Kanye West

"I just needed some time alone, with my own thoughts
Got treasures in my mind, but couldn't open up my own vault
My childlike creativity, purity and honesty
Is honestly being prodded by these grown thoughts
Reality is catching up with me
Taking my inner child, I'm fighting for it, custody"

Pretty darn wondrous.

Wishing My Life Away

How much of your life do you spend wishing it away? As I was entering school this morning around 7 a.m., my only thought was "Please let it be 3 p.m. ASAP." That's eight hours right there. If I'm awake for approximately 17 hours, that's nearly half of my day that I'm wishing away. Other days it's even worse. Heck, when I used to be a substitute teacher and work at Target, I'd be wishing away pretty much the entire day. And for what? So after 13 hours of mundaneness I'd get an hour to relax before going to bed? That's crap. I think we should all make a conscious effort to enjoy as much of our time as we can. Just look closely and try to find something nice about your current situation. Anything. I wonder if there was ever anyone who ever lived who enjoyed every single moment of their life and never wished that any of it would pass. Or even the person who wished away the least amount of time. I'd like to meet him/her and find out what they did for a living. And does the prospect of doing something fun make wishing your life away worth it? Like if someone is looking forward to getting through their day so they can go to happy hour afterward, does that make the wishing away acceptable? And do those things that we think will be fun even always turn out to be fun? Usually not. Attaching high expectations to something only increases the chances of it being less enjoyable.

We can't depend on a concert, a bar, or even another person to make us happy.

We have to do it ourselves, and we have to do it as much as possible. Because what else is there, really?

Should I Buy a PS3?

As I was cleaning my room this weekend, I was reminded of a long lost love I once had. No, it wasn't the girl I had a crush on when I was in fifth grade. Yes, it was video games. I dusted off my old N64 and GameCube, and thought "Man, I really miss video games." I spent many an hour during my formative years sitting around and pushing buttons, and have decided that I would like to do so again. It doesn't matter that I'm a real teacher now or that I'll probably be starting grad school in the next few months, right? I had subscribed to the school of thought that video games were a complete waste of time for a few years, that is until I saw THIS GAME:

Seriously, how awesome does this look? It seems to be a video game that plays like a movie. And after reading more about Heavy Rain, I'm throwing the whole "waste of time" thing out the window. This is right up there with movies and books in terms of escapism.

I think I'm gonna buy a PS3.

I just need to make sure I don't get addicted.

Grading Candy

It goes without saying that I've consumed a large quantity of sweets over the past few days. A connoisseur of everything unhealthy, I've decided to rate the various types of candy I've eaten with the hope of finding out which is actually the best. Here goes:

1. Milk Duds: "Dud" is the key word here. Chocolate covered caramels that can potentially yank out your fillings? C'mon, you can do better. GRADE: C-

2. Kit-Kat: I've always been a fan of the Kit-Kat bar. Milk chocolate and wafers make for a delightfully crispy experience, and I don't feel entirely like a fat slob after enjoying one. GRADE: A-

3. Whoppers: Vastly underrated. The only downside to eating a pack of Whoppers is that they make one incredibly thirsty, more so than the average chocolatey confection. Make sure you have about a gallon of milk on hand before cracking open a pack. GRADE: B

4. Mounds/Almond Joy: Awww yeah. If it's got coconut, sign me up. Mounds has dark chocolate, but Almond Joy prevails because, well, it has a big fat almond inside, a bonus that's easily comparable to finding a handful of diamonds inside of a pot of gold. GRADE: Mounds: A-/Almond Joy: A

5. Snickers: The candy bar that eats like a meal. Delicious, but seriously, it's just a little too much. GRADE: B+

6. Heath: Criminally underrated, it's like Butterfinger's tastier, more sophisticated older brother. GRADE: A-

7. Charleston Chew: Fantastic stuff, especially when the grocery store is selling the footlongs for a buck. The milk chocolate and vanilla nougat unite for a simply delicious experience. GRADE: B+

8. 3 Musketeers: Similar to the Kit-Kat in that I don't feel entirely like a fat slob after eating one. Also, it's fun to pretend to be French when you're eating one and be all like: "Ah oui, c'est un bar de Trois Mousquetaires." GRADE: A-

9. SweeTarts: This has to be the most superfluous candy in existence. Really, is there anyone out there who is a SweeTarts enthusiast? Like "Yeah, WOOOOO SWEETARTS!!!!" Nah. GRADE: D

10. Peanut Butter M&Ms: GRADE: A++++++++++++++++++++++