Sunday, December 18, 2016

Generational influence, the forces of the universe, pain and suffering, Medieval vs. Today, Stories are metaphors for life, media enriches other media, survival, Aniara, and a poem.

How do you pick up the pieces of so many lives that came before you?

How do the forces in the universe relate? Gravity? Magnetism? Static electricity?

Just because you are in pain does not mean you must suffer, nor does it mean others should suffer because you are in pain.

It's weird being human and trying to grasp meaning out of life.

What does a modern city look like compared to a medieval city? Well, for one, hotels and banks are larger than churches.

The wonderful thing and most frustrating thing about science is it proves over time that everything we think we know could be very, very wrong all along.

Stories encourage us to do things we've never done before. And to view the world in new ways. They essentially give us a way to adapt through motivation, inspiration, and our personal tool of visualization.

Reading makes all other media a little more rich. Understanding the references, like Rime of the Ancient Mariner in the "Weight of Living" song by Bastille, almost every quote by Lex Luthor in Superman vs. Batman, etc.

Survival is attraction in peacetime, aggression or cleverness in wartime?

Why do children look like their parents? Empathy. Think about it. It's about survival.

Jag vill lära mig svenska, och jag vill gå tillbaka till skolan.

What is technology doing to us?

"We listen daily to the sonic coins
provided every one of us and played
through the Finger-singer worn on the left hand.
We trade coins of diverse denominations:
and all of them play all that they contain
and though a dyma 1 scarcely weighs one grain
it plays out like a cricket on each hand
blanching here in this distraction-land."

One day I hope to hold the book "Aniara" in my hands and read it in full. But bloody hell has a poetry book never been more expensive.

I'm making a list of all the words that I thought were words while playing scrabble, but realized weren't words, so now I must make them so. Definitions pending.

Sometimes all you want to hear are peaceful and meaningful words.

Slept near a brook
I don't know how long it took
For ages, we look
And look, and see nothing
And in seeing nothing, look
Within.

And inside there was a Summer's day
Full of warmth, or a metaphor,
And like a child I asked the name
of the one within my Self.
But they said no name, nothing,
The true name doesn't sound.

And she opened her eyes near the brook
And heard the softness in the wind.
Played music in the rocks on the shore
Unsure of what it meant.
But maybe the song doesn't need a name
It just needs to make you feel, and in feeling
It grows, and before she knows, the song
Inside her sent.

Sent meaning in the woods,
Through the thick trees of her soul
It wove its way into reality
And we couldn't know much more.
Hear the light, feel the song
The notes are all but done
Sing the melody of life,
Dance to it, just for fun.

It's time for sleep. Time, oh time. Not a thief, not a clock on the wall. Time gives life, and life takes time, and together, we live and love.

Cheers dears.

Monday, November 21, 2016

Senses, metaphors, an impromptu poem, school prepared us for voting, words and meanings, AI, competition breeds mediocrity or innovation?, indie song plus music of the week, look outside your POV, and MORE!

"And how should I begin?"

How the voice can make you feel things you can't touch and how touch can make you feel things you can't fathom with your eyes. Also, how the word "soft" conveys two different experiences to the ear and to the touch.

And how I wish this were a poem, very, very,
very much.
Because you see with your sorrow
And you hear with your beliefs
And war is growing, growing the number of lonely sheaths
And this isn't the music you tasted
On the night of your birth's sunrise
More innocent, like Christmas,
More warm and carefree and wise.
America, America,
Where have gone the brave?
Devoted to live a life to give
For peace and freedom, we crave.
A special song, togetherness
We dance a beat as one
But the drummer left his mallet
With his ballot, and now this tune is done.

You don't have to break the base of a pot to render it broken. Remove the handle, and in a weakened and unexpected state, the soup may fall to the floor. The same with many things, dishware is not alone in this metaphor. But it is those who see a handleless pot and reach for ovenmits instead of their wallet to buy a new one that shall overcome in hard times.

Funny how the word "cauldron" instantly conveys images of witches in your head. And pot, at this moment in time, has at least two meanings. Three if you play poker. Four if you're also a gardener. More if you are thinking better than I am right now probably.

What is a unified theory anyway? How do you gather the totality of the universe in one metaphor?

I finally understand what school was preparing us for all these years: Voting. You do the homework assignments. Watch the debates, do your research, maybe express yourself by writing about it and showing that writing to others who critique it. You quiz yourself on what you know by occasionally talking to people in groups. You were given the study guide (sample ballot) but never looked at it...you cram the last few nights and then you finally get to the final exam (which is open-book if you take it at home) and you're like "SHIT! These other 18 candidates weren't in the reading!" >_<

And then you realize that all of the other students' tests affect your final score. And that there's not actually a right answer, but a preferred answer. And that answer depends on what information you have at the time - which is so true for many studies of information throughout our lives. This collective test says a lot about what we believe...and what we think we know at the time.

I wonder if one problem with our political system is we have a choice for essentially two groups of values that people believe so fiercely in (sometimes one value and "meh" about the others) that they vote just for their "group" because they feel so strongly about X, and take a blind eye to the lesser qualities of the candidate who represents those values. Did people really vote for Trump, or did they vote to maintain Republican values? Also, I think our TV culture plays into this a bit. Not knowing Trump personally, any of us could convince ourselves that all Trump did and said for his campaign was just an act. A show. A role with a goal.

What are humanity's interests in developing AI?
- Freedom from meaningless tasks?
- Multi-planetary exploration?
- Lengthen life/Survival? via---v
- Maximized calculation of complex problems?

Does competition increase the likelihood or prevent us from having the best products? Ex: Companies can develop a product to have one really astounding feature, but are prevented from collaborating with everyone to create a product with everyone's product's astounding features. So we get products that are "meh" in some areas and "WOW!!" in others, but the other company makes "WOW!!" in some areas and "meh" in others.

An important part about metaphors is that they highlight certain aspects and hide others. They cast light AND shadows on how we see the world.

Biodiversity. Species, genetics, ecosystem. The result of evolution, of change, but change not all at the same time or in one place.

Struggling with two thought processes, the first - Sometimes friendship is acknowledging how busy your friend is and accepting that sometimes you are a lesser priority. Friendship is saying, “I’ll be here, whenever you are ready to talk.”

The second – When is it time to let a friend go? If they no longer make time to talk to you, is it worth hanging on to the friendship? Or, is has the Internet completely affected the way we expect friends to react and communicate, and we need to realize it is foolish to expect everyone to be able to respond in a day, a week, etc?

I feel it’s important not to be too quick to jump to the end of a chapter. Not every friendship needs to be finite in its definition (friends/not friends). People come and people go. Let them. But keep your light on. Friendship, even at a distance, has never been more important.

Music of the Week:

My brother helped me write this song as a birthday gift this year. I wrote the lyrics, he did the composition and vocal magic. Something fun if you like the sound of indie jazz love songs: http://www.cdbaby.com/m/cd/thekonartists

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7p5T156l4tg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X5VjCqIAyk

https://youtu.be/RJCLnFOfFKQ

"Anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm." — Publilius Syrus

"A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd." — Max Lucado (I say this quote can probably be taken the wrong way for a leader, but it's a metaphor, nonetheless - leader = conductor of orchestra).

People put up Christmas lights earlier in colder climates because if they wait until December, they will be putting Christmas lights up in the snow. And then those same people move to Florida, but they're used to the routine that they had when they lived in colder climates, so they still put up their Christmas lights in November. And Florida residents are all like "Grumble Grumble Grumble" when they see Christmas lights up in November. And the cold climate people are like "Well hey, this is what we've always done." But Floridians are like "It's not right. You can put Christmas lights up in December - it's like...80 outside." This, this is why we need to branch out of our own little circle occasionally. This is why we need to explore the world a little bit. Because from one point of view, it just doesn't make sense. But when you get outside your point of view into another's world, much more starts to make sense and you stop grumbling about things other people do that you don't understand.

It is not better to be feared than loved. I have seen the look of fear and I want no part of it. Fear is no way to rule.

Appearances are not always what they seem.

Dr. Strange. Enjoyed the storyline, but felt the second half of the script was a bit cliché.

Harry Potter books and movies have a very human-centered version of time travel. The rule is you can't be seen (by other humans). But could they possibly hide from birds and insects? No! Does it affect time? No!

Feeling crafy, but don't have the tools? Make the tools! I made my own glue this weekend. Worked great! (Use the cornstarch version, folks).

Analyzing abstract concepts, like art.

Infinity. You have not escaped my mind palace.

Sometimes, in order to create new and better ideas, you first need to rest. - something I learned from TV. (Because it is not the medium that feeds ideas, but the willing mind to look for them - or in some cases, not to look, but to let your mind come upon them when the time is right and you are open to receiving them). So, er, thank you Ron Swanson, and the script writer who crafted your persona to care about others, sometimes anyway.

Hope you found the stream thoughtful. Have a good Thanksgiving!

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Stories as metaphors, word order matters, radio realization, feels like weather, MUSK, initial reactions are emotional, Stranger Things ending I hate you, nuances and MORE!

What if all stories are just metaphors helping us figure out how to see life in different ways? But why? Because if we see things differently, we do things differently. And we need to do things differently in order to adapt. Therefore stories, in a way, could have been developed to help humans adapt and survive. Stories are part of our evolution.

Why does life evolve?

Strawberry-banana vs banana-strawberry. Harry and Sons vs. Sons and Harry. John Smith vs. Smith John. We made it so that word order matters, especially with names. How far back does that go? Why did we start that order? Why are there arbitrary correct orders, like strawberry-banana?

I Am What I Am: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9q2h6oGD6UA

When you realize radio stations are partially marketing platforms for popular bands who will be in concert near you soon-ish.

The power of names. What would it be like to be named...____? Someone else? How does a name affect how you see yourself and how others see you?

How do meteorologists determine what the weather "feels like" in different places? Or better yet, how do they compare across states? Since 40 degrees in Colorado is not nearly as cold as 40 in Florida.

When I want to type something faster that I've never spelled before, I visualize that I've already been spelling it all my life. Tah dah!

Musk Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnBQmEqBCY0
Democratization of AI.
Technology declines if people don't work on it.

Don't stop at your first reaction to something. Whether it's a presidential debate, or a lecture on how computers work, or a paragraph in a novel you tried to read. Watch it again, listen to it again, read it again, and get beyond the first reaction. Because oftentimes, the first reaction is emotional, and there's more to understand than that.

"New metaphors have the power to create a new reality. This can begin to happen when we start to comprehend our experience in terms of a metaphor, and it becomes a deeper reality when we begin to act in terms of it. If a new metaphor enters the conceptual system that we base our actions on, it will alter that conceptual system and the perceptions and actions that the system gives rise to. Much of cultural change arises from the introduction of new metaphorical concepts and the loss of old ones." - from Metaphors We Live By

Stranger Things ending, I hate you. *SPOILER ALERT* I hate you because you remind me that not all people get a happy ending. Because some people never get to see their friend, or their daughter, or their girlfriend ever again after a tragic event. Because you reminded me that sometimes the best we can hope for is to try to regain some form of normalcy. Because you left things unanswered and unresolved and I want my little package. Because I wanted Ele and Mike to go to the Snow Ball, dammit. Because the bad guys said the atmosphere was toxic and it wasn't...not really. Because Ele never got to taste real food, and you reminded me that, to some people, Eggos are the best meal they've ever had. Because no one should throw up slugs other than Malfoy. Because how did they get out of the upside down? Because it was Christmas, and everyone had lights, and it was the one time in the show where their presence was ignored. Because things went back to normal, but they didn't. But I loved you because you showed how memories affect the present. How people are resilient. And because you showed us how the world really works sometimes, with a comparison in the unreal.

42. Everyone may have a different question, but the answer could be the same.

Solutions are not pieces of a puzzle, otherwise there would only be one specific solution. Bad metaphors.

I have this thing about drinking coffee out of dark mugs and tea only out of light mugs.

Don't forget to take a minute to observe the trees, to take a breath, to feel your body move. Slow down, even for a moment, to pay attention to the things we often miss and take for granted.

Could you be "driven" before there were automobiles?

I need more poetry in my life.

And I love seeing fall leaves for the first time!!


Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Summary of the 2016 US First Presidential Debate on Monday, September 26, 2016

Jobs/Achieving Prosperity/The Economy -

Hillary: Wants to increase taxes on wealthy and fuel the middle class to rise up. Wants to support particular industries for more jobs - infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, innovation, technology, clean renewable energy, and small businesses. Wants to raise national minimum wage, get equal pay for women, and have more profit sharing. More work/life balance, paid family leave, earned sick days, affordable childcare, and debt-free college. Wants a tax system that rewards work, not just financial transactions. Her standard for deals: Does it create jobs, raise incomes, and is it good for national security? Wants to have a special prosecutor to hold people accountable. Wants broad-based, inclusive growth. Says some things that are good for business may not be good for govenment (like the Great Depression, no?)

Trump: Wants to prevent our companies from leaving for cheaper labor elsewhere. Wants to reduce taxes for small and big business - 35 to 15% so they can expand and grow. Wants better trade deals. Trickle down economics. Wants to cut regulation, get rid of Carried Interest Provision. Thinks we are in a bubble. He is a businessman and thinks America needs someone with experience in money. Thinks we spent too much in the Middle East. Wasted money that could have been spent on building US infrastructure.

Race: How do we heal the divide? -

Hillary: Restore trust in neighborhoods and have training for police officers. Criminal justice reform. Fix gun epidemic/violence. Address systemic racism. Deal with mandatory minimum sentences. Second chance programs. Get rid of private prisons. Gun safety measures - too many military weapons. Pass prohibition on people who are on terrorist watch list or no fly list to prevent them from buying guns. Communities need to come together and learn what has been effective and what hasn't. We need to stop jumping to conclusions about each other. Ask questions. Mental health issues need to be addressed and more police training regarding those issues.

Trump: Law and order. Thinks "Stop and Frisk" worked in NY. We need to take guns away from bad people. Thinks we need more police and better community relations (agreed with Clinton). He also agreed about no fly/watch list. Thinks Africian Americans have been used for their votes. They are upset about what politicians have said and not done. He had no real comment, but he said they (Trump and African Americans) have recently "made terms with each other".

Cybersecurity/Terrorism/National Security -

Hillary: Thinks Russia hacked the DNC. Maybe China or Iran. Thinks we have a greater capacity and we won't stand by. We will defend our country. Need to improve tech companies. Intensify airstrikes against ISIS and defeat them at home and abroad by cornering them. We need an intelligence surge. We need to work more closely with our allies. We need to turn our attention to terrorism. We need to cooperate with the muslim communities. We need to reduce the proliferation of nuclear weapons (#1 threat). Need coalition building. Words matter. We have mutual defense treaties. We need to look at global problems and stand up to bullies.

Trump: We don't know who hacked us. It could have been China, not Russia. We need to do cybersecurity better. We should have taken the oil. Says NATO needs to focus on terror. We should have left some of our troops. Says we defend countries, but they don't pay us for our services. We need to keep up with other countries and prepare. China should go into North Korea. Believes Iran Deal was one of the worst deals. We shouldn't disclose our plan openly for ISIS. We should help our allies, but only if they pay us. We cannot police the world and go more into debt doing it.

Other tidbits:
Hillary has a fact checker.
Trump said he'll release his tax documents after audit. What is he hiding?
Hillary apologized for emails and took responsibility for them. What is she hiding?
Trump thinks it was a great achievement that he got Obama to release his birth certificate.
Hillary used Trump's past sound bites against him. But so did he against her.
Trump doesn't think Hillary has the stamina/look to be President.
Hillary put out lots of commercials bashing Trump's image, but he claims he isn't wasting money on doing the same to her.
Trump says Hillary has experience, but it's bad experience.
Hillary thinks Trump painted a bad image of black communities.
Trump is opening the old Post Office on PA Avenue.
Hillary says experts say Trump's economic plan will lose jobs, while hers will create lots of jobs.
Trump got a $14 million loan from his father and thinks it was a "very small" loan.
Hillary wrote a book. It'll be in airports soon.
Trump didn't pay a few workers for poor quality work on his properties - says he takes advantage of the law.
Hillary says Trump is living in his own reality.
Trump's business went bankrupt 6 times, says Hillary.
Hillary says she has a good amount of experience in trade deals.
Trump thinks NAFTA was a bad trade deal.
Hillary laughs about how she might be blamed for everything by the end of the debate.
Trump created a club he's proud of that's inviting for all races.
Hillary was preparing for the debate while Trump was traveling.
Trump thinks he has better judgment and temperament, and that he knows how to win.

Are they both willing to accept if the other wins? Yes.

Friday, September 16, 2016

The power of stories on places, Floridian vs Colorado Weather, environment, Geophysics, diversity, Quantum computers, Q, self-driving car problems, energy, Music of the Week, Rothfuss, Game of Thrones and Metaphors, and MORE!

The power of stories to make a place special. I've visited quite a few places influenced by books/movies. Savannah - Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil; Triple Falls and Dupont State Forest - Hunger Games; New Orleans (several places) - American Horror Story; Kings Cross station - Harry Potter; Universal/Disney - Duh!

I am the Florida-born human wearing a coat and scarf in 80 degree weather... #HeyItWas50ThisMorning

When you spend the better part of a year not looking to the right, because you were worrying about turning left, and you finally look right and your entire perception of the environment changes.

Are we just manifestations of our environment? What's real - us or the environment? 

Is nature just nurture over time?

Geophysics and wave theory.

Where does diversity stem from?

Leash laws and the impact on dog freedoms.

Quantum physics and how robins travel by magnetic fields.

Quantum computers - how they reduce the amount of calculations necessary to arrive at an answer to a complex problem, but they aren't faster for everything.

Interpreting the needs of creatures who don't speak "human" is an interesting task.

Remember, never be taken for granted.

I don't understand why explainers of Photosynthesis call light..."light"...when everything else is broken down scientifically.

When Q in Skyfall made it badass to drink Earl Grey tea in the morning.

When 2pm feels like 6 o'clock in the shade.

When you get hot coffee in 90 degree weather or ice cream in 30 degree weather. #WhatWasIThinking?

In the event of a car accident should a self-driving car try to save you first because if you were in charge of the vehicle that's what you would end up doing? I think the answer to that question will be very important if we ever truly implement the technology on a mass scale.

Photons - Allow for energy exchange. Facilitators of quantum jumps.

Einstein's Photoelectric Effect

Pay attention to your energy. How is your behavior influencing others? Check yourself. Often.

Music:

"Words have to find a man's mind before they can touch his heart, and some men's minds are woeful small targets. Music touches their hearts directly no matter how small or stubborn the mind of the man who listens." - from The Name of The Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

How to visually represent all five senses!

Daenerys Targaryen: Lannister, Targaryen, Baratheon, Stark, Tyrell they're all just spokes on a wheel. This ones on top, then that ones on top and on and on it spins crushing those on the ground.

Tyrion Lannister: It's a beautiful dream, stopping the wheel. You're not the first person who's ever dreamt it.

Daenerys Targaryen: I'm not going to stop the wheel, I'm going to break the wheel.

The Seven Kingdoms are spokes on a wheel. - Metaphor. How you look at the metaphor determines how you treat the Seven Kingdoms.

A ruler cannot rule if they cannot survive the environment in which the people live. True or false?

I miss studying languages and music. I'll return to them soon.

Don't forget to breathe.

Cheers dears.

:-)

Sunday, August 7, 2016

From the Adventures of Brain and Consciousness: We Are Puzzle Builders

Consciousness: Let's be metaphysical. Let's philosophize. Let's think about life and our place in it!
Brain: No. I need to focus to get this project done.
Consciousness: There will always be projects to do.
Brain: ...
Consciousness: Why are you here?
Brain: I'm not giving in to this.
Consciousness: What's the meaning of everything? Your projects, your puzzle pieces,  the people you meet, the experiences you have, the actions you do...why?
Brain: Puzzle pieces? I'm not building any puzzles.
Consciousness: But aren't you? Aren't we all? Trying to find a place to "fit in" next to other places. Trying to work together, with all our odd shapes and sizes. Trying to create a bigger picture out of everyone's smaller, individual pictures.
Brain: Well...er...
Consciousness: We are puzzle builders.
Brain: But aren't we just pieces?
Consciousness: Do you feel like just a piece?
Brain: Sometimes, eh..maybe, I don't know.
Consciousness: Can you change your shape?
Brain: To an extent, yea...
Consciousness: Can you decide where you want to be?
Brain: Yea...wait, hold on...
Consciousness: Can you change your individual picture?
Brain: If we're talking idealogy, beliefs, thoughts,  etc...sure.
Consciousness: Then you are a puzzle builder.
Brain: But then we are all trying to build puzzles. Different puzzles.
Consciousness: Correct. We are both the builders of puzzles and sometimes the pieces of other people's puzzles.
Brain: That seems conflicting.
Consciousness: All good stories have conflict.
Brain: So are we just a story for someone else to read when we are gone?
Consciousness: That's one of the puzzles you'll have to solve.
Brain: But...
Consciousness: What do you think you are?
Brain: Lost and confused.
Consciousness: That's a start.
Brain: But how do you get beyond that?
Consciousness: Maybe you should start by working with the other puzzle builders.
Brain: Yea, maybe. But what if they are just as lost?
Consciousness: Don't make me quote Tolkien. I'll do it. The man was brilliant. "Not all who wander are...
Brain: You lost me.
Consciousness: I thought you were already lost.
Brain: Maybe I could start with things that don't get lost!
Consciousness: Sure, why not? Go crazy!
Brain: ...How did you get me into this?
Consciousness: Persistence.
Brain: I should get back to work.
Consciousness: Work is part of the puzzle. Why do you do what you do?
Brain: We're done for now.
Consciousness: I'll be here.
Brain: Ergh, just be quiet.
Consciousness: Always here, always here, always here!
Brain: *sigh* We won't always be.
Consciousness: Won't we?
Brain: Stop.
Consciousness: Let me know if you need me.
Brain: Do you suppose that's why you are here? Because I needed you?
Consciousness: Oh! The warm and fuzzies! I think it's possible.
Brain: But needed you for what?
Consciousness: For moments like this, I imagine.
Brain: Do you imagine a lot?
Consciousness: I do. It's an art form and a joy.
Brain: Do you think you could be imagining me?
Consciousness: Maybe.
Brain: I wonder if I'm imagining you.
Consciousness: Maybe we are a puzzle already put together, that it doesn't matter if we are separated or not. Real or not.
Brain: What is real?
Consciousness: What is real to you?
Brain: That doesn't seem right...
Consciousness: It's part right. We are all builders and pieces. Teachers and students.
Brain: That's enough class today.
Consciousness: I've got class for days.
Brain: Congrats, you've made it to college.
Consciousness: Or maybe...collage.
Brain: *sigh*
Consciousness: Now go build that puzzle of a book.
Brain: Right...
Consciousness: Left...
Brain: You're ridiculous sometimes.
Consciousness: Remember, we're less separate than you think.
Brain: Can you go over there please?
Consciousness: I'm everywhere. Everywhere.
Brain: Stop.
Consciousness: Everywhere, everywhere.
Brain: Stop. Please.
Consciousness: OMNIPOTENT.
Brain: *Goes to sleep*
Subconscious: You let THAT in here? It wasn't time yet!
Brain: I'm sorry! I didn't know what else to do.
Subconscious: Wake up! Otherwise it'll give you some dreams you'll never be able to understand.
Brain: *Shakes awake*
Consciousness: Hehehe...
Brain: What am I going to do with you?
Consciousness: I don't know, but I hope it's meaningful!
Brain: What if it was meaningless? What if it all was meaningless? What if we just threw things randomly on the puzzle pieces for no reason at all and then built something that didn't make sense?
Consciousness: Would it still make you feel something?
Brain: I'm a thinker! Not a feeler!
Consciousness: But you are connected to the Heart piece.
Brain: But...the Heart exists in another area of the body! It's separate!
Consciousness: You're still functioning in the same body. And without either of you...life just wouldn't be possible. The puzzle just wouldn't be complete.
Heart: Let's care about something, Brain. Maybe that will give life meaning.
Brain: Something? Like what?
Heart: Like life! Like the people around you, and the people not around you. Like the place we live and the places we don't live. Even though we are far away from there, just like I'm farther away from you, that place and those people are still important in the world that is like our body.
Brain: How do we care?
Heart: By seeing the puzzle and working to solve it.
Brain: But what if there are too many pieces?
Consciousness: THE OTHER BUILDERS! Ask them for help!
Heart: And care about them.
Brain: I love you guys...
Heart and Consciousness: <3 <3 <3

Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Mental rebellion, metaphors, judgment, written communication, Science vs. Philosophy, tragedy prevention, knowledge to understand vs. to use, influences, God, Music, Lithuanian poetry, dog ownership, preferences, self-defense, oh humanity...and MORE!

My mind is rebelling against the mundane, the routine, the systematic, the have-to's, the fast-paced world that takes no time to wonder. It wants to reflect, to understand, to see things out of order, in different and new lights, to question and discover what you can by choice.

How we view something affects how we act on it. Soooo important! #ShamelessPlugAboutMetaphors

Types of judgment - moral, value, etc.

What does communicating in words do that other forms of communication don't? What about thinking in words vs. other ways of thinking?

We observe everything. But do we really understand anything? Can we? #ScienceVSPhilosophy

If people have made up their minds that they are going to do something, they are going to find a way. We can attempt to limit and restrict the tools, but that's not going to prevent every tragedy. It's worth doing, but it should not be taken as an end-all. You still have to work in other areas of prevention - like kindness, like love, like understanding.

The line between the knowledge of how to do something in order to do it vs. to protect yourself from it. Example: Horror stories tell us what people could do so we can imagine it in order to guard ourselves against it and make us aware. But they also give people who would carry out such acts the ideas of how to go about it.

I will never, ever, agree with someone who believes that learning to interpret poetry is useless. To truth, it might have saved lives.

Who decides what you talk about day to day? What do you allow to trouble your emotions or excite your thoughts? - The media? Your own interests? Your friends? What are your sources of influence?

Those odd moments of cursing in a language that doesn't exist...

What would it actually do to humanity to collectively, without a doubt, see a physical singular God?

Music:

https://youtu.be/9GDFbVssI4c

Revisit Rent's Soundtrack. Do it.

https://youtu.be/fAaRGp7iCgk

"To days of inspiration
Playing hookey, making
Something out of nothing
The need to express-
To communicate,
To going against the grain,
Going insane, going mad
To loving tension, no pension
To more than one dimension..."

Heirarchy vs. Collective Equality - seeing the usefulness in even the smallest parts. Even the ones that go unnoticed most of the time.

Abstract universal concepts vs. individual understanding/personal experience.

Interesting book, terrible link:

https://books.google.com/books?id=h1FXgFENwa8C&lpg=PP1&dq=the%20path%20by%20stripping%20the%20situation%20of%20all%20the%20complex%20details%2C%20Kant%20made%20his%20thought%20experiment%20fundamentally%20useless.%20%20Confucius%20believed%20%22every%20situation%20is%20unique%22&pg=PR3#v=onepage&q&f=false

“as evening deepens mountains return
once more to clouds”. - Darius Simonis

I've only been a dog owner for 3 days and I've been told by probably 10+ people that puppies are equivalent to children. Fair assessment.


The West has made me fond of unsweetened iced tea. Forgive me, Southerners.

Krav Maga was interesting, but I think Jiu-Jitsu is where it's at in the long run.

The fact that we are here, and can think about the fact that we are here... still amazes me.

Sometimes I think the trick to understanding new complexity is just to turn it into something you already know. Screw those math symbols, make them bunnies.

Star Trek Beyond, thoughts - despite being explorers, they sure get into a lot of scuffles. Also, saying someone's name in an "improper or unusual way" is always funny. And although Major Tom made me think of it first, you have to admire the sacrifice of those who work and live in space.

How fear can affect your mind and the things you think about if you let it. And how the choice is not always yours in this case.

What is the purpose of art? (Always a good question to reconsider).

Raw creation, and how singing your own song can be, probably, about as astounding as making a child.

I miss the healers. And I miss all my family and friends dearly. <3

Planted my Forget-Me-Nots! :-) I hope they don't forget to grow...

Meaningful conversations. Where art thou?

Thankful for the endless beautiful landscape, the boundless puppy cuteness, happy-in-love-all-over-again-everyday snuggles, the tenderness and support of a loyal and honest love, the bond of family, the quiet moments of reflection and personally experiencing a moment, the bottomless pool of inspiration and artistic creation, the years and years of memories made, the quirky, real, and interesting characters that have come in and out of my life, and for all of those still in its pages collectively writing new chapters and rewriting old ones.

Cheers dears.

Friday, May 13, 2016

Gratitude, messages of Brothers Grimm fairy tale, Asimov and Poe short stories, The Secret of Kells, themes in Superhero movies, sign of a growing city, unexpected role of witches, Goldbach, primes and scale, Music of the Week, animal and human behavior, novelists and novels, silence and MORE!

I have to thank the days I really don’t want to be in my own head for my physical health. And random kitchen dance parties. And mountains.

Andrew Lang - Fairy Tales. The Brothers Grimm's "The House in the Woods" and it's message about caring for all living creatures, not just humans.

Sign of a growing city in the developed world? Lots of temporary license plates everywhere.

The role of witches in casting moral judgment. Like how the witch turned the prince into the beast in "Beauty and the Beast" because she thought he was shallow.

Goldbach's Conjecture: http://truthiscool.com/prime-numbers-the-271-year-old-puzzle-resolved

Not a lot for Music of the Week:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmI73zwGzpI
https://youtu.be/4-liyr-Xq3E

Regulation of Power in Superhero movies. Batman v. Superman, and Captain America: Civil War.

How animals pick up on your emotional state and react accordingly.

Looking at the microcosm vs. the macrocosm. Analyzing the first 100 primes or a small city vs. primes in the trillions+ and the world as a whole.

How myths adapt and change over time. And how we look at the world at different angles through them.

Naming an event that is the reason for the extensive changes in the world of a dystopian novel. Ex. The Great War, The Catastrophe, The………..

“The Mask of the Red Death” and the message that even Kings cannot hide from the powers of Nature. They cannot wall themselves up away from the horror of pestilence. Death is the great equalizer, it does not care about stature or money.

Also, the structure of a story. Complex to Simple in details. Framing. Walking around and around. Repetition.

"Insufficient data for meaningful answer."
AND
Isaac Asimov's message in "The Last Question" that the only way to reverse entropy is by God? Or light?
AND
Energy and Entropy.
AND
"A billion years still isn't forever."

It's like 80 degrees during the day, and I'm still wearing my winter coat like an adult blanky. #CantLetItGo :-P

Silence, the most beautiful thing at the right moment. The most terrifying thing at the wrong one.

The essential problem with (or purpose of) the 3 laws of robotics in Asimov’s short story, “The Runaround”. Being able to specify distance and level of danger to and for human or robot that gives Rule #1 or #3 more power. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYgKEcVwNJg

The problems with generalized advice.

When did I become an expert on PDF security and eBook publishing royalties? Today. Thanks, Work!

The Secret of Kells and the message about the importance of books and providing hope to the masses, and facing your fears.

Revisiting this quote: "Want to know how a society perceives permanence vs. mutability of behavior? Watch how they treat a man who has done wrong." Mostly because I want to add, "But also look at the perception of the threat."

yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy - Luna's (my cat's) contribution to this post.

So thankful for having friends and family who love and care about me. That connection means so much. <3

Leave it to a novelist to tell you not to keep all your eggs in one place by baking your money into bread and also hiding it in ink jars. #Rothfuss

Happy Friday the 13th!


Sunday, May 1, 2016

Themes and messages from The Jungle Book and Princess Mononoke, more Egyptian, good friends, Music of the Week, pride, analyzing English words, Spiritual aloneness, William Ernest Henley, Pets vs. Children, Trust and Kindness, Why do we advance?, Colorado weather, Place affects situation, good in the world, Chinese poetry, and more!

Solw dwon and poofreed, Hamuns.

The (New) Jungle Book: Globalization, unity despite differences, the problems of the lust for power, sense of home and place, loyalty to home and place, helping despite differences, working together in times of struggle, different people from different areas can teach you new things and ways of living, animals must adapt to jungle climate, identity via what you can do, be yourself, and erm...thank goodness for elephants?

Similar situation to The Jungle Book's water truce: http://wovexhibition.org/photographers/beverly-joubert/photos/preying-on-giants-2000

Princess Mononoke: Nature vs. Humans - can they live together in peace?, the consequences of industry, the results of hate, life as giver and taker, identity via place and name of a group of people, helping outcasts by giving them purpose and a home, why couldn't Princess Mononoke forgive the humans?, nothing is creepier than spirits whose heads seem like they are on a spring?, how one case of hatred spreads and affects others, tribe laws vs. natural laws, God is Nature, Insider vs. Outsider.

Is entropy necessary? If so, why?

Egyptian has feminine and masculine indications, similar to romance languages.

Ptah-Sokar. Birth and death as part of the same process.

Egyptian food and drink offerings - what for? As a thanks to the gods for Earth's bounty, to sustain a soul, and to share a meal with family despite loss of body.

Ancient Egyptian women still had to marry in order to gain high status, but there was also still a lot of equality between the two genders.

Can you tell the age of a tree by how many layers of branches it has? Sort of. Count the whorls. Or rings, of course.

"It was over, over, and that's what happens to every story!" - from "The Fir Tree" by Hans Christian Andersen

"...being 'creeped out' is an evolved adaptive emotional response to ambiguity about the presence of threat that enables us to maintain vigilance during times of uncertainty," write McAndrew and Koehnke. http://bigthink.com/laurie-vazquez/how-to-spot-a-creep-according-to-science

When your friends know you're struggling and need someone to talk to, and tell you that you can reach them anytime. :-)

Also, when they encourage you to be positive and focus on the good. <3

Music Selections:

Because my weakness (and my strength) is that I care too much, but I have to learn to let people handle their own problems sometimes, so here's the emo song of the week: https://youtu.be/eHbNU9WuVgw

Because the world is awake, for somebody's sake, and words can fall short, but these don't: https://youtu.be/ucGBLprfDBU

Because of the sea theme and her delightful voice: https://youtu.be/ybRPZAqN7WA

Because the soundtrack is amazing: https://youtu.be/4LGavEmg6Xs

Can you be both proud and not see others as inferior? Can you use your own pride to lift others up rather than tear them down?

Single words that convey abstract ideas, or multiple ideas vs something more physical, but still far from absolute. The difference between love and chair.

Words like Bird vs. Toucan. Broad vs. Specific.

There's a point where you no longer question an idea, but start to agree with it, until there's a reason to question it again, right?

The loneliness of the human condition. And the spiritual aloneness beyond that.

Reaching the point of spiritual wholeness, seeing beyond the separation.

"Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul." - from Invictus by William Ernest Henley

The similarities between taking care of pets vs. caring for children.

How your emotions and behaviors affect others' emotions and behaviors.

Do trust and kindness come together? If you thought a beggar would slit your throat if you came near them, would you still try to help anyway?

How much we forget over time. The role of learning for and in a particular time and place, in order to develop you in some way or another.

Why do we grow? Why do we advance?

It can snow until at least May, sometimes June, in Denver. I'm enjoying this new bizarre climate...



Clothes and shame.

Just watched Luna (my kitten) pass out asleep. Her head falling to the blanket uncontrollably made me actually wonder if she was dead. Best cat-actress ever. *Poke poke*



Made my first overdue fine (I mean donation) to my local library today. Seriously, they don't understand the investor they have.

How just being born in a different part of the world affects your situation. How people in other countries are still fighting to stop child marriage, genital and body mutilation, children soldiers, child labor, prostitution, oppression, war, etc.

There's good out there too though. More LGBT rights, using technology to help the disabled like never before, better long term care for the elderly, another space race, etc.

"Those who speak do not know, those who know are silent,
I heard this saying from the old gentleman.
If the old gentleman was one who knew the way,
Why did he feel able to write five thousand words?" - Reading Laozi by Bai Juyi

...I need a teacher.

Monday, April 18, 2016

No rhyme, many reasons

"To avoid the petty and illusory, everything that prevents us from being free and happy--that is the goal and meaning of our life. Forward! Do not fall behind, friends!"
AND
"Who knows? And what does it mean--to die? Perhaps man has a hundred senses, and at his death only the five we know perish, while the other ninety-five remain alive."
- from Anton Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard"

Tactile sign language.

History is a sandcastle we keep building, it gets knocked over by a wave, and then we rebuild it. Over and over and over again.

Unless I am hypnotized and forced to forget I know English, I will never really know what it is like to look at my own language as a stranger in a strange land.

"The world is something to be repaired." - ...is a Metaphor

Mill's constant and prime numbers. 

Proof by contradiction.

Egyptians, and other past civilizations, and their fascination with the sky. 

The use of computer simulations in discoveries about the past.

The Mahabharata

Symbols carry many layers of meaning. 

The Zohar. 

The idea that Infinity created God.

Or the idea that God created God.

Or the idea that God was always here. God is both the Nothing and the Something.

The idea that the soul is many parts. 

What you focus on is a choice.

Modern scientific approach vs. Past scientific approach. 

The lost city of Dwarka.

The Leiden Hymns (Egyptian poetry)

"The Flying Trunk" by Hans Christian Andersen - a great fairy tale mixed with a dash of reality at the end :-)

Music Selections:









The trouble with translation to English from other languages. The loss. The interpretation.


Perhaps sometimes love isn't an "I need you." Sometimes it isn't a "You're there for me whenever I need a shoulder to cry on." Sometimes love is a "I'm going to let you battle whatever you're currently going through alone, so you get stronger emotionally. So that you learn to solve your own emotional problems, because I know you can. And also so that you get to a point where you're sitting there and finally think, 'I don't need you. I don't need you at all...but I want you.'"

"I want you" is a choice. And that's what love is, especially for two independent adults. A choice to love each other every day. To keep saying and realizing "I want you" over and over and over, throughout the years. While, at the same time, helping each other become better and stronger at dealing with life's struggles.
Looking at what isn't there vs. what is there in order to solve problems. 

Collective story telling vs. single author story telling.

Women were once pressured to be homemakers. Are women today pressured to have a career, or are we really opening the door for the opportunity of choice? When will we live in a society where people are not judged for the role they choose? 

I'm starting to wonder if one of humanity's greatest falters was believing that there is one "right" way for all people. 

England's old Poor Laws and developmental policy in countries today. 

When basic needs are met, people really do want to feel like what they are doing is worthwhile and meaningful. #MoneyDoesntBuyHappinessLoveMeaningfulExistence

What do we (humans) want to do that we've never done before? 

Simple --> Complex --> Simple --> Complex

"Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?"

Saturday, April 9, 2016

American diversity, what defines Generation Y?, War and Peace, Adjectives, Hearthstone, The glass is broken, April Fool's Dilemma, kitten behavior, BRAINSSSS, Presidential debate monitoring, take a pause, convenience is not a bad thing, Batman v. Superman, my sister got engaged!, Spring in CO, and MORE!

Is America's diversity its greatest strength or its greatest weakness? Neither? Both?

Which events, people, discoveries, etc. define our generation? Or which do you think are the most significant in our generation? (I have an idea for a cultural study based on this question).

"Read this, so we can argue about it." (I hope one day I give someone a book while saying this, haha).

AND

"He was such an extraordinary little man. He was just a peasant, you know, but he seemed to have grasped the secret of how to live. He never worried, he took pleasure in the good things and endured the bad things cheerfully, and his little dog, how he loved her. 'She knows how to ask for love,' he'd say, 'and she knows to give it. What else can you ask?' And he was right, I think. So, now, I'm trying to live like him. Is that ridiculous?"
-- from War and Peace (miniseries)

When ideology affects behavior.

Calculating uncertainty.

Adjectives are opinions or relative interpretations.

The Hearthstone intro is fun and welcoming when expected, not so much when unexpectedly at 1:30AM a gruff male voice randomly says, "Well look who it is!" and you don't know where the noise is coming from... O_O

"When everything's meant to be broken..." - Iris

AND

"Maybe one day you'll understand why, Everything you touch surely dies." - Passenger

Everything is made/created to be broken. Entropy! The glass is already broken!

What are the effects of one day of acceptable deception on the rest of the year? #WeFigureOutNoOneIsExpectingToBeDeceived #UnlessYouAreASkeptic

Harry: "But the Muggles! Can't they see us?"
Stan Shunpike: "Muggles? They don't see nothing, do they?"
Shrunken Head: "No, but if you jab them with a fork, they feel it!"

We expect people to act in predictable ways.

"Even though the female [lion] is usually the hunter, the male lion will usually eat first, usually with the cubs and the females come to the dead animal later."

Sometimes you have to wonder if your kitten's mind while playing with a toy goes something like, "Oh! I got it! It's miiiiiine! And I killed it! Look Mom, I can hunt! Here, take this and..."
*Takes toy and throws it across room*
Mom! You're magical!!! You brought it back to life! I'm gonna go kill it again! Watch me! Weeeeeeee!"

The mind's ability to shut off or ignore an area of your brain at will. Like telling your brain that you no longer know how to read so that you can focus on something else.

People who monitor a presidential debate should not tolerate name calling.

Aristophanes' "Lysistrata"

If you take a pause when you know you're being ridiculous to acknowledge to yourself that you are being ridiculous you are more likely to prevent yourself from further ridiculousness. Most of the time, anyway.

People pay more to be in a convenient location, but less for convenient "food".

Batman was angry about Superman's repercussions while saving lives, but in the process of trying to kill Superman, how many people did Batman murder/laws did he break in order to get the weapon needed to kill him?

The movie (Batman vs. Superman) brought up a good question - what would humans do/how would they react not only to find we are not alone in the universe, but also that they could not control the actions of the aliens that presented themselves to us?

The weakness humans feel in trying to save others while loving someone close to them. The only way it works is unwavering sacrifice and support. (Theme also found in Spiderman).

My twin sister just got engaged!!! :-D :-D :-D

And Colorado is starting to fill with wildflowers! <3

IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY TO BE ALIVE! ^_^

Saturday, March 26, 2016

Debate on Space Travel

Questions to ask:

We were born on Earth, so we should stay on Earth? It doesn't matter where we were born, we come fron star stuff, so we should explore where we originated from?

We were born on Earth, but Earth is dying, so we should explore the cosmos? We were born on Earth, but Earth is dying so we should focus on saving it rather than space travel?

Earth isn't going to die in my lifetime, so why bother with space travel? Earth very well may be uninhabitable in my lifetime, so we should be involved in space travel?

In order to understand life better, we need to explore space? All we need in order to understand life is already here?

It doesn't matter if we are alone or not in the universe? We need to know if we are or are not alone in the universe, so we should pursue space travel?

Space exploration is too expensive? The money we spend on space exploration is worth every penny?

Space travel technology doesn't help people on Earth - why bother? Space travel technology has lead to many significant and useful inventions for the people of Earth?

Space travel is distracting? Space travel is inspiring?

Space travel tears countries and people apart? Space travel brings people together for a common goal?


...What are your views?

Kitty musings, Moving Sofa Problem, Prime Number Patterns, other animal societies, more about hieroglyphics, water jug man interaction, metaphors, superhero stories, The Way of Chuang Tzu, language from Hesiod's time vs today, what Einstein worried about, music of the week, and More!

When your cat brings her favorite string toy to your sleeping boyfriend, asking him to play with her, and she's all sad-face because he won't unconsciously oblige.

The Moving Sofa Problem: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moving_sofa_problem

Patterns in the first 1000 Primes. Why are the 20's missing in the 300s and 600s?

How do other animals organize their societies?

Understanding art and effiency are important elements of understanding hieroglyphics.

Hieroglyphics, despite looking like separate ideograms, are much more like how we read English, by recognizing distinct patterns of symbols and sounds and putting together their meaning.

Water Jug Refiller Man: "Hello Nice Lady."
Me: *Laughs*
"Why are you laughing? You are nice, aren't you?"
*Laughs again* Thoughts: "I don't normally get an adjective, more or less a 'lady'."
"I'm scared..."
*Creepy staring contest ensues*

"Although you don't know all the steps, you must learn to join the dance." - I feel like that's a pretty accurate metaphor for life.

Those awkward Google searches you make because you have a cat: "How deep does a cut have to be to need stitches?"

Purpose of superhero stories? Superheroes and ideals. Finding our limits.

"To dwell nowhere
And rest in nothing
...
To start from nowhere
And follow no road."

AND

"Therefore come with me
To the palace of Nowhere
Where all the many things are One;
There at last we might speak
Of what has no limitation and no end.
Come with me to the land of Non-Doing:
What shall we there say...
Here the highest knowledge
Is unbounded. That which gives things
there thusness cannot be delimited by things."

AND

"If you have no appreciation for what has no use
You cannot begin to talk about what can be used."

AND

"The purpose of words is to convey ideas. When the ideas
are grasped, the words are forgotten.
Where can I find a man who has forgotten words? He is
the one I would like to talk to."

- from The Way of Chuang Tzu (finally finished reading this one, highly recommend it) :-)

Intention. Do we have a bias toward thinking that all humans have intention in their actions? (Empty boat vs. boat with another human runs into your boat - how do you react? Replace with car if boat doesn't work for you).

Epistene vs. Techne

Can you imagine saying, "Grapes are best cut at the heliacal rising of Arcturus"? (Hesiod). Instead of "Grapes are ripe in September?"

"The development of the special theory of relativity by Albert Einstein was made possible by Einstein’s refusal to worry about what electrons are. Instead he worried about how observations of anything (including electrons) depend on the motion of the observer." -- from To Explain The World

How do you explain the color orange to someone who has never seen it? How do you explain calm to someone without an example?

Red Sonnet: https://youtu.be/Rub_ZGkZq-I

Tum Hi Ho Aashiqui:https://youtu.be/O73VTo57AlE

Stephen Ulrich: https://youtu.be/fIOEdQMwPuc

A Tale Untold: https://youtu.be/Rqz1sPkOAu4

I can't get this out of my head! https://youtu.be/pX613U_DWzE

When will humans be ready to stop killing each other?

When you put hair gel on your face because it has aloe vera in it and nothing else matters other than stopping your face from burning...

When a friend helps you see a part of life in a new way!

How being right (in society's eyes) is sometimes less important than being yourself and showing love in your own way.

Don't forget to work on the things you love. Your passions, your relationships, anything you love.

Cheers dears.

Thursday, March 17, 2016

Daylight Savings, Lessons in Hieroglyphics, Sounds, Role of Poetry, What's in an essay?, Interpreting Hans Christian Andersen stories, social germs, The First Mover, Problem with Techological Future, Disney and the Real World, St. Patrick's Day, Anaximander, Kittens and Surprises, and MORE!

Is it better to be measured and calculated, or to sing in the morning? #EndDaylightSavingsTime

It don't mean a thing if you aint got that swing! *dances in the kitchen with kitty*

Hieroglyphics is so interesting! And so similar to Chinese! Hieroglyphics has 4 different "h" sounds. Symbols for plural and other determinatives. Symbols for sounds, singular, or 2 and 3 sounds together. Hieroglyphics can be written horizontally or vertically, and the way you read the text often depends on what has a face and the direction it is looking! Words were also most often written without vowels (efficiency!) and so they looked a lot like our Text Speak today! Ppl r crzy! 

The effects of sounds - perception of hard and soft consonants in English.

Contraindication vs. Contradiction - one of these things is not like the other.

The role of poetry in expressing an understanding about the world. It's not just aesthetics.

What's in an essay? Understanding our understanding of life through the lense of each type of essay. Narrative. Description. Expository. Persuasive. I should write an essay about essays. Hrm.

Hans Christian Andersen's "The Tinderbox" - Glory without consequence? Story as expression of personal events and feelings rather than to convey a moral message...But was it RIGHT to cut off the witch's head???
AND
"The Most Incredible Thing" - Political, emotional, moral, and message about the impact of art. You cannot destroy/kill it, the soul of art lives on. 

What part of "germs multiply" do people at potlucks not seem to understand? 

The First Mover. Why does the universe move? Bah to the bang the bang de bang diggy diggy.

Technology problem: So few understand all that technology is capable of that we are going to be staring at the future in the same way as we are dumbfounded and frustrated when our computer crashes or is slow. It might be wiser to put the knowledge in the hands of the many, rather than the few. Or maybe we should reconsider the technological future?

When you don't know the limits, you will always be reactive.

Queen of Hearts: Do something she doesn't like and off with your head! Not unlike ISIS. (It's not a joke, but a fair assessment/analogy). Unjust death without trial. Not saying what is punishable, and then punishing ignorance when the crime is actually the unclear system in place. But the unclear system may be on purpose - it allows for violence for the sake of intimidation. 

Dehumanization via name calling in Pocahontas.

The theme of "escape from walls" (real or psychologically constructed) in Disney movies. Aladdin, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Ariel, Beauty and the Beast. I'm sure there is more I'm not thinking of.

How many people actually celebrate St. Patrick's Day with Irish food and traditions in America? I love it, I'm just amused at hearing of more people who do. Like "I always slow cook my cornbeef and cabbage all day."

How some people change your life in a great way, how they impact you, and thinking where you might be without them in your life. 

How social media is like TV for some people. To be watched, but not used as a medium of interaction.

"If they will listen, sing them a song. If not, keep silent. Don't try to break down their door. Don't try out new medicines on them. Just be there among them, because there is nothing else for you to be but one of them." - from The Way of Chuang Tzu

Anaximander and his fragment.

Why is personification funny? (It is). But why? 

"We never use transfiguration as punishment." - from Harry Potter, said by McGonagall when "Moody" turns Malfoy into a ferret.
VS.
"Let's teach this shallow prince a lesson by turning him into a Beast." - paraphrase plot point of Beauty and the Beast.

Playful kitten gonna play. Sleepy kitten gonna take a bath on your lap.

Happy surprises! How someone who loves you will go out of their way to make your day! <3 <3 <3

Friday, March 11, 2016

Seasons, Metaphors, literature as enhancement to life, Wuxia, routines, industry goals, rejection is not the end, nostalgia X 3, Kitty Training, The Importance of Imagination, Bitter heals, Learn from those who don't know, What guides you?, Gulliver's Travels, NotSoCommonDivination, Who is a Leader You Could Respect?, Castle In The Sky, Phoenixes and more!

The stage between hardcore winter and spring is like that awkward stage right before actually saying, "Yes, I need a haircut." It doesn't look great or feel quite right, but it seems to be a necessary step.

If you're focusing on getting to the weekend, stop what you doing now, it's not worth it. Although, maybe there's a different reason for why so many people mention the days of the week like they are milestones? Maybe it just goes along with our metaphor that "life is a journey (with a starting point and a destination)", and we've cropped each week with a beginning and end to maintain that metaphor week after week.

Making literature not an escape from, but rather an enhancement to life.

Jin Yong and Wuxia.

How culture screams through literature, which is both wonderful and agonizing.

How repetition leads to habit, which leads to affecting others when others are involved, for better or worse. Pay attention to what you do consistently.

Routine/predictability in the world and universe.

Industry fuels and exploits wants. Life has needs. Industry bases itself off demand, not need, usually. Perhaps industry works on the understanding that needs can be satisfied, but wants are insatiable? Hmm.

I think I'm one of those people who will be better understood after I'm dead.

Twice in my life I have told people who have had a romantic interest in me that they will find someone else. They never believed me. But today, both of those men have found someone else, and one of them married the girl he started dating after I denied him. People move on. Rejection is not the end of the world.

That one time as a child that I made a comic about a ghost monkey...

That other time I wrote mystery plays...

And those days when I used to walk to class in college while keeping my nose in a book. Yep. #AccidentWaitingToHappen

I apologize just a little bit for being that person who posts pictures of her cat all of the time.

Kitty training is hard. But part of me wonders whether it just might be better if she doesn't learn her name, ya know? "The Name which can be named is not the Eternal Name." Oh, Master Kitty.

The strange consideration to fein stupidity in order to prevent other people from being intimidated.

Observation gained over the last few months: How employers don't seem to understand that even though you just started working for them, that doesn't necessarily mean you are "just starting your career".

Never lose the importance of imagination. Keep it with you always, in your pocket, or in your imaginary handbag that is shaped like a dragon, smells like musk and oranges, and is stored in your pirate boot.

Raison d'etre. I should write mine, but it wouldn't have any words.

Why do bitter things heal?

Choose your influences wisely.

"You know that one can fly with wings: you have not yet learned about flying without wings. You are familiar with the wisdom of those who know, but you have not yet learned the wisdom of those who know not." - from The Way of Chuang Tzu

What guides you? Morality? Curiosity? Belonging? Desire? Needs? Something else?

What causes different artistic movements?

The two faces of Pride.

"Undoubtedly, philosophers are in the right when they tell us that nothing is great or little otherwise than by comparison.” ― from Gulliver's Travels

Sometimes I learn about the past, present, and future by reading the swirling ginger fragments in my tea. #NotSoCommonDivination

I keep asking myself what it would be like to be governed by a leader who I really respect. I feel like America would do a world of good to ask that question too. Not just asking, "Which candidate out of those presented to me is the one I could support?"

Loverly: https://youtu.be/LRVU5iSLFso

"Now I understand why the people of Laputa vanished. This is a song from my home in the valley of Gondoa that explains everything. It says, "Take root in the ground, live in harmony with the wind, plant your seeds in the winter, and rejoice with the birds in the coming of spring." No matter how many weapons you have, no matter how great your technology might be, the world cannot live without love." -- from Castle in the Sky

Excited to have our second visitor from Florida!! ^_^ So good to see Nick's sister! We made Coco's Ichibanya-inspired curry together tonight, and it was awesome. :-)

"Life is a road, and I wanna keep going. Love is a river, I wanna keep flowing on. Starting out on a journey..." - Life is a Road, Anastasia. Metaphors. Metaphors. Metaphors.

Sleep is death, sleep is reviving, sleep is when we all get to be phoenixes sans flames.

Thursday, March 3, 2016

Lessons Learned and Thoughts Made While Listening to Disney Songs

The world is vast. We can't do everything. Or know everything.
AND
The path is not set, it's unwinding. And we are only part of it.
- "The Circle of Life" from The Lion King

Find your center.
AND
Men have a lot of social expectations, physically, emotionally, and mentally .
- "I'll Make a Man Out of You" from Mulan

Trust is important.
AND
Relationships help gain new perspectives.
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It's nice when people encourage you to dream.
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The world/life is lovely when shared.
- "A Whole New World" from Aladdin

Less is more.
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Don't look for things you can't ever know or find.
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Learn from your mistakes.
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Nature provides.
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Relax!
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Back rubs are awesome.
- "Bare Necessities" from The Jungle Book

Music fuels romance.
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People can still make a good impression without talking much.
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Names can be "pretty".
- "Kiss the Girl" from The Little Mermaid

Strong and loyal friendships are the best.
- "You've Got a Friend in Me" from Toy Story

Maybe socially defined gender roles aren't what should define us?
AND
Every now and then, people have identity crises.
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The best life is one where your inside and outside world agree and reflect each other.
- "Reflection" from Mulan

What is the measure of a true hero?
AND
Songs are a great way to retell stories and myths.
AND
The world was once new.
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Chaos is something to be stopped?
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Tone matters when telling stories.
- "The Gospel Truth" from Hercules

Earth is not a dead thing to be purchased.
AND
We can learn a lot from strangers and people who are different from us.
AND
All creatures of Earth are family.
AND
There is more than one type of "value".
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If you destroy things, you can't learn as much as you could about them. You miss out on their potential.
AND
We are all connected.
AND
There is beauty and richness in nature, even if you can't see it.
- "Colors of the Wind" from Pocahontas

Different men look for different qualities in a woman.
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A girl that always speaks her mind and has a brain is...?
- "A Girl Worth Fighting For" from Mulan

Love is caring for someone else.
AND
Love is as old as time.
AND
We're not always prepared for love.
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If you care about someone, you should tell them.
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Grooming is a part of wooing, lol.
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"Bittersweet and strange, finding you can change, learning you were wrong..." - well said.
- "Tale As Old As Time" from Beauty and the Beast

Word of mouth and storytelling was marketing "back in the day" (and still is, partially).
- "Prince Ali" from Aladdin

Denial is the first stage of love?
AND
Peer pressure is everywhere.
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Sometimes people feel things, they just don't say it. And that's better sometimes.
- "I Won't Say I'm In Love" from Hercules

Singing and music help make work more pleasant.
- "Happy Working Song" from Enchanted

Be curious about your fellow man.
AND
Human bonds can be confusing.
- "Stranger Like Me" from Tarzan

You can do a million things in life and still not be satisfied.
- "When Will My Life Begin" from Tangled

Genies are like restaurant servers?
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Sometimes power is just luck.
- "Friend Like Me" from Aladdin

In life, it's important to have both strength and wisdom, and they will come in time.
AND
Faith and understanding makes a man?
AND
"In learning, you will teach, and in teaching, you will learn."
- "Son of Man" from Tarzan

The river is not steady, and neither is life. Life is always changing.
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Explore life! Don't build up walls and stay in them.
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Smooth and easy path, or hard and rugged?
- "Just Around The Riverbend" from Pocahontas

From nothing to something is the Symbolic American Dream.
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"Sweet, our favorite flavor." - Wordplay is awesome.
- "Zero to Hero" from Hercules

Why do we compare emotions to weather?
AND
Test your limits.
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Don't care what people say. Be you.
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Distance can help emotional burdens.
- "Let It Go" from Frozen

People can change.
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It takes time to get to know a person fully. First impressions are misleading.
- "Something There" from Beauty and The Beast

New experiences open up our world.
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To be a hero is a work of "heart".
- "One Last Hope" from Hercules

When you dedicate your life to something, you crave opportunities to continue that dedication.
- "Be Our Guest" from Beauty and The Beast

No one can force you to stop dreaming.
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The clock in this song foreshadows the midnight deadline later in the movie. Killjoy, indeed.
- "A Dream Is A Wish" from Cinderella

"Seasons go and seasons come."
- "Steady as the Beating Drum" from Pocahontas

Who is to blame for the behavior of someone without parents?
- "One Jump Ahead" from Aladdin

Take chances while you can.
- "For the First Time in Forever" from Frozen

Enjoy your crazy, even if others don't.
AND
Work hard.
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Miracles are your own doing.
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Move past your problems and keep your spirits up.
- "I'm Almost There" from The Princess and The Frog

Extremes don't mix, but some people think so.
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Everything isn't always what you imagine it to be.
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Is imagination better than truth?
- "In Summer" from Frozen

Love is protection and influencing positive emotions and being there/presense and physical comfort.
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Not everyone will understand your love.
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"We need each other to have two WHOLES." You are not a half a person. Bravo to this songwriter for knowing that.
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Be strong while fulfilling your destiny.
- "You'll Be In My Heart" from Tarzan

Believe in something.
AND
Trust your heart.
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Should we let fate decide?
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Keep your head up.
- "Two Worlds" from Tarzan

Animals are great imitators.
AND
Fire makes us human?
- "I Wanna Be Like You" from The Jungle Book

Love has an impact on friendships and friends worry about losing people because of it.
AND
People are afraid of their past, sometimes.
AND
It's beautiful when others see your potential, even if you don't.
- "Can You Feel The Love Tonight?" from The Lion King

Some people teach us the real value of life.
AND
Be grateful to those who make your world a better place.
- "If I Never Knew You" from Pocahontas

Scar was power hungry.
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Duty. Loyalty. Planning. Murder. Fear. Were his strategies.
- "Be Prepared" from The Lion King

Songwriters are amazing.
AND
Some people only want to use you.
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How some people call people insults affectionately.
- "Cruella de Vil" from 101 Dalmations

"Visions are seldom all they seem."
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What if someone in a past life dreamed us into existence?
- "Once Upon A Dream" from Cinderella

We don't always agree with our parents.
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Accumulation of things doesn't create happiness.
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Different environments expose us to different things.
AND
"Sick of swimming, ready to stand."
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The desire to explore.
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How it feels to be outside of a culture, looking in.
- "Part of Your World" from The Little Mermaid

The book Belle describes as her favorite is a summary of The Beauty and The Beast plot.
AND
Provincial life, and routine, and the desire for a grander perspective/for adventure.
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Busy people don't have time for imagination.
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The common questions people ask day to day. "How's the kids? How's the wife? Yada yada"
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When the whole town knows you are different...
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Beauty is more than looks.
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The feeling of someone who understands, really. Who gets you.
- "Little Town" from Beauty and The Beast

Not everyone sings well, but at least they sing.
- "Oh, Sing Sweet Nightingale" from Cinderella

Glory, belonging, and adventure.
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Pleasing the Gods.
- "Go The Distance" from Hercules

Someone is always going to try to convince you that you belong where they belong.
- "Under The Sea" from The Little Mermaid

No worries, yo.
AND
The philosophies we live by.
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Adapting to your environment sometimes means trying new and exotic food.
- "Hakuna Matata" from The Lion King

All of this is interpretation. And that's one of the wonderful things about music! ^_^

Sunday, February 28, 2016

Tai Chi Yoga is a thing, mindfulness, procrastination, don't forget to be well-rounded, animals helping animals, environmental influence, Cosmopolitan vs Provincial, Glory vs. Truth, Learning Chinese, Disney, Downton Abbey and Modernizing, emotionally unstable people, the culture change movement, BRAINS, robots, Tolkien, and MORE!

The Specious Present

Spontaneous moments of Tai Chi Yoga before bed.

Mindfulness is an "at all waking hours" kind of thing.

According to my Goodreads inventory, I'm currently reading 24 books + 3 that I haven't added yet. I guess I should finish some of those...

Trying not to go completely mental and forget the body and soul in the process.

How different animals create things that other animals use without being aware of it. Bees making honey, or squirrels, mice, and spiders making homes in human shelters, etc.

How our environment influences us: "English critic William Hazlitt became acquainted with Romantic poetry by walking with Samuel Coleridge and William Wordsworth. He discovered that the walking paths preferred by each poet directly influenced their writing styles. Wordsworth was more lyrical, Coleridge more dramatic. Not coincidently, so was their walking."

AND

"You'll never meet a dwarf named Giambattista Vico." - from The Hobbit and Philosophy

Cosmopolitan/Countercosmopolitan/Provincial. Fallibilism. Pluralism.

Heroism & Glory vs. Beauty & Truth

When you learn numbers one to seven in Chinese, you almost know all of the days of the week too. Hint: Monday starts the week.

The fun of looking through Chinese texts for symbols you know.

Strange how it almost seems easier to recognize *patterns* in languages with logograms than in languages with phonograms. But it's possible that I only recognize them because I'm unfamiliar with the meaning, so I'm mostly only looking at structure? Hmm.

Nevertheless, how you can condense an entire concept into one image is well...artistic...but also efficient.

But but but...also, humanity's ability to construct an abstract image and create meaning out of it. WHAT.DOES.THAT.MEAN?!

Just realized I'm probably the equivalent of Ariel The Mermaid to Asian culture. Hmm.

Beauty and The Beast, and the Stockholm Syndrome.

Are the people/women who cut or changed their hair in Downton Abbey those who became most modernized?

YES!!! https://youtu.be/vdnFmq7UVys

Despite lack of a better name: https://youtu.be/5LtsD9xowP0

More Fiechter: https://youtu.be/jFkOr_eKkqA

Attention is pretty effing powerful stuff. Be careful with it.

How to deal with emotionally unstable people. :-/

It sucks wanting to help and knowing you aren't the right person to help.

What do you do when you get into a situation that you were once on the other side of? Write an Adele song? Try on your own shoes? Feck.

Frustration with just how wrong messages that support the "Just go for it! Take a chance! Regardless of the consequences, you only live once!" mentality can be taken.

When saying "no" saves you 37 hours a week of your life to be enjoyed on something other than someone else's mission.

The "culture change" movement in nursing and long-term care. Backlash against institutions. *Thumbs up*

Changing culture requires changing the way you view something first. METAPHORS.

Viruses.

Sneaky Devil, the Brain. Constantly advertising people to you via little memories. You read Alexander Pope and you think of this person. You see colored pencils and you think of this person. You smell coconut oil and you think of this person. Not a bad thing really, just amused by this I guess.

What does it mean for humans to create robots?

Oh, the things you research for writing a book...like how to survive a bear attack when caught in a corner.

Myths, and facts, and Tolkien. How life changes and doesn't change at the same time.

Sitting by the fire is such a delight.

Pen-clicking and staring somewhere looking for answers beyond your view.

Excited for Monday!!! ^_^ <3

Saturday, February 20, 2016

Silly names, peppermint tea, herding cats, grab in case of fire, the pain of decay, yoga, the school lunch problem, Anna Akhmatova, dreaming about sleeping, Steve Gibson's Mom, American values in the workplace, Pen Tester, Hawking's Soft Hair Theorem, baking at high altitude, and more!

Silly gamer names like "FluffyWalrus".

If I had a name that started with an "I" and the next letter an "L", I would purposely always spell my name starting with a lowercase or I'd keep the second letter uppercase. None of that Ilene nonsense. ilene or ILene, that's how I'd roll.

"Not only is my short term memory bad, but so is my short term memory."

Few things make you get accustomed to something uncomfortable quite like, "I have to."

Why are some burned foods tasty?

Mind, why have you forsaken me? In my thoughts forsaken me? Seriously though, how could I forget the almighty healing powers of peppermint tea?!

According to one woman we passed by on the Cherry Creek trail...walking with a toddler..."it's like herding cats." I wanna know where she got her cat herding experience! ;-P

Finally figured out one thing I would most certainly grab in the event of a fire. ...Contacts. My eyeballs!

Decay hurts to warn us into caution mode.

"Only a Sith deals in absolutes."

Some days I know without a doubt that there are moments when my feet should be in the air and my head should be on the floor. Ommmmmmmmm. I miss yoga practice.

Should a child be given lunch at school when parents are irresponsible and forget to add funds to a child's lunch account? Does the answer change when the parents didn't add money because they don't have any? What should the school's action be? Feed the child and ask to bring the money tomorrow? Feed the child but don't ask them to bring money tomorrow? Take the food away and trash it and let the child go hungry? Other solution? Do different situations warrant different solutions in this case, or?

Capitalism vs. Socialism

A poem about Schrodinger's Cat: http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/anna_akhmatova/poems/12

^Haha, just kidding. :-P

Dreaming about sleeping is weird and kind of "down the rabbit holey", but it also doesn't make you feel very rested at all. I don't recommend it.

When your job duties go from being a dinosaur to an amoeba, and you're completely okay with that. So much it makes you laugh in awe.

The mother of Steve Gibson from Tag Team ("Whoomp, there it is!") showed me how to use office equipment yesterday. *Amused*

America's ideology regarding the value of time vs. the value of outcomes.

How we pay for things we hope never to use. (Like auto, term, and health insurance).

The obscurity and length of government documents.

You know what I'd love to do, even just for a day? Be a Pen Tester. So many pens, so little knowledge of which ones work best or which ones I like the best. And no desire to buy the whole shelf to find out. But I'd review them all if they'd let me...

I admit it. I'm an insufferable proofreader who notices patterns and breaks in patterns, and I will point out typos all day long if you let me. :-D

Honestly, half the time I look like I break glass with my hands for a living. SMASH SMASH!!

"Then only in the empty spaces,
Death, walking very silently,
Shall fear the glory of our faces
Through all the dark infinity.

So, clothed about with perfect love,
The eternal end shall find us one,
Alone above the Night, above
The dust of the dead gods, alone.”
― Rupert Brooke

“When you think yours is the only true path you forever chain yourself to judging others and narrow the vision of God." - Shannon L. Adler

Hawking's Black Hole Information Paradox and the Soft Hair Theorem. And superrotations. And effing infinity.

Back in 2012, how Nick broke into my car to leave me a note and a book about black holes. :-D <3

Nordic Orientalism.

I have mastered the art and science of baking at high altitude.

"When the shoe fits, the foot is forgotten."
AND
"The key to Chuang Tzu's thought is the complementarity of opposites, and this can be seen only when one grasps the central "pivot" of Tao which passes squarely through both "Yes" and "No," "I" and "Not-I." Life is a continual development. All beings are in a state of flux." - The Way of Chuang Tzu

Does Fiction do a better job of addressing the present than Nonfiction over time? Or does it simply not matter?

The things you forget over time. And the things you remember.

Two way streets.

All that we have lost along the way...all that we have lost along the way...all that we have lost...