An update for those concerned:

1. Done with school; Academia can suck it (yeah, suck it! 90's hand motion and all)
2. Finally got a netbook - a Dell Mini 9 to be exact; I opted for Linux as opposed to Windows XP, and I am happy with my decision.
3. Reading Lord of the Rings; haven't since I was but a child.


Blessings,

Dane (of the Waking Universe)

Oh dear, can't you see? It's them, it's not me.

Despite Dayton's large population of neanderthals, philistines, redneck wannabes (is that possible?) and stuck up rich people, the city has a growing number of younger, influential, philosophical, artistic types. Of course, every city has this demographic, but it surprises me that The Gem City's artistic population seems to be growing. Perhaps I am dreaming this.

I recently patronized a local record store called Gem City Records. If you happen to live in Dayton, do visit this store. I've been there a few times, but I've never had the time to browse their complete record selection until of late. And what a collection it is. I picked up a few LPs:




They sound beautiful. Nothing beats vinyl.

Nothing.


Blessings,

Dane (of the Waking Universe)

The Dark Crystal

Jim Henson gave us many exceptional pieces of art, fantasy and comedy, including Muppets, Fraggles, Yoda, Sesame Street, The Dinosaurs, and The Labyrinth, amoung others. Anyone who grew up in the 70s, 80s or 90s has undoubtedly been significantly impacted by at least one of Henson's creations. Henson completely revolutionized the art of puppetry and animatronics, and almost single-handedly reinvinted children's entertainment. Wiki him sometime, and you'll understand.

One of his lesser-known films, The Dark Crystal, is an epic masterpeice both in storytelling and film technology. This was Henson's passion project. Word on the street is that the Blu-ray edition of this fantastic film will be released this summer. Of course, Sony has been saying that every year since 2006. What will become of my desire to view my favorite movie in high-definition? Only time will tell.




Blessings,

Dane (of the Waking Universe)

What is thy Christian name, dear boy?

It occurred to me the other day that I don't have a Christian name. I was watching 2001: A Space Odyssey, and a certain scene stood out during this viewing. When Dr. Floyd arrives at the space station, he is asked to verify his identity using the Voiceprint Identification computer. The computer asks him for his full name, surname first, Christian name and initial.


My name is Dane. Despite what baby name books and websites tell you, "Dane" has no Hebrew, biblical or Christian meaning. It literally means, "person from Denmark."

I am not from Denmark, nor am I from the popular 1980s TV miniseries "The Thorn Birds."

Therefore, I hereby declare my secession from society!


Blessings,

Dane (of the Waking Universe)

To the Wretched: Your life is asunder! Let it go!

Education is a delicate perplexity of our churning, grinding society. Every time I open a book for educational purposes, I get the same feeling one gets when one enters a Wal-Mart, or watches C-SPAN, or goes to church: yuck.

It's not that I don't understand the purpose of higher education or that I am lazy and don't like to apply myself. Rather, I hate that education has become a kind of status symbol - a life-defining decision to which all other decisions must be compared. A college degree is nothing more than a piece of paper that acts as a corporate escalator, allowing degree-holders to wander, like a good little zombie, into a fluffy, boring American life. A life full of debt, divorce and sadness.

Depressing? Yes. Fulfilling? No.

And yet, here I stand, 50 days away from a degree. A small, society-hating part of me wants to stop right now and never complete my program, just to show Academia who's boss. Take that, you filthy bastards!

Blessings,

Dane (of the Waking Universe)


So let it be kitten, so let it be done: