Holy Crap!!!

So I am currently enrolled in a new online course for Grad School. Holy Sh*t is it kicking me in the ass in regards to homework work load. That's one of my issues with online courses. Because you do not have a formal meeting time, it seems like everyday there is some due date for an assignment or what have you. I keep telling myself, only two more classes left to go. But holy crap, so be prepared for me to be complaining, a lot.

How We Watch TV

We are in a constant state of evolution. This is especially noticeable in our technology. Every few months, the news always reports on the new latest and greatest gadget that we need to have in order to function. But I wonder if we ever sit back and think about how this new technology alters our everyday lives. For example, Television, the way we watch TV is totally different than the way we watched it ten to fifteen years ago.

I remember as a little kid, gathering together with my family every Thursday night to watch the new episode of Seinfeld. We made the time in our schedules to gather together and watch a program together. We could not fast forward through commercials, and if we missed the new episode, we would have to wait till the summer to see the rerun. Now, we have Netflix, the Internet, and DVDs.

Currently I find myself waiting for a show’s season to be completed before I begin to watch it. I like being able to see the entire story without any interrupts and no waiting. It is on my time. At the same time my TV viewing has become more of a solitary activity. My family is not like me, and they do not wish to spend an entire day watching 30 Rock or Downton Abbey. (I don’t know why) I’m not the only one who watches TV like this either. Most of my friends do the same exact thing.

I think what my conclusion is; there is good and bad. I love the fact that I can sit and in a weekend watch an entire season of a show. Its weird to say, but it somehow focuses me. At the same time, there is something to be said about the traditional way of viewing. Gathering together with loved ones, and the entire group making time in the schedules for a group viewing activity. Ultimately I think that is what I miss the most. The gathering together of loved ones.

Really Cool New Band

A co-worker of mine introduced me to this band called "Moon Hooch". Needless to say I have listened to nothing else today. Here is a really cool live performance.

To Make German Potato Salad or Not To Make German Potato Salad

I took to my twitter account earlier today to ask the question of whether or not I should cook German potato salad tonight for dinner. I phrased the question in the theme of Hamlet’s ubiquitously famous To Be or Not to be soliloquy. (View Here) My cousin Matt responded to me with a second part of Halmet’s soliloquy, (View Here) so I thought it would be a little fun to rethink this soliloquy in the vain of whether or not I should cook German potato salad. Here is what I have come up with:

“To make German Potato Salad-
Or not to make German Potato Salad-
That is the question?
Whether ‘tis nobler in the stomach to eat German potato salad-
Than to suffer the mis-fortunate grease burns-
Caused by the bacon fried in a short amount of time.
Or the yearning caused by waiting till the weekend-
To allow the proper time of preparation to occur-
To wait, to be patient no more.

The stomach won out and I cooked it tonight.

Rubber Soul

Have you ever awoken in the mood to listen to a particular album? It happens to me frequently actually. Yesterday morning I woke up in the mood to listen to Rubber Soul by The Beatles. Rubber Soul is the sixth studio album released by The Beatles and was released in December of 1965.

I love Rubber Soul! It has been my favorite Beatles’ album for about ten years. It is actually quiet a landmark album in my opinion. It is on Rubber Soul where much of the musical experimentation that the Beatles would be known for later in their career is foreshadowed.

*Listen to Norwegian Wood and Nowhere Man

Yet Rubber Soul has an infectious pop sound to it that any general musical fan can greatly appreciate, and would not be scared away.

*Listen to Drive My Car and You Won’t See Me

Finally it has one of the greatest songs ever written in the history of music on it, In My Life. This song perfectly captures the universal human emotions of remembrance and love. If you are not a massive Beatles fan, and are looking to find a good “starter” Beatles album, I cannot recommend this album enough. Rubber Soul is the perfect combination of pop, rock, and experimental.



*Note: Yes I did write this blog while listening to Rubber Soul.

Religion Today

I am currently reading the book: Between Heaven and Mirth: Why Joy, Humor, and Laughter are at the Heart of the Spiritual Life. The author of the book is the Reverend Father James Martin, SJ. Father Martin is a Jesuit Priest, editor at America Magazine, and Chaplin of The Colbert Report. In the book, Father Martin tries to discourage people from only viewing religion and spirituality as deadly serious and stoic institutions. He believes that we should view them as places that can provide us great joy and happiness. This book has been a wonderful breath of fresh air for me and has assisted in my own reflection of my spiritual life. I am beginning to view religion and spirituality with a much more joyous eye.

But as I am reading this book, a number of questions continue to pop into my head. The main question being: “Why does today’s society view religion and spirituality in a negative light?” 2011 was a turbulently year for me personally. A close friend of mine died early in the year, and there were some other things that happened that I will not get into here. But one of the main things that helped me get through the rough patches was my spiritual belief. When I tell this to other people, I sometimes get the look of “oh you’re one of those crazy religious people that hate everything that isn’t your religion.” I wish I would of responded back to these looks, but most of the time I did not.

I’m a religious person. So what. For me, it has been a great source of comfort, joy, and now laughter. Why view this as a negative. With the current state of the world, war, disease, hopelessness, major socioeconomic differences, etc. religion and spirituality can be a great social tool to help us improve the world. We religious people need to be brave enough to stand up for our beliefs and help put a stop to this stigma of, if you are religious you do not believe in science, or you think everyone is going to hell unless they are apart of your religion. At the heart of most major religions is love and peace. Now that is something that we should strive for.

Doomsday Clock Moves One Minute Closer

I didn't even realize that we still had the Doomsday clock.
Click Here