My Political Stress

I'm just moving along in this world, taking on writing projects with friends, writing/reading for homework, and constantly hoping for any type of cultural release from this entire political tension.

I really don't know anymore. I am still a huge Obama fan, but my thoughts on politics have taken a jaded sense. It seems that people are more diverted from the actual issues at hand and making this another "National Enquirer" type of movement. I'm sick of this decay of bash tactics. I'm sick of lies, improper judgement on previous votes, and over-stretched claims.

I can't believe some of the crap I am hearing from friends and family on their political views. Go vote McCrap if you want to, but when the economy falls further down the drain, and we have to institute a draft to keep America's industrial military complex strong, I'll be the one dancing on our country's ashes yelling "I told you so!"

Let's face it...everyone hates us in the geopolitical scale that counts. We need to become more of an isolationist country. It would fix many of our problems (including terrorism, you dolts!). I know I am really just ranting again, and I'm sorry, but America has had too much glamour and glitz without thinking about the common man who wants money for college and an affordable roof over his head in a safe city.

Vote for anyone you want...Libertarian,Democrat, Republican, I don't care who for; it would just mean a ton to me to know that people still believe in our system, and want a change.

Maybe both candidates could be a reasonable answer to this country's problem. Let's just hope that they are up for cleaning a huge GW mess...
Oh yeah, let freedom ring and all of that good stuff. And if Big Brother is reading this, I don't have bombs, I love freedom, I love the 1st amendment, I hate terrorism, but I want a free system where you can't go into my personal life in the name of "freedom" for your so-called "Patriot Act". You have bastardized my personal liberties by instituting this when America was afraid, and I don't agree with it.

Thanks for hearing me out guys. I love all of you: Conservatives and liberals alike. My friends rock regardless of political affiliation.

F. Scott Fitzgerald

I have been forever transformed by the amazing writing of F. Scott Fitzgerald. I know, I know: the guy that everyone had to read in high school. Guess what though...I never read him in school, and just recently read "The Great Gatsby".

But among my friend's in the literary world shouting blasphemy at me, I have fallen in love with yet another writer. Not only does Fitzgerald embody the pure, raw emotion of the upper crust during the jazz age, he also shows the cynicism of old money and the bastardization of the "American Dream". His use of language, describing double vision with Nick in "TGG" is perfectly mastered!

But his writing isn't the only thing that is wondrous about him. The relationship that he had with his wife Zelda is exhibitionist to say the least. Apart from Zelda's many trips to the mental institution, they were known for their odd public behavior. One of their favorite things to do was to arrive to friend's parties acting like dogs, lapping their wine and walking on all fours. They would dance in fountains naked as well as drive naked in Downtown Manhattan. My favorite thing that they did was their driving: when driving on a winding road, Zelda would reach over Fitzgerald and yank on the steering wheel, trying to get the car over the cliff's edge.

Now, Ryan's top five authors have been revised as thus:
1) Walt Whitman
2) John Steinbeck
3) William Faulkner
4) James Joyce
5) F. Scott Fitzgerald

Because of the copyright difference in the UK, there is an annotated version in England at the moment. It is hard to order online from the states, but nothing is going to stop me from buying it when I'm hanging in London in less than a month!

"Life is essentially a cheat and its conditions are those of defeat; the redeeming things are not happiness and pleasure but the deeper satisfactions that come out of struggle."
F. Scott Fitzgerald

Raphael Saadiq

I just bought the album titled "The Way I See It" by Raphael Saadiq. Normally, I don't listen to R&B. However, I love the neo-soul beats and the interweaving of the old school Motown Sound. Here's a sample of what is on the album...even his movements in the music video make him look like he should be with the Jackson 5. I can't stop listening to this CD!

Open Your Eyes, America!

In an article I just found on the BBC website, Russia is sending a naval fleet to Venezuela to conduct joint maneuvers.

This is a red flag for me. I forgot, but don't we have this thing called the Monroe Doctrine? And doesn't mean that nobody other than America is to meddle in the affairs of North and South America? If so, back off Russia!

As you may know, Venezuela and Iran are buds. Along with Russia and China. I sense a new Axis power rising, and it really unnerves me that we aren't doing anything about this!

This is how World War 1 started, by the way. All of these powers started building armies, and training for wartime, waiting for a reason to mobilize. I don't want this to happen. I feel like Laocoon when he warned "Beware of Greeks bearing Gifts!" Hopefully, I won't be taken down by two serpents by the Gods...

Fall Expectations

Fall in Richmond is the best time.
The leaves slowly become a kaleidoscope of reds and browns, and the wind has a small bite to it. I long for days like these, and it is hard to think that when the trees change color one more time after this, I'll be a month away from marrying the most graceful woman in the world. A really cool thought I wanted to throw out here on my blog.

But seriously, look at her...she is so beautiful, so heavenly, that words will never be good enough to describe her beauty. Liz, I love you, and I am so glad that we are getting married during the fall. For now there will be more than just the weather for me to look forward to.

Oh! To be an American Romantic!

I wish that America was still a young nation. A very young nation that was still wrestling with more simple topics, like the American Romantics and their dilemma.

Ralph Waldo Emerson writes in his essay "The Poet" that "I look in vain for the poet that I describe". The problem is that America hasn't yet formed as an intellectual nation, and yields (till this point) a great American writer/poet. Emerson really wrestles with his problem, and from a 21st century perspective, it is quite ironic.

In my opinion, their fear that an American great would never form is preposterous because if they would only humble themselves and look in a mirror they would find the first true Great Writers of our nation.

Melville, Poe, Emerson, Hawthorne, and Whitman (to name a few) were all worried that America lacked a Writer. So what did they all do? They formulated on what it would take to be one: "Hawthorne and His Mosses" by Melville, Poe's "Prefaces", Hawthorne's "Prefaces", Whitman's "1855 prefaces to Leaves of Grass", and Emerson's "The Poet".

Whitman has answered the call in his preface though, and because of this labeled himself the "Good Gray Poet" and tried his earnestness to attract the attention of Emerson, to let him know that he was the answer to America's cry for a great poet.

Reader-Response Criticism

In order to fulfill my professor's expectations, I have to write an essay (in reader-response form) on Jame Joyce's short story "The Dead". The story is quite interesting, since it portrays life in Ireland during its nationalistic movement. The characters are strong and lifelike in their dialogue and conversation. However, it is the way that I have to write this paper that is frustrating me to no end.

Normally, I write like a deconstructionist: finding binaries, allegories. Or even sometimes focusing as a historicist: locating the history in that area at the given time of the writing/setting and applying to the struggles within the narrative.

Unfortunately, I have to step further out of my comfort zone and put my head to the grindstone for a criticism that is dying as we speak. I highly dislike this writing, because it focuses on the response/feelings that the reader has when reading a certain piece. This disrupts my writing, because I HAVE to write in first person; something that I have quit doing in formal papers since 10th grade. This is going to be the hardest paper I've ever written, even though people that aren't English majors are having the time of their life writing this.

A Lifetime of Wild Wonder

Liz and I went into the woods yesterday, after expressing my dire need to go back to the hiking world. I love driving through the Blue Ridge Parkway, taking in the tree-filled mountains and taking hairpin turns every minute.

But what I really enjoyed was the companionship. Liz and I got to spend time talking; a thing that any couple needs plenty of. We talked about everything from our future to what God would drink if he were at our Starbucks.

Liz says that He would not subject himself to redundancy, rather he would change it up.

Since I feel that God's humor conforms to the person's personality, I think that he would like a really dry cappuccino, like His humor.

Nonetheless, here are a few of our pics, the stuff on our chins is not just any moss, it is called "old man's beard" hence the pic:

You can Hear Whitman?!

Since I've been doing so much Whitman lately, I figured I might as well share something really cool I found at the Walt Whitman Archive. It's a wax cylinder of a few lines from his poem, "America". Nobody really knows for certain whether it is his voice, but many have found it to be his. If so, his reading is with much feeling. I personally enjoy his "Ample" in the way that he says it.

Anyways, here's a sample of the part he is reading, because the cylinder is a little hard to hear in parts:

Centre of equal daughters, equal sons,

All, all alike endear'd , grown, un grown, young or old,

Strong, ample, fair, enduring, capable, rich,

Perennial with the Earth, with Freedom, Law and Love.

To Be One With Nature

"Now I see the secret of the making of the best persons,
It is to grow in the open air and to eat and sleep with the earth."
-Walt Whitman "Song of the Open Road"

In my heart of hearts, I long for the solace and peace that only the mountain ranges can offer. There is no better feeling than cooking after hiking through a forest for 10 miles. Nothing is more rewarding than finding rare wildflowers, seeing a deer drink from a creek, or having butterflies grace your presence. These type of feelings can only be brought forth from nature.

I enjoy the peace and stillness. It's an odd feeling, really: the idea that only an hour drive away, thousands of people are doing mindless, numbing work, stressing themselves into their deathbed while I get to relax in God's full creation.

Soon the treetops will become golden brown. When this happens, my soul will be called into the pure forest and relax. I miss it alluring landscapes, the camaraderie when with friends, and it's fresh air feeling.

"Tropical Storm"

"Tropical Storm" Hannah chugged through the Greater Richmond area today, peeing gratuitous amounts of rain and not much else. I was quite disappointed actually. I have always enjoyed the nostalgia of a good hurricane coming through town, knocking down power lines, trees, and flooding the streets.

Here, I got a rattled window and tons of water...It was boring. I don't like the death tolls that come with a real hurricane, but the anticipation gave me the feeling that it was going to be a nice sized storm coming along.
Here's why:

I went to Kroger, having found out about this storm, to buy water and some canned food just in case. The store was rampant with carts filled with water bottles, tuna cans, and crying children. Not to mention a long waiting line to boot. It reminded me of a castle getting ready to be sieged or a scene that got cut out of "Armageddon". I have never understood how some people can get so panicked. After a half hour of waiting in line to buy my stuff, there was follow through by Hannah.

Wtf, storm...seriously!

Hope

It's hard for me to realise that in almost a year I will have already:

1) Gone to see an Arsenal game.
2) Get married.
3) Graduated from Ungrad.
4) and go to a Grad school.

It's hard to think that in less than a year I have no clue where I'll be. However life is good,
and God will take care of everything... I have hope in what he will do for me!

Which leads me to the word of the day for today!

Hope (ˈhōp): A confident expectation

So really whenever you hope something will happen, you really expect it to come to fruition! Pretty neat huh?


I'm sitting in the apartment's makeshift pub with the roommates. The room is pretty well decked out. I'm representing my team/nationality, and the guys are slowly trickling in Colt's paraphernalia. I hope that this apartment brings happiness to all of us. It seems like we all get along like brothers. In fact, one of my favorite moments of my college career was praying before the start of classes with Adam. It's great having people who care about your life and well-being. I'm rambling though.

My hope for my life is that Liz and I continue to have fun, even when we are completely toothless and Great- Grandparents. It's so cool to have a person that continually knows how you are feeling before you even speak. She is a constant reminder to me of God's innocence, grace, and tenderness. We are such goofballs!

Life as it is Today

Walt Whitman said in "Song of Myself": "I believe that a leaf of grass is no less than the journey-work of the stars". I totally agree with him. Think about it: God is so meticulous in his inner-workings that a leaf of grass is just as important as the stars. Everything has its role, and everything is perfect in its own way.

I am taking an independent study on Whitman with my undergrad mentor, so I felt compelled to write about him for a sec. I have to write a huge seminar paper that will be used also for my Grad School applications. I am juggling with his ideas on Faith: both of God and of Democracy. It should be interesting.

On the home front, my roommates and I get along really well. It's quite hilarious having a door on my wall that I share with Matt though. It reminds me of Peter in Office Space and his neighbor. Whenever we want to say something, we knock on this shared door and yell. I get a kick out of the little guy. Adam, well Adam is Adam. He recently found out that I don't like male on male contact. I'm not against gays, however I am nervous on male-male hugs. Adam isn't gay either, he just finds it funny that I cringe when he tries to rub my back or whatnot.

Liz and I just had our Engagement party in the OBX. It was a blast, and we are so blessed. It was so cool to see our families inter-mingling without any problems. God has truly blessed our future union, and this is proof. Liz was so gorgeous in her black dress; which is kinda odd because in a year she'll be wearing a white one! There's so much to do in that realm that I try to play it off as if we have so much time, but it's starting to feel as if more time may be needed. Thank God that Liz's mom, Susan is helping so much with planning and arrangements. Not only is she a great mother-in-law, but is quite a phenomenal secretary as well!

GREs are around the corner. I have to take the English subject test as well as the normal one. Any suggestions?

Also London is around the corner...any cool places there we should go see?

Nonetheless, I feel grateful that so much is happening and God is giving me a stress-free outlook on it all. I wouldn't be able to do half the things I am doing if I didn't have Him. I pray that He blesses you this way as well.

Until next time! Cheers!

Word of the day: paradoxical (per-ə-ˈdäk-si-kəl): of the nature of a paradox
One of my Lit profs used this today, and I thought it was made up. Well at least now I know I can use it as well!