Steam of Consciousness

I guess if I entitle this blog Randomness and Other Stuff it's assumed stream of consciousness will come into play sooner or later.

C.S. Lewis used to call it "steam of consciousness." He obviously didn't think too highly of it.

C.S. Lewis was a published author. I want to be a published author.

Published authors have to write a lot before they can add the term "published" to their title. It takes discipline.

Principal Strickland from Back to the Future liked discipline. We see in Back to the Future III that fathers taught that word to their sons for generations. "Remember that word." "I will, pa."

Whenever I think of the word discipline, I picture a cranky bald man waiting for someone to screw up so he can get them where he wants them-in detention! The Christianese term is "legalism."

I don't want to be legalistic, but I want to write. So I wrote a short story by giving myself a deadline. I also asked friends to hold me to my deadline. I wanted to do it, so I did it. And I wrote a story. One down, eight to go.

Having a goal and taking steps to move towards it. There's nothing wrong with that. Is the problem that we don't know what we want?

Discipline. I'll remember that word.

Food?

So, this is almost like Fast Food Nation, only way shorter, funnier, and less factual (I think).

Enjoy. But don't consume.

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/kfc_no_longer_permitted_to_use?utm_source=a-section

Thinking About Baseball

The other day we enjoyed a BBQ with friends from church and loaded into a bus to go see a pro Korean baseball game. Eating baked beans followed by riding for an hour in a bus with no windows aren't the best of combinations, but what can you do. Thankfully, we survived the trip with minimal casualties.

Before we left, we were informed that the game might be tamer than usual. Korea's ex-president had died, so there either would be no cheerleaders or no cheering. Later we'd find out the former was the case.

Upon arriving, we made our way through the crowd, got our tickets and found our seats. Some did as the Romans did and bought the Korean baseball noisemakers of choice. They looked like two orange or red plastic inflatable sausages and when banged together sounded like pots and pans. Thankfully, we would discover later, they were surprisingly soft. The seating was close together so we had many opportunities to be so pleasantly surprised. My ears do still have a slight ring to them.

The game began, and being on the orange team's side, we decided to root mostly for them. Later a Korean friend would tell us players' names and help us chant along with the crowd. Until then, and okay, I'll be honest, after then too, I misheard the chants and chanted whatever I heard. My personal favorites were "Might be yours" and "You are gay." Usually I don't shout out things like that, but it was for baseball.

We figured out the scoreboard and gawked a bit at the batting averages. They were between .100 and .200. We'd later find this made for a good game.

Both teams were tied for several innings. Finally, at the end, Orange team pulled out an extra run. The crowd went wild on either side for so much as a base hit. It made for an intense game.

I was glad the orange team beat the white team, because we were mostly cheering for them, but also because I'm a guilty white male and I can't in good conscience root for the white team.

We loaded back on the bus, exhausted but happy. On the way home we'd hear the news--the ex-president had committed suicide. Many Koreans were reportedly in a state of shock. Thankfully, for three hours we were reminded there can still be hope.

The Old Switcharoo

I touched on the subject of creation in a class of third graders. The point was how we could say God created everything, when people made stuff like bridges, etc. It turned out well, with a slight detour in between. One student brought up dinosaurs and insisted they lived before people. How do you know that? I asked. I know, he replied.

I scratched my head when I realized I was having this conversation with a third grader.

I went back to the original topic, then spoke to this young man on his own. The Bible and the Discovery Channel won't always tell you the same thing, I explained. You need to look at what the Bible says, pray, and decide which one you think is true. And keep asking good questions.

He nodded, most likely surprised to hear this much honesty from a grown-up.

Later I sat in High School study hall while seniors discussed whether it's appropriate to use the word "poop" in a graduation speech. Thankful for the contrast I explained the nuances of implying poop. Poop would remain the star of the conversation for a good five to ten minutes.

If I inverted the grades, the two conversations might sound a little more believable. There's something about Fridays.

This. Is. Awesome.

It's about time.

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/texas_constructs_u_s_border_wall?utm_source=onion_rss_daily

Coffee Spillage Friday

I might have to revise TGIF ever so slightly. Recently a trend has developed, and since I've started noticing, it's always happened on Friday. My #@%#@& coffee is trying to kill me.

Last Friday, I tiptoed to my seat for morning staff devotions, started to sit down, and proceeded to spill hot liquid all over the place. I ran to the teacher's lounge to grab tissues while I reminded the rest of the staff and anyone else in the building that I need a sippy cup. I'd continue to spill coffee at least two more times that same day.

To those who would say I'm just clumsy, I'd say you have a point, but any other day of the week I avoid spilling java. Just a couple of days ago I managed my way through a crowd of students at near top speed with zero spillage. Today, however, was Friday, so the carnage continued.

I had just finished cleaning up after a minor coffee spill because of a rolled marker. I refilled and enjoyed my coffee as I sat in the teacher's lounge. No longer content to attack from without, the coffee decided to attack my throat. I choked, coughed a bit, then refilled my cup again. It was going to be a long day.

Maybe he's just smart

I bided my time, but this seemed worth sharing. Enjoy.


Special Boy With Freakishly Large Brain Wins Spelling Bee

More Fun with Scifi

I just saw the new Start Trek movie, and I have to say I liked it. It's long, but it's a fun movie in that cheesy, melodramatic Star Trek way. And that's all you can ask for in the end.

Some time ago, I did a list of unintentional comedies and Star Trek 2 was on it. This may seem to some as mockery, like other movies in the list. The truth is, I enjoy the occasional cheesy scifi movie and Star Trek movies are easy to enjoy. You can laugh, and in many cases just enjoy the ride. Unless they're giving punks the vulcan nerve pinch and looking for whales. What was up with that, anyway?

My theory is ST 4 was co written by Herman Melville and a cranky old neighbor fed up with those pesky kids and their music. Not the best combination, by the way.

All this to say, ST 2 was unintentionally funny, but it's also a fun movie to watch, and it had some nice touches of character development. The new movie's jokes are a lot more intentional (including middle name jokes) but the cheesy fun is still there. There's even an appearance by the original Spock, who may have just plain forgotten he was Leonard Nemoy in his old age. It works, though.

The new trend in scifi is to try to make the most ridiculous situations look as good as possible with CGI. We can still see the strings most of the time, but they're more impressive. With this new movie, you're aware of how impossible much of it is, but for once, you don't care. It's that much fun.

The back stories on Kirk and Spock are also noteworthy and worth adding time to the movie.

Cheesy fun, check. Character development, check. Senile Leonard Nemoy, check. If this list sounds good to you, go see Star Trek: Beginnings. You won't be disappointed.*

*Disclaimer: There is no money-back guarantee or guarantee of any kind attached to this promise. Movie may or may not contain actual vulcans. No ewoks were harmed in the writing of this blog.

Fun with Scifi

I haven't seen the movie yet, but this is funny.

Music Review: Felice Brothers and Snow Patrol

I recently got a collection of Felice Brothers CDs right after getting a Snow Patrol CD. Both make me smile, for different reasons. I don't listen to new music often, so it comforts me to know the efforts weren't wasted.

I'm currently listening to Yonder is the Clock by the Felice brothers. They've been compared to Bob Dylan for their folk/rock style and lyrical storytelling. I would add the nature of the stories also reflect Dylan's style. The songs are all about people who did something regrettable, and who look back on their mistakes. Or as one song puts it

Very soon
I will be
In the deep blue sea
Wrapped in chicken wire
By my own device (Chicken Wire)

At times they remind me of Johnny Cash's songs about prisoners who committed crimes and confess. Only unlike Cash's songs, these don't reach the same point of redemption. Also, they have a vulgar nature at times, so be warned.

The songs are singable, too, but the nature of the stories makes for some unusual outbursts. One song from another CD of theirs speaks of a character in prison for drug possession. Singing a chorus about what he possessed could sound a little funny to one's loved ones. Thankfully, most choruses on Yonder is the Clock are more outburst-friendly. But if you really enjoy a song and get funny looks, you were warned.

Also singable is the new Snow Patrol CD. I don't usually promote pop-rock, and this one is even less rock than pop. That makes it awkward, but oh, well. It sounds good, so I like it.

I decided Snow Patrol is like the Slumdog Millionaire of the music world. It's happy-sounding, shamelessly uplifting (again, sound-wise), yet well-done somehow because of the lack of embarrassment from enjoying it. The last pop-rock CD I could say that about would be U2's Joshua Tree (their last great album, coincidentally). This is no Joshua Tree, but it's smile-worthy. I guess extremely happy endings aren't all bad.

Fun with Tourism

I've been a shamefully low contributer to the worthy cause of placing annoying tunes in people's heads. Here's my first attempt to make ammends. Wait. No one will watch it then. What I meant to say is, "Here's my first attempt blah blah blah. Or is it?" That's better.

P.S. This video is part 2. Part one has a profanity in it, so I didn't post it here. Also funny, but this one made me laugh more. Enjoy. Oh, and it's not annoying. Won't stick in your head at all.

Movie Physics

I just watched Wolverine the other day, then Taken. I've noticed a trend in movies recently. I don't know if it started with comic book movies and fantasies or what, but movie physics are becoming almost equal with cartoon physics. Before long we'll see characters walking into pictures of tunnels (as long as they're the good guys) and walking off cliffs safely to the other side because they wisely decided not to look down. Or we'll see more action heroes eating carrots. I'm not quite sure.

Fun Yet Again with Current Events

I had to share this. Enjoy!

http://www.theonion.com/content/amvo/specter_switches_sides