The moment you've been waiting for all day. The man, the legend himself Nathan P. Repp, has finally left his mark on PQLC. Enjoy!

I am prone to hero worship. I want to be better. I want guidance.
Isn’t that why we all choose people to idolize? We’re all stumbling around in the dark and when we’ve found someone with a light we go towards it. They’ve found their way and we’re hoping we can find ours too, by following them. But it’s not that easy is it? This labyrinth that is life is constantly shifting and we can’t always go the same way. We each have to find our own way. But don’t give up on your heroes. Let them instead be your star. That one star in the sky that lets you know where you are and how far you’ve come. You might find that it’s not the brightest or that it’s the farthest away but at least it’s a point of reference. Even the tiniest star sheds light. There have been many stars in my sky. Many candles lit in my house. But I’ve found one in particular that burns with a forceful resonance that demands to be noticed. They weren’t always great and they failed in many regards but remember, we’re not looking for a trail, we’re looking for an entire map and even mistakes add to the topography of life.

His name was Humphrey Bogart. The go to guy for cool in the 1940’s. Classic movie star (starring in Casablanca, The Maltese Falcon, and many others) with an Oscar under his belt (for The African Queen). And though the allure of Hollywood has always caught my eye, this is not why he is my hero.
He is my hero because despite that fact he came from a privileged family, he went against their plans for him to follow a craft.
He is my hero because he wasn’t born an actor, he worked hard for it.
He is my hero because he was a poor student but quoted Plato, Emerson, and Shakespeare in day to day life and was near Grand Master level in Chess.
He is my hero because he drank too much and smoked too much and was diagnosed with throat cancer.
He is my hero because even though John Wayne hardly knew him, he sent flowers anyway.
He is my hero because he died unfulfilled; he always wanted to do Shakespeare but thought no one would take him seriously.
He is my hero because he was a person and not an idol. Bogie doesn’t have all the answers for me but he has a life’s work of experience for me to draw my own answers from. If I had to conclude all of this it would be to say this:

Your heroes did great things that still need doing but made mistakes so you don’t have to. Don’t waste the life they lived by living the same one.

“It is at least worth arguing that there is a modicum of the creative novelist in all of us, and that this absorption with how men get out of difficulties, single-handedly and alone if possible, is the stuff of which we weave the warp and woof of our own better dramatic imaginings.”

|

Do not fret, the monthly guest contributor entry will be posted later today. We had a slight mix-up here at HQ, but my Broesph a.k.a. Nathan, will be providing us a little insight into his world. Check back later today!

|

This has been on and off my mind for awhile now and has recently been brought back to the foreground. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? or even 10?! This is a very interesting question and fits nicely with the context of this blog. Right now you're probably in college, comfortable with where you're at and what you're doing. That's fine because you're supposed to be having the time of your life right now. However, you should be looking ahead, down the road into the future.

Most college students today put in a good solid 4 years of schooling before heading off into the workforce. There are of course those who decide on going to Grad School, but this question still applies to them. Eventually you're going to leave the wonderful world of Academia (ugh) and begin seriously living on your own for the first time. Have most kids thought about where they plan to work and to live? I sure hope so because it's something that needs to be planned in advance. The sad part to all of this is that most students do not have a plan after college and just try to wing it. I would like to compare this to trying to wing a final exam, it rarely turns out pretty. To those who do decide to wing it, they usually end up playing Nintendo instead of working on their resume, applying to bar tending school instead, becoming a part time comedian and eventually working in a low tier restaurant scraping by with tips. Not the most glamorous way to end the remaining years of your 20s? Maybe for some I guess....

Instead of the previous scenario, start formulating a life plan for yourself. It doesn't have to be extensive, but just begin thinking about your future. Will you be working full time over the summer, begin your last year of college in the fall and land an internship position that will give you job security when you graduate, and eventually find a place to call your own? Sounds a lot better than second guessing what you should have done while on your smoke break out behind the restaurant.

Final words of advice for everybody who is in this situation. DO NOT let anything or anybody get in your way of achieving your life goals. DO NOT think that taking a year off school and coming back to finish later is a good idea. If anything, you'll be making it harder on yourself later on. So...Stick to your game plan, road map, whatever and don't stop until you have achieved what you set out to do. And especially don't let any girl/boy get in the way of your dreams. Think about yourself first because the only person with control over your future is you...!

|

Have you ever had one of those days when you knew it was going to be awesome!? Well, today is that day for me. I got more swagger in my step than I've had in a long time. I feel and look great not to mention my confidence level is rocketing to the moon. I feel like if there was a mountain to climb I would climb it. A bear to wrestle? Heck yeah I'll grapple with that beast. Sounds a little dangerous right?? That's just how confident I am today!

If today was any day to make new friends, then this is it! It's time to put this confidence to good use. I'm back like a second heart attack! Or just heart burn...

|

Welcome back for another rendition of Music Monday! This week's featured artist is none other than the Geek in the Pink, Jason Mraz! He is one of my all time favorite Musicians because of his scat attack and funtastic lyrics. You put on Mraz CD when you want to Jam out, be it in the car or outside BBQ'ing. He has an infectious way of being able to make a sad situation a whole lot better.

First timers should listen to Mr. A-Z and then move right into his Tonight, Not Again Live Album. I strongly support the listening of his live music, because Mraz adds a personal touch that you don't quite get with the studio stuff. Do what you got to do to listen to Jason Mraz right now! You'll be better off after you do.

Jason Mraz |MTV Music

|

And when you hear this song, if you ain't dead then sing along
Bang and strum to these here drums 'til you get where you belong

Saul Williams - New Music - More Music Videos

You wanna be somebody? See somebody? Try and free somebody?

List of Demands (Reparations) by Saul Williams. I rather enjoy this message and the music is bliss. Look up the lyrics and jam along. It'll get you back in to your groove of knowing exactly what's right and wrong and you'll be moved to do something to fix the wrong and make it right.

Incidentally, this song was also used in a Nike commercial. Which had another good, but different, message. However, let's be realistic. They were just using a good message to try and sell a product. Nike sells products. Their true aim is not to inspire a personal revolution in all of us. Unless this personal revolution means that we buy their shoes.

Regardless, we are part of this globalized materialistic 21st century culture and we have to take inspiration from what's available to us. Perhaps this is why Saul Williams sold his song to Nike, thereby making it the antithesis to itself.



That's some flipping effective advertising, yo.

And one line in a Nike commercial captivated me forever.



Everything you need is already inside.

|

What team won the first NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship?
a) Oregon <---- THE ANSWER!!!
b) North Carolina
c) UCLA
d) Oklahoma St.

Yep, Oregon won the first tournament championship in 1939. That's a long-standing tradition of madness. 70 years, man.

I hope UCLA faked you out! The answer is always C. Except when it's not. So when in doubt, pick it. And you'll be wrong 75% of the time.

Anyway, UCLA's won 11 championships. The most of any school. That's why it was a tempting answer. In terms of probability, UCLA was your best bet.

North Carolina (<3) has 4 championship wins. And Oklahoma St. has 2.

Sadly, Oregon's only win was that win in 1939.

Speaking of Oregon, this is a nice lead-in to our next blog. It's about the magnificence that graced our childhoods and our classroom Apples. Hold your pants on, it's gonna be good.


Inspirations:
- ESPN
- the delightful month of March
- 3-point miracle shots at the buzzer to win the game

|

I'm a bum and skipped last week. Sorry.

Also, I swear I'll get around to writing a real blog sometime soon. But it's break so there are 900 other things I'd rather be doing that have nothing to do with sitting in front of Macbooky wasting time like I do every other week.

Like watching 2 straight hours of music videos with Julia. We did that this morning.

Anyway, this week's MC has to do with college basketball because it's March and things are getting crazy and so it consumes most of my idle time. <3


What team won the first NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship?
a) Oregon
b) North Carolina
c) UCLA
d) Oklahoma St.


Don't wiki this shit. I feel like pretty much all these questions can be wiki'd. Just guess for your own sake. If you're wrong, no one else has to know. I'll deliver the answer tomorrow.

|

Lets keep this short and sweet today because I'm lazy and it's getting late. This week's feature band is THE CURE! These guys have been jamming for such a long time and have stood up relatively well. My favorite song has to be Love Song. It is deadly contagious and I just love it! The future Mrs. Repptar better be prepared for this to be our song, because this is a Monarchy. There you go, nothing to0 extreme or flashy this week. Take it or leave it and I'll see you all in 7 days!

The Cure |MTV Music

|

Somewhere under water
Maybe you could find my heart


Arguably some of the best two opening lines of any song ever... both lyrically and musically. Strip down to your undies, turn it up, and jump around. Because Saves The Day has your back with Holly Hox, Forget Me Nots. All it takes is the first 9 seconds and I'm lost to bliss. (I also suggest purchasing the entire album, Through Being Cool.)

About this video: Youtube is awesome for the most part and has most songs you want. But sometimes you can only get the song as part of someone else's stupid video. This happened last week too. Please note that the real song doesn't begin until about 5 seconds in to the video. Listen for the opening drum part. It's amazing.

|

I've been on the bench for the last couple days recuperating. The Physician's Assistant says it's just the common cold but I know better than to believe a pretend Doctor. I never got the Cooties vaccine as a kid and I'm paying for it now. I never knew how serious a fictional disease could be. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemies. Remember kids don't trade Lunchables and get vaccinated. "Circle, Circle, Dot, Dot, Now you got the Cootie Shot"



Back in the day being sick was awesome! You got to miss school, hang out on the couch with your jello and watch Nickelodeon all day! What Would You Do and Wild and Krazy Kids got me through some rough epidemics. The cure-all for any disease was and still is ridiculous 90's Shows. I've enjoyed my time lounging around watching the same Sports Center all day, but I'm going to be playing catch up after break. Oh well, snot happens.

|

My sister and I share a Twitter because we're kind of the same person a lot of the time so we might as well. She leans a lot more toward the Jesus and I lean a lot more toward the fucking up at life (sort of... read on for clarification), but in general, we're pretty much the same.

Our primary reason for Twittering is so that we can follow John Mayer's Twitter. You'd think that it would be because we love each other and want to make the distance seem not so great by sharing something together through a collaborative means of expression. No. We just want to follow John Mayer's Twitter. That's how we roll.

Honestly, it might be the best thing to happen to me. I merely thought that his Twitter perhaps would add humor to my bleak days. But I had no idea that the man is WISE.

Case in point...


March 1st: "You do know that any time you decide you want to be different you can just start, right?"

March 3rd: "You can be greater than your track record. Greater than the sum of your parts. You can be greater than has ever been hinted at... DO IT."


I finally get it. I FINALLY fucking get it. I mean, the first one seems entirely plausible and I totally believed it and thought that I was already doing it when I read it the first time. Psh, yeah, I can be different. Any time I want.

It wasn't until he posted the second one that I realized I was so so wrong.

Despite all the things that have happened, I don't need to carry any of that around anymore. No one else gets to dictate what I will be. Letting all of that affect you and influence your feelings, actions, tendencies, etc. means that you're not entirely you. Forcing extreme independence (or whatever your defense mechanism might be) is actually just a function of severe dependence on all that you can't let go and all that you want to prevent in the future. In trying to free yourself, you actually become less free (I think philosophers have been saying that for hundreds of years, but I'm not sure.) Walls hurt you more than you can ever be hurt without them.

I don't have to think that I'm only capable of the worst. I don't have to think that what I have left to work with isn't something that can be made into something better. I don't have to think that just because no one's ever been supportive of the fact that I can be different means that I actually can't be different.


Long story short:

I'm choosing to be different.

I can be greater than my track record. I can be greater than the sum of my parts. And I can be greater than has ever been hinted at.

I'm doing it.

I think that all of us can do it.

And find the people who help make you better. They will change your life.

|

This week on Music Monday I bring to you the talented indie band Tokyo Police Club. These crazy Canucks have a unique sound that keeps you on your toes. Their most notable songs include, You're English is Good and Tessellate which both can be found on their Myspace page.

I've recently had the chance to experience them in concert and let me tell you it was an intense, action pack show; I found it hard to sit still. It was well worth the 15 minute drive and $15 cover. I appreciate this band more after seeing them in person and will definitely be buying a copy of Elephant Shell.

If you are still craving some more Indie flavor, check out Ruby Coast and Harlem Shakes who opened for Tokyo Police Club. Ruby Coast is more closely related in sound to TPC, and Harlem Shakes does their own thing quite well. Both are excellent indie bands that have a bright future.

There you have it; another Monday another band, or in this case 3! See you all next week!

|

I Think I Need A New Heart by the Magnetic Fields.

My love for the Magnetic Fields runs deep. They sing sad songs to catchy music. And the sad themes are the outlet for the recognition and expression and release of your own sadness while, at the same time, the catchyness brightens your spirit.

|