Music Monday #19

The song for this week is Go by Hanson. Now before you laugh at my choice of a song by an iconic boy band that had little girls screaming across the country for years, take a listen. Because honestly, I took myself by surprise how much I liked this song. Originally heard it in a TV show, and it kinda reminded me of 'You Found Me.' Of course once I find a song I like I am almost obsessive about finding the title so I can add it to my rapidly growing music collection.

a foreigner in NYC .

The other day while surfing Youtube videos (you know how easy it is to get caught up in all those 'related videos' and suggestions Yt gives you...) I stumbled across a video about New York. I began to search videos about New York City, ones that included some of the breathtaking views and some incredible time lapses. My favorite spots include the middle of the Brooklyn Bridge, Battery Park, and the Great Lawn in Central Park. It was at this point I realized that New York has always been a large part of my life -- even if my family didn't go a lot. It's the fact that it's right there... and always has been. I still remember how excited I was to take the ferry from Jersey to the Statue of Liberty -- and climbed all the way to the crown, sliding down the stairs one by one on my butt on the way down because I was so tired from the climb up. I invite you to look up some pictures of aerial views of New York City... needless to say it has officially become a dream of mine to fly over the city like that and experience the peaceful serenity of the sky that envelops you while having a special view of the chaos that is never ending below.

taking your breath away .

I've got a letter for you:

I want to take your breath away. I want to shield you from emotional struggles and all the pain of the world. I want to guard you with my life and give you the world. Give me a rope, and I'll lasso the moon. Give me a sad story, and I'll wipe away your tears. I want you to finally know what it feels like to be truly loved. I want you to know how it feels to have all the questions answered. I want you to know how it feels to not worry anymore. I want you to know how it feels like to never have someone give up on you, someone who will always work through the rough patches, someone who will always be there, even if they're mad. I want you to know that I want to be. I want you to know how it feels to know that no distance is too far, no mountain is too great, and no ocean too wide, for me to get to you.

blind 'til someday .

With so many ways of social networking online, it's inevitable that you will meet people. From the time that we were first introduced to such things, our parents implored that we set up every sort of privacy setting possible. Personally, even though I don't have a facebook anymore, I still have Twitter, this blog, a few youtube accounts, and I used to have a myspace way back in the day. And for the most part, I agree with my parents (shocker, I know) -- it's just too easy to completely impersonate someone else over the internet.

actors/actresses .

Through watching lots of TV over the past few days one thing jumped out at me. It's so easy to fall in love with a character on a specific show. This is especially true if that's the only show or movie that you've ever seen that particular person in.... also helps if they're easy on the eyes too. Ever thought about what it would be like to actually meet that person for real? I think that when we get real excited about an actor or actress, it's because we love the character that they play on whatever we're watching.

love , part 1 .

I think I've talked a bit about love in blogs before. In all honesty, there have been so many posts that I truly can't really remember. It's a subject that will be revisited often, as there is so much detail you can go into about it, and there are so many experiences, future hopes and dreams; you know how it is. Whether you have said those 8 letters divided into 3 words to anyone or not, I'm not here to discuss when you should or shouldn't say 'I love you' to someone. Truth be told, that's up to you to decide and I couldn't care less.

a different world .

Alright, so a few years ago when I was dating this one girl, we used to both watch Gossip Girl together (don't laugh... I know...). It was in its first season, and originally I think it started out that she made me watch it, but after a while I started to kinda like it. It was just a true underdog sort of story, and that sort of success despite having the ridiculous odds against you were inspiring. And, of course, I think every guy sort of has that dream girl that he deems completely untouchable. You know, the sort of 'that would never happen in a million years' sort of girl. Needless to say, I have mine.

But that's not really the point of this post. I recently revisited a few episodes from the first season and something really hit me:

Music Monday #18

Well Monday was kindof a shitty day for me, and so I decided to sort of immerse myself in some Eminem. I forgot how much I liked it, and so my song for this week is Rabbit Run.

memories .

In particular, the thing that I've had in my mind recently is the memories from relationships. One of the things that is so so difficult about relationships is while they may start out great, you often end up skating on thin ice and eventually it crumbles into nothing. Now, don't get me wrong I'm a big fan despite the risk of things ending badly. But after all is said and done, the time has passed, and you've moved on, what do you think you are more inclined to remember more, the good? or the bad?

friend cycles .

In a way, this sort of continues a bit of stuff that was started in the previous blog post. Perhaps it would behoove you to go read that one first so you're not confused, but I'll do my best to just to sort of keep it to a point where you can understand without reading the post though. You know, to be all confusing and such but clear at the same time.

walls .

For me it's inescapable. But I feel like we all put them up. Some build them up higher than others... I have a tendency to build mine sky-high and then make sure that all the cracks are mortared tight with no way in. And when you cram yourself into one giant cement igloo, the options of outside contact are few and far between. And it gets to a point where you're not sure what you want to do. Because it seems like every time you open a crack to peek out and smell the roses, a whole flood of shit comes tumbling in, making you feel the need to rebuild that wall even thicker than it was before.

album design comp .

Well, I've always liked messing around with programs like Photoshop and Illustrator, and I've designed some things out of pure desire to do it. Whenever I make albums of my own songs and such, I'll make covers for them, or at least do my best to make something that I am eventually satisfied with. Anyways, a lovely talented artist by the name of Orla Gartland hosted a design competition recently to make the album cover of the her very first EP! What an honor to compete in something. Anyways, below I got an example of a couple of album covers I've made... and the last one is the one that I sent into the competition! Best o' luck to all contestants, and I'm sure the one she picks will be awesome. If you haven't checked her out yet, just search Orla Gartland on youtube and check out her stuff, it's great!

workouts and working out .

What a muddled subject. Everyone has their idea of what the perfect workout is -- and then there are those absolute shit people who say you can "eat whatever you want! Lose a ton of weight! Gain a ton of muscle! And do it all in a week!" Yeah, bullshit. I'd like to see all the documentation, records, and proof before I believe any of that. And that seems to be the general problem with the workout world -- there are so many false promises, so many lies, so much rubbish, all because they want to make a sale and open up your pocket.

the world of gobat's .

Ever googled yourself before? Not much comes up when I put in my name. But if you go on facebook and just type in your last name, you might find something interesting. As far as I know, the name of Gobat is from a French part of Switzerland. But who really knows where your ancestors came from and where all of the descendants ended up? Say what you want about social networking websites -- but it provides a unique way to connect with a lot of people with the same last name as you. After all, they could be long lost relatives!

Music Monday #17

So for this week, I'm going to go with someone quite a bit less mainstream; you've most likely never heard of her before unless you randomly stumble around videos on youtube like I do. Her name is Orla Gartland, and I'm not entirely sure what part of Ireland she is from, but I'm pretty sure it is Dublin.

loving through judgment .

The other evening I attended church at the normally scheduled time of 5pm on Saturday. This mass is not necessarily my favorite, as I tend to prefer to super early Sunday mornings, but I knew I wouldn't be able to go in the morning since I was working early Sunday morning. Well as it turns out, this week happened to be the one of the weeks where they incorporate First Communion services into the mass. When I made my First Communion, it was a completely separate service where the goal was to only celebrate the sacrament, and not have mass on top of it.

a touching story .

Every so often you come across something that just really touches you. Well, today was one of those days and I couldn't help but watch this video about Josiah Viera with tears streaming down my face for the majority of the second half.

The video is here: http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=5788144
I recommend watching it before you keep reading.

what keeps you going .

If someone ever asked you what kept you going: fear, or love, what would you say? Do we constantly have those nagging fears that push us towards our goals? Or is it more complicated than that? Do we simply love what we do so much that life moves by without a hitch? I know I'm presenting a ton of questions here. But just bear with me, and maybe take a moment to think about it before clicking the 'read more' button.

common courtesy .

So we went out for pizza last night, and maybe it was because I was always in a bit of a pissy mood, but I think mostly it was just things that happened during dinner that upset me. People often may not realize if they're being annoying or not. Could also be that I have a short fuse a lot of times. This may come off as a mild rant, but, I just wanted to state some things regardless.

reaching out .

The internet is weird. I may not be the most social person in person, but perhaps the luxury of being able to communicate behind a computer screen has spoiled those who care not to interact in person, and allowed those for which it is difficult to function in an easier way. Though it is quite obvious that communication is a two-way street.

my future room .

I've wanted to have my own room for a long time. Although in some ways I do enjoy the company of my brother in the same living space, it'd be cool to have a place that is very much, put simply, your own. Something you can do anything you want to, in terms of color and arrangement and decor. For as long as I can remember my room has been a very pale blue, with a less-than-pristine blue fuzzy carpet. The same sheets and comforters that we grew up with are still presently laying on our beds, giving the illusion that a toddler and a 10-year-old still reside in the room. Likewise, the curtains have the same matching silly patterns on them, though they block almost no light, whether that be from the years of hanging up there or the fact that they are just plain thin to begin with.

Music Monday #16

Credit to this one will have to go to Ryan Newman, who got me hooked on this song a month ago or so. I haven't heard much stuff from LMFAO, but from what I've heard thus far I'll have to look into other stuff that they have because I'm really enjoyin' it. I recently set up the surround-sound speakers I bought in Clemson in my room, and it's lightyears better than what I had in there before.

finally home .

Back to the crazy driving. Back to the obscene amounts of traffic. Back to a home that no longer feels like home, and meals with a family instead of close friends. Back to a job that has varying hours, but at least good pay. Back to a break that seems to slip away faster each year, and days that are spent wasting my life away. Back to northern weather, and long lonely nights watching the waves. Back to silent summer nights with naught but the sound of traffic from the neighboring road. Back to the lightning bugs, and the mosquitoes, and a lawn that lies far from perfect. Back to a list of household chores, and unending household projects.

Back, to summer.

why military ?

Ever since I started to finish up high school and look at colleges I have pondered the idea of joining the military. For a long while I had my heart set on the Marines, and I struggled, unbeknownst to my parents, with the idea of going straight into active duty after high school or going to college. As time progressed, I began to realize that I couldn't make life work the way I wanted to. I had to pick one path: school, or the military. I thought about joining the Army Reserves, or the National Guard. But there was always that burning desire to just drop everything at home and go for it. To leave everything behind and not look back; to forget all that existed and to just devote my life to the army and the government.

last night in clemson .

The parents have arrived, first time I've seen them in a few months. Packing up was exhausting, and the apartment looks pretty empty (pictures will be on the one-a-day photo blog), and I'm not sure I like the fact that everything is going to be echoing and such. It's the weirdest thing to only live in a place for a year and then move everything out. To be honest, it's pretty tiring packing it all up and unpacking and repacking all the time. I literally live out of suitcases and boxes when I'm in Jersey.

quote of the day .

I have a widget on my mac that gives me a daily quote from some fame-worthy person. Today's happens to have a quote by Thomas Hardy, that says "do not do an immoral thing for moral reasons."

The strong juxtaposition of this statement is intriguing. In one way I wanted to just sit and ponder it. But given my desire to publish a blog daily, and my current schedule that is behind, I figured I could just talk about it here, yes?

truly the end .

Papers written and handed in, tests taken, and the semester has come to a close. Even more so than in the time immediately post-review, I can relax. And I have to say, that with the occasional excessively hot day, the weather has been great and really kept everyone in a great mood, I think. People have been able to lay out, play frisbee, volleyball and move out when they need to without a problem. And me? Well, I can sit around and just do nothing, which in itself is amazing.

winding down .

With only two tests to take during finals week, the inevitable begins to set in, that we all must leave and move back to what may not even be considered home anymore. I don't like packing, but it usually doesn't take me long. Either way, I know it's coming, and I purposely told my parents it was fine if they waited to come until the weekend because that way I'd have a few days to just relax in Clemson, after getting through the two hardest semesters of my life.

Music Monday #15

This past weekend, I went with some friends to Highpointe of Clemson to play some volleyball. I hadn't played on real sand in a long time and let's just say I was pure awful. But this isn't about how I sucked at volleyball, it's about music. Well Highpointe has a sweet setup speaker-wise and someone had their iPod plugged in, and this one song played and I loved it, had a nice beat and was just good... and I remember listening to the lyrics specifically so I could remember them and look it up later. Well, long story short, I forgot them. But finally, it came to me today!

and since we're on lyrics....

This is the first of hopefully many more songs written over the next week and this summer, as I rapidly approach study abroad. I won't be able to bring my guitar there so I really won't be able to do much writing (musically anyways...) unless I somehow magically get a guitar over there. But, as inspired by Dashboard Confessional, here is one of the songs I surely intend to record shortly after returning home:

rattatat rap .

Well, I'm not big on rap music normally, but I got super inspired the other day, and ended up writing a rap (something I rarely and would never really do). However, at the suggestion of an apartmate, here it is:

the royal wedding .

Well, the Royal Wedding of recent was never something I would've thought I would be excited about. And yet, the union of Prince William and Kate Middleton touched me in some way. By no extent am I a die-hard Brit, and in all honesty I found it silly that so many people would stay up and disturb their precious slumber just to watch 2 people get married.

Obviously it is a giant deal for England, and also the final piece, in my opinion, to a rebound and recovery that was absolutely necessary after the tragedy that had befallen Princess Diana. But when I woke up early to do some work and study for various things that morning, something struck my eye, since the TV was on since roommate Will had attempted (and failed) to stay up to watch the wedding.

short on time .

Upon discussing the future of life today, work came up in discussion. As in, a job, a for-real serious job. I always feel like I don't have time to do things -- no time for fun, any semblance of partying, making music, and yes, of course, even blogging.

studio to a halt .

It's Wednesday, but not just any old Wednesday. It's Final Review Wednesday for architecture. All of the hard work, all of the sleepless nights, all of the missed-out-on fun, all of the energy drinks and cups of coffee. 8 or 10 weeks of hard work on one single project, and it's all for this one day, this review in front of about 3 or 4 people, that will criticize you, tell you all the things you did one, and maybe if you're lucky, praise you a little bit.

Seems a bit ridiculous doesn't it? Welcome to architecture.

easter sunday .

Okay, well I was going to talk about Easter Sunday on the day for Sunday, but I guess I got so wrapped up in catching up on blogs that I forgot about it, and we can't move Music Monday, now can we? So here I am talking about Easter Sunday.

Music Monday #14

I happened to discover dabears awhile back when I was in the market for some house music. I've already talked about these guys and have dished out the site where you can pick up the music (it's free too!). But this week has been all about the newest mix up, Devious.

lose yourself .

Take a moment today to stop and think. Take a moment to just BE. Take a moment to listen to the birds, feel the wind across your back, and the sunshine on your face. Walk around barefoot and feel every crack in the sidewalk, every blade of grass, and every ounce of asphalt that you walk on. Take in the blue sky, and the rustle of the trees.

And maybe for once, lose yourself.

the hardest time ever .

I was thinking about the difficulties we encounter over the course of a lifetime a few days ago. How some people have it way harder than I do. And how others are lucky enough to coast by without many problems. But if asked what the hardest most difficult and emotional time in my life to date was... I'm not sure if I would have an answer. There are several things that come to mind -- one being involved in the funeral process of my grandfather.

growing up .

Let's take a moment to travel back in time about 15 years -- for most of us, that was about the time kindergarten was starting. Life was carefree -- and school was only half a day. I could come home and have lunch ready made for me, and plan the rest of my day to include hopscotch, riding a tricycle, or watching television. Homework was few and far between, and almost more fun was had at school than was had at home. I could play with matchbox cars, mess around with lincoln logs, or something else.

But all of that has to end at some point. And in the blink of an eye, I'm in college, attending a university after completing elementary school, middle school, high school, going through the application process, finding the right career for me, dating various people, and just living life.

don't read a book by its cover .

I think it's safe to say that it's easy to judge someone by the way they look before you actually know them. We all do it, and anyone who says they don't is either a saint or a liar. But why is it so easy? How did this judgmental sentiment arise? And why is it so easy and so prevalent?