Nobody will say
Oh what a fine young upstanding man
With his ducks in a row and his 50 year plan
Complete with an ending
But it's getting harder to see
And the time between daylight seems longer to me
And the person I am and the person I'll be
Refuse to meet

Avett Brothers Black, Blue

My, My It's been a while

It surely has since I have last blogged. In fact, the last time was Election Night in November; a rather exciting night that no less than the entire world was watching. It's nice to know I was apart of that.



Since then, I've completed my second to last semester of college, my last january term--which I travelled to Paris for an entire month and yes, it was every bit of the most amazing trip of my life thusly. I'm already two months into my last semester and only looking at little over a month left in college.

Holy fuck.

Holy fuck.

It's hard to imagine that I'm finally at the precipice of this part of life. Although, before the transition to college I found it hard to imagine myself in college. It's going to be interesting where I go from now. I'm currently looking at a job at Vanderbilt University working in the same lab as I did last summer working on a slightly different--albeit same issue--as last summer and with a dramatically different MO. I'm looking at possibly starting my own real-world research project, and perhaps teaching/working with students getting them interested in science and all at the same time, I'd be doing real work and getting high school students excited about science. A great gig for a couple years, something that would look stellar on a med school application.

I'm curious to know where my life is headed. I am excited at the prospect of returning to Nashville. It was an impeccable city, that I fell in love with quite hard. Having my own place, my own project working on some biochem. I'm not sure if I can think of a better way to settle out after college.

The only problem is, I'm that much further from the important things in life; a summer is one thing, but year? two? There are a very few things in life that I could never go without. I hope one day we find each other.

Let's see where we all go.

Yes, We Did!

So, after months of hard work by millions of volunteers, countless donors helping fund the greatest campaign in US history, we have done it.

We control the government now.

House, Senate, and Oval Office.

Yes, We Can, Yes, We Did.

Here's to a great four (eight?) years ahead!

Yes, We Can.

Yes.

We.

Can.

Vote Obama & Biden on Tuesday.

Free Zune!

http://www.iamthedivablog.com/2008/09/free-zune-for-me-free-zune-for-you.html

Just

So Begins The End

Apparently it is nearing the first midterm of my senior year.

Let me reiterate that last statement as it is a bit much to convey and understand simply...

My SENIOR YEAR of college.

Trust me, I'm way more surprised at how much time as flown by. Last I checked I was a Freshman, and apparently I'm now a fourth-year college student and I'm not sure where I lost track.

It's nice though; something along the lines of being a senior in high school where you just feel like the top-dog, yet it's different in college. I'm not sure how to explain it, however I can say that I feel like for the first time a truly real and substantial sense of direction. It's merely a sense of belonging I feel towards thoughts of what I'm going to be doing after college, and I suppose the best way to really express it is to use the "light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel" anecdote.

I am 25% of the way through my senior year. It's been unescapably fast, and without a doubt it has been good. classes and work are just perfect, and I feel like for the first time at Berea I have the perfect semester. Not merely a good or great semester, but a perfect one. With Botany with Thompson, Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy with Roy, and Parasitology with Rosen I could not be happier. Work is great, I love the Chem department.

Perhaps in the future I might be digging up dinosaur bones, or working with parasites, growing bacterial cultures, seeing patients, conducting biomedical research, working at the CDC, working in immunology or even doing some hybrid of these. Perhaps is true. It will be one of these, I have such a broad pallete with which to pursue and at times a broad sense of taste can be the kiss of death, yet this time that broad sense of taste is giving me no less than a bottomless barrel from which I'll find my place in the world.

Whatever I do, however, I'll be the best goddamn person at it.

There is no passion; there is serenity.

Goodness, Things ist Gut

Man.

I don't know what happened. I really don't. I went from a lower level 2 back up to a mid-range 8 or so within a day. I feel so much better about everything--and the reason for this new found optimism?

Fuck if I know.

I'm happy though, I've got nothing to complain about really, and the things that I can complain about are little more than selfish, ignorant fears and desires. I need to get myself straight about a few things, and so far I think I'm making good progress.

I've listened to well more than any one person's share of Blue October the last four or five days, and my, oh, my, I am falling more and more in love with this band each listen through. By far, one of the greatest artistic, lyrically endowed alternative rock bands of all time. My god, Justin Furstenfeld is one of, not only, the best singers in Rock today, but one of (if not THE) most talented, and insightful songwriters in Rock music today. He is very much on par with M. Ward in the eclectic, way-too-wise-and-thoughtful lyric department. Do yourself a big favor, and go out and buy (yes, BUY) the album Foiled right this instant. An Alt-Rock classic in its purest, most unadulterated perfection. Not a single bad song, not a single misstep, not a single corner cut. Nay, this is one of the most shining and brilliant examples of what music can and should do for the listener. Lyrics are not meant to tell you everything. No. They are meant to grow, evolve, bring new meanings with each new experience by the listener. The joy that I wrought from this music and words two years ago is nary close to what it is today.

And that is a good thing.

My god, I love Pandora, and to make it better it has finally come to the iphone as an app. I'm addicted. If you want to find new music in the easiest, most intuitive way possible then Pandora is for you. If you haven't discovered Pandora by now then you are living under a rock and still suckling on the radio teat.

New Belgium Ales are now in Nashville. Oh yes. I have finally tried the infamous "Fat Tire" and am currently sipping on the 1554 Enlightened Black Ale.

Dear God. This, my friends, is beer perfection. Intertwined with musical bliss, sonic calamity, and happily centered mind I can't think of a better way to spend my Wednesday night.

Good night all. Remember what I said! Get that Blue October album!

P.S. I am starting to like Dashboard Confessional. Took long enough I suppose. Yes, though, I am getting there. "The Rush" is amazing. I love the drums ;)

P.P.S. As I just wrote that, Dashboard "Don't Wait" just came on my Pandora 'Rock and Indie' station as a potential song that I might like.

Blue October - Sound of Pulling Heaven Down

That Is All.