Update Schedule Changes

Okay, I haven't even finished the first week of classes and already I know I'm going to be up to my eyeballs in homework and reading. Therefore, I'll be posting a lot later than normal. I might even change my blog days.

Did anyone see Hillary talk last night? If that wasn't a set up for her campaign four years from now, I don't know what it was. Not that it wasn't a great speech. It was probably the best speech I've ever heard her give, it was just that the whole set up to her speech that illustrated just how remarkable a woman she was probably had people second guessing their decision for candidates. If the plea to vote for ideals as oppose to candidates didn't warm you up to her, it was because you died half way through it (in which case I am honored that the after life reads my blog).

Unfortunately for Obama, the sentiment after the fact hasn't change at all. People are still angry that Hillary isn't the nominee or the nominee's second-in-command. All in all, it made for a good show, with little results. The bad news for Obama doesn't end there. It appears as if there has been little to no bounce whatsoever from all the convention commotion. I sort of doubt that anyone is even paying attention. Obama has sort of worn everyone out and the excitement level has taken a considerable plunge from the primary season (in fact, the way I see it, it was taking a plunge during the primary season).

All the sign point to Obama having a rough time, despite whatever celebration he may be having at the moment. I wish him luck, because he's going to need it.

We Waited For This?

Barack Obama selected Joe Biden to be the next vice president of the United States. Perhaps this is just my opinion, but this has to be the least exciting vice presidential choice ever. I'm not saying that Senator Biden is a bad selection, he certainly has the background Obama needed to even out his ticket. I'm just saying that the selection didn't quite live up to the hype Obama had been build over the last few months.

I've dub this campaign ticked "Jo'Obama."

***

I spent yesterday smelling diapers filled with chocolate. That's basically half the reason I'm only writing a mini-post today.

***

College starts today, which is the other half of the reason I'm writing a mini-post. I'm still in a disbelief that I'm returning to school. I hope my schedule isn't as crazy as I think it will be, but in any case, I'll have to figure out when I'll be able to write. I might only be able to pitch in small dispatches such as this one for a while.

This week shouldn't be too bad, but the real issue is that the days I typically write on are now covered in classes and (probably) homework assignments. In any case, I'm still going to update the site as usual.

The Anticipation Is Boring Me

I think the point at which I were going excited about who Senator Obama might choose as his vice president has long since past. Now I'm basically annoyed by the lengthening of this game (and every one knows it's a game). The man should just spill the beans already.

If you're wondering where the hell the rest of my blog post is, it was conveniently being forgotten about while I stayed up all night playing Dungeons & Dragons. That's right, you heard me.

Now I'm tired and I'm going back to sleep.

Screw Obama.

Because It Matters To Me (And That's All That Matters)

I have a friend who I absolutely hate talking to. It isn't because he's annoying or unfriendly (most of the time), it's that whenever he speaks to me, it always feels like the weight of reality is once again placed squarely on my shoulders. He's really a downer.

Today, for instance, I was talking to him about my decision to return to school and finish my computer science degree. Boy, was that a mistake. I should have actually been smarter than to just open up about these sort of things to him. He's a rather pessimistic sort of fellow to start off with, but when it comes to computer science, in particular, he's ready to lay waste to your good spirits. You see, he's a programmer who has become rather disillusioned with the computer science departments across the country. In his personal view, he thinks that most colleges won't teach you thing you're ever going to need to know on the job (and, frankly, most of what they will teach you can be learned outside of class).

While the man certain has his points, his viewpoint might as well be that, in a sense, college is all but useless. It's not as black and white as that, of course, but the sentiment is still there. Instead, if you want to become a real programmer, all you have to do is sit down and program and I have to admit, for someone who wants to be a game programmer, I've never programmed even the simplest game.

The conversation had me question my motives. I think the lingering doubts had always been there, but talking with him really bubbled it to the top. For a while, after I had a chance to maul over it a bit, I thought perhaps my new attempt at school was foolhardy and that they had were backed by the wrong motivations. I then started worry about putting myself through something that would set me back.

I was flustered and did what everyone should do when an annoying thought circles in their skull, I took my mind off the problem. I started sketching and watching House (my complete fourth season just arrived in the mail). I totally forgot what the problem was, and then, as if I had known all along, the answer sprang into my head just in time for me to blog about it before I went to sleep.

I realized that the reason I was so angry wasn't because that my friend was right and that I was foolish, it was because, I was worried about the wrong people. I was upset that someone else seemed to disapprove of my choice. I was mad because deep down, what prove to everyone else that I could. I was worried about what employers, or my family, or my friends might think.

This isn't the reason anyone should do anything as big as going back to college. Yet, here I am. Thankfully, in my case, I had another alternative reason for going back that was just as convincing: myself.

Even after pondering the issue, I realized that I still wanted to go ahead and finish college, not because of what other people think, but because this really is something I've wanted to do in my life. I've always felt like this was a giant, gaping whole in my life that I knew I could fill but never saw the chance. Now that I have an opportunity, I'm going to chase it for as far as it goes. It doesn't matter what degree I end up getting. I'm sure I'll choose a degree I find fulfilling, regardless of what other people think about it. What matters most is that I chase the dream of graduating from college because it might be the last time I'll ever get to.

When Fall Rolls Around

When I think about all the things I need to be doing, I can't believe that I'm lounging around typing on my computer. Seriously, I need to get going. Classes ended for me last week Thursday and it is set to already reboot in a week. I still haven't registered for one of my classes, purchased any of my books, or slept in four days. Technically, I think I've been burned out since last week Monday, but I'm sure the combination of caffeine in my system and pornography looping in the background has kept my body moving while my brain has otherwise crawled out of my skull.

I've been so busy, recently, that I even skipped by my weekend tradition of seeing a new release and reporting back here with my thoughts. It does pain me, really. I'm completely dedicated to making sure Mothballs never gets neglected. That being said, if there was ever going to be a best week to skip the theaters, this was it. I really didn't miss out on anything. Here's the run down of the big releases this week:

As amusing as it would have been to see Hayden Christensen be out acted by an artificial rendering of him, I've made it point in my life to stay as far away from Star Wars: The Clone Wars as I possibly could. This might surprise some people because I am, admitted, a huge nerd who has actually read all the articles in the StarWars.com database (including the Star Wars Universe entries). However, this movie, crosses the line for me.

It is my strongly held belief that ANYTIME you replace live actors with 3D animations (but not necessarily the other way around), you're no longer making a movie for the purposes of entertainment; Instead, what you're doing is milking the cow for every dime you can squeeze. This works regardless of the medium, but in particular when a franchise makes the move from the big screen to television, which is exactly what Star Wars is prepping to do (this newest movie being the big lead in).

Think about all the movie franchises that has gone on to become a cartoons. Have any of those transitions been any more than money grabs? That's exactly my point. Now I have nothing against people wanting to make money, but the process can make even the concepts of mediocre movie franchises (I.E., Police Academy, Problem Child) so dumbed-down that they become worse!

I don't plan to EVER see this movie, no matter how big of a Star Wars fan I am.

Instead, if I had to see anything, it probably would have been Tropic Thunder, which, despite starring two of the four actors I despise the most (Jack Black and Ben Stiller, the other two being Will Ferrell and Adam Sandler), the movie actually looks like it might snap my depression over the fall of the satire. The genre, which is now dominated by a myriad of crappy movies whose titles end in the word "movie," or forgettable, straight-to-DVD pieces of rubbish from National Lampoon, has somehow forgotten what the point of a satire is. Satires aren't funny because they feature characters who resemble characters in other movies; satires are funny because they poke fun at the underlying messages and themes of the genre being made fun of. This sort of humor has been buried in a mountain crap and if I have to sit through a couple of hours with Black and Stiller to see it again, I'll do it.

Also playing in theaters is a the new love-triangle comedy Vicky Cristina Barcelona. While this movie doesn't exactly make me want to race to the multiplex, I have to admit that I had more than a passing interesting in seeing Javier Bardem play someone who wasn't a stone-cold killer (especially one directed by Woody Allen). It's simply hard to imagine the man playing someone you might want to be around instead of running for your life. Also, Scarlett Johansson is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful women to ever grace the big screen. That being said this is one I can easily wait for this one on Netflix at the tail-end of like 50 other movies.

As pathetic as this weeks line up is, next week is almost depressing in comparison. You know that the summer movie season is officially over when Death Race headlines, followed by Bunny House. Yes, what would be a more fitting way to cap a spectacular summer that had The Dark Knight and Iron Man than by leaving us with Lindsey Lohan pretending that she isn't hot just because she has glasses on?

Ah, yes, I feel the depression setting in right now.

P.S. - "Mothballs" is one of my top priorities next month. I'll be migrating to Wordpress and have a whole new skin by the end of September! Not all is bad after all!

Used By "The Man"

I saw Senator Barak Obama in person. Yes, behind the heads of about 200 other people who were much taller than myself (not a difficult feat, I might add), I saw the man (or at least the bobbing head of the man from the neck up) who might become the next President of the United States.

The line to see the senator was, as I had expected, a sight all on its own. I had arrived about three hours before the senator even took the stage and I was at the tail end of nearly 2,000 people. When I think about it now, I came ill-prepared, but then again I didn't really plan on going to the rally. It was only when a friend of mine had indicated interest in the event, approximately 30 minutes prior to me arriving at the location, did I decide to go. Although I am fascinated by politics, I find politicians and the people who croon over them the most idiotic (and sadly, most influential) portion of the whole puzzle.

Still, there I was realizing, at about 11:30 A.M., just as the Sun seemed to beam down directly on the crowd, that I had absolutely nothing to endure day. I had no sunblock, no food, no water, no books or music (I am one of the few souls on Earth who does not own an iPod). I had foolishly arrived empty-handed. I should have known better. This wasn't the first politically rally I had ever attended.

The first time I had ever been to one of these sort of things was back in 2004. Somehow, the Republicans got the notion in their head that Hawaii was becoming a contested state in the election. No one exactly knows what indicators these people were rolling up and smoking, but in a rush to give their numbers a boost here, the GOP sent Vice President Dick Cheney down to speak (I suppose the Democrats must have sensed something as well because former Vice President Al Gore also made a visit). I attended, mostly, because I felt that I would never be able to see someone as powerful as Dick Cheney in my lifetime ever again (which may or may not be wrong depending on how this whole Obama thing pans out).

The two events, comparatively speaking, were like night and day. Well, first of all, one was at night and the other was during the day, but more importantly, the atmosphere of the events had a stark contrast. I remember, as I was standing in line to see Mr. Cheney, the protests that had formed around the Convention Center. While not violent, they were certainly aggressive and intimidating. They shouted obscenities at us and I fondly remember being called a child murderer. It was swell. Leave it up to the Bush Administration to bring out the most vile among us.

Perhaps the sheer anger of the protests were to be expected here in Hawaii. To say the Democrats are the dominant party here would be like saying Asians are the dominant ethnicity in China. It almost goes without saying. Even Senator Obama opined in his speech that "If I lose Hawaii, I'm in trouble."

In the end, Dick Cheney's speech was the least the memorable thing about that night and, predictably, did nothing to alter Hawaii's vote. However, as I left the event, I couldn't help but feel oddly uncomfortable about the whole deal. I didn't really understand it then, but I felt it. After that, I swore off political rallies completely. While I was standing in line to see Obama, I wished I had kept that promise.

Back at Camp Obama the protests were largely invisible. The opposition had been moved so far back that our lines of thousands never came within 200 yards of them. You wouldn't even have known that they were around had it not been for the faint calls of a megaphone shouting out to crowds of tens of... well, tens. Perhaps the only really source of disturbance came in the form of a giant ad on the side of a moving truck that showed photos of chopped up babies, presumably in protest to abortion (I never quite understood how calling your opposition baby killers is suppose to make them change their minds). Still, it was striking to me how calm everything was despite how charged the political season has been so far. There are a lot of heavy issues at stake here; a war, health care, energy, government expansion, just to name a few. You would think that the Republicans here would want to be more assertive. Perhaps they've just given up here, which would be sad. I don't necessarily agree with the Republicans on a lot of issues, but I still want their voice to be heard.

Eventually my friends and I, who had been burning in the Sun now for three hours, finally moved into the field where the senator would speak. There, among a thousands of other people, we crammed as close as we could to the stage and waited, once again, for something to happen. At least during the Cheney wait, it was indoors and they had music that wasn't the jazz version of "I Believe I Can Fly" (perhaps the most cliched song choice that could have been chosen).

Finally, after what seem like a, well, three-and-a-half hour wait and rather uncomfortable prayer session with Senator Daniel Akaka, Obama stepped on stage. The crowd went wild! People were cheering. Obama started thanking everyone. The crowd applauded. Then he started his speech.

... and then it was over.

About 16 minutes after he started, Mr. Obama waved to the audience and departed. Personally, I wasn't stunned, just disappointed. His speech contained absolutely nothing in terms of substance. Just the typical stump speech you could see on CNN any given day of the week. I don't exactly know what I expected him to say. I don't even know if there was anything he could have said. All I knew was that I had just stood in line for three hours for a 16 minute fluff speech.

The crowd erupted in applause. I wish I could be like them. I wish I could have been so moved by the man's mere presence that it made the effort worthwhile. Instead, I had to ask myself the question "what the heck was the purpose of this whole thing?"

It was exposure, of course. I suddenly realized what those lingering feelings I had been after the Cheney event. We were merely bodies to prove that a crowd would materialize. As typical in American politics, the people don't actually matter, but we have been fooled, bamboozled, if you will, into thinking that everything was being done in our interest. The speeches, the show craft, the handshaking and the baby-kissing. These were all things that have some how been twisted by politicians to make you believe that they were for your benefit. In the end, though, it's people like Obama who is more than happy to have his picture taken with throngs of people wanting to greet him. I hate to say it, but Obama is basically just like any other political hack.

Maybe I should be grateful that I got to see the person who might become our next president. Somehow though, that doesn't really cut it for me. I feel no more connected than I had a week ago. I'm just not the sort who feels drawn to the mere celebrity of the man. Perhaps I should have expected this the moment I got in line; I should have remembered Cheney's speech that I didn't remember. Maybe next time I'll have more sense and stay away from the whole spectacle. At least next time I'll have the sunburns to remind me.

Excuses, Excuses

I'll be taking the next week off from blogging due to it being the finals week of my college's summer session. When I come back though, this improving the quality of this blog is one of my highest priorities. I'm going to cook up a skin and do a lot more writing.

I'm really excited about the future here at Mothballs. For now, however, I must focus on other priorities.