I had no clue that not buying music this year would be so hard. I also had no clue that my favorite beatboxer/flautist was recording a CD with his band, PROJECT. They're pretty sweet! I'm definitely going to be looking out for this album in 2009...and hey, maybe they'll come visit my city! (Not my father's cave-city in Mirkwood, silly! Although I'm sure they'd be welcome there, if they could find the place.)
Certain readers of my blog would find it interesting to know that I found my iPod this morning. It was in my backpack...which I had vigorously searched on several occasions. It fell out when I shook the dust off the backpack. Although, for those interested readers, Mom's iPod is with my sister, and once Mom has it back she plans on using it. Sorry!
Also, I will buy a new racquet today (or tomorrow) for my racquetball class. I took my mom's racquet to class today, but it's about half the size and not bouncy (dense?) compared to "modern" racquets. I'd look in thrift stores for a new one, since it seems like something people would toss out a lot, but I don't have enough time :-(
Tonight I'll be writing two columns for my University's student newspaper as part of the application process to be a columnist. I think it'd be fun to write again...we shall see what they think of my writing!
Mom just told me that the beater arm for her stand mixer is gone. No one knows what happened...but the last time anyone saw it, it was in my mouth. She asked if I'd accidentally tossed it out. I highly doubt it (seriously, who would throw out an enameled metal thing?), but wouldn't that make for a great blonde joke? Hm...kinda...NOT!
Well, that lovely plastic folder thingy that tempted me to break my resolution is getting the axe. It looks great and seems like it would work, but getting a folder outside of the bigger folder which is in my backpack is a hassle. So I'm going back to the old-fashioned binder system (blue binders are M/W/F classes, black are for T/H classes). So, Lane...if you're interested in that folder thingy, give me a call :-) Or you could go to Office Depot...that's what I did...
As for getting new paper: Have you never heard of the 3 R's? (What DO they teach children in schools these days? :-P) Reduce, reuse, recycle. I rarely throw paper away. If I've got a sheet of paper with a mostly-clean side, I reuse it to print stuff like map directions, school assignments, etc. Only when I have to present a paper do I use new stuff. Also, recycling is great, but unfortunately our society (if it cares at all) likes to start with recycling, rather than use it as a last resort. BUT, if you've gotta buy new paper (and who doesn't at some point?), you could try to get recycled stuff. It's not that hard to find any more.
Jon, thanks for commenting. I don't like "cheap" stuff, either. Annie Leonard's statistics do seem unrealistic, and I did wonder if she got tired of speaking in such an emphatic, high tone. Did you listen to the sermon? I'd be interested to get your take on that, too. I do plan on writing about my Year of Used Stuff, because it will hopefully get creative. (If I can't find black dress shoes that are second-hand, could I make them out of duct tape? :-P )
So, I go 8 days without buying anything brand new. That's pitiful. But I don't mind. The New Year's Resolution came with a caveat (which I didn't mention earlier) that guilt must be prevented at all costs--yes, even the cost of destroying the Resolution. So it's still on, I'm just not suffering from guilt :-P
I need some way to organize recently acquired academic materials, and the resources in my basement weren't sufficient. So I got an expandable folder with removable folders in each slot. This way I can fill it with lined paper (that I already have) and can order my notes and class handouts chronologically (which is hard to do with a spiral bound notebook and I never get around to hole-punching handouts for binders). Sweet! But I plan to use it for more than just this semester, 'cos plastic is a terrible thing to throw away.
By the way, the website says it fits about 20 sheets of paper per folder. The folders are small, but I'm going to fit lots more than that in there...trust me ;-)
So my last two posts have had pretty much no original content. Sorry. But still, I wanted to reference this post about happiness and decision-making. I love that the psychologist proposed to his girfriend after analyzing data.
"...knowing the future is not the same as knowing how much one will like it when one gets there"
~Daniel Gilbert
Most of this blog's readers would appreciate this parody (you gotta click on the "Homeschool Family" video near the bottom left). Anyone else (or those who don't get the inside jokes) might enjoy the rest of Tim Hawkin's videos.
I've never made a New Year's Resolution before. That tradition, in my opinion, would create more guilt than good, and so is harmful. But this year, I'm making a lifestyle change. Calling it a New Year's Resolution just happened to be convenient. Also, every time I write "2008," hopefully I'll think about it and keep myself from slipping back into my old ways.
First off, you should go watch this video. It's long, but it's worth it. Then you should go check out this blog post. Then go listen to this sermon.
I listened to the sermon first. It was incredible, and one of the reasons why I went to New Attitude '07. Eric Simmons is a great preacher. A few months later, I can't even remember how, I discovered one of the Compact people, via the blog link above. Just today, I watched the video after finding the link on Josh Harris' blog. Over the past year or so, I've had all these realizations that are, finally, resulting in action.
I solemnly swear to buy nothing new for the next year. This includes a new championship ring (should my team earn another championship), a new computer, a new cell phone, new clothes (with a few logical exceptions), and...music. (That's going to hurt more than most things!) Also, I'm going to recycle more purposefully than in the past. I recycle at school, and my family recycles plastics, but the trash that comes out of my room will be sorted accordingly.
Why? The statistics stated by Annie Leonard and the Compacters may or may not be 100% true, but the concepts they present and the problems they reveal about consumerism make me think. I agree with their solutions, and am following their examples to make the solutions personal. Consumerism is part of my culture. I choose to reject this part of my culture. Some people take offense to aspects of foreign cultures; this part of foreign culture has offended me enough to reject it.
Foreign culture? Yes. Being a Christian, I am in this world, but not of it. God commanded us (me) to subdue the earth. Not destroy it. We've done an incredibly poor job of cultivating God's creation, and instead have plundered and pillaged. I am not turning into a tree hugger or anything quite so extreme, but I'm doing this because God created the world to sustain humanity, and it may be hard to see at first, but there is plenty of physical suffering in the world that is aggravated (if not created) by our lust for affluence. I don't want to cause others to suffer just so I can have a green shirt that matches my striped vest. That's sick.
You may be asking why I singled out music. Music is a good thing! I love it! I got 6 CDs of fresh goodness for Christmas, and hope to enjoy them for a long time. I'm "fasting" from new music for the time being, because music is a "financial distraction" right now. Some day I may have it in my budget...but not now. Besides, free music can be found if one looks for it.
What will I buy, then? Most of my money will be going for my college tuition right now...but I still plan to go to concerts, eat food, and buy college textbooks (though I'll get those used through half.com).
Hopefully I'll blog about this throughout the year, and my first New Year's Resolution will result in positive change.
Christmas resulted in a torrent of good, new music (my dad introduced me to the Brian Setzer Orchestra. Go check them out)! Huzzah!
One new album I have is Switchfoot's Oh! Gravity which I should have gotten myself long ago (at least before I saw them in concert recently--post about that is coming).
Their song Yesterdays is so, so so so so so good on every level I can think of (guitar parts? Aiie, they send shivers down my spine). If I had a six-star playlist like John, this would probably be on it. It is, however, on a playlist called Death/Funeral. By far, it's my favorite song of the four that are currently there, though the average rating is 4.75 stars. Why? The topic of death causes me to worship like few topics do. Please, let me explain. I know you're probably creeped out, but hey, it's my blog, and I really want to tell you this story.
Years ago, before Christ, I was deathly afraid to die. I would lay awake and imagine ghastly events resulting in death, or imagine that death was imminent. Because of this, gory things don't scare or gross me, and it probably contributed to my insomnia. My parents often dealt with this fear, since I woke them up a lot, claiming I could see smoke (in the dark?) and was convinced that the house was on fire and we'd all burn in our sleep. (How old was I, Dad? Four or five, maybe?) But one night, my dad gave me a verse to remember, which was Psalm 30:5*. He explained to me the concept of faith, and that faith is reaching out in the dark with my heart and knowing that God was there, beyond a shadow of a doubt, and had only good things in store for me.
At that tender age, I began to wrestle through thoughts of God's existence, sin, Heaven (reward), and Hell (punishment). God was certainly there; I can't remember a time in my life where his voice has not been audible to my soul. My (meager) life experience led me to believe that he did reward faith and punish sin, though he sincerely did not want to punish anyone. What had I to lose by culturing faith in God? Yet, everything was to gain by doing so.
Late one night when I lay awake seeing wisps of smoke and fighting the urge to wake my parents again, that verse came immediately to mind. "His favor lasts for life! ...Joy comes in the morning!" I latched onto that promise, and for the first time believed that God had only good things in store for me. Joy will come. At first, I hoped it meant that I would live to see the sun rise again, but if it didn't I would be seeing the Son, which must be better than anything I can see here. In those sleepless nights, God helped me cultivate a sense of anticipation, learning more about death and that it isn't the end, or even just a stagnation, but a portal. What lies beyond that portal depends on what one does before reaching it, and God accepted my childish faith and assured me of a purely good future. What exactly that goodness was, I could only imagine, but my faith filled that unknown.
Over the years, I've learned tiny bits about what Heaven and Judgment Day will be like, and have realized that there's more--my faith must result in action. But I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that death is going to be exciting! There are good things in this life that might not be in Heaven, but God has nothing but good in store for me, so if he chooses to give me another kind of goodness, it must be better than anything I've known yet. There are things, however, that I will be so glad to not have. Arthritis has pointed me toward the promise of Heaven so many countless times. Did you know that in Heaven, we'll have new bodies?!? This makes me breathless! No pain, ever! Did you know that God can't stand the presence of Evil? So if we're going to live in his presence (can't type, mind is exploding...), then we can't even consider the topic of Evil. Petty thoughts and hurtful actions will be GONE! AH! What could be better? No Utopia could match this! How can I even think about such a lofty ideal? I don't know! I know I can't realize any of it, or really predict anything. It's a wild, glorious unknown. It's a place I can barely wait to reach. In fact, I've thought about going there NOW, but Philippians 1:21-26 has kept me here to fulfill the good purpose God has for me.
If the paragraph above didn't make you breathless, or laugh, or at least smile, my writing has utterly failed. Language is a pitiful medium to communicate such ideas--that's why you should go read what the Bible says about faith, promises, goodness, and Heaven. Those aren't merely words; they're alive because of the Holy Spirit. He can communicate in ways I can't imagine.
Heaven is why death holds no qualms for me. I have fears about how death may come, and still lay awake imagining unlikely, unpleasant ways to die. But the pain will be over eventually and I, yes I, will see the the Son of God and will be an heiress with him. An equal with God's Son? This sounds blasphemous! But it's true! So true! Every fiber of my body screams in anticipation of this joyous event. (Not kidding. Even my nose is running really hard right now... :-P)
It's selfish of me to wish that no one would cry at my funeral, however. I mean, hopefully my life has impacted at least some others and shown them God's goodness. If they think that my death means God's goodness has ceased to be revealed in at least one aspect, I can't wish that they'd forget about God's goodness. But I don't want my funeral to cater to sadness and depression. Look up! Rejoice in God's goodness! Thank him for what was, and rejoice in what will be!
Every lament is a love song!
~Jon Foreman
[Cue: couch with one occupant. Sun is setting in window behind couch.]
Self: And welcome, folks, to this semester's edition of Thoughts of a Wood Elf! Once again, I'm hosting a guest, Self. But before we meet Self, let me give you all some background information. Self left the bureaucratic world of academia at a huge university and spent some months working at a sub joint. This fall she returned to school, and tonight we're going to hear about her experiences. Please, welcome Self!
[Applause.]
Self: Hi, thanks! I'm glad to be here.
Self: Self, it was rumored that you'd dropped out of college. Was that true?
Self: No, I'd never planned to leave college altogether. I certainly needed a break, and wasn't sure I'd be going back to the same school, but I always hoped to finish my degree.
Self: Why?
Self: I was so close to being done already, and a college degree can open doors, even if they're not in fields that one has studied. Personally, I wanted revenge, too. I felt like the College Experience tried its best to chew me up and spit me out, and I wanted to get back at "College," and prove I was actually smart enough to graduate.
Self: Wow. Has it worked?
Self: Oh, yeah. I haven't graduated yet, but this semester has been so different!
Self: So you've been sleeping 8 hours a night and eating meals at regular intervals?
Self: No, I'm still an insomniac and I actually stayed away from food on purpose this semester.
Self: Whoa, OK. Two questions: 1) Why did you stay away from food? 2) What was different, then?
Self: I stayed away from food because I wanted to lose weight but didn't feel healthy enough to work out. A long time ago I swore never to do this...but I did. Oh well. Next semester will be different, though, because I plan to work out regularly in an effort to stay healthy, rather than recognize that need after I get sick and too weak/lazy to exercise.
[Self passes a slip of paper to Self, which says "Note to Self, starving is a terribly inefficient way to lose weight."]
Self: So what's going to change about next semester?
Self: I discovered a program at my school that gives you a ton of resources to help you set fitness goals and reach them. So I'm going to invade the gym most days after classes, armed with knowledge and having specific goals. One of those goals will be to improve my fencing footwork. I hate feeling old and slow when I coach!
Self: [Chuckles.] Let's go back to academia. What changed in the months that you took a break from college, and how did that affect your studies when you went back to school?
Self: Well, I battled depression in the winter and spring. I wouldn't say I "recovered" from depression during the summer, but I was reminded of central truths that I had taken for granted or forgotten. I think part of depression is a worldview that causes one to keep looking back into oneself, which can be healthy but not in extremes. God changed my view to be focused on him, rather than myself. So I approached the fall semester with a very expectant attitude, waiting to see how God would glorify himself there.
Self: And did God come through?
Self: Of course, silly. When doesn't he? He taught me a lot about relationships this semester, for which I am incredibly grateful.
Self: How did your approach to school change?
Self: It didn't.
Self: So did your semester grades change?
Self: Well, I only took 4 classes, so I had more time to devote to studying...not that I really studied all that much more. But in the past, I've been excited to get something other than a C. This semester, I'll be disappointed if I get a C. Hopefully that trend will continue next semester.
Self: What, in your opinion, caused this change?
Self: Linguistics! I love it...I love that I can geek out over it with my classmates, and they participate in the geekiness and encourage it. It's hard to geek out over something like biology...something that is certainly mysterious and intriguing but which has been researched to death. Linguistics is such an undeveloped field...if I ever get to research stuff, I have a notebook full of questions I could easily turn into research projects. I mean, Sign Language alone has so much to offer that no one knows about, and it's only one of five languages I've studied. Oh, speaking of languages, I think I'll have time to study one more language before I graduate. Should I pick ancient Greek, ancient Hebrew, an African click language, or artificial languages like Klingon and Elvish?
Self: Um, perhaps we should poll the audience!
Self: Sounds good. Whaddya think?
[Turns and looks at you expectantly.]
I've come to the sudden conclusion that it's hard to be idealistic about one's work. If I went into an art field, it would have something to do with the visual arts, but I've been afraid to follow this path because I'm idealistic about what and how I would create art. And yet, I love music but don't claim to be a musician. I am an instrumentalist, yes. I know how to play the violin and can produce good notes (with exception, of course). But I don't know music, and cannot produce good original music (I may be able to jam, but only because I've studied Sevcek's variations). So it's much easier to be idealistic about the kind of music I enjoy than the kind of art I create. After all, if my next meal would depend on the the shape of pot I throw, I'd certainly throw something that would sell, not necessarily the shape I want to throw (though hopefully I'd get to do that, too). There are careers to which this doesn't apply. I hope CPAs aren't not idealistic about their work...the idea is to have integrity, after all.
I love studying the interaction between the visual and the auditory art spheres.
These guys amuse me, even when they don't have a huge tech crew and lots of money. Jon must have either taken singing lessons or gotten serious back pain from singing like that... And, wow, Tim must have stopped dyeing his hair between then and now. And Jon has yet to cut his since then. At least Chad has some follicular sense :-P
Source: viewimages.comGuys--it's officially Christmas :-) OK, fine, it's been "officially Christmas" since the day before Halloween, but I just realized it.
How?
When I popped open a box of Sugar Plum Spice tea after frolicking in the snow for 20 minutes.
To celebrate, I'm posting in red :-D [EDIT-I never realized what red-on-green looks like. Sorry to those whose retinas were offended. It WAS red, now it's pink.]
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Originally uploaded by bowznstuff.
Hm, still not able to sleep. My left hand is numb; I can't feel the keys as I type. Weird.
Good news! I suppose...well, probably not. It turns out I am becoming a MuteMath groupie. Bummer. But I just bought their EP (Reset) off of half.com, where it had been previously priced at $35 ish. No, silly, I didn't get it for that much. Because I waited for 3 years (yeah, I knew about the band way back when they released the EP), I saved a whole $0.02!
I can feel my left hand now. Goodnight.
Happy Thanksgiving!
And by that, I do not mean "I hope you can be more gluttonous than you were last year, because you've overeaten on a more regular basis!" I mean something like...Be aware of the goodness that surrounds you! The people that may be here today and gone tomorrow, or the people who aren't here but are missed because of the love that once pervaded shared experiences. Or the daily comforts and blessings, like slippers, breakfast, a car, and salvation by grace alone.
Oh, so much to blog about. Seriously. Don't read my next post. But I wanted to see if anyone was interested in these concerts...
January 11-13, Joshua Bell will be in town again! He's the best musician I've ever heard...
February 21-23, a concert featuring parts of Tchaikovsky's Romeo & Juliet will be playing. The interesting thing about this concert, though, is that a female percussionist will be premiering a new concerto. Fascinating...
Would anyone be interested in coming with me? Let me know if you are. I definitely want to hear Joshua Bell again, and this percussionist seems worth at least $12.50.
Oh my. Where to start? With sleep deprivation from midterm preparation? With the cup of deliciously caffeinated frozen chai from Kiva Han's? From a religious demonstration on campus that was soon swallowed by an anti-demonstration of homosexuals where a friend was passionately reading something in support of gay rights? Or perhaps the 54C bus driver refusing to open the bus doors, causing me to be late?
Nah. It started years ago. I don't even remember when or why I first heard MuteMath, but I knew it had some connections to an old band I liked called Earthsuit. [EDIT: I just heard their song "Peculiar People," and I think that song got me interested in the band. I often sing this song as I walk to the bus stop, or feel particularly weird.] So I watched some videos, bought the album, and fell as deeply in love with them as one can with a band. No, I'm not a groupie. Their music is simply that good. I've heard it said that people who like Mute Math are fans of music, not the band. Interesting. Explains my point, I hope. Though I do think their creativity extends beyond music. Go look them up on YouTube...Darren is hilarious.
Years before Mute Math, however, I liked Eisley. I still don't understand why they're just an opening band...I've liked them for years! Are my musical tastes just that obscure? Anyway. I saw them on tour with Switchfoot, and it wasn't bad. They weren't amazing live, but kinda like playing the CD, just really loud, with bass that will shake your pants. So the sound was good, but not the show. Still, I like them a lot.
On Tuesday a month ago, all the fun stuff mentioned in the first paragraph was accomplished and/or observed. That whole religion vs. gay rights thing had me thinking pretty hard, and I may actually blog those thoughts when I have time (like...when? Yeah). Yay for a newfound friend, Steve. He's a lot of fun, and during this trip I got a good quote out of him, though I forget the details. Something to the effect of "I just don't get awkward." I shall have to keep that in mind.
After I found a bus driver who would open the door for me, I got to Steve's neighborhood. We jumped in hiss black Taurus and found John Behrens and took off for Cleveland. John zonked out in the back seat, so Steve and I talked about music and road trips (he took 4 friends, 3.5 weeks, and a few thousand dollars to tour the US. So cool!). Dinner was some sandwich from Au Bon Pain that had really spicy guacamole. But I got a jar of actual tea, which was cool. No preservatives, no high fructose corn syrup, nothing but not-from-concentrate tea. Cleveland was crowded because the Indians were there for a playoff game. Parking was expensive and hard to find, but we found a sweet meter which was a block away from John Q's Grille. Never been there, but the name was cool!
Then, back to the creepy, oppressive House of Blues. They've got this thing going on..."Unity in Diversity," or something, and have icons from major world religions all over the place. Ugh. But the first thing I noticed were my friends. Some of the Akron kids came up for the show, and I had a sweet reunion with Jess. That girl is a breath of joyful, beautiful air, and I wish I had more time to spend with her. I got to meet some of Steve's friends, too (he grew up near Cleveland). So we mulled around, chatting a bit, forcing our way forward as much as possible, and waiting for Eisley.
Eisley was good. This time around the vocals (which I've always loved) were much more stylized, and I think Stacy and Sherri have gotten much better with time. Garron (the bassist) had a disgusted look on his face...I felt bad for him. They also played songs from their new CD, which was cool. Their new sound is a lot more aggressive. Nice. They finally played Trolley Wood :-D At points during their set, I'd realize what they're playing, light up, glance at John, and we'd both exclaim "I LOVE this song!" or some variation thereof. Dave T also got hooked. He kept muttering about poetry inspirations and stuff.
Eisley left, and we waited. Craig reminded me of the Switchfoot concert, when I got tired and sore, so I just sat down on the floor between sets. Well this time I talked to Dave, tried to convince Steve that we should swing dance to the background music, rubbed John's shoulders, and tickled Jess. We pressed forward as much as possible to get close to the stage...I'd guess I was about 5 feet from it? REALLY close. Close enough to tell that Paul Meany was sweating before he started playing. Fortunately, we were also on the drummer's side of the stage.
"I approach my instrument as a frustrated athlete."~Darren King (source)Ohhh, MuteMath. You rock. In so many ways. So, check this out--Darren, the drummer, TAPES HIS HEADPHONES TO HIS HEAD. That's certainly a sign that one should prepare for an adventure. He also had a sparse drum kit, but boy he used it maximally. He is amazing. Love in the form of a drummer, as Steve said. Heh. Any time I saw Steve he was gaping at Darren, as if he could become a better drummer just by watching Darren's genius firsthand. I certainly enjoyed the drumming. His vibes are close to my soul's rhythm, if that makes sense. His beats are creative and unpredictable and tight. At one point in the show, he pulled his drumset apart, heaped the kick drum and other random parts on the Rhodes piano and jammed there for a bit. Meanwhile Greg was playing his board full of effects pedals, Roy was playing a cymbal with his hands and a stick, and Paul was beating the life out of a freestanding bass drum.
"I want to make it hard for people to be hopeless." ~Paul Meany, in SoulshineThe lead singer/keyboardist, Paul, is childishly energetic. Not in an immature way, he just came up with crazy stuff to do and had weirdly cool dance moves and loved interacting with the crowd. He drifted between a synth, a Fender Rhodes piano, a keytar, and an instrument they made out of an Atari game console. Unfortunately the keytar broke about halfway through the concert, but I didn't miss it all that much. Paul likes to jump around, and at one point was pounding his keyboard, decided his feet would do better than his hands, and jumped on it. Bad idea--he was unbalanced and hit the stage pretty hard, knocking his mic stand over in the process (it almost hit me!). But he bounded up and kept going. A note about the Rhodes piano (get it?)--they sawed the lid in half so that just the keys were exposed, thereby protecting the rest of the instrument. Wow. Oh, yeah, he'd hit a chord then do handstands on the thing, too. I laughed out loud.
