Loves

Faith (For a God who loves me eternally), Family (whom I miss with my entirety), and Food (don't really need an explanation for this one).

Mission Possible

                My mission was to overhear a conversation. My target…anyone really. Why do it? An assignment handed down to me by the highest authority. I would tell you who I ultimately worked for, if I honestly knew myself. Either way, I’ve been told to conduct my espionage concerning the conversation of individuals I encounter during my daily routine.

                For my part, I will honestly say it’s not that big of a deal for me to listen to what’s going on around me. Now, to remember what I heard is a completely different experience but to be honest you can overhear conversations and grasp what’s being heard fairly easily. Of course it’s always tough to not be too big of a creep and listen to intently to the point of wanting to interject your own opinion, but honestly, in our interconnected world, is it too far of a stretch to be aware of someone’s conversation with websites like Facebook or MySpace advocating nearly the same concept? With all of this in mind, I set out on my quest, for a quest is what it truly was.

                The idea actually fell to me in more of an accident than anything else. Tuesday of this week was spent almost exclusively on my work towards my various papers and other assignments leading up to finals week. Finding myself in a study room connected to my floor’s lounge, I had been working since nearly three that afternoon. Finding myself in a lull in my work, a conversation of moderate interest caught my ears as I sat at my computer.

                Most of the conversation centered on the way two of my friends felt towards each other, a subject I’ve been sure to elucidate with both of them. Social comments aside, if two people don’t mesh that well, I usually chalk it up to mutual disagreement and thus ending the conversation. However, for some reason, the issue must feel like it’s escalated because where I would let something go became more of an insult argument. Obviously for me, this just meant neither felt that much animosity towards each other, both just wanted an object to take their frustrations out on.

                In short, the conversation wasn’t that interesting, but I guess I fulfilled my goal of covertly observing the speech patterns of my fellow students. While I never question an order, I must say I wondered as to the application of this mission. However, I must say that though the objective may seem tertiary to the greater good, the skills that I have acquired through the completion of my goal will surely pay off in the long run.

Events of Note

                Begun in the early 1900s, Mizzou was the first college to start the institute of homecoming. Now, it is commonplace for colleges and high schools across the country. Why is it such a big deal for Mizzou? Well, I wish I could tell you exactly why outside of it being tradition and a sense of pride for Mizzouians [new word] everywhere, but I don’t have much evidence being a freshman. Honestly, I’ve been involved with alumni that have come back every week for football.  So to me, homecoming isn’t as much a cool experience to see old Tigers coming back to their old stomping grounds as it is an opportunity for the students to show their immense pride for their school. Being involved with some of the activities that makes homecoming what it is, I got to see for the first time the side of homecoming that makes it great by being able to show off my own involvement by helping decorate the downtown district and go to the football game that caps the weekend.

                So, instead of explaining something like homecoming, I’d like to spend a paragraph or so to explain what is a bigger deal for me and that is the senior day football game. Effectively, this game is to commemorate the last game that the senior players will participate in. Going into the game last Saturday, it was against a conference rival Kansas State. Known for their success in the 90s, the program has hit on hard times with a few bright spots centering around their dual threat quarterback. The opening ceremonies were very touching, with an homage to Aaron O’Neal, a Mizzou linebacker who died and would have graduated this year.  Along with this salute, it was also great to see the other seniors who walked onto Faurot Field for their last game as Tigers. Among them were players I’ve watched since they were freshman, including Chase Daniel, Chase Coffman, and Tommy Saunders to name a few. This senior class has done more for MU’s football program in not merely individual achievement but also in the success of the team as a whole than any other class in recent memory. While they will be sorely missed on the field on future chilly Saturdays, I will always remember the great teams of the 2009 graduating class. 

Girl Talk

I've gotta give it to Girl Talk, I wasn't expecting a whole lot. I was expecting a few remixes of the run-of-the-mill rap songs. I will also say that I wasn't expecting the complete wide array of music that he takes from when combining his music. One thing that didn't exactly ring true for me was the complete abuse of pop rap because it simply isn't my style. However, I did catch myself laughing when I started hearing real rap (in my opinion) like Jay-Z and Eminem (yes, I know he's just a white Tupac) combined with Foreigner or Journey. The ability that Girl Talk employs to mix the variety of music that he does demonstrates an obviously extensive knowledge of music. Also, this knowledge to me demonstrates not merely an ability to know what sounds good together but also how to fit different genres together and how to truly meld the decades of music.

However, when I was considering the entire concept of how Girl Talk presents his compositions, I was curious as to almost the integrity of his work. Is it right for him to present music this way, or should he include a five page copyright section so that he doesn’t get sued. For me, his repetition and the way he presented his music only served for me to listen to it a few times. In the right context I see Girl Talk’s music to have a place. In lacks depth that original writers seek to attain by writing new music.

In conclusion, I believe that Girl Talk should just as much considered music in this day and age as most pop artists. In previous generations, I don’t see Girl Talk being given any credibility but because of the other music that I see hitting the top of the charts, he must at least be considered akin to the music of Akon or Kanye West.  

"What is love? Baby don't hurt, don't hurt me, no more..."

"Perhaps the most everyday instance...is in the case of women; and their strange and strong loyalty. Some stupid people started the idea that because women obviously back up their own people through everything, therefore women are blind and do not see everything. They can hardly have known any women. The same women who are ready to defend their men through thick and thin are (in their personal intercourse with the man) almost morbidly lucid about the thinness of his excuses or the thickness of his head. A man's friend likes him but leaves him as he is: his wife loves him and is always trying to turn him into somebody else. Women who are utter mystics in their creed are utter cynics in their criticism. Thackeray expressed this well when he made Pendennis' mother, who worshiped her son as a god, yet assumed that he would go wrong as a man. She underrated his virtue, though she overrated his value. The devotee is entirely free to criticize; the fanatic can safely be a skeptic. Love is not blind; that is the last thing that it is. Love is bound; and the more bound the less it is blind." -Orthodoxy by G.K.Chesterton

[finishing comments to be added later]

Influences:
What's Going On-Marvin Gaye
Hold On-Good Charlotte

Train of Thought

Christianity=Exclusive worldview->Postmodern deconstructionism->Argument of five blind men and an elephant=Exclusive worldview=Irony

Sunday morning, rain was falling, oh yeah-e-yeah.

In light of my...situation with AP studying, I've resolved to keep this short and sweet. God is pretty cool about opening up possibilities to overcome my faults. Pastor Schoenfeld quoted Paul in his sermon today with something like "Lord, if you won't take this thorn out of my side, then You have been faithful to bless me with your grace."

Lord, if you won't take this thorn of procrastination and pessimistic attitude about overcoming obstacles away, then I'm just going to have to take all the grace you can give me!