Nibbles, Bits, and DREAM THEATER

I’ve been drained the entire week, and I don’t even know why. I caught a cold while biking last Saturday (see Jeff’s blog for more details), but I recovered from that just in time for the Dream Theater concert. On that note, Dream Theater was SO good. Honestly, I think I just spent the entire concert with my mouth agape and eyes watering (but only in the sad realization I wouldn’t ever reach half the proficiency Petrucci displayed last night). I might just sell my firstborn kid for a life pass to all Dream Theater concerts, with the mother’s consent of course

EXTREME DT NERDNESS BEGINS

Highlights of the concert included…

The Root of All Evil – SUCH a good way for the concert to begin. Portnoy’s signature drum riff at the beginning got everyone pumped up, so ballsy and bold that everyone couldn’t help but go crazy. Right when Petrucci hit the last chord of the intro and the song began, the stage lights flashed and the band members came into view and I think I pissed my pants right there. Guys, I think you know what I’m talking about. Girls, think romance movies where a couple are about to seperated forever and just before they never see each other again, the male says something like “I’ll love you forever, even if God Himself rips my heart out.”

Under a Glass Moon – The song sounds quite surreal when performed live. Petrucci’s solo in that song was phenomenal, and as usual, the rest of the band was top notch too.

Wherever I May Roam riff cover – put a smile onto my face

Wish You Were Here riff cover – ditto.

Sacrificed Sons – This song definitely put a chill to the crowd. It seemed like people were waiting to see how others would react, as the subject matter of the song was 9/11 and therefore a sacred cow. For the slow parts of the song, people were mostly silent, but for the fast parts cheering and ROCK ON signs were flashed as usual. Petrucci’s tasteful guitar solo at the end of the bridge was especially beautiful. I was surprised they located the actual CNN newsbroadcasts they used for the beginning of the songs too.

Octavarium – It’s the title track of the album, so of course they’re going to save it for last. Jordan wanking on his “Continuum” fretless keyboard was kind of cheesy, and probably annoyed the rest of his bandmates, but still fit in with the rest of the song. Petrucci playing a double neck guitar was a change from his Ernie Balls that he’s regularly pictured to be playing. The animated short during the instrumental breaks in the middle of the song were whimsical and definitely amused everyone also.

Learning to Live – oh GEEZ, that was such a majestic song. Labrie hits the high F# before instrumental breaks too, which is surprising considering how many more shows they’re performing at where he’ll have to strain his voice. Perfect way to cap off the concert, with the singalong and fading instrumental runs.

It goes without saying that DT are consumnate professional musicians and some of the best musicians of our generation. These guys are actual worthy musicians that all others should aspire to. Even if they were to never have hit their fame, they would still be playing the music they love today and still be so musically innovative. They have my utmost respect.

EXTREME DT NERDNESS ENDS

Well, this post went nowhere. Time for me to sleep. See? This is how delirious I’ve become.

SCFA

Funny, how the worst emotional states come to you just when the biggest deadlines approach. I haven’t felt this defeated since the beginning of January before I made the vow to myself to pick up the pace in my life. Quite honestly, I feel like just vegetating and letting everything just… happen. I see people who don’t put a single ounce of effort into their life, yet they’re the ones with everything they want. I see people who are ignorant of bigger issues and yet they’re happy, like pigs in mud. I see myself, analyzing everything and coming to the conclusion that hey, I’m not that good at anything after all. And then I hear the world’s smallest violin being played. Yes I know there are starving kids around the world, and that they would cut off an arm (and they most likely have) to live a cushy student life in Canada. It just makes me feel worse for sitting here and whining away at this keyboard.

Reading over this, I think I just learned that knowledge does not equal happiness.

Conclusion – I really need a break back home.

Going for it

At the risk of sounding like a certain Derek, it just struck me in one of my classes today how I’m being taught by God to persevere right now. Instead of offering productive ways to fight onwards though, I’ll just list my own battles.

• Listening to Trimarchi lecture in Economics. Seriously, does that woman have no inspiration to teach at all?
• Doing running at CIF. Doing the last few minutes at 8.0 km/h is a struggle when I rationalize to myself that I could try harder next time. My goal’s been to become consistent in my gym routines for the remainder of this term, and I managed to pull it off last week with the help of that guy who always falls asleep on my bed… thanks for the pressure
• Going to German class. To be honest, I’m not doing good at all markswise there, and I feel pretty stupid when answering any questions. I started making excuses for myself to not go, like waking up a few minutes late and picturing the TA’s facial reaction when I stepped into the room. Well, I went today, relatively on-time, and I think I got something out of it… hopefully?
• Jobmine, and the whole application process. It’s ridiculously discouraging to be applying for jobs and check for interviews everyday. Yes, I know the world works this way, no this does not mean I like it any better. I’d say Jobmine is the biggest of all my challenges right now.

A selfish blogger is me!

Quickie

Something I thought that was highly intelligent during my travels on the Internet. Minor edits made by me.

Question: Having and bringing up children is expensive, both financially and emotionally.

But if a society is to survive, it needs a constant supply of new citizens, properly socialized and educated.

How do you entice people to go through the extensive sacrifices involved in producing new and productive citizens?

Answer: You treat marriage as a highly honored and respected institution, and as the highest form of maturity and adulthood. A very exclusive club, as it were. With legal and tax perks, veneration in popular culture, etc.

People are thus drawn to it, and produce quality citizens for the future. And they work hard to do it, and are honored for their sacrifices.

Unfortunately, that is not the case in popular culture today. Record numbers of people are making the choice not to get married and not to have children in a marriage setting. They are being encouraged to behave like this by our present day culture. A culture that shows Dads as clueless idiots in TV shows and commercials. Who cares what damage it does to people perceptions, it gets ratings.

Used to be that being a father was an honored thing. Not anymore. Small wonder that guys today don’t want to get involved in marriage. Give up income and freedom for what? Society’s derision? Same thing is happening to women. They’re expected to have a career. Any women who stays at home is considered a failure in today’s pop culture. Who wants to be a failure?

So the decline begins. Gay marriage just makes it worse by destroying the link between marriage and producing quality children to carry the culture forward.

If you want to ban childless marriages, you’re just being vindictive.

The ultimate obscenity is that the future lack of westernized, tolerant, democratic minded children will prevent the future survival of our tolerant, free, democratic society, and it will be overwhelmed by the rising numbers of theocracy driven societies (ahem, Islam) or non-theological, purely market driven, Nilistic cultures with basically no moral limits (a kind of depressing Blade Runner existance). No freedom unless you can PAY for it.

And thus, all this wonderful freedom and tolerance we currently enjoy will be destroyed, using the very freedom we like to brag about.

All because it’s really wicked cool to dis the Establishment, Man!

I’m really beginning to think SETI will never pick up an advanced technological civilization, purely because of the trouble intelligent beings bring upon themselves as soon as they no longer have to spend every waking hour seaching for food. Advanced technological societies immediately self destruct. They’re more interested in seeking novelties than respecting stuff that works.

-mark12A
Excellent logical, step-by-step argument of what’s been going on wrong with our culture that idolizes sex today. To us Christians, marriage should be more than just a pure societal commitment. There should be a logical and rational argument too for marriages that walk the straight-and-narrow path of yesteryears.

On a complete tangent, there’s little in life better than walking outside in the cold, breathing in the brisk night air. There’s such a feeling of peace that overwhelms you, that everything will just be alright.