Latest Lykke Li

She's gone to the moon and back. Gah, she's just so good.

Happy Valentine's Day

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I've been busy with school, work, and internship paperwork. So to make it up to you, my wonderful readers, here's a post filled with love from me to you. Happy Valentine's Day.

Happy New Year-in-Review

So it's that time of year again where we look back at the past year and look ahead to the coming one. Congratulations everyone, we did it! Another successful year. My heart healed. I had truths revealed. There was laughter and joy, tears and sadness, hope and fear. I was applauded for my performance in an alumnus-writ play. I partied and danced. I forgave. I worked hard and hardly worked. My friendships grew stronger while my friends grew older. Some moved forward to the real world stage of their life. I finished my second year of college for the most part intact. I bought books and read books. I went to concerts. I went to D.C. to visit family and friends. I went to New York City for a day and got to see the MoMA. Matisse's Le Dans brought tears to my eyes. I was in heaven. I went to Chicago for the Pitchfork Music Festival with my dear friend Simone. I took photos. I started my third year of college. I moved into a house with my two friends. I saw movies and films. I bought more books and read more books. I delved into Shakespeare's tragedies and comedies. I learned about media law. I listened to NPR and This American Life. I further expanded my music library. I played some video games. I walked. I talked. I sang. I made new friends and hung out with old ones. I said goodbye to my dog. I blogged. Goodbye 2010. You were a good year. Hello 2011. Let's make you a great year.

A Year-End Post, Post Year-End

Hey readers, if you're patiently waiting to read my annual year-in-review, it will be coming tomorrow. I was busy running around today, doing some last minute friend time, and soon I will be heading to a New Year's Eve party. So late tomorrow, you will all be gifted with an enjoyable year-in-review post. Enjoy the end of one year and beginning of another.

Saga of the Silent Hero

So when I want to change my Facebook status but can't think of anything to say, I usually challenge myself to write something poetic or literary. The past few days, I started writing sestets of ten syllables. So far I've written three and shall continue writing until the story is complete. Here are the first three installments of The Silent Hero.

Deep in his sleep, the silent hero lies,

Awaiting his time to, at last, arise.

When the tower bell finally shall toll,

He will awake from his eternal lull.

Wiping the slumber from his pale, blue eyes,

His mind will recall its physical ties.

Forth went the hero, 'quipped with his blade.

Through mountain, river, swamp, forest, and glade,

He fought dragon, goblin, serpent, and more,

Until, at last, the city he was before.

Destruction painted the metrop'lis staid.

Nowhere could he find his belovéd maid.

So the hero searched and scoured the land,

Hoping to hold once more his love's soft hand.

No people he met, nor animal saw --

No voices' echoes, nor crow's chilling caw.

But then a note he found with one demand,

"You'll find what you seek in the desert sand."

Holiday Hullabaloo

Happy Holidays everyone. This year, I've got some musical treats for you all.






*Mainly because of the first lyric, plus I just love this song.





I could probably keep posting, but you probably have some last minute shopping to get done. Happy Holidays everyone.

Are You There Readers? It's Me, John.

Hello? (Echo, echo, echo through the empty pages of my blog) Is anyone still reading this? (This, this, this...) Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I've been pretty busy with life, liberty, and the pursuit of slap-happiness. I'm sitting in my empty attic room after another Tofurkey-less Thanksgiving. I never know what to do on this holiday. It used to be about eating a lot of turkey and mashed potatoes. Now, as a vegetarian going on 3 years, I have no way to stuff myself to sleepiness. I never really have much to say with my relatives since I've only ever seen them on holidays, so all we ever talk about are the usual formalities. We don't really have vested interests in each other's lives. Plus, there's no cousins about my age living in the area, so I find Thanksgiving to be a pretty dull holiday. I don't care for football, I have no one to talk to, and I don't have a good excuse anymore as to why I'm hiding in my room. Tomorrow is Black Friday, for which, sadly, I get more excited. It's one of the rare times of year that I go clothes shopping. I'm used to skimming my brother's old clothes because he usually had stuff I liked. Now that he's pretty much done growing, he's not really giving away his clothes. Plus, I've taken to skinny jeans and shirts that better fit me since high school. Expect more posts since I have nothing to do yet other than read the books I brought home with me and browse the Internet, which doesn't hold my attention for very long. Also, expect news of possible internships for the summer.

"Comedy's a Dead Art Form. Tragedy, Now That's Funny."

This post may have the longest title of this blog so far. I'm off to Shakespeare's Comedies. We had to read Twelfth Night (twelfth is such a weird word to spell) during the weekend. While reading, I realized reading a play is not as fun as seeing the play. Much of the comedy doesn't translate without acting, but I still enjoyed it. It was entertaining, plus it had a great joke in it. At one point, the character Fabian observes the odd situation around him and says, "If this were played upon a stage, now, I could condemn it as an improbable fiction." A very apt summary of most any play. Though the live theatre is wondrous to partake and take part, in the end, it's just an improbable fiction. Also, I want a Shakespeare T-shirt. Find me some good ones if you can.

Surprise! It's I, Sufjan Stevens

So Sufjan Stevens, one of my favourite musicians in the entire world, just released a digital EP titled All Delighted People. Now, I have just learned that he will be releasing a full-length LP come October! So much Sufjan in such a short time span will set me spinning with shear squeals of joy. (Say that five times fast.) Also, I might be seeing him live, in the flesh finally, November 5, but that is yet to be confirmed. He'll be in Tennessee, the closest venue during this "North American" tour which skips out on Ohio entirely. It's a 6-hour or so drive from Athens, and the show costs $33.50, so we'll see if my friends are still interested come end of October.

Puzzled

I finished that puzzle of San Francisco. There was one piece missing, and, of course, it was that darned sky piece. I let the puzzle sit, 99.9% finished, on the board for a few days, and then decided to rebuild my M.C. Escher puzzle of the hands drawing each other. Unfortunately, I have no motivation to work on it as I feel all puzzled out. Instead, I'm watching Cowboy Bebop and trying to build up motivation to continue reading The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.

The Boondocks

One of the greatest theme songs ever. This is an awesome show, and you should watch it if you do not already do so.

Puzzles and Podcasts

So, I got bored with playing video games. I replayed Luigi's Mansion, Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, Super Mario Sunshine, Dark Cloud, and some

Pikmin and Harvest Moon: Back to Nature. I've moved on to puzzles after I decided to do the 500-piece Ansel Adam puzzle that's been sitting on my dresser for, I don't know, a year or so.

Now I'm connecting a 2000-piece puzzle of row houses with San Francisco in the background. Today I completed the sky, which is about a third of the puzzle (minus one piece that might be buried in the house/skyscraper pieces, or lost).

Unfortunately, the Full House theme song keeps popping into my brain as I'm working, so I've taken to distracting myself with my NPR podcasts. I've reclaimed time to listen to Fresh Air and Tell Me More. Now all I need is some time to listen to all my music-related podcasts.