Books Read/Listened to in October, 2010
So I’ve kind of made it my goal, for as long as I am commuting a considerable distance to work (100 miles round trip currently) to at least try to further my horizons by listening to some audio books, if not managing to read some real books. I’ve always liked the idea of becoming more read… just other objects of entertainment seem to get in the way. So without further ado here is my list for this month.
1. Real Ultimate Power – Robert Hamburger
A humorous look into the real power of ninjas through the eyes of a depressed/troubled 12 year old.
2. The Invisible Man – H.G. Wells
This one wasn’t as good as I had hoped, the points I found interesting as to the whole concept of the story were either too brief or didn’t come until the very end.
3. From the Earth to the Moon – Jules Verne (1865)
This was my favorite of the three books this month, it is the first part of an experiment partaken by a group of men in the 1860’s (complete with pre-1900 science) to shoot a cannon shot to the moon.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Oct. 31st - Movie
October 31st, 2010
Finish Cinco De Murder
Saved for last in Honor of Halloween… Cinco De Murder, is a horror movie idea created by my sister, two friends and myself. It originated in May of 2006 and has a script completely written… however it has faced numerous setbacks and has yet to actually be produced.
In theory it should already be done, I mean it has like 5 cast members total. But one cast member died in 2008 (Poor Fudge), the script was destroyed but then later recovered, now the camera is down plus it is out of season (takes place in May). So maybe next year?
Actually we have a name for our follow up movie picked out, and I have another movie project I’d like to try to do, but its tough getting people together and getting a video made.
Finish Cinco De Murder
Saved for last in Honor of Halloween… Cinco De Murder, is a horror movie idea created by my sister, two friends and myself. It originated in May of 2006 and has a script completely written… however it has faced numerous setbacks and has yet to actually be produced.
In theory it should already be done, I mean it has like 5 cast members total. But one cast member died in 2008 (Poor Fudge), the script was destroyed but then later recovered, now the camera is down plus it is out of season (takes place in May). So maybe next year?
Actually we have a name for our follow up movie picked out, and I have another movie project I’d like to try to do, but its tough getting people together and getting a video made.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
3 Underappreciated Horror Movies
3 Horror Movies that you should see
So it’s Halloween time, and of course this is the time of year in which everyone talks about their favorite scary movies and discusses their favorite killers and series. The best thing about horror movies is the simple fact that there are so many of them, covering a wide variety of sub-genres… if you have any desire to watch something scary… there is a movie out there for you.
Anyway everyone talks about their favorite mainstream horror films, but I’m going to talk about three of my favorite horror movies that are more obscure titles, that no one seems to have heard of let alone have seen if I bring them up in passing conversation. Note: I’m not ranking these just throwing them out there as suggestions for next time you are looking for a Horror movie.
Note: I’m not going to throw out any spoilers, otherwise what would be the point of me suggesting these to you.
1. Kingdom of Spiders (1977)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076271/
Starring – William Shatner
Yep you read that correctly… starring Captain Kirk himself. I saw this movie for the first time this summer on TV, didn’t plan on watching the whole thing but next thing I knew it was the end of the movie and I really enjoyed it. Sure it has some cheesy moments… (There is this little girl that gets tossed around for like the whole movie) but it’s a horror film so you expect that. It also contains… zero special effects, just old school stunt work, which you can appreciate for a film like this one.
The plot involves a small town in Texas, whose livestock are dying… a State Vet comes to town to help the local veterinarian solve the problem… which turns out to be spiders… tarantulas to be exact, behaving in an odd way… they are swarming their victims and soon turn on the whole town.
As I said I’m not going to throw out any spoilers, but I must say… this has one of my favorite endings for a horror movie.
The Severed Arm (1973)*
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070673/
Starring – (no real star)
This movie is included in a DVD set I have of 50 horror movies…. many of the movies in that set suck, lol, and I must say the videography for this film… is horrible. The lighting is messed up, sometimes the you are wondering what the camera what you should to be looking at, and to be honest the sound isn’t always that clear either. So if visual effects are important to you, this probably won’t be that worthwhile for you.
So… you are saying… why the heck would I want to watch something that looks as horrible as you just claimed it to be… Simple. Awesome story. What happens you ask? Well the plot starts out with 5 men, trapped in a cave, who are starving and begin to decide whom they will eat first.** Obviously someone has to lose this, and once the loser is draw they cut off his arm. Only to be rescued moments later. The man whose arm was chopped off goes crazy and the other four miners embarrassed as to what they had done, claim his arm was damaged in the cave in.
However, it’s not several years later and all of the men have went on to live different lives… when one man is mailed a human arm… and they suddenly find themselves hunted down by someone/something….
This movie like the one before also has a great ending, really the ending of a horror movie is where they often fall short, but all three of the suggestions, most notably these first two do really well in there endings and the final film is above average.
3. Spider Baby, or The Maddest Story Ever Told (1968)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058606/
Starring – Again no real star but one of Sid Haigs early works
This is the only black and white movie of my three suggestions, and like most 1960’s horror movies it has no special effects. The story involves the remains of a once powerful family living a quiet life do to a heredity disease that has come to affect them all. Basically they digress after the age of ten into a downward spiral, luckily they have a butler caretaker to cover up their misdeeds and protect them from outsiders.
However, the story picks up when some distant and unaffected relatives learn of the great wealth remaining with the family and come in with their lawyer in an effort to stake their claim on the remaining assets of the family.
It ends up being an interesting story, even though it is 1960’s “scarey” and made on a shoestring budget.
*I know there was a blog, I think back in June 2009, where I also suggested this movie as one that should be remade. Or something like that, so yeah I really do like this movie even if it is filmed poorly.
** Totally off topic, but the whole drawing lots to see whom will be eaten just reminds me of the old whaling ships and how they would actually do this on a not so rare occasion, that made whaling probably the scariest occupation.
So it’s Halloween time, and of course this is the time of year in which everyone talks about their favorite scary movies and discusses their favorite killers and series. The best thing about horror movies is the simple fact that there are so many of them, covering a wide variety of sub-genres… if you have any desire to watch something scary… there is a movie out there for you.
Anyway everyone talks about their favorite mainstream horror films, but I’m going to talk about three of my favorite horror movies that are more obscure titles, that no one seems to have heard of let alone have seen if I bring them up in passing conversation. Note: I’m not ranking these just throwing them out there as suggestions for next time you are looking for a Horror movie.
Note: I’m not going to throw out any spoilers, otherwise what would be the point of me suggesting these to you.
1. Kingdom of Spiders (1977)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076271/
Starring – William Shatner
Yep you read that correctly… starring Captain Kirk himself. I saw this movie for the first time this summer on TV, didn’t plan on watching the whole thing but next thing I knew it was the end of the movie and I really enjoyed it. Sure it has some cheesy moments… (There is this little girl that gets tossed around for like the whole movie) but it’s a horror film so you expect that. It also contains… zero special effects, just old school stunt work, which you can appreciate for a film like this one.
The plot involves a small town in Texas, whose livestock are dying… a State Vet comes to town to help the local veterinarian solve the problem… which turns out to be spiders… tarantulas to be exact, behaving in an odd way… they are swarming their victims and soon turn on the whole town.
As I said I’m not going to throw out any spoilers, but I must say… this has one of my favorite endings for a horror movie.
The Severed Arm (1973)*
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070673/
Starring – (no real star)
This movie is included in a DVD set I have of 50 horror movies…. many of the movies in that set suck, lol, and I must say the videography for this film… is horrible. The lighting is messed up, sometimes the you are wondering what the camera what you should to be looking at, and to be honest the sound isn’t always that clear either. So if visual effects are important to you, this probably won’t be that worthwhile for you.
So… you are saying… why the heck would I want to watch something that looks as horrible as you just claimed it to be… Simple. Awesome story. What happens you ask? Well the plot starts out with 5 men, trapped in a cave, who are starving and begin to decide whom they will eat first.** Obviously someone has to lose this, and once the loser is draw they cut off his arm. Only to be rescued moments later. The man whose arm was chopped off goes crazy and the other four miners embarrassed as to what they had done, claim his arm was damaged in the cave in.
However, it’s not several years later and all of the men have went on to live different lives… when one man is mailed a human arm… and they suddenly find themselves hunted down by someone/something….
This movie like the one before also has a great ending, really the ending of a horror movie is where they often fall short, but all three of the suggestions, most notably these first two do really well in there endings and the final film is above average.
3. Spider Baby, or The Maddest Story Ever Told (1968)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058606/
Starring – Again no real star but one of Sid Haigs early works
This is the only black and white movie of my three suggestions, and like most 1960’s horror movies it has no special effects. The story involves the remains of a once powerful family living a quiet life do to a heredity disease that has come to affect them all. Basically they digress after the age of ten into a downward spiral, luckily they have a butler caretaker to cover up their misdeeds and protect them from outsiders.
However, the story picks up when some distant and unaffected relatives learn of the great wealth remaining with the family and come in with their lawyer in an effort to stake their claim on the remaining assets of the family.
It ends up being an interesting story, even though it is 1960’s “scarey” and made on a shoestring budget.
*I know there was a blog, I think back in June 2009, where I also suggested this movie as one that should be remade. Or something like that, so yeah I really do like this movie even if it is filmed poorly.
** Totally off topic, but the whole drawing lots to see whom will be eaten just reminds me of the old whaling ships and how they would actually do this on a not so rare occasion, that made whaling probably the scariest occupation.
Oct. 30th - Trip
October 30, 2010
Adventurous Trip
I’ve always thought this would be kind of fun, as I believe it was previously listed in a blog back in June of last year. But I thought of it this week as two different people who came into my work were doing it… Go on a trip where there is no destination planned… just go and drive… see where you end up at in the end. Find out what there is out there, and see the world around you.
Some rules to go by would be…
1) Don’t eat at any “chain” restaurants
2) Avoid Interstates whenever possible
3) Of Course follow the Road Trip rules*
Anyway maybe I’ll try this when I qualify for vacation time… in oh say a year…
* http://nomadwaystation.blogspot.com/2006/09/rules-of-road.html
Adventurous Trip
I’ve always thought this would be kind of fun, as I believe it was previously listed in a blog back in June of last year. But I thought of it this week as two different people who came into my work were doing it… Go on a trip where there is no destination planned… just go and drive… see where you end up at in the end. Find out what there is out there, and see the world around you.
Some rules to go by would be…
1) Don’t eat at any “chain” restaurants
2) Avoid Interstates whenever possible
3) Of Course follow the Road Trip rules*
Anyway maybe I’ll try this when I qualify for vacation time… in oh say a year…
* http://nomadwaystation.blogspot.com/2006/09/rules-of-road.html
Friday, October 29, 2010
Oct. 29th - Secret
October 29, 2010
Create a Secret Society
I have always found secret societies to be really cool, all of the myths and legends surrounding them… Do the Mason’s control the world? The Bilderberg Group? Illumanti? Rosicrucians? Everyone seems to have an opinion or claim to be the real power behind the throne so to speak.
Honestly I think almost all of them are more hype than function, and many of the conspiracies around them are just silly. However to think that powerful people don’t unite to help out each other is just crazy in itself.
The main draws for me are; the formality, structure and uniqueness of rituals, myths and histories surrounding these groups sound like great fun to me, thus I would like to create one someday. Sure we wouldn’t have any real power, but it would be fun pretending that we did, and who knows maybe someone will start some cool conspiracy theories about us? It would certainly be a way to make your mark on the world.
I actually have some groundwork ideas on what and how I would go about creating one, but if I shared them here it wouldn’t be that secret would it ;)
Create a Secret Society
I have always found secret societies to be really cool, all of the myths and legends surrounding them… Do the Mason’s control the world? The Bilderberg Group? Illumanti? Rosicrucians? Everyone seems to have an opinion or claim to be the real power behind the throne so to speak.
Honestly I think almost all of them are more hype than function, and many of the conspiracies around them are just silly. However to think that powerful people don’t unite to help out each other is just crazy in itself.
The main draws for me are; the formality, structure and uniqueness of rituals, myths and histories surrounding these groups sound like great fun to me, thus I would like to create one someday. Sure we wouldn’t have any real power, but it would be fun pretending that we did, and who knows maybe someone will start some cool conspiracy theories about us? It would certainly be a way to make your mark on the world.
I actually have some groundwork ideas on what and how I would go about creating one, but if I shared them here it wouldn’t be that secret would it ;)
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Oct. 28th - Home
October 28th, 2010
Own a Home
This one seems pretty obvious as its basically part of the quintessential “American Dream”. Though to be honest my idea of what kind of home I’d want has drastically changed over the years. When I was little I thought I’d want a big home like my Grandparents 14 room home.
Then I transitioned to thinking it would be cool to own a home made out of a Grain Bin. Which I honestly still think would be a really cool home. My idea with the grain bin would be a 4 story home with the bathroom, laundry, kitchen in the bottom floor, the second floor would be a big living area, third floor would be two bedrooms and the top floor would be in the slanted bin part which would be the master bedroom with a sky light. I just think it would be pretty awesome.
However, now I’d like to get a small home, honestly it’s just me currently…. So yeah I think I’d just want a smallish house, to be my bachelor pad. If I got a big house most of it would just sit as empty space, and I have zero desire to go buy stuff and furniture just to fill empty space. As I apparently lived like a “serial killer” when I had my apartment in Indy last year, as I didn’t even have enough stuff to fill a studio apartment. But, honestly this is what I like, I guess I’m just more of a minimalist…. Which is good because I hate getting rid of stuff so that way I don’t have to throw away stuff when I don’t ever buy it to start with.
Own a Home
This one seems pretty obvious as its basically part of the quintessential “American Dream”. Though to be honest my idea of what kind of home I’d want has drastically changed over the years. When I was little I thought I’d want a big home like my Grandparents 14 room home.
Then I transitioned to thinking it would be cool to own a home made out of a Grain Bin. Which I honestly still think would be a really cool home. My idea with the grain bin would be a 4 story home with the bathroom, laundry, kitchen in the bottom floor, the second floor would be a big living area, third floor would be two bedrooms and the top floor would be in the slanted bin part which would be the master bedroom with a sky light. I just think it would be pretty awesome.
However, now I’d like to get a small home, honestly it’s just me currently…. So yeah I think I’d just want a smallish house, to be my bachelor pad. If I got a big house most of it would just sit as empty space, and I have zero desire to go buy stuff and furniture just to fill empty space. As I apparently lived like a “serial killer” when I had my apartment in Indy last year, as I didn’t even have enough stuff to fill a studio apartment. But, honestly this is what I like, I guess I’m just more of a minimalist…. Which is good because I hate getting rid of stuff so that way I don’t have to throw away stuff when I don’t ever buy it to start with.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Oct. 27th - Wall
October 27th, 2010
See the Great Wall of China
The Great Wall of China, built around 200 B.C. is still the only man made structure that can be seen from space. It has a ton of history accumulated over the years and was built to stop one of my favorite historical groups, the Mongols. Not to mention inspiring the name of 95% of the Chinese restaurants in the United States.
Seeing it would also allow me to see China which would be another nice experience as well, not a lot to say about this item as its pretty self-explanatory so yeah, I’d like to visit the Great Wall of China someday.
See the Great Wall of China
The Great Wall of China, built around 200 B.C. is still the only man made structure that can be seen from space. It has a ton of history accumulated over the years and was built to stop one of my favorite historical groups, the Mongols. Not to mention inspiring the name of 95% of the Chinese restaurants in the United States.
Seeing it would also allow me to see China which would be another nice experience as well, not a lot to say about this item as its pretty self-explanatory so yeah, I’d like to visit the Great Wall of China someday.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Oct. 26th - Riot
October 26, 2010
Be in a Riot
Yes this seems totally dangerous, but yeah I think it would be exciting/exhilarating to do this. The closest thing I have been in that would be close to this I imaging would be some of the sporting events I’ve been at for Purdue. When you feel like the whole crowd is with you and you are all wanting for the same things it’s an amazing experience.
Maybe it’s dangerous to think this way, but it seems like being in a riot would be like this… only more exciting and adrenaline producing. I wouldn’t be scared of tear gas, or rubber bullets, that’d only make it more exciting… just as long as I wasn’t arrested.
Be in a Riot
Yes this seems totally dangerous, but yeah I think it would be exciting/exhilarating to do this. The closest thing I have been in that would be close to this I imaging would be some of the sporting events I’ve been at for Purdue. When you feel like the whole crowd is with you and you are all wanting for the same things it’s an amazing experience.
Maybe it’s dangerous to think this way, but it seems like being in a riot would be like this… only more exciting and adrenaline producing. I wouldn’t be scared of tear gas, or rubber bullets, that’d only make it more exciting… just as long as I wasn’t arrested.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Oct. 25th - Blimp
October 25th, 2010
Own a Blimp
*
I am a huge fan of Blimps, I wish they were still used today. They had such a short lifespan in their commercial use, but I have always found them neat and would love to pilot one someday. I wonder how hard it would be to build one?
Last winter Steve and I had a conversation about stealing a blimp and basically becoming air pirates, like some “Steampunk” fantasy… The only problem with the plan was… the best case scenario we came up with ended with us being shot down by the U.S. Government… but that’d be an awesome way to go out right?
*Yes I totally did find a picture of a blimp endorsing my favorite politician
Own a Blimp
*I am a huge fan of Blimps, I wish they were still used today. They had such a short lifespan in their commercial use, but I have always found them neat and would love to pilot one someday. I wonder how hard it would be to build one?
Last winter Steve and I had a conversation about stealing a blimp and basically becoming air pirates, like some “Steampunk” fantasy… The only problem with the plan was… the best case scenario we came up with ended with us being shot down by the U.S. Government… but that’d be an awesome way to go out right?
*Yes I totally did find a picture of a blimp endorsing my favorite politician
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Oct. 24th - Olympics
October 24, 2010
See an Olympic Opening Ceremony
The Olympics or at least the winter version of them took place in Feburary of this year, and due to my unemployment I was able to watch a lot of Olympic coverage and I think it was the first time I really appreciated how cool the opening ceremony really is for the Olympics. I actually did a running blog of thoughts I had during this year’s opening events in Canada… Which I might add my Idea for the torch lighting is AWESOME ;)
Anyway this just seems like an awesome event that I would like to experience.
See an Olympic Opening Ceremony
The Olympics or at least the winter version of them took place in Feburary of this year, and due to my unemployment I was able to watch a lot of Olympic coverage and I think it was the first time I really appreciated how cool the opening ceremony really is for the Olympics. I actually did a running blog of thoughts I had during this year’s opening events in Canada… Which I might add my Idea for the torch lighting is AWESOME ;)
Anyway this just seems like an awesome event that I would like to experience.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Oct. 23rd - Lair
October 23, 2010
Have a Lair
So every cool superhero… and some cool celebrities have lairs… You know what I’m talking about, a secret usually underground hang out spot full of cool things. I mean half of the stuff in the lair can be pointless or dumb as long as it looks cool and makes you happy.
The Ideal lair is huge underground… but unsuspecting in the public’s view. I think it would be awesome, I’d probably steal some from Elvis who had three TV’s so that he could watch three news stations at once. Except with so many TV stations out their now I’d have to have way more than 3 TV’s. Honestly it wouldn’t have to be that big of an area for me… Just needs to be a cool one. Also you have to have a theme, I’m not sure what mine would be… maybe something with Hippopotamus’s, that would be pretty original and I like Hippos. The only drawback to this is you pretty much have to be rich to have your own lair.
Of course there also is the ever present question of superhero or supervillian...
Have a Lair
So every cool superhero… and some cool celebrities have lairs… You know what I’m talking about, a secret usually underground hang out spot full of cool things. I mean half of the stuff in the lair can be pointless or dumb as long as it looks cool and makes you happy.
The Ideal lair is huge underground… but unsuspecting in the public’s view. I think it would be awesome, I’d probably steal some from Elvis who had three TV’s so that he could watch three news stations at once. Except with so many TV stations out their now I’d have to have way more than 3 TV’s. Honestly it wouldn’t have to be that big of an area for me… Just needs to be a cool one. Also you have to have a theme, I’m not sure what mine would be… maybe something with Hippopotamus’s, that would be pretty original and I like Hippos. The only drawback to this is you pretty much have to be rich to have your own lair.
Of course there also is the ever present question of superhero or supervillian...
Friday, October 22, 2010
Oct. 22nd - Nomad
October 22nd 2010
Live as a Nomad
This is a throwback to the train of thought I used to always throw at the Question of “What do you want to be when you grow up”… A nomad… Ghenghis Khan was a nomad so yeah it’s a cool job/lifestyle. Obviously it started as a joke to say/avoid the question, but you know what. It would be cool to live a nomadic lifestyle… for a little bit at least. My only problem would be giving up internet access… because if I went “Nomad” I would do it legit and have a herd of goats or something and live in a tent.
So maybe after I retire I can live a few months off the land as a nomad. That would be a cool experience.
Live as a Nomad
This is a throwback to the train of thought I used to always throw at the Question of “What do you want to be when you grow up”… A nomad… Ghenghis Khan was a nomad so yeah it’s a cool job/lifestyle. Obviously it started as a joke to say/avoid the question, but you know what. It would be cool to live a nomadic lifestyle… for a little bit at least. My only problem would be giving up internet access… because if I went “Nomad” I would do it legit and have a herd of goats or something and live in a tent.
So maybe after I retire I can live a few months off the land as a nomad. That would be a cool experience.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Oct. 21st - Moon
October 21st 2010
Go to the Moon
So think about it… in the late 1880’s people believed we’d be going to the Moon as a regular thing by the 1950’s, in the 1950’s we thought by 2000 we’d have people living on the Moon… But now we don’t even go to the Moon… haven’t been since the 1970’s.
Obviously the romanticism of the journey has worn off, and in hard economic times spending all of the funding on NASA doesn’t seem like that great of a deal. Honestly, I’m cool with shutting down the space shuttle system… but I would like to see people going back to the Moon. Or if you go with the idea that we have nothing left to learn from going to the Moon… how about we try to get to Mars?
Either way… Old Science fiction says I should be able to go to the Moon… so I want to.
Go to the Moon
So think about it… in the late 1880’s people believed we’d be going to the Moon as a regular thing by the 1950’s, in the 1950’s we thought by 2000 we’d have people living on the Moon… But now we don’t even go to the Moon… haven’t been since the 1970’s.
Obviously the romanticism of the journey has worn off, and in hard economic times spending all of the funding on NASA doesn’t seem like that great of a deal. Honestly, I’m cool with shutting down the space shuttle system… but I would like to see people going back to the Moon. Or if you go with the idea that we have nothing left to learn from going to the Moon… how about we try to get to Mars?
Either way… Old Science fiction says I should be able to go to the Moon… so I want to.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Oct. 20th - Eccentric
October 20th, 2010
Develop some odd Eccentric trait
So… this one seems really weird… and maybe I have already done it, I don’t know its something that I think you find out from others and can never really know yourself… at least at first as eccentric is best defined by others.
But when you think about it… almost every interesting/important person throughout History has had some oddball habit or trait that made them distinctly themselves… So someday I hope I have some odd habit that is me. That is unless I all ready have that weird trait but haven’t realized it myself.
Develop some odd Eccentric trait
So… this one seems really weird… and maybe I have already done it, I don’t know its something that I think you find out from others and can never really know yourself… at least at first as eccentric is best defined by others.
But when you think about it… almost every interesting/important person throughout History has had some oddball habit or trait that made them distinctly themselves… So someday I hope I have some odd habit that is me. That is unless I all ready have that weird trait but haven’t realized it myself.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Oct. 19th - Ghost
October 19th 2010
See a Ghost
So I bounce back and forth every from time to time on my opinions on ghost. I believe theoretically they could easily exist*, but honestly I don’t know if I believe they do exist. Without getting into a big debate on the topic I will say that I don’t think they can exist as a trapped emotion/memory repeating itself… I think there has to be more to it than that, but that’s just my opinion.
Anyway, after having said all of that… if they do in fact exist I would like to see one sometime in my life. Yes It would probably scare the crap out of me but… yeah if you are going to experience life to the fullest this is probably should be part of that right?
*Yes I know that’s kind of strange to say about something such as a ghost and all the levels you have to consider for such a thing to exist and the philosophical questions it would also entail. That can all be interesting stuff but honestly I don’t want to get involved in explaining anything on that deep of a level for this series. As well as the problems of trying to explain anything on that level can never produce a conclusive answer… so yes I believe in theory they could exist, but I do not know If they do.
See a Ghost
So I bounce back and forth every from time to time on my opinions on ghost. I believe theoretically they could easily exist*, but honestly I don’t know if I believe they do exist. Without getting into a big debate on the topic I will say that I don’t think they can exist as a trapped emotion/memory repeating itself… I think there has to be more to it than that, but that’s just my opinion.
Anyway, after having said all of that… if they do in fact exist I would like to see one sometime in my life. Yes It would probably scare the crap out of me but… yeah if you are going to experience life to the fullest this is probably should be part of that right?
*Yes I know that’s kind of strange to say about something such as a ghost and all the levels you have to consider for such a thing to exist and the philosophical questions it would also entail. That can all be interesting stuff but honestly I don’t want to get involved in explaining anything on that deep of a level for this series. As well as the problems of trying to explain anything on that level can never produce a conclusive answer… so yes I believe in theory they could exist, but I do not know If they do.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Oct. 18th - Amazon
October 18th, 2010
Raft down the Amazon River
Ok time for another crazy idea on the list. But yes, don’t you think this would be awesome. Sure it would be very dangerous, but the thrill and experience would be unbelievable. Honestly I don’t know what you could really expect; research teams do it from time to time. I image that in a few more years it wouldn’t be nearly as cool… like even the remote jungle tribes are becoming more and more acquainted with technology. It’s one of those crazy things, how in today’s world very few things are remote. I love reading old science fiction by H.G. Wells, Jules Verne, H.H. Haggard or Edgar Rice Burroughs where remote and savage places really did exist fully and your imagination could run wild. I guess I view an adventure such as rafting down the Amazon as one of the few remaining examples of that time in the world today.
Sorry this one is kind of rambling.. but I’m just going to post it as is and not try to clean it up grammatically :P
Raft down the Amazon River
Ok time for another crazy idea on the list. But yes, don’t you think this would be awesome. Sure it would be very dangerous, but the thrill and experience would be unbelievable. Honestly I don’t know what you could really expect; research teams do it from time to time. I image that in a few more years it wouldn’t be nearly as cool… like even the remote jungle tribes are becoming more and more acquainted with technology. It’s one of those crazy things, how in today’s world very few things are remote. I love reading old science fiction by H.G. Wells, Jules Verne, H.H. Haggard or Edgar Rice Burroughs where remote and savage places really did exist fully and your imagination could run wild. I guess I view an adventure such as rafting down the Amazon as one of the few remaining examples of that time in the world today.
Sorry this one is kind of rambling.. but I’m just going to post it as is and not try to clean it up grammatically :P
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Oct. 17th - Kid
October 17, 2010
Have a Kid
So this is kind of a weird one for me, but its one of those that just makes sense. The thought of having a kid scares me… I mean I’m sure it’s tough and I know it’s expensive. Yet many people my age already have a kid or two. So it’s not like it’s impossible. It just seems like such a big commitment and I really try to avoid any kind of serious long term thing like that, I mean my 5 year car loan seems crazy in length and a kid cost a lot more than a baby. That and a baby has a lot more complex issues and things to worry about, that change over time… As well as you never know really what you are getting in a kid… not even if it’s a boy or girl…. Pretty much every other major decision in life you have the ability to control a lot more of… or at least someone has control over. A kid is a lot of luck/random chance, yes I know that sounds mean… but think about it a little bit, just how random babies/children/humans in general are.
Obviously with my current lack of anything resembling a romantic relationship in my life means this isn’t likely to happen anytime soon, but it’s something you think about when so many people my age are having them. Also I don’t think I could adopt a kid (obviously this viewpoint could change) and still love it as much as I would love something I produced on my own (or at least ½ on my own). That’s obviously something you’d have to experience to know, but my initial feelings are above.
So while yes I’m not planning on having a kid, this is an idea that comes to mind when thinking about a series/topic such as this. I mean this whole series has been about things I want to Experience before I Die…. I think its natural human instinct to want to pass on something to the next generation… to preserve some however small part of your existence... and having a kid has been the longest existing way to do just that.
Have a Kid
So this is kind of a weird one for me, but its one of those that just makes sense. The thought of having a kid scares me… I mean I’m sure it’s tough and I know it’s expensive. Yet many people my age already have a kid or two. So it’s not like it’s impossible. It just seems like such a big commitment and I really try to avoid any kind of serious long term thing like that, I mean my 5 year car loan seems crazy in length and a kid cost a lot more than a baby. That and a baby has a lot more complex issues and things to worry about, that change over time… As well as you never know really what you are getting in a kid… not even if it’s a boy or girl…. Pretty much every other major decision in life you have the ability to control a lot more of… or at least someone has control over. A kid is a lot of luck/random chance, yes I know that sounds mean… but think about it a little bit, just how random babies/children/humans in general are.
Obviously with my current lack of anything resembling a romantic relationship in my life means this isn’t likely to happen anytime soon, but it’s something you think about when so many people my age are having them. Also I don’t think I could adopt a kid (obviously this viewpoint could change) and still love it as much as I would love something I produced on my own (or at least ½ on my own). That’s obviously something you’d have to experience to know, but my initial feelings are above.
So while yes I’m not planning on having a kid, this is an idea that comes to mind when thinking about a series/topic such as this. I mean this whole series has been about things I want to Experience before I Die…. I think its natural human instinct to want to pass on something to the next generation… to preserve some however small part of your existence... and having a kid has been the longest existing way to do just that.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Oct. 16th - Harmonica
October 16th, 2010
Learn How to Play the Harmonica
I’ve always found the Harmonica to be a neat musical instrument. I don’t even like “Blues” music that much, but the Harmonica has such a cool sound. Whenever talent shows like “Americas Got Talent” are on I always find myself rooting for Harmonica players to make it to the end, but sadly they seldom do.
So yeah I know that this is a short post, but that’s about all I have to say
Learn How to Play the Harmonica
I’ve always found the Harmonica to be a neat musical instrument. I don’t even like “Blues” music that much, but the Harmonica has such a cool sound. Whenever talent shows like “Americas Got Talent” are on I always find myself rooting for Harmonica players to make it to the end, but sadly they seldom do.
So yeah I know that this is a short post, but that’s about all I have to say
Friday, October 15, 2010
Oct. 15th - Warhammer
Oct. 15th, 2010
Start Playing Warhammer 40k Again*
Warhammer 40,000 is a table top board game that I used to play, It basically is playing toy army men… but with a large rule book and rolling a lot of dice. My Dad bought us the starter pack for the game back for Christmas of my 5th grade year. That was back in 2nd edition. My Dad took the Space Marines – Blood Angels and I took the Ork army. We played quite a bit, just against each other though, no one else in the area every played the game, when we wanted to play other people, we had to go to Indianapolis. Which we from time to time to play in tournaments and stuff which was always fun. Eventually the game switched to 3rd edition (which was what we played the most during).
However, I haven’t played a game in I’d day 8 years. Warhammer 40k is now on 5th edition rules. The reasons we quit playing varied; tired of only playing each other, no place to play, taking up of other interest (MTG). Anyway I’d like to start playing it again sometime as it always was a fun game.
*I debated on if this counts or not, as it was something I had done orginally.. but I decided to count it.
Start Playing Warhammer 40k Again*
Warhammer 40,000 is a table top board game that I used to play, It basically is playing toy army men… but with a large rule book and rolling a lot of dice. My Dad bought us the starter pack for the game back for Christmas of my 5th grade year. That was back in 2nd edition. My Dad took the Space Marines – Blood Angels and I took the Ork army. We played quite a bit, just against each other though, no one else in the area every played the game, when we wanted to play other people, we had to go to Indianapolis. Which we from time to time to play in tournaments and stuff which was always fun. Eventually the game switched to 3rd edition (which was what we played the most during).
However, I haven’t played a game in I’d day 8 years. Warhammer 40k is now on 5th edition rules. The reasons we quit playing varied; tired of only playing each other, no place to play, taking up of other interest (MTG). Anyway I’d like to start playing it again sometime as it always was a fun game.
*I debated on if this counts or not, as it was something I had done orginally.. but I decided to count it.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Oct. 14th - Presidental
October 14th, 2010
Run for President
So I’ve always been interested in politics… well for at least say the last 10-15 years of my life which is about as long I could have really understood politics. And I’ve Always thought it would be cool to run for an office… well why not President? I know I could never win… I consider myself a libertarian so it’s not like I have much of a shot of winning any election at all. However, this doesn’t mean I can’t try.
2020 is the first year I could possible ever run in due to age requirements for the Presidential Position. Honestly I just want to get on ONE states ballot. So Indiana… I know to get on the ballot I will need to get 5,000 signatures from each district in the State. This means I have to get 4,500 signatures (I believe) just to get on the ballot for Indiana. I think this is possible though, the real challenge is that the state can challenge the signatures, which would be a real pain to have to prove that all of these signatures are legit. It’d just be a way of them keeping me down. But its worth a try I think.
*For more info on my thoughts for a presidential run, see this previous post: http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=53935558&blogId=381042356
(sorry its only on myspace at the moment)
Run for President
So I’ve always been interested in politics… well for at least say the last 10-15 years of my life which is about as long I could have really understood politics. And I’ve Always thought it would be cool to run for an office… well why not President? I know I could never win… I consider myself a libertarian so it’s not like I have much of a shot of winning any election at all. However, this doesn’t mean I can’t try.
2020 is the first year I could possible ever run in due to age requirements for the Presidential Position. Honestly I just want to get on ONE states ballot. So Indiana… I know to get on the ballot I will need to get 5,000 signatures from each district in the State. This means I have to get 4,500 signatures (I believe) just to get on the ballot for Indiana. I think this is possible though, the real challenge is that the state can challenge the signatures, which would be a real pain to have to prove that all of these signatures are legit. It’d just be a way of them keeping me down. But its worth a try I think.
*For more info on my thoughts for a presidential run, see this previous post: http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=53935558&blogId=381042356
(sorry its only on myspace at the moment)
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Oct 13th - Naming
October 13th, 2010
Have something named in my honor
So this one is really vague, and I guess really simplistic and maybe shallow… but yeah It’d be cool to have something named after me. I guess it really boils down to the desire to have yourself remembered when you pass on. I know a lot of things that are named after influential people, end up being mentioned like this.
Dude : “So why is this building named Jacobson Hall?”
Dudette : “I’d know some old guy I guess”
Dude : “Must have had a lot of money”*
I’d settle for something small, it doesn’t have to be a big fancy building, or a street. Just something that hopefully won’t be changed later… like poor Lenin getting everything named in his honor changed to Stalin a few decades later.
Back in high school we used to have these super long and boring awards days that we had to sit through in the high school gym at the end of the year. The Sr. Awards day was its own 3 hour block where every scholarship winner or even remote and small prize winner was singled out. My friends and I used to give out our own scholarship will sitting on the bleachers… by the end we even had an application prize and I think our Sr. year the scholarship recipient got a whole dollar… but maybe something named after me, but not named by me ;)
*Also, let’s face it… I’d be cool with being known as an old guy with a lot of money… Heck having a lot of money could and may be an entry later on this list lol.
Have something named in my honor
So this one is really vague, and I guess really simplistic and maybe shallow… but yeah It’d be cool to have something named after me. I guess it really boils down to the desire to have yourself remembered when you pass on. I know a lot of things that are named after influential people, end up being mentioned like this.
Dude : “So why is this building named Jacobson Hall?”
Dudette : “I’d know some old guy I guess”
Dude : “Must have had a lot of money”*
I’d settle for something small, it doesn’t have to be a big fancy building, or a street. Just something that hopefully won’t be changed later… like poor Lenin getting everything named in his honor changed to Stalin a few decades later.
Back in high school we used to have these super long and boring awards days that we had to sit through in the high school gym at the end of the year. The Sr. Awards day was its own 3 hour block where every scholarship winner or even remote and small prize winner was singled out. My friends and I used to give out our own scholarship will sitting on the bleachers… by the end we even had an application prize and I think our Sr. year the scholarship recipient got a whole dollar… but maybe something named after me, but not named by me ;)
*Also, let’s face it… I’d be cool with being known as an old guy with a lot of money… Heck having a lot of money could and may be an entry later on this list lol.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Oct. 12th - D.C.
October 12th, 2010
Washington D.C.
So a day after I said I was going to avoid the visit/see certain places I am going to do another one… Now I’ll have to admit I got the idea to do this from an episode of Jeopardy (another tie in to this series!) Where in the little fluff part when Trebek is talking to the contestants about their lives one of them said He had went to Washington D.C. and attempted to get his picture by something bearing the name of every president (he missed one – Nixon). Ever since I heard that I have thought it would be a super awesome challenge to do with Howie the Hippo for a huge photo challenge. So that is why Washington D.C. is on my list. Also I’d really like to see some of the Smithsonian Museums, the White House and of course the Lincoln and Washington Monuments while I was there.
Washington D.C.
So a day after I said I was going to avoid the visit/see certain places I am going to do another one… Now I’ll have to admit I got the idea to do this from an episode of Jeopardy (another tie in to this series!) Where in the little fluff part when Trebek is talking to the contestants about their lives one of them said He had went to Washington D.C. and attempted to get his picture by something bearing the name of every president (he missed one – Nixon). Ever since I heard that I have thought it would be a super awesome challenge to do with Howie the Hippo for a huge photo challenge. So that is why Washington D.C. is on my list. Also I’d really like to see some of the Smithsonian Museums, the White House and of course the Lincoln and Washington Monuments while I was there.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Oct. 11th - Ankor Wat
October 11th, 2010
See Ankor Wat
So I didn’t want to do a whole bunch of “visit this, or see that” items in my blog series, as I see those as normal/boring items that everyone wants to see/do. That said there are some certainly some places/things in the world that I would really like to see, so I’m going to try to post only the more interesting places/ideas I have regarding trips.
So the first one of these trips I’m including in my list is Ankor Wat a Hindu temple in Cambodia that was built in the 12th century. I’m not exactly sure when I decided I wanted to visit this place, but I’d say it’s been on my top places to visit in my life for a good 10-15 years. It just looks awesome, and I’ve always found these ancient places that are amazing examples of human construction that couldn’t feasibly be built today yet were built long ago to be amazing. Also it looks beautiful. The only drawback is that it is in the jungles of Cambodia… which is far from a safe place.
See Ankor Wat
So I didn’t want to do a whole bunch of “visit this, or see that” items in my blog series, as I see those as normal/boring items that everyone wants to see/do. That said there are some certainly some places/things in the world that I would really like to see, so I’m going to try to post only the more interesting places/ideas I have regarding trips.
So the first one of these trips I’m including in my list is Ankor Wat a Hindu temple in Cambodia that was built in the 12th century. I’m not exactly sure when I decided I wanted to visit this place, but I’d say it’s been on my top places to visit in my life for a good 10-15 years. It just looks awesome, and I’ve always found these ancient places that are amazing examples of human construction that couldn’t feasibly be built today yet were built long ago to be amazing. Also it looks beautiful. The only drawback is that it is in the jungles of Cambodia… which is far from a safe place.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Oct. 10th - Journal
October 10th, 2010
Keep a Journal for an Entire Year
I admire people who are able to keep a journal for any significant amount of time, my personal best is like two weeks… and that’s the only one I actually have saved so pretty pitiful.* I think it would be fun to have basically an entire year of my life recorded. Sure I know a lot of it would be boring as honestly I don’t do a lot of exciting or noteworthy things in my daily life. A friend and I had a discussion about taking photos, and we discussed how many photo worthy experiences we had, this year basically we decided that while there aren’t a lot of these experience in a year it’s fun to have them to look back on. So it would certainly be fun to review 10 years later right? I think this will be a “New Year’s Resolution” for myself this year.
Also think of all the famous people throughout history who have kept long running journals and produce a “memoir” when they are older. So I think this is a very worthwhile pursuit.
*Note I was thinking about how in 5th grade we had to keep some sort of Journal… so that would be my longest running one I guess, but I remember I never took that seriously and made up stuff to fit the requirements the easiest way possible sometimes since we had themes and topics to write on.
Keep a Journal for an Entire Year
I admire people who are able to keep a journal for any significant amount of time, my personal best is like two weeks… and that’s the only one I actually have saved so pretty pitiful.* I think it would be fun to have basically an entire year of my life recorded. Sure I know a lot of it would be boring as honestly I don’t do a lot of exciting or noteworthy things in my daily life. A friend and I had a discussion about taking photos, and we discussed how many photo worthy experiences we had, this year basically we decided that while there aren’t a lot of these experience in a year it’s fun to have them to look back on. So it would certainly be fun to review 10 years later right? I think this will be a “New Year’s Resolution” for myself this year.
Also think of all the famous people throughout history who have kept long running journals and produce a “memoir” when they are older. So I think this is a very worthwhile pursuit.
*Note I was thinking about how in 5th grade we had to keep some sort of Journal… so that would be my longest running one I guess, but I remember I never took that seriously and made up stuff to fit the requirements the easiest way possible sometimes since we had themes and topics to write on.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Oct. 9th - Bulls
October 9th 2010
Run with the Bulls
I have always thought that this Spanish Tradition was cool. The event takes place in Pamplona, Spain as part of the the festival of San FermÃn on July 7th thru the 14th every year. I’m pretty sure everyone knows what this and has seen a little bit of it on some sort of TV news report. Basically it’s a 900 yard sprint from one part of town to another with the Bulls following/chasing after you. 200-300 people get hurt on average every year, but only 15 people have died in the last 100 years so It’s not as risky as they’d lead you to believe.
So why would I want to do this? The thrill I guess, I think it would be exciting and fun… and well it’d be a good conversation piece at least.
Run with the Bulls
I have always thought that this Spanish Tradition was cool. The event takes place in Pamplona, Spain as part of the the festival of San FermÃn on July 7th thru the 14th every year. I’m pretty sure everyone knows what this and has seen a little bit of it on some sort of TV news report. Basically it’s a 900 yard sprint from one part of town to another with the Bulls following/chasing after you. 200-300 people get hurt on average every year, but only 15 people have died in the last 100 years so It’s not as risky as they’d lead you to believe.
So why would I want to do this? The thrill I guess, I think it would be exciting and fun… and well it’d be a good conversation piece at least.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Howie Hayloft
So this summer we put up a good amount of Hay and Straw... here is Howie showing it off in the Barn.
Oct. 8th - Gameshow
October 8th, 2010
Go on Jeopardy
I like multiple different game shows; to be honest Jeopardy isn’t even the one that I would most like to be on. That distinction would go to Survivor, but I honestly do think it will continue to air long enough to give me a legitimate chance they only pick very attractive younger contestants, and let’s face it I don’t have a six pack and muscles needed for that, so I’d have to make it as an older contestant… in like 20 years and who thinks it’ll still be airing then? Amazing Race is another one I’d like to get on, I told my sister we should apply for next season of that show as the Brother-Sister team, that’s a better chance than Survivor at least. (Cool fact, my Dad has applied for both Survivor and the Amazing Race, unfortunately he wasn’t selected) Just to throw out one other cool show I would have liked to have been on… the short lived VH1 World Series of Pop Culture… I wanted to be on a team called “Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem” :)
So why Jeopardy? Well for one it is a very long running game show that I don’t envision going out of date anytime soon. When I watch the show on TV, I think there are a few time I could win the episode (maybe like 1/10, but that’s sitting in my living room with no pressure, so who knows how I would do in real life.) I have impressed more than a couple people with my passing skill at the show, but it really boils down to a lot of luck in what the categories are for that round. While I doubt I’d win or make a lot of money, I think it would be fun to give it a try!
Go on Jeopardy
I like multiple different game shows; to be honest Jeopardy isn’t even the one that I would most like to be on. That distinction would go to Survivor, but I honestly do think it will continue to air long enough to give me a legitimate chance they only pick very attractive younger contestants, and let’s face it I don’t have a six pack and muscles needed for that, so I’d have to make it as an older contestant… in like 20 years and who thinks it’ll still be airing then? Amazing Race is another one I’d like to get on, I told my sister we should apply for next season of that show as the Brother-Sister team, that’s a better chance than Survivor at least. (Cool fact, my Dad has applied for both Survivor and the Amazing Race, unfortunately he wasn’t selected) Just to throw out one other cool show I would have liked to have been on… the short lived VH1 World Series of Pop Culture… I wanted to be on a team called “Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem” :)
So why Jeopardy? Well for one it is a very long running game show that I don’t envision going out of date anytime soon. When I watch the show on TV, I think there are a few time I could win the episode (maybe like 1/10, but that’s sitting in my living room with no pressure, so who knows how I would do in real life.) I have impressed more than a couple people with my passing skill at the show, but it really boils down to a lot of luck in what the categories are for that round. While I doubt I’d win or make a lot of money, I think it would be fun to give it a try!
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Oct. 7th - Marathon
Oct. 7th, 2010
Run a Marathon
Maybe, I should just put a mini marathon… but let’s dream big. As most of you readers know, I have been vastly out of shape for the biggest part of my life battling with my weight. However, I’m back in semi-shape again and I have always wanted to be able to run well.
However, even when I was in my best shape I was never that good of a runner, though I will admit I never tried that hard to be a good one. I like the idea of being a runner, but I need to suck it up and actually train to be one. I know I could walk a marathon, I mean I did actually this summer…. I never thought of it that way but when we cleared the mountain this summer my Dad and I did legitimately make the entire length of a marathon race… now we just need to work on my 16 hour pace…
Run a Marathon
Maybe, I should just put a mini marathon… but let’s dream big. As most of you readers know, I have been vastly out of shape for the biggest part of my life battling with my weight. However, I’m back in semi-shape again and I have always wanted to be able to run well.
However, even when I was in my best shape I was never that good of a runner, though I will admit I never tried that hard to be a good one. I like the idea of being a runner, but I need to suck it up and actually train to be one. I know I could walk a marathon, I mean I did actually this summer…. I never thought of it that way but when we cleared the mountain this summer my Dad and I did legitimately make the entire length of a marathon race… now we just need to work on my 16 hour pace…
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
October 6th - Basketball
October 6th
See Purdue win a National Championship in Basketball
Fill this under the items I have no chance to impact, but that I really want to experience. So I’ve been a Purdue fan my entire life, with basketball being my favorite sport. I know we will probably never take a football championship home, but there is hope for a Basketball one in my lifetime. I guess I should specify Men’s basketball as we have already won a Women’s basketball championship in my lifetime.
Anyway I don’t have a whole lot to say on this one, I can tell you about how my Freshman-Sophomore years at Purdue was the worst two year span in the 100+ year history of Purdue basketball, yet I sat through every single one of those home games and even went to 5 away games in those two years. Now that Coach Painter has righted the ship so to speak, injuries have slowed us down… but maybe, just maybe… this year will be our year!
See Purdue win a National Championship in Basketball
Fill this under the items I have no chance to impact, but that I really want to experience. So I’ve been a Purdue fan my entire life, with basketball being my favorite sport. I know we will probably never take a football championship home, but there is hope for a Basketball one in my lifetime. I guess I should specify Men’s basketball as we have already won a Women’s basketball championship in my lifetime.
Anyway I don’t have a whole lot to say on this one, I can tell you about how my Freshman-Sophomore years at Purdue was the worst two year span in the 100+ year history of Purdue basketball, yet I sat through every single one of those home games and even went to 5 away games in those two years. Now that Coach Painter has righted the ship so to speak, injuries have slowed us down… but maybe, just maybe… this year will be our year!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Oct. 5th - Job
October 5th
Get a Job
*Redacted as I just accepted a job offer this afternoon, about 30 minutes after writing this
**Is it even possible to really, really like your job? I know many people say they do, but I’ve always wondered if they weren’t more attached to the idea of having a job, the money they make, Liking it over their other alternatives or the standing it gives them. Opposed to the actual job/work itself. I’ve always wondered this, I suppose it’s possible but I’d say maybe 1/50 people at the most actually find this.
Monday, October 4, 2010
October 4th - Laser Disc
October 4th
Own a Laser Disc Player
To be honest this will be one of the easiest to complete items on the list by far, as I could easily go on to ebay and purchase one now. In fact I already own a laser disc, a copy of The Great Mouse Detective! I had it hanging up in my apartment on the fall because I figured I should have some sort of artwork on the wall :P
So you’re probably asking two questions right now; 1) why in the world would I want to own such an outdated piece of technology and 2) Why don’t I just man up and buy a laser disc player? Well here are your answers.
The Answer to the first question goes back a long, long time ago (like the late 90’s) when I was in elementary school and I had a certain science teacher who was really really proud of his laser disc player and told us multiple times about how it was such a great piece of technology that was going to revolutionize the world. For some reason I felt compelled to believe him, and it made the laser disc just seem like such a cool idea. I mean it had to be expensive because the remote control was tethered to the player! Now you will also have to remember this was the late 90’s and about 2 years before I’d be getting on the internet regularly and another year or so before it would become this great tool of knowledge for me. The fact that the laser disc was going to be obsolete in three years wasn’t even in my mind, add in the fact that this teacher had done some work for NASA and you’ll understand why we believed him fully. So I guess the main reason I want one is…. Because I want it to be cool? Or I want it as a joke? Or maybe I want it to remind me of a simpler time? I don’t’ know… I just know I want one.
Laser Disc vs a DVD
The Second Question was why don’t I just buy one, well first off I’m really cheap and it is a well known that I hate spending money and I have a reputation to keep. This means wasting money on something so out of date and worthless seems foolish at best. Now you might be saying… how much does a freaking laser disc player cost anyway? They should be super cheap since they are just a heavy piece of junk now days. Well, yes they are a piece of junk, you can find a working one for around 20 bucks… but it’s the heavy part of the equation that keeps me from buying one at this time… We are talking 30 dollars just to ship the thing and up to this point I haven’t been able to justify spending 50 dollars on a piece of technology that I just want to sit around for the simple fact of saying I own it.
Needless to say I will own one of these before I die… I just haven’t yet.
Own a Laser Disc Player
To be honest this will be one of the easiest to complete items on the list by far, as I could easily go on to ebay and purchase one now. In fact I already own a laser disc, a copy of The Great Mouse Detective! I had it hanging up in my apartment on the fall because I figured I should have some sort of artwork on the wall :P
So you’re probably asking two questions right now; 1) why in the world would I want to own such an outdated piece of technology and 2) Why don’t I just man up and buy a laser disc player? Well here are your answers.
The Answer to the first question goes back a long, long time ago (like the late 90’s) when I was in elementary school and I had a certain science teacher who was really really proud of his laser disc player and told us multiple times about how it was such a great piece of technology that was going to revolutionize the world. For some reason I felt compelled to believe him, and it made the laser disc just seem like such a cool idea. I mean it had to be expensive because the remote control was tethered to the player! Now you will also have to remember this was the late 90’s and about 2 years before I’d be getting on the internet regularly and another year or so before it would become this great tool of knowledge for me. The fact that the laser disc was going to be obsolete in three years wasn’t even in my mind, add in the fact that this teacher had done some work for NASA and you’ll understand why we believed him fully. So I guess the main reason I want one is…. Because I want it to be cool? Or I want it as a joke? Or maybe I want it to remind me of a simpler time? I don’t’ know… I just know I want one.
Laser Disc vs a DVD
The Second Question was why don’t I just buy one, well first off I’m really cheap and it is a well known that I hate spending money and I have a reputation to keep. This means wasting money on something so out of date and worthless seems foolish at best. Now you might be saying… how much does a freaking laser disc player cost anyway? They should be super cheap since they are just a heavy piece of junk now days. Well, yes they are a piece of junk, you can find a working one for around 20 bucks… but it’s the heavy part of the equation that keeps me from buying one at this time… We are talking 30 dollars just to ship the thing and up to this point I haven’t been able to justify spending 50 dollars on a piece of technology that I just want to sit around for the simple fact of saying I own it.
Needless to say I will own one of these before I die… I just haven’t yet.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Oct 3rd - Moonshine
October 3rd
Make Moonshine
I attempted to do this once with a couple friends when we were Sr.’s in high school… needless to say it didn’t pan out or it wouldn’t still be on my list. (Because someone had to hide the mash down by the river…) Needless to say… we were pretty naive on the subject of making it, and it could have had disastrous results, which is probably why we never revisited the project at the time. I also honestly doubt any of us would have drank it…. Well on second thought we probably would have. Anyway, we totally could have built the still between the talents of our group and with more research I’m sure I could now build a good/legit still by myself.
I should explain why I want to do this, as it is most certainly not to get drunk. I want to do it for the challenge, and to say I have/can do it. Honestly the chemistry isn’t that hard, I mean “hillbilly” moonshiners have been doing it forever. Though these are the same people who make meth, so they must have basic chemistry skills or at least more than people want to give them credit for.
I’m the kind of person who loves to do stuff like this as a personal challenge, and once I have the plan in my head it will stay there and peculate until I do it, or do something about it at least. I enjoyed Chemistry in high school, (college was a different story) and with the backstory/memories of the group I schemed with in high school, well I still want to do this as it sort of feels like an open chapter in my life that still needs to be closed. One of those original friends is out of the picture and the other is probably out when it comes to this for personal reasons, but that doesn’t mean I can’t close this by myself.
I have since made several batches of wine. The first batch was horrible but I now consider myself skilled enough to make as good of quality as you found find in your average box wine at the supermarket. If I ever got serious and bought all of the correct equipment, I am fully confident I could make some good quality stuff. Though I must say making wine for your personal use it 100% legal, whereas moonshine is still illegal**.
** I think there are probably a few loopholes, such as making “ethanol” for person fuel uses.
Make Moonshine
I attempted to do this once with a couple friends when we were Sr.’s in high school… needless to say it didn’t pan out or it wouldn’t still be on my list. (Because someone had to hide the mash down by the river…) Needless to say… we were pretty naive on the subject of making it, and it could have had disastrous results, which is probably why we never revisited the project at the time. I also honestly doubt any of us would have drank it…. Well on second thought we probably would have. Anyway, we totally could have built the still between the talents of our group and with more research I’m sure I could now build a good/legit still by myself.
I should explain why I want to do this, as it is most certainly not to get drunk. I want to do it for the challenge, and to say I have/can do it. Honestly the chemistry isn’t that hard, I mean “hillbilly” moonshiners have been doing it forever. Though these are the same people who make meth, so they must have basic chemistry skills or at least more than people want to give them credit for.
I’m the kind of person who loves to do stuff like this as a personal challenge, and once I have the plan in my head it will stay there and peculate until I do it, or do something about it at least. I enjoyed Chemistry in high school, (college was a different story) and with the backstory/memories of the group I schemed with in high school, well I still want to do this as it sort of feels like an open chapter in my life that still needs to be closed. One of those original friends is out of the picture and the other is probably out when it comes to this for personal reasons, but that doesn’t mean I can’t close this by myself.
I have since made several batches of wine. The first batch was horrible but I now consider myself skilled enough to make as good of quality as you found find in your average box wine at the supermarket. If I ever got serious and bought all of the correct equipment, I am fully confident I could make some good quality stuff. Though I must say making wine for your personal use it 100% legal, whereas moonshine is still illegal**.
** I think there are probably a few loopholes, such as making “ethanol” for person fuel uses.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
October 2nd - "Experience List"
October 2nd
Serve on a Jury
So this is one of those “Experience List” Items that I have no control over, but I really want to experience none the less. I want to be selected as a jury member for a trail. What kind of trial doesn’t really matter to me, I’ll take a low level case…. But I have to admit that being a member of a high profile murder case would be exciting. Honestly I think it’s great that our country picks random people to serve as jury members, and I want to complete this civic duty at least once in my life.
I know this makes me the exact opposite of a lot of people in the country, who dread the thought of being selected. Yes, I know the pay is subpar and that there is a lot of pressure as your decision can deeply effect the life of someone. But, I am sure I could handle that pressure, and I’m willing to give up the pay to gain this experience. I think I’m a rational and understanding person who would be able to think through the issue, see both sides of the argument and make the correct decision regarding the trial.
The Problem with completing this is that the selection process is randomly done, well the first part at least. You have to be called in by the county/state for the selection process; some people are called multiple times… some never. Then even if you get called in, the attorneys pick who they want to sit on the trail based on strategy on who they think you will side with, their client or the opposition. So this is something I really have no control over unfortunately.
Friday, October 1, 2010
October 1st - "Experience List"
October 1st
Have a Strange Tombstone
When brainstorming/reflecting on this topic, the thought of death is obviously something you have to at least give a few moments’ thoughts to whether you intend to or not. When thinking about death you obviously have several choices that either you or your family has to make before you are finally out of the picture. (at least here on earth, depending on religious views and the such) Funeral planning is a major step for one’s family and the first item on my “experience list” involves these decisions. When I die I would like to have a Strange/Interesting Tombstone.
There was a time, when graveyards were built to serve not only as a place to bury our dead, but also a place for families to gather/picnic almost in a park capacity. Today the idea of having a picnic in a park seems morbid and would be frowned upon by most people. But one thing I consider very interesting from this period was the more elaborate gravemarkers that sprung up in greater frequency during this era. Sure since the ancient reaches of time, leaders and the highest tier of society have made extraordinary and ornate tombs such as the Great Pyramids or the Taj Mahal. But if you ever visit a cemetery that was built in the Victorian Era, you will also find a wonderful array of cool/interesting grave markers.
Sure many will claim that building yourself a cool tombstone is a sign of vanity, but I for one find graveyards at least a little interesting as you feel yourself getting a little glimpse of the past when you visit one. And these elaborate markers are the graves you are most drawn to, they seem to shout a story and make you think about someone who you never knew and would have never thought of ever in your life. In a small way maybe having one of these markers is an effort to make sure you are remembered, but isn’t a bad thing to try and place your stamp on the world.
Honestly I don’t know what I would want to have as my marker, not a direct representation of me though. Maybe something cool like a big hippopotamus? Also defiantly not one of those flat stones with a picture drawn on it, those are alright but not my style. I want something that stands out/above my plot.
October Series 2010
October Blog Series:
So I have pretty much failed on my last couple blog series, but it has been several months and I haven’t been blogging lately so I felt like it was time to make another run at a blog series. During the Month of September I spent a lot of time helping my Dad haul in crops from the fields and for whatever reason, while I was thinking of blog series ideas this came up… Things I would like to do, see, or experience before I die/pass on. Now I know the idea of a “bucketlist” is fairly common, heck they even made a movie about it. However I would hesitate to call my list a “bucketlist” because some of the things I plan to include on the list, well their completion isn’t entirely something I can personally control. Things like scientific advancement and performance of others have more of a hand in making the items possible than what I will be able to influence. So with that said, hopefully this will be a great series. I’m not promising a detailed explanation for all entries, as some will be straight forward in nature but hopefully you will find this reading entertaining.
As I’m getting ready to type up my first one blog for the series right now, I realize I need to have some sort of term for this list since I don’t want to use “Bucketlist”. I thought about “achievement list”, but that implies I am responsible for completing the item, and like I said above, I don’t feel like all items are entirely up to anything I can personally control. So I am going to go with “experience list”… I just think that sounds right.
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