Bloomington's turned cold. Days ago I was strolling through the campus with minmal clothing, but the past couple of days has been a string of freezing. Walks to class seem to be getting longer, as does the time it takes for me to get out of bed.

But, it's all worth it. Snow is coming, and I can feel it. I'm glad that I stayed in a region with snow, because if I didn't have it I would probably go insane, which is a bad state to be in for a psychologist.

Now there are plenty of people in the No-Snow camp, but they're missing out on the most beautiful thing around. Sure, fall is pretty, but winter is the season where thing become peaceful and serene. It's the season for a big white guy like me. Come to think of it, I've got the perfect camo for that situation.

I've also got a new armoury of snow gear, including impressive boots, big socks, sweaters, and a giant coat made from both Thinsulate and goose down. Yes!

The saddest part about all of this is that I really don't participate in winter sports. Snowboarding eludes me. It's a simple concept, stand on a board going down a hill, yet in practice it falls apart. For some reason I can't balance and I fall, inevitibly hurting myself in some almost-impossible manner. Skiing too, is distant. It's just standing on 2 boards going down a hill. Why can't I do this?

Now I can do cross-country skiing, but it's just jogging with boards on your feet.

I prefer some of the more classical winter activities, like bundling up for 10 minutes to walk 1 minute to get your mail. (See, this is going to be an issue in Ashton, where we dont' live in integrated housing units with everything needed to sustain life inside them. I think that Ramen Noodles are going to become more and more important staples in my routine.)

I also prefer winter drinks. Hot Chocolate is one of the best things known to man, and at most places around campus it is made in MACHINES! Yes, ladies and gentelman, we have Hot Chocolate that is stirred for you, by Indiana University. I personally don't understand why they University doesn't use stuff like that to rope in unsuspecting High School Seniors.

Anyway, I'm going to shut the window that's been open for months and go to bed again because in college, consciousness is your enemy.

Jordan

What is it that makes me instantly turn away from poets? I mean, honestly, what did they ever do to me. They're just people, trying to express their inner hopes, desires, and dreams. What is it that make me believe that they're all crack addicts, trying desperately to make a buck.

I think that the only poetry that I truly enjoy is the work of those around me. For some reason, description and illusion are much more powerful when I can invision the mind that made them. It might have something to do with my nature. I am more interested in the mind that created the atomic bomb than I am with the bomb itself. Poetry itself doesn't really effect me unless I know who's writing it and why.

I guess that's why I always have trouble with poems that have no real purpose and are simply written for their "literary value." The most notorious poem that upset me was the poem by William Carlos Williams, "So much depends upon a red wheelbarrow glazed with rainwater beside the white chickens." What the hell does that mean? This guy's not even trying to be intelligible. You could argue that it's not supposed to make sense, but honestly, what's writing that you can't read?

The poems that talk about some personal emotion that I can think about interest me, but the "Red Wheelbarrow" makes me wonder if Williams was just high and wrote down the first thing that popped in his head.

When it comes to writing, I like the author to attempt making sense. In poetry I think that it's sometimes a goal not to be understood. That way, nobody can tell you if it's crap. But of course, true art can't be rated, can it?

Jordan

Have you ever woken up, thought about yesterday, and wonder if it really happened? It's strange how sometimes a story, fantasy, or fictional event can seem just as authentic as real life. Highlighting the line between fiction and reality only seems to make it less distinct. Of course I'm not the only person to think of this, there's a whole school of thought dedicated to this idea. It's called philosophy.

It's strange though. What is real? For a physicist it might be elements. Hard science. For a writer it might be language. For a doctor it might be the body. For me, it's human minds and perception. I mean, honestly, our senses are the only reason we know that there's a world at all. A mind without input is about as useful as a computer without a monitor, keyboard, or mouse.

Think about how hard it becomes for someone to live when one sense is disabled. Input is important. What would happen if we didn't get it? Personally, I think it would be some kind of mental retardation. I once watched that video in Psych class. The little girl that was strapped to the chair for years and didn't really see the outside. Now, imagine that except more.

When you get right down to it, sensation is the only thing we've got. Sensational!

Sorry. Bad joke.

Man! Coffee is good! I've gone through a number of struggles, and after a few trials I've been able to construct the perfect cup of coffee. That is, of course, to my liking. I think that in comparison I make pretty strong coffee and add in a lot of this chocolate flavoring stuff, but it's perfect.

Have a good day. Go out and sense the world.

Jordan

Hi!

Tonight I decided that I, Jordan DeLong, would start up my very own personal weblog. The weblog, or "blog" for short, is a service that posts up your entries whenever you send them to the site. It's pretty cool. The coolest is having the easy IP address, www.jordandelong.blogger.com.

Easy. Fun.

So, why would I want to have some kind of personal blog?

Well, I am a writer at heart, and now that I'm not regularly writing for anyone or anything there's a lot of creative energy that's going to waste here that I need to get out. Thus the blog.

The plan for me is that I'm going to go ahead and write down thoughts, feelings, an occasional opinion and a bunch of other random things that fly around in my head. It'll be a pretty good ride.

So sign on and read up.

Jordan