My absence...

Hey everyone,

I got back from DC last Friday, but because of sickness, and time difficulties, I have yet to write much about it. (I'll post a recount here when I'm done)

BTW, I've started up an Xanga site. You can check it out here:

Click!

I'm currently doing edits to the look and feel, so don't be too shocked ;-)

The Talent Show went great. I'll post more on that when I get my DC update finished. (Plus, a bunch of new videos!)

Signing off...

J. Drake

Of Pathetic and Prejudice

Well...

I just started to read Pride and Prejudice, (Which I've rightly named Pathetic and Prejudice) which is a Literature 1 assignment. 11 small chapters later, I fell asleep. How boring could a book get? Who cares about marrying off daughters to rich dudes, or continual small talk amongst lame characters? I certainly do not. Sara told me the book is 'the heart of a woman,' I'm thinking more like 'the heart of b-rated literature.'

It might improve, but I, as a boy, cannot help but dislike it.

As Mark Twain said:

I haven't any right to criticise books, and I don't do it except when I hate them. I often want to criticise Jane Austen, but her books madden me so that I can't conceal my frenzy from the reader; and therefore I have to stop every time I begin. Everytime I read 'Pride and Prejudice' I want to dig her up and beat her over the skull with her own shin-bone.

There are other quotes, but I shall refrain from posting them for the sake of my female readers.

Signing....zzzzzz....off,

J. Drake

Of Flyboys, short visits, and a trip to Washington DC

Last night, my family saw FlyBoys, an 'epic' tale of heroism in the skies during WWI. On the get-go, I knew it wasn't going to be as spectacular as it appeared in the trailers. The acting was stilted and subdued, the music was repetitive and annoying, and there were very few scenes that lasted long. (It felt like a series of vignettes) James Franco (the main character, pictured above) stars as a young Texan whose ranch was foreclosed by the bank. With no place to live, he journeys to France to join a squadron of American pilots-in-training who are fighting for the French. After their first skirmish, the pilots realize that it isn't as glamorous as they first thought. Steadily, their numbers shrink as less and less pilots come home to the base. In a climatic ending, James Franco pulls his airplane next to the german ace, pulls out a pistol, and shoots the guy through the head. How climactic...

Out of five stars, I gave it a 2.5. The good: amazing dogfights, realistic time period, and sweet looking CG. (Including a blimp explosion) The bad: sleazy acting, annoying soundtrack, and predictability.

Ok, so enough of entertainment...

This Wednesday, Sara will be visiting for a couple of days. We're all pretty excited. I'll let you know how it goes.

It's official. The tickets have been bought. Next Sunday, Jordan and I will take a train up to Washington DC to visit my Uncle and Aunt. Most likely, I'll blog up there.

Signing off...

J. Drake

Of website design, The Charlotte Symphony, and a request

As a mentioned in my last post, I'm going to try and revamp my website. A few nights ago, my dad directed me to a website that he thought I'd like. With a few additions, he thinks I could do something similar for my personal website.

Here's the link: CLICK!

From there, just click the red 'Launch CBC radio 3'. As you can see, the site is based off of photographs and a few buttons. If I were to do something like this, I would add a little more content, and use pictures that represent my life. (i.e, my bass, keyboard, textbook etc.) We'll see how it goes, I might actually be out of town during spring break.

This evening, I'm going to see the Charlotte Symphony at ASU. I'm not really sure what to expect, but I'm sure it will be fun no matter what. (especially with dinner involved)

Ok, so I have a little request. If you (whoever you may be) read this blog, I'd appreciate a few comments and suggestions here and there so I can keep this running. To make a comment, just push the 'comment' on the bottom of a post and follow the instructions. Thanks.

Signing off...

J. Drake

Of school, The Office Season 2, and websites

Hey everyone,

I know, its been a while. Usually, I can keep up with blogging, but with recent school assignments and activities, I've lagged behind.

So, whats been happening? Well, on the entertainment side, my family finished season two of 'The Office.' During the past few weeks, we've watched a few episodes here and there. I have to say, its now my favorite TV show. Yes, it has surpassed 'Lost.' Like I've said before, if you mind a bit of crude humor here and there, you'll absolutely love the show. Just be sure to start with season one though, its worth building upon.

Over the weekend, we obtained a copy of 'Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory' which we've been playing ever since. Its difficult, and tedious, but definitely a great game. Aside from playing video games, I did a bit of work on my website. I've upgraded my software and had a bit of fun with the new effects. Check it out:

www.jpdrake.com

During spring break, I'm going to completely revamp my website. Yeah, maybe I'm rushing things, but I cannot wait to give it a face lift! Its going to be fun.

On another note, I'm trying to decide whether to grow my hair out or not. Your opinion is needed:




Should I? Leave a comment with your opinion.

Signing off...

J. Drake

Of concerts....

Last night I went to Winter Jam for my second time this year. I am convinced, that on March 18th (the last performance in Charlotte), I will get there 3 hours early and camp by the door. Even though we were an hour early, there were thousands who had arrived before us and thousands more, coming by the minute. Clearly, there was no chance for all of us to find good seating. When we finally squeezed into the coliseum we could only find two seats on the floor, and even those were about 100ft from the stage. Through cellphone communication, we decided that Daniel and I would stay where we were, and the rest of the group find seating in other places.

The rest of the performance was awesome. Hawk Nelson was amazing, Steven Curtis Chapman was great (He even had Clay Aiken come and sing some during the performance), and John Morgan as the president was hilarious.

Half-way through Jeremy Camp, Daniel and I rushed up to get in line for Hawk Nelson autographs. 45 minutes later, I walked away with a hallowed piece of paper. (Hehe) When I mentioned that I had been to Johnson City this year, they were impressed and thanked me for coming. I wonder if they'll remember me in Charlotte....

Well, tonight I'm going over to my grandparent's house to watch 'The Illusionist.' According to my dad, its the best movie he's seen in 5 years. We'll see about that.

Signing off,

J. Drake

Its a Long and Lonely Road

if you don't like it, then please don't take it. --Hawk Nelson

This Saturday I'll be going to Winter Jam (again) in Greensboro. For those of you who read this blog, and can go, please do. You'll have a blast. I'll be going with the Richards (again) and they expect to be there early. If you plan to go, I suggest you do the same. (Its worth it to be towards the front.) Contact the Daniel Richard for information regarding the event. (click to email)

During math class, Sam and I arranged the left over candy hearts to create sappy messages.

Example:


Yeah, maybe a bit crude, but funny. With a mechanical pencil, many of the sappy hearts could be changed for the better.

Example:


Hehe. Its amazing to think of the many ways of amusing oneself.

Signing off,

J. Drake