Wisdom from my mother:
Trying your hand and failing at something is much different than trying something new, working hard at it, and realizing it's not right for you (i.e. if something lacks any sort of sense of accomplishment or satisfaction either in the process or end result of said endeavor).
That being said, if one is certain that completion of something will contribute to health, happiness, knowledge, or quality of life, if at first you don't succeed, try again. As many times as it takes.
Wednesday, 2 September 2009
Keeping the Hinges Oiled
I preface this entry by saying I am not donning the irritating cape of self-righteousness when I speak of the best ways to live life. My words are intended to help with bettering lifestyles, using what we have been given. If you're like me, money, time, and energy are all in short supply.
As I am the Queen of the realms of Downtime and Laziness, I’ve come to the conclusion that spending what free time I have in front of the television or computer and generally being mindless is causing my brain to slowly corrode. I can’t seem to let go of either, however-- I’ve been sucked into the addictive maws of CSI and Burn Notice and about five other shows.
I’ve sold my soul to media, as I’m sure many of us have.
I’ve found a solution, however-- there are countless preachy articles and informative pieces available to anyone that has access to Google about the importance of an active lifestyle. I’ll argue that physical activity is necessary to a degree, but giving up the relaxation-time things we love isn’t necessary.
My solution? Knitting. I knit while I watch television or stream Fullmetal Alchemist online (I fully admit to being a nerd). I’ve started making jewelry, just experimenting with beads I had from some kit I received as a birthday gift when I was eight (I fully admit to also being a packrat). In doing these things and pursuing what random interests I’ve had in the course of my life, I’ve found a deep satisfaction in accomplishing something new and creating something useful.
Now I can make an afghan as a gift for someone, with my undivided attention for my television as the main cost. Or I can make jewelry for myself. It’s especially nice to know that I can turn a profit from doing my downtime crafts on websites like Etsy or Ebay.
It doesn’t only extend to making things. I am taking the time to learn guitar properly. As I watch my beloved old movies, I put forth the effort to look up film criticisms and hunt for homages and technical details many people rarely notice. I feel like I’m growing even as I enjoy myself.
The moral of the story is simply that all interests should be nurtured. Excuses like ‘not having the time’ are rarely valid-- what little time is available to these bumblebees is squandered on rot. Interests and learning have a way of paying off later in life, whether you turn a profit from making painted lampshades or you simply can hold your own in an in-depth conversation about quantum physics.
There are never any regrets in trying too much; there will always be regrets in not having done enough. Explore like you’re four or five again-- children have a way of wanting to try anything and everything. Perhaps this bright-eyed outlook is something to emulate (although it’s encumbent upon me to stress that coloring the walls with crayon scribbles is generally not a good idea; toilet training is also a particularly nice, adult thing to maintain). Learn, and it will always be worthwhile.
Related to tonight’s post is also Life Lesson #1.
As I am the Queen of the realms of Downtime and Laziness, I’ve come to the conclusion that spending what free time I have in front of the television or computer and generally being mindless is causing my brain to slowly corrode. I can’t seem to let go of either, however-- I’ve been sucked into the addictive maws of CSI and Burn Notice and about five other shows.
I’ve sold my soul to media, as I’m sure many of us have.
I’ve found a solution, however-- there are countless preachy articles and informative pieces available to anyone that has access to Google about the importance of an active lifestyle. I’ll argue that physical activity is necessary to a degree, but giving up the relaxation-time things we love isn’t necessary.
My solution? Knitting. I knit while I watch television or stream Fullmetal Alchemist online (I fully admit to being a nerd). I’ve started making jewelry, just experimenting with beads I had from some kit I received as a birthday gift when I was eight (I fully admit to also being a packrat). In doing these things and pursuing what random interests I’ve had in the course of my life, I’ve found a deep satisfaction in accomplishing something new and creating something useful.
Now I can make an afghan as a gift for someone, with my undivided attention for my television as the main cost. Or I can make jewelry for myself. It’s especially nice to know that I can turn a profit from doing my downtime crafts on websites like Etsy or Ebay.
It doesn’t only extend to making things. I am taking the time to learn guitar properly. As I watch my beloved old movies, I put forth the effort to look up film criticisms and hunt for homages and technical details many people rarely notice. I feel like I’m growing even as I enjoy myself.
The moral of the story is simply that all interests should be nurtured. Excuses like ‘not having the time’ are rarely valid-- what little time is available to these bumblebees is squandered on rot. Interests and learning have a way of paying off later in life, whether you turn a profit from making painted lampshades or you simply can hold your own in an in-depth conversation about quantum physics.
There are never any regrets in trying too much; there will always be regrets in not having done enough. Explore like you’re four or five again-- children have a way of wanting to try anything and everything. Perhaps this bright-eyed outlook is something to emulate (although it’s encumbent upon me to stress that coloring the walls with crayon scribbles is generally not a good idea; toilet training is also a particularly nice, adult thing to maintain). Learn, and it will always be worthwhile.
Related to tonight’s post is also Life Lesson #1.
Tuesday, 11 August 2009
RANT: Internet Etiquette
Dear Internet,
Thank you for the anonymity you provide. We can pursue every embarrassing interest we have in relative security, safe in the knowledge that our love for Harry Potter FanFiction, hentai, or Lazy Town will never be known to the people that matter. We all have skeletons in our closet, I guess... and we shouldn't really judge... BUT...
Thanks as well for making us the socially awkward people that we are-- you have become so inclusive of everything that we no longer have the courage to, or knowledge how to, meet people outside of your realm. Of course, this means the 'relationship' Joe Stereotype-Geek has built up with Danielle, that stunning 24 year-old blonde in Wyoming, is actually 13 year-old Dan's invention to embarrass the nerd next door.
Oh, yeah, and thanks for taking the time to give us a little fake mustache and glasses when we comment to humiliate those YouTube gems that have so little talent they make our ears bleed. Thanks for any forum you give us that allows us to verbally abuse people so we can feel a touch better about ourselves.
Cheers to turning us all into taunting five-year-olds sans moral compass.
Love ya, Interwebz,
Rachie
The internet gives us a Potter-esque invisibility cloak in the world, but I fail to see why this suddenly allows us to behave disrespectfully toward others. Let's put it this way-- the internet is a public place. We are faceless, bodiless entities in a digital world, free to pursue any avenue of choice.
Why, then, do we choose to have horrid manners? Anonymity provides privacy in what is a public forum. ANYONE with access can join you where you are, but no one knows who you are. People respect that privacy. When you abuse the anonymity, however, why should it be respected?
Let's be honest. How many times do you see nasty comments and abuse on any given forum or site? I don't understand why; if I'm walking down the street, there certainly aren't people swearing at me left, right, and down center. When I walk down the street, people don't scream at street performers (regardless of talent) and call them useless wastes of space. If I'm out with my friends, they will not tease me in front of strangers about scandalous things.
The point is this: when interacting with others on the internet, why do we not treat them with the respect and courtesy we normally would in person? This a simple exploitation of the faceless nature of the net.
I sincerely doubt that, meeting someone off the street (excluding those in the oldest profession, I suppose), you'd instantly ask them to see their breasts... Unless you were Joe Francis at Mardi Gras, which, let's face it, you're not.
The internet is a public place; we should behave as we would if the world could see you. Truthfully, the world can. We've all gotten the lectures on Facebook profile-checking and internet screening for jobs, so someone is watching us if we take a wrong step. Ultimately, though, we should do it to dissipate the obnoxious behavior that permeates the internet we know and love. We could make it so much more enjoyable for everyone...
And if you need a place to vent, go to an insult forum, or start your own. Just be prepared to get as good as you give... could be a good reminder that insulting doesn't make you better than anyone.
Preacher Rachel's rant = finished.
Thank you for the anonymity you provide. We can pursue every embarrassing interest we have in relative security, safe in the knowledge that our love for Harry Potter FanFiction, hentai, or Lazy Town will never be known to the people that matter. We all have skeletons in our closet, I guess... and we shouldn't really judge... BUT...
Thanks as well for making us the socially awkward people that we are-- you have become so inclusive of everything that we no longer have the courage to, or knowledge how to, meet people outside of your realm. Of course, this means the 'relationship' Joe Stereotype-Geek has built up with Danielle, that stunning 24 year-old blonde in Wyoming, is actually 13 year-old Dan's invention to embarrass the nerd next door.
Oh, yeah, and thanks for taking the time to give us a little fake mustache and glasses when we comment to humiliate those YouTube gems that have so little talent they make our ears bleed. Thanks for any forum you give us that allows us to verbally abuse people so we can feel a touch better about ourselves.
Cheers to turning us all into taunting five-year-olds sans moral compass.
Love ya, Interwebz,
Rachie
The internet gives us a Potter-esque invisibility cloak in the world, but I fail to see why this suddenly allows us to behave disrespectfully toward others. Let's put it this way-- the internet is a public place. We are faceless, bodiless entities in a digital world, free to pursue any avenue of choice.
Why, then, do we choose to have horrid manners? Anonymity provides privacy in what is a public forum. ANYONE with access can join you where you are, but no one knows who you are. People respect that privacy. When you abuse the anonymity, however, why should it be respected?
Let's be honest. How many times do you see nasty comments and abuse on any given forum or site? I don't understand why; if I'm walking down the street, there certainly aren't people swearing at me left, right, and down center. When I walk down the street, people don't scream at street performers (regardless of talent) and call them useless wastes of space. If I'm out with my friends, they will not tease me in front of strangers about scandalous things.
The point is this: when interacting with others on the internet, why do we not treat them with the respect and courtesy we normally would in person? This a simple exploitation of the faceless nature of the net.
I sincerely doubt that, meeting someone off the street (excluding those in the oldest profession, I suppose), you'd instantly ask them to see their breasts... Unless you were Joe Francis at Mardi Gras, which, let's face it, you're not.
The internet is a public place; we should behave as we would if the world could see you. Truthfully, the world can. We've all gotten the lectures on Facebook profile-checking and internet screening for jobs, so someone is watching us if we take a wrong step. Ultimately, though, we should do it to dissipate the obnoxious behavior that permeates the internet we know and love. We could make it so much more enjoyable for everyone...
And if you need a place to vent, go to an insult forum, or start your own. Just be prepared to get as good as you give... could be a good reminder that insulting doesn't make you better than anyone.
Preacher Rachel's rant = finished.
Saturday, 8 August 2009
LIT LOVER: Barnes&Noble Discoveries
I'm a reader, through and through. I'm curious about anything and everything, and have a great love of bookshops-- I can browse for hours and not get bored, flipping through any books that catch my eye.
I happened upon the Discover Great New Writers pamphlet from Barnes&Noble last weekend, and while I'm sure many people are aware of this quarterly publication, I thought I'd highlight a few novels that looked intriguing and worth splurging on (books are usually my 'treat' item).
I happened upon the Discover Great New Writers pamphlet from Barnes&Noble last weekend, and while I'm sure many people are aware of this quarterly publication, I thought I'd highlight a few novels that looked intriguing and worth splurging on (books are usually my 'treat' item).
- I'll definitely be reading The Unit: A Novel, by Ninni Holmqvist. I have a great deal of respect for authors like Ray Bradbury and Margaret Atwood; both authors illustrate such a potentially frightening future and manage to perfectly outcome the effects of humanity in future 'progressive' and 'utopian' states. Holmqvist is reviewed as potentially being one of the next generation of authors to alert us to the potential directions of our society, and this tale of a society that determines personal value by age and success in personal and professional life promises to be chilling à la 1984.
- John the Revelator: A Novel, by Peter Murphy seems to be an interesting character study of a boy's introduction to something other than his strict Catholic upbringing as he comes of age. I like that there seems to be a huge emphasis on differentiation between morality and faith, and it could be an interesting read whether you are devout or irreligious (ideally, it will be a mind-opening read with views from either side of the fence). Plus, it seems to be an interesting illustration of an impoverished Irish lifestyle.
- I like story collections-- they offer me a chance to get a complete an entire tale in whatever length of time I have available. This is ideal for days that I have entirely too much work to do or am utterly and completely exhausted; reading is relaxing, but some days, I just can't finish whatever I'm perusing, and I hate going for lengths of time between story segments. Lydia Peelle's Reasons for and Advantages of Breathing: Stories looks like the ideal bedside or bathtub read for the start of the busy fall. Perhaps she's one of the few authors who can pack worlds of emotion into very little space; Kafkaesque in ability, but placed in the real-world with scenarios to empathise with.
If you want to check out the Discover author and book profiles, click here, or you can just go pick up a pamphlet the next time you're in one of the bookstores. All of the selections for this entry were found in the Fall '09 Seasonal Picks.
I'll tell you how I felt about these if you tell me as well.
I'll tell you how I felt about these if you tell me as well.
Friday, 7 August 2009
GET OUT: Getty Concert Series
When you live in London for a year, you tend to get a bit jaded. There is so much to do at any given time, and a lot of it costs next to nothing. Museums are free, many events are free... I was dreading not having as much access in Los Angeles to good music, particularly since I can't afford to do much of it... I am, after all, a 'starving' student. London completely drained the coffers, and I am BROKE.
That's why I was surprisingly (and probably disproportionately) excited about the Getty Museum's Saturdays Off the 405. The shows are free, and admission to the Getty is always free, and in the afternoon, so is parking. My pockets have stopped sobbing temporarily, as I fully intend to take a picnic basket when I go. The acts really aren't bad, either; Cut Chemist is one notable performance that has already occurred this summer. Tomorrow's act, The Dodos, are a band I have truthfully heard nothing about; I do like the snippet that the Getty has posted as a sample. Cue a Wikipedia lookup and YouTube screening for this duo...
Anyway, tomorrow's show starts at 6pm. Make a day of it and see some French Revolutionary bronzes while you were there and ponder whether powdered wigs will ever make a comeback. Sprawl out in the sun in that spiffy garden they have. And if you can't make tomorrow's show, they have two more lined up on September 26 and October 10. Artists haven't been announced yet, but it's a good excuse to stop reading blog posts, get some sunshine, and learn some art history (which, contrary to popular belief, is not a completely BS subject).
Find more information on these concerts here.
That's why I was surprisingly (and probably disproportionately) excited about the Getty Museum's Saturdays Off the 405. The shows are free, and admission to the Getty is always free, and in the afternoon, so is parking. My pockets have stopped sobbing temporarily, as I fully intend to take a picnic basket when I go. The acts really aren't bad, either; Cut Chemist is one notable performance that has already occurred this summer. Tomorrow's act, The Dodos, are a band I have truthfully heard nothing about; I do like the snippet that the Getty has posted as a sample. Cue a Wikipedia lookup and YouTube screening for this duo...
Anyway, tomorrow's show starts at 6pm. Make a day of it and see some French Revolutionary bronzes while you were there and ponder whether powdered wigs will ever make a comeback. Sprawl out in the sun in that spiffy garden they have. And if you can't make tomorrow's show, they have two more lined up on September 26 and October 10. Artists haven't been announced yet, but it's a good excuse to stop reading blog posts, get some sunshine, and learn some art history (which, contrary to popular belief, is not a completely BS subject).
Find more information on these concerts here.
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