So, being the big Radiohead nut that I am and all, I eventually had to go and pick up what is critically acclaimed as one of their best albums, The Bends, a few weeks ago after having been previously directed away from it. And while it's still not quite on the same innovative level as it's follow ups OK Computer (1997) and Kid A (2000) it's still one of the band's truest testaments to Thom Yorke's songwriting genius and in my opinion their second best album (Kid A I recognize musically as a masterpiece in melodic innovation, it's just a musical style not quite liking to my personal tastes). And as an album loaded to the brim with introspectiveness, it's hard naturally for me not to be able to identify with most of it's songs. Probably none more than High and Dry, which really hit home for me more than any other one of the band's songs. Not just lyrically, but there's just something about the melodics of this song as well that played a huge part making the lyrics just as powerful. Enough so that it almost feels like a disservice to post just the lyrics here instead of the actual song itself. And if I had a way of doing so I would. So considering the fact that I don't, you'll just have to settle for the lyrics here and maybe type it into YouTube or something if you want to hear the song as well.
High and Dry
Two jumps in a week
I bet you think that's pretty clever don't you boy?
Flying on your motorcycle,
Watching all the ground beneath you drop
You'd kill yourself for recognition,
Kill yourself to never ever stop
You broke another mirror,
You're turning into something you are not
Don't leave me high, don't leave me dry
Don't leave me high, don't leave me dry
Drying up in conversation,
You will be the one who cannot talk
All your insides fall to pieces,
You just sit there wishing you could still make love
They're the ones who'll hate you
When you think you've got the world all sussed out
They're the ones who'll spit at you,
You will be the one screaming out
Don't leave me high, don't leave me dry
Don't leave me high, don't leave me dry
It's the best thing that you ever had,
The best thing that you ever, ever had
It's the best thing that you ever had,
The best thing you ever had has gone away
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Monday, September 6, 2010
As the seasons change, so to does life.
Well as it would seem school is back in session again. And with the start of a new semester also comes the end of the heat and the excitement of summer, ushering in the eventual cooler temperatures and busier days of the fall and winter. Only, maybe not all that much more busy than I was in the summer.....
I suppose you could say life isn't really all that different now that it was then. Only difference really is that I'm in school instead of working at the D.I.. Hours are about the same, only now I've got homework and studying and everything of the sort to worry about now. But I suppose it's better than going out and wearing myself out everyday, dealing with mostly people I don't like (with the exception of a few I got along well enough with) and only getting payed $7.25 an hour for 8 hours a day of all that, heh heh. It's definitely crossed my mind getting a part time job in the evenings with Saturdays off, the latter of which of course prevented me from doing such with the D.I. during the school year (we're all required to work Saturdays). I guess it's not too much to be keeping my eyes out for opportunities, but for now just focusing on my studies, doing what I love (band) and keeping up with my hobbies will do. I may just wait until next summer to find more employment, but if anything comes along I'm not too against looking into it.
It's kind of an interesting semester this time around, the likes of which I've never really had before. Aside from marching and symphonic bands the only other physically real class I have is Calculus, which by the way is definitely making MUCH more sense than it did last semester. Having a teacher that actually makes sense when she teaches the material to you and having an actual homework format this time around, along with the fact that I'm taking with me what I did learn last semester into it all really makes a huge difference. Outside of that my other two classes are online, those being Intro to Programing via Java and Network Fundamentals and Design. In a way I can't help but think things would be much more convenient in a physical classroom setting because of the better interaction you have with your professor and classmates, but I seem to be handling it just fine. It does have it's own conveniences, like how you can listen to the lectures on your own time, therefore making it all fresh in your mind when you take a quiz or test or have to do an assignment.
Band of course is always something to look forward to. As far as fall semester is concerned marching band more specifically. I'm really liking the group we have this year. If we weren't wild and crazy enough the last two years this year almost seems to be two fold that. I'm having as much fun and getting along with as much people as I ever have in band and then some. Really looking forward to when we start playing games and when we go on this that we were promised this year. I can't even comprehend how much of a blast that's going to be with this group...... XD Talent wise we also seem to be as good as we ever were, only this time we're twice as big as we were last year at about 80-something people, which is probably the biggest one I've ever been in. It's been a great year so far in these first few weeks, and I'm really looking forward to how great the rest of the year will be as well. Also feeling a lot more comfortable playing 2nd trombone in symphonic band as well as apposed to playing lead last semester. I never really like to be stuck on third, but I think lead is just way too much pressure for me. Hopefully Dr. Root will be understanding of this from now on, but considering my history with him, probably not, heh heh.
As far as hobbies go Anime has kind of shockingly taken a bit of a backseat for me as of late. I know there's a vast sea of anime out there for me to delve into and all, meaning if there's a bunch of crap for me to leave completely alone there's also a ton of greatness out there for me to explore more deeply as well. Thing is after my attempts this past summer to find more of that greatness I think I left disappointed enough that it's been hard for me to really get enthusiastic about it again. Chevalier, though I understand it to be extraordinarily enthralling in it's later episodes got so dull in the first 12 episodes that it was really hard for me to be inspired enough to keep following it. I'll probably pick it up again later sometime like I have with other series I've had this experience with and ended up absolutely adoring, but right now I kind of just have a "meh" attitude about it. Kemmonozume was really underwhelming for a Masaki Yuasa series, and not even for the same reasons as some of his works have been in the past. Surprisingly enough it was for the things in which I've always known him to be so incredibly talented with in the past. As was Tatami Galaxy come to think of it, but I ended up liking that one enough to be the only series over both spring and summer seasons I ended up having much of a desire to follow all the way to the end. With all of that said I have to say that this is the first summer where I didn't get so overly obsessed with a series that was so good it ended up amongst some of my top favorites in at least 4 years or so. I did end up having that experience with Mind Game actually, as it ended up as not only my favorite anime film of all time, but probably somewhere in my top favorite anime of all time. But seeing as how it's a movie and all, I only got to have it for 2 hours rather than over a stretched out period of time. Which kind of prevented me from actually being obsessed with it. On another bright side I picked up some of Osamu Tezuka's works and do plan on getting more into them soon. Time constraints as well as my recent anime limbo have kind of prevented me from reading MW very often, but I've really liked what I've read of it so far. Hopefully it's later half as well as Ode to Kirihito will end up helping to give me that step up I need. I also think I need to find the right anime series as well. Time of Eve (which for some reason I've STILL neglected to get around to watching....), my eventually getting past episode 6 of Durarara!! and eventually finishing Monster as well as the highly anticipated new Yoshitoshi ABe series Despera are all very likely candidates to doing such for me. Whatever happens with that though, let us pray that it happens soon.......
In the meantime I've shown more of an increased interest in films and music. Probably far more so the later than the former, but I have been starting to keep a log of films out there I need to see. Especially now that my constantly decreasing filter for R-rated movies over the last while or so has finally seemed to have hit it's mark to where the filter no longer exists. I've just taken notice as of late that I seem to have more of a passion for watching and critiquing/analyzing films and music more than I have most anything else. But for now music has probably been my biggest passion, as I've began looking a lot deeper into a lot of well known bands I've always wanted to and have also begun my journey into looking at more obscure underground bands. Starting of course with the Seattle Grunge scene and the alternative rock of the 90s, which is a great place to start in my opinion. I've noticed that most of my favorite bands came out of that era, with maybe a few from the 60s or 70s as well. I've never really been that big a fan of most of today's artists with maybe the exception of a few. But other than that I've noticed we've been in a bit of a musical limbo in our era...... Kind of makes me wish I had my youth back then instead of now..... So yeah, anyways, as I was saying, I'm hoping to look more into the underground music scene in the future. Our good 'ol pal Hellkorn over in the forums has a ton of things in that aspect he would suggest, I'll probably start looking into a lot of what he's suggested in the past.
Also, I HAVE A LAPTOP NOW!!!! :D Sorry for the mini freak out there but I do believe I am entitled to after how long I've waited to get my hands on one of those....... I will say if nothing else, working at the D.I. especially helped me out with that. Now if I could just get my own wireless internet, or if a wireless network that I could actually successfully log into would crop up around where I live things would be much more convenient then they already are...... Nonetheless though, it's been a really exciting experience having my own computer and not having to worry about what everyone else thinks about my downloading stuff to it or what my desktop backgroud is or whatever. It's even helped me get ever so slightly back into video games via the various emulators I've downloaded for it. My current obsession is with a good 'ol Super NES classic called Earthbound. Like I said above about finding the right thing to get you interested again, so far I'd say Earthbound is probably that game. Just when I thought I've played every great classic RPG out there, this one comes along, which has apparently gotten under my radar somehow..... Nonetheless, I'm excited to keep up with this one.
So once again, there you have it. Not really too much of a change from where I was the last time I made a post like this other than maybe further proof that I am indeed a geeky loner with no life, heh heh. :P But despite being nonexistent, it is all around just good and relaxed for me right now I'd say, and I'm quite enjoying it. Which in that sense I'd say it's a far cry from where it was for me back in the spring. Sometimes it's good to have a good 'ol fassioned break from the things that used to make you worry and be stressed out about as you focus your attention to other things in life that you enjoy and make it worth living for you. I guess it's not that I don't concern myself with those things at all anymore because it's still there in the back of my mind, but it's good not to let it dominate your perspective on things like it did back then. But who knows, maybe even then we'll see where this new approach to things leads me sometime in the future.
I suppose you could say life isn't really all that different now that it was then. Only difference really is that I'm in school instead of working at the D.I.. Hours are about the same, only now I've got homework and studying and everything of the sort to worry about now. But I suppose it's better than going out and wearing myself out everyday, dealing with mostly people I don't like (with the exception of a few I got along well enough with) and only getting payed $7.25 an hour for 8 hours a day of all that, heh heh. It's definitely crossed my mind getting a part time job in the evenings with Saturdays off, the latter of which of course prevented me from doing such with the D.I. during the school year (we're all required to work Saturdays). I guess it's not too much to be keeping my eyes out for opportunities, but for now just focusing on my studies, doing what I love (band) and keeping up with my hobbies will do. I may just wait until next summer to find more employment, but if anything comes along I'm not too against looking into it.
It's kind of an interesting semester this time around, the likes of which I've never really had before. Aside from marching and symphonic bands the only other physically real class I have is Calculus, which by the way is definitely making MUCH more sense than it did last semester. Having a teacher that actually makes sense when she teaches the material to you and having an actual homework format this time around, along with the fact that I'm taking with me what I did learn last semester into it all really makes a huge difference. Outside of that my other two classes are online, those being Intro to Programing via Java and Network Fundamentals and Design. In a way I can't help but think things would be much more convenient in a physical classroom setting because of the better interaction you have with your professor and classmates, but I seem to be handling it just fine. It does have it's own conveniences, like how you can listen to the lectures on your own time, therefore making it all fresh in your mind when you take a quiz or test or have to do an assignment.
Band of course is always something to look forward to. As far as fall semester is concerned marching band more specifically. I'm really liking the group we have this year. If we weren't wild and crazy enough the last two years this year almost seems to be two fold that. I'm having as much fun and getting along with as much people as I ever have in band and then some. Really looking forward to when we start playing games and when we go on this that we were promised this year. I can't even comprehend how much of a blast that's going to be with this group...... XD Talent wise we also seem to be as good as we ever were, only this time we're twice as big as we were last year at about 80-something people, which is probably the biggest one I've ever been in. It's been a great year so far in these first few weeks, and I'm really looking forward to how great the rest of the year will be as well. Also feeling a lot more comfortable playing 2nd trombone in symphonic band as well as apposed to playing lead last semester. I never really like to be stuck on third, but I think lead is just way too much pressure for me. Hopefully Dr. Root will be understanding of this from now on, but considering my history with him, probably not, heh heh.
As far as hobbies go Anime has kind of shockingly taken a bit of a backseat for me as of late. I know there's a vast sea of anime out there for me to delve into and all, meaning if there's a bunch of crap for me to leave completely alone there's also a ton of greatness out there for me to explore more deeply as well. Thing is after my attempts this past summer to find more of that greatness I think I left disappointed enough that it's been hard for me to really get enthusiastic about it again. Chevalier, though I understand it to be extraordinarily enthralling in it's later episodes got so dull in the first 12 episodes that it was really hard for me to be inspired enough to keep following it. I'll probably pick it up again later sometime like I have with other series I've had this experience with and ended up absolutely adoring, but right now I kind of just have a "meh" attitude about it. Kemmonozume was really underwhelming for a Masaki Yuasa series, and not even for the same reasons as some of his works have been in the past. Surprisingly enough it was for the things in which I've always known him to be so incredibly talented with in the past. As was Tatami Galaxy come to think of it, but I ended up liking that one enough to be the only series over both spring and summer seasons I ended up having much of a desire to follow all the way to the end. With all of that said I have to say that this is the first summer where I didn't get so overly obsessed with a series that was so good it ended up amongst some of my top favorites in at least 4 years or so. I did end up having that experience with Mind Game actually, as it ended up as not only my favorite anime film of all time, but probably somewhere in my top favorite anime of all time. But seeing as how it's a movie and all, I only got to have it for 2 hours rather than over a stretched out period of time. Which kind of prevented me from actually being obsessed with it. On another bright side I picked up some of Osamu Tezuka's works and do plan on getting more into them soon. Time constraints as well as my recent anime limbo have kind of prevented me from reading MW very often, but I've really liked what I've read of it so far. Hopefully it's later half as well as Ode to Kirihito will end up helping to give me that step up I need. I also think I need to find the right anime series as well. Time of Eve (which for some reason I've STILL neglected to get around to watching....), my eventually getting past episode 6 of Durarara!! and eventually finishing Monster as well as the highly anticipated new Yoshitoshi ABe series Despera are all very likely candidates to doing such for me. Whatever happens with that though, let us pray that it happens soon.......
In the meantime I've shown more of an increased interest in films and music. Probably far more so the later than the former, but I have been starting to keep a log of films out there I need to see. Especially now that my constantly decreasing filter for R-rated movies over the last while or so has finally seemed to have hit it's mark to where the filter no longer exists. I've just taken notice as of late that I seem to have more of a passion for watching and critiquing/analyzing films and music more than I have most anything else. But for now music has probably been my biggest passion, as I've began looking a lot deeper into a lot of well known bands I've always wanted to and have also begun my journey into looking at more obscure underground bands. Starting of course with the Seattle Grunge scene and the alternative rock of the 90s, which is a great place to start in my opinion. I've noticed that most of my favorite bands came out of that era, with maybe a few from the 60s or 70s as well. I've never really been that big a fan of most of today's artists with maybe the exception of a few. But other than that I've noticed we've been in a bit of a musical limbo in our era...... Kind of makes me wish I had my youth back then instead of now..... So yeah, anyways, as I was saying, I'm hoping to look more into the underground music scene in the future. Our good 'ol pal Hellkorn over in the forums has a ton of things in that aspect he would suggest, I'll probably start looking into a lot of what he's suggested in the past.
Also, I HAVE A LAPTOP NOW!!!! :D Sorry for the mini freak out there but I do believe I am entitled to after how long I've waited to get my hands on one of those....... I will say if nothing else, working at the D.I. especially helped me out with that. Now if I could just get my own wireless internet, or if a wireless network that I could actually successfully log into would crop up around where I live things would be much more convenient then they already are...... Nonetheless though, it's been a really exciting experience having my own computer and not having to worry about what everyone else thinks about my downloading stuff to it or what my desktop backgroud is or whatever. It's even helped me get ever so slightly back into video games via the various emulators I've downloaded for it. My current obsession is with a good 'ol Super NES classic called Earthbound. Like I said above about finding the right thing to get you interested again, so far I'd say Earthbound is probably that game. Just when I thought I've played every great classic RPG out there, this one comes along, which has apparently gotten under my radar somehow..... Nonetheless, I'm excited to keep up with this one.
So once again, there you have it. Not really too much of a change from where I was the last time I made a post like this other than maybe further proof that I am indeed a geeky loner with no life, heh heh. :P But despite being nonexistent, it is all around just good and relaxed for me right now I'd say, and I'm quite enjoying it. Which in that sense I'd say it's a far cry from where it was for me back in the spring. Sometimes it's good to have a good 'ol fassioned break from the things that used to make you worry and be stressed out about as you focus your attention to other things in life that you enjoy and make it worth living for you. I guess it's not that I don't concern myself with those things at all anymore because it's still there in the back of my mind, but it's good not to let it dominate your perspective on things like it did back then. But who knows, maybe even then we'll see where this new approach to things leads me sometime in the future.
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