Photos: Bookshelves

I have an obsession.  It's bookshelves.  I love libraries and bookstores, and maybe more for the bookshelves with books than the books themselves.  Which isn't to say that I don't like books, but only how much more I like bookshelves, especially bookshelves lined with books.  

And recently that primitive urging within me to create and hunt wholly mammoths as been growing, which I think will manifest itself into useful household furniture.  I can clearly see in my future circular saws and hammers (but not really hammers) and power drills and screws (not nails) and a level and right angles.  I'll have to buy planks of lumber and sandpaper and stainer to stain the wood and paint.  I'll also have to buy a white sleeveless t-shirt and get comfortable wearing my hat backwards.  

But because I have an unhealthy obsession to do nothing that has been done before. or rather something that has not been done before, I'm carrying some scrap pieces of paper around with me sketching out ideas.  In the mean time I'm enjoying pictures of bookshelves online.  

Oh and I'll also have to start carrying pencils around behind my ear only to forget where I put when I need it. 

Oh and I need some shelves in my office.

Read John Green

If you like to read: read John Green.  I've only read two of his books, Paper Towns and An Abundance of Katherines, and his first novel Looking for Alaska is next in my 'to read' pile.  He also recently released his latest work entitled Will Grayson, Will Grayson. 

Even though I've only read two of his books it's safe to say that I'm a fan.  I'm not sure exactly but I think I first heard of John Green's novels through the YPulse blog.  They rave about him fairly often.
You're going to find his books in the "young adult" section of your bookstore, which is kind of awkward to be browsing through after you've reached a two digit age that begins with a 3, but trust me its worth it.  Since you are going to find John Green's books in the "young adult" section I should probably let you know that the books (at least the two I've read) focus on people too young to drink and possibly old enough to vote.  if that were to deter you from reading, well, I don't know what to say.
I'm trying to decide what words best describe Green's novels.  Maybe: smart, clever, quirky, honest, funny, adventurous, and did I say "smart", because I meant really smart.
Blog post conclusion: I recommend the novels of John Green.

Photos: Man vs. Wild

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Happy STAR WARS Day!

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

LYRICS
[DARTH VADER/JAY-Z]
Yeah
No longer Anakin
Formerly a Skywalker
Son's next rebel hero
But I'll be Sith forever
I'm the newest Dark lord And since my training years
I can choke from anywhere
Yeah my force is everywhere Used to run with Obi Wan We were both best buds foreva
But after three movies Now I've got a blood vendetta Grew up on Tatooine
No vegetation Catch me rolling through the cosmos in a moon-like station to Leia's home nation Death Star wrecks it Now princess knows, Vader ain't one to mess with
Flying through the trenches
Blasting rebel noobies
What happened to the fat one
Think he died of heart disease All that's left is this guy
Chasing him in my TIE I won't deny That his force is pretty damn high
Damn i just got wiped out
Falcon shot the back of me
Spinning into outerspace
But I'll be back definitely

[PRINCESS LEIA/ALICIA KEYS]
In Star Wars Empire is out to find Leia Death star plans in R2 Shoot the exhaust port Kenobi may now be see-through But the force is within Luke
Let's hear it for new hope, new hope, new hope 
[Vader: You're welcome Obi Wan... I made you a ghost!]

[DARTH VADER/JAY-Z]
Catch me rockin boots and a cape like superman
Hell, I made wearing black more famous than that Jay-Z can
You should know I'd find you, hiding out at Echo
Now I got a Blizzard Force eliminate you quick yo
Welcome to the planet Hoth AT-ATs hit the spot Walking tanks are too legit
But they fall down a lot Check the front, check the back, cant find the Falcon yet
We need them all alive, so no disintegrations Boba Fett 8 million asteroids, where'd your little ship go?
Get me to Cloud City, I got Lando on my payroll
Me I gotta double check if carbonite's ok If freezin's safe for Han
Doing Luke the same way
New deal Lando
Ain't no pardon
Kid blew up my boys
Rest in peace Moff Tarkin
Turns out we are family
Embrace your dark fate
Dad and son together, yo No way the emperor's safe, cause...

[PRINCESS LEIA/ALICIA KEYS] In Star Wars
Now Han Solo's a coffee table
There's nothing Luke can do [Vader: Should've joined me, bro!]
He's on Dagobah
With some dyslexic Jedi dude
Right hand still got sliced through Looks like they struck back, struck back, struck back

[DARTH VADER/JAY-Z]
Lightsabers grinding
Palpatine's smiling
Cause he knew it would come to this The light side is blind with casualties
Who do evil casually, then gradually become worse
Don't fight your destiny
Wasn't a great dad, true
Absent all the while
No happy times behind us, and plus, now I'm killin' you
Keep fencing mister, 'cause now I sense a sister
You don't go bad, maybe I'll enlist her
Now Emperor wants you, only wants me rubbed out You controlled your anger, stayed light side devout Watch out kid, he's got lightning bolts to immolate Uh-uh, hell no, daddy powers activate
End this prune with a badass murder suicide
Bald headed, mask off, heart melted kid you were right Burn all my gear so those Ewoks can't wear it again
Do it, I'll be watching you, a ghost, name of Anakin

[PRINCESS LEIA/ALICIA KEYS] In Star Wars
Destroy new Death Star's generator
Ewoks to the rescue
Blast through to the core
This Regime's gonna be brand new
Galactic Empire's through
The Jedi have returned, returned, returned

Video: Turtle...um...

Um...I don't really...um...this video is....um...well...there's a turtle...um...

Shakespeare Covered

I like these book cover designs by Mike Young.  

Gonna Be A Good Night

I'm really looking forward to this:

Of course I'll be DVRing it and watching sometime later, because here on the east coast I can't stay up until 1:00am for mediocre humor.  Even if Betty White is hosting.

Video: 6-bee!

Did you catch this a couple of weeks ago?

I meant to post it sooner, and actually I really just forgot to hit the "publish post" button.
I'm a huge fan of Conan O'Brien, but I can't deny that Jimmy Fallon has something unique. I haven't figured it out, but I had similar thoughts when Conan first came on late at night, and I still haven't figured that out yet.

Photos: Lost

(Images via)

"Decision Points"

I'm looking forward to reading Bush's upcoming autobiography; potential release date is .  Although it sounds like this won't be a true autobiography, but more of detailed thoughts through several of the major political moments of Bush's presidential years.  Which, having read some previous president's autobiographies, this sounds more interesting and more insightful.  For instance, I felt Clinton's rushed through elements of his life, which is hard to imagine when you hold that hefty tome in your hands.
I'd also like to ready Carl Rove's soon to be released Courage and Consequences (if anyone wants to buy if for me...feel free).
There are some other key members of the Bush administration finishing up their memoirs, including Laura Bush, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld.  I'm hoping Condeleezza Rice is working on a true autobiography as well; that chick has an interesting story to share.

I really think our nation's politics are really interesting.  But to be honest I don't particular like the voting part, I find the whole exercise annoying (but important..."rock the vote").  I actually like the political strategizing.  I would rather be a NFL general manager than a NFL player.  

Video: Lost Heroes - Rod Belding

Hawkings: Beware Visiting Aliens

Thank goodness for theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking.

Maybe you have lived in a box your whole life and have never heard of Hawking; allow me to briefly catch you up.  Hawking is known for his leading thinking in the areas of cosmology, quantum gravity and black holes.  Also he wrote the amazingly best selling book A Brief History of Time.  Hawking also has  a neuro-muscular dystrophy that has left him practically paralyzed, leaving him in a wheelchair smarter than my car. 

He is a smart man who has contributed lots of thinking about big ideas using big words.  

But he has saved his biggest thinking for us today.  

Are you ready for this? 

Buckle up, because this theoretical thinking may crash your brain.

According to Yahoo News "Aliens may exist but contact would hurt humans: Hawking"

Don't follow the link, I'm summarize the story for you: Hawking suggest that if aliens were to visit earth, they wouldn't be friendly little ET characters, but more likely they would be hostile towards humans. Essentially he predicts that a smarter race coming to Earth and be like Columbus to Native Americans.  

How much do theoretical physicist make.  Because if that is news worthy thinking, I can sit around and think that kind crap up.  Or better yet I can watch Sci-Fi movies, from as long as Sci-Fi movies have been made, and let Hollywood do the thinking for me.  

I made a quick list of movies which will lead to my Stephen-Hawking-sized-theoretical-idea:

- Mars Attacks

- Invasion of the Body Snatchers

- Starship Troopers

- The Thing

- Predator/Predators/AVP/AVP 2

- Alien/Aliens/Alien 3/Alien Resurrection (althought these aliens didn't visit Earth per se)

- Independence Day

- The Arrival

- V

- Signs

- The Astronaut's Wife

- Fire in the Sky

- Men In Black/Men In Black 2

- Taken

- X-Files

- The Day The Earth Stood Still

- War of the Worlds

- Stargate

- Species

- The Blob

- Star Trek: First Contact

- Earth Girls are Easy

- Howard the Duck

- Cloverfield

- District 9

- Santa Claus Conquers the Martians

- Transformers

If being a theoretical physicist was this easy I would have been one years ago.  

Which Is Worse?

I don't know which is worse:

A. The students in my church think Dumb and Dumberer is funnier than the original Dumb and Dumber.
or
B. The students in my church think Ashton Kutcher is hilarious.

So in addition to sharing my faith and discipling these students I am making it my personal mission to instill in them a proper sense of humor.

How To Get Unstuck

Hopefully you know Jessica Hagy's excellent blog Indexed.

I really enjoyed her post today and thought it was worth reposting here.

Where are you at in the process?