why i'm voting for Barack Obama...*

Brian McLaren has been doing a really terrific series on his reasons for supporting Barack Obama. his reasons are scarily similar to my own thoughts** - each of these posts is something that i've been passionate about before reading them and they've just fueled the fire - part three even rose a fist pump out of me.

i don't know if anyone even glances at my 'take a gander' section on the right side, but all three of these were posted on there (as well as shared on my google reader). i think everyone - especially Christians - should read them.

Why I'm voting for Barack Obama, and why I hope you will too - Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3

there will be more to come too, but these are all three great. especially part 3 (which is the number one reason i will be voting for BO on november 4th too). -

-ap.

* - this is the third and last post for today. i promise.
** - however, his thoughts seem to be slightly more level-headed than mine.

what? heroes? seriously?

it blows my mind that people would rather watch heroes than monday night football. cmon, really? fake drama over real drama? that don't make no sense to me.

-ap.

an attempted solution to our waste.

some days i have monumentally grand ideas. today was one of those days. sorta.

i'm currently reading the book gone tomorrow: the hidden life of trash. essentially it's all about how this country is consuming more and more and, as a not-so-shocking result, our waste is rising at an equal rate. the book covers the history of garbage in the US: how human excrement and food waste used to be a terrific system of trade with farmers for fertilizer and pig slop, and in return the farmers provided the city with fruit and meat. is was an effective social system.

but then the industrial revolution happend, and in war times it was necessary that we mass produce in order to compete with other countries making weapons, transportation, packaging, etc. as production increased, so did the possibility of buying new goods rather than recycling old ones at home. thus, consumption rose drastically and we were presented with a problem of what to do with all the garbage.

enter modern landfills.

these landfills are huge, but no one notices them because they're typically discretely located in the poorer areas surrounded by huge walls and are virtually inaccessible to the public. there are a number of ways the waste companies deal with the trash, but none are anywhere near perfect. many simply bury the waste creating leaching into the ground water. others burn it releasing dioxins into the air.

enter adam's idea.

so i'm thinking. what is some way that we can manage to reuse some of this filth like they did in the 1800s? how can we balance this somewhat? what is the one thing that this country produces that could assist in the excess waste we have going on? my answer was concrete.

so i had this idea: why don't we figure out ways to take the elements in trash and stick them into the roads and buildings? that way we could dispose of it in a way that a) wouldn't pile it up in nasty relatively ineffective landfills or b) pollute the environment at all.

buzzkill number one: the thing i quickly realized is that just grinding it up and sticking trash in the cement would compromise the structural integrity of the concrete - so that's out of the question as far as buildings and major highways go - but what might be possible is to extract aluminum and iron from the pile and piles of waste and at least utilize it.

concrete is made up of mostly calcium (from limestone), with silicon (from sand and clay), and some metals (mainly aluminum and iron). the mixture is crushed, powdered and turned into cement. so my idea is to pull recycled aluminum and iron instead of going straight iron and aluminum ore producers.

buzzkill number two: turns out they already do this sometimes too, so that made my idea relatively ineffective and ultimately boring. essentially the idea i was proposing is that we recycle cans. gosh. how freaking revolutionary. i guess i need to move on to figure out how one could utilize typically non-recyclable materials to produce other goods. like figure out a way to turn packaging (accounting for 51% of landfill trash) into buildings. maybe it'd be possible to produce some sort of building compound out of bulk paper. or maybe its possible to harness the dioxins produced and bond them with something else to make them useful. got me. i'll look into it though.

for now, i'll just support recycling even though i'm completely aware that is isn't good enough. sigh.

-ap.

1-15 is just fine with me.

don't act like i never told ya.

the guys that needed to perform actually showed up - larry, tony, huard and bowe - but, more importantly, the defense looked extremely solid at times: derrick johnson especially. despite a couple unfortunate big runs, we forced turnovers and had decent pass coverage throughout. holler.

and how about that 12th man?! i haven't heard arrowhead like that against denver since dante hall's wickedly famous punt return in the 03-04 season. it felt like we wanted to win for a change.

don't expect them to go on the road at carolina and post up numbers like they did today, but i actually feel like i can watch on sunday with a hope for the future. also, don't everybody run to huard like he's a hero. this is the same damon huard who suffered from "mild head trauma" two weeks ago against oakland...mother faker.

but anyway. today i am proud to be a chiefs fan - not that i wasn't for the last 12 games- but i can finally say it without expected scoffs in return. this is going to be a good week. a confident week. things will happen this week. (you probably weren't aware that i rate my success as an individual based solely on the success of the kansas city chiefs - not entirely true, but it has a surprisingly large impact. too bad it couldn't've happened last week when i had three exams. this week must store something even more rewarding...my mind is doing backflips with anticipation.)

i don't care if we lose the final 12 games of the season - 1-15 is great as long as today is our only win. we won the one that really matters. talk about already exceeding expectations.

-ap.

coca-cola puffer vests.

Dr. Romanelli x Fruition have created "recycled pop bubble vests". i'm not sure if they were aware that they have essentially fulfilled every fashion dream i've ever wished in my life. this would be the perfect item for my wardrobe. i think i might start saving.

these are my favorites:








if i could find the first one in a color that wasn't broncos colors then i'd maybe get it. but lets be honest, i can't take a loan out right now.

and ps: the broncos will lose in kc tomorrow.

-ap.

pleasently surprised.

two things i didn't expect to be great:

1. kung fu panda - easily the funniest movie i've seen in a long time. i was in tears for parts i was laughing so hard. it was also great trying to figure out the voices behind the characters in the movie. ChaCha helped a little, mostly just to confirm the ones we already knew - but we got most of them anyway. please go see it. i was so skeptical and only borderline wanted to even go see it, but it was beyond worth it. super clever and super hilarious.

2. britney spears's new single "womanizer". i just listened to it once through and i'm extremely impressed - it's now being played a second time...a good sign in itself - maybe she's had better singles in the past (slave 4 u and toxic come to mind) but this is much less nasty than either of those two. i really do hope her album lives up to the hype its been given. she probably doesn't deserve more success, but i'm tired of nasty skanko brit.

just further proof that life is more fun with low expectations.

-ap.

another moron moment.

just moments ago i was leaving my test and walking to my bike.

as i approached my bike, i unhooked my keys from my belt loop, aimed the remote keyless entry at my bike, and hit unlock.

what. an. idiot.

-ap.

sticky note experiment.

these are the same guys that did the diet coke + mentos experiment. couple of geniuses.

-ap.

twizzlers is the taste.

-ap.

shown to me by grant "motown" morris.

makes no cents.

New Lincoln penny designs revealed

i understand the importance of honoring Honest Abe, but this is not worth our time.

first of all, i would like to point out that our coins are becoming near indistinguishable beyond their size and color. starting in 2000 with the addition of the Sacagawea gold dollar coin and going through 2016 with the final presidential dollar coins added, we will have a minimum of 102 coins added to our pocket change. there have been no new values added, but there have been 50 new quarter designs, 6 new nickels, at least 45 gold dollars (by 2016) - and now this Lincoln commemorative penny. why is that the slightest bit necessary? anyone who has immigrated to the U.S. in the last few years has to be extremely confused by our currency. it's almost like our coins have turned so insignificant that we're just playing games with them.

secondly, it currently costs something like 1.7 cents to make a penny, so what on earth is the need for the added cost of producing new cents? we ought to remove them from our currency system entirely and round everything up or down to .05 - no way it's beneficial to add to the coin. again, i understand that 200 years ago one of our greatest presidents, Abraham Lincoln, popped out in a log cabin somewhere, but we ought to be able to come up with another way of honoring the guy than a new form of a meaningless coin - he'll already be getting his own dollar coin in 2011 - but i suppose thats not really an honor...especially if guys like LBJ, Nixon and everyone's favorite president Millard Fillmore also get coins. heck, grover cleveland gets TWO for being the 22nd and 24th president.

if this is going to happen, they should at least add a top hat to his profile.
thats all i have to say about that.

-ap.

vegas vacation.

a few nights ago i was having a rather unfortunate evening.

i was hanging out with my roommates and we played settlers of catan in the afternoon and then played monopoly later that evening. i felt i had strong showings in both games, but i wasn't aware that nick would have the luckiest games i've ever witnessed in my life and win both rounds.

after a 3 hour game of monopoly i came back to my room feeling pathetic and, well, unlucky. i sat down at my computer to release a little steam in an extremely sarcastic and slightly exaggerated blog about my history of unluckiness...when i was jarred out of my cynical streak by one of my roommates frantically alerting me of a geyser in the bathroom.

yes. a geyser in the bathroom. our toilet intake valve had busted loose from the can and was spraying everywhere creating a puddle that had leaked out the bathroom door and had engulfed a large portion of our living room as well.

there it was - proof that i was the most unlucky man alive.

and then the next day i was in class - still sulking - and i get a call from an 877 number. i was like what.* they left a message, phew. i listened to it after class and this is what it said:

"hello adam paul cooper! my name is stephanie, and i'm happy to inform you that your name has been selected in the Royals' Vegas Giveaway drawing you entered, and you and another will be awarded airfare and hotel accommodations upon claiming your prize. please call back at 877-777-1618 as soon as possible to claim your prize. thank you so much and congratulations!**"

again. I WAS LIKE WHAT.***

and in the course of that 24 seconds i went from the unlucky doldrums to being one of the luckiest individuals on the planet. others in contention:

- anyone remotely related to michael phelps.
- who ever is dating mandy moore nowadays.
- todd palin.
- brad and angelina's adopted kids.
- carson daly: no reason that no talent clown should have ever been successful.

maybe i'm not quite in their league. but i'm feeling pretty lucky nowadays. hopefully it carries over when i hit the cheapest blackjack tables on the strip.

so in a few weeks my father and i will be embarking to LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, for a couple days' fun. i've never experienced anything like this in my life. i'm taking my camera.

-ap.

*i have always ALWAYS wanted to include that in a blog. best line ever.
** - verbatum. i saved the message.
*** - yes. a twofer.

political rant.

up until this point i've been trying my best to give both candidates a shot at my vote. i like McCain's energy ideas, but i like Obama's health care and his stance on social justice issues. i'm personally in complete support of Obama raising taxes for the wealthy. who cares if the richest people in the country get taxed more?! if you're making $500,000 a year you could be taxed half of that and still be making WAY too much. what do you even do with $250,000 a year!? i couldn't spend that money if i really tried to.

in first grade we did a fun activity called the Million Dollar Project - essentially, what would you do with $1 million bucks? you know what i decided?! i decided that i'd build a TREE HOUSE. a really big one with a fire pole and a rope swing. and then when that only encompassed about $1,000 bucks i decided to add electricity and put in a N64 and a TV and bought all the other electronics i could think of, and when i was done - i decided to donate the remaining $957,600 dollars to charity. and here i am 17 years later and i still don't understand what people would ever do with that much dinero. even 1/10 of that - i don't understand how you could spend it.

so when McCain blasts Obama about wanting to raise the taxes of the upper class - i tell the upper class to cry me a river and fork it over. if you can't be happy with tax deprived yet still bloated salary then you've got bigger medically addressable problems outside of governmental issues.

that ends my first rant. like i said. i've tried to contain myself and agree as best as i can with both candidates, but today in my Wealth Power and Privilege class i was presented with two military fellows who started in on how great McCain is and then when asked about Obama they were completely ignorant. They had no idea what they were talking about - but, boy, did they hate the man. did they know what his stance was on....anything? no. but they knew he wasn't republican and they knew he hadn't been tortured in the military in his past life like the MAVERICK.

from their perspective, it makes pefect sense. they're in the military so they're supporting the guy that supports the military. this is not to discount McCain's service, but we're not electing the person most like us - there are 305,179,081 other people in this country that are getting this president too. i'm tired of people supporting the candidate who is best for themselves. we're selecting the person most suited for the country. (it is unfortunate that - republican or democrat - 100% of congress is extremely wealthy).

i'm tired of a having a militaristically minded President instead of a socially conscious one, and that's the vibe i've been getting from McCain, and now from McCain supporters and i've had enough. i'd like a President that is going do address race and class issues in this nation instead of in war zones abroad.

i'm still going to watch the debates with the most open mind i can possibly muster, but I'm supporting Barack Obama until McCain proves he has more to offer than being "America's Maverick" - cause he's losing ground with me every time he boasts it. I didn't want to get emotional about politics this year, but Johnny Camo pushed the right buttons today in class and i'm currently on fire.

-ap.

Something Beautiful for God.

there are few people in this world that are truly Christ-like. that is not to say that there aren't many people that exhibit Christ-like qualities, but there aren't many that i could easily refer to as being truly Christ-like.

Mother Teresa is one of them. I've heard of her for my entire life and what a saint she was, but i'd never actually looked into it myself. sorta like when people tell me that the Empire State Building is tall or the Grand Canyon is breathtaking - i believe it, but i've never really experienced it or felt it for myself. such is the case with Mother Teresa.

Mother Teresa moved to Calcutta from Yugoslovia when she was a teenager to live among the poorest in the world. She set up Homes for the Dying for the social outcasts with nowhere to go but the grave and addressed what she believed to be their most important need: the need to be wanted. she took in the thirsty, poor, naked and sick and treated them as Jesus would, but more imporantly she did so with extreme joy that allowed every dying leper to get a glimpse of Jesus before they passed.

this is remarkable, yes, but the thing that i truly love about Mother Teresa is not how that she had such joy, but it was where that joy came from: through sacrificing something great for Jesus in order to be truly joyful in the life you're living. if life is easy then you're not truly serving as Christ intended, and Mother Teresa was the epitome of a life in Christ - and that is what brings true joy.

this book inspires change. she cncourages people to do "something beautiful for God" no matter how small it may seem. it isn't about how grand scale or how successful you are in doing it, - "what matters is the life of the individual." when asked about the significance of her ministry she said the following:

"We ourselves feel that what we are doing is but a drop in the ocean."

everyone who already owns a Bible and stil wants to see more of Jesus should read this book. buy it now. i got mine for $4 after shipping...which is like 1/5 of the money in my bank account.

-ap.

robert m. franklin

"Well-paying low-skill jobs in the manufacturing sector were disappearing and in their place came low-skill, low-paying jobs in the service sector, often many miles outside the city. And increasingly, the better jobs required education and technical skills that were virtually out of reach for most of the urban poor. America has ceased to be a place of opportunity, upward mobility, and personal improvement."

- Robert M. Franklin, Crisis in the Village: Restoring Hope in African American Communities (emphasis mine)

-ap

manhattan public library (say shhh).

before we start...you can just listen to this while you read.

The Seed (2.0) - The Roots

so today i decided to hit up the library. this turned out to be somewhat troublesome after i left with 4 books and 6 albums that i didn't have when i got there. so now instead of 4 books to read, i have 8 books. i'm not sure i have the time for that in the upcoming weeks, but i'm going to make time.

the brightside is that i loaded up on the blues and some gospel, and i'll have plenty of time to digest all my new music as i digest my new reading material simultaneously. the books i'm starting with:

1. The Scandel of Evangelical Politics (Sider)
2. Crisis in the Village: Restoring Hope in African American Communities (Franklin)

i added some al green, patti labelle, and smokey robinson to my collection today too. i'm currently obsessed with libraries and may just spend all my free time there this semester. it's not just interlibrary loan anymore. the whole atmosphere of the situation straight up rules.

i think i've devoted these last couple semesters to reading and planning for my future. i'm not certain i'll ever have another part of my life with so much time to research the things i want to learn. plus it'll provide me with something to do while all my roommates enjoy their lady friends' company - i'm much more interested in books and music than women right now.

actually, what am i talking about "brightside"? this whole situation rules.

ap.

technicolor technology.

i'll be honest, half of my reasoning to post this is because this picture will make my blog look infinitely cooler with absolutely no hassle.

these are beautiful. i'm not certain they're worth an investment, but they're still rather adorable. especially in rainbow form - actually, come to think of it, they might be slightly more unattractive if you removed one from it's family spectrum and viewed it on its own away from teh rainbow. but i think if i had to pick one (as if you'd really have to twist my arm to take one from you) - i'd take the yellow.

i arrived at this conclusion after much deliberation, but i've decided that i wouldn't want a black/white one cause those are boring, and that yellow and red are the only colors that wouldn't make me feel/look like a complete fruitcake.

and since i've had like 5 red phones in a row, including my new palm centro - that left the yellow one - which, upon further review, turned out to by my favorite one anyway.

i'm obviously dreaming. but which would you choose?

-ap.

USF 37 KU 34

finally. justice.

in 2007 KU lived a charmed life going 5-0 in games decided by 8 points or less. it's nice to see that they're experiencing the other side of the story this year.

-ap.

september 11.

it feels customary to write a 9/11 post of some kind. mainly out of reverence, but also to avoid guilt if the day came and went and i never acknowledged it publicly on this blog that is slowly becoming adam's life in text form.

the feeling i'm left with on this day is a sense of unity once again. in a search for silver lining in such an emotionally devastating event is hard to do, but if there is lining in my eyes it is unity.

i was encouraged by the spectacle of mccain and obama side by side in silence today, and then to see them herded side by side to shake the hands of everyone in attendance at ground zero. obama patted mccain on the back, they smiled in conversation, and i actually sensed for the first time that they were both trying to do what is best for this nation. putting their agendas aside and honoring the families of the individuals lost on september 11. pretty awesome image.

it's unfortunate that the media won't put their agendas aside like the candidates. i did hear one fellow on MSNBC ignore a question regarding the polls in florida to mention the what a great display it was. a nice thing to hear on a day like today.

the sad thing is that tomorrow is 9/12 and it'll be back to bashing the other party, but for a moment it was nice to see that there is washington is all in this together.

-ap.

808's and Heartbreak.

i've been toying with adding the "check out these interesting links that i've stumbled upon" gadget to my side bar, but i didn't really think there was a whole lot truly worthy of it until now.

if you'll take a gander...
KANYE WEST IS RELEASING HIS NEW ALBUM DECEMBER 16.

-ap.

on multi-class ministry.

i love maps.

if you've been a frequenter of my blog for a while now you're aware of the fact that i have a very heavy heart for the upper class*. while they may not have material needs, they still have spiritual needs that are much less likely to be addressed than those of the lower class. what need do they see for Jesus amidst their lucrative lifestyle?

i understand the need for service and love toward the poor and needy, but in terms of evangelism i think it's the upper class that's needy/farther from Jesus. i have two goals then. to serve those in need and to point upper class hearts toward Christ.

so this idea just came to me. what if i aim to do the following...

step 1: live downtown and develop relationships with that community and the ministries aimed there.
step 2: take the students at hillcrest down to those ministries with two purposes: to serve those in need and to install a love for service in the hearts of upper-middle class kids.
step 3: invite students to bring their parents, hopefully installing the same desire to serve in their hearts.
step 4: encourage students and parents to take the message and attitude they've brought to service events back to their schools and offices, respectively.
step 5: repeat until death and look for opportunities to improve/extend the steps.

both goals are fulfilled and everyone's happy and Christ-like.
boom and boom.

obviously step-by-step processes aren't the most effective thing on earth, relationships and timing are crucial to every step. and at any moment it may be necessary to jump backward and review a previous step before proceeding to the next.

but this is what is on my heart today. please comment.

-ap.
* - more on this.

okay. i'll update.

a few pointers about me that may be interesting to read:

1. i've started apartment hunting for places in kansas city for next summer. yes, it may be a bit premature, but i'm more looking for areas rather than actual apartment complexes. i want to move downtown. like in the city or just outside. i want my suburban mindset to be challenged and i want to be among those in poverty.

2. i've been listening to a lot of bobby bland and al green which is an interesting juxtaposition. the latter sings about love and how great it is and the former sings about how much he's been burned by women and is so bitter about it. i think i lean more toward bobby. i've been offsetting these two with john mayer and ben folds who sing about both and make everything seem more balanced. and akon too.

3. books i'm reading: gone tomorrow: the hidden life of trash, something beautiful for God, and the audacity of hope. i'm farthest in obama's book (almost done with it), and i've just started the other two. i haven't really gained a whole lot of new insight from obama's book but i have confirmed a lot of the thoughts i had about him already. he and i share at least one opinion: there is extreme inequality in this nation and something needs to be done about it.

4. okay, this one isn't about me. aaron rodgers is a stud. i completely understand why the packers wouldn't want brett favre back (although brett favre wasn't too shabby for the jets yesterday). aaron rodgers also looks very much like ryan from the office (season 4).

5. this shirt came in the mail a few days ago:

also, watch kanye's VMA performance: love lockdown.

6. seirra nevada pale ale is officially my favorite beer. it can join ranks with vanilla coke, red bull, white cherry freezoni, and guatemalan coffee as my favorite of a certain beverage type. (soda, energy drinks, slushes, and coffee respectively.)

-ap.

the paris plan.

"Barack wants to focus on new technologies to cut foreign-oil dependency, and McCain wants offshore drilling. Well, why don’t we do a hybrid of both candidates’ ideas? We can do limited offshore drilling with strict environmental oversight, while creating tax incentives to get Detroit making hybrid and electric cars. That way, the offshore drilling carries us until the new technologies kick in, which will then create new jobs and energy independence. Energy crisis solved."

-Paris Hilton

that's hot.

i think we're probably closer to electric cars than we are to off-shore oil though. which means that we're spending extra money on two methods to create energy independence. that doesn't mean i don't support her idea still.

here's what i wish was added though: nuclear power plants. mccain mentioned them last night in his RNC speech, and that excited me. i guess in a moneyless world having all three of these things sounds great, but hello taxes. it's doubtful we'd be able to do all three at once - which would lead me to support nuclear plants and electric vehicles, but not off-shore drilling.

otherwise the RNC came across rather hokey and uncomfortable for me. mostly due to the few fanatic Republicans at the convention who come across somewhat similar to Phelps picketers. okay, maybe not that extreme, but almost that weird. but not nearly as weird as the woman that led the DNC Roll Call. she's gotta be a half-troll.

-ap.

mormons.

i think my house has managed to work its way onto some sort of latter day saints' database in manhattan resulting in a fruitful friendship with the mormons over the last two years. we've met with them every couple weeks in streaks over that time asking questions, learning, and solidifying what i believe to be true versus what they do.

there are major discrepancies. huge ones:
different levels of Heaven.
they don't believe in the Trinity.
marriage/family is eternal.
women can only enter the highest realm of Heaven through marriage.
slight variation in text.
infinite grace from a God with no wrath.

on the outside mormons appear very similar to Christians, but the more i reasearch into it, the more i realized just how skewed and obscure what they believe truly is...and how different their Jesus truly is.

i've now had lengthy conversations with 6 different college-aged mormons regarding their faith and what they believe. they seem to be all about fulfilling a list of tasks in order to attain the highest level of heaven (a level that i'm not able to attain unless i accept the book of mormon and follow the ways of Joseph Smith - hereby denying a handful of truths i've believed and continue to believe now.

evidently, when Joseph Smith discovered the "Book of Mormon" he also discovered a list of passages in the original Canon that had been corrupted throughout the 1800 years after Christ - coincidentally it's all the passages that don't directly support the Church of the Latter Day Saints. hm.

their belief in Heaven really irks me. they believe that for all of us to even be on Earth, we've already found favor in God's eyes. we start as spirits with God, and God sends the deserving ones to Earth. Therefore we ALL GO TO HEAVEN once we've made it this far. there is no hell for those who come to Earth, just different levels of Paradise. the celestial (read: those who are mormon) get to be with God again, the terrestrial (where my current status is apparently) have a middle-ground Heaven awaiting us, and the telestial is for those of us who aren't the slightest bit righteous, but who God has infinite grace for and will save anyway*. we can deny Christ and still make it to Heaven. God has no wrath. no judgement. just infinite love and compassion and grace.

anyway. i could go on and on about their tactical antics. they avoid questions they dislike the answer to, and any Scripture that is presented that doesn't support their views is quickly refuted/dodged via Smith's Book o' Biblical Corrections.

i guess i'm just left with a sense of sadness now. that people with enough faith to believe this extensively absurd business aren't going to Heaven. that a lifestyle such as theirs can be utilized running in the wrong direction is disappointing. their hearts are so great too, but their faith is so off. i'm praying for their eyes to be opened to the lies they've believed. the Jesus they serve is not my Jesus. they simply can't be the same.

more info:
mormon.org
EDIT: or read the second comment to this post.

-ap.

* 1 Cor 15:40-41 (KJV) - i consider it a misinterpretation. i dont understand how one warped perspective of one verse can lead to an elaborate hierarchal system like that.

God > Brett Favre

-ap.

eggshell off-white like a dupont finish.

september should be one of the more exciting months of the year. football starts. pennant races are building in suspense. and kansas is provided with simply perfect puffer vest weather.

however, this september - though the weather is indeed perfect - provides me no sporting excitement whatsoever. my teams are all expected to flounder or have already gone under, and i have yet again failed to join a fantasy football league. i don't understand how i've always managed to surround myself with individuals who don't give half a crap about sports once september arrives. but alas, another year.

the good news is that football is still amazing even though the chiefs are not. so sundays and mondays will continue to be ruled by quite a bit of read-while-watching time. which is probably good - reading is something i've really come to enjoy recently. i'm in the middle of obama's book right now; this probably wasn't the best decision. only one of my eight books i ordered online has come in yet, so i've got some catching up to do.

other things to be excited about in september: ben folds, nelly and robin thicke all have cd releases. burn after reading - the latest coen brothers film - comes out in theaters on the 12th too. i'm not sure if the theater in manhattan does midnight showings (probably the only downfall of this town), but nick and i are seeing that movie.

-asap.

like whom does my future look?

every once in a while i have to sit back and think, "what if youth ministry isn't where i end up?"

here is the progression of what i do next:

1. wet my pants.
2. change my pants.
3. try to figure out what people with sociology degrees actually do.

so i did some detective work. in my research i discovered the following people all have/had sociology degrees: martin luther king jr., ronald reagan, regis philbin, and paul shaffer. this brought a terrific sigh of relief because these are all people i admire. except i continued to dwell on these names and realized the following: reagan double majored in economics too, dr. king obviously continued education and got his doctorate, and paul shaffer has some seriously natural musical abilities.

that leaves regis.

i wouldn't mind being like regis someday. hosting a tv show, hosting a game show (so great), and holding the world record for most time spent on camera (something like 16,000 hours of air time and counting). so that's comforting - that someone with no real direction after graduation can turn out like that.

maybe i'll grow up to be regis philbin someday. that wouldn't be so bad. these fresh pants would look good on camera too.

refreshing bit number two: martin luther king jr's course of action sounds remarkably like mine: socology followed by an interest in ministry (he graduated with an mDiv and then got his PhD in systematic theology). he strikes me as a bit more driven individual than i am - duh - but it still feels good to read. i wouldn't mind being like dr. king someday, that's for sure. talk about something to aspire to...wow. maybe if i start getting excited about school i could somehow achieve something to that 'degree'.

anyway. after discovering this fact about these gentlemen, i've decided to read a biography or two about each of them in order to see if my life does actually parallel theirs in anyway. maybe i'll end up being a slight blend of the two - some sort of on-camera theologian who changes the world and gets assassinated while running some sort of marching game show in alabama...and i'd be half black.

this would be nice. it gives me hope that my life isn't going to be a total failure.

merry september,
-ap.