Shakespeare

I am not too fond of it all. I had to read Hamlet for summer reading and I am trying to do all the work for it now. I have done two of my three essays on the play so far. The third essay just pisses me off.

Essay 3: Respond (1-2 pages) to the following critical comment by English author and critic Samuel Taylor Coleridge with quotations and evidence from the play:

Shakespeare wished to impress upon us the truth that action is the chief end of existence - that no faculties of intellect, however brilliant, can be considered valuable, or indeed otherwise than as misfortunes, if they withdraw us from or render us repugnant to action, and lead us to think and think of doing, until the time has elapsed when we can do anything effectually. In enforcing this moral truth, Shakespeare has shown the fullness and force of his powers: all that is amiable and excellent in nature is combined in Hamlet, with the exception of one quality. He is a man living in meditation, called upon to act by every motive human and divine, but the great object of his life is defeated by continually resolving to do, yet doing nothing but resolve.

This critique of the play just pisses me off. It has so many run-on sentences that it hurts my head to read. I really enjoyed Hamlet more than I expected because I think that Shakespeare is overrated, but this just makes me hate it.

I'm back

...for all of those who care... I just got back a few days ago from a fantastic trip up north. We went to our usual vacation spot, Good Hart, MI. Our family was fortunate to have a cabin on Lake Michigan for years, but this year was the last year we will be seeing it up there. Long story... anyways so it was a fun trip. Kevin and I went up there together, but we went via Pittsburgh, PA to pick up his gf (eh.. about a 6 hour drive?). We stayed at her house for the night after our trip to Pittsburgh. The next day, we went into downtown Pittsburgh to look at the University of Pittsburgh¹ and Carnegie-Mellon². We got a little lost afterwards, but we made it home and started for Michigan at midnight.

- WOO -

So after about a 10 or 11 hour trip to the cabin, we unpack our bags and enjoy about a week and a half of fun. I won't explain everything because I will never stop... trust me...
On the way home, Peter, Kevin, and Annie (Kevin's gf) went together and did the same thing that we did on the way up, just with Peter along instead of me this time. (Oh yea... my parents and Peter came up to the cabin a few days later, so they were with us in Michigan) Mom, Dad, and I went home via Niagara Falls and New York State.

- WOO -

The reason we went through New York on the way home was for me to visit more schools. We spent the first day of our "on the way home" trip traveling down the state of michigan and ended up at Niagara Falls around 4ish. We spent that night in a hotel there... it was amazing.. the next day we spent traveling to Rochester, NY. I am looking at Rochester Institute of Technology(RIT)³, so we visited there. Immediately following our tour, we rushed to the car so that we could make it to Troy, NY before sundown. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute⁴ is in Troy, so... yea you understand. After spending the night in Troy, we took a tour of the school the next day and spent the rest on the day en route to Richmond, VA (thats where I live-wow it was a long trip too... ugh).
So that was my vacation in a nutshell- anyone who made it this far gets 2 cool points, but you have to tell me what I wrote in reaction to the sight of Niagara Falls. That means you at least read some of it :-)

1. The dorms are cool because they are in big tall city buildings and they overlook the city... umm.. there is a big "cathredal of learning" (so they call it) which is a major central part of campus- there are a lot of tiny classrooms in the thing... i dont really like that...lets see... the campus is really spread out throughout the city... its kinda like a VCU campus if I had to choose a school to compare it to, so I have kinda ruled it out.

2. Way too expensive. Didn't look appealing. I don't think I would enjoy learning in an environment like that. This campus is mixed in with University of Pittsburgh's campus, except all of these buildings are all fancied up and obviously where the money lies. Maybe a good option for grad school.

3. Better than I expected. I figured that I would tour it and it would be just another tech kinda school, but for some reason it really appealed to me. I like the way that the campus was layed out and how all the buildings looked. I also like being in NY... everyone is trying to get me out of that state of mind, but I think that I would enjoy the snow contrary to what some people think :-) Actually one thing that I REALLY didnt like is that the school is on a quarterly system. Almost all colleges nowadays are on the semester system... something to think about.

4. Ah... the big one.. this was the school that the trip was all about... well we got there and at first... what a dump.. the whole town of Troy is around the school and it is just so economically depressed and it looks awful. We went on the tour of the school the next day and it actually looked a lot better though. The school and buildings are a lot bigger than I expected. The school is big on intramural sports (fun).. lots of other fun things. The school does require specific laptop though... there are advantages and disadvantages to that.. but the main thing that bugs me is that the guy/girl ratio for the college is 4:1... no good. I want to enjoy myself a little bit in college.

These are just some of the things I got from visiting the places. I bet you are wondering why I haven't even mentioned academics of each of them. Well, the reason I visited those schools specifically is because of their academics- I know they have what I want and need. So its all good...

cool points

20 cool points for anyone that can figure out how many hours I will be in Michigan.

gone

hey everyone... I am gone to Michigan for the next two weeks or so.... just to let you know. E-mail me nice messages :-)

Ps3eb2000@comcast.net

getting there...

I haven't done enough summer work yet... I am actually starting to get worried about it now... having to stay up late the night before the first day of school to finish it haha... but yea...

I was surprised today when I felt ready to go back to school... usually after swim team ends, it takes a long time before I want to go back and work again, but I am ready (besides summer work) to go back. ....fun

weekend

eh... too much crap happened... too much to type. My cousins came... wooo...

barbershop

I have barbershop practice today. I really like singing that type of music... when we sound good. It just really sucks sometimes because the best that our quartet can get is as good as I am. Everyone else in the quartet is a great singer and stuff, so I am left to keep up if I can.. then I am looked down upon when I don't. So far the only REAL trouble that I have had with it is tuning at the beginning of the piece before we start singing. You would think that its the easiest part... and I guess it should be, but I just can't do it. For some reason, I have always had trouble singing arpeggios and when it comes to tuning, we sing an arpeggio. Usually I am singing the "mi (3)" or "sol (5)" of the scale, which is very basic and simple. I just can't do it. I think I am tone deaf.
So last time we tried to tune, it obviously was not a nice tuning (I can hear the much of it) and mrs tyree told us to stop and try it again because we are allowed to do that as many times as it takes us to get it right. So we try again and I am not on the right note again... and we all just look at her and she is like "well you know who is wrong, so get him to fix it" and I mean I knew that I was wrong, so I get this big stare from the rest of the quartet. It was rough. I mean I'm glad they know I'm wrong and all, but I know.
So anyways I have been practicing it as much as I have had time for and I still can't get it. I guess we will see how it goes today.

entertainment

woo... I am going to a braves game tonight! Thank you devon.

zora

my dog, zora (duh), is really weird sometimes. I think she gets weird urges to do stuff at this time of night¹. For example, she starts to itch really, really bad at times... or like just now.. she will just up on the sofa in the living room and sit like she owned it². Its just... weird. Maybe dogs get weird sensations under full moons... and in storms.. who knows.

1 its like 12 midnight now
2 she hardly EVER gets on this particular couch because we trained her not to (its my grandmother's old couch)

excellent...

I have finally decided what I want for my birthday. Since I started thinking about what to ask for from the 'rents, I couldn't think of anything... ANYTHING. It was bad. But now... finally I have seen the light and I know what I want... a digital camcorder... thats all. I think it would be tons of fun to go around and record all the ...fun... ok nevermind.. maybe a digital camcorder wouldnt ...eh ... yea... I still want it.

kd

ugh... for like the 3rd year in a row I have bought a kingsdominion ticket and haven't used it more than once. People, I need to go, so come on...

here comes the sun....not

I am going to say that I really enjoy the weather that we have been having lately... u know... rain, humidity, lightning, etc. Its so much better than the stupid sun¹. It feels better to walk outside in this. Usually when its completely sunny and just hot and humid, i don't bother going outside because it the heat ends up pissing me off.

I actually listened to that song today. Beatles rock my world... woo.

1. I HATE you, sun. HATE.

again...

Here goes another week of waking up before 7am to drive peter to hermitage. I don't mind doing it really, its just rough getting up when i should be sleeping... eh. oh well...

It's kinda funny actually. I take other people also because its good to carpool... and so i am taking ali wood and i am like half asleep, so i dont even know what i am doing most of the way up there. I bet they are scared. I would be. Man i bet my breath smells bad too... sorry guys.

whew

that was a pretty long day...

progress

The Smith family recently purchased a beast power washer. man... its beast. I could use that thing all day. I power washed basically everything in sight¹. Its shocking how the house looks now that it has gotten a bath.

I title this progress because summer homework has started to eat me alive... I finally gave in and started doing some. I am going to try and finish most of it by the end of this week².

1. except peter :-( - my dad said it would "hurt" him haha... it would probably make him fly across the yard
2. won't happen

It's been a while...

You know the rules: answer any of the following questions and receive .5 cool points unless stated otherwise. Give me the answers by clicking on comments and putting the question number and then the answer.

This particular one is "Phrases I say a lot"

1. What the __________ heck?!
2. _________ mean!
3. That's cause YOUR _________!
4. You're a ________!
5. Jessica Newman is a _________.
6. Well fine, I ____ ____ _____ is.
7. __________ ...... - I say this a lot when talking on the phone or talking through aim
8. oh _______....
9. _________.... - think simpsons
10. ____________ -something that I might have left out, but you know is worthy of being up here

**bonus** How many posts have I ever written that have had the abbreviation "csz" in it? In order for me to know that you aren't just randomly guessing, you must say the title of each post as well - Worth 15 cool points!

csz

After much thought and debate, I finally quit comedy sportz a few weeks ago. I only quit the performing part of it though- I'm still a bubba and kitchener at heart. I actually worked kitchen for the first time last night in I guess 3 or 4 months? It was good being back I suppose... Actually while I was on my "leave of absence," they changed the kitchen around a lot... and now the new layout is so much easier to work in. So that was good...

hmm..

First to leave a comment now that I have started parallel universe back up gets 2 cool points.

Cool Points EXTRAVAGANZA

Rules:

1.) I make the rules- it may seem biased at times, but I decide where the points are awarded.

by the way...

woops... my e-mail has changed everybody. Most people that e-mail me often know this already, but for all of you that don't, my e-mail is now Ps3eb2000@comcast.net.

Oh my goodness

I can't believe it... Paul is actually bringing parallel universe back to the web for all to see? Its amazing...

I am starting everything fresh, so all cool points go to zero. Which means we have a winner for our cool points extravaganza!! Contratulations to our winner, Aisa. Aisa will be receiving the "swingin' with Paul" package. Aisa will be treated to an expensive dinner at one of Richmond's finest mexican restaurants as well as an all paid trip to the Dance Space for a wonderful night out swingin' with paul. Congratulations Aisa.. in order to receive your package, e-mail paul.

Keep it up with the next cool points extravaganza because the prizes only get better and better. Good luck as the next round begins....