No girlfriend, no problem.

I am so glad that I do not have a girlfriend right now....let me explain.

Twilight came out on Friday. I have no plans on watching it. So if I can hold out for 2 months, the movie will be out of theaters and my sanity will remain intact.

Across the Universe

So I watched 'Across the Universe' again today. It is quickly becoming my favorite movie. It is rare that I enjoy a musical. Typically musicals are dreary and drawn out, much like getting stabbed in the face by a man with Parkinson's. But this one...well, this one is filled with some of my favorite songs from beginning to end. It is so much better when you can sing along with a musical and not feel like a total git. I do believe that you cannot just sit through a Beatles song and not sing along.

So, I leave you with some lyrics (although it does seem a little silly).

With a little help from my friends:

What would you think if I sang out of tune,
Would you stand up and walk out on me.
Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song,
And I'll try not to sing out of key.

I get by with a little help from my friends,
I get high with a little help from my friends,
I'm gonna try with a little help from my friends.

This is dedication.

A Victorious Chord

I get tired of running into 'fan-boys' of this band or that band. Doesn't anyone appreciate music as a whole anymore? I am not saying that you have to like everything, only that you appreciate the significance of specific bands and what they accomplished. There are several bands/artists that have contributed so much to music, and although I am not necessarily a fan of their music, I recognize what they have brought to the table. This is not a comprehensive list, however I do believe it covers a broad swath so that you get the general idea.

The Beatles
One of the biggest pop groups of all time. They just pumped hit after hit, and even those that did not top at #1 were still classic and revolutionary in music. Not only did The Beatles have an influence on music of the time, the individual band members went on to further that with their own future projects.

Earl Scruggs
Revolutionary banjo player who was part of Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys. He perfected the three finger banjo picking using the thumb, index, and middle fingers. This allowed future acts to increase speed and expand freedom.

Grateful Dead
A band who mixed many genres together into a unique sound. One thing that separates from other bands is that The Grateful Dead focused on improvisation rather than defined sets when performing live. Not only did they create wonderful and influential sounds, they were also advocates of music itself. They are known for having more free concerts than any other band as well as allowing fans to tape their sets provided that the fan did not profit from the recordings.

Michael Jackson
Ignore that he is completely loony. It is a fact though that he not only produced good music, but was an excellent showman. Enough said.

Pink Floyd
Not only did Pink Floyd create songs that had never been heard before, but they took those sounds and put it to a movie, hence: The Wall. A revolutionary piece of music/video has not been seen until 'Across the Universe.'

Garth Brooks
A mixture of country and rock lead to a reprise of country music and brought it back into the popularity with a broad range of songs. Furthermore, I cannot think of another country music artist that has had a true world tour.

Alabama
Country music band that has been influential as a band, as opposed to many country music artists which have acts that are solo. With extensive touring, they have incorporated many different styles of music and styles of showmanship.

Now, I would also like to add some rap, R&B, and a few more genres here. However, I am not as familiar with them and would rather not embarrass myself.

Big Bang Theory

This is one of my favorite shows.

The best part of the show is the jokes. I saw a few episodes with friends, and they didn't get any of the jokes. They had no idea why I was laughing...I just seemed crazy.

I have watched all of season one. I cannot wait until season two. I think that my favorite character is Sheldon, although there is a little of each character in me; which I think why the show is so universal in its appeal to geeks, nerds, and dorks.

Save the world

So I met a girl this weekend while leading a canoe trip and got her number. She was cute and could hold a conversation ... a rare mix around here. I have no idea if she is single or not but she was cool to talk with regardless. I think the best part is that she is not 'normal,' she is more off to the fringe, which I dig. But that is not the reason why I am writing about her, although it would be completely awesome to date her; the reason I am writing about her is that she got me thinking about life in general. She got me thinking about the things that I could do to help others.

So today I picked up a guy on the side of the road; he ran out of gas, he had been walking for over half an hour in the sun with the thermometer hitting over 100 deg. So I gave him a bottle of water, a lift to the gas station and lent him $5 [although I am not expecting him to pay me back, I just hope he passes along the favor].

Elections, Problems, and other rantings

Honestly, at this point I am tired of the elections. I follow the elections quite closely as a matter of principle, but the media is getting ridiculous. I could safely say that 90% of what they report is utter bullshit. Who gives a shit what each candidate is wearing? It is not an issue. If I wanted a stylish president, I would look in GQ or Esquire, not in Congress.

I want a leader that will do what is right for the country as a whole not because it will provide the maximum benefit, but because it is the right thing to do. I am an idealist, I want to see the best in people.

To be completely honest, I think that both Obama and McCain would be a great president. Obama is a visionary to say the least, and McCain is a great moderate that has not had troubles jumping over the aisle. The problem is the rest of government and its politics. Both the House and the Senate are severely fucked. There is too much division and subversion going on that is preventing this country from moving forward. We spend too much money on 'pet projects' and not enough money on things that matter. Right now approximately 1% of the entire US population is homeless. This is sad. How much would it cost to provide the homeless with stable housing, drug treatment, medical attention, and provide them with training and jobs? So far the Iraq war has cost between 500 and 600 billion dollars; could we have solved the homeless problem with that much funding? [The answer is that we could have put an enormous dent in the homeless population.]

At this moment, we have so many problems...but not enough solutions and not enough people that give a damn about things that matter.