There's Always the Milk Option!

Examination Contamination

Exams are now in full swing, I don't think it's hit be quite yet that in less than a week I'll be asleep in my own bed back in Four Oaks. I'm really going to miss it hear a lot. I know next year can't be the same and that I'm already growing up like "woah" but I don't want to feel that way, you know? Sigh...

Two of my exams are already over, here is how that went. Both of them were at 8AM, one Wednesday in Math 101, the other this morning in Global History. Now, thinking that Math 101 was just SOOOOOO easy (which it was) I decided that I could just glance over some of the stuff we went over in the study session and be just fine. I ended up sitting at my desk during the exam cursing myself for looking up all the "simple" "easy" stuff that I had forgotten. It wasn't that bad though, I'm pretty sure I passed it OK.
The History exam was cake like all the rest. I greatly appreciate the help of the mildly intelligent Lindsay West (just kidding, super intelligent!) in studying with me last night. The study session was more or less Lindsay rambling off important information whilst I enjoyed her Live-Wire Mountain Dew and drooled over her day old Krispee-Kreme. Whatever happened there must have helped because I only got three questions wrong on the exam! That should safely put me in "A" range in that class. ((Knock on Virtual Wood.))

Now it's time for me to talk about a new sad addiction that I am going to resist, after the next 9 days. This addiction is an online computer game called World of Warcraft. Those of you familiar with computer gaming, especially Mac gaming, should recognize the "Warcraft" brand. It's creator, Blizzard Entertainment, is one of the few game developers that still develops for Mac. Anyway, the past Warcraft games have been real time strategies. In other words, you play an "overloard" and build an army of underlings to wage war with different races and colonies in a "Lord of the Rings-esque" fantasy world. This game takes that world and puts the player on an amazing individual level.
I know some of you have heard of the game EverQuest. Developed by Sony, this computer game is a Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game, (MMORPG.) It was pretty much the original and claimed the lives of many bored individuals. The newer version of EverQuest actually includes an in-game way of ordering Pizza Hut pizza and having it delivered. Sad huh? So if you know how EverQuest works, even if you've never played it (because I never have) then you know how World of Warcraft (WoW) works, only WoW does what EverQuest does much better.

For those that don't know anything about MMORPGs or just want to know why I'm so afraid of becoming addicted that I'm not allowing myself to purchase the game when my free 10 day trial expires, keep reading.

SO NATHAN, TELL ME HOW SOME WoW WORKS!

Well OK, I've only been playing for a day but I'll give you my impressions.

First of all, the game is literally, it's own separate world. Your character can set out north and just keep walking until he/she hits a mountain, or an ocean, or a wall or something it can't pass. You can walk for virtual miles and run into new cities and villages and there is always something to do. You play as a character on either "The Horde" (Mean people) or "The Alliance" (knights in shining armor). Within each side there are 4 races to choose from, and, in all there are nine different classes to of those characters. Let's break it down.

THE ALLIANCE:
Humans
Dwarves
Gnomes
Night Elves

of these races you can pick from these "classes" or types of characters:
Hunter, Mage, Rogue, Paladin, Priest, Warrior, Warlock, and Druid.
Not all of the races can be any one of these, but, you get the idea.

THE HORDE
Orcs
Tauren (Minotaur)
Trolls
Undead

aaaaand their classes:
Hunter, Rogue, Shaman, Warlock, Warrior, Druid, Mage, and Priest

Once you get your character you have to run out into the woods and start beating up on animals and weird humanoid creepy things to get money and gain experience to make your character stronger. You also gain experience and money from completing "quests" which are assigned by non-player characters, (NPC) in-game. For instance, an NPC at a small brewery gave me the quest of going to the local popular brewery and replacing one of their kegs of whisky with one of the small brewery's. Rivalry crap or something. Anyway, upon completion you get money, items, and/or at the very least, good experience points.
Where other players online come in is that some of the quest can be too difficult to take on solo. That's when you get a pal, or just some random gnome guy, to join up with you and help you complete a quest. The bigger the group you can get together the faster you get it done.
There is so much to talk about with this game I actually couldn't finish if I wrote all day. Basically its just like the real world, only fake. You can get jobs, make goods, sell them, auction them off in the big cities (ebay style) take trams to other cities, joke around with other people, and basically waste HOURS.
Yesterday I killed a rabbit, skinned the rabbit, and then if I had wanted, I could have made a shoe from the leather and traded it to a random guy from Canada for 45 copper, or one silver, or a bundle of shiny apples, or whatever I wanted for it. This is why the game is so addictive, it never ends!!! And there is always something to do. I'd love to talk more but I have to do some reading for my next exam and then, yes, travel once more into the world of Azeroth for mind-numbing fun.

KEEP YER FEET ON THE GROUND!

Welcome Back to the Studio!

Please take a glance at the following BBC article:
BBC NEWS | Europe | Mystery of German exploding toads

For starters let me just say, it has to suck to be those toads. Secondly....why isn't someone out there videotaping this priceless moment? If they're going to blow up we might as well get it on film. Although I must say, I can't really blame anyone for not wanting to go out there. What if it is a virus, and humans can contract it? Can you imagine going to the 7-11 and watching the clerk slowly expand to over three times his normal size before jettisoning his entrails onto the ceiling? You probably couldn't have before, but now that I've said it you're all writhing in disgust.

Oh well, just thought this was an interesting topic to post on and I'll leave things at that. I have an exam to study for. Adieu!

Does anyone else think it would be a good idea to make paintballs filled with Ranch dressing? OH! And chicken nugget helmets!

Why Does the Entire Campus Smell Like Dead Cat?

Unfortunate
Originally uploaded by link5001.

Last night's award ceremony officially wrapped up the Spring 2005 One-Take Film Festival. We didn't take home any awards this time around, sadly, but we did get placed in the "Top Ten" which is still an accomplishment considering there were 21 teams. We had fun and now have another interesting little piece to call our own. If you would like to watch "Unfortunate" yourself (or our film from last semester's festival, "T.P.") my teammate Devin DiMattia has posted them on his Short Films page. ENJOY!

Today I turn in that blasted film paper and It'll finally be out of the way. Then the only things I'll have left to do this semester are study for exams, of course, and write up a short paper for my lit class, which should take about 2 hours. Oh yeah, and I almost forgot, move out. That's got to happen too. Today is also the last day of classes. YAAAAY. Tomorrow the study fest is underway!

I'll be leaving beautiful Wilmington a week from Wednesday, at around 5:30. As much as I've looked forward to going back home and hanging out with friends and family, as well as going back to Caswell, I'm going to have to say I'll miss the place. God bless the U.S.A.!

Is denim made of cotton or is it like it own thing?

Nick Nack Paddy Whack

Sorry for the horrible quality of this audio, it seems audio blogger often has this problem, from now on I shant audio blog unless I'm doing so from a land line or a full signal.

It's Impossible to Rob a Deli Truck

So...So much fun...

Roach just gave me a new favoirte thing to do and I'm going to share it now with everyone so that you can fast become addicted to it as well. I'll tell you how to do it in a few easy steps.

1) Turn on your TV
2) Turn to CNN, C-Span, or C-Span2
3) Make sure there are people talking, the faster they're talking the better.
4) Mute your TV
5) Find a radio, computer, or CD player capable of playing Hip-Hop music.
6) Turn it up and Blast the Rap. Faster, more vulger rap works best.
7) Now look at your TV and prepare to wet yourself in uncontrolable laughter.

I do this all the time now...wow...just give it a try!

What do you call an angry nomad?

Sing to the Llama and He'll Sing Back!

Hot Cha Cha!

Today it happened, it finally happened. I took advantage of UNCW's local Wrightsville beach and the sun took advantage of my skin. I look like I've been dipped in Texas Pete and rolled around in an over for about 20 minutes. Actually, I like Texas Pete so that isn't a just analogy.

I spent around 2 hours in the blistering midday sun with no sun block. Now I'm paying for it in spades. The good news is that I usually only burn once so hopefully this will be getting it out of the way early. The bad news is....OW OW OW DANG IT OW!

Tomorrow I'll be shoving right off for One-Take once again. Keep your eyes peeled and perhaps you'll find yerself an audio blog from the scene of the crime.
Speaking of crime I hope none of you crazy kids had too much fun with that 4-20 day thing yesterday. Say no to drugs guys.

And then, like a injured young pup, the Sloan slowly crawled into it's safe and secluded resting space...

Naturally, I Was Unaware of the Fact That Flowers Cannot Comprehend English

Work, tanning, and how badly I have to go to the bathroom as I write this post.

Hello Everyone,
Sorry to say that this will have to be a brief post as I am currently under the influence of my kidneys to make it such.

Work goes on. I have three pages left to write on my final paper for my Intro to Film class, which I hope to take care of tonight. After that the only other thing I have to do is write my literature paper, which should take about 3 hours. Sigh. Actually I lied, that isn't all I have left to do. I also have to study like a grief-stricken time traveler from 2034, desperately seeking knowledge from a mass of books on how to find the resources to get himself home. For those of you unfamiliar with the woes of being lost in alternate dimensions, trust me, it's a grave feeling.

So lots of studying...uh huh...right...and hopefully I'll make my parents proud!

This evening I and the new team of "Zombies" will meet in regards to the logistics of this weekend's one take film festival. For better or for worse we'll have a finished 3-8 minute movie by Saturday evening. Hopefully that will go well. I look forward to have tons-O-fun and possibly making another fun little movie. I'll keep everyone posted on as things develop.

And th..th...th....thats ALLLLL folks! Monday Marks the last day of classes. Tuesday is reading day and, yep, you guessed it, Wednesday is the first day of exams. I'll be heading over to Bear hall for my first exam on that first day at...oh yes...8:00. Fun. The exam festivities shall come to a close the following Wednesday around 4 for me, at which point my pre-packed booty will be sailing off into the sunset after one last Wag.

Dynamite in ears is not a new form of head-banging.

Diamond Cut Beef

We're in the money...the sky is sunny...

In a moderatly sad attempt to benefit my future film career I've decided that I want to open up a paypal donation link on this site. I don't know how soon it will appear but rest assured, when it does everyone should do it. I promise every penny will go towards the $8,000.00 estimated amount that I'll need by the end of my senior year for a complete production studio. Everyone that donates will be credited on any film I make with that equipment for as long as I'm using it. $2, $3, $10, whatever you can spare. Evey bit helps, and you'll be investing it into a soon to be shining star! Perhaps I can be your good deed of the month...every month...for the next 3 years.... ((grin))

In other news I feel like I've been pimp slapped every 20 minutes during the night as I tried to sleep...I think I may be coming down with something...bad. With over half a paper left to write this week and only one last week to study before exams begin that could spell trouble...GULP. Hopefully I'll get over it. I wish you all well!

Violence knows not it's limits in the film "Sin City." Euuuuoogh!

What is Actually Inside a Camel's Hump

16-bit spector

The window in my room is open and the wind is making this really creepy howling noise with the flat mirror that's propped up against it. Sorry about that last post if it threw you off. I actually wrote it at 2:30 AM THIS morning but I it was in my "Friday's" consciousness so I posted it for yesterday. Yeah...I just felt like making some crazy junk up. There it be.

Speaking of creepy things let me tell you about what happened after I posted early this morning in the AM. I got HAUNTED. My roommate was off, of course, forgetting himself as always and I was alone in the room. His computer started making all of these strange clicking noises that I had never noticed before. It was annoying but it made me think, "What if the screen came on and had words on it talking to me?" I brushed the thought aside and rolled over.
Then a few minutes later the printer started up, just switching all of it's gears around. I freaked just a little I pulled the paper out (so as to keep the eletro-ghost from printing me a message of course) and returned to my bed. Shortly after I rolled over to face the wall next to my bed I heard the unmistakable sound of a monitor turning on. "This can't be happening" I thought. I didn't want to open my eyes but it was just one of those situations where I had to.
I opened them and there was the blue-white light of the monitor flooded across the wall I was facing. With all the courage I could muster I rolled out of bed, trying to avert my eyes from whatever cryptic message could have been on the screen and pushed the power button on the front of the computer. Before I pressed it I couldn't help but notice that the "Windows Start Up" was what was on the screen.
After pressing it the screen went black but the clicking in the computer persisted. Then the screen came on again...I kept pressing the button. At this point I was frantically pressing the button and the thought running though my head again and again was, "Dear Lord, Windows, please please please don't start up!" In a final act of desperation I located the surge protector and flipped it off.
Silence....Darkness...Sweet silence and darkness...
I unplugged the computer just to make sure and flicked the surge protector back on. Soon afterwards my roommate retuned and just as I was about to drift off The refrigerator started making a loud hum. I unplugged it...plugged it in....fine for a while ..back in bed...HUM....REPEAT.....The humming wouldn't stop. To top it off I swear there was the distant thudding of techno music all around. I don't know if I'm just making this up in my head...but it seems to me last night was the night of the haunted appliances!

Nathan Sloan Fun Fact: "Nathan absolutly loves the sweet sweet juice of a fresh orange but nearly gags while trying to swallow the fruit itself!"

Birth of a Salesman

Set, Set in the West You
Originally uploaded by link5001.

A Problem Never Solved

Every time it rains there is a curious noise produced, presumably anyway, by the drainage system of my building. I remember the first time I heard it and I asked my roommate what it was. He didn't know. No one really knows.
Imagine my surprise as, while on a routine scout of the roof, I found something blocking the gutter just above my room. It was a leather suitcase that had cracked and split from repeated soakings from the rain and bleachings from the sun.
Upon finding it I could still hear the drunken men downstairs making nonsense of themselves and I decided not to bother with opening it just then. Besides, the rusty clasps looked likely they would be impossible to force free anyway. I removed the obstruction mostly in the hopes that it would relieve the building's drainage issues.
In my room I had business to attend to. As usual work coated my desk in a vast expanse. I slid the slim black case between my bed and the wall, where it would stay for the next 5 days. The only reason I remembered it then was that one of my friends casually mentioned their wishes to see the roof and it all flooded back.
Propped up on my bed I must have spent an hour attempting to get the switch clasps to budge but it was a fruitless effort. I even attempted busting them apart with a monkey wrench that sits useless in my desk drawer. Still no luck.
Naturally, just as any child at Christmas would have done, I gave it a few good shakes. From what I could tell there were at least 3 good solid objects in there, one of them seemed to like rolling and something was metallic. There was also the unmistakable scratching and crinkling of paper. Satisfied with my new mental image of it's contents for the time being I placed it back behind my bed.
It wasn't long before someone noticed it during a visit and I explained the whole story. Obviously more intrigued that I he seemed bent on finding a way to opening it. When I fully realized the power of his obsession I handed the briefcase over to him and asked only that he tell me what he found once he opened it. He left and I didn't hear from him for a while. The weeks went by and I eventually forgot all about my old token.
Three years later I was having a muffin from a snack stand at one of England's lovely International airports when across the way I see a familiar form. My old friend from Egypt! We talked briefly, he seemed hurried so I decided to let him go. After all it was an airport, I was sure he had a flight to catch.
It was then that I noticed what had stuck me as being so odd about him. His carry on. I knew that carry on. It was the case from the roof. Without thinking I hurried to his side and inquired as to what had been in it.
Never had I seen the color drain from a man's face that quickly before. In a moment his red flushed cheeks (he was obviously a drinker) shrank to an ashen gray before I really had time to see it happened. I don't remember his exact explanation but I do believe he said something about a can of shaving cream and some paperwork. He explained that upon fixing the latches he had discovered that he actually quite enjoyed the case itself. I nodded but after I bid him farewell and returned to my snacking I couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity oh his enjoying that mangled and destroyed case.
Ironically the reason I was in London was to visit a colleague who had lived with me, and my old friend in Egypt. With the story fresh on my mind I took the opportunity to share it with him. The intensity of his stare as I shared it with him led me to believe there was something of deeper interest in it. He remembered the case I spoke of quite well for he lived just across the hall from my friend when he found it. As I mentioned, I lost contact with the man shortly after giving him the case but the man I was meeting with informed me that he never actually saw him open it. He did offer the fact that shortly after bringing the case back, his demeanor drastically changed. He became more reclusive and far less talkative. It seems that every time he was seen the case was in his had. One day the man's roommate reported that he just up and left.
His room was bear aside from a can of shaving cream placed curiously on the molding along the ceiling. It was carefully balanced there and when shook made a rattling sound. The dispenser lid was latched to allow for it's opening. Before inspecting the contents of the can, the roommate noticed also a legal pad upon witch a scrap of paper still clung after most of the papers were obviously ripped out. On it was written:
"Instructions, le......" and "follow until the end, do not stop until the..."
In the can he found four adult human teeth and a pin knife, rusted and inscribed with the name Helder Astor II.
As far as my colleague had known, my old friend from Egypt had been reported killed just a year earlier in Amsted, though his body was never recovered.
At one time I wondered what I would have found had I breached the shell of that case, but that curiosity has faded. I have no loss to derive from it, aside from the fact that it never did fix the problem with the drainage from the roof.

P.L. Barmound, ~1989

Seems the Whole Village is Jumpy Tonight

Schedule me this, schedule me that, schedule my schedule a truck load of crap!

Today was my assigned day for Fall 2005 registration. It seems the "registration gods" decide when each student gets to sign into Seaweb online and their call is not disputable. Why did I have to sign up over a day after most freshmen? I don't know, but I don't get the decency of an intelligent answer...

Maybe that's just when they make us dumb kids sign up...sigh...

So here is where you'll find me, sadly, at different times starting next fall semester, (August 10-December 10):

Mondays and Wednesdays...... [the good days]
10:00-10:50.........Introductory Italian II
11:00-11:50.........Intro to Old Testament

Tuesdays and Thursdays [the BAD days]
9:30-10:45..........History & Appreciation of Film: Silent (sounds like a great morning class eh?)
12:30-1:45..........Concepts of Modern Biology (Lecture)
3:30-4:45............Public Speaking

Fridays [The Ugly days]
SAME SCHEDULE AS M/W but with an added bonus!
12:00-2:50..........Concepts of Modern Biology (lab)

So as you can see (if you actually just read that) I have a schedule that, while it could be worse, I'm still not really very happy with. A couple of the classes I really wanted were full so I had to jump for alternates, Public Speaking being one of them. Hopefully I won't hate myself for that. Mondays and Wednesdays are going to be cake but those aren't really they days that I'd like to be cake. Instead I have a Friday that's going to drag out a little longer than it should and Tuesday/Thursdays that will really never seem to end. Sure I'm out at 4:45 but with only an hour and a half between each of my three classes I will never really seem to be getting a break. Oh well, I'm not whining, so stop saying I am! I'm just ever so slightly annoyed.

Now if you'll excuse me I have to scrub down the inside of a dumpster with a single pad of steel wool.
...
I owe a favor to a friend.

So Digital Music Follows Her

Here kitty kitty kitt BLAMM!!!!!

The last time I put any serious thought into "cats" was when my friend Matt described his girlfriend's birthday, the bulk of which was spent at her house as the entire family pulled up lawn chairs to observe a stray cat give birth on their back deck. Apparently a riveting spectacle for it lasted over two hours. After having a few enjoyable, yet admittedly nervous chuckles I quickly reverted to my normal consciousness of house cats. A consciousness which is reserved almost exclusively to the situation of Stupie Kitty flopping and rolling in a spot which is specifically in my path of travel.

Grrrr

Before I describe what brought me back to actually allowing these creatures to occupy even a small amount of my thinking time, I'll go on to describe some of my feelings towards them. So I don't really care for cats. I don't hate them but honestly I don't see anything that redeeming about them either. Sure some of them are better than others. I'm sure all you kat lovers will testify that "Mr. Boots", your grandparent's long deceased cat, was, in fact, a civil rights advocate and an influential figure in the childhood life of Mother Teresa. I know you're sold on the idea that cats are good hearted creatures but I see them as quite the opposite.
Sure they snuggle up next to you but did you know that, well, biologically they are driven to rub their scent on whatever doesn't smell like them. Yes, it's true. This accounts for why the late Mr. Boots always seemed just a little more affectionate right after you got out of the shower. Outdoor cats only come around when they feel like it or when they need food. The rest of the time they're out lady killin' with every loose kitty in town. I don't really view their beckon call attitude towards the hand that feeds them an admirable trait.

But I'm not above feeling the urge to say "Aw sha booooo!" and pet one myself on occasion.

Now let me talk about this AOL article I was reading today. If you have AOL, the article can be found HERE

So in Wisconsin hunters are arguing that free roaming cats should be opened up for small game. Of course this OUTRAGES the SICK SICK extremist cat lovers out there. Already they have apparently started picketing with their adorable cat posters in hand and a fresh foam at their mouths. More than that, I'm almost sure that upon hearing this, some of you sympathize. Even if no one owns the cat, it's a cat right? People shouldn't shoot cats. Let's think a little more about this though.
Anyone that's watched The Price is Right lately should know that it's a good idea to get you pet spade or neutered. Why is that you ask? To help control the pet population of course! You see, old Bob Barker, as well as you and I, knows that even though we love kitty kitties that love is due to our social upbringing, which tells us to see them as something a little more than the other animals. As citizens in other cat eating cultures will tell you they are still, well, just animals. Much like possum or gopher, when the population gets too high something has to happen to control it. Since humans are responsible for the upsetting of the eco-balance, we are also responsible for keeping it in check. Cars take care of possum and gophers are already open to small game hunters.
How often have you enjoyed the sweet sounds of a beautiful songbird outside your window or on the way to work? Well, the AOL article reports that...
"Every year in Wisconsin alone, an estimated 2 million wild cats kill 47 million to 139 million songbirds, according to state officials."
Two MILLION wild cats, just in Wisconsin. And how disproportionate is the number of birds they kill? Well, I don't know, I'm not good at math, but that's a HUGE amount. I guess they have to eat three meals a day right?
In effect, what I'm getting at is that it's not only sensible for hunters to want to take care of these poor, accidents of nature, but it should be required. Even if the law is passed not nearly as many hunters would take advantage of it as would be necessary to protect the environmental balance. I think hunters in other states should feel a responsibility to check on the wild cat population where they live and lobby for cat hunting if needed. I don't care for hunting myself but if those that do care want to hunt Mr. Boots' rebel grandson who forages in the woods for spare bluebird parts, I'm all for it!

In some parts of the world concrete is known as puddingstone. Now go out and have an enlightened day!

Stuffed Peppers From Hades

Being 19 sucks.

It's official, I'm officially a young adult and as such I can no longer claim some of the more desirable qualities of a youth. From here on out it's coffee drinking and report writing and deadlines deadlines deadlines. Of course I should be weaned away from all the carefree loveliness of my younger days but the bad thing about that is that I probably won't even see it hit me. All the sudden...WHAMMO!!! I'll have all this responsibility and and I'll no idea where it came from.

On top of that my birthday (by optimistic account) was mediocre. I enjoyed seeing the family, and eating with them. Brahma Breeze has changed their menu and I'm not overly thrilled with it but it was decent. Craig's pineapple cake was (and at the time of writing this, still is) scrumptulesient. But really...not a great birthday. I think I've had my last good birthday, I can't remember when it was but it's over and done with now. I'm 19 and from here on out people say "Happy Birthday" and that's sufficient. Nothing wrong with that, it's just the way it works I suppose.

Still tons and tons of work to be done....so...yeah...stay tuned for something interesting in a post...and I hope to release my first album on WilmingShop soon if I can get the kinks worked out. Now don't get all excited...it's not a Nathan album, it's the Caswell Collection album that Adam and I put out at the end of the summer. It'll come in it's own case and have it's own unique packaging. YAAAAY!
Speaking of caswell...I'm ready to go there...

I just realized there is no practical use for a tandem motercycle...DANG IT

When You View it From the Side it Doesn't Look Quite as Lame

Nathan presents...proof of the existance of "Speak-O's"

Not Waving but Drowning

Yello!

Sorry for the crappy rate of updates lately but it IS the end of the semester and things are winding tighter, as I have stated before. I have some good news though! My slacker sister, Melissa, finally (after I told her over a week ago how) got around to posting her first entry on her new blog, What'Sloan My Mind. You are now all obligated to go and leave comments on her first post encouraging her to continue writing, because if you don't her daunting lazy nature will surely keep her from lifting a finger to the keyboard again.

Naturally this leads me to talk about Paul McCartney's half-time show at the Super Bowl a couple months back. Yam, if you're reading this, I apologize for striking you with the same random conversation jump that I did on Tuesday night. That being said I really just wanted to say how sweet that show was. The effects used were absolutely breathtaking from the TV screen, I can't imagine what they must have been like live and in person. Not to mention old Paul's music ain't to shabby in and of itself. Of all the songs I think I have to say "Hey Jude" was the most beautiful, both musically as well as visually. The crisp blues rippling across the projection screens around McCartney.
What really saddens me is that that amazing show wasn't the main attraction. It took a stupid game of "smear the ...guy with the ball" to get creative minds together and funding enough to produce it. Why aren't there huge art events where millions upon millions are spent in order to make a fantastic art exhibition? The short answer is that art, though completely satisfying to the soul, is not satisfying the the "unga bunga" thirst for competition and hitting of things that is apparently deemed more important to the drooling masses.
NOW WAIT JUST A MINUTE.
Please do not confuse me for a black-framed glasses, fair-trade, veagan sandal wearing hippie art snob college student that doesn't appreciate the occasional stimulating athletic competition. I haven't come to college only to have the great epiphany that I am intellectually above the entertainment values and un-artistic lifestyles of most people, as some students have. I'm just stating the blazingly obvious fact that the world of entertainment is just a little off kilter when that half-time show and a football game can be put together and people still actually enjoyed the game more. Maybe you aren't a Paul fan, that's ok, but you still can't deny that the fireworks and visual effects were completely amazing.

As a related comment...and yes, it's actually relevant this time, I recently picked up my soon to be Aussie roommate's copy of Paul and Linda McCartney's album, RAM, and ripped it onto my computer. Really interesting album. I highly suggest you all listen to it a few times, decide that you hate it, then listen to it a few more times. At that point to you suddenly find yourself irresistibly hooked to it's charmingly weeeeird collection of music. I, personally have found myself sing "Monkberry Moon Delight" and "Ram On" nonstop in my head and around campus all week.

This one guy told me that a certain type of tree-bark could be used to treat groin rash...and make European pastries.

Wait in Line for Yet Another

Sleeping is a strange animal.

I got up early again this morning to go eat breakfast and discovered that after giving your body and mind 35 minutes to wake up, you really shouldn't go back to sleep again. I woke up feeling like a rancid pile of poop. That is why I think naps suck. You should only take naps when you absolutely have to and the perfect time to take a nap is 1 and a half to 2 hours. Any more or any less will result in the something akin to the feeling of nausea with a lack of anything to throw up as soon as you arise.

As far as sleeping at night, some people say they only need 5 hours. Some people claim 8 to be the perfect number. I must be doomed because I never get the same amount two nights in a row. One night very well may be 9 hours and the next 7 or 6. It's totally random. Some studies have linked irregular sleep patterns to early death. If such is the case at least I should be able to miss out on the nursing home years.

At this point I'm more or less just rambling but I assure you that this rambling is due, in part, to that stupid nap I took this morning. Thirty thoughts must be circling around my head and the above 2 paragraphs were the only ones that I could successfully link together to make an intelligible post. The moral of the story:
Get up and stay up.

Now to go test out those new vinyl hamsters that came in the other day...

State of the Blog Address

So when does the crazy train pull out?

Take all the explosiveness of one freshman year and roll it into one grand finale and that's what you get this for the month of April. There is a LOT that shall be going on and I'll take a moment to run over everything I can think of.

1) Heck-load of papers:
This is where the teachers start piling them on high. I have papers to write in both my lit and history classes as well and the grandmother of all papers, the final paper for my film class, which happens to be on the movie Rushmore.

2) My Birthday:
Not far away at all, in a little over a week I'll be celebrating the beginning of my last teenage year. WOOT!

3) Preregistration/Fall 05 prep:
A lot of money shall be dished out, a lot of debt increased, and the structure for my weeks in the fall semester will be determined.

4) Spring '05 "One Take Film Festival":
Nuclear Space Zombie has been reformed with new members and determination to one-up our last production from Fall '04!

5) Final exams start:
A semester that is certainly more exam-heavy for me than my last, it should be interesting to see how well I fair through the final barrage of this one.

6) Bittersweet goodbyes:
With only 4 days of exams in May, the goodbyes will start a-coming by the end of this month. This is going to be harder than I thought.

As you can see, subject matter won't be lacking. I look forward also to working on at LEAST one other production and putting a DVD together of my first year of little films, more for comedic effect than anything. Look for this to appear in May during my downtime between school and Caswell. Of course....this is a tentative announcement as things like this usually never go according to plan.

Also look for a memoir/printed collection of my freshman year which will include a lot (if not all) of my first school year of posts from WilmingSloan. This books should arrive in my online store either in May (haha) or early August. The books will be really nice paperbacks and I plan on making them look professional.

As far as other merch, I hope to get at least one cool cheaply item up this month (BUY IT!) and if any of you have suggestions for how to make a better WilmingShirt feel free to give me advice. If you haven't checked lately and you have some money to spend look for the new Rapid Fire Panda stuff. I promise I plan on doing something with this next year...haha. There is a SWEET shirt as well as an inexpensive sticker.
The I <3 Wag ad campaign will begin this month around campus and you will all see! The shirts shall sell!

Finally I'd like to report that my longtime screwed up "Links" page (click "links" next to WilmingShop under the title banner of this page) has been totally updated and fixed. no more broken links and nonsense. If you haven't checked them out I encourage you to, and if you have a like you'd like me to add just email it to me.
Please also note that in the "Blogs" section of that page I've added my sister's new blog. She hasn't written anything yet but when she does I'm sure it'll be good stuff. Check it out!

If you haven't figured it out yet the tagline on my banner was a joke...APRIL FOOLS!!!
...that was weak...dang it...

...And I Had Such a Great Idea for a Title

Talk to the Hand.
Originally uploaded by link5001.

I've uploaded a new little batch of pictures since I last posted, this being one of them.

I have this thing where I just can't decide sometimes what I want to do. It doesn't happen often but when it does I always turn to the same guy for a solution. Mr. Quarter! I know a lot of others must practice coin flipping as a means of making personal decisions but for me it is really difficult. Even if I HONEST to GOODNESS have NO Idea which I want to do I always feel bad about whatever wins and end up doing whatever loses after a brief period of guilt.
When I woke up this morning I was sure there had been some strange malfunction with my alarm clock. It went off at 7 AM and I do not have class until 10. After staring at it with complete contempt for about 30 seconds I realized that I had actually set it myself so that I could go get breakfast with Caroline. I was so torn. Warm soft bed or warm soft waffle? I used the quarter and it told me to go to bed so of course I opted for the waffle.
I'm glad I did because it was good and now I feel like I have overcome the evil power of the quarters, which I'm sure are bent on my eternal doom through bad decision making.

up up down left right left right left
That's either a code in a video game I'm remembering or the way Roach spends a night in bed...