21 May 2012

Austen the Poet

I present for your consideration two poems written by me in lieu of paying attention in high-school English:

Shortest Poem Ever
I,
Spy.

English Class
This class is extremely dull,
I would rather drill holes in my skull,
But I have no choice,
And I can't raise my voice,
To break the monotonous lull.

Obviously, I have a hard time with poetry. I think that in many ways this stems from it being a very ill-defined concept in my head. Wikipedia calls it "a form of literary art which uses the aesthetic qualities of language to evoke meanings in addition to, or in place of, the prosaic ostensible meaning," or in layman's terms, words that are more than words. Of course the problem with that definition is anything besides an extremely technical piece of writing will qualify as poetry.

I am more and more of the opinion that art is a purely relational class of things - a method of communication between an artist and a consumer or even artists and themselves. This supposition has the added benefit of allowing it to be coupled onto any sort of medium. In all honesty though, my entire aesthetic philosophy still needs a lot of work!

05 May 2012

I'd Rather be Down Under

When I created this blog, I was about to spend a summer working in Australia. Austensibly it existed as a way of broadcasting my experience for my left behind in the US. But more than that, it was intended to be a way of venting off the build-up of nonsense which frequently accumulates at the top of my brain like too much froth on a cappuccino - and the occasional serious notion that I either want to tell everybody or don't have anybody in particular to tell.

Let's have a little mood music, shall we? (Country music - on Austen's blog? SHOCKING)

My life has taken some unexpected turns over the past year: I didn't expect to be attending Northwestern until a little over a year ago, I didn't expect to be single until a few months ago, and I didn't expect to be leaving Northwestern so soon until a few weeks ago. For the first time in my life, come June my time will be mine, and mine alone - and its as terrifying a thought as it is thrilling.

I'll be on the road from about June 9 until August 1. I have a few places plotted out for now, but if you want a visit let me know - I just need a place to lay my head, and a drinking buddy. After a family trip to Disney, I'll hopefully start work somewhere for the fall.

And at the end of the year, I'm moving to Australia.

Almost anyone who has known me since middle school can tell you that this has been one of those 'someday' plans for me since at least then. If the past year has taught me anything (besides a whole bunch of math), its that someday will always be tomorrow, until you make it today.

It took me a lot of pain to realize that - and maybe it was the only way for me to learn the lesson. But if you are still in a place in life where your dreams are waiting for that someday to come - that day when all your loose ends are tied, and you think you will be ready to start living for you - stop waiting. There will always be loose ends, there will always be unfinished business, there will always be weeks, months, years until someday comes.

Make someday today.

01 May 2012

Essay (400 Words)

Someone in my program was complaining about writing a 400-word essay, so I did it for them.

The topic of this essay is one which has extreme relevance not only within its immediate field, but also to society as a whole. Since it was first considered, it has been a topic of interest to many experts. This essay offers a unique, and novel, perspective on the topic in question. The background will be discussed thoroughly, followed by an explanation of previous work on the topic, the new material which this essay brings to the table, and concluding with remarks about the wider impact of both the issue itself and the hypothesis brought to bear here. Though the perspective presented may be controversial, evidence will be provided to support it, and its possible shortcomings will also be discussed.

Historically, there have been a number of diverse opinions on this question, which even when proven wrong, offer a distinct and useful view. Those which were eventually disproved can enlighten us as to the many labyrinthine dead ends which an investigation of this topic can lead to. On the other hand, the answers which have stood the test of time provide a valuable jumping off point for future investigation. The contemporary interest in this topic has led to some very interesting predictions, many of them quite contentious. The contribution made by this essay to the current discussion may in the end prove to be itself either correct, or perhaps false, but only time and further research will tell, and regardless it will hopefully broaden the range of the intellectual debate surrounding this important issue.

There exists a great deal of evidence, both qualitative and quantitative, for the conclusions reached here. Previous work has hinted in this direction, but no sources have made this exact claim. Many highly respected investigators have given their own opinions which can be extended to provide support for the thesis here. Those few whose work tends to disagree with the results proposed here have either started with slightly different assumptions, or overlooked the relevant factors which have been considered here. It would be difficult to disregard the overall thrust of this work without also providing evidence to support such a position.

In conclusion, there is fertile ground for future work to extend beyond the preliminary statement made here. Even so, the point which this paper has made ought not to be overlooked, as if true, it could have lasting repercussions for a wide range of related topics.

01 April 2012

SUSPENDED by DHS



This blog has been officially shut down by the United States Department of Homeland Security, and its owner, one Austen Mendel Erickson (hereafter known as the perpetrator) taken into custody.

The perpetrator is accused of sedition, subversion of accepted political norms, incitement of discontent against the Lawful Government of the United States and its Agents, and acting in a self-interested and independent manner contrary to the collective good (as legislated by the United States Congress).

Furthermore, the perpetrator has been heard to disparage numerous Government Officials of Unimpeachable Character, mock Legislation of Impeccable Insight, and also make jokes at the expense of the State in Extremely Poor Taste (as outlined in Executive Order 10-289).

No official charges are being made against the perpetrator at this time, who will be held indefinitely under humane conditions (as defined by Official Documentation of this department, and currently classified) in an undisclosed location.

This is the will of the State, made into Word, and thus Truth, on this day, April 1, 2012.

Department of Homeland Security: Preserving Our Freedoms, Protecting America