I managed to avoid getting mixed into a New Years brawl Boston style, and now I'm heading to bed, I'll tell you all about it tomorrow. Happy New Year everyone.
It's interesting how people can have preconcieved notions that are way off from reality.
Today, for instance, Andrew and I drove down to Plymouth to get out of town and check out a nearby historical site. When we got there, I began scanning the local shorline for a large cliff-side rising from the water and overwhelming the rest of the local terrain. Instead, what I found near the center of the waterfront was a smallish white 'temple,' if you will, that enclosed the true Plymouth Rock, a simple chunk of granite with the year 1620 etched into it.
Without ever thinking about it, my logical assumption was that the Plymouth Rock the pilgrims landed on would be of formidable size, an attraction to the Mayflower from far out at sea perhaps. I was shocked to see this not ring true, and parhaps a little dissapointed, why would a rock no more than three feet long at it's widest be so significant and world renouned? It baffles me.
Anyway, this brought to mind the idea that people can often have such misguided notions as to the true nature of things. I think it's a funny sign that there's often more significance placed on an object itself rather than on why it's supposed to be significant.
I'm Andy Morrison, and that's my two cents.
Before I left home, my brother and I looked through his photo album from our trip around Europe together. One of the pictures taken in Scotland was of a Hairy Coo, or a cow that's hair is so shaggy it looks like it's covered entirely in dreadlocks.
When I made note of this picture, Alec related to me his motivation for spelling the name 'coo.' See, our bus driver for the Scotland tour, Mike, was a bit of a pathological liar. Numerous times he tried to convince us of the existence of various imaginary animals: Nessie, Haggis, whatever he could come up with. The problem for Alec was that when Mike introduced us to the Hairy Coo (a very real animal), he explained that the name was spelled 'Cououu' with the last 'u' silent.
Now, while Mikey had been arguing on the existence of totally false animals, Alec was tripped up by the fact that this one was real. After a day's worth of consideration and debate, Alec finally made up his mind that 'cououu' was probably not the correct way to spell the name, though this was not without some serious thought. As Alec put it, while Mike lied alot about fake animals "I didn't think he'd lie about the way an animal's name was spelled!"
Better late than never, here's my next list. Quite possibly the most mundane one yet . . .
Andy Morrison's Top Five Gifts this Christmas:
5) Indiana Jones Trilogy
4) Futurama Season 2 DVD
3) Gift Certificate to Comicbook Store - Worth around 15 individual comics!
2) Tickets to Appalachian Spring - Original Orchestration! 'Nuff said.
1) Plane tickets to Boston
Anyway, Andrew told me that he'd make this his homepage if I had some links to the sites he frequents, so I added them down at the bottom of the sidebar.
More lists to come soon . . .
"You better not break Grandma's cane, or she'll break you!"
- Uncle Jim to Benny as they fight over Grandma's walking stick.
Here again is another installment of what I like to call the Great Listing of 2003. This time around I'd like to give you a glimpse into the social connections I've made around the world this year. So without further ado, I give you . .
Andy Morrison's Top Seven New Friends 2003:
1) Bernard Chebani - What can I say about this guy? He's an up-and-coming Librarian of sorts from Botswana who dances in "Breakin" style street fights, thinks George Bush is the world's foremost leader, and can cook a mean fatcake. Joe should also be mentioned here. I've never seen such a skinny guy drink so damn much. The two of them definately kept me smiling through the semester abroad.
2) Sven of Norway - Ok, so Darcy and I never really got this guy's name, we just decided to call him Sven. He was the only other person at our expensive tourist hotel (and the only one in town) in Vik, a small village along the largest fjord in the world. Sven chatted with us for a long while at dinner, and had actually been to both Tacoma and Salem in his travels as a sort of 'logging consultant for hire.' Picture tall, balding, reddish-blond scruff covering a beet red face, and his hands and clothes covered in dirt and tree sap. I think he was eating fish.
3) Mark Guest - This cheeky brit was one of the friendliest guys I met during my time abroad. He's Chris Tiedeman only bigger and consistently more drunk. Also worth mentioning here is Dave Hughes who met me on the train to Aber for the first time. A hilarious guy with tons of random jokes and the funniest accent. He's the one who introduced me to Guesty.
4) Dave of Scotland - Lindsey and I saw this guy while we were eating lunch at a small Scottish hotel in Glencoe. He was huge, totally bald, and missing all but two teeth. While we never actually talked to the guy, we watched as he raked up his buddies in the strangest game of billiards I think I've ever seen.
5) Doris and Lenny - I've already explained these guys, and I had to put them in as one entry because I never see them apart.
6) Jess Thompson - Funny girl that gives me rides to the art museum. Worthy of mentioning simply for the great white elephant 'Santa and Mrs. Clause in their underwear' dolls that we submitted to the annual art museum gift exchange.
7) Old Man in Wolverhampton - He was the crazy character that chatted with Joe and I over breakfast while simultaneously drooling an orangish mucous and wetting himself. An old vet who had an uncanny ability to multi-task.
And there you have it. Tomorrow, look foreward to a top gifts listing in the spirit of the holiday.
Inadvertently, Alec helped me with my new years lists. He was telling me about the evils of listening to Dave Matthews when he revealed a partial list of singers he dislikes. After some short prodding, he gave me his difinitive list of his most hated voices in music . . .
Alec Morrison's Top Ten Worst Voices in the World:
10) Michael Stipe
9) Bono - especially in the song 'Elevation.' To quote Alec, "It just makes me want to kill people . . . and myself."
8) Sting
7) Van Morrison
6) Barbara Streisand
5) Dave Matthews
4) John Mayer
3) Phil Collins
2) Olu Dara - "Mostly because Dad sings it so badly."
And the number one Most Annoying Voice in the World
1) Macy Gray
There you have it, strait from the horses mouth.
I spent the entire day today cleaning up my UPS house in preparation for Christmas break. Tomorrow morning, I'll head out to do my christmas shopping before heading over to my parents' place for the holiday.
As is a prevalent trend at this time of the year, I'm going to start a series of Top Five Lists for 2003. For me, this year was characteristically bi-polar. Now, I don't mean to say that it had drastically opposing positive and negative elements, rather I'm referring to the six months I spent abroad relative to the other half of the year here in Tacoma. That said, these lists may end up appearing in twos, one for Europe and one for the US. Here goes . . .
Andy Morrison's Top Five New Places 2003:
1) North Wales - I stayed here for five months from February till June, and the countryside really stuck on me. Aber, where I lived was a beautiful little Welsh coast town, stuck between the hazel blue Irish Sea and the rolling green Cambrian Mountains. Then the trip I took with Lin, Joe, and Anna-Mari was awesome. Four castles, the pinnacles of medieval architecture, amid the green river vales of the Welsh 'heartland.' Seriously cool.
2) Norway - All that said about Wales, after four months there I was ready to see some real mountains again. My trip with Darcy here really hit the spot: it had gigantic mountains rising strait from the fjords, it had wooden houses with large backyards, and best of all, every movie there was played in English. The place just felt like home.
3) Cape Flattery, Washington - The western most point of the continental U.S. My dad and I came here on our summer road trip around the Olympic Peninsula. He had to work at convincing me to come here, but I was glad he did in the end. Down wooden walkways to where the waves cascade against the cliffs and the ocean fades into mist in the west. A pretty amazing sight.
4) Isle of Skye, Scotland - I went twice, once in early March and once again in mid-June. Each time it was a different world. In March, a wind-swept, yellow-brown isolated mystery where the hills dissapeared into the clouds. In June, a lush, green landscape of white sheep and deep blue water, where the mountains seemed to tower out of nowhere from the sea. I think it was these two opposing images that made the island so compelling for me.
5) The Vatican, Rome, Italy - Ok. So I've been here already. Technically. This time around, Lindsey got us tickets to see the candle-light vigil before Easter Sunday and a spot at Easter Mass in Piazza San Pietro the next morning. This was how St. Peter's should be experienced - with organ pumping inside for the vigil and crowds of people chanting for the Pope at the end of Mass on Sunday. Marching bands, pace flags, the whole works - it was pretty powerful stuff.
Lindsey, note the words 'powerful' and 'amazing,' those are for you.
I'm Andy Morrison and that's my two cents.
The Return of the King did not dissapoint yesterday. I think there were about five different points where I either got chills or almost cried. Andy Morrison's recommendation: it's a must see.
Lindsey and I brought Mark to the airport this morning, completing the departure of all my friends (aside from Lindsey). It's a funny feeling to remain behind while everyone I know returns 'home.'
Tomorrow Lindsey leaves too, then it's on to do some christmas shopping for my family. My dad and brother usually leave most of the creative 'mom gift' buying to me, and that never starts until I'm done with school. Monday morning I'll probably head out to try and get most of the stuff done that I can.
And that's all the news I got.
Andy Morrison
Lenny - "Hey, have I shown you my Christmas tie!? It plays music and glows!"
He presses it and Santas nose flashes while christmas tunes are sounded from a little MIDI speaker within the tie.
Maria - "Haha! That's so great!" Turning to Doris, "I'll bet that get's pretty annoying. Does he wear that at home?"
Doris - "No. He doesn't wear anything at home, and that's pretty annoying!"
I cheesed it up a bit. You get the point though, or my name's not Andy Morrison!
I looked for myself on Google today. With a search for "Andy Morrison" I came in around 35th, a drop from 30th a week ago. I'm hoping to bring that up a bit, so I'll be including my own name in these posts as much as I can for a while.
I finished my religion final this morning at around 9:10, just over an hour after it began. I was the second one to leave I think (but the third was right behind me). But like you care what's going on in Andy Morrison's mundane daily life.
Anyway, for christmas I got the Indiana Jones DVD box from Lindsey's family, and it's pretty awesome. It seems to me that soon movies will come in trilogies as standard practice. It seems like these things are the next trend in storytelling or something. Now, I'm all for it if it's a compelling story, but's it's a tricky game to play. If it's done too often, I think people will start losing interest. You have the possibility (like with the Matrix) that if you dissapoint fans, they won't come back. Create a really good story, then the second movie needs to follow along in step, or else no one will care about the third. With trilogies like we've been having lately, expectations can be high, so dissapointments can be great.
We'll see where it goes though. I just want to see good movies, trilogy or not.
I'm Andy Morrison and that's my two cents.
One more final to go tomorrow morning, and then I'm on to bigger and better things. Namely Return of the King on Friday morning. My mom is taking the day off work so we can go up to Seattle and see it on the triple-screen of the Cinerama! As Jared so aptly pointed out, if there was one event that could make a person simultaneously crap, vomit, cry, and wet themselves in two different ways, this would be that thing.
I also got my christmas present from Lindsey today. She's taking me up to see the Seattle Symphony perform some Copeland at the end of February. I think that's the same weekend that Brian Micheal Bendis is coming to the comicbook store, which would put that weekend high on the running for best weekend ever.
In an effort to get some discussion going, I'm going to start an 'Open-ended question' feature, a-la Eric Furst.
Today's question has an strong physics undertone to it: Can everything in the world be exactly described?
See, much in the same vein as Einstein, it seems to me that we should be able to break every physical system down, classify its components, and describe what it's going to do in the future. I'm talking having someone throw a baseball and see where it lands based on the initial velocity, the wind current and air density, the exact force of gravity acting on the ball, and the possible spin of the ball. It seems to me that everything can theoretically be broken down like this and described to the most minute details.
Of course, this would strongly suggest a grand design to the universe, which many people have their own opinions on. But I would tend to say that if scientists were able to solve for every physical system in the world, this would neither prove nor disprove the idea of divine structure. Rather, it would only prove that scientists have it within their capability to determine how a baseball will land in the grass.
My two cents.
With the first of three finals starting tomorrow, I'm about to 'enter the gauntlet' so-to-speak.
There are these two volunteers down at the art museum that come in and 'greet' every other Sunday named Doris and Lenny. They're an older couple, and they have to be one of the funniest pair of people I've ever met. I don't mean funny as in eccentric or queer, I mean really funny.
For instance, one of the employees at the museum made a comment Sunday about the similarities in their appearances. When Lenny responded that couples often grow to resemble each other, Doris laughed and exclaimed that it was a good thing Lenny grew to resemble her. I think it was the combination of the 'museum' atmosphere and Doris' German accent that helped make the joke.
And then I found five dollars.
The other night, Jack, Jared and I watched "Unbreakable," which I think is about one of the most awesome films ever. With about ten minutes left, Tim the Japan-o-phile (to the degree that Ped-o-philes like children), walked in and announced that he thought the end of the movie is the worst ending he's ever seen.
Needless to say, Jack and I began a heated debate with the guy as soon as it was over.
See, his opinion was based on the fact that he felt the ending was in no way foreshadowed through the rest of the film. This is a stupid assertion. While the end is unexpected, it is no less hinted at than was the ending of the Sixth Sense or Fallen.
Moreso, this plot structure strongly parallels that of the typical comicbook. It has a definite climax, where the hero fights the lesser villain and realizes his own heroic nature. It has an arch-nemesis that is strangely obsessed with the hero. And finally, the ending has that twist, which as in many comicbooks is not quite a cliffhanger, though it entices the "reader's" interest into following the characters further.
Unfortunately, it seems that Tim doesn't follow comics closely enough (not American ones anyway) to have an intelligent basis for debate on the matter. And normally I wouldn't be so harsh on a guy, except that he annouced his disdain with such arrogance and unfounded authority that it needed a strong smakdown.
My two cents.
With classes over now, I feel like I can breathe a bit easier. That's not to say that I don't have any work to do in the next week.
I just keep thinking about how next week at this time I'll be in Seattle, watching the Return of the King on a triple-large screen. It's gonna be so sweet!
For christmas all I really want is a good idea of where I'm headed . . .
Here's a good way to waste some time. And another.
I heard this story recently on where the term 'White Elephant' comes from in reference to gift giving.
I guess that back in the old days, somewhere in the middle east or India or someplace like that, white elephants used to be very rare and very prized. The only problem was, they were the most expensive animal ever to take care of. I guess they were just finniky eaters or something.
Anyway, when a person would fall out of favor with a king or emperor or whoever was in charge, they would often recieve a white elephant as a gift. This was done on the part of the king in the hopes that the elephant would send the reciever into financial ruin.
So, nowadays, when we give gifts to people that are truly inane or useless, we use the term white elephant to describe them.
As an extra note, I recieved the two items that make up the title as part of a gift exchange I was involved in with the Art Museum last night.
Yesterday, Sam called me, and after putting a bit of time and money into planning on hanging out over New Years, he promptly cancelled. Instead, he'll be heading to Cuba on a sailboat with a few friends from Hampshire. Sounds like it's going to be an awesome time, but I was a little surprised that he would go on this trip after having made plans with Andrew and I. But whatever, it is his money after all.
Today seemed unbelievably slow at the Art Museum. Kathe quit on Tuesday, so I'm going to be alone for a bit untill they find someone new to cover for her. Not that I couldn't handle the 'crowd' today.
Peter informed me that he's moved on to playing poker online as a money making scheme. I guess he's been able to make an average of around $150 an hour the past few days. With only a few hours a day, he could be well on his way to being the biggest slacker that I've ever seen get away with it. First Everquest, now this. When will this sadness that is the internet come crashing down?
Jared's site now has some great pictures up. He's got a few more of Halloween 2003, as well as some from a few random times out for drinks.
Down at the sub they now have these cinnamon rolls on weekends that are incredible. The best part about them? They don't have raisins! Finally, someone realizes that there are those of us out here who can't stand those little things.
Truly, though, they're totally home-made, even down to the frosting, and they're the best thing I've had since Cinnabuns.
Yesterday, Nick Senn contacted me on I.M. claiming that he'd been reading my site. It's funny how in the past week or so I've had a few random people admit to me that they visit. Thanks for the anonymous support guys!
Anyway, last night I ran out with Jack, Jared and Jenny to get some dinner and a slurpee. Jack and Jared have these rediculously large 'mugs' that get them 79 cent slurpees for some limited time. I had to laugh.
But that's not my real story.
The real story for me revolves around the fact that I've fallen as one of the respected 'elders' of the Super Smash Bros. In fact, Jared has risen up (an event I saw coming back in August), but also Erik Bergset! I mean, really, who would have thought that guy could ever become so proficient with Yoshi of all characters?
As for me, my place now lies on the fringes, the 'second tier' if you will. Jack's there with me and he's damn decent with Link, so I know I have some support. These young upstarts just need to start recognizing who was playing this game while they were still driving on their permit. Can I get an Amen, Jack?
Jack's Amen:
Yeah man, these crazy kids and their Smash skillz...I'm so up and down, usually I lose or get 2nd or 3rd, but sometimes I just waste the shit out of them...it's funny. We'll be among equal company when it's Tim, Luke, you and I next semester. The Elders will rise again.
I told Lindsey that it was about time to spread the good word, and spread I shall.
Mark and I seem to be growing distant recently. He's been working alot, and with me sick last weekend over at Lindsey's, we just haven't seen a whole lot of each other. Plus now he's run out of points for the sub, so he's been eating at home alot. He and I are due for some hardcore drinking with classes drawing to a close in the next week.
But that's not so good news I suppose.
Here's something good: today in the library when I looked out the window I was almost fooled into thinking that it wasn't winter.
I also got this funny little news clip and this little game that goes along with it from Peter. Woo woo! He's my source on alot of random internet things, actually.
And one final piece that made my day: famed comicbook writer Brian Michael Bendis is coming to my local comic shop! This is the guy who created the comic 'Alias' and 'Powers' along with Ultimate Spiderman and the upcoming Ultimate Fantastic Four. This guy is the newest and biggest thing in comics folks. He's truly a god among geeks.
Over last weekend I got the chance to see both Jared Patton and Chris Tiedeman (in one sitting no less) for the first time in a long time. It's funny to see how people don't change much on the surface. For all I would have known they're completely the same guys they were four years ago.
Especially funny was that Jared asked how my dad was doing. I had to fill Chris in on what had been happening with his health recently, but Jared needed no debriefing: he'd been following my site! What a guy.
Get this though: Chris is planning on auditioning for a few tuba spots that are opening up in the next year, including Millwakee, Cleveland, and Philadelphia. I guess he couldn't appear for the one with the New York Philharmonic because he was touring and couldn't exactly duck out to try for another group.
Meanwhile, Jared is planning on taking a course on fighter piloting next semester. Recently he had an interview for the Rhodes Scholarship and now he's got a few others on his plate that he's waiting to hear about.
Shit guys. What have I been doing with myself?
I think I've finaly pulled ahead of this flu this morning. I'm breathing a hell-of-a-lot easier now, and the gurgling in my chest whenever I breathe is drastically reduced. Now to see if I can retain some food . . .
Well, I began typing a listed explanation of why I've been gone so long, but I figured that's probably as boring to read as it is to type. Let me just say this: for the last five days I've been nearly the sickest I can remember. That includes fever, aches, congestion to the point that my snot is now bloody, and the ability to run most food through my system in less than an hour. In other words, I didn't do much more this weekend than lay on a couch and watch movies (some really bad ones too).
Now I'm still not totally back up to steam, yet I've got a ten-page research paper to start for Thursday. I'm also around four (about to become five) assignments behind in Quantum.
Anyone who says that college is the best time of a person's life should be shot.
On a random note, I saw the movie that I've taken this entry title from a while ago with Jack (did I mention this already?). It was pretty awesome to see The Rock face off against Christopher Walken, and even better to see C.W. relate his pain to that of having a tooth stolen before the tooth fairy can come and give him a quarter.
If any of this doesn't make sense, I hope to be back on my toes in a few days, and then I may have the ability to clarify.