Those to come...

It seems more and more often I find myself in a reflective mood, pondering the events that have made me who I am. But if you've read any of my other posts, you know I am neither verbose nor eloquent enough to describe such feelings myself. So as always, I will let those more talented than I fill the part:

Sam Beam is a beast. Plus, kudos on an excellent beard. The deal with this song is its so specific, but still so applicable to so many different situations. How many people do I know who are coming back from Iraq as ghosts? Um, none. But it still addresses one of the most fundamental questions we can ask. Everyone has dreams, goals, hopefully even plans set out to achieve them. But what do you do when you get there and they're gone? What comes next? How do you handle coming back to a family you're no longer a part of? I certainly don't know, and I don't think anyone really can.
Haha I would hate to leave you with that, so for an extra special Christmas gift to y'all privileged folk, here is a winter break (and coincidently the first) listening recommendations:

Iron & Wine - Love Vigilantes
Wilco - I'll Fight
Bloc Party - This Modern Love (acoustic version)
Coldplay - Yellow
Bright Eyes - Haligh, Haligh, A Lie, Haligh
The Shins - Pink Bullets
Fleet Foxes - Mykonos
The Decemberists - Sons and Daughters

... and so many more. But for now, that is all. More to come! If you have something you would like posted, let me know! So go now, and listen to some awesome music!

Oh wait, I have a blog...

Yep, I kinda forgot I had this blog at all. So now before I get back to new posts, it's time for a summer-till-now recap. I've been spending quite a bit of time with good ol' Betsy Lou:

I also bought a mac:

I also embarked on a journey with Jake Davis to Seattle and the (useless wasteland) Canada:

Then, I moved into an apartment downtown (yeah that's our view):

Since the school year started, my life has been a little more contained, though that isn't to say less exciting. The semester has flown by and finals are here once again. Incidentally, see the post below. However fall finals also mean... wait for it... Christmas time! Yerp, I love me some Christmas. If you personally don't celebrate Christmas, well then good thing this isn't your blog, and lets all look at pretty lights!

This is our Christmas tree this year, in its very early form of decoration. Note bowl of "delicious" pine water which has become a yuletide oasis for our cats. However a loft style apartment affords quite a few Christmas advantages besides the obvious large shrubbery our living room can afford, such as exposed duct light holders:

So those are just a few of the highlights of my summer-till-now. Soon, regular posts will be back, so be prepared! Subscribe! RSS! So hello America, this is London calling.

On "The Gaslight Anthem"

This is one sweet band. I have been listening to them quite alot lately, and I cannot begin to give them the praise they deserve. In my eyes, there hasn't been a band like this... ever! They really incorparate alot of different elements, but still retain a very distinct sound. Not to mention their frontman Brian Fallon is a BAMF. So go now, and search the youtube, and find some torrents, and listen to this music! They are from New Jersey, but hey you can't win 'em all.

(Oh and the acoustic version is a special, most of their music is not)

Courtesy of Mr. West...

"havin money's not everything, not having it is"

-Kanye

So its finals time...

Yep. Finals. Next week. This is the most important part of the semester, but it is hands down the hardest to focus on. Approximately 30% of my grade will be determined over the next week, and I'm doing less work than ever. Is it the weather? Maybe. The ever-so-quickly approaching move out? Maybe that too. I don't even care what causes it, I'm not worried about finals. I did some learning here and there, and for the most part finals are just longer midterms. Actually my mind has been more on the future, how in the world am I ever gonna get a job? Regardless of the economy, I'm afraid I will end up being the least "productive" employee ever hired. Note productive is in quotes, because while I am utterly distracted and have a deep-seeded aversion to studying, that is not to say I don't get stuff done. I have made some wonderful art, and have been learning about three songs a day on the guitar. I better win the lottery or something; the working world just isn't designed for people as diverse as me. Diverse talents that is. I think I'll just start my own company. But until then, if you know any rich people who love up-and-coming art, let me know!

In search of Greatness

Well, I was at the Death Cab for Cutie concert last night and this thought came to me, I'd had it before but never so well articulated and defined. Watching Ben Gibbard play the crap out of "Soul Meets Body" really moved something in me. Its a great song, but that's unrelated. It just hit me, what does it feel like to stand there on a stage, playing this song you created, to all these people? All these people who paid to see you, who want to hear this music that you created? I mean before he came along, none of this existed! He made this all up, out of nothing, and its changed people's lives. That's big. That's huge. His creativity, has changed people's lives. His music has surpassed him, when he's gone, when the music doesn't get played, those lives will still never be the same. I guess that's what I want, I just never really saw it before. I want to change people's lives. I want them to remember me, and what I did, and be able to say "my life won't ever be the same again". That's greatness.

... and out come the douchebags!

Ok so its warming up outside. I understand that. Actually I really enjoy it. But seriously, that's no excuse. Guys should not wear flip flops. Ever. If you're not at the beach, wearing flip flops should not cross your mind. If you're at the beach, its regular man sandals or nothing. Girls you're all fine, you can wear flip flops all you want and it won't bother me a bit. But guys don't. You look so ridiculous, holy crap. No, I don't believe you're a surfer, or any other crap you think you're pulling off. We live in Minnesota, I can't think of a state that is farther from an ocean. Sorry, you're just not fooling anyone. Sandals=acceptable, flip flops=douche! Its very simple. I'll say it again: sandals=acceptable, flip flops=douche! I guess if you want to look like a douche, then by all means go for it, that's probably why you're wearing that Hollister shirt too. Just recognize that by choosing to dress like a huge douchebag, you are choosing to throw away all self respect.

p.s. if you don't understand the title reference, I'll forgive you this time:

http://www.rancidrancid.com/music/1995_andoutcomethewolves.htm

Money!

I've never had much of it. I guess that's a pretty common belief, since everyone always wants more. But I like it. I've learned to embrace it. Some parts of it really suck, hell I've never had cable tv ever. But it also has definite advantages. I work for what I have, so I don't buy things that don't mean something to me, and I keep those things in good working order. Case in point, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (by Robert Pirsig). This is an amazing book. While it has nothing to do with money at all, in embodies two of the most important things I've learned from being poor: mechanical aptitude, and critical thinking. Fixing things by necessity teaches you more about them than you could ever imagine knowing. It's very difficult to explain this phenomon, so go outside and take apart you bike, down to the frame, put it back together, make it work, and then try to tell me you didn't learn anything. Understanding mechanics gives you a great appreciation for the unseen workings of seemingly simple designs, and I don't think you have to be Freud to see how that applies to many, many different areas. The other thing that I have grown to appreciate is thinking for thinking's sake. I don't have much, so isn't it natural to question how I got what I have? Now I don't mean physical objects, but connections, opportunities, talents. Why did I get this? Pity? Did I actually deserve this? Am I the person who could make the best use of this? Now that I have it, aren't I obliged to use it to its fullest potential? I think about those things all the time! It gets tiring. But, if I need to really think about something, I know how I think. I know how to process things, I know what makes sense to me and what doesn't. While I am still constantly questioning myself and everything around me, I also feel like I know myself in a way that is very unusual, at least in this day and age. So, stop for a minute, and think. Really think. And if you manage not to drive yourself crazy, I think you'll be pleased with what you find.