Musing

From Nic's Big Elf or Ho Ho Ho Says... Merry Christmas! PS: Your gift is in the Annex.

What Do We Tell Them? or "He Thought Up a Lie and He Thought It Up Quick I'm a little torn on the whole Santa (1) thing. Some years from now, I'm going to have to come to a decision - do I lie to my kids for the first 8-10 years of their life or so, or do I ruin the the surprise for him/her and possibly all of my kids' friends? I expect my kids to be pretty rational thinkers, so I don't like the idea of insulting their intelligence with stories of a fat man in red who uses flying reindeer to go around the world and deliver presents. But if I just straight up get the kids gifts for no reason, what does that say about the whole season? I certainly can't abolish the whole idea of presents; I'd have my own children involved in a mutiny at age 8, and as far as I'm concerned, I'd rather that that happens when they're old enough to be legally responsible for the stupid stuff they do. So what's worse? White lies and insults or pre-ado...

Introspection or Christmas Wishes for All Sarah and I were on the campus of IUPUI this weekend when that feeling started bothering me again. Looking around at all of the people (and worse, the one-way streets) made my stomach flop around like a fish out of water. A big campus to look forward to in a year and a half is only a part of the story. The real world is coming to get me. It got Brian. I'm next. In high school, most seniors got serious only because they didn't want their grades to slip and screw up any chance they had to get into college. Now that we're all here, 9/10 people on campus are actually going to join the 3/10 or so in high school who went straight into the work force. Those people are probably comfortable now. Their couple years of gripping the real world by their fingertips has finally allowed them to get a firmer grip on life's truths. Now most seniors are getting serious because they know they are about to join the world that...

A Completely Optimistic and Happy Post! - Updated or Looking Ahead to 2005 For anyone who follows some of the same music that I do, you may or may not be aware of the farking awesome outlook for 2005. Let me just cut right to the chase. Official News: Oasis is planning the release of their seventh studio album for four days before my birthday (obviously a gesture of recognition from my boys), making May 16th the most anticipated date on my 2005 calendar. No title has yet been released for the album, although Noel has been quoted several times as having come up with over 60 songs that the band will be sifting through in search of the best album combo. Not bad for having scratched over a dozen just months ago. Coldplay has promised an album to follow up the phenominal success of their 2002 album "A Rush of Blood to the Head" in March. No official day has been specified, nor any title mentioned. Rumor has it there will be a very extensive live tour, includin...

Something for My Hallmates To Think About or #10 on My Christmas Wish List [For those of you who don't live in my hall here at Marian, I've been keeping a day-by-day "Christmas list" of mostly absurd or comical things I'd like to find under the tree. Today, however, I took the opportunity to use the list to ask for something serious - Hallmates who understand and live by the Franciscan value 'Dignity of the Individual.' Since I didn't have enough room on the whiteboard, I've listed the URL of this site on the whiteboard and asked anyone who is curious to read this post. So here we go.] The other day, I was eating lunch in the cafeteria on the side where the really active Catholics typically sit (I don't know how else to describe that side, but anyone who goes here knows the area I'm referring to). I hadn't brought anything to read with me, so I was actually tuned in to what was going on around me for a change. And to be ho...

"I Bring You Tidings of Great Joy" or The Computer Messiah Cometh I'd like to take this opportunity to offer one small proof of how much I rule. While working with my right hand man Christian to replace several stolen DVD players in a couple classrooms on the second floor of Marian Hall, we found that one of the rooms that was supposed to be empty actually had a class in it. When the professor came out to see who was knocking, he looked at me and said "You are Joshua!" I was surprised, because I hadn't had him since...spring of freshman year, I believe. (1) Later, after much random (but always interesting, I'll give him that) talk and diagnosing a little problem with his Mac (2) , he turned to me by way of parting and said "I was thrilled to learn that you were returning this year." I was confused, so I asked him if he meant returning to class with him this spring. He said "No, no, this August. Ed [Ed Bailey, Computer Ser...

Welcome to December or Nothing Like Reveling in Depression Let me be the first to welcome you all to my favorite month of the year - December. Let the melancholy music play, let the thoughts of how quickly the year has passed turn over and over in your mind, and most importantly of all...learn from your mistakes. In this order, here are the tracks on the playlist I'll be playing 90% of the month, entitled "Decembrish." December - Collective Soul Hopeless - Sister Hazel Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) - Journey Bed of Lies - Matchbox Twenty It's Been a While - Staind Aurora - Foo Fighters Made to Last - Semisonic Where Did It All Go Wrong? - Oasis You Won't Be Mine - Matchbox Twenty Bittersweet Symphony - The Verve Epiphany - Staind Wonderwall [cover] - Ryan Adams Black Balloon - Goo Goo Dolls My December - Linkin Park Hopeless - Train A Long December - Counting Crows I'm About to Come Alive - Train