Scratch me, I'm Irish

Once upon a time, I itched a lot. I don't know why. It's not like I had a skin disease or anything, I just felt itchy.

That was freshman year. The hilarious Anna Drehmer was my roommate at the time. She never failed to make me laugh and I suppose she never forgot my itchiness.

Last night, I saw her in the hall on third floor (she moved to 3CE this year) on my way to meet a friend to go to Walmart. She ran in her room and returned a moment later, bearing this gift:



It's the Irish Back Scratcher. It's the second back scratcher I've received from Anna (maybe not the last) and I LOVE it. She did her practicum in Ireland this summer and said she couldn't resist buying me the scratcher. It says, "Scratch me I'm Irish" on the side. HAHAHAHA! I LOVE Anna.

Lightning safety

The other night we had this HUGE lightning storm. While the weather carried on outside, I sat hunched over my computer going through ResNet's 12-step registration process. Probably one of the stupidest things I've done, but I wanted to get my computer hooked up to the network. I'm batting 0-2 on lightning safety.

While I risked electrocution, Matt sat in Gerig lounge and took this. I know, it's freakin' amazing.

This is the 100th post I've added to this blog. Nice.

What's in a name?

Perhaps my favorite part of Taylor's campus, the Jumping Bean, changed its name to Vecinos over the summer. Even though I wasn't crazy about the name "Jumping Bean," I felt this sinking sensation in the pit of my stomach when I read the flier announcing the change.

Why should I care? They're still serving Alliance World Coffees and they're run by the same people. They just have a more hip look and name.

Maybe I don't like it because the Vecinos brand doesn't belong to Taylor. Vecinos is a coffee house in Indianapolis which houses an extension of my church, Muncie Alliance. It's weird to have the same place here. It's like a franchise.

I like the name Vecinos, though. It means "neighbor" in Spanish which is a million times cooler than The Jumping Bean. I guess I can dig it, as long as my card still works. It's completely stamped up, which means I can get whatever drink I want for free. If it doesn't work out, you can count on a very angry post in the near future.

Why don't you cry about it?

It's funny to watch freshman parents walking around campus with downcast looks on their faces. Some of them look like they'll break down in tears any moment. Maybe it's horrible of me, but I wish they'd leave.

Running on two hours

What a day!

It's been good, tho slightly incoherent. After a late night of software troubles and an unexpected trip to Marion at 3 this morning, The Echo made its 2004-05 debut. Anders and I sold quite a few subscriptions to empty-nest afflicted parents. Therefore we made a good bit of progress in our advertising budget for the year. Woo hoo!

I finally got my comp up and running in my room. ResNet has this truly heinous registration process to get on the network now, so after a good three hours in front of the comp, I think I'm set.

I met my roommate today. She's absolutely terrific, although I don't know her very well yet. It's kinda hard to get to know someone when her parents and two siblings are standing in the room. So far, it seems like it's actually the most compatible match I've had at Taylor. What was I so worried about???

I've been decorating the room a little, too, through my sleep-deprived stupor. I found an excerpt from St. Augustine that I absolutely love. It doesn't really relate to anything I wrote in this post, but I like it, so I'm putting it in.

"Praise of the Dance"
by Saint Augustine

I praise the dance, for it frees people from the heaviness of matter and
binds the isolated to community.

I praise the dance, which demands everything: health and a clear spirit and
a buoyant soul.

Dance is a transformation of space, of time, of people, who are in constant
danger of becoming all brain, will, or feeling.

Dancing demands a whole person, one who is firmly anchored in the center of
his life, who is not obsessed by lust for people and things and the demon of
isolation in his own ego.

Dancing demands a freed person, one who vibrates with the equipoise of all
his powers.

I praise the dance.

O man, learn to dance, or else the angels in heaven will not know what to
do with you.

The Sojourner takes a break

Looks like I'm finally settling down. I'm back up at Taylor, so for the moment my sojourn has come to an end. I mean, I'll be staying in one place for the next four months. That'll take some getting used to.

This summer was probably the best one of my life. I took advantage of once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, followed God's call to Asia and forged new and exciting relationships. What more could I want from a three-month hiatus?

But now I'm here on a college campus in an obscure town in the middle of Indiana. I honestly don't want to be anywhere else.

I love to travel. This summer on the run was just what I needed to satiate my craving, but I'm ready to slow down for a while and enjoy the serenity Taylor University offers.

Of course, by slowing down I mean decelerating from Mach 4 to Mach 1. I have a busy semester ahead of me complete with hard classes, a prestigious position and work-study. I'm under no illusions that it'll be easy, but there will be plenty to enjoy.

-$.99 breadsticks on Tuesday nights
-A fully punched coffee card from The Bean
-Girly movies at 1 a.m. (my P.A. owns The Babysitters Club. I know, gag me with a toothpick... but you know I'll still watch)
-Book Lovers Society
-MUNCIE ALLIANCE CHURCH
-Wal-mart/Handy Andy runs
-Midnight birthday celebrations complete with the Third South birthday song
-Echo nights
-Crochet parties... every night

And that's just scratching the surface. Now I'm even more excited. Let's get this party started!

Consider me Bi-Coastal

In the past few days, I've seen two movies set on opposite U.S. coasts. Here's my take on them.

I saw Collateral on Friday night. I'd recommend it to anyone over age 13 who has a pulse. The acting is phenomenal and the camera work inventive. Jamie Foxx totally stole the show as Max, the unfortunate cab driver. You'll want the big screen for this one, so get out there while it's still in theaters. 8/10

Yesterday, I saw Garden State. It was also excellent, although I can't recommend it to everyone. There's a lot of bad language (Isn't it funny how movies are the only place you see EVERYONE use the f-word to punctuate each statement? In the real world, this unattractive habit confines itself to a small demographic) and explicit drug use which both serve to distract from the movie more than add to it. Besides these details, Zach Braff's writing is incredible, definitely not what I'd expect from a freshman filmmaker.

The film is not without its flaws. For example, when Braff's character, Large, takes himself off the extensive list of meds he's been on since he was 10-years-old, he does so without any ill effects. I know from experience that it's not so easy to extricate one's self from the control of medication, yet Large doesn't seem to encounter any withdrawal symptoms. Yeah, that's believable.

However, the movie's amazing soundtrack moves it past some slight factual discrepancies. It's a sweet little movie, although a little sappy at the end. Braff's talent is undeniable, but the movie didn't move me in the way I thought it should have. I'll give it a 6/10.

MAC attack!!!

Upland and back in less than 36 hours. It's gotta be a personal record for me.

One of the best parts of being up there (besides the sky... it's so BIG) had to be Sunday at Muncie Alliance Church. God's presence is undeniably tangible when I step inside that simple church. It's beyond my comprehension... and I like it that way.

I love how I can sit in the sanctuary and feel I've learned something fresh and true every Sunday. Yesterday, Pastor Guy taught from Joshua about Points of Passage. Suddenly, I found myself in the middle of a God-lesson-blitz. Guy hit upon everything I've been learning and wrestling with these past few weeks.

He reinforced what I've been reading in John Eldredge's Waking the Dead (highly recommended read) about the Holy Spirit's power of transformation. All this time since I became a Christian, I've been trying to live up to God's standards on my own. I keep failing and I keep asking why. I figured it's just human nature and that God doesn't care. I just need to be the best person I can be. God will forgive me anyway. A good friend alerted me to the falsity of such a statement. Yesterday, Guy said God really doesn't want to see what I can do apart from Him. He wants to be in on it with me.

"The biggest enemy of the Spirit-filled life is self-sufficiency," Guy said. Here I am, railing against God because I don't know how I'm going to ______. I need to trust Him, to live by faith. Only then will God be able to take me into the places He has for me.

I seriously cannot wait to get back up to campus. I'm looking forward to the ways God is going to work in my life during the next semester. There are certain things here in Evansville that I don't want to let go of, but I know being away will be the best for the situation. God has a plan for me, and for the first time, I'm honestly EXCITED about it.

Denied.

Each year US News & World Report ranks the top colleges in the country. Taylor has finished out at #2 in the Midwest for the past few years. Not this year. Out of the North, a dark horse rode up to overthrow our proud university. Calvin College is #2. TU must be satisfied with the bronze.

One for the road

Saw Collateral last night. It's EXCELLENT, so get out there and see it if you haven't already.

More on the show later. I need to head out ASAP for TU. My mom and I are setting up my office (whohoo!) and making press kits for advertising. We're spending the night at Donna's and then going to MAC for church. My mom hasn't been to MAC, so I'm way excited.

Anyway, no time. Pray for nice traffic conditions and go see Collateral.

Who can be against me?

I spent most of last night locked in combat with God. I have a hard time trusting him and letting him love me. I felt utterly humbled around 2 a.m. when I unclenched my fists and surrendered into his embrace.

Today, I felt on top of the world (if a little tired) until an e-mail glitch caused a long letter to an old friend to be forever lost in cyber-space. Suddenly, I lost it, forgetting all I'd learned and relapsing into self-hatred and rage. Somehow, this old-school Supertones tune soothed my soul and brought me back to reality.

It seems like everytime I try, I always fail,
I'll never be like Christ, I know I'll struggle,
Until the day, the very day I die.
And how I need someone to make me feel assured.
I don't need anyone if you're on my side, Lord.

Closing time

I need a new way to close my letters. For the past year or so, I've been signing my name after "Peace be with you." I liked it, because it reminded me of how Paul signed in on the Pauline Epistles (which I still think is totally cool). However, he doesn't really say "Peace be with you." He says, "Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." A little long-winded for my purposes.

Also, it wasn't until this summer that I realized "Peace be with you" is a common refrain in more orthodox churches. I hadn't realized this until now because I'd never been to those churches until I wrote my story on the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. Now the phrase kinda creeps me out.

I fear my closing has become trite, and that worries me. I aim to be sincere in my messages and hope that's the way I appear. So much can be expressed in a simple closing word. In my quest for the perfect word or phrase, I hope to finally accomplish the task of appearing sincere. Any suggestions are most welcome.

I remind myself of Bradley Chalkers in one of my favorite books, There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom. In a final letter to his counselor, Carla, he agonizes over how to sign off. First he writes "Love," and crosses it out. Then he writes the more politically correct, "Yours Truly," and crosses it out. He finally sticks with:

"Love,
Bradley"

I heart the Olympics

Last night, Paul Hamm took Olympic gold in men's all-around gymnastics. His win made an impact on me, not because he added to the USA medal count, but because he didn't give up when it seemed all hope was lost.

He'd been doing well until the fourth rotation when he crashed off the mat into the judges’ table on a bad vault. He posted a score of 9.137, dropping him from first to 12th place with only two rotations left in the competition. It seemed impossible for him to medal, much less get gold.

Hamm could've given up right then. Dejected and bruised, no one would've blamed him for quitting. Instead, he went on to make Olympic history, nailing his last two events with twin 9.837s. He seized the gold from Korean Kim Dae-eun by .012 points.

That's what I love about the Olympics. They allow human beings to become exceed the "sum of their parts" by magnifying such traits as courage, perseverance and determination. The Games inspire me to be a better person. How many times have I wiped out and immediately given up.

Hamm's performance reminded me of Keri Strug's vault in 1996, and not just because Hamm and Strug both have munchkin voices (my brother said Hamm could compellingly represent the Lollipop Guild). Both performances loom iconic in my mind. That's what the Olympics are all about, at least to me.

I hope next time I'm in a jam, I mirror Hamm's attitude from last night.

"I dug down deep and fought for everything," Hamm told the AP. "It was the best performance of my life."

"It was like World War II, only worse."

As I perused the SIJ 2004 class website today, I felt this overwhelming sense of belonging. It's been almost two months since I threw my suitcases into the back of a cab, closing the doors to Dellenback Center for the last time. I was bitter at the time, angry that I'd gotten a B+ and that no one else was awake with me at 5 a.m. While I struggled alone to get that oversized suitcase, my carry-on and my laptop out the self-locking doors (I'd already turned in my key), I wasn't thinking about the amazing transformations I'd undergone over the past month. I wasn't thinking about my roommate who'd stayed up talking with me about love and life until 4 a.m. that day. I wasn't thinking about the city and the spell it had cast over me in a matter of weeks. I wasn't thinking about the chance of a lifetime I'd just had, and how I'd emerged triumphant.

Today, I thought about all of those things, the moments I'll never get back. While I'm ashamed of the blemish on my transcript and I'll probably never forgive TMatt for being a jerk, I was beyond blessed to have an entire month with 14 amazing journalism students who all care about the same things I do. How can I be bitter about such an experience?

In the next few weeks, we'll all be starting school and bartering our souls for campus-newspaper-staff-greatness. Though we've gone our separate ways, I feel eternally bound to each one of them. For four weeks in Washington, D.C., I was a part of something amazing. I think I'm still a part of it. I still belong.

THE WORLD MUST BE PEOPLED!

I love that line, uttered by Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing. In the last few months, Much Ado has become my favorite Shakespearean play, beating out The Tempest and even A Midsummer Night's Dream. I saw the play in the park while I was in Washington, DC, and tonight my mom and I watched the movie version. I hadn't seen it before, so it was way fun. I thought about John Murphey during the opening bath scene because he said he had to watch it, like, 10 times in Sova's class. Apparently, it's a really famous scene for film students. Why is that? I wonder what the Murph is up to right now.

I watched USA take on Croatia in Olympic water polo tonight (even though I'd been led to believe it started at 11 when was really at 11:35). I really like the way their caps tie under their chins like little bonnet bows. Cute.

The game got super intense at the end. The last 30 seconds, Croatia tied up the game 6-6. In the final second, USA scored the winning point. My heart was in my throat! I really want the US to win the gold in water polo. It's been exactly 100 years since it's happened. I think winning would make a nice 100th anniversary present.

Love means never having to say you're sorry?

I must admit I haven't seen the movie Love Story in its entirety, but I caught glimpses of the 1970 film last semester as I tried to distract myself from an Aesthetics paper. Some girls on my wing were obsessed with the show, not because they're hopeless romantics, but because the movie is so bad it's funny.

From what I can see, the movie's mostly harmless, although its most famous line tends to irk me. "Love means never having to say you're sorry." The claim couldn't be more off base.

I've realized lately that love is a series of apologies. I make mistakes everyday, especially when it comes to the ones I love. I smart off to my mom. I roll my eyes at my brother. I say things to a friend without thinking them through. Eventually I come to my senses and apology is the only way I can get back home.

Even God's love is based on forgiveness initiated by apology. We show God we love him when we say we're sorry... and mean it.

Perhaps I'm taking Jenny (the girl in the movie) out of context. Maybe she meant her husband didn't have to say he was sorry because she already knew it. I doubt that, though. Being in love never gave me ESP.

As long as I'm here on earth, I'm going to have to trust verbal communication. It's not always accurate, but it's more realistic than that mind-meld crap. I've hurt enough people by abstaining from apology. When I wrong my loved ones, I have every intention of telling them I'm sorry.

Rice, noodles and General's Chicken

Today I had my first Chinese meal since China. Well, it was at Gracie's, so I'm not sure if it counts, but it was delicious and I ate it with chopsticks. The first plate was fabulous, but I had to stop pretty soon into my second plate when I started getting full. Also, when I got up to get some more General's Chicken, an odd Chinese waiter approached me and started talking about the back of my shirt (It was from CATS the musical). Slightly weirded out, I promptly returned to the table.

I ate with my three INSANE cousins and my grandparents. We kept the kids (Sam and Michaela are 5, Sarah is 8) for the rest of the afternoon. Sam bonked his nose, scraped is knee and threw up in the driveway. By 5 p.m., I was definitely ready for them to go to their other grandparents' house.

I also saw Ben and Lauren at Gracie's. They went to North this morning to see old teachers. Sounds sick to me, but whatever. Anyway, they saw Doss and said he's doing much better which is fabulous. His health deteriorated my senior year at North and I heard he took a year off after I graduated. Although I learned nothing in his class, I really enjoyed him as a person.

My fortune cookie said something about me getting a promotion at my firm. Since I don't belong to a firm, I'm not sure how I'd get a promotion. I couldn't even logically affix "in bed" to the end of it. Crappy fortune.

You know this boogie is for real

This is my third Napoleon Dynamite post, and by now I can say I thoroughly recommend it. I saw it again last night, and although we were fifteen minutes late (and the student admission price was SEVEN DOLLARS), it was a triumphant movie experience. I went with Polk, so it was nice to share with someone I care about.

Polk and I talked about high school a lot after the movie. It was practically begging to be talked about anyway. We ran into Amy Nicely at Showplace. Ben had just been ballin' on the likes of high school heartthrob Blake English. Lindsay Shause had called him a few days ago. While it's not my favorite subject, I was mildly entertained by digging up the past. Ben's leaving for Purdue soon, so I won't see him for a while. Maybe Thanksgiving or something.

Until then, I'm definitely on a waiting list for the Napoleon Dynamite DVD. That'll be classic.

"Got canned heat in my heals to night baby."

"Give me a dollar or I'll spit on you."

Sheer ecstasy. That's the only way to describe what I'm feeling right now.

I was going through some boxes in my bedroom AKA the storage room and I found my favorite childhood book, There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom by Louis Sachar. I want to sit down and read it right now, but I can't. I have to work on cleaning my room. It's tragic.

Some childhood books you outgrow. I won't touch The Babysitters Club or Sweet Valley Twins. There's a Boy... is different though. For some reason, it endures. At 20-years-old, it still appeals to me, although maybe in different ways than it did 12 years ago.

Sticking with 3SE

I need to apologize for the lack of content on this blog. Lately, I just haven't been thinking many publicly deep thoughts. Not just deep thoughts. I haven't really thought about anything interesting, either. That's a lie. I have thought about interesting things, but I don't know enough about how I feel about them to post them on my blog for anyone to see. AH! How confusing is this?

Anyway, lately I've been feeling sorry for myself because now I have to live with a stranger freshman and I feel like no one wants to live with me. It's been a constant theme at TU. I know it's only for one semester, but it just makes me feel worse about the type of Taylor experience I'll be giving that poor freshman.

Well, enough self-pity. It's been so long since I've seen or heard from my Taylor friends, I forgot how much they mean to me. This morning, I received e-mails from Lindsey and Jenny. Both of them said they loved me, and I totally believed them. Jenny's gonna be DA next year, so she'll be on campus early with me. Now I'm way excited.

What was I so worried about? This is Third South English, the best wing on campus! I miss Alison and the room we might have had, but my friends will still be there. God has blessed me so abundantly. Why am I spitting in his face?

I'm still dreading Echo ad sales, but I'm not dreading Taylor anymore.

"Hello, welcome to Cici's!!!"

It's been too long since I've heard that familiar call. The guy today was particularly energetic. He even said "Goodbye." He went above and beyond the call of duty there.

Ben and I went to Cici's for lunch today because we could. I enjoyed way too many slices of pizza perfection while trying to ignore the innocuous 50's nostalgia music playing in the background.

Going to Cici's is always an experience. When the familiar aroma of cheesy-meaty goodness hits my nostrils, I can't wait to slap down my $3.99 plus tax and get in line. Cici's embodies everything I love about America.

Hilarious

My brother and I have to give the cats medicine for diarrhea and they hate it. I don't know why. It smells like cookies.

Anyway, this morning we captured the cats to give them the medicine. Chloe ("my" cat) totally freaks out anytime we pin her down. While Nate held her, I shot the syringe of medicine into her mouth. Half of it ended up on her face, but at least I got the whole dose on her. Nate let her go and she took off! I mean, she FLEW!!! First she ran into the family room, then back past us into the dining room. All the while, she's running into walls and furniture. It was the most hilarious thing that's happened this morning.

Even though they're a complete mess, life is better with the cats. If only for the hilarity.

Lesson from Lothlorien

"The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater." -Haldir in JRR Tolkien's The Fellowship of the Ring

I'm constantly struck by the horror of this world. Sometimes, I just want to leave it all behind. As Linkin Park would say, "It's easier to run." Yet even in this evil, fallen world, beauty exists. The soft, blue curves of a smoky mountain. The intricate patterns on a butterfly wing. The infinite expanse of a starry night sky. How blessed are we who have eyes to see Creation!

That's what I'm Tolkien about. :)

No place to lay my head

"'Hey mister, can you tell me where a man might find a bed?'
He just grinned and shook my hand, 'No' was all he said"
- "The Weight" by The Band

Whoa, deja vu. I don't know where I'm going to live next year.

I got this e-mail yesterday telling my roommate, Alison, and I that we'd been approved to live off-campus. Funny thing is, we didn't apply to live off-campus. Every year they over-fill the dorms, expecting accepted freshmen to decline Taylor enrollment. Then, too many kids decide to go to Taylor, so they have to move everyone else off campus to make room for the freshman class.

It would be fun to live off-campus. I might be able to live closer to the Echo office and I wouldn't be bound to Open House rules and whatever, but I don't think I'll do it. I wouldn't be eligible for my financial aid if I lived off campus and I'd never get to see my 3SE friends. It's totally not worth it.

Anyway, I e-mail Alison to see what she thinks of the deal and she breaks the news to me that she may not even be coming back to Taylor! Apparently there's this sweet program in CA that would fulfill all her wildest dreams and her Taylor financial aid package stunk so she wasn't even sure she could come back to TU without stopping out a semester. How's that for a run-on? I'm too frustrated to fix it.

So I called Lori Slater at Taylor and she said I have two options: move to 3CE to a single or take on a transfer roommate. I did the new student roommate last year and that sort of worked out because I was a PROBE leader, but this year, I can't be the Welcome Wagon. I have a CRAZY schedule and weird hours with The Echo and all. I'd never be in the room. If I had to be the one introducing her to Taylor, she'd hate Taylor.

I don't want to live on 3CE. I'd found such a home on 3SE last year. Even though the suite I'd be living in isn't that far from South, it wouldn't be the same.

I HATE this roommate thing. I was so excited to be living with Alison. Now it looks like that won't happen and I don't know what to do. I'm starting to dread going back to Taylor.

The Double Switch

I just got back from the movie premiere for the Morales film The Double Switch. I had a supporting role as a CIA director-type. Blake and Zach did a really decent job putting it all together. I wondered how it would work out.

My colleague, Drew Fendrich, and I won the award for "Best On-Screen Pair," which was pretty sweet. Tyler showed up in his zoot suit, which rocked, and Ben looked like he'd just woke up.

Earlier today, I looked up the books I'd need for next semester and quickly wished I hadn't. Hopefully, I'll find some discounts, but it looks like my profs chose a lot of new editions. Why are they always doing that??? I just received a check in the mail from my D.C. housing deposit, but it looks like the extra cash won't make it past Physiological Psych. I hate textbooks.

Anyway, good times tonight. Thanks go to Blake for all his hard work putting the party together.

Ok, Retardation Man!

So I take it all back. Go see Napoleon Dynamite. It's freakin' hilarious.

Pedro: Do you think people will vote for me?
Napoleon Dynamite: Heck yes! I'd vote for you.
Pedro: Like what are my skills?
Napoleon Dynamite: Well, you have a sweet bike. And you're really good at hooking up with chicks. Plus you're like the only guy at school who has a mustache.

I keep remembering scenes and randomly cracking up laughing. Like the scene where Napoleon hits his uncle with the orange (I think it was an orange, Nate thinks it was a water balloon filled with meat. Someone solve the mystery!). That was great.

It reminds me of that superhero movie Ross and Andrew found in the Walther's basement or something. The one his brother made, like, freshman year. Boy, did we get some good jokes out of that.

One more quote:

Napoleon Dynamite: Grandma just called... she said you can leave now.
Uncle Rico: I didn't hear anything from her.
Napoleon Dynamite: She said you should leave because you're ruining everyone's life and eating all our steak.

A challenge for the road

Wes English is probably the most creative person I know. He revolutionized The Echo, started multiple businesses, and now he's set a challenge before the world of Christian motorists.

Basically, he noticed the hypocrisy involved in Christian road rage. He thinks (and I'm convinced) that the Christian decorations outside of our cars only betray the God we're trying to glorify when road rage takes over. I know I'm guilty. Here's Wes' proposal:

"Decorate our cars from the inside out. Pry off the icthus. Peel off the bumper stickers. Put them on the inside of our cars. Hopefully, we will drive more Christ-like with the constant reminder of our calling displayed on the inside of our cars. When our driving starts to consistently reflect the fruits of the Spirit, we can start putting bumper stickers and icthuses on the outside of our car.

After all, I don't want to be a 'whitewashed tomb, which looks beautiful on the outside but on the inside is full of dead man's bones and everything unclean.' (Matthew 23:27, NIV)"

You're right, Wes. I'll take you up on your challenge. Keep me posted on the new site launch.

(P.S. The photo on Wes' profile of him feeding birds by the tracks... I took that :) )

Napoleon Dynamite

Another fun-filled weekend with my father is thankfully over, but I did get a movie out of the deal. We just saw Napoleon Dynamite, and while it wasn't the best comedy I've seen this year, I found it enjoyable.

The character-driven film, completely devoid of big-name celebrities and big-budget effects, made Napoleon a refreshingly different movie experience. It didn't contain anything objectionable, choosing to play off character quirkiness as opposed to sick gags.

I like random movies, but sometimes this one was a little too random. I laughed pretty hard maybe three times, but the rest of the movie simply aroused an amused smile. I don't know if I'd recommend it for everyone, so let's just say it's a great kickback movie. 6/10