Greatest Songs Ever: Hearts Burst Into Fire

It's time to get uber-cheesy, folks.  The song "Hearts Burst Into Fire" by Bullet For My Valentine is a song about being close to someone no matter how great the physical distance may be between you.

I'm comin' home
I've been gone for far too long
Do you remember me at all?



It hurts
Wounds so sore
Now I'm torn; now I'm torn...
Cheesy?  You bet, but combined with the chugging guitar riff and occasionally sprinkled with some upbeat double-bass work, this song is all kinds of awesome.  If you like metal in the least, you owe it to yourself to check this one out. 

RTOTD: What's in a Name? Bad-Ass Edition*

*Random Thought Of The Day is a collection of [obviously] random thoughts that I wish to bestow upon you, the inevitably Facepalming Public.

I'm here today to talk about something very important to me: Giving bad-ass names to all the children of the world.  Case in point:

Wolf Blitzer



Does this guy look like a twat?  Absolutely.  Do you think maybe such a name could've been given to someone who exudes more bad-assery than this?  You bet.  But think about it.  The phonetics of the name, paired with the obvious meaning behind the words, could make for a seriously bad-ass kid name, depending on how you raise your kid.  "Wolf" by itself is fearsome enough, but add something like "Blitzer" to the mix?  Whoa, hold up, people.  That's almost too much Bad-Ass for me.

I think if I were to have a son I'd name him Wolf Thunderbolt Ellis.  Oh, you don't think so??  Well, too bad, it's not your kid to name!  This kid would be named after my two favorite arcade-based Operations:




To best suit the name, I'd ensure that the kid grew up with harsh training so that he'd be able to eat lightning and crap thunder.

A New Rotation...

Late Happy New Year, everyone! 

If you haven't checked out a great set of resolutions, check out my friend Jaime's blog for a great video listing.  Just wanted to share a few resolutions with you all for posterity's sake. 

1. Destroy Credit Card Debt.  I'm down to a few G's at this point, and it will be so nice to finally get that out of the way.  Maybe then I can finally afford the truck I've been wanting...or just pay off the motorcycle.  :)

2. Learn More. Although I have crammed a lot of things into this already-swollen head of mine, I'm going to strive this year to get some certifications and learn more that I could apply in my day-to-day life...going to learn even more about engines, more about science (pretty broad generalization, I know), more about servers, more about workstations, more about virtualization...MOAR!!!!  

3. Let It Go.  With the slights each new year brings, I learn more and more that you can't afford to hold onto your anger or resentment...remember the lessons learned, know when to [politely] tell people to go fuck themselves; remember that just because opinions differ it doesn't necessarily make anyone "better" or "worse" than you.  A good friend of mine almost died in a motorcycle accident this year, and when I thought he was going to die, all I could think of was how much he has made me and my family and friends smile and laugh.  That's how I want to be remembered.  Much to our delight, my friend has survived and recovered completely, so we can now expect many more years of laughter and good times.  Hold on to the good, retain the lessons learned, and let go of the bad.

So there you have it, folks.  Would anyone else like to share their resolutions with the class?

The Will

This is just a collection of thoughts that I wanted to write down, so if you're reading this and starting to worry...don't.  I just wanted to get these thoughts out there, writing can be quite cathartic.  Call it "Creative Release", if you'd like.



Do you know why I come to you today, World?

I am just one young man, and although Hope still lives on in my soul, I am finally realizing my own limitations.  I have tried for years to maintain connections, do good works, and ensure that others enjoy their lives. 

That time is over. 

I have realized more now than ever that the only sure-fire recipe is the recipe for failure...to try and please everyone.  For over two decades now I've tried to be everyone's friend, everyone's confidant; everyone's most trusted adviser.  No more.  My life has been spent giving much in the name of scarce returns; I'm ready to start reaping for myself.

This decision does not come lightly, as I imagine many of you out there will probably come to be against me in the long run.  This is not something new to me...my life, like many others', has known plenty of betrayals.  For years, these betrayals were viewed in black-and-white terms.  What I failed to see is the truth conveyed in betrayal, the proof of who your real friends are.  If you are still there for me, then know that my love, loyalty and respect for you are tenfold.

I have loved you all at some point or another, even if only from afar.  My greatest dream was to serve others and live well, but I now realize that as one man I can not have it all; as my life passes me by I have missed out on entirely too much.  Sacrifices will have to be made in the name of progress, and the death of an Innocent's dream will be hard to swallow, but such is the price for living life to its fullest extent.

So to you, World, I say thanks for the good times...and I pray that for each of us there are even more good times ahead, but this will be the last time many of you will hear from me.  No, I'm not dead; if you want it enough, you can get in touch with me.  Just know that as this new chapter in Life opens, I approach it with a sense of hope for each of us...may we grow and love together; if not, I wish you all the best.

God grant me strength now, as I move forward in time to take hold of that which has eluded me for years...

**FACEPALM**: City of Wellford

Chris Cato interviews Wellford Mayor Sallie Peake

'Nuff said.

Well, maybe not quite enough.  I present to you the Sheriff presiding over Wellford, Sheriff Gonna Getcha:

Embarrassing

So apparently Barack Obama has won the Nobel Peace Prize...for things he has yet to accomplish.  Normally I don't care to harp on about Obama too much, but this is...too much.  How can someone win such a prestigious award for something they haven't even done?  I know that a person's image counts for a lot in this world, but isn't America (and the rest of the world, for that matter) at least slightly awake to the fact that for his first year in office, Obama has accomplished pretty much nothing?  Sure he's put on a good show of it, but this is insane...therefore, I am officially throwing my hat in the race for the next Nobel Peace Prize for things someone has yet to do...my category will be Dragon-Slaying.  Hopefully I will be running against such respectful candidates as Al Gore, who might stop global warming. Perhaps Jimmy Carter, who might have been useful in some form of negotiation at some time, should run again?

You know what?  Fuck the Nobel Peace Prize...history speaks for itself.

Greatest Songs Ever: (Segue) Helpless

In the months (and hopefully years) to come, I'd like to share with you all some of my all-time favorite songs.  Anyone who knows me well knows that I have always loved music...sometimes to an unhealthy degree.  This week's song is "(Segue) Helpless" by Buckcherry.  Even if you're not a fan of their songs involving cocaine and blowjobs, you have to appreciate the heartfelt quality of this song.  It's a song about loneliness and the will to carry on and keep seeking something better. 

Fell out of love this time again
Can't stand one more fight, I'm too tired and crazy
I know someday I will be strong again
Forget what they're sayin', to the Heartbreak Station I'm gone

If this song speaks to anyone, it speaks to those who've spent long periods of time unattached to any specific person.  Singularity can be a gift and a curse, as those around you who have someone are always trying to set you on the same path as them, or ridicule you for not being on said path.  I used to play this one over the sound system after-hours at the restaurant where I worked during my first year of college.  It was a good wind-down song, and yet the energetic way in which the narrator pushes on always gave me a bit of a boost. 

Video Games: Enemy or Antidote?

My e-buddy Kat has inspired me to do a little writing on the topic of something that's been very dear to me since a tender young age: Video Games. Some of you who know me are probably rolling your eyes right about now, but this is meant to be at the very least a semi-serious discussion on the topic. So, without further ado...

Games were very important to me at a young age, though it took almost 20 years for me to realize why they were so crucial. I realized when moving out of my hometown that video games helped open my eyes to a perspective beyond the horizons of small-town life. Don't get me wrong, I love my upbringing, and for the most part I wouldn't change it for the world. Living simply taught me how to appreciate life in all its vastness, from the smallest miracles to the greatest wonders. For me, games were a springboard to possibilities far beyond the world I knew. Many people I grew up around never left that town; most of them settled for a wife/kids/monotonous job. By no means do I look down on this, as everyone finds their definition of "Happiness" to be a bit different. Games helped my imagination to grow...my mind was opened to vast horizons beyond A-town, and thus, I was addicted to them. As a matter of fact, my parents took them away from me so that I would go outside more. This helped to bring balance to my real and virtual lives, and would prove beneficial later on down the road.

As I left my little town to enter the Wide World of College, at first I found myself strangely detached from gaming. The last systems I had owned before leaving town were a Dreamcast (sigh) and a PS2 (the original hefty console of its generation). Moving out, I decided not to take these relics with me, but a friend of mine suggested I try playing the new system he had just purchased...it was called an "Xbox", and the first game he bought with the console was a shooter called "Halo: Combat Evolved". Needless to say, after one co-op playthrough I was hooked. Many nights' studies began to take a backseat to crushing The Covenant, and eventually, the Flood itself. Friends would drop by for 4-player splitscreen matches (which I was a bit well-trained for by then) and we would have a blast discussing crucial moments in our couch-based melee'. One of the best Multiplayer moments was splitting screens with Nate and Won at the old 605 apartment downtown, playing Medal of Honor: Rising Sun and using only 1-shot silenced pistols on a map comprised of a baseball field with tunnels dug out underneath. Pfft!

Eventually I finished college (5-years for a 4-year degree, FTW), and here I am today: Doing a job I never expected/planned for and loving it, owning a house/car/motorcycle, paying bills like a regular joe, and still feeding my gaming habits when the finances allow. My last big expense was Batman: Arkham Asylum, which effectively ate about 12 hours out of one weekend (a testament to its awesomeness). The point of all this?? Oh, right...the point: I honestly don't think I would be where I am today without the boost to my imagination provided by video games. Books were a large part of my learning processes growing up, but video games painted vivid imagery that fed my mind even further. Not only that, but they taught me to never give up, even when it turned out my Princess was in another castle. They can be addictive, and make no mistake, you need to go outside and make friends and enjoy the many other facets of life...they can be your productivity levels' worst enemy, or they can be the antidote to monotony. If you don't believe they can be a good medium for entertainment and productivity, check them out for yourself.