Congratulations on the AP coverage, Dan. It's a mighty giant leap from a local publication and I think you're a little too modest about the whole thing. It really is incredible.
Read the article about Energy Drinks featuring Dan Mayer here.
And while you're at it check out Energy Drink Reviews, the site that made him famous.
I think I was fifteen when it happened. I remember it well. I was sitting in church, something I did by choice twice a week. So, I was sitting there taking notes, hanging on to the words of the pastor — like a good little Christian — as I absent mindedly started doodling on the page. The kid next to me, who I'd borrowed the pen from, whispered "could you not waste the ink in that pen, it's an expensive pen." His words irritated me so deeply that I was suddenly ripped from my hypnotic state. A state, that until this moment, was all I had ever known. It felt like I imagine it would feel if you were tripping on acid with 400 people and instantly became the only sober person in sight.
I looked around the room and I knew that I was the only person thinking clearly. My focus returned to the pastor and suddenly I couldnt hear the words he was saying. Sounds were coming out of his mouth but each one blended into the next and became a meaningless stream. I looked around again to see if anyone else had noticed this too. They hadn't. I was all alone.
Alone and sober, I posed a question to myself that, in a strange way, became my salvation. I thought: "words? what are words? what meaning do they have but that which we give them?". In that moment it all became so clear I couldnt believe I'd bought in for so long. But the years of religious dogma tought me to rebuke these types of thoughts. Try as I might, religion had lost its luster. In the span of fifteen minutes fifteen years of indoctrination left me.
In the years that followed bits of religion lingered and every once in a while I'd entertain the idea. Never again have I been able to indiscriminately take in religious canon.
Thank you, Clay, for letting me borrow your pen. It wasnt until today that i realized the true value of that expensive pen.
Just as I was beginning to accept the soul stealing effects of fall it snows!
I am not happy.
Well it's officially fall and soon the last leaf will dry up and take a piece of my soul with it. My body yearns for a little more summer but I think its time to concede.
On a good note school is going well. I've taken three out of four midterm exams and aced all three! Normally I dont gloat about acing tests but my Sociology exam nearly ended me. Partly because I dont enjoy my instructor (that's the nice way of putting it) and mostly because she purposely made the test incredibly difficult. I'm proud to be one of the few to say "nana nana boo boo" by getting an A on her test.
Today I'm missing my favorite class: Cultural Anthropology, to stay home and nurse a cold. Last friday I spent the day in Maggie's kindergarten class or rather her kindergarten germ factory. I love those kids but i think a good 70 percent of them were wiping their runny noses with their bare hands and then putting it on me. Still they stole my heart and I cant wait to go back, hopefully with a stronger immune system.
Now, I'm going back to the couch to consume copious amounts of hot tea and echinacea.
Can you believe Dominic and I have been married for a whole month? Today almost passed without us even acknowledging it.
Dominic, thank you for a beautiful first month of marriage. You are an incredible husband. I hope I'm half as good at being your wife.