Category Archives: Musings

On the Subject of Music (1000 Words)

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I was originally going to write about music, and I still may. I’ve got iTunes on with an ecclectic playlist running through my headphones (I’ve no wish to keep Mickey up). Some songs just grab me and beg to be talked about, but then end before I can even really get started, and I don’t want to loop just one song for that. Then there are other songs that I really just have no wish to talk about. I enjoy them purely for the sake of enjoying them, and don’t feel compelled to say much at all, beyond perhaps “Tee hee. Whip it! Into shape!”

Okay, I’m going to at least go back to one that I want to write about. Let’s look at DJ Krush, Song 1 off “Zen”. I’ve listened to the other songs on the album, and none really fit quite as well as thing song. It has a simple beat, with some instrumentals laid over to give variety and flavor… very simple, and absolutely beautiful in my opinion. Complexity has its place, yes, but runs the risk of simply becoming “how much can I add?” That completely misses the point of creating music that uniquely and eloquently grasps a mood, a mode of thought, a viewpoint, a vibe, an aura, an energy, call it what you will. Some music “gets it” and some decidedly does NOT.
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Back in the Saddle Again

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I’m not entirely sure whether this will prove to be a short post or a long one yet, so please bear with me. It’s been a long time since I really sat down and wrote an entry, despite feeling that I should (and in fact missing the feeling). I have a number of things that I would like to write longer, more thoughtful, drawn out posts about, things such as UberCon, and all the surrounding brouhaha that has accompanied it (almost all of it positive, however, or at the very least not negative).

But not right now.
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The Good, the Bad, the Director

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So, things have been a little stressful, lately. Health insurance came due, and while not exactly unexpected, we really didn’t have the funds for it, so we are now left with needing to do some creative accounting to find the money for everything (rent, bills, car payments, car repairs, et cetera — the money we gratefully received from Mickey’s father to repair the car had to be spent on the health insurance). I’m scrambling madly for a job and have had absolutely no luck. I’ve submitted over 60 resumes at this point, plus several job applications for retail positions, and everyone is either not hiring, or is looking for someone more qualified. Not that they are telling me this, mind you: I’ve been lucky to get an auto-response out of most of them. They also generally say “No calls concerning employment accepted — if we like your resume, WE’LL CALL YOU.”

That would be “the bad”: being broke as hell, with no relief in sight. Even jobs I’m qualified for I’m not getting a response out of. At this rate, it is distinctly possible that we’ll have to sell stock (or use it as collateral on a loan) and move back east to DC, where Mickey has more consistent, reasonable-paying work. I really like it out here except for the job situation, so I’m really REALLY hoping it doesn’t come to that.
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Sippy Cup

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A few weeks ago, Mickey and I decided to go to Cat in the Hat. She was interested in the set, having read about the vast foam set they had built, and I’m really open to pretty much anything. We went to the last show of the evening on a weekday, which mean that we had the entire theater to ourselves, literally. Needless to say, we heckled and laughed and bounced around, and had a far better time with the movie because of this than I think we would have otherwise.

We came in already a bit punchy, and decided to splurge on the combo popcorn and soda… “for only a quarter more” we got fully a HALF-GALLON of sprite, in a giant caricature of a normal sized cup. It had all the proportions correct, it was just… larger, in every dimension. It even came with a slightly wider, extra long straw. They were obviously clearing out old stock, as it had wrapped around its middle images from Matrix Reloaded (not even Revolutions).

Needless to say, by the end of the movie, it was still half full (and that’s with both of us working on it). We took it home, I drank the last of the soda, and then it was put away (washed).

This, my friends, is the ultimate sippy cup. Gripping it carefully with both hands, you suckle the giant straw, pulling ounce upon ounce of cold water down your throat. I feel like I’m three years old again, finally upgrading from the little cup with the sippy top to the big cups with the sippy top. The proportions are correct, and it really just strikes me as a beautiful, marvelous thing.

Who knows how long it will last, what with being a large cheap plastic cup, but for now at least I will appreciate it, both for the sensation of being three again that it gives, and for helping me keep hydrated for once.

Schoolwork Cha Cha

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This will in theory be a quick post, as it’s already 12:30am and I really ought to be in bed snuggling with my wife.

I spent most of the day stressing over getting back into the writing swing of things. After an extended period of dwindling amounts of writing, let alone academic writing, I was feeling particularly unsure of my capability to write in even an informal yet scholarly way. I found ways to put it off (as I’ve been putting it off for the past few days, cleaning my office for instance), such as making myself a far more complicated dinner than was really necessary, and making a checklist of things I need to do daily or at least weekly, because I have a habit of being forgetful.

I finally sat down and started to write, and after getting a paragraph down, I found myself finally getting back into the routine, which felt really good (nearly as good as when I get going in a creative bent… a feeling that I still remember, though I haven’t felt it in far too long). Four pages later, I have two informal annotations done and proofread (thanks to my lovely wife, Mickey, who I am convinced is the patron angel of editors), and feeling pretty comfortable about finishing up the last of my packet tomorrow for mailing either Monday afternoon or Tuesday morning. Yes, that will make it fully two weeks late. My advisor IS aware that it is late, and has been quite patient with me thus far.
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Music Again

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I’m currently listening to Ben Harper (excellent stuff), but that’s not what I want to mention with this very quick post while I take a break from my annotations. On the way back from dinner with my wife (I drove out and met her at work between shows), I was listening to KEXP, as I almost always do when driving around in my car. The DJ was being pretty punchy and semi-bitter because he was stuck working while the rest of the staff was off at the staff holiday party… pretty funny stuff.

Anyway, the show was highlighting local bands (Pacific Northwest, not just Seattle), and he played a song called “I Was Meant for the Stage” by The Decemberists, which I found that I really liked. Hopefully one of the resumes I’ve sent out over the past two days will work out, so I can afford to go pick up their album (among others).

A Dream I Had

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I was telling Mickey about this dream I had last night, and she thought it might be worth writing down. Not that it’s fleshed out or anything, but it was still an interesting dream.

It started out being back at my parents’ house, with it being late October/early November out (most of the leaves are off, sky is kind of gray, and it’s “brisk”). I was showing someone (I don’t recall exactly who, might have just been a duendic conglomeration of various Bond girls or something. I’m really not sure, just sure that I don’t recognize them now that I’m awake) the backyard, pointing out the space where Mom used to garden (she still does but not as much). In fact, there are still three broken and dead corn stalks on the outermost row.
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Ebb and Flow

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Forgive me if this post is a bit sporadic.

Barring the necessities of breathing, eating, drinking, et cetera, I have done five things in the past two days. I went to my chiropractor appointment this morning, which is one of those five things, and is the one I don’t plan to talk about further (not that it was bad, so much as that it was a non-event).

I have, in fact, been working on my schoolwork, at least a little bit each day. I’ve been reading through the Kitab-i-Aqdas, and feeling very sluggardly about my progress. We’ll see if I kick up the pace some more in the next few days. Something that is interesting about the Aqdas is that (after the introductory remarks), a great deal of the first part of the book is updates to the Laws of God declared by previous dispensations. I don’t know why, but I do find this somewhat humorous, looking back at some of the things that had been forbidden previously. Less humorous but interesting is the part where he addresses the leaders of various countries, and pretty much foretells World War I.

I’ve also been working on getting the site redesign ready for a smooth transition. If I stay on task, it should be ready by the end of the week, like I said before. Basically, what’s been keeping me is the minor variations that I have between the different sections. For instance, the visual gallery is currently set up to show 2, sometimes even 3 images across, assuming they were all posted on the same day. Also, the layout of the archives is slightly different, so I need to make sure I don’t break anything when I implement things there.
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