Updating Me

As my wife mentioned the other day, it's a terrible thing for a writer to not write. And, I admit, I haven't been wordcrafting lately. Perhaps I should have someone remind me to write every so often, or have someone bother me if I go too long without posting. We'll see. Anyone want to volunteer for the position?

Lately, life has been rather pleasant. Job's going well, my wife and I are settled into our new place (if you're behind in the news, yes, we moved), and we're enjoying life right now. With the possible exception of the weather. It's too bloody hot in Nebraska. Lots of sun and very little rain. The average temp is over 100 degrees Farenheit. There are a lot of outdoor activities that one can enjoy in the summer. Regrettably, the heat drains any enthusiasm for indulging in said activities.

On to music. I haven't been as much of an audiophile lately as I used to be. Perhaps that's a good thing, perhaps not. In large part, I think it's because I listen to the radio too much. And most of the sound on the radio is dissonance in my ears. A friend posted an article on FB the other day that said scientists have proved that pop music is starting to sound more and more alike and that the industry is compensating by cranking up the volume. It's sad, but confirms what I've suspected for a while. I need to find other methods of discovering music. Maybe I should listen to Pandora more. And, of course, there's always Tiesto. I'd like to get some of his latest music like Maximal Crazy and Zero 76. "Something with a little... bounce in it." And don't start singing the coconut song.

As for the other love of my life, my inner bibliophile has been having a great time. I picked up Sara Douglass recently. I've been reading her Wayfarer Redemption series lately and I can't put them down. The editing has been deteriorating and part of me is tempted to send a letter or e-mail to her and mention it. Perhaps I can point out all the errors and the books can be re-released? Anyways. The editing may be rotting, but the story is well written. If you want to sample them, pick up Wayfarer Redemption and see for yourself. Don't blame me if you go through the whole series, though.

Anyways. That's all for now. I type a lot at work and I don't think I want to type much more tonight. Still have some gaming to do. I'll cover that next time. Tomorrow, perhaps. There's always tomorrow. =)

Techno Craving

I miss being able to post what I was listening to or watching while writing my blog post. That was one feature that I appreciated on MySpace. I'm listening to some techno right now. You can blame Tiesto for that. I susbscribed to his YouTube channel and I've been hooked on the last few songs that he's posted. Still, I think I need to branch out a little more in my techno. So I'm sampling a few things by Armin van Buuren, Kyau & Albert, and a few other random bits. Not sure if I've found anything that's supremely enthralling, but there are some catchy beats. We'll see what my search turns up. Lemme know if you have any suggestions. No need to mention David Guetta, though; I already listen to his music.

Getting Caught Up

After a very long hiatus (for which I apologize profusely), I'm back. I had meant to write blogs on a more regular basis, but I've been lazy. That, and I often feel that I don't have anything worth writing about. Setting that aside, here I am. And I'm going to make myself put some thoughts down in writing. It's good for the brain, it's good for the heart. I would have said soul, but I don't believe that a person has one - s/he is one.

Musically, nothing's terribly new lately. I'm still mostly on the same musical page as I was a couple months ago. Tiesto's put out some new songs lately like Maximal Crazy and a Mission Impossible Remix. I've also been listening to a little David Guetta. Without You has been surprisingly catchy. One non-techno song that I'll recommend is Hey Mama by Mat Kearney. It's upbeat, it's lyrical, it's soulful, and it's fun. Definitely more interesting if you watch the music video. It's also kind of sweet and/or sensual. Not sensual in a let's-go-get-it-on sense; just a quiet, blatant, relaxed attitude that's almost lazy in its affection. And there's nothing wrong with that.

In regards to the more serious aspects of life (wait, are there any?), I'm no longer going to prison on a regular basis. My parents don't get to laugh at me about that anymore. Now I'm working at an Unemployment Insurance call center. At first, I wasn't sure what to expect other than a lot of talking on the phone. Definitely been doing that and my throat doesn't thank me at the end of the day. What I wasn't expecting was the relaxed attitude and general friendliness of the place. I work with some great people. There's Jason, the regular go-to guy who seems to know everything, almost always wears jeans, and never blows his top. He always talks calmly, softly, doesn't care if you ask the same question multiple times, and doesn't care if you ask him questions three callers in a row. And there's Hallie. She's an older lady who's a couple cubes down from me. Eats healthy, spends some time walking every lunch break, and she has some interesting stories to tell. The other thing I'll add is something that happened one day at lunch and still amazes me. Someone had put a container of bread pudding on the table and Hallie said, "You should have some; it's really good." I said that I would and she turned around to wash her dishes. Maybe a minute after that I scooted my chair back, turned, and found a bowl being handed to me. I don't think she even turned around. So I sat back down and had some bread pudding. If that doesn't tell you a little about my workplace, I can't describe it to you. And taking phone calls hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be. I was a little nervous during my first call, but it's been smooth sailing after that. Most people are polite, many call me "sir" (which is more than a little weird). I've only had a few callers that were irate or unreasonable and I've managed to deal. And no, I won't put you on the phone with my supervisor. Get it through your head.

Let's see... other news? Nah, not really. For the moment, life's good. Sun is warm, grass is brown (it's winter, what do you expect?)... wind is cold. Enjoy it.

Current favs

It's been a while since my last "Current Favs" post. Therefore, it's time to bring it back! Here are this week's favs.

Play It Loud by the Black Eyed Peas


I heard this song while I was shopping with Malisa. It was playing in... Express(?) and I was bored. Then I heard the first line: "I pledge my allegiance to rhythm and sound." I was hooked after that because it fit into my veritas: music is life.

Brighter Than The Sun by Colbie Caillat


When I heard Colbie Caillat's first songs come out, I wasn't terribly impressed. Granted, her songs are well written and the woman can sing well. The songs just weren't in a style that I liked. This one's more upbeat and it's got a lively message.

Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO


This is just a fun song and the music vid makes me grin. 'nuff said. =D

Hey Mama by Mat Kearney


At first, I thought this song was done by Jack Johnson but it didn't seem to be quite his style. Took me a couple of days to figure out who sang it. Was kind of like an itch that's just out of reach - once you're irritated enough, you'll find a way to scratch it. Then there's just endorphins and a smile.

Catch-up

It's been almost a month since my last post. Probly not a good thing. It's not good to go too long without writing, without expressing myself a little. Doesn't mean that it's necessary to post good thoughts or bad thoughts. It's just good to put thoughts down every once in a while.

A few things to report for the last while. Graduated. Kind of a big step. Finished my college tour with a BS in BS (otherwise known as English Education), an AS in Computer Information Systems, a Religion minor, a Leadership Certificate, Honors student, and Cum Laude. Needless to say, I think I spent my 5 1/2 years well. More recently, life's had its ups and downs. Nothing too horrible. The weekend's been good. Just today I got two different kinds of homemade pie and found out that some paperwork is in process. Also got to hang out with some friends for half the day. Watched a movie, ate some pasta, played some games, and had odd/philosophic conversations - not necessarily in that order.

Still a few things that are up in the air, though. Looking for a job, need to figure out housing soon, wanna make myself a set of Mandalorian armor... Life's tough. Big decisions to make. But I'll get to those... when I get to them. Soon. Until then... =)

Pissed

Ugh. Now I'm kinda pissed. I just want to put the world on Stop. I want to lose the self-control. I just want to break things. Why do I never get to break things?



May 1, 2:05 a.m. - Update: Still pissed. Same reason. Same frustration. No solution in sight. I really just want to get away from everything and everyone.

The Stuff of Life

Ah... music.  In some ways it seems my life revolves around music.  Maybe I should have been a music teacher. Anyways.  Thought I'd post some of my current favorites.  No particular order, I'm just assigning them numbers to differentiate between them.

1. Waiting for the End - Linkin Park
2. C'mon (Catch 'em By Surprise) - Tiesto vs. Diplo ft. Busta Rhymes
    (There is a version of C'mon that's just Tiesto vs. Diplo)
3. Eternity - Alibi (presented by Armin Van Buuren and Tiesto)
4. Your Love - Brandon Heath
5. My Own Little World - Mathew West
6. Light Up The Sky - The Afters

You can find all of these songs on Youtube.  Some of the music videos are interesting.  Enjoy.