And I was like...

Things I Love Thursday

2010-01-28T19:08:00.005-05:00

© ms. stephanie brown
So, I was checking out Meli's blog a bit earlier this afternoon, and got simultaneously sucked into Spinner.com's music video overload/Interface. Needless to say, I'm obsessed (already subscribed to the podcast!). There are a whole bunch of goodies on the site (Noisettes, Alice Smith, Neko Case, Mastodon, and Grizzly Bear, to name just a few...), but Surfer Blood definitely caught my eye. At least two of the kids in the band went to my high school, the lead singer being from my graduating class. I heard they're already kicking major ass live, so I'll definitely be going to check them out at The Engine Room (coughcough formerly known as The Beta Bar coughcough) on the 18th. Check out the video here for some Floridian garage rock (West Palm Beach, represent!):

Passing the Graduate Exam! I took the G.R.E. this morning, and I kicked its ass! Well...just barely. But somehow or other, I guessed to my little heart's content (and somehow scored higher on the math portion than the reading) and passed the minimum score requirement to make it into grad school. Now all I have to do is actually get into grad school...
Patti Smith's Land. Completely marvelous!
Daydreaming about spring in Philadelphia (and furthermore, having your dreams narrated).
Gala Darling's article on How To Put The Light Back In Your Heart. By the way, a little bit of Gala everyday puts the light back into my heart. It's my internet equivalent of "an apple a day..."
By the way, today is my dad's 55th birthday! I'm thankful everyday that he is such a prominent driving force in my life, but I am especially joyous today, and only wish I could celebrate with him/take him to dinner. I'm glad he at least has loved ones nearby!

Enjoy your Thursdays! ♥

The World's Smallest Library

2010-01-28T00:07:00.003-05:00

"As both books and classic red phone booths are becoming a thing of the past, a village in Somerset, England has merged the two rare commodities.

The bright red old phone booth was purchased for just 1 pound and remodeled as the smallest library in the world. Residents line up to swap their already read books for new ones left by other patrons. Over 100 books and a variety of movies and music CDs are available at this tiny library."

This is too brilliant for words.

via Offbeat Earth

2010-01-27T00:48:00.005-05:00

"I never meet anyone who admits to having had a happy childhood," said writer Jessamyn West. "Everyone appears to think happiness betokens a lack of sensitivity." I agree, and go further. Many creative people I know actually brag about how messed up their early life was, as if that was a crucial ingredient in turning them into the geniuses they are today. Well, excuse me for breaking the taboo, but I, Rob Brezsny, had a happy childhood, and it did not prevent me from becoming a sensitive artist. In fact, it helped. Now I ask you, my fellow Cancerian, whether you're brave enough to go against the grain and confess that your early years had some wonderful moments? You're in a phase of your cycle when recalling the beauty and joy of the past could be profoundly invigorating.

The thing is, my childhood was completely wonderful. I remember enjoying it immensely, and being the least judgmental kid alive. So much has changed! Now, I constantly judge the stupidest situations prematurely and stress about my minor financial troubles 24/7. Thus is life! And I feel as if I'm not living it! Here's to life and living it!

Things I Love Thursday

2010-01-22T01:03:00.009-05:00

The main thing I am loving on this particularly gloomy, flooded streets, rainy Thursday evening, is the fact that my little gray man, Lupin the adorable is home with me! Last Friday, I woke up bright and early (minus the bright, because the sun was still asleep) to take him to the clinic to get neutered. He's about six months old now so it seemed a better time than any. Unfortunately, two days after the surgery, he stopped eating, so I had to take him back in for observation/force feeding (syringe). Needless to say, I got the little booger back this afternoon (I did a happy dance at work when I got the message) and he purred like there was no tomorrow when I got him in the car. He's currently napping in my lap, forcing my legs into a temporary coma, but I'll let it slide. & as far as music goes, I'm still loving and listening hardcore to Grizzly Bear's Veckatimest (no, seriously, check it out), as well as this wonderful mash-up mixtape.

Other things:

spontaneous human combustion
the selby
this picture
and finally, getting sleep tonight! & with that, i bid you---...zzzzzzzz...

2010-01-20T00:02:00.006-05:00

According to a poll conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, there are as many people who give credence to astrology as call themselves Catholic. Believers in reincarnation are another sizable minority; their numbers equal those who put their faith in the Pope and in the planetary omens. Based on this evidence, we can safely conclude that at least some supposedly woo-woo notions are no longer just for woo-woo-ers. You can't be considered a New Age weirdo or pagan infidel if you're receptive to the possibility that the world is exceedingly mysterious and a long way from being all figured out. That's good news for you Cancerians. According to my analysis, your belief system is ready to crack open and allow a surge -- maybe even a flood -- of new data to rush in.

Let's hope that Rob Brezny knows what he's talking about this week, and that my mind becomes more pliable to new belief systems this year. I'd be lying if I said I knew what I believed in, or for that matter...who I believe in.

Today was pretty uneventful...pretty. Except for the fact that Lupin lost the will to eat, or just his appetite entirely. Seeing as how he got neutered on Friday, I am chalking it up to stress and sadness of no longer being able to be a kitty sperm donor. Unfortunately, they had to keep him overnight for observation and to give him fluids/make sure he's alright, so I have no snuggle buddy tonight. Hopefully my little gray man is alright.

After I got off work, I drove a co-worker home and noticed that my favorite record store is closing! What the EFF Vinyl Fever!? Anyway, I decided to snoop a bit and ended up finally buying Grizzly Bear's Veckatimest (which by the way is as beautiful as everyone keeps saying it is, and I might consider it one of the best albums of the past year (along with Mastodon's Crack The Skye). Needless to say, I've already played the c.d. nearly four times through. Luckily, I've been productive in that span of time, going on a mini/major cleaning spree of the entire house (not done yet!), as well as finishing the finale of Dexter, Season 4 (Holy Bananas, cliffhanger!).

I'm jumping into this week with two feet planted firmly on solid ground, trying to keep an upbeat attitude for my clientele because the money train is running low and slow, due to life's silly complications. I am seriously contemplating the thought of going to see Melissa in Philadelphia as soon as financially possible. Although, I think flying is cheaper than a train and shoots that whole fantasy out the window. Oh well! Here's to a good week!

Trains

2010-01-17T20:28:00.004-05:00

I'm really getting inspired by the idea of hopping on a train to see Melissa in Philly sometime soon. The trip would only be a day and would only cost me under $200 round trip. And besides, plenty of reading and meditation time.

Things I Love Thursday

2010-01-14T16:27:00.004-05:00

Happy New Years! I've been trying to focus on myself (how selfish!) this month thus far, and stray from the nagging guilt and regret that seems to trail my heels incessantly. Therefore, a Things I Love Thursday post seems perfectly timed to keep on veering my thoughts in the right direction. I will keep it short however, because I have to be back at work in less than an hour for the second half of my double shift (which will hopefully provide me with smiling faces, and big tippers).

The cold front (that is now ending for us Floridians). I really loved it! As freezing as my toes were every morning on the bathroom tile, it's rare that I actually get to experience a winter. Trust me, I'm glad I am a Floridian (most of the time), but every once in awhile it's nice to experience real seasonal changes.
Brian being back in the states! Seven months without my favorite It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia buddy was starting to get to me.
Losing (and somehow winning) at billiards.
Red wine.
White wine.
Beers.
Being a faux alcoholic.
Tervis tumbler lids for coffee! Greatest invention/christmas gift ever!
Waking up with a purring kitty scarf.
Flannel sheets!
Trying to dance along to Beyonce's Single Ladies at two in the morning with your roommate and laughing so hard you fall over.

In addition to this post, if you haven't already visited one of the numerous donation sites for the ongoing crisis in Haiti, please do so (and donate if possible). I donated $10 to the American Red Cross. Every bit helps!

Have a wonderful weekend and stay happy!

top image © .ultraviolett

Behold the rapture

2009-12-16T01:38:00.004-05:00

I'm hoping that you will get out more in 2010. And I mean way out. Far out. Not just out to the unexplored hotspots on the other side of town (although that would be good), but also out to marvelous sanctuaries on the other side of paradise. Not just out to the parts of the human zoo where you feel right at home, but also out to places in the urban wilderness where you'll encounter human types previously unknown to you. In conclusion, traveler, let me ask you this: What was the most kaleidoscopic trip you've ever taken? Consider the possibility of surpassing it in the next 12 months.

Rob Brezny, I continue to love you and your hypothetical insights on my life.

Become a rapturist, which is the opposite of a terrorist: Conspire to unleash blessings on unsuspecting recipients, causing them to feel good.

Before bringing your work as a rapturist to strangers, practice with two close companions. Offer them each a gift that fires up their ambitions. It should not be a practical necessity or consumer fetish, but rather a provocative tool or toy. Give them an imaginative boon they've been hesitant to ask for, a beautiful thing that expands their self-image, a surprising intervention that says, "I love the way you move me."

(via)

"I am Heathcliff"

2009-12-15T01:13:00.003-05:00

So I think with my reading of and finishing of Wuthering Heights, I am finally able to sit down and concentrate on literature again. It seems like when it comes to books, I've been in a rut for so long now, every word that passes through my right ear, goes immediately out the left, never to be seen or heard from again. I just can't read a book without it taking a month lately. Or so it seemed. So I picked up Wuthering Heights, mainly because Ruben Toledo's cover illustration was especially alluring, but also because it's a classic piece of literature which I've never had the opportunity/desire to sit down and read.

Long story short, I think the reason I enjoyed it so much, was due to the fact that I never knew much about it. Many things in life are ruined for me nowadays because they are hyped up for me. And I'd rather choose of my own accord what I'm going to read, watch, listen to, et cetera. All I really knew going in to it, was that it was supposed to be one of the greatest examples of unrequited love written in the english language. And I don't know how to write anything else about it without spoiling it in some way. Therefore, I think I'll just say that in the spirit of reading, and finally really enjoying what I'm reading, I've decided to start reading the second Brontë sister's (or should I say, the first?) novel; Jane Eyre. It helps that the hardcover copy I have was my mother's from when she was around my age. Not to mention it is one of her favorites and is chock full of fabulous etchings.

To stop myself from going off on some ridiculous tangent, I will end this here. Goodnight!

Things I Love Thursday

2009-12-11T01:15:00.006-05:00

Kinda sorta late, but what do you expect from someone who gets off of work at 11 p.m.? For this edition, I just wanted to post a few images from Flickr which I'm really loving lately:

Mental notes and real ones too...

2009-12-10T01:25:00.007-05:00

So, I was sitting on my bedroom floor earlier this evening, admist a slew of crumpled receipts and scribbled on papers, when a piece of paper torn from a yellow memo pad caught my eye. It states:

(at the top, as a post script, matter of fact: "mental fucking note: 'interiors' by the sea and cake started playing")
"I've progressed to this technology obsessed, lazy, unmotivated state of work. Or I should say no work @ all (I'm even abbreviating 'at' with an internet symbol). I have no idea what has provoked me to enter this disgusting atmosphere of reading over the internet versus reading actual paper. And not even reading at that. Skim-skim-skimming. I've gotten to the point where I can't even handle my three hour internship. I'd rather peruse the internet (the same dumb repetitive clicking motions and all the same 'pages') than peruse the outdoors...or so it seems. At least I can write something dull and minimal without peppering the page with vulgarities, because I sure as HECK can't speak without their frequent occurrence."

This note is so accurate to describe my current state of life and living, it's disgusting.

Then I decided to read Rob Brezny's horoscope for myself this week, which goes something like this:
So how are you doing with your year-long resurrection project, Cancerian? Have you been taking care of the finishing touches these past few weeks? If not, do so soon. It's high time for you to officially and definitively rise from the dead. Your wandering in the underworld is at an end. Your mourning for broken dreams should be complete. In January, the age of exploration will begin; make sure your reborn spunk is ready for action by then.

And I put two and two together, and have reached one conclusion for myself for the up and coming year. That being, my only resolution for myself is to practice more self love. Which is completely encompassing. Treat myself better, physically, mentally, emotionally, and hopefully reflect it outwardly. The negative cloud I've had hovering over my head for the last couple of years is starting to drag me down and drown me. I feel like I've been suffocating in self pity and guilt for a long time now, and it has to come to an end before I lose my mind and myself. So here's to 2010! And here's to a new outlook and a new me! Goodnight!

2009-12-07T02:52:00.000-05:00

“Make a radical change in your lifestyle & begin to boldly do things which you may previously never have thought of doing, or been too hesitant to attempt. So many people live within unhappy circumstances & yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, & conservation, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man’s living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, & hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new & different sun. If you want to get more out of life, you must lose your inclination for monotonous security & adopt a helter-skelter style of life that will at first appear to you to be crazy. But once you become accustomed to such a life you will see its full meaning & its incredible beauty.” — Jon Krakauer, Into the Wild.

Things I Love Thursday (the actually on time edition!)

2009-12-03T18:26:00.007-05:00

Things I Love This Particular Thursday:

Res' new album! Black. Girls. Rock! Let's just pretend I can proudly chant that title/anthem without being called out for my complete and total white girl status. I bought Res' first album when I was in high school, after only a tiny lyrical taste of one of her songs, and fell completely in love with it. Unfortunately, she shrunk into the background instead of creeping into the limelight, and now, nine? years later, ta-dah! The cover alone is completely gorgeous.

What I Wore Today: I've known of the online presence of Flickr communities showcasing what people are wearing for awhile now, but I just discovered an online haven of drawings depicting daily outfits. I've always enjoyed the former to borrow ideas from other people and rework the small amount of closet space I take over, but the latter and it's variety of drawing styles is completely inspired/inspiring! Some of my favorites: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

This print and drawings of animals in formal attire in general.
This. I really think I lack the words to describe how brilliant all of the drawings are.
Daydreaming about tattoos...(and external hard drives, and new clothes...)
String quartet versions of heavy metal albums (to be more specific, this one).
Dream bike? Complete with flask holster!? I really need to get myself a bike again...

That's all for this week! Cheers to a relaxing weekend for everyone!

Still figuring it out...

2009-11-29T23:48:00.007-05:00

So, I'm still figuring out the layout of this blog, but lately it seems to be just one of many silly reasons hindering me from starting anything (a.k.a. writing in this blog). Not only does it apply to writing, but reading and studying as well (or at least as of late). I've been struggling through Wuthering Heights, not due to any opinion or fact of it being dull in the slightest, but only due to the severe lack of motivation that has become my dearest friend and subsequent enemy these past few months (it doesn't help that I'm reading a book about, supposedly, the greatest example of unrequited love, while at the same time trying to watch Pride and Prejudice). I think my real lack of desire to do anything worthwhile stems from my lack of a real schedule. I must sign up for the GRE as soon as possible. As in...tomorrow morning. Other than my lack of will to do anything that would secure my own success for the future, there is not much to report. Waiting tables still takes over both my days and nights, but not even enough, as is. It seems hard enough to make two pennies over the required minimum to stay alive these days. On top of that, I must soon start actively searching for a 1 bedroom apartment, which will be my first time living entirely on my own. In a way, I'm looking forward to it. Maybe then I won't be so easily distracted.

Switching subjects, here's two of the pictures I've copied from the gigantic folder of online images from Richard and Kesoon's wedding earlier this month:

Life is still pretty dull, and I still repeat myself (both sober and drunkenly). Paris out!

I decided to take a study break...

2008-09-27T20:55:00.004-04:00

Seriously, I'm crushed. I must watch The Sting right now. R.I.P.

Things I Love Thursday

2008-09-25T22:41:00.007-04:00

I'd like to thank Gala for this wonderful idea, which I hope to make a weekly ritual, as a kind of anti-depressant and motivation to not just constantly dwell on the negative.

I was on the New York Times website a few weeks back and happened to stumble upon this lovely article on a group of bikers who refer to themselves as "Rescue Ink," due to their soft spot for all things that wag their tail and purr in the night.
Freak Hailstorm Turns Part of Kenya White.
Inexpensive, creative ways to decorate your walls...like this man from Kentucky who covered his walls in illustrations, all done with Sharpies!
Also, for the love of fat black markers, and blank white spaces, check out this guy's kitchen floor!
Upon being in American Art, and being re-introduced to stereographs, I stumbled upon this site, a merging of both stereograph images to make one animated, seemingly three dimensional image.
Eadweard Muybridge's studies on human and animal movement. I hope someday I have the cash for this book. It would make for a great coffee table book!
and Nina Simone!

Have a fabulous weekend to everyone and anyone that's reading!

Barking Cat

2008-09-18T01:31:00.001-04:00

This video has been making my day every day for the past three days. Just thought I would share!

...In with the new!

2008-09-15T19:29:00.000-04:00

I finally have a minute to say Hello! Bonjour! Welcome to my new and hopefully improved (as in, actual posts on a regular basis) blog. I got sent home from work early, due to it being so slow tonight (it is a Monday), so I finally have a moment to myself to think and then study and read the mountain of things I've fallen behind on for school. Speaking of work, I've actually adapted quite well in the 11 months that I've been there...I get my annual check next month! I definitely couldn't make serving tables a full-time job, but it's paying my bills for now, and my bosses/tables seem to like me for the most part. I've been scheduled way past my availability for much too long, but my managers seem to finally get the point that I'm a full time student yet again for the first time in three months, and are cutting back my shifts.

Anyway, school is going pretty good as well. I really like all of my teachers, they all have such great personalities and adoration for the subject that they're teaching. It's inspiring and (for the most part) keeps me awake in all of my classes. I'm only taking four classes (or 12 credits) but the material is all graduate level, so I've definitely been busy. The senior seminar I'm in is on Florida Architecture, so we've been taking field trips to great Antebellum houses around the area (which are totally surreal and fantastic), as well as a bunch of other historical landmarks.

Emerald and myself have been making a home out of our new house. We found a third roommate (Brian, who I don't think exactly gets my humor yet), who's in the graduate program for the FSU film school. Anyway, I still have a few boxes in my room, due to the downsizing, and no longer being able to have a desk, et cetera. I've been spending my spare time listening to the latest Gogol Bordello c.d. (Super Taranta), which is awesome (hence the above picture), so if you're looking for something new to listen to, keep it in mind. It's neon green cover is pretty hard to miss anyway.

Hoping whoever is reading is having a great Monday, and a great week!