Oddities of being me, I suppose

So I'm sitting in a study room at R.C.C. today and I drop a Real Genius reference (the scene where everyone is studying and that one guy freaks out, yelling over and over again as he exits the room, and the only response from the characters is to move his stuff so they can keep studying) and no gets it. I mean NO ONE. For Christ's sake here, it isn't like this is some sort of hard to find movie. It's Val Kilmer, a house full of popcorn, and a voice in a guy's head telling him to stop touching himself. It made me sad.

What exactly do these people do with their time? Did I happen to find the group of people that could name every single person who had ever been on any of the Survivor shows, but weren't able to recall one of my favorite movies of all time? I started to wonder if anyone in the room with me actually had a sense of humor? If not, were they laughing to be polite? No, that couldn't be it, because I am fucking hilarious. Maybe they were just so trashed by finals that their memories of anything bright and happy had been stripped away.

I'm betting it was just that they, like so many people I have met, have no taste in movies. These are the people that went to see Stomp the Yard. Oh God, I'm going to be sick.

Updated!! Books I think you should read.

I should start this by saying that this list will grow as I read books, and as I remember books that I have read. One of my problem seems to be that my favorite book, or the best book I have ever read, is often the one I just finished. This is not a list of every book that I have read, becuase not everything that I read is good enough to be on here. I write this because I find that I use the statement "you should read this book" all the time. Then again, I did work in a book store...

Good to great books, in no particular order.

Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
Killing Yourself to Live by Chuck Klosterman
Fargo Rock City by Chuck Klosterman
IV by Chuck Klosterman
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Rant by Chuck Palahniuk
I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell by Tucker Max
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Phillip K. Dick
V for Vendetta by Alan Moore
Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut
Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Marley & Me by John Grogan
Chronicles of Narnia (all) by C. S. Lewis
Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
1984 by George Orwell
Animal Farm by George Orwell
All Quiet On the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver
Wicked by Gregory Maguire
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn
Simple Truth by David Baldacci
Choke by Chuck Palahniuk
Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
Angels & Demons by Dan Brown
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
State of Fear by Michael Crichton
Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
Timequake by Kurt Vonnegut
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Dune by Frank Herbert
Winner by David Baldacci
Survivor by Chuck Palahniuk
Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris
Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon
1776 by David McCullough
A Time To Kill by John Grisham
Red Storm Rising by Tom Clancy
Interview With A Vampire by Anne Rice
Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein
Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs by Chuck Klosterman
All Calvin & Hobbes collections (ALL OF THEM)


(these are more for those interested in fantasy or sci-fi, this will also be longer as I read way more fantasy & sci-fi)

Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
The Tanith First and Only series by Dan Abnett (from Warhammer 40K, a very dark gothic-sci-fi series ten books and counting)
Lord of the Rings (as one book if you can, it reads better that way, it was written that way, and it's not a trilogy damnit) by J. R. R. Tolkien
The Exiles: Ruins of Ambrai by Melanie Rawn
Mageborn Traitor by Melanie Rawn
Black Sun Rising by C.S. Friedman
When True Night Falls by C.S. Friedman
Crown of Shadows by C.S. Friedman
Game of Thrones by George R. Martin
Clash of Kings by George R. Martin
Storm of Swords by George R. Martin
Feast of Crows by George R. Martin
Ilium by Dan Simmons
Olympos by Dan Simmons
Harry Potter and the Socerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Eragon by Christopher Paolini (Only because it is good material to use when discussing what is bumble gum for the brain, and what is actual literature. Eragon is the first)
Eldest by Christopher Paolini (For the same reason that you read the first)
Magician's Guild by Trudi Canavan
Novice by Trudi Canavan
High Lord by Trudi Canavan
Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey
Dragonquest by Anne McCaffrey
All the Weyrs of Pern by Anne McCaffrey
Dragonsdawn by Anne McCaffrey
Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series (Yes he is dead. Yes the series is not finished. Yes, I hope you start so that I can laugh at you for being in the same boat that I'm in)
David Eddings' Belgariad (5 books), Malloreon (5 more books, follows the events in the Belgariad), and the Tamuli (3 books, unconnected to the other two series)
Raymon Feist Riftwar Saga (up to 5, because that is as far as I have read, go farther at your own peril)
Melanie Rawn's Dragon Prince (3 books) and Dragon Star (3 books, follows the events in the Dragon Prince)
Tad Williams' series Memory, Sorrow and Thorn (4 books)
R. A. Salvatore Icewind Dale Trilogy, Dark Elf Trilogy, Legacy of the Drow (4 books), Hunter's Blades Trilogy
Michael Stackpole's Battletech: Warrior Trilogy, Battletech: Blood of Kerensky Trilogy

I know that there are books that I am missing on here, and I will add them if I can. Post ones that you think should be on here, I'll even do my best not to disagree. At least I will try not to be vulgar when I disagree, how's that? If you want to know anything about any of these books, let me know.

Random Thoughts and Occurences

I am amazed at how quickly one can adapt to the craziest of schedules. This semester is two weeks away from being over, and it is hard for me to picture my scedule minus school and homework. I mean, I remember what it was like to wake up late and not have to decide whether it was worth it or not to run through a shower and be late to my first class. Ugh. But now I have trouble sleeping past eight in the morning unless I go to sleep after three am.

A guy, no, a gentleman in the parking lot outside of Chipotle helped me realize a couple of different things: first, my left brake light is out; second, being helpful only requires that you don't care whether the person you're helping is going to grateful or not. I knew the second, but it is rarely as evident as when someone is helping you.

I had this conversation last night about how I rarely remember the things that I do for friends and family. I figure that when someone asks for your help you should give it, if you are able to. Unfortunately I seem to lump lending money into that category. I never remember if any of my friends owe me money, though I can tell you every person that I owe money to. It's important that I pay them back, but not that they pay me back. I also feel like I owe friends that would never ask for repayment of any kind. As much as I tell myself that these people want nothing, I still can't let it go. Someday I figure these people will get something really cool from me.

Like an autographed copy of Fight Club.

Autographed by me of course.