FRI - 7.8.05 - 2:11 AM
I put up my pictures from Kauffman a couple days ago; you can find them here. Plus here's two other miscellaneous pictures from the trip:
Tourism?
Thunderbirds over MWC

Jeff Teel's getting married tomorrow (today, I guess). Head trip. I haven't talked to him in at least a year or so. It'll be great, if a little strange, to see him again.

This week at work sucked. We were really busy and there were lots of cranky people on the lines. But it's over and next week will hopefully be back to normal. I did get a couple of callers with great names though: Ulrick Exantus, and E Mukarusagara. I've been pronouncing crazy names with about an 80% success rate.

MON - 7.11.05 - 4:27 AM
Jeff's wedding was very pleasant. I didn't see very many people I knew, but got to chat with a few folks who I hadn't seen in some time. It's hard to believe that my friends and peers are starting to get married. I still feel like I'm 15 years old.

Word to the wise: If you get the hot links at Rib Crib, don't use the hot sauce on top of it. You will pay for it in a tangible and excruciating manner.

WED - 7.13.05 - 12:08 PM
I signed up for Dictionary.com's email word of the day program a couple weeks ago, and I must say, I'm quite disappointed to this point. I've gotten a few good words (temerarious, ameliorate, etc.), but I've also gotten things like acumen, varicolored, and introspection. I don't mind getting a word I already know once in a while, but when it's every other day, something is not right.

MON - 7.18.05 - 2:10 AM
About two hours after my last entry, I found out that my Aunt Nancy had died. She was over sixty and had suffered heart problems her whole life, but had just undergone successful surgery and seemed better than ever. Last week lots of people were snapped back to the reality that death doesn't play percentages.

My mother, sister, and I got to Dallas just in time to be a little late for the visitation. The extended family is extensive, to say the least. So many faces I didn't recognize, so many that I hazily remembered, so many that were familiar but that I hadn't seen in years. So much laughter amidst the tearful greetings. Piercing sadness and joy are two emotions that mix surprisingly well in our family, probably out of necessity.

The next day was the funeral. The family filed in, taking up a solid third of a small sanctuary brimming with people. A satisfying service was followed by a reception abundant in finger foods, like most of the weekend's gatherings. The mass of relatives moved to Nancy's house, where things lightened up once more.

So now I'm back, and finished with another day of work. I wish this weekend didn't have to happen, but I'm glad for the way it passed.

Photography is trivial, but then, what isn't.

THU - 7.21.05 - 11:55 PM
The last two days at work have been terrible. We've been really busy, I've had to deal with some really weird situations, and several people have been more difficult than was probably necessary. Some lady today had me call a company for something I'd already answered but couldn't make her understand, and then calculate the tax on her weekly rate so she could know just EXACTLY how much her 20% off coupon was worth. But that's okay, because they're laying me off at the end of the week anyway.

Monday morning, I got a call on my cell while I was still asleep. I answered groggily and missed the first part of it, but caught "your last day will be Friday." It was clearer when I got to work. They're cutting our department in half, and the first to go were the college kids who would be leaving the assignment early anyway. I was kinda pissed at first, but now I think I'm actually kind of glad. I didn't mind the job for a long time, but lately it's been grating on me more and more. I couldn't say exactly why. They did graciously offer us a couple weekends at time and a half pay, but since I'll be in Houston next weekend, I'll work this one and then be done. So as of Sunday at about this same time, I'll be coasting through the end of summer. And looking forward to it.

MON - 7.25.05 - 4:04 PM
It's nice to be done. Yesterday was a slow day in terms of calls, but it went by fast. I can't say I'll miss doing it for forty hours every week, but as far as the money to difficulty ratio, it was a pretty sweet gig. Hopefully this will be my last non-architecture job for a long time (excluding my work with the United Ministry Center, of course).

If you ever get the chance to go to the CD Warehouse on Gaylord Ave in downtown OKC, don't. They've got thousands upon thousands upon thousands of CDs, but they all SUCK.

TUE - 7.26.05 - 3:23 AM
Seriously, it's Buehrle vs. Lima tonight? I predict a 16-0 White Sox win, as Buehrle hurls a three-hit shutout.

TUE - 7.26.05 - 11:56 PM
7-1? SEVEN to ONE?!

I'm okay with being wrong every now and then.

THU - 8.4.05 - 6:41 PM
I went to Houston. We drove SO MANY miles. I took SO MANY pictures.

My dad, Jim Burns, and I made a quick run to catch an Astros game on Friday. We left that morning and came back the next day. All told, including the ballpark and downtown Houston and Dallas, I took 117 pictures. It's taken me four days, but I finally got them all cropped, edited, and uploaded.

Dallas
Houston
Minute Maid Park

I uploaded 75 of my 117 pictures, so to save you a little time, here are my favorites.

Dallas skyline
Houston skyline 1
Houston skyline 2
Downtown Houston from the park
Houston skyline and stadium
Minute Maid Park 1
Minute Maid Park 2
Minute Maid Park 3
Stadium panorama

I might give a full review of the stadium later, but for now, I'll just say I was definitely impressed. When it was first built in 2000 I thought it looked amazing, but my enthusiasm waned over the last few years. It surpassed my expectations though; it is an excellent place to watch a ballgame.

MON - 8.15.05 - 10:54 PM
I had more fun this last week than I've had in a very long time. The price was more physical pain than I've felt in a very long time, but it was well worth it.

I got to Raymore, MO about 3:00 on Tuesday. I hung around and napped for a few hours until my Aunt Becky and Uncle Roger got home from work. We went to my cousin Denise's place for dinner (their daughter). Her boys, Roger, and I hit some golf balls in the massive front yard, then we rode fourwheelers in the massive back yard. Or maybe the fourwheelers were first. At any rate, my thumb and wrists were sore the rest of the evening. But it was fun, the weather was gorgeous, and dinner was great. Back at the house, I was exhausted and fell asleep by 11.

The next day, I woke up around 9:30 and met Denise and her kids for lunch. We saw War of the Worlds (not bad, not great), then went to a sporting goods store next door and watched Justin climb an indoor rock wall. At 4:30, Roger and I went golfing with a friend of his. My first 9 holes were not good at all (I lost all five of my balls), but the break in between did me some good, and I finished strongly. We only got in 16 holes before dark. I walked the whole course, so by the time we got back to the house, I was once again exhausted and sore and fell asleep quickly.

Thursday morning, I went to Stacey's house (Roger and Becky's other daugher). Her son Jake went swimming with me, and even though I sunscreened myself thoroughly, I ended up with a wicked sunburn on my back a few hours later. After that, Jake, his sister Jessica, her friend Derek, and I went bowling. It was the first time I'd bowled in a few years, and I predictably struggled at first. We played two games; my first was an 85, but I improved to a 99 in the second. I had one strike in each game. However, bowling balls are heavy, and I had a very sore right arm to go with my sunburn. That evening, more aunts and uncles came to the house, where we divvied up more stuff from Nancy's house. I fell asleep around 1, ready for my weekend with Ben friends. I'll detail the last three days of my trip in another post, as this one is running a bit long. The pain gets more intense, but the fun goes up more than proportionately.

WED - 8.17.05 - 10:59 PM
Eighteen straight losses and counting. The Royals are officially the most depressing team in baseball. The worst part about historic losing streaks/seasons is that you know everyone is rooting for them to break any futility records they might be challenging. The Royal fan's existence is a lonely one in the first place; we certainly don't need the collective spirit of the rest of baseball fandom against us, too. I'm almost glad things didn't work out to go see them while I was in town last week.

Okay, I didn't mean that last part.

Speaking of last week, allow me to continue my recap. I'll try and make this section a little more interesting.

Friday morning I woke up, had some breakfast, and said goodbye to Becky and Jessica as they left for lunch and shopping. I got packed up and left for the airport. I had actually brought three books to work on during those first three days, but didn't even finish one. My days were packed, and I enjoyed every aching minute of it. I was also glad for the chance to visit family with no one dead or dying. It tends to lighten the mood.

I arrived at the airport around 2:00. It didn't seem anyone else was there yet, so I took my own personal tour of Terminal C. I found a bathroom and a bottle of water, and when I returned to the designated area, there were some familiar faces. Grant, Amy, and Andy had greeted Kelly, our lone airport pickup of the day. Barb showed up minutes later, and our group was complete. Grant and Amy headed back east for a soccer game, while Barb, Kelly, Andy, and I prepared for the trek to Eskridge.

Andy rode with me, and we discussed college football, music, and other, more inconsequential things. Soon after getting on I-435, it started to sprinkle, and soon after it started to sprinkle, it started to pour. Luckily, it only lasted about 10-15 minutes. By the time we made a stop in Lawrence for Barb to pick up a check, it was pleasantly sunny and warm. Back on the highway, the rain was battering us once more within fifteen minutes. This round was even more intense. We were slowed to around 50 mph, and after a while I tried to scan the radio for some info (came up empty, of course). We pulled into Topeka, and it was still falling in sheets. We stocked up on supplies at a few stores, then headed out on the final leg of the trip.

A two hour drive transformed into five, we finally reached our destination. It had finally stopped raining, and everyone carted their stuff into the house. Inside, we greeted Dave, Terri, Dan, Mel, and Drew. Those of us who didn't know each other changed that. We hung around conversing and watching 'The Office' DVDs until Amy and Grant got in a few hours later. Benvention had officially convened.

The Ben Folds Five board game was broken out, and that kept us occupied on and off for several more hours. Finally at 3:30 am, everyone slowly began turning in for the night. We wouldn't sleep long, but that wouldn't matter.

Will rain wash out the concert? Is Ben Folds really a robot? Stay tuned for the exciting conclusion!

SAT - 8.20.05 - 7:58 PM
Saturday began before 9 am. After getting everyone into the shower (individually, of course), Barb, Kelly, and I left for the airport once more to pick up Juils. We were at City Market by 1, where we rejoined the rest of the group. Some of us (including me) went to a nearby barbeque joint for lunch, while the others found a mid-eastern eatery. After eating, we were informed that there were a few people already in line, so we got over and staked out a spot. There was a group of about 10 in front of us, but we were still quite early. With the show slated to start at 7:30, we had a good five and a half hour wait ahead of us.

It had sprinkled for a couple minutes on our way to the line, but once we were there, it was just cloudy and slightly muggy. A few of us played keychain-sized Scrabble, which has enough pieces for five people to get one turn. As the game was in its final stages, it started to rain again. Most of the group donned the ponchos we had picked up in Topeka. The rain came down lightly for a little while. Sometime between 2:30 and 3, it became torrential. Armed with ponchos and several umbrellas, we stood as runoff gushed down the sidewalk, spilled from the gutters, and soaked our feet. The wind wasn't constant, but when it was there, it was cold and unforgiving. It stormed at full force for about two hours, then gradually tapered off for another half hour. It left in its path a group of dripping, shivering, frankly disgruntled Ben fans who squished when they walked.

Barb, Kelly, and I went to Barb's car to get something once things let up between 5:30 and 6. When we got back to the line, it was more of a mob than a line. Event staff had begun bringing equipment and vehicles into the backstage area, as well as fencing things off and thus stirring the one-time line to push and compact for no apparent reason. So we stood shoulder to shoulder and stomach to back for the rest of the wait.

A staffperson announced to the mob that the gate would be opened at 7:15. That would give the now formidably-sized crowd fifteen minutes to get settled in front of the stage while soundchecks and setup finished. I don't think many of us were surprised when 7:30 rolled around and we were still standing out there. However, it was a bit surprising when we were still standing out there at 8:15. Maybe surprising isn't the best word. It was a pissed-off sigh of relief when we finally got in just short of 8:30. Now we could at least be squished in front of the stage instead of a metal barricade.

The "Odd Men Out Tour," as it has been christened, features a lineup of Ben Lee, Rufus Wainwright, and Ben Folds (the last two sometimes alternate depending on the night). So it was a little strange when Rufus came on first. I had not heard many good things about his live performances, but I enjoy his music, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. He played alone on the piano (a couple songs on guitar), and it was outstanding. I could see how it might be boring under most circumstances, but with the cool, cloudy, colorful atmosphere, his mellow tunes resonated just right. He made a comment that his set had almost been cut because of the weather and the resulting delay. I'm glad he wasn't; his music was the perfect opener to the deluge of awesomeness (and I mean that in the original sense of the word) that was to come.

In my experience, there's usually a long wait between the opening band and Ben Folds. This time, however, there couldn't have been more than 20 minutes between acts. He and his band took the stage to rabid cheers, and proceeded to absolutely rip through one of the best setlists I've ever enjoyed. Later in the show, he would explain that more storms were expected, so they tried to cram as much into the set as possible before they would have to vacate the stage. It turned out to be unnecessary, but that just meant more music for us.

The rain picked up again a few songs into Ben's set. I can't speak for anyone else, but that's where the show went from great to transcendent for me. I was surrounded by friends, all of us yelling and singing; a rocking band was taking names on stage; water was softly draping us; the sunset gave everything a glow from behind the clouds. I ran my hand through my wet hair and soaked it in.

The evening wore on. They played 'Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head'. Benvention played the 'Army' horn parts on kazoos. The show culminated with four straight blistering songs. 'One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces' finished the set, and Ben punctuated things with an exclamation mark by launching his stool into the keys from at least a good fifteen feet away. For an encore, they performed 'Not The Same' to the crowd's delight.

We stood in the rain outside the venue for a few minutes, not able to say much. Ben and his party got into a white van and drove up, stopping right by us. He rolled down the window and chatted with a few people, and soon there was a crush as the rest of the lingering crowd realized what was going on. I had brought my Bens EP to have he and Ben Lee sign, but didn't feel like fighting the crowd. He signed and talked for about ten minutes, then took off.

We waited a little bit longer, then found Joe, Ben's tour manager/head roadie. He discussed everything from our kazoos ('hysterical') to the show ('this close to being cancelled' [holding index finger and thumb very close together]). We left City Market with our eyes on an IHOP and our spirits in joyful shock.

SUN - 8.21.05 - 1:08 AM
Thank God that's over. The pessimists are always right when it comes to this team. I hate it.

I'll finish the trip tomorrow, or maybe later. I have to warn you though, the excitement has already reached its peak.

THU - 8.25.05 - 2:43 PM
I haven't felt like such crap in a long, long time. Maybe since USC. You'll have to forgive me if I don't update much for a week or so (kinda like this past week?). I'm not in much of a blogging mood.

THU - 8.25.05 - 10:34 PM
Okay, that was a little dramatic. I was feeling pretty bad earlier but I'm not sure what possessed me to write something so dire. If I don't update much, it will be due to my schedule, which could end up pretty full in a week or two.

To sum up: My Wednesday/Thursday weren't so good, but don't worry about me.

FRI - 8.26.05 - 9:24 PM
Better Than Ezra is playing in Norman tonight for the Big Red Rally. The problem with that is that they're playing with three other bands, none of which I particularly care for. I'm not going to spend $21.50 on a ticket to see Ezra play for probably 30 minutes, then sit through three crappy acts for a couple more hours. It's pretty sad that that's what they've been relegated to. I'm not as big a fan as I used to be (especially after the mediocre album they released a few months ago), but I still like to catch them live when I can.

WED - 8.31.05 - 12:52 AM
I see dozens of people on a fairly regular basis with whom I am familiar. I am close with almost none of them. Two or three max.

Why is this? And why does it bother me so much?

FRI - 9.2.05 - 2:25 AM
Ah, procrastination. I've missed thee these last three months.

FRI - 9.2.05 - 10:10 PM
A couple random moments in songs that have made me smile recently:
Stuart Murdoch of Belle & Sebastian forcing "food" to half-rhyme with "good" in 'The Boy With The Arab Strap'
Neil Hannon of The Divine Comedy singing "Steve McQueen" in that crazy voice of his in 'Absent Friends'
All the lyrics to Death Cab For Cutie's 'Why You'd Want To Live Here'

I spent most of last night and this morning in the architecture wood shop, working on a mold for my concrete chair. I had to use the art school's shop after the arch shop closed for the weekend, but I managed to get all my pieces cut. Tomorrow I'll assemble the thing, then hopefully I can get the concrete poured on Sunday. I am exhausted and dirty.

The Royals' official web site has removed the standings from the front page. They always seem to do that around this time of year. Surely it has nothing to do with the fact that they are now thirty eight and one half games out of first place.

CORRECTION: Better Than Ezra will be playing their show in Norman on September 13, not back on August 26 like I said before. I thought it coincided with the Big Red Rally, but apparently not. Either way, my feelings have not changed on the subject.

SAT - 9.3.05 - 6:07 PM
How's my project going, you ask? Well, it's a good thing that my major is not Carpentry. I've put in about two hours of work, the last half hour of which was me undoing my mistakes and getting back to the starting point again. Now I'm taking a break because I'm tired and frustrated and hungry.

Other things not looking so good today include the Sooners offense. They're better than they played, but they're going to have trouble against good teams. This could be a long year involving lots of 10-7 type games.

It's nice not to have classes on Tuesday and Thursday, but I'm tired all the time now.

TUE - 9.6.05 - 2:23 PM
I spent most of my waking hours yesterday mixing, pouring, and troweling concrete, which is about as much fun as listening to someone describe their stool. But the stupid thing is finished. Now I just have to hope that when I see it again on Wednesday the frame won't have fallen apart.

WED - 9.7.05 - 11:40 PM
As soon as I got my concrete poured, I began worrying that when it dried it would get too heavy and the frame would collapse. I got out of History of the Built Environment around 9:30 AM this morning and walked over to Gould Hall feeling almost sick to my stomach. I walked through the building and into the courtyard where I had done the pouring, and saw:

this.

I danced a dance in my mind; I was overwhelmingly relieved and ecstatic. All that hard work, and it wasn't for nothing! Next came the task of knocking the frame off and flipping my chair right side up. I had gotten one side clear, then swung my hammer in the stroke that cleared the second side. I looked at the result, and saw:

this.

Um, that's not supposed to happen.

I kept going, thinking I could come up with a plan once I got the whole thing out. So I knocked down another side, and saw:

this.

OK, YOU CAN STOP FALLING APART NOW.

Numb with shock, I took out the last side, leading to its collapse as well as the collapse of the first side, which had somehow remained standing to that point. I was left with:

this.

I arranged the pieces to look as close to the intended form as possible, and ended up with this. For better comparative purposes, here is a picture of the rubble juxtaposed with a fully intact study model of what it should look like, and a closeup of the study model.

I was SO PISSED. I put in way too much physical labor, money, and thought into this project to have it crumble in front of me in a matter of seconds. But that's what happened, and all I could do was try to get through the presentation without completely humiliating myself further.

I started by explaining what I thought went wrong (in my estimation, it was a poor mixture - way too dry, probably overcompensating for some wet batches I made at the beginning. I really should have tried a few test runs first, seeing as how I'd never mixed concrete before). After that I got into the actual concept, which I think went over well. The critiquers (word or not?) were my professor (Olaf) and someone named Eleanor, whom I think works in the department in some capacity. Most of the discussion focused on the construction, and understandably so. I got a few tips in the case I decide to try and build it again (highly doubtful; I don't really have the time or money). Just as my critique was wrapping up, Eleanor said something which helped my spirits. "Better to be a brilliant failure than an easy success." I gave a slight bow of the head and exhaled.

Just for fun, here are a few more angles on the pile of crumbly concrete still sitting in the Gould Hall courtyard.
with the disassembled frame in the background
sigh
eye level
other side

I feel okay about it now. Even if I get a bad grade, it's only one project. I still feel like the concept was good enough to carry it anyway.

We're getting new carpet in the house tomorrow, so I have to pack up my entire room in the next couple hours. Life just keeps getting more fun.

WED - 9.14.05 - 11:28 PM
Had an eleven question test tonight (in Architectural Structures) that took me three hours to complete. And about half the class was still working when I finished. This would be where I continue my streak of posting something that's not fun at all and using fun to describe it sarcastically.

I have been spending most of my little free time watching the suddenly constant rain and listening to Elliott Smith, Jump Little Children, and Brad Mehldau. I probably shouldn't do it much longer for health reasons, but it's cathartic in a way, and I do enjoy it.

Very busy lately. That is all.

WED - 9.21.05 - 11:21 PM
And I thought I was busy last time I updated. I've got so much stuff to do tomorrow that I don't even want to think about it for fear of breaking my spirit. The Decemberists were in OKC tonight, but I had to miss them because of projects/homework. They were in Norman in May and I missed them then as well, for similar reasons. School is IN THE WAY.

I'm making a mix right now because music is about the only thing I've enjoyed lately.

The New Orleans Hornets are going to be playing their home games in Oklahoma City this year. I'll have to make it to some games even though I'm not an NBA fan, just to experience the benefits of living in a major league city.

So much to do. Save me.

SUN - 9.25.05 - 1:52 PM
The sunset last night was doing cool things with the clouds. We were literally on the cusp of Rita; the sky was clear off to the west, but the outermost bands of the storm were floating over Norman, and the eastern sky was all cloudy. We're not going to get any rain from it (boo) but it made for some nice pictures.

\one
\two
\three
\four
\five
\six
\seven
\eight

The last two were taken from a parking garage on campus.

I think one of my CD carriers was stolen. I had it in my backpack, along with walkman, headphones, and books. This was Wednesday. I'm not sure when somebody could have taken it, because I had the bag next to me the entire day. And it's the only thing missing too; I don't know why they would take the case and not the electronics sitting right next to it. Luckily, it was only about half full, and it only carries twelve in the first place. Here's what I know is gone:

Rilo Kiley - More Adventurous [I'm mad about this one. It's been one of my favorites over the few months I've had it.]
Fiona Apple - When the pawn... [This is one of my five all-time favorite albums, so its loss is extremely frustrating.]
The Arcade Fire - Funeral [Not as upset about this.]
Belle and Sebastian - If You're Feeling Sinister [May be my favorite B&S, which is really saying something.]
Sufjan Stevens - Illinois [I might be the most upset about this one. I got the limited print with Superman on the cover (the people who own the Superman copyright made him remove it after the release), and while I don't think the disc itself is any different from the other version, I don't have the set anymore, and things like that bother me.]

Also, two mixes are gone, but that's no biggie.

It could be a lot worse. I'm only missing five real discs, and I still have the jewel cases and liner notes here at home. I've ripped the files onto my computer, so I still have all the music. But one of the things that appeals to me about collecting music is having everything that goes along with the music: the album art, the thank you's, the disc design. I don't feel guilty about being mad about it.

Admittedly, it probably didn't warrant quite so many words. Whatever, I was on a roll.

WED - 9.28.05 - 7:16 PM
I found my CD carrier. It was on top of the piano at the UMC.

D'oh.

I was actually missing a couple more CDs than I remembered, but it doesn't really matter now. That's all I have for now. Still really busy. A cold front came through this evening and it feels amazing outside.

SAT - 10.8.05 - 1:51 AM
I have stuff to talk about and show, but I'm having trouble finding the time and motivation to do it. I've been no less busy, but feeling good lately. This week, sometime.

SAT - 10.8.05 - 3:33 PM
Last Friday (Sep. 30), my studio section took a field trip to Dallas to visit a couple museums and walk around downtown. I had a good time and took lots of pictures. Here's the cream of the crop:

\The skyline (probably my favorite)
\Becoming one with the art
\A different view of the same piece
\Exterior of the Nasher Sculpture Center (I.M. Pei, architect)
\'Quantum Cloud XX (tornado)' by Antony Gormley
\'White Flying Figure with Numbers' by Jonathan Borofsky
\Goofy, but I had fun with it (the hammer moves up and down, so I had to time it perfectly)
\Fountains and city
\Sculpture and Andy
\Church and skyscraper
\Fountain Place (also by I.M. Pei)
\Reflections in Fountain Place
\So why is it called Fountain Place?

The next day was the day the bomb went off on the south oval during the football game. I heard it from our house two miles from campus. I thought it was thunder, but looked outside and there were no clouds. I didn't worry about it until Isaiah called me from Missouri saying he had heard about an explosion at the game. There was no information available for a few hours, but the game was still going on TV, so I figured it was no big deal. By the end of the evening, the word was "individual suicide," but a week later, it sounds like there may have been more sinister motives. Apparently the guy tried to enter the stadium, but left when they asked to search his backpack. Right now it's mostly speculation though, and we may never know exactly what was going on.

Wednesday, I finally got my Structures test back. I was not feeling good going in, and although I thought I did well, the format we have to follow on solving problems is strict, and I was worried I had screwed something up. I got a 100, which is strange because I completely skipped one question, but...I'll take it.

Thursday, the weather got cold. I enjoyed every minute of it.

Last night I went to the Carl Albert football game with Dad and Courtney. I hadn't been to one since 2003. That game might have been when I really moved past high school, because the post-graduation disconnect was suddenly so distinct. This time the disconnect was even greater. I only saw a handful of people I even recognized. I caught up with a few people, though nobody I don't see every now and then anyway. After halftime I wandered towards the band to see Mr. King and anyone who might be interested in talking. And, well, four years later and the trumpet section still worships me. I talked with a few people from the section for a few minutes, as well as some others who came by to see what the fuss was about. I know how much stock to put in it, but it's still fun to be introduced as a "legend."

Texas is wrapping up a grade-A smack upside the head of OU, and I'm finally done for now.

SUN - 10.16.05 - 1:20 AM
THAT...was one of the greatest football games I have ever had the pleasure, or anxiety, of watching. Four years ago, it would have been heartbreaking for me. This time, it would have been cause for celebration, had I not been in the OU student union lounge watching with about 50 angry Sooner fans who would have promptly beaten the snot out of me. The Trojans are not a popular team in these parts.

Last week was not good times. I worked through two all nighters, did well on a test, and did we'll see on a couple others. I have to do three big-time drawings tomorrow for a presentation on Monday. I don't know if I just don't remember how things were last year, but the jump in time and effort required this semester really seems phenomenal.

Bebe is visiting Norman this weekend while my parents are out of town. The cats seem to be completely avoiding her, which is better than the constant hissing and physical restraint that occurred last time she was here. I really like having her around.

\dish in the light
\head on the dog

THU - 10.20.05 - 2:52 AM
Seriously, who made the rule that headlines have to be bad puns? Thanks for making all our lives worse.

After we presented a finished project on Monday, we got the rest of the week off in studio. Respite never tasted so good.

TUE - 10.25.05 - 12:31 AM
RESPITE: OVER

Along with 8 other people, I have to build a MASSIVE wooden model of an ornate Baroque Viennese church by Friday. Tomorrow, I'm visiting an elementary school in Oklahoma City to give a trumpet demonstration. This weekend, I'm going on a float trip with the university group at First Pres. Monday, I have a group presentation on Judaism along with a paper on the same subject. The following Monday, I have a huge paper due in Structures, and two days later there's a test in that class. And somewhere in there, I have to find time to turn 22.

THU - 10.27.05 - 12:07 AM
Well, congratulations White Sox. I don't know where in the hell you found that wave of momentum, but you rode it to a, well, a really impressive postseason and World Series title. You were the most deserving team this time around.

I hope it's at least another 88 years before you so much as sniff the damn playoffs again.

WED - 11.2.05 - 1:37 AM
The last third of this article makes me really happy.

I had a great time on the float trip last weekend. The weather couldn't have been more perfect. Being out on the river was very relaxing (probably helped that I didn't fall in this year), which was something I needed. Here's a few pictures that were taken by Dan, our leader guy.

The group, pre-float
On the river
Taking a break on the beach after the first pair went under
Mike Ruark and Matt King: a canoeing force to be reckoned with
Loading up, post-float
Around the fire

Looks like a fairly straightforward week ahead, at least what's left of it. Doesn't seem like that happens very often anymore.

THU - 11.3.05 - 1:28 AM
Never mind. I'll be working on a paper sort of project the next couple days, so things will not be so straightforward after all.

By the way, the jerseys Florida wore this week are absolutely horrifying.

TUE - 11.8.05 - 7:11 PM
As some of you know, I had a job interview today. Their phone call last Wednesday was random and vague, enough to set off some fishy flags in my head. Even if it was legit, I wasn't expecting to have the time to accept anything, but I figured I would at least see what they were saying.

I put on a tie and made the drive to Nichols Hills. When I got there, they had me fill out a short form, including asking for a suspiciously large number of references (six or seven; I gave them three with no real usable information). Then I had a short interview with the lady who had called last week. She gave a little information on the company and what they do, but mostly asked me questions. I set up an appointment next week for more information and to ask some questions. I'm thinking I may just cancel it though. I did some research, and it looks like a legit company, but with practices that could easily be construed as a little shady. I'm a little disappointed it wasn't something more, but like I said, my expectations weren't much anyway.

My birthday was pleasant. I spent most of the day in Midwest City, then came back to Norman to go out with some friends at night. I got a 60 gig iPod, which I have been enjoying messing around with. Other than that things were quiet, but that's fine by me.

MON - 11.14.05 - 11:04 PM
Unless something drastic changes in the last half of the season, the Chiefs are going nowhere. They're maddeningly inconsistent, and it looks like inconsistency is going to end up being the trademark of Dick Vermeil's tenure as coach. What a shame.

I've been a casual fan of Elliott Smith for a pretty long time now, but in the last couple months I've really just discovered how great some of his music is. His voice was so sad and expressive, mirroring those haunting, beautiful melodies. Every now and then, a song is so bittersweet that it stings to listen to. I don't really have much else to add to that.

I get frustrated writing this thing sometimes. I feel like I can't express ideas and feelings beyond a high school level. Maybe that's because it's mostly a "what happened to me today" sort of thing, but that's really why I started it in the first place. Even when I try to branch out a little, I end up writing two or three choppy sentences that don't really say anything. And of course, I talk about music in practically every post anyway, which is superficial and boring. I promise I can experience things without the crutch of a song in the background or my head.

I just wish I was a better writer is what I guess I'm trying to say.

FRI - 12.2.05 - 1:08 AM
Just a quick check-in before I resign myself to studio slavery for the next five days. Final presentations are Wednesday, and I've certainly got my work cut out for me until then. After I get done with that, I get a two hour break before my Structures final, which will take anywhere from 3-6 hours.

I've had a couple cool things happen since my last post (wow, that was a while ago now) but I'll have to get to those when I have a little more time. Until then, here's to sanity.

SUN - 12.11.05 - 1:53 PM
Thursday was a great day, involving lunches, CDs, birthdays, family, letters, parties, and all the good things those entail. Coming the day after I finished two really tough classes, it couldn't have been better timed.

Right now I'm working on an overhaul of the Photos section. Basically, every half-decent picture I've taken with my digital camera has been on my computer in the year+ that I've had it, and I finally got around to cropping/adjusting them all to my liking. They're now all uploaded to various internet locations, and sometime over the break I'll have them available for viewing.

Fight on, Reggie Bush. It is good to be a Trojan right now.
(By the way, the last time a Heisman winner didn't come from one of my schools, I was a senior in high school.)

MON - 12.12.05 - 12:13 PM
Last year, in the weeks leading up to the national championship game, I had several dreams, one of which came eerily close to predicting the exact final score (22-19, compared to the actual final of 55-19 [it's in the similarity of the shape of the numbers, not their linear proximity, stupid]).

Well, I had my first Rose Bowl dream last night. I guess I'll record all the ones I remember, on the offchance that Nostradamus speaks through me again this year. This particular dream might not meant to be taken seriously however, because in his post-game interview, Mack Brown put on a Chiefs hat (now that's scary). All the same, you heard it here first:

USC 46, Texas 13.

THU - 12.15.05 - 11:27 PM
This semester is d-u-n DONE. For anyone who's talked to me in the last couple days, sorry if I was a little surreal. I haven't slept for more than four hours at a time since probably Monday night, though I have been getting plenty of sleep (Think sleep for a couple hours, study a couple, back to sleep, etc.). I've stayed coherent but everything seems just a little sub-normal. I came home about 5:30 today and slept until 10, so I don't know when I'm going to be back to sleeping at night and being awake during the day. It might be next week sometime. But I have no more schoolwork for a month.

In preparation for my Comparative Religion final today, I wrote a short page-and-a-half essay in about an hour on the topic of approaches to comparison. I was really proud of it, but then it ended up not being one of the choices. So I'll put it up here, mostly so I don't lose it. There's a couple sentences of fluff, but with those few exceptions, I was able to write with much more substance and conviction than I normally do.
---------------
Comparative religion seems like a pretty straightforward idea; the definition of comparison does not lend itself much to individual interpretation. But with a topic so inherently biased as religions, it only makes sense that the methods for comparing them would be almost as numerous and personal as they are. The six major categories that these methods fall under are Exclusive, Normative, Evolutionary, Universal, Particular, and Transcendent.

Of these basic types of approaches to comparison, I agree most with the Universal. This approach looks for common traits and unifying aspects between religions. In some cases, it seeks to use these commonalities to blend religions together, until they are more of a single hybrid rather than individual entities. This method strikes me as having the most respect for all the religions that may be studied under it. No specific faith or tradition is considered better than any other; in fact, the purpose of this method is to put them all on the same plane and see what makes them similar rather than seeing the differences and, following that, which one is more "right."

However, I do not agree with the portion of this approach which tries to blend multiple religions into one. While finding common ground is the easiest way of understanding other religions, doing so in order to shape them how one wishes is manipulative. Taking aspects of at least two distinct religions and making some sort of faith potpourri ignores not only the unique and particular traits which make a faith tradition singular, but also the cultural context which gave rise to them. It is possible to find common threads between religions while still respecting their individuality. I believe the Universal approach is capable of doing this, so long as religions are not merged together.

The approach with which I disagree most would be the Exclusive. This approach chooses one religion as the standard by which others are compared, declaring its tenets to be the correct ones. It's hard to even begin coming up with all the things I find wrong with this sort of thinking. For starters, it defeats the entire purpose of comparison in the first place. Comparison should be used for education and understanding, not for disproving a particular faith or finding ways in which it is inferior. Using the comparative approach simply to justify one's own religion is a perversion. Beginning a comparison by declaring one religion to be less true than the other discredits the "inferior" religion, and by extension, the comparison itself.

I am interested in comparative religion because I believe in ecumenism. Ignorance breeds the hate and intolerance that are so prevalent in the world. Understanding other religions lets an outsider see how they work and why they interact with others the way they do. The Exclusive approach ignores this in favor of comfort within one's own beliefs. The Universal approach at least holds to an ideal that religions should be set on a level playing field.

SAT - 12.17.05 - 8:47 PM
END OF THE YEAR LISTMANIA BEGINS TODAY

Top 10 Musical Acts Which Influenced My Listening In 2005

10: Elton John - I really started getting into some of his early-to-mid-70s stuff in about the spring. I bought Honky Chateau over the summer and loved it.
9: Belle and Sebastian - Added a couple albums and compilations to my collection over the year. Their best work is irresistible.
8: The Go! Team - Thunder, Lightning, Strike came out in 2004, but I discovered it early in 2005 and couldn't put it away. You can't have more fun with headphones on.
7: The Beatles - I continued to delve deeper into their catalogue this year. With each album I buy, there's at least one song that I never knew was theirs.
6: Andrew Bird - The fact that he's ranked so low says just how strong the top half of this list is. Most years he would probably be top 3, if not number 1. I'll talk more about The Mysterious Production Of Eggs on my 2005 Top Albums list, coming soon to a The Correct Dosage near you.
5: Rilo Kiley - Mild fandom turned into mild obsession after seeing them perform at Bricktown Live in May. I bought last year's More Adventurous soon afterward, and listened to it for about a month straight.
4: Fiona Apple - The leak of Extraordinary Machine and a (fantastic) reworked release, along with a renewed confirmation of When the pawn...'s greatness, solidified Fiona as one of my all-time favorites.
3: Ben Folds - You were expecting Ja Rule? A new album and three concerts made for an exciting year. Had it not been for that Rilo Kiley show, I might have listened to nothing but Songs For Silverman all summer.
2: Elliott Smith - The only reason he's not #1 is because he didn't take control of my ears until September. As I mentioned a couple months ago, this wasn't a completely new discovery, but rather a much deeper appreciation for an artist I already enjoyed. I don't know how I went so long without knowing how good he was.
1: Kanye West - In January he was hardly a blip on my radar. By the time I laid ears on Late Registration in September, he had a stranglehold on my iTunes playlist. Kanye's music moves me in every possible sense of the word.

Honorable mentions: Blackalicious, Of Montreal, Jump Little Children, The Mountain Goats, Jason Falkner

TUE - 12.27.05 - 11:23 PM
END OF THE YEAR LISTMANIA CONTINUES TODAY

My 5 Favorite Albums of 2005

5\Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
Sufjan probably should have trimmed a few tracks from this 74-minute monster, but with songs this good, one can't blame him for getting a little too excited. The instrumentation is a little formulaic, and by the end the sameness starts to wear thin. Still, it's hard not to be charmed by this guy and his trumpets and strings and paragraphs-for-titles and lyrical gifts.
Favorite track: Come On! Feel The Illinoise!

4\Fiona Apple - Extraordinary Machine
Aside from two or three tracks (e.g. "Please Please Please" - what happened?!), the official release was miles better than the leaked internet version. It has all the vitriol and affecting balladry one would expect from a Fiona album, but also an occasional tinge of hip-hop and general beat sensibility courtesy of producer Mike Elizondo. Another outstanding set of songs from one of the most underappreciated artists in the biz.
Favorite track: Waltz (Better Than Fine)

3\Ben Folds - Songs For Silverman
It's fair to say that I passed the point of objectivity with Mr. Folds a while ago. But it should be noted that I wasn't so sure about this album the first couple times I listened to it. Too many "aahs," kinda boring in the middle. But something clicked during the third time through, while I was flipping through the liner notes during "Jesusland." It's more subdued than anything else he's put out to this point, but it works in its own way. "Prison Food," especially, is a really interesting change of pace.
Favorite track: You To Thank

2\Kanye West - Late Registration
Forget about all his crazy extracurricular escapades this year - Kanye West knows how to make records. Adding Jon Brion to the production team helped elevate Late Registration above the exceedingly high standard set last year by The College Dropout - this year's album is better across the board. This is probably the closest a rap album has ever come to holding my interest the entire way through, without backsliding into gangsta crap, filling space with silly skits, or wanking through boring slow jams. It's hard to narrow down any highlights, let alone one, so I also have to give love to "Heard Em Say," "Touch The Sky," and "Roses" as some of the best songs released by anyone this year.
Favorite track: Gone

1\Andrew Bird - The Mysterious Production Of Eggs
I'm not even sure what appeals to me so much about this album. I guess there's something like an air of innocence, both in the lyrics and the arrangements. These songs just make me feel good. The words make me smile. The melodies stir me to...something. All I know is that I like this CD more than anything I've heard in a long time.
Favorite track: Tables and Chairs

SAT - 12.31.05 - 1:03 AM
END OF THE YEAR LISTMANIA IS OVER

I planned on doing a few other, more interesting lists, but just never got around to it. Maybe next year.

Today I'm headed up to Kansas City for New Year's celebrations with friends and, later, the first steps of my summer internship search. I've got an appointment with somebody at HOK, which is the current standard-bearer of stadium architecture on the Planet Earth. I don't know if it's an actual interview or something more informal, but I'm excited to be seeing the place. It turns out that it's only about two blocks from City Market, where I've seen Ben Folds perform the last two summers.

I'll be seeing you all in 2006. May it be a good one.