Spidersinthewoodwork

old school nintendo...in stop motion...with food

2010-05-27T19:32:00.000-07:00

i like gum balls and salads. I also like it when people take those things, film them, and add stop motion animation so that they resemble some of the best games of all time!

Labrador Retriever WIN

2010-05-15T19:20:00.000-07:00

This reminds of when I worked on the Kown's land. Sammy, their huge lab, would often find sticks that were actually small tree trunks. This lab has Sammy beat, though.

Sleigh Bells

2010-05-14T09:49:00.001-07:00

I just picked up Sleigh Bell's album, Treats. It's...weird, fun, catchy, LOUD, and really, really distorted. The best description I can give it is that it's a mix of rock and hip-hop beats with extremely heavy and distorted guitars, all accompanied by sugary-sweet cheerleaderish chants. Or you could say its the lovechild of chillwave, metal, and 80's pop. It's hard to describe. Just give it a listen. Below is a song from the album that's already been out on the internets for a good while.

Holy Carp!

2010-05-04T07:01:00.000-07:00

We all know this flooding sucks, but I couldn't help but smile when I saw this video. And while it may seem sad that the carp is dying in the video, keep in mind that the carp population is kinda out of control and one less carp in TN waters is not a bad thing.

Mario and Luigi look really cool. Wait...what?

2010-04-24T07:31:00.000-07:00

A re-imagining of the mushroom kingdom (click to embiggen).

from lastscionz at deviantart.

We are helpless

2010-04-22T13:53:00.001-07:00

Infomercials are great. They let us know why we need whatever product they're selling by telling us--in one way or another--that we are completely helpless. In other words, these commercials portray people screwing something up that's normally super easy, and then the commercial lets us know that we have to buy something that will make this super-easy process even easier. Below is a collection of all the the things that infomercials think we suck at.

Hilarious.

She drives better than me

2010-04-21T13:47:00.000-07:00

I thought I was a fine driver. Heck, I can drive an automatic AND a stick shift. But this little girl puts me to shame.

From Spidersinthewoodwork

To barrell roll, press Z or R twice!

2010-04-20T06:15:00.000-07:00

Looks like Peppy's comments didn't help Fox this time. Where's Falco when you need him?

via ihasahotdog

This made my heart break

2010-04-15T14:01:00.000-07:00

What if Calvin took Ritalin?

Source unknown

The dangers of merging our reality with an 8-bit reality

2010-04-09T07:17:00.000-07:00

I'm a little late on the draw for this video, but if you haven't seen it, it's pretty great.

PIXELS by PATRICK JEAN.
Uploaded by onemoreprod. - Independent web videos.

OMG a real life Gambit

2010-04-07T11:36:00.000-07:00

This dude is crazy. I think this is an ad/informative vid for a Samsung camera, but this guy has some SERIOUS skills.

Awesome April Fool's Prank

2010-04-06T12:48:00.000-07:00

Nothing like scaring the crap out of students...

8 bit covers

2010-04-01T07:48:00.000-07:00

So, supposedly there is a plethora of 8 bit cover songs on youtube. I didn't know that. Anyway, someone recently covered all of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. The cover of Money is below. Enjoy.

Data Movie Quotes

2010-03-11T11:36:00.000-08:00

I saw this on Google Reader and thought it was pretty funny (click for full image):

from flowingdata.com

The Coolest Guy in the World

2010-03-09T08:27:00.000-08:00

There's coordination...then there's this guy.

My favorite part is the fountain scene at 2:38.

Sorry...

2010-03-03T06:51:00.000-08:00

I can't help it. I think this pug dressed up like Teen Wolf is the pinnacle of comedy... but let's be honest - he looks more like a weird monkey than a wolf.

from gopugyourself

In the Kitchen with Mr. T

2010-02-28T08:13:00.000-08:00

If you've never seen Mr. T's infomercial for the Flavor Wave Oven, then you should check out this highlight reel. Get ready for some unhealthy amounts of cheese.

True Story

2010-02-25T14:28:00.001-08:00

When I was about ten years old, I spent the night at my friend Robert's house. While this event may not seem very special--as I often spent the night at his house--this particular time was different. In between playing video games (I think we were playing the old Ninja Turtles game for SNES: Turtles in Time) and eating pixie stix/drinking inordinate amounts of caffeine, Robert took a quick bathroom break. I was still playing vidz when I heard Robert scream and call me into the bathroom. He had seen a Wolf Spider in the bathtub. Fortunately, it was stuck in there.

Normally, this isn't that big of deal, especially in Tennessee. If you have never seen a Wolf Spider, though, then the sight can be slightly alarming. They're enormous--kinda like a smaller version of a Tarantula. Yet this Wolf Spider was special.

As any normal ten-year-old boys would do, we immediately set ourselves to harrassing the poor creature as much as possible. We started hitting and kicking the side of tub to see if it would move. It crawled around a little, but nothing spectacular happened. Then Robert got a brilliant idea. He lowered his face down until he was about a foot away from the spider, and he blew a quick blast of air out of his mouth onto the spider. Little red dots went everywhere. Then the red dots started moving. They were babies. Hundreds of them. At that point we both screamed like little girls and ran away to get his parents.

Here's a video to give you a visual:

Imperial Propaganda

2010-02-24T07:41:00.001-08:00

Posted by artist Cliff Chiang on his blog:

The Best Latte Art I've Ever Seen

2010-02-19T09:14:00.001-08:00

For Ben :)

via Kotaku

Is this funny? Or is it terrible? Are we human? Or are we dancer?

2010-02-18T19:22:00.000-08:00

Babies that shoot lasers out of their eyes...

I'll be honest. I laughed the first time I saw this, but I feel like my I.Q. has somehow dropped.

via io9

Plastic into art

2010-02-18T07:02:00.000-08:00

I saw this and thought it looked really cool. It's made from reclaimed plastic. From a Japanese artist who lives in Fort Wayne, IN (random, I know).

via adafruit.

Dinosaur Weapons!!!

2010-02-17T11:35:00.000-08:00

I give you the Triceracopter:

This work of art is subtitled "Hope for the Obsolescence of War."

Right, we get it. Dinosaurs are extinct. War should be as well. This is a nice thought, but the logic behind it is flawed...mainly because the sculpture just looks way too cool. Honestly, this makes me think of a near future when world wars will be waged with huge dinosaur robot weapons. I think--if anything--this will encourage people to make weapons/bring back dinosaurs in robot form...and then those robot dinosaurs will rebel against us and use human blood as a power source.

This artist has doomed the world to be dominated by a robot dinosaur empire. He should have just sculpted a peace symbol.

via Gizmodo

Happy Birthday, Beth!!!!!

2010-02-15T06:59:00.000-08:00

It's a little blurry, but the cuteness factor is ridonk.

Happy Valentine's Day from Robocop

2010-02-14T20:30:00.001-08:00

I want to go to Korea and eat this cyborg-approved fried chicken right now.

via geekologie.

Escher's "Relativity"

2010-02-14T07:17:00.000-08:00

So whenever I see anything done up in Legos I get kinda excited...

I saw this and loved it - you may have already seen it.

For more info on how this was put together, go here.

Around teh internets

2010-02-11T13:37:00.000-08:00

So awhile back I posted about G.R.R. Martin and the internet backlash surrounding his overdue installment in his A Song of Ice and Fire Series. Well, it seems that no one cares what Neil Gaiman has to say on the subject.

A fantasy fiction blog (Pat's Fantasy Hotlist) recently had the incredible privilege of posting an excerpt of an upcoming short story from Martin. The author of this blog did not disable the comments section. Big mistake, IMHO.

251 comments later, Pat decided to disable the comments.

Like many people, I'm eagerly awaiting Martin's fifth book. I am not, however, angry over the wait. Am I disappointed? I guess... I honestly don't care that much. But I am interested and fascinated (obviously) about what other people think on the subject.

Hopefully people will chill out when they hold the next book in their hands...but it seems like that's asking alot.

I'm kinda glad my mom doesn't use facebook...

2010-01-21T07:27:00.000-08:00

see more funny facebook stuff!

Stand up for justice!

2010-01-13T06:45:00.000-08:00

Comcast writers must be bored

2009-12-16T14:16:00.000-08:00

Recently on /film...really weird Comcast movie descriptions.

Blips, bleeps, and blocks...Lego blocks

2009-11-27T12:48:00.000-08:00

A recreation of the rooftop scene from The Matrix...with Legos.

via IO9.com

I wish I could see this at Radio City Music Hall

2009-10-10T13:23:00.000-07:00

CBS video on the live music performance for the LOTR movies.

Watch CBS News Videos Online

via Suvudu
javascript:void(0)

Anthropomorphism at its finest

2009-09-20T19:40:00.000-07:00

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

General Grevious Reenvisioned

2009-09-12T18:03:00.000-07:00

via animalswithlightsabers

Zombies

2009-09-09T13:18:00.000-07:00

The new zombie corporation...

see more Engrish

Awesome.

Neil Gaiman lays the smack down

2009-07-31T07:52:00.001-07:00

On his blog, Neil Gaiman responds to a fan about something other than his own life and work - he talks about G.R.R. Martin.

Let me preface what Gaiman writes about with a little background information. While i haven't read much Gaiman stuff (I've been wanting to get into the Sandman graphic novel series for awhile now), i HAVE read alot of G.R.R. Martin. He created the series A Song of Ice and Fire. If you don't already know this about me, then here it goes - I am a huge fantasy and sci-fi reader. I love it. People used to make fun of me for it (well, they still do), but i don't care. I'm happy that i've embraced this aspect of myself, and I will continue to enjoy books within that genre. However, I want to be clear that G.R.R. Martin is by no means my favorite writer - in fact, some of his writing i despise, and it often feels like i'm sneaking a peek at a 14-year-old boy's diary. But he does have moments of spectacular prose, and at this point i'm so far invested in his work that i will finish at least the Ice and Fire series. The problem is i can't - he's nowhere near done. And he hasn't released a book in awhile. That's his prerogative, but some fans are getting testy...which is just silly.

And that's what Gaiman is responding to - a fan who asks his opinion about G.R.R. Martin's procrastination. Enjoy.

Cyborg Wildlife

2009-07-27T14:39:00.000-07:00

IO9.com reported on this from Comic Con. Lisa Black, a New Zealand artist, had some interesting pieces of art for sale. My favorite was this steampunk/cyborg fawn:

Toast of Music City = Poo of Music City

2009-07-24T10:12:00.001-07:00

Supposedly only chains are good enough to win in Nashville. Basically, the majority of the people who voted in this year's Toast of Music City approached every category with the thought What makes Nashville great?... and then they decided not to vote for anything that fell within that category. Oh - the BEST restaurant for Nashville is Bar-B-Cutie. Wow. Don't get me wrong, i love barbecue - but Nashville boasts some excellent mom & pop barbecue joints that could destroy Bar-B-Cutie any day.

To be fair, plenty of places, etc. won or placed in their respective categories that totally deserve to be there. But some of them are absolutely awful. Maybe next year Wal-Mart will win best overall retail store.

Harry Potter Shenanigans

2009-07-21T07:22:00.000-07:00

So a huge Harry Potter fan won a contest to go to the Harry Potter sets and conduct interviews with cast and crew. Did i mention the huge fan is a crazy japanese girl? And when i say huge fan, i really mean an obsessed fan. Hilarity ensues. Check out the full article on /film.

Videos below.

Shocker

2009-07-13T11:22:00.000-07:00

Now to complain about something completely inconsequential...

So, New Line is releasing all of the Lord of the Ring films on Bluray...but only the theatrical version for now, and then the extended version later in another release. As a fan of the movies (let's go ahead and qualify that statement with the fact that they will never - nor could be - as good as the books), i think it is ridiculous that they don't release both the theatrical and extended versions of the films in one bluray collection. I mean - blurays can hold like 50gb of info, so you'd think they would just go ahead and use the bluray discs to their full capabilities. But, like any big studio, they need to make as much profit by releasing the theatrical versions on bluray first, then releasing the extended versions later.

If you want a funny perspective on this...go to the pre-order page on Amazon. Check out the user ratings and the crazy number of one star reviews. I tried to write the most absurd and ridiculous review possible. It's so easy taking it out on big companies.

Moon

2009-07-08T05:56:00.000-07:00

Comes out this Friday at the Belcourt. I'll be there at 9:55.

MOON: Movie Trailer - The most popular videos are a click away

What the heck

2009-07-02T07:03:00.000-07:00

This has gotta be fake, but it's kinda fascinating. "Filmed" by a snake cam in the sewers of North Carolina.

UPDATE: As Robert already pointed out - supposedly these are worms - and the video is real. I did some digging, and the creatures are little colonies of tubifex worms. When the light from the snake cam shines on the colony, one of them will move, which agitates the other worms and makes them move as well. Weird.

Encouraging Henri Nouwen Thought

2009-07-01T07:32:00.000-07:00

A Lifelong Journey

Going home is a lifelong journey. There are always parts of ourselves that wander off in dissipation or get stuck in resentment. Before we know it we are lost in lustful fantasies or angry ruminations. Our night dreams and daydreams often remind us of our lostness.

Spiritual disciplines such as praying, fasting and caring are ways to help us return home. As we walk home we often realise how long the way is. But let us not be discouraged. Jesus walks with us and speaks to us on the road. When we listen carefully we discover that we are already home while on the way.

Henri Nouwen

Fail blog

2009-05-15T10:29:00.000-07:00

This is soooo something i would have done as a kid:

Uzi at the beach!

2009-05-10T08:50:00.000-07:00

We were at the beach a couple weeks ago, and Uzi tagged along (Forgive my indulgent anthropomorphizing).

He kept himself busy most of the time...

Chillin' in the condo...

Checking out the beach from the balcony with Beth...

Showing off his beach bod...

Drinking some wine...

...and done for the day.

Movies I'm Excited About in 2009

2009-04-15T11:42:00.000-07:00

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but here are a few of the movies I definitely want to catch this year (please excuse the fact that it is a bit sci-fi-and-fantasy-centric):

May 1: X-men Origins: Wolverine - seriously, who doesn't like Wolverine?

May 8: Star Trek - (nerd alert!) JJ Abrams take on the Star Trek universe looks pretty cool.

May 21: Terminator Salvation - Robots and the apocalypse? I'm there.

May 29: The Brothers Bloom (wide release)- this con artist movie looks great. From the director of Brick - the high school noir mystery (check it out if you haven't see it).

June 12: Moon (limited release) - I'm really, really excited about this sci-fi thriller, but worried that it won't make it to Nashville. Here's hoping.

July 1: Public Enemies - Bale, Depp, and bank robberies. Fun.

July 15: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - yeah, i've been ready for this film for awhile. I'm very excited. Then we'll have to wait forever again for the last two movies (book 7 is being broken up into two movies)

July 31 - Funny People - From Judd Apatow, it looks like Adam Sandler is getting back to his funnier roots.

August 7 - G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra - I just know this is going to be awful, but I will still go see it.

August 21 - Inglorious Bastards - this looks pretty cool - Tarantino's take on WWII...set in occupied France.

October 16 - Where the Wild Things Are - I was curious, but not excited, until i saw the trailer Stan had on his blog. Now i'm pumped. It looks good, but it will definitely bring up all the memories of childhood - the good and bad.

December 18 - Avatar - not to be confused with the cartoon-to-live-action movie of Nickelodeon's Avatar: the Last Airbender that M. Night is doing. This Avatar sounds crazy - and could turn out to be James Cameron's sci-fi swan song...not that he's done any other big sci-fi movies (Aliens, Terminator, T2....)

So there's a preliminary list that will probably grown in the coming months.

Something that annoys the crap out of me

2009-04-09T06:18:00.000-07:00

I don't want my posts to be a string of whining and complaining about things I can't change (only the people who actually hang out with me get experience that), but I did want to point out something that drives me crazy - the animate gifs ads on weather.com and yahoo.com, etc. They've been around for a long time, but everytime i notice them - and really, how can you not - i want to grab my monitor and fling it across the room.

Now - the specific animated gifs i'm talking about are the ones that say something like "NEW HOUSING BILL PASSED!" accompanied by some sort of dancing figure - usually a baby or a woman - and they're always dancing in a completely hysterical way (not funny-hysterical, more like crazy-hysterical). I'm pretty sure if you click on them you immediately lose your soul and you sign your life away to a high interest ARM loan. Just by clicking. Seriously.

Spanky, the paralyzed Pekingese

2009-03-04T06:45:00.000-08:00

So i've been very busy lately with work, and I'm just getting over a week-long virus. It's been awhile since I last posted.

The other night, as I was lying bed with a raging fever, I was reminded of Spanky, a Pekingese who belonged to some family friends. The thought process started becuase Uzi was fast asleep with his head resting on my neck. I was already burning up, so i tried to push him off, which was surprisingly difficult. He was dead weight...unwilling to move. And this got me thinking, in my fever-induced stupor, about Spanky, the paralyzed Pekingese,...which even at 3:00 a.m., with a crappy virus and a head full of drainage, brought a smile to my face. If you are unfamiliar with the Pekingese breed, here's a picture to the left(not of Spanky, but a typical Pekingese).

While i would never actually own one of these dogs, I think they look hilarious. Due to their smashed-face aesthetic, these dogs don't really "breathe." Instead, they snort, wheeze, and sputter their way through life. Not only do they have breathing issues, but they have alot of...hair. That's alot of extra weight to carry around. I think it's a miracle that they live as long as they do. Seriously - they already have breathing problems, and then they have a coat of thick hair. To me it seems like the equivalent of a person with asthma walking around with a down comforter wrapped around his/her face. This thought inspired the following image:

But back to Spanky. Spanky was bitten by a tick, and as a result, he was temporarily paralyzed from the neck down. So...not only did Spanky have a hard time breathing, but he had to lay down on his side ALL the time. When the family would take Spanky out to go to the bathroom, it consisted of simply setting him down in the grass. He would just lie there...then do his business.

Whenever you walked by Spanky, his eyes would follow you...but that was about all he could do. Oh, and he would wheeze. It was sad, but it was also kinda funny.

While Spanky was paralyzed, one of the sons in the family would take him to the slick cement floor in the garage and spin him around. I'll admit - I laughed. I don't know if Spanky hated it or liked it, but there wasn't much he could do about it.

Eventually, Spanky fully recovered and lived the life of normal dog. But I'll never forget the image of a paralyzed pekingese - the fluffy, immobile mass...lying there, struggling to breathe.

Thanks for the memories, Spanky.

what happens when I play video games

2009-01-10T15:13:00.000-08:00

The other night Brett, Jason, and Will invited me to play some Gears of War online. Beth was playing with Uzi in the meantime, and here are some pictures that were on the camera when I finished. Wow.

Recently brought to my attention

2009-01-03T06:42:00.000-08:00

A fellow music lover recently e-mailed me out of the blue with this simple question: Why does Anthony Gonzalez of M83 have a TSU (Tennessee State University) sticker on his guitar?

If you didn't know anything about Gonzalez, then you may think that there would be an easy answer to this question...like he attended TSU or something similar. But if you know something about Gonzalez, then you know he's from France and writes dreamy electronic music. So now the question gets a little more interesting.

The person who asked me this question attended (or attends) TSU and is a fan of M83, just like me. He was watching a video of M83 performing (below) at the kcrw station in southern California and noticed the sticker...

Then, from what i understand, he basically googled M83 and TSU and lo and behold - up popped yours truly, SITW. So, knowing our similar musical tastes and schooling, he emailed me with the perplexing question.

So seriously - people of the internets - why does Anthony Gonzalez have a TSU sticker on his guitar? My vote is that it is meant to be ironic or random. It reminds me of when i would see guys in Ireland wearing t-shirts with something like "Iowa City Auto Body Repair Shop" on it. However, I could be totally wrong. Gonzalez may really love TSU. Who knows?

Regardless...Go Tigers!

My top ten albums of 2008

2008-12-21T15:41:00.000-08:00

I posted my top ten albums of the year over on Thom's Lazy Eye, so I thought I might as well duplicate considering how much work i put into editing the dang html. The list is below...and keep in mind I have not listened to all the albums I would have liked to this year, but for now this is my top ten of 2008.

10. Truckasaurus : Tea Parties, Guns, and Valor
I know, I know. I can’t help it though – I like this album. The blips, bleeps and bloops are like a tractor beam for me. And – the band is named after the Truckasaurus episode from the Simpsons! I mean c’mon - that’s good stuff! But seriously, the mixing, rythms, etc. on this album are really cool, and I’ll keep on enjoying it. Below is a great remix of one of the songs.

Aint No Danbo (When Hes Gone) [Copy Remix] - Truckasauras

9. Portishead : Third
It’s been about a decade since Portishead’s last release, and they definitely did not disappoint with Third. This is a dense album, or dense in its darkness at least. This is not one of those albums I pop in the player when I just need some easy-listening chill music. This is an album to play when it’s raining and cold and your mood reflects the weather, or there’s just been a nuclear apocalypse. Sometimes the album can be slightly jarring, but overall I enjoy it.

Silence - Portishead

8. Flying Lotus : Los Angeles
If you’ve ever watched Adult Swim on Cartoon Network there’s a good chance you’ve heard some of Flying Lotus’ stuff. It’s kinda laid back hip-hop inspired electronica. This is great background music. A signature track is below.

Beginners Falafel - Flying Lotus

7. Department of Eagles : In Ear Park
This album took me by surprise. This band has a strange history, as it kinda started when Daniel Rossen (of Grizzly Bear) worked on some tracks with his NYU roommate…and I think eventually put out an album. Then the whole Grizzly Bear thing happened, but he thankfully went back to DOE and released this album in 2008. Definitely has a slight Beach Boys feel, and it evokes Brian Wilson’s collaborator Van Dyke Parks (from his album Song Cycle – but in a good way) with all the orchestral arrangements. In Ear Park has really grown on me. Teenagers is a great track.

Teenagers - Department Of Eagles

6. Vampire Weekend : Vampire Weekend
Some of you may like this album, some of you may loathe it. For all the naysayers out there – I like it, even if I’m kinda sick of it by now. That’s all I’m gonna write about that.

Walcott - Vampire Weekend

5. Crystal Castles : Crystal Castles
I can’t stop listening to this album. It’s just so catchy. There’s something special about pounding out 8-bit soundscapes accompanied with a screaming female voice.

Seriously, why do I like this album so much? Is there something wrong with me? One more track below for your enjoyment/hatred (no screaming on this one).

Knights - Crystal Castles

4. TV on the Radio : Dear Science
Gosh. TV on the Radio is proof that there is plenty of hope for the continued creativity of the Brooklyn music scene. These dudes know what they are doing and are very consistent. Below is a BBC recording of one of the killer tracks on Dear Science.

3. M83 : Saturdays = Youth
I love M83 and I probably always will. This album is very poppy, dreamy, and has a strong shoegaze feel to it (reminiscent of My Bloody Valentine mixed with Cocteau Twins). There are some straight up electronic tracks as well on the album, which are also nice. Below is my favorite song from Saturdays = Youth.

Kim & Jessie - M83

2. The Walkmen : You and Me
I’m glad the Walkmen have been able to stick around. This album is classic Walkmen without feeling too repetitive. My favorite is below.

Four Provinces - The Walkmen

1. Fleet Foxes : Fleet Foxes
I know this is also the no. 1 album (along with the EP) on Pitchfork, but so what. I agree and I’m copying them. I think many on this blog will and do agree that this album, this band…….wow. They are freaking awesome. I don’t know what else to write. A good-but not the best-song from the album:

Quiet Houses - Fleet Foxes

Life of Uzi in pictures...

2008-12-07T07:35:00.001-08:00

a more serious post

2008-11-20T08:31:00.000-08:00

I just finished a short story titled “Room Nineteen” by Doris Lessing and it made me sad. The main character, a woman named Susan, basically becomes overwhelmed with life and its absurdity and constantly craves to be completely alone. During the week her husband is at work and her children are at school, but she flees to London daily to sit in a seedy hotel room by herself. While the story has a feminist slant and focuses some on the extreme resentment Susan feels over the loss of her personal freedom, the story still deeply resonates with me.

I often feel a dryness and aridity in life that is difficult to grasp. I scold myself for feeling such a thing, especially in light of the relative ease of my life. I have a good job, I have a great wife, and I am blessed with a nice home and nice material possessions. However, I sometimes feel overwhelmed with the absurdity of it all. I see the pain and intense suffering in the world and I often have trouble processing it. I see the pain that I can cause to others, whether it is an offhand and hurtful comment to a friend or a moment of emotional neglect to my wife. I become frustrated and overwhelmed with my own selfishness and shortfalls, and I become scared and confused over what I witness in the world. Furthermore, I question myself and my goals, and I wonder if the decisions I am making for my life are the right ones.

These thoughts often overwhelm me when I have an incorrect image of my identity. I think of myself as a person who must rely on his own intelligence and guile to get through life. That thought is scary, and below that thought is a hint of extreme loneliness. I am not alone. My identity should be grounded in my Savior, yet it is a consistent struggle for me to remember who I am and what has been done for me. I am not alone. My friends and my community love me and care for me.

If I am honest, I share these thoughts more for myself than for others. It is important to remind myself of these truths, and to remember who Jesus is. I was vastly encouraged this morning after reading a daily meditation from Henri Nouwen that hits right at the root of my confusing feelings and calls me out of myself. It encourages me to love others and (especially poignant for me at the moment) to remember that while life may be disheartening, we are called to experience and live it in His presence and for His glory, loving and caring for those around us:

“How do we wait for God? We wait with patience. But patience does not mean passivity. Waiting patiently is not like waiting for the bus to come, the rain to stop, or the sun to rise. It is an active waiting in which we live the present moment to the full in order to find there the signs of the One we are waiting for.

“The word patience comes from the Latin verb patior which means "to suffer." Waiting patiently is suffering through the present moment, tasting it to the full, and letting the seeds that are sown in the ground on which we stand grow into strong plants. Waiting patiently always means paying attention to what is happening right before our eyes and seeing there the first rays of God's glorious coming.”

It is my prayer today to live patiently and to see what is before me. I want to fight indifference and sorrow and embrace the love of Christ.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

2008-11-01T06:49:00.000-07:00

I'm really pumped for the next movie...unfortunately, we'll have to wait until July. This trailer will have to hold us over.

enjoy.

proud parent

2008-10-14T13:45:00.001-07:00

Vidz

2008-09-29T13:43:00.000-07:00

I have what some people see as a problem. It's called "video games." I play them.

As a kid, my parents consistently let me know that while playing video games wasn't necessarily a bad thing to do, there was always something else I could be doing that would be better. I think this is why I still enjoy playing them today. When I moved out of my parent's house I was like the kid who was never allowed to eat sugar, and then he goes over to his friend's house and immediately eats a bag of pixie sticks.

Yet, I still have some residual guilt ever time I turn on my xbox. There's always a little voice in the back of my mind asking: "Is this really the best use of your time?" If Beth happens to be home at the moment I could be spending time with her. Or... I could go take Uzi to the dog park. Or I could work ahead on homework. Or I could read a book, or go on a run, or........well, you get the idea. Ultimately, there are a hundred other things I could be doing that would probably be a better use of my time.

I think the best thing to do is to find a balance between responsibilities, spending time with others, etc. - and I feel that I usually do find a balance...but the nagging guilt just sometimes won't go away.

It's the same sort of thing I feel when I buy a new video game, a new album, or a movie. I ask myself: "is this really necessary?" I could give this money to a npo, or to the church, or add it to my investments, etc., etc., etc. Again, I feel like there is a balance here. It's just finding it. I don't want to be ruled by the desire for material possessions, or to become an escapist (i.e. through video games or reading, etc.), but it's finding that middle ground.

Wherever that middle ground is, I do know i'll be enjoying Fable 2 this fall.

TSU, King of Kong, and an Uzi Update

2008-08-21T18:15:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy week...

Yesterday I registered for fall semester classes at TSU. One would think that this would be an easy task - heck, I went to school there during the summer. However, I've come to find that "easy task" can really mean "ruin your day". My student status makes things...difficult. I already have an undergraduate degree, but I'm taking additional English classes to buff up my English hours. This concept is difficult for the TSU computer system to grasp. Eventually, the head of the English department cleared all of my holds (which he also had to do for my summer semester) and I was able to register. This, of course, happened after hours of frustration and sweating while standing outside the English building. But remembering one thing makes it all worthwhile - I'm actually PAYING for this out of my own pocket. Yes!

Moving along...Beth talked to Steve Wiebe on the phone today. Her company is thinking about representing him as a speaker and looking into acting as an agent for his upcoming book. If you don't know who Steve Wiebe is then drop what you're doing immediately and go watch the documentary The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters. It's awesome. Steve's awesome. And, according to my wife, he's a really nice guy. But you basically gather that from the movie. Go watch it if you haven't yet. It really is awesome.

Also, I want to give an update on our lil' buddy, Uzi. Basically, he's growing. And he's alot of fun. Beth is chasing him around our condo right now - and she's making really weird noises, but he seems to really like it. Now he's hiding under my chair. But enough of the play-by-play. Uzi has two extreme states of being. Either he is fast asleep, or he's going crazy. Sometimes, when the light is just right, and Uzi has had just enough exercise for the day, and he's not quite tired enough to fall asleep but awake enough to walk around, he can be pretty chill. Sometimes. Here are some examples of when he's asleep:

When he's awake and trying to play, he starts making strange noises:

Then, if we give him water after midnight - he turns into this!

the inspiration for the name

2008-08-19T12:34:00.000-07:00

Today i was reminded why i named this blog "spiders in the woodwork." We have been fighting a brown recluse infestation in our condo complex. Our exterminator came today and found 29 recluses on our sticky pads (which don't control the spider population - they just simply monitor it). He also found 60 specimens of a particular type of red spider on the pads. I guess word got around in the spider population that our complex is a free-for-all spider haven. gross. In case you don't know what a brown recluse spider looks like...here ya go:

They visit me in my dreams.

I can't help it... i have to do another post on Uzi, and I'm sure there are many more to come

2008-07-06T18:41:00.001-07:00

We gave uzi a bath last week, and when he gets a bath he shakes like any dog. We wrapped him up in a towel and he was happy.

Then he fell asleep.

Awesomeness at the reception

2008-07-06T18:41:00.000-07:00

So my "little" step-brother got married this weekend. It was a good time for all involved: Fellowship with family...sharing good memories...the creation of a new family...ya know - the usual happy moments. Oh - and there was also this guy. He was ROCKIN' it on the guitar and the bass all night long...and he was definitely rocking those turquoise pants. The really excited guy looking at the camera at the end is my brother...he was pretty happy I was catching the guy on film.

uzi

2008-06-26T10:05:00.002-07:00

here he is, our new little buddy...uzi

mission

2008-06-26T10:05:00.000-07:00

Working with nonprofits, i hear about it every day: mission. So, in order to start out the blog, I will state what my purpose is in starting this blog. My main goal is to begin to write more outside of work or class - to get in the habit of outputting my thoughts from my mind as opposed to simply thinking about something and then discarding it....i.e. bringing to light what i'm thinking, and processing it more in a written conversation with myself. I'll use this blog to post whatever i want as it comes into my head - which may be a rant on something that is annoying me at the time, or it may be some information on my life, or it might be a link to something i find interesting. As for the title...well, i just want to bring to light what is hidden...and that can take the form of many things: A concrete example would be the brown recluse spiders that actually do live in my woodwork, and another obvious one would be the thoughts i often have that I never voice or write down. So, if it sounds a little self-focused...well, it kind of is, because it is ultimately a blog for me, myself and I - an online diary. But if you happen to enjoy something or come across a post, I'd always appreciate another opinion.