Happy Birthday Patrick

I'd like to say happy birthday to Patrick, because the highlight of the day goes to Patrick's Birthday Party. While playing D&D for 7 hours was great, the party which included going up to random strangers asking for stuff for a scavenger hunt just like last year (though the other team cheated apparently), playing rock band, and watching blades of glory was even better. None of those were quite as cool as just getting to see old friends and meeting new ones.
Best part is, I'll get to see them all tomorrow morning at the car wash at Culvers. Yay excitement!

Wanted

I went to see Wanted tonight with Sabonis, Skid, Justin, Eva, Andy, Ben, Chris, and James. It was great. Basically a violent, action movie with excessive cursing and violence while at the same time defying the laws of physics every five minutes or so. Then we went to Whataburger afterwords for a while and the service was not so great, but I didn't really mind since I don't think the cashier charged me enough to begin with since he gave me a shake at the same price as a regular drink.

Slightly more interesting than that would be a conversation I had with a good friend of mine before I left on facebook chat. All I wish is that I could just understand girls, how they think, and why they ask certain questions when they do. I think given the choice between $100,000 and the ability to understand women, I'd take the ability to understand how they think because pondering about it too hard sometimes just frustrates me. If the offer was one million though, I'd probably just take the money and hire a female psychologist to interpret for me, though I'm not sure if that would be enough.

Excessive photo comments

Rice students are too bored over the summer, as shown by a very long conversation I've been having with 3 other Rice students through comments on a photo on facebook.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1001965&id=500534514

Global Warming and Christianity

Ever notice the similarities between Christianity and global warming? Ok, probably not. My mind was wandering between random topics this morning as I was lying in bed and then as I was eating breakfast and I thought this was kinda interesting.

If we don't believe in either of them and it turns out that they aren't true, then we feel good about being right, and the world continues to go the way it is.

If we don't believe and it turns out that Christianity or global warming are actually correct, we're screwed. Both result in living in a place that is incredibly miserable, and a lot warmer than we want it to be. Hell and the apocalypse are both very much in the "Worst Case Scenario" list. Things that we don't want to ever have to see.

However, what if we believe, truly act and live as if these are absolute truths, and end up being completely wrong. Jesus was just some crazy man with ridiculous ideas, and Al Gore just wanted a nobel prize. By living as if these things are true, we'd have to make some sacrifices, but it would result in a better world. For Christians, it would be a place where people respect each other, live to serve those who need help, and a place without needless war and violence. For global warming, the air would be cleaner and the world would be a healthier place for our children to live in.

And finally, what if we believe and are correct. We just saved the world from 140 degree highs and the destruction of costal cities. But it seems like in the case of Christianity, we gain even more. Eternal salvation. Living with God for all eternity, I can think of no greater reward.

I've been a Christian for all of my life, but never really bought in to all of the global warming stuff. Maybe it's worth taking into consideration, even if it's completely false.

Starting out

Summer boredom has struck, and after failing to find a job I've turned to many places to entertain myself. Facebook has continued to be an addiction, and I've recently turned to one of the greater evils on the planet, World of Warcraft, as a means of having something to do. I recently decided to start working on a home based business that I will probably tell anyone who would actually be reading this about in the near-ish future.

But most relevant to this blog is the fact that I've decided to start another blog as a way to keep my thoughts and memories straight, or at least straighter than they normally are. This reminds me of a funny parallel, since it was the summer before my sophomore year when I began my xanga for very similar reasons to why I am beginning this; reasons that no one else reading this would really know about or understand, though I suppose part of it is indeed the boredom factor.

Good things about summer so far:

1. Monday Night Soccer- It keeps me sane, in relatively good shape although I should be running more, and enables me to stay in contact with some of my beloved high school friends.

2. Taco Bell- This seems random, but runs to Taco Bell have gone along with Monday Night Soccer starting this summer. Various soccer friends of mine have gone to Taco Bell every Monday night, stayed there until they kicked us out at any time between 10:15 and 11 (the employees aren't really sure when they close it seems) and sometimes we go hang out elsewhere after that.

3. Rice Baseball- Though depressing, the trip to Omaha with Kyle, my fellow clarinet section leader next year, Corey, Kyle's roommate and my WoW mentor, and Bobby, the crazy one, was the funnest thing I've done this year. Rice lost both games in the two most depressing ways possible. First, we were crushed 17-5 by Fresno State, the biggest underdog in the history of the CWS. Then, LSU beat us 6-5 after scoring 3 runs in the bottom of the 9th inning after Rice had been leading for the entire game. Fresno State may actually win or have won it all by now. I should check to see how the championship series is going. I think it's probably over by now.

4. Camping Trip- 8 friends of mine from high school went camping near Rockport right before the Omaha trip, and it was awesome. Most of them were from that soccer group, but a few weren't and it was nice to see them. I got a massive sunburn that is still peeling today, 2 weeks later, and we built the greatest sandcastle in the history of sandcastles that I have had a hand in building. I also got to see Reagan, who lives in Rockport, though when I told him I would say hi if I ever ended up in Rockport over the summer, I never anticipated actually going there.

5. The release of D&D 4th edition- Yes, I'm a total geek. I was skeptical as to how v 3.5 could be made any better, but I was pleasantly surprised. I really like how the system works and really look forward to getting to play a halfling rogue in a campaign with Bobby, Kyle, Corey, Patrick, Jeff, and Evil Eye (my D&D group from last year entirely comprised of MOBsters) once I get back to Rice. One thing I noticed is that it took a lot of stuff from World of Warcraft, which I guess is good considering how successful the game has been. There are still enough things that are clearly D&D that it isn't just a paper and pencil rip-off, which is also good.

6. Patrick and Gillian's wedding- The best day of my summer thus far, and also my birthday. Take the excitement of seeing Rice friends for the Omaha trip, take out a bit of the insanity and stress, and make it 5 times better and that's what the wedding was. Aside from dancing to Louie, Louie and Shout in a suit with a bunch of MOBsters also in formal atire, the best part would have to be seeing Jessica again. I've really missed her more than most of my friends, and getting to chat after the wedding and on the way to the reception with her and hear her stories of the camp she worked at made my birthday even better. She's an amazing person who has never been unable to make my mood one step better, whether I'm upset about something or already pretty pleased with life.