Old Music and Sweet Savings

Just two things to write about tonight. I need to get to bed soon so this post will be short. But two things of note happened today.

First, I heard a lot of "older" music: "All The Small Things" by Blink 182, "Iris" by The Goo Goo Dolls, "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol, and a few more that refuse return to the surface of my submerged memory. I find it significant that most of the older songs that I heard today came out in the late '90s and early '00s. Either the radio stations were feeling nostalgic or they recognize what those of our generation already know: most music today sucks; our generation did better. That's not to say that all of the newer artists are terrible. I think some that have lately risen to prominence, such as David Guetta and Bruno Mars, are quite talented. But the majority stink.

Second, my Asian fiscal sense is quite satisfied after today. Smug, really. Malisa and I went shopping today to get a few essentials for me. Needed a couple heavier coats (after $8 and 6 years, Steve&Barry's coat needed to retire) and some snow/hiking boots; also came away with a pair of snow pants and a book. Everything was on sale. The coats were severely discounted ($600 --> $145, $150 --> $35) and those make up the majority of the smugness. The amount of money saved is rather nice, though. As Russel Peters said, Asians are cheap. And proud of it =D.

Life is heavy as a mountain; work is a feather.

I have not posted in some time. Almost a month. This is not a felicitous sign. That's right, I said "felicitous". Blame it on the books I've been reading. I've been reading through the Foreigner series by C.J. Cherryh and that word is liberally sprinkled throughout. Fun reading =D.

Well, there have been a few interesting events since I last wrote. For instance, I got asked at Subway if I wanted world piece with my sandwich. I said I'd have a piece. Upon exiting, I was immediately asked if I could spare a Mountain Dew (I happened to be carrying a 12-pack of Livewire). The speaker was a young man who seemed to be decently well-off. I'm not sure if he was homeless or if he just had the balls to ask. Seeing no reason not to, I spared a Dew. If he was in dire straits, at least they're livelier now; if not, he had the balls to ask and I don't feel bad.

And in job news, I've been answering phones and questions regarding unemployment. If you didn't already know, you do now. Some of the work is interesting, some is repetitive, some is repetitive, and some is a bit frustrating. The two most common questions (paraphrased) are: "Where is my money?" and "When will I get my money?". The money actually belongs to Uncle Sam, and I sometimes feel like telling callers that they're not entitled to a penny and they can "take this scroll and stick it... somewhere safe," as Ryze (a game character) says. But who knows, there may be a position change soon. Or a job change. Gotta fill out some applications.

Anyways. I feel hungry and I've got a little shop browsing to do tonight. Later.

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.

Win!

Seen on a t-shirt in Target:

Perturbed

I find myself slightly perturbed. More than slightly, really. There are some things that a man does not believe in until he sees them himself. Tonight, I have seen. I did not think it possible. A part of my mind still thinks that I'm tricking myself. Life would certainly be simpler. Such things were not meant for men to see.

Which did you take? The blue pill or the red pill?

Not sure how many people still keep up with blogs these days, much less read mine. That's okay. The real reason to write a blog is just to put my thoughts down somewhere. Some days, I just need to get thoughts out of my head. It doesn't matter if anyone looks over them and/or responds to them. As long as I know they're somewhere, I'll feel better.

I'm having a bit of a spiritual undermining lately. Theological ground has looked shaky to me in the last while. Not my personal spirituality, but general Christian theology. I heard a few years ago that a large percentage of young people were leaving the church (SDA) and that the church was having trouble retaining new converts. It seems that such problems are still around. Possibly they never left - possibly they got worse. And it troubles me on a personal level because I'm starting to realize that I know some of those people. Not necessarily converts, but young people. The other day, in a Facebook conversation with multiple people, a friend of mine casually mentioned that he was an atheist and I happen to know that he was an SDA a few years ago. I don't know what's happened to him. I can only guess. But it's hard to understand how someone who has some knowledge of how God moves in this world can suddenly decide that God doesn't exist.

It's almost as hard to understand how someone can believe that all life is predestined and we are all puppets dancing on strings because God has decided that we must suffer. That was a disheartening conversation. More of a debate, really. And my friend is very set on this idea. I don't remember all of what he discussed but his view on God disturbed me. Somehow, my friend has lost sight of who God is and what He stands for. In his eyes, life must be very bleak or very blissful. It could be blissful because in a predestined timeline, one never need worry; everything will happen as it has been decided. Simply put, insha'allah: if God wills it. Or to phrase it differently, "All is as God wills it" - Imad, Kingdom of Heaven. Or life could be very bleak - your future is already decided and there's nothing you can do about it. "The All-Father wove the skein of your life a long time ago. Go and hide in a hole if you wish, but you won't live one instant longer. Your fate is fixed" - Herger, The 13th Warrior. Granted, I left the last line out because it didn't suit my purpose. The quote finishes with the line, "Fear profits a man nothing". Still... if only life were that simple. If choice never mattered there really wouldn't be a need to worry.

But that's what life on Earth is all about. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy got this one right. There is an experiment happening on Earth. Or, rather, the planet Earth IS the experiment. And the universe wonders, "Do we really have choice?" Eventually, the planet will be destroyed. But it won't be the Vogons and the experiment won't continue. Hopefully, my friends will pick up on that. Before the mice get them.