Archive for December, 2002

When They Really Get To Know You They Will Run

Sometimes when I sit down to write, I know exactly what I want to say, but I don’t know how to start. This is usually when I can’t solidify my thoughts for one reason or another. This would be one of those times.

So, right in. I’m trying to say that there are some bands I like that could be classified as Christian. I’m in love with none of these bands, except for Pedro the Lion. Conveniently for me, I suppose, the religious overtones of Pedro’s music are of the most subtle nature (originally, I thought the message was critical of religion). He’s passionate about something, and that’s worked for me so far. Other bands, like Jars of Clay, perform pretty good music with heavy Christian lyrics. This turns me off, and I can’t listen for too long.

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Email

Hey USC students — remember we were all supposed to get new, full-name email addresses when the new server was installed last summer? It looks like ISD did it, but never told us about it. christopher.kampmeier@usc.edu forwards to kampmeie@usc.edu for me. Which is nice.

I just had a great chile relleno burrito. Yay for Chano’s.

School is over, and now it’s time to go home. Now I can relax. Computer science and electrical engineering were smoothly operated. Physics is questionable, but it should be alright. I have a book for the plane… I got about 100 pages into it a few months ago, before school got crazy.

An opportunity fell into my lap yesterday to become a web guy for KSCR, USC’s student-run radio station. How cool. I already have a concept in my head. Now, to secure the position…

I just downloaded an implementation of OpenPGP, which is an encryption standard based on the proprietary PGP of old. I don’t want to sound like a guy cowering in his basement with a tin-foil hat, but these days this sort of thing seems more… necessary. Here’s my public key, if anyone wants to play along:

——-BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK——-
Version: GnuPG v1.2.1 (MingW32) - WinPT 0.5.13
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=TL7B
——-END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK——-

past midnight

I’m supposed to be doing physics homework right now, but I can’t concentrate. My mind is swimming with thoughts that would sit better here.

This last week, the last week of classes, was probably the busiest of my life. I had two final projects in engineering due, a percussion jury, two piano finals, and an EE final exam. I slept about four hours on most nights, which made me sick. I’m still sick. I think I have some sort of infection… maybe I’ll go to the doctor tomorrow.

Anyway, almost everything went as well as it could last week. The final projects came together. My percussion jury was all but perfect. One of my judges was a percussionist from the LA philharmonic. I realized only afterwards that the marimba solo I performed was written by one of the principals of the same ensemble, Mitch Peters (a household name in percussion). I still somehow managed to get positive comments.

I also went to an Our Lady Peace concert last week in Pomona. I think that’s the fourth time I’ve seen them. The new guitarist is very technically competent, but I think he’s changed OLP a lot. They do a lot more straight-ahead rock now, which I don’t like as much. The old songs still sounded great, though… I started crying during the bridge of Naveed. I haven’t cried since July. That song means so much to me — I associate the feeling of forward motion with the path my life has taken over the last few years. It felt good to get that emotion out.

I’m relieved that last week is over. I’m not happy yet though — there’s more work to do. I feel just as stressed, even though my exams don’t trouble me as much as the final projects and juries did. Physics feels tedious, now… I just want it to end. The course hasn’t gotten any easier to match the ambition we’re starting to lose as students at the end of the year. The final will be difficult, and I need to force myself to study.

I asked a girl out a few days ago. She said no. I had been thinking about it for a month or so. My heart wasn’t even in it… it’s just that I’m sick of feeling lonely, cold, and emotionless, and she seems like a nice girl who seemed to like me. Oh well. I never thought this could be so hard.

This took only a few minutes for you to read, but it took over an hour for me to write. It’s never easy to iron out my thoughts like this, but it helps. To be honest, I’m depressed. I just want to put my head down on my desk and listen to sad music. I need to make myself happy somehow. If not now, then when?