in a previous entry, i mentioned heroes of mine. johnny cash is a hero of mine. cash and bob dylan are two of the most important living musicians, embodying as they do the rich tradition of american music. but cash is more than his music. a staunch christian, he has managed to capture the plights of murderers and criminals in his songs without overtly manipulating the listeners' emotions or villifying the subject. he sees the worst and best of human nature, neither flinching nor losing the warm empathy that permeates his lyrics. he is artistic integrity personified, and carries himself with a humble dignity so rare these days. that's why, when i grow up, i want to be johnny cash.
the weeks are starting to blur together, and i'm regrettably getting farther and farther behind on writing entries. it's definitely not for lack of time, as i've had that in spades. i've just been really lazy. i spent the weekend playing perfect dark and web surfing. i also watched _dr. strangelove_ and a couple of my monty python dvds. on a positive note, i'm trying to get through a book on c programming that i originally studied in college. kind of dry, naturally, but i want to keep sharp during my time here. i need to read more. i've been playing wayyyyy too much computer solitaire lately. at work, it's a bit of a necessity, as i don't want to fall asleep reading my book, but i should be reading more at home. need to work on that. i also haven't been to the gym in a while, except to play basketball. i might be playing in a tournament sunday, also. the big problem with going on is how cold is it here at night. the days are merely brisk with a sweater, but if you're out for more than 20 minutes at night, you need gloves to prevent frostbite. and my apartment was absolutely frigid last night...apparently the a/c unit only cools things down, which sucks. oh well, at least it's not vaporizingly hot. so anyway, i've been planning my winter vacation, and should be getting my airplane tix this week. any guesses where i'm going?
they replay tape-delayed monday night football here tuesday night with the original abc commentary, which would be nice if i were a pro football fan (gimme some college ball, dammit!). tonight's game, of course, was the raiders and broncos, one of the fiercest rivalries in the nfl. anyway, i'm gonna sound like a complete bastard here, but if you haven't lived in america for 10 years or more, you shouldn't be talking about american sports rivalries. listening to japanese commentators mention in passing the strong dislike the broncos and raiders franchises have built up for each other over the years just makes me angry, for some reason. it's as if someone who's never lived in georgia started talking about tech-uga. i don't make any claims to be able to explain european and asian ethnic and athletic rivalries; please do me the same courtesy and admit that the waters around you have grown.
more spleen: the local miyagi-ajet publication, had a "funny" "joke" about gender roles that reminded me of the exchange from _raising arizona_ that featured another "funny" "joke": (courtesy of the imdb)
"Glen: How many Pollacks it take to screw up a lightbulb?
H.I. McDunnough: I don't know, Glen. One?
Glen: Nope, it takes three.
[Glen laughs. H.I. doesn't]
Glen: Wait a minute, I told it wrong. Here, I'm startin' over: How come it takes three Pollacks to screw up a lightbulb?
H.I. McDunnough: I don't know, Glen.
Glen: 'Cause they're so darn stupid!"
'nuff said.
been listening to: dream theater, johnny cash, kevin clay, the 77's, and bob dylan