I enjoyed Cincinnati, where I interviewed on Monday. I stayed with Mike & Martin Treppa. Like my other friends so far, they were very gracious hosts. Also, Mike, Ephraim and I went out on the town a bit Sunday night - mostly for food. Cincinnati seems like a cool city.

The interview went OK. The school seems pretty solid.

Unfortunately, I did not warn my other friend, Fr. John Ferone, that I was coming. So, when I called him up on Monday, he was gone and then called back explaining that he had a previous commitment.
Entirely my bad.


Time to work on projects!!!
But why do I have to keep waiting on help/work from other people!? Argh!

Well, at least that gave me time to finish Honey & Clover. Beautiful series.

Not much fighting, though =(

Events have been good and bad.

I fenced at Northwestern on Sunday. It was awesome. Even though some Mexican d-bags and a bunch of drunk girls kept our whole team up all night (well, we got a few hours of sleep after I called hotel security on them), I managed to get a great tournament record: 16-7 (0.696).

On the other hand, I am not going to be able to finish my senior project on time. There's no way. I haven't even ordered any of the parts yet, and my advisor is dragging his feet.

Damn it.

I also have a couple other big projects due in about two weeks.

I feel pretty screwed.

Oh, and I did poorly on a recent test that I thought I did well on.

grr.


Ah, well. Other things are going well.

I started working out again.

I'm seeing Kristy and my family soon.

Discernment is coming along, and my spiritual life has been better since I've seen my spiritual director.

I'm looking forward to having more time to devote to my discernment and inner life.


Besides, hopefully I can finish my senior project over the Spring and Summer, coming back to Case only occasionally.
I'll see my advisor about that soon. Hopefully today.


Life goes on. It is good.

Wow, I finally met with my spiritual director after several months.

It went pretty well. He's not probing enough, but knowing this, I brought stuff up.

I've had a lot on my mind regarding my future and my spiritual life and stuff. It's nice to talk with someone to help organize my ideas and get insights and support.

I'd like to get more of that from my close friends, but they're all far away, and I much prefer to do serious or emotional conversations in person rather than over the phone or internet.


Saw some alumni who came in for AAC. Chatted with Fien, Phil, & Chuck P.

I've fallen behind on my lifting schedule.

I'll try to get back on track after my fencing tournament.


Also, Tupac is starting to be replaced by Invader Zim.

"Bow down! Bow down -
Before the power of Santa -
or be crushed! Be crushed!
By his jolly boots of doom"
-Invader Zim: The Most Horrible Christmas Ever

Friday through Tuesday I spent at least half of my time watching videos on my computer.

So unproductive...

I didn't even sleep a good amount.

I greatly enjoyed Heroes and Avatar, though.


But it's now (way past) time to start working. I have two big projects due in about three weeks.
Three weeks! How did I lose so much time!?

Classic procrastination, I guess. It's never easy to work ahead.
The gant chart might've been able to help, if I followed its "deadlines."


Fencing tournament at Northwestern this weekend.

I just lent Mark my TI-89, and it inspired me to contemplate the calculator.

It is my favorite robotic assistant!
The only close contender would be my computer and my ipod, but both of those devices are FAR less faithful and constant. THEY LACK DISCIPLINE!

If you do any math at algebra or higher level, I give the TI-89 my highest recommendation.
It is durable, portable, easy to use, and very effective. It solves algebraic equations, computes integrals and differentials, graphs, factors... so many things.

It is POWERFUL and super super SWEET.

Maybe I should buy some as gifts...
no, they cost about $100.
Unfortunate


Some people put up lyrics on their blog.

I get a couple lines of lyrics stuck in my head every week,
but they usually have nothing to do with my mood.

For instance, currently I often recall a couple lines of Tupac,

"Grab your glocks when you see Tupac,
Call the cops when you see Tupac..."

"Fuck you and your mother fuckin' momma"

-Tupac Shakur, "Hit 'Em Up"
(Kind of horrible, but something about the way he says those lines - it makes me chuckle.)

Read some Anthony DeMello recently. He is a Jesuit mystic. Very awesome.


I am going to focus more on the present.
Live in and love the present moment!


"Say goodbye to golden yesterdays- or your heart will never
learn to love the present or be in the presence of God."

"Happiness is not tomorrow. Happiness is now."
-Anthony DeMello, S.J



Distant family, friends, and Kristy - this will cause
me to miss you less, but love you more!

"Heroes" is an amazing show.
It could use a lot more action and a bit more comedy, though.


Today I was thinking about a brief conversation I had once with a Christian who was pronouncing how their relationship with God is personal, and has nothing to do with the community.

I strongly disagree with this, especially as a Christian. There are two main premises that direct me.

1) Fundamentally, our relationship with God is a choice we make - only one's self can make that choice, and in that sense it is personal. However, the relationship itself, assuming it is a positive one, will be directed towards the will of each member - God and the individual (this is what it means to have a loving relationship - the essence of love is sharing a will for what is good). The primary good that God wills is salvation - not only for the individual, but for all others, too. God desires each person to follow the greatest commandments: you shall love the lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself. A person cannot truly love God (share his will) without loving their neighbor. Thus, the relationships are inter-connected.
Recall the many instructions of Jesus, "Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am," and "Sell everything you have, give it to the poor, and then come and follow me." Recall his words to so many whom he meets, "follow me!" Of course, all who truly follow Jesus will also "drink from the cup of which [he drank]." He calls us to make sacrifices for other people. We can not follow Jesus and be alone.
So, any positive relationship with God will force an individual to a life of love within their community. It is mutually exlusive to have a good relationship with God and to be isolated from other people.

2) According to historical evidence and scripture, we know that early Christian communities were formed. About half of the new testament is composed of letters written to edify, correct, and guide the early Christian communities. St. Peter set up and ran the Christian community in Jerusalem just as St. Paul set up many Christian communities all around the Mediterranean. These apostles did not instruct Christian converts to seek their relationship with God alone. Rather, they sent them to the community of believers. They taught them to worship as a community. They taught them to confess their sins to the presbyters. They taught them to worship the mass, a communal sacrament. Indeed, the apostles wholly recognized the Church as the mystical body of Christ. In several of his letters, this is the analogy that St. Paul uses to describe the Church ("the body of Christ"). Furthermore, his actions reveal this communal outlook; recall that many of the epistles describe St. Paul's efforts to gather money from the various Christian communities for the Christian community in Jerusalem. Even though these communities and even the apostles had some disagreements, they acted as a united Church: meeting, discussing, and authoritatively deciding policy, such as whether Christians who are not Jewish Christians should be circumcised and follow certain Mosaic laws.
The apostles taught the first Christians that our relationship with God is not isolated. We cannot love God alone.

The interview at Georgetown went well... I think.

My interviewer was kind of impassive.

The dean that talked to us was very passionate and philosophical. Her talk fascinated me.

I'm going to start writing thank-you notes for these interviews. I should've been doing it all along.

George hosted me and helped me out very generously. He seems to be doing pretty well, although his lifestyle isn't stable yet.



Well, I'm super behind on my work. Thank GOD my bioelectric phenomena homework was delayed. I would never have finished it on time for today, even staying up all night working hard.

Kai came in for maze. It was good to see him again. We had some fun eating and maze-ing and Smashing. He helped me out with the Smash seminar, which was fairly well attended. I don't think the attendees learned a lot, though. They didn't seem to pay attention to my strategy tips, and they clearly need to practice the moves I taught them in order to pull any off.


I haven't talked with Kristy now in three days. That's the longest I haven't heard from her in a while. We typically talk every night and read a chapter of the bible - which is awesome. The best lover, in the true sense of the word, will support their beloved in the most important aspects of their lives, and they will share a common sense of good.


I am flying to Washington tomorrow for my Georgetown interview.

I haven't prepared much at all for it. My mom even booked the plane flight for me.

It's all part of my being out of touch. Damn video games.
Eh. It's my fault really. I am too eager to distract myself.

Why? Life is good. Schoolwork isn't that bad. The people around me are great.

I dunno what it is...

Well, I'm going to look to God & Jesus more for strength in the future.
It struck me at mass today that I'm not only His servant, but He has also befriended me.

I think I've been trying to rely on my own strength too much. I am so weak...

Lord, guide me to victory!

I feel out of touch.

Especially with some old friends who I should keep up with better, and with guys in the house who I should hang out with more.

I lack discipline!


In other news, I am about to run a SSBM seminar. I'm pretty excited for it, although turnout will probably be low.

Here's the curriculum I wrote up:
MOVES
-Control stick: Move
>Dashing, dash-attack, dash-grab
>Directional influence (use when thrown)
>Meshing out
-X&Y: Jump
>double-jump; any time you land or grab an edge, you get your second jump back
>Hit light & fast to hop *
-R&L: block
>Block&(left or right): Roll
>Block&down: Dodge
>Vulnerabilities & counters
-Z or Block&A: Grab
>Damage and button mashing determine length
>A: jab (use with caution in multiplayer melee)
>Control stick: throw (Throw up or down and create combos)
>Chain-grab *
-A: Jab
>Combos or “forever”
-A&Direction: Tilts
>Solid for in-game use, especially against chronic C-stickers
>Timing & distance
>Practice the up-tilt *
-A+Direction or C-stick: Smashes
Can smash behind your character
>Timing & distance!
-B(& Direction): Special moves
>Know what they are, when to use them
>Don’t kill yourself
-A(&Direction) in the air: aerial attacks
>Forward & backward attacks are usually different
>Good for offense, especially w/ hops
>Move while presenting offense (or w/ special moves in the air)

STRATEGIES
-Find a character, learn its strengths and weaknesses
-Learn the moves of every character
-Center-stage fighting
>Learn your opponent; predict his moves (e.g. rolling behind or away)
>Seek & exploit vulnerabilities; minimize your own or feint
>Combos, especially at low damage!
>Counter dodges & rolls with held smashes, counter blocks with grabs
-Edge-guarding
>Get your opponent off the side of the stage or platform; it is a weak position
>Predict or force a return path
>Hit them back out; don’t be afraid to chase, but be careful
>Edge-hogging; face away from edge & hop down
>Meteor smashing, a.k.a. “down the drain” *
-Recovering from off the platform
>Go high & past
>Dodge through
>Hit the edge from below
>Counter-attack (but don’t kill yourself)
>Be sure to use your second jump and your third jump/dodge!
>Recovering from the edge: roll in, attack in, jump in, or release & double-jump in
-Try out edge-guarding and recovering, using these techniques *

*Attendees try it out