A thought I had today in my (boring) Film Analysis screening

It's a well-know fact, fringing on cliché here in Iowa City that 90% of the people who attend the University of Iowa are either from Des Moines or "a suburb of Chicago." I think, therefore, that it is worth noting when I come across someone from a place that does not fall into either category outlined above. 

In the past week and a half, I've met people from Rochester, New York; Madison, Wisconsin; and Los Angeles, California. This bring the number of people I've met (not even people that I personally know) from states other than Iowa and Illinois to just 11, a number I find slightly low. I've previously met someone else from Rochester, NY as well as people from Potosi, WI; Dearborn Heights, MI; Anchorage, AK; St. Louis, MO; Minneapolis, MN; and Omaha, NE. I've also met a girl from London, England, which is equally cool. 

I don't know why I find this so significant, but I do. I just think there's something to be said for meeting people from other places on this Earth of ours.

Songs listened to while composing this entry:

Bright Morningstar by Tiësto

Human by The Killers

much respect

josh

These kids and their damn college classes

We seem to do so much awesome stuff in my basic acting class. Whoever wrote the syllabus is a pure genius, as I've yet to be anything less than entirely engrossed in each class session we've had so far. The other day we did a sense memory exercise that involved us recalling something that we've always wanted to say to someone but have never had the courage to follow through on it. We were to pick someone at random in the class and say it to them. Some of the comments that people chose to share started off rather lightly but progressed to some heavy stuff by the end of the class. It was a stunning experience, really. Something that will really make you think deeply and give you an odd sense of empowerment. I feel better having done it.

On a separate note, my Film Analysis professor actually bragged (I emphasize that bit) to the class on Wednesday that he had not seen a single Star Wars film and saw no need to. I love the University of Iowa as much as the next hawkeye, but I'm beginning to question my film education. I was absolutely flabbergasted to find out that one can apparently become a professor of film studies without having seen any of those films. I don't even expect him to like any of them (I honestly don't think he would), but any more you almost have to make a conscious effort not to see those movies, considering their permeating ubiquity.

much respect

josh

A fallacy...

As I was falling asleep the other day, an deep(ish) thought crossed my mind. 

Think of the most recent romantic movie you've seen (especially if it's a romantic comedy). Now think of the reasons that a character might give as to why he or she cannot enter into a relationship. They vary, but one of the more popular reasons given typically goes something like "I can't because I just got out of a bad relationship."

To me, this argument (in most cases) makes very little sense. Having seen friends deal with their own relationships and having left a poor relationship or two myself, I've noticed that most people are eager to have a quick turnaround after a bad relationship. Some are eager to one-up the previous relationship, others just want their minds off of whomever they just broke up with. Either way, most people anymore (at least in my age demographic) put an emphasis on a quick turnaround, it seems.

What really upsets me here is the fact that no one (or not enough people) cite getting "out of a good relationship" as a reason for not having a quick turnaround. You've never heard it in movies, which seems to dictate the pulse of the romantic lives of young American teens and twenty-somethings. As anyone who's fallen out of a good relationship, particularly if it was against their will, it hurts a thousand times worse than falling out of a bad relationship. We quickly wash our hands and look to the future after falling out of a bad relationship, but falling out of a good one is like getting hit with a large piece of lumber. It leaves splinters, which have a nasty habit of sticking around.

much respect,

josh

PS: I have a new podcast episode available for download from ZShare. You can download it here.

Disconcerting new guy

When I go to get breakfast before my 8:30 classes on Tuesday and Thursday, I typically go to the same meal hall that employs the same people. Very recently, however, there is a new guy at the entrance table where they debit your ID card before you go eat. He doesn't have a name tag but that's not the disconcerting part. 

He is, simply put, exceptionally loud. He greats every diner with an over-zealous "GOOD MORNING," before scanning their card and telling them to "HAVE A NICE DAY." I'm sure the guy means well, but good God, he scares the living bejesus out of me on a biweekly basis. I'm afraid that the kid might take a whole 10 minutes off of my life by the end of the semester. On the other hand, his greetings do have a knack for waking me the hell up.

much respect,

josh

The new hotness.

Let it be known:

Old and Busted: Rickrolling.

The New Hawtness: Bosscocking.

You've been warned.

much respect,

josh