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August 31, 2004
Plenipotentiary
And hows that for a dictionary word? I was trying to remind myself what I blog for the other day when I spent some time on what I thought was a fun entry and only faithful Matt commented.
Anyway I started this blog almost 14 months ago and a lot has changed since then... but I also look back and very little has changed. I look back on what I spent the first month posting about and its pretty similar to what I have spent the last month posting about: funny stories from my life, poetry/prose, songs, Christie (then my girlfriend now my wife), issues of faith, and biblical ponderings.
The problem is that more often then not (I’d have to say most all the time) my writing doesn’t seem to elicit the response that I am expecting. I expect a veritable explosion, a volley per say of rhetoric and persuasive language contending over vital social issues and matters of the heart. In short I expect knee jerk reactions that people couldn’t help but add to the fray. Instead I get silence. Now I have come to expect far less and am amused and even delighted when one happy soul composes a brief thought and has the compassion to take the time and enter it into that little comment box.
Originally I titled this blog Synthesis because I wanted people to come together here in an effort to create something new. Recently I changed the name to Paul Johnson… …for a short while in an effort to re-describe the effect that I was and was not getting. This blog will most likely never attain the controversial status that I had hoped but it will remain a place for me to ply my intellectual wares, loosen the personal writings that haunt my mind, and receive for it a small pittance; those precious comments a diminutive indicator that my efforts have not gone unnoticed. Thank you.
Posted by paul at 05:42 PM | Comments (11)
August 27, 2004
The Johnson Supremacy
One of the reasons that I liked the movie The Bourne Supremacy (and the first movie) was that throughout the film the main character was always grabbing maps and charts of the city that he was in or the building that he was being chased around. This just seems to add an element of believability or realism to a wild story.
It also suggests that I could do the things that Jason Bourne does even though I lack a good sense of direction. This feeling that “I could do that” is vital to drag me into an action movie.
I want the movie to make me feel like I can learn Kung Foo in a matter of seconds and then fly through the air moving faster then anyone has ever seen, or rally an army of my countrymen to “not trade all the days from this day ‘til that to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives but they will never take our FREEDOM!” or to drive really fast on the opposite side of the road swerving to avoid the inevitable oncoming traffic while shooting with deadly aim at the also inevitable superhuman cops on cool BMW motorcycles that come blaring off of side streets and almost land on top of my car.
I like to think that I have the courage, the intelligence, and the physical aptitude to at least be trained to live the life of an action movie star like Neo, William Wallace or Jason Bourne.
Man that would be just plain cool.
Actually I feel a little like that right now, sitting at a computer in the basement of the University of Wisconsin. I “hacked” (using my woman partner’s information) into computer “LAB-OL1108-40” in the middle of the lab where no surveillance cameras can see me.
I checked a map so that later I can take my borrowed truck disguised with trailer on a careening chase across the metropolis to pick up some goods. I need to do this all before a certain time so that I can meet my female agent partner to deliver the goods as she is working undercover.
Yeah, that makes me feel like an action movie star. Even though I didn’t really hack in, am in full view of all cameras, I did borrow the truck but its slow, I am going to McDonalds a mile away to get lunch for my wife who has to sit through a student teaching seminar and meet her back outside the auditorium.
Yeah… action hero… ahh…that’s me… I can feel it.
Man I could just tear someone apart if they attacked me right now.
All that stuff makes me feel cool.
That and I just had to shoot the computer lab aid with the silenced 9mm that I took from the unconscious security guard, all because he was about to press the big red alarm button behind his desk.
Ok. Not really. But I’m still cool…
Yeah. Action. Cool. Leather Jacket. Sweet Shades.
I can almost hear the theme music…
do-do-bap-bap-bababa-tititctctc-dadaDADA….
Posted by paul at 09:14 AM | Comments (5)
August 26, 2004
Hmm....
I hope you have all heard of Batman Begins - Trailer
Posted by paul at 05:56 PM | Comments (6)
What? You didn't know?
Just in case you were wondering what I do in my time off...
I am running for congress on the Democratic ticket.
I also am involved with weird techno-art stuff.
When I am not doing that I teach Economics at the University of Alaska Anchorage.
And I am a surf guitar legend.
Just in case you were wondering...
Posted by paul at 11:25 AM | Comments (2)
August 25, 2004
Misconception and Music
Sometimes my musical prejudice gets the best of me and I overlook an artist or band that is really good but somehow gets lumped into the category’s “cheesy”, “bland” or “just plain terrible”. Most of the time I am right but every now and then I have to go back and admit that they do produce quality music.
This is true of Christian Folk/Rock group Caedmon’s Call.
I know some of you are probably saying “what? I thought they were cheesy, bland, and or just plain terrible” And this is the very sentiment that I have conveyed for the last 7 years. But I have come to confess my faults. I am overly critical. Let me tell the story.
Caedmon’s self-titled album was released in 1997 was a huge hit with the college crowd. I heard it and liked several of the songs on the album for their emotion and good writing. But I was a punk kid and hated everything, especially everything that was mainstream or corporate and that was how I saw Caedmon’s. After that they dropped into my “doesn’t matter” category and stayed there.
Next 40 Acres came out in 1999 and guess what I got for Christmas, yep Caedmon’s exciting new album that sounded a little country sometimes. I instantly distanced myself from it and dropped it into the back of my collection. I had a reputation to uphold and wouldn’t be caught listening to anything remotely country. Every now and then the album would peek out and I would give it a listen. It grew on me. But it was still labeled “doesn’t matter”.
In late 2003 I started courting this girl and yadda yadda yadda you know the story. Well she had the latest album by you guessed it Caedmon’s Call titled Back Home. I shuddered and protested. But eventually it wound up in the CD player every now and then because… well she’s a girl and persuasive and… oh never mind. I was still dismissing the band. But now that we are married and the CD is in my house I have listened to it several more times and it really is a decent album. It can get overdramatic in places and maybe a little overly poetic but really it’s a solid musical and lyric piece of work plus it's catchy. I would recommend it.
I guess the turning point was when I ripped the CD and put in on my hard drive so that I could listen to it more often. Man, I still feel a little shameful about that but well I guess I need to stand up for what I believe in and I believe in Caedmon’s Call.
P.S. Sorry that I have to authenticate all comments. (Even my own) But I get so much blog-spam that it really is the most time effective way to keep my site clean of filth. Please be patient and comment anyway. Thanks, Paul
Posted by paul at 05:17 PM | Comments (1)
August 22, 2004
I the Interloper
I feel like I once belonged… but now even that sensation has left me. The world widens before me as I leave the bay known as college and I cannot hope to see the far side of this great expanse. The once familiar halls and haunts of a former way of life laugh devilishly at my new found floundering. I seek haven in my ancient faith drawing fresh water from its current. I am not alone but my comrades often seem distant and difficult, working their own sails. We are all strangers here, of a singular yet nameless lineage. I am one of them. My colors fly high. I the alien, the intruder, the interloper.
Posted by paul at 07:45 PM | Comments (2)
August 19, 2004
Life is a roller coaster
It sure is fun but sometimes it makes you want to puke.
Its good when God teaches you things.
Posted by paul at 11:32 AM | Comments (1)
August 18, 2004
A ball that is soft
So I got to play softball yesterday with close to 20 others. It was a lot of fun! But I had a couple of realizations...
Number One.
I am still competitive. When people make blatant errors or worse yet don't try that bothers me. Why? Because I like to win and I want my team to do its best. And I want to face a good apponent that makes my win look good. Of course when someone else starts screaming about a call being unfair then I sit back and mumble to myself: "Gees, settle down... its just a game."
Number Two.
I am 24 years old and certainly not in prime physical condition. Someone remarked within the hearing of my wife (on the sidelines) that "Isn't this fun.. the old people are playing with us." Probably in reference myself, Matt and Pat who all being in near a quarter centurey seem old and outdated by the average age of the other players, that being probably 20. That and I am actually sore today from it. Of course I spent a good twenty minutes running the bases and then batting repeatedly... but still.
Anyway it really fun. So much so that I think I will play again this afternoon.
Posted by paul at 01:38 PM | Comments (6)
August 14, 2004
August 14th
Posted by paul at 09:46 PM | Comments (4)
August 05, 2004
Food
Yesterday I had some good food.
For breakfast I had Hashbrowns sausage and homemade fresh blueberry pancakes with coffee and orange juice.
For lunch I had little potatos and green beans fresh from the famers market with garlic butter chicken and real milk (2%).
For dinner I had Macaroni and Cheese (Kraft, only the best) with two corn dogs and about 10 mozzerella cheese sticks.
All great meals but all very different.
Vote for your favorite. Make sure to justify your choice and outline your criteria.
Wait for the big Friday the 13th post!
Posted by paul at 11:55 AM | Comments (5)
August 03, 2004
still alive
Its ok I'm still alive... I am just support raising in wisconsin.
Look for my amazing friday the 13th post!!!
Posted by paul at 03:43 PM | Comments (2)