Disconnected

That's pretty much how I feel right now. I'm starting to realize how many people I just plain haven't talked to in so long. But at the same time, I don't know what to say to any of them. I hate losing contact with people, especially when I used to be so close to them all. I'm feeling pretty socially incompetent right now overall. Blech.

I was doing pretty well at getting over this whole clamming up thing, but sometime something happened and I just went all introvert all over again. I'm not even sure what's doing it to me. Maybe its the seasonal affective disorder I was always so convinced I had back in freshman/sophomore year. I even feel pretty disconnected from the roomies and Jenny and Abbi, who I see everyday. This isn't a good start to my new years resolutions.

In school, things are moving forward for me. Professionally, things are moving forward for me. Personally, I'm at a standstill and I have been for a long time. I need something exciting to happen. Something needs to change. Not sure what it is yet. I'll have to get back to you on that part.

Favorite Songs of 2007

Yeah its a list blog, but every year I have certain songs that just strike a note (haha get it!?!?) with me, whether its relevance to my life at the time or just a catchy tune. So here it goes:

10. Lo Fi Fnk - City
This song is dancy and awesome. And it reminds me how much I love living in a city (not the burbs!). Everytime I'm driving back into Chicago from the burbs I blast it while I cruise on 290.

9. VHS or Beta - Burn it All Down
Fight the system! Fuck the POlice! Damn the Man! This song makes me want to do something counterculture.

8. Islands - Rough Gem
This song makes me happy. Islands is pretty much all around just really happy music. This song is about blood diamonds. That's it.

7. Peter Bjorn and John - Young Folks
I'm really into Indie Pop this year apparently. This song is really catchy and about two people falling in love and not caring about anyone else. It sounds pretty generic when you put it that way.

6. Criteria - Ride the Snake
It's not a new song, in fact it might be from three years ago. It's pretty great though. Its about not being a follower and keeping your eyes on the prize. At least thats how I interpret it. And it argues with organized religion, which I do too!

5. Tokyo Police Club - Citizens of Tomorrow
I'm a sucker for songs about robots. This song is about robots taking over the world and enslaving the human race. Yeah, I'm a big nerd.

4. Beirut - Postcards from Italy
I just love this song. Its fantastic. I love the horns, and the crooning voice, and the east European vibe this music has. Possibly the most relaxing song of 2007.

3. The Arcade Fire - No Cars Go
The newer version though. Its a lot better than the EP version I think. Its a great song about escaping the hyper-industrial world we live in to a place where "no cars go"...even though that place really doesn't exist anymore. Makes me want to go on a wilderness adventure!

2. Architecture in Helsinki - Heart it Races
Try and listen to this song and tell me its not the catchiest, most fun song ever written. I DARE YOU. This band just has so much awesome energy, poppy catchy songs, and are still really unique and different, and this song is kind of the definition of that.

1. LCD Soundsystem - All My Friends
This easily wins as my favorite song of 2008. It builds up throughout the whole song, putting into words what its like to be surrounded by great friends and great times, and about growing up and the distance that comes with it. It makes me nostalgic and happy at the same time, knowing that no matter where life takes me I can look back on the 7th floor/Lovelies years and remember the great times we had.

San Francisco here I come!!!

I DID IT!!! I won!!!

Most of you didn't know this (in fact I might have only told Steve about it), but Columbia managed to get the money to give two students scholarships to go to the Game Developers Conference this year in San Francisco. We had to write an essay (I won't bore you with the topic) and it was blind judged. AND I GOT IT!!

This means I'm going to GDC for free. Except for food and "incidentals". But I can handle that. I seriously didn't expect to get it. I figured that I would be outwritten by at least a couple of people in my department. This makes me more excited than any of you can imagine.

Oh, in case you didn't know, GDC is an international conference where people from all over the industry get together to schmooze, booze, and talk about the industry and such once a year. Its sort of, half convention, half advertise your awesome project, half networking. That's three halves, but you get the point. Its pretty much the best opportunity for anyone hoping to break into the industry to meet some people and weasel your way into a job.

This means I need to get time off work. And I'm going to miss a week of classes. And I need a portfolio website. And a resume, and business cards. And I need to learn how to network at suchan event. And shit, I only have three weeks to do that. LAME.

Sorry for the completely self-indulgent post, I had to blog or I won't be able to sleep at all tonight!

Starting the Year (Right?)

It's been a long time, hasn't it? I don't know what it was about this last year, I just lost my blogging spirit. There was a time where if I didn't blog for two or three days straight, something was seriously wrong!

But hey, it's a new year, maybe time to start the habit again? We'll see if I can muster the dedication for it.

New Years was incredible. Well, New Years was fun, but it was really the days surrounding it that were the best. It's been so long since I've seen the whole crew at once, together. It may me realize what the missing piece in my life had been for the last couple of years since leaving the UC. Not that I'm not surviving without it, but it was such a huge part of my life before and having that back again, well, it felt just like we picked up where we'd left off. And it was awesome!

By the way, this:I do not remember. When did 24 hat jam happen?? Was it after the beer-chased whiskey? After I lost my cup and could not stop worrying about it? Who knows.

Anyways! New Years resolutions. Yes. I need some of those. How many can I have? I feel like maybe if I make more there's a larger chance I'll keep one of them.

Here we go:

• Work out at least 4 times a week (even during the school year! No excuses!)
• Get up when the alarm goes off. Not one hour later.
• Actually cook every once in awhile. Prepackaged, frozen foods are really bad for you.
• Stop worrying about what everyone else thinks about me, and just do/say what I want to. I get to worried about sounding stupid (as I often do) and ended up not saying anything...or talking so fast no one can understand me, in which case I end up feeling stupid too.
• Maybe get a date! It would be pretty sad if I went through all of college with only two dates and a drunken make out with an annoying chick. I have trust issues and its time to get over them!
• Get over my trust issues. That's a large part of the problem of the two above resolutions and why I tend to keep even my closest friends at an arms length (emotionally and socially...not physically).
• Work on making the whole getting into the game design industry thing happen. I'm already doing pretty good at this, but it never hurts to try and go the extra mile.
• Relax.
  

That seems like a pretty good list. I have to be able to fulfill at least one of those. It looks like I might be living with new room mates this upcoming year too, so I'm making it a goal to solve a lot of these problems with a new surrounding.

Well, that's about all I've got for right now. If I don't blog again within a week, I expect one of you to yell at me!

Here's to 2008!

P.S. you'll note above, no more mustache. This will make some of you very happy. A new year, new facial hair!