Eliot just lost against Vargas for the second time. Vargas isn't a very hard boss, Eliot just plays with a little too much style. He has a natural inclination towards flair, an irrepressible urge to give the audience a show. So instead of just hitting "attack" over and over again until Vargas the improbably big and improbably evil martial arts master falls to his assault, Eliot takes his time. Eliot inputs random button commands, hoping that something cool will happen, and the game's like "what are you doing, no," and big ol' Vargas laughs and punches him in the face again. Twice now Eliot's thrown the match in an attempt to pull off a big stunt. As big of a stunt as you can pull in Final Fantasy VI, anyway. The kid needs to play within himself.
That's cool, though, that's fine, I have a Classic Brian to write and nothing better to watch. Actually that's not true at all. Watching cooler better things is the how I've kept myself busy over the break. 7 episodes of the Wire over 2 days and 5 episodes of Breaking Bad today alone. Boom. Thanksgiving Break, 2011, motherfuckers. Y'all know how I do.
Thanksgiving Break is an awkward break. Thanks to OU oppressing us with Monday and Tuesday classes I'm given 4 days to enjoy Springfield, Illinois. As Eliot pointed out, those 4 days can be spent either relaxing and enjoying myself with the few close friends who I naturally gravitate to in my spare time, or I can spend them running across town and seeing every single one of the people who I've missed and need to catch up with. I miss these people and I'd love to see them, but a long, stressful semester has tired me out, there's mashed potatoes in the fridge and freshish rolls on the stove, Winter Break is right around the corner, and Nick's house is right across the street. Looks like I'm playing Mario Party and watching the Wire tonight.
As brief as it is, Thanksgiving Break came at the perfect time this year. I may have bitten off more than I can chew this semester, and a lot of stressors were accumulating at worrying rates. Thanksgiving rolls around like a beautiful, beautiful Band-Aid, solving nothing, but at least giving me a slight respite from all of that. I don't deal with my problems, I drive 10 hours away from them for a week or so. Like I said, y'all know how I doooo.
Here in Springfield, we never have plans for the here and now, we always have plans for the future. Like I know what TV shows I'm going to ruin over Winter Break, and what video games I'm going to marathon, and what gigs Band Practice will hopefully be playing, and such, but tonight? Yeah, I'm cool with Steak n' Shake if you guys are. I don't mind this. I don't have to be doing something special to enjoy myself, it's just nice seeing everyone, but we have significant problems coming up with plans that aren't Steak n' Shake.
Once again, not like that's a bad thing. Anyone in Norman who's witnessing my current Cane's spiral of self-destruction should know that I would never grace that lowly chicken tender vendor (heyooo) with my presence if there was a Steak n' Shake in town. This shit is for real. There's nothing quite like a Western BBQ Bacon burger, hold the cheese because cheese is gross and also icky. Food was a big priority for me this break. I did not fail in my goals to eat all of the foods. Apologies to anyone who wanted any of the foods.
If anyone wanted to practice their intervention skills, I could really use a lot less Monster energy drink in my life. The balls in your court now, everybody else in my life. This is now your responsibility, and more importantly, your fault. Stop allowing me to drink this delicious garbage really really often.
Sunday I drive back to Norman for 2 or 3 weeks of hard work, and then I will return here. I will probably sit in this chair, and play this video game with these people. I'm looking forward to it, it'll be a welcome rest, as apposed to the nap that is Thanksgiving Break. Like naps, it was very pleasant and I needed it, but it lulled me into a false sense of security. There's still work to be done. That's fine though. Y'all know how I do.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Why it's important to read this blog
Here are reasons:
1. It's a good source of reading materials.
2. It's fun for us to think that people are reading this blog.
3. It's a totally competent and unrivaled source of news about our lives.
4. We are: Robert, Nick, Mada, Eliot, Brendan, Conor and Brian. Those are good names.
5. "Classic" is something you associate with good things, much like a great basketball game, original flavored things that are better than flavored versions of that same thing, or an action that a friend does that fits to a comfortable and sometimes humorous degree with their past actions and current ideologies. Also something of pop-culture that is out-of-date but is still good enough to go back to and experience, because it has not lost its enjoyment with the passage of time.
6. "Brian" is a name of fair simplicity and commonality. It might be your name! It represents the common man with boring accuracy, and is something we can all relate to. We can all imagine what life would be like if we were a person named "Brian." We do this with more ease than we would imagine what life would be like if we were named "Bludneious" or something of a similar nature.
7. The person who this blog was named after is endearing, despite his biting sarcasm and witty insults. You may see yourself dating or being friends with this person. He is also in shape.
8. To not read this blog is to cast it out as unoriginal and uninteresting. In doing this, you imply that the seven writers of Classic Brian are unoriginal, in itself an abhorring accusation, and uninteresting, which is not true in the general public's opinion.
9. We have or have had jobs. Really!
10. The writers of Classic Brian have experienced a wide array of experiences, such as: growing up in a moderately sized city in a state that possesses both bigger and smaller cities, playing sports as children, thinking about their own mortality, making up a fun game.
11. A young person's perspective is easier to get behind than an old person's. We all consider ourselves young people. You can get behind us.
12. Writer's block is bound to happen to the writers of Classic Brian. It's interesting to see what we produce on those days.
13. Sometimes, videos and/or pictures are included in posts.
14. Not all people close in age to the writers of Classic Brian write for blogs. Of the ones that do, ours is the one you should be reading.
15, We won't be mad at you if you read the blog.
16. We are constantly trying to think of interesting points to make.
17.
We are not radicals. We are not entirely innocent. We are not entirely corrupt. We are the fading hope that in the zenith of our lives we can figure out something substantial, deconstruct and understand it, and possess in ourselves the knowledge of how to live life without the cost of having lived it. We are the attempt for perfection.
18. Generally speaking, we all have a relative appreciation of the arts.
19. We're all currently enrolled in major universities.
20. Sometimes, we have guest-writers post on the blog, which provides an interesting alternative perspective on a particular issue or subject.
21. Reading this blog is not "counterproductive," it is better described as "hip."
22. Like all things you experience that will die before you do, you will miss us when we're gone.
23. We will miss us when we're gone, too -- that is to say, we have compassion for ourselves.
24. Each post individually is not a narrative, but every post, over the course of a period of time, is a narrative.
25. With the growing popularity of the internet, we are a good way to spend time.
26. You will be dying and think, probably, "I wonder what was in the rest of those Classic Brian posts" and realize: you'll never fucking know.
27. How long does it take to read a blog post? How much does it cost to do so? Compare these results with that of getting pulled over for speeding.
28. What if one of us writes a post about something you're interested in. Wouldn't that be a fun read?
29. We're not perfect, as writers. We could get better. You could help.
30. We'll read all your comments and take them too seriously.
31. If once a day you have someone do a favor for you, you will likely have time to read the day's post as they are doing that favor for you.
32. There's the slight, slight chance that one of us becomes well-known, and in this scenario you could say "I read that guy's (or Mada's) early stuff when he (or Mada) was just starting a blog with his (or Mada's) friends." People will hopefully be impressed.
33. Whenever the weather's bad, and you're inside because whatever you would be doing outside is an inconvenience because of the weather being bad, you will feel better if you spend that time reading a Classic Brian post you would otherwise not have read.
34. We will not be outdated. If a revolution occurs, we will not write from a pre-revolution perspective.
35. If a writer on Classic Brian quits or dies, the best item on your resume for being that lucky replacement writer would be to say "I have read all your guys's posts."
36. Eventually, this could turn into a website that competes with other websites. In such a case, we'd want you on OUR side.
37. If you are doing something on the computer, and partake in a distraction that won't leave you feeling like you've completely wasted your time, we're your man.
38. There are things along the side of the blog, such as the "Who we are:" section and the "A list: of" section that are enjoyable and made up by members of Classic Brian.
39. We could really use your support.
40. Classic Brian is a diary. And diaries should be read. You don't even have to tell us you read it.
Good job, you read all those! Here's a treat: two pictures of bears. They have similarities and differences.
An aside: it's Thanksgiving break and I don't have a working cell phone until Sunday when I get back to college. I'm okay with this. People who won't see me because of this slight inconvenience, consider our friendships Darwinized. I'm excited to see my brothers and parents. I'm hopeful to get rest and be ready for these last two weeks of the semester.
It's unfortunate that it's about to get so darn wintery. It's as if it were slightly chilly outside and yet you, hot from overexerting yourself in an activity, decide to jump into an unheated pool. Hold your breath, because when you hit the water, it's going to be cold and it's going to stay cold for a long while.
I wish I had written more in my last post, "S[t]imulation." There were things I left out. To think, not only will I not finish everything I want to, I won't even finish thinking of everything I want to finish! What a problem we have today.
--Eliot Sill
1. It's a good source of reading materials.
2. It's fun for us to think that people are reading this blog.
3. It's a totally competent and unrivaled source of news about our lives.
4. We are: Robert, Nick, Mada, Eliot, Brendan, Conor and Brian. Those are good names.
5. "Classic" is something you associate with good things, much like a great basketball game, original flavored things that are better than flavored versions of that same thing, or an action that a friend does that fits to a comfortable and sometimes humorous degree with their past actions and current ideologies. Also something of pop-culture that is out-of-date but is still good enough to go back to and experience, because it has not lost its enjoyment with the passage of time.
6. "Brian" is a name of fair simplicity and commonality. It might be your name! It represents the common man with boring accuracy, and is something we can all relate to. We can all imagine what life would be like if we were a person named "Brian." We do this with more ease than we would imagine what life would be like if we were named "Bludneious" or something of a similar nature.
7. The person who this blog was named after is endearing, despite his biting sarcasm and witty insults. You may see yourself dating or being friends with this person. He is also in shape.
8. To not read this blog is to cast it out as unoriginal and uninteresting. In doing this, you imply that the seven writers of Classic Brian are unoriginal, in itself an abhorring accusation, and uninteresting, which is not true in the general public's opinion.
9. We have or have had jobs. Really!
10. The writers of Classic Brian have experienced a wide array of experiences, such as: growing up in a moderately sized city in a state that possesses both bigger and smaller cities, playing sports as children, thinking about their own mortality, making up a fun game.
11. A young person's perspective is easier to get behind than an old person's. We all consider ourselves young people. You can get behind us.
12. Writer's block is bound to happen to the writers of Classic Brian. It's interesting to see what we produce on those days.
13. Sometimes, videos and/or pictures are included in posts.
14. Not all people close in age to the writers of Classic Brian write for blogs. Of the ones that do, ours is the one you should be reading.
15, We won't be mad at you if you read the blog.
16. We are constantly trying to think of interesting points to make.
17.
We are not radicals. We are not entirely innocent. We are not entirely corrupt. We are the fading hope that in the zenith of our lives we can figure out something substantial, deconstruct and understand it, and possess in ourselves the knowledge of how to live life without the cost of having lived it. We are the attempt for perfection.
18. Generally speaking, we all have a relative appreciation of the arts.
19. We're all currently enrolled in major universities.
20. Sometimes, we have guest-writers post on the blog, which provides an interesting alternative perspective on a particular issue or subject.
21. Reading this blog is not "counterproductive," it is better described as "hip."
22. Like all things you experience that will die before you do, you will miss us when we're gone.
23. We will miss us when we're gone, too -- that is to say, we have compassion for ourselves.
24. Each post individually is not a narrative, but every post, over the course of a period of time, is a narrative.
25. With the growing popularity of the internet, we are a good way to spend time.
26. You will be dying and think, probably, "I wonder what was in the rest of those Classic Brian posts" and realize: you'll never fucking know.
27. How long does it take to read a blog post? How much does it cost to do so? Compare these results with that of getting pulled over for speeding.
28. What if one of us writes a post about something you're interested in. Wouldn't that be a fun read?
29. We're not perfect, as writers. We could get better. You could help.
30. We'll read all your comments and take them too seriously.
31. If once a day you have someone do a favor for you, you will likely have time to read the day's post as they are doing that favor for you.
32. There's the slight, slight chance that one of us becomes well-known, and in this scenario you could say "I read that guy's (or Mada's) early stuff when he (or Mada) was just starting a blog with his (or Mada's) friends." People will hopefully be impressed.
33. Whenever the weather's bad, and you're inside because whatever you would be doing outside is an inconvenience because of the weather being bad, you will feel better if you spend that time reading a Classic Brian post you would otherwise not have read.
34. We will not be outdated. If a revolution occurs, we will not write from a pre-revolution perspective.
35. If a writer on Classic Brian quits or dies, the best item on your resume for being that lucky replacement writer would be to say "I have read all your guys's posts."
36. Eventually, this could turn into a website that competes with other websites. In such a case, we'd want you on OUR side.
37. If you are doing something on the computer, and partake in a distraction that won't leave you feeling like you've completely wasted your time, we're your man.
38. There are things along the side of the blog, such as the "Who we are:" section and the "A list: of" section that are enjoyable and made up by members of Classic Brian.
39. We could really use your support.
40. Classic Brian is a diary. And diaries should be read. You don't even have to tell us you read it.
Good job, you read all those! Here's a treat: two pictures of bears. They have similarities and differences.
An aside: it's Thanksgiving break and I don't have a working cell phone until Sunday when I get back to college. I'm okay with this. People who won't see me because of this slight inconvenience, consider our friendships Darwinized. I'm excited to see my brothers and parents. I'm hopeful to get rest and be ready for these last two weeks of the semester.
It's unfortunate that it's about to get so darn wintery. It's as if it were slightly chilly outside and yet you, hot from overexerting yourself in an activity, decide to jump into an unheated pool. Hold your breath, because when you hit the water, it's going to be cold and it's going to stay cold for a long while.
I wish I had written more in my last post, "S[t]imulation." There were things I left out. To think, not only will I not finish everything I want to, I won't even finish thinking of everything I want to finish! What a problem we have today.
--Eliot Sill
Monday, November 21, 2011
Nick - Three Reasons I Hate Shopping For Underwear
The first reason is that my waist is not particularly large, any you people are fatasses. The underwear you sell is sized accordingly.
The second reason is that you can't try on underwear. I mean, you could try them on, probably. But then you run the risk of being asked by the employees if you opened a package of underwear, tried them on, and then stuck them back in the package. And nobody wants to find themselves there.
The last reason is that everywhere, every time I look at a package of underwear, this fucker is staring back at me.
Listen, dude, all I want to know is what the underwear looks like. All I'm getting from this picture is what your dick looks like through this underwear. And that's if I train myself to not look at the edgy look on your face and your angsty-ass hairdo.
The second reason is that you can't try on underwear. I mean, you could try them on, probably. But then you run the risk of being asked by the employees if you opened a package of underwear, tried them on, and then stuck them back in the package. And nobody wants to find themselves there.
The last reason is that everywhere, every time I look at a package of underwear, this fucker is staring back at me.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Robert - Springfield: A Tempting Demon
A Day in the Life of Robert in Columbia, MO:
1. I arise promptly at 8:00 am. I cleanse myself, perhaps shave, and begin my day confidently.
2. I attend my classes. My posture is excellent, my brain activity moving at rapid speeds.
3. I go to work, and I provide society with the invaluable service of taking up that spot on that couch at Defoe-Graham.
4. Perhaps I visit a professor in office hours, perhaps I take care of some paperwork, perhaps I mail a letter, perhaps I attend a meeting.
5. I find a nice tree and do some reading in the waning sun. Perhaps some Thoreau, if I'm feeling up to it.
6. I eat dinner, food in my mouth and books in my eyes.
7. I begin my studies for the night, returning home and finally reading that page of that political science book that I meant to be the beginning of a 20-page reading session.
8. I reestablish verbal or visual communications with my significant other.
9. I remove the greater part of my clothes and rest for the new day to come.
A Day in the Life of Robert in Springfield, IL:
1. Wake the fuck up at 11 or something.
2. Get the fuck up at 11:30. Eat cereal. Provided there's milk.
3. Begin clingy love affair with the internet.
4. Watch something on TV I wouldn't ever be watching. Like sports. Maybe the Bears. Who's one player on the Bears? I don't know. Another reason to watch them.
5. Lose 25 Wii points for my Mii character in Wii Tennis.
6. Begin typing email. Reestablish love affair with internet.
7. Play Wii Mario Kart, as long as it is necessary.
8. Eat a chicken patty.
9. Wii Mario Kart.
10. Wonder why it's dark out already at 6:00 pm.
11. Text friends. 'Sup.
But seriously guys, 'sup. Let me know what's going on or I'm going right back to Mario Kart. I'm serious.
1. I arise promptly at 8:00 am. I cleanse myself, perhaps shave, and begin my day confidently.
2. I attend my classes. My posture is excellent, my brain activity moving at rapid speeds.
3. I go to work, and I provide society with the invaluable service of taking up that spot on that couch at Defoe-Graham.
4. Perhaps I visit a professor in office hours, perhaps I take care of some paperwork, perhaps I mail a letter, perhaps I attend a meeting.
5. I find a nice tree and do some reading in the waning sun. Perhaps some Thoreau, if I'm feeling up to it.
6. I eat dinner, food in my mouth and books in my eyes.
7. I begin my studies for the night, returning home and finally reading that page of that political science book that I meant to be the beginning of a 20-page reading session.
8. I reestablish verbal or visual communications with my significant other.
9. I remove the greater part of my clothes and rest for the new day to come.
A Day in the Life of Robert in Springfield, IL:
1. Wake the fuck up at 11 or something.
2. Get the fuck up at 11:30. Eat cereal. Provided there's milk.
3. Begin clingy love affair with the internet.
4. Watch something on TV I wouldn't ever be watching. Like sports. Maybe the Bears. Who's one player on the Bears? I don't know. Another reason to watch them.
5. Lose 25 Wii points for my Mii character in Wii Tennis.
6. Begin typing email. Reestablish love affair with internet.
7. Play Wii Mario Kart, as long as it is necessary.
8. Eat a chicken patty.
9. Wii Mario Kart.
10. Wonder why it's dark out already at 6:00 pm.
11. Text friends. 'Sup.
But seriously guys, 'sup. Let me know what's going on or I'm going right back to Mario Kart. I'm serious.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Conor - Let The Games Begin
Sometimes you have to do things you don't want to do.
Instead of doing anything else this weekend, I am currently packing my backpack to go to Tulsa, where I will play in a tournament, on our B Team. Normally I would be playing a majority of the points, but I got my shoulder x-rayed yesterday and I have an AC sprain in my right shoulder.
I'm still going, though, and I more then likely will still play. I can play ultimate with my shoulder, it's just sortof painful.
I don't want to do any of these things, but I am.
Wednesday I'll be back in Springfield, which is comforting, but it seems amazing to me how incredibly far away Wednesday currently is. I have a list of foods I will eat when back in Springfield. It is a comprehensive list, and I will not compromise in my completion of my goals. If that means eating 4 meals a day while I'm back, so be it.
I can't remember what it feels like for my shoulder to not hurt right now, and in all likelihood I'm going to hurt it some more this weekend and just slow my recovery down. But after this weekend, I don't really need to use it anymore. After this weekend I won't play anymore ultimate for weeks, maybe even months. I don't like that fact, either.
I have to get packed for my fun-filled weekend.
Instead of doing anything else this weekend, I am currently packing my backpack to go to Tulsa, where I will play in a tournament, on our B Team. Normally I would be playing a majority of the points, but I got my shoulder x-rayed yesterday and I have an AC sprain in my right shoulder.
I'm still going, though, and I more then likely will still play. I can play ultimate with my shoulder, it's just sortof painful.
I don't want to do any of these things, but I am.
Wednesday I'll be back in Springfield, which is comforting, but it seems amazing to me how incredibly far away Wednesday currently is. I have a list of foods I will eat when back in Springfield. It is a comprehensive list, and I will not compromise in my completion of my goals. If that means eating 4 meals a day while I'm back, so be it.
I can't remember what it feels like for my shoulder to not hurt right now, and in all likelihood I'm going to hurt it some more this weekend and just slow my recovery down. But after this weekend, I don't really need to use it anymore. After this weekend I won't play anymore ultimate for weeks, maybe even months. I don't like that fact, either.
I have to get packed for my fun-filled weekend.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Paul Fucking McCartney
by Brendan Cavanagh
Over the summer, my friend and I spent countless hours in his basement spinning records, shooting pool and exchanging personal philosophies on each and every iota of life's minutiae. A slight argument arose while discussing which Beatle's voice each of us would prefer to have as our own, if we had the ability to sing. He chose John Lennon, whereas I chose Paul McCartney. It was hard, at that time, to articulate exactly what it was about each voice that we admired, so we made a pact to make each other a mix of the songs we felt best conveyed the particular style we wished to possess: the unique or emotionally evocative way a song, or even just a single line, is sung. The process took a while to initiate, but ultimately we compiled what we felt were adequate mixes, and we'll exchange them upon my return home from school this weekend.
Admittedly, it was an agonizing process. How can one be asked to narrow a plethora of perfect examples of songs to an hour and twelve minutes worth of playtime? My friend made the pointed observation that all of the songs rejected from the definitive CD could be slapped onto another playlist to produce just as good of a mix. But after hours of painstaking, meticulous construction, here are the songs I feel demonstrate the desirable nuances of Paul McCartney's voice, assembled in a fashion I felt flowed well as a CD (I sure hope he doesn't see this before I give it to him):
Paul Fucking McCartney
1) Why Don't We Do It In The Road? (The Beatles, 1968)
2) Medley A. Kansas City B. Hey Hey Hey (Beatles For Sale, 1964)
3) I've Just Seen A Face (Help!, 1965)
4) Magical Mystery Tour (Magical Mystery Tour, 1967)
5) Fixing A Hole (Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, 1967)
6) I've Got A Feeling (Let It Be, 1970)
7) Oh! Darling (Abbey Road, 1969)
8) When I'm Sixty-Four (Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, 1967)
9) Got To Get You Into My Life (Revolver, 1966)
10) You Never Give Me Your Money (Abbey Road, 1969)
11) Get Back (Let It Be, 1970)
12) P.S. I Love You (Please Please Me, 1963)
13) I'm Down (B-side to "Help!", 1965)
14) Lady Madonna (A-side with "The Inner Light", 1968)
15) Michelle (Rubber Soul, 1965)
16) Baby's In Black (Beatles For Sale, 1964)
17) The Fool On The Hill (Magical Mystery Tour, 1967)
18) Helter Skelter (The Beatles, 1968)
19) Free As A Bird (A-side with "Real Love", 1995)
20) Lovely Rita (Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, 1967)
21) Hey Jude (A-side with "Revolution", 1968)
22) I Saw Her Standing There (Please Please Me, 1963)
23) Blackbird (The Beatles, 1968)
24) Golden Slumbers (Abbey Road, 1969)
25) She's Leaving Home (Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, 1967)
26) All Together Now (Yellow Submarine, 1969)
Do you have any differing choices? Or an arguable case for another Beatle's voice? Drop a comment below.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
S[t]imulation
I just peeked into my floormates playing Skyrim. Holy shit.
This brings me to my next point: I will die without having digested every delectable bit of media out there I would so love to consume.
I've always loved video games. I am, after all, a boy who grew up in the 2000s. There are so many massive and finely crafted video games that would entrench my consciousness for dozens of hours, if I played them all, I would have no time for anything else in my life. I've bought 3 video games this year, 2 of which have bogged me down significantly in the weeks in which I devoted myself to them. I can't simply play games at a tepid pace, they must be beaten fast and furiously, with urgency and prioritization of the fate of whatever fictional world I'm exploring over that of my own well being. Seeing, only for a moment, a friend of mine, playing Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, I saw what could be sixty fewer dollars and a couple hundred fewer hours of my life. I could, but I won't. I'll restrain, and I'll miss out on a beautifully made fantasy world that was designed for the sole purpose of me to enjoy exploring it. Additionally, I could do this at no risk at all to my actual self, aside from gaining a few pounds maybe.
My senior year, I fell in love with music. I have specific groups or artists whom I do not miss. On the flip side of this, I have artists who, while I acknowledge I'd probably like them, I skip out on to keep my circle tidy. I don't have time on this earth to listen to every last song. This fact saddens me, because each song could be the one that provides a new feeling of comfort or enjoyment. And I let most of it slip through the broad cracks.
I also just finished The Wire. I cannot deny now that I have spent at least 88.5 hours in the past four months watching that show. It's checked off the top of the list. Now comes the rest of the list of television productions I want to thoroughly explore.
I read a book once, I'd like to take the time to do it again, if I could ever find it. Reading gave me a feeling of accomplishment and positivity that the other media don't provide. It also made me yawn and fall asleep early.
People spend lots of time on smartphones, if they've got them. People frequent games such as Angry Birds, Words With Friends, Four Square, and countless other network creations. I am panicking here. I cannot imagine allowing myself to indulge in such time consuming stimulative yet entirely meaningless side forays. I spend enough of my time jerking off Twitter and Facebook to tire me out for the day.
Class! Have you guys seen this shit? Unrealistic reading assignments, for one class per week, let alone four (or five or six). I'm taking a class in which they literally expect me to be able to recall and analyze moderate-to-major events of a 2500-year period. I have another class in which I consistently get 5-out-of-10s on my current events quizzes. And I work 15 hours a week. Yet they somehow expect me to write a novel in papers over the course of a semester. And yet I somehow expect myself to oblige.
Shit, I can't remember the last time I saw a movie in theaters. It was, maybe, X-men First Class? Which I saw twice. Over summer. When I had nothing to do. I see all these movies coming out to up and down ratings, all the work that actors and actresses I gravitate toward being thrown into a pile known as movie to-do lists. And yet all I really wanna do is watch Black Dynamite again.
I enjoy people. I like being around them, interacting with them, and getting satisfaction from improving their mood. I like the feeling of tipsiness that comes over me when I've had a few alcoholic drinks. I like the word "score" in the context of obtaining something, whether used by patrons old or young. I miss the shenanigans and endeavors of the middle-school child. I miss being in the middle of responsibility and risk-free adventurousness. I miss climbing. I miss falling. I miss not realizing the danger of environment. I want to seek out such feelings of liberation with people I enjoy the company of.
All this and I'm supposed to remember to pray before bed.
Sleep is such a comforting feeling. It is more so now than it was then. It used to mean the end of getting to do stuff. Now it means the end of having to do stuff. Such is the difference in leading a life rife with responsibility. The freshman fifteen missed me last year, this year it's gone straight to my eyes. I yearn for respite and am greeted each morning with a feeling of overwhelming. I am fighting a war against my bucket list, and I am losing as it grows to disheartening lengths.
Balancing out the necessary with the enjoyable is what makes adults adults. That responsibility, that resistance to doing nothing but work and Six Flags for the rest of your life, that's awfully hard to accept. In college, I feel (I hope) this sensation is magnified. It's all being shined on for the purposes of conditioning us, so that when we get out of here, we find ourselves with a nickel of time at the end of the day to sit back sip our own Kool-Aid. We learned how to get our work done quick, and now we have time to breathe each day. Or maybe not. Maybe this stimulus overload is something of a superhighway from this world to the next.
And to think, we have the balls to want to create.
--Eliot Sill
This brings me to my next point: I will die without having digested every delectable bit of media out there I would so love to consume.
I've always loved video games. I am, after all, a boy who grew up in the 2000s. There are so many massive and finely crafted video games that would entrench my consciousness for dozens of hours, if I played them all, I would have no time for anything else in my life. I've bought 3 video games this year, 2 of which have bogged me down significantly in the weeks in which I devoted myself to them. I can't simply play games at a tepid pace, they must be beaten fast and furiously, with urgency and prioritization of the fate of whatever fictional world I'm exploring over that of my own well being. Seeing, only for a moment, a friend of mine, playing Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, I saw what could be sixty fewer dollars and a couple hundred fewer hours of my life. I could, but I won't. I'll restrain, and I'll miss out on a beautifully made fantasy world that was designed for the sole purpose of me to enjoy exploring it. Additionally, I could do this at no risk at all to my actual self, aside from gaining a few pounds maybe.
My senior year, I fell in love with music. I have specific groups or artists whom I do not miss. On the flip side of this, I have artists who, while I acknowledge I'd probably like them, I skip out on to keep my circle tidy. I don't have time on this earth to listen to every last song. This fact saddens me, because each song could be the one that provides a new feeling of comfort or enjoyment. And I let most of it slip through the broad cracks.
I also just finished The Wire. I cannot deny now that I have spent at least 88.5 hours in the past four months watching that show. It's checked off the top of the list. Now comes the rest of the list of television productions I want to thoroughly explore.
I read a book once, I'd like to take the time to do it again, if I could ever find it. Reading gave me a feeling of accomplishment and positivity that the other media don't provide. It also made me yawn and fall asleep early.
People spend lots of time on smartphones, if they've got them. People frequent games such as Angry Birds, Words With Friends, Four Square, and countless other network creations. I am panicking here. I cannot imagine allowing myself to indulge in such time consuming stimulative yet entirely meaningless side forays. I spend enough of my time jerking off Twitter and Facebook to tire me out for the day.
Class! Have you guys seen this shit? Unrealistic reading assignments, for one class per week, let alone four (or five or six). I'm taking a class in which they literally expect me to be able to recall and analyze moderate-to-major events of a 2500-year period. I have another class in which I consistently get 5-out-of-10s on my current events quizzes. And I work 15 hours a week. Yet they somehow expect me to write a novel in papers over the course of a semester. And yet I somehow expect myself to oblige.
Shit, I can't remember the last time I saw a movie in theaters. It was, maybe, X-men First Class? Which I saw twice. Over summer. When I had nothing to do. I see all these movies coming out to up and down ratings, all the work that actors and actresses I gravitate toward being thrown into a pile known as movie to-do lists. And yet all I really wanna do is watch Black Dynamite again.
I enjoy people. I like being around them, interacting with them, and getting satisfaction from improving their mood. I like the feeling of tipsiness that comes over me when I've had a few alcoholic drinks. I like the word "score" in the context of obtaining something, whether used by patrons old or young. I miss the shenanigans and endeavors of the middle-school child. I miss being in the middle of responsibility and risk-free adventurousness. I miss climbing. I miss falling. I miss not realizing the danger of environment. I want to seek out such feelings of liberation with people I enjoy the company of.
All this and I'm supposed to remember to pray before bed.
Sleep is such a comforting feeling. It is more so now than it was then. It used to mean the end of getting to do stuff. Now it means the end of having to do stuff. Such is the difference in leading a life rife with responsibility. The freshman fifteen missed me last year, this year it's gone straight to my eyes. I yearn for respite and am greeted each morning with a feeling of overwhelming. I am fighting a war against my bucket list, and I am losing as it grows to disheartening lengths.
Balancing out the necessary with the enjoyable is what makes adults adults. That responsibility, that resistance to doing nothing but work and Six Flags for the rest of your life, that's awfully hard to accept. In college, I feel (I hope) this sensation is magnified. It's all being shined on for the purposes of conditioning us, so that when we get out of here, we find ourselves with a nickel of time at the end of the day to sit back sip our own Kool-Aid. We learned how to get our work done quick, and now we have time to breathe each day. Or maybe not. Maybe this stimulus overload is something of a superhighway from this world to the next.
And to think, we have the balls to want to create.
--Eliot Sill
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