Merkavah - Drive the Lord's SUV!

Listening to Pink Floyd right now, Guinness in hand, with Timothy around to chat to when he's not busy reading Apuleius. I've hit a lot of good shows lately... some of them quite happily free (Bend Sinister at Zaphod's, for example), and I'm diggin it.

I strive to give you my opinions and keep you guys up to date on everything beside my schoolwork, which, while intellectually stimulating, would confuse the average person many times over. Greek and Roman philosophy is just not an appropriate subject for blogging.

In any case, the world is lacking in new fun things to rant about. It's all the same... terrorism, New Orleans, just the same old bullshit.

Thus, the lack of blogging. Maybe also because so much of my life is entangled in school lately and thinking about school that I can't really think of much else to write about.

Though... there has been one cool thing in the news lately which I dig very very much.

Japanese scientists have finally gotten footage of a live Giant Squid in the wild.

That's bloody awesome. It makes me happy to know that one of the world's greatest natural mysteries has been finally revealed to the public.

Makes me wonder why I took up Humanities and not Marine Biology. But only briefly.

In other news 150 million people could die from the bird flu this year. Insane, I know... and somewhat hard to believe. But true, nonetheless. Quite depressingly true.

Other than that, not much. Part of my life was recently justified when I found out my vodka, Stolichnaya, got rated the best vodka in the world this year. And that's cool with me.

Vodka is god's gift to human beings. My bane and my saviour.

Posted by Johann Kwan at 01:54 AM | Permalink

I was amazed, as I did my blog-run today, to find Screech, of all liquors, mentioned at The Liquor Snob.

They haven't reviewed it yet, but for those of you in the know it's a Humanities tradition of sorts... and damn is it heinously awesome.

I'd like to see the looks on their faces when they taste it.

Ohhh, Screech.

Posted by Johann Kwan at 09:36 PM | Permalink

Ronald McDonald's been replaced in Japan with a woman wearing a bikini and high-heels.

"It is designed to appeal to mothers and young adults."

More like... "Young adults and Japanese perverts."

Jeez.

Sorry for the slack in blogging lately, I'm still rather tied up with other stuff. It'll come back eventually.

Edit: I found their new commercials here.

Posted by Johann Kwan at 01:14 PM | Permalink

As is usual there... good jams tonight.

I'm quite happy and fulfilled.

Happy belated birthday, Pete.

(Next day edit: George on the harmonica!)

Posted by Johann Kwan at 03:18 AM | Permalink

There's a guy outside screaming "You're fucking dead!" over and over again.

In any case, the Vatican is going to ban gay priests. Those crazy buggers.

It's been slow lately on blogging, since I'm still getting into the school grind. That, and I'm probably drinking most of the time.

Probably.

I still think Pope Benedict looks like Emperor Palpatine.

Posted by Johann Kwan at 07:44 PM | Permalink

I've had a few beers so I won't burden you with my multitude of thoughts.

Happy birthday to me. And Steph, whose birthday is also today.

They actually broke those two Brit soldiers out of Basra. I'm impressed and surprised.

Posted by Johann Kwan at 01:57 AM | Permalink

BBC BREAKING NEWS:
N. Korea to abandon Nuclear Research.

Holy shit.

Holy shit.

Holy shit.

Nuff' said.

Posted by Johann Kwan at 12:59 AM | Permalink

Only American soldiers would be soooo stupidly undertrained as to STAND with a ballistic plate in their hands waiting for an Arab (who are notoriously bad shooters) to shoot an AK (which is a notoriously inaccurate gun) at a small 1x1 plate. At distance, no less.

But it happened.

Way to go, America. Let's keep breeding more idiots and putting them in the army. No wonder you've lost so many boys, from driving a tank off a bridge to getting SHOT on purpose by an ALLY.

(Un)fortunately, he probably didn't die... the 7.62 probably just ripped clean through his leg. Else we'd have another Darwin Award contestant. At least... honourable mention.

Posted by Johann Kwan at 12:24 AM | Permalink

Dig this: Canada considers buying Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles.

The X-45C, developed by Boeing.

I, for one, am all for this. Even as a pilot gamer I just love the thought of us being the first to have UCAVs over the United States... and the fact is that I've been, for a long time, really really worried about the sad state of the military equipment we own. Flushing out the F-18s with UCAVs, if they are proven in aerial combat, would be SWEET!

I dig that. I dig that a lot.

Props to G-factor for alerting me on this.

Posted by Johann Kwan at 11:46 PM | Permalink

It has been my policy, for some time... to avoid stupidity.

Yet I can't seem to avoid it. From being cheated on, from being a total slut, from being kicked down by the world...

And just... stupidity.

There's someone I really like, but I feel like she's so out of my reach... I am immediately saddened. Add other people into the mix and you've got ... yeah.

That's it. That's all I got to say. I'm too intoxicated to speak properly right now.

Posted by Johann Kwan at 02:25 AM | Permalink

Holy shit.

Hooooleeeee shit.

That looks like a remote control. What you don't know is... it's the new Nintendo Revolution controller.

You probably are freaking out right about now, unless you've heard of it already.

You can point with it, shoot with it, move it to the side and slash your sword with it...

This... is new. I have never even imagined they'd even do anything like this. VR has never been closer to home.

Word.

Found at: 1Up

Posted by Johann Kwan at 12:42 AM | Permalink

Okay. I have been keeping out of security/terror news as of late since it's done nothing but piss me off and make me sad about the sorry state of the world... but I looked today.

And I regret it.

Blackwater is in New Orleans?

Excuse me, but isn't that a little awkward, sending in mercs to help inside the Continental US?

Jesus.

Reminds me of that piece I wrote on the Soldier Of Fortune Magazine.

Posted by Johann Kwan at 03:13 AM | Permalink

When I come close to death... it makes me think whether that is life... to get ever closer and closer to death until at some point you can no longer avoid it.

In any case, I am feeling quite lazy lately and have let my body (outside of my cardio and my legs, which I must keep in shape if I intend to keep fencing up) go to waste.

Steve's breakdancing class looks interesting. I may go in and see how he improves with time later on. I personally, with my current body physique, cannot see myself being able to really breakdance anymore. Shame, but whatever... Not that I really learned anything but a few steps in the first place.

Posted by Johann Kwan at 01:25 AM | Permalink

Not to say Plato is nonsense, of course. Just that it's what I'm up to these days, hence the lack of blogging. Jumping right into school, you know. I've hardly any time these few weeks, what with buying books, sorting out my schedule, and figuring out when fencing is... to even finish this article I'm working on for the Charlatan. It is painful, really.

I don't want to let the paper down or anything, so I'm going to finish it, I'm just really fucking busy. Lots of reading, you know, no time really to get to the office to make long distance calls and whatnot.

Which is why I'm itching to get an article from the Arts department, I can make time for shows and interviews, if they're in town. Calling people out of town for the national news requires finding time to hop down to the office, trying to hop back in at irregular times (usually when I have CLASS) to try and get ahold of someone.

Not to say I don't enjoy it, it's totally fun. Just something I don't have time for these few weeks with school starting. If I don't have time for the Charlatan, you can see how this is completely devastating for my blogging life.

So, I'm totally sorry, but I will try to maintain the blog and update as often as possible. Life will eventually settle down, when I've gotten all my books and run into a decent schedule... so I wouldn't worry *too* much.

In the mean time... rest assured that my elitist little Humanities book collection continues to grow, and that by the end of the year I'll surely be snobbier than God.

In another news, my ability to write fiction seems to have atrophied in the past year, as we did a storytelling session... Tim, Janet, and I, and I found that I could not even so much as find a single work that I was really able to call complete in any fashion except Watching Me Fall, which some of you may recognize as my story from my last year of High School inspired by a listening to a lot of The Cure.

In any case, I shall continue reading my of Plato and other things. If anyone knows where I can get a copy of The Ocean Collective's albums in Ottawa, I would be very appreciative, as one of the members taught my German class (which I near-failed, heh) last year.

Oh yes. And I nearly died today. Just another day in my life, of course.

Posted by Johann Kwan at 11:48 PM | Permalink

If you haven't caught it on the news lately, someone told Dick Cheney to go fuck himself, echoing his words on the Senate floor back to him.

So the guy who did it, while within his rights, got harrassed in his own house.

After, of course, the house has been virtually completely destroyed by the hurricane.

Single greatest act of cursing I've ever heard. If the eBay auction was still up... (why they took it down, I have no idea) I would totally have bid to help him out. He's my hero for doing what he did.

Posted by Johann Kwan at 10:53 PM | Permalink

Saw Xiu Xiu tonight down at Club SAW with Janet and Tim.

Best show I've seen in a while... which is a short-ish while, since I was at Bonnaroo this year. =D

Posted by Johann Kwan at 11:55 PM | Permalink

I HATE taxi drivers right about now. They must be striking or something, a whole fucking line, cab after cab, just went by honking their horns. And by cab after cab... I mean it lasted 10 minutes, near the entire cab population of Ottawa.

Trying to sleep you shits. Maybe you could honk in areas where there AREN'T apartment buildings.

They're STILL COMING! YARRRRRGH!

Posted by Johann Kwan at 11:16 AM | Permalink

Fucked up world we live in.

On another note, three strikes in the last frame of a bowling game. That was superb.

Posted by Johann Kwan at 02:50 AM | Permalink

I finally got myself to watch the Sci-Fi production of Children of Dune. I've kept myself away from it for so long, trying to avoid disappointment...

There wasn't all too much.

It was actually quite well done. I enjoyed the first part, based off Messiah a lot more... but it was overall a pretty solid production, despite some places where the acting was somewhat unbearable. The first part, however, was quite good.

And I, having re-read Dune several hundred times (no exaggeration) knew the characters all too well. I near cried, which is very rare for me while watching a film...

In other news... or not so much news as just a little post about my life... I cleaned up a lot of the papers I've had sitting around since middle school, and tossed them. Found a lot of old stuff thought that I kept. Old photos, the like. It was all... very surprising and made me happy.

Back to Ottawa this weekend, and I shall resume full out blogging with interesting articles and pictures then... sorry about the livejournal-like bitching about my life all summer. =)

Posted by Johann Kwan at 02:32 AM | Permalink

Still on hiatus. Just thought my hair, blown all over on the beach, and frizzle-frazzled by the humid air, looked a little crazy.

Posted by Johann Kwan at 11:45 AM | Permalink

My world is bizarre... will blog when I have the energy. Until then consider me on a brief hiatus.

Posted by Johann Kwan at 03:05 AM | Permalink