Curious

Hi.

Sometimes I just wonder. And sometimes I am in wonder. I mean think about it, how long did it take to go from a single cell organism to a microscopic organism, to finally get all the way to something the size of the blue whale? Or from the small organism to something so crafty as the cephalopod?

And then you realize that we are now speeding the forces that evolve the environment of the planet, at a rate that would have normally introduced newer species, but instead is outpacing the rate of evolution, and I think again to the beginning and how fast that evolution takes.

And when we discover new environments that hold species of these single cell organisms I wonder - how long would it take for a more complex organism to evolve from these little guys?

Then I think about how once a single cell organism evolves into a multi-cellular organism, the multi-cellular organism more often than not feeds on the single cell organism... and I remember that nature is quite harsh.

Dude. Seriously.

Anywho... Listen HERE.

We live on a floating shell

Hi.

Hello.

Hi.

During the hours I spend at work in front of a system just taking measurements or doing repetitive analysis, I had started to get very annoyed at any and every station of music I'd been listening to. Then, realizing that I have been slacking on keeping up to date with the piling lists of podcasts on my computer ('Wait wait don't tell me', 'Science Friday audio', 'Science Friday video'... yes there clearly is a theme), I figured that I could use that time catching up. And since I was catching up, I figured I might as well share the ones that catch my attention in the mean time.

Of course sometimes I can't listen to podcasts, because I need to use my brain for what I'm working on... sometimes I can't multitask... it's horribly sad, and obviously a sign of a decaying mind... sigh...

Regardless, here's the first for you all to enjoy

Listen HERE

(in case you're wondering how long I've not kept up to date, well, let's just say the dates correlate to late 2012... in my defense, I was a lot better with the videos - until I wasn't obviously)

All that's left is to accept it

Hi.

I realized that just after posting my awesome list of what I want to read, I ended up uncovering another series that my brother uploaded, and furiously started reading it... only to discover that he not only hadn't uploaded all the books released so far but the series isn't even complete... as if I need another series to run around after... (if you are curious, it is the Godstalker Chronicles - a very good read in my opinion, I just wish I could read it to the end... though some books you never want end... sigh, ok I'm getting extremely side-tracked here)

Hmm, let's see... now how do I start this without making it seem like I want pity...

Just a yearning

I find myself drawn towards that smile. It's like I'm willing to do anything for it. I want to be the source of that smile, be it through wit, joy, or frivolity. It pulls at me inside, but I don't know why. This can't be appropriate. 

I want to be its focus - the sun to its planet. I want to bask in its warmth, like sunshine after weeks of stormy skies, and burrow into its cozy heat.

I think I've been down the this road before, and I shouldn't be misled - no, drawn in - again. This is no lurid confession.

It's a symptom of an underlying condition.

It's just a yearning.

Just a yearning.

Worming through

Hi.

I need to go out dancing. I can feel it. But I have priorities, i.e. leisure reading. Seriously.

A side note: I realize, that I really must update my current music playlists - I feel tired of quite a few songs on my latest playlist. But there's only 12 songs so far (I usually build up to 25-30 songs), and there are still a few songs I'd like to carry over. Usually, I like to leave those be - since I invariably get tired of them sooner than the rest. Even if I carry them over to the newer list, I don't like the fact that they're in 2 playlists. Don't ask, I just don't like it. And then there's a part of me that realizes that I'd be on my 13th playlist, and well, that's a lot of playlists on top of the rest of them... But I needs my new songs man... I needs them...

So if you care to provide an opinion, don't be shy.

Now onto the post.

New Vibes

Hellllllllllllllllllllllllooooooooooooooooooo!

It's been like - like ages! Hahaha. Well, I've been itching to get things restarted, in part because I realize I should give what I've been doing the past year the attention it deserves, and well, I have more shoes ^_^. Though before we move on, I'd like to take a moment of silence to honor the dearly departed:

Sigh... it's so beautiful... I wish you were in my budget... seen and gone in a day... ok, I need to get over these shoes and another pair I found last week...

So, right. Onto the words.

Blah blah blah

Beware.

Hi.

But seriously - BEWARE. Below are the ramblings of a highly tipsy individual - though that might be due to the white wine, and we all know what that does to me... well ok me and a certain few individuals might know... but let's save that rambling for below - that is if you dare to attempt to follow the rambling thoughts of a said tipsy individual.

Though there might be some insight - but that's for you to dig for, not for me to clarify. Afterall there is no filter this time.

(There'll be music. On repeat. And you can't stop it. Just a warning ^_^_^_^_^_^_^).

Emotional Shit

Hi.

So as promised, here is the post I had meant to write probably a week ago. But it's still in the month of August so I say I'm still in the clear.

Anyways, I figure it's time to have a straight talk about my body. Specifically changes in said body (and mind), that have given me quite some pause.

Seriously, I think I can cry on command.

Celebrate!

Hi.

THE SHOES ARE COMPLETELY UPDATED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Basically I got off my lazy ass, took the rest of the pictures, gathered the rest of the data, and posted them all. So just follow the neon green "new" signs to find the latest updates!
[Let me know if you think it's a good method for indicating the newest additions to the collection!]

And for those of you waiting for another serious post, I do see plans for another this month, and maybe even a few more :D.

Bounce baby bounce

Hi.

So, dancing makes people feel happy... Huh. Who woulda thunk? ^_^

Summer cleaning

Hi.

So it finally happened. We cleared out the shoes in the garage. Meaning, all un-used, dust collecting pairs of shoes were removed for disposal or donation. And though all of my shoes did not necessarily fit into the space not taken up by my mother's shoes, I am pleased to announce that now all of my shoes are where shoes should belong - i.e. not sitting under my closet or rusticating in the remains of my belongings while living on my own. (Though this is not including the shoes I keep in my closet because they are precious little things that should never be exposed to the harsh climate of the garage).

By the way, our shoe closet looks kinda amazing now.

I might just take a picture to show you.

But that's not the best thing either.
I've finished posting all the shoes I had cataloged waaaaaaaay back when I first updated Shoes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(All the quick links are actually links!)

Yes, it is a momentous day it is.

Now all that's left is to catalog and post the shoes I bought in that time... Which shouldn't be too many really...... At least I don't think so...

But moving on... in other news, I've been a bit of a crocheting demon. I might want to brag and share a bit. I might even be cocky enough to say I might actually end up working on and finishing one of my oldest projects... fingers crossed!

And cuz I want to share it, here's a cute little song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmSbXsFE3l8

Rekindled

Hi.

Hey-lo my dears. After so many months of boring dull humdrum, things are getting a little exciting. Not only do I have an opportunity to dance again (for the special 4th of July weekend pujas) but I've also been asked to play the piano accompaniment for a groom's reception serenade!

I mean, of course there's practice to be done (including hours of finger exercises ahead), but I'm really excited!

Now I just have to sit tight and get ready for full speed ahead tomorrow morning... Or maybe take an early start - 1am sounds good to me :P.

Ahhhhhhh so excited!!!!!

A realize of the past

Hi.

I wrote this a while back, when I was trying to figure out how to describe my feelings about a relationship. I can say that I remember the sentiment I was writing with, but I can also say for sure that I would no longer take this sort of kind or considerate approach. Maybe it's the way things happened after it ended that gave me perspective.

But what I did like about this piece is the way I am reminded of the giddy blush of a deliciously wonderful feeling of being precious. It's probably what made me take the path I ended up moving down. Honestly I miss it. I know he's not the one who's meant to give it to me. Yet, having experienced it, I don't think I'll be satisfied with a relationship devoid of it. (Of course I won't get into the cynical mutterings of my darker self that mutters on about how I may have to settle for something less than that, but hey this post isn't one to think about that).

So I hope you enjoy this little excerpt of what was to be the second segment of a ridiculously long "two in one" post.

Realize 3.0

Hi.

Just click to read. I really have no patience for an introduction.

A heads up: music will load/play upon opening this post, and the controls are not readily accessed.

Realize 2.0

Hi.

So this post was the easier of the next 2 posts I planned on sharing. Not sure how easy it will be, but I do have (hopefully a more relevant) soundtrack lined up. These of course are hard because they deal with the matters of the heart and a deeper inspection of the more ignored corners of my brain. Though I have an idea of what I plan to write, I have no idea the directions I will end up taking (hopefully nothing too tangential, because I hate rewriting).

Realize 1.0

Hi.

This post is the easiest. I knew exactly what I was going to write and how I was going to attack it. But it wasn't, because I was stuck on which song I was going to use. Because each time I thought of a song I enjoy that musically fits the mood, the lyrics really didn't work. They REALLY didn't.

So I decided to suck it up and start writing. And well, that led me straight to the perfect melodies.

Question mark?

Hi.

So here's the deal, I know I will be posting about my "conclusions" for your reading pleasure, but I had a question for you all as to how I should present them.

Would you like me to post each conclusion as I finish writing them, or would you like them all in one long haul?

Comment and let me know!

Realize

Hi.

There come moments in your life when you reach conclusions that affect your sense of the world - your sense of your own being. You can call them epiphanies, and on occasion I might agree with you.

But what I refer to are the thoughts that bring you to certain crossroads, whereupon you find satisfaction or strive to gain it. These aren't necessarily major life decisions. It could be the actual enactment of a resolution to say change your wardrobe or to hold to a dietary guideline. It could also be realizing that you are truly happy without a high ranked job position or the recognition of what you truly believe in.

I think it is freeing.

Our brains are very astonishing organs, and have the capacity for multitasking that we probably never think to realize - probably because we end up thinking so much in general (not that we necessarily think upon profound philosophy and research). But when we reach one of those conclusions, it almost seems as though we have collected and unified thousands of insignificant thoughts and observations into a single bodied summation. By doing so, we are relieving our brains of the strain caused by having such thoughts occurring regularly.

In the same way, any actions we take also relieve that strain. Sure physiologically, actions are achieved through "labor" which requires the effort of the muscles and so releases hormones that soothe the neurons. But I mean actions are relieving because an action is a way of manifesting our thoughts, or transmitting them into the external world. And by doing so, we are removing the "weight" of them from our minds.

Therefore, through either method, we are able to reach a calm or balance within the realm of our minds.

Of course there is nothing scientific about these conjectures - in fact I could simply have forced this theory by fitting the supporting arguments to suit my need. After all this is my own understanding (having come to certain conclusions of my own), and you are all so kind to even acknowledge their existence (in case you missed it, I am saying thank you for reading, I appreciate it).

But I have no doubt that what ever conclusions or resolutions have occurred, I do note that a sense of relief. After all, they do say that stress affects the body's physiology, and any decrease in the harmful brand is only a good thing. And though the manifestations of stress can be observed, how stress affects them is a complex and not very well understood mechanism (it's not as if the complexities of stress we experience in our lives can be simply observed in an experimental setting - there are too many variables!).

So until the time when stress can be quantified and qualified, I shall remain happy with my theory. Because in the end, me being happy with this theory means I am more inclined to share, and in this case, it definitely means sharing my own conclusions. And this little blurb here, is my wonderfully long segue into those.

Obviously though, there is more than one, and as it is, I am currently reaching the end of a series of thoughts. So as you might guess, these conclusions will appear in a separate post. But fear not, you will know them when you see them, and this time I won't lead you on with a second attempt at introduction. You'll just get it raw ^_^.


So anyways, too-da-loo for now. I'll leave you with a cheesy sorta song, which really just has a keyword in its title, but hey feel free to make inferences on how the lyrics might be applied to the content of this post (I might already be... argh, my brain...). Tschuss!

P.S.: I might actually be in the mood to write thanks to having just finished reading The Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson. An integral part of the text is a repeating motif of biographic writings - journals or personal diaries if you will - all with a prophetic kind of voice to them, as they believed or came to understand their own martyr-like roles. It's a great series, and I definitely recommend it as an awesome read.

Glued to the Tube

Hi.

Aite. This post needs to be written. There has been occasion upon occasion for me to write this but I just haven't had the patience or really any clear idea of how I planned on organizing this post.

So let's see, the last few landmarks that could have been used as alternative introductions... Well there was the "winter premiere" of the USA network shows back in January (you know, when the rest of the popular broadcasting companies like ABC, NBC, and CBS had a huge hiatus on all their fall shows). Then there was the time I watched all 3 seasons of Downton Abbey - though it was interesting that I didn't realize that the Christmas specials were actually bridges between the seasons at first... (I actually made an effort to write an intro for this, you can find that introduction at the end). Then of course there was the premiere of one of my favorite USA network shows, Psych.

But of course as you know, these all have gone by, so what encouraged me to finally make the effort? Well, rewatching the entirety of Veronica Mars. And considering how much time I shouldn't have on my hands to make that happen, well I guess should consider talking about it? ^_^

Nostalgia

Hi.

Just press play! ^_^

It's odd just how much today made me miss being an undergrad. Ok, well maybe not odd - maybe it's more of a "how did I not see that glaringly obvious fact" feeling.

Today was one of those quirks of winter, where the sky was cloudless, the wind a gentle breeze, and the sun was the embrace of a long lost friend. It led to a mutual commiseration with my brother, bemoaning our distance from a college campus.

It's days like this one that all you want to do is soak up the sunlight, letting the breeze cool the harsh rays - the fickle warmth of spring amidst the winter snows. And somehow a university campus feels like it is just made for that kind of quiet observation. As if a park, every where is your bench or cot, any path is yours to stroll - it is being alone but comforted by the passing, indifferent presence of those with their own schedules to follow.

For me it's a time to empty my head, and just recharge on the sunlight. Pop in my iPod, leave behind all my bags at home and either pick a spot, or just follow a snail's pace where ever fancy leads me.

But somehow leaning back in my backyard seemed a cheap imitation - maybe because I missed the sound of the breeze ruffling the leaves or the sound of any kind of life in the background. Or maybe it's because I'm used to having a view :P.

Why didn't I realize I missed these kind of days? I think it may be due to the fact that all the factors that contribute to that feeling come up less frequently, and my need for them is satisfied for a long period post-recharge. And over the last handful of months, I've been going through withdrawal - mentally torturing myself with memories of all the campuses I've done just that.

But when it comes down to it, I'll take what I can get - a chance to soak up sunlight. Maybe it makes me a little sad for settling for the glamorous few of the weed filled hill in my backyard (not that I had to look at it of course - sunglasses plus some shut eye does the trick :P). Maybe it should motivate me to get out of the house and enjoy these days like I really should.

Whatever it is, I guess I'll be as content as a baby (who's full ^_^) as long as I take advantage of the opportunites to soak up some sunshine.


P.S.: Today's songs were a few from today's sun recharge playlist ^_^. The last one is my favorite out of the three, so I hope you listen to them all!