Skip to main content

Group Messaging, The 2nd Law, and the Tarp Revisited



Remember the countless hours we—I’m assuming most of my readers are probably people my age or older, sorry—spent on MSN Messenger? Thank goodness those days are over. Keep that thought in mind.

The only smart phone I’ve ever owned is the iPhone I’m still using today. The iPhone 3GS. Feel free to ridicule me endlessly; however, I can’t justify buying a $600 phone every year or agreeing to a new two-year contract. I don’t like to feel dependent on or trapped by a company. Or anything for that matter. However, admittedly I am addicted to my iPhone. Not having a cell phone until I was a teenager and living through the progression of cell phones from clunky things that could only call, and then text, to sleek mini-computers that can access the internet (!) makes me appreciate how amazing my “outdated” phone is compared to the past. There are honestly times when I’m not sure I could live without it—I need instant access to time-sensitive emails, sports scores, breaking news, etc.

However, the technology I take most advantage of on my iPhone is group messaging. Sometimes I wonder if other people do the same thing: my cousins (and I have a lot of first cousins, if you know anything about my family) and I have a group message that started years ago—not even sure why; most definitely something to do with sports—but it has never ended. It’s a continually running discourse that spans the gamut of life. Honestly I can’t remember a day in the last two years where I didn’t have an in-depth discussion with one of my cousins about something. Having moved away from my hometown, group messaging has really allowed me to stay in contact with the people who mean the most to me.

Some of the best ideas of my life have spawned from these conversations. As you read, my cousins and I are discussing my latest grand idea (I have a lot of ideas but little creativity and fewer resources). A project you might hear more about in the future.

I said all of that to say this: It’s like a grownup version of MSN Messenger. Without people that you don’t want to talk to, fake female profiles, or annoying emoticons (actually, as surprising as it may sound, grown men use emoticons occasionally). Luckily my aspirations have changed since the days of MSN Messenger and there’s an even more efficient technology for expressing my ideas.

In my first blog I mentioned I was trying to decide whether I wanted to buy the new Muse album, The 2nd Law. Speaking of technology, there is so much technology today that I can’t keep up. Often I forget about technologies and programs that are useful because of the sheer volume of those available. I realized today that I didn’t have to buy the new album without knowing if I’d like it …because I can listen to the entire album for free on Spotify. Duh.

So, as I’ve been writing, I’ve been listening to The 2nd Law. I’ve only listened to the album in its entirety once, so I reserve the right to change my opinion. But it’s definitely not my favorite Muse album. I really enjoyed the album’s first single “Madness,” which has the Queen-y sound of Muse that I like. Also, I always enjoy the instrumental pieces that Muse usually features at the end of its albums—“The 2nd Law: Unsustainable” and “The 2nd Law: Isolated System” on this album. This time the band did something a little different, though. “Unsustainable” is Muse’s attempt at dubstep. I’m not a dubstep fanboy (these are the kind of words I cringe at using) by any means—although I have listened to the usual suspects, Skillrex and deadmau5—but I enjoyed the song. Maybe the album will grow on me as I continue to listen to it. As of now, I still prefer Muse’s last album, The Resistance.

Oh, before I forget, some readers expressed frustration that I ended yesterday’s blog without further explanation of the tarp. I apologize, but as of now I haven’t solved the mystery. Which also means I haven’t encountered any psychos, thieves, or Mr. Former Resident. I’m working on conspiracy theories as speak. My wife does have brand new bicycle that we chain in front of our place. Maybe someone wanted to steal the bike? But it makes little sense to store the bolt cutters one night and come back to actually steal the bike another night. Unless…they needed to time formulate a way to transport the bike. To be continued…

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Guess Who's Back?

Not to get sentimental, but I was recently reminded of the joys of writing a blog. So, I logged into Dribbling Ink to see my past failed attempt at a blog. A number of things immediately struck me. My last post was dated Monday, December 1, 2008 , which was just a short video of the immediate celebration after the Miracle on Markham II. Seriously? I went an entire year without writing a single blog entry. Naturally, I asked myself what happened. The answer is simple. Life happened. I started blogging because I didn’t have anything better to do. I had just gotten married and moved to Arkadelphia, where I failed to find a job for a few months. Tell me a better way to waste your time than to write blogs that nobody reads? After Christmas I started graduate school at Henderson State University . During the fall, I began working as a graduate assistant in the HSU Writing Center . (I also spent a few torturous months as a substitute teacher.) Essentially, I didn’t have a reason to w...
6 comments
Read more

Home, 257 Miles Away

Go ahead, ask: Where are these pictures from and why are they important? Easy. My parents' new house and...because they are of my parents' new house. OK, easy enough for me, but you're still wondering why they are important to you or, at least, why you should bother wasting your time looking at them. The only answer I have is because we are all products of environment, whether it's our house or our hometown. There are three things that have undoubtedly shaped me: family, Arkansas, and "home." The first is easy enough to understand. When I say Arkansas, I am specifically referring to Paragould, Arkansas, and more generally to the South. However, in this blog I'd like to talk about "home," in which case I am referring both to a physical dwelling and the environment I grew up in. The pictures featured below are taken from my parents' sixth new house, the first since I moved out a few years ago (of course, I only lived in the fifth house a few mo...
4 comments
Read more

Conversations: An Optimistic Razorback Fan

Caption: Your optimistic dad cheering for the Razorbacks. No offense to baby Chase, but the magic is gone. Yep, it’s time for another classic Arkansas drought. As an avid sports fan, I understand that there will always be ups and downs no matter how good the team is you are rooting for. As much as my wife would hate to admit it, even the Kansas Jayhawks have lost a game this season—the funny thing about that loss is it’s the only Kansas game we made a point to watch all year. Luckily, Arkansas ’ losing streak is exactly what An Optimistic Razorback Fan wanted to talk about in this week’s installment of the Dribbling Ink Conversation Series. An Optimistic Razorback Fan: OK, since losing is a part of sports, I should be able to cope with the Razorbacks’ newest losing streak. Right? You win some, you lose some? Plus, we still have a chance of finishing .500 and going to the NIT. Jacob Cooper: Wrong. Let’s look at Kansas ’ loss to Tennessee earlier in the year. Since the Jayha...
1 comment
Read more