Video Games, Movies, and Getting Older

Alien

2011-04-27T12:35:00.000-05:00

Most recently I have watched Alien. It is an excellent film that I have now identified as being the first to do many things that set up cliches for many movies. My wife had never seen it and I wanted to watch it with her because as a kid, I had been absolutely horrified by the movie and their "Alien" creatures.

However, it being 2011 and she being about 5 years younger than I, her perception on the movie was drastically different then when I saw it as a kid back in the early-mid nineties. The movie is still great, though the special effects may be dated, the exchanges between the crew before hell breaks loose and even afterwards are all very believable.

I also noticed how different the movie Alien and Aliens are. Creating a sequel to a movie like Alien I'm really glad James Cameron didn't try to replicate Alien, but rather, took the intellectual property in a different direction. I'm looking forward to sharing Aliens with my wife.

just an update

2007-02-01T14:34:00.000-05:00

So I'm cheating class. We were given the option to either stay or go and well, I went. The professor said she was only going to do a little more talking, then end early. And here I am.

Reading for classes isn't killing me yet. Thankfully I've finished Season 2 of Lost and now I don't have to worry about trying to finish it and I can finally do work without it tempting me to be watched.

My writing class is fun though maybe a little to undirected for my tastes. I'm working on getting over that.

I'm going to visit my sister's in DC this weekend, they've bought me a ticket for my birthday/Christmas present. I'll be able to spend the weekend with all my sisters and my one bro-in-law. I'll be missing the Superbowl game and even though it's a game I'd actually like to watch this time (I'm pulling for the Colts) I'm not that bummed out about missing it.

Living off campus has been quite relaxing at points. I'm still learning to have to get groceries to make sure that I'm able to eat so it's not perfect, but it's getting there. It's nice to be away from campus and the buzz and have a place where one can sit and read or study and not have a lot of distractions.

The smallest ewok

2007-01-16T15:01:00.000-05:00

So random post. Nothing really big to say.

Enjoyed a weekend mixed with shopping, eating, reading, playing videogames, spending time with friends and praising God.

I'm still waiting to become accustomed to the train that rolls past our house during the night. It has a warped horn that when mixed with the doppler effect sounds kind of hellish. If I'm not paying attention, it even startles me during in the daytime.

I'm kinda aggrevated with the way my lab is panning out. It seems that the set day is only going to be that way for a few weeks, then there will be a four or five week period when we will be called to change our lab to three days a week to run experiments. I did not account for this when making my schedule and so far, it has been annoying trying to set up a time when it will be convenient for me and not take hours out of work, which I need.

This might be the first time that I've got so much that I want to do or would like to do but do not have enough time to do it all. I guess this is what happens when one has a social life. I have a horde of reading to do this semester. I'll be reading The Scarlet Letter again for my American Lit class, and I'm not all that excited about reading it again, not because it wasn't good, but because we have to read the entire thing in two weeks. The book reads like I'm trying to watch water boil. It just takes a flippin long time. So I'll be in a hermitage during that time and no should try to reach me as I will probably not have a pulse during those two weeks.

Moved off campus

2007-01-11T14:55:00.000-05:00

So i'm not longer living in the campus dorms. I've moved on to better things like having my own bathroom that I can keep clean and not have to depend on other people keeping it clean. Unfortunately I do not have internet. But I figure this is a small price to pay for living off campus.

I now bike to classes, which takes roughly about 15 or 20 minutes to do. I've returned to working at K-lair with my good friend Vanessa and other coworkers. A new semester and I'm looking forward to learning both academically and spiritually.

Good news: I'm no longer an unemployed poor-boy. I can have money for things like gas and dinner. for two.

Bad news: Still looking for something to say for bad news.

Been a long time

2006-11-28T01:30:00.000-05:00

So it has been a while since my last post. Because I've been trying to stay up to date on my homework after my castrophe (heh) with Lost. God has been doing thigns in me, showing me things and reminding me of His wonderful grace. I have been blessed recently by those immediately around me, by the friendship and their understanding.

I'm twenty-one now. I can legally buy alcohol. Big whoop.

It seems like some other said friends of mine have also gotten behind in their blogging. I hope this will spur them to write great epic tales of their adventures. Epic in that they are good and short. Short enough to read but not long enough to discourage the casual friend.

I've been Losted.

2006-10-24T15:50:00.001-05:00

I've been sucked into Lost officially. It has comsumed my soul and my time, almost taking priority over my homework. I blame my two friends, VanEssa and Leah for this. So if I drop out of school because of Lost be sure to send all your flowers and letters to them at the WF.

My Today.

2006-10-11T17:35:00.000-05:00

Got up early to do homework.
Had breakfast with a friend.
Did homework while talking with my sister.
Got a great song from a friend.
Shared said song with another friend.
Went to lab, didn't really pay attention.
Got out early, had lunch and read.
Went to class.
Got good feedback on my story.
It rained on the way home.
I am wet.

(still a little high from the good feed back on my story).

I am still wet.

Pointless Post #1

2006-10-03T22:25:00.000-05:00

I feel I should write something- post something- but I'm not sure I really have anything to say. This semester is going faster than any other semester. I feel like this year has just begun and already I'm hearing thoughts of midterms and such. I believe this is just because I'm really busy. Which is good. I just feel like time is going faster then I'd like. Like I'm in a car going downhill and my breaks are starting to give out. Not totally give out, but just enough to make stearing around obstacles a little more difficult.

Took a test today. I felt really good about it. I also learned how to open a can without using a can opener. I ate two cans of spaghettiOs. Got them free from my campus minister's wife. I was playing a boardgame at their house on Sunday night and she offered them up to anyone who wanted them. Bam, I got four cans of tomatoey goodness. It was the first time I had had them since I was a kid. The taste was nostalgic and I pity anyone who was not able to have eaten some as a child. I'm going to go read. For fun.

Rushing Wind

2006-09-25T23:14:00.000-05:00

This is a song by an old Christian artist named Keith Green.

Rushing Wind

Rushing wind blow through this temple,
Blowing out the dust within,
Come and breathe your breath upon me,
I've been born again.

Holy Spirit, I surrender, take me where you want to go,
Plant me by your living water,
Plant me deep so I can grow.

Jesus, you’re the one, who sets my spirit free,
Use me Lord, glorify, your Holy Name through me.

Separate me from this world Lord.
Sanctify my life for you.
Daily change me to your image,
Help me bear good fruit.

Every day you're drawing closer.
Trials come to test my faith.
But when all is said and done Lord,
You know, it was worth the wait.

Jesus, you’re the one, who set my spirit free,
Use me Lord, glorify, your Holy Name through me.
Rushing wind blow through this temple,
Blowing out the dust within,
Come and breathe your breath upon me,
For I've been born again.

I just really like the words.
If I can get it on audio, I'll be sure to share it with those I know personally.

In other news:
God is good.
He doesn't change.

No this is not a poem. Just something else.

2006-09-20T00:11:00.000-05:00

I want it to stay nice and cool.
No rain.
Watch the leaves turn orange (and yes I say "arange") yellow and red.
I want it to be sunny, but not too bright.
Be able to wear sweatshirts and jeans for a long time.
Spend hours in the cool, but not damp grass.
Clouds, but not too cloudy.
Blue sky.
Breezy enough to keep bugs away, but not to make you chilled.
I want to smell Fall.

Dreams That Pass in the Night

2006-09-11T08:45:00.000-05:00

So I had a dream last night where I hadn't done homework for some of my classes and the due dates had already passed. Except this time I didn't freak out as much as I usually do in those sorts of dreams. I woke up and remembered that I had a buttload of stuff to do over the next three days.

En Medio del Ninguna Parte

2006-09-08T02:26:00.000-05:00

So tonight I was bored. I spent some time with a friend at a park, and that was good cause I was able to get some good quiet time alone with God while she did her own thing rollerblading. Aftert small group I headed back to my room and kinda just sat around for a little bit, playing on the computer. Then I got really restless.

My dorm wsa having a fire drill. So I decided to leave the dorm for a little bit. I called up another friend of mine to see if she was watching the Steelers game and I ended up finding my way in my car towards her house. But then I missed the turn, and kept going. I didn't stop going. I just went. Finally I made up my mind to do something so I turned into a walmart and bought some Ale-8 and Yoo-hoo!. The thing that gets me is, I had no reason to go out there. I just went. I kinda drifted along letting the traffic guide me, not really having any set destination. I contemplated driving out far into the country, turning off somewhere and just sitting out there with the lights turned off, just me and God. Just needed some time away from everything else.

One of the ideas we talked about in small group was how we yearn for the next life. We desire heaven. I figure that whenever I just want to get away from it all, that's my body, mind, and spirit wanting to be rid of all the crap that one has to deal with in this life. There are definitely some good things about this life and they well make up for the little things that we deal with, but I think you feel me on this one. We'd all like to just go.

I ended up getting some chips as well, so I turned around and got to my friend's house where I watched two quarters of the football game before I decided to leave and come on back. And here it is 3am and I'm still up. The guys next door were yelling at the top of their lungs for a few hours after my roommate was asleep. I felt bad for him. I gathered through their screams and cursing at each other that they were playing Age of Empires, a computer strategy game. Connection? I think so. I'll have to see.

I'm still thinking about driving out to the middle of nowhere.

coming back home

2006-08-26T15:38:00.000-05:00

Well life has gotten a bit more interesting. Seems they're sending me home. Like out of Zimbabwe and back to the states. My visa ended, and they didn't want to renew it, so I'm outta work and I'll be coming home in two weeks. I'm kinda sad, because I've become a little attached to this place. It's been real good experiencing a different culture and working in another country.

I'll be keeping tabs on one or two people here via email, but I'm not too good at emailing peeps who live several miles away. Lack of motivation after awhile. Though there is this one girl I've been talking to for a while back in the states, and it'll be good to get back and see her again.

Back by Popular Demand...

2006-08-11T12:33:00.000-05:00

My job is done. I'm looking forward to getting things back to normal. Apart from it being really hot here, I just don't know many people here, so I'm looking forward to getting back. I'm planning on hanging out with a bunch of my friends when I do. Haven't seen them in a while. It'll be good to tell them what it's been like working here.

Less then Animal

2006-07-28T15:15:00.000-05:00

One of the valets at work made an interesting comment the other day. I mean, he says a lot of crap and most of it is nonsense which is what he means to say, nonsense, but this time he unwittingly made a comment that was interesting to think about. He comes up to me and says in his usual sarcastic question voice, "Man, what do you think life would be life if we did not have any self control? Like we would see a woman walking across the street and just go for her, or just randomly kill people. No self restraint. No sense of good or bad."

I've either paraphrased or given him more credit then what he really said, but if you think about it, without some form of self restraint, sense of right and wrong, we would be worse then animals. Because even animals show certain judgement skills by not killing more then they can eat, living in groups and helping each other survive. Monkeys, despite throwing their own feces at each other, show more intelligence then we would if we did not have this sense of good or bad, or self restraint.

This more or less brings me to where I was thinking about how we would be lower then animals if we did not have God there to guide us. If he were to "go away" a) the universe would fall apart, and b) we'd regress to being less humane then animals.

The comment really just reminded me of how much we depend on God for everything, even for our own sanity. Even if we don't want to admit it and build our own towers of Babel, God is really the mastermind and the holder of the universe.

One post since the beginning

2006-07-25T22:15:00.000-05:00

So I called my fourth or fifth person a person of the opposite sex again the other day at work. This time it was on the phone, I was answering this person's questions about bringing something back when at the end of the phone call the person says, "Oh, and I'm a guy."

I'd been calling him a "mam" the entire time. He sounded like a woman! I mean, people confuse me all the time with my mom on the phone. How do you think this makes me feel?

The beginning of the end?

2006-07-17T03:04:00.000-05:00

My first post on this blog, but is it my last post? This is the question...