| "The thing about being irresponsible is it's only cute till you are about twenty-two or so, then it becomes a liability. One day you wake up under a pizza box, the television blaring in your bedroom, the laundry piled up over what might be a bedside table, and you ask yourself, 'How did my life get like this? Why don't people like me? Didn't I have a cat and what is that smell?'"- Donald Miller, To Own a Dragon (p. 112)
I am irresponsible.
This candid confession should come as a surprise to absolutely no one. I am, after all, a twenty-one year old male. In general, twentysomethings are not considered to be the most responsible bunch. And on a personal level, I consider myself somewhat jovial in nature, which oftentimes gives people the impression that I am little more than a layabout who takes little seriously.
And, I suppose I'm coming to the realization that that's not necessarily an untrue assumption. I don't quantify this by silly things like my deep love for comic books or video games, but rather by how the things I don't take seriously adversely affect my life.
The passage I quoted above, as noted, comes from Donald Miller's To Own a Dragon. I snagged a copy of the book off the shelf to read on my break at work tonight, and randomly opened to a chapter entitled "Making Decisions: How to Stay Out of Prison." To my surprise and despite the fact that I've read through the book before, I found myself reading into an essay which spoke frankly to my own situation, and I couldn't help but be confronted with a problem that can have devestating consequences if I don't start taking it seriously.
I am irresponsible. This fact is not so shocking given my age. After all, your twenties are supposed to be the age when you act a little crazy, a little immature, before you sort of "straighten out" into your thirties. However, it seems to me that my own particular brand of immaturity is of a slightly more self-destructive brand than most people experience at my age - for one thing, I am outrageously bad with handling my finances. I am more in debt than I should be at my age. This is not something that is unmanageable, even for a community college student with a part-time job or two, such as myself. However, I consistently find that instead of taking the high road and spending money wisely, I will spend my funds on things that are instantly gratifying but do little to ensure my financial well-being into my future. I have a blindness to the broader picture but can clearly make out the short-term; I am sabotaging my future for the sake of my personal satisfaction in the here and now. This is something that has always been in the back of my head, but it's never something that I've taken very seriously.
In the chapter I previously quoted, Miller writes about how, when you get right down to it, the directions life takes isn't determined by the family he was born into or the neighborhood his parents lived in; instead, it is dictated by the choices we make. Miller contends that there are many people out there who simply never learned to make good choices. However, this is not some trait that is determined by a random genetic lottery, but something that can be learned. I feel that this, at the core, is my problem - I have a certain blindness to "good" decisions. I often fail to think things through, which of course dooms my decisions to failure before I make them.
So, I suppose this is something of a declaration. From this moment on, I'm making a consious decision to make better decisions in my life, specifically when it comes to financial decisions. Simply put, it's time to grow up a bit.
Here goes nothin'.
-M | comments: 5 comments or Leave a comment   |
| An announcement, of sorts. Attention, one and all.
I have discovered something glorious.
I want this--
 --to be my wedding cake.
That is all.
Shamelessly stolen from Kotaku
-M | | comments: 1 comment or Leave a comment |
| Rules:
1. If you would like to play, comment with an "Interview me!" (or something along those lines)
2. I will ask you five questions.
3. You will answer those five questions in your journal along with posting these instructions.
1. Where can you see yourself in 20 years?
Hm, that's a tough one. In twenty years I'll just be entering my forties, so I guess I'd like to say that I hope to have settled down with a wonderful and beautiful young woman I happen to know, with a couple of kids. Not necessarily a huge important life - not necessarily an enourmous house or a lot of money (though I dare say they'd be nice to have), perhaps enough to get by comfortably without much worry. As far as employment, I suppose I'd like to be doing something creative in regards to writing: whether that be journalism or some kind of book writing (comics or novels pop to mind), I'm not picky.
2. What is your most prized possession?
Hrm. Well, I like many of the things that I have, which I suppose is why I still have them. I suppose my most prized possessions are hte ones that carry the fondest memory - an inflatable Spider-Man wearing a Bibleman cape, for instance, or perhaps a miniature plastic Pokemon figurine. Or maybe it's the cheap, plastic Batman mask that came from a bin in Wal-Mart or the sword that rests next to one of my shelf. It's hard to say.
3. If you could be any superhero, who would you be and why?
This question is always misleading - the first instinct one has is to choose his favorite superhero, not the one he'd most like to be. That said, the first one that pops to my head is Spider-Man, and although he has some great powers, I find that they lack a certain amount of practicality. That said, my next thought goes to Kal-El of Krypton, known to some as Clark Kent or Superman, because I would then find myself nigh unbeatable. However, it then creeps into my head that Clark Kent is perhaps one of the lonliest creatures in the universe, and the vast power he wields has a seductive nature to it that lesser men like myself might succumb to. It might seem like a simple question, but as with many, it becomes far more complicated and philosophical if only you read into it deeply enough.
I suppose that, in the end, I might end up choosing Peter Parker after all. Despite his somewhat impractical powers and the untold stress of his personal and professional lives, he is the kind of man I'd like to be at his very core.
4. What is your favorite food?
Honestly? Most anything that's edible and tastes delicious.
5. What was your favorite childhood tv show?
Childhood? I suppose it means by what you define as childhood. My adolescent years saw me, at times, nearly centering my life around Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and I daresay it has shaped both who I am and what I am interested in. However, earlier years saw me latched to things like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and He-Man, which I suppose were just as influential.
I've been interviewed twice! Yes, twice! These questions come straight from Josh, while the ones above are from Cheryl -
1.) If you could play any instrument what would you pick, and why?
Hm, good question. Probably some sort of guitar, because that seems to be the one that gets you the most "cool."
2.) If you could remake any movie what would you and why?
Hrm...well, I think I'd remake a bad film that had a lot of good potential as opposed to a classic film to "reimagine it" (ugh). So really, from there the possibilities are endless - you could remake Gigli as an action drama, you could remake Hulk or Elektra with a decent script, you could remake Predator 2 as a buddy cop comedy (because you know it was dying to be). I imagine it would be an entirely painful process, because instead of recreating a film I knew and loved from my childhood, I would be retooling an utter pile of dreck into something watchable, which I imagine requires a certain bit of self-flaggellation.
3.) If you could have a pool or jacuzzi which would you choose?
A pool, I think. Jacuzzis are nice, but a pool is more communal. With a pool I could invite anyone and everyone over for grills and pool parties and whatnot; with a jacuzzi, the options are far more limited (and there's a whole air of sexual tension that seems to get tacked on as soon as people think the word 'jacuzzi'). I wouldn't mind a jacuzzi at all, no sir, but I think I would rather have the pool first.
4.) The Beatles or the Rolling Stones?
While I'm not terribly familiar with either band's work, I would have to say The Beatles, simply because I downright enjoy what stuff I've heard of them better.
5.) Gladiator or 300?
Would you believe that, to this day, I have yet to see Gladiator? That said, I imagine I must say 300 by default.
-M | | comments: 2 comments or Leave a comment |
| "Sex God" by Rob Bell is pretty much one of the best books about the Christian perspective of sex (or at least what the Christian perspective of sex SHOULD be) that I've ever read.
If you're a Christian and you've ever had sex or if you plan on ever having sex - heck, even if NONE of those things actually apply to you - I would highly recommend you read the book as soon as possible.
That is all.
-M | | comments: Leave a comment |
| I put up a new blog post today, regarding some...interesting goings-on within the comic book industry - specifically Marvel Comics - that has a lot of people on the internet all aflutter.
I was going to post it here, but some of the images and material contained within aren't safe for work or "all-ages" viewing, and for some reason I couldn't get the cut-link to work here (which is weird considering it worked well enough on the LJ community I posted it to).
Anyway, I'm just going to put up links to the other places where the entry is located. They're all the same, so pick your poison and enjoy. Any and all feedback is appreciated.
MySpace!
LiveJournal!
Blogspot!
Enjoy.
-M | | comments: Leave a comment |
| 
It's no secret to anyone that I've discussed it with that I've been utterly unhappy with the latest season of 24.
The pacing was sloppier than usual, the story arcs phased in and out of relevance as if the entire writing staff came down with a severe case of ADD, and nine out of ten character moments rang entirely hollow.
So naturally, I wasn't really expecting much going in to last night's blowout of a finale - after all, just two weeks prior we had been treated to perhaps one of the worst episodes of the season.
As the first episode passed and we reached the halfway mark, I found little to alleviate my fears. And then something beautiful happened.
The final episode of the season was amazing.
It wasn't the action or the various ka-booms. Granted, the action pieces were very well done and I enjoyed them, but when that oil rig blew, I still wasn't all that engaged. It was good eye candy, but not much else.
It was when all of that was over that the real magic happened.
The last twenty minutes of the episode delivered on so many levels, emotionally, that I was honestly floored. It's not simply that this episode offered character development and analysis that I've been craving all season; it may be safe to say that I've been craving this level of depth for the entire run of the series.
We don't often get to dig deep into Jack Bauer's psyche. Often, the severity of the plot dictates that Jack constantly be in a "work now, deal with shit later" mode. That's probably very realistic for what people like this have to actually do in order to effectively accomplish their jobs, but on dramatised television where you have a character getting off a plane from a Chinese torture camp and jumping right in to the action with no ill signs of his imprisonment, it feels a little unrealistic.
Jack's scene with James Heller was, simply put, beautiful. In those ten or so minutes, we saw the extent of the damage that his time in China - nay, his entire lifestyle - had done to him emotionally and psychologically. Jack was well overdue for an emotional breakdown/epiphany, and while I wish that we had gotten a few more looks at the cracks in Jack's armor throughout this season, I have to swallow my pride and say that the folks in the writer's room pulled off the payoff beautifully and proved to everyone that they've still got it, and they know how to use it when they want to.
I am skeptical for what the future holds for Jack Bauer and company, but with the way the year closed out I am hopeful. Where just days ago I was ready to walk away completely, now I'm ready to see what Day 7 has to offer. Here's hoping Cochran and Surnow don't let me down.
-M | | comments: Leave a comment |
| One of my favorite comic blogs in the blogosphere is Legion of Doom. The guys that make up the "legion" always have something interesting to say, and it's always a good read.
Every Saturday they run a feature called "Books of Doom," in which all four of the guys take one book that came out that week and do a sort of roundtable review.
This week they decided to introduce a new element to this feature - namely, to have a guest blogger join them in their review.
I am humbled and honored to say that this week, they asked me to be that guest blogger. Definitely check it out, if you're so inclined.
And while you're at it, don't forget to keep up with my own comic blog, Another Damn Comic Blog, which I update sporadically.
Any and all feedback is greatly appreciated.
Thanks for reading.
-M | | comments: Leave a comment |
| So I've been thinking a bit about toilets lately.
Wait, where are you going? Come back, I'm serious.
No, really though. I think I may have had an epiphany or something.
I believe that automatic flush toilets pose a very serious threat to our society.
"What?!" you say. "Impossible! They're just toilets! And besides, they're so darn convenient!"
Ah, yes, convenient they are. And therein lies the problem, my friends.
In recent years, it seems that automatic bathroom fixtures - hand dryers, sinks, and especially toilets - have become more and more commonplace in public restrooms. No longer do we have to turn and touch that potentially deadly handle after we've answered nature's call.
But along with this rising trend of automatic flush toilets, I seem to notice that many public restrooms with manual flush toilets are neglected - people who use them neglect to flush them.
Is it possible that the glorious technology that is the automatic flush toilet has made us lazy enough to forget to do so manually when necessary? It seems that way.
Now, this begs the age-old question - the chicken or the egg?
Was the rise in automatic flush toilets in public restrooms a byproduct of a mass movement of non-flushitude, or is the trend of placing them in public restrooms resulting in rampant forgetfulness on the part of bathroom patrons who are forced to use manual flush toilets?
I'd like to know. Seriously.
That's all for today, kids. And remember to flush, okay?
Please?
-M | | comments: 6 comments or Leave a comment |
| I'm not much of an outdoorsy person. At least not in the sense that my first thought on a nice day is to take a hike or get people together to play football or something. I like such things, but it's not my hobby. I'm not unwilling, but I don't usually set out to do something like that and I'm usually not the one to suggest it to a group.
That said, when I do find myself outdoors - more specifically, less the suburban setting of my home and more "nature-y" settings - I often recognize and acknowledge the simple yet elegant beauty of nature itself. I wouldn't say I'm in awe of it, but I can recognize it.
A weird thing happened to me yesterday, though. A bunch of us got together for lunch at Lung Fung, and afterwards someone suggested Ultimate Frisbee at Spenser Park.
When we got there, I found myself laying on my back on a small hill while everyone else threw the Frisbee around. I'm not sure how long I was there - sometime between twenty minutes and three hours, I lost track of the time - but while I was laying there I simply stared at the sky.
The thing about this is there was nothing to distract me. It was late enough so that the sun wasn't in my field of vision, but early enough that the sky was still as blue as it gets. It was cloudless in Belvidere, and not a semblance of man's technological prowess - say an airplane - passed through my field of vision. It was just me and the sky.
That doesn't happen with me very often. At once, the sky felt as though it was right on top of me - like up-close and personal, "why were you checking out my girlfriend" kind of on top of me - and yet it felt a million miles away. Although I was aware of the Frisbee antics taking place around me, it was like I wasn't really there. It was just me and the blue sky. It was, simply put, beautiful.
It was an interesting experience. And as I lie there and pondered the experience that I was, erm, experiencing, my mind couldn't help but be reminded of God. God is at once a Caring Father and Wholly Other. You can feel closer to God than you have anyone in your life and yet at the same time feel as though He couldn't be farther away.
I think we often take for granted the simple beauty and wonder of things around us. This isn't just nature, but also people and relationships and even God. We get so caught up in the horrors that this world is capable of producing and all of the other stuff that we've got going on that we fail to take notice of our surroundings.
It was a strange experience. I don't usually say or post things like this because it always feels contrived or lame to me, but I felt compelled to share this one.
So, yeah. Story = shared.
-M | | comments: 2 comments or Leave a comment |
| I've been talking about so much comic book stuff on my various blogs lately (mostly my MySpace), I figured I'd go all the way and make a blog specifically for my comic book musings, because it seems to be all the rage these days.
I'll probably still post the same stuff here and at my MySpace for the most part, but this is a place where I can get a little bit more in-depth ("geeky," if you will) and collect all of my comic book stuff exclusively.
So yeah, I made a blogspot for the hell of it:
http://anotherdamncomicblog.blogspot.com/
-M | | comments: Leave a comment |
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