gilded smile

:: 2008 22 September :: 12.00pm

Got my friday test back today and I got 95.45%!! which is really good for the intensity of the class. Granted I'm only ichinensei and the test was kind of easy but other people made more mistakes than I did and they have been studying japanese since they started school.

So we went to Kyoto this weekend. Pretty sweet. Our friend Yui pointed out a cheap (illegal) way to get around paying alot for a train ticket. Basically, we left Hikoneshi from a train station farther north and farther in the boon docks. It's about 10 bucks for the ticket there, but we didn't come back until about 8 the next morning, when nobody is at this tiny ass train station. The ticket machine vends a different amount equivalent to the different number of stops. So we just bought the cheapest one and kind of "gate hopped" when we got back. Clever eh? I justify it by saying that everything else is FUCKING EXPENSIVE. TAKAI DESUNE!

once in kyoto we all stopped at a lawsons and got ourselves a chu-hi strongu and sat by the river and talked with everyone. After which we went to some english pub (kind of tacky but they made very large gin and tonics) and watched arsenal win 2-1.

after getting thoroughly sauced up, around 1:30 AM, we hit the club. did a large amount of drinking and dancing until about 5:30 AM. TOTEMO TAKAI DESUNE!

we then hit up a food bar and made a futile attempt to absorb the acohol we had consumed.

then a fun train ride home, arriving back at the dorm at about 9:30 AM.

I guess that makes me a chachi motherfucker. But good times, all around.

tomorrow is a national holiday so we don't have class which means tonight I get to hit up yabu's. The dude loves oberon, and I wish there was a way I could get it to him.

So if anybody can think of a way to get oberon here legally let me know. How is the US?

:: 2008 21 September :: 5.14pm

Went to kyoto last night, and didn't get back here until 9 this morning. I danced alot. Good times all around.

5 hold on tightly | let go lightly

spud	:: 2008 21 September :: 12.45am i went jogging today. kind of. went about 2.5 miles. walked most of it. i'm horribly out of shape. and i had a bunch of food before i left. even still, i know i'll appreciate doing it. i'll be sore tomorrow, but it's the good kind. let go lightly

.j.e.s.s.

:: 2008 20 September :: 10.27pm

I think if mccain/palin get elected I will have to move out of the country for many reasons.

but one main reason being that sarah palin cuts off like every word that ends in ING. Payin' doin' implementin' spendin' supportin' .....

arrrrgh! shut up!

"i can see russia from my house!"

"heartbeat away from being president!!"

:: 2008 11 September :: 2.40am

busy

so, apparently in addition to being "technical director" for the radio station, i am now also the vice president of the scientists of sound.

when it rains, it pours.

i'm not even sure i want to add these to my resume. but at least it sounds impressive. far more impressive than the harry potter club.

i just hope i'm better prepared tomorrow (and more punctual) than i was on tuesday. just sayin'.

sleepy time pretty quick here, though. that should help.

:: 2008 5 September :: 1.16am
:: Mood: pensive
:: Music: the alan parsons project - tales of mystery and imagination

i think it's pretty sad that three-beer chris feels more "normal" than no-beer chris.

i guess the solution is to not have beer for awhile. but still. i haven't been functioning up to par without it. and, frankly, i haven't been getting drunk all the time, or passing out. just one or two after dinner or whatever. and it isn't until that point that i feel awake and alert and - well - normal.

i don't know what to make of it. but, either way, i figure it's bad.

P.S.

this made me smile, though:

"hey chris!

we were talking about how great you've been at the station during the meeting today. and we would really love to re-write another executive board position into the constitution. the new position would be the position of technical director. details are still a little vague, but basically the person in this position would be the go-to guy for all questions/problems with the equipment and website. we all feel that you would do wonderfully in this position and we would love for you to accept.

is this something that you are interested in?

thanks so much!
jill"

and i thought they hated me... : )

i sent her my more reserved-sounding equivalent of "fuck yeah!" as soon as i got it. although, now that i think about it, fuck yeah might have been the way to go. oh well, either way, it's cool, and i'm happy.

:: 2008 4 September :: 12.56am
:: Music: dashboard confessional - swiss army romance

COM 295 ::
:: i haven't even read the excerpt yet, and i already know more than half of them are morons ::

===============
--Saturday, August 30, 2008 3:55:58 PM EDT
I believe the Greek Mythos differs dramatically from our American Mythos. For instance, while the Mythos of the ancient Greeks stressed the importance of achieving "arete" or excellence in all areas of life, the Mythos of Americans only seems to stress the importance of excellence in a specific field of study, so as to gain employment in the that field, make money, and live a good life.

--Tuesday, September 2, 2008 10:45:11 AM EDT
I agree with your statements and think that you make good and valid points. You also get to the points quickly. Today's simplicity is not what it was defined as before.

--Tuesday, September 2, 2008 9:19:46 PM EDT
America is a system created by the christian religion of living under one god. We put most of our values in knowledge instead of physical strength like ancient Greeks. To be able to move up in out society you must go to college to become sombody. Everything is set in a certain system. We were all raised with these certain standards that need to be met. While knowledge is important I beleive that there is more to life than knowledge such as phyical well-being. In America people seem to think that money can create happiness. While money may help, money is nothing you don't have love and no one knows love till they experience it themselfs. If isn't something to be learned from a book.

--Wednesday, September 3, 2008 12:21:15 AM EDT
I agree with what everyone has said above me...
American and Greek, both, have a very different view on excellence. During the Greek Era, excellence was more than a detail in someones life. To them it could define a life, like Odysseus and his adventures. Whereas, Americans today view excellence to be a good grade, a prefect outfit, the taste from a meal, etc. Today excellence is many small details in a life and to the Greeks excellence was what made their life whole. To them and that era, it was the bigger picture in life, not the details about the past night.
When you look at life today verses then, life seems ordinary at times. But the Greeks would not allow for ordinary life, they tried for better...they tried for the overall excellence.

--Wednesday, September 3, 2008 2:41:30 PM EDT
I hold the same ideas as much of the rest of the class.
The Common American Mythos is the system of success. Simply put, from the time we were little in most cases were taught the extreme value of education and how important it is to have one. Parents' shuttle is off to school every day in hopes of preparing us for college and one day in the near future a job so we can provide a good life for ourselves and our family (the American dream). Yet this differs from the Greeks mythos which valued education as well, but stressed the importance of learning life lessons exemplified in such stories like Narcissus and Echo, and Zeus and so on. The Greeks understood that it was not possible for one to learn everything they needed to know from a book, life was a good teacher as well.

--Wednesday, September 3, 2008 3:26:41 PM EDT
A lot has been said on the common American mythos, which I do believe seems very structured and manufactored ie. going to college to get a good job. However for me atleast there is more to it. I dont want to just succeed I want to look back and see that I have made a contribution to society. This belief and others I find exist outside of the American mythos, however just because they arent used in this society to define success doesnt mean they have no merit.

--Wednesday, September 3, 2008 6:44:40 PM EDT
I think our common American mythos often relates wealth and power like many others have said. Many put their priorities first and foremost in money. All though some would like to say faith and family is first, it seems as though money and power often overrides the previous two. It is not only about higher education, although this is important. As a nation, I don't think someone that takes over a family business with no college degree is looked down on, furthermore, a wealthy business owner is most likely put on a pedestal than say a teacher or writer with a masters degree. Money seems to be the American mythos. I would say that my personal mythos rank in order of faith first, and then family. However, as an American, I have this idea of wealth, and power and success that is a hard barrier to come up against.

--Wednesday, September 3, 2008 11:07:03 PM EDT
I very much agree with everyone that posted. Especially on how our American mythos seems to be parallel with wealth and power. Along with that the education of ourselves and our children. It seems that these days the only way to get wealth and power, we need to be be educated or at least have a piece of paper that says we are educated. It is hard to say that I believe this should be true, but as of now I know it is true in our society today. I also think faith and family deserve to be number one, but if we let that happen, it seems we would fall behind our "real" American mythos.

--Wednesday, September 3, 2008 11:33:18 PM EDT
I had a hard time thinking about what could be a common set of beliefs among all Americans. I'm not sure there is one, because we all seem to be so different and diverse, but that in itself may be the American mythos. I think that as Americans we hold strength and individualism with high regard. Take, for example, the "American Dream". The "American Dream" is to make something of yourself and be powerful and strong, persevering despite obstacles, to set yourself apart. So then I would say that the American arete, or excellence, is to make something of yourself, starting from the ground up, and using you're own strength and talents to become powerful. Even though Americans come from various backgrounds, cultures, religions, etc, I think the American Dream is a value we commonly hold.
Personally, my mythos is a little different. Although I do want to become something and possess some type of power or wealth and get a good job, something much stronger than all of that and stronger than me has set my values and beliefs in place. Power and wealth are only my goals as an American, or as a college student. My goal as a person is simply to love. To love God, to love others, and lastly to love myself. That is the greatest and most excellent thing I could do in life, and when I'm gone, I don't want people to remember me as a rich sucessful woman, but rather a loving, faithful one.
"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins." I Peter 4:8

--Thursday, September 4, 2008 12:12:27 AM EDT
Well.... In my opinion, our common american mythos is not far off of the Greeks lasting idea of "excellence". We are all pushed towards "excellence" from day one, and if we should find ourselves falling short, there usually is someone right there to let you know. Our own ideas of excellence may be different than the others, but there is definitely a standard that we inherently know ( common sense) or figure out along the way. Our mythos is spelled out for us from society, the rest comes from family, values, beliefs, self..ect. I believe that the American mythos is the same for all on some level. We all want to recieve/give love, have a partner in life, have family and friends to rely on and share good times with, money to be abundant enough to pay the bills and maybe some extra for frivolous items that make us happy for the moment, and to be successfull enough to make ourselves and/or whomever it is in our lives that is pushing us proud. That is how I feel in a nut shell about my own mythos as well. I just want to live up to the b.s. norms of society so at some point I can feel " free" and be independent. It all falls back on making money in the grand scheme of things... there isn't alot that you can do without it, but there are some things in life... some parts of the American "Mythos" that doesn't require money like love and family ... so were not completely screwed yet...
============

eesh.

:: 2008 2 September :: 4.21am

so I'm alive.

as hard as it may be to believe.

I'm sitting in a room where it's hot as hell watching TV.

went on a biking adventure today and it started raining.

this place is pretty decked out, they give you everything you could possibly need and the apartments themselves are nice.
good deal.

spud	:: 2008 2 September :: 12.37am :: Music: blues traveler - four 62 wpm? 999999 words Speedtest i won't disclose my first time. it was embarrassing. 1 hold on tightly \| let go lightly

4 hold on tightly | let go lightly

:: 2008 27 August :: 1.14pm

i seriously think this game is rigged.

does anyone else think it's weird that the favored presidential ticket is "Obama - Biden" when just a few years ago the stereotypical bad guy was "Osama bin Laden".

i just think it's bizarre. and not that i ever cared about osama, or obama, really. because for the most part, i resent politics. but that just struck me on a linguistic level, and i had to acknowledge it.

spud	:: 2008 21 August :: 12.54am i'm too high school for my shirt :: so high school it hurts. Pink Floyd - Dogs 2 hold on tightly \| let go lightly

:: 2008 21 August :: 12.44am
:: Music: Pink Floyd - Dogs

school starts yet again, very very soon.

you'd think i'd be excited. that's usually how it goes this time of year. a little mellow and pensive, but excited nonetheless.

however, this year i just feel kind of depressed. like it's basically over already, and i'm just going through the motions. jumping through hoops until the hoops are gone. i guess i'm just depressed because i know that i won't know what to do when that happens. i've been jumping (whether poorly or not is of little consequence) for so long, that it's all i know how to do. or at least, it's the only thing i've managed to convince myself i'm comfortable doing, despite the fact that i still to this day do not know how to do it.

i think i'll feel better once the days start getting shorter and cooler, and the leaves start to change, and i get to enjoy the smells of warm donuts and fresh apple cider and pumpkins and hay. i always love that time. and every august i forget that it's not for another two months or so.

but a boy can dream, i suppose.

and in the meantime, he should get a fucking job. how many times have i said that on here? and how many more times will i repeat myself until it actually happens?

more than i'd care to admit.

jedibumblebee

:: 2008 20 August :: 7.13pm

ugh.
i think i am having a panic attack.

2 hold on tightly | let go lightly

:: 2008 20 August :: 9.16am

Lol, this is copied.

This is a tale explaining the manner in which my way of life was rotated along a Y axis until it reached a position roughly 180 degrees from that which it started. If I could have 60 seconds of your time, simply place your posterior in the selected location, and I will relate to you the details of how I was made the male monarch of the district of the City of Los Angeles, California located at coordinates 34.08333 -118.44778.

In the western region of the �City of Brotherly Love� known as Philadelphia, my mother expelled me from her womb and indeed that is also where I spent my childhood, in my mother�s care. The majority of my time was spent in a recreational area containing such diversions as a jungle gym, swing set, sand box, etc. I was typically at the height of leisure while frequently at a temperature slightly below what might be considered standard room temperature. Outside of my educational institution I was engaging in a game of basketball with some of my friends, when a couple of gentlemen who seemed to be of the disposition to cause a great deal of mischief began causing a great deal of chaos and disharmony in the area in which I lived. I was involved in one rather small bout of fisticuffs after which my mother became concerned for my general safety and well-being, and she informed me that I would be moving in with her sister and her sister�s husband in the previously mentioned community located at the previously mentioned location.

.j.e.s.s.

:: 2008 17 August :: 8.27pm

Why do people think they don't have to be responsible for their own kids? Why do people think they dobt have to be responsible for themselves? Why do people think you are being rude or asking too much when you are just simply asking them to follow the rules of YOUR house? Its my apartment you are a freaking guest.. If I should even call you that.. In MY HOUSE! Sorry but that means you follow my rules or you can fucking leave. Just because you think you are some tough guy gangster whatever doesn't mean you don't have to answer someone when they tell you to take care of the mess you made! And no! Im not gonna fucking watch your daughter for you! Get a job! Maybe then you can pay me to do it! But until then I won't watch your daughter when you have nothing better to do but drink.

Ughghghghhgghgh people are so stupid.

spud	:: 2008 15 August :: 12.27am i could never be a writer. i'm way too shitty at managing my time. 2 hold on tightly \| let go lightly

:: 2008 14 August :: 3.12pm

i know this is lame of me, but still.

i'm kind of hurt because a bunch of people i know apparently went out to a bar that i may not frequent, but have certainly been to several times (and have thoroughly enjoyed every time), and not one of them invited me.

i mean, maybe i wouldn't have gone anyway, but at least then i would have had the choice. it just makes me sad that there are so many nice people out there that really don't want me around.

and mom wanted me to find a friend to go with us to the baseball game tomorrow night, and i completely ran out of friends. i was running off the list in my head, and most of them were out of town or busy. and i wasn't going to count on kevin, because i figured he'd be with andrea. but maybe he'll pull through still.

all in all, i don't feel very desirable at the moment. and shannon doesn't count because she has more justifiable reasons to despise me than most anyone else, and her ignorance of that fact is not any fault of my own.

i'm gonna go mow lawn soon, i think. i don't feel like calling lenders today. addison was supposed to call me, though. maybe i'll give him a ring first.