A Great Loss

I want to begin this post by offering my sincerest condolences to the Croteau family. They lost a wonderful, strong young man today, and I'm very sorry for their loss. Kate, a very good friend of mine for 5 years plus, lost her brother Mike today. He was afflicted during his short 17-year life with Muscular Dystrophy. He had one of the most unique personalities you'd ever come across, though. The Mike I knew was sharp and funny, sarcastic, and clever. But he was also a caring brother, a loving son, and a fighter to the end. He was strong, and he will be missed. I'm don't know much about Muscular Dystrophy, but if you want to learn more or donate, visit www.mdausa.org

On to less important things now, I suppose.

Tonight I had a long debate with the guy next door. He lives in the room next to me, but might as well live at the other end of the world, as we have perfectly opposite opinions on EVERYTHING, it seems. Don't get me wrong, I like the guy. We just disagree. For example: he supports pure capitalism, I vehemently oppose it; he defends dropping nuclear bombs on Japan at the end of WWII, I oppose all nuclear bombing; he alleges that the Vietnam conflict was actually a pure guerrilla war, I say otherwise.

It's fun debating him, but we never get anywhere. We end up saying the same things over and over and over, and never getting through to the other. We always end up just stopping. And we got loud. It was interesting and passionate, but not really necessary. We never get anywhere.

Anyway, the Super Bowl is tomorrow. I'm so pumped.... GO PATS!!! I can't wait to see how the game goes. I hope it's close. I even hope it goes into overtime. That would make it the first Super Bowl ever to do so. That'd be awesome! We'll see how things turn out. Prediction: 21-17, Patriots are victorious!

Well, I'm exhausted. I'm probably going to pretend to go to bed, but not actually do so until about 4:30 in the morning. We'll see.

"Even in the desolate wilderness, stars can still shine."--Aoi Jiyuu Shiroi Nozomi

"The Butterfly Effect"

I just saw this film tonight. Very powerful ideas in it. Very strong story about a guy who absolutely loves this one woman. Ashton Kutcher does a pretty good job in it. He sells it.

The supporting acting left a little to be desired, with the exception of Amy Smart. She did very well, I thought.

It's a film about chaos theory and time travel, essentially the idea that a butterfly can flap it's wings and cause a tidal wave in Japan (though not literally what the film's about... don't be disappointed, I don't think there was even a moth in the film, let alone a butterfly). It's a really interesting theory, one I'd like to learn more about.

Lots of social commentary in the film. The main character has a disorder (he blacks out) which is, in actuality, a gift, a very powerful mechanism he can manipulate to his benefit, as well as the benefit of others... it's a great movie.

"Sanity is not truth. Sanity is conformity to what is socially expected. Truth is sometimes in conformity, sometimes not."--Robert M. Pirsig

State of the Union... Class... Writing....

Well, I watched the State of the Union address Tuesday night. Though it was discouraging and, at times, laughable, there was a strange personal highlight. The president mentioned my hometown. I guess he got a letter from a girl there.... Anyway, my jaw about hit the floor when he mentioned it. As disenchanted and disgruntled as I was regarding the whole thing, I didn't know how to feel after that remark. I was both frustrated and elated. Frustrated because of his ridiculous policies and his utter disregard for human dignity (not to mention human rights). Elated because I began to think about home and how I miss it. Hell, I even miss it when I'm there.

As far as the address, Bush is totally on the wrong track. Pumping more money into an unwinnable "War on Terror" is frugal, and "defending the 'sanctity' of marriage" while providing and promoting human dignity for all is impossible, at least by his definition. The Medicare bill he touts will hardly help the millions of elderly he claims it will, and his call for the renewal of the USA PATRIOT Act not only shows his disregard for civil liberties, it also demonstrates his willingness to create and maintain a state with more authority and control than it's citizens can defend against, as well as an executive branch with unchecked power.

Plain and simple, this administration has taken the country out of the hands of the American people (though it's questionable when the last time we had control actually was) and put it into those of big business, the "Defense" Department, and the "Justice" Department.

Do me a favor. Do not vote for George W. Bush in November. I know, I know, we didn't vote for him before and he still took the White House. Well he can't steal two in a row. Not from us. DO NOT vote for Bush. If you care at all about the welfare of the environment, the sanctity of human rights, the dignity of all people, and the prosperity of future generations, please please please vote 'no' on Bush.

Now onto more interesting, less cynical things. I'm reading "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien for my writing of fiction class. What a wonderful book! I have about 170 pgs to go or so, but it's great. Sort of a novel, sort of a collection of short stories. Read it! It's a realistically fictional account of Vietnam and the goings on in fields as well as in the minds of the soldiers. An example of the way O'Brien writes:

"A true war story is never moral. It does not instruct, nor encourage virtue, nor suggest models of proper human behavior, nor restrain men from doing things men have always done. If a story seems moral, do not believe it. If at the end of the war story you feel uplifted, or if you feel that some small bit of rectitude has been salvaged from a larger waste, then you have been made the victim of a very old and terrible lie. There is no rectitude. There is no virtue. As a first rule of thumb, therefore, you can tell a true war story by its absolute and uncompromising allegiance to obscenity and evil."

O'Brien knows how to show a story, how to bring the reader into the story. How to show, not tell. Read it! It's not overtly political, but has political overtones. It's a journey into the human conscience, ordinary men in extraordinary situations. Read it!

As far as my writing goes.... it goes. I have lots of ideas, but seemingly not enough (or too many). When I'm done with the story I'm on, I'll let you know.

Anyways, I'll talk to you later.

"If you want peace, work for justice."--Henry Louis Mencken

No news... good news?

Today was... rather uneventful, as far as thinking is concerned. I checked out a lacrosse game, attended a Daily Nebraskan staff meeting, relaxed for a while, played some football (playstation) with Josh, ate some pizza.... like I said, pretty boring day.

I do need to write a couple of very very short stories. Maybe I'll get on that after I make a phone call or 2.

Well, sorry for such a mundane post. Hopefully tomorrow's will be better (GO PATS!).

Goodnight.

"Football is easy if you're crazy as hell."--Bo Jackson

Back in Black (and White)

well, it's been a while, but Im' finally back to my proficiently-typing self. I'm almost as quick as I once was, not quite up to speed, but quick enough to update the blog daily and not take 45 minutes on each post.

Well, in news, I've experienced my first publication ever. This is a pretty cool time for me. I had an opinion piece run in my school newspaper on January 15. I titled it "The Burning Class," but the headline in the paper read "Winter Wonderland: Contemplating Excess and Need." Ah well. It ran. And people fed back. Which is great. that maens people read it and it made them think about some things, even if they didnt' necessarily agree with it. The point is to start discussions on these things, and if I can be a catalyst for discussion, then all the better.

Also, casts off (in case it's not already evident). If you want to know, I have an approx. 2-inch (i'd guess) vertical scar on my wrist, and if you feel near another bone in my wrist, you will most definitely feel the screw. it's weird, butcool, all at once. I'm bionic. Never thought you'd know a bionic fellow, did you?

So, classes are great this semester. Conflict Resolution (listed as a Political Science, Sociology, Psychology, and Anthropology course [phew!]) will be one of my favorites. We discuss the cause of different conflicts, including major wars, minor wars, human rights, psychology of racism (i think...) etc etc. It'll be awesome. Then, Writing of Fiction comes in for a close 2nd. I'll write so much in that class... it won't hurt, I'll tell you that. PLUS we're reading "The Things They Carried" (Kate I know you loved that book, Krys I remember you advocating it plenty as well). So far it's awesome. Spanish 304 - Advanced Writing - will be tough, but not too tough. great teacher. Astronomy will be as interesting as the universe is large (that's pretty interesting!). And, finally, Science of Food will be relatively easy and very rewarding.

Well, off to do rounds or something. It's Friday night and I'm on duty. I'll probably clean up my room, write a quick story for Fiction, and read or watch something. Anyways, talk soon!

Good to be back,
--Collin

"Hard writing makes easy reading."--Wallace Stegner