Nothing doing...

Television is eating my father. Solitaire is eating my mother. CSI is eating my entire family, except me.

...but Arrested Development devoured me a long time ago.

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This is fun.

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This is cool. (Originally posted by Mark Kaech)

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Since I started writing this B-log, I have not written extensively about two things:

1. My feelings.

2. Controversial topics.

Whether this has been done (or not done, rather) subconsciously or consciously, that time is over.

If you want to respond to anything I write, write me, or talk to me. Or write in the comments section. Or whatever.

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Sometimes I feel like I'm the only person I know who isn't a Republican. I know plenty of Democrats, but I don't come into contact with them as often as I come into contact with Republicans.

I'm not a Republican. I'm not a Democrat. I'm apolitical in every sense of the word.

I feel like politics leads to fear, and "fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering."

I'm not joking.

So what am I? I follow Christ. And I submit that being a Republican or Democrat never did anything to help or encourage anyone to call God their father. I would even submit that it has done only the opposite, creating division and turmoil.

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I can and will talk about politics with people, but I refuse to let it separate me from those I love. It breaks my heart to write that I find this nearly, if not entirely impossible.

Don't misunderstand me: I understand the strength of the democratic system, I understand that the tension between the political parties is one thing that makes the system so strong.

I am not imploring you to become apolitical like myself. I am imploring you to remove your love, your respect, your honesty, and your humanity from the sacrificial fire pit of politics. I am imploring you to see politics for the dividing wedge that it is. I mean, simply being mindful of the fact that it is very capable of division is enough. Don't let it divide. Don't let it foster hate.

Because, from my apolitical point of view, fostering hate and division is one of the main things politics does.

Set aside your nationality, your politicality, your denomination.

Christians: Recognize God as King. Non-Christians: Seek God as King.

The end.

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I find myself incapable of writing "short essays" and short letters to people. I write a lot.

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I could swear that, in Phoenix, Arizona, there is a headwind in every direction. It feels like one could ride a bicycle in a circle and the wind resistance would be consistent the entire time. Dislike.

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12 days until ITU World Championship Series begins in Sydney

72 days until FIFA World Cup 2010!!!!!!!

850 days until London 2012 Summer Olympics

1437 days until Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics...

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Music:

JJ Heller- Love Me

JJ Heller- Your Hands

Gotan Project- La Revancha Del Tango (Album)

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Lyrics:

Amazing grace
Christ gave that day
My life was changed
When from my shoulders
Fell the weight of my sin

Consume my thoughts
As I rest in You
I'm now in love
With a Saviour
Bearing the marks of His love

Hillsong United- Second Chance

I have unanswered prayers

I have trouble I wish wasn't there

And I have asked a thousand ways

That You would take my pain away

That You would take my pain away

I am trying to understand

How to walk this weary land

Make straight the paths that crookedly lie

Oh Lord, before these feet of mine

Oh Lord, before these feet of mine

When my world is shaking

Heaven stands

When my heart is breaking

I never leave Your hands

When You walked upon the Earth

You healed the broken, lost, and hurt

I know You hate to see me cry

One day You will set all things right

Yea, one day You will set all things right

When my world is shaking

Heaven stands

When my heart is breaking

I never leave Your hands

Your hands

Your hands that shape the world

Are holding me, they hold me still

Your hands that shape the world

Are holding me, they hold me still

JJ Heller- Your Hands

"Ground Fighting's Not My Scene, Man!"

Google Maps (or whoever supplies their satellite photographs) took new pictures of my house! Because I enjoy running and cycling, I often use Gmaps Pedometer to map or calculate the distances of runs or rides. Anyway, the satellite photographs of the area in which I live which were used for the last few years were replaced with updated ones recently.

Yay.

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Writing of Google, check this out. That's called sticking it to the man. The mainland Chinese man.

(Thanks to Harris Kwok)

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Favorite post-bicycle ride food: Almond butter, honey, and banana on whole wheat bread.

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I did not wear green at any time during St. Patrick's Day, and I'm not sorry.

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Spring break was a bad idea. To refer to a previous post, it's like coming to a complete stop on a bicycle- one must work extra hard to gain back all of the momentum that one gained before stopping. Or... must one?

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One of the last bits of direct speech at the end of the first chapter of the 1969 Chinese novel "The Deer and the Cauldron":

"I know, I'm just Trinket: Little White Dragon's the name, swimming's the game. Water sports. Staying under water. Eating raw fish and prawns. Ground fighting's not my scene, man!"

I want to see the original Chinese writing from which the sentence, "Ground fighting's not my scene, man!" was translated...

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Anyone need or know someone who needs a Mandarin Chinese interpreter?

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Music:

Where You Go I Go- Jesus Culture

Your Love Never Fails- Jesus Culture

A Parenthetical Post

Procrastination is stupid. I find that I somewhat dread writing papers and such only up until the second that I open Microsoft Word. The precise moment that the blank page appears before me, I've accepted my fate, and the writing and work begins without a problem. Weird.

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I have recently met multiple people who study Asian languages who like the Korean music group called Epik High. I don't say that I love things very often, so perk your ears... I love (and have loved for two years) the music of the Korean group called Epik High.

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I, for some reason, have high, very high standards for films these days. (For example, I haven't seen Avatar. I don't intend on seeing Avatar until it presents itself before me and practically pays me to watch it. Get over it.) I mean, I just haven't been watching many movies, so, when I do, I want them to be ones that I'll enjoy (especially if I'm going to spend money to see it in a theater). That being said, I have been excited about this movie for the last couple of months.

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Does going to see movies in a theater not make sense to anyone else? I'll see a movie in the theater for three reasons:

1. The graphics are so incredible that... they're incredible. (Apparently this isn't always true because I had a friend tell me to go see the latest Star Trek movie in the theater because the graphics were "so amazing", and then Avatar came out and everyone said the same thing... and I clearly haven't seen that either. Soooooo... let's just scratch this so-called "Reason #1").

2. I have wanted to see the movie for a long time. In other words, I want to see the movie, and I don't want to have to wait for it to come out on DVD. (This happens once or twice a year).

3. The movie theater atmosphere is appropriate for the film. (I can only think of one example, and that was the after-midnight showing of "Grindhouse" in 2007).

Furthermore, it doesn't make sense to "hang out" with friends by going to see a movie. Unless you are talking throughout the movie, that's not "hanging out", that's "accompanying".

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Something was going on at school on Thursday and Friday this week. On Thursday, my Chinese Lit teacher came into class and told us that he got a cold as soon as he walked out of class on Tuesday afternoon. Then, he told us that he took two Dimetapp on Thursday morning, which was one (or two) too many. He kept saying "Soooooooo..." which made me (and apparently a few of my classmates, as well) think that he was going to follow that by saying "... we are going to cancel class for today." False. He proceeded to give his lecture, but his eyes would droop and completely close every couple of seconds. He'd keep talking like normal, though. That was awkward, but not as awkward as what he was talking about.

Here's a conglomeration of some of the topics he covered and words that he said:

Sex

Ang Lee's "Lust, Caution"

Sex

Expanding our Moral Boundaries (?)

Sex

The "F" word

Seeeeeex...

Why having us watch a film is appropriate in a Chinese Literature class (He also teaches film)

Sex?

"Bosom"

...you get the idea.

Then, on Friday, I took a Chinese test in Chinese class. The teacher, though, must be as bored as we've been recently. (In fact, she has told us unashamedly that she has been more bored than us the past couple of weeks... that's debatable). Before class began, she asked my friend Dacre how tall he is. We then started talking about how we use the standard measurement system in the U.S. And then, she stated (in Chinese) (no less than 3 times) that, if I, Chris Kyle, took off my shoe and measured the height of said friend "Dacre" in feet according to the size of my shoe, we would not have to take the Chinese test that was planned for the day.

Top that.

I didn't agree to do that, by the way. Weird...

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Know what else is weird? It's weird when you get stuck behind an old-person car with the turn indicator perpetually blinking that's going 15 mph under the speed limit, but, when you pass the car and turn to see who is in the driver's seat, it's a 35-40 year old man or woman. (As opposed to the 4' 9" 63 year old snowbird that you thought would be driving...)

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I was watching the Indoor Track and Field World Championships and Universal Sports.

A. They must be using the online audience as practice time for the amateur sports commentators because... yeah. No.

B. They kept cutting to field events IN THE MIDDLE OF A RACE. Seriously, how frustrating is it to be watching the women's 3000m final and then, suddenly, BAM SHOTPUT! Oh, but wait... we're going back to the 3000m final, 7 laps to go... oh wow, here we go, picking up the pa- BAM POLE VAULT IN YOUR FACE! Oh, but we're back in the 3000m final... etc...

No good.

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To end on a not bitter note... 春假愉快! Happy Spring Break! (If yours isn't this week, or ever, then "look forward it", and "I'm sorry", respectively.)

High Density

Okay, I've come to the conclusion that all of my posts are just gonna be hella random. I mean, humans do and think about a lot of stuff, so why would I only write about one topic? Pfffft... (shakes head)

Anyway, get used to it.

I have many links today. So don't read this post if you are trying to get papers and homework done the week before spring break... or do read this post if you are trying to get papers and homework done the week before spring break... hmmmm...

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"There isn't a protective bubble around you if you wreck. It will hurt and you will be sad."

-Some group ride leader for a road cycling group writing about the difference between wrecking in a vehicle and wrecking on a bicycle.

(I haven't found out how much it hurts or how sad it could make me... yet. Knock on card table.)

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I miss the Olympics.

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I don't care what you say, there are only about five pieces of music and five films from the 80's that I like. I don't know exactly which films and songs get this distinction. Everything else makes me want to vomit. I think this is the curse of being born near the end of a decade- I just wasn't old enough to appreciate aspects of American culture from that time. If you like 80's music and film, enjoy them.

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I laughed for such a long time after reading this a few days ago, at the quote at the end. And yeah, I just read it again and laughed about as much as I did a few days ago. Just... read it.

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Dear citizens of the United States of America,

The rest of the world has discovered and enjoys good dance music. Catch up. Here's a hint:

If you need something to help you make the transition, try this

I dare you to listen to this and not dance at the same time

Love,

Me

P.S. I know plenty of people and some cities in the States have figured it out, but... not enough, in my opinion.

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Axe Cop... Written and created by a 5-year-old, art by a 29-year-old

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Do your best!

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Disclaimer: Complaining below...

I've been debating about whether I want to say anything about this, but I shall- If you are driving a motor vehicle and are at or are approaching a four-way-stop and there is cyclist approaching one of the stop signs, when it's your turn to go, pleeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaase do NOT "be careful" by going through the intersection at 0.2 mph. I appreciate that you are taking things slowly and you are doing your best to keep cyclists safe, but, how do I explain this... a bicycle is moved forward by the energy exerted by the cyclist. The speed that we gain while pedaling sticks around, even if we don't pedal (aka coasting.) So, when I'm coasting, approaching the stop sign and each driver decides to "be careful" by taking 5 minutes to get through the intersection, I lose all of my inertia and basically have to stop. Also, just because I am moving forward doesn't mean that I'm not going to stop in time to let you go in front of me. Bicycles have brakes, too. So... just go.

A. Other cyclists: if I'm out of line to B&M about this, tell me, and I'll stop.

B. Vehiclists: if you think I'm out of line to B&M about this, try cycling. And, keep in mind that you move your vehicle by tapping your foot, while cyclists... cyclists do a little bit more work to gain and retain their speed.

P.S. The above sounds bitter. I am not. Furthermore, I only started cycling a couple of months ago, so I just realized this recently. Also furthermore, thanks for attempting to be safe around cyclists. Smiley face.

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To me,

Single/Old > Divorced

Happily Married/Old > Divorced

And it goes without saying that being young and single or happily married is better than being divorced. So I guess I've just come to the conclusions that

A. Being divorced would suck.

B. I have no shame or problem with being patient with regard to putting a ring on a girl's hand. No shame at all.

C. I have entertained the notion that I might be afraid of divorce. I mean, I have no reason to be, but I am aware that, if, indeed, I am fearful of it, that it might be a causative factor with regard to my desire to be patient and not put a ring on just anyone's finger. Why shouldn't I be afraid of divorce? As noted in point A. "Being divorced would suck." Who wants to argue with point A?

Disregarding the lyrics that come after this line,

"I can tell you this much...

...I will marry just once."

-JM

If you are young and married, congratulations!

If you or someone close to you has or has been divorced, I offer my heartfelt apologies.

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From my Existentialism notes:

"There's got to be more to our lives than practical necessity, there must be time for the arts, the imagination."

"There must be a greater story."

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Existentialism Teacher:

"There has to be more to life than the Hokey Pokey, it can't really be what it's all about."

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Music:

Scarlet Johansson and Pete Yorn- Relator

方大同-十九八七

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This has been dense. Not, like, "stupid" dense. Like, "high density" dense. Here's another song.

Kaskade- 4am

(I acutely appreciate the original, remix, and acoustic versions of this song.)