If you want to know who to thank for all the Twilight and True Blood vampire nonsense we’re seeing this days,you’ll have to look back to 1897, when Bram Stoker published Dracula. While Dracula may no longer be present in these modern spins on vampires, Stoker’s horror fiction created the archetypal character upon which all other manifestations are based.  Written as a collection of letters and journal entries, the story is told through the eyes of many witnesses.

Dracula follows the lives of many characters whose paths intersect as a result their collective of their collective experiences with the titular character, Count Dracula.  The story opens with some chapters to establish the main characters of Dracula and Jonathan Harker.  Harker travels by train to Dracula’s castle in Transylvania to work as a lawyer charged with managing a real estate transaction for the Count, who seeks to expand his assets to include a home in London (among the “teeming millions”).  During his stay at the castle, Harker is witness to many unsettling events, and for a while his fate is left uncertain to the reader.

The following chapters trace the accounts of Harker’s friends and acquaintances (as well as various minor characters) as they all have brushes with Dracula (in several distinct forms) in his travels about England.  New characters, most notably Dr. Van Helsing, are introduced to further develop the plot. The last chapters follow the accounts of this group of friends as they unite against their common foe, hoping to defeat him once and for all.

To me, the early chapters are the highlight of the novel, as they draw the reader into the story with firsthand tales of suspense and eerie happenings described by Harker in his journal.  The scenes in which Harker watches the Count from his window are especially compelling as they perfectly capture his horror as he begins to understand the truth about Dracula.  The middle of the story lacks the thrilling fast-hitting highs and lows of the early chapters and instead settles into a more traditional gradual rise in suspense until the novel’s climax.

Interestingly, none of the manuscripts or diary entries are written from the perspective of Dracula (but then again, why would a vampire keep a diary?).  Journal entries from Dracula’s point of view would provide extra explanation of his motives for some of his actions, but they would perhaps be unnecessary, since the other characters’ perspectives are adequate.  And after all, it seems that vampires typically have predictable motives. But it is exactly this lack of insight into the character of Dracula that enhances his mysterious persona.

Stoker weaves a complex tale of horror and suspense in Dracula, and as far as I concerned it is recommended reading for anyone.  It is dark and difficult to understand at times, but it is so eerie and mystifying that once you start reading it you are compelled to finish.  Much like the character of Dracula himself, the novel Dracula draws you in with its mystery and intrigue, and by the time you realize just what you’ve gotten yourself into, you’re already captivated.

If you know me, you know that I am a Greg Laswell fan. Some might say that my enjoyment of his music borders on obsession. I listen to it frequently. I love to listen to new studio and live versions of the same songs that I’ve heard a thousand times. I could listen to his albums on repeat for hours on end. In fact, I have been listening to his forthcoming album, Take a Bow, pretty much nonstop at work since he announced that we could stream it from his website. I’ve entered a few contests put on by Greg’s promoters: one time I won a free copy of the How the Day Sounds EP in a contest on Myspace, and another time I won two tickets to a GL concert from FM 94.9, my favorite San Diego radio station.

I’ve seen him play completely by himself, with Brandon Walters at his side, and with full bands comprised of the likes of Molly Jenson, Kelly Bennet, Daniel Rhine, and Jon Titterington (I could write an entire post dedicated to how much I like hearing to these individuals, as well).

I’ve gone to see him live more times than I can recall. I’ve seen him at the Belly Up, House of Blues, and the Casbah in San Diego. I’ve seen him at the House of Blues in Anaheim. I’ve seen him at a small dive bar called The Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa. I’ve seen him several times at the Hotel Cafe in Hollywood. I’ve seen him three times on the same tour (twice in three days, in fact). I’m even hoping to see him when we are in New York on vacation at the end of May.

So why do I keep going to see him play his music? What will he sing or play or say or do that I haven’t seen or heard already? The simple answer is that he inspires me. When I listen to him play, I get that same feeling that I got when I played Say It Ain’t So with the Mikes and Matt in the last room on the left of Hendricks 3rd South.  I get the feeling that I got after I first learned the versatility of the pentatonic scale, or the fact that the major chords can be easily played five different ways.

I love the way he’s not afraid to let his songs grow and change as he does. If you listen to the original release of What a Day and compare it to the version heard on the How the Day Sounds EP, you’ll be blown away.  Both versions are excellent in their own ways. His music evolves noticeably across his multiple LPs and EPs. Even his appearance has changed (mostly in the form of an ever-present beard and Goorin Bros. hat).

I’ve been lucky enough to have a few good conversations with him: when he played that show at the Detroit Bar, he had nothing to do until 10:00 p.m., and we had gotten there early thinking the concert started at 8:00.  Christine and I enjoyed discussing musical influences while Pink Floyd’s The Wall played on a TV at the bar. One time after a concert at the Hotel Cafe, I told him how much I enjoyed his music, and how I was looking forward to his then-upcoming record. He handed me an advanced copy of the album and said, “enjoy.” He’s a pretty nice guy and he really seems to appreciate his fans.

His music is honest. Sometimes it’s rough: you can hear his dog or his phone in the background of his tracks. On the new album’s version of Let It Ride, there’s a sudden, isolated snare roll that sounds a little odd on its own, but every time I hear it, I just smile to myself. There’s something meaningful in the fact that he’s not afraid to make mistakes. In a time where most bands and artists have their music mixed and mastered to technical perfection (almost always by an outside party), it’s refreshing to see that Mr. Laswell is satisfied to produce his own music and let it speak for itself.

I suspect that I’ll always feel this way about Greg’s music. Whatever inspires you, hold onto it. You’ll never know how it might move you.

I have a standard set of things I always do: work, eat, sleep, play video games, ride my bike, and hang out with Christine.  I also read when I get the chance (although lately I’ve just been reading about cycling).  I am really enjoying my life, but lately I’m trying to do things that don’t necessarily fall in that set (in addition to continuing to do those things in the set).

For instance, I now have tangible fitness goals when I ride my bike, whereas for the past six months or so, I’ve just been riding for recreation (not that this is a bad thing, I just think I need a goal to keep myself motivated to ride more often).  I want to become a stronger and faster cyclist, and I eventually want to enter local races.  I’ve even gone as far as isolating an event in which I intend to compete (a time trial), and I’m training specifically to be at my peak when that even comes around.

I’ve also decided to learn a new language (I know, this is something that I should wait to do until my mid-life crisis, but I like to get things done before they become a problem).  Right now I’m learning Russian, mostly because I’ve always loved the way it sounds.  I’d also like to visit Russia someday, so it might come in handy to know some of the language.

I’ve mentioned in previous posts that it is a goal of mine to read more actively, and I’ve been doing that.  I know I promised a couple of reviews for The Three Musketeers and Dracula, so maybe I’ll post them soon.  I’m going to start reading Wilkie Collins’ Woman in White before the end of the month.

I went snowboarding this weekend for the first time in about 10 years, and I rediscovered how much I enjoy it.  I enjoyed the trip so much that (unfortunately for my pocketbook), I want to go again before the end of the season, and get some gear so I can go frequently next year (I know I have at least one reader who goes to Mammoth fairly regularly).

I’ve been playing electric guitar in church for the past few months.  Every other Sunday, I get up before dawn to meet the worship team for practice at 7:00 a.m. (this is earlier than I get up for work).  I’m not complaining though; I love the experience and it is great to be able to play music with other musicians, as opposed to sitting in a room alone with my guitar, playing rhythm through a loop and playing lead over the top of it  (although I believe spending time alone with my guitar is also necessary and good).

There’s not a real focus to this post, and I realize that. I don’t think I have much hope of salvaging this writing, so I suppose I’ll just conclude by wishing all of you a Happy St. Patrick’s Day.  Don’t forget to read the wikipedia article about the history of the holiday!

I’m a big fan of TV crime shows like CSI and Psych (and of the mystery genre in general), and The Hound of the Baskervilles fits into the detective niche perfectly.  Some say that the Sherlock Holmes novels really invigorated the detective genre to become what it is today (although the Sherlock Holmes novels were not the first of their kind; Edgar Allen Poe wrote the first detective fiction story featuring a character named C. Auguste Dupin).

If one were to read through a list of legendary creatures, one would find that the spectral hound (or the Black Dog) features heavily in British folklore.  It is upon that myth that the story-within-the-story of The Hound of the Baskervilles is based.  The legend told in The Hound sets the scene for the mysterious events that happen upon the moor, which Sherlock Holmes and his faithful companion Dr. Watson are sent to investigate.  The description of the events (as told by Dr. Watson) is written to be suspenseful and thrilling but with enough foreshadowing that a clever reader may infer the truth behind the mystery.

It is Doyle’s character of Holmes that really makes this novel great. Holmes’ attention to even the tiniest detail and his steadfast determination to understand the truth of the strange events happening in the moorland are traits seldom found in other fictional characters (even other fictional detectives).  As a mathematician, I appreciated Holmes’ logical prowess and ability to make significant conclusions based on seemingly insignificant information.  In addition to a thrilling storyline, Doyle writes compelling characters in Holmes and Watson, and I found myself reading more Holmes stories after The Hound in a desire to experience more of the quirky crime-solving capacity of this seemingly mismatched duo.

All things considered, I am surprised that The Hound of the Baskervilles isn’t higher on the top 100 list from which I’m reading, because it really is an influential novel, and it tells a great story.  Most importantly, it was a great way to get me motivated to continue my goal of reading the books on the list. When I get around to it, I’ll let you know what I thought of The Three Musketeers, by Alexandre Dumas.

*Note that The Hound of the Baskervilles is number 99 on the list of books, and I said I’d read them all in descending order.  I decided that perhaps that was a lot of wishful thinking on my part, because looking back, there are probably several books on that list that I really won’t enjoy.  Mostly, I didn’t start with Gone With the Wind because I didn’t want to pay $20 for a decent copy, and every copy that I found at any library looked like a cheap romance novel (granted, it is a romance novel, but it’s supposed to be a classic).  So I do hope to really read everything on the list someday, but I may not be doing it in the exact order that I originally stated.

Currently, I’m listening to The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas, and it is making my slow days at work much more entertaining.

The blog was originally started as an entry in a contest to win a bike (how could I pass up the chance at a free bike?), but since I didn’t win that contest, I’ve decided to tweak the purpose and content of the blog a bit.  My goal is partially to help myself remember my favorite parts of riding around Orange County (and occasionally San Diego), but also I want to encourage others to ride bikes. I hope you enjoy it.

As a side note, I’ve also updated WordPress to a cleaner, awesomer new version (2.8.5).  This change is probably transparent to you readers (all three of you).

1. I graduated from my M.S. program at UCI.  It was a tough process, and I spent a huge part of my free time during the Spring quarter preparing for one thing – a 2.5-hour date with destiny.  That’s right, the real analysis comprehensive exam.  After I had studied the hardest I have ever studied for anything, I took the exam on Monday, June 15.  After taking it, I felt like I had failed (yet again).  I conferred with a few friends in my situation, and they shared my feelings.  I was mildly depressed after that, and it wasn’t until the end of the following week that I learned that I had actually passed the exam, along with all of my second-year friends.  Needless to say I was ecstatic as this was the last step I needed to take to guarantee my degree, so I am now officially Todd R. Royal, M.S. (although you’ll never see this written anywhere).
2. In addition to passing my real analysis comp, I also decided to take a qualifying exam in complex analysis (a test reserved for Ph.D. students), because I had taken the course and felt pretty good about my chances.  Turns out I was right, and I passed that exam as well, sort of as a “hey, I’ve still got it” message to the UCI math department.  I was pretty happy when I learned that I had passed that exam, especially since I really only studied for it for two days (the exam was on Wednesday, June 17, two days after my real analysis comp).  I thought it was a nice way to wrap things up at school.
3. I got a job.  In my last post, I mentioned that it looked like I wouldn’t be able to stay on at Western Digital, but as it turns out, my boss was able to get a requisition for me to do the same job I had been doing as an intern during the school year, but now with a greater salary, benefits, and all the other good stuff that goes along with working full-time.  The timing of it was pretty awesome – I finished school on the 17th, and I started my first day as a regular employee on Monday, June 22.  So far, it’s been an awesome job, and a welcome change from the stresses of grad school.
4. We moved.  Since I graduated, it was mandated that we could no longer live in graduate student housing (makes sense).  We moved to a new apartment community in Irvine called Villa Siena, conveniently located near “downtown” Irvine, just a block away from the 405 (which I take to and from work every day; the song by Death Cab for Cutie comes to mind).  It’s also nice because Christine can walk to work instead of taking a bus.  We’re still getting settled in, but we are really enjoying the new place.
5. I became an uncle.  My sister has been pregnant for the last several months (almost nine, in fact), and on Friday, July 17, her daughter Karsie Gene was born.  The whole experience has been interesting for everyone involved since Karsie has a physical condition that has affected her in many ways – but she seems to be getting better and better every day.  You can read her story at karsiegene.blogspot.com.
6. I’ve been riding my bike a lot more these days.  It has become a source of great enjoyment for me over the past year or so, and every time I go out I feel awesome. My current goal is to ride from Irvine to Point Loma by the end of the summer, so I’ve been ramping up the distances I ride in order to prepare for it.  If you have a bike, or money to buy one, I suggest you get out and ride as often as you can – you’ll feel great.  Also, if you have time, you should watch some of the highlights of this year’s Tour de France, which ended yesterday.  It was an amazing race, and it has helped launch a very exciting time for the sport of cycling.

That’s about all for now. I hope to update more often now that things are beginning to settle down.  Thanks for reading.

That isn’t to say that I haven’t had any free time though. I’ve been able to ride my bike quite a bit still, play my guitar every so often, and last night Christine and I went to a MAE concert in Anaheim. The show was awesome, and we talked to the guys a bit after their performance. It was great to meet the band and hear more about what they are doing. I’m looking forward to seeing them play again when they tour to promote their next EP.

Work is going well, but it looks like I won’t be able to stay in my current department after graduation. I am looking into transferring to another department so that I can still stay at WD, but it seems like resources are stretched a little thin at the moment.  I’ve also been looking at jobs at a few places in San Diego. So we may be moving back down south, but it really just depends on the job situation.

That’s all for now, but I plan to write plenty more after school is over.

Now, since I live in Irvine (which is a pretty uneventful place), and most of my friends have lives outside of school and families and such, I spend my time a lot differently than I did in undergrad (not to mention the fact that I am married now).  Anyways, in an effort to expand my literary palate, I’m going to (attempt to) read all of the novels on this list (in descending order).  Granted, I wouldn’t accept this list as complete, as there are several books that I have enjoyed missing from it, but I do feel like it will give me a good range of reading experiences.  I’ll also be keeping track of my progress on this site, mostly for myself, but also for anyone who cares to read it.

So, we shall see how it goes. Wish me luck.

This is the premise of what I believe is a really cool idea: each month this year, MAE will be releasing a new song to support a humanitarian effort or charitable organization.  Each song requires a minimum donation of $1 to download, which will go towards that month’s cause. Even if you can only donate the minimum (or even if you can’t donate at all), help spread the word by embedding the widget (see my sidebar) in your blog, your myspace page, or your facebook profile.

These three guys are great people and make amazing music, so help them help others, and you can get some cool stuff from them in return.