When I was a little I thought that every little girl had a twin brother and every little boy had a twin sister and I wouldn't let anyone tell me otherwise. I thought that the '54 Godzilla and the '85 The Return of Godzilla were the only movies worth watching-so they're the only ones that I watched. I refused to cut or brush my hair and on every gift-giving holiday, I would ask my father to get me "a pink pony that flies"(Toys 'R Us made that easy for him). I don't remember my philosophies, I just remember being a little eclectic and very carefree.
When I was in grade school, I read constantly. When I wasn't buried in a book, I was at ballet, or holed up in my room painting. I can't say I was very social. I had a lot of time to myself-so naturally, I started to figure out exactly what I thought. The hardest realization I ever came to was that I didn't believe in God-especially not the God I was told about in Church. I still think that's true.
Now, I think differently. More positively, I guess? Still eclectic-not carefree. I'm still working it all out. It's rocky. I don't really want to look back at earlier thoughts I had and say that they're right or say that they're wrong because I don't know if they are. All I know is that I thought some things that I don't think now and I starting thinking about others and I'm still thinking about them.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Friday, April 1, 2011
A book to read.
Oh, booksbooksbooksbooksbooks. Here are a few that I have enjoyed immensely, and here’s to hoping you give them a try.
The Best American Non-Required Reading-edited by David Eggers
I would recommend this book to anyone, but especially to high-school students. It’s a collection of phenomenal obscure online essays, comic strips, facts, exerts from books, etc. My favorite entry in the book is “Best Woman Comedy Piece Written by a Woman” by Wendy Molyneux. Until you read that, we can’t be friends.
When You are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris
Or really anything by David Sedaris. They’re all pretty much the same but they are all HILARIOUS.
Jesus’ Son by Denis Johnson
It’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas for the existentialist. Read it, it’s bleak and hilarious.
The Trial –Franz Kafka
Old standby. Don’t be disappointed if the plot doesn’t move where you want it to…or move at all. It’s still a great read.
Eating the Dinosaur-Chuck Klosterman
A book where Klosterman interviews many interviews about interviewing. Much more enjoyable than you’d think. He has a fantastic interview with Ira Glass in the beginning of the book.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Art Review
The picture you see above is "Ophelia" by an artist named Charmaine Olivia. She's a self-taught artist in her twenties. Never took an art class, never went to college. This piece is done on wood instead of canvas, in oil paint. Oil paint literally takes days to dry, and this painting has several layers. Not only did it require extreme finesse and control, it took an insane amount of patience and dedication. Her work, which I enjoy, it not always quite everyone's style. Yet it brings to the surface an aspect of art far different from the abstract concept, the whole "what is art?" dilemma: artistic skill and talent. Even if you don't like it, or it says nothing to you, the skill and dedication that it took to create it is un-ignorable. And even though I think that art has the wonderful capacity to instill thoughts and philosophies and emotions into viewers' minds, and that artists have the opportunity and responsibility to take advantage of that, I also believe that skill is skill and should be appreciated.
WE HAVE THE RIGHT
We have the right.
So often the term “right” is given way too much flexibility. Everything is open to interpretation, but there is a huge difference between fulfilling one’s rights and infringing upon other’s rights. Certainly, we have the right to pursue our own happiness, whatever that might mean. But if it takes making someone else unhappy, than it’s not okay. That being said, there are some exceptions to that rule: Freedom of Speech: if you say something that makes someone unhappy, that’s trivial.
I guess that everyone does have the right to say what they want, do what they want, etc. etc. It’s what makes us human. The condition I’d like to add to that, however, is that you have to be considerate of how your actions affect everyone else around you. So…we have the right to pursue happiness…so long as it’s coupled with empathy.
AND OF COURSE
THE RIGHT
TO FIGHT
FOR
THE RIGHT
TO
PAR-
TAY.
Belated Birthday
OBVIOUSLY it isn’t your birthday anymore.
This, however, is an anytime gift: the best links on the internet. And some music!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MN3OHwU9w6o&feature=related
http://fakeinterviewswithrealcelebrities.blogspot.com/2009/11/happy-road-day.html
http://youarelistening.to/chicago
aaaaaannnddddd enjoy.
This means Something.
“I used to be really into the idea of the existential vacuum. Unfortunately, I misunderstood the concept-I bought existential vacuum cleaners. The first vacuum never helped me clean because he refused to tidy a mess that he could never be sure existed in the first place. The second refused to conform to the label society gave him, so instead of owning an existential vacuum, I ended up with a sh**ty lawn mower.”
-Liam Burns
This prompt, of course, brought existentialism to mind. Existentialism is easy to make fun of, as you can see from the above quote, yet it still asks the question that every human being has faced or will face sometime in their lives: “What does it all mean?” I do not refuse the idea that there is some higher power or stronger force beyond our comprehension at work. I do, however, believe that pursuing the answer to what is possibly the most profound and important question will only lead one farther away from it. Think about the question being asked. What does it all mean? It is referring to life-our existence. Think then about our existence-what does life entail? To live is to breathe, to sleep, to eat, to think (constantly and an infinite array of thoughts), to form relationships, to enjoy, to smile, to cry, to laugh, to love or to detest, to become awestruck, to feel helpless or powerful, to regret and to revel, to listen to music, to create and appreciate, to accomplish, to yearn, to be restless or fatigued…
No matter what it means, it is there. One cannot possibly understand why we exist and why we exist the way we do if one is not living. I believe that life means something. I don’t, however, feel that I’ve lived long enough to understand what exactly that meaning may be. I’m certain that someday, someone will belief with absolute conviction what it all means, given that they’ve allowed themselves to breathe, to sleep, to eat, to think, etc.
Friday, February 18, 2011
M.E.X.I.C.O
I guess my favorite song at the moment is M.E.X.I.C.O by The Kills on the Midnight Boom album. Igenerally like The Kills, but personally, I think this song is them at their finest. The Kills are usually good at keeping it short, sweet, and dirty(refering to the electronic drumbeats and guitarist Jamie Hince's pedals); and this minute and a half, heavily distorted song exemplifies that style. Above that, the song showcases both Hince's impressive guitar skills and Mosshart's vocal and ability to make no lyrical sense whatsoever. Only kidding, that's probably just all the heroin she's doing!
Fun Fact 1: Alison Mosshart is also in The Dead Weather, if any of you dig them.
Fun Fact 2: Jamie Hince is British, if any of you dig that.
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