подвиг

I finished Dubliners about 2 days ago. I thought it was great. Dubliners and Portrait of the Artist were both amazing.

So I started my trek into Ulysses. I had read the first part of it a few years ago thinking "Oh, it can't really be as hard as everybody says it is!" But, after reading the 3rd chapter, and not understanding any of it, I stopped.

I'm not reading it thinking the same as last time. Which is why, to my dismay, I'm reading it with a companion. I never wanted to do it, but I don't think I can really read it without one. Its called "The Bloomsday Book" and it gives about 5 pages of simple synopsis and analysis of the chapter. So what I've been doing it for the 4 chapters I've read is, read the chapter in Ulysses, then read the synopsis, and so far it's been working pretty well.

Though, at this rate, I'll finish the book in about 12 years, I still think it'll be quicker than when I tried reading Proust. *shudder*

I just finished Joyce's "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" today. I have to say, I liked it. I could definitely use a re-read though, since I'm positive I missed a whole shitload of stuff. My lit analysis skills are lacking, as usual. But, even accounting for my own pitfalls as a reader, I found it to be interesting. Joyce's use of -- marks to denote speech instead of quotation marks was kind of weird at first, but towards the end I actually enjoyed them.

I'm reading "Dubliners" now, with the hopes of actually reading Ulysses sometime soon. I'm going to read Hamlet next, since they say that Ulysses uses a lot of references to Hamlet. Then, of course, I'm going to read the Odyssey, because, well, Ulysses relies heavily on that.

I'm wondering if I should read Ulysses with a supplementary book. A lot of people recommend it, but I always feel that when I read someone elses interpretation of it right afterwards, I tend to lose track of what I originally thought of it. I guess I should just try reading it on my own, and if I can't understand whats going on (which I'm sure is what'll happen) I'll read it with a supplemental book.

Reading Joyce is good after having read a lot of Dostoevsky over Christmas break. Not that D is bad, it's just a good change of scenery. No more St. Petersburg, onto Dublin!

I'm never listened to so much of one single music artist and not been bored. I have 1000 Bob Dylan songs and decided about 2 weeks ago to listen to all of them. I wanted all of them to have at last 1 play count in iTunes. So I've listened to only Bob since then. Well, with the exception of, I think, 3 Elliott Smith songs. So far I've listened to 696 of his songs, and I have 292 songs left.

I'm listening to Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash. Thank you bittorrent for letting me get this album that was never officially released! Apparently they were both recording in Nashville (around the late 60's I think?) and they were in the same studio so they just recorded a bunch of songs together.

In other news, if I have to read anymore Descartes for class I'm going to... be unhappy and complain more. There are so many holes in his arguments. Oh well. We're reading Locke next week, lets see how I like Empiricism.

I update too much.

I'm listening to Kenny Rogers. Eclectic music taste I suppose.

Nothing else exciting to say. Ah life, full of excitement. Any ideas to liven it up?

Went to my parents tonight. Tried not to talk politics, didn't work. Luckily I'm smart enought to keep any kind of radical opinions to myself, I smiled and nodded and kept with the topic of choice. Can't get kicked out of my own family because I don't agree with them on some issues. Since my step mom is a pretty stubborn lady sometimes. Well, I'm off. Adios.

Jason

My little sister and my best friend went off to college. I'm feeling pretty lonely. I wrote her a letter, gotta send it tomorrow. It's weird how me and my sister didn't get alone before, but now we do. She called me tonight, said things are good. I've been in my room all day. Good times.

Ok, so this is odd.
The faucet broke and water was spraying everything. A fine sheer mist was covering anything that was in the vicinity. The papers we were writing on were now close to soaked, the ink bleeding through, transforming the words into a mix of blue and black.
I held my breath.
She pulled back her hair, water dripping down the tip of her nose. More leaving her face off her small chin. High cheek bones showed her makeup loosening up.
And in all this she was still beautiful. This was incredible.
I collected myself and decided to collect the papers also. I quickly grasped all the sheets of loose leaf and threw them under the desk. I threw the pens under the desk. I threw the scissors under the desk. I threw myself under the sink to turn off the main valve, the one that stopped the water. After the water stopped spraying, I let go of my breath heavily. I collected some more oxygen as I looked at her legs from under the sink. Blue jeans that were pretty tight, showing some toned muscle. Many a night have gone by when I was imagining what was under those jeans. I had my speculation, my over active imagination to help me out. I knew what perfection looked like and her legs probably came close. I closed my eyes and breathed in again while preparing to come out from under there and see her face. To look in those green eyes and start talking to her again.
I rose up and said the first thing I could think of.
“I guess I fucked that up, huh?”
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Something random I just wrote. Lord knows why, I have a million four paragraph nothings lying aroung. I can'r write poems and I can't write short stories. This is my middle ground I suppose. Pretty bad though. Oh well, kept me occupied.

-Jason

I just played the intro to "Don't fear the reaper" by Blue Oyseter Cult for about 15 mintues straight. Someone save me. Thanks.

I'm sick. It's times like these that I'm a mommas boy, cause I want someone to bring me medicine and put wash clothes on my forehead. But I'm stuck in this room with the TV on, my roommates are doing lord knows what. could be worse though, right?