Sometimes I wonder if I really should write on a blog. It seems like so much of society is glued to technology devices in order to keep up with social networking statuses and the like.
I was thinking about how when I was younger, I made it a point to memorize my first cousins' birthdays. It kind of made me the person to ask when my other relatives didn't remember the date of someone's birthday. I thought it was cool to have birthdays memorized.
Nowadays, with Facebook, we do not have to take the time to remember birthdays anymore. We also do not have to spend time with any of our friends or family anymore because we can stay up to date on most people's lives by going on Facebook and reading statuses. In other words, social networking is allowing the human race to care less about their fellow human friends and we end up having so many acquaintances that we have to rely on Facebook to tell us when so many people celebrate their birthdays. This concept is sad to me.
Facebook has taken the place of instant messaging too. As such, I imagine AIM Instant Messaging, Yahoo Instant Messaging, and any other well-known instant messaging software has lost demand. Free google mail accounts and social networking sites with emailing capabilities also removed the need to pay for email services in order to keep in touch with each other.
It also reduced the amount of mail being sent through the US Postal Service. Writing letters by hand has become a dying art, so letters and cards matter more when they are received in a physical mailbox, which nowadays is dominated by assorted bills, coupons, sale ads, and marketing materials.
As I think about how the Internet is cheaper to use in some ways, I also have noticed that phone and cable companies still manage to charge Internet use bills. Bundle systems can be quite pricey. Hence, perhaps having individual access to the Internet in our homes still means technology use is expensive. One of the things we can rely on as humans is: we can always rely on humankind to come up with a way to extort money out of people for services (even if some of those services become free, life is still WAY WAY expensive).
I suppose the expensive aspects of life are strongly associated with the standard of living desired. If we want convenience of home wireless networks, individual cars to drive anywhere we want at any time we want, and assorted television channels to watch at any given moment at home, life can be expensively convenient.
The obsession with social networking keeps us away from spending time with people the old-fashioned way: by calling them up and setting up a quality time date. Even with all the technology in the world, the quality time I have spent with my family away from obsessive technology are the memories I cherish most.
Even though technology can have its drawbacks, there are still aspects of it that contribute to magical memories. I always liked listening to my Walkman while I went on road trips or sat fishing at various bodies of water on family vacations. As I grew older, devices for listening to music have changed from Walkman to portable CD player to Ipod/Zune. As a result, musical enrichment has always been an aspect of technology development to respect and appreciate.
Another aspect of technology development that has a great power to affect us is audio-visual devices. Family movies can remind us of times we may have forgotten or touched us. Photographs can commemorate memories, friends, and family that matter to us (either dead or alive). Having pictures of life over time can help us reminisce and reflect on what kind of lives we have led. Photographs can be treasures because they are not only images, but captured moments in this fleeting life.
Overall, technology is both hindering the quality of the human social experience through the advent of social networking obsessions and enhancing it via better means to listen to music, to video-record and to photograph events with video and digital cameras.
The question we must ponder is: Does technology benefit us more than it harms us? Where do we draw the line between constructive and destructive technology?
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Enlightenment, Yoga, and Pondering the Significance of Only One Life to Live
This post is more of an update about the last post. Ultimately, I decided to try to incorporate attitude-enhancing activities into my life like exercise, yoga, and meditation in order to cultivate a more positive attitude.
Sometimes life feels like it is spiraling out of control and we are helplessly caught in this whirlpool of destruction. However, seeking out guidance from others in times of need can be very beneficial to the trend direction of our life. I am very thankful to have a great immediate family and wonderful friends who have been extremely morally supportive.
My mom had told my little brother this past weekend that I would benefit from watching the recent Joel Osteen sermon on ABC Family. Mr. Osteen has such great perspectives on life that make me laugh and help me to see things differently and in a more affirmative light. I'm not a highly religious person, but I enjoy listening to Joel Osteen very much and I believe how we process our lives can have a significant impact on how we choose to live them.
Joel Osteen's message last weekend was Nothing is Wasted (Osteen 2014). His perspective on life is that sometimes things happen in life that stink, but stinky stuff is not always bad stuff (Osteen 2014). Osteen brings up the case example of how fertilizer is a key element to promote the growth of plants (Osteen 2014). As such, if people embraced the stinky stuff as the means to significant growth, people would have a better attitude about tough times in life and a better attitude can improve all facets of our lives (Osteen 2014). If bad stuff happens, it means we have the potential to grow from the experiences (Osteen 2014).
I also watched a yoga interview on a yoga DVD Getting Started With Yoga about relaxation. The yoga instructor Barbara talks about how people do not give themselves enough slack throughout their lives. People often try to take on more than they can handle and expect too much of themselves in a limited time span. Often it is best to slow down and set fewer attainable goals, so that we do not feel discouraged when we cannot achieve the unachievable. Learning how to slow down, set achievable goals, and spend time on relaxation every once in awhile allows us to treat our mind and body like our friend, as it should be.
In truth, we are only given one body in which to live a single life inside. As such, we must take care to nurture our body and appreciate life in a beneficial way. (**This is only true, if you do not believe in reincarnation.) (**And if you believe in the conservation of energy, perhaps this premise would not work either. If someone dies, the energy within their soul would find a new body. In My Soul to Take, this idea takes a very sinister turn.)
In any case, we are all human (unless aliens read my blog too) and life is full of surprises, both good ones and bad ones. Hence, learning how to take these surprises in stride can make us happier and more productive people.
I hope that I can continue to grow. I'm always amazed when I find myself growing more as a person because I always regain the belief that I've reached maturity and then have something happen to make me see that growth is still possible (even in the wisest of us).
Works Cited
Getting Started With Yoga. Dir. Michael Wohl. Perf. Barbara Benagh. BodyWisdom Media, Inc., 2008. DVD.
My Soul to Take. Dir. Wes Craven. Perf. Max Thieriot, John Magaro, and Denzel Whitaker. Rogue, 2010. DVD.
Osteen, Joel. Nothing Is Wasted. ABC Family. 22 June 2014. LightSource.com. Web. 25 June 2014.
Sometimes life feels like it is spiraling out of control and we are helplessly caught in this whirlpool of destruction. However, seeking out guidance from others in times of need can be very beneficial to the trend direction of our life. I am very thankful to have a great immediate family and wonderful friends who have been extremely morally supportive.
My mom had told my little brother this past weekend that I would benefit from watching the recent Joel Osteen sermon on ABC Family. Mr. Osteen has such great perspectives on life that make me laugh and help me to see things differently and in a more affirmative light. I'm not a highly religious person, but I enjoy listening to Joel Osteen very much and I believe how we process our lives can have a significant impact on how we choose to live them.
Joel Osteen's message last weekend was Nothing is Wasted (Osteen 2014). His perspective on life is that sometimes things happen in life that stink, but stinky stuff is not always bad stuff (Osteen 2014). Osteen brings up the case example of how fertilizer is a key element to promote the growth of plants (Osteen 2014). As such, if people embraced the stinky stuff as the means to significant growth, people would have a better attitude about tough times in life and a better attitude can improve all facets of our lives (Osteen 2014). If bad stuff happens, it means we have the potential to grow from the experiences (Osteen 2014).
I also watched a yoga interview on a yoga DVD Getting Started With Yoga about relaxation. The yoga instructor Barbara talks about how people do not give themselves enough slack throughout their lives. People often try to take on more than they can handle and expect too much of themselves in a limited time span. Often it is best to slow down and set fewer attainable goals, so that we do not feel discouraged when we cannot achieve the unachievable. Learning how to slow down, set achievable goals, and spend time on relaxation every once in awhile allows us to treat our mind and body like our friend, as it should be.
In truth, we are only given one body in which to live a single life inside. As such, we must take care to nurture our body and appreciate life in a beneficial way. (**This is only true, if you do not believe in reincarnation.) (**And if you believe in the conservation of energy, perhaps this premise would not work either. If someone dies, the energy within their soul would find a new body. In My Soul to Take, this idea takes a very sinister turn.)
In any case, we are all human (unless aliens read my blog too) and life is full of surprises, both good ones and bad ones. Hence, learning how to take these surprises in stride can make us happier and more productive people.
I hope that I can continue to grow. I'm always amazed when I find myself growing more as a person because I always regain the belief that I've reached maturity and then have something happen to make me see that growth is still possible (even in the wisest of us).
Works Cited
Getting Started With Yoga. Dir. Michael Wohl. Perf. Barbara Benagh. BodyWisdom Media, Inc., 2008. DVD.
My Soul to Take. Dir. Wes Craven. Perf. Max Thieriot, John Magaro, and Denzel Whitaker. Rogue, 2010. DVD.
Osteen, Joel. Nothing Is Wasted. ABC Family. 22 June 2014. LightSource.com. Web. 25 June 2014.
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Hunting for Work, Critical Relatives, Judgment vs. Love, A Better Kinder World, and Life's Trenches
I have come to the realization that disappointing my extended family terrifies me. June has just started and right before it became June, I found myself sending out a ton of resumes and applying to jobs. The sad part about it is that this sudden need to desperately find a job was initiated by the terror of knowing that my extended family would rip me a new one if I attend an upcoming family bridal shower without one.
I'm currently trying to work out a final requirement for graduation and the lack of knowing what tasks or commitments will be expected from me this summer has created a lot of uncertainty. I am limited for job seeking due to the lack of availability awareness. I'm also limited in what I can say on my resume because I should have graduated in May, but without meeting this final requirement, I might have to extend the graduation date I report on my resume and on future job applications. As such, a job hunt that would have been easier with known certifications has become more complicated.
I don't think family should be judgmental towards one another. Being judgmental is not conducive with love. To truly love someone else, we must accept them and love them for who they are. Judging others is not even what mere mortals should do. The only person who knows all the wise and unwise things we have done is each individual and possibly the universal consciousness. Whether these things were good or bad, right or wrong, and what the overall tally is is usually complicated. Logic sometimes is not one absolute versus another absolute. Often, it is hard to decide what is the best option and sometimes the benefits do not equal the consequences. Sometimes we do not know all of the parameters making up a paradigm.
All I know for sure is that it is wrong that I feel like being around my extended family is the same as being blindfolded in front of a firing squad. I understand that I haven't figured out my life yet. I understand that I should be working and paying my own way. I understand that lenders harassing my 83-year old grandmother and father most of the year for my past loans is wrong. I understand that my not having a job yet after what should have been my graduation is not ideal. I understand that not having a job in a family of workaholics means I'm scum to them. I realize that they may think I'm a waste of oxygen if I'm not being productive. I understand all of this. I have a brutal inner critic that is twice the bully that anyone else can be, but it hurts me even more when my inner bully has friends to root her on for my own mental collapse.
Why can't our loved ones be supportive?! I believe that if people were nicer to one another, we would be much more successful as a species. Furthermore, we all know who the supportive people are in our lives and these people are valued much higher than any of the others. Everybody wants to be accepted and treated as if they are worth something (even while they are going through a rough patch, even while they are in a mediocre job or are unemployed, even while they are losing their minds, even when they are different from most people, even when they have reached the absolute bottom of life's well of despair). We want to be heard, respected, valued, and treated like everyone deserves to be treated (courteously and as equals as fellow human beings).
I keep hoping the world will change and become a better place. However, it seems like the world stays mostly the same regardless of what initiatives are started in aims of exterminating bad practices by people towards other people. Sometimes, there are glimmers of hope and signs that all human beings are not morally bankrupt. We all cheer inside when someone out there does the right thing in a tough situation. I wish it happened more often.
I will keep dreaming about a better kinder world, while I avoid the haters in the trenches and only leave them covered with armor made of sarcasm for short journeys to different trenches. That's what life is: moving from one trench to another, hoping to survive long enough to find a trench worth fortifying and a treasure worth protecting. A treasure can be values, people, real estate, intellect, and anything else that matters to an individual enough to merit protecting from corruption.
I'm currently trying to work out a final requirement for graduation and the lack of knowing what tasks or commitments will be expected from me this summer has created a lot of uncertainty. I am limited for job seeking due to the lack of availability awareness. I'm also limited in what I can say on my resume because I should have graduated in May, but without meeting this final requirement, I might have to extend the graduation date I report on my resume and on future job applications. As such, a job hunt that would have been easier with known certifications has become more complicated.
I don't think family should be judgmental towards one another. Being judgmental is not conducive with love. To truly love someone else, we must accept them and love them for who they are. Judging others is not even what mere mortals should do. The only person who knows all the wise and unwise things we have done is each individual and possibly the universal consciousness. Whether these things were good or bad, right or wrong, and what the overall tally is is usually complicated. Logic sometimes is not one absolute versus another absolute. Often, it is hard to decide what is the best option and sometimes the benefits do not equal the consequences. Sometimes we do not know all of the parameters making up a paradigm.
All I know for sure is that it is wrong that I feel like being around my extended family is the same as being blindfolded in front of a firing squad. I understand that I haven't figured out my life yet. I understand that I should be working and paying my own way. I understand that lenders harassing my 83-year old grandmother and father most of the year for my past loans is wrong. I understand that my not having a job yet after what should have been my graduation is not ideal. I understand that not having a job in a family of workaholics means I'm scum to them. I realize that they may think I'm a waste of oxygen if I'm not being productive. I understand all of this. I have a brutal inner critic that is twice the bully that anyone else can be, but it hurts me even more when my inner bully has friends to root her on for my own mental collapse.
Why can't our loved ones be supportive?! I believe that if people were nicer to one another, we would be much more successful as a species. Furthermore, we all know who the supportive people are in our lives and these people are valued much higher than any of the others. Everybody wants to be accepted and treated as if they are worth something (even while they are going through a rough patch, even while they are in a mediocre job or are unemployed, even while they are losing their minds, even when they are different from most people, even when they have reached the absolute bottom of life's well of despair). We want to be heard, respected, valued, and treated like everyone deserves to be treated (courteously and as equals as fellow human beings).
I keep hoping the world will change and become a better place. However, it seems like the world stays mostly the same regardless of what initiatives are started in aims of exterminating bad practices by people towards other people. Sometimes, there are glimmers of hope and signs that all human beings are not morally bankrupt. We all cheer inside when someone out there does the right thing in a tough situation. I wish it happened more often.
I will keep dreaming about a better kinder world, while I avoid the haters in the trenches and only leave them covered with armor made of sarcasm for short journeys to different trenches. That's what life is: moving from one trench to another, hoping to survive long enough to find a trench worth fortifying and a treasure worth protecting. A treasure can be values, people, real estate, intellect, and anything else that matters to an individual enough to merit protecting from corruption.
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Meryl & Maks, Dance Show-Lover's Mind, and the Upcoming Hot Tamale Train on May 28th!!
I always have to have an obsession. This past semester was my last semester towards my B.S. in Civil Engineering with emphasis in Water/Environmental Studies (with a minor in Technology Commercialization). Since graduation was this past Saturday, I have been avidly watching for the posting of grades this week. It's too disappointing to keep checking and have nothing be there, so I moved on to something else (to keep my sanity (assuming I had any)).
As such, last night I watched Dancing with the Stars. I only caught an episode here and there throughout the season (because senior engineering projects tend to keep me busy). From what I had watched, I had become mesmerized by Meryl & Maks. They are a phenomenal dancing pair with loads of chemistry.
I am hoping for several things to occur on tomorrow's finale of Dancing with the Stars. I hope the following things will occur:
As much as James was a far better dancer and was glorious eye candy, he had more stage performance in his background and 12-pack abs. As much as he was and still is a beautiful performer, Candice had been improving. The audience for Dancing with the Stars is also most likely older than James' current Big Time Rush fans. Hence, Cameron probably had more of the "Full House" fans on her side voting than James did.
As I was saying, Candice has been improving. Her "Nasty" Janet Jackson Jazz routine was very precise and creative later in the season. Her characters have been quirky and modest throughout the season. She knows who she is and wasn't afraid to incorporate her past experience with "Full House" into her performances. By paying an homage to Full House in her tribute dance and going with Elvis, she was able to incorporate fun into her dance. I also still think it was hilarious that her last dance last night wearing the gold bodysuit had "DJ Tanner" flashing in the screens behind her. It was clever allusion humor, which I appreciate very much.
As such, I understand why America picked her to be in the finale and I like that a dancer representing the struggle of improvement in an unknown art is represented. Although I will still love James and imagine him as the next Christian Bale when he's older (Thank you, Universe, for making such fine eye candy). The other finalists were also contenders to win.
Throughout the season, Amy has been an inspiration to watch. There were a couple episodes that made me cry. I especially loved her tribute dance to her father. Someone who deals with something as devastating as having limbs amputated and manages to live life to the fullest is amazing. In some ways, she has won as a representative for adversity. As much as I love her and what she represents, I still hope Meryl and Maks win though.
Meryl has overcome an adversity of shyness and has opened up in ways America has never seen her do before. And Maks has never won on Dancing with the Stars over the course of 13 seasons. Meryl has brought beautiful choreography out of Maks and has a beautiful friendship with him. I realize that she is an Olympian (as is Amy), but her growth as a person has been wonderful to watch as well through dance.
Thus, I hope tomorrow's finale dances are as amazing as I hope they will be. I also hope that Meryl and Maks will take home the trophy. But regardless of who actually wins, I understand why they won because of what they represent in a "dance show-lover's" mind.
When Dancing with the Stars ends, my next show obsession will be another awesome dance show: So You Think You Can Dance, which starts on Fox on a new season on May 28th. I love my name-twin judge Mary Murphy and her Hot Tamale Train!! Woohoo!!
As such, last night I watched Dancing with the Stars. I only caught an episode here and there throughout the season (because senior engineering projects tend to keep me busy). From what I had watched, I had become mesmerized by Meryl & Maks. They are a phenomenal dancing pair with loads of chemistry.
I am hoping for several things to occur on tomorrow's finale of Dancing with the Stars. I hope the following things will occur:
- Meryl and Maks will kiss at the end of a dance.
- Meryl and Maks will win this season of Dancing with the Stars.
- Meryl and Maks will discuss what their relationship will be in the future.
As much as James was a far better dancer and was glorious eye candy, he had more stage performance in his background and 12-pack abs. As much as he was and still is a beautiful performer, Candice had been improving. The audience for Dancing with the Stars is also most likely older than James' current Big Time Rush fans. Hence, Cameron probably had more of the "Full House" fans on her side voting than James did.
As I was saying, Candice has been improving. Her "Nasty" Janet Jackson Jazz routine was very precise and creative later in the season. Her characters have been quirky and modest throughout the season. She knows who she is and wasn't afraid to incorporate her past experience with "Full House" into her performances. By paying an homage to Full House in her tribute dance and going with Elvis, she was able to incorporate fun into her dance. I also still think it was hilarious that her last dance last night wearing the gold bodysuit had "DJ Tanner" flashing in the screens behind her. It was clever allusion humor, which I appreciate very much.
As such, I understand why America picked her to be in the finale and I like that a dancer representing the struggle of improvement in an unknown art is represented. Although I will still love James and imagine him as the next Christian Bale when he's older (Thank you, Universe, for making such fine eye candy). The other finalists were also contenders to win.
Throughout the season, Amy has been an inspiration to watch. There were a couple episodes that made me cry. I especially loved her tribute dance to her father. Someone who deals with something as devastating as having limbs amputated and manages to live life to the fullest is amazing. In some ways, she has won as a representative for adversity. As much as I love her and what she represents, I still hope Meryl and Maks win though.
Meryl has overcome an adversity of shyness and has opened up in ways America has never seen her do before. And Maks has never won on Dancing with the Stars over the course of 13 seasons. Meryl has brought beautiful choreography out of Maks and has a beautiful friendship with him. I realize that she is an Olympian (as is Amy), but her growth as a person has been wonderful to watch as well through dance.
Thus, I hope tomorrow's finale dances are as amazing as I hope they will be. I also hope that Meryl and Maks will take home the trophy. But regardless of who actually wins, I understand why they won because of what they represent in a "dance show-lover's" mind.
When Dancing with the Stars ends, my next show obsession will be another awesome dance show: So You Think You Can Dance, which starts on Fox on a new season on May 28th. I love my name-twin judge Mary Murphy and her Hot Tamale Train!! Woohoo!!
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Cell Phones Are Like Alice in Wonderland; Nooks Can't Read, But We Can Read Them
I've noticed a rather funny thing this Christmas. When cell phones first came out, they were really big. Years of effort went into making cell phones smaller in industry to make it more convenient for the mass populace to carry them in pockets and purses. Now, I've realized that the cell phone industry has reverted back to making cell phones bigger like they were when they first came into existence. Of course, the reason the cell phones are going back to being bigger is to allow for the making of the smart phone.
Playing games with friends utilizing apps due to how busy life is has become a staple. I'm amazed with how much technology has advanced with respect to the cell phone industry. It seems like the cell phone industry is always at the top of its game. I wonder why the development of environmentally-friendly energy technology is not as efficient as the cell phone industry. It's kind of sad. I guess the cell phone industry is kind of like Alice in Wonderland, having to change its size in order to fit into specific doorways set by society.
Here's another thing I've discovered over winter break. My nephew was reading Dr. Seuss' One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish one day. I was criticizing his choice of that book because my nephew is a very smart boy and his reading level is much higher than the level required to read Dr. Seuss.
I exclaimed that I could probably recite the book if I was allowed to read it. So he would let me read a page and then I would try to recite it back to him verbatim. But then I soon realized the book I remembered from my childhood was "A LOT" more complicated and much longer than I had remembered it to be. However, through the reading of the book, I came across the irony for the name of another popular technology innovation called the "Nook".
In One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, there is a species described called a nook. Ironically, "nooks can't read", according to Dr. Seuss. This fact seemed rather humorous to me because the technology innovation called a Nook that is used by the mass populace is a device that people read from using stored pages read on a computer screen. Hence, a Nook is used to read, when it can't read itself. In some ways, it is a very profound concept. But it is also very VERY ironic.
In any case, I've realized that technology development is dictated by demand. Hence, sustainability would be better off if the mass populace screamed about the need for environmental energy development louder than they screamed about smart phone game application development. If people purchased billions of small devices to propagate the generation of revenue related to energy development, the entire nation would probably be running on green technology.
I also have realized that sometimes there are name origins for devices that refer back to forgotten sources. Furthermore, Dr. Seuss books can be very complicated upon reading them as an adult. I still think my nephew should read other books that fit his reading level better, but I suppose that book in particular has more to it than I thought.
Playing games with friends utilizing apps due to how busy life is has become a staple. I'm amazed with how much technology has advanced with respect to the cell phone industry. It seems like the cell phone industry is always at the top of its game. I wonder why the development of environmentally-friendly energy technology is not as efficient as the cell phone industry. It's kind of sad. I guess the cell phone industry is kind of like Alice in Wonderland, having to change its size in order to fit into specific doorways set by society.
Here's another thing I've discovered over winter break. My nephew was reading Dr. Seuss' One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish one day. I was criticizing his choice of that book because my nephew is a very smart boy and his reading level is much higher than the level required to read Dr. Seuss.
I exclaimed that I could probably recite the book if I was allowed to read it. So he would let me read a page and then I would try to recite it back to him verbatim. But then I soon realized the book I remembered from my childhood was "A LOT" more complicated and much longer than I had remembered it to be. However, through the reading of the book, I came across the irony for the name of another popular technology innovation called the "Nook".
In One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, there is a species described called a nook. Ironically, "nooks can't read", according to Dr. Seuss. This fact seemed rather humorous to me because the technology innovation called a Nook that is used by the mass populace is a device that people read from using stored pages read on a computer screen. Hence, a Nook is used to read, when it can't read itself. In some ways, it is a very profound concept. But it is also very VERY ironic.
In any case, I've realized that technology development is dictated by demand. Hence, sustainability would be better off if the mass populace screamed about the need for environmental energy development louder than they screamed about smart phone game application development. If people purchased billions of small devices to propagate the generation of revenue related to energy development, the entire nation would probably be running on green technology.
I also have realized that sometimes there are name origins for devices that refer back to forgotten sources. Furthermore, Dr. Seuss books can be very complicated upon reading them as an adult. I still think my nephew should read other books that fit his reading level better, but I suppose that book in particular has more to it than I thought.
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Blog Reflections, Grave Danger, Tarantino, and CSI Opinions
I often question whether I should attach a link to my blog onto various social networking websites. On the upside, it shows that I can string multiple words together into cohesive sentences. Having a blog also shows that I practice writing a great deal and am likely to have heightened communication skills for writing more than others.
However, I often believe that the nature of my blog is too informal to share on professional networking websites. If my blog was on something specific like a skill or recipes, maybe I'd see it as a showcase of educational enrichment. Instead, it is more of a grab bag of journal entries, book reviews, life philosophy, and whatever I happen to feel like writing at the time it is written.
I also have a few short stories and essays on here. I still keep trying to submit them to writing contests (because I have always wanted to be a writer), but I don't really know what genres to categorize them in because I often feel that they could fall under multiple genres or would require a new one. Sci-Fy Feminism, Political Humor, Science Fiction, Fantasy, or Fantasy Drama are some of the genres I have considered for my stories. I'm not an expert, though.
Speaking of artists who like to think outside the box like me, I was watching the BEST CSI-two part episode Grave Danger that was directed by Quentin Tarantino (a genius). After watching the additional content about the episodes, I was really excited to find out that he was a hardcore fan of CSI like I have been since the show first aired on CBS. Having something in common with a well-known filmmaker is awesome!! :D
It was so cool to see how much Tarantino respected the actors on CSI to know how their characters would react in given situations and how Tarantino incorporated the CSI writing staff in his two-part episode. Respecting others and allowing others to incorporate their talents into an endeavor always makes for a better process and ultimately final product.
CSI has always utilized dry intelligent humor, which has always been my cup of tea. Hence, I have been an avid fan throughout the seasons. I was disappointed when Grissom left and they brought in Morpheus from the Matrix to run the lab (at least, run the lab thought process-wise). It seemed like there were more people issues incorporated into the show in those seasons. I always appreciated CSI for the science part more than for the social drama part.
I liked when Ted Danson (D.B.) started heading up the lab, though. It seemed like the show went back to pushing boundaries and exploring new worlds (like in the first D.B. episode about the octopus).
It was better to have Ted Danson head up the team for a few reasons. I felt that as an audience, we knew what Dr. Langsten's (Morpheus') history was from the beginning. He was a doctor and a professor. This kind of took the mystery out of the new team addition. With D.B., the mystery is still very much intact. Hence, the mysterious supervisor keeps us intrigued. D.B. is also a fun person because he can talk to kids and his manner on the show suggests that he has a positive attitude. Langston had more of a dreary attitude and a fear of losing control hanging about him while he was on CSI. It just did not feel right to have that atmosphere on the show. Lastly, Dr. Robbins has a very strong fanbase. Therefore, it wasn't enjoyable to have another doctor (Dr. Langston) on the show infringing on Dr. Robbins' territory. We love our coroners!! New actors need not apply.
In any case, I'm glad that the show has changed its cast. I felt that the Alice in Wonderland wedding episode really brought CSI back to life. Also, I feel that they did a wonderful tribute to Willows on the two-part episode when she was shot. It was awesome that they did an allusion back to her first episode on CSI to send her on her way. The description of the feeling from solving a case as "feeling like King Kong on cocaine" was priceless. Hence, I am looking forward to the new season!! :D
I'm kind of hoping that Nick will be promoted to supervisor and Greg will be incorporated more into the forensic fieldwork. I'd like my veteran CSI's to have more air-time. It is kind of getting down to slim-pickings on veterans. I still appreciate it when Mandy, the lab tech that has been around a long time, gets air-time as well. Lab technicians really deserve more credit than they are given.
In any case, I love my CSI, Tarantino, and my crazy blog. It is fun to have opinions and write about what I'm thinking at any given time. It keeps me from living on a Tibetan mountainside in a monastery.
Monday, July 8, 2013
Lost Dreams, Inner Judgments, Summer Happens While I Made Other Plans (That Failed)
I keep dreaming that I'm lost. I dream that I'm attending high school again after I've already graduated. I feel awkward and ashamed that I'm back in high school, when I've already been to college in real life. I keep thinking that I should not be moving backwards. Sometimes, I dream that I am back in Colorguard, doing routines for current football seasons. It feels so surreal, but there is truth in what it is referring to in real life.
I reflect on how my life has gone up to this point. I kind of feel ashamed of having taken general education classes, when I found out afterwards that I could have waived them with a form at my second college two years ago. I like to believe it was partly my adviser's fault, since she didn't realize that such a form existed and it was the reason why I was submitting 140 credits worth of transfer credit forms.
Furthermore, perhaps I was supposed to have taken introductory courses in civil engineering, so that I could network into the job opportunity that I had in the summer of 2012. Maybe, everything was supposed to work out this way. It seems so weird that I had to go backwards in order to go forward.
This summer has not gone the way I thought it would go. I had 3 potential job opportunities and they all fell through. I am afraid of not having enough financial aid to cover next year's tuition and books. This dreary possibility has upset the very core of my being. Thus, I am depressed.
I have been filling out scholarship and job applications all summer. Cleaning my room is still a work-in-progress (WIP). My inner critic is having a field day with the actuality that is my life this summer. Yet, I hope that whatever slump I'm in will cease to exist and the summer can be salvaged. Perhaps, I should try my luck at BINGO sometime this summer because I have won before in the past on rare occasions when I really needed a win.
I shall hope that the financial aid and employment gods smile upon me and the rays of sunshine break through the dark cloudy skies. I need something to work out, so I can finish the yearly academic plan that I have made for this coming 2013-2014 school year. If all else fails, BINGO!
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