Pardon the Interruption

Saturday, January 28, 2006

Moving Day

http://web.mac.com/taylorcox/iWeb/PTI/Blog/Blog.html

Monday, January 23, 2006

The hopeless struggle of The Thinker

Auguste Rodin's "The Thinker" has long been a symbol of desirable enlightenment. The questions of the world swirl around in his head, uninterrupted; he has eternity to carefully consider each mystery. His eyes are fixed downward, his body is relaxed--the physical world is a whirlwind around him, but he doesn't budge from his slouched pensive state. For there are mysteries to solve, revelations to seek.

The Thinker's hand will never move from its spot below the head. It will never build, it will never comfort, it will never write, it will never help--it even covers the mouth, preventing any sort of speech. He will never be a man of action.

For all of his years of reflection, The Thinker is a waste.

I wonder what he would do, should he rise.

Sunday, January 08, 2006

2005 Year in Review (Part 2)

To be quite honest, the only reason I'm making a part 2 to this silliness is because, by having a "Part 1," I implied that there would be a part 2. And I don't want to be known as a deceitful person.

-In 2005, I successfully completed my first year of college. The kid inside of me tells me that I am now officially old.
-In 2005, I spent easily over 100 hours (in the summer alone) shooting and editing video. About one third of that time was spent capturing footage, which is plenty boring enough to make up for any excitement I got out of being video man.
-In 2005, the Atlanta Braves won their unprecedented 14th division title in a row, which led them to an unprecedented 18-inning Game 4 thriller against the Houston Astros, which they lost, to give them an unprecedented playoff series losing streak.
-In 2005, I predicted that fall term of my sophomore year would be the toughest stretch I'd encountered so far in my life. My prediction expertise apparently goes beyond picking football scores. So no more predictions.
-In 2005, the BCM Fighting-But-Still-Showing-The-Love-of-Jesus Baptist Co-Ed Softball team won the Furman Rec League championship. The key: lose to a team four times in a row, and you have them right where you want them.
-In 2005, I finished second in the Seesalt Putt-Putt Invitational. Again.
-In 2005, I gained a sister and a newfound frustration with wedding photographers. And Christopher Cox rejoiced.
-In 2005, I got an iMac. And TJ Cofield rejoiced.
-In 2005, the Furman Fighting Football Paladins finished #3 in the polls, with an 11-3 record and a trip to the National Semifinals. And expectations were high enough that this feat still managed to be disappointing.
-In 2005, I learned that I will probably not be an economist.
-In 2005, I used a computer in the James B. Duke Library for the last time. If you know what's good for you, follow this example.
-In 2005, my little sister continued to be not so little anymore, as she continues to amaze me with her growth and maturity. But she still has the attention span of a goldfi--Oh, Look! A Castle!
-In 2005, God started revealing a glimmer of purpose for my life. I couldn't ask for anymore.

To all of you that I love, I thank you for the many things you have done for me in the last year that I could never hope to repay you for.

Well, that's that. I'm going to sleep.

Thursday, December 29, 2005

2005 Year in Review (Part 1)

(Note: I do not claim that the following are the BEST songs, movies, etc. of 2005. These are my favorites of 2005. There is no rhyme, reason, voting, or computer composite poll involved. If one list has only four items, it is because I felt that only four were worthy of recognition. Now, on to the winners...)

Top Songs of 2005:
10. "Nothing But the Blood," from Redemption Songs--Jars of Clay
>>>>>Jars of Clay is good. And so are The Blind Boys of Alabama. But putting them together? Now that's genius.

9. "Daisy," from Nothing is Sound--Switchfoot
>>>>>Daisy=Furman students. Let it go, people.

8. "Suspension," from The Everglow--Mae
>>>>>It's a good song, definitely, but it makes this list for the jam session during the bridge.

7. "My Heavenly," from iTunes Originals--Jars of Clay
>>>>>I always said about the original, "this would be incredible if it was more stripped down and focused on vocals and piano more." And apparently someone listened.

6. "You Have My Attention," from In Motion--Copeland
>>>>>Yeah, Copeland is a little emo-esque, but I don't fault Johnny Cash for being country-esque, either. Look for this song during BCM Dinner Theater 2006.

5. "Swallowed in the Sea," from X&Y--Coldplay
>>>>>The catchiest song ever.

4. "The Everglow," from The Everglow--Mae
>>>>>I'm not sure what it is about this song, but it gives me an overwhelming sense of hope.

3. "Fix You," from X&Y--Coldplay
>>>>>Yes, everyone in the world likes this song, but for a good reason.

2. "Till Kingdom Come," from X&Y--Coldplay
>>>>>More heartfelt, real, and moving than most "overtly Christian" music you'll ever hear.

1. "The Blues," from Nothing is Sound--Switchfoot
>>>>>"Is this the Kingdom, or just a hit and miss?" Good question....easily one of the most relevant songs I've ever heard.

Top Albums of 2005:
My top songs of the year kind of make this category pretty obvious.
4. Redemption Songs--Jars of Clay
>>>>>This album reminded me that A)Hymn texts can be very moving, and B)Setting them to better music really helps.

3. Nothing is Sound--Switchfoot
>>>>>Will it be as popular as The Beautiful Letdown? Nope. That's because it's better.

2. The Everglow--Mae
>>>>>Instantly listenable. I'm not sure what that means, but that's what this album is. I'm also a sucker for piano-based rock and poetic lyrics. (See Coldplay.)

1. X&Y--Coldplay
>>>>>Some good albums came out this year, but X&Y takes the top spot without breaking a sweat. It doesn't break any ground, it's not very innovative, and it won't set the world on fire. It is simply amazing music. Coldplay has mastered the ablility to create songs that are insanely likable. And while it is friendly to the masses, it dares to cross into that forbidden realm (in popular music) called "meaningful." It's the best album yet from the best band out there right now.

Top TV Shows of 2005:
1. Lost
>>>>>I don't watch much TV, but I would still own one if Lost was the only show on. It has the market cornered on amazing depth, writing, acting, stories, and (best of all) cliffhangers.

Top Movies of 2005:
7. Sahara
>>>>>If it wins anything come Oscar time, then the academy has failed. But it's one of the better fun popcorn movies in recent years.

6. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
>>>>>I didn't read the books, but the movie made me laugh almost to the point of tears.

5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
>>>>>It's exactly what middle/high school was like for me....you know, plus dragons and evil lords. The Harry Potter movies started out as mediocre, but at this point, the series has aged very well.

4. Batman Begins
>>>>>What is this? Plot? Character depth? Emotion? Moral struggle? Ladies and gentleman, this is Batman the way it should be done.

3. Cinderella Man
>>>>>One of the most beautiful movies I have ever seen. By the time the credits rolled, I was in awe.

2. Walk the Line
>>>>>Joaquin and Reese, I would lobby for Oscars for the both of you if I could.

1. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
>>>>>All they had to do was faithfully recreate the vision of the book, and I would have been sold. Mission accomplished.

Saturday, December 24, 2005

A Rescue

There was once a land stuck in a very deep darkness. You wouldn't know it by merely looking; the sun rose and set everyday, and the stars illuminated the night sky. Even so, the darkness was all too real. You could feel it, hear it, maybe even smell it. And the worst part was that every man, woman, and child was bound to this darkness. Whether they knew it or not, the darkness invaded every moment they'd been given; the gift of life could not run from its tarnishing touch.

This was a battle without hope of victory. The enemy had moved long past the stage of infiltration--it was the occupier. All man could do was attempt to continue life as normal. Some were aware of their captivity, but most continued on in a state of ignorance, blissful or otherwise. However, it was a life doomed to failure from the start--no matter what man could achieve, he would eventually be completely swallowed up in the darkness.

It was the only reality this land knew.

Then, in the most unsuspecting of towns, the most unsuspecting woman gave birth to a child as frail as every other newborn. At the same time, in the heavens, the horn sounded, and the hosts drew together for an unprecedented gathering. And in the sky, a bright light pierced the darkness. It was but one star in the vast emptiness...but it was there nonetheless. And as the little child cried in the arms of his mother, the heavenly hosts descended upon the land to sing a song just as sweet.

And in every sleeping household, the heavy, stagnant air suddenly stirred with life. In every field, tired workers found strength to climb up off the ground. In every alley, the downtrodden could find a sky that shined much brighter. And in every heart, once cold and broken, we found something to long for.

For hope had finally arrived.

Saturday, December 17, 2005

Confessions of a mind with too much time on its hands...Part 1

--Except minds don't have hands. That's the sort of thing that you realize when you have too much time to think about it.
--Water is the most vital substance on earth. We can't live without it. Beyond that, we enjoy it so much that we carve out holes in our backyard, fill them with water, and jump in. But, on the other hand, water seems to be the bane of our existence. In Genesis, water ultimately symbolized chaos, and I think that's a pretty accurate description. The Gulf Coast can vouch for that. And then, it rains some, then the water freezes on the trees, the trees fall, and millions of people are left in the dark. What's life without a little irony?
--Why is Stanford University "the Cardinal"? Are they too good for a plural mascot? Are they above such conformity? Is it a pseudo-intellectual plot to get bored sports fans to ask this very question, and ultimately decide it is because Stanford is special? And why is their physical mascot a plush tree with eyes? Is there a cardinal hiding somewhere in the tree? Do we even know that they're referring to a bird in the first place? A Church clergyman would be much more interesting than a bird. Or maybe "the cardinal directions"...
--Stanford's playing Virginia Tech on TV right now. What in the world is a Hokie?
--I'm now convinced that all single people experience a common phenomenon: they wake up one morning and decide that, because they are single, and have been for X amount of time, they will forever be single. (I'm not sure how this conclusion is reached, but it is nearly inevitable.) Soon after, they convince themselves that there are more important things in life, and that they are silly for worrying. Then they go further in that direction, imagining their life as a noble single person, able to accomplish so much good for the world because of the lack of the dating/marriage distraction. Then they realize that that wouldn't be all that much fun half of the time, without close companionship to give and receive. In fact, the thought is pretty distressing. They then shake their head, realizing the futility of worrying about something that will likely take care of itself, and go back to business as normal.
--A friend told me tonight that going to Furman for one semester has made her feel like she doesn't belong in her hometown. I know very few people who have not experienced a major ideological change since being at Furman, and one consequence of this is a feeling of betrayal to the ideas that once encompassed you and your old friends. The temptation to avoid is believing that you are suddenly "right" and they are "wrong." Unfortunately, I've seen some give in to this temptation, and it comes off simply as arrogance.
--WKRP Cincinnati was the Sports Night of its time.
--What is the point of dragging two college basketball teams to a preseason tournament thousands of miles away so that they can play in front of 500 locals and dedicated fans? It's inconvenient for the players, the fans, and the people actually trying to make money off of the venture. It's as simple as supply and demand: is there a great demand for Virginia Tech/Stanford basketball in Las Vegas, Nevada? Or even better, how about South Carolina and Furman in Alaska? That certainly brought the big bucks in.
--I'm heading to bed. Always remember to brush your teeth, kids.

Monday, December 12, 2005

A Tribute to Sports Night

I'm on a Sports Night kick. Well, not really. But if I had the complete series on DVD, I would be on a Sports Night kick. I plan on rectifying that matter soon enough. Anyways, one of the brilliant things about IMDB.com is the "memorable quotes" section. Tonight, I stumbled upon a gold mine of Sports Night quote goodness. It's a little long, but it needs to be preserved. Enjoy.

[During a bomb scare]
Casey McCall: Is there anyone who can say anything that will make us feel like the smart thing to do is to stay in this building right now?
Dana Whitaker: In ten minutes, three and a half million people will tune in to watch the two of you on television. Many of them will be women.
Casey McCall: ...All right.
--------
Isaac: Let me add, Dana, that things I say in my office stay in my office.
Dana Whitaker: Natalie's my, my second in command. She's the only one I told.
Natalie: Jeremy's my boyfriend. He's the only one I told.
Jeremy Goodwin: I told many, many people.
--------
Jeremy Goodwin: Fire me.
Isaac: What?
Jeremy Goodwin: You heard me, I want you to fire me.
Isaac: I'm not going to fire you.
Jeremy Goodwin: I'm a terrible worker, I'm the last to arrive and the first to leave.
Isaac: You're the first to arrive and the last to leave.
Jeremy Goodwin: And don't you think that's a little strange?
Isaac: Yes.
Jeremy Goodwin: I'm a racist.
Isaac: Jeremy...
Jeremy Goodwin: I am, I'm a terrible racist. I think all those people with the funny accents and weird skin color should go back to wherever they came from and leave this country to the people who rightfully stole it from the Indians... which they deserved.
Isaac: Jeremy...
Jeremy Goodwin: I'm serious, this country is being ruined by the blacks and the Jews.
Isaac: You're Jewish.
Jeremy Goodwin: And I have to be stopped.
--------
[During the Y2K test]
Dana Whitaker: Jeremy? Jeremy.
Jeremy Goodwin: It's gonna be okay.
Dana Whitaker: Is ALL the power out?
Jeremy Goodwin: What do you mean?
Dana Whitaker: Is all the POWER out?
Jeremy Goodwin: No, of course not.
Dana Whitaker: What'd we lose?
Jeremy Goodwin: We lost the control room.
Dana Whitaker: Yes.
Jeremy Goodwin: And the studio.
Dana Whitaker: Okay.
Jeremy Goodwin: The newsroom and the offices, editing, graphics, engineering, sound.
Dana Whitaker: Is anything working?
Jeremy Goodwin: No.
Dana Whitaker: I thought you said we didn't lose all power.
Jeremy Goodwin: I thought you meant in the whole city.
--------
Dan Rydell: Is this one of those times when you say you don't want to talk about it, but you really do?
Casey McCall: No, but it's shaping up to be one of those times when I say I don't want to talk about it, but we end up talking about it anyway.
--------
Dan Rydell: I gotta tell ya, at this point the length of this conversation is way out of proportion to my interest in it.
--------
Dan Rydell: [on the air] We'll bring you the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat-and, because we've got soccer highlights, the sheer pointlessness of a zero-zero tie. You're watching Sports Night on CSC, so stick around.
--------
Dan Rydell: You're nineteen feet tall, why are you wearing heels?
Sally Sasser: Do you feel diminutive?
Dan Rydell: No, but now I have to look up that word.
--------
Sally Sasser: Sam?
Sam: Susie.
Sally Sasser: Sally.
Sam: Okay.
Sally Sasser: This meeting's not going that well is it?
Sam: No. The good news is an hour from now I'm not going to remember who you are.
--------
Casey McCall: Can we be men for a second?
Dan Rydell: Okay, but just a second.
--------
Casey McCall: "October the Eighth, Nineteen Hundred and Ninety Eight, A.D." A.D... They're worried I might accidentally show up 2,000 years before the birth of Christ.
--------
Sam Donovan: You shouldn't think that just because I'm looking at you while you're talking to me, that I'm necessarily listening to or caring about what you're saying. It's just something I do to be polite.
--------
Natalie: What did you do?
Casey McCall: I did what I do, Natalie. I did what I do.
Dan Rydell: You screwed up your romantic life in front of fifth-graders?
--------
Casey McCall: What kind of punch was it?
Chuck 'The Cut Man' Kimmel: It was a right hook... with a bit of a jab.
Casey McCall: A jabbing right hook?
Chuck 'The Cut Man' Kimmel: That's right, Casey.
Casey McCall: And he threw it with his left hand?
Chuck 'The Cut Man' Kimmel: This fighter's got remarkable skills, Casey, he's not to be trifled wtih.
--------
Isaac: Someone holds the copyright to Happy Birthday?
Dan Rydell: The representatives of Mildred and Patty Hill.
Isaac: It took two people to write that song?
--------
Dan Rydell: You're gonna need to get someone to fix my computer.
Kim: What's wrong with it?
Dan Rydell: It's in several pieces on my floor.
--------
Dan Rydell: [referring to bombs after a bomb scare] What are the advanced ways they have of detecting these things?
Dana Whitaker: Dan...
Dan Rydell: What are the advanced ways?
Dana Whitaker: [pause] Well, as I understand it, they use dogs.
Dan Rydell: I'm outta here.
Casey McCall: Right behind you.
Dana Whitaker: Oh get ahold of yourselves, would ya?
Casey McCall: Dogs?
Dana Whitaker: Dogs. Yes. Specially-trained dogs.
Dan Rydell: We want to meet them.
Dana Whitaker: Guys...
Dan Rydell: We want to meet the dogs right now.
Dana Whitaker: Okay. And what will you say to the dogs when you meet them?
Dan Rydell: [pause] She's got a decent point.
Casey McCall: Yeah.
--------
[to assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern district Gordon Gage B.A., M.A., J.D. - aka Dana's boyfriend]
Casey McCall: You know... it really wasn't my intention to discuss any Dana-related matters. No, I was just reading this "New York Times" piece on the forensic evidence, the ballistics match, the eyewitnesses, and the 78 hours worth of wiretaps, a portion of which included the defendant saying, "I killed him. I killed him. I killed him dead"... and was wondering what the heck a fella has to do to get thrown in jail on your watch.
--------
Casey McCall: Alyson, do you know I speak four languages?
Dan Rydell: You speak three languages.
Casey McCall: I speak four languages.
Dan Rydell: You speak French, Spanish and German.
Casey McCall: I dabble in a little English.
--------

Monsters, Monsters Everywhere

If you walked onto the campus of Furman University anytime during the last week, you would find a very quiet, peaceful atmosphere. You might see a few people walking from their dorms to the library or to the student center, but chances are, your only companions would be the crisp, cold air, and a plethora of squirrels digging and rummaging on the ground (looking for acorns, I assume).

However, just like a sleepy New England coastal town in a Steven King novel, things are not always as they seem. The truth of the matter is, a number of epic battles rage on during exam time. Everyone has their monsters; and they always seem to crawl out from under the bed during this blessed season.

My week has been nothing but monsters. Not the PG-13 kind, but the less deadly, PG kind that make a good story in the end.

First off, on Friday, I battled for the last time a monster that has plagued me all semester long. From the start of classes, I have suffered from some of the most unfortunate scheduling possible--either that, or my professors have teamed up in some cruel scheme to destroy me once and for all (They've all treated me kindly enough...was it a cover up?). My hardest class, by a long shot, has been Economics. I'm not an Economist, and the language of numbers, for me, is slightly more complicated than some dialect of ancient Elvish that Tolkien concoted for The Lord of the Rings. Still, I'm a problem-solver, and I've survived my distaste for math and statistics and graphs in the past.

So the semester unfolded as follows: My first major economics test fell 5 minutes after my first major Paul test. My second major economics test fell on the same day as a Physics test. My Economics term paper was due the same day as my Paul term paper (which was also the same day as yet another Physics test). And finally, Friday--the first day of exams--the scheduling monster struck yet again, with Economics and Physics stepping up to the plate. In all, I've taken 2 tests this term that HAVEN'T fallen on the same day as another test or major grade. This monster dealt its blows through lower grades than expected this term, but I claim victory through my ability to maintain sanity and optimism.

Also during the last week, I saw The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and for the hundredth time watched both The Two Towers and The Return of the King. And those all have monsters in them. So they apply. Moving on...

Friday night after my exams, I fell victim to some sort of virus. Fever, headache, drainage, sore throat, upset stomach...a lovely sort of experience. This was especially inconvenient, because the next morning, I was supposed to be on a bus to head for Boone, North Carolina. And in Boone, the monsters are plentiful.

I have spent far too much time on this blog detailing the monsters that reside in Boone. When the Furman Fighting Football Paladins defeated Appalachian State in Greenville this October, I thought that those monsters had been slain. But Saturday I learned that the Appalachian State football team is not the monster; Boone is the monster. The thousands of drunk App students bent making life a living hell for anyone associated with Furman are the monsters. The spot on the left hashmark, just shy of the south endzone, where everything has gone wrong for the last 5 years, is the monster. It was one of those nightmarish tales, where the bad guys crush hope with defeat at the last possible second, and no condolence could be found anywhere for miles. As I fought sickness and disappointment on the winding, mountainous, 5-hour bus trip home, I promised myself that I would avoid Boone for as along as possible.

I sit here now at the end of the this admittedly over-the-top drama. I'm starting to feel better, I've gotten over the loss, and I only have one exam left, which will hopefully be bearable. The horror movie is nearing the end credits. Let's just hope they don't make a crappy sequel.