Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Sunday, December 11, 2011
fire.
I am not musically talented whatsoever. Like at all. Zero. Nothing..
I can barely keep a beat, can't come up with my own lyrics or improvise, and my singing is reserved for in my car (when I'm alone..) and my shower (when I'm also alone). I dance, but I don't think that dancing to music makes me musically talented at all. For some reason, at some point I became hopelessly obsessed with music.
Like every other kid, I spent my entire adolescence going through phases. These weren't the typical girly, tomboy, angsty, preppy, nerdy types of phases though. I had music phases. There were points in time when I was into just instrumentals, rap, indie, heavy metal, classic rock, pop, electro, and pretty much everything else under the sun.
It took me until around tenth grade to find a solid, static music genre interest to really stick to. I find this curious because that's the point in my life where I also kind of "found myself". Yes, it sounds stupid, but for me, my music choices have really reflected points in my life through lyrics and artists as well as the instruments themselves (piano, violin, and acoustic guitar are my favorites).
Certain artists and songs will remind me of specific instances in my life. For example, the band Keane reminds me of freshman year because I had a phase where I would only listen to their Under the Iron Sea album. Blue October reminds me of freshman year as well because I had a phase with them too. Music brings me back and helps me relive points in my life, whether they be pleasant or unhappy ones.
There are people that are lyrics people, and their are others that just listen to the back beats to determine whether or not they like an artist or a song. I'm personally more of a lyrics kind of person and that is ultimately what I listen for first in a song.
Ever since sophomore year, I have pretty much stuck to the same kind of music. I currently listen to rock bands such as Three Days Grace, but also really enjoy folk bands like Bon Iver and Fleet Foxes. I know, the two don't really make sense together, but these are the types of music that really get through to me. Last Christmas, I got a record player and am absolutely obsessed with it. I love how the sound quality is sort of scratchy and distorted, it gives songs character and texture. I usually listen to the folk and indie stuff on there, but also have a bunch of old vinyls from bands like Aerosmith and U2.
There are a lot of people who would assume that I just listen to KDWB and that my playlists consist of the Black Eyed Peas and Demi Lovato. I surprise them when they jump in my car and see that I've been listening to 93x or The Current.
Music has helped me sort out a lot of situations in my life and I think it has been a really profound influence in how I have grown up and turned out. I think a person's music choice says a lot about who they are as a person as well as their beliefs. You can tell a lot about someone by flipping through their music once or twice.
Fire by Noah Gundersen (my current obsession.)
Sunday, December 4, 2011
on pity and fear.
Pity. It is clearly etched into those grey-blue eyes along with a hint of something else. Fear, perhaps. I won't ever know. Traveling down from her eyes I find a small, pointed nose, slightly too-thin lips, a canopy of blonde curls, a dainty string of pearls peeking out from under a pale, woven scarf, purple button-down coat and tiny, white mittens gripping the metal bar to a stroller. The baby inside did not fear me. There was no pity in it's eyes, no apprehension in its stare. It did not grow uncomfortable with my lingering gaze, as its mother had. It was the first time in a long time I hadn't been looked at like a walking, living piece of the streets. The first time in a long time I had been looked at like a human. A somewhat wild movement from above the child's head caused me to look up at the woman again. The green paper rectangle waved at me from within her little mittens, begging me to take it and get lost. By now, I know better than to think it was a gift of kindness, but rather a plea for me to not taint her New York stroll any more than I already had. I do not want to think that only small children can truly be compassionate. I do not want to think that incentive and personal-gain is all that motivates adults toward charitable acts. But the streets of New York are discouraging. Compassion is rarely found in the striking green against a white mitten. That is not what I am looking for, but who am I to reject this gift, regardless of her intentions? Taking one last look at the small child who is still unscathed by society, I extend my hand and slide the green bill out of the white mittens and turn away silently.
Monday, November 28, 2011
did you succeed?
1. definition
2. classification
3. compare and contrast
4. cause and effect
5. narration
6. example
Saturday, November 26, 2011
the elusive definition of success.
1. Success is different in many cultures and morphs and changes from time period to time period. In the United States during the 50's, success was measured in having the right car, the right husband, the perfect family, and being the ideal house wife. Now, most women in the United States would gag and be insulted by this measure of success. Success is perceived differently by each individual depending on what they value most and shifts throughout the years to adapt to social norms.
2. There are many types of success. Success might the measured in social status. So one might be successful in a particular social circle, but not elsewhere. The most successful people are those who are known in all social circles such as celebrities or sports stars. Success also might be measured in rank or position. So, those who are higher ranking in the workplace are clearly more successful than those of a lower ranking. Lastly, success can be measured in wealth. The one with the least amount of money is clearly the least successful, right? Trying to categorize and define success is almost ridiculous because success is something that is defined differently by everyone.
3. Success must not be mistaken for wealth. Success is subjective and can be defined differently by different individuals, whereas wealth can be measured as a great amount of money or property. A wealthy person may not the same thing as a successful person, depending on what your perception of success is. Success can also mean the attainment of wealth in certain situations, so it really depends on what your view of success is. One might argue money is success, but others would disagree.
4. Success is defined differently by each individual, but what happens after success is obtained? If someone becomes successful, it is possible for them to use this success in either a positive or negative way. Success usually results in influence, influence may be perceived as power. Because someone is successful, this means he or she has the power to change how others act and think and this provides as much danger as it does good as a result.
5. It was all for success. When I was younger that A meant everything to me. And so my success in school is accredited to my blatant lack of a social life, nights spent studying alone with diet coke and coffee spilled on my keyboard, and the awkward scrunchies my mom bought me to keep my hair out of my eyes during tests. Success was measured in grade point average, or so I thought.
6. Many would say that Steve Jobs was a successful man. He, along with a few other people, founded Apple computer in the garage of his parents' home. By 2010, he was worth 8.3 billion dollars according to Forbes. But was he successful just because of his wealth or was he successful because he made a name for himself and because of the relationships he formed due to his creation of Apple?
2. There are many types of success. Success might the measured in social status. So one might be successful in a particular social circle, but not elsewhere. The most successful people are those who are known in all social circles such as celebrities or sports stars. Success also might be measured in rank or position. So, those who are higher ranking in the workplace are clearly more successful than those of a lower ranking. Lastly, success can be measured in wealth. The one with the least amount of money is clearly the least successful, right? Trying to categorize and define success is almost ridiculous because success is something that is defined differently by everyone.
3. Success must not be mistaken for wealth. Success is subjective and can be defined differently by different individuals, whereas wealth can be measured as a great amount of money or property. A wealthy person may not the same thing as a successful person, depending on what your perception of success is. Success can also mean the attainment of wealth in certain situations, so it really depends on what your view of success is. One might argue money is success, but others would disagree.
4. Success is defined differently by each individual, but what happens after success is obtained? If someone becomes successful, it is possible for them to use this success in either a positive or negative way. Success usually results in influence, influence may be perceived as power. Because someone is successful, this means he or she has the power to change how others act and think and this provides as much danger as it does good as a result.
5. It was all for success. When I was younger that A meant everything to me. And so my success in school is accredited to my blatant lack of a social life, nights spent studying alone with diet coke and coffee spilled on my keyboard, and the awkward scrunchies my mom bought me to keep my hair out of my eyes during tests. Success was measured in grade point average, or so I thought.
6. Many would say that Steve Jobs was a successful man. He, along with a few other people, founded Apple computer in the garage of his parents' home. By 2010, he was worth 8.3 billion dollars according to Forbes. But was he successful just because of his wealth or was he successful because he made a name for himself and because of the relationships he formed due to his creation of Apple?
Saturday, November 19, 2011
what about us.
Mia Michaels: the most intimidating human being I have ever met.
Her name might not mean much to everyone else, but she is huge in the dance world. You could say she has won a couple Emmy awards.. She was also a judge and choreographer for So You Think You Can Dance. Anyway, I am taking part in Jump, which is a huge dance convention. Dancers from all over travel to take classes with master teachers, such as Mia.
What surprised me the most about her is that she wasn't stuck up and annoyed about having to spend her weekend with teenage kids. She was committed and seemed to genuinely care about us and what we wanted to get out of her class. She taught us a dance to the song "What About Us" by ATB. The song was really interesting and different and the choreography was amazingly difficult and rewarding. In the middle of class, Mia stopped everyone and gave a speech. Usually inspirational speeches just don't do anything for me, but for some reason hers really got through to me. She talked about having an intention behind everything we do as humans. She didn't say anything cheesy like "everything happens for a reason" but that is kind of the message that she got across. We only had an hour and a half to learn an entire routine with her and she kept reminding us that we only had that small chunk of time. At first I didn't understand why, but by the end of the practice I got that she was pretty much trying to say live in the present and commit fully to whatever it is you're doing. She also used some analogy about a mountain and that feeling of anxiety we get before completing a difficult task. For a person with a lot of trouble with anxiety, this was really relatable for me and it is going to change the way that I approach daunting, strenuous situations.
Tomorrow I have to wake up and go back to the convention for another 9 hours, which is example number one of a daunting, strenuous situation.
In addition to Mia Michaels, the convention hosted master teachers such as Bobby Newberry who has more sass in his left pinky fingernail than I have in my entire body. He taught us a jazz routine that I am going to post a video of underneath this along with a video of some of Mia's work.
Her name might not mean much to everyone else, but she is huge in the dance world. You could say she has won a couple Emmy awards.. She was also a judge and choreographer for So You Think You Can Dance. Anyway, I am taking part in Jump, which is a huge dance convention. Dancers from all over travel to take classes with master teachers, such as Mia.
What surprised me the most about her is that she wasn't stuck up and annoyed about having to spend her weekend with teenage kids. She was committed and seemed to genuinely care about us and what we wanted to get out of her class. She taught us a dance to the song "What About Us" by ATB. The song was really interesting and different and the choreography was amazingly difficult and rewarding. In the middle of class, Mia stopped everyone and gave a speech. Usually inspirational speeches just don't do anything for me, but for some reason hers really got through to me. She talked about having an intention behind everything we do as humans. She didn't say anything cheesy like "everything happens for a reason" but that is kind of the message that she got across. We only had an hour and a half to learn an entire routine with her and she kept reminding us that we only had that small chunk of time. At first I didn't understand why, but by the end of the practice I got that she was pretty much trying to say live in the present and commit fully to whatever it is you're doing. She also used some analogy about a mountain and that feeling of anxiety we get before completing a difficult task. For a person with a lot of trouble with anxiety, this was really relatable for me and it is going to change the way that I approach daunting, strenuous situations.
Tomorrow I have to wake up and go back to the convention for another 9 hours, which is example number one of a daunting, strenuous situation.
In addition to Mia Michaels, the convention hosted master teachers such as Bobby Newberry who has more sass in his left pinky fingernail than I have in my entire body. He taught us a jazz routine that I am going to post a video of underneath this along with a video of some of Mia's work.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
sick, man.
page 133.
Slang. It has always been part of the English language, and it is here to stay. The phrases we use might become outdated or "lame", but slang is something that will always be around. In fact, if you type "the history of English slang" into google, it will give you many websites filled with the awkward words we have used throughout the years like "gee-wiz!" and "gnarly".
My friend moved to Arizona last year and I decided to ask him about any weird slang differences that he found between his new home and Minnesota. The one that stuck out to me the most was that they say "ew" instead of using the ever popular "sick" that teenagers have integrated into their vocabulary.
This inspired me to look through a website that provides "A Historical Dictionary of American Slang" to find slang words that are still used today, and also to just find some funny ones that died out over the years.
Some of these phrases are easy to understand and others left me scratching my head. Thank God the Historical Dictionary of American slang provided me with example sentences to sort them all out.
Some phrases have survived, but have just changed meaning. For example, "swag" in the 1700's meant stolen goods or money. Now, "swag" means appearance or the way in which a person presents his or herself.
Some say that slang is damaging to the English language and that it shouldn't be used, but I personally don't think it is harming anyone. Phrases come and go generation after generation and it gives each one a chance to describe the world in their own way. That being said, there is also a time and a place for slang. When writing essays for college admissions, it probably wouldn't be appropriate to say, "So dude, you should let me in your college because that'd be sick and out of sight. I'd have mad swag on campus, plus if I don't get in, I will be in deep doo-doo with the rents. Peace out, man." Slang isn't necessarily a bad thing, but there is a time and a place in which it is appropriate to use it.
Slang. It has always been part of the English language, and it is here to stay. The phrases we use might become outdated or "lame", but slang is something that will always be around. In fact, if you type "the history of English slang" into google, it will give you many websites filled with the awkward words we have used throughout the years like "gee-wiz!" and "gnarly".
My friend moved to Arizona last year and I decided to ask him about any weird slang differences that he found between his new home and Minnesota. The one that stuck out to me the most was that they say "ew" instead of using the ever popular "sick" that teenagers have integrated into their vocabulary.
This inspired me to look through a website that provides "A Historical Dictionary of American Slang" to find slang words that are still used today, and also to just find some funny ones that died out over the years.
- 1930's: "go bananas". Even though this might not be used very often anymore, it is still pretty easily understood.
- 1970's: gave us the highly intellectual slang phrase, "in deep doo-doo" Classic. This decade also produced "siko" which is still used and understood to describe the creepy neighbor boys.
- 1960's: "out of sight"... what?
- 1860's: "swot". Apparently this means to study very hard.
- 1950's: "wedgy".. Nice.
- 1990's: "da bomb". I have nothing to say about that one.
Some of these phrases are easy to understand and others left me scratching my head. Thank God the Historical Dictionary of American slang provided me with example sentences to sort them all out.
Some phrases have survived, but have just changed meaning. For example, "swag" in the 1700's meant stolen goods or money. Now, "swag" means appearance or the way in which a person presents his or herself.
Some say that slang is damaging to the English language and that it shouldn't be used, but I personally don't think it is harming anyone. Phrases come and go generation after generation and it gives each one a chance to describe the world in their own way. That being said, there is also a time and a place for slang. When writing essays for college admissions, it probably wouldn't be appropriate to say, "So dude, you should let me in your college because that'd be sick and out of sight. I'd have mad swag on campus, plus if I don't get in, I will be in deep doo-doo with the rents. Peace out, man." Slang isn't necessarily a bad thing, but there is a time and a place in which it is appropriate to use it.
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