Saturday, April 30, 2011

Music

I enjoy that feeling when you turn on your CD player, cassette player, ipod, zune, computer, etc. and playing that first song of the day.


There's that moment of utter bliss when whatever song your listening to just runs through your body and can even control it. The catchier the song is to you the more you're inclined to sing or tap along. When you are doing homework you're more concentrated (depending on how you work of course). A song helps convey the mood of a movie scene. It helps us athletes concentrate and pump us up. A song can make your day. It can brighten your mood. Music does a whole variety of good things for our body and mind.

It's awesome when you find that good song or artist. Like when I'm browsing through itunes or listening to 8tracks and I find a good song, something clicks in my head. At first I'm initially interested in the song, then it begins to grow on me and I find myself playing it again just to savor the moment again.

Here's how I work with the genres:

  • Pop: I use this kind of music to initially get me through my morning and on the drive to school. It's also good for those fill-in songs during the day when I can't make up my mind on what music to play. The songs vary on how I like them, and I usually delete this music after at least a year for new stuff.
  • Alternative/Rock/Punk/ Heavy Metal (Not too heavy for me): One of my favorite genres of music. It can be anything really from catching pop bands to heavy screaming. I use these songs for a lot of things every day it would take another list to name them all. It usually takes longer for me to replace these songs like at least a year and some just are permanently glued to my playlist.
  • Country: Not my favorite genre, but there's so really good ones out there. I don't usually own any of the songs myself, but it's nice to hear good ones on the radio.
  • Classical: O where to begin! My absolute favorite genre! There's just one thing I use for it though concentration and thought. Right now I'm playing this song: Escape! Phillip Glass
    I often get lost in classical music while I'm doing my homework of laying on my bed. Really what I like about it is that there's no words (unless you include Opera in this category) so you can use your imagination to describe the feelings the song portrays. I can go on and on about it, but for list's sake onward!
  • Jazz: A lot of it is like classical, but with a different feel. It's a bit more chill and upbeat than classical. I dunno whether it's my favorite or not. But I do like it and its a breath of fresh air at times from my classical playlists.
  • Rap/ Hip-Hop/ R&B: Okay I mostly hate Rap and Hip-Hop. But there are a few songs within the genre I do like and some of it is actually fun especially like ones with the specific dances like Jerking and Cat Daddy. Kid Cudi and some of Kanye's songs are pretty genius along with some others. The genres fairly new compared to others and it still has potentialR&B I tend to like more than the others because of it's lighter chiller tone and has that pop feel you can't help but like.
  • Parody: What more can I say than a lot of these are awesome! Weird Al is a genius and I have to admit some of his songs sound better than the original. Others I have no idea how people can come up with them Example: Assumption song Hilarious!
    It's sad I learned all the lyrics to this song and can sing it by heart.....
  • Covers: While we are on the topic of remakes of songs, there's a lot of covers of songs out there. You can just type in any popular song on youtube and for sure there will be an acoustic cover of it. It's not the most original of most genres, but it's unique in which someone takes a song and puts a new spin on it.
That's most of the genres I can think of.
Now for the other side of the spectrum:
The EVIL side of music.

There's bad things music can do. It can be rather annoying. For example I hate people who blast their music with the bass up. I can be guilty of it too at times due to peer pressure. It's just one of those things that it's fun doing, but you hate it when it happens to you.
Some songs are overplayed and some shouldn't be played at all. Rebecca Black you are the music industry's Bubonic Plague, but at least you make me appreciate real music.
Most of it is pirated (guilty) and many of the artists don't get the proper credit they deserve.

But despite it's faults, music is such a beautiful thing. It's the human idea of mixing a bunch of sounds from practically anything and making art out of it. Just like art many people see beauty from different things. Someone may absolutely worship rap and think Classical music is boring. And I think Rap is crap (haha) and of course like Classical music. Both genres are amazing in their own way it's just both of our opinions whether we like them or not.


















My final thought on music. I honestly think music is also the voice of God (or fill in whatever you believe in even if it's nothing). Something so beautiful and so able to form into so many things must come from something so perfect as God.
Otherwise we wouldn't have put so much work into making it even more beautiful and making it a part of our lives.

So thanks for reading my perspective and thoughts in the wonderful world of sounds, thoughts and feelings we call Music.
Now if you excuse me I have to get back to some homework with the Hans Zimmer's Inception soundtrack!

Friday, April 29, 2011

College Bound!

So I have approximately 3 weeks left of High School and about 5 months left with most of my friends, family, and swim career.
I'm dead set on my college of choice University of California Merced. After getting accepted there as well as several tours, shadowing, and spending a night there I made my choice. What's even greater, I've got three of my best friends since grade school coming along with me! And another one is going to a University just an hour away.
My High School grades are great and I'm for sure graduating.
Wow... High School, well.... Life in general is just speeding by...

Really High School, you've been great and I've gotten many great friends and memories out of you, and I'll miss you in due time, but I'm totally ready too ready for college!

Only gripes I have going to college:
  • Smaller room and no more comfy bed at home -____- (That place has been like my throne)
  • No awesome home cooking.... Well time to get my body ready for a lot of cafeteria food and Hot Pockets XP. Thank goodness there's a gym.
  • Ending of my swim career. There's no swim team or pool at the University... I've been swimming for 10 years, all of those under a club with the final four with High School as well, so it's going to be tough parting from competitive swimming.
  • Parting from 90% of my friends. Besides the ones coming with me distance is going to make it tough from me seeing a lot of my friends... That's going to be tough.
  • Parting from my family. My family can be annoying at times and I can get sick of them. But I'm definitely going to miss their company and having that parental guidance at times. 
No worries though I'll cope with all the bad things and I'll still be able to come back and visit everyone. It's not like I've been stranded on Mars.

Man but all this freedom of leaving the nest called Home...
High School prepared me for college.
College is preparing me to be somebody!
A phase of my life is ending and a new one is beginning. I'm definitely excited, World here I come!

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Boredom

One thing in life I love to hate is boredom.....

It's a driving force at first to make you get off your ass and do something.
It's a horrible feeling when you've done all you think you can do.

You feel antsy and you want to do something, but.... you don't know what that "what" is.

My Cures for Boredom:

  1. Watch T.V. - First thing I go straight for when boredom hits. I get a few shows and anime in and then....
  2. Play Video Games- Self exclamatory
  3. Computer- This is the biggest boredom killer because one word: INTERNET. I can like make a subcategory for this like facebook, twitter, etc. , but here's the top things I do on the computer.
  • Stumbleupon- If you haven't found this application it's the biggest time killer in the world. 
You basically sign up (for free of course) and you do a small checklist of your interests.
Finally you download a toolbar that has a stumble! button, press it and it's like discovering new worlds!
I've found so many funny and interesting on stumbleupon so if you're interested here's a link enjoy!
http://www.stumbleupon.com/
  • 8tracks- There's a bunch of music mix sites, but for now I'm sticking with 8tracks. People make some chill mixes on here and it's where I go for something new. Mostly to satisfy my classical needs.

     4. Here's when I start getting desperate and starting to stall:
  • Yelling and Cursing in my house (when I'm alone of course). I dunno I really find joy in this, remember this is the desperate step.
  • Take a Shower (again)- It's an automatic in the morning, but now I'm just stalling.
  • Small trip around my town- This kills my gas, but it's in the name of my boredom.
  • Eat, walk around, repeat until I find something to do- This is my final trump card and it usually has good results and I get lunch done.
So ya that's boredom to me. A horrible feeling but good incentive to make me do something productive like make this article X).

Thursday, April 21, 2011

One Lovely Blog Award

Hey an award what do you know? Thanks Mr. LB really appreciate it!



I just write to put my thoughts, opinions, rants, and whatever somewhere. I never really expect anyone to read any of my things. I don't have the best grammar in the world and it's hard for me to make my content reader friendly, so thanks to whoever reads my stuff or even better yet comments!

So I have to pick 15 people for this award D: ya... that's like mostly everyone that follows me haha.... So I'll bend some rules like LB and pick how about 5 and make it even more special.

So here's the people I think deserve this award!

Emily-http://justmycrazyboringlife.blogspot.com/
Catherine- http://catherineava.blogspot.com/
Sami- http://samiisthegame.blogspot.com/
theVibeGirl- http://forgettinganna.blogspot.com/
LakshanaMithra- http://flamingleaves.blogspot.com/

Saturday, April 16, 2011

First Day of Spring Break!

So I finally get a much deserved vacation!!! Spring Break is here!!!

Let's see the things I've done over the past few weeks that I've been so busy with:
  • I watched my school's edition of Les Miserable. It's such a great musical I recommend watching it. It's up their with Phantom of the Opera and Wicked in my book. Took plenty of pictures there and had a great time altogether seeing my classmates efforts at making it so awesome.
  • So many projects. For Economics we had a major project IES (International Economic Summit) and for my religion class (I go to a private catholic school) I had to do a marriage project with my "wife" X) here's a pic of us


  • Had a few swim meets here and there.
  • Still finding a date to prom, I have one possible one so I have do something cute to ask her now (gotta think of something).
  • Had days when I'm feeling like, crap, alone, confused, and mediocre.
  • But had days which were awesome and I had a blast like at our senior prank on April 1st



So really my senior has been great so far! Yes I've had my depressing moments and times when I felt like utter crap, but you just have to fill those up with happy ones!
So life is as good as you make it and I plan to be better than good.
So.... Let me explain. We had a huge project for Economics class where we had to role play as a country and trade with other countries. So we also had to come in costume and these two are Saudi Arabia so they decided to go a little Disney. guess which one it is :D?
Btw... that's not a Qur'an so ya don't worry they're not bashing a religion (It's a Hardy Boys book haha)

Les Miserable (school edition)

It's such a great musical! It's really worth watching!

O Dear Looks Like I've been Tagged

So Mr. LB tagged me on one of his posts, so challenge accepted I'll post my favorite things according to the categories and tag 5 other people!

Food: I'm not the biggest fan of most vegetables, but otherwise I love any kind of food and mostly willing to try anything. Unless it doesn't sound, look, or smell that appetizing. But I mostly love spicy food to a certain extent. I once did the Wingstop atomic wings challenge and I couldn't taste much for the rest of the day, my lips were an inferno, and I was miserably drinking milk for quite a while.
But ya to sum it up food is good and I love food (well most...)

Color: Hmm.... Mostly blue.... ya blue.... nothing much to say here haha

Animal: hmm... pikachu, piplup, and mew yeah that's right! O alright if you want me to pick some real ones.... -_____-
  • Dolphins- I swear dunno being an aquarius I love these animals and I pretty much act like them in the water and land playful and outgoing creatures. Random idea but how awesome would it be to like to rent out an olympic sized pool replace the chlorinated with normal water for dolphins to swim in and get some pirate ship and put it in the middle. It would be dangerous as well but freaking AWESOME! I'm going off track onwards...
  • Dogs- Man's best friend, what can I say how can you hate them? except I'm not a big fan of the small hyper ones that bark constantly. There's one in my neighbors yard that like makes it a habit to bark and howl at 2am in the morning..... lovely...
  • Bengal Tiger- An awesome cat and one I want to tame and have for a pet. Like I really want to tackle one and make him my pet. I can just take out on a stroll >:)
Sports Team: Michael Phelps? O alright I'll have to say the 2008 U.S. Olympic Swim Team for the 400 Free Relay here's a link to the video if you haven't seen this race it's amazing.
 
Dessert: Hmm... Frozen Yogurt especially Red Velvet flavored frozen yogurt. It's the most heavenly dessert I've had in ages....
Artist/Singer/Band- I have way too many to name but here's some awesome ones I've picked up recently.
 Bands:
Explosions in the Sky
Infant Sorrow
Motion City Soundtrack

Artists:
Hans Zimmer
Maxence Cyrin
Joe Hisaishi

Pair of Shoes: Busted pair of vans (I don't want to throw those things out), Pair of Nikes can't complain I'm too poor to afford any more shoes.

Outfit: Umm. Dickies shorts with any random tshirt I find in the drawers along or....

Skinny Jeans: I like skinny jeans but not too much. I can't constrict myself too much, dunno how some guys do it.

Brand: I don't belong to many brands I just look for nice clothing

Perfume: ........ HELL YA! No I'm just kidding chlorine is the only cologne I can afford.
Accessory: Umm.. I wear a necklace my grandma gave my once in awhile

Snack:  Way too many things to put here but let's keep it at jalapeno kettle chips, yup!

Holiday: Christmas, gets the family together and it's just a nice holiday whether you are religious or not.
Movie: Inception and An Education two great movies.

Song: Hardest one ever..... Stroll Through the Sky- Joe Hisaishi. It's such a nice song in Howl's Moving Castle you can never really go wrong with classical music.

Guilty Pleasure: As a nerd I have way too many Yugioh is one of them :P

So I have to tag five more people so here we go! (And if you get tagged haha get yourselves busy >X)
Okay I'm friggin lazy so I'll bend the rules and choose three.
  1. Captainfalcon http://captainfalconfly.blogspot.com/
  2. CatherineAva http://catherineava.blogspot.com/
  3. Sami http://samiisthegame.blogspot.com/


Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Things that Bring a Smile to my Face

There's a lot of Things that make me smile in life whether it's happy or sad, but here's some things I always come across often that bring tickles my fancy and bring both ends of my mouth up.
  • Eating toast with Nutella and a glass of milk (2%) for breakfast.
  • Seeing people's reaction when a girl/guy agrees to be their prom date.
  • Taking a nice picture.
  • Finally getting that damned Calculus problem that took you two hours, several pencils with their erasers all used up, and a bunch of smudge marks on you to solve.
  • Beating the boss to a video game.
  • Taking a nice shower after swimming.
  • Hearing a good joke.
  • Seeing a funny, inspiring, interesting, etc. video
  • When someone text messages me out of nowhere just to talk.
  • Putting your music on shuffle and somehow the right song plays that brightens your day.
  •  
    Those are just some that popped in my head I'll probably revisit this list another time!

Sunday, April 3, 2011

22 Days

Going into senior year I began hating my class. Going to a private middle school then High School, and spending almost 4 years with the people in my class and almost 13 with some of them, I began seeing all the negative things in my class. Our class was really divided, many people didn't like each other, and there are jerks in my class that don't try, aren't open with anything and I quite frankly don't know why their parents pay $10,000 for them to go here when they are just wasting it away.

I wanted graduation to come around quickly and be rid of my horrid class and go to college and meet better people.

That began changing last Thursday when we had our senior class retreat.
I didn't expect much except disappointment.
I was wrong....

My class starting bonding again thanks to a few great speakers. One in particular was an alumni who graduated awhile back and also had children who graduated, who really struck hard at my class and made us think.

He told us we have 22 days left with each other and to make the most of them at the end. And that's when our class began coming back together. Yes there was that 10% of people that weren't affected at all but it happens you just have to ignore them.

And so my perspective of my class has changed much. In the beginning of the year all I did was look at the negative things and start looking at the positive things our class has.
Despite the jerks, I have a really spirited class.
When it comes down to it our class can mix well and bond.
I'll most definitely miss them.

My class has our ups and downs at times, but overall our class of 2011 shines and I'm proud of you guys, I'll miss you all and really you made this old bankrupt city we live in more than bearable!

So we have 22 days left with each other time to make the best out of them!