For Today, Milwaukee > Anchorage

Molly wins the "Stupidest News Article" contest

Sitting in the library debating the stupid news stories we've seen, Molly comes up with this.


Totally one-upping my "Obama bumps head" headline (OH THE PUN)

Quotes, Quips, and Comebacks

A combination of forces have led me to decide that I need to have a OneLost section dedicated to quotations and other quips I hear throughout the weeks. The first, and probably greatest, is once again Laura Nelson, who showed me with her "Verbatim" section on "USC Transcribed" that out of context quotes can be just about the funniest thing imaginable. The second is this semester's English professor, one Dr. David Nunnery. Dr. Nunnery is perhaps, borderline the funniest intellectual I have ever met. He is good for one or two REALLY good lines a class.

This section will eventually get its own nifty graphic header (ala "Now Playing" and "Ring Out Ahoya," but until the Photoshop muse decides to make a visit, it will have to remain purely text.

To start everyone out, I will give you two backlogged quotes by Dr. Nunnery, and one uttered today by German Professor John Pustejovsky.

Dr. David Nunnery, on the importance of citation:

For the rest of the day I will be teaching APA formatting. Apparently inhaling out of the tailpipe of a car wasn't an option.

Dr. David Nunnery, on the perils of misinterpreting Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken"

It's not about being the young individualist and taking the road less traveled. That's a dumb thing to do in the woods

Dr. John Pustejovsky on the Electors of the Holy Roman Empire

Student 1: So were there 7 or 12 electors?
Student 2: Maybe they rotated between seven and 12.
Student 3: So did some of the electors become "not electors?"
Dr. P: Yes, that's where they got the title "formerly known as prince. HAHA, Pusto made a funny."

And so your day just got a little funnier. Glad I could help.

I have two more banked David Nunnery quotes so hopefully the man continues to tickle the old wit.

OneLost out from balmy Milwaukee (60 degrees tomorrow!)

So I had a really good excuse...ah screw it, I just forgot to post last week

I gave up on the witty, apologetic title this week (not like you guys haven't seen one or two of those before) in favor of an admission of guilt. I have excuses for why it has now been a week since my last (rather meager) post, but none of them are good and most of the start with "I" and end with "forgot." That being said, the title is sort of witty in its unwittyness if I don't say so myself.

To make up for the lack of content, I'm going to try to create some sort of super-combined-omnibus post here that covers lots of sections and lots of content all in one magnificent segment of prose and graphics. Think of it as my blog bailout bill (with the alliterations!). Unfortunately, no one will be receiving any sort of handout, other than a handout of happiness as they read the best free content on the web (stop clicking over to USC Transcribed. It was updated yesterday...this is the best content on the web RIGHT now).

Editors Note: Do click over to USC Transcibed. Read it. Enjoy. Laura is much less bitter than I am. Must be something about California in winter vs. Milwaukee in Winter.

Okay, so here we go. A blog post in four segments of varying timeliness and interest. Section number one is...

Dateline, Jan 31, 2009. Bradley Center in Milwaukee Wisconsin.

Enter: #25 ranked Georgetown Basketball Team onto the Al McGuire Court.
Coach John Thompson III: "We are so awesome. Marquette is a backwater school way out west that doesn't know the first thing about basketball."
Players: "Yeah...we rock, even though we lost to Cincinnati this week. The turn around starts now! The Golden Eagles suck!

Staging note: At this point, lower Marquette basketball team from rafters of Bradley Center. A bright glowing light shines behind them, casting them in sharp contrast to the paleness of the Georgetown Team.

Jerel McNeal: "Welcome to Milwaukee...prepare to be taken to task."

Proceed with 40 minutes of basketball, 25 of which are dominated by Marquette, ending in a 94-82 Golden Eagles win. Fans go crazy. Bradley Center is about to collapse. Marquette improves to 8-0. A certain Alaskan has his picture taken and is shown on SI.com. General goodwill prevails.

If you're keeping score in the Big East Free Spirit blog/basketball showdown, that equals Chris 1, Caroline 0





Marquette game #2 was somewhat more recent. I watched the Golden Eagles take on the Depaul Blue Demons (part deux of this year's matchup against the hapless team from Chicago) in my room last night before settling down to engage my literary passions with the always thrilling Jane Austen. Jerel McNeal continues to make a case for Big East Player of the Year (last nights line? A pedestrian 28 pts, 4 boards, 6 assists, 4 blocks, and 5 steals in 38 minutes). They team looked great at the start of the first half, jumping out to an early 29-12 lead midway through the first. The rest of the half was sloppy and Marquette only went into the locker room up 5. By the 12:00 mark of the second, I had basically stopped watching, the game was well in hand and we cruised to the 9-0 mark.

Basketball updates = done. Time for the first appearance of "Now Playing:"



Today's now playing artist is a new discovery to me. Thanks to Caroline for tuning me into the sound of Bon Iver and his mellow, acoustic, and often haunting tracks. I picked up his first album, "For Emma, Forever Ago" last week and have been listening non-stop since then.

Bon Iver just seems to be one of those artists whose music somehow wiggles its way into whatever sort of emotional space you are working with. Equal parts moving, forlorn, and wistful; it seems the Wisconsin to North Carolina back to Wisconsin transplant has produced a soundtrack to winter, heartbreak, longing, celebration, and just a general sense of introspection.

The roots of the album are something out of the 70s. Songwriter Justin Vernon leaves Raleigh, NC to take some time off at his dad's hunting cabin in northern Wisconsin. Brings guitar and old recording equipment with the intention of just fooling around. Writes lyrics and music. Record emerges. Record meets with smashing success. The Dylan-esque nature is undeniable. I also hear similarities to some of Led Zepplin's recordings done in various remote locals (castles, etc).

In my mind, this sense of location is perhaps the record's most distinguishing trait. It doesn't feel studio produced because it wasn't, or, at least, the studio work was minimal. As you listen, you can almost close your eyes and sit next to Justin as the snow falls outside, surrounded by trees, with a fire going in the stove. Overly sentimental and romantic imagery? Yes. Also true? Yes.

Tracks on "For Emma" that require a listen are "Skinny Love," "Flume," and "Re: Stacks." Bon Iver's newer EP "Blood Bank" is also worth noting as a worthy pickup. If you thought Kanye had done everything possible on an autotuner, then listen to "Woods" off the EP. I didn't think anyone could make me enjoy that sound again after "Love Lockdown" and "Heartless" took over the radio, but " Woods' " measured rounds make it worth the electronic manipulation.

First foray into music criticism done. Let me know. Do you want to see more? Less? Better? Let's see those comments.

OneLost out, and out, and out one more time

It's Approaching Radio...

In the spirit of catching creative lightening in a bottle and not relinquishing it until you manage to do something to harness its power, I present the newest section (with nifty banner!) on One Lost.

You will know get to enjoy updates under the banner of:

This section is my foray into the world of recommending/quasi-reviewing music. After promising myself that I would work on more radio pieces this semester and realizing that radio takes time, this is my consolation effort. I'm not ENTIRELY sure how this will end up playing out (get it...PLAYING out...I slay myself). I am envisioning it as a place where I can put music that I am listening to at the moment and provide a short commentary on why it has garnered my attention. It might also turn into a place to review new music.

Make sure to stay tuned (on a roll now!) for more updates and keep those comments spinning (that one was a bit of a stretch, but if you're going to pun, pun like there's no tomorrow).

OneLost out

Notre Domination

Marquette beats Notre Dame 71-64
And that was in South Bend at the Joyce Center no less. I should also probably mention at this point that I WAS THERE.

Yes, rather than attend German 40 and Math 81, the "Quad Squad" (plus Mike Z.) decided that a better use of our Monday was making the 3.5 hour drive from Milwaukee to South Bend, Indiana to witness first hand Jesuit Marquette's dismantling of "that other Catholic School."

The highlight of the trip there was a close tie between mad Chicago traffic (at 1:30 pm? Stupid high population density) and our time spent in stunning Gary, Indiana. As we drove through the latter, Brandon piloted his Toyota Camry through 15 minutes of smog, steel mills, and dilapidated, unpopulated public transit stops. Ain't the Midwest great?

Once in South Bend (after $24 of interstate tolls -- really Illinois?) and getting lost on campus (apparently left and right on Notre Dame Ave. are not interchangeable) we finally arrived at the Joyce Center for an exciting Free Spirit Reunion with...Catherine Miller of Montana!

Justin, Chris, and Catherine enjoy their Free Spirit Reunion

Nothing sweetens a reunion quite like extending the Domers' home losing streak to 2 games after UCONN ended their 45 game period of home domination.

Activities at the game included: making fun of Kyle McAlarney for getting suspended for smoking pot last year, pointing out how ugly Luke Harangody is, good natured back and forth with senior citizens, telling an 8 year old to check the scoreboard before he gloats, highfiving more random Marquette fans than I can remember, and making fun Notre Dame to Gary, Indiana comparisons.



This win was big for Marquette, who had just been announced as the #8 team in the good old US of A. The embarrassment of breaking into the Top 10 and then losing would have been too much for me to bear and could have precipitated a move to Gary.

Our sights now turn toward Saturday, when the Golden Eagles take on #25 Georgetown (the school of FS Caroline Klibanoff) at the Bradley Center. A win there would make us 8-0 in the Big East and in prime position to have a very special year.

OneLost out with an MU rah, rah

Another Project Finished

I've been kicking around the idea of trying to turn out some banners for different section/content headers for One Lost. Here is my first attempt. From now on, whenever there is content about a basketball game or other Marquette sporting event, you will find the Ring Out Ahoya banner on the post. Enjoy.

Eat, Nap, Work, Sleep, Repeat

So goes life as of late. I feel as if I am caught in a vicious cycle of ensuring my own physical survival and am currently barely hanging on in terms of fulfilling the necessities of biological existence.

Shelter: This is actually probably the most secure of my needs. The roof over Straz is still there, the heat still works, I have a bed (however hard) to sleep on. The roommates and I undertook a 4 hour cleaning blitz on Monday night to further improve the conditions of ol'1706. The floor is now visible from under all the bits of trash, the garbage is empty, no more mold in the shower, and the boxes that lay strewn in every corner of the room are either in the garbage or tucked away. The shower constituted a 2.5 hour struggle against the forces of mold, mildew, and water stains with only my ally Scrubbing Bubbles to come to my aid. After looking at the can I remarked,

"Finally, a cleaner as pissed off as I am."

Food: The break afforded me a much needed break of Sodoxo dorm food, a break that unfortunately has come to an end. Further compounding this problem is the fact that the offerings of the dining halls have undergone exactly zero change since first semester. I think I might have had potatoes tonight, but I don't remember potatoes being a fully liquefied, lumpy, pale heap of starch that oozed over the whole plate. Can tomorrow please by Mac & Nuggs day?

Clothing: The problem here isn't a lack of, but rather a surfeit of clothing. My drawers are literally busting open. I apparently didn't realize that I had about 25,000 T-Shirts at college with me and a matching number of undershirts to wear with them. Also, everytime I told my mom that boxers and socks make great gifts because, "I can never have enough of them," I was wrong. I can have enough. I have enough when they no longer all fit in the dresser. That point has been reached.

Sleep: The battle for rest wages on, but I fear it is a war of attrition at this point and I only have a finite stock of provisions. I won't last long. 5:45 crew practice 3 times a week plus and 8:30 Saturday practice is really starting to grind on my ability to stay awake, be coherent, and behave like a human being. I almost fell asleep walking back to the dorm today after class. Naps have become less of a luxury and more of a daily necessity (2.5 hours today!). I'm beginning to realize that I would never be able to hack it working a night shift. One more thing to cross of the list of career options.

Work: Not actually a necessity for survival, but a requirement if I am to stay in college. With the exception of a bitter feud with one Danial Dafoe, this is actually going pretty well. My two credit drop in work load is seeming to make a HUGE difference in homework time, although I have yet to be assigned a paper or anything overly significant.

There is a basketball game against Depaul this Saturday, so I'll be sure to take pictures and put an update on that up this weekend. Also, Monday the roommates and I are roadtripping to South Bend to watch Marquette play Notre Dame on the road. Is this a good idea. Probably not, considering we probably won't get back until well after midnight and will have to "attend a class in absentia" (figure that one out...). I will take photos so long as beer does not get thrown on my camera.

OneLost out...

By Way of Apology and Rededication

Well loyal readers, or, at least those of you that are left, this post should tell you that despite a conspicuous lack of posting over the last month, I do still exist. One Lost Grizzly Bear begins anew - with a fresh title banner signifying my rededication to providing dispatches from Marquette University on a basis that comes close to daily. The Grizzly is back, and the Grizzly is (insert witty adjective/verb here....hungry, moving, thinking, tired?)

I actually arrived in Milwaukee nine days ago and was going to post then - a sort of commemoration of my return to the always foreign and always surprising Midwest. Luckily, returning to school also got me back into my old habit of masterfully procrastinating and rationalizing my failure to complete basic tasks. I give to you, my day by day breakdown of excuses for not blogging.

Sunday: "WOOO! Back at Marqette. Geez I'm tired!" And then sleep
Monday: "New classes, new teachers, reconnecting with friends. I'll blog on Wednesday once I get acquainted to classes."
Tuesday: "Wouldn't want to break Monday's promises, now would I?"
Wednesday: "Ugh...5:45am crew practice. S...o...t...i...r...e...d."
Thursday: "What's that you say? No sir, a 4 and a half hour nap is defiantly a productive use of time. Blogging Friday sounds good though!"
Friday: "FIRST WEEKEND BACK." I will write no more of this day lest parents read of it.
Saturday: "I should just blog on Monday. I have the day off, and I'll have nothing to do. Plus, I can update everyone on the weekend that way."
Sunday: "I can't bring my computer to the 12 hours of Church I plan on going to. That would be wrong!"
Monday: "Boy does the day seem short when you don't get up until 1pm. Oh yeah, and when you spend 4 hours cleaning your room."
Tuesday: "Damn it. No more creative/plausible excuses. Time to blog"

So there is a post. A post to begin things with. And I wrote it on my birthday. I shouldn't have to work on my birthday! But for you readers, I give my life and time.

Moral of the story: Start paying attention again and I'm sure your life outlook and worth will increase exponentially with each post. It's good to be back.

One Lost out...for hopefully less than a month and a half.