Robocop 4 by Future of the Left

(I think everybody has fantasized what they would ask Elvis if he was still alive. I know what I would ask him:
"What's your favorite film?")

Jaws? Jaws 2? More Jaws? or Jaws rebooted?
Please, let's take a second to think about a future state of love and bliss
Brought to you by wish lists of eight year old boys who only crave explosions
Why?
Well, being eight, they have an excuse - they're eight!
and giant robots cannot distract them from their fate

Middle aged men on a movie date, committed to mortal shame

Hey! Relax! No-one died - in fact, they left improved!
If Michael Bay wants a bigger house, let's help him
Art? ha!
Where you from?
Where you been?
He said:
I went to Cannes once and and really did not have much fun
Why?
Well, being French, they talk too much
and all those pages of subtitles kept getting stuck

1 becomes 2, 2 becomes 3
1 becomes 2, 2 becomes 3

Pirates of the Caribbean 47
Johnny Depp stars as the robot pirate who loses his wife in a game of poker
and tries to win her back with hilarious consequences
At least Harry Potter has a proper story in the sense that the characters crave an ending
If only to release poor Billy Corgan from his role as the titular character's nemesis
Robocop 4 is in pre-production, like Robocop 3 wasn't bad enough
and George Lucas won't be kicking his heels 'til he makes some money from Howard the Duck
Robocop 4 is in pre-production, like Robocop 3 wasn't bad enough
I hope the projectionist likes his action motion-tracked and medicated

(the first director died)

Lyrics about apathy and not-apathy

These two songs provide an interesting and opposing juxtaposition. I am able to simultaneously relate to both of them. The second one may surprise people. Yes I am undoubtedly known to despise traditional education, but there were times in my life where I was a very good student who achieved the high grades that proved I learned so much. It's not really the desire for good grades that I relate to however, it's the overall attitude that I appreciate. 

Enough about me. Cue the punk rock. 


False Jesii Part 2 - by Pissed Jeans

I know there are things going on tonight, but I don't bother
Only ten minutes across town that's right, but I don't bother

I could put on a tight black shirt, but I don't bother
I could hit the gym so it looks real nice, but I don't bother
I could tell a joke and make the whole room laugh, but I don't bother
I could show up with the coldest six pack, but I don't bother

No to everything

I could match you drink for drink, but I don't bother
I know I could make her boyfriend mad, but I don't bother
I could captivate with a story of mine, but I don't bother
I could go on and start a conga line, but I don't bother

No to everything


NOTE: this previous song has the best (and most apathetic) music video I've ever seen, although the music isnt't exactly Jesus Wants Me For a Sunbeam. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BstpFV98mRg



Mass Nerder - by The Descendents

Don't got no goatee
Don't got no tattoo
Don't got no nose ring
Don't wanna be like you

Check out these glasses
So I'll never be cool
Always get my assed kick 
When I get to school

Don't worry about image
Don't got no attitude
I know I won't get laid
If I wont be like you!

Don't got no biceps
Don't got no pecks
But I'll read you under the table
With my thick specks

See I got these glasses
So they kick my ass
But I'll kick their asses
When I get to class

I got these glasses
So I can't wear shades
I'll kick their asses
I'll get good grades

I can't get rid of the times
Can't stop the party line
Don't know what the scenes about
Don't tell me to mellow out!

Don't got no goatee
No f***ing safety pin
No I ain't no junkee
Don't got no heroin

Don't got no styling lotion
Don't wanna live by the ocean
Just wanna be myself
All you poseurs go to hell!

We must read
We must read
We must read
We must read
RRRREEEEAAAADDDD!

Somebody get me a book!


ANOTHER NOTE: Milo, the lead singer, is a member of a very influential and legendary punk rock band but also has a PhD in biology. These days the band doesn't tour a whole lot because is busy working in the lab. I think I like you Milo.

Dallin and Football part 1

I decided to play football my freshman year. I knew NOTHING about football. I don't remember what drove me to play football except that my best friend at the time was going to play. It seems very odd that I would just all of a sudden decide to join the football team - but that's what happened. The reason why I decided to play football may be related to why I suddenly decided to try out for a musical several years later. I don't know.

I basically had to learn the rules of football. During the initial team meeting, the freshman football coach started calling out peoples names and asking what position they were intending to play. When he got to my name I said, "um, I don't know" and so I ended up with the running backs. During practice I really didn't know what the running backs were doing. They were running over some kind of long, striped piece of heavy material. Looking back, I know they were running through the hole that they play was designed to create, but I was pretty clueless back then. From there, somehow I ended up as a lineman, I'm still not sure how that happened, but that's where I stayed.

I barely even knew how good Blue Ridge football teams were, but know it or not, I was joining one of the best football programs in the history of Arizona.

The younger, freshman and JV teams didn't win quite as many games as the Varsity. Freshman teams typically didn't win every single game, and there hadn't been an undefeated freshman team in a very long time. We won our first game, and then our second game, and when we reached our 10th win, we realized we had gone undefeated. I started the season knowing nothing about football, and I was actually getting some playing time and I even made a nice tackle or two.

Paul Moro was one of the main factors behind the success of the football program. He  started coaching  at Blue Ridge in 1984 - three years before I was born. He said "I needed to win one state championship because I never won one in high school. I was hoping God would let me win just one before I got out of coaching." In 1987 he was discouraged with coaching because his team had struggle for the past few years. His wife encouraged him to stick with it and his team won the state championship that same year.

14 years later when I decided to join the ranks of Blue Ridge football, Coach Moro had led 10 additional teams to state championships. From 1994 to 1998, the team completely dominated with a 64 game win streak which finally ended in the 1998 state championship game. They went to the state championship game in 1999 but lost again. They went to the state championship game in 2000 but won this time, and won the title again in 2001. 

Anything less than winning a championship was a failure and a bitter disappointment. That was the culture I somewhat unknowingly became a part of. It was a culture that was accustomed to winning.

You can see that the Blue Ridge motto, "Tradition of Champions", painted on the wall of their humble football stadium amidst the mountain pines. Below that are the years the teams won championships. The list has grown long and it looks like they will run out of room if they keep the same pace.

In 2002, the year I joined as a freshman football player, something happened that was actually pretty shocking. Blue Ridge was embarrassed in front of a homecoming crowd in their first regular season loss in perhaps a decade. That was the only game they lost that season, but there were a couple too-close-for-comfort games where the team scored the winning touchdown in the nick of time. In the postseason playoffs, they lost the quarterfinal game to Winslow - the same team they lost to earlier in the season. 

I was not on the varsity team, but was at the game as a member of the marching band. After the game, I was gathered together with the rest of the band outside the field near where the defeated football team jogged off the field to their lockers. Someone in the football team screamed the F-word at the top of their lungs. 

The varsity team was heartbroken after losing all of two game that season, but we as the freshman team felt pretty good about ourselves for not losing any games. I wanted to play football again the next year and I was about to see what Blue Ridge football was really like.

As soon the school season was over and the summer hit, I started attending something called "speed training", which was open to everyone who wanted to physically condition themselves, which included the football team. The football team didn't just go for the  regular morning session, we showed up a couple hours early every morning so that we could either:
1) Run up and down hills until we puked (trust me, we threw up a lot, at least for the first few months)
2) Pushed cars around the parking lot, with somebody in the drivers seat pushing the brakes the entire time
3) Walked back and forth the football field with a telephone pole(!) on our shoulders, pushing it above our heads, and resting it on the other shoulder, pushing it above our heads, etc. To rest from that ordeal, we would sit down and do sit ups with the telephone pole on our chests.   

After we thoroughly got our butts kicked every morning, we would have speed training which really wasn't that difficult in comparison. At least we usually remained puke free.

In the middle of the summer, we experienced Mountain Camp. We camped out in the forest for several days and did up-downs on the dirt floor and ran sprints up hills (we only puked occasionally at this point), and whatever punishments the coaches could dream up.

 Mountain camp was just a teaser for the words that were spoken with reverence and fear: California Camp. Football players who had attended in years past affectionately referred to it as "Hell Week".

They call me Mr. Know it all

I started reading "AI Game Programming Wisdom" the other day, and the author quotes Psychology Today. So I guess I'm quoting a quote:

"In 1986, a colleague and I published a study of men who frequented the racetracks daily. Some were excellent handicappers, while others were not. What distinguished experts from nonexperts was the use of a coplex mental algorithm that converted racing data taken from the racing programs sold at the track. The use of the algorithm was unrelated to the men's IQ scores, however. Some experts were dockworkers with IQs in the low 80s, but they reasoned far more complexly at the track than all non-experts-even those with IQs in the upper 120s. In face, experts were always better at reasoning complexly than nonexperts,regardless of their IQ scores. But the same experts who could reason so well at the track were often abysmal at reasoning outside the track-about, say, their retirement pensions or their social relationships." The author goes on to say "What we need is not a generalized "intelligence", but a context-dependent expertise".

I believe those who (rightfully) perceive themselves to be highly intellectual are almost never humble, are not willing to learn from others and are not willing to admit weaknesses. But isn't that human nature?

Primus - Mr. Know it all

They call me Mr. Knowitall
I will not compromise.
I will not be told what to do.
I shall not step aside.

They call me Mr. Knowitall
I have no time to waste.
My mouth it spews pure intellect.
And I've such elegant taste.

They call me Mr. Knowitall.
I sup the aged wine.
Oh I could tell such wonderous tales 
If I should find the time.
I must be Mr. Knowitall
For ideas they come in bounds.
I am Mr. Knowitall
Now spread the word around.

They call me Mr. Knowitall
I am so eloquent.
Perfection is my middle name
And whatever rhymes with eloquent.

Primus sucks

Primus may soon take the spot for my favorite band ever. I'm in love with their music and It's absolutely weird stuff. Check out Primus playing on the David Letterman show - in penguin suits. 

Les Claypool is one of the best bassists in the world and definitely one of the most creative. A fun fact about Primus is that when they were a new, relatively unknown band, people would approach Les and compliment the band, saying "you guys rock!" or something of that nature. Les would reply, "nah, we suck". Fans of the band started yelling "Primus sucks!" at shows, and to this day rabid Primus fans yell in unison "Primus sucks" as they're anticipating the band taking the stage.

Check out this crowd. 

To Defy the Laws of Tradition - Primus

What if christmas didn't come this year and no one paid for christmas cheer?
Who would cry the biggest tear, the child or the store?

Why do brides wear virgin white?
Most do not deserve that right
But to choose a colour of their delight would surely bring on the frowns

To defy the laws of tradition is a crusade only of the brave

Suppose the taxman, he comes to town and you don't lay your money down
Yet Mr. Jones he killed Mr. Brown the other day
Well I wonder, who's gonna go to hell
It's all up to me?
No? Yeah?

I'm just a bill. Yes I'm only a bill and 
I'm sitting here on capital hill.
Well well well I'll be a law someday

To defy the laws of tradition is a crusade only of the brave

July

What happened in July:

• I gave a lesson in church. I didn't realize it was going to be the entire ward (aka a 'combined' meeting). What clued me in was many, many people started coming through the door. I proceed to freak out a little. I had prepared but I hadn't written a lot of stuff down. I had many questions to ask but I was not prepared for the amount of people. I was able to deliver a good lesson through the help of the spirit.
• The other computer guy at work  was on vacation in Ireland for a week and half. That meant that I had to solve the majority of the computer issues. There were some things that I had to wait until Rick was back but I was able to do a lot and learned a ton. There was one intense day where our network had a complete meltdown. Luckily Jeff was there to figure it out while I helped in whatever capacity I could. 
• My little sister, Janae, passed her halfway mark on her year and half long church mission in the Phillipines. Usually we get an email every Sunday around midnight, but there were two Sundays that went by without any word. I wasn't worried, I figured there was another storm, and sure enough she finally was able to write and tell us about how a tropical storm ripped through their area and completely obliterated banana trees and power lines. They holed up in their apartment during the storm and did what they could to stop the water from coming in and they prayed really hard. It sounded like a crazy experience. They had spent the previous couple weeks helping clean up the mess and generally helping wherever they could. 
• There was a big dust storm in Phoenix and the missionaries called us and asked if they could come to our place to get out of the storm since they're on bikes. We played a game of Hanabi with them, which is a short little cooperative card game.
• A month or two ago, I had written a program which would log in to my works Shutterstock.com account and automatically search for and download images using any unused downloads which we may still have every day before the download count resets. Anyway, I think Shutterstock is starting to have server issues because they blocked my works IP address from accessing their site, and I was easily able to get around that using proxy servers, but a few days later their website went down for about 30 minutes. I think they may have been having issues and were looking at ways to increase performance and that's when they noticed how often this certain IP address accesses their resources. After that, I also decided to rewrite my program in an object oriented way so that it would be easier to make changes to as I find bugs or I have to change the proxy that I'm using. 

I listen to a lot of music. Instead of writing something down, which takes quite a bit of effort and I'm not sure it actually accomplishes anything, I decided to share a few songs that I've enjoyed recently. Music communicates much better than words, and possibly one of the reasons why I love music is that I am a terrible communicator.

The first number I want to share has to do with the experience of living in a different state as Emily for 5 months. It was a difficult experience, but we're not people to simply follow the path of least resistance, and you always become better a better person when you go through difficulties and I'm grateful that we did what we did. 

It still freaking sucked though.

Andrew Jackson Jihad - Distance:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLmkK6tEups
The first month after you left I drank and [ate food] till I slept. I went to work when I had to then came home.I fed the dog when I had to. I fed myself when I had to. I went out of town when I had to. And then came home. 

And I know this won't last forever but it feels like forever since we've been together, till we'll be together again. 

Second month after you left I still felt real depressed but I've got plenty of other things to spend my time on. I hate whiny songs like this but I can't afford a therapist.Sorry guys, here's a solo. 

And it's harder to be yourself than it is to be anybody else. I wish that I was someone closer to you.

And I know this won't last forever but it feels like forever since we've been together, till we'll be together again. 

 I love punk rock, and I hate convention. I HATE convention. I HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATE convention.

In this spirit, here is one of my favorite punk rock songs:\

The Descendents - Suburban Home 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aArkf4fnPko

I want to be stereotyped

I want to be classified

I want to be a clone

I want a suburban home

I want to be masochistic

I want to be a statistic

I want to be a clone

I want a suburban home

I don't want no hippie pad 

I want a house just like mom and dad

Well that was quick, wasn't it. Punk rock likes to keep it short and snappy.

The next number was always a fun song to listen to while I was stuck in school.

Lars Fredericksen and the Bastards - To Have and to Have Not 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qeAnOX-UCk

Up in the morning and out to school

Mother says there be no work next year

Qualifications once the Golden Rule are now just pieces of paper 

Just because you're better than me doesn't mean I'm lazy.

Just because you're going forwards doesn't mean I'm going backwards.

Well if you look the part well then you'll get the job 

in last year's trousers and your oldschool shoes

The truth is son it's a buyer's market they can afford to pick and choose 

Just because you're better than me doesn't mean I'm lazy

Just because I dress like this doesn't mean I'm a Communist. 

Well the factory's are closing and the army's full

I don't know what I'm going to do

But I've come to see

There's only room for a chosen few 

Just because you're better than me doesn't mean I'm lazy

Just because you're going forwards doesn't mean I'm going backwards

I always think about what the best way would be to help out homeless people. It's a difficult problem, and like any social problem, there's no easy answer.


        Andrew Jackson Jihad - Zombie by the Cranberries by Andrew Jackson Jihad 
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DLr9h5OqeQ

If I had a cigarette every time a perfect stranger asked me for a cigarette 

Then I'd have enough cigarettes to get me through the day.

And if I had some spare change every time a perfect stranger asked me for some spare change 

Then I'd have enough spare change to take care of these bills I have to pay. 

I know that times are tough but that does not mean that you can have my stuff. 

So how 'bout a ride? I can drive you to the shelter. 

We can eat dinner at the Andre house and you can even take a shower 

'cause I think you deserve much more than a smoke and 50 cents. 

You deserve to be self sufficient and buy your own cigarettes.

Oh, when the saints. Oh, when the saints go marching in. 

They will feed you so much pizza that you'll forget about the rut that you are in. 

Oh, when the saints. Oh, when the saints, oh when the saints come marching in. 

Well I'm sure they'll feel so much better with the illusion 

that they are helping out those sinners 

when all they really do is buy those so called sinners crappy dinners. 

Five dollar Hot and Ready pizzas and high fructose corn syrup punch. 

Leaving you diabetic and apathetic, wondering when they will bring you lunch to the park 

they keep you in, when the saints go marching in. 

So I wish I had a cigarette for every time a perfect stranger asked me for a cigarette 

but I wonder what a cigarette will really do to help that person out. 

I wish to God I had some spare change for every time a perfect stranger asked me for some spare change 

but there's not enough spare change in the world to make such an empty gesture count.

I've always loved this song. In punk rock it's common to be extremely honest about deep down feelings, and some of my favorite songs follow this pattern. Sometimes it's nice to know how other people are actually feeling and that their feelings often coincide with your own.

        Touche Amore - Home Away From Home 
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6rGV5p8A2c

I’m coming to terms that I’m not concerned

With planting my feet but moving onward

I’m growing older but I can't get over

The need of colder skin when I know that home is warmer 

It's just that I have this problem

Where I want to be everywhere I’m not

But I’m thankful for what I’ve got

A room in a house where my bed may stay

But the feel of another’s sheets help keep my demons away 

It’s become clear that what keeps me here

Is that sense of failure and other nightmares

I’ve become jaded and I can’t escape it

The thought of settling when I know it's what I hated 

It's just I have this problem

Where I want to be everywhere I’m not

It's just I know myself and I’ll sacrifice everything I’ve got 

Though I can’t afford to eat as much as I would like to be

And my bills won’t pay themselves so I’ll come up with another scheme

This place looks better from a passenger window

Or when stared at from up above

But when you’re chasing brightness

You'll lose concern with the damage done 

It's not my fault

I’ll try to call

No ties no roots I'm fine.

And I'll wrap it up with the final number. This is a song that captures fairly well how I feel about people who aren't following their dreams.

        Dillenger Four - Who Didn't Kill Bambi? 
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAt68BxoGxA

You know your eyes say it's dead inside of you

Just and empty shell with faded tattoos

And everything's just a memory

And every day is just a passing of time

You used to be a time bomb

Did you notice when the lights started to go out

Welcome it with a smile and your arms out

And now it's all so much easier

Bury yourself in banality and comfort

Never waking for a moment

We are alive

And just like the sun will kill the night

We bring the change to something new

Cause we know change threatens you

And there's nothing left of you to save

And each step forward that you take

Is just one closer to the grave

You let the years go by, an endless parade

As meaningless as the promises you've made

And you'll wonder where it all went

When the last of your effort is spent

And you're still left hollow

Will you watch all your life from the outside

Will you march to then end placid and paralyzed

Or will you take it in one shot without a chaser

And let go

Well, that was fun. Hopefully you think I'm crazy now.