? Why don't I have more peace about things? Why aren't my student loans consolidated when they are supposed to be? Is this life really worth living and is God really enough to get me through it? Will Bill Parcell's continue to coach the Cowboys and who will keep my cat when I move? Seriously though, everything seems so impossible. Oh, let's not forget depression and OCD. I want my mind back please.
I'm moving back home for the spring, back in with my parents, to try and save money. I think it's the best thing to do. After much prayer and consideration I still have no good answer except that I'm slowly gaining some peace about. It took at least a month though. I'm also taking a class on multimedia at community college. I'm not thrilled at the prospect of more school when I just spent six years trying to get out but oh well, maybe it will okay. This is just a rant I suppose, so let's have some fun now.

You may have seen all of this bowl games going on. There are around 30 some odd bowl games and they all have corporate sponsors which leaves me an open invitation to add to the list. Here are some lesser known sponsors or in some cases, lesser known games.

-The ACLU Liberty Bowl.
-The Scurvy Citrus Bowl.
-The Wolf Brand Chili Bowl - avoid the bathrooms here.
-The Zoloft Bowl- Free samples at the door.
-The United Nations Bowl - The U.S. will not participate in this one.
-The New Orleans bowl has been renamed the FEMA Bowl.
-The Insurgency Bowl- Featuring Army vs. Navy and held in Baghdad.
-The Insight Bowl will be followed by the Oblivious Bowl.
-The ERA Glass Ceiling Bowl- in protest of all male teams.
-In an exercise of its own namesake, the Independence Bowl has decided that it will not be held this year.
- And yes, I will go there because it is so obvious, the Pine-Sol Toilet Bowl.

I was trying to think of one for the Southern Baptist Convention and the 7 bowls of wrath bowl but I couldn't quite get it right.

If you haven't seen the list, it's crazy, these are all real games.
-The Pioneer Pure Vision Las Vegas Bowl
-Continental Tire Bowl
-Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl
-EV1.net Houston Bowl
-Silicon Valley Bowl

The list goes on but as you can see, the system is a little out of hand. Anyways, feel free to add your own, I would be disappointed if you didn't. Good night.

Merry Christmas All

Merry Christmas everyone, it is 8:00 P.M and I have been listening to Ray LaMontagne. This year I will make a New Year's resolution to blog more. I have little intention of keeping it but I will none the less resolve to try.
On my last post the question of how do we celebrate the holidays in New Prussia? This is an excellent question. While the holidays in New Prussia have yet to be fully defined, several traditions have so far emerged. One, much ale and mead are drunk up by the populace. Good, thick Prussian ale, stolen from Belgium. Two, there is no Father Christmas in Prussia, there is however, somebody much better and much more loved by all. A being so great and majestic and so revered and benevolent it is hard to even imagine. I speak of course of Papa Czar. He has a big Russian hat and rides a war horse instead and wears a cloak. On Christmas Eve he goes around and rewards all good Prussian children with swords, muskets, bayonets, shields, armor and other neat weapons to help them take part in their great Prussian heritage. Which leads us to tradition three, the Yule Time Conquest, where everyone gathers along the border of France, hurls insults at them, and then we recreate the many conquests we have had over them. Afterwards we return home to more Ale. This sounds like a fine holiday to me and one any good citizen of Prussia would enjoy.

And Now...

More Great Moments in OCD History:
1. I was at the nursing home Christmas party a few days ago when this peculiar festive obsession occurred. They were serving punch out of a bowl with a large dipper. (Or is that ladle?) Anyways, I noticed the guy pouring punch out missed the cup and poured it all over his hand. This would have been okay except the fact his hand was over the punch bowl and it all trickled down over his fingers and back into the punch bowl. This guy was the program director and was setting up tables and chairs and shaking hands with people earlier as well. Needless to say this turned the punch into a seething stew of virulent infections. A moment later my Dad asks me if I wanted punch. Despite all odds I went ahead and said yes. Anxiety set in but I had just eaten and needed a drink so I decided to just ignore it. Anxiety set in immediatly as my dad brought back the festering cup of plague and set it before me. I swallowed hard, picked it up and drank it down. I'm waiting for the toxicology report to come back and tell me how many diseases I have.

2. This is something I think it hilarious and tragic and all rolled up together. As some of you know, I was working at Sears for a little while. Well, what you may not know was that it was in the vacuum department. Now people with OCD often have a thing about floors and dirt and germs. Think of all the junk on floors, all the dirty shoes walking across it, all the bugs and in our case mice, around. Think of all the nasty junk collected in vacuums and here I am, OCD boy being asked to demo and sale Vacuums! This included pouring dirt out, vacuuming it up, picking stuff out of the beater bar when it jammed (GROSS!) and unclogging vacuums brought back in (Equally as Gross). Every day after work I would scrub my hands down like a surgeon. Needless to say it was a trying experience but oh, the irony of it all! I'm surprised I made it as long as I did.

Well everyone, that's about all I have for now. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all. Screw Kwanza

P.S. Here is a picture of Papa Czar.