25 Things: My blog's Grand RE-opening

Well, working hard in the Pottstown Library, I went into my Xanga website. I took a crash course on some JavaScript programming. One hour later, I found out how to redirect a website. Now if you go to my Xanga, you'll end up here! That's saves me a hassel. So now I should see more comments. :) So, to celebrate, this blog went under a Extreme Makeover: Website Edition. It's almost like it is a new blog. Got that new blog smell. So we'll start with a new blog entry. I've seen this go around the blogs, quite a few people did this. It's called 25 Things I Want to Do Before I Die.

And yes, of course the first half have to do with quizzing. Then the rest are beyound quizzing, just to prove that maybe there is something to me beside quizzing. And without further ado...

25 Things I Want to Do Before I Died

1. Finish as 1 of the Top 5 quizzers for the upcoming 2007 quizzing season
2. Be a perfect quizzer in 1 of the last 3 years of my quizzer career.
3. Quiz for the "all-star quizzers" in the fun match
4. Win the ACC Season Championship
5. Win the Invitational (double-elimination bracket, of course)
6. Become a quiz coach at the age of 21
7. Coach a team to win the ACC Season Championship
8. Coach a team to win the ACC Tournament
9. Coach a team to win the Invitational (both the single and double elimination bracket)
10. Coach a perfect quizzer
11. As a coach, quiz for the "All-star coaches" in the fun match
12. Be a quizmaster, a quizmaster who knows the quizzers
13. As a quizmaster, quiz for the "All-Star Staff" in the fun match
14. Graduate from Dock, and never return for anything, and never donate a penny
15. Get a doctrate in Biblical Studies (masters at a Christian school, doctrate at Ivy league?)
16. Become a powerful voice in religion/theology/Christianity
17. Write and publish my very own book
18. Get a DeLorean
19. Go watch the X Games
20. Visit Great Britain, where I will:
    a. Go visit Stonehenge and a Medieval Castle
    b. Walk across Abbey Road
    c. Drive on the opposite side of the road
    d. Go around waving like the Queen
    e. Watch Monty Python in its home country
    f. Find at least 5 other guys by the name of "Graham"
21. Visit Israel, where I will:
    a. Not get killed by a suicide bomber
    b. Wail at the Western/Wailing Wall
    c. Attempt to get into the Dome of the Rock
    d. See both guessed tombs of Christ's temporary burial, and decide myself which is correct
    e. Stand in Meggido AKA Armagedden Valley
    f. Bathe in the Jordan River and float in the Dead Sea
22. Meet someone who is always estastic to see me and visit me
23. Only if it is the Lord's Will, have a girlfriend who will become a wife (ONLY if the Lord allows, and if not, I will be satisfied in Him choosing for me to be single).
24. If #23 is true, have children. The first son I will name after myself. They will all become little "quizzer extrodinaires."
25. In my will, plan, fund, and build the building of the "Graham Holcomb Bible Quizzing Museum and Hall of Fame" where I will be buried.

"I think setting a goal, getting a visual image of what it is you want. You've got to see what it is you want to achieve before you can pursue it." -Chuck Norris

So I take pride in my quizzing accomplishments...

Some of you are really unaware of how much pride I have when I accomplish a goal in quizzing. I mean beyond the bragging and trash talk. When I do go, I show it off.




Yes, my shoes tell everyone what my favorite activity is: Quizzing. And since my favorite activity is quizzing, it tells you what I am: Quizzer. It is also my two favorite colors: orange and black. Now they will go with most of my clothing, especially the orange and black suit. But it doesn't stop there. The 12 isn't the size (they are size 10.5). It represents the place I finish on the Top 50 Quizzers List.

Speaking of the Top 50 Quizzers List, I never did believe those quizzers on the Top 50 Quizzers List get enough recongition. Winning teams get trophies, but winning individuals get an envelope. Yeah, it has a money amount, but that is quickly spent. They should get a certificate, a medal, or something like what I did....

Yes, I got a plaque. It has the Top 50 Quizzers List, and the envelope (Without the money!), and a small plate that says "ACC Bible Quizzing, 2006 Top 5o Quizzers List, Graham Holcomb, 12th place" And here is a picture of me receieving the plaque...from me...made by me. Okay, maybe it is not as official as I would like it to be, but it is a good way to perserve the memory. And it was worth all $67.

In sadder news today, Penelope: The Duct Tape Trojan Elephant is no more. Penelope was in bad condition. Her legs could no longer support her body, her neck could no longer support the head, and her facial features were falling off. It was torture for her to live like this any longer. Penelope was laid in a garbage can casket, buried in the dump.

Rest in peace.


Peace Out,
Graham


P.S. Does anyone know how to set up a website to re-direct itself to another site? I wanna try to do that, so when anyone goes on my Xanga, they will be re-directed to here. So if you do, send me further instructions on how to do so. ThanX!

another year, another month, another week, another day

Today, while driving in the car, I had a lot of time to think. I thought about how much people fret over birthdays. The big comotion. The trouble and chaos their family and friends go through to give them celebrations and presents. The idea of superior treatment and attention. The image to Stacy Shilling screaming at the top of her lungs, "IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!" is still haunting me. In my eyes, I have to ask, "What's the big deal?"

Seriously folks, this isn't the dark ages. I could see why they celebrate birthdays back then; living to being 5 was considering a miracle. But in today's modern age, we have up-to-date medicines and life-saving technology. While there is a percent that will still not make it, it is a small fraction of a percent, and a majority still will. And I bet even most of those cases are not because of health and disease. The point is that the average human can make it up 76 to 78 years, therefore can expect 76 to78 birthdays. Living another year isn't as big as a miracle as it was 600 years ago.

Even if you were to treat it that way, as a miracle of a new year, then why shouldn't we have birthdays every day? Every new day is a gift from God, allowing us to live. The next day could be our last, and He's not gonna wait for us to complete the year. We should be thankful for every day of our life, not just a certain day of the year.

So a birthday comes one a year. But like I said, you'll have about 76 to 78 birthdays. So why make a comotion for one? And while we may enjoy them in our child and teen years, think about after that. Think about how our parents' generation considers birthday. They avoid it! It's another sign of getting older. So what's all the comotion about being happy about the same day we'll dread in the future!

Think about it this way. Answer the question: "When does the New Year begin?" Most people in the world we'll tell you January 1. But the Chinese will tell you it is early April. The Jews will say the New Year is in September. See, it's all according to your view. I heard of an ophanage that when it picks up its children, it doesn't knew its day of birth. So what they do is they choose one day to celebrate everyone being born. And I think they have the right idea.

You were born, so what?! Everyone else on the earth was also born. while it may seem unique to you, there are othere who also share the same exact day to be born. I know I just met my "twin" a few days ago! When we were children, we liked the parties because we got presents. Even in our youth, things haven't changed. Every year, we want the biggest present: one day of being the center of the world. I think having birthdays like that snap us away from reality, giving us a false reality, making harder to go back. And it puts our friends under a stress that a true friend really wouldn't put you in. Your friends get you these small, cheap trinkets for your birthday because they feel this obligation of getting you something.

Birthdays get more recognition than the person.