So I like Radiohead. A lot. Like for the last while they have been my study music, just an endless loop of their music. And I feel like I should maybe not say that out loud, because I run the risk of sounding lame while trying to sound cool, but I honestly just connect with most of their stuff. Like this song. Sometimes things just hit you with their rawness and you want to cry and hit repeat.
I'll drown my beliefs To have you be in peace I'll dress like your niece And wash your swollen feet
Just don't leave Don't leave
I'm not living, I'm just killing time Your tiny hands Your crazy-kitten smile
Just don't leave Don't leave
And true love waits In haunted attics And true love lives On lollipops and crisps
Just don't leave Don't leave
Just don't leave Don't leave
Saturday, March 30, 2013
I don't know if you've seen anything with Charlyne Yi before (Paper Heart, or the last season of House, weirdly enough) but she is one of the funniest people alive without even trying. Like I think she really doesn't try at all, she just has this awkwardly funny vibe about her that for some reason is hilarious to watch.
Here's an interview clip of her, for fun.
Check out Comedown Machine, the new Strokes album!
I don't actually know if you are a fan of The Strokes, who will probably come on tour when I'm gone :(
But I'm a fan of most of the album. Surprisingly not as much the track "80's Comedown Machine" which you'd think would be like the best one.
There you have it, my music recommendation of the day.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Sometimes, I feel a little like this when I go to the temple to do baptisms.
It's silly, of course, which is why it made me laugh when I was waiting in line a couple weeks ago when I thought of it.
So, big day today at the Supreme Court, I was notified by the multitude of pink and red equal signs blowing up my Facebook. I hope everyone is being nice to each other! Since no one cares about my uneducated and inexperienced opinion on the matter, I'll just write it here.
Personally, the organization of the family that I want and envision for myself is beautiful and perfect. But I know that just isn't the reality (right now, at least) for everyone. For a lot of reasons. There are about as many versions of family as there are paint swatches at Home Depot. And as much as I wish everyone could be in a magazine-cover picture-perfect family, the sad reality is that essentially all families will have problems in this life.
That being said, and with the facts I have right now, I don't have a problem with legalizing same-sex marriage. I think there are a lot of problems in this world that we could all unite to try and fix and we'd be better off focusing on those. I get where some people are coming from when they oppose it, especially when it comes to religion, but the reality is that we probably meet a ton of people every day who are breaking every commandment and suggestion and whatever else that your religion gives you to live by, and we don't usually try to "fix" people quite as much for doing those things. Which is good, because nowhere in the Gospel that I know, or any other normal church I know of, is it assigned to anyone the job of judging anyone else's level or righteousness or where they will end up after this life. Jesus said love everyone, treat them kindly too. When your heart is filled with love, others will love you.
Quite frankly, from what I've heard, I think that the things about same-sex marriage that people oppose are happening and going to continue happening whether or not these couples are legally recognized as such by the government, and that the things they are being deprived of now such as hospital visitation rights and tax crap are things that everyone by virtue of being human should have access to anyway (people who never marry, I'm pointing at you) so I personally don't see what the big deal is. Maybe there is one. I don't know. But for now, I think that we should leave it to God to sort it all out, and just work on making the world a better place for all human beings.
Ok. I've been a little emotional these past few days. And I maybe said/thought/felt some things that were uncalled for. (The previous post is not one of them, that song still holds true). But after a wonderful Krav Maga session (I forget how healing exercise as well as fake beating people up can be) I was finally able to get back to my happy place where I'm not mad at anything. Which brings up another point.
I really, really, really don't like the fact that I'm not able to feel the way I want to feel. In my brain, I know what and who I want to be, but it's probably the hardest thing I ever try to do to make myself feel the way I want to. I don't know if it's just weakness or biology or the natural man or a combination of many different things, but it's something I'm not too fond of. Luckily I'm finding ways to effectively distract myself from the negative. Life is weird.
(as a side note this video is kind of interesting)
There have been a lot of times that I have found the chorus of this song to be my theme song. We all have, even if we didn't know it. But after reading all the lyrics recently, I found that for the first time essentially ALL of the lyrics are my current theme song, some of them laughingly and surprisingly literal. I was kinda like whoa when I read it. But I think it'll be ok, once I decide to let myself get over it. A lot crappier things have happened to basically everyone alive and this sort of thing is just one that is particularly hard for me to get over. Sometimes things just suck. But such is life.
"Just"
Can't get the stink off
He's been hanging round for days
Comes like a comet
Suckered you but not your friends
One day he'll get to you
And teach you how to be a holy cow
You do it to yourself, you do
And that's what really hurts
Is that you do it to yourself
Just you and no one else
You do it to yourself
You do it to yourself
Don't get my sympathy
Hanging out the 15th floor
You've changed the locks three times
He still comes reeling through the door
One day I'll get you
And teach you how to get to purest hell
You do it to yourself, you do
And that's what really hurts
Is that you do it to yourself
Just you, you and no one else
You do it to yourself
You do it to yourself
You do it to yourself, you do
And that's what really hurts
Is that you do it to yourself
Just you, you and no one else
You do it to yourself
You do it to yourself.. yourself.. yourself..
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Kids are the best sometimes.
Nathaniel, and Nathaniel's classmates (starting at around 6:00) are my favorite thing. Poor kid.
sidenote: that awkward moment when you draw out your 1-bromo-2,2-diethylpropane and it turns out looking like a swastika.
#chemistryproblems
#Ihavebeenstudyingfortoomanyhoursinthisday
#thatisprobablywhythehappycowsmademewanttocry
#Isecretlylikewritinglonghashtags
I have had the blessing of being able to live 5 minutes away from this beauty for the past 2 years. I haven't spent enough time there, and I haven't appreciated it enough, but I now look at it as my special place. I remember when I used to not like the look of it, but I think that the feelings I get when I go there now have changed the way I see it. It's just so, so beautiful, and the experiences I have had there have been life-changing. I know I haven't even experienced most of the blessings that can be learned about within its walls yet, but I know that it is one of God's homes on this earth. It's not the materials that were used to make it that give it its beauty; it's what happens inside that's exquisite, and I can't believe that in a matter of days I get to see a little bit more of my Savior and Heavenly Father in this very building!
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
The concert last Saturday was one of the best performances I've ever witnessed. I tried to find a youtube video that would capture how utterly crazy Matt and Kim were, but then I didn't want to keep watching them and figured this one would at least show how joyful they looked. Just imagine this performance, but combined with both Matt and Kim (who are not only a musical duo but a real-life couple) climbing on their instruments and jumping off everything and just being out of control. Also Matt is my new celebrity crush.
First.
I heard this quote once in institute that I really liked because I was like (whoa that is me) but I never asked the teacher for it or wrote anything down about it or remembered enough to google. Such is life.
It was by some guy, talking about this group of college students who decided that they were going to work as hard as they could at perfecting themselves by working at being a perfect person, but this man said they had the approach completely wrong. Which took me aback, because I've thought the same thing. And I don't think he meant that it was "bad" of them or anything, just that they had it backwards, and that instead they should be focused on the people around them and not themselves in order to really become perfected. Which is good news for missionaries and soon-to-be missionaries such as ourselves, because all we'll be doing is thinking of others, and I'm both excited and nervous about that.
And it's true in another way too; it's easy (usually) to sit at home and "not sin" and be a good person when you're by yourself, but the trick is being Christ-like towards others and with others and around others. So help others, everyone!
Second.
This is kind of related to the first, but it's just something about myself that's been bugging me for a reeeal long time. I feel like I have a hard time finding a good balance of personality. In other words, I feel like a lot of the time I either don't show my personality enough so I just seem like I'm a potato with nothing to say, or I show it too much and I'm kind of annoying. And like every time I have a conversation with someone I tell myself "wow, stop talking about yourself so much, it's not always about you" but then I always keep doing it. I guess life in about balance in a lot of areas, and I just have to work on this one a lot.
Third.
I'm feeling like making a list. Today's list will be entitled: "Things that I miss."
home-cooked meals courtesy of mom. I really underestimated how lucky I was to have delicious meals every night.
classical music. specifically playing classical music. I spent ten diligent years on the piano and six on the viola and now I only get to play hymns in institute sometimes. boo.
the sun.
the warm.
the beach.
people that are gone.
playing tennis after school.
school that is not out of my understanding/skill level (or maybe it's just that I worked harder once upon a time...)
not being on the internet so much.
reading books.
furry animal friends whenever I wanted them.
sundays where I didn't have to do anything but church and church stuff.
cuddling.
an open and never-ending pantry.
my trampoline.
wasting a lot of time with people I wanted to waste it with.
There's probably a lot more things, but it's now time for nappy-nap, because this is me right now:
Some of these might be a little hard to guess because they are kind of obscure, but to be honest I made a lot of these and these ones were just my favorites.
